RECOMMENDS
MOVIE
1. ‘Hamilton’
Director Tommy Kail’s filmed evidence of the original-cast production of Hamilton, shot in 2016, is most people’s first chance to see the groundbreaking rap musical. It was meant to debut in theaters next year, but somebody smart thought we needed it now.
ALBUM
2. Lady Gaga, ‘Chromatica’
After the folksy contemplation of 2016’s Joanne and an Oscar for A Star Is Born’s “Shallow,” Lady Gaga returns to the dance floor, deepening her disco and house euphoria with hard-won introspect.
BOOK
3. ‘Under the Red, White, and Blue’
In his new book, critic Greil Marcus explores F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, incorporating signposts from Lana Del Rey to Lincoln, as he asks readers to re-examine our shared American dreams and burdens.
ALBUM
4. Run the Jewels, ‘RTJ 4’
Killer Mike and El-P are the most politically potent voice in music. Not since the era of Public Enemy and N.W.A has a hip-hop album felt so perfectly attuned to the chaos, rage, and hope of the moment.
DOCUSERIES
5. ‘I’ll Be Gone in the Dark’
Based on the posthumous book of the same name, HBO’s new docuseries takes viewers inside the obsessive mind of crime writer Michelle McNamara as she tracks down the notorious Golden State Killer. More than murderino catnip, it highlights McNamara’s intense genius.
JOHN PEEL ARCHIVE
6. DaveStrickson .blogspot.com
This ever-growing catalog of over 1,000 live sessions from late BBC disc jockey John Peel features decades of incredible performances by everyone from Thin Lizzy to the Smiths to the Yeah Yeah Yeahs.
PODCAST
7. ‘United States of Anxiety’
What started as a nineepisode examination of partisan politics in the run-up to the 2016 election has evolved into a fourth season exploring Trump’s America.
DIGITAL EXHIBIT
8. ‘Talking About Race’
As Black Lives Matter protests sprang up, the National Museum of African American History put together this online portal to help educators, parents, and well-meaning white people confront racism.
INSTAGRAM INTERVIEWER
9. LL Cool J
Since George Floyd’s killing, LL’s “Real People, Real Conversations” series has gone from virtual block party to vital forum on race, with the rap legend soliciting unfiltered takes from peers like Ice-T as well as select fans.
MOVIE
10. ‘I Am Not Your Negro’
This eloquent tribute to James Baldwin, released in 2016, illustrates how America promotes bigotry through its laws, customs, and pop culture. It’s a fiery condemnation of a country that has never lived up to its ideals.