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Iconic Hip-Hop Artist John 'Ecstasy' Fletcher of Whodini Dies at 56
It is with great sadness that we report that John Fletcher, one third of the ’80s Brooklyn-based hip-hop trio Whodini, has died at the age of 56. Fletcher’s family shared the news of his passing on Wednesday in a statement sent to Billboard: The African and Native American ancestors have gathered around and chosen this…
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Mayor Lori Lightfoot Taps Former Federal Judge to Look Into the Anjanette Young Case
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot revealed Tuesday that she would enlist the help of former federal judge Anne Claire Williams to investigate the handling of the Anjanette Young case. As we’ve been reporting here at The Root, the 2019 botched police raid of Young’s home has recently gained national attention and backlash due largely in part…
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Say So Long to This Savage Year: Doja Cat, Megan Thee Stallion to Perform at Dick Clark’s New Year Rockin’ Eve
Billboard announced today that “Juicy” singer Doja Cat is one of the latest additions to the performances for this year’s Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin Eve, hosted by Ryan Seacrest. The “Like That” artist will join the West Coast lineup, hosted by “Level Up” singer Ciara, from Los Angeles’ Hollywood Party. Meanwhile on the East…
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Uncle Luke Opens Up About Contracting Coronavirus, Tells Fans ‘You Have to Think About the Consequences’
In a recent op-ed for the Miami New Times, 2 Live Crew member Luther Campbell, aka Uncle Luke, revealed that he had previously tested positive for coronavirus. Admitting to initially following CDC guidelines by practicing social distancing and self-isolation, Campbell says he was eventually peer pressured into attending a birthday party at a strip club.…
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Pon De Re-Plate: Rihanna’s Coming Out With a Cookbook Instead of an Album Soon, and No I’m Not Crying About It, You Are
Look. Because I don’t want Rih to cuss me out if she happens upon this article, let me first start by saying how overjoyed I am to learn that my favorite bad gal is coming out with a cookbook. Speaking with British magazine Closer, the “Love On the Brain” artist divulged that she was inspired…
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Podcasts Are the New Black: Laverne Cox and Shonda Rhimes Team Up for Weekly Podcast Series
Emmy-nominated actress and Orange is the New Black star Laverne Cox will be debuting her very own podcast thanks to Shondaland Audio and iHeartMedia. Per a press release sent to The Root, the weekly series, entitled for now as The Laverne Cox Show, “will feature intimate conversations with guests who provoke thought and potentially new…
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#EatingWhileBlack: An Innocent Black Man Gets Handcuffed While Eating With Family at Virginia Beach Mall
Another day, another task to add to the ever-growing list of things Black folks can’t do for fear of having a completely unwarranted and volatile run-in with the police. On Saturday, Jamar Mackey was enjoying lunch with his family at a food court inside of a local Virginia Beach Mall. Well, that was the case…
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The Negro Soulstice Is Finally Upon Us and These Tweets Are Just What the Cosmos Ordered to Put Us in the Mood
Greetings fellow Super Negroes! Today is the day that we’ve all been (arguably) waiting for, the Negro Soulstice. If you’re just now ascending into higher consciousness, let me be the first to welcome you into the fold. And by “the fold,” I mean the League of Extraordinary Negroes. As your newly self-appointed Super Negro Secretary…
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Chicago’s Top Attorney Resigns Following Continuous Outrage Over Botched Police Raid
On Sunday the lead attorney for the city of Chicago, Mark Flessner, resigned from his role as Corporation Counsel for the city of Chicago via an email sent to staff. According to NPR, Flessner’s resignation was brought on because of the continual backlash surrounding the now-viral video of a 2019 botched police raid of the…
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Walter Mosley’s The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey Adaptation Finds Its Leading Man in Samuel L. Jackson
Shaft and The Banker star Samuel L. Jackson is set to star in a new limited series for Apple+ TV, The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey. The six-episode limited series is based on the critically acclaimed novel of the same name by Walter Mosley, with Mosley tapped to write the screen adaptation as well executive…
