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Better believe when one door closes, a bigger and better door always opens.

HBO Max FYC Drive-In For "Lovecraft Country"

Source: Jeff Kravitz / Getty

The creator of Lovecraft Country, Misha Green says bye to HBO and hello to Apple TV. The multi-year agreement comes just one week after her HBO series Lovecraft Country was canceled.

Misha Green has signed an overall deal with Apple to create and develop small screen projects for streamer AppleTV+ worldwide. Fans of the highly popular HBO show Lovecraft Country were greatly disappointed when the news of the show being canceled hit the web. What makes it worse is that Green made it very clear in a post-cancellation tweet, the sophomore season of the Jurnee Smollett, Jonathan Majors and Michael Kenneth Williams starring horror drama was already significantly planned out. Green also teased that zombies were going to be thrown into the mix for the sophomore season, which for horror fans would have been a fun addition. Like really HBO?! The people were ready for more!

On top of her multi-year agreement with Apple TV+, Green is set to direct a new Tomb Raider film, which will serve as her feature film directorial debut, and sis will serve as a writer on two other upcoming movies. One is an action thriller starring Jennifer Lopez called The Mother and the other is a remake of the 1973 exploitation flick, Cleopatra Jones. Let us not forget that Green is also known for co-creating and executive producing the WGN America series “Underground,” on which she was also co-showrunner. So although ties with HBO are cut, Green’s future in television and film looks bright and bigger than ever. We see you see, keep sprinkling your black girl magic all throughout Hollywood!

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The ‘Black National Anthem’ and Ku Klux Klan are trending on Twitter so it’s safe to say this 4th of July might be a wild one.

Sheen Center Presents Vanessa Williams & Friends: Thankful For Christmas With Guests Norm Lewis, Michael Urie, And Bernie Williams

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Why is the Black National Anthem trending you ask? Well American singer and actress Vanessa L. Williams performed the song “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” widely known as the Black National Anthem, while hosting PBS’s 41st annual “A Capitol Fourth” celebration. The performance by the first Black woman to be crowned Miss America, airs tonight, Sunday July 4th at 8pm EST/ 7pm CST and a lot of people aren’t too happy about it. Some called it ‘divisive’ and a contradiction of efforts to create ‘unity’. How Sway??

Williams said her performance of the song will not only honor the nation’s traditional Independence Day, but also Juneteenth. For those who are not already aware, the song, first written as a poem in 1900 by NAACP leader James Weldon Johnson, has long held the nickname as the ‘Black National Anthem.’ Also, might we add, the song doesn’t get nearly enough play or love.

It’s important to note that Williams’ performance of “Lift Every Voice And Sing,” is not replacing the US National Anthem. Singer Renée Fleming will be opening the show with a special performance of the ‘Star-Spangled Banner’ and several other singers and musicians will also perform different songs.

In an interview with The Associated Press published Friday, Williams said that she will be singing the anthem as a way to promote Juneteenth during the show, which was pre-recorded because of the pandemic, but will have a live fireworks presentation.

“It’s in celebration of the wonderful opportunity that we now have to celebrate Juneteenth. So we are reflective of the times,” she said, just weeks after President Biden signed into law an act designating June 19 as an official federal holiday.

“I am so honored to be hosting A Capitol Fourth this year. I first performed on this national July 4th TV tradition in 2005, and it has always held a special place in my heart.”

We totally agree with Williams and are happy to see some progression on today’s holiday however haters gone hate and the inclusion of the ‘Black National Anthem’ has sparked controversy on social media. Here’s what the people had to say.

“A Capitol Fourth” will air on PBS tonight from 8 to 9:30 p.m. EST. The show will also include performances from Cynthia Erivo, Christopher Jackson and Gladys Knight as well as Jimmy Buffett and the National Symphony Orchestra.

It’s a #BlackGirlMagic bonanza!

2020 E! People's Choice Awards - Red Carpet

Source: Rich Polk/E! Entertainment / Getty

The Blackish star is partnering up with activist, former Essence editor and The Meaning of Mariah Carey writer Michaela Angela Davis to executive produce and narrate The Hair Tales. The docuseries is a collaboration produced by an all-women-of-color team from including Oprah Winfrey and Harpo Studios, Freeform network President Tara Duncan and the Onyx Collective, and Culture House Founding Partners Raeshem Nijhon and Carri Twigg. The series will be an intimate look into “the connection between Black women, beauty and identity through the lens of Black hair.”

“Every Black woman has a personal and defining story that involves her hair,” Duncan said in a statement announcing the series. “From the moment Tracee and Michaela shared the idea for this series, I knew it would strike a chord with Black women and anyone who has ever been curious about the singular connection between our hair, our agency, our beauty and our identity. It’s incredibly exciting for Onyx Collective to bring this project, that is entirely produced by women of color, to Hulu and OWN.”

The Onyx Collective is a new Hulu content brand launched by Disney for premium content by creators of color and underrepresented voices also led by Duncan. The first two projects from the Onyx Collective are Questlove’s feature documentary Summer of Soul (…or, When the Revolution Could Not be Televised) and The 1619 Project docuseries produced by Oprah and based on Nikole Hannah-Jones’ work.

Davis previously described the deeply personal concept for a video series of The Hair Tales as “Vagina Monologues for Black hair.” Davis said in an interview with Refinery 29. “I’ve been obsessed with hair my whole life, partly because people were obsessed with my hair my whole life — the ‘otherness’ of it. It was kinky, yet it was blond; it caused both admiration and confusion,” she explains. “Doing Hair Tales was mostly about love. I love Black hair, and I love our stories.”

The new docuseries is slated to start production later this year. It will debut simultaneously on OWN and Hulu in 2022. Will you be watching?

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That’s a damn shame…

10th Annual ONE Musicfest

Source: Paras Griffin / Getty

You can’t put a price on what friends and family lost when hip hop legend Earl Simmons passed away, but a battle is brewing over what he left behind. At the time of his sudden death in April, the rapper known as DMX had been engaged to Desiree Lindstrom since 2019. She is the mother of his 5-year-old son Exodus and according to Page Six, she recently applied to be legally declared DMX’s common-law wife. A judge denied the request, which might have secured her more control over the rapper’s assets and future earnings than his 15 children. Five of his adult children were already fighting amongst themselves in court since May, just a few weeks after the funeral.

DMX did not have a written will or established estate. His daughters Sasha Simmons and Jada Oden petitioned the court to become administrators of his estate. Shortly after that his sons Xavier, Tacoma and Sean Simmons petitioned the court separately to be the estate administrators instead. Despite the Ruff Ryders rapper’s incredible career including 20 movies and more than 74 million records sold, the sons’ filing estimates the estate is worth less than $1 million and the daughters estimated less than $50,000.

In addition to financial struggles from decades of drug addiction and supporting 15 children in 9 households, the IRS reportedly imposed a tax lien on DMX for $663,554.55 and in 2018 he was convicted for $1.7 million of tax fraud. Millions of mourning fans streaming classic DMX albums and new posthumously released album Exodus may provide a much-needed financial boost as the legal fight continues.

A judge will review the rivaling petitions and determine the estate administrators on July 15.

You had one job!

Sentence Announced In Bill Cosby Trial

Source: Gilbert Carrasquillo / Getty

Bill Cosby’s days behind bars won’t be ending anytime soon after the Pennsylvania Parole Board recently denied his petition for parole. Deadline reports that the 83-year-old convicted rapist received the official decision earlier this month, citing interviews with Cosby and negative recommendations from the Department of Corrections. Cosby and the board are at a stalemate over his refusal to complete or even participate in “a treatment program for sex offenders and violence prevention.”

The disgraced comedian is currently serving a sentence of three to ten years in prison for drugging and sexually assaulting former Temple University employee, Andrea Constand, at his mansion in 2004. The parole board decision stated that they also denied Cosby because he failed to comply with rehabilitation recommendations like developing a parole release plan. The board will not consider granting parole until the convicted predator completes sexual violent predator therapy.

Cosby is still fighting his 2018 conviction and in 2020, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court agreed to grant him an appeal for his criminal case. His legal team is seeking a new trial to challenge testimony from five women accusing Cosby of drugging and taking advantage of them, even though dozens of other victims have come forward with decades’ worth of similar stories. Andrew Wyatt, a spokesperson for Cosby, told NBC News “Mr. Cosby has vehemently proclaimed his innocence and continues to deny all allegations made against him. Today, Mr. Cosby continues to remain hopeful that the Pennsylvania State Supreme Court will issue an opinion to vacate his conviction or warrant him a new trial.”

Camille Cosby and other defenders can continue to blame conspiracy theories for the legend’s downfall but based on the overwhelming evidence and this new decision from the parole board, Bill Cosby is still his own worst enemy.

62nd Annual GRAMMY Awards – Red Carpet

Source: Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for The Recording Academy

EARTHGANG returned to Mirrorland with trippy new animated visuals for “Avenue”(in collaboration with Strangeloop Studios) that picks up where “La La Challenge” left off as our protagonists journey further into the fantasy upside down world filled with characters, flying monkeys and more.

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Both tracks are visualizations of the world the quirky Atlanta rappers created with their critically acclaimed album “Mirrorland” based on 1978 classic “The Wiz.”

Hennessy Privilege Toast Honoring Larry Morrow

Source: ATL Pics / ATL Pics

Toya Johnson is just like you during these uncertain coronavirus times, that is if you’re taking social distancing seriously. The entrepreneur/reality star is currently quarantined at home with her family that includes her fiance Robert “Red” Rushing and her baby girl Reign. And in between passing the time by learning new recipes, cleaning and potty training her 2-year-old, Toya’s preparing for the season three premiere of VH1’s “T.I. & Tiny: Friends & Family Hustle.” This season will focus largely on relationships from T.I. and Tiny’s fully rekindled romance to Monica’s surprising Shannon Brown split to Reginae’s cucumber party fallout with YFN Lucci.  T.I. will also have to work on his relationship with daughter Deyjah Harris after he made those virginity comments about her.

As for Toya, viewers will see her fiance Red offer her comfort as she seeks justice for her late brothers.

This season looks extra spicy—will YOU be watching???

See [quarantined] Toya’s thoughts on the new season, her love life and her unfortunate [but neccessry] social distancing from her daughter Reginae below.

Has COVID-19 affected your wedding plans?

“We wasn’t planning a wedding for this year, we were actually planning a wedding for next year,” said Toya. “Still, we did have locations to scout and we were going to make it a mini-vacation so that definitely got pushed back. We’ll get on it as soon as this is all over.”

What’s been the biggest change in your schedule?

“I have a daily routine, I go walk, I workout, I go visit family, something to get out of the house each and every day —now I don’t go outside at all much,” said Toya. I haven’t been outside in a month. I go take a walk and it’s around the neighborhood, I even stopped doing that. Now it’s on my treadmill. The biggest change is not being able to see my family, I haven’t seen Reginae in almost a month. I am one of those types of people—you know how the youngsters are, they be around people and I’m like, ‘You don’t know who they’re around!’ I don’t have time for it. We FaceTime all day.”

We saw on “Friends & Family Hustle” that your beau Red is looking forward to you all welcoming baby Reign #2—are you all planning on expanding your family soon?

“I’ll be totally honest I go in and out with that,” said Toya. “I really wanna have a son or another baby but going through this 2-year-old stage with baby Reign, it’s a lot of work! I’m totally putting all my energy into her, we do all types of learning activities daily and teaching her, so I’m soaking all this in before I try it all again. There’s no rush.”

We also saw that this season will focus on #HymenGate and T.I.’s virginity comments about Deyjah—where were you when that story broke and did you immediately call Tiny?

“The crazy part is, we were all together,” said Toya. “You’ll see it on the show. We were all on a family vacation together when it happened.”

What can we expect this season on “Friends & Family Hustle”?

“It’s a lot of repairing of relationships within the family, we have our engagement, you get to see how that all went down,” said Toya. “There’s a lot of things that happened this season, you see us going to my brothers’ murder trial, that trial finally came while we were filming. You get to see with the other girls us supporting one another, that’s what I love about the show. It’s a strictly family show. It shows love and support and it’s genuine because we are all really friends.”

What else are you working on while being quarantined? 

“I still have my BeforeBedHeadz line, my luxury bonnet line. I have all types of bonnets to protect your hair with the diamond bling on them,” said Toya. “I have the stretch bonnets, the tie bonnets, I’m producing different colors, I added pajamas to the line as well, shower caps—just products so you don’t have to be in the bed looking all granny and country with your man.

“I’m also still writing books and I’m getting ready to publish out more books from other authors as well. I’m also working with Reginae with her stuff and getting ready to launch her YouTube, she’s actually taking over TikTok. I have a new kids book out called “Learning Colors With Reignbeaux.” As I’m teaching Reign colors, I get to help moms teaching their kids as well.”

See a clip from season 3 of “Friends & Family Hustle” ahead of tonight’s premiere at 9/8 c on VH1 below.

Salt 'N Pepa (Various)

Source: Al Pereira / Getty

Hot off the release of their biopic The Clark Sisters: The First Ladies of GospelLifetime has also released a teaser trailer for their next biopic, which will focus on the hip-hop icons Salt-n-Pepa.

According to Shadow and Act, the three-hour movie is also being referred to as a limited series, and it will air later this year. The trailer aired during The Clark Sisters biopic.

It will star G.G. Townson as Cheryl “Salt” James and Laila Odom as Sandra “Pepa” Denton. Monique Paul will take on the group’s DJ, Deidra Roper a.k.a. DJ Spinderella. Other stars include Jermel Howard as rapper Treach, who was married to Pepa from 1999 to 2001. Cleveland Berto will play music producer Hurby Azor.

The biopic will follow the rap group’s rise in the music industry as part of a revolution that challenged views of women in the industry. It will also delve into the group’s friendship and how their relationships were put to the test by their careers.

The movie is directed by New Jack City director Mario Van Peebles while Abdul Williams from The New Edition Story wrote the script. You can check out the first trailer for the project below.

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Premiere Of BET's "Twenties"

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Season 4 of Insecure premiered on Easter Sunday (now known as Issa Sunday) and fans are happy as ever that their favorite show is back!

Especially the Lawrence-hive.

GIF by Insecure on HBO - Find & Share on GIPHY

Without giving too much away, the premiere episode of the season 4 gave us a deeper look into Issa and Condola’s friendship. Remember, Condola is helping Issa with her event, and she’s also dating Lawrence. 

Molly is working things out with Asian Bae, whom she seems happy with until she finds out he’s dating other people. 

And so far Tiffany and Kelly are still Tiffany and Kelly. And yes, Tiffany is still pregnant. Speaking of Tiffany, we also find out in the first episode that she knew about Condola and Lawrence the entire time. But enough with the spoilers. Let’s get into Christina Elmore, a.k.a. Condola. You may know her from her feature film debut in Fruitvale Station, TNT’s The Last Ship or Lena Waithe’s BET series Twenties.

And now the 33-year old budding actress and Harvard grad has joined the Insecure Universe as someone we’re not sure if we should be rooting for or not. 

But we’re definitely rooting for Christina in real life. Since the The Last Ship ended in 2018, she’s had time to venture out and work on other projects. And judging by her amazing talent and the body of work she chooses, Christina Elmore is way on her way to being a household name.

And here are some gorgeous pics of the actress that will make your Monday brighter. 

2020 Winter TCA Tour - Day 8

Source: Amy Sussman / Getty

Twenties Screening Chicago

Source: Daniel Boczarski / Getty

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Dooley Da Don assets

Source: TIG Records

South Carolina native Dooley Da Don is the latest TIG artist with star potential that pops in his eye-catching new video for “Blessings From Skeezus.”

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Blessed with an intriguing blend of gritty melodies and heartfelt lyrics, the soon-to-be industry obsession shows every side of his artistry while rocking out with his guitar and paying homage to his slain brother L.L. Skip who was murdered prior to his career taking off.

You can stream “Blessings From Skeezus” here and follow his journey to stardom here.

Love Goals poster

Source: OWN

In this exclusive “Love Goals” clip, Spinderella reveals why she’s so upset with her former Salt ‘N Pepa group members:

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“Love Goals” follows five celebrity couples in various stages of conflict who participate in a two-week intensive therapy retreat led by relationship expert and licensed therapist Spirit with the goal of healing their broken relationships.

DJ Spinderella and Quenton “Q” Coleman are engaged but Spin’s reluctance to open up emotionally may cause a rift in their future marriage.

Sundy Carter and Breyon Williams want to take their casual relationship to the next level but Breyon may not be ready to turn in his player card.

Dwayne and Theresa Bowe thought life would slow down when he retired from pro football, but his new career as a rapper has their home filled with Dwayne’s boys, and Theresa is fed up.

Coolio isn’t sure if he’s ever been cut out for a relationship after being off and on with Mimi for many years. Benzino and Althea Heart have a turbulent, toxic relationship but they’ve got to figure out a way to get along and co-parent their 4-year-old son.

Spirit’s clients may be famous, but at their core, they’re just people with the same types of problems as the rest of us. She believes that it’s impossible to be in a healthy relationship if you are not healthy yourself because half of that relationship is you.

Through deep, emotional group therapy sessions, as well as intimate one-on-ones, Spirit cuts to the core of her clients’ fears, trauma and pain. Her goal is to heal each individual client so they can show up as one half of a whole, healthy, loving relationship.

Catch the newest episode of OWN’s “Love Goals” this Saturday, April 11 at 9 pm ET/PT.

House Party NYC at Webster Hall on February 4, 2016

Source: Nicholas Rhodes / Getty

2020 has been hard AF for so many people, for so many reasons. We’ve lost people we look up to, people love, and with the COVID-19 pandemic, we’ve lost our sense of normalcy. Unfortunately, another dope, young artists was taken from us way too soon. On Wednesday, it was reported that rapper and model Chynna Rogers had passed away at the tender age of 25. Her manager John Miller told Stereogum, “I can regrettably confirm Chynna passed away.”

Her family added, “Chynna was deeply loved and will be sorely missed. Rest In Peace Chynna. Heartbroken. All the love to those she left behind. Goodbye angel.”

Chynna’s cause of death has yet to be confirmed, but friends and fans of the young star flooded to social to share their condolences.

Wednesday’s unfortunate news was the first time some people have heard of Chynna. In case, you’re not hip to the creative dopeness that is Chynna, check below for five things to know about the Philly rapper. Rest In Peace baby girl.

1. Rogers first rose to fame as a model in Philadelphia, signing with Ford Models at age 14.

2. A$AP Mob founder A$AP Yams encouraged her to pursue a music career in New York City.

3. Her viral hits include 2013′s “Selfie,” 2014′s “Glen Coco” and 2017′s “seasonal depression.”

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4. In 2017, Chynna’s mother, Wendy Payne, died at 51

5. Chynna often spoke openly about drug addiction and rehab, and said her mother’s death pushed her to stay sober.

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