REFLECTION & REASON

I'll be the first to admit that my taste in movies is very simple: I like to laugh, I like to see reality, I like a little bit of drama (nothing too over-the-top or complicated) and I love a good "black" movie. Now, to classify Jumping the Broom as a "black" movie is not to take away from its writing, direction, production, or the crazy star power that made this film a hit. In fact, as a film with any other race and the same general plot and hilarity...it would have remained a good film. But as a writer, and an as an official connoisseur of "'black" movies...I really just love the familiarity of it all. Even the stereotypes (at times), the predictability of it (often), and especially the faces (always). I've grown up watching Angela Bassett on screen. Loretta Devine , and even the younger cast members Meagan Good and Paula Patton . I've seen Lil Romeo practically as a toddler, so of course it's hilarious to see him flirting on-scree...

The Wizard of Oz is one of my all time favourite movies. So when I discovered that the Toronto Revellers' Caribana theme for 2011 was going to be "Welcome to Oz" I was beyond ecstatic. I've played mas with the Revellers since 2007, and truly believe it is the "people's band"...in fact, I believed in the vibes and experience of the Revellers so much, that along with 3 other friends (Cherr Evans, Candice Dixon, and Sonia Bhatia) I decided to take on the challenge of being a section leader this year. After a huge learning curve, many many late nights and all-nighters, and the support of the Toronto Revellers' team, we have finally developed a costume that we are in love with. Video of us preparing our prototype in the months leading up to May 2011. Our section "Wicked" has been a project of passion, and as of yesterday, Friday, May 6, 2011, the Toronto Revellers mas camp (or home base) is now open to the public to view the costumes, and sign u...

Vybez Kartel. Mavado. Beenie. Bounty. Buju. Male reggae artists are constantly in the news, constantly changing styles, innovating Jamaican culture and dancehall culture internationally, and churning out music for reggae fans around the world. Busy Signal. Vegas. Cham. Sanchez. T.O.K. Beres Hammond. The styles of each artist vary so uniquely from one another, that one can't help but love reggae music and the diversity that exists within it. But while Rihanna, Lady Gaga, Beyonce, Nicki Minaj, Jennifer Hudson, and Keri Hilson can easily dominate the charts and media attention of pop and hip-hop...the female reggae singers hardly get the same kind of spotlight that their female counterparts in all other genres do, nor do they get the same amount of attention as other musicians in the reggae genre. They are just as talented, just as provocative, and the music is just as sweet...but female reggae artists have yet to receive the same level of love and recognition for their years of music...

A few years ago I went to a Mary J. Blige concert at the Molson Ampitheatre at Ontario Place in Toronto. I've been a fan of Mary since the beginning, but somehow this was the first time I had seen her live. I was glad to be there, and glad to see a packed house, and hear her perform the songs that had been the soundtrack and inner dialogue to so many moments in my life. She sang, she danced, she spoke to the audience about her life's moments that brought her to that place. She connected with us, as we had connected with her hundreds of times before listening to any one of her legendary albums that are obvious staples in anyone's music collection. And when Mary got ready to sing her classic " I'm Going Down " (a cover of Rose Royce's hit from 1977) from her second album, My Life...all it took was a few intro notes from the band, and the women in the Ampitheatre began to cheer, clear their throats...and sing. Time on my hands...since you've been away boy...

Black History Month has new significance to me each year. This particular Black History Month, 2011, I would like to pay hommage to the Black Writers who have influenced and inspired me with their words through the various stages of my growth as a writer. Inspiration is a difficult thing to describe--but something I can't deny when I feel it. Whether it comes from music, a conversation, an observation, or deliberate instruction, inspiration as a writer is the moving spirit that leads you directly to the nearest computer, notepad, or BlackBerry to jot down your thoughts and your plan to develop them. As a writer, I seldom have a specific method to my literary madness. There's no set writing "time," writing "place," or writing "process." When the inspiration hits me...I write. And so I often find myself seeking inspiration in experiences: concerts, travel, music, productions, new friendships, or by witnessing the legacies and creations of those writ...

Before Lady O[prah] starting taking over the media and influencing millions of women everywhere, before Queen B[eyonce] began to conquer the charts, the big screen, and the world of cosmetics...even before Mary J. Blige was crowed the Queen of Hip Hop Soul...there was our original queen of entertainment: Queen Latifah. With the summer 2010 release of her book " Put on Your Crown: Life-Changing Moments on the Path to Queendom ," Queen Latifah easily entered another area of entertainment, by penning her life story and getting comfortable in the world of publishing. And rightfully so. She has excelled at essentially every other area she's touched, since we were first introduced to her in 1998. Because Dana Elaine Owens is in the media and relevant all the time, it's easy to overlook her contribution to urban entertainment, and now mainstream pop culture. Of course we remember her best for her 1989 album " All Hail the Queen " and the way she would command the s...

On the 11th day of the 1st month of the 2011th year, millions (7.7 to be exact) of viewers across the continent gathered at their televisions for a highly anticipated event: the return and rejuvination of The Game . And I’m not talking about the Raptors. (The Cast L-R: Coby Bell, Wendy Raquel Robinson, Hosea Chanchez, Tia Mowry Hardrict, Pooch Hall, Brittany Daniel) Thanks to day-long marathons, relentless reruns, massive Twitter-ing, casual conversations, and online petitions, the return of the 4th season of the BET program was a huge ratings bonanza. In fact, it set a ratings record for original programming on BET. I was right there on the bandwagon, wondering how Melanie and Derwin’s marriage was going, if Kelly and Jason would rekindle their flame, what was up with Tasha Mack and Rick Fox, and of course, even curious about TT, Janay, and the Sunbeams. The show was taken off the air in 2009, and I became a rerun fan. Just like I did with Sex and the City , Friends , and the countles...