Source: Publicity / promo In a world where your difference is your destiny, DeVon Franklin uses faith as his superpower. In his childhood, he battled a devastating loss that rocked his family to the core. But, armed with on-screen heroes as inspiration and church as a home base, he went to war against his circumstances. He was empowered by his mother and a team of super women who were determined to give DeVon and his brothers a chance. Sign Up For Our Newsletter! Close Thank you for subscribing! Please be sure to open and click your first newsletter so we can confirm your subscription. Email Submit As the hero of his own story, DeVon reveals the highs and lows on his “Road to Golden.” Watch: This is the second installment of the Black & Positively Golden series presented by McDonald’s.® Text “RICKEY” to 71007 to join the Rickey Smiley Morning Show mobile club for exclusive news. ( Terms and conditions ). [ione_media_gallery src=”https://rickeysmileymorningshow.com” id=”1790067″ overlay=”true”] ALSO TRENDING ON RICKEYSMILEYMORNINGSHOW.COM : Kevin Hart Injured In Car Accident [VIDEO] Simone Biles’ Brother Charged In New Years Eve Triple Murder Actor Supports Transwomen, Reveals He’s Been “Trans Attracted” Follow @TheRSMS
Source: Eliot Xzavier / Radio One Growing up in the industry can be a difficult transition for any child star, but as for Kris D. Lofton the transition is what allowed him he figure out his journey that would cause a life altering decisions for his career. That life changing decision is the reason you are familiar with many of Kris D. Lofton characters and roles. Going from Clarence in Hardball , to Calvin in Meet the Browns , to now playing Kisan Teagues on HBO’s Ballers, each milestone brought the star some reality checks that he address during our conversation. Refresh your memory with this classic scene from Hardball Kris takes us on the journey of being the cute kid from Chicago who just wanted to play sports, to turning down a scholarship to focus on acting, what he defines as his way out. Kris D. Lofton is the epitome of enjoy the ride and trust the process. Check out the Full interview below: Make sure you catch Kisan Teagues the “wildcard” to see if he’s playing with a full deck on and off the field for the final season of Ballers each and every Sunday at 10:30 pm EST only on HBO.
Source: Gabe Ginsberg / Getty Back in July, rumors of nuptials between rapper Nicki Minaj and her boyfriend Kenneth Petty began swirling after the two were spotted obtaining a marriage license at a courthouse in Los Angeles. The “Pinkprint” lyricist went on to confirm the rumors, telling fans on her Queen Radio show in August that the two would be wed before her album drops. “I have to work on my album and I have a lot to focus on that I don’t want to do the big wedding now. We’ll do the big wedding later. I’ll be married before my album comes out, but will have my wedding after the album comes out. Before the 90 days is over, yes, I will be married,” she revealed on air. Sign Up For Our Newsletter! Close Thank you for subscribing! Please be sure to open and click your first newsletter so we can confirm your subscription. Email Submit Even though her groom-to-be’s past is littered with jail time for attempted rape and manslaughter, Nicki insists that her relationship with Ken is one of the most loving partnerships she’s been in. In fact, she took to Twitter to encourage women to leave toxic relationships behind so they can find a healthier love. “I [really] used to think love had to hurt. So I could never look down on anyone else. We are merely human. It’s not easy to leave. Especially in the world of [Instagram] where all ppl want to do is post relationship goal pics for clout & attention. A man should make you feel safe, not afraid,” she told her millions of followers. She continued by explaining she had to witness her own parents engage in horrific fights growing up, and therefore had to redefine what love looked like because that’s all she ever saw. I rlly used to think love had to hurt. So I could never look down on anyone else. We are merely human. It’s not easy to leave. Especially in the world of IG where all ppl want to do is post relationship goal pics for clout & attention. A man should make you feel safe, not afraid — Mrs. Petty (@NICKIMINAJ) September 1, 2019 Text “RICKEY” to 71007 to join the Rickey Smiley Morning Show mobile club for exclusive news. ( Terms and conditions ). When u see a woman in a toxic relationship, rather than laugh & say mean things, try to offer sound advice from your heart & root for her to learn her worth. We’ve all been there. I saw my parents fight & argue non stop & never divorce, so I thought this was normal behavior… — Mrs. Petty (@NICKIMINAJ) September 1, 2019 She ended with a list of red flags women should look out for to know if they are in a toxic situation or not. Dear all of you beautiful souls. A man who loves you does not: 1. Humiliate you on social media 2. Beat you 3. Cheat on you 4. Call you out of your name/put you down to lower your self esteem due to his own insecurities. 5. Hide his phone, passwords, where abouts, etc. — Mrs. Petty (@NICKIMINAJ) September 1, 2019 All beautiful advice from the chart-topping rapper. [ione_media_gallery src=”https://rickeysmileymorningshow.com” id=”2056763″ overlay=”true”] This story was originally published on MadameNoire.com . ALSO TRENDING ON RICKEYSMILEYMORNINGSHOW.COM : Kevin Hart Injured In Car Accident [VIDEO] Simone Biles’ Brother Charged In New Years Eve Triple Murder Actor Supports Transwomen, Reveals He’s Been “Trans Attracted” Follow @TheRSMS
Source: Monster Jam / Radio One Digital Hot 107.9 and Monster Jam want to send you an a group of friends to Monster Jam! Register for your chance to win 20 pair tickets to Monster Jam at Infinite Energy Arena. REGISTER BELOW _______ The Latest Music, Celebrities and Interviews: Sign Up For Our Newsletter! Close Thank you for subscribing! Please be sure to open and click your first newsletter so we can confirm your subscription. Email Submit
Source: Starz / Power L ast week, Angela Valdes’ death on the Power’s premiere set the tone for the show’s sixth and final season, and that is revenge . Ghost thinks he has settled the score with Tommy after he sprayed his iconic mustang with bullets. He will learn that he was sadly mistaken and just made matters much worse for himself. Ghost Is Getting Played Like A Fool Source: Starz / Power G host firmly believes he killed Tommy that night, but we all know that wasn’t the case, so Jason decides to use that to his advantage. James’ lust for revenge comes with some severe consequences cause now he has to explain himself to Jason. After surveying his handy work on Tommy’s bullet-riddled mustang, Ghost meets up with the druglord to clarify that the hit wasn’t aimed at him or his crew, but just at his former business partner. He goes into his struggling piggy bank to make a peace offering to Jason and after some convincing gets him to accept it. BUT, Jason, of course, knows he has the upper hand on Ghost and decides to make him pay $100K every two weeks to keep him from retaliating against him. Ghost has no choice but to agree to the lopsided arrangement and at the same time has no idea he is getting played. The deceit doesn’t end there. The two people he thought he could trust the most, his son and his estranged wife Tasha, are also playing him like a fiddle. They too also know that Tommy is not dead but plays along and hatch plans with his rival behind his back. He will soon learn about all of this at the worst possible time, and we will touch on that in a bit. Tommy Has The Advantage Source: Starz / Power W ith Ghost believing that he is dead, Tommy knows he has an advantage, and he decides to use it. His first move while “dead” is to get people on his side and he manages to recruit both Tasha and Riq. Tasha wants a divorce, but thanks to their prenup, she gets nothing because she initiated the proceedings. With Ghost dead, she can get all of his money and assets plus the revenge she seeks for him killing the “love of her life,” Terry Silver. Riq just can’t stand his dad and wants him out of the way, and he has no feelings if Uncle Tommy kills his pops. Tommy also uses the time to school Keisha onto the game. She is down for the cause and Tasha advises her to keep her and Kash happy so she won’t dime them out. Keisha, on the other hand, is over the St.Patricks and wants her boo to stop talking to Tasha altogether and is excited to be involved with Tommy’s drug business. Funny we remember she was all against that a few seasons ago but whatever. Jason is cleverly using this whole Ghost vs. Tommy thing to his advantage as well. He tells Tommy that he cannot kill Ghost because basically, he would be out of $100K payments every two weeks. Jason doesn’t reveal that to Tommy, of course. He offers Tommy protection, but it won’t come free, and if he misses a payment, Jason will tell his guys to sit back and let Ghost kill him. With the upper hand, Tommy will make a colossal move later that we will touch on that will shake Ghost to his core and hit him where it hurts. Ghost and Tasha 2.0? Source: Starz / Power W hile his parents are currently beginning the divorce process, Riq is at Choate working on becoming the man he hates so much… his dad. No longer satisfied with just getting good grades and living his best life, the oldest seed of Ghost is now a pill-pushing hustler. Riq has a very lucrative drug business going on at his school and is using his roommate to help push his product. It looks like Uncle Tommy and the lessons from his mentor Kanan are rubbing off on him. But like any good business, word spreads around very fast. Riq’s drug dealing ways has caught the attention of another Black student who requests to have a conversation with Riq. Unlike Riq, she is from the hood, but is about her studies (sounds very familiar) and feels that being both she and he is a handful of Black kids at the school his decision to peddle pills is only adding to the stereotype. Of course, Riq doesn’t give a damn what she thinks and hits her with a clever counteroffer to join his crew which will provide her with the opportunity to make some real money to improve her conditions at Choate. His pitch works because she shows up later at his dorm room and accepts his offer. The new business partners and more than likely couple go inside to play some video games. If this doesn’t sound precisely like Ghost and Tasha’s origin story, we don’t know what does. Brilliant, young, Black woman getting involved with a knuckled head teen boy, this just screams James and Tasha 2.0. We see what you’re doing here Power writers. Paz Makes A Tough Decision Source: Starz / Power P oor Paz, she is really not handling the death of her sister well. Not only does she not have the money to pay for the funeral — keep in mind she told Jamie no — Angela’s benefits are being held up too. Annoying ass Saxe reveals to her that due to Angela’s complicated involvement in the case the government is holding the funds up. He vowes to help speed things up but needs more information from Paz. She is still fed up because he hasn’t arrested Ghost yet and thought that allowing Saxe to perform an autopsy on her sister would help. Newsflash it won’t. Saxe tells her he will keep working to put James behind bars and to share anything she finds of relevance in Angie’s belongings with him. While going through her sister’s things in the deceased government prosecutor’s apartment, she stumbles upon the burner phone she used to speak with Tasha. She texts the number she believes belongs to Ghost asking to meet up but has no idea it’s his estranged wife on the other end. Paz is surprised to find out that she was speaking with Tasha but learns that Angela was working with the St.Patricks and had no intention of flipping on Ghost. Tasha also convinces Paz that Ghost didn’t kill her sister at all. After leaving the meeting with some new clarity on the situation, she makes a tough decision. She learns from the pastor that someone paid for the cost of the funeral, she decides to find out who. She immediately calls Saxe to see if he was able to get Angela’s benefits to clear, he says they are still being held up. After she hangs up the call, she texts Tasha and says thank you because she figured it out that Jame’s wife paid the funeral costs. It’s there she decides to bury her sister’s secrets with her, and she puts the burner phone in Angela’s casket. Finally, Paz does something right. Proctor Has A Problem Source: Starz / Power O ur favorite attorney has a big problem, his wife is back. Saxe is desperately trying to find some dirt on Ghost and thinks Proctor has it all. He recruits Proctor’s ex-wife who manages to convince Saxe to give her a recommendation for a job at a firm. In return, it will her be able to see her daughter again, allowing her to place a bug hidden in a unicorn on her daughter’s backpack so the feds can listen in on Proctor. During the custody hearing, Proctor is blindsided by his ex-wife’s power move after she announces she has a job to the judge. During a chamber meeting, the judge asked Proctor’s daughter to choose who she wanted to stay with. Proctor’s daughter breaks down because of the pressure of having to choose between her parents. After seeing enough, he grants his coke head ex-wife joint custody. Little does he know he played right into Saxe’s hands. Councilman Tate Doesn’t Trust Ghost Source: Starz / Power C ouncilman Tate makes his season six debut, and he is just as conniving as ever. Tate wants to be Governor more than anything and doesn’t need Ghost and his problems sinking his election bid. The shady figures have a heart-to-heart and Ghost assures him that Angela’s death and his alleged involvement will not be a problem. Tate still allows Ghost to be a part of his campaign but wants him to keep his mouth shut. Now, do you think Ghost is going to listen? Of course not. During a press conference where Tate gets grilled about having St. Patrick on his team as well as Angela’s death. Things get testy when a constituent from the old neighborhood busts in demanding answers from Tate. The upset neighborhood local also calls Ghost out for his past, pointing out that he ain’t nothing but a former corner boy. Ghost hearing enough from the disgruntled man decides to jump in and speak much to the chagrin of Tate. We quickly learn that Tate saw an opportunity in the bungled press conference. He meets up with the angry constituent and offers him a job. Tate wants him to follow Ghost and do some “research” on him. He agrees to do Tate’s bidding, but we know he more than likely just signed his death warrant. Nobody gets the upper hand on Ghost. We also finally get to see THE REAL Rashad Tate, not the fake political figure we have grown accustomed too. Tommy Harlem Shakes At Angela’s Funeral Source: Starz / Power I t’s finally time to say goodbye to Angela Valdes. In a very somber moment, all of Power’s most prominent players gather to pay their respects to the fallen prosecutor. Tameika is also on hand to say farewell to her former employee. She and Saxe engage in a conversation to catch up and update each other on the case. Tameika suggests to Saxe that he should leave before his new boss gets rid of him too. Saxe still firmly believes that Ghost is responsible for everything while Tameika is still skeptical. Their conversation stops when Ghost and Tasha appear surprising all of them. Things get even more interesting when Tommy — Angela’s killer — walks in pays his respects to both Paz and Angie’s sobbing dad. D I S R E S P E C T F U L. Ghost is absolutely stunned because: Tommy is still alive. Tommy has the balls to show up at Angela’s funeral, knowing he killed her. His wife, Tasha, and his son lied to him about Tommy being alive. After Tommy’s stunt at the funeral,. Ghost immediately runs to talk to Jason and wants to know why he didn’t tell him. Jason tells him that he had to protect his interest because Tommy is his distro. Ghost isn’t trying to hear that and wants his former best friend dead. Jason gives him permission to kill Tommy, but of course, there is a big stipulation. If Ghost does manage to eliminate Tommy, he will have to replace him as the new distro. Ghost has no desire to get back in the game, Jason tells him he doesn’t care how he does it, but if James does kill Tommy, he has to be replaced. Oh man, Tommy’s move was spicier than Popeye’s spicy chicken sandwich. Forgot About Dre? Source: Starz / Power W e have been wondering where Dre was, and we finally learn what he has been up to. He is currently under witness protection and is set to testify against Alicia Jimenez. He has no idea that Angela is dead and learns after news of her funeral hits the television. Dre discovering that Angela is deceased is the fed’s most significant fear because they feel it will spook him out of testifying. After Jerry stops by to inform him that are moving him and his daughter to another secure location, Dre looks like he is now more determined to get back in the game. Things are starting to get real exciting quickly in the world of Power . The game is wide open, and it would seem the Power writers are positioning Dre for an opportunity to take over with Ghost not wanting to deal drugs any longer. Photo: Power/Starz [ione_media_gallery src=”https://cassiuslife.com” id=”96691″ overlay=”true”]
Shameik Moore slid through Studio One to about his experience portraying Raekwon on the upcoming Hulu series Wu-Tang: An American Saga, which streams Sept. 4th. The Atlanta native wasn’t even alive when the legendary Staten Island hip-hop collective The Wu-Tang Clan busted on the scene with their seminal debut Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) but he talks about how he was able to immerse himself into the history and culture. The actor lets us in on how he was able to capture his iconic character and also the craziest stories he heard about Wu-Tang.
Source: Project Beauty Expo / Courtesy of Brittany Brown Beauties, are you ready to take your beauty routine up a notch? Well, get excited because Project Beauty Expo is coming! Founded by esthetician, creator and owner of Moneé Cosmetics and fellow Brown beauty, Brittany Brown , Project Beauty Expo (PBE) is a one of a kind experience that every Black woman can enjoy. The annual “part conference, part experiential inspirational wonderland” is an opportunity for women of color to celebrate and connect with indie brand founders, network with content creators, hear from beauty enthusiasts and learn about everything there is to know about natural beauty, wellness and healthy living. “In the billion-dollar beauty industry, there is no platform that provides women with the tools to prepare themselves to enter this market while also giving them an opportunity to be discovered,” Brown explained. “With the platform provided by Project Beauty Expo, emerging or existing beauty brand owners have the opportunity to learn how to better operate their business as well as showcase their brand to the mass market.” As Brown stated, PBE was ultimately created in an effort to increase the number of multicultural women in the beauty industry by providing a support group for those interested in growing in this space. Source: Project Beauty Expo / Courtesy of Brittany Brown Not only is PBE a place where women of color can connect and build, it also aims to provide education from industry experts and buyers such as Sephora, Target, Ulta, Shopify and more that are dedicated to sharing insights on how to ultimately grow your indie beauty brand. What started as small event in Washington, D.C in 2016 has grown to over 40 participating brands and 300+ attendees, and only aims to get bigger. This year, the expo is taking over the West Coast (LA to be exact) starting on September 14 th and is set to be unlike any other beauty conference you’ve ever seen before. “[This] is a very exciting year for PBE,” Brown told us. “Not only have we migrated our community across the country but we’ve also expanded our event to 2 days. We added a full of workshops and to equip our exhibitors and other interested beauty professionals with the resources and information needed to grow their beauty business.” What sets PBE apart from your traditional beauty conference is that it’s a space specifically designed for Black and Brown beauty curators looking to take their careers to the next level. While larger beauty conferences might overlook this talented group of women, PBE was created for and by Black women and is designed to make sure people of color aren’t forgotten in the beauty world. Source: Project Beauty Expo / Courtesy of Brittany Brown In the short amount of time that PBE has been in existence, it’s grown to not only showcase indie beauty brands but also offer opportunities for Black and Brown women, beauty bloggers, natural beauty fanatics and enthusiasts to connect, collaborate, and share. The goal of #PBE2019, according to Brown is to “equip founders with knowledge through carefully curated workshops and create an experience for consumers and beauty entrepreneurs to come together to support the next generation of beauty disruptors that lack visibility within the industry.” Take it from the experts, this is one beauty event you don’t want to miss! For more on Project Beauty Expo and to purchase tickets to the event, click here: http://www.projectbeautyexpo.com/ DON’T MISS: EXCLUSIVE: We Got All The Details On The Beauty Beats In Missy Elliott’s Throw It Back Music Video Kahlana Barfield Brown Lands Eyelash Collaboration With Huda Beauty Zoe Kravitz And YSL Beauty Launch Lipstick Collection [ione_media_gallery src=”https://hellobeautiful.com” id=”3025693″ overlay=”true”]
Source: KENA BETANCUR / Getty Once again, a Starbucks in Philadelphia is under fire for making another racist inference according to the claims of a patron who says staff in the store took a swipe at his name. Niquel Johnson, a 40-year-old Muslim man who goes by the name Aziz, says an employee at Starbucks wrote “ISIS” as his name and he adds that they also lied about speaking with his niece to issue an apology. The Washington Post exclusively reports : Niquel Johnson paid for three drinks in Philadelphia on Sunday, and in typical Starbucks fashion, an employee asked for his name. Johnson, 40, told them “Aziz,” his Islamic name pronounced ah-zeez. He has used it for 25 years — and “countless” times at that particular store. But three unusual things happened on this occasion, he said. When his order was ready, a staffer announced them by drink type, not his name. The second unusual part was the employee wrote his name as “ISIS” — the acronym for the Islamic terror group — in the printout attached to all three drinks. Johnson didn’t even realize it until later, when a friend pointed it out at a bookstore. “I was shocked and angry. I felt it was discrimination,” Johnson told The Washington Post on Friday. The outlet writes that Starbucks claimed they spoke with Johnson’s niece and settled the matter. The kicker is that Johnson says whoever the company claims they spoke with, a woman named Alora, isn’t someone known to him in his life. Johnson is considering legal action. — Photo: Getty
Source: Peopleimages / Getty It’s Labor Day Weekend – many of us are chasing the last of summer. Before kids go back to school or Summer Fridays come to an end, Black women are jetting off for some last minute vacations. If the vacation involves water, whether it’s a yacht week or a beach, when discussing the trip, this follow up question ensues: how should I wear my hair ? As someone that loves the water, I want to be able to dunk my head freely underneath and jump off the side of a boat. While wearing my hair natural is always an option. Honestly, it’s an absolute pain at the end of the day, to then have to go give it 1-2 hours of TLC. Also, who wants to be twisting or braiding their hair while on a vacation? I’ve had friends rock ponytails and crotchet. Both options by the end of a 4-5 day vacation would “hold up” but it would be matted and immediately time to come out. Felicia Leatherwood stopped by Hello Beautiful and ended the debate, “Wear your hair in braids or crotchet.” Braids are easy to manage and can easily air dry. When your hair is braided after you are at the sea of the pool, make sure you rinse your braids with fresh water. Then tie down the top and let air dry. You can even do this after you are done swimming at the pool and still lay out during the day. To make sure the braids themselves don’t frizz, bring along the mousse of your choice. Take the mousse and rub it between your hands, then rub your braids once in a downward direction, letting the mousse coat the braids. The mousse will give the braids a nice refresh. Also, in a protective style, don’t forget your scalp! Make sure you cleanse and oil your scalp to keep your roots healthy. Leatherwood shared, “On your scalp you need oil. It’s nourishment. It’s revitalizing the scalp on a cellular level. It’s helpful to produce more sebum.” How do you rock your hair when you are on a beach vacation? Share with us in the comment section! DON’T MISS: Celebrity Hairstylist Felicia Leatherwood Shares Why It’s Best To Trim Your Hair During A New Moon WE STARTED THE TREND: How Janet Jackson’s Poetic Justice Box Braids Came To Be White Teacher Placed On Leave After Allegedly Ripping Out Braids From Students’ Scalp [ione_media_gallery src=”https://hellobeautiful.com” id=”2963484″ overlay=”true”]
Source: Corbis/VCG / Getty With wedding season is full swing, it’s always smart to make sure you have all your essentials handy. While we love that this occassion allows us to show off our glamorous side , it’s important to do so with comfort in mind. There’s nothing worse than having to nurse sore feet or dealing with oily makeup while trying to enjoy the festivities. In an effort to keep you focused on having a good time, we’ve compiled a list of five products you need to look and feel your very best!
