‘All Black Folks Don’t Look Alike’: Twitter Responds To NBC Mislabeling Mickey Guyton As Jhene Aiko At Super Bowl
by Atiya Jordan

February 14, 2022

‘All Black Folks Don’t Look Alike’: Twitter Responds To NBC Mislabeling Mickey Guyton As Jhene Aiko At Super Bowl

Before the Rams and the Bengals’ kickoff, NBC misidentified country singer Mickey Guyton as R&B sensation Jhene Aiko during Sunday’s preshow performance at Super Bowl LVI.

While Guyton was preparing for her performance of “The Star-Spangled Banner,” she was labeled as “Jhene Aiko” during Aiko’s performance of “America the Beautiful.” Fifteen seconds later, the camera shifted to Aiko, who was singing, and a new caption correctly identified her as “Jhene Aiko.”

After Aiko concluded her soft rendition of “America the Beautiful,” Guyton went on to perform the national anthem right on schedule.

Though the ladies’ performances were admired by many, the mislabeling threw viewers for a loop. People immediately took to social media with their frustrations.

 

An NBC Sports spokesperson responded to the error on behalf of the broadcast network in a tweet:

“Leading into Jhene Aiko singing ‘America the Beautiful,’ we incorrectly showed Mickey Guyton and misidentified her before showing Aiko’s performance. We apologize to both artists for the error.”

Nick Cannon Set To Expand ‘Wild N Out’ ‘Billion-Dollar Business,’ Release New Music
by Atiya Jordan

February 14, 2022

Nick Cannon Set To Expand ‘Wild N Out’ ‘Billion-Dollar Business,’ Release New Music

While Nick Cannon has been the topic of several headlines, including the most recent revelation on his talk show that he’s expecting his eighth child, he still continues to take care of his business.

In an interview with Afro Tech, the longtime entrepreneur discussed his current and future business ventures. His biggest venture yet, Cannon told the outlet, is that he has built a billion-dollar business out of his hit show, Wild n Out. The success was a result of making necessary moves on his own.

“I’ve turned ‘Wild ‘N Out’ into a billion-dollar business, and that’s only because of the entrepreneurial efforts that we put forward,” Cannon said.

“There were many times when people didn’t believe me from the beginning. I funded Wild ‘N Out on my own because MTV didn’t understand it or know what it was. Therefore, I kept the ownership for years until the big boy came around and I had to charge them double for the bag.”

The improv and sketch comedy series, which first aired in 2005, became popular for helping to expose comedians like Katt Williams, Kevin Hart, Mikey Day, and Pete Davidson to mainstream audiences. It also served as an open door for other internet comics to show off their talents. After a six-year production hiatus, the show went from pre-social-media cable show into a multi-platform brand that transcends television.

In an expansion of the MTV series, Cannon gave Afro Tech a rundown of what’s to come.

“I am opening up a Wild ‘N Out Sports Bar, it would be our second one. Now we’re doing the true flagship one in my hometown of San Diego that opens this month. We also have brick-and-mortar ‘Wild ‘N Out’ and the next one is going to be in Harlem.”

In more episodes to count, Cannon has been teased for his music during the featured improv games by his castmates, and even celebrity guests. But the “Gigolo” rapper has made it clear that music is still very much a part of his life, in addition to his expansion moves.

On Feb. 18, Cannon will release a new album, Raw N B: The Explicit Tape, with featured artists such as K. Michelle, Brandy, and Mariah Carey.

“With someone being so controversial, always in the blogs, and the tabloids every day, I thought, ‘Let me continue to use music as a therapeutic method to speak my truth and share what I’m going through.’ When people are going through some of the more challenging times in their life, that’s when they make the best music,” he said.

 

Issa Rae Receives the Key to the City of Inglewood Becoming 1st Person to Do So In the City’s 114-Year History
by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

February 14, 2022

Issa Rae Receives the Key to the City of Inglewood Becoming 1st Person to Do So In the City’s 114-Year History

Sometimes art imitates life, but with this moment, life imitates art!

In a fantasy scene in the final season of her hit HBO series, Insecure, Issa Rae’s character, Issa Dee, receives the key to the city of Inglewood. She accepts this prestigious honor from Mayor Tyra Banks in the fantasy sequence.

Over the weekend, according to People, that part of the scene wasn’t fantasy as Rae was presented the key to Inglewood, California.

The honor presented to the 37-year-old Emmy Award nominee was the first time anyone in the city’s 114 years of existence received that recognition. This past Saturday, the tribute took place at the city’s Taste of Inglewood festival.

Mayor James T. Butts gave Rae the key to the city. He presented the key to “Issa Rae, the queen of Inglewood,” during the festival across the street from the site of Sunday’s Super Bowl game at SoFi stadium.

“I’m a little emotional, I’m trying to be a thug right now. The mayor really flabbergasted me in that this is the first key in 114 years. It’s a huge honor and I just want to thank you all so much for your support. Thank you to the mayor, thank you to the city of Inglewood for making it so easy for us to film here, for helping us to showcase this city that I love so much,” Rae said at the presentation.

She also acknowledges her family members and people who still reside in Inglewood.

“I have to give love to my grandparents who have lived here, who have lived in Briarwood for a long time and who established my first point of view of Inglewood and love the city themselves; my mom and my sister who live here actively. And just for being here, I have to give a shout out to my collaborators and my company members at Hoorae, who have come out here to support me. But I’m truly honored to receive this. I will always put on for my city. Inglewood, South L.A., stand up.”

Last week, The Producers Guild of America (PGA) announced that Rae would be honored with the 2022 Visionary Award at this year’s 33rd Annual Producers Guild Awards. This will take place on Saturday, March 19, 2022, at the Fairmont Century Plaza.

by BLACK ENTERPRISE Editors

February 14, 2022

Scholly and 25-Year-Old Entrepreneur, Bryce Thompson, Give $100K Away

Scholly — the award-winning mobile app that has helped over 2.5 million students and families find over $100 million in scholarships — announces the award recipients of its latest partnership, the Financial Freedom $100,000 scholarship, with 25-year-old entrepreneur, investor, author and former Morehouse College student, Bryce Thompson. Thompson awarded his first $100,000 in scholarships in January 2021.

The Financial Freedom $100,000 Scholarship was designed not only to help ease the burden of college tuition, but also the many financial burdens that come from pursuing entrepreneurship. With many Americans getting back on their feet after the pandemic completely altered most industries, Thompson and Scholly wanted to support students and other applicants in need.

After receiving thousands of applications, five HBCU students and five other candidates were selected and awarded $10,000 each with a surprise Zoom announcement by Thompson himself, according to a press release.

Congratulations to the following winners:

— Zakiya F., Clayton State University
— Lana A., John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
— Jamica H., Post University
— Elijah P., Howard University
— Jamel D., North Carolina A&T University
— Deanne H., Florida A&M University
— Semaja W., Morgan State University
— Darius F., Babson College
— Rachel L., Clark Atlanta University
— Cajoh T., Wayne State University

“Our goal has always been to empower people financially,” says Scholly founder Christopher Gray.

“We’re so grateful to have partners like Bryce that are just as passionate in that effort as we are. Because of their generosity, the Scholly community has more access to financial help than ever before.”

Once a struggling student himself, Thompson vowed to one day give back to students facing financial challenges after his uncle generously paid for his first year of tuition at Morehouse College.

“I know what it feels like to not know whether you’re going to be able to register for the next semester,” says Thompson.

“So, to now be in a position where I can help people further their education and their dreams is an incredible blessing and honor.”

Scholly is on a mission to help as many students as possible access financial freedom. In 2021 alone, they have distributed over two million dollars in scholarships and COVID-19 relief, in part thanks to people like Thompson and others like social media stars, Demetrius Harmon and Drea Okeke, the Malcolm X and Dr. Betty Shabazz Scholarship Fund and many more.

by Derek Major

February 14, 2022

Texas A&M Men’s Basketball Coaching Staff Become the Butt of Jokes For Wearing ‘Mid-19th Century’ Attire

Texas A&M men’s basketball team is struggling this season and may not make the NCAA Tournament. And it doesn’t help that the coaching staff is getting heckled for its choice of on-court attire.

The college basketball world took notice on Saturday when the Aggies played the Auburn Tigers, the top team in the country. Texas A&M lost 75-58, but the big story was the coaches’ attire.

The Aggies sit at 15-10 overall and 4-8 in the Big 12 Conference. The Texas A&M coaching staff is led by Buzz Williams, who is well known for sporting some colorful threads.

When the sports world restarted after its pandemic-related pause in spring 2020, many basketball coaches in college and the NBA abandoned their custom suits for casual threads. However, the Aggies coaching staff has been sporting three-piece suits this season, and Williams, who is in his third season coaching Texas A&M, asked the staff to dress similarly.

According to BroBible, the Aggies coaching staff were the butt of several jokes during the game on Twitter. Some compared the Texas A&M staff to insurance workers, while others went much further back in time.

Currently, the only league to continue sporting suits league-wide after sports restarted is the National Hockey League.

The coronavirus pandemic shut down sports of all kinds across the world including high school sports across the country, the men’s and women’s NCAA basketball tournament. The WNBA, NBA, and NHL seasons were postponed until June and their playoffs were played in bubbles in Florida and Canada to ensure the players were tested daily. Meanwhile, the MLB regular season was shortened by 100 games to 60.

The WNBA remains the only pro league with a 99% vaccination rate. The league, which is made up of mostly Black women were quick to get vaccinated in an effort to keep its season going without interruption.

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

February 14, 2022

Sha’Carri Richardson Calls Out Olympics for Racism After White Female Athlete Fails Drug Test, Allowed to Compete

Sha’Carri Richardson is still upset about her Tokyo Olympics snub especially since learning a white athlete got away with doing the same thing during the Winter Olympics that prevented her from competing last year.

According to USA Today, the U.S. track and field star took to Instagram to call out the apparent double standards after learning Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva was allowed to compete in the Winter Olympics after testing positive for doping.

“Can we get a solid answer on the difference of her situation and mines [sic]? My mother died and I can’t run and was also favored to place top 3,” Richardson tweeted Monday.

“The only difference I see is I’m a black young lady.”

https://twitter.com/itskerrii/status/1493209274457153536?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1493209274457153536%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedailybeast.com%2Fshacarri-richardson-calls-out-kamila-valieva-olympics-hypocrisy-over-failed-drug-test-expulsion

Last summer, Richardson was banned from competing for 30 days after she tested positive for marijuana, The Daily Beast reported. The decision prevented Richardson from running in Tokyo after she dominated the Olympic trials.

Valieva failed a drug test performed on Dec. 25 for the substance trimetazidine, a heart medication that can provide a benefit to athletes by helping them maintain a higher heart rate for longer than usual,  as noted by Bleacher Report.

However, on Monday, the Olympic Court of Arbitration for Sport announced that Valieva can continue competing while her doping case gets investigated. CAS gave leniency to the 15-year-old Russian athlete because “she is a minor, known in Olympic jargon as a ‘protected person,’ and is subject to different rules from an adult athlete,” James Ellingworth and Graham Dunbar of the Associated Press reported.

“The panel considered that preventing the athlete to compete at the Olympic Games would cause her irreparable harm in the circumstances,” CAS Director General Matthieu Reeb said on the ruling.

Not one to bite her tongue, Richardson sent out a series of tweets bringing attention to what appears to be bias within the Olympics committees.

 

“It’s all in the skin,” Richardson said in another tweet.

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She also noted that THC, which she was suspended for consuming, “is not a performance enhance” drug.

https://twitter.com/itskerrii/status/1493243694266396674?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1493243694266396674%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fbleacherreport.com%2Farticles%2F10027039-shacarri-richardson-questions-olympics-after-kamila-valieva-is-allowed-to-compete

While noting that Valieva failed the drug test back in December, Richardson asked why the public is just now finding out about it.

https://twitter.com/itskerrii/status/1493245405655613449?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1493245405655613449%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fbleacherreport.com%2Farticles%2F10027039-shacarri-richardson-questions-olympics-after-kamila-valieva-is-allowed-to-compete

Many have started to speak out in Richardson’s honor after she called out the seemingly blatant bias.

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

February 14, 2022

Stage Play ‘Black No More’ Uses Machine to Turn Black People White

A satirical new musical examines what it would be like if there were a machine that could transform Black people into white people.

Black No More is an off-Broadway play inspired by the Afro-futurist novel of the same name and written by Academy Award-winner John Ridley (12 Years a Slave) and directed by Scott Elliot. Presented by the New Group and set during the Great Depression, the play and book examine race in America if there were a scientific machine that could turn Black people white, NPR reported.

“I think that what they’ve come up with is a really fascinating morality tale,” ELLIOT said.

Tariq Trotter, aka Black Thought of the Roots, wrote the show’s opening line and most of the production’s music. He also plays the key role of Dr. Junius Crookman, the inventor of the Black No More machine that can turn any Black person white for $50.

“This is Harlem/The Big Apple’s Core/Seventy or more years before there were any Apple stores,” Trotter says to set the opening scene.

He goes on to explain how Dr. Crookman believes “this Black No More device is the solution to race relations in America.”

“I think the line is ‘to solve the American race problem as we know it.’ But yeah, you know, I don’t think a solution is ever reached.”

The creative team behind the play had to look past the satirical tone of the original 1931 novel by George Schuyler. At the time the book was written, Schuyler took aim at white supremacists, politicians, and prominent figures from the Harlem Renaissance.

The play’s choreographer, Bill T. Jones, admitted to being offended by the original novel but inspired enough to format routines around Ridley’s script.

“When I read the novel, I must admit I was kind of pissed off about it,” Jones siad. “Yeah, I like bad boys, too. I don’t like smart asses, of course, and particularly when they’re Black ones making fun of Black people.”

Following the main character of Max, a man beaten down by racism in his job and romance who decides to go through the Black No More process. Once transformed into a white man, Max ends up in Atlanta, where he becomes a leader in a white supremacist organization called the Knights of Nordica.

“It is purely about perception in both its literal and figurative sense,” said Brandon Victor Dixon, who plays Max.

“People see him as white. He sees himself as white, but he’s still the same guy making the same mistakes. Like, nothing has changed.”

The off-Broadway musical opens on Tuesday.

Aspiring Rapper Looking For His Big Break, Arrested For Jumping Diddy’s Fence In Beverly Hills
by Atiya Jordan

February 14, 2022

Aspiring Rapper Looking For His Big Break, Arrested For Jumping Diddy’s Fence In Beverly Hills

An aspiring rapper with dreams of working with legendary producer Sean “Diddy” Combs decided to take matters into his own hands.

According to TMZ, 23-year-old Isaiah Smalls was arrested soon after jumping the fence at Diddy‘s Beverly Hills estate.

In hopes of playing his demo for the hip-hop mogul, Smalls reportedly showed up unannounced this weekend at the security gate and presumably grew frustrated at not being welcomed. After several poundings on the gate, he decided to find his own way in by jumping the fence. He didn’t get far as security quickly detained him until the police arrived.

A video captured by TMZ shows Smalls pacing and yelling outside the multimillion-dollar mansion right before he propelled himself on the other side of the gate.

Smalls was arrested for trespassing but released less than an hour later. As per TMZ, Diddy was not home at the time of the incident.

The news arrives just a couple of months after one of Diddy’s former Los Angeles mansions hit the market for $14.5 million. He lived in the home from 2008 to 2013.

According to the New York Post, the home was also the site of the first-ever NFT (non-fungible token) gallery in Los Angeles earlier in 2021. The mixer and gallery event featured a display of NFT art, including IRL NFT fractionalized art by creators such as Basquiat and Salvador Dali.

Additionally, he sold his Toluca Lake property for $6.5 million after just a few months on the market, according to the Los Angeles Times. He originally listed the six-bedroom, six-and-a-half-bathroom home for $7 million, which he first purchased back in 2009.

The Ciroc marketer and father of six still owns several other properties, including a Star Island compound, a Miami condo, and a mansion in the Holmby Hills neighborhood of Los Angeles.
LA Rams Wide Receiver Van Jefferson Welcomes Son After Super Bowl Win
by Jeroslyn JoVonn

February 14, 2022

LA Rams Wide Receiver Van Jefferson Welcomes Son After Super Bowl Win

Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Van Jefferson had plenty to celebrate on Sunday after taking home his first Super Bowl win hours before his wife gave birth to their newborn son.

Jefferson had to miss the post-game celebration after the Rams beat the Cincinnati Bengals 23-30 victory. While Jefferson was playing, his wife, Samaria, was rushed to a hospital after going into labor, ESPN reported.

Hours after the Super Bowl win, Jefferson took to Instagram to debut his newborn son to the world.

“It was a great day, bro,” Jefferson said on Instagram Live. “I got three prizes today — my wife, my son and the Super Bowl.”

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Jefferson admitted that he and his wife haven’t decided on a name for their baby boy yet.

“Just like any other game, I’m going to be there this Sunday and I’m going to stay calm ..and pray to God my water doesn’t break,” she told The Athletic ahead of the game. “I am 100% going to be there. I would not miss this moment for anything.

“I will be 40 weeks pregnant at the Super Bowl, supporting my husband 100%.”

Samaria was due on February 17. Samaria attended the game but left on a stretcher to go deliver their baby. Cameras captured her being taken to the hospital.

Jefferson was in full daddy mode before and after the game. He attended his daughter’s father-daughter dance on Friday, two days before the Super Bowl.

After the game, Jefferson reportedly grabbed his daughter and “sprinted through the locker room” to get to the hospital. Jefferson’s father told reporters that “the midwife said she has about an hour to go before birth,” CBS News reported.

Jefferson and Samaria are high school sweethearts and now parents of two.

“Thankful I’ve been able to share these moments with you since high school!” Jefferson captioned a recent Instagram post dedicated to his wife.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Van Jefferson (@van_j12)

Jay-Z and Blue Ivy Enjoy Father-Daughter Time On Super Bowl Field
by Jeroslyn JoVonn

February 14, 2022

Jay-Z and Blue Ivy Enjoy Father-Daughter Time On Super Bowl Field

The Carters put their love on top for Super Bowl Sunday. Instead of Beyonce and Jay-Z enjoying the big game as a couple’s date night, the superstar entertainers brought along their 10-year-old daughter.

Jay-Z was spotted taking photos of Blue Ivy and a friend on the field ahead of last night’s between the Los Angeles Rams and Cincinnati Bengals.

(Image: Instagram)

https://twitter.com/badguyshay/status/1492992654212308996?s=20&t=cCfvFGmY5O0h6xp64GGDLw

Celebrities filled Los Angeles’ SoFi Stadium to watch the game and the highly-anticipated halftime show with Dr. Dre, Mary J. Blige, Eminem, 50 Cent, and Kendrick Lamar. Blue Ivy wore a pair of Converse sneakers, an official Super Bowl hat, and an oversized graphic tee by online ceramics, E! News reported.

Jay-Z hinted at his support for the Rams by wearing a Los Angeles Dodgers baseball cap and a Dream Big T-shirt. Beyonce was comfortably seated enjoying the show; she memorably headlined the halftime performance in 2016.

For those wondering what Bey decided to wear to the Super Bowl, she later took to Instagram to post a few photos showing off the day’s slay.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Beyoncé (@beyonce)

Jay-Z has yet to perform for a halftime show and has declined the offer in the past. Instead, the NFL tapped Hova’s Roc Nation to oversee the league’s most important music events, including the halftime show, The New York Times reported.

Other big names in attendance at the Super Bowl included Rihanna, Kanye West, Justin and Hailey Bieber, who shared a couple’s section with Kendall Jenner and Devin Booker, as noted by Page Six. Prince Harry and his cousin Princess Eugenie enjoyed the gamer while Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck turned up in a box.

Duane “The Rock” Johnson opened the big game and introduced the Rams in true Rock fashion. Rapper Drake looked stressed after Odell Beckham Jr. suffered an injury after scoring the game’s first touchdown.

The Black excellence was on full display at the Super Bowl LVI, so of course, the Carters had to step outside.

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