google-site-verification=cXrcMGa94PjI5BEhkIFIyc9eZiIwZzNJc4mTXSXtGRM Producer DeShawn Plair Shares ‘Freaknik’ Secrets - 360WISE MEDIA
Connect with us

Entertainment

Producer DeShawn Plair Shares ‘Freaknik’ Secrets

Published

on

FREAKNIK: THE WILDEST PARTY NEVER TOLD – AUSTIN, TX – MARCH 12: Cast and EPs attend the SXSW World Premiere of Hulu’s “Freaknik: The Wildest Party Never Told” in Austin, Texas on March 12, 2024. (Disney/ Frank Micelotta) DESHAWN PLAIR

America spent the weekend “in Freaknik”, checking to see in the event that they had seen their parents or peers in archival footage from the favored documentary.

While many of the buzz within the months leading as much as the film’s release was about who we would see doing 360p on the streets of Atlanta within the early ’90s, the film focused on the emergence of Southern culture and town of Atlanta specifically. , as a mainstay of hip-hop and black popular culture.

DeShawn Plair, supervising producer, believes that this a part of the story is just too often lost when mentioning the legendary city-wide spring break party. “It was like magic in a bottle with its original purpose,” Plair tells ESSENCE.

We caught up with the three-time NAACP Image Award-winning producer to speak all things Freaknik – the ups and downs – and why “The Wildest Party” has left such an enduring mark on Black culture.

Producer DeShawn Plair Shares 'Freaknik' Secrets

What made you become involved within the production of a documentary about this legendary representative of black culture of the 90s?

Well, what made me need to be a component of this project was Geraldine Porras. She is the showrunner and executive producer. I worked together with her on a Cosby documentary for Showtime.

Of course, I’ve heard all of the urban legends. Unfortunately, I wasn’t sufficiently old to be involved within the early days of Freaknik, but I had heard about it from shows like or . It was a cultural phenomenon. So I believed, “Okay, let me really understand what this is about.” I used to be pleasantly surprised to study its origins.

What did you learn from this process that you simply didn’t know before?

I learned that it was on the streets that Freaknik LaFace discovered latest artists. So So Def was signing latest artists there. Even Outkast, after they started off, handed out sample tapes, because what higher place to advertise music than when 200,000-300,000 students and others were descending on the streets of Atlanta? This was only the start and development of so many artists.

This event is usually remembered as a moment when men were free to objectify, sexualize, and sometimes harass women on the streets, yet there are two women at the middle of the production. Why do you think that it was essential for girls to be involved in telling this story?

It’s true that now while you consider the “Freaknik legacy” you turn into an event where guys have the chance to attend a free meeting with women. But the intention of those students at AUC [Atlanta University Center] there was a time in Atlanta after they couldn’t go home for spring break and needed a secure environment. When they began in 1983, it was a celebration of black joy. It wasn’t even lewd. I wanted to point out, “look, we know what it turned into, but that was the original intention.”

And yes, in some ways it’s a male-dominated history, nevertheless it was also a time when young ladies gained power. They were coming into their very own sexuality on the time, but that did not give people the correct to treat them a certain way. We desired to tell this full, balanced story. [But] we definitely didn’t need to be ashamed of it. We want women’s voices to be heard. In the film you too can hear, amongst others: [sexual violence] survivor.

Everything I do, I actually need it to have an effect on the culture – that’s, the great, the bad, the ugly and every part in between.

Producer DeShawn Plair Shares 'Freaknik' Secrets

You see a whole lot of individuals who were either kids or weren’t even born yet during Freaknik’s heyday attempting to recapture that feeling and aesthetic. The documentary even opens with 21 Savage’s 2022 birthday celebration, a Freaknik-themed party. Why do you think that younger generations who have not had the prospect to live this experience try to reclaim what they think?

I like the best way you express it. It really is what it was. I believe this generation is like that captivated and fascinated by him since it was a time of black joy. It was a time when people felt secure – back within the day. It grew so organically, through word of mouth. The kids knew they’d to be in Atlanta every third weekend in April. We heard stories where people mentioned that they only had $10 and so they jumped within the automotive with their friends and still had a great time and it lasted all weekend. So I believe it’s just that spirit.

Freaknik was a time when the voices of Southern artists might be heard. And then the influence on fashion? Honey. Quite a lot of the archival footage featured girls with beehives, twists, quick weaves, and so forth. It was great to see that influence and that culture, and today persons are recreating those styles.

This article was originally published on : www.essence.com
Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Entertainment

Angel Reese, Ben Simmons, Lewis Hamilton, Odell Beckham Jr. performed at the most important fashion evening. and more – Andscape

Published

on

By

Every 12 months on the first Monday in May, the biggest stars, movie stars, musicians and athletes gather to have a good time the Met Gala. Contrary to popular belief, the Met Gala shouldn’t be a fancy dress party, but a fundraiser for the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.

Designers dress guests (hand-chosen by the magazine’s longtime editor Anna Wintour) in a theme inspired by the exhibition at the museum’s Costume Institute for fashion’s most important evening. This 12 months’s edition was “The garden of time“, a nod to the exhibition “Sleeping beauties: awakening fashion” and based on a brief story by English author JG Ballard, written in 1962.

As you would possibly expect, florals were an enormous trend in the off-white rug, and in some cases perhaps crucial.

Here’s a glance at our favorites from the evening.

Actor Zendaya, co-chair of the 2024 Met Gala, stepped out in two striking outfits at the Met Gala. Zendaya’s first look was a Maison Margiela Artisanal by John Galliano dress, styled by her longtime collaborator Law Roach. She recently released a video about tennis.

Calla Kessler for Andscape

WNBA forward Angel Reese, former LSU basketball star and recently drafted rookie to the Chicago Sky, wears a custom sea green 16Arlington dress. Reese celebrated her twenty second birthday at the event on May 6, and returned to Chicago the following day to play in Sky’s second preseason game.

Calla Kessler for Andscape

Brooklyn Nets point guard Ben Simmons wears a protracted Thom Browne coat and a briefcase with a watch at the Met Gala on May 6. Simmons, who missed most of last season with an injury, took to Instagram to share his appearance and a message to fans: “A man doesn’t stop when he walks through fire.”

Calla Kessler for Andscape

Former NBA star Dwyane Wade (left) wears a Versace suit and his wife Gabrielle Union (right) wears a Michael Kors dress at the Met Gala. In August, the couple will have a good time their tenth wedding anniversary.

Calla Kessler for Andscape

Tennis legend Serena Williams was accompanied to the Met Gala by a floor-length, trained gold Balenciaga dress (right) and matching headpiece (left). Williams described the look on Instagram as “Going for gold.”

Calla Kessler for Andscape

Houston Texans forward Stefon Diggs arrived at the Met Gala in a custom, sparkly H&M suit. Diggs owns the clothing brand Liem.

Calla Kessler for Andscape

Tennis star Venus Williams attends the Met Gala wearing a Marc Jacobs gown created from a series of small round mirrors. Williams reportedly broke just one mirror on her dress while preparing.

Calla Kessler for Andscape

Formula 1 driver Lewis Hamilton attends the Met Gala in a Burberry suit and matching sparkly coat. Hamilton appeared lower than a day after racing at the Miami Grand Prix on May 5.

Calla Kessler for Andscape

Actress La La Anthony wore a black and red Alexander McQueen gown to the Met Gala. She also interviewed red carpet participants.

Calla Kessler for Andscape

Wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. shows up at the Met Gala in a Bode suit with embroidered floral accents. After spending the 2023 season with the Baltimore Ravens, Beckham is currently a receiver for the Miami Dolphins.

Calla Kessler for Andscape

Accompanied by her stylist Law Roach (right, in white), actress Zendaya (left) returns to the staircase in a black vintage couture gown from Givechy, topped with a bouquet headpiece to finish the evening.

Calla Kessler for Andscape

Channing Hargrove is Andscape’s senior fashion author. It’s easier than admitting how strongly you discover with the lyrics “Single Black Woman Addicted to Retail.”

This article was originally published on : andscape.com
Continue Reading

Entertainment

As “Ant-Man,” NBA star Anthony Edwards is the new heir to Air Jordan

Published

on

By

The king is (almost) dead.

Long live the (next) king.

LeBron James is still amongst us and continues to command the lion’s share of the NBA’s attention. But heirs to his throne are circling, especially in Minnesota, where 22-year-old Anthony Edwards is introducing himself to the general public. “Ant-Man” is here and he looks like “Thee Man.”

Arguments have been raging recently over the NBA’s biggest player of all time as James closes the gap between himself and the supposed GOAT Michael Jordan. James is the league’s all-time leading scorer and, in his twenty first season, has scored more points than another player combined at this point in his profession. At age 39, he averaged 25.7 points, 7.3 rebounds and eight.3 assists, which must have been enough for him to be named to the All-NBA team for the twentieth consecutive 12 months.

But nobody ever said James reminded them of Air Jordan.

It’s no different with Edwards. People cannot stop comparing him to MJ by way of style, athleticism, trash talking and killer mentality. Playing in little-known Minnesota hasn’t helped Edwards to this point, but legends are born in the postseason. When you have made a reputation for yourself, nothing beats two games on the defending champion’s home field.

Sports

“Obviously they (Jordan and Edwards) have a lot of the same mannerisms,” Timberwolves defenseman Mike Conley he said Sport Lisa. “The movements, the fades, the athleticism, the poster dunks, the blocks and the defensive work he does. But the truth is, it is his motivation that is most significant. Same type of work ethic, same type of “I don’t sleep at all at night because I’m ready to play, I’m ready to play.”

The Timberwolves are halfway to the Western Conference Finals and returned home with a win over the Denver Nuggets on Monday. Minnesota has yet to lose in these playoffs, which is a highlight for Edwards. He averaged 31 points in the first round, defeating Kevin Durant and Phoenix, after which began the game with a profession high in the postseason 43 points on Saturday against the Nuggets. He scored 27 points in Game 2 on Monday, putting Denver’s title defense on life support.

Unlike the late great Kobe Bryant, who studied Jordan extensively and have become his closest replica in history, Edwards never intended to replicate his Air. Similarities emerged naturally, built on outrageous physical abilities and insane work ethic, leading to inevitable comparisons around the world. hoop and next wing.

We’ve seen this story before.

Fans and media began looking next Jordan before the original retired (for the first time) in 1993. Victims included busts like Harold “Baby Jordan” Miner and All-Stars like Grant Hill. Particularly susceptible to labeling were Jerry Stackhouse and Vince Carter, amongst others, who followed Jordan at North Carolina. Bryant welcomed this characterization and carried it well.

Edwards prefers not to go there.

“I want this to end,” Edwards said. “It’s the biggest ever. I can not be compared to him.”

Maybe he’ll; his thoughts on the matter are irrelevant. Conversations about sports are driven by questions like “what have you done recently” and “what can you do next?” Stars rise and fade, and we’re addicted to sorting them into generational rankings, lists, and tiers. There’s nothing we will do about it.

Big men have their very own category, and San Antonio’s Victor Wembanyama (7-foot-4) poses a threat to beat all his predecessors, while Denver’s Nikola Jokic is climbing the charts. But 7-foot players aren’t as easily identified as shooting guards who can grab a rebound and go coast-to-coast or pass a defender at knee.

Technically, there won’t ever be one other Jordan or an all-time great player. Players exit on the pitch, do their thing and rack up the numbers in their very own individual style. And while nobody thinks Robert Horry (seven rings) is higher than Jordan (six rings), winning championships is also a separator.

Edwards is fighting for his first NBA title with no certainty that he’ll ever win it. History is full of wonderful players who didn’t make it, including Hall of Famers Elgin Baylor, Karl Malone and Charles Barkley. There is no shame in being on this list if Edwards suffers this fate.

But he’s running a bona fide challenger now in his fourth season, in an attention grabbing way that means he’s just began and has no intention of stopping anytime soon. He is competing with Wemby, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Luka Dončić for the title of “next face of the league”, the only American of the 4. However, nobody else is closer to becoming the next MJ.

Whether you prefer it or not, “Ant Man” is that guy.

Sit back and revel in.



This article was originally published on : thegrio.com
Continue Reading

Entertainment

Colman Domingo pays tribute to Chadwick Boseman and Leon André Talley at the Met Gala –

Published

on

By


The Met Gala is certainly one of the most talked-about evenings in fashion yearly and serves as an event fundraiser for the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. This 12 months’s event, which took place on May 6, was intended to honor the Costume Institute’s 2024 exhibition “Sleeping Beauties: Fashion Awakening.”

Hollywood red carpet star Colman Domingo discussed the inspiration behind his outfit ahead of the event.

As reported, Domingo’s outfit was partly a tribute to stars Chadwick Boseman and André Leon Talley, late fashion journalism icons who made their mark at the Met Gala by wearing capes.

“They both wore capes at the Met,” Domingo said. “Everything I do, I feel like it has to be done for the culture. It has to be more than just for me. I also wanted to honor those brothers who came before me.”

Domingo said he and Willy Chavarria were brought together by his stylists, who told him the king of the red carpet should work with the reigning CDFA award winner.

“This is kind of the icing on the cake for my awards season,” Domingo noted. “I do know there’s been loads of give attention to my look and style and how I tell stories about clothes and fashion, so I knew it could be a giant moment. So when (The Met) was offered, my stylists (Wayman Bannerman and Micah McDonald) reached out to see who can be excited about dressing me. To quote Wayman and Micah: “Well, the king of the red carpet should be paired with the newest CFDA award winner.”

Domingo continued: “There were times when it felt like coronation tailoring in some ways. I feel prefer it could look quite a bit like the British Royal Family at times, and I wanted that to be on top. I believe if we go to a coronation and we turn into the king of the red carpet, (The Met) will likely be an actual coronation.

Domingo wore a big black and white Willy Chavarria suit with diamond earrings, silver rings and a bouquet of white flowers wrapped in black satin fabric.

As noted, the actor’s appearance was not only beautiful, but it surely perfectly fit the evening’s theme “The Garden of Time”. According to Vogue magazine, the event’s theme and dress code were inspired by a 1962 short story by JG Ballard that shared a typical theme.

As Lit Hub describes the story: “The dress code for the event is “The Garden of Time,” inspired by J. G. Ballard’s 1962 short story of the same name, through which Count Axel and his wife live and listen to Mozart in an impressive villa, surrounded by a garden of crystals flowers as an indignant and unruly army approaches them. To keep the “approaching mob” at bay, Axel must turn back time by picking the flowers one after the other until they’re all gone and there isn’t any time left.


This article was originally published on : www.blackenterprise.com
Continue Reading
Advertisement

OUR NEWSLETTER

Subscribe Us To Receive Our Latest News Directly In Your Inbox!

We don’t spam! Read our privacy policy for more info.

Trending