The BET “HIP HOP AWARDS” 2018 brought the heat to Miami, Florida on Saturday, October 6, 2018 for the annual taping of the most prominent hip hop showcase on television. Comedian and Actor Deray Davis hosted hip-hop’s biggest night of the year at The Fillmore Miami Beach at Jackie Gleason Theater. THE BET “HIP HOP AWARDS” 2018 premiered on Tuesday, October 16, 2018 at 8:00PM ET.
Cardi B reigned supreme with four wins for ‘MVP of the Year’, ‘Hustler of the Year’,
‘Made-You-Look Award (Best Hip Hop Style)’, and ‘Sweet 16,’ for her verse on Migos’ “Motorsport.” The Carters followed closely picking up three awards for ‘Album of the Year’, ‘Best Collabo’ and ‘Single of the Year’ for “Apes**t”. XXXTentacion, who passed away earlier this year, was awarded for ‘Best New Artist.’ Anderson .Paak took to the stage for a tribute to his friend Mac Miller, who also passed away unexpectedly in 2018. Lil Wayne took home the night’s biggest honor, the ‘I Am Hip Hop Award’ for his over two decades of contributions to hip hop culture.
The much anticipated cyphers were hosted by DJ Premier and featured a bevy of emcees dropping hot 16’s including Vic Mensa, Taylor Bennett, G Herbo, YBN Cordae Duckworth, Tobe Nwigwe, Blocboy JB, Casanova, Shawn Smith, Nick Grant, Reason, Armani White, Wynne, Flawless Real Talk, Phora and Big Pale. Erykah Badu jumped on the turntables for a special “ladies only” cypher highlighting some of the hottest “Femcees” including Neelam Hakeem, Chika, Bri Steves and Sharaya J.
The show opened with a spellbinding performance by Lil Pump featuring Gucci Maneperforming a medley of “Esskeetit,” “Kept Back,” and “Gucci Gang.” Lil Baby & Gunna kept it sexy with performances of “Yes, Indeed,” “Yosemite,” and “Drip Too Hard.” Yella Beezy brought everyone to their feet with his performance of “That’s On Me.” Over at Club Liv, Cardi B was joined by Pardison Fontaine where they performed a medley of club bangers including “Get Up 10″ and “Backin’ It Up.” YG and A$AP ROCKY got the crowd ready for anything with their performance of “Band Drum.” T.I. took us to an exotic nightclub for his performance “Jefe” and brought out Yo Gotti for a special performance of their single “Wraith.” Young M.A. brought down the house with her performance of “Petty Wap,” before presenting the award for ‘DJ of the Year.’ Flipp Dinero kept the energy going with his performance of “Leave Me Alone.” Lil Duval hit the stage with a much-anticipated performance of his Billboard Chart-topping hit,“Smile (Living My Best Life)” featuring Ball Greezy.
The complete list of 2018 BET “Hip Hop Awards” winners are:
Best Hip-Hop Video
Childish Gambino – “This is America”
Best Collabo, Duo or Group
The Carters – “APES**T”
Hot Ticket Performer
Drake
Lyricist of the Year
Kendrick Lamar
Video Director of the Year
Karena Evans
DJ of the Year
DJ Khaled
Producer of the Year
Pharrell Williams
MVP of the Year
Cardi B
Single of the Year
“Apes**t” – Produced By Pharrell (The Carters)
Album of the Year
The Carters – Everything Is Love
Best New Hip-Hop Artist
XXXTentacion
Hustler of the Year
Cardi B
Made-You-Look Award (Best Hip-Hop Style)
Cardi B
Best Hip-Hop Online Site/ App
Worldstar
Best Mixtape
BlocBoy JB – “Simi”
Sweet 16: Best Featured Verse
Cardi B – “Motorsport” (Migos Feat. Cardi B & Nicki Minaj)
Impact Track
Childish Gambino – “This Is America”
Jesse Collins, CEO of Jesse Collins Entertainment, served as Executive Producer of the BET Hip Hop Awardsalong with Connie Orlando, BET Head of Programming and Jeannae Rouzan–Clay, Vice President of Specials, Jesse Collins Entertainment.
BET.com/HipHopAwards is the official site for the BET “HIP HOP AWARDS” 2018 where fans can visit to get up-to-date info on this year’s show and take a look back on past BET Hip Hop Awards. The BET “HIP HOP AWARDS” 2018 will premiere on Tuesday, October 16, 2018 at8:00PM ET.
Comedian-Actor Zainab Johnson To Host The NBCUniversal SHORT FILM FESTIVAL
The 13th Annual NBCUniversal SHORT FILM FESTIVAL, which celebrates diverse stories while finding the next generation of storytellers, is hosting its finale screening and awards ceremony on October 24, 2018 at the Directors Guild of America.
Comedian-actor Zainab Johnson (“All Def Comedy,” “Last Comic Standing”) will host the finale event featuring screenings of the six finalist shorts: “B.U.T.S: Spanish Class,” “Kyenvu,” “Masks,” “Monday,” “Rani” and “We Know Where You Live.” Four of the finalist shorts were either written or directed by women, setting a record for female representation in front of and behind the camera.
The screening will be followed by an awards ceremony where celebrity presenters will hand out awards in eight categories including Outstanding Drama, Outstanding Comedy, Outstanding Director, Outstanding Writer, Outstanding Actor, the Audience Award, Critics’ Choice Award and HARNESS Social Impact Award presented by NBCUniversal Social Responsibility.
Fox Developing Biblical Police Drama From Ice Cube
Ice Cube’s production company, CubeVision, and The Chi co-executive producer Joseph C. Wilson are bringing the Bible to the standard procedural. Ice Cube and Wilson have garnered a script commitment plus penalty from Fox for Wilson’s faith-oriented police drama, according to Deadline. The show will reimagine stories from the Bible through the guise of a police force in Baltimore.
The drama’s main character, Melvin Reed, is described as “a larger-than-life District Commander” and is inspired by Baltimore Lieutenant Colonel and preacher Melvin Russell. Like Russell, Reed is described as a person who “sets out to do the impossible–transform one of the most crime-ridden districts in Baltimore by transforming the hearts and minds of both his officers and the residents they’re sworn to protect.” Russell acts as a producer on the show.
Ice Cube has several upcoming producer credits including Humbug, a retelling of A Christmas Carol, Last Friday and Ride Along 2, all of which stars him. On the television side, Ice Cube’s producing credits include Hip Hop Squares, Friday: The Animated Series and the TV adaptations of Are We There Yet? and Barbershop.
SOurce: Shadow & Act
WATCH: Trailer Released Tilted ‘Best Of Enemies’ Starring Taraji P. Henson
Days after the release date was unveiled, we now have the first trailer for Best of Enemies.
The film stars Academy Award nominee Taraji P. Henson and Academy Award winner Sam Rockwell.
The official description: Based on a true story, the film centers on the unlikely relationship between Ann Atwater (Henson), an outspoken civil rights activist, and C.P. Ellis (Rockwell), a local Ku Klux Klan leader who reluctantly co-chaired a community summit, battling over the desegregation of schools in Durham, North Carolina during the racially-charged summer of 1971. The incredible events that unfolded would change Durham and the lives of Atwater and Ellis forever.
Babou Ceesay, Anne Heche, Wes Bentley, Bruce McGill, John Gallagher Jr. and Nick Searcy also star.
The film is written and directed by Robin Bissell, who executive produced The Hunger Games and Seabiscuit. Best of Enemies is inspired by Osha Gray Davidson’s book The Best Enemies: Race and Redemption in the New South.
WATCH: New Trailer For BET’s ‘RUNNING OUT OF TIME’ Starring Tasha Smith & RonReaco Lee
Watch the new trailer for BET’s new film titled ‘Running Out Of Time’ starring Tasha Smith and RonReaco Lee which premieres on BET on Nov. 17th and then goes to digital/VOD on Nov. 19th. The film is directed by Chris Stokes and co-written with Marques Houston. “Running Out of Time” is about newly widowed Brenda Harper (Smith) and her family being taken hostage over something from her late husband’s (Lee) past.
Read the synopsis below;
Brenda Harper (Tasha Smith) recently suffered the loss of her husband from a sudden death. Newly widowed, taking care of her teenage daughter and ailing mother (Telma Hopkins), Brenda is the sole beneficiary of her husband’s assets, which include millions of dollars, property, and most importantly, a secret file that she has yet to discover. Brenda finds out from her husband’s closest friend, Cain (RonReaco Lee) that the file is hidden inside their home, so they think, when they are all taken hostage at Brenda’s Summer home by two masked men, who are now threatening to kill them all one by one if they don’t turn over the file. Having no answers, Brenda, her daughter, mother and Cain are tied up and held hostage until these masked men get what they want. With time running out, Brenda has to do whatever she can to ensure her family’s survival and fight for their lives.
Here’s the trailer;
Michael B. Jordan To Star In And Produce Hitman Film Titled ‘The Silver Bear’
Black Panther and Creed II star Michael B. Jordan will play the deadly assassin Columbus in The Silver Bear, a potential franchise launch for Lionsgate based on the book series by Wanted and 3:10 to Yuma screenwriter Derek Haas. Frank Baldwin (The Godmother) has written the script that tells the formative story of a man who becomes the most feared and respected hit man in the criminal underworld.
The film will be produced by Jordan through Outlier Society and Nickel City Pictures’ Vishal Rungta, Mark Fasano, Ankur Rungta. Haas, Michael Garnett and Tobias Weymar will serve as executive producers.
Haas wrote three followup novels featuring an assassin who is so effective he becomes what Russian criminals call a silver bear: he never fails, and he seems immune to the stresses of his work. But he comes up against his own nightmarish origins when he takes on the job of killing the Speaker of the House, who is also a leading presidential candidate—and Columbus’ father. Beyond playing strong physical roles in Black Panther and the upcoming Creed sequel, Jordan has been gathering steam for his Outlier Society, the production shingle he formed in 2016 with Alana Mayo heading production and development. He’s shooting the Destin Daniel Cretton-directed Just Mercy, and Outlier Society has a slate of percolating projects that includes Gen:Lock, Raising Dion and David Makes Man.
Nickel City optioned the rights to the book franchise last year and hired Baldwin, who also scripted the Liam Neeson-starrer Hard Powder.
Said Nickel City’s Rungta: “We could not be more excited to work with Michael and Lionsgate. We have been huge fans of Michael all the way back to his days in The Wire, and from our first meeting we knew that he was the perfect fit for the role of Columbus.”
In confirming the story exclusively for Deadline, Lionsgate Motion Picture Group chairman Joe Drake called The Silver Bear “the kind of story that needs to be experienced on the big screen and Michael is the perfect movie star to inhabit the skin of this dynamic character and take us into the cinematic world of Columbus.”
Jordan is represented by WME and attorney Greg Slewett. Haas is WME and Adam Kaller; Baldwin is Syndicate Entertainment, Leverage Management and Stuart Rosenthal. WME and Bloom Hergott Diemer Rosenthal represent Outlier Society and Endeavor Content and Jerry Dasti of Sloss Eckhouse LawCo represented Nickel City Pictures.
Source: Deadline
TV ONE Highlights TICHINA ARNOLD & WAYNE BRADY In Premiere Of Series ‘UNSUNG HOLLYWOOD’ & ‘UNCENSORED’
TV One’s original, documentary series UNSUNG HOLLYWOOD and UNCENSORED will air new episodes Sunday, October 21. Kicking off at 9 p.m. ET/8C with untold stories from comedian/actor/singer Wayne Brady, the popular franchise UNSUNG HOLLYWOOD profiles influential black celebrities in Hollywood. UNCENSORED, which gives unprecedented access to your favorite personalities, follows at 10 p.m ET/9C with actress Tichina Arnold.
UNSUNG HOLLYWOOD
Multi-Emmy Award winning comic, singer and actor Wayne Brady broke barriers as one of the first African Americans to specialize in improvisational humor but his success triggered backlash from some members of the black community who felt his style was too safe. On Sunday, October 21at 9/8C, Wayne Brady reveals to UNSUNG HOLLYWOOD his professional ups and downs, and personal struggles that nearly cost him his career and life.
Wayne Brady shot to fame on the primetime hit series “Whose Line Is It Anyway” where his quick-witted riffs earned him an Emmy award in 1993. He went on to star in his own variety show, “The Wayne Brady Show,” as well as a talk show of the same name, for which he would win four more Emmy’s. While he gained mainstream popularity, his style of comedy didn’t go over well with all audiences. Many in the black community felt he watered down his style in attempts to be more likeable. In true comedic fashion, Wayne Brady responded to his critics with an unforgettable portrayal of a ruthless, hardcore gangster on the “Dave Chappelle Show.” He continued to demonstrate his versatility as a performer when he released a rendition of the Sam Cooke classic “Change is Gonna Come,” which earned him a Grammy nomination in 2008. Wayne Brady hosted Fox’s “Don’t Forget the Lyrics” and currently hosts the classic CBS daytime game show “Let’s Make a Deal.” For all of his accolades, his personal life has been filled with divorce, drinking and a longtime battle with clinical depression. Find out how Wayne Brady navigated Hollywood while dealing with his private battles.
UNSUNG HOLLYWOOD is a spin-off born of TV One’s longest-running, six-time NAACP Image Award winning franchise UNSUNG, and profiles some of the most talented, versatile, and influential black celebrities in Hollywood, from movies and television to comedy, sports and more. The remaining episode delves deep into the life of comedian/TV/radio personality Rickey Smiley.
UNCENSORED
Hollywood leading lady Tichina Arnold has captivated audiences with her quick wit and undeniable charm for over four decades. On the next episode of TV One’s hit auto-biographical series UNCENSORED airing Sunday, October 21 at 10/9C, Tichina Arnold discusses her rise from humble beginnings and the challenges of balancing a successful career with motherhood.
Born in Brooklyn, New York, Tichina Arnold was encouraged by her family early on to pursue her dreams of acting. After landing her first role in a play, she knew acting was what she wanted to do for the rest of her life. She eventually booked her first acting job on the soap opera “Ryan’s Hope” and went on to land a major role in the film “Little Shop of Horrors,” where she would meet her longtime best friend Tisha Campbell.
Together, they ventured to California and Tichina secured a string of roles in hit shows including “All My Children,” “Martin,” “Everybody Hates Chris,” and “Survivors Remorse.” Her years of success were also accompanied by loss and hardships but she remained focused on her dreams. A three-time NAACP Image Award winner, Tichina Arnold finds joy in her most challenging role to date – motherhood. She’s transcended generations and continues to bring laughter and love into the lives of millions. This episode goes deep into Tichina Arnold’s life chronicling her journey of good times and bad.
UNCENSOREDexplores the lives of your favorite personalities as they reveal secrets to their success, obstacles they’ve faced, and how they manage this new world of social media that has helped, but sometimes haunted their careers. The episodes give unprecedented access to stars of film, television, music, and pop culture, including actor/comedian Lil Rel Howery as they personally reveal their own stories, in their own words.
Netflix Announces New Comedy Series Titled ‘Family Reunion,’ Starring Tia Mowry, Loretta Devine
Netflix has announced “Family Reunion,” a multi-generational live action comedy series. The series, which recently began production, stars Loretta Devine (“The Carmichael Show”) and Tia Mowry (“Sister, Sister”). Mowry will play Cocoa McKellan, a free-spirited mother who travels from the big city with her family to a small town for her family reunion and gets to know their extended clan. Devine will portray the loving but strict matriarch of the family, M’Dear, and Anthony Alabi (“Insecure”) plays Cocoa’s husband.
Rounding out the cast as the McKellan children are Talia Jackson as 14-year old Jade, Isaiah Russell-Bailey as 12-year old Shaka, Cameron J. “CJ” Wright as 10-year old Mazzi, and Jordyn James as 8-year old Ami. The show is executive produced and created by Meg DeLoatch (“Fuller House”) and directed by Eric Dean Seaton (“Modern Family”).
HBO Short Film Competition At ABFF Launches Call For Submissions
The 23rd annual American Black Film Festival (ABFF) returns to Miami from June 12-16, 2019 and continues to showcase quality film and television content by and about people of African descent. Film submissions are now open, with over $50,000 in cash and prizes being awarded at the festival’s Best of ABFF Awards presentation.
HBO® is the founding sponsor of the festival and is launching its 22nd consecutive short film competition today. Past winning directors of this competition include Ryan Coogler, Steven Caple, Jr., Solvan Naim, Kiel Adrian Scott, and Rashaad Ernesto Green, all of whom have gone on to direct studio films and network television episodes.
“As a founding sponsor, HBO has shared the American Black Film Festival’s mission to elevate the world of black film and to introduce and connect talented newcomers to the industry. Now more than ever, we want to continue elevating unique, bold and emerging talent,” said Dennis Williams, Senior Vice President of Corporate Affairs and Corporate Social Responsibility, HBO.
Festival attendees will have their choice of over seventy programs and events, including celebrity conversations, panels, master classes, spotlight screenings and hospitality lounges, in addition to screenings in four competitive categories: Narrative Features, Documentary Features, Web Series and Short Films. A distinguished panel of jurors, who will be announced at a later date, will determine the winners.
“The American Black Film Festival is thrilled to be partnered with HBO for the past 22 years. Together, we have identified many of today’s most prolific storytellers who have been instrumental in ushering a new generation of artists to the film and television industry. Our goal is to remain the most prominent pipeline of undiscovered talent in front of and behind the camera,” said Jeff Friday, CEO and Founder, ABFF Ventures.
Below is a brief description for each category. For complete submission criteria and eligibility visit www.abff.com/submissions.
COMPETITIVE CATEGORIES
– HBO® Short Film Competition: Regarded as one of the most prestigious short film showcases in the country, five filmmakers are selected as finalists and receive a trip to the festival in Miami Beach, Fla. (including airfare and hotel accommodations) for an opportunity to screen their short film at the American Black Film Festival in Miami. Films must have a maximum runtime of 20 minutes, inclusive of credits.
– Narrative Features: Films that tell a fictional story, event or narrative.
– Documentaries: Nonfiction films intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction, education, or creating and maintaining a historical record.
– Web Series: Short form narrative or documentary episodic television series.
NON-COMPETITIVE SHOWCASE CATEGORIES
– World Showcase: A non-competitive section for narrative and documentary feature films made by persons of African descent or depicting a multicultural experience.
– Emerging Directors: Narratives, documentaries, message-related videos and other content from directors of African descent.
– Social Impact Screenings: A showcase for films based on cause-related topics affecting communities of color. The 2019 Social Impact Screenings topic will be Fatherhood: The Foundation of the Black Family.
Festival passes are on sale now at www.abff.com, and offer five (5) different levels of access to festival events. Questions regarding registration may be directed to info@abffventures.com.
New Subscription-Video Service Zeus To Debut Comedies From Michael Blackson, DeStorm Power, And BlameItOnKway
Influencer-driven subscription video service Zeus is set to premiere three new original comedies this fall starring social-media stars DeStorm Power, BlameItOnKway and Michael Blackson.
The $3.99-per-month service, launched this past July, is geared around a diverse, millennial-targeted slate of premium content starring and produced by popular creators. Zeus was co-founded last year by a trio of top social-media personalities — DeStorm Power, Amanda Cerny and King Bach — and TV producer Lemuel Plummer, who serves as president and CEO.
Comedy series “Bad Escorts,” created by and starring DeStorm Power, hits Zeus on Oct. 20. Power plays a pizza-delivery man who, along with his also-struggling-to-make-ends-meet buddies form a male escort service, managed by their mutual friend Candice. After achieving a little success despite no proper training, the motley crew must learn to adapt to the unfamiliar world of male escorts.
Power, who also serves as co-president of Zeus, received a 2018 Emmy nomination for actor in a short-form comedy or drama series for the streaming service’s “Caught” season one, billed as a “hip-hopera.”
BlameItOnKway’s “Titi Do You Love Me?”, premiering Nov. 4, was created by and stars the social-media comedian (whose real name is Kwaylon Rogers) in his first Zeus original series. BlameItOnKway has nearly 4 million followers and counts Tyler Perry, Rihanna and Kylie Jenner among his fans.
BlameItOnKway made a cameo as his Titi alter-ego in Janet Jackson’s tribute to her brother Michael Jackson’s video “Remember The Time,” featuring her new single “Made for Now” — and now Titi is getting a show of her own. In “Titi Do You Love Me?” the self-proclaimed (and wholly delusional) queen of beauty, style and grace is now looking for her king to fill her life. Through a series of outrageous competitions for the seven-round elimination process, the selected bachelors do their best — or worst — to be the last man standing to claim Titi as their queen.
The third new show, “Dr. Blackson,” stars Ghanaian-born comedian-actor Michael Blackson (“Next Friday”) and premieres Nov. 10. Dr. Blackson is untrained, unlicensed and uncertified — but none of that matters to his roster of troubled clients. The “advice” series is an extension of Blackson’s popular “Advice Column” segments on his Instagram page, which has 3.3 million followers.
Previous Zeus original series that have already launched include “Caught” season two starring and written by DeStorm Power; “A Taste of Dance with Amanda Cerny”; “Your Best Life,” starring and produced by King Bach; “The Lab Ratz,” starring, written and produced by Ry Doon, Luke Flipp and Marlon Webb; and “The Scholarship,” starring Young Ezee and Natalie Odell.
Zeus is available on iOS and Android mobile phones and desktop computers at thezeusnetwork.com.
Watch the trailers for Zeus’ “Bad Escorts” and “Titi Do You Love Me?”
