REFLECTION & REASON

God bless Masai Ujiri. I knew that I had to see the documentary based on the Toronto Raptors' president's organization " Giants of Africa " as soon as I heard it would be featured at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) this year.  As a fan of the Toronto Raptors , one can't help but be proud to see how in just a few years the team has transformed into a powerhouse within the NBA. The fan base has expanded exponentially, media coverage, merchandise, awareness, and overall excitement for the Toronto home team has been electrifying to say the least. Basketball lovers around the world have witnessed the phenomenon that is "Jurassic Park," and viewers outside of our country have taken notice of the Raps in a real way. Masai is a huge part of this change , and this energy, and his influential hand has touched more than just the world of professional sports. Giants of Africa--the organization--is exactly what people in positions of ...

It ain't Shottas . It ain't Dancehall Queen , and it ain't The Harder They Come . Slightly closer to Belly , and very far from Cool Runnings . That being said, writer/director/producer Nick Cannon went hard with his movie King of the Dancehall , released on September 11 at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). No: he doesn't speak with a Jamaican accent (phew!), and yes: the movie is thoroughly entertaining. This film was definitely electric and definitely gave viewers an inside look at Jamaica and the world of dancehall music and movement. I will give Nick Cannon credit where credit is due: this is a good movie. And it's funny! In fact, just minutes into the movie I was wide-eyed and excited to hear dancehall music through the speakers of the Scotiabank Theatres in downtown Toronto. I was pleased to see images of Jamaica, beautifully arranged, and I was thankful that the 35-year-old American superstar took the time to visit, study, and communicate the...

If you live in Toronto, grew up in Toronto in the 90's, or are familiar with the Toronto party scene, you know without a doubt that Saturday, March 14th’s “ I LOVE THE 90’s ” concert was a success. For a city that has its fair share of era-themed parties, be it the 90's, a particular genre of music from a particular moment in time, or a particular style of celebration, promoters and DJs have been coming up with innovative ways to enjoy themselves, to share their love of music, and to entertain the often hard-to-please Toronto audience, each and every weekend. From time. There was nothing original about I LOVE THE 90’s . It’s been done. We’ve seen old school artists trickle through this city so regularly that we’re probably one of the main cities out there that embraces the artists of the past so warmly. If they had a hit in the 80’s, 90’s or early 2000’s..chances are they’ve passed through Toronto in the past few years. We appreciate classics. We don't forget the talent...

Nothing to see here. I was curious about the movie...the soundtrack sounded dope. The visuals look enticing, helicopters, and pretty condos. It seemed like it might be something intriguing. Young girl. Rich dude. Why not? I refused to watch the movie without reading the books. That's how this journey began. E. L. James hit the jackpot with this story, and what kind of writer would I be if I didn't at least attempt to check it out?! Well, I didn't make it through the entire book, maybe 65% according to my Kobo e-reader. I wanted to see what the literary hype was, and for the first say, 30% or so, I was into it. Typical fluffy love story, a light read, I could get down with it. It wasn't half as "sexual" or terrible as I thought it would be...but after a while, it was redundant. Christian and his demands. Anastasia biting her lip...ooh, "don't bite the lip or I'll have to punish you"...at about 65% I just gave up on the book entirely, and...

This show is everything. I've been saying that a lot lately, which is great. Which means that I can finally break out of my reality TV spell, and get back into a handful of great scripted programs. It started with " Being Mary Jane ," continued with " Scandal ," went on to " How to Get Away with Murder ," and now keeps keepin' on, with the hit television show " Empire ," that just debuted earlier this year on FOX. I'm a sucker for a predominantly Black cast, Black writers/directors , and grew up watching and enjoying, and being inherently interested in their career paths and progression. I can't help but support the familiar faces and entertaining antics. Naturally, these shows were made for me. The best part about these quote-unquote "Black" shows it that everyone is digging them. Not just Black female writers, like myself. Not just "urban" folks in "inner cities" who can relate. But these show...

I was expecting a celebrity tell-all book about fleeing nightclubs with P. Diddy, romantic getaways with Ben Affleck, dancing the night away with Casper Smart, or other inside-Hollywood tidbits, but True Love by Jennifer Lopez was surprisingly very different. It was a simple look at a woman, going through life, figuring out love, and learning how to love herself . In fact, despite the ongoing concert/performance/American Idol references, and knowing who the book's author was, the story was an un-Hollywood as it could be. And even having mentioned her regular lifestyle, which by nature is glamorous, there was little glamour and glitz in this book. I've always liked J.Lo. She seems personable, she is definitely multi-talented, and for years she has managed to maintain a clean reputation and keep it classy...all while looking fabulous. Consistently. What's not to love?! So this book was surprising in that it showed readers a dark side to Jennifer , a side filled with s...

There's so much good music in the world, and it brings on so many good feelings. I love reggae music, I love soca music, I love old school R&B and hip hop, I love trap music, and I can get down to pretty much anything else with a nice composition. Pop. Rock. I love music. Period. What I love most of all is when you hear brand new music, and it hits you. Either it passes right through you briefly, or maybe you hear it but it doesn't affect you, or you immediately forget it...and sometimes you listen to it, like it and can't explain why. Sometimes the sounds completely translate into a feeling that is directly speaking to you. A vibe that perfectly resonates with you. A composition that you must hear again, and again. A noise that makes you physically feel fabulous. Well, on some level that's how I feel about Nicki Minaj's latest album The Pinkprint, that was just released earlier this month. I wouldn't call myself a "super fan" of Nicki Minaj, ...