See Cynthia Erivo as Aretha Franklin In Brand New Image From 'Genius'!
Cynthia Erivo looks so much like Aretha Franklin in this brand new image from the upcoming season of Genius.
The new pic shows the actress on stage in 1967 at the Regal Theater in Chicago performing “Save Me” with her sisters Carolyn (Rebecca Naomi Jones) and Erma (Patrice Covington) supporting her.
The image was released in celebration of what would’ve been the singer’s 78th birthday.
The series will explore the legendary singer’s life and musical genius as well as the immeasurable impact and lasting influence she has had on music and culture around the world.
Genius: Aretha will premiere on Monday, May 25 and air over four consecutive at 9 p.m. on National Geographic
#RHOA: #TEAMTWIRL Wanna see Proof Kenya Moore Has Always Had Incredible Hair?
Kenya Moore's hair has been quite the topic this season on The Real Housewives of Atlanta. Let's recap a bit, shall we? After Tanya Sam revealed that Kenya asked her to bring her a package containing a wig, the ladies began to wonder if Kenya has secretly been wearing wigs all along. As a business owner who takes great pride in her natural mane and credits her line, Kenya Moore Haircare, for keeping her strands lustrous and healthy, Kenya did not take this lightly. (Get all the tea on the wig drama in the clip above.)
Kenya shut down the wig rumors and made it clear that she does not play when it comes to her hair and business. And in case anyone needs further proof that Kenya has always had a fabulous head of hair, just take a look at her latest throwback post.
On Friday, March 20, Kenya shared an old photo of herself, which shows that even as a teen she had super long and thick strands. In the vintage snap, Kenya appeared in a purple dress with silver hoop earrings, and sported voluminous curls that fell past her shoulders. Kenya's younger brother, who bears a great resemblance to baby Brooklyn Daly as a child, also appeared in the photo.
"Nope that’s not @thebrooklyndaly that’s me and my little brother. I was about 13/14 years old," she captioned the pic.
Want more The Real Housewives of Atlanta? New episodes air every Sunday at 8/7c
#Empire: Jussie Smollett Breaks His Social Media Hiatus With A Song!
Actor and singer Jussie Smollett, 37, makde his return to social media on Wednesday (March 25th), after a nine month hiatus sharing a short message amid the global COVID-19 crisis.
The former Empire actor was seen in the clip playing a piano while singing the legendary Stevie Wonder song, “A Place in The Sun.” Since his alleged attack in early 2019, Smollett has stayed relatively mute as he pointed out he has been quarantine for over 400 days writing,
“Quarantine day 421. Hope y’all are staying safe. Spread love and kindness… not Rona.”
WATCH
For Jussie Smollett, Wednesday marks 421 days exactly since his January 29, 2019 – the date of his alleged attack. As previously reported, just last month Smollett entered a plea of not guilty to six new charges.
The new charges claim he filed four different false police reports to Chicago police after the incident. If convicted, Smollett reportedly faces up to three years behind bars, a fine up to $25,000 and community service.
What are your thoughts on Jussie Smollett?
#MusicNews: Usher Releases “Don’t Waste My Time” Video Featuring Ella Mai!
Legendary singer Usher has just released the anticipated video for his latest single “Don’t Waste My Time” featuring Ella Mai.
Clearly filmed prior to the Coronavirus forced us into social distancing, the visual for the song captures an epic house party centered around a pool. The video was directed by LeSean Harris and features guest appearances from Snoop Dogg, Jermaine Dupri, King Combs, Eric Bellinger, and many more.
“Don’t Waste My Time” has recently broken into the Top 10 at Urban A/C radio and seems destined to top the charts in the near future. This is expected to be the first single from his upcoming album “Confessions 2” which has yet to be officially announced.
WATCH HERE
The song was produced and written by longtime collaborators Jermaine Dupri and Bryan-Michael Cox.
This song actually charted in the Top 5 of our Top 100 Best R&B Songs of 2019 list.
Stay tuned for more news about the upcoming “Confessions 2” album!
#HipHopNews: Drake And Funkmaster Flex Are Beefing AGAIN!
Drake and Funkmaster Flex are it again. While watching DJ Spade’s Instagram Live on Tuesday, Drizzy took aim at the Hot 97 DJ in the comments. “Funk flex guh weh pussy,” he wrote.
You can listen to the BEEF HERE!
It’s unclear what prompted the diss, but it didn’t take long for Flex to respond. “Drake!!! Talking tuff!!!” he wrote. “(U ain’t tuff ni**a).”
The two have had a contentious relationship, which dates back to Drake and Meek Mill’s 2015 beef when Flex leaked reference tracks that Quentin Miller recorded for Drake’s album If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late. Flex has continued to question Drake’s pen game and sided with Pusha-T during their infamous beef.
The Michael Jackson Estate Donates $300,000 to COVID-19 Relief Efforts!
The Michael Jackson Estate will donate $300,000 to help three communities that have been impacted by COVID-19. The estate will give $100,000 each to Broadway Cares, Nevada’s Three Square Food Bank and MusiCares.
“This virus strikes at the heart of the communities we are close to,” John Branca and John McClain, co-executors of the Estate of Michael Jackson, said in a statement. “We learned today that the legendary Manu Dibango passed away from the virus. Other performers and support staff in music and on Broadway are sick or have been left without work and are facing an uncertain future. And in Las Vegas, which has been so welcoming to Michael Jackson, the entire city has been shut down leaving thousands of workers and their families devastated and without an income.”
They added, “Michael’s spirit of generosity and helping others during his lifetime is legendary. These donations are inspired by him.”
In New York, the Michael Jackson Estate is answering the challenge made by more than 20 Broadway producers who are matching up to $1 million in donations to double contributions to Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS’ COVID-19 Emergency Assistance Fund.
“With every passing day that theaters remain dark, entertainment and performing arts professionals face unprecedented and immediate challenges,” Tom Viola, executive director Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, said in a statement. “This incredibly generous donation from the Michael Jackson Estate will help ensure those onstage, backstage and behind the scenes get lifesaving health care, emergency financial assistance and counseling during and after this crisis.”
In Las Vegas, the Estate’s donation will provide 300,000 meals to those in need and help to maintain Three Square Food Bank’s supplies. The Three Square Food bank is the largest food bank in southern Nevada. Meanwhile, the donation to MusiCares will support working musicians. MusiCares recently established the COVID-19 Relief Fund to help people in the music industry affected by the COVID-19 outbreak and the subsequent cancellation of multiple music events.
“MusiCares is very grateful for the outpouring of generosity we’ve seen from many in the music industry to grow the COVID-19 Relief Fund,” Steve Boom, MusiCares chair, said in a statement. “The challenges that our industry is facing right now are enormous. It is contributions such as these that will help our community survive in this unprecedented time of tremendous need.”
Earlier this week, Manu Dibango — the acclaimed Cameroonian saxophonist whose 1972 hit, “Soul Makossa,” was sampled by Jackson, Kanye West and dozens of other musicians — died from the coronavirus
Blac Chyna Publicly Calls Out Rob Kardashian For Dream's Alleged Burns!
Blac Chyna has released a statement through her lawyer about her daughter Dream, 3, allegedly receiving two separate burns during visits with Rob Kardashian, her dad.
“In late February, Dream returned to Chyna’s home after visiting her father, Rob Kardashian, with a first degree burn on her leg. Rob admitted that Dream had received the severe burn at his home and promised it would never happen again. Chyna immediately sought out and obtained appropriate medical treatment for Dream’s burn,” the statement read (via People).
Then, Dream allegedly received a second burn on another visit to Rob’s home “very near the first burn on her leg.”
“When Chyna reached out to Rob to find out what had happened to their daughter, Rob initially lied to Chyna and denied that Dream’s second burn happened at his home,” the statement continued. “Rob then changed his story and had his nanny send a text message admitting that Dream received the second burn at Rob’s house from a hot lightbulb. Chyna again sought medical care for Dream and learned that the most recent burn on her leg was a second degree burn.”
“To protect her daughter’s physical and emotional well-being, Chyna contacted Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) and the police to request an investigation into the circumstances surrounding Dream’s second-degree burn. Any responsible parent would do the same,” the statement read. “Chyna has since learned that the nanny who was allegedly watching Dream when she was burned both times will no longer work for Rob.”
“While that development is a good start, Chyna will do everything within her power to ensure Dream’s safety during her visitations with her father. At a minimum, this will include Chyna’s approval of Rob’s new nanny. Chyna still wants her daughter to be allowed visitations with her father,” the statement continued on. “However, she also of course wants to ensure that Dream is never burned again (or injured by other neglectful conduct) while visiting her father. It is very important for the American public to know that our brave law enforcement and DCFS personnel are still working to protect children during the coronavirus pandemic.”
The Grammys To Honor Prince On The 4th Anniversary Of His Death With New Special ‘Let’s Go Crazy’!
CBS is set to air the 4th-anniversary celebration of Prince in a program titled “Let’s Go Crazy: The Grammy Salute to Prince.”
The show will air on April 21, months after it was initially filmed on January 28, which was two days after the 62nd Grammy Awards. Maya Rudolph took on the role of host, with performances from Hollywood’s biggest artists, including Earth Wind And Fire, HER, John Legend, Usher, and more. Other stars like Naomi Campbell and Misty Copeland were also in attendance.
The special was executive produced by Ken Ehrlich. In an interview with Billboard, the producer shared his feelings on the late singer. “Prince is special. He probably did 12 TV appearances over his career. I did five of them. I think it’s going to do very well because the audience that has grown around him since his death is equal to or greater than the audience that loved him when he was alive. There’s no 15-year old who doesn’t know who Prince is.”
Ron Basile, Chantel Sausedo, Rac Clark, and David Wild will also serve as producers of the special with Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis and Sheila E. Standing as the co-musical directors. The special comes as a collaborative effort from The Prince Estate and AEG Ehrlich Ventures, LLC.
The Recording Academy’s website described the program as one of many Grammy produced TV Tributes.” Let’s Go Crazy: The Grammy Salute to Prince is the latest in a long line of TV tributes that the Grammys have produced in recent years,” the website read, before listing a slew of other productions.” Others have included Sinatra 100 — An All-Star Grammy Concert, Stevie Wonder: Songs In The Key Of Life — An All-Star Grammy Salute, The Beatles: The Night That Changed America — A Grammy Salute, Stayin’ Alive: A Grammy Salute To The Music Of The Bee Gees, Elton John: I’m Still Standing–A Grammy Salute and Motown 60: A Grammy Celebration.”
Prince took home seven Grammys in his music career with Purple Rain and Sign “O” The Times being voted into the Grammy Hall of Fame, along with Prince’s 1982 double-album, 1999.
Beyoncé's New Photo With Twins Sir and Rumi Is ADORBS!
We all know that Beyoncé and Jay Z are extremely private when it comes to their family life. That’s why we cherish the rare moments we get to see their adorable children…even if we’re seeing them a year later!
The singer, who just turned 38, said goodbye to her 37th year by posting never-before-seen photos from the past 365 days on Beyonce.com. We saw her favorite style moments, baecation photos with the hubby, and an adorable photo with her twins Sir and Rumi from Halloween last year.
Now, we all know that the queen typically gives us more than one look each Halloween. We saw her kill it in her FloJo and Toni Braxton costumes that she posted on her Instagram page last year. What we didn’t see (until now) is the mommy of three dressed as Lisa Bonet holding the twins in each arm.
“Thank you from the depths of me for all my birthday loving,” Queen B wrote in a message posted on her site. “I had an incredible B-day! I’m grateful for every breath. I thank God for all of my blessings, my wins and my losses. I thank God for all of you! I would have posted earlier but I had work to do. I gotta job baaaaby. Here is Your B at 37. Love y’all.”
Blue Ivy is known to make somewhat frequent appearances on her mom’s social media and even in her music. Photos of the two-year-old twins, however, have been few and far between. The first we saw was of them was on their 1-month birthday, where mom cradles the newborns in a gorgeous photo shoot.
Fans of the Carters thought we got another glimpse of the adorable babies during a short film displayed at the On The Run II tour, but the couple confirmed that the children they were seen holding weren’t theirs.
Fans didn’t have to wait long, though. During her Homecoming documentary on Netflix, Bey gave us small glimpses of her children, whom she sometimes brought with her to rehearsals.
Keep the family moments coming, y’all
Kathy Griffin Hospitalized for Coronavirus-Like Symptoms, But She Can't Get Tested!
Kathy Griffin has been hospitalized for coronavirus-like symptoms. The 59-year-old comedian took to Twitter on Wednesday (March 25) to reveal that she is in isolation at the hospital and to slam President Trump‘s response to the virus. She also revealed that she can’t get tested.
“He’s lying. I was sent to the #COVID19 isolation ward room in a major hospital ER from a separate urgent care facility after showing UNBEARABLY PAINFUL symptoms,” Kathy wrote. “The hospital couldn’t test me for #coronavirus because of CDC (Pence task force) restrictions. #TESTTESTTEST”
Kathy shared the photos while reposting Trump‘s tweet where he writes, “Just reported that the United States has done far more ‘testing’ than any other nation, by far! In fact, over an eight day span, the United States now does more testing than what South Korea (which has been a very successful tester) does over an eight week span. Great job!”
Kathy‘s hospitalization comes just a week after she sadly shared that her mom Maggie had passed away.
Drake and Rihanna Interact on Instagram Live!
Over the past few nights DJs, rappers and creatives of all kinds have been hosting virtual parties to combat COVID19 quarantine boredom.
Last night DJ Spade Muzik and DJ Night Owl Sound held a DJ battle on Instagram Live where Drake shamelessly flirted with Rihanna and asked when her album was going to drop...
Well????
Taylor Swift & Ariana Grande Are Sending Money to Fans Struggling Financially!
Taylor Swift is helping out a fan amid the current health crisis. The 30-year-old entertainer sent $3,000 to a fan after she reached out on Tumblr where she said she worried about continuing to live in New York City due to lack of work.
“I made a post on tumblr about how I was scared I wouldn’t be able to stay living in NYC because of what corona has done to the music industry,” Holly Turner wrote on Twitter. “@taylorswift13 literally single-handedly saved my ability to stay here. I cannot even believe my eyes right now.”
Holly then attached a screenshot of a $3,000 notification from Taylor Nation, LLC, along with the message, “Holly, You’ve always been there for me. I want to be there for you now. I hope this helps. Love, Taylor.”
Ariana Grande has also been secretly doing the same. It has been revealed that the 26-year-old “7 Rings” singer has been sending between $500 and $1,000 through Venmo to more than 20 fans as they struggle with the government-forced shutdowns.
“She reached out and took care of my salary for the month,” one fan shared with Page Six.
Taylor and Ariana aren’t the only two sending money to fans amid this crisis. These two other entertainers have also been sending money through cash apps.
Annie Malone’s niece calls out missing facts in series about Madam C.J. Walker!
The Netflix series “Self Made” tells the harrowing story of Madam C.J. Walker, an astute and accomplished Black businesswoman who became a millionaire in the early 1900s.
However, many viewers have issues with the direction of the series, which is based on Walker’s life. For instance, Addie Monroe is based on Annie Turnbo Malone. In the series, Addie Monroe is viewed as Walker’s nemesis, and in several scenes, the two women face off in an imaginary boxing ring. Monroe is also depicted as a mulatto, which is a dated term for a mixed-race person.
In real life, Annie Malone was a fair-skinned Black woman who taught Walker the hair business before Walker branched out on her own. Many believe that Malone was America’s first Black millionaire.
In seeking to keep her aunt’s legacy alive, Malone’s niece, Sasha Turnbo, took issue with the series.
“Annie Turnbo Malone was nothing as this series portrayed,” Turnbo said. “My aunt established her business, started selling products and doing in-house demonstrations for African American women. Annie learned about herbalism from her own aunt. Before Mary Kay or Avon, there was Poro.”
Turnbo said Walker — whose real name was Sarah Breedlove — was taught by Malone.
“Sarah Breedlove, aka Madame C.J. Walker, was introduced to my aunt through Sarah’s older brother, who was a barber,” Turnbo said. “Annie Malone took her in and taught her the business. Sarah Breedlove used ‘Poro Wonderful Hair Grower’ to treat her scalp condition and was documented on Census records as an Annie Malone Poro agent. Breedlove learned the business from my aunt for two years.”
Turnbo also said that her aunt was likely the wealthiest person in St. Louis during the early 1900s.
“Annie was the highest taxpayer in St. Louis,” she explained. “Most White men were after her because no Black woman had achieved such success and wealth. Annie opened 30-plus schools all over the world, including [in] St. Louis, Chicago, New York and the Caribbean. She housed millions of people in her college and taught some of the most profound African Americans in our history.”
Turnbo also went after the filmmakers for creating the narrative of Malone and Walker as rivals.
“It appears that the Black women that created this movie found more comfort in using those stories as positive, profound moments than acknowledging the woman who taught Walker and the power in the bond that was created,” she said. “Though Annie and Sarah had their fallout, Annie did not stop spreading her light. The entire country was after Annie Turnbo Malone, and she is an iconic woman. Annie’s story is coming to light and will be given the respect she deserves.”
Dr. Dre’s ‘The Chronic’ And Whitney Houston’s “I Will Always Love You” Set To Be Archived In The Library Of Congress!
Dr. Dre’s ‘The Chronic’ And Whitney Houston’s “I Will Always Love You” Set To Be Archived In The Library Of Congress!
Dr. Dre’s classic 1992 hip-hop album, The Chronic, is, without a doubt, one of the top 10 hip hop albums of all time.
The 3-times certified platinum album is prepared to make another milestone, along with the late, great Whitney Houston’s 4-times platinum single, “I Will Always Love You.”
Deemed worthy of preservation because of their cultural and historical importance to the nation’s recorded sound by the National Recording Registry, both, The Chronic and “I Will Always Love You,” will be archived in the Library of Congress.
Congress Librarian Carla Hayden said in a press release, “The National Recording Registry is the evolving playlist of the American soundscape. It reflects moments in history captured through the voices and sounds of the time.”
Out of the 800 culturally and historically nominations, the Village People’s “Y.M.C.A.,” Tina Turner’s 1984 album Private Dancer, and Selena’s 1990 album Ven Conmigo were also archived in the Library of Congress.
The US Labor Dept Reports A Record 3.28 Million Jobless Claims!
A record 3.28 million Americans filed for unemployment benefits last week as the coronavirus pandemic shut down much of the country. The Labor Department’s report Thursday was one of the first official indicators of how many people have suddenly been forced out of work nationally. The staggering claims figure was well above the levels seen during the darkest days of the Great Recession, and the worst isn’t over yet, economic forecasters say.
The crisis has cut a giant swath through the energy, travel, transportation, hotel and restaurant sectors, with large and small companies suddenly forced to furlough employees. States that depend heavily on tourism, such as Nevada and Florida, as well as oil-and-gas towns like Midland, Texas, will be especially hard hit, but the damage will be felt almost everywhere, according to a Brookings Institution report.
AND FINALLY FROM “THE CRAZY PEOPLE SHOPPING AT WALMART” FILES
‘I AM YOUR FATHER’
Everyone sounds like Darth Vader with those surgical masks on, might as well look the part too right?
HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND ALL!!!
EFREM
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