Fresh Since 79™ | Week of July 28, 2025Cultural Icon of the Week : Saul Williams Some artists spit bars.Saul Williams transmits frequencies. Poet. Prophet. Composer. Time traveler.From Ryan Coogler’s Sinners to SLAM to Neptune Frost, from Broadway to Burkina Faso, Saul has never performed art—he’s summoned it. With every line, every soundscape, every syllable, he reminds us that language isn’t just communication—it’s conjuring. In a world eager to numb us with noise, Saul makes vibration sacred again. The Sound That Saw Us You …
Reels of Revelation : Maori Karmael Holmes & the Gospel of BlackStar
Some people curate films.Maori Karmael Holmes curates futures. She doesn’t just show us the reel—She shows us what’s real. From the front row to the projection booth, from the streets of Philly to global cinematic circles, Maori has redefined what curation means for the culture. As the founder, chief executive, and artistic officer of the BlackStar Film Festival, she hasn’t just held space—she’s built it. But this story started long before the big screens.I first met Maori when she …
The Architect of Light : Sa-Roc and the Rhyme of Revolution
Some emcees spit bars.But a chosen few channel light. This week, we honor a lyrical alchemist. A divine disruptor.A truth-teller whose pen baptizes beats and rebukes systems in the same breath. Sa-Roc isn’t just an emcee—She’s an architect of inner liberation.A sacred architect, building temples with syllables and resurrecting the power of feminine presence in a genre that often forgets who birthed the beat in the first place. The Rhyme as Remedy Born in D.C., rooted in revolution, …
The Frequency of a City : Salah Ananse & the Sonic Blueprint of Atlanta
There are DJs. And then there are architects. Salah Ananse didn’t just spin records—he sculpted sound. Crafted spaces. Transmitted energy.Before “curator” became a buzzword, he was already curating culture—with a crate full of vinyl and a vision that could see sound in color. Raised in the heart of Atlanta, schooled at Benjamin E Mays High School, and sharpened at Morehouse College, Salah’s roots run deep—but his reach is global. From the first MJQ days under the Ponce De …
Art as Witness : Dejáy B. Duckett & the Work of Remembering
Some people curate content.Dejáy Duckett curates consciousness. In an age where attention spans are short and memories are disposable, her work reminds us that Black art is not decoration—it’s documentation. It tells the truth. It holds the line. It says, “We were here. And we mattered.” As the Director of Curatorial Services at the African American Museum in Philadelphia, Dejáy has spent the last four years transforming gallery walls into sacred space. Through powerful exhibitions like Collective Conscious and Self …
Through His Lens : John Crooms & the Soul of Atlanta
There are people who shape culture by being loud.And then there are those who shape it by seeing. John Crooms is one of the latter.A man with a camera, a quiet conviction, and a gift for preserving the pulse of Atlanta—frame by frame. For over two decades, John has stood behind the lens while history happened in front of it. His work has become a living archive of Black brilliance, resistance, and rhythm. In a city that …
My Mum, My First Curator
“Hey, I’ll never take you to something that you won’t like…” Confident words coming from someone who—as far as I know—couldn’t see the future. (My Dad [RIP] felt differently.) But she knew what she liked—therefore, what we would like. That’s always been the awareness of my dear mother, Charis Bowling—whose taste and judgment we’ve trusted from the very beginning when it came to entertainment, arts, politics, and pop culture. Roots & Influence Mom grew up in a very traditional West Indian family: …
Built By Tribe
How A Tribe Called Quest Built a Movement That Still Moves Us A Tribe Called Quest will go down in history as one of history’s most beloved Hip Hop groups. They’re inductees in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, a consistent reference for “conscious” Hip Hop artists, Neo Soul artists, as well as other artists across the board, and each of their members’ names are legendary to some extent. But you can’t really understand Tribe’s story …
Fresh Since 79′
Fresh ain’t fashion. It’s framework. Before it ever hit a runway, it hit the block.Before it was couture, it was cornerstore.Before it was mainstream, it was us—Black, bold, and born of necessity. “Fresh” didn’t start in a showroom.It started in a living room where Big Mama pressed Sunday outfits,in barbershops where fades were carved with precision and pride,in basements where DJs stacked vinyls like scripture. Freshness is the quiet resistance of looking like royalty in a world …