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Recent reports have circulated about music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs being placed on “suicide watch” at the Metropolitan Detention Center, sparking concern about his well-being. However, according to Diddy’s attorney, Marc Agnifilo, these worries are unfounded.

In a statement to TMZ, Agnifilo clarified that Diddy is not suicidal. He explained that the decision to place Diddy on suicide watch was simply a routine precaution taken by the facility for high-profile inmates. “It’s not because of any specific concern for his mental health,” Agnifilo said.

The lawyer further reassured fans and the public, emphasizing that Diddy is in good spirits. “I spent several hours with him in lockup. He’s strong, healthy, confident, and focused on his defense,” Agnifilo stated.

The news comes after growing speculation over Diddy’s mental health following his arrest. As the legal process unfolds, Agnifilo remains confident that his client is handling the situation with composure and determination.

At this time, neither Diddy nor his team have made any public statements directly addressing the situation, but his lawyer’s comments suggest that the entertainer is in a stable mental and emotional state.

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We’re inching closer to the election finish line, and after two high-stakes debates, multiple assassination attempts and controversies surrounding donuts and Doritos, Vice President Kamala Harris recently sat down with the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) for a long-overdue conversation.

The Tuesday (Sept. 17) discussion marked the Democratic nominee’s second official interview since announcing her presidential bid. Harris nor her running mate has even held a press conference since their campaign began. Tuesday’s interview serves as a reminder that up until now Harris has been strangely… selective… about her interviews and which talking points to convey whenever she does sit down for them.

Her opponents have publicly criticized these “rare” appearances. Former President Donald Trump’s running mate, Ohio Sen. JD Vance, once asked, “Why does she refuse to answer questions from the media?” And Trump called Harris out for not showing up to the July 31 NABJ Conference for a sit-down interview alongside him.

These concerns aren’t just coming from her opponents, however. The New York Post and Politico say Harris has been allegedly “dodging” interviews, and we all know Black media has often felt left out of Harris’ media touring schedule. But perhaps she heard all the noise, which would explain recent stops at the Rickey Smiley Morning Show and with Oprah. But still, there’s something about each of these appearances that’s giving people déjà vu.

At her live interview at NABJ in Philadelphia, the audience hosted NABJ members and students of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). The NABJ stage set the perfect backdrop for the vice president’s well-prepared and poised responses on the economy, the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, and the GOP candidate’s racist claim that Haitian immigrants are eating people’s pets. Though the interview went as expected, many are wondering if Harris stuck too closely to her usual script.

In fact, the only time we saw Harris talk passionately on a topic was to condemn Trump for spreading rumors about Haitian migrants. She called his claims “a crying shame,” adding, “I mean, my heart breaks for this community” before speaking about how students heading to school for picture day had to evacuate due to violent threats stemming from those baseless claims.

“Children, children. A whole community put in fear,” she continued.

But when asked about the state of the economy, Harris referenced her typical playbook about “opportunity economy” plans and her accomplishments as vice president. After she was probed about her planned response to the Israel-Hamas War, Harris said “we need to get this deal done and we need to get it done immediately.” She continued, “and that is my position and that is my policy.” Sounds familiar, huh?

Her Tuesday words were almost verbatim to her responses on the ABC debate stage. Did she answer each question tossed her way? Yes. Was it largely the same responses we’ve heard her repeat before? Oh, yeah. But what’s so wrong with that, anyway?

As a politician, Harris must reach as many Americans as she possibly can and convince them she’s the best candidate. The NABJ audience — consisting of mostly Black Americans — looks different than that of the ABC debate, which looks completely different than any of her rallies filled with supporters. With each public appearance, Harris connects with potential voters who might’ve not witnessed her previous remarks.

But it’s also important to remember political campaigns thrive on catchy slogans, memorable moments and repetition. Although Trump represents a giant step away from typical campaign structure, that doesn’t mean spewing lies whenever you want and dodging questions on your future policies will always prove effective.

Harris’ campaign only started less than two months ago. Americans still need to get to know her if she has any plans to win come November. So for now, the Democratic nominee should continue doing interviews and emphasizing her policies while also drawing clear contrasts from her opponent, Trump, and her predecessor, Biden.

But for the love of everything, it might help to switch up the script sometimes!

Unless you’ve spent the last few months living under a rock with no internet access, you’ve no doubt heard about the Drake and Kendrick Lamar drama. It’s one of the biggest beefs in recent hip-hop history, dominating social media and showing up on news sites since the first diss track dropped. 

But what started the feud, and who released what, when? The answers to these questions and more are below in this detailed timeline of the lyrical battle. 

History of the feud

The feud between Drake and Lamar brewed for more than a decade before coming to a head in 2024 with a series of diss tracks released by each respective artist. 

Notable diss tracks by Kendrick Lamar

• “Like That” – released March 22, 2024, featuring Metro Booming and Future
• “Euphoria” – released April 30, 2024
• “6:16 in LA” – released on Instagram on May 3, 2024
• “Meet the Grahams” – released May 4, 2024
• “Not Like Us” – released May 4, 2024

Notable diss tracks by Drake

• “Push Ups” – leaked online on April 13, 2024, and officially released on April 19
• “Taylor Made Freestyle” – released on Instagram on April 19, 2024
• “Family Matters” – released May 3, 2024
• “The Heart Part 6” – released May 5, 2024

Timeline of the feud

You know Drake and Lamar have beef. But how did it start? This timeline of the rappers’ feud will bring you up to speed. 

The beginning of the feud

Initially, the two stars seemed to have a pretty positive relationship. When Drake’s career began blowing up back in 2011, he invited several big names to appear on his “Take Care“ album. One of them was Lamar. In 2012, Lamar returned the favor and featured Drake in his single, “Poetic Justice.” 

However, the tides started shifting in 2013. In his verse in Big Sean’s “Control,” Lamar took shots at several peers, including Eminem, Pusha T. and, of course, Drake. Drake initially took the digs in stride, claiming it was “all love” between the two.  Months later, though, the Canadian rapper would release “The Language.” Several media outlets interpreted its first verse as a response to Lamar’s verse on Big Sean’s track.

Kendrick took another shot at Drake during the 2013 BET Hip-Hop Awards cipher, rapping, “Nothing’s been the same since they dropped ‘Control’/And tucked a sensitive rapper back in his pajama clothes.” 

Drake addressed the diss on the cover of Vibe in early 2014, saying he already “stood [his] ground” against the Compton native and praising him as a “genius in his own right.” Lamar echoed Drake’s feud-dismissing sentiments in the fall of that year, declaring to Dazed, “I got no beef with Drake.”

Escalation and back-and-forth diss tracks

Even though both artists insisted there was no bad blood, the sneak disses continued from 2015 through 2022. One of these is Lamar’s “The Heart Part 4.” When it was released in 2017, there was speculation it was about Big Sean or Drake. Lamar confirmed it was about the latter years later — but not before the rap battle reignited in 2023, this time bigger and more glaringly apparent than before. 

In October 2023, featured on Drake’s “First Person Shooter,” rapper J. Cole claimed that he, Drake and Lamar were the “Big Three” greatest rappers in modern hip-hop. Lamar wasn’t a fan of this claim and clapped back in March 2024 in a song called “Like That.” In his verse on the track, which also featured Metro Boomin and Future, Lamar slammed both Cole and Drake and denounced the “Big Three,” saying: “Motherf—k the big three, n—a, it’s just big me.” 

A month later, Drake released two tracks, “Push Ups” and “Taylor Made Freestyle.” Both contained digs at Lamar. In “Push Ups,” Drake digs at Lamar’s short stature — the rapper is 5 feet 5 inches tall — but “Taylor Made Freestyle” delivered a lower blow. The track contains AI-generated vocals of Tupac Shakur and Snoop Dogg, two of Lamar’s influences, claiming to be disappointed that Lamar hadn’t responded to “Push Ups.”

This move ultimately didn’t bode well for Drake, though. Following the release of “Taylor Made Freestyle,” Tupac Shakur’s estate threatened to sue him if he didn’t remove the song within 24 hours. They called the song “a flagrant violation” of the law and a “blatant abuse” of Shakur’s legacy. Drake obliged, scrubbing the song from his social media pages.

On April 30, 2024, six days after the release of “Taylor Made Freestyle,” Lamar clapped back with a scathing six-minute song called “Euphoria.” The diss track called out Drake’s fashion sense, hip-hop merits and use of the N-word. Lamar didn’t stop there, though. On May 3, he released “6:16 in LA” in an Instagram Reel and used the song to attack Drake’s crew, claiming those closest to him were conspiring against him behind his back. 

Fourteen hours after Lamar released “6:16 in LA,” Drake responded with “Family Matters.” This time, he honed in on Lamar’s relationship with his fiancée, Whitney Alford. Drake suggested there was infidelity in their relationship, claiming one of Lamar’s children was fathered by his friend and label co-founder Dave Free. He also called Lamar a cheater and domestic abuser. 

Twenty minutes later, when the clock struck midnight on the East Coast on May 4, Lamar dropped “Meet the Grahams,” using his lyrics to call Drake a deadbeat father, suggest that he fathered a secret daughter and allege that he’s running a sex trafficking ring out of his mansion.

Lamar wasn’t finished, though. The same day he released “Meet the Grahams,” he dropped “Not Like Us.” Music critics praised this track, feeling it solidified Lamar’s victory in the rap battle. Some publications even called it one of the best diss tracks ever made. In this song, Lamar doubles down on the claims he made in “Meet the Grahams,” continuing to allege that Drake is a pedophile, saying, “Say, Drake, I hear you like ’em young / You better not ever go to cell block one / To any b—h that talk to him and they in love / Just make sure you hide your lil sister from him.” 

On May 5, Drake released his rebuttal, “The Heart Part 6.” He used the song to debunk allegations of having a secret daughter and once again suggested that Lamar’s fiancée had a child with Dave Free. Unfortunately, Drake’s latest diss track didn’t have the intended effect. It received mostly negative reviews, racking up more than a million dislikes on YouTube.

Recent developments and responses

“The Heart Pt. 6” was the last diss track released in the feud, but the shade didn’t end there, though most of it came from Lamar’s end. 

On June 19, 2024, Lamar headlined a concert in Inglewood, California, called The Pop Out: Ken & Friends, where he performed “6:16 in LA” live for the first time and invited Dr. Dre to perform the intro to “Not Like Us.” Lamar performed the song six times total that night. 

Lamar released the “Not Like Us” music video on July 4. The video, directed by Dave Free, featured appearances by Lamar’s fiancée and children. By then, the West Coast-born rapper was deemed by most as the winner of the feud, and numerous websites, including Variety, called the video a victory lap for Lamar.

The internet has had plenty to say about the very public, deeply personal feud. Here are a few thoughts on the Drake-Lamar beef and its effect on the rap community. 

Reception of the diss tracks

While members of each artist’s respective fanbases seem to have shown their support of their favorite rapper throughout the feud — at the time of writing, Lamar’s “Not Like Us” is the year’s best-selling song in the U.S. and Drake’s diss tracks helped him become the first artist to surpass 100 billion streams on Spotify — many of their peers are unimpressed by the very public battle.

Donald Glover, aka Childish Gambino, called the feud “negative” before adding, “Even this year, the most fun we’ve had was from a fight. A song from a fight, from a rap beef. Which I enjoyed every minute of. It was very fun. But still, kinda negative in a certain light.” Questlove expressed his disappointment over the diss tracks on Instagram, writing, “This was a wrestling match level mudslinging and takedown by any means necessary — women & children (& actual facts) be damned.” He finished the somber message by declaring, “Hip Hop Is Truly Dead.”

Impact on the rap industry

Rap beefs aren’t a new phenomenon. They’re as old as the music genre itself, influenced by the freestyle battles that have become synonymous with hip-hop. But while beef tended to stay within the community in the early days, this battle almost immediately crossed over to pop culture.  Bill Stephney, a former Def Jam executive, told the BBC, “That 100 million people can consume that so quickly is just such a profound technological change. It’s hard to even fathom it.”

The tracks within the feud have resulted in an overwhelming amount of buzz, from Reddit forums to media think pieces, all while dominating the streaming charts. This backs Stephney’s statement, confirming that where rap beef was once only known by those who closely followed the culture, it’s now easily accessible, and those who are listening want more. 

Verdict on the feud

So, who won? 

Public opinion on who won the feud

Most fans, hip-hop enthusiasts and music critics favor Lamar as the winner of the feud because of his calculated release tactics and brutal character-assassinating claims. It doesn’t hurt that “Not Like Us” topped several of Billboard’s lists for weeks.

However, a population of rap commentators, fans and artists still deem Drake the winner. One of these is Gillie Da Kid, who wrote on his Instagram page, “That s—t over with, man! Kendrick can’t come back.” Azealia Banks is another member of Team Drake, writing on her Instagram story, “‘Push Ups’ is the crown jewel of it all.”

Implications for both artists’ careers

The Drake and Kendrick Lamar drama has both positive and negative implications for their respective careers and personal lives. 

One of the positive implications is solidifying both artists’ positions at the top of their game. Sidney Madden of NPR Music told Amna Nawaz of PBS these two are “on the Mount Rushmore of hip-hop’s current rap acts.” He went on to say this feud — mostly the public’s interest in it — confirmed their relevancy in the industry. They also showed themselves as trailblazers, leveraging social media and AI in ways their peers haven’t.

The negative implications are a bit more severe, however. There were serious allegations amidst the mudslinging, with Lamar calling Drake a pedophile and trafficker and Drake calling Lamar a domestic abuser. These accusations can’t be ignored. Nawaz points these out in her conversation with Madden, quoting an opinion piece from The Guardian: “In the course of the nasty back-and-forth, they have made women, women who are possibly survivors of sexual abuse, harassment or domestic violence, the collateral damage of their violent mudslinging.”

If these accusations are even remotely true, they imply the music industry goes to great lengths to protect its own, no matter what’s at stake for the victims. 

FAQs

Who are the big 3 in rap?

Many call Kendrick Lamar, Drake and J. Cole the Big Three of modern rap, as they are considered three of the biggest rappers to emerge out of the 2010s. 

Who found out about Kendrick Lamar?

Most people say fellow Comptonite Dr. Dre discovered Kendrick Lamar. However, Anthony “Top Dawg” Tiffith met Lamar, who was going by K. Dot at the time, seven years earlier when he was just 16. Not long after, Tiffith offered the young rapper a deal with his label, Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE).

Did Family Matters come out before Meet the Grahams? 

Drake released “Family Matters” at around 11 p.m. EST on May 3. Lamar released “Meet the Grahams” less than 45 minutes later. 

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In the midst of ongoing drama surrounding Sean “Diddy” Combs, a resurfaced video featuring Ne-Yo’s baby mama has sparked new conversations about the singer’s private life.

In the footage, Ne-Yo’s former partner makes claims about his personal behavior, referring to him as “Diddy Jr.” and alluding to “freak-offs” – an apparent reference to wild parties or sexual escapades.

This video, initially filmed months ago, has now reemerged in light of recent events, adding fuel to the fire of celebrity controversies involving Diddy.

Last week, former Danity Kane member Dawn Richard made waves when she alleged that Ne-Yo was present during a reported altercation between Diddy and his ex-girlfriend, Cassie, though no further details were confirmed.

The resurfacing of this video seems to tie Ne-Yo into the broader web of rumors and accusations currently surrounding Diddy, prompting renewed speculation about the connections between the two music icons and the nature of their involvement in high-profile scandals.

Sure do… I was waiting for Neyo’s downfall as well https://t.co/AMXC9Zn24X pic.twitter.com/s1HZTitsPt

— Bibi the Selato🔻Slayer 🌂 🧝🏾‍♀️ (@YMBIBI) September 19, 2024

While neither Ne-Yo nor Diddy has publicly addressed these latest claims, fans and the public are closely watching for any official statements or developments in these unfolding stories.

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Editor’s note: The following article is an op-ed, and the views expressed are the author’s own. Read more opinions on theGrio.

I think I’m the only person I’ve ever met who knows of the group Kiara, an R&B duo from Detroit. My father bought their sophomore album, “Civilized Rogue,” which featured the song “You’re Right About That” — as ’90s of a song and video as you will ever hear and see. I don’t know if this is true or not (and I’m not sure my family could even verify this as a fact) but I feel like I heard “You’re Right About That” over and over again on Saturday mornings, likely in 1990, as we straightened up our rooms and cleaned whatever other thing that kids were required to clean up on weekends back then. While that song doesn’t exist to most people, it is a reminder of my childhood and part of the soundtrack to my young, Black, Saturday morning life. 

That day was also filled with Luther Vandross and Kenny G and Rod Stewart. Oh, and Hall & Oates. Saturday mornings had jams while we did menial tasks. According to every Black person I know, this same pattern happened in Black households across America and for those of us who were in military families, abroad. The extent to which actual cleaning happened is debatable; my parents said we only had to clean up our rooms on weekends, which makes sense — in 1990 I turned 11, and I have no idea how good I was at anything at that point. 

I now have four kids of my own, and the music doesn’t really play on Saturday mornings. Sure, there have been a few weekends where I’ve woken up the house with the sounds of ’80s R&B or Fela Kuti, but typically my kids don’t wake up on Saturday and think about straightening up their rooms or the bathroom or the living room. In fact, they don’t really think about that on most days unless I tell them to do something specifically. It’s not because I’ve lost some value system that gave me core memories about random R&B duos, it’s largely because nobody is home on Saturday mornings in my house. The way our lives are set up, my kids can get home super late on any given day making it impossible to focus on any particular chore. Every weekend is filled with activities of some sort, shepherding the kids from one sporting event or birthday party to another. It seems to mirror the lives of most of my friends. My kids simply don’t have the time for it anymore. 

Lifestyle

Obviously, that’s a personal thing; my kids are into lots of things, and we know lots of people so it stands to reason that the Saturday morning of my youth can’t quite exist like it used to. I feel like I knew lots of people as a kid, and I definitely played sports, but I have so many memories of me playing outside with my friends all the time. I feel like I had all of the time in the world and thus my parents could expect much more in the way of chores and things. My kids have chores, too, but I’d be lying if I said they were very time-consuming. 

Part of me wants to give my kid that same life I had; I turned out alright so it seems like the things that I remember fondly contributed to that. But I also wonder if that memory is a relic of a time past. Similarly, I wonder if I’m over-remembering this facet of life; I actually had to ask my parents if we cleaned up on Saturdays because the culture has made this a staple part of life for those of us who grew up in the ’80s and ’90s, but there have been more than a few things that live stronger in cultural memory than actuality. If you let social media tell it, everybody my age woke up at 8 a.m. on Saturday to the sounds of Aretha Franklin while wearing a bandana and cleaning the house from top to bottom. Maybe that was somebody’s life but it definitely wasn’t mine. At least not often enough for it to be part of my youth identity. 

Here’s the thing, though. For some folks maybe that was life, and I wonder if that’s a time-honored tradition that continues to this day. Amongst my friends, it seems like none of us have the time to throw on the Bluetooth speaker and fire up a “Cleaning Music” playlist, and we smile as a household as the smell of Fabuloso takes us away into a spick-and-span house. Also, I was today-years-old when I learned that there was a brand named Spic and Span. I never understood that phrase before today. 

Anyway, are families still waking up on Saturdays and putting the kids to work while Babyface or perhaps SWV or Usher jams in the background? It seems like such a cool, simple aspect of life that creates bonds and memories for the house. I’d love to try to bring that old thing back, but even now I have to leave to cart one kid across the city to another thing before I pick up another kid. Who has time for family cleaning when everybody has somewhere to be all of the time? 

Am I alone? 

Panama Jackson is a columnist at theGrio and host of the award-winning podcast, “Dear Culture” on theGrio Black Podcast Network. He writes very Black things, drinks very brown liquors, and is pretty fly for a light guy. His biggest accomplishment to date coincides with his Blackest accomplishment to date in that he received a phone call from Oprah Winfrey after she read one of his pieces (biggest) but he didn’t answer the phone because the caller ID said “Unknown” (Blackest).

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During an electric performance at the iHeartRadio Music Festival in Las Vegas, Hayley Williams, the iconic frontwoman of Paramore, paused mid-set to deliver a fiery political message to the audience, aimed directly at former President Donald Trump and his 2024 presidential campaign.

The moment came as Williams addressed “Project 2025,” a controversial policy agenda being advanced by Trump and his allies. The plan, which has drawn widespread criticism from progressives and activists, is seen as an effort to roll back protections for marginalized communities.

Speaking passionately into the microphone, Williams stated, “Project 2025 is Donald Trump’s playbook for controlling and punishing women, poor people, people of color, and the LGBTQ+ community.” Her words were met with a mixture of cheers and gasps from the crowd.

Williams continued, directly challenging her fans and festivalgoers: “Do you want to live in a dictatorship? Well, show up and vote!” Urging the importance of civic engagement, she reminded the audience that their voices could shape the future, and warned of the dangerous implications of another Trump presidency.

Hayley Williams calls out Donald Trump live at iHeartRadio Music Festival! pic.twitter.com/U6PSH83TSz

— 🏁 (@concertleaks) September 21, 2024

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Black movie directors have always been at the forefront of the film scene, whether we’re talking about the golden age of cinema or more modern movie-making. But everyone knows Black filmmakers don’t always get the recognition they deserve, so here’s a shout-out to the best of the best.

Pioneers and early filmmakers

1. Charles Burnett (born 1944)

Charles Burnett is one of the earliest Black film directors on this list. He made his mark with experimental masterpieces like “Killer of Sheep” (1978) and “To Sleep with Anger” (1990). Despite long having been considered one of the greatest American filmmakers, Burnett’s movies are sorely underappreciated outside of the film school crowd. However, his work has been recognized by experts and critics with prizes like the MacArthur “Genius” Grant and the Guggenheim Fellowship for Creative Arts.

2. Julie Dash (born 1952)

As the first African-American woman to have a feature film receive a wide theatrical release, Julie Dash is not only a certified trailblazer but also a highly decorated filmmaker. Two of her most impactful movies, “Illusions” (1982) and “Daughters of the Dust” (1991), have even been preserved by the Library of Congress’s National Film Registry for their significant contributions to American culture. Dash’s films are a must-see for anyone who wants to appreciate the long and diverse history of Black women in film.

3. Haile Gerima (born 1946)

Any list of top Black filmmakers would be incomplete without Haile Gerima. This groundbreaking Ethiopian director has lived and worked in the United States for decades. His best-known movies include “Ashes and Embers” (1982) and “Sankofa” (1993), which address the terrors of war and slavery, respectively, from the perspectives of Black characters. Fun fact: Gerima went to film school at UCLA with Charles Burnett, and the two have been friends ever since. Along with Julie Dash and other famous Black directors, they’re considered part of the L.A. Rebellion movement, which challenged conventional notions of what constitutes cinema and who could create it.

4. F. Gary Gray (born 1969)

If experimental filmmaking isn’t really your thing, you might prefer the work of F. Gary Gray, the cinematic mind behind crowd-pleasing movies like cult classic “Friday” (1995) and “Set It Off” (1996). Gray’s illustrious career began with shooting classic ’90s music videos, including Ice Cube’s “It Was a Good Day” and TLC’s “Waterfalls,” so you’re probably already familiar with at least a bit of his work. This Black film pioneer is still leading the box office with hits like “The Fate of the Furious” (2017) and “Straight Outta Compton” (2015).

5. Spike Lee (born 1957)

Like F. Gary Gray, Spike Lee is a long-reigning king of Black cinema. Lee might be one of the most famous names on this list of Black filmmakers. His work has defined the last few decades of Black cinema, with “Do the Right Thing” (1989), “Malcolm X” (1992), “Bamboozled” (2000) and “BlacKkKlansman” (2018). Lee’s stories usually revolve around ordinary Black folks in extraordinary situations and always deal with race from an inventive perspective.

6. Kasi Lemmons (born 1961)

Not all Black film directors limit their work to themes of race and identity. Kasi Lemmons has directed some of the most important movies about race ever made, from her debut “Eve’s Bayou” (1997) to the far more recent “Harriet” (2019). But as an actress, Lemmons has explored other narratives, playing Ardelia Mapp in “The Silence of the Lambs” (1991) and even appearing in American TV mainstays like “Walker, Texas Ranger” and “Murder, She Wrote.”

7. Gordon Parks (1912-2006)

Gordon Parks kicked off his career as a photojournalist, capturing the gritty reality of poverty and discrimination in the United States. Now he’s remembered for cementing the so-called blaxploitation genre with classics like “Shaft” (1971) and “Shaft’s Big Score” (1972). He even got his son into the genre. Gordon Parks Jr. directed “Super Fly” (1972) and three other films before tragically passing away in a plane crash in 1979.

8. John Singleton (1968-2019)

At just 24 years old, John Singleton was the youngest person and first Black person nominated for the Academy Award for Best Director, for his debut film “Boyz n the Hood” (1991). If you’ve seen any Black drama films from the 1990s, you’ve almost certainly run into this LA-born filmmaker. He also created “Poetic Justice” (1993) and “Baby Boy” (2001). Singleton’s nuanced portrayals of Black masculinity not only defined an era but opened doors to the film industry for numerous Black musicians, including Ice Cube, Janet Jackson and Tupac Shakur.

Trailblazers in modern cinema

1. Ryan Coogler (born 1986)

Ryan Coogler directed the smash hit superhero movie “Black Panther” (2018), which is still the highest-grossing film by a Black director in history. Coogler is also behind the “Creed” series of boxing films starring Michael B. Jordan, but his oeuvre isn’t all popcorn flicks. His directorial debut was the heart-wrenching critical darling “Fruitvale Station” (2013).

2. Mati Diop (born 1982)

Mati Diop is a Senegalese movie director and actress hailing from Paris, France. She made film history in 2019 when her debut feature film “Atlantics” (2019) became the first movie from a Black female director to compete for the prestigious Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival. “Atlantics” is a supernatural romance, but this well-rounded filmmaker has also released a documentary called “Dahomey” (2024) about stolen Beninese artifacts.

3. Ava DuVernay (born 1972)

Ava DuVernay is probably the most prominent Black filmmaker of any gender in the entertainment industry right now. She’s been earning plaudits for her work since her career began. Her second movie, “Middle of Nowhere” (2012), won the director’s prize at the Sundance Film Festival. She was the first Black woman to receive the award. She continued making history with “Selma” (2014), the Martin Luther King Jr. biopic that made her the first Black woman to be nominated for Best Director at the Golden Globes. Even with these historic wins under her belt, the director shows no signs of stopping. She’s ventured into the documentary genre with the Netflix original “13th” (2016) and TV with “Queen Sugar” (2016) and “When They See Us” (2019).

4. Barry Jenkins (born 1979)

Barry Jenkins has been a mainstay of the indie film scene since his debut “Medicine for Melancholy” (2008) was nominated for Best First Feature at the Independent Spirit Awards. Nearly ten years later, Jenkins reached a much larger audience with the acclaimed drama “Moonlight” (2016), winner of Best Picture at that year’s Academy Awards. Jenkins continues to earn critical acclaim and audience praise with adaptations of seminal Black authors like James Baldwin (“If Beale Street Could Talk”) and Colson Whitehead (“The Underground Railroad”).

5. Steve McQueen (born 1969)

Steve McQueen made history with “12 Years a Slave” (2013), an adaptation of Solomon Northup’s memoir of the same name. This groundbreaking film made McQueen the first Black person to receive the Academy Award for Best Picture. It also provided actress Lupita Nyong’O a breakthrough role that would become her first Oscar-winning performance. This London-born director is also the only person to win both an Oscar and the Turner Prize, Britain’s highest honor for visual artists.

6. Jordan Peele (born 1979)

If you prefer genre films over dramas and biopics, you’ll definitely want to get familiar with Jordan Peele. The multitalented Black creator started out producing sketch comedy for Comedy Central and now directs movies that earn comparisons to all-time greats like Alfred Hitchcock and Steven Spielberg. Fans of horror and adventure films, or biting commentary of all kinds, are bound to be entertained by Peele’s films “Get Out” (2017), “Us” (2019) and “Nope” (2022).

7. Dee Rees (born 1977)

If “Moonlight” left you craving more Black queer storytelling, get to know Dee Rees. Rees is an out-and-proud lesbian whose coming-of-age drama “Pariah” (2011) was selected for the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress in 2022. The Nashville native also directed the HBO biopic “Bessie” (2015), about legendary queer blues singer Bessie Smith, and Netflix’s “Mudbound” (2017), an adaptation of Hillary Jordan’s novel of the same name.

Honoring the legacy of Black filmmaking

This list of famous Black filmmakers includes enough of their works to build a personal crash course in the history of Black cinema, but it doesn’t come close to covering the immense contributions of Black people worldwide to the world of film. There are plenty of other influential Black directors, like Nia DaCosta, Justin Simien, Albert and Allen Hughes and so many more.

Not done brushing up on the best in Black filmmaking? Check out the archives to learn more about established and up-and-coming Black directors and filmmakers.

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A quarter of a century ago, television audiences were introduced to a character who would go on to become one of the most iconic figures in TV history: Detective Olivia Benson. Portrayed by Mariska Hargitay, Benson debuted on September 20, 1999, in the premiere of NBC’s Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (SVU), a spin-off of the hugely successful Law & Order franchise.

From the very first episode, Benson quickly established herself as a tough, compassionate, and deeply committed detective, dedicated to seeking justice for survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence, and other heinous crimes. What set Benson apart from the typical TV cop was her connection to the cases she handled—her mother was a rape survivor. This backstory brought a profound emotional depth to the role.

For 25 years, Olivia Benson has evolved from a young detective into the commanding officer of the SVU squad. Her progression through the ranks has mirrored her growth as a leader, advocate, and symbol of resilience. Hargitay’s portrayal of Benson has earned widespread acclaim, winning her an Emmy in 2006, and making her one of the longest-running characters in TV history. Her portrayal has inspired a generation of viewers, particularly women, with her unwavering strength and compassion.

The impact of Benson’s character goes beyond entertainment. As the show delves into the intricacies of trauma and survival, SVU has raised awareness about real-life issues like sexual assault, human trafficking, and child exploitation. Hargitay herself has become an activist for survivors of abuse, founding the Joyful Heart Foundation to provide support for those affected by domestic violence and sexual assault.

As SVU continues into its 25th season, Benson remains a beloved figure, admired for her bravery, empathy, and dedication to justice. Her character’s legacy is cemented not just as a TV detective, but as a cultural icon who has brought visibility to important issues and given a voice to the voiceless.

Detective Olivia Benson’s debut 25 years ago marked the beginning of a television phenomenon that continues to resonate today, proving that heroes don’t just exist in the real world—they can also be found on our screens.

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