VH1 is known for music programming and reality television; however, that will soon change as the network makes its bold, first attempt at a scripted film,”Crazy Sexy Cool: The TLC Story.” The long awaited film will take viewers on a ride from the group members’ beginnings, to their meteoric rise to the top of the music charts in the 1990s and beyond.

Hip-hop artist and television personality Lil Mama will have the honor of portraying the late Lisa “Left Eye” Lopez. Lil Mama emerged onto the scene in 2007 with her infectious hit single “Lip Gloss” from her “VYP: Voice of the Young People” album. The song attained a Gold certification from the RIAA in 2008, while the album went on to sell 19, 000 copies in its first week and 66,000 copies thereafter. Lil Mama then began serving as a judge on MTV’s “America’s Best Dance Crew“ in 2008 at the age of 19. This will be her first film.

Keke Palmer has been chosen to portray Rozunda “Chili” Thomas. Unlike Lil Mama, Palmer is not new to the film industry. The 19-year-old has appeared in films alongside Laurence Fishburne (‘Akeelah and the Bee’), Tyler Perry (‘Madea’s Family Reunion’), Ice Cube (‘The Longshots’) and Dolly Parton (‘Joyful Noise’), among others. Of her new role, Palmer tells the Daily News, “I’m excited to be a part of this amazing project portraying one of the members of such an iconic group that inspired my passion for music.”

Drew Sidora will round out the cast as Tionne “T-Boz” Watkins. Sidora’s most notable roles are as Lucy Avila in ‘Step Up’, alongside Channing Tatum, and as herself on “The Game”, a television series. When the news first broke of her involvement in the biopic, Sidora took to her twitter account to thank her fans and share a few encouraging words. “Be sure to always believe in yourself. Never give up! Stay optimistic and persistent and amazing things will come into play!”

Though some TLC fans have expressed doubts that the ladies will be able to pull off their portrayals, VH1’s Executive Vice President of Original Programming and Production is confident that the project will be a success. “With this cast, we are thrilled with the talent assembled both in front of and behind the cameras,” he said. “TLC are truly music pioneers and this movie is a fantastic way to expand our scripted push by combining our audience’s passion for music with their love of story. We know our viewers will be eager to go beyond the headlines and into the surprisingly personal, never before told stories of these groundbreaking women.”

TLC’s surviving members, Thomas and Watkins, will serve as the film’s executive producers.

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What do you get when you combine popular television shows “Entourage” and “How to Make It in America”? BET is hoping that the answer is “Second Generation Wayans,” a new show premiering on January 15 at 10:30 p.m. EST/PST immediately following the premiere of “The Real Husbands of Hollywood” starring Kevin Hart.

“Second Generation Wayans” will follow the journey of Craig Wayans and Damien Dante Wayans as they try to make a name for themselves in Hollywood apart from that of their famous family. Known for comedy, their family includes Keenan Ivory Wayans (“In Living Color,” “I’m Gonna Git You Sucka” and “A Low Down Dirty Shame”), Damon Wayans (“Major Payne” and “My Wife & Kids”), Kim Wayans (“Juwanna Man” and “Pariah”)  and Shawn & Marlon Wayans (“The Wayans Bros.,” “Don’t Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood,” “Scary Movie” and “White Chicks”).

Attempting to forge a career in the shadows of their uncles and aunt will not be easy; however, Craig and Damien are up for the challenge. Helping them along the way is their uncle Marlon Wayans who will executive produce their show.

“What’s dope is it’s a progression of what we did and yet a departure at the same time. It will always have that Wayans flavor, that seasoning,” Marlon told BET.com.

“We’ve done so much broad stuff, but this is a more grounded template. It’s gonna push as far as you can go, but this series has heart and it’s funny.”

Of the new scripted series Loretha Jones, BET’s President of Original Programming, said in an official press release that “the Wayans family name is synonymous with comedy and entertainment, and you’ll indulge in plenty of laughter and amusement in “Second Generation Wayans.” You’ll also witness firsthand that life as a Wayans and childhood star isn’t all fun and games in Hollywood. In a way, this series is a behind the scenes look at what it’s like to juggle the pressures of being famous while trying to create your own path.”

Marlon knows better than anyone how difficult it is to make a name for oneself in a well known family, so he was the perfect person to  offer advice to his nephews.

“It’s a gift and a curse. You own it and you don’t fight it against it. You have to just be you. I never tried to be Keenan, I never tried to be Damon, I never tried to be Shawn. I can’t be Kim. I don’t have t—–s,” Marlon said.

“I just wanted to be Marlon and I tried to be the best Marlon I could be. Then I created my own shadow. It’s not a competition. One success is a success for us all. [You’ve got to] stand in your light.”

For more information on “Second Generation Wayans” log onto BET.com

Image Courtesy : Second Generation Wayans

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Young Money/Cash Money recording artist, Shad “Bow Wow” Moss, has been named one of four new hosts on BET’s 106 & Park. The rapper will join fellow music artist Mykel “Miss Mykie” Gray as well as Detroit radio personalities Jordan “Shorty Da Prince” Johnson and Kimberly “Paigon” Walker in replacing Terrence Jenkins and Rocsi Diaz. It was announced in May that Jenkins and Diaz would be leaving the show to pursue other endeavors. Jenkins has joined E! News as a correspondent, while Diaz is rumored to be a finalist to host X-Factor.

Bow Wow, who has appeared on the popular cable music show more than any other entertainer, seemed to be a natural choice. His label boss, Bryan “Baby” Williams agrees.

“In addition to being a great rapper, he is a natural personality with great star power and style,” Williams told AllHipHop.com. “He brings a new air to the network and my brother ‘Slim’ and I couldn’t be more proud. This is another great example of YMCMB expanding our presence in the television and film world.”

While it is nice to have the support of the bosses, no one is more proud and excited for this new opportunity than Bow Wow.  “I am very excited to take on this new journey in my career with BET,” he said. “I’m all about branding myself and not just in music, but in TV and movies. Everyone always wants to compare me to the Fresh Prince, well now they can call me the Fresh Prince of 106 & Park. Get ready for a whole new world.”

In addition to his new hosting duties, Bow Wow will continue to make music. He will release his new album, Underrated, later this year or early next year. Also, he will continue his film career.

Though the other hosts may not be as well-known as Bow Wow, that is not to say that they are not accomplished in their own right. Gray is a Howard University alum, singer, songwriter, model and dancer. She has performed as an opening act for artists such as Caribbean sensation Sean Paul and Houston rapper Slim Thug. Walker is a graduate of Western Michigan University, former producer of “The Tom Joyner Morning Show” and “The Rickey Smiley Show” and radio host for Detroit’s Hot 107.5. Johnson was signed to Atlantic Records at the age of fifteen as a rapper. He went on to work as an on-air personality for Detroit’s Hot 102.5.

Bow Wow, also known as Mr. 106 & Park, was a surprise addition to the lineup; however, Gray, Walker and Johnson beat out thousands of hopefuls during a nationwide search which included online submissions and on-screen tests. Walker and Johnson have been affiliated with the show since December 2011 when they hosted BET’s Notarized. They also appeared on the Grammy’s red carpet as correspondents in early 2012. They, along with Gray and Bow Wow, will host five days a week. Check bet.com for more information including show times.

Image Courtesy of  s_bukley / Shutterstock.com

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The 2012 Soul Train Awards will chug to Las Vegas on November 8, and will premiere on BET and Centric on November 25. Hosted by Cedric the Entertainer, an original King of Comedy, the show will feature live performances by some of the best entertainers in the jazz, R&B, hip-hop and gospel genres. Also, this year’s show will revive the Lifetime Achievement Award, which is to be awarded to New Edition.

With two nominations for Album of the Year (“Write Me Back”) and The Ashford & Simpson Songwriter’s Award (“Share My Love”), R. Kelly is the most nominated artist in Soul Train history, with a career total of 21 nominations. On the night of the awards, however, all eyes will be on Usher, who is nominated for five awards. These include Song of the Year (“Climax”), Album of the Year (“Looking For Myself”), The Ashford & Simpson Songwriter’s Award (“Climax”), Best Dance Performance (“Scream”) and Best R&B/Soul Male Artist. Leading the females in nominations is British songbird Estelle who is up for three awards—Song of the Year (“Thank You”), The Ashford & Simpson Songwriter’s Award (“Thank You”) and Best R&B/Soul Female Artist. Both Whitney Houston and Amy Winehouse garnered posthumous nominations for Best Gospel/Inspirational Performance (“Celebrate” featuring Jordin Sparks) and Best International Performance (“Our Day Will Come”), respectively.

Launched in 1987, the Soul Train Awards honored the best in urban music of the previous year. A spin-off of Soul Train, which was created by Don Cornelius in 1970, the award show was considered by many to be black music’s equivalent of the Grammy awards. The Grammys did not always acknowledge the talent of African Americans, due in part to the under representation in the voting academy itself. The Soul Train Awards filled a void for many years. In recent years, however, it appears that interest in the award show has waned, with more accomplished celebrities who have attained worldwide success and have many Grammy awards under their belts.

Indeed, winning a Grammy gives a career boost as far as performance and production fees are concerned. However, is it necessary for these artists to shun the award show that presented a platform for their talents to be recognized and appreciated, simply because the Grammys have finally taken notice of them? Of course not, but it seems that is exactly what has happened. Hopefully this year’s show will see a return of some of the industry’s biggest names.

To see a full list of nominees, log onto centrictv.com.

Image Courtesy of   s_bukley / Shutterstock.com

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Kelly Rowland and Diggy Simmons will be joining the BET family. According to online sources, Rowland, a former member of the multi-platinum selling girl group Destiny’s Child, has been selected to star in a comedy pilot titled, “What Would Dylan Do?” Rowland’s character, Dylan, is a relationship blogger who lives with a group of friends in Los Angeles.

This will be Rowland’s first leading role in an original series; however, it is not the entertainer’s first time acting. Her television and film credits include ‘The Hughley’s,’ ‘Girlfriends,’ ‘The Game,’ ‘Freddie vs. Jason’ and ‘The Seat Filler.’ Rounding out the cast are Gabrielle Dennis (Cherise), Melanie Liburd (Brooke) and Brandon Scott (Ryan).

Warren Hutcherson will serve as executive producer for “Dylan”. He is an accomplished scriptwriter (“Saturday Night Live” and “Living Single”) and producer (“The Parenthood,” “Moesha,” “The Bernie Mac Show,” “Just Jordan” and “Everybody Hates Chris”). Julian Breece of BET’s online series, Buppies, will write and co-executive produce the show.

Diggy Simmons will star in a yet-to-be-titled project helmed by husband/wife duo Salim Akil and Mara Brock Akil. Deadline reports that the two-hour pilot will be “a fresh and edgy look at Diggy, his life as a blogger, and the close group of loyal friends who hold him down on his rise to the top.” Simmons will play the lead, Blake, and will be joined by Allan Maldonado (Manny), Teyana Taylor (Tae), Chris Brew (Dot), Bria Murphy (Nia) and Stephanie Charles (Sheri).

Salim Akil and Mara Brock Akil will executive produce the pilot, while Salim will also take on the role of director. The twosome has a long and successful history in the television and film industry. Akil began working on the successful Showtime series ”Soulfood” as a writer and worked his way up to Executive Producer. He has also written and produced independent films as well as feature films, such as ‘Sparkle’ starring Whitney Houston and Jordin Sparks, which he also directed.

Brock Akil was a writer for “Moesha,” starring Brandy, for four seasons before taking on duties as supervising producer and writer on The Jamie Foxx Show in 1999. She went on to create and executive produce, alongside Kelsey Grammer, the hit series “Girlfriends” in 2000. ”The Game,” a spinoff of “Girlfriends,” was also created and executive produced by Brock Akil.

BET networks, who has long been criticized for displaying ‘shallow content’, has steeped its game up in recent years. Many feel that the transformation began when the network picked up “The Game,” which had been cancelled by UPN. Whatever the case may be, the network is showing no signs of deterring from the new direction.

“Dylan” and the Diggy Simmons project have the potential to join a line-up that includes “The Game” starring Hosea Chanchez, “Reed Between the Lines” starring Malcolm-Jamal Warner, and the “Real Husbands of Hollywood” starring Kevin Hart.

Image Courtesy of  Featureflash / Shutterstock.com

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New York, U.S.A – The BET Awards 12 performance stage line-up is getting hotter and definitely “Too Big To Miss.” Added to the roster is platinum musician D’Angelo, who will make his long-awaited return to the television stage after twelve years. His highly anticipated performance can be seen at the BET Awards 12, only on BET Networks on July 1, 2012 at 8 p.m.

“Usually, we love to keep surprises…but this year we want everyone watching when D’Angelo takes the stage at the BET Awards!” exclaimed Stephen G. Hill, BET’s President of Music Programming and Specials. “His talents have been away from us for far too long and we’re excited and honored that he’s decided to make his American re-entry at this year’s BET Awards.”

As if the BET Awards 12 show surprises aren’t already enough, Ford has partnered with BET Networks for the fifth year in a row to sponsor the red carpet and Ford Hot Spot, as well as give one lucky viewer the opportunity to win a brand new 2013 Ford Escape and $1,000 in cash. The winner will be announced live during the ‘106 & PARK’ BET Awards Pre-Show: Live, Red & Ready on Sunday, July 1st starting at 6:00 p.m.

BET Awards 12 will be hosted by box office superstar Samuel L. Jackson, who was last scene in this summer’s The Avengers, and will include exciting performances by Usher, Chris Brown, Nicki Minaj, G.O.O.D. MUSIC, Pusha T, Big Sean, Rick Ross, Meek Mill, Wale and 2 Chainz. This year’s Humanitarian Award, which will be presented by State Farm, will go to Reverend Dr. Al Sharpton, and Maze featuring Frankie Beverly will receive the coveted Cadillac Lifetime Achievement Award. Taraji P. Henson, Meagan Good, Kevin Hart and Cedric the Entertainer will grace the Shrine Auditorium stage as presenters on Sunday, July 1st at 8:00 p.m. on BET Networks. All times are ET/PT.

Image Courtesy of  D’Angelo

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Verizon Wireless, provider of America’s largest 4G LTE network, announced on February 16, 2012 that it has launched “A Day in the Life of a History Maker” program to celebrate Black History Month. The program, a partnership with the UNCF, Teacher Planet, and Get Schooled, was developed to inspire and motivate high school students across the Washington, DC/Maryland/Virginia region by highlighting some of today’s most influential African American history makers.

Students in the Washington, DC/Maryland/Virginia region are encouraged to participate in the program by submitting a 500 word essay about how they plan to make history.  Entries will be accepted through March 31, 2012, at the Verizon Insider website. Five lucky winners will receive a chance to meet and spend an afternoon with Amber Riley, star of the hit TV series Glee, in New York City.

Students can also nominate their high school through February 29, 2012, to win a special visit from Ms. Riley. Voting is unlimited and the school with the most votes wins. Additionally, the actress is scheduled to star in five webisode vignettes on topics like education, empowerment, innovation, leadership and inspiration.

The vignettes will coincide with themed Lesson Plans of past and present history makers that teachers will be able to download for use in their classrooms. To further support the program, Terrence J., the star of BET’s 106 & Park, will be participating in a meet and greet on Thursday, February 23, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Verizon Wireless retail store in Catonsville, 6220 Baltimore National Pike, Baltimore, Md.

“Verizon Wireless is proud to celebrate Black History Month 2012 through the launch of this exciting and multifaceted program,” said Mike Maiorana, president of the Washington, DC/Maryland/Virginia region.  “We hope that it inspires them to become great history makers themselves.”

More than 1,000 schools are expected to participate, with more than 1.4 million students and 328,000 educators.  Verizon Wireless will also support this program on Facebook and Twitter.  Students are encouraged to visit http://www.verizoninsider.com/blackhistory for complete details on the essay contest and school voting.

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Pop stars of today presumably live in a different world than the rest of society. Competing every day through wild outfits, outrageous lyrics, and explicit music videos, the image they portray is one of a vivid imagination.

Most recently, the beloved Nicki Minaj has come out with a new single off her highly anticipated album, “Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded”, set to be released on April 3. The new single, “Stupid Hoe”, has already been banned from BET, whether due to explicit lyrics, lewd images, or plain lack of talent, the network has yet to say.

Minaj, however, tweeted that her video was never meant to air on TV, as she did not want any networks censoring her production which she refers to as art. The song was released approximately a month before the video was released.  It did not receive much of a response until the video release, most of which was not positive.

“I really hate this song, so I’m not even mad that the video was banned,” said hardcore Bahamian fan, Mia. ”She has the nerve to call that art. Nothing about that is art. That is what, in my estimation, is foolishness. Nicki needs to do better,” said another fan.

It is hard to not agree with her diehard fans, as watching the video was quite close to torturous. Understandably, Minaj was trying to keep up with the rest of the industries cutting-edge videos and attempted to create something different. Directed by Hype Williams, it is difficult to pinpoint where exactly the duo went wrong.

With the leopard print suits, the distorted eyes, the painful-looking leg positioning, and the over-the-top Barbie makeup, they really just went wrong everywhere. Currently, on Youtube, the video featured on the Vevo network has collected 170,911 likes against 353,468 dislikes.

The video and song also seem to possibly be directed towards fellow femcee, Lil’ Kim. It has been made public that the two have quarreled for some time now. Lil’ Kim released a a single last Valentine’s Day aimed at Minaj entitled “Black Friday”, and the album cover featured what appeared to be a decapitated Minaj in the background behind Lil’ Kim. If “Stupid Hoe” was aimed at Kim, it seems Minaj fell short of a diss and only ended up hurting herself.

Overall, I enjoy Nicki Minaj and her music. However, “Stupid Hoe” was nothing short of a disaster. If this song was a diss towards Lil’ Kim, or any other artist in the industry, hopefully they will be able to see the light and learn to play nice.

If you have not had the opportunity to listen to or watch “Stupid Hoe” yet, follow the link below.

Image Courtesy of  Featureflash / Shutterstock.com

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