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CITYSOUNDS NEWS
Fans give millions to Damar Hamlin's toy drive for kids
SOURCE: Fans give millions to Damar Hamlin's toy drive for kids (msn.com)
Continued: And many came with messages of hope for a 24-year-old player in his second season, sedated in a Cincinnati hospital, listed in critical condition and with some teammates unwilling to return to Buffalo just so they could remain close to him.
“There are moments in life that stop the world,” wrote Michael Lynch, who donated Tuesday morning. “We all pray for two things. Your speedy recovery and that your impact to the world is enhanced by your go fund me.”
The messages poured in from different fan bases, many of the donors letting the world know that they support other teams. One came with a hashtag that read, “we are all Bills fans.
Hamlin started the GoFundMe in December 2020. He was just wrapping up his college career and getting ready for the NFL draft process. And he wanted to have a toy drive at Kelly and Nina’s Daycare Center in his hometown of McKees Rocks, Pennsylvania, a place with about 6,000 residents along the south bank of the Ohio River.
“As I embark on my journey to the NFL, I will never forget where I come from and I am committed to using my platform to positively impact the community that raised me,” Hamlin wrote when setting up the drive. “I created The Chasing M’s Foundation as a vehicle that will allow me to deliver that impact, and the first program is the 2020 Community Toy Drive. This campaign gives you the opportunity to contribute to our first initiative and positively impact children who have been hardest hit by the pandemic.”
He pulled the first event off with about 10 days of planning. Gifts poured in, some of it clothing donated by Pitt, where he had just finished playing. Hamlin’s upbringing was far from easy: He lost three friends to gun violence while growing up and saw his father incarcerated for about 3 1/2 years for selling drugs. But as soon as he was able, Hamlin wanted to help others So, he started the toy drive. And on Monday, the world finally noticed.
Many of the donations came from Bills fans, affectionately known as Bills Mafia, and this is far from the first time they’ve gone online to show support. In recent years, Bills fans have shown support for Miami quarterback Tua Tagovailoa’s foundation after he left a game — also in Cincinnati — with a concussion; for Baltimore quarterback Lamar Jackson’s charity after the Ravens lost a playoff game to Buffalo; and many made donations of $16.88 to the P.U.N.T. Pediatric Cancer Collaborative in western New York following the death this summer of FIU player Luke Knox.
Luke Knox’s brother, Dawson Knox, is a tight end for the Bills. The $16.88 was a nod to their jersey numbers.
Continued: And many came with messages of hope for a 24-year-old player in his second season, sedated in a Cincinnati hospital, listed in critical condition and with some teammates unwilling to return to Buffalo just so they could remain close to him.
“There are moments in life that stop the world,” wrote Michael Lynch, who donated Tuesday morning. “We all pray for two things. Your speedy recovery and that your impact to the world is enhanced by your go fund me.”
The messages poured in from different fan bases, many of the donors letting the world know that they support other teams. One came with a hashtag that read, “we are all Bills fans.
Hamlin started the GoFundMe in December 2020. He was just wrapping up his college career and getting ready for the NFL draft process. And he wanted to have a toy drive at Kelly and Nina’s Daycare Center in his hometown of McKees Rocks, Pennsylvania, a place with about 6,000 residents along the south bank of the Ohio River.
“As I embark on my journey to the NFL, I will never forget where I come from and I am committed to using my platform to positively impact the community that raised me,” Hamlin wrote when setting up the drive. “I created The Chasing M’s Foundation as a vehicle that will allow me to deliver that impact, and the first program is the 2020 Community Toy Drive. This campaign gives you the opportunity to contribute to our first initiative and positively impact children who have been hardest hit by the pandemic.”
He pulled the first event off with about 10 days of planning. Gifts poured in, some of it clothing donated by Pitt, where he had just finished playing. Hamlin’s upbringing was far from easy: He lost three friends to gun violence while growing up and saw his father incarcerated for about 3 1/2 years for selling drugs. But as soon as he was able, Hamlin wanted to help others So, he started the toy drive. And on Monday, the world finally noticed.
Many of the donations came from Bills fans, affectionately known as Bills Mafia, and this is far from the first time they’ve gone online to show support. In recent years, Bills fans have shown support for Miami quarterback Tua Tagovailoa’s foundation after he left a game — also in Cincinnati — with a concussion; for Baltimore quarterback Lamar Jackson’s charity after the Ravens lost a playoff game to Buffalo; and many made donations of $16.88 to the P.U.N.T. Pediatric Cancer Collaborative in western New York following the death this summer of FIU player Luke Knox.
Luke Knox’s brother, Dawson Knox, is a tight end for the Bills. The $16.88 was a nod to their jersey numbers.
The D.O.C. is on the rebound
SOURCE: He has one of the most tragic tales in hip-hop, but after 33 years of 'hell,' The D.O.C. is on the rebound (yahoo.com)
hen one night in November, an intoxicated Curry — drunk, high and done in from a day-long bender that included an ecstasy-fueled threesome with two women and a traffic stop in which a pair of Beverly Hills cops pulled him over and then let him go after posing for pictures — fell asleep at the wheel while speeding down the 101 highway. His car crashed into the center divider, and Curry was launched out of the back window into a tree. He woke up in the hospital without his teeth (those were lodged into tree bark) and worse, soon suffered permanent damage to his vocal cords.
Curry was spared his life at age 21, but after 21 hours of surgery repairing a crushed larynx, lost the tool that gave him his livelihood.
The now-54-year-old rap icon’s reconciliation with that tragedy was not gradual over these past 33 years. Not in the slightest. He struggled with being grateful that he was alive when he felt cursed by an accident that left him with a deep, gravelly voice.
“Bro, I just got to the grateful part,” Curry, a.k.a. “Doc,” tells us in a new interview. “Those 33 years was f***ing hell. It was really a beast. And I did every foul thing that you could do to yourself to try to get outta here. Cause that pain was tough. “For me, it was 33 years of some really horrible pain that I had to work my way through. And in 2020, there was a revelation… And in that moment, I got released from that pain. I also got word that all of these great things are going to start happening again. And so I'm just blessed and grateful at this point to still be here to do this and say these things.” As for what that revelation was, it’s bit of a long story. A close, longtime friend of Curry’s confided in him. He’d had a dream in which God told him that Curry needed to let go of his pain. “He said that it wasn't yours, that you didn't do it, that I did,” Curry recalls. “And that there was a purpose for it. And now you're about to start realizing that purpose.”
Part of his purpose, Curry now believes, is sharing his story. It’s why he agreed to be the subject of the upcoming documentary The DOC, which premiered at June’s Tribeca Film Festival.
The gripping and insightful documentary on Curry offers the most comprehensive retelling yet of the tragic twist of fate that derailed one of the Golden Era’s most promising rising stars. But it also makes a compelling case for what any old school hip-hop head knows: That Curry, who went on to write verses for Dre and Snoop Dogg on the instant classics The Chronic (1992) and Doggystyle (1993), among other venerated records, is one of genre’s most unsung heroes.
But to Curry, “Doing the documentary felt like it was more about showing people what healing looks like, more than showing them what a great rapper I thought I was, or what I did with this person or that person,” he says now.
Not that it was easy for Curry. “Who wants to air out their dirty laundry? Who wants to show their f***-ups? And how the decisions that they made caused such turmoil,” he says. “But it was important for me to do it so that people can see that no matter what your situation is, there's a day after that. You just have to get to that day. Like I said, it took me 33 years, but I'm here today, a different man than I was as that 21-year-old boy. And I'm still pretty damn good at what I do. But along the way, I've had a chance to make some really incredible music with some really incredible people, and make some really incredible friends.”
Those include Dre and Snoop, the latter of whom Curry mentored in his earliest days.
“Snoop ends up being the personification of what I really wanted my voice to be in this art form,” he says. “I got a chance to live it through him, you know? He went from a guy that was afraid to look into the camera as he rapped to a guy that's an icon today. I can't walk out the house and not see him. He's on billboards on my freeways when I go grocery shopping. He's in the damn store. He's freaking everywhere. And it just makes me feel good to know that I even had a small piece of that meteoric rise.”
Curry’s also stayed incredibly close with Dre, who helped guide him through his darkest days over the past three decades that have included a stint in jail and two underperforming records (1996's Helter Skelter and 2003's Deuce). While it’s not mentioned in the documentary, twice during our interview Curry revealed that he even attempted suicide as he struggled.
“Those guys carried me for 33 years,” he says of Dre and Snoop. “Monetarily, mentally, spiritually in a lot of ways. I leaned on those guys really heavy in a time where I couldn't carry myself. And although I give all that credit to God, those guys were really important to me lasting, because it was really difficult. And I don't mind saying that the depression led me to try to get outta here a couple times. I didn't put that in the [film] because… there was so much more that could have been said, but we only had an hour and a half, and you're talking 33 years."
The documentary also follows Curry as he explores an experimental surgery that could help restore his voice, though some of his closest confidants caution him against it.
It digs into his new humanitarian journey, too, as he travels the country speaking to youth groups alongside longtime Dallas civil rights activist Reverend Peter Johnson. He plans to build a school in Dallas. He now preaches against the kind of gun violence that groups like N.W.A. were accused of glorifying. “If you want peace and you want prosperity, you want them dollars, you want that bag, then you have to think about economics and get in this game together,” he tells them.
Curry’s even gotten to address his favorite football team: the Dallas Cowboys, of course. (Curry donned a #4 Dak Prescott jersey during our interview.)
“I went and spoke to those young men, about where they are in their journey and how they should focus in on the three P’s: prayer, perseverance and purpose. You know, living your life on purpose and also getting out there and getting me that Super Bowl, which is what they gonna do. And it was really cool, man. Most of them are way too young to know me, but now they've sort of adopted me. I heard [star linebacker] Micah Parsons say, ‘I don't know who he is, but I like him.’"
Hollywood likes him, too. Ever since his friend’s prophecy, Curry has launched a successful acting career, too. He appeared in the Bruce Willis-Luke Wilson action film Gasoline Alley earlier this year and also costarred alongside Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s Imam in HBO’s hit series Winning Time. He recorded a song with NOFX punk rocker Fat Mike’s new band The Codefendants that’s inspired him to make a new album, one that leans into his bassy new voice.
“It was tough, but that was a path that I had to walk for me to be this man that I am today,” Curry says of his journey.
“But I'm still Doc, right? And this voice is still one of the coldest voices in rap. I think it's just meant for something else now.”
If you or someone you know is experiencing suicidal thoughts, call 911, or call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988 or 1-800-273-8255 or text HOME to the Crisis Text Line at 741741.
hen one night in November, an intoxicated Curry — drunk, high and done in from a day-long bender that included an ecstasy-fueled threesome with two women and a traffic stop in which a pair of Beverly Hills cops pulled him over and then let him go after posing for pictures — fell asleep at the wheel while speeding down the 101 highway. His car crashed into the center divider, and Curry was launched out of the back window into a tree. He woke up in the hospital without his teeth (those were lodged into tree bark) and worse, soon suffered permanent damage to his vocal cords.
Curry was spared his life at age 21, but after 21 hours of surgery repairing a crushed larynx, lost the tool that gave him his livelihood.
The now-54-year-old rap icon’s reconciliation with that tragedy was not gradual over these past 33 years. Not in the slightest. He struggled with being grateful that he was alive when he felt cursed by an accident that left him with a deep, gravelly voice.
“Bro, I just got to the grateful part,” Curry, a.k.a. “Doc,” tells us in a new interview. “Those 33 years was f***ing hell. It was really a beast. And I did every foul thing that you could do to yourself to try to get outta here. Cause that pain was tough. “For me, it was 33 years of some really horrible pain that I had to work my way through. And in 2020, there was a revelation… And in that moment, I got released from that pain. I also got word that all of these great things are going to start happening again. And so I'm just blessed and grateful at this point to still be here to do this and say these things.” As for what that revelation was, it’s bit of a long story. A close, longtime friend of Curry’s confided in him. He’d had a dream in which God told him that Curry needed to let go of his pain. “He said that it wasn't yours, that you didn't do it, that I did,” Curry recalls. “And that there was a purpose for it. And now you're about to start realizing that purpose.”
Part of his purpose, Curry now believes, is sharing his story. It’s why he agreed to be the subject of the upcoming documentary The DOC, which premiered at June’s Tribeca Film Festival.
The gripping and insightful documentary on Curry offers the most comprehensive retelling yet of the tragic twist of fate that derailed one of the Golden Era’s most promising rising stars. But it also makes a compelling case for what any old school hip-hop head knows: That Curry, who went on to write verses for Dre and Snoop Dogg on the instant classics The Chronic (1992) and Doggystyle (1993), among other venerated records, is one of genre’s most unsung heroes.
But to Curry, “Doing the documentary felt like it was more about showing people what healing looks like, more than showing them what a great rapper I thought I was, or what I did with this person or that person,” he says now.
Not that it was easy for Curry. “Who wants to air out their dirty laundry? Who wants to show their f***-ups? And how the decisions that they made caused such turmoil,” he says. “But it was important for me to do it so that people can see that no matter what your situation is, there's a day after that. You just have to get to that day. Like I said, it took me 33 years, but I'm here today, a different man than I was as that 21-year-old boy. And I'm still pretty damn good at what I do. But along the way, I've had a chance to make some really incredible music with some really incredible people, and make some really incredible friends.”
Those include Dre and Snoop, the latter of whom Curry mentored in his earliest days.
“Snoop ends up being the personification of what I really wanted my voice to be in this art form,” he says. “I got a chance to live it through him, you know? He went from a guy that was afraid to look into the camera as he rapped to a guy that's an icon today. I can't walk out the house and not see him. He's on billboards on my freeways when I go grocery shopping. He's in the damn store. He's freaking everywhere. And it just makes me feel good to know that I even had a small piece of that meteoric rise.”
Curry’s also stayed incredibly close with Dre, who helped guide him through his darkest days over the past three decades that have included a stint in jail and two underperforming records (1996's Helter Skelter and 2003's Deuce). While it’s not mentioned in the documentary, twice during our interview Curry revealed that he even attempted suicide as he struggled.
“Those guys carried me for 33 years,” he says of Dre and Snoop. “Monetarily, mentally, spiritually in a lot of ways. I leaned on those guys really heavy in a time where I couldn't carry myself. And although I give all that credit to God, those guys were really important to me lasting, because it was really difficult. And I don't mind saying that the depression led me to try to get outta here a couple times. I didn't put that in the [film] because… there was so much more that could have been said, but we only had an hour and a half, and you're talking 33 years."
The documentary also follows Curry as he explores an experimental surgery that could help restore his voice, though some of his closest confidants caution him against it.
It digs into his new humanitarian journey, too, as he travels the country speaking to youth groups alongside longtime Dallas civil rights activist Reverend Peter Johnson. He plans to build a school in Dallas. He now preaches against the kind of gun violence that groups like N.W.A. were accused of glorifying. “If you want peace and you want prosperity, you want them dollars, you want that bag, then you have to think about economics and get in this game together,” he tells them.
Curry’s even gotten to address his favorite football team: the Dallas Cowboys, of course. (Curry donned a #4 Dak Prescott jersey during our interview.)
“I went and spoke to those young men, about where they are in their journey and how they should focus in on the three P’s: prayer, perseverance and purpose. You know, living your life on purpose and also getting out there and getting me that Super Bowl, which is what they gonna do. And it was really cool, man. Most of them are way too young to know me, but now they've sort of adopted me. I heard [star linebacker] Micah Parsons say, ‘I don't know who he is, but I like him.’"
Hollywood likes him, too. Ever since his friend’s prophecy, Curry has launched a successful acting career, too. He appeared in the Bruce Willis-Luke Wilson action film Gasoline Alley earlier this year and also costarred alongside Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s Imam in HBO’s hit series Winning Time. He recorded a song with NOFX punk rocker Fat Mike’s new band The Codefendants that’s inspired him to make a new album, one that leans into his bassy new voice.
“It was tough, but that was a path that I had to walk for me to be this man that I am today,” Curry says of his journey.
“But I'm still Doc, right? And this voice is still one of the coldest voices in rap. I think it's just meant for something else now.”
If you or someone you know is experiencing suicidal thoughts, call 911, or call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988 or 1-800-273-8255 or text HOME to the Crisis Text Line at 741741.
Jasmine Guy Admits What She Hated About “Whitley,” And Colorism She Faced Growing Up
We’ll always love us some Jasmine Guy for for crackin’ us up back in the day with her stuck up “Different World” character, “Whitley.” However, let Jasmine tell it…for her, everything wasn’t always so peachy when it came to being “Whitley.” Although she is very grateful for having had the opportunity to make the late ’80s/early ’90s culture entertaining and memorable for us all, to the surprise of many, Jasmine Guy, began to despise this one thing about her character and it drove her to no end. WHY SHE DISLIKED HER “WHITLEY” CHARACTER AFTER A WHILE Jasmine Guy absolutely hated that people thought she was like “Whitley” in real life. For those who don’t know, Jasmine Guy is the FARTHEST thing from “Whitley” that a person could possibly be! In real life, there’s nothing pampered, nor prissy about homegirl. Truth be told, Jasmine is classy, but she’s got some hood in her too. Her real personality is more of a stern, but friendly woman who does not take any mess from anybody. Jasmine was raised in a Black Atlanta neighborhood by a Black preacher dad and a White teacher mom. However, because she played the “Whitley” character so well, she says that she began to resent her role because the public actually started to believe she was like “Whitley.” But she actually says she couldn’t stand people like “Whitley”Jasmine then began to purposely take on other work that were in direct contrast to her “Whitley” character. So when she landed the role of “Dominique Larue” — the seductive girlfriend of a gangster in the film, “Harlem Nights” — she was ecstatic. She also released an R&B album in 1990…again, a very non-“Whitley” move. But still, even after “Different World” was over in 1993, Jasmine despised that most people were continuing to approach her in public and assuming that she was much like “Whitley.” After a while, she just learned to live with it and embrace the reality for what it is. READ THE FULL STORY HERE: Jasmine Guy Admits What She Hated About "Whitley," And Colorism She Faced Growing Up (iloveoldschoolmusic.com)
Sesame Street’s “Maria” Made Our Childhoods Joyous, But Her Childhood Will Make You Cry
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If you ever watched Sesame Street as a kid, you probably remember “Maria.” For 44 years, Sonia Manzano played “Maria” on the ever-popular PBS kids show. Since “Maria” was one of the longest-standing adult characters to appear on Sesame Street, she is still a fond memory to many of us who watched the show because she helped to make so many children happy. In fact, “Maria’s” character touched on a number of topics that are still relevant today. From love and relationships, to motherhood and breastfeeding, “Maria” did a lot on Sesame Street in 44 years. When she announced her retirement back in 2015, fans immediately shared their reaction to the announcement.
But unfortunately, Sonia Manzano’s own childhood wasn’t as ideal as what was depicted on camera. After retiring, Sonia released a book titled, Becoming Maria: Love and Chaos in the South Bronx. The book shed light on Sonia’s life. She detailed a childhood most fans would have never expected due to her role on Sesame Street. Apparently, her childhood was the complete opposite. Abuse Ruled Her Childhood HomeDuring an interview with NPR.org, Sonia shared details about her childhood growing up in a Puerto Rican family in the South Bronx area of New York. She recalled how her father’s angry rages were influenced by alcoholism. His violent rages led to physical abuse and her mother was often the target. She admitted she saw her mother abused by her father – something an innocent child should never see. When her father would have violent outbursts, her brothers would go and hide. But, she would try to diffuse the situation: READ THE FULL DETAILS HERE: Sesame Street’s “Maria” Made Our Childhoods Joyous, But Her Childhood Will Make You Cry (iloveoldschoolmusic.com)
But unfortunately, Sonia Manzano’s own childhood wasn’t as ideal as what was depicted on camera. After retiring, Sonia released a book titled, Becoming Maria: Love and Chaos in the South Bronx. The book shed light on Sonia’s life. She detailed a childhood most fans would have never expected due to her role on Sesame Street. Apparently, her childhood was the complete opposite. Abuse Ruled Her Childhood HomeDuring an interview with NPR.org, Sonia shared details about her childhood growing up in a Puerto Rican family in the South Bronx area of New York. She recalled how her father’s angry rages were influenced by alcoholism. His violent rages led to physical abuse and her mother was often the target. She admitted she saw her mother abused by her father – something an innocent child should never see. When her father would have violent outbursts, her brothers would go and hide. But, she would try to diffuse the situation: READ THE FULL DETAILS HERE: Sesame Street’s “Maria” Made Our Childhoods Joyous, But Her Childhood Will Make You Cry (iloveoldschoolmusic.com)
COOLIO DEAD AT AGE 59
Coolio, the Grammy-winning rapper, producer and actor best known for his 1995 hit “Gangsta’s Paradise,” has died. He was 59.
The rapper’s longtime manager Jarel Posey confirmed the news to Variety, saying that Coolio died around 5 p.m. PT on Wednesday afternoon. According to TMZ, Coolio was found at a friend’s house.
Coolio rose to prominence in the Los Angeles rap scene in the ’90s, scoring his big break when he recorded the song “Gangsta’s Paradise” for the 1995 film “Dangerous Minds,” starring Michelle Pfeiffer. It quickly became one of the most popular rap songs of all time, topping the Billboard Hot 100 for three weeks and ending 1995 as the No. 1 single of that year in the United States. In 1996, “Gangsta’s Paradise” was nominated for record of the year and best rap solo performance at the Grammy Awards, with Coolio winning the latter. The song was soon spoofed by Weird Al Yankovic, who satirized it as “Amish Paradise,” though Coolio was adamant that he did not give Weird Al permission to do so. However, Coolio has said in interviews that the two later made amends.
Born Artis Leon Ivey Jr. on Aug. 1, 1963 in Pennsylvania, Coolio later moved to Compton, Calif. where he joined the hip-hop group WC and the Maad Circle in 1991. A few years later, in 1994, Coolio signed with Tommy Boy Records and released his debut album “It Takes a Thief.” Catapulted by its lead single “Fantastic Voyage,” “It Takes a Thief” peaked at No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 200 album chart and was certified platinum.
After the success of “Gangsta’s Paradise” in the mid-’90s, Coolio continued to grow in fame and eventually recorded “Aw, Here It Goes!” for the opening sequence of Nickelodeon’s “Kenan & Kel,” which he also appeared in. His third album, “My Soul,” released in 1997 and contained “C U When U Get There,” which hit No. 12 on the Billboard Hot 100. The album went platinum but didn’t have the same effect as his first two records, and thus became his last record with Tommy Boy.
Coolio would go on to release five more studio albums: 2001’s “Coolio.com,” 2002’s “El Cool Magnifico,” 2006’s “The Return of the Gangsta,” 2008’s “Steal Hear” and 2009’s “From the Bottom 2 the Top.”
SOURCE:https://variety.com/
The rapper’s longtime manager Jarel Posey confirmed the news to Variety, saying that Coolio died around 5 p.m. PT on Wednesday afternoon. According to TMZ, Coolio was found at a friend’s house.
Coolio rose to prominence in the Los Angeles rap scene in the ’90s, scoring his big break when he recorded the song “Gangsta’s Paradise” for the 1995 film “Dangerous Minds,” starring Michelle Pfeiffer. It quickly became one of the most popular rap songs of all time, topping the Billboard Hot 100 for three weeks and ending 1995 as the No. 1 single of that year in the United States. In 1996, “Gangsta’s Paradise” was nominated for record of the year and best rap solo performance at the Grammy Awards, with Coolio winning the latter. The song was soon spoofed by Weird Al Yankovic, who satirized it as “Amish Paradise,” though Coolio was adamant that he did not give Weird Al permission to do so. However, Coolio has said in interviews that the two later made amends.
Born Artis Leon Ivey Jr. on Aug. 1, 1963 in Pennsylvania, Coolio later moved to Compton, Calif. where he joined the hip-hop group WC and the Maad Circle in 1991. A few years later, in 1994, Coolio signed with Tommy Boy Records and released his debut album “It Takes a Thief.” Catapulted by its lead single “Fantastic Voyage,” “It Takes a Thief” peaked at No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 200 album chart and was certified platinum.
After the success of “Gangsta’s Paradise” in the mid-’90s, Coolio continued to grow in fame and eventually recorded “Aw, Here It Goes!” for the opening sequence of Nickelodeon’s “Kenan & Kel,” which he also appeared in. His third album, “My Soul,” released in 1997 and contained “C U When U Get There,” which hit No. 12 on the Billboard Hot 100. The album went platinum but didn’t have the same effect as his first two records, and thus became his last record with Tommy Boy.
Coolio would go on to release five more studio albums: 2001’s “Coolio.com,” 2002’s “El Cool Magnifico,” 2006’s “The Return of the Gangsta,” 2008’s “Steal Hear” and 2009’s “From the Bottom 2 the Top.”
SOURCE:https://variety.com/
Ever Seen Ronnie DeVoe’s Rarely-Seen Twin Brothers? We Found Them
Now that most of us, New Edition fans, have seen their BET biopic, we’re pretty familiar with the youngin’ who portrayed Ronnie DeVoe’s brother, Roland DeVoe (Ace Hunt) in the movie. He was kid in the scene who laughed hysterically at ‘young Ronnie’ (Myles Truitt) as he danced in the mirror, trying to get his moves right for his N.E. audition. What some may not know though, is that Ronnie’s younger brother, Roland, is actually an identical twin to their other brother, Rob DeVoe. We were curious to see who Ronnie’s REAL twin brothers were, and after doing a lil’ digging on his very rarely-seen twin brothers, we finally found them.
Meet Ronnie DeVoe’s twin brothers, Rob and Roland DeVoe. The photo above is from 2007 and like we mentioned earlier, they’re identical, so we can’t decipher which one is which in that pic. But in the 2017 photo below, we know that’s Robert DeVoe. How so? Because Ronnie said it in his caption as he and Rob were giving us the classic ’90s jailhouse pose’ next to the New Edition Hollywood Walk of Fame star… READ THE FULL STORY HERE. Ever Seen Ronnie DeVoe's Rarely-Seen Twin Brothers? We Found Them (iloveoldschoolmusic.com) COURTESY OF ILOVEOLDSCHOOLMUSIC.COM
Tommy Davidson Recalled The Time He ‘Almost Came To Blows’ With Will Smith Over Jada
As we all know, Will Smith once played boxing icon, Muhammad Ali…but little did we know, the brotha damn near had an Ali-George Forman “Rumble In The Jungle” moment behind the scenes with “In Living Color,” veteran, Tommy Davidson. According to Tommy, the fiasco was over Will’s wife, Jada Pinkett-Smith. It went down in 1998, as Tommy and Jada were in the midst of filming their movie, “Woo.”
What Had Happened Was…In his memoir, “Living In Color,” Tommy Davidson revealed that he and Jada Pinkett-Smith formed a very close platonic bond during filming, and would oftentimes have several heartfelt personal talks on set. However, the near-fight with Will was supposedly sparked over something else altogether different…a on-set kiss.
Tommy wrote that he didn’t like the original ending for “Woo,” and the film’s producers agreed. So, he called a phone meeting with Jada and the producers to discuss his idea for an alternative ending instead: to have his and Jada’s characters dance as the film credits rolled. Everyone liked Tommy’s ending better than the original, and agreed to go forward with his plan. READ THE FULL STORY HERE: Tommy Davidson Recalled The Time He 'Almost Came To Blows' With Will Smith Over Jada (iloveoldschoolmusic.com)
What Had Happened Was…In his memoir, “Living In Color,” Tommy Davidson revealed that he and Jada Pinkett-Smith formed a very close platonic bond during filming, and would oftentimes have several heartfelt personal talks on set. However, the near-fight with Will was supposedly sparked over something else altogether different…a on-set kiss.
Tommy wrote that he didn’t like the original ending for “Woo,” and the film’s producers agreed. So, he called a phone meeting with Jada and the producers to discuss his idea for an alternative ending instead: to have his and Jada’s characters dance as the film credits rolled. Everyone liked Tommy’s ending better than the original, and agreed to go forward with his plan. READ THE FULL STORY HERE: Tommy Davidson Recalled The Time He 'Almost Came To Blows' With Will Smith Over Jada (iloveoldschoolmusic.com)
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