By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Correspondent @StacyBrownMedia Among many other trailblazing accomplishments, W.E.B. Du Bois stood among the many African Americans who composed, sang, and otherwise reveled in opera. In 1955, Marian Anderson broke the color barrier at the Met. Yes, Blacks in opera – it’s a thing. Opera is as much a part […]
Category: Music
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New Documentary Threatens to Expose Michael Jackson as Child Predator
By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Correspondent @StacyBrownMedia First R. Kelly. Now it’s the late King of Pop. After the scathing and gut-wrenching Lifetime Television documentary, “Surviving R. Kelly,” shed more light on the alleged crimes of the R&B crooner, a new film about Michael Jackson threatens to do the same to the late “Thriller” […]
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2019 Songwriters Hall Class: Missy, Cat Stevens, John Prine
By MESFIN FEKADU , AP Music Writer NEW YORK (AP) — Missy Elliott is making history as the first female rapper inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, whose 2019 class also includes legendary British singer Cat Stevens and country-folk icon John Prine. The organization announced the new group of inductees Saturday. Other inductees include Tom […]
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Illinois Refuses Permit For Concert To Be Hosted By R. Kelly
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — Illinois officials say a concert in Springfield that was to be hosted by R. Kelly cannot take place in the wake of new sexual misconduct allegations against the R&B star. Illinois Department of Agriculture spokeswoman Denise Albert told the Chicago Tribune that the application for the Spring Break Jam in April was denied […]
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Cardi B Leads iHeartRadio Awards With 13 Nods, Drake Has 8
By The Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — Cardi B has 13 reasons to celebrate: She’s nominated for 13 honors at the 2019 iHeartRadio Music Awards. IHeartMedia announced Wednesday that the rapper is the most nominated act, competing for honors such as song of the year for “Girls Like You” with Maroon 5 and female […]
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Executive Producer Dream Hampton Talks “Surviving R. Kelly”
By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Correspondent @StacyBrownMedia For Dream Hampton, who served as executive producer of the much-talked about “Surviving R. Kelly” documentary, the explosive revelations in the film were just the tip of the iceberg. Hampton said there were many things she couldn’t talk about and will never discuss because it’s “so dark […]
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The Latest: R. Kelly’s Attorney Denies Abuse Allegations
By The Associated Press STOCKBRIDGE, Ga. (AP) — The Latest on a documentary detailing abuse allegations against R. Kelly (all times local): 8:25 p.m. An attorney for R. Kelly says abuse allegations made against the R&B star in a recent documentary are false. FILE – In this June 30, 2013 file photo, R. Kelly performs […]
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Fox’s ‘Masked Singer’ Draws a Strong Audience for Debut
By DAVID BAUDER , AP Television Writer NEW YORK (AP) — Fox hoped to use a week when there wasn’t much else on broadcast television besides football to draw attention to its new competition “The Masked Singer.” The strategy proved sound. The Nielsen company said that 9.37 million people watched the series debut last Wednesday. That […]
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Tia Fuller, Fierce Woman in Jazz, Takes Shot at 1st Grammy
By MESFIN FEKADU , AP Music Writer NEW YORK (AP) — Saxophonist Tia Fuller was crying in bed. And praising God. She’d just received the news that she was nominated for her first-ever Grammy Award — but it’s not just any nomination: Her inclusion in the best jazz instrumental album category is a historic moment […]
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Lawsuit: Rapper Boosie Targeted For Shopping While Black
By The Associated Press BILOXI, Miss. (AP) — Hip-hop star Boosie BadAzz says he was pepper-sprayed by a mall guard in Mississippi because he’s black, but the guard and police say otherwise. The Sun Herald reported Thursday on pretrial testimony in Boosie’s federal lawsuit. The celebrity entered a Dillard’s store with about 20 onlookers during Biloxi’s 2017 […]
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Soulja Boy’s Car Among Those Trapped By California Mudslide
By The Associated Press LOS ANGELES (AP) — Rapper Soulja Boy was among motorists whose cars were trapped by mudslides caused by a powerful storm that shut down Southern California’s Pacific Coast Highway. The 28-year-old retweeted a photo of the mudslides in Malibu on Saturday. Rapper Soulja Boy was among the motorists whose cars were […]
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With Dr. Dre Behind Him, Anderson .Paak is Feeling Epic
By GARY GERARD HAMILTON , Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — Getting Dr. Dre to produce his entire album had Anderson .Paak feeling like “the prodigal son,” as he put it, since it’s rare that you’ll find Dre overseeing an entire music project these days. “To see him so inspired and genuinely having fun with […]