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FILM REVIEW: Yardie

NNPA NEWSWIRE — Actor Idris Elba turns a lifelong fascination with the book Yardie, by Victor Headley, into his directing debut. His passion for the story, Jamaican, its music and an immigrant’s life is evident in every frame. Though the film’s direction and script do not live up to his enthusiasm, there are memorable moments buried in this 1hr 41min island/urban tale.

Published

7 years ago

April 5, 2019

Oakland Post

By Dwight Brown NNPA News Wire Film Critic

Yardie is a term that is used to refer to people of Jamaican origin. It’s also a slang patois name for Jamaican gangs and gang members. Want to know more? Come for the movie. Stay for the culture, music and a street-smart education.

Aml Ameen stars in Yardie

Actor Idris Elba turns a lifelong fascination with the book Yardie, by Victor Headley, into his directing debut. His passion for the story, Jamaican, its music and an immigrant’s life is evident in every frame. Though the film’s direction and script do not live up to his enthusiasm, there are memorable moments buried in this 1hr 41min island/urban tale.

In 1970s Kingston, Jamaica, two brothers try to cool the fiery tension between warring gangs by throwing a music party in their community. Jerry (Everaldo Creary), a Rastafarian, is the one-love DJ. His little bro Young D (Antwayne Eccelston) looks on. The heads of two rival gangs are pulled onstage to prove that peace is in the air. A shot rings out and Jerry is killed. Young D sees the perpetrator and is haunted by the experience.

Years later in the ‘80s, a now-twentysomething D (Aml Ameen, The Maze Runner) is sent by a drug lord from Jamaica to the East End of London to deliver coke. D makes his connection with an uppity, high-strung dealer, but things go awry. He seeks solace in the arms of his old girlfriend Yvonne (Shantol Jackson). She’s a nurse who lives in London with a young daughter and thinks she’s escaped the turbulence of Kingston. Yvonne welcomes D back into her life and home only to find out that crime and his enemies are coming too.

Shantol Jackson co-stars in Yardie

The basic plot lays down a strong foundation that has the potential for being a tense gangster/crime/drama fueled by revenge. Credit the cult-classic novel for the blueprint. Blame the screenwriters for laying on way on too many characters and subplots, which overpower the story’s essence. Brock Norman Brock (a British playwright) and Martin Stellmen (screenwriter for the 1980s Jamaican/English film Babylon and writer/director of the 1988 Denzel Washington movie For Queen & Country) have created a script that feels convoluted and bloated.

Elba pours his heart and soul into this immigrant’s odyssey. If anything, his over-ambitious but well-intentioned direction heads down too many paths. Simplicity, brevity and a single focus would have served the narrative and his efforts better. From opening sequences, the audience knows that D is in an emotional free fall due to his brother’s death. No need to show a slew of flashbacks to explain what he’s feeling. Skip the images of Jerry’s ghost. Viewers know the backstory and there’s no need to browbeat them with cuts back to that ill-fated day.

Incessant voiceovers weigh the footage down, too. Books use words to relay what characters think—there’s no other means of expression. Movies have a blank canvass. Elba didn’t have to verbalize characters’ thoughts. He should have trusted the action and actors to express feelings and tell the story. D’s distress is on Ameen’s face and evident in all the wrong choices the character makes. And don’t, don’t, don’t repeat the same dialogue again and again. No need to belabor points. The script, direction and editing (Justine Wright) have to take the blame if they go against conventional filmmaking wisdom.

Aml Ameen stars in Yardie

Sift through this weighty presentation, however, and there are some fun scenes and raw emotions: D’s introduction to three young male musicians starts a relationship among the quartet that is refreshing. He is jaded beyond his young years. The guys are just starting out. They’re naïve and impressionable, particularly a dude named Sticks (Calvin Demba, Kingsman: The Golden Circle). The boys are way too vulnerable to be put in harm’s way, but that’s their destiny.

D’s relationships with his fellow drug dealers are mistrustful and life-threatening. His sole refuge is his love for Yvonne. Scenes between Ameen and the very gifted actress Shantol Jackson give the film heart. If the very aimless D has any chance at redemption, it’s with her.

The supporting cast is never less than professional. Listening to their deep patois is part of the fun and one of the film’s many beguiling introductions to Jamaican culture. No doubt actors from this cast will go on to bigger and better things.

Aml Ameen stars in Yardie

Some technical aspects are right on the money: James Keast’s costumes, Damien Creagh’s production design along with the art direction by Alison Adams and Donna Noble vividly evoke the colors, clothes and images of the ‘70s and ‘80s. John Conroy’s (TV’s Luther) cinematography is very colorful, with moody nightclub lighting and bright exteriors all rolled into one.

The musical score by Dickon Hinchliffe (Winter’s Bone) is spaced nicely between a toe-thumping playlist courtesy of Elba, who is a noted DJ. Tunes by Yellowman, Black Uhuru, The Isley Bros and Dennis Brown are a who’s who of vibrant reggae and soul music. Adding in Grace Jones wailing on “My Jamaican Guy” makes the soundtrack a collector’s item.

Yardie starts with a voiceover by D that clearly states: “This is a story about the path I chose.” If that simple line had been the film’s only voiceover… If the script had fewer characters… If the editing had cut out all the repetition… If the filmmakers had decided to let the action tell the story…

There wouldn’t be a long list of “ifs,” had Yardie been stripped down to its core.

Visit NNPA News Wire Film Critic Dwight Brown at DwightBrownInk.com and BlackPressUSA.com.

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2026 Lucid Air Grand Touring Review — Is This $136K EV Sedan Worth It?

AUTONETWORK ON BLACKPRESSUSA — Finished in Stellar White Metallic with the Tahoe Grand Touring interior, this Lucid makes a strong first impression. The shape is sleek and low, but it still feels elegant instead of trying too hard. Features like soft-close doors, powered illuminated door handles, 20-inch Aero Lite wheels, and the Glass Canopy Roof help the car feel expensive before you even start it.

Published

3 weeks ago

May 3, 2026

Oakland Post

The 2026 Lucid Air Grand Touring is the kind of luxury EV that makes people stop and ask a simple question: Is this really better than a Tesla Model S, Mercedes EQS, or BMW i7? At $136,150, it has to do more than look futuristic. It has to feel special every time you get in it.

Finished in Stellar White Metallic with the Tahoe Grand Touring interior, this Lucid makes a strong first impression. The shape is sleek and low, yet it still feels elegant rather than trying too hard. Features like soft-close doors, powered illuminated door handles, 20-inch Aero Lite wheels, and the Glass Canopy Roof help the car feel expensive before you even start it.

Inside is where the Air Grand Touring really makes its case. The 34-inch Glass Cockpit Display and retractable Pilot Panel screen give the cabin a clean, modern look that still feels different from other EVs. The Tahoe Extended Leather and Lucid Black Alcantara headliner lifts the sense of occasion, and the front seats are a highlight. They are 20-way power-adjustable, heated, ventilated, and include massage. That matters because luxury buyers at this price expect comfort first.

Rear passengers are not ignored either. You get 5-zone heated rear seating, a rear center console display, and power rear and rear side window sunshades. Add in the Surreal Sound Pro system with 21 speakers, and the Air feels like a true long-distance luxury sedan.

Lucid also gives this car serious EV hardware. The dual-motor all-wheel-drive system, 900V+ charging architecture, and Wunderbox onboard charger are big talking points. Buyers in this segment care about range, charging speed, and everyday ease, not just raw performance. That is where the Lucid continues to stand out.

On the technology side, the Air Grand Touring includes DreamDrive Premium, with 3D Surround View Monitoring, Blind Spot Warning, Automatic Park In and Out, Automatic Emergency Braking, and a Driver Monitoring System with distracted and drowsy driver alerts. This one also has DreamDrive Pro, which adds future-capable ADAS hardware.

There are still some real-world annoyances. Based on your notes, the windshield wiper control is hard to find and use, and that matters more than people think in a high-tech car. When controls become less intuitive, even a beautiful interior can feel frustrating.

Still, the 2026 Lucid Air Grand Touring succeeds where it matters most. It feels luxurious, advanced, comfortable, and thoughtfully engineered. For buyers who want an EV sedan that feels truly premium and less common than the usual choices, this Lucid makes a very strong case.

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Snoop Dogg Celebrates 10 Til’ Midnight at the Compound

LOS ANGELES SENTINEL — The album is paired with a film that stars Snoop Dogg, Hitta J3, G Perico, and Ray Vaughn, and one of the strongest elements of the whole project is that the production stayed rooted right here in Los Angeles.

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3 weeks ago

May 3, 2026

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Snoop Dogg celebrated the premiere of 10 Til’ Midnight at his Inglewood recording studio & multipurpose facility, The Compound, but the night felt like much more than an album release. It felt like Los Angeles. It felt like legacy. And it felt like another major move from one of the city’s greatest cultural architects as he continues to prove that he is not just dropping music — he is building moments, shaping narratives, and pushing the culture forward in real time.

What made the event so powerful was the clarity behind the vision. During a panel conversation with DJ Hed, Snoop opened up about the heart behind 10 Til’ Midnight, explaining that the project was created to help bridge older and younger generations while also speaking to the long-standing divisions between Bloods and Crips in a unique way through film. That alone gave the project a different kind of weight. This was not just about songs. This was about using creativity as a tool for connection. This was about taking a story rooted in Los Angeles and telling it in a way that could bring people together.

Snoop Congratulated By Rapper & Fellow 10 Til Midnight Cast Member G Perico (CreativeLB/KreativeKapturez)

The album is paired with a film that stars Snoop Dogg, Hitta J3, G Perico, and Ray Vaughn, and one of the strongest elements of the whole project is that the production stayed rooted right here in Los Angeles. The film was shot in the city, including at WePlay Studios in Inglewood, which gave the entire project an even deeper hometown feel. It was not just a West Coast story in content — it was a Los Angeles-made production from the ground up.

That matters because, in a city like this, authenticity still carries weight. Snoop understands how to make sure that what he creates does not just represent Los Angeles on the surface, but actually comes from it.

What also makes 10 Til’ Midnight significant is that it represents another major step in Snoop’s evolution as both an artist and executive. Public reporting around the project identifies it as his 22nd studio album, but the bigger story is what it represents in this season of his life. This is one of several consecutive moves he has made in his 50s that show he is still building, still expanding, and still finding new ways to reinvent what the next chapter looks like.

Snoop Dogg at the Premiere of 10 Til Midnight (CreativeLB/KreativeKapturez)

Now, as the head of Death Row Records and the newly aligned leader of Death Row Pictures, he is taking the brand into a new dimension. That is what made this moment feel bigger than music. Snoop is not just protecting the legacy of Death Row — he is stretching it. He is expanding it beyond records and into film, visual storytelling, and larger creative worlds that can continue carrying the label’s impact forward. Public reporting has noted that this project arrives as part of that broader cinematic push.

That is a major Los Angeles move because the city has always been built on the intersection of music, film, neighborhood identity, and cultural storytelling. With 10 Til’ Midnight, Snoop is leaning all the way into that intersection.

The room at The Compound reflected that. It felt like a private premiere, but it also felt like a statement — a reminder that Snoop Dogg’s staying power has never been based only on nostalgia. It comes from his ability to remain connected, remain visionary, and remain in tune with how to move the culture without losing the essence of who he is.

That is why this premiere mattered. It was not just about celebrating another album. It was about witnessing a Los Angeles legend continue to evolve, continue to unify, and continue to use art to tell stories that hit deeper than entertainment alone.

In that sense, 10 Til’ Midnight became more than a project launch. It became another example of how Snoop Dogg is still taking Los Angeles to the next level — using music, film, and legacy together to build something bigger than a moment.

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OP-ED: Small Businesses Need Minnesota to Act on Pass-Through Tax Policy

MINNESOTA SPOKESMAN RECORDER — A Twin Cities immigrant entrepreneur who built several businesses including grocery stores in underserved neighborhoods is calling on Minnesota lawmakers to extend the Pass-Through Entity tax option before it expires, warning that its loss would hit small businesses already recovering from Operation Metro Surge with higher federal tax bills.

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3 weeks ago

May 3, 2026

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A Twin Cities Small Business Owner Is Urging Minnesota to Extend a Tax Policy That Could Save Thousands of Businesses

By Daniel Hernandez | Minnesota Spokesman Recorder

I came to the United States as a teenager with a clear goal: to build something meaningful through hard work. I put in long days in construction, restaurants, and landscaping; doing whatever it took to learn, save, and eventually start my own business.

Over time, I built and ran several successful ventures, including an event photography company, a magazine, a tax and accounting firm, and now grocery stores serving neighborhoods across the Twin Cities where other retailers chose not to invest. I’ve created jobs, supported families, and committed to communities that deserve stability and opportunity.

That’s why I’m speaking out now.

Small business owners in Minneapolis and the communities we serve are recovering from serious disruptions, including the impacts of Operation Metro Surge. That event hit immigrant communities especially hard. In my own case, I lost nearly half of my 60 employees and saw revenue drop by about 85%. While I worked to provide competitive wages, health benefits, and paid time off, the real hardship fell on the people who lost their jobs and income.

Even as we rebuild, small businesses are facing another challenge. The Minnesota Legislature is considering letting an important tax policy expire: the Pass-Through Entity tax option.

Here’s what that means in plain terms.

Many small businesses, including mine, are pass-through businesses. That means the business itself doesn’t pay income tax. Instead, the owners report the income on their personal tax returns. But under current federal rules, there’s a limit on how much state tax we can deduct. That often leads to higher federal tax bills.

The Pass-Through Entity option fixes that. It allows the business to pay the state tax directly, which means the business can fully deduct those taxes on its federal return and lower the total amount of income taxed federally. The result is straightforward: small business owners pay less in federal taxes, without reducing what the state collects.

This policy is not new or controversial. Thirty-six states already offer it. It doesn’t cost Minnesota anything, it’s revenue neutral. And it benefits more than 66,000 businesses across the state.

In a state where the cost of doing business is already high, it’s hard to understand why we wouldn’t offer the same basic tax treatment as states like California and Illinois.

Small businesses have carried a heavy load in recent years, through a pandemic, rising costs and public safety disruptions. We’ve adapted, reinvested and stayed committed to our communities. What we need now are practical policies that support that work, not make it harder.

If the Minnesota House does not act soon, many businesses will face significantly higher federal tax bills. That’s money that could otherwise be used to hire workers, raise wages or reinvest in local neighborhoods.

I urge Gov. Tim Walz and members of the House Tax Committee to pass House File 3127 and extend the Pass-Through Entity election.

Small businesses are the backbone of our communities. We’ve proven our resilience. Now we need our state leaders to show the same commitment to us.

Daniel Hernandez is the owner of Colonial Market located at 2100 E. Lake St.

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