Source: Lars Niki / Getty If you didn’t know, Dave East is part of a historic series on Hulu that follows the story of Wu-Tang . In his interview with Headkrack , the rapper takes a trip down memory lane revealing his rap favorites, who he grew up listening to and what it was like prepping his first studio album, Survival . Want Exclusives First? Click Here To Sign Up For Our Newsletter! In between music talk, Dave East also let us in on the emotional day he sent his daughter to school for the first time this year and how his parents influenced his own educational experience. Watch: ALSO TRENDING ON RICKEYSMILEYMORNINGSHOW.COM : Here’s The Real Story Behind The Wu Affiliate Killed By Police In 1994 Dave East Is Playing Method Man In ‘Wu-Tang: An American Saga’ Follow @TheRSMS
Source: The Washington Post / Getty The U.K. production of The Color Purple has been steeped in controversy after old homophobic tweets from the lead actress Oluwaseyi “Semi” Omooba resurfaced. She once wrote on Facebook, “I do not believe you can be born gay, and I do not believe homosexuality is right.” When she refused to apologize for her statements, she was let go from the production of The Color Purple and her agency. She proceeded to sue her former agency, Michael Garrett Associates, for religious discrimination. The ironic point of the whole situation is the character Omooba was meant to play, Celie, is known to be a queer character. Now, the author of the book in which the play is based, Alice Walker , is speaking out about Omooba’s firing. According to Shadow and Act , Walker defended Omooba’s dismissal from the U.K. production of her classic 1982 novel of the same name. “It is safe to say, after a frightful life serving and obeying abusive men, who raped in place of ‘making love,’ my grandmother, like Celie, was not attracted to men,” Walker said. “She was, in fact, very drawn to my grandfather’s lover, a beautiful woman who was kind to her, the only grown person who ever seemed to notice how remarkable and creative she was. In giving Celie the love of this woman, in every way love can be expressed, I was clear in my intention to demonstrate that she too, like all of us, deserved to be seen, appreciated, and deeply loved by someone who saw her as whole and worthy.” When addressing Omooba’s past remarks, Walker said: “Playing the role of Celie while not believing in her right to be loved, or to express her love in any way she chooses, would be a betrayal of women’s right to be free. As an elder, I urge all of us to think carefully about what I am saying, even as you, Oluwaseyi Omooba, sue the theatre company for voiding your contract.” Welp… The legend has spoken. Time will tell if Omooba will get the message.
I t’s been over a year since Debra Lee stepped down from the helm of BET, and the businesswoman is continuing to make power moves. According to Black Enterprise , Lee was recently appointed to join AT&T’s board of directors. Debra Lee, former chairman and CEO of BET Networks, joined AT&T's board while she is leaving Twitter's board https://t.co/We4XdgNIat — Variety (@Variety) July 29, 2019 Lee was tapped to join the board of the telecommunications company for her business acumen and leadership in the media industry. During her tenure as the CEO and chairman of BET, she developed new platforms and outlets that celebrated Black entertainment and artistry and she was a leading force in increasing the network’s budget by 50 percent. She started her journey with BET in 1986 and worked hard to rise up the ranks. Amongst some of the projects that she spearheaded was the creation of BET.com, the BET Awards, the BET Experience festival and the Centric network. She joins AT&T’s board of directors after the company acquired Time Warner in an $85.4 billion deal. “Debra’s outstanding leadership, deep expertise and strong track record in the entertainment and media industry will be terrific additions to our board of directors,” AT&T chairman and CEO, Randall Stephenson said in a statement, according to Deadline . “Her unique perspective as a media industry leader and operations executive, and her lifetime commitment to community service give her valuable insights I look forward to having on our board.” Serving on boards is nothing new to Lee. She has been on boards at Marriott International Inc. and Twitter. She currently serves on the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre’s board. Her appointment comes at a time where there is a major need for racial diversity on boards. According to Reuters , between the years of 2016 and 2018, African Americans only accounted for 5 percent of new board directors. SEE ALSO: What’s Next For BET After Debra Lee Steps Down As CEO And Chairman? Serena Williams Appointed To Join Poshmark’s Board Of Directors [ione_media_gallery src=”https://newsone.com” id=”3882606″ overlay=”true”]
Source: Mario Mitsis/WENN.com / WENN Sarah Jessica Parker Says She Was Harassed by A Big Movie Star On Set Sadly, even the biggest stars in the industry are subject to power imbalances and harassment in the workplace. Sarah Jessica Parker revealed recently that she was harassed by a “very, very big movie star” during a discussion of the #MeToo movement on an episode of NPR’s Fresh Air . The actress did not name who the person was or give away the project, but she wanted to make it clear that industry problems with harassment exist on all levels. She admitted that recent events forced her to reevaluate the way she had been treated throughout her career. “It really wasn’t, I would say, until about six or eight months ago that I started recognizing countless experiences of men behaving poorly, inappropriately, and all the ways that I had made it possible to keep coming to work or to remain on set, or to simply … just push it down, push it away, find a little space for it and move on,” she told host Terry Gross. The Sex and the City star also noted that a perceived power imbalance between herself and the unnamed star kept her quiet about his harassment for a really long time. Luckily, she eventually decided that she had enough and explained the situation to her agent. Her agent ended up threatening the right people, saying that Parker would walk if the harassment continued, and that’s when the environment changed immediately. “I didn’t have to listen to jokes about me or my figure or what people thought they could talk me into doing,” she said. “That stopped.” Sarah Jessica Parker also admitted that it can be difficult, even for a star of her caliber, to come forward. “I didn’t feel as powerful as the man who was behaving inappropriately, which … strikes me as just stunning to say out loud because there were plenty of occasions where it was happening and I was in a different position and I was as powerful.”
The queen of Hip-Hop Soul and Godson are about to put on for the culture. Nas and Mary J. Blige will be hitting 22 cities together throughout the summer. According to Billboard the two New York natives have announced a joint tour that is set to commence Thursday, July 11. Produced by Live Nation the two will co-headline the dates throughout the concert series. Stops include Atlanta, Charlotte, St. Louis, Houston, Dallas, Toronto and two performances in Las Vegas. You can see the full itinerary below. 7/11 – West Palm Beach, Fla. @ Coral Sky Amphitheatre at the S. Florida Fairgrounds 7/13 – Tampa, Fla. @ MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre at the FL State Fairgrounds 7/14 – Jacksonville, Fla. @ Daily’s Place 7/16 – Atlanta, Ga. @ Cadence Bank Amphitheatre at Chastain Park 7/20 – Atlantic City, N.J. @ Hard Rock Live at Etess Arena 7/21 – Virginia Beach, Va. @ Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater 7/24 – Charlotte, N.C. @ PNC Music Pavilion 7/25 – Raleigh, N.C. @ Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek 7/28 – Detroit, Mich. @ DTE Energy Music Theatre 7/31 – St. Louis, Mo. @ Hollywood Casino Amphitheater 8/2 – Houston, Tx. @ The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion 8/3 – Austin, Tx. @ Austin360 Amphitheater 8/6 – Kansas City, Mo. @ Starlight Theatre 8/9 – Phoenix, Ariz. @ Ak-Chin Pavilion 8/14 – San Francisco, Calif. @ Shoreline Amphitheatre 8/16 – Las Vegas, Nev. @ The Joint 8/17 – Las Vegas, Nev. @ The Joint 8/20 – Albuquerque, N.M. @ Isleta Amphitheater 8/22 – Dallas, Tx. @Dos Equis Pavilion 8/25 – Tuscaloosa, Ala. @ Tuscaloosa Amphitheater 8/31 – Syracuse, N.Y. @ St Joseph’s Health Amphitheater 9/1 – Boston, Mass. @ Xfinity Center 9/10 – Toronto, Ontario @ Budweiser Stage Tickets go on sale to the general public on Friday, April 19 th starting at 10AM local time at LiveNation.com. Citi card members will have access to purchase pre-sale tickets beginning Wednesday, April 17 th at 12PM. Photo: Prince Williams
Source: Joseph Marzullo/WENN.com / WENN Ashton Sanders Stars In “Native Son” On HBO HBO held a special screening for their new film “Native Son” Monday night at the Peter B. Lewis Theatre at the prestigious Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum. The film’s star Ashton Sanders was in the building along with TWO of our favorite actresses… Kiki Layne of “If Beale Street Could Talk” fame and Sanaa Lathan. Source: Joseph Marzullo/WENN.com / WENN Love that lavender on Sanaa. The movie premieres April 6th on HBO. Check out a trailer and more photos from the screening below:
Source: Mondadori Portfolio / Getty Ethel Ayler , the actress who played Claire Huxtable’s mother on “The Cosby Show,” has passed away. She was 88-years-old. According to Deadline , she died last month on November 18 in Loma Linda, California, her family announced on Friday. The cause of death was not released. Ayler, a Alabama native and Fisk alum, had a career that spanned over 50 years that started in Chicago as a singer and landed her on the traveling tour on the musical Porgy And Bess . But Ayler is best known as Carrie Hanks, the mother of Phylicia Rashad’s Claire Huxtable, appearing in six episodes over the course of the show’s run from 1984-92. As PEOPLE pointed out , while Ayler played Rashad’s mom on the comedy, the two were only 18 years apart. Source: NBC / Getty The Wrap noted that Ayler also appeared in the original 1980s Broadway production of “Fences” and the 1997 revival of “The Little Foxes.” Movie-wise, she starred In “Eve’s Bayou,” The Bodyguard” and“To Sleep With Anger,” which she received a Spirit Award nomination for Best Supporting Female. Her TV credits also include “Family Ties,” “Martin,” “Friends,” “Brooklyn South,” “Six Feet Under” and “7th Heaven.” Ayler isn’t the only “Cosby Show” alum to pass away in recent years. Last year, Earle Hyman , who played Bill Cosby’s father, died in New Jersey. He was 91-years-old. Sad to read that the very fine actor Earle Hyman has passed away. His career was so much more than “The Cosby Show.” pic.twitter.com/qx1zsS5AZp — Howard Sherman (@HESherman) November 18, 2017 RELATED NEWS: Rest In Peace: Trina Braxton’s Ex-Husband Gabe Solis Dies From Secret Cancer Battle Rest In Power: Black Twitter Mourns Death Of ‘For Colored Girls’ Playwright Ntozake Shange Rest In Power: ‘Cosby Show’ Actor Earle Hyman Dead At 91 [ione_media_gallery src=”https://hellobeautiful.com” id=”3012123″ overlay=”true”]
Source: Radio One / Radio One Register to win tickets to see Gucci Mane & Friends, Thursday, December 27 th at the Fox Theatre, plus win a pair of passes into the Gucci Mane Marquee Club Pre Party at the Fox Theatre. Hosted by Jay Tek and SammyApproved MARQUEE CLUB early PRIVATE entry (where this party is) opens at 6:30p and stays open throughout the show and an hour after. REGISTER BELOW MARQUEE CLUB ACCESS – GUCCI MANE INFORMATION: COST $65/ person on top of their ticket. Must have a concert ticket with your club pass to enter • The Marquee Club presented by Lexus is the Fox’s new ultra-premium club space enjoyed by those that really want that VIP experience when seeing a show at the Fox. • The cost to access the Marquee Club is $65 on top of your ticket price. You can purchase Marquee Club access as you’re buying your concert ticket as an add-on option in the checkout process OR if you already have concert tickets you can purchase just club access here: http://foxtheatre.org/guccimarqueeclub • The Club opens at 6:30pm through a PRIVATE entry in the arcade’s main entrance, (skipping those long security lines! It’s awesome). • There will be pre-show dinner (complimentary all you can eat) provided upon entry so come dine with us onsite instead of sitting in traffic! o Sample menu here: https://www.foxtheatre.org/assets/doc/December-2018-Menu-28df7ac705.pdf • The event will include a HOT 107.9 DJ spinning the entire night as well the event being hosted by HOT 107.9 personalities Jay Tek & Sammy Approved! • The club is will remain open throughout the show and after for those that want to come and go as they please. Skip those lobby lines with access to private bars and restrooms in the club! REGISTER BELOW
Source: Fox Theater / Radio One (Los Angeles, CA – October 1, 2018) Newly anointed EGOT winner and critically acclaimed, multi- platinum singer songwriter John Legend has announced his first Christmas album, A LEGENDARY CHRISTMAS. The album is executive produced by Raphael Saadiq and will be released on October 26th via Columbia Records. To accompany the album, John will embark on a 25-date A LEGENDARY CHRISTMAS Tour, which kicks off on November 15th in Clearwater, FL and will hit cities like Atlanta, New York, Los Angeles and more before wrapping on December 30th in San Diego. Tickets for the A LEGENDARY CHRISTMAS Tour go on sale to the general public on Friday, October 5th. Tickets will be available for pre-sale starting tomorrow, October 2nd. Links to pre-sales can be found below by clicking on each venue name. For more information, please visit: http://www.johnlegend.com . A LEGENDARY CHRISTMAS Track List 1. What Christmas Means to Me (feat. Stevie Wonder on harmonica) 2. Silver Bells 3.Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas (feat. Esperanza Spalding) 4. No Place Like Home 5. Bring Me Love 6. Merry Christmas Baby / Give Love on Christmas Day 7. Christmas Time Is Here 8. Waiting for Christmas 9. Purple Snowflakes 10. The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting On An Open Fire) 11. Please Come Home for Christmas 12. Wrap Me Up in Your Love 13. By Christmas Eve 14. Merry Merry Christmas A Legendary Christmas Tour Dates 11/15/2018: Clearwater, FL @ Ruth Eckerd Hall 11/17/2018: Miami Beach, FL @ The Fillmore at The Jackie Gleason Theater 11/20/2018: Atlanta, GA @ Fox Theatre 11/23/2018: Atlantic City, NJ @ Borgata Resort Spa and Casino 11/24/2018: Mashantucket, CT @ Grand Theater at Foxwoods 11/25/2018: Boston, MA @ Boch Center 11/27/2018: Toronto, ON @ Sony Centre for the Performing Arts 11/28/2018: Oxon Hill, MD @ MGM National Harbor 12/03/2018: New York, NY@ Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden 12/04/2018: Philadelphia, PA @ Metropolitan Opera House 12/06/2018: Detroit, MI @ Fox Theatre 12/07/2018: Verona, NY @ Event Center at Turning Stone Resort Casino 12/09/2018: Columbus, OH @ Palace Theatre 12/10/2018: Indianapolis, IN @ Murat Theatre at Old National Centre 12/12/2018: Milwaukee, WI @ Riverside Theater 12/13/2018: Chicago, IL @ Civic Opera House 12/15/2018: Denver, CO @ Bellco Theatre 12/16/2018: Salt Lake City, UT @ Abravanel Hall 12/18/2018: Seattle, WA @ WaMu Theater 12/19/2018: Portland, OR @ Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall 12/21/2018: Oakland, CA @ Fox Theater 12/23/2018: Los Angeles, CA @ Microsoft Theater 12/29/2018: Costa Mesa, CA @ Segerstrom Center for the Arts 12/30/2018: San Diego, CA @ San Diego Civic Theatre
Source: Radio One / Radio One Register for your chance to see Gucci Mane @Buckhead Theatre Sept 22nd with ATL acts Q Money, Lil Freaky and Kelechi. Click here to buy tickets The Atlanta Pack Night – featuring Gucci Mane and local Atlanta acts Lil Freaky, Kelechi, and Q Money. Buckhead Theatre – Atlanta Saturday September 22; Doors Open at 9P
