#FASHIONFAB: Issa Rae at the BARBIE London Photocall HOT or NOT?
Here’s Issa at a Barbie event is London in a white cute top with a pink mini skirt. Looks cute but I ask you. Is she HOT or NOT?
The Legendary Crooner Tony Bennett, masterful stylist of The American Songbook, dies at 96
Tony Bennett, the eminent and timeless stylist whose devotion to classic American songs and knack for creating new standards such as “I Left My Heart In San Francisco” graced a decadeslong career that brought him admirers from Frank Sinatra to Lady Gaga, died Friday. He was 96, just two weeks short of his birthday.
Publicist Sylvia Weiner confirmed Bennett’s death to The Associated Press, saying he died in his hometown of New York. There was no specific cause, but Bennett had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 2016.
The last of the great saloon singers of the mid-20th century, Bennett often said his lifelong ambition was to create “a hit catalog rather than hit records.” He released more than 70 albums, bringing him 19 competitive Grammys — all but two after he reached his 60s — and enjoyed deep and lasting affection from fans and fellow artists.
Elton John, Berry Gordy, Scorsese and more friends and admirers of Tony Bennett react to his death
Bennett didn’t tell his own story when performing; he let the music speak instead — the Gershwins and Cole Porter, Irving Berlin and Jerome Kern. Unlike his friend and mentor Sinatra, he would interpret a song rather than embody it. If his singing and public life lacked the high drama of Sinatra’s, Bennett appealed with an easy, courtly manner and an uncommonly rich and durable voice — “A tenor who sings like a baritone,” he called himself — that made him a master of caressing a ballad or brightening an up-tempo number.
“I enjoy entertaining the audience, making them forget their problems,” he told The Associated Press in 2006. “I think people ... are touched if they hear something that’s sincere and honest and maybe has a little sense of humor. ... I just like to make people feel good when I perform.”
Bennett was praised often by his peers, but never more meaningfully than by what Sinatra said in a 1965 Life magazine interview: “For my money, Tony Bennett is the best singer in the business. He excites me when I watch him. He moves me. He’s the singer who gets across what the composer has in mind, and probably a little more.”
He not only survived the rise of rock music but endured so long and so well that he gained new fans and collaborators, some young enough to be his grandchildren. In 2014, at age 88, Bennett broke his own record as the oldest living performer with a No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 chart for “Cheek to Cheek,” his duets project with Lady Gaga. Three years earlier, he topped the charts with “Duets II,” featuring such contemporary stars as Gaga, Carrie Underwood and Amy Winehouse, in her last studio recording. His rapport with Winehouse was captured in the Oscar-nominated documentary “Amy,” which showed Bennett patiently encouraging the insecure young singer through a performance of “Body and Soul.”
His final album, the 2021 release “Love for Sale,” featured duets with Lady Gaga on the title track, “Night and Day” and other Porter songs.
For Bennett, one of the few performers to move easily between pop and jazz, such collaborations were part of his crusade to expose new audiences to what he called the Great American Songbook.
“No country has given the world such great music,” Bennett said in a 2015 interview with Downbeat Magazine. “Cole Porter, Irving Berlin, George Gershwin, Jerome Kern. Those songs will never die.”
Ironically, his most famous contribution came through two unknowns, George Cory and Douglass Cross, who in the early ’60s provided Bennett with his signature song at a time his career was in a lull. They gave Bennett’s musical director, pianist Ralph Sharon, some sheet music that he stuck in a dresser drawer and forgot about until he was packing for a tour that included a stop in San Francisco.
“Ralph saw some sheet music in his shirt drawer ... and on top of the pile was a song called ‘I Left My Heart In San Francisco.’ Ralph thought it would be good material for San Francisco,” Bennett said. “We were rehearsing and the bartender in the club in Little Rock, Arkansas, said, ‘If you record that song, I’m going to be the first to buy it.’”
Released in 1962 as the B-side of the single “Once Upon a Time,” the reflective ballad became a grassroots phenomenon staying on the charts for more than two years and earning Bennett his first two Grammys, including record of the year.
By his early 40s, he was seemingly out of fashion. But after turning 60, an age when even the most popular artists often settle for just pleasing their older fans, Bennett and his son and manager, Danny, found creative ways to market the singer to the MTV Generation. He made guest appearances on “Late Night with David Letterman” and became a celebrity guest artist on “The Simpsons.” He wore a black T-shirt and sunglasses as a presenter with the Red Hot Chili Peppers at the 1993 MTV Music Video Awards, and his own video of “Steppin’ Out With My Baby” from his Grammy-winning Fred Astaire tribute album ended up on MTV’s hip “Buzz Bin.”
That led to an offer in 1994 to do an episode of “MTV Unplugged” with special guests Elvis Costello and k.d. lang. The evening’s performance resulted in the album, “Tony Bennett: MTV Unplugged,” which won two Grammys, including album of the year.
Bennett would win Grammys for his tributes to female vocalists (“Here’s to the Ladies”), Billie Holiday (“Tony Bennett on Holiday”), and Duke Ellington (“Bennett Sings Ellington — Hot & Cool”). He also won Grammys for his collaborations with other singers: “Playin’ With My Friends — Bennett Sings the Blues,” and his Louis Armstrong tribute, “A Wonderful World” with lang, the first full album he had ever recorded with another singer. He celebrated his 80th birthday with “Duets: An American Classic,” featuring Barbra Streisand, Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder among others.
“They’re all giants in the industry, and all of a sudden they’re saying to me ‘You’re the master,’” Bennett told the AP in 2006.
Long associated with San Francisco, Bennett would note that his true home was Astoria, the working-class community in the New York City borough of Queens, where he grew up during the Great Depression. The singer chose his old neighborhood as the site for the “Fame”-style public high school, the Frank Sinatra School of the Arts, that he and his third wife, Susan Crow Benedetto, a former teacher, helped found in 2001.
The school is not far from the birthplace of the man who was once Anthony Dominick Benedetto. His father was an Italian immigrant who inspired his love of singing, but he died when Anthony was 10. Bennett credited his mother, Anna, with teaching him a valuable lesson as he watched her working at home, supporting her three children as a seamstress doing piecework after his father died.
“We were very impoverished,” Bennett said in a 2016 AP interview. “I saw her working and every once in a while she’d take a dress and throw it over her shoulder and she’d say, ‘Don’t have me work on a bad dress. I’ll only work on good dresses.’”
He studied commercial art in high school, but had to drop out to help support his family. The teenager got a job as a copy boy for the AP, performed as a singing waiter and competed in amateur shows. A combat infantryman during World War II, he served as a librarian for the Armed Forces Network after the war and sang with an army big band in occupied Germany. His earliest recording is a 1946 air check from Armed Forces Radio of the blues “St. James Infirmary.”
Bennett took advantage of the GI Bill to attend the American Theater Wing, which later became The Actors Studio. His acting lessons helped him develop his phrasing and learn how to tell a story. He learned the more intimate Bel Canto vocal technique which helped him sustain and extend the expressive range of his voice. And he took to heart the advice of his vocal coach, Miriam Spier.
“She said please don’t imitate other singers because you’ll just be one of the chorus whoever you imitate whether it’s Bing Crosby or Frank Sinatra and won’t develop an original sound,” Bennett recalled in the 2006 AP interview. “She said imitate musicians that you like, find out how they phrase. I was particularly influenced by the jazz musicians like (pianist) Art Tatum and (saxophonists) Lester Young and Stan Getz.”
In 1947, Bennett made his first recording, the Gershwins’ standard “Fascinatin’ Rhythm” for a small label under the stage name Joe Bari. The following year he gained notice when he finished behind Rosemary Clooney on the radio show “Arthur Godfrey’s Talent Scouts.” Bennett’s big break came in 1949 when singer Pearl Bailey invited him to join her revue at a Greenwich Village club. Bob Hope dropped by one night and was so impressed that he offered the young singer a spot opening his shows at the famed Paramount Theater, where teens had swooned for Sinatra. But the comedian didn’t care for his stage name and thought his real name was too long for the marquee.
“He thought for a moment, then he said, ‘We’ll call you Tony Bennett,’” the singer wrote in his autobiography, “The Good Life,” published in 1998.
In 1950, Mitch Miller, the head of Columbia Records’ pop singles division, signed Bennett and released the single, “The Boulevard of Broken Dreams,” a semi-hit. Bennett was on the verge of being dropped from the label in 1951 when he had his first No. 1 on the pop charts with “Because of You.” More hits followed, including “Rags to Riches,” “Blue Velvet,” and Hank Williams’ “Cold, Cold Heart,” the first country song to become an international pop hit.
Bennett found himself frequently clashing with Miller, who pushed him to sing Sinatra-style ballads and gimmicky novelty songs. But Bennett took advantage of the young LP album format, starting in 1955 with “Cloud 7,” featuring a small jazz combo led by guitarist Chuck Wayne. Bennett reached out to the jazz audience with such innovative albums as the 1957 “The Beat of My Heart,” an album of standards that paired him with such jazz percussion masters as Chico Hamilton, and Art Blakey. He also became the first white male singer to record with the Count Basie Orchestra, releasing two albums in 1958. Sinatra would later do the same.
Bennett’s friendship with Black musicians and his disgust at the racial prejudice he encountered in the Army led him to become an active supporter of the Civil Rights Movement. He answered Harry Belafonte’s call to join Martin Luther King Jr.’s 1965 Selma-to-Montgomery voting rights march and perform for the protesters.
Bennett’s early career peaked in the 1960s as he topped the charts with “San Francisco” and became the first male pop solo performer to headline at Carnegie Hall, releasing a live album of the 1962 concert.
In 1966, he released “The Movie Song Album,” a personal favorite which featured Johnny Mandel’s Oscar-winning song “The Shadow of Your Smile” and “Maybe September,” the theme from the epic flop “The Oscar,” noteworthy because it marked Bennett’s first and only big-screen acting role.
But as rock continued to overtake traditional pop, he clashed with Columbia label head Clive Davis, who insisted that the singer do the 1970 album “Tony Sings the Great Hits of Today,” with such songs as “MacArthur Park” and “Little Green Apples.” Bennett left Columbia in 1972, and went on to form his own record label, Improv, which in 1975-76 produced two duet albums with the impressionistic pianist Bill Evans now considered jazz classics.
Despite artistic successes, Improv proved a financial disaster for Bennett, who also faced difficulties in his personal life. His marriage to artist Patricia Beech collapsed in 1971. He wed actress Sandra Grant the same year, but that marriage ended in 1984. With no recording deals, his debts brought him close to bankruptcy and the IRS was trying to seize his house in Los Angeles. After a near-fatal drug overdose in 1979, he turned to his son, Danny, who eventually signed on as his manager. Bennett kicked his drug habit and got his finances in order, moved back to New York and resumed doing more than 200 shows a year.
He is survived by his wife Susan, daughters Johanna and Antonia, sons Danny and Dae and nine grandchildren.
Bennett was named a Kennedy Center Honoree in 2005 and a National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Master in 2006. He also won two Emmy Awards — for “Tony Bennett Live By Request: A Valentine Special” (1996) and “Tony Bennett: An American Classic” (2007).
Besides singing, Bennett pursued his lifelong passion for painting by taking art lessons and bringing his sketchbook on the road. His paintings, signed with his family name Benedetto — including portraits of his musician friends and Central Park landscapes — were displayed in public and private collections, including the Smithsonian Museum of American Art.
“I love to paint as much as I love to sing,” Bennett told the AP in 2006. “It worked out to be such a blessing in my life because if I started getting burnt-out singing ... I would go to my painting and that’s a big lift. ... So I stay in this creative zone all the time.”
The Legendary Crooner Tony Bennett, masterful stylist of The American Songbook, dies at 96
Tony Bennett, the eminent and timeless stylist whose devotion to classic American songs and knack for creating new standards such as “I Left My Heart In San Francisco” graced a decadeslong career that brought him admirers from Frank Sinatra to Lady Gaga, died Friday. He was 96, just two weeks short of his birthday.
Publicist Sylvia Weiner confirmed Bennett’s death to The Associated Press, saying he died in his hometown of New York. There was no specific cause, but Bennett had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 2016.
The last of the great saloon singers of the mid-20th century, Bennett often said his lifelong ambition was to create “a hit catalog rather than hit records.” He released more than 70 albums, bringing him 19 competitive Grammys — all but two after he reached his 60s — and enjoyed deep and lasting affection from fans and fellow artists.
Elton John, Berry Gordy, Scorsese and more friends and admirers of Tony Bennett react to his death
Bennett didn’t tell his own story when performing; he let the music speak instead — the Gershwins and Cole Porter, Irving Berlin and Jerome Kern. Unlike his friend and mentor Sinatra, he would interpret a song rather than embody it. If his singing and public life lacked the high drama of Sinatra’s, Bennett appealed with an easy, courtly manner and an uncommonly rich and durable voice — “A tenor who sings like a baritone,” he called himself — that made him a master of caressing a ballad or brightening an up-tempo number.
“I enjoy entertaining the audience, making them forget their problems,” he told The Associated Press in 2006. “I think people ... are touched if they hear something that’s sincere and honest and maybe has a little sense of humor. ... I just like to make people feel good when I perform.”
Bennett was praised often by his peers, but never more meaningfully than by what Sinatra said in a 1965 Life magazine interview: “For my money, Tony Bennett is the best singer in the business. He excites me when I watch him. He moves me. He’s the singer who gets across what the composer has in mind, and probably a little more.”
He not only survived the rise of rock music but endured so long and so well that he gained new fans and collaborators, some young enough to be his grandchildren. In 2014, at age 88, Bennett broke his own record as the oldest living performer with a No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 chart for “Cheek to Cheek,” his duets project with Lady Gaga. Three years earlier, he topped the charts with “Duets II,” featuring such contemporary stars as Gaga, Carrie Underwood and Amy Winehouse, in her last studio recording. His rapport with Winehouse was captured in the Oscar-nominated documentary “Amy,” which showed Bennett patiently encouraging the insecure young singer through a performance of “Body and Soul.”
His final album, the 2021 release “Love for Sale,” featured duets with Lady Gaga on the title track, “Night and Day” and other Porter songs.
For Bennett, one of the few performers to move easily between pop and jazz, such collaborations were part of his crusade to expose new audiences to what he called the Great American Songbook.
“No country has given the world such great music,” Bennett said in a 2015 interview with Downbeat Magazine. “Cole Porter, Irving Berlin, George Gershwin, Jerome Kern. Those songs will never die.”
Ironically, his most famous contribution came through two unknowns, George Cory and Douglass Cross, who in the early ’60s provided Bennett with his signature song at a time his career was in a lull. They gave Bennett’s musical director, pianist Ralph Sharon, some sheet music that he stuck in a dresser drawer and forgot about until he was packing for a tour that included a stop in San Francisco.
“Ralph saw some sheet music in his shirt drawer ... and on top of the pile was a song called ‘I Left My Heart In San Francisco.’ Ralph thought it would be good material for San Francisco,” Bennett said. “We were rehearsing and the bartender in the club in Little Rock, Arkansas, said, ‘If you record that song, I’m going to be the first to buy it.’”
Released in 1962 as the B-side of the single “Once Upon a Time,” the reflective ballad became a grassroots phenomenon staying on the charts for more than two years and earning Bennett his first two Grammys, including record of the year.
By his early 40s, he was seemingly out of fashion. But after turning 60, an age when even the most popular artists often settle for just pleasing their older fans, Bennett and his son and manager, Danny, found creative ways to market the singer to the MTV Generation. He made guest appearances on “Late Night with David Letterman” and became a celebrity guest artist on “The Simpsons.” He wore a black T-shirt and sunglasses as a presenter with the Red Hot Chili Peppers at the 1993 MTV Music Video Awards, and his own video of “Steppin’ Out With My Baby” from his Grammy-winning Fred Astaire tribute album ended up on MTV’s hip “Buzz Bin.”
That led to an offer in 1994 to do an episode of “MTV Unplugged” with special guests Elvis Costello and k.d. lang. The evening’s performance resulted in the album, “Tony Bennett: MTV Unplugged,” which won two Grammys, including album of the year.
Bennett would win Grammys for his tributes to female vocalists (“Here’s to the Ladies”), Billie Holiday (“Tony Bennett on Holiday”), and Duke Ellington (“Bennett Sings Ellington — Hot & Cool”). He also won Grammys for his collaborations with other singers: “Playin’ With My Friends — Bennett Sings the Blues,” and his Louis Armstrong tribute, “A Wonderful World” with lang, the first full album he had ever recorded with another singer. He celebrated his 80th birthday with “Duets: An American Classic,” featuring Barbra Streisand, Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder among others.
“They’re all giants in the industry, and all of a sudden they’re saying to me ‘You’re the master,’” Bennett told the AP in 2006.
Long associated with San Francisco, Bennett would note that his true home was Astoria, the working-class community in the New York City borough of Queens, where he grew up during the Great Depression. The singer chose his old neighborhood as the site for the “Fame”-style public high school, the Frank Sinatra School of the Arts, that he and his third wife, Susan Crow Benedetto, a former teacher, helped found in 2001.
The school is not far from the birthplace of the man who was once Anthony Dominick Benedetto. His father was an Italian immigrant who inspired his love of singing, but he died when Anthony was 10. Bennett credited his mother, Anna, with teaching him a valuable lesson as he watched her working at home, supporting her three children as a seamstress doing piecework after his father died.
“We were very impoverished,” Bennett said in a 2016 AP interview. “I saw her working and every once in a while she’d take a dress and throw it over her shoulder and she’d say, ‘Don’t have me work on a bad dress. I’ll only work on good dresses.’”
He studied commercial art in high school, but had to drop out to help support his family. The teenager got a job as a copy boy for the AP, performed as a singing waiter and competed in amateur shows. A combat infantryman during World War II, he served as a librarian for the Armed Forces Network after the war and sang with an army big band in occupied Germany. His earliest recording is a 1946 air check from Armed Forces Radio of the blues “St. James Infirmary.”
Bennett took advantage of the GI Bill to attend the American Theater Wing, which later became The Actors Studio. His acting lessons helped him develop his phrasing and learn how to tell a story. He learned the more intimate Bel Canto vocal technique which helped him sustain and extend the expressive range of his voice. And he took to heart the advice of his vocal coach, Miriam Spier.
“She said please don’t imitate other singers because you’ll just be one of the chorus whoever you imitate whether it’s Bing Crosby or Frank Sinatra and won’t develop an original sound,” Bennett recalled in the 2006 AP interview. “She said imitate musicians that you like, find out how they phrase. I was particularly influenced by the jazz musicians like (pianist) Art Tatum and (saxophonists) Lester Young and Stan Getz.”
In 1947, Bennett made his first recording, the Gershwins’ standard “Fascinatin’ Rhythm” for a small label under the stage name Joe Bari. The following year he gained notice when he finished behind Rosemary Clooney on the radio show “Arthur Godfrey’s Talent Scouts.” Bennett’s big break came in 1949 when singer Pearl Bailey invited him to join her revue at a Greenwich Village club. Bob Hope dropped by one night and was so impressed that he offered the young singer a spot opening his shows at the famed Paramount Theater, where teens had swooned for Sinatra. But the comedian didn’t care for his stage name and thought his real name was too long for the marquee.
“He thought for a moment, then he said, ‘We’ll call you Tony Bennett,’” the singer wrote in his autobiography, “The Good Life,” published in 1998.
In 1950, Mitch Miller, the head of Columbia Records’ pop singles division, signed Bennett and released the single, “The Boulevard of Broken Dreams,” a semi-hit. Bennett was on the verge of being dropped from the label in 1951 when he had his first No. 1 on the pop charts with “Because of You.” More hits followed, including “Rags to Riches,” “Blue Velvet,” and Hank Williams’ “Cold, Cold Heart,” the first country song to become an international pop hit.
Bennett found himself frequently clashing with Miller, who pushed him to sing Sinatra-style ballads and gimmicky novelty songs. But Bennett took advantage of the young LP album format, starting in 1955 with “Cloud 7,” featuring a small jazz combo led by guitarist Chuck Wayne. Bennett reached out to the jazz audience with such innovative albums as the 1957 “The Beat of My Heart,” an album of standards that paired him with such jazz percussion masters as Chico Hamilton, and Art Blakey. He also became the first white male singer to record with the Count Basie Orchestra, releasing two albums in 1958. Sinatra would later do the same.
Bennett’s friendship with Black musicians and his disgust at the racial prejudice he encountered in the Army led him to become an active supporter of the Civil Rights Movement. He answered Harry Belafonte’s call to join Martin Luther King Jr.’s 1965 Selma-to-Montgomery voting rights march and perform for the protesters.
Bennett’s early career peaked in the 1960s as he topped the charts with “San Francisco” and became the first male pop solo performer to headline at Carnegie Hall, releasing a live album of the 1962 concert.
In 1966, he released “The Movie Song Album,” a personal favorite which featured Johnny Mandel’s Oscar-winning song “The Shadow of Your Smile” and “Maybe September,” the theme from the epic flop “The Oscar,” noteworthy because it marked Bennett’s first and only big-screen acting role.
But as rock continued to overtake traditional pop, he clashed with Columbia label head Clive Davis, who insisted that the singer do the 1970 album “Tony Sings the Great Hits of Today,” with such songs as “MacArthur Park” and “Little Green Apples.” Bennett left Columbia in 1972, and went on to form his own record label, Improv, which in 1975-76 produced two duet albums with the impressionistic pianist Bill Evans now considered jazz classics.
Despite artistic successes, Improv proved a financial disaster for Bennett, who also faced difficulties in his personal life. His marriage to artist Patricia Beech collapsed in 1971. He wed actress Sandra Grant the same year, but that marriage ended in 1984. With no recording deals, his debts brought him close to bankruptcy and the IRS was trying to seize his house in Los Angeles. After a near-fatal drug overdose in 1979, he turned to his son, Danny, who eventually signed on as his manager. Bennett kicked his drug habit and got his finances in order, moved back to New York and resumed doing more than 200 shows a year.
He is survived by his wife Susan, daughters Johanna and Antonia, sons Danny and Dae and nine grandchildren.
Bennett was named a Kennedy Center Honoree in 2005 and a National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Master in 2006. He also won two Emmy Awards — for “Tony Bennett Live By Request: A Valentine Special” (1996) and “Tony Bennett: An American Classic” (2007).
Besides singing, Bennett pursued his lifelong passion for painting by taking art lessons and bringing his sketchbook on the road. His paintings, signed with his family name Benedetto — including portraits of his musician friends and Central Park landscapes — were displayed in public and private collections, including the Smithsonian Museum of American Art.
“I love to paint as much as I love to sing,” Bennett told the AP in 2006. “It worked out to be such a blessing in my life because if I started getting burnt-out singing ... I would go to my painting and that’s a big lift. ... So I stay in this creative zone all the time.”
#RHOA: Cynthia Bailey’s Ex-Husband Peter Thomas Took 15% Of Her RHOA Pay
Cynthia’s mom and sister knew, all the way back then. They even low-key tried to sabotage Peter and Cynthia’s dino wedding. The couple never had it easy, due to Peter’s inability to manage money. After losing multiple businesses and using some of Cynthia’s finances, now we find out he was also skimming her paycheck.
Did Pete deserve 15%?
According to Pete, he had an “agreement” with Cynthia since he wasn’t getting paid by Bravo. He discussed it in a recent interview with Carlos King. In an effort to not lose revenue in his own business ventures due to his hectic (eye-roll) filming schedule, he helped himself to some of Cyn’s Bravo money.
“I used to take 15%. Whenever the check comes in I would take 15% ’cause I had to keep my sh*t up also,” Peter said. The audacity of this man is impressive. “And the time that I was giving to you guys was actually taking away time from my business. So our agreement was that I would take 15% after we pay all our household bills.” After “we” pay all our household bills indeed.
Peter was out on the streets peddling his awesome clubs when he first began appearing on RHOA. Today, he runs a restaurant in Miami called Bar One and is apparently pursuing other business opportunities as well. However, Pete also frequently finds himself under financial stress and pressure. This is most likely because he allegedly has trouble paying some of his employees.
When Cynthia and Peter divorced, she sued him for a loan balance he never repaid. Additionally, Peter was charged with check fraud in 2019. Since then, multiple parties have accused him of owing them money.
TELL US – DO YOU THINK PETER WAS ENTITLED TO 15% OF CYNTHIA’S BRAVO SALARY?
#MusicNews: Keyshia Cole, Jagged Edge and More to Perform at DJ Cassidy’s 2023 ‘Pass The Mic Live!’
DJ Cassidy and The Black Promoters Collective have joined forces for the third Pass The Mic Live! event.
The upcoming one-night-only concert is Sept. 2 in Atlanta, Georgia, at the State Farm Arena as part of Labor Day weekend festivities.
Representing R&B at the event will be Keyshia Cole and Jagged Edge. The lineup also includes rappers and other notable stars such as Fat Joe, Method Man & Redman, Remy Ma, Akon, The Lox, and Shaggy.
As per the official flyer, there will be special guests present.
Presale tickets are available now through a partnership with American Express®. These tickets will only be accessible to American Express® cardholders. General on-sale tickets will be available starting Friday, July 21.
DJ Cassidy previously stated, “I am overwhelmed with excitement and emotion as I announce the first in a series of one-night-only Pass The Mic Live! events.”
“Transforming a show that began in my living room into a live arena concert is simply surreal. I am so honored to be uniting yet another iconic list of my musical heroes, this time live on stage, and I am so grateful for the Black Promoters Collective, whose grand vision, foresight, and experience is my guiding light.”
Shelby Joyner, president of Black Promoters Collective and CEO/president of SJ Presents, previously added, “DJ Cassidy is a shining light in pop culture, and we are honored to partner with him on what is sure to be one of the most epic tours of the year. ”
During Mother’s Day weekend, DJ Cassidy sold out the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey with R&B stars such as Ne-Yo, Ashanti, Robin Thicke, and 112. Other performers included Lil’ Kim, Fabolous, Ma$e, and Ja Rule.
His upcoming Pass The Mic Live! show on July 21 at Radio Music Hall in New York City, celebrating the 50th anniversary of hip-hop, has already sold out.
The lineup boasts many pioneering rap acts such as Big Daddy Kane, Doug E. Fresh, The Sugarhill Gang, Roxanne Shante and more.
#HipHopNews: Drake Calls Sexyy Red His "Rightful Wife" In Instagram Story
A candid moment caught in a photograph circulating on social media showed the Canadian superstar sharing a passionate kiss with the burgeoning St. Louis-based artist. With his arm affectionately draped around Red, Drizzy pecked her on the cheek. Meanwhile, Red reciprocated by delicately cradling his face in her hand.
On his Instagram Stories, Drake shared his affection for the 25-year-old starlet by referring to her as his “rightful wife.” He wrote, “Just met my rightful wife, [Sexyy Red].” It was followed by a since-removed post warning about potential jealousy, “If my girl sees y’all backstage being thirsty, it’s gonna get smokey.”
In response, Red shared the intimate snapshot along with another playful image of Drake sticking his tongue out. Her caption read, “I’m yo favorite rapper’s favorite rapper.”
Sexyy Red has seen a meteoric rise to fame this year. Backed by Tay Keith’s production, her song “Pound Town” initiated the #PoundTownChallenge on TikTok with over 77 million views on the app. Later, a remix featuring Nicki Minaj further propelled her to Billboard Hot 100 fame. Capitalizing on the newfound stardom, Red launched her Hood Hottest Princess mixtape in June, which also introduced another hit titled “SkeeYee.”
Recently, the rapper was under fire after posting a video of her visiting a high school in her hometown. Many Twitter users cited the explicit content of her lyrics as a reason for why the musician shouldn’t be making appearances on school grounds.
In response, Red wrote, “I didn’t perform – it was prom week, and I was there to provide the girls with hair bundles and the boys with money for haircuts. It’s because I remember needing help with my prom stuff.”
Nick Cannon's Ex Jessica White Reveals His Hypocrisy In Their Polyamorous Relationship
Nick Cannon banned his ex Jessica White from having multiple partners despite their polyamorous relationship. The model revealed her ex-partner's hypocrisy during a conversation with Safaree Samuels in an episode of "Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta".
When talking about her "famous" ex whom she refused to name, Jessica said that she was not allowed to date anyone else while he had multiple partners. "I was in an eight-year relationship, so I'm kind of getting out of that," she said.
"Plural, like polyamorous. I wasn't allowed to have other partners but he was," the 39-year-old added. When Safaree asked if Jessica was Muslim, she replied, "No, I'm just very submissive."
When Safaree pressed on Jessica about who her "famous" ex was, she refused say the name, but would show him. The rapper's mouth dropped open when she handed him her phone, seemingly showing a picture of "The Masked Singer" host, whom Safaree said was his "boy."
Jessica, however, let slip of her ex's name when she was asked by a producer in a confessional why Safaree had "never seen or heard" or her if she was close to the "Nick Cannon Presents: Wild 'N Out" creator. "I don't know. You have to ask Nick," she said.
Just last month, Jessica detailed her "emotionally abusive relationship" with Nick. "I went through an emotionally abusive relationship," she told Page Six in June. "And everybody goes through it. I am just the first person in Hollywood to talk about it, and not try to make a pretty picture of it. I don't want to be perfect. If I can be known for something, is that, 'she lived her life authentically real and she was raw.' "
The former Victoria's Secret model, however, previously said that Nick "didn't cause that pain." She explained on Instagram earlier that month, "I had it long before us but I put it off on you unfairly without seeing that my healing needed to be deeper past us. I mean you added to it but my fear of not being loved wasn't broken by you I'd like to publicly say that."
Jessica dated Nick for eight years. She suffered a miscarriage in 2020 while she was pregnant by the actor/comedian, who currently has 12 children with multiple women.
G Herbo Faces Up To 20 Years In Jail After Entering Guilty Plea In Fraud Case
According to Chicago Tribune, the plea agreement was filed by prosecutors in U.S. District Court in Springfield, Massachusetts, on Wednesday, July 19. It was the same day the emcee was ordered to make a court appearance there due to his recent gun possession arrest.
Herbo, whose real name is Herbert Randall Wright III, and five other men were charged for allegedly stealing credit card information to fund luxury vacations and a villa in Jamaica. They were also said to be using the stolen credit card for private jets, lease foreign cars and designer bags.
The "PTSD" singer allegedly contacted his music promoter Antonio Strong to hire a private villa in Jamaica in July 2017 and provided a stolen card to pay for incidentals. He also reportedly used a stolen card to buy two "designer puppies" from a luxury pet store.
Other defendants, meanwhile, are alleged to have used stolen cards to charter private planes, yachts and cars. They were also said to use the cards to hire stunning rental accommodations.
Herbo himself had another run-in with the law earlier this month. TMZ Hip Hop reported that the rhymer was busted for illegal gun possession around 5:45 P.M. near North Wabash Avenue and East Ontario Street on Sunday, July 9.
The Machine Entertainment Group artist was taken into custody and booked for misdemeanor unlawful use of a weapon in a public place after cops found a gun. He, however, didn't spend a long time in prison since he was released soon after posting his bail.
Beyoncé Teases New Perfume
Beyoncé has been doing everything to make sure all of her fans get a little piece of her for themselves in all realms. She began her first solo tour in seven years, just a few months ago, she released yet another Ivy Park line and she teased a new hair care line recently as well. Now, she is stepping into fragrances. The superstar just teased that she will be releasing a new perfume!
That Perfect Beyoncé Scent
Several members of the Bey-Hive found a hidden page on Beyoncé’s website that promoted the upcoming fragrance. Although the fragrance is unnamed, the page on the site shared a few details to give fans a little more insight. It will be available as a pre-order first on beyonce.com for U.S. and Canadian residents. According to the site, the fragrance is set to start shipping in November. The eau de parfum boasts top notes of clementine and golden honey, heart notes of rose and jasmine, and base notes of myrrh and amber.
Just like any other product Queen Bey has marketed to consumers, the new scent will not come cheap. It’s priced at $160 for a 1.7-ounce bottle. At the moment, thats the only size available. The price tag is possibly due to the fact that the fragrance is developed in France, “crafted and designed by Beyoncé,” and “encased in art,”
This isn’t the first time Queen Bey has released a fragrance for fans. Beyoncé’s fragrances date back to 2009. At the time, she released her first fragrance, Heat, produced by Coty. Due to its popularity, it was followed by a second iteration, Heat Rush. Other scents on her résumé include Pulse, formulated by perfumer Bruno Jovanovic, and Rise. Both of the latter scents retailed for under $100 but all of Beyoncé’s fragrances were packaged in translucent, vertical bottles.
Joe Manganiello files for divorce from Sofía Vergara
He cited “irreconcilable differences” as the cause and listed July 2, 2023 as the date of separation.
The petition, obtained by CNN, notes a prenuptial agreement is in place for division of property and spousal support. Manganiello is asking that each party pay their own attorney’s fees. They don’t share any minor children. (Vergara has an adult son from a previous marriage.)
They were married for seven years.
“We have made the difficult decision to divorce. As two people that love and care for one another very much, we politely ask for respect of our privacy at this time as we navigate this new phase of our lives,” the two said in a joint statement to Page Six earlier this week.
Since the announcement, Vergara has been documenting her birthday celebration in Italy on social media.
“When life gives u lemons u come to Italy to squeeze them,” she captioned one post.
Vergara’s “Modern Family” co-star Julie Bowen weighed in, commenting, “This is what single and [fire emoji] looks like!!!”
'Aquaman & the Lost Kingdom' Undergoes Third Round of Reshoots, Cuts Batman Cameo
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is undergoing some changes.
According to a new report from The Hollywood Reporter, the DC film has recently completed a third round of reshoots, which were done by director James Wan and featured stars Jason Momoa and Patrick Wilson.
While it’s not uncommon for blockbuster movies like Aquaman to do reshoots, THR notes that three rounds of reshoots is a little unorthodox. Sources told the outlet that these reshoots were initially done in response to test screenings. A new cut of the film was then played for audiences again and when that version of the film tested even worse, a third round of reshoots was ordered.
“Different visions of executives notwithstanding, it is unclear what the problems were, but one insider said the underlying issue of story clarity has been an ongoing concern,” THR claims.
Another reported issue is the role of Batman within the film. While the caped crusader was expected to make an appearance, things have been complicated by the decision to push back the film’s release date. Michael Keaton originally filmed a scene, but was replaced by Ben Affleck after it seemed like Aquaman 2 would be released before The Flash. But due to the events that happen in the latter film, it seems as though the cameo might be cut entirely.
THR adds, “The latest cut of the film features neither version of the Dark Knight, according to sources, as new DC heads James Gunn and Peter Safran do not want to promise a movie universe that will not come to fruition nor tie it down excessively to past failures. ‘It was pretty chaotic,’ said one source.”
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom will hit theaters on December 20, 2023.
Vivica A. Fox says there's no beef with Jada Pinkett Smith and Will Smith, she just wants 'accountability'
On Wednesday’s Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen, actress Vivica A. Fox said there is currently “no beef” between her and Jada Pinkett Smith and Will Smith, despite Fox reportedly calling out Pinkett Smith last year following the infamous Oscars slap.
It all started when Fox was on The Wendy Williams Show in June of last year and accused Pinkett Smith of showing a lack of accountability in the aftermath of Will Smith slapping Chris Rock at the Academy Awards.
“I just wish we could have just a little more accountability, and for it to not seem so self-righteous on Jada's part and that's my feelings,” Fox told Williams.
As of September of last year, Fox said she hadn’t spoken with Pinkett Smith since making those comments. And on WWHL Wednesday, host Andy Cohen asked Fox what he considered to be a “hot button” question, wondering if she has hope that she and Pinkett Smith will ever reconcile.
“Can I say, there's no beef,” Fox said. “I just said, ‘due to the situation that happened, just take accountability so that everyone can then move forward.’ I love Jada, I love Will, I love their whole family. I don't have beef with them.”
To which Cohen replied, “Do they have beef with you?”
“Not that I know of,” Fox said.
The 58-year-old Fox has appeared in films with both Pinkett Smith (1996’s Set It Off) and Will Smith (1996’s Independence Day) and by all accounts has had a good relationship with them for years. Fox has mentioned in various interviews that she has watched their kids grow up and has love for the whole family.
But Fox has also never been one to shy away from public feuds, as Cohen pointed out on Wednesday, like the one she has had recently with Nick Cannon. Fox also addressed that one on the show, but that’s a whole other story.
Nick Benedict Dies: Soap Star On ‘All My Children’ & ‘Days Of Our Lives’ Was 77
Nick Benedict, who was a key part of such major soaps as All My Children, The Young and the Restless and Days of Our Lives, died July 14 of complications following emergency spinal surgery. He was 77 and died in Arizona.
An online obituary confirmed that Benedict died on his birthday. A July 15 Facebook post from a restaurant where his wife, Ginger, works set up a GoFundMe link.
“On July 2nd, Sunday Nick had emergency spinal cord surgery,” the Facebook post read. “On July 4th he was admitted to hospice. He is paralyzed from the neck down. He will need constant care and support. The fund was set up to “raise money to help with bills, food, and any medical expenses that may arise.”
Benedict was known for playing Phil Brent, a husband of Susan Lucci’s Erica Kane, in All My Children. He first appeared on the soap in 1973, taking over the role previously held by Richard Hatch. Benedict exited in 1978, earning a Daytime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Actor in a Daytime Drama Series in 1979 for his performance in his final season. He played Michael Scott in The Young and the Restless in 1981, then was Curtis Reed in Days of Our Lives, whom he played in 93 episodes from 1993-2001.
Beyond his soap opera roles, Benedict appeared on the original “Mission Impossibe” and “Hawaii Five-O” series. He also had parts on Knots Landing, Medical Center, The Dukes of Hazzard, and Tales from the Darkside.
He also appeared in 30 episodes of Tribes and seven of Santa Barbara.
He is survived by his wife of 22 years, Ginger. No memorial plans have been revealed.
Kyrie Irving Donates $40K to 93-Year-Old Fighting Developers Over Land Owned by Family Since Civil War
As of this writing, the fundraiser has received nearly 5,000 donations, totaling $250,290. The goal is set for $350,000.
Wright has called the 1.8-acre Hilton Head property home for 30 years after she and her husband retired, according to USA Today. She has lived alone since 1998, when her husband passed away.
In 2014, Bailey Point Investment LLC bought all the land around Wright's property. The company attempted to buy her plot a few years ago with a lowball offer of $39,000, but she declined.
Over the past year, Bailey Point has become a nuisance to Wright as they work on a 147-home subdivision. Wright claims her car and home were covered in dust after trees were cut down, the tires of her vehicle were flattened and a snake was once found hanging from her window.
The company filed a lawsuit against Wright in February, claiming her screened-in porch, shed, and satellite dish encroach on its property. Bailey Point is seeking "just and adequate compensation for its losses, inconveniences, aggravation, unnecessary expenditures of time and efforts and disruptions."
Wright filed a countersuit, accusing Bailey Point of deploying "a consistent and constant barrage of tactics of intimidation, harassment, trespass, to include this litigation in an effort to force her to sell her property."
"Wright...has been deprived of the peaceful enjoyment of her property, her property has been damaged and she has been threatened," her suit reads.
Tyler Perry shared Wright's story on Instagram in June and offered up any assistance he can provide, writing, "Please tell where to show up and what you need to help you fight." Under his post, Meek Mill commented, "Corporate bullying at its finest .. this super hero status!"
Both lawsuits are scheduled for a hearing on Sept. 14.
Kyrie Irving agreed to a three-year deal with the Dallas Mavericks late last month worth $126 million, as reported by Shams Charania of the Athletic and Stadium.
Kyrie signed an endorsement deal with the China-based sports brand Anta as well, which will also make him the company's chief creative officer.
Kobe Bryant Air Force 1 Headed To Stores Next Year
Kobe Bryant fans may soon have a shot at Nike Air Force 1’s inspired by the late Los Angeles Lakers star.
With the relaunch of the Kobe Nike line, it looks like several sneaker styles, all sporting his Mamba logo, will be making their rounds. His signature basketball shoe is reportedly coming back, along with a new Air Force 1 design, which was one of the adored player’s favorite shoes.
This Kobe Bryant x Nike Air Force 1 Low comes in the classic Lakers colors, as seen on several sneaker news outlets. The white sneaker adds bright yellow trim, with purple plastered on the laces, Nike swoosh, and sole. Kobe’s professional number, “24,” is meticulously placed on the tongue tags, and his logo is stitched on the side. While there have been plenty of other Lakers-inspired Nike’s to hit the market, only those exclusively a part of the Kobe collection will feature the intricate details that his widow, Vanessa Bryant, paid extra attention to.
Since the death of her husband and daughter, Giana, in January 2020, Mrs. Bryant has vowed to make Kobe sneakers more accessible to fans who were eager to own a pair. Unfortunately, that proved nearly impossible due to higher demand after he passed away and limited quantities released by Nike. Thankfully, Vanessa worked out a better deal with the athletic company.
The Kobe sneaker relaunch is expected next month, though the AF1 is rumored to be kept under lock and key until Summer 2024.
Dwight Howard Facing Lawsuit Over Alleged Assault and Battery After Meeting Man on Instagram
Former NBA player Dwight Howard is facing a lawsuit alleging that he assaulted a man he met on Instagram and attempted to coerce him into a threesome.
RadarOnline.com obtained court documents revealing that a man named Stephen Harper has filed a lawsuit against the NBA star, making various wild claims, including alleged assault and battery.
In the legal filing, Harper asserted that he messaged Howard on Instagram using his “secondary Instagram account” on May 29, 2021, and shared his cell phone number. He claimed that Howard replied with the devil emoji, and they texted further.
During their conversation, Howard asked Harper who he was messaging, and he provided his name and primary Instagram account information.
“After viewing Mr. Harper’s Primary Account, [Howard] indicated that [Howard] was waiting on [Mr. Harper] to send pics.”
According to Harper, Howard told him he was interested in “freaky” sexual content and requested to see explicit images. The lawsuit alleged that Howard stated, “Now I want you to know I’m not like gay or anything. I’m jus a lil nasty sometimes. Ion wanna offend you.”
Harper stated that their conversation continued and discussed the possibility of meeting up.
“From May of 2021 through July of 2021, Mr. Harper and [Howard] continued to exchange text messages, several of which included sexually explicit content, such as photographs and videos,” the suit read.
On July 19, 2021, Howard allegedly invited Harper to his Georgia home after telling him he was “thinking about that meat.”
According to the lawsuit, Harper claims that Howard told him his son was asleep and alone, adding that he would have to leave before everyone woke up. During the Uber ride to Howard’s home, Howard allegedly texted Harper, asking if he wanted to have a threesome with either a “dude” or a “girl.”
Despite declining the threesome proposal, Harper still went to Howard’s home. Once inside Howard’s bedroom, they undressed and “engaged in consensual kissing.” After conversing for around 40 minutes, the discussion reportedly turned sexual.
According to Harper, he observed Howard texting on his phone, and shortly after, a person dressed as a woman named “Kitty” arrived. The lawsuit further claims that Howard allegedly wanted Harper to have a threesome with Kitty, and despite Harper’s initial desire to leave, Howard convinced him to stay.
Harper alleged that Kitty started a porno film during the encounter and performed oral sex on Howard, leaving him feeling uneasy, but he attempted to keep his composure.
Additionally, Harper claimed in the lawsuit that Howard touched his thigh and stroked his “penis through his underwear” despite his objections, which upset him.
Howard allegedly informed Harper that he was “going to do whatever” and that he was “going to like it.”
He claimed he was afraid of being hurt by Howard and Kitty if he refused their advances.
“Defendant stood up (towering over Mr. Harper), grabbed Mr. Harper by the thighs, forcibly removed Mr. Harper’s underwear, held Mr. Harper down, and performed nonconsensual oral sex on Mr. Harper,” the suit read. “Mr. Harper was in fear of imminent bodily harm when he was pinned down and forced to remain in place while Defendant continued to sexually assault him.”
According to Harper, Howard stopped his actions when he realized Harper was not responding to his advances but then instructed Harper to join him in his bed.
Once there, Harper claims that Kitty “anally penetrated” Howard while Howard forced his penis into Harper’s mouth.
Afterward, Harper allegedly put on his clothes and called an Uber after the men were finished. He said he felt “extremely violated and humiliated and was completely shocked.”
In the lawsuit, Harper accused Howard of assault, battery, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and false imprisonment, claiming that Howard demanded Kitty drive him home when he tried to leave the home.
Howard has denied being gay in the past and has five children with multiple women.
Shannon Sharpe in Conversation with ESPN to Potentially Join ‘First Take’
After the 2023 NBA Finals, Shannon Sharpe bid farewell to Skip Bayless on the popular FS1 show ‘Undisputed.’
As Skip struggles to find a suitable replacement willing to join him, it has been reported first by Front Office Sports that Sharpe is making progress in returning to morning television.
FSO reported that Sharpe is in talks with Bayless’ old company, ESPN, about a ‘high level’ contributor role, including him debating with Stephen A. Smith on First Take. Unc being a part of the Disney sports network seems plausible since they possess the necessary connections and infrastructure to rival what FOX offered him on a daily basis, including his podcast’ Club Shay Shay.’
Hopefully, a deal will be reached before the first week of the NFL season so Sharpe, Michael Irvin, Ryan Clark and Stephen A. Smith can react to the season.
After finding out he was trending online Wednesday, Unc took to Twitter with a message.
“My daughter called me and says, Daddy, you’re trending. Why am I trending or do I even want 2 know? Lottery officials aren’t suppose to leak info,” he joked.
AND FINALLY FROM “THE CRAZY PEOPLE SHOPPING AT WALMART” FILES
Sunflower Sally
‘In Bloom?’
‘In Bloom?’
HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND ALL!!!
EFREM
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