THIS IS THE CHRONICLES OF EFREM: The Daily Buzz For Aug 30 ☕📰☕

“Black-ish” Stars Tracee Ellis Ross & Anthony Anderson cover Ebony Magazine September Issue

Our favourite TV parents Tracee Ellis Ross and Anthony Anderson are the cover stars for Ebony Magazine‘s latest issue.

They play Rainbow and Dre Johnson on the Emmy nominated comedy series Black-ish.

The co-stars open up about their role in the show and their real life friendship. They were interviewed by Bené Vier and shared this with the magazine

Tracee on her chemistry with Anthony: “It’s the magic that happens between us. That’s why it’s so fun working with Anthony, ’cause the two of us work the same way.”

Anthony on his favourite part of the show: “My favorite thing has been being a part of the children’s lives for the past five years, and watching them grow professionally and personally.”

Read the full interview on HERE

#RHoA: Meet Cynthia Bailey’s NEW MAN!

Cynthia Bailey‘s personal life is heating up in Hotlanta. Four months after finalizing her divorce from ex-husband Peter Thomas, the Real Housewives of Atlanta star made her new relationship Instagram-official, sharing a cuddly picture with motivational speaker Will Jones.

The pair are all smiles aboard a yacht in the selfie, posted Monday. Bailey, 50, also alluded to new love in a snapshot of her strutting down a dock, writing, “He’s got me feeling pretty special.”

Bailey and Thomas separated in 2016 and divorced last March, remaining open about their marital troubles on the Bravo reality show. Despite their split, the two remain friends.

“I’m really pleased with the way we handled our divorce,” Bailey told PEOPLE at the time. “I did not want to be mean, or ugly, or ratchet about it. I chose to be in my marriage. I was happy for many years in my marriage and a lot of great things came out of my marriage. I’m good, we’re good.”

Bailey is expected to return for The Real Housewives of Atlanta‘s 10th season, which premieres on Bravo sometime this fall.

#EMPIRE: ‘Nashville’ Reveals former ‘EMPIRE star Kaitlin Doubleday Character Details

CMT has been mum about the role that will be played by Kaitlin Doubleday in Nashville’s upcoming new season, but now the show’s co-creator Marshall Herskovitz is sharing some character details for her

Doubleday portrays Jessie Caine, a singer/songwriter who left Nashville a few years ago under a cloud of scandal, but has returned to reclaim her career and the son that was taken from her.

Doubleday’s character will be introduced during the series’ 100th episode on June 15 and Bilson will join a few episodes later.

Nashville is set against the backdrop of the city’s music scene and follows the lives of country music superstars as well as the up-and-coming performers and songwriters trying to get ahead in the business. The series stars Hayden Panettiere as Juliette Barnes, Clare Bowen as Scarlett O’Connor, Chris Carmack as Will Lexington, Charles Esten as Deacon Claybourne, Jonathan Jackson as Avery Barkley, Sam Palladio as Gunnar Scott, Maisy Stella as Daphne Conrad and Lennon Stella as Maddie Conrad. In addition, this season features Joseph David-Jones as Clay, Rhiannon Giddens as Hallie Jordan and Cameron Scoggins as Zach Welles in recurring roles.

#MUSICNEWS: Boyz II Men To Release New Album ‘Under the Streetlight’ in October

Celebrating over 25 years in show business, four-time Grammy Award-winning R&B group Boyz II Men are prepping for the release of the brand new album, Under the Streetlight, due out October 20.

A tribute to the classic, harmony-driven sound that inspired the iconic R&B trio, the 10-track album features a personal selection of timeless songs chosen by founding members Nathan Morris, Shawn Stockman and Wanya Morris, plus one original song – all with a Boyz II Men twist.

“Growing up and experiencing doo-wop music definitely influenced Boyz II Men’s sound,” said Nathan Morris. ‘Under the Streetlight’ has been a passion project that we’ve wanted to create for a while to bring us back to our roots and make the music that inspired us when we first started the group.”

On Under the Streetlight, Boyz II Men put their spin on classics such as “Why Do Fools Fall in Love,” (Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers), “Stay” (Maurice Williams & the Zodiacs) and “I Only Have Eyes for You” (The Flamingos) along with their new original song, “Ladies Man.”

The album also includes features from Brian McKnight on “I’ll Come Running Back To You,” “Tears On My Pillow,” and “A Sunday Kind Of Love”; Amber Riley (Glee) on “Anyone Who Knows What Love Is”; and Take Six on “A Thousand Miles Away.”

Fresh off their sold-out tour with New Kids on the Block and Paula Abdul, fans can catch Boyz II Men during their ongoing residency at the Mirage in Las Vegas and on their global tour.

See the full tracklisting and pre-order below.

‘UNDER THE STREETLIGHT’ TRACKLIST:

01. Why Do Fools Fall In Love

02. A Thousand Miles Away feat. Take 6

03. Stay

04. I Only Have Eyes For You

05. Up On The Roof

06. I’ll Come Running Back To You feat. Brian McKnight

07. Tears On My Pillow feat. Brian McKnight

08. A Sunday Kind Of Love feat. Brian McKnight

09. Anyone Who Knows What Love Is feat. Amber Riley

10. Ladies Man

The album is available for pre-order now.

#NEWHIPHOP: Will Smith & DJ Jazzy Jeff Premiere New Song ‘Get Lit’

More than two decades after releasing their last collaborative album as DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince, the legendary hip-hop duo continues to “Get Lit” with their new dance-centric single.

While performing at Livewire Festival in Blackpool, England on Sunday (Aug. 27), Will Smith and his longtime collaborator debuted the new track, which features an electronic instrumental and a teaser of things to come. “My people,” raps the Fresh Prince. “Good before evil / Big Will the sequel ’bout to get lit.”

Smith introduced the song by explaining its mission. “I wanted to make a song that allowed people to let their light shine,” he said (via Just Jared). “We all have an inner light and sometimes this world… people can say stuff to you and tell you you can’t do and you know you can but when they tell you that it kinda knocks you down a bit right so I wanted to make a record that reminded each and every one of y’all to let your light shine.”

Smith’s mention of a Big Will sequel could be a reference to his 1997 solo debut album, Big Willie Style. However, it could also be a nod to a new album from the dynamic duo who broke onto the scene with 1987’s Rock the House. Their final album together was 1993’s Code Red. In 1998, the former “Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” cast members also reunited for a Greatest Hits compilation, which included previously-unreleased material.

In 2015, Smith talked about dropping new music after premiering the Latin dance-flavored “Fiesta.” “I’m pretty much poppin’ in the studio everyday and I’m looking for artists to collaborate with,” he said at the time. “I’ve probably recorded 30 songs. I have six or seven that I really like.”

LISTEN HERE

At the time, he also revealed that he had no plans of hanging up the mic, even though he hasn’t released a solo album since 2005’s Lost & Found. “I’m definitely interested in pushing the envelope of spitting,” he said. “How far can you go? I’ma keep giving it a shot up until I’m 70 or 80 years old.”

#OOOPS! Adam Levine Trashes VMAs As 'Utterly Horrible'

Adam Levine was thoroughly disappointed by the MTV Video Music Awards Sunday night, and ripped the annual show apart in just two tweets.

"It's always exciting to see how utterly horrible the VMAs will be," the Maroon 5 singer tweeted during the show. "They really delivered so far this year. #HOLYF-CK."

As usual, the show focused more on the performers than the actual awards, but even some performers were slighted. Julia Michaels was one of them, and Levine was not happy.

"Julia Michaels gets cut off while she's singing and Lorde gets to NOT sing her whole song," he tweeted.

It's always exciting to see how utterly horrible the VMAs will be. They really delivered so far this year. #HOLYFUCK

— Adam Levine (@adamlevine) August 28, 2017

Julia Michaels gets cut off while she's singing and Lorde gets to NOT sing her whole song

— Adam Levine (@adamlevine) August 28, 2017

Lorde revealed on Twitter prior to her performance that she had the flu, but many people didn't see it until after she did a wacky interpretive dance instead of sing her song, "Homemade Dynamite."

"You can't tell in these pictures but i have the flu so bad i needed an IV," she tweeted. "#showgoeson #cutelilproppedupcorpse."

you can't tell in these pictures but i have the flu so bad i needed an IV #showgoeson #cutelilproppedupcorpse 🦄💀

— Lorde (@lorde) August 27, 2017

Michaels, who sang her electropop hit "Issues," was not the only performer who got the short end of the stick. MTV also cut to commercial in the middle of a video tribute to the late Linkin Park frontman Chester Bennington.

#POLITICS: Meet Chokwe Antar Lumumba as he becomes the youngest mayor of Jackson, Mississippi

Meet Chokwe Antar Lumumba, 34, who, according to the New York Amsterdam News, became the youngest mayor in the history of Jackson, Mississippi when he was recently sworn in at Jackson’s Convention Center Complex.

Lumumba, who was previously defeated by incumbent Mayor Tony Yarber, called his victory a celebration of the city’s unity.

“It’s about our collective efforts to move Jackson forward,” he said. The seat was left vacant when Lumumba’s father, Chokwe Lumumba, died after serving less than a year in office.

“I’m actually grateful that we lost the election in 2014,” Lumumba told “Democracy Now!” of his former attempt to fill his father’s seat. “Not because the sincerity was not there, not because we didn’t believe we would have done a good job, but, we’ve been able to appreciate far more what’s going on with the city of Jackson, and I’ve been able to appreciate more within myself.”

Lumumba continued, “People have to remember, in 2014, not only did I bury my father in a two-month time span and then enter into an election, my wife was pregnant with our first child. And so there was a world of change. You had a first-time candidate, who had not run for junior class president, much less mayor of a city. And so, we’ve been able to, you know, gather more information and position ourselves better.”

“We’re happy where we find ourselves at this time, to move forward the agenda that my father embarked on, an agenda of a people’s platform, one that was not only, you know, symbolic of his work in his short term as mayor, but symbolic of a lifetime of work, that he subscribed to and also ultimately dedicated his family toward,” said Lumumba, suggesting that timing is everything.

Overcome with emotion, he continued, “A son only holds his father’s hand for a short while, but he holds his heart forever. I can’t help, but to be emotional today.”

Of course, the rising rep didn’t pass up the opportunity to also praise his late mother.

“My mom’s spirit was infectious, she was the first person to tell me that I was brilliant,” said Lumumba. “If you had the privilege of knowing her or meeting her, she is someone that you would never forget.”

As for how he hopes to inspire change, check out the video above for a brief look at what he calls “Restoring the Vision

#HURRICANEHARVEY Beyoncé Vows to Help ‘As Many As We Can’ with Hurricane Harvey Relief

Beyoncé is stepping up to help her hometown of Houston support Hurricane Harvey victims.

She released an exclusive statement to the Chronicle pledging her support.

via Chron: “My heart goes out to my hometown, Houston, and I remain in constant prayer for those affected and for the rescuers who have been so brave and determined to do so much to help,” she said.

“I am working closely with my team at BeyGOOD as well as my pastor (Rudy Rasmus at St. John’s in downtown Houston) to implement a plan to help as many as we can.”

Beyoncé started BeyGOOD in 2013 during the Mrs. Carter World Tour. The organization partners with global charities to help with employment and provides clothing, counseling, housing, food and medical assistance.

Nick Gordon Dodges Jail Time In Domestic Violence Case Because His Girlfriend Won’t Cooperate With Police

Y’all remember when Nick Gordon was arrested for domestic violence back in June for allegedly beating up his girlfriend Laura Leal? Well, it seems like sis didn’t want to see her man behind bars because she’s refused to cooperate with investigators in the case.

TMZ reports, Gordon will walk away clean from this recent arrest and charges will be dropped because his girlfriend made it very clear to prosecutors in Florida that she did not want him convicted, despite the overwhelming evidence that she had been in a physical altercation.

His girlfriend initially told police Nick punched her during an argument following a night out at a bar. Nick is still under investigation for his connection to Bobbi Kristina’s death.

It’s Official: VH1 Announces ‘Love and Hip Hop: Miami’ Along With Cast

After many months of rumors and speculation, it now appears to be official, Love and Hip Hop: Miami is on it’s way. The fourth installment of the reality tv series is set to premiere in January 2018.

Trina’s viral rant from a few weeks ago, was a dead give away, confirming that she was apart of the cast. Her longtime friend Trick Daddy is also a cast member.

Other cast members include the group Pretty Ricky, rapper Gunplay, Shay Johnson (of Flavor of Love and L&HH Atlanta) and more. Check out the cast list:

Trina will join the docu-series as she preps her upcoming album The One while balancing home life with her unpredictable family. Will Trina be able to manage being one of the most celebrated femcees while having it all at home?

The self-proclaimed “Mayor of the 305” Trick Daddy is also working on his latest creative endeavors but will his divorce from his wife Joy derail his comeback?

Pretty Ricky is also back on the radar. Pleasure P is focusing on new music for their big reunion but will his relationship with girlfriend Shay Johnson (the former Love & Hip Hop Atlanta star!) threaten his relationship with the group?

Rapper Gunplay and his girl Keyara are starting over in Miami but will ex-girlfriend Miami Tip shake up their happy home? Can the couple outlast the drama from the past?

Multi-talented Amara La Negra is ready for that crossover to the American mainstream charts but is Miami too big for her? Will she be able to remain true to her voice, her image, and herself in the Miami scene?

Veronica Vega is a controversial and unapologetic figure trying to make an impression in the music industry. Will she be able to balance work and friendships before something falls?

Producer Young Hollywood also joins the Love & Hip Hop Miami cast as an early pioneer of the Latinx trap music movement. His work includes collabs with major artists like Migos and Pitbull. While his attitude may not be for everyone, his body of work speaks for itself.

Prince is a nightlife personality with a thing for beautiful women. The self-proclaimed “Prince of South Beach” and his longtime gf Liz Cifuentes will be at odds over his late nights and constant “party boy” lifestyle. Will Liz’s friendship with a rival promoter DJ Michelle Pooch be the nail in the coffin?

Steph Lecor, fresh off opening for acts such as Calvin Harris and Ariana Grande, has signed with Dj Khaled’s We The Best Music Group. Loyal through and through, Steph will always be vocal about where she stands when her loyalty is called into question.

Celebrity stylist Jojo Zarur is ready to expand her business including opening new stores but with her parents’ tenuous divorce in the way, she may find her plans take a different turn.

Finally, aspiring rapper Bobby Lytes has a very famous first cousin that he doesn’t feel supports his ambitions. Ahem, Trina! That, plus his relationship with his boyfriend Jeffrey White will be shook when a former flame Malik Williams returns for love. Can the couple find a way to have it all? Will Trina support her cousin? Will the past stop Bobby and Jeffrey in their tracks?

#SPOTTEDOUT: Lupita Nyong’o, Cynthia Erivo and political activist Deray Mckesson were spotted at Afro Punk in Brooklyn.

Look who was t The Afro Punk ceebration in Brooklyn this past weekend. It was Lupita Nyong’o, Cynthia Erivo and political activist Deray Mckesson were spotted at Afro Punk in Brooklyn.