Popular Culture
Intro
During this year of 2026, revelations about the reality of popular culture has increased massively. I remember back in the 2000s, many of us who did this type of research were denounced as "theorists." Yet, we are taken more seriously because of the revelations about many celebrities who made terrible decisions in their lives. Films like 1999's Eyes Wide Shut showed many bizarre, strange rituals that take place in many celebrity functions in real life (from Diddy sanctioned freakoffs, super wealthy masked parties, and to underground sexual and S&M bars). There are many lessons to learn involving the entertainment industry and popular culture. One lesson is found in the results of the Diddy trial, the trial of Harvey Weinstein, and others prove once against that people must live in a life of righteousness, not degeneracy and human exploitation. You have to treat people right. Diddy, Weinstein, and others have unjustly mistreated tons of people for decades. Another lesson in this world in general is to be multifaceted in what you if you desire. For example, it is fine to be a jack of all trades like learning STEM, theology, cuisine, philanthropy, education, and other subjects pertaining to life In that sense, a person will have an open-minded, wide-ranging understanding about how the world functions. As we all realize, there is absolutely no excuse for abuse, adultery, rape, assault against innocent human life, sexual harassment, and other evils plaguing the Earth. We must act like a beacon of light in an imperfect world. Prayer is important, because it calms the soul, has worked to make a difference in society, and teaches discipline plus honest communication skills. For eons, popular culture represents a modern manifestation of the political, social, economic, and spiritual battle between good and evil plainly speaking. We have every right to be on the right side of history.
Music Evolution by the Decades (50s to 2020s)
The music of the 1950s had many dynamic developments. It was a transitional time after the peak of swing. Jazz was popular, but the 1950s saw the rise of the modern day teenager culture. Back in the day, there was childhood and adulthood without much teen culture. After World War II, teenager culture grew involving clothes, music, slang, and other aspects of living. Rock and Roll was born in its infancy by the 1950s. There was a shift from big band pop to faster, rhythm driven sounds. There was the mainstream showing of R&B music or rhythm and blues. There was the 45 RPM records and the electric guitar's dominance. Rock and Roll was promoted by DJ Alan Freed. Back in the day, critics of rock and roll viewed it as too violent, too sexual, and dangerous to kids which was ironically the criticism made by some against hardcore hip hop music decades later. The 1950s had louder sounding guitars. There were pop and jazz artists dominating the decade too with artists like Frank Sinatra, Doris Day, etc. There was the early soul artist Ray Charles showing songs and country music growing with artists like Hank Williams. Chuck Berry released the song Johnny B. Goode, Elvis Presley grown in the scene with songs like Heartbreak Hotel, and Buddy Holly had the song That'll Be The Day. Fats Domino had the song Blueberry Hill. The artist Little Richard (who is one of the innovators of rock and roll. He helped out the Beatles, James Brown, Jimi Hendrix, The Rolling Stones, and so many other artists) released the song Tutti Frutti, which was controversial during that time. Little Richard became a born-again Christian before died. Little Richard started tons of trends in rock and roll that he called himself the Originator of Rock and Roll. The 1950s saw a change to modern pop music from traditional pop music. Artists like Jerry Lee Lewis, Ritchie Valens, Larry Williams, The Platters, Dion and the Belmonts, Frankie Lymon, The Flamingos, The Del-Vikings, and other artists existed. Many artists promoted doo-wop music or a type of R&B music. Sam Cooke and James Brown in the 1950s grown the soul music culture too. Jazz was popular with bebop, hard bop, modal jazz, and cool jazz with artists like Miles Davis, Dave Brubeck, Thelonious Monk, Bill Evans, Jon Coltrane, and Chet Baker. We saw bossa nova from Brazil, and other Latin styles like mambo, salsa, and merengue.
Music in the 1960s had some of the most revolutionary times of musical expression. The 1960s changed everything music wise and culturally. It was the decade when the Civil Rights Movement, the Women's Rights Movement, the Sexual Revolution, the Drug Revolution, etc. reached into another level. There was the rise of Motown with some of the greatest black musicians in history like The Supremes, the Temptations, Marvin Gaye, the Jackson 5, Smokey Robinson, Martha Reeves, etc. Also, there was Stax Records showing the artist Otis Redding too. There was the British Invasion filled with The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, the Animals, and other artists. These UK bands shown rock and roll with their own style. Rock and Roll evolved from the early 1960s having more conservative rock bands to more revolutionary styles by the mid to late 1960s with groups like Bob Dylan, Cream, Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, Jefferson Airplane, and other people. There was the rise of folk, soul, and psychedelic rock and roll movie. By the 1960s, more artists sang about political issues like The Impressions (with Curtis Mayfield) talking about civil rights, Bob Dyland talking about civil rights, and Pete Seeger opposing the Vietnam War. This time saw the rise of conceptual, cohesive modern-day albums like the Beatles with their Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. There were compact cassettes allowed fans of music to have more access to songs. There were music festivals like the 1967 Newport Jazz Festival, the 1969 Woodstock Festival, and the 1969 Harlem Music Festival (which was shown in a recent documentary filled with groups like The Fifth Dimension, Aretha Franklin, etc.). The 1960s saw new forms of pop music, Jamaican music, and Cuban music. There were electronic guitars being played.
The music of the 1970s was groundbreaking, showing a funkier sound. From R&B to rock and roll, the music of the 1970s had a more musical edge than that of the 1960s. Also, the 1970s was the time when hip hop was born, one of the most important musical genres in history. This decade saw rock and roll divided into newer subgenres like punk, heavy metal, and glam. In other words, rock and roll became more complex with heavy metal groups like Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, etc. There were other rock bands like Pink Floyd, Yes, David Bowie, Chicago, the Doobie Brothers, and Queen. We saw the rise of disco music. Disco music came from the working class streets of America that focused not only escape but also serious topics at times too. Such disco musicians were Donna Summer, Gloria Gaynor, Dee Gees, KC and the Sunshine Band, Kool and the Gan, Earth, Wind, and Fire, and Chic that shown disco songs constantly. The 1970s saw the rise of the singer songwriting culture like Stevie Wonder, Carole King, Elton John, Joni Mitchell, and Fleetwood Mac producing many albums and writing their own music. By the mid to late 1970s, there was punk and new wave with groups like the Ramones, Sex Pistols, and The Clash. The new wave used a more synth sound with Talking Heads and The Cars. Hip Hop started in the 1970s with early artists like Kool Herc, Grandmaster Caz, Grandmaster Flash, Sequence, Sha Rock, DJ Hollywood, Coke La Rock, Melle Mel, Kurtis Blow, and other human beings.
The music of the 1980s include some of the most diverse forms of music in human history. This decade saw music among every genre in a form of excellence and creativity. There was a technological revolution back then using synthesizers, programmed drum machines (like the LinnDrum), and the iconic gated reverb effect on drums to create a massive, spatial sound. This decade saw lush chorus, and electric basslines. Many people using drum machines, the Yamaha DX7 and the Roland Juno-60. This time saw harmonic and melodic structure and arrangements using instruments. Massive diversity existed in rock. There wasn't just metal rock or hair bands. There were alternative groups like U2 and REM. There was synth pop, new wave, and house music being invented in Chicago by the 1980s too. By the 1980s, hip hop reached into a new era called the Golden Age that lasted from 1986 to 1994 that included icons like Rakim, KRS-One, Shante, Salt-n-Pepa, MC Lyte, Queen Latifah, etc. The themes and lyrics of the 1980s were about driving, cars, romance, sex, religious imagery, politics, and other topics being explores. Politics were promoted by 1980s musicians in Live Aid in London and America. Also, by the late 1980s, a wave of Afrocentric cultural growth developed in black communities of America plus the world as shown by hip hop artists like Paris, Public Enemy, Rakim, etc. Electronic dance music and indie pop were invented. There was the use of digital recording. Superstar musicans grew into the next level from Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson, Prince, Madonna, and other people. The 1980s sw Michael Jackson as the leader of pop with songs like Beat It, Billie Jean, Man in the Mirror, etc. His album of Thriller was the best selling R&B album of all time. Madonna increasingly became more controversial by the end of the decade with songs like Like a Virgin, Like a Prayer, etc. Whitney Houston was the leader of R&B with being the first woman artist to debut at Number One in the Billboard 200. She had classic songs like Saving All My Love for Your, How Will I Know, etc. We see a younger generation of artists like Paula Abdul, Expose, Debbie Gibson, Tiffany, New Edition, Laura Branigan, Michael Bolton, Brenda K. Starr, Boy George, Glenn Medeiros, etc. Many icons flourished in the 1980s like Tina Turner, Lionel Richie, Donna Summer, Chaka Khan, and Dian Ross. Cynthi Lauper was the voice of the MTV Generation of the 1980s with her songs both being pop and serious like True colors, Change of Heart, etc. Richard Marx came to fame in the 1980s too. Rock split into multiple genres. There were hard rock with bands like Queen, Chicago, Europe, Ratt, Twisted, Poison, AC/DC, etc. Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, and Motorhead grown. The 1980s saw Tipper Gore and others use stickers on album cover to try to prevent young people from buying albums. This was protested by many musicians as violations of the First Amendment, and such debates continue to this day. Alternative rock spread from the streets, college campus, and underground settings to the mainstream by the 1980s. Groups like R.E.M., the Hits, The Feelies, and others used punk influences with folk music. R.E.M. had Murmur which was an album in 1983. Other alternative bands were The Bangles, Orange Juice, The Clean, etc. By the late 1980s, early gunge were popular like Nirvana. Women like Tacy Chapman, Nanci Griffith, k.d. lang, and Tori Amos advanced their careers. There were country music too with people like Randy Travis, Keith Whitley, Reba McEntire, The Judds, Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt, Kathy Mattea, Clint Black, Garth Brooks, Lorrie Morgan, and Travis Tritt. Contemporary R&B formed in the 1980s with elements of hip hop, soul, and funk merging with artists like Janet Jackson, Diana Ross, Rick James, KC and the Sunshine Band, The gap Band, Cheryl Lynn, Club Nouveau, Midnight star, George Benson, The Jets, Earth, Wind, and Fire, Jeffrey Osborne, and other musicians. Gospel and Christian music in general was powerful in the 1980s too with artists like BeBe and CeCe Winans, Yolanda Adams, The Hawkins Family, The Clark Sisters, Andrae Crouch, Shirley Caesar, Commissioned, DC Talk, Amy Grant, Michael W. Smith, That is why this is a legitimate case that the 1980s had the most diverse amount of music in human history.
The music of the 1990s had ultimately diverse groups. It was a time of the Golden Age of groups, individuality being promoted, post-Cold War prosperity, and sense of the rise of electronic/rave music. It was driven by high budget music videos, massive album sales, and massive music festivals growing. It saw a mixture of grunge (like in Nirvana, Pearl Jam, etc.), the golden age of hip hop music (filled with the Notorious B.I.G., Tupac, Wu-Tang, Outkast, NWA, DMX, Jay Z, Salt-n-Pepa, the Fugees, Lauryn Hill, Ja Rule, etc.), and pop sensations (like Britney Spears, Spice Girls, the Backstreet Boys, NYSNC, 98 Degrees, etc.). The Seattle based grunge groups from Soundgarden and Alice in Chains had an angst because of Generation X earning less than Baby Boomers, a recession during the early 1990s, and some people having uncertainty about the future. There was a hip hop sound that became a billion dollars industry with G-funk, boom-bap, and other conscious hip hop shown by Snoop, Nas, Dr. Dre, Arrested Development, etc. Christina Aguilera and other pop icons grown by the mid to late 1990s. There was a pop punk, ska, and a rap/rock hybrid music from Green Day, Blink 192, Korn, No Doubt, etc. MTV and BET shown music videos constantly. This time saw the CD boom. Fashion had flannel, ripped jeans, jersey, baggy clothes, etc. By the end of the 1990s, music became more influenced by more electronic sounds as music becomes more digitalized. There was reggae, rock, and gospel including country music being highly influential. In the 1990s, rock's The Red Hot Chili Peppers had mainstream success and their album 1999 Californication represented that. Alterantive rock bands like Creed, The Verve, Spin Doctors, Goo Good Dolls, Smashing Pumpkins, etc. not only showing rock themes. Many genres from rock to hip hop shown political messages, love themes, and philosphical lyrics. The 1990s had lyrics that focused on life and how complicated life can be. Pop rock filled with Alanis Morisette, Tori Amos, Fiona Apple, and others shown their talent. In the 1990s, Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey dominated the 1990s R&B charts. Hard rock was shown throughout the decade by Aerosmith, Bon Jovi, and Metallica. Contemorary R&B artists had a dream team level of talent like 112, Faith Evans, D'Angelo, Destiny's Child, Total, SWV, En Vogue, Hi-Fi, Jade, Backstreet, Xscape, TLC, etc.
The music of the 2000s has been slandered, disrespected, and lied about for years now. The music of the 2000s was not all bad. People seem to forget that Kindred the Family Soul, Avant, Keke Wyatt, Corrine Bailey Rae, Aaliyah, Usher, Amerie, Jagged Edge, Fantasia, Maxwell, Anthony Hamilton, Sade, Jill Scott, Jennifer Hudson, Cherri Dennis, Musiq Soulchild, Sunshine Anderson, Erykah Badu, Ashanti, Mya, Tweet, Angie Stone, Jennifer Hudson, Floetry, and other musicians displayed songs and albums in the 2000s. Some folks must have forgot. That is why the 2000s was to me a great era of music, just like music from the 1950s to the 1990s. This decade saw a diverse amount of music. It was focused on electronic and digital sounds, the continuation of pop artists (like Britney Spears, NYSNC, Backstreet Boys, etc.), and hip hop artists (like DMX, Jay Z, Mos Def, Nelly, Eminem, etc.). There were rock and rap hybrids like Limp Bizkit and Linkin Park, KORN, etc. There was a rock revival of old school type of rock music like The Strokes, The Killers, The Red Hot Chili Peppers, U2, etc. There was emo pop with Fall Out Boys. There was the rise of ringtone music from pop, rock, R&B, and other artists like Soulja Boy. Pop megastars saw a peak in the early decade involving dominant divas and pop rock like Pink, Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Madonna, Kelly Clarkson, and Avril Lavigne. Hip Hop showed massive dominance, and hip hop became more focused as a business. In essence, the 2000s saw hip hop acting like the new rock stars, with Missy Elliot defining dance culture to this day. Other rock artists continue to show their own songs like Blink 182, Green Day, etc. There were the iPod, iTunes, and digital music being more popular. By the end of the 2000s, CD music production had massively declined, and music stores shut down nationwide as CDs were being replaced by more digital music. This decade saw the rise of Beyoncé into a solo superstar, similar to Diana Ross being a superstar soloist after being in The Supremes. Beyonce from 2003 with Crazy in Love just went to the Moon in popularity, and her popularity has not declined in 2026. There was the rise of the younger woman Rihanna too. Some of the famous songs during that decade were Yeah! with Usher, Lil Jon, and Ludacris in 2004, Since U Been Gone by Kelly Clarkson in 2004, Lose Yourself by Eminem in 2002, Seven Nation Army by The White Stripes in 2003, Hey Ya! in 2003 by Outkast, Mr. Brightside by The Killers in 2004, Umbrella by Rihanna in 2007, and In the End by Linkin Park in 2001). EDM and the merging of genres increased by this time. Michael Jackson had his album of Invincible too. Chillwave, post-Britpop, post punk revival, gospel, country, and other genre flourished. We saw Taylor Swift in her start, Carrie Underwood, and Miley Cyrus in her start. Hip House and electropop existed. J-po and K-pop grew into a new level. Reggaeton was huge in the 2000s too. Artists like Anastacia, Jennifer Lopez, Shakira, Justin Timberlake, Fergie, Kylie Minogue, and others flourished too. By the end of the decade, Lady Gaga just took over with The Fame album in 2008. It was a debut at number one with songs like Just Dance.
The music of the 2010s had dramatic changes with Spotify having a great deal with showing music. It had a massive pop-EDM crossover music, the rise of streaming, and massive hits from Beyonce, Lady Gaga, Taylor Swift, Adele, Bruno Mars, and Ed Sheeran. There was electropop, the growth of hip hop, and global Latino anthems like Despacito, plus other songs like Shape of You. Adele came about to show hits like Rolling in the Deep. Ariana Grande was rising up. Dance and club music were popular with Calvin Harris, The Chainsmokers, and Avicii. This decade saw the hip hop music scene grow with Kendrick Lamar, Drake, Nas, Travis Scott, Pusha T, Post Malone and other people. There were many anthems like Uptown Funk (with Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars), Happy by Pharrell, and Gangnam Style with PSY. YouTube allowed more accessibility to music videos, EPs, and albums. There was a pop sound popularized by Lana Del Rey too. Many pop artists shined like Selena Gomez, Lorde, and Birdy. There were country music artists like Chris Stapleton and Zac Brown Band. More pop artists grew like Justin Bieber, Shawn Mendes, Maroon 5, Sara Bareilles, Jason Mraz, Christina Perri. CeeLo Green, etc. By 2017, hip hop became the most popular genre in America in its 4th decade of growth, surpassing rock and pop music. There were Chance the Rapper, Nicki Minaj, Tyler the Creator, Juice WRLD, Lil Wayne, J. Cole, Playboi Carti, T.I. ASAP Rocky, Young Thug, 21 Savage, Cardi B, Big Sean, Megan Thee Stallion, and other people. This decade saw the movements of trap music, cloud rap, controversial drill music, and emo hip hop being mainstream. From DJ Mustard to Young Chope, producers had great power. There were progressive and experimental rock like Nothing More, Highly Suspect, and Twelve Foot Ninja. EDM hit a new peak with Alan Walker, Clean Bandit, Major Lazer, etc. Europop and Eurodance made a comeback with Robyn, etc. There were DJs like David Guetta and Clavin Harris working with Rihanna, Robyn, and Kesha. The early half of the 2010s had massive party hits from Black Eyed Peas, Flo Rida, Pitbull, etc. Teen pop stars, such as Selena Gomez and Ariana Grande became grown adults. R&B flourished too like Beyonce, SZA, and other people. In the 2010s, Beyonce shown some of her best albums like 4 in 2011, Beyonce in 2013, and Lemonade in 2016. Backstreet Boys and Madonna made comebacks. Rock band had their day with U2, Blink 182, Green Day, Linkin Park, Imagine Dragon, Foo Fighters, etc. Country music, gospel, and other music grown too.
By the 2020s, music had genre fluid pop, viral Tik Tok trends, an nostalgic synth pop revivals. We had artists like Olivia Rodrigo, Billie Ellish, Charli XCX, and The Weekend. There were a strong digital culture emotional songs, digital culture, etc. There is a mix of high-energy dance pop and introspective pop songs too. There were songs from Lizzo too. There have been hits made by Harry Styles, Glass Animals, Chappell Roan, Travis Scott, Jack Harlow, etc. There has been a country music revival with Zach Bryant. Bad Bunny made groundbreaking music worldwide in the 2020s with his album Un Verano Sin Ti. Beyonce released some of her best work in albums of Renaissance and Cowboy Carter. Taylor Swift released Folklore, and Kendrick Lamar released the album of Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers. TikTok helps to promote new artists like PinkPantheress and Ice Spice. During the major pandemic years (from 2020-2022), there was bedroom pop and dance pop escapism like Dua Lipa's Future Nostalgia. Some music has been genre-less. By mid 2023, the industry recorded its highest annual revenue to date being $8.4 billion. That was partly due to the growth of streaming subscriptions. Generations Z and Generation Alpha have promoted their own music being in their adolescence and very early adulthood. There has been music shown in skits, memes, and dance routines. In 2020, LIP records surpassed compact disc (CD) sales for the first time since 1986. Sabrina Carpenter became a super pop star in 2024. Latin music has also grown. There has been a rise of women in hip hop by the late 2010s and early 2020s with Megan Thee Stallion, Nicki Minaj, BIA, City Girls, GloRilla, Saweetie, Baby Tate, etc. The feud between Kendrick Lamar and Drake was a major hip hop event in the mid 2020s. Doja Cat was very popular in the 2020s. Doechii found new success in 2024. With R&B, we see H.E.R., Victoria Monet, Summer Walker, Jhene Aiko, Silk Sonic, Khalid, Daniel Caesar, Miguel, CHris Brown, Muni Long, SZA, the Weeknd, etc. making hits. Gospel in the 2020s are Tasha Cobbs Leonard, Kirk Franklin, Cece Winans, DOE, Koryn Hawthorne, Pastor Mike Jr., Jonathan McReynolds, Maverick City Music, Travis Greene, and other artists. Yolanda Adams, Keyla Richardson, CityAlight, Takie Ndou, and other people have great success. Generation Z's Josiah Queen and Forest Frank gained popularity too.
The 10th Year Anniversary of Beyonce's Lemonade
This year of 2016 is the 10th year anniversary of Beyonce's album of Lemonade. Lemonade was released on April 23, 2016, by Park Entertainment and Columbia Record. This album changed Beyonce's career forever and possibly is her current magnum opus. It was a historic album that went there to talk about the black woman experience, the role of Blackness in society, the evil of infidelity and adultery, and the process of healing. It was an album that showed Blackness in an unapologetic fashion that inspired many future artists. It has a mixture of avant garde, art pop, R&B, rock, and country music elements. It has soul, blues, reggae, gospel, and funk in it. It features guest vocals from Jack White, the Weeknd, James Blake and Kendrick Lamar. Upon release, it topped the charts and received platinum certifications in several countries across Europe, the Americas, and Asia–Pacific, and became the world's best-selling album of the year. The album was supported by five singles and promoted through a series of televised performances, as well as the Formation World Tour—the first all-stadium tour by a woman artist. Lemonade was hailed as an instant classic upon release and has since been named one of the greatest albums of all time. Critics commended the experimental post-genre production and nuanced vocal performance, with particular praise for the political subject matter reflecting Beyoncé's personal life. Lemonade came after her 2013 fifth eponymous studio album called Beyoncé. The Beyoncé album had a visual format too, being groundbreaking in the digital age. She became an auteur, not just a pop star. After Solange's fight with Jay Z in the elevator in 2014 at the Met Gala and Jay Z's affair, Beyonce still wanted to have a united front with their joint On the Run Tour in 2014. Formation was released on February 6, 2016, to oppose police brutality and racial injustice. She celebrated her Southern heritage as a black woman and celebrated trap and bounce culture. She performed with dancers in the Super Bowl 50 Halftime Show in honor of the 50th anniversary of the Black Panther Party. The Formation Tour existed. The Super Bowl performance was opposed by many conservatives and radical far right people falsely calling it anti-American and bashing the police. In an interview with Elle, published on April 4, 2016, Beyoncé was asked what she wanted to accomplish with the next phase of her career. She shared her desire to produce work that promoted healing and transformation, saying: "I hope I can create art that helps people heal. Art that makes people feel proud of their struggle. Everyone experiences pain, but sometimes you need to be uncomfortable to transform. Pain is not pretty, but I wasn't able to hold my daughter in my arms until I experienced the pain of childbirth!" The album of Lemonade was recorded between June 2014 and July 2015 across 11 studios in America. She used mood boards to give her dreams life and represent each chapter of her album. The Lemonade album is a song cycle (referencing the classical compositional genre defined in German Lieder by Robert Schumann, Franz Schubert and Johannes Brahms) that is performed as an elaboration of the Kübler-Ross model, with the tracks (excluding "Formation") corresponding to the eleven chapters of the Lemonade film: "Intuition", "Denial", "Anger", "Apathy", "Emptiness", "Accountability", "Reformation", "Forgiveness", "Resurrection", "Hope", and "Redemption." Melina Matsoukas, the director of the "Formation" music video, said that Beyoncé explained to her the concept behind Lemonade, stating: "She wanted to show the historical impact of slavery on black love, and what it has done to the black family, and black men and women—how we're almost socialized not to be together." Beyoncé wrote on this in a 2018 Vogue article about the "generational curses" in her family, explaining that she comes "from a lineage of broken male-female relationships, abuse of power, and mistrust", including a slave owner who married a slave. Beyoncé continues, writing "Only when I saw that clearly was I able to resolve those conflicts in my own relationship. Connecting to the past and knowing our history makes us both bruised and beautiful." Lemonade dealt with black feminism. "Don't Hurt Yourself" contains a quote from Malcolm X in which he said "The most disrespected person in America is the Black woman. The most unprotected person in America is the Black woman. The most neglected person in America is the Black woman." Many black women were in her music videos for the album, and she was inspired by Bessie Smith, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Memphis Minnie, Dionne Warwick, Julia Dash, Zora Neale Hurston, and other legends like Octavia Butler. Freedom was a powerful song with Kendrick Lamar. There has been a 60 minute film too. Other songs on the album are Pray You Catch Me, Hold Up, Don't Hurt Yourself, Sorry, Daddy Lessons, Sandcastles, Forward, All Night, Formation, etc.
The film's cast features Ibeyi, Laolu Senbanjo, Amandla Stenberg, Quvenzhané Wallis, Chloe x Halle, Zendaya and Serena Williams. In "Forward", the mothers of Trayvon Martin (Sybrina Fulton), Michael Brown (Lesley McFadden), and Eric Garner (Gwen Carr) are featured holding pictures of their deceased sons. Jay-Z and Beyoncé's daughter Blue Ivy appears in home video footage at one point, as does Jay-Z's grandmother Hattie White, and Beyoncé's mother Tina Knowles, who is shown with her second husband Richard Lawson on their wedding day in 2015. The film also samples work by Malcolm X, specifically an excerpt from his speech "Who Taught You to Hate Yourself", which is featured on the track "Don't Hurt Yourself."
Lemonade received widespread acclaim upon release, with many describing it as an instant classic, a masterpiece, and Beyoncé's magnum opus. It was music critics' top album of 2016 according to the BBC, was named the greatest album of the 2010s decade by publications such as the Associated Press and topped Rolling Stone's Greatest Albums of the 21st Century list. One of the most Grammy-nominated albums in history, Lemonade won Best Urban Contemporary Album and Best Music Video at the 59th Grammy Awards. It also won a Peabody Award in Entertainment at the 76th Annual Peabody Awards and received four nominations at the 68th Primetime Emmy Awards. Lemonade is considered a cultural phenomenon, sparking widespread discourse on its personal revelations and socio-political commentary. It had a significant impact on the entertainment industry, inspiring other musicians and visual artists, and ignited trends across music, fashion and pop culture. It has also been the subject of extensive analysis in academic journals, college courses, books, and museum exhibitions. Shahzaib Hussain, writing for Clash, stated: "Lemonade is Beyoncé at her most benevolent, and her most unadulterated. Treating her blackness not as an affliction but a celebratory beacon, Lemonade is a long overdue, cathartic retribution." Lemonade was named the best album of the decade (2010s) by Consequence of Sound, The Associated Press and Spex. Lemonade was also named the best music video of the decade by The Daily Beast, as well as one of the best movies of the 2010s by Vox. In January 2025, Lemonade was named by Rolling Stone as the greatest album of the 21st century.
Taxi Driver, 50 Years Later
This year is the 60th year anniversary of the film Taxi Driver. Taxi Driver was ahead of its time featuring issues of politics, mental health issues, and a post-Vietnam War New York City (filled with deindustrialization, economic issues, debates on what to do about crime, and decay of much of its infrastructure). Taxi Driver is a 1976 American neo-noir psychological drama film directed by Martin Scorsese and written by Paul Schrader. Set in a decaying New York City following the Vietnam War, it stars Robert De Niro as veteran Marine and taxi driver Travis Bickle, whose mental state deteriorates as he works nights in the city. The film also features Jodie Foster, Cybill Shepherd, Harvey Keitel, Peter Boyle, Leonard Harris, and Albert Brooks (in his first feature film role). The film was filmed during the summer of 1975. The actors and actresses took pay cuts to make sure that the project would be finished with $.19 million in its budget (which was low). For the score, Bernard Herrmann composed what would be his final score. The music was finished mere hours before his death, and the film is dedicated to him. Theatrically released by Columbia Pictures on February 8, 1976, the film was critically and commercially successful despite generating controversy for both its graphic violence in the film's climax, and for the casting of 12-year-old Foster as a child prostitute. The film received numerous accolades, including the Palme d'Or at the 1976 Cannes Film Festival and four nominations at the 49th Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Actor (for De Niro), and Best Supporting Actress (for Foster).
Although Taxi Driver generated further controversy for inspiring John Hinckley Jr.'s attempted assassination of President Ronald Reagan in 1981, the film has remained popular. According to STRAND Magazine, it is considered one of the greatest films ever made, and one of the most culturally significant and inspirational of its time. In 2022, Sight & Sound named it the 29th-best film ever in its decennial critics' poll, and the 12th-greatest film of all time on its directors' poll, tied with Barry Lyndon. In 1994, the film was designated as "culturally, historically, or aesthetically" significant by the U.S. Library of Congress and was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry. The film starts in New York City with Vietnam War veteran Travis Bickle working as a night shift taxi driver to deal with his chronic insomnia and loneliness. It was like Travis Bickle (played by Robert DeNiro) in the film goes into more madness as the film continues. He goes into adult movie theaters and creates a diary that deals with aphorisms like "you're only as healthy as you feel." He becomes disgusted with the crime and urban decay that he witnesses in the city and dreams about getting "the scum off the streets."
Travis becomes infatuated with Betsy, a campaign worker for Senator and presidential candidate Charles Palantine. Travis enters the campaign office where she works and asks her to join him for coffee, to which she agrees. Betsy agrees to go on a second date with him, during which he takes her to an adult movie theater, which she leaves immediately. He attempts to reconcile with her but fails. Enraged, he storms into the campaign office where she works and berates her before being kicked out of the office.
Experiencing an existential crisis and seeing various acts of prostitution throughout the city, Travis confides in a fellow taxi driver, nicknamed Wizard, about his violent thoughts. However, Wizard dismisses them and assures him that he will be fine. To find an outlet for his rage, Travis follows an intense physical training regimen. He gets in contact with black market gun dealer Easy Andy and buys four handguns. At home, Travis practices drawing his weapons, going as far as creating a quick-draw firearm hidden in his sleeve. He begins attending Palantine's rallies to scope out his security. One night, Travis shoots a man attempting to rob a convenience store run by his friend, leaving before the cops arrive as the convenience store owner proceeds to beat the non-responsive robber.
In his trips around the city, Travis regularly encounters Iris, a 12-year-old child prostitute. Tricking her pimp and abusive lover Sport into thinking that he wants to solicit her, Travis meets with her in private and tries to persuade her to stop prostituting herself. Travis shaves his hair into a mohawk and attends a public rally where he plans to assassinate Palantine. However, Secret Service agents see Travis putting his hand inside his jacket and approach him, which escalates to a chase. Travis escapes pursuit and makes it home undetected.
That evening, Travis drives to the brothel where Iris works to kill Sport. He enters the building and shoots Sport and one of Iris's clients, a mafioso. Travis is shot several times but manages to kill the two men. He fights with the bouncer, whom he manages to stab through the hand with his knife and kill with a gunshot to the head. Travis attempts to die by suicide, but has no bullets. Severely injured, he slumps on a couch next to a sobbing Iris. As the police respond to the scene, a delirious Travis mimics shooting himself in the head with his bloody finger. Travis goes into a coma due to his injuries, but he is hailed by the press as a heroic vigilante and not prosecuted for the murders. He receives a letter from Iris's parents in Pittsburgh, who thank him and reveal that she is safe and attending school. After recovering, Travis returns to work, where he encounters Betsy as a fare. Betsy tells him that she followed his story in the newspapers. Travis drops her off at her home but declines to take her money, driving off with a smile. He becomes agitated after noticing something in his rearview mirror but continues driving into the night. Taxi Driver represents the vigilante films that were common in the 1970s. DeNiro's character is an anti-hero but isn't truly treated for his mental health issues or his insecurities about life. The lesson of the film is that it is important to disagree with crime vigorously, but there are moral avenues to combat evil, not through dangerous vigilantism.
Diddy: The Recknoning (A Review)
For decades, Sean Combs' evil sin have been exposed to the world. Back in the 1990s and early 2000s, Wendy Williams, to her credit (even though I don't agree with her on all issues), was one of the few people who exposed Combs's nefarious actions in public. She paid a price for it, but her research shouldn't go unacknowledged. For over three decades, Combs having been complicit in emotional abuse, physical abuse, and others have accused him of sexual abuse too. Curtis Jackson and Alexandria Stapleton produced the documentary along with many people. Alexandria Stapleton directed the documentary. The Reckoning wanted to expose Diddy's dirty laundry in great detail. I have a nauance view of the documentary. My views is that Sean Combs is wrong what he has done to innocent human beings. I will never defend Diddy's actions as Diddy's abhorrent behavior has no justification period. The archival footage of Combs is rather conclusive on exposing his corruption. The interviews from Kaleena Harper, Aubrey O'Day, Erick Sermon, Al B. Sur, Lil' Cease, Greg Kading, Roger Bonds, Capricon Clark, Tim Patterson, Roger Bonds, William Lesane, Roxanne Johnson, Brooklyn Babs, and other people. The documentary is straight to the point with many information that most of us already knew mixed with new information. The documetnary has been produced from G-Unit Films and Television Inc., House of Nonfiction, and Texas Crew Productions. Episode one is called Pain vs. Love. In the early 1990s, during the golden age of hip-hop, Sean Combs becomes an intern at Uptown Records. After appearing in a music video for Uptown, Joi Dickerson-Neal alleges that Combs drugged and raped her, filmed the encounter, and showed it at his parties. During this time, Combs is also held responsible for the City College stampede, which caused the deaths of nine people in 1991. After being fired by Uptown in 1993, Combs co-founds Bad Boy Records with Kirk Burrowes and signs the Notorious B.I.G. to the label. The other episodes are What Goes Down Must Come Up in the second one, Official Girl in the third one, and Blink Again in the fourth one.
On December 7, 2023, executive producer Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson announced that he was developing a Sean Combs docuseries and that proceeds from the project would go to victims of the sexual misconduct allegations against Combs. Before hiring Alexandria Stapleton to direct the series, Jackson had been working on the project for five months, looking for people close to Combs who were willing to "speak and tell the truth." Cassie Ventura, Combs's former partner, was invited to participate in the series but declined. Jackson said that he spoke to Ventura and her husband, Alex Fine, "to understand how things transpired" with Combs. Netflix announced production on the series on September 25, 2024, one week after Combs was arrested on charges of racketeering, sex trafficking, and transportation to engage in prostitution. Jackson and Stapleton said:
"This is a story with significant human impact. It is a complex narrative spanning decades, not just the headlines or clips seen so far. We remain steadfast in our commitment to give a voice to the voiceless and to present authentic and nuanced perspectives. While the allegations are disturbing, we urge all to remember that Sean Combs' story is not the full story of hip-hop and its culture. We aim to ensure that individual actions do not overshadow the culture's broader contributions."
The series features clips of Combs in the days before his 2024 arrest, prompting questions about how Jackson and Netflix acquired the clips. Stapleton said, "we obtained the footage legally and have the necessary rights." The series' trailer was released on December 1, 2025. The series was released on Netflix the next day. Before its release, a spokesperson for Combs denounced the series, calling it a "shameful hit piece" that uses "stolen footage that was never authorized for release." Combs's mother, Janice Combs, also released a statement denouncing the series. In actuality, when tons of Combs' former Bad Boy allies and friends expose Diddy's misconduct, then it is very clear that Combs did unspeakable actions. Now, Curtis Jackson has an ulterior motive in showing the footage. 50 Cent hates Sean Combs for the following reasons: Combs in 50 Cent's eyes reneged on music deals with 50 Cent (when Curtis wrote many of Diddy's songs and for Bad Boy Records), Diddy dated the mother of his child, and 50 Cent views Diddy as not representative of true, unapologetic manhood (which is true as Diddy beating a woman up, beating up an innocent man Steve Stoute up, and emotionally abusing people are evil anti-manhood behavior). Also, 50 Cent is hypocritical in the sense of being accused of beating both mothers of his children and is known for trolling even innocent human beings for no legitimate reason. 50 Cent has a tendency to dehumanize and disrespect black celebrities, but when Chelsea Lately disrespected him, he is silent. The documentary traced Diddy's life form childhood to his current imprisonment. Combs' insecurities led him into corruption. This story is not new as nothing is new under the sun. Yet, we have to learn lessons from this story of Sean Combs to encourage people to live righteously and follow real moral principles in living a blessed life.
The film "HIM"
Him is a 2025 American supernatural horror film co-written and directed by Justin Tipping. The film stars Marlon Wayans, Tyriq Withers, Julia Fox, Tim Heidecker, and Jim Jefferies. Its plot follows a young up-and-coming football player (Withers) training at the isolated compound of an aging, nearly retired quarterback (Wayans). Him was released in the United States on September 19, 2025, by Universal Pictures. The film was controversial and had tons of symbolism in it. After me realizing what this film, it is certainly one of the most occult films of the 2020s. It revealed how many elites embrace occultism and the corruption found in many segments of the sports industry. Young Cameron "Cam" Cade watches his favorite football team, the San Antonio Saviors, win the league championship. His joy turns to distress when his quarterback idol, Isaiah White, suffers a violent, possibly career-ending injury while scoring the winning touchdown. Cam's father tells him that real men are willing to make such sacrifices. Years later, Cam's father has died, and Cam is now a rising football star. Encouraged by his family and girlfriend, he trains for the league combine. While practicing late on an empty field, Cam is ambushed and assaulted by an unidentified figure in a goat costume, causing a head injury that endangers his career.
Motivated by his agent, Tom, Cam plans to attend the combine to pursue the Saviors' quarterback position, despite the risk of permanent brain damage if he sustains another injury. While overstimulated due to his concussion, Cam lashes out at his brother and Tom, ultimately refusing to participate in the combine. Tom later reveals that Isaiah is considering retirement and has offered to train Cam for a week at a remote desert compound to prove himself a worthy successor. Cam accepts and travels there, encountering crazed Isaiah fans led by Marjorie, who try to intimidate him out of replacing their hero.
At the compound, Isaiah puts Cam through disturbing challenges, including a practice drill where a jugs machine repeatedly hits a player in the face and another drill where Cam severely headbutts another player. Cam secretly receives shots of Isaiah's blood, which he is led to believe is an energy booster, and experiences frequent hallucinations of masked figures, which he attributes to the concussion. While in a sauna, Cam is attacked by Marjorie and overpowers her. Isaiah arrives and kills her, leaving Cam unsettled by his apparent lack of remorse for doing so. As Cam tries to leave, Isaiah's wife, Elsie, apologizes for Isaiah's behavior and seduces Cam. Cam wakes the next morning to Isaiah holding him at gunpoint, demanding to know if Cam and Elsie slept together. Isaiah ridicules Cam for feeling guilty about cheating on his girlfriend, saying winners are remorseless.
Elsie invites Cam to a secret party to meet the owners of the Saviors. When Cam arrives, Marco, the team doctor, whispers to him to "run" before leaving. The owners offer Cam a strange red liquid, which he drinks, unaware that it is Isaiah's blood. A disoriented Cam finds Marco's severed head in a plastic-lined room. Elsie comforts him as he loses consciousness. Cam later wakes up in an ice bath at Isaiah's compound, connected to an IV of Isaiah's blood. He rips out the IV, injects a serum given by Marco, and grabs a jagged trophy, aiming to kill Isaiah and escape. Cam finds Isaiah watching a video of cheering fans. Isaiah reveals he is part of a line of manufactured "Greatest of All Time" (G.O.A.T.) players who gain enhanced abilities from ritual blood transferred down a lineage. Isaiah tells Cam they must fight to the death with one G.O.A.T. transfusion victor. After a struggle, Cam bludgeons Isaiah to death with a helmet.
Cam leaves the room and steps onto a football field, where he finds Elsie, the Saviors' owners, and Tom, all wearing animal masks. They present him with a contract to sign, revealing that Cam's father arranged for him to be the next G.O.A.T. They explain that the earlier masked attack was orchestrated to lead Cam to the Saviors as no one else would want to draft him. Cam refuses to sign the contract. After an owner threatens to kill his family for refusing to sign, Cam snaps and kills the masked attacker — who is revealed to be Isaiah and Cam's trainer, Malek — using a hammer pick axe. An enraged Elsie attempts to attack Cam, but she dies accidentally stabbing herself in the neck, while he kills all the owners with a sword. However, he spares Tom, who is dragged into a pentagram and destroyed by an unseen force. Outside the compound, a bloodied Cam walks past masked cheerleaders and into the desert. There are alternative endings in the film too. Marlon Wayans plays Isaiah White (who is a quarterback for the San Antonio Saviors), Tyriq Withers play Cameron Cade, Tierra Whack played Adrienne (Cam's girlfriend), and Julia Fox plays Elsie White (Isaiah's wife). The film HIM is one of the most symbolic films of the 2020s. It has trauma programming rituals, Pentagrams, adrenochrome symbols. So, despite it not being popular, the film outlines how the elite can groom athletic stars for decades. The film is about a young man being a heroic person to joined the occult elite's world. The HIM film poster shows the protagonist posing like he is Jesus crucified standing on a pentagram. Another poster shows a severed human inside a horned helmet. It doesn't get anymore blatant than that. The movie cites the San Antonio Saviors versus the Atlanta Masons. In the film, a goat-headed assailant hits Cam over the head, Cam's hone shows the address of 1717 Masonic Ave. (1717 is the year when the Grand Lodge of England was created in the modern age). There is a graphic scene of sexual humiliation and submission. The movie shows the mass media asking him questions. So, I wouldn't recommend people watching this film because of its occult, graphic scenes that I can't mention here. Yet, we should realize that films like HIM are not covert. The movie shows Cam in a scene that copies the Last Supper where he replaces Jesus in mocking Christianity in my opinion. The movie has a logo looking like the Masonic square and compass in the scene with Cam and Zay. The rest of the film shows Cam being involved in a satanic ritual to sell his soul to play football. They are overt in promoting graphic occult propaganda that can't save a soul. Only God can save souls. We should reject wicked rituals and live in righteousness in opposition to the agenda of the global elite.
The 2026 Grammys
The 2026 Grammy Awards have been historic in many ways. It is the last Grammys on CBS as they will move into ABC next year in 2027. Aura V made history as the youngest individual Grammy winner to date. The father and daughter singing Fyutch and Aura V take home the Grammy for Best Children's Music Album with Harmony. This is a rare win at the Grammys. During this Black History Month, tons of black people won awards too. Kendrick Lamar and SZA won Record of the Year and Melodic Rap Performance for the song Luther (in honoring the music icon Luther Vandross). Olivia Dean from the United Kingdom won Best New Artist. FKA Twigs won Dance/Electronic Album for Eusexua. Kehlani won R&B Performance and R&B song for Folded. Durand Bernarr won Progressive R&B album for Eusexua. Kendrick Lamar won Rap Song and Rap Album of the Year for GNX. Samara Joy won Jazz Vocal Album for Portrait. Jon Baptist won Americana Album for Big Money. CeCe Winans and Shirley Ceasar won Gospel Performance for Come Jesus Come. Tyler the Creator won Best Album cover for Chromakopia. Darrel Walls and PJ Morton won Gospel Album of the Year for Heart of Mine. Tyla won African Music Performance for Push 2 Start. Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande won Pop Duo album for Defying Gravity. Leon won R&B Album and Best Traditional Performance. Clipse, Pusha T, and Kendrick Lamar won Rap Performance or Chains and Whips. Shaboozey and Jelly Roll won Country Duo for Amen. Buddy Guy won Traditional Blues for Aint Done with the Blues. The host of the Grammys was Trevor Noah who criticized Trump and Nicki Minaj. Bad Bunny's Debi Tirar Mas Fotos won Album of the Year. It is the first Spanish language LP to take the award. Bad Bunny said that immigrants are not illegal or animals. They are human beings deserving of the same respect as anyone else. About 15,000 people voted in the Grammy Awards. Many musicians supported the immigrants and opposed the actions of ICE members. Justin Bieber performed. Also, Lauryn Hill and Wyclef Jean performed a song in tribute to the late Roberta Flack and John Forte. Cher announced the song of the year too. Billie Eilish and her brother Finneas won Song of the Year for Wildflower. Golden from KPop Demon Hunters won Best Song Written For Visual Media, being the first K-pop song to win a Grammy Award in any category. Steven Spielberg won Best Music Film for his role in producing Music by John Williams.
Conspiracy Facts vs. Fiction
There are always conspiracy fictions or lies in the world. There are also conspiracy facts. I was about to write about this issue very soon. Salt from Salt-n-Pepa certainly inspired me to create information on this issue on another level. Salt in a recent 2026 interviews talked about not following the agenda of the elite and occultists, and that inspired me to write this information too. Salt told many truths about politics and lie in general. Here are some truths that we should accept as we enter further into this new 21st century.:
Lie #1: No one has historically called for a new world order or global government.
Conspiracy Fact: There are tons of people who have called for a new world order and global government. The concept of new world order may be interpreted as many things as possible to different people, but the concept of global government is blatantly self-explanatory. Global government seeks to end national sovereignty as we know it to allow a select few to control all of the governmental institutions of the Earth. Walter Cronkite was part of the Federalist Society, where he blatantly advocated for one world government. After the Persian Gulf War of the 1990s, the late President George H. W. Bush called for a new world order. Joe Biden in 2022. The new world order is a concept that many people desire to change the world political order, basically for neoliberalism to control the economic and political functions of the world in many cases. Some use the concept of the new world order to explicitly call for global government. For example, Bertrand Russell explicitly said that, "War can only be abolished by the establishment of a world government." Isaac Asimov advocated a world government with regional and local autonomy safeguarded and with cultural diversity promoted. Jawaharlal Nehru said that: "I have long believed that the only way peace can be achieved is through world government."
Lie #2: The corporate elites are completely wholesome and never did evil internationally.
Conspiracy Fact: We know that many corporations and elitists have been exposed to have done nefarious activities in the globe. There is a 2021 book called "The Monsanto Paper: Deadly Secrets, Corporate Corruption, and One Man's Search for Justice" by Carey Gillam. It is a book that uncovers the corporate efforts to hide the health risks of popular weedkillers. Arrianna Huffington wrote a 2003 book that exposes corporate executives and politicians involving in corporate corruption.
Lie #3: Scapegoating everyone in all religions is the right thing to do.
Fact: Some agents and liars want to blame all religions for all the evils in the world. That is a lie, as history is very complex in its cosmology or composition. Humans of diverse creeds, or no creed, have done both good and evil for millennia. We know about the dedicated atheists, Stalin and Mao, who murdered millions of people during the 20th century. We know that many people hide behind religion or exploit religion to commit atrocities, like many Crusades, using pogroms against Jewish communities throughout Europe, the Klan terrorizing black people (including Jewish people, Italians, etc.), and slaveowners who oppressed black people globally via imperialism plus colonialism. Therefore, you can never judge a whole religion based on the evil done by some folks who claim to be its "adherents." You judge a religion based on its original founder or founders and its original teachings plainly speaking. For example, we don't blame all Christians for the Maafa, and we don't blame all atheists for the Communist extermination of millions of innocent human beings during the 1900s. We are logical to mention how numerous religious leaders have historically been at the forefront of legitimate social movements like Harriet Tubman, Septima Clark, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther king Jr., Dr. Benjamin Mays, etc. I believe in God without shame. Likewise, I won't use my religious beliefs as an excuse to oppress human beings period. I follow the Golden Rule which is a preeminent ideal that we must all adhere to.
Lie #4: No true conspiracies have existed in history.
Conspiracy Fact: There are still those in the 21st century in 2026 who believe that no conspiracies have ever existed in human history. The fundamental truth is that conspiracies have existed throughout human history as a conspiracy just means more than one person planning an event, usually of nefarious intent at times, and carry it out. So, conspiracies are abundant like Operation Ajax, The Tuskegee Experiment, the Maafa, the Shoah, Operation Phoenix, and the wicked, evil assassinations of Malcolm X, President Abraham Lincoln, etc. Therefore, anyone denying the existence of actual conspiracies in the world is heavily mistaken and just purely incorrect.
Lie #5: Submitting to the status quo or being centrists is the answer.
Fact: Another lie shown by the establishment and agents, especially, is that we must embrace the status quo and be moderates or centrists for us to be free. This faulty argument has been promoted by many folks like Fetterman, Stephen A. Smith, the Third Way movement, and other acolytes. The truth is that being bold, revolutionary, and progressive makes more sense for us to see human liberation and the Promised Land for real. When Jim Crow apartheid was at its zenith, revolutionary people from Paul Robeson to Septima Clark advocated strident progressive action to achieve black freedom. Later leaders of the 1968 Memphis Sanitation workers used protests, demands, and other actions to seek pure economic justice. Even FDR (who did good and had imperfections) was never a centrist. Today, human beings use civil disobedience, protests, grassroots organizing, mentorships, and some people running or political office exist in desiring real freedom too. Centrism doesn't work, because it places numerous people like the poor out of the equation. Also, compromise to our oppressors is never equivalent to justice for all. Centrism is just plain tokenism. Our leaders were visionaries, not compromising moderates. Ossie Davis, Ruby Dee, Fannie Lou Hamer, Nina Simone, Lorraine Hansberry, Malcolm X, Dr. King, and Medgar Evers were grown men and grown women who stood up for our people without centrism.
Quinta Da Ragalera (Masonic Links)
The location of Quinta da Regaleira is one of the most interesting and symbolic locations in the world. It is found in Sintra, Portugal being classified as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO within the "Cultural Landscape of Sintra". Along with the other palaces in the area, such as the Quinta do Relógio, Pena, Monserrate, and Seteais palaces, it is considered one of the principal tourist attractions of Sintra. The property consists of a Romantic palace and chapel, and a luxurious park that features lakes, grottoes, wells, benches, fountains, and a vast array of exquisite constructions. The palace is also known as "The Palace of Monteiro the Millionaire", which is based on the nickname of its best-known former owner, António Augusto Carvalho Monteiro. The palace was designed by the Italian architect Luigi Manini. The land that is now Quinta da Regaleira had many owners over the years. It belonged to the Viscountess of Regaleira, a family of wealthy merchants from Porto, when it was sold in 1892 to Carvalho Monteiro for 25,000 réis. Monteiro was eager to build a bewildering place where he could collect symbols that reflected his interests and ideologies. With the assistance of the Italian architect Luigi Manini, he recreated the 4-hectare estate. In addition to other new features, he added enigmatic buildings that researchers believe held symbols related to alchemy, Masonry, the Knights Templar, and the Rosicrucians. The architecture Manini designed evoked Roman, Gothic, Renaissance, and Manueline styles. The construction of the current estate commenced in 1904 and much of it was completed by 1910.
The estate was later sold in 1942 to Waldemar d'Orey, who used it as private residence for his extensive family. He ordered repairs and restoration work for the property. In 1987, the estate was sold, once again, to the Japanese Aoki Corporation and ceased to serve as a residence. The corporation kept the estate closed to the public for ten years, until it was acquired by the Sintra Town Council in 1997. Extensive restoration efforts were promptly initiated throughout the estate. It finally opened to the public in June 1998 and began hosting cultural events. In August of that same year, the Portuguese Ministry of Culture classified the estate as "public interest property." There is a Regaleira Chapel that is a Roman Catholic chapel too. Still, the complex has much occult imagery in it. The location has inverted towers and many tunnels. Also, indeed, the person who turned Quinta da Regaleira into an occult palace was the Freemason Antonio Augusto Carvalho Monteiro. He was a Brazilian-Portuguese businessman, collector, bibliophile, and entomologist. That is why tons of Masonic symbolism is found in the complex.
The Fount of Abundance has a marble facade with seashells and serpent-like creatures. It is topped by 2 obelisks that represent Joachin and Boaz, the two pillars of Freemasonry. There are sculptures of false gods like Hermes, who is the inspiration for modern Western occultism and the mythological founder of Hermetism. There is the image of the false god Pan with a malicious, smirking smile on his face. Goat heads are found all over the place. There are initiation wells in the place too. The well contains nine platforms, which are believed to be a reference to the nine circles of Hell in Dante’s Divine Comedy by Dante. Conversely, it can also refer to the nine skies which constitute Paradise, depending on the point of view of the visitor. The bottom of one well has an 8-pointed star, or the Star of Ishtar. This same star is found in Felicity, the Vatican, and the Los Angeles Central Library. Leda Cave has a hexagram near it. Leda and the Swan is a story from Greek mythology where Zeus transforms into a swan to seduce and rape Leda, a Spartan queen. The Hexagram has been found in the circles of occultists and magicians as the Hermetic Seal of Solomon with the as above, so below philosophy (according to Manly P. Hall in his The Secret Teachings of All Ages, the Hexagram merges opposite material and spiritual forces into one). Even the chapel has occult imagery in it. The floor of it has a Templar cross and sun wheels, plus pentagrams. There is one painting of Jesus Christ crowning Mary, which is blasphemy. Mary should be given great honor and great respect, but Mary is not the Queen of Heaven or the Mother of God. The Masonic All-Seeing Eye with light rays is found on the ceiling. There is a crypt with a witchcraft pentagram on it (with an altar and a Masonic checkerboard pattern on the floor). Therefore, Quinta Da Regaleira is more than a strange location. It is filled with blatant occult imagery, made by a millionaire who wanted his beliefs to be shown in this place. In real life, many elites aren't playing games. Many of them actually believe in occult philosophy, but God Almighty rejects the occult because the occult deals with secrecy. God wants all people to come into the truth filled with openness and no secrecy allowed.
Muhammad Ali's Passing (10 Years Later)
For decades, one man personified strength, courage, and a gift of oratory in the forms of speeches and spoken word poetry (as a prelude to modern-day hip-hop music). He was Muhammad Ali. From being born in the South at Louisville, Kentucky, to the West Coast of America, he made a name for himself. Muhammad Ali had confidence, a love of his Blackness, athleticism, charisma, a social consciousness, and a willingness to overcome many issues. A child took his bike when he was a child, and another adult police officer taught him how to use boxing. Muhammad Ali was a natural boxer as he won many amateur matches, and he won gold in the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome, Italy. Coming back home, Muhammad Ali still experienced racial discrimination and exploitation. So, he wanted that reality to change. Muhammad Ali worked hard with his coach D'Angelo Dundee and his friend Drew Bundini Brown (who worked with Sugar Ray Robinson, who was the greatest boxer in human history) to grow his career to change history forever. Ali won many matches and defeated Sonny Liston on February 25, 1964, at Miami Beach, Florida. This conclusion shocked Ali's skeptics (during that time, Liston was seen as unbeatable), but Ali used footwork, speed, power, and skill to defeat Sonny Liston. Afterward, Muhammad Ali was the heavyweight champion of the world, saying that "I Am the Greatest." That proclamation gave confidence to especially younger black people to view greatness as a virtue psychologically. Then, he publicly announced that he was a member of the Nation of Islam, an organization with similarities and differences to Orthodox Islam. Muhammad Ali opposed the Vietnam War and refused to be drafted by the United States to be in the draft in 1967. Ali felt that the Vietnam War was an unjust war (like his friend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. had criticized the Vietnam War too) and a war of convenience, not liberation. Muhammad Ali said that the Vietnamese people never arrested us, lynched us, black people, never raped or tortured black Americans. Ali said famously that the Vietnamese never called him the n word. The Vietnam War took resources that would be better used to build up America domestically. Ali was arrested and charged with federal charges of refusing to submit to the draft. It would take the Supreme Court to drop the charges. He fought in the 1970s to defeat Joe Frazier, George Forman (in Africa), Leon Spinks, and Ringo Bonavena in their primes. He was not a perfect man as he has done adultery (I don't agree with adultery at all), but he stayed with his final wife. He loved all of his children unconditionally. Muhammad Ali also supported social causes like being against poverty, fighting racism, solving foreign policy crisis, and standing up for justice.
The 2026 Golden Globes
The 83rd Golden Globes Awards show took place on CBS and Paramount+ on January 11, 2026, at the Beverly Hilton. Nikki Glaser hosted the show for the 2nd consecutive year. The awards show celebrated excellence in film and American television productions of the previous year. The nominations were announced on December 8, 2025, by actors Skye P. Marshall and Marlon Wayans. For the first time, the Globes honored podcasts in the Best Podcast category. With a leading 9 nominations, including five for acting, One Battle After Another became the 6th film of any genre to receive at least one acting bid across the four acting categories in the event's history. Sentimental Value received the second-most in film with 8 nominations, followed by Sinners with 7. Additionally, The White Lotus led the television nominations with 6, followed by Adolescence with 5. After being untelevised in the previous year, the two Lifetime Achievement Awards (the Cecil B. DeMille Award and the Carol Burnett Award) were presented during an hour-long primetime special, titled "Golden Eve", which aired on January 8, 2026 (though the event took place two days before broadcast), also at the Beverly Hilton, on CBS at 8 p.m. PT/ET and also livestreamed on Paramount+ Premium. Paramount+ Essential subscribers were not able to watch the event live; however, they were able to access it on demand the following day. The Cecil B. DeMille Award was presented to Helen Mirren, with the Carol Burnett Award given to Sarah Jessica Parker. Harrison Ford presented Mirren with her Cecil B. DeMille Award, with a guest appearance made by last year's honoree Viola Davis; Parker was joined by the Carol Burnett Award previous year's winner Ted Danson. According to entertainment news website Showbiz411, the special had a ratings of 2 million viewers. On January 9, 2026, Deadline Hollywood reported that the presentation of the award for Best Original Score would be cut from the telecast as a result of time constraints. The winner was announced during the ceremony, but instead of being seen on CBS' linear broadcast, it was publicly revealed online; a clip of the win was captured and shared digitally, including with media and was distributed across all Globes platforms as well as the Golden Globes website. This decision was criticized by social media users and nominee Hans Zimmer, with the latter calling it "ignorant."
Wagner Moura won Best Male Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama winner. Jessie Buckley won Best Female Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama winner. Timothée Chalamet won Best Male Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy winner. Rose Byrne won Best Female Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy winner. Stellan Skarsgård won Best Supporting Male Actor winner. Teyana Taylor won Best Supporting Female Actor winner. Noah Wyle won Best Male Actor in a Television Series – Drama winner. Rhea Seehorn won Best Female Actor in a Television Series – Drama winner. Seth Rogen won Best Male Actor in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy winner. Jean Smart won Best Female Actor in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy winner. Stephen Graham won Best Male Actor in a Limited Series, Anthology Series, or Motion Picture Made for Television winner. Michelle Williams won Best Female Actor in a Limited Series, Anthology Series, or Motion Picture Made for Television winner. Erin Doherty won Best Supporting Female Actor in a Series, Limited Series, Anthology Series, or Motion Picture Made for Television winner. Ricky Gervais won Best Stand-Up Comedian on Television winner. Amy Poehler won Best Podcast winner. Best Motion Picture Drama was chosen as Hamnet. The Best Motion Picture (Musical or Comedy) is One Battle After Another. The Best Motion Picture Animated series was KPop Demon Hunters. The Best Motion Picture (Non-English Language) is The Secret Agent from Brazil. The Best Director and Best Screenplay was won by Paul Thomas Anderson of the film One Battle After Another. Best Original Score was won by Ludwig Goransson of the film Sinners. The Cinematic and Box Office Achievement Award went to Sinners. The Best Original Song was one by KPop Demon Hunters (Ejae, Mark Sonnenblick, Ido, 24, and Teddy) of the song Golden.
As for television, Best Television Series (Drama) went to The Pitt on HBO Max. The Best Television Series (Musical or Comedy) went to The Studio from Apple TV. The Best Male Actor in a Television Series (Drama) is Noah Wyle in The Pitt. The Best Female Actor in a Television Series (Drama) was Rhea Seehorn from the show Pluribus (in Apple TV). The Best Male Actor in a Television Series (Musical or Comedy) was Seth Rogen (The Studio). The Best Female Actor in a Television Series (Musical or Comedy) was Jean Smart of Hacks from HBO Max. Stephen Graham, Owen Cooper, and Erin Doherty won awards too. The presenters were Jennifer Garner, Amanda Seyfried, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Snoop Dogg, Pamela Anderson, Jennifer Lopez, Kevin Hart, Queen Latifah, Ayo Edebiri, Marlon Wayans, Adam Scott, Colman Domingo, Julia Roberts, George Clooney, Don Cheadle, and other human beings.
The 98th Academy Awards
The 2026 Oscars ended on March 15, 2026, a little after 10:30 pm. EST. The show was presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). The ceremony took place at the Dolby Theater in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California. 24 categories existed in the Oscars. The Preshow hosts were Tamron Hall and Jesse Palmer. It was produced by Raj Kapoor and Katy Mullan. It was directed by Hamish Hamilton. It was an award show with many interesting moments, humor, bizarre events, political commentaries, and it took the time to honor those involved in the acting industry who recently passed away. There were emotional tributes to Robert Duvall, James Van Der Beek, Catherine O'Hara, Desmond Wilson, Diane Keaton, Gene Hackman, Rob Reiner, etc. The 98th Academy Awards had many winners from many films. It was hosted by Conan O'Brien. The movie Sinners had a record-breaking 16 nominations, including Best Picture, Best Actor, and Best Director. Paul Thomas Anderson's One Battle After Another had 13 nominations. Sinners director of photography Autumn Durald Arkapaw is the first woman and woman of color (who is of Filipino and Creole descent) to win the Oscar for Best Cinematography. She asked all the women in the audience to stand up with her. The 15th anniversary of the movie Bridesmaids was celebrated with Melissa McCarthy, Rose Bryne, Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph, and Ellie Kemper reuniting on stage. Sentimental Value won Best International Feature Film, and Joachin Trier accepted the award, being from Norway. Best Directing was won by Paul Thomas Anderson of One Battle After Another. One Battle After Another also won Best Picture. Best Song was won by the song Golden by KPop Demon Hunters. The Best Sound winner goes to the film F1. Sinners won Best Original Score. Jimmy Kimmel told jokes about Trump trying to violate free speech by Trump trying to get rid of Kimmel. Mr. Nobody Against Putin won Best Documentary Feature Film. All the Empty Rooms won Best Documentary Short Film. Gloria Cazales, the mother of a Uvalde shooting victim, spoke alongside U.S. film director Joshua Seftel. Gloria Cazales condemned gun violence in her speech. Amy Madigan won Best Actress in a Supporting Role. Jessie Buckley won Best Actress. Sean Penn won Best Supporting Actress. Best Original Screenplay went to Director Ryan Coogler. Best Actor goes to Michael B. Jordan for Best Actor. Michael B. Jordan gave a speech to celebrate his family, friends, cast, and the audience. He said that he stands on the black winners who came before him including his ancestors.
Prince's Passing (10 Years Later)
It has been 10 years since the shocking passing away of the iconic musician Prince. He was born in the Midwest in Minneapolis, Minnesota. His parents were jazz singer Mattie Della and pianist and songwriter John Lewis Nelson. His family included many people who were gifted in music. His sister is Tyla Evene Nelson (who lived from 1960 to 2024). Prince had many half-brothers and half-sisters. Prince was a groundbreaking artist who could play multiple instruments (like the guitar, bass, drums, keyboard, and various percussion instruments) and sang across a variety of genres, from rock and R&B to funk. Numerous human beings desire to compare Michael Jackson and Prince. They had a competitive musical rivalry with each other, but both artists were equals. You don't have to acknowledge the greatness of one by downgrading the greatness of another. Prince so loved the art of music that he fully understood about the concepts of chords, other musical notes, instruments, and various aspects of musical beats, including melodies. As a prominent musical genius, Prince loved to show out by playing the guitar and a sort of instruments in real life. He came out into the mainstream musical industry by the 1970s. He grew to be an illustrious musician by the 1980s. By the 1990s, Prince stood up for any artist to have ownership of their own masters, know their worth, and oppose corporate exploitation of human beings in the industry. From the albums of Purple Rain to Sign o' the Times, he has shown us excellent without compromising. Prince was married twice and dated the singer and actress Nonya Gaye (who has gorgeous cheekbones and skin. Nonya Gaye is a great singer in her own right, too. She is the daughter of the late Marvin Gaye). By the 21st century, Prince sang and spoke about conscious issues (with songs like Black Sweat) like the Iraq War, chemtrails, and about the greatness of Blackness. He passed away on April 21, 2016, when I was in my early 30s. I remember that day just like yesterday being a total shock in my eyes. The city of Minneapolis (which gave a new funky sound to the world) and people globally mourned his passing and celebrated his contributions to the human race. Prince gave creativity and power to men and women to express themselves beyond a conformist fashion, to be strong to stand up for your rights, and to be confidence in your own God given ability to shine your light to the world.
Conclusion (Popular Culture)
After all of these years of us living on this Earth (especially people like me who are 40+ years old), one thing remains true. We are proven right once again in 2026. Back in the late 1990s and early 2000s, people like me were in the trenches to show the truth to the people. Many of us were criticized as "theorists" or "extremists." Now, we have been vindicated about our views from the exposure of some who desire an oligarchy to the propaganda shown by some in the entertainment industry, the MAGA hate-filled movement, etc. There are many facts in the Universe. It is a fact that Jeffrey Epstein and others were complicit in the sexual abuse of girls and women (this abuse is international, not just in America). It is a true fact that the racist Trump promoted a racist image of Barack Obama and Former First Lady Michelle Obama (in a social media video) depicting them as "apes." Trump only removed it after legitimate bipartisan outrage came about against Trump. You can agree or disagree with the Obamas all day long, but there is absolutely no excuse for racism against the Obamas period. It is true that many elitists have promoted the new world order, global government, and systems of control over the years and decades (people advocating these goals range from David Rockefeller to Walter Cronkite). There are turncoats and traitors like Alex Jones. I remembered Alex Jones way back in the early 2000s talking about black helicopters, the Skulls and Bones, NSA spying, etc. Yet, when Trump in 2026 has allowed tanks in the streets, allowing ICE to violate the Fourth Amendment rights of U.S. citizens, allowing ICE to assault innocent people, and Trump implementing other blatantly unjust policies from his administration, Alex Jones is silent (as Jones has sold out to Trumpism). Therefore, we should not brag about being right. Instead, we should be more inspired to fight the good fight for justice for all and the truth. A lot of truthseekers have passed away in recent years, including anti-racism scholars, environmental heroes, anti-police brutality leaders, unsung people, and advocates for economic justice. We do what we do in honor of their legacies and for the respect we have for Almighty God, who has blessed us with life, strength, discernment, courage, and common sense to improve our lives and bless the lives of other human beings. The most important thing now is for us to do the research, study, help your neighbors, reject bigotry (including opposing racism, sexism, and xenophobia) and injustice, do the right thing, follow God, and never give up.
By Timothy
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