Niela Orr
Will Smith Carefully Edited His Image For Years. It Has All Come Undone Now.
After decades of maintaining a wholesome image, Smith's decision to slap Chris Rock turned his Oscar glory into a controversial display of Black anger.
Niela Orr
Why The New "Candyman" Isn't Very Good
Viewers of the new Candyman movie get overblown discourse instead of genuine horror.
Niela Orr
Megan Thee Stallion's "Good News" Adds To Her Contradictions
The rapper’s refusal to say more about her shooting and her very difficult year might be her way of modeling what she’s asked the country to do this summer: “Protect Black women.”
Niela Orr
How Cardi B And Megan Thee Stallion’s “WAP” Flipped The Script
The hilariously profane song and music video are subversive in so many different ways.
Niela Orr
Will and Jada’s “Red Table Talk” Was A Savvy PR Move
The couple’s Facebook Watch interview about Jada’s relationship with August Alsina was eye-opening in more ways than one.
Niela Orr
Rush Limbaugh’s "Breakfast Club" Interview Was A Stunt
The conservative talk show host’s appearance on the popular radio program is just the latest sign that The Breakfast Club has lost its way.
Niela Orr
Oprah's No Good, Very Bad Few Months
After decades of raising questions about our national baggage, Oprah has recently become the center of controversy herself.
Niela Orr
How “Hot Girl Summer” Became Everyone’s Favorite Meme Overnight
This summer’s been trash, but Megan Thee Stallion’s ubiquitous catchphrase is giving us some sweet reprieve.
Niela Orr
Beyoncé Is A Mystery We Can’t Stop Trying To Solve
After all the confessional albums, candid footage, and memeable moments, Beyoncé still feels as distant as ever.
Niela Orr
“Leaving Neverland” Reveals The Monster We Didn’t Want To See In Michael Jackson
In telling the gut-wrenching stories of two boys who survived Jackson’s alleged abuse, the HBO documentary digs deep into the most painful contradictions of a cultural icon.
Niela Orr
“The Real Housewives Of Atlanta” Shows How Impossible The American Dream Is
More than just a meme generator, the hit reality series reflects the bourgeois panic triggered by the 2008 recession.
Niela Orr
Is Lauryn Hill’s Legacy Still Assured?
The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill was an attempt to remake the artist's image — but it was complicated by her desire to disappear.
Niela Orr
Miami’s City Girls Are The Perfect Rappers For Scammer Season
The rap duo featured in Drake’s new hit song are all about women getting their paper, period.
Niela Orr
Beyoncé & Jay-Z's New Album Is The Coolest Marriage Has Looked In A While
Everything Is Love is a symbolic re-exchange of rings, a symphonic take on #blacklove in a moment suffuse with it.
Niela Orr
What Are We To Do With White Women Rappers?
Bhad Bhabie’s recent Billboard Award nomination attracted lots of controversy and speaks to how we’re still not sure what place white women should have in hip-hop.
Niela Orr
Meek Mill's Prison Sentence Is Proof That Our Justice System Is Broken
The Philadelphia rapper's two- to four-year prison sentence for violating probation serves as a litmus test for how one feels about the US’s prison-industrial complex.
Niela Orr
If People Love You For Your Saddest Songs, How Can You Be Happy?
Mary J. Blige's career arc has become synonymous with pain and heartbreak — but being a perpetual medium of despair comes with a cost.
Niela Orr
Jay-Z's "4:44" Is The Revelation We've Been Waiting For
On his new album, the artist is more emotionally available than ever. And it’s about time.
Niela Orr
Why You Should Put Some Respek On The Breakfast Club's Name
With routinely viral moments and interviews with the likes of Hillary Clinton and Kanye West, The Breakfast Club has become one of the few crossover morning radio shows where black perspectives are prioritized.
Niela Orr
What Does The Raised Fist Mean In 2017?
Once a sign of solidarity for the black civil rights movement, the raised fist, now used by everyone from Winona Ryder to Donald Trump, has come to mean everything and nothing at the same time.
Niela Orr
