REFLECTION & REASON

Diamond in the Rough Part 2, the third novel in Kamilah Haywood 's urban fiction trilogy follows the journey of a young Toronto woman, rising each day in a correctional institution and facing challenges from her superiors, her peers, an addiction, and inevitably also her own mind. An honest look at the complexities of mental health, coupled with the chaos and depression of the prison system, the reader has a rare look into a segment of urban Toronto rarely publicly discussed. Newly signed to independent Toronto company Kya Publishing , Kamilah is excited to continue to document stories that she believes will tell truths about realities that are seldom highlighted in fictional accounts. A champion of urban fiction, and a supporter of the culture and concerns that drive the community, Kamilah was inspired to write the final novel in the trilogy to explore the injustices that prisoners with mental health issues in particular, experience in the Canadian prison system. "I e...

He used to intimidate me! His truth scared me. I unfollowed him from Twitter back in the day, I'd refuse to watch his commentary when it got offensive and raw, and I brushed him off as a loud-mouthed know-it-all who was just looking for attention. Surely, I'm not the first person to express my dislike for Charlamagne Tha God. He is, by design, a controversial figure. He's brutally honest. He's silenced by few, and has a huge platform to communicate his views which in today's social world = power. Purchasing his book "#BlackPrivilege: Opportunity Comes to Those Who Create It" was automatic for me, however. Because between fearing his Twitter rants, and being addicted to YouTube videos of his morning show The Breakfast Club on New York's Power 105.1...I became a fan of his. A huge fan. In fact, somehow over the years I started to respect Charlamagne. Like, really respect him...and the things that I respected him for were the very things that I disl...

I am not a sound clash expert, but I am a true lover of reggae music. I love music in general, from soca to hip hop, R&B to pop/dance, but it is reggae music that speaks to my soul the most. Naturally. The lyrics, the riddims, the culture, the history, the origin, the personal/family nostalgia, and the originality are like no other genre. And for as long as I have known about reggae music...I have known about David Rodigan. I've only heard him play live once...in Oshawa, Ontario (of all places) probably over a decade ago. I knew about the legacy of the man, and truth be told...on the surface, it was more of an entertainment factor. An older white, British gentleman who could select and chat with the best of them. On the surface, my appreciation for him was almost novelty-based...with all due respect. News of his book's release was good news; I didn't even hesitate before ordering a copy. I love a biography. Coupled with a love for the music, I was more than happ...

I just HAD to visit Jamaica for carnival this year . There was no question about it. Ever since the carnival bug hit me during a 2006 "girl's trip" to Miami Carnival, the international phenomenon captured my spirit and had me doing weird and new things like listening to soca music, and playing mas...BUILDING mas, and diving head first into Toronto Carnival. I fell so hard that people close to me didn't know what was going on! In fact, many of them STILL question this niche obsession I have. But, I digress. Like any carnival enthusiast will declare: "You HAVE to experience Trinidad, though!" Admittedly, I have been hesitant. I've seen the pictures, the videos, the fetes, and the costumes. I've heard the stories, and experienced the second-hand enthusiasm and extreme passion that people have for Trinidad Carnival. But still, I hesitated. Jamaican in heritage, I always promised myself that I would NOT touch down on Trinidadian soil for carnival u...

Since the age of twelve, Kamilah Haywood has been crafting stories based on the realities she has witnessed, growing up in the Canadian city of Toronto. She did not choose to be a writer, or intentionally design her life to be an urban author with a unique perspective on the world class city she calls home. Writing chose her...and even now, she is not sure why. The first author to sign to independent Canadian publishing company, Kya Publishing , Kamilah is ready to have her literary voice recognized as a contemporary communicator of Toronto's urban culture. Though categorized as an "urban fiction" author formally, Kamilah's work is literary treasure, as she encapsulates and personifies a sector of Canadian life not often exposed through literature or pop culture. Diverse by nature, the city of Toronto is visibly filled with community members of all nationalities. Anyone who visits Toronto or rides the TTC (Toronto's transit system) for the day can clearly ob...

I grew up listening to Byron Lee. There was Byron Lee...and there was Bob Marley. Definitely a big deal. And then of course there was Ashford & Simpson, Whitney Houston, and countless other disco, pop, and soul artists that were playing in my household in the early 80s. Blondie. Music was music, and good music was good music. But of the most memorable artists, one of them was definitely Byron Lee. He was raised in Manchester parish, as were my parents. Born in my dad's hometown of Christiana in 1935, and he trained in music in my mother's hometown of Mandeville . The son of an Afro-Jamaican mother, and a Chinese father, Byron Lee was a young athlete and member of the Jamaican national soccer team before his deep journey into music began. It was while playing for his college soccer team "The Dragonaires" that Byron and his teammate Carl Brady claimed the name for their new band. They began playing ska and mento, but it was in calypso music that they found...

I saw Dave Chappelle perform live in Toronto back in 2006 at Massey Hall, and can't believe it's been a little over ten years since the peak of my love and appreciation for this comedic artist. I made sure I purchased those tickets the second they went on sale, and remember how difficult it was to catch a glimpse of this superstar at that time. He was hotter than hot, and I was happy to be in the audience downtown taking part in that experience. Like most fans of Chappelle's Show remember, it was tough when the program came off the air because we all felt a gap in comedy for a minute. In "black" comedy in particular. There was a void that took a long time to fill. Gone were the days of laughing hysterically, and repeating lines by heart. There were hardly any other hilarious shows left on TV. Times were hard. Eventually, Kevin Hart took over and refreshed our smiles as the comic-of-the-moment, but Dave was one of a kind . He was then, and he is now. A...