Source: Paul Bruinooge / Getty Robert De Niro didn’t bite his tongue during a live interview on CNN Sunday (Sept 29.). The Goodfellas actor drew inspiration from his character Jimmy Conway by dropping the f-bomb twice when clapping back at his critics. During his interview on the CNN show Reliable Sources with Brian Shelter, De Niro was asked how he felt about critics who don’t like his bashing of Trump . Not mincing words at all, the iconic actor let the world know how he really feels by replying “F–k ‘em. F–k ‘em,” with no hesitation. A voice off-camera could be heard yelling “woahhhh,” De Niro quickly apologized, saying “Sorry, Sorry.” Stelter pointed out that they won’t be in any trouble because “This is cable, so it’s not an FCC violation, but it still is a Sunday morning.” De Niro also expressed that he felt the president is not capable of resigning even if he is wrong and described the orange menace as “crazy” and a “gangster.” When asked by Stelter if he meant in the medical sense, De Niro responded: “Possibly medically too. I didn’t think that before, but now I actually – when I saw him out in front of the helicopter waiting to go somewhere, talking endlessly and sweating and sweating … this guy, he’s not even aware of what he’s – he should at least ask somebody for a handkerchief or something and dry himself off.” “There’s just something very strange.” When Stelter asked the Casino star if he felt Trump was acting, he responded: “In some ways, I think he is. As I think some of these pundits on Fox are too,” he volunteered. “Because I can’t believe they would actually buy into this craziness. This guy should not be president, period.” You can watch the amazing memeable moment below. I’m here for all of Robert Deniro’s I Wish A Muthafucka Would energy pic.twitter.com/Z2jG5uctBm — Jemele Hill (@jemelehill) September 29, 2019 — Photo: Paul Bruinooge / Getty
Source: WENN/Avalon / WENN Say it ain’t so. Bronx bred MC Remy Ma is under fire after making some insensitive comments on the latest episode of State of the Culture. During last week’s episode, Joe Budden , Brandon “Jinx” Jenkins , Eboni K. Williams and Remy Ma sat down to talk about several hot topics including Tekashi 6ix9ine , Dave East and the latest drama of former NFL player Antonio Brown . It was during the discussion surrounding rape allegations against the former New England Patriot that landed Remy in hot water. The topic at hand was narrowed in on the fact that one of Brown’s accusers a former trainer named Brittany Taylor, filed a civil suit against the former player instead of pursuing the matter criminally. During the discussion, things went from lively to shocked after Remy made the accusation that women who file civil suits in rape or sexual assault cases are “prostitutes.” “If it was a rape, first of all, why are you not going to criminal court?” Attorney Eboni K. Williams said. “Why are you not going to the police and he’s not arrested? This first accuser went the civil route. She filed a lawsuit, she’s asking for money, but some people feel like that’s the compensation that they want.” “That’s called prostitution,” Remy Ma interrupted. “I don’t think so,” Williams disagreed. “No, it’s prostitution,” Remy Ma recapitulated. “It seems like in a lot of these alleged sexual assault cases the women are asking for money. ‘Hey give me money and I’ll feel better.’ To me, in any exchange with sexual acts of being compensated with money that’s prostitution.” Do you agree with @RealRemyMa ’s point on the #AntonioBrown situation? Tweet us and let us know your thoughts! Ep 6 is now live on YouTube. #SOTC @JoeBudden , @RealRemyMa , @EboniKWilliams & @Jersey_Jinx WATCH NOW: https://t.co/0VRqaKdoVN pic.twitter.com/4KEwizvDcS — StateofTheCulture (@StateofCulture) September 23, 2019 The comment sent fans and viewers of the show into an uproar calling Remy Ma insensitive to victims of rape while reminding the artist that legally it’s called restitution and is definitely a right of victims who have been wronged by any crime. I saw a clip of this episode and was floored. Rape victims have the RIGHT to seek relief in whatever way they choose. Rape = Non-Consensual Sex. If a victim seeks restitution they have that right. Stop victim blaming #RemyMa it’s grossly irresponsible of you. #sotc https://t.co/ODz0aVwZAV — Simply Ebony (@ebonyajohnson) September 30, 2019 Remy Ma said if anything happens to you sexually and you get money for it, you’re a sex worker…even in rape… Even Joe was like, Naaaah #SOTC Remy Ma suffers from misogyny… it’s really gross smh — ☿ρяιη¢ιρℓє нυмуη
Source: Prince Williams / Getty Tonight’s episode of Love and Hip-Hop Hollywood is rife with the typical drama. A1 discovers that Lyrica left him again, but denies hooking up with a girl he met on a plane. He also claims he doesn’t know where his son is because she won’t respond to his phone calls…as if he doesn’t have Lyrica’s mother’s info. Anyway, that is how the episode begins and Lyrica and A1’s drama will be what it is until they decide to be adults and have a real productive conversation, but that doesn’t happen in this episode. However, K. Michelle was the impetus for an interesting conversation about country music. It’s a conversation that has been reignited by Lil Nas X’s “Old Town Road.” As we know, the Yee Haw Mafia were mad at the fact that “Old Town Road” was considered a country song and as a result, it was removed from Billboard’s country music charts. Then he got an assist from Billy Ray Cyrus, who is undeniably a country artist and who also happily joined Lil Nas X for the “Old Town Road Remix” so, bloop. You can read about that saga here. Before “Old Town Road,” Beyonce faced backlash because she was scheduled to perform “Daddy Lessons” at the Country Music Awards. She still performed the song despite the Yee Haw Mafia being big mad, and she had help from the Dixie Chicks. The haters still hated, but let’s be real, this hate and this push back is because country music is stereotypically known as a White genre. The Yee Haw Mafia thinks it belongs to them but they’re sadly mistaken. Enter K. Michelle. She was recently a guest on Jason Lee’s Hollywood Unlocked , and that incident where she was on stage somewhere in Nashville telling the audience that she can out-sing any White country singer came up again. She mentioned that she was triggered because that particular night was country music night at the venue, and when she tried to get up on stage and sing someone told her that it wasn’t her night. That was code for, “A Black girl couldn’t possibly be singing country music.” Now, K. Michelle is messy and loves attention, but hearing her explanation for why she said what she said actually makes sense. It was presumptuous for that person to say what they said. But guess what? K. Michelle is among the many Black people who are fans of country music, even with the Whitewashing that has taken place. And I bet a lot of you didn’t know that there’s a huge country music scene in the Caribbean . I have been to a few karaoke nights in Barbados where country songs, sung by Black locals, reign supreme. All of my Bajan homies (I’m not Bajan but have visited the country enough to have friends there) mentioned that country music is big in the Caribbean, periodt. I have also seen this in St. Lucia, where my mother-in-law is from. So, yes, Black people like country music. We created it. Yes. We created it. I don’t have much time to go into all of the details because it really is a long complex story, so I’m going to keep this as short as I can. Growing up, I grew up mostly listening to hip-hop, funk, jazz, and rock. When I got to college I began working as a broadcaster for my school’s radio station. They started all the newbies off with the blues because it was the least demanding shift. Part of my job was to announce songs and drop knowledge about the blues. That’s where I learned about how country music came to be. It stems from the blues, which stems from work songs sung by slaves. Black people are some of the most creative people on the planet. For Black Americans, a lot of that creativity was born out of necessity. They had many coded ways to communicate with each other through the use of song and dance. They sang what were known as work songs as a way to pass the time and ease the pain of their awful predicament. They also used work songs to sneak diss the master. Seriously. They would be on the field singing about getting revenge on a lover but really, that “lover” was code for master. Blues is often about pain and what goes around comes around. Get it? What you do to me will come back around to you. It’s brilliant. You can learn more about this concept via the Netflix documentary, Devil at the Crossroads . Anyway, work songs birthed the blues and the blues also spawned hip-hop, folk, jazz, and wait for it…country music. The banjo is a commonly used instrument in country music. It has been a commonly used instrument amongst slaves because it’s straight out of West Africa. The problem is, appropriation is wicked. In the early days, talented Black country music artists were shut out from getting major opportunities while White artists with more access began to discover the genre, copy Black pioneers, and blow up based on stolen work and privilege. Black artists also often didn’t really own their music because many of them signed with corrupt financiers and record labels who would sometimes give their music to White artists or wouldn’t even put them on their own covers. There are a lot of layers to what caused the shift in country music fandom, but it happened, and Black people moved on to other genres. Again, this isn’t to say that Black people stopped liking country music, but Black artists have been abused, blatantly copied, and shamelessly erased. So, if we’re going to talk about the Yeehaw Mafia trying to tell Black artists what country music is and who country music belongs to then we need to tell it all because clearly, people don’t know their history…or pretend to not know it as a way to disassociate from the messed up things their ancestors may have done. Frankly, America can thank the slaves, who built this joint for free, for country music, if not most of its pop culture, including cowboy culture (because one in four cowboys were Black according to the Smithsonian ), especially when it comes to music and dance, and that’s that on that! There were other moments throughout tonight’s Love and Hip-Hop where Apple Watts, K. Michelle and even Misterray touched out the fact that Black people invented country music. They weren’t that eloquent about it but we got the point. However, there’s only so much they could say in such a short amount of time. Missterray even stated that, “If we accept Micky Munday doing hip-hop then they should accept K. Michelle doing country.” Eh…kind of, but again, it’s a lot more complicated than that. Plus, country music does belong to K. Michelle and any Black person who wants to claim it. It’s literally in our DNA. There’s one thing K. Michelle said in the episode that isn’t exactly true. She said that no Black woman has charted in country music. Valerie June is a contemporary country music artist who has charted and has a massive following. I tweeted about Valerie June and then got put on to Mickey Guyton , who I hadn’t previously heard of before. And then of course, there are men, like Darius Rucker of Hootie and the Blowfish, and Ben Harper, who have been putting it down for several years. So, we are present and accounted for. Don’t let anyone make you feel bad for enjoying country music and definitely don’t let anyone tell you that “Country music is for White people.” Cuz it ain’t. Tuh! If you are interested in learning more about the history of country music and the shift that took it from Black to super White then check out this interesting NPR article . You can also learn more about work songs via this article by the library of congress. And if you have beef with anything I wrote then take it up with history and yo’ mama. RELATED POSTS ‘LHHHS6′ Recap: April Watts’ Breast Implant Journey Has Some Hiccups ‘LHHHS6’ Recap: A1’s Mom Tried It When She Insinuated It’s Lyrica’s Fault That He Cheats
E ntertainment mogul Nick Cannon is adding daytime talk show television to his repertoire. According to the Hollywood Reporter , the Ncredible Entertainment founder inked a deal with Lionsgate’s Debmar-Mercury for the creation of his own talk show that is slated to come to television in 2020. Nick Cannon ( @NickCannon ) is getting a daytime talk show https://t.co/RxtAJsip5g — Hollywood Reporter (@THR) September 26, 2019 The show—which currently doesn’t have a name—is a collaborative project between the media company and Cannon’s production company. Cannon says he was inspired to create his own show after filling in for Wendy Williams during her hiatus. “I’ve always dreamed of a platform where I can speak to America and discuss pop culture, as well as the topics on everyone’s minds,” he said. “When I had the opportunity to guest host at my good friend Wendy Williams’ show this year, I experienced the energy and excitement of a daytime talk show and instantly knew I found my audience.” The leadership team at Debmar-Mercury says that Cannon has proven himself to be a “dominant creative and entrepreneurial force across film, primetime TV, music, comedy, stage and online platforms” and are excited to partner with him on this new venture. While he’s gearing up to make his daytime television debut, Cannon has several other projects in the works. His MTV show Wild ‘N Out has been renewed for two more seasons and the show The Masked Singer , which he hosts, has been renewed as well. He also has a 30-city arena tour which is slated to kick off in 2020. News about Cannon’s new show comes shortly after Keke Palmer landed a deal with ABC to join the daytime talk show Strahan and Sara and the launch of broadcast journalist Tamron Hall ’s own talk show. SEE ALSO: Keke Palmer Slated To Become Third Host Of ‘Strahan and Sara’ Another Door Opens: Tamron Hall Announces Premiere Of New Talk Show [ione_media_gallery src=”https://newsone.com” id=”3827246″ overlay=”true”]
Source: Power / Starz P reviously on Power , Riq got in way over his head with Vincent thinking he can hoodwink and bamboozle the seasoned gangster. He learned quickly that Vincent isn’t the one to play with and got his ass kidnapped. This happened immediately after he delivered Proctor’s daughter to her Uncle Benny’s house. Speaking of Proctor, we lost a real one last week. With some help from annoying “nephew” Tommy shows up at the penthouse, guns blazing…literally. After wasting a ridiculous amount of ammo, he finally catches up with Ghost’s favorite attorney and kills him. Riq’s “Kidnapping” Isn’t What It Seems To Be Source: Power / Starz A s mentioned in the brief recap above, Riq’s failed attempt at being a hustler got himself kidnapped by Vincent. The episode picks right back up at Coney Island, but we learn quickly that this situation isn’t what it seems. Riq is using his kidnapping to basically extort his dad and Uncle Tommy. He thinks it will help pay back the money he owes to Vincent and get a 50/50 cut in the process. What he doesn’t know is Vincent doesn’t plan on paying him a damn cent and will kill all of them in the process. Meanwhile, Ghost and Tommy are now scrambling to get enough product together to so they can get the $2 million that Vincent is requesting in exchange for Riq’s life. After a bit of a squabble, the two finally decide to put their minds together to formulate a plan that will help secure that incredible amount of money. Tommy agrees to acquire an insane amount of product to push, and Ghost will use his connections to help pay for it. Ghost runs to Rashad Tate to ask him for a cool $1 million out of his campaign funs, and Tate hit him with the “n**** what?” Tate can’t stand Ghost’s ass, but unfortunately for him, the ever so slick former drug dealer has some dirt on him, so he has no choice but to give James the money. Ghost promises to hand over the recording to Tate and return the money in 24 hours. Tommy is handling business on his end and secures the ridiculous amount of drugs from Jason. Of course, Tommy’s drug connect is very curious as to why his distro needs so much weight. Tommy manages to quell Jason’s curiosity by basically telling him hey you got your money, now mind your business. While Ghost and Tommy are getting their plan together, Riq and Vincent are making sure their “kidnapping” is going down without a hitch. Vincent runs up on Tasha to break the bad news to her just to see if she knew anything about what was going down. Like Riq explained to his “kidnapper,” he was well aware Ghost would have not told his mother, and he was correct. After finding out what is going on, Tasha runs straight to Tommy’s crib to voice her frustration with Ghost. She learns that Ghost is now unwillingly back in the drug game and demands to help and offers to clean money through her daycare and help with the books. That’s all good, BUT Keisha who just became hip to drug game is not onboard with the idea. How are you gonna tell Tasha she can’t help get her own son back though? Source: Power / Starz Anyway, Tommy gets Holly 2.0 to calm down and accept the fact she is not in control of the decisions around the matter, and now everything is set. Tommy manages to get 2-Bit and Spank onboard with the plan to help move the product after Black Grimace shows he is down for the cause. Ghost recruits Dre by convincing the worried goon he’ll help find his daughter with some help from Tate plus in the process will help him become Jason’s new distro. Ghost still doesn’t trust Dre and reveals to him that he will be working with Alfonse to help him move the drugs. The plan goes off without a hitch, and they manage to get the money, and now it’s time to pay Vincent and get Riq back. Jason Is Right On Time To Ruin Everything Source: Power / Starz O n this show, you should have already known that nothing goes as plan. On the way to the drop off the money, Ghost and Tommy are ambushed by Jason and his crew. It would appear that Jason was watching them move the entire time, and he is not happy to learn of himself being out of the loop. To make up for the money the two former friends owe him, he decides to take half of the $2 million ransom request much to the dismay of Tommy and Ghost. Knowing they dodged a severe bullet, Ghost and Tommy are now $1 million in the hole and don’t know what to do. The only logical thing they can think of is to go to Vincent with what they have and explain to him what happened. If you said to yourself that idea wasn’t going to work, then you were 100% correct. Vincent did not care and to let them know he wasn’t playing whooped Riq’s ass with a sack of oranges. Secretly we were here for it, but Ghost wasn’t, and we understand, who wants to see their son get brutalized with fruit? After Vincent goes ham ono Riq’s stomach, he tells Ghost and Tommy they got another 24 hours to get the rest of the money or Riq is dead. Jason isn’t their only problem, the feds led by Blanca and her terrible fake Rosie Perez detective voice trying to get to the bottom of Proctors murder. The whole incident seemed quite fishy to them with the backdoor being left open and no sign of forced entry. They want to question Riq about Proctor’s murder, but unfortunately, he’s currently being held “hostage” at the moment and can’t talk to anyone. Tasha To The Rescue Source: Power / Starz G host and Tommy return to Keisha and Tasha with the bad news about the drop. All hope seems lost, but Tasha comes through in the clutch. Now granted it only happened because Keisha opened her big mouth about Tasha’s side hustle at the daycare, leaving her no choice but to spill the beans. Ghost is livid at first to find out that Tasha has been hustling without his knowledge and wants to meet her connect. She, of course, says no but after some convincing from Tommy, he gets down with the plan. Keisha then points out that they need a plan B and Tasha then comes up with another idea, they should hit club Truth. The plan is to rob all the rich folks who in the building for the fundraiser event for Tate. Ghost with the help of his potential new replacement for Angela, Romana came up with the idea to help Tate raise cash. James thinks it’s a good idea and Tommy recruits 2-Bit, Spank, Black Grimace while Ghost adds Alfonse to the mix. Tasha also suggests that it would be a good idea that Ghost tells Vincent that he needs to allow Riq to talk to the cops, Ghost agrees because he knows Vincent wouldn’t want the heat surrounding him during this extortion scheme. Vincent agrees to let Riq meet with Blanca and the detective on the case. Can we add how terrible both of them are at playing cops? Anyway, Riq puts on his scared young teen act telling them he left to get some hot chocolate, and the only reason he went through the back door was to avoid a “racist neighbor.” He sealed his story with the ultimate kiss by claiming how tired he was of seeing people die and that he was sorry to hear about Proctor’s death and as far as we know both detectives ate it up. Once outside Tasha pulls her son to the side to ask him why did he make up such a bullshit story and he explains that he knows that Vincent is going to kill them all after he gets the money. When Tasha touches his stomach area, he winces in pain, and she discovers the bruises from Vincent beating him with the oranges. Source: Power / Starz Before the plan to rob Truth goes into effect, Ghost links up with Uncle Benny to speak with him in person about Proctor’s death and extend his condolences. He also wanted to share some information on who could have done it mentioning the name his now-former attorney said to him the last time he spoke with him. Benny is grateful for the tip and promises to repay Ghost if he needs anything. Ghost decides to call in that favor now asking for some help from Benny’s men. Run The Jewels Source: Power / Starz I t’s time for the big heist. Everyone is playing their part, Dre is moving the new product Tasha supplied through the club while her stripper accomplice from last week is making good on her end at the strip club. Tate approached Ghost about the money and revealed to him that somehow someway the all of it was returned when the accountants checked the books. While everyone was sipping on expensive champagne and hob-knobbing, they had no idea they were about to be jacked by 2-Bit, Spank, Black Grimace, and Alfonse. Dre who doesn’t know about the plan sees his former associates 2-Bit and Spank puts on his best confused but scared look. 2-Bit who was tasked to kill Dre before spots him and decides this would be a good time finish the job he started. Dre somehow manages to slip, and 2-Bit goes back to the matters at hand. Once they are all dressed up in the heist drip, they bust in the party demanding everyone to give up their jewelry and money. They quickly relieve everyone of their possessions and 2-Bit, Spank and Black Grimace leave. Alfonse for whatever reason decides to be extra and bother Ramona. Tate immediately recognizes Alfonse and tells James. Ghost recognizing that this could mess up the plan gives Tate his gun and decides to try and convince Alfonse to just leave. For whatever reason, Alfonse decides nah and hits Ghost in the stomach with his shotgun, Tate being a former police officer shoots and kills Alfonse. Source: Power / Starz After the dust settled, Tate now looks like a crime-fighting hero, the money he stole is insured so it will still come back. Ramona is pleased with all that goes down; you can tell she wants to give Ghost the business for what just went down. Source: Power / Starz Could she also be onto Ghost as well? Time will only tell. Ghost Knows Tommy’s Dirty Little Secret Source: Power / Starz W ith all the money secured, it’s time for the drop off part 2. Ghost and Tommy arrived with the cash and one of Vincent’s men they kidnapped as bonus insurance. Vincent and his cronies come with Riq, Tommy drops off the money, and the exchange is made. Vincent immediately shows his hand revealing his plot to kill all of them. Ghost came prepared, and signals for Benny and his crew to show up. The two mobsters know each other and Benny tells Vincent that since Riq kept his niece safe during her father’s murder, he is protected for life. If he kills Riq or anyone associated with him, there will be an all-out war between the two families. Vincent decides to take his money and back off. Source: Power / Starz While thanking Benny for his services, Ghost notices Tommy’s reaction towards him, while Tommy notices that Benny only did what he did because Ghost told him who Proctor’s killer was. After Benny leaves, the two former friends and business partners have one last moment together before parting ways. While at Source: Power / Starz Tasha’s new digs, Ghost has an epiphany and realizes that Tommy killed his attorney and Riq helped him do it. Meanwhile, Tommy knows that Ghost is well aware that he killed Proctor. Keisha pledges her allegiance to Tommy vowing to kill anyone who tries to hurt her man (yeah right). Tommy tells her to chill he got this, and the war between the two of them is back on. Well so much for that truce. [ione_media_gallery src=”https://cassiuslife.com” id=”96691″ overlay=”true”] Photos: Power / Starz
Source: Jerritt Clark / Getty Todd Shaw, better known to the world as Too Short , recently revealed the news that he’s a first-time father at 53. The legendary Bay Area rapper and Sue Ivey are the parents of an adorable baby girl and images of their daughter have now gone public. TMZ reports : Sources close to the “I’m a Player” rapper tell TMZ … Too Short is a proud father, welcoming his first child into the world at the tender age of 53, and he’s been keeping the news under wraps until now. Our sources say Too Short’s on-again, off-again girlfriend, Sue Ivey, gave birth to their daughter back in December … and they named their baby girl Yanni Shaw. Too Short is wasting no time introducing his daughter to the spotlight from an early age … we’re told he’s already been shooting a documentary with Ray J and his manager, David Weintraub, and the film’s all about raising their little girls in Hollywood. Considering Short Dogg’s topic matter and, ahem, love of the ladies, it’s a miracle that he’s just now becoming a dad. — Photo: Getty
Source: Soils Puoane / CurvyNoire Name: Nicque Marina IG: @nicquemarina Agency: Seeking Representation Claim to Fame: Marina appeared in this year’s CurvyNoire NYFW event. She has also performed in critically acclaimed off-Broadway productions and is about to launch a cabaret act. Years before she pressed send on her submission to be featured in New York Fashion Week Nicque Marina envisioned herself as a star. “I’d done some modeling when I was younger I did theater and stuff when i was in high school. It was more like print stuff, like way back in the 90s ,” Marina told Hello Beautiful , in an exclusive interview about what happens when a dream refuses to be deferred. Source: Soils Puoane / CurvyNoire The model and singer sought an education that brought her to unlikely places and tucked her talent right along in her suitcase. “I joined the military mostly out of necessity ‘cause that was the only way I was gonna go to college. So I went to the Air Force Academy because they gave me a full ride and I just kept on performing even though I was in the Air Force . I just kept on seeking opportunities and I never let that go.” Serving in the Air Force gave Marina a chance to sharpen her skills and pick up some new ones. View this post on Instagram Christmas in the sand :p A post shared by Nicque Marina (@nicquemarina) on Dec 16, 2015 at 4:43am PST “When I was traveling, my job actually for the Air Force was to be a singer. I worked for air force entertainment. I was in a group it was a traveling show of Air Force members and we performed for other Air Force members around the world and so yea we were pretty much required to be in makeup all the time and look like Miss America all the time. But we also we were the load in and load out crew. I was in charge of constructing the stage and overseeing that and so we were doing all this heavy labor. We were screwing things together, we were doing a lot of heavy lifting and we had to be in makeup all the time. We were in heavy makeup all the time we had to look pristine and perfect while doing all of this real rough stuff.” The strenuous experiences prepared her for what many models have learned while enduring the realities of fashion week. “You have to be pleasant and smiling all the time, even though you’re sleep deprived and tired and you just don’t wanna smile anymore.” View this post on Instagram Minneapolis was real, but time to get back to work in The Greatest City in the World. A post shared by Nicque Marina (@nicquemarina) on Aug 4, 2019 at 3:01pm PDT It was a revelatory time for her. “I was based out of Grand Forks, North Dakota but I traveled pretty much world wide I’ve been to like sixteen countries I deployed during Christmas time to the Middle East . We were in Kuwait, Jordan, Djibouti, Qatar and United Emirates quite a few places.” It pushed her physical and spiritual abilities to the limit, and forced her to expand her ideas of womanhood . “It was a struggle to keep your femininity and also do all these really rough jobs, but I think it gave us a better sense of our femininity. Like to be able to feel empowered to look pretty and dance, and sing, and everything but also be there right alongside the guys. You know throwing things into the truck and putting set cases together setting up lights and everything it made no difference and so I think that was really cool.” She found strength as apart of the group but sadly she did not find true community there even after returning to the United States . “I’ve been in North Dakota for a long time and there’s not really a lot of diversity there.” View this post on Instagram Trying to make this monster migraine loom sexy A post shared by Nicque Marina (@nicquemarina) on Nov 9, 2017 at 8:13pm PST Marina remained engaged with media sources that catered to black women including Madame Noire and Hello Beautiful when she could and soon she saw an opportunity to comment with the outlets offline through a model search opportunity. “I didn’t expect much to come of it I just sent an application and said okay we’ll see what happens,” she shared. “I’m a reader of the site I follow MadameNoire on Facebook and I read a lot of their stuff day to day and I come across their traffic site quite often and I just happened to see that and I decided to go for that. I think it’s really cool highlighting all these different women some that we’ve heard of a little bit and then some we haven’t heard of just learning about their stories the unique things that they’ve had to overcome and their unique journey because there’s no one journey to success.” “It was really it was really cool to be around Black women again and like so many beautiful, beautiful, confident, women! The energy was palpable and it was really refreshing to be in that environment,” she said about her experience at CurvyNoire. Maui Bigelow and MadameNoire gave her an experience that she was missing while in uniform. “I haven’t been able to do that in a really long time.” Sitting on the smaller end of the plus-size spectrum, she wasn’t sure she would be selected. “I’m not the largest or curviest person especially compared to those models but I’m definitely heavier than I had been before.” Engaging in a space dedicated to body positivity, where she was celebrated for her beauty meant alot to her after being criticized for gaining weight. View this post on Instagram So this happened this weekend! The birth of Nic and Vic stand-up as hosts at @54below for the @rebirth_of_rabbits_foot cabaret! What a dream to stand where so many legends have stood!!! A post shared by Nicque Marina (@nicquemarina) on Sep 15, 2019 at 6:57am PDT “I’ve been told like that I need to lose weight and everything before I seek an agent and thats been kind of disheartening,” she revealed. “It was more about being able to be confident in my body as it was at that moment and so it felt pretty cool to be able to step out and feel okay about it.” View this post on Instagram Can't believe this actually happened. Praise the Lord for the great things He has done . #54below A post shared by Nicque Marina (@nicquemarina) on Sep 17, 2019 at 3:37am PDT The next place Marina will be stepping out in the stage. After appearing in the show “Rebirth of Rabbit’s Foot”, she is preparing for her own cabaret act, and continuing to find places to promote her talent. “I’m just looking for more opportunities to perform and get out there.” DON’T MISS: MODEL MONDAY: Althea Smith Doesn’t Want To Be Anyone’s Token MODEL MONDAY: Lana Ogilvie Went From The First Black Covergirl To Skincare CEO MODEL MONDAY: Tiffany’s Flame Wants To Shine A Light On All Bodies [ione_media_gallery src=”https://hellobeautiful.com” id=”3058694″ overlay=”true”]
Source: Black Opal Beauty / Courtesy of Black Opal Ladies, it looks like we have another Black-owned beauty brand on our hands. Thanks to a recent business acquisition, the iconic 25-year-old drugstore brand, Black Opal , is finally going to be run by the women their makeup is geared towards. “We are delighted to own Black Opal, a company created almost three decades ago, to address the makeup needs for people of color,” said new Black Opal CEO Desiree Rogers in a recent press release. “Rooted in its exceptional product quality and unparalleled knowledge of skincare for highly melanated skin, Black Opal is known for its superior ingredients and high product efficacy,” she continued. “Together, Cheryl and I are looking forward to creating even more innovative products and continuing to grow the brand globally.” Source: Patrick McMullan / Getty/Desiree Rogers “When we acquired Black Opal our goal was to stay true to the founders’ passion,” said Black Opal President Cheryl Mayberry McKissack . “As we continue to grow the company and bring high-quality products to the market, we also plan to focus on creating a positive impact in our communities.” To Essence.com , Rogers added, “Both Cheryl and I love beauty and use the products every day. For over 25 years, Black Opal has consistently created products specifically for women of color and our plan is to bring the newest trends to the brand. Talc-free products, more skincare products and even more exciting color selections are coming.” According to BeautyMatters.com , Rogers and McKissac bought the company from Mana Cosmetics for an undisclosed amount. What we do know is that Black Opal more than $10 million in retail sales. Rogers was the former CEO of Johnson Publishing Company, and the Social Secretary of the White House and special assistant to the President under Barack Obama’s administration while McKissack was the former CEO of Ebony media operations, and a 19-year veteran as the founder and CEO of one of the largest online market insights businesses, Nia Enterprises. In 1994, a chemist named Niko Mouyiaris created Black Opal to [seek] better products for his wife, Carol, at a time when there was a lack of product options for Black women in the beauty space,” Essence.com noted. View this post on Instagram QUICK: You are drowning in foundation options – which is your go-to lifesaver? . . . #melaningoddess #melaninbeautiesunite #melaninbeauty #melaninpopping #melaninrich #melaninpower #melanina #melaninmakeup #blackopalbeauty #blackopal #makeupforblackgirls #makeupforwoc #makeupforwomenofcolor #makeuptools #makeuptrends #makeuptrend #makeuptoday #foundations #blackmakeup #melaninking #melaninqueens #makeuptutorialsx0x A post shared by BLACK OPAL (@blackopalbeauty) on Aug 12, 2019 at 12:01pm PDT With Fenty and Mented out there giving the sistas what they need, it’s awesome to see Black Opal join the ranks! Congrats! RELATED NEWS: All The Sexy Photos From Rihanna’s Savage X Fenty Fashion Show Black-Owned Luxury Hair Line MADALI Hair Available On Amazon’s Textures & Hues 10 Black Owned Nail Brands Flexing With Fall Colors [ione_media_gallery src=”https://hellobeautiful.com” id=”3058694″ overlay=”true”]
Source: Pierre Suu / Getty Cardi B came, saw and conquered Paris Fashion Week, y’all! The “Invasion of Privacy” rapper served up some serious high-fashion lewks…and getting a lot a buzz for it. Let’s start with this ensemble we wore on the first day of the event, rocking a green and blue Richard Quinn August/Winter 19′ printed outfit, along with a scarf that covered her entire face. “I heard you b*tches were missing me at Fashion Week New York. I’m here to serve it to you motherfuckers, and serve it to you cold,” she said, adding, “Make sure a car don’t hit me ‘cause a b*tch can’t see.” View this post on Instagram PARIS FASHION WEEK, IM HERE ! Designer: @richardquinn . A post shared by Iamcardib (@iamcardib) on Sep 28, 2019 at 12:04pm PDT View this post on Instagram BRITISH VOGUE @karliekloss uncovered! In A/W19 Styled by the incredible @edward_enninful and by @stevenmeisel_ #richardquinn #vogue A post shared by Richard Quinn (@richardquinn) on Jul 6, 2019 at 1:01am PDT To Thom Browne’s show where the Hustlers star sat at the front row next to Vogue EIC Anna Wintour the Hustler’s star donned a pair of glasses, a gray blazer, and a pencil skirt, describing the outfit on the ‘Gram as, “THE TEACHER!” Source: Claudio Lavenia / Getty Let’s also look at this fabulous bag! Source: Pierre Suu / Getty Finally, as FootWearNews.com reported , she “stepped out in a sheer bodysuit from Aliétte, layered under a patterned jacket with fluffy trim from Edda Gimnes.” That, and peep the matching thigh-high boots and purse! View this post on Instagram @edzgimnes x @alietteny @tomasherold TOAST TO Thom A post shared by Iamcardib (@iamcardib) on Sep 29, 2019 at 2:33pm PDT We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again, Cardi B’s fashion game continues to evolve and have us in awe! Shout out to her stylists too! RELATED NEWS: Lewk Of The Week: Gucci Mane & Keyshia Ka’Oir Stunted Through Milan Fashion Week Slay! 10 Times Leslie Jones Served Us A Serious Lewk Lewk Of The Week: Teyana Taylor & Iman Shumpert Are Giving Us Serious 60s Pool Party Vibes [ione_media_gallery src=”https://hellobeautiful.com” id=”3055853″ overlay=”true”]
Source: Mondadori Portfolio / Getty Actress Oluwaseyi “Seyi” Omooba was cut from the U.K. production of The Color Purple because of past homophobic comments and now she’s clapping back with a lawsuit. According to Pink News , Omooba was supposed to play the lead role of Celie who, ironically, has a queer relationship in the story. Yet, Omooba still chose to be homophobic, building off a 2014 Facebook post where she cited religion for her beliefs. Hamilton star Aaron Lee Lambert pulled up the old post, which partly read: “I do not believe you can be born gay, and I do not believe homosexuality is right, though the laws of this land has made it legal doesn’t mean its [sic] right. I do believe that everyone sins and falls into temptation but its [sic] by the asking of forgiveness, repentance and the grace of God that we overcome and live how God ordained us too [sic].” In his tweet of the post, Lambert asked Omooba, “Do you still stand by this post? Or are you happy to remain a hypocrite? Seeing as you’ve now been announced to be playing an LGBTQ character, I think you owe your LGBTQ peers an explanation. Immediately.” Omooba was advised by Leicester’s Curve Theatre and her agency, Michael Garrett Associates, to retract her post and to apologize. However, she refused to do this, citing her Christian faith as an excuse. “ I really wanted the role but what they wanted me to do was completely against my faith. I did not want to lie just to keep a job,” she told The Daily Mail. “I just quoted what the Bible says about homosexuality, the need for repentance, but ultimately God’s love for all humanity.” Omooba insisted that she’s not homophobic. “I stand by what I wrote, but had I known that it would have come to this, I would have set my account to the privacy mode.” Riiiight. Like that would’ve helped. Since her statements were brought to light, she was let go from The Color Purple production, and she was dropped by her agents. Omooba says when she tried to reach out to agents who were once eager to sign her, only one responded, acknowledging that she was ‘talented but misguided’ and brainwashed by her religion. “I’m heartbroken,” Omooba said. “If I’m unable to get back to the stage, then I feel there is no point. It’s the only thing I have ever wanted since I was a young girl.” Omooba has now filed a lawsuit against Michael Garrett Associates for religious discrimination. The group hasn’t commented on Omooba’s lawsuit, but the Curve Theatre told The Daily Mail , “The comments made by Seyi have caused significant and widely expressed concerns both on social media and in the wider press. Following careful reflection, it has been decided Seyi will no longer be involved with the production.” Guess we’ll have to wait and find out if Omooba will have any weight in court. Until then, she might want to just get started on that church production of A Color Purple . Surely, it’ll be an entirely different musical with some of the most important themes lost.
