EBONY Magazine Feature - BLACK COOL

Black Cool - For the first time ever, Ebony mag will present eight covers to celebrate the 25 coolest Black men of all time.<BR><BR>Jay-Z, Barack Obama, Prince, Samuel L. Jackson, Denzel Washington, Marvin Gaye, Muhammad Ali and Billy Dee Williams take center stage as they personify Black cool.

1 / 9

Black Cool - For the first time ever, Ebony mag will present eight covers to celebrate the 25 coolest Black men of all time.<BR><BR>Jay-Z, Barack Obama, Prince, Samuel L. Jackson, Denzel Washington, Marvin Gaye, Muhammad Ali and Billy Dee Williams take center stage as they personify Black cool.

What Makes&lt;BR&gt;Barack Cool: - That a Brother is running for president of the United States and being embraced by millions of people for who he is. That’s cool. That he has boldly stepped up, all the while remembering the shoulders on which he stands. Cool.

2 / 9

What Makes<BR>Barack Cool: - That a Brother is running for president of the United States and being embraced by millions of people for who he is. That’s cool. That he has boldly stepped up, all the while remembering the shoulders on which he stands. Cool.

Snoop Dogg - Interrupting a rapper's performance is never a good idea. A Seattle fan found out the hard way when he jumped onstage and was beaten up by Snoop's entourage. He later sued Snoop, but the Dogfather was cleared of all charges.

3 / 9

What Makes<BR>Snoop Cool: - Now some might argue that a skinny man named Cordozar Calvin Broadus Jr., who wears his hair in braids, could hardly be cool. But close your eyes and listen. His words drip with cool like water off an icicle. It’s all in the voice.

What Makes&lt;BR&gt;Denzel Cool: - Forget his smooth looks and persona; what makes Denzel Washington cool is the way he walks. Nearly all cool Black men have a swagger, but only Denzel could make strutting down the street in a zoot suit or wife-beater look equally cool.

4 / 9

What Makes<BR>Denzel Cool: - Forget his smooth looks and persona; what makes Denzel Washington cool is the way he walks. Nearly all cool Black men have a swagger, but only Denzel could make strutting down the street in a zoot suit or wife-beater look equally cool.

What Makes&lt;BR&gt;Jay-Z Cool: - Shawn Carter didn’t start out the cool kid, but he knew how to hustle and eventually it paid off. He proved you don’t have to be “pretty” or the most athletic to get the hot chick, hot house or own the hot NBA team. For Jay, money IS the great equalizer. Cool.

5 / 9

What Makes<BR>Jay-Z Cool: - Shawn Carter didn’t start out the cool kid, but he knew how to hustle and eventually it paid off. He proved you don’t have to be “pretty” or the most athletic to get the hot chick, hot house or own the hot NBA team. For Jay, money IS the great equalizer. Cool.

ADVERTISEMENT
What Makes&lt;BR&gt;Tupac Cool: - While the New York-born rapper promoted a thug image, Tupac Amaru Shakur’s unique sound and lyrics were so supportive of and endearing to Black women that even 50-yearold mothers thought he was cool.

6 / 9

What Makes<BR>Tupac Cool: - While the New York-born rapper promoted a thug image, Tupac Amaru Shakur’s unique sound and lyrics were so supportive of and endearing to Black women that even 50-yearold mothers thought he was cool.

What Makes&lt;BR&gt;Ali Cool: - When you can boast in rhyme and back it up, that’s cool. When you’re the creative architect who introduces a new dimension to tradition with the “Ali Shuffle” then goes on to “float like a butterfly and sting like a bee,” that’s cool.

7 / 9

What Makes<BR>Ali Cool: - When you can boast in rhyme and back it up, that’s cool. When you’re the creative architect who introduces a new dimension to tradition with the “Ali Shuffle” then goes on to “float like a butterfly and sting like a bee,” that’s cool.

What Makes&lt;BR&gt;Prince Cool: - Everything about him. The way he glides across the stage. How he sensuously strums his many guitars. The range of that distinctive voice that makes doves cry, rain purple, women swoon and men wish they had what he has. Cool.

8 / 9

What Makes<BR>Prince Cool: - Everything about him. The way he glides across the stage. How he sensuously strums his many guitars. The range of that distinctive voice that makes doves cry, rain purple, women swoon and men wish they had what he has. Cool.

What Makes&lt;BR&gt;Michael Cool: - They called him Money for his uncanny ability to produce. As the star of the Chicago Bulls for more than a decade, Jordan epitomized greatness. He made it cool to be bald. He made everyone, from Brooklyn to Bel Air, want to be like Mike.

9 / 9

What Makes<BR>Michael Cool: - They called him Money for his uncanny ability to produce. As the star of the Chicago Bulls for more than a decade, Jordan epitomized greatness. He made it cool to be bald. He made everyone, from Brooklyn to Bel Air, want to be like Mike.