Link About It: This Week’s Picks

Boxing grandmothers, architectural pastries, beautified basketball courts and more in our look around the web

1. Beautifying Neglected Basketball Courts With Project Backboard Founded in 2014 by Daniel Peterson, Project Backboard refurbishes neglected basketball courts by commissioning artists to make them works of art. Initially in Memphis, the project has now spread across neighborhoods in the United States and features beautiful work by the likes of Nina Chanel Abney, Nick Dahlen, Brandon Marshall and more. Peterson says that the initiative …

Hype Williams Changed Hip-Hop

The prolific, innovative and imaginative director Harold “Hype” Williams was honored at the 2017 VH1 Hip-Hop honors this week—and deservingly so. Hip-hop wouldn’t be the same without Williams, whose flashy, weird and wonderful vision came to life across countless music videos—especially in the ’90s and early 2000s. From Q-Tip’s “Breathe and Stop” to The Notorious BIG + Puff Daddy + Mase’s “Mo Money Mo Problems,” …

Blu & Exile: Constellations

A decade after the release of their acclaimed boom-bap debut album Below the Heavens, the glorious duo Blu & Exile have dropped a new tune. The boppy “Constellations” will appear on their new record (a prequel for their debut) In the Beginning: Before The Heavens, which will feature 14 tracks from their 2007 recording sessions. The song is typically Blu & Exile—a laid-back beat by …