Meet Beverly “BJ” Rouse: The Emerging Filmmaker Finding Beauty in Human Connection
Every filmmaker has a story to tell. The best ones also have something meaningful to say. Beverly “BJ” Rouse is quickly emerging as one of those filmmakers. With her short film First Fruit selected to screen at the Academy Award®-qualifying LA Shorts International Film Festival, the Los Angeles-based writer, director, and producer is introducing audiences to a storytelling style…
Shamon Brown Jr. of The Chi Covers Urban Magazine’s July Issue
Leading Urban Magazine’s July issue is actor Shamon Brown Jr., who reflects on his eight-season journey portraying Stanley “Papa” Jackson on Showtime’s The Chi as the acclaimed series enters its final season. Brown discusses growing up on screen, the emotional evolution of his character, expanding into music and entrepreneurship, voicing Michelangelo in Teenage Mutant Ninja…
JAŸ-Z 25 Breaks Yankee Stadium Concert Attendance Record on Second Sold-Out Night
JAŸ-Z continued his three-night run at Yankee Stadium on Saturday, July 11, with another sold-out performance that set a new attendance record for a concert at the venue. The second show, billed as JAŸ-Z 25, drew 45,832 fans, surpassing the previous concert attendance record set the night before during JAŸ-Z 30. The back-to-back milestones came…
JAŸ-Z Opens Three-Night Yankee Stadium Run With Surprise Guests and Career-Spanning Set
JAŸ-Z launched the first of three sold-out performances at Yankee Stadium on Friday night, delivering a career-spanning set that featured surprise appearances from Beyoncé, Blue Ivy Carter, Nas, Alicia Keys, Memphis Bleek, and Jaz-O. The concert marked the opening night of the series, dubbed “JAŸ-Z 30,” celebrating the rapper’s legacy with a performance that blended…
Essence Festival 2026: A Love Letter, A Report Card, and A Prayer for New Orleans
There is no place on earth quite like New Orleans in July during Essence Festival weekend. That is not hyperbole. It is a feeling that hits you the moment you land — the heat wrapping around you like an old friend, the smell of the city carrying something ancient and alive, and tens of thousands…
They Came in All White and Left Transformed: The Black Excellence Brunch is the Room Within the Room
Trell Thomas Built a Movement and It Matters More Now Than Ever Words by Valese Jones On a Sunday afternoon in New Orleans, something happened that had nothing to do with brunch. Yes, there were 250 guests dressed in all white. There was elevated hospitality, a second-line band winding through the ballroom at Port of…
Album Review: T-Dubb-O x Dave The King Deliver a Street Masterpiece with King Dubb
T-Dubb-O continues to prove he’s more than a battle rapper with King Dubb, an eight-track project produced entirely by Chicago producer Dave The King. The album pairs cohesive production with sharp lyricism, personal storytelling, and confident delivery. The project carries a gritty, cinematic feel that reflects both Chicago and St. Louis influences. Dave The King’s…
Nothing About Us Without Us: Sharonda Sikes Talks Why Warrior Con is Changing the Sickle Cell Narrative
In the movement for health equity, few voices are as powerful as those who have lived the journey firsthand. Sharonda Sikes, V.P. of Operations for the Sickle Cell Community Consortium, understands this better than anyone. As the organization prepares for Warrior Con ’26, July 22–26, 2026, at the Sheraton Gateway Los Angeles Hotel, the focus…
