In March 2016, Netflix debuted The Art of Organized Noize, a thrilling documentary that chronicled the beginnings and rise of the legendary Atlanta musical collective of Rico Wade, Ray Murray and Sleepy Brown—Organized Noize Productions—that brought us Outkast, Goodie Mob, the Dungeon Family, and several musical…

I realize that talking about the aches and pains of getting older is a pretty cliché thing to do. But since I try to be at least six or seven stereotypes a day—it really is empowering in an ironic way—I feel like being one age-appropriate cliché is OK.

I love the movie Cool Runnings. Peace be the journey and all that jazz. I especially love the part where Doug E. Doug—playing the role of Sanka Coffie, the movie’s comic relief and spiritual center—says to other bobsledders on top of the hill, “I’m feeling very Olympic today!” I try to work that into lots of…

It’s no secret that I’m a fan of the Love & Hip Hop franchise on VH1. You see, I’m a person who is with the shits, and LHH is a program ’pacifically dedicated to being with the shits. In fact, most of my television watching could quite squarely fall into a box that’s called for “TV for People Who Are With the Shits.” …

There is a war going on outside from which no man is safe. Sure, you can run, but you can’t hide forever. It’s tearing families apart, and there’s no end in sight. It’s a war predicated upon the most important of household fixtures: the phone charger.

My car was stolen last week. That sucketh greatly. After getting over the initial (minimal) shock, my first thought was that I hope whoever stole the car burns it to a crisp so badly that it can never be recovered and my insurance carrier has to send me a check for the value of the car. While I wouldn’t exactly be…

Recently, Vulture dropped an article that’s been making the rounds among hip-hop heads, enthusiasts, regular joes and coffee shop denizens alike. Vulture writer John Kennedy did the Lord’s work and ranked Jay-Z’s songs from worst to best.

Are you a creative? Do you create shit for a living? If you answered “yes” to either of those questions, you are a creative. If you are a creative (you answered “yes” to either of the two aforementioned questions), then I’d bet you a plum nickel that while people are happy for you and your creativity, they probably…

For somebody with multiple degrees, I’ve been pretty crime adjacent for a significant portion of my adulthood. I’ve also had several petty crimes perpetrated against me or those in close proximity to me more times than you can shake a stick at.

Hi. I’m black and I’m a man. That makes me a black man (by default), and that means I’m paranoid as fuck. Like, I’m pretty sure you’re plotting against me right now, so I’m looking at you crazy. Or at least you might could be. In fact, who is you? Is you is or is you ain’t my constituency?

Congregation of St. Panama Jackson the United Methodist Baptist Pentecostal AME Church of God in Christ Episcopal Primitive Missionary Baptist Downward Dog Down by the Riverside Holiness Church, please bow your heads:

First, tuck your judgment; it’s not necessary. Second, listen with your mind, not your heart. Your heart made you side-eye the living shit out of the title, but your mind may be a little more open-minded. That’s a pun. Get it? I’m sure you do.

One of the most common refrains heard in school and workplace conference rooms is that there’s no such thing as a dumb question, OR, if there is such a thing, the only dumb question is the one that goes unasked.

I’m the kind of person who likes to get into my car, pull up an album and play it for my neighborhood as I drive through to wherever I’m going.

One of the most enlightening conversations I had in college happened with a friend of mine who went to Spelman College and is from Nigeria. We were out at IHOP (I think; probably a safe assumption because we pretty much lived at IHOP), and she was telling a few of us about her preconceived notions about America and…

I was recently in Roanoke, Ala., and ventured to McDonald’s because my children are obsessed with chicken nuggets like most American children are. I don’t know what they put in those things, but they’re mm-mm good. Also, how have fast-food prices been the same forever? Inquiring minds would like to know.

Hi. In case you’ve been living under a rock, you know that today, throughout this fine nation of ours, at various times, you will be able to see AT LEAST a partial solar eclipse.

Like most of America, I’ve had a week. Whereas Charlottesville, Va., touched off a week of necessary discussions, debates and arguments centering largely on our president’s ignorance and emboldening of the very real problems in America, I’ve had exhausting, draining and, ultimately, disappointing arguments about…

I’m an Apple products guy. I’ve been exclusively an iPhone user since 2008 (I believe) when I chucked my T-Mobile Sidekick LX. My personal computers of choice are all Apples. There are three iPads in my home. I own an Apple TV, and when I’m hungry, I eat apples. We don’t play with our Apple consumption ’round here.…

When Love & Hip Hop: Hollywood debuted a few seasons ago, I was all in for one reason and one reason only: Willie Ray Norwood Jr., aka Ray J, aka Ray J da Gawd. There are very few celebrities who, in my estimation, provide as much unintentional entertainment as Ray.