With her raspy voice that is infused with R&B, soul and jazz, Claire Renee is making a name for herself with her brand of soul with such songs as “License to Drive” and “Telepathy.”
Rap star Remy Ma hosted a special private screening of Universal Picture’s upcoming film “Girls Trip” on Wednesday (July 19th) at The Whitby Hotel in New York City.
Singer/actor and “Love & Hip Hop: Hollywood” star Ray J, has teamed with Lookhu a new online streaming service to release his visual album โRaydemptionโ. A special screening of the visual album was held at New York Cityโs Soho Playhouse on Thursday (July 13th), in which Ray arrived on the red carpet riding a Raytroniks Scoot E-Bike alongside wife Princess Love.
On Wednesday (July 12th), Power creator Courtney Kemp, along with executive producer Curtis ’50 Cent’ Jackson, and cast members Lela Loren, Naturi Naughton, Rotimi and Jr Ramirez arrived at New York City’s The Paley Center For media to screen upcoming episode four of the season. Cast members Omari Hardwick, LaLa Anthony and Joseph Sikora were not in attendance. Following the screening, Kemp along with the cast members in attendance participated in a Q& A moderated by Essence editor Cori Murray.
In speaking about fans negative response to Lela’s character Angela, Kemp and Loren said:
Courtney Kemp: For me the vitriol that comes at Angela is actually based I think because a lot of it is women, itโs not men. Itโs women who to me who have internalized misogyny, they use words like homewrecker when in fact he took the vows, they also blame Angela for things she couldnโt possibly know. And I find that to be that kind of irrationality is about something that is like โhow dare she use her own mind? How dare she step out of line? How dare she not hide things for him? If he killed Greg if he had done it he should go to jail.
Lela Loren: The thing about Power is that it is set up like a horror movie where the audience gets to be five steps ahead of the characters. So Angela didnโt see the scene where Mike Sandoval murders Greg so you guys get to sort of get to be waiting for her to figure it out, when is she gonna figure it out. I think we can trust Angela is thorough as..
When asked what was the most wtf moment they encountered on social media Rotimi who portrays Dre responded:
Rotimi: The one thing I saw was who do you hate more A,B,C or D and I was A., and it was like wait what are they doing. But it was also like okay the character has arrived. So it was like a blessing to see that. But it was like damn can he just try to be great. So that was my moment.
Will Tommy break this season, and have a heart?
Courtney Kemp: He always has a heart. Tommy โs always loving. He actually leads with love. He loves Tasha, he loves Ghost, he loves those kids. When he was down for Holly he loved her. I think actually he is the most loved based character on the show.
Does 50 Cent contribute to the writing of the show?
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Courtney Kemp: The journalism background helps, because basically Iโve been doing now a six year profile of 50 Cent. I would get on the phone he talks I listen and I type my notes or I handwrite and I just listen. I think the triumph of this show has been taking this brain and putting it onscreen. And I just was able to take the 50th Law and different aspects of who he is and put them together and also take different parts of him and make them women. Everybody on this panel has said something 50 Cent said one way or another.
Power creator Courtney Kemp discussed late actor comedian Charlie Murphy’s work ethic on set:
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Courtney Kemp: He didnโt tell us what it really was. So those of us who were producers thought it was something else going on entirely, something that didnโt require him to need a ton of rest. So he was on set working and didnโt let any of us know. And he was dedicated. Just dedicated.
Will Tasha and Angela become friendly and work together to get Ghost out of jail?
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Naturi Naughton: I would never use the word friendly because we donโt have to be friends to make things happen. Strategy is beyond liking itโs behind friendship itโs survival. For my character in short, Angela is trying to survive too in her own right. Sheโs like ok what do I need to do, I mean I still donโt trust her and of course sheโs going with my husband thereโs this whole history, but Iโm over that now.
Lela Loren: I think also the thing with Angelaโs selfishness is she wants to follow what she loves. So many women have affairs they want what they want but donโt want the damage that occurs with it. Angela is selfish enough to do it, even though she doesnโt wish ill upon Tasha but she is still selfish enough not to keep her boundaries up. With that said there is on Angelaโs part when it comes to Tasha a respect and a I donโt want to see your family go down either.
50 Cent speaking on Kanon and Tariq’s connection:
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50 Cent: Itโs just at that point where kids want to be adults and Kanon is providing that to Tariq, in a different way, treating him like an adult. If you want to buy things, buy things with your own money .Iโm not saying that you should let kids rob houses to do it but Iโm giving him his own money.
What surprised you about your characters this season?
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JR Ramirez: Julio is very methodical this year. I feel like because Ghost is in jail and Tommy is a crazy loose cannon Iโm distro now, so heโs pretty much ahead of all the distribution she heโs pretty much methodical about his every move. Heโs slowly coming to realize he doesnโt have many friends in these streets and these streets arenโt as loyal as they should be.
Rotimi: What surprised me is just how smart he is. This year like they show just how manipulative he is. And Iโm starting to see heโs like a baby Ghost. So being that he has those mannerisms itโs cool to watch, and I love the fact that the fans are learning that with him.
On Tuesday (June 6th), Grammy Award winning Rock N Roll Hall of Fame inductee Mavis Staples, Congressman John Lewis, philanthropist Alexander Soros and musician John Batiste were honored by the Gordon Parks Foundation at their annual awards gala which took place at Cipriani’s.
The foundation preserves Parks’ work and honors those who embody his legacy of art and activism. At the gala Staples said about Parks’ influence on her, “Well you know heโs the arts and heโs film and Iโm a singer and thatโs all I am is a singer. But I feel like the arts and the music are relatives, weโre cousins we go hand in hand we need each other. So Iโm so honored. I met him [Parks] years ago. Iโve been out here a long time. I was at the Apollo in the fifties. But this is quite an honor I already talked to my father about it. I told my father โPops Iโm at it againโ. Every time I get an award like this I tell the people that my fatherโs telling the angels โmy baby daughter thatโs Mavis you canโt stop her sheโs getting upโ. I just feel good, I feel good to be with Congressmen John Lewis. We together with Dr. King during the civil rights movement. Itโs always good to see him, I took pics with him. Iโm just like a kid in a candy store.”
Meanwhile in speaking with Congressman Lewis about Parks’ and the prevalence of his legacy today he said, “Well I think when you look at the unbelievable work, this body of work that he left it inspires all of us to keep on keeping on. I had an opportunity of meeting him twice. He was so just prince of a man. He used his eyes to make his camera talk, and when you look at some of his photographs they look so alive, theyโre so inspiring. You know during the sixties when people were shooting for whether Life Magazine, some other major publication, or for the Afro American or the Pittsburgh Courier or New York Times, a Newsweek, it was very dangerous to be a photographer in the South to be a reporter to carry a pad and a pencil to carry a camera because people wanted to destroy the evidence. And many of these guys and a few women were out there. I saw reporters who were trying to cover the news beaten and left bloody and unconscious and then they would turn on us especially during the freedom rides, and the marches and sit ins.”
The gala included a special performance by Grammy and Academy award winning rapper and actor Common who chatted with us about his favorite piece of work by Gordon Parks telling us, “Well my favorite one, I donโt know the title of it but I used it on the cover of my album Like Water for Chocolate. So it has something to do with that civil rights movement, and it was like a picture of this young girl drinking water at the fountain and her mother was right there by her. Itโs on my album Like Water for Chocolate.”
Other attendees included Usher who brought his son Naviyd, Martin Scorsese who was a presenter, Stephen Colbert, Dr. Henry Louis Gates Jr., Chelsea Clinton and Swizz Beatz who when asked about what’s next for him said, “The sky is not the limit itโs just a view.”
In total the gala raised over $1.3 million for the foundation.
Virginia has brought many talented artists such as Trey Songz and Chris Brown to R&B and has now given us a new rising talent MikexAngel. Angel a protรฉgรฉe of Songz and artist signed to 300 Entertainment, previewed his latest project titled Nothing 2 Somethinย (N2S) alongside Trey Songz at Platinum Sound Recording Studio on May ย 17th.
Growing Up Hip Hop is branching out, with the upcoming premiere of a spinoff of the series titled Growing Up Hip Hop Atlanta.
After eight years, original Destinyโs Child member and Grammy Award winning R&B singer and actress LeToya Luckett is back with Back 2 Life. Back 2 Life is Luckettโs first album since 2009โs Lady Love, and Letoya along with Ciroc hosted an intimate preview of the new album at New Yorkโs 1Oak on Wednesday night (May 10th). Media influencers and special guests which included comedian actor D.L. Hughley and celebrity stylist Ty Hunter, as well as five special fans picked by Luckett enjoyed cocktails made with Cirocโs new limited edition Summer Colada while listening to tracks from Back 2 Life.
On the 13 track album which features songs dealing with themes of love, heartbreak, relationships and healing, Luckett collaborated with Ludacris (who is the only featured guest artist on the album) on the song “Grey.” Also included on the album are two previously released songs the title track which was produced by Jo Blaq, YBZ and includes a sample from Soul II Soul’s 1989 hit of the same name as well as “Used To,” which the video for the song was released in April.
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Here is the official tracklisting for Back 2 Life which will be released everywhere on May 12th.
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01. Iโm Ready
02. Back 2 Life
03. Show Me
04. Used To
05. Middle
06. Grey feat. Ludacris
07. In The Name
08. My Love
09. Worlds Apart
10. Weekend
11. Higher
12. Loving You
13. Disconnected
Ten time Grammy Award winner and Academy Award winner John Legend has joined forces with Baobob Studios to launch an innovative virtual reality cinematic experience with a collaborative project called Rainbow Crow.
Ruff Ryders took over the Barclays Center on Thursday (April 21st) reuniting some of the labelโs biggest names to celebrate the labelโs 20th anniversary.