Shit I Like: Black Joy Edition, Pt. 1

Shaking Ass is Good for the Soul

Author

Mary Drummer
28 Feb • Estimated Reading Time: 3 minutes

It's the return of Shit I Like and it’s the last day of Black History Month, so we’re closing out the month with some Black Joy. 

Kicking things off is Clean Slate, the newly released sitcom starring Laverne Cox as a Black transwoman who returns to her small Alabama hometown after 23 years and is reunited with her father, Black comedic icon, George Wallace. It was one of the last things produced by television icon Normam Lear before his death late last year. 

I came across this show by accident because that bald headed beast who owns Prime Video doesn’t seem to want to promote quality entertainment, but I’m so glad I found it. It’s so cute and heartwarming without being heavy handed, and you need to watch it. From a review in The Guardian

“Still, even when it lacks subtlety, the show’s characters and story are just so darn lovable it’s impossible to resist its cosy delights. The combination of low-stakes comfort and little seen representation feels simultaneously like an old-school delight and a refreshing piece of progress. In a time where queer identity is increasingly politicised and under threat, Clean Slate is a welcome antidote: a charming story that allows Cox to show off her innate magnetism.”

From Amazon Prime Video

Go watch this or we can’t be friends.

Durand Bernarr is a musician from Cleveland, Ohio whose style blends R&B, Electronica, Jazz, and everything in between. He is truly multifaceted and can’t be put into a box, but what he can do is make some damn good music, as evidenced by his iconic Tiny Desk concert where he referenced The Proud Family. 

I came across a video of a recent set he DJ’d for Club 1BD that mashed up Beyonce’s “Green Light” with Michael Jackson’s “Remember the Time” and I had a spiritual experience. 

And the rest of the hour long set is just as amazing. 

I had it on in the background while I was doing some work and I had to get up and shake it like a salt shaker for a bit. You may not listen to the entire set, but at some point today, you need to turn this on and get up and shake ass. It clears out your chakras, or something. 

Durand is also on tour so be sure to check him out if he’s going to be near you. 

In the meantime, shake ass. It’s good for the soul.