Marcus Shorter, Author at Consequence

Emancipation Review: A Heavy-Handed Film With Powerful Moments Can’t Get Out of its Own Way

Marcus Shorter — Tue, 06 Dec 2022 18:35:49 +0000

The Pitch: “Then what?” There’s a moment in Emancipation where the film establishes a modus operandi. A white man named Fassel (Ben Foster), while sitting with his two partners, explains the actual reason behind slavery’s cruelty and white supremacy. Coldly and bluntly, he tells a childhood story about the enslaved…

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Emancipation Review: A Heavy-Handed Film With Powerful Moments Can’t Get Out of its Own Way
Marcus Shorter

Nas’ King’s Disease III Saves the Best for Last

Marcus Shorter — Fri, 11 Nov 2022 18:06:33 +0000

Let’s start with the most obvious thing for hip-hop fans or casual observers: Nas dropping his fourth album in two years is pure insanity. This is the guy who famously dropped “four albums in 10 years” during the ’90s, six albums (including a double LP) during the 21st century’s first…

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Nas’ King’s Disease III Saves the Best for Last
Marcus Shorter

Skyfall at 10: How James Bond Helped Me Learn to Live with Loss

Marcus Shorter — Wed, 09 Nov 2022 16:30:36 +0000

Ten years ago this month, the James Bond franchise threw a 50th-anniversary party for itself in the form of 2012’s Skyfall. As was my ritual since 1997, I was there on opening day in a packed theater, and watching the film was a pretty dope time. But I felt funny…

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Skyfall at 10: How James Bond Helped Me Learn to Live with Loss
Marcus Shorter

Her Loss Delivers on the Musical Promise of Drake and 21 Savage’s Personal Relationship

Marcus Shorter — Fri, 04 Nov 2022 16:00:26 +0000

If there’s one takeaway from Her Loss, Drake and 21 Savage’s album that finally arrived on Friday, November 4th, it’s that everything that glitters isn’t gold. Inspired by the Honestly, Nevermind standout “Jimmy Cooks,” Her Loss is a collection of well-produced joints touching on their favorite topics. Jealous rappers? Check.…

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Her Loss Delivers on the Musical Promise of Drake and 21 Savage’s Personal Relationship
Marcus Shorter

Jay-Z’s 10 Best Songs

Marcus Shorter — Tue, 25 Oct 2022 14:00:01 +0000

“I’m supposed to be number one on everybody’s list/ We’ll see what happens when I no longer exist.” That’s how Jay-Z finished “What More Can I Say” from what he said was his final project, The Black Album. Almost 20 years later and sure enough, Hov is number one on…

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Jay-Z’s 10 Best Songs
Marcus Shorter

good kid, m.A.A.d city at 10: How Kendrick Lamar’s “Swimming Pools” Helped Me Get Over My Own Toxic Relationship

Marcus Shorter — Tue, 18 Oct 2022 16:30:21 +0000

Great albums are about more than the music. When they really hit, just mentioning their names evokes memories and elicits “Remember when…” conversations. good kid, m.A.A.d city — released on October 22nd, 2012 — is one of those albums, which is why its 10-year anniversary is a very big deal.…

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good kid, m.A.A.d city at 10: How Kendrick Lamar’s “Swimming Pools” Helped Me Get Over My Own Toxic Relationship
Marcus Shorter

Lil Baby’s It’s Only Me Is Mired in Mediocrity

Marcus Shorter — Fri, 14 Oct 2022 16:45:27 +0000

Following up the biggest album of your career is tough sledding for any artist. But for rappers? It’s something only Houdini might pull off with ease. Hip-hop is always about what you’re doing now, not what you did yesterday. Just one false move takes you from relevant to irrelevant at…

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Lil Baby’s It’s Only Me Is Mired in Mediocrity
Marcus Shorter

Why the New James Bond Needs to Be In His 30s

Marcus Shorter — Thu, 06 Oct 2022 17:39:31 +0000

Producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson are right. No, not about Daniel Craig’s era being a thought-out arc because, seriously, they backed into that one. (Unnecessarily, I might add.) But the longtime keepers of the James Bond flame are correct that an actor in his 30s is best for the…

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Why the New James Bond Needs to Be In His 30s
Marcus Shorter

Renaissance Is Beyoncé’s Rebirth Through Dance Club Culture

Marcus Shorter — Fri, 29 Jul 2022 14:00:43 +0000

What a difference six years can make. Right? The last time Beyoncé dropped an album, her world was tilted. Lemonade detailed the messy emotions birthed from her husband breaking his marriage vows. After a bit of therapy, some bad words, and a lot of music, Black America’s royal couple finds…

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Renaissance Is Beyoncé’s Rebirth Through Dance Club Culture
Marcus Shorter

On Love, Damini, Burna Boy Asks If He Can Have Love and Save the World, Too

Marcus Shorter — Thu, 07 Jul 2022 23:00:48 +0000

Birthdays are weird funhouse mirrors. Depending on the person, or sometimes the time of day, the reflection looking back at them can either elate or petrify. And, in some cases, there’s a spooky clown staring back with dead eyes and a big red nose. Having just turned 31 on July…

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On Love, Damini, Burna Boy Asks If He Can Have Love and Save the World, Too
Marcus Shorter

On Honestly, Nevermind, Drake Pushes Sonic Boundaries… While Saying Nothing New

Marcus Shorter — Fri, 17 Jun 2022 15:30:59 +0000

No, that headline does not have a typo. There’s a reason Honestly, Nevermind shows up in your streaming platform of choice as a “dance” album. Because, well, it is, in fact, just that. Drake’s seventh studio album comes nine months after Certified Lover Boy, a project knee-deep in controversy, anticipation,…

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On Honestly, Nevermind, Drake Pushes Sonic Boundaries… While Saying Nothing New
Marcus Shorter

With Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers, Kendrick Lamar Chooses Himself and Makes a Masterpiece

Marcus Shorter — Fri, 13 May 2022 18:30:03 +0000

“I choose me, I’m sorry.” The last five words on Kendrick Lamar‘s Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers hit the hardest for anyone who “did the work,” as trained and untrained therapists like to say. Kendrick’s fifth album, out today (May 13th), is a lot of things: part political analysis,…

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With Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers, Kendrick Lamar Chooses Himself and Makes a Masterpiece
Marcus Shorter

Black Star’s No Fear of Time Proves Even 24 Years Is Just a Number for Hip-Hop Greats

Marcus Shorter — Wed, 04 May 2022 20:33:30 +0000

Time is crazy, right? It’s the one thing we never have enough of and, sometimes, can’t wait to have in the rearview mirror. Time is on the mind of Black Star, the duo who surprised hip-hop 24 years ago with a debut album still spoken about in hushed tones today.…

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Black Star’s No Fear of Time Proves Even 24 Years Is Just a Number for Hip-Hop Greats
Marcus Shorter

On It’s Almost Dry, The Game Pulls Pusha T Back In

Marcus Shorter — Thu, 21 Apr 2022 15:00:09 +0000

Almost every gangster movie or its sequel features a character going legit. Or trying as hard as they can. Scene after scene in The Godfather and The Godfather Part II show Michael Corleone telling anyone who will listen that the Corleone family is walking on the side of the angels…

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On It’s Almost Dry, The Game Pulls Pusha T Back In
Marcus Shorter

EARTHGANG Aim For Heaven on Earth with the Phenomenal GHETTO GODS

Marcus Shorter — Fri, 25 Feb 2022 16:30:27 +0000

A friend and I keep having the same conversation. Without getting into all the ins and outs of our back and forth, it all boils down to changing how society frames mental health. The usual refrain says to check in on those we know need our attention, and it’s the…

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EARTHGANG Aim For Heaven on Earth with the Phenomenal GHETTO GODS
Marcus Shorter