Tag: Entertainment

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Arts Community Community Development Hometown Heroes Sonia Montalvo

The Man Behind the Beat

By Sonia Montalvo

The deep punchy 808 bass drum of Yo Gotti’s 2013 Hit Single I Know, sent the masses to the dance floors to flex in the bravado of the song’s beat drop and the lyrics. Featuring the late Rich Homie Quan’s legendary voice, the song became a cultural staple hitting #31 and spending 21 weeks on Billboard’s Hot R&B and Hip-Hop Charts. With 182 million views, the song’s existence lies behind the genius and gritty production of Charlottesville native, Trauma Tone.

The 34-year-old producer who prefers to go by his self-appointed moniker, first popped on the production scene around 2010. Prior to his entry in the game, he had been creating beats for some time in his hometown, creating a buzz for himself in the city. Taking his time in high school to perfect his craft, his most vivid moment of realizing he was on to something came during his sophomore year. “What I will say is, I think it was a song that an artist at the time, which is my homie who I love to this day. His name is Nick. He did a song, and, like, it was my tenth grade year and I remember this, everybody was playing it. Even the people we had problems with growing up- I remember them pulling up to the school playing the song. I was like, ‘This must be what it feels like to have a big song.’ A few years after his graduation, Tone ventured to Atlanta to expose himself to a bigger market. At the height of Rap’s Mixtape Scene in 2013, what solidified Trauma Tone’s place in the game for him had to be his first song with major recording artist at the time, Chicago’s ambassador drill rapper, Chief Keef. This song was placed on Chief Keef’s mixtape ‘Almighty So’ which dropped after his commercial success in the mainstream with hits like, ‘I Don’t Like.’ For the last decade plus, Trauma’s song credits have continued to grow and so does he as he continues to take on the job of becoming one of Hip-Hop’s hidden-in-plain-sight gems of the production game.

With influences like The Alchemist and Dr. Dre, Trauma Tone’s earliest memories outside of spending part of his childhood in the studio with older family members, was being gifted the gift of music. “My mom, had us like, we was the Death Row house. She had us all on Tupac. The first gift I ever owned in my life was a single [Cassette] of Snoop Dogg’s Gin and Juice. Dr. Dre is definitely like one of them influences, you know, one of my favorites growing up.”

Trauma’s ultimate goals as a producer are to leave a musical legacy behind and to create music identifiable with where he’s from. Interestingly, with Virginia debatably having very few identity markers in one significant musical influence or sound, Tone’s predecessors of musical greats may have shaped it this way on purpose. Virginia is home to several legendary producers in the industry. Timbaland, Missy Elliott, Pharrell Williams, The Neptunes, and DeVante Swing—Trauma Tone is quite literally standing on the shoulders of giants. Each of the these legendary artists could be considered snowflakes in the music industry because though they all hail from the same state, none of them have similar sounds to one another or any of their musical counterparts for that matter. As time progresses, each of their sounds doesn’t even allow them to sound like their previous work. Take for instance Missy Elliott. With no production of hers sounding quite like the other, Virginia Legend Missy Elliot gave us hits Supa Dupa Fly in 1997 and Lose Control in 2005. Two sonically different songs eight years apart, with the ability to move her fanbase all the same. Comparable to the Virginia legends before him, Trauma Tone further proves that the sound of Virginia is not a sound at all, but a feeling. With household hip-hop names under his belt like Migos, Kevin Gates, Rich Homie Quan, NBA Young Boy, Curren$y, and others, Trauma Tone is navigating through his music career in a similar fashion. “We [Virginia] got like a lot of different influences, because we’re right in the middle, of the north and the south, but like our bounce is different. When you look at people like Timbaland, Pharrell–I think we just got a different vibe to us. It’s hard to really explain the sound because I don’t want to put us in a box, but I just think that the bounce is just a little different. We are very versatile, all of us. You can pretty much come to any of the Virginia producers for any type of sound, especially if you’re trying to push it forward. I think it’s always gonna be some envelope pusher type of shit. “

Trauma Tone shares that his new endeavors and collabs are special to him. Recently he started his music label, Which Way Is Up, affectionately named after a 1970s comedy of the same name starring Richard Pryor that his mother introduced him to as a child. “That name always stuck to me because it’s like me and my manager joke about it all the time. Now, when people call us to fix shit, we’ll always be like, ‘Man, they don’t know which way is up.’ Like, they don’t know which way to go. You know, but I feel like I’m the guy for my circle[and] for my network. I’m the one that people call.” He states the creation of his label comes from the business knowledge he began attaining during the Covid-19 Pandemic. The producer creates his newest projects under his label with the most current project being a joint album with him and Louisiana Rapper Curren$y. “We do our projects in-house. We do everything on our own. I didn’t really understand none of that type of stuff on the independent side until I got with my manager and started learning about that earned income. So, I just think once you learn the game and like, you find different ways- it’s a million ways to skin cat, find your lane.” While nervous to share any names, Trauma’s excitement tends to flare when he talks about his upcoming 2025 projects.

Photo courtesy of revolt.com

At a perfect pace, Trauma Tone’s production credits are making him a household name in the music industry, but he doesn’t wish to stop there. Tone has his eyes set on scoring movie soundtracks and writing scripts. To end this article, it’s important to note that Trauma Tone stands behind believing in your own delusions of self. When asked what it took for him to get to this place, he exclaimed, “I was feeding my crazy, man, probably a little bit of delusion in there, but like, you couldn’t tell me, I wasn’t gonna be who I said I was gonna be. Even when everybody was like, “Oh yeah, it’s not gonna work,” or, “Get a job” and all that, I was just like ‘fuck what everybody else is talking about. I know who I am, and I know that no matter how long it takes, and I still got a ways to grow, but I know who I am, and I know what I’m trying to get'”I was feeding my crazy, man, probably a little bit of delusion in there, but like, you couldn’t tell me I wasn’t gonna be who I said I was gonna be. Even when everybody was like, ‘Oh yeah, it’s not gonna work,’ or, ‘Get a job,’ and all that, I was just like, ‘Fuck what everybody else is talking about. I know who I am, and I know that no matter how long it takes—and I still got a ways to grow—but I know who I am, and I know what I’m trying to get.’ ”

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Community Community Development Sonia Montalvo

We Can Show You Better Than We Can Tell You

By Sonia Montalvo  I Photos by Tristan Thompson

Disclaimer: This narrative is not the complete history of Gogo music in Charlottesville. This article serves as an in-depth look at the perspectives of Gogo music enthusiasts and community members who have contributed to its evolution and presence in Charlottesville. It aims to highlight their experiences, insights, and contributions to the vibrant and growing Gogo music scene within the city.

Gogo, the offspring of funk and soul music, originated in Washington, D.C. in the 1970s. Innovators like Chuck Brown, widely respected as the ‘Godfather of Gogo,’ paved the way for the music genre. Heavily influenced by African culture and characterized by its use of congas and timbale drums, which set the percussive tone of the sound, Gogo has become a cultural staple in the states of D.C., Maryland, and Virginia, also known as the DMV area.

Comical debate on the internet has displayed the divided opinion amongst residents of the National Capital Region on what areas of Virginia are considered a part of the [V] within the DMV. Depending on who you ask, the delineation between what constitutes the broader state of Virginia, and the core DMV area can vary. Places like Charlottesville and its surrounding rural counties are often overlooked as they tend to differ in culture and distance from the bustling artistic influence of the DMV. However, Charlottesville’s long-standing Gogo bands, Ebony Groove and 100 Proof, beg to differ. Both bands recently sat down with Vinegar Hill Magazine to share just what they mean.

As the decades of the 1970s and 1980s progressed, Gogo music flourished with bands such as Rare Essence, Backyard Band, EU, and many others, carrying forward Chuck Brown’s legacy and gaining momentum as it expanded its reach. Ivan Orr states, “It’s like, I don’t remember a time where there wasn’t Gogo around [in Charlottesville].” Orr, a group member of Charlottesville’s pioneer Gogo band, Ebony Groove, took to the strong influence that Gogo’s hard-hitting ongoing percussion and traditionally rooted call-and-response music had to offer. The band, began as a pep band for the basketball games at Charlottesville High School.  Ebony Groove is recognized by city residents as this area’s first homegrown Gogo band, and its founding members Kyle Reaves, Christopher Redd, Ivan Orr, Curtis Kenney, Jesse Turner, and Raymond Brooks met at Charlottesville High School in the marching band. With Jesse Turner and Chris Redd playing trumpet, Ivan Orr on saxophone, while Raymond, Kyle and Curtis were members of the drumline. A predominantly white high school around 1984, Ebony Groove members recall being some of the only Black members of a band with over 200 students. “Oh yeah. When we started, we were the first drum line [in the city] to play Gogo at halftime,” shares Curtis Kenney. Their impromptu performance next to the cheerleaders in the stands catalyzed the band’ to take their craft more seriously, and  thought they officially formed in 1987, their drumline performance created fans that have followed them throughout their musical careers.  Kenney states, “[Before], you sat in the stands and played and be quiet. But we, uh, got them to break the mold, didn’t we?”

While it is unclear just how Gogo entered Charlottesville’s town of 40,000 plus citizens, there are a few factors that have contributed to its spread and integration. The presence of the University of Virginia and Howard University, where students from both cities exchanged cultural influences, played a significant role. Jeff Louderback Sr. and Billy Wells of 100 Proof band recall vivid memories of Chuck Brown performing at UVA when they were younger, while members of Ebony Groove were introduced to early funk and Gogo albums like Trouble Funk, by family members who attended Howard University or lived in Washington, D.C. in general. “My sister lived in D.C. while we were in high school, and I would go to visit, but I mean, if you think back before that, though, like when we were kids, Gogo was here. I think all of us could say we had relatives there. So, they would come, you know, for visits, or we’d go and hear the music,” says Ebony Groove bandmate Raymond Brooks. This exposure fueled their passion and inspired them to master the music.

James Cain, a Howard University alum, and son of Charlottesville’s first Black woman lawyer, Margaret Cain, considers Charlottesville and D.C. the Pompeii and Rome of our time. Respected by Charlottesville Gogo enthusiasts for his historical insight, Cain sees strong parallels between the two cities. He explains that much like Pompeii looked to Rome for political and economic influence, Charlottesville aligned with D.C. from the 1970s to the 1990s, shaping its Gogo sound. Ebony Groove shares similar sentiments as they state that cultural cues for Charlottesville in their upbringing did not come from Virginia’s capital of Richmond, but rather from Washington, D.C. Ivan Orr states, “And what’s wild is, y’all can correct me if I’m wrong, but for us, we didn’t take our cues from Richmond. Everything, fashion, how we talked, it was all D.C. So, we looked at Richmond like bammas. Even when I went to school at VCU in, in 1989, people in Richmond didn’t even know what Gogo was.”

Cain attributes part of Gogo’s introduction to Charlottesville to the distribution of live cassette recordings from D.C. bands. He recalls following his cousin Kerry McLeod, who began distributing tapes to residents and DJs in 1981, as one of the key figures in spreading the sound in this method. Kerry, a D.C. native, spent time in Charlottesville’s historic Prospect Neighborhood with family, forging connections throughout the city and providing access to Gogo’s biggest players, which proved to be crucial in helping to embed Gogo music into Charlottesville’s social structure.

Ebony Groove would go on a strong run for the next 14 years, playing for the likes of the aforementioned Gogo legends like Rare Essence and EU as opening acts. The group has played all over, bringing fans young and old together to share in their sound. The band members as a collective believe that their playing style pays homage to the D.C. native sound while still putting their spin on the change-making music of Gogo.

The band played together officially until 1997 when life and its obligations for the respective members pulled them all in different directions, sending the beloved sound of Ebony Groove into hiatus until 2017. During the two decades in between their reunion, the spirit of Gogo and its influence in Charlottesville did what it could to keep its roots watered, with several bands emerging before and after Ebony Groove’s pause, such as Seductive Sounds, Reset Band, Double Faces, the X Band, and others. Herman Jones, an original member 100 Proof before its recreation and the Reset band, is working on shedding more light on the exhaustive history of Gogo in Charlottesville and hopes to create a documentary in the near future to tell the story. In the 2010s, a new Gogo band by the name of 100 Proof would emerge, and in 2024, they are still helping to spread the joy of Gogo throughout the city and across the East Coast.

100 Proof, comprised of band members Billy Wells, Jeff “J-Bug” Louderback Jr., Varina Taylor, Mark Williams, Tre Turner, Jeff Louderback Sr., Eric Johnson, Earl Anderson, and Vinny Lewis are committed to the sound of Gogo and upholding its rich legacy. Wells and J-Bug, original members of the group, have seen the band go through changes in their decade-plus run, but hold fast to their goal of showing up no matter what. 100 Proof members all have obligations outside of their time spent with the group in practices and shows. Some members are in several other bands, and others have familial obligations and full-time jobs, but what has always been clear for the group is that while their commitment takes sacrifice, there is a collective consensus among their members that Gogo is a necessity. “I got to have it, I got to hear the crank, right? With the drums, with the hi-hat going wild, and the conga. You know what I’m saying? It does something [to me],” says Wells.

To understand 100 Proof’s sound is to understand that they are a physical manifestation of standing on the shoulders of giants. Each member grew up musically inclined, stating that the church and familial encouragement were key aids in making them musicians today. The band also respects their predecessors, Ebony Groove, for what they’ve directly and indirectly contributed to the Gogo scene of Charlottesville and to them as a band. Bandmate Eric “EJ” Johnson, keyboardist for 100, hilariously acknowledges his full circle moment of their influence by sharing that Christopher Redd from Groove was his music teacher. The big brother, little brother dynamic of the two bands fosters a fresh camaraderie that highlights the developing family tree of Gogo in the town. J-Bug shares, “I think last year when we did the show together, we made sure that [people knew], they’re owed this. Like, come on, let’s do this, you know what I’m saying? Yeah, I don’t know too many people that, as far as Gogo bands around here, have shown what they have shown. We wanted to reach out to them and give our dues and respect, like, hey, it wouldn’t be possible. It might have been possible, but, like, we respect y’all, and thank y’all for showing us the way y’all do it, creating the way y’all do, so we have to respect that.

”

Though the band shares their love for their antecedent, it is beautiful to see that there is no compromise to the originality that Proof brings to the table. A mix of vocally trained notes from Mark Williams and Varina Taylor, the study and execution of the rap cadence from Billy Wells, the focus on clean notes from guitarist Jeff Sr., the diligence EJ provides on the keys, Vinny on the conga drums, and the equally yoked sound between the drums and the cowbell from Louderback Jr. and Tre Turner. Their chemistry has packed events across the DMV, but it’s right here at home where 100 Proof has solidified its mark as a cornerstone of Charlottesville’s music scene. Charlottesville, though observed as a liberal city, has seen its fair share of hardship. A town still navigating the effects of racial zoning, razing of communities, systemic oppression, and neo-Nazi-fueled riots, both 100 Proof and Ebony Groove have managed to somehow create spaces of joy for C-ville residents through the crank. 100 Proof has managed to pack nightclubs and event spaces from shoulder to shoulder with the public ready to see what they have to offer. Williams and Taylor believe Gogo is music in its rawest form. Say backyard music. “It started in the backyard. Basically, people, buckets, you know, putting drumsticks on buckets. Hitting cowbells, hitting whatever they can find,” Mark exclaims. Varina echoed Mark’s enthusiasm by sharing her memories. “That’s what I remember, like walking on the top of the hill on Prospect, and all of them would be at a certain specific house that was always lit, and they would just be tapping on whatever.”

Williams states, “It just goes back to the aspect of how, as a community, if you wanted to hear music, you played it back then… music wasn’t about, ‘Oh, you gotta have the best voice or you gotta sing the best.’ It was a communal thing. It was a spiritual thing. Everyone sang back then. Everybody played. It’s like a form of language. Now, now music has dumbed down because of that. Because people feel like they gotta have the prettiest voice. So they feel like they have to monetize it and things like that, and it was just really people just being raw. [Gogo,] It’s just raw and it’s uncut.”

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Arts Community Community Development Entertainment Niya Bates

reReflector 04: Big Lean & “Ghost of Vinegar Hill”

by Niya Bates | Photos by Lincoln Carr

Featured photo:Lincoln Carr aka “Big Lean” reflected on a truck hood.

I think we have all been a little haunted by what Lincoln Carr aka “Big Lean” calls the “Ghost of Vinegar Hill” in one of his recent singles. Piano chords open the track before the beat kicks in. In the first verse of the song, he talks about his grandma selling candy apples out of her home on Prospect Ave and other family on Grady Ave and 12th street. He laments watching the streets “swallow n*ggas like Reese’s pieces”: his observation of how Charlottesville’s drug and street culture negatively impacts us all and results in good people dying too young. In the second verse he speaks on Black youth being “trapped like the slave bones down at UVA”. The hook declares:

“Small city, small mindset. N— don’t grow up out it. Dreaming of making it out, but don’t know how to go about it. To live in the Ville, to die in the Ville. It’s almost like my town’s cursed – the Ghost of Vinegar Hill.”

By now, most Vinegar Hill Magazine readers are experts on the history of Charlottesville’s oldest Black neighborhood and the former Black business district that was razed in 1964 during Charlottesville urban renewal campaign – allegedly in the name of improving Charlottesville’s image, providing better housing, and encouraging more development downtown. Sixty years later, we are left with a large surface parking lot in front of Staples and an affordability crisis that is pushing more Black residents out of the city. Few buildings remain of the once vibrant Black neighborhood: The Jefferson School, Vinegar Hill Theater, the Oddfellows Hall (now Common House), and a few houses in the neighborhood. A majority of the businesses that flourished in Vinegar Hill, like Inge’s Grocery and the barbershops, have long since closed. The families who once owned homes in the neighborhood have been pushed into public housing developments, expensive rentals, or are struggling against increasing real estate assessments to hold onto family homes in 10th & Page, Rose Hill, and Fifeville. These are some of the ghosts in Big Lean’s song.

If you’ve been following Lincoln’ musical journey for a while, you’re probably a fan of his mellowed out beats and easy rhymes about what it was like growing up in Charlottesville in the 90s and 00s. When he first got into music professionally, I remember seeing him perform at Satellite Ballroom and the Tea Bazaar when those were the local hip-hop venues that supported artists like The Beetnix (fronted by Damani Harrison), Jae Griff (Josh Griffin), and Linz Prag. They hailed from a generation of local musicians whose families had been in the area for a while, and who came up in Charlottesville after its early 1990s moment as a rising east coast hip hop destination. My favorite hip hop professor, Claudrena Harold, told me that Charlottesville and UVA were even featured in The Source magazine in a “Rap on Campus” feature in 1991. Lincoln got into rap because his father had VHS tapes of 80’s hip hop music videos by LL Cool J, Kool Moe Dee, Kurtis Blow, and others. His sister introduced him to 90s rap and hip hop, but Lincoln didn’t officially become “Big Lean” until the death of his friend-turned-brother in 2009.

Lincoln Carr along a fence in Richmond, VA where he currently resides. 

Lincoln’s family family lineage can be traced back in Charlottesville for at least five generations. He and his older sister, Shameera, have been doing their family’s genealogy and learned that one of their great grandmothers was Amy Bowles Farrow. She owned over 220 acres of land and is considered a founder of the Free State community, which was located near the present day Dunlora and Belvedere neighborhoods. Their family still owns some of that land, which is mentioned in another track called “Playa’s Anthem.” When asked what his family’s history meant to him as an artist, Lincoln replied, “The farther I go back, the more I see that my family has always been here in Charlottesville/Albemarle area and other parts of Virginia.  It’s interesting to see, because we were taught that we all just come from Africa, but I am finding more, and more indigenous and native roots.”

Big Lean’s music, especially “Ghost of Vinegar Hill” speaks to ways that he feels like Black people in Charlottesville haven’t progressed as much as we should as a community. Some of the lyrics in songs point to changes in street code that put money and clout above loyalty and community, values he believes would help the Black Community find success beyond oppressive “ghosts” and past traumas. Lincoln hopes that his music catalogue will leave life jewels and inspirational stepping stones for his future descendants. When I asked him about legacy and the future, Lincoln had a few things in mind. On building generational wealth, he said, “learning my history and knowing that we owned land and were self-sufficient at one point, and then losing that as a family, has inspired me to bring that back to my bloodline and teach how to keep it.” He thinks young people in Charlottesville need more creative outlets and more support for the arts, especially Black-owned live music venues, engineering and technical training, financial literacy, and therapy. He says, “We suppress our traumas, which leak into the community.” In his songs he addresses racial profiling and policing of Black communities. He also believes that the community needs to do more to prevent youth from coming into contact with the police. Over and over, he stressed the importance of community and working toward being more self-sufficient.

Lincoln Carr aka “Big Lean” 

If his previous musical projects have addressed the ghosts that haunt us, the next complete project “Keep It Playa” is more reflective of the healing journey that Lincoln has been on personally. “I’ve been creating music for 14+ years now, so I’m really comfortable and confident with myself and my music.  Not that I haven’t always been, but I’m past the point of feeling like I have something to prove lyrically.  You can hear this in my relaxed flow on this current project.  Add some heartbreak, and loses, and you have this current project.” Lincoln’s story shows how we can all use family history as a source of pride and empowerment. This March, we celebrate the women like Amy Bowles Farrow, who left a legacy that continues to build and whose descendants are carrying the torch.

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Arts Community Community Development Entertainment

Grammy Winner Tasha Cobbs Leonard and Melvin Crispell III Unite for Black History Month Gospel Concert

 

UVA’s Division for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) is set to bring the critically acclaimed “Gospel sensation” Tasha Cobbs Leonard to the Charlottesville area. On February 16th, the Grammy Award-winning artist will headline the University’s Annual Black History Month Gospel Concert.

Tasha Cobbs Leonard, recognized by Forbes as “the most successful contemporary gospel artists of our time,” has carved her name in the musical world. Known for her chart-topping singles like “Break Every Chain” and “You Know My Name,” the artist’s 11-year career boasts a surplus of inspiring and motivating songs that her listeners gravitate to. The gospel singer has worked with the likes of artists from several music genres including heavy hitter gospel artists like Kierra Sheard and Tye Tribbet, to the likes of Common and Nicki Minaj.

The much-anticipated Black History Month concert is scheduled to take place at the historic Paramount Theatre in Charlottesville. The ticketed free concert is already a sold-out event shortly after its Mid-January announcement. In past years for the concert, the university has brought the likes of artists like Anthony Brown, and Jonathan McReynolds, among others,

Adding to the musical magic, Tasha Cobbs Leonard will be sharing the stage with Dove and Stellar Award Nominee, Melvin Crispell III. Widely recognized for his musical prowess, Crispell made a significant impact with his debut album, “I’ve Got a Testimony,” in 2020, followed by his equally compelling second release, “No Failure,” in 2023. His soulful and dynamic performances have garnered acclaim, and their combined artistry promises an unforgettable evening and profound celebration of musical excellence that will resonate with the audience.

Tasha Cobbs Leonard’s career transcends music. While widely known as this powerhouse singer, Leonard also dons the hat of Author with her 2014 release of “Worship 101,” and the upcoming 2024 release of Do It Anyway: Don’t Give Up Before It Gets Good. She also works as an actress, entrepreneur, and Co- Pastor alongside her husband Kenneth Leonard Jr. at their South Carolina church.

This event will not only celebrate the rich cultural heritage of the African American community here in Charlottesville, but also serves as a testament to the UVA Division of DEI’s commitment to fostering diversity, inclusion, and the appreciation of various artistic expressions. Charlottesville fans are ready to experience the magic of Tasha Cobbs Leonard and Melvin Crispell III in a concert that goes beyond entertainment, embracing the spirit of unity and celebration during this Black History Month. For more information, please visit theparamount.net.

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National Headlines

A List of Comedians Katt Williams Threw Under The Bus on Shannon Sharpe’s Podcast

Katt Williams became a living comedy legend – as well as one of the most controversial comedians in history – in part because of his scorched-earth honesty. But he outdid himself on the newest episode of Shannon Sharpe’s “Club Shay Shay” podcast, which dropped Wednesday.

Read more…

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The 3-minutes of ‘Dying Laughing’ where Royale Watkins talks about bombing makes the whole thing worth watching

OPINION: The comedy documentary delves into the less glamorous side of life as a comedian in an insightful fashion.

Editor’s note: The following article is an op-ed, and the views expressed are the author’s own. Read more opinions on theGrio.

There was a fairly brief era of my life where, because of the success we had with Very Smart Brothas (VSB), I decided to take a shot at being a stand-up comic. A vast majority of the things Damon Young and I wrote at VSB were intentionally insightful and intentionally funny. We both realized early that taking a comedic approach to societal issues, where appropriate, was our bread and butter.

With this new goal in mind, I started studying comics like Richard Pryor and Eddie Murphy, of course, but also the ones whose bits particularly tickled my fancy, like Gary Gulman, Mitch Hedberg and Patrice O’Neal, among others. I got religious about studying structure, timing, etc. I started looking into comedy open mics in Washington, D.C., where I could get up on stage and try out this killer three minutes I was working on. I never did get on stage as a comic, but that didn’t change my interest in and appreciation for the craft and study of comedians.

Such brings me to the documentary Dying Laughing (released in 2016), which is currently streaming on theGrio TV and theGrio’s streaming mobile app. Despite featuring a litany of your favorite comedians (from Chris Rock and Kevin Hart to Bob Saget, Tiffany Haddish, Sarah Silverman, etc.; everybody’s in this documentary), this 1 hour and 20 minutes isn’t very funny. But that’s almost the point; it’s a film about the life of comedy and what it looks like day-to-day and what kind of person it requires you to be to both participate in and succeed as a comedian, which includes dealing with hecklers (which was particularly enlightening) and most insightfully, bombing.

If you are ever involved in creative endeavors, the idea of bombing (in your particular arena) isn’t foreign. When I write articles, especially ones where I am taking a stance where there is a significant division or creating an entirely new stance, I think about how it might be received. And because of social media, the negative responses come quick, fast and in a hurry. I imagine it’s like that with artists of all stripes; nobody hits on all cylinders at all times. But from listening to the comedians, there’s something especially deep about bombing as a comedian. One comedian, in particular, pointed out that it’s almost as if the audience hates YOU as a person. They don’t just hate the jokes or what you have on; they hate you. They’ve decided at that moment that you, as a person, are not worth listening to.

Consider that comedians are the masters of their own destiny. You live or die by the jokes you tell, and because it’s literally “thinking out loud for a living” and the validation of those thoughts either comes back immediately in the form of laughter (or desired interaction, i.e., gasps, groans, etc.) or silence, the pain or pleasure is swift. Several comedians interviewed spoke about how a bad set and being booed or heckled off stage would often sit in their psyche; the loneliness of a bad show takes up rent in their heads. It’s the kind of stuff that could make you quit. It’s truly fascinating hearing these successful people talk about the fears and downsides of the job.

Which brings me to the Royale Watkins, who isn’t a name that immediately rings a bell, but who I recognized (after a few rewinds) as Telly from Deliver Us From Eva, the 2003 movie starring Gabrielle Union, LL Cool J, Duane Martin, Essence Atkins and Megan Good, among others. Royale shares about a time on stage when he bombed so badly (in front of Michael Jordan, Bo Jackson and Richard Dent) and how in a fit of not knowing what else to do, he just put the microphone back on the stand and walked off the stage.

Now, that doesn’t sound that evocative on its own, but when you realize he’s telling this story through literal tears,  you can feel the pain he felt. This man’s recollection of that evening brought him to tears during the filming of his segment. I had to stop it because it was drawing emotions in me. You think of comedians getting up on stage, people laugh, and all is well, but there is a significant emotional toll to getting up on a stage and sharing and then people effectively telling you that you suck and don’t belong there.

He mentions how Bernie Mac graciously got up there and brought him back out, and the crowd applauded, but that one memory was so painful for him, it’s amazing he continued in the profession. He’s quite successful, mind you; he’s even currently a writer on the show A Million Little Things and has done plenty, but the three minutes where he talks about bombing was powerful. I rewound it several times to really zero in and appreciate what he was sharing.

So yeah, check out Dying Laughing if you haven’t. I had never heard of it, and now I’m glad I watched it. Come for Chris Rock, Jerry Seinfeld and Kevin Hart and stay for the honesty, realness and insights on what it’s like to be a traveling comedian.

Panama Jackson theGrio.com

Panama Jackson is a columnist at theGrio. He writes very Black things and drinks very brown liquors, and is pretty fly for a light guy. His biggest accomplishment to date coincides with his Blackest accomplishment to date in that he received a phone call from Oprah Winfrey after she read one of his pieces (biggest) but he didn’t answer the phone because the caller ID said “Unknown” (Blackest).

TheGrio is FREE on your TV via Apple TV, Amazon Fire, Roku, and Android TV. Please download theGrio mobile apps today! 

The post The 3-minutes of ‘Dying Laughing’ where Royale Watkins talks about bombing makes the whole thing worth watching appeared first on TheGrio.

 

Source: The 3-minutes of ‘Dying Laughing’ where Royale Watkins talks about bombing makes the whole thing worth watching

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Andre Holland in talks to play Huey P. Newton in Don Cheadle-directed series for Apple

The story is based on a ‘Playboy’ article that ran in 2012 about the Black Panther leader’s escape to Cuba

Apple will take on the story of Black Panther leader Huey P. Newton for a limited series with Don Cheadle attached to direct the first two episodes.

As reported by Variety, André Holland, from movies like Moonlight and Netflix’s Passing, is in talks to star as Newton in the six-episode series titled The Big Cigar. Jim Hecht will write and executive produce along with Cheadle. Janine Sherman Barrois will serve as showrunner.

The story is based on a 2012 Playboy article of the same name by Joshuah Bearman. It tells the wild story of how Newton eluded an FBI manhunt and fled to Cuba while being pursued for the murder of an underage sex worker and an assault on his tailor.

Deadline Contenders Film: New York - ArrivalsAndré Holland from Netflix’s “Passing” on Dec. 4, 2021 in New York City. (Photo by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for Deadline)

Late last year, a bronze bust honoring Newton was unveiled in Oakland, California. As reported by theGrio, artist Dana King crafted the statue in celebration of the 55th anniversary of the founding of the Black Panther Party.

Newton and Bobby Seale co-founded the Black Panther Party in Oakland, California in 1966. The organization was best known for its 10-point program for “Black and oppressed” people. The program demanded full employment, healthcare, education, fair housing, police accountability and an end to wars. At its height, the Black Panther Party ran community medical clinics, a free breakfast program for children, artist cooperatives, and a newspaper.

The Newton bust was installed at Dr. Huey P. Newton Way (formerly 9th Street) and Mandela Parkway in West Oakland. The intersection is close to where Newton was gunned down in 1989.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – JUNE 18: Don Cheadle attends ‘No Sudden Move’ during 2021 Tribeca Festival at The Battery on June 18, 2021 in New York City. (Photo by Santiago Felipe/Getty Images)

In an interview with the Associated Press, Fredrika said of her husband: “I would like for people to see him as a total human being.”

“He wasn’t just an iconic figure in a wicker chair,” she said. “This was a man with vulnerabilities, with feelings, with insecurities, with frailties, just like anybody.”

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Robin Thede talks season three of ‘A Black Lady Sketch Show,’ working through COVID and casting guest stars

TheGrio spoke with the actress/comedian about the new season of her Emmy award-winning HBO sketch comedy series.

HBO’s A Black Lady Sketch Show has been a hit since it premiered in 2019, helping make its star and creator Robin Thede a household name. The actress/comedian has not only spearheaded an Emmy Award-winning show that’s funny, irreverent, and biting all at once, but it’s given many other talented Black women a platform to shine.

Like most television shows, A Black Lady Sketch Show ran into the roadblock that is the COVID-19 pandemic. The shutdown threatened the show’s momentum, but it quickly recovered thanks to brilliant writing and amazing guest stars.

Thede spoke with theGrio about the third season of the series, the challenges of navigating COVID-19, and her approach to booking and utilizing guest stars on the show.

73rd Primetime Emmy Awards - ArrivalsRobin Thede attends the 73rd Primetime Emmy Awards at L.A. LIVE on Sept. 19, 2021 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Rich Fury/Getty Images)

“It’s my favorite season. I think every season gets better,” Thede told theGrio.

She says there was a marked difference between producing the second and third seasons after navigating through the pandemic with and without a vaccine.

“I think season two was made during a rampant pandemic and we didn’t even have the vaccination. In season three we had vaccinations, we knew more about how to make a show in a pandemic, so, it was less challenging to make than season two,” Thede says.

She explained how crucial it was for the show, its cast, and writers to find the “rhythm,” especially given that much of season two happened during the height of the pandemic.

“We were able to get back into what I think is the real rhythm of the show. And season two was great! Listen, five Emmy nominations, a win– like season two was amazing,” Thede said. “I am in competition with myself to amp the bar every season, to raise the bar.”

Although Thede and the cast were getting used to working with COVID restrictions, shooting during the rise of the omicron variant was still a challenge.

“We shot [this season] in the fall, so, you know, it was still COVID-y out here in these streets,” she said. “So it was really scary. We were still testing six times a week and by the grace of God, never got shut down. But our crew was still really, really careful, and protecting our cast.”

One major aspect of A Black Lady Sketch Show’s success is its guest stars. Season one included Angela Bassett, David Alan Grier, and Tia Mowry. Issa Rae, Gabrielle Union, and Kim Wayans appeared in season two. Thede tells theGrio that season three will take the guest stars to another level.

“We’ve got 40 plus guest stars on this season. You know, everybody from Ava DuVernay to Michael Ealy to Kel Mitchell to Holly Robinson Peete, to Wanda Sykes to Tommy Davidson; Essence Atkins is back, [and] Raven Symone,” Thede said.

Although the show has landed numerous A-list guests, Thede said she focuses on the writing first. “The brilliant thing about this show is that we write sketches and characters that we love, and then the writer’s room closes and then we cast the show,” she says.

“We can’t write for celebrities just because we need them to come one day and often we only have that location a specific amount of time, so it’s just a narrow window to fill. So what we do instead is create great sketches and great characters, and then we reach out to celebrities that we think will fit the bill for those characters.”

Season three of A Black Lady Sketch Show premieres Friday.

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Will Smith refused to leave Oscars after Chris Rock incident, Academy says

Many have questioned why Smith was allowed to remain seated front row at the Academy Awards

The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences said that Will Smith was asked to leave to Sunday’s Oscars after hitting Chris Rock but refused.

Many have questioned why Smith was allowed to remain seated front row at the Academy Awards after the incident. On Wednesday, the academy suggested that it attempted to remove the actor from the audience.

Will Smith accepts the award for Best Actor in a Leading Role for “King Richard” onstage during the 94th Oscars at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, California on March 27, 2022. (Photo by Robyn Beck / AFP) (Photo by ROBYN BECK/AFP via Getty Images)

“Things unfolded in a way we could not have anticipated,” the academy said. “While we would like to clarify that Mr. Smith was asked to leave the ceremony and refused, we also recognize we could have handled the situation differently.”

The academy’s board of governors met Wednesday to initiate disciplinary proceedings against Smith for violations against the group’s standards of conduct. The academy said Smith has the opportunity to defend himself in a written response before the board meets again on April 18. The academy said disciplinary action for Smith could include suspension, expulsion or other sanctions.

The film academy earlier condemned Smith’s onstage assault of Rock. But it used stronger language Wednesday.

Chris Rock and Will Smith onstage during the show at the 94th Academy Awards at the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood on Sunday, March 27, 2022. (Myung Chun / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

“Mr. Smith’s actions at the 94th Oscars were a deeply shocking, traumatic event to witness in-person and on television,” the academy said.

“Mr. Rock, we apologize to you for what you experienced on our stage and thank you for your resilience in that moment. We also apologize to our nominees, guests and viewers for what transpired during what should have been a celebratory event.”

On Monday, Smith issued an apology to Rock, the academy and to viewers, saying “I was out of line and I was wrong.”

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Tony Rock denies that Chris Rock, Will Smith have reconciled after Oscars slap

The comedian’s brother also denied that the slap was staged

Chris Rock has not yet spoken publicly about Will Smith slapping him at the Academy Awards on Sunday, but the comedian’s brother has reacted to the controversy.

Tony Rock condemned the incident in a series of tweets on Tuesday telling his followers that Chris is “fine” after the assault. He also rejected Smith’s apology.

Chris Rock and Will Smith at the 94th Academy Awards at the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood on Sunday, March 27, 2022. (Myung Chun / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

During the 94th annual Academy Awards ceremony, Rock roasted Jada Pinkett Smith’s bald head when he joked, “Jada, I love you! G.I. Jane 2, I can’t wait to see it.”

As reported by theGrio, the joke did not go over well with Jada, 50 and her husband Smith, 53, as the actress has previously spoken about her hair loss due to alopecia. The couple appeared at the ceremony for Smith’s Best Actor nomination for his performance as Richard Williams in King Richard.

BET's Social Awards 2018 - ShowTony Rock (L) and King Keraun at BET’s Social Awards 2018 at Tyler Perry Studio on Feb. 11, 2018 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images for BET)

Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs said Chris and Smith settled their differences at an Oscars after-party, but Rock claims that didn’t happen. In fact, he says the Rock family is still waiting for Smith to reach out to Chris directly to discuss the incident.

A friend of Diddy’s clarified that the music mogul spoke to both men separately after the debacle but neither of them spoke to one another.

“He went up to them both privately to have a few words,” a source told PEOPLE. “Chris was in shock and Diddy tried to give him encouraging words, and then he went over to Will at his seat.”

No https://t.co/NZ3VAKLAKu

— Tony Rock (@TONYROCK) March 30, 2022

Rock slammed the notion that the slap was staged. When one Twitter user asked if he plans on being respectful when he responds to Smith directly, or “fight fire with fire,” Rock said, “It’s on, bro.”

After answering about 20 questions as is his Tuesday night habit, Rock concluded with, “Be sure to watch Good Hair since the narrative is now changed to all my bro does is disrespect women of color.”

Several Twitter users reacted to this message by noting the numerous moments that Chris has disparaged Black women and Black people in general.

The veteran comedian declined to press charges against Smith. It’s likely he will address the slap during his stand-up show at Boston’s Wilbur Theater on Wednesday night as part of his Ego Death World Tour.

Smith, meanwhile, apologized to Chris in an Instagram post on Monday, theGrio previously reported.

“Violence in all of its forms is poisonous and destructive. My behavior at last night’s Academy Awards was unacceptable and inexcusable,” Smith wrote. “Jokes at my expense are a part of the job, but a joke about Jada’s medical condition was too much for me to bear and I reacted emotionally.”

“I would like to publicly apologize to you, Chris. I was out of line and I was wrong. I am embarrassed and my actions were not indicative of the man I want to be,” he continued. “There is no place for violence in a world of love and kindness.”

Pinkett Smith also shared her thoughts on the incident on Tuesday in a post that read, “This is a season for healing and I’m here for it.”

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Tickets for Chris Rock tour skyrocket after Oscars slap

Rock’s ‘Ego Death World Tour’ has seen an increase in sales on the secondary ticket market since he was hit by Will Smith at the Academy Awards on Sunday.

Chris Rock’s current comedy tour has seen an uptick in ticket sales after the viral slap heard ’round the world. The Grammy-winning stand-up comedian is launching his Ego Death World Tour on March 30.

TickPick, a secondary ticket-selling forum confirmed that more people are buying tickets to Rock’s concerts, with a big increase since Sunday. “We sold more tickets to see Chris Rock overnight than we did in the past month combined,” TickPick posted on Twitter.

We sold more tickets to see Chris Rock overnight than we did in the past month combined.

— TickPick (@TickPick) March 28, 2022

The increased demand for the tickets comes in the immediate aftermath of Rock being attacked by Smith during the live telecast of the 2022 Academy Awards.

Rock, 57, made a joke about Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith who now sports a low haircut due to alopecia. Pinkett Smith has spoken publicly about her bout with alopecia, a condition that causes hair loss.

Getty Images

“Jada, I love ya. G.I. Jane 2, can’t wait to see ya,” Rock said, referencing the 1997 film G.I. Jane, in which star Demi Moore’s character shaved her head while in the military.

Smith, 53, then approached Rock on the stage and slapped him across the face. He returned to his seat and commenced to repeatedly yell at Rock, “Keep my wife’s name out you f—– mouth!”

Later in the evening, Smith won the Best Actor Oscar for his portrayal of Serena and Venus Williams’ father, Richard Williams, in King Richard. He addressed his actions during his acceptance speech, saying, “I look like the crazy father, just like they said about Richard Williams. But love will make you do crazy things.”

Smith issued a public apology to Rock on Monday via his Instagram page. “I would like to publicly apologize to you, Chris,” Smith wrote. “I was out of line and I was wrong. I’m embarrassed and my actions were not indicative of the man I want to be. There is no place for violence in a world of love and kindness.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Chris Rock (@chrisrock)

Rock’s Ego Death World Tour begins in Boston, Massachusetts, this week and lasts until November.

In July, he will team up with Kevin Hart for five Only Headliners Allowed dates on the East Coast.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Chris Rock (@chrisrock)

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Black Herstory: Tammy Williams to Become First Black Woman to Own $135 Million Production Studio in Atlanta

Just as Women’s History Month (aka Black HERstory Month) comes to a close, film producer and director Tammy Williams has just cemented her own unique place in the history books.

Williams has now become the first Black woman to own a $135 million production studio and post-production facility in Atlanta (take that Tyler Perry!). The studio, Cinema South Studios, is set to break ground this month with an expected opening date for the first two sound stages sometime in 2023, according to . Williams also partnered with business partner Gary Guidry, CEO of G-Square Events and founded Cinema South Studios.

More on the details of the studio per Deadline:

With 60 acres, the studio is fully loaded with 11 sound stages, a back-lot, lighting and grip rental house, props and wardrobe. The production facility will include a transportation company and an office building to house a theater and post-production.

In a statement regarding the news, Guidry explained: “The demand for soundstages is happening globally, and the ownership rarely looks like us, let alone an African American woman. I choose to invest, I evaluate the need of the business and the ownership. Investing in Tammy Williams and her team of professionals convinced me buying the land in Fayetteville, GA.”

According to Williams, plans for this studio have been in the works for the last 12 years but now it looks like it’s finally coming to fruition.

“We’ve been patient,” she told the . “This has not been an overnight thing, this vision for us.”

Williams’ new studio will also house her production company, , —her job training and educational divisions, and Cinema South Film Academy. Since 2012, Tammy’Dele Films Job Training Workshops have launched film and television careers across the United States. The practical hands-on workshops garners Tammy’Dele Films Workshops as one of the most sought-after film and television training hubs, according to the .

Source: Black Herstory: Tammy Williams to Become First Black Woman to Own $135 Million Production Studio in Atlanta