Jay Z among artists calling for end to rap lyrics used as evidence
Vocalists, rappers, and musicians have backed a proposal to remove a state law in New York that allows for lyrics to be used as evidence in criminal trials. We could finally be seeing a change to current laws surrounding lyrical content within songs, namely hip-hop and trap, as a...
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How Elizabeth Holmes pushed the limits of hustle culture
Once compared to Steve Jobs for her apparent breakthroughs in health technology, former entrepreneur Elizabeth Holmes is now a criminal fraud. Her conviction reflects Silicon Valley’s relentless hype culture, and could have implications far beyond just her sentencing. For many tech enthusiasts and business hopefuls, Silicon Valley is the...
KSI and Logan Paul announce new business venture ‘Prime’
YouTubers, boxers, and all-round celebrities KSI and Logan Paul have announced a new energy drink brand called ‘Prime’, further pushing the monetary boundaries of Gen Z self-made entrepreneurs. If you’d told the average YouTube fan in 2018 that KSI and Logan Paul would eventually go on to create their own...
How pop-punk’s revival reflects modern Gen Z angst
2021 saw the return of guitar-driven, pop-punk orientated chart music. Its resurgence and angst-ridden aesthetic make perfect sense given the precarious nature of modern, lockdown living. This year was an odd one for nearly all of us, live entertainment industry included. On-and-off lockdowns, gig cancellations, and temperamental touring rules meant...
Gen-Z mocks news misinformation with conspiracy theory satire
Promoting a far-fetched theory that birds are government spies, young people are poking fun at conspiracy theory groups to cope with living in an age of endless misinformation. A movement called Birds Aren’t Real is picking up serious traction with Generation Z, particularly in the United States. Its members claim...
Poet turns Malcolm X’s prison cell into ‘freedom library’
The prison cell that was occupied by the civil rights activist has been transformed into the first of 1,000 planned ‘freedom libraries’. Poet and lawyer Reginald Dwayne Betts is using his MacArthur ‘genius grant’, worth $625,000 (£471,000) to set up 1,000 micro-libraries in US prisons through his charity, Freedom Reads,...
Banksy pledges £10million to transform Reading prison
The prison was shut down in 2013 and plans to revamp the space have continuously fallen through. World renowned street artist Banksy is pledging money to transform it into a positive space for art and culture. What happens to prisons once they shut down indefinitely? In the case of England’s Reading Prison, the massive building became derelict, sitting empty for almost a decade. The Ministry of Justice put the prison up...
Earth’s Black Box will record climate research for future beings
Located in Tasmania, the Black Box - similar to mechanisms found on planes - will outlive humankind and hold all the information we’ve gathered about climate change. Getting real about climate change means accepting that a global failure to meet net zero goals could mean the end of our current civilisation - but that doesn’t mean there won’t be survivors or other intelligent beings inhabiting our world shortly after. Failing to...
Tate’s new exhibition points to its own sordid past
‘Life Between Islands: Caribbean-British Art 1950s - Now’ is the latest Tate exhibition to explore the works of renowned British artists such as Sonia Boyce, Claudette Johnson, and Steve McQueen. But housed in a bastion of colonial history, will these displays of Black artistic excellence ever force Britain’s cultural institutions to face up to their pasts? David A Bailey, curator, artist, and member of the British Black Arts Movement...
Doja Cat partners with Girls Who Code to create ‘codable music video’
Created to introduce Gen Zers to coding, Doja Cat has partnered with Girls Who Code to create an interactive video experience that incorporates java script, python, and CSS. Ever wanted to get into coding but don’t know where to start? Are you also a fan of Doja Cat? Prepare to have your mind blown. Non-profit organisation Girls Who Code has partnered with Doja Cat to release what it calls the...
