By Ron Wynn NASHVILLE, TN — Few writers have ever better understood or chronicled the links in various Black cultural forms better than Greg Tate. Tate, who died last week at 64, covered both jazz and hip-hop, as well as literature, visual art and theatre. His work was published in many publications, most notably the Village Voice and Rolling Stone. A Howard graduate, Tate began writing for the Voice in the early ‘80s and joined the staff in 1987, He remained with them until 2005. Though he could be quite caustic when he felt it was necessary, Tate functioned much…
Author: Ron Wynn
NASHVILLE, TN — One of the greatest defensive players in college football history and quite possibly Tennessee State’s finest passed last Friday. Claude Humphrey, who died at 77, helped the Tigers win two national Black college championships, and then became an all-time NFL great with the Atlanta Falcons and Philadelphia Eagles. Humphrey died in his hometown of Memphis. His daughter informed the Pro Football Hall of Fame, but gave no cause for his death. After being the cornerstone of those TSU championship teams, Humphrey was drafted number three by the Falcones in 1968. He played 11 years for them, earning…
By Ron Wynn NASHVILLE, TN — Nas has been a popular and influential rapper for decades, but now he’s making a name in a different field. It’s actually the continuation of his early interest in television and film. He’s making his directorial debut with the Showtime production “You’re Watching Video Music Box.” Nas’s interest in directing was initially encouraged back in the early ‘90s. He was planning his first music video and turned to Ralph McDaniels. He was the host, founder, and resident Video Jockey (VJ) on Video Music Box. The program aired daily on New York’s public access channel.…
By Ron Wynn NASHVILLE, TN — Jamie Foxx is among familiar faces from past “Spider-Man” films who’ll be returning in the franchise’s newest installment. Foxx is among three stars featured in character posters for the upcoming “Spider-Man: No Way Home.” This is the third in a trilogy of movies starring Tom Holland as Peter Parker/Spider-Man. Holland’s “Spider-Man: Homecoming” in 2017 marked the latest reboot of the “Spider-Man” series, the third reboot with an all-new cast and ensemble. But “Spider-Man: No Way Home” will integrate characters from not only Holland’s “Spider-Man” films, but those Andrew Garfield and Tobey Maguire. This is…
NASHVILLE, TN — The Tennessee Titans’ bye week couldn’t come at a better time following a second straight loss. Sunday’s 36-13 road disaster to the New England Patriots marked the first time this season Tennessee has dropped consecutive games, and it continued a pattern of sloppy play that began with the Houston home loss two weeks ago. Fortunately, the Colts also lost, so the Titans remained two games ahead in the AFC South. But they have now been passed by both the Baltimore Ravens and Patriots atop the AFC standings. The Titans’ injury problems have robbed them of two premier…
Last Saturday’s Penn State/Michigan State game wasn’t quite as important as it might have been had both teams not previously lost key contests. But it was historic in another sense, as it featured the nation’s two highest paid Black college football coaches, each of whom have signed lucrative contract extensions. Michigan State’s Mel Tucker signed a 10-year $95 million dollar deal several days ago. He’s in his second season with the Spartans, and with their 30-27 victory completed a 10-2 season, finishing 6-0 at home. While there was some criticism of Tucker’s deal after Michigan State was blasted by Ohio…
NASHVILLE, TN — The first-year seasons of new Tennessee and Vanderbilt head coaches Josh Heupel and Clark Lea concluded in vastly different fashion Saturday in Knoxville. It was Senior Day for the Volunteers and they romped 45-21, concluding the year with a 7-5 (4-4 SEC) record. They await news on which bowl they will appear, and their offense continues to pile up impressive numbers. Tennessee had a pair of 100-yard rushers for the second time this year as freshman Jaylen Wright and sophomore Jabari Small each had 15 carries for 112 and 103 yards, respectively. Tennessee averaged 6.8 yards per…
By Ron Wynn NASHVILLE, TN — Bandleader, keyboardist and composer Jon Batiste successfully makes both experimental and strictly pop records, and has succeeded as the musical face of CBS’ late-night show with Steven Colbert and a Oscar-winning film composer. Now Batiste can add getting the most Grammy nominations for this year to his resume. Batiste earned 11 nominations when the announcements were made last Tuesday, as Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason also announced some major changes for the 64th annual Grammys. This year’s nominees were determined solely by the Academy’s voting membership for the first time in 30 years. The…
By Ron Wynn NASHVILLE, TN — The Tennessee Titans put together their worse game of the season in a most unexpected manner, with their 22-13 home loss to the Houston Texans reducing their division lead over the Colts to two games, and snapping their six-game winning streak. The Texans had lost eight straight before Sunday, but they took a 19-point lead over the Titans, then held on when it seemed as though Tennessee would find a win to rally. For the past couple of games, the Titans seemed able to withstand the wave of injuries that’s seen them use a…
It seems impossible to say that someone who has already won two NBA Most Valuable Player Awards, including one by unanimous selection, might be having their greatest season ever, but it seems that the Golden State Warriors Stephen Curry may well achieve that goal. Going into Sunday night’s game against the Toronto Raptors, Curry was the leading scorer not just for Golden State but in the NBA. Curry’s averaging right around 30 points a game, and the Warriors had the best record in the league at 14-2. They were doing this despite not having either All-Star shooting guard Klay Thompson…