This Weekend: Here’s What to Watch, Listen to & Experience
When it comes to content, it’s easy for us to stick to what we know or want that old thing back. But for a rare few, being a true content connoisseur is about being on top of what’s hot, what’s trending, and what’s next. Luckily, this new guide is everything for your music, film, TV, and live experience needs.
Each week, yours truly, Kevin L. Clark, will be your go-to advocate, spotlighting all those content cravings worth enjoying.
You’re now tuned into This Weekend, a weekly round-up for content culture lovers and those who love to avoid FOMO.
For Friday, Jan. 28, this week’s episode finds us with some freshly-discovered treasures for you, your family, and friends to get into + share with others. It contains a healthy dose of sonic vibes and, of course, something streaming that’s a feast for the eyes.
So bon appétit to all those true savants who are purveyors of content culture out there.
For Listeners Only:
It isn’t too late to put your money down on this year’s rap MVP, Denzel Curry, as his new arrival is proof that he’s a must-listen to talent. The 26-year-old shared, “Walkin’,” the lead single from Melt My Eyez See Your Future project, which is slated for release this first quarter. The sci-fi, The Harder They Fall-inspired video was directed by Adrian Villagomez and finds the “Zuu” force of nature easily poised to take over the game with his penchant for brash rhymes and a unique hip hop flow. He is one of the most dynamic and skilled voices in rap today, and with him looking to make a splash in 2022, eager listeners should strut alongside the Florida native playing “Walkin’” loudly.
Dreya Mac and FelixThe1st have an instant connection with listeners that most musicians spend most of their career trying to get. The viral stars first went digi-platinum with “Own Brand Freestyle,” which topped Spotify’s charts in the U.K., Australia, Canada, and placing in 62 other countries as well. With a clear gift at creating those vibes that you can’t forget, “Own Brand (Baddie)” is a reimagined track that spotlights just how cheeky this devastating narrative can be with the proper setting. Alongside Finch Fetti, these two artists have made an undeniable banger that will mash up good any speaker that you play this on.
Benny The Butcher has been an oft-talked about rap lord since making his Shady label debut, WWCD. Since then, his Tana Talk series, plus a personal favorite of mine — Pyrex Picasso — has placed him on the Artists to Watch lists for the new year. To double down on how much clout this MC is collecting, “Johnny P’s Caddy,” the first drop from Tana Talk 4, sees Buffalo’s favorite son collaborating with J. Cole, The Alchemist, and Daringer for this inescapably buzzy cut. Referencing the classic old school car owned by his father, “Johnny P’s Caddy” is an iron-sharpens-iron song where Hollywood Cole and The Butcher push each other to be the best on this must-not-miss trunk rattler.
By special request, one of my absolute favorites, Tank and the Bangas, have returned from their pandemic-ordered break from the road to share a new side to their N’Awlins-flavored sound. Tarriona Ball’s commanding vocal presence gets alchemized on “No ID,” a disco-influenced number that will appear on Red Balloon, which will also feature sounds by Wayne Brady, Lalah Hathaway, Trombone Shorty, Alex Isley, and more. On the song, Ball’s wise advice for boundary setting with a new love is ripe for others looking to get their spring fling on! Add this — and the album when it drops May 13 — to your rotation immediately.
Watch The Streams:
This weekend, if you’re stuck inside in the cold or ducking those time-wasters, The Afterparty is right up your alley. A high-concept murder-mystery comedy directed by Christopher Miller, Tiffany Haddish leads an all-star cast through an eight-episodic adventure that is told through a different character’s perspective.
Set at a high school reunion after-party where Xavier (Dave Franco) is discovered murder, each addition of The Afterparty will reveal whodunit filtered through a unique visual format and film genre that will match the teller’s personality. Those with upcoming reunions themselves should enjoy this one before the truth comes out about your own classmates.
Filmed around the time of the death of Joe Jackson, Janet.is set be one of the documentaries everyone will be talking about this weekend. Janet Jackson goes front and center to talk about her upbringing as part of the famed Jackson Family, her 2004 Super Bowl halftime fiasco with Justin Timberlake, the death of her brother Michael Jackson, becoming a mom, and addressing gossip, little-known-stories, and never-before-seen moments from her life. Make sure to record this one so you don’t miss out!
The other docu-series that people will be talking about on Black Twitter this weekend is W. Kamau Bell’s We Need to Talk About Cosby. We’ve already broke down five of the things you need to know before pressing play, but for those who don’t want spoilers — We Need to Talk About Cosby will peel back the “complex layers” that make up the comedic icon’s history-changing career, contrasted by the accused sexual predator claims that now define him. The depths that this four-part docu-series will take you on will be a jaw-dropping moment felt by all as we begin to kick off 2022.
Live at the Experience:
Conceived by poet, essayist, and MacArthur Fellowship recipient Hanif Abdurraqib, Brooklyn, New York will be blessed with a 2022 spring music concert series featuring an ebullient lineup of artists.
Feb. 25: Mdou Moctar with Bartees Strange
Mar. 11: Juice 30th anniversary screening with Ernest Dickerson & Keith Shocklee
Mar. 23: Dawn Richard’s Electro Revival
Mar. 30: Moses Sumney’s Blackalachia in Brooklyn with L’Rain
Apr. 2: Devonté Hynes: Selected Classical Works
May 19-21: Omar Offendum (a world premiere hip hop musical, Little Syria)
May 20: Mavis Staples with Amy Helm
May 22: Little Simz with Javon Jackson feat. Nikki Giovanni
Taking place at the world-famous Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM), Abdurraqib’s curated experience builds upon his expertise in prose, music, culture, and Black performance.
What this means is that for those who love visually dynamic, rich, and genre-defying experiences this moment is for you to enjoy with family, friends, and like-minded audiophiles.
Tickets are currently on sale for BAM Members, patrons, and the general public here.
Check back to BET.com and BET Digital for more weekly installments of This Weekend.
Kevin L. Clark is a screenwriter and entertainment director for BET Digital, who covers the intersection of music, film, pop culture, and social justice. Follow him on @KevitoClark.
