Clik here to view.
Miss Me With the ‘Good Hair’ Comments, Please (via Madame Noire)
During a recent trip to the hair salon, my new stylist, who happened to be white, asked about my ethnicity. When I told her I’m black and Italian, she said, “Your hair’s beautiful. You must get this...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Moving forward…
I’ve spent most of my writing career writing about other people. Interviewed them, found out what they were thinking and doing, and why. Wrote about the work they produced. Wrote about their goals and...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Award tour!
So I found out over the weekend that Kassmin Williams and I won a 1st Place award in Science and Technology Reporting for this series we did on social media and teens. Yay! The award is from NENPA, the...
View ArticleClik here to view.
I tried calling my mother last month
I tried calling my mother last month. I sat in the press box at Gillette Stadium before the Patriots-Texans playoff game, eating lunch at a table with two other journalists and vaguely listening to...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Onion’s tweet about young star no laughing matter (via Bay State Banner)
Cutie pie. {Originally published in the Bay State Banner on Feb. 28, 2013} At the Oscars on Sunday, 9-year-old Best Actress nominee Quvenzhané Wallis took in her first Academy Awards sporting a fancy...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Why doesn’t hip hop respect its elders? (via Rap Rehab)
Most cultures hold their elders in high regard. It’s safe to say that hip hop in its current form is not one of them. In today’s hip hop landscape, pioneers are typically dismissed and marginalized by...
View ArticleClik here to view.
High time for Chris Brown to face the man in the mirror (via Bay State Banner)
{Originally published in the Bay State Banner on March 14, 2013} Another week, another ill-advised rant from Chris Brown. On March 6, the pop/R&B star — affectionately known as Breezy to his fans —...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Riding in the car with Dad
{Originally published in the Sun Chronicle circa 2006} I took a road trip this past weekend. My mom, sister and I packed our bags, pooled our CD collections and hit the highway in search of Raleigh,...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Justin Timberlake and the disappearance of black R&B artists (via...
Suit & Tie in full effect… Justin Timberlake is everywhere. Or at least he seems to be. The actor and pop/R&B phenom recently hosted “Saturday Night Live” for the fifth time — a historic event...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Lil Wayne, sizzurp and rap’s drug problem (via RapRehab.com)
O hai. Syrup. Sizzurp. Lean. Purple drank. Texas tea. Whatever it’s called, the recreational drug made popular in Southern circles is now making headlines with the recent hospitalization of rap...
View ArticleClik here to view.
‘Fresh’ Start: Brockton singer Noel Gourdin is back, integrity intact
[Originally published in the Boston Herald on April 10, 2011.] In 2008, Brockton r&b/soul singer Noel Gourdin seemed to be living the dream. He’d released his major-label debut on Epic Records,...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Nicks steps onstage and back in time on new tour
Stevie Nicks in concert (Photo credit: Wikipedia) [Originally published in the Boston Herald in June of 2007.] Some stars reflect on past mistakes and claim they wouldn’t change a thing. Not Stevie...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Brother Ali speaks the ‘Truth’ in his hip-hop (via Boston Herald)
[Originally published in the Boston Herald.] Brother Ali has a word of advice for fans dismayed by the state of mainstream hip-hop: disconnect. “To people who are complaining about hip-hop, it’s like,...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Who’s your Diddy? Sean Combs brings his Dirty Money to Boston (via Boston...
[Originally published in the Boston Herald in April of 2011.] Sean “Diddy” Combs is the rap mogul prototype. The one-time label exec at Uptown Records founded Bad Boy Records as well as two clothing...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Fleetwood Mac enchants Hub crowd, buoys Boston fans in midst of chaos...
Bow Down. [A shorter version of this review was published in The Sun Chronicle.] Boston has been a city on edge, but Fleetwood Mac helped to take the edge off with a dazzling 2 1/2-hour show at the TD...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Dear Mom
I’ve been thinking about you lately, and it makes me sad. I guess it’s because the anger has subsided, and the denial has subsided, and now I’m just left with the truth: I miss you. It’s hard for me to...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Bigger than Rick Ross: Hip-hop has to take responsibility for its...
Rick Ross has rightfully caught flak for lyrics that allude to date rape on the song “U.O.E.N.O. (You Ain’t Even Know It),” a track from Atlanta rapper Rocko which also features up-and-coming artist...
View ArticleClik here to view.
112 brings R&B hits, harmonies to stage (via Bay State Banner)
Apparently 112 never got the memo that R&B is dying and they should reinvent themselves as techno-pop artists or look for a new line of work. The quartet — comprised of Quinnes “Q” Parker, Daron...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Chris Kelly, Kris Kross and losing our idols (via theGrio)
When I heard about the death of Kris Kross member Chris “Mac Daddy” Kelly, I instantly recalled the first time I saw the video for their smash 1992 single “Jump.” Like the two rappers on the TV screen,...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Does wearing natural hair really require boldness and courage? (via Madame...
In a recent interview, Oscar-nominated actress Viola Davis said the public’s reaction to her natural had been “huge.” “I think people admire the boldness of it, and the courage of it,” she told...
View Article
