Ladies & gentlemen, there is only one more day of 2022, which means we must go back down memory lane because a lot happened this year.
There was good, bad, and in-between. But don't worry, there were many lessons out there too!
2022 taught us to be resilient and perseverant and not to care what others think about us!
One of the biggest lessons I learned this year was that what you and your lover do is your business!
Caresha & Diddy showed us that love doesn't always have to be defined to be respected because Diddy doesn't play about his Shawty Wop! And, ladies and gentlemen, you shouldn't play about your lovers either!
We may not always understand how two people make each other happy, but I hope you all will take a page out of Diddy's playbook next year and love whom you love despite others' opinions. Now, don't be like Irv Gotti, airing out y'all dirty laundry if something goes wrong like he did Ashanti! But, defend your choice because if you like it, I love it!
And the only thing that matters is your happiness! Let love fly in 2023! I know I will!
But, Caresha and Diddy weren't the only ones who fell in love this year! Porsha Williams and Simon Guobadia had a wedding that brought Coming to America to Life!
And Toya and Red rushed down the aisle in their destination wedding, New Orleans Style.
I mean, there were weddings upon weddings this year! Black love was on fire, and so were the babies!
There were pregnancy announcements and births, including Jhene Aiko, Keyshia Ka'oir, Summer Walker, and Keke "Keep a Job" Palmer!
Ladies & Gentlemen, if we have learned anything from 2022, it's to let Black Love Flourish!
But there were also lessons outside of love! There was drama in 2022 as well! Now, unless you've been living under a rock, we all know what occurred at the Oscars this past year! Will slapped Chris!
While I can't lie, I was shocked! I always thought Will was as cool as a cucumber! I realized Will is just as human as the rest of us! While that doesn't permit him to do it again, just like Will or Chris, we can't let one moment define who we are!
We are destined for greatness, so if you made an oops like Will in 2022, Let Go! Forgive yourself! Go ahead and dust your shoulders off because if we can forgive Will, babe, we can surely forgive you!
But don't be out here acting a fool in 2023 because the more you mess around, the more you will find out!
In addition, to learning life lessons, we also got some great music! If you don't follow us on social media, this past week, I put up a poll asking SparkFM what the top songs of 2022 were! And, ladies and gentlemen, the votes are in!
The Best Hip-Hop Song of 2022 goes to no other than Big Glo herself, GloRilla! She swept the streets with her F.N.F. anthem, reminding women that you do not have to be in a situation with someone that does not deserve your presence.
Shout out to Big Glo on a tremendous year! I can't wait to see what you do in 2023!
There was a little tussle on the Best R & B song of 2022! Ladies and Gentlemen, there was a tie! Please don't come for me if you disagree; speak to your fellow SparkFM listeners!
Coming in at a tie is TEMS: Free Mind and Beyoncé's: Break My Soul! Now, I can't lie; both of these records were hot! And they had the streets on lock!
But, I would like to throw in an honorable mention because Muni Long came in this year with Hrs. & Hrs.! And, if you have Instagram, Tik Tok, or Facebook, everybody and their mamas were doing remixes to her song!
But I would be wrong if I didn't mention our Caribbean hits too! Koffee, Shenseea, Spice & Skeng had things popping off!
While Bounty Killer said dancehall is becoming a dying genre, I still have hope! And I can't wait to see the music dancehall artists will produce in 2023!
Now, we are getting closer to the end of our 2022 recap! But I can't forget that in addition to Black people killing it in the music arena, we did our thing at the box office too!
With The Woman King, Wakanda Forever, Till, Honk for Jesus, we were letting our stories be told! And, between you and I, if the movies were as good as they were this year, I may have to become an A.M.C. Stubs Member!
Let me not get distracted; 2022 also brought some moments of sadness as we lost some great people! Sidney Poitier, Andre Leon Talley, Traci Braxton, Takeoff, Bill Russell, Coolio, PnB Rock, tWitch, and Pele yesterday.
Man, we lost some greats, but we also advocated for people who needed justice, which allowed us to be unified even in strife!
Black Women were reminded never to stop fighting even if others don't believe what they share! #MeghanMarkle #MegTheStallion
And I know someone will come for me if I don't mention The Renaissance that Beyoncé provided us!
Her album alone taught us to march to our own beats, that we are That Girl, and that it's hard to get things done without us!
2022 was the year of Black Culture re-imagined! We gained Abbott Elementary, said goodbye to Trevor Noah on The Daily Show, and witnessed Black culture done in multiple ways on the big screen!
And Rihanna had a baby!
Ladies & Gentlemen, it has been an incredible ride with you throughout the past few months! I am excited about what is in store for 2023!
And I hope you all will continue on this journey with me!
If you learned nothing else from "For Your Immediate Attention" this year, I ask that you remember to take care of your well-being, live for yourself, and always keep pushing!
I will see you in the new year!
Stay Safe & Have Fun!
Peace and Prosperity,
Jadis DeShong-Venay