Chadwick Boseman and the Cast of “Black Panther” Looks Stunning for Essence’s March Issue
Chadwick Boseman and the cast of “Black Panther” cover the March 2018 issue Essence magazine photographed by Dennis Leupold.
Danai Gurira on what the role meant to her: “The idea of creating a scenario where you’re seeing very powerful, empowered Africans is really thrilling to me, something my heart, soul and spirit yearned to see…”
Danai Gurira on creating opportunities for women of color: “Creating opportunities for Black women, women of African descent and other women of color is a big part of my mandate because I want us to shine. I understand that being on TV as Michonne [in The Walking Dead] and in films like ‘Black Panther’ helps Black girls feel validated. I don’t take that lightly…”
Lupita Nyong’o on the wonder of Wakanda: “For me, as an African in this film, to walk on set and to see these incredible costumes and hairdos, these are the things I grew up seeing, but they’ve just been elevated to a fantastical place. We’re going to experience the richness of the continent, because the continent is what has informed us of what Wakanda could be…”
Angela Bassett on playing a queen: “When Angela Bassett received the call from [director] Coogler asking if she would play T’Challa’s stepmother, Queen Ramona, she had never heard of the character. ‘…Just to have an opportunity to portray that image—me, a little Black girl from the Florida projects. Playing a queen was just unattainable, unavailable. Even in a fictitious world, a Black woman cannot be a queen,’ she scoffs. ‘Why can’t I be?…’”
Letitia Wright on the importance of the film: “We understand the responsibility. That it can shift mind-sets. I can be a Black superhero. I can be a scientist. I’m a queen. I’m a young prince. It’s not about me. It’s bigger than me. It’s bigger than all of us…”
Forest Whitaker on the genius of director Ryan Googler: “His films always have some message about the depth of humanity, bringing out the voices of people of color while finding the universal connection that brings us together as one…”
Tiffany Haddish on having fun while performing: “’When you’re onstage, you need to be having fun.’ That’s the advice Richard Pryor gave me. No matter what I’m doing or where I am, I live by that philosophy…If I’m not having fun? Well, that’s when I end up getting arrested!…”
Lena Waithe on winning an Emmy and telling our stories: “Being the first Black woman to win an Emmy for comedy writing was just…amazing, but I don’t want to be the last. The award is bigger than me. It’s about our industry, our society, taking a big leap forward. It’s about my ancestors, the women comedy writers and queer communities of color. I shared that moment with them…”
Tessa Thompson on breaking new ground with her roles: “I feel as if I’m breaking new ground and providing more representation for women of color around the globe. But even if it wasn’t me, I’d still look at those projects and if I saw a woman who looked like me, I’d think, Wow!…”
Read more on the cast of “Black Panther” in the March 2018 issues of Essence, on newsstands Feb. 23.
#RHoA: Do Y’all really think Porsha Williams and Rickey Smiley would make a Cute Couple?
Hmmmmm, Who knew sniffing could be so ... sexy? We certainly didn't until Porsha Williams shared a special sense-ual moment with her Dish Nation co-host Rickey Smiley earlier this season of The Real Housewives of Atlanta.
Ever since that flirty time, it seems like everyone is sniffing, er, we mean shipping Porsha and Rickey. The couple that sniffs together, stays together, right?
Well, Rickey certainly piqued our interest about a possible romantic future for these two when he had the sweetest things to say about Porsha on The Wendy Williams Show in January. "Porsha's a southern belle. She's awesome. She's kind. She's friendly. She's a lot of fun to hang out with. We hang out sometimes. When we all hang out, we have a good time. You know, just a good southern belle that's really wifey-like. She's a good catch," Rickey said. "I've hung out with Porsha and been with Porsha and her family. Those are really, really good people, and she would definitely make someone a great wife, definitely."
Porsha also showed her love for Rickey on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen Sunday night. As far as becoming more than just friends with Rickey, there's just one problem, according to Porsha: they work together. "It's just not good to mix pleasure with your professional life. It's just not good, because I feel like what if it doesn't work out, you know what I'm saying?" Porsha said, before joking, "Maybe we'll do like a pact. So if I'm 40 and I'm not married, Rickey, come on!"
The Daily Dish caught up with Porsha on Monday, and she said everyone hoping Rickey will be her Valentine needs to slow your roll. "With Rickey, I want people to slow down. Chemistry like this that happens in these type of situations, he doesn't work somewhere else. We work together. So it's not easy to make that decision to cross that line," she explained. "I've heard that he thinks that I would be a great wife. I think that he'd be a great husband. He's an excellent father. So as far as having kids and wanting to pick the right dad, he would be the one. But I think that we're just friends, overall."
When it comes to finding Mr. Right, Porsha is definitely taking the search seriously. "My mindframe in going in for dating is I want someone who's dating with a purpose, 'cause I know the difference. You know, you could just be dating and dating. I've done that, clearly," she told The Daily Dish. "But I'm dating with a purpose. I want to get to know this person. I want us to move a little swiftly if we can. And I want kids, and I want us to get married, and I want all of that. But most of all, I just want to have a natural connection with someone. I don't want to just settle. So I think that's most important."
#EMPIRE: Did y’all see ya Girl Cookie on Valentines Day?
TEAM LYON While we wait patiently for March 28 we will give you any tidbits on Empire’s new season or just on what the cast is up to currently. Well we all know Wednesday was Valentines Day. Our girl Cookie Lyon (Taraji P Henson) wanted us to know she’s in LOVE just look below.
Awwww, That’s sweet. Remember the Lyons are BACK!
R&B Throwback: DJ Rogers ‘Say You Love Me’
In today’s R&B Throwback we are featuring the R&B Soulful crooner DJ Rogers. DeWayne Julius Rogers is an American singer, songwriter, record producer and multi-instrumentalist. He is best known for the tender acoustic piano-based ballad "Say You Love Me," a charting single from his 1975 RCA album It's Good to Be Alive.
He would go on and and do several more albums before doing Gospel
1973 D. J. Rogers,1975 It's Good to Be Alive,1976 On the Road Again,1977 Love, Music and Life ,
1978 Love Brought Me Back, 1979 Trust Me, 1980 The Message Is Still The Same.
However it was Say You Love Me that would be the single that would be buried in our hearts. He later turned it into a Gospel track. However let’s just reminisce off of THE ORIGINAL.
Listen HERE
Love Ol’ School Music!
#HIPHOPNEWS: Nicki Minaj Leaves Social Media To Complete New Album
Nicki Minaj has gone on a social media sabbatical while working on her long-awaited fourth album.
The Young Money rapper has ditched distractions like Instagram and Twitter since Dec. 30, and insiders say that it’s all meant to augment her creative juices while crafting the long-awaited follow-up to 2014’s The Pinkprint.
Lately, Minaj has been hitting the studio with rappers and producers like Lil Wayne, Mack Maine, and others from Young Money. She has reportedly vowed to leave social media until the album is finalized.
Nicki’s social media shutdown led to speculation about her whereabouts. Wendy Williams even launched a fake “Missing” campaign on her program. Contrary to rumors, Minaj sources say that she’s “happy, healthy, single, and not pregnant,” according to TMZ.
Barbie has been talking about her fourth album for quite some time. Last year, she said that it was “so fuckin’ good” and even called it a “classic.”
“I just want to go in the studio and create like I used to, before there were any expectations,” she said. “When I was just having fun, working on my mixtapes, going in and creating… writing my little life.” She added: “That’s why I’m not rushing the album, because it means so much to me. I have to release a classic at this point.”
Well do you Nic!
Florida School Shooter Nikolas Cruz Was Allegedly Member of White Nationalist Militia
More disturbing details on Florida school shooter Nikolas Cruz surfaces on social media.
According to reports, Before he allegedly committed one of the worst mass shootings in US history at a Parkland, Florida, high school on Wednesday, police officials say Cruz wrote social media posts so threatening he was twice reported to the FBI.
He hurled slurs at blacks and Muslims, and according to the Anti-Defamation League, had ties to white supremacists. He said he would shoot people with his AR-15 and singled out police and anti-fascist protesters as deserving of his vengeance. Just five months ago, he stated his aspiration to become a “professional school shooter.”
Meet Ciara and Russell Wilson’s Daughter Sienna Princess Wilson.
Last year, The singer gave birth to baby girl Sienna Princess Wilson in April.
Ciara shares on social media several photos of their adorable baby girl.
ciaraToday is just the beginning, I’m sharing something near and dear to my heart with you…meet my baby girl on my @TraceMe App ❤
Trace Me’s description in the Apple Store reads..
Join our exclusive community and go beyond traditional social media with a special invite from your favorite superstars. On TraceMe, celebrities get to tell their own stories — unfiltered and just for their biggest fans.
Trace CIARA to connect with her like never before: learn about the team and techniques that go into C’s iconic music, performance, and fashion. Learn about Mama C, and get practical advice on motherhood. Connect live with other CiCi fans and even with Ciara herself!
Trace RUSSELL WILSON to learn about what it takes to be at the top of your game. Do elite fitness workouts, meet Russell’s cognitive coach, up your nutrition game and, of course, go behind the scenes like never before. Connect live during big moments, ask Russell anything, and become part of an incredible fan community.
Get in on the action early as we roll out new celebrity “worlds” and build a passionate community of people like you.
Stormy Daniels Has a ‘Monica Lewinsky Dress’ from Alleged Donald Trump Affair, Will Test It for DNA
According to The Blast, Stormy Daniels pulled a Monica Lewinsky and held on to the dress she wore to an alleged hotel rendezvous with President Donald Trump, and now we are told she’s going to get it tested for DNA to back up her story.
Sources close to Daniels tell folks over at The Blast the shimmering gold mini dress with a plunging neckline was kept in pristine condition after her alleged 2006 sexual encounter with Trump at the Lake Tahoe hotel suite.
Their told Daniels is planning on having the dress forensically tested to search for any DNA that proves she isn’t lying about her tryst with Trump, including samples of skin, hair or … anything.
As we previously reported, Daniels has notified Trump’s legal team that she believes a 2016 agreement has been breached between her and attorney Michael Cohen and now she is free and clear to spill all the juicy details about the infamous night.
Michael Cohen revealed this week that he had paid Daniels $130,000 out of his own pocket and tried to minimize Trump’s involvement by stating, “Neither the Trump Organization nor the Trump campaign was a party to the transaction with Ms. Clifford, and neither reimbursed me for the payment, either directly or indirectly.”
If the dress story sounds familiar, that’s because it’s very similar to Monica Lewinsky keeping her stained navy-blue GAP cocktail dress after allegedly performing oral sex on President Bill Clinton in the Oval Office. The dress was part of an actual investigation and the FBI later determined to a high percentage of accuracy that Clinton’s bodily fluids were the source of the stain.
Obviously, Stormy and her legal team would need a test sample from POTUS too, but any DNA that may be extracted from her dress that could possibly prove Trump was with her in the hotel room will be a big deal.
Fantasia Barrino Loses Nephew to Gun Violence
American Idol winner Fantasia Barrino’s nephew Tyquan Von Ricco Washington shot and killed in North Carolina on Tuesday…
According to reports, Greensboro police have identified the teen who was shot and killed Tuesday morning, according to a news release.
Tyquan Vonricco Washington, 18, was found suffering from a gunshot wound in the 700 block of Hyde Drive at 10:54 a.m.
Washington is the son of recording artist Ricco Barrino, whose real name is Kassim Vonricco Washington, and the nephew of “American Idol” and Grammy-winning singer Fantasia Barrino.
Emergency crews performed life-saving measures but Washington was pronounced dead at Moses Cone Hospital.
David Lee White Jr., 21, of Greensboro, has been arrested in connection with the shooting. White is charged with first-degree murder and is being held in the Guilford County Jail without bond.
Fantasia reacts to the news on social media.
Vincent Herbert’s Rolls-Royce Repossessed, Judge Orders Him To Pay $65K
Vincent Herbert‘s Rolls-Royce Wraith was repossessed and he’s still on the hook for the $65,000!
Tamar Braxton‘s estranged husband fell so far behind on his payments that Manhattan Leasing Enterprises repossessed the vehicle.
Unfortunately, because it was used, MLE says they lost $62,000 off the car’s value. So, they sued him.
Vince ignored the suit, so a Florida judge issued a default judgement and now he has to pay up.
Good luck collecting….
#FASHIONNEWS: Jason Wu Parts Ways with Hugo Boss
The designer's Autumn/Winter 2018 show will be his last collection for the German house, which is shifting focus away from its womenswear business.
NEW YORK, United States — Jason Wu is stepping down from his role as artistic director of Boss women's. His Autumn/Winter 2018 show, presented during New York Fashion Week, will be the designer's final collection for the German fashion house.
"The five years at Hugo Boss have been a very exciting time for me. I am especially grateful to the entire Boss womenswear team. Now the time has come for me to concentrate fully on my own label," Wu said in a statement.
"I would like to thank Jason for his incredible creative input and inspiration. I feel certain that he will approach all his future projects with the same compelling passion and zest that he brought to Hugo Boss," added chief brand officer Ingo Wilts.
Wu, an editorial favourite, as well as a go-to for celebrities and former First Lady, Michelle Obama, gained fans with his namesake line's merging of classic American sportswear with sophisticated society dressing. In September 2014, Wu sold a majority stake to investment firm InterLuxe.
Since joining Hugo Boss as artistic director in June 2013 — when he assumed responsibility for all product and image-related components of the brand's women's line — Wu has been credited for injecting a new, approachable, ease to the women's line of the storied house, while remaining in tune with the brand's roots in German austerity.
Wu's departure follows 18 months of strategic changes at Hugo Boss, which has struggled with unclear positioning between premium and luxury. In November, 2016 — six months into Mark Langer's appointment as chief executive — the German fashion house shifted its priorities away from its womenswear business. The brand announced its plans to eliminate two brands (Boss Orange and Boss Green) within its portfolio, while narrowing its focus to casualwear and business clothes. Meanwhile, it slowed expansion of its store network and put more resources towards its online operations.
The refocusing on men's is slowly paying off, despite a trend of men moving away from formal wear. In its most recent fourth-quarter earnings, posted last month, Hugo Boss reported a 5 percent increase in currency-adjusted sales to €735 million ($902 million) compared to the year prior. This increase was driven by a rebound in direct-to-consumer sales (online sales were up by 42 percent), as well as a recovery in the US. Hugo Boss will report its full-year results on March 8.
Cardi B Might Be Pregnant, But Then Again!
When it comes to stories about interpersonal relationships between celebrities—I’m talking feuds or relationship woes—TMZ isn’t the best place to go for the truth. They typically pick a side to support, while leaving details from the other woefully underreported.
But when it comes to easily verifiable life events—marriages, pregnancies, or (on a sadder note) deaths—they’re generally pretty trustworthy. So when I read a headline like, say, “CARDI B: Her Team Telling People SHE’S PREGNANT!!!” I think, I guess Cardi B’s pregnant!
The news is based on sources who claim Cardi’s “team” told people the rapper was “three to four months pregnant” during a Maxim party over Super Bowl weekend. They write:
One of Cardi’s reps then said she didn’t want to be in a “party atmosphere” and preferred to stay in the area by the stage and drink Fiji water. The rep then told the staffer Cardi was 3 to 4 months pregnant.
Cardi has not responded to this specific reporting, but did comment on a fan’s pregnancy-related Instagram comment last week. “No bitch I’m just getting fat,” she wrote. “Let me fat in peace.”
Typically I’d say, “Trust the celebrity’s Instagram comment.” But, like I said, that TMZ headline is convincing!
Winter Olympics Medal Tracker: Mikaela Shiffrin's gold adds to Team USA count
Here's the gold, silver, and bronze count for every country competing in Pyeongchang
A night after Shaun White won the 100th Winter Olympics gold medal in United States history, Mikaela Shiffrin made it 101. America's next big thing in skiing picked up the second Olympic gold medal of her career and her first in giant slalom. Shiffrin's combined pair of runs in giant slalom on Thursday clocked in at 2 minutes, 20.02 seconds, usurping 34-year-old Italian Manuela Moelgg for the top of the podium.
Below is the 2018 Winter Olympics Medal Tracker, which will follow every country to win a medal. The record for most golds won in a single games was 14 by Canada in the 2010 Winter Olympics.
AND FINALLY FROM “THE CRAZY PEOPLE SHOPPING AT WALMART” FILES
‘IT’S PUTS THE LOTION ON’
Beats by Buffalo Bill.
#EGGPLANT NATION Meet FLEXXX!
Meet FLEXXX! Well to see more you can GO HERE TO SEE THE PICS! And remember they’re NSWF!
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ENJOY!
HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND EVERYBODY!!!!!!!!
EFREM
