Issa Rae Covers Teen Vogue!
Issa Rae’s taking her (immense) talents to Teen Vogue. The Insecure star/creator is the mag’s April cover girl and she posed for artsy Yu Tsai taken shots. As the world awaits the Sunday, April, 12 return of her hit HBO show which will surely be must-see social distancing TV, Issa’s telling Teen Vogue that she’s got a TON on her plate.
Issa’s not only developing writing, producing and starring in her own series, but she’s also just as busy off-screen with that new Cover Girl deal, her deal with Columbia Pictures for her ColorCreative production banner, her hot new record label, and her café in Inglewood near her production office.
Oh, and yes, she’s QUITE aware that folks are big mad that they had to wait so long for Insecure’s fourth season (the show’s been on hiatus since 2018). According to Issa, there’s a perfectly good explanation for that;
“Insecure takes nine months out of my life,” she explains. “I’m pulling from life experience, and if you’re not living, then what are you really making? It’s a dream to be able to make this show, but I want to make sure that the show is also good. We needed a pause. Coming back, we just felt so fresh and excited to be there, and it showed. It felt like fun again.”Happy now, folks?
Issa’s success and busy schedule aren’t by happenstance however, Issa told Teen Vogue that it’s it all about intentionality as she continues to level-up.
See more quotes below.
On what viewers can expect to see in the new season of Insecure:
“I love this season so much. Season three we always knew was the building season. In the [writer’s room], we were always like, ‘Ooh, season four going to be lit!’ [This season is] just about asking the question: Are people in your life for a reason or a season?”
On why she won’t stop exploring subject matters that make some of her audience uncomfortable:
“If I felt restricted by audience reaction, then I couldn’t make the show. We tune all that shit out because we just want to tell the best story. I don’t feel obligated to tell certain stories because of our audience, and I don’t feel restricted from telling certain stories because of our audience. It’s my story. Who’s going to tell me what to say?”
On whether South L.A. is an unofficial character in Insecure:
“It’s always going to be part of the story. I call [the show] a time capsule of South L.A. because from season one to season four, it’s different. You see it, and it’s tragic, but it’s also going to serve as a nostalgic piece, which I’m proud of.”
On her emerging film career:
“I just want to try different things [and] keep getting better…because I’ve never considered myself an actress. I always considered myself a writer-producer — and an actress for fun. I want to make sure that with each project I’m taking on, I’m bringing something to the table and not just showing up as me. A lot of people don’t get this opportunity, so I don’t want to take it for granted.”
Insecure Season 4 returns to HBO on Sunday, April 12, at 10/9c—will YOU be watching???
#RHOA: Sheree Whitfield’s Mother Has Been found safe in Ohio!
The 77-year-old mother of a former “Real Housewives of Atlanta” cast member who went missing last month is now back at home.
In an Instagram post Friday evening, Sheree Whitfield said her mother, Thelma Ferguson, was found “safe and healthy.”Ferguson went missing March 23 after leaving her home to go to the bank, Sandy Springs police said this week.
She was reunited with her family after detectives located her in Ohio, police spokesman Sgt. Salvador Ortega said Saturday.
Ferguson’s daughter is an original “Real Housewives of Atlanta” cast member who was married to former Atlanta Falcons offensive tackle Bob Whitfield. Sheree Whitfield was part of Bravo’s hit reality show for six of its 12 seasons, most recently Season 10. Ferguson would show up on the show occasionally as a guest.
She was reunited with her family after detectives located her in Ohio, police spokesman Sgt. Salvador Ortega said Saturday.
“Thank you for all the prayers,” Whitfield wrote to her 955,000 Instagram followers Friday evening. “They worked! My mom has been found safe and healthy. She is with family now. I couldn’t have gotten through this without your support!”
#MusicNews: Shawn Stockman of Boyz II Men Releases Debut Album “Foreword”
The wait is finally over! Shawn Stockman of the legendary R&B group Boyz II Men has finally released his solo debut album “Foreword”.
It is no exaggeration to say that R&B fans have been waiting well over two decades for the debut solo album from Boyz II Men singer Shawn Stockman. He initially get our hopes up in the mid 90’s when he released the standout single “Visions of Sunset” from the Mr. Holland’s Opus soundtrack.
LISTEN HERE
The album contains all his songs from the “Shawn” EP he put out in 2018 as well as some new songs including his latest single “All I Do”. The Tim Kelley produced song brings us back to the glory days of Boyz II Men when they dominated the charts with their soulful ballads.
#HipHopNews: Dr. Dre’s ‘The Chronic’ Is Coming To Streaming Services On 4/20!
Twenty-eight years since its release, Dr. Dre’s The Chronic is making its way to streaming services.
The groundbreaking debut album from the West Coast icon will be available across all digital service providers on April 20 via Entertainment One, right in time for 4/20 celebrations.
“Fans now have another reason to celebrate on what has become a national holiday, celebrating all things cannabis-related – where legally allowed and in moderation of course,” said Chris Taylor, global president of eOne Music. “Working with the Death Row catalogue is like working with the legendary recordings of Elvis, Chuck Berry and the Beatles. These historic artifacts should be heard by all music lovers and we are so happy Dr. Dre has opened this door so everyone can experience the brilliance of this seminal work.”
Dre’s magnum opus was released via Death Row Records in December 1992, and earned acclaim from fans and critics. The beloved 16-track album, which Rolling Stone named among its 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, redefined West Coast hip-hop and introduced the world to Snoop Dogg, Daz Dillinger, Kurupt, Nate Dogg, and Warren G, while spawning singles like “Nuthin’ but a ‘G’ Thang” and “Let Me Ride.”
The rap classic is among 25 recordings that will be archived in the Library of Congress’ National Recording Registry this year for its cultural, historical, and aesthetic importance to the nation’s recorded sound heritage.
Rihanna, Says CHILL! She’s Busy Saving The World, Claps Back At Fans Asking For New Album!
The music icon and humanitarian hosted her FENTY Social Club party on Instagram Live on Friday night. During the livestream, the topic of her oft-delayed album once again came up. But Rihanna didn’t hesitate to shut down inquiring fans while taking a shot at President Trump.
“If one of y’all motherf**kers ask me about the album one more time when I’m trying to save the world unlike y’all President…” she said.
The 32-year-old singer then added, “On sight!”
Just last month, Rihanna returned with her first new music in nearly three years as a featured guest on PARTYNEXTDOOR’s “Believe It.” She has been working on her long-awaited ninth album, which is dancehall-inspired.
Friday’s FENTY Social Club livestream also featured DJ sets from Kitty Ca$h, Pedro, and Stretch Armstrong, with performances from Octavian and Lil Uzi Vert. Rihanna even joined her fellow Roc Nation star at one point to dance to his hit “Futsal Shuffle 2020.”
The superstar philanthropist has been giving back in a major way amid the pandemic. Her Clara Lionel Foundation teamed up with Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey to donate $4.2 million to the Mayor’s Fund for Los Angeles to help domestic abuse victims amid the stay-at-home order.
Additionally, she and JAY-Z donated $1 million each toward COVID-19 response efforts to support undocumented workers, children of frontline healthcare workers and first responders, and incarcerated, elderly and homeless people in New York and Los Angeles.
Harvey Weinstein Hit With New Sexual Battery Charge, Could Get 29 Years If Convicted!
Harvey Weinstein’s legal troubles didn’t end with his 23-year sentence for sexual assault.
The disgraced movie producer is now being charged with sexual battery by force in Los Angeles. The alleged incident, according to reports, took place in May 2010.
Prior to that charge, he was looking at forcible rape, sexual penetration by use of force, sexual battery and forcible opal copulation charges, which are all felonies, in Los Angeles.
The alleged victim in the recent charge was initially considered as a witness for the previous four felonies and proved last month that her alleged assault happened within the last 10 years, so the statute of limitations hasn’t run out yet. He’s looking at up to 29 years if he’s found guilty.
He was also accused by two other women, but those charges weren’t pursued because they didn’t want to take the stand.
L.A. District Attorney Jackie Lacey said,
“As we gather corroborating evidence, we have reached out to other possible sexual assault victims. If we find new evidence of a previously unreported crime, as we did here, we will investigate and determine whether additional criminal charges should be filed.”
The D.A.’s office in L.A. wants temporary custody of Harvey Weinstein, who’s currently serving his sentence in New York City. But because of the spread of COVID-19 and travel restrictions, it’s not for certain if this move will happen. In the meantime, he’s slated to be arraigned when he gets to California, whenever that might be.
Interestingly enough, Harvey Weinstein was reportedly diagnosed with the coronavirus last month.
He spoke out about his current 23-year sentence shortly after it made headlines.
“I feel remorse for this situation. I feel it deep in my heart. I’m really trying to be a better person. I would do a lot of things over. I would care less about the movies, and care more about my children and my family…I may never see my children again.”
What do you think about the new charges against Harvey Weinstein
Babyface Reveals He And His Family Tested Positive For Coronavirus!
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Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds has revealed he and his family tested positive for the coronavirus.
The Grammy-winner celebrated his 61st birthday on Friday, and in a reflective post thanking fans for their well-wishes, he revealed his "scary" battle with COVID-19.
"I would like to warmly thank everyone for all the many birthday wishes today. I feel so blessed to be able to celebrate another birthday. I tested positive for the Covid19 virus, as did my family," he wrote in a statement.
"It's an incredibly scary thing to go through my friends," the "Every Time I Close My Eyes" singer added. "I'm happy to report we have now tested negative and are on our way back to full health."
On the heels of his recovery, Babyface announced that he will be participating in an Instagram Live special with fellow artists Swizz Beatz and Timbaland, as well as his brother, Teddy Riley.
Kanye West Cancels Appearance On Joel Osteen Easter Sunday Service Over Safety Concerns!
Kanye West, along with his Sunday Service Choir, was prepared to join televangelist, Joel Osteen, for a special Easter service, but concerns over safety has made Kanye pull out of the virtual service.
TMZ reports that Osteen and West were in communication on Friday, working out the final details for the virtual Easter service. Kanye and his Sunday Service Choir were set to record a few songs for Joel.
Kanye’s 100 plus member choir had plans to wear facemasks and take appropriate social distancing positions. But, Kanye decided that even with the precautions in place, it didn’t feel safe enough for the choir members that were involved.
Joel’s Easter Sunday service will still have a performance from Mariah Carey, with Tyler Perry offering words of encouragement.
This wasn’t the first West, and Osteen worked together. Last year, West and Osteen teamed up when Kanye and his Sunday Service Choir visited Joel Osteen Lakewood Church in Houston, TX. The visit remains Osteen’s most popular service he’s had.
Billie Eilish Addresses That Fake Sex Tape & People Pretending to Be Her!
Billie Eilish is speaking out to address some rumors about her.
The 18-year-old singer chatted with Dazed and was asked about the amateur adult film that some people seem to believe features her.
“You think I would be having sex on a train in daylight? With a dress on and fishnets and a f–king peace-sign necklace? Dog, come on!” Billie said.
Billie also talked about how people pretend to be her while walking around in real life.
“People put a f–kin’ green and black wig on and go out in public and pretend to be me,” she said. “They hire security and get a nice car, to be famous for a day. I think that shit is so f–kin’ annoying!”
“It makes me look bad – if they’re being a d–k, then everyone’s gonna think I was a dick,” she added. “It’s so mean. Every day I’m afraid someone is gonna do something – either fake something viral, or there’s gonna be some…I don’t even know what.
Disney's Live Stream of Broadway Concert Has Been Canceled Because of Labor Dispute!
Back in November, there was a special concert to celebrate Disney on Broadway‘s 25th anniversary and the concert was supposed to be live streamed to raise money for charity.
Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS was going to stream the concert online on Monday (April 13) to raise money for entertainment industry workers affected by the ongoing health crisis, but a labor dispute has halted those plans.
Actors’ Equity Association and SAG-AFTRA both agreed to forgo concert fees associated with the live stream, but the labor union American Federation of Musicians would not agree.
“Members of the American Federation of Musicians are suffering from the sudden cancellation of all work as a result of the Coronavirus outbreak,” the union’s international president, Ray Hair, said by email. “During the height of this crisis, Disney Theatrical has come to us asking to stream media content without payment to the musicians involved in the production. Especially now, with zero employment in the entertainment sector, the content producers should care enough about the welfare of those who originally performed the show to see to it that they are fairly compensated when their work is recorded and streamed throughout the world.”
Disney Theatrical Productions responded, “Disney wholeheartedly supported the request from Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS to AFM to waive fees for this fund-raiser, just as many unions and guilds had happily agreed to do. It’s disappointing that in this case, due to AFM’s decision, much-needed funds will not be raised. We are fiercely proud to be advocates for Broadway Cares and will continue to be, especially at a time like this.”
African American Drug Company Announces Possible Treatment For Coronavirus!
Ennaid Therapeutics, a Georgia-based pharmaceutical company is advancing the development of an antiviral drug that they claim may potentially fight coronavirus cases, and which would be more easily administered to patients suffering with the disease.
According to BET, Darnisha Harrison, founder, and CEO of Ennaid Therapeutics, one of the first African American women to start a major drug company, announced that the company filed a patent and are seeking FDA approval.
Scientists working there created a drug called ENU200 that could treat as much as 80 percent of asymptomatic, mild to moderate COVID-19 infections.
“Our science strongly suggests that ENU200, a repurposed drug with a well-established clinical and safety profile, has the potential to be a broad solution to address the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Harrison in a company statement.
“Unlike other COVID-19 drugs in development, which must be administered via injection or intravenously under the care of a physician, ENU200 can be administered orally, thus enabling in-home treatment for COVID-19 infections.”
ENU200 had already been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for a different purpose and is no longer prescribed, but scientific modeling shows that it can deliver antiviral activity to the proteins that make up COVID-19.
Officials at Ennaid Therapeutics say they are hoping the FDA will fast track the drug through its emergency process to run a clinical trial of patients before bringing it to market.
Harrison told Baton Rouge, news station WBRZ that she is anticipating that clinical trials could be as soon as 90 days away. “The clinical trial itself could take a month. We feel quite optimistic that in the 120-day window, when our clinical material would be ready, we could have a drug that could be safe and effective at treating COVID-19.”
Toni Braxton And Birdman To Get Married This Year!
It’s wedding bells for Toni Braxton and Birdman.The R&B songstress and Cash Money mogul have announced plans to tie the knot this year. While speaking with the “Rick and Sasha” morning show, Braxton revealed that a wedding is in the near future.
“We have been going back and forth on wedding dates,” said the 52-year-old singer. “We had a great date but then it was getting too big, we didn’t want a big wedding. Then we said, ‘OK, we don’t want it too small.’ Then he said, ‘OK, let’s do the drive through.’ I’m like, ‘We are not doing a drive through. I’m not ordering fries after we get married, babe.'”
Added Braxton, “We’ve been trying to figure it out, but we are definitely gonna do it this year.”
The on-again, off-again couple, who have been friends for 18 years, began dating in 2016. They announced their engagement in February 2018 after Birdman proposed with a $5 million ring. That same year, Braxton said she was planning a Great Gatsby-themed wedding before the end of 2018.
But they decided to keep their relationship private after it became fodder on social media. “Sometimes people have too much of an opinion socially,” she said. “We decided we were gonna keep it a lot quieter.”
During a 2018 interview with Wendy Williams, Birdman gushed about his bride-to-be. “That’s my girl, my friend, my family,” he said. “That’s my love, my soldier, my life… She’s my life. I love her to death.”
#RHONY’ cast and producers ‘livid’ over jabs from Bethenny Frankel!
The cast and top producers on “The Real Housewives of New York” are furious with their former colleague after she took a cheap shot about the show’s ratings during a TV interview.
Frankel quit the show last August after eight seasons on-and-off as a member of the cast, and she’s now working on a new reality show, “The Big Shot” for the upcoming HBO Max.
But on Tuesday she said on “Extra” of her former show, “The ratings overall in television have never been higher and perhaps the ratings on ‘Real Housewives’ aren’t doing well because it’s sort of not maybe the content that is inspiring people to do what they need to do right now.”
The dig was met with immediate and widespread outrage, even by some of loyal Frankel allies.
“We all can’t believe she’s out there bashing the show when the ratings are good and she’s proclaimed to have moved on when she decided to leave the franchise,” said a source close to the cast. “I know the ladies only wish her more success with her new show than she had with the last one!”
Frankel’s last solo outing, her chat show “Bethenny,” premiered in 2013 and lasted for just one season.
Meanwhile, a production source told us, “As much as Bethenny pretends to be a producer, creator, mogul and even philanthropist she will always be a ‘Real Housewife’ and reality star. She was a no-one before ‘RHONY’ — why would someone be so desperate as to bash the franchise that built her brand? Andy [Cohen] is livid!”
We’re told she took the jab because the cast have taken shots at her in the press. Luann de Lesseps said on Rob Shuter’s “Naughty but Nice” show that this season is the best ever, because Bethenny left the show. “Bethenny who?,” she said.
A rep for said, “She wishes everyone at Bravo well.” A Bravo rep didn’t get back!
Iyanna Mayweather Could Face 99 Years In Prison For Stabbing At NBA Youngboy's House!
Iyanna Mayweather, the 19-year-old daughter of boxing icon Floyd Mayweather, may be facing some serious time behind bars over an incident at her rumored boyfriend NBA Youngboy's house earlier this month.
Mayweather was arrested on Saturday, April 4 for allegedly stabbing a woman named Lapattra Jacobs, who shares a child with Youngboy, at his Houston home. The incident started around 1:30am, when Mayweather arrived at Youngboy's house and demanded Jacobs leave. Jacobs refused, and the two got into a physical altercation which moved to the kitchen. That's where Mayweather reportedly stabbed Jacobs twice with two different kitchen knives.
Jacobs was taken to the hospital to treat her wounds, and there were rumors that she was in critical condition.
While Jacobs seems to have recovered, Iyanna Mayweather's legal troubles are just beginning. According to The Blast, Mayweather was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, a felony that can carry a $10,000 fine or up to 99 years in prison if Mayweather is convicted. The Blast reports that it's unlikely she will receive the maximum sentence, as she doesn't appear to have a criminal history. According to Bossip, Mayweather is being represented by Kurt Schaffer, a famed attorney who has worked for celebrities like Slim Thug, Pimp C, and Rap-A-Lot Records CEO J Prince. Schaffer confirmed Mayweather will plead "not guilty" to the charges and is due back in court in August.
"Iyanna is doing fine; although she remains shaken by this unfortunate incident," Schaffer told Bossip.
As for Jacobs, she returned to social media to break her silence about the incident. "No I'm not ok Im really fucked up in the head. I hate to say it. Can y'all just leave me alone," she wrote in her Instagram stories. "I never wanted this attention or watever y'all call it. Ps y'all want be seeing me. I'm kinda glad I don't have a phone."
AND FINALLY FROM “THE CRAZY PEOPLE SHOPPING AT WALMART” FILES
‘MEATY LEGEND’
Maybe this is the Walmart version of Santa, where he just sits in the meat section and passes out Johnsonville brats to any kid that sits on his lap.
HAVE A GREAT WEEK AHEAD ALL!!!
EFREM
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