Joyous New Yorkers poured into the streets Saturday after Democrat Joe Biden defeated Donald Trump to win the White House, erupting in celebration as the business mogul and former star of The Apprentice was told: “You’re fired.” Revelers cheered across a city that has sparred for years with the president who rose to prominence in the New York real estate. A reliable Democratic stronghold, the US financial capital’s disdain for the Republican’s policies was no secret. In Manhattan residents yelled and clapped, some waving flags and others banging pots from their balconies as car horns punctuated the applause. Catherine Griffin cried tears of joy outside with one of her two kids, telling AFP: “I’m happy that Trump has gone from our lives, hopefully forever.” “Having a little normalcy back in...
Source: Press Handout / GoodGirlPR Brooklyn might be gentrified as hell, but the culture will continue to flourish one way or another regardless of colonizing hipsters calling BK home for months at a time. But this year it will be virtually. Source: Nickie Robinson, Founder, BedStuy Film Festival / GoodGirlPR Such is the case with the upcoming BedStuy Film Festival which is poised to showcase the talents and visions of indie filmmakers whose diverse background offer something that multi-cultural OG natives of Kings County might be able to relate to and appreciate. The virtual film festival will be held on the Black-owned digital platform VR VIP LIVE beginning October 23 through the 25th and each day will virtually spotlight films chosen by the programmers that align with its mission. The f...
Source: Spencer Platt / Getty With fall officially here, COVID-19 is reminding New York City residents that it hasn’t gone anywhere. New York City was once the epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, but thanks to measures implemented and residents for the most part abiding by them, NYC was able to push the virus back. BUT, experts warned for months that a resurgence was highly likely, and that looks like it will be the case as New York enters the fall season with winter right around the corner. NYC Mayor Bill De Blasio announced On Sunday (Oct.5) that a COVID-19 lockdown will see the closing of daycares, public schools, and nonessential businesses beginning on Wednesday (Oct.7) in hopes of stopping the concerning uptick of COVID-19 cases in 9 NYC neighborhoods. Before it ...
Source: Andrew Lichtenstein / Getty Even in the middle of a pandemic, J’Ouvert still happened, and sadly the violence also returned as well. Despite the West Indian Day Parade being one of the many annual NYC celebrations that were canceled by the city due to COVID-19, the celebration leading up to the carnival, J’Ouvert still went down. The event, which was also supposed to be canceled due to safety concerns concerning the coronavirus, took place in Brooklyn early Monday (Sept.7) morning. At a crowded intersection of Nostrand Avenue and Crown Street in the Crown Heights, five people, including a 6-year-old boy and his mother, were shot while partaking in the unsanctioned event. The boy, who was later identified as Maxwell Cesc-Dinho, was hit in the leg. His mother, Patricia Brathwai...
Source: Rich Fury / Getty Jay-Z is doubling down on his commitment to empower Black and Brown people. His team is launching programming to teach the new generation the politics of the business. As spotted on The Grio the media mogul is working with a place of learning very close to his roots. On Tuesday, August 4 Roc Nation announced a new partnership with Brooklyn’s Long Island University. The two entities will launch a Roc Nation School of Music, Sports & Entertainment. Roc Nation CEO Desiree Perez detailed the new initiative in a formal press release. [The partnership] is “a true investment in our community and young people in Brooklyn, in New York City, and beyond” she said. “We’re excited that The Roc Nation School of Music, Sports & Entertainment will provide uniq...
Source: SOPA Images / Getty Add those convenient Revel scooters to the list of things New Yorkers can no longer enjoy because we can’t have nice things. We know you have seen those blue Revel mopeds flying up and down your block or parked on the street recently. The electric scooters have are a THING now as a result of COVID-19 and have become popular among New Yorkers who don’t like to pedal on a bicycle and need to get around the city. Unfortunately, its a wrap… for now, for the insanely convenient travel option Gothamist is reporting because of knuckleheads who refuse to practice safety while using the scooters. The Brooklyn company, which was founded in 2018, announced it will now be suspending all operations in NYC “until further notice” following the death of a second rider in just t...
The Lowdown: Last summer, at a congested intersection in Flatbush, the hip-hop rule book was left to smolder in a fiery, steel mesh garbage can. Passersby extinguished the fire, but by then Pop Smoke had already scored an improbable hit with “Welcome to the Party”. Pop Smoke (born Bashar Jackson) hardly seemed destined for superstardom; only a Noo Yawker could love those carelessly dropped “R’s” and that honking bassone cadence. And “Welcome to the Party”, with its retro drum’n’bass synth riff, could have been recorded between rounds one and two of the Bush tax cuts. It was the song that time forgot. Yet, it was streamed 80 million times. Coming to a barber shop near you is Shoot for the Stars, Aim for the Moon, Pop Smoke’s posthumous new album. (He was killed in a February home invasion; ...
Source: Snipes / Snipes International sneaker and streetwear retailer SNIPES is coming to Downtown Brooklyn. The brand is launching its first-ever American-based 2.0 concept store on Thursday, July 9 across from the Barclays Center. Source: Snipes / Snipes The SNIPES 2.0 store concept involves providing one of kind shopping experiences for its consumers which leads to an elevated brand experience. The goal is to make the store a neighborhood hub. “We couldn’t be more excited to introduce the game-changing SNIPES 2.0 store concept to our US customer,” says Sven Voth, CEO of SNIPES, in a statement. “And where better to start than right across from Barclays Center in the heart of Downtown Brooklyn, cradle of sneaker and streetwear culture!” Part of making that happen is making sure there is p...
The United Nations (UN) General Assembly will cast ballots in-person for five new non-permanent Security Council seats, its president said Thursday, effectively ruling out electronic voting despite the coronavirus pandemic. In a letter to UN members obtained by AFP, President Tijjani Muhammad-Bande said that voting members would be “invited to visit the venue at the designated time slot communicated to them in advance” in order to cast their ballot. Mexico and India are guaranteed a spot on the Council as the only countries in the running to represent Latin America and Asia respectively. Ireland, Norway, and Canada will compete among themselves for two more seats. Meanwhile, Kenya and Djibouti will vie for the only spot reserved for Africa. The vote is planned for June 17, but the letter s...
Source: Nick Blixky / Instagram An up and coming Brooklyn rapper named Nick Blixky was shot and killed in his home borough last night (May 10). He was just 21 years old. Born Nickalus Thompson, he was found with gunshot wounds in front of 200 Winthrop Street in the Prospect Lefferts Gardens neighborhood of Brooklyn around 9:30 p.m, per NBC New York. Nick Blixky was reportedly shot in his chest and buttocks, according to the NYPD. Unfortunately, after being taken to NYC Health & Hospitals/Kings County he was pronounced dead. CNN reports that police found Blixky after responding to a 911 call. The Brooklyn native was due to drop a mixtape titled Different Timin in June. Blixby’s “Drive The Boat” single and video, which dropped in late 2019, has amassed over 2 million views on YouTub...