Whats Buzzing in the Streets – Page 34

Big Papa: The Soul Story of Eugene King

Nowadays, soul music is nothing like what it is in the past but it surely has its influence and impact on artists today, if you pay attention. Soul isn’t something you buy off the shelf in a store and it isn’t something that you can turn on and off or just dispose of. It’s a feeling, a sound, a movement, an image, a color, it’s something you either have or you don’t and unless you have it yourself, you won’t be able to identify it so easily in others. Whether they’re artists or not. This particular artist though, is a true definition of soulful. It’s painted in a picture only designed by he himself. Definitely some classic soul artists like Donny Hathaway, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Teddy Pendergrass, or even a Sam Cooke, you can see these men have such a huge influence on this man’s flavor. Born on August 31st, an attractive yet sensual Basquiat-ish type of vibe he also gives, Donald Eugene Gbayi Jackson aka Eugene King and Papa is an artist the people definitely need to focus their attention on if you consider yourself a soul music fan. With his southern roots, deep voice, free spirited energy, colorful clothing, and all around laid back style, the Houston, Texas native so calmly represents just that. “H-Town, it’s going down, Southside, chopped & screwed mane! Hold up!” The perfect way to introduce yourself when you enter the room. Spirit and all. Growing up, Eugene recognizes both the fun and not so fun times in his life as he reflects back. He says, “It was fun and at times a lil depressing you know, when you’re an adolescence going through those growing pain stages, the anxiety, sometimes suicidal.” Definitely something relatable and hits close to home for a lot of Black folk. Childhood is one big blur and adventure but when things get dark, you just go through it and aren’t fully able to process and understand until you’re older but of course, for an artist like Eugene, music can be a healer. He then gets into who inspires him. “I used to be able to answer this one but to be honest, as I get older, not to be bias but everybody does, from Marvin Gaye to YNBNBA, to Aretha Franklin, and Taylor Swift… nice gowns.” Haha! Nice Aretha shady reference there! People who pay attention will understand that reference. Eugene knows how to make you laugh too. Funny guy he is. Going back to the beginning though, Eugene’s musical bloodline goes back to his father. He acknowledges his father’s history a bit. “My father used to do music in his youth when he had kids and married; he stop but he always kept his music. I used to sneak and study his personal recordings and lyrics, also his huge musical collection. Also my sister, s/o to Tasha and Pops.” The smallest definitely leave such a huge impact on our lives. Forever. Now the music, the best part. Good music takes time and Eugene highlights that when talking about both his current and future projects. “You can check the music video for Ganja, out now on YouTube soon. It’ll be up to stream and currently putting together a project, its many years in the making, but its coming together; it’s gonna be an experience.” An experience it will be indeed. Something about artists taking so much time to create new art is always so exciting. It’s even more exciting when you’ve been supportive of an artist for so long. Even if they only had a few stuff, you go back to what they do have and enjoy it every single time like it’s brand new. That’s timeless shit right there. Timeless artists live longer but even the greatness of an artist can leave one feeling doubtful and regretful. He tells me, “In my younger years I was a lil stubborn. I felt I needed to do everything and one myself, I was also doubtful of myself and exactly what and where I was going and doing. I would be more open to chances and the opportunities available.” Well, you live and you learn. It’s the lessons we gain that makes us all greater. In the end, outside of the music and greatness, he tells us where he sees himself years from now. “Hmmmm, the dream is having my own In Africa with 9 children.” That’s a beautiful thing. If you want more of this soulful greatness, you can find Eugene King on Instagram @3ugeneking.

Written by Jalen Hemphill

Macy Gray

Macy Gray (born Natalie Renée McIntyre; September 6, 1967) is an American R&B, jazz and soul singer, songwriter, musician, record producer, and actress, known for her distinctive raspy voice, and a singing style heavily influenced by Billie Holiday.Gray has released six studio albums, and received five Grammy Award nominations, winning one. She has appeared in a number of films, including Training Day, Spider-Man, Scary Movie 3, Lackawanna Blues, Idlewild and For Colored Girls. Gray is best known for her international hit single “I Try”, taken from her multi-platinum debut album On How Life Is.In 2016, Gray made a large artistic leap by changing labels to record an album produced with binaural sound. Stripped (Chesky Records, 2016) marked the singer’s first steps into the world of audiophile recordings.Natalie McIntyre was born in Canton, Ohio, the daughter of Laura McIntyre, a math schoolteacher, and Otis Jones who left when she was a baby. Her stepfather was a steelworker, and she has a sister who would become a biology teacher. She began piano lessons at age seven. A childhood bicycle mishap resulted in her noticing a mailbox of a man named Macy Gray; she used the name in stories she wrote and later decided to use it as her stage name.Gray attended school with Brian Warner (later known as musician Marilyn Manson) although they did not know each other. She attended more than one high school including a boarding school which asked her to leave due to her behavior.She attended college at the University of Southern California and studied script-writing.While attending the University of Southern California, she agreed to write songs for a friend. A demo session was scheduled for the songs to be recorded by another singer, but the vocalist failed to appear, so Gray recorded them herself.I started forming bands and writing songs just for fun and then I really got into it and got attached to it. Then a friend of mine asked me to be a singer in his jazz band. He gave me all these jazz CDs and I studied all these different singers and I kind of taught myself how to sing for a gig, but I didn’t take it seriously until later.She then met writer-producer Joe Solo while working as a cashier in Beverly Hills. Together, they wrote a collection of songs and recorded them in Solo’s studio. The demo tape gave Gray the opportunity to sing at jazz cafés in Los Angeles. Initially, Gray did not consider her unusual voice desirable for singing, Atlantic Records signed her. She began recording her debut record but was dropped from the label upon the departure of A&R man Tom Carolan, who had signed her to the label. Macy returned to Ohio but in 1997 Los Angeles based Zomba Publishing Senior VP A&R man Jeff Blue, convinced her to return to music and signed her to a development deal, recording new songs based on her life experiences, with a new sound, and began shopping her to record labels. In 1998, she landed a record deal with Epic Records. She performed on “Love Won’t Wait”, a song on the Black Eyed Peas’ debut album Behind the Front.Gray worked on her debut album in 1999 with producer Darryl Swann. Released in the summer of 1999, On How Life Is became a worldwide smash. Despite the first single “Do Something” stalling on the charts, the release of the second single “I Try” made the album a success for Gray. “I Try” (which was originally featured in Love Jones and the Jennifer Aniston-starring romantic-comedy Picture Perfect in 1997) was one of the biggest singles of 1999, and subsequent singles “Still” and “Why Didn’t You Call Me” ensured the album became triple platinum in the US, quadruple platinum in the UK, and in Canada.In 2001, Gray won the Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance for “I Try”, which was also nominated for “song of the year” and “record of the year”. She then collaborated with Fatboy Slim, the Black Eyed Peas, and Slick Rick (on the song “The World Is Yours”, from the Rush Hour 2 soundtrack), as well as acting for the first time, in the thriller Training Day. In August 2001, Gray was booed off the field at the Pro Football Hall of Fame exhibition game after forgetting the lyrics to the American national anthem.Gray was married to Tracy Hinds, a mortgage broker, for about four years, but they divorced when her career was about to begin. They have three children: Aanisah, Mel, and Happy.Along with her unique voice, she has a somewhat unusual appearance. Standing 6 feet (1.8 metres) tall, she has also worn her hair dramatically and for some part of her career was known for noticeable and creative wigs.She opened the Macy Gray Music Academy in 2005.After her quick rise to fame as a musician and songwriter, Macy Gray was featured on television and feature films, performing her music and/or appearing as herself or in cameos. However, she also began acting in small roles as well.On September 28, 2008, Gray sang the American national anthem as part of the Israeli flag-raising ceremony at the Israeli consulate of Los Angeles.In 2008, Gray collaborated with Australian DJ and singer Kaz James on the song “Can’t Hold Back”. The single was released in early 2009 in Australia and is credited to Kaz James featuring Macy Gray.In 2009, Gray briefly competed in season 9 of Dancing with the Stars with professional partner Jonathan Roberts. They were eliminated in a double elimination in week one.In 2012, she performed the Michael Jackson song “Rock with You” for a special performance of the West End musical Thriller – Live for BBC Children in Need Pop Goes the Musical.In 2015, Gray was featured on the song “Into the Deep” by Galactic.In 2016, Gray was featured on the song “Leave Me Lonely” by Ariana Grande.In 2018, Gray is featured alongside Dolly Parton on a re-recording of “Two Doors Down” for the Dumplin’ soundtrack.

Written by Dianne Washington

Idris Elba

Idris Elba OBE (September 6, 1972) is an English actor, writer, producer, musician, DJ, rapper, and singer. He is known for roles including Stringer Bell in the HBO series The Wire, DCI John Luther in the BBC One series Luther, and Nelson Mandela in the biographical film Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom (2013). He has been nominated four times for a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Miniseries or Television Film, winning one, and was nominated five times for a Prime time Emmy Award.Elba appeared in Ridley Scott’s American Gangster (2007) and Prometheus (2012). Elba portrayed Heimdall in Thor (2011) and its sequels Thor: The Dark World (2013) and Thor: Ragnarok (2017), as well as Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015) and Avengers: Infinity War (2018). He also starred in Pacific Rim (2013), Beasts of No Nation (2015), for which he received BAFTA and Golden Globe nominations for Best Supporting Actor, and Molly’s Game (2017). In 2016, he voiced Chief Bogo in Zootopia, Shere Khan in the live action/CGI adaptation of The Jungle Book, Fluke in Finding Dory, and played the role of Krall in Star Trek Beyond. He made his directorial debut in 2018 with an adaptation of the 1992 novel Yardie by Victor Headley.In addition to his acting work, Elba performs as a DJ under the moniker DJ Big Driis (or Big Driis the Londoner) and as an R&B musician. In 2016, he was named in the Time 100 list of the Most Influential People in the World. As of May 2019, his films have grossed over $9.8 billion at the global box office, including over $3.6 billion in North America, where he is one of the top 20 highest-grossing actors Idris Elba, an only child, was born on September 6, 1972 in Hackney, London. His paternal grandfather, Moses, was a sailor and a policeman. His father, Winston, was a Sierra Leonean who worked at Ford Dagenham, and his mother, Eve, was Ghanaian. Elba’s parents were married in Sierra Leone and later moved to London. Elba was brought up in Hackney and East Ham, and shortened his first name to “Idris” at school in Canning Town, where he first became involved in acting. He credits The Stage with giving him his first big break; having seen an advertisement for a play in a newspaper, Elba auditioned and met his first agent while performing in the role. In 1986, he began helping an uncle with his wedding DJ business; within a year, he had started his own DJ company with some of his friends.Elba left school in 1988, and won a place in the National Youth Music Theatre thanks to a £1,500 Prince’s Trust grant. His first acting role was in Crimewatch murder reconstructions and in 1994 appeared in a BBC children’s drama called The Boot Street Band. To support himself between roles in Crimewatch reconstructions, he worked in jobs such as tyre-fitting, cold call advertising sales, and working night shifts at Ford Dagenham. He was working in nightclubs, under the DJ nickname “Big Driis”, aged nineteen, but began auditioning for television roles in his early twenties.In 1995, Elba landed his first significant role on a series called Bramwell, a medical drama set in 1890s England. He played a central character in an episode of Season 1, an African petty thief named Charlie Carter, who lost his (white) wife to childbirth and had to figure out how to support his newborn daughter. His first named role arrived earlier in 1995, when he was cast as a gigolo on the “Sex” episode of Absolutely Fabulous. Many supporting roles on British television followed, including series such as The Bill and The Ruth Rendell Mysteries. He joined the cast of the soap opera Family Affairs[10] and went on to appear on the television serial Ultraviolet and later on Dangerfield. He decided to move to New York City soon after. He returned to England occasionally for a television role, such as a part in one of the Inspector Lynley Mysteries. In 2001, Elba played Achilles in a stage production of Troilus and Cressida in New York City.After a supporting turn on a 2001 episode of Law & Order, Elba landed a starring role on the 2002 HBO drama series The Wire. From 2002 to 2004, Elba portrayed Russell “Stringer” Bell in the series, perhaps his best-known role in the United States. In 2005, he portrayed Captain Augustin Muganza in Sometimes in April, an HBO film about the Rwandan Genocide. Elba appeared on the 2007 BET special Black Men: The Truth. He appeared as Charlie Gotso on The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency, filmed in Botswana. The series premiered on 23 March 2008, Easter Sunday, on BBC One, receiving a high 6.3 million viewers and 27% of the audience share.In January 2009, it was reported by Variety that Elba would portray Charles Miner, a new rival to Dunder Mifflin regional manager Michael Scott (Steve Carell) for NBC’s The Office. Elba appeared in a six-episode story arc later in the 2009 season as well as the season finale. In September 2009, he signed a deal to star as the lead role on the six-part BBC television series Luther, which aired in May 2010. He appeared on Showtime’s The Big C in 2010. At the 69th Golden Globe Awards telecast on 15 January 2012, Elba won the Award for Best Actor in a Series, Mini-Series, or Motion Picture Made for Television for his role on the BBC crime thriller series Luther.Elba has been married three times: first to Hanne “Kim” Nørgaard (from 1999 to 2003) and then to Sonya Nicole Hamlin (for four months in 2006). He has two children: a daughter with Kim named Isan (born 2002), who resides with Nørgaard in Atlanta, Georgia, and a son named Winston (born 2014) with ex-girlfriend Naiyana Garth. Elba became engaged to Sabrina Dhowre on 10 February 2018, during a screening of his film Yardie at an East London cinema; the pair have been dating since early 2017. They wed on 26 April 2019, in Marrakesh.Elba states that he is spiritual but not religious. Elba is an avid supporter of Arsenal F.C. In 2015, as part of his Discovery Channel miniseries Idris Elba: No Limits, Elba broke the course record land speed “Flying Mile” for the Pendine Sands.The Prince’s Trust, a UK youth charity founded by Prince Charles in 1976, which Elba credits with helping to start his career, appointed him as their anti-crime ambassador in April 2009. Elba voiced support for a vote to remain in the European Union for the 2016 United Kingdom European Union membership referendum.

Written by Dianne Washington

Freda Payne

Freda Payne was born on this date, September 19, 1942. She is an African American singer and actress.From Detroit, Michigan, she is the older sister of Scherrie Payne, the final lead singer in the Motown act The Supremes. Freda Charcilia Payne grew up listening to different jazz singers such as Ella Fitzgerald and Billie Holiday, which helped her develop a taste for music. As a teenager, she attended the Institute of Musical Arts; she soon began singing radio commercial jingles and won many local TV and radio talent shows. Her voice caught the attention of Berry Gordy and Duke Ellington. However, her mother wanted her to finish school first. In 1963, she moved to New York City and worked with Quincy Jones, Pearl Bailey, Bill Cosby and others. During that same year, her debut album, After the Lights Go Down Low and Much More!!!, was released. Three years later, she released How Do You Say I Don’t Love You Anymore.She also made occasional guest appearances on the “Merv Griffin” and “Johnny Carson” shows. She added theatrical credits to her repertoire; as an understudy with Leslie Uggams for the Broadway show Hallelujah Baby in 1967 and she appeared with the Equity Theatre in a production of Lost in the Stars. In 1969, Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier, and Edward Holland, Jr., persuaded her to sign with them. During that same year, she released, “Unhooked Generation”. Shortly thereafter, songwriters Edythe Wayne and Ron Dunbar offered her a song entitled “Band of Gold”. Almost immediately, in early 1970, the song became an instant pop smash; it also gave Payne her first gold record. Other singles included “Deeper and Deeper”, “You Brought the Joy”, and the Vietnam protest song “Bring the Boys Home” (#12, 1971; her second gold record). Her other Invictus albums were Contact (1971), The Best of Freda Payne (1972, a compilation which included four new, unissued songs), and her last Invictus album Reaching Out (1973).In 1973, being dissatisfied with her royalties (which were very low to begin with), she left Invictus and recorded albums for ABC/Dunhill and Capitol, but she never found the commercial success she had with Invictus. Payne was formerly married to singer Gregory Abbott in 1976, and had a son, Gregory Abbott, Jr. (born 1978). In 1981, she briefly hosted her own talk show “Today’s Black Woman” and also found work acting in different movies, Broadway, and other theatre productions throughout the eighties. She also had a relationship with Edmund Sylvers who had written and produced her 1982 single ‘In Motion.Although she was concentrating more on acting by that time, she never gave up music; in 1982, she recorded a single entitled “In Motion” for the Sutra label in New York, and in 1986, she recorded a remake of her hit “Band of Gold” with Belinda Carlisle. In 1990, she recorded three songs for Ian Levine’s UK Motorcity label: another remake of “Band of Gold”, “Memories and Souvenirs”, and “Only Minutes Away”. In the mid-nineties, she released three albums for Dove Music: I Hate Barney (1995, a comedy album), An Evening With Freda Payne: Live, and her first (and only) Christmas album Christmas With Freda and Friends (both 1996). She also continued her acting career appearing in movies like Private Obsession (1995), Ragdoll (1999), The Nutty Professor II: The Klumps (2000), and Fire & Ice (made-for-TV, 2001). In early 2001, she released a new album (of jazz, pop, and R&B molded into one) called Come See About Me for the Volt label (the title track is a remake of the Supremes’ hit). In early 2003, she performed a show called “Love & Payne” with Darlene Love at Feinstein’s at the Regency in New York City and at the Cinegrill in the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel in Los Angeles getting excellent reviews. During the early part of the 21st century, the following compilations of her music were released: Lost in Love (which includes nine of her post-Invictus recordings), Band of Gold: The Best of Freda Payne (both 2000), Unhooked Generation: The Complete Invictus Recordings (2001, the best compilation of her Invictus songs ever made), and The Best of Freda Payne: Ten Best Series (2002, another collection of her Invictus songs).In 2009, she appeared on American Idol and sang “Band of Gold”. In 2010, Payne joined Kanye West, Jordin Sparks, Jennifer Hudson, Barbra Streisand and many more on We Are The World for Haiti Relief. In 2011 Payne recorded a duet, “Saving A Life”, with British pop star Sir Cliff Richard for inclusion on his “Soulicious” album. She also joined Richard on his “Soulicious” tour of the UK in October of the same year.

Written by Dianne Washington

Otis Redding

Born September 9th 1941, Otis Redding was born. He was an African American singer and entertainer.He was born in Dawson, GA. He began playing drums in school and was paid six dollars a hour on Sundays to accompany gospel groups appearing on local radio station WIBB. He stayed in school until the tenth grade, quitting to help support his family. Redding began his recording career in the early 1960s as a Little Richard-styled shouter. He was working in the band of guitarist Johnny Jenkins at the time, and in 1962, he recorded the ballad These Arms of Mine.Redding left school at 15 to support his family, working with Little Richard’s backing band, the Upsetters, and performing at talent shows for prize money. In 1958, he joined Johnny Jenkins’ band, the Pinetoppers, and toured the Southern United States as driver and musician. An unscheduled appearance on a Stax recording session led to a contract and his first single, “These Arms of Mine”, in 1962. Stax released Redding’s debut album, Pain in My Heart, two years later.Initially popular mainly with African Americans, Redding later reached the broader American popular music audience. He and his group first played small gigs in the South, then debuted in the western United States at LA’s popular Whisky a Go Go. They later performed in Paris, London and other European cities.After appearing at the 1967 Monterey Pop Festival Redding wrote and recorded the iconic “(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay” with Steve Cropper. The song became the first posthumous number-one record on both the Billboard Hot 100 and R&B charts after his death in a plane crash. The Dock of the Bay became the first posthumous album to reach number one on the UK Albums Chart.Redding’s premature death devastated Stax. Already on the verge of bankruptcy, the label soon discovered that Atlantic Records owned the rights to his entire catalogue.Redding received many posthumous accolades, including the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award and induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame. He received the honorific nickname King of Soul. In addition to “(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay,” “Respect” and “Try a Little Tenderness” are among his best-known songs.When it became an R&B hit, Redding’s solo career was on its way, though the hits didn’t really start to take hold for about three years, when Mr. Pitiful, I’ve Been Loving You Too Long, I Can’t Turn You Loose, and Respect (later turned into a huge pop smash by Aretha Franklin) were all big sellers. Redding wrote much of his own material, sometimes with guitarist Steve Cropper. Yet at the time, his success was primarily confined to the soul market; his singles charted only mildly on the pop listings.He was nonetheless tremendously respected by many White groups, particularly the Rolling Stones, who covered Redding’s “That’s How Strong My Love Is” and “Pain in My Heart.” One of Redding’s biggest hits was a duet with fellow Stax star Carla Thomas, “Tramp,” in 1967, the same year he performed to great acclamation at the Monterey Pop Festival.Redding’s biggest triumph, however, came just days before his death, when he recorded (“Sittin’ on) The Dock of the Bay,” a significant rise in the examination of intense personal emotions. One of the most influential soul singers of the 1960s, Redding embodied to many listeners the power of Southern “Deep Soul,” an emotional voice with both party songs and emotionally aching ballads.Redding died young, at the age of 26, in a plane crash in Wisconsin on December 10, 1967.

Written by Dianne Washington

Mark Morrison

Mark Morrison (born 3 May 1972) is a British R&B singer. His single, “Return of the Mack”, became a No. 1 or Top 10 hit in several European countries in 1996. The song peaked at No. 2 in the United States the following year.Born in Hannover, West Germany, to Bajan parents, he grew up in Highfields, Leicester, United Kingdom, and attended Rushey Mead School (now Rushey Mead Academy), before moving to Miami, United States. At the age of 19, he moved back to Britain.In mid-1995, Morrison released his debut single, “Crazy”, which became a Top-20 hit in the UK, and was a club favourite. The follow-up single, “Let’s Get Down”, also entered the Top 40. They were followed in the spring of 1996 by “Return of the Mack”, which became a smash international hit, spending two weeks at the top of the UK Singles Chart.In July 2020, McDonald’s featured “Return of the Mack” in a UK television commercial, as part of a post-COVID-19 lockdown promotional campaign to mark the resumption of services and the gradual reopening of restaurants.

Written by Dianne Washington

Misty Danielle Copeland

Misty Danielle Copeland (born September 10, 1982) is an American ballet dancer for American Ballet Theatre (ABT), one of the three leading classical ballet companies in the United States. On June 30, 2015, Copeland became the first African American woman to be promoted to principal dancer in ABT’s 75-year history.Copeland was considered a prodigy who rose to stardom despite not starting ballet until the age of 13. Two years later, in 1998, her ballet teachers, who were serving as her custodial guardians, and her mother, fought a custody battle over her. Meanwhile, Copeland, who was already an award-winning dancer, was fielding professional offers. The legal issues involved filings for emancipation by Copeland and restraining orders by her mother. Both sides dropped legal proceedings, and Copeland moved home to begin studying under a new teacher, who was a former ABT member.In 1997, Copeland won the Los Angeles Music Center Spotlight Award as the best dancer in Southern California. After two summer workshops with ABT, she became a member of ABT’s Studio Company in 2000 and its corps de ballet in 2001, and became an ABT soloist in 2007. As a soloist from 2007 to mid-2015, she was described as having matured into a more contemporary and sophisticated dancer.In addition to her dance career, Copeland has become a public speaker, celebrity spokesperson and stage performer. She has written two autobiographical books and narrated a documentary about her career challenges, A Ballerina’s Tale. In 2015, she was named one of the 100 most influential people in the world by Time magazine, appearing on its cover. She performed on Broadway in On the Town, toured as a featured dancer for Prince and appeared on the reality television shows A Day in the Life and So You Think You Can Dance. She has endorsed products and companies such as T-Mobile, Coach, Inc., Dr Pepper, Seiko, The Dannon Company and Under Armour.Copeland was born in Kansas City, Missouri, and raised in the San Pedro community of Los Angeles, California. She is the youngest of Sylvia DelaCerna’s four children from her second marriage to Douglas Copland. Between the ages of three and seven Copeland lived in Bellflower, California, with her mother and her mother’s third husband Harold Brown, a Santa Fe Railroad sales executive. The family moved to San Pedro where Sylvia eventually married her fourth husband, radiologist Robert DelaCerna, and where Misty attended Point Fermin Elementary School. When she was seven, Copeland saw Nadia and gymnast Nadia Comăneci was her role model. At age eleven, she found her first creative outlet at a Boys & Girls Club wood shop class. Copeland never studied ballet or gymnastics formally until her teenage years. However, she did enjoy choreographing flips and dance moves to Mariah Carey songs in her youth. Following in the footsteps of her older sister Erica who had starred on the Dana Middle School drill team.Copeland’s natural presence and skill came to the attention of her classically trained Dana drill team coach, Elizabeth Cantine, in San Pedro. Cynthia Bradley, who was a friend of Cantine’s, first introduced her to ballet in classes at her local Boys & Girls Club. DelaCerna allowed Copeland to go to the club after school until the workday ended and Bradley, a former working dancer with companies in San Diego, Virginia and Kentucky, taught a free ballet class there once a week. Bradley invited Copeland to attend class at the small local ballet school, San Pedro Dance Center. Copeland began her ballet studies at the age of 13 at the San Pedro Dance Center when Cynthia Bradley began picking her up from school. During her first year of middle school the family left Robert. After living with various boyfriends of her mother, the family, moved to the Sunset Inn in Gardena, California. Soon, DelaCerna told Copeland that she would have to give up ballet. However, Bradley wanted Copeland to continue and offered to host her, to which DelaCerna agreed so Misty could pursue her dream. Eventually, they signed a management contract as well as a life-story contract. She spent the weekdays with the Bradleys near the coast and the weekends at home with her mother, a two-hour bus ride away. By the age of fourteen, Copeland was the winner of a national ballet contest and won her first solo role.Copeland is considered a prodigy. By age 15, Copeland’s mother and ballet teachers, who were serving as her custodial guardians, fought a custody battle over her. Meanwhile, Copeland, who was already an award-winning dancer, was fielding professional offers. The 1998 legal proceedings involved filings for emancipation by Copeland and restraining orders by her mother. Both sides dropped legal proceedings, and Copeland moved home to begin studying under a new teacher who was a former ABT member. In 1997, Copeland won the Los Angeles Music Center Spotlight Award as the best dancer in Southern California. After two summer workshops with the ABT, she became a member of the Studio Company in 2000, a member of the corps de ballet in 2001, and a soloist in 2007. Stylistically, she is considered a classical ballet dancer.As a soloist since 2007, she has been described as having matured into a more contemporary and sophisticated dancer. While aspiring to be a principal dancer, Copeland has numerous goals as a dancer, in terms of leading roles. She aspires to perform lead roles in Giselle, Nikiya and Gamzatti in La Bayadère, Juliet in Romeo and Juliet as well as Odette/Odile in Swan Lake. In 2011, she was featured in the Season 1, episode of the Hulu web series A Day in the Life. And she unveiled a line of dancewear that she designed. In 2012, The Council of Urban Professionals as the Council’s Breakthrough Leadership Award winner at its 5th Anniversary Leadership Gala recognized her. By late 2012, she was seeking publication of two books: a memoir and an illustrated youth book. Around this time, Copeland began achieving solo roles in full-length ballets rather than contemporary works.Copeland starred in The Firebird, with choreography by Alexei Ratmansky at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa, California. The Los Angeles Times Laura Bleiberg as one of the years hailed the performance best dance performances. The Firebird was again performed at the Metropolitan Opera House in June 2012. Within one week of her first and only performance in the role at the Metropolitan Opera, Copeland withdrew from the entire ABT season at the Met due to six stress fractures in her tibia. She was sidelined for seven months after her October 10 surgery. In 2013, she began working on two books: a memoir under the Simon & Schuster Touchstone Books label and a picture book for the G. P. Putnam’s Sons for Young Readers label. In September 2013, Copeland became a spokesperson for Project Plié, a national initiative with the goal of broadening the pipeline of leadership within ballet. Copeland was interviewed in the November 2013 Vogue Italia.In 2014 Copeland’s autobiography Life in Motion: An Unlikely Ballerina was released. Copeland was named to the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports, and Nutrition and became a guest judge for the 11th season of So You Think You Can Dance. In May 2014, she performed the lead role of Swanilda in Coppélia at the Metropolitan Opera House. In addition she performed the roles of a Shade and the Lead D’Jampe in La Bayadère alongside Herman Cornejo and Alina Cojucaru. Later in the year, she performed the Odette/Odile double role in Swan Lake on September 3 when the company toured in Brisbane, Australia. She would later perform Odette/Odile in New York City as well as her first Romeo and Juliet. She was a Dance Magazine Awards 2014 honoree. Copeland was selected for the 2015 Time 100. As a result, she appeared on the cover of Time, making her the first dancer to appear on the cover since Bill T. Jones made the cover in 1994. On June 30, 2015, Copeland became the first African-American woman to be promoted to principal dancer in ABT’s 75-year history. Although her achievement was groundbreaking, Arthur Mitchell is credited as the first dancer to break the color barrier as a principal dancer in 1962 and Desmond Richardson did so for ABT in 1997. On July 5, Copeland announced that she would take on the role of Ivy Smith in the Broadway revival of On The Town for two weeks from August 25 to September 6. On August 5, she was included in the International Best Dressed List, published by Vanity Fair. Her debut on broadway was favorably reviewed in The New York Times by Gia Kourlas,The Washington Post by Peter Marks, a review by Dave Quinn of WNBC, and The Hollywood Reporter by Frank Scheck.Copeland lives with her boyfriend, Olu Evans, on Manhattan’s Upper West Side. The couple had been introduced in 2004 by Evans cousin, Taye Diggs. In a cover story in the September 2015 issue of Essence Copeland announced her engagement to Evans.Copeland and her husband, attorney Olu Evans, live on Manhattan’s Upper West Side. The couple were introduced to each other around 2004 by Evans’ cousin, Taye Diggs, and disclosed their engagement in a 2015 cover story in Essence magazine. They married in California on July 31, 2016. Copeland enjoys cooking and prefers to avoid crowded places.

Written by Dianne Washington

The Splash Brothaz: Hip Hop’s Latest Elites

When it comes to the hip hop community, some of the greatest interactions always start off with either a debate, fights, or arguments. One of the main discussions in the hip hop community are always about the state of music today and how it’s received by the people. After disagreements and discussions are where things come to a mutual respect and then a bond is built. I had the opportunity of meeting a really dope individual and artist who told me, at the time, that he was working on new music. I took some time to check him out and I was impressed by what I heard. It’s been a while since I’ve heard any music from him but we stayed in contact and of course, I love learning about a person before I get to the real story. I learned that these brothers are actually a duo; there’s two of them. They go by The Splash Brothaz. The Splash Brothaz consists of Anthony and Mike. Two biological brothers from North Carolina using their voices to build up their name and careers. Anthony Lakaiser Enoch aka Lex Lakaiser, middle name given by their grandmother, was born on December 3rd, 1977 and Michael Anthony Enoch, Jr. aka Mike C and Michael Ceasar Leo was born on August 14th, 1981. Born and raised in North Carolina, the Splash Brothaz had a rough childhood growing up. The typical fatherless upbringing that usually plagues in the Black community definitely had its effects on these two throughout their childhood. They reminisce back on both good and bad times in their early lives. The guys pretty much had to learn to survive on their own; they had their own home. Very popular amongst their friends in high school because of their lifestyle. Always home alone to fend for their selves and lots of fun and freedom. Besides those hard times of surviving alone, the brothers also reflect on their musical roots from their family, which sparked their interest into becoming artists today. They’ve been to plenty of studio sessions with their uncles Steve, Herman, and Lamont Long, who were a R&B and rap group in their city. Their family also had a choir so everyone pretty much has a talent. Doing lots of traveling helped them to hone their vocal skills very early on too. The hip hop influence came from their uncle Herman when he introduced them to Big Daddy Kane and Rakim. At the right place at the right time, plans to actually create some music happened. Back in 2005, in Germany, Lex released an EP that only had 3 songs on it: “We Treal”, “It’s N.C.”, & “Nowhere to Run.” A couple more singles were released afterwards but it wasn’t up until today, in recent times, that the brothers finally worked on and released their debut project, “International Lost Files”, released on April 20th, 2020. Outside of their debut, Mike is working on a solo project called “Walkdown With Alex Murcialago On the I40” and also looking forward to releasing “The Splash Brothaz & The Diaz Brothaz” along with his brother Lex. When asked about any regrets that they have in their careers, Lex says, “My only regret is taking an 8 year break to try and be normal again after touring all over Germany with the Top DJ’s in the Hip Hop Business. I was really not looking forward to starting over again with networking but honestly, I was just running from my destiny. The lyrics never stopped in my head that’s why I gave in and came back.” Everything happens for a reason. All those years off propelled Lex and Mike to release the best music they ever created. It definitely reflects the times they’re currently in. Hard work and dedication to yourself and craft always pays off in the end; no matter how much time it takes. It’s better than nothing at all. Even better to work with someone you’ve known your whole life. You know each other’s creative styles and auras and it all shows in the music. Mike replies with his statement about regrets. He says “Plenty…. But it only made me the person I am today! Not regrets, I was just in situations to where I gotta live.” With such hard work and dedication comes with longevity if you stay in it for the love of doing it. The fellas were then asked about their thoughts of the future. Lex replied, “Years from now I just want to be in the mountains in my dream home living as one of the new era hip hop elites”, and Mike says “Living in Cali or in the mountains with my family.” To hear and learn more about The Splash Brothaz, you can check them out on their official social media accounts. You can find them on Instagram @lexlakaiser, Facebook @lexlakaiser, Facebook Label Page @LakaiserENT and their official website: https://lakaiser.weebly.com/.

Written by Jalen Hemphill

Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs

Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs (born September 4, 1953) is an American actor and singer. He has appeared in a number of films and television shows, including Claudine (1974), Cooley High (1975), Roots (1977), Welcome Back, Kotter (1975–79), Bangers and Mash (1983), and The Jacksons: An American Dream (1992).Hilton-Jacobs was born in New York City, New York, the fifth of nine children of parents Hilton Jacobs (died 2000) and Clothilda Jacobs (died 2008). He attended Wilkes University for a short time before his acting career took off. He began his acting career in the summer of 1969 and graduated from the High School of Art and Design in 1971. Afterward, he studied acting with the Negro Ensemble Company and the Al Fann Theatrical Ensemble.In 1975, he won the role of Freddie “Boom Boom” Washington on the ABC hit comedy series, Welcome Back, Kotter. Hilton-Jacobs starred in a few commercials over the years, including an early 1970s commercial for The United Negro College Fund. Later in his career, he appeared in the 1989-1990 science fiction TV series Alien Nation as Sgt. Dobbs, an LAPD detective. He portrayed Panda Thomas (#1) in Rob Zombie’s slasher film 31.Hilton-Jacobs portrayed Joseph Walter “Joe” Jackson, the father of the Jackson family, in the 1992 miniseries The Jacksons: An American Dream. He also appeared in a commercial for Salon Selectives.Hilton-Jacobs sang on Rick James’ 1981 album Street Songs.As a homage to him, the public housing in Eddie Murphy’s television program The PJs is named the Hilton-Jacobs Projects.He has two daughters.

Written by Dianne Washington

Brother Bradford: A Brother’s Joint

Back at y’all with another banger! Another great piece to end the summer and start the fall to showcase more dope talent. I also imagine that this is what this particular Brother says to himself whenever he releases new music. This Brother and I had a much deeper connection through his music. Similar ear for sounds, similar favorite female legendary R&B artist and his inspiration coming from 90’s New York hip hop were our main conversations. More than just another social media follower but a really great talented, cool, and laid back brother and artist coming from the South. Born on October 23rd, Christopher Bradford aka Brother Bradford comes from South Alexandria all the way in Louisiana. Around the time his birthday comes is when he releases music the most as he came to an epiphany about it during our talk before this piece was written about him. You sometimes don’t realize your own greatness and tendencies of how you do things until you sit down with someone and have those conversations. Well, this Brother and I have had plenty of conversations surrounding music but let’s get into the story of greatness. “I grew up on the south side but my ma provided everything we needed and alot of wants. I actually played outside as a kid, we tapped out, climbed fences, trees, ate mulberries straight from the tree, bust liquor bottles in the alley with rocks to practice aim, chrome capping, ding dong ditch, members only clubhouses, my childhood was dope!” Sounds like a dope upbringing indeed! Makes me feel like I was there too! Very wholesome and sounds like that kinda fun that puts you to sleep after hours of being out all day. A true countryside way of living. Also sounds like something you see in movies or read in books. It’s the perfect way to start off a story about a great talent. Let’s keep going shall we! The Brother continues with his musical roots, passed down from his mother. “My ma is a singer, who sang in a band in her younger years, my cousin the Mel-Man, influenced me to produced my own sound.” He continues, “I grew up around music lovers, lived next door to a disc jockey as a kid, older cousins who LOVED music, and to see them react to music made me want to make people react that same way when hearing my songs. The internet gave me my start, pre-MySpace but around the same time.” They’re not lying when they say you are a reflection of your environment. Having a music career that started during MySpace days was over a decade ago. A whole other time that’s pretty ancient by now but still remembered by those who took their Top friend’s lists seriously as well as coding & customizing their personal pages and of course, the music. Today, Brother has accomplished releasing dope music. He says, “I have a single out right now exclusive to YouTube called ‘Brother’s Joint’, new long player ‘BB3’ is coming Halloween.” I’m personally excited to hear what he has coming out in a month. His previous stuff had me going back to it over and over again, which is rare because I’m extremely picky about music. This Brother is truly a special artist, a special person indeed. In his best country deep accent, when I asked him if he has any regrets he replied “No regrets coyote!” Years from now, he also says, “I see myself at the art department of some label/imprint focusing on artwork new comers and legends alike! Maybe running my own vinyl pressing plant to distribute music for local artists at a tangible price.” Great aspirations for this Brother. Such an amazing artist and friend. More like your distant older cousin from the South who comes from a completely different world than you but wholeheartedly understands you and loves you for exactly who you are. Like sitting or laying in the grass under the clear blue sky just vibing. His energy is amazing. If you want to know more about Brother Bradford, you can follow him on Instagram @iambrotherbradford.

Written by Jalen Hemphill