You wouldn’t have some of modern music’s major hits without Grammy winner Raphael Saadiq. The prodigy bass player and vocalist has been a driving force behind the many smash records of Whitney Houston, Mary J. Blige, Beyoncé and Stevie Wonder, to name a few. He’s also revived his beloved Tony! Toni! Toné! trio with his … Read more
Rap may have been born in NYC, but it was raised in the 313. As we continue to celebrate hip-hop’s 50th anniversary, it would be an outright sin to exclude Detroit’s legendary group Slum Village from the conversation. That OG trio absolutely owned the late 1990s with their debut album “Fan-Tas-Tic” and the current group … Read more
If you have not seen a Chris Spencer movie, then I feel sorry for you. The man has been blessed with the gift of humor and is responsible for decades of classic and cult comedies galore, such as “Don’t Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood” and “Postal.” Chris just … Read more
Chuck D doesn’t swear he’s nice — he knows he’s nice. Proudly hailing from Long Island’s 516 territory, this man’s contribution to rap is the stuff of legend. Chuck D is a founding member of Public Enemy, known for hits like “Fight the Power” and “Don’t Believe the Hype” which skyrocketed the rapper’s illustrious group … Read more
Rashad Bilal and Troy Millings bring a wealth of knowledge to the world of personal finance. They are the bright minds behind Earn Your Leisure — a revolutionary media platform that approaches financial literacy in a way that can be grasped by all. Their down-to-earth style often showcases celebrity interviews with huge names such as … Read more
There’s nobody better to speak with ahead of hip-hop’s 50th anniversary than the world-renowned Kid Capri. Of course, the stellar DJ proudly hails from hip-hop’s birthplace — a spot that we know locally as the Boogie Down Bronx. He has been an instrumental force in music since the late 1980s, making smash hits for such … Read more
There are few who have graced hip-hop in the way that Styles P has. The proud son of Yonkers has led an illustrious career since the 1990s. He’s done so not only as a solo artist but also alongside Jadakiss and Sheek Louch in the rap trio known as the Lox. After so many hits … Read more
When Malcolm-Jamal Warner was about 7, he made a prediction. “I told my parents that I was going to either be a famous poet, a famous actor or famous basketball player,” he told me on this week’s “Renaissance Man,” adding, “so don’t ask about my game.” We all know Malcolm-Jamal went on to play Theo … Read more
Kym Whitley scored her first movie role by being different — and ridiculously funny. The Ohio native had been in the popular play “Beauty Shop” and a few commercials. But when she auditioned for the part of Suga in “Next Friday,” she knew comedy was her calling. “I went into the audition and … I … Read more
Actress and comedian Bresha Webb is a proud daughter of Baltimore, who grew up with big acting dreams. But she has mixed feelings when it comes to the city’s greatest contribution to television: “The Wire.” “A lot of the roles were cast out of my high school, the Baltimore School for the Arts. So I … Read more
Woody McClain is his name! But since he starred in the BET 2018 miniseries “The Bobby Brown Story,” fans regularly address him as the “Every Little Step” singer. That made the actor bristle until the great Jamie Foxx (who I’m praying for) gave him some advice. Woody recalled that Jamie said to him, “I come … Read more
As hip-hop turns 50 and we pull back the lens to see its full story, we can appreciate the rappers who truly changed the game from an artistic and business perspective. That list wouldn’t be complete without including the groundbreaking trio from East Orange, New Jersey: Naughty by Nature. They started out performing at their … Read more
Want a comprehensive history and culture lesson on the subject of hip-hop? Talk to radio personality and R&B artist Miss Jones, who was there when it was rising, rubbed elbows with all the top New York rappers of the era and was almost in a trailblazing female rap group. She virtually has a Ph.D. on … Read more
We met comedian and actor Kel Mitchell as a young teen, when he and his partner in crime, Kenan Thompson, were introduced to the public on Nickelodeon’s “All That.” The hit show was sketch comedy, a theme song by TLC and performances from top hip-hop artists. And it was a dream for Kel, who grew … Read more
During her early days in stand-up, Sherri Shepherd followed tough acts like Sheryl Underwood and JB Smoove. One act she didn’t expect to follow: the cops. “I wasn’t paying my bills,” she told me on this week’s episode of “Renaissance Man.” “I was in a religion that was like, I felt the end of the … Read more
My guests’ journey began in elementary school — and has resulted in a marriage that has produced four sons, a family YouTube channel, a podcast called “Dead Ass with K&D” and the best-selling relationship book “We Over Me: The Counterintuitive Approach to Getting Everything You Want From Your Relationship.” How did Devale and Khadeen Ellis … Read more
Broadway star Billy Porter has won a Tony, a Grammy, an Emmy and also has the distinction of bringing the tuxedo dress to the red carpet. At the 2019 Oscars, Porter changed the fashion conversation, attending in a velvet tuxedo gown by designer Christian Siriano. He called the “antebellum tuxedo gown” his biggest style moment. … Read more
Hosea Chanchez‘s introduction to Los Angeles was a series of unfortunate events. At 17, he dropped out of school and drove across the country with his cousin in his Mitsubishi Eclipse, expecting to stay with a family member and pursue his dream of being a working actor. His housing plans fell through, but his relative … Read more
When comedian-turned-actress Mo’Nique was growing up in Baltimore, her friend’s mother made a prophetic comment. “She said to me, ‘When you grow up, either you’re going to get your ass whipped a lot, [or] you’re going to make a lot of money with your mouth,’” Mo’Nique told me on this week’s “Renaissance Man.” It was … Read more
The rapper Papoose knows a thing about grit. Growing up in Bed-Stuy, he dreamed of being a hip-hop star. He was making great music, selling CDs out of his trunk and winning battles on the street, but he had no connections in the industry. What he did have was persistence and nerve. “But the DJ … Read more