-
Mayor Mamdani Opens David Dinkins Building for Black History Month
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – OCTOBER 26: New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani speaks during a ‘New York is Not For Sale’ rally at Forest Hills Stadium on October 26, 2025 in the Queens borough of New York City. New York mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani joined forces with two of his prominent backers, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Sen. Bernie Sanders during a rally in Queens on Sunday with less than 10 days remain until the Nov. 4 election. (Photo by Stephani Spindel/VIEWpress) Mayor Zohran Mamdani said this week that New Yorkers will soon be able to access the cupola atop the David N. Dinkins Manhattan Municipal Building, opening a civic space long closed to the public. The announcement was made in a video posted on X, where the mayor described the structure as “one of the most…
-
Google Celebrates J Dilla’s Legacy With Its Latest Doodle, ‘Art Of Beatmaking’
In honor of Black History Month, Google is honoring Black developers, Black businesses, and Black creatives like the late rapper, producer, and composer J Dilla. With its latest Google Doodle, “The Art of Hip-Hop Beat Making,” the company made a short animated video that features both music from Illa J—Dilla’s younger brother—and the late rapper.…
-
Kendrick Lamar Secures Most Grammy Wins By Rapper Ever At 68th Grammy Awards
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 01: Kendrick Lamar accepts the Best Rap Album award for “GNX” onstage during the 68th GRAMMY Awards at Crypto.com Arena on February 01, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for The Recording Academy) Kendrick Lamar just opened his mouth and ascended over Jay-Z on Sunday evening (February 1) at the 68th Grammy Awards to become the rapper with the most Grammy wins ever. Lamar entered the awards trailing Jay-Z, who has 25 wins. Four victories later, the Compton rap star ended the evening with a total of 27,…
-
Lauryn Hill To Lead Grammy Tribute For D’Angelo & Robert Flack
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – MAY 05: Lauryn Hill attends the 2025 Met Gala Celebrating “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style” at Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 05, 2025 in New York City. (Photo by Savion Washington/Getty Images) The Recording Academy announced Wednesday, Jan. 28, that Lauryn Hill will head the memoriam segment of the Grammys, honoring the late D’Angelo and Roberta Flack. The Performance Hill’s connection to both icons runs deep. She collaborated with D’Angelo on her Grammy-nominated song, “Nothing Even Matters.” The song is a classic track from her Grammy-Award winning album,…
-
Issa Rae Launches Book Tour For ‘I Should Be Smarter’
(Photo by MICHAEL TRAN/AFP via Getty Images) Issa Rae will be coming to a city near you. The Insecure creator has announced dates to promote her new book, I Should Be Smarter Now. The tour kicks off Sept. 8 in Philadelphia, with stops in Washington, D.C., and Dallas before closing Sept. 24 in Detroit. The new collection of essays is the follow-up…
-
Black Theater Roundtable
Ryan Fischer In the season of Broadway, the brilliance of Black artists is on full display. Black theater has been the outlet for the expression of African American brilliance serving as a platform for Black artists to perform, tell their own stories, challenge racist and sexist ideals, and cultivate Black joy. Seeing Black artists and the creatives…
-
Denzel Washington Returns to Broadway in Othello, Reviving a Shakespearean Classic
PARIS, FRANCE – NOVEMBER 10: Denzel Washington attends the “Gladiator II” Premiere at Pathe Palace on November 10, 2024 in Paris, France. (Photo by Stephane Cardinale – Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images) Denzel Washington is making his highly anticipated return to Broadway, stepping into one of Shakespeare’s most demanding roles in a revival of Othello. As part of our Black History Month coverage, HOT 97 highlights this production, emphasizing Washington’s enduring legacy and the cultural significance of his return to the stage. The Oscar-winning actor will perform…
-
Exclusive: Emmitt Smith Keeps Winning In The World Of Business
MIAMI, FLORIDA – FEBRUARY 01: Emmitt Smith attends the 9th Annual NFL Honors at Adrienne Arsht Center on February 01, 2020 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic) In the history of the National Football League, Emmitt Smith is regarded as one of the greatest players of all-time. In his remarkable career (13 with the Dallas Cowboys and 2 with the Arizona Cardinals), Smith won three Super Bowls, scored 176 touchdowns, is the league’s all-time leading rusher with 18,355 yards and is also…
-
Black Excellence Today: Jaide Lewis, CEO Of The Culture Collab Agency
Jaide Lewis, CEO of The Culture Collab Agency, has accomplished an extraordinary feat in the music industry by becoming the first female executive to secure partnerships with all three major record label groups at the same time, pioneering a new approach to agency leadership in entertainment. “My background at BET Networks gave me a foundation…
-
Nessa & Colin Kaepernick: Making Moves by Building a Future Where Knowledge is Power
Hot 97’s own Nessa & Colin Kaepernick are Making Moves by building a future where knowledge is power. Through the “Know Your Rights Camp” and Ra Vision Media, they’re mentoring youth and amplifying Black voices, ensuring that education and creativity are at the forefront of change. Go to HOT 97.com and WBLS.com for more details.…