“You may not control all the events that happen to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them”

— Maya Angelou

THE OPENING

Insurmountable — is the word sits in my chest as I write this newsletter, looking to keep the theme prevalent throughout. Coming to you this week from my childhood home, it feels appropriate to frame this under the code of transparency. Coming home feels daunting until I am present in its air. There are great, loving highlights blended in with rare, but frequent occasions of despair. As I age, my understanding of these emotions are lucid and my respect for them multiply.

🏀THE GAME—SPORTS THROUGH A CULTURAL LENS

Personality is Currency in Sports Media

With 24 hour news cycles in sports, there will never be a dull moment. One story that has transpired recently for far too long was Draymond Green’s comments towards Charles Barkley on Inside the NBA Tip Off show this week. Draymond uttered, “the goal is to not look like you in the Houston Rockets uniform, ” as a response to Charles’s comments towards his Warriors team having "‘older’ stars. The irony here is what Charles exclaimed was true, what Draymond said was not true in its entirety.

The last two seasons in Houston, Barkley was often injured and his body was starting to fail. He literally rehabbed the entire final season to play his very last game and go out on his own terms after rupturing his quadriceps tendon. As someone who is older than Draymond, I remember those Houston years. Were they great — compared to the days in Phoenix, absolutely not. But were they better than any of Draymond’s best years in the league? By a country mile. Recently, Charles went on to say that he would not trade his career for Draymond, and I believe a lot of people would say the same. What bothers me is the lack thereof for Charles Barkley and his playing career. It feels like a footnote for now what we all know Barkley to be, a larger than life media personality. Sir Charles has gotten away with a lot of ludicrous commentary — demonstrative to say the least, but his claim to fame is being glaringly adamant against being a role model.

That type of transparency can buy you social equity most relinquish willingly. Draymond is very honest and transparent with his rhetoric however, he tends to use it at the expense of others or to validate his own skills. Most people do not want to HEAR that. Draymond has since apologized to Charles on his podcast. Draymond hopefully learned a valuable lesson here, no matter how successful you are, if you are going to relish in the media space, it is perfectly fine to give some love and appreciation mixed in with the truth, because the public will turn it in to hate — quickly.

🎵THE SOUND—MUSIC AS MEMOIR AND MOOD

Why Lawd?!?

For some reason this album has been in my eardrums for the past couple of years now. I have songs that I go back to and listen for on occasions. Music can at times, for the most part, reflect your mood and mindset. An appropriate album for where I am mentally. In a state of gratitude and reflection. Songs such as ‘MoveOn’ and ‘Thank You’ can put a lot of emotions and thoughts into perspective. Just acknowledging the time space, you were once in and how you felt in at the present time.

‘Battlefield’ albeit a personal reflection from Paak, can allow you to sit with everything that you witnessed growing up and how you become what you saw, to only as you age now have the wherewithal to choose wisely. Will I be the victim of circumstances or will I choose the correct side to align with? Regret forces you to reevaluate how you moved and should outline a new direction, should the path is to be followed. A song like ‘HereIAm’ navigates this beautifully with the underlying theme of redemption. A certain level of appreciation is earned from Knxwledge and Anderson Paak with this album.

📡THE SIGNAL—TECH THROUGH LIVED EXPERIENCE

Google’s Race to #1 in A.I.

The Alphabet company, Google, has been in the news for their progressions in with realm of A.I. With news coming out that they struck a deal with Anthropic who will invest more than $200 Billion dollars into their cloud services while also overseeing chip development is significant. Also, with reported news that the Google Threat Intelligence Group released their latest threat tracker, which just so happened to document how they were able to stop an A.I.-generated zero-day attack that was not derived from stolen password, but more so an attack on a vulnerability, should alarm Cyber professionals everywhere.

A.I. is not going anywhere and it sucks that the mass unemployment rate is due in part, not entirely, to companies wanting to utilize a technology they have no knowledge of. Google has had several issues with their security being exploited in the past, so my cynicism here is warranted. If — and I do mean IF, Google has made strides of detecting intrusions generated from A.I., this is a huge victory, but it also means we are in for an even wilder next few years.

❤️THE REAL—LOVE, GRIEF, GROWTH, COMMUNITY

Innocence in Admiration

There is something to be said when you admire someone. Admiration can be seen. The feeling can also leave a person in shock, but also bashful to the point of blushing Admiration is beautiful when done properly. That is what I witnessed innocently watching the Daily Show clip from Josh Johnson and Ali Siddiq this past week. Josh Johnson is a very mellow character with a distinct voice. What I noticed when he was interviewing Ali, was a tone in which I have all embraced many times before. Sitting down with someone that you admire when you have the time and opportunity and admiring them through information. He started off by telling Siddiq he admired him and thanked him for being an inspiration.

Seeing that from one black to another is not as far-fetched as society would like to think. Even with that said, it is something I inherently believe needs to occur more often. Just in general. Our time here on earth is has a limitation, one that is undefined to all. Time should be spent admiring the people that make us who we are, people who carry themselves in a manner that looks alluring but attainable. Having a purity within your truth telling is entrancing.

When the chance arises now, I get I tell the people that I love and care about that I admire them. Not to gain anything but the feeling of them knowing I how I feel about them. It was something that I took for granted earlier in life, thinking if I had time as a younger person, so did my elders. Truth is, they do not. And even more truthful, you do not either. So we endure this tumultuous period of time we are in, right now feels like an appropriate juncture to express your admiration to those who you marvel at their talents, in awe of their aura, and laud their heart from which they maneuver.

WESS RECOMMENDS — 3 LINKS THIS WEEK

SUBSTACK

the Undoing

Going through my saved articles, I was finally able to dig into this one and it hit home on a variety of different levels.

SONG

NxWorries — “MoveOn”

The song fits where I am in life presently, perseverance, appreciation, and transformation.

READ OR WATCH

Imani Thompson - “Honey”

Her book was released last Tuesday and I have heard amazing reviews about. Definitely looking forward to diving into this book.

Hate is just masking unaccepted love & admiration.

— WESS

E'rywhere I go, I'm good 'cause I know the codes, huh
I open up my soul and then it opened doors - JID

THE OPENING

Familiarity — this is one thing I want to bring into this new week. After spending some much needed time with myself, it provided me with a sense of purpose and revitalization to carry into the coming weeks. The older I get, moments like these become increasing vital, but difficult to find as life tends to pull us in several different directions. Life will move you at a rapid pace, but it is super important to slow down when you feel yourself losing control. Because if you do not, life will have a way of forcing you to slow down.

🏀THE GAME—SPORTS THROUGH A CULTURAL LENS

I use to REALLY love this game…

The NBA playoffs are getting into high gear as the second round approaches this week. This time of year was always my favorite growing up as a kid. The NBA playoffs, the NFL Draft, and the NHL Playoffs all being on within one weekend, gave the sports fanatic in me growing up a overload of sports greatness. The NFL Draft was my way to build my chops in team building that Madden could not do after several years in Franchise Mode and that I actually aspired to. The NHL playoffs were always fun to watch but it never kept my attention.

The NBA Playoffs in the 90s were a time because of the greatness of Michael Jeffrey Jordan. Of course other stars such as Charles Barkley, Penny Hardaway, and Reggie Miller. I do not know if there will ever be a moment for me that lives longer in lore for me than seeing Michael Jordan play in his last NBA Finals and leaving on top, only for him to come back and take up roster space in Washington. I grew up marveling at the chance to see Jordan win, to being a teenager and rooting against the Lakers and their dynamic duo of Shaq and Kobe. To then, as a young adult, praying that the prodigal son of Akron, LeBron James, would be the new saving grace of the league only for his failures to exploited for media coverage and consumption more than his successes.

As I watch these NBA playoffs, I find myself back in the same frame of mind when we were coming up on the end of the era of MJ, only to see that his successor was already in the league and on the accession. Today, I look and notice, LeBron has no successor and that I believe will be the beginning of the end. Victor Wembanyama is the future face of the league. His talent and stature is just to hard and lucrative to ignore. It is in fact so impactful, that the league has proposed new rules to evolve their Draft lottery system, which we will see if it “actually” benefits the smaller market teams to stay competitive. The addition of two franchises (Restoring the franchise in the Seattle Sonics and a new one in Las Vegas) that seems long overdue now is more growth for the league, but curious if it will catapult the league into a better media rights deal in another 10 years. LeBron’s longevity has done something that the NBA felt like they had figured out, we will never have another star like Lebron, so lets get 10-20 guys that are talented to mold the league around. It never translated, and Wemby is probably going to be that guy in the next two years, but I truly feel like the NBA will not be the same once, Steph Curry, Kevin Durant, and LeBron James era, comes to a close. Greatness is hard to replace and lighting only strikes in a bottle twice, if you are lucky.

🎵THE SOUND—MUSIC AS MEMOIR AND MOOD

Perfect Your Formula

Record Store Day 2026 presented me with an opportunity to explore music in a completely different way. This is the first one I can remember I actively participated in. Within my crate diggin’ that day, I happened to stumble across a infamous (to me) body of work that was being released for the first time on vinyl, Big Sean’s “Detroit” mixtape. Now why I call it infamous, I have been known to have wild music takes and this project is no exception. I notoriously have said this is not a classic, to disbelief of some of my brothers.

Picking this album up for one of my brothers, had me revisit it with a different ear. What I discovered was my ears are still great, because this mixtape still falls short, with the exception of two songs, “Higher” and “More Thoughts.” I noticed there was a common denominator in both tracks, Key Wane produced both of them. Baffled by hearing the difference in the lyrical aggression and flow from Sean, I really pondered why we have not gotten a full project with just the two of them locking into a studio until magic happens.

As a fan of hip-hop, there are often times we were given glimpses into greatness from a rapper/producer duo that just made sense. Chemistry is hard to come by in general, let alone within the musical realm. Once the synergy has been established, it should be fostered, but at times, life happens or fear takes over. It was a great point to reflect over after reviewing NxWorries “Yes Lawd” and walking away with the census that Knxwledge and Anderson .Paak have a perfect connection that anyone can argue might be one of the best we have heard in music. The hope is before Sean decides to walk away from Rap altogether, Key Wane and Sean can lock in the studio and architect their magnetism into an LP.

📡THE SIGNAL—TECH THROUGH LIVED EXPERIENCE

GameStop makes a bid to purchase eBay

Now this headline shocked the hell out of me. The once beloved GameStop company who had gamers and nerds alike a place to go and was the stake out grounds for many midnight releases for popular gaming titles. They were the one stop shop for all things gaming and allowing gamers to trade in their games and Playstations and Xbox for upgrades or store credits with the hopes to use it to enhance their gaming arsenal with the latest games and consoles. That feels so far away now as the reality after console makers started to produce digital editions and also started to go direct-to-console downloading, it presented the option of life without physical media, which is one of the prominent business strategies of GameStop.

Now their way to combat that, while also expanding their footprint is to purchase a much larger company, eBay ($46BN in market share), to help revitalize the companies promise. GameStop’s CEO, Ryan Cohen, has huge plans to turn eBay into a true Amazon competitor, which I am not at all opposed to. eBay has been a staple in the resell market for a long time but I am very curious to know how GameStop and its CEO plan to turn eBay into an Amazon competitor without the relationships with big box brands. Or will the marketplace solely tied to independent entities be the new innovative way they accomplish that. So many question to be answered, but the bid sounds lofty and from the looks of it could become hostile, so this is a story I will be keeping my eyes on as time goes on.

❤️THE REAL—LOVE, GRIEF, GROWTH, COMMUNITY

Understanding

There is a particular kind of loneliness that shows up in the middle of connection. Not isolation. That other kind. The kind that settles into a conversation with someone you love and makes you realize halfway through that you are both speaking different languages. I have felt versions of that loneliness. Most people I know have.

What changed wasn’t the people. It was me. Time has a way of showing you who you’ve been performing for and why. Life events—loss, relocation, heartbreak, the kind of failure that makes you question everything—have a way of stripping that performance down to nothing. You start to see the shapes you bent yourself into. The silence you kept. The version of yourself you offered because you thought it was the only one worth keeping around.

The emotional overhead of being loved conditionally doesn’t show up on anyone’s balance sheet. But it shows up in your chest. In the way you hold your breath before you tell someone what you actually need and require. The people who love you will adapt. The people who love the idea of you will resist. And that resistance will tell you everything you need to know. Love is not a feeling you fall into and coast on. It is a decision you remake every day. To see someone clearly and choose them anyway. To let them see you. To stop performing and start trusting.

But first, you have to choose yourself. To see yourself clearly—not who you were, not who you’re supposed to be, but who you are right now. The version of yourself that you barely recognize when you glance into the mirror. When you decide that version is worth protecting, you stand firm in it. The distance between knowing someone and understanding them is the work. The distance between who you were and who you’re becoming is the same work, just pointed inward. When you finally close that gap, everything else starts to make sense.

WESS RECOMMENDS — 3 LINKS THIS WEEK

SUBSTACK

Active Listening

I finally had a chance to review my saved articles and thoroughly enjoyed this one in relation to one of my favorite rappers, Busta Rhymes. Read it for yourself.

SONG

The Yussef Dayes Experience — “Mountain Steppa”

The song feels like a climb up Mount Monadnock, but the live visuals, give off a sunset drive off the Malibu Coast.

READ OR WATCH

Daredevil: Born Again

One series that Marvel has gotten correct since it’s inception on Netflix and now on Disney+.

In a world full of Klay Thompsons’, be a Grant Hill….

— WESS

Only go in depth with individuals that live and breathe depth…

Procrastination is the thief of time. I just happen to be the criminal robbing myself blind. With that being said, I decided, with some help from a special someone to revamp this newsletter with a different format and release date. Mondays will be the backdrop for these going forward and my thoughts and opinions on set topics will be easily digestible with clever wordplay. Do yourself a favor and enjoy the ride.

🏀THE GAME—SPORTS THROUGH A CULTURAL LENS

Different Rules for Different People

It never fails around NFL Draft season, that a story or stories come to light that brings a level of drama not even a soap opera can script. A few weeks ago, there was a report of NFL reporter from the Athletic, Dianna Russini and New England Patriots Head Coach, Mike Vrabel, photographed together. The report was tied to rumors of NFL trade talks between the Eagles and the Patriots that felt like gamesmanship. The jokes flew and during that, people dug up very old tweets and clips of Russini to paint her as a bad spouse for joking on her husband. The internet never fails to miss an opportunity to tell you I told you so or provide proof for their own theories to be proven true.

I hate to be that guy but forgive me if the first thought that came to mind was, she is catching a lot of heat for a two-sided situationship. Vrabel caught and is still void of any heat of reprimand from his organization nor the league. It is laughable but he claimed he had tough “conversations” but decided that he will be available for the NFL draft on night 1 but will seek counseling1 during the weekend, LOL. But Dianna had to resign from her position at The Athletic and has essentially lost her trust and credibility for which will take a lot of work to rectify.

And the second point—the one that really matters—is this: if Jemele Hill, Cari Champion, Kristina Pink, or Taylor Rooks had been in the same compromising situation, it would've been chaos. Social media would've erupted; news cycles would've spiraled for days. Black women don't get the benefit of the doubt, especially in circumstances such as this one. No matter how credentialed, how excellent, how undeniable they are at what they do, they'd carry a burden they'd never fully shake. That's the difference. That's the double standard that never gets talked about enough. Now with newer reports surfacing of more revealing photos, my hope is that accountability can now be placed on both parties.

🎵THE SOUND—MUSIC AS MEMOIR AND MOOD

Butcher Brown’s Premium Select Cuts

One of my current favorite things to partake in is watching live jazz performances on YouTube. I stumbled across Butcher Brown’s “Select Cuts” videos and feel into a trance of rumination. “Ibiza” and “Hold You” f. Mia Gladstone have been the muse for my current frame of mind. Marcus Tenney’s playing of the saxophone painted delicate yellow brick road of sorts that guided me back to a place of familiarity from a dark fog. I gathered more inspiration from these select videos then actually listening to the music, which I have done ad nauseam. There's an intimacy in how these videos were directed and shot that elevates the music to another plane. The visual beauty doesn't just complement each song—it transforms it, pulls out layers you might've missed. Hopefully you grasp what I saw.

📡THE SIGNAL—TECH THROUGH LIVED EXPERIENCE

Tim Cook stepping down as Apple’s CEO

Leaving so soon? For some that is a viable question to ask Tim Cook, who has anchored the helm of CEO since Steve Jobs untimely passing in 2011. Tim has taken a lot of flak for the evolution or lack thereof in comparison to Jobs’ innovative successes. I believe that he led Apple into a great position with the shoes he had to fill, and he has the first $1 Trillion dollar company milestone to boot. His accomplishments include: introducing wearable tech like AirPods and the Apple Watch, investments made in diversity and inclusion initiatives, blossoming their services segment (Apple Store, Apple Music, Apple Pay, iCloud) into a $100 billion dollar revenue stream, and we also saw the transition from Intel chips to Apple developing their own processors, Apple Silicon, which companies are currently trying to replicate for their ecosystem. Tim Cook has had more triumphs than tribulations, and that should be appreciated. The biggest question for Apple now will be how the next successor is, John Ternus, going to pilot Apple further into the 21st century.

❤️THE REAL—LOVE, GRIEF, GROWTH, COMMUNITY

It’s Okay to Say I Love You, Black Men

I had the liberty of hosting my parents recently in my new place. They, as any set of parents would, came to check up on me after my divorce has been settled for some time. My stepfather was the one who was urging my mom to make this trip, but of course a mother is never going to pass on the opportunity to see her only son. The weekend was good as I was able to show them around newer developments in the area. Also got a chance to relish in some of my personal favorite restaurants so they can rave to their friends when they are back home.

A few things happened on the day they were leaving that forced me to reflect deeper than I have in recent memory. I overheard my stepfather tell my mom, “Yeah, we should come back in a couple of weeks and just drop in.” In my mind I am like, hold on now, you might want to ask first, I am shaking and moving these days, Ha! But the thought of him saying that shocked me, not because the gesture was not moving, but the fact that I had never encountered that side of him before at that level. They left and shortly after they got home, he texted me, which the words of wisdom/lecturing I have heard from him before. I responded in kind like I normally do to assure him, everything is fine, and the work is being done. His response is the one that shocked me, because it was a first. The first time he ever said I love you. Now to know my stepfather is to know he is not a man of many words of affection. A man’s man with bravado that is intolerant to the younger generations’ way of life.

As black men, we do not say I love you enough to the men that matter most to us. Our elder’s focus was always on providing for others and never for themselves. I know my grandfathers both counted on one hand, how many times their fathers told them I love you. I was grateful enough to know they expressed that through actions, but also with their words. What I do not want us as black men to do, is continuing to push through, without expressing the love we have for others, but also being avoidance of receiving it as well. I know my stepfather will not change who he is, but he has no clue, just how much that small gesture goes to evolving our relationship, but also for him healing those parts of him that yearn for appreciation that he will not acknowledge aloud.

WESS RECOMMENDS — 3 LINKS THIS WEEK

SUBSTACK

Tender & Trying2

Heather has a way of contextually evoking emotion, feeling, and reflection with her riveting articles. With each read, I unlock a new ratiocination to operate within.

SONG

Destin Conrad — “LALALALA”

For Destin to be able to transition from R&B to Jazz is amazing, but the fact he makes it seem effortless speaks immensely to his unrivaled talent. Check out the visual here.

READ OR WATCH

Human To Human Vol 1.1 Jill Scott x Tyler, The Creator

If you love introspection, music, and showing admiration to someone you hold in high regard, you will want to indulge in this conversation.

If you do not remember anything else this week, remember you are in control of your own happiness. Until next time…

— WESS

Recent Events & Reflections

I have to start this edition of my newsletter with an apology of sorts. It has been a little over a month since my last one, not because I did not want to write, but because well life. Life has a way of making you prioritize your well-being and trials before all else. Grief struck me like a 99 MPH fastball from the pitcher’s mound right in the rib cage. Dealing with the death of my old self as I close out a chapter of my life that I did not think would be ending, but knew it was time to finish it. Divorce is difficult but it can also be freeing. You not only lose the old version of you that harbors the guilt and responsibility of the marriage ending, you lose the version of you that you grew incoherently comfortable presenting to the world. You worry about entrusting yourself enough the second time around to choose better, choose who truly aligns with the man you are becoming and essentially evolving into. On the flipside, you get a chance to mature into the version of you that seeks freedom, that Usain Bolt 100 Meter Dashes into your true calling and purpose. The signs stop getting ignored, and start driving you like divine direction. Last friday, I closed a chapter in my life that for a few years felt like it writing its own ending. I did not know how to feel, I still do not honestly. What I do feel is hopeful, that this was not be accident or mistake. This was a divine order to embrace the persona I have avoided for years. God showed me what that looks like, instances that I would normally get rejected from, recalling me back in with open arms now. Clarity replaces confusion and doubt. Love enhanced so much that even the angriest of people succumb to it’s unyielding power.

I received a text the following morning from my Ex stating that it was officially done. My first response was to ask how she was handling and processing everything. Not really concerned with me at that moment. Our brief exchanged reinforced the stance we have had this entire time, this is what is best for the both of us. And we ended it with praying for the quest for peace, love, and true happiness for the other all while healing in real time. Divorce does not have to be ugly, but it will never be void of pain. The next chapter is beginning and I could not look more forward to what truly lies ahead. It will be marvelous, scary, beautiful, and laborious. And the best part about it, I will make sure to enjoy every waking moment, God Willing.

MJ will ALWAYS be my GOAT

During the most recent Sunday Night Basketball broadcast, they aired another segement of the Michael Jordan interview that Mike Tirico did with MJ as part of his NBA on NBC coverage obligations. I truly hate that they are just using this one interview throughout an entire 82 game season to fulfill this mockery of MJ being involved with one sit down. That is another gripe for another day.

This one recent clip though, lured me in because it was Black Jesus answering the question in which everyone wanted to know his stance, but hoping to not receive the most “republicans buy sneakers too” esque response. And to my disbelief and his credit, we received the best and most clear cut response that someone of his stature should provide. A student turned master of the game of basketball laughed at the question before he uttered a word. To me, that small, but poignantly placed gesture, lets me know that he truly hates the talking about that topic for a multitude of reasons. In my opinion, it almost seems like he knows that the question is going to cause a stir and provide enough content for people to talk about for a few months if they are smart. He also has to feel like, my resume should speak for itself and there truly is no debate, MJ is the GOAT. But what I found most remarkably interesting about his response, was he took the time to point out the most important point in all of these GOAT conversations, we take for granted greatness when it does not fit our mold. Oscar Robertson, Jerry West, Wilt Chamberlain, Bill Russell, are some of the greatest players to ever touch a basketball and pioneered the game in which MJ, Magic, Bird, and Isiah, elevated to tremendous heights. They should never be compared to each other. Greatness should be cherished and not compared, but for most casual fans, it fun to have those types of dialogue amongst friends or colleagues. But MJ made the best point of all, if you cannot compete against the other greats you deem GOAT-worthy, then it is really a mute point. It will be a debate that will never have a victor. Just simply put, at times we should just stop and appreciate greatness when it is presented to us, because we truly may never know when it will occur again. And this does not apply to just sports, it should apply to general everyday life as well.

Full clip below to watch for reference.

Most Interesting Thing(s)

This week’s discovery(s) comes from another writer/creator who’s most recent piece spoke to me in ways I did not imagined I needed. And also wanting to showcase another writer who confidence does not escape her in the slightest.

Love Is Unfair

By: Fred Curtis

RELENTLESS

Love Is Unfair

RELENTLESS is a reader-supported publication, which means that the only money we make from this is from what lovely people like YOU offer up…

Read more

3 months ago · 6 likes · 5 comments · Fred Curtis

This piece was shared to me by a friend and fellow Substacker, , and I will say there are not many words to describe how beautiful, but tough to read. Fred is one of the few who put the heart break on display, and I hope more black men do the same. We often feel like we are the only ones dealing with things, but in reality, that is far from the truth.

Let’s Be Honest: I’m Really Good at S*x

By: Bre

I am just going to set this one right here and let y’all read this piece. Tastefully done and a very honest dialogue about communication that we can all learn and take notes from.

Thanks for reading the most recent installment of Mike’s Manifesto! Any and all feedback is welcomed and necessary, but don’t be surprised if I do not listen to it!

Until next time, with more thoughts, sounds, and discoveries, be good to yourself and be good to others…

Reflections

This newsletter is going to be a chance for me to highlight some post and works that I have thoroughly enjoyed for the past week and some change.

Tickwanya's Substack

Reclaiming the Screen: The Political and Emotional Liberation of the Black Rom-Com 🎥🤎✨

Heyyyy cousins!!! 👋🏾 ✨…

Read more

3 months ago · 3 likes · 3 comments · she is art.

Be Difficult, Darling

When life becomes incompatible with life

The sky looked burdened. As if I could blow soot from a cloud. A January morning set to greyscale, where people walking past stared down into uneven pavement slabs, as if the asphalt were an oracle. I felt something walk by, just to the side of me. It was around knee-height, so I assumed it was a dog. After all, I live in a part of London where banners …

Read more

4 months ago · 46 likes · 16 comments · Giselle La Pompe-Moore

SNOBHOP

The Legend of J. Cole

9 million records. 6 albums. 2 Generations. 1 emcee…

Read more

4 months ago · 23 likes · 3 comments · John Wright

ALLDRESSEDUPP

We talking bout authenticity?

There’s nothing more important than being yourself. It sounds like a lesson you teach children but let me cook. Authenticity can open doors you never thought existed, create bonds that’ll last a lifetime, and showcase your finest traits on the big screen. We often shield or shrink ourselves in the presence of larger-than-life figures or important organi…

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4 months ago · 10 likes · 2 comments · B4

TENTH

So...When Did You Fall In Love With Vinyl?

When I think about the ending to a perfect day, I immediately drift into visions of a hot shower, good food, and either dropping the needle on something smooth or sinking into my couch with one of my comfort movies. A comfort movie, for me, is one I could recite from front to back but choose not to– something that makes me laugh, doesn’t carry any traum…

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3 months ago · 6 likes · 3 comments · Ebanē Marquice and she is art.

Notes from Erin

last, current, next reads with bookwild

Hi friends …

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3 months ago · 3 likes · Erin Ashley

Sounds & Vision

I felt compelled by the brilliant musical minds of & in their collaborative post the for Music Directory and their submissions for Playlist for Love. I took that on as a challenge, that was graciously accepted.

The Music Directory

The Medley 009

Dear music friends…

Read more

4 months ago · 27 likes · 4 comments · The Music Directory, Shanté, and Nielly

I have two playlist that I wanted to challenge myself to make surrounding love. A decent number of the songs on the list are my personal favorites, but also I wanted to try to paint a story through music for both sides of the coin we call LOVE. Enjoy the playlist and I challenge you to submit your songs/playlist to The Music Directory responding to the prompts they provided for the month of February.

When Cupids Arrow Hits

When Cupids Arrow Misses

Thanks for reading the latest installment of Mike’s Manifesto! Any and all feedback is welcomed and necessary, but don’t be surprised if I do not listen to it!

See you in two weeks with more thoughts, sounds, and discoveries.

— Mike

Recent Events & Reflections

I had a little bit of juice coming into this week knowing I had my newsletter this week, but also, I at long last get to talk about sports in multiple entries. One of the few topics that has escaped me since creating this publication, for which it was intended on…

Read more

Recent Events & Reflections

Well this is a first, a first of many new things for me and this publication. I wanted to do something different for a change. We will see where this takes us and I honestly hope that you all join in with me as I take this to heights I have not even thought imaginable. Just like clockwork, the st…

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