Art for Sale Page 2

The 2000s era collective featured a who’s who of Black musicians including Erykah Badu, Common, Mos Def, Jill Scott, Q-Tip, J Dilla, The Roots and more.
One of the greatest collectives of Black musicians from the early 2000s may be on the verge of a reunion, according to Questlove.
During an episode of his “The Questlove Show” podcast, the Academy Award-winning filmmaker and drummer for The Roots revealed there are tentative plans for a stripped-down version of the Soulquarians coming together for a project, including Bilal and James Poyser.
“James [Poyser], myself, Bilal — the fragments that are left of the Soulquarians… we spoke. The family’s going to get back together,” he said during the March 7 episode.
The 2000s-era collective featured a who’s who of artists, including D’Angelo, Erykah Badu, The Roots, Jill Scott, Bilal, Mos Def, Talib Kweli, Common, Q-Tip, Roy Hargrove, and J Dilla. Although each released individual albums during the period, from “Mama’s Gun” by Badu, “Things Fall Apart” by The Roots, to D’Angelo’s “Voodoo” and Common’s “Like Water For Chocolate,” many fans believe the truest version of the collective occurred on Common’s 2002 album “Electric Circus” and the song: “Heaven Somewhere” featuring Omar Lye-Fook, Cee Lo Green, Bilal, Jill Scott, Mary J. Blige, Erykah Badu and Lonnie “Pops” Lynn.
The death of D’Angelo last year largely sparked the proposed reunion. The Virginia native was the third Soulquarian to pass away, following J Dilla and Hargrove.
“Now that [D’Angelo] is not here, I feel that responsibility more than ever,” Questlove said.
What remains unclear about a possible Soulquarians reunion is the involvement of other members, such as Common, Badu, and Q-Tip. In his 2013 memoir, “Mo’ Meta Blues,” Questlove referred to the Soulquarians as a “utopian paradise” and an extension of the Native Tongues. However, in a 2015 interview with Red Bull Music Academy, he revealed there was friction within the collective long before it completely fractured.
“The VIBE magazine photo was the beginning of the end,” he said. “Because when that issue came out, motherf–kers were angry. The issue started out as a feature about me. The people at VIBE had a clue that I was working on D’Angelo, Erykah, The Roots, Jill Scott, Bilal, Mos Def, Talib Kweli, Common, Slum Village, and Nikka Costa’s records.”
He added, “At the height of everything, I was working with 17 different artists. I was really gun shy on any unwelcomed praise. I came from a commune. It wasn’t a one-man act. I was very uncomfortable accepting a title or praise. I insisted to VIBE that they could get the story, but they had to make it about the family and not one person.”

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Where would the world be without Black women and their work? Check out some of their greatest contributions you might not have known.
Black History Month lands in February, Women’s History Month pulls up in March, and together they create the perfect back-to-back reminder that Black women have been shaping this country in ways folks still don’t talk about enough. These celebrations are about more than hashtags, school posters, or the same few names getting recycled every year. They’re also about recognizing the women who saw everyday problems, got creative, and built solutions that still touch how we live right now.
Black women have long been forced to innovate inside systems that didn’t always honor, protect, or even acknowledge their brilliance, and that makes their impact hit even harder. Black History Month grew out of Negro History Week, first launched by Carter G. Woodson in 1926, while Women’s History Month became a federally recognized month-long observance in 1987.
That intersection matters because Black women have always lived at the crossroads of race and gender in America, which means their contributions have too often been sidelined twice over. But history gets really interesting when you stop looking only at the loudest names and start paying attention to the people who changed daily life from the ground up. We’re talking about women whose ideas helped shape beauty culture, home life, health care, communication, and safety. Some created tools that made everyday tasks easier. Others pushed technology forward in ways that still echo through the modern world.
RELATED CONTENT: Women’s History Month — 15 Black Women Who Rewrote The Script & Changed Hollywood Forever
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What makes these women so special is that a lot of their inventions were never just about novelty. They were about function. Comfort. Dignity. Access. Protection. A better way to do something people were already struggling with. That’s why their legacies still feel so alive. You may not say their names every day, but you can definitely see the fingerprints of their ideas in the things around you—whether that’s the way people style hair, protect their homes, connect through digital calls, or get treated for serious eye conditions.
And let’s be clear: giving Black women their flowers is not just about being inspirational for the sake of it. It’s about accuracy. It’s about correcting a record that has left too many geniuses out of the conversation. The story of innovation in America is incomplete without Black women. Their ideas didn’t just “help out” here and there—they changed routines, industries, and expectations. They made life smoother, safer, and smarter, even when the world around them was doing the absolute least to make room for them.
So before we get into the names and inventions themselves, know this: Black women have been essential to the life we know now. Not in a symbolic way. In a real, practical, touch-your-everyday-routine kind of way. From the mirror to the medical cabinet, from the front door to the phone in your hand, their influence is woven all through modern life. With that said, here are some inventions by Black women that truly changed everyday life.
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Inventions Created By Black Women That Changed Everyday Life was originally published on madamenoire.com
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March 10, 2026
The “Michael” artist argued the jury may have been encouraged by prosecutors to confuse creative expression with real life.
A coalition of hip-hop artists and advocates is calling on the U.S. Supreme Court not to include violent rap lyrics as evidence in a case against a Black man from Texas who was given a death sentence by a majority-white jury, The New York Times reported. 
Prominent figures in the hip-hop community, including rappers Killer Mike, T.I., Young Thug, Fat Joe, and N.O.R.E., spoke on behalf of James Broadnax, also a rap artist, who is scheduled to be executed on April 30 in Dallas County. The artists argued that Broadnax deserved life with no parole, over the death penalty, for two 2008 murders; and claimed that prosecutors introducing the lyrics as evidence created a racial stereotype that turns artistic expression, particularly used by minority artists, into a death warrant. 
As justices may not understand the parameters of the musical genre and its culture, the coalition decided to help them out. “Tales of violence, sex and criminal behavior sell to a broad swath of Americans — and any would-be gangsta rapper must learn and practice these conventions of the form,” one of the briefs read, while arguing other genres like country music don’t get the same grief.
Killer Mike, also known for his outspoken political commentary, touched on lyrics from artists like Johnny Cash, whose music once projected that he shot a man in Reno just to watch him die. The famous lyrics of reggae artist Bob Marley were also used, saying no one believed he “shot the sheriff.” “No matter how beautiful it sounds, or how horrific it may sound, it’s still just art,” Mike, whose real name is Michael Santiago Render, said. 
“It’s an interpretation of the human spirit. It is not an admission of guilt.”
The “Michael” artist argued the jury may have been encouraged by prosecutors to confuse creative expression with real life. And lead counsel Chad Baruch of Johnston Tobey Baruch seems to agree. 
According to The Washington Times, in a brief, Baruch feels that treating hip-hop lyrics as literal evidence of future violence encourages jurors to decide death penalty cases based on fear and stereotypes over the law. He also claims that, without the presence of the lyrics during the guilt/innocence phase of the trial, the state failed to have legal relevance to the underlying charges.
Broadnax was convicted of killing two white men, Matthew Butler and Stephen Swan, in 2009 during a 2008 robbery in Garland, Texas. The lyrics, which prosecutors claim had a general theme of “robbing, killing and selling dope,” were introduced after the conviction during a separate proceeding that decided if he should face the death penalty. 
In order to guarantee a death sentence, prosecutors must persuade the jury that the defendant is a heightened threat to society who may commit more violent acts under Texas law. 
Astroworld rapper Travis Scott also submitted a brief in favor of Broadnax, saying that rap music is protected by the First Amendment, and called the ruling unconstitutional. He argued that criminalizing the genre is an infringement on his rights, and that the high court should “clarify the constitutional limits” of using “protected artistic expression as evidence of criminal propensity.” 
Mike seemingly agrees, highlighting how, at a young age, he also wrote silly or incriminating lyrics. He believes Broadnax should go to jail, but the death sentence is a step too far. “I said a bunch of stuff that I thought was hard-core, that I thought would sound badass, and for those times it did,” he said, being grateful he was never held against them. 
“I just don’t trust an environment where we allow art to bleed into the sentencing phase.” 
RELATED CONTENT: Dr. ‘Shyne’ Barrow Charts An Impressive Course For Diasporic Excellence At Island Music Conference 2026
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Quentin Tarantino fired back at Rosanna Arquette, who questioned the director and his “hall pass” in using the n-word slur in films.
Quentin Tarantino seemingly defended his freedom of speech rights by jabbing back at Rosanna Arquette, who critiqued the director’s n-word use in films. Instead of opening a dialogue, Quentin Tarantino took umbrage with Arquette questioning his obsession with the term.
Via Deadline, Quentin Tarantino, 62, gave a statement in response to Rosanna Arquette, who recently sat down with The Times UK to discuss her career and new role in the film, The Moment. In that discussion with The Times UK, Arquette, who starred in Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction, framed Tarantino’s use of the n-word in his films as “racist and creepy.”
From Deadline:
Dear Rosanna,
I hope the publicity you’re getting from 132 different media outlets writing your name and printing your picture was worth disrespecting me and a film I remember quite clearly you were thrilled to be a part of?
Do you feel this way now?
Very possibly.
But after I gave you a job, and you took the money, to trash it for what I suspect is very cynical reasons, shows a decided lack of class, no less honor.
There is supposed to be an esprit de corps between artistic colleagues.
But it would appear the objective was accomplished.
Congratulations
Q
As seen in the statement, Quentin Tarantino isn’t addressing the hulking, not hard to miss elephant in the room that is the use of the n-word. Instead, he appears to stand tall in his choice to use a word that, especially as he used it in films at certain junctures, is a slur. All while claiming himself to be an artist who is simply telling a story.
Rosanna Arquette has yet to respond.
—
Photo: Getty
N-Word Advocate Quentin Tarantino Jabs Back At Rosanna Arquette was originally published on hiphopwired.com

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Dark times? Subdued sales are blamed for lower turnovers and profits at blue-chip galleries in 2024 compared with 2023
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The closure of Stephen Friedman gallery last month underscores that for many in the art trade, staying in business can turn on a pin. Such realities are gleaned from the latest filings of the UK branches of galleries and auction houses on Companies House, the government agency that registers all UK companies. They provide insight into the effects of rising costs and a bearish market on some art businesses in 2024—although it is important to consider that these filings only represent a portion of most international businesses, with a clearer picture often obscured by an offshore parent company.
Stephen Friedman was overdue filing when he went into liquidation on 2 February, closing his London gallery immediately (his New York venue shuttered around the same date). At the time of writing, invoices remain unpaid and artists unable to retrieve works from storage companies. In a statement, Friedman says “all matters are now subject to the administrator’s consideration”.
Even in late January, it was thought the business could be salvaged. A statement from the gallery provided to The Art Newspaper on 20 January maintained that, though the 2024 accounts were overdue, they would be published on or before 31 January.
Indicating how a single deal can make or break a business, the statement noted that the late filing was due to “a significant sale” made in mid-December that “had technical implications on the 2024 accounts”. It added: “Given the Christmas break, it was agreed with our auditors that the necessary adjustments would be made and finalised in January.” That filing never came.
Friedman’s decision to close came after two expensive refurbishment projects; he moved to a bigger gallery on Cork Street, Mayfair in October 2023 and opened in New York’s Tribeca neighbourhood shortly thereafter. The firm’s 2023 accounts reveal that Friedman lost £1.7m that year due to renovation costs and overlapping rents, compounded by “a strong downturn in the industry’s economic market”.
Even so, cash flow projections for 2025 were “positive”, according to the accounts. But, the filings revealed, due to “the slower than usual sell-through of a major exhibition at the end of 2024 and a slow start to 2025, cash flow is currently tight”. The gallery was already then “implementing some immediate cost cutting across the board and discussing refinancing options with our bank”. The 2023 accounts also show the gallery owed almost £11.4m to creditors, due within one year. Meanwhile, Alison Mosheim of the Pentland Group was named as someone with a 25%-50% share in the gallery; Friedman, the sole director of the gallery, owned the rest.
Meanwhile, as of early March, Pace Gallery had also not filed its 2024 accounts, which were due on 31 December 2025, although a £40,000 charge (or loan), created on 29 January, was registered in mid-February. Pace also registered a £30,000 charge in January 2025. It had a three-month extension to file its 2024 figures, with the last 2023 accounts filed in September 2024. “Like most companies, we got very busy at the end of the year,” a spokesperson for Pace told The Art Newspaper in February. “We are finalising our information and will be filing imminently.”
Several of the biggest galleries with bases in the UK reported losses or decreased revenue, with directors citing in their reports geopolitical events and global economic uncertainty as factors contributing to the downturn in sales.
Thaddaeus Ropac Gallery Ltd’s 2024 accounts show a turnover of £36.4m (compared with £49.6m in 2023). Thaddaeus Ropac, the sole director, writes in his report that lower turnover reflected “an increasingly difficult period across the art market as it reacts to current uncertainties around economy, tariffs and socio-political upheavals”. This led to “decreasing gross profit margins and increasing overheads across the industry”, Ropac writes.
The gallery had net assets of £7.9m as of the end of 2024 (2023: £13.2m) and 2024 profits amounted to £1.8m after tax, down from £7m in 2023. A substantial dividend of £7.1m (2023: £9.4m) was paid to shareholders during the year. Bucking the contraction trend, last September, the gallery opened a space in Milan and, in February, announced it will expand to the US for the first time with a project space in New York.
Other galleries to report declines in profit include Hauser & Wirth, whose UK arm saw pre-tax profits plummet by almost 90% in 2024, due to “lower secondary market sales”. The gallery’s parent company and owners are based in Switzerland. At David Zwirner, meanwhile, after-tax profit fell from £2.5m to £41,180, reflecting a decline in turnover, partly mitigated by a lower valuation of unsold stock (£326,000 in 2024 versus £2.5m in 2023).
Among those to report a rise in profit was White Cube, whose official business name is Modern Collections Ltd. The gallery’s most recent accounts showed a jump in turnover for the year ended 31 March 2025, up from £10.6m in 2023-24 to £15.3m, and profit after tax from £1.6m in 2023-24 to £5.2m.
Like many galleries, White Cube’s businesses are complex. On 30 June 2025, Modern Collections’s immediate parent company, Modern Collections LLP, registered in British Columbia in Canada, was dissolved. The ultimate controlling party remains the same—J.M. Jopling—but the new immediate parent undertaking is Mansmoor Ltd, set up in 2009.
According to the accounts, Modern Collections wrote down the £27.2m cost of its contractual right to sell a designated body of art to the tune of £17.8m, resulting in a net book value of £9.4m as of 31 March 2025. The gallery declined to say whether this body of work relates to a single artist and whether the devaluation is due to some of the work being sold, or to a reduction in its market value. The accounts also show the group holds £53.3m worth of art in stock.
The four largest international auction houses have also filed their 2024 UK accounts. All are ultimately owned by offshore parent companies, and their varying structures mean direct comparisons cannot be made. But, judging by the accounts, auctioneering, with its high cost base and squeezed premiums, is not always conspicuously profitable.
Vantage Bidco Ltd, the holding company that owns Bonhams, filed its first set of consolidated accounts for 2024 at the end of December, after it was taken over by one of its lenders, Pemberton Asset Management, via a debt for equity swap in October 2025. The previous owner, the private equity firm Epiris, bought Bonhams in 2018 using a loan from Pemberton.
The Vantage Bidco accounts note that the company owed £207.3m to Pemberton, at a hefty interest rate of 6% above SONIA, the Bank of England’s benchmark interest rate. Pemberton acquired Bonhams—and the network of regional auction houses it acquired rapidly in 2022 (Skinner, Bruun Rasmussen, Bukowskis and Cornette de Saint Cyr)—in lieu of this debt. Epiris was reportedly seeking $1bn for the firm in 2023, according to Bloomberg.
As part of the sale to Pemberton, the filings say, the group’s debt facilities were “refinanced and significantly restructured” resulting in a “reduction in gross borrowings and an improvement in the group’s liquidity position”.
The group’s 2024 operating loss stood at £163m by the end of 2024 (£70.8m in 2023), much of that due to impairment (non-cash) losses of £153.3m (2023: £66.4m). Global turnover dipped from £193.4m in 2023 to £176m in 2024. This “reflected the overall decline in the market which ultimately contributed to lower hammer and income” states the directors’ report.
While the accounts give no details as to how much Epiris got out of the deal, they do state that it charged management fees of £150,000 in 2024 (2023: £342,000), with £989,000 of fees outstanding at the end of 2024.
The financial position outlined in the 2024 accounts is now out of date, a Bonhams spokesperson tells The Art Newspaper: “Bonhams secured new ownership in October last year, which brought with it a fresh injection of capital and a new leadership team. The business is in a strong position.”
Phillips Assets Ltd is the UK holding company for two wholly owned subsidiaries—Phillips Auctioneers LLC (Phillips LLC) and Phillips Auctioneers Ltd and its subsidiaries (Phillips UK). According to filings, the ultimate parent company is Mercury Group Trading Ltd (MGT), registered in the British Virgin Islands, for which two men—Leonid Fridlyand and Leonid Strunin—are listed as persons with significant control. The pair, who changed their nationalities from Russian to Israeli in 2022, were also founders of the Russian retail group Mercury, though that company has no connection to the Phillips companies.
Phillips Assets Ltd’s aggregate auction sales in 2024 amounted to £381.8m (down from £477.9m in 2023) and private treaty sales to £49.4m (down from £65.6m in 2023). Turnover—fees earned from these sales once money was paid to consignors—decreased by 11% from £99.7m to £89m.
“The process of sourcing these items is highly competitive, which puts pressure on profit margins due to the rivalry among the industry’s leading players,” the directors’ report states. “Financial performance in 2024 took place against the backdrop of a global art market that continued to contract.”
The group’s overall losses improved significantly from £45m in 2023 to £8.7m in 2024. This was largely due to the revaluation and reduction of amounts owed to other Phillips entities, resulting in a one-off income of £30.1m. Phillips’s Berkeley Square headquarters in London is owned by Berkeley Square Property Ltd (which is in turn owned by Fridlyand and Strunin), to which the auction house pays a rent of £3.7m per year.
“The worldwide economic conditions and the demand for art remain challenging,” the directors write in the report, which states that the group is historically loss-making and reliant upon support from the ultimate beneficial owners, Fridlyand and Strunin. The directors write that they have received written confirmation from MGT that it will continue to provide financial support for at least a year. Should this support be withdrawn, significant doubt would be cast over “the group and company’s ability to continue as a going concern”, the report states.
A spokesperson for Phillips tells The Art Newspaper: “The UK filings represent only a portion of Phillips’s international operations and do not capture the full breadth of our global performance.”
Christie’s Manson and Wood, which operates Christie’s UK business, posted a turnover of £132.5m in 2024, up 4% from 2023, and profit after tax of £14.2m, almost double the £7.6m it made in 2023. Total sales were £919.4m, up from £821.9m in 2023 but down from 2022 and 2021 (both just over £1bn).
The accounts also show £60.4m in transfer-pricing income in 2024 (2023: £57.3m), mainly made up of internal charges within the Christie’s group.
Christie’s International PLC, the holding company for all Christie’s companies globally, earned an investment income of £88.1m (2023: £74.8m) from its subsidiaries during 2024 and made a profit after tax of £86m (2023: £72.9m). Its net assets were £345.9m (2023: £301.9m) and £42m in dividends were paid, down significantly from £96m in 2023. The ultimate parent company of Christie’s is Financière Pinault SCA, incorporated in France.
The filings outline Christie’s external financing arrangements, which included $275m Senior Notes (high-priority loans) fully drawn, a £250m revolving bank facility and a $300m debt facility specifically for art financing. At the end of 2024, the revolving bank facility was drawn at £59m and the art financing debt facility at $277m.
“Christie’s Art Financing continues to go from strength to strength, including having secured a new debt facility in an underlying subsidiary during the year to enable further growth and significantly strengthen Christie’s liquidity,” the directors’ report states.
As profit margins on auction sales become increasingly squeezed, Sotheby’s is also further positioning itself as a broader finance platform. In January, the auction house announced it had priced a $900m securitisation backed by loans secured against works of art and, for the first time, collectible cars. This is the second issuance under a securitisation programme Sotheby’s launched in 2024 when it priced around $700m in bonds backed solely by art.
Nonetheless, the latest accounts for Sotheby’s Financial Services (SFS) show a £1.4m loss in the UK in 2024. SFS parent company Sotheby’s (Delaware) issued a letter of support, satisfying auditors.
As for Sotheby’s UK auction business, the group’s main trading company in the UK, turnover dropped 24% to £110.6m, while auction sales almost halved from £771.1m to £471.7m. Profits plunged from £22.1m in 2023 to £13.3m in 2024.
A Sotheby’s spokeswoman says that the accounts cited “include financials that are over a year old”. She adds: “We enter 2026 with a strong uptick in our global performance, with consolidated global sales of $7.1bn, an 18% increase vs 2024, significant reduction in debt and significantly improved our profitability and margins.”
Further up the chain, the picture becomes more complicated. Above Sotheby’s is Sotheby’s Holdings, where profit fell 21% year-on-year to $26.8m, mainly because interest income dropped. Equity increased $874.1m to $1.8bn after Sotheby’s Holdings struck a deal with the Sovereign Wealth Fund of Abu Dhabi (ADQ) whereby ADQ, along with Sotheby’s principal shareholder, invested ‘’around’’ $1bn in cash in new shares. The filings show that ADQ owns between 25% and 50% of Sotheby’s Holdings. Dividends of $83.8m were paid to Bidfair—which owns Sotheby’s Holdings—which is in turn owned by Next Alt Sarl, Patrick Drahi’s Luxembourg holding company.
All four major auction houses are ultimately owned by an offshore parent company such as Drahi’s, meaning the true, comprehensive picture of their finances is, in the end, obscured.

Estimates are up by more than 40% over last year’s November sales, driven in large part by Sotheby’s consignments
The lower-priced sector is also the fastest growing, doubling over the past decade
The heads of Christie’s, Bonhams and Phillips speak on market shifts, challenges and why they believe their model will succeed

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On his podcast “Straight Shooter with Stephen A.,” Smith said Harris’s remarks had him on “the verge” of “blowing a gasket.”
Stephen A. Smith called out Kamala Harris following the former U.S. vice president’s remarks at the Rev. Jesse Jackson’s funeral service last week.
The always outspoken newscaster turned political commentator expressed outrage after Harris joked about predicting many of President Donald Trump‘s controversial actions since returning to office in January 2025.
“I predicted a lot about what’s happening right now,” Harris said to applause from the thousands in attendance at House of Hope Baptist Church in Chicago. The 2024 Democratic presidential nominee continued, “I’m not into saying I told you so, but we did see it coming. But what I did not predict is that we would not have Jesse Jackson with us right now to help us get through this.”
On his podcast “Straight Shooter with Stephen A.,” Smith said Harris’s remarks had him on “the verge” of “blowing a gasket,” adding, “If I see that lady figuratively speaking in our face one more time talking about she told us so…it’s pissing me off because it’s implying that we didn’t support her.”
The ESPN host noted that nearly 75 million voters cast their ballot for Harris, who ran a historically short 107-day campaign for president after then-President Joe Biden dropped out of the race for re-election against Trump.
“You had a billion and a half dollars to spend. We supported you. Why are you sitting at a memorial service in a church with nothing but of Black people around you, talking to us about you told us so like we didn’t support you? I voted for her. Most Black folks voted for her,” said Smith, who said Harris was “handed” the nomination and that had there been a primary, America’s first Black female vice president and presidential nominee wouldn’t have won and subsequently ended up on the ballot.
“She wouldn’t have had the opportunity,” said Smith.
The 58-year-old media personality also criticized the former vice president for not being as candid and forthright on the campaign trail. He called out her infamous interview on “The View” where she struggled to name a distinction between her and Biden, who had grown unpopular with voters due to the state of the economy and the U.S.’s backing of Israel’s deadly military operation in Palestine.
“We told you to be aggressive, to stop being so damn loyal to Joe Biden, to make sure that you assuaged his concerns, and, as a result, you were conducting yourself in a fashion that was non-offensive to him more so than prioritizing getting as many votes as you possibly could to win the presidency,” Smith argued. “We were telling you to remind people of your record. You were an attorney general. You were a senator. You were the reigning vice president of the United States. You had the credential. What were you being passive for? You didn’t want to be disloyal. You didn’t want to come across as being disloyal.”
Critiquing her decision to share her true thoughts about Biden in her book “107 Days,” he said, “It’s not fair to us who supported you. It’s not. And then we find out how candid and in your face and unapologetic you could be when it’s time to sell your book, but not when you’re running for the presidency. Come on now.”
He added, “Black folks still supported you. Why you keep standing in our face talking about you told us so? Like somehow someway we went against you, and we didn’t believe you, and we didn’t support you. Yes, we did. Yes, we did. In some cases against our better judgment, we still supported you.”
Despite Smith’s fervent critique of Harris, it’s worth noting that Harris said to the audience, “We did see it coming,” suggesting she and Black voters–83% of whom voted for her in 2024–predicted what would happen in a second Trump presidency.
This isn’t the first time that Smith has used his platform to call out Harris. When she released her now New York Times best-selling memoir, Smith said, “There’s nothing to elaborate about. Who cares what she has to say at this particular moment in time? I hope the book is successful.”
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March 10, 2026
Hugo says recent songs done by Pharrell excluded him from production credits.
The financial dispute between music producers Chad Hugo and Pharrell Williams, formerly known as the songwriting/production duo The Neptunes, has taken another turn, with Hugo filing an amendment to the lawsuit against his former business partner.
According to Forbes, after initially filing a lawsuit claiming that the “Happy” singer owes him $1 million for nonpayment for songs he produced, Hugo has now stated that some of the songs Pharrell produced in recent years (eight songs released in 2022) were not credited to him.
Several of those songs include Rosalía’s “Motomami” and “La Combi Versace” from her 2022 album, Motomami, and Latto’s “Real One.”
Yet, the media outlet points out that the court may have an issue with that amendment. Hugo may not be able to make a claim because the three-year statute of limitations under the U.S. Copyright Act would nullify the accusation, as the songs were released in 2022 and Hugo filed the legal paperwork in January 2026. 
The case, depending on the ruling of U.S. District Judge Andre Birotte, may have to be moved from federal to state court. After Hugo’s team filed the suit, Birotte issued an order requiring Hugo’s attorneys to show why this is a federal matter. Hugo’s initial claims, which were breach of contract and breach of fiduciary duty, belong in state court. A copyright infringement would fit federal status, which is what the amended charges are.
In the suit, Hugo states that he was “principal composer, arranger, multi-instrumentalist, and producer responsible for programming, instrumentation, and overall sound design, while Defendant Williams more frequently appeared as the public-facing member of the duo.”
“Williams engaged in self-dealing, concealed material information, and … diverted revenues owed to plaintiff,” Hugo’s attorney, Brent J. Lehman, said. “Such willful, fraudulent, and malicious conduct warrants the imposition of punitive damages.”
The initial matter was related to the duo’s group with another member, Shay Haley, N.E.R.D. (No-one Ever Really Dies).
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Umberto Allemandi © Anna Somers Cocks
Umberto Allemandi’s passion for the printed word began early. During the Second World War his family was evacuated to Asti where, by the age of five, he had already learned to write. Even before starting school, he put this skill to use by producing a handwritten newspaper—only a single copy—which readers could consult in exchange for a few coins. It was an early sign of the entrepreneurial instinct that would later define his career. In the years that followed he continued producing small newsletters for the parish youth group, at secondary school and even during seaside holidays, publishing reports on marble games played on the beach.
His first experience working on an established publication came with the theatre magazine Il Dramma—subtitled quindicinale di commedie di grande successo, or a fortnightly magazine of highly successful comedies—edited by Lucio Ridenti. Allemandi contributed to the magazine while supporting himself through his studies. He enrolled in Political Science at the University of Turin, where Norberto Bobbio was among his professors, although he never completed his degree.
Soon afterwards he worked as a copywriter at the advertising agency of Armando Testa, an experience that proved decisive for his later work. There he learned the discipline of brevity and the power of the striking phrase. Testa liked to speak of the “punch”—a line capable of leaving a lasting impression on the reader. A single well-aimed blow, he would say, was more effective than a flurry of weak punches. For Allemandi this lesson proved fundamental: the art of the headline and the economy of language would become hallmarks of his editorial style. Among the campaigns produced during his time with Testa, he later recalled with affection the famous advertisements for Caffè Paulista featuring the character “Carmencita”.
His return to publishing came in the late 1950s thanks to Alberto Bolaffi, who was keen to develop editorial projects devoted to collecting alongside the philatelic catalogues that the Bolaffi family had produced for decades. Allemandi was asked to take charge of these new publications and remained involved in the enterprise for 23 years. During this period, he oversaw a wide range of catalogues and editorial initiatives covering subjects from wine collecting to Modern art.
From 1970 he directed Bolaffi Arte, an information magazine devoted to the art world founded by Giulio Bolaffi. The publication was distinguished by its covers, which featured original works by well-known or emerging artists of the time, many of whom Allemandi knew personally. Among those who contributed were Giorgio de Chirico, Salvador Dalí, Joan Miró, Man Ray, Andy Warhol and Joseph Beuys. The magazine quickly established itself as an important platform for discussion of contemporary art and collecting.
Following the sale of Bolaffi Arte to Giorgio Mondadori, Allemandi moved to Milan. There he received an offer to work for Rizzoli, which he declined. Instead, in 1982, together with a small group of collaborators who had worked with him in Milan, he decided to realise an idea he had long cherished: the creation of a publication that would not be a glossy magazine but a genuine newspaper devoted entirely to art. Conceived with the structure and seriousness of a daily newspaper but appearing monthly, it represented an innovative editorial experiment.
The graphic model was inspired by London’s The Times, while the newspaper’s logo derived from a decorative frieze discovered in a book from Turin’s Accademia Albertina. The editorial office was initially located in an apartment in Via Mancini, in the hills above Turin behind the church of the Gran Madre. The modest premises soon became a lively meeting place—what many described as a “port of ideas”—frequented by leading figures from the worlds of art and culture.
A few years later the editorial offices moved to larger premises on the ground floor of the same building, and in 2015 the headquarters relocated to central Turin in Piazza Emanuele Filiberto, in the Quadrilatero Romano district.
The first issue of Il Giornale dell’Arte, directed by Allemandi, appeared in May 1983. Gianna Marini was his partner in the enterprise, serving as chief executive and managing editor. From the outset the newspaper distinguished itself by the breadth of its coverage—from cultural policy and museum affairs to exhibitions, restoration, publishing and the art market—as well as by a clear and direct style that avoided the obscurities sometimes associated with art criticism. It was an immediate success and quickly attracted international attention for the originality of its format.
The growth of the enterprise was rapid. In 1982 the initial budget amounted to 350 million lire; by 1986 it had reached three billion. The small team of five collaborators, including director and managing editor, had expanded to 14 by the end of the decade. Alongside Il Giornale dell’Arte, the publishing group launched several other periodicals, including the quarterly Antologia di Belle Arti, directed by Giuliano Briganti, Alvar González-Palacios and Federico Zeri. Highly prestigious though aimed at a specialised readership, it achieved an international circulation of around 3,500 copies. Other titles included Il Giornale della Musica, founded in 1985 (later entirely acquired by its co-publisher EDT), and La Gazzetta Antiquaria.
Allemandi’s ambitions, however, extended beyond Italy. The “universal” vocation of the Italian newspaper soon found expression abroad. In 1990 the London-based English-language edition The Art Newspaper was founded, published under the imprint Umberto Allemandi & Co. Publishing Ltd. The paper was co-founded and directed until 2002 by the art historian Anna Somers Cocks, formerly of the Victoria and Albert Museum and Apollo magazine. She would later become Allemandi’s wife.
Further editions followed in subsequent years. In 1992 the Greek edition, Ta Nea tis Technis, was launched in Athens. In 1994 the Paris-based Le Journal des Arts appeared, later replaced in 2018 by The Art Newspaper France. A Spanish-language edition, El Periódico del Arte, was published between 1997 and 2002. In the 21st century the network expanded further with The Art Newspaper Russia, founded in Moscow in 2012; The Art Newspaper China, launched in Beijing in 2013; and, from 2023, The Art Newspaper Turkey.
Between 2002 and 2014 Allemandi also created and published Il Giornale dell’Architettura, a monthly publication conceived as an equivalent instrument of information for the fields of architecture, construction, design, urban planning and the environment. After a period of suspension, the publication resumed online in 2014 thanks to a group of former editors and the cultural association The Architectural Post, under licence from Allemandi.
Alongside his newspapers, Allemandi also developed an important publishing house. In 1983, at the same time as Il Giornale dell’Arte, he founded Umberto Allemandi & C., soon recognised for its distinctive aquamarine-coloured books —known internally as “Allemandi blue”. The colour was chosen deliberately in place of black, which had already been adopted by the publisher Franco Maria Ricci. The inspiration, once again, came from England, from the shade of a particular type of writing paper. One of Allemandi’s guiding principles, learned from Armando Testa, was the importance of a strong visual identity—an element that readers could immediately recognise.
Over time the publishing house built a catalogue distinguished by its scholarly quality. It now includes nearly 2,800 titles covering art history, architecture, the economics of art and literature. Authors published by Allemandi include Luigi Carluccio, Federico Zeri, Giuliano Briganti, Francis Haskell, John Pope-Hennessy, Jean Clair, Alvar González-Palacios, Jennifer Montagu, Clement Greenberg, Erwin Panofsky, David Sylvester, Rafael Moneo, Renzo Piano and Antonio Paolucci.
Among the publisher’s most important works are major scholarly studies such as Caravaggism in Europe, a monumental project of more than a thousand pages and two thousand illustrations completed after the death of its editor Benedict Nicolson by his wife Luisa Vertova. Other landmark publications include the works of John Pope-Hennessy on Raphael and Renaissance sculpture; Federico Zeri’s Giorno per giorno dell’arte; the Italian translation of Clement Greenberg’s essays Art and Culture; Jean Clair’s Critique de la modernité; and Francis Haskell’s Patrons and Painters, a fundamental study of the relationship between art and society in the Baroque period.
The publishing house also produced multimedia series such as I Video del Louvre and managed bookshops in several major Italian museums, including the Galleria Nazionale d’Arte Moderna in Rome, the Castello Sforzesco in Milan, the Egyptian Museum in Turin and the Reggia di Venaria. It published exhibition catalogues for leading international institutions such as the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Musée d’Orsay in Paris, the Vatican Museums and the Dalí Museum in Figueres.
One of its most ambitious editorial undertakings was the Universal Dictionary of 20th-Century Architecture, completed in 2001 in six volumes with contributions from more than 400 scholars from ten countries. In 2004 a four-volume edition was produced in collaboration with the Treccani Institute.
Over the years Allemandi received numerous honours, including the Italian National Prize for Culture awarded in 1992 by Prime Minister Carlo Azeglio Ciampi. Further recognitions followed from the National Art Collection Fund in London, the Art Directors Club in New York and other cultural institutions.
From the early 2000s Il Giornale dell’Arte expanded its reach through the launch of its online edition. The print newspaper continued to appear monthly with between 100 and 200 pages, providing extensive coverage of international artistic life and cultural policy. In 2025 the entire archive of the publication was made accessible online, offering a comprehensive record of global artistic activity over more than four decades.
Umberto Allemandi died on 9 March 2026, his eighty-eighth birthday. His legacy endures in the international network of newspapers he created and in a publishing house that has played a significant role in shaping contemporary debate on art, architecture and culture.

A tribute to Umberto Allemandi from Anna Somers Cocks, his wife and founder of The Art Newspaper
I had just become editor of Apollo magazine, fresh from 13 years at the Victoria and Albert Museum, when—reading the final issue produced by my predecessor—I realised that, for all its prestige, the magazine had lost the constituency it had once served when it was founded in the early 20th century. There was no such thing any more as a general reader for random essays on the entire spectrum of art. As with science, the subject had become professionalised and super-specialised, not to mention the fact that art historians had given up writing in such a way as to seduce the general reader. Too much of it had become grist for career art historians, with their deadening need to publish articles for the sake of academic scoring.
Then a newspaper arrived on my desk, the Giornale dell’Arte, and I was immediately seduced. It offered real, up-to-date news about what was happening internationally, covering every branch of the arts, including archaeology and conservation. It also devoted an entire section to the art market, rigorously separated—both physically and editorially—from the rest of the paper. Kipling’s rules—who, where, what, when, and most important of all, why—were being applied. By its topicality, the Giornale dell’Arte implicitly reconnected the scattered elements of the art world and showed how art influences the world beyond it and vice versa.
The coup de foudre I experienced on seeing this newspaper was repeated a few months later when I met the man behind it, Umberto Allemandi. We became lovers and three years later got married. Just as important for my life, however, was that he taught me the skills of the trade—above all, how to sense what passed the “So what?” test and what did not. It is a question even academics should apply to whatever they might be writing about.
The first issue of the Giornale dell’Arte came out in 1983, so long ago that people may have forgotten what a revolutionary idea it was at the time. Despite the flood of PR blandishment that is pumped at us every day, for those who care, it has given us the tools by which see it for what it is. The art world owes him a great debt. And so do I. A.S.C.

From one room in Fleet St to an international network

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March 10, 2026
The New Yorker is facing backlash over its illustration of “Sinners” star Wunmi Mosaku.
The New Yorker is facing backlash over an illustration it published of Sinners star Wunmi Mosaku, with one artist arguing the image was “obviously not intended to represent her well.” The outlet drew criticism on March 8 after publishing a feature profile on the Oscar-nominated actress that included an illustration of Mosaku created by artist João Fazenda.
“Before ‘Sinners,’ Wunmi Mosaku knew ‘nothing about hoodoo.” While researching the role, she learned that hoodoo is connected to Ifá, the traditional Yoruba spirituality system,” The New Yorker wrote in its post.
Before “Sinners,” Wunmi Mosaku knew “nothing about hoodoo.” While researching the role, she learned that hoodoo is connected to Ifá, the traditional Yoruba spirituality system. https://t.co/oHaCtLgXMz
However, the post’s comments were quickly flooded with criticism, as many users said the illustration “doesn’t look like Wunmi Mosaku,” among other frustrations.
“Why would @NewYorker choose to represent one of the most beautiful women in the world in such a disrespectful manner?” one X user wrote. “This is a hugely disappointing decision with systemic racism at the core. Hire more Black people and LISTEN TO THEM!”
“João Fazenda, you will pay for your crimes against Ms. Mosaku because who the hell is that supposed to be??!” added another.
One artist even took matters into their own hands, sharing a now-viral tweet featuring a reimagined version of the illustration while criticizing The New Yorker for using a reference image that was “obviously not intended to represent her well.”
Apparently, The New Yorker ran a story with an illustration of Wunmi Mosaku that was obviously not intended to represent her well, so I redid it real quick in a similar style. Took 15 minutes & a love of Black women pic.twitter.com/Tfy1TTT0yo
Mosaku’s illustration has reignited long-standing debates and frustrations about how Black women are depicted in mainstream media. Similar conversations emerged in 2018 when Australian cartoonist Mark Knight illustrated tennis legend Serena Williams as an exaggeratedly aggressive figure smashing her racket following her loss at the 2018 US Open. Critics argued that the cartoon went beyond exaggerating Williams’ emotions, placing her within a long history of caricatures portraying Black women as physically exaggerated or aggressive.
This also isn’t the first time The New Yorker has faced backlash over its depictions of Black public figures. In 2008, the magazine came under fire for a cover illustration depicting Michelle Obama with an afro, holding a machine gun, and fist-bumping a turban-clad Barack Obama. Though the magazine framed the image as satire tied to coverage of Obama’s political rise, the campaign condemned the cover as “tasteless and offensive.”
Debates about representation have also surfaced in discussions about how Black women are photographed, edited, and visually framed in media. With award season in full swing and in the wake of the recent N-word controversy at the BAFTA Awards, public scrutiny around how the Sinners cast is portrayed appears stronger than ever.
RELATED CONTENT: ‘Sinners’ Not-So-Subtle Nod To Voodoo Is Just One More Way Ryan Coogler Connects The Diaspora
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Indoor pro footballer Jordan Jones is being remembered as a “big brother” and “gentle giant” who died defending a woman.
The Indoor Football world is reeling after it lost one of its own to gun violence over the weekend. 
On Saturday (Mar. 7), Jordan Jones was shot and killed in a parking lot outside the bar where he worked as security in Acworth, Georgia, after he had attempted to de-escalate an assault between a man and a woman.  He was 28. 
According to the Acworth Police Department, officers were dispatched to Saddle Bar in response to a shooting that occurred in the wee hours around 2:42 AM on Saturday. When they arrived on the scene, they found a male victim suffering from a gunshot wound and rendered aid.
He was eventually transported to the Kennestone Hospital in Marietta, where he succumbed to his injuries.
Law enforcement said Jones broke up a fight involving Daniel Di Vonne Parsons and a woman. At some point after the fight was defused, Parsons, 25, allegedly retrieved a firearm and shot Jones. Parsons has since been arrested and charged with felony murder, aggravated assault, and aggravated battery.
“This remains an active and ongoing investigation, and no additional details are available at this time,” APD said.
Jones, who first made a name for himself on the football field in high school, went on to become a standout athlete at the University of West Alabama from 2016 to 2019 before turning professional in the Indoor Football League in the early 2020s. Following his death, friends and former teammates remembered him as a “gentle giant” and a “big brother” figure, saying they are devastated by the loss.
A post shared by Indoor Football League (@indoorfootballleague)
“He was a hero. He was a gentle giant. He lit up the room when he walked in. He was a big guy, so you knew if anybody needed help, he was going to be the one to step in,” K’Maron Patterson told Fox 5 Atlanta.
Before his death, Jones was set to join the Michigan Arsenal, a pro arena football team, for their upcoming training camp. Owner George Bradford also shared a statement with FOX 5 offering his thoughts and prayers.
“Jordan was a remarkable young man whose talent, drive, and character stood out from the moment we connected with him,” he said. “We were truly looking forward to welcoming him to our training camp and watching him grow within our organization.”
Another friend, Dijon Joseph, speaking to the same outlet, added, “The impact he made on my life is something that is always going to resonate with me for the rest of my life. It’s never going to change. I’ll never stop thinking about him.”
The Indoor Football League also released a statement calling him a “talented” player.
“The Indoor Football League mourns the tragic passing of former All-IFL linebacker Jordan Jones. A talented player and respected competitor, Jordan left a lasting mark on the league and those who had the privilege of knowing him,” they wrote in the caption of a post on Instagram. “Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family, friends, and teammates.”
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The NBA has multiple storylines in the news cycle now that the season is in its home stretch, and teams are jockeying for playoff position and superlative awards. However, for the past two weeks, there has been no storyline as polarizing and discussed as the Atlanta Hawks theme night collaboration with Magic City. Pundits, players, and social media pontificators have all weighed in following the public statement released by San Antonio Spurs bench player Luke Kornet. BOSSIP previously reported on controversy and the subsequent cancellation of the event that was announced last night (March 9).
Hawks fans who actually live in Atlanta voiced their displeasure that the team folded to the NBA while these talking heads who have zero investment in the city, or fans yap disingenuously about “protecting women and children.”
Current ESPN personality David Dennis Jr. made it plain in a different way.
According to the Toronto Sun, former ESPN host Michelle Beadle, a white woman, is not one of those people—a righteously indignant talking head. Beadle took Kornet to task for his unmelanated meddling during a recent episode of Beadle & Decker.
“As a woman, I am not offended by the idea of Magic Monday,” Beadle said. “I cannot say this enough, Magic City, for anyone who’s been to Atlanta, it’s not just a t—- bar. I feel like that’s sort of the vibes that maybe people are getting.”
She continued:
“Secondly, and more importantly is, thank you, White Knight. We don’t need this. I’ve had enough of men telling us what we can and shouldn’t and what we should want and what we should need and how we should act. No. No, no, these are not trafficked 12-year-olds, OK? We have that and none of those people are being brought forward. This is not that. These are grown-a– women who have a job.“
The fact that people keep trying to insist that the Magic City dancers are being sex trafficked, pimped, and otherwise abused says more about their views of women’s agency than their fake attempts to “protect.”

White Sports Journalist Michelle Beadle Slams Luke Kornet For Hatin’ On Atlanta Hawks x Magic City Game was originally published on bossip.com

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At the BAFTAs, the N-word was shouted out loud in a crowded auditorium. In the New Yorker, it arrives in illustration.
When readers opened the latest edition of the New Yorker and saw the illustrated portrait accompanying its profile of Wunmi Mosaku, many had the same immediate reaction: Who is that supposed to be?
The drawing, rendered in the magazine’s familiar editorial illustration style, shows Mosaku standing stiffly in front of shelves of apothecary jars. She wears a loose blue jacket over a plain shirt. The clothing is shapeless, and her posture is rigid. Her expression is muted. Her features are flattened almost to the point of anonymity.
Without the caption, most readers would never know that the woman in the illustration is a BAFTA-winning actress whose beauty and presence command the screen.
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Placed beside actual photographs of Mosaku, the contrast is startling. Because the real Wunmi Mosaku looks nothing like that. Nothing like that! Mosaku is striking. She has luminous skin and sculpted cheekbones. Her deep, expressive eyes hold the camera with a quiet intensity. On red carpets, she is glamorous and statuesque. In photographs, she is magnetic. In motion, she carries a sensual authority that is impossible to ignore.
In Sinners, the film that has catapulted her into global conversation, Mosaku plays a hoodoo healer whose mystique and sexuality anchor the story’s emotional pulse. Her scenes with Michael B. Jordan crackle with tension and intimacy. The character she embodies is powerful, alluring, and unforgettable.
Yet the illustration accompanying her New Yorker profile strips all of that away. It does not exaggerate her beauty the way editorial art often does for celebrities. It does something stranger. It erases it.
Within hours of the issue circulating, fans, cultural commentators, and entertainment blogs began dragging the illustration for what they said was a startling failure to capture Mosaku’s likeness. One widely shared reaction summed up the mood bluntly: “Harpo, who dis woman?” For those who don’t know, this is a riff on the famous line from The Color Purple, used online to express disbelief at how little the drawing resembled the actress.
On platforms like X, Threads, and Reddit, the same criticism appeared again and again: the portrait looked nothing like her. Many viewers said they would never have recognized the BAFTA-winning actress if her name hadn’t been printed above the illustration. Others described the image as stiff, flattened, and strangely generic compared with the striking photographs of Mosaku circulating from the red carpet and press tours for the film Sinners. 
Some reactions were even harsher. Critics online called the image “disrespectful,” “disappointing,” and even “anti-Black,” arguing that the illustration drained Mosaku of the beauty, charisma, and presence that define her public image. 
The backlash became loud enough that another artist stepped in to show what many viewers felt the original drawing should have done in the first place. Black illustrator DeAnn Wiley posted a quick redraw of Mosaku in a similar editorial style, saying she wanted to depict the actress “with intention” and with “a love of Black women.” The alternative portrait spread quickly online, with many commenters saying it captured Mosaku’s likeness far more effectively than the magazine’s version. 
The controversy has also spilled into discussion forums and entertainment spaces, where users have debated whether the problem lies in the illustration style itself or in a broader lack of care in depicting Black women in editorial art. On one Reddit thread discussing the issue, commenters shared Wiley’s redraw as an example of how the same stylized approach could still reflect Mosaku’s actual features and presence.
Now, we need to move beyond aesthetics to power. We must ask what it means when powerful media institutions repeatedly produce moments that diminish Black people and then explain them away as oversight. We need to interrogate the editorial culture behind these moments. This artist’s depiction would be puzzling under any circumstances. But the timing of its publication makes it land harder.
Just weeks ago, Mosaku experienced what should have been a triumphant career moment. At the BAFTA Awards, she won one of the industry’s highest honors for her performance in Sinners. Instead of a clean celebration, the moment was contaminated by a shocking disruption when a white man with Tourette’s shouted the N-word during the ceremony. He also hurled the slur at her. The slur echoed through the broadcast and sparked outrage across social media and entertainment news.
When a Black actress who has just endured a public moment like that is then depicted by one of America’s most prestigious magazines in a way that barely resembles her, readers do not see the image as neutral artistic interpretation.
They see a pattern.
Now, folks might claim that the illustrator didn’t sit down and intentionally try to insult Mosaku with his drawing pen. Yes, illustration styles vary widely, and the New Yorker has long relied on stylized portraits rather than photographic realism. But style does not excuse erasure. 
Editorial illustrations are supposed to capture the spirit of their subjects, even when they exaggerate or simplify certain features. A stylized portrait still recognizes the individuality of the person it depicts. Here, our eyes are not lying to us. Mosaku’s individuality disappears. And when the subject is a Black woman, that disappearance carries history.
For centuries, caricature has been used to diminish Black folks, to flatten our features, distort our presence, and reduce us to something less than fully human. Even when modern artists are not consciously participating in that tradition, its echoes remain embedded in visual culture. Which is why so many viewers looked at this illustration and felt an immediate discomfort they may have struggled to name.
The drawing is not just an artistic misfire. It shrinks her, turning her into someone ordinary and forgettable. In a moment when her brilliance should be amplified, the magazine took a powerful Black actress and made her smaller, flatter, easier to dismiss, echoing the same impulse behind the N-word that was hurled at her co-stars Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo from the BAFTA stage. This slur was meant to diminish Black brilliance, and this illustration lands with a quieter version of the same impulse.
That interpretation may make some readers uncomfortable. But discomfort is precisely what happens when representation goes wrong. Images shape perception long before readers absorb the text surrounding them. Which raises a deeper question about editorial responsibility. An illustration like this does not appear in a major magazine by accident. Somebody commissioned it. Somebody reviewed it. Somebody approved it as the image that would represent the woman featured in the story.
Did anyone in that process pause to compare the drawing to the real Mosaku? Did anyone notice how dramatically it stripped away the very qualities that make her such a compelling figure? Because if they had, they might have realized that the portrait was not simply stylized. It was simply unrecognizable.
Because editorial choices matter.
After the BAFTA ceremony, the BBC explained that the racial slur remained audible in the replay of the broadcast because the editors simply “didn’t hear it” in time to remove it. In other words, a racial insult aimed at Black actors slipped through the editorial process of one of the world’s most powerful media institutions.
Now here we are again, looking at another editorial decision, this time from one of America’s most prestigious magazines, where the final product leaves many Black viewers asking the same question: How did nobody catch this?
Because for a lot of Black viewers and readers, these moments do not feel isolated. They feel cumulative, and yes, intentional. And when Black audiences raise an eyebrow, we are told again and again that we are imagining things. We are told that it’s just a stylistic choice, just an oversight, nothing to see here. But after a while, the pattern begins to look less like coincidence and more like a familiar ritual where the insult arrives, and the denial and claims of innocence arrive right behind it.
First, the slur echoes across the BAFTA stage and ends up preserved in the broadcast. Then a major magazine publishes a portrait of a stunning Black actress that barely resembles her. In both cases, the explanation comes down to editorial oversight. Someone didn’t hear it, someone didn’t see it, someone didn’t notice.
But from the outside, the pattern lands differently. It feels like Black audiences are expected to absorb the insult, whether it arrives through a microphone or through ink.
And that is why the reaction to this illustration has been so strong. Not simply because the drawing misses Wunmi Mosaku’s likeness, but because it arrives in a moment when Black viewers are already asking why major media institutions keep letting moments of disrespect slip through their editorial filters.
Black folks are often told that we’re imagining things. That we’re being overly sensitive. That what we see and hear isn’t really there. But Black people have spent generations learning how to recognize disrespect even when it arrives disguised as something else, whether it is an editorial oversight, a stylistic choice, or an ‘honest mistake.’ 
We know what our eyes see. We know what our ears hear. So the question isn’t whether these institutions noticed. The question is this: How many ways do powerful institutions think they can call us the N-word?
SEE ALSO:
Tourette’s Tic Blamed For The N-Word Yelled During BAFTAs
Why Black People Don’t Have To Accept The Apology Or The Gaslighting


New Yorker Wunmi Mosaku Illustration Reads Like Visual Version Of N-Word was originally published on newsone.com

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Doja Cat joins Black ballet and opera performers in calling Timothée Chalamet out for disparaging classic art.
After Timothée Chalamet’s comments about no one caring about the opera or ballet exploded across the internet, Doja Cat is joining the chorus of performers calling him out.
In a since-deleted TikTok, the 30-year-old singer defended the centuries-old art forms while sharply criticizing Chalamet for dismissing them.
Noting that opera and ballet have endured for hundreds of years, she argued that audiences and artists remain deeply devoted to the traditions behind them.
“Opera is 400 years old. Ballet is 500 years old,” she said before taking aim at Chalamet directly, intentionally mispronouncing his name. “Somebody named Timothée Chalamet … had the nerve to say on camera that nobody cares about it.”
She added that the etiquette and reverence inside theaters speaks for itself.
“It’s f— beautiful,” she said.
Doja also highlighted the physical sacrifice behind the art forms, noting that dancers and singers dedicate years of rigorous training to their craft and continue to show up even when industries face challenges.
“People give a f—,” she said.
Doja Cat comments on what Timothée Chalamet had said about ballet and opera recently. pic.twitter.com/Z2Gu1bXefd
The defense arrived after footage resurfaced of the “Marty Supreme” star’s conversation with Matthew McConaughey during a Variety interview. While discussing dwindling attention spans among audiences, the 30-year-old actor joked that he wouldn’t want to work in either art form.
“I don’t want to be working in ballet or opera where it’s like, ‘Hey! Keep this thing alive, even though no one cares about this anymore,’” he said with a laugh.
Since the footage began circulating, figures across the classical arts world have weighed in — including the Metropolitan Opera, the Royal Ballet and Opera, award-winning soprano Candice Hoyes, and dancer-choreographer Amar Smalls.
Commenting under the viral clip, Hoyes, whose versatile talent has landed on her stages like Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, and beyond, noted, “Opera is not ‘Keeping up w Kardashians.’” 
“I hope his movies endure for a few hundred years like opera and ballet … this is why knowing history is powerful,” she continued.
Smalls, whose background spans companies including the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and American Ballet Theatre, echoed the sentiment in a video posted to Instagram.
“People still care about ballet and opera,” he said. “The tickets are just mad expensive because it’s high art.”
He also highlighted how the formality surrounding attending performances is another sign of that dedication. 
“People come in their best outfits to come and see ballet. Ain’t nobody dressing up to go and see ‘Wonka.’ It’s equivalent to taking your girl on a date to Nobu or McDonald’s. Ain’t nobody putting on a best fit to go to McDonald’s,” he said before taking a jab at Chalamet’s recent antics promoting “Marty Supreme,” where he gave a tribute to Soulja Boy while in Brazil in December. 
“While we here, let’s talk about how you use Black culture and you dressed up as Soulja Boy in 2006 to promote ‘Marty Supreme.’ If we really want to take shots. We could really take shots,” he warned.
He further warned that live performance may have the last laugh in a world increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence.
“When AI takes over, or whatever, bro …  AI can’t go on stage and give a beautiful performance like ‘Swan Lake.’ They could definitely do ‘Marty Supreme,’ though,” he said. 
He added, “I think in the next coming years, that perception of people not caring about ballet and opera will definitely change, definitely change, and I’ll make sure of it.”
A post shared by amar (@amarsmalls)
Others reacting online have also pointed out that Chalamet’s own family has deep ties to ballet. His sister, Pauline Chalamet, along with his mother and grandmother, was a ballet dancer. He also attended a performing arts high school near Lincoln Center and grew up in New York City, long known as one of the world’s biggest hubs for the performing arts.
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March 9, 2026
The narratives around incredible Black women are truly inspiring
Nationally and globally, the narratives around incredible Black women are truly inspiring, especially during Women’s History Month. The measurable impact that Black women have on society, and specifically among their own communities, shows through their work and accomplishments — whether it’s hanging on museum walls, navigating movie sets, leading corporate boardrooms, or performing on the Olympic stage. BLACK ENTERPRISE is highlighting several women who actively inform the cultural trends, create artistic movements, and develop economic systems. These Black women define life and work on their own terms. During Women’s History Month, they are having a moment. In fact, they are the moment. 
Through her diverse artistic career, Teyana Taylor has redefined the concept of the modern multihyphenate. Taylor received major critical praise for her work as a singer, actor, director, and choreographer. Taylor has demonstrated her directing skills through her work in fashion and music visual production. Taylor recently released “A Rose In Harlem,” her signature Jordan sneakers. In February, Taylor landed her first Golden Globe award. Since 2023, Taylor’s career has skyrocketed, gaining popularity from her performances in A Thousand and One and One Battle After Another, and fashion collaborations with international brands. Through complete control of her image and narrative, Taylor obliterates boundaries in the entertainment industry that typically confine Black women.
Amy Sherald, the renowned contemporary realist painter, is known for her iconic portraits, which include the former First Lady Michelle Obama. Sherald’s current exhibition, American Sublime, features a collection of artworks that investigates Black identity and visual representation. Sherald’s artwork is on view at the Baltimore Museum of Art till April 5; however, tickets for the exhibition are sold out. 
Viola Davis was recently honored at the NAACP Image Awards ceremony with the Chairman’s Award for Excellence, Impact, & Advocacy. The EGOT-winning actress and producer continues to produce film and television projects that center Black stories while expanding her production company, JuVee Productions. Davis’ influence extends beyond her role as a Hollywood performer; she is also involved in global film distribution, solidifying her status as a prominent figure in the entertainment industry. Davis’ humanitarian work and achievements, including her 2023 Grammy win, have contributed to her legacy as a trailblazer who uses her influence and prowess to fund stories that historically lacked backing, making her both an institution and a disruptor in the industry.
Angel Reese became a leading figure in the WNBA after winning the 2023 NCAA championship and turning professional. After leading the LSU Tigers women’s basketball team to a national championship, Reese was selected seventh overall by the Chicago Sky in the 2024 WNBA Draft. Reese has broken rookie rebounding records and has since established valuable endorsement deals.

Rihanna wowed NFL audiences when she took the stage during Super Bowl halftime. Since then, the fashion killer and mom of three has reached billionaire status from establishing both Fenty Beauty and Savage X Fenty, and continues to grow her global beauty and fashion empire. Fenty disrupted conventional beauty industry standards for product shade while proving that inclusive branding can be profitable. Rihanna recently teased new music after years of not producing a follow-up album to ANTI. 
A’ja Wilson has led championship runs while expanding her endorsement deals and increasing her media exposure as the WNBA champion and league MVP. The league’s growth and sponsorship increase have been driven by Wilson’s outstanding performance.
Keke Palmer’s ascension into a notable place in entertainment has been marked by her recent films Alice and Nope, and her podcast Baby, This Is Keke Palmer. The actress, producer and founder of KeyTV Network extends her digital network to serve creators of the next generation. The network will launch on both digital streaming services and creator platforms. Palmer intends to establish KeyTV as a platform builder beyond just being a platform for on-screen talent while she plans network expansion for 2026.
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Timed perfectly for Women’s History Month, SZA steps into her role as VANS Artistic Director by modeling the “Off The Wall” spring campaign.

Last summer, R&B’s reigning hitmaker SZA announced that she’d be taking her singing talents over to the sneaker community as the newly-appointed Artistic Director for VANS.
With much anticipation built up in the time since as fans have been wondering what her role will entail, we now are getting a glimpse at her first order of business: spearheading the brand’s signature “Off The Wall” campaign for spring 2026.

RELATED: SZA Remembers Label Telling Her SOS Wouldn’t Beat Taylor Swift On The Charts In 2023
Featured alongside equally talented forces in the music biz, including Franz Lyons of hardcore rock band Turnstile, Hayley Williams of famed pop-rock collective Paramore and Travis Barker of pioneering punk group blink-182 — pro skateboarders Lizzie Armanto and T-Funk also round out the bunch — SZA is surrounded by both good kicks and good company. The campaign is in celebration of VANS ringing in 60 years of service to the footwear and lifestyle community, be it singers, skaters or anyone who happens to fall in-between.

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The campaign specifically highlights the Authentic, a classic silhouette in the VANS roster. A variety of designs, prints and graphics will show up throughout the many drops ahead, including the signature checkerboard, floral mixed with “plant”-themed motifs, aquatic life and classic color-blocking.
As far as first times go, we’d have to say SZA is doing quite a bang-up job already in bringing a new look to a classic skate shoe — far from a snooze! — and we look forward to seeing her next move as Artistic Director. SZA Slip-On? SZlip-On? SZA “Low” Lowpro? Old SZkool? The possibilities are endless!

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