Forget counseling, Shawn Jones-Murray lets his feet do the talking. Born in Minneapolis and raised in Chicago, he grew up in a family where dance was not just a hobby, it was a way to end arguments and keep the peace.
“For me, I love Green Day through my love of rock. I love rock music, and I feel—I know—Black people created rock,” said Rucker. “As with most genres, we’ve created it, and I see strong parallels between gospel music and rock. That’s part of my enjoyment in how I sing rock.”
The Atlanta-bred artist performed live compositions influenced by his 2023 album, New Blue Sun.
For more than a decade, Veronica Nichols honed her craft as a producer prior to earning her current title as a director. Nichols’ credits include producing and directing an episode of Carl Weber’s BET series, “The Black Hamptons” as well as several episodes in season 5 of Weber’s hit series, “The Family Business.”
Ta-Nehisi Coates always writes with a purpose, so naming his latest collection “The Message” is nothing if not on-brand. But what’s the actual message? Consisting of three pieces of non-fiction, the book is part memoir, part travelogue, and part writing primer. It covers his recent trips to Dakar, Senegal; Columbia, South Carolina; and various cities and towns in the Middle East.
Mariah Carey relishes the fact that she has become culturally synonymous with Christmas — thanks in part to the longevity of her iconic song “All I Want for Christmas Is You,” and its ubiquity every year when the holidays roll around.
Carson native and Gardena High School Alum Nicolle Lenoir Knight, also known as “Katty Customs,” has been blessed with the opportunity to partner with Cricket Wireless this back-to-school season.
To dream is to resist. For poet, writer, and publisher Camari Carter Hawkins, dreaming is more than personal ambition—it’s a form of survival.
Morris Chestnut, a name synonymous with Black excellence for over thirty years. Renowned for his work in “Boyz n the Hood,” “The Best Man,” “Rosewood,” “The Resident,” and “Diarra from Detroit,” to name a few, is currently captivating audiences as Corey Cash in season two of the Hulu / Onyx Collective series, “Reason Doubt.”
“We approach Black history as we approach ourselves,” Draper explained. “We do that naturally, with a lens of authenticity, but also with nuances from lived experiences that might help us understand things a little better or dig a little deeper.”
From there, Byrd said she booked talent for a few smaller awards before landing at the BET Awards. “I’ve been on 25-years of BET,” she said. And Byrd acknowledged that she would not have been able to do it without the support of a good team.
Byer chuckled at poking a little fun at the West Coast, and she is naturally funny. But when it comes to doing comedy professionally, Byer does have a process. “The way I write jokes is I either come up with a premise or punchline, and then I talk on stage to see what happens,” she said.
Diani, daughter of legendary hip-hop lyricist Talib Kweli, was raised in Brooklyn, New York, at the heart of the culture. Rather than relying on her father’s legacy, she’s carving her path—defined by authenticity, bold self-expression, and a deep commitment to social consciousness.
Darin Jones is a Century City based senior business manager with Gelfand Rennert and Feldman, LLC. Jones has 17 years of experience in accounting, and he specializes in entertainment business management. With an extensive background in city government, banking, and real estate, Jones was driven to entertainment business management out of concern for how Black entertainers incorrectly manage their wealth. “I saw how celebrities mismanaged their funds – particularly minority entertainers,” said Jones. “I wanted get out there and help them manage their finances, their investments, managing their books – managing their lifestyles.” Jones likened what he does to being
Johnson continued, “I saw that Spoon was doing a documentary on Coolio. I reached out to Spoon and said, ‘Listen, now you know there’s no way you can have a documentary about Coolio and not include me.”’