QUEEN LATIFAH & DIVAS LIVING & LOVING OUT LOUD

 

Queen Latifah, Fantasia, Keysia Cole, Jennifer Hudson, Myesha Chaney (“Preachers of LA”) and Masika Kalysha (“Love & Hip Hop”) are some of the black female celebrities opening up in a probing new book.  "Real Divas: Living & Loving Out Loud," documents their feelings about finding and/or maintaining love while living a life in the public eye. Former Right On/current Hip-Hop Weekly Editor-In-Chief Cynthia Horner teams with Rap Sheet founder, Author and Publisher Darryl James to ask the difficult questions in this anthology now available at Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com and RealDivasBook.com.

ASK HIM: With allegations that Ava DuVernay's "Selma" wrongly defames President Lyndon B. Johnson as an adversary of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., TASTY CLIPS wonders if it was strong enough for youngest son Dexter King.  In the mid-90s, we became acquainted in an Atlanta social scene he seemed bored with. At one such event, King opened up like never before asking if I wanted to know what happened to Dr. King.  The answer shook me.  "LBJ killed my father," he said, later citing evidence that swayed him to believe an order was given to F.B.I. honcho J. Edgar Hoover from the top.  Months later, he reasoned on ABC’s “Turning Point” that Dr. King’s rising power and opposition to the Vietnam War made him a target.  

PEEP THIS: The Black Hollywood Education & Resource Center hosts its 21st Annual African American Film Marketplace & S.E. Manly Short Film Showcase, Jan. 16-18, at Raleigh Studios (5300 Melrose Ave.). The Opening Night Reception will feature a Filmmaker’s Dialogue with Award Winning Director, Michael Schultz ("Cooley High," "Car Wash," "Which Way Is Up," "Woman Thou Art Loosed," TV’s  "Arrow" & "Black-ish").  Visit bherc.org or call (310) 284-3170.

MIGHTY: For a preview of their Jan. 17 Nokia Theatre concert, TASTY CLIPS spent a Fabulously Hot New Year in Columbia, SC with The O'Jays.  The free event, that has become one of the premier holiday gatherings in the southeast, featured the group (Eddie Levert, Walter Williams & Eric Grant) in a tight 60 minute performance.  Levert’s early vocal issues didn't matter with the crowd singing loudly along to their many hits.  A second set was aborted with songs like "Family Reunion," "Living For The Weekend," and "Message in Our Music" M.I.A.  "That's like asking James Brown to play all his s**t," reminded a colleague.  In L.A., they'll be joined by The Whispers with tickets still available at axs.com.  

CLIPPETTES: Forest Whitaker ("Taken 3") is among the honorees of the MLK "Celebrating The Dream" 2015 Luncheon on Jan. 15 at the Dorothy Chander Pavillion.  For more info: mlk-chf.org/ 

Drake, Alabama Shakes, Raekwon & Ghostface Killah, Steely Dan, Jack White, Fitz & The Tantrums, Azealia Banks, David Guetta, Florence + The Machine, Toro Y Moi, FKA Twigs, Carl Craig, The Weeknd and Maxwell's new fave, Hozier are but a few of the acts just announced for Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival 2015 (Apr. 10-12 & 17-19 in Indio, CA).  

Early 1900s New Orleans is the setting of "Storyville," a new Starz series developing from famed producer/writer/director George C. Wolfe, who visited Jelly Roll Morton’s world once before in his Tony Award winning Broadway musical "Jelly's Last Jam." 

Charlie Murphy, Eddie Griffin, George Lopez, Cedric The Entertainer, Mike Epps and DL Hughley are all coming together, according to HumorMillMag.com sources.  The Black and Brown: Comedy Get Down Tour is supposed to be routed in the southeast before adding several more stops.  The site also reports that Griffin is developing an urban “SNL” type show to be set in Vegas.  

The animated "Madea's Tough Love," released straight-to-DVD on Jan. 13 features voice work from Tyler Perry, Cree Summer, Rolonda Watts, Cassie Davis and Bootsy Collins!

TASTY QUIP: “Forget these women. What you’re seeing is the destruction of a legacy. And I think it’s orchestrated. I don’t know why or who’s doing it, but it’s the legacy. And it’s a legacy that is so important to the culture.” – PHYLICIA RASHAD on Bill Cosby’s current situation to Showbiz 411.

TC on TV: JAN 13 - AMERICAN EXPERIENCE (PBS): "Klansville, U.S.A." looks at the rebirth of the KKK in 60's North Carolina.  

JAN 14 - SNOOP & SON: A DAD'S DREAM (ESPN): Series Premiere!  UNSUNG (TV ONE): Rick James.  BLACK-ISH (ABC): "Martin Luther Skiing Day" THE GAME (BET): Final Season Premiere! 

JAN 15 - GOTHAM COMEDY LIVE (AXS): Sinbad opens the 4th Season!

TASTY QUIP: “We’re pushing it because we’re questioning everything — but isn’t that what art is supposed to do? That’s what scared me, though, like, oh my God, the NAACP is going to get us! Barack Obama is going to hate us!” – TARAJI P. HENSON on her series "Empire" (Weds. on Fox) to the NY Post.

A FEW MORE 2014 FAVES: CONCERTS: Booker T was old school but oh so hip.  FILM: “Begin Again” was an uplifting music industry movie with a good cast - Adam Levine, Mark Ruffalo, Keira Knightly & Cee Lo Green. “Guardians of the Galaxy”  TV: "True Detective," "Olive Kitteridge," "Mr. Dynamite," "The Strain," "American Horror Story: Coven."  ACTRESS: Jada Pinkett Smith (“Gotham”). PRODUCTS: PB2 with premium chocolate powder became a go-to 85% less fat alternative to those Reese’s either as a sprinkle or mixer.  Camille Rose Naturals won Essence Magazine’s Reader’s Choice Awards and TASTY CLIPS became a fan of their Coconut Water Penetrating Hair Treatment.  STAND-UP: Corey Holcomb. TV HOSTS:  Wendy Williams, Roland Martin, Bill Maher.  RADIO HOSTS: Joe Madison, Karen Hunter 

TASTY QUIP: "Stu Scott's passing hit me like a ton of bricks. Rest in PEace bro you pioneered that coolest side of that sportscasting pillow. #Booyah" - CHUCK D of Public Enemy about the Cancer stricken ESPN host on Twitter.