Last week there were rumors that the Braxton sisters were ad odds with Tamar after she snuck behind their backs and joined Dancing with the Stars.
Traci Braxton admits there has been some bickering…
Traci, who sat in for an ailing Tamar, tells The Real,
"Look, we’re sisters. We love each other. Just like you guys. Y’all are sisters, y’all love each other, and y’all are gonna bicker; you’re gonna bicker all the time. Who wants to get along all the time? ‘Cause I really don’t. I do not have time for all of that. I’m going to tell you how I feel, but don’t get it twisted — we've got each others' backs no matter what, no matter what.”
What She Rock’d: NeNe Leakes In NENE By NeNe Leakes ‘Fabulous’ Cape
NeNe Leakes was recently spotted in her NENE by Nene Leakes “Fabulous” Cape ($69). The stylish two-tone number features fleece knit and “fabulous” wording detail. NeNe kept cozy while using the shawl as a blanket. “Heyyyy.. ok they caught me in this freezing green using my Fabulous cape as a blanket chile,” she wrote. Get another look at it
The Murder of Laquan McDonald Shot 16 times by Police(GRAPHIC VIDEO)
The much-anticipated police dashboard cam video of a Chicago Police officer shooting and killing a 17-year-old was released Tuesday evening, offering a graphic and chilling view of what prosecutors say was first-degree murder.
The video of the slaying of Laquan McDonald was held by Chicago police for more than a year and finally released Tuesday after a judge ordered it. The release of the video touched off protests outside Chicago's Loop, but they remained peaceful as of 7 p.m.
A somber Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Police Supt. Garry McCarthy, in the moments before the video release, urged people to remain peaceful.
The video shows Officer Jason Van Dyke, 37, getting out of his squad and shooting McDonald multiple time. Authorities said he hit him 16 times, empty his cartridge into the teen, including many shots while McDonald was on the ground.
Police union officials initially said McDonald lunged at them with a knife. The video shows McDonald holding a knife and spinning while walking down the middle of the street. It's unclear when the first shot hits him — before or after the spin.
WATCH IT'S VERY GRAPHIC!
Van Dyke turned himself in Tuesday morning, and a judge ordered him held without bond until at least Monday. He's expected to be held in protective custody.
The nearly 7-minute video begins as the squad car patrols the streets. The squad's flashing lights begin at around the 5-minute mark and at around 5:18 McDonald can be seen walking in the center of Pulaski Road.
Police approach and he can be seen being shot at around the 5:36 mark. A few seconds later, an officer can be seen kicking something away from McDonald's body. Puffs of smoke can be seen coming from the body around 5:43.
At a press conference at police headquarters at 3510 S. Michigan Ave., ahead of the video distribution to the media, Supt. McCarthy said, "In this case, we have a tragic ending to unfortunately a tragic life of a young man who was betrayed on a number of different levels."
As for Officer Van Dyke, who was charged with murder earlier Tuesday, "He's going to have to account for his actions."
Mayor Emanuel told reporters, "We hold our police officers to a high standard, and obviously in this case, Jason Van Dyke violated the standards of professionalism of becoming a police officer, but also basic moral standards that bind our community together."
"Anybody who is there to uphold the law cannot act like they are above the law," Emanuel said, adding Van Dyke "does not represent" typical police department behavior.
McDonald was shot and killed Oct. 20, 2014, at 41st and Pulaski in the Archer Heights neighborhood by Van Dyke. The city has already paid a $5 million settlement to the family for the shooting.
UPDATE: Burger King Confirms Chicago Police Deleted Video Of McDonald Shooting
On the heels of dashcam footage of the Laquan McDonald shooting released today, other news is coming out about how Chicago police worked to suppress video proving he was shot without justification.
According to NBC News Chicago, 86 minutes of security video was missing after the shooting, after police ran through and reviewed it but before any official investigation had been opened, and Burger King has confirmed that it was deleted by police reviewing the video.
After the shooting, according to Jay Darshane, the District Manager for Burger King, four to five police officers wearing blue and white shirts entered the restaurant and asked to view the video and were given the password to the equipment. Three hours later they left, he said.
The next day, when an investigator from the Independent Police Review Authority asked to view the security footage, it was discovered that the 86 minutes of video was missing.
But according to Darshane, both the cameras and video recorder were all on and working properly the night of the shooting.
"We had no idea they were going to sit there and delete files," Darshane said. "I mean we were just trying to help the police officers."
"The video by nature is two dimensional so the problem is it distorts distances, and distances and depth perception are important," he said. "The most critical problem is that the video does not depict what my client was seeing. It is not a video from the eyes of my client."
The missing video, all sides agree, would not have shown the actual shooting but attorney’s for McDonald’s family contend it could have shown events leading up to the shooting.
Now NBC News is reporting that Burger King has confirmed that Chicago police deleted that video that night, presumably to bolster their case that the shooting had been justified, by leaving those minutes ahead of the shooting in doubt.
Michael B. Jordan Talks ‘Creed’ & More As He Covers ‘Vibe’ Magazine’s November Issue
With is new movie, Creed, due in theaters tomorrow, Michael B. Jordan poses as cover star for Vibe magazine’s November 2015 digital issue. During his interview with the mag he talks coming under fire for statements he made in GQ’s October 2015 issue, on women and roles he prefers to play.
In response to the backlash, he penned a letter addressing fans. When asked how he felt about writing the statement, he says: “That’s something I had control over and it was like, ‘Okay, this is what I meant.’ I’m sorry that I left room for error that could ever be misunderstood or taken out of context. That’s on me. I just want to set the record straight.”
He also opens up about his thoughts on people fearing success:
“I think a lot of people have a fear of success and they don’t either immediately acknowledge it or they don’t know it, but I think they do because what’s stopping you everyday from going out there and doing what you really want to do or giving 110 percent and all of you to things you really want to do?” he says. “What’s stopping you? Getting past that I think is a big obstacle for a lot of people. I’m working on it.”
When asked about his sentiment on selecting roles, “traditionally reserved for White actors,” as he stated in GQ, he insists: “I want things that are worldly, that anybody can go to the movie theaters and enjoy.”
“I just want to revert to my track record,” he continues. “It’s so easily forgotten how I got here, or the projects and the things that I’m involved in that got me to this point. It’s kind of hard to be labeled as whatever when my whole career, my whole everything, is based around who I am as a black man.”
In closing, he touches on his role in Creed, and how he hopes people will respond to it.
“There’s no other film besides Fruitvale that was a film that I got a lot of respect from. Hopefully Creed will be good and people will really respond to it, but it’s not for me to say it’s my breaking out,” he says. “I’ll let other people speculate on that.”
Singer Usher Raymond is the latest star to post provocative underwear Selfies on Instagram.com. The 37-year-old father of 2 posted an Instagram image of his muscular bod.
“Workin’ hard so I can eat this,” he captioned the image. Ush joined rappers The Game and Rich Homie Quan who routinely post underwear images on social media for their male and female fans to drool over.
But unlike The Game and Rich Homie Quan, Usher is a married man who just recently tied the knot with his 40-something manager, Grace Miguel Raymond.
I wonder what Grace thinks about Ush advertising his goodies on social media?
#RhoA: Oh My? Apollo Nida Accused of Cheating On Wife Phaedra Parks: They had sex in their son’s room!
A former stripper turned author is spilling all sorts of tea about some of your favorite celebrities. Cashaun Sidney has released a tell-all called Sordid Panties (yep, that’s the title!) where she tells her story of how she became an exotic dancer and some of the famous male celebs that she’s encounter while working in the business for 15 years.
In an interview with Shar Bates, Cashaun claims that Real Housewives of Atlanta’s Phaedra Parks’s husband Apollo Nida is a cheater.
Cashaun claims that her close girlfriend had a relationship of sorts with Apollo (who is now incarcerated). She recalled a story when the three of them went out to the strip club and later ended up at Phaedra’s home.
We end up at him and Phaedra’s house and I mean I’m the homegirl — so I had to play my position…At the end of the day, him and her went upstairs…
In addition to alluding to the fact that Apollo did ‘something’ with her friend in his son’s room, she also discusses her life as a stripper and why she got out the game.
See the full interview HERE
Uh Oh?
Watch Jill Scott’s rendition of ‘Strange Fruit’!
If it was ever so fitting for this time!
On November 20, A&E aired the Shining a Light: A Concert for Progress on Race in America. The benefit concert highlighted issues of racial inequality and raised money for civil rights activism.
Some of the biggest stars in music participated in the concert, such as Nicki Minaj, and Pharrell Williams. But one of the standout performances of the evening was Jill Scott's rendition of Billie Holiday's haunting song "Strange Fruit."
The lyrics describe the hanging bodies of black men killed by lynch mobs, and their corpses left swaying in the trees. In 2013, Kanye West sampled the song for "Blood on the Leaves" from his album Yeezus, but Scott's version keeps the mood of original song.
Holiday's words still resonate given the recent deaths of black men and women at the hands of police violence, which can be interpreted as modern day lynchings.
Watch Scott's powerful and somber performance
POWERFUL!
Hip Hop Nation: MC Lyte: Fetty Wap's the Most Feminist Rapper Out Right Now
MC Lyte recently spoke at a White House Council on Women and Girls, which featured a discussion on feminism in hip-hop. The legendary emcee revealed who she thought was promoting the idea of feminism right now, which included a list of all-male rappers.
"I think you can. And I agree. At this point in time it probably is Fetty Wap. What I mean is that he may have a very unique way of presenting his ideas, but he does love women...For what he's up against in this climate with all of the other emcees, he's taking a stand. He's being pretty courageous right now with what it is that he presents in his music. Because it's really not the norm. When I was trying to write down a few people that may have said something."
She added, "Now there's of course Kendrick, right? And then there's Big Sean. He raps about his grandma. Any man that raps about his grandma you gotta show some love to. And then of course there's Common and Talib."
During the discussion the "Poor Georgie" rapper spoke about the importance of lyrical content in hip-hop, and she revealed changing up her own lyrics to be more conscious.
"What I will say is that we need to give a few of these good men a chance in hoping that they will develop to be something else in the future. I know that when I first started I used a whole lot of profanity. I wasn't good at communicating, so I just used what I knew. And the more you understand that you're not just rocking for the block, that these words are going out across the entire globe. You at that point have to take responsibility and accountability. And I just think for Fetty Wap and some of these guys that I mentioned, that they really are on the forefront of what could be a great change in Hip Hop."
Ladies of Hip Hip Nation…Your Thoughts?
‘Barbershop: The Next Cut’ Trailer
Here’s the first official trailer from the movie Barbershop 3. More than a decade after the last visit to Calvin’s Barbershop, the gang is back – but with with some changes this time around. Along with the longtime crew of Calvin (Ice Cube), Eddie (Cedric The Entertainer) and Terri (Eve), there are more women on the scene and the once male-dominated sanctuary is now co-ed. New the shop are Common and Nicki Minaj. Although there are good times and camaraderie within the shop, the gang violence in the surrounding community has taken a turn for the worse. Calvin and crew has to come together to not only save the shop, but their Chicago neighborhood.
WATCH HERE
Malcolm D. Lee is at the helm of the film, which opens nationwide April 15th.
New Music: Chris Brown & Wale - All I Need
Chris Brown’s upcoming album Royalty is set to drop on December 18th, and the internet has leaked some of its contents, a.k.a a collab featuring Wale called “All I Need.”
Over a DJ Khaled-produced track which samples New Edition’s “Can You Stand The Rain,” Brown sings “All I need in the crazy world is me and my baby girl,” and Wale seconds that emotion.
Other singles from Royalty include "Liquor," "Zero," and "Back To Sleep," as well as another leak called "Gravity."
Listen HERE:
Thoughts?
FASHION FILES: Jourdan Dunn Wins Model Of The Year At The 2015 British Fashion Awards
Actress Gwendoline Christie and supermodel Jourdan Dunn were honoured for their style sense at the 2015 British Fashion Awards on Monday night (November 23).
The "Game of Thrones" actress was named the Red Carpet Ambassador while Dunn was presented with the Model of the Year prize by Balmain creative director Olivier Rousteing.
Singer FKA Twigs was handed the Fashion Innovator award, and credited her family for inspiring her to be different.
"I would like to dedicate this award to my mum because she used to make clothes that she wore and I wore," actor Robert Pattinson's girlfriend told the audience during her acceptance speech. "I used to want just a tenth of what she had - people used to look at her in the street because she looked so great. My nanna inspired us to be brave and creative and beautiful on the inside as well as the outside."
Fashion icon Karl Lagerfeld was also feted with the Outstanding Achievement award for his years of contributions to the fashion industry. The prize was presented to him by last year's (14) recipient, Vogue editor Anna Wintour.
Among the other attendees at the star-studded event, which was held at the London Coliseum, were Victoria and David Beckham, Rita Ora, Lady Gaga, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Cheryl Fernandez-Versini, Orlando Bloom, Kate Beckinsale, and singer Lily Allen
Chrisette Michele Hosts “Milestone” Listening Party at Clark Atlanta University
Chrisette Michele hosted a listening party for her upcoming album “Milestone!” She took her fans on a journey with her new singles about love, strength, and many more.
#RichHipster and Grammy Winning singer Chrisette Michele hosted a listening session for her latest album “Milestone!” The intimate session was held in the Mass Media Department of Clark Atlanta University. Fans were able to take a personal look into the singer’s life and her development process for new album.
Michele began with opening up to the audience about her recent engagement to music producer Doug Ellison and their love story! The two have had their ups and downs, and at one point did not speak for seven years she admitted. However, in the end the two found themselves back in each others’ arms.
Michele speaks about how she recorded a total of two albums before choosing “Milestone.” It will be something different for the singer. She presented song that we would not normally imagine her singing. “That’s why it’s called ‘Milestone’ because I’ve never been this brave!”
The first song she played for us was “Steady,” she had already released for fans. She admitted that she was worried about releasing “Steady” It was fast-paced single and the singer described it as a party for her. “I wanted a trap beat! I always wanted a trap beat.” The next single she introduced was “Unbreakable.” Michele sings as how she could not be broken, no matter the circumstances!
Although, “Milestone” doesn’t release until the spring of next year, we have so much to look forward to from her musically. She did promise us to bring us “the greatest art” we’ve ever felt! Personally, I believe she has lived up to this promise and I cannot wait to hear the complete product.
For the past couple of years, several Film Independent Spirit Awards winners have also gone on to Oscar glory. Both 12 Years a Slave and Birdman took home the big prizes at ceremonies in 2014 and 2015 respectively.
The acting category winners have also fared well. Matthew Mcconaughey, Jared Leto, Patricia Arquette, Julianne Moore, JK Simmons and Cate Blanchett are all recent winners at both awards shows.
Speaking of Blanchett, she’s once again in the hunt for Best Actress. She’ll go up against her Carol co-star Rooney Mara and Oscar frontrunner Room‘s Brie Larson.
Spotlight which scored a Best Feature nod, surprisingly didn’t snag any solo acting nominations. Buzz surrounding the performances of Mark Ruffalo, Michael Keaton and Rachel McAdams has been huge. Poor McAdams, I fear she’ll once again be shut out when the Oscar nominations are announced. The film did, however, snag the Robert Altman Award for Best Ensemble.
Check out all the 2016 Film Spirit Independent Award nominations below. Idris Elba, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Cynthia Nixon and Michael Shannon are just a few vying for awards.
2016 Independent Spirit Awards Nominations
Best Feature
“Anomalisa”
“Beasts of No Nation”
“Carol”
“Spotlight”
“Tangerine”
Best Director
Charlie Kaufman & Duke Johnson, “Anomalisa”
Cary Joji Fukunaga, “Beasts of No Nation”
Todd Haynes, “Carol”
David Robert Mitchell, “It Follows”
Tom McCarthy, “Spotlight”
Sean Baker, “Tangerine”
Best Female Lead
Cate Blanchett, “Carol”
Rooney Mara, “Carol”
Bel Powley, “The Diary of a Teenage Girl”
Brie Larson, “Room”
Kitana Kiki Rodriguez, “Tangerine”
Best Male Lead
Abraham Attah, “Beasts of No Nation”
Jason Segel, “The End of the Tour”
Christopher Abbot, “James White”
Koudous Seihon, “Mediterranea”
Ben Mendelsohn, “Mississippi Grind”
Best Supporting Female
Jennifer Jason Leigh, “Anomalisa”
Marin Ireland, “Glass Chin”
Robin Bartlett, “H.”
Cynthia Nixon, “James White”
Mya Taylor, “Tangerine”
Best Supporting Male
Idris Elba, “Beasts of No Nation”
Richard Jenkins, “Bone Tomahawk”
Paul Dano, “Love & Mercy”
Kevin Corrigan, “Results”
Michael Shannon, “99 Homes”
Best Screenplay
“Anomalisa”
“Bone Tomahawk”
“Carol”
“The End of the Tour”
“Spotlight”
Best First Feature
“The Diary of a Teenage Girl”
“James White”
“Manos Sucas”
“Mediterranea”
“Songs My Brothers Taught Me”
Best First Screenplay
“The Diary of a Teenage Girl”
“Me and Earl and the Dying Girl”
“Mediterranea”
“The Mend”
“Room”
Best Editing
“Beasts of No Nation”
“Heaven Knows What”
“It Follows”
“Room”
“Spotlight”
Best Cinematography
“Beasts of No Nation”
“Carol”
“It Follows”
“Meadowland”
“Songs My Brothers Taught Me”
Best Documentary
“Best of Enemies”
“Heart of a Dog”
“The Look of Silence”
“Meru”
“The Russian Woodpecker”
“(T)error”
Best International Film
“Embrace of the Serpent”
“Girlhood”
“Mustang”
“A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Reflecting on Existence”
“Son of Saul”
John Cassavetes Award
“Advantageous”
“Christmas, Again”
“Heaven Knows What”
“Krisha”
“Out of My Hand”
Robert Altman Award
“Spotlight”
AND FINALLY FROM “THE CRAZY PEOPLE SHOPPING AT WALMART” FILES
