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Digable Planets’ 1994 album “Blowout Comb” is one of the darkest albums of all time

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I even have long been fascinated and inquisitive about Digable Planets, the ’90s rap group that included Butterfly a.k.a. Ish, Ladybug Mecca a.k.a. Mekka, and Doodlebug a.k.a. C-Knowledge, who gave us one of hip-hop’s most lauded records, The Rise of Slick (cool as Dat).” You know this song, even in the event you do not know you recognize it. It’s hip-hop canon at this point; the song’s theme itself is one of the most recited and quoted hooks of all time, and I actually mean it.

My curiosity and fascination with this group stems from the belief that they ought to be MUCH more popular than they were. I understand it’s crazy to discuss a rap group which won a Grammy Award in 1994 to the song in query, but in the event you were around hip-hop in 1994, you recognize that hip-hop didn’t care about the Grammys back then. Their debut album “Reachin’ (A New Refutation of Time and Space)” was an exceptionally smooth, jazzy album with lyrics that you simply needed to take heed to time and again to choose up all the gems. The pretentious title aside, the album was a well-produced, well-written hip-hop record that was perfectly 90s.

Perhaps one of the reasons they are not more praised (a minimum of to me; possibly they’re everyone’s favorite rap group and I’m on the fence) is that their second album, Blowout Comb, released on October 18, 1994 , deviated from the original plan and crashed headfirst into Blacknessville. And that does not imply the first album wasn’t black – any artwork created by black people is black. However, the themes, tone, samples, and message of “Blowout Comb” seemed tailor-made for the black community and the black community alone.

The album is political, community-minded, has more references to the Five Percent Nation of Islam than its predecessor, is funnier, and is super Brooklyn, New York. When the album was released in 1994, I used to be 15 years old and had never been to Brooklyn, much less New York, but listening to the singles and watching the videos made me feel like I used to be almost in Brooklyn. Before I made my first trip to New York in the summer of 2001, I discovered the version of New York that Digable Planets gave us through this album to be very accurate.

The more I take heed to this album over the years, which I do very often, the more it seems to me that it is an album made for its time, but additionally for all time, as one of the darkest offerings of all time, especially in hip-hop, similarly about how Black Mos Def’s album “Black on Both Sides” feels purely and authentically made for the black community. While “Blowout Comb” was clearly influenced by the Five Percent Nation, Black Panther’s influence was also present in its calls for unity, solidarity and Black nationalism.

It’s this sense that after I take heed to this album, I feel my sense of Blackness rising from the ashes. As soon as the album starts, my hair starts growing into an afro and the sounds take me to the space of Black futurism. For example, the album’s lead single “9th Wonder (Blackitolism)” could also be one of the blackest records ever made.

There’s something about the drums, bass, and funk that feels so New York black that it isn’t even funny. I’m listening to this album as I write this and I promise the black beret got here out of nowhere. But there’s nothing higher than hearing Mecca’s verse where she spits out some math:

“I’m 68 inches above sea level, 93 million miles above these devils…”

I do not know why this is one of the most iconic lines I even have ever heard in my life, but it surely is. I take heed to the entire album JUST to spit out this one line. The whole album makes me feel like she does on this verse. I do not know if I’d call it one of the best lines of all time, but there’s something so meaningful about her rendition that I feel prefer it might be the theme song (line) of any podcast, documentary, or show about blackness and black people.

“Blowout Comb” is full of records like this, though I’m undecided any of them hit as hard as “9th Wonder (Blackitolism).” But the whole album has the same vibe – lots of horns, black beauty, an appreciation for our culture and a call to awareness that in 1994 might need been a bridge too far. In 1994, Death Row Records was recording hip-hop and Bad Boy Records was about to take over. The Vanta-black message of Digable Planets in the style of Public Enemy might have been lost in the sauce related to the change of hip-hop guard. But even today, I can not take heed to “Blowout Comb” without interested by how this trio moved to New York and created one of the most New York albums ever – which is also a transparent call for black unity and nationalism.

Even 30 years later, there are few releases that match the energy of this album. Even the title “Blowout Comb” is 100% a reference to and a nod to the black community. Digable Planets may only have two projects, but these two are amazing and impactful.

To quote Digable Planets, they’re “Blackness-Blackness, Blackness-Blackness.”


This article was originally published on : thegrio.com
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Kathy Griffin’s unrecognizable appearance attracts attention before a comedy show

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Kathy Griffin

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/kathy-griffin-on-death-threats-cancellations-investigations-over-trump-severed-head-photo

https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/celebrities/2023/04/16/kathy-griffin-diagnosed-complex-ptsd-after-2017-controversy/11674099002

Kathy Griffin is giving her fans PTSD through the use of filters.

The 63-year-old posted a video of herself on her Instagram page and announced her comedy tour, “Kathy Griffin: My Life On The PTSD-List.”

She wore her signature red hair in a short and wavy hairstyle while wearing a two-piece swimsuit.

Kathy Griffin's new look
Comedian Kathy Griffin shocks fans after sharing a recent bikini video. (Photo: Tara Ziemba/Getty Images)

“Hi guys, I’m Kathy Griffin, comedian and beach vixen,” she said within the video, with a view of Honolulu, Hawaii, where the show will happen on Friday, October 18, within the background. “That’s a lot of Hawaii. Right behind me, there he’s.

She then went back to commenting on her figure, saying, “Look at my body. Can you handle it?” Referring to her swimsuit, Griffin continued: “I could wear it on stage. I’m not afraid.

Griffin said fans coming to her show can expect her to “heat things up” by telling comedic stories about affected by post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), in addition to “funny celebrity stories that are light and fluffy.”

“And I’m pretty sure I’ll be wearing a bikini on stage,” she added, before ending by throwing her middle fingers within the air and shouting “yes!”

Instagram users apparently were too distracted by Griffin’s facial appearance to give attention to what she was saying. After “Hollywood Unlocked” reposted under her video, many individuals within the comments asked: “What the hell did she do to her face?” and “What happened to her face??

Concluding that she had done something to her face, one person said, “It looks different on her face.”

Another person said: “I was a little scared,” while one other joked: “What mask was she wearing? Tf.”

Several fans have confused Griffin with a variety of celebrities, including country singer Reba McEntire, Richard Simmons and Britney Spears, the latter of whom incessantly dances in bikinis in online videos.

On her current page, fans continued to post comments and questions on Griffin’s appearance. “Why are you using these filters, Kathy? We love the actual you,” wrote one.

The other said: “Girl, you haven’t got to make use of a filter. You are beautiful just the best way you might be. The filter is definitely very distracting.

Griffin’s set title was inspired by a real-life experience Griffin told her fans about in 2023.

On TikTok she is he said“You may laugh or whatever, but I’ve been diagnosed with Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and it’s called an extreme case. I’d love to listen to from you about depression, anxiety and the like and the way you are coping.

“If any of my story, you’ll understand that it actually began for me about five and a half years ago. Wink. Obviously, cancer didn’t help,” she said, referring to her 2021 lung cancer diagnosis.

About five and a half years before the video, Griffin faced widespread criticism for sharing a photo of herself holding a fake, bloody head of decapitated then-President Donald Trump. As a results of this incident, she not only received death threats and lost sponsorship deals, but was also investigated for conspiracy to assassinate the president.


This article was originally published on : atlantablackstar.com
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At Howard, coming home is a rite of passage – Andscape

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“Kick the door” Notoriously BIG

Immortalized in song (and easily by word of mouth), Howard University’s homecoming week draws hundreds of people to Mecca every year. The crowds on the primary campus, affectionately referred to as The Yard, will include generations of students, alumni and people just in search of a good time: old friends and latest families, former marching band members and college, Black Greeks and former athletes – a community connected by fraternity.

This 12 months’s celebration marks Howard’s one centesimal anniversary. In 1924the university welcomed back graduates for its first homecoming, organized around the favored annual Thanksgiving Day football game against Lincoln University. Although the festivities are actually held in October and Howard hosts homecoming events at different schools every year, the tradition of annual homecoming has remained.

There is a saying within the Howard community, “We never lost a party,” and going home proves that statement. Take a have a look at Howard’s homecoming traditions through the years.

The annual naming of Howard State University is a homecoming tradition. Left photo: Miss Howard 1974 Right photo: Mr. Howard, Jalen Saunders (left) and Miss Howard, Victoria Gray (right) are announced because the 2016 Royal Court during halftime of the homecoming football game.

Photo left: Washington Post via Getty Images. Photo right: Cheriss May, Getty Images

Photo left: Howard University’s Aray Williams (center) jumps over North Carolina A&T University defenders to assist the Bison gain a 21-0 halftime advantage within the 1996 homecoming game. Right photo, left to right: Howard students Lynda Wade, Erica Betrand and her twin sister Erdye Betrand cheer within the stands through the 1996 homecoming game. Howard won 38-3.

Washington Post via Getty Images

Howard University cheerleaders perform at Yardfest during homecoming week in 2005.

Johnny Nunez/WireImage

Members of the Omega Psi Phi fraternity dance across the fraternity’s sundial on the Howard University campus during Homecoming week in 2016.

Marvin Joseph/The Washington Post via Getty Images

Every 12 months, highschool bands take part in the Howard Homecoming Parade. The highschool band marches down Georgia Avenue past a review booth through the 2006 parade.

Mark Gail/The Washington Post via Getty Images

Actor Taraji P. Henson (right), a 1995 graduate of Howard University, and rapper Ludacris (left) drive down Georgia Avenue through the 2009 Howard Homecoming Parade.

Mark Gail/The Washington Post via Getty Images

Parades celebrating Howard’s homecoming are held on the King’s Court. Top photo: Howard University Grant Robertson (left) and Miss Howard University Kyla Cole (right) take part in the parade in 2019. Bottom photo: School organizations and color guards just like the Friendly High Flag Corps take part School from Maryland Homecoming Parade in 2007.

Washington Post via Getty Images

Drummer major Christopher Cloud begins Howard’s Showtime Marching Band’s halftime performance through the 2014 homecoming game against Florida A&M University.

Mark Gail/For The Washington Post via Getty Images

The Showtime Marching Band leaves the sphere after acting at halftime of Howard’s game against North Carolina A&T in 2016.

Cheriss May/NurPhoto via Getty Images

Members of Divine Nine sororities and sororities and Howard University dorm organizations compete within the annual Homecoming Steps Show. Clockwise from top left: The 2016 program included participants from Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority and Drew Hall Freshman Men’s Residence Hall.

Cheriss May/NurPhoto via Getty Images

Makaela James, an 18-12 months-old Howard University student, participates within the 2011 homecoming fashion show. The show, which Howard students placed on every year, provides an economic boost to the community by bringing in alums and increasing student spending.

Astrid Riecken for The Washington Post via Getty Images

Rapper Wale steps into the Yardfest crowd at Howard University in 2010. The music festival attracts established and emerging music artists.

Josh Sisk/The Washington Post via Getty Images

This article was originally published on : andscape.com
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The latest episodes of “Love Is Blind” confirm that some people don’t have to be together

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love is blind, love is blind dc, love is blind season 7, Love Is Blind Season 7 couples, Ashley and Tyler Love Is Blind, Marissa and Ramses Love Is Blind, Alex and Time Love Is Blind, Hannah and Nick Love Is Blind, theGrio.com

Like many, I have been waiting for the latest batch of episodes of the seventh season of “Love Is Blind”. I wanted to see what happened to Ashley and Tyler especially. Of the remaining couples – Taylor and Garrett, Hannah and Nick, Marissa and Ramses, Alex and Tim, and Ashley and Tyler – only Ashley and Tyler are the one ones I’m really interested in because I used to be pretty sure we would be together see the tip of the road for Hannah and Nick ( uff, Chile) and Alex and Tim. I could not quite call it Ashley and Tyler, but I figured his acceptance as a sperm donor didn’t exactly trouble them. However, we are going to come back to them.

Let’s get the padlocks out of the best way: Taylor and Garrett seem designed to go the space, random texts from an ex be damned. Garrett is not silly; he’s going to get himself together. Rameses kind of has to take care of some weird issues he has; I don’t know if he’s never been around women (or people who have volatile emotions for legitimate reasons), but while I believe they’ll get away with it, he seems to have a random, strong stance on issues that don’t really matter. sense.

Perhaps Rameses should rethink his thoughts before dumping them on Marissa. I feel like he loves her so I hope he understands the whole lot, but Brother needs to work on his willingness to listen, be reasonable and calm down. I like that Marissa is just not only willing to let Rameses tell him what he wants, but can be willing to step aside. Honestly, I don’t know if I really like them as a pair, but I would love for his or her love to prevail, if that is sensible.

I’m not the kind of one that says, “I told you so” – well, at the very least I don’t do it often. But on this case, I’ll go ahead and sound the horn: I made the decision that Tim and Alex weren’t going to make it AND that it’d appear like one small, frivolous infraction that would destroy the entire thing, when in truth it will be death by a thousand cuts. So yes, it worked. Look, I don’t have anything negative to say about Alex as an individual, but seeing how she lives would immediately disqualify me from pursuing marriage. I had nightmares about her apartment and I’m only half kidding.

Let me just say that we’re clearly missing things that occur off camera because there may be NO way Tim would stop all of this simply because she went to take a nap after meeting his parents. It’s possible that he took the parents’ meeting SO seriously (that they had to come to town) that he took her apparent lack of interest once the cameras stopped rolling (maaaa?) as an insult to their entire relationship, especially because of how seriously she was taking the family. But it showed “what’s going on?” and while I actually think he’s a bit stiff, he also seems to suffer no fools and knows what he doesn’t want to take care of. I can not knock it. But I believe there have been things happening off-screen that we’re not privy to. It just has to be.

Admittedly, Alex seemed blindsided by all of it, and Tim actually seemed unreasonable during this conversation – his brother was choking on greater than just what we saw. But nothing that aired should make Tim resolve that he won’t ever have to talk to her again. In life. It’s wild. Tim read the entire letter to her dad and the whole lot. Nothing shuts down that quickly. Nothing. That said, the meeting will be lit.

I can not stand Hannah. Nothing I’ve seen from Nick has made me think he deserves even an oz of the disrespect Hannah shows him at every opportunity. He calls this man immature, financially illiterate, mainly the whole lot but a baby of God. Why is he still there? Who would want to end a wedding with a one that uses every opportunity to emphasize that the person she wants to marry is beneath her?

Is Nick perfect? Of course not; nor Hannah. Her behavior is embarrassing and it looks as if it wasn’t until I saw myself on screen that I spotted it. Which is terrible. It looks bad. He also has bad friends. She’s here too, taking his company to the streets – except she thinks she’s doing it to explain how she’ll teach him how to be a greater person. I DON’T LIKE HER. Look, Hannah is terrible and the way she and Nick lasted this long is beyond me. It’s as if Hannah turned Nick into a baby who cannot take a stand. I’m so excited that they broke up and I’ll be so disillusioned in the event that they say they’re trying to rekindle things on a reunion.

Okay, let’s talk to Ashley and Tyler. We all know by now that Tyler has several children. He didn’t reveal it to Ashley within the pods, although they talked about kids multiple times. I believe Ashley probably wanted to be more upset about it than she was and is surprised that she is not as indignant. I’m sure she’s wondering why he didn’t tell her, however it was probably an eye-opener for her to discover that “omitting certain facts, aka lying” is not the deal breaker most of us like to claim it’s.

I’m sure Tyler can be thrilled to hear that his woman goes with him despite his bombshell confession; nevertheless, they appear to have a superb thing going so I’m not entirely surprised. One of the things marriage has taught me is that we regularly think we have a tough line on certain issues, but being put in numerous situations often shows whether that’s true or not. Props to Ashley and Tyler for weathering what’s going to hopefully be the one storm before the marriage.

That’s all I have for now. My prediction for the ultimate episode (before the reunion): Taylor and Garrett say yes, Ashley and Tyler say yes, and eventually Marissa and Ramses say yes.

Love is blind, y’all.


This article was originally published on : thegrio.com
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