History
History: The Cruel Ads Of Andrew Jackson And ‘The Master Class’
April 28, 2017
Full disclosure: This sh!t will probably make you cussin’ mad.
You’ve heard that former Presidents all the way back to the Founding Fathers of the United States owned slaves and did terrible things to Black people just ’cause with no just cause… right? Please tell me you know this. Well, if you ‘heard about it’ and sort of dismissed it as heresay, how about you take a read of the article linked below and see the $50 bounty ad that Andrew Jackson (yep, Andrew Jackson that was the President) put out for the capture of his “Mulatto Man Slave†wherein he offered “ten dollars extra, for every hundred lashes any person will give him, to the amount of three hundred.â€
DAMMIT! So infuriating. I’d call him a son of a b!tch, but I actually like dogs. But I don’t like Massa Jacksun. Not a bit.
He was not the only one, of course. But this hard evidence was gathered – and must serve as a reminder – of what America at even its highest levels did to Black people, and how they viewed Blacks as less than ‘people,’ not so long ago. Read on…
MORE: HUNTING DOWN RUNAWAY SLAVES (MSN.COM)
– @ojones1
DJ Scratch Declares Nas’ “Illmatic” The Best Hip-Hop Album Ever (Video)
April 20, 2017
DJ Scratch says “Illmatic” was the best complete Hip-Hop album ever! It is not a unique stance, but watching the video above will give you the sense that he’d take a strong stance against anyone who’d say otherwise.
#DJScratch selects #Nas’ #Illmatic for his #BestAlbums selection. The #Brooklyn #DJ-#producer explains how Nas’ first album changed rap & why the production from #DJPremier #LargeProfessor #QTip #PeteRock was so groundbreaking. Hit us up in the comments section and let us know what you think.
Posted in Hip-Hop, History, Interview, Producers, Series, Videos | 
Tags: BEST ALBUMS, dj scratch, Ep. 37, Episode 37, illmatic, Nas | 
No Comments »
Detroit (Trailer)
April 19, 2017
That’s John Boyega, dude from ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens.’ No light sabers in this one, but no less compelling a story… Plus, it’s real.
From the Academy Award winning director of THE HURT LOCKER and ZERO DARK THIRTY, DETROIT tells the gripping story of one of the darkest moments during the civil unrest that rocked Detroit in the summer of ‘67.
Check out the trailer for “Detroit” (in theaters August 4th).
Posted in Film, History, Trailer, Videos | Tags: Algee Smith, Anthony Mackie, Austin Hebert, Ben O'Toole, Chris Chalk, Detroit, Ephraim Sykes, Gbenga Akinnabve, Hannah Murray, Jack Reynor, Jacob Latimore, Jason Mitchell, Jeremy Strong, John Boyega, John Krasinski, Joseph David Jones, Kaitlyn Dever, Kris David, Laz Alonzo, Leon Thomas III, Malcolm David Kelley, Miguel Pimentel, Nathan Davis Jr., Peyton Alex Smith, Will Poulter | No Comments »
Behind “The Breaks” (Ep. 7) [Video]
April 19, 2017
Somehow you gotta expect to hear ‘these are the breaks’ don’t you? Sway show instant pedigree to get the story behind the story in his opening talk-off. When it comes to industry insiders, he is no slouch. But he goes further, not just I-know-a-guy but putting us onto one of THE guys… Kevin Liles. If anyone can tell the story of a ‘Foray’ street music exec of the ’90s, best believe Def Jam Alum Liles can.
Sway talks with Kevin Liles of 300 Entertainment about how to build a record label, competing against other labels for an artist, and advice for sustaining a successful career in the music industry.
Ready to pick up some gems?
Posted in Advice, Business, Hip-Hop, History, Interview, Series, Videos | Tags: Behind The Breaks, Bidding Wars, Ep 7., Episode 7, Hip Hop Moguls, Kevin Liles, The Breaks, VH1 | No Comments »
Rodney King (Netflix Trailer)
April 17, 2017
Spike Lee with another Joint. Can you believe it has been 25 years since the uprising over the “Rodney King” verdict (that exonerated the LAPD cops that beat the F**K out of him)? Given recent events, you likely think:Â ‘Damn. It has been 25 years since we thought the police beatdowns should have been over… and they STILL aren’t over.’ Watch this trailer and get ready for another hot-blooded summer, courtesy of Netflix and Spike Lee.
His story shook the world and lit LA on fire. Now it comes to life in a powerful one-man show.
Compelling presentation & performance by Roger Guenveur Smith.
Posted in Activism, Film, History, Performance, Stage, Trailer, Videos | Tags: Netflix, one-man show, Rodney King, Roger Guenveur Smith, Spike Lee | No Comments »
Lakers Vs. Celtics (ESPN 30-For-30 Trailer)
April 17, 2017
We had no respect for ’em… none… zero!
“Lakers Vs. Celtics.” Bird vs. Johnson. Respect earned, but NO LOVE LOST! NOWWWW we go to school… Old school!!
Back in the day, in the ’80s, there were no damned exclusive ‘banana boat’ excursions or summer b-ball buddy camps with NBA rivals getting together. F**k no! There was PRIDE. There was WINNING. There was HATE – for the other team, and worse, for losing to them!
Purely rhetorical: How do you feel about today’s basketball? Are the rivalries fiery? Is it easy to get out of bed the next morning when your team loses? Do you think it really hurts your team’s players to their hearts when they lose?
Yeah. Bet money today’s game is nowhere near as raw as it was back then. And this ESPN 30-For-30 will show you real rivalry was lived by two of the NBA’s elite franchises.
Posted in History, Series, Sports, Trailer, Videos | Tags: 30 For 30, Boston Celtics, ESPN, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, LA Lakers, Lakers Vs. Celtics, Larry Bird, Los Angeles Lakers, Magic Johnson, Rivalry | No Comments »
All Eyez On Me (Latest Trailer)
April 10, 2017
“All Eyez On Me” is not just a career-making album anymore. Soon, it will be the go-to for convos on the life & times of one Tupac Amaru Shakur. The dude that plays Tupac, great casting. They got the dude that played Biggie from “Notorious” to reprise his role. But look at the dude playing Suge Knight though. Ringer!
Posted in Celebrity, Film, Hip-Hop, History, Trailer, Videos | Tags: 2pac, All Eyez On Me, Biopic, Demetrius Shipp, Demetrius Shipp Jr., Jamal Woolard, Notorious, Notorious B.I.G., Tupac, Tupac Amaru Shakur, Tupac biopic, Tupac Shakur | No Comments »
Bronzeville: Executive Producers Laurence Fishburne And Larenz Tate Speak On Their Audio Drama (Video)
April 7, 2017
Okay, stop me if you’ve heard this one: Furious Styles & O-Dog started up this podcast years after… Nope! You could NOT have heard of it. They (Lawrence Fishburne & Larenz Tate) are just really getting started with it.
Bronzeville is a scripted (audio only) drama executive produced by and starring Laurence Fishburne and Larenz Tate, set to premiere on multiple digital audio platforms Tuesday February 7th 2017.
– Michael Belcher
The 10-Part weekly audio series about Chicago’s Black Mecca of yesteryear stars Tika Sumpter, Tracee Ellis Ross, Wood Harris, Omari Hardwick, Lance Reddick, Cory Hardict, Lahmard Tate and Brittany Snow.
Posted in History, Producers, Trailer, Videos | Tags: Brittany Snow, Bronzeville, Cory Hardict, Lahmard Tate, Lance Reddick, Larenz Tate, Laurence Fishburne, Omari Hardwick, Tika Sumpter, Tracee Ellis Ross, Wood Harris | No Comments »
The Assassination Of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr (Documentary)
April 4, 2017
“Martin Luther King, Jr. was an American clergyman, activist, and prominent leader of the African-American civil rights movement and Nobel Peace Prize laureate who became known for his advancement of civil rights by using civil disobedience. He was assassinated at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee on April 4, 1968, at the age of 39. King was rushed to St. Joseph’s Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 7:05PM that evening. The King family and others believe that the assassination was carried out by a conspiracy involving the US government, as alleged by Loyd Jowers in 1993, and that James Earl Ray was a scapegoat. In a 1999 civil trial that did not name the US government as a defendant and sought $100 from Jowers, with both the family and Jowers cooperating together and the only presenting parties, the jury ruled against Jowers and Unidentified Conspirators”
The Making Of De La Soul’s “Three Feet High And Rising”
March 27, 2017
Mass Appeal kept the storytelling going; beyond its dope documentary effort “De La Soul Is Not Dead” (posted on here earlier) to tell the story of how the trio’s seminal album (“Three Feet High And Rising”) ultimately came to be.
…we dig deeper into the De La files to bring you an untold story in the words of two Tommy Boy Records staffers. Rod Houston—who elevated from mail room, to assistant to Tom Silverman, to the head of the label’s music video department—and Bryan Adams, the label’s long-time head of publicity. During an interview that didn’t make the final cut for the film, they shared details of De La Soul’s earliest studio sessions, how De La first got down with Tommy Boy and why their debut album almost didn’t include that monster hit that would change the course of their lives forever.
Tommy Boy Records, George Clinton…Â and they went all the way back to early Stetsasonic. Wow. Worthy reading!
Posted in Hip-Hop, History, Interview | Tags: De La Soul, Three Feet High And Rising, Tommy Boy Records | No Comments »
New York Graffiti Experience (Documentary)
March 22, 2017
What do you know about that old school Hip-Hop cinema maaaan? Have you seen “Wildstyle” yet? If so, congratulations. But that was ’83. And we mean old school – before the 1980s. How about this mini-documentary that came out in 1976, the “New York Graffiti Experience” above? #Graffiti #HipHop #Elements
Enjoy. You’re welcome!
Posted in Art, Film, Hip-Hop, History, Investigation, Lifestyle, Videos | Tags: Andrew Aaron, Fenton Lawless, Jerry Friedman, Justine DiIanni, Lawless Productions, New York Graffiti Experience | No Comments »
A Closer Look At The Story Of King Kong (Video)
March 21, 2017
Talk about knowing what you are getting into. The folks behind the latest King Kong movie declare they are doing their adaptation in a way different way than the way the story has been brought to screen historically… the way this docu-short makes clear. The math on the story of King Kong to date, King Kong’s Story = The Tragic History Of The Slave Trade.
Megaton mic drop.
Careful watching this one in [culturally] mixed company. True, the revelations in this expose clip won’t be so much so to Black people contentwise. Rather, we’re more surprised that someone actually ‘said it aloud for everyone to hear.’ But for any who end up screen-gazing in wide-mouthed astonishment – that someone could draw such distinct parallels between the Kong story and the history of the African slave trade – is it really THAT hard to make the connection?
Posted in Activism, History, Opinion, Videos | Tags: back story, backstory, King Kong, King Kong Movies, Kong: Skull Island, Slave Trade, Story Of King Kong | No Comments »
An Intimate Tour Of Nina Simone’s Childhood Home (Video)
March 20, 2017
That’s what’s up! Four artists (Adam Pendleton, Rashid Johnson, Ellen Gallagher, Julie Mehretu) purchased the house where Nina Simone was born and spent her childhood.
It wasn’t long after the election that this all began to happen, and I was desperate like a lot of people to be engaged, and this felt like exactly the right way.
– Rashid Johnson
Go on a tour (with The New York Times) of Simone’s old home in Tryon, North Carolina, above.
Posted in Celebrity, History, Human Interest, Soul, Videos | Tags: Adam Pendleton, birth home of Nina Simone, birthplace of Nina Simone, childhood home of Nina Simone, Ellen Gallagher, Julie Mehretu, New York Times, Nina Simone, NY Times, Rashid Johnson, Surprise Saviors for Nina Simone’s Home, THE DAILY 360, The New York Times, video tour | No Comments »
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks (HBO Trailer)
March 20, 2017
I’m from Tuskegee y’all. I swear to you this trailer give me the feels like this movie will have elements of the infamous Syphilis Study that took place there. Injustice, incredulity, and infighting (though apparently not enough) left those Black men with no care and no hope; even when they had no real knowledge of their plight… until it was too late. I am really hoping for a happier ending here.
Science took her cells. Her family reclaimed her story.
Oprah Winfrey and Rose Byrne star in this adaptation of the critically-acclaimed book. HBO Films presents The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks Saturday, April 22 at 8pm on HBO.
– HBO
Either way, it looks incredibly compelling. I will be watching. Join me #HeLaCells
– @ojones1
Posted in Film, History, Trailer, Videos | Tags: AIDS, HBO, HBO Films, HeLa, HeLa cells, Henrietta Lacks, HIV, Oprah Winfrey, Rose Byrne, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks | 1 Comment »
Queen Nanny: Legendary Maroon Chieftainess (Trailer)
March 14, 2017
You watched the ‘Roots’ redux that came on TV last year, right? That part when Kunta Kinte and other enslaved Africans were rebelling on the ship on the way over, then trying to set off another uprising when they reached the American shore… Even knowing the outcome, with a history of centuries of slavery to come, in your heart of hearts, didn’t you yearn, with an aching heart, for those warriors to win the fight for freedom?? Alas, it was not to be in America, but…
That sh!t happened in Jamaica! Our brethren stood up against their British oppressors, scrapped with ’em and scuffed ’em up! And they WON their freedom!! What’s more, they got it done decades before our struggles in the States. Watch the trailer of a film about that war and its leaders, esp. “Queen Nanny: Legendary Maroon Chieftainess.”
Official trailer of ‘Queen Nanny, Legendary Maroon Chieftainess,’ a one-hour feature documentary “that unearths and examines the mysterious figure that is Nanny of the Maroons – one of the most celebrated, but least recognized heroines in the resistance history of the New World. The film also sheds light on the incredible resistance movement of the Jamaican Maroons, led by the indomitable 18th century military genius, Nanny of the Maroons. A spiritual leader, skilled in the use of herbs and guerilla warfare tactics, from her mountain stronghold at the source of the Stony River in the majestic Blue Mountains, she directed the warfare that effectively neutralized the vaunted British firepower. Following on the heels of Akwantu: the Journey (2012), Anderson’s award-winning film on the history of the Jamaican Maroons, Queen Nanny expands on the story of the New World’s first successful freedom fighters by shedding light on to one of the leading figures in that struggle.”
Boy 23: The Forgotten Boys Of Brazil (Trailer)
March 8, 2017
Damn. Too bad Magneto could not stop off in Brazil on his way to Argentina to deal with the Nazi bastards who did this, too. But this isn’t X-Men: First Class, this was real life. This was shameful. Powerful movie trailer about “The Forgotten Boys of Brazil” above; where the Nazis pushed their supremacist agenda and made slaves of Black people outside of Germany.
Boy 23: The Forgotten Boys of Brazil (Menino 23: Infâncias Perdidas no Brasil )(2016, 80 min), by Belisario Franca – Bricks, with the Nazi swastika, found in rural Brazil reveal the horrible true story of orphaned children who were enslaved in Brazil during the 1930’s – victims of a criminal project of eugenics. (In Portuguese with English subtitles).
Posted in Film, History, Trailer, Videos | Tags: Boy 23, Boy 23: The Forgotten Boys of Brazil, Nazi, Nazis, Slavery, The Forgotten Boys of Brazil, White Supremacy | No Comments »
Thirty Years Later: DJ Red Alert Gives Us The Real Story Behind “The Bridge is Over” (Video)
March 7, 2017
Nowadays we get beef in the form of Remy Ma getting at Nicki Minaj. But heads know… The Bronx and Queens has ben going at it over the decades. Let’s listen and watch at DJ Red Alert, who was there for it all, tell us about some foundational Hip-Hop battle history: The Bridge Wars of the late 1980s, KRS-ONE and Boogie Down Productions vs. on Marley Marl and the Juice Crew.
(As an important aside, pay attention to what Red says about a DJ’s duty to our music and culture. Great stuff! “The Bridge Is Over”… but Hip-Hop don’t stop… can’t stop!)
Watch The First 2 Hours Of PBS’ Documentary Series “Africa’s Great Civilizations” (Video)
March 2, 2017
Yes indeed. PBS’ 6-hour documentary series “Africa’s Great Civilizations†(hosted by Henry Louis Gates, Jr.) hit the airwaves as advertised, February 27th through March 1st; shedding light on the stories, kingdoms and cultures of Africa. Groundbreaking and enriching. Fertile soil for fruitful discussions.
Got the first two hours for you here; hour one embedded above, with hour two after the jump. Take it as seed to build with your bretheren, your family… your human family. Africa’s history is WORLD history. Enjoy!
Posted in Education, Film, History, Investigation, Series, Television, Travel, Videos | Tags: Africa’s Great Civilizations, black history, Black History Month, Dr. Henry Louis Gates, Dr. Henry Louis Gates Jr., Henry Louis Gates, Henry Louis Gates Jr., PBS, Public Broadcasting Service, Public Broadcasting System | No Comments »
Witness Account Of The Assassination Of Malcolm X (Video)
February 22, 2017
I heard Brother Malcolm say ‘salaam alaikum’ and next thing I heard were the shots.
– A. Peter Bailey
Powerful personal account, including moments just preceding and following the assassination of activist/icon Malcolm X. The audio alone is powerful, but the pictures and scene captures, overlaid with poignant touches of animation. You’ll feel this. And what you feel… that’s them trying to kill the Human Rights movement.
Damn.
Blank On Blank: Nina Simone 1968 Interview (Video)
February 22, 2017
Back in the day renowned Italian national radio on-air personality Lilian Terry recorded a favorite, long-sought celeb interview – of Nina Simone – by the skin of her teeth. See, Nina being Nina… She did not make a habit of talking to White people. And Lillian almost missed out, because she had the complexion for rejection. However, once Nina found out Lillian was ‘from Egypt’ though (born in Cairo to a father from Malta and a mother from Italy), the two were formally introduced and found themselves talking about Nefertitti and the Pharoahs in no time. Only days later Lilian went to Nina’s house in Mt. Vernon, New York, and recorded this conversation.
Posted in Animation, Celebrity, History, Series, Videos | Tags: Blank on Blank, Lilian Terry, Nina Simone, Nina Simone On Shock, PBS, PBS Digital Studios | No Comments »
