Wayans: ‘50 Shades of Black’ is not shady

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Marlon Wayans has excelled in the sport of comedy. In terms of film, he has been notorious for parodies like “Scary Movie” 1 & 2 and his most recent franchise, “The Haunted House.” The latest parody that is in theaters is “50 Shades of Black.” A comedic twist on the romantic drama “50 Shades of Grey,” “this movie answers the question, ‘What if Christian Grey were Black?’ He is rich, a bit shady, and he is really bad in bed,” said Marlon Wayans who plays Christian Black in the film.

“50 Shades of Black” is about an inexperienced college student who meets a wealthy businessman whose sexual practice puts a strain on their relationship. The story line is identical to “50 Shades of Grey,” which debuted February 2015. “50 Shades of Grey” was based of the popular book that released in 2011. The book received national exposure by how it illustrates the sexual practices of BDSM or bondage, dominance, submission and sadomasochism.

“In the world of dominance who is the hardest person to make submissive? A Black woman,” said Wayans. The actor also explains that even though this movie is more mature than his other projects, he won’t be as graphic as the original material. “We don’t go gross, we go funny. I don’t do things to just to offend people. I can do a ‘ooh’ if there is a big ‘ha’ afterwards,” said Wayans.

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Funkfest: Miramar hosts throwback

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On Jan. 1, South Florida residents will be able to ring in the new year with classic songs from old school artists. The traveling music festival called Funkfest is making a stop in South Florida for the first time at Miramar Regional Park. “Funk music is the grandfather of all music. I want to build a festival that has all types of music,” said Leo Bennett, president of Variety entertainment, the promotion company behind the Funkfest.

The Miami Funk Fest is going to dive into the Miami Bass era as it has a secret Miami Bass tribute performance and the 2 Live Crew and Uncle Luke performing together one last time. “I am excited to see the reaction of the crowd during the Miami Bass performance. It’s been awhile since Uncle Luke and 2 Live crew performed together in Miami and I want to see how that is going to go,” said Bennett.

Funkfest features popular R&B and Hip Hop artists of the ‘80s and ‘90s.The list includes Doug E Fresh, Fantasia, Jagged Edge, New Edition and a reunion performance of Uncle Luke and the 2 Live Crew.

“I have not performed in Miami in over 25 years. This is also the last show I will perform with the 2 Live Crew,” said Luther “Uncle Luke” Campbell, rapper and author. According to Uncle Luke, attendees of the Miami Funkfest are getting the best acts since Miami is the last stop of the 2015 tour.

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‘The Force Awakens’ sells out, breaks records

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In January 2013, the announcement that J.J. Abrams was directing the next Star Wars movie had fans of the series excited for the next chapter. Three years later, “Star Wars: The Force Awakens,” is releasing on Dec. 18.

This isn’t just a normal movie release as everything has a Star Wars theme to celebrate the return of the space phenomenon. Expectations are dramatically high and the passion is very real for local fans of the galactic action series. “I am more excited about the movie coming out than my graduation,” said Sandeep Varry, a master’s degree student at Florida International University.

“Star Wars: The Force Awakens” takes place 30 years after the events of “Episode VI: Return of the Jedi.” The movie follows the adventure of protagonist Rey and Finn as they travel the galaxy to find Luke Skywalker to combat the new villain Kylo Ren and the First Order. Daisy Ridley and John Boyega, respectively, play Rey and Finn.

Veteran actors Mark Hamill and Harrison Ford are reprising their roles of Luke Skywalker and Han Solo. The last Star Wars film that released in theaters was “Episode III: Revenge of the Sith” in 2005.

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Miss Jessie founder talks her business savvy

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The owner of the company that revolutionized the natural and curly hair market spoke at the recent Miami Book Fair International. Miko Branch, co-founder and CEO of the hair-care product company Miss Jessie’s, served on a panel called “Paths to Success.”

She was joined on the panel by Attorney Lisa Green, and they both shared stories of how they started their business and the steps people can apply to start their own.

“Anytime I have a chance to tell our story on how I started our business is a wonderful opportunity,” said Branch, who named her company after her paternal grandmother, Jessie Mae Pittman.

Miss Jessie’s, founded in 2004, is a line of hair-care products that caters to women with natural and curly hair. The products are sold in stores like Walmart and Target, biting off a slice of the global hair-care market valued at $81 billion in 2015 and set to reach $83 billion in 2016, according to Statista.com.

 

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Rock the Vote Throws Concert in DC Marking 25th Anniversary

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By Vance Brinkley and Clayton Gutzmore

A venue named the “Black Cat” sits between a corner full of bars and restaurants in the Northwest DC. The quaint, but well-regarded outlet is normally a breeding ground for local acts in music, comedy and performing arts, however, it was a host to Hip Hop pioneers last Thursday. These legendary artists may have had sold out shows 25 years ago, but this concert was far more intimate than many would expect if their names showed up in a conversation.

The Black Cat was the host for Rock the Vote, a show based on the organization with a purpose of informing the audience about the impact of voting, using pop culture’s most prolific icons to promote the right to do it. The first Rock the Vote PSA aired on October 22nd, 1990 featuring Madonna as its inaugural music figure. Since then, Rock the Vote expanded  into a nationwide movement to push youth to the polls. Alongside Madonna, several figures in Hip Hop and R&B have worked with the organization, including Snoop Dogg, J. Cole, and John Legend, along with the rappers that performed at the concert.

The concert featured a blend of rappers from Hip Hop’s Golden age to the present including 2 Live Crew, DMC from legendary rap group Run DMC, and local up-and-coming rapper Lightshow. Although the acts were very different from one another in regards to sound and music, they all kept the crowd interested through each 30-45 minute set.

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Q&A sessions with music moguls at conference

 

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Sean “Diddy” Combs, music producers and label executives were all present at Revolt Music Conference 2015 on Miami Beach to share their insight on how to break into the industry. The two panels that delivered the most on that promise were the Q&A sessions with Scooter Braun and Combs.

“This is about the people who are serious about their career. This information is priceless and it’s up to you to apply it,” said Combs.

The Revolt Music Conference was held at the Fontainebleau Hotel. From Oct. 15-18, panels, performances and networking all took place during the three-day conference. Braun, the CEO of his own media company, SB Projects, was a part of the first Q&A session on Saturday. Before founding his company, Braun was a talent manager for the careers of Asther Roth, Ariana Grande and Justin Bieber. Braun started in Atlanta as a party promoter in the early 2000s, and he would run into artists like Ludacris, Eminem and Jermaine Dupri. He and Dupri had chemistry so Braun worked with Dupri as a talent manager. Soon after, Braun became the VP of Durpi’s record label, So So Def, at age 20. At 24, Braun left the company to Start SB Projects.

Braun’s presentation was so packed attendees were sitting on the floor of the Glimmer Conference room of the Fontainebleau. Braun said he saved about 13 months of survival money in order to do talent management full time. He would pay the expenses of both Bieber and Roth at the beginning of their relationship.

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Domestic violence is here and real in our community

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Domestic violence is a serious matter. This problem is so severe a whole month is dedicated toward spreading awareness of its consequences.

According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV), every nine seconds a woman is beaten in the U.S. One of every three women has been a victim of some form of physical violence by an intimate partner within her lifetime.

South Floridians are participating in the conversation with a few events that not only educate people about the situation but also provide a space where survivors can share their stories.

“Each one of us can play a role in ending domestic violence. My job is to continue to be a mouthpiece for this issue,” said State Rep. Cynthia Stafford of District 109.

Domestic violence is a violent confrontation between family or household members involving physical harm, sexual assault or fear of physical harm. This problem can happen to both men and women. One in seven men has been a victim of severe physical violence by an intimate partner in his lifetime, according to NCADV. The person who is doing the harm is labeled the abuser. The abuser could be your spouse, your ex, your family member or even the current person you are in a relationship with.

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The Martian’ blasts off at FMU

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Packed to capacity, the FIU-FMU auditorium on Florida Memorial University’s Miami Gardens campus was full of science and engineering students for a special presentation. Talent from the new movie “The Martian” came to the university for a master class, to discuss the making of the film and the science components that went into it.

The National Association of Black Journalists chapter of Florida Memorial University (NABJ-FMU) along with the university’s Arts and Science department organized the master class. “Today we had a wonderful opportunity for our students to meet the cast and the consulting members of the NASA team from “The Martian.” We are thoroughly proud of the job the NABJ chapter did of bringing our dignitaries to the campus,” said Dr. Roslyn Clark Artis, president of Florida Memorial University.

The master class took place on Oct. 2, the same day “The Martian” released in theaters. The Twentieth Century Fox movie launched at the top of the box office for the weekend opening with $55 million in ticket sales. The film cost $108 million to make.

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Web series plays out in Miami, wins awards

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The Internet has grown to be a new medium of entertainment. It is a field where shows like “Orange is the New Black,” “Daredevil” and “Narcos” can thrive without support from a network. It is a platform where programs can cross over into television such as “Black and Sexy TV,” which is coming to BET this year.

The category has grown so much that it has its own awards show, Miami Web Fest, a 10-day celebration of film or music made especially for the Internet. The event, in its second year, ran from Sept. 25 – Oct. 4, and featured world, Latin and music editions.

Tommy Ford, the actor who played Tommy in the classic TV series “Martin,” stars in the web series, “The Club.”

“I’ve been in the industry for over 30 years. Film is familiar to me. This web world is fresh and different. I want to learn and grown in it,” said Ford.

“The Club” is a faith-based comedy series inspired by past scandals of ministers, helming mega churches. Ford plays Lamont Holmes Jr. a reverend who is accused of illicit behavior and extra-marital affairs. He enters a sex addiction treatment program to gain forgiveness but the Club is far from what he expected.

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MDEAT to host economic summit

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Adequate education, decent housing and fairness in the criminal justice system are just some of the things people are fighting for in urban areas of Miami-Dade County. The Miami-Dade Economic Advocacy Trust (MDEAT) is a resource for minorities who live in these areas that can assist them on getting these fundamentals.

MDEAT will bring residents and community leaders together to discuss the lack of these fundamentals and what solutions can be made to receive them at the 2015 Economic Summit, scheduled for Friday, Sept. 18, at Miami Dade College’s Wolfson Campus.

“Attendees will leave with the truth of what economics mean in the 21st century for Black Miami,” said T. Willard Fair, president of the Urban League of Greater Miami and speaker of the summit.

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