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← Older posts Newer posts →Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom – Netflix – December 18
October 20, 2020Synopsis: Tensions and temperatures rise over the course of an afternoon recording session in 1920s Chicago as a band of musicians await trailblazing performer, the legendary “Mother of the Blues,” Ma Rainey (Academy Award® winner Viola Davis). Late to the session, the fearless, fiery Ma engages in a battle of wills with her white manager and producer over control of her music. As the band waits in the studio’s claustrophobic rehearsal room, ambitious trumpeter Levee (Chadwick Boseman) — who has an eye for Ma’s girlfriend and is determined to stake his own claim on the music industry — spurs his fellow musicians into an eruption of stories revealing truths that will forever change the course of their lives. Adapted from two-time Pulitzer Prize winner August Wilson’s play, MA RAINEY’S BLACK BOTTOM celebrates the transformative power of the blues and the artists who refuse to let society’s prejudices dictate their worth. Directed by George C. Wolfe and adapted for the screen by Ruben Santiago-Hudson, the film is produced by Fences Oscar® nominees Denzel Washington and Todd Black. Colman Domingo, Glynn Turman, Michael Potts, Taylour Paige and Dusan Brown co-star alongside Grammy® winner Branford Marsalis’ score. netflix.com/maraineysblackbottom Twitter: www.twitter.com/MaRaineyFilmFacebook: www.facebook.com/MaRaineyFilmInstagram: www.instagram.com/MaRaineyFilm @MaRaineyFilm@NetflixFilm
Posted in Cinema, In The Spotlight | Leave a commentJenna Scott Fights after Stage IV Colorectal Cancer Diagnosis
October 14, 2020For Jenna Scott, Chadwick Boseman’s passing was personal, although she didn’t know the actor personally. As a Stage IV colon cancer survivor since 2017, Scott, 34, contemplated how she would tell her four-year-old son that his mom is fighting the same disease his superhero favorite “Black Panther” fought. Chadwick Boseman played “Black Panther” in the Marvel Comics movie of the same name, which was the first film to receive a Best Picture nomination at the 91stAcademy Awards and the highest-grossing superhero movie of all time. Diagnosed with Stage IV colon cancer 12 months after giving birth to a healthy baby boy in June of 2017, Scott looked back and realized that something was off in her body. While pregnant, she experienced excruciating abdominal pains, severe fatigue, vomiting and bleeding. She was told by her obstetrician that her symptoms were pregnancy-related. Without having the accurate diagnosis, Scott carried on with her life with her college sweetheart and husband, Derrick Scott. The couple met while attending respective Historically Black Colleges (HBCUs), Spelman College, where Jenna was a cheerleader and quite active on campus, and Morehouse College, where Derrick was a popular football player. As athletes, the couple maintained fit bodies throughout college – being as health-conscious as possible. They continued their fitness regimen after graduating from college, and looked forward to becoming parents after marrying in 2015. After Scott persisted in letting her obstetrician know that the same symptoms she was experiencing while pregnant were still bothering her a year after giving birth to her son, and getting no clear answers, she found a primary care physician. The physician then referred her to a gastrointestinal specialist. When the gastroenterologist ordered a colonoscopy for Scott, it seemed like a normal procedure for anyone experiencing the symptoms she described to him and the traditional …
Posted in Spotlight, In The Spotlight | Leave a commentDABABY LEADS THE 2020 BET “HIP HOP AWARDS” WITH 12 NOMINATIONS, FOLLOWED CLOSELY BY RODDY RICCH WITH 11 NODS
October 3, 2020MEGAN THEE STALLION and DRAKE TIE FOR THIRD HIGHEST NOMINATIONS WITH 8 NODS EACH OTHER TOP NOMINEES INCLUDE FUTURE WITH 6 NODS, LIL BABY WITH 4 NODS, FOLLOWED BY BEYONCÉ, DJ KHALED, TRAVIS SCOTT, and MUSTARD WITH 3 NODS EACHTHE BET “HIP HOP AWARDS” 2020 WILL PREMIERE ON TUESDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2020 AT 9PM ET/PT ON BET #HIPHOPAWARDS BET announces the nominees for the 15th annual “Hip Hop Awards,” honoring the past year in hip hop music across 17 categories. The BET Hip Hop Awards is set to premiere on Tuesday, October 27, 2020 at 9:00PM ET/PT. Rising superstar, and winner of the 2019 Hip Hop Awards “Best New Hip Hop Artist,” DaBaby, leads this year’s nominations with an impressive 12 nods. Following his win for “Best Male Hip Hop Artist” at the BET Awards, DaBaby’s 12 nods includes ‘Best Live Performer,’ ‘Lyricist of the Year,’ ‘Hip Hop Artist of the Year,’ ‘Impact Track’ – Rockstar (BLM Remix) and two nominations in the ‘Song of the Year,’ ‘Best Hip Hop Video,’ and ‘Best Collab’ categories. Additionally DaBaby makes history, with two entries in the ‘Hip Hop Album of the Year’ category with “Blame It On Baby,” and “Kirk” both receiving nominations. Roddy Ricch, another 2019 ‘Best New Hip Hop Artist” nominee, takes second place with an impressive 11 nods. Megan the Stallion, who opened the 2019 show, tied with global superstar Drake for third most nominations securing 8 nods each.Other notable nominations include Future, who received 6 nominations. Lil Baby who received 4 nods. Beyoncé, DJ Khaled, Travis Scott, and Mustard each received three nominations. Additionally, ‘Best New Hip Hop Artist’ Award nominees include Flo Milli, Jack Harlow, Mulatto, NLE Choppa, Pop Smoke, and Rod Wave. Connie Orlando, EVP Specials, Music Programming & Music Strategy at BET will oversee the annual show, with Jesse Collins, CEO of Jesse Collins Entertainment, serving as Executive Producer of the BET “Hip Hop Awards” 2020 along with and Jeannae Rouzan–Clay, Vice President of Specials, Jesse Collins Entertainment. “Best International Flow” is a category that will recognize artists from around the …
Posted in Sports & Inspiration, In The Spotlight | Leave a commentGRAMMY AND TONY AWARD-WINNING ‘HAMILTON’ ACTRESS AND SINGER RENÉE ELISE GOLDSBERRY SET TO STAR IN PEACOCK COMEDY ‘GIRLS5EVA’ FROM PRODUCER TINA FEY
October 3, 2020Grammy and Tony Award-winning actress and singer Renée Elise Goldsberry will join the cast of Girls5eva, the upcoming Peacock comedy from Tina Fey, Robert Carlock and Meredith Scardino. Goldsberry will star alongside Grammy Award-winning recording artist, Emmy nominee and Broadway actress Sara Bareilles, who was previously announced. · Goldsberry will star as Wickie, the glamorous, big-voiced, star of the group back in the day, Wickie’s solo career hit a ditch, but she’s determined to use this new opportunity to retake her rightful place as pop royalty. · “This wickedly talented team is creating something brave and new,” said Goldsberry. “I’m grateful I get to be in the room with them. I honestly can’t think of a better way to transition out of this year and into the new one than laughing with strong and beautiful women.” · When a one-hit-wonder girl group from the 90’s gets sampled by a young rapper, its members reunite to give their pop star dreams one more shot. They may be grown women balancing spouses, kids, jobs, debt, aging parents, and shoulder pain, but can‘t they also be Girls5eva? · Goldsberry is best known for her role as Angelica Schuyler in the musical phenomenon “Hamilton.” Her performance earned her a Tony Award, Grammy Award, Drama Desk Award, and Lucille Lortel Award. Most recently, Renée starred in the critical darling, feature film “Waves,” opposite Sterling K. Brown, and in the hit series “Altered Carbon”. She could also be seen on NBC’s musical sensation, “Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist.” Additionally she has lent her voice on animated series such as “Fast & Furious Spy Racers” and “Centaurworld.” Other highlights from her film and television career include her work on “One Life To Live,” for which she received two Daytime Emmy nominations and two NAACP Image Award nominations.Goldsberry’s appearances on stage include her Outer Critics Circle Award …
Posted in Music | Leave a commentKIERRA SHEARD GARNERS #1 MILESTONE WITH BILLBOARD HIT GOSPEL SINGLE “IT KEEPS HAPPENING”
September 27, 2020Chart topper Kierra Sheard hits another #1 milestone, as the GRAMMY® nominated and Stellar Award-winning inspirational artist and actress garners #1 on the latest Billboard Gospel Airplay chart for her single “It Keeps Happening.” The hit song marks her first #1 single at Gospel radio as a solo artist, and her third #1 overall on the Gospel Airplay chart. Co-writing the track with her brother, producer and songwriter, J. Drew Sheard, II, “It Keeps Happening” is featured on Sheard’s #1 album KIERRA (Karew Entertainment / RCA Inspiration), which debuted at #1 earlier this year on both the Billboard Top Gospel Albums chart and the Billboard Top Christian/Gospel Albums chart in April – where her album unseated Kanye West’s album Jesus Is King from its six-month position at #1 on the Billboard Top Gospel Albums chart. Praising God in recognizing the constant blessing and covering He provides every day, Sheard delivered an elevating live worship experience when she performed “It Keeps Happening” for the first time before a sold-out crowd at her live recording in Detroit, MI at her hometown church, Greater Emmanuel Institutional Church of God in Christ. The fifteen-track album continues to showcase her unmistakable songwriting talents, with other featured studio and live tracks including featured appearances from Missy Elliott, Tasha Cobbs Leonard, Sir the Baptist, Le’Andria Johnson, Todd Dulaney, and her nephew Jacob Sheard. Kierra Sheard says, “It Keeps Happening was birthed out of personal conversation with God. The song is a personal declaration that has manifested over my life and I am overjoyed that it is blessing the world.”Besides this latest milestone for her sixth album KIERRA, Sheard is the creator of her fashion brand Eleven60, which has been bringing high fashion trends to full-figured women for over five years. KIERRA: https://kierrasheard.lnk.to/KIERRAPR FOLLOW KIERRA SHEARD:Website: https://www.iamkierrasheard.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kierrasheard/Instagram: @kierrasheardTwitter: @kierrasheard
Posted in Music | Leave a comment2020 College Freshman, Mikayla Jones, Poised for Success
September 24, 2020As a freshman at The University of Memphis, Mikayla Jones appreciates her beauty, but believes her brains will take her much further. While earning scholastic achievements and dancing her way through her young years, as a ballerina, Mikayla was a class favorite at her former high school, St. Mary’s Episcopal School in Memphis, Tennessee, as a graduate of the class of 2020. Since childhood, Mikayla has always exuded a warm appeal, drawing others to her, naturally. Like many college freshman, Mikayla has had to endure spending her first semester of college in the midst of the Covid-19 Pandemic. But the Memphis native says she’s adjusting nicely, and she hasn’t let the pandemic stop her from being her best self. “I like my online classes, for the most part,” Mikayla says. “It just gets hard to stare at a screen all day. Other than that, the transition hasn’t been bad at all.” Since Mikayla is very social, she says that being cooped up in her room all day can be a bit frustrating. “I’m hoping things will go back to normal soon,” she notes. Mikayla is already on track to graduating early from college because of her exceptional ACT and AP scores. “I want to get into med school,” says the vivacious freshman. When thinking about her future, Mikayla says in ten years she envisions herself in a residency, preparing to become an anesthesiologist. And when it comes to her beauty advice to others, Mikayla emphasizes “Drink plenty of water!” Keep reading to find out more about Mikayla’s academic accomplishments, community engagements and volunteer efforts. You can also hear Mikayla’s Senior Speech at St. Mary’s Episcopal School below. Mikayla Jones: Student Council Director of Communications (2019-20), Jr. Class Vice-President, Member of National Honor Society (2018–2020), National Merit Scholar, Member of National Beta …
Posted in On the Scene | Leave a commentEmmy Awards 2020: See the full list of winners
September 21, 2020Tyler Perry earned the Governor’s Award at the 2020 Emmys – and he used his acceptance speech to send one powerful message by recalling a beautiful story about a quilt. “Black, white, gay, straight, ex-cons, all coming together to add patches to a quilt that represents diversity at its best. I stand here tonight to say thank you to all of the people who are celebrating and know the value of every patch and every story and every color that makes up this quilt that is our business,” he said. Credit: http://www.AccessOnline.com/ ______________________________________________________________________________ By Dan Snierson It was a record-setting night for Schitt’s Creek — and a big one for Watchmen and Succession. Who triumphed with a trophy (or seven)? The TV industry’s shiniest night of the year, a.k.a. the Primetime Emmy Awards, looked much different this year, given the never-ending pandemic. The 2012 and 2016 host, Jimmy Kimmel, was literally fired up to emcee the festivities again, this time from the mostly vacant Staples Center in L.A., with winners accepting awards remotely, virtually, and digitally. The earliest — and biggest — story of the night came courtesy of our Canadian friends, specifically Pop TV’s riches-to-rags comedy Schitt’s Creek, which had nabbed 15 nominations. Stars Dan Levy, Eugene Levy, Catherine O’Hara, and Annie Murphy all triumphed in their acting categories — becoming the first show to ever pull off that feat — while Dan added to his thoroughly impressive night by winning in the writing and directing categories as well. To top off their run, Schitt’s Creek claimed the Outstanding Comedy Series award, making it an unprecedented seven trophies in a row. With two wins at the Creative Arts Emmys, the series set a new record for most Emmys wins by a comedy series in a single season, with nine. Once the Schitt’s sweep ended, HBO held its own trophy parade. First, dystopic superhero drama Watchmen — which entered the night with a series-leading whopping 26 nominations (and 7 wins …
Posted in COWBOY CARTER TOUR- ATLANTA - A NIGHT TO REMEMBER, In The Spotlight | Leave a commentKyleigh Campbell: From Class of 2020 High School Grad to College Freshman
September 17, 2020Knoxville, Tennessee native, Kyleigh Campbell, a beautiful 2020 graduate of Bearden High School in Knoxville, is now a thriving freshman at Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU). When it comes to starting college during the Covid-19 pandemic, Kyleigh says it’s been different from the college experience she and her classmates expected, but she’s adjusting and enjoying her freshman year experience. “I believe the hardest thing for me has been not being able to do certain activities or be on-the-go, like I often am. I enjoy staying occupied, so when the pandemic first hit, I felt that everything was put on hold and I didn’t know what to do with myself,” Kyleigh said. “Now that I’m in college, I’m pushed to get out of my comfort zone and create my own experiences instead of staying cooped up in my dorm room all day.” In spite of the limitations from the pandemic, Kyleigh remains active in sports and fitness, and loves giving back to the community. “I will be majoring in Sports Media and hope to use the platform I someday create to continue giving back to communities all over,” Kyleigh noted. When it comes to her beauty secrets, Kyleigh says that having a daily skincare routine, by using a moisturizer with sunscreen protection (SPF), is what keeps her skin glowing, especially since she’s always on-the-go. Kyleigh also has a strong faith. “My faith carries me a long way,” she emphasized. “The blessings that have approached me in this season of life, and being a grad in the class of 2020, have been unimaginable.” You can follow Kyleigh @kyleighcampbell12 via Instagram. Kyleigh believes using a moisturizer with SPF keeps her skin glowing. Giving back to the community means a lot to Kyleigh. Kyleigh plans to major in Sports Media at MTSU. Follow Kyleigh …
Posted in On the Scene, In The Spotlight | Leave a commentBIG SEAN SCORES THIRD CONSECUTIVE #1 ALBUM AS DETROIT 2 DEBUTS AT #1 ON THE BILLBOARD TOP 200
September 14, 2020‘In the world of Detroit 2, there’s always an answer. It’s a place where every pain can be fixed, any heart can be mended, and all obstacles are surmountable.” – Rolling Stone “…Big Sean is now a seasoned, surefooted veteran, and his confidence in his craft elevates the work.” – Billboard “Shimmering, textured and often explosive, Detroit 2 finds the rapper born Sean Anderson in a confident creative space.” – Detroit Free Press “This week’s Detroit 2, like Big Sean’s 2012 journal/mixtape, Detroit, represents a great uniting of all of Sean’s wordy, loose strands of thought, prayer, love calls, humble-brags and diary doodles, tied together by the big bow of being Black in the Motor City.” – Variety (Sept. 14, 2020 – New York, NY) Grammy®-nominated, multi-platinum artist Big Sean tops the Billboard charts this week as his new album, DETROIT 2, enters at #1 across-the-board on the Billboard 200, R&B/hip-hop, and Rap charts. Released September 4th via G.O.O.D. Music/ Def Jam Recordings, the album marks Sean’s fifth consecutive #1 debut on the Rap chart, his fourth consecutive #1 debut on the R&B/hip-hop chart, and third consecutive #1 debut on the Billboard 200 album chart. In the weeks leading up to the album, Big Sean teased several tracks with videos for “Deep Reverence” featuring Nipsey Hussle, “Don Life” featuringLil Wayne, “Harder Than My Demons” as well as “Body Language”featuring Ty Dolla $ign & Jhené Aiko along with “Everything That’s Missing.” September 4th saw the video premiere of the “Lithuania” advance single featuring Travis Scott. Four nights later, Sean reprised “Harder Than My Demons” on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. Prior to DETROIT 2, all four of Sean’s previous albums – which includeFinally Famous, his RIAA platinum debut of 2011, and Hall Of Fame (2013) – debuted at #1 on the Rap chart. His landmark RIAA double-platinum Dark Sky Paradise (2015) and I Decided (2017) both debuted across-the-board at #1 on the pop, R&B/hip-hop, and Rap charts. Twenty88, his 2016 collab with fellow G.O.O.D. Music/Def Jam star Jhené Aiko, also debuted at #1 on the Rap and R&B/hip-hop charts. In addition to his RIAA platinum and multi-platinum albums, …
Posted in Music | Leave a commentChadwick Boseman: A Superhuman Being and Philanthropist – By Dwyane Ashley & Tributes
August 31, 2020Chadwick Boseman Was More than a Superstar. He was a Superhuman Being and Philanthropist By Dwyane Ashley, President/CEO Bridge Philanthropic Consulting Chadwick Boseman was first and foremost a Superhuman Being and Philanthropist. Most knew him as one of the greatest actors known for his portrayal of T’Challa in Black Panther in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Nonetheless, his greatest role was a Philanthropist. From his roots in Anderson, South Carolina, Boseman had firsthand knowledge of the importance of helping people, as others had helped him on his road to stardom. In 1990s at Howard University where Boseman was studying to become a director at Howard University, Actress Phylicia Rashad was Boseman’s acting teacher and mentor. She knew he was special. So when he was in need of a sponsor to pay his tuition to the British American Drama Academy’s Midsummer at Oxford Program at Oxford University, Oxford, England, UK, Rashad asked actor/director Denzel Washington if would he pay his tuition and he said yes! Boseman never forgot Denzel’s act of kindness and would often say, there would be no Black Panther without the support of him. In 2018, the proficient performer delivered a powerful commencement speech at Howard University encouraging students to rise above traumatic experiences and applauding their campus activism. Boseman’s philanthropic force, paid it forward. He donated his personal time to work with several cancer foundations as he suffered with his own four-year battle with cancer. He made it known when he frequent St. Jude’s and other childhood cancer treatment centers to surprise young fans with a once in a lifetime experience. In April 2020, the actor donated $4.2 million worth of PPE equipment to hospitals serving Black communities during COVID-19 pandemic. He assisted in Disney’s Black Panther’s film marketing campaign by helping to support the fundraising campaign and donated $10,000 of his own money to the Boys and …
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