Courtesy of The Frisky
Last night, Jay-Z went into the studio with Timbaland and Swizz Beatz and recorded a new song that he released a few hours later. “Open Letter” has a relatively simple, but completely hot beat and features Hov rapping about his ownership of the Brooklyn Nets and he and Beyoncé’s recent controversial trip to Cuba.
The post Jay-Z Drops New Track, “Open Letter,” Addressing Critics Of Cuba Trip appeared first on UPTOWN Magazine.
Courtesy of The Root
Most people know that Jackie Robinson became the first African American to break the color barrier in Major League Baseball on April 15, 1947, and that as a member of the Brooklyn Dodgers, he survived racist attacks from fans, players, and even his own teammates to become one of the legends of the game. But beyond Robinson’s exploits on the baseball diamond, what do you really know about the six-time all-star and Hall of Famer? Here are 10 surprising and little-known facts.
NEW YORK CITY — Celebs arrive at ELLE’s 4th annual Women in Music celebration on Wednesday (April 10) at The Edison Ballroom to honor the accomplishments of outstanding female artists. Check out a few of the fabulous arrivals after the jump!
JUNE AMBROSE
Photos courtesy of Getty Images
KELLY ROWLAND
RITA ORA
LA LA ANTHONY
DJ KISS
JESSICA WHITE
JAMIE HECTOR
BRIDGET KELLY
R’EL DADE
ALICIA QUARLES
The post June Ambrose, Kelly Rowland & More Attend 4th Annual ELLE Women In Music Celebration [PHOTOS] appeared first on UPTOWN Magazine.
Courtesy of The Huffington Post
First Lady Michelle Obama teared up as she gave a speech on gun violence in Chicago on Wednesday.
Obama, who was in Chicago to speak with business leaders about the need to eliminate gun violence, held back tears as she remembered Hadiya Pendleton, a 15-year-old who performed in President Barack Obama’s inauguration festivities and was shot and killed in Chicago days later.
“Let me tell you, it is hard to know what to say to a room full of teenagers who are about to bury their best friend,” Obama said. “But I started by telling them that Hadiya was clearly on her way to doing something truly worthy with her life. I told them that there is a reason that we’re here on this earth, that each of us has a mission in this world, and I urged them to use their lives to give meaning to Hadiya’s life.”
Catch the video over at The Huffington Post…
The post Michelle Obama Tears Up During Gun Violence Speech In Chicago [VIDEO] appeared first on UPTOWN Magazine.
Sarah Collins Rudolph, the lone survivor of the September 1963 Birmingham church bombing, is seeking millions in compensation 50 years after the unthinkable tragedy that killed four innocent Black girls.
Rudolph recently told The Associated Press that she feels forgotten decades after the attack at 16th Street Baptist Church that claimed the life of her sister Addie Mae Collins (14), as well as Carole Robertson (14), Cynthia Wesley (14) and Denise McNair (11). She lost an eye in the bombing and says she never got restitution.
Congress is currently considering whether to award Rudolph and the four girls with the Congressional Gold Medal, the highest expression of national appreciation. But Rudolph said she will not accept the award and Wesley’s brother, Fate Morris, is not interested in the honor.
The bomb, which was hidden under a set of cinder block steps on the side of the church, went off during Sunday services and injured more than 20 people. Three Ku Klux Klansmen were later convicted in connection to the bombing.
Photo courtesy of The Associated Press
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In today’s link round-up: Ben Carson steps down as John Hopkins’ graduation speaker, Africa’s first traditional gay marriage is reportedly captured on tape and much more!
The YBF
Kim Porter Responds To Fired Nanny’s Lawsuit, Says She’s A Liar & Convicted Shoplifter!
According to Kim, the ex-nanny is simply upset about losing her job.
Madame Noire
The White House Responds To ‘Open Letter:’ Jay-Z Did Not Speak With President Obama
Yes, it was the topic of discussion at a White House press briefing.
EURweb
Ben Carson Withdraws as John Hopkins Graduation Speaker
The famed neurosurgeon also apologized for any “embarrassment” he caused the institution.
Black Enterprise
Africa Has Its First Traditional Gay Wedding?
A video circulating the web allegedly captures the same-sex ceremony in South Africa.
Hello Beautiful
Kandi Says ‘I’m Not Trying To Do A Reunion’ With Ladies Of Xscape
If you were waiting for these ladies to get back together, don’t hold your breath.
The Frisky
Confession: I Am An Email Hoarder
Can you relate?
The post LOTD: Kim Porter Blasts Drug Allegations + White House Responds To Jay-Z’s ‘Open Letter’ appeared first on UPTOWN Magazine.
Michelle Obama is on the move this graduation season!
On Thursday, the White House announced that the First Lady will deliver commencement speeches at Eastern Kentucky University in Richmond on May 11 and at Bowie State University in Maryland on May 17. She will also address high school graduates at Martin Luther King Jr. Academic Magnet School in Nashville, Tenn., on May 18.
Related: Michelle Obama Tears Up During Gun Violence Speech In Chicago [VIDEO]
Both Eastern Kentucky and MLK magnet school were chosen for their outstanding causes for veterans and wellness, respectively. Bowie State is noted as Maryland’s oldest historically black college.
Last year, Michelle spoke at Oregon State University and Virginia Tech, as well as North Carolina A&T.
President Obama is set to address graduates at Morehouse College, U.S. Naval Academy and The Ohio State University.
The post Michelle Obama’s Busy, Busy Commencement Speaking Schedule appeared first on UPTOWN Magazine.
Courtesy of BlackVoices
In the latest episode of “Keeping It Real Going Terribly Wrong,” singer-turned-actor, author and Twitter villain, Tyrese Gibson, has landed himself the starring role.
34-year-old Gibson spoke about his self-directed and narrated documentary, “A Black Rose That Grew Through Concrete,” in an interview with music site AllHipHop.com just before launching into an all-out attack as to why he believes fat people are fat:
AHH: What kind of responsibility do you feel as an entertainer, you have to inspire people to live healthier lifestyles?
Tyrese: No two situations are the same. If you are fat and nasty and you don’t like the way you look, do something about it. It’s simple.
When you take a shower and you put your fat, nasty body in the shower and by the time you get out, the mirrors are all steamed up so you don’t look at what you did to yourself. That may sound offensive or insensitive but ultimately, you are big as hell because you have earned that sh*t. You worked your a** off to eat everything in sight to get big as hell.
Chaka Khan is set to be inducted into the Apollo Theater’s hall of fame this spring, with a few famous friends by her side.
On Thursday, the theater announced that the living legend will be honored for her remarkable music career at their annual Spring Gala in New York City on June 10. Patti LaBelle and Mary J. Blige will be in attendance to perform at the event.
Related: Taraji P. Henson, Lee Daniels & More Celebrate Chaka Khan’s 60th Birthday In NYC [PHOTOS]
Over the span of her career, Khan has garnered ten Grammy Awards and charted several hits that include “Sweet Thing,” “Tell Me Something Good,” “Through The Fire” and more.
Past inductees include LaBelle, Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin and others. Etta James and Lionel Richie were recognized at last year’s event, which raises money for the Apollo’s community and education outreach programs.
The post Chaka Khan To Be Inducted Into Apollo’s Hall Of Fame appeared first on UPTOWN Magazine.
Courtesy of The Root
When a boy enters first grade at the age of 4 and high school at the age of 12, it’s a foregone conclusion that the child will end up at a Harvard or a Stanford or a Cornell. Right? Not if the boy is Ralph Jones Jr., a 16-year-old freshman at Florida A&M University who has received national attention in recent days for passing up opportunities at the 45 other schools that accepted him — including the prestigious institutions listed above — to attend the Tallahassee, Fla., HBCU.
Jones said that for him it wasn’t about whether or not a school was an Ivy League — he thought about location, scholarship offers, campus atmosphere and the institution’s engineering program in making his decision. “Entering college at the age of 16,” Jones told The Root, “I think that my motives behind choosing were a little bit different than other people’s. One, I looked at distance from home. Florida A&M is about 300 miles away from my hometown of Atlanta, so that was something that was really important to me, whereas if I had gone somewhere that was considered an Ivy, that would have been a good 2,000.”
The proximity is important because he is so much younger than the average freshman, he said. His parents have already had to drive down to his school twice from Atlanta to sign forms for him because of his age. He also said it’s long been one of his goals to go to college for free. Many of his top choices were either too far away or did not offer him a full ride. Harvard and Stanford, for example, offered him some money but not a full scholarship. Cornell and Kettering offered full scholarships but were too far away for his liking. Georgia Tech, his No. 1 choice, did not offer a full scholarship.
The post Why This FAMU Freshman Chose An HBCU Over Harvard appeared first on UPTOWN Magazine.
No tea, no shade! All tea, all shade! This week, Ray J calls out Kim Kardashian and Kanye West in a new diss record, Sheree Whitfield misses her reality TV check, and Tyrese has issues with overweight people. Plus, guess which NBA star is still acting bizarre. And Stacey Dash said what?! AND I QUOTE …
“She might move on to rappers and ballplayers / But we all know I hit it first /I had her head going North and her ass going South / But now baby chose to go West.”
Ray J disses Kim Kardashian and her baby’s father Kanye West, in his new single “I Hit It First.”
“I don’t miss the show — I miss the paycheck!”
Sheree Whitfield, formerly of “The Real Housewives of Atlanta,” reveals that she misses the paycheck but not the drama that came long with the show, in an interview with RealityTea.com.
“What other country artist, or any artist right now, talks about slavery?”
LL Cool J explains his controversial single “Accidental Racist,” in which the rap legend trades lyrics about racism with Brad Paisley, via Parade Magazine.
“That may sound offensive or insensitive but ultimately, you are big as hell because you have earned that sh*t. You worked your a** off to eat everything in sight to get big as hell.”
Tyrese reveals his disgust for fat people when asked if he should be a role model for a healthier lifestyle.
“I’m a Southern girl. We don’t do that. I don’t know what kind of mood you’re in. I don’t know what you did last night.”
Tamar Braxton, who is having tremendous success with her hit single “Love and War,” admits that people wanting to touch her pregnant belly grosses her out, via Essence.com.
“I’m just too sexy for my cat.”
Metta World Peace avoids the question of his recent knee surgery, in a post game interview following the recent L.A. Lakers victory over the New Orleans Hornets.
“Do you care that the Jay-Zs have taken the capital you have given them and funded a communist oppressive regime?”
Stacey Dash lashes out about Beyoncé and Jay-Z’s for traveling to Cuba to celebrate their fifth anniversary and how they received permission to travel to the communist country, via Twitter.
The post AIQ…Ray J, Sheree Whitfield, Tyrese & More appeared first on UPTOWN Magazine.
Courtesy of BlackEnterprise.com
Social media is causing online BFFs (best friends forever) to become frenemies, or, even worse, full-blown rivals.
A recent online survey conducted by corporate training firm VitalSmarts shows nearly 20 percent of people block, unsubscribe or “unfriend” someone over an online argument.
[Photo: Shutterstock]
The post Has Social Media Caused You to Cut Friendships Short? appeared first on UPTOWN Magazine.
*UPDATE: On Friday, rapper Rick Ross issued a formal apology for his “U.O.E.N.O” lyrics:
“Before I am an artist, I am a father, a son, and a brother to some of the most cherished women in the world. So for me to suggest in any way that harm and violation be brought to a woman is one of my biggest mistakes and regrets. As an artist, one of the most liberating things is being able to paint pictures with my words. But with that comes a great responsibility. And most recently, my choice of words was not only offensive, it does not reflect my true heart. And for this, I apologize. To every woman that has felt the sting of abuse, I apologize. I recognize that as an artist I have a voice and with that, the power of influence. To the young men who listen to my music, please know that using a substance to rob a woman of her right to make a choice is not only a crime, it’s wrong and I do not encourage it. To my fans, I also apologize if I have disappointed you. I can only hope that this sparks a healthy dialogue and that I can contribute to it.”
–William Roberts (a.k.a “Rick Ross”)
_______
Reebok has officially given Rick Ross the boot.
The company announced Thursday that it is parting ways with the Miami rapper after weeks of controversy surrounding his “U.O.E.N.O.” date rape lyrics. In the song, Ross states, “Put molly all in her champagne, she ain’t even know it/ I took her home and I enjoyed that, she ain’t even know,” causing an uproar among listeners.
Related: Rick Ross Rape Lyrics: Talib Kweli Takes Rapper To Task Over Controversial Song
In a statement to TMZ, Reebok said:
“Reebok holds our partners to a high standard, and we expect them to live up to the values of our brand. Unfortunately, Rick Ross has failed to do so. While we do not believe that Rick Ross condones sexual assault, we are very disappointed he has yet to display an understanding of the seriousness of this issue or an appropriate level of remorse.”
The decision comes just a week after Ross’ half-assed Twitter apology in which he said he doesn’t condone rape and was sorry for “the lyric interpreted as rape.”
Women’s rights group UltraViolet was a vital piece in bringing down the “boss,” collecting nearly 100,000 signatures for their “Drop Rick Ross” petition while staging a protest outside of Reebok’s New York flagship store.
Ross has yet to comment on the announcement.
The post Reebok Kicks Rick Ross To The Curb, Rapper Issues Formal Apology [UPDATE] appeared first on UPTOWN Magazine.
Suddenly, your parking fines don’t seem all that bad.
A Chicago woman is trying to wiggle her way out of paying a hefty parking fine that totals more than $105,000, according to CBS News.
Jennifer Fitzgerald filed a lawsuit against the city last year after being hit with ticket after ticket by local police. A judge later dismissed the suit and urged both parties to reach a settlement.
The backstory? Her car, worth about $600, had been sitting in an employee parking lot at O’Hare Airport for nearly three years after her ex-boyfriend abandoned it.
Fitzgerald’s former flame has also been named in the suit.
Photo courtesy of Instant Vantage, Flickr
The post Chicago Woman Fights City Hall Over $105,000 Parking Fine appeared first on UPTOWN Magazine.
Courtesy of Huffington Post Black Voices
Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal won’t be endorsing one high school’s effort to have its first integrated prom — at least for the time being, his spokesman said.
In an email to WMAZ-TV, Deal’s representative Brian Robinson said the governor would not respond to a progressive nonprofit group’s calls to support students’ efforts to organize the first integrated prom at Wilcox County High School.
“This is a leftist front group for the state Democratic Party and we’re not going to lend a hand to their silly publicity stunt,” Robinson wrote, according to WMAZ-TV.
Yet three Republican state representatives have joined four Democrats in endorsing the integrated prom, according to Better Georgia, the group that called for Deal to also support the idea.
Continue reading here.
The post Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal Won’t Respond To Group’s Call To End Segregated Prom appeared first on UPTOWN Magazine.
Chicago blues singer Jimmy “Fast Fingers” Dawkins is dead at age 76. He was best-known for his first-rate guitar playing and smooth vocal style.
Bob Koester, owner of Delmark Records, announced on Friday that Dawkins passed on Wednesday. The cause of death is still unknown.
Born James Henry Dawkins in Tchula, Mississippi, Dawkins was an only child. Throughout the years, he taught himself to play guitar.
Dawkins moved to Chicago in the 1950s. But, he did not immediately pursue a career in music. According to Koester, Dawkins worked in a box factory before moonlighting on Chicago streets to play for tips. In the 1960s, however, Dawkins began working in Chicago’s blues clubs where he earned a reputation as a top-notch wing-man–playing alongside fellow blues notables Otis Rush and Buddy Guy.
Dawkins’s debut album, “Fast Fingers,” was released on the Delmark Records label in 1969. Its launch caused many to take notice, particularly in Europe and Japan, where he toured regularly.
His first album may have taken its title from his nickname, but Koester notes: “He didn’t like his nickname… It gave the impression that he played only upbeat music.”
On the contrary, Dawkins performed a mellow style of music known as the West Side Chicago blues. It mirrored his slow-churned Mississippi roots, as opposed to the edgier sounds of the Chicago’s South Side. “His voice was feathery, soft,” Koester said. “He wasn’t a shouter, which is unusual in blues.”
Dawkins was also a contributor to Living Blues magazine.
The post Blues Great Jimmy “Fast Fingers” Dawkins Dead at 76 appeared first on UPTOWN Magazine.
Sgt. Ron King of Port Canaveral, Florida was fired after bringing shooting targets resembling Trayvon Martin to a gun range on April 4.
According to the Huffington Post:
“Port Canaveral Interim Chief Executive Officer John Walsh told WFTV on Saturday that Sgt. Ron King was leading a target practice with two other Port Canaveral police officers and a civilian port employee when he pulled out the targets.”
The training session was held at a facility on Brevard Community College campus in Cocoa. Officer Walsh says King suggested the group use the targets and the men declined, telling King to put the targets back into his patrol car. The officers who were participating in the firearms training session, as well as King, were on duty at the time.
Port officials also told WFTV that King purchased the targets on the internet. Benjamin Crump, the attorney for Trayvon Martin’s family, responded in a statement saying: “Using a dead child’s image as target practice is reprehensible.”
Since January 2011, King was employed with the Port Canaveral Police Department. According to officials, King has seven days to appeal his termination.
Port Canaveral is approximately 50 miles southeast of Sanford, where Martin was killed in 2012 by neighborhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman. Zimmerman says he shot Martin in self-defense. His trial is scheduled for June.
The post Florida Sergeant Brings Trayvon Martin Targets to Shooting Practice appeared first on UPTOWN Magazine.
Courtesy of the Huffington Post Black Voices
LONG BEACH, Calif. — The Long Beach Unified School District is suing a woman who falsely accused a former high school football star of rape in hopes of recovering legal fees and a $750,000 settlement paid to her.
The Long Beach Press-Telegram reported Thursday that the district alleged Wanetta Gibson committed contractual fraud in a lawsuit filed last November.
Gibson was 15 when she accused Brian Banks of attacking her on their high school campus. He insisted the sexual contact with Gibson was consensual, but pleaded no contest to forcible rape on the advice of his lawyer and spent more than five years in prison.
When he got out of prison, Gibson reached out to Banks on Facebook.
Continue reading here.
The post Wanetta Gibson Lawsuit: School Sues Woman Over False Rape Accusation appeared first on UPTOWN Magazine.
Born into a family of nine siblings, actress Sufe Bradshaw knows how to stand out. Her refreshing humor on HBO’s Emmy-nominated comedy Veep, starring Julia Louis-Dreyfus, has quickly turned her into a fan favorite as the Vice President’s personal assistant.
Ahead of the show’s return to television, UPTOWN got the opportunity to speak with Bradshaw about the comedy’s second season, what fans can expect from her no-nonsense [but loveable] character and an upcoming project that is near and dear to her heart.
Sue Me
With season one under her belt, it’s safe to say Bradshaw has comfortably settled into her role as Sue Wilson and found her place among a cast of colorful characters. “[Sue's] funny, fun and exciting,” she explains when asked about what attracted her to the role. “To be able to work with the caliber of talent that I’m working with on Veep– Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Tony Hale, Timothy Simons, Reid Scott– it’s just an amazing group of funny people. I’ve always been attracted to comedy, so it was really great to be able to do one.”
Bradshaw says she and her fellow castmates were able to flesh out their characters by taking a trip through the West Wing. During the field test, she found that the ladies working at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. were no different from the assertive, get-to-the-point women in our everyday lives and that anyone could relate to her character.
Round Two
Bradshaw says she’s most excited for fans of the series to be re-introduced to the hilarious mayhem inside the office of Selina Meyer. “It’s fun, it’s fresh. There’s amazing situations in that office,” she says of the upcoming season. “What craziness will [Vice President] Selina Meyer get into today and how will her team get out of it. [...] Julia is so great in playing that part, so I think that’s going to translate to season two.”
Hollywood’s Sweetheart
A brief chat with the Los Angeles resident shows the unselfish heart of a star immersed in a world of, often, narcissistic personalities and callous jerks. Bradshaw is a firm supporter of One Billion Rising, the largest global action in history to end violence against women and girls. With more than a billion women and men representing 207 countries, individuals came together on Feb. 14, 2013 to express their outrage against violence. Fellow actresses Kerry Washington and Jane Fonda, among others, also represent the movement.
“Charity seems like it goes hand-in-hand with being a celebrity. [...] I’m largely using my celebrity to bring light to some charities that need to be out of the dark,” she states. “I think it’s just a natural compassion that I have for people and furthering society. I think I’ve always had that.”
Different Paths
When she’s not working on Veep (or practicing yoga, attending open mic nights, hiking, etc.), Bradshaw is putting the finishing touches on her forthcoming documentary New Leaves. As a product of the inner city, the Chicago-born talent wants to explore the lives of troubled youth and the choices they make to either do right or wrong. “I saw a lot of kids who had the same educational opportunities, both from either single or double-parent households and literally had similar backgrounds, but for some reason one kid would always go down the wrong road,” she explains.
Bradshaw says she interviewed friends, colleagues and experts, as well as two men from the inner city who faced two completely different fates: one went to Harvard while one went to jail.
The project is expected to launch in June.
Season two of Veep premieres tonight (April 14) at 10 p.m. EST on HBO.
Courtesy of BlackVoices
Melissa Harris-Perry dove headfirst on Saturday into the weeklong controversy about her MSNBC promo.
Harris-Perry became the target of relentless conservative attacks for the ad, in which she said society needed to think in a collective manner about its children and that “we have to break through our kind of private idea that kids belong to their parents or kids belong to their families, and recognize that kids belong to their communities.” On his MSNBC show, Chris Hayes estimated that the 30-second promo had, when you added it up, been covered for over an hour on Fox News during the week—even though it was aired for just a total of four minutes on MSNBC.
Speaking on her weekend show, Harris-Perry said she thought the spot had been “relatively benign,” and was surprised by the reaction it got. She assured viewers that she did not intend to steal their children from them. But she stood by her statement.
Catch the video over at BlackVoices…
The post Melissa Harris-Perry Stands By Promo: ‘Our Children Are Not Our Private Property’ [VIDEO] appeared first on UPTOWN Magazine.
