Mark P. Braboy
@shootyourmark
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3x Award-winning music/canna multimedia journalist. He/him. JSU /G\. [email protected]
Chicago, IL/The EAST
Joined July 2009
Tonight I just won my very first award in Music Journalism. Holding this is so crazy right now because I never would have imagined winning one of these. the gravity of it all is something else. So it's official: IM AN AWARD WINNING MUSIC JOURNALIST!!!!!!!!
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Megan Thee Stallion was right!.
DMX was right.Mos Def was right.Joe Budden was right.Pusha T was right.Kendrick Lamar was right.
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The gag is. Black and Brown folk BEEEN into K-Pop heavily. I know this because, and I say this again, BTS in Chicago at Soldier Field last year had waaaaay more Black and Brown people than any rap show that year. Y'all just been sleep lol.
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I swear I've seen more black, brown, yellow, queer, and trans people at that BTS show than I expected. In fact I've seen more there than I've ever seen at any rap show or music festival I've been to. I've never seen a major stadium show that diverse in my little life.
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Young Dolph stood with Megan the whole time. He told me that verbatim.
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1. Weird thing for them to say about a group who's roots are in hip hop and their own South Korean culture. 2. Opinions like that are what happens when you only want to view things through a white American lens.
I donât know who needs to hear this, but white boybands didnât pave the way for BTS. If anything the stereotypes attached with these bands have been major stumbling blocks and have discouraged more people from listening to BTSâ music, becaus they expect boyband pop.
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If there's anything I learned from writing about BTS this year, it's that there's K-Pop, which is having a huge moment on its own. and then there's BTS, which is something different. Related, but very different.
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I'm sorry, but if you're sitting here saying Lifetime has never done a documentary or film about white male pedophiles and rapists. then you must has never heard of Lifetime, clearly.
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Hey, #BTSARMY! I want to speak with some hardcore BTS fans for a project I'm working on. I'm looking for BTS fans of color (Black, Asian, Arabic, Latinx, ect.) who's been impacted by their music. All genders and sexualities, including non binary and trans are welcome!.
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His wordsâŠand I quoteâŠâTORY LANEZ IS A BUSTA!!!!! WHAT KIND OF LAME ASS BITCH ASS NIGGA SHOOT A FEMALE BRUH???!!!!â. He was HOT!!.
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Aiiiiyyy!! #BTSArmy is in full effect! Check out my FIRST Chicago byline, my FIRST major newspaper piece and my FIRST K-Pop review on BTS's Love Yourself, Speak Yourself tour! It was cold AF in that stadium too. S/O @kathychaney and @MiriamDiNunzio!!!!.
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"Musically, Drake is versatile enough to match elegant harmonies with Jin, V, Jungkook, and Jimin and go bar for bar with ease next to RM, J-Hope, and Suga over production from 40.". 12 Hip Hop & R&B Collabs w/@bts_bighit We Need ASAP! W/ @VibeMagazine.
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REGIONAL RAP NEVER LEFT!!!!! YOU JUST ONLY PAY ATTENTION TO MAINSTREAM RAP ONLY!!!!!!!!! THE SO CALLED LACK OF REGIONAL RAP JUST MEANS MANY OF YOU ARE LAZY HIP HOP LISTENERS!!!!.
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This is a Gemini album. All we know is love and violence.
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Not to mention that I MAY have been the only Black journalist, let alone music and/or Hip Hop writer there!.
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@Justice2K It really did! And they're the hottest K-Pop group in the world right now. I'd say they're like N'Sync meets 98 Degrees meets New Edition meets Chris Brown but with 11x more gloss.
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Yo. BTS isn't even a trending topic on Twitter and my review on their Chicago show is STILL doing crazy numbers. And with a local (but major) outlet at that! It's circulating faster and harder than anything I've ever written. EVER! And It's a POSITIVE review. POSITIVE!.
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I donât mean any harm, but I donât think a lot of people understand exactly why they donât quite compare. And this isnât explicitly about Drake because remember when Nicki broke Arethaâs records? Now how many of those songs are still relevant today compared to Arethaâs?.
.@Drake officially ties Michael Jackson as the male soloist with the most #1 hits in Hot 100 history (13 each).
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Dawg. love is so beautiful. @Wale really helped set the stage for this couple to become a union in matrimony. This was my favorite show this year and I'll never forget being here for this.
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For the life of me, how can you see the wrong in whatâs happening in Ukraine, but not in Palestine?.
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If #BTS has positively impacted you in anyway, whether they motivated you, inspired you to better, make you feel included despite these oppressive times, or even prevented you from doing something harmful to yourself or aided you during the dark times, let me include your story!.
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ALL BTS fans of color are included, whether you're a child, teenager or even an elder! All ages, genders, and sexualities are welcome here! This is for a huge BTS story I'm working on.
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One day, we need to have a talk about why Eminem was way more relatable to Black kids between 1999 and 2002 than Jay-Z and a litany of other mainstream Black rappers around that time.
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Black/African, Latinx/Hispanic, Arabic, and Native American folks are especially welcome to get at me!.
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This is a perfect way of describing Kells. He really was the Tyler Perry of R&B. Hence why thereâs hella overlap between their core audiences.
Yâall worshipping the Tyler Perry movie of R&B sagas lmao.
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Shot by me!!!!.
Thank you @TheeStallion for two SOLD OUT shows here in Chicago for the #HotGirlSummerTour!!! Chicago Hotties Love Megan! đ
AHH!
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I really appreciate all of the love and criticism I'm getting from this BTS tour review! I'm learning a lot from you #BTSArmy folks and I rock with the positivity. You guys are alright!.
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Well this blew up as I expected so in case you're not familiar with me, here's my last piece I did about BTS with VIBE!.
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Also, check out last years review on ther show in Chicago if you missed it. Written and shot by me.
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OH!!! One last thing! Any editors out there looking for a Black man who knows about K-Pop and BTS, hit me up!.
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Lastly make sure you all are holding your non Black friends accountable! It's still a war out here among our Black brothers and sisters. They all matter! Straight, trans, queer, all of us!. Happy Juneteenth!.
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âEverybody in my family had an epidural, but everybody also had very traumatic birth stories, so they were terrified for me to have the baby at home.â. @themonaleo and I had a really deep conversation on her pregancy for my debut piece for @EssenceGU!.
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@ButterflyEllaJ @BTS_twt I think the fact that they didn't play this at the show on the video boards is my only other critique because I think showing this could have brought this further home.
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The more yâall say âwhereâs the PR teamâ the more I kinda donât think yâall understand the power dynamics between an artist and a publicist because yâall swear âPRâ means âParentâ.
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Memphis rapper over a NY drill beat sampling 00s NY record while also sampling a Chicago dance recordâŠ. Itâs just so much going on hereâŠIâm overstimulated đđđ.
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@GotenksDad @Linnzo_ @OfficiallyIce Personal preference is irrelevant when you're telling people they can't come in the club. That's trash and that's bad business.
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The thing with NasâŠand a lot of other rappersâŠand writingâŠyouâre SUPPOSED to be to better when youâre older. Rap is a form of writing and with writing, you better when youâre older (unless your heart dies). This is the arts, not sports.
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IM SHOOTING MY FIRST LOLLAPALOOZA TOMORROW AND IM AT MY FIRST NABJ CONFERENCE!!!!!!! I MANIFESTED THIS FOR MYSELF IN JANUARY AND I MADE IT HAPPEN!!!! SPENT MY OWN MONEY AND WORKED HARD ON MY PHOTOGRAPHY TO MAKE THIS ALL HAPPEN AND IM PROUD OF MYSELF FOR MAKING IT HAPPEN ON MY OWN.
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Oh, damn I done went viral lol! Well uhh. I ain't got nothing to promote but check out my photography at Shootyourmark on IG, And uhh. listen to Black women y'all.
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In honor of the 20th Anniversary of my favorite Mariah Carey album Rainbow, I wrote something cool about it for @MTVNEWS and spoke to some of her dearest lambs from my city who the album deeply resonated with. Hope I made @MariahCarey proud!. via @MTVNews.
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@GottiWavy7 Trust bruh. I work in a profession where if I tell a lie I lose my whole reputation and then some. Iâm too thorough dawg, look me up sometime.
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You guys wanna know the real story on how Chief Keef was able to perform in Chicago?! Well, Peeda Pan and @_ColeBennett_ gave me an exclusive conversation on how it was done for @Complex. And it definitely wasnât easy. Read it!.
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Remember that Black Joy is an act of protest too. So have some joy today.
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đNEWđ - âI tried to quit [music], but I really f*cking love it. I was so f*cking depressed not making music and not playing music with my friends. That is one thing that does bring me true, true joy.â. My incredible chat w/ Noname for @TheTRiiBE .
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Another thing thatâs so disappointing is that many of the best writers in the world, including myself and others I know, have written good to amazing stories about his artists and will continue to do so. Has he ever read anything of those pieces?.
I respect Hip Hop Journalism and feel itâs needed in its truest form. It help keep the culture alive. But itâs only a few real ones left. Most of you guys are trash. Just my opinion. Thatâs why artist donât want to talk to you.
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To my fellow hip hop and music journalists, it might not seem like it all the time, but our words really do matter. Our words our consequential and can ultimately shape history for better or worse. And thereâs someone that you donât know who you may be inspiring with them too.
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đ„EXCLUSIVEđ„ - The GAWD @noname sat down with me before her Block Party yesterday. With her doing the work in her hood despite the flack she gets online, we asked who is REALLY accountable to? . And you know this convo had to be w/ @TheTRiiBE! Who else?.
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Y'know. contrary to some beliefs. it's perfectly okay to be highly skeptical of both Jussie and the CPD at the same time.
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IM NOMINATED FOR MY FIRST JOURNALISM AWARD IN MUSIC!!! THIS IS THE POWER OF REAL HIP HOP JOURNALISM!!! AND WE BRINGING IT BACK TO THE CULTURE!!!!!! S/O to my folk at @TheTRiiBE!!!!!.
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@yourCheriseAmor Fam. THAT WAS ONE OF THE MOST AMAZING SHOWS I'VE EVER SEEN!!! I swear, the raps, the singing, the choreography, the special effects. whew. I had a whole ball out there.
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"Dolph's music helped me cope with the losses that come from battling anxiety and depression. His music was cathartic for everyone, regardless of race or background chasing a dream". Ladies and gentlemen, my debut for @NoiseyMusic in honor of Young Dolph.
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I finally caught up with my favorite singer @ravynlenae for @TheTRiiBE! We had dope chat about her Birdâs Eye tour and what performing in Chicago means to her, working with Ty$ and Childish Gambino, âOne Wishâ and her, relationship with her pops and more!.
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My âŠ@harpersbazaarusâ© debut is out! Had a incredible conversation with the brilliant âŠ@LaSeletzkyâ© on the complex legacy of her father Mac McCollough who was with Dr. MLK the day he was assassinated in âThe Kneeling Manâ. An important story.
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ARMY do your thang!! This is one of the two BTS joints I've been working on all Summer! . Do your thang ARMY!! I offer my (and VIBE's) mentions to you once again! Like, retweet, read, comment, love me, fight me, all that!.
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I normally donât this but could you please put a prayer in the sky to your favorite deity for my family. My Grannyâs in the ICU and the medical system in this city on top of all of these hospital beds in the city being full isnât making it better. And Iâm tryna be strong. đđŸđđŸđđŸ.
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@noyokono It was hard to choose, but I love this one because I really, really love Three 6 Mafia.
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The bass was thumping in my chest when BTS performed this song!. #NowPlaying "We Are Bulletproof Pt.2" by BTS on @TIDAL
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I already spoke The FADER, HipHopDX, and Pitchfork to existance. Next year Imma have a byline in Genius, Complex, DJ Booth, Cassius, Noisey, & Okayplayer. And I'll get bylines in The Root, The Griot, and GQ. And I'm speaking being published in a physical mag to existance too.
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Such a story @HipHopNumbers! Thank you for everything you painstakingly create for all of us and we're all glad you're still with us. Also, thank you for always being open for discussion with black music historians and writers. Y'all should follow him if you love hip hop.
Australian native Ben Carter is the man behind @HipHopNumbers. The account has become an outlet for him to deal with long-standing mental health issues. This is his story.
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"He was a young king of an era of Chicago rap that is losing its stars at a frightening pace. No posthumous verses or albums will heal the painful void thatâs becoming deeper every day.". My latest with @Complex. RIP to Von. King Von, Fearless Storyteller
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Cuz some of y'all Lord Jamar type old heads love to promote that narrative that Black folk didn't listen to Eminem. This is boldfaced lie!.
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BOOOOOOOYYYY LOOKA HERE LOOKA HERE NAHH!!!!! LOOK AT THIS RIGHT HERE BABY, MY 4th AWARD NOMINATION AND I GOT THREE STORIES UP THERE NOW! AND JUST WHEN I THOUGHT I WAS OUT HERE LOSING, IM STILL WINNING!!!!! AND ONCE AGAIN, I DID WITH MY @TheTRiiBE NINJAS!!! CANT STOP, WONT STOP!!
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@Dimarxxoo Thank you!!! Raphouse TV is one of the most toxic and anti black accounts and have long shared fake news against Black communities. Me and the folks at @TheTRiiBE went deep into them and other sites like the in this story I wrote.
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And iâm not even knocking him because this is astonishing! But historical context matter regardless what generation youâre from. Streaming is the steroids of the music industry.
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Missy Elliot and the BTS army are the only people who help make positive, non clickbait stories go viral lol.
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Man, I encourage everybody from musicians to journalists to watch these music documentaries on Netflix and read as many music books and memoirs as you can (especially anything from Nelson George). They remind us that the more things change, the more things stay the same in music.
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@ArmyYuu2 Imma get their tapes! RM and Suga are my favorite spitters but I'll peep the whole crew too.
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@ArmyYuu2 Wow! That's a shame because they really are exceedingly talented. Arguably more talented than some of these American stars TBH. I think it's because many of them just don't understand them. I appreciate them because they carry a lot of elements of my music culture too.
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âIf we can honor Elvis Presley, Iâd be damned if we ainât finna honor Young Dolph. If we can name streets after racists, Iâd be damned if we ainât naming streets after Young Dolph.â. A look at the todayâs heavy memorial for Young Dolph. via @RollingStone.
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âIf you think that lyricism is going to compete with violence, that ainât finna happen. Thereâs way more stickiness to seeing something pop off than hearing somebody rap about quasars and lasers.â. My story on the legendary @LupeFiasco for @TheTRiiBE! .
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@rysa_nys Check it out, fam! My review on the concert. Hope you dig it because I had a blast!.
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I just have one question for everyone who put Andre 3000 on their top 50 list. What exactly is it about Big Boi that you don't like? What's the case against him being considered a Top 50 rapper? I notice none of you all don't have him mentioned at all despite his track record?.
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Jim DeRogatis, the Black women at the Sun Times, Dream Hampton, the Black women who created the #MuteRKelly, Tarana Burke, and a whole gang of organizers from Chicago and beyond are American heros. Kinda a shame it took nearly 30 years for this to happen.
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My hip hop articles are really being cited in books!!!!!!!!!!.
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Please let this Jamie Foxx incident with these fake stories be a hard lesson to all of you to STOP SHARING BLOG POSTS FROM RAPTV, RAPHOUSE,THE WHOLE NINE!!!!. Who is behind the hip-hop blogs spreading fake news about O-Block on social media? âą The TRiiBE
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Another thing. "Dream Glow" is a dope song and I've been enjoying their pop collaborations. However. it's about time we heard some:. BTS X Rick Ross.BTS X Ted AND Jay Park (look them up).BTS X Bad Bunny.BTS X DMX.BTS X The LOX.BTS X Janelle Monae.BTS X Snoop Dogg.
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PAY YOUR DAMN WRITERS!! EVERYBODY! . Regardless of the industry.
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Call your grandparent(s) and tell them about all the good things you got going on if you still got them. Even if they don't understand a lick of what you're talking about, they still care to know because they love you. Do it while you still can. I recorded mine's voice today.
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I ainât done telling stories about the new women in Chicago dominating rap! For @EssenceGU I spoke one of the hottest rappers from the crib @Fendi_Da_Rappa about her hit âPoint Me 2â w/ @iamcardib, the video shoot in Chicago and their friendship.
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âEven if you do 99 percent of shit right, you still got 1 percent of the demons with you,â Durk says. âYou get angry fast and one reply can fuck up a billion dollars.â. The exclusive story of @lildurkâ© for âŠ@RollingStoneâ©
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Umar Johnson is why higher education should be more accessible. Ppl like him thrive off people who don't know better. Kinda like Trump.
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âWitnessing the Renaissance World Tour in Chicago, one thing is undeniably true: BeyoncĂ© has forever inscribed Chicagoâs rightful place in global music history as the foundation of house music,â. @Waldens_Block did her big one on this!!!!. via @TheTRiiBE.
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So. here's my ideal list if XXL were to (dotherightthing) and have the first all women 2019 Freshman Cover. -Rico Nasty.-Queen Key.-Saweetie.-Cupcakke.-Megan Thee Stallion.-Leiketi 47.-Kash Doll.-Bri Stevens.-YungBabytate. The 10th would be. ???.
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Awww lord, I think I'm about to go viral again đ€Łđ!!! . I promise if you say BTS five times in the mirror, the BTS Army is going snatch you and drag you into their realm.
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Black and queer women are leading a whole new era within Chicago drill as "Boom (Mousekatools)" is taking off and @MelloBuckzz, Amari Blaze, Kashh Mirr, and Moni Da G are the leaders. I chronicled their rise, battles, and sisterhood with @TheTRiiBE. Peep!.
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"Little Richard found his way onto so many of our most cherished cartoons, TV shows, and films. In doing so, he reminded young people just who built the foundation for everything we see today.". My debut for @byshondaland Little Richard's 90s run.
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Covering Frankie Beverly and Mazeâs farewell tour was such a honor to have done for @TheTRiiBE back in April. Everybody was draped in all white, dancing all in the isle of the United Center. Like a Tom Joyner cruise come to life! Full of joy and love.
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No lie, if RM or V took my woman, I'm charging it to the game.
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Hi! If youâre a rising Chicago artist and your white publicist decides to not answer requests from Chicago media to interview you, especially if said publication is Black owned, please expect mutual silence when that publicist reaches out for a feature in a national outlet đ.
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Yâall look at this thread! This is crazy!!!!.
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Iâm ashamed to say that I wasnât as familiar with Kaâs music as the rest of you all are, but after checking out his new album The Thief Next to Jesus, and reading this obituary by âŠ@CraigSJâ© made me realize this man is 1 of 1. 52 tho smhâŠ
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