Whats Buzzing in the Streets – Page 10

WTF DID YOU MISS: CLUB HIP HOP 50

If you are either a New Yorker, a Bronx native, and/or a hip hop head then you were definitely outside during the month of August. August 11th, as we all know, is the day of the fiftieth anniversary of hip hop culture. This year’s month of the fiftieth will go down in history as one of hip hop’s greatest times in New York and hip hop history. Besides the fact that The Bronx is the birthplace of hip hop, the entire state of New York and its boroughs coming together to celebrate hip hop culture is an unforgettable time. So many fiftieth celebration events happening back to back, it feels like one big party and/or club exclusively for all those who are part of the culture. Everyone who’s an artist, to bloggers, writers, interviewers, hosts, there was a space for those specifically involved in the culture to get outside, participate, and come together for the culture. All of the four elements: dee jayin’, emceeing, breakdancing, and graffiti, that make up hip hop culture were also fully present at these celebration events. Lots of great performances from our favorite hip hop artists and DJ’s are more in demand, people are showing up and dressing up in their freshest and best outfits and they’re coming out to dance and have a great time. All throughout the month of August, there’s been non stop celebration events happening in The Bronx. Summerstage’s Grandmaster Flash and Friends, The Mill Pond Park celebration, The Yankee Stadium, and most of all the Sedgwick Avenue celebration. On August 4th, 2023, Grandmaster Flash was the star of the show in Crotona Park for Summerstage; Also called the “Birth of a Culture: The 4 Elements Block Party.” He and a couple of other DJ’s including Pete Rock and DJ Chuck Chillout, put on an amazing four hour show that definitely showcased and celebrated the four elements. The show ended with an incredible line up of MC’s who rocked the mic; MC Sha Rock, KRS-One, Melle Mel, and incredible breakdancers who also showed out. On the day of August 11th, the actual day of hip hop’s fiftieth, The Mill Pond Park celebration happened and was the pre show for those who also attended the Yankee Stadium show. Mill Pond Park is on Exterior Street on 150th Street, in The Bronx, close by where the future first hip hop museum will be located. DJ Kevie Kev Rockwell on the music, MC Sha Rock hosting and performances by MC Shan, Milk Dee of Audio Two, Sweet Tee, Peter Gunz, Public Enemy, and more, just to name a few. Hit after hit, classic after classic, the people are clapping their hands, rapping along to the words, and making sure to capture every moment of classic hip hop bliss with their camera phones to savor the moments later on. The celebration continues that day at Yankee Stadium. Lots of people outside of the stadium selling t-shirts, artists rapping out loud to promote their own music, hanging out, and having a great time. Inside of the stadium, it is complete pandemonium. It is the world’s greatest hip hop show happening on the planet. Way more artists from all eras and decades of hip hop are on the stage. The stadium is completely crowded with people all over the place walking around, buying their food and beverages, sticking with their closed loved ones and even running into other loved ones, seats are filled, people are hanging out in the lanes between sections trying to get their way closer to the stage as possible and there’s a huge uproar from the stadium’s reaction to whoever’s on the stage coming from all sides of the stadium. Then there’s August 12th, 2023. The world return’s to the actual and birthplace of hip hop; 1520 Sedgwick Avenue. KRS-One is being followed around in admiration as he is in his element being “The Teacha.” There are food trucks, vendors, graffiti artists, DJ’s, surprise guests and artists, breakdancers, bloggers, interviewers, photographers, grassroots hip hop organizations in attendance and best of all, a stage further up past the 1520 building set for a huge showcase. Upcoming artists and legendary artists both attend the stage. Again, hit after hit, song for song, word for word, the world has attended yet another huge hip hop show and event on the planet. It was the ultimate hip hop show of the year and what better way to celebrate than at 1520. Fat Joe, CL Smooth, Mad Lion, Talib Kweli, Poor Righteous Teachers, Mr. Cheeks, Cold Crush Brothers, The Sugarhill Gang, Public Enemy and more. Anybody that claimed to be a lover of hip hop, a hip hop head, and part of the culture, you were supposed to be there or any of the fiftieth anniversary celebrations. August 2023 was easily the greatest year in hip hop in recent years. So much celebrating, so much fun. If you truly are a lover of the culture, you were granted your wristband or stamp to enter the club called HIP HOP 50.

Tina Turner Dead at 83

A statement from Tina’s reps reads, “It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Tina Turner. With her music and her boundless passion for life, she enchanted millions of fans around the world and inspired the stars of tomorrow.”

Tina won 8 Grammy Awards over the course of her career, including Record of the Year for “What’s Love Got to Do with It.”

Jerry Springer Dead

A family spokesperson says Jerry was battling a “brief illness.” Our sources tell us it was pancreatic cancer that was diagnosed a few months ago, and this week he took a turn for the worse.

The spokesperson says he died Thursday morning, peacefully at his home in the Chicago area.

We’re told his cancer battle got much worse about a month ago, and he finally had to stop working. He had been hosting a folk music show on a local radio station in Cincinnati.

He’s survived by his daughter and his older sister.

Carol Burnett

Carol Creighton Burnett (born April 26, 1933) is an American actress, comedienne, singer, and writer. Her groundbreaking comedy variety show The Carol Burnett Show, which originally aired on CBS, was one of the first to be hosted by a woman. She has performed on stage, television and film in varying genres including dramatic and comedic roles. She has received numerous accolades including six Primetime Emmy Awards, a Tony Award, a Grammy Award, and seven Golden Globe Awards. Burnett was awarded Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2005, the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor in 2013 and the Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award in 2015.

Born and raised in San Antonio, Texas, her family moved to California where she lived in the Hollywood area. She attended Hollywood High School and eventually studied theater and musical comedy at UCLA. Later she performed in nightclubs in New York City and had a breakout success on Broadway in 1959 in Once Upon a Mattress, for which she received a Tony Award nomination. She soon made her television debut, regularly appearing on The Garry Moore Show for the next three years, and won her first Emmy Award in 1962. Burnett had her television special debut in 1963 when she starred as Calamity Jane in the Dallas State Fair Musicals production of Calamity Jane on CBS.[6] Burnett moved to Los Angeles and began an 11-year run as star of The Carol Burnett Show on CBS television from 1967 to 1978. With its vaudeville roots, The Carol Burnett Show was a variety show that combined comedy sketches with song and dance. The comedy sketches included film parodies and character pieces. Burnett created many memorable characters during the show’s run, and both she and the show won numerous Emmy and Golden Globe Awards.

Written Dianne Washington

Director Vera Edwards honored with Citation

Vera Edwards (March 4, 1966) is an American director, screenwriter, producer, and actor. Born and raised in the South Bronx, New York City, Edwards began her career as an author and then graduated to write, direct, and produce television shows on a cable channel called Bronxnet. The show was titled “Street Line.” It was an entertainment show that not only showed what was happening in the streets, but showed celebrities as well as up-and-coming artists, dance, hip-hop, businesses, current events, and politics. The show revolutionized the urban community. In 2009, Edwards and her son Ricardo Cordero (director of photography) received several Beta Awards for their contributions to television.

In 2011 Edwards published her first book titled “BAND OF GOLD,” which was written by Vera Edwards herself. This was the start of her writing career which jumped started her in the direction of making movies.

One of the first female independent multimedia film director and producer in the Bronx, Edwards has captured the essence of urban life by utilizing members of the community by taking real-life experience and turning it into art. She has become a true pioneer in hip-hop culture and urban day living.

Edwards wrote, produced, and directed with her son Ricardo Cordero her first underground independent feature film, Chicken (2013); The film was an urban drama. The entire cast was first-time actors. The film received worldwide praise from parents, children, teens, and several educational institutions ranging from different fields of study that implemented different story elements into their own syllabuses. It was a scripted reality show at its finest. Chicken showcased unfortunate realism that many individuals face in urban communities even to this day. The movie Chicken sold-out not only at the theaters but also sold out as DVDs in stores. It became one of the most sought out underground urban movies till this day.

Her second film was a romantic love story titled “Waiting for 4 Mr. Wright” (2015), which won a Bronxnet Beta Award. It too had first-time actors, Anabel Castillo, and Hip-Hop artist, Mighty Mike C (Michael Clee), from the legendary hip-hop group, The Fearless 4. The film received a standing ovation which was played at the iconic Mist Theater in Harlem, New York; It also was a DVD hit.

This was followed in 2015 by Edwards’s first novella “Perate,” a movie drama that starred Artie Cordel and hip-hop legend Wilfredo “Tito” Dones, of the legendary group The Fearless 4. It was a challenge for Edwards to write and produce the life of a Hispanic dysfunctional family. Her daughter Bobbi Cordero(writer) helped create the movie, which won Edwards another Beta Award. The movie Perate also played in the iconic Mist Theater in Harlem, New York City.

In 2015-2018, Edwards directed her first web series that started out as a small pitch that led to a bigger series of its own name and a powerful relationship drama, “Rodent,” starring Seven and Antoinette “Toni Styles” Vereen. This was a drama that identified with personal relationships amongst friends and family. The web series had twists and turns. Rodent was in high demand on the internet but ended abruptly because of ‘unsettling’ events created only amongst actors based off their newfound popularity that was developed from the success of the Rodent series.

In 2016, Edwards produced and directed “PPRESSED,” based on the everyday life of battle rappers. The movie starred Karine “Sho-Time” Thornton and Michael Deering (Mikey D) from the legendary group, “Main Source.” Since its success and debut, it has become the anthem and blueprint of videography used in today’s hip-hop rap culture within television and feature digital movie format.

Edwards wrote, produced, and directed “A Teenage Story” (2020) starring LA Sunshine (Lamar Hill), from the legendary group The Treacherous 3, DJ and creator of scratch, Grandwizard Theodore (Theodore Livingston), Stevie D (Stevie Lundy), from the legendary Force Mds and first-time actor Justin Hines. The movie was shot during the COVID pandemic and was set for the theaters, but due to the worldwide COVID restriction lock-downs, the 1:49-minute movie was released on YouTube and generated over 800,000 views.

When asked in a recent interview on the podcast “SHO-TIME TV PODCAST,” the interviewer asked Edwards “How were you able to create so many hit movies in such a short time,” Edwards replied” I couldn’t have done it without my son Ricardo Cordero. He is an excellent cameraman. He and I work great together, I know him, and he knows me. He knows my vision. I leave all the camera work to him, and he makes it happen. I think he is the best director of photography I know. To be able to create and share time as a mother and son is priceless. I enjoy those moments”.

On March 26, 2023, Edwards was honored with a Citation by Senator Cordell Cleare for her work with the community as a Film director.

Babyface

Kenneth Brian Edmonds (born April 10, 1959), known professionally as Babyface, is an American singer, songwriter and record producer. He has written and produced over 26 number-one R&B hits throughout his career, and has won 11 Grammy Awards.

Edmonds was born on April 10, 1959, in Indianapolis, Indiana, to Marvin and Barbara Edmonds. Barbara was a production operator at a pharmaceutical plant. Edmonds, who is the fifth of six brothers (including future After 7 band members Melvin and Kevon Edmonds, the latter of whom went on to have a modestly successful solo career), attended North Central High School in Indianapolis, Indiana, and as a shy youth, wrote songs to express his emotions. When he was in eighth grade, Edmonds’ father died of lung cancer, leaving his mother to raise her sons alone. At this stage, Edmonds became determined to have a career in music.

Edmonds later played with funk performer Bootsy Collins, who tagged him “Babyface” because of his youthful look. He also performed in the group Manchild (which had a 1977 hit “Especially for You” with band member Daryl Simmons) as a guitarist. He played keyboards in the light-funk and R&B group the Deele (which also included drummer Antonio “L.A.” Reid, with whom he would later form a successful writing and producing partnership). One of his first major credits as a songwriter for outside artists came when he wrote the tune “Slow Jam” for the R&B band Midnight Star in 1983. The tune was on Midnight Star’s 1983 double-platinum No Parking on the Dance Floor album, and while it never was a single, it received massive radio airplay and the song is still played on quiet storm radio stations. Babyface remained in the Deele until 1988, when both he and Reid left the group.

His album Playlist consists of eight cover songs and two original works. It was released on September 18, 2007. It was the first album on the newly re-launched Mercury Records label.

On February 4, 2014, he released a Grammy Award-winning duet album with Toni Braxton titled Love, Marriage & Divorce on Motown Records.

In the late 1980s, he contributed to the creation of new jack swing, writing and producing music for the likes of Bobby Brown, Karyn White, Pebbles, Paula Abdul and Sheena Easton.

In 1989, Edmonds co-founded LaFace Records with Reid. Three of the label’s early artists TLC, Usher, and Toni Braxton were very successful. TLC’s second album CrazySexyCool, for which he wrote and produced some of the hits, became the best selling album of all time by an American girl group. Under his direction, TLC was able to sell more than 60 million albums worldwide, and a combined total of 75 million records. Toni Braxton’s first two albums, Toni Braxton (1993) and Secrets (1996), for which he wrote the majority of the songs, went on to sell a combined total of over 10 million copies in America alone.

Babyface helped form the popular late-1990s R&B group Az Yet. Edmonds also helped to mold and work with some of his then-wife Tracey Edmonds’ acts, such as Jon B and producer Jon-John Robinson.

Edmonds has worked with many successful performers in contemporary music. “I’m Your Baby Tonight” (1990), produced for Whitney Houston, was his first No. 1 Top 40 hit in the US. He also wrote and produced Boyz II Men’s 1992 “End of the Road” and 1994 “I’ll Make Love to You”, both of which established records for the longest stay at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. He co-wrote, co-produced, and provided backing vocals on Madonna’s 1994 Bedtime Stories, which featured the seven-week No. 1 hit “Take a Bow”, and shared billing with Eric Clapton on the chart-topping Grammy winner “Change the World” from the Phenomenon soundtrack. He also wrote and produced the No. 1 hit “Exhale (Shoop Shoop)” for Whitney Houston as well as the rest of the critically acclaimed 10 million-selling Waiting to Exhale soundtrack in 1995, which spawned additional hits for Houston, Brandy and Mary J. Blige.

Additionally, Edmonds has produced and written music for many artists including Carole King, Patti LaBelle, Chaka Khan, Aretha Franklin, Madonna, Janet Jackson, Faith Evans, Al Green, Beyoncé, Diana Ross, Sheena Easton, Toni Braxton, Michael Jackson, Michael Bolton, Paula Abdul, Eric Clapton, Pebbles, Tevin Campbell, Bobby Brown, Whitney Houston, Brandy, Mary J. Blige, Tamia, Shola Ama, 3T, Sisqó, Dru Hill, Fall Out Boy, Céline Dion, Samantha Jade, Backstreet Boys, Honeyz, Katharine McPhee, Mariah Carey, Vanessa L. Williams, Chanté Moore, En Vogue, Zendaya, Kenny G, Kristinia DeBarge, Lil Wayne, Japanese singer Ken Hirai, P!nk, Colbie Caillat, Marc Nelson, TLC, Ariana Grande, Ella Henderson, Jessica Mauboy, Xscape, K-Ci & JoJo, NSYNC, Jordin Sparks and Phil Collins among others. He received three consecutive Grammy Awards for Producer of the Year from 1995 to 1997.

Babyface was in the studio for about two years with Ashanti to produce her album The Declaration (2008).

He worked on the Lil Wayne album Tha Carter III (2008), on the Kanye West-produced “Comfortable”. He also worked with R&B singer Monica for her sixth studio album Still Standing (2010).

In 2013, Babyface served as producer for Ariana Grande’s debut album Yours Truly, producing the majority of her songs, including her second single, “Baby I”.

In September 2014, Babyface collaborated with Barbra Streisand on her album Partners, performing a duet on the track “Evergreen” and background vocals for other album tracks.

Babyface also collaborated with Foxes on her sophomore album, All I Need (2016), producing and co-writing “Scar”.

In July 2016, Babyface along with Bruce Roberts and Carole Bayer Sager helped write the song, “Stronger Together” sung by Jessica Sanchez. The song was played after Hillary Clinton’s speech at the 2016 Democratic National Convention. The song’s title is named after the slogan that the Clinton campaign uses as a show of uniting behind the Democratic nominee. The song was one of the top trending songs on Shazam that week. The song was widely perceived as positive by the listeners, and even received praise by celebrities like Jennifer Lopez and Kim Kardashian.

In 1994, he appeared and performed on an episode of Beverly Hills, 90210 entitled “Mr. Walsh Goes to Washington (Part 2)”.

In the mid-1990s, Edmonds and his then-wife Tracey Edmonds expanded into the business of motion pictures, setting up Edmonds Entertainment Group and producing films such as Soul Food (1997), Josie and the Pussycats (2001), and also the soundtrack for the film The Prince of Egypt (1998), which included contributions from numerous artists, including Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston. They also executive produced the BET reality series College Hill (2004-2009). Edmonds also worked with David Foster to compose “The Power of the Dream”, the official song of the 1996 Summer Olympics, performed by superstar Céline Dion. Linda Thompson provided the lyrics.

Babyface also participated as a duet partner on the Fox reality show Celebrity Duets (2006).

He was portrayed by Wesley Jonathan in the 2015 Lifetime biopic Whitney and is portrayed by actor Gavin Houston in the Lifetime biopic based on Toni Braxton entitled Un-Break My Heart, which premiered on the network in early 2016.

On August 30, 2016, Babyface was revealed as one of the celebrities who will compete on season 23 of Dancing with the Stars. He was partnered with professional dancer Allison Holker. He and Holker were eliminated on the fourth week of competition and finished in 11th place along with Vanilla Ice and Witney Carson.

Edmonds founded his record label Soda Pop Records in 2009. Since founding the label he has signed R&B icons K-Ci & JoJo, releasing their first album for the label entitled My Brother’s Keeper. In 2013 Babyface secured a distribution deal with E1 Music for the label.

Babyface married his first wife, Denise during his young adult years. In 1990, Babyface met Tracey Edmonds when she auditioned for the music video for his song “Whip Appeal”. They married on September 5, 1992, and have two sons, Brandon and Dylan. On January 7, 2005, Tracey filed for divorce in Los Angeles County Superior Court, citing irreconcilable differences. In October 2005, Babyface and Tracey announced that they were ending their marriage of thirteen years.

In 2007, Babyface began dating his backup dancer Nicole “Nikki” Pantenburg (former backup dancer for and personal friend of Janet Jackson). In 2008, Babyface and Nicole welcomed a daughter. The pair married on May 17, 2014.

In 2015, Babyface donated money to the presidential campaign of Republican Senator Marco Rubio.

In 1999, a 25-mile (40-km) stretch of Interstate 65 that runs through Indianapolis was renamed Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds Highway.

Written by Dianne Washington

Paula Kelly

Paula Kelly was an American actress that began her acting career in 1968. She appeared in her first theatrical movie in 1969 called “Sweet Charity” and in 1971, she landed a significant role in “The Andromeda Strain.” During the early 1970s, Kelly starred in several movies in the famed Blaxploitation era. In 1972, she appeared in “Cool Breeze,” Top of the Heap,” and “Trouble Man.” While most of her roles were minor, she still had a strong presence on screen, earning some more substantial parts later.

She starred in “Soylent Green” and “The Spook Who Sat by the Door” in 1973, and in 1974, she starred in “Lost in the Stars,” where she displayed her singing and dancing talents, some of her greatest attributes. However, her part in “Uptown Saturday Night” was one of her most memorable roles as the fierce and charismatic “Leggy Peggy.” Kelly continued acting in film and T.V. throughout the mid to late 70s, appearing in “Drum,” “Good Times,” and “Kojak.”

During the 80s, Kelly’s career flourished. She appeared in several T.V. shows with reoccurring roles such as “Nights Court” and “Santa Barbra.” She also had excellent parts in “Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life is Calling” (1986) and “The Women of Brewster’s Place” (1989). She earned a Primetime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series in “Night Court” and Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or a Special for “The Women of Brewster Place.” In the 1990s, Kelly continued her acting career in T.V. shows and films until 1999, when her acting credits stopped. She finished her career with 51 total acting credits. She passed away on Feburary 8th, 2020.

Paula Kelly was a phenomenal actress that was a joy to see on the screen. In addition, she was an excellent singer, dancer, and very charismatic. You knew you’d get someone who took her craft seriously when you saw her on screen.

Eazy-E

Eric Lynn Wright (September 7, 1964 – March 26, 1995), known professionally as Eazy-E, was an American rapper, record producer, and entrepreneur. Dubbed the “Godfather of Gangsta Rap”, he gained prominence for his work with N.W.A, where he has been credited for pushing the boundaries of lyrical and visual content in mainstream popular music.

Born and raised in Compton, California, Eazy-E faced several legal troubles before founding the Ruthless Records record label in 1986. After beginning a short solo career, where he worked heavily with Ice Cube and Dr. Dre, the trio came together to form the group N.W.A later that year. As a member of the group, he released the controversial album, Straight Outta Compton (1988), which tackled many socio-political issues. The album has been regarded as one of the greatest albums of all-time, and one of the most influential in the genre. The group released their final studio album three years later, and disbanded shortly after, due to long-standing financial disputes.

Eazy-E then resumed his solo career, where he released two EPs, which drew inspiration from funk music, contemporary hip-hop, and comedians. He also engaged in a high-profile feud with Dr. Dre, before being hospitalized with AIDS in 1995. He died a month after his hospitalization.

N.W.A’s original lineup consisted of Arabian Prince, Dr. Dre, Eazy-E, and Ice Cube. DJ Yella and MC Ren joined later. The compilation album N.W.A. and the Posse was released on November 6, 1987, and would go on to be certified Gold in the United States. The album featured material previously released as singles on the Macola Records label, which was responsible for distributing the releases by N.W.A and other artists like the Fila Fresh Crew, a West Coast rap group originally based in Dallas, Texas.

Eazy-E’s debut album, Eazy-Duz-It, was released on September 16, 1988, and featured twelve tracks. It was labeled as West Coast hip hop, gangsta rap and, later, as golden age hip hop. It has sold over 2.5 million copies in the United States and reached number forty-one on the Billboard 200. The album was produced by Dr. Dre and DJ Yella and largely written by MC Ren, Ice Cube and The D.O.C.. Both Glen Boyd from the Seattle Post-Intelligencer and MTV’s Jon Wiederhorn claimed that Eazy-Duz-It “paved the way” for N.W.A’s most controversial album, Straight Outta Compton. Wright’s only solo in the album was a remix of the song “8 Ball”, which originally appeared on N.W.A. and the Posse. The album featured Wright’s writing and performing; he performed on seven songs and helped write four songs.

After the release of Straight Outta Compton, Ice Cube left because of internal disputes and the group continued as a four-piece ensemble. N.W.A released 100 Miles and Runnin’ and Niggaz4Life in 1991. A diss war started between N.W.A and Ice Cube when “100 Miles and Runnin'” and “Real Niggaz” were released. Ice Cube responded with “No Vaseline” on Death Certificate. Wright performed on seven of the eighteen songs on Niggaz4Life. In March 1991 Wright accepted an invitation to a lunch benefiting the Republican Senatorial Inner Circle, hosted by then-U.S. President George H. W. Bush. A spokesman for the rapper said that Eazy-E supported Bush because of his performance in the Persian Gulf War.

N.W.A began to split up after Jerry Heller became the band’s manager. Dr. Dre recalls: “The split came when Jerry Heller got involved. He played the divide and conquer game. Instead of taking care of everybody, he picked one nigga to take care of and that was Eazy. And Eazy was like, ‘I’m taken care of, so fuck it’.” Dre sent Suge Knight to look into Eazy’s financial situation because he was beginning to grow suspicious of Eazy and Heller. Dre asked Eazy to release him from the Ruthless Records contract, but Eazy refused. The impasse led to what reportedly transpired between Knight and Eazy at the recording studio where Niggaz4life was recorded. After he refused to release Dre, Knight declared to Eazy that he had kidnapped Heller and was holding him prisoner in a van. The rumor did not convince Eazy to release Dre from his contract, and Knight threatened Eazy’s family: Knight gave Eazy a piece of paper that contained Eazy’s mother’s address, telling him, “I know where your mama stays.” Eazy finally signed Dre’s release, officially ending N.W.A.

The feud with Dr. Dre continued after a track on Dre’s debut album The Chronic, “Fuck wit Dre Day (And Everybody’s Celebratin’)”, contained lyrics that insulted Eazy-E. Eazy responded with the EP, It’s On (Dr. Dre) 187um Killa, featuring the tracks “Real Muthaphuckkin G’s” and “It’s On”. The album, which was released on October 25, 1993, contains pictures of Dre wearing “lacy outfits and makeup” when he was a member of the Electro-hop World Class Wreckin’ Cru.

Wright had a son, Eric Darnell Wright, in 1984. He also had a daughter named Erin[ who has legally changed her name to Ebie (Ebie is currently crowd-funding a film called Ruthless Scandal: No More Lies to investigate her father’s death). Wright also has five other children by five separate women during his life.

Wright met Tomica Woods at a Los Angeles nightclub in 1991 and they married in 1995, twelve days before his death. They had a son named Dominick and a daughter named Daijah (born six months after Wright’s death). After Wright’s death, Ruthless Records was taken over by his wife.

After Dr. Dre left Ruthless Records, executives Mike Klein and Jerry Heller sought assistance from the Jewish Defense League (JDL). Klein, a former Ruthless Records director of business affairs, said this provided Ruthless Records with leverage to enter into negotiations with Death Row Records over Dr. Dre’s departure. While Knight had sought an outright release from Ruthless Records for Dr. Dre, the JDL and Ruthless Records management negotiated a release in which the record label would continue to receive money and publishing rights from future Dr. Dre projects with Death Row Records, founded by Dr. Dre with Suge Knight. The FBI launched a money-laundering investigation under the assumption that the JDL was extorting money from Ruthless Records to fight their causes. This led to JDL spokesperson Irv Rubin issuing a press release stating “there was nothing but a close, tight relationship” between Eazy-E and the organization. An FBI inquiry began in 1996 and was closed in 1999 with a finding that the allegations could not be substantiated. The declassified FBI file was released to the public on the FBI’s website “The Vault,” part of the FOIA Library.

On February 24, 1995, Wright was admitted to the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles with a violent cough. He was diagnosed with AIDS. He announced his illness in a public statement on March 16, 1995. It is believed Wright contracted the infection from a sexual partner. During the week of March 20, having already made amends with Ice Cube, he drafted a final message to his fans. On March 26, 1995, Eazy-E died from complications of AIDS, one month after his diagnosis. He was 30 years old (most reports at the time said he was 31 due to the falsification of his date of birth by one year). He was buried on April 7, 1995 at Rose Hills Memorial Park in Whittier, California. Over 3,000 people attended his funeral, including Jerry Heller and DJ Yella. He was buried in a gold casket, and instead of wearing a suit and tie, Eazy-E was dressed in a flannel shirt, a Compton hat and jeans. On January 30, 1996, ten months after Eazy-E’s death, his final album, Str8 off tha Streetz of Muthaphukkin Compton was released.

According to his son Lil Eazy-E, Eazy-E was worth an estimated $50 million at the time of his death.

Dianne Washington

Ernest Thomas

Ernest Lee Thomas (born March 26, 1949) is an American actor.He is best known for his role as Roger “Raj” Thomas on the 1970s ABC sitcom What’s Happening!!, and its 1980s syndicated sequel, What’s Happening Now!!, and for his recurring role as Mr. Omar on Everybody Hates Chris.

Thomas was born in Gary, Indiana, and began his professional acting career as a Broadway actor, appearing in the 1974 revival production of Love for Love and in the 1975 revival of The Member of the Wedding. Both shows starred actress Glenn Close. Shortly after he moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career as a TV/film actor. In the fall of 1975 he received a role on an episode of The Jeffersons. It was during the taping of the show that he learned of an audition for a sitcom loosely based on the 1975 film Cooley High. Thomas auditioned, won the lead role, and filmed the television pilot, which tested poorly. The concept was quickly reworked into a more light-hearted approach to the source material, and became known as Central Avenue, before settling on the title What’s Happening!!. Thomas was the only cast member retained from the pilot, and took the lead role of Roger “Raj” Thomas. The new “summer series” became a ratings hit, and was expanded to a full series, airing from 1976 to 1979.

During the show’s run, Thomas was involved in other film and TV projects including Baretta, The Brady Bunch Hour and the film A Piece of the Action starring Sidney Poitier and Bill Cosby. During the first season of What’s Happening!!, Thomas was one of the final two actors to be considered for the lead role of Kunta Kinte in the breakthrough miniseries Roots, which eventually went to LeVar Burton. Thomas would go on to play the smaller role of Kailuba in the miniseries.

Dianne Washington

Teddy Pendergrass

Theodore DeReese “Teddy” Pendergrass (March 26, 1950 – January 13, 2010) was an American singer–songwriter and composer. He first rose to fame as lead singer of Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes in the 1970s before a successful solo career at the end of the decade. In 1982, Pendergrass was severely injured in an auto accident in Philadelphia, resulting in his being paralyzed from the chest down. He subsequently founded the Teddy Pendergrass Alliance, a foundation that helps those with spinal cord injuries. He commemorated 25 years of living after his spinal cord injury with the star-filled event, “Teddy 25 – A Celebration of Life”, at Philadelphia’s Kimmel Center. His last performance was on a PBS special at Atlantic City’s Borgata Casino in November 2008.

Theodore DeReese Pendergrass Jr. was born in Kingstree, S.C., and moved to Philadelphia as an infant with his mother, Ida Pendergrass. Growing up in North Philadelphia, Pendergrass was steeped in both gospel and soul music. He was 2 years old when he first stood on a chair to sing at a storefront Holiness church, and with his mother’s encouragement he often attended church seven days a week. But he was also drawn to the Uptown Theater, which presented top performers on the R&B circuit. When he was a teenager his mother gave him a set of drums, and he taught himself to play them.

He attended Thomas Edison High School for Boys in North Philadelphia (now closed). He sang with the Edison Master Singers. He dropped out in the eleventh grade to enter the music business, recording his first song “Angel With Muddy Feet”. The recording, however, was not a commercial success. Pendergrass played drums for several local Philadelphia bands, eventually becoming the drummer of The Cadillacs. In 1970, the singer was spotted by the Blue Notes’ founder, Harold Melvin (1939–1997), who convinced Pendergrass to play drums in the group. However, during a performance, Pendergrass began singing along, and Melvin, impressed by his vocals, made him the lead singer. Before Pendergrass joined the group, the Blue Notes had struggled to find success. That all changed when they landed a recording deal with Philadelphia International Records in 1971, thus beginning Pendergrass’s successful collaboration with label founders Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff.

In 1969 he joined Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes, a vocal group that had been working in Philadelphia since the mid-1950s. He soon moved from the drums to lead vocals. Huff had noticed Pendergrass while preparing for a Blue Notes recording session as the band’s drummer. Signed to Philadelphia International, Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes had a string of hits in the ’70s with Pendergrass singing lead, including “If You Don’t Know Me by Now” in 1972, “The Love I Lost” in 1973 and “Bad Luck” and “Wake Up Everybody,” both in 1975. But there was increasing friction between Pendergrass and Melvin, and in 1975 Pendergrass left the group.

By the late ’70s, Pendergrass’s concerts some of them presented for women only drew screaming, ecstatic crowds. Women would fling teddy bears and lingerie onstage. Gamble called Pendergrass “the black Elvis.” Pendergrass was a hitmaker for a decade. On March 18, 1982, on a winding road in the Germantown section of Philadelphia, Pendergrass’s Rolls-Royce smashed into a highway divider and a tree, a result of either brake failure or a faulty electric system that had disabled the power steering. Spinal cord injuries left him paralyzed from the chest down at 31.

After extensive physical therapy he resumed his recording career and had Top 10 rhythm and blues hits and gold albums into the ’90s. His voice was less forceful but still recognizable, as he substituted nuance for lungpower. Though he could no longer tour, a worldwide television audience saw him sing at the Live Aid concert in Philadelphia in 1985, and he returned occasionally to the stage in the 1990s and 2000s.

Teddy Pendergrass, the Philadelphia soul singer whose husky, potent baritone was one definition of R&B seduction in the 1970s but whose career was transformed in 1982 when he was severely paralyzed in an auto accident, died on January 13, 2010 in Bryn Mawr, Pa. He was 59. His mother, along with his wife, Joan; his children, Teddy Pendergrass II, Trisha Pendergrass and La Donna Pendergrass; and four grandchildren survived him.

Dianne Washington