By Ken McCoy
In this episode, BHN news anchor, Ken McCoy, praises to Kendrick Lamar's sophomore concept album, good kid, m.A.A.d city, the career of grammy-nominated jazz singer Nnenna Freelon, and Jonathan Major's intimidating role in Creed III.
The News Stories
Kendrick Lamar’s 2012 sophomore album Good Kid, M.A.A.D City is regularly discussed as one of the most influential albums ever and now Rolling Stones has scored it #1 in its Top 50 Greatest Concept Albums Of Time list. “Good Kid, M.A.A.D City vividly takes us through a day in the life of Lamar with Compton as a backdrop in each song’s hook, skits, melodic rhythms and masterful lyricism. In addition, Good Kid, M.A.A.D City has spent 519 weeks on the Billboard 200 album chart. Lamar’s critically-acclaimed body of work is the longest-charting Hip Hop studio LP of all time.
Nnenna Freelon puts fire, passion, jazz, blues, gospel, sultry soul, poetry, and a whole lot of “stank,” respectfully, on everything she intricately touches. She exudes her power through her femininity and Blackness with enviable poise and can’t help but command a room whether she finds herself. People are relieved to know they can be creative, can dance with their grief,” Freelon said adding that some people in the Black community can feel “ashamed” about still mourning their loved one’s passing, and through her podcast, she wants to get the message out that it’s OK. “(It is important to) be creative in this thing that is a part of life – this thing called grief,” she said adding that death is normal. “Don’t nobody come here to stay. How we deal with it in the vacuum of someone’s passing determines the quality of life we have.”
Feature Story:
In Creed III, Jonathan Majors plays Damian, a childhood friend of Adonis who was recently released from prison... now he is going after everything Adonis owns, including his boxing title! Majors starred alongside the late Chadwick Boseman and Delroy Lindo in Spike Lee's war drama film Da 5 Bloods, which was released on Netflix. That year, he also garnered wider notice for portraying Atticus Freeman in the HBO television series Lovecraft Country. His performance in Lovecraft Country was favorably reviewed by critics; Vogue dubbed him "the emotional core of the show".