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DJ D-Nice Breaks the Internet and Rallies a Parade of Stars With Daily 9-Hour Coronavirus Quarantine Parties
DJ D-Nice done did it. And he continues to do it. Every night since last Tuesday, the in-demand deejay and hip-hop veteran has mastered the art of social distancing and social media with an infectious music party, aptly titled “Homeschool: Club Quarantine,” via Instagram Live. For the Saturday session, streamed from his high-rise apartment in…
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Legendary Jazz Pianist McCoy Tyner Dead at 81
Another one of the greatest who ever did it has gone on to glory. Legendary jazz pianist McCoy Tyner is dead at age 81. The death of the free-flowing jazz giant, who played piano alongside John Coltrane, Donald Byrd and Art Blakey, was announced by family members via social media on Friday. “It is with…
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Laurence Fishburne Tapped to Narrate Seminal 'Autobiography of Malcolm X' For Audible
Furious Styles will bring his furious style to one of the greatest stories ever told. No, not the Bible. Another one — considered one of the most important memoirs written within the past century. Emmy and Tony award-winning actor Laurence Fishburne has signed on to narrate The Autobiography of Malcolm X for Audible. Marking the…
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BET Networks to Honor Kobe Bryant With Full Coverage of Memorial, Other Programming
BET Networks will celebrate the life and memory of late basketball legend Kobe Bryant in a special way. The Black-centric ViacomCBS-owned network announced its plans to pay tribute to the iconic five-time NBA champion who perished with his daughter Gianna and seven others in a fatal helicopter crash on Jan. 26. On Feb. 24, a…
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From Baltimore to 'Broadway' to Bloomberg? Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake Named Co-Chair of Mega Billionaire's Presidential Campaign
Stephanie Rawlings-Blake is all about the come-up. The former Baltimore mayor—who made history as the first city official to star in the legendary musical Chicago (as an ensemble member)—is now the face of Michael Bloomberg’s presidential bid. On Feb. 20, the mega billionaire’s campaign announced Rawlings-Blake was endorsing the former New York City Mayor’s run…
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B. Smith, Trailblazing Fashion Model and Entrepreneur, Dead at 70, Husband Confirms
B. Smith, the trailblazing fashion model who proved to be more successful as a restaurateur, television personality and branding pioneer, has passed away at age 70. Her husband, Dan Gasby, confirmed her death on the couple’s Facebook page Sunday morning. “It is with great sadness that my daughter Dana and I announce the passing of…
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As Erykah Badu's Vagina-Scented Incense Sells Out, She Sings on Morning TV with Daughter Puma In Celebration of Her Forthcoming 49th Birthday
Tis’ The Season. Erykah Badu (a.k.a. Lo Down Loretta Brown a.k.a. Badulla Oblongata a.k.a. Sara Bellum a.k.a. Analogue Girl in a Digital World and a.k.a. Manuela Maria Mexico) is getting closer to the Big 5-0. On Feb. 26th, the neo-soul high preistess will be 49 years of age. And she’s already celebrating it with her…
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Bustin’ The Beat: Go-Go Officially Designated As the Music of Washington D.C.
Chuck Brown would be proud. Chocolate City finally – officially – has its own sound, on the books. This week, D.C.’s mayor signed a bill making go-go the official music of Washington. “Today, we are proud to say that DC’s official music will always be Go-Go, because there is no DC without Go-Go and there…
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Former Pro Football Player and Republican Congressman J.C. Watts Spearheads First Black News Channel, Launching Nationally This Week
Did it really take a former Republican congressman to finally launch the first black news network? Apparently so. He’s a former professional football player, too. If that matters. The groundbreaking Black News Channel — the same one that The Root’s very own Michael Harriot wrote “looks pretty conservative” last year — will finally hit television…
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Another Achievement For Tyler Perry: Leading The Pack For Worst Movies of 2019 With Eight Razzie Award Nods For A Madea Family Funeral
Tyler Perry is nominated among the worst achievements in film for 2019 but the history-making Hollywood mogul is not in bad company. A Madea Family Funeral garnered eight nods from the Golden Raspberry Foundation, which announced its picks for the Razzie Awards—celebrating what it calls the worst films the film industry had to offer last…
