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April 1, 2009

Top 10 Black Blogs (April 2009)


I trust that all villagers are having a joyous Easter. I apologize for my late presentation of the Villager's Black Blog Rankings (BBR) for this month. My hope is to get back on schedule for posting this list on the 1st day of each month. With any luck we will make into the Top Ten Top Ten Lists maintained by Vincetastic!

We now have 1,629 blogs ranked in April 2009 BBR. Hello Beautiful (created by Tracey Cooper) and Living Life Abundantly (created by Marenda Taylor) both powered their way into the Top 10 this month. I hope that Tracey and Marenda drop by to share some tips in the comments section with the rest us!

The number of blogs tracked by our monthly rankings have increased significantly since we shared those first 75 Black blogs in Sep 2007. It has been a remarkable journey. It is likely we are missing some Black-owned & operated blogs our current list! If you see any that are missing ... please let me know in the COMMENTS section.

Here are some of the blog lists from the past four quarters:
Anyhow, with no further ado, here are the Top Ten Black Blogs for April 2009:

  1. Pam Spaulding: Pam's House Blend (Authority: 1,090 / Rank: 1,426) - [Politics] Pam's blog continues in the BBR #1 for the 10th month in a row. The Washington Post shared some reasons that Pam has been so influential in the blogosphere. You can meet Sis. Spaulding in person at the 2009 Blogging While Brown Conference. Tags for this blog are race, politics, feminism, gay and lesbian. This blog was BBR #2 in April 2008.
  2. The Bossip: Bossip.com (Authority: 740 / Rank: 2,724) - [Entertainment] Bossip.com remains the top-ranked gossip or entertainment blog on our list. This blog has spheres of influence in Atlanta, Los Angeles and New York City allowing it to be the first to break stories about celebrities such as Chris Brown, Rudy (from 'The Cosby Show') and Tyson Beckford This blog was BBR #1 in April 2008.
  3. Ahsmi Rawlins: Nah Right (Authority: 738 / Rank: 3,042) - [Entertainment] Ashmi (a.k.a., ESKAY) has been blogging since May 2005. Folks continue to marvel at the ability of Eskay to stay ahead of the blogging game. Personally, I'm curious to learn the backstory of his logo ... the St. Andrews Place street sign. I was born and raised on St. Andrews Place in Los Angeles! Anyhow, the tags for this blog are news and music. This blog was BBR #4 in April 2008.
  4. Felicia Palmer and Steven Samuel: This is SOHH.com (Authority: 592 / Rank: 3,806) - [Entertainment] SOHH stands for Support Online Hip Hop and is a blog based in Jersey City, NJ. SOHH.com is a destination site for fans of hip hop music. The site was created in 1997 as a more cost-effective information alternative to a monthly print publication called 4Control Media, which launched two years earlier. Tags for this blog are HIP HOP, Rap, Magazine and Newspapers. This blog was not ranked a year ago.
  5. Angel Laws: Concrete Loop (Authority: 572 / Rank: 3,979) - [Entertainment] Angel Laws is the young sister who who owns and operates this dynamic entertainment blog. I am very pleased to report that we can learn how Angel, who blogged herself into a successful career, will be a presenter at the 2009 Blogging While Brown Conference. Angel has other interests in life as demonstrated by her photo blog. Tags for this blog are Music, Pictures, gossip, R&B, Hollywood, Celebs, Exclusive, loop, concrete, gossip blog, concreteloop, black celebs, black gossip, celeb interviews and black hollywood. This blog was BBR #3 in April 2008.
  6. Tracey Cooper: Hello Beautiful (Authority: 544 / Rank: 4,519) - [Entertainment] This blog is a fun mix of fashion, beauty, entertainment and relationship talk carefully curated for Black women. From politics to celebrity gossip and love to style advice, Hello Beautiful helps keep Black women connected to information they love and the people they want to share it with. Tags for this blog are relationships, sex, Michelle Obama, fashion, Rihanna and 'naked with socks on'. I must admit that I learned about a woman who uses her boobs to pay for her rent from this blog! This blog was not ranked a year ago.
  7. Oliver Willis: Oliver Willis (Authority: 508 / Rank: 4,764) - [Politics] Oliver has been blogging since April 2005. He is expanding his cyber-empire to YouTube as well. Lately, Oliver has been tangled in blogging warfare with some conservative pundits. Tags for this blog are politics, media, news, comedy, humor, progressive, journalism, democrats and movies. This blog was BBR #6 in April 2008.
  8. Natasha Eubanks: Young, Black & Fabulous (Authority: 500 / Rank: 4,865) - [Entertainment] Natasha Eubanks started her blog to give the paparazzi treatment to celebrities who don't make the pages of US Weekly or the posts of PerezHilton.com. She started the blog after evacuating New Orleans ahead of Hurricane Katrina. You can learn more about Sis. Eubanks from this blogger interview. This blog was BBR #7 a year ago.
  9. Baratunde Thurston and Cheryl Contee: Jack and Jill Politics (Authority: 442 / Rank: 5,821) - [Politics] Baratunde and Cheryl make up the dynamic online team of Jack and Jill. Their blog provides a Black bourgeoisie perspective on U.S. politics. I recommend that villagers subscribe to Baratunde/Jack on YouTube or Facebook to get a different perspective on his style and content. This blog was BBR #8 in April 2008.
  10. Marenda Taylor: Living Life Abundantly (Authority: 362 / Rank: 7,692) - [Social Commentary] Marenda wrote, "I started this blog with the intentions of expressing my thoughts, provoking thought, bridging gaps, and sparking conversation. The agenda is to entertain, educate, and empower. The goal is to inspire, encourage, and uplift. The mission is to Live Life Abundantly and to share the lifestyle with as many people as possible." This blog was BBR #135 in April 2008.
HONORABLE MENTION (11-25): The Field Negro, La Shawn Barber's Corner, Womanist Musings, Ill Doctrine, The Smoking Section, Necole Bitchie, AfroBella, Raw Dawg Buffalo, Sandra Rose, The Black Snob, Rod 2.0:Beta, The Angry Black Woman, Angry Black Bitch, SoulBounce.com and Crunk & Disorderly.

This ranking is open to any blogger of African descent. We invite all progressive Black bloggers to consider applying for membership into The AfroSpear.

Black Blog Rankings lean heavily on the Technorati Authority and Rank score for each blog. The Technorati authority and rank numbers are shown in parenthesis. The authority figure includes a number of factors including the number of blogs that are linked to this blogger over the past six months. The rank number indicates how many blogs are between the one listed and The Huffington Post, which is the #1 overall blog in the universe.

We are adding links to the Word version of the Villager's Black Blog Rankings. Let me know if you want a copy of the Word version. In the meantime, I encourage you to share some link-love with this post so that your blog readers know about us!
Drumbeats began: 3:00 PM 17 Comments
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May 1, 2009

Top 10 Black Blogs (May 2009)

Happy Mother's Day! We now have 1,659 blogs ranked in May 2009 BBR. Two new blogs (The Field Negro and La Shawn Barber's Corner) enter into the Top 10 for the first time since Feb 2009. Hello Beautiful (BBR #12) and This is SOHH.com (BBR #16) dropped out of the Top 10.

Currently, we track 1,659 blogs ... up 30 from last month. We are proud of the evolution of the Black Blog Rankings (BBR). However, we recognize that not every Black-owned & operated blog is on our current list! Please let me know if you see a blog that should be added to the BBR.

The Top Ten Black Blogs for May 2009:
  1. Pam Spaulding: Pam's House Blend (Authority: 1,084 / Rank: 1,402) - [Politics] Pam's blog continues in the BBR #1 for the 11th month in a row. The Washington Post shared some reasons that Pam has been so influential in the blogosphere. I still hold out hope that Pam will be a guest on Rachel Maddow show at some point in the near future. Tags for this blog are race, politics, feminism, gay and lesbian. This blog was BBR #2 in May 2008.

  2. Ahsmi Rawlins: Nah Right (Authority: 721 / Rank: 2,771) - [Entertainment] Ashmi (a.k.a., ESKAY) has been blogging since May 2005 and is now recognized as the top-ranked gossip or entertainment blog on our list. This BBR #2 ranking is an all-time high for Nah Right. I still want to know the deal on his blog masthead. I was born and raised on St. Andrews Place in Los Angeles ... so it brings a smile to my face whenever I visit Nah Right. Can anyone tell me why he has St. Andrews Place on his blog masthead. The tags for this blog are news and music. This blog was BBR #4 in May 2008.

  3. The Bossip: Bossip.com (Authority: 714 / Rank: 2,819) - [Entertainment] This blog has spheres of influence in Atlanta, Los Angeles and New York City. Moguldom Media Group, which owns Bossip, is run by Marve Frazier and the founder who seeks to keep anonymity. This blog was BBR #1 in May 2008.

  4. Angel Laws: Concrete Loop (Authority: 548 / Rank: 4,160) - [Entertainment] Angel Laws is the 24-year old sister who who owns and operates popular entertainment blog. She will be a presenter at the 2009 Blogging While Brown Conference. Concrete Loop is also a popular destination on MySpace. Tags for this blog are Music, Pictures, gossip, R&B, Hollywood, Celebs, Exclusive, loop, concrete, gossip blog, concreteloop, black celebs, black gossip, celeb interviews and black hollywood. This blog was BBR #3 a year ago.

  5. Natasha Eubanks: Young, Black & Fabulous (Authority: 488 / Rank: 4,865) - [Entertainment] Natasha Eubanks moved up three spots in this month's BBR. This 27-year old nubian from Alexandria, VA provides some remarkable celebrity photos on her blog. She also has a popular site on MySpace. This blog was BBR #7 a year ago.

  6. Oliver Willis: Oliver Willis (Authority: 475 / Rank: 5,138) - [Politics] Oliver has been blogging since April 2005. You can tell an awful lot about a blogger from the company he keeps. Oliver's blogging enemies go for his juggular. On the other hand, he is a contributor to the top-ranked blog in the world. Tags for this blog are politics, media, news, comedy, humor, progressive, journalism, democrats and movies. This blog was BBR #6 in May 2008.

  7. Baratunde Thurston and Cheryl Contee: Jack and Jill Politics (Authority: 451 / Rank: 5,551) - [Politics] Baratunde and Cheryl make up the dynamic online team of Jack and Jill. Their blog provides a Black bourgeoisie perspective on U.S. politics. The duo provides outstanding political content. You can find them on Facebook as well. This blog was BBR #8 last year.

  8. Marenda Taylor: Living Life Abundantly (Authority: 366 / Rank: 7,451) - [Social Commentary] Marenda wrote, "I started this blog with the intentions of expressing my thoughts, provoking thought, bridging gaps, and sparking conversation. The agenda is to entertain, educate, and empower. The goal is to inspire, encourage, and uplift. The mission is to Live Life Abundantly and to share the lifestyle with as many people as possible." Marenda posts more often than just about anyone else on this list. I have no idea how she finds the time, however, all of her blog readers appreciate the power of her information. This blog was BBR #135 in May 2008.

  9. Wayne Bennett: The Field Negro (Authority: 341 / Rank: 8,181) - [Social Commentary] Wayne is both my namesake and my favorite blogger. It is worth noting that he does it his way. I don't think that this blogger is on any of the other social networks like Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn Network. His blog is the only one in the BBR Top 10 using the Blogger.com 'freebie' platform. It goes to show that if your content is tight ... you will attract attention. Tags for this blog are house negro, Politcs, Race, Racism, negroes, Economics, Law, Urban, Jamaica, Pan Africanism, Malcolm X, Crime, Sports, killadelphia and third world. This blog was BBR #13 a year ago.

  10. La Shawn Barber: La Shawn Barber's Corner (Authority: 326 / Rank: 8,848) - [Social Commentary] La Shawn began blogging in November 2003 ... making her one of the most experienced bloggers on our list. She is a freelance writer and columnist with a Christian and conservative viewpoint. She recently shared her thoughts on Black beauty pageants. You can also find her on Facebook. Tags for this blog are News, Music, Media, Writer, conservative, Black, God, Digital, blogger, Journalism, Women, Jesus Christ, Bible, Harry Potter, iTunes, Christian, Pro-life and Reformed. This blog was BBR #9 in May 2008.
HONORABLE MENTION (11-25): Womanist Musings, Hello Beautiful, Ill Doctrine, The Smoking Section, Necole Bitchie, This is SOHH.com, AfroBella, The Black Snob, The Angry Black Woman, Rod 2.0:Beta, Raw Dawg Buffalo, Sandra Rose, Angry Black Bitch, SoulBounce.com and What About Our Daughters.

This ranking is open to any blogger of African descent who owns/operates a blog. Black Blog Rankings lean heavily on the Technorati Authority and Rank score for each blog. The Technorati authority and rank numbers are shown in parenthesis. The authority figure includes a number of factors including the number of blogs that are linked to this blogger over the past six months. The rank number indicates how many blogs are between the one listed and The Huffington Post, which is the #1 overall blog in the universe.

We are adding links to the Word version of the Villager's Black Blog Rankings. Let me know if you want a copy of the Word version. In the meantime, I encourage you to share some link-love with this post so that your blog readers know about us!
Drumbeats began: 3:45 PM 8 Comments
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February 1, 2008

Top Ten Black Blogs (Feb 2008)

We began to track the number of Black-owned and operated blogs in September 2007. Only 75 blogs were being tracked at that time. Today we announce the Villager's Black Blog Rankings (BBR) for February 2008 with over 750 blogs in the mix. In fact, it turns out that none of the Top Ten Black Blogs in September 2007 are still in the top ten this month.

The number of Black-owned and operated blogs included in our BBR increased by 25% in the past 30 days. We are looking for support from anyone interested in working with us on this project. I remain open to ideas and suggestions from all Villagers on ways that this project can be more useful to you. I appreciate those of you that pointed out white-owned blogs we listed in the past.

On The Black Hand Side (BBR #262) is placing a wonderful spotlight on Black Bloggers with their '20 Questions With' interviews. This is outstanding opportunity to learn more about talented brothers and sisters that you see listed in the Villager's Black Blog Rankings.

Kujichagulia (Self-Determination) is the driving force behind the BBR. Let others have lists of so-called influential bloggers with no melanin. We have created a growing list of our own to highlight the talent and creativity (Kuumba) that exists in our own community:
Today we release the February 2008 BBR with 751 Black blogs in the mix. Anyhow, with no further ado, here are the Top Ten Black Blogs for February 2008:

  1. The Bossip: Bossip.com (Authority: 1,173 / Rank: 2,023) - [Entertainment] Bossip.com becomes the third Black blog in the past three months to take over the BBR #1 slot. Bossip.com is a fast growing urban-focused new media property that draws a loyal following of young and influential trend setters who are up to date with what’s hot in society. We don't know if The Bossip is a brother or sister ... but, we do know that What About Our Daughters ain't happy with The Bossip for calling Maya Angelou a 'ho'. Hey Bossip ... any response to WAOD concerns?

  2. Pam Spaulding: Pam's House Blend (Authority: 1,167 / Rank: 2,047) - [Politics] This is a prolific blog with a number of contributors that shares candid thoughts on politics and invites others to join in the debate. Pam shared some blogging tips with us recently. She wrote, "Are there secrets to getting eyeballs? Hmmm. I don't think so, though having religious right nutcases calling you "a leading source of radical homosexual propaganda, anti-Christian bigotry, and radical transgender advocacy" probably helps. Seriously, there is no one suggestion to gain larger readership. It's luck, timing, and blogwhoring at other sites similar to yours to entice readers to take a peek at your stuff. Having your own "voice" that stands out as different as well as authentic and true to yourself helps a lot."

  3. Angel Laws: Concrete Loop* (Authority: 1,128 / Rank: 2,199) - [Entertainment] This is a Black celebrity entertainment blog with gossip, music, celebrity interviews, pictures and such. Angel Laws, a 23-year-old college student in Jacksonville, NC, started this blog as a hobby. It is now one of the top-ranked Black blogs in the world. Angel recently walked the red carpet herself. Have you seen your favorite celebrity on Angel's blog?

  4. Debra Dickerson: MoJo Blog (Authority: 1,085 / Rank: 2,352) - [Politics] Mother Jones is an independent nonprofit whose roots lie in a commitment to social justice implemented through first rate investigative reporting. Debra Dickerson is the author of An American Story and The End of Blackness and a former intelligence officer in the U.S. Air Force. Admittedly, I am trying to determine if a blog owned by a non-profit should be on the BBR. What say u?

  5. Fresh Crunkjuice: Crunk & Disorderly* (Authority: 788 / Rank: 3,933) - [Entertainment] This blog was created in August 2004, however, it didn't get serious until May 2005. This is an active entertainment blog that tackles the world of African American celebrity gossip. From Kanye West to the Reverend Al Sharpton, C&D takes no prisoners. I'm still hopeful to get some link-love from Yo' Fresh on his Fresh Picks!

  6. ESKAY: Nah Right (Authority: 727 / Rank: 4,482) - [Entertainment] This is another Black blogger that is steadily moving up in the rankings. Some say that Nah Right is the most important East Coast hip-hop blog there is. His blog began in May 2005 and continues to thrive. Somebody tell ESKAY that we are looking for him to share his village voice with us on what it takes to grow a successful blog.

  7. Oliver Willis: Oliver Willis (Authority: 603 / Rank: 6,002) - [Politics] Oliver is a fan of the Washington Redskins. His blog alternates between posts on the NFL and presidential politics. He began his blog in April 2005 and we hope that he will share his village voice with us at some point.

  8. Natasha Eubanks: Young, Black & Fabulous (Authority: 591 / Rank: 8,840) - [Entertainment] Natasha moved her hot gossip blog to her own domain. Natasha is a law student who recently relocated to the Washington area, said she gets about 99 percent of the information she posts simply from researching the Internet out of her own curiosity and interest. Did you see when Natasha and Omarosa went after each other recently?

  9. La Shawn Barber: La Shawn Barber's Corner (Authority: 542 / Rank: 7,033) - [Politics] Freelance writer La Shawn Barber offers political commentary from a Christian perspective. NPR News & Notes listed the 8/15/2007 Blogger's Roundtable with Sis. Barber as one of their best shows in 2007. I 'met' Sis. Barber during NPR Blogger Roundtables that we did in Nov 2007 and Jan 2008. She is an insightful sister with a powerful political blog. She is shown in this photo with Pam Spaulding (BBR #2)

  10. Natasha Eubanks: Young, Black & Fabulous (Authority: 423 / Rank: 10,523) - [Entertainment] See #8 above! Her newer blog has moved up to BBR#10, making her the first blogger with multiple blogs in the Top 10!

HONORABLE MENTION (11-25): Afro Bella*, What About Our Daughters*, Jack and Jill Politics*, Darla Mack News & Reviews, Sandra Rose, Rod 2.0:Beta, The Field Negro*, Entre mes Lignes, How To Split An Atom, Black Looks, Keith Boynkin*, Ill Doctrine, A Hot Mess!, Republic of T and Real Talk NY Provides The Latest Hip Hop News*.

The only qualification is that the blogger needs to be of African descent. The blogger does not have to be a member of The AfroSpear or the Afrosphere Bloggers Association, although we invite all Black bloggers to join either (or both) of those organizations.

Those blogs with an asterisk after their name are 2007 Black Weblog Award winners. Black Blog Rankings lean heavily on the Technorati Authority and Rank score for each blog. The Technorati authority and rank numbers are shown in parenthesis. The authority figure includes a number of factors including the number of blogs that are linked to this blogger over the past six months. The rank number indicates how many blogs are between the person listed and the #1 ranked blog in the world.

My vision is that many of the brothers and sisters on this month's BBR will join us later this year at the Blogging While Brown conference in Atlanta, GA on July 25-27, 2008.

We do think that these Black blogs are important spheres of influence. Reach out and let them know that you appreciate the work they have put in over the past few months and years to get on this list. Post a comment below if you are a Black Blogger interested in learning what your ranking is this month!
Drumbeats began: 12:01 AM 44 Comments
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January 1, 2009

Top Ten Black Blogs (Jan 2009)

We enter enter the Obama era this month. The continued popularity of political and social commentary blogs in the Villager's Black Blog Rankings (BBR) reflects the greater engagement of our blog readers in the issues of the day. I hope that you enjoy the 1,575 blogs ranked in the January 2009 BBR.

I looked back on where things stood 12 months ago when we published the January 2008 BBR. Three of the current Top Ten Black Blogs (Jack and Jill Politics, The Field Negro and Necole Bitchie) were not in the Top Ten a year ago.

We started this ranking effort with 75 Black blogs in Sep 2007. This month we publish over 1,500 Black owned & operated blogs! I don't pretend that we have all Black owned & operated blogs on this list. If you see any that are missing ... please let me know in the COMMENTS section.

Here are the blog lists from the past four quarters:
Anyhow, with no further ado, here are the Top Ten Black Blogs for Jan 2009:
  1. Pam Spaulding: Pam's House Blend (Authority: 1,187 / Rank: 1,384) - [Politics] Pam's blog continues to maintain a commanding lead as the top Black blog in the universe. One of the secrets to her success is the frequency of posts on her blog. Pam has a number of guest commentators and there seems to be a new blog post every couple of hours. In any case, Pam's House Blend is the go-to location for anything related to the lesbian and gay community. Pam has been dealing behind-the-scenes with the hacking of her blog platform This blog was BBR #2 a year ago.
  2. The Bossip: Bossip.com (Authority: 769 / Rank: 2,893) - [Entertainment] Bossip.com is the top-ranked gossip or entertainment blog on our list. We continue to wonder whether The Bossip is male or female? This blog survived a dust-up that began last year at this time with some derogatory remarks against Maya Angelou. Click here to see index of the people that are blogged about on Bossip.com. This blog was BBR #3 a year ago.
  3. Ahsmi Rawlins: Nah Right (Authority: 716 / Rank: 3,202) - [Entertainment] Ashmi (a.k.a., ESKAY) has been blogging since May 2005. Both his name and job are based on phonetics, literally and figuratively. The name – eskay – is the phonetic spelling of “SK,” the tag he used as a graffiti writer years ago. Today, rappers go nowhere unless Eskay says so. His chronically updated NahRight.com is the site for hip-hop news and videos. Check out this interview he conducted with Urb Magazine to learn more about Eskay. This blog was BBR #6 a year ago.
  4. Angel Laws: Concrete Loop (Authority: 638 / Rank: 3,767) - [Entertainment] Angel Laws is the young sister who who owns and operates this dynamic entertainment blog. She created the blog back in 2005 and it was the top-ranked Black blog last year. Angel has other interests in life as demonstrated by her photo blog. I encourage you to see the list of the last 50 posts on her blog. This blog was BBR #1 a year ago.
  5. Oliver Willis: Oliver Willis (Authority: 574 / Rank: 4,343) - [Politics] Oliver has been blogging since April 2005. Oliver attended Florida Atlantic University and is a member of the Technology and Online Community Department at Media Matters for America. He is expanding his cyber-empire to YouTube as well. This blog was BBR #7 a year ago.
  6. Natasha Eubanks: Young, Black & Fabulous (Authority: 571 / Rank: 4,375) - [Entertainment] Natasha Eubanks started blogging four years ago out of her passion for celebrity gossip. Her blog, focused on Black celebrity gossip and entertainment news, has risen from from nothing to something to become a destination for many bloggers and fans. This blog was BBR #6 a year ago.
  7. Baratunde Thurston and Cheryl Contee: Jack and Jill Politics (Authority: 564 / Rank: 4,444) - [Politics] Baratunde is conscious comic and vigilante pundit who has successfully merged his interests in technology, politics and comedy. He has authored three books, including Keep Jerry Falwell Away From My Oreo Cookies. Cheryl works in communications and marketing of social meda and Web 2.0, and is starting her own consulting shop. Together they make up the dynamic online team of Jack and Jill. This blog was BBR #13 a year ago.
  8. La Shawn Barber: La Shawn Barber's Corner (Authority: 363 / Rank: 8,238) - [Social Commentary] This top-ranked blog was launched in November 2003. La Shawn comes at things from a unique point of view. She writes about politics, faith, culture, digital technology and, occasionally, how these things intersect. There are many fans of La Shawn Barber. I'm interested to see how her view evolve in the Obama era. This blog was BBR #9 a year ago.
  9. Wayne Bennett: The Field Negro (Authority: 355 / Rank: 8,471) - [Social Commentary] The Los Angeles Times interview provided insights into Wayne last year. Field shared his post-election thoughts, however, he managed to weasel his way out of running buck-naked down a Philadelphia street when Obama won. It's cool to see this popular Black blogger sharing his thoughts on King's legacy with Al Jazeera. This blog was BBR #18 a year ago.
  10. Necole Bitchie: NecoleBitchie.com (Authority: 348 / Rank: 8,869) - [Entertainment] Necole is one of the few Black bloggers making a career from her blog. She shared some great monetizing tips at the Blogging While Brown conference last year. NecoleBitchie.com is one of the fastest growing urban celebrity blogs on the Internet. She is also sharing information on YouTube. However, not everyone is a fan. This blog was BBR #124 a year ago.
HONORABLE MENTION (11-25): AfroBella, Ill Doctrine, Sandra Rose, Womanist Musings, Crunk & Disorderly, Raw Dawg Buffalo, The Black Snob, Angry Black Bitch, Living Life Abundantly, Rod 2.0:Beta, The Angry Black Woman, Michelle Obama Watch, Why Does Everyone Suck?, How To Split An Atom and Electronic Village.

This ranking is open to any blogger of African descent. We invite all Black bloggers to apply for membership into The AfroSpear or join our Facebook group known as the Afrosphere Bloggers Association.

Black Blog Rankings lean heavily on the Technorati Authority and Rank score for each blog. The Technorati authority and rank numbers are shown in parenthesis. The authority figure includes a number of factors including the number of blogs that are linked to this blogger over the past six months. The rank number indicates how many blogs are between the one listed and The Huffington Post, which is the #1 overall blog in the universe.

We do think that these Black blogs are important spheres of influence. Let them know that you appreciate the work they have put in over the past few months and years to get on this list. I encourage all bloggers to provide some link-love to this post so that your readers can learn about the Villager's Black Blog Rankings! Next step is yours ... what say u?
Drumbeats began: 12:01 AM 14 Comments
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June 8, 2009

Top 10 Black Blogs (Jun 2009)


Hotep Villagers! I can't seem to get this monthly update posted on the 1st of the month any longer. But, the wait for the June 2009 Black Blog Rankings (BBR) is over.

I'm happy to report that we have 1,704 blogs in this month's rankings. Two new blogs (This is SOHH.com and Womanist Musings) enter into the Top 10 this month. Living Life Abundantly (BBR #13) and La Shawn Barber's Corner (BBR #14) dropped out of the Top 10.

Currently, we track 1,704 blogs ... up 45 from last month. One thing I noticed this month is that the overwhelming majority of Black-owned blogs have declining Technorati Authority scores. This means that we have less links to our blogs today than we did six months ago. Methinks that this is direct result of links related to the 2008 presidential election dropping from the mix.

We recognize that not every Black-owned & operated blog is on our current list and we are counting on you to let us know about any Black-owned and Black-operated blog that should be added to the BBR.

Without any further ado, here are the Top Ten Black Blogs for June 2009:

  1. Pam Spaulding: Pam's House Blend (Authority: 918 / Rank: 1,841) - [Politics] Pam's blog continues in the BBR #1 for the 12th month in a row. Pam is a leading voice in the LGBT community as evidenced by her recent Huffington Post commentary. She will be a presenter at the 2009 Blogging While Brown Conference later this month. This blog was BBR #2 in June 2008.

  2. Ahsmi Rawlins: Nah Right (Authority: 678 / Rank: 3,023) - [Entertainment] Ashmi (a.k.a., ESKAY) is the top-ranked gossip or entertainment blog on our list. In fact, Vibe.com recently named Nah Right as the 'The Best Rap Blog'. I'm still waiting on some villager to give me the 411 on his blog logo!?! I was born and raised on St. Andrews Place in Los Angeles so the irony intrigues me every time I log onto Nah Right. This blog was BBR #4 at this time last year.

  3. The Bossip: Bossip.com (Authority: 625 / Rank: 3,677) - [Entertainment] Moguldom Media Group, which owns Bossip, is run by Marve Frazier and the founder who seeks to keep her anonymity. So, I guess that I've finally figured out that The Bossip is a woman. One thing that I know for sure ... Gabrielle Union is pissed off at The Bossip. This blog was BBR #1 in June 2008.

  4. Felicia Palmer and Steven Samuel: This is SOHH.com (Authority: 592 / Rank: 3,677) - [Entertainment] SOHH stands for Support Online Hip Hop and is a blog based in Jersey City, NJ. SOHH.com is a destination site for fans of hip hop music. The site was created in 1997 as a more cost-effective information alternative to a monthly print publication called 4Control Media, which launched two years earlier. This blog was not ranked a year ago.

  5. Angel Laws: Concrete Loop (Authority: 504 / Rank: 4,702) - [Entertainment] Angel Laws is the 24-year old sister who who owns and operates popular entertainment blog. Her blogging history will be a compelling backstory for this presenter at the 2009 Blogging While Brown Conference later this month. Unfortunately, not everyone is a fan. SandraRose.com (BBR #20) showed her animosity in a recent blog post. Anyhow, Concrete Loop is a popular destination on MySpace. This blog was BBR #3 in June 2008.

  6. Natasha Eubanks: Young, Black & Fabulous (Authority: 439 / Rank: 5,725) - [Entertainment] Natasha Eubanks has been in the blogging game since July 2005. This 27-year old nubian from Alexandria, VA was called a blogger to watch by Newsweek. She also has a popular site on MySpace. This blog was BBR #6 a year ago.

  7. Oliver Willis: Oliver Willis (Authority: 401 / Rank: 6,446) - [Politics] Oliver recently shared his thoughts on the Republican Party in the Huffington Post. Oliver has developed some blogging enemies in the four years since he started his blog. But, whatever you think about him ... it is nice to have a non-entertainment blog in the BBR Top Ten! This blog was BBR #5 in June 2008.

  8. Baratunde Thurston and Cheryl Contee: Jack and Jill Politics (Authority: 382 / Rank: 6,988) - [Politics] Baratunde and Cheryl will share their unique Black bourgeoisie perspective on U.S. politics at the 2009 Blogging While Brown Conference later this month. Cheryl wasn't in Cairo for Obama's speech last week, however, she did follow him to Europe for the G-20 Summit in April. This blog recently expanded into other social networks such as Facebook. Does anyone know the backstory on the half-eaten watermelon that serves as their logo? This blog was BBR #9 at this time last year.

  9. Wayne Bennett: The Field Negro (Authority: 327 / Rank: 8,556) - [Social Commentary] Wayne is my favorite blogger, although I must admit that RiPPa is making a run for that title. This practicing attorney was born in Jamaica, however, he considers himself a citizen of the world. His blog is revolutionary in nature with no-holds barred commentary on the worlds of entertainment, sports, and politics. He operates on a blogspot.com platform and refuses to cross-promote on any other social network. This blog was BBR #14 in June 2008.

  10. Renee Martin: Womanist Musings (Authority: 322 / Rank: 8,747) - [Social Commentary] Rene proudly laid out her Womanist Manifesto in April 2008. Her blog has risen faster and farther than anyone else in the past year. Once you understand the passion that this Canadian mother of two possesses it is not surprising to see the success of her blog. She speaks her truth as a anti-racist woman of color. About the only thing that Renee is mistaken about his her review of the iconic television series, '24' ... but, that is a story for a different day! This blog was BBR #860 at this time last year.

This ranking is open to any blogger of African descent who owns/operates a blog. Villager's Black Blog Rankings lean heavily on the Technorati Authority and Rank score for each blog. The Technorati authority and rank numbers are shown in parenthesis. The authority figure includes a number of factors including the number of blogs that are linked to this blogger over the past six months. The rank number indicates how many blogs are between the one listed and The Huffington Post, which is the #1 overall blog in the universe.

We added clickable links to the Word version of the Villager's Black Blog Rankings. Let me know if you want a copy of the Word version. In the meantime, I would be interested to hear from you. Is it worth the effort to update this list each month?
Drumbeats began: 1:45 PM 10 Comments
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March 1, 2008

Top Ten Black Blogs (Mar 2008)


Have you ever wondered where you can find excellent bloggers of African descent out in the so-called afrosphere?

That was my question when I saw a list of so-called influential bloggers with no people of color included. Often, it appears that Black folks are only blogging about entertainment or hip-hop issues. I wondered if there were other Black-owned and operated blogs out there.

Today we announce the Villager's Black Blog Rankings (BBR) for March 2008 with over 850 blogs in the mix. We began tracking the Top Ten Black Blogs in September 2007 with only 75 blogs listed. The number of blogs on the list grew to 602 by the beginning of the year. Last month the BBR listed 751 Black blogs. Post a comment below if you are a Black Blogger interested in learning what your ranking is this month!

We need your help First, we hope other blogs link to us so that more blog readers are aware of the diversity of thought in the afrosphere. Second, we remain open to ideas and suggestions from all villagers on ways that this project can be more useful to you. Finally, I really want to create a nice button that folks can place on their own website or blog pointing folks to the Villager's Black Blog Ranking perhaps with a visual of a rhino on it. Any creative folks out there with ideas?

It is worth noting that On The Black Hand Side (BBR #238) is placing a wonderful spotlight on Black Bloggers with their '20 Questions With' interviews. This is outstanding opportunity to learn more about talented brothers and sisters that you see listed in the Villager's Black Blog Rankings.

Anyhow, with no further ado, here are the Top Ten Black Blogs for March 2008:

  1. The Bossip: Bossip.com (Authority: 1,217 / Rank: 1,887) - [Entertainment] Bossip.com holds down the BBR #1 slot for the second month in a row. It is worth noting that Bossip.com is the first Black blog that we've seen break into the top 2,000 blogs in the world ranking! Bossip.com is a fast growing urban-focused new media property that draws a loyal following of young and influential trend setters who are up to date with what’s hot in society. The Bossip relies on tips for photos, ideas and such. I encourage villagers to give 'em a tip that they are the #1 Black blog in the universe.

  2. Pam Spaulding: Pam's House Blend (Authority: 1,143 / Rank: 2,136) - [Politics] This is a prolific blog averaging over 110,000 hits per month. Last month, she discovered that some things are more important than blogging. Pam took time to share tips on growing your blog. She wrote, "Are there secrets to getting eyeballs? Hmmm. I don't think so, though having religious right nutcases calling you "a leading source of radical homosexual propaganda, anti-Christian bigotry, and radical transgender advocacy" probably helps. Seriously, there is no one suggestion to gain larger readership. It's luck, timing, and blogwhoring at other sites similar to yours to entice readers to take a peek at your stuff. Having your own "voice" that stands out as different as well as authentic and true to yourself helps a lot."

  3. Angel Laws: Concrete Loop* (Authority: 1,100 / Rank: 2,291) - [Entertainment] This is a Black celebrity entertainment blog with gossip, music, celebrity interviews, pictures and such. Angel Laws, a 23-year-old college student in Jacksonville, NC, started this blog as a hobby. It is now one of the top-ranked Black blogs in the world. Angel recently walked the red carpet herself. Last month, Angel collaborated with Love B. Scott (BBR #24), one of the fastest growing blogs on our list.

  4. ESKAY: Nah Right (Authority: 790 / Rank: 3,916) - [Entertainment] This is another Black blogger that is steadily moving up in the rankings. Some say that Nah Right is the most important East Coast hip-hop blog there is. There was a focus on eye candy when he began his blog in May 2005. The growth of his blog grew exponentially when he began to focus on music and entertainment. Are there any Nah Right fans out there?

  5. Fresh Crunkjuice: Crunk & Disorderly* (Authority: 713 / Rank: 4,646) - [Entertainment] This blog was created in August 2004, however, it didn't get serious until May 2005. This is an active entertainment blog that tackles the world of African American celebrity gossip. From Kanye West to the Reverend Al Sharpton, C&D takes no prisoners. This blog has admirers in some unusual places.

  6. Oliver Willis: Oliver Willis (Authority: 625 / Rank: 5,701) - [Politics] Oliver is a fan of the Washington Redskins. His blog alternates between posts on the NFL and presidential politics. Oliver has been taking flak about his views since he began his blog in April 2005. One thing I'll say about the brother ... he posts more times per day than anyone else on the list!

  7. Natasha Eubanks: Young, Black & Fabulous (Authority: 524 / Rank: 11,410) - [Entertainment] Natasha is a 25-year old law student in Washington DC. Her blog is one of the hottest Black celebrity gossip sites on the net. Natasha began blogging in June 2005 when there were few Black celebrity gossip blogs. Natasha says that her blog '...focuses on gossip, enteratinment journalism, fashion, fabulousness, and foolywang'. Can someone tell me what foolywang means?

  8. La Shawn Barber: La Shawn Barber's Corner (Authority: 507 / Rank: 8,181) - [Social Commentary] Formerly a political blogger, La Shawn writes about faith, culture, digital technology and, occasionally, how these three things intersect. She is a freelance writer and entrepreneur who consults with interested bloggers. Her blog began in Nov 2003. I 'met' Sis. Barber during NPR Blogger Roundtables that we did in Nov 2007 and Jan 2008.

  9. Jack Turner and Jill Tubman: Jack and Jill Politics* (Authority: 430 / Rank: 10,323) - [Politics] - We welcome this blog to the BBR Top 10 for the first time! J&JP offers a Black bourgeois perspective on American politics. The 2008 election cycle provides remarkable content choices for Jack (real name: Baratunde Thurston), Jill and other guest bloggers. This blog showed up as BBR #31 in Sep 2007 rankings and rose consistently for the past six months. I strongly encourage all villagers to take a moment and check out this insightful blog!

  10. Gina McCauley: What About Our Daughters* (Authority: 382 / Rank: ) - [Social Commentary] This blog was created by a sister who believes that now is the time for organized action to combat the destructive portrayals of Black women in popular culture. 2007 was a remarkable year for this blogger. Sis. McCauley was named one of the 25 most influential African Americans by Essence Magazine.

HONORABLE MENTION (11-25): Afro Bella*, The Field Negro*, Young, Black, and Fabulous (blogspot version), How To Split An Atom, Entre mes Lignes, Rod 2.0:Beta, Real Talk NY Provides The Latest Hip Hop News*, Keith Boynkin*, Ill Doctrine, Sandra Rose, A Hot Mess!, Darla Mack News & Reviews, Clutch Magazine*, Love B. Scott* and Republic of T

The only qualification is that the blogger needs to be of African descent. The blogger does not have to be a member of The AfroSpear or the Afrosphere Bloggers Association, although we invite all Black bloggers to join either (or both) of those organizations.

Those blogs with an asterisk after their name are 2007 Black Weblog Award winners. This is the final month that we will be recognizing the 2007 winners. Next month we will use the asterisk to let you know which of these leading bloggers are members of The AfroSpear.

Black Blog Rankings lean heavily on the Technorati Authority and Rank score for each blog. The Technorati authority and rank numbers are shown in parenthesis. The authority figure includes a number of factors including the number of blogs that are linked to this blogger over the past six months. The rank number indicates how many blogs are between the person listed and the #1 ranked blog in the world.

We do think that these Black blogs are important spheres of influence. Let them know that you appreciate the work they have put in over the past few months and years to get on this list. My vision is that many of the brothers and sisters on this month's BBR will join us later this year at the Blogging While Brown conference in Atlanta, GA on July 25-27, 2008.

Finally, I encourage you to provide some link-love to this post so that others can learn about the Villager's Black Blog Rankings! Next step is yours ... what say u?
Drumbeats began: 12:01 AM 54 Comments
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April 1, 2008

Top Ten Black Blogs (Apr 2008)


I continue to be amazed at the growing number of Black-owned & operated blogs out in the afrosphere. Many of you recall how perturbed I was last year when I saw a list of so-called influential bloggers with no people of color included. Frack it (as us Battlestar Galactica fans are known to say) ... if others won't give props to Black-owned & operated blogs ... then we must do it for ourselves.

Today we announce the Villager's Black Blog Rankings (BBR) for April 2008 with 1,045 blogs in the mix. We began tracking the Top Ten Black Blogs in September 2007 with only 75 blogs listed. The number of blogs on the list grew to 602 by the beginning of the year. Last month the BBR had 850 Black blogs on it.

We have no idea where this ranking will take us. However, Prometheus 6 (BBR #44) sat down with me over a pizza and Sam Adams beer in New Jersey last week and I anticipate that there will be some new twists and turns over the next 30 days. In the meantime, I encourage you to post a comment below if you are a Black Blogger interested in supporting our efforts in some manner this month!

We need your help! First, please share a link to this post so that your blog readers can learn about the diversity of thought and talent in the afrosphere. Second, we still need one of you to be creative and help us create a nice button or banner that folks can place on their own website or blog pointing folks to the Villager's Black Blog Ranking (perhaps with a visual of a rhino on it). Any creative folks out there with ideas?

Finally, I encourage you to visit Vanessa's On The Black Hand Side (BBR #286) as she shares more insightful details and nuances from Black Bloggers with her '20 Questions With' interviews. This is outstanding opportunity to learn more about talented brothers and sisters that you see listed in the Villager's Black Blog Rankings.

Anyhow, with no further ado, here are the Top Ten Black Blogs for April 2008:

  1. The Bossip: Bossip.com (Authority: 1,194 / Rank: 1,962) - [Entertainment] Bossip.com holds down the BBR #1 slot for the third month in a row. It is worth noting that Bossip.com is the first Black blog that we've seen break into the top 2,000 blogs in the world ranking! Bossip.com is a fast growing urban-focused new media property that draws a loyal following of young and influential trend setters who are up to date with what’s hot in society. Top tags for this blog appear to be Quote of the Day and Fill In The Blank. I encourage villagers to give 'em a tip that they are the #1 Black blog in the universe.

  2. Pam Spaulding: Pam's House Blend (Authority: 1,163 / Rank: 2,057) - [Politics] This is a prolific blog averaging over 110,000 hits per month. Top tags for this blog appear to be Race, Politics, Feminism, Gay and Lesbian. Pam participated in the Take Over America conference with some candid comments on what we can expect for bloggers and blogging after the 2008 election cycle is over.

  3. Angel Laws: Concrete Loop (Authority: 1,036 / Rank: 2,519) - [Entertainment] This is a Black celebrity entertainment blog with gossip, music, celebrity interviews, pictures and such. Angel Laws, a 23-year-old college student in Jacksonville, NC, started this blog as a hobby. Top tags for this blog are Candids, New Music Review and Brian's Music Posts. OK, I'll bite ... who is 'Brian'?

  4. ESKAY: Nah Right (Authority: 787 / Rank: 3,938) - [Entertainment] This is another Black blogger that is steadily moving up in the rankings. Personally, I like the eye candy that has been on this blog since it started in May 2005. However, the top tags for the blog right now are Miscellaneous, Music and Movies. Are there any Nah Right fans out there?

  5. Oliver Willis: Oliver Willis (Authority: 633 / Rank: 5,608) - [Politics] Oliver moved into the Top 5 this month! Oliver has been taking flak about his views since he began his blog in April 2005, however, I hope that he will visit our Electronic Village and leave a message at some point as he moves up the list. I guess he's mad that I took the New York Giants in the Super Bowl (seeing as Oliver is a manic Redskins fan)! Anyhow, his top blog tags are 2008 election, conservatives and republicans.

  6. Fresh Crunkjuice: Crunk & Disorderly* (Authority: 626 / Rank: 5,691) - [Entertainment] This gossip blog was created in August 2004. Recently, Fresh Crunkjuice decided to make the move from a Blogger.com site to one that he owns himself, so we anticipate that this entry will begin to fall down the ranking as the readers move over to the newer blog. This blog has admirers in some unusual places. The top tags are 'Finally Some Good News' and 'Why Must I Cry?'

  7. Natasha Eubanks: Young, Black & Fabulous (Authority: 603 / Rank: 6,020) - [Entertainment] Natasha is a 25-year old law student in Washington DC. Her blog has been one of the hottest Black celebrity gossip sites on the net since it was created in June 2005. I hope that I have a chance to meet Sis. Eubanks when I travel to Washington DC later this year! Top tags on her blog are Candids, Parties and Rumor Control

  8. La Shawn Barber: La Shawn Barber's Corner (Authority: 486 / Rank: 8,705) - [Social Commentary] La Shawn continues her transition from being a political blogger. Her blog, born in Nov 2003, now writes about faith, culture, digital technology and, occasionally, how these three things intersect. Sis. Barber is an entrepreneur who consults with interested bloggers. I 'met' Sis. Barber during NPR Blogger Roundtables that we did in Nov 2007 and Jan 2008. Top tags on her blog are Faith, Pop Culture and Technology.

  9. Jack Turner and Jill Tubman: Jack and Jill Politics* (Authority: 471 / Rank: 9,111) - [Politics] - JJP offers a Black bourgeois perspective on American politics. This is a blog that posts multiple times per day with some unique and accurate analysis of the 2008 election cycle. This is one of the fastest moving blogs in our rankings ... they moved from BBR #31 in Sep 2007 rankings to current BBR #9. Top tags for this blog are 2008 Democratic Primary, Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. This is one of three daily reads for me here in the Top 10!

  10. Wayne Bennett: The Field Negro* (Authority: 380 / Rank: 12,092) - [Social Commentary] I should start by saying that I'm not an unbiased observer. In my view, this is the best blog ever written. Period. The Los Angeles Times said it better than me when they interviewed Field last year. Simply stated, I think that you should read this blog every day. Period. NPR News & Notes recently included Field on their blogger roundtable to discuss Obama's Farrakhan Dilemma. Top tags on this blog are Barack Obama, Pursuit of Happiness and Killadelphia.
The only qualification is that the blogger needs to be of African descent. The blogger does not have to be a member of The AfroSpear or the Afrosphere Bloggers Association, although we invite all Black bloggers to join either (or both) of those organizations.

Those blogs with an asterisk after their name are members of The AfroSpear.

Black Blog Rankings lean heavily on the Technorati Authority and Rank score for each blog. The Technorati authority and rank numbers are shown in parenthesis. The authority figure includes a number of factors including the number of blogs that are linked to this blogger over the past six months. The rank number indicates how many blogs are between the person listed and the #1 ranked blog in the world.

We do think that these Black blogs are important spheres of influence. Let them know that you appreciate the work they have put in over the past few months and years to get on this list. My vision is that many of the brothers and sisters on this month's BBR will join us later this year at the Blogging While Brown conference in Atlanta, GA on July 25-27, 2008.

Finally, I encourage you to provide some link-love to this post so that others can learn about the Villager's Black Blog Rankings! Next step is yours ... what say u?
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