Afrofuturism

• Armed with two record players and a mixer, he created an extended percussive break while others rhymed over the beats.
• Well, that’s the origin story, although pinpointing the birth of a genre is never going to be an exact science.
• Below is a selection of the resulting articles, introduced by a key track featured in their writing.

1. ‘Rapper’s Delight’ – The Sugarhill Gang

• No history of hip-hop would be complete without this 1979 track by The Sugarhill Gang.
• But along with being an old-school classic, it also kick-started hip-hop’s global expansion.
• Read more:
  After 'Rapper's Delight,' hip-hop went global – its impact has been massive; so too efforts to keep it real

2. ‘Planet Rock’ – Afrika Bambaataa & The Soulsonic Force

• Despite building on samples and influences from the past, hip-hop as a genre has always pointed forward – as this 1981 track from Afrika Bambaataa & Soulsonic Force exemplifies.
• Read more:
  Through space and rhyme: How hip-hop uses Afrofuturism to take listeners on journeys of empowerment

3. ‘Stan’ – Eminem, featuring Elton John

• But it was a pivotal moment in rap history: Eminem dueting with pop royalty Elton John underscored how hip-hop by the beginning of the 21st century had been accepted by the mainstream music industry.
• Moreover, it came at a time when Eminem was deemed deeply controversial because of his use of anti-gay slurs in his tracks.
• He noted that rappers are now having discussions over LGBTQ+ issues and apologizing for hateful speech in their earlier lyrics.

4. ‘You Came Up’ – Big Pun

• While hip-hop’s origins lie in Black American communities, Latino culture is also deeply woven into its story: from pioneers like Kid Frost and Big Pun to Bad Bunny, one of the most-streamed artists making music today.
• The genre was “my first love,” wrote Alejandro Nava, a religious studies professor at the University of Arizona.

5. ‘That’s what the Black woman is like’ – Arianna Puello

• Those social messages connected with Black and immigrant youths throughout Europe who themselves were searching for identity in countries where discrimination remains entrenched.
• Throughout her career, for example, Puello has used her music to confront the racism that she has faced as a Black female migrant in Spain.

6. ‘Move the Crowd’ – Eric B. and Rakim

• She argued that it became “hip-hop’s consciousness, emphasizing an awareness of injustice and the imperative to address it through both personal and social transformation.” One of the first rappers to use the phrase in lyrics was Rakim, who mentioned it in his 1987 song “Move the Crowd.” The song is a track on the “Paid in Full” album, which Rolling Stone once listed as No.
• 61 on its “500 Greatest Albums of All Time.”

7. ‘LOUD’ – Wawa’s World

• Stabilizing the portfolio of brands within EV – Essence Communications Inc., AFROPUNK, BeautyCon, and Essence Studios – has been the focus of Essence Ventures President and CEO, Caroline Wanga, and Richelieu Dennis, Founder and Chairman of Sundial Group of Companies, the parent company under which EV lives.
• Caroline Wanga, President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) joined Essence Ventures in 2020 as Chief Growth Officer and Interim CEO of Essence Communications Inc. from the Target Corporation, in addition to extensive experience in the nonprofit sector.
• Pauline Malcolm-Thornton joined Essence Ventures in 2022 as Chief Revenue Officer (CRO) from Branded Entertainment Network (BEN), an entertainment AI company that integrates brands into content.
• Since joining, Erika has invested in brand awareness and driving record numbers of impressions across the Essence Ventures portfolio of businesses.

• Atlanta-based BronzeLens Film Festival (BronzeLens) has the distinction of being situated in one of the worlds leading film and television production hubs and it is positioned as a hotbed for creatives to ideate, collaborate, and garner support.
• The BronzeLens team is poised and ready to present films that represent the hopes, dreams, and experiences of filmmakers of color.
• Of the 124 official film selections,19 are Georgia productions and many films have an Afrofuturist or Horror theme.
• BronzeLens is a designated Oscar Qualifying Festival in the Shorts category and 57 Shorts are among the official film screenings.

• For over two centuries Johnnie Walker has been committed to a spirit of progress and moving forward.
• Through different cultures, passions and challenges Director Amarachi Nwosu showcases a continent united in striving for progress for everyone.
• Nwosu, comments, "Making The Ones Who Keep Walking with Johnnie Walker was an opportunity to tell a story that reimagines how we see Africa and the creative renaissance taking place.
• Johnnie Walker Global Marketing Director Johanna Dalley added: "At Johnnie Walker we're always looking to celebrate the stories of those who take bold steps to make life richer.