“Noir & Blanc Part 3”: Jamal Roberts Continues to Define Southern Artistry in Laurel, Mississippi
Part 3 of Noir & Blanc, the ongoing creative series featuring Jamal Roberts, returns with fresh eyes on the artist’s evolving role in shaping the cultural narrative of Laurel, Mississippi. With this chapter, the work continues to blend performance, identity, and visual storytelling in a way that reflects not just the aesthetic contrast of “black and white,” but the deeper social and emotional contrasts that exist in small-town Southern life.
Jamal Roberts, known locally for his involvement in community arts and expression, brings to the screen a layered presence. Whether he is dancing, narrating, or simply moving through carefully composed shots of downtown Laurel, his performance carries a quiet intensity. He doesn’t push the camera to look at him—he simply exists within the scene, drawing the viewer in through stillness and intention. There’s no forced drama, no inflated monologue—just real presence.
In Part 3, the direction leans even more into minimalism. We see wide-angle shots of abandoned train tracks, fading store signs, and worn-down porches—places that feel forgotten, but are still full of life. Roberts appears in these spaces not to decorate them, but to reclaim them. His movement is deliberate, sometimes walking, sometimes in motion, sometimes standing still. Each frame lingers just long enough to suggest the weight of history, but not so long as to explain it away.
The soundtrack, though sparse, complements this rhythm. It may not be a full musical performance, but the sound design—a mix of ambient tones, soft jazz elements, and street noise—grounds the piece in Laurel’s everyday soundscape. It’s not flashy, and it’s not trying to be. It’s authentic, and it lets the visuals breathe.
What stands out in Noir & Blanc is that it never forgets its location. Laurel, Mississippi, often only seen on HGTV or in passing historical references, becomes more than a backdrop here. It is treated as a character of its own: weathered, proud, and complex. Roberts’ decision to keep the series grounded in this town is clearly intentional. There’s a story here that’s personal—not in the biographical sense, but in the emotional and visual language used.
Audience reactions—especially online—have been quietly growing with each release. Part 3 doesn’t dramatically shift the tone or pacing from its earlier entries, and that’s a strength. It shows confidence in the concept. Those watching aren’t being offered spectacle. They’re being invited into reflection.
And in that way, Noir & Blanc continues to resist easy categorization. It’s not a music video. It’s not a documentary. It’s not a performance clip in the traditional sense. It’s something in between—and it’s purposefully that way.
As Jamal Roberts walks through the black-and-white lens of his hometown, he’s not just performing—he’s telling us to look again at what we often overlook.
