How “wealthy” are the most successful hip-hop artists? Take Jay-Z, Lil’ Wayne, and 50 Cent. Are they wealthy or just rich? At one time Master P was considered one of the “richest” hip-hop moguls. I haven’t heard much about him lately so I wonder about the longevity of his wealth. Will his financial gains flow […]
Hip-Hop Wealth
April 20th, 2009Unreasonable Post-Election Jubilation
November 8th, 2008To be blunt, the fact that Mwai Kibaki gave Kenya a public holiday in celebration of Barack Obama’s election is ridiculous to me. I know that most of the world is thrilled with the results of the US presidential elections. Here in Chicago, the excitement was and continues to be palpable. The night before the elections, […]
D.L. Hughley on CNN
October 27th, 2008Comedian D.L. Hughley has a new show on CNN. When I first heard about it I was both curious and anxious. It is a major coup for a black comedian to actually have a show on CNN. CNN is seen all over the world. I often marvel at how quickly my family in Nigeria get […]
Nas, Hip-Hop Genius
September 28th, 2008I contend that there is a difference between “hip-hop fans” and “hip-hop headz”. The fans enjoy the music that is readily available on BET, MTV, and whatever “Hot 92” FM station rules the air waves in any given city. The “headz” go deeper, seek out the stuff that may not make it to the top […]
An African King
September 14th, 2008Recently, the New York Times ran a cynical piece about the King of Swaziland. When we think of African kingdoms, we usually think of them with pride. After all, these kingdoms are evidence of how Africans ruled in ordered splendor before the invasion of European colonization. So, I was irritated when I saw the article […]
Wigs and Weaves
August 29th, 2008Everybody looks good in a black church. Folks dress up and come out, everything ironed and polished. Nails look shiny and colorful and hair is glossy and freshly done. I appreciate the care that we give to our appearance. I know that it is not a prerequisite to worshipping God in spirit and truth, but […]
Miss Universe: Whose Universe?
July 13th, 2008I happened to catch the beginning of the Miss Universe pageant on television tonight. My children glanced up at the screen when the contestants from Nigeria, Ghana, and Tanzania and some of the Caribbean islands were announced. These were some lovely black girls who stood out amongst the 80 participants. Then they introduced the judges […]
Obama’s Kenyan Blood
May 11th, 2008I ran into a Kenyan couple last weekend at a party in Chicago. I thought I was being gracious when I mentioned to them how excited they must be to see Barak Obama do so well in the US presidential primaries. To my utter amazement, they eyed me suspiciously. So I persisted, “You know, he […]
Say it Loud…
April 20th, 2008A student of mine was wondering aloud one afternoon. She wondered about the different rules and standards to which black and white folks had to live up to. She says, for instance, that it is fine for black folks to say “I’m proud to be black” but when white folks say “I’m proud to be […]
Haiti!
April 13th, 2008The fact that most Haitians live well below the poverty level should baffle us all. It should make us sit up and wonder how it is that such a proud nation, with such a revolutionary history, that started off as such a leader in the African Diaspora has fallen to this level. An […]