Uwami, Night of the Kings, and The Water Dancer
Featuring a podcast episode with Psalm One.
Welcome to the thirty-ninth installation of The Q : your one-stop weekly newsletter of culture recommendations.
BEFORE YOU CONTINUE….As The Q expands, we are looking for more people to join our wonderful team! If you are interested, please check out the slide deck below detailing the various roles and experiences open for applications.
Album
Uwami by DJ Black Low
It’s always weird when you hear music described as “challenging.” While the word “challenging” is typically just used as a stand-in for “experimental”, it’s worth noting what exactly about the music is said to be challenging. Is it challenging the listener? The genre? The idea of music itself? Obviously, all of this is pretty subjective, but they are questions worth asking every time you hear the word slapped onto music. But DJ Black Low uses “challenging” to describe his own music.
Film
Night of the Kings directed by Pilippe Lacôte
Philippe Lacôte’s harrowing and suspenseful Night of the Kings is a story that revolves around the importance of storytelling itself. The Ivory Coast film interweaves rituals and fantasy to offer an escape from reality, both for the prisoners in the film and its viewers.
Book
The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi Coates
There is much mystery and magic surrounding the Underground Railroad; it is unsurprising that a number of fictional narratives are inspired by this very real network of secret routes and safe houses. We know the Underground Railroad was a symbol of optimism for many slaves during the 19th century, but the exact details were and still are widely unknown. What if the slaves escaped in the same way that Moses and the Isrealites?
Playlist
Teresa’s “March ‘21” features Vic Mensa, lojii, and Anna Wise
Teresa’s favorite track: “longwayhome“ by lojii
Description: “Still adding on to this one — good for morning walks”
Podcast
Episode #39: Pink Lemonade and an Interview with Psalm One
On this week's episode, Sam and Teresa interview Psalm One over a glass of pink lemonade. Psalm One is an artist from Chicago who has been named one of the nation's Best Artists by The Chicago Tribune, and made her television debut on MTV's series, Made. She made her debut album, Bio: Chemistry while studying chemistry at the University of Illinois. She is also part of groups Nacrobats, Rapperchicks and Big Silk. In 2019 she released her album, Fight of the Wig, and recently debuted her single, "Anxious, Nervous, and Imperfect." Psalm One talks to Teresa and Sam about focusing on community, her album covers, as well as the lyrics behind her newest single.
