Photo by Joseph Okpako/WireImage Kendrick Lamar admires and respects SZA‘s “ability to fully express” herself in music, but it’s not always easy for her to be honest and open. Speaking to Kendrick for his Harper’s Bazaar cover story, she said she actually has a song in the vault that she refused to release. “I wrote a…
Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images for Atlantic Records Lin-Manuel Miranda’s next musical is an album – not a stage production – based on one of his favorite movies. Warriors, which he made with playwright Eisa Davis, is a concept album based on the 1979 cult classic film The Warriors. The album was released on Oct. 18, with…
Photo by Arturo Holmes/Getty Images for The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Mary J. Blige is officially in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame following the induction ceremony Saturday night in Cleveland, and she believes she’s deserving of the honor. “The truth is that I’m a winner in every way. I’ve earned the…
Sonja Flemming/CBS ©2024 Essence Atkins is back on primetime television thanks to Poppa’s House, a new sitcom airing Monday on CBS. She stars opposite Damon Wayans Jr. and Damon Wayans, who she’d been wanting to work with for some time. “I had worked with Junior before [but] Senior I had never worked with,” she tells ABC…
ABC Audio/Stephen Iervolino Aldis Hodge plays brilliant criminal psychologist Alex Cross in the forthcoming Prime Video series based on James Patterson‘s bestselling book series, and at New York Comic Con on Friday he talked about Cross with ABC Audio. From the drop — a trailer of the show — fans were all in, the actor says. “The…
Lil Durk has received the keys to two cities in Illinois. His efforts as part of his Neighborhood Heroes Foundation and his other philanthropic initiatives earned him a key to the Village of Broadview and one to the Village of Bellwood. Usher supported Vice President Kamala Harris at a rally Saturday in Georgia. He said in part, “I’m supporting Kamala…
Photo by Arturo Holmes/Getty Images for The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony took place Saturday, and among the night’s inductees was the Queen of Hip Hop Soul, Mary J. Blige. Following an introduction from longtime collaborators Dr. Dre and Method Man, Mary took the stage performing a…
A fun fact about the lyrics on Rihanna‘s “SOS” was shared in a recent interview with the songwriter, Evan “Kidd” Bogart. Speaking to the Behind the Wall podcast, he shares it was his first time ever creating a pop song. “I was going off of instinct. If you look at the verses, they’re crafted with a lot of…
Photo by Dave Kotinsky/Getty Images for Luminate After more than three decades in the entertainment industry, Mary J. Blige will be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Saturday. At a plaque dedication ceremony ahead of the event, she thanked the foundation for the recognition, which she says was long overdue. “Thank you so…
It’s a jam-packed New Music Friday, featuring some hip-hop and some R&B. Here are some of the latest releases: Queen Naija released “Missing You,” a tribute to her late friend/bodyguard Beast, who passed away in 2022. “Haven’t been myself since the day that you/ went away from me/ And I try not to get emotional from…
