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Janelle Monáe Proves Afro-Futurism Is Back In A Big Way
Afro-futurism is back in a big way.
With the release of Black Panther, the sci-fi fantasy ideology is back in the mainstream. And there's no better person to lead us into a brave new future other than Janelle Monáe.
With the teaser for her newest effort in two new songs "Django Jane" and "Make Me Feel", Dirty Computer goes deeper into the sci-fi future narrative that has been the focal point of her career. She's been on a mission to bring us into a utopia that we've maybe been too jaded to see. Through her alter-ego, an android named Cindi Mayweather, Monáe seeks to be "the mediator between the haves and have not," a quote inspired by Fritz Lang's film Metropolis.
Much of her identity bounces around in a hall of smoke and mirrors.
She interpolates biographical facts about Cindi Mayweather, with her own autobiography, often deflecting from the life she's lived in favor of the future reality she's created with Mayweather. A girl from Kansas City? No, she's from the year 2719. Her dating life? She only dates androids. A black girl who grew up poor? No. She an archandroid messiah sent to earth to end division and discrimination.
Damn.
Monáe's futuristic reality seems like a far-out idea. Androids? Ok sis. But for her this isn't a gimmick or farce; it's a system of belief. She follows in the footsteps of afro-futurist giants who've created version of their own future utopias. Octavia Butler's Earthseed series, George Clinton and the P-Funk spaceship, Star Trek's Uhuru and countless other are all united by this central idea; redeeming the lives of the disenfranchised by taking them to majestic futures.
But Monáe's manner of expression probably most closely follows the godfather of afro-futuristic music: Sun Ra.
He was a man, a myth; he was nothing and everything. He was a patron saint of those who gravitated towards the unknown, the weird and the progressive. In his day, his futurist philosophy resonated with the hippies and those who had an affinity for the surreal. Even after his death, his influence is strong. From Erykah Badu to Flying Lotus, any of your favorite music acts point to Sun Ra as an inspiration. While afro-futurism does not begin with him, Ra is like an intergalactic saviour, bringing this new philosophy of belief to Earth.
Just like Monáe, Ra was enigmatic with a biography that was scant and unknown to most. His birthdate, name at birth, and his personal history was traded for a narrative that is centered on creating a new reality for the most disenfranchised, specifically African-Americans.
Drawing from different belief and religious systems, Ra didn't consider his beliefs to be a fantastical notion or a form of escapism. He believed he was speaking an obvious truth. He believed he was from Saturn and didn't belong on Earth.
Just as Monáe uses the android as a metaphor for "the other," Sun Ra uses the alien as metaphor for "the other."
"I do not come to you as a reality; I come to you as the myth, because that's what black people are. Myths. I came from a dream that the black man dreamed a long time ago. I'm actually a presence sent to you by your ancestors," Ra says in his 1971 lecture at UC Berkeley.
Damn.
Working under the belief that black people didn't belong on earth, he created his film Space is the Place. After coming from an extended trip around the galaxy, Sun Ra and his "arkestra" come back to Earth to take black people to settle on another planet.
Monáe dreamt of worlds, too, and for her they aren't pipe dreams. "And then I dreamt of a world where there were more aliens and androids that humans, I controlled them and I could tell stories that changed people's lives," she says in a 2013 interview with Les Inrockuptibles.
This is a reality she believes in and lives in.
For Monáe and Ra, their vehicle to this new world is music. And their music stretched the limits and challenged our perceptions of music. As defined by Mark Dery in "Black to the Future," afro-futurism is black struggle and ideas expressed in different worlds and realities. As forward thinking as afro-futurists are, they often call back to the past, taking symbols and relics and reimagining them. With music, they reference the past and redefine those sound for their new worlds.
Monáe's influences are far reaching. As a black woman, she's automatically pigeon-holed as an R&B artist, but she pushes against that notion. She bounces from romantic classical music to funk to folk and everything in between. Some may call her weird for her tastes in music, but it only further fuels her mission to end discrimination.
"Or just another little weirdo/ Call me weak or better yet you can call me/ You can call me your hero, baby," she sings in "Faster".
Having albums that goes from the funky to 60's pop to the Marvin Gaye and Simon & Garfunkel tinged songs, it would seem that Monáe is directionless in her pursuits, but she knows exactly where she's going.
Much in the way that Ra's arkestra members resonated with his philosophy, it's easy to fall into Monáe's android gospel through the way she makes seemingly disparate music genres connect flawlessly.
Atonal and cacophonous, some of Ra's compositions truly demanded for his audiences to change the way they process music. His music traveled from conventional to surreal works that seemed to only makes sense if you are willing to venture past convention into a chaotic void.
Ra's been gone for nearly 15 years, but Monáe has taken the mantle. In her own way, she's spread the gospel of a future reality that considers "the others." She favors a tailored tux over robes and Egyptian regalia, but it's all relative.
With the upcoming release of her "emotion picture" Dirty Computer, it's easy to see her as the new leader of the new guard of afro-futurists.
The head of Wondaland Society, a leader in the movement for women's rights; she really is the archandroid.
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Chinwe Oniah is a freelance writer who writes about popular music and culture. She's appeared in Pigeons and Planes, REHAB Online Magazine, California Magazine and others. Find her somewhere on the internet @thewaysofchin.
This article is sponsored by Hulu.
UnPrisonedhas returned for its highly anticipated second season, delving deeper into the complex dynamics of the Alexander family.
The series premiere comes a year after its debut season garnered rave reviews from fans and critics and earned record-breaking ratings for Hulu's Onyx Collective brand. UnPrisoned's success can be attributed to its raw, relatable themes and comedic appeal.
Inspired by creator Tracy McMillan's life, the show follows Paige (Kerry Washington), a therapist and single mother whose life takes an unexpected turn when her father, Edwin (Delroy Lindo) --who was released from prison-- moves in with her and her teenage son, Finn (Faly Rakotohavana).
Throughout UnPrisoned's first season, viewers witnessed how Edwin's incarceration deeply affected Paige's life and relationships. In the series, Paige unpacks her trauma through interactions with her inner child and her online followers. Meanwhile, Edwin is overcoming specific struggles with his own past that led to his life of crime, including a dysfunctional upbringing and his mother's arrest. As the Alexanders attempt to reconcile, new challenges arise.
This new season promises to further explore their unconventional family dynamic. Here are several compelling reasons why season two of UnPrisoned should be on everyone's watchlist.
The Alexander Family Life Is Still In Shambles
UnPrisoned's second season resumes where the series left off, with Paige grappling with the fallout from her troubled therapy practice and Edwin navigating life independently after moving out. Meanwhile, Finn faces his own challenges. The teenager is battling anxiety and seeking information about his father—a topic Paige avoids discussing.
The Alexander Family Are Attending Therapy To Resolve Their Underlying Issues
Amid the chaos in their lives, the Alexander family decides to mend their bond by confronting their past traumas. They seek professional help and attend therapy sessions with a “family radical healing coach,” played by John Stamos, a new cast member. This collective effort aims to unravel the complexities of their shared history and strengthen their relationships.
The process of unraveling each character's internal conflicts and their potential impact on future relationships may clash with Paige's textbook therapy approach. While Paige is used to being in the therapist's seat in both career and family, this forces her into the unfamiliar role of a patient during therapy sessions. This shift would compel her to look in the mirror and try a radically different approach.
The Alexander Family Learned A Big Lesson During A Therapy Session
In therapy, the Alexanders are tasked with addressing their individual traumas to salvage their remaining relationships. One of the family therapist’s eccentric suggestions was an exercise involving a family wrestling match. During this session, Paige faces tough questions about her refusal to share information about Finn's father.
While it's unclear whether this scene is reality or fantasy, the image of the family duking it out in the ring certainly makes for hilarious yet compelling television.
Paige Tries Dating Again Following Failed Relationships
Amid her life's chaos, Paige decides to step back into the dating field. However, her many attempts have left her with mixed results. The dating apps have turned out to be a fail, and an outing with her ex Mal (Marque Richardson), who is also her father's parole officer, doesn’t go quite as expected after he brings an unexpected guest – his new girlfriend.
The situation takes an awkward turn when Mal's new partner learns why the former couple split, partly due to Paige's self-sabotage.
UnPrisoned Is A Perfect Balance Of Comedy And Drama
As a dramedy, UnPrisoned takes a comedic approach to its heavy subjects. The show takes us on a ride with Paige's dating misadventures and navigating a friendship with her ex.
Other lighthearted moments include Edwin's attempts at CPR based on online videos and, of course, the antics of the Alexander family's unconventional new healing coach.
The second season of UnPrisoned is now available on Hulu.
UnPrisoned | Season 2 Trailer | Hulu
Feature image courtesy
Blair Underwood Initially Turned Down 'Sex And The City' Because 'It Was About How Samantha Was Fascinated By Dating A Black Man’
Actor and heartthrob Blair Underwood is opening up about why he turned down Sex and the City the first time he was offered a role. Many fans of the HBO series may recall Blair's time on the show in which his character was dating Miranda (Cynthia Nixon). However, he was previously offered another role where his character would date Samantha (Kim Cattrall).
During his interview with AV Club, the Set It Off star revealed that he was uncomfortable with the initial offer due to the character's fascination with him being a Black man.
“I actually did say ‘no’ the first time,” he said. “The first time they had offered the role, to be honest with you, it was about how Samantha was fascinated by dating a Black man and wanted to know if, uh, all of the rumors were true about our anatomy! And I said, ‘Listen, I’m honored, thank you, but I just don’t want to play a character based on race, on curiosity about a Black man.'”
But that didn't stop them from reaching out again. This time he was offered to play Dr. Robert Leeds, the love interest to Miranda and he decided to go for it. "So they were nice enough to call about a year later, and I said, 'Well, is it gonna be about race?' And they said, 'No, no, no, we’re not even gonna mention race!' And I think it really did only come up maybe once," he recalled.
"It did five episodes, and I think Samantha mentioned it once, saying something about 'a Black doctor' that Miranda was dating. And that’s really been a consistent thing in my career: not wanting to be boxed as 'the Black guy.'
"I’ve had that conversation with many producers along the way, and they were so great. They said, 'No, he’s just a doctor who Miranda meets in the elevator, and they have a nice little fling.' And it was amazing."
Blair has had a wide-ranging career playing everything from a lawyer on L.A. Law to playing Madame CJ Walker's husband on Self Made: Inspired by the Life of Madame CJ Walker. And during his interview, he revealed another role that he initially turned down, Set It Off. The movie, which is considered a classic in Black culture, stars Queen Latifah, Jada Pinkett Smith, Vivica A. Fox, and Kimberly Elise. Blair's character, Keith, played a banker and love interest to Jada's character, Stony.
He explained why he said no at first and eventually accepted the offer. "I had initially said “no” to that. Because I was playing this historic, iconic African-American historical figure in Jackie Robinson, and the time, y’know, there was Boyz N The Hood, and Menace II Society was out there, and I’d finished playing this noble Negro… [Laughs]," he said.
"And I’m reading the script, and there’s a scene where Jada Pinkett’s character—Jada Pinkett-Smith now—was going to sell her body so she could make some money to send her brother to college. And I remember, honestly, I threw the script across the room. I was, like, “I don’t want to do this. I want to do something uplifting for the Black culture and Black characters, and I don’t know if I want to see this.”
After a conversation with the movie's director F. Gary Gray and the actor's manager encouraging him to finish reading the script, Blair had a change of heart. What he first thought about the movie turned out to be totally different.
"So I finished the script, and I saw that the character they were asking me to play was really the love story in the midst of all of this turmoil of all of these characters, the four ladies: Queen Latifah, Vivica Fox, Kimberly Elise, and Jada," he explained.
"It was so well-written, it was such a great platform for them. And to be able to play the love story and the storyline that gave Jada’s character a leg up and a way out of this world, something to hope for, to wish for, someone to love her… I said, 'You know what? I’d like to be a part of that.'
"And I’m so glad I did, because that film resonates to this day. People all the time come up to me and say that they love that movie. So I’m glad that I did it."