Author: Hyentbiz

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Lena Mary Calhoun Horne 1917-2010 [caption id="attachment_708" align="aligncenter" width="97" caption="Lena Horne. The Mother of Black Hollywood"][/caption] Groundbreaking actor, dancer, and vocal stylist Lena Horne made her transition at the age of 92. Lena Horne, with her smoldering voice, lithe dancer's body, and flawless beauty, is the Mother of Black Hollywood: its glamour; its contradictions, its fighting spirit. Before Dorothy Dandridge, Lonnette McKee, Vanessa Williams, Halle Berry, or Paula Patton, there was Lena. If you are a woman of color in the business, and you elect to pursue a living performing on stage, using a microphone or appearing before a camera, you owe a debt...

10 May, 2010 /

The landscape of young female emcees who are also musicians and producers has been looking very much like a barren wasteland of late. Enter Oakland native G.L.A.M.-I-Rock, a one-woman torchbearer for hip-hop at its essence, freaked for the future. [caption id="attachment_697" align="aligncenter" width="450" caption="G.L.A.M.-I-Rock"][/caption] For G.L.A.M. (as in Good Lyrics and Music), the love for and commitment to lyrics, substance, and musicianship are non-negotiable; hip-hop is literally in her blood. Her mother? multi-platinum rap shero Nic Nac. Her father? Legendary rapper and songwriter Dangerous Dame, who penned verses and hooks for Too $hort. Glam is also a child prodigy, a beatboxer and professional...

23 April, 2010 /

Ever since the R&B group Next released the hit single 'Wifey' (2000), there’s been some confusion about the true definition of a wife. Take the new VH1 series Basketball Wives, starring Shaquille O’Neal’s estranged wife, Shaunie O’Neal-“A show about 6 women who are best friends searching for stability in the unstable arena of being the significant other to a basketball superstar,” according to VH1.com. On the show, Shaunie O’Neal and her gal-pals are all at various points along the wifey spectrum; Shaunie has filed for divorce from Shaq; Suzie is a co-parent of two with Michael Olowokondi; Gloria is engaged to Matt Barnes;...

15 April, 2010 /

Last night, the screen went black when I turned to ABC7. That's because ABC and Cablevision were bangin' over airwaves, or pixels--yes I was among the near 3 million tri-state area viewers caught in the cable beef. By 8:20 the ticker was saying they were trying to work things out, but by then I'd made plans to watch it with friends who bought a digital antenna.  My first tweet wondered why Doogie Hauser, MD (he'll always be that character for me, sorry) was on stage singing when Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin were the hosts. "They shoulda let Lenny Kravitz open. He woulda KILLED with those showgirls!"  With...

09 March, 2010 /

[caption id="attachment_658" align="aligncenter" width="450" caption="My Book Comes To Life Thursday at Brooklyn's Greenlight Bookstore"][/caption] Where else will you find a co-founder or Les Nubians, a radio writer/producer, a new media VP for a major cable network, a stage and voice actor, an indie soul sensation, and marketing maven--all hosted by Fiona Bloom, in such an intimate setting? Exactly-NOWHERE BUT GREENLIGHT BOOKSTORE. We'll answer your burning career questions. I'll read exerpts. I'll sign your book for you, or for whomever you buy it for as a graduation or Mother's day gift. And I'll even throw in a drink! To RSVP for the event on...

01 March, 2010 /

Super Bowl 44 did not disappoint: great back story going into the game. The Colts have a Black coach, who gets them back into the playoffs during his first year in his new role. Garcon represents Haiti as they clinch their conference title by draping the Haitian flag on the trophy table. The Saints carry an entire city on their backs to their first Super Bowl appearance in their 40 year franchise history--and to think they almost moved the team post-Katrina. As the Saints go marching in to the big game, Mardi Gras starts two weeks early. The game was equally exciting....

08 February, 2010 /

[gallery link="file"] Though I never met her, I wanted to honor the legendary Roxanna Floyd because I felt like I knew her through her work. She was so committed to excellence and so expert in her craft, she gave you her as her subjects gave you face. As I read more about her after the news broke, I learned that she passed in her sleep at home in Clinton Hill, Brooklyn. I've probably run into her at Fort Greene Park, or Carol's Daughter and never even knew it. For her to transition at 49 has to seem unreal to those closest to her--and the...

04 February, 2010 /

So the Grammys happened this past Sunday. In keeping with my theory that 2010 is the Year of the Woman in Entertainment, the ladies represented. It was wonderful to see Roberta Flack duet with Maxwell and to see Stevie Nicks, even if she was relegated to tambourine and backing vocals with Taylor Swift. Lady Gaga served a brilliant performance, holding more than her own solo and with Elton John. Sasha Fierce and her all-woman band delivered a frenetic display of Sasha’s incomparable vocal skill and unmatched movement capability in 5-inch stilettos as she took “If I Were A Boy” to...

03 February, 2010 /

[caption id="attachment_610" align="aligncenter" width="130" caption="Thembisa speaks to Thisis50.com "][/caption] Thembisa talks to Thisis50.com about her new book in stores now....

20 January, 2010 /

Posting this piece from Straight From The 'A'. Wanted to acknowledge this sister who impacted so many lives as a positive, fun, real, extraordinary Black woman, from Sesame Street to 227. She transitioned December 18 at 63 succombing to a long battle with breast cancer. She is one of those Sister Swans who made it look easy on the surface as she fought for her life in private. Much respect! http://straightfromthea.com/2009/12/21/actress-alaina-reed-hall-aka-rose-from-227-olivia-from-sesame-street-dies-at-63/...

21 December, 2009 /

Celebrity, Personality, and Visibility: Smoke & Mirrors in a Right Now World #140conf London Nov 17 2009 My name is Thembisa S. Mshaka, I am a wife, mother, sister, auntie, mentor, journalist, hip-hop culture guardian, entertainment industry veteran, small business owner of SEEIT Live, Inc, and most recently, the author of Put Your Dreams First: Handle Your [entertainment] Business, a career mentorship guide out now for anyone who wants the secrets to industry success. I bring all my roles to Twitter, and I am honored to be here among the illustrious characters at the #140 conference and would like to thank @Jeff...

20 November, 2009 /

Full disclosure: I have NOT seen the HBO documentary about Polanski. I write this entry with the intent to express my before and after points of view. Be advised: the two may not differ...

22 October, 2009 /

Reading & Signing TONIGHT, August 13 6pm-8pm East Harlem Cafe http://www.eastharlem-cafe.com/events.html 1651 Lexington Ave @ 104th St., NYC Books sold by La Casa Azul Bookstore www.lacasaazulbookstore.com   Signing Friday, September 25 11:00am-12:30pm Author Pavilion Congressional Black Caucus Washington, DC Convention Center   Panel and Signing Friday, September 25, 6pm Baltimore Book Festival Hip-Hop Panel Location TBD...

13 August, 2009 /

ANGELA YEE On Air Personality-Shade45 Host-Lip Service, The Morning After Sirius/XM Radio Share something you do for work that's harder than it looks. Interviews are definitely a lot harder than they look. I try to make it conversational, but every person or group I speak with requires extensive research. I make sure I read every interview, look at every video, and every blog post that I can find before I talk to guests so that I can have information that everyone else doesn’t know.  I hate to be redundant and ask the same questions that are always asked. Describe a moment of sweet vindication. When I first...

23 July, 2009 /

Bless Roxwell Hip Hop Artist/Poet/Blogger Sister Swan 1.   What are you working on right now? Right now I am working on multiple projects. I am a Hip Hop artist so I am in the process of writing and recording my 4th project, a free mixtape for download for my music fans, I am writing the blog “She’s So Fresh” Fridayz where I profile a different woman in Hip Hop every Friday with the focus on female MC’s in particular and that’s on www.thebloomeffect.com/blog on friday during the day and then it goes up on my blog, www.roxrevolution.blogspot.com on Friday evening.  I’m also gearing up...

15 July, 2009 /

I used to slide back and forth on the carpet-free floors at home, moon-walking in my socks. When I learned how to do it in a circle, you couldn’t tell me nothin’! I used to open up my high school locker to a collage of him made from fanzine posters. I wore my button of him wearing his yellow vest with the pride of an innocent crush. My aunt Lainie and I partied to the 45 of ‘Don’t Stop Til You Get Enough’ from the Off The Wall album; it usually fell into rotation somewhere between ‘Rapper’s Delight’ by the Sugar...

02 July, 2009 /

Natasha Eubanks Founder, TheYBF.com Sister Swan Name one professional thing you do that you make look easy despite its difficulty. I would say running the entire site. Most people think it is very easy. However, because I am the only person who writes on my site, I have to be the eyes, ears, and writer. I also handle some technology issues as well. In the tradition of the Ugly Duckling who emerges victorious—and gorgeous, who do you wish could see you now that you’ve reached this place in your life?  Despite the success people see, I am still striving to accomplish so much! I don’t feel...

24 June, 2009 /

Helen Little Midday Personality 106.7 Lite FM - WLTW 1. What are you working on right now? I’ve been blessed to expand my broadcast territory and I’m now on over 20 other stations across the country. I can be heard on the weekends in various markets and via the iPhone with the iHeart radio application  on the soft rock channel. I’m also working on turning writing into an additional career. And my newest interest is in real estate investing.  2. What book(s) are you reading?  Tax Wise Business Ownership by Toby Mathias, Zero Debt by Lynette Khalfani-Cox , The Bible  3. Share something you do for work...

17 June, 2009 /