WATCH: ESSENCE Best Of 2023 Entertainment
Take a trip down memory lane and check out some of our entertainment highlight moments.
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00:00 [MUSIC PLAYING]
00:03 Hi, Essence family.
00:09 My name is Shelby Stewart.
00:10 I'm the associate editor here at Essence, and I have with me--
00:14 Okla Jones, entertainment editor at Essence.
00:16 And we are here to discuss all things
00:18 entertainment for the year 2023.
00:21 We've had a lot of crazy stuff happen this year,
00:23 so we just want to get into all of the things.
00:26 I want to start off talking about some visual arts, Okla.
00:29 So we've had a lot of amazing exhibitions
00:32 come through different cities this year.
00:35 I know one of my personal favorites
00:36 was Jay-Z's The Book of Hope at the Brooklyn Public Library.
00:41 I'm a big fan of Jay-Z, and I think
00:43 it was really stellar to see his discographies on display
00:47 in the way in which it was.
00:48 But also, it gave you a timeline of his entire career,
00:54 not only just as a musician, but also as a businessman,
00:57 as a mogul, too.
00:58 So I thought that was really, really dope.
01:00 For me, The Book of Hope, it kind of really stamped him
01:02 as the greatest rapper of all time.
01:04 There was a point in my life when I didn't feel that way.
01:07 But being the first rapper inducted to the Songwriters
01:10 Hall of Fame, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame,
01:13 and the business acumen like you were talking about,
01:15 you really can't deny him.
01:17 Another thing this year, entertainment-wise,
01:20 that I personally really love was the music.
01:23 It's been a lot of amazing music to be released this year.
01:27 But I think we'd be remiss if we didn't talk
01:29 about two things music-wise.
01:31 I think Usher, he really stamped everything
01:35 when he did his Las Vegas residency, which
01:37 just recently ended.
01:39 But also, I think the only other person
01:43 you can consider Usher's peer is Beyonce, in my opinion.
01:48 Her Renaissance album, I think it was so much more
01:51 than an album.
01:52 I think it was really kind of like a cultural touchpoint.
01:56 And I think Beyonce is really, really good at that,
01:58 because I feel the same way about self-titled.
02:01 You kind of remember where you were,
02:03 when it dropped, when it happened.
02:05 So Renaissance was such a big, big moment beyond the album.
02:09 I think the merchandise, I think the tour, the film,
02:12 I think she really, really created a moment that
02:15 will be in people's hearts for a really, really long time.
02:18 And I think her craftsmanship when
02:20 it comes to stage presence, everything she did
02:24 felt so, so intentional.
02:26 And I think that that showed up in the music as well, too.
02:29 Yeah, I think Usher was getting a lot of people
02:31 in trouble with his Vegas.
02:33 Absolutely, absolutely.
02:34 A few people.
02:35 What's cool about those two is they continue to reinvent
02:38 themselves from year to year.
02:40 And going on what you said about Beyonce,
02:42 just from Dangerously In Love to Lemonade to Renaissance,
02:47 her creativity really has no bounds.
02:49 And then going to the social media aspect, too,
02:52 when the tour was going on, it was like an event.
02:54 People wearing their black and their silver.
02:56 And they had the little mute challenge, too, and everything.
03:00 It was a big cultural thing.
03:02 And I just learned that Beyonce doesn't really
03:05 have her pulse on the culture.
03:07 She is the culture.
03:08 And she's been like that for a long time.
03:09 Going on creativity, I'm a big, big fan of Janelle Monáe.
03:14 I always have been.
03:15 She's eclectic.
03:17 She's a true artist, a true musician.
03:20 And she released her Age of Pleasure album,
03:23 which is here as well, too.
03:25 And I just loved everything from the rollout, from the album
03:28 itself to everything that happened after the album,
03:31 as well, too.
03:32 It kind of was a message to me on liberation
03:35 and not being a bystander.
03:37 Even if your career, your life, if you're a musician, whatever.
03:40 I just thought it was dope, too.
03:42 And I'm glad that she was nominated for a Grammy.
03:44 Grammy's as well.
03:46 Other people felt the same way that you and I did.
03:49 The next thing we have to talk about is films.
03:53 I think it's definitely been an interesting year for films
03:56 and the film industry.
03:58 I'm so happy to see more actors getting back
04:01 to work after the four-month-long SAG-AFTRA
04:04 strike.
04:05 I have to say, though, we've definitely
04:07 got some great entertainment this year.
04:10 What was something that you loved?
04:12 Well, for me, I think They Claw in Tyrone
04:14 was a really, really good movie.
04:16 I enjoy black films that have--
04:20 my grandfather used to say this statement,
04:23 you got to put the medicine in the candy.
04:24 I like those films that are funny,
04:26 but it has a message, too.
04:28 It's good to see Jamie Foxx and Tiana Parris and everything.
04:33 That was just a well-crafted film.
04:37 I thought it was funny.
04:39 I enjoyed the messaging in it.
04:40 And it's just dope how the theater industry has kind
04:43 of shifted from the actual theater to streaming now.
04:46 Because a lot of our favorite movies
04:49 are coming out on Netflix or coming out on Hulu
04:51 and everything.
04:53 So I just thought that was cool.
04:55 What do you think about the film?
04:56 I definitely have to agree with you.
04:58 I think it was definitely the perfect balance
05:01 and blend of both blackness and science fiction.
05:05 And I think if you remember the ending of the movie,
05:08 I would love to see a sequel or a prequel to the movie
05:11 if they were ever interested in doing that.
05:13 So They Claw in Tyrone was definitely
05:15 at the top of my list.
05:17 I think another film that was really, really good this year
05:21 was The Color Purple.
05:23 It's doing really, really good right now.
05:24 I know all of the stars of the film, producers,
05:28 they're kind of on their press run right now.
05:30 But I think personally of The Color Purple,
05:33 I'm super, super happy to see Fantasia
05:35 getting all of these flowers.
05:37 I think that's amazing for her.
05:38 She's more than deserving, for sure.
05:40 Yeah, and just with it being a Christmas film,
05:43 too, I think just with it being a franchise in itself
05:47 and it's coming out, too, I haven't really seen
05:50 a film in this long had the anticipation that it does
05:53 because people of my generation are looking forward to it.
05:56 People of my mother's generation are looking forward to it.
05:58 And then with, like you said, Fantasia, Danielle Brooks,
06:02 her is in it.
06:03 Tries to be Henson.
06:04 And then anything that Oprah does turns to gold, too.
06:06 So it's just her being attached to it, too.
06:10 I think that's amazing.
06:11 And just the musicality of it, I'm really looking forward to it.
06:15 And I think it's going to be a dope, dope Christmas film.
06:17 And I think the whole family could go and see it.
06:20 We talked about movies, right?
06:21 But I think in lieu of the strike,
06:23 we were definitely thirsting for different things to watch.
06:27 There weren't a whole lot of movies coming out,
06:28 no new TV shows.
06:30 We were all kind of sitting already waiting
06:32 for something new to come out.
06:33 So I think during that time, we really kind of filled
06:36 that gap with podcasts.
06:38 So what were some of the podcasts
06:40 that you enjoyed watching?
06:42 So for me, I'm actually more of a podcast fan than music
06:45 when it comes to when I'm working out.
06:47 Yeah, like when I work out, I like
06:50 to listen to podcasts because it really engages me
06:52 and everything.
06:52 I kind of get lost in the podcast
06:54 and retain the focus when I'm doing in the gym.
06:57 But of course, for me, the Scottie and Sylvia show,
07:01 that was an amazing treat for me, too.
07:04 And I felt like it was something that we all
07:06 needed, too, because we all love Scottie for her takes
07:09 and her cultural critiques and everything.
07:12 Sylvia, she's an essence OG.
07:13 She was the writer for us back in the day.
07:16 And she's just a well-respected journalist, too.
07:18 And they met at Essence Fest, too, a couple of years back,
07:21 too.
07:21 So when I got the press release for it, I just was super,
07:24 super excited.
07:25 And then with Issa Rae helming this, too,
07:30 I just think that she was able to recognize
07:33 the void that was left with their show
07:34 when they had it previously and brought
07:36 them this new and improved version.
07:38 I think 85 South is also by far one of the best podcasts
07:42 out right now, too.
07:44 I think beyond the laughs that I personally
07:46 get from watching it, there's kind of this air to 85 South
07:50 that kind of makes you feel like you're
07:52 listening in on a conversation with your uncles
07:54 or your older cousins.
07:57 And I also think them being able to take the show on tour
08:00 is a testament to how entertaining they are.
08:04 Lastly, we cannot end this without speaking
08:08 about performing arts.
08:10 I think, like I said, in light of the strike,
08:14 I think we still got a lot of really, really amazing stage
08:17 plays out this year.
08:19 And I think my personal favorite was Alicia Keys' "Hell's
08:23 Kitchen."
08:24 I got the opportunity to speak with her.
08:26 She was really, really amazing.
08:28 And what's so amazing about "Hell's Kitchen"
08:31 is that it's loosely based on Alicia's life.
08:34 But I think beyond that, it initially
08:36 made its debut in public theater.
08:39 But it was so good, and it was so sought after.
08:41 Like, all the shows are still sold out right now.
08:43 Oh, yeah.
08:44 No, they're--
08:44 Yeah, in the spring, they're actually making it to Broadway.
08:49 So that'll be really, really exciting.
08:50 So yeah, yeah, yeah.
08:51 But I know "The Wiz" was also something really, really good
08:54 to come out this year, too.
08:56 And "Oklah"-- I know that was produced in part
08:58 by Kendi Burruss and Todd Tucker.
09:00 Yes, yes.
09:01 And I think, too, with that, like, just with films, too,
09:06 sometimes revivals don't really work,
09:08 and remakes don't really work.
09:09 But I think "The Wiz" just has a formula that's, like,
09:12 tried and true.
09:13 You know, Diana Ross and Michael Jackson and--
09:16 Right.
09:18 --everybody that's just been attached to this franchise.
09:22 So, you know, from the amazing score,
09:24 the visuals of "Black Beauty."
09:25 I'm hoping that this revival reaches
09:27 the heights of, like, "Hamilton" and "The Lion King," too.
09:30 I think it deserves it.
09:32 And, you know, like, Deborah Cox, I love her.
09:34 And Michelle Betts, who plays Dorothy.
09:37 And Wayne Brady is going to be part of the 2024 production,
09:40 too.
09:41 Oh, wow.
09:42 Yeah.
09:43 What's really special about "The Wiz" is just this moment,
09:47 I think, that we're having of Black stage
09:50 plays being successful and Black productions being
09:53 successful, too.
09:54 So it's kind of adding to that zeitgeist of everything, too.
09:58 So that's why I'm really in support of it.
10:00 And I just love the story, too, because, you know,
10:02 "The Wiz of the Eyes" is just a timeless classic.
10:05 Seeing people that look like us on this particular stage play,
10:09 I think it exposes it to the younger generation, too,
10:12 so we can keep that legacy going.
10:14 Well, that was amazing.
10:15 That's all for us, SCs.
10:17 We want to say happy holidays to you, happy new year.
10:20 And we're super, super excited for all the new entertainment
10:23 things to come in 2024.
10:24 [MUSIC PLAYING]