Hello good people! Oh how I’ve missed you all. We have so much catching up to do – so let’s get this party started.

As some of you might be aware, last week, the Rockets lost in Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals. And it sucked.

I won’t get into the details of the game but just know we were all nervous wrecks and heartbroken. We were so close to sweet-sweet, amazing, braggadocious victory for our city and it was all stripped away by a freaggin’ funky hamstring in game 5 (get well CP3). Now we have to live through another insufferable matchup between the Warriors and the Cavs. And while being knocked out of the finals is devastating enough, I just happen to now live in the very place that brought us to our demise – the Silicon Valley/Bay Area.

Oh yeah, I moved. That might be a surprise to a few of you and something you might have missed over my 2-month hiatus. I relocated to Northern California to pursue my writing career with a large technology company…ironic right? So now here I am, a Texan in California.

And I need y’all to understand, I’m real a Texan. I’m a super-real Texan. I love BBQ, beer, big hair, shiny things, long chats out on a porch swing with friends, yelling just because I need to relay a message across the room and my Texas teams (not the Cowboys though, sorry Daddy).

Now, I live in Warriorland, where even the transplants support a team they barely even know. And here it is, sure, I will support the Golden Boys and other folks when they’re not playing my guys. I won’t switch teams just because where I currently reside is cool and trendy to love. Oakland nor Silicon Valley raised me – Houston did, and I’ll never forget it.

My love for my Southern roots won’t change with new gigs and digs. There’s no place like home and sometimes I find myself wishing I were back in my old life but I truly look forward to the adventures ahead. I’ll happily live here in Cali…while wearing all the red Rockets things I can find, talking loud, eating tacos, and chugging down margaritas. I’ll do Texas anywhere I go, because – Murica.

The point is I’ll never forget. I’m so proud of where I’m from and so proud that special place made me ready for the world. I’ll be Red Nation in whatever country I live in. You can take the girl out of Texas, but you’ll never take the Texas out of the girl.

Where are you from? Do you carry your hometown pride with you? <3

-D.Wright

We have much to celebrate this week, aside from Beyoncé and Jay-Z announcing their joint stadium tour and Rihanna breaking streaming records.

Black Panther officially surpassed the $1B mark worldwide, this weekend marked the first time in history two Black directors have the #1 & #2 slots a the box office (I’ll be stepping out to see that Wrinkle too)…AND all is well in Wakanda! Yes, my friends, we are kicking off an amazing week for African American people in entertainment.

Seeing Is Believing

I saw Black Panther a couple weekends or so ago and it was awesome. Everything you would expect out of a superhero movie, it delivers. You have male/female eye candy, special effects, fight scenes, corny punchlines, cool villains and all that jazz topped off with some phenomenal actors. The biggest difference is basically what everyone has been celebrating, a majority African American cast/production company with a major studio budget. Now look, I know there are a bunch of skeptics and cynics out here. And I get it, you don’t see color, but the rest of the world does and they see bliggity-bliggity BLACK baby!

Marvel/Walt Disney Pictures

Power to the People

So yeah, the flick is solid but I recognize the role that curiosity and unwavering Black support played in driving attendance to the film. I, myself, was even curious to see what this all-star cast and production team could do and was extremely pleased with the outcome. And I must say, it was so cool to see the buying power of the African American community really leading the charge for a sci-fi movie. The reception of Black Panther gives us a little more insight into the power of our unity. Undoubtedly, we saw what could happen if minorities rallied around projects or causes they believe in.

The Votes Are In

Walt Disney

And yeah, there were a few mixed reviews out there where folks were disappointed because of the hypebeasts across the web…they’re fully entitled to their wrong opinion (clearly no bias here at all). No, but seriously, it makes sense to be let down by the film if you were expecting anything outside of a superhero movie and didn’t happen to be Black. Me seeing Lupita and Danai wearing out some bad guys, and fineAF Chadwick Boseman KILLING it was not only mesmerizing but inspiring. It’s kind of like the first time I first saw Boz at Apple Music, sitting at the head of the table and running this HUGE meeting. That moment meant everything to me as a young woman of color. And while everyone else saw it as just another day at the fruit stand, I saw it as a potentially unlimited future for myself and other women just like me. Tha one, singular event SHOOK me but just imagine, this movie has the whole world SHOOKETH! Everyone, young and old, is beginning to see the possibilities of their futures in entertainment and can believe themselves to make strides in an industry that has not truly demonstrated progress in diversity until most recently.

Overall, the emotional ties to this movie will likely always play a huge factor in its franchise success, just as it did for Wonder Woman (which I also love btw). See it if you’re into sci-fi/fantasy action movies. It’s definitely worth a view in the theatres. And on that note, Wakanda forever. <3

-D.Wright

Ok…I’m supposed to be finishing up my New York post but dis Janelle mutha-mutha Monáe has me in low key shock! It’s been like 5 years since her acclaimed last album The Electric Lady, she’s had a ton of success in cinema, and never ceases to amaze the fashion world with her lux partnerships but today decided she wanted to take us to another level.

Dirty Jane

Prince-inspired, colorful, sensual and highly SHEXY – Janelle Monáe came to disrupt the game with Make Me Feel.

Now look, I don’t care that she took her lil clothes off and is bustin’ out as a proud member of the Rainbow Coalition. She looks amazing, has always been fit and has always had her sexuality questioned throughout her career. As a fan, what I care about is chick being true to herself and baby she’s doing just that! She has her lil rumored bae all in the video and is YOLOing all over the place. I definitely clenched my pearls a couple of times but I’m pretty sure I saw this whole situation coming, I mean I am a fan after all.

Y’all know she has never really been the overtly sexual so it’s pretty interesting to see her explore this part of herself. And I mean there were some slightly awkward moments in there but hey, Janelle and her see-through pants decided to shoot her shot. I know it’s going to be some HIGHLY upset mothers out there because Dirty Jane obviously gives no effs and is making it all the way known. Check it out below.

Django Jane

And because one video clearly wasn’t enough to snatch wigs…chick came out with TWO! I mean seriously, this is probably my favorite side so far. Give me Django Jane any day of the week and I will live my rapper fantasies out through her.

I feel like this was also a long time coming, especially after that epicness she dropped in Q.U.E.E.N. and that whole introduction to the video about legendary rebels. Come on, we saw this coming too. I also feel like her artist/labelmate Jidenna definitely had some influence on this woke-Jane we have here. It’s such a culturally rich visual with beautiful colors and strong punchlines declaring her femininity and power. We definitely need more of this strength from our fave artists.

And y’all! She was even cussing in these songs and I’m just sitting like OhMahGah!!! She’s doing all the things! Take a listen if you don’t believe me.

Read more about Ms. Monáe’s liberation HERE. Believe me, it’s dope and I’m too excited about Dirty Computer dropping in April. <3

-D.Wright

I was excited to hear about Diddy’s Apple Music documentary Cant Stop Won’t Stop earlier this year. You guys know how much I love all things nostalgic and Bad Boy pretty much provided the soundtrack to my super awkward, yet somehow-cool-girlhood. I was a tween jamming out to Biggie, Lil Kim, MA$E, Faith Evans, 112, and Total on the school bus – it was especially my favorite thing in the summer time. I listened to practically everything Bad Boy put out. Shoot I thought I was going to Howard University so I could be a Baby Diddy and start my own Bad Boy!

As for the doc, Can’t Stop Won’t Stop is a fun piece where the viewer gets to really see a raw version of Diddy and his anxieties as he prepares for his biggest project to date – a 20-year anniversary tour. The film starts with the 2016 reunion of former and present Bad Boy artists for the preparation of the tour and interweaves the story of this young intern turned legendary CEO.

Now don’t get me wrong, there are a few moments of overdramatized situations that come up, but it wouldn’t be Diddy if you didn’t have at least a little bit of drama. I also kinda wish they had gone further into detail on a couple of artist’s stories. Aside from that, it’s pretty cool to see where he has managed to go in his career and this documentary is a good look into a big piece of hip-hop music history.

Check it out for yourself. <3

-D.Wright

Netflix’s Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt has to be one of the most random, PG-rated comedies I’ve ever enjoyed.

The premise of the story is Kimmy Schmidt is 29 and newly rescued from a cult in Indiana where she and three other chicks were being held by a crazy “Reverend” for 15 years. That creeper Richard Wayne Gary Wayne couldn’t keep Kimmy, her high hopes and positive attitude down so she decided to step out and live her new life in New York. The Concrete Jungle is where she befriends her gentrification fighting landlady Lillian Kaushtupper, flamboyantly fantabulous actor and new roommate Titus Andromedon, and new boss/socialite Jacqueline Voorhees. It gets weird and definitely really funny as her story unfolds.

So let’s set some expectations – it’s corny, it’s quirky, and it’s over the top ridiculous. I feel as if  Tina Fey and Robert Carlock sat down one day and said “Hey, DeAndre needs something low-stress and goofy to watch to counter her Game of Thrones anxiety.” One could only dream right? But anyway…in this season of my Insecure, GOT and Law & Order addictions, I needed something to help mellow me out. All the cheating, dragons, and sex crimes were wearing me out! Enter, my little ray of sunshine, Elle Kemper aka Kimmy-mutha-effin-Schmidt!

But whatevs, check out the Season 3 trailer below. It’s fun and for the offbeat viewer. <3

-D.Wright