Although the news of Earvin “Magic” Johnson, Jr. ‘s son, Earvin III (also known as EJ), garnered some harsh reactions from a handful of critics, the former Los Angeles Lakers superstar is fully supportive of his son coming out as a gay man. In an exclusive interview with TMZ’s Harvey Levin, Magic displayed unflinching care and understanding of EJ’s decision and lifestyle.
“I told him, ‘Hey, we are here to support you, man. We’re going to love you no matter who you are, what you do. We just want you to love yourself,” said Johnson of his son. EJ, now 20, is currently a student at New York University. Earlier this week, he was seen walking on Hollywood’s Sunset Strip holding hands with his boyfriend, a story that TMZ broke.
Magic credited TMZ for breaking the news and making it possible for the NBA Hall Of Famer to openly support his son and other gay individuals fearful of coming out. Calling himself a “protector,” Johnson offered support to anyone, including pro athletes, who may be struggling to express themselves regarding their sexuality.
Watch Magic Talk About African-Americans’ Reaction To EJ Below:
Current Lakers star Kobe Bryant also told TMZ that the public shouldn’t be surprised the Magic loves and supports EJ. Bryant was also quoted as saying, “What I can’t tolerate is a lack of tolerance,” regarding the fervor surrounding EJ’s coming out and others who are afraid to follow suit.
Johnson referred to his son as a “symbol of hope,” saying that he serves as an example to African-Americans and others who are still living as closeted individuals.
Home » Entertainment » Wesley Snipes Released From Prison!
Wesley Snipes Released From Prison!
Apr 5, 2013 By Ruth Manuel-Logan
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After serving a three-year prison stint for tax evasion, actor Wesley Snipes (pictured) is no longer behind bars. The “Blade” trilogy star was reportedly released on April 2, then transferred to the New York Community Corrections Office which will oversee his home confinement for the remainder of his sentence, reports TMZ.
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The 50-year-old actor was convicted of three misdemeanor counts back in 2008 for failing to file tax returns. He lost an appeal for a retrial in 2010 which resulted in his being sentenced to 3 years at a Pennsylvania minimum security correctional institution, where he was housed with roughly 290 white-collar inmates.
Al Bell received the highest honor the recorded music industry offers: the 2011 Prestigious Grammy Trustees Award, presented by the Board of Trustees of the National Association of Recording Arts and Sciences (NARAS). This award was given in recognition of Mr. Bell’s lifetime of influence, achievement, and success in his pursuit of musical excellence, as demonstrated through the creation, development, and successful marketing of “rare performing artists” that recorded “unique music art” and who with “passion and emotion” interacted with and entertained their audiences with a standard of excellence that classified them as entertainment icons. This is considered a noble achievement by Al Bell in the recorded music and entertainment Industries.
Throughout his career, Al Bell has been considered a visionary, a seer, an icon, a “music mogul,” and a communications and entertainment “maverick.” Perhaps the word that sums this all up best is “legend,” which is how most people throughout industry view him today. Mr. Bell attained this status of legend because, at every turn of events within the recorded music industry, and in the many facets of the businesses in which he has been involved, he always has been way ahead of his time. Also, because of his ability to see things that others cannot – and his intuitive capacity (and the guts) to act on what he sees – Mr. Bell has always been far ahead of his competitors, as well.
In the 1970’s, two of the largest African-American owned businesses in America were Motown Records and Stax Records. Al Bell is the former owner of Stax Records and the President of all divisions of the Motown Records Groups.
During his years as head of Stax Records, Al Bell introduced marketing and promotional innovations, which changed the direction of the nation’s music industry. Stax produced gold and platinum hits on such varied artists as Isaac Hayes, the Staple Singers, Johnny Taylor, Sam And Dave, Booker T and the MG’s, the Bar Kays, Otis Redding, The Emotions, Carla Thomas, Rufus Thomas, Richard Pryor, Bill Cosby, Billy Eckstine, Albert King, The Dramatics and a host of others.
Stax Records worked with Melvin Van Peebles on the release of his revolutionary film “Sweetback” and with MGM Studios on the release of the film “Shaft,” demonstrating marketing and promotional techniques that woke the film industry to the potential in the black marketplace and led to the black film renaissance of the 1970s.
Al Bell successfully marketed the theme from “Shaft” performed by Isaac Hayes to the revered winner’s circle of the Motion Picture Industry’s Academy Awards and secured an “Oscar Award” for the Best Original Song with Hayes becoming the first African American to win that honor (or any other Academy Award in a non-acting category).
Al Bell added to the roster of box office hits with the landmark 1973 film “Wattstax,” a documentary based on a Stax Records concert that entertained 112,000 people, in the Los Angeles stadium, from Los Angeles and Watts. This was the largest musical event ever presented to Black America.
In the 1980s, Al Bell became head of the Motown Records Group and worked with Berry Gordy in the sale of Motown to the MCA/Boston Ventures Group. After Motown, he discovered the music group Tag Team and released “Whoomp! There It Is” which sold over 5,000,000 single units. This record is one of the biggest-selling singles in the history of the music industry.
Al Bell was asked by the artist “Prince” to release a single record for him, after his label Warner Brothers Records turned him down. Using his unique style of marketing and promotion, Al Bell released “The Most Beautiful Girl in the World” and gave Prince his biggest-selling single ever.
In the recently published book by Rob Bowman chronicling the history of Stax Records titled “Soulsville USA: The Stax Records Story,” Jesse Jackson is quoted saying that, “Stax was not just a record company. It was a sound. It was a piece of culture. It was a moment of conscience and experience of mankind. At the right time, it meant a lot to us. People still heavily borrow upon the tradition of Stax and the lineage laid down by the very special genius of Al Bell.”
Over the years, Al Bell has received a vast body of honors and awards, including the NAACP Founder’s Award. He has been listed in “Who’s Who in Black America” and “Who’s Who in the World,” and was honored by Black Enterprise Magazine in 1972 and 1973 as one of the Top 100 Black Owned Businesses (#2) in recognition for Stax Records. He also was named one of the Top 100 Most Influential Black Men by Ebony Magazine in 1972, as well as one of the Top 1000 Most Successful Black Men in the World, by Ebony Magazine in 1973. He has earned the National Award of Achievement from U.S. Department of Commerce, received an Achievement Award from the Boy Scouts of America in 1975, received the “Roots Award” from the Greater Washington, DC Business Center in 1977, and was given the W. C Handy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2002. In 2002 he was inducted into the Arkansas Black Hall of Fame, received two Honorary Doctorates (PhDs) from Philander Smith College in 1972 and 2011, and – as noted above – received the Grammy Trustee Award for Lifetime Achievement in 2011.
ST? Tell us how you fell about working with Mr. Bell
Looze:Well its a honor to work with a man that has such a rich music history i have been doing music from the time i was a child and now it seems like my dream is just now coming to life.
ST? How did you meet Mr. Al Bell
Looze: My father has been in business with him for years Mr.Bell gave my dad his first record deal for his Streetnoise record label so i’v known him all my life its funny to me that my dad started with this guy some 20 Years ago now i find myself going up the same road i guess karma is real lol.
ST? what kind of record deal do you have.
Looze:Well as you know the music bizz has changed so much over the years i would not go into a record deal the why most artist do i am in business with Al Bell Presents LLC. as a partner its not just about selling records and downloads it more about concert and t’shirts caps perfume and whatever else we can sell so we are 50/50 partners with my company Gwalla Gang Music LL.
ST? So when will the first album come out
Looze: I’m working as hard as i can along with my team to get done with the record but i also have a day job a the Motown Museum so on the real we should drop the first single this summer.
ST? Well we would like to thank you for taking the time to speak with us.
Looze: Ok anytime i love to talk music its my first love and she understands me and i her!!!! Lol its been real see you!
Chris Brown wants even more F.A.M.E.and Fortune in the future.
“I think, hopefully, in 10 years, I’ll be bigger than I’ve ever been—hopefully,” the 23-year-old R&B star told MTV News last week, perhaps dropping in that secondhopefully for humble pie’s sake.
Brown burst onto the scene when he was 16 with the hit single “Run It” and hasn’t been out of the public eye since, though his last four years have been devoted to damage control as much as to music.
“I’ve accomplished so much of my goals, just from being from Virginia, being able to take my mom, my parents and certain people out of poverty that I grew up with, that’s one of my main goals that I focused on,” he told MTV. “Now it’s about shaping my life…being able to write for great artists—J.Lo, you know—collaborating, working on her album, and doing stuff that I never thought was possible.”
While certain headlines seem to carry the day, Brown has remained active with various charities, dabbled in painting and has been producing and writing for other artists when not recording his own music.
“Everything that I do creatively, whether it be skating or anything that I try to put my hands on to, hopefully selling it and making people see the light at the end of the tunnel” will help him be sustainable in the long run, he said.
As for the part of his legacy that he’s trying to downplay, Brown is due in court tomorrow for a probation-violation hearing related to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office’sallegations that he may not have sufficiently completed the community labor he was requiredto do as part of his felony sentence for assaulting girlfriend Rihanna in 2009.
Will & Jada Pinkett Smith: ‘Free Angela’ NYC Premiere!
Will Smith and his wife Jada Pinkett Smith attend the premiere of their new documentary Free Angela & All Political Prisoners on Wednesday (April 3) at the Schomburg Center in New York City.
The 41-year-old actress, who executive produced the film with Will, 44, andJay-Z, wore a Miu Miu dress, a Kara Ross bag, Saint Laurent shoes, and her own earrings.
Earlier in the day, Jada wore a Peter Pilotto dress, Nicholas Kirkwood shoes, and Pomellato earrings while heading to a meeting in the city.
25+ pictures inside of Will and Jada Pinkett Smith at the movie premiere…
Next week De La Soul will independently issue their first song and video in nine years, “Get Away (feat. the spirit of Wu-Tang),” in the first of the hip-hop group’s planned series of monthly single releases, through YouTube and social media. De La Soul will join LL Cool J, Public Enemy and Ice Cube next month for this summer’s national Kings of the Mic tour.
“I think it’s a great record to reintroduce ourselves with,” Maseo, the group’s DJ, told Rolling Stone in an interview from Los Angeles before a show Wednesday. “It’s pretty much reflecting on the state of hip-hop at this moment. Everything is redundant. Everything sounds the same. No real lyrical content. Everybody’s just doing business, not really creating.”
“Get Away,” De La Soul’s first single in the era of Facebook, Twitter and iTunes, marks 25 years since the trio formed in Long Island. In March they shot a video for the song, which samples a skit from the Wu-Tang Clan‘s 1997 Wu-Tang Forever. Other than the occasional collaboration – their song with Gorillaz, “Feel Good Inc.,” won a Grammy – De La Soul have favored touring over recording since 2004’s The Grind Date.
“I think putting out those singles would be more impressionable than dropping an album at this present day in music,” Maseo explained, adding that the group will eventually release a long-in-the-works album, You‘re Welcome. “It’s about trying to just creatively have a bunch of songs in the stable. You have to consider a lot from the administrative standpoint in the release of a project. I see the song that we’re putting out being the perfect B-side – with a video this time.”
Though Maseo says he expects singles will take precedent over albums, the group has discussed experimenting with making soundtrack-style records in the vein of Isaac Hayes’ Shaft and Marvin Gaye‘s Trouble Man.
“It’s long overdue. Trust me, man, it disgusts me how long it takes for us to make a record,” Maseo said with a laugh. “Out of all the time we take, we are always happy with the finished product.”
It’s that time again when Forbes let’s the world know who are the richest rappers, and this comes as no surprise. Topping the list is Diddy, with an estimated network $580 million.
Diddy makes most of his money mainly through his vodka Ciroc and other non-music business. Jay-Z is number two, putting $475 million in his bank account. He is still riding high from his $150 million Live Nation deal and selling Rocawear for $207 million.
Rounding out the third, fourth, and fifth slots are Dr. Dre, Birdman, and 5o Cent. We all know Dr. Dre is raking in the Beats By Dre dough, especially now that you can find it anywhere from your smartphone to your car nowadays.
With the way this list is, I doubt there is real room for much change in the future. This list has been the same for years.
Radio Station Pulls Rick Ross and Lil Wayne from Rotation
The questions have been asked, Is Hip Hop Music Destroying America, Is Hip Hop A Threat To Our Children or Should Rappers Be Accountable For Their Lyrics? You be the judge. Earlier this year the song “Karate Chop” leaked online featuring rapper Lil Wayne. He raps, “Bout to put rims on my skateboard wheels/Beat that (expletive/woman genital) up like Emmett Till.” A few weeks later a song by rapper Rocko featuring Rick Ross was release called “You Don’t Even Know It.” Rick Ross raps, “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 it.” Yes, we have our freedom of speech right, but when is freedom of speech taken too far?
Many would say both rappers have taken their lyrical content too far and offended too many. The family and estate of Emit Till have released a statement of disapproval over Lil Wayne’s disregard and disrespectful lyrics. Though his record label issued a statement of apology, the rapper has yet to do so. In the case of Rick Ross, a petition has been started over his blatant disregard for women and the issue of date rape. The U.S. Department of Justice estimates that over 300,000 women are raped or sexually assaulted per year in the United States alone. That is a disturbing number and should not be taken lightly. His lyrics not only condone the behavior, but he boasts about it in the song. While some feel it’s only entertainment, many feel it sends and encourages the wrong message. Several individuals and organizations have taken a stand and so are we. Effective immediately Muskegon’s WUVSlp 103.7 the Beat has pulled ALL Lil Wayne and Rick Ross music from rotation. We pride ourselves on playing music that is non-degrading and non-violent. While we believe in freedom of speech, creative writing and individualism, we refuse to be part of the problem by spreading messages that could harm or end someone’s life.
(BlackMediaScoop) For many music fans Jodeci were the defining sound of 90s R&B, but the band’s recent ill fated reunion gig in London ended ugly.
The group were booed off stage as they performed on Saturday night at Wembley Arena as part of a 1990s gig entitled The Show.
Starring alongside fellow music heavyweights Blackstreet, Dru Hill, SWV, Damage and Changing Faces, the former hit makers sounded horrible.
It didn’t take long for the London crowd to let the faded stars know what they thought of them as they booed loudly. Jodeci then embarrassingly begged the audience to let them sing for just ten more minutes.
News of the excruciatingly bad performance spread quickly through Twitter as many disgruntled fans mentioned how dreadful it was.
Former Sugababe Keisha Buchanan tweeted: ‘Jodeci!!!!! ….Start off with a member jumping off stage and not being able to get back up !!!! I don’t meant to crack up laughing but….’
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She continued: ‘People are booing #Jodeci I feel so bad seriously ‘.
Dalvin’s crazy azz jumps off stage & almost broke his damn back…
Watch what John Legend says about Jodeci getting booed off stage…
In the latest Molly poppin lyrical fail by a rapper, Rick Ross brags on Future Rocko’s song called “U.O.E.N.O.” (you ain’t even know it) about drugging women’s drinks “and they don’t even know it.”“Put molly all in her champagne, she aint even know it,” he raps. “I took her home and I enjoyed that, she aint even know it.”
No. No. No. This is not cool, swag or “bawse.” I don’t
href=”http://theurbandaily.com/2159918/rick-ross-rape-molly-uoeno/#”>care how many vaginal assaults a drugged-out actress asks for on Twitter, it is not acceptable to preach the practice of drugging women to have sex with them “without them even knowing.” If she didn’t know she didn’t give consent. And if she didn’t give consent she was raped. You’re out here telling your fans that it’s cool to rape women and YOU don’t even know it.
Ross’ lyrics are reprehensible on so many levels but as a man you have to ask yourself: What kind of sex am I having where I don’t want the woman to remember?
We can’t wait to hear how he tries to spin this one.
Marcus Owen/startraksphoto.com
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