Black Singer

May 22 2013

Last album released in 2005

Will Smith has been making more movies than music for a while now, but that doesn’t mean he’s done laying tracks.

As the “After Earth” star showed Letterman’s “Late Show” audience on Monday night, he still knows how to rock a mic — as well as spit all of the lyrics to his hit with DJ Jazzy Jeff, “Summertime.”

May 20 2013

“Black Skinhead,” “New Slaves”

Two “Saturday Night Live” sets, an Instagram snapshot and 66 projector images later, we now have a better picture of what’s to come on Kanye West’s anticipated new album.

As promised, the rapper — not to be confused with a celebrity — didn’t take part in any of the skits for “SNL’s” season finale/swan song for cast member Bill Hader. But he didn’t need to — over the course of two songs, West still left a lasting impression.

May 14 2013

Tour began in April

Pop music superstar Beyoncé is indeed irreplaceable, postponing a scheduled show Tuesday in Belgium because of “dehydration and exhaustion,” her representatives said.

Taking her doctors’ advice, Beyoncé won’t perform Tuesday night in Antwerp and is “awaiting word” before deciding what to do about a second Belgium show set for Wednesday, according to a statement from her camp.

Apr 15 2013

Performed “1901” and “Ignition”

The rumor blowing up Saturday was that Day 2 of the Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival could feature a surprise appearance by electronica icons Daft Punk. According to the Twitterverse, it would probably take place during the set of headliners Phoenix.

But when the special guest finally materialized on the main stage, it wasn’t Daft Punk, it was R. Kelly. Yes, that R. Kelly.

Mar 26 2013

Down her last $1,000 in cash, owes $10.7 million

LOS ANGELES, Calif. — Dionne Warwick, one of the most recognizable pop voices of the 1960s, filed for bankruptcy last week citing more than $10 million in tax debt dating back to 1991.

Warwick, 72, made hits out of many Burt Bacharach and Hal David songs and won five Grammys in a 50-year career. The singer is down her last $1,000 in cash and only owns furniture and clothing worth $1,500, according to the Chapter 7 filing in New Jersey.

Across Black America

Here’s a look at African American people and issues making headlines throughout the country.

California
San Diego college students and volunteers will carry out their sixth home restoration project on Wednesday, July 10 through Sunday, July 14. as part of the “Healing our Heroes’ Homes” (H3) program created by the nonprofit Embrace. The five-day effort will take place at the home of medically retired Marine Corps Capt. Sarah Bettencourt. Bettencourt served with many different units across the country during the Global War on Terrorism and developed a rare neurological disorder in 2008. With a focus to restore the homes of disabled veteran homeowners, H3 falls in line with Embrace’s mission to mobilize college-student volunteers and community members to serve less fortunate members of civilian and veteran communities. The project for the Bettencourts’ home includes kitchen and bathroom remodeling, building ADA-compliant disability ramps, widening their driveway to ADA standards, widening doorways and landscaping.
 
District of Columbia
The 2013 Smithsonian Folklife Festival will showcase its five-year community research project on African American identity with the program “The Will to Adorn: African American Diversity, Style, and Identity.” This multicity collaboration examines the history and culture of the aesthetics of African Americans. The festival will be held June 26-30 and July 3-7, outdoors on the National Mall between Seventh and 14th streets. “Whether we realize it or not, we are all dress artists. The way we compose our look is a creative expression of our ideas about who we are and who we aspire to be,” said Diana N’Diaye, program curator. “This program explores the diversity of African American traditions of style, but also teaches young people the importance of documenting their own culture and saving that information for themselves and future generations.”