Earlier this month, Besa Gordon, host of Back2Besa, jumped on a plane and flew to the heart of Spokane for the You Oughta Know Panel held at the Washington Cracker Building for an enlightening discussion on media etiquette and professionalism. The event was curated by Ryker and aimed to provide local artists with essential tools for navigating the media landscape.

Accountability and change will need to come for the Seattle Kraken following their 5-1 home loss to the Montreal Canadiens, as their losing streak pushed to eight-games and many are questioning the teams effort and ability as their third season in franchise history is coming to a close.

The Seattle Kraken, nearing the end of their third season in franchise history, have hit another low point as they won't make the playoffs this year and they're currently on an eight-game losing streak. The most recent defeat comes at the hands of the Montreal Canadiens, a 5-1 result that Seattle was never truly in.

Recently, KD Hall, an entrepreneur, filmmaker, founder of The KD Hall Foundation, and now host of her new talk show, Conversations with KD Hall, joined Trae Holiday on The Day With Trae. In this segment, Hall discussed her path to creating this empowering talk show, shed light on the mission of her foundation, and shared her aspirations for the legacy she hopes to leave behind.

Earlier this month, Besa Gordon was flown to Spokane for the You Oughta Know panel put on by Ryker, who also happens to manage friend to the show, Oble Reed. This panel featured the likes of, Inlander music editor Seth Sommerfeld, the Executive Director of the Pacific Northwest Recording Academy, Jessica Toon, regional Hip-Hop Artist Jang The Goon, and of course, yours truly, as the conversion was moderated by Co-Founder of Spokast Brennon Poynor. This installment of You Oughta Know was the final of a six-series panel, and our topic was Media Professionalism and Etiquette. They talked about how to be yourself in any room you’re in, how to use social media to build your tribe, and how to reach out to media outlets to get your music heard.

Written by - Besa Gordon: Seattle's vibrant art scene was on full display at the recent 8th edition of The Still In Our Feels showcase, held at AXIS Pioneer Square. As I stepped into the event, I was immediately immersed in a sea of creativity, surrounded by local artists, performers, and enthusiasts alike. This eighth edition of The Still In Our Feels Showcase brought together diverse talent from across the greater Seattle area, offering a platform for emerging and established artists to showcase their work.

In the first ever Spring Breakout game for both our Seattle Mariners and the San Diego Padres, it was the Padres' prospects who were able to outslug the Mariners in an offensive display between the two teams. With the young futures of each team showing out after this game was postponed from last week, both offenses put on a hitting clinic.

Earlier this week on The Day With Trae, Chelsey Richardson joined host Trae Holiday to share her journey as both a poet and a writer and her dedication to imparting her passion to the next generation through teaching. Additionally, Richardson discussed the eagerly anticipated rerelease of her book, All Water Has Perfect Memory.

It’s that time of year when we’re all anticipating the start of baseball season, which also means it’s time to talk about the new foods hitting T-Mobile Park this season. Yesterday, the Seattle Mariners announced their new food and beverage offerings for the 2024 season ahead of Opening Day, which is Thursday, March 28th. While there, I caught up with T-Mobile Park’s Executive Chef, Chef Javier Rosa, to get the deets on this season’s food additions and how he picked each item. I also asked Chef which food I should try first and he happily told me to try them all, and pace myself, so… That’s exactly what I did. Below is a list of my favorite added items added to the ballpark this 2024 season:

Recently, in keeping with the theme of powerful women, host Trae Holiday featured Marie T Kidhe, the managing principal at RieImagine Solutions, on The Day With Trae. With a track record as an intrapreneur spanning over six years, Kidhe offered insight into business ownership, collaboration, and what it means to be a leader throughout the segment.

With a new year comes new food options for Seattle Mariners fans that are coming to T-Mobile Park, as patrons can expect a great lineup out on the concourse to cure their hunger like the strong lineup that appears to be ready to rock the stadium all year long on the diamond.

This week on The Day with Trae, host Trae Holiday welcomed guest Menopause Mentor Danyale Thomas for another segment. In this segment, the two dive into practical strategies for managing the more challenging symptoms of menopause, spotlighting one of the more prominent and disruptive symptoms, hot flashes.

General Director Christina Scheppelmann announced today the appointment of bass Kenneth Kellogg as Seattle Opera’s inaugural Artistic Ambassador. Kellogg, who recently completed a triumphant run as Malcolm X in X: The Life and Times of Malcolm X, takes over for Naomi André, who concludes her impactful five-year term as Seattle Opera’s first Scholar-in-Residence at the end of the 2023/24 season. Kellogg begins in the role in May 2024.

Rise Above, an organization dedicated to empowering Native American children by providing various sports events, cultural activities, and mentorship programs, recently held one of its basketball clinics at the Nisqually Youth Center in Olympia as part of its ongoing efforts to provide youth outreach for Native communities throughout the United States.

The Iconic Sonics podcast and Converge Media recently teamed up for a special City Edition episode featuring Sonics legend and NBA Head Coach Nate McMillan. Hosted by Converge Media Co-Founder Omari Salisbury, the episode was taped inside Converge’s Black Media Matters Studio.

Local vocal tour de force Caela Bailey recently celebrated her birthday in the most EXTRA way possible! Caela's first official Gutter Queen production featured eight of her favorite burlesque performers, including Converge's own TDUB, aka TAQUEET$. These performers brought their most extra acts, and they did not disappoint.

While in Seattle, not only did Bay Area rapper Kamaiyah perform at a sold-out show (at Nectar Lounge), but she also stopped by the Black Media Matters studio for an interview with Besa Gordon. They talked about everything from new music to Kamaiyah's return to the Bay Area.

In honor of Women's History Month, Alesha Washington, President and CEO of the Seattle Foundation, joined host Trae Holiday on The Day With Trae's "Winning Women's Wednesday." Established in 1946, The Seattle Foundation is one of the largest community foundations in the United States. With an extensive range of work, from connecting donors with nonprofits and community organizations to supplying grants to address various social and economic issues in the Pacific Northwest, the foundation is focused on providing equitable opportunities in Seattle. 

Amidst today's daunting challenges, RiseAbove shines as a beacon of hope for Native American youth. At a recent event in Olympia's Nisqually Youth Center, former NBA player Chris Herren shared his journey of overcoming addiction to inspire a different path. Joined by notable figures like Governor Jay Inslee and Sonics legends Lenny Wilkens and George Karl, RiseAbove founder Jaci McCormick showcased the organization's mission: to provide youths with tools for personal development through sports and mentorship. With over 1,300 youths served nationwide in January alone, RiseAbove's commitment to reshaping the narrative for Native youth is undeniable.

The Feels Foundation held its annual art showcase, Still In Our Feels, at AXIS Pioneer Square to celebrate culturally diverse emerging artists from the Greater Seattle Area and beyond. In its 8th year, the showcase left our very own Besa Gordon, host of Back2Besa, in awe of the talent displayed all over the space.