Through iconic and awarding winning roles in West Side Story as Anita and on the Electric Company to historic accomplishments like being the first latina and Puerto-Rican to win the pinnacle of acting awards known as the EGOT, Rita Moreno’s impact spanning eight decades has indisputably paved the way for young latino filmmakers, actors, and directors.
Pink Heartz is the second album by Atlanta rapper, SoFaygo. The 21-year-old dominated the underground Soundcloud scene from 2018-2020 with his unique melodic delivery that felt like a breath of fresh air in the rap world. In addition, his collaborations, and his rap feuds, made him a hot topic among fans.
TikTok has established itself as “the giant” of social media video-streaming platforms, as its users are relying on the app to view and participate in hundreds of thousands of trends that have been going viral on the platform. From dancing to cooking videos, Tiktok has become the go-to app for all things trendy.
“[Celia Cruz] no es una pasa de moda]” sings the legendary Celia Cruz, the iconic Queen of Salsa and arguably, one of the most synonymous singers with Cuban music. Born in Havana, Cuba, on October 21, 1925, Cruz was born of humble beginnings and would become a fixture in dance halls and clubs during her 20s. As an Afro-Latina woman, Cruz was raised believing in the diasporic religion of Santeria which fuses West-African folklore traditions and music orally preserved by African enslaved people in the Caribbean.
Demons 2 Deluxe is an exciting project by Fort Worth rapper and producer, Iayze (pronounced Jace). The highly anticipated deluxe album arrived on September 19th, bringing many songs that fans had anticipated for months. His first album entitled Demons was one of the nineteen-year-old artist’s more popular 2021 releases and is known for having the lighthearted song, “Day by Day.”
2022 has undoubtedly been a fantastic year for Hip-Hop/Rap. Great releases from artists like Kendrick Lamar, Denzel Curry, Saba, Freddie Gibs, Conway the Machine, LUCKI (I did not like his album, but who am I right?), and Black Thought have dominated the rap scene this year. It is damn near impossible to crown any of these men the prestigious “Rap Album of the Year” award. But for those who don’t know, I correctly predicted Jazmine Sullivan’s 2021 Grammy win for “R&B Album of the Year,” and now that I’m rightfully cocky about my foresight, I’d like to try my hand again at another Grammy prediction.
In her sophomore album, age/sex/location, Ari Lennox delves deeper into her narrative of of finding love from online chatrooms, self-acceptance of her needing love, and her struggles she goes through in finding these romantic relationships. Her heavy melodies and potent lyricism deliver a solid album that you will find yourself coming back to.
The seemingly simplistic words spray-painted on buildings and landmarks have such a rich history with complex racial politics surrounding it and provide accessibility to create art for artists of all backgrounds. These factors combined are why instead of brushing graffiti off as vandalism and a crime, it should be recognized as a valid art form.
As 2022 approaches its end and we begin to think of things we wish to better for next year, it’s important to take the time to give breast cancer disparities among Black women a platform.
In the past, diversity in the fashion industry was essentially non-existent; from models on the runway to the masterminds behind the development of fashion magazine issues, fashion typically did not make space for Black, Indigenous, and other people of color
With over 680K fans, influencer Gracie Nortron was addressed for her video, released in late June, for cultural appropriation. Norton’s attempts at colonizing agua fresca, calling it spa water, caused an uproar among POC communities, mainly the Latine community, for her lack of credit given to Latine culture.
Celebrities–whether musicians, actors, or influencers–are unfortunately susceptible to bullying and harassment from society and even members of their own fanbases.
As Euphoria’s second season comes to a close, it only seems fitting to comment on the new season. Like most people, each Sunday, my knee is bouncing in anticipation for the clock to strike nine, so I can indulge in the gripping show. With that being said, Euphoria is undoubtedly an aesthetic masterpiece. It is filled with breathtaking cinematography, amazing costume design (excuse me while I try and inevitably fail to do some of those incredible makeup looks), and one of the most pitch perfect soundtracks I have ever heard, courtesy of Labyrinth. Sam Levinson overall has done a fantastic job in creating a thrilling show that leaves the audience on the edge of their seat.
In the spirit of Black History Month, I’d like to tell you all a joke: if you’re cheese with no crackers, what are you? Answer: crackalackin!
As we begin the new year, a famed artist, The Weeknd recently released his fifth studio album titled Dawn FM on January 7. Most would agree that his recent work is quite different from his previous projects as coming after the success of the acclaimed album, After Hours, The Weeknd had almost any direction open to where he wanted to go next. Dawn FM introduces a new concept and artistry from The Weeknd that clearly was never explored before, but nonetheless, very exciting to see unfold.
Out of all the female characters in the DC comic universe, Catwoman is easily one of the most notable. The reason people are so intrigued by her is that she’s an intense and gritty antihero who goes from being the complete adversary of Batman to eventually changing her behavior. She does bad things, but she does them for the right reasons — and there’s something endearing about that.
Welcome to the Family Madrigal, everyone. Encanto, Disney’s newest animated film has taken the world by storm. Released at the end of 2021, the plot and music from the movie continue to dominate the internet, where a sea of Encanto content remains never-ending. In particular, the film has had a large cultural impact on members of the POC and Latinx community due to its representation of a wide variety of skin colors and hair textures.
If you’ve got curly hair, you know the damages that the winter weather can cause for what are usually beautifully, nourished curls. The cold and dry air makes curly hair, which is typically already on the drier side, even more dry. And what does dry, curly hair look like? Absolutely chaos. In the wintertime, curly hair is prone to frizz, flyaways, split ends and more.
Love Renaissance (LVRN) is an Atlanta-based and Black-founded record label making a name for itself like no other. The label was founded in 2012 by Tunde Balogun, Justice Baiden, Carlon Ramong, Junia Abaidoo and Sean Famoso McNichol while they were students at Georgia State University. Since its inception, LVRN has sat at the forefront of fostering cultural bonds for the up and coming generation of hip-hop and R&B.
Dune, the new sci-fi fantasy epic, released on Oct. 22, 2021, excited fans of the original novel and Zendaya fans alike around the world before its heavily anticipated release. However, the fans of Zendaya around the world would soon be disappointed to find that she barely made an on-screen appearance in the film. The false advertisement of her role sparked a much-needed conversation on Black Baiting in Hollywood.
Solutions by The State News
