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Damola Durosomo
Jan. 30, 2018 05:04PM EST

Last Night's 'Black Panther' Premiere Was Glorious and Black AF

Black 👏🏿 Royalty 👏🏿.

Last night was the official "purple carpet" premiere of Black Panther and it was an exceptionally regal—and black AF—affair.

The dress code for the night was "royal attire requested," and the dazzling cast, crew and star guests did not disappoint in the slightest. The purple carpet was brimming with melanin, vibrant hues, colorful jewels, intricate patterns, and all around flyness.

You can watch the premiere here, in case you missed it.

Check out some of the phenomenal, jaw-dropping looks from last night's Black Panther premiere below.

Our hearts cannot stop racing after seeing these pictures of Chadwick Boseman looking like a proud Wakandan King.

Can we just take a second to revel in the goodness that is Lupita Nyong'o in this Fulani-inspired hairstyle for a moment? Wow.

Danai Gurira was awe-inspiring in this polished pink look. The queen of our hearts, truly.

Daniel Kaluuya kept it impeccably smooth and traditional in a Ugandan Kanzu. Dreamy.


There are actually no words that can adequately describe how astounding Angela Basset looks in this yellow, beaded ensemble. Black royalty don't crack.

Michael Bae Jordan—aka Erik Killmonger—living up to his name, as usual in this tailored, double breasted suit.

It gets no cuter than T'Challa's sister Shuri, played by Letitia Wright, in this sheer ballroom gown.

Director, Ryan Coogler rocking Ikiré Jones was absolutely everything. Cheers to supporting African designers!

While we're still grappling with extreme FOMO over the fact that we couldn't be there in the flesh, we certainly appreciate the regalia of last night's event. We remain incredibly excited about the release of this film—February 16 cannot get here soon enough.

See more pictures of the stars, including David Oyelowo, Issa Rae, Donald Glover, Yara Shahidi, Janelle Monae and more below.



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Single cover. Still From YouTube.

Idris Elba Teams Up With Wiley, Sean Paul and Steflon Don on New Banger 'Boasty'

Yes, Idris Elba makes music too.

After it was announced earlier this month that Idris Elba is one of the many musical acts performing at Coachella this year, some folks on the internet were surprised to discover that the celebrated actor also makes music.

In fact, everyone's favorite zaddy DJ turned mega-actor, began his entertainment career as a pirate radio host. Elba reminds us that his music-making skills are still very much in tact on a banging new collaboration with British rapper Wiley "Boasty," which also features fellow British MC Steflon Don and Jamaican heavyweight Sean Paul.

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M.I Abaga 'A Study On Self Worth' album cover.

10 Albums That Prove Nigerian Rap Is Back On the Rise

Featuring Falz, M.I Abaga, Ice Prince, Poe, and more.

Until 2018, rap in Nigeria was all but dead. Lamba or party afropop blew up and became way more lucrative. There weren't too many rappers who were able to make commercial-yet-indigenous Nigerian rap music since the likes of MI Abaga and Ice Prince. More and more rappers were singing at the same time "Alte Cruise" was growing in Nigeria, trap was big in the US, grime was rediscovering itself in the UK and South Africa was at its most vital yet.

So what happened to Nigerian rappers? The big names were couched in the comfort of their pop status. The younger rappers were yet to find their voice and in these intervening years, lamba music just got bigger and bigger, and rap less lucrative. Whether planned or by coincidence, a slew of confident and well thought-out albums were released with the trend continuing in 2019.

Read on for our selection of the best new albums that prove Nigerian rap is back on the rise.

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Cassper Nyovest. Photo by Sabelo Mkhabela.

Op-Ed: Cassper Nyovest Says His Latest Album Is a Game Changer (It’s Not and Here's Why)

Sweet and Short is a great moment for South African hip-hop, but Cassper Nyovest is far from breaking any new ground sonically or culturally.

Sweet and Short, Cassper Nyovest's fourth album in as many years, sees the South African hip-hop superstar facing an existential crisis of sorts. He dubs his album a game changer, one that's revolutionizing South African hip-hop. Whether he does so or not is part of a larger question around his music, as an artist perpetually in between genres.

Whatever our evaluation of his musical output or the extent to which we measure his impact, what Sweet and Short highlights is how imperative music descriptors have become in Cassper's quest to stand out. This ironically devalues the very descriptors he employs in his attempt to do so. The problematizing that Cassper Nyovest (unintentionally) represents is not a new circumstance for two genres with a long love-hate relationship.

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