Loosely based on Deborah Feldman’s best-selling autobiography, “Unorthodox” is the story of a 19-year-old Esther Shapiro (Etsy) who frees herself from the chains of Williamsburg’s Hasidic Satmar community. She leaves behind an arranged marriage, a restrictive lifestyle, and the only community she’s ever known. Etsy is an absolute hero who fights through mental and physical hurdles in order to seek liberation and meaning to life. However, her story is not a homogenous one. Although Etsy’s situation supports her extreme journey of liberation and condemnation, this is not a fair light to shed on an entire community, rather an entire religio-cultural…
Author: Reda Zarrug
After releasing K.O.D just last year, J. Cole is not letting time get in the way of his personal and label goals. Revenge of the Dreamers 3 brings together not only the entire roster of Dreamville artists, but a wide spectrum of hip-hop’s finest. Dreamville put this album together between January 6th and the 16th of this year. That’s only 10 days. This was a great display of the abilities of everyone involved as all hands were on deck. With that being said, there are areas of praise, contentment and criticism, naturally. However all in all, this album adds to the…
DJ Khaled has had a storied career – 11 studio albums and some of the greatest production and executive production we’ve ever seen. One may question the exact role Khaled plays in creating these albums; he doesn’t rap or sing on the albums, nor does he really DJ anymore. Despite the confusion, it’s time for fans to recognize the impact he’s had on the game. Khaled is now what Fat Joe was to Big Pun, revealing the crucial roles executive production and creative direction continue to play in music today. A rapper is only as good as the record, and that’s…
On March 31st 2019 at 3:15PM a hip-hop hero was murdered. He grew up on Crenshaw streets and unfortunately it was those same streets where he lost his life. When I first heard about the murder, it was accompanied by a flurry of emotions—doubt, confusion, anger, empathy. Nipsey wasn’t your average rapper. His focus extended far beyond his own benefit; he was focused on his communities. That’s right, not just one community, but he was actively involved in bringing success to his Crenshaw community, the hip-hop community, the black community, even extending to his reconnection efforts with his east African…
