by Sean Russell | Feb 11, 2021 | Black Excellence
When I first learned about Sister Rosetta Thorpe, I felt like Arsenio finding out that the cheese was so good (Chapelle deep cut). She is called the godmother of Rock and Roll and the original soul sister. She gained popularity in the 1930s and 1940s. Her 1944 release...
by Sean Russell | Feb 9, 2021 | Black Excellence
When it comes to innovators in the entertainment industry, Keenen Ivory Wayans is right up there. He helped launch the careers of Jim Carrey and Jamie Fox through In Living Color and planted the seeds for Mad TV and The Chapelle Show in the process. With all of that...
by Sean Russell | Feb 8, 2021 | Black Excellence
I’ve always been extremely proud of my Jamaican heritage and a big part of that is the music. Jamaican culture is at the heart of American culture. Take the birth of Hip Hop music. You also have a handful of Jamaican artists that have crossed over into mainstream...
by Sean Russell | Feb 7, 2021 | Black Excellence
Chris Rock’s career is so diverse that it’s easy to forget all of the chapters. His television career includes SNL, In Living Color, Everybody Hates Chris, and more recently, Fargo. He is one of the best to ever host the Oscars, sorry Whoopi and Billy Crystal. He had...
by Sean Russell | Feb 6, 2021 | Black Excellence
If you have no idea who this person is, no worries. Up until late last year, I had no idea Clarence Avant even existed. It wasn’t until I watch the documentary “The Black Godfather” that I was blessed with knowing about the life of this incredible pioneer. What...
by Sean Russell | Feb 5, 2021 | Black Excellence
One of my fondest memories as a child was hearing my mom play records from Johnny Mathis, Dean Martin, and my personal favorite artist from that period, Nat King Cole. If you’re not familiar with his name, you more than likely have heard his songs play in a romantic...
