Mark Anthony Neal's Blog, page 277

Tasha - "Lullaby" (Official Music Video)

"Black girl, we'll leave this fight to someone else for now
You can close your eyes, let your hair down
Breath in, breath outYes, there will be battles, you'll sometimes lose
They'd never last for a day in your shoes
You still need to rest too
You still need to rest too..."  -- "Lullaby", Tasha 

Bootsy Collins & The Power of the One

'Rock and Roll Hall of Famer and former Parliament-Funkadelic bassist Bootsy Collins joins All Of It for an “All Of It Listening Party” for his new album, The Power of the One, which features an eclectic ensemble that includes Snoop Dogg, Christian McBride, and Béla Fleck.'

Louder Than A Riot: The Day The Mixtape Died -- DJ Drama

'In the early 2000s, mixtapes transformed Tyree Simmons into DJ Drama and molded T.I., Lil Wayne and Jeezy into rap superstars. But in 2007, those same mixtapes landed Drama in jail with a bank account balance of $0.00. In this episode,  of Louder Than A Riot we break down the raid that turned the mixtape from cultural innovation into criminal conspiracy, from the perspective of the man who took the fall when the cops came knocking. "If they can lock up Drama, nobody's safe. It's over".'

Revolutionary 'Sesame Street'

'Author and journalist David Kamp joins All Of It to discuss his book, Sunny Days: The Children’s Television Revolution That Changed America.'

On 'Uncivil War,' Shemekia Copeland Sets Fire To A Relic Of American Slavery

'The centerpiece of Shemekia Copeland's latest album, Uncivil War,  is a song born from the wreckage of the Clotilda — the last known slave ship to smuggle African captives to the United States.'

Chicago Renaissance Artists with Dr. Kelli Morgan

Black Art In America Scholar-in-Residence, Dr. Kelli Morgan discusses Chicago Renaissance Artists. 

Falling into a Black Play List

from Colman Domingo's Dot

Falling into a Black Play List

curated by Lisa B. Thompson | @DrLisaBThompson | special to NewBlackMan (in Exile)

As the weather turns cooler it’s a great time to snuggle up with a good book. What am I saying? You’re probably looking for something edifying and entertaining to distract you from the election results! Black theatre is what I turn to when I’m trying to make sense of the world or want to imagine a whole new universe. While theaters remain dark all over the country due to the pandemic, there is still an opportunity to experience some of its magic. I’ve curated a fall reading list of a dozen thought-provoking plays by Black theatre artists. This list includes work by recent Pulitzer and Tony winners, as well as some classics by our most revered playwrights. Grab two or three plays and read them to yourself or perform them social distance style with friends and family. Black theatre reminds us that we are a brilliant, imaginative, and resilient people. 

Alice Childress, Trouble in Mind

Colman Domingo, Dot

Jackie Sibblies Drury, Fairview

Marcus Gardley, The House that Will Not Stand 

Katori Hall, Hurt Village 

Jeremy O. Harris, Slave Play

Branden Jacobs-Jenkins, An Octoroon

Adrienne Kennedy, Funnyhouse of a Negro

Dominique Morisseau, Pipeline

Lynn Nottage, Sweat

August Wilson, Radio Golf

Tarrell McCraney, Choir Boy

Lisa B. Thompson is a playwright and professor of African and African Diaspora Studies at the University of Texas at Austin. Her new book is Underground, Monroe, and The Mamalogues: Three Plays.

'Marking Time' And Making Art In Confinement

 

'An exhibition at MoMa PS1 features work created by currently or formerly incarcerated artists and their family members. Curator Nicole R. Fleetwood knows what it's like to love someone on the inside.'

Alex Isley: Tiny Desk (Home) Concert

'From her Los Angeles home, Alex Isley takes us on a tour of her discography, starting with "About Him" from 2013's Dreams in Analog and closing with her latest single, "Gone." But before we get to the finale, we're treated to the premiere of a brand new song, "Rain Clouds," which was produced by 9th Wonder (a storied hip-hop producer that  featured on NPR's new songwriting series The Formula).'

Official Video: Dinner Party * "Freeze Tag" (ft. Cordae, Phoelix & Snoop Dogg)

"Freeze Tag (feat. Cordae, Phoelix & Snoop Dogg)" from Dinner Party: Dessert--Terrace Martin, Robert Glasper, Kamasi Washington, 9th Wonder.