“Hit that super strut!” Ciara makes directorial debut with “Dose” video
ABC/Image Group LACiara is adding another credit to her resume: She makes her directorial debut with her “Dose” video,which she released today.
The Revlon Global Brand Ambassador co-directed the clip with veteran director Diane Martel and choreographer Jamaica Craft. Martell previously worked with the “Goodies” singer on her 2009 “Love Sex Magic” video, which featured Justin Timberlake.
Ciara posted the”Dose” video on Instagram and commented, “My 1st Time Co Directing A Video with my girls @JamaicaCraft and @DianeMartel So Proud! All My Groundbreaking Women Hit That Super Strut!”
The dance video was shot in a gymnasium at the Brandon Hall prep school in the A-T-L, and features a marching band, as well as a cameo by Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms.
“Dose” is Ciara’s third single this year, following “Level Up,” and Freak Me.” Her most recent album, Jackie, was released in 2015.
Breaking The Glass Winner T.H.C!

T.H.C has made it into the WJZE Top 10 Winners Circle with his 3rd Win!
Drake, Cardi B and Travis Scott among “Ebony” magazine’s Power 100
EbonyDrake, Cardi B and Travis Scott will be among the honorees at Ebony magazine’s Power 100 Gala on November 20 in Los Angeles.
The Power 100 recognizes individuals who’ve had a positive impact on the African-American community. Ebony chooses leaders in the following categories: Entertainment & Arts, Community Crusaders, Disruptors, Innovators, Sports MVPs, Entrepreneurs, Power Players, and Women Up.
The list for Entertainment & Arts includes Barack & Michelle Obama, Alfre Woodard, Luke Cage star Mike Colter, Scandal creator Shonda Rhimes, Yara Shahidi from black-ish and grown-ish, and Moonlight director Barry Jenkins.
Stephen Curry from the NBA champion Golden State Warriors, and tennis star Venus Williams are among the Sports MVPs.
You can view the complete Ebony Power 100 list here.
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Why Ella Mai is on top of the world: “Mary J Blige Facetimed me!”
10 Summers/Interscope Records Ella Mai is enjoying one of the greatest weeks of her life. Her self-titled debut album was certified gold, she received four Soul Train Award nominations, and a nine-time Grammy winner gave her major props.
“Mary J Blige Facetimed me and told me I’m her favorite singer at the moment,“ Mai tweeted.“BLESSINGS ON BLESSINGS ON BLESSINGS forever grateful.”
The Queen of Hip-Hop Soul has won six Soul Train Awards in her career. Mai hopes to follow in her footsteps. She’s nominated for Best R&B/Soul Female Artist, and her triple platinum, breakout single, “Boo’d Up,” earned three nominations: The Ashford and Simpson Songwriter’s Award, Song of the Year, and Video of the Year.
The 2018 Soul Train Awards will be taped November 17 at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas and will air November 25 on BET.
Tonight in L.A., Mai opens her final date for Bruno Mars on his 24K Magic tour; tickets went on sale today on Ticketmaster.com for her 2019 tour.
The 23-year-old singer will kick off the European leg of the trek January 8 in Birmingham, England. She’ll perform 11 shows in Europe, and will begin the North American leg February 12 in Vancouver, Canada, followed by her first show in the United States on February 14 in Seattle. The tour wraps up March 28 in San Antonio, TX.
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Scoreboard roundup — 10/25/18
iStock/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) — Here are the scores from Thursday’s sports events:
NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
Portland 128, Orlando 114
Detroit 110, Cleveland 103
Boston 101, Oklahoma City 95
L.A. Lakers 121, Denver 114
NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Buffalo 4, Montreal 3
OT Nashville 4, New Jersey 3
Boston 3, Philadelphia 0
Minnesota 4, L.A. Kings 1
Columbus 7, St. Louis 4
Chicago 4, N.Y. Rangers 1
Dallas 5, Anaheim 2
Pittsburgh 9, Calgary 1
Edmonton 4, Washington 1
Arizona 4, Vancouver 1
TOP 25 COLLEGE FOOTBALL
(13) West Virginia 58, Baylor 14
Georgia Southern 34, (25) Appalachian St. 14
NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE
Houston 42, Miami 23
Copyright © 2018, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
(NEW YORK) — Here are the scores from Thursday’s sports events:
NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
Portland 128, Orlando 114
Detroit 110, Cleveland 103
Boston 101, Oklahoma City 95
L.A. Lakers 121, Denver 114
NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Buffalo 4, Montreal 3
OT Nashville 4, New Jersey 3
Boston 3, Philadelphia 0
Minnesota 4, L.A. Kings 1
Columbus 7, St. Louis 4
Chicago 4, N.Y. Rangers 1
Dallas 5, Anaheim 2
Pittsburgh 9, Calgary 1
Edmonton 4, Washington 1
Arizona 4, Vancouver 1
TOP 25 COLLEGE FOOTBALL
(13) West Virginia 58, Baylor 14
Georgia Southern 34, (25) Appalachian St. 14
NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE
Houston 42, Miami 23
Janelle Monae is enjoying the response to coming out as pansexual: “It’s been beautiful”
JUCOSix months after coming out as pansexual, Janelle Monae has no regrets, and is happy about the positive response she’s received.
“It’s been beautiful,” she tells People.com. “I think that it’s been a very warm and loving time for all of us who are walking in our truths. And I’ve always hoped, by sharing my stories, that people will feel more comfortable walking in their truths. And feel like it’s not a heavy burden, you know — that you do have support.”
The 32-year-old entertainer is enjoying success in music and film, including winning a Screen Actors Guild Award for her role in Hidden Figures. For her next movie, Monae is voicing the character of Peg in the live-action film Lady and the Tramp. The cast also features her close friend, Tessa Thompson, who appeared in her music videos for “Dirty Computer,” and “Make Me Feel.”
“Tessa is an exceptional actress, first of all,” says Monae. “To have her on the Dirty Computer project as my friend and someone I respect as a black woman in this industry was a dream.”
Monae also appears in the movie Welcome to Marwen, opening in December, and is now shooting the Harriet Tubman biopic.
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Michelle Williams returns to Broadway in “Once On This Island”
Ida Mae AstuteNext month, Michelle Williams is returning to Broadway, in the Tony Award-winning musical, Once On This Island.
The former Destiny’s Child member will play the role of Erzulie in the production from November 30, to June 2, 2019.
“I am totally overjoyed to return to Broadway and excited to join the cast of Once On This Island,” Williams said in a statement. “Taking on the role of Erzulie, the Goddess of Love, speaks to my heart.”
She adds, “The musical is such a moving, inclusive, spiritual journey that is needed in these times. It feels just right to represent love.”
The Caribbean-flavored production tells the story of a peasant girl who falls in love with a wealthy boy from the other side of the island. When they are separated. Williams’ character, Erzulie, helps them reunite.
The 38-year-old singer also appears with her fiancée, Chad Johnson, in the reality series Chad Loves Michelle, which premieres November 3 at 9 p.m. on OWN.
Copyright © 2018, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
NBA player among those honoring slain University of Utah athlete Lauren McCluskey
Tim Warner/Getty Images(PROVO, Utah) — The shocking murder of University of Utah track and field athlete Lauren McCluskey has prompted an outpouring of support beyond the school’s Salt Lake City campus.
Utah Jazz player Donovan Mitchell honored McCluskey — who was killed on campus Monday night — by writing her name on his sneakers for Wednesday’s game.
“This one really hit home to me,” Mitchell told NBA TV. “I have a little sister, you know. In today’s world, you know, women have to be protected more.”
“She was defenseless — couldn’t do anything about it,” he said of McCluskey. “And for a man to do that, that’s terrible. For me, I just wanted to be able to dedicate this game to her and her family.”
When the University of Utah football team plays UCLA in Los Angeles Friday, the Utah players will have a decal for their slain classmate on their helmets.
UCLA is expected to hold a moment of silence before the game.
At Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, student athletes wore red in McCluskey’s memory.
The tragedy unfolded Monday night when McCluskey, a 21-year-old senior and communications major, was allegedly killed by ex-boyfriend Melvin Rowland, according to authorities. Rowland fled the scene and later killed himself, authorities said.
McCluskey, who was found dead in her car, was on the phone with her mother just before the shooting, her mother, Jill McCluskey, said.
“I heard her yell, ‘No, no, no!’ I thought she might have been in a car accident,” Jill McCluskey said in a statement. “That was the last I heard from her.”
McCluskey had dated Rowland, 37, who was not a student, for about one month, said Jill McCluskey.
Rowland, a registered sex offender, had allegedly lied about his name, age and criminal history. When her daughter learned about his criminal history, she ended the relationship on Oct. 9, Jill McCluskey said.
Lauren McCluskey also “complained to University of Utah police that she was being harassed,” according to her mother.
“We did have a case where there was a police report filed on the 12th and the 13th,” University of Utah Police Chief Dale Brophy told reporters Tuesday. “It was assigned to a detective. The detective had been in contact with Ms. McCluskey, and they were working on the case with our suspect at that time.”
University police did not contact the Utah Department of Corrections about Rowland, correction spokeswoman Kaitlin Felsted told ABC News.
Rowland was convicted of forcible sexual abuse and enticing a minor over the internet. He was sentenced to prison in 2004.
He was released in July 2012 but re-incarcerated twice for parole violations.
He was most recently released in April 2018. Rowland had missed his September inspection appointment but was in contact with his parole officer and they had rescheduled the meeting, Felsted said. Rowland’s department of corrections supervision was set to expire in May 2019.
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Kanye West reveals Nicki Minaj and Ty Dolla $ign will be on his next album
ABC/Randy HolmesKanye West revealed that Nicki Minaj and Ty Dolla $ign will be featured on his next album, Yandi.
Kanye said on the Raq Rants show on BET that the song with Minaj deals with the double standard for men and women regarding sex.
“Nicki just rapped on a song that we’re talking about that’s dealing with body-shaming,” West said.
“I’m taking two stigmas at once because I love taking stigmas and flipping them to a positive,” he continued. “One of the stigmas is that men, the more people we sleep with, the higher our score goes. With a woman the more people they sleep with, people consider that, to be the lower their score goes.”
Kanye’s upcoming album, Yandhi, was originally scheduled to be released September 29. However, he decided to go to Africa to record more material, and now plans to release the project on November 23.
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Kelly Rowland shuts down rumors she bleached her skin: “I am still chocolate. Forever chocolate”
David Becker/Getty Images via ABCFollowing a series of Instagram comments accusing her of looking lighter in recent photos, Kelly Rowland is shutting down rumors that she bleached her skin.
“I am not the one to bleach my skin. Nor do I want to bleach my skin. Nor do I have to bleach my skin,” she says in an Instagram video.
Her followers debated whether or not she’s telling the truth.
One person commented, “I don’t care what anyone says. Kelly skin is about 3 shades lighter. With all due respects. Even with lighting it’s not that deep brown anymore.”
Another person responded, “She made a post just for people like you! So, she’s dark three photos ago, now bc of this one shoot, she’s bleaching? It’s the lighting in the shoot!! Think people!!”
The former Destiny’s Child member insisted, “It’s not for me. So, don’t go saying stupid stuff like that. You ever thought it could be the lighting?”
The Grammy-winner ended her video asserting her blackness. “I am still chocolate. Forever chocolate. Proud to be chocolate.”
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