tshepo-mokoena
‘When I’m losing I’m a “war refugee”, when I’m winning I’m “British boxer”’: Ramla Ali on labels, sparring and speaking out
Ramla Ali was just a toddler when her family fled Somalia for the UK. Now 34, she’s had enough of being defined by her past. She talks about life in the ring, Gaza, and how an upcoming biopic will let her drive her own narrative
Tshepo Mokoena
02, Dec, 2023 @1:00 PM
Caster Semenya: ‘How would I label myself? I’m an African. I’m a woman. I’m a different woman’
She’s the Olympic gold-winner whose elevated testosterone levels led people to question her right to compete. With a few choice words for World Athletics, the middle-distance runner talks about labels, leaked medical records and how lowering her hormones took its toll on her body
Tshepo Mokoena
28, Oct, 2023 @6:00 AM
‘Whatever you offer, I’ll take’: the poet who crossed Europe filming Black experience
Poet and artist Julianknxx took his camera around the continent, filming people sing, dance, recite poetry – or refuse to do anything but sleep. As the lyrical results go on show, he explains his odyssey
Tshepo Mokoena
12, Sep, 2023 @2:35 PM
‘I don’t even know how to be me quite yet’: Jorja Smith on self-doubt, body positivity and her stunning second album
Living in her childhood town, the two-time Brit award winner is finally content. But, she says, insecurity still creeps in – especially after ferocious scrutiny of her appearance
Tshepo Mokoena
14, Jul, 2023 @4:00 AM
‘We can’t breathe! We can’t see! We can’t hear!’ – meet the real-life MerPeople
It is the most uncomfortable activity imaginable – yet mermaiding is booming. Say ‘shello!’ to the magical merfolk whose lives have been transformed by the addition of a shimmering tail
Tshepo Mokoena
22, May, 2023 @3:02 PM
‘Sometimes it is racism’: Jada Pinkett Smith on prejudice, typecasting and the fallout from that slap
She’s been picked apart by gossip columnists, stereotyped and had her alopecia become part of a global scandal. But now, as her new series hits our screens, the star is being zen about it all …
Tshepo Mokoena
10, Feb, 2023 @1:00 PM
Sorry: Anywhere But Here review – bleary-eyed morning after with a dash of sweetness
Asha Lorenz and Louis O’Bryen swerve from hints of the Kinks to traces of Lou Reed with lyrics of pure youthful dread in this reflective, honest album
Tshepo Mokoena
22, Dec, 2022 @8:00 AM
The 50 best albums of 2022: No 8 – Wet Leg: Wet Leg
The year’s buzziest duo picked apart millennial malaise – and the desire to delay adulthood – with smart gags and catchy choruses on the year’s breakout guitar album
Tshepo Mokoena
14, Dec, 2022 @10:00 AM
‘Why did I feel rusty? White supremacy’: Kelela on writer’s block, outsiderdom and her long-awaited second album
The US singer and producer received mass acclaim for her debut album in 2017, then vanished. After a battle with perfectionism, she’s back with renewed self-assurance and one eye fixed firmly on the dancefloor
Tshepo Mokoena
25, Nov, 2022 @6:00 AM
‘It’s a shopping mall of madness and you need a spiritual guide’: drag terrorist Christeene’s guide to life
As she releases new album Midnite Fukk Train, the feral performer from the swamps of the US shares her wisdom on making sex fun, dealing with bullies and the power of anger
As told to Tshepo Mokoena
11, Nov, 2022 @8:48 AM
Rap powerhouse Freddie Gibbs: ‘I was always the weird kid – a lot of people don’t like that’
He is one of the world’s most dextrous rappers, a verbal colossus bound for the big time. Over margaritas, he reveals how he managed to escape life as a drug-dealer and take rap to new heights
Tshepo Mokoena
04, Oct, 2022 @3:41 PM
Nope’s Keke Palmer: ‘Being a child star is really exploitative’
The actor’s role in Jordan Peele’s sci-fi horror is her biggest billing to date, after a lifetime in the industry. She talks about the harm done to young actors, her response to colorism – and why she doesn’t mind being a meme
Tshepo Mokoena
05, Aug, 2022 @7:00 AM
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