Source: Icon Sportswire / Getty The sexual assault case of Antonio Brown could have easily been brushed under the rug if the player agreed to a $2 million settlement according to reports. Sources are saying that Brown’s refusal to settle the matter out of court after the deadline passed last week has led to the revelation of the explosive details . ESPN reports : Antonio Brown declined to sign a $2 million-plus agreement with Britney Taylor to settle a sexual assault allegation made by the wide receiver’s former trainer, sources told ESPN’s Jeff Darlington. Brown had a deadline last Sunday night to sign the settlement agreement before Taylor’s attorneys sought to file their civil lawsuit against him. After Brown didn’t sign off on the settlement, the suit was filed Tuesday. Settlement discussions began as early as April and included two mediations, one of which occurred in May, sources familiar with the talks told Darlington. Brown’s decision not to sign the settlement came around the same time that he agreed to a deal with the New England Patriots, which his agent revealed Sept. 7 and was formalized Monday. Taylor alleges that Brown assaulted her on two occasions in 2017 and 2018, but Brown’s legal team is standing firm that the relationship and acts between Brown and Taylor were of a consensual nature. — Photo:
Source: Tony Rivetti / Getty Actress Afton Williamson , who played the role of Talia Bishop on ABC’s The Rookie , has quit the show amid claims of sexual harassment and assault along with racial discrimination. In an Instagram post, Williamson announced her departure while naming those who carried out the alleged acts. “I will not be returning for Season 2 of The Rookie,” Williamson wrote in the caption for the post. “I owe it to you my amazing fans to share the Truth. Throughout the filming of the pilot, I experienced Racial Discrimination/Racially Charged inappropriate comments from the hair department and bullying from Executive Producers.” She added, “During the Season, it continued along with Sexual Harassment from a recurring guest star, Demetrius Grosse, and the racist commentary & bullying from the Hair Dept. Head, Sally Ciganovich escalated into Sexual Assault at our Wrap party. The Sexual Harassment though reported directly to the Showrunner/EP remained undocumented and was not reported to HR as promised. Ciganovich was fired ONLY after the sexual assault and NOT for an entire year of outward racism/racially charged language and bullying behavior in and out of the Hair and Makeup trailer. HR protocol was never adhered to following the above reports given by me to my Showrunner/EP and an investigation was never issued for any of my claims.” In the following post, Williamson thanked her fans and supporters after making her announcement. “I am so beyond overwhelmed by the outpouring of love, kind words, scriptures, strength filled quotes and devout support that has come my way. One Instagram post is just like those 2 fish and 5 loaves of Bread,” Willamson wrote. “The rippling effect it has had in just a few hours shows how much this world is aching with victims of racism, discrimination, sexual harassment, sexual assault, sexual abuse all of it. I am no stranger to all of the above even before this experience. But it is through this experience and my platform that God pushed me to use the power within me.” View the posts below. View this post on Instagram I will not be returning for Season 2 of The Rookie. I owe it to you my amazing fans to share the Truth. Throughout the filming of the pilot, I experienced Racial Discrimination/Racially Charged inappropriate comments from the hair department and bullying from Executive Producers. During the Season, it continued along with Sexual Harassment from a recurring guest star,Demetrius Grosse,and the racist commentary & bullying from the Hair Dept.Head, Sally Ciganovich escalated into Sexual Assault at our Wrap party.The Sexual Harassment though reported directly to the Showrunner/EP remained undocumented and was not reported to HR as promised.Ciganovich was fired ONLY after the sexual assault and NOT for an entire year of outward racism/racially charged language and bullying behavior in and out of the Hair and Makeup trailer. HR protocol was never adhered to following the above reports given by me to my Showrunner/EP and an investigation was never issued for any of my claims. The only time I was asked to participate in an investigation was after a meeting I called in June following our Season 2 announcement. This meeting included the Showrunner and two other producers as well as my agent and SAG-AFTRA Union Rep. It was clear to all present in the meeting that the Showrunner had not shared my reports with the any of the producers. After my initial report of sexual harassment, I was assured that Grosse would be fired. I was also asked to film with him the very next day as a courtesy to the script, even though we had not begun filming the episode yet. Grosse reappeared on our call sheet at the end of the season, I was even written in scenes with him. I asked the Showrunner about this and he admitted to me that the Grosse had not been fired nor had he gotten HR involved. I was asked to return this season, and promised that “everything was handled.” The investigation hadn’t even begun and Season 2 had already started filming. I turned it down and I walked. Now is the best time in the world to be a woman and I have a platform so it’s time to use my Voice. Strength comes from within. It comes from Above. “Greater is He that is within Me than he that is in the world” A post shared by Afton Williamson (@therealaftonw) on Aug 4, 2019 at 1:12am PDT View this post on Instagram To my Fans, my Friends, my Supporters: I want to Thank EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU. I am so beyond overwhelmed by the outpouring of love, kind words, scriptures, strength filled quotes and devout support that has come my way. One Instagram post is just like those 2 fish and 5 loaves of Bread. The rippling effect it has had in just a few hours shows how much this world is aching with victims of racism, discrimination, sexual harassment, sexual assault, sexual abuse all of it. I am no stranger to all of the above even before this experience. But it is through this experience and my platform that God pushed me to use the power within me. It just takes a VOICE. I never imagined so many of us have experienced these horrible circumstances and that can NO LONGER GO UNHEARD. We have a voice. ALL OF US. It is our DUTY to use it. I used to fear the word Victim. I scoffed at it because all I was told when these injustices happened to me, was to Survive. Survivor I am. Victim I am also. A victim of injustice. A victim of assault. A victim of abuse and harassment. If you have experienced any of the above, you are too and I for one stand with you and I’m no longer afraid to be vocal about it. We Can Stand Together. Let’s Change This Sickness. That Change starts with US. This season on The Rookie, I was sexually harassed by fellow actor Demetrius Grosse. I was Racially Bullied and Discriminated against and Sexually Assaulted by Hair Department Head Sally Nicole Ciganovich. Let’s BE the CHANGE we WANT to SEE A post shared by Afton Williamson (@therealaftonw) on Aug 5, 2019 at 5:06pm PDT — Photo: Getty
Source: Jonathan Bachman / Getty NBA Star Anthony Davis Is Making His Way To Los Angeles After an exciting trade standoff, the Los Angeles Lakers edged out all the other teams and ended up winning the bid for Anthony Davis . Like always, Adrian Wojnarowski is the one who shared details of the deal. The Pelicans have agreed to a deal to trade Anthony Davis to the Lakers for Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, Josh Hart, and three first-round picks – including the No. 4 overall in 2019 Draft, league sources tell ESPN. — Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 15, 2019 Monster haul for David Griffin and the Pelicans. They maximized the AD trade without needing a third team. History of Griffin deals typically include strong pick protections, which could made trade even better. And now, LeBron gets his second star in LA. Here we go. https://t.co/Yf6cjlhvv4 — Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 15, 2019 NBA expert Marc Stein added that The Hornets’ Kemba Walker is a top prospect to assemble a possible Big Three in L.A, tweeting, “Kemba Walker will be a top target in free agency for the Lakers after they reached an agreement in principle to trade for Anthony Davis, according to league sources.” Spike Eskin also added that of this possible Big Three, none of them played one playoff game this year–making them all well-rested and ready to start next season with some serious energy. In LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Kemba Walker, the Lakers look to score a Big Three that did not manage to play one playoff game this year. Well rested. — Spike Eskin (@SpikeEskin) June 15, 2019 As the news of this huge story broke, most fans knew that it was only a matter of time until Lavar Ball got word that his pride and joy Lonzo was getting traded. At the time, he was spending his Saturday at the Drew League watching his youngest son LaMelo play and according to those in the building, he looked visibly upset. He even ended up speaking on the situation, saying the trade isn’t a big deal because his son works well with anyone. LaVar Ball’s reaction to the trade: “Lonzo works good with anybody so it’s not a big deal.” pic.twitter.com/MEbHNqelwF — Chris Montano (@gswchris) June 15, 2019 Lonzo, on the other hand, hasn’t publicly reacted to the news yet–but his teammates Ingram and Hart both posted their reactions on their IG Stories and seem to be pleased. Josh Hart: also smiling! (via @joshhart / IG) pic.twitter.com/h5H2IpdnIf — Dime (@DimeUPROXX) June 15, 2019 Since his agent Rich Paul announced Anthony Davis’ request to be traded, it really seemed like the entire league was positioning itself to land the superstar center. But the Pelicans played hard-to-get with their marquee player, letting the world know they wouldn’t be rushed to move Davis–this was until the Pelicans won the NBA Draft Lottery. After acquiring assumed no. 1 pick Zion Williamson, New Orleans’ new general manager David Griffin began to open the doors to potential suitors. With news of his trade to Los Angeles, the odds of them as championship contenders have gone up. And for what it’s worth, LeBron James seems pretty happy with his new teammate. View this post on Instagram AD on da way!! @antdavis23 . Let’s get it bro! Just the beginning.. #LakeShow A post shared by LeBron James (@kingjames) on Jun 15, 2019 at 8:16pm PDT
Source: Jonathan Bachman / Getty NBA Star Anthony Davis Is Making His Way To Los Angeles After an exciting trade standoff, the Los Angeles Lakers edged out all the other teams and ended up winning the bid for Anthony Davis . Like always, Adrian Wojnarowski is the one who shared details of the deal. The Pelicans have agreed to a deal to trade Anthony Davis to the Lakers for Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, Josh Hart, and three first-round picks – including the No. 4 overall in 2019 Draft, league sources tell ESPN. — Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 15, 2019 Monster haul for David Griffin and the Pelicans. They maximized the AD trade without needing a third team. History of Griffin deals typically include strong pick protections, which could made trade even better. And now, LeBron gets his second star in LA. Here we go. https://t.co/Yf6cjlhvv4 — Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 15, 2019 NBA expert Marc Stein added that The Hornets’ Kemba Walker is a top prospect to assemble a possible Big Three in L.A, tweeting, “Kemba Walker will be a top target in free agency for the Lakers after they reached an agreement in principle to trade for Anthony Davis, according to league sources.” Spike Eskin also added that of this possible Big Three, none of them played one playoff game this year–making them all well-rested and ready to start next season with some serious energy. In LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Kemba Walker, the Lakers look to score a Big Three that did not manage to play one playoff game this year. Well rested. — Spike Eskin (@SpikeEskin) June 15, 2019 As the news of this huge story broke, most fans knew that it was only a matter of time until Lavar Ball got word that his pride and joy Lonzo was getting traded. At the time, he was spending his Saturday at the Drew League watching his youngest son LaMelo play and according to those in the building, he looked visibly upset. He even ended up speaking on the situation, saying the trade isn’t a big deal because his son works well with anyone. LaVar Ball’s reaction to the trade: “Lonzo works good with anybody so it’s not a big deal.” pic.twitter.com/MEbHNqelwF — Chris Montano (@gswchris) June 15, 2019 Lonzo, on the other hand, hasn’t publicly reacted to the news yet–but his teammates Ingram and Hart both posted their reactions on their IG Stories and seem to be pleased. Josh Hart: also smiling! (via @joshhart / IG) pic.twitter.com/h5H2IpdnIf — Dime (@DimeUPROXX) June 15, 2019 Since his agent Rich Paul announced Anthony Davis’ request to be traded, it really seemed like the entire league was positioning itself to land the superstar center. But the Pelicans played hard-to-get with their marquee player, letting the world know they wouldn’t be rushed to move Davis–this was until the Pelicans won the NBA Draft Lottery. After acquiring assumed no. 1 pick Zion Williamson, New Orleans’ new general manager David Griffin began to open the doors to potential suitors. With news of his trade to Los Angeles, the odds of them as championship contenders have gone up. And for what it’s worth, LeBron James seems pretty happy with his new teammate. View this post on Instagram AD on da way!! @antdavis23 . Let’s get it bro! Just the beginning.. #LakeShow A post shared by LeBron James (@kingjames) on Jun 15, 2019 at 8:16pm PDT
When Sony announced that they were working on Spider-Man spinoff films for Venom and Morbius without the teenage webslinger even as so much as making an appearance, there was a collective groan from comic book fans around the world. But with the surprising success of the actually entertaining Venom , Sony is now going full steam ahead with production on Morbius which stars Jared Leto as biochemist Michael Morbius who’s turned into the Living Vampire after a failed lab experiment, and Tyrese Gibson as Agent Simon Stroud who’s hot on the trail of the blood sucking antihero. Yesterday (May 2), Black Ty took to IG to post the first on set pic of Morbius which is currently filming in London. Tyrese is draped in a trench coat and bulletproof vest while standing next to Morbius director Daniel Espinoza ( Life ). View this post on Instagram On set in London, UK standing next to a man who is brilliant beyond…… Our director Daniel Espinosa!! Over our first private dinner we both talked about and was singing the praises of a real one… Denzel Washington DanieL directed Denzel in the film SAFE HOUSE!!!! And now he’s directing me opposite Jared Leto in this #MarvelMovie #MORBIUS I have to apologize I get nervous cause he directed my all time sometimes my all time HERO he’s been on my #BucketList of directors I’ve always wanted to dance with…… And it happened!!!!!!!!!! #InTheWoods #OneOfGodsGiftsToActors on set he speaks our language…. #Morbius2020 A post shared by TYRESE (@tyrese) on May 2, 2019 at 12:34pm PDT Sony’s Morbius is set to drop on July 31, 2020 and will expand Sony’s version of the Marvel Universe. That being said it’s almost inevitable that Morbius and Venom will at some point crossover but whether or not Spider-Man will ever join the fray remains to be seen. Being that Marvel Studios has Sony’s permission to use Spider-Man in their films for a few more flicks before that deal runs out means that it’s only a matter of time before Sony reboots their Spider-Man franchise and integrates him back into their own Marvel universe. But whether or not they’ll keep fan favorite Spidey Tom Holland in that role or recast it with a new face is anyone’s guess at this point. Either way, we just hope they don’t F-up the Spider-Man franchise now that Marvel’s got it back on steady ground. — Photo:
Source: ANGELA WEISS / Getty Details about Agent 007 aka James Bond’s yet to be titled 25th theatrical adventure were revealed today. The event which took place in Jamaica the birthplace of many of the novels written by Bond’s creator Ian Flemming. James Bond 25’s producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G Wilson and Director Cary Joji Fukanaga were on hand to reveal the films official cast. Returning for his fifth and final stint as the martini-drinking secret agent is Daniel Craig, Academy Award-winning actor Rami Malek will take on the role as Bond’s main villain while Ralph Fiennes (Gareth Mallory), Naomie Harris (Miss Moneypenny), Ben Whishaw (Q), and Lea Seydoux (Dr. Madelaine Swann) will be making their return in the latest Bond flick. A word about #BOND25 from Rami Malek pic.twitter.com/CLJ5mpO9mu — James Bond (@007) April 25, 2019 Newcomers to the Bond franchise include Ana de Armas ( Blade Runner 2049 ), Billy Magnussen ( Game Night ), Dali Benssalah, Lashana Lynch ( Captain Marvel ) and David Dencik ( Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy). As far as the film’s plot is concerned, Bond’s retirement in Jamaica will be cut short when he decides to join a rescue mission to save a kidnapped scientist after his friend from the CIA Felix Leiter shows up asking for his help. He will then have to take on a bunch of villains armed with dangerous new technology to make sure his mission succeeds. 007 reporting for duty. Join us live in Jamaica for the #BOND25 start of production. Send your questions to the cast using #BOND25 https://t.co/0teFAmw8Sl — James Bond (@007) April 25, 2019 Shooting for the film currently underway in Jamaica and Norway with production set to take place in London and Italy. James Bond 25 will also mark the first time in the franchise’s long and storied history that it will be shot entirely using IMAX cameras. We’re excited to partner with @MGM_Studios and #Bond25 @IMAX Film Cameras. pic.twitter.com/xoJiC7Xet8 — IMAX (@IMAX) April 25, 2019 The untitled 25th Bond film is slated to arrive in theaters April 8, 2020. You can watch the entire reveal event in the video below. — Photo: ANGELA WEISS / Getty
Source: FOX / Getty Tonight’s episode of Empire is the episode that gives us a smidgen of hope right before the rug gets metaphorically snatched from under our feet. The episode begins with Cookie and Lucious at Terri’s church. They’re praying for Andre who has been undergoing cancer treatment for 6 weeks at this point, and the preacher says something interesting. He tells his flock to make peace with friends and foes and to get their lives in order so god will work in their favor. That seems to have struck a chord with Lucious. He thinks he has to make peace with Kingsley in order to save Andre. Meanwhile, Cookie entertains the possibility that Andre might die and Lucious doesn’t want to hear it. He doesn’t want her speaking negatively over their son. This makes Cookie feel like she can’t talk to him, so she goes right to Damon Cross’ house. Damon gives her what she needs—an ear. He knows exactly what to say to her because his daughter had cancer too. We can assume by his tone that his daughter is dead but at the same time, we still don’t quite know what happened to her. In other news, Cookie feels guilty about their friendship, as she should, because this is technically emotional cheating. The FBI agents convince Kingsley to wear a wire to set up Lucious. Hold that thought, but speaking of Kingsley, Lucious actually visits his mom, Tracy, to try to reconcile his past. He mentions that he wants a relationship with Kingsley. Tracy is hostile toward him at first but Lucious reminds her that she never told him about Kingsley in the first place. Then she goes on rambling about how she used to fantasize about them getting married and you realize just how gone she is. Lucious brings her back to the point tough and she says it’s going to have to be Kingsley’s decision no matter what, but she’ll talk to him. Next, we find Lucious and Thirsty kicking it. Kingsley interrupts, wanting to talk to Lucious in private. Thirsty exits and the conversation begins. Kingsley congratulates him on pulling empire back from the impossible then tries to finesse Lucious, but in an obvious way. He asks him where he got the money from and brings up overseas accounts. It’s super obvious. Lucious ain’t dumb and doesn’t answer his question. He does, however, ask Kingsley if his mom told him to come see him. Kingsley says that he’s there on his own and that his mom had nothing to do with it. That’s when Lucious really peeps game and cuts their time short. Later on, Kingsley visits his mom and she tells him about Lucious coming to visit. Then she starts talking about how Lucious did crack with her, but we all know Lucious never actually did drugs, just sold them. Lucious had actually just told Kingsley that he never did drugs during their visit. Then Tracy tells Kingsley that Lucious said he’d beat the baby out of her when she told him she was pregnant. Another lie. Even Kingsley doesn’t trust this. He doesn’t push back too much against his mother’s lies, but he does seem to be conflicted. The doctor tells Andre and family that his body has been responding well to treatment and there’s a chance that he could be cancer-free by the next treatment. Cookie goes to tell Damon the good news about Andre’s treatment and they toast to Andre’s health amid all this sexual tension. Then Cookie has a moment where she says she shouldn’t be there, packs her stuff up and apologizes for sending mixed signals. Then Damon says they both know he can give her what Lucious can’t and she swiftly dips out of there after telling him their thing is over. Kingsley heads back to Lucious and says he needs to know the real story about how he and Tracy met and if it’s true that Lucious got his mom hooked on crack. Lucious said when he first met Tracy she asked if she could try his stuff against every warning he gave her not to, but she did anyway and things obviously didn’t end well. He admits to selling her drugs but said he felt, in some weird way, that he was protecting her by giving her his drugs because maybe his stuff was clean compared to other people who might lace their products. Gee, thanks. Anyway, then Kingsley asks if he really threatened to beat kill him when his mom was pregnant with him. Lucious denies this. We know that Lucious can be evil, but family is everything to him. He explains to Kingsley that he would never have let Tracy raise him had he known he even existed. Kingsley said his mom told him he didn’t want him but Lucious says that that’s the furthest thing from the truth. Then Kingsley starts tearing up and shows him the wire, which actually looks like a Fitbit. Lucious takes it off, puts it in Kingsley’s hand, tears up, and tells him that his mom robbed him of the opportunity to be his father but he still wants to be there for him. He still wants that father/son relationship. They hug and it’s all mushy and tear-jerky and what not. But let’s not get too excited because someone’s big death day is coming and the feds are still lurking so things are going to go downhill soon. Kingsley tells the agent he’s done. She tries to intimidate him into continuing but Kingsley tells her that he’s not sure if he’s a Lyon, but he’s definitely not a rat. The agent threatens to come after all of them. Later on, Lucious brings Kingsley to dinner with the family. They’re all looking at him like But Lucious says he wants to properly introduce Kingsley to the family because Kingsley is his son and they need space to work on that bond. Kingsley apologizes and says he understands it may take a while to make things right but he will try. Lucious reminds them that he has had to make amends with everyone at the table as well, so this isn’t much different. Cookie is annoyed, but she’s willing to allow this because she’s just happy about Andre’s news. Finally, the episode wraps with the feds raiding Empire’s tour equipment after a show. Becky confronts them and they tell her that Lucious has been using the tour to move narcotics across the country and that the tour is over. However, we’re all like, come again? It can’t be Lucious smuggling drugs, can he? No! He’s too busy building Empire back up. He left that life decades ago! So who is it? RELATED POSTS ‘Empire’ Recap: The Cookie Lyon Plot Twist We Didn’t See Coming ‘Empire’ Recap: Lucious’ Quest To Be A Better Person Goes Up In Smoke
Source: Christopher Murray / EyeEm / Getty White Man Sentenced 10 Years For Hiring Hitman To Lynch Black Neighbor A racist and cowardly white man in South Carolina has been sentenced to a decade in prison after he pleaded guilty to hiring a hit man to kill his Black neighbor, hang his lifeless body from a tree, and set a burning cross on the neighbor’s lawn according to NYTimes . 26-year-old Brandon Cory Lecroy was arrested in 2018 when the cops got a tip that he had contacted a known white supremacist group in search of a hitman who would take his job offer. An FBI agent posed as the hitman and called Brandon. During their phone call, he was told “$500 and he’s a ghost.” When Brandon gave the agent a $100 downpayment, photos of the two targets, and the best times to commit the murder, he was promptly arrested. Brandon also asked the agent for an untraceable 9mm pistol to be used for an unnamed purpose. 10 years was the maximum sentence for this type of crime. We sincerely hope Brandon’s entire cell block is Black, and the way the American “justice system” works, there’s a really good chance of that. SMFH.
Source: @photosbynae / iOne Digital As one of North Carolina’s top-tier M.C.’s, Rapsody has created a comfortable space for herself in the rap game. With her lauded album Laila’s Wisdom under her belt, along with celebrated mixtapes and memorable features with folks like Kendrick Lamar , Rapsody is now looking to take on other endeavors. This definitely doesn’t mean she’s quitting the rap game. Instead, she hopes to exercise more aspects of her creative side. Rapsody stopped by Global Grind on International Women’s Day to discuss some of these burgeoning interests: “I have so many other loves,” Rapsody said. “Like I was a big reader as a kid. I went to the library all the time, so for that, I want to write children’s books.” Rapsody also has the dramatic arts on her mind: “I’d love to get into acting, but I want to do it right. You know I’ve been sent several scripts, but I told my agent to hold off because I really want to take classes and really learn about the art of acting. Like I would want somebody trying to enter the hip hop world to be respectful of the culture and learn the art of M.C.ing, I want to learn how to be a great actor.” The 36-year-old listed Cicely Tyson and Phylicia Rashad as her biggest influences: “If I can have the chance to share a screen with them. Even if I was the person who came in and put the milk on the table. Just to be in that space and just to have the opportunity to gain the knowledge and wisdom because they’ve been in the arts forever.” Inspirational Black women have been a common theme in Rapsody’s career. Although she’s listed people like Jay-Z as a major influence on her rhyming, women like Ms. Lauryn Hill set a standard right when Rapsody needed it. Since Hill’s seminal work The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, she hasn’t acquired the best reputation when it comes to showing up on time for shows or even creating a good relationship with certain band mates ( according to Robert Glasper ). However, Rapsody says there’s always more to an artist than what’s put into the public: “Lauryn runs her business the way Lauryn wants to run her business,” Rapsody said, “It’s two sides to every story. Robert told his, Lauryn told hers. It’s none of my business. It’s not my place to critique as far as her shows or her lateness.” Rapsody also doesn’t let the tough talk diminish Ms. Hill’s impact on her life: “You know, for me, I always say Lauryn was on time when we needed her. When I needed Lauryn in ’98 and ’96, she was on time, so to me, she’s allowed to be late. I think the industry has been trying to run her for her life, so for her to take control of what she wants to do and do it her way, I applaud her on that.” Rapsody went on to detail the various reasons Hill could be late to a show: “You know as a mother, putting your children first, I’m never mad at that. You gotta be late because you got something to do with your kids, then do that. You know at this point, if you know she’s going to be late and you ain’t with it, then don’t buy the ticket. If you decide to go, take some Uno cards just in case. I’m just in the business of appreciating Lauryn while she’s here.” Just like Ms. Hill set a blueprint for many women to come, Rapsody hopes to follow that same path with music, the arts and even fashion one day: “I definitely want to do my own clothing line at some point. Maybe like some tomboy feminine-type style ’cause women that are tomboys are sexy too, so I want to create a space for that.” If Cicely Tyson, Phylicia Rashad and Ms. Hill have taught us anything, it’s that there’s always space.
Cops and Clippers is Back! February 21 marked the kick off for the community event titled Clippers and Cops. The community came out to talk face to face with members of the local police force in hopes of gaining understanding and clarity, while building a relationship between the two parties. The event was moderated by Reec Swiney of Hot 107.9 and Ty Dennis(APD ATF Agent) who is also the brainchild of the program. Ty Dennis (APD) & Reec (Hot 107.9) Topics included: What to do when you get pulled over What Does the community expect from the police Teen crime Police brutality and excessive force Gang policing and prevention One of the most interesting portions of the event was a tutorial on citizen etiquette when getting pulled over. You can see it at Cops and Clippers Facebook Page. Clippers and Cops is a traveling program and will be at a Barbershop near you soon! Tune in to Hot 107.9 for details.
