Will Dukes

Kerala, New York

Freelance Writer at Stereogum

Freelance Writer at Pitchfork

Articles

'Sinners' Is Fun as Hell, But It Tells Some Hard Truths

6 days ago | esquire.com | Will Dukes

Sure, Ryan Coogler's new spooker, Sinners, is fun, creepy, and nail-bitingly tense. But since this is a Coogler film, the dialogue is straight-up hilarious. There's a wicked scene where Michael B. Jordan's Smoke, one half of twins named Smoke and Stack—colorful bruisers in 1930s Ole Miss—shoots a comrade. The man's retort to a post-bullet courtesy is, "I was doing better before you shot me in the ass!"In Sinners, out today, Jordan plays both of the Smokestack siblings, believe it or not.
Lil Durk's Sleepy Prison Opus ‘Deep Thoughts'

3 weeks ago | msn.com | Will Dukes

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Lil Durk's Sleepy Prison Opus 'Deep Thoughts'

3 weeks ago | rollingstone.com | Will Dukes

March 31, 2025 Gunner Stahl* Say what you will about Lil Durk, but understand upfront that he’s all about a vibe: whether bucking lyrical shots or crooning a love song, the drill innovator makes moody, hypnotic songs that relate like one relentless, sinuous trance. Almost always, we’re game for being seduced by Durk’s melodic turn-ups. But when the languid-to-somber ratios on his albums began to predominate, listening sometimes felt like a chore, despite the self-care sentiments the Chiraq...
Lil Durk’s Sleepy Prison Opus ‘Deep Thoughts’

3 weeks ago | yahoo.com | Will Dukes

Say what you will about Lil Durk, but understand upfront that he’s all about a vibe: Whether bucking lyrical shots or crooning a love song, the drill innovator makes moody, hypnotic songs that relate like one relentless, sinuous trance. Almost always, we’re game for being seduced by Durk’s melodic turnups.
Vibes and Stuff

1 month ago | willdukes.substack.com | Will Dukes

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Sly Stone's Genius Was and Still Is Liberating

1 month ago | willdukes.substack.com | Will Dukes

What's the true merit of genius these days? Is it telling that that's even a question? (Something feels fleeting or ephemeral about genius.) If you're so smart, why can't you manage to stick around? If you're a Black genius—isn't that a (disheartening) minority within a minority? Enter Sly Lives! (aka the Burden of Black Genius), Questlove's inventive new Sly Stone documentary.
'Lupin' and Scandalous Code-Switching

Oct 10, 2023 | willdukes.substack.com | Will Dukes

Jay-Z said, “I’ll tell you half the story, the rest you fill it in/Long as the villain win.” And Lupin, which I just binged this past Sunday, seconds that suspenseful (and cheerfully transgressive promise: the “chapters” are fetching enough to make you feel like a co-author. Why do we even want villains to win? Because, when rendered correctly, with the appropriate nuance (as are Reasonable Doubt's version of Hov and Lupin's Teflon Assane Diop), they mimic our hidden rebellious underpinnings.
Drug Dealers Anonymous

Sep 30, 2023 | willdukes.substack.com | Will Dukes

Addiction is straight-up oppressive. I haven’t gotten around to reading Infinite Jest yet. But I know David Foster Wallace continually addressed the topic in his writing. In his essays, he talked about how maybe sewing is better than taking drugs. And perhaps TV is better than shooting H. Everyone is, of course, addicted to the news cycle/timeline. And, I guess, if seeing Trump get read the riot act gets us off, then that can’t be so bad, right?
They Tried Again, Outside in Cedar Park

Aug 29, 2023 | willdukes.substack.com | Will Dukes

It’s difficult to meditate in a landmark as iconic as Cedar Park. So much history pulsing through those trees and storied slabs of concrete. Not saying that I was all Woosah-ready tonight when I visited that early go-to for early hip-hop shows—just 20 minutes or so from my apartment. It had been a taxing day.
MC Lyte: 'Everyone Finally Understands How Important it Is to Have Women Rockin' on the Mic'

Aug 9, 2023 | rollingstone.com | Will Dukes

HIP-HOP WAS BORN IN THE BRONX in the summer of 1973. To celebrate the music’s 50th anniversary, “Rolling Stone” will be publishing a series of features, historical pieces, op-eds, and lists throughout this year. MC Lyte has been grinding since 1987, first as powerhouse MC during rap’s golden age, then as an actor, radio personality, and entrepreneur, among other pursuits.