This year’s awards will be the first show after The Recording Academy’s controversial cut of 31 categories, many of which were combined into other awards. “Black music critics and fans were angered because [R&B] was taken from eight awards to just four,” Kennedy says. Indeed, the Best R&B Performance award for 2012 includes nominees that in 2011 would have been eligible in the Best Female R&B Vocal Performance, Best Male R&B Vocal Performance, Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals and Best Urban/Alternative Performance, respectively. “I think the biggest drawback is that the new rules and categories left little or no distinction between contemporary and traditional R&B,” he continues. “The [still-present, but slightly named-changed] Best Traditional R&B and Best R&B Performance categories really have no difference if you look at the nominees in both races. So while Beyoncé, Jill Scott, Jazmine Sullivan and Miguel all had big releases, nods went to quieter ones from Kelly Price, Ledisi and El DeBarge, all of which were very traditional R&B discs.”

Still, each year after the show, winners of every category tend to see a brief bump in units sold and a rise of their material on the charts. “The surge in sales, like any award show, seems to come from the public’s desire to know, ‘What makes so-and-so special enough to have won?’” Kennedy says. “They see an artist that maybe a colleague or friend had mentioned or they read about, but hadn’t gotten curious enough to check them out or buy their music. Now they’ve won this huge award and they want to see what the fuss is about. Or it could be an artist that they’d casually been a fan of and purchased a single here and there, but maybe loved their performance [at the awards] so now they want more.”

That curiosity and craving from fans is big business for record labels. Last year, global music sales reached $16.2 billion, with nearly a third ($5.2 billion) coming from digital sales. Kennedy notes a few artists he thinks will help the industry earn some more cash come Grammy night. For starters, he predicts Ledisi to win Best R&B Performance for “Pieces of Me”; Betty Wright and The Roots to take home the trophy for Best Traditional R&B Performance for “Surrender”; Cee-Lo Green and Melanie Fiona to score a win for “Fool for You” in the Best R&B song category; and for R. Kelly to win Best R&B Album for his Love Letter disc. He also predicts a big night for Kanye West, who has this year’s most nominations. Kennedy forecasts that he’ll share a Best Rap Performance Grammy with Jay-Z for their duet, “Otis”; get a win for Best Rap Song with his ensemble cast featured on “All the Lights”; and will repeat his win for Best Rap Album for My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, an honor he’s previously won for 2005’s Late Registration and 2007’s Graduation. Speaking of Jay-Z, Kennedy also thinks that his wife, Beyoncé, will grab a win for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration with her André 3000-assisted version of “Party.”

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Nicki Minaj (Image: Getty)

The heavy-hitting categories of the night include Album of the Year, Song of the Year and Best New Artist. What chance does Kennedy foresee for some of Black music’s top artists in those brackets? “What’s a nice way of saying zero chance of winning?” Kennedy asks regarding Rihanna’s nomination in the Album of the Year category. “…The odds are against Loud, which was largely seen as a singles album, though a successful one. This is Adele’s to win..,” Kennedy says, but also notes that rock band the Foo Fighters and pop crooner Bruno Mars may have a chance of defeating the UK diva.

Kanye West’s My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy was overlooked for Album of the Year, so Kennedy thinks fans within The Academy might vote for him in the Song of the Year category for the previously mentioned “All the Lights.” “The competition is fierce, and a few of the songs [in this category] are also competing for Record of the Year, which could ultimately go to Adele,” he says. “Question is, will voters consider the songwriting of a rap song compared to the singer-songwriter tracks that fill out the field?”

Then there’s Best New Artist, an award that has been won by stars such as John Legend, Alicia Keys and Lauryn Hill. 2012’s nominees include rappers J. Cole and Nicki Minaj, the latter of whom Kennedy expects to take the trophy. “Historically, Best New Artist has been just that, the best new artist to come on the scene that past year. The Grammys love an artist that can deliver on that promise (look at Adele for instance, who won in 2009). At this point people don’t consider Nicki a new artist because of her profile, but she really should be the favorite to win,” he says.

Our World with Black Enterprise host Marc Lamont Hill with the Stick Fly creative team; Alicia Keys, Lydia Diamond and Kenny Leon.

She’s sold 30 million albums worldwide and won 14 Grammy Awards, and now Alicia Keys is conquering the Great White Way.  As co-producer of the hit Broadway play Stick Fly, Keys didn’t just invest money or lend her name to the production; she composed the original music and has been instrumental in bringing the project to life.  Written by African American playwright Lydia R. Diamond and directed by Kenny Leon, Stick Fly has moved African Americans on Broadway down stage, front and center.

Our World with Black Enterprise host Marc Lamont Hill recently sat down with the superstar on the set of her BLACK ENTERPRISE magazine cover shoot for an intimate, one-on-one conversation about life, love and spreading her creative wings.

Plus, now more than ever, Blacks are redefining how they see themselves. This week our roundtable takes on race and class in America with Princeton University Professors Eddie Glaude and Imani Perry, and author and social commentator, Touré.

Our World with Black Enterprise airs this Sunday at 10 a.m. on TV One and on local stations across the country Feb. 11^th and 12^th. Check your local listings and visit www.blackenterprise.com/ourworld for additional time and station information.

Laili Ali

Laila Ali is known for her beauty and brawn. She’s reigned as the women’s super middle-weight boxing champ and strutted her stuff on Dancing with the Stars. Now the former champ has set her sights on a new foe: kidney disease.  On this weekend’s edition of Our World with Black Enterprise, host Marc Lamont Hill [@marclamonthill] talks with Ali about ‘Pair Up,’ her campaign with the National Kidney Fund to spread awareness and prevention of the devastating disease.

Plus, with this year’s Black Enterprise Women of Power Summit® hosted by State Farm just days away, Our World revisits three of the women who have made the summit a can’t-miss event.  Former Olympic athlete Marion Jones tells how she bounced back and reclaimed her power after a devastating doping scandal that resulted in six months of incarceration. Legacy Award winner Audrey Smaltz speaks to career longevity after a successful 55-year career in the fashion industry; and Bishop Barbara C. Harris inspires as the first ordained bishop in the Anglican Communion.

Our World with Black Enterprise airs on TV ONE this Sunday, February 5 at 10:00 a.m. and on local stations across the country all weekend. Check your local listings and visit www.blackenterprise.com/ourworld for additional time and station information.

The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater just kicked off their 2012 US Tour, which will entertain audiences in 27 North American cities from February 2 – May 27. What better way to celebrate Artistic Director Robert Battle’s inaugural season then to channel your inner dancer?

Visit our BE Rewarded site to enter for a chance to win two complimentary dance classes at Alvin Ailey.  The Extension classes offered to the public boast various techniques of dance for the novice to the advanced learner. The classes offered cover techniques such as: ballet, yoga, African dance, ballroom, and hip-hop.

The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater was founded over 50 years ago, and over that time has performed throughout the U.S. and internationally.

For a complete tour schedule or to purchase tickets, visit www.alvinailey.org/2012tour .

Legacy Award winner Dionne Warwick

Fans of soul music icon Dionne Warwick sat wide-eyed and open-mouthed as she verbally took on Real Housewives star NeNe Leaks, Academy Award winner Marlee Matlin and anybody else who stood in her way on last season’s Celebrity Apprentice. Many simply weren’t expecting the legendary 70-year-old singer — easily one of the most successful female vocalists of all time— to be so fiery.

For her part, Warwick says she hadn’t expected the mood of the show to get as ugly as it did. She adds that if she had it to do all over again —she wouldn’t.

“The experience on Celebrity Apprentice was very interesting, to say the least,” laughs Warwick, who will receive the Legacy Award at this year’s Black Enterprise Women of Power Summit.

“I’ve known Donald Trump for many years, so when I was approached to do it, I thought, ‘Well, why not?’ But as time [on the show] went on, I found that it was not as cordial as I thought it would be. I felt that it got to the point that where my many years of impeccable achievements were a little bit in jeopardy by the surroundings that I was in. So I thought it best that I fire myself and bow out gracefully without destroying 50 years.”

And what a glorious five decades it has been: The Grammy award-winning singer scored her first hit in December 1962 with “Don’t Make Me Over,” and has been churning out the classics ever since —“Do You Know the Way to San Jose,” “Walk On By,” “Heartbreaker” and “That’s What Friends Are For.” She helped launch the legendary Soul Train Music Awards, raise millions of dollars for AIDS research, and served as a U.S. Ambassador for health.

Warwick attributes much of her tremendous success to keeping good people around her — something she recommends to anyone getting into the entertainment business. “I’m still working with the same people I’ve worked with over many, many years. There is a loyalty factor and a friendship factor that have become paramount. It’s important to stay surrounded by people you trust and who have your back — who have your best interest at heart.”

The singer says she’s proud to receive honors such as the Black Enterprise Legacy Award because they help introduce her to a new generation of fans. “It’s wonderful when what you do for a living has been accepted as something that people want to be a part of and will continue to enjoy over a period of time,” she says. “It’s very exciting.”

Keep an eye out for some new music from her as well: “I’d like to work with Earth, Wind and Fire, and George Benson,” she reveals as she prepares to drop a new album that will be out in March. “I’ll be touring to promote it.” Warwick says she also has plans to go back into the studio with legendary producer Phil Ramone, and that she’s considering recording a bunch of other projects, including a country album she’s been approached to do.

And keep an ear out for her niece, Whitney Houston, as well. “As far as I know [Whitney will have a new album out] this year.”

Actor De’aundre Bonds, on the long road to redemption

By the mid ’90s, De’aundre Bonds’ acting career was headed in a promising direction. He had memorable roles in cult classics like Get on the Bus, Sunset Park, Tales From the Hood and The Wood on his resume. Bonds’ success was not by accident, it was all part of his master plan. From a young age, the California native decided to avoid the path his parents took by not allowing alcohol, drugs and the violence in his South Central neighborhood to keep him from reaching his dreams of making it in Hollywood. However, right when he was about to make one of his biggest career moves—which would have been to star in Denzel Washington’s Antwone Fisher—an unfortunate chain of events led Bonds to prison when he was charged and convicted of manslaughter in 2001.

After serving nearly a decade behind bars, Bonds was released in March 2011 and immediately began working again. The undeterred thespian will appear next alongside such mainstream stars as Emma Stone, Ryan Gosling, Sean Penn, Nick Nolte and Anthony Mackie in the upcoming period police drama, Gangster Squad. He’s also working on music and a clothing line, as well as a book and documentary about his life. Bonds’ dream may have been deferred but it’s definitely back on track. BlackEnterprise.com caught up with the actor to talk about what role faith plays in his life and entrepreneurial success.

What are the details of the crime that sent you to prison?

I went over to my auntie’s house to give her some money and her boyfriend was over there. I guess he had something that he was going through that I wasn’t unaware of, because for no provoked reason he came at me in an aggressive way. When I pulled up and got out my car, I left it running to go in for a moment, and I guess he was mad I had the music up. I don’t know, but something ticked him off and he put his hands on me and knocked me down. I got up and he knocked me down again. I went in the house grabbed a knife [and] he came at me again. I stabbed him one time and he died. I stayed there and tried to help him. I waited for the ambulance; they came and took him away. Then the police came. That’s what happened.

What were your thoughts when you realized the results of your actions and likely headed to prison?

It was crazy because when I went to prison I had just booked a movie with Denzel Washington. Denzel himself gave me the part, it was Antwone Fisher and I was excited to be living my dream. I was about to go to the next level and then all of a sudden I had to go down. At the time I didn’t understand why me and then after going through it, after enduring it and after the years you learn why. It’s something you can only understand after you’ve endured it. In a crazy way I needed that. I needed to be shut down. I needed to learn myself, I needed a place where I had to really open my eyes and wake up. That’s what incarceration afforded me the opportunity to do—wake up and check myself. We’re not perfect, however, I’m striving to be the best that I can be.

Coming from a world of red carpet premieres and flashing lights, how did you adjust to incarceration?

One of the things that kept me going and focused was getting out to my family and the people that stood by my side and life in general. There’s nothing alive in prison, it’s an absolute walking death. That motivated me even more to get out of there by any means necessary because I don’t see how people can give up in something like that place. Spirituality played a major role for me to want to get out of there. All the lights were off, phones were cut off and gates were locked. It’s just you and God and He talks to you. I don’t want to get religious but for me, just praying and enduring that made me know that I needed God. He’s first but the only way I can put Him first is to make sure I’m right. He can’t be first if you ain’t right so I learned so much about my spirituality and my inner strength and the God within me, so that’s what I discovered.

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Were you concerned about how your conviction and the amount of time you had to serve would impact your acting career?

I don’t know if it’s something that affected my career because people are still receptive to my talent and my work. People don’t necessarily hold what happened against my talent and my work, and if they do, I don’t know [anything] about it. If I could ever change what happen I would absolutely do that in a minute, in a second, but I know that that’s not a possibility, so I don’t hold it against myself. God hasn’t held it against me either because I feel it in my heart; my heart is free. So if the conviction impacted my career in a negative way I haven’t seen it.

Surprisingly, your first film after being released is a mainstream project that features a long list of big stars. How were you able to bounce back so quickly?

When I was in [prison] it was like I haven’t been eating and then I started starving and when they put a plate out there I went [for] it. When I got out I was ready to go right to running. I was ready to do it. I said I wasn’t going to cry over time that I can’t get back but what matters today is that I go forward. That’s ultimately how I got out, and right away I booked my first audition, which was a mini series. I didn’t get the second audition but I got the third audition, which is Gangster Squad. The film stars Sean Penn, Ryan Gosling, Anthony Mackie, Emma Stone, myself, Josh Brolin and many other great actors. I [was] so focused on the character that when I read for the role I wasn’t even aware that all these actors were in the movie until I got it. And then I was shocked. I was like, This is truly a blessing. It was nice to get that role and get back out there and work with such wonderful people.

What’s your role in Gangster Squad?

My character’s name is Duke Del Red, he was a heroine dealer back in the late 1940’s and this movie takes place in that era. He worked for one of the main guys who was a mafia figure that ran Los Angeles. This is a different character for me and people are going to be blown away by the style. My character goes through all kinds of craziness. It’s fun because it’s not like any of the characters that I played before. There’s action and running and craziness.

What else are you working on to make up for lost time?

I have a clothing line called Cherish Her for women that I’m starting and I’m into music now. I have an album out on iTunes called Real Life that I’m getting wonderful feedback from. I wrote a book about my life story that will be out real soon and I want to have that made into a feature film. I’m also doing a documentary about my life so that I can show my transition from getting back out here into society and back to work so that people can learn. I’m doing what I love—entertainment, acting, directing, fashion… I’m just trying to do it all.

“Pinch me, it’s great!,” Robinson says of the role. “What I love about Tasha is that she’s a single mom and at the same time she’s not a statistic.  She took that and didn’t become the victim.”

Robinson is also known for her role as high school principal Regina Grier on the WB sitcom The Steve Harvey Show. Her advice to young people aspiring to a career in the creative arts: “Step outside the box and don’t stay within the confines of what you think is the traditional way of getting in. Be as creative as possible and don’t be afraid to take risks; without risk you’ll never know true possibilities.”

This week’s On the Record discussion centers around the people who are at the center of American conversation and socia media trending topics: President Barack Obama, star NFL quarterback Michael Vick, and top entertainer Beyonce. Our panelists include MSNBC Commentator and political analyst Jeff Johnson; actor and comedian Kim Coles; and writer and comedian Chris Spencer. And finally, our Slice of Life profiles former top model turned teacher Rashid Silvera, who is making a difference in the lives of students attending Scarsdale High School in New York.

Our World with Black Enterprise airs on TV ONE this Sunday, January 22 at 10:00 a.m. and on local stations across the country all weekend.

Check your local listings and visit www.blackenterprise.com/ourworld for additional time and station information.

Until then, here’s a sample of Committed!

The Movie

Red Tails is the brainchild of Hollywood icon George Lucas, creator of both the Star Wars and Indiana Jones sagas. Set during World War II, the film is loosely based on the experiences of the Tuskegee Airmen, Black pilots in the segregated 332nd fighter group. It follows the experiences (both combat and life experiences) of a group of pilots stationed at a U.S. airfield in Italy in 1944. Bearing the burden of the blatant and institutionalized racism within the military at that time, the fighters of the 332nd were relegated to menial and inconsequential missions compared to their White counterparts. Eventually, the Tuskegee Airmen were granted the more prestigious and dangerous ground attacks, air cover and bomber escort missions. It was their impeccable record of escorting bombers that made them legendary among pilots in general.

While the plot of Red Tails was intense, dramatic, and lighthearted it was also at times cliché and predictable. Whether it was the death of one character or the escape from death of another, the foreshadowing of those events just seemed too blatant. Speaking of characters, I often felt that I wanted to know more about the back-story of the men on screen. While there were surface dynamics provided, a more in depth treatment of the characters, their back-stories and experiences with a racist military structure—outside of Col. Bullard’s (Terrence Howard) meetings with military brass—could have helped me identify more with the characters. I even found myself put-off by some of the basic artistic aspects of the film (i.e. unnecessary and awkward accents, or even the font of the credits at the beginning of the film). In truth, I felt that the story left me unfulfilled and wanting more.

With that said, my critique of the film must be put in the proper context. The gaps in the storyline and the lack of in-depth character development reflect the shear amount of material the director, writers and producers attempted to include in the film. Trying to cover the realities of war, incredible fight scenes, a love story, character nuances and the racial-political realities of the military in a two-hour movie is certainly challenging. The story of the Tuskegee Airmen themselves—their triumphs, their tragedies, their battles in combat and their battles at home—is too great a story to be condensed into a two-hour time frame. It is for this reason that Lucas himself is on record as saying that he plans to produce both a sequel (covering the experiences of the pilots after returning home) and a prequel (documenting their flight training at Tuskegee University) if Red Tails proves to be successful.

In the end, the movie itself, though simplistic and at times “corny,” was inspiring. The battle scenes were superb and the film certainly evoked emotion and identification with the airmen themselves. My criticisms aside, it is certainly a movie that MUST be seen, a movie that MUST be supported and a story that MUST be told.

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David Banner

The Development of the Movie

Much has been said (and should be said) about the role of George Lucas in making this film, but be very clear, this is a Black movie. In the promoting and reporting on Red Tails, the major theme has been the mostly Black cast, and the lack of a White actor in a major capacity in this film. This alone should be applauded, but what gets lost in the discussion is the fact that the director, the co-writers (including Boondocks creator Aaron McGruder) and the music director (New Orleans’ own Terrence Blanchard) are also Black. Furthermore, while developing the idea for the movie in the late ’80s, Thomas Carter, Lucas’ first choice for director, is Black and it was reported that Samuel L. Jackson was at one time in discussions to direct and star in the film. The point is that at every turn in the development and production of Red Tails, George Lucas sought Black talent to tell an authentic and dignified Black story. For that he should be applauded.

The Impact of the Movie

The box office reports are in for opening weekend and it’s official, Red Tails can be declared a box office success, coming in second place over the weekend with over $19 million in ticket sales. The box office receipts point to several realities:

First, and arguably most important, these numbers show that a big budget, dignified movie with a mostly Black cast can make money. The inability of this type of movie to draw dollars was the primary reason given to Lucas as to why no major studio in Hollywood would back the movie.

Secondly, the success of a movie like Red Tails shows that a wide variety of images of the Black community can be embraced on film. Historically, depictions of our community have consistently reinforced servant, buffoon, criminal and deviant themes. Red Tails shows that a heroic, distinguished and uplifting representation of our community is marketable.

Lastly, the efforts of Lucas himself are particularly instructive. Nearly a quarter century of rejection by every major studio in Hollywood was not enough to deter Lucas from his goal of providing “real heroes” for American teenagers—presumably Black teenagers. In addition to his telling a quality Black story, Lucas also seemed determined to put Blacks in positions critical to creating and telling the story (director, writer, composer, etc.) His dedication to this story—and indirectly to the redefining of Black images—was confirmed when it became clear that if he wanted this story told, he would have to fund it himself. In the face of such an obstacle, Lucas literally “put his money where his mouth is,” by funding the project with money out of his own pocket (to the tune of $96 million) to not only get the movie made but distributed as well. This act alone speaks to his sincerity and determination in bringing this type of story to the big screen.

With Red Tails Lucas has also taught a lesson to the Black filmmaking community. This lesson is, the selfless and dogmatic commitment to redefining Black images and telling quality, uplifting Black stories, is a blueprint that every Black filmmaker should study and emulate.