Issa Rae, Yara Shahidi, And More To Be Honored On ‘Black Girls Rock!’ On BET!
The BET fan-favorite program, Black Girls Rock!, is returning to the network in August. Airing on August 20th, it’ll be held at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark, New Jersey on August 5, 2017.
Honorees include Insecure creator and actress Issa Rae (Star Power Award), black-ish actress and activist Yara Shahidi (Young Gifted and Black Award), Grammy Award-winning songstress Roberta Flack (Living Legend Award), Wall Street powerhouse and pioneer Suzanne Shank (Shot Caller Award) and community organizers Derrica Wilson and Natalie Wilson of The Black & Missing Foundation (Community Change Agent Award).
It was announced earlier this month that Jesse Collins (The New Edition Story) will produce the show.
Created by celebrity DJ and women’s empowerment advocate Beverly Bond, Black Girls Rock!honors the groundbreaking achievements of Black women who have fearlessly broken barriers in the areas of art, business, entertainment and community service.
“Celebrating the incredible accomplishments of these outstanding women and girls is the highlight of my year. Black women are continuing to lead in amazing ways across a multitude of platforms and I am so proud that BET Networks has the opportunity to honor them and show the world why “BlackGirlsRock”! Every year this show goes higher to showcase the beauty, talent, intelligence and sisterhood among African American women. This year won’t be any different,” said BET CEO and chairman Debra Lee.
2016 honorees included Rihanna, Shonda Rhimes, Danai Gurira, Amandla Stenberg, Gladys Knight and BLM founders Patrisse Cullors, Opal Tometi and Alicia Garza.
Source: Shadow & Act
‘Beat Shazam’ Renewed For Season 2 At FOX
Jamie Foxx and his summer musical game show Beat Shazam are staying put at Fox. The network on Wednesday announced a second season of the alternative show, which premiered in May.Airing first-runs on Thursdays at 8 p.m., Beat Shazam has averaged a 1.2 rating among adults 18-49, per Nielsen’s live-plus-3 returns, and a multiplatform audience of 4.4 million viewers.
“Jamie is the ultimate host and entertainer,” Fox alternative entertainment and specials president Rob Wade said in a statement. “He’s a larger-than-life personality, with a passion for music that’s infectious, and we can’t wait to have him return for another great round of Beat Shazam in season two.”
Still in contention for renewals are fellow summer debuts Love Connection, The F Word and Superhuman, though none have fared quite as well as Beat Shazam.
The series is executive produced by Foxx, Mark Burnett, Jeff Apploff and Barry Poznick.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
Rapper DMX Busted On Tax Fraud Charges!
NEW YORK (AP) — Rapper DMX has been arrested in New York on federal tax fraud charges.
Prosecutors say the rapper, whose given name is Earl Simmons, owes $1.7 million in taxes and has engaged in a multi-year scheme to conceal millions of dollars of income from the Internal Revenue Service.
Prosecutors say Simmons raked in millions from his songs, including the 2003 hit “X Gon’ Give it to Ya,” and avoided paying taxes by setting up accounts in other’s names and paying personal expenses largely in cash.
The 46-year-old Yonkers native was arrested on Thursday. He’s to appear in Manhattan federal court on Friday. A telephone call to his previous lawyer’s office went unanswered.
In 2015, Simmons spent more than two months in a New York jail for failing to pay child support.
Tyler Perry To Produce Programming For BET And Other Networks
Tyler Perry has entered into a multiyear content partnership with Viacom, it was announced yesterday. The deal will cover TV, film and shortform video projects, including producing approximately 90 episodes annually of original drama and comedy series for BET and other Viacom networks. Viacom will have exclusive licensing rights on this programming and exclusive distribution rights to his shortform video content.
Paramount, meanwhile, will have exclusive “first-look” rights on any new feature film concepts from Perry.
The move comes as Viacom has been focusing on strengthening its talent relationships, and Perry has been a reliable producer of films and TV in the comedy space, including his Madea film franchise and his slate of series on Oprah Winfrey’s OWN network.
The film component of the deal is effective immediately, with the partnership on Perry’s TV and shortform video content to go into effect in May 2019, following the expiration of Perry’s exclusive agreement with OWN. Viacom’s agreement will extend through 2024.
“Today’s announcement represents an important step forward as Viacom continues to make swift progress against our new strategic plan,” said Viacom president and CEO Bob Bakish. “By prioritizing efforts to work with the best, most versatile talent in the entertainment industry, we are better positioned to deliver must-watch content across our brands and platforms. Tyler is a prolific creative force, and I’m excited that this collaboration will bring his signature humor and powerful storytelling to Viacom’s audiences while further cementing BET’s position as the leading home for bold, relevant African-American programming and scripted content.”
Added Debra L. Lee, chairman and CEO of BET: “I am delighted that we are deepening our longstanding relationship with Tyler. BET co-funded Tyler’s very first feature film, we’ve aired his movies and many of his series with great success on our networks, and we’ve honored his tremendous talent with our signature awards. This partnership will allow us to work even more closely with him and bring more of his iconic content to our viewers.”
Perry is the creative mind behind seven television series and 16 feature films in addition to 20 plays and a best-selling book. His first TV series, Tyler Perry’s House of Payne, set then-ratings records for a basic cable sitcom when it debuted on TBS and was followed up by the successful Meet the Browns.
Perry’s new collaboration with BET comes in addition to the five series he currently has on the air. On Oprah Winfrey’s OWN, he exec produces The Haves and Have Nots, If Loving You Is Wrong, For Better or Worse and Love Thy Neighbor, and one series for TLC, Too Close to Home.
“Viacom has a rich tradition of reaching my audience through their TV, film and digital platforms and I am excited to partner with them,” said Perry. “I am eager to have one home where I can leverage all of their assets to tell my stories to an even wider audience. I have been very blessed to have worked with the incredible people at Lionsgate and OWN over the last few years, and I look forward to continuing my work with them on a non-exclusive basis.”
Too Close to Home marked TLC’s first foray into scripted while Perry’s slate of series helped give OWN a major boost on the scripted side in the network’s early years before the additions of prestige dramas Greenleaf and Queen Sugar last year. (Both cable networks are owned by Discovery Communications.)
OWN issued a statement Friday about Perry’s upcoming move, mentioning both Greenleaf and Queen Sugar by name.
“OWN has an exclusive overall television production deal with Tyler Perry that runs through May of 2019 with series airing on the network through 2020. At the end of the exclusive relationship, OWN and Tyler Perry have the option to work together on a non-exclusive basis,” the network said. “OWN has had great success in the scripted space with Tyler Perry and with its new original dramas Queen Sugar and Greenleaf. The network will continue to aggressively expand its roster of premium original scripted series.”
For BET, the partnership with Perry comes several months after Viacom unveiled a new plan for its extensive cable portfolio that would focus on six core brands, one of which is BET. Since the success of its first original scripted series The Game and Being Mary Jane, the network has been pushing further into the originals space in recent years with The Quad, Rebel and Tales, all which debuted earlier this year.
Russell Simmons’ All Def Digital And Dormtainment Debut A New Scripted Comedy Titled ‘SNAP’!
Russell Simmons’ All Def Digital and Dormtainment have teamed up for the release of a scripted comedy special, SNAP!
SNAP! centers on the hottest Atlanta snap rap group of 2006, Stacks-4-Daze — except that was in 2006. Now, the group members are all broke, working dead-end jobs in Los Angeles. But when a video of them accidentally goes viral on Worldstar, they get a second chance at fame. Can they bring the stacks back?
“We are thrilled to have partnered with Dormtainment, one of our earliest partners on the YouTube platform, to produce this unique, hilarious special. They have such a loyal fanbase, and their ability to create highly engaging short form content, long form premium content, and even sell-out, live stage experiences is truly special. We are excited to get this project out for our fans and theirs, and for the broader world to see, as we continue to expand and work with some of the brightest up and coming talent in the industry,” said Sanjay Sharma, All Def’s Chief Executive.
SNAP! was created and written by Dormtainment (Amanuel Richards, Cameron Miller, Chaz Miller, Mike Damn & Stevie Green). It’s directed by Olumide Odebunmi & Richards, and executive produced by Russell Simmons, Chris Conti and Harris Sherman for All Def and producer Wondwossen Dikran. In addition to Dormtainment, the special stars Jade Novah, Hari Williams, Tavi Fields, Gail Bean, and features special appearances by All Def’s in house comedic team.
You can watch the trailer below and if you have YouTube Red (or their 3-month free trial) watch it in full here.
Source: Shadow & Act
Anthony Anderson, Tracee Ellis Ross, ‘Black-Ish’, Leslie Jones, And Donald Glover All Earn Emmy Nods!
Yesterday was a big day for comedy when the Emmys were announced. There were some surprises and there were some no-so surprises.
We were expecting to see these announcements for Best Actor and Actress In A Comedy Series;
In the Best Lead Actress In A Comedy Series category, Tracee Ellis Ross is nominated for black-ish. This is her second Emmy nomination for the ABC comedy series, in a category that has been dominated by Julia Louis-Dreyfus, who has won the award 5 years in a row for HBO’s Veep. Could 2017 be year number 6 for her? Or will Emmy voters dethrone her and give the trophy to a fresh face in this category, like Ross?
In the Best Lead Actor In A Comedy Series category, Anthony Anderson is nominated for black-ish and Donald Glover is nominated for Atlanta. This is Anderson’s 3rd nomination for black-ish (he’s never won) and Glover’s first for Atlanta (a new entry in this category this year, its first season).
In the Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series category, Leslie Jones is nominated for Saturday Night Live. It’s her first Emmy nomination.
For us, we were looking for Deon Cole’s name as he was definitely a sure fire hit to be nominated- so we ask- where was Cole’s name? Did we miss it? Someone tell us!
Atlanta’ Is Lone Freshman Comedy To Break Through 2017 Emmys- Gets Six Emmy Nods!
GUY D’ALEMA/FX
In a year of repeat comedy contenders, one new series managed to break through.
FX’s critically-acclaimed hip-hop comedy “Atlanta” from triple-threat Donald Glover is the lone freshman series to score a nomination in the major comedy series category this year. Overall, “Atlanta” earned six Emmy nominations.
“Atlanta” follows in the footsteps of last year’s freshman breakout comedy “Master of None,” which was nominated in 2016 in the comedy series, lead actor, writing, and directing categories — and took the trophy for writing — and, like “Atlanta,” is also from a multi-hyphenate auteur, Aziz Ansari. This year, both Glover and Ansari will be up against each other for comedy series, comedy actor and writing. Glover also nabbed an addition nod for directing.
In addition to critical acclaim, “Atlanta” has already been an awards magnet, picking up best comedy series statues at the WGA Awards, the PGA Awards, the Critics Choice Awards and the Golden Globes all earlier this year. Glover himself also took top prizes in directing (from the Image Awards) as well as acting (Critics Choice and Golden Globes). The series also won the overall title of TV Program of the Year at the AFI Awards, as well as a Peabody Award.
To earn the Emmy gold, though, it will have to topple two-time comedy series champion “Veep,” as well as “Black-ish,” “Modern Family,” “Silicon Valley,” “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt,” and the aforementioned “Master of None.”
Source: Variety
Kevin Hart’s Video Subscription App To Stream Classic ‘Def Comedy Jam’ Episodes
CREDIT: Getty Images
If you think today’s stand up routines are pretty funny, you don’t even know what laughing uncontrollably is until you witness the classic acts of the 90s. Luckily, Kevin Hart is taking fans on a blast through comedy’s past with his new streaming app, Laugh Out Loud. The video subscription app, which is in partnership with Lionsgate, will reportedly allow viewers to stream all seven seasons of the legendary HBO series, Def Comedy Jam.
Laugh Out Loud will be the first platform to ever stream all of the classic episodes. Def Comedy Jam initially ran on the premium cable channel from 1992 to 1997 with a brief revival in the early 2000s. The Russell Simmons-produced show included early performances from some of the most premier comedy talents in the game, including Bernie Mac, Dave Chappelle, Chris Tucker, Martin Lawrence, and Jamie Foxx. Hart also has a special relationship with the show. He got his first televised slot during the Def Comedy Jam revival in 2006.
Being able to binge-watch Def Comedy Jam is just the beginning of what Hart’s app is offering. Additionally, the platform will stream seven original, scripted and unscripted programs, according to the press release. The first original show is Kevin Hart: Lyft Legend, which will depict the comedian going undercover as a Lyft driver. The show will reportedly consist of six episodes and run on a weekly schedule. It will also feature celebrity guests like Trey Songz.
The Laugh Out Loud app is one of many business ventures Hart has been looking into in the last year. The latest stunt comes shortly after it was announced that the comedian would executive produce and guest star in the upcoming Showtime comedy, The Studio. He will also be starring in the remake of the 1988 comedy, The Great Outdoors.
The Laugh Out Loud streaming service will be available to download for free on iOS and Android devices. Another payment option will be offered to viewers who would like to watch content ad-free. Laugh Out Loud will launch on Aug. 3.
Source: VIBE
On This Day In Comedy… Comedian, Actor, Producer, And Writer Eddie Murphy Was Born!
On this day in comedy on April 3, 1961, Comedian, Actor, Writer, Musical Artist, Edward Regan “Eddie” Murphy was born in Brooklyn, New York!
When his father, Charles, an amateur comedian, died when Murphy was young, Eddie Murphy and his older brother Charlie found themselves in a foster home for a year because their mother had fallen ill. It was that time, Murphy later said, that helped form his sense of humor. His mother, Lillian, later remarried after regaining her health and reunited the family and young Eddie began performing skits he’d written around the age of 15.
Murphy’s writing skills came in handy in 1980 when he landed a featured player spot on Saturday Night Live during the show’s bleak period. It was Murphy’s infusion of signature characters (Buckwheat, Gumby, Mr. Robinson, and James Brown) that admittedly kept the show afloat during the era creator / producer, Lorne Michaels was absent.
During and after his tenure at SNL, Murphy stretched his stand-up muscles. He released his first album, Eddie Murphy in 1982, Delirious in 1983 and Raw in 1987. However, Murphy virtually abandoned stand-up when his film career took off, starting with 1982’s 48 HRS, co-starring, Nick Nolte. It was a hit as were his next two films, Trading Places with Dan Aykroyd and Beverly Hills Cop (Murphy’s first starring vehicle). With a trifecta like that out of the box, Murphy was a certified movie star. So naturally they dug up one of his early duds and tried to capitalize on his success and momentum. The dud was Best Defense, starring Dudley Moore. Murphy had a small part boosted up in the marketing to be a big part (they dubbed him “Strategic Guest Star”). The main part was Murphy himself said it was a terrible flick and went back to making hits and offered hits. Murphy was originally slated to be the 4th Ghostbuster, a part written specifically for him by Dan Aykroyd for the box office hit, Ghostbusters, but when scheduling conflicts occurred the part of Winston Zeddemore went to Ernie Hudson.
Few things slowed Murphy down in the early days. Like the way he saved, SNL from financial ruin, he did the same for the dollar strapped Paramount Studios. Thanks to Murphy the studio came back to profitability. He cranked them out for that studio and others: The Golden Child, Beverly Hills Cop II, Boomerang, Another 48 Hrs, Vampire in Brooklyn (co-written with brother, Charlie), Harlem Nights (where he wrote, directed and starred alongside, Richard Pryor and Redd Foxx), Life, Mulan, Dr. Dolittle, the Shrek Saga, Daddy Day Care, The Haunted Mansion and Bowfinger (with Steve Martin).
It’s no surprise Murphy was criticized for playing multiple parts in his films (Coming to America, The Nutty Professor, The Klumps, etc.), a practice he rightfully defended since it was an homage to one of his comedy idols, Peter Sellers, who did it in many of his films, most notably Dr. Strangelove.
With such massive successes, there were statistically bound to be failures; especially in a collaborative field such as film. And when Eddie Murphy had a bad film it was always reported as the end of his career. The list of laugh-stoppers included, Beverly Hills Cop III, Metro, I-Spy, Holy Man and The Adventures of Pluto Nash (rated as one of the worse films ever made with a worldwide box office take of $7 million to prove it).
The film adapted from the Broadway smash hit, Dreamgirls was a turning point in Murphy’s career. He played a dramatic part which required singing and was rewarded for the stretch. He won the Golden Globe, SAG and Broadcast Film Critics Association awards for his performance and was nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Oscar. He left the auditorium when he lost the Academy Award to Alan Arkin. They said the shocker of a loss was because of his film Norbit, in which Murphy played multiple parts, one being a fat woman some found offensive. Any excuse.
Eddie Murphy also sang . . . seriously. He did background vocals for songs released by his buddies, The Bus Boys. He released “Boogie in Your Butt” and had hits with “Party All th Time” which was produced by Rick James and “Put Your Mouth on Me”. Murphy recorded, “I Was a King”, a duet with Shabba Ranks and the reggae song, “Red Light” with Snoop Lion in 2013.
Comedy Central ranked Eddie Murphy #10 on its list of the 100 Greatest Stand-ups of All Time. Box-office takes from Murphy’s films make him the 5th-highest grossing actor in the United States. His films have made over $6.6 billion worldwide and he was awarded by the John F. Kennedy Center, the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor in 2015.
On This Day In Comedy… In 1997 ‘Smart Guy’ Premiered On The WB!
On this day in comedy on April 2, 1997, Smart Guy premiered on the WB!
This spin-off of Sister, Sister, stars Tahj Mowry, real life little brother to Sister, Sister stars, Tia and Tamera Mowry. On this show, Mowry plays a child genius (photographic memory, speaks multiple languages, etc.), who went from the 4th Grade to the 10th grade and all the adjustments he must make in his new life. He now attends the same high school as his older brother (Jason Weaver) and sister (Essence Atkins), which they’re not crazy about. For one – they’re not as smart as him (at least his older brother isn’t anyway – he’s the dumb one, sis is smart). After that there’s no reason for a second reason they don’t like it.
Set in Washington, DC, the sitcom was created by Danny Kallis and produced by de Passe Entertainment. Omar Gooding plays Tahj’s older brother’s underachieving friend and John Marshall Jones has the role of the trio’s single parent father. Kyla Pratt also has a recurring role.
Smart Guy aired its final episode on May 16, 1999. During its three-season run, Smart Guy was nominated for 7 major awards including American Cinema Foundation, Humanitas Prize, NAACP Image, Young Artist and Young Star Award. Four of those nominations were for Tahj Mowery’s acting.
