Currently Browsing: Courtney Stanley
Fifty years ago, hip hop was born amidst a raging summer in the Bronx (NY). This cultural phenomenon has sky-rocketed into a billion-dollar industry, changing the fabric of music, film, fashion, politics, and even sports. In commemoration of hip hop’s 50th birthday, Netflix released Ladies First: A Story of Women in Hip Hop.… read more.
Janelle Monáe released their fourth studio album entitled The Age of Pleasure this year at the beginning of June. Just in time for summer, the 14-track album embodies what it means to enjoy the fullness of life. The Age of Pleasure seems to mark a new era for Janelle as they embrace what it means to be a self-titled “free-ass motherfucker.”… read more.
Jennifer Lopez is on a roll with her second film this year, The Mother. The Mother is an action-drama about an unnamed ex-military sniper who must protect her daughter Zoe from the troubles of her past. It is an action-packed, emotional story, with an aura of mystique that keeps the audience anticipating what will happen next.… read more.
On March 10, my friends and I spent our Friday night attending the opening of an exhibit entitled VIVID, at the Gallery CA in Baltimore. I had seen the flier on Instagram about the opening a week or two prior and it described the exhibit as “a trans femme & queer led group exhibition that weaves art & data to (re)tell the stories told about us, our own vivid science.”… read more.
By all relevant measures, The Woman King – directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood – must be considered a widely successful film. The Woman King was not only the #1 USA box office draw on its opening weekend (grossing almost $95 million in theatres worldwide since), it also received high ratings amongst numerous film review outlets (including a 94% FRESH rating on Rotten Tomatoes).… read more.
This is an emergency. Grammy-award winning artist SZA (Solána Imani Rowe) released her highly anticipated second album entitled SOS in December 2022. The project serves as the New Jersey native’s own form of a distress signal, even sprinkling Morse code throughout the record. SZA is clamoring to her audience, seeking asylum from her own turmoil.… read more.