![Dave Chappelle’s Comedy of Bitterness](https://www.thenation.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/2021_MathieuBittonT1070179.jpg)
Dave Chappelle’s Comedy of Bitterness Dave Chappelle’s Comedy of Bitterness
In his recent special The Closer, and his response to critics of it, he outlines a strange version of identity politics where comedians are always the victims.
Nov 9, 2021 / 2021 Year in Review / Stephen Kearse
![Lil Nas X attends The 2021 Met Gala](https://www.thenation.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/GettyImages-1340129912.jpg)
All Eyes on Lil Nas X All Eyes on Lil Nas X
His debut album, Montero, is attuned to the spectacle of celebrity, but doesn’t cohere into compelling music.
Sep 28, 2021 / Books & the Arts / Stephen Kearse
![Barry Jenkins’s American Saga](https://www.thenation.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Kearse-Mbedu_img.jpg)
Barry Jenkins’s American Saga Barry Jenkins’s American Saga
In The Underground Railroad, Jenkins focuses how people survived slavery rather than on its brutality.
Jul 27, 2021 / Books & the Arts / Stephen Kearse
![The rap duo Armand Hammer.](https://www.thenation.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/ArmandHammer_Press2_AlexanderRichter.jpg)
Armand Hammer’s Guide Through History’s Underbelly Armand Hammer’s Guide Through History’s Underbelly
The New York rap duo’s searing songs shed light on outrages around the globe.
Apr 21, 2021 / Books & the Arts / Stephen Kearse
![Judas and the Black Messiah’s Stark Binaries](https://www.thenation.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Kearse-Kaluuya_img.jpg)
Judas and the Black Messiah’s Stark Binaries Judas and the Black Messiah’s Stark Binaries
A new biopic of Fred Hampton poses a question: Will a film ever capture the radical spirit of the Black Panthers?
Mar 18, 2021 / Books & the Arts / Stephen Kearse
![Playboi Carti in LA](https://www.thenation.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/GettyImages-1194087850.jpg)
Playboi Carti, Rap Iconoclast Playboi Carti, Rap Iconoclast
His recent album Whole Lotta Red boasts not just rockstar appeal but a sense of self-discovery and experimentation.
Mar 2, 2021 / Books & the Arts / Stephen Kearse
![The Worldmaking of N.K. Jemisin](https://www.thenation.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Ventura-jemisin-ftr_img.jpg)
The Worldmaking of N.K. Jemisin The Worldmaking of N.K. Jemisin
Through her speculative fiction, Jemisin builds worlds and probes them—exploring who they work for and how.
Jan 25, 2021 / 2021 Year in Review / Stephen Kearse
![The Legend of MF DOOM](https://www.thenation.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/GettyImages-119720843.jpg)
The Legend of MF DOOM The Legend of MF DOOM
On the legacy of a rap music auteur.
Jan 7, 2021 / Books & the Arts / Stephen Kearse
![Open Mike Eagle’s Songs of Redemption](https://www.thenation.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Kearse-Open_Mike_Eagle-R.Gardiner-ftr_img.jpg)
Open Mike Eagle’s Songs of Redemption Open Mike Eagle’s Songs of Redemption
His new album—Anime, Trauma and Divorce—uses rap as a vehicle for self-examination and restoration.
Dec 30, 2020 / Books & the Arts / Stephen Kearse
![The Looter Is the Most Misunderstood Figure in American Politics](https://www.thenation.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/AP_20223595835119.jpg)
The Looter Is the Most Misunderstood Figure in American Politics The Looter Is the Most Misunderstood Figure in American Politics
A conversation with Vicky Osterweil about misconceptions around the politics of looting and its radical tradition.
Sep 3, 2020 / Q&A / Stephen Kearse