CTRL + Thought: The Unfiltered Feed

Yo, what up chat? It’s been a minute—missed you!!

Housekeeping

Let’s take care of some quick updates before we yap. New name, same sessions—just a little rebrand. All of my strictly music posts have moved over to my personal website 0nloc.com. Expect around two posts a month over there, so tap in when you can and catch up.

Seasonal Depression and Mental Health: Why Spring Feels Different

The sun is out longer, it’s warming up, and the impending doom is starting to feel like a post-Labor Day problem. Just a friendly reminder that the darkness doesn’t last forever—something we all need to hear from time to time.

The State of Black Cinema: Why Our Stories Keep Getting Canceled

Listen, we are getting snubbed, canceled, and shelved. One of Them Days just crushed Nickel Boys, and Sing Singbecame critically acclaimed, yet our shows and movies are still being scrapped, canceled after a couple of seasons, or worse—removed from streaming services. The only way to watch The Class of 3000 is to find it on YouTube. That’s ridiculous.

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This is nothing new. Issa Rae had to start her own production company, and even after her massive success with HBO, they still scrapped Rap $hit. Black Dynamite only got two seasons. Black cinema deserves better. Why do Black TV shows and movies keep getting canceled?

At this point, a Black-owned streaming network needs to buy up these rights and start streaming. Who’s ready to make it happen?

Paris Fashion Week 2024 Recap: Doechii, Pharrell, and the State of Fashion

It’s that time of year again—everyone flocks to Paris to see the best designer brands put on a show. Doechii dominated Paris Fashion Week 2024, modeling for multiple designers and hosting a meet-and-greet that flooded the streets of Paris with fans. Her stylist, Sam Woolf, has been on a legendary run, and they popped out in Paris heavy.

There was a Complex podcast clip discussing whether Pharrell has been truly innovative at LV or if he’s just an extension of Virgil’s work. The majority of the panel agreed that he’s just been continuing Virgil’s vision. When I really thought about it, I had to agree. Nothing Pharrell has dropped at LV so far has been boundary-pushing. Hopefully, now that he’s settled in, we’ll start seeing more original, forward-thinking designs. Either way, Pharrell will always be a major inspiration to me.

Quick Thoughts

Got some things in the works—hope to share soon!
Concert szn is in full swing.
You can watch Poetic Justice on Tubi for free.
The Ray Vaughn album has to be dropping any week now.
Kush & Orange Juice 2 has been announced.
LaRussell is taking over the underground on the West Coast—he’s really moving different.
Read 10 pages today.

What do you think? Is Pharrell really innovating at LV, or just continuing Virgil’s work? And what’s your take on Black cinema getting canceled left and right? Let me know in the comments.