Just off the heels of celebrating what would’ve been the 50th birthday of Christopher Wallace, The Notorious B.I.G., the rapper and hip-hop legend’s son, C.J. Wallace, is working hard to keep his father’s legacy alive.

C.J. joined Lil Kim at her annual B.I.G. Dinner Gala on May 21 to celebrate the late rapper’s milestone birthday. C.J. performed his father’s verse from the song “One More Chance” alongside Kim, Lil Cease, and Fat Joe.

“It’s still something I still haven’t really come to grips with all the emotions and everything,” C.J. tells BLACK ENTERPRISE.

“But, it was it was a beautiful week. These past few weeks have been just overwhelming with support and love from everybody.”

Behind the scenes, the 25-year-old actor keeps Biggie’s name and brand alive. With New York City Mayor Eric Adams declaring May 21 as “Christopher ‘The Notorious B.I.G.’ Wallace Day,” last month, C.J. is ready to carry on his father’s legacy in ways that amplify the culture.

One way is with his company, Think BIG.

“That one was created, really out of my out of my passion and just curiosity for cannabis and wanting to see the stigma for cannabis taken away,” C.J. says of his Think BIG brand.

The offspring of Biggie Smalls and singer Faith Evans notes how both of his parents turned to cannabis for their “creative process.” C.J. also recalls his mom opting for CBD products over pharmaceutical drugs for his autistic brother.

“Cannabis. CBD. They’ve always been around in my family,” C.J. says. “My dad used it for his creative process. My mom used it through her creative process. And my mom was always against pharmaceutical products like Ritalin to treat my brother. So there was always CBD first.”

C.J. sees his Think BIG brand as a form of social justice that will eventually transition into a nonprofit. His Frank White imprint serves as a lifestyle fashion brand. (“Frank White” was one of Biggie’s aliases.)

“We did a collab with Mitchell & Ness. We just released our collection with Lexus. So yeah, it’s just a bunch of different creative opportunities with Frank White. Like we can really do whatever we want,” he says.

The Notorious B.I.G. had a love of the luxury lifestyle and owned several Lexus vehicles that he mentioned in numerous hit songs, including “Hypnotize,” “Warning,” and “One More Chance.” As part of the collaboration, Frank White and Lexus are introducing a new era to his father’s legacy while celebrating Black culture and creativity.

“My dad talked about Lexus so much. He loved Lexus, he drove Lexus. So it only made sense for us to make that collaboration happen,” C.J. says

Now with an official Notorious B.I.G. Day in NYC, C.J. hopes to see an official block party in the coming years.

• Politics

by Derek Major

June 1, 2022

Kentucky Democrat Charles Booker Wears Noose in U.S. Senate Campaign Ad

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Kentucky Democratic candidate Charles Booker sported a noose in his latest campaign ad while criticizing his Republican opponent Rand Paul for blocking a bill making lynching a federal hate crime.

“In Kentucky, like many states throughout the South, lynching was a tool of terror. It was used to kill hopes for freedom. It was used to kill my ancestors,” Booker, the former Kentucky lawmaker, says in a suit jacket, button-down shirt and tie, a noose around his neck. “Now, in a historic victory for our commonwealth, I have become the first Black Kentuckian to receive the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate.”

About 30 seconds into the ad, which lasts just over a minute, Paul is seen as Booker mentions his voting history and previous statements on race.

“My opponent? The very person who compared expanded health care to slavery, the person who said he would oppose the Civil Rights Act. The person who single-handedly blocked the Anti-Lynching Act from being federal law.”

The ad fails to mention Paul supported an updated bill, the Emmett Till Antilynching Act, that passed the Senate in March and was signed into law by President Joe Biden. That same month, Paul admitted to the Louisville Courier-Journal that “it wasn’t a popular stand to slow this bill down,” but believes it was the right thing to do. Paul did support the updated bill introduced by Sens. Tim Scott (D-SC) and Cory Booker (D-NJ).

The two men will face off later this fall for Paul’s Senate seat, which he’s held since 2011. According to Real Clear Politics, Rand has a double-digit lead on Booker.

In addition to his views on the Civil Rights Act and his comparison of expanded health care to slavery, the Kentucky senator has also said the government shouldn’t require private businesses to serve customers of all races among several other strange statements.

• News

by Derek Major

June 1, 2022

California Releases Unprecedented Reparations Report Detailing 150 Years of Anti-Black Harm

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California’s reparations task force released a report Wednesday documenting in detail the state’s harms  against African Americans and recommendations on how to address those wrongs.

According to The Associated Press, the 500-page report is the first government-commissioned study on the harms committed against African Americans since the 1968 Kerner Commission report ordered by former President Lyndon Johnson.

“I hope that this report is used not only as an educational tool, but an organizing tool for people not only in California but across the U.S. to educate their communities,” Task Force Chair Kamilah Moore told the AP, adding that the report also highlights “contributions of the African American community and how they made the United States what it is despite ongoing oppression and degradation.”

The report details how California supported slavery before it was abolished and oppressed Black residents through discriminatory laws and practices in education, homeownership, employment, the justice system, and the banking industry.

The report also provides recommendations to address those wrongs, including expanded voting registration, making it easier to hold violent police accountable, and improving Black neighborhoods. The task force also recommended the creation of a special office that would assist African Americans descended from free or enslaved Black people in the country at the end of the 19th century to document their eligibility for financial restitution. Additionally, the report recommends compensating people who were forced out of their homes for construction projects including new highways, parks, and urban renewal.

The task force was created by Gov. Gavin Newsom in 2020, making California the only state to study how slavery affected its residents. The report, released by the California Department of Justice, is the first part of the task force’s two-part plan. The second part is a comprehensive reparations plan, which the task force will release next year.

Earlier this year, the task force voted to limit reparations to descendants, which overruled a push by advocates who wanted to expand compensation to all Black people across the country.

African Americans make up roughly 6% of California’s population but are overrepresented in the state’s jail and prison populations. Nine percent of Black residents in California live below the poverty line and 30% of Black residents experienced homelessness in 2019, according to the AP.

The report added that despite it being a “free” state, more than 1,000 enslaved African Americans lived in California in 1852. Additionally, the Ku Klux Klan flourished there, with many members holding positions in local government and law enforcement, forcing Black families to live in segregated neighborhoods that were likely to be polluted.

• News

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

June 1, 2022

Elderly Woman Killed, 2 Shot Outside High School Graduation at Xavier University

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An elderly woman was fatally shot, and two males were left injured in a shooting outside Xavier University on Tuesday.

A graduation ceremony for the Morris Jeff High School had just ended when the shots rang out, WDSU reports. Witnesses say the gunfire erupted after two females started fighting.

Eighty-year-old Augustine Greenwood died in the crossfire of the shooting while walking to her family’s car nearby. The two males were left with non-life-threatening injuries in the leg and shoulder, NOPD Deputy Supt. Christopher Goodly shared.

“This unfortunate incident did not have to happen,” Goodly said.

Police have detained three people in connection with the shooting, and several guns were recovered from the crime scene. Witnesses say between 5 – 12 gunshots rang out, Fox 8 Live reports.

Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards released a statement about the shooting, calling it a “pointless” act of violence.

Today, I issued the following statement about a shooting on the campus of Xavier University outside the graduation ceremonies for Morris Jeff High School. I hope all Louisianans will join me in prayer for the victims of these pointless acts of violence. #lagov #lalege pic.twitter.com/2uQIzKKlRY

— Gov. John Bel Edwards (@LouisianaGov) May 31, 2022

Police are asking for help in the investigation as they look into if the gunshots were fired by students, friends, or relatives of graduates. This is the second violent encounter during a graduation ceremony at the college following a brawl that broke out on May 19.

“This graduation, they had a good amount of security,” Goodly said. “We had interior coverage as well as exterior coverage on the scene. Both the Xavier police and the (NOPD) Second District and Tulane police on the perimeter security.”

New Orleans City Councilmember Oliver Thomas has children who attend Morris Jeff’s high school and middle school and said he was outraged by the violent act.

“This lady went to a graduation; she didn’t sign up to be executed,” Thomas said.

“How many more people could have been injured? Why did this lady have to give her life because she wanted to see her loved one graduate? Why? What was so big about the argument? What was so profound? What was so devastating about the argument that you had to shoot out there?”

Having escaped indictment from two grand juries, Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson was facing 22 lawsuits from women accusing him of sexual misconduct. That number is at 23 after another woman filed a lawsuit Tuesday, according to NFL.com.

• News

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

June 1, 2022

Jada Pinkett Smith Says She Wants Will Smith and Chris Rock to ‘Reconcile’

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It took Jada Pinkett Smith two months to finally address Will Smith slapping Chris Rock after the comedian made a joke about her shaved head at the 2022 Academy Awards.

Jada took to her Facebook Watch series Red Table Talk on Tuesday to host a candid alopecia-themed episode after receiving “thousands” of responses from people after Rock joked about her battle with the condition at the Oscars.

“Now, about Oscar night, my deepest hope is that these two intelligent, capable men have an opportunity to heal, talk this out, and reconcile,” Jada said.

“The state of the world today? We need them both, and we all actually need one another more than ever. Until then, Will and I are continuing to do what we have done for the last 28 years, and that’s keep figuring out this thing called life together. Thank you for listening.”

It was the first time The Matrix actress publicly addressed the shocking incident that resulted in her husband being banned from attending the Oscars for 10 years.

Will Smith became enraged after Rock made a GI Jane joke about Jada’s shaved head. However, Jada has been open about her battle with alopecia after being diagnosed in 2018, EW reports.

Whether or not Rock was aware of Jada’s condition didn’t matter to Will Smith. Once he realized his wife didn’t laugh at the joke, the King Richard star walked on stage and slapped Chris Rock across the face before returning to his seat.

Once seated, Smith shouted at Rock from the audience, telling the standup comic to “keep my wife’s name out your fu*king mouth!” The heated moment shocked the world, with many wondering how a joke could make Smith act out on a live stage.

Smith has accepted his 10-year ban and has remained in seclusion since the incident. Chris Rock has continued touring and has made small jokes about the physical assault.

The New Jack City star says he won’t talk about being slapped by Smith until he gets “paid.”

• Lifestyle

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

June 1, 2022

LeVar Burton Says Not Being Selected As ‘Jeopardy’ Host Was a ‘Humiliation’

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LeVar Burton was almost certain he would be selected as the next host of Jeopardy!. After years of teaching a whole generation about the importance of books, the Reading Rainbow host thought he had it in the bag.

While Burton enjoyed a short stint as a guest host in the wake of Alex Trebek’s passing, the Roots star wasn’t the final choice as an official replacement. He recently appeared on Newsy’s In the Loop and admitted how disappointed he was not to have been one of the two co-hosts selected as the game show’s new faces.

“I honestly thought that I was well-suited for it,” Burton admitted. “As it turns out, it really wasn’t a competition after all. The fix was in.”

Thousands rallied in support of Burton becoming the show’s new host by signing a petition that garnered over 200,000 signatures, ABC News reports.

“Experiencing a very public defeat — a humiliation if you will — was sobering,” Burton said of not landing the gig.

“I think it was in that first week of feeling really, sort of, not just disappointed, but wrecked,” he continued.

“I didn’t expect that I would not be their choice for host.”

Burton now says that all things happen for a reason, and since being snubbed by Jeopardy!, “The phone hasn’t stopped ringing.”

The famed TV personalities’ latest gig includes hosting the 94th Scripps National Spelling Bee this week. Burton recalls receiving the call about the job around the same time he was waiting to hear back from Jeopardy!.

“It happened in the same time frame, if not the same week, that I was not named the host of the game show that shall not be named,” Burton said. “And so to get the call from Scripps Spelling Bee about hosting this tournament was a huge balm on an open wound.”

Landing the job helped reassure Burton that his passion for educational television content hasn’t gone unnoticed or unappreciated.

“I thought, ‘Ah, at least they see me. They see me, they see me’,” he said. “I’m definitely one to go where I’m wanted and loath to go where I’m not invited.”

When asked why he wouldn’t say the show’s name, Burton admitted his hurt from the Jeopardy! snub.

“The truth is, it was my favorite game show. It really was,” he said.

The COVID-19 pandemic reaffirmed why having emergency cash savings should be a top concern for many people, including Black Americans.

A sudden and unexpected crisis, COVID made it harder for those already struggling to save before it hit and tougher for those with savings to hold onto their money.

Regardless of your financial status, some experts recommend that you have around three to six months’ worth of money stashed to cover basic living expenses. However, data from the Federal Reserve reports that 36% of Americans don’t have enough cash to cover a $400 emergency. That finding is based on a report from The Ascent. That same report, citing data from a Bankrate survey, revealed that “51% of Americans as of mid-2021 had under “three months’ worth of living expenses in their emergency funds.” And some 25% declared they had nothing in such savings.

To make matters worse, draining forces like inflation—at its highest level in four decades—soaring gasoline prices, and today’s fragile stock market, make it even more difficult for many to build savings to cover an unexpected event such as an untimely job loss, large medical bill, or costly car repair.

On the plus side, an emergency savings fund can help you better manage bills despite a financial crunch and prevent you from taking on more debt, such as credit card usage, to cover expenses. Observers report several steps people can consider to help build an emergency fund.

1. Start by eliminating bills where you can

Seriously ask yourself what areas you can cut to save money. For instance, perhaps you can stop paying for hundreds of cable channels you hardly ever watch. Instead of you and your family eating out four to five times a week, possibly trim that to once every seven days. Any savings you can create from your monthly budget gives you more cash to invest in an emergency savings fund.

2. Consider boosting your savings

An emergency savings effort often is referred to as a “rainy day” fund. You can potentially build it up by making incremental increases that you might not even miss. Say you set aside $200 from your monthly paycheck for such a contribution. By adding, for example, $10 or $15 weekly to that fund, you can boost the amount to $240 or $260 in a four-week period. Another way to look at it: By adding just adding $20 weekly,  you build a war chest of $1,000 that can be added to your fund.

3. Set up a budget

Establishing a budget can help you monitor what money you generate monthly and what is being spent. Having such a financial plan can help you better see where you are spending money and help identify ways to possibly cut costs. This site and another here offer insight on how to create a budget.

4. Avoid tapping into the emergency fund

Try your best not to pull money from this fund. Some observers say it should only be done in life-changing circumstances like covering an unexpected medical cost. Also, put the money into an accessible but not often used account. For instance, a credit union where you don’t regularly bank might be an option to consider. You might want to avoid online accounts where money can easily be transferred or long-term certificate of deposit (CD) accounts you cannot use until a specific time.

5. Look for other money-making options

Consider generating more money by selling yourself. Sites like Fiverr and MarketerHire can potentially help you pick up new work to earn more cash. Other sites like Care.com and TaskRabbit are options as well. Observers contend utilizing a skill, talent, or side hustle could help you build wealth for such purposes as an emergency fund.

At just 18 years old, tennis star Coco Gauff is advancing to the Grand Slam semifinals for the first time in her career.

On Tuesday, Gauff beat out her friend Sloane Stephens in the French Open to reach her first Grand Slam semifinal, the Associated Press reported. Her win came one year after the then-17-year-old lost in the French Open quarterfinals against Barbora Krejcikova.

“It was just a mental challenge today,” Gauff said. “Last year in the quarterfinals, it was a tough loss for me and I think that match made me stronger and better prepared for the tough moments today.”

The teen athlete arrived in Paris for the big match but made sure to bring her high school diploma along to pose for photos in front of the iconic Eiffel Tower.

Gauff swept Stephens in straight sets,  7–5, 6–2, in a matchup between the two American players. Her latest win against the 2017 U.S. Open winner adds to her growing list of accomplishments including being the youngest qualifier in Wimbledon history at age 15 and beating tennis legend Venus Williams there in 2019.

Her victory against the less decorated half of the Williams sisters came after she won the French Open junior title at age 14.

“I believe in myself. Even last year, I was too focused on trying to fulfill other people’s expectations,” Gauff said.

“I know no matter how good or bad my career is, I know I’m a good person, so I think that’s a good message for young people…Just know: If you love yourself, who cares what anyone else thinks?”

In Gauff’s five matches at the French Open, she has yet to drop a set and hasn’t needed longer than 90 minutes on court, as noted by ESPN.

“I feel so happy,” Gauff told the crowd at Philippe-Chatrier after the win. “Words can’t explain.”

Lil Nas X always knows how to bring attention to anything he’s working on, so his latest collaboration with M&M’s may be a marriage made in heaven.

“M&M’S is iconic and I’m a huge fan of the brand,” said the openly gay rapper in a written statement. “I’m excited to work with them on some really cool projects this year that are as colorful as they are.”

After being around for 80 years, the delicious bite-sized candy has announced an evolved purpose, focusing on creating a world where everyone feels they belong.

Lil Nas X and M&M’s plan on leveraging the power of music to create a new platform that will bring people together as they celebrate music, network, and enjoy more moments of fun through a series of initiatives that will take place later this year.

The collaboration plans to feature a string of music-centric initiatives. M&M’s will have a presence at several summertime festivals and will give people the opportunity to join in from home via a digital M&M’S Music Lounge.

“In the world Mars wants tomorrow, society is inclusive. And through the M&M’s brand we’re committed to inspiring moments of connection and fun by encouraging a deeper sense of belonging,” said Allison Miazga-Bedrick, Mars Wrigley senior brand director. “Music is one of the most powerful tools to bring people together. Like our iconic M&M’S brand, music sparks nostalgia, memories, and fun and we are thrilled to be able to partner with one of the most trailblazing artists in the world, Lil Nas X, to help us further cement M&M’S role within entertainment.”

For more information on Lil Nas X’s partnership with M&M’s, visit MMS.com and follow along on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

In other singer corporate synergy news, Nicki Minaj was named Maxim magazine’s creative director and signed a deal a partnership with its MaximBet.