Eryk Moore

From the living rooms of America to the streets of Los Angeles, from historically Black college campuses to the birth of hip-hop culture, Black television has helped shape how we see ourselves, how others see us, and how entire generations understand the world around them. It is great to see strong black T.V. back at the forefront. Television has always been more than entertainment. It is a reflection of the society that creates it, a storyteller that helps shape our collective memory, and a...

On September 24, 1991, A Tribe Called Quest released The Low End Theory, an album that would become one of the defining records of Hip-Hop’s golden era. Thirty-five years later, its influence can still be heard in the way artists approach beats, bass, jazz, sampling, storytelling, and the simple power of letting the music breathe. As a child I was allowed to watch "Yo! MTV Raps," and I always found Tribe so versatile and original. Tribe taught me that you could be you without compromise,...

Every now and then, I push through my dreadfully awkward bubble and allow life to surprise me and awaken me. As I’ve gotten older, I find myself becoming more cynical, caught in a growing tug-of-war with bitterness that tries my soul daily. I am an avid over thinker, and as I’ve aged, it feels harder and harder to put myself back together. I tell you these things upfront because I used to be an incurable optimist. And although I sometimes try to fight through the bullshit and hug my inner...