Issa Rae for The Observer Magazine - 20th September 2020!
In this Observer Magazine, cover shoot TV girl, producer and all-around creative Issa Rae is lauded as the golden girl, who started as a comedy outsider, now she’s Hollywood’s hardest-working star. The Emmy-nominated and Golden Globe-nominated actress speak to Observer Magazine about her upcoming HBO film “Coastal Elites“, being the booked and busiest, the importance of legacy and more.
Her hit HBO show, “Insecure”, has indeed transformed her into the patron saint of black millennial creatives.
In the magazine, she shared how story growing up in Senegal and LA. Being “too black for white kids, too white for black kids”.
She grew up middle class, her father a Senegalese pediatric doctor and her mother a teacher. In childhood, her family moved a great deal, first to the primarily white suburb of Potomac, Maryland, then to Senegal, until they finally settled in LA. Issa was in the sixth grade then – an 11 year old. She was one of the only black girls in her elementary school in Potomac and then the only American girl in her elementary school in Senegal. She struggled to belong in each setting. When she started at a school in LA, attended by predominantly black and Latino students, she found herself the subject of the ballad of many black middle-class teens – “too black for white kids, too white for black kids”. When Tupac died in 1996, she attempted to find common ground with her mourning classmates and mispronounced his name, becoming a social pariah in the process.
Read some excerpts from her cover feature below:
On “Insecure”.
“It is a compliment and a burden that people take so much ownership over the show,” Rae says, “because there aren’t a lot of shows about us, so people feel like you have to tell all the stories that can be told, and if you don’t you’re failing us.”
On how sharing a name and face with her character on “Insecure”, has made privacy a priority.
“People have a lot of shit to say and I just don’t want it to be about me, unless it’s talking about my work,” she says. “People fill in the blanks about my own life because of the characters’ choices, but I’m fine with that. As long as it’s not my real shit and it’s wrong then talk away!”
On the upcoming film “Coastal Elites”.
“I actually had never heard the term ‘coastal elite’ until this movie so I’m just like, “What does this mean? Oh OK, it’s me.” Rae and her character, Callie, both live in LA, and they’re both “outraged by the current administration”.
“You see so much of the concentrated fuckery of this current president in one place,” she says. “Hopefully you’ll watch the movie and say, ‘This is not normal. I should be upset, I should be outraged.’ Satire or not, we’re living in this and to accept this is to be part of our own destruction.”
“Do I get burned out? Hell yeah!” she exclaims. “That was why I took a break last year because I didn’t really think about how to do everything and do everything well. But it’s not just me – I get a lot of credit, but I work with really great people.”
On the complicated diversity within Hollywood.
“It’s just another way to divide us, unfortunately,” she sighs. “Seeing Daniel Kaluuya in that Fred Hampton trailer, I was like, go the fuck ahead! You transformed, you’re an actor! Sometimes I’m pleasantly surprised when I’m watching white shit and I’m like, ‘Oh! The bitch is Australian? That’s so dope! I would have never known.’”
On her legacy.
“As far as legacy is concerned, I have so much to do,” she says. “And I’m fine with that, but it definitely keeps me up at night. My feet aren’t firmly planted just yet. I’m still walking, I’m still paying my dues, in a way that I’m not mad at. I want to earn being here.”
Read the full feature HERE at the Observer Magazine.
#RHOP: 'Real Housewives of Potomac' New Trailer Teases Another Major Fight Coming!
The drama continues between the ladies of Potomac! A new midseason trailer for The Real Housewives of Potomac teases another major fight that fans do not want to miss. The new sneak peek, shared by E! News, begins with the ladies enjoying a lavish trip to Portugal, pulling pranks on one another and having fun
It then shows relationship troubles in most of the ladies' lives, before touching on Candiace Dillard and Monique Samuels' physical fight that was shown in last month's RHOP episode.
As Ashley Darby tells Candiace and Robyn Dixon that Monique asked her "to write a statement," Robyn replies, "You wrote a statement as revenge towards Candiace," with Candiace angrily adding ,"F**k you, Ashley."
Things get heated when the ladies are seen at a party and Ashley yells, "Monique has no self-control, but what do you have?"
Clips of people getting in each other's faces, including Ashley and Candiace's husbands, Michael Darby and Chris Bassett, flash on the screen before cameras stop rolling. The teaser ends with Gizelle Bryant simply saying, "Potomac don't stop, can't stop, won't stop."
Monique and Candiace's fight played out nearly a year ago at a Maryland winery, with the headline-making moment becoming the subject of much speculation in the months since -- even within the group at the center of the show. The cast saw the moment play out for the first time since they experienced it by watching last Sunday’s episode.
"When I watched it, my stomach just turned," Robyn told ET via video chat. "I was so mortified."
For Robyn, the footage actually seemed less intense than what she remembered. "Watching it, to be honest, it was … not as bad as it was in the moment," she admitted. "When you see stuff like that, it makes it harder for people to feel sorry for Candiace in that moment, because it's almost like she was waiting for Monique to lose her cool. Monique lost her cool and Candiace took the opportunity to really, like, just make it worse."
Robyn said she's still trying to "understand how it got to that point," because at the time, the cast had no idea how deep the problems were between Candiace and Monique.
The Real Housewives of Potomac airs Sunday at 9 p.m. on Bravo.
#NewMusic: Mario – Mars!
R&B crooner Mario has just released the new single “Mars”. The record is the follow up to his single “Closer” which came out earlier this year. Mario is also set to release his upcoming EP “Closer To Mars” on October 16th.
LISTEN HERE
Nice!
#HipHopNews: Megan Thee Stallion And Young Thug Team Up On ‘Don’t Stop’!
After topping the charts twice this year and gracing the cover of TIME‘s Most Influential People in the World issue, the Houston hottie keeps the momentum going with her new single “Don’t Stop” featuring Young Thug. On the Buddah Bless-produced slapper, Meg takes charge while repping the Hot Girls.
“Don’t stop, pop that cat, just like that,” she raps. “Shake that shit, work it bitch.”
Along with the song, she has debuted an epic Alice in Wonderland-inspired video, directed by Colin Tilley (“WAP”). In the twisted fantasy, Meg plays different roles including a sexy Cheshire Cat, Queen of Hearts, and Alice herself, twerking alongside a cat in one scene. Thugger also makes a cameo as an Edward Scissorhands-type groundskeeper.
WATCH HERE
“Don’t Stop,” which follows “Girls in the Hood,” is expected to appear on Meg’s full-length debut album.
Mariah Carey Says She & Ex Fiance James Packer 'Didn't Have a Physical Relationship'!
Mariah Carey has confirmed why her ex fiance James Packer is not featured in her memoir “The Meaning of Mariah.”
“If it was a relationship that mattered, it’s in the book. If not, it didn’t occur,” Mariah told The Guardian.
Then, Mariah said something that fans noticed, adding, “We didn’t have a physical relationship, to be honest with you.”
Mariah and James were first in a relationship in 2015 and got engaged 9 months later. They split on 2016.
Mariah didn’t have great things to say about him the last time she was asked!
If you missed it, Mariah once revealed the number of people she has actually been intimate with.
Be sure to grab your copy of Mariah Carey‘s new memoir if you haven’t already
Eniko Hart Debuts Baby Girl She says: You’re Everything I Could’ve Imagined!
Eniko Hart, the wife of comedian and actor Kevin Hart, is still in bliss after giving birth to their baby girl, Kaori.
Eniko Hart shared a photo of her smiling at the newborn child on Monday (Oct. 5th). She captioned the photo:
“when your heart literally lives outside of your body all over again. Ori my girl you are everything i could’ve ever imagined plus more. My light”
Eniko Hart and Kevin Hart welcomed Kaori late last month.
She announced her pregnancy back in April.
Kaori is baby #2 for Kevin Hart and Eniko Hart. They also share son, Kenzo, in November 2017.
Kevin Hart also has two children, daughter Heaven, 15, and son Hendrix, 12, from his previous marriage to comedienne Torrei Hart.
Congrats, Kevin and Eniko!
Spike Lee Mourns His Longtime Star Thomas Jefferson Byrd, 70, Killed In Apparent Shooting!
Thomas Jefferson Byrd, a Tony Award-nominated actor best known onscreen for his roles in several Spike Lee films, was killed Saturday in Atlanta at age 70, Atlanta police confirmed to USA TODAY.
Police were dispatched to a home in Atlanta at 1:45 a.m. local time Sunday, where they found an unresponsive man, later identified as Byrd. Paramedics pronounced him dead from multiple gunshot wounds to the back, Atlanta police spokesperson Anthony Grant told several news sources.
Homicide detectives are "working to determine the circumstances surrounding the incident," Grant added.
Thomas Jefferson Byrd, Savion Glover, Nicole Friday, Spike Lee, Tonya Lewis Lee and Roland Martin attend the "Spike Lee ... Ya Dig!" career celebration during the American Black Film Festival on June 21, 2014, in New York City.
Lee, who directed Byrd in eight films between 1995 and 2005, mourned the actor in multiple Instagram posts Sunday, referring to the actor as "my guy" and "our beloved brother." The two collaborated on 1995's "Clockers," 1996's "Get on the Bus" and "Girl 6," 1998's "He Got Game," 2000's "Bamboozled," 2012's "Red Hook Summer," 2014's "Da Sweet Blood of Jesus" and 2015's "Chi-Raq."
"May We All Wish Condolences And Blessings To His Family," Lee added. "Rest In Peace Brother Byrd."
"Loved working with you Byrd," Viola Davis tweeted with several broken-heart emojis. "What a fine actor you were. So sorry your life ended this way."
Carl Gordon (from left), Thomas Jefferson Byrd, Charles S. Dutton, Whoopi Goldberg and Stephen McKinley Henderson in the 2003 Broadway revival of "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom."
Byrd, a graduate of Morris Brown College in Atlanta, got his performing start on the stage. In 2003, he made his Broadway debut appearing alongside Whoopi Goldberg and Charles S. Dutton in Broadway's revival of "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom," which landed him a Tony nomination for best featured actor in a play.
In addition to Lee's films, Byrd also appeared in the 1996 crime drama "Set It Off," 2004 Ray Charles biopic "Ray" and the TV series "She's Gotta Have It." According to IMDB, he is also set to appear in the upcoming Civil War drama "Freedom's Path."
Jill Scott LOW KEY Throws Shade at Jauguar Wright 'The Lion Doesn't Turn Around When The Small Dog Barks.'!
Jaguar Wright has been making headlines lately for exposing the likes of Alicia Keys, Common and more others. And while most of these stars haven't responded to the allegations leveled against them, Jill Scott has let them know that they always get her back with a shade directed towards Jaguar.
Jill took to Instagram over the weekend to show her support for Mary J. Blige, Common and other stars who have been dissed by Jaguar, but not without taking a jab at the exposer. In a post uploaded on the social media site, the "A Long Walk" singer shared an African proverb that read, "The lion doesn't turn around when the small dog barks."
She added in the caption of the post, "LOVE and RESPECT to @common, @theroots @aliciakeys @erykahbadu @talibkweli @therealmaryjblige @diddy I sincerely appreciate your decades of musical inspiration. Thank you. Have a beautiful day Love Village. Love harder. Love smarter. Look towards the light."
Dolly Parton In Talks To Pose For Playboy For 75th Her Birthday!
In a new radio interview, the “9 to 5” singer said that she’s in talks to pose for Playboy for her 75th birthday in January but noted the shoot would have to be “in good taste.” She previously appeared on the cover in 1978 but did not appear naked for the inside spread.
“Yeah, I just might do it. If I can do it in good taste and we’ll do it along with a really good interview inside,” she said on the “Scott Mills & Chris Stark Show” on Radio 5 Live. “So, yeah, we’ve talked about it.”
In March, Parton teased a Playboy collaboration when asked if she had plans to retire.
Enlarge ImageDolly Parton on a red carpet and Dolly Parton on Playboy
Dolly Parton is considering posing again for Playboy, which she covered in 1978.Getty Images/Playboy
“Well, I don’t plan to retire. I just turned 74, [and] I plan to be on the cover of Playboy magazine,” the legendary singer-songwriter said on “60 Minutes Australia.”
Perez Hilton Remembers When He Made Out With John Mayer In New Book!
Perez Hilton gleefully recalls the time he made out with John Mayer in his upcoming memoir.
In 2007, Hilton had finished co-hosting MTV’s New Year’s Eve celebrations with Christina Aguilera and the two of them decided to hit a club in Chelsea.
While there, they met up with Jessica Simpson and her then-boyfriend John Mayer. As the quartet were seated, the gossip blogger, 42, alleges that Mayer leaned in and announced, “‘I like to watch gay porn, you know.’”
The crooner then helpfully added, “‘My favorite porn star is Brent Corrigan. He really turns me on.'”
Hilton writes that after that, things proceeded very quickly as Mayer leaned in and shoved his tongue into Hilton’s mouth. Despite being momentarily paralyzed, the gossip maven began making out with Mayer.
Hilton says the pop princess seemed mortified by her boyfriend and covered her face with her tresses.
After it was done, the “Free Fallin’” singer, 42, sat back with a “satisfied” look on his face and turned to gaze affectionately at Simpson, who “didn’t seem to know whether she was incredibly embarrassed or really turned on.”
Mayer and Simpson had an infamously on-and-off relationship, with Mayer ungraciously referring to Simpson as “sexual napalm.” Simpson detailed breaking up and getting back together with the rocker nine times in her memoir, “Open Book.”
Hilton also spills the tea on a multitude of other celebs like Lady Gaga, Britney Spears, Lindsay Lohan and Paris Hilton.
He was good pals with the hotel scion-turned-reality star and attended many raucous parties at her place. Perez says he never saw Paris do any “hard drugs” but she was “one of the biggest stoners, I ever met in my life.”
Perez alleges that the “Simple Life” star smoked weed every day from morning until late at night.
Mayer’s, Simpson’s and Paris Hilton’s reps did not respond for comment.
“TMI: My Life in Scandal” hits bookstores Oct. 6.
Designer Kenzo Takada, Founder of Kenzo, Dies Of COVID-19 At 81-Years-Old!
Kenzo Takada, a Japanese designer, famous for creating the international luxury fashion house Kenzo, died in Paris on Sunday due to complications related to COVID-19.
According to CNN, a spokesperson for Takada’s luxury brand K-3 confirmed the designers passing via a statement.
“It is with immense sadness that the brand K-3 announces the loss of its celebrated artistic director, Kenzo Takada. The world-renowned designer passed away on October 4th, 2020, due to Covid-19 related complications at the age of 81 at the American Hospital, in Neuilly-sur-Seine, France,” the statement read.
Takada debuted his namesake fashion line in Paris in 1970. He sold his fashions out of his first boutique called Jungle Jap, and establishing himself as a force. His labels’ aesthetic always included a chaotic mix of loud colors and mismatch prints, which Takada said was inspired by his travels all around the world. ⠀
Kenzo retired from his fashion house in 1999 to pursue a career in art, but always remained one of the most respected fixtures of Paris’ high fashion scene.
Melania Trump Caught on Tape Saying Who Gives a F About Christmas!
Last week, just before Donald and Melania Trump tested positive for COVID19, tapes of Melania Trump saying "Who gives a f--k about Christmas were released...
LISTEN HERE
A former assistant to Melania secretly made the recordings and sat down with Anderson Cooper to discuss.
AND FINALLY FROM “THE CRAZY PEOPLE SHOPPING AT WALMART” FILES
‘SLIGHTLY IMPERV-FECT’
One of those sleepovers where you hope you’re the kid who actually doesn’t get invited…
HAVE A GREAT DAY EVERYBODY!!!!!!!!
EFREM
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