black pop culture icons When historians look back on 2022, they may remark how strange, crazy, and WTF-filled it was. Sure, many years may be classified in the same way, but 2022 reached new heights of unexpectedness across numerous pillars of pop culture. Consider this: Who on their 2022 BINGO card has "basketball player sent to a Russian gulag," "world's richest man overpays for a social media site," or "Fresh Prince smacks Pookie at the Oscars"?

Perhaps it's because we're officially two years beyond COVID-19 lockdowns and the world is finally feeling open in a meaningful sense that something subtle in each of us has been activated. Perhaps, after 24 months of seeking connection via our screens, we're now having to relearn how to connect in the real world. Perhaps this explains why numerous comedians have been assaulted on stage, as well as Ye's year-long spiral into insanity. Maybe I'm going too far. Ye will Ye regardless of the situation of the planet.

Nonetheless, despite all of this absurdity, 2022 provided plenty of optimism and motivation. The inspiration felt during an exciting award show victory speech or watching a beautiful gap-toothed youngster who loves corn unites us beyond borders, even if only in the slightest of ways. The excitement of witnessing your favorite musicians do maybe the best Super Bowl performance ever, or seeing your pop star play at your HBCU—these are the kinds of bonds that unite us through our love of and passion for culture... our culture... our culture.

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Top 15 black pop culture icons

Elon Musk Buying Twitter?

Change was undoubtedly anticipated when Elon Musk revealed in October that he had finalized his $44 billion purchase of Twitter. However, when the world's wealthiest man decided to charge $8 per month for blue check verification as well as restore a number of previously banned right-wing trolls thrown off the site for trading in bigotry (all under the pretense of "free speech"), it seems like the whole internet was taken aback.

Several celebrities, including Whoopi Goldberg, Shonda Rhimes, and Toni Braxton, have left the site in the days after. And, given that Twitter is one of the only major social media platforms that still does not have a monetization scheme for users, how would Black Twitter react to being asked to pay a monthly fee for the privilege to reach their audience with free content?

Brittney Griner Freed From Russian Jail? 

Brittney Griner, a WNBA basketball star, was detained in Russia at Sheremetyevo Airport south of Moscow when customs authorities said they discovered marijuana vape cartridges in her baggage.

She was found guilty in Russian courts and sentenced to 9 years in prison, sparking outrage in the United States over "wrongful imprisonment." On December 8, 294 days later, the Biden Administration announced a prisoner exchange agreement with Russia, bringing Griner home for the holidays.

Lizzo Makes History With a 200-Year-Old Flute? 

Lizzo has risen to prominence in the music industry. Who'd have predicted she'd go on to create surprising American history? During her visit to Washington, D.C. During a tour stop in September, the "About Damn Time" singer stunned the crowd by performing on stage with former President James Madison's 200-year-old flute.

Lizzo is recognized as being the first person to play the woodwind, which was borrowed from the Library of Congress. "B***h, I'm scared," she joked to the crowd while on stage. "It's made of crystal. It's like trying to play out of a wine glass, b***h, so be patient." Lizzo has always smashed down boundaries in her life and in her music. She's made it into American history.

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In Houston, Texas, a takeoff pilot was killed.

Following the unexpected death of Migos member Takeoff, hip hop shed collective tears. The MC, born Kirshnik Khari Ball, was shot and murdered outside 810 Billiards & Bowling in Houston, Texas on November 1. He had just been 28 years old.

According to sources, a group of individuals gathered at 2:00 a.m. after the venue had closed, including Takeoff's uncle and fellow Migo, Quavo, boxer Shakur Stevenson, members of the J Prince family, and others, when a verbal argument ensued over a dice game. According to all accounts, he was not a part of the spirit that led to his death, which is why this tragedy resonated so profoundly across hip hop.

Everyone in the culture appeared to be paying their respects to the departed legend.Beyoncé paid homage to Takeoff by including his picture and the words "Rest In Power" on her website's home page."I got the best memories of all of us seeing the world together and bringing light to every city we touch," Drake said on Instagram. That's what I'll concentrate on for the time being. "Take it easy, Space Man."

Migos was the largest group of this age, and Takeoff was the glue that held the group together. This loss will be felt by the whole hip hop community for many years to come.

Kanye West's Year-Long Mental Decline?

It began with him donning a "White Lives Matter" shirt at his YZY Season 9 fashion show in Paris and dog-whistling to anti-Semites during an interview with Tucker Carlson. Then there came the notorious "deathcon 3" tweet, followed by a flurry of Instagram postings directed against Jewish executives in the music and fashion sectors.

He's now at the "I love Hitler" stage, palling about with an actual Nazi stage of madness. If all of this was a ruse to get out of contracts with Adidas and GAP, it worked too well. Sure, the rapper once known as Kanye West sprinkles proclamations of love throughout every wacky interaction.

Unfortunately, it seems Ye is unaware of how many people his ostensibly Presidential campaign is harming.

What Are Kyrie Irving's Controversial Claims?

Kyrie Irving sparked outrage when he shared a link to the video From Hebrews to Negroes: Wake Up Black America on his Twitter page. The video depicts how Black Hebrew Israelites and other people of color are the genuine descendants of historical Israel.

Because the video borrows Henry Ford's notoriously anti-Semitic book The International Jew and lathers itself in other clichés such as Holocaust denial, the NBA All-Star was accused of being anti-Semitic himself by the media. When challenged by an ESPN reporter at a press conference, Kyrie said, in part, "I'm not going to stand down on anything that I believe in," and evoked warlike images, claiming, "I'm only going to get stronger because I'm not alone." "I'm surrounded by an army."

Five days later, he backtracked on what he "believed in," apologized for his remarks, and was banned for at least five games. Nike also fired Kyrie as a spokesman and announced that his trademark shoe will no longer be sold.

As Dave Chappelle said on Saturday Night Live, it seems Ye got so much in trouble for his conduct that Kyrie got in trouble by proxy.

Biggie's 50th Birthday Dominates New York City?

Tupac and Biggie - On September 7, 1996, 2Pac was killed in a drive-by shooting in Las Vegas. Shakur and his crew were leaving the MGM Grand after a boxing fight. The shooters were thought to be members of the renowned Crips gang. He was shot many times and died six days later as a result of internal bleeding.nbsp;Six months later, Notorious B.I.G. was killed in a drive-by shooting in Los Angeles. He was shot many times at a red light on his way home after the 1997 Soul Train Music Awards. Many people still think the assaults are related and the product of a bitter rivalry between the West and East Coasts. (Photo by Larry Busacca/WireImage)

On what would have been his 50th birthday, the gravity of the Notorious B.I.G. remains as unrelenting as it was when he sadly died 25 years ago. In Brooklyn, the Barclays Center featured a film montage honoring his life and music on the huge Oculus VR display over the stadium's entrance.

The MTA offered 50,000 limited edition MetroCards with the iconic Barron Claiborne "King Of New York" photograph of Christopher Wallace wearing a slanted crown, which were only available at three subway stops near his Bedford-Stuyvesant boyhood home. Each card included a QR code that gave holders access to a rap giant Instagram filter.

Amazon has also joined the fray.

Biggie Smalls murals painted by local artists were unveiled in each of New York City's five boroughs in collaboration with the NGO Beautify Earth Movement. The landmark Empire State Building in Manhattan was lighted up in red and white, with an illuminated crown rotating on top, as a salute to the indisputable King of New York.

Maxwell Alejandro Frost Is Elected As The First Generation-Z Member To Congress?

During a break in an orientation meeting in the United States, Rep.-Elect Maxwell Frost (D-FL) chats with media. On November 14, 2022, in Washington, DC, newly-elected members started the first session of their New-Member Orientation, which was arranged by the Committee on House Administration. Over 65 new members of Congress are being elected while House elections in numerous states remain uncalled.

Generation Z now has its first representative in Congress.Maxwell Alejandro Frost was chosen as the representative of Central Florida's District 10, becoming the first of his generation to serve in the House.

The Afro-Cuban campaigned on an anti-gun violence platform, which resonated with a generation educated on school shooting drills, and pledges to be a prominent reform champion while in government.

Capitol Signed FN Meka, Who Dropped One Week Later?

On August 8, Capitol Records announced FN Meka's addition to their roster, boasting that the "artist, influencer, and web3 resident blurs the line between humans and computers," and released his debut song, "Florida Water," through the label.

Everything was well until Capitol's first AR signee used the N-word in his lyrics and mimicked police violence on Instagram, according to industry sources. Faced with an outpouring of criticism, Capitol Records announced on August 23 that it had "severed ties with the FN Meka project effectively immediately, stating: We offer our deepest apologies to the Black community for our insensitivity in signing this project without asking enough questions about equity and the creative process behind it."

The grand opening. Excellent conclusion.

DJ Akademiks Refers to Pioneers as "Broke & Dusty"

On November 3, 2018, DJ Akademiks attends the 2018 ComplexCon-Day 1 at the Long Beach Convention Center in Long Beach, California.

Oh, what a tangled web we weave on Twitch when we drink too much Henny. Perhaps it was the spark that started DJ Akademik's newest feud. During a Twitch broadcast, the prominent pundit inflamed the scene by claiming that hip hop's pioneers are dusty and poor, saying, "Have you seen any of these old rappers who be like they're the foundation of hip hop really living good?""

"I kid you not, those n****s are looking extremely dusty—I kid you not... Every time an old, old n***a talks about hip hop, you'll be like, 'Yo, buddy. Are you certain you created this? Because everyone else has it better than you. It's the truth."

Everyone from Russell Simmons to MC Sha-Rock to LL Cool J jumped in to digitally chastise the media figure for ignoring the pioneers of the culture from which he directly benefits. "That food that you eating was created by those same people that you disrespecting," James remarked with a grin. "That industry was created by the same people that you calling, you know, foul words."

Nas' 'King's Disease III' Impresses, yet 21 Savage claims he is no longer relevant?

Soon after Nas and Hit-Boy finished a quartet of highly praised albums (King's Disease, King's Disease II, Magic, and King's Disease III), it seemed that all adulation was pouring down on God's Son. That is, until 21 Savage came to Clubhouse to derail the celebration, stating the Illmatic originator was irrelevant.

"I don't feel like he's relevant," he told me. "I just think he's got fans... He's not relevant." He simply has a loyal-a** fan base and creates good-a** songs." Social media comments were immediate, including Nas' brother, Jungle, who commented beneath a Shade Room post labeling 21 Savage "garbage."

Finally, Nas and 21 Savage put an end to their spat by collaborating on a song called "One Mic, One Gun," bringing a royal finale to a nasty fight.

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Jay-Z's "God Did" Verse Grabs Hip Hop's Attention?

(Photo: Lester Cohen/Getty Images for City of Hope) Jay Z

DJ Khaled's Grammy-nominated album God Did captures the culture in its title tune. It was a real collaboration of renowned vocalists, including Rick Ross, John Legend, Fridayy, Lil Wayne, and Jay-Z.

Hov's poem was the winner.

Featuring a slew of double entendres, life teachings, and disclosures about the influence his economic acumen has had on his disciples ("How many billionaires came from Hov's crib / I count three: Me, Ye, and Rhi / 'Bron's a Roc Boy, so four, technically").

His unearthly ability was a poetic illustration of how Hov's Black Excellence continues to strike at the greatest levels.

Kendrick Lamar Returns After a 5-Year Absence With 'Mr. Morale and the 'Big Steppers'?

Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers, Kendrick Lamar's fifth studio album, catapulted him back to the forefront of society. The year's most anticipated film received widespread accolades for expertly addressing mental health and emotional suffering.

The double disc topped the charts in May, surpassed one billion streaming in August, and was nominated for numerous Grammy Awards in November. It had been five years since the "good kid" from Compton, California had released an album.

The adage "never leave while you're hot" does not apply to King Kendrick Lamar in 2022.

Issa Rae's 'Rap Sh!t' Digital Marketing Campaign Is Brilliant!t' ?

Issa Rae, Best Actress award (Photo by Rich Polk/Getty Images for ESSENCE).

The premiere of Issa Rae's new HBO series, Rap Sh!The internet was taken aback by t. A viral video of a white "rapper" named Reina Reign kicking rhymes in front of Spelman College, declaring what's "Not Atlanta," ripping off Omeretta The Great's controversial early 2022 hit song "Sorry Not Sorry," turned Atlanta upside down debating Omeretta's view of what's Atlanta and what isn't.

Reina Reign appeared in the then-upcoming Rap Sh!Based on the City Girls' meteoric rise from Miami to the top of the charts. Even Omeretta was involved in the ruse. Issa Rae expertly harnessed outrage marketing into another smash TV program that was well received by pop culture lovers.

Drake Makes Fun of Megan Thee Stallion?

'The Art of the Come Up:' Drake BET Awards 2022

Drake and 21 Savage's highly anticipated collaboration, Her Loss, was overshadowed by controversy as Drake's lyrics on the title track attacked Megan Thee Stallion.

Drizzy rapped, "This b*** lie 'bout getting shots, but she still a stallion / She don't even get the joke, but she still smiling" – a double entendre that seems to throw doubt on Megan being shot in the foot by Tory Lanez at a house party in 2020. stop using my shooting for clout!"," Megan responded on Twitter.

"Since when is it cool to joke about women getting shot?" Lanez was charged with criminal assault with a firearm, among other things, and his trial culminated in his being convicted guilty, facing up to 20 years in jail.

 

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