02/04/22
This week: A cliché-free horror movie, an introduction to the “Sample God,” a strong recommendation to binge TV on a deadline, and more Black creators telling a wide range of stories.
TRENDS THIS WEEK
☞Youtube Juice WRLD - Go Hard 2.0
☞Letterboxd AFTER YANG
☞TikTok #BlackTikTok
☞Spotify INDUSTRY BABY - Lil Nas X, Jack Harlow
☞Netflix RAISING DION
☞Twitter Rihanna
Life & Culture
I’ve got a few music-metaverse updates for you all this week. Fortnite is expanding its universe even further with the addition of Silk Sonic, the musical duo that includes Anderson .Paak and Bruno Mars. The Silk Sonic Set will allow users to buy accessories based on each member. The release also comes with a new radio station and a Silk Sonic Cup that users can compete in.
Songwriter/artist John Legend is launching a new NFT platform meant to “reshape the industry” for musicians. The venture, which is called OurSong, markets itself as “easy-to-use” and simple, and doesn’t require users to have access to a crypto wallet to make a purchase. Legend is a co-founder; along with Kevin Lin, co-founder of Twitch; and Matt Cheng, founder of Cherubic Ventures; and Chris Lin, CEO of Taiwan-based music streaming service KKBOX. Basically, a lot of heavy hitters. And given how hard it is for musicians who aren’t superstars to make a living these days, we’re really rooting for it to work.
This week, I highly recommend checking out TikTok creator @mndiaye_97. I’ve shared a few of his videos before, because he’s one of my favorite creators ever to grace my FYP, and I’m clearly not alone in my love for his content, as he now has over 14M followers. Mamadou creates videos all about nature, educating his followers on everything from the most underrated animal in the world to FINDING NEMO characters to weird butterfly habits. The videos are all very well researched and fun to watch. Enjoy!
Also, this video documents the sweetest result from last week’s snowstorm in the Northeast, while this one depicts an impressive level of commitment to the bit.
—Darlene Kenney, Digital Strategist
Films
Coming out of Sundance 2022, one of the biggest winners is the brilliant NANNY, written and directed by Nikyatu Jusu, which took home the Grand Jury Prize in the U.S. Dramatic Competition. The story follows Aisha, a Senegalese immigrant mother who takes on the job of nannying for a wealthy white couple in hopes of earning enough to bring her young son over to America. As she cares for the couple’s young daughter, a supernatural presence starts to gather force…is it sinister, or is it a warning? This visually stunning and elegantly acted horror film strays away from clichés and cheap jump scares, but rather centers its core horror around a deeply nuanced examination of living a life in a foreign country with an uncertain future while your heart resides in another. The film also skillfully uses West African folktales to craft this contemplative story, at a time when the horror landscape often overlooks the African diaspora. Aisha is played by Anna Diop, who gives a performance full of strength and elegance that is simultaneously contained and powerful. Up next, writer-director Nikyatu Jusu will team up with Jordan Peele’s Monkeypaw Productions and Universal to work on her next horror film, which she will co-write with Fredrica Bailey. I, for one, cannot wait to see what’s coming next!
—Mimi Li, Development Assistant
Given the start of the Winter Olympics this weekend, I would understand if you were in the mood for something sporty. In which case, allow me to recommend one of my favorite movies from last year, KING RICHARD (trailer here). It follows Richard Williams, father of tennis stars Venus and Serena Williams, as he helps jump-start their (now legendary) tennis careers. The movie is full of heart and feels particularly human, showing the complexities of parenthood—and particularly Black fatherhood—as Richard grapples with decisions that will inevitably shape his family’s futures. Will Smith shines as the titular character. You can catch this uplifting film in theaters, or rent it on YouTube or Amazon.
—Darlene Kenney, Digital Strategist
TV
I highly recommend checking out FLATBUSH MISDEMEANORS (trailer here), one of my favorite shows of 2021. Created by and starring Kevin Iso and Dan Perlman, the comedy series follows fictionalized versions of Kevin and Dan as they navigate their unsettled lives in Brooklyn. The pair bring a hilarious and authentic take on life in Flatbush, all while exploring more dramatic themes like family turmoil, education, and mental health. The supporting characters bring lots of humor and heart too—especially sensitive drug dealer Drew (Hassan Johnson) and Dan's reckless stepfather Kareem (Kareem Green). I breezed through these ten half-hour episodes and am now very much looking forward to Season 2!
—Dustin Sloane, Development Assistant
If you haven’t already started watching ABBOTT ELEMENTARY (trailer here), which Dustin recommended back in December, you’re still early enough to start—and catch up, if you apply yourself—before the season has fully aired. Created by and starring the hilarious Quinta Brunson, this mockumentary-style series focuses on a group of dedicated teachers working in an underfunded South Philly public school. Janine (Quinta Brunson) is a young and optimistic second grade teacher who goes above and beyond for her students, despite the lack of resources and some cynicism from the more senior teachers, Mrs. Schemmenti (Lisa Ann Walter) and Mrs. Howard (Sheryl Lee Ralph). While this is a comedy, the show touches on serious issues and struggles that teachers face in some public schools, which has struck a cord for many teachers across the country. Quinta Brunson based the show off of her mother’s experience as a public school teacher in Philly for over 40 years, and you can definitely feel the personal touch in the writing of this show. If you’re up for some feelings and tears, please check out this video of Quinta reuniting with her sixth grade teacher, Mrs. Abbott, who the show was named after!
—Ellen Amare, Development Intern
Music
For Black History Month I want to highlight an artist who is typically behind the scenes, my favorite new producer, Cash Cobain. Hailing from the original rap capital of the world, Cobain was born and raised in Queens, New York. Though he’s been producing for years now, he’s recently found his lane in record sampling. Sampling is the art of taking an old record, using a portion of it to loop and layer, to create an entirely new sound. This is essentially the heart of hip hop music—before MCs there were DJs who popularized “the breakdown” which is the part of the track they would sample. Cobain has recently been dubbed the new “Sample God'' for his ability to sample and flip any and everything and make it sound new. My favorite track of his, IF THIS WERE MINE, samples Luther Vandross’ IF THIS WORLD WERE MINE, and truly takes the heart of the track and creates something new that’s fun, upbeat and catchy. I also recommend checking out his album 719 and his most recent viral hit (produced for B-Lovee) titled MY EVERYTHING, which samples Mary J. Blige’s EVERYTHING.
—Eden Bekele, Digital Associate
And, in celebration of Black History Month, my colleague Erin Harris and I have put together a playlist showcasing some of our favorite up and coming Black talent. Check it out here!
—Eden Bekele, Digital Associate
Tiny History Lesson
Since the release of THE HARDER THEY FALL (trailer here), searches on Black cowboys have skyrocketed. As someone who personally went into a google frenzy, I’m happy to see the Yeehaw Agenda in action. And to kick off Black History Month’s Tiny History Lessons, I want to share my findings with you on Nat Love—(the protagonist played by Jonathan Majors in the film, who also happens to be an entirely real cowboy).
In the film, Love seeks vengeance on Rufus Buck (Idris Elba), who killed his parents and branded him gruesomely when he was just a kid. He spends his life leading ambushes on other outlaw gangs with a gang of outlaws himself.
And while the real Nat Love was a cowboy, his story went more like this…
In 1854, Nat was born into slavery in Tennessee. He became a free man at the end of the civil war in 1865, and set off on his own at just 15. Though his true name was Nat Love, he earned the moniker Deadwood Dick after winning a shooting contest, while living in Deadwood South Dakota. That, coupled with his general expertise in breaking in horses made him something of a local legend.
Nat married his girlfriend Alice (disappointing, I know—I loved the film’s Stagecoach Mary as much as anyone), and they had a kid together. He later retired from cowboy life and settled in Kansas where he found work as a railroad porter.
Kinda ordinary, I know. But it’s extraordinary because he is one of the very few Black cowboys whose story is documented. In 1907, Nat published a memoir titled THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF NAT LOVE, which may be the ~only~ full-length autobiography ever written by a black cowboy.
—Eden Bekele, Digital Associate
