Whats Buzzing in the Streets – Page 60

Redd Foxx

Redd Foxx was born John Elroy Sanford on December 9, 1922, in St. Louis, Missouri and raised on Chicago’s South Side. His father, Fred Sanford, an electrician and auto mechanic from Hickman, Kentucky, left his family when Foxx was four years old. He was raised by his half-Seminole Indian mother, Mary Hughes from Ellisville, Mississippi, his grandmother and his minister. Foxx attended DuSable High School in Chicago’s Bronzeville neighborhood with future Chicago mayor Harold Washington. Foxx had an older brother, Fred G. Sanford Jr., who provided the name for his character on Sanford and Son. On July 27, 1939, Foxx performed on the Major Bowes Amateur Hour radio show as part of the Jump Swinging Six. In the 1940s, he was an associate of Malcolm Little, later known as Malcolm X. In Malcolm’s autobiography, Foxx is referred to as “Chicago Red, the funniest dishwasher on this earth.” He earned the nickname because of his reddish hair and complexion. His surname was taken from baseball star Jimmie Foxx. During World War II, Foxx dodged the draft by eating half a bar of soap before his physical, a trick that resulted in heart palpitations. On September 30, 1946, Foxx recorded five songs for the Savoy label under the direction of Teddy Reig.

Alfred Hitchcock

Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock, KBE (August 13,1899 – April 29, 1980) was an English film director and producer, widely regarded as one of the most influential filmmakers in the history of cinema. Known as “the Master of Suspense”, he directed over 50 feature films in a career spanning six decades, becoming as well known as any of his actors thanks to his many interviews, his cameo roles in most of his films, and his hosting of Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1955–1965).

Born on the outskirts of London, Hitchcock entered the film industry in 1919 as a title card designer after training as a technical clerk and copy writer for a telegraph-cable company. He made his directorial debut with The Pleasure Garden (1925). His first successful film, The Lodger: A Story of the London Fog (1927), helped to shape the thriller genre, while his 1929 film, Blackmail, was the first British “talkie”. Two of his 1930s thrillers, The 39 Steps (1935) and The Lady Vanishes (1938), are ranked among the greatest British films of the 20th century.

By 1939 Hitchcock was a filmmaker of international importance, and film producer David O. Selznick persuaded him to move to Hollywood. A string of successful films followed, including Rebecca (1940), Foreign Correspondent (1940), Shadow of a Doubt (1943), and The Paradine Case (1947); Rebecca was nominated for 11 Oscars and won the Academy Award for Best Picture. His fifty-three films have grossed over US$223.3 million worldwide and garnered a total of 46 Oscar nominations and 6 wins.

The “Hitchcockian” style includes the use of camera movement to mimic a person’s gaze, thereby turning viewers into voyeurs, and framing shots to maximise anxiety and fear. The film critic Robin Wood wrote that the meaning of a Hitchcock film “is there in the method, in the progression from shot to shot. A Hitchcock film is an organism, with the whole implied in every detail and every detail related to the whole.” By 1960 Hitchcock had directed four films often ranked among the greatest of all time: Rear Window (1954), Vertigo (1958), North by Northwest (1959), and Psycho (1960). In 2012 Vertigo replaced Orson Welles’s Citizen Kane (1941) as the British Film Institute’s greatest film ever made. By 2016 seven of his films had been selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry, including his personal favourite, Shadow of a Doubt (1943). He received the AFI Life Achievement Award in 1979 and was knighted in December that year, four months before he died.

Nelly

Cornell Iral Haynes Jr. (born November 2, 1974), known professionally as Nelly, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, entrepreneur, investor, and occasional actor from St. Louis, Missouri. Nelly embarked on his music career with Midwest hip hop group St. Lunatics, in 1993 and signed to Universal Records in 1999. Under Universal, Nelly began his solo career in the year 2000, with his debut album Country Grammar, of which the title-track was a top ten hit. The album debuted at number three on the Billboard 200 and went on to peak at number one. Country Grammar is Nelly’s best-selling album to date, selling over 8.4 million copies in the United States. His following album Nellyville, produced the number-one hits “Hot in Herre” and “Dilemma” (featuring Kelly Rowland). Other singles included “Work It” (featuring Justin Timberlake), “Air Force Ones” (featuring Murphy Lee and St. Lunatics), “Pimp Juice” and “#1”.

With the same-day dual release of Sweat, Suit (2004) and the compilation Sweatsuit (2006), Nelly continued to generate many chart-topping hits. Sweat debuted at number two on the US Billboard 200 chart, selling 342,000 copies in its first week. On the same week of release, Suit debuted at number one, selling around 396,000 copies in its first week on the same chart. Nelly’s fifth studio album, Brass Knuckles, was released on September 16, 2008, after several delays. It produced the singles “Party People” (featuring Fergie), “Stepped on My J’z” (featuring Jermaine Dupri and Ciara) and “Body on Me” (featuring Akon and Ashanti). In 2010, Nelly released the album 5.0. The lead single, “Just a Dream”, was certified triple platinum in the United States. It also included the singles “Move That Body” (featuring T-Pain and Akon) and “Gone” (a sequel to the 2002 single “Dilemma” in collaboration with Kelly Rowland).

Nelly won Grammy Awards in 2003 and 2004 and had a supporting role in the 2005 remake film The Longest Yard with Adam Sandler and Chris Rock. He has two clothing lines, Vokal and Apple Bottoms. He has been referred to by Peter Shapiro as “one of the biggest stars of the new millennium”, and the RIAA ranks Nelly as the fourth best-selling rap artist in American music history, with 21 million albums sold in the United States. On December 11, 2009, Billboard ranked Nelly the number three Top Artist of the Decade

Boxer Larry Holmes

Larry Holmes (born November 3, 1949) is an American former professional boxer who competed from 1973 to 2002. He grew up in Easton, Pennsylvania, which gave birth to his boxing nickname of the “Easton Assassin”.

Holmes was the fourth of twelve children born to John and Flossie Holmes. After the family moved to Easton in 1954, Holmes’ father went to Connecticut. He worked as a gardener there until his death in 1970. He visited his family every three weeks. “He didn’t forsake us”, said Flossie Holmes. “He just didn’t have anything to give.” The family survived on welfare.

To help support his family, Holmes dropped out of school when he was in the seventh grade and went to work at a car wash for $1 an hour. He later drove a dump truck and worked in a quarry.

When Holmes was nineteen, he started boxing. In his twenty-second bout, he boxed Duane Bobick in the 1972 Olympic Trials. Holmes was dropped in the first round with a right to the head. He got up and danced out of range, landing several stiff jabs in the process. Bobick mauled Holmes in the second round but could not corner him. The referee warned Holmes twice in the second for holding. In the third, Bobick landed several good rights and started to corner Holmes, who continued to hold. Eventually, Holmes was disqualified for excessive holding.

Holmes, whose left jab is rated among the best in boxing history, held the WBC heavyweight title from 1978 to 1983, The Ring magazine and lineal heavyweight titles from 1980 to 1985, and the inaugural IBF heavyweight title from 1983 to 1985. He made 20 successful title defenses, placing him third all time, behind only Joe Louis at 25 and Wladimir Klitschko at 22. Holmes is one of only five boxers—along with Joe Frazier, Ken Norton, Leon Spinks and Trevor Berbick—to defeat Muhammad Ali; he is the only one to have stopped Ali.

Holmes won his first 48 professional bouts, including victories over Norton, Ali, Earnie Shavers, Mike Weaver, Gerry Cooney, Tim Witherspoon, Carl Williams and Marvis Frazier, and falling one short of matching Rocky Marciano’s career record of 49–0 when he lost to Michael Spinks in 1985. Holmes retired after losing a rematch to Spinks the following year, but made repeated comebacks. He was unsuccessful in three further attempts (against Mike Tyson, Evander Holyfield and Oliver McCall) to regain the heavyweight title, the last in 1995. Holmes fought for the final time in 2002, against Eric “Butterbean” Esch, and ended his career with a record of 69 wins and 6 losses. He is frequently ranked as one of the greatest heavyweights of all time and has been inducted into both the International Boxing Hall of Fame and World Boxing Hall of Fame.

Holmes, whose left jab is rated among the best in boxing history, was the WBC Heavyweight Champion from 1978 to 1983, The Ring Heavyweight Champion from 1980 to 1985, and the IBF Heavyweight Champion from 1983 to 1985. He made twenty successful title defenses, which places him third behind only Joe Louis’ twenty-five and Wladimir Klitschko’s twenty-one.

Holmes won his first forty-eight professional bouts, including victories over Earnie Shavers, Ken Norton, Muhammad Ali, Mike Weaver, Gerry Cooney, Tim Witherspoon and Marvis Frazier, and fell one short of matching Rocky Marciano’s career record of 49-0 when he lost to Michael Spinks in 1985. Holmes retired after losing a rematch to Spinks, but made repeated comebacks and was unsuccessful in three further attempts to regain the title, the last in 1995. He had his last fight in 2002 and ended with a career record of 69-6. He is frequently ranked as one of the greatest heavyweights of all time and has been inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame and the World Boxing Hall of Fame.

Holmes invested the money he earned from boxing and settled in his hometown of Easton. When he retired from boxing, Holmes employed more than 200 people through his various business holdings. In 2008, he owned two restaurants and a nightclub, a training facility, an office complex, a snack food bar and slot machines. Holmes currently co-hosts a talk show “What The Heck Were They Thinking?”

In 2014, Holmes sold his business complex in Easton to business entrepreneur Gerald Gorman.

In 2016 Larry Holmes guest starred as himself in an episode of Mike Tyson Mysteries, titled “Unsolved Situations”.

The Great Adventures of Slick Rick: The 30th Anniversary

The year was 1988. One of the greatest years in hip hop history. A year full of some of hip hop’s greatest albums to ever drop and reinvent the the culture at a time when hip hop was still on the rise. One of those albums was Slick Rick’s “The Great Adventures of Slick Rick.” The day was November 1st, 1988. 30 years ago we seen this young, fresh and fly dude with huge gold chains and gold grills in his mouth rock the mic to tell some of the greatest stories in his music that hip hop has ever seen and heard while keeping us rocking at parties to “Mona Lisa” And “Children’s Story.” We originally knew him as MC Ricky D when he appeared alongside with Harlem’s own Doug E. Fresh on “La Di Da Di” before the album. With a five mic rating and being ranked as one of rap’s greatest 100 albums by The Source, topping the charts for only five weeks, and “Children’s Story” being ranked as number 61 on VH1’s 100 Greatest Hip Hop Songs in 2008, there’s no denying the impact that Slick Rick had on the game. Even giving birth to future storytellers like Biggie Smalls, Nas And Ghostface Killah, just to name a few. 30 years later, MC Ricky D is still killing it at shows all over and still one of the freshest to ever do it too. The adventures are only beginning and this storybook will forever be timeless and golden and told still in another 30 years.

Judge Lynn Toler

Lynn Toler (born October 25, 1959) is an American lawyer and the arbitrator (judge) on the court series Divorce Court.

Toler earned an undergraduate degree in English and American Literature from Harvard University (1981) and a Juris Doctor from the University of Pennsylvania Law School (1984).

Toler served as sole municipal judge in Cleveland Heights Municipal Court for eight years after working as an attorney specializing in civil matters. At 34 years old, she won her first judicial race by just 6 votes in a predominantly Democratic district as a Republican, where Democrats held 5:1 majority. Her cases involved all misdemeanor crimes, traffic, and minor cost civil cases within an inner ring suburb of Cleveland, Ohio of about 50,000 residents. When re-elected in 2000 she garnered 80% of the vote. Toler was known for enforcing nontraditional judgments, such as hand written essays. While on the bench she created and ran a mentoring program for teenaged girls. During this time, she served on many boards including The Juvenile Diabetes Board, The National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI) and The Cleveland Domestic Violence Center. In 2002, she received The Humanitarian of the Year Award from The Cleveland Domestic Violence Center.

While serving as a retired judge between 2001 and 2006, Toler became an adjunct professor at Ursuline College in Pepper Pike, Ohio where she created, and taught, courses on Civil Rights Law and Women’s Rights.

As the level-headed arbiter of Divorce Court, Toler is usually seen providing counsel, words of wisdom, and trying to talk sense into the show’s outrageous couples. She has a strident vocal timbre and uses emphasis in much of her speech. Prior to becoming the arbitrator of Divorce Court, she hosted the short-lived court show Power of Attorney. In 2007, while hosting Divorce Court, she expanded her television presence by becoming the host of the prime time television show and MyNetworkTV’s Decision House. In 2008 and 2009, Toler was a bi-monthly contributor on News and Notes, a weekly news show on National Public Radio (NPR). In 2009, she became a co-executive producer of Wedlock or Deadlock, a syndicated limited-city series based on a segment of Divorce Court.

Toler has guest-starred on The Ricki Lake Show as a marriage counselor. Toler can now be seen on WE tv’s hit show Marriage Boot Camp: Reality Stars.

Toler is the author of My Mother’s Rules: A Practical Guide to Becoming an Emotional Genius, in which she describes lessons her mother, Shirley (nicknamed Toni), taught her to handle both her father Bill Toler’s erratic behavior and her own inner demons. She describes how this later came in handy when dealing with emotional people from the bench. She also discusses how to apply these rules to everyday life.

In 2009, her second book Put it In Writing, co-authored with Deborah Hutchison was published. This book contains agreements for use in common but uncomfortable situations between family and friends such as money lending and grown children returning home.

Toler resides in Mesa, Arizona with her husband Eric Mumford (they married in 1989) and has two sons.

Snoop Dogg

Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr. (born October 20, 1971), known professionally as Snoop Dogg, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, television personality, entrepreneur, and actor. His music career began in 1992 when he was discovered by Dr. Dre and featured on Dre’s solo debut, “Deep Cover”, and then on Dre’s solo debut album, The Chronic. He has since sold over 23 million albums in the United States and 35 million albums worldwide.

Snoop’s debut album, Doggystyle, produced by Dr. Dre, was released in 1993 by Death Row Records. “Hyped” or influenced by Snoop’s featuring on The Chronic, the album debuted at number one on both the Billboard 200 and Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums charts. Selling almost a million copies in the first week of its release, Doggystyle became certified 4× platinum in 1994 and spawned several hit singles, including “What’s My Name?” and “Gin & Juice”. In 1994 Snoop released a soundtrack on Death Row Records for the short film Murder Was the Case, starring himself. His second album, Tha Doggfather (1996), also debuted at number one on both charts, with “Snoop’s Upside Ya Head” as the lead single. The album was certified double platinum in 1997.

After leaving Death Row Records, Snoop signed with No Limit Records, where he recorded his next three albums, Da Game Is to Be Sold, Not to Be Told (1998), No Limit Top Dogg (1999), and Tha Last Meal (2000). Snoop then signed with Priority/Capitol/EMI Records in 2002, where he released Paid tha Cost to Be da Boss. He then signed with Geffen Records in 2004 for his next three albums, R&G (Rhythm & Gangsta): The Masterpiece, Tha Blue Carpet Treatment, and Ego Trippin’. Malice ‘n Wonderland (2009), and Doggumentary (2011) were released on Priority. Snoop Dogg has starred in motion pictures and hosted several television shows, including Doggy Fizzle Televizzle, Snoop Dogg’s Father Hood, and Dogg After Dark. He also coaches a youth football league and high school football team. In September 2009 Snoop was hired by EMI as the chairman of a reactivated Priority Records.

In 2012, after a trip to Jamaica, Snoop announced a conversion to Rastafarianism and a new alias, Snoop Lion. As Snoop Lion he released a reggae album, Reincarnated, and a documentary film of the same name, about his Jamaican experience, in early 2013. His 13th studio album, Bush, was released in May 2015 and marked a return of the Snoop Dogg name. His 14th solo studio album, Coolaid, was released in July 2016. Snoop has 17 Grammy nominations without a win. In March 2016, the night before WrestleMania 32 in Arlington, Texas, he was inducted into the celebrity wing of the WWE Hall of Fame, having made several appearances for the company, including as Master of Ceremonies during a match at WrestleMania XXIV. In 2018, he released his first gospel album, Bible of Love.

Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr. was born in Long Beach, California, the second of three sons. He was named after his stepfather, Calvin Cordozar Broadus Sr. His mother is Beverly Broadus (née Tate). His father, Vernell Varnado, was a Vietnam veteran, singer, and mail carrier who was frequently absent from his life. As a boy, Broadus’ parents nicknamed him “Snoopy” because of his appearance but usually addressed him as Calvin at home. His mother and stepfather divorced in 1975. When he was very young, Broadus began singing and playing piano at Golgotha Trinity Baptist Church. In sixth grade, he began rapping. Broadus’s father left the family when he was three months old. A DNA test read by George Lopez on Lopez Tonight revealed Broadus to be of 71% African, 23% Native American, and 6% European descent.

As a teenager, Broadus frequently ran into trouble with the law. He was a member of the Rollin’ 20 Crips gang in the Eastside area of Long Beach, although he stated in 1993 that he never joined a gang. Shortly after graduating from high school, he was arrested for possession of cocaine, and for the next three years was frequently in and out of prison (including Wayside Jail).With his cousins Nate Dogg and Lil’ ½ Dead and friend Warren G, Snoop recorded homemade tapes as a group called 213, named after the Long Beach area code. One of his early solo freestyles over En Vogue’s “Hold On” made it to a mixtape that was heard by influential producer Dr. Dre, who called to invite him to an audition. Former N.W.A associate The D.O.C. taught him how to structure his lyrics and separate the thematics into verses, hooks, and chorus.

Snoop’s debut album, Doggystyle, produced by Dr. Dre and released in 1993 through Death Row Records, debuted at number one on both the Billboard 200 and Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums charts. Selling almost a million copies in the first week of its release, Doggystyle became certified 4× platinum in 1994 and spawned several hit singles, including “What’s My Name?” and “Gin & Juice”. In 1994 Snoop released a soundtrack on Death Row Records for the short film Murder Was the Case, starring himself. His second album Tha Doggfather (1996), also debuted at number one on both charts with “Snoop’s Upside Ya Head”, as the lead single. The album was certified double platinum in 1997.

After leaving Death Row Records, Snoop signed with No Limit Records, where he recorded his next three albums. Da Game Is to Be Sold, Not to Be Told (1998), No Limit Top Dogg (1999), and Tha Last Meal (2000). Snoop then signed with Priority/Capitol/EMI Records in 2002, where he released Paid tha Cost to Be da Boss. He then signed with Geffen Records in 2004 for his next three albums R&G (Rhythm & Gangsta): The Masterpiece, Tha Blue Carpet Treatment, and Ego Trippin’. Malice ‘n Wonderland (2009), and Doggumentary (2011), were released on Priority. Snoop Dogg has starred in motion pictures and hosted several television shows, including Doggy Fizzle Televizzle, Snoop Dogg’s Father Hood, and Dogg After Dark. He also coaches a youth football league and high school football team. In September 2009, Snoop was hired by EMI as the chairman of a reactivated Priority Records.

In 2012, after a trip to Jamaica, Snoop announced a conversion to the Rastafari movement and a new alias, Snoop Lion. Under the new moniker, he released a reggae album, Reincarnated, and a documentary film of the same name, of his Jamaican experience, in early 2013. His fourteenth solo studio album, Coolaid, was released in July 2016. Snoop holds the dubious distinction of having 17 Grammy nominations without a win. In March 2016, the night before WrestleMania 32 in Arlington, Texas, Snoop was inducted into the celebrity wing of the WWE Hall of Fame, having made several appearances for the company, including as Master of Ceremonies during a match at WrestleMania XXIV

Snoop’s debut album, Doggystyle, was released in 1993 under Death Row Records, debuting at number one on both the Billboard 200 and Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums charts. Selling almost a million copies in the first week of its release, Doggystyle became certified 4× platinum in 1994 and spawned several hit singles, including “What’s My Name?” and “Gin & Juice”. In 1994, Snoop released a soundtrack on Death Row Records for the short film Murder Was The Case, starring himself. His second album Tha Doggfather (1996), also debuted at number one on both charts with “Snoop’s Upside Ya Head”, as the lead single. The album was certified double platinum in 1997.

After leaving Death Row, Snoop signed with No Limit Records, where he recorded his next three albums. Da Game Is to Be Sold, Not to Be Told (1998), No Limit Top Dogg (1999), and Tha Last Meal (2000). Snoop then signed with Priority/Capitol/EMI Records in 2002, where he released Paid tha Cost to Be da Boss. He then signed with Geffen Records in 2004 for his next three albums R&G (Rhythm & Gangsta): The Masterpiece, Tha Blue Carpet Treatment, and Ego Trippin’. Malice ‘n Wonderland (2009) and Doggumentary (2011), were released on Priority. Snoop Dogg has starred in motion pictures and hosted several television shows including, Doggy Fizzle Televizzle, Snoop Dogg’s Father Hood and Dogg After Dark. He also coaches a youth football league and high school football team. In September 2009, Snoop was hired by EMI as the chairman of a reactivated Priority Records.

Snoop Dogg was born in Long Beach, California, the second of three sons. He was named Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr. after his stepfather, Calvin Cordozar Broadus, Sr. (December 10, 1948 – November 9, 1985, Los Angeles). His mother is Beverly Broadus (née Tate; born April 27, 1951, McComb, Mississippi). His father, Vernall Varnado (born December 13, 1949, Magnolia, Mississippi), was a Vietnam veteran, singer, and mail carrier who was said to be frequently absent from his life. As a boy, his parents nicknamed him “Snoopy” because of his appearance, but they usually addressed him as Calvin at home. His mother and stepfather divorced in 1975.

When he was very young, Broadus began singing and playing piano at the Golgotha Trinity Baptist Church. In sixth grade, he began rapping. He attended Long Beach Polytechnic High School as a member of the class of 1989.

As a teenager, Snoop Dogg frequently ran into trouble with the law. He was a member of the Rollin’ 20 Crips gang in the Eastside of Long Beach, although he stated in 1993 that he never joined a gang. Shortly after graduating from high school, he was arrested for possession of cocaine, and for the following three years, was frequently in and out of prison (including Wayside Jail). Snoop, along with his cousins Nate Dogg and Lil’ ½ Dead, and friend Warren G, recorded homemade tapes as a group called 213, named after the Long Beach area code at the time. One of his early solo freestyles over En Vogue’s “Hold On” had made it to a mixtape which was heard by influential producer Dr. Dre, who phoned to invite him to an audition. Former N.W.A member The D.O.C. taught him how to structure his lyrics and separate the thematics into verses, hooks and chorus.

Broadus has been an active entrepreneur and investor. In 2009, he was appointed creative chairman of Priority Records.

In April 2015, Broadus became a minority investor in his first investment venture Eaze, a California-based weed delivery startup that promises to deliver medical marijuana to persons doorstep in less than 10 minutes.

In October 2015, Broadus launched his new digital media business, Merry Jane, that focuses on news about marijuana. “Merry Jane is cannabis 2.0,” he said in a promotional video for the media source. “A crossroads of pot culture, business, politics, health.”

In November 2015, Broadus announced his new brand of cannabis products Leafs By Snoop. The line of branded products includes marijuana flowers, concentrates and edibles. “Leafs By Snoop is truly the first mainstream cannabis brand in the world and proud to be a pioneer,” Snoop Dogg said. “LBS is blazing a trail for the industry.” In such a way, Broadus became the first major celebrity to brand and market a line of legal marijuana products.

Broadus and his brand manager Nick Adler released an app, Snoopify that lets users plaster stickers of Snoop’s face, joints or a walrus hat on photos. Adler built the app in May after discovering stickers in Japan. The app currently generates $30,000 in weekly sales.

On March 30, 2016, Broadus was reported to purchase the famed soul food restaurant chain Roscoe’s House of Chicken and Waffles out of bankruptcy.

FemCon 2018

On October 20, 2018 FemCon was held at the Watson Hotel in New York City. For those of you that don’t know what it is, FemCon is the Female Empowerment Music Conference. It is a convention held annually for women in the hip hop industry. The event was organized by none other than D.J. Tariq. He is the founder of the F.A.M.E. Academy and has made a substantial contribution to the hip hop culture. This was my first time attending the event and I was in awe. The event was hosted by Ms. Lissa who brought her awesome personality to the convention and kept the crowd entertained. The D.J. for the evening was the legendary D.J Jazzy Joyce. She kept the crowd moving with a dope selection of the finest hip hop instrumentals. During the conference there were two panels that gave insight to the attendees about how to be successful in the industry. There were a variety of people on the panel including a marketing agent, an entertainment lawyer, an author, and a public relations person. On the second panel was the infamous Ma Barker who slayed on the billboard charts for several weeks while being an independent artist as well as a member of the hip hop group The Five Deadly Venom. Some tips given to those looking to come into the industry was to never sign anything without running it passed an entertainment lawyer. Another awesome tip was to not release music or perform in front of people to avoid them stealing your music or copying your style. The class roared with laughter when it was suggested to never send any music to Quincy Jones. This was an awesome night with plenty of networking opportunities and some really cool vendors selling everything from Michelle Obama hand bags to books. Everyone who ever thought about being involved in the entertainment industry would benefit from attending FemCon.

Written by Regina Alston

Birds of a Feather 2

Over the weekend, Grammy Award-Winning producer Zaytoven held a private screening at IMI Studio in NYC for his new film, Birds of a Feather 2. Zaytoven stars as himself in the film opposite Kash Doll, who plays the widow of an old friend trying to extort Zaytoven. Legendary music executive Tom Silverman was in attendance as well as upcoming artist, Young Prophit.

While at the screening, Zaytoven spoke about his venture into the business side of music by recently joining the Creators Advisory Board for Tracklib, the world’s first and only online crate-digging and music sample clearance service.

“I am where I am today because somebody opened up their studio to me and gave me the opportunity to play around with instruments, to create,” said Zaytoven. “I’m blessed to be given the chance to pay it forward through a platform like Tracklib, which is giving aspiring musicians and producers the chance to experiment with different samples and define their sound.”

Zaytoven has joined Erick Sermon, Prince Paul, and Drumma Boy as a leading advocate for Tracklib’s one-of-a-kind system for searching full tracks by popular artists, sampling them, and then licensing the resulting songs in only minutes.

Birds of a Feather II is scheduled to be released on October 31st this year. The must see movie is starring Atlanta’s very own hip hop sensation Zaytoven. Al Nuke is a director, actor, producer and writer with a style that embraces the best of hip hop culture. He brought Birds of a Feather to Netflix in 2012. In the movie rapper/actor Zaytoven talks about the music industry. It’s real! This movie is what the streets need. It is the perfect combination of drama, suspense and life lessons. Nuke has captured the essence of the independent film making. The movie feature a slew of hip hop artist from Atlanta and New York. You can catch Birds of a Feather II streaming on Amazon Prime and all other major streaming outlets. We rate this movie five stars. You will not be disappointed.

Written by Regina Alston.

Keyshia Cole

Keyshia Cole (born October 15, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, businesswoman and television personality. She was born in Oakland, California, and her career began when she met MC Hammer at the age of twelve and later met rapper Tupac Shakur. At the age of eighteen she moved to Los Angeles and was later introduced to A&M Records. She released her debut album, The Way It Is (2005), which spawned five singles: “Never”, “I Changed My Mind”, “(I Just Want It) To Be Over”, “I Should Have Cheated”, and “Love”. It was certified gold within 17 weeks, and then platinum just eight weeks later. The album stayed on the charts for over a year, eventually selling over 1.6 million copies.

Cole released her second album Just Like You (2007), the album debuted and peaked at number two on the Billboard 200. It was nominated for Best Contemporary R&B Album at the 50th Grammy Awards. The album has been certified platinum in sales by the Recording Industry Association of America, and has sold 1.7 million copies in the U.S. A Different Me is Cole’s third album, released in 2008. The album debuted at number two on the Billboard 200 with first week sales of 322,000, the highest of Cole’s career. The album has been certified platinum by the RIAA.

Calling All Hearts is Cole’s fourth album, released on December 21, 2010 in the United States by Geffen Records. The album debuted and peaked at number nine on the Billboard 200, with first week sales of 129,000. The album has sold 400,000 copies in the U.S. as of November 2012. Cole’s fifth album Woman to Woman (2012) debuted at number ten on the Billboard 200, with first week sales of 96,000, lower than her last effort. The album has sold 329,000 copies in the U.S. as of September 2013. Cole’s sixth album Point of No Return (2014) was released on October 7, 2014, and had unsuccessful sales, selling less than 45,000 copies and being Cole’s lowest-selling album to date.

Besides music Cole has ventured into reality television, she signed to a record breaking reality/documentary series Keyshia Cole: The Way It Is which aired on BET from 2006 until 2008, giving viewers a closer look into Cole’s career and family life with her biological mother and sister. Her second reality show, Family First premiered on October 9, 2012. Her third reality show Keyshia Cole: All In premiered on February 24, 2015.

Keyshia Cole was born on October 15, 1981 in Oakland, California. She was born to Francine “Frankie” Lons and later adopted at age two by family friends Leon and Yvonne Cole, changing her last name to Cole. Along with her brother Sean (also known as Nutt-So), Cole was first introduced into the music industry at age twelve, when she met and recorded with MC Hammer. She later formed a friendship with Tupac Shakur, who promised to help her start her singing career, asking her to write a hook on his upcoming project, the night he died unexpectedly. Cole moved to Los Angeles at 18 to pursue a music career. During this time, Cole collaborated with artists from her native Bay Area, among them D’Wayne Wiggings of Tony Toni Tone and Messy Marv. In 2002, she was introduced to A&M Records A&R Ron Fair. After hearing an unfinished version of her single “Love”, which would eventually become her first platinum single, he signed her and began mentoring her.

Cole’s debut single, “Never”, featuring Eve, was released on March 23, 2004 to promote the soundtrack to the film Barbershop 2: Back in Business. The single failed to chart, but it eventually became the closing track on her debut album, The Way It Is. On November 9, 2004, Cole released her first single from The Way It Is entitled “I Changed My Mind” featuring Kanye West. The radio remix, featuring rapper Shyne reached #71 in the US. Her second single from the album, “(I Just Want It) To Be Over”, was released on April 5, 2005 and reached number one on the Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 (101). Cole completed her debut album in early 2005. In anticipation of her debut album, Cole and DJ Green Lantern released a mix tape entitled Team Invasion Presents Keyshia Cole in June 2005 featuring remixes of hip-hop instrumentals and snippets of songs from her album. It featured appearances by Remy Ma, Fat Joe, and Ghostface Killah. The Way It Is was released on June 21, 2005. It debuted at number six on the Billboard 200, selling 89,000 copies in the first week of release. It has since sold 1,600,000 copies, receiving a platinum certification from the RIAA. The third single from the album, “I Should Have Cheated” was released on August 3, 2005, and reached number thirty on the Hot 100. The fourth single, “Love was released on January 6, 2006 and reached nineteen on the Hot 100 and number three on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. It has been certified platinum by the RIAA and is regarded as Cole’s “breakthrough single”.

Cole began work on the second album in early 2006. She was featured on the single “Last Night” by Diddy from his album Press Play which also ended up being on her second LP. The recording of the album was documented on the second season of her reality TV show Keyshia Cole: The Way It Is. Cole released her second album, Just Like You on September 25, 2007. The album debuted at number two on the US Billboard 200 chart, selling 281,000 copies in its first week. After four months of release, the album was certified platinum by the RIAA, just like her debut, and has gone to sell 1.7 million copies in the US alone. Preceded by the number one hit single “Let It Go” featuring Missy Elliott & Lil’ Kim, “Let It Go” has sold over one million copies in the U.S. and has been certified platinum by the RIAA. The second single “Shoulda Let You Go” featuring Amina Harris, fared well on charts peaking at number seven on the US R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. The album’s final single Heaven Sent, followed in the previous singles success. “Heaven Sent” is Cole’s third number one on the U.S. Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs from Just Like You. It peaked at number one for nine consecutive weeks. It charted on the U.S. Billboard Hot R&B/Hip Hop Songs chart for 55 weeks. On the Billboard Hot 100, it has peaked at number 28. The album’s third single ‘I Remember,’ reached number one on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart and peaked at number 24 on the Billboard Hot 100. Cole received a variety of nominations for the album including four Grammys, Best Contemporary R&B Album, and Best Rap/Sung Collaboration at the 2008 Grammy Awards and Best Female R&B Vocal Performance and Best R&B Song at the 2009 Grammy Awards.

Cole was also featured on Jahiem’s single “I’ve Changed”, from his album The Makings of a Man and Keith Sweat’s Love You Better, which was featured on his album Just Me and the soundtrack to Why Did I Get Married?. Additionally, Cole was scheduled to make a cameo on Missy Elliott’s upcoming album, Block Party. In early to mid-2008, Cole made several guest appearances on songs such as “I Got a Thang for You” with rapper Trina, “Boyfriend/Girlfriend” with Atlanta hip-hop group C-Side, and “Game’s Pain” with west-coast native The Game. The third season of Keyshia Cole: The Way It Is premiered in October 2008 on BET. The 10 episode season followed up the last season following Keyshia’s family and giving a look into her third studio album, A Different Me. The series concluded on December 16, 2008.

Cole released A Different Me on December 16, 2008. It debuted at number two on the US Billboard 200, selling 322,000 copies in its first week. The album has gone to sell over 1,020,000 copies in the US, and has received a platinum certification from the RIAA. The album was preceded by lead single “Playa Cardz Right”, with a post-humorous feature from Oakland-native and past mentor, Tupac Shakur. It was released on October 28, 2008 and reached #63 on the Hot 100. The second single from the album, “You Complete Me”, was released to radio in December 2008 and reached #62 on the Hot 100. Cole released the third and final single from the album, “Trust”, a duet with Monica, on May 5, 2009 and reached #5 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. To promote the album and single, Cole embarked on her very first headlining tour, A Different Me Tour in summer 2009. Throughout this time, Cole was featured as the cover artist on several magazines such as the March 2009 issue of Vibe, WordUp!, the Summer 2009 final double-cover issue of King, and the June issue of Sister 2 Sister with her mother Yvonne Cole. With more collaborations along the way with Keri Hilson on her debut LP R. Kelly’s single “Number One” along with T-Pain, and Gucci Mane on his on LP The State vs Radric Davis, she began work on her fourth studio album.

Three months after the birth of her son, on June 27, 2010, she returned to the music industry, filling in for Hayley Williams to sing the chorus to B.o.B’s “Airplanes (Part II)”, featuring Eminem during the 2010 BET Awards. Over a year after Cole announced the beginning production of her fourth studio album, she released her first single, “I Ain’t Thru”, featuring YMCMB (Young Money) rap star, Nicki Minaj, on October 15, 2010, her birthday. Although not a big hit on the charts and later revealed as a regret as a single choice by Cole, fans loved the single and viewed it as a great comeback along with credits. Her fourth studio album, Calling All Hearts was released on December 21, 2010, featuring collaborations from Timbaland, Nicki Minaj, Tank, and Faith Evans. It also featured Cole’s mother Dr. Yvonne Cole on a gospel track inspired by Faith as well. With opening sales of 128,000 copies, she released Imani Entertainment as her management, shortly after. She performed the promotional single, “Long Way Down” on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, The Wendy Williams Show, and 106 & Park, in which a 30-minute concert by her was performed. In February 2011, Cole released her second single from Calling All Hearts, “Take Me Away”, to urban radio as a fan choice. Cole performed the single on January 19, 2011 on Conan. The single’s video, directed by Taj Stansberry, premiered on VEVO on April 18, 2011 and was also released on 106 & Park later that day. The song has since then peaked on the Billboard US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs at #27.

On January 17, 2011, Cole tweeted “Would like for u guys to know that Manny Halley is no longer my management.” followed by “Someone said if the people around u won’t change, change the people around you.” This happened shortly after the decline of opening week sales of Cole’s album Calling All Hearts. She also disclosed that recent business disagreements also played part in their departure. This is Cole’s first album to be released without Halley, as he was with her at the beginning of her career.

Cole started development on her fifth studio album shortly after she came out with her fourth album (Calling All Hearts). Cole began production on the project working first with writers Ester Dean and Betty Wright. She also collaborated with producers Boi-1da, Cool & Dre, Bangladesh, J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League, Toxic, Mave, and Earl Powell. This is her first project to be released without A&R Executive Ron Fair. Her fifth studio album, Woman to Woman was released on November 19, 2012. The album debuted at number ten on the Billboard 200 selling 96,000 copies in its first week in the United States, becoming Cole’s fifth consecutive top ten album. In its second week, the album rose to number three, where it sold 37,100 copies. In its third week, the album fell two spots to number five, selling 28,600 copies. The lead single from Woman to Woman , “Enough of No Love”, featuring YMCMB rapper and past collaborator, Lil Wayne was sent to radio and released for digital download on July 3, 2012. The song was written by Redd Stylez and Cole, and was produced by Harmony with a mid-tempo R&B production. It peaked at number seven on the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Chart. On August 9, 2012, the song debuted at number 94 on the Billboard Hot 100 where it ultimately peaked at number 84. The second single, “Trust and Believe” was released for digital download on October 22, 2012 and again on November 13, 2012. On October 24, it was ranked the number one added song to Urban radio of the week. “I Choose You” was released as the third single during August 2013. Cole embarked on her third headlining concert tour, in support of her fifth studio album, Woman to Woman. Visiting North America and Europe the tour will have 27 total dates. Singer Chrisette Michele was the supporting act for the North American leg.

In September 2013, Cole returned to the studio and began recording her sixth studio album. On October 2, 2013 it was confirmed that Keyshia Cole & her former manager Manny Halley had resolved their differences & Halley is currently managing Keyshia Cole again. The lead single from Cole’s sixth studio album, “Next Time (Won’t Give My Heart Away)” was released as a digital download, on March 31, 2014, and officially impacted U.S. Rhyhtmic radio on April 1, 2014. In March 2014, Cole revealed the title of her sixth studio album to be Point of No Return. “Rick James”, featuring rapper Juicy J, was released alongside “Next Time (Won’t Give My Heart Away)” as a digital download in March 2014, while “She” followed as the third single from the album on July 8, 2014. The album was released on October 7, 2014.

In February 2015, Cole revealed to Rap-Up TV that following the release of Point of No Return, she was contractually free from Interscope and was intending on moving forward as an independent recording artist. She also confirmed work on her seventh studio album, confirming she was ten tracks in, stating: “I don’t know which direction I wanna go in. I don’t know if I want it to be more fun, I don’t know if I want it to be more heartfelt or if I want it upbeat, medium to slow. I’m just recording and recording and recording.”

In July 2006, Cole premiered her 6 episode docu-series, titled Keyshia Cole: The Way It Is, on BET. With record breaking views, the show viewed Cole’s life as an artist, daughter, and sister, performing, visiting her home town, and starting production on her next album.

In mid-July 2011, Cole tweeted that she, her husband Daniel, and James DeBose will be launching a new reality TV show, entitled “Keyshia & Daniel: Family First”. Shooting of the show began during the Summer of 2011. During the 8 episode docu-series, Cole will be crafting her follow up to Calling All Hearts. “I just kind of lay out all my emotions then we start from there” says Cole. “I usually work with big name producers and stuff like once all from my heart and soul is out that I need to get out.” Aside from a look into the making of her new album, currently titled Woman to Woman, Cole and her husband, Daniel, re-wed during taping. The first episode of the show aired on BET on October 9, 2012 with 2.9 million viewers. In November 2014, BET confirmed that Keyshia Cole is back with her third reality TV show Keyshia Cole: All In; which was originally slated to premiere during Fall 2014, but aired on February 24, 2015, just in time for her 7th studio album.

Cole announced that she was teaming up with fashion designer Steve Madden to create her own shoe collection, specifically high heels, wedges, and boots. “I am super excited to collaborate with Steve Madden.”, stated Cole. “It’s something I’ve wanted to do for a long time. I love his style and I think we came up with an amazing vibrant collection. We have something for every fashion diva!”

Cole grew up listening to mentor Tupac Shakur. Cole cites Mary J. Blige as one of her biggest musical inspirations, she also cites R&B singers Brandy and Monica. In an interview, Cole spoke about artists from the 1980s that influenced her. “Anita Baker, her voice is incredible and her lyrics are deep. Really listen to them.” Cole proclaims. “Big Daddy Kane, the original… you can’t think Brooklyn or door knockers and not think Big Daddy Kane, smooth operator: One of hip-hop’s pioneers. LL Cool J, one of the first Mc’s to really dissect lyrics and turn them inside out; and he made it sexy! MC Lyte, The female MC that rhymes in such a way that you don’t care if she was male or female…her voice tone is crazy, and her lyrical game bananas.Queen Latifah, She represented the strong female MC, she showed us and taught us about flow and lyrical dexterity. Kid ‘n Play, They showed you how to take your rap game to the next level…movies!”

In May 2009, Cole began dating former NBA player Daniel Gibson. They were engaged on January 1, 2010. On March 2, 2010, they welcomed their first child, Daniel Hiram Gibson, Jr. (DJ), into the world. They wed on May 21, 2011 and renewed their vows in September 2011 in Hawaii. “My husband wanted me to have my dream wedding so he flew all of our family members here. He’s giving me something I will never forget! Amazing,” Cole said. The entire wedding weekend was filmed and aired on their new BET reality TV series Keyshia and Daniel: Family First, on October 9 and 16, 2012. On March 21, 2014 during an interview Keyshia Cole announced and confirmed that she and Gibson had broken up, but they have not yet filed for divorce. As of April 2017, Cole has announced that she and Gibson are divorcing.

In May 2016, she met her biological father, Virgil Hunter, who is a well known boxing trainer.