Top 5: Nicole Roy
Nicole Roy’s Five “For the Culture” Moments
If watching Beyoncé headline Coachella made you want to leap through your computer screen or vibing to Nas’ classical rendition of Illmatic made you feel like “The World Is Yours,” this is probably the Top 5 you’ve been waiting for.
When asked to share her own personal Top 5 list, Client Management Director Nicole Roy had many options, ranging from favorite brunch spots to memorable Southern belle moments in Chicago. But once she got to writing her five favorite “For The Culture” moments, it was too good to pass up. Check out Nicole’s picks below.
1. Kendrick Lamar’s Pulitzer Prize: Never has a non-classical or jazz album been awarded a Pulitzer Prize for music…until now! Kendrick Lamar can add Pulitzer Prize winner to his growing award repertoire as his latest work, DAMN, recently won the prestigious honor. The album provides an unapologetic perspective of the modern day African-American experiences by taking listeners through a roller coaster of pure, raw emotions from revolutionary to celebratory.
2. Beyoncé’s Coachella Performance: Have you ever experienced a Historically Black College or University (HBCU) homecoming tailgate, embraced the National Black Anthem, milly-rocked to Southern hip-hop and praised Sunday church worship all in one setting? Beyoncé two-hour, mind-blown, wig-snatched Coachella performance was a spicy gumbo blend of Black culture that cemented her place in music history while being the first Black woman to headline the annual pilgrimage to the California desert. Coachella will never be the same. You can call it “Beychella” from here on out!
3. Nas on PBS: The Queensbridge, New York rapper performed his iconic, debut Illmatic, accompanied with the National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center, which was nationally-televised on PBS. Hip-Hop went from an unaccepted musical format to a genre that’s breaking socio-economic, cultural barriers. Released over twenty years ago, Illmatic was an instant classic that no one would have envisioned its cultural impact back then and now for one of the best rappers of our time to take his work of art and collaborate with a world-acclaimed orchestra. EPIC! The performance was figuratively a “Momma I Made It” moment.
4. Black Panther: The anticipation build-up for Black Panther before its official release was paralyzing. The African and African-American cultural nuances intertwined beautifully throughout the movie providing an authentic, optimistic and much-needed perspective of Black culture. Black Panther continues to break not only U.S. box office records but records across the globe. #WakandaForever
5. Official Michelle Obama Portrait: Two-year old Parker Curry’s reaction to seeing the official portrait of Michelle Obama at the National Portrait Gallery went viral, was exactly how we all felt when the portrait was revealed. Painted by Clark-Atlanta University Alum, Amy Sherald, (Go CAU! — shameless plug), this instant masterpiece did not follow the traditional setting of First Lady portraits but left us all awe-struck on the unconventional style, simplicity and complex grace of the first Black “First Lady of the United States.” Parker thought Michelle Obama was a queen. Yes, Parker, she is a Queen! Our Queen!
