Look at Us: A Black Entertainment Podcast

It's that time again! We're looking back at some of the best movies, series and albums that Black creatives had to offer this year - any some not so great things...but at the end of the day we're ALWAYS rooting for everyone Black. Happy New Year!

Don't forget to like, subscribe, rate, and review - we read every single one. And, standby for Season 3 - coming in 2024!

There are a few moments in the history of the world that you HAD to be there. There was The Last Supper, the first man stepping on the moon, and Beyoncé's Renaissance Tour. In this episode, Whitney and Brandon break down the concert event of the year, from the fashion to the songs.

If you haven't attended, this is still a safe episode for you to get a sneak peek into what's to come.

If you liked this episode (and this podcast!) please leave us a review - we want to hear from you! Also, don't forget to subscribe. Want to keep in touch? You can find us on Instagram @lookatuspod

We've said it once and we'll say it again - we are in a Black entertainment renaissance. There are so many great Black filmmakers out there, some you know and some you may not have heard of. In this episode, we discuss some of the best Black Filmmakers and what makes them great...in our opinion. This week, we're joined by podcast host and tech executive, Justin Adu. More on him below. Don't forget: like, comment, share, subscribe and leave us a review - we read every single one!

ABOUT ADU:

Adu currently lives in the Bay Area where he is the Global Head of Social Media for Logitech and formerly led social efforts at Google. Prior to Google, Adu led social media efforts at THX Ltd. (founded by George Lucas) where he built their social presence from the ground up and worked on social media campaigns for Creed, A Star Is Born, Jurassic World, Uncle Drew and Aladdin. His social media campaigns have also driven brand awareness efforts for General Motors, NBA, PepsiCo, Dallas Cowboys, Spotify, AT&T, CNN, and several other organizations and Fortune 500 companies. 

Adu has been recognized by local and national pr, marketing and advertising outlets including Saint Heron (Founded by Solange Knowles), BET, CNN, American Advertising Federation, HuffPost, AdAge, Blavity and Adweek, receiving such recognitions as Adweek’s feature, “100 People Who Make Advertising Great,” and ADCOLOR "Rising Star Honoree". He credits his career versatility to hard work and a calling to change the world with innovative ideas “Through my artistry, I aspire to challenge my team to think outside the box and I hope to inspire everyone around the world to push the boundaries of their creativity,” Adu said.

In 2016, Adu self-published his first book, “Don’t Insert Title Here: The Guide Towards Creative Freedom and Success.” his second book in 2018, “The Threat of Creative Annihilation.” and his most recent book in 2022 “Work In Progress: To Be Grown, Black & Creative”

In his spear time Adu teaches social media classes at Miami Ad School, host his podcast “A Dose of Black Joy & Caffeine” which is in it's 6th season (With over 100 episodes) and goes back and forth with Jane Lynch on “The Weakest Link” an NBC game show that he was recently a contestant on.

Welcome to another episode of Look at Us, the podcast where we're rooting for everybody Black in entertainment. This week, we're talking about the new Netflix film, They Cloned Tyrone. It's "A pulpy, sci-fi mystery caper in which an unlikely trio investigates a series of eerie events, alerting them to a nefarious conspiracy lurking directly beneath their town." Starring Jamie Foxx, John Boyega, and Teyonah Parris, also written and directed by newcomer Juel Taylor. Honestly, it could be the first time that Netflix has gotten it right in a LONG time. Let's talk about it.

After you listen, head over to IG and let us know your thoughts at @lookatuspod. And don't forget to like, follow, rate and review!

We're only human!!! In this week's episode Brandon and Whitney count down some of today's sexiest action stars and discuss...what does action really mean / why aren't there a ton of Black action stars to choose from?

Make sure you like, share, rate and review and don't forget to follow us on Instagram: @lookatuspod

Miles Morales is FINALLY BACK and guess what? It was worth the wait. We loved Into the Spider-Verse, but that was 2018 - does the franchise still have hope after a six year wait? We also spend some time giving Spider-Woman herself some much deserved flowers, please step to the front Issa Rae.

Don't forget to like, share, rate and review!

ABOUT LOOK AT US:

We're a Black Entertainment podcast. Whether it's movies, music, theater, books - if it was created by or mostly centering Black people, we want to talk about it. Follow us on IG: @lookatuspod

Have you ever looked at a celebrity backed product and thought, "now why would they do this" or have you ever looked at a product and thought "this makes sense"? THIS IS THE EPISODE FOR YOU. We are looking at at all the incredible and not so incredible products brought to us by some of our Black entertainers in this week's episode with our favorite side hustle queen, Jamie Wheeler. More on Jamie below!

Don't forget to like, subscribe, rate and review - you know the drill!

ABOUT JAMIE:
Hailing from Evanston, IL, Jamie is a TV & Film Production manager who has made many pivots in her personal & professional life. Starting in sales after a stint in cosmetology school and a 6-month long European hiatus, she moonlighted as a brand ambassador, working with brands such as Nike, Jordan, Live Nation, and many more. Working her way up through the ranks, her talents landed her a production manager position within a global production firm, who produced shows like 'So you think you can dance' and managed the fan-favorite boy band, New Kids On The Block. Well traveled and a desire for more opportunity, during the height of the pandemic, she moved to Los Angeles to pursue her dreams of working in tinsel town entertainment. After a few contract gigs, she was approached for a role at a production company working with Disney, where she leads a team of managers to work on content like 'The Bear' and Avatar. Aside from an undying love affair with entertainment & culture, Jamie loves experiencing nature and eating her way through Los Angeles. Jamie also has a sunglasses brand, you can learn more and purchase here: https://saraphin.com/

After 6 seasons, Snowfall is considered one of the best dramas of this generation. It was John Singleton's last project, it launched the career of the VERY fine (and talented) Damson Idris and it has a legion of super fans. So, for this very special episode we brought on TWO experts to break it down for us - every single season, especially since we never watched until about a week ago (welp). Learn more about our guests below.

What did you think of Snowfall, hit us up on IG - @lookatuspod. Don't forget to like, rate, share and leave us a review - we read each one!

ABOUT DAVID ROBINSON (aka DISCO)

David Robinson, a self-proclaimed '90s black entertainment guru who's passionate about all things TV. Born and raised in Chicago, David's TV journey began with Saturday morning cartoons and gradually progressed to sitcoms and suspense shows. Today, he admits to being a bit sidelined by trashy dating shows but always finds time to keep up with his favorite sports games on his phone.

David's TV taste is diverse, ranging from comedy and suspense to game shows. On some days, he'll tell you that Game of Thrones is his all-time favorite, but most days he swears by The Wire as the absolute best television show ever created.

When it comes to black movie quotes, David's friends and family consider him an expert. He can recite even the most obscure lines from classic black movies and always seems to have the perfect quote for any occasion. If you're lucky enough to catch him in the right mood, he might even reenact a scene with you. But be warned, if you can't keep up with his encyclopedic knowledge, he might get a little annoyed.

When David's not watching TV, he's either educating young minds or making savvy real estate investments. In his free time, he enjoys chasing sunsets around the world with his drone. However he’s a creative who doesn’t share his creative.

 Fun fact: David has seen every single season of MTV’s The Challenge. Yes, all 38 seasons. 

ABOUT HAPPY GAMBOA

Happy is a Brooklyn native and self proclaimed pop culture guru. As a New Yorker, Happy always has an opinion or POV that is blunt, forward and ridiculous. Being an only child, Happy’s sibling was a television set and growing up, was a big fan of sitcoms such as A Different World, Living Single and Martin. Once Happy got  HBO (through a “hot box”), she got introduced to amazing tv series such as sex and the city, the wire, oz and that’s only to name a few and still goes to HBO for top tier television. 

With very little representation of Latin people on tv, Happy would always seek tv and movies that told the stories she could relate to and of course that meant anything NYC related. Her love for Spike Lee movies exemplifies this as his movies always feels like a love letter to Brooklyn and NYC. Bonus, people tell Happy ALL the time that she reminds them of Rosie Perez which is the ultimate compliment for this Brooklyn girl. She has been asked to say Mookie numerous times(smh lol)With the new millennium, Happy tuned in shows like Jane the Virgin, Ugly Betty, Orange is the New Black, On My Block, and MAYANS which finally had some Brown people on tv!  Happy’s tv taste is a wide variety of comedy, acclaimed drama, reality tv(she loves a good Bravo messy show), soap opera like drama, and loves how tv is incorporated in everyday pop culture thanks to social media. 

What is a movie without a great soundtrack? The music can make a terrible movie tolerable, it can take a scene to a whole new level and when the soundtrack eats just as hard as the movie??? MAGIC. This week, we're discussing the best Black movie soundtracks of all time with writer and former music journalist, Marisa Mendez. Read her full bio below. WARNING: this episode features Whitney attempting to sing.

We want to hear from you, which soundtrack had you in a chokehold? DM us (and follow!) on Instagram: @lookatuspod

Did you love this week's episode? Don't forget to Like, Rate and Review - and subscribe so you never miss any episode. We love y'all forreal!

ABOUT MARISA:

Marisa Mendez is a journalist, personality and author who has built her reputation around all things digital, working for some of the biggest names in entertainment and hip-hop. Following a college internship answering phones for Funk Flex at iconic radio station Hot 97 in 2009, a chance run- in with Flex a year later granted her the opportunity to help launch and write for his new blog, InFlexWeTrust.com. As she helped grow IFWT to one of the most successful hip-hop sites of its time over the course of seven years, Marisa was also tapped to help launch and write for Angie Martinez’s blog and later, Ebro Darden’s blog.

With a passion to give talent a platform and a knack to call an artist’s career early (which Darden has often publicly noted), Marisa began interviewing artists for the various sites, which eventually granted her the opportunity to join Hot 97’s Ebro in the Morning show as a personality in 2015. Simultaneously, she was commissioned by longtime friend Joe Budden to be the co-host of his new podcast, then-named I’ll Name This Podcast Later (now The Joe Budden Podcast.) After a year and a half of success with Joe, the pair publicly fell out, leading Marisa to launch her own podcast, Marisa Explains It All. The show hit number one on iTunes' Music Podcasts chart after just two episodes, and in its four year tenure, MEIA guests have included Amber Rose, Grammy-nominated rapper Guapdad 4000, model India Love and many more.

In early 2017, Marisa boldly decided to leave Hot 97 and venture to Los Angeles to see what career opportunities were out west. Almost immediately, she found success as a host on Diddy’s television channel, REVOLT. That same year, she became a published author for the first time, co-authoring chef duo Trap Kitchen’s cookbook, Trap Kitchen: Bangin’ Recipes from Compton. The book was named as one of TimeOut Magazine’s “Best of Los Angeles Cookbooks” for their 2018 year-end list. In 2020, Marisa penned actor Columbus Short’s autobiography, Short Stories. Since helping contribute to award-winning music website AllHipHop.com in her college days to present time, Marisa has interviewed the likes of Nicki Minaj, Cardi B, French Montana, Ty Dolla $ign, Machine Gun Kelly and many more in both print and on-camera. Now in 2023, Marisa has made the transition to film where she is shadowing director and writer, Thembi Banks. Together they worked on the 2023 Sundance film Young.Wild.Free, and are now in production on a Hulu pilot, 1266.

For more info:

Twitter: @MarisaMendez

Instagram: @MarisaMendez

Who's your favorite artist? In this week's episode, we discuss the new Amazon Prime series Swarm, a satirical comedy horror thriller television series created by Janine Nabers and Donald Glover. The series follows Dre (Dominique Fishback), a young woman whose obsession with a pop star takes a dark turn.

Also, we're giving roses to the one and only: Solange

Don't forget to rate, like, review AND follow us on Instagram @lookatuspod.

New episodes every other Thursday!

Have you ever watched a movie and thought...how did they get this actor to do THIS? We have too. In this episode we're discussing some of the worst movies and the Black actors that deserved better. This week we're joined by the hilarious Chantal Rochelle, read her full bio below. Don't forget to like, subscribe, rate and REVIEW. We read each one!

About Chantal:

Chantal Rochelle is a creative producer, director, on air host and social media maven obsessed with digital storytelling and pushing the culture forward. Chantal is currently working on her first children's book set to publish in 2024. She's also working on a few projects in the digital video space. Need a dynamic creative who can help bring your concept to life? Chantal's your girl. Chantal is an on air commentator that has hosted for several shows including: BuzzFeed New’s hit Twitter morning show AMtoDM, AOL’s BUILD Series, People TV,  MTV News, BOLD TV and more. She is a  Shorty Award Finalist, Webby Award Nominee and has been listed on the distinguished Forbes 30 Under 30 List for 2021. Her videos, stories & interviews have been featured in Entertainment Weekly, MTV, Essence, Vibe and Complex. Whether it’s making people laugh and spreading joy, providing a platform for others to grow, or leading important initiatives; Chantal's mission is to use her voice & platform to create authentic spaces for people to feel seen, heard and celebrated.

Season 2 has arrived!!! In our Season 2 premiere, we catch up on the films, series and albums that we've been loving...and hating recently. AND! This season we're bringing on guests. For our premiere, we brought on long-time friend, Nikeva Stapleton. Read her full bio below and don't forget to like, share, rate, review - all the things! Also, you can find us on IG at @lookatuspod. 

ABOUT NIKEVA:

A modern day renaissance woman, Nikeva is an actor, dancer, model, fitness instructor, and teaching artist, currently residing in Los Angeles. Her multifaceted career began at a young age, training as a dancer and athlete. Her dedication and skill landed her at the renowned Alvin Ailey School/Fordham University BFA Program in NYC. Upon graduation, she began her journey as a professional dancer, which led her across many stages for both live and televised events. She has performed with several artists, including Beyoncé, Jennifer Lopez, and the late David Bowie. While leading an on-camera career as a dancer, Nikeva desired to expand her artistry with a pursuit in acting. She is currently an ensemble member of Hulu’s sketch comedy Sherman’s Showcase, and has been featured in Spike Lee’s Chiraq, BlacKKKlansman, and Netflix series She's Gotta Have It. She has also had roles on BET's American Soul, Marlon Wayans' film Naked, and NBC's sitcom Marlon. In addition to her performing arts career, Nikeva is a fitness, fashion, and commercial model represented by Wilhelmina. She has modeled in campaigns for companies such as Balenciaga, Athleta, Nike, Adidas, Fila, M.A.C, and more. As a movement enthusiast and former athlete, Nikeva shares her knowledge as a fitness instructor on various online platforms. In 2023, she launched her physical wellness brand, The Intuit Body, which offers private and group training sessions catered to client needs. Passionate about her West Indian roots, she is a teaching artist for the Art Saves Lives Foundation in St. Maarten. This educational outreach program allows her to fulfill her quest to encourage young people to dream bigger and believe in the power of dedication and diligence. As an influencer both on and off camera, Nikeva strives to lead her students, clients, and audiences worldwide with passion, transparency, and generosity.

This year was rocky. There were wars, civil liberties were stripped away, layoffs, slaps, terrible wigs - you name it, it happened. But, we did have some pretty good entertainment. With this episode, we're looking back at our favorites...and a few of the ones they could've kept. PS - We'll see you VERY soon for season 2, stay tuned! 

Have a series, movie or album you want us to talk about?  DM (and follow!) us on Instagram: @lookatuspod

Don't forget to like and subscribe, we love you forreal! 

M-I-crooked letter-crooked letter....  in our Season 1 finale, we're discussing THEE P-Valley. From Uncle Clifford to Miss Cedes, this series is living in our hearts rent free.

Have a series, movie or album you want us to talk about?  DM (and follow!) us on Instagram: @lookatuspod

All reality TV is chaos. But which ones are chaotic evil and which ones are chaotic good? We get into that and so much more in this thematic episode.

Have a series, movie or album you want us to talk about?  DM (and follow!) us on Instagram: @lookatuspod

The QUEEN is back. With Renaissance we're getting disco, ballroom, shake your ass bounce and so much more. But, was it worth the wait? Also, in this week's episode, we pay homage to one of the greatest TV series in Black history for its 30th anniversary: MARTIN.

Have a series, movie or album you want us to talk about?  DM (and follow!) us on Instagram: @lookatuspod

Has Jordan Peele done it again? Let's just say Whitney and Brandon have two very different opinions on this one.

Have a series, movie or album you want us to talk about?  DM (and follow!) us on Instagram: @lookatuspod

Have you ever watched a movie or series and couldn't concentrate on the plot because the wig was so bad? This thematic episode is for YOU. Stylists (you know who you are), let this episode serve as an intervention.

Have a series, movie or album you want us to talk about?  DM (and follow!) us on Instagram: @lookatuspod

Give Robin Thede her things. End of story. Speaking of queens, we're giving flowers to the original one.

Have a series, movie or album you want us to talk about?  DM (and follow!) us on Instagram: @lookatuspod

What's good, bruv? Top Boy, innit! Is Drake's favorite series worth a watch? Let's talk about it. Also, this week we pay homage to Black entertainment's first family.

Have a series, movie or album you want us to talk about?  DM (and follow!) us on Instagram: @lookatuspod

He's finally back! But, what do we really think of Kendrick Lamar's newest album, Mr Morale & The Big Steppers?   

Have a series, movie or album you want us to talk about?  DM (and follow!) us on Instagram: @lookatuspod

Happy Pride! We're spending this episode ranking our favorite Black queer characters in TV and Film.

Have a series, movie or album you want us to talk about?  DM (and follow!) us on Instagram: @lookatuspod

Drake's 7th studio album has dropped and there are OPINIONS. We're pulling over for a special episode just to discuss Honestly, Nevermind. As always, we want to hear from you: Let us know what you thought about the album (we know you have thoughts) on Instagram @lookatuspod.

Donald Glover can do no wrong...or can he? We're getting into the incredible Atlanta this week. Also, this month marks the 20th anniversary of The Wire, but what legacy has the series left behind?

Have a series, movie or album you want us to talk about?  DM (and follow!) us on Instagram: @lookatuspod

A psychological horror set at a prestigious New England university starring the incomparable Regina Hall. This week we're talking about The Master (2022). Which was....something.   Have a series, movie or album you want us to talk about?  DM (and follow!) us on Instagram: @lookatuspod

School's in session! This week we're breaking down Quinta Brunson's Abbott Elementary and tossing it back to the original MCU: Moesha Cinematic Universe.


Have a series, movie or album you want us to talk about?  DM (and follow!) us on IG: @lookatuspod

Welcome to the pod! Check back Thursdays for all new episodes, subscribe now so you'll never miss an episode.