Concrete Loop Shuts Down: Founder Angel Laws Closes Award-Winning Entertainment Blog

One of the best-known urban entertainment blogs has come to an end.

Last Wednesday, many Concrete Loop readers were surprised to find the blog’s front page absent of its usual photos, video links and posts covering the latest entertainment news and events. In their place was a poignant statement from Concrete Loop founder Angel Laws announcing the site's closing.

Laws said she decided to shut down the site since it was no longer her passion:

“I always said I would continue to do this until it was no longer my passion, and that day has come. I took a while to think about it and without getting into too much detail, I have decided to close the site down indefinitely.”

Laws went on to praise her editorial team for their contributions and the impact the site had on building her self-esteem and molding her “into the strong confident woman I am today.” She also thanked her Concrete Loop readers for all of their support.

Launched by Laws in November of 2005, the Concrete Loop quickly gained a huge following. With its sleek design and Law’s dedication to focusing on “quality, not quantity,” the site carved out a unique place among its fellow urban blogs.

Featuring the latest in black entertainment and culture, the blog featured an array of content. Celeb interviews, album reviews, social commentary and style posts are just a taste of what drew readers to the site daily. But it was the approach Laws and her team took to filtering out pointless gossip that truly made Concrete Loop stand out. Instead of driving traffic with questionable gab from unnamed "sources," Concrete Loop took a more intellectual and uplifting approach to its content. Whether posting a track from an up-and-coming artist or a link to a documentary on diversity issues in fashion, the Loop was continually praised for its smart approach to covering the latest in black entertainment news and culture.

Many followers of the blog immediately took to Twitter to express support for Laws' decision but regret at her announcement. Close to a week later, the outpouring of gratitude continues as more readers learn of Concrete Loop's closing.

In her blog's absence, Laws still hopes her choice to follow her heart will encourage others to continue to chart their own paths in life.

"I know many of you will be upset about the site closing, but I hope to inspire you all to live life on your terms and continue to reach new goals that YOU set for yourself,” she wrote. "Thank you everyone for your support of Concrete Loop. It has truly been an amazing ride."

The ending of Concrete Loop definitely places a massive hole in the urban blog landscape. But for loyal readers who browsed it numerous times each week, the site will remain an esteemed example of what all urban entertainment blogs should aspire to be.