Happy Sunday! Whether you’re a new subscriber or an existing subscriber, welcome back. Here are a few articles you should check out from this week!
Before getting to the articles for this week, let's get into some of the notable music releases. This week, Nigerian artist Rema released his sophomore album, Heis. The album is mostly Afrorave and Afrobeats. Rema is pushing the boundaries of his sound as time progresses, and this album hasn't failed to confuse some people because of the shift in sound. Rema is confident. Rema is assertive. Rema is comfortable. When an artist takes risks such as the ones here, their confidence in the sound is paramount to the project's success. The artist has to lean all the way in. Rema doesn't hesitate to do so.
Another release that was a great listen was Common and Pete Rock's, The Auditorium Vol. 1. Hip Hop is alive and well and this project just makes sense after celebrating 50 years of the number 1 genre in the world. Common is still in peak form, and Pete Rock is still chopping samples at an elite level. Lyrically, every bar matters, and it's a smooth listen.
Healthcare disparities are ubiquitous in the U.S. This week, the Journal of the American College of Cardiology published that about half of all counties in the country don't have access to a cardiologist. This staggering statistic doesn't bode well for African American patients who need the services of cardiologists and may be in rural areas and are usually not in proximity to quality healthcare.
Read the full article here.
Paul Laurence Dunbar was an American novelist and poet. Although he had a short career, he was highly accomplished. Along with multiple poems and short stories, he wrote the lyrics for the first African American musical produced on Broadway, In Dahomey. Dunbar's use of his natural talking style was one of his greatest literary gifts. This is evident in most of his writing.
Read a full poem here.
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Afua Hirsch has been named as a Royal Society of Literature Fellow.
Dawn Staley, A’ja Wilson, Jaylen Brown, Lamar Jackson, and others are winners at 2024 ESPY awards.
After controversial tax bill and protests by Kenyan youth, Present of Kenya fires entire cabinet.
Pharrell Williams and Louis Vuitton finally release their Timbaland collaboration as part of their workwear capsule.
African nations are using HPV vaccine to combat cervical cancer.
Our Song of the Week: “Ozeba” by Rema (Nigeria)