articles

avant-garde art, japanese baseball history, music-as-software, copyright hacking cops, democracy, mental health

Here are a few pieces I've written recently. Most work is at VICE, LA Times, though I've also done some work for Guardian, Al Jazeera, and others.

If you want to check more, see here for a general portfolio, here for my stuff at Vice News, or here for old work at LA Times.

society and interviews

George Floyd’s Brother Can’t Mourn. He’s Too Busy Fighting.
“I realized that my brother died probably like six months after he had already passed, because I’ve never really had that time to sit there,” Philonise Floyd told VICE News.
VICEDexter Thomas

there's an aside about Nintendo in here that I had to include

‘Over Time the Trust Will Come’: An Exclusive Interview With TikTok’s CEO
A few weeks ago, Shou Zi Chew sat down with WIRED to tell us how he’s trying to make TikTok better. Is the company’s CEO for real—or just a really good politician?
WIREDCondé Nast

in which TikTok's PR tries to argue with me mid-interview

“Voodoo wrestling” is a real thing and it’s empowering women in the Congo
Catch Fétiche — loosely translated, “voodoo wrestling” — is a uniquely Congolese fighting style: a combination of traditional African wrestling moves, old religious practices, and one man’s obsession with Hulk Hogan.
VICEDexter Thomas

you can also watch the full documentary here

art and technology and money

While other pop stars make albums, Kanye is making entertainment software
You will probably never again own a new album by Kanye West. But if it makes you feel better, you ca
Los Angeles TimesDexter Thomas
What the Art World Doesn’t Want You to Know About Yayoi Kusama
A new publication tries hard to reinvent Kusama as a champion of racial equity despite her troubling record of anti-Black statements.
HyperallergicDexter Thomas

an exploration of what money did to Kanye West and Japan's best-selling female artist

global business

This fake sneaker king’s operation made millions on Reddit. Then it all fell apart.
Here’s how one former med student started a successful fake operation on Reddit from the comfort of his own home.
VICEDexter Thomas

includes a link to a short minidoc about the guy in the photo.

japanese sports

The Japanese pro wrestler who almost got Muhammad Ali’s leg amputated
Los Angeles TimesDexter Thomas

a wild ride through a history most Americans don't remember, but that changed Japanese sport forever

The Secret History Of Black Baseball Players In Japan
Decades before Jackie Robinson broke American baseball’s color line, a long-standing camaraderie between black and Japanese players would shape the future of baseball in Japan.
NPRDexter Thomas

11 years before Jackie Robinson, Tokyo had a black pitcher. The story gets weirder from there.

music criticism

The Japan – Soul Train Connection
Part 1: The Three Degrees in Japan
Mediumdex digital

a three-part series, including a mention of Japan's influence on US hip-hop.

Prince, Michael Jackson and James Brown on stage together was a moment we didn’t deserve
Los Angeles TimesDexter Thomas

I wrote about having to call my dad when Prince died.

race and technology

Perspective: Being black is exhausting, and here’s why
For many black Americans, watching black people die on camera feels like a job.
Los Angeles TimesDexter Thomas

not much else to say here.

Every time a black person is killed by police, Americans search for Chris Rock
Every time black people are shot by the police, Americans start Googling for a Chris Rock skit about police brutality.
Los Angeles TimesDexter Thomas

the data doesn't lie.

i'm just glad i got to write this

On Like Donkey Kong: Super Nintendo vs Hip-Hop
Famed video game composer David Wise reacts to being sampled by Drake and Childish Gambino
Cuepointdex digital

this has been referenced in a ton of YouTube videos