THIS IS THE CHRONICLES OF EFREM: The Daily Buzz For June 3

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Prince Brings His Pimp Cane To The French Open

He’s never been one to follow prevailing trends, and Prince was spotted at the French Open with a fully-fledged pimp cane, despite the fact that they went out of style in the 1970s.

The “Raspberry Beret” singer smiled from behind mirrored aviator sunglasses as he viewed the match between Rafael Nadal and Dusan Lajovic, joined by a few friends.

And from the look of his massive picked-out afro, it looked like Prince had stepped out of an “Austin Powers” movie.

In the end, Nadal took Lajovic to school, scoring 6-1, 6-2, 6-1 to easily win the day, and Prince seemed pleased.

Ludacris, Terrence Jenkins, Jerry Ferrara & Michael Ealy Hit Magic Johnson's "THINK LIKE A MAN TOO" Screening

Magic Johnson invited Ludacris, Terrence Jenkins and Michael Ealy to join fans for a special advanced screening of their film Think Like A Man Too. More inside.....

E! News host Terrence J joined host Magic Johnson at the Quinn Theater at Sony Pictures Studios in Culver City, California last night for an advanced screening of Think Like A Man Too.

Ludacris, who's been busy filming Fast & Furious 7, surprised fans at the screening.

With Think Like A Man Too hitting theaters June 20th, the sexy Michael Ealy thanked Magic Johnson for his early support of the film, dubbing him the mayor of LA. He tweeted, "Big Love to the "Mayor of LA" , @MagicJohnson for screening #TLAMTOO! @jerrycferrara @TerrenceJ @Ludacri

The Roots Picnic Brings Great Vibes To Philadelphia

Philadelphia, a city known for its “Brotherly Love” and a hub for historical locales, has a rich culture that’s permeated through its music scene in each respective era. An annual event birthed by hometown ambassadors and accomplished Hip-Hop band, The Roots, is the present day iteration of that fact.

The Roots Picnic is the topic of conversation. Questlove, Black Thought, and company (more on that later) invaded the Festival Pier on Saturday, May 31, for the seventh consecutive year. For clarity, it’s a festival, though smaller in size and a shorter timeline than Coachella or Governor’s Ball, that is curated to fit the city’s eclectic ambiance.

Artists invaded a pair of stages pegged the “Oasis” and “Columbus,” respectively. The former is a smaller stage for new musical upstarts and familiar artists who haven’t quite reached superstar status, while the latter is reserved for the day’s main attractions.

Being one of Hip-Hop’s greatest purveyors, The Roots made sure to leave space for DJs at this Picnic. Just Blaze (w/ Freeway and Young Gunz) and Biz Markie rocked the crowd on the Oasis stage in a more traditional sense earlier in the day. The much younger AraabMuzik replicated that energy later in the night, though his instrument of choice — an Akai MPC 2500 — is a vessel for EDM rather than raw Hip-Hop.

Philly’s own Chill Moody, an up and coming MC whose Nice Things movement has become a growing mainstay in local music circles, kicked things off on the rap tip. That opened the doors for later performances by the likes of A$AP Ferg, G-Eazy and Action Bronson, the last of which wowed onlookers with his literal acrobatics.

But since the beginning, what’s differentiated the The Roots Picnic from other events of its kind is the cluster of up and coming bands it introduces to attendees. I personally became a fan of the soulful Electric Wire Hustle and Bad Rabbits. Meanwhile acts like Roman GianArthur, Emily Wells, Rudimental and War On Drugs also piqued interest based on the crowd’s reaction and incessant dancing.

Representing the larger acts were Janelle Monáe and The Roots, who brought the funk and soul with co-headliner Snoop Dogg. This made for an entertaining last few hours full of fan-favorite records and stellar instrumentation to bring this year’s show to a close.

We’d say that The Roots have another notch on their belts after last weekend’s festivities

Porsha Williams Goes Blonde…

Damn, this could go any way at all… RHOA star, Porsha William’s recently debuted a new look. The new look is blonde hair. Some say that Porsha already acts like a blonde and now she has the hair to go with it. –Really, just making it official! I think she looks beautiful with her new look! During a Washington, D.C. appearance on Friday night, the Real Housewives of Atlanta star the look — and it was something fans had yet to see of her.

Porsha took to Twitter:

“Thank You #DCGlam I’m obsessed! �� Hair (Unit) : @troystylez MUA: @rennyvasquez @gonakedhair

In the photo, Williams debuted her new, blonde hair, which appears to be courtesy of her hair extension line, Go Naked Hair.

During her appearance, she shared a handful of photos and videos on her Instagram and Twitter pages which showed her new look both before the performance and during the event. Peep Porsha’s new look:

Thoughts?

Stars Shine At Huading Film Awards

The Ricardo Montalban Theatre in Los Angeles was the place to be last night (June 1) as the Huading Film Awards boasted some big-name celebrities on the guest list.

“Charlie’s Angels” stunner Lucy Liu played host for the evening which honored the hottest names in entertainment as voted by the Chinese public.

“Monster’s Ball” babe Halle Berry looked gorgeous as she accepted the Global Icon Award, while Charlie Hunnam received the Best Global Emerging Actor trophy.

Meanwhile, Orlando Bloom provided plenty of man candy for the crowd, clad in his slim-fitting black tuxedo and flowing brown hair.

New Poster Released For Jay Z & Beyonce’s ‘On The Run Tour

The new poster for Beyoncé and Jay Z’s upcoming ‘On The Run‘ tour has been upgraded to the couple riding away on a motorcycle. The still is lifted from their blockbuster star-studded trailer. The couple’s ‘On the Run’ tour kicks off in Miami on June 25th.

Beyonce, Jay Z,On the Run Tour. So, did you get your $300 tickets?

Lil Durk’s Cousin Chicago Rapper OTF Nunu Shot & Killed

Sad news out of Chicago., Lil Durk’s cousin, rapper OTF Nunu, was shot and killed while sitting in his SUV.

Reports the Chicago Tribune:

“Earlier Saturday afternoon, a 21-year-old man was killed while in the parking lot of a South Side shopping mall, officials said. The shooting occurred at 3:19 p.m. on the 700 block of East 87th Street, according to police and fire officials. Witnesses said the crime occurred at the Chatham Village Square mall at Cottage Grove and 87th Street. A spokesman for the Cook County medical examiner’s office identified him as McArthur Swindle, of the 7200 block of South Halsted Street in Englewood.

Swindle’s body remained at the scene, slumped in the front seat of a white SUV, into the early evening. Social media has erupted with tributes to the man, who is believed to be a young rapper named Nunu.”

Reportedly, someone walked up to Nunu and started shooting. He was shot multiple times and tried to flee, running the vehicle into a storefront.

Nunu was prepping to release a mixtape title Nuski Got Da Strap this summer. RIP.

Lupita Nyong’o, Gwendoline Christie Officially Join Star Wars Cast

Rumors that Academy Award-winner Lupita Nyong’o was in talks with director J.J. Abrams regarding a role in the upcoming Star Wars: Episode VII film kicked off back in March. Now, the 12 Years A Slave actress is an official member of the cast and joins Game Of Thrones star Gwendoline Christie.

The news came from Stars Wars official news page, confirming what fans were hoping when word of the talks between Nyong’o and Abrams began swirling about. The addition of Christie, who plays beloved character and loyal knight Brienne of Tarth on HBO’s hit fantasy show, was an unexpected but welcome bonus.

From StarWars.com:

Lupita Nyong’o joins the recently announced cast of Star Wars: Episode VII. This year, her breakthrough performance in 12 Years a Slave earned her an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.

Gwendoline Christie, currently starring in the hit television series Game of Thrones as Brienne of Tarth, has also been cast in the production. She can next be seen in The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2.

“I could not be more excited about Lupita and Gwendoline joining the cast of Episode VII,” says Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy. “It’s thrilling to see this extraordinarily talented ensemble taking shape.”

Original Star Wars cast members Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill, Anthony Daniels, Peter Mayhew, and Kenny Baker will also appear in the upcoming film as well along with new cast members John Boyega, Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, Oscar Isaac, Andy Serkis, Domhnall Gleeson, and Max von Sydow.

Star Wars: Episode VII will be released worldwide on December 18, 2015.

ALSO: New Pictures From “Star Wars: Episode VII” Have Arrived: Check Them Out Here!

For fans of the “Star Wars” franchise, the release of “Episode VII” can’t come soon enough, and now there’s a slew of photos from the Abu Dhabi set.

Earlier the images leaked online, including one shot of a massive alien creature that requires five actors inside to make it come to life.

“Star Wars: Episode VII” is slated to hit theaters December 18th, 2015 and is set 30 years after the conclusion of “Return of the Jedi.”

And with a cast that includes Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Andy Serkis, Oscar Isaac and Domhnall Gleeson, director JJ Abrams has plenty of talent at his disposal!

Kimora Lee Throws 5-Year-Old Kenzo A Spiderman-Pool Party

Kimora's nieces (yes, she still considers them her nieces, as expected, despite her divorce from Russell Simmons) Angela and Vanessa Simmons trekked it over to Kenzo Lee's big birthday bash. His sisters 11-year-old Aoki & 14-year-old Ming Lee were there to party it up too, along with Vanessa's newborn baby Ava Marie.

The fam snapped an adorable photo at the party, which also served as little Ava's very first party ever. Way to kick off a grand life little one!

Kenzo, who turned 5 on Friday, had Spidey playing jump rope and snapping flicks. Gotta love it. And the little Spidey fan copped plenty of gifts to keep him busy.

Fun times!

OH LORD: Donald Sterling Attends Black Church Service In Los Angeles

The Donald Sterling publicity stunt show has officially hit the pulpit.

Pastor JB Hardwick sent a personal invitation to the soon-to-be-outed Los Angeles Clippers owner to prove he’s not a (total) racist by attending Sunday church service at Praises of Zion Missionary Baptist Church, located at 8222 S San Pedro St in Los Angeles. The predominately African-American church’s congregation wasn’t exactly thrilled at the idea, but the Bible preaches forgiveness and they had to roll with their pastor’s orders.

“Stand up brother Sterling. I’m going to give you a round of applause,” the pastor announced in the middle of the service. “We love all God’s children, regardless of your race, creed or color, and I want my friend to know we’re praying for you.” The embattled billionaire declined to comment on anything save for the “beautiful” service he had attended.

Last week, it was announced that Shelly, Donald Sterling’s somewhat estranged wife, had finalized negotiations with former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer to sell the NBA franchise for a whooping $2 billion. Sterling has threatened to sue the league for $1 billion in attempts to stall the move but the owners are set to vote on the matter later this week.

Serena Williams PHOTOBOMBS A Wedding On South Beach In Her LEOPARD Swimsuit!

Serena Williams stopped traffic on South Beach with her animal-print swimsuit. She tweeted, "Leotard is the new bikini."

The trip to South Beach was great for Serena, allowing her to put the French Open behind her (she lost in the second round). She was accompanied by BFF and fellow tennis star, Caroline Wozniacki. And we're not sure how this happened, but Serena stumbled upon someone's wedding. Don't worry....they were happy to see her.