Fresh off a national tour with fellow rap artist Freddie Gibbs, and upon the heels of releasing his latest video for “IDK,” the latest track from his These Things Take Time EP, DC born rapper Chaz French spoke to us about the “IDK” video, the DC music scene and more.
Golden Globe and Emmy nominated actress Kerry Washington has teamed up with director Rick Famuyiwa and HBO to bring the story of the 1991 sexual harassment court hearings surrounding the confirmation of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas to the small screen.
To help kick off the upcoming I Love the 90’s tour, and celebrate the birthday of Cheryl James aka Salt from Salt N Pepa, SX Liquors hosted an intimate celebration last night (March 24th) at New York’s Living Room bar and lounge in the W Hotel Times Square.
After supporting roles in hit films like “Think Like A Man”, Terrence J proves with his latest film “The Perfect Match” that he can carry a film as a leading man. The film blends together elements from classic romantic comedy films “Boomerang” and “The Brothers”, serving as both homage to both the films and the black romantic comedy genre.
HBO celebrated the life and musical legacy of music legend Mavis Staples at the NYC premiere of their documentary Mavis! last night (February 24th) at the Florence Gould Hall.
Grammy Award winner Kendrick Lamar hasn’t forgotten where he came from, bringing students from his former high school along with him to Monday’s (February 15th) 58th annual Grammy Award ceremony.
Select students from Compton’s Centennial High School, got VIP treatment courtesy of Reebok Classic in which the students got to spend time with Lamar before the Grammy Award ceremony getting the chance to have a Q&A session with the Compton bred rapper. The students also had the opportunity to walk the red carpet before the ceremony as well as attend the ceremony to watch Kendrick perform and receive numerous awards.The students captured their journey from Compton to the Grammys which, included their candid moments with Kendrick, through a series of pictures and videos.
The students were chosen based upon displaying characteristics that were present in a young school aged Kendrick, as well as exemplifying characteristics that Reebook Classic promotes such as having the courage to express who they are and a willingness to stand out from the crowd.
Kendrick received 11 Grammy nominations and took home five awards at the ceremony. Lamar and his crew also wore white Reebook Classics when they hit the stage to perform “The Blacker Berry” and “Alright,” from his Grammy nominated album To Pimp A Butterfly.
On Friday (February 12th), Grammy Award winning superstar Rihanna and Puma debuted their Fenty By Rihanna first season collection at New York Fashion Week. The collection consists of footwear, apparel and accessories for both women and men.
Rihanna drew inspiration for the collection from current Japanese street culture and tradition for the first full season. The superstar became Puma’s Ambassador and Creative Director in December 2014.
Before hitting the runway Rihanna told the Associated Press backstage, “I think design is a part of being creative. I enjoy creating and expressing the crazy things going on in my mind through something that people can see and that is tangible. That is the best part, being able to express yourself.”
“Fashion to me was just one of those things that came naturally,” Rihanna added. “I enjoy discovering it — all the different styles, finishes, fabrics, silhouettes. It’s not easy, but it doesn’t feel like work.”
Aside from Rihanna, those in attendance included Foxy Brown, Naomi Campbell, Edward Enniful, Sofia Richie, Chris Rock, Travis $cott, Jaelen Strong, SZA, Young Thug, Pete Wentz, Anna Wintour, as well as models Bella Hadid, Gigi Hadid, and Stella Maxwell.
The Fenty By Puma collection will be available in retail stores in September 2016.
On Wednesday (February 10th) Harlem non-profit independent film production foundation Imagenation hosted their annual Revolution Awards ceremony at the SVA Theater, honoring black excellence and achievement in film, media and activism. This year’s honorees included Oscar nominated ‘Selma’ director Ava Duvernay, actor/author/motivational speaker Hill Harper, MSNBC’s Melissa Harris-Perry, and The Walking Dead’s Danai Gurira. 103.7 FM on-air personality Tony Bello was in attendance as host, and radio personality Sway Calloway and renowned psychologist Dr. Jeff Gardere were also in attendance. Honoree Ava Duvernay wasn’t at the ceremony to accept her award, but accepted via a special videotaped message.
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Before the awards were presented to the honorees, a special screening on Tommy Oliver’s film “1982” was shown. The film shows the effects of a family struggling with one member’s drug addiction. We spoke to Oliver about what can black filmmakers do to promote black history and culture in film Oliver said, “I think for me it goes back to something that Du Bois said years ago is the idea of the Talented Ten. If you are fortunate enough, lucky enough creative enough, smart enough to achieve success that’s it’s important to give back to the remaining ninety percent and help them achieve success as well, that also includes telling stories that are important and that are uplifting. For me it’s about doing all that I can to make a positive impact”.
The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are back returning to the big screen in the sequel to the 2014 summer blockbuster. The leads from the 2014 film Megan Fox who portrayed April O’Neil, as well The Turtles Alan Ritchson (Raphael), Noel Fisher (Michelangelo), Pete Ploszek (Leonardo), and Jeremy Howard (Donatello), will reprise their roles in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Out of the Shadows. Michael Bay returns to produce alongside his Platinum Dunes partners Brad Fuller and Andrew Form with Galen Walker and Scott Mednick also producing. The film is based on the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles characters created by Peter Laird and Kevin Eastman and is directed by David Green.
Joining the cast is Tyler Perry who will play Baxter Stockman, Academy Award nominated actress Laura Linney as Chief Rebecca Vincent, Brian Tee as Shredder, WWE World Heavy Weight Champion Stephen “Sheamus” Farrelly as Rocksteady and Gary Anthony William as Bebop.
The film hits theaters on June 3rd. Check out the film’s latest trailer below which was unveiled during the Superbowl and gives a first look at the super villain Krang:
As basketball fans gear up for the All Star Game in Toronto , Nike and Jordan Brand will celebrate the game by providing Nike+ members with the ultimate Nike INC. All-Star experience in the US and Canada.
SNKRS XPRESS welcomes Nike+ members to experience the power of Nike and Jordan by offering a specially curated selection of footwear which includes the Nike Air Force 1 Flyknit, Air Jordan XXX, Jordan Cement IV, Kobe 11 Royalty and several surprise drops. To secure a seat on the SNKRS XPRESS, members can register at nike.com/snkrsxpress. Also between February 11th and February 14th, SNKRS XPRESS Stations will also pop-up in Chicago, Los Angeles and New York.
Chicago (11AM – 8PM)
669 North Michigan Ave
Chicago, IL 60611
Los Angeles (10AM – 7PM)
395 Santa Monica Place
Santa Monica, CA 90401
New York City (11AM – 7PM)
120 Wooster St.
Unit C
New York, NY 10012