THIS IS THE CHRONICLES OF EFREM: The Daily Buzz For Dec 13

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‘The Hamilton Mixtape’ Dethrones The Weeknd’s ‘Starboy’ as the No. 1 Album in the Country

There hasn’t been a compilation album atop the Billboard 200 albums chart since Kanye West and G.O.O.D. Music achieved the feat with 2012’s Cruel Summer. The Hamilton Mixtape became the first compilation to land the top spot with 187,000 sold last week (of that sum, 169,000 were in traditional album sales), according to Billboard. The mixtape, which was inspired by Lin-Manuel Miranda’s headline-grabbing musical, beat out The Weeknd’s Starboy and Childish Gambino’s Awaken, My Love! for the top spot.

Miranda reacted to the news via Twitter with a trio of emoji’s, and on a more serious note, thanked his co-contributors for their “amazing work.” Nas, The Roots, Wiz Khalifa, and Alicia Keys and other notable artists all lent their talent to the project.

Hamilton has been an unquestionable commercial and critical hit. The stage show has won 11 Tony awards, and the Broadway iteration is sold out until July of 2017. Apparently the success of Hamilton has impacted other musical components of the show as well.

“The original Broadway cast recording of Hamilton peaked at No. 3 on the July 2-dated chart, and has spent 63 weeks (and counting) on the tally,” noted Keith Caulfield of Billboard. “On the latest chart, it moves 10-11 with 45,000 units (though it is up 33 percent).”

A minor stir was caused when crowd members booed as the cast of Hamilton directly addressed vice president-elect Mike Pence during his attendance at showing in November. President-elect Donald Trump scolded the cast via Twitter, and Pence later said he was not offended. Trump supporters later called for a Hamilton boycott, but the numbers indicate such a proposed boycott has had little if any impact.

#RHoA: Cynthia Bailey Does Not Regret Marrying Peter Thomas, But Admits: I reached a breaking point.

In a new interview, Cynthia Bailey is opening up about her split from Peter Thomas. As you know, the model and Real Housewives of Atlanta star and Peter have decided to call it a quits after a nine-year relationship and a six-year marriage. On when Cynthia knew to throw in the towel, she says,

"I think I reached breaking point. Since I’ve been in this marriage I’ve been working on this marriage. I got to a point where got tired of working on my marriage. I felt like I’ve given all I can give."

She also admits that she’s the one that pulled the trigger.

"I’ve initiated it. I think in Peter’s heart he knows we’ve come to the end of the road. I think he’s the kind of person that would hang in there and keep roughing it out."

Cynthia shares that for her next birthday, she wants to be a peach.

"Next year I’ll be turning 50, and it’s important me that when I wake up on my 50th birthday I really want to open my eyes and love everything I see, and love the person I’m with. And have peace."

However, she has no regrets."This marriage was supposed to happen. I’ve been engaged a couple of times, but Peter is the only man I married. I have absolutely no regrets, but I just want peace and I wasn’t getting peace and that’s what I want for my next chapter."

#EMPIRE: Gabourey Sidibe: Her New Memoir Cover Shows her Slimmed Down Look

*Well, well, well. Looky here. Gabourey Sidibe is looking like another person these days. That’s because she’s lost some serious, serious weight and is now sporting a more slimmed down body.

Folks are getting to see the new look “Empire” actress in photo that’s the cover shot for her new memoir, “This is Just My Face: Try Not to Stare,” that’s coming in May of 2017. People, by the way, has an exclusive first look at the autobiography’s cover and the photo shoot from which the image was taken.

“I’m writing a book about me; it’s what I was like before I was an actress, what my life is like now that I am now, and if it even matters,” the author, actress and Oscar nominee — who rose to fame for her turn in the 2009 drama Precious — said in a 2016 PaleyFest interview in L.A. “I write about hair, I write about clothing, I write about marriage and divorce and relationships … I write about a lot of things I’ve experienced.”

People reports that “in an exclusive video from a recent photo shoot for the book, Sidibe shows off a slimmed-down figure. The American Horror Story alum first showed off her weight loss in an Instagram selfie she posted in September, on which fans and followers congratulated her for the new look.”

It’s no secret that Sidibe has said she’s struggled for years with both her weight and embracing body-positivity.

“It’s something I had to work at,” Sidibe said on a 2009 episode of The Oprah Winfrey Show.

“My first diet started when I was 6 years old. I’ve never been a small girl, and one day, I had to sit down with myself and decide that I loved myself and decide that I loved myself no matter what my body looked like and no matter what other people thought of my body. I had to love myself. I was something like — I was like 21-ish, 22-ish — when I decided. I had just got tired of feeling bad all the time; I got tired of hating myself. I really, really had to have a conversation with myself and find what I love about myself.”

Watch Mariah Carey & R. Kelly Perform ‘The Christmas Song’

Mariah Carey continues to bring the Christmas joy with her NYC concert series.

After surprising fans with John Legend, Mimi brought out one of her all-time favorite male singers, R. Kelly, for a special duet performance at the Beacon Theatre. Mariah and Kellz celebrated the season with a cover of Nat King Cole’s classic “The Christmas Song.”

“We’ve never done this before,” Mariah told the audience, before explaining her nervousness. “I want to do this song and I’ve never done it before so I’m a little nervous, especially because this is one of my favorite singers right here,” she added, pointing at Kelly.

Nerves aside, Mariah and the Pied Piper dazzled the audience with their vocals, before toasting to the holidays with eggnog. Kelly, who just released his holiday album 12 Nights of Christmas, ended the performance by planting a series of kisses on Mariah’s cheek.

“@rkelly graced my show this holiday season as we performed our mutual favorite Christmas classic ‘The Christmas Song,’ by Nat King Cole,” Mariah wrote on Instagram. “#ThankYouKellz !!! You’re the best!!!” Meanwhile, Kelly said he “had a blast.”

Check out their full performance HERE

Hip Hop: TLC & Missy Elliott Perform ‘Sleigh Ride’ at ‘Taraji’s White Hot Holidays’

Taraji P. Henson ushered in the holidays with her annual Fox special, “Taraji’s White Hot Holidays,” featuring some of the biggest names in music.

Teaming up for a throwback performance of “Sleigh Ride,” TLC’s Chilli and T-Boz brought their holiday classic to life. Then, as a special surprise, Missy Elliott emerged from behind Christmas presents to perform Left Eye’s spirited verse.

Watch here

The track was pulled from A La Face Family Christmas, the 1993 album that famously also spawned OutKast’s classic “Player’s Ball.”

It’s the RETURN of Kerry Washington!

Kerry Washington is back and ready to play for red carpet season. After having her second baby Caleb Kelechi Asomugha, the gorgeous mom of two is all about being front and center again.

Sunday night, the Confirmation star hit the Critics' Choice Awards in a starry, see-through Elie Saab dress, Sarah Jessica Parker heels and a Jimmy Choo clutch

She went for the messy braid look.

A few nights before, Kerry made her first appearance in months at the Ambassadors For Humanity Gala Benefiting USC Shoah Foundation

I got to honor my dear friends #GeorgeLucas and #MellodyHobson at the USC Shoah Foundation @USCShoahfoundation gala. Using empathy to end hate. Such an important cause! Now more than ever.

She rocked a floral Philipp Plein dress, Gianvito Rossi shoes and a Jimmy Choo clutch for a simple and cute look.

She also made an appearance with her husband Nnamdi:

And more

Fab times!

Shirley Caesar Denies $5M Lawsuit Over ‘U Name It’, Doug. E. Fresh Isn’t Suing ‘Empire’

Grammy-winning gospel singer Shirley Caesar is setting the record straight about a $5M lawsuit over the #UNameItChallenge: It’s just not true.

According to Vibe, earlier this week it was being reported that someone filed a lawsuit on Caesar’s behalf against Atlanta-based producer DJ Suede for profiting off the challenge by selling his remixed version of the track and a video that features people twerking and consuming alcohol to the song.

But Caesar wrote on her Facebook page on Saturday that she’s not suing, but there is an injunction to stop the sales of the track and the video because they go against her beliefs and her brand.

“When they refused to remove the commercial song from the Internet and the video, to protect Pastor’s legacy and what Shirley Caesar stands for, we had to take legal action, secure a temporary injunction and order DJ Suede to remove the video, as well as cease and desist sales,” her statement reads.

“We want to make it clear Pastor Caesar does not endorse the imagery or abuse of alcohol endorsed in the video by having her voice everywhere on the track. Please also note, we have not filed any lawsuits or sued anyone even though it is my right.

But, it is our hope and prayer that DJ Suede and Empire will do the right thing, and respect Pastor Caesar’s legacy, image and name and follow the Court injunction ordering them to remove this video and the I-Tunes song, a clear violation of copyright and trademark laws.”

Caesar isn’t the only celeb denying lawsuits.

Apparently, Doug E. Fresh states that despite reports, he isn’t suing Empire for illegally sampling his 1993 classic, “I-ight.” He took to Twitter to clear up the confusion:

Critics’ Choice Awards Celebrates ‘Moonlight,’ Viola Davis, Donald Glover & More!

Let’s face it, our melanin has magic and that was ever so evident at the 22nd annual Critics’ Choice Awards.

In years past, the brilliant work done by actors of color may have been overlooked, but this year it was celebration of diversity. With 10 nominations, Moonlight led the pack. The film’s star, Mahershala Ali, won Best Supporting Actor, while the entire cast won Best Ensemble.

Another standout was Donald Glover, who won Best Actor in a Comedy for his hit show Atlanta. And the Black Girl Magic queen of the evening, Viola Davis, received the #SeeHer award and won Best Supporting Actress for her role in Fences.

Plainly put, the critics got it right this year! See the full list of Critics’ Choice Awards winners below.

WINNERS OF THE 22ND ANNUAL CRITICS’ CHOICE AWARDS

BEST PICTURE – “La La Land”

BEST ACTOR – Casey Affleck, “Manchester by the Sea”

BEST ACTRESS – Natalie Portman, “Jackie”

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR – Mahershala Ali, “Moonlight”

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS – Viola Davis, “Fences”

BEST YOUNG ACTOR/ACTRESS – Lucas Hedges, “Manchester by the Sea”

BEST ACTING ENSEMBLE – “Moonlight”

BEST DIRECTOR – Damien Chazelle, “La La Land”

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY– TIE: Damien Chazelle, “La La Land” and Kenneth Lonergan, “Manchester by the Sea”

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY – Eric Heisserer, “Arrival”

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY – Linus Sandgren, “La La Land”

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN – David Wasco, Sandy Reynolds-Wasco, “La La Land”

BEST EDITING – Tom Cross, “La La Land”

BEST COSTUME DESIGN – Madeline Fontaine, “Jackie”

BEST HAIR & MAKEUP – “Jackie”

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS – “The Jungle Book”

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE – “Zootopia”

BEST ACTION MOVIE – “Hacksaw Ridge”

BEST ACTOR IN AN ACTION MOVIE – Andrew Garfield, “Hacksaw Ridge”

BEST ACTRESS IN AN ACTION MOVIE – Margot Robbie, “Suicide Squad”

BEST COMEDY – “Deadpool”

BEST ACTOR IN A COMEDY – Ryan Reynolds, “Deadpool”

BEST ACTRESS IN A COMEDY – Meryl Streep, “Florence Foster Jenkins”

BEST SCI-FI/HORROR MOVIE – “Arrival”

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM – “Elle”

BEST SONG – “City of Stars” from “La La Land”

BEST SCORE – Justin Hurwitz, “La La Land”

TELEVISION:

BEST COMEDY SERIES – Silicon Valley, HBO

BEST ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES – Kate McKinnon, Saturday Night Live, NBC

BEST ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES – Donald Glover, Atlanta, FX

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES – Jane Krakowski, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Netflix

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES – Louie Anderson, Baskets, FX

BEST GUEST PERFORMER IN A COMEDY SERIES – Alec Baldwin, Saturday Night Live, NBC

BEST DRAMA SERIES – Game of Thrones, HBO

BEST ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES – Evan Rachel Wood, Westworld, HBO

BEST ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES – Bob Odenkirk, Better Call Saul, AMC

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES – Thandie Newton, Westworld, HBO

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES – John Lithgow, The Crown, Netflix

BEST GUEST PERFORMER IN A DRAMA SERIES – Jeffrey Dean Morgan, The Walking Dead, AMC

BEST MOVIE MADE FOR TELEVISION OR LIMITED SERIES – The People v. O.J. Simpson, FX

BEST ACTRESS IN A MOVIE MADE FOR TELEVISION OR LIMITED SERIES – Sarah Paulson, The People v. O.J. Simpson, FX

BEST ACTOR IN A MOVIE MADE FOR TELEVISION OR LIMITED SERIES – Courtney B. Vance,The People

v. O.J. Simpson, FX

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A MOVIE MADE FOR TELEVISION OR LIMITED SERIES – Regina King, American Crime, ABC

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A MOVIE MADE FOR TELEVISION OR LIMITED SERIES – Sterling K. Brown, The People v. O.J. Simpson, FX

BEST REALITY COMPETITION SERIES – The Voice, NBC

BEST STRUCTURED REALITY SERIES – Shark Tank, ABC

BEST UNSTRUCTURED REALITY SERIES – Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown, CNN

BEST REALITY SHOW HOST – Anthony Bourdain, Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown, CNN

BEST TALK SHOW – The Late Late Show with James Corden, CBS

BEST ANIMATED SERIES – BoJack Horseman, Netflix

Was Prince Considering A Reality Show?

Here’s something else we lost with the death of Prince: A Netflix reality series centered on his Paisley Park home in Minnesota.

A Netflix spokesperson told The Associated Press on Saturday that the online entertainment company had been in “discussions” with Prince about a series, but that the project did not “come to fruition” before his death in April.

Photographer Maya Washington, a friend of the performer known for such hits as “Purple Rain” and “1999,” told GQ recently that he had talked about the show and how he didn’t want to be in it. “Why not? You’re so funny,” she told him. Answered Prince: “Maya, I can’t be funny. I have to save the world.”

Cardell Hayes found GUILTY of manslaughter in Will Smith shooting!

An Orleans Parish jury on Sunday night found Cardell Hayes guilty of manslaughter in the shooting death of former New Orleans Saints defensive end Will Smith.

Hayes, who stood still and stared straight ahead during the verdict, was also found guilty of attempted manslaughter in the shooting of Will Smith's wife, Racquel, who could be heard weeping in the courtroom after the verdict was read.

Hayes was found not guilty of the third count of criminal damage to property for the crash that. The verdicts were not unanimous — 10-2 on both guilty verdicts — and unanimous on the not guilty verdict.

He faces up to 40 years in prison for the manslaughter charge. He will be sentenced on Feb. 17.

Deputies placed Hayes in handcuffs after the verdict as friends and family began to cry. Bounce artist Big Freedia, a cousin of Hayes, had her head in her hands.

Current Saints head coach Sean Payton was in the courtroom as the verdict was read, and former Saints running back Pierre Thomas was also there.

Deuce McAllister, also a former Saints player, said outside the courthouse, "It's not a win for anybody. It was a tough situation. There was no way either side could win."

The prosecution attorneys didn't speak to the media after the verdict. The Orleans Parish District Attorney's Office releases a statement, saying, "The District Attorney is gratified by the verdict. He believes that it was victory for the Smith family as well as the citizens of of New Orleans."

Cardell Hayes attorney John Fuller said, "I respect the jury's verdict, and I respect the pain both families are feeling tonight."

The jury handed up their decision 5 hours after Orleans Parish Criminal District Judge Camille Buras sent the four men and eight women to deliberate at 4:53 p.m.

The decision came after hearing almost five hours of closing arguments and a rebuttal from Assistant District Attorneys Jason Napoli and Laura Rodrigue, and defense attorney John Fuller.

Both sides reiterated their cases: the state arguing Hayes needlessly shot a defenseless man, while the defense said Hayes saved his own life after an enraged Will Smith went for a gun.

Rodrigue, in her 52-minute rebuttal to Fuller's nearly three-and-a-half hour closing argument, noted that Hayes's claim of self-defense doesn't stand since he rammed his Hummer into Smith's SUV intentionally and that Hayes got out of his vehicle with a gun.

Napoli told the jury Hayes should be found guilty of all three charges he faces, including second-degree murder and attempted second-degree murder for Racquel Smith's injuries to her legs.

"A man is dead. A man is dead with seven bullets in his back," Napoli told the jury during the first part of his closing arguments, which lasted 52 minutes. "This is cold blooded murder on our streets."

"Things were happening so fast, as every witness testified so far, that split-second decisions had to be made," Fuller told the jury. "We still don't have a clue as to what all of them were going through that night."

Ladies, See Photos of Naked Chef Franco Noriega — Because Why Not?

We know you ladies been paying close attention to Chef Franco Noriega's YouTube channel and Instagram feed, and we know it's not really because of his amazing recipes. We don't blame you for wanting to get as many looks at the Peruvian incredible six-pack as humanly possible (how is it even real?). So, since we know you're well-versed on his hottest moments, why not vote on your favorite? Straight ahead, you'll find a few of his steamiest shirtless snaps. ENJOY!