James Brown Documentary Comes to Netflix on 9/1

Check your local listings.  Not a sponsored post but if you saw 2015's Get On Up and want more, this is for you!

Is Netflix Becoming What BET Should Have Been?

I'm not talking about the early days when viewers had a nice mix that included news, international culture, real entertainment, a blaxploitation movie, and a couple of throwback sitcoms (at least not in marathon format).  Those were truly their glory days and I won't dwell on the past since it can't be changed.  Personally, I still can't forgive them for changing the popular sitcom. The Game, for Seasons 4 and 5 and then making it watchable in the last 1-2 seasons. BOO!

However, things seem backwards as one of the top TV writers, Shonda Rimes, shocked many when she decided to terminate her long-relationship with ABC for Netflix earlier this month.  While I'd been a fan of many streaming services, it's just in recent I've realized that we still have the power when it comes to consumer numbers.

Perusing the channel, I see many straight-to-DVD titles, indie flicks and projects by veterans like Marlon Wayans.  Last night I realized that 2016's biographic, I Called Him Morgan is not something anyone can just boost from YouTube.  Either pay one of the big names $3-5 to stream for the next day or so, or cough up a couple more dollars and get set for several budgeted date nights (shout out to you cheap asses, I co-sign 100%).

So between streaming services like Netflix, Hulu (which shows older episodes of my new fav, Power), and Bounce TV's Brown Sugar (BTW. I'm back and they finally got their act together), there's almost no need for cable.  Most reality shows are monotonous and predictable, even when they call themselves being shocking.  The truth is that they are more degrading than anything (though I'm not mad at those who capitalize).

In short, if you want to save some money, fire your cable provider!

RIP Mr Dick Gregory

Author, comedian, and humanitarian.  Thank you for sharing your gift with the world.

Where's Van Hunt?

I've found that most in my generation, regardless of race or background, who appreciate retro Black films feel the same about music that reflects an era gone by. Van Hunt was considered part of the early 2000s neo-soul movement with underrated hits like "Dust". Some music connoisseurs felt the title was stifling though some,like Erykah Badu and Jill Scott, managed to earn mainstream success to this day.

I still rock Mr Hunt's 2004 self-titled debut CD today. And it's on the strength of those tracks that I believe if Prince were to voluntarily pass the musical torch, Hunt could be a strong contender.

 This article describes some of the challenges the former Dionne Farris (now that's a name we haven't heard in a couple of minutes) protege. This year he released Popular, his first in more than a decade that was originally slated for 2008. Let me know what you think.
To listen on Spotify-https://open.spotify.com/album/6zyuCp6aqbAkBUuSTXuX7f
Other streaming music services - https://vanhunt.lnk.to/Popular