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The 30 Most Iconic Black Characters in Video Game History
The first Black video game characters were more stereotypes than … well, characters. Street Fighter II’s Dee Jay was probably seen as a course correction, but he might as well have been called Jammin’...
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OkayAlumni: Rob Cave
“It was school for me. My professors were Shawn Gee, Angela Nissel, Questlove, Donwill.”This is how Rob Cave Jr., one of the first Okayplayers, as well as a graphic designer and rapper, summed up his...
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J. Cole References Donald Trump Assassination Attempt on New Song
J. Cole has released a new song that has a notable line regarding Donald Trump’s assassination attempt from last year.On his Algorithm blog, the North Carolina rapper shared “cLOUDs,” a track produced...
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How to Be Outside, Inside
As winter rages on in New York, the temptation to sink into the couch and just enjoy your rent is strong. But this city never really slows down, and there’s no shortage of ways to keep your mind...
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The Notorious B.I.G.’s Mother Reportedly Passes Away
Voletta Wallace, the mother of legendary rapper Notorious B.I.G. passed away Friday morning at the age of 78, according to reports from TMZ and The New York Post. TMZ reported that Wallace died in...
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The Listening: J. Cole, Coco Jones, Quavo and More
As February winds down, there’s a bevy of great new singles, EPs and albums from across all genres. When it comes to new songs, the biggest drop is J. Cole’s “cLOUDS,” a track he unloaded through his...
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Reason Praised Drake During Kendrick Lamar Beef to Get Out of TDE Deal
Reason says his Drake praise last year was intended to get him out of his deal with TDE. In an interview with Bootleg Kev, Reason explains that he felt Top Dawg Entertainment wasn’t moving fast enough...
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Raphael Saadiq Would Love To Have A Lucy Pearl Reunion “But It’s Not Really...
According to Raphael Saadiq, a Lucy Pearl reunion isn’t in the cards — although he’d be open to it. In an interview with Variety regarding his “No Bandwidth: One Man, One Night, Three Decades of Hits”...
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Yasiin Bey Details How New Alchemist Collab Album Will Be Released
Yasiin Bey has offered some details on how his forthcoming album with The Alchemist, FORENSICS, is going to be released. In an interview with The Guardian, the rapper formerly known as Mos Def,...
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Rediscovered: The Roots, Things Fall Part
February 2025 marks 26 years since the release of The Roots’ 1999 studio album, Things Fall Apart. That year also saw the launch of Okayplayer.com. Initially conceived as an online home for The Roots,...
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Roberta Flack, R&B Legend, Dies at 88
Roberta Flack, a soul and R&B singer-pianist best known for singing songs like “Killing Me Softly With His Song,” has passed away, according to a Monday Associated Press report. She was 88 years...
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Wu-Tang Clan Announces Final Tour, Will Be Joined by Run The Jewels
The Wu-Tang Clan is headed on tour, and unless this is an instance of outright fickleness, it will be their last. On Monday, the crew announced their Wu-Tang Forever: The Final Chamber, which they say...
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RZA Assures Fans That all Wu-Tang Clan Members Will be on Every Date for...
Amid news being announced that the Wu-Tang Clan will be embarking on its final tour this year, de facto leader RZA offered details on how the tour came about — while also assuring fans that all the...
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Rihanna Says Long-Awaited ‘R9’ Album Won’t Be “Commercial Or Radio Digestible”
Rihanna has offered some details on the long-awaited follow-up to 2016’s Anti.In an interview with Harper’s Bazaar, the singer dismissed claims of the project being a reggae album, saying, “There’s no...
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Rediscovered: J Dilla’s 'Welcome 2 Detroit'
James “J Dilla” Yancey, aka Jay Dee, has, it’s fair to say, has finally gotten his due. The revolutionary late producer was the subject of a recent well-received biography called Dilla Time by Dan...
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BET’s New South African TV Series ‘Pound 4 Pound’ Packs a Powerful Punch
Boxing league COO Lindiwe Mkhwanaz wants to take a boxing team to an all-women’s championship tournament in Nigeria. The only problem? Her all-male board doesn’t want her to. Their problem? She’s not...
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Ayo Edebiri Set to Write ‘Barney’ Movie Produced by A24 and Daniel Kaluuya
One of Ayo Edebiri’s next projects will be a film centered around children’s TV icon Barney. In a report from Variety, the actor is set to write the screenplay for — and star in — a live-action Barney...
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Talking About Mental Health Means More When You Know What to Say
What do you do after you check on your strong friend? Reaching out is important, but what happens when 'I'm good' isn’t really good?In New York City, nearly one in four adults experience a mental...
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Big Sean Partners With the Detroit Pistons to Raise Money for Michigan Boys &...
Big Sean is working with the Detroit Pistons to help out the Boys & Girls Clubs of Southeastern Michigan.Fans of the rapper and basketball team can purchase a special ticket package for the...
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10 Rare Movies That Belong in the Black Film Canon
Every few years, a major publication compiles a list of important films to represent the Black film canon. Sometimes these lists are good, sometimes they’re great, and sometimes they seem like they’ve...
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