Issa Rae is the Cover Girl for Ebony Magazine’s September 2018 Issue
Issa Rae is on the cover of Ebony Magazine‘s September 2018 issue and she’s gorgeous!
The 33-year-old actress and producer talks to the magazine about empowering a new generation of creatives using stories of black experience, sisterhood, and racial issues.
See her editorial spread from the shoot of the Fashion Issue below.
HOTNESS! Read more about the issue here.
#RHoA: Sheree Whitfield On Boyfriend Tyrone: 'I'm Not Marrying Someone In Prison'…LOL!
Sheree Whitfield may be “wifey” to her boyfriend Tyrone Gilliams but she has no intentions of becoming his wife–at least not anytime soon.
In an interview with US Weekly, the former Real Housewives of Atlanta star shared her future plans with her incarcerated beau.
“I mean he would love to marry me right now, but I am not marrying someone who is in prison. I am keeping my options open,” Whitfield said candidly.
Gilliams is currently serving a 10-year prison sentence for wire fraud schemes. While the reality star and Gilliams have known each other for some time, they didn’t start talking until about two years ago and things really started to heat up between them “about a year ago,” according to Sheree. Despite that, she’s in no rush to commit to a man behind bars even if he has her heart for now.
She continued, “I meet people all the time and the crazy thing is, no one has been able to hold my attention or grab it. No one has been able to get in my mind and my head. He is still around, but I say at the same time, I love him and I have said it before, if he comes home and I am still available and everything is great, what he is doing and what he says he is going to do, then absolutely I can see a future.”
Even with his current imprisonment, Sheree says he’s still one of the best men she knows.
“It is going good, he is still my best friend,” she adds. “He is a good guy and he is still my best friend.”
In April, it was announced that Sheree wouldn’t be returning to the 11th season of the hit Bravo series after she says the network wanted to demote her from cast member to friend. The She by Sherée designer was an original star of the show for the first four seasons before exiting in 2012 and then rejoining the series during the eighth season in 2015. Her show status was upgraded to full-time for seasons 9 and 10.
Maybe with all this time, Sheree can find the (free) man of her dreams.
#Empire: Former X Factor contestant Fleur East says she missed getting a role on Empire!
Fleur East lost out on a part in 'Empire' because she had visa problems.
The 'Sax' hitmaker is busy with a number of ventures, and whilst she's excited to be releasing new music soon, she was very disappointed that she couldn't take up a role in Lee Daniels' US musical drama series because she didn't have the appropriate paperwork.
She said: "I have my fingers in so many pies. I have music that I recorded over a year-and-a-half ago when I was with Syco that is coming out at the end of the year and I've been doing a bit of acting as well. I came really close to being in 'Empire' but I didn't have the right visa."
Fleur recently launched the W8 GYM compact home workout system and she tries to use her equipment as soon as she gets up in the morning.
She said: "I work out about five days a week, usually first thing in the morning because it sparks my creativity. We're doing an eight-week challenge with the W8 GYM family at the moment, so I post a workout at 8am every day and then have Saturday and Sunday off."
If the former 'X Factor' star is struggling to find the motivation to work out, she turns to Instagram.
She explained to heat magazine: "I like to follow a lot of fitness people so when I'm in bed scrolling through my phone first thing and I look at people like Brittne Babe and Kayla Itsines, then I'm like, 'OK, I just need to get out of bed.' Or if I'm having a really slow morning, I'll get up, brush my teeth and put my gym kit on before I do anything else."
#NewMusic from Ciara “Freak Me,” feat. Tekno
Ciara seems well aware that we’re in need of a lush, breezy Afrobeat tune to take us through the dog days. With this gyration-ready single and “Level Up” (which she wisely fashioned into a viral jam), she’s making a strong, late-summer push. She’s also provided a brief choreography video, which is something she should do for every song she ever drops from hereon.
WATCH HERE
#HipHopNews: Wu-Tang Clan Remixes "Pearl Harbor" with Pharoahe Monch & Tek
Wu-Tang Clan has added some lyrical heavy hitters to the group’s already potent single, “Pearl Harbor.” The legendary crew enlists the help of Pharoahe Monch and Smif-N-Wessun’s Tek for the track’s official remix.
The new version of “Pearl Harbor” maintains Method Man, Ghostface Killah and the late Sean Price’s vocals from the original. But now, fans get to hear some extra bars from Monch and Tek over Mathematics’ production.
The original track appears on the Mathematics-helmed Wu-Tang: The Saga Continues album, which dropped last year.
Stream Wu-Tang’s “Pearl Harbor” remix HERE
Your First look: At T.I. and Eddie Murphy In Netflix’s ‘Dolemite Is My Name’
Get a first look at T.I., and Eddie Murphy in the forthcoming Netflix film, ‘Dolemite Is My Name.’
T.I. has joined the cast of Neflix’s forthcoming project, “Dolemite Is My Name,” produced by and starring Eddie Murphy.
He captioned the photo of himself with Eddie, “As far as Legendary days go….
The caption on the second photo read, “When you hear her say ‘Hey Big Daddy.'”
The cast for “Dolemite Is My Name” also includes a lot of our faves like Wesley Snipes, Mike Epps, Craig Robinson and Keegan-Michael Key.
#CHARLOTTESVILLE! The Counter-protesters OUTNUMBER white nationalists in Washington
WASHINGTON — The hundreds of counter-protesters who congregated in Lafayette Park on Sunday, just steps away from the White House, dwarfed the fewer than 20 people who showed up for the second Unite the Right rally, a gathering aimed to bring together multiple white nationalist organizations. In total thousands took to the streets to protest the group's presence and purpose.
Jason Kessler, the white nationalist organizer of the Unite the Right rally, was accompanied by a few dozen people when he arrived at the Vienna, Virginia, subway station at about 2 p.m. ET. There they boarded three train cars and went to the Foggy Bottom stop in Washington.
But when they arrived, their number appeared to have dwindled to fewer than 20 individuals — though Kessler acquired a permit that allowed for up to 400. The entire event appeared haphazard, disorganized and did not carry a clear message. First it began well before the intended 5 p.m. ET start time, then organizers decided to depart early when it started to rain across the nation's capital.
“We won!” shouted Shanie Yates, 36, who traveled from Virginia and was determined to attend this year’s protest after watching what unfolded in Charlottesville a year ago. “That hit home for me — and I wanted to show strength in numbers. Look at all of us showing that we have love for one another, not hate.”
Thelmiah Lee, 67, said he was also proud to see a diverse swath of people willing to stand out in the rain for as long as they had to.
“They shouldn’t have bothered showing up,” he said of the Unite the Right rally.
A year ago, hundreds of white nationalists and anti-fascist counter-protesters clashed in Charlottesville, Virginia, during the first Unite the Right event — or "white civil rights rally" — that Kessler organized. Heather Heyer, 32, a civil rights activist, was killed when James Alex Fields Jr. plowed through a crowd of counter-protesters on Aug. 12 of last year.
Members of Kessler’s group told journalists at the Virginia metro station that they were a “tool of the Zionist media.” With their faces covered, the Unite the Right rally attendees also announced that they were the “founding stock” of the United States and claimed they were more American than non-whites. Most kept their faces covered with large American flags and declined to give their full names when approached by members of the media — far different from last year's very open display.
When Kessler's group finally arrived at 3:30 p.m., fewer than 20 people remained. They were greeted by counter-protesters shouting, "Nazis, go home!" and "you are not welcome here!"
A few rally-goers waved at the counter-protesters nonchalantly, earning jeers from the much larger crowd.
The police held a line between the white nationalists and the counter-protesters, who were separated by fences and about 50 feet of grass.
“We have people coming to our city for the sole purpose of spewing hate,” Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser said in a statement Sunday. “It didn't make sense last year, and it doesn't make sense now.”
When an emcee told the counter-protesters in Washington that Kessler had boarded a train from Virginia and was on his way to the city, many began to boo.
Meanwhile, dozens of people associated with the racial activist group Black Youth Project 100 marched on H Street, shouting, "Fight back, rise up!" as police blocked off the road to traffic.
Brandon Watson, 28, of Bristow, Virginia, stood with Kessler and called him a friend. Watson said he came as a black man and supporter of civil rights for everyone else. "If someone has a lesser right than someone else, then we're not united," Watson said, claiming that Kessler was "here for everyone."
But those at the counter-demonstration in Lafayette Park said they were pleased to see the protests so far were peaceful — and hoped they'd remain that way.
"I don't want to see any violence. This is my city," said Washington resident Alby Gyimah-Boadi, 32. "I'm here because I simply want to stand up for my rights and who I am. [White nationalists] have always had them, so for them to act as if their rights are under attack now, it's wrong."
Rain soon overtook Washington and it appeared to cut the rally short, but it did not appear to dampen the spirits of the counter-protesters. When Kessler and his band of white nationalists attempted to depart Lafayette Park, starting and ending the event early, they found their route blocked by anti-fascists and other counter-protesters who yelled, "It's hot. It's wet. We aren't done with the Nazis yet."
Anti-fascists threw bottles at and scuffled with police officers, as the anger over a disorganized white nationalist rally continued to ripple through the streets of the nation's capital even after the group of white nationalists had left.
Brad Pitt Dismisses Claims Angelina Jolie is Hurting for Money, She Made Millions On ‘Maleficent 2’
Brad Pitt thinks it’s laughable that Angelina Jolie and her team are floating a narrative that the star is in financial dire straits, especially considering she just cashed a huge check from Disney.
Sources very close to Pitt tell The Blast reports that Jolie is tight on cash and struggling to take care of the children while she has primary custody are “crazy.”
We’re told that Jolie was recently paid for her starring role in the upcoming Disney sequel, “Maleficent 2,” which was reportedly north of $20 million. It’s scheduled to come out in 2020.
Sources say that over the past decade Pitt has been the majority earner, but child and spousal support in California are based on current income, and nowadays the two stars aren’t so different on their monthly earnings.
We’re told the picture of a struggling single mother that Jolie’s legal team is painting is just plain wrong — the actress is extremely wealthy and can afford anything she needs for the children while they are in her care without any financial help.
Still, Pitt has chipped in over $1.3 million in living expenses for the six children while they’re with Jolie, and he fronted $8 million so that she’d be able to purchase her own luxurious home in Los Angeles while the divorce was settled.
Unfortunately the fight has no signs of slowing down, as we’re told the couple has not even started to get into the details of their financials for a final settlement.
Kanye West Raps About Masturbating To His Sister-in-Laws’ Photos in Previously Unreleased Track, “XTCY”
On Thursday, Kanye West sat down with Jimmy Kimmel to open up about his support of Donald Trump, his wife, Kim Kardashian, and his new song, “Violent Crimes,” which is an open letter to his daughter.
In the interview, Kimmel inquired about West’s attitude toward women, asking if it had changed since welcoming two beautiful baby girls into the world. However, in response, West kept it simple, saying, “No,” adding that he still satisfies his sexual fantasies through porn, especially Pornhub.
But now, as revealed in a new, previously unreleased West record, it appears the Chicago-bred rapper has other fantasies he’d like to indulge in. Problem is, the ones described in the song called, “XTCY,” released by DJ Clark Kent, involve his sister-in-laws, Khloe, Kylie, Kendall, and Kourtney.
“You got sick thoughts, I got more of them,” West rapped. “You got a sister-in-law you would smash, I got four of them.”
LISTEN TO THE TRACK HERE
“Damn, those is the sisters,” he continued. “You did something unholy to them pictures. Damn, you need to be locked up. Nah, we need a bigger hot tub.”
‘The Meg’ to Takes a BITE out of The Box Office With a WHOPPING! $44 Million Dollar Debut!
The Meg, a movie about a ginormous shark menacing Jason Statham and a bunch of scientists in the deep ocean, has wildly outperformed box office expectations, raking $44 million domestically and another $97 million overseas, according to Box Office Mojo, to give Warner Bros. a surprise hit late in the summer moviegoing season.
The monster movie is the week’s biggest grossing flick in North America, surpassing the third weekend of Mission Impossible — Fallout, the sixth installation of Paramount’s popcorn-movie franchise. That now stands at $161 million (estimated) domestically.
The Meg is Warner Bros.’ best weekend debut of the year, even over bigger-name and bigger-publicized films like Ready Player One and Ocean’s 8, both of which took in $41 million in their March and June openings, respectively.
Mission: Impossible held the top slot at the box office from its July 27 premiere date until Aug. 9, with The Meg taking over from its Aug. 10 debut to now.
Baltimore Police Officer Suspended WITH PAY! After Video Shows Him Beating Unarmed Man
On Saturday, a Baltimore police officer was suspended from his position after a viral video showed him as the aggressor in a violent altercation with an unarmed man.
According to the Baltimore Sun, the incident occurred outside Q’s Bar and Liquors in the 2600 black of E. Monument St. in East Baltimore.
Although the footage did not show how the incident escalated to violence, it did show the entire physical altercation. In the video, the officer, whose name has yet to be revealed, is seen pushing the unidentified man against a wall, and placing his hand on his chest, prompting the man’s attempt to remove it.
However, that’s when the incident escalated.
The video shows the officer throwing punches at the man, shoving him into a wall and beating on him until he falls to the floor. After that, a second officer briefly holds the victim’s arm, as the first officer continues throwing blows. However, the man did not appear to fight back.
WATCH HERE Courtesy of Shaun King
Although further details remain unclear, witnesses in the area say the officer knew of the victim from prior interactions, and believed that he may have been targeting him in the incident, which is why the man was initially talking back.
“He knows his rights, and he felt as though his rights were being violated, and he took offense to that,” one man said.
In the meantime, officials said the incident is under investigation and the officer involved has been suspended.
“The officer involved has been suspended while we investigate the totality of this incident,” Interim Police Commissioner Gary Tuggle said, adding that he was “deeply disturbed” by the video. However, whether the officer’s suspension is paid or unpaid, remains unclear.
Young Thug Responds to Nicki Minaj’s "Diss" on Barbie Dreams
The delay for Nicki Minaj's much anticipated new album "Queen," was well worth the wait. The New York rapper held nothing back as she came through to claim her throne in the hip-hop game. Much of the buzz surrounding the album, however, stems from one song in particular - "Barbie Dreams." Nicki loads her barrel and fires shots at some of the biggest rap names in the industry. Take cover.
Among the victims are some of her close friends like Drake whom she says “Drake worth a hundred milli, always buying me sh–/ But I don’t know if the p-ssy wet or if he’s crying and sh–.” DJ Khaled “Had to cancel DJ Khaled, boy, we ain’t speaking/ Ain’t no fat n—a telling me what he ain’t eating.” Young Thug “Used to f— with Young Thug, I ain’t addressing this sh–/ I caught him in my dressing rooms stealing dresses and sh–.”
Her ex-boyfriend Meek Mill wasn't safe from the track either, "Meek still be in my DMs, I be having to duck him/ ‘I used to pray for times like this,’ face ass when I f— him."
Nicki Minaj took to Apple Beats 1 to stress that her song is in no way a diss record. “You guys know ‘Barbie Dreams’ is not a diss, right?,” Minaj said. “It’s just some funny sh–. I love them. I said things about people who I know can take a joke and won’t be emotional about it.
The Young Thug line may have hurt some feelings though. Thug took to Twitter to let Nicki know that he was indeed "not good."
Young Thug makes a play on words with the recently popular saying "I'm good luv, enjoy." The line gained notoriety after rapper, Future, responded to a woman's claims that he left her stranded in California.
The woman claimed that Future refused to pay for her flight home after she declined to sleep with him. The saying has evolved and taken on its own humorous use being turned into viral tweets and memes.
So it's possible Young Thug is lighthearted about the situation with Nicki and knows it is all fun and games.
“Reading the reactions to ‘Barbie Dreams’ is f—ing hilarious,” Nicki said during her interview. “Everyone is saying how disrespectful ‘Barbie Dreams’ is, and that’s why I f—ing love it.”
The rapper went on Twitter to respond to Young Thug with laughing emoji's exclaiming her love for "this person."
Rapper, 50 Cent, definitely took Nicki's new song better than Young Thug. 50 tweeted a shout out to Nicki and praised her for her position in the hip-hop business.
"South Side stand up the b*tch @nickiminaj is really a problem. Out here killing sh*t get the strap #lecheminduroi #Queen"
Hopefully no one else is hurt by any lines from Nicki's new album.
Lady Gaga Endured a Heartbreaking Tragedy While Filming 'A Star Is Born'
A Star Is Born hits theaters this fall, and while chatting with Entertainment Weekly about the film, Lady Gaga opened up about a pretty emotional time on set.
The 32-year-old revealed that the day she was scheduled to film one of the most emotional scenes—her character, Ally, singing a heartfelt ballad at the Shrine in Los Angeles—she received a gut-wrenching phone call. Her "dear friend" Sonja Durham was dying of cancer.
"We were supposed to shoot in, like, 30 minutes, and I left the set because her husband called me and I could hear her in the background and I just got in the car and drove," the pop star/actress recalled. "I missed her by 15 minutes and she died."
"I literally laid with her, with her husband, and their dog, and his son… When I came back, Bradley [Cooper] was so gentle with me and we got through it. I performed the song," she continued. "He was like, 'You don’t have to do it again. It’s okay.' All I ever wanted to do was sing. I’ll never forget that day. It was really a special scene, and I’ll always remember that moment."
Durham was the Haus of Gaga creative director. She passed away in May 2017.
Unfortunately, this isn't the only person close to the star who has passed away recently. Last week it was revealed that Rick Genest aka Zombie Boy from Gaga's Born This Way" video was found dead at the age of 32.
Mariah Carey Readying 'Aggressive' New Music With Jermaine Dupri
Mariah Carey is working steadily on her comeback and the pop veteran is making sure that she returns to the scene in top-notch fashion, as per longtime collaborator Jermaine Dupri, who has cooked up some of the biggest hits in her catalogue, including "Always Be My Baby," "We Belong Together" and "Shake It Off."
"I don't know I if I can tell you what she's working on now but, I mean, it's music," the R&B titan, who was recently inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, admitted during a recent interview with iHeartRadio. "She's got a bunch of songs. I just did a bunch of songs for her. It feels aggressive, I can tell you that. When that's happening, ain't no telling what's about to happen." Dupri is just one of the collaborators working on Carey's follow-up to 2014's Me. I Am Mariah... The Elusive Chanteuse. Among the other luminaries reportedly in the studio with MC include Prince Charlez, No I.D., Johnta Austin, Crystal Nicole, Eric Hudson, Priscilla Renea, and Diane Warren.
Back in March, Carey shared a few details about her forthcoming project via her cover story with V Magazine. "I'm kind of restarting, and I’m working with Roc Nation now, so that's great. I had a really incredible meeting—just a musical, good meeting of the minds—with Jay Brown, JAY-Z, and Tata [Tyran Smith], who’s an incredible person," she said. "We all just kind of threw some ideas around, so we’re starting from the musical place rather than, like, what’s the hook? It’s gotta be done that way."
Fingers crossed that we'll hear some of that new material when Mariah Carey takes the stage at our 2018 iHeartRadio Music Festival, which will also feature performances from Justin Timberlake, Childish Gambino, Fleetwood Mac, Shawn Mendes and more.
Yara Shahidi in Prada at the “BlacKkKlansman” Los Angeles Premiere HIT or MISS
Yara Shahidi wore a crochet dress with sparkly beading to the LA premiere of Spike Lee’s BlacKkKlansman.
Do you like it?
Usher Must Hand Over Medical Records in Herpes Case!
Male accuser wins the right to see Usher’s medical records…Last month, Usher is accused of refusing to turn over his private medical records to the man who accused the singer of allegedly exposing him to herpes after he claims they had sex at a Los Angeles spa.
Now Usher has to turn over his medical records.
According to reports an LA judge ruled in favor of accuser John Doe ordering Usher to submit the names of his doctors, treatments and insurance providers.
The trial is set for February 2019.
Omarosa New Books make claims about Trump’s Racism. He calls a Low Life!
President Donald Trump called former White House adviser Omarosa Manigault Newman a "lowlife" Saturday.
Trump was responding to a question from the press pool about Manigault Newman's tell-all memoir that was announced this week.
"Unhinged: An Insider's Account of the Trump White House" reportedly contains a number of bombshell allegations against Trump from Manigault Newman's time in the West Wing, though some of them have been contradicted or widely discredited.
President Donald Trump called former White House adviser Omarosa Manigault Newman a "lowlife" Saturday.
Trump was responding to a question from New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman about Manigault Newman's tell-all memoir that was announced this week.
When Haberman asked Trump if he felt betrayed by Omarosa, the president laughed, cupped his hand around his mouth, and said, "Lowlife. She's a lowlife."
Trump was in front of the press for an event with bikers as part of his working vacation this week at Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, New Jersey.
Reports of the bombshell allegations in the book against Trump caught fire this week, including her calling him a "racist," "misogynist," and a "bigot" alongside accounts of him using a racial slur on the set of The Apprentice, and eating a piece of paper in the Oval Office.
But Manigault Newman may have already contradicted that claim— though she apparently said in the book that she was informed by a source that Trump used a racial slur, she told NPR in an interview Friday that she had heard a recording of the comments herself.
Manigault Newman also wrote in the book she was offered $15,000 a month contract to sign a nondisclosure agreement after she was fired from the White House last year, which she said she turned down.
Manigault Newman also reportedly secretly recorded Trump, then used those recordings as leverage while shopping her book.
White House press secretary Sarah Sanders released a statement Friday afternoon, in which she said the book is "riddled with lies and false accusations."
"It's sad that a disgruntled former White House employee is trying to profit off these false attacks, and even worse that the media would now give her a platform, after not taking her seriously when she had only positive things to say about the President during her time in the administration," Sanders said.
Manigault Newman worked in the White House for nearly a year as an assistant to the president and the director of communications for the Office of Public Liaison.
"Unhinged: An Insider's Account of the Trump White House" is set to be published by Gallery Books on August 14.
AND FINALLY FROM THE CRAZY PEOPLE SHOPPING AT WALMART FILES
DOUBLE NEGATIVE
I can’t tell if wearing two shitty hats actually helps you out. Kinda like two negatives making a positive. My gut still says you’re hopeless though.
EGGPLANT NATION: Meet DinoBear
Meet DinoBear. You can see more when GO HERE TO SEE THE PICS! And remember they’re NSFW!
DISCLAIMER: WE DO NOT OWN any images posted on this blog. All images are found online or submitted.
Enjoy!
HAVE A GREAT WEEK AHEAD
EFREM
