Category: Whats Buzzing in the Streets

Russell Simmons

Born and raised in Hollis, Queens, New York City, his father Daniel was a public school attendance supervisor. He is the older brother of Rev. Joseph Simmons, known as “Run” of Run-DMC. Simmons attended City College of New York but left to begin promoting local rap music acts, including Kurtis Blow and Run-DMC, and producing records. In 1984, he and Rick Rubin founded Def Jam Records, signing the Beastie Boys, LL Cool J and other artists. Def Jam is one piece in Simmons’ corporation, Rush Communications, which includes a management company, a clothing company called Phat Farm, a movie production house, television shows such as Def Comedy Jam, a magazine, and an advertising agency.He married model Kimora Lee Simmons in 1998 and they were divorced in 2006. They have two daughters Ming Lee and Aoki Lee who both model for Baby Phat Kids Collection. Simmons sold his stake in the record company for $100 million to Universal Music Group in 1999. The up and coming component of Rush Communications is the sneaker company Run Athletics, a company that produces the Legacy shoes and the Arthur Ashe shoes. Recently, Simmons brought his show Def Poetry to Broadway earning awards for the youthful and multicultural cast. Simmons, in partnership with a financial institution, released The Rush Card, a line of re-loadable Visa debit cards aimed at consumers who would other wise have problems obtaining a checking/debit account.Simmons contributes to the contemporary civil rights movement and social justice efforts. He aided voting efforts in the 2004 US presidential election. Simmons, a vegan, has also spoken out against cruelty in factory farms and slaughterhouses. In 2005 he began contributing blogs at The Huffington Post. Simmons is working on a project to fight anti-Semitism. This project includes Beyonce, Leonardo Dicaprio, and Will Smith. In August 2006, Simmons hosted a reception in support of Republican United States Senate candidate from Maryland, Michael Steele.Russell Simmons has been vegan since 1999 and advocates Ahimsa and veganism, citing animal rights along with the environmental and health benefits. Simmons is a supporter of Farm Sanctuary, an organization working to end cruelty to farm animals. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals awarded him with the 2001 PETA Humanitarian Award and the 2011 Person of the Year Award.In 2004, Simmons organized thousands of protestors and Hip-Hop celebrities in front of city hall demanding change of the harsh sentencing of the Rockefeller Drug Laws.Simmons became Chairman of Board of the Foundation for Ethnic Understanding in 2002. In May 2009, he was appointed Goodwill Ambassador for the UN Slavery Memorial at the United Nations to honor the victims of slavery and the transatlantic slave trade by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. In a similar vein, Simmons is a supporter of the Somaly Mam Foundation, and was honored at their 2011 gala dinner. Simmons officially endorses the second Muslim Jewish Conference 2011. Together with Rabbi Marc Schneier he served as the official patron of the conference held July 2011 in Kiev, Ukraine. In 2011, he took part in the Occupy Wall Street protests, visiting the protesters at Zuccotti Park often and for many consecutive days.Simmons is also a longtime supporter for gay rights. He encourages marriage equality. In 2011, when the retail corporation Lowe’s withdrew funding from the show All-American Muslim, Simmons promised to pay the Learning Channel for any revenue lost.In 2012, Simmons supported Ohio congressman Dennis Kucinich’s re-election campaign, appearing with the politician at various speaking events. In November 2013, he pledged support for New York’s mayoral candidate Bill de Blasio in recognition of his support for animal rights.Simmons describes himself as a Christian yogi, with a love and respect for all religions. Simmons practices a method of Yoga known as Jivamukti Yoga, which encourages vegetarianism and social and environmental activism.Simmons is also a practitioner of Transcendental Meditation (TM) and a supporter of the David Lynch Foundation for Consciousness-Based Education and World Peace, which was established to ensure that any child in America who wants to learn and practice TM can do so.Russell Simmons has been vegan since 1999 and advocates Ahimsa and veganism, citing animal rights along with the environmental and health benefits. Simmons is a supporter of Farm Sanctuary, an organization working to end cruelty to farm animals. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals awarded him the 2001 PETA Humanitarian Award and the 2011 Person of the Year Award.In 2009, Simmons organized thousands of protesters and Hip-Hop celebrities in front of city hall demanding change of the harsh sentencing of the Rockefeller Drug Laws.Simmons became Chairman of Board of the Foundation for Ethnic Understanding in 2002. In May 2009, he was appointed Goodwill Ambassador for the UN Slavery Memorial at the United Nations to honor the victims of slavery and the transatlantic slave trade by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. In a similar vein, Simmons is a supporter of the Somaly Mam Foundation, and was honored at their 2011 gala dinner. Simmons officially endorses the second Muslim Jewish Conference 2011. Together with Rabbi Marc Schneier he served as the official patron of the conference held July 2011 in Kiev, Ukraine. In 2011, he took part in the Occupy Wall Street protests, visiting the protesters at Zuccotti Park often and for many consecutive days.Simmons is also a longtime supporter for gay rights. He encourages marriage equality. In 2011, when the retail corporation Lowe’s withdrew funding from the show All-American Muslim, Simmons promised to pay the Learning Channel for any revenue lost.In 2012, Simmons supported Ohio congressman Dennis Kucinich’s re-election campaign, appearing with the politician at various speaking events. In November 2013, he pledged support for New York’s mayoral candidate Bill de Blasio in recognition of his support for animal rights.In 2015, Simmons criticized his friend, real-estate developer and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, in an open letter after Trump called for Muslim immigrants to be barred from entering the United States.In 2017, Simmons was listed by UK-based company Richtopia at number 23 in the list of 200 Most Influential Social-Entrepreneurs and Philanthropists Worldwide.

Written by Dianne Washington

Bernie Mack

Bernard Jeffrey “Bernie” McCullough (October 5, 1957 – August 9, 2008), better known by his stage name Bernie Mac, was an American stand-up comedian, actor and voice artist. Born and raised on the South Side of Chicago, Mac gained popularity as a stand-up comedian. He joined comedians Steve Harvey, Cedric the Entertainer, and D. L. Hughley in The Original Kings of Comedy.After briefly hosting the HBO show Midnight Mac, Mac appeared in several films in smaller roles. His most noted film role was as Frank Catton in the remake Ocean’s Eleven and the titular character of Mr. 3000. He was the star of The Bernie Mac Show, which ran from 2001 through 2006, earning him two Emmy Award nominations for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series. Mac’s other films included starring roles in Booty Call, Friday, The Players Club, Head of State, Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle, Bad Santa, Guess Who, Pride, Soul Men, Transformers and Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa.Mac suffered from sarcoidosis, a disease in which abnormal collections of chronic inflammatory cells (granulomas) form as nodules in multiple organs, particularly the lungs and lymph nodes. Lung scarring or infection may lead to respiratory failure and death. Mac had mentioned the condition was in remission in 2005. His death on August 9, 2008 was caused by complications from pneumonia.Mac was born Bernard Jeffrey McCullough in Chicago, Illinois on October 5, 1957. He was raised on the city’s South Side by his single mother, Mary, who died of cancer when he was 16 years old in his sophomore year of high school.He put on shows for neighborhood kids on the South Side. He attended Chicago Vocational Career Academy where Dick Butkus also earlier attended. Later, Mac moved to Tampa, Florida. During his 20s, he worked in a variety of jobs, including furniture mover and a UPS agent.ernie Mac’s influences were from The Three Stooges and listening to stand-up comedians Richard Pryor and Redd Foxx. Mac started as a stand-up comedian in Chicago’s Cotton Club. After he won the Miller Lite Comedy Search at the age of 32, his popularity as a comedian began to grow. A performance on HBO’s Def Comedy Jam thrust him into the spotlight; after Martin Lawrence was unable to calm an increasingly hostile crowd, Mac went onstage and famously said, “I ain’t scared o’ you mothafuckas”, telling the audience that he “didn’t come here for no foolishness”. Mac’s comedy and fearlessness onstage cemented his reputation with fans and colleagues.He opened for Dionne Warwick, Redd Foxx and Natalie Cole. He played a small role in 1994’s House Party 3 as Uncle Vester. He also had a short-lived talk show on HBO titled Midnight Mac. Later, Mac also acted in minor roles and got his big break as “Pastor Clever” in Ice Cube’s 1995 film Friday. Following that role, Mac had his first starring role as “Dollar Bill”, a silly, slick-talking club owner in The Players Club. Mac was able to break from the traditional “black comedy” genre, having roles in the 2001 remake of Ocean’s Eleven and becoming the new Bosley for the Charlie’s Angels sequel, Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle. In 2003, he gave an impressive performance in a supporting role as the villain “Gin Slagel, The Store Dick” in Bad Santa. He also starred in Guess Who?, a comedic remake of the film Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner, and made an appearance in the 2007 film Transformers as the car salesman “Bobby Bolivia”. In his later years, he hosted the reality television talent show Last Comic Standing. He also served as the voice of Zuba, Alex the Lion’s long lost father in Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa. He co-starred with Samuel L. Jackson in the 2008 musical comedy Soul Men as “Floyd Henderson”. His final film role was as “Jimmy Lunchbox,” a flamboyant children’s entertainer in the 2009 Disney film Old Dogs which was released a year after his death. He starred alongside John Travolta and Robin Williams in that particular film.In 2001, the Fox network gave Mac his own semi-autobiographical sitcom called The Bernie Mac Show portraying a fictional version of himself. In the show, he suddenly becomes custodian of his sister’s three children after she enters rehab. It was a success, in part because it allowed Mac to stay true to his stand-up comedy roots, breaking the fourth wall to communicate his thoughts to the audience. The show contained many parodies of events in Bernie’s actual life. Bernie, who grew up on Chicago’s South Side, was a die-hard fan of the Chicago White Sox, and would often sneak a reference to his favorite team in his episodes, including enlisting then White Sox pitcher Jon Garland to make a guest cameo appearance. Bernie Mac’s “fourth wall” technique allowed him a moment of heartfelt sincerity during the sitcom’s 2005 season when, sitting in his customary easy chair and facing the audience before the start of an episode, Bernie unabashedly donned a White Sox jacket and cap, and congratulated his hometown Chicago White Sox and their staff members, on their recent World Series championship.The show was not renewed after the 2005–2006 season. The series finale aired on April 14, 2006. However, the finale barely left a conclusion for the series, and no ending to the storyline of Bernie and Wanda trying to have a baby which had been abandoned a few episodes earlier. Among other awards, the show won an Emmy for “Outstanding Writing”, the Peabody Award for excellence in broadcasting, and the Humanitas Prize for television writing that promotes human dignity. His character on The Bernie Mac Show was ranked #47 in TV Guide‍‍ ‘‍s list of the “50 Greatest TV Dads of All Time”.In 2004, Bernie Mac starred as a retired baseball player in the film Mr. 3000. In the 2003 National League Championship Series, Mac sang “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” at Wrigley Field with the Chicago Cubs leading the Florida Marlins in the series 3 games to 2 and in Game 6 by a 2–0 score at the time (it would soon be 3–0 in the bottom of the 7th). Instead of saying “root, root, root for the Cubbies” Mac said, “root, root, root for the champs!, champs!” The Cubs lost the game and the series, with some fans claiming that Mac helped jinx the Cubs. Mac later admitted that he had hated the North Side’s Cubs his whole life, being a die-hard fan of the South Side’s White Sox, and was seen during the White Sox’ 2005 World Series victory at U.S. Cellular Field.Mac was number 72 on Comedy Central’s list of the 100 greatest standups of all time. On March 19, 2007, Mac told David Letterman on the CBS Late Show that he would retire from his 30-year career after he finished shooting the comedy film, The Whole Truth, Nothing but the Truth, So Help Me Mac. “I’m going to still do my producing, my films, but I want to enjoy my life a little bit”, Mac told Letterman. “I missed a lot of things, you know. I was a street performer for two years. I went into clubs in 1977 and was on the road 47 weeks out of the year.”In 2008, Mac was admitted to the Northwestern Memorial Hospital in his hometown of Chicago, Illinois. After a week of unsuccessful medical treatment, Mac went into cardiac arrest and died during the early morning hours of August 9, from complications of pneumonia. In the final three years of his life, Mac publicly disclosed that he had suffered from sarcoidosis, a disease of unknown origin that causes inflammation in tissue. Sarcoidosis frequently attacked Mac’s lungs. Mac’s public funeral was held a week after his death at the House of Hope Church with nearly 7,000 people in attendance. Notable mourners at Mac’s funeral were Chris Rock, Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley, Samuel L. Jackson, Ashton Kutcher, Don Cheadle, the cast members from his eponymous series and his Kings of Comedy fellows D. L. Hughley, Cedric the Entertainer and Steve Harvey.The first two of Mac’s posthumous films Soul Men and Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa were released three months after his death. Mac’s third and final posthumous film, Old Dogs, was released a year after his death. The 2008 Bud Billiken Parade, which was held in Chicago at the time of Mac’s death, was also dedicated to his memory. On the day of Mac’s funeral, his hometown’s local television station WCIU-TV aired an exclusive television special, A Tribute to Bernie Mac, and had interviews with his former colleagues including Camille Winbush, Chris Rock, Joe Torry and some of his family members and close friends.

Written by Dianne Washington

Hugh Hefner

Say what you want to about him, but Hef rode this sucka until the wheels fell off! He gave a lot of Blacks opportunities to break their ground, from Zelda Valdes, whom he commissioned to create the Playboy iconic uniform, to hiring and showcasing musicians in his groundbreaking TV show back then, Playboy After Dark, to donating and contributing millions over the years to causes beneficial to us and humankind as a whole. Sleep Well Hef, you’ve earned it! Hugh Marston Hefner (April 9, 1926 – September 27, 2017) was an American publisher and playboy. He was best known as the editor-in-chief of Playboy magazine, which he founded in 1953, and as chief creative officer of Playboy Enterprises, the publishing group that operates the magazine. An advocate of sexual liberation and freedom of expression, Hefner was a political activist and philanthropist in several other causes and public issues.Hefner was born in Chicago, Illinois on April 9, 1926. He was the first child of Grace Caroline (née Swanson; 1895–1997) and Glenn Lucius Hefner (1896–1976), who both worked as teachers. His parents were from Nebraska. He had a younger brother, Keith (1929–2016). Hefner’s mother was of Swedish descent, and his father had German and English ancestry. Through his father’s line, Hefner stated that he was a direct descendant of Plymouth governor William Bradford. He described his family as “conservative, Midwestern, [and] Methodist”.He attended Sayre Elementary School and Steinmetz High School, then during World War II, served as a writer for a military newspaper in the U.S. Army from 1944 to 1946. Hefner graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign with a bachelor of arts in psychology and a double minor in creative writing and art in 1949, earning his degree in two and a half years. After graduation, he took a semester of graduate courses in sociology at Northwestern University but dropped out soon after.While he was working as a copywriter for Esquire, Hefner left in January 1952 after being denied a $5 raise. In 1953, he took out a mortgage, generating a bank loan of $600, and raised $8,000 from 45 investors, including $1,000 from his mother (“Not because she believed in the venture,” he told E! in 2006, “but because she believed in her son.”), to launch Playboy, which was initially going to be called Stag Party. The first issue, published in December 1953, featured Marilyn Monroe from her 1949 nude calendar shoot and sold over 50,000 copies. (Hefner, who never met Monroe, bought the crypt next to hers at the Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery in 1992 for $75,000.)After the Charles Beaumont science fiction short story “The Crooked Man” was rejected by Esquire magazine in 1955, Hefner agreed to publish it in Playboy. The story highlighted straight men being persecuted in a world where homosexuality was the norm. After the magazine received angry letters, Hefner wrote a response to criticism where he said, “If it was wrong to persecute heterosexuals in a homosexual society then the reverse was wrong, too.” In 1961, Hefner watched Dick Gregory perform at the Herman Roberts Show Bar in Chicago. Based on that performance, Hefner hired Gregory to work at the Chicago Playboy Club; Gregory attributed the subsequent launch of his career to that night.On June 4, 1963, Hefner was arrested for promoting obscene literature after an issue of Playboy featuring nude shots of Jayne Mansfield was published.The case went to trial and resulted in a hung jury.During the civil rights era in 1966, Hefner sent African-American Alex Haley to interview George Lincoln Rockwell, much to Rockwell’s surprise because Haley was black. Rockwell had founded the American Nazi Party and would be later described by some as the “American Hitler”. Rockwell agreed to meet with Haley only after gaining assurance from the Playboy writer that he was not Jewish, although Rockwell kept a handgun on the table throughout the interview. The interview was recreated in Roots: The Next Generations, with James Earl Jones as Haley and Marlon Brando as Rockwell. Haley had also interviewed Malcom X in 1963 and Martin Luther King in 1966 for the newly established 1962 “playboy interview”.In the 1993 The Simpsons episode “Krusty Gets Kancelled”, Hefner guest-voiced himself. In 1999, Hefner financed the Clara Bow documentary, Discovering the It Girl. “Nobody has what Clara had. She defined an era and made her mark on the nation,” he stated. Hefner guest-starred as himself in a 2006 episode of Seth Green’s Robot Chicken on the late-night programming block Adult Swim. He has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for television and has made several movie appearances as himself. In 2009, he received a “worst supporting actor” nomination for a Razzie award for his performance as himself in Miss March. On his official Twitter account he joked about this nomination: “Maybe I didn’t understand the character.” A documentary by Brigitte Berman, Hugh Hefner: Playboy, Activist and Rebel, was released on July 30, 2010. He had previously granted full access to documentary filmmaker and television producer Kevin Burns for the A&E Biography special Hugh Hefner: American Playboy in 1996. Hefner and Burns later collaborated on numerous other television projects, most notably on The Girls Next Door, a reality series that ran for six seasons (2005–2009) and 90 episodes.

Written by Dianne Washington

Hip Hop’s Next Future Mogul: The Legacy of C.E.L.L.Beatz

Hip hop has more than just artists and it is most definitely more than just being an artist. Artists can also have multiple sources of income from multiple avenues and talents that they possess and bring to the limelight and forefront. Moguls like Diddy, Jay-Z, Russell Simmons, Master P and much more have been perfect examples of businessmen who have worked to being the success that they are today. Although mainstream hip hop is where these men shine the most, when it comes to the independent and underground scene, there are most definitely up and coming people who are most definitely doing their thing and much more too. The next generation most definitely need their faces to be familiar with so they can know that they too can do it and put in the work to becoming just as successful and important in their fields as well. Speaking of hard work, hustle is everything this man represents. I met this man through mutual business partners and very close friends. His tall, muscular frame but a very charismatic funny man who can brighten up the room with his machismo but goofy personality, a very dope individual who handles his business, he goes by the name of Dameon Akeem James aka C.E.L.L.Beatz or just simply Celli. Born on May 12th, 1990, a true Brooklyn native from the East Flatbush and Canarsie area, growing up he was a kid who imitated what he saw happening in his environment. He says, “Growing up, believe it or not, I was very shy and quiet. I was always an observer and often imitated things that caught my attention. Activities from playing  basketball at the park, playing manhut in my neighborhood pitch black with my friends, waiting for the ice cream truck to get the goods etc. I’ve been through both public & private schools and I learned from both worlds, and it helped me get through college; mentally and socially.” Sounds like the typical day as a kid growing up in the NYC. The good old days but of course, a kid has their dreams and goals as well. Music is James’ dreams. Musically, he gives credit to Dr. Dre, Timbaland, DJ Quik, Nas, Tupac, Biggie and much more. Personally, it’s his late great mother, father, and sister. He continues on about his musical roots and inspiration. “I wanted to get into music as a whole way back for as long as I can remember. As a kid listening to sonically well produced records such as “Life After Death”, “All Eyez On Me”, “Doggystyle”, etc. I always payed attention to the instruments, specifically the percs, pianos, drums, and I remembered being so enamored and curious as to how those sounds were able to talk to teach other and how crisp and clear it sounded. Each genre fed me everything I needed to start my journey with music, Rapping and producing.” It’s definitely amazing how much a kid can learn, interpret, and pick up from what they hear. Like sponges, they can soak up just about anything and work on whatever it is they hear just get some sort of result of what they learned. Now comes the music. The man of the music. James then talks about his work. “Currently I have my solo album “Equator” out now on all streaming platforms as well as my instrumental album. My latest project, which is a compilation album with various artists all produced by me, “Cinematic Eardrum, Volume 1”, will be available on Friday, September 25th on all streaming platforms. Check out all of my music videos such as a crowd favorite “Taylor Port” , “Jigsaw”, “The Strip”, etc. On my YouTube.” I had the pleasure of seeing and remembering “Taylor Port.” James’ Song dedicated to the wine is an upbeat, fun, part record that gets everyone in the place up and dancing, hype, in the mood to drink some Taylor Port. I personally love it mixed with Ginger Ale or Sprite. LOL! Anyways, back to the topic of things. With so much on his plate and so much he has accomplished, James’ revisits his early days. He says, “My only regrets was not believeing in myself in my early years which could’ve catapulted me faster in music, but things happen for a reason. I would have definitely took my piano lessons more seriously, but all in all, no deep regrets because I wouldn’t be the person I am today.” No truer and greater words have been spoken by this entrepreneur. He continues, “Years from now, I see me having my brand in multiple markets, film, video games, wine, and spirits, media such as podcasting, an expansion of the C.E.L.L.BEATZ brand with more merch. Multiple sources of income, homeowner etc.” Dopeness and greatness destined for this man! A whole lot. If you want to keep up with this genius, you can follow him on Instagram @Cellmilli, Facebook – Dameon James/Cellbeatz Productions, Twitter – Cellbeatz25, and his Snapchat – Cellbeatz25.

Written by Jalen Hemphill

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