A publication providing a blueprint to life for Black men.
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Minneapolis restaurateur Rashad West, the owner of Dragon Wok, released surveillance camera footage from outside his restaurant disproving Derek Chauvin’s claims that George Floyd resisted arrest.
West felt it was his duty to make his findings public. read.medium.com/8pfIRPO
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An anonymous mail carrier revealed what he’s been witnessing from inside the USPS, in light of Trump’s recent admission that he’s blocking funding ahead of the 2020 election.
“He’s trying to mess with the collection of absentee ballots. Period.” 👇🏾🧵read.medium.com/5mblR04
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The next morning, West checked his security surveillance camera.
The footage debunked any rumors of Floyd’s resistance and revealed that he was, in West’s words, “not treated like a human being.” read.medium.com/8pfIRPO
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For Black men in Brazil, a closely shaven head has long been the socially acceptable look. No designs, dye, or length.
Now more than ever, they're rejecting the socially acceptable low cut, even as they are taunted by peers or persecuted by police. 👇🏾🧵read.medium.com/but6rxg
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In 1997, The Notorious B.I.G. visited @TheSource for a photo shoot, and left behind his size 52, peeling, pleather belt.
Weeks later, he was killed. So the belt became an artifact to protect—by a select few.
This is the legend of The Keepers of the Belt.
read.medium.com/HxwArLy
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Since 2016, YouTuber @WillOnAWhim has amassed close to 400k subscribers and become a top destination for Black men’s hair tutorials.
In the process, he’s helped carve out a space for a generation of Black men to talk about hair in an entirely new way. 👇🏾🧵read.medium.com/0MEgRR6
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Who’s had the most impressive post-40 run in hip-hop?
This is the list where you find out.
read.medium.com/kAeP9Tw
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In New York’s Crown Heights neighborhood, X-Clusive barbershop has survived West Nile, swine flu, and a crippling blackout—but coronavirus is posing a unique threat to their business.
They’re one of thousands of barbershops in jeopardy across the country. read.medium.com/Wbh27P4
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West assumed #Covid19, which hit right after he opened his restaurant, would be his biggest obstacle in 2020.
But then George Floyd’s murder—which sparked an inferno of demonstrations and unrest—happened practically on West’s doorstep. read.medium.com/8pfIRPO
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Once West posted the video to his Facebook page and granted the Washington Post a copy, the Twin Cities took over, putting their collective anger into riotous action.
read.medium.com/8pfIRPO
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May 23rd marks the 20th anniversary of @Eminem’s second studio album, The Marshall Mathers LP.
@DreamzRreal looks back on the racial politics of the certified hip-hop classic and the Detroit rapper’s legacy at large. read.medium.com/IDq888v
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Three decades ago, Chris Cunningham was diagnosed with AIDS, shortly after the height of the crisis.
Today, 1.1 million people live with HIV. Gay and bisexual men, including Black men, remain disproportionately affected.
Chris told us his story.
read.medium.com/bLHTAz5
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Recently, mailbox removal has become a common sight in many neighborhoods.
The anonymous USPS worker says that while mailbox removal is technically “normal,” the current rate of removal is not. read.medium.com/5mblR04
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On January 6, photographer Mel D. Cole captured dozens of pictures and videos within the chaos at the Capitol — images that would go viral the following day.
He spoke to @DreamzRReal about documenting the folks taking to the streets for Trump. read.medium.com/AVuQYqU
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But West knew the decision to release the footage wasn’t about him.
More than anything, he hopes that his video helps condemn the men who killed George Floyd, and that his two young sons don’t have to grow up in a world that resembles 2020.
Full story: read.medium.com/8pfIRPO
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John David Washington and @Zendaya of @Netflix's 'Malcom & Marie' reflect on the do’s and don’ts of arguing with your lover.
"People can watch this film and say, 'I would never go that far or dig that deep into someone that I love.' But are we sure?" read.medium.com/zIeO5D5
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Floyd had been apprehended and arrested in front of Dragon Wok for allegedly giving a teenage clerk at the neighboring Cup Foods grocery store a counterfeit bill.
Dragon Wok was closed that day. West had no idea.
read.medium.com/8pfIRPO
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The Durag is a protective hair accessory that’s become a cultural touchstone, all while staying proudly and beautifully Black.
But its history is complicated: How did the durag become so divisive? We turned back time to understand why. 👇🏾🧵read.medium.com/KcmvMCw
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1. Jay-Z
Age: 50
Projects Released After 40: Five (two solo; three collaborative)
Best Project Released After 40: 4:44
read.medium.com/kAeP9Tw
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Mailboxes are one thing.
But the high-speed sorting machines that are being removed? That’s where the USPS worker expressed great concern. “We need those. That’s what’s going to slow down the ballots.”
See this @genmag fact-check for more: read.medium.com/C3nV8oi
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In February 2020, a teenager in Salvador named Diego was attacked by a police officer who verbalized disdain for his hair.
The viral video of the incident prompted progressive Black activists to organize in protest. But out of fear, Diego cut his hair. read.medium.com/but6rxg
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The USPS worker says they and their coworkers are not allowed to discuss what’s going on in the workplace.
Under the HATCH Act, postal workers are not allowed to engage in political activity—including expressing any opinions on the situation. read.medium.com/5mblR04
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The fifth episode of #DaveFXX destigmatized bipolar disorder through GaTa's story in a way few shows have dared.
"We don’t talk about it in terms of needing help—and we certainly don’t talk about it in terms of masculinity or in the world of hip-hop.” read.medium.com/f20ideU
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Unlike businesses selling material goods, barbers can’t transition to online commerce or takeout service, and there are no unemployment benefits to apply for.
It’s leaving many worried that barber shops will be left behind in a people’s bail-out. read.medium.com/tAmroPY
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Over the past decade, hip-hop and R&B have been keeping recording studios in business.
But now, because of coronavirus, the future of the recording studio — and how music is created altogether — is being called into question. 🧵👇🏾 read.medium.com/VFZJnaA
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The idea that we need to abolish police and prisons is nothing new—but where does it stem from? And why isn’t reform the answer?
In her essay introducing #AbolitionForThePeople, activist and revolutionary icon Dr. Angela Davis explains. read.medium.com/QTyre5L
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In addition to going into their own community to make sure boxes are properly labeled, the USPS worker keeps stamps in their mail truck on their route.
And they’re determined to make sure ballots get counted on election day.
Full story: read.medium.com/5mblR04
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The USPS worker says that in wealthier neighborhoods, this poses less of a risk.
But in cities, many apartment buildings have boxes that are not clearly labeled, which can cause problems with something as important as ballots. read.medium.com/5mblR04
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#Covid19 has forced artists to cancel tours, including a handful of prominent festival shows.
The crisis is laying bare one of the more disturbing facts about making a living off of making music: If you don’t tour, you don’t earn. 👇🏾🧵read.medium.com/VklB1or
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West’s video set Minneapolis ablaze before sending a wildfire across the country.
Civilians from St. Paul to Minneapolis torched fast-food and retail chains, destroying several gas stations—including the one catercorner to Dragon Wok. read.medium.com/8pfIRPO
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.@donlemon: “The more you get from your critics who are actually harsh on you is a sign of how big your voice is. So I take all comers. Seriously.” read.medium.com/KM0JXeK
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The Marshall Mathers LP, largely scored by Dr. Dre, took a different tone than Eminem’s debut project.
The lyrically acclaimed, diamond-certified album merged punk, bluegrass, and subterranean hip-hop and gave life to a singular brand of Americana rap.
read.medium.com/IDq888v
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In recent years, more melanated Brazilians have begun to self-declare as Black.
Thanks to educational reforms and the centralizing power of the Internet, Black Brazilians are able to organize and strengthen their Black identities and consciousness.
read.medium.com/but6rxg
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Rest in peace to Pop Smoke, whose passing was announced this morning. We send condolences to his family and friends, and are saddened by his loss. He was just 20 years old.💔
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‘Across the Spider-Verse’ is an instant classic. Now, the voice actor behind Miles Morales is taking his own leap of faith. levelman.com/shameik-moore-i…
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7. Eminem
Age: 47
Projects Released After 40: Five
Best Project Released After 40: Music To Be Murdered By
read.medium.com/kAeP9Tw
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The knowledge that racism is systemic and structural has been around for decades, centuries even.
But abolition—of slavery, the death penalty, prisons, police—has always been a controversial political demand. read.medium.com/QTyre5L
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While many New Yorkers stay home to flatten the coronavirus curve, workers on Rikers Island, the second-biggest jail in the US, risk getting sick—and being quarantined there—as Covid-19 spreads.
A cook there told LEVEL what Rikers staff are facing. read.medium.com/LA3rpLH
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Cole didn’t just stumble upon the insanity at the Capitol. He drove from Jersey City to D.C., expressly looking for trouble to capture.
“I thought it’d be some yelling and shoving, maybe some pepper spray, but nothing like what we saw.”
read.medium.com/AVuQYqU
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Even in the case of Trump’s public comments, as @genmag cites below, federal employees can’t attend a protest in uniform.
But the USPS worker has strong feelings: “Trump is trying to mess with the collection of absentee ballots.” read.medium.com/C3nV8oi
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In 1981, a man named Ken Horne was identified as the first person in the US officially diagnosed with what would be called AIDS.
At that time, Chris was 13, living in the Bronx with his family, and had already come to terms with his sexuality. read.medium.com/bLHTAz5
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A captain at Rikers Island—a Black man in his early forties—anonymously spoke to LEVEL about being forced to report for duty despite having symptoms of Covid-19.🧵👇🏾read.medium.com/ssDKsUx
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For 25 years, Oakland’s Soul Beat operated as one of the first Black-owned TV stations in the country, and provided the first TV exposure for many local R&B and rap artists.
It’s been off the air for nearly 20 years, but its story is still relevant. 👇🏾🧵read.medium.com/87a7mT3
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At the same time, the movement to reject the country’s historically Eurocentric beauty ideals is growing, and Black Brazilians are embracing their natural kinks and curls, with styles like afros, braids, and dreadlocks. read.medium.com/but6rxg
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Starting in the mid-90s, it seemed that almost any idea with a dot-com suffix attached could get millions fast. Everyone, it seemed, was getting in on it. And hip-hop wanted a piece, too.
This is the story of the hip-hop dot com boom—and bust.
read.medium.com/t1PFdat
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30. André 3000
Age: 45
Projects Released After 40: Zero
Greatest Music Moment After 40: Appearing on Frank Ocean’s “Solo (Reprise)”
read.medium.com/kAeP9Tw
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Royce Da 5’9”
Age: 43
Projects Released After 40: Three (two solo; one collaborative)
Best Project Released After 40: Book of Ryan
read.medium.com/kAeP9Tw
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Here’s a non-exhaustive resource guide packed with articles, books, art, interviews, organizations, and campaigns.
Abolition now. Abolition for the people.
read.medium.com/XyBy7y3
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Cole captured great shots of Black Panthers and right-wing militia members.
He also interviewed one of the Proud Boys’ leaders, and got back what he calls “the best sound bite ever.”
read.medium.com/AVuQYqU
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Hair has now become a political statement in Brazil, and police are targeting Black Brazilians for that very reason.
In the first half of 2019, Black or Brown people were the victims in 80% of murders by Rio de Janeiro’s police.
read.medium.com/but6rxg
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Policing, prisons, and racism are inextricably linked, and are constant reminders that capitalism relies on racism.
They’re continuations of slavery, colonization, and more. read.medium.com/QTyre5L
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3. Pusha-T
Age: 43
Projects Released After 40: One
Best Project Released After 40: Daytona
read.medium.com/kAeP9Tw
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In 2000, credibility eluded most White rappers, especially after punchlines like Vanilla Ice and Mark “Marky Mark” Wahlberg.
Before the Marshall Mathers LP, XXL took a mocking editorial stance against the rapper, which prompted an on-wax retaliation. read.medium.com/IDq888v
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Big asked @RiggsMorales1 to hold onto the belt until he could come back for it.
Morales kept his promise, even after Big’s passing. The belt hung on his office door, halfway to the floor, and had an extra notch that was punched in with a sharp edge. read.medium.com/HxwArLy
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19. Snoop Dogg
Age: 48
Projects Released After 40: 18 (13 solo; five collaborative)
Best Project Released After 40: Bush
read.medium.com/kAeP9Tw
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Studios like Georgia’s Tree Sounds, where @JColeNC hosted his 10-day @Dreamville Sessions, are empty after closing in response to the growing pandemic.
“We’ve lost 100% of our business. You can’t sustain yourself when there’s no money coming in.” read.medium.com/VFZJnaA
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Viola Davis on Chadwick Boseman’s last role: “He was not chasing the green, not chasing the money, just chasing the work." zora.medium.com/take-a-peek-… (via @zoramag)
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Many artists weren’t making a lot of money before the pandemic.
An artist could get one million streams of all of their music, for example, and it likely wouldn’t net them $9,000.
read.medium.com/VklB1or
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Although Eminem was already a multi-platinum Grammy winner by 2000, he knew that his work wasn’t platinum in the streets.
This battle for respect precedes Em’s record deal. At predominantly Black ciphers, he was marginalized—until he began rhyming. read.medium.com/IDq888v
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The world wasn’t supposed to witness Takeoff’s last moments: levelman.com/takeoffs-death-…
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That’s where many would think the story would have ended.
But it didn’t. Today, at 52, Chris is based in New York City and works with Volunteers of America, providing services to vulnerable populations.
Read his full story: read.medium.com/bLHTAz5
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31. Missy Elliott
Age: 49
Projects Released After 40: One
Best Project Released After 40: Iconology
read.medium.com/kAeP9Tw
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20 years ago, @Nas released ‘The Lost Tapes’, a classic compilation album culled from a deep vault of previously bootlegged songs that banged. This is the story of how the album came to be levelman.com/nas-the-lost-ta…
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When a Black Brazilian man goes to a barbershop, he may give the barber a number to indicate the look he desires.
“0” corresponds to a baldie. “2” means to cut the hair to half an inch in length. The socially acceptable low cut falls somewhere in between. read.medium.com/but6rxg
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Ranking the greatest 40 MCs over 40 requires some rigid boundaries and criteria.
We’re omitting any material released by an artist prior to turning 40, while rewarding output, impact, craftsmanship, and evolution. read.medium.com/kAeP9Tw
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Some brands have announced that they’ll recognize June 19, the day enslaved African-Americans won their freedom from bondage.
While Juneteeth should be recognized as a work holiday everywhere, it must be for the right reasons. 👇🏾🧵read.medium.com/XBDHZrW
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24. Nas
Age: 46
Projects Released After 40: Two
Best Project Released After 40: The Lost Tapes 2 read.medium.com/kAeP9Tw
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“Copaganda,” the favorable portrayal of law enforcement in mainstream media such that it counters attempts to hold police malfeasance accountable, has long been used to disrupt legitimate claims of anti-Black police violence.
@NewBlackMan writes. read.medium.com/8s7eq0i
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4. Black Thought
Age: 48
Projects Released After 40: Five (two solo; three collaborative)
Best Project Released After 40: Undun (with The Roots)
read.medium.com/kAeP9Tw
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29. Kanye West
Age: 42
Projects Released After 40: Four (two solo; two collaborative)
Best Project Released After 40: Jesus Is King
read.medium.com/kAeP9Tw
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5. Killer Mike
Age: 44
Projects Released After 40: Two (zero solo; three collaborative)
Best Project Released After 40: Run the Jewels 3 (with Run The Jewels)
read.medium.com/kAeP9Tw
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There weren’t many Black men talking about their hair on YouTube in 2016, and the few who were there were young.
So that summer, @WillOnAWhim, who goes by William Humphrey in real life, started posting personal videos and hair tutorials. read.medium.com/0MEgRR6
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34. MF Doom
Age: 49
Projects Released After 40: Four (zero solo; four collaborative)
Best Project Released After 40: Key to the Kuffs (with Jneiro Jarel)
read.medium.com/kAeP9Tw
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One year ago today, rapper Nipsey Hussle was tragically shot and killed outside his Los Angeles store, The Marathon Clothing.
The late rapper’s legacy is undying—and still unfolding.
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The belt went on to be guarded by at least 8 people, including the likes of @JermaineHall, @Golianopoulos, and @JoelRandell. Each keeper kept the belt a secret until it was time to pass it on.
Read the full story for the The Biggie Belt’s full journey: read.medium.com/HxwArLy
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8. Rick Ross
Age: 44
Projects Released After 40: Two
Best Project Released After 40: Rather You Than Me
read.medium.com/kAeP9Tw
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Ultimately, it was Eminem's lyricism that granted him respect in the hip-hop world. read.medium.com/IDq888v
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Black people have been sporting head wraps for centuries, especially while sleeping.
Though the exact origin of the durag is unknown, So Many Waves president Darren Dowdy claims his father invented and began selling durags in 1979. read.medium.com/KcmvMCw
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At one point, he watched in horror as a police officer attempting to reach the entrance of the Capitol building was dragged down the steps by a mob of rioters.
He took photos of the cop being beaten and robbed of his badge. read.medium.com/AVuQYqU
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One aspect of the album’s cultural significance, argues @DreamzRreal, is how it took aim at the very establishment that gave him autonomy.
It was tremendously scrutinized by GLAAD, religious figures, politicians, and even the entire country of Canada. read.medium.com/IDq888v
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11. 2 Chainz
Age: 42
Projects Released After 40: Three (two solo; one collaborative)
Best Project Released After 40: Rap or Go to the League
read.medium.com/kAeP9Tw
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6. Ghostface Killah
Age: 50
Projects Released After 40: 10 (eight solo; two collaborative)
Best Project Released After 40: The Brown Tape
read.medium.com/kAeP9Tw
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28. Method Man
Age: 49
Projects Released After 40: Five (two solo; three collaborative)
Best Project Released After 40: A Better Tomorrow (with Wu-Tang Clan)
read.medium.com/kAeP9Tw
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In 1993, @IAmKRSOne dropped “Sound of Da Police,” which went on to be a Golden Age rap classic.
The song’s inspiration was straightforward: generations of Black people were experiencing violence at the hands of the cops. Here’s how it evolved over time: read.medium.com/vftDKBp
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Reform is not enough. We need abolition. Now.
Today, @levelmag and @kaepernickpub launch #AbolitionForThePeople, a four-week project that puts into context the need for a future without policing and prisons—and a roadmap for how we get there.
abolitionforthepeople.com/
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A few months later, @RiggsMorales1 announced his departure from @TheSource. He packed up everything except The Biggie Belt, and passed it on to @AliyaSKing. She was instructed to never move the belt, under any circumstances. read.medium.com/HxwArLy
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20. E-40
Age: 52
Projects Released After 40: 22 (19 solo; three collaborative)
Best Project Released After 40: Revenue Retrievin’: Night Shift
read.medium.com/kAeP9Tw
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.@MatthewACherry's approach exemplified three tried-and-true strategies that we could all implement in our own lives. Here they are. read.medium.com/xhlbrnw (via @forgemag)
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He calls his approach “hair care as self-care.”
The result is a clear guide to maintaining a healthy hair routine, but also, he says, “the tools to explore who they are as Black people. Their own community, their own identity.” read.medium.com/0MEgRR6
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When activist Lance Cooper moved to Hanover County, Virginia, he didn't know he'd find himself in a modern-day nightmare: "There’s no excuse for any Black man to have to leave his home because of KKK activity. That should not be going on in 2020." read.medium.com/QEjHecu
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Chris graduated and enrolled in basic military training in 1986. By then, there were 40,000 cases of AIDS globally—over 31,000 of which were in the Americas. Half of all those previously diagnosed had died. Most died within 15 months of being diagnosed. read.medium.com/bLHTAz5
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21. Q-Tip
Age: 50
Projects Released After 40: Two (zero solo; two collaborative)
Best Project Released After 40: We Got It from Here… Thank You 4 Your Service (with A Tribe called Quest)
read.medium.com/kAeP9Tw
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By the time he’d reported into work a month ago, roughly 40% of Rikers’ staff had become unavailable due to the virus.
He had a fever of 101 degrees, but was urged to continue working. read.medium.com/ssDKsUx
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For X-Clusive’s barbers, a loyal clientele and a running shop has historically kept business afloat. In 30 years, no crisis has stopped patrons from getting a haircut.
But after NYC ordered all barber shops to close, coronavirus became a unique threat. read.medium.com/Wbh27P4
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The idea of abolition over reform has entered the mainstream only recently, under the twin pressures of the COVID-19 pandemic and continued police terrorism.
Reform is a dead end because it often reproduces—and worsens—problems we’re trying to solve. read.medium.com/QTyre5L
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39: Too Short
Age: 54
Projects Released After 40: 11 (9 solo; two collaborative)
Best Project Released After 40: Blow The Whistle
read.medium.com/kAeP9Tw
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Despite this pushback from the state, Brazil’s Black hair revolution continues, from shifting norms in Brazil’s barbershops to changing tides in pop culture,
Full story: read.medium.com/but6rxg
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12. Common
Age: 48
Projects Released After 40: Four (three solo; one collaborative)
Best Project Released After 40: Nobody’s Smiling
read.medium.com/kAeP9Tw
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When Sherman Neal learned about George Floyd’s murder and protests erupting around the country, he knew he had to do something—even in his small town of Murray, Kentucky.
Then, it hit him: He’d set out to remove the town's statue of Robert E. Lee.👇🏾🧵 read.medium.com/hkT7Wn2
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Workers at Rikers Island are on the front lines: there are at least 52 cases of coronavirus there, and facilities are not up-to-par for social distancing and sanitation concerns.
Plans on how to contain the virus and protect staff seem unclear. read.medium.com/LA3rpLH
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