will smith, I am legend, sequel, Michael B. Jordan, Saudi Arabia, fim, cinema, movie

July 27, 2024

The Fresh Prince Is About To ‘Get ‘Jiggy Wit It’ Again: Will Smith Signs New Record Deal

This news comes after he performed his latest song, 'You Can Make It,' at the BET Awards.

A month after The Fresh Prince performed at the BET Awards, there was news that the rapping actor signed a new recording deal.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Will Smith, who started his career as a rapper, signed with a new record label, SLANG. SLANG, a label started by veteran music executive Rene McLean. This news comes after Smith performed his latest song, “You Can Make It,” at the BET Awards on June 30. He did the song with the Sunday Service Choir, Kirk Franklin, and Fridayy.

The upcoming project will be his first one in almost 20 years since he released “Lost and Found” in 2005. He started his hip-hop career in Philadelphia with his DJ, Jazzy Jeff, after releasing the song “Girls Ain’t Nothing But Trouble” (which sampled the theme song from the Barbara Eden/Larry Hagman-led sitcom “I Dream of Jeannie”) in 1986 before debuting their first album, “Rock the House” in 1987.

Smith, as The Fresh Prince, was the first rapper ever to be awarded a Grammy in 1989.

McLean, also a partner and founding advisor of music and entertainment company Influence Media Partners, released a written statement about the new record label.

“I’m proud to lead SLANG’s efforts to partner with quality artists and invest in their growth, regardless of genre or where they are in their respective careers. In a quickly changing music industry, SLANG artists will be surrounded by a team of like-minded strategists who will stop at nothing to further their trajectory and help them meet their goals. Our commitment to culture comes first, and we consider our SLANG roster family,” McLean said.

Smith is coming off a successful release of his latest film, the third sequel to the “Bad Boys” series. The film Bad Boys: Ride or Die was released on June 7 and has grossed $151 million at the domestic box office. Smith also recorded a song for the soundtrack to the movie with Sean Paul, “Light Em Up.

Keke Palmer, webby, awards, Tyler Perry,

by Stacy Jackson

July 26, 2024

Keke Palmer Thanks Tyler Perry For Sliding Her Extra Money Early In Her Career

The actress is grateful for the 'Madea's Family Reunion' creator giving her extra money to support her family.

During the July 23 episode of Keke Palmer’s Baby, This is Keke Palmer podcast, the 30-year-old actress directly expressed her gratitude to her guest, filmmaker Tyler Perry, who helped her during a tough time.

Palmer began her career as child actress, and Madea’s Family Reunion was a great experience for her—in more ways than one.

“I thank you so much for this,” she said. “Whatever the movie did, you gave me extra money in the backend, and that’s big. I really wanted to point that out because that’s not something that people are always doing, and that was very early on in my career. I was no big name or anything like that. It was not necessarily something that was my birthright, but for that to happen in that movie and for it to have been such a success — that extra money, what it did for my family and how it allowed me to maintain my time in California, moving from Chicago.

“I mean, we had nothing, and for you to do that was just really amazing, so I just wanted to mention that ‘cause I never forgot that.”

In 2006, Madea’s Family Reunion topped the box office during its debut weekend, raking in approximately $30.25 million, according to The Associated Press. Palmer played the role of Nikki, a rebellious runaway Madea’s character is court-ordered to look after. Box Office Mojo reported that the film grossed over $63 million. The comedy/drama had a $6 million budget.

Money is no object for Palmer these days. The multimedia talent just started producing some of her own projects. She has launched her own digital television network, KeyTV. Just like Perry, she stars in and produces content for her viewers. In a poignant moment, Palmer is now signing the checks and supporting upcoming actors and singers in the industry.

Young Thug, RICO Case, young thug, recuse, motion, Glanville, Jeffrey Williams, Steel

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

July 26, 2024

Young Thug’s Attorney Requests Bond Release From New Judge

Lawyers for the artist say that Thug has been 'languishing in the county jail' under conditions that have been 'tortuous.'

With the new judge in the Young Thug RICO case now settled in, the defendants’ attorneys have filed various motions, including a request by Young Thug’s attorney for the Atlanta rapper’s release on bond.

According to Billboard, Thug’s attorney Brian Steel requested the motion on July 23 from Judge Paige Reese Whitaker. After various dealings and several denied requests from the previous judge, Judge Ural Glanville, on various matters, Steel stated that his client has been forced to “languish” in jail for years without being convicted of a crime.

“The most fundamental premise of our criminal justice system is that the criminally accused cannot be punished for an offense until the prosecution proves guilt beyond a reasonable doubt,” he states in his latest filing. “In our society, liberty is the norm.”

Steel also asked if the artist could be released under strict conditions that include electronic monitoring, hiring of off-duty police officers for security, subjecting all communications to monitoring, and requiring anyone who enters his home to be searched by law enforcement.

“This will prevent any possibility to intimidate a witness or otherwise obstruct the administration of justice,” Steel wrote. “With these parameters in mind, it cannot be said that Mr. Williams would be a threat or a danger to the community or any person or property in the community.”

He mentioned that Thug has been “languishing in the county jail” under conditions that have been “tortuous.” The YSL boss is under isolation daily for 22 hours, while he is given “inedible food” and has to deal with an “ant-infested room” where he can’t see out the windows.

“Ordering Mr. Williams to wear an ankle monitor and to be in ‘total lockdown’ in his home is the equivalent to custody and confinement and has been deemed lawful confinement without the punishment imposed by the current county jail conditions wrongly imposed on Mr. Williams,” Steel wrote in the motion.

The jury is slated to return to court the week of Aug. 5.

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

July 26, 2024

Gas Station Employee Arrested After Allegedly Stealing Winning $1M Lottery Scratch-Off Ticket

Meet Patel is being held on a charge of theft over $250,000

In Tennessee, an employee at a gas station has been accused of stealing a winning $1 million scratch-off lottery ticket from a customer and then trying to collect the cash prize.

According to CNN, Meet Patel was arrested after being asked to check two scratch-off tickets and after finding out that both were winners, he kept the one with the $1 million winning. The unidentified winner had no idea he had won the large prize until detectives contacted him to inform him of the employee’s theft. Patel is being held on a charge of theft over $250,000 at the Rutherford County Adult Detention Center.

The incident took place at a Shell gas station in Murfreesboro on July 13. The customer scratched off the front of one of the tickets and asked Patel to scan both tickets to see if he had won. One ticket revealed a prize of $40, while the other showed a winning jackpot of $1 million. A surveillance video obtained by investigators of the Tennessee Lottery reveals Patel scanning the tickets but he threw the winning ticket in the garbage.

“If you scratch off the front bar code, it will tell you if it’s a winner or not, regardless of whether you scratch off everything showing how much you won,” Lt. Detective Steve Craig told News Channel 5.

Patel paid out the $40 winning ticket and left the bigger prize ticket on top of the trash. The video shows him retrieving the $1 million winner and placing the ticket in his pocket.

“Mr. Patel is then seen later in the video celebrating in the store after scratching off the front of the ticket and learning it was a $1 million winner,” Det. Dennis Ward said in a news release.

Patel tried to claim the cash prize when he went to the lottery commission. Lottery officials typically check security video where the tickets are purchased and that is when they saw what Patel had done.

“He went to the lottery commission to claim the ticket as his own, but there were red flags and they held onto the ticket,” Lt. Detective Steve Craig said.

Stealing a million-dollar ticket is a Class A felony and a bond was set at $100,000, and Patel is scheduled for a hearing on July 30.

by Shanique Yates

July 26, 2024

Jackson State University Makes History As First HBCU To Receive Prestigious Award For Promoting Innovation And Invention

JSU received the National Academy of Inventor's Founder's Award for promoting innovation and invention.

Jackson State University is the first HBCU to receive recognition from the National Academy of Inventors (NAI).

The NAI is a nonprofit that promotes academic inventors. Established at the University of South Florida in 2010, the NAI has inducted 757 Fellows since 2012. To qualify as a Fellow, one must be named an inventor on at least one U.S. patent.

Upon earning the Founder’s Award from NAI, JSU became the first Mississippi school to receive the honor. It is presented to institutions that contribute to the organization’s “success by enhancing its reach, promoting access, diversity and a commitment to innovation and invention.” After becoming an NAI charter member in February 2011, JSU has inducted several faculty members as fellows.

The first, Ernest Izevbigie, was inducted in 2012 after earning two patents and research that ultimately led to the formation of EdoBotanics, a company launched by JSU that sells dietary supplements to help boost immune systems and helps cancer patients manage chemotherapy and radiation side effects. Other inductees include 2017 fellow Kamal Ali, a computer engineering and electrical professor, and Danuta Leszczynska, who was inducted for a 2018 medical patent for technology that eliminates inflammation and infection in patients when their artificial implants begin to chip and become brittle.

“This recognition further underscores our dedication to academic excellence, economic development, and societal progress,” said JSU President Marcus Thompson. “It is a significant milestone not just for JSU, but for all Historically Black Colleges and Universities and the state of Mississippi.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Jackson State University (@jacksonstateu)

With more than 4,600 members and 260 institutions, NAI continues to celebrate individuals and schools like JSU who are committed to using technology to improve the world. Almesha Campbell, JSU’s Division of Research and Economic Development assistant vice president, accepted the Founder’s Award on behalf of the school. She has been an honorary member since 2022, h. However, she has worked with NAI since 2011.

“JSU’s membership in the National Academy of Inventors has been pivotal in fostering innovation and research translation among JSU faculty, empowering them to transform ideas into solutions for societal impact,” she said.

Founded in October 1877, JSU is one of the largest HBCUs in the nation and the fourth-largest university in the state of Mississippi regarding student enrollment. In addition to being a Thurgood Marshall College Fund, member JSU is also classified among “R2: Doctoral Universities- High research activity.”

Kamala Harris, Mississippi, Black Women, Voters

by Sharelle B. McNair

July 26, 2024

Black Women In Mississippi Hope Kamala Harris Will Turn The State Blue

Think Harris can help Mississippi change colors?

Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris is giving hope to Black women in red states that it will turn blue.

Since Harris announced her campaign on Juy 22, Black women in Mississippi have rallied around her. They are pushing a narrative that she will represent their rights better than GOP candidate and former president Donald Trump.

Harris’ take on critical issues such as abortion may persuade women to cast their ballots blue in November. Still, Hattiesburg City Council Member Deborah Delgado will vote for her solely because she is qualified. “Harris has a record of supporting issues that are of concern to me as a Black woman and as an elected official,” Delgado said.

“A lot of times, the government makes decisions or puts policies in place that are not always in the best interest of the people that we’re supposed to represent. I see her as somebody different.”

Mississippi’s District 69 Democratic State Rep. Tamarra Bulter-Washington shares similar adoration for the current Vice President. Highlighting her impressive résumé as a California district attorney and former U.S. Senator, the congresswoman thinks another critical reason for people to vote is her being relatable. “I truly believe that she will be fighting for the people, and not just certain people, but all citizens of the United States,” she said.

President Joe Biden’s endorsement also means something to Bulter-Washington: that he believes Harris would do right by this country. “That spoke volumes because that means that the president himself, our current sitting president, believes in her and believes she can run this country and believes she can do it right,” she said.

Since Mississippi is a heavily red-leaning state, Delgado hopes this election leans in on the importance of voting. “Every election is important. It’s not just the people at the top of the ticket, but certainly, as a Black woman, I’m mostly motivated by her being at the top of the ticket,” she said.

“I know if we have someone with her capabilities at the top of the government of this country, we’re going to be better, and things are going to change in a big way.”

Other Black groups representing the state of Mississippi, like the Jackson County chapter of the NAACP, are seemingly excited about what Harris’ campaign can do for the state. President Curley Clark feels good about her policies and how she will lead the country. “We felt good about the president and his policies, and our national president Derrick Johnson made it clear that the NAACP was more concerned with policies than person,” Clark told WLOX 13.

“I think in the back of his mind, he wanted to make sure that if anything were to happen to him, he would be confident in Kamala to follow in his leadership.”

Clark is looking forward to the Democratic National Convention in Chicago between Aug. 19 and Aug. 22. He is hopeful for a sense of unity so the party can win in November. “We’re going to have to come together,” the leader said. “We’re going to have to come and bring all those elements I mentioned together and speak with one voice to the American people and let them know what’s at stake.”

Health Experts Warn ‘COVID-19 Never Goes Away’ Amid Rising Summer Cases

by Shanique Yates

July 26, 2024

Health Experts Warn ‘COVID-19 Never Goes Away’ Amid Rising Summer Cases

CDC and medical experts warn that COVID-19 is here to stay amid rising summer cases taking the U.S. by storm.

In 2020, COVID-19 took the world by storm, and experts are warning that the virus is still very prevalent four years later amid rising summer cases.

As summer is in full swing in the United States, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report that 36 states across the nation have “high” or “very high” COVID rates. “This year’s summer COVID-19 wave is coming earlier than last year, which occurred in late August and early September,” said a spokesperson for the government-led organization.

Initially, the CDC tracked the total number of new COVID-19 cases. Today, it uses indicators like test positivity, emergency department visits, and wastewater surveillance to estimate transmission levels. Since its peak in January, positive COVID-19 rates have been at their highest at 12.6%; however, the death rates concerning the infection remain stable.

“Levels are lower than the peak from this past winter and are at similar levels to the early fall peak in 2023,” said the spokesperson.

Per wastewater data, the American states with the highest rising summer cases currently sit in the West. However, recent spikes have occurred in the Southeast, New England regions, and parts of the Mid-Atlantic.

The “very high” states include the District of Columbia, Alaska, California, Florida, etc. On the contrary, areas with “high” COVID-19 rates include Alabama, Arizona, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Virginia, and more.

“Unlike influenza, which essentially disappears during the summertime, COVID-19 never goes away,” said Dr. William Schaffner, professor of infectious diseases at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.

He also noted that the rise in summer cases of COVID-19 is occurring “all over the country.”

“(COVID) is up everywhere,” said Schaffner. “It’s not as though you could go to a state and avoid this increase. It’s just that the increase is more prominent in some parts of the country than others.”

In addition to previous strains like Alpha, Beta, Delta, and Omicron, new COVID-19 variants that are contributing to the summer spikes include FLiRT and LB.1. The CDC reports that signs of COVID-19 are congestion or runny nose, cough, diarrhea, fatigue, nausea or vomiting, among other symptoms like fever or chills, new loss of sense of taste or smell, shortness of breath, sore throat, and headache or muscle aches.

by Black Enterprise

July 26, 2024

Black Enterprise’s CEO Earl ‘Butch’ Graves Talks Black Leadership In Media At NABJ Convention

Butch Graves headed to the NABJ convention in Chicago!

Black Enterprise’s CEO Butch Graves will sit alongside some of Black media’s elite on an impactful panel hosted by The Executive Leadership Council (ELC) during the 2024 National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) Conference.

This year, the ELC will take center stage to host an array of influential media executives who have paved the way in Black media for decades. “The Power of Black Leadership and Today’s Media Landscape” panel will be jam-packed with the best of the best in Black media spaces, including Essence CEO Caroline Wanga, CBS’ VP of News, Tanya Black, CEO of Reach TV, Lynnwood Bibbens and BET’s Chief Marketing Officer, Kimberly Paige, according to a press release shared with Black Enterprise.

While on the NABJ stage, the group will take a deep dive into Black leaders’ pivotal role in shaping the media’s narrative, break down the challenges faced, and explain how to continue being the driver of inclusivity. Those who attend will hear and see the powerful world of leadership, diversity, and the future of media.

Since 1986, the ELC has been a lifeline in mentoring Black leaders in higher education and corporate America. Formed by a group of 19 Black corporate executives –- eighteen men and one woman — the group started by helping to keep the doors of the former HBCU, Bishop College, open until 1988. After becoming a “catalyst for a corporate civil rights movement,” the group’s legacy has continued to be vital in “supporting, developing, and nurturing Black excellence” across numerous sectors.

The annual NABJ conference will take place in Chicago between July 31 and Aug. 4. Black journalists and media professionals from all over the country come together for this annual event to embed a lasting impact on culture and to continue a “legacy of thriving Black-owned businesses and cultural institutions.”

Since the Windy City was voted as the best big city in the U.S. seven years in a row by Condé Nast Traveler, the event will surely see a slew of industry leaders, innovators, and influencers in media, technology, government, community service, health, arts, entertainment, academia, and more. In 2023, more than 3,000 people attended the multi-day conference in Birmingham, Alabama.

The topics corresponding with this year’s schedule are ones that attendees don’t want to miss. Some topics include writing data-driven stories, making connections in the newsroom, building small business success, and more. Attendees can also make lasting media connections or find their next employer by attending the all-day Career Fair & Exhibits.

Blair Underwood, Sex And The City, Black man, Kim Catrall, Samantha

by Shanique Yates

July 26, 2024

Blair Underwood Wasn’t Feeling His Initial ‘Sex And The City’ Character Due To Race-Based Role

Blair Underwood turned down a role during earlier season of "Sex and the City" due to his character's storyline being solely about race.

Blair Underwood has always refused to be boxed in in his career. Look at Sex and the City. Although Underwood would go on to play a brief romantic love interest for one of the show’s lead characters, Miranda (Cynthia Nixon), in HBO’s hit series, he did it on his terms.

“I actually did say ‘No’ the first time,” he told Will Harris at The A.V. Club in a career retrospective that ran July 22. “The first time they had offered the role, to be honest with you, it was about how Samantha was fascinated by dating a Black man and wanted to know if, uh, all of the rumors were true about our anatomy! And I said, ‘Listen, I’m honored, thank you, but I just don’t want to play a character based on race, on curiosity about a Black man.’”

During a 2021 interview with Vulture, Underwood did confirm that the role he was initially offered a spot for was one of Sex and the City‘s earlier seasons, where another lead character, Samantha, portrayed by actress Kim Cattrall, dated a Black man out of sheer curiosity. The episode, titled “No Ifs, Ands, or Butts,” is more along the lines of the fetish role that Underwood said he was not willing to make a compromise to play. Moreover, he had no desire to become boxed in at any point in his career.

Standing up for himself proved to work in his favor in the end. Underwood said the Sex and the City team not only accepted his decision to decline the role, they called back later with another offer, one where he explicitly asked if the role was going to be about race.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Blair Underwood (@blairunderwood_official)

“They said, ‘No, no, no, we’re not even gonna mention race!’” he told Harris. “And I think it really did only come up maybe once. I did five episodes, and I think Samantha mentioned it once, saying something about a ‘Black doctor’ that Miranda was dating. And that’s really been a consistent thing in my career: not wanting to be boxed as ‘the Black guy.’ I’ve had that conversation with many producers along the way, and they were so great. They said, ‘No, he’s just a doctor who Miranda meets in the elevator, and they have a nice little fling.’ And it was amazing.”

Today, Underwood is revered for his work as an actor, starring in the recent horror film Longlegs, where he plays Agent Carter, a stand-up American boss who goes from protector and hero to demonic adversary in the film that is centered around an unsolved serial killer case that shifts unexpectedly when evidence reveals the occult’s involvement.

Underwood has had quite an illustrious career, appearing in a wide array of films and TV shows, including Set it Off and L.A. Law.

RELATED CONTENT: Blair Underwood Plays the Role of a Lifetim e

Kendrick Lamar, Demar DeRozan, Sacramento Kings

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

July 26, 2024

‘Drake’s Still My Man,’ Says NBA Star Demar DeRozan, Despite Appearing In Kendrick Lamar’s ‘Not Like Us’ Video

Like Lamar, DeRozan is from Compton, California.

The city of Compton, California, gained widespread recognition when hip-hop artists N.W.A. burst onto the scene in the late 1980s. Many others have proudly represented their hometown ever since. With Kendrick Lamar’s latest song and video, “Not Like Us,” once again shining the spotlight on Compton, newly arrived Sacramento Kings power forward DeMar DeRozan made an appearance in the video.

DeRozan, 34 and a Compton native like Lamar, was a longtime Toronto Raptor. Drake is a die-hard fan and a regular courtside presence at games. This isn’t a problem, according to the basketball star. Though he was excited to appear in Lamar’s video, he assured everyone that “Drake’s still my man.”

In an interview with The Sacramento Bee, DeRozan discussed the significance of Kendrick Lamar’s song, video, and popup show in California. He noted how these events brought unity to Compton with gang members coming together in peace.

“It was fun to be a part of (‘Not Like Us’),” said DeRozan. “For that moment, it was so much bigger than what people look at it as a beef between (Lamar) and Drake. It brought our whole city together in a different type of light where there wasn’t no issues, no violence. Everybody was coming together in a peaceful manner and that was the beauty out of those moments.”

It wasn’t lost on any basketball or California fan that Lamar mentioned DeRozan in the Drake diss song: “I’m glad DeRoz’ came home, y’all didn’t deserve him neither.”

But DeRozan clarified that all his good between him and Canada’s favorite rapper.

“Drake’s still my man, still my man, none of it changed,” he said. “It’s so easy to get overlooked and look at it for what it looks like, but at the end of the day it’s music, entertainment. Two of the biggest rappers in the world went at it from a competitive standpoint and they battled it out. That’s what you want to see as a fan: Kobe (Bryant) playing (Michael) Jordan 1-on-1 and see who wins, see the trash talking, and whoever wins out of that, you’re still going to have the debate, so that’s all that is.”