Hi Mofos!

It's been a minute, I KNOWWW lol. I've been insanely busy with Check the Rhymes TV, the Ladies Edition Podcast, and now my new show, Soulibration! 

What is Soulibration?

It's a lifestyle show that's rooted and grounded in health and wellness on BlackDoctor.org's Facebook and YouTube channel. It streams LIVE (yes y'all me.. LIVE) on Wednesdays at 7pm.. give or take a couple times we had to push it to 8pm. It's been a fun time doing shows that contribute to the culture and help with healing. It kicked off in May and it's honestly, one of the things I didn't know I was missing. 

I feel like God had me in boot camp tho, going from ET Canada Live, the lesson was how to handle the comments, then I went over to TMZ Live to learn how to think on my feet quickly, then over to The Grio for a longer show which helped my stamina and ability to be ON for longer than a few minutes. Here I am, flexing now over on BDO. 

There's a playlist on my Check the Rhymes TV YouTube channel, but for now, I'll just share one of the episodes here that I think you guys will enjoy--it's all about finding your true authentic self with therapist Paul Williams. 

Anyhoo, check out the show and let me know what you think or if you have any topics you want us to explore! 

See ya on Wednesday! 

~Meik

Bad Boys, Bad Boys, whatcha gonna doooooo?

You can't help but sing the song while waiting for the fourth installment of the film, "Bad Boys: Ride or Die."

This film was sooooo much better than the 3rd "Bad Boys for Life" film. This one felt like it took all of their past films in the franchise and tried to thread together the pieces to pull this one off and they did it. You just have to be good at recalling what happened all the way back to the 1990s and 2003. My memory ain't the greatest, but the film shows some flashbacks. I suggest re-watching the other films before heading to the theater. 

Here's the trailer for this one:

Here's the short version of the story:  

This time out, Mike and Marcus are working to redeem the good name of their beloved Captain Conrad Howard (Joe Pantoliano) who was killed in the last film, That quest sends the Bad Boys on the run and it has lots of action and hilarity ensues.

NOW, I was glad to see Will Smith back in his element as Mike Lowery and as a man that has finally settled his ass down. Marcus has a life changing experience and the comedy of that is a common thread through the film. One thing he believed is that it wasn't his time and that he had been here in another life along with Mike.

It was so good to see the fellas in their 50s taking on action scenes, falling prey to sweets, and holding each other down. It was also great to see Marcus' son Reggie take on a role that had the entire theater cheering for him all the way through the film. Vanessa Hudgens, Alexander Ludwig, Paola Núñez and Jacob Scipio are among those reprising their roles from Bad Boys for Life in the new film.

I was on edge the entire film, hoping they would solve the crimes, as if they wouldn't, and catch the bad boys. I was also glad to see Mike experiencing PTSD in a way that we can all relate, fight or flight or just freeze mode. It was refreshing to see that even in the toughest situations anybody can have a flashback and freeze up. 

It was also nice to see Mike's son, Armondo (Scipio) (who we all hated last film, but good lawd that man is fine.) He and Mike don't exactly see eye to eye but when they have a mission in common, they can put aside their differences, especially with Marcus being the Iyanla Vanzant of the trio. 

It was weird with a recast of Marcus Burnett's wife from Theresa Randle from the first 3 films and this one is Tasha Smith. I could tell she was trying to hold in her loud side, but it wasn't too off putting, but it was noticeable the change. 

El Abri and Fallah, billed as Adil & Bilall did a fabulous job directing it and treating the film like a video game sequence setting it up for what hopefully will be a franchise that rivals "The Fast & Furious." I really enjoyed this film and love seeing Martin and Will's chemistry and the shade they sling through the movie. This is one I'd watch again and again. 

The film hits theaters on June 7. Let me know what you think! 

~Meik

 Hey Mofos! 

A holiday family gathering isn't complete without the rest of the household!

Hey Mofos! 

TWO IN A ROW! I knooooowwww! This time I went to check out the rom com The Idea of You. Let's just say I am in my feelings now. But let's get into the deets. 

The film is based on a love story of the same name. The Idea of You is centered around  Solène (Anne Hathaway), a 40-year-old single mom who begins an unexpected romance with 24-year-old Hayes Campbell (Nicholas Galitzine), the lead singer of August Moon, the hottest boy band on the planet.

The way they meet is so insane, because chile, DOES THIS EVER HAPPEN TO ANYONE?! 

Solène chaperones her teenage daughter’s trip to the Coachella Music Festival after her ex bails at the last minute, she has a chance encounter with Hayes when she goes into his trailer to use the bathroom. Like, how did she not know she should go to the itty bitty uncomfortable bathroom in port-a-john land?

Sparks fly and he even dedicates a song to her during the August Moon performance. SWOOOOOOON. Of course after that, their whirlwind romance begins as he finds her at her art gallery. The two drop their guard and almost their drawls. 

As a woman of a certain age, it's not hard to wonder what if? When he invites her to visit, things get steamy and the adventure of a lifetime for a single mom in the world of glitz and glamour takes off. Of course, it isn’t long before Hayes’ superstar status poses unavoidable challenges to their relationship, and Solène soon discovers that life in the glare of his spotlight might be more than she bargained for. After all, she is a sensible mom that's worried about her daughter, and what her family and friends might think. 

So it got me to thinking, she tells Hayes at one point she is ashamed, and being close to her age, I get it. It's like we want to have a man that we can be proud of and show off to the world, but when we're happy, there's always this threat of doubt that it can all come crumbling down. She also was ashamed because of the age difference, but SHE WAS HAPPY! Why can't women just be happy? He was old enough and when some ragglass men do the exact same thing--it's okay? She had so many haters in internet land because this pop star chose to do what made him happy, and be with her. Ugh. 

It also got me to thinking, why can't we all have an escape into a rom com and things unfold like the perfect meet cute, the whirlwind romance, a couple light speed bumps, but then the fairytale works out happily ever after? I guess cuz life be life-ing and it doesn't work that way. But this film is a great escape to wonder, WHAT IF? 

I love this film celebrates middle-aged women and how we're still sexy, fun, and full of laughs and adventure. I love the intimate ok the secks scenes because just because she's middle aged doesn't mean she can't get it in! It's also a film that shows it's never too late for love. *insert me in my feelings*

One thing the film got right was August Moon, because you couldn't tell me this wasn't a real boy band. Hayes gave Harry Styles energy and I was here for it all. He wasn't the typical 20-something year old with lots of money, hoes and clothes. He was wise beyond his years and actually showed emotion when ish hurt. COME THRU TEARS! 

The Idea of You, an Amazon MGM Studios release, directed by Michael Showalter, premieres on Prime on May 2. 

I'm curious, if you could live out a fantasy with your favorite pop star or celebrity, who would it be? 

~Meik