Get this album: Noname Gypsy's Telefone.
THE READING LIST
The Madman by Kahlil Gibran: I first heard of Kahlil Gibran from my dad. For years he recommended the work and I kept putting it off until a colleague offered me his copy. The book is about madness, explored through a character called The Madman, whose isolation from society allows him to see things differently. He rejects the outward as superficial and focuses on his spiritual being, which is why those around him call him mad. Gibran writes with depth, making the reader work to reap the essence of the story through every paragraph. For this reason, his messages are like throwing arrows in the dark but with good aim. The rebellion is there, though, and I’m here for it. I don’t know, get the book and see. (ZH)
The Blessed Girl by Angela Makholwa: After meeting a full throttle Blessed Woman in real life recently, I was pretty traumatised for about a week after she told me her philosophy on dealing with men, whom she referred to as “four-legged animals”. Yikes! But I’m intrigued. Luckily we have a copy in the office of a book that explores this subject a little further. I haven’t read it yet but it’s going into my holiday suitcase as a post-Christmas dinner read. (MB)
THE PLAY LIST
Telefone by Noname Gypsy: I don’t think I have to say anything. Noname is perfect. You should all have this album and jam with her. In the end, you’ll feel like her best friend. K bye. (ZH)
4:44 by Jay Z: It’s actually better that I showed up late to this party. Sitting on new music and listening to this album without the hype, watching interviews that he’s done and watching Jay Z’s evolution through the incredible music videos has allowed me to experience the true beauty of this body of work. To say it has grown on me is an understatement. In the midst of the fall of patriarchy in Hollywood, the timing for the vulnerability of this album is serendipitous. All the music videos are works of art but the video for Moonlight is in a league of its own. (MB)
Big Mouth and She’s Gotta Have It on Netflix: I was sick over the weekend and bedridden for a day. Between reading and writing, I put my free trial for Netflix to good use. I watched three episodes of the new She’s Gotta Have It and, although it’s watchable and I fux with Spike Lee forever, I’m not an unalloyed fan of the new show. There’s something dated about it. My colleague says I should watch it until the end, so I’ll give it another go. Meanwhile, Big Mouth, a charming new animated series about a group of prepubescents going through “changes”, is slowly stealing my heart. Voiced by the hilarious Jessi Klein, Maya Rudolph and even a special appearance by Kristen Wiig (and a whole bunch of dudes), I think it’s a pretty solid first season. (MB)
The Lists were compiled by Friday editor Milisuthando Bongela, and intern Zaza Hlalethwa