The Ellison

Skydiving! Land Rover Off-Roading! Navy SEAL Maneuvers!… In Aruba?!?

Deep Blue Sea… Navy SEAL-style! (Photo courtesy of Aruba SeaBob)

YUP! I couldn’t believe it either. I mean, who knew there was more to the Caribbean than exotic women, azure blue water, and premium rum? The aforementioned factors are pretty much the same on every island in the West Indies anyway, right? (Except for Barbados. No other isle boasts prettier girls, clearer seas, or smoother native…

The Ellison Sits Down With The Black Ink Crew

The Black Ink Crew is all about their business, and the proof is in a recent sit down interview with Joel Randell. Black Ink’s owner, Caesar, and artist O’Sh*t, discussed their upbringing and how they got into the tattooing business. Caesar said he understood his mother’s vision when she pushed him to attend art school, and realized he wasn’t as disciplined as he should been. O’Sh*t said he was…

#FromtheRough – Celebrating #EbonyHeroes

  In 1988, Dr. Catana Starks became coach of the Tennessee State Tigers men’s golf team; this effort made her the first Black woman to coach a men’s college athletic team. When I first heard this remarkable story in 2004, I was driven to make a film to celebrate this unheralded accomplishment. That film is called From the Rough, which opens in 200 theaters nationwide on April 25th, 2014.

From the…

Black Male Stereotypes Broken Through “Suits & Ties” Music Video

Stereotypes exist because there are a lot of people that want to believe “one size shall fit all”. Of course, we would all believe that the majority of Black people love chicken and watermelon. Then again, we would want to believe that all Black people listen to rap music while molly is popped to tunes by Trinidad James. Still, stereotypes bring a safe way of thinking. In the end, stereotyping is…

Apple Knows Consumers Want Larger iPhone 6

That headline probably isn’t a huge surprise. Apple fans may want to pretend that it doesn’t need to chase Android down the “phablet” hole. What they may not know is Apple is and has been well aware of the trend since 2012.

In a presentation uncovered during the Apple-Samsung court wars, Apple displayed two slides that showed the only two areas were it could grow in the smartphone market were if…

Staying Fit This Spring

As the deep freeze finally comes to an end, everyone is ready to come out of hibernation.  Let the outdoor activities begin.  Lots of patio dining, drinking, festivals, vacations, and long travels are in sight.  Goodbye stuffy smelly gym.  Although these are all great and much needed, they could mean huge setbacks to your fitness goals.  A 2 week vacation can erase all the hard work you put into…

Is Falcon a Sneakerhead?

If you blink you probably missed it. I saw the Winter Soldier and I couldn’t believe my eyes when I thought Sam Wilson was wearing a pair of Air Max 95′s. [No spoilers]

I don’t profess to be the biggest sneakerhead myself but in this behind-the-scenes look it appears that Anthony Mackie is rockin a pair of notable Air Max’s.  The 95′s were popular partly because they were the first to have that…

DeSean Jackson Is Now A Redskin

ITS GOIN DOWN !! BURGUNDY & GOLD http://t.co/tPN4g6AbeS

— Desean Jackson (@DeseanJackson10) April 2, 2014

  DeSean Jackson is staying in the NFC East, where Washington Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III’s new deep-threat target can begin making the Philadelphia Eagles pay for kicking him to the curb.

Just four days after his stunning release from Philadelphia, one of the league’s most…

Nokia Lumia Icon Impressions

I’m a fan of the Windows Phone mobile platform. It would be the phone I suggest to anyone who is new to the smartphone game. It’s simple, elegant and straightforward to use. But would I suggest it to anyone who’s more than familiar with using a smartphone on their daily grind?

Recently, I got my hands on a Nokia Lumia Iconon Verizon Wireless. After using the device for a couple of days as my own…

NCAA Athletes Should Get Paid

This is the time for March Madness. And we all know how crazy March Madness can be. The busted brackets, the clutch performances, the bone-headed plays, and the upsets make this an intense time in college basketball. With those situations came the highs, lows, and overall memories of both greatness and futility. It is safe to say that March Madness is the epitome of ultimate competition.

Yet, the 

Robert H. Richards IV: No Prison Time for Wealthy Daddy Rapist

It seems that affluenza has spread again and Robert H. Richards IV is its next victim. If you do not believe me, then take time to ingest the information that I am going to share with you. Richards is your average trust fundbaby that does not work but has enough time to molest and rape kids [1]. So, what happens when you have money at your disposal and the best lawyer money can buy? Well, you get…

NY Mag Celebrates 100 Years Of Pop Music With Jay Z Cover

As part of  NY Mag’s New York Magazine‘s “Annual Yesteryear Issue,” a young Jay Z is featured on the cover.   The photo, taken in 1997, shows Jay Z at 29 years-old. 

Along with Jay Z’s cover includes The Notorious B.I.G., Bob Dylan, and Frank Sinatra.

Our Jay Z cover: http://t.co/HnsWwr4j9N pic.twitter.com/0vF4cBsbon

— New York Magazine (@NYMag) March 24, 2014

  From NY Mag:

1990s: Jay-Z

Jay-Z…

Could iTunes Make Its Way To Android?

Android and Apple fan boys are about to lose their minds with a possible crossover venture from Apple.

Apple is in talks to debut an iTunes Android app to open up their music collection to millions of new customers.  To top that off, they’re also planning on revamping iTunes radio to make it an on-demand service like Spotify! Currently,the  iTunes store is only available on OS X , iOS  and…

New Gov’t Report: U.S. Public School System Racist

“We have got this tailspin of culture, in our inner cities in particular, of men not working and just generations of men not even thinking about working or learning the value and the culture of work, and so there is a real culture problem here that has to be dealt with.” – Rep. Paul Ryan

Alright, so let’s talk about racism, shall we? Now the racism I want to talk about today has nothing to do…

Did Aaron McGruder Sellout on The Boondocks Season 4?

When I think of Aaron McGruder, I think of the visionary that took it to whomever he saw fit for satire. It could have been Martin Luther King, R-Kelly, or even Tyler Perry. McGruder had no qualms with making commentary about Black culture, be it positive or negative. This was the attraction that drew so much admiration and ire to his brand. Through his art, McGruder knew no bounds, no limits,…

Police Harassment Caught on Tape: Cops Try to Plant Gun on Black Man

They say that once someone gets into the system it’s hard to get out. This story about Terry Robinson, 22, of St. Louis happens to be a perfect example of this. Not that Robinson is yet another one of these young men intent to live a life of crime. Instead, however, Robinson’s story is yet another one of those in a long line of institutional racism and police harassment.

A resident of North St.…

Dr. Sylvester J. Gates, Black Physicist, Named 2014 Scientist of the Year

University of Maryland’s John S. Toll Professor of Physics, Dr. Sylvester James Gates Jr., the first African American to hold an endowed chair in physics at a major U.S. research university, was named 2014 Scientist of the Year by the Harvard Foundation, according to a Feb. 21 news release.

Gates, best known for his work in supersymmetry and supergravity, has been characterized as a physicist who…