(You know, you uh, you make me feel so good inside… I’ve always wanted a girl just like you, such a P.Y.T., Pretty Young Thing – Oooh!) Where Did You Come From Lady And Ooh Won’t You Take Me There Right Away Won’t You Baby Tender roni You’ve Got To Be Spark My Nature […]
Every Ramadan, I pick up my Qu’ran and read it from cover to cover. And every February, I pick up my original copy of The Autobiography of Malcolm X and read that from cover to cover. As I’ve noted before in this space, it’s the single book that has had the most profound effect […]
I’ve found myself humbled to tears recently. And it didn’t have jack to do with my film or anything of that nature. Like many others, the disaster in Haiti touched a nerve for me. I’ve talked with others about it, I’ve blogged about it. And on MLK Day I put my money where my mouth […]
One of my earliest memories as a sports fan was turning to the news and literally watching the Kings leave town on their way to Sacramento. I had my Chiefs and Royals, but I was an NBA free agent. Like so many other black folks of the early 80s though, it didn’t take long […]
Going back to my hometown and seeing old friends, I naturally took my fair share of jokes for being ‘Hollywood’ from my Circle. I was already outside the norm as a Midwestern kid to begin with, my adopted hometown has really brought out the best in me in terms of inspiring me creatively, giving my […]
Invictus tells the story of the 1995 South African rugby team. Hyped up by the newly elected president of South Africa Nelson Mandela, the rugby team goes on a great run in the 1995 World Cup. (I won’t ruin it for you if they won or loss; rugby is not my forte so the […]
Tonight I was able to start my tour of catching up with old friends in the hometown, which translated into my first real drive through Kansas City. Outside of my non-stop bitching and moaning about the snow and freezing weather (and that will continue), a lot has changed since my time growing up here. Like […]
Not long ago, I went to the movies with a friend I don’t see very often. I told her I was going back to my hometown for the holidays, so she asked me about growing up in Kansas, and what I was like before I was ‘Malik Aziz’ (literally and figuratively). I’m only being slightly […]
5. Changing Gears While I certainly doubt I’ve hung up my director’s hat forever, my time as an ‘indie film director’ has come to an end (on a high note at that – #7). My feel for the craft is on point, but now that putting money away for my future is my number […]
Looking back on it, the past 12 months have been a benchmark year for me, personally and professionally. We’ll see how this new decade plays out, but at the moment this feels like the year where all the various ‘instruments’ that are playing the soundtrack of my life are starting to all play the same […]
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