Gospel

(ThyBlackMan.com) When it comes to collaboration, few artists have mastered the art like Michael Jackson. Throughout his extraordinary career, Jackson didn’t just work with people—he worked through them. His collaborations weren’t simple pairings for radio or marketing purposes. They were events. Each one revealed a new layer of his artistry, merging pop, soul, rock, gospel, and funk into something singular and transformative. Whether partnering with legends like Paul McCartney and […]

(ThyBlackMan.com) Brandy Norwood has long been called “The Vocal Bible,” a nickname she has rightfully earned through her unmatched vocal control, layered harmonies, and emotional intelligence as a singer. From her teenage years in the mid-1990s to her mature recordings in the 2010s and beyond, Brandy has been one of R&B’s most consistent truth tellers when it comes to love. Her music isn’t just romantic—it’s spiritual, vulnerable, and textured, offering […]

(ThyBlackMan.com) Before I begin, I want to explain why I write as I do. The reason is multifaceted. First, I write how I speak and think – WYSIWYG – what you see is what you get. Just ask my students. Second, I have a ton of unique experiences that I should share in print before I pass. Lastly, I read a lot, and it stays with me. So I integrate all […]

(ThyBlackMan.com) The ordinary dictionary at times describes a word with so many derivatives that it is difficult to apply the exact and definitive meaning to the word if you are reading the script. Nuance comes to mind here. When a word is used it is often the case that you, the writer, have in mind a specific meaning, but someone may very well perfectly understand the word but apply to […]

(ThyBlackMan.com) Our country is at a major crossroads. Therefore, we sometimes must wonder if most people, regardless of race, gender, age, economic class, or political persuasion, are fully aware of how our nation is changing before our eyes. On one front, we have the current Supreme Court case Louisiana v. Callais, which threatens to dismantle what is left of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 (VRA). The VRA has already suffered a major blow […]

(ThyBlackMan.com) “Every day we wake up, we fight battles nobody sees. Be kind. Be accountable. Be human.” – Ryan Clark. America has a long history of overpolicing Black men, scapegoating them as criminals without due process. The tragic death of rising LSU football star Kyren Lacy is no different. Not only was his death completely preventable, but the LaFourche Parish Sheriff’s Office should be held accountable for an arrest and prosecution without […]

(ThyBlackMan.com) The two words heard ad nauseum in describing the latest round of No Kings Rallies nationally was “festive air.” There is good reason for the near universal slap of those words on the rallies. They were just that–festive. The problem, really problems, with the rallies is how can you dethrone a king with a festival? The brutal reality is the rallies are a jumbled, unfocused mix of carnival, feel-goodism, […]

(ThyBlackMan.com) Amid discussions about furloughs and firings of federal employees, we often forget that most are ordinary citizens trying to make ends meet. Some hold these jobs for the benefits they provide, and others because they genuinely enjoy helping people and take pride in where they work. We must not lose sight of the people behind these jobs, nor dismiss them as dispensable, useless or unnecessary. As of this writing, […]

(ThyBlackMan.com) Zohran Mamdani’s alleged zinger in last week’s New York mayoral debate was a claim that he had “integrity” and his chief opponent, former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, did not. The people know Cuomo’s glories and missteps. But many have been TikTok-ed out of recognizing Mamdani’s two-faced candidacy displaying more calculation than conviction. Start with the New York City Police Department. In June 2020, Mamdani tweeted: “We don’t need an investigation […]