REFLECTION & REASON

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...

Hip hop artist HAJJI BLACKSTONE is releasing his first solo project, entitled " Lil Senegal " and is proud to highlight the Harlem location characterized by a large concentration of Senegalese and West African residents. A Senegalese-American, Hajji has been a musician for years , participated in various group projects and group albums, but "Lil Senegal" will be his debut as an independent artist, and he couldn't have picked a more timely moment in history to highlight the immigrant story, and the cross-section of American dreams. He's lived in America since the early 90's, and identifies most with the New York City/east coast lifestyle although he now resides in California, and grew up in the D.C. area. Despite there being various Senegalese communities in different states across the U.S., Hajji feels that the closest thing to Senegal on the continent, is the New York neighbourhood referenced in his project. Challenging himself to a different soni...