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Senior Editor at The Root. Award-winning culture critic, consultant,
and friendly neighborhood NDA signee everywhere else.

Also, check out my brand-spanking-new Substack, 
Laughter & Lexapro. Because it's fucking dope. 

Inquiries: deathtoadverbs@gmail.com

'We're Celebrating Your Legacy': N.O.R.E., DJ EFN Toast to 10 Years of Drink Champs

In what’s become routine, the Knicks just embarrassed the Spurs—again. Yet somehow, LeFrak City, Queens native N.O.R.E. is still unhappy. After a lifelong allegiance to all things Madison Square Garden, most of us would be delirious with glee after our team just pulled off the greatest comeback in NBA Finals history. But the man who gave us “Super Thug”—fashionably late and proudly buried beneath a Knicks snapback, matching jersey, and an infectious grin—is perturbed.

Ever 'The Romantic,' Bruno Mars Keeps Rewriting History. It’s Time He Wrote Himself

While 2021’s An Evening with Silk Sonic served as the perfect precursor for the boleros to come—since it familiarized his audience with a time-traveling tour of the ‘70s—instead of staying rooted in the Chi-Lites and Con Funk Shuns of yesteryear, The Romantic draws inspiration from trailblazers like Tito Puente. And while the end result is undoubtedly stellar, it also poses far more questions than it answers.

Colman Domingo on ‘Sing Sing,’ and using art as a catalyst for racial healing

“We’re able to see these incarcerated men as human beings and not just a statistic,” he said. “It’s not a prison film at all. It’s a film about human beings that are incarcerated. They’re doing the work of healing inside with this Rehabilitation Through the Arts program. We see that as necessary to ensure they’re healthy and doing some real work to eventually [return to their] communities again and help heal those they may have harmed.”

For Black male voters, apologies are in order, and some respect would be nice too

Each of these aspersions is used to justify the infantilization of Black men. While Black boys are perceived as menacing adults, their adult counterparts are treated the opposite by politicians and society at large. The very concept of White fragility requires a certain level of paternalism, leaving Black men to endure a reality in which we’re treated like pets instead of peers. As long as our views align with their goals, we get scratched behind our ears. But should we dare deviate from the script and imperil their delicate savior complex, suddenly we’re “pussy,” “ain’t Black” — as Biden once famously declared — or worse.

Is 50 Cent the right person to produce a Diddy documentary?

After a grueling bidding war between streaming networks, rapper 50 Cent has sold the rights to Netflix to produce and house his forthcoming documentary detailing rap mogul Diddy's tumultuous career.

Jay Connor is a culture critic and senior editor at The Root. Tayo Bero is a culture writer & columnist at The Guardian. They join host Elamin Abdelmahmoud to discuss 50 Cent's reputation for trolling, and whether his involvement might affect how the doc tackles Diddy's personal & professional woes.

‘When You Write Music History, You Can’t Leave Us Out’: Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis Stake Their Claim as Music Royalty

Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis are kind of a big deal.

In the decades since Harris’ humble beginnings as the 16-year-old secret weapon behind the Minneapolis-based funk outfit Mind & Matter, the legendary production duo has accrued over 100 platinum certifications, 16 Billboard Hot 100 number ones (and counting), five Grammys, a star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame, countless other awards, and the unwavering respect and adulation of their peers.
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