If there’s one thing I love, it’s my alma mater. I have to confess, I am one of those outwardly arrogant Howard alum who will talk about our legacy or our professors or our homecoming at the drop of a hat. So when I arrived at Madison Square Garden, last Saturday for the Big Apple Classic I was ready to root for my team against our rivals Hampton University. Ryan Leslie, who’s new album “Transition” was recently released, was also there as halftime performer.
When I sat down with him he admitted he enjoys black college events, which came as no surprise to me. Leslie has a bit of a tie to Howard; performing for our Homecoming last year and a few months later during the memorable election night that gave us a black president.
Truthfully, I’ve always been a bit of fan, admiring the way he creates beats with ease and his knowledge of instruments incorporated in tracks. I’ve gotten ready to go out with friends many times bumping his music. Ran the treadmill with his voice in my headphones. And lest me not forget the club experience, for without him it would not be the same.
I was excited to find what was next for the famed producer/artist/Harvard alum. “This
In between spontaneous chants of O-Ba-Ma from the crowd I was able to hear and see it all from my perch at the top of the hill.
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Before collaborations between artists became de riguer, (and T-Pain appeared on almost everyone’s CD), duets were special. Whether it was two notable artists recording a single song or album or a duo who made their living recording together, the theme was almost always love. Here are the duos we’ll never forget or we should rediscover.
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When our people started out and movies and television we always played the hired help. But the way some of our people played these roles we really have to wonder, who’s really in charge?
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These sisters may all have famous father’s but now they’ve all made names for themselves.
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When it comes to playing a real-life character, especially a sister, you want someone who can inhabit the role completely. Nobody does it better than award-winning actress Angela Bassett. Here, some of the people she’s brought to life:
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Before models became celebrities themselves, Hollywood used to be the ultimate goal. (And for some it still is). Here, some sisters who made the transition—some more successfully than others.
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We all know that James Earl Jones is a serious actor that has been strutting his stuff on stage and screen for more than five decades. But actually, the man with the voice has done a range or roles that span from kid stuff to laugh-out-loud funny. Here, a selection of entertaining flicks that highlights Jones’ versatility.
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These British brothers are easy on the eyes and are no slouches on the screen. Sounds like a perfect combination to me…
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Nobody went to see Cadillac Records and the verdict is still out on whether Notorious is a hit. But the message is still in the music. And so it is with these films as well…
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These women are all packing heat!
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The NAACP Awards have always been a kind of quirky mixed bag that all the people of color in Hollywood show up for—happy, frankly that there is at least one organization that recognizes their work. But for this, the organization's 100th anniversary, the bag was more mixed than ever before.
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We may not have taken home any prizes, but most of the sisters who came out for the Oscars looked fabulous.
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Keenan Ivory Wayans may have directed those film parodies about horror movies, but black folks actually have a few notable horror movies of their own. Here, some flicks that either made us laugh, scream (or creeped us out in some way).
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Here’s another reason we can call soap opera’s daytime dramas: the number of black characters, particularly women, continue to dwindle at a startling rate. After the loss of fan favorite, Victoria Rowell on The Young and the Restless (they threw her off a cliff) and the return of Debbi Morgan (and Darnell Williams) on AMC, here’s a look at the sister’s populating these fictional towns with contract roles:
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We know it's not easy for a brother or a sister to break into the film, TV or music business. But these celebrity brothers and sisters managed to keep fame all in the family.
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We already know that Hollywood is good at recycling ideas and sometimes that's a good thing. But other times, a bad remake can have you shaking your head in disbelief. Here's a list of remakes that worked and other that didn't translate the formula so well the second time around.
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Along with cops, sisters (and sometimes brothers) are often called upon to play the coroners. Why? Perhaps because it is the penultimate caretaker role. But even with these stereotypes, these sisters (and brother) bring their own brand of verve and nerve to the roles they play.
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This is the time of year that black radio pulls out that old classic "I'll Always Love My Mama" and all the other odes that celebrate black motherhood. If I were in television programming I'd do a marathon block of some of our favorite mamas, moms and stepmothers from the archives. Here's what I'd include:
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The one and only Cicely Tyson gave one of the commencement speeches at Morehouse College this weekend. It made be think about her incredible acting abilities and the way that Hollywood underutilized Tyson and her contemporaries back in the day because they didn't bow down to stereotypes. These women of a certain age were ahead of their time and have clearly paved the way for a different kind of black actress in the mix.
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The MTV Movie Awards pretty closely resembled the network in terms of representing us. In other words, our people we're sprinkled here and there . But those who were there got the memo: be cool. Folks look extra nice when nobody is trying too hard.
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Celebrity makeup artist Sam Fine had a big blowout (no pun intended) at the Warren Tricomi Salon in NYC"s Plaza Hotel Thursday night to launch his "Basics of Beauty" instructional makeup DVD. It seems like everybody came out in spite of the rain because it was wall-to-wall people. (and I thought my freshly blown hair was about to revert to natural). But here are some of the beautiful faces that were in the crowd.
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The show itself may have been all over the place but the sisters came out looking like they had at all together (for the most part).
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The sisters (and brothers) were out in full force to support the efforts of the HollyRod Foundation. For over a decade Holly Robinson Peete and husband Rodney Peete have been leading the charge to offer support to those suffering from from the debilitating impact of Parkinson's disease. It's not just about what people have, it's what they give and Holly and Rodney take the latter seriously.
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It looked like most divas (both on the stage and in the audience) would much rather keep it short, sassy and sexy then go for the traditional elegance. Here are some of the sisters who did it their way.
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Although these brothers and sisters didn't get a chance to go up to the stage to collect an award they were in the house. Some because their show or individual work was nominated and others just to join the festivities.
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When VH1 airs its "Hip-Hop Honors" on October 13th it will be all about Def Jam. Like most hip-hop award shows it is really all about the men. But last night some sisters walked across the red carpet and then made it to the stage to ensure that this wasn't purely testosterone on parade.
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Fall is in full effect! The hottest trend with braids are being seen on everyone and everywhere . This is a great way to give your hair a break from all the summer styling and damage. Lets look at quick ideas that will keep you in style and excited to have some fun! From French to cornrow or platt, big and chunky braids; small and intimate to sexy and flowing. I love fall!
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The American Music Awards usually offers a mixed bag of entertainment—and this year was no different. While there were some great performances, there were also a bunch that made you want to grab your pillow and take a nap. But the attire is always entertaining. Last night, the sisters show up dressed as winners (well mostly). Here, some of the standouts on the Red Carpet where black seemed to be the overriding theme (with one notable exception).
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Besides Mo'Nique's big win (the first of the night) and heartfelt acceptance speech, there was a scarcity of people of color crossing the stage at the 67th Annual Golden Globe Awards. In spite of the rain (which is not a black woman's friend) brothers and sisters did brave the red carpet.
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We may have only seen Beyoncé, Jennifer Hudson, Rihanna and Roberta Flack on stage but there were plenty of sisters in attendance at the Grammy Awards last night.
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Many of the sisters who attended the 2010 NAACP Awards last Friday opted to do the short or vibrant thing while others keep it more traditional. All of them looked fabulous.
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Although Halle Berry and Denzel Washington were noticeable absent from this year's festivities, Black men and women brought their A game to the Red Carpet.
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Currently Leslie is touring to promote his album but he is also working on the next one “More is Less”. “I did some research and discovered that an artist only needs to 50 percent vocals on a track to win a Grammy, so my next album will have more extended musical arrangements. Less is more.”
Speaking of, apparently his theory is true. With less time on the clock the real HU gave more effort and won 56-54.
And yes, I’m still arrogantly bragging.
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Danielle Kwateng is a faithful journalist who has written for Upscale Magazine, The Root and Black America Web. She lives in NYC and her blog, “The Lush Life”, explores the trails, tribulations and utter craziness of being a young black socialite with a moral conscious.
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