June 2017

Jay-Z's thirteenth studio album was a confessional meditation on marriage, infidelity, Black generational wealth, and emotional vulnerability. It debuted at number one, won the Grammy for Best Rap Album, and was hailed as one of his best works. Its explicit engagement with financial literacy and wealth-building sparked wide public discussion.

SZA's debut studio album on Top Dawg Entertainment introduced a frank new voice in R&B, exploring female desire, insecurity, and Black identity with disarming candor. Ctrl received five Grammy nominations, launched multiple top-40 singles, and helped define the sound of late-2010s alternative R&B.

Kevin Durant won his first NBA championship with the Golden State Warriors, defeating LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers in five games. Durant was named Finals MVP after averaging 35.2 points per game. His decision to join the Warriors the previous summer had been the most controversial free-agency move in modern NBA history.

Kevin Durant won his first NBA championship with the Golden State Warriors, defeating LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers in five games. Durant was named Finals MVP after averaging 35.2 points per game. His decision to join the Warriors the previous summer had been the most controversial free-agency move in modern NBA history.

David Adjaye, the Ghanaian-British architect who designed the National Museum of African American History and Culture, was knighted in the Queen's Birthday Honours for his services to architecture. Adjaye is the most prominent Black architect in the world and has designed civic buildings on five continents.

David Adjaye, the Ghanaian-British architect who designed the National Museum of African American History and Culture, was knighted in the Queen's Birthday Honours for his services to architecture. Adjaye is the most prominent Black architect in the world and has designed civic buildings on five continents.