If there’s one person who could save us from ourselves, it’s probably Dolly Parton. The legendary singer/songwriter/actor/philanthropist/novelist/goddess is also quite the philosopher, and has a way of seeing the world that somehow makes everything clear.
Take, for example, the very complicated and geopolitical matter of climate change. Just ahead of Earth Day, the Tennessee native sat down with National Geographic to chat about her love of the Great Smoky Mountains she grew up surrounded by, calling her home state “one of the most beautiful places in the world.”
Parton is putting her money where her mouth is, too. The American Eagle Foundation, a nonprofit organization that rescues, rehabilitates, and educates the public about eagles, owls, vultures, and other birds of prey, counts Dollywood—Parton’s iconic theme park in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee—among its largest sponsors, and operates a bald eagle sanctuary from the park. Through her partnerships as well as her own actions, Parton hopes to encourage others to feel the same sense of stewardship over not just the places they live, but the world at large.
Respecting the music, the land, the people—all that lies at the heart of Parton’s hopes for the future. Parton is unafraid to stomp her glittery heel when it comes to caring for the environment—her message is clear and she is increasingly amplifying it wherever she travels. How can she be wrong?
“We should pay more attention. We’re just mistreating Mother Nature—that’s like being ugly to your mama,” Parton says. “We need to take better care of the things that God gave us freely. And that we’re so freely messing up.”
Our favorite season? Awards season, and even though Hollywood is rolling up the red carpets, we’re here to celebrate the history-making wins and nominations that should’ve dominated headlines this year.
First up? The Oscars.
Host Drew Dorsey recapped the glitz and glamour of the film industry’s most iconic awards show by hyping the women who made huge strides in their categories. Save your hot takes on the Will Smith and Chris Rock drama because we’re here for Jane Campion’s historic nomination (and win) for her work directing The Power of the Dog. The Netflix Western also snagged cinematographer Ari Wegner a history-making nod — she became just the second woman recognized by the Academy in the Best Cinematography category — and, as a bonus, it gave us all the gift of seeing Benedict Cumberbatch don a pair of leather chaps.
But it’s not just in the movies that women are making moves. Drew highlights the many femme artists headlining this year’s GRAMMYs potential winners list. From Olivia Rodrigo’s huge wins to Doja Cat slaying the red carpet and H.E.R. taking home her own hardware — women ruled the GRAMMYs stage. Of course, because everyone’s still scandalized by the latest season of Netflix’s Bridgerton, Drew also had to give the two femme composers who crafted an entire musical based on the show’s first season, their rightful due.
You can watch all that plus a highlight reel featuring everyone from Zendaya and Sian Heder to movies like Disney’s Turning Red in the video above.
Our favorite season? Awards season, and even though Hollywood is rolling up the red carpets, we’re here to celebrate the history-making wins and nominations that should’ve dominated headlines this year.
First up? The Oscars.
Host Drew Dorsey recapped the glitz and glamour of the film industry’s most iconic awards show by hyping the women who made huge strides in their categories. Save your hot takes on the Will Smith and Chris Rock drama because we’re here for Jane Campion’s historic nomination (and win) for her work directing The Power of the Dog. The Netflix Western also snagged cinematographer Ari Wegner a history-making nod — she became just the second woman recognized by the Academy in the Best Cinematography category — and, as a bonus, it gave us all the gift of seeing Benedict Cumberbatch don a pair of leather chaps.
But it’s not just in the movies that women are making moves. Drew highlights the many femme artists headlining this year’s GRAMMYs potential winners list. From Olivia Rodrigo’s huge wins to Doja Cat slaying the red carpet and H.E.R. taking home her own hardware — women ruled the GRAMMYs stage. Of course, because everyone’s still scandalized by the latest season of Netflix’s Bridgerton, Drew also had to give the two femme composers who crafted an entire musical based on the show’s first season, their rightful due.
You can watch all that plus a highlight reel featuring everyone from Zendaya and Sian Heder to movies like Disney’s Turning Red in the video above.
This year was a huge year for vinyl records, far bigger than anything the industry has seen in the last three decades. Billboard reports that 2.11 million vinyl records were sold between December 17 – 23, the most since MRC Data began tracking music sales in 1991. It also marked the first time that vinyl sales crossed the two million mark in this period. This comes after the Recording Industry Association Of America (RIAA) reported last month that vinyl sales accumulated $467 million in sales by mid-2021. This more than doubles the $207 million in sales that were generated halfway into 2020 while opening the door for a billion-dollar year in the vinyl record industry.
There are plenty of reasons for this jump in vinyl sales, with most having to do with consumers increasing interest in the novelty and vintage item that’s still connected to today’s music. This interest is catered to by record stores all over the country as well as the annual Record Store Day campaign. While big artists like Adele, Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish, Olivia Rodrigo, and more are responsible for a heavy percentage of vinyl sales, the companies that go above and beyond with their consumers also played a large part in this. Stores that seek to do more than sell vinyl, and instead, build themselves as staples in their communities will always have old customers coming back while piquing the interest of new ones.
Plenty of stores across the country do this, but there’s a specific uniqueness and communal aspect that’s present in Black-owned record stores. So here are six Black-owned record stores across the country that helped to give vinyl sales its biggest year in decades.
Moodies Records (Bronx, NY)
The Bronx’s Moodies Records remains a cultural stamp in New York. From its inception in 1982, late founder Earl Moodie provided a limitless collection of vinyl records with a focus on reggae, dancehall, rocksteady, and other Jamaican music. This past fall, Earl Moodie passed away at 69 years old after being sick for a few years. “There was not a sad day to him,” a longtime customer said to Brooklyn News 12 about the late Moodie and his store. “If you went in there sad, he would give you that light. I don’t know how he did it, but he was such an inspirational person.”
Brittany’s Record Shop (Cleveland, OH)
Brittany’s Record Shop will pretty much give a decent selection from multiple genres to pick from. Whether it’s hip-hop, reggae, soul, or jazz, you’ll find it at the Cleveland, OH shop. Their selections get more specific with crates dedicated to Brazilian, Latin, and Afro-funk. However, selling records is just half the job for Brittany Benton. She handpicks every vinyl in the store and helps guide shoppers to new sounds — consider her the Spotify of vinyl records. “When I can make a recommendation that really sticks,” she says in an interview with Cleveland’s Spectrum News, “it definitely validates me, because I know I’m doing the right thing.” Brittany’s Record Shop is temporarily closed at the moment, but a reopening is planned for some point in 2022.
JB’s Record Lounge (Atlanta, GA)
Many of the biggest records in the music world today come from artists based in Atlanta. Whether it’s rappers (Lil Baby), singers (Summer Walker), or pop stars (Lil Nas X), the city has something for you. It’s also the home of JB’s Record Lounge which is far more than you’re typical record store. The company started as a quarterly crate-digging party in owner Jonathan Blanchard’s basement. What began as a collection of 1,000 records quickly grew to 13,000 records leaving all while maintaining the liveliness and community bonding that helped it grow. It also allowed Blanchard to carry a bold claim about his business. “I also will be carrying some of the best vinyl this side of the Mississippi,” he said in a GoFundMe video according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Out Of The Past Collectibles (Austin, TX)
Charlie Joe and Marie Henderson are the proud owners of Austin, TX’s Out Of The Past Collectibles store, and they have been since its opening 35 years ago back in 1986. It boasts a massive collection of jazz, blues, soul, pop, old and new school R&B, and hip-hop vinyl that span the store’s ten rooms, filled with over a million items. Out Of The Past Collectibles isn’t just limited to vinyl though. They also carry antiques, CDs, DVDs, cassette tapes, 8-tracks, and more. Long story short, as their listing on Visit Austin’s website reads, “If we don’t have it, you don’t need it!”
Fivespace (San Diego, CA)
If you happen to live or find yourself on the West Coast and want to get lost in a collection of hip-hop vinyl, San Diego’s Fivespace has just what you’re looking for. Cassettes and select vintage clothing can also be found at the North Park location as the store aims to cater to “consumers interested in vintage design and music products.” During an interview with SD Voyager, owner Sir Frederick promised that a chat with him or the other owners of Fivepsace will result in “a whole new world of styles, artists, and genres to discover that are tailored to your individual tastes.”
Offbeat (Jackson, MS)
In a few years, Phillip Rollins (aka DJ Young Venom) will celebrate the tenth anniversary of his Jackson, MS record store Offbeat. Since its opening in 2014, Offbeat has grown into a home for new and old releases, reissues, and used records that buyers can sift through and choose. A collection of collectibles, pins, apparel, and more can also be found at Offbeat. For Rollins, the store is a visual representation of his goal to “create a space that would have a lasting effect on the state of Mississippi,” and the store’s website reads. Influenced by art from all unconventional aspects of the world, Rollins is doing a great job of highlighting the overlooked corners that his store helps to bring attention to.
Shan has always dreamed of dancing since they were little, even when it wasn’t possible for them. As someone diagnosed with the chronic pain disorder Fibromyalgia at a young age, Shan was told that they wouldn’t be able to do much physically as they got older. But as they started to dance, Shan learned that with the help of determination and their community, nothing could hold them back.
For Uproxx’s New Normalists series presented by Instagram, Shan explains how their love for dance has helped them stay more in touch with themselves. Through mastering different choreography, Shan started to become more connected with their body and with what dance meant to their efforts to live with Fibromyalgia. “I feel so much and I feel so intensely and I think dance was the only thing that I could utilize to get that energy and anger and sadness out because it would have destroyed me otherwise quite honestly,” they said.
While they have to spend more time warming up before practicing a routine, Shan has come to understand that dance is more than simply moving your body — it’s about “healing and bringing people together.” Shan stays connected to the dance world through Instagram. By sharing their routines and connecting with other disabled dancers on the platform, Shan continues to stay inspired spread awareness about the importance of accessibility. “Accessibility is really important in discussing ableism in dance and how accessibility looks different for every single person,” they said. “You don’t have to be a professional dancer and go to crazy classes and do all these moves. Everyone functions differently and can bring different things to the table.”
Watch Shan share their passion for dance above and find more of Uproxx’s New Normalists series here.
Dana Boulos can’t be stopped. The photographer, director, DJ, creative director, and overall renaissance woman took a childhood passion for visual mediums and a restless spirit and spun it into a career full of boundary-breaking achievements. Her reputation precedes her as a “can do anything, will do anything” type of creative mind.
That mentality and approach is why Boulos has been identified as one of The Next 9 by Porsche. From fashion photography and consulting to a future as a feature filmmaker, Boulos got to where she is by never taking “no” for an answer.
“I’m always trying to push through the idea that everything is possible,” Boulos tells me over Zoom one unseasonably cold LA morning in October. “If you can dream it, you can achieve it. That’s something that’s been ingrained in my brain. I don’t care what anyone says, I don’t care if someone says ‘no,’ or ‘it’s never been done before.’ That’s exactly how you know you can do it.”
With a strong drive and a determination to get things done, Boulos is an expert at responding to the moment. That’s probably why when she isn’t weaving together glowing and ethereal dreamlike visuals, she’s moonlighting as a DJ, a job that requires you to not only capture the vibe of a room but respond to it and morph it into something new.
“At the end of the day, you’re creating something out of nothing,” she notes. “When it comes to DJing, you’re setting the mood… Directing is the same thing, you’re in control, but you’re managing people. Everything is a team effort, you need to know how to manage that team and bring the best out of the people you’re working with.”
Boulos credits her upbringing with equipping her with the necessary skills and tools to thrive as a multi-hyphenate.
“Both of my parents are Lebanese,” she says. “I grew up with this mentality that you work very hard and you don’t give up. They came to America with nothing in the late ‘70s/early ’80s and just decided they will make a life for themselves… I see that as motivation. Do what you love and money will come from it.”
The impact of Boulos’ parents cannot be understated. You can trace her relentlessness, her ability to accomplish any task she sets out to achieve, and her aspiration to be the best to her earliest memories.
“My dad worked so many years and finally bought a Porsche,” she says. “That car has always been in my world. It’s beautiful, it’s luxurious, but it’s also very powerful. I was lucky that when I was learning how to drive, my dad let me drive his Porsche. That had an impact on me, I thought ‘oh my god, he trusts me with this car; he believes I can do it.’”
That early instillation of confidence helped to form Boulos’ strong belief in her own abilities. It’s a skill she’s still focused on today — constantly analyzing her past work, looking for ways to improve, and take things to the next level. And it’s all been leading up to a feature film that explores her experiences growing up as a woman with a Middle Eastern background and finding her place in the world.
“It’s very traditional to get married and have the men take care of you,” she says. “But it wasn’t like that in my household. It was very much you do you, and you work hard on it. That’s something I’ll be touching on when working on cinema projects and features… Being able to do and have a funded film. That’s a whole different ball game… Having a film premiere at Sundance or Cannes. That’s the next goal for me.” Boulos says with finality, before suddenly adding, “As well as creating a physical book.”
Her ambitions are huge. Her successes are legit. And her mind never stops working. Dana Boulos is firing on all cylinders.
For more on The Next 9 series, check out our hub page.
“One of the special things about our friendship is, nine times out of ten we are on the same wavelength,” Solange told the New Yorker when asked about working with music video director, Melina Matsoukas. “Her being a black woman being able to tell those stories in such a bold, unique way is really rare.” Black women, like Matsoukas, are outnumbered, often overlooked, and frequently pigeonholed in the music industry. This is particularly true for the world of music video direction and storytelling, where roles available to Black women often reinforce stereotypes and typecast them as video vixens or background characters in stories that don’t reflect their experience.
However, when the person behind the direction, story, or camera of a music video is in fact a Black woman, the ability to tell more nuanced and multifaceted stories, or reach the same “wavelength” of Black artists that Solange described, is more readily available. From Beyoncé’s “Formation” to Drake’s “God’s Plan,” the following five women have proven the necessity of Black direction in Black storytelling. Through their creative direction, skill, and unique perspective, they have not only told the authentic and artistic stories of artists through the music video format but made space for the Black female directors and creatives to come up behind them.
child.
Director and artist child. grew up surrounded by music in Shreveport, Louisiana, thanks to her churchgoing family and mother who child. shares “used to color and listen to gospel music while I was in her womb.” That foundation of art and spirituality never left her, pushing her into a career as a photographer and creative director. Leaning into her upbringing, and bringing dreamlike imagery to her work in videos she’s directed for Big Sean, Janelle Monáe, Nas, and H.E.R., child. draws inspiration from the Black experience, biblical stories, and even artists like Jean Michel Basquiat. Though her work pays homage to her past, child. has her eyes set on the future, sharing, “I plan to impact the art world like nothing they’ve ever seen before. I see myself going beyond the stars.”
Lacey Duke
Growing up in Toronto, Lacey Duke knew she wanted to be a music video director. She conquered her dream step by step, attending film school, then interning at a production company in London, and eventually moving to New York where she worked with smaller artists. But then, hard work crossed paths with opportunity when she met Janelle Monáe after a show. Eventually, Monáe asked her to direct her music video for her track “I Like That,” launching Duke into a career where she’s brought authentic portrayals of Black womanhood onto the small screen. Since then she’s directed award-winning videos for SZA, Bryson Tiller, and H.E.R. Speaking to Complex about her work with Black women, she shared, “I have a responsibility in a sense, and I don’t feel pigeonholed by it at all. I think there’s something beautiful about my subjects just being black women, that’s not some little shit.”
Karena Evans
Known for her cinematic, authentic, and narrative-heavy visuals, music video director Karena Evans got her start at a Toronto-based film school but eventually dropped out after getting frustrated by the curriculum’s slow pace. So, she took matters into her own hands, shooting a cold text to Canadian filmmaker Director X and landing an internship at his production company. That longshot paid off, and now she’s known for directing several of Drake’s music videos, including the altruistic “God’s Plan,” the fun-centric “I’m Upset,” and the star-studded “Nice for What.” Evans also understands what her work means to up-and-coming Black female directors and the importance of making space for those creators. She told Teen Vogue, “I think the first thing to realize is that there are in fact a lot of female directors. There are a lot of women of color who are here and present. The unfortunate part is that we were not always given a place. It took the Melina Matsoukas, the Ava DuVernays, and others who have paved the way for me, and the next generation of young Black female filmmakers, to help us understand that we do have a place, and to also break down those barriers so we can be heard.”
Melina Matsoukas
Melina Matsoukas’ resume speaks for itself, she’s responsible for creating some of the most critically acclaimed and award-winning music videos of the past decade. She’s brought her blueprint to Rihanna’s MTV Best Music Award-winning video for “We Found Love,” (she was the first female director to receive this honor) Solange’s “Losing You,” and even nabbed a Grammy for her direction of Beyoncé’s “Formation.” She’s also known for highlighting the Black experience through her film work, including her debut Queen & Slim. Matsoukas is credited for executive producing and directing Issa Rae’s successful HBO series Insecure, which notably gives an authentic, positive, and culturally resonate portrayal of Black women. In speaking on her career thus far, Matsoukas told Rolling Stone, “I am who I am because of Black women,” adding, “We’re beginning to redefine our community — and hopefully our version of Hollywood.”
Laurieann Gibson
Laurieann Gibson may be known for her choreographing dance numbers for legends like Michael Jackson and Beyoncé, but her focus on creative direction has also allowed her to become a successful music video director. Her direction credits include Lady Gaga’s “Judas” and “You and I,” and Keri Hilson’s “The Way You Love Me.” Gibson, who has appeared on multiple reality shows providing straight-forward dance direction, is cognizant of how her experience has differed from her white counterparts. She spoke to The Grio, about how her intensity as a Black woman is often seen as intimidating, sharing, “I absolutely have endured the lack of fairness as a young Black woman and as a professional woman. There is a difference. When we react or we are dramatic or intense then we’re intimidating.” She added, ”It is really difficult and I have had to find a way to evolve the conversation. Yes I’m intense because I’m passionate.“
In Uproxx’s latest video series, Wom/n Worldwide, we’re giving a much-deserved shout-out to the fem superheroes that are filling up our timelines with some much-needed good news. And women? They’ve been BUSY this year. Host Drew Dorsey breaks it all down in this, shining a light on the athletes, activists, actors, and all-around badasses affecting positive change in their respective fields. From decorated Olympians like Simone Biles putting a spotlight on mental health — and inspiring us all to take self-care more seriously — to the hip-hop queens ruling the charts, and the women revolutionizing the film industry from behind the camera — we’re hyped for it all.
The Olympics are still on everyone’s mind so now’s a good time to remind fans of how superstars like Biles, Katie Ledecky, and Naomi Osaka changed the game when it comes to how we view excellence in sport, and a couple of 13-year-old skateboarding phenoms blew our minds in Tokyo too. Speaking of empowerment, plenty of female artists have been delivering body-positive bangers this summer — we see you Cardi B — as icons like Billie Eilish, Lorde, and Halsey get ready to drop new music this Fall. (Our playlists needed updating anyway.)
We’re also ready for the world to update its beauty standards so naturally, we had to applaud Nikkie Tutorials for leading the way, and if you didn’t have enough to watch already, we’ve got a couple more female-helmed films to add to your binge-watching queue. All that and an update on the historic Generation Equality Forum that took place in Paris this summer pops up in our inaugural episode.
If you live for sneakers, skateboarding, Supreme drops, and all things hip-hop, you have late ‘80s and early ‘90s New York street culture to thank for that. And you’re probably going to love All The Streets Are Silent, a feature-length documentary debut from Jeremy Elkin that explores this still influential period of American youth culture. For the documentary, Elkin reached out to the kids (and Kids) who grew up in the scene — who better to document that golden age of style and music than the people who lived it?
Premiering today at New York’s Tribeca Film Festival as a documentary select, “All The Streets Are Silent” takes you on a deep dive into the streets of New York City, back to the days when skate culture and hip-hop were still rebellious expressions of street youth and not global commodities with rabid fan basesdominated by hype.
The film, which is narrated by Zoo York cofounder and Uproxx Style editor Eli Morgan Gesner uses archival footage and covers notable figures and locales of the era, including Harold Hunter, Club Mars, Supreme, and DJ Stretch Armstrong. The stars of the counterculture are in full effect but at its heart, All The Streets Are Silent is an examination of being a kid in New York City during a special time in pop culture. With guests like Rosario Dawson, Darryl “DMC” McDaniels, DJ Clark Kent, the late Keith Hufnagel, and Yuki Watanabe, “All The Streets Are Silent” offers an exploration of race, society, fashion, and street culture in a culturally significant era in New York City history wrapped in a Paris is Burning meets Kids aesthetic that oozes cool.
Elkin took this project seriously, in addition to linking up with Gesner, he also tapped the legendary Large Professor, the producer that brought us Tribe Called Quest’s “Keep it Rollin” to do the soundtrack. It doesn’t get more vintage New York than that. Check out the trailer for All The Streets Are Silent above and stream it on-demand until June 23rd for $15 here.
