mainstream culture Category Archives
Code Switching & Identity Performance: the politics of talking black
Published on 27 Sep 2009 at 3:06 pm.
13 Comments.
Filed under academia, black culture, mainstream culture, black image, popular culture.
For the progeny of slaves, English has had the dubious utility of being a key granting access, or more often than not, it has been the rhetorical device making black folks the butt of cruel jokes augmenting bitter ridicule and scorn in the psyche of America’s popular culture. From the Constitution (which asserted that black […]
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Coming of Age With Hip Hop (Part 4.2)
Published on 19 Jul 2009 at 2:08 pm.
21 Comments.
Filed under black culture, mainstream culture, entertainment, music, black image, art, popular culture, Hip-Hip.
Welcome back for the second segment of 1996 as we focus on two titans, Jay-Z and Nas, and their landmark albums, Reasonable Doubt and It Was Written. These two classics were released within one week of each other, instantly causing the summer of 1996 to become “history in the making.” In an era where most […]
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Jena 6.. @ The BET Hip-Hop Awards!?
Published on 23 Oct 2007 at 3:10 pm.
19 Comments.
Filed under ridiculousness, mainstream culture, television, entertainment.
I know I’m late, the BET Hip-Hop Awards were over a week ago, but I was out of town and I just caught the re-broadcast this week. I was surprised to see two of the Jena 6 brothers (Bryant Purvis and Carwin Jones) decked out, on the red carpet like some overnight celebrities! Was anyone […]
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G-Unit vs. Good Music. And the winner is…
Published on 19 Sep 2007 at 12:43 pm.
10 Comments.
Filed under news/politics, black culture, mainstream culture, music.
Multi-platinum recording artist 50 Cent (G-Unit/Aftermath) threw down the gauntlet several months ago, challenging Kanye West (Good Music/Def Jam) to a battle in record sales, stating: “If Kanye West sells more records than 50 Cent on September 11, I’ll no longer write music. I’ll write music and work with my other artists, but I won’t […]
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We don’t hire “Ghetto Dudes”
Published on 1 Aug 2007 at 8:40 am.
13 Comments.
Filed under racism, news/politics, mainstream culture.
In the song, “Why” (Remix), Nas has a verse where he poses the question, “Why do schools care about your son’s braids more than they care for his grades?” I often analyze this song when I’m doing Hip-Hop workshops to see if students can relate, or if they think Nas is just exaggerating. Without fail, […]
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Interracial Marriages Skyrocket
Published on 21 Apr 2007 at 12:34 am.
11 Comments.
Filed under mainstream culture, inter-minority relations.
The United States Census Bureau reports that interracial marriages have reached an all time high. In the 21st century it may be hard for some people to believe that, in some states, such unions were illegal only 40 years ago. South Carolina’s Bob Jones University only dropped its ban on interracial dating in 2000.
Since that […]
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The First Black Princess
Published on 11 Mar 2007 at 2:58 pm.
11 Comments.
Filed under mainstream culture, entertainment, film, black image.
15 years ago the Disney classic Aladdin made history by introducing the world to princess Jasmine, the first leading lady of color in a Disney film. Jasmine joined the ranks of Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella and the fish-lady Ariel as the heroines of the Disney princess dynasty. Since 1992, Pocahontas and Mulan have joined […]
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Madea: Coonery or Black Theatre?
Published on 6 Mar 2007 at 12:02 pm.
15 Comments.
Filed under mainstream culture, entertainment, theatre.
In the 21st century, Tyler Perry has dominated the Black Theatre scene. His popular, “Urban Theatre” melodramas have been a huge success over the past several years grossing close to $100 million in ticket and DVD sales. Several of his plays feature the recurring character “Madea,” an outspoken grandmomma played by Perry himself. Many of […]
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Oprah’s $40,000,000 dilemma: America needs schools too..
Published on 9 Jan 2007 at 10:30 pm.
30 Comments.
Filed under news/politics, academia, women's issues/feminism, mainstream culture.
Over the past 5 years, Oprah has been building a 40 million dollar sanctuary in South Africa; a leadership academy for young underprivileged girls, fulfilling a promise she made to former president Nelson Mandela in 2001. And in traditional Oprah style she went all out, purchasing a 28 building campus with theatres, science labs, libraries […]
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O.W.A. (Objectivistz Wit Attitude)
Published on 23 Dec 2006 at 9:41 pm.
8 Comments.
Filed under black culture, mainstream culture, entertainment.
Now this types of shit, happens all the time
You got to get yours but fool I gotta get mine. —Snoop Dogg, “Gin & Juice”
While trying to relax on a transnational flight from the West to the East coast, the timeless strains of Jibbs’ “Chain Hang Low” on repeat between my ears, I reached a frightening […]
