The 2017 #HBOB Put The L In LIT The 15th Annual Honda Battle of the Bands Invitational Showcase was a dazzling good time bursting with Black girl magic, HBCU band excellence and phenomenal showmanship that rocked a sold out Georgia Dome crowd like never before. Alabama A&M’s Marching Maroon & White, Alabama St’s Mighty Marching Hornets, Jackson St’s Sonic Boom of the South, NC A&T’s Blue & Gold Marching Machine, Texas Southern’s Ocean of Soul and Winston-Salem St’s Red Sea of Sound came thru and KILLED IT. Benedict College’s Marching Band of Distinction made its very FIRST appearance while Bethune-Cookman’s Marching Wildcats returned as the longest standing Final 8 contender and turned all the way up for a sea of screaming fans. Ne-Yo brought the groove and slick moves with a splash of cool. Ruben Studdard popped up and reminded us why he was America’s idol. Overall, the 15th Annual #HBOB was a soaring success and fitting send-off for the Georgia Dome.
Today is a great day for ’90s children everywhere. Fuller House announced that New Kids On The Block will stop by the Tanner home this coming season. Jodie Sweetin, Andrea Barber and Candace Cameron Bure all wore shirts bearing the name of the boy band, which the show’s account posted to Twitter. “@candacecbure @JodieSweetin @andreabarber got The Right Stuff to welcome some special guest stars! @NKOTB #NKOTBFH!” Donnie Wahlberg, Danny Wood, Joey McIntyre, Jordan Knight and Jonathan Knight might be the spin-off’s answer to The Beach Boys, who were regular guest stars on the original series, thanks to Uncle Jesse (Elvis wasn’t availabe for obvious reasons). Bure brought this up during a February interview with Rotten Tomatoes. “We never got New Kids on the Block,” she said. Barber concurred. “We really want New Kids on the Block though. We’ll put our vote for that,” she added. Guess who else is popping by the house on season two? Dr. Jason Seaver from Growing Pains ! It won’t be a crossover episode (I could do without an appearance from Bure’s fanatical brother, Kirk Cameron), but Alan Thicke will no doubt be entertaining as heck. “Fuller House is over its growing pains. Renewed season 2. See you there. See me on it,” Thicke tweeted, tagging both Bure and Bob Saggett. Thicke wouldn’t give away much, but he did tell E! that he plays someone who is set up with one of D.J.’s friends. John Stamos, who serves as the series’ executive producer, divulged a little bit about season two, which is set to premiere later this year on Netflix. “There are a few guest stars that could be surprises for everybody that I’m working on, but as far as the show, we’re just in a better place to make a good, solid sitcom now,” he said. Ok, important question: What song (if any) will NKOTB play? Probably “The Right Stuff” but I’m hoping for “Step By Step.” View Slideshow: 90s Boy Bands: Where Are They Now?
Today is a great day for ’90s children everywhere. Fuller House announced that New Kids On The Block will stop by the Tanner home this coming season. Jodie Sweetin, Andrea Barber and Candace Cameron Bure all wore shirts bearing the name of the boy band, which the show’s account posted to Twitter. “@candacecbure @JodieSweetin @andreabarber got The Right Stuff to welcome some special guest stars! @NKOTB #NKOTBFH!” Donnie Wahlberg, Danny Wood, Joey McIntyre, Jordan Knight and Jonathan Knight might be the spin-off’s answer to The Beach Boys, who were regular guest stars on the original series, thanks to Uncle Jesse (Elvis wasn’t availabe for obvious reasons). Bure brought this up during a February interview with Rotten Tomatoes. “We never got New Kids on the Block,” she said. Barber concurred. “We really want New Kids on the Block though. We’ll put our vote for that,” she added. Guess who else is popping by the house on season two? Dr. Jason Seaver from Growing Pains ! It won’t be a crossover episode (I could do without an appearance from Bure’s fanatical brother, Kirk Cameron), but Alan Thicke will no doubt be entertaining as heck. “Fuller House is over its growing pains. Renewed season 2. See you there. See me on it,” Thicke tweeted, tagging both Bure and Bob Saggett. Thicke wouldn’t give away much, but he did tell E! that he plays someone who is set up with one of D.J.’s friends. John Stamos, who serves as the series’ executive producer, divulged a little bit about season two, which is set to premiere later this year on Netflix. “There are a few guest stars that could be surprises for everybody that I’m working on, but as far as the show, we’re just in a better place to make a good, solid sitcom now,” he said. Ok, important question: What song (if any) will NKOTB play? Probably “The Right Stuff” but I’m hoping for “Step By Step.” View Slideshow: 90s Boy Bands: Where Are They Now?
Jesse Williams was honored at the 2016 BET Awards on Sunday night. A social activist prominent in the Black Lives Matter movement, the Grey’s Anatomy actor accepted the show’s Humanitarian Award and proceeded to give a stirring speech on stage. Jesse Williams BET Awards Speech Referring to Tamir Rice, the 12-year-old shot dead by a white police officer in Cleveland in 2014, Williams said the following: “Yesterday would have been young Tamir Rice’s 14th birthday.” “So, I don’t want to hear anymore about how far we’ve come when paid public servants can pull a drive by on a 12-year-old playing alone in a park in broad daylight, killing him on television and then going home to make a sandwich.” After citing the “black women who have spent their lifetimes dedicated to nurturing everyone before themselves,” Williams went further. He took critics of Black Lives Matter to task, adding: “If you have a critique for the resistance, for our resistance, then you better have an established record of critique of our oppression.” “If you have no interest in equal rights for black people, then do not make suggestions to those who do. Sit down.” It was a terrific speech. Watch it above. Among those who hailed Williams for his moving words was Justin Timberlake. “@iJesseWilliams tho… #Inspired #BET2016,” the artist Tweeted. Pretty strong response, right? Pretty basic praise, no? Not according to a few Timberlake critics on Twitter. JT’s seemingly harmless Tweey prompted one follower to write: “So does this mean you’re going to stop appropriating our music and culture? And apologize to Janet too. #BETAwards.” The latter is a reference to the 2004 Super Bowl halftime show in which Timberlake performed alongside Janet Jackson. The singer pulled off a piece of her ensemble, briefly exposing her nipple in front of tens of millions of viewers. The move resulted in stricter broadcasting standards across television and backlash aimed at all those involved. We had no idea this was still a thing to some people. Timberlake quoted the critical tweet, replying as follows: “Oh, you sweet soul. The more you realize that we are the same, the more we can have a conversation. Bye.” Things just snowballed from here, as users called out Timberlake for not using his celebrit7 platform to speak out for black rights. And also for the damage he caused to Jackson’s career more than a decade ago. “I feel misunderstood,” Timberlake wrote in reply. “I responded to a specific tweet that wasn’t meant to be a general response. I shouldn’t have responded anyway… I forget this forum sometimes… “I was truly inspired by @iJesseWilliams speech because I really do feel that we are all one… A human race.” “I apologize to anyone that felt I was out of turn. I have nothing but LOVE FOR YOU AND ALL OF US.” View Slideshow: 90s Boy Bands: Where Are They Now? In his speech, Williams did condemn cultural appropriation, saying: “We’ve been floating this country on credit for centuries, and we’re done watching and waiting while this invention called whiteness uses and abuses us. “Burying black people out of sight and out of mind while extracting our culture, our dollars, our entertainment like oil. Black gold.” “Ghettoizing and demeaning our creations, then stealing them, gentrifying our genius, then trying us on like costumes before discarding our bodies like rinds of strange fruit.” “The thing is though, just because we’re magic doesn’t mean we’re not real.”
Pebbles Said Chilli Had An Affair With Music Mogul L.A. Reid TLC’s Chili says she NEVER slept with L.A. Reid – the ex-husband to the band’s former manager Pebbles – and says that all the rumors of her having an affair with the music mogul behind Pebbles back are pure lies. Perri Reid aka Pebbles – TLC’s former manager – sued Viacom for $40 million claiming she was defamed by how TV movie “CrazySexyCool: The TLC Story” portrayed her. Pebbles explained in docs that the film showed her “as a conniving and dishonest business woman who hoodwinked three innocent girls and exploited their talent for her own personal gain.” Further, she said that contrary to what the film showed … she never controlled the bands lawyers and always paid the girls what they were due. Viacom fired back at the allegations they defamed Pebbles. In the docs they state that based on their knowledge … the portrayal of Pebbles was accurate and they did not act with malice when making the film. They demanded her $40 million dollar lawsuit be dismissed. T-Boz and Chili were then dragged into the lawsuit recently over the VH1 movie, and their former manager Pebbles filed docs stating she was going to depose the women and grill them about the film and how they portrayed her in the movie. Then on September 23rd, Chili’s deposition in the case was filed in which she states under oath she NEVER had an affair with Pebbles then-husband L.A. Reid. Pebbles has publicly stated following the release of the film that she believes Chili was sleeping with her then-husband music mogul L.A. Reid behind her back. The former TLC manager told Wendy Williams that she never wanted to believe it for years but she now says she believes it to be true, but said she wouldn’t reveal why she thinks this to be accurate. Pebbles also said that she thinks T-Boz and Left Eye were aware of the alleged affair. However, according to Chili’s sworn testimony under oath, she says she never slept with Pebbles ex-husband. She explains that she heard the rumors about her and L.A. for years but never thought much of it because it was so crazy. She says that the story of Pebbles walking in on her in bed with L.A. is so ridiculous because she was never once alone with L.A. at his home. Chili says that following the passing of Left Eye, T-Boz, Pebbles and her became somewhat close again. She explains that Pebbles and her had a conversation about everything around that time. During the conversation the topic of her sleeping with L.A. came up and she told Pebbles straight up it wasn’t true and none of the girls had been intimate with him whatsoever. The singer says she asked Pebbles if she believed her and she told Chili she did. Then Chili claims the band’s former manager apologized to her for things she had done over the years. Chili says that if anyone should be suing it should be her filing a lawsuit against Pebbles for defaming her character in the press by insinuating she slept with L.A. Reid. The singer then says that Pebbles told T-Boz that the reason she believed the affair did happen was because God told her that it did. Chili ends the conversation about the rumors by stating, “You know, I would never sleep with somebody’s husband. That’s disgusting.”
Drake’s Producer Says He Writes His Own Raps Drake’s credibility is sinking deeper and deeper into question this evening — now with reciepts. After Meek Mill took to Twitter to out Drake for not writing his own rhymes, Funkmaster Flex hopped into the fray by supplying a reference track from the rumored ghostwriter at the center of the controversy, Quentin Miller, during his Wednesday evening show. Via MissInfo : On Wednesday night during his HOT 97 mixshow, Funkmaster Flex decided to insert himself into the storyline, by playing Quentin Miller’s “10 Bands” reference track given to Drake. According to the DJ, Quentin Miller was getting paid $5000 a month from the Drake’s OVO Sound label, and it was someone from the October’s Very Own collective who sent Flex the full reference track that’s similar to the final version. Hmmmm…well here’s the track for you to judge for yourself: But it doesn’t end there. Shortly thereafter, Drizzy’s producer, friend, and long-time collaborator Noah “40” Shebib took to twitter to clear up Quentin’s role in creating “If You’re Reading This…” and confirm whether or not Drake’s rhymes are authentic. Hit the flip for more…
The living members of The Grateful Dead have announced two exclusive shows this summer featuring a hologram version of late frontman Jerry Garcia. Jerry Garcia (1942-1995) Stemming from the success of the Tupac hologram Coachella performance of 2012, the Dead will be bringing Jerry back to his old stomping grounds. The performances in New York and San Francisco, at Madison Square Garden and the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium, respectively, are set for July. According to reports, the virtual Garcia was created by HoloJams , a company devoted to capturing beloved dead rock musicians in hologram form. While some may find this decision controversial, the move is aimed at younger Dead fans who never had the chance to see the real Jerry Garcia. The hard-living rock legend died in 1995 at the age of 53. About the use of hologram Jerry Garcia, CEO Sam Watts said, “We’re very excited that The Grateful Dead have decided to use our holographic Jerry.” Tupac Coachella Performance “Once we ensure that these performances are well-received, there’s no telling what we’ll do,” he says. “We could even be looking at a nationwide tour.” The Hologram Jerry has been programmed from over hundreds of hours of Grateful Dead performances, predominantly from the late ’60s and early ’70s. “We wanted to capture Jerry at his finest,” says Watts. The company founder also gushed about his other holograms, including a Freddie Mercury, Jimi Hendrix, and even Paul McCartney … who is still alive. They just love The Beatles at HoloJams, Watts explains. Would you go see the hologram Jerry Garcia and the Dead perform? What other iconic music acts would you love (or hate) to see in hologram form? Discuss in the comments beow! 7 Bands That Totally ROCK 1. Motley Crue Motley Crue will say farewell in 2014. But the group will never be forgotten.
Mötley Crüe will soon strum its final note. The band, which has been together for 33 years, announced a press conference inside Beacher’s Madhouse Theater in Hollywood today that it is calling it quits. That’s the bad news. But here’s the good news: Vince Neil, Nikki Sixx, Mick Mars and Tommy Lee will say goodbye to their fans via a hug 72-date tour in 2014. This truly will be it, the musicians vow, so catch them on the road when you can in a few months. And, until then, figure out their place in hard rock history via the following slideshow: 7 Bands That Totally ROCK Open Slideshow 1. Motley Crue Motley Crue will say farewell in 2014. But the group will never be forgotten. View As List 1. Motley Crue Motley Crue will say farewell in 2014. But the group will never be forgotten. 2. Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin is, simply put, legendary. Is this the best hard rock band to ever hit a stage? 3. Metallica Enter Sandman? Enter Metallica in the discussion of best-all time hard rock groups. 4. AC/DC AC/DC often take its fans on a Highway to Hell. And the fans couldn’t love it more. 5. Pink Floyd Pink Floyd is responsible for a number of hits. All-time hits. Hits that will be around forever and ever. 6. Aerosmith Steven Tyler wasn’t always known as an ex-American Idol judge. He’s also the lead singer of this famous group! 7. Bon Jovi Much to the delight of fans, Bon Jovi is still going strong. Let’s hope the group never retires!
Looking for a role in the theater? Just follow the lead of Ellie Cole. This 35-year old secretary was caught on camera getting down with herself for multiple minutes in April while awaiting a bus in Eastleigh, Hampshire. The video quickly went viral, Internet users set Cole’s moves to Abba’s “Dancing Queen” and the footage found its way to playwright Lynne Paris, who offered Cole a spot in the chorus line of the musical “Ah Men.” She made her debut Sunday night. Ellie Cole Dancing at Bus Stop “I’m just a normal everyday person who happens to like dancing at bus stops,” says Cole. Watch all of her moves below and take note, Miley Cyrus : This is how you make dancing headlines while keeping all your clothes on. Ellie Cole: Bus Stop Dancing Queen
