Russell Simmons has seen the devastation of the coronavirus crisis and its effect on his hometown of New York City and the rest of the world. Now the iconic hip-hop and business mogul is bringing back one of his legendary creations to help raise money for those devastated by the pandemic.
Simmons is leading a group of producers who, on Sunday will premiere “Def Comedy Jam Presents: Healing Through Laughter,” a marathon fundraiser hosted by famed comedian Cedric the Entertainer.
The program will air online beginning at 10 p.m. EST, and Simmons’ Instagram page will be updated to provide more information. Simmons has established a crowdfunding page with a goal of $100,000 to assist those in need.
“Let’s begin to fund the effort to raise money and awareness to make sure people putting their life on the line to work in our communities have the safety kits they need,” Simmons wrote on Twitter.
As of Thursday, New York state had more than 92,300 confirmed coronavirus cases, including approximately 52,000 in New York City. New York accounts for 42 percent of the virus-related deaths in the United States, and hospitals around the Empire State and, in particular, throughout the Big Apple, have been overwhelmed with cases.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo said the state has stockpile contained 2,200 ventilators, but about 350 new patients daily needed them.
“2,200 disappears very quickly,” Cuomo said, the New York Times reported.
The goal of the “Def Comedy Jam” marathon is to raise funds to provide basic needs for essential workers in vulnerable and underserved communities.
Supplies include items such as hand sanitizer and masks for the most vulnerable communities affected by COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the novel coronavirus.
Simmons said 100 percent of the proceeds raised would be used to benefit individuals in inner-city communities — specifically his native borough of Queens, which has been highlighted as the hardest-hit area in New York City.
“Brave and inspiring people within the community are putting up a valiant fight against COVID-19, we must support them,” Simmons said.
The original “Def Comedy Jam” aired on HBO from 1992 to 1997 and featured such talent as Martin Lawrence, Chris Tucker and Bernie Mac. Simmons had said he was inspired to create the original “Def Comedy Jam” after watching Jerry Lewis’ “The Nutty Professor.”
The fundraiser reboot is produced by Erica Ford of the nonprofit Life Camp, Inc., Gushcloud, O’Neal McKnight, Bob Sumner, Althea Lim and Simmons’ Rush Philanthropic.
“Def Comedy Jam: Healing Through Laughter” will feature the show’s original DJ, Kid Capri. It will include comedians Spice Adams, Tony Baker, Gary Owen, Mike Epps, Sommore, Bill Bellamy, Affion Crockett, Deon Cole, Corey Holcomb, Ashima Franklin, Adele Givens, Jess Hilarious, DL Hughley, JB Smoove and Michael Blackson.
While a host of other comedians are expected to join, those making their debut under the “Def Comedy Jam” umbrella are GC Studio’s Reggie Couz, KMoore The Goat, and Kellye Hardy. DJ Cassidy will lead an afterparty.
Supplies purchased and collected will be distributed among essential workers in the city, specifically in Queens and Brooklyn boroughs. Supplies will also go to Rush Philanthropic’s surrounding community in the Logan section of Philadelphia.
“The purpose of this Def Comedy Jam marathon is to support our community through laughter and communication. But, we are in desperate need of safety equipment for essential workers in the hood,” Simmons wrote.
The website Blackfilm.com was provided with an exclusive clip from Bad Boys For Life, which hit Digital on March 31 and will come on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray and DVD April 21 from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment.
The action-packed comedy, starring Will Smith and Martin Lawrence, has earned over $400 million dollars at the worldwide box office and a Certified Fresh rating by Rotten Tomatoes
Bad Boys for Life brings even more laughs and thrilling action to 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray and Digital, with over 50 minutes of special features, including an alternate ending from the film’s high-octane final showdown, all-new and extended scenes, outtakes and bloopers, Easter eggs, an exclusive peek at the making of the film and a look back at the first three installments of the hit franchise. The DVD includes extended and alternate scenes, bloopers and more.
The original Bad Boys, Mike Lowry (Will Smith) and Marcus Burnett (Martin Lawrence), are back. After a string of assassinations and an attempt on Mike’s life, he convinces a hesitant Marcus to hold off retirement and partner one last time. Together, they team up with AMMO, the new hotshot division of the Miami PD, to take down the merciless head of the Aretas Cartel. Rounding out the cast are Vanessa Hudgens (Spring Breakers), Alexander Ludwig (TV’s Vikings), Charles Melton (TV’s Riverdale), Paola Nuñez (TV’s The Purge), Kate del Castillo (The Book of Life), award-winning recording artist Nicky Jam and Bad Boys franchise returnees Joe Pantoliano, Theresa Randle and Bianca Bethune.
Bad Boys for Life was produced by Jerry Bruckheimer, Will Smith and Doug Belgrad, executive produced by Chad Oman, Barry Waldman, Mike Stenson and James Lassiter and directed by Adil & Bilall.
Bad Boys for Life has a runtime of approximately 124 minutes and is rated R for strong bloody violence, language throughout, sexual references and brief drug use.
4K ULTRA HD, BLU-RAY AND DIGITAL BONUS MATERIALS
Extended & Alternate Scenes (Including an Alternate Ending)
Outtakes & Bloopers
Ride or Die: Making Bad Boys for Life
Partners in Crime: Behind-the-Scenes
It’s About Time: Go through 25 years of Bad Boys history with Producer Jerry Bruckheimer, the cast and crew
Easter Eggs: Directors Adil and Billal take us on a tour of a few of the Easter eggs and callbacks to earlier Bad Boys films
And more
DVD BONUS MATERIALS
Extended & Alternate Scenes
Outtakes & Bloopers
And more
Los Angeles, CA (April 2, 2020) – AXS TV presents a special broadcast of the star-studded benefit event Comedy Gives Back Laugh Aid — airing Saturday, April 4 at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT. Viewers can enjoy the Comedy Gives Back Laugh Aid simulcast on AXS TV, as well as across the Network’s various social media platforms including the AXS TV YouTube Channel, Facebook page, Twitter and website, AXS.TV. The network is pre-empting its regular programming on this night.
The four-plus hour telethon puts the spotlight on a powerhouse roster of comedy superstars, coming together to raise money and awareness for an emergency relief fund benefiting working comedians who have been financially impacted due to the spread of COVID-19. The A-list lineup of fan-favorites and industry icons includes, Dave Attell, Joel Kim Booster, Bill Burr, Dane Cook, Ron Funches, Anthony Jeselnik, Jessica Kirson, Bert Kreischer, Howie Mandel, Marc Maron, Big Jay Oakerson, Patton Oswalt, Tom Papa, Ray Romano, Jeff Ross, Iliza Shlesinger, The Sklar Brothers, Bob Saget, Amanda Seales, Dan Soder, David Spade, Taylor Tomlinson, Gina Yashere and many more.
AXS TV is pleased to provide viewers with a place to come and enjoy the absolute best in entertainment programming, bringing them closer to their favorite performers with acclaimed documentaries, candid interviews, unforgettable concerts and more, airing each and every day. AXS TV’s audience can expect to enjoy a roster of exclusive specials, live simulcasts, hit-packed sets, in-depth interviews, and insightful documentaries, curated specifically for those viewers craving the magic that only live performances can provide.
“Now more than ever, the world could use a little levity,” said Sarah Weidman, Head of Original Programming, Development and Multi-Platform Content for AXS TV. “This is a great opportunity for viewers across the country to sit back, relax, and let the country’s top comics entertain them with a night of laughs that we hope will provide some joy, while raising funds for an important cause. AXS TV is proud to continue to offer live simulcast events such as Comedy Gives Back Laugh Aid, and we look forward to sharing them with our audience.”
In addition to broadcasting the event, AXS TV is supporting Comedy Gives Back Laugh Aid, providing tech support and studio operations in collaboration with Laugh Lounge.
Throughout the event, viewers will be encouraged to make donations to Comedy Gives Back Laugh Aid COVID-19 Emergency Relief Fund. The relief fund (https://www.comedygivesback.com/covid-19-grant) is now open, taking grant submissions and distributing funds to those in need. Viewers can text LAUGHAID to 707070 to donate to the relief fund for comedians affected by the pandemic.
Follow the social media conversation on Twitter @axstv and @comedygivesback as well as #ComedyGivesBack, #LaughAid2020, #ComedianReliefFund and #AloneTogether.
Quibi has acquired This Joka, a 16-episode stand-up comedy series hosted and executive produced by Will Smith. The series hails from Smith and Jada Pinkett-Smith’s Westbrook Studios and Topgolf Entertainment Group.
Westbrook and Topgolf had been developing This Joka since last October as part of their partnership to create original entertainment. It marks the first series pickup for Westbrook since Terence Carter joined the company last fall as Co-President, Head Of Television.
In This Joka, Smith invites a diverse lineup of up-and-coming, established, and legendary comedians to explore the nature of comedy and its unique ability to bring people together. Shot on location at Topgolf and other popular venues across Las Vegas, the series will showcase stand-up sets, as well as one-on-one conversations between Smith and the comedians, intimate interviews, and docu-style moments backstage and around the city.
Comics featured in the series include Baron Vaughn, Megan Gailey, Punkie Johnson, Sean Patton, Rosebud Baker, Shane Torres, Clayton English, Christi Chiello, Vanessa Gonzalez, Martin Urbano, Sam Tallent, David Gborie, Jackie Fabulous, Chris Estraded, Rell Battle and Daphnique Springs, with special appearances by George Wallace, Demi Adejuyigbe and Shawn Wasabi.
“Will’s love and respect for stand-up comedy runs deep, and with this series on Quibi, we hope to discover, learn from, and uplift the next generation of diverse comedic talent,” said Carte. “The goal of This Joka isn’t just to laugh, but to find the universal human truths behind the laughter.”
Smith executive produces along with Miguel Melendez, Carter, Brad Haugen, Lukas Kaiser, Erik Anderson, Chad Nelson, YuChiang Cheng. Lance Bangs directs. This Joka is a co-production of Westbrook Studios and Topgolf Entertainment Group.
Smith was most recently seen on the big screen in Bad Boys For Life and will next be seen starring in Warner Bros. biopic King Richard, the true story of the hardscrabble but iron-willed father of Venus and Serena Williams, which Smith also produces.
Short-form video platform Quibi launches on April 6.
Source: Deadline
As we said in a previous post, comedians are going to figure out creative ways to continue to entertain their audience. With the coronavirus shutting down every major comedy club across the country, the comedy scene is at a complete standstill.
So, knowing that the comedy audience is growing restless comedians Nephew Tommy (of The Steve Harvey Morning Show) enlisted comedian Jay Anthony Brown to create a weekly online comedy show titled T&J Stay At Home Coronoavirus Comedy Show.
The show is being billed as a weekly variety/comedy show that will be recorded from their homes which features clips from up & coming comedians and well-known comedians.
The first episode features comedians Ali Sadiq, Rodney Perry, Billy Sorrells, Annie McKnight, and George Wallace performing a few minutes of their stand up.
Watch the clip below;
As you already know, the comedy industry has taken a big hit during the coronavirus. So many comedians are trying to figure out ways to entertain themselves and their audience.
With that being said, comedians Deon Cole (of black-ish fame) and Tony Roberts (of Uncle Buck fame) decided earlier today to entertain their fans by conducting a Roast Battle, which became an epic battle as the laughs started and never stopped! In case you missed it, check out the battle below:
With the success of this you can expect lots of comedians to jump on this in the immediate future.
PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) — Philadelphia comedian and actor Kevin Hart is making a difference in his hometown during the coronavirus pandemic.
Hart is donating meals to the elderly and those affected by the crisis through Hungry@Home, a family-style food delivery service that provides food to residents without having them leave their homes.
“I love when my partners rise to the task and help facilitate getting food to our neighbors who aren’t able to leave the house or their jobs. Hungry@Home and I are feeding the elderly and those in need in my hometown of Philly,” Hart said on an Instagram post Friday.
The company says all meals are made by a food safety trained professional chef. The meals are sealed and delivered in a temperature-controlled bag.
For every two meals purchased through HUNGRY, the company will donate an additional meal to Feeding America.
“Instead of canned food, we delivered hot and ready to eat chef made meals. this week was just the start, we plan on continuing to feed the community and taking care of this city that I love so much,” Hart said.
The raunchy gal-pal comedy “Girls Trip” was a box-office coup for Universal Pictures in 2017, collecting more than $140 million worldwide and spawning meme after meme — including that scene about the many unorthodox functions of a grapefruit. While an official sequel has yet to get the greenlight, with talks of a follow-up dating back to early 2019, Tiffany Haddish recently gave a status update on a possible second film to The Huffington Post from the comforts of quarantine.
Haddish said that she and her co-stars Queen Latifah, Regina Hall, and Jada Pinkett Smith have been regularly keeping in touch about what shape “Girls Trip 2” could take. Haddish also added that Tracy Oliver, who co-wrote the script for the first film with Kenya Barris, has a treatment ready to go.
“Then it was like, ‘Oh, you guys want too much money,’” said Haddish, who broke big after “Girls Trip,” which reportedly earned her an $80,000 payday.
The five actresses had a two-hour Zoom meeting, Haddish said, last week to discuss making the sequel, and said that starting Friday, they’ll meet again to begin chipping away at the script.
“We might decide not to even make it ‘Girls Trip,’” Haddish said. “Maybe we’ll do a different story just in case no one wants to make ‘Girls Trip 2.’”
Haddish currently stars in the recently released Netflix series “Self Made: Inspired by the Life of Madam C.J. Walker” opposite Octavia Spencer, who plays the titular black hair care pioneer and mogul. While Netflix audiences binge that show during quarantine, Haddish said she’s doing plenty of marathon-watching of her own, including “Tiger King,” “Wild Wild Country,” “Locke & Key,” “I Love Lucy,” and “My Three Sons.”
Otherwise, she said, her shelter-in-place experience is just like everybody else’s. “I got Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime; I’ve got cable. I have a room that I’ve got to clean out. I have so many bills that are a year old that I just paid online,” she told HuffPo.
Haddish is also starring in the latest film from Paul Schrader, “The Card Counter,” whose production went on hiatus amid the coronavirus outbreak that has put virtually all of Hollywood on pause. Regarding Haddish, the fast-rising star who’s become a favorite of many an auteur, including Paul Thomas Anderson, Schrader said in a recent interview, “I love Tiffany. I’ve never met her, but I was on the phone with her for an hour. She’s a firecracker. It’s like talking to a live-wire connection. She’s very funny and, of course, she makes you funny. When someone’s sharp, that makes you get sharp because you want to keep up. So that’s all good.”
Source: IndieWire
There is never a bad time for a good laugh, but in 2020 some good humor is probably needed more than ever. Thankfully, BET+ has a great selection of stand-up comedy specials streaming right now that you can enjoy from the comfort of your couch.
So, wash your hands, grab your remote and stream these specials.
1-PREACHER LAWSON: GET TO KNOW ME (2019)
In his debut stand-up special, Preacher Lawson hilariously and athletically overshares personal stories about being semi-famous, dating and being vegan.
“I was on a show called ‘America’s Got Talent.’ I lost to a 12-year-old ventriloquist, y’all. You will never know what it feels like to lose $1 Million to somebody that still has chores.”
2 SOMMORE: CHANDELIER STATUS (2013)
Sommore lights up the stage with her hilarious observations about body positivity, dating unattractive people, the keys to happy relationships and more.
“You know you’re ugly when everybody think you’re sad. My boyfriend in college was so ugly his nickname was ‘uuuugghh.’”
3 BILL BELLAMY: CRAZY SEXY DIRTY (2012)
Bill Bellamy talks about unlocking his inner sex freak, getting rained on at the strip club, and baths in his stand-up special filmed at the Saban Theater in Beverly Hills.
“I’m gonna be honest with you, I didn’t know Michael Jackson needed a nap that bad. What is it, Propofol? I don’t even know how to say Propofol. I don’t know about y’all, but I don’t need sleep that bad. All I need to do is get a slice of peach cobbler and some sweet tea and I’ll be out for three days. I don’t want it that damn bad.”
4 RICKEY SMILEY: OPEN CASKET SHARP (2011)
Radio personality Rickey Smiley performs his homespun humor in front of an appreciative Atlanta crowd, with an introduction by longtime friends Steve Harvey.
“Why the bass drummer [in the marching band] don’t never get no love? Big Pookie got on half a band suit, because he can’t wear the pants. He got on a band suit and sweatpants. But the band wouldn’t be nothin’ without Big Pookie.”
EDDIE GRIFFIN: UNDENIABLE (2018)
Eddie Griffin celebrates 30 years onstage with hilarious takes on politics, relationships and religion, and gives special shout-outs to his famous friends and comedy legends.
“The one race white people think they can beat us in is the long-distance race. Train as you may, white folks, you not gonna beat them three Ethiopians. They used to running for weeks, chasing gazelles for sustenance!”
Source: BET Staff