Source: NBC / Getty Ice Cube Tells The Story Of How John Singleton Got Him Into Acting Legendary rapper, actor, and businessman Ice Cube pulled up to The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on Thursday to talk about everything he’s got going on right now. While he was in the building, Cube talked about celebrating BIG3’s third season with his Ballout basketball festival, what music fans can expect from him in the future, and he also recalls how several run-ins with a then college-aged John Singleton led to Boyz n the Hood and a long film career thereafter. Check out the interview down below to hear the story:
Source: True Religion / Press Release True Religion Launches Capsule Collection With Raven Tracy Guess who’s making big moves on the LA model scene? Raven Tracy, fiancee to jailed Ian Connor is holding it down with her own capsule collection. True Religion just released a 17-piece capsule with the IG influencer. According to TR, “the collection features signature pieces, including a variety of denim, t-shirts, and swimwear that are representative of the quality craftsmanship and body positivity ethos of both True Religion and Raven Tracy. In addition to the 17 pieces, 3 new styles of True Religion’s Jennie jeans are set to launch early September.” Will YOU be buying any of it? Check out the collection below and more from Raven modeling the pieces after the flip! View this post on Instagram I really used to save up my little checks to buy myself one pair of True Religions and now I just designed my own collaborative line of basics with them. Wow… You can’t tell me law of attraction ain’t real. Look at my 2019 goals board! I literally have been Affirming everything i want. Keep setting goals, put in the work and if it’s for you it will always be. Gratitude to the highest being humbled beyond words. Shop the collection in my bio… if you want. A post shared by Raven Tracy (@soooraven) on Aug 9, 2019 at 8:45am PDT
Todd Chrisley has already proclaimed his innocence on social media. And now the embattled reality star has done so in a court of law. Earlier this week, the very rich USA Network personality was indicted , along with wife Julie, on multiple charges; foremost among them: Wire fraud, conspiracy to commit bank fraud and conspiracy to defraud the United States. Todd and Julie are accused of forging bank documents and not paying federal taxes over a period of multiple years. If convicted across the board, they could face 30 years in prison . On Wednesday afternoon, the reality stars pleaded not guilty to these tax evasion and other federal charges — and their lawyers claimed the counts stemmed from false allegations made by a former employee. This is the same allegation Todd wrote about in his lengthy self-defense on Monday. “I’ve never talked about this publicly before, but there’s been a cloud hanging over Julie and me and our entire family for the past seven years,” Todd said via Instagram this week, adding: “It all started back in 2012, when we discovered that a trusted employee of ours had been stealing from us big time… “I’m telling you all this because we have nothing to hide and have done nothing to be ashamed of. Not only do we know we’ve done nothing to be ashamed of. “Not only do we know we’ve done nothing wrong, but we’ve got a ton of hard evidence and a bunch of corroborating witnesses that prove it.” During the aforementioned hearing yesterday, a judge agreed to release the famous couple on a $100,000 unsecured bond , which means they don’t have to pay anything unless they fail to show up for court dates. Todd and Julie were also required to surrender their passports and are not allowed to travel outside of parts of Georgia and Tennessee without alerting their probation officers of their plans. According to the Associated Press, the bond conditions mentioned above were based on requests from the couple’s attorneys for travel permission so the family members can continue filming the reality television show . This would seem to contradict reports that USA will not be bringing Chrisley Knows Best back for another season. It has already aired for seven seasons and even spawned a spinoff for two of Todd and Julie’s kids. One of those kids, Savannah, is standing strongly behind her parents. ” ‘Do not be afraid or discouraged … the battle is not yours, but God’s. 2 Chronicles 20:15,’” the 22-year old wrote yesterday on her Instagram Story. Elsewhere, however, a U.S. Attorney has said the following: Todd and Julie Chrisley are charged not only with defrauding a number of banks by fraudulently obtaining millions of dollars in loans, but also with allegedly cheating taxpayers by actively evading paying federal taxes on the money they earned. Celebrities face the same justice that everyone does. These are serious federal charges and they will have their day in court. On the other legal side, the Chrisley lawyers ( Bruce H. Morris and Stephen Friedberg) have defended their well-known clients with a long statement of their own. This is what it says: For quite some time now, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia has been conducting an investigation of Todd and Julie Chrisley based for the most part on the demonstrably false allegations of a former officer of a company they owned jointly. We saw the results of this effort yesterday – an indictment against Todd, Julie, and their accountant that relies largely if not entirely on emails that we know Todd never sent but rather were fabricated by this former employee. This individual, identified in the indictment only as ‘Co-conspirator A,’ first approached federal authorities in 2012, claiming he had evidence that Todd had been trying to avoid paying his taxes. What the authorities didn’t know, at least initially, was that he had been fired by the Chrisleys after they discovered he had been falsifying documents, forging their signatures, bugging their home, and intimidating other employees into covering up what amounted to a multi-million-dollar embezzlement scheme. These and many other criminal misdeeds were detailed in a federal RICO suit that the Chrisleys filed against him in 2012. Ironically, it was this lawsuit that sent him to the U.S. Attorney’s office. He wasn’t looking for justice but for revenge and his “evidence” against Todd consisted mainly of falsified document Now, seven years later, the government has granted this individual immunity from prosecution for his own crimes and used his false allegations to bring an indictment against the Chrisley. We have no doubt that if this case ever reaches a courtroom, Todd and Julie will be completely exonerated. But in the meantime, their reputation will be sullied by a shamefully unjustified prosecution based on testimony of a dishonest source who has somehow managed to successfully mislead prosecutors. View Slideshow: 17 Truly Shocking Reality TV Scandals
After 10 years of romance and about 8 months of marriage, Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth are over .. Now Miley’s been showing off pics from her girls’ trip and she and Liam have been pretty tight-lipped when it comes to official statements. But Miley’s big sister Brandi has something to say — and predicts that Miley will only sit on her side of the story for so long. Brandi Cyrus spoke on the Your Favorite Thing podcast with Wells Adams. For the first time, she is publicly commenting on the collapse of her sister’s marriage. “It’s not my business to talk about,” Brandi emphasizes. “And,” the 32-year-old actress, singer, and DJ adds. “It’s nothing anything of mine to tell.” Brandi laments: “There’s nothing I can really say.” But Brandi can speak about herself and the role that she is now playing with Miley and Liam’s separation public knowledge. “I just, I’m here for her, obviously,” Brandi expresses. Good for her! Of course she is. “And,” she adds. “I’ve been spending a lot of time with her.” She even has a guess as to when Miley will be prepared and willing to share here side of the story with the world. “When she’s ready to talk about it or whatever,” Brandi predicts. “Then she will.” Just a couple of days ago, Brandi was a lot more vague as she waxed philosophical on social media. “I’ve learned that life sometimes takes us through seasons,” she wrote on Instagram. “When we cannot understand why things have to hurt so much,” She added: “or be so hard.” “But,” Brandi affirmed. “All we can do is trust that there is purpose in everything,” “Even,” she added. “The darkness. …” “And in time everything will make sense,” Brandi’s message assured her fans and followers. “And all of that purpose will be revealed,” she suggested. “When the time is right.” Brandi predicted that out of turmoil can come new peace “and we will be stronger and better for it.” Given the timing, it’s difficult to imagine that Brandi was talking about anyone or anything but her sister’s separation. We’re leery of reading too much into a single post, absolutely. But sometimes you have to make an educated guess and use common sense. Outwardly, Miley does seem to be coping well with the separation. Part of that may be that, according to rumors, they actually separated a couple of months ago and only went public now. But Miley has been seen gal-paling with Kaitlynn Carter, and wonder if her coping mechanism might turn into a whole new relationship. That said, some people think that Miley and Kaitlynn are faking it just to get back at their respective exes. That’s certainly possible, but if it’s true, it would indicate that there’s some serious bad blood between Miley and Liam. More than they’ve let on. Recent reports have shown the split turning ugly with accusations that Miley cheated and that Liam is some sort of drug fiend . We hope that the truth comes out before various contradictory reports take on lives of their own. View Slideshow: 21 Most Stunning Splits in Celebrity History
Well, so much for all those years of peaceful co-parenting. Last month, The Ashley's Reality Roundup reported on rumors that Kailyn Lowry is not getting along with her OG baby daddy, Jo Rivera. Now, Kail has confirmed that she's no longer on speaking terms with Jo. Lowry opened up about the situation on the latest episode of her Coffee Convos podcast. She also revealed how Jo's wife, Vee Torres, factors into all of this. Take a look: 1. Better Days For years, Kail and Jo have managed to set aside their differences in order to focus on the health and happiness of their son, Isaac. 2. A Turn For the Worse Sadly, those days are done, and it now looks as though Kail and Jo are bitterly at odds. 3. Spilling the Tea Kail opened up about her feelings toward Jo on the latest episode of her Coffee Convos podcast. 4. Not Mincing Words “I hate Jo’s guts right now but I’m not here to put Vee in the middle,” Kail told her co-host Lindsie Chrisley. 5. Vee in the Middle Vee is Jo’s wife Vee Torres. There was a time when she and Kail did not get along. 6. Mending Fences But the two have patched things up, and Kail was in attendance at Jo and Vee’s recent wedding. View Slideshow
Source: Michael Tullberg / Getty The longest game of telephone continues on tonight’s episode of Basketball Wives . The episode pretty much centers around the drama that’s about to go down at Kristen’s upcoming 90s sitcom-themed costume skating party. There’s going to be some fun get-ups at that, like Malaysia as a Clover from Bring it On, Evelyn Lozada as Peggy Bundy, and Feby and Kristen in different iterations of Ashley Banks. But hold that thought. We start the episode with OG being mad at CeCe, who won’t own what she said about OG. They definitely need to talk, and they will eventually. Then we find Jackie telling Jenn and OG that she got a string of DM’s from some man in Atlanta who that said Jenn was saying derogatory things about Malaysia’s kids and finances. Jenn said she doesn’t know what she’s talking about and that the man is lying, of course. So we’ll see where this goes. Jackie, Feby, and Evelyn get together for a pole dancing class but they don’t really pole dance. This is more about them having a kiki. Evelyn mentions that Tami has been working with her daughter on her rap career. That’s when Feby thinks it’s cute to start with the shady talk. You already know, Feby starts shading Tami’s age. She says it’s good that Tami is working with her daughter because it means she’s acknowledging that past her prime. Then Evelyn brings up what Jackie mentioned about Jenn allegedly talking smack about Malaysia. Jackie says she doesn’t want to repeat what the man said but she will give Evelyn his number so she can hear it from him. Evelyn calls the man. The first thing he does is start screaming and acting like a dang groupie, so obviously, his credibility is trash. Anyway, he says that Jenn told Dominique that Malaysia has no money, can’t afford to live in LA, she’s a bad mom, and that she got put out of her house, but that Dominique is also running her mouth. This is the word around Atlanta. Hold that thought. OG finally confronts CeCe and says she hates that CeCe isn’t owning what she said and that she keeps dancing around the issue. CeCe continued dancing around the issue and even said that it crossed her mind that Kristen created a fake text. Anyway, we finally get to the part where CeCe finally admits that she probably did talk trash. It came at a time when she was cool with Kristen and didn’t know OG so she was just riding for family. CeCe acknowledges that what she said was messed up and finally owns it. She apologizes and they both move on with their friendship mended because OG understood the circumstances under which CeCe said what she said. Now we’re at the part where Jackie tells Kristen about Jenn spreading rumors about Malaysia. Obviously, Kristen is going to run back to Malaysia and tell her what’s up…at the most inappropriate moment. Hold that thought because this is also the moment when Jackie tells Tami how Feby was talking ageist crap about her. Notice how Jackie is all up in the mix of everyone’s drama? Guess those crystals have a weak signal or something. Tami gets her moment to confront Feby. Basically, Tami is meeting with a dialect coach so she can learn how to talk with a British accent. She invited Feby and OG and goes in after class. Tami directly asks Feby what she said. Feby backtracks again. She said she never said Jackie was too old to be rapping, which is true, but she still lied about talking trash. Instead of being direct, Feby tries to deflect by telling OG that Evelyn was talking smack about her feet hanging out of her shoes. OG thinks that’s childish, which it is, and says she’s going to remain unbothered. Then Feby says Jenn was talking smack about Tami too. Later on, OG goes back and tells Jackie that Feby said she twisted her words around and she’s tired of her being messy. Here we go. Now it’s time for the party! Let’s look at some of these get-ups before we get into the drama! View this post on Instagram Legendary A post shared by Evelyn Lozada (@evelynlozada) on Aug 14, 2019 at 7:40pm PDT These women are catty af, but they sure do know how to show up and show out! Evelyn especially nailed that Peggy Bundy look. Ok, let’s get into the drama at the party. Kristen jumps right into the smack that Jennifer and Dominique have been (allegedly) talking about Malaysia and her kids. Malaysia wants specifics so when Jenn and Dominique walk in she wastes no time asking what was said. Jenn and Dominique deny ever talking about her.. Malaysia leaves it alone for now and even Evelyn says she thinks they’re telling the truth. Then Jackie comes in and by now they realize she’s the common denominator. Malaysia confronts her and everything goes downhill. They end up in each other’s faces, nose to nose, bickering back and forth. Security eventually pulls them apart but Jackie’s friend, some random man, starts popping off and makes things worse. And we end the episode with Jackie grabbing a chair and trying to throw it at Malaysia. View this post on Instagram Whew y’all stay tuned for part two in the the behind scenes matter of #malaysiapargo vs #jackiechristie A post shared by Hot Sippin Tea (@hotsippintea) on Aug 14, 2019 at 9:19pm PDT Fighting aside, Malaysia’s Clovers costume (from Bring It On ) comes in a close second to Evelyn’s. View this post on Instagram Evelyn Stayed In Character The Whole Time #BasketballWives #EvelynLozada #TamiRoman #KristenScott #MalaysiaPargo #ShaunieONeal #VH1 A post shared by Evelyn Lozada (@evelynlozada__fanpage) on Aug 14, 2019 at 7:12pm PDT RELATED POSTS
T hroughout his entire career London-born actor Idris Elba has used his craft as an avenue to bring narratives about Black pioneers to the big screen. Six years after playing the role of South African revolutionary Nelson Mandela in the film Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom , Elba will now star in a movie about the unsung stories of Philadelphia’s Black cowboys, Deadline reported. Production is now underway on #ConcreteCowboys , with Idris Elba starring with #StrangerThings ‘ Caleb McLaughlin https://t.co/QGTQhbG0nM — Deadline Hollywood (@DEADLINE) August 8, 2019 The film—titled Concrete Cowboys —is centered on the Fletcher Street Stables. Fletcher Street is a Black horsemanship community that has been in existence for over a century. It was cultivated as an outlet to help Black men and boys escape communities plagued by violence and crime and learn about the importance of discipline and responsibility. The film follows the journey of a teen who was sent to live with his father in North Philly. While adjusting to the new environment and bearing witness to the impact of gentrification and poverty, the teen discovers the community’s urban cowboy culture and explores how horse riding is used to escape the dire circumstances faced by those in the neighborhood. Concrete Cowboys is loosely based on a book penned by author Greg Neri titled Ghetto Cowboy . Actors Caleb McLaughlin , Jharrel Jerome , Byron Bowers , and Lorraine Toussaint star alongside Elba in the film. The film is being produced by Elba’s production company Green Door Pictures, Tucker Tooley Entertainment, and Lee Daniels Entertainment. Ricky Staub will serve as the film’s director. “Idris had expressed a desire to be involved in projects uplifting to the African American community,” Staub told Philly Mag in an interview. “Idris has a huge heart in wanting to uplift new voices and to make an impact on the community.” As for the real-life “Concrete Cowboys,” they’re excited to see the story be transformed into a film. Ika Bradford says Fletcher Street Stables has forever impacted his life. “I had my time and share of doing this and doing that, all the bad things that ended me up in jail. Just being around the horses keep me calm,” he told ABC 6 . “Just have something to do. Stay out of trouble. Take your mind out of things in the hood, they’re playing basketball in the hood, but there’s nothing like a horse stable, I’ll tell you that.” The film is currently in production and there is no word on when it is slated to be released. SEE ALSO: Jay-Z, Will Smith To Produce TV Series About The Civil Rights Movement’s Women Trailblazers Philadelphia Unveils Its First Statue Of A Black Girl [ione_media_gallery src=”https://newsone.com” id=”3841650″ overlay=”true”]
T his year has been nothing short of epic for Missy Elliott . In January she made history by becoming the first female rapper to be inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame and in May she became the first woman hip-hop artist to receive an honorary doctorate degree from the Berklee College of Music. The Virginia-bred rapstress—whose real name is Melissa Arnette Elliott —recently hit another major career milestone. According to USA Today , she will be the recipient of the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award at this year’s MTV Video Music Awards. Missy Elliott will be honored at this year’s #MTVVMAs with the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award alongside a New York pop-up museum honoring her legacy https://t.co/8lQQDmvjkf pic.twitter.com/Qfw98st9mB — Rolling Stone (@RollingStone) August 12, 2019 Elliott has continually pushed the envelope when it comes to her music and the visuals for her songs. She’s graced us with pivotal albums like Supa Dupa Fly , Under Construction , and The Cookbook and memorable music videos that include “The Rain,” “Work It,” and “Lose Control.” Her creativity, innovative spirit and courage to step outside of the box has cemented her as a legend in the music industry. “Missy’s impact on the music landscape is indelible,” Bruce Gillmer , Head of Music and Music Talent, Viacom, said in a statement according to the Hollywood Reporter . “Her creative vision across production, performance and songwriting is unmatched.” Elliott has been honored several times throughout the years at the VMAs. She holds seven Moon Man awards. However, receiving the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award is long overdue. She now joins a group of iconic stars who are all recipients of the award including Beyoncé , Janet Jackson , Rihanna and Jennifer Lopez . Before the awards ceremony, there will be a pop-up museum held in New York City that will capture the essence of Elliott’s influence. Elliott’s reign won’t let up anytime soon. She has another album in the works. The 2019 MTV Video Music Awards will take place at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey and is slated to air on Monday, August 26 at 9 p.m. ET. SEE ALSO: #BlackExcellence: Berklee College Of Music To Award Missy Elliott With Honorary Degree Missy Elliott Becomes First Woman Rapper Inducted Into Songwriters Hall Of Fame [ione_media_gallery src=”https://newsone.com” id=”3841650″ overlay=”true”]
T he rising cost of higher education has created financial burdens for several students throughout the country. According to a study conducted by Morning Consult , four in 10 students skipped meals to be able to afford textbooks and course materials and three in 10 students decided to opt out of a course due to the high price of required textbooks. The United Negro College Fund has teamed up with the tech-ed company Cengage to address the growing issue through the creation of a program that will provide HBCU students with free access to textbooks. Black students have been significantly impacted by the expensive cost of textbooks. Research shows that 60 percent of African American students decided not to purchase textbooks because the prices were too high, and 52 percent say that the cost affects their finances. Furthermore, 32 percent of Black students have to sacrifice trips home to spend time with their loved ones so they can pay for their textbooks. Through the program, UNCF and Cengage will select 1,000 students to have free access to Cengage’s digital subscription platform which features over 22,000 eBooks and other course materials. “Every student should have an equal opportunity to succeed, and having the right learning materials can have a critical impact on performance,” Michael Hansen , CEO, Cengage, said in a statement. “The high cost of textbooks have prohibited this for many students. This is why we launched Cengage Unlimited – to make quality learning more affordable. UNCF has helped thousands of learners, enabling opportunity for minority students through its financial support and public advocacy. We are proud to partner with UNCF to ease some of the financial burden these students face and ensure they are equipped with the tools they need to reach their full potential.” The leadership team at UNCF believes that this initiative will be instrumental in alleviating the financial burdens faced by HBCU students. “We must continue to invest our time and money in better futures for young people around the country. Partners like Cengage are vitally important to this work and we are pleased to have them as an ally in helping to educate the next generation of leaders,” said Dr. Michael L. Lomax , President and CEO of UNCF. Several efforts are being made to help HBCU students better their financial situations. Morehouse College recently launched a fund to help alumni eliminate their student loan debt. SEE ALSO: Morehouse College Launches Program To Help Alumni Eliminate Student Loan Debt HBCU Puts Focus On Mental Health So Students Can Thrive Academically [ione_media_gallery src=”https://newsone.com” id=”3841650″ overlay=”true”]
Source: RCA Records / RCA Records The Great Khalid Foundation & Right Hand Foundation Present A Night For Suncity Benefit Concert Global superstar Khalid announces today that on September 1 st he will headline a benefit concert along with special guests at the Don Haskins Center in El Paso, TX. In support of his hometown of El Paso and in response to the tragic mass shooting on August 3, 2019, Khalid will be raising funds through this concert to support the El Paso Shooting Victims’ Fund and the El Paso Community Foundation. Tickets for the concert will go on sale beginning this Wednesday, August 14th at 10am local time at LiveNation.com . This event is presented by The Great Khalid Foundation and manager Courtney Stewart’s Right Hand Foundation, and produced by Live Nation. The Great Khalid Foundation is committed to impacting the lives of children by alleviating a burden of need. Reaching out when it matters most, when a supportive gesture can make all the difference. Thriving off of belief that the power of music not only has the ability to build confidence and camaraderie, we believe that it positively impacts social change for children, families and communities. The Great Khalid Foundation is committed to creating an atmosphere of support and freedom for kids to dream BIG! Through our music education programs, scholarship awards, community partnerships and gift giveaways, we are investing in our children and their future
