This article is part of Reclaiming the Past, an ongoing series that explores elements of Afro Puerto Rican culture such as martial arts, religion, and dance to raise awareness about their importance and preservation. “You have to remember that many of the tools that we used were also weapons.” Miguel…

The following article was previously published in the Black Allyship column at Mochi Magazine, an online publication for Asian American women. This month’s resource roundup focuses on music, and we’ve invited Afro Puerto Rican writer and self-proclaimed music nerd Miguel Machado (who happens to be BA@M co-editor Sarah Jinee Park’s…

The rap god was a one-of-one — and a conduit for father-son bonding — By the nature of their profession, music stars get elevated. They’re elevated by the very stage on which they perform, illuminated by bright lights cascading onto them. All of it assists in separating these celebrities from the masses they entertain. It’s as true of hip-hop as any genre — maybe…

Some will say America is better than this — it’s not — For the longest time, whenever my mother dreamed of a baby, she’d call me to talk about my future children. She’d describe in vivid detail the child’s mix of features, curly hair, and fat cheeks. If she saw a blonde baby, she’d ask if I was dating una rubia, or…

The island of Puerto Rico is an island of many rhythms. Whether it’s the salsa that cascades from the open windows of pastel-colored houses or the cars that pass with their trunks open and speakers reverberating the heavy bass of dembow, the streets are alive with music. But there is…

The island doesn’t need high-rise residencies; it needs a sustainable future — A few weeks back, as I scrolled through my Instagram feed, I stumbled across an image of a woman in tears. That woman was Bianca Graulau, an acclaimed Puerto Rican reporter celebrated for her coverage of important issues across the island. Graulau has tackled topics like the paper extinction of…

Photo Credit: Andrew Stephenson I understand the appeal of trap music. Drill too. Really. The combination of heavy bass, minimalist lyrics. It reverberates in such a way that it becomes easy to lose oneself, become one with the vibes. It’s automatic, effortless, difficult to separate where the beat starts and…

The ‘Bad Trip’ duo talk chemistry, almost dying on set, and the magic of Tiffany Haddish — “First of all, are you safe? It looks like somebody kidnapped you.” Lil Rel Howery has just beaten me to the punch. Not to be outdone, Eric Andre quickly follows up with, “Blink twice if you’re in a hostage situation.” We’re about 20 seconds into our conversation and we’re already…

For the longest time, whenever my mother would dream of a baby, she’d call me to talk about my future children. She’d describe in vivid details the child’s mix of features, curly hair, fat cheeks. If she saw a blonde baby she’d ask if I was dating una rubia, or…