Black Lives Matter
J. Cole Drops New Single “Snow on tha Bluff”: Stream
J. Cole, photo by Ben Kaye J. Cole has released a surprise new single called “Snow on tha Bluff”. Stream it below. The track takes its name from the 2011 Damon Russell film Snow on tha Bluff, a drama about real-life drug dealer Curtis Snow. Russell shot the movie as if it were a documentary, leading some — including the Atlanta Police Department — convinced it was real. On his track, J. Cole turns that concept of perceived reality in on himself, wondering if he’s being active enough in the current Black Lives Matter movement. “He was like ‘Cole, ‘preciate what you been doin my nigga, that’s real,’” he raps in the rapid-fire cut. “But damn, why I feel faker than Snow on Tha Bluff?/ Well maybe ’cause deep down I know I ain’t doing enough.” Throughout the ruminative number, J. Cole cons...
Brooklyn Artists Hook First “Black Lives Matter” Mural NYC, More To Come
Source: Nina Flowers / press handout Washington D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser’s decision to rename 16th Street Black Lives Matter Blvd and painting “Black Lives Matter” in huge letters on the concrete was truly a thing of beauty, and now it seems like Brooklyn will be blessed with a similar treatment. Source: Nina Flowers / press handout Organized by Billie Holiday Theatre in Bed Stuy and Council Member Robert E. Cornegy, Jr. and in conjunction with the 20 local Brooklyn artists, a Black Lives Matter mural that was inspired by the work of art that was drawn on the streets of D.C.. Construction of the project has begun where the likes of Spike Lee, the Rev. Al Sharpton and New York Attorney General Letitia James participated in the painting of the giant yellow letters on Fulton Street betwe...
White Woman Caught Setting Fire To Atlanta Wendy’s Where Rayshard Brooks Murdered
Source: Atlanta PD / Atlanta PD The murder of Rayshard Brooks sent shockwaves through an already exhausted community, sparking more protests but police are looking for one woman who decided to take protests one step further. According to published reports, police are looking for a masked unidentified white woman who they claim was responsible for burning down the Wendy’s location where 27-year-old Rayshard Brooks was murdered at the hands of police after falling asleep at the drive-thru window. On Sunday (Jun 14) the Atlanta Police Department (APD) released photos and videos of a masked white woman “attempting to hide her identity,” they believe is the arson who set the fire that ravaged University Avenue fast-food restaurant, before adding that information on other suspects is also welcom...
Styles P Questions Money Trail Of Black Lives Matter Donations
Source: Jemal Countess / Getty In recent weeks, the efforts of the Black Lives Matter movement have been concentrated in major American cities in the wake of the murders of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, and Breonna Taylor among others. Styles P poised some thoughts regarding the fundraising efforts of BLM via Twitter, which is a continuation of recent speculation that donations made to the organization have been reportedly difficult to track. Styles, one of the most active rappers on Twitter, used his platform as he often does to engage with the public and to ponder thoughts as he sees fit. On June 11, the Lox rapper wrote, “Where is the money being donated going ? Who is the treasurer of blm ? Do they have leaders in every city they contact ? Is it a board ? and where are the headquarters ...
#SayHerName: Beyoncé Sends Letter To AG Calling For “Swift” Justice For Breonna Taylor
Source: Kevin Mazur / Getty The Carters are remaining active and demand justice for those who died at the hands of law enforcement. Beyoncé is making sure the Breonna Taylor’s name is not lost and forgotten in all of the noise. The Lemonade crafter made it abundantly clear that she wants “swift justice for Breonna Taylor, who died after she was shot in her own Louisville apartment by cops executing a “no-knock warrant.” In a letter sent to the Attorney General Daniel Cameron posted on her official website on June 14, she called for the AG to “commit to transparency in the investigation and prosecution of these officer’s criminal conduct” and to investigate the police department’s inadequate response to Taylor’s murder.” “Your office has both the power and the responsibility to bring justic...
Beyoncé Demands Justice for Breonna Taylor in Open Letter to Kentucky’s Attorney General
Beyoncé Knowles-Carter has joined a growing chorus of outraged citizens calling for justice for Breonna Taylor. In an open letter to Kentucky’s Attorney General, the pop icon demanded that the police officers responsible “be held accountable for their actions.” In the early hours of March 13th, sergeant Jonathan Mattingly and officers Myles Cosgrove and Brett Hankison used a battering ram to force their way into Breonna Taylor’s Louisville home. Taylor, a 26-year-old emergency room technician, was asleep with her boyfriend Kenneth Walker. After the police broke down the door, Walker grabbed his gun and attempted to defend himself from the intruders. In the ensuing gunfire, the trio of Mattingly, Cosgrove, and Hankison shot Taylor at least eight times, killing her. The Louisville Metro Poli...
Dave Chappelle Drops Surprise Netflix Special 8:46: Watch
Dave Chappelle is back with a surprise new Netflix special called 8:46. The blockbuster comic dropped the near-30 minute special for free on YouTube’s comedy channel late Thursday evening — and for good reason. “Normally I wouldn’t show you something so unrefined, I hope you understand,” Chappelle wrote in the caption, and included a link to the Equal Justice Initiative, a nonprofit aimed at fighting racial inequality and mass incarceration. Recorded on June 6th in Yellow Springs, Ohio amidst his invite-only, socially-distanced gigs, the brisk half-hour marks the first time Chappelle has hit the stage in 87 days. Not surprisingly, he never misses a beat, coming out hot as a true MVP. If the title didn’t clue you in — 8:46 is the length of time Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin ...
Jay Pharoah Shares Video Of LAPD Accosting Him With Guns Drawn After A Jog
Source: Screenshot / Jay Pharoah Jay Pharoah found fame as a former cast member of SNL and has parlayed that notoriety into a booming acting career, but even that didn’t shield him from the cruel reality of racism in America. In a new short film, the actor and comedian detailed how he came close to losing his life at the hands of the police simply for being a Black man. Working with @TheOnlyCarey to shoot the video piece, Pharoah is seen narrating the incident in question, which he says took place a week before Ahmaud Arbery was murdered in Georgia while jogging. While going about his workout routine in Los Angeles and getting in some exercise, Pharoah shares security video footage of Los Angeles officers surrounding him with their guns drawn. At one especially uncomfortable portion of the...
Buddy Calls Out Privilege on New Single “Black 2”: Stream
Terrace Martin, Kamasi Washington, and Denzel Curry have released their own protest song in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement, as has Lil Baby. Rising Compton rapper Buddy is joining the conversation today with his own single, but his message is slightly different. On “Black 2”, the rising rapper calls out those who like to appropriate and profit from Black culture. He specifically addresses people who have the privilege of never having to actually deal with the stigma of being Black and those who remain silent about racism in America. “Everybody tryna get dreads and shit, but they ain’t African/ All the light girls gettin’ the tan so they can darken they skin,” raps Buddy. During the chorus, the former Vince Staples tour mate makes his missive even clearer: “Grew up in the w...
Nike Makes Juneteenth An Annual Paid Holiday
It was bound to happen. In an internal memo, Nike has revealed that it will be recognizing Juneteenth as an annual paid holiday. In recent years, Juneteenth has become more prominent as a celebration of June 19, 1865 (not that long ago), when the Emancipation Proclamation was read to freed African-Americans in Texas by General Gordon Granger. Mind you, the Emancipation Proclamation was issued over a year prior on January 1, 1863. Texas was the last Confederate state to have proclamation announced after the conclusion of the Civil War in 1865. Ever since, June 19 or Freedom Day or Juneteenth has been a day of celebration that has only grown throughout the years. In lieu of Black Lives Matter becoming a rallying cry for the continued pursuit of racial justice, it’s only a matter of time befo...
Dead Cross (Mike Patton, Dave Lombardo) Cover Black Flag’s “Rise Above” in Solidarity with Black Lives Matter: Stream
The hardcore supergroup Dead Cross, featuring living legends Mike Patton on vocals and Dave Lombardo on drums, have covered the Black Flag classic “Rise Above” in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement. Patton (Faith No More, Mr. Bungle) and Lombardo (Misfits, ex-Slayer) are joined by Dead Cross bandmates Michael Crain (guitar) and Justin Pearson (bass) on the socially distant performance. The song is preceded by an audio recording of a resident’s profanity-laced tirade against the LAPD as he called in to an actual police commission meeting on Zoom. In posting the video on Facebook and YouTube, the band stated that the performance was “created in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement and staunchly opposing police brutality and systemic racism.” Dead Cross hit the studio ...
Lady Antebellum’s New Name, Lady A, Rips Off a Black Blues Singer
Lady A (aka Anita White), via YouTube, and Lady A (fka Lady Antebellum), via Instagram Yesterday, Grammy-winning country trio Lady Antebellum announced that they were changing their name to Lady A. They intended for the rebranding to distance themselves from the so-called Antebellum South, which is the period in the US before the Civil War ended slavery. But it turns out that black blues singer Anita White has been performing under the name Lady A for more than twenty years. In an interview with Rolling Stone, White said that neither the band nor their representatives reached out to her before making the change. “I’m not about to stop using my name.” she said. “For them to not even reach out is pure privilege. I’m not going to lay down and let this happen to me. But now the...
