Mark Braboy

Back at it with the Sun Times! I FINALLY got the opportunity to write about FKA Twigs magnificent “Body High” tour at Wintrust Arena. Last year’s “Eusexua” tour was really cool, but “Body High” was for the ages! She really is a once in a generation star. No exaggeration. Go read it!

Link in bio, fam!

Last weekend, I was one one of the many Black journalists and photographers who documented history. Rev. Jesse Jackson’s Homegoing was exactly that. A Homegoing of the ages. The man had his footprint in everything from culture, politics, business, and beyond. For two days, people gathered from all over the world to day their goodbye. I wrote about it for and spoke to people from across the Black diaspora about his impact. And I spoke to the great Rev. William Barber, who was arrested with Jesse a few years ago, and again recently with his son Johnathan Jackson.

His funeral is also a lesson in why showing up matters. I learned that people really do care when you show up for them. Even in the smallest ways, they’ll appreciate your presence, even when you don’t think you matter. It matters. You don’t get big funerals when you isolate yourself.

This was also a moment when I had to take Jesse’s words and remind myself that I Am Somebody. Journalism really does a good job in making you feel like you’re nobody. Your peers don’t respect you. Opportunities are scarce. You’re always overlooked, overwhelmed, underpaid, and disregarded. And the people you look at wouldn’t care less if you lived or died. People don’t know what people really have to overcome behind the scenes. That’s why you gotta block out the noise and remember that you ARE somebody. That’s why you DO matter, regardless of your circumstances.

And I matter. My words, my voice, my photos…I matter regardless of how little people may think about me. I matter, and I make a difference in my city. And I AM SOMEBODY!

And you are too. You matter too. You are somebody. Link in bio for the story, fam!

We’re back ladies and gentlemen! Rolling out the red carpet for one of Chicago’s hottest R&B newcomers ! Her and I had a great conversation for the . After years of putting in work, she’s finally coming out on her own after release her debut project “A Girl Like Me”. You should check it out!

She’s also having her debut show at Shubas tomorrow and if you’re from the crib you should go. All the beautiful R&B girls are gonna be there! Watch out, the ladies of Chicago are taking over! Get in tune!

Link in bio, fam!

Happy Sunday, folks!

You’ve probably read a million and one essays about Yeezy from a bunch of different people. Well, read one from an actual Chicagoan from the same neighborhood who’s ALSO a Gemini and overcomes self-inflicted obstacles like nobody’s business too!

For I gave my take on our boy Ye and his latest attempt at win back his empire and the people who left him behind. I read a lot of valuable takes about the apology ad he bought in the Wall Street Journal and the ad itself. I took away some valuable perspective. After learning about the brain injury he suffered from the car crash it made me put his whole career after that in perspective.

But then i wonder…where exactly is the line between reckless behavior due to mental illness vs. general malignancy? And who exactly is the real Kanye West? Mania is one thing. But it’s complicated when engaging in bigoted, anti Black, and misogynistic behavior. Mind you, he avoided detailing where all of that came from in the first place. Also, I don’t recall mental illness provoking one to engage in behavior that leads to leads to sexual assault accusations. Nor bigotry. And his actions continues to have long lasting effects like that cursed song “HH”, and enabling a new generation of young racists and bigots like he did with young creatives in Chicago.

Im not here to judge whether you personally choose to listen to his new music because it’s an individual decision. But I gotta call it like how I see it, regardless. 2026 is the year of the truth tellers and there will be no quarter for nobody in music. We telling the truth and speaking our minds this year! And best believe, if I don’t believe in it, it ain’t getting wrote. Lying on my pen or writing something I don’t believe in is like lying to God.

Link in bio, fam! Enjoy…or cry or whatever. Thank you!

Future Grammy winners. Concert stills I never published. These are a couple of the greatest shows Ive seen in 2025. Trying to get my confidence back, basically. And I’m working on visibility for the big bucks!

Support my work if you can, to keep the art going. $MarkBraboy. Thank you!

1. Leon Thomas
2. G Herbo
3. Rico Nasty
4. Earl Sweatshirt
5. Chance The Rapper
6. Monaleo

I haven’t posted my writing on here so long that people was really asking if I was still writing. And best believe I’m still at it. I just had a lot of severe losses, failures, setbacks, fake opportunities and lies, and mental health struggles I’ve been battling in private. I’ve been in a real dark place and I’d like to thank everyone who’s reached out to me over the past year until recently who asked if I was doing ok. I appreciate you all. And if I failed you this year, I apologize from the bottom of my heart. I’m holding myself accountable. Im going to do better and be better for myself and the people who value my life and my humanity, and the people who believe(d) in my words and photos. Im picking up all the pieces and putting myself back together again and repairing bridges.

No more sob stories, though because here’s a more dire situation happening in our schools! I spoke to experts educators, and parents about the incident that happened at Orville Elementary in Chicago for EBONY. Bullying has gotten darker amongst the youth it’s all trickling down from the culture led by adults and the parents themselves. If you’re a parent, teacher, aunt or uncle, or just deal with kids in general, I want you to read and share this with someone you love because this is an ongoing issue at many schools across the country, beyond color lines.

Also, here’s a 2025 “recap-ish” of all my other latest stuff and writing I never posted last year. Some of these were legendary in my eyes. And there’s one or two other projects from 2025 I’m still working on. But I wanted to catch you guys up on everything I’ve been doing with journalism. Photos are next because again….people still front as if im not a real photographer, but meh.

If you wanna support me and my work, share it. Speak my name in one of those rooms you’re in (even if it isn’t journalism). And hit my CashApp $MarkBraboy because my work is sourced and created independently with very little (if any) recourses from the outlets I contribute to. Whatever you can spare will add up and help more than you realize. DM me if you prefer other money apps like Zelle or any other alternative.

All links in bio, fam!

2025 Vertical Portraits. Honoring the Black blogging/vlogging, and content creation community in Chicago. The independent game. The new storytellers and entertainers pushing Chicago culture forward.

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2025 Vertical portraits. Hip Hop edition. The faves. Im dumping the vault.

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