Is Off-Broadway’s MEXODUS the Next 'Hamilton'?
Brown & Black
Did you know The Underground Railroad went South and America spent 200 years hiding it? In this episode, we talk to Nygel Robinson and Brian Quijada, creators of the Off-Broadway musical MEXODUS, which reveals how 10,000 enslaved people escaped to Mexico between 1829-1865. This history of Black and Latino solidarity has never been brought to the stage, until now. We discuss why this musical is an act of resistance today, how they got white allies to fund a brown and black story, and what would happen if schools taught this truth? Plus, they address the inevitable comparisons to 'Hamilton' and...
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Spike Lee, Denzel, and the Black Film Marketing Problem
Brown & Black
Spike Lee and Denzel Washington, two of Hollywood’s biggest stars, reunite for A24's Highest 2 Lowest (in theaters August 15). But you wouldn’t know it from the marketing. Its low-profile rollout has people asking: is this racism or just business? And will the burden of promoting the film fall once again on Black moviegoers? Episode Summary: • Is undermarketing Black films racism or just business? • Did Spike and Denzel agreed to this deal? • The long history of under-promoted Black films • Black films that did get a marketing push • The problem with “we support our own”...
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Emmys 2025: A Brown & Black Breakdown
Brown & Black
How can the Latino star of Disney's Andor, the best-reviewed show in the Star Wars franchise, be snubbed by the Emmys? In this episode, we pull back the curtain on how the voting process really works from the inside. We’re also asking some hard questions: Why are Latinos showing up in record numbers, yet the nomination process doesn't reward them? What does the Diego Luna snub say to Latinos when reaching the peak is still not enough? We also shoutout the Latino showrunners, writers, composers, editors, and hairstylists quietly winning and shaping mainstream culture. And...
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Summer Movies 2025: Jurassic World: Rebirth / Materialists
Brown & Black
This July weekend, we review two of the biggest summer movies of 2025: Jurassic World: Rebirth and The Materialists. Mike breaks down why Jurassic World is stuck in a loop of reboots and clichés, even with big stars like Scarlett Johansson and Mahershala Ali. And what would it take to save this franchise? Then Jack reviews The Materialists, a romantic drama exploring love, class, and status in modern dating culture starrign Pedro Pascal, Dakota Johnson and Chris Evans. We also officially launched the Brown & Black Social Club on Substack, a space for Black and Latino...
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Why Sacrilege's Nyasha Hatendi Chose Horror to Speak His Truth
Brown & Black
In this episode, we welcome Nyasha Hatendi, the creator, writer, director, and producer of Audible's new audio horror drama, Sacrilege: Curse of the Mbirwi. He opens up about his motivations for creating Sacrilege, the influences behind its horror, his collaboration with actor Caleb McLaughlin from Stranger Things, and how truth and story have the power to bring people together. Episode Summary – Truth-telling in an age of lies – BBC to QCode: audio evolution – America, Zimbabwe, UK roots – Writing horror by accident, not intent – Dysfunctional family truth becomes horror –...
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'Sacrilege: Curse of the Mbirwi': An Audio Drama Analysis
Brown & Black
In this special sponsored episode, we're partnering with Audible for our first-ever audio drama analysis, breaking down the groundbreaking supernatural thriller "Sacrilege: Curse of the Mbirwi" starring Caleb McLaughlin from Stranger Things. Created by Zimbabwean-American filmmaker Nyasha Hatendi, this six-episode supernatural horror audio drama follows an African-American family from Detroit whose luxury heritage tourism trip to Zimbabwe unleashes an ancient shapeshifting spirit - part man, part beast, part spirit - that feeds on weakness and pain. We explore in-depth: - What does it mean to...
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Is Ryan Coogler's 'SINNERS' Too Black for Hollywood?
Brown & Black
This week we deconstruct Ryan Coogler’s SINNERS from a Latino and Black perspective. It's a film that is creating deep cultural conversations about Black originality and the business of Black culture globally. We explore its cultural symbolism, audience reactions, Variety's media bias, and the troubling Asian release rollout that may hint at anti-Black bias in Asian markets. Episode Summary (2:00) – White audiences, Black movies: The paradox (4:00) – Ryan Coogler enters director-auteur status (7:00) – Layers of Black culture, not just horror (10:45) – The Sammy blues scene decoded...
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Can Brown & Black Art Survive AI? OpenAI, Studio Ghibli & the Fight for Creative Ownership
Brown & Black
If AI can make human-like art, do we still need the artist? In this episode we unpack the OpenAI's 'Image Editor' and the Studio Ghibli AI trend, and discuss the cultural, economic, and existential implications AI poses to Black and Latino artists. Episode Summary: AI Art: Speed & Quality Enjoying vs. Fearing AI Art Copyright Crisis Is the Artist's Career in Peril? Audience Over Artists? Art vs. Commerce Struggle Inflection Point The Japanese Copyright Law Loophole Prompt Engineers Replacing Artists? Redefining "Artist" Cultural Gatekeepers Adapt or Resist? Defining the Artist The...
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Mark Anthony Green on His A24 Directorial Debut "Opus"
Brown & Black
In Opus, Ayo Edebiri plays a journalist invited into a world of celebrity power, but is she there to observe, or be consumed by it? This week on Brown & Black, journalist and filmmaker Mark Anthony Green joins us to unpack his A24 directorial debut, Opus. We dissect the film's underlying themes, including the seductive power of validation, the blurred lines between journalism and celebrity, and how Black horror and comedy can expose the darker truths of our human condition. Episode Summary Mark Anthony Green reveals journey from GQ journalist to filmmaker The reality of being "in...
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Trump and the Whitewashing of Brown & Black Culture
Brown & Black
Is Donald Trump's Kennedy Center takeover the start of a cultural whitewash? This week on 'Brown & Black,' we examine what happens when the most powerful man in America seizes control of the nation's most prestigious cultural institution. The President's takeover of the Kennedy Center has sparked fears of a whitewashing of African-American and Latino culture. From shrinking opportunities for artists of color to the threat against Spanish-language media, are we witnessing the beginning of state-run art in America? Episode Summary: Discussing the definition of "white culture" and its...
info_outlineWhat does responsible AI use look like in the music world?
This week, we sit down with Grammy CEO Harvey Mason Jr., the man at the helm of one of music's most revered institutions, to discuss AI’s current and future impact on the music industry - especially for creators of color - and how the Recording Academy is confronting this challenge head-on. Harvey reveals what’s at stake: artist rights, the moral challenges AI presents, and how the Grammys are preparing for the inevitable surge of AI-generated music.
If you're in the music industry, a fan of pop culture, or following the AI disruption drama, this eye-opening conversation will make you rethink the future of music and creativity in the digital age.
Episode Summary:
0:00 - The growing impact of AI on the music industry explained
1:40 - Exploring whether AI is a creative tool or disruptor in music
3:30 - Discussing AI’s role in the process of music creation
6:20 - The ethical use of AI is needed to protect human creativity
9:15 - How AI increases corporate profits but can harm artists
12:00 - Examining AI’s potential benefits for music industry revenue
14:45 - Questioning whether AI will ever have its own Grammy category
17:30 - The Grammys’ stance: no awards for AI-generated music
20:40 - Expanding access to music education for creators of color
24:15 - The Grammys use AI detection to protect artist rights
26:50 - Redefining what defines talent in an AI-driven music world
30:10 - Balancing AI innovation with human connection in music
32:45 - A preview of the 2025 Grammy nominations: diversity and creativity
Sources:
Recording Academy: https://www.recordingacademy.com/press-room/executives
Will. I. Am. FYI app: https://will.i.am/
Harvey Mason Jr. Quotes:
"The AI songs right now are generating a hundred songs per second. ... No one can tell me that AI is going to make Songs in the Key of Life or Nevermind, or Illmatic."
"But as it relates to the academy right now, we don’t reward or award AI in our process. So if you're AI vocal, you're not eligible for performance."
"AI is happening. There's no going back. ... Let’s make sure that it's done responsibly, ethically, maybe even morally."
"If you're Bad Bunny ... but if you're the purist who wants to have complete control over their voice ... then they should be able to do that as well."
"I do believe in the power of human creativity...but without some real advocating and without legislation... we would have the danger in my mind that we could slip into a place where we’re just listening to generated AI music."
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