Sunday is the 88th annual Academy Awards, and much like last year and countless years prior, persons of color are glaringly underrepresented among the nominations. Despite achievements in film and TV, ranging from Ryan Coogler and Michael B. Jordan‘s work in Creed, to the biopic that gripped the nation, Straight Outta Compton, not a single Black actor was nominated for one of Sunday’s prestigious Oscars, a dangerous trend that, unfortunately, mirrors a lack of acknowledgement taking place in several other areas of our society.
Taking a bold stand in the current Oscars debate, The Source’s cover story Hip Hop & Hollywood (sub-titled “Real Recognizes Reel”) delves into how the Academy have been embarrassed to take small steps in the wake of the backlash to the Oscar nominee whiteout, but is it too little, too late, and too unlikely to sway the Oscar members who vote?
With a powerful and provocative cover image and a feature titled “Time For Some Action,” in the spirit of Hip Hop and honoring those films inspired by the mainstream Hip Hop community, The Source announces its picks for the nods missing from 2016’s Academy Award nominations.
The Source publisher and famed attorney L. Londell McMillan adds that the cover spread “recognizes Hip Hop’s great year in Hollywood and continues the brand’s tradition of using the platform to reflect the important issues of our time.”
Our Academy Awards statement is the alternate cover for our Culture, Sports and Women in Hip Hop issue. The first was a stoic Yo Gotti, who just released his new album, The Art of Hustle, on Friday.
In this issue we also dive into the latest news from the ongoing Freddie Gray trials in Baltimore and Hip Hop’s growing influence on the small screen, as networks continue to pounce on opportunities to broadcast content influenced heavily by our culture. The Panthers couldn’t beat Denver, but Cam Newton, Steph Curry and more join our cast of new sports legends, while our Mindsquad put together a brief guide to the biggest music releases of the year. Not a Broncos fan? No worries, Denver’s got another big draw: marijuana. Check out our “Green Rush” feature before you dive into exclusive interviews with R&B renaissance man B.J. The Chicago Kid and tenured actress and Hip Hop enthusiast Debi Mazar.
The Source is on newsstands nationwide and internationally today (Thursday, February 25).
