News

Trouble Man, the latest Michael Jai White action film, recently made its way out into the world, getting a theatrical, digital, and VOD release last Friday (it’s available to watch on Amazon at This Link). To celebrate the occasion, we’re proud to share an Exclusive clip from the film that shows White’s character taking down a pair of gangsters. Check it out in the embed above!

Directed by White from a screenplay by Michael Stradford, Trouble Man is an action-packed thriller with the following synopsis: Jaxen, a former cop turned Atlanta Pi, is hired to find missing R&b star Jahari. His investigation uncovers her disappearance is connected to a larger conspiracy, forcing him to question those around him and his own past. White plays Jaxen and is joined in the cast by Cliff “Method Man” Smith, Alani “La La” Anthony, Mike Epps, Orlando Jones, Noah Fleder,...

Michael Jai White’s Trouble Man introduces Jaxen, a private investigator who feels like a figure teleported directly from 1970s cinema into the streets of modern Atlanta. He is a man of quiet confidence, immense physical capability, and a clear moral code, an archetype familiar to global audiences yet distinctly rooted in American cultural history.

The film begins with a premise that could be pulled from any classic detective novel: a beautiful R&b singer has vanished, and her powerful record executive boss wants her found. This simple assignment quickly pulls Jaxen into a world of street gangs, corporate deceit, and personal vendettas.

The film operates as an affectionate revival of the blaxploitation genre, playing its conventions with sincerity and a self-aware charm. It avoids the path of parody, choosing instead to present a straightforward, modern chapter in a long-standing cinematic tradition. The movie invites the audience to appreciate its...

Michael Jai White has been in a lot of film and TV projects over the last 35 years or so. But probably most beloved amongst his fans is “Black Dynamite,” the 2009 sendup of 1970s blaxploitation movies he conceived, co-wrote and starred in. That it remains a favorite for him too is made obvious by “Trouble Man,” which isn’t a spoof but a relatively straight-faced replay of that vintage genre’s conventions, with White (also directing now) as the supercool hero constantly besting bad guys via martial arts and gunplay, while simultaneously fending off the attentions of various beautiful women.

Bearing no formal relation to the actual 1972 blaxploitation feature of the same title, which is best remembered for its Marvin Gaye score, White’s “Trouble Man” is full of such winking references to vintage African-American pop culture. But referentiality is as far as this semi-tongue-in-cheek endeavor goes; it does a lot...

Despite displaying a particular set of skills that would make even Liam Neeson quake in his boots and possessing the kind of charisma that the best action heroes are made of, Michael Jai White somehow remains one of the most underrated actors in the genre. Until he is given the high-profile role he has long-deserved, the actor and martial artist is back to doing what he does best – looking for trouble – in the trailer for his latest action outing.

Best recognized for roles in the likes of The Dark Knight, Spawn, Blood and Bone, Never Back Down, Black Dynamite, Arrow, and many more, Michael Jai White takes the lead in Trouble Man! which finds the action star fighting his way through baddies while attempting to find a missing R&b star.

White took to social media to share the trailer, with the actor saying, “Get ready y’all! Here’s...

New Jack Swing pioneer Teddy Riley — who produced iconic hits including Doug E. Fresh’s “The Show” and Bobby Brown’s “My Prerogative” — has announced his new memoir, Remember the Times, published by Simon & Schuster’s 13A / Gallery Books imprint.

Riley tapped music biographer Jake Brown to collaborate on the tome, which will chronicle his five decades of hits and trace the past 40 years of his influential impact on hip-hop and R&b for generations. Beyond helming earlier classics, including Kool Moe Dee’s “Wild Wild West” and Keith Sweat...

The 2024 Songwriters Hall of Fame induction ceremony felt like a family reunion: Taylor Swift collaborator Liz Rose received a heartwarming performance by her teary-eyed daughter, Gloria Estefan performed lively hits alongside her grandson and husband, and Teddy Riley was joined by his musical brothers from Harlem.

Jeff Lynne and Glen Ballard were also part of the new class, which was celebrated Thursday night in New York City. Egot recipient Tim Rice and Post Malone also received special honors.

Liz Rose, who met Swift in her early teens and co-wrote songs on her first two albums, was honored with an emotional performance by her daughter Caitlin Rose. She sang Swift’s “White Horse,” which won the best country song Grammy in 2010.

The audience at the Marriott Marquis New York cheered Caitlin Rose on as she wiped tears from her face during the touching performance. Her voice cracked at times, beautifully, as she looked at her mother,...

Snoop Dogg has deferred his induction into the 2023 Songwriters Hall of Fame. The organization made the announcement just two days before this year’s ceremony, stating that he cited “personal reasons” (via Billboard) and will instead be inducted with the class of 2024.

The Long Beach rapper isn’t the only inductee from this year’s class to withdraw from the ceremony. Sade Adu has also deferred, though the Songwriters Hall of Fame has only said she will be inducted with a future class.

Jeff Lynne, Gloria Estefan, Teddy Riley, Glen Ballard, and Liz Rose will still be inducted at the ceremony, where Tim Rice will receive the organization’s highest honor, the Johnny Mercer Award. Meanwhile, Post Malone will be honored with the Hal David Starlight Award, which was created to celebrate “gifted songwriters who are at an apex in their careers and are making a significant impact in the...

Snoop Dogg, Gloria Estefan, Sade, Jeff Lynne, Glen Ballard, Teddy Riley and Liz Rose have been chosen to join the Songwriters Hall of Fame, a class that includes the writers of such varied hits as “Man In the Mirror,” “Drop It Like It’s Hot” and “Rhythm Is Gonna Get You.”

The seven songwriters from the class of 2023 will be inducted at a gala June 15 at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York City.

Read More: Snoop Dogg Says Dionne Warwick ‘Outgangstered’ Him And Tupac Over Misogynistic Lyrics

Snoop Dogg, whose hits include “Drop It Like It’s Hot” and “Gin & Juice,” will be joining such rappers as Missy Elliott and Jay-Z in the hall. Estefan is credited for popularizing Latin rhythms with such crossover smashes as “Rhythm Is Gonna Get You” and “Let’s Get Loud.”

The inductees include soul-jazz vocalist Sade, whose 1980s soft rock hits include “Smooth Operator” and “The Sweetest Taboo,...

C.J. Harris, a prominent contestant on the 13th season of American Idol, died Sunday night in Jasper, Ala. He was 31.

The Walker County Coroner’s Office confirmed the singer was rushed to Walker Baptist Medical Center after suffering from cardiac arrest. At this time, they believe his cause of death was possibly a heart attack.

Harris, born on Jan. 28, 1991, auditioned in Salt Lake City for his season of the singing competition show. After singing “Soulshine” by The Allman Brothers, all three judges on the panel, including Keith Urban, Jennifer Lopez and Harry Connick Jr., voted “yes,” moving him to the next round.

“C.J. Harris was an incredible talent, and the news of his passing deeply saddens us,” American Idol wrote on its Instagram Story. “He will be truly missed.”

In 2014, the singer told The Hollywood Reporter that his grandfather was part of what inspired him to get involved with music.

Christopher B. Stokes, the directors of such films as House Party 4, You Got Served, Somebody Help Me, Somebody Help Me 2, The Stepmother, and The Stepmother 2, is about to send four more movies out into the world over the course of just three months – and it’s all thanks to the Tubi streaming service. Continuing to get into original programming (previous Tubi originals include the Terror Train remake and its sequel), Tubi has teamed up with Footage Films to bring four “Black cinema thrillers” to their service. Stokes has directed all four of the movies and wrote the scripts for each one with Marques Houston.

First up is The Assistant, which is set to reach Tubi on January 20th. Variety reports that The Assistant follows doctor Raven Fields (Erica Mena) who finds herself drowning in work and looks to hire an assistant to help with her day-to-day. Taking a chance on a young and cheery woman,...

Tubi has joined forces with Footage Films to premiere four original Black-led thrillers, Variety lets us know this week, each of them directed by Christopher B. Stokes (The Stepmother).

The four films coming soon to Tubi are titled The Assistant, Best Friend, You’re Not Alone and No Way Out, and you can learn more about each of them over on Variety.

In You’re Not Alone, for starters, which premieres on March 24, 2023…

“When his flight is delayed coming home from a business trip, Keith Mitchell (Michael Jai White) has to leave his daughter Alexis (Precious Way), who’s stuck at home under house arrest, alone for the night. Once Keith is finally in the air with full bars of WiFi, he notices a stranger enter the house on his security system.

“Unable to warn Alexis when the WiFi suddenly cuts out, Keith sits helpless from 30,000 feet in the air...

Tubi is set to launch four new original Black cinema thrillers from Footage Films: “The Assistant,” “Best Friend,” “You’re Not Alone” and “No Way Out.”

The four upcoming thrillers are directed by Christopher B. Stokes from scripts the filmmaker co-wrote with Marques Houston. Stokes and Houston also serve as executive producers on the films, with Footage Films president Juanita Stokes as producer. Tubi has previously worked with Footage Films on several original films, including “The Stepmother” and “The Stepmother 2.”

Per the logline, “The Assistant” follows doctor Raven Fields (Erica Mena) who “finds herself drowning in work and looks to hire an assistant to help with her day-to-day. Taking a chance on a young and cheery woman, Raven believes she’s found the perfect person until assistance turns into obsession, and she risks losing everything, including her life.” In addition to Mena, the film stars Parker McKenna Posey, Flex Alexander,...

Click here to read the full article.

Bryan Adams, R.E.M., Blondie, Snoop Dogg, Gloria Estefan, Heart and The Doobie Brothers are among the nominees for the 2023 Songwriters Hall of Fame, part of a dazzling list of talented acts who left their mark on country, pop, rap, Broadway, post-punk, Latin and New Jack Swing.

The ballot includes the musical theater duo of Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty, who wrote Ragtime and Anastasia, as well as soul-jazz vocalist Sade, whose 1980s soft rock hits include “Smooth Operator” and “The Sweetest Taboo.”

Two veteran rock stars are also nominees: Patti Smith — whose songs include “Because the Night” and “Dancing Barefoot” — and Steve Winwood, whose hits include “Higher Love” and “Roll With It.” Vince Gill is once again a nominee, having first made the ballot in 2018.

Eligible voting members have until Dec. 28 to turn in ballots with their choices of three nominees...

Bobby Brown visits the side-by-side graves of his first wife Whitney Houston and their daughter Bobbi Kristina Brown in the first look for A&e’s upcoming docuseries “Bobby Brown: Every Little Step.”

The 12-episode series is one of two projects related to the New Edition singer that the network is releasing. The other is a two-part documentary titled “Biography: Bobby Brown.”

The network released a first look at both on Wednesday.

“Biography: Bobby Brown” follows the New Edition singer from the housing projects of Roxbury, Massachusetts, to stages across the world. Through exclusive interviews, Brown details his personal struggles with substance abuse, as well as the losses of his first wife Whitney Houston and two of his children, Bobbi Kristina Brown and Bobby Brown Jr.

In addition to interviews with Brown’s family and friends, the documentary will also include conversations with Usher, Jermaine Dupri, Keith Sweat, Babyface, New Edition’s Ricky Bell,...

"What's better than being tough, is being prepared." Lionsgate has revealed a new official trailer for the crime thriller For the Love of Money, from director Leslie Small. This actually opened in select theaters last year, but we seemed to have missed it entirely. It also premiered at the Peachtree Village Film Festival last fall. And will be out on DVD/Br starting in March, which is why there's a new trailer for it. Keri Hilson stars as Gigi Davis, a determined single mom who walked away from a billion-dollar family business to chart her own path. When she is pushed to her limit, she turns to the only world she knows, a world she's spent a lifetime running from, in order to fight to protect her daughter. The cast includes Katt Williams, Keith Sweat, LisaRaye McCoy, Rotimi, DC Young Fly, Jason Mitchell, and Jazzy Jade. It looks like a...

February is Black History Month, and new content celebrating Black stories across television and film is on its way.

Over the course of Black History Month, many channels will premiere nonfiction specials and programming that spotlight Black leaders in politics, entertainment and social justice. PBS will premiere specials about civil rights activist Fannie Lou Hamer and singer Marian Anderson, while Starz will premiere a feature length documentary on Congresswoman Barbara Lee.

In addition, the Smithsonian Channel will debut a four-part miniseries tracing the origins exploring the legacy of slavery around the world. Aside from new documentaries and docuseries, streaming channels like Tubi will offer hundreds of hours of Black Cinema to watch, as well as original fiction programming.

Check out the full list of Black History Month programming below. (This list will be updated as more titles are announced).

“Barbara Lee: Speaking Truth to Power” — This feature-length documentary follows the career of congresswoman Barbara Lee,...

A&e Network is taking a deep dive into the life of R&b legend Bobby Brown with a two-night Biography event special and new docuseries.

A&e will premiere Biography: Bobby Brown, a two-night event which follows the ups and downs of Brown’s journey to pop culture fame, on May 30 and May 31 at 8 Pm. Following at 10 Pm May 31, is the premiere of 12-episode docuseries Bobby Brown: Every Little Step, with new episodes airing weekly on Tuesdays thereafter at 9 Pm.

Biography: Bobby Brown takes a personal look at the American Music Award winner’s journey to superstardom and the fallout from his personal struggles with sobriety and the tragic deaths of his two children and first wife, Whitney Houston. according to A&e. The documentary includes interviews with Usher, Jermaine Dupri, Keith Sweat, Babyface, New Edition’s Ricky Bell, Michael Bivins, Ronnie DeVoe and Johnny Gill, as well as his family,...

Exclusive: Byron Allen’s Entertainment Studios Motion Pictures has acquired U.S. rights to For the Love of Money, a crime drama directed by Leslie Small that stars Keri Hilson and Katt Williams. The distributor plans to release the pic via its Freestyle Releasing, in association with Global View Entertainment, in 750 theaters nationwide on November 24, marking the company’s first theatrical release in more than a year owing to the pandemic.

The pic, produced by Melvin Childs Presents, centers on a single mother (Hilson) who, when pushed to her limits out of the need to protect her daughter (Jazzy Jade), returns to a world she’s spent a lifetime running from. LisaRaye McCoy, Rotimi, Jason Mitchell, DC Young Fly and Cedric Pendleton also star, with appearances by musical artists Keith Sweat, Latto and Lyfe Jennings.

Zadia Ife, Timothy Allen Smith and Small wrote the screenplay.

“We are very excited to...

For the first time all season, two contestants were eliminated on Wednesday night’s episode of “The Masked Singer.” The first creature to be drowned out by the competition was the Crab, who was revealed to be Grammy winner Bobby Brown. The colorful crustacean made his debut in Episode 4, becoming the fist wild card singer in Group B and bumping Grandpa Monster (Logan Paul) out of the competition. Bobby’s farewell song was “In the Air Tonight” by Phil Collins.

The R&b king’s elimination did have a happy ending for two of the panelists. Jenny McCarthy and Ken Jeong each scored a point towards the Golden Ear trophy when they both picked Bobby as their first impression guess. They each have two points now while Robin Thicke and Nicole Scherzinger remain at zero. Robin thought the Crab was Ray Parker, Jr. and Nicole guessed Keith Sweat.

See ‘The Masked Singer...

Spoiler Alert: Do not read ahead if you have not watched Season 5 Episode 7 of “The Masked Singer,” which aired April 21 on Fox.

Too hot to handle, too cold to hold, Bobby Brown was the next celebrity to be eliminated on Wednesday night’s edition of “The Masked Singer,” followed immediately by “Sister, Sister” star Tamera Mowry. It was a tough night for the beach, as Brown had been disguised as the Crab, while Mowry was dressed as the Seashell.

That’s right, it was a double elimination evening, part of a two-hour extravaganza that saw the “Super 8” contestants whittled down to just six. Also, viewers got more of a glimpse of the mysterious “Cluedle Doo,” a masked star who is sharing additional clues behind the scenes for viewers — and, for the first time, the panelists on set.

For the Crab, Ken Jeong and Jenny McCarthy Wahlberg got it right with Brown.

And then there were six

(Warning: This post contains spoilers for Wednesday’s “The Masked Singer.”)

The fifth season of “The Masked Singer” aired its special two-hour Super 8 episode Wednesday, bringing together the remaining contestants from Groups A and B for the first time and ending with two unmaskings.

The supersized episode featured performances by Russian Doll(s), Seashell, Robopine (f.k.a. Porcupine), Yeti, Chameleon, Black Swan, Piglet and Crab. Each of those eight sang their little hearts out for host Nick Cannon, panelists Jenny McCarthy, Robin Thicke, Ken Jeong and Nicole Scherzinger and guest panelist Rita Wilson. Then, it was time for the judges and at-home audience to cast their votes for their favorite, and in doing so, select which two competitors would not move on to the Spicy Six round.

They ended up cutting Crab and Seashell.

Also Read:

‘The Masked Singer’ Reveals Another Contestant in...

Last week, the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation (Ladf) partnered with RWQuarantunes to raise funds to provide 3.3 Million meals to the most vulnerable Angelenos impacted by Covid-19.

The star-studded virtual event, which streamed live from Dodger Stadium to more than 2,000 viewers, raised over $1.1 Million to support the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank and the foundation’s efforts to feed the hungry in Los Angeles.

The celebration featured appearances by the 2020 World Champion Los Angeles Dodgers, Dodger legends, and current players including Trevor Bauer, Mookie Betts, Corey Seager, Joe Kelly, Max Muncy, David Price, Will Smith, Steve Garvey, Fernando Valenzuela, Andre Ethier, and many more current and former teammates.

The night was packed with memorable moments, appearances and performances from musicians and actors including Ted Danson & Mary Steenburgen, Bob Costas, DJ Cassidy, Dan + Shay, Joe Esposito, Lisa Lisa, Swv, Shanice, En Vogue, Boys II Men, Bobby Brown, TLC, Keith Sweat, New Edition,...

When Jaten Dimsdale started putting cover performances on YouTube under the name Teddy Swims in 2019, he tried everything from H.E.R. to George Strait, just to see who was listening. “It turned out that people were liking everything, or they just liked the personality. . . or my voice,” Dimsdale says, calling from his home base in Atlanta.

As a marketing strategy, it was a smashing success: With his animated, skillful performances, the bearded, tattooed 28-year-old singer has amassed more than 1.5 million YouTube subscribers and nearly 200 million views of his videos, plus a deal with Warner Records.

DJ Cassidy’s popular “Pass the Mic” webcast series is going to TV on Thanksgiving weekend… and going totally ’80s. BET’s Nov. 29 broadcast of “The Soul Train Awards” will be immediately followed by a second prime-time special that will bring Cassidy’s all-star medleys, usually seen via Twitch and YouTube, to a network for the first time. And while the star DJ isn’t revealing any names yet, he is telling Variety that this edition of his mic-pass will bring together the leading lights of R&b from a decade that happens to be his favorite

Or maybe something more like just a half-decade, to get specific about it. “When I think about ‘Soul Train’ and the long legacy that spans decades,” he says, “I am immediately drawn into thinking about the 1980s. particularly the first half of the decade. The sounds of the R&b records that came...

UTA has signed Grammy-winning recording artist and creator of the “New Jack Swing” music style Teddy Riley for worldwide representation in all areas.

Since the early ’80s, Riley’s influential New Jack Swing style have been infused in multiple music genres including contemporary R&b, hip-hop, gospel, soul and pop music. He has produced over 1,000 songs for some of the most iconic artists in the industry such as Michael Jackson, Bobby Brown, Keith Sweat, Doug E. Fresh, Johnny Kemp, Joe, Heavy D & The Boys, The Winans, and Al B. Sure, among others. In addiiton, he is the founding member of the popular R&b groups Guy and Blackstreet.

Riley serves as Music Supervisor and Composer for BET’s miniseries Uptown, set to air in fall 2021. Most recently, he battled Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds in the Instagram Live digital music series Verzuz in April. The series features two popular musicians in conversation...

Wu-Tang Clan’s Raekwon was among the hundreds of artists, writers, and industry insiders who took part in the vote that determined Rolling Stone’s all-new 500 Greatest Albums of All Time list. Here, the rapper discusses the top 10 albums on his ballot, and how they informed his life and music — featuring classic LPs from his fellow Wu-Tang warriors, the Notorious B.I.G., Keith Sweat, Mary J. Blige, and more. (Go here to read the complete list of 500 Greatest Albums voters and learn more about how the current ranking was assembled.

Lucky Daye is taking the music industry by storm, and the 2020 Grammy Awards too. The first-time nominee, who earned four separate nods from the Recording Academy this year, chats with E! News about his debut studio album and sources of creative inspiration in an exclusive sit-down interview ahead of Sunday night's show. After more than a decade in the business, the rapper-singer-songwriter says "it feels good" knowing there's an audience out there who appreciates his "truths and [his] honesty." Having earned multiple writing credits and contributed background vocals to artists like Keith Sweat, Ne-Yo, Keke Palmer, Trey Songz and more, Lucky released Painted (a contender for Best R&b Album...

A few years ago, the producer-songwriter-multi-instrumentalist Dernst Emile II, known as D’Mile, was on the verge of quitting the music business. He was writing and producing at the highest levels, and had been for more than a decade, landing credits on albums from Janet Jackson, Justin Bieber, Usher, and more. He was still frustrated.

“You put in so much work, and it doesn’t seem like anything is paying off — not even money-wise, just period,” D’Mile explains. “There were a lot of letdowns. A lot of stuff that I worked on,...

On the morning of October 22nd, 1991, James Dennis awoke at his father’s house in Northwest Philadelphia. He mostly lived with his girlfriend, Helen, but every so often he stayed with his dad, and the two spent that morning discussing their shared passion: music. At barely five feet five and 130 pounds, Dennis, 21, was a small man compared with his father — the elder was Big Jim, the younger Lil Jimmy — but they both had large personalities. James Murray was a school-bus driver and gregarious session musician who also sang and played...

There’s a typical narrative attached to acrobatic vocalists: Enthusiasm for singing as youngsters, a moment when they reveal their precocity to the world, and then the establishment of irrepressible upward momentum.

This was not quite the path taken by the young R&B singer Marco McKinnis when he was growing up in Virginia. “Initially I started rapping because I was too shy to try singing,” he says. “I kept my singing secret from my family. My parents didn’t know.”

Some secrets are too good to keep quiet forever.

In December, the singer Jacquees declared himself the “King of R&B” for his generation, eliciting a string of dismissive reactions from luminaries like P. Diddy and Keith Sweat. The debate was silly: Not long ago, people were declaring R&B dead, and there is no pure singer right now putting up hits consistently enough for royalty status. But the reaction to the debate was important — people cared, a lot, about R&B, in a way they hadn’t for a long time.

That’s also reflected in the new...

Jacquees was happy to re-crown himself as the reigning King of R&B -- even in front of rhythm and blues royalty like Keith Sweat ... who bit his tongue around the youngin'. We got Keith backstage Saturday at the V-103 Winterfest concert at the State Farm Arena in Atlanta, where we asked him to confirm definitively ... he is The King of R&B, right? Keith?? Don't leave us hangin', man!!! Get this ... he denies any such title.

At midnight on Tuesday, R&B singer Trey Songz released a new double album to celebrate his 34th birthday. There is a whole lot of music here: 10 slow and sweaty numbers with only Songz (titled 11), followed by 10 more slow and sweaty numbers with collaborators ranging from Swae Lee to 2 Chainz to Chris Brown (28). Despite the lengthy combined tracklists, there’s not much variation in tempo or style, and the chugging beats are compressed and melody-averse. It leaves little room for Songz’s vocal histrionics — his trademark swooping singing. You...

The night before most singers put out an album, tradition dictates that they spend some time promoting their new work. Music is a business, after all, and listeners can’t stream or buy your songs if they don’t know that those songs exist.

It would be generous to say that the R&B veteran Keith Sweat looks on that promotional tradition with blithe indifference. “They keep telling me to sing something from the new shit,” he complained during his album release show at the iHeartRadio Theater in downtown Manhattan last Thursday.

This week on The Breaks, Nikki has her work cut out as she is given a tricky mission at the Ride 95 FM concert. Nikki might have landed her dream job and gotten her foot on the first rung of the music business ladder, but she still has a mountain to climb if she wants to make it to the top. She has to try and get rapper D-Rome on stage at the Ride 95 FM concert so that he can guest verse with Keith Sweat, but without credentials she’ll have to think fast even to get backstage. Meantime, Barry...read more...

[[tmz:video id="0_00vlq4eg"]] Chris Brown kept it cool and classy Monday night as he hit up Hollywood, and he disavowed being a pimp. He and his new boy Scott Disick chilled at The Nice Guy -- but the club wasn't the end of the evening ... they bounced on to Ace of Diamonds strip club. As he left, a photog asked Chris who's a bigger pimp ... him or Keith Sweat? Chris explains being a father has changed everything. He...

In the wake of Natalie Cole's death, many have taken to social media to pay their respects to the late Grammy-winning singer. The "Unforgettable" songbird, 65, died Thursday in Los Angeles of complications from an ongoing medical condition. "Natalie fought a fierce, courageous battle, dying how she lived ... with dignity, strength and honor. Our beloved Mother and sister will be greatly missed and remain Unforgettable in our hearts forever," said son Robert Yancy and sisters Timolin and Casey Cole in a statement. "We are very saddened to learn of the passing of one of music’s most celebrated and iconic women,...

A review of tonight's "Parks and Recreation" — which NBC almost casually renewed yesterday — coming up just as soon as I cap off a long con I'm pulling on Keith Sweat... Oh, that was much better. Much, much better. I wonder if the problem with the last few episodes has been less the age of the series and its central characters — though this is always a concern with any show at this stage — than with the age of certain concepts. This was the first episode in a few weeks to really have no material about how obnoxious and willfully ignorant the citizens of Pawnee are, and I don't think it's a coincidence that it was the best episode since "Anniversaries." Once upon a time, the horribleness of the people of Pawnee was a great wellspring of humor for the show, but I think it's dried up — and has not been helped...

Saturday 15th February 2014 at a top London hotel, Rishi Rich signed to the international Grammy Award producer ‘Teddy Riley’ for an exclusive production deal with the ‘Teddy Riley Music Group’ (Trmg).

This marks a great journey which sees Rishi moving to Atlanta USA in April 2014 to begin work on projects with Riley. There are a number of super exciting American and International projects already lined up and waiting for Rishi’s arrival!

News of the new deal spread quickly and social media was buzzing immediately with messages from fans and industry heads. Teddy Riley also jumped on twitter and sent a message to Rishi: “Yes we finally did it lil bro, the future is waiting for us”

The acknowledged ‘King of New Jack Swing’, producer and songwriter Teddy Riley’s enviable list of platinum-laced credits include Guy, The Winans, Johnny Kemp, Blackstreet, Keith Sweat, Mary J. Blige, Hi-Five, Al B...

He has tickled the ivories to fame and acclaim. Now the 46-year-old jazz crooner/actor will tickle your funny bone as he plays along with Stupid Questions — and helps find the next singing champ as the new (and enthusiastically received) judge on Fox’s American Idol.

Entertainment Weekly: Sing me a song about how Idol is going to have a big comeback year. And make it something that really swings.

Harry Connick Jr.: I think I could do more of a hip-hop thing: I don’t drink/but if I had a beer/I’d tell you what/Idol...

Drake contains multitudes. Just ask him — he’ll tell you so himself. On his third album, Nothing Was the Same, the rapper compares himself to Odb and Keith Sweat; to Dwight Howard, Serena Williams, and Dan Marino; to “Guy Pearce in Momento” and to Prince Akeem, the African potentate played by Eddie Murphy in Coming to America. Critics have greeted the new album with their own theories, holding up Drake as a millennial standard-bearer, as a newly beefed-up tough guy, as a misogynist “asshole,” as James Taylor, as Porgy from Porgy and Bess. To this list we may add several other Drakes: avenging geek, Jewish neurotic, noir-pop crooner, tortured family chronicler.Of course, the simplest answer to the question “Who is Drake?” — the answer that Drake himself wants you to give — is, simply, “Drake”: Aubrey Drake Graham, biracial Canadian child actor turned musician. “I'm authentic, real name, no gimmicks,...

Drake dropped "All Me" on the internet just as Wednesday cracked into Thursday, and it's a nice little summer brag anthem that features 2 Chainz and Big Sean.

The song, which is available as a free download, begins with a sample of Aziz Ansari (who is definitely hip-hop's favorite comedian for the past few years in a row) and offers a handful of cute lyrics. Take a look below (and a listen above).

"I'm really stepping up my game, b-tches gotta start paying me for this" - Aziz Ansari (as Randy).

"2 Chainz" - 2 Chainz

"Walked in, ill n---a alert" - 2 Chainz

"My d--k so hard it make the metal detector go off" - 2 Chainz

"I don't even know how much I made, I forgot. It's a lot" - Drake

"Knew I was a man by the age of six, I even f--ked the girl that used to babysit, but that was years later,...

July 22: Actor Orson Bean ("Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman") is 84. Actress Louise Fletcher is 78. Singer Chuck Jackson is 75. Actor Terence Stamp is 74. Game show host Alex Trebek is 72. Singer George Clinton is 71. Singer-actor Bobby Sherman is 69. Actor Danny Glover is 66. Writer-director Paul Schrader is 66. Singer Don Henley is 65. Actor-comedian-director Albert Brooks is 65. Composer Alan Menken ("Little Mermaid," "Little Shop of Horrors") is 63. Musician Al Di Meola is 58. Actor Willem Dafoe is 57. Singer Keith Sweat is 51. Singer Emily Saliers of the Indigo Girls is 49. Actor-comedian David Spade is 48. Actor John Leguizamo is 48. Bassist Pat Badger of Extreme is 45. Actor Rhys Ifans is 45. Musician Daniel Jones (Savage Garden) is 39. Singer Rufus Wainwright is 39. Actress Franka Potente ("The Bourne Identity") is 38. Actress Selena Gomez is 20.

July 23: Actress Gloria DeHaven is 87. Radio personality Don Imus is 72. Country singer Tony Joe White is 69. Actor Larry Manetti ("Magnum, P.I.") is 65. Singer David Essex is 65. Singer...

It’s hard to believe there are only two episodes left in American Idol‘s eleventh season. And while it’s equally impossible (for me, for you) to envision a finale not involving Joshua Ledet, the show must go on. (Hey, Skylar Laine sang it, so it must be true.)

Executive producer Nigel Lythgoe Tweeted last week that the Season 11 Top 2 — Jessica Sanchez and Phillip Phillips — would be tackling three songs apiece: 1) Their favorite song of the series; 2) A song chosen by Simon Fuller; and 3) Their individual new single.

Part of me remains optimistic that for the first time ever,...

R&B singer Keith Sweat is singing the foreclosure blues ... because even after the bank took his house and sold it ... he's still on the hook for $250,000 -- this according to a new lawsuit.Pmi Mortgage filed the lawsuit against Sweat in Georgia -- claiming the singer defaulted on a $450,000 mortgage on his Detroit home, which he purchased in 2004.Problem is -- the house was drowning underwater ... so when the bank sold it, it only...

American Idol‘s Season 11 Top 12 are set to cover the frequently traversed theme of “Songs From the Year You Were Born” tonight. (Way to cook up new and exciting ideas, Uncle Nigel)! I’m already saying a novena that Jessica Sanchez won’t get stuck in the Thia Megia ghetto (aka singing “Colors Of The Wind”) and that Joshua Ledet won’t be offering up Idol‘s eighth rendition of “Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me” in 11 seasons. (But, alas, hearing one of those ballads is almost as likely as Jermaine Jones performing nothing at all; read all about that scandalé here!

I had to fan myself after watching Anthony Evans and Jesse Campbell's mind-blowing performance on last night's battle rounds. Was it just me, or was Anthony Evans and Jesse Campbell's head-to-head competition the most epic battling on The Voice ever? Sweet lawdy, I felt like I was being taken back to my Keith Sweat and Johnny Gill days! In the two seasons of the show, this was arguably one of the most difficult choices for the judges to make in the battle rounds, as both pastor's kid Anthony Evans and single dad Jesse Campbell's renditions of Alicia Keys's "If I Ain't Got You" were both ridiculously amazing. I was cracking up in disbelief! I thought Anthony's high-pitched "Mariah Carey" moment at the end of the song was head spinning, and it made me want to jump out of my seat, but I totally get why the judges were ultimately...

On TV this Sunday: Lots and lots of Dead stuff, Supergirl clashes with a sexy Santa, Homeland spies a compelling exposition dump, and more. Here’s our list of programs to keep on your radar.

2:30 pm The Walking Dead marathon (AMC) | Blood, guts and carcasses. Nope, it’s not your Thanksgiving leftovers; just zombies. Catch up on the series’ second season before the mid-season finale airs at 9 pm.

TVLine’s Guide to Fall Finale and Winter Return Dates

8 pm The Amazing Race (CBS) | Racers shift into high gear when they take a thrilling test drive, and results are far...

Kanye West, Kelly Rowland and Adele also nab multiple nominations for November 27 show.

By Jocelyn Vena

Chris Brown

Photo: Steve Granitz / Getty Images

Chris Brown is up for the most nominations at the Soul Train Awards with five nods. Following closely behind are "Party" and "Lift Off" collaborators Beyoncé and Kanye West with five nominations each. Also making a strong showing in the nominations are Kelly Rowland and Adele, who nabbed three nods apiece.

Brown is up for Best Male R&B/Soul Artist against Trey Songz, Cee Lo Green, R. Kelly, Eric Benet and Miguel, as well as Album of the Year and Best Hip-Hop Song of the Year ("Look at Me Now"), where he faces off against West ("All of the Lights"), Nicki Minaj ("Moment for Life"), Lupe Fiasco ("Out of My Head") and Jay-z and Kanye West ("Otis").

West landed two more nods for Song of the...

This Housewife is headed for the single life. Erstwhile Real Housewives of Atlanta star Lisa Wu-Hartwell has officially separated from her former NFL pro husband, Ed Hartwell. Wu-Hartwell took to Twitter on Saturday to break the bad news. "Sadly.We r seperated but wld Never b over money. That is so far frm the truth," she tweeted, dispelling rumors to the contrary. "Wish ppl cld respect ppl's privacy during times like these." The Bravo personality subsequently told followers that "it's been rough" but that she appreciates the support from fans. Wu-Hartwell, who was previously hitched to R&B singer Keith Sweat from 1992 to 2002, felt compelled to respond...