Archives: Episodes

2018 Parkwood EntertainmentBeyoncé and JAY Z lived up to the name of their duo album, Everything Is Love, as they celebrated Hova’s 49 birthday Tuesday in South Africa.

Queen Bey led the crown in singing “Happy Birthday,” and Jigga was all smiles. Beyoncé’s mother, Tina Lawson, paid tribute to the Roc Nation CEO on Instagram, posting a photo of him at the Global Citizen Global Citizen Mandela 100 festival Sunday in Johannesburg. 

“A very Happy Birthday to my amazingly talented, super smart, gracious, classy, filled with swag son in law,” Lawson commented. “I have witnessed your loyalty to all of your friends, some from childhood if only we all could be so supportive of our friends and share a mutual love and respect for each other like you and your amazing friends.”

“You have done so much for our culture. Thank you for that!,” Lawson continued. “I could not be more happy to have you in my family and could not be more happy to be in yours. I have watched you grow personally in leaps and bounds and you are an incredible husband and the best Father! I love you.”

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Randee St. Nicholas/RCA RecordsLifetime’s private New York City screening of the Surviving R. Kelly documentary series Tuesday night was cut short and patrons evacuated due to several “several anonymous threats” during the event.

The event, attended by ABC Radio, was held at the NeueHouse Madison Square.  Also there were survivors of Kelly’s alleged abuse and those featured in the film, including Kelly’s ex-wife, Andrea Kelly. #MeToo movement founder Tarana Burke was also in attendance and tweeted about the incident.

“So…Y’ALL ARE NOT GOING TO BELIEVE THIS!” Burke wrote. “Tonight was a private screening of the @lifetimetv documentary #survivingRkelly where his survivors, parents of survivors, and folks featured in the doc were gathered and a BOMB THREAT was called in and the event shut down. #MuteRKelly”

She continued, “The worst of it isn’t the threat though bc it didn’t appear to be credible but the survivors who had to endure his harassment. #MuteRKelly”

Security ushered everyone out of the building where attendees were met by a small police presence that informed them that “the event has been cancelled.”  

Surviving R. Kelly is a six-part series that explores the singer’s legal troubles, beginning with being acquitted of 21 charges of child pornography in 2008. It also follows the “Mute R. Kelly” protest movement and police investigating allegations he is running a sex cult. 

The show is also said to reveal new allegations of sexual, mental and physical abuse committed by Kelly, who has continued to deny reports of wrongdoing.

Surviving R. Kelly premieres January 3 at 9 p.m. It will continue on January 4 and conclude January 5.

Copyright © 2018, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.

iStock/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) — Here are the scores for Tuesday’s sports events:

NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
Indiana 96, Chicago 90
Orlando 105, Miami 90
Dallas 111, Portland 102
Sacramento 122, Phoenix 105
Utah 139, San Antonio 105

NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Winnipeg 3, NY Islanders 1
Florida 5, Boston 0
Calgary 9, Columbus 6
Pittsburgh 6, Colorado 3
Montreal 5, Ottawa 2
SO Tampa Bay 6, Detroit 5
OT Toronto 4, Buffalo 3
Vegas 5, Washington 3
Minnesota 3, Vancouver 2
Arizona 2, L.A. Kings 1

TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL
(2) Kansas 72, Wofford 47
(5) Michigan 62, Northwestern 60
(8) Auburn 67, UNC-Asheville 41
(22) Mississippi St. 90, McNeese St. 77
(25) Furman 98, Elon 77

Copyright © 2018, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.

Copyright © 2018, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.

Adrienne RaquelAs Justine Skye looks back at 2018, she’ll never forget that one time she performed a tribute to one of her idols, Janet Jackson.

In August, when Jackson received the BMI Icon award in Atlanta, Skye sang Janet’s 1987 #1 hit, “Let’s Wait Awhile.” She recalls how shocked she was that Janet was actually in the audience watching her.

“When I got on that stage, and I looked into the crowd, she was sitting smack dead right in the middle staring at me smiling, and I was like, ‘Oh my God. This is so insane,’” she tells ABC Radio.

“She thanked me,” Skye adds. “Just hearing Janet Jackson say my name was like, ‘OK. That’s cool. That’s a great story for my grandkids.’”

The 23-year-old singer’s latest release is “Build,” a song based on her own experience as a victim of domestic violence.

“A lot of women have reached out to me and expressed that they too…have been through the situation or are currently going through it, and that this video’s helped them realize their worth and to get out of it,” Skye says.

Skye grew up in Brooklyn, New York, and she was recently honored with the “Strength” award from the BELA Charter High School in Brooklyn.

“It just made me feel like good that there were like, these little girls looking up to me,” she says.

Justine spoke with one student who is an aspiring artist, and it reminded her of when she was in high school.

“I saw a lot of myself in her and just, like, a lot of the girls that were in there…[they were] young and ready for the world.,” she says. 

Skye is now recording a new EP, Fall For It, which she plans to release early next year.

Copyright © 2018, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.

Phil Ellsworth/ESPN Images(NEW YORK) — The New York Mets unveiled the two newest Mets on Tuesday: second baseman Robinson Cano and closer Edwin Diaz.

The Mets sent top prospect Jarred Kelenic, prospect Justin Dunn, veteran outfielder Jay Bruce, right-hander Gerson Bautista, and reliever Anthony Swarzak to the Mariners in exchange for the duo.

“This trade should be a signal to our players and our fans that words alone will not define this franchise,” general manager Brodie Van Wagenen told reporters at Citi Field. “Rather it will be hard work, collaboration, and unwavering commitment.”

Cano is an eight-time All Star and won one World Series ring with the Yankees in 2009. He was suspended for 80 games last season after violating Major League Baseball’s joint drug policy. He still managed to play in 80 games, batting .303 with 50 RBIs.

Cano’s second stint in New York will be different. The Mets are coming off of a 77-85 season, finishing fourth in the NL East. He’ll call Queens home instead of the Bronx, but he says he’s just happy to be back in the “Big Apple.”

“I’m more than happy,” Cano said. “I would say blessed to be able to wear this uniform, this franchise, history… and also happy to be back in New York.”

Diaz, just 24 years old, joins his new team as one of the most coveted trade targets of the offseason. He led the league in saves with 57 and posted a sterling 1.96 ERA on the season.

“I came here to win,” he said. “To the Mets fans, we came here to win and try to reach the World Series and get the ring.”

Despite the big trade, Van Wagenen insists the Mets plan on making more moves to bolster their roster.

“Hopefully we can continue to add more talent around guys like this,” Van Wagenen said. “That’s our mission.”

 Copyright © 2018, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.

ABC/Randy HolmesAs SZA prepares to receive the Billboard Women in Music Rule Breaker Award on Thursday, she’s reminiscing about her childhood, and realizing that she should have embraced the fact that she was different.

“If I could give my younger self any advice, it would probably be to trust yourself or [to] not try so hard to fit in, she tells Billboard. “I was so different that I think trying to fit in at all was so obviously painful for me — and for other people, who caught second-hand embarrassment trying to watch me assimilate.”

The 28-year-old singer was born in St. Louis, Missouri and raised in Maplewood, New Jersey. She was an outstanding gymnast who studied marine biology in college before pursuing a music career.

SZA, born Solana Imani Rowe, says now she understands that she should have embraced her path in life and not attempted to fight the journey.

“I was definitely just designed to, I don’t know, experience life the way I was supposed to experience it and I think I fought that for a long time,” she says.

After releasing her platinum debut solo album, Crtl, in 2017, SZA has had a great 2018. In addition to the Rule Breaker Award, she also received a Billboard Music Award for R&B Female Artist, an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding New Artist, and a MTV Video Music Award for Best Visual Effects for “All The Stars.”

The Billboard Woman in Music gala will be held December 6 in New York City, and will stream live on Twitter from 7 p.m. ET to 10 p.m. ET. 

Copyright © 2018, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.

Parkwood EntertainmentShe’s a powerhouse on the charts, but according to Forbes, Beyoncé is also one of the most powerful women in the world.

Queen Bey is one of only two singers on the publication’s annual World’s 100 Most Powerful Women list. She ranks #50, while the other singer, Taylor Swift, is #68. In the Media & Entertainment category, Beyoncé is #6, while Swift is #9. Others on the list include Oprah Winfrey, Shonda Rhimes, and Serena Williams.

Beyoncé made the list because in 2018, she became the first black woman to headline Coachella, raked in millions with her On the Run II tour, and used her power to hire the first African-American photographer ever to shoot the cover of Vogue, for an issue over which she had complete editorial control. 

Beyoncé also earned about $60 million in the past year, making her Forbes‘ third-highest-paid female musician.

Copyright © 2018, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.

Matias J. Ocner/Miami Herald/TNS via Getty ImagesKanye West is featured on XXXTentacion’s posthumous Skins album, which will be released Friday.

The late rapper’s estate revealed the track list on Instagram. The album includes nine songs and an introduction. Kanye is the only featured artist, appearing on the song, “One Minute.”

In a since-deleted tweet issued after XXXTentacion’s death, Kanye wrote, “I never told you how much you inspired me when you were here thank you for existing.” West also mentioned that XXX will be featured on his next solo album, Yandhi.

Skins is the third studio album from XXX, and the first release since he was fatally shot on June 18 in Deerfield Beach, Florida. 

Here’s the Skins track list:

“Introduction”
“Guardian Angel”
“Train Feed”
“Whoa”
“Bad!”
“Staring at the Sky”
“One Minute” featuring Kanye West
“Difference”
“I Don’t Let Go”
“What Are You Afraid Of”

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Daniel SheaT.I. has been a constant critic of Donald Trump, and as the president approaches two years in office, TIP is stepping up his criticism.

“On the world stage, it’s a joke,” T.I. says on BET’s Raq Rants about the Trump presidency. “How could you let such a thing happen to your country? How could you put the most prestigious office to be held in the free world, how could you let that fall into the hands of a madman?”

When host Raquel Harper asked what is the problem with America, T.I., “I think privilege, entitlement, hypocrisy. The fact that people feel that the color of their skin makes them a better person and more qualified, and more eligible for opportunities, and we can’t continue to call ourselves the greatest nation in the world if we continue to behave this way.”

You can view the full T.I. interview tonight on Raq Rants at 11 p.m. on BET.

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