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What's The 411 Episode 95: Robert F. Smith, The Kaepernick Effect, and more

Robert F. Smith donated $20 million to National African American Museum; Kanye West joins Instagram, Nicki Minaj uses Twitter to find girlfriend for her brother, Tinder lets you swipe and chat

In this episode of What's The 411, the panel of Kizzy Cox, Courtney Rashon, and Sydney Wayman are talking about:

Nicki Minaj took to Twitter to give notice that her brother needs a new girlfriend

Uber is requiring its drivers to check in with face time before picking up a passenger

The Magnificent Seven starring Denzel Washington debuted at No.1 with just over $35 million

Strut, a new reality TV show about a transgender modeling agency, executive produced by Whoopi Goldberg, debuted on Oxygen

Tinder's new app will let you swipe while you chat

Kanye West has a verified Twitter account, but it doesn't look like he's using it

Robert F. Smith, a Black billionaire donated $20 million to the new National Museum of African American History and Culture, in addition to Oprah Winfrey

• 100 Oakland student musicians took a knee during the National Anthem at an Oakland A's game

• Geode-inspired lips are a hit on Instagram; will it make it to the street?

Caribbean Cook-up

Dance teacher and fitness guru Shola Roberts is Kizzy Cox's guest in the Caribbean Cook-up segment

411 Social

Jasmine Blake and Nicole Okeke, members of the What's The 411 social media team, gave feedback on the Teyana Taylor and #TeacherBae stories, as well as shout outs to people who commented on the stories on the What's The 411TV Facebook and Instagram pages.

Nicole: Shout out to our followers who commented on our Instagram post with the hashtag "TeacherBae." That photo has got a lot of you talking and we were surprised to find out that everyone who commented had no problem with her clothing. So, thanks to Dana Sorrentino for commenting on the Teacher Bae story on Facebook.

Jasmine: And, shout out to ilove_charlie_peter, im_just_evette , and Jimswinger on Instagram for their comments on the "Teacher Bae" story. So keep those comments coming at WhatsThe411TV on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter!

In Memoriam

Actor Bill Nunn, best known as Radio Raheem in the Spike Lee movie, Do The Right Thing, passed away after a battle with leukemia. He was just a few weeks short of his 63rd birthday.

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Exclusive Interview: Meet Blushhh Music, Mathew Knowles' New Hip Hop Trio

Sunnie, Tali, and Bunni Ray of Blushhh Music are bringing Old School Back

The newest group from Mathew Knowles' Music World Entertainment is more than a girl group they are a hip-hop trio consisting of rappers Sunnie and Bunni Ray, and vocalist, Tali, better known as Blushhh Music.

What's The 411 had an opportunity to talk exclusively with Blushhh Music about how the group came together; their raponizing art form; the people who influenced them; meeting Mathew Knowles; and Kelly Rowland's impact on Tali; and their first single, Old School Back, which can be purchased on iTunes.

How Blushhh Music Came Together

We all like to know how groups come together. So starting from the beginning, it all started with the help of digital technology. More specifically, Blushhh Music came together with the help of social media.

Group member Sunnie was part of a duo searching for a singer to complete the group. During an Internet search of singers in Houston, she found Tali on Facebook. Fortunately for Tali, she branded herself well with a profile name on Facebook, TaliBestSingerlastname. Additionally, Tali's photos represented her well and the way she responded to the inquiry were the icing on the cake that gave her an invite to audition to be part of the group.

Five years later, the original group of Sunnie, Tali, and another rapper met Mathew Knowles at a showcase and were signed to an artist development contract. Two months into the contract, the other rapper dropped out and consequently there was a need to find another group member. Sunnie and Tali found Bunni Ray on Instagram. Mr. Knowles gave Sunnie and Tali complete creative control over the selection of Bunni Ray, because, at the end of the day, it was their "sisterhood" that was important.

So, can these ladies sing and rap? Well, in a word, yes! They gave us a taste of their "raponizing" aka a Capella rapping harmony.

Musical Influences

In music, everyone is influenced by someone. As a trio, Blushhh Music's sound is their own. However, as individuals, you can hear their influences.

Growing up, Sunnie's musical influences were MC Lyte, Lauren Hill, Tupac, and Queen Latifah. Fast forward, her current influences are Drake, Timbaland, Missy Elliott, Dr. Dre, Kendrick Lamar, and J. Cole.

As a vocalist, Tali's influences come from the R&B/Pop side of the ledger. Michael Jackson's, "You are Not Alone," is the first song she sang at 3-years-old. Like many kids who were influenced by their parents' musical preferences, Tali followed her mother's path and became a fan of Janet Jackson and The Jacksons. Tali later became a fan of Destiny's Child, Sade, Shakira, and Selena. Since she has been raponizing, Tali's hip-hop influences include NWA, Bone Thugs n' Harmony, and Chance The Rapper.

Just listening to Bunni Ray, you can tell her influences are Left Eye (TLC), DaBrat, and Lil' Kim. What is surprising is that she is influenced by modern day Kanye West and the Flatbush Zombies. With What's The 411 being based in Brooklyn, shout out to the Flatbush Zombies! If we had known in advance of the interview, perhaps we could have arranged a meetup!

Blushhh Music's Defining Fashion Style

What's The 411 host and beauty expert, Courtney Rashon, is always focused on beauty and style. Courtney says when she first saw Blushhh Music, she saw their style as glam hip-hop, "Destiny's Child meets TLC, meets like a Run DMC."

"We do match, as you can see," responded Sunnie. "We're big on matching."

Their look is cohesive, a tip they learned from Mathew Knowles. When people see them, they should know that they are in a group even if they are not standing right next to each other.

Although there is cohesiveness, "we do have individual things about ourselves that you're always going to notice, Sunnie continued. "You're always going to notice Sunnie with the braids and a hat. Tali with the big blond hair."

"Artistic," Bunni Ray chimed in. "...she's super artsy with what she wears."

"I'm likely to draw on something or rip it up," added Tali.

"It is never going to be how she bought it in the store," says Bunni Ray.

Tali, who has a sexy style of her own, says that Bunni Ray brings the sex appeal, with Bunni Ray, "you're going to see thighs and boobs, you're going to see, sex appeal," said Tali with a finger snap.

Working With Mathew Knowles

What's The 411 host Onika McLean asked the question that many people want to know.

"How's it working with him (Mr. Knowles)...tell us something we don't know."

"He's not as intimidating as he looks; he's not as mean. We thought he hated us. Oh, he don't like us; I didn't even want to sing," responded Tali.

"If he's hard on you, it is because you have potential," added Sunnie.

"If he tells you that you're good, you might want to work," Tali said.

"Because you're never done growing," Sunnie continued. "Even with his daughter, he says all the time, Beyonce, every show, she's looking at something to improve. Every show, he's looking at something to improve. If you ever feel satisfied, and there's nothing in your mind that you feel you should work on, then he says you should just stop it here because you're not going to prosper. "

"He's funny," said Tali. "He's very funny, he has jokes, so smart. He knows what punch lines to say, what to make the topic of the day. Watch this be the headline because I said it."

"He's a marketing a genius." Sunni interrupted.

Kelly Rowland Makes a Great Impression on Blushhh Music

Aside from Mr. Knowles, who is the most interesting person that they have met since they became a group, Onika asked Blushhh Music

"Kelly Rowland!," Tali responded without hesitation. "Kelly Rowland to me; she played a big part when I was growing up period, in my high school days. When Sunni found me, I was telling Sunni about it, so Sunni was like, okay, okay. So when we got signed with Mr. Knowles, it was weird. So we just had the Atlanta Car Show, the car and bike show that we did, and she (Kelly Rowland) has June's Diary and they were there and they performed. So we got to meet Kelly, and when she saw us across the room, she ran over to us, and she was like 'hey I'm so happy to see you, great job.' So I finally got a chance to introduce her, and they were like, 'hey I heard so much about you.' She's just so sweet. She took a picture with us. She gave us great advice and that is something that we just took with us. It was like meeting the entire Destiny's Child group. It's really like we are Music Entertainment World family.

The Wrap-up

In answering Onika's question regarding what each member of the group would like for the audience to know about the group, Tali didn't hesitate to swoop in before Sunnie and say "original," which is Sunnie's line. After a laugh, Tali told Sunnie to "steal" her line, and she obliged.

"Always be you because no one can be you better than you in the words of Tali," offered Sunnie.

These ladies are so talented, humble, and focused!

Download Old School Back by Blushhh Music on iTunes and follow Blushhh Music on all social media at @BlushhhMusic.

The Artists That Have Influenced Blushhh Music May Surprise You

MC Lyte, Missy Elliott, Destiny's Child, Left Eye, Kanye West, and the Flatbush Zombies are among the musical influences of Blushhh Music

In music, everyone is influenced by someone. As a trio, Blushhh Music's sound is their own. However, as individuals, you can hear their musical influences.

Growing up, Sunnie's influences were MC Lyte, Lauryn Hill, Tupac, and Queen Latifah. Fast forward, her current influences are Drake, Timbaland, Missy Elliott, Dr. Dre, Kendrick Lamar, and J. Cole.

As a vocalist, Tali's influences come from the R&B/Pop side of the ledger. Michael Jackson's "You are Not Alone" was the first song she sang at 3-years-old. Like many kids who were influenced by their parents' musical preferences, Tali followed her mother's path and became a fan of Janet Jackson and The Jacksons. Tali later became a fan of Destiny's Child, Sade, Shakira, and Selena. Since she has been

Since Tali has been raponizing, Tali's hip-hop influences include NWA, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, and Chance The Rapper.

Check out this video, Blushhh Music gives a sample of raponizing.

Just listening to Bunni Ray, you can tell her influences are Left Eye (TLC), DaBrat, and Lil' Kim. What is surprising is that she is influenced by modern day Kanye West and the Flatbush Zombies.

In their debut single, Old School Back, Blushhh Music's musical influences are on display, but in a way that is distinctly their own.

We got a little taste of Blushhh Music's raponizing, which is a blend of rapping with a Capella harmonizing.

Pick up Blushhh Music's debut single, Old School Back, on iTunes and follow these ladies on social media @BlushhhMusic

What's The 411 Episode 77: Kanye West, Kendrick Lamar, Kesha, Natasha Leath, and more

Kanye West asks Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook CEO and Founder, to invest in Kanye West Ideas

In this episode of What's The 411, the panel of Kizzy Cox, Onika McLean and Courtney Rashon are talking about Kanye West's debt issues; Grammy Award winners, Kendrick Lamar, The Weekend, Bruno Mars, D'Angelo, John Legend, and Common; and the outcome of Kesha Rose Sebert's legal case to get out of her contract with Sony and her producer Dr. Luke.

In Memoriam: Harper Lee, author of To Kill a Mockingbird; Prince protégé, Denise Matthews aka Vanity of the group Vanity 6; Reality TV star Angela "Big Ang" Raiola; and Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia.

Special guest this week is Natasha Leath, Motivational Spiritualist, who has a gift to read people's past, present, and future. Ms. Leath uses her gift to motivate, empower and inspire people to propel in life, to have clarity, to live a purposeful life and to be inspired.

Caribbean Cook-up: A Japanese pannist, Asami Nagakiya, dies in Trinidad during Carnival and Raymond Tim Kee, the Mayor of Port of Spain resigns his office because of his insensitive comment. Mayor Kee stated that the costumes, an international symbol of the festival, were to blame for a Japanese tourist's murder — along with "vulgarity and lewdness" displayed by women during Carnival.

Asami Nagakiya Japanese tourist found murdered during Carnival in Trinidad Andrea De Silva ReutersJapanese tourist and pannist, Asami Nagakiya, found murdered in Trinidad during carnival. Photo Credit: Andrea De Silva/Reuters

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QUICK TAKES: Kim and Kanye Donate 1000 Pairs of Shoes to Soles for Souls

VIDEO DISCUSSION: Kim Kardashian-West and husband Kanye West donated 1000 pairs of shoes to the organization "Soles for Souls"

While up breastfeeding newborn Saint West, Kim was inspired by a story on Dish Nation of a girl who was trying to find 1000 pairs of shoes to donate to the charity Soles For Souls!, the charity that helped her during Hurricane Katrina.

Kim asked her Twitter followers to locate the girl so she and hubby Kanye could make the donation.

What's The 411 Episode 64: Forest Whitaker, Derek Luke, and Anika Noni Rose in Roots Remake

President Obama nominates Eric Fanning an openly gay man for Secretary of the Army; The Americas fall in love with Pope Francis

In What's The 411 Episode 64, the panel of host Kizzy Cox and correspondents Courtney Rashon and Onika McLean are talking about Pope Francis' visit to New York City; the upcoming Roots remake, featuring Forest Whitaker, Anna Paquin, Derek Luke, and Anika Noni Rose; rapper Rick Ross' engagement to Instagram socialite Lira Galore; uber marketing executive Steve Stoute's engagement to Carol's Daughter sales executive, Lauren Branche; reviews of actor Idris Elba's "singing" skills; Kanye West's Yeezy Collection at 2016 S/S New York Fashion Week; President Obama's nomination of Eric Fanning, an openly gay man, to serve as Secretary of the Army; New York plans to outlaw the sale of K2; and 20 Restaurants receive an F grade for their use of antibiotics in their meats. In the Reality TV Recap, they look at Married to Medicine and the Kardashian tech ventures that are estimated to generate millions of dollars; and the Stockton California police and the school officials at MacArthur High School in Texas get called on the carpet.

QUICK TAKES

KIZZY: More A-list stars have joined the cast of the Roots remake! Forest Whitaker will be playing Fiddler, a mentor to Kunta Kinte, Derek Luke will be playing Silla Ba Dibba the military officer who trained the Mandinka teens to become powerful warriors and Anika Noni Rose will be playing my namesake Kizzy, Kunta Kinte's daughter who "maintains her family pride and warrior spirit!" The 8-hour miniseries will air on A&E.

COURTNEY: Rapper Rick Ross is engaged to former stripper turned Instagram socialite, Lira Galore. The ring is huge and Galore posted a picture on Snapchat with the caption "YES". Congrats to the newly engaged couple.

ONIKA: Marketing guru Steve Stoute has wed! It was a true "Pretty Woman" story. Lauren Branche was a young and beautiful enterprising sales rep from Carol's Daughter and Steve was her latest pitch! She didn't get the deal but in the end she got the guy! Best wishes to the lovely and wealthy couple! Oh by the way! Nas, Kanye and Maxwell performed. And Jay and Bey were in attendance.

COURTNEY: According to the Guardian, handsome and talented actor Idris Elba should stick to acting instead of singing. Elba recorded and released a new song and the reviews have not been so great. Elba, recorded a verse on a remix of Skepta's grime track "Shutdown," which references his characters Stringer Bell on "The Wire," Detective John Luther, and Nelson Mandela. However, that remix has over 1 million plays on SoundCloud and was number one on the Billboard charts. With over a million plays and tens of thousands "likes," Elba's voice can't be all that bad.

COURTNEY: Rapper Kanye West revealed his second Yeezy Collection 2016 during New York Fashion Week. The crowd was filled to the max and included celebs Common, Lorde, Debbie Harry, Courtney Love and of course, the Kardashian sisters. North West was seated in the front row with her mom. Reportedly, the show was organized and less chaotic and started on time, as opposed to last year's show.

ONIKA: IN MEMORIAM: Prolific writer and author, Jackie Collins, passed away from the effects of breast cancer. Collins battled breast cancer in private for more than six years -- revealing she did not want a wave of public sympathy or to be defined by her illness. In a wide-ranging and emotional interview just six days before her death, the 77-year-old best-selling writer told PEOPLE's Elizabeth Leonard exactly why she chose to keep her diagnosis a secret from family and friends. She told only her children -- Tracy, Tiffany and Rory.

Collins wants on her gravestone: "She Gave a Great Deal of People a Great Deal of Pleasure"

WHAT'S POPPIN'

 

President Obama Nominates Eric Fanning to be Secretary of the Army

In the U.S. military, if you ask now, who cares if they tell! President Obama certainly isn't acting like a lame duck! He is going out of this last call of duty with a bang! Actually, bang, bang, bang! Lol, said What's The 411 correspondent Onika McLean.

Eric Fanning has been nominated to become the first openly gay Secretary of the Army! At Ease Please! In a story reported by Fox News- Mr. Fanning who was an official at the Pentagon has been serving as Undersecretary of the Army since February! Obama says that Fanning brings a wealth of knowledge to the position and he is confident that he will do an amazing job!

Personally, I think President Obama has sat down with God himself and is strategically planning to change America to truly be a free democracy! Go Jesus and Mr. President!

#AskOnika

5 Things Women Can Do During Football Season

What's The 411 correspondent Onika McLean names 5 Things Women Can Do During Football Season.

Football season is upon us and I don't give a rat's ass about football. However, there are a lot of football widows out there whining and complaining because they just don't know what to do. So, to the football widows, here are a few things you can do to occupy your time while your boo thang is watching the game:

1- go to the spa
2- go shopping
3- read a book
4- download Bumble and see all the hot guys/girls you could be dating that doesn't have the same affinity for football as the person on the sofa eating the hot wings and;
5- go on Facebook and follow What's The 411TV and talk to me- I'm available Sunday, Monday, and Thursdays!

#AskOnika

Pope Francis Lifts Spirits in New York City

New York City is feeling a bit holier if you ask me! Although Pope Francis has left the building, New Yorkers are still on a spiritual high because of his presence. The same can be said of those living in Cuba, Washington, DC, and Philadelphia. Pope Francis, the Roman Catholic Church's first Latin American Pope, touched the hearts of so many because through his speeches he showed he is in touch with the issues that they care about. Throughout the Pope's visit, he spoke about mercy, forgiveness, and the role of the Church, including his visit to a prison in Philadelphia.

What's The 411 correspondent Onika McLean said, "I am liking this Pope! When Pope Francis was questioned about Gay people, he said 'who am I to Judge'. You're the Pope! God is supposed to be next in line, if you're not judging, neither am I."
#AskOnika

UNDER THE RADAR

 

New York Attempts to Ban Sale of K2

ONIKA: While other states are legalizing marijuana, New York is introducing a bill to ban the sale of K2. K2 is synthetic marijuana being sold at your local corner store. The irony is that instead of getting a mellow high from smoking K2, there are reports of numerous strokes, heart attacks, and deaths.

20 Restaurants Receive an F for Routine Antibiotic Use in Meats

COURTNEY: On the lifestyle tip, Nacole Jones hit us up with this story on Facebook. Twenty (20) restaurants received F grades for routine antibiotics in their meat supply from according to the "Chain Reaction" report by Friends of the Earth, the Natural Resources Defense Council and four other consumer interest, public health and environmental organizations.

Chipotle and Panera Bread fared best, with both receiving As. Those restaurants are the only two that report serving a majority of their meat from animals raised without regular use of antibiotics, the report said.

Chick-fil-A received a grade of B, but it is a leader in transitioning away from antibiotics in its food supply with third party verification.

Dunkin' Donuts and McDonald's received Cs. Subway, Wendy's, Burger King, Denny's, Domino's and Starbucks all received F's, but got at least one point.

Other restaurants that received Fs and earned ZERO out of 36 possible points are: Olive Garden, Papa John's, Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, KFC, Applebee's, Sonic, Chili's, Jack in the Box, Arby's, Dairy Queen, IHOP, Outback and Little Caesars.

ON THE CARPET

 

On The Carpet: Stockton, California Police

Courtney Rashon calls several Stockton, California police officers on the carpet. They are currently under investigation and scrutiny after a video surfaced showing nine cops beating and arresting a Black teenager for jaywalking. A police officer was going to write the teen a ticket, but instead grabbed the young boy and pulled out his baton. The teen was trying to catch a bus when he was approached and beaten. Witnesses say the teen was hit by the officer several times before back-up came. The officer then told the teen to stop resisting after the teen was punched by the officer and reportedly, the teen was not resisting in any way.

On The Carpet: MacArthur High School in Texas

Kizzy Cox calls the school officials at MacArthur High School in Texas and the police on the carpet. First school officials at MacArthur High School for having14 year-old Ahmed Mohamed arrested for bringing a clock to school that he built himself because they thought it was a bomb. The teen was handcuffed and questioned by 5 police officers for 1 1/2 hours without being allowed to call his parents, the school didn't alert his parents either it was only after the police called that his father even knew he'd been arrested! Even though the police found no evidence of wrongdoing he was then suspended by the school for 3 days! Ahmed said "I felt like I was a criminal," "I felt like I was a terrorist. I felt like all the names I was called, just because of my race and my religion" Let's be real can we imagine this same scenario happening if he'd been a young white boy? No we can't. We've criminalized being Muslim and brown in this country even though the vast majority of school attacks have been conducted by white people. Luckily for Ahmed, plenty of people heard about his case including none other than our president Barack Obama who invited Ahmed to the White House! Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg also tweeted his support and invited him to his headquarters saying ""Having the skill and ambition to build something cool should lead to applause, not arrest. The future belongs to people like Ahmed." MIT also invited Ahmed to their campus which the teen is excited about. In the meantime he is transferring schools.

REALITY TV RECAP

 

Married to Medicine Update

COURTNEY: While on vacation, Married to Medicine reality star, Dr. Heavenly, got into a heated verbal disagreement with Jill Connors who is married to one of the doctors. Jill told Dr. Heavenly that her husband Dr. John Connors told Heavenly's husband F**k you when that was a total lie. Heavenly got to the bottom of the story and addressed Jill, where they got into a heated debate.

According to TMZ, Jill went berserk on her husband after he accused her of cheating. Dr. Connors got a restraining order on Jill after she was arrested for attacking him. Dr. John also got everything including their Atlanta house, her car and custody of their three children and withdrew 250k from their joint account. She currently is penniless and filing for divorce.

Kardashian Tech Venture Raking in Millions

ONIKA: The Kardashian Family is at it again. All of the Kardashian girls released an app this week. They stand to make 32,000,000.00 the first year. Baby sister Kylie's app is doing the best so far! Hats off to Kris Jenner- she puts them girls to work- literally.

IN THE PIPELINE

ONIKA: Mary J. Blige and Tamar Braxton will begin touring this October! Check out LiveNation for show dates and ticket information.

KIZZY: Academy Award-winning actor Denzel Washington is bringing all 10 of August Wilson's about black life in America during the 20th century to HBO! The 10 plays are known as the Century Cycle because they take place during each decade from 1900-1990. Denzel starred in Fences alongside Tony award-winning actress Viola Davis on Broadway and will take on the role again when he directs the production for HBO next spring. Kudos!

COURTNEY: According to Deadline.com, Ice Cube is set to star in a remake of the Christmas Carol movie, called Humbug. The script, which was the subject of a bidding war between four studios, will hit theaters in 2017.

Kizzy: This just in from Sandy Harper, the woman who is always in the know, high school students can join Cooper-Hewitt for the Teen Design Event of the Year!

Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum is hosting its 10th annual Teen Design Fair in New York City, where teens talk with top designers working in the fields of fashion, product design, architecture, graphic design, and more!

The winners of the 2015 National Design Awards and designers from leading companies will be available to answer questions about possible careers paths, discuss the challenges designers face in the studio, and share what they love about their work.

The 10th annual Teen Design Fair will be held on Tuesday, October 13, at 4:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. at the Museum of the American Indian, One Bowling Green (in lower Manhattan near Battery Park).

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What's The 411 Episode 63: Rihanna's NY Fashion Week Party Brings Out Everyone Looking for a Good Party

Plus French Montana losing no sleep over Khloe Kardashian; London street artist, Pegasus, brings Kanye West's 2020 Bid for US President to the UK; Brooklyn's first ever soca flash mob; and more!

In What's The 411 Episode 63, the panel of host Kizzy Cox and correspondents Courtney Rashon and Onika McLean are talking about ballerina Misty Copeland; Bravo's The Single Project wins an EMMY; Black-owned Restaurant Month; Tracee Ellis Ross and Jessica Simpson hanging out together; tennis star James Blake assaulted by NY police officer; actress Viola Davis joins actor Denzel Washington on August Wilson journey; Chrissy Teigen's ''No Hot Nannies'' Comment Causes an Uproar; K. Milele's New York Fashion Week show; and so much more!

QUICK TAKES

KIZZY: Ballerina Misty Copeland reveals she is engaged to her longtime boyfriend of 10 years, corporate attorney, Olu Evans, who is also a cousin to actor, Taye Diggs. Describing the turn of events in her life, Misty told Essence magazine, 'I can't believe my life right now!'

ONIKA: Of course, I am happy to report, Bravo's, The Singles Project, which followed six New York City singles on their quest to find romance, has officially won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Creative Achievement in Interactive Media - Multiplatform Storytelling.

COURTNEY: Pop star Rihanna is always on the scene during New York Fashion Week and this year was no different. Rihanna held her New York Fashion Week Party at the New York EDITION hotel, which was attended by Chris Rock, Timbaland, Pharrell, Wiz Khalifa and others.

Onika: Black-owned restaurants Month kicked off in Brooklyn and Manhattan on September 9. Thirteen restaurants are participating in the event started by blogger Genese Jamilah. She created the event once seeing her I Don't Do Clubs blog post listing 100 black-owned restaurants had become very popular.

KIZZY: London street artist, Pegasus, brings Kanye West's 2020 Bid for US President to the UK with street art featuring the lovely Kim Kardashian in her "break the Internet" photo.

Courtney: It looks like rapper French Montana is not brooding over Khloe Kardashian's new romance with NBA basketball player, James Harden. It's reported that Rich Kids' Dorothy Wang will be joining French Montana on tour.

KIZZY: It is kind of strange putting the names Jessica Simpson and Tracee Ellis Ross in the same sentence, let alone in the same location. Yet the two are joined by the holy matrimony of their siblings Ashlee Simpson and Evan Ross and Jessica and Tracee were on hand for a big family celebration, Evan's birthday bash.

WHAT'S POPPIN'

 

Former Tennis Star Assaulted by NY Police Officer

COURTNEY: You have to have been under a rock to miss this item; retired tennis star James Blake experienced a violent assault by the NYPD outside the Hyatt Regency Hotel near Grand Central Station. Blake stated that he was waiting outside his hotel, and five white undercover officers allegedly threw him down to the ground, causing Blake to suffer minor injuries. The police officers never apologized after the incident. Mayor de Blasio stated there will be a full investigation regarding the attack by the officers.

Actress Viola Davis Joins Actor Denzel Washington on August Wilson Journey

ONIKA: Actress Viola Davis is going to work with Academy Award-winning actor Denzel Washington in a film adaptation of August Wilson's play "Fences." Denzel Washington is directing and Viola will be starring in the film, according to The New York Times. Both Denzel Washington and Viola Davis starred in the Broadway version of Fences in 2010 and Viola also won a Tony award for her role in the play.

Chrissy Teigen's ''No Hot Nannies'' Comment Causes an Uproar

KIZZY: The Twittersphere has exploded over this comment Chrissy Teigen made during an interview at Lauren Conrad's New York Fashion Week show:

"No hot nannies, drivers, or maids," she quipped last week. "It's an ongoing joke in my house. I do want to have kids one day, so it's something that I have to think about. But the rule is no hot nannies. I trust John, but you never know with these men."

Some responses were: "Chrissy Teigen Just Said Something Lame About Hiring Women"

Of course, Chrissy is wondering why does she have to defend a running joke?

ONIKA: For years, New York Fashion Week has been the who's who in the hip-hop and all the other fabulous industries. I had the pleasure of attending the K Milele line- please Google her- she has been the brains and beauty behind all the fabulous urban brands. She is currently working on Nikki Minaj's line and working on her own fashion line. It was a fabulous event and what was so special, she had all of her stylist friends styled one swimsuit several different ways.

FAB411

 

New York Fashion Week Hair and Makeup Trends

COURTNEY: During NY Fashion Week, the runways were heating up with fresh and sexy hair and makeup trends for the spring looks. The make-up trends included barely-there makeup, bold lines made with eye shadows and eyeliner and lips stained with natural flesh-like rosy tones and face embellishment, such as piercing and decals were also seen on the runway. Thicker, more natural looking eyebrows are also popular this season.

For hair, twists and knots were a huge trend on the runway and the wet sleek hair look either pinned up or in a pompadour style was also a major trend for fashion week.

UNDER THE RADAR

 

The City of Baltimore Settles with Family of Freddie Gray

KIZZY: Baltimore has reached a settlement with the family of Freddie Gray for $6.4 million. Freddie Gray was the young black man who was fatally injured while in police custody, his death incited protests and riots back in the spring. The criminal trials of the six police officers will continue however and Baltimore's mayor, Stephanie Rawlings-Blake is saying that the settlement isn't an admission of liability just a way to avoid a long drawn-out litigation in a civil case. The settlement is more than the payout for 120 lawsuits against the Baltimore Police Department combined since 2011, reports the Baltimore Sun. The police union president called the deal "obscene", but what I think is obscene is that a young man who was in police custody was handled so roughly his spine was critically injured and he was denied medical attention while being transported to jail. What do you think about the settlement?

LeBron James Partners with Project Learn to create I Promise, Too

COURTNEY: Recently we reported that LeBron James' Foundation, "I Promise," has pledged 1100 college scholarships for students to attend The University of Akron in Ohio. According to the Huffington Post, LeBron has expanded his scholarship program by partnering with the adult educational organization, Project Learn of Summit County. The new initiative is called "I Promise Too," which will help parents earn their GED's and prepare them to enter the workforce.

CARIBBEAN COOK-UP!

 

Oba Stephens Bring First Soca Flash Mob to Brooklyn

KIZZY: BROOKLYN recently made history with its first ever soca flash mob! While dancing to Angela Hunte and Machel Montano's song Party Done, soca lovers locked down the plaza in front of the Barclay's Center with some wicked waistline moves, choreographed by dance instructor Kiara Ross. The event was organized by Oba Stephens, a Trinidadian but was an opportunity for people from all over the West Indies to show their national pride and unite for Caribbean pride. Hundreds of people participated and some put the estimates anywhere from 900 to nearly 2000 people. Oba plans to do another soca flash mob in Houston, Texas next month.

Brooklyn's Pre-West Indian Day Parade Festivities Brings Out Good and Bad

KIZZY: Brooklyn was also the site of the annual West Indian Labor Day parade which routinely draws about 2 million people to Crown Heights each year. It's a wonderful display of Caribbean culture with parties and performances by soca artists and steel pan drummers leading up to the parade and beautiful mas costumes and trucks playing high-energy soca music the day of, participants can also sample all types of Caribbean cuisine from fish cakes to jerk chicken from the many vendors who line the parade route along Eastern Parkway.

Unfortunately, the huge crowds also occasionally draw the wrong crowd. And this year at the Jouvert celebration, which takes place in the early morning before the parade, thugs brought violence to the festivities. One person was stabbed to death and 4 others were injured including Carey Gabay, a lawyer for Governor Cuomo's office. Mr. Gabay was shot in the head by a stray bullet around 3am Monday morning and, as of this taping, is in a coma still fighting for his life. Now in the wake of this violence some officials are calling for changes to Jouvert, including marking off the Jouvert route and checking all those who pass through it much like they do during New Year's Eve in Times Square. I was talking about this issue on the Brian Lehrer show and thought that wouldn't be a good idea because there's too many people and more importantly Jouvert takes place in a residential area, who knows who residing in the surrounding apartments might choose to settle a beef at that time--completely getting around those security checks. What do you think we can do to stop the violence?

ON THE CARPET:

 

George Zimmerman Gets Called on the Carpet, yet again

KIZZY: I don't know how many times we can drag this man on the carpet but here we go or rather here he goes again: George Zimmerman! Zimmerman has been selling paintings of the confederate flag in collaboration with a Florida gun store owner who recently declared his business a Muslim-free zone. Zimmerman tweeted his reason for painting the flags,

"I painted the confederate flag backed by the American flag because I believe that anything can stand with the American flag behind it. "He added: "My confederate flag painting also represents the hypocrisy of political correctness that is plaguing this nation."

A post on the store's website also said Mr. Zimmerman painted it "in honor" of Andy Hallinan, the gun store owner "for being a true patriot and leading the country into a better, safer America." As though being anti-Muslim is a sign of true patriotism! Zimmerman is selling his paintings for $50 a-piece to help with his and Hallinan's legal fees (who's being sued by the Council for American-Islamic relations). It's unclear how many he's sold so far but a painting of the American flag he did sold on eBay for more than $100,000! There is so much wrong with this story: the racism, the profiting off of racism, George Zimmerman is just a mess--he's been in legal issue after legal issue since he killed Trayvon Martin and I really don't understand how he's not in jail by now. For this and everything else, George Zimmerman I'm calling you on the carpet.

REALITY TV RECAP

 

Caitlyn Jenner Expresses Feelings about "I am Cait" Halloween Costumes

COURTNEY: In a recent episode of I am Cait, Caitlyn Jenner expressed her feelings toward the controversial Halloween costumes inspired by her Vanity Fair cover to Matt Lauer. Jenner states that "she" doesn't care and is not offended. The costumes are already appearing online.

 

Threesome Talk on Love and Hip

ONIKA: In Love and Hip Hop news. Is it cheating when you agree to a threesome? Ladies, I'm telling you don't open Pandora's Box and I'm not talking about the bracelet company! When you agree to have another woman in your bed, there is no guarantee she will want to leave! In some cases, she could be the Puerto Rican Princess and marry your man!

PIPELINE

KIZZY: Actress Vivica A. Fox will play the big sister to Taraji P. Henson's character, Cookie Lyon, in EMPIRE.

ONIKA: The 50 Cent produced drama series, POWER, is shooting its new season all over Brooklyn!

  • Published in Episodes

Oprah Winfrey Network; Caitlyn Jenner; Creflo Dollar; Tracy Morgan; and more

Join the Conversation about the Oprah Winfrey Network; Caitlyn Jenner; Raven Symone; Tracy Morgan; Creflo Dollar; and more!

In this episode of What's The 411, we're talking about the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN) halting production on the Jay Williams reality TV show; the renaming of the Edmund Pettus Bridge; B.B. King's daughters challenging King's manager; Beau Biden's memorial service; Tracy Morgan vowing to b funnier and his impending nuptials; and Kim Kardashian and Kanye West expecting baby no.2. and much more!

Other stories we're talking about include:

Actress Laverne Cox of Orange is the New Black says that although Caitlyn Jenner is to be applauded for her courage, there is still privilege when one is rich.

Actress Raven Symone will be joining The View.

Viagra for women may be making its way to the consumer market.

There is a lesson for all of us in the death of BET freelance producer, Kelly Mayhew's quest for perceived beauty. Mayhew, a resident of Maryland, died seeking the services of a butt lift from a non-medical person in New York City. When Mayhew's body went into distress, the so-called plastic surgeon fled the scene.

In What's The 411's beauty segment Courtney Rashon, our resident beauty expert, talks about taking care of your skin in the summer; and fashion model and TV host, Essence Semaj Henley, talks about buying the right dress for a June wedding.

  • Published in Videos
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