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This Producer Helped Craft Ariana Grande's Sound and He's Working With Your Other Faves, Too
Khris Riddick-Tynes and Leon Thomas make up the production duo The Rascals. They’ve produced Ariana Grande, Ty Dolla $ign, Zendaya and Kehlani, to name a few. Riddick-Tynes also knows the value of mentors, one of which is legendary singer-songwriter Kenny “Babyface” Edmonds. The 11-time Grammy winner, along with music giant Antonio Dixon, took the young…
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A 'Triggering' Conversation With Rapper Killer Mike
Rapper Killer Mike stopped by The Root to chat about his new Netflix series, Trigger Warning, and be warned, some of his viewpoints may trigger you. I know some of them triggered me. We sat down with him to chat about Big Boi performing at the Super Bowl, gun control, cancel culture and more. Judge…
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The Story Behind the Music of Black-ish’s Most Talked About Episode
ABC’s Black-ish has never shied away from controversial topics and tonight’s show about colorism shouldn’t be any different. Ahead of tonight’s episode, we spoke to the composer Hilton Wright II, the co-producer of the music for one of the most memorable episodes, “Juneteenth.” Hilton has worked with artists like Big Sean, Sofia Reyes, Drake and…
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You’re Not Living Your Best Life: Leave These 6 Things Behind in 2018
You made it through 2018. Bless up! But your friends aren’t keeping it 100 with you. Luckily you have Corey Townsend, social media editor for The Root. Whether it’s toxic masculinity, avoiding salt and pepper or trying to Basquiat your hairline: Here are a few things you should leave behind if you want to be…
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Angela Bassett Finishes Another Huge Year as the First Female Robot in Transformers Franchise Flick, Bumblebee
The queen that is Angela Bassett has had yet another huge year in film and television. The 60-year-old veteran actor (yes, that’s right. SIXTY.) was busy with major hits in 2018, including Black Panther, Mission Impossible: Fallout and 9-1-1. Now she’s finishing strong with her role as the first female robot in the sixth Transformers…
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Still One of The Cool Kids: David Alan Grier Talks Latest and Most Memorable Roles Through the Years
David Alan Grier is currently starring in Fox’s The Cool Kids, where he is joined by co-stars Vicki Lawrence (Mama’s Family, The Carol Burnett Show) and Leslie Jordan (American Horror Story, Will and Grace). The show is about a group of friends living in a retirement community who have no problem breaking every rule to…
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Creed II Director Breaks Down Importance of Showing Black Families in Cinema
Creed II broke box office records its opening weekend. Not bad for director Steven Caple Jr.’s second feature. “When I got the call to do Creed, I was working on this TV show Grown-ish,” Caple told The Root. “I was excited like anyone else would be but at the same time, you know, it came…
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Director Malcolm D. Lee on Breaking Out of the Limiting Label of 'Urban' Films
Next year will mark the 20th anniversary of director Malcolm D. Lee’s first major film, The Best Man, which hit theaters in October 1999. Since then, he has directed multiple movies with predominately African-American casts, including this year’s Night School and last year’s blockbuster comedy smash, Girls Trip. But does he get the respect he…
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Queen Maxine Still Ain't Scared and She Expects Voters Not to Be Either
U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.), who won’t allow bomb threats to intimidate her, is encouraging voters to “step up to the plate” on Election Day. The Root caught up with Auntie Maxine at this year’s Women in Media Awards in New York City. “I’d like to say to those who are targeted for bomb threats…
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What Black Voters Want in the 2018 Midterm Elections
The Root’s Video Producer Felice Leon and I went to Harlem to ask black voters what issues they want to see addressed. We found people who were more than ready to get to the polls but, as important as these upcoming elections are, we still found some folks were not motivated to vote. Are the…
Black News and Black Views with a Whole Lotta Attitude
