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← Older postsJAPAN PREMIERE OF MICHAEL AT TOHO CINEMAS IN TOKYO
June 8, 2026FEATURING STARS JAAFAR JACKSON & JULIANO VALDI AND PRODUCER GRAHAM KING Lionsgate and Kino Films hosted the Japan premiere of MICHAEL at TOHO Cinemas Roppongi Hills in Tokyo, bringing together the cast, filmmakers, and hundreds of fans to celebrate the film ahead of its theatrical release in Japan on June 12. Excitement filled the red carpet as stars Jaafar Jackson and Juliano Valdi, along with producer Graham King, greeted fans and posed for photos. Also in attendance were executive producers Prince Jackson, John Branca, and Karen Langford. The evening featured two special stage appearances by Jaafar Jackson, Juliano Valdi, and Graham King. The group expressed their appreciation for the warm welcome from Japanese audiences and reflected on Michael Jackson’s longstanding connection to Japan, a country that held a special place in his heart. They spoke about the honor and excitement of bringing the film to Japanese audiences and celebrating Michael’s enduring legacy alongside fans. MICHAEL opens in theaters across Japan on June 12, 2026.
Posted in Photos, In The Spotlight | Leave a commentBlack American Music Awards Presented By Unite Atlanta
June 8, 2026The Black American Music Awards brought together some of the biggest names in music and entertainment for an unforgettable evening celebrating Black music, culture, and legacy. Hosted by Michael Mauldin (founder and CEO of Unite Atlanta and bamX), the Black American Music Association, and emceed by entertainment reporter and TV personality, AJ Calloway, the event welcomed more than 300 guests to the Ray Charles Performing Arts Center in Atlanta, GA. One of the night’s pivotal moments came when Jermaine Dupri received the inaugural Jam & Lewis Global Creative Impact Award from legendary producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. “Georgia is the true place where American Black music lives,” Dupri said during his acceptance speech. The evening opened with a performance by Kenny Lattimore, setting the tone for a night dedicated to honoring excellence across generations of Black music. Lattimore’s performance was dedicated to music veteran and icon, Peabo Bryson. Legendary groups BRICK, CAMEO, and The S.O.S. Band were presented with the, Legacy Foundational Honor, in recognition of their lasting contributions to music and culture. Jagged Edge was also honored during the evening, using the moment to thank Dupri for his guidance and support in helping turn their musical aspirations into reality. The celebration also highlighted the global reach of Black music with the introduction of a creative collaboration between Atlanta’s Unite Atlanta | bamX and South Africa’s MACIE: Mzansi-Atlanta. Artists Siphokazi and LisaD graced the stage for performances. As he introduced the initiative, Calloway underscored the significance of the partnership, telling attendees, “Black music doesn’t have borders.” Later in the program, Michael Mauldin presented Kenny Lattimore with the Chairman’s Award. Guests were then treated to a special medley performance by The Ton3s in honor of Anthony Hamilton before he took the stage to accept the Voice of Soul Award. “Atlanta has taken me …
Posted in Highlight, In The Spotlight | Leave a commentABFF 2026 Announces Panels & Conversations Line Up
May 23, 2026The 2026 American Black Film Festival Announces Panel & Conversations Line Up for May 27-31 in Miami Beach. From Story to Impact: Black Queer Stories and Allyship Driving Culture and Change Sponsored by GLAAD Thursday, May 28 | 10:30 am – 11:45 am Peacock’s Strung: From Script to Screen Sponsored by Comcast NBCUniversal Thursday, May 28 | 11:30 am – 12:45 pm NBCU LAUNCH Talks: Crafting A TV Writing Career Sponsored by Comcast NBCUniversal Thursday, May 28 | 1:15 pm – 2:30 pm Built First: How Legacy Is Created A Conversation with Dawn Staley Sponsored by Ally Financial Thursday, May 28 | 2:15 pm – 3:30 pm HIGH TEA, BEYOND THE GATES — An Immersive Panel Experience Sponsored by CBS Thursday, May 28 | 4:00 pm – 5:15 pm A Conversation with Regina King Sponsored by American Airlines Thursday, May 28 | 5:00 pm – 6:15 pm Meet the ABFF 9:16 Microdrama Creators Thursday, May 28 | 6:45 pm – 7:45 pm Crunchyroll Presents: Black Fandom and Anime Sponsored by Sony Pictures Entertainment Friday, May 29 | 10:30 am – 11:45 am DC as a Creative Capital — Pathways to Production and Power Sponsored by Motion Picture Association Friday, May 29 | 10:30 am – 11:45 am Vertical Money: A Distributor’s Truth About the Microdrama Game Sponsored by Hartbeat | Codeblack Friday, May 29 | 1:15 pm – 2:30 pm “From Stage to Screen: Aleshea Harris on Directing Is God Is“ Sponsored by Amazon MGM Studios Friday, May 29 | 1:15 pm – 2:30 pm Netflix’s Celebration of Black Television Panel Sponsored by Netflix Friday, May 29 | 2:00 pm – 3:30 pm BOB Talks: Inspiring Stories, Black-Owned Brands Sponsored by Walmart Friday, May 29 | 4:00 pm – 5:15 pm Living Fully, Leading Forward: Taye Diggs on Longevity, Resilience, and Purpose Sponsored by …
Posted in Highlight | Leave a commentAngel Reese Gets Into Apparel
May 23, 2026Angel Reese has always been that girl. She spent her first two seasons in Chicago being one of the most watched, most talked about, most everything players in the WNBA, and her move to Atlanta hasn’t changed a thing about that. “Atlanta has really been a breath of fresh air, and that feeling hasn’t worn off,” Reese tells ESSENCE. “Chicago will always be part of my story and I’m forever grateful for the fans and the city, but I’m so excited for this new chapter. The city has its own energy too, Black excellence, culture, fashion, music. I feel at home.” Her arrival in Atlanta also comes at a moment when the Dream are making some of the biggest changes the organization has seen in years, starting with how they think about their fans. At the center of those changes is the Homegrown collection, and Reese is the face of it. It was developed in partnership with Monarch Commerce, a division of Monarch Collective, a venture capital firm built entirely around women’s sports, and nothing in the league looks quite like it. The line ranges from everyday fan pieces to more expressive items like lounge sets, scarves, and bags made from upcycled jerseys. The centerpiece is a new Nike Rebel Edition uniform that Dream players Rhyne Howard and Allisha Gray designed themselves, pulling from Atlanta in every detail: black as the foundation, peach for Georgia’s heritage, and the city’s area codes woven into the fabric. “The Dream’s Homegrown collection just feels like Atlanta,” Reese said of the line. “Atlanta has its own energy and people here know when something is authentic versus when it’s just trendy. I think that’s what makes it special.” For a long time, women’s sports fans have been buying what was available (usually in men’s sizing or styling) rather than what was actually made …
Posted in Atlanta Scene | Leave a commentLegendary R&B ICON, Multi Award-Winning Platinum Singer, Songwriter and Philanthropist, JOHNNY GILL, Releases New Single, “A DANCE, A KISS”
May 23, 2026“A Dance, A Kiss” is a sultry R&B song that captures the magnetic pull between two people moving in perfect rhythm. “I love giving intimate storytelling through my music and this song is just that. You’re getting sexiness, seduction and more! I was inspired to go back into the studio after I got back off the road with “The New Edition Way Tour”. “A Dance, A Kiss” makes everything unforgettable. Grown folks music!” shares Johnny Gill. “A DANCE, A KISS” was produced by Snoop Dogg and Priest “Soopafly” Brooks and penned by Johnny Gill, Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr., Priest Brooks, and Justin Randall Keitt. Another certified hit song under the Johnny Gill catalog. Gill’s chart success includes other Billboard Top 10 singles from “Let’s Get the Mood Right” to “One Night.” Johnny has also appeared on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Album charts by having (7) of his albums on the prestigious charts. With a total of 27 Top 10 solo hits on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart (including (8) Top 10 records), there is no denying of Gill’s musical impact in the soundtrack of our lives.
Posted in R&B Pop Culture | Leave a commentDeVon Franklin: From Intern to Executive Producer | NAACP+ Inside the Industrywork
May 21, 2026NAACP+ INSIDE THE INDUSTRY hosted by Ariana Drummond What does a producer actually do—and what does that role really look like behind the scenes? This week on NAACP+ Inside the Industry, DeVon Franklin—former Columbia Pictures executive and producer of The Pursuit of Happyness—shares his journey from intern to studio executive. In this episode, we explore: For anyone curious about the business of producing, this conversation offers a candid look inside the industry.
Posted in MOTIVATION | Leave a commentJennifer Lopez Turns Coachella Debut Into High-Voltage Independence Anthem at 56
May 21, 2026Jennifer Lopez crashed Coachella at 56 in a plunging silver bodysuit, using a surprise set with David Guetta and new song “Save Me Tonight” to punctuate her post-divorce, stand-alone era. Coachella has built its legacy on youth and hype, but on a warm desert night, it briefly belonged to Jennifer Lopez. During David Guetta’s set at the festival, the producer brought out Lopez for an unannounced performance of her new track “Save Me Tonight,” which he produced. The crowd went from curious to roaring as she strode onstage, sparkling under the lights in a deeply plunging, silver high-cut bodysuit that celebrated every bit of her 56-year-old frame. Lopez layered the look with a mint green, feathery jacket that she eventually shrugged off, revealing the full drama of the silhouette. Paired with over-the-knee boots and a bedazzled microphone, it was classic Jennifer: part movie star, part street performer, entirely in control of the fantasy. Photos from the night show her framed by dancers and desert haze, singing into that crystal-bright mic as fans screamed along. The moment carried extra weight. For all her decades of pop dominance, this was her first time performing at the Indio, California, festival, a stage often treated as a proving ground for the current generation’s headliners and viral darlings. Lopez arrived there with a resume already full. She has been performing almost nonstop with her Las Vegas residency, the latest chapter in a career that has spanned 1990s rom-coms, 2000s chart-toppers, “Hustlers,” and that Super Bowl halftime show. Now, Coachella becomes another late-career jewel, and it comes at a moment when her personal life has been under just as much scrutiny as her set lists. Last year, her marriage to Ben Affleck ended in a highly watched unraveling. The former couple modified their property settlement agreement …
Posted in Highlight | Leave a commentBillie Eilish Hit Me Hard and Soft: The Tour Live in 3D – US Premiere
May 21, 2026BILLIE EILISH – HIT ME HARD AND SOFT: THE TOUR (LIVE IN 3D)Only In Theatres, Dolby Cinema, RealD 3D and Premium Large Formats May 8, 2026 TICKETS ON SALE NOW! A Lightstorm Earth Production The Darkroom / Interscope Films Production “BILLIE EILISH HIT ME HARD AND SOFT: THE TOUR (LIVE IN 3D)” Executive Producer: Mikael Borglund Produced by: James Cameron, Billie Eilish, Maria Wilhelm, John Brooks, Geoff Burdick, Paul Clarke, Maggie Baird, Justin Lubliner, John Janick, Steve Berman, Chelsea Dodson, Jason Owen, Michelle An Directed by: James Cameron and Billie Eilish Cast: Billie Eilish Synopsis: Captured during her sold-out world tour, BILLIE EILISH – HIT ME HARD AND SOFT: THE TOUR (LIVE IN 3D) brings an innovative new concert experience to the big screen from one of the most celebrated and successful artists of her generation. Presented in immersive 3D, the film is directed by Academy Award® winners James Cameron and Billie Eilish, in-theatres May 8, 2026. THIS FILM HAS BEEN RATED PG-13 FOR STRONG LANGAUGE AND SUGGESTIVE REFERENCES #HITMEHARDANDSOFTMovieFacebook | Instagram | TikTok | X
Posted in In The Spotlight | Leave a commentSCARY MOVIE IN THEATRES Now
May 21, 2026SYNOPSIS Twenty-six years after outrunning a suspiciously familiar masked killer (“Ghostface”), the Core Four are back in the killer’s crosshairs and no horror movie IP is safe. Marlon Wayans (“Shorty”), Shawn Wayans (“Ray”), Anna Faris (“Cindy”), and Regina Hall (“Brenda”) reunite in Scary Movie alongside returning favorites and fresh faces to slash through reboots, remakes, requels, prequels, sequels, spin-offs, elevated horror, origin stories, anything with the word legacy in it, and every “final chapter” that absolutely isn’t final. Nothing is sacred. No trope survives. Every line gets crossed. The Wayans are back to cancel the Cancel Culture. EXECUTIVE PRODUCED BY Jonathan Glickman, Thom Zadra, Alexandra Loewy, Marc Weinstock, Marsha L. Swinton, Neal H. Moritz PRODUCED BY Rick Alvarez, p.g.a., Craig Wayans, Marlon Wayans, p.g.a., Shawn Wayans, Keenen Ivory Wayans BASED ON CHARACTERS CREATED BY Shawn Wayans & Marlon Wayans & Buddy Johnson & Phil Beauman and Jason Friedberg & Aaron Seltzer WRITTEN BY Marlon Wayans & Shawn Wayans & Keenen Ivory Wayans & Craig Wayans & Rick Alvarez DIRECTED BY Michael Tiddes STARRING Marlon Wayans, Shawn Wayans, Anna Faris, Regina Hall, Kenan Thompson, Dave Sheridan, Lochlyn Munro, Kim Wayans, Cheri Oteri, Chris Elliott, Damon Wayans Jr., Heidi Gardner, Olivia Rose Keegan, Cameron Scott Roberts, Savannah Lee Nassif, Sydney Park, Gregg Wayans, Benny Zielke, Ruby Snowber. CREDITS ARE NOT FINAL AND ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGETHIS FILM HAS NOT BEEN RATED YET https://www.scarymovie.film/?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=23850902128&gbraid=0AAAABDOmLruoBJMbDqH1IkMn4klVyfWOd&gclid=Cj0KCQjwlLDQBhDjARIsAPlIefHEBVokwl2iDKuEhGXbsB4bpJb0HcvdM3eKW8a3PgHmhFkHyt6xWIIaAiddEALw_wcB
Posted in Movie News | Leave a commentLEDISI JOINS THE BROADWAY CAST OF NEW MUSICAL “WANTED”
May 19, 2026The news of Ledisi’s casting was first announced last night at “WANTED Unplugged,” an exclusive one-night-only concert experience hosted at Artist House in Soho. The special evening featured intimate performances of songs from the new musical. Ledisi shared, “I am beyond thrilled to join the cast of Wanted. My first Broadway principal role, and I still can’t believe it. I keep thinking about the journey, God’s timing, and the importance of legacy. I’m grateful to Angelica Chéri, Ross Baum, Stevie Walker-Webb, and our producers for trusting me with the role of Tallulah, and to my family, friends, and team for giving me the courage to say ‘yes.’ I love being a recording artist, and that will never change. Theatre has always been part of my vision as a storyteller. This isn’t a pivot… It’s another expansion of me. And I’m just getting started.” Ledisi has built a career defined by vocal excellence, emotional storytelling, and fearless creativity, seamlessly blending R&B, soul, jazz, gospel, and blues into a sound that is uniquely her own. A classically trained vocalist with a commanding stage presence, Ledisi has earned critical acclaim for both her recordings and live performances. Over the course of her career, Ledisi has received multiple Grammy nominations, including “Best New Artist” for her breakthrough album Lost & Found, and won the Grammy Award for “Best Traditional R&B Performance” for her song “Anything For You.” In 2025, she earned two additional Grammy nominations for “Best R&B Album” for her sixteenth studio album, The Crown, and “Best Traditional R&B Performance” for the album’s standout single, “Love You Too.” Ledisi’s film and television credits include Selma (2014) and Remember Me: The Mahalia Jackson Story (2022), as well as appearances in “American Soul,” “Pose,” and Spinning Gold. Her Broadway credits include Caroline, or Change (2004) and Hair (2004). Texas, 1893 — Twin sisters Mary and Martha Clarke are on the run. The sisters, Black women who pass for white and hide in plain sight, straddle a dangerous line between two …
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