- Moe Factz with Adam Curry for May 21st 2022, Episode number 81
- I'm Adam Curry coming to you from the heart of The Texas Hill Country and it's time once again to spin the wheel of Topics from here to Northern Virginia, please say hello to my friend on the other end: Mr. Moe Factz
- Description
- Adam and Moe deconstruct the slap heard around the world
- Associate Executive Producers:
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- ShowNotes
- ABOUT OVERTURE
- Overture Global is a media platform and thought leadership community built to inspire those working across boundaries, industries, disciplines, and generations. Overture focuses on the intersection of innovation and our culture of change, by curating conversations for a young, digital, connected audience via content online, print, video, and live events. Its members and sponsors include Facebook, Google, Spotify, the World Bank, the Nature Conservancy, International Rescue Committee, US State Department, British State Department, and Johnson & Johnson, among many others.
- Vibe (magazine) - Wikipedia
- American music and entertainment magazine
- Vibe is an American music and entertainment magazine founded by producers David Salzman and Quincy Jones. The publication predominantly features R&B and hip hop music artists, actors and other entertainers. After shutting down production in the summer of 2009, it was purchased by the private equity investment fund InterMedia Partners, then issued bi-monthly with double covers and a larger online presence. The magazine's target demographic is predominantly young, urban followers of hip hop culture. In 2014, the magazine discontinued its print version.[2]
- The magazine features a broader range of interests than its closest competitors The Source and XXL, which focus more narrowly on rap music, or the rock and pop-centric Rolling Stone and Spin.
- Publication history [ edit ] Quincy Jones launched Vibe in 1993,[3] in partnership with Time Inc. Originally, the publication was called Volume before co-founding editor, Scott Poulson-Bryant named it Vibe.[4] Though hip hop mogul Russell Simmons was rumored to be an initial partner, publisher Len Burnett revealed in a March 2007 interview that Simmons clashed with editor-in-chief Jonathan Van Meter. In May 1994, Meter resigned after Jones prevented the publication of the June/July 1994 issue featuring Madonna on Dennis Rodman on the cover.[5][6] Meter's successors were Alan Light, Danyel Smith, Emil Wilbekin, Mimi Valdes, and finally Danyel Smith again.[7]
- Miller Publishing purchased Vibe in 1996, and shortly afterward bought Spin. A private equity firm, Wicks Group, bought the magazine in 2006.[8] On June 30, 2009, it was announced that Vibe was ceasing publication immediately,[9] although according to Essence, Quincy Jones stated he would like to keep it alive online.
- After shutting down, private equity investment fund InterMedia Partners bought Vibe magazine. They added Uptown magazine to Vibe ' s parent company, Vibe Holdings. Ronald Burkle and Magic Johnson later invested in the company. Vibe Holdings merged with BlackBook Media to form Vibe Media in 2012.[10]
- On April 25, 2013 it was announced that Vibe magazine along with vibe.com and vibevixen.com had been sold to Spin Media for an undisclosed sum. Spin Media was thought likely to shut down Vibe ' s print magazine by the end of 2013, which a representative stating: "We're still trying to find a print model that makes economic sense in the digital age."[11] Instead, they cut the magazine's frequency to quarterly.[12]
- In December 2016, Eldridge Industries acquired SpinMedia via the Hollywood Reporter-Billboard Media Group for an undisclosed amount.[13]
- Covers [ edit ] Vibe magazine was known for the creative direction of their covers.[14] R&B singer Mary J. Blige repeatedly was on the cover of Vibe with countless articles following her career. The trio TLC was photographed for the cover in firefighters' gear, referencing the fact that member Lisa Lopes burned down the house of then-boyfriend and NFL star Andre Rison. The first non-photograph cover of Vibe was an illustration of late singer Aaliyah by well-known artist/illustrator Alvaro; this was Aaliyah's first appearance on the cover as well. Other famous cover subjects are Trey Songz, Brandy, Snoop Dogg, Mariah Carey, Beyonc(C), Amerie, Jennifer Lopez, Keyshia Cole, Janet Jackson, Lil Wayne, The Fugees, Eminem, T.I., R. Kelly, Michael Jackson (whom Quincy Jones' daughter Kidada had dressed in hip hop clothing, reportedly for the first and only time in the entertainer's career), Ciara, who also appeared on the cover numerous times and rap legend Tupac Shakur's famous cover story in which he reveals important details about his non-fatal 1994 NYC shooting (two years before his death in Las Vegas, Nevada).[15] Electro-rapper Kesha became the first white female artist to appear on the cover as a solo act in October 2012.[16][17][18]
- Content [ edit ] Featured segments included the back page list "20 Questions"', the Boomshots column about reggae and Caribbean music by Rob Kenner; "Revolutions" music reviews; "Vibe Confidential", a celebrity gossip column; and "Next", which profiled up-and-coming artists. The magazine also devoted several pages to photo spreads displaying high-end designer clothing as well as sportswear by urban labels such as Rocawear and Fubu.
- Vibe made a consistent effort to feature models of all ethnicities in these pages. Former editor Emil Wilbikin was frequently credited with styling those pages and keeping fashion in the forefront of the magazine's identity during the early 2000s. Many clothing brands created or linked to hip hop celebrities, such as Sean Combs' Sean John, Nelly's Apple Bottoms, and G-Unit by 50 Cent found plenty of exposure in Vibe ' s pages.
- In the September 2003 issue commemorating ten years of publication, the magazine created different covers using black and white portraits of its most popular cover subjects. It also contained "The Vibe 100: The Juiciest People, Places and Things of the Year".
- Many successful writers and editors contributed to the publication, including Alan Light, Jeff Chang, Dream Hampton, Cheo Hodari Coker, Kevin Powell, Erica Kennedy, Sacha Jenkins, Noah Callahan-Bever and Miles Marshall Lewis. Mark Shaw was the magazine's art director.
- Expanding the brand [ edit ] In addition to the magazine, Vibe also publishes books on hip hop culture. To celebrate the magazine's tenth anniversary, it published VX: Ten Years of Vibe Photography, which featured a bare-chested 50 Cent on the cover. The volume also includes photos of Alicia Keys, RZA from the Wu-Tang Clan, Eve, Chuck D of Public Enemy, and Run-D.M.C. Works by prominent photographers Albert Watson, Ellen von Unwerth, David LaChapelle, and Sante D'Orazio are among the 150 photographs in the hardcover edition.[citation needed ]
- Other books published under the Vibe banner cover the history of hip hop, the women of hip hop, and rappers Tupac Shakur and The Notorious B.I.G.[citation needed ] Additionally, the magazine published a spin-off publication, Vibe Vixen, from 2004 to 2007. Aimed at Vibe ' s female multicultural demographic, Vibe Vixen included features on beauty, fashion, and female entertainers. R&B starlet Ciara appeared on the inaugural issue's cover.[citation needed ]
- Spencer was fired in October 1997 and replaced by comedian Sinbad, along with Big Boy as the in-house announcer.[citation needed ] As was common practice for late-night talk shows (established by Johnny Carson and Merv Griffin), it had a live band, led by keyboardist Greg Phillinganes; Jones worked with him during productions for Michael Jackson's albums Thriller and Off The Wall.[citation needed ] The program aired in first-run syndication until the summer of 1998, when it was canceled.[citation needed ] The show was taped at CBS Television City in Los Angeles.[citation needed ]
- Other platforms featuring the Vibe brand are Vibe Online, the magazine's online presence; Vibe On Demand, an on-demand network; VLN TV, an online video channel; Vibe Film; MVibe, a wireless content provider for hand-held devices as well as CD and DVD lines distributed under the same name; and The Vibe Music Mixer, is available for iPhone and iPad.[citation needed ]
- In May 2015, Vibe expanded its brand by adding the digital extension, Vibe Viva. Vibe Viva is a space where Latinos can explore their rich history, and see what is driving Latin culture.[19]
- In October 2019 Vibe co-hosted Billboard's 2019 Hip Hop Power Players event in NYC.
- Vibe Awards [ edit ] Beginning in 2003, Vibe produced and aired its annual awards show on UPN through 2006, and VH1 Soul in 2007.
- An incident occurred at the 2004 Vibe Awards taping at the Santa Monica Airport hangar, in which G-Unit rapper Young Buck stabbed 26-year-old Los Angeles native, Jimmy James Johnson after Johnson approached Dr. Dre under the pretense of asking for an autograph, and then assaulted him.[20] Young Buck later pleaded no contest to a charge of "assault likely to produce great bodily harm," and was sentenced to three years' probation and 80 hours of community service.
- Other editions [ edit ] Vibe Vixen was a magazine geared towards female readers of Vibe magazine that covered beauty, dating, entertainment, fashion, and societal issues for "urban minded females". The magazine was initially released in fall of 2004, and sales were considered successful enough for the magazine to be issued on a quarterly basis. Vibe Vixen folded after its August/September 2007 issue due to low circulation.[21] Stars featured on Vibe Vixen ' s covers included Ciara, Tracee Ellis Ross, Kimora Lee Simmons, Kelis, Lauren London, LaLa Anthony and Tia Mowry.
- References [ edit ] ^ "DATA: Magazines by Circulation (for six months ended December 31, 2006)". Advertising Age . Retrieved January 31, 2017 . ^ Sterne, Peter (September 11, 2014). "Spin Media lays off 19, kills Vibe print edition". Politico . Retrieved January 31, 2017 . ^ "Top 10 Topics to Pitch to Music Magazines". Freelance Writing. 21 July 2016 . Retrieved January 31, 2017 . Vibe '' a quarterly hip-hop music and entertainment magazine established in 1993. ^ Dungca, Nicole (November 29, 2007). "39-year-old writer returns to hit the books". The Brown Daily Herald . Retrieved January 31, 2017 . ^ Jones, Quincy (2001). Q: The autobiography of Quincy Jones. New York : Doubleday. p. 292. ISBN 978-0-385-48896-9. ^ "THE MEDIA BUSINESS; Vibe Magazine Editor Resigns". The New York Times. 1994-05-03. ISSN 0362-4331 . Retrieved 2022-04-25 . ^ Pasmore, John N. (March 4, 2007). "Hip Hop History: An Interview with Vibe Magazine Publisher Len Burnett". Fast Company . Retrieved January 31, 2017 . ^ "The Wicks Group Announces Acquisition of VIBE, the Country's Leading Urban Youth Lifestyle Magazine" (Press release). New York, NY: Wicks Group. Business Wire. July 5, 2006. ^ Bercovici, Jeff (June 30, 2009). "Vibe magazine shutting down". AOL Finance . Retrieved January 31, 2017 . ^ Botelho, Stefanie (January 6, 2012). "Vibe Holdings to Merge with Access Network". Folio . Retrieved January 31, 2017 . ^ Hunte, Justin (April 25, 2013). "Vibe Magazine Sold To SpinMedia". HipHopDX . Retrieved January 31, 2017 . ^ McDermott, John (September 17, 2013). "SpinMedia Revives Vibe as Quarterly, Considers the Same for Spin". Advertising Age . Retrieved January 31, 2017 . ^ Ariens, Chris (December 22, 2016). "Billboard Buys Spin and Vibe in a Quest to 'Own the Topic of Music Online' ". Adweek . Retrieved November 14, 2017 . ^ Srivastava, Vinita (January 1, 2012). "The Story of Vibe Magazine's TLC Cover: How it Helps to Explain Race, Representation and Resistance from Journalism 's Hip-hop Generation" (PDF) . The International Journal of the Image. Common Ground. 2 (1): 57''66. doi:10.18848/2154-8560/CGP/v02i01/44247. ISSN 2154-8560 '' via Ryerson University Library. ^ Douglas, Joanna (September 11, 2008). "When airbrushing goes too far: Vibe magazine digitally removes Ciara's clothes!". Shine. Yahoo! . Retrieved January 31, 2017 . ^ Alexis, Nadeska (October 12, 2012). "Ke$ha Makes History, Proves She's 'Not A Train Wreck' In Vibe". MTV News . Retrieved January 31, 2017 . ^ Romero, Angie (October 11, 2012). "Ke$ha Covers VIBE Magazine, Makes History As First Solo White Living Female To Do So". ABC News . Retrieved January 31, 2017 . ^ Gayles, Contessa (October 11, 2012). "Kesha, VIBE Magazine: Singer Is First White Woman to Land on Cover". The Boombox. Townsquare Media . Retrieved January 31, 2017 . ^ "Viva". Vibe . Retrieved January 31, 2017 . ^ Moss, Corey (November 16, 2004). "Warrant Issued For Young Buck In Vibe Awards Stabbing". MTV News . Retrieved January 31, 2017 . ^ Bell, Lauren (July 25, 2007). "VIBE Vixen folds". DMNews. Haymarket Media Group . Retrieved January 31, 2017 . External links [ edit ] Official website So What Do You Do, Danyel Smith? at archive.today (archived January 28, 2013), an interview with the former editor-in-chief
- When Jenny Dumped Benny - The New York Times
- The entertainment industry is rife with stories about entertainers fighting with the people they hire to serve them. In 1999, Madonna ended a bitter feud with her manager, Freddy DeMann, by forcing him out of the record label they started. Last year, George Clooney fired his talent agent, who had demanded a real estate finder's fee from the person who sold Mr. Clooney a villa at Lake Como, Italy.
- But while tiffs like these are as common as liposuction and chai lattes here, Hollywood has seen nothing in recent memory like the breakup of Jennifer Lopez and her longtime manager, Benny Medina, the man who helped turn ''Jenny from the block'' into a household brand. After firing him in June, Ms. Lopez took the unusual step of filing a complaint with California's labor commission against Mr. Medina, saying he illegally contracted work on her behalf and misappropriated more than $100,000.
- Mr. Medina has denied the accusations and both camps say they are close to settling their differences. An agreement could be announced this week. But it has been such a damaging battle from a publicity standpoint -- the New York tabloids have carried a running account -- that Ben Affleck, whom Ms. Lopez plans to marry this year, stepped in to help broker a resolution. The couple could ill-afford to have the fight overshadow the July 30 release of the film ''Gigli,'' in which they star.
- The Jenny-Benny dispute has highlighted the fine lines in Hollywood that separate the roles of personal manager, producer, fashion executive and confidant. In the handling of veritable entertainment conglomerates like Ms. Lopez, whom associates say may have earned as much as $60 million last year from her acting, singing and fashion ventures, those lines have become increasingly blurred. With so much money at stake -- and the potential payout to advisers and handlers ever more lucrative -- some stars are more intent than ever on retaining control of their careers. That includes Mr. Affleck, who associates say has had a big influence on Ms. Lopez's recent decisions to keep tighter personal rein on her business affairs than had been her habit under Mr. Medina -- whom in the past was as much her friend as her manager.
- ''In the entertainment world there are two kinds of divas -- the kind that doesn't pay attention to the details and the one who counts the silverware,'' said Martin Kaplan, the director of the Norman Lear Center at the University of Southern California. ''In the end, friendship should have nothing to do with money, accountability and credibility.''
- Both Ms. Lopez and Mr. Medina declined to comment on their business breakup or the nature of their relationship before and after. But several people who have worked with both Mr. Medina and Ms. Lopez say the two were virtually inseparable soon after he became her personal manager five years ago, having been introduced by the hip-hop singer and producer Sean Combs, known lately as P. Diddy, who was then a Medina client and was dating Ms. Lopez.
- Mr. Medina, whose life inspired the sitcom ''Fresh Prince of Bel Air'' and who founded Handprint Entertainment, has had a client list that included Mr. Combs, the actor Will Smith and the singer Babyface. But it was managing Ms. Lopez for which he became best known.
- At Ms. Lopez's wedding in 2001 to her second husband, Cris Judd, Mr. Medina was not only the best man, but joined the couple on their honeymoon. When Ms. Lopez and Mr. Medina traveled on business, they stayed in adjoining hotel suites. And many of the other people advising Ms. Lopez were handpicked by Mr. Medina.
- ''There was no perception she did not have that wasn't fed into by him,'' said one longtime colleague of the two, who compared the relationship to a platonic marriage.
- By all accounts Mr. Medina was a tireless promoter -- one who was paid handsomely. Some industry executives estimate his annual take from his work for Ms. Lopez at $6 million. He received 10 percent of Ms. Lopez's earnings in film and television, according to the filed complaint, 15 percent of music publishing and recording and 10 percent of ancillary businesses, including the J. Lo clothes line and Glow perfume. In addition, Mr. Medina was to receive 50 percent of the producing revenue generated by Ms. Lopez's new production company, Nuyorican Productions.
- And he enjoyed many of the diva-worthy perks afforded his star client, friends say. When Ms. Lopez was offered cosmetics and gifts from L'Or(C)al for doing advertisements, colleagues say Mr. Medina got them, too. He flew first class, on a movie studio's or record company's tab. Like Ms. Lopez, he had homes in both Los Angeles and New York. Several people who know Mr. Medina said calls placed to Ms. Lopez were returned only by him -- even if at times he would put the caller on hold while he conducted other clients' business.
- And by all accounts, for most of their five years together, Ms. Lopez went along with the arrangement, protected by an army of managers, stylists and handlers. Although Ms. Lopez was involved in every decision, both camps say, they were largely filtered by Mr. Medina. ''She could have picked up the phone, and called people but she chose not to,'' said one person who had worked for Ms. Lopez.
- Last year, though, came signs that the relationship was beginning to fray. In August, the verbal management agreement the two had relied on from 1998 and 2002 was formalized in a contract. The intent, according to her lawyer, Barry L. Hirsch, was to establish in writing that Mr. Medina would work solely for Ms. Lopez.
- And Mr. Affleck, Ms. Lopez's new beau, had additional suggestions. He pointed out that her business manager, Ken Starr, did not have a cap on his salary, according to two people who talked to Ms. Lopez. (A business manager, who manages the finances, is separate from a personal manager, like Mr. Medina, who helps shape a career.)
- Mr. Affleck thought she was paying Mr. Starr too much and, despite protests from Mr. Medina, according to the two people, she switched to Mr. Affleck's business manager, Murphy & Kress. And Mr. Affleck, who friends say tries to keep a low profile despite his star status, was said to be alarmed that Ms. Lopez was a frequent subject of tabloid reports, something her management team had a hard time containing. ''In Jennifer's mind it was normal,'' said a studio executive who has worked with both Mr. Affleck and Ms. Lopez. ''It was not, in Ben's.''
- Mr. Affleck declined to discuss his relationship with Ms. Lopez. But according to one person who knows them both, ''Ben came in and said, 'I run a tighter ship.' ''
- Problems erupted in October when Ed Limato, an agent at International Creative Management who had only recently begun representing Ms. Lopez, wrote a letter to Mr. Medina (with a copy to Ms. Lopez) saying he did not want to work for her. One frustration for Mr. Limato, who guided the careers of Denzel Washington and Mel Gibson, was that he and Ms. Lopez never talked -- that all dealings were through Mr. Medina.
- ''I'm not very good at dealing with phantom clients,'' he wrote in the letter, which was widely distributed in Hollywood at the time, ''as my greatest relationships and successes have been with artists with whom I have daily communications and enjoy their full confidence.''
- Within weeks, Ms. Lopez signed with Patrick Whitesell, an agent at the Endeavor Talent Agency who happened not only to be Mr. Affleck's agent, but his good friend, too. But while Ms. Lopez was now returning her own calls, said two people apprised of the relationship, Mr. Medina clashed with Mr. Whitesell. Mr. Whitesell declined to comment on his relationship with Mr. Medina. But according to these people, Mr. Medina had wanted Ms. Lopez to sign with a competitor, the Creative Artists Agency, which continued to actively pursue her at Mr. Medina's urging. Mr. Whitesell, for his part, thought Mr. Medina was in over his head, the people said.
- Ms. Lopez seemed to be, too, for that matter. The movie director Adam Shankman sued Ms. Lopez in May, saying she had stolen his idea for a movie on the opera ''Carmen,'' which she wanted to produce with Mr. Medina. And while her perfume Glow was a big seller, Ms. Lopez saw little of the profit herself because of the way her business deal was structured, according to one person apprised of the deal.
- With her new set of advisers and a business-savvy boyfriend who was pushing her to shore up her finances, Ms. Lopez began to question why she was not making more money. So in late spring a host of accountants combed through her financial records, said three people briefed on the review, and questioned, among other things, payments of more than $100,000 to Mr. Medina. The complaint filed earlier this month described the amount as a misappropriated ''consulting fee.''
- ''The new accountants came in and said, 'What's this?' '' one of the people said. He said that Mr. Medina explained the payments as being reimbursements for expenses for which he did not save receipts.
- By early June the relationship with Mr. Whitesell and Mr. Medina was so contentious, according to the two camps, that Mr. Whitesell gave Ms. Lopez a choice: him or Mr. Medina. She chose neither, firing Mr. Whitesell first and then Mr. Medina a few days later. (She fired her publicist, too.) Within days she had a new agent, her third in less than a year, and a new personal management company, too: The Firm.
- One person who had worked with Mr. Medina and Ms. Lopez from the beginning wondered aloud whether the split had anything to do with the fact that, for the first time in five years, Mr. Medina had not been on the set, while Ms. Lopez was making the movie ''An Unfinished Life'' in Canada this past spring. ''With the extended separation,'' this person said, ''the relationship came under scrutiny.''
- But he acknowledged that the reasons were probably more complicated. ''It was a mutual obsessiveness,'' this person said. ''You can't be in each others things in an intense way and not have it end some time.'' Still, he added, ''don't be surprised if Benny shows up at the wedding.''
- Benny Medina - Wikipedia
- American record executive, talent manager, and television producer
- Born ( 1958-01-24 ) January 24, 1958 (age 64) NationalityAmericanOccupationProducerYears active1979''presentBenny Medina (born January 24, 1958) is an American record executive, talent manager, and television producer.
- Early life and education [ edit ] Medina was born in East Los Angeles, California, of Dominican parents into a poor family. The death of his mother and abandonment by his father resulted in him being placed into a number of foster homes, which he repeatedly ran away from before he and his siblings were taken in by his aunt. In his early teenage years, Medina dealt cannabis and amphetamines.
- He befriended a wealthy white teenager, whose family in Beverly Hills allowed him to live in a refurbished garage behind their property. Medina then attended Beverly Hills High where he met Kerry Gordy and was a successful student. Medina's experiences of transferring to this wealthy environment is the loose basis for The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.[1][2][3]
- Career [ edit ] Medina started his career with the group Apollo, who released their self-titled debut on Gordy/Motown in 1979. He was the lead singer. Other members included Kerry Gordy (keyboards), Cliff Liles (bass), Lenny Greene (drums) and Larry Robinson (guitar). Medina co-wrote three of the seven tracks, including ''Astro Disco,'' their best known track. The album was produced by Ray Singleton, former wife of Motown founder Berry Gordy.
- At age 24, Medina became the head of A&R for Motown, working as a prot(C)g(C) to Berry Gordy. Under Gordy, Medina wrote and produced for legendary Motown acts such as The Temptations, Smokey Robinson, Billy Preston, Rick James and Teena Marie.
- Medina then moved on to Warner Bros. Records, where executive Mo Ostin tasked him to build and cultivate the careers of the company's urban artists as VP/GM of its urban-music division. While there, Medina collaborated with artists such as Ray Charles, Babyface, Prince, Chaka Khan, Madonna, Paul Simon and Fleetwood Mac. He also worked with Naughty by Nature, Queen Latifah, De La Soul, Biz Markie, Kool G. Rap, Big Daddy Kane, Roxanne Shant(C), and Monie Love.[4]
- After leaving Warner Bros., Medina and longtime friend Jeff Pollack formed Medina/Pollack Entertainment, which grew into a full service management and production company. Among their projects were Booty Call, Above the Rim, and Maid in Manhattan.[5]
- In early 2009, Medina formed The Medina Company.[6]
- Management clients [ edit ] Medina managed Jennifer Lopez, and along with then-head of Sony Music, Tommy Mottola, Medina launched Lopez's pop music career in 1999, after which, in 2003, at the height of her popularity, Lopez fired Medina and filed a complaint against him with California's labor commission.[3] As of 2008, Medina officially resumed his role as Lopez's manager,[7] and is also a godparent to her twin children.[7]
- Other clients were also managed by Medina, including Tyra Banks, P. Diddy,[3] Mariah Carey, Brandy Norwood, and Usher Raymond.[8] Medina also managed singer-songwriter Vanessa Daou from 1996-1998 while the artist was signed to Krasnow Entertainment/MCA Records. When Daou chose to leave with label head Bob Krasnow and find a way out of her contractual obligations to MCA in 1998, Medina and his company Handprint Entertainmant, along with Daou, co-released the artist's internet-only album release 'Plutonium Glow'.
- Sexual assault allegations [ edit ] In November 2017, actor Jason Dottley accused Medina of attempting to rape him in December 2008.[9] Dottley stated the event happened at Medina's Los Angeles mansion after Medina gave Dottley and fellow actor T. Ashanti Mozelle a tour of the home.[10] Dottley stated in an interview with The Advocate that Anthony Rapp's recent sexual assault allegations against Kevin Spacey inspired him to come out with his "shameful secret."[11] Through his attorneys Howard Weitzman and Shawn Holley, Medina said in a statement, "Benny Medina categorically denies the allegation of attempted rape."[12]
- Personal life [ edit ] Medina is gay. In March 2007, he was ranked as one of Out.com ' s Top 50 Gays, coming in at spot 48.[13]
- References [ edit ] ^ Randolf, Laura B. (April 1991). The Real-Life Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Ebony. Johnson Publishing Company. pp. 30''39. ^ "Will Smith in Pursuit of Excellence". black-collegian.com. Archived from the original on 2007-10-25 . Retrieved 2007-10-23 . ^ a b c Holson, Laura M. (July 14, 2003). "When Jenny Dumped Benny". The New York Times. p. C1 . Retrieved March 2, 2021 . ^ Tyrangiel, Josh (August 13, 2005). "Jennifer Lopez: The Diva from the Block". Time. Archived from the original on September 23, 2005 . Retrieved March 2, 2021 . ^ "The Fighting Temptations". jonathanlynn.com. Archived from the original on 2008-06-12 . Retrieved 2008-06-11 . ^ "Doppelganger and Telepictures Productions Launch 'The Tyra Banks Show' ". virtualworldsnews.com. Archived from the original on 2009-05-10 . Retrieved 2008-06-11 . ^ a b "Is Jennifer Lopez Moving In With Manager Benny Medina? The Two Purchase L.A. Home". Fox News. 2016-12-19 . Retrieved 2019-05-28 . ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2009-05-10 . Retrieved 2008-12-22 . {{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) ^ Warner, Kara; Fernandez, Alexia (10 November 2017). "Top Music & TV Exec Benny Medina Accused of Sexual Attack: 'I Could Not Fight Him Off' Alleges Actor Jason Dottley". People . Retrieved 11 November 2017 . ^ Mandell, Andrea (10 November 2017). "J.Lo's manager, Benny Medina, denies man's allegation of attempted rape". USA Today . Retrieved 11 November 2017 . ^ Artavia, David (10 November 2017). "Sordid Lives Actor Alleges Mogul Benny Medina Tried to Rape Him". The Advocate . Retrieved 11 November 2017 . ^ McNiel, Liz (10 November 2017). "Top music, TV exec Benny Medina accused of sexual attack: 'I could not fight him off' alleges actor Jason Dottley". Yahoo . Retrieved 11 November 2017 . ^ Oxfield, Jesse, Idov, Michael (4 March 2007), 'Out' Ranks the Top 50 Gays; Anderson Is No. 2 Archived 6 June 2007 at the Wayback Machine, New York Magqazine. Retrieved 28 June 2007. External links [ edit ] Benny Medina at IMDb
- Will Smith, Six Degrees of Separation | Rock and Role: Top 10 Memorable Movie Performances by Music Stars | TIME.com
- MGM / EverettDirector: Fred Schepisi
- Studio: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
- Cast: Will Smith, Stockard Channing, Donald Sutherland
- Get This MovieIn 1993 '-- five years after he (and DJ Jazzy Jeff) grumpily complained that ''Parents Just Don't Understand,'' and three years after he assumed the title of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air '-- Will Smith appeared in Six Degrees of Separation: his first starring role in a movie. His character, a clever con-artist who ingratiates himself into the lives of a privileged Manhattan couple, is nothing like the wisecracking heroes he played so successfully in subsequent films, but Smith turns in a terrific performance '-- sharp, nuanced and slyly cognizant of his immense natural charisma.
- OTHER NOTEWORTHY PERFORMANCE(S): He did a superb job playing Muhammad Ali in Michael Mann's overly long biopic (though not quite delivering The Champ's predatory menace) and his boozy lonely-guy superhero in the messy-but-fascinating Hancock showed a willingness to explore darker places.
- [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=arPhzlHlyEY]
- Next Tina Turner, Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome
- Showcase '-- Ensemble Studio
- Showcase & clientsEnsemble Studio proudly presents'...In a world of noise, there's an art to being heard. Ensemble Studio brings creativity to brand and corporate communications. We find inspiration in the stories of our clients and collaborators. We fashion harmony out of complexity and produce work that resonates far and wide, up above the noise.
- Overture Global partners with April Reign, founder of #OscarsSoWhite, to launch digital content studio Ensemble - Overture Global
- NEW YORK, June 24, 2020 '' April Reign, the equity advocate, former lawyer, cultural marketing expert and creator of #OscarsSoWhite, is partnering with Overture Global, a New York-based media company, to launch a digital content studio to accelerate opportunities around content and development in front of and behind the camera for people of color. The new initiative will be named Ensemble, to signify that it takes a collective effort: people of various talents, backgrounds and cultures to create content that is inclusive, equitable, authentic and relevant for the masses.
- The goal is to develop sustainable programming, while leveraging distribution platforms to create large audiences. Ensemble services include: development, production, promotion, distribution, sales, marketing, and enterprise. The world is at a point where the overall consumption of content is at an all-time high, while stories by, for, and about people of color have historically been stymied. With the advent of streaming platforms, and the increased desire for short-form sponsored content, the opportunities Ensemble offers for content providers, artists and brands are limitless.
- April Reign says: ''I'm excited to be partnering with Overture. They have a reputation for creating professional content for a switched-on audience. We are in a unique period wherein we're able to bring together brands and creators to tell stories, such as interviews, web series and documentaries, that reflect a wide range of American and global human experiences.''
- Donnovan Andrews, CEO of Overture explains: ''We know, for example, the mobile usage rate by young African Americans is extremely high and Ensemble intends to create a platform for showcasing mindful and considerate content developed by and for African Americans. Until now, Overture has focused on telling societal-impact stories, such as innovative efforts to solve the global water shortage and supporting women in international STEAM (science, tech, engineering, art and mathematics) fields. Ensemble is an organic extension of this work, focused on thought-provoking content for influential and connected communities. These will be the stories that need to be told, and perspectives that need to be delivered.''
- Below are some startling statistics from Nielsen. Essentially, the Black community has a high use of mobile technology and digital content consumption; however, there is a significant gap in programming, ownership and sponsor funding for this influential audience:
- ' 61% of African Americans are fascinated by new technology; and 37% are early adopters (they are more likely than the total population to be the first among their peers to try new technologies).
- ' 96% of all African American adults have/use a smartphone, compared to 95% of the population.
- ' African Americans over 35 surpass similar age-group consumers by 2% for smartphone ownership.
- ' African Americans spend more time-consuming video on their Android phones and iPhones compared to the total population.
- ' YouTube is the most consumed entertainment app for African-Americans (79%). Netflix has the highest market share among subscription video on-demand apps with 39%, according to Nielsen.
- What is more, in 2018, Nielsen estimated Black buying power at $1.2 trillion. Yet, that same year, only about $18 billion was spent on African-American-centric digital and mainstream media, a 5 percent decline from the previous year.
- April Reign recognized this disparity. As the creator of the viral hashtag-turned-movement #OscarsSoWhite, she has been challenging the lack of representation of marginalized communities in Hollywood, and beyond, since 2015. Reign sustains a movement that has, arguably, resulted in the most permanent systemic change ever seen in the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' 80-plus-year history. Her name continues to be synonymous with this historic change, the results of which are reverberating throughout the entertainment industry and will do so for decades to come.
- Adds Andrews, ''This is not to say all of the content we produce will be exclusively for the Black audience: our strategy is heavily based on creating, and supporting inclusive content production and delivery opportunities for diverse teams'... in a way that hasn't been done before. Just think about the stories from refugees, immigrants and cultural influencers that've been lost because they've been historically excluded from this process.''
- ABOUT APRIL REIGNMs. Reign is an influential and sought-after media presence; she has built an impressive global social media following across several platforms, as well as a network of recognized celebrities, creators, activists, and corporate decision makers. She capitalizes on this network and her experience, using her voice to spark conversations and explore issues of race, politics and culture, helping to structure ways to turn dialogue into action.
- April Reign travels internationally, speaking at academic institutions and conferences; she appears at industry awards, festivals and events, and is highly sought-after for consulting with organizations regarding issues of diversity and inclusion.
- ABOUT OVERTUREOverture Global is a media platform and thought leadership community built to inspire those working across boundaries, industries, disciplines, and generations. Overture focuses on the intersection of innovation and our culture of change, by curating conversations for a young, digital, connected audience via content online, print, video, and live events. Its members and sponsors include Facebook, Google, Spotify, the World Bank, the Nature Conservancy, International Rescue Committee, US State Department, British State Department, and Johnson & Johnson, among many others.
- Site: www.overtureglobal.io
- e: info@overtureglobal.io
- April Reign - Wikipedia
- American media strategist and diversity & inclusion advocate
- April Reign is a media strategist and advocate for diversity and inclusion, known for creating the movement #OscarsSoWhite.[1] Reign is credited with starting "the hashtag that changed the Oscars," a movement that prompted the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to diversify its membership.[2]
- Early life and education [ edit ] Reign was born in Newark, New Jersey. Her father was a physician's assistant in the military and her family moved around when she was a child, with Reign attending high school in Texas, Louisiana, and Georgia.[3] Reign attended the University of Texas for both college and law school.[4]
- Career [ edit ] Reign worked as a campaign finance lawyer for 15 years. In 2014 she resigned from the FEC for violating the Hatch Act.[5] She is currently the CEO of Reignstorm Ventures, where she advocates for the representation of marginalized communities in all areas of the arts and tech.[6] In 2019 Reign was named as an equity advisor to cosmetics retailer Sephora, working with them to eliminate racial bias in stores.[7] In 2020 Reign partnered with Overture Global to create a new digital content studio called Ensemble, aimed at creating content by and for people of color.[8]
- Oscars So White [ edit ] Reign created the Twitter hashtag #OscarsSoWhite on January 15, 2015[9] to call attention to inequality in Hollywood and the lack of representation of people of color in the 87th Academy Awards nominations.[10] Reign said this movement was intended to draw attention to how films get made, rather than particular actors: ''It's not about saying who is snubbed and who should have been nominated, it's about opening the discussion more on how the decisions were made, who was cast and who tells the story behind the camera.''[11]
- The hashtag returned after nominations were announced on January 14, 2016 to protest the second year in a row that no actors of color were nominated in the 88th Academy Awards and gained wide attention in the media.[1][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19] In response to the furor sparked by the #OscarsSoWhite hashtag, the president of the Academy, Cheryl Boone Isaacs released a statement promising to take "dramatic steps to alter the makeup of our membership."[20] As a result, the Academy voted unanimously on January 21, 2016 to make a variety of changes to its membership and governance policies with the goal of doubling the number of women and underrepresented groups by 2020.[21] Reign said in 2016 that while the Academy was moving in the right direction, its membership remained overwhelmingly male and white, and that she would continue her fight "until there is a wealth of films that showcase the nuance and complexity of all marginalized communities, whether it is based on sexual orientation, disability, race, ethnicity, gender identity, or First Nation status."[22]
- Despite the changes promised in 2016, the 92nd Academy Awards once again showed a lack of diversity.[23] Reign said she wasn't surprised by the lack of nominations for diverse actors in 2020: "Despite the Academy's commitment to doubling the number of people of color and doubling the number of women within its membership ranks by this year, 2020, the Academy is still 84 per cent white and 68 per cent male."[24] Reign remains committed to the movement, traveling globally to connect with a wider audience to encourage people to become active advocates for disadvantaged groups.[25] Despite her commitment to improving diversity in Hollywood, Reign says no one from the Academy has ever spoken to her about the movement she started or asked for her help making structural changes.[26]
- References [ edit ] ^ a b Ashagre, Aggi (2016-01-25). "A conversation with the creator of #OscarsSoWhite". NPR . Retrieved 2020-12-20 . ^ Ugwu, Reggie (2020-02-06). "The Hashtag That Changed the Oscars: An Oral History". New York Times . Retrieved 2020-12-20 . ^ Lamb, Gregory M. (2016-12-15). "The woman behind #OscarsSoWhite". The Christian Science Monitor . Retrieved 2020-12-20 . ^ Rao, Sonia (2017-08-17). "Her #OscarsSoWhite campaign changed how Hollywood deals with race. Now she's taking on HBO". The Washington Post . Retrieved 2020-12-20 . ^ "Rep Jim Jordan wants information on computer crash of federal lawyer who campaigned for Obama at work". 15 July 2014. ^ "April Reign". Sparks and Honey. 2019-09-17 . Retrieved 2020-12-20 . ^ Rao, Priya (2020-07-07). "Sephora takes steps to improve equity and inclusion in stores". Glossy . Retrieved 2020-12-20 . ^ McNary, Dave (2020-06-23). "April Reign, Creator of #OscarsSoWhite, Partners With Overture Global on Ensemble Venture". Variety . Retrieved 2020-12-20 . ^ Reign, April (2015-01-15). "#OscarsSoWhite they asked to touch my hair". Twitter . Retrieved 2020-12-20 . ^ Murphy, Shaunna (2015-01-15). "YES, the Oscars are so white, and here's why that matters". MTV News . Retrieved 2020-12-20 . ^ Workneh, Lily (2016-02-27). "Meet April Reign, The Activist Who Created #OscarsSoWhite". Huffington Post . Retrieved 2020-12-20 . ^ Hogan, Mike (2016-01-14). "The Oscars Are Way Too White, Again". Vanity Fair . Retrieved 2020-12-20 . ^ Pesce, Nicole Lyn (2016-01-14). "#OscarsSoWhite returns after Academy noms snub minorities again". New York Daily News . Retrieved 2020-12-20 . ^ Keegan, Rebecca; Zeitchik, Steven (2016-01-14). "Oscars 2016: Here's why the nominees are so white -- again". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved 2020-12-20 . ^ VanDerWerff, Emily (2016-01-14). "Oscars 2016: The nominees are blindingly white. Again". Vox . Retrieved 2020-12-20 . ^ Gray, Tim (2016-01-14). "Academy Nominates All White Actors for Second Year in Row". Variety . Retrieved 2020-12-20 . ^ Ryan, Patrick (2016-02-02). "#OscarsSoWhite controversy: What you need to know". USA Today . Retrieved 2020-12-20 . ^ Cox, David (2016-02-26). "#OscarsSoWhite: who is really to blame for the Oscars' lack of diversity?". The Guardian . Retrieved 2020-12-20 . ^ Wong, Jessica (2016-02-26). "#OscarsSoWhite, Hollywood diversity woes loom over Academy Awards". CBC . Retrieved 2020-12-20 . ^ Boone Isaacs, Cheryl (2016-01-18). "Statement from Academy president Cheryl Boone Isaacs". Oscars.org . Retrieved 2020-12-20 . ^ "Academy takes historic action to increase diversity". Oscars.org. 2016-01-21 . Retrieved 2020-12-20 . ^ Reign, April (2016-06-30). "Oscars members list: one small step toward a more diverse Academy". The Guardian . Retrieved 2020-12-20 . ^ VanDerWerff, Emily (2020-01-13). "The lack of diversity among the 2020 Oscar nominees feels disappointingly familiar". Vox . Retrieved 2020-12-20 . ^ "Why #OscarsSoWhite creator April Reign isn't surprised by the lack of diverse nominees". CBC. 2020-01-14 . Retrieved 2020-12-20 . ^ McCullough, Sarah-Mae (2020-01-23). "#OscarsSoWhite: April Reign talks about the tweet that became a movement". Daily Emerald . Retrieved 2020-12-20 . ^ Reign, April (2020-01-15). "With a Mostly White Academy, What Could We Expect?". Variety . Retrieved 2020-12-20 .
- A Conversation With The Creator Of #OscarsSoWhite : NPR
- An Oscar statue, on display during the Academy Awards nominations announcement in Beverly Hills, Calif., on Jan. 14. Mark Ralston/AFP/Getty Images hide caption
- toggle caption Mark Ralston/AFP/Getty Images An Oscar statue, on display during the Academy Awards nominations announcement in Beverly Hills, Calif., on Jan. 14.
- Mark Ralston/AFP/Getty Images In recent weeks, as controversy has embroiled the Oscar nominations, one hashtag has surfaced again as a vehicle for those displeased with the lack of diversity among the academy's selections: #OscarsSoWhite.
- The hashtag has gathered momentum once more online, even as criticism of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences escalated '-- to the point where, on Friday, the academy announced unprecedented changes to its membership and voting rules. The goal, according to a statement, was to "make the Academy's membership, its governing bodies, and its voting members significantly more diverse."
- But #OscarsSoWhite isn't simply a hashtag '-- it's part of a broader social media movement started in 2015 by April Reign, managing editor of BroadwayBlack.com.
- Reign spoke with me about her reaction to the academy's changes and what more still needs to be done to increase diversity in the film industry. The conversation was edited for length and clarity.
- What's known as "hashtag activism" has been criticized as not being enough to create change outside of the online space. Did you ever imagine #OscarsSoWhite would become what it is?
- There was no way for me to know that a single tweet that I made from my family room in January of 2015 would have the impact that it has. And I'm not sure that anyone ever really knows what hashtag is going to become viral until it does. The very first tweet was "#OscarsSoWhite they asked to touch my hair," and I was just being sort of cheeky and frustrated with what I was watching on the Oscar nominations and it just took off from there.
- And so there were a lot of discussions, and we saw last year that Cheryl Boone Issacs, the president of the academy, invited 300 new members to the academy in an attempt to increase its diversity, but then the nominations were announced this year, 2016, and there was no change. In fact, it may have actually gotten worse. And so the hashtag unfortunately was still very relevant and experienced a resurgence.
- April Reign. Courtesy of April Reign hide caption
- toggle caption Courtesy of April Reign April Reign.
- Courtesy of April Reign Many creators in the digital space are unable to hold on to ownership of their creations once they go viral. Was that something that worried you at all?
- It happened somewhat, and I have to credit other people who are Twitter friends of mine who will take journalists and other organizations to task for saying something like "Twitter created the hashtag" '-- or something passive like "the hashtag was created by Twitter," or "it just took off" '-- without saying, well, "Here's the person who actually did it."
- There's a real person. It's in my bio. It's not very hard to track down. There were countless articles from last year and this year that named me directly or it's easy enough to figure out who I am. There was also a question about, I'm speaking about the erasure of people of color in marginalized communities in film, and yet I am being erased because they're not actually acknowledging the person who created the hashtag. ...
- I appreciated every time someone reached out and said, "Is it you? We want to interview you directly, because you actually started it." But overall, it's not about me. I don't need the credit.
- What I want to see acknowledged is a change that everyone, or so many people, were asking for. So, make more diverse films, change the structure of the academy, change the way that votes are cast by academy members. That's what's important when all is said and done. If you remember that I had something to do with that, even better '-- but it's not imperative.
- Was the announcement that the academy made on Friday on par with what you were hoping for? Were they missing anything?
- I think it's a really good first step. I am very encouraged by the fact that the vote that the board of governors took was unanimous to make these changes.
- Some of the things that they are doing now, I specifically suggested in interviews, so I am gratified that the academy and President Cheryl Boone Isaacs were listening.
- Have you heard from Isaacs or anyone on the organization's governing board?
- No. I would imagine that if they were going to reach out they would have done if before they decided to make the changes, but again, it's not about me. They were able to make sweeping changes: I mean, to my knowledge, these are the first substantive changes that they've made to the voting structure in the over 80-year history of the academy.
- They didn't need to reach out to me. ... I think what they've done will go a long way to increasing the diversity of the academy. I would like to see the academy now put the onus on Hollywood studios to make more diverse and inclusive films, to give the academy something on which they can vote that doesn't look as homogeneous as what we currently have.
- On that note, what do you say to people who argue that this energy is being spent on the wrong fight, and that focus should actually be put on encouraging diversity among studio executives, production companies and writers' rooms?
- I think that this is an issue that can be addressed on many fronts. There was a need for the academy to be more diverse and for them to represent the people who watch the films that they nominate and that they support.
- There's also a need for Hollywood and the studio heads and those who greenlight the films to make substantial changes to their thought processes and perspectives. They need to broaden their perspectives with respect to who can play particular roles and how stories can be told effectively.
- I don't know that this is a chicken-and-the-egg issue and that we should have pressured Hollywood before we pressured the academy. I think this is the way that it turned out, I think the changes are a good start, but I think there is more work to be done.
- Director Spike Lee and actors Will Smith and Jada Pinkett-Smith have called out the Oscars in recent weeks, saying they won't be attending, which many are calling a boycott. On the other hand, Whoopi Goldberg said on The View that refusing to tune in or not attending is a "slap in the face" to host Chris Rock. What do you make of their stances?
- "Boycott" is a word that was sort of thrust into the mix. Spike is saying that he's not actually boycotting, they're just not attending. Jada and Will won't be attending. We engaged in counterprogramming last year. We tweeted Coming to America during the Oscar's presentation and that movie was chosen very deliberately. We will be doing something on an even bigger scale this year. So, if you want to call it a boycott that's fine; that's not really a word I'm comfortable with.
- What I'm saying is that if you have issues with the way the academy has been up until yesterday, if you want to see yourself, your perspective or someone else's perspective, something different from the academy, then don't watch on Feb. 28. Turn off your TV, express your concern and your disappointment with your dollars. Not only with your dollars at the movie theater in choosing very thoughtfully which films you will support, but also with your viewership.
- I think the changes are a good start, but I think there is more work to be done.
- What we know '-- based in part on the conversations emanating from the #OscarsSoWhite hashtag last year and our live-tweeting during the telecast of something other than the Oscars '-- [is] that the Oscars show had its lowest ratings of the last six years.
- As I say, [what] we'll be doing this year, we're not ready to announce just what yet, but it'll be on an even grander scale because there's still work to be done. I'm very gratified with the announcement that the academy made, because I think the changes they will be making are important. But that doesn't speak to this year. So, we're going to continue with our original plan.
- While some actors and filmmakers have come out in support of the call for more diversity, there have also been actors who have faced backlash for their comments about the situation. Actress Charlotte Rampling, who is nominated this year in the best actress category for her role in the film 45 Years, said in an interview on a French radio program that the uproar is "racist against whites." She later released a statement saying she regretted her comments. British actor Michael Caine has also spoken out, saying in an interview with BBC Radio 4 that actors of color should just "be patient." How do you respond to their comments?
- I found them very disappointing, because I think that Michael Caine is a fine actor. And to tell people of color they need to be patient when we have been for over 80 years is frustrating. You cannot say that there are not qualified film creatives both in front of and behind the screen '-- directors and cinematographers and screenwriters, in addition to actors and actresses. I found his comments disappointing, because I think that unfortunately ... he may be expressing what perhaps some of the academy members think, as well. Change is hard, and I would hope that he will see the light and embrace opportunities for everyone, including himself.
- You mentioned a "we" when talking about planning for the #OscarsSoWhite counterprogramming during this year's ceremony. Are you talking about your followers or do you have some sort of dedicated team for the logistics?
- There's no team; it's just me and people who feel like me. So, it is my followers who retweet what I say, and articles and interviews on the subject. They tell two friends, and they tell two friends, and so on. I definitely could not have done this alone. This happened because there are millions of people around the world who want to see films that are more representative. They spoke out and changed with me, so I am very humbled by the support I've recieved and the support that the hashtag got as well.
- Is there anything you'd like to add?
- I'd like to thank academy President Cheryl Boone Isaacs, because I know that this was not easy for her. She has been speaking out about these issues for a while, and she could not have made these changes alone. The academy is over 6,000 members strong, and she appeared to have been very vigilant in wanting these changes made. Again, while I think there's more that needs to be done, I appreciate her work on this issue, especially in the last couple of months.
- Tekashi 6ix9ine: The Rise and Fall of a Hip-Hop Supervillain - Rolling Stone
- One day in the summer of 2017, Daniel Hernandez, better known as the rapper Tekashi 6ix9ine, appeared outside a Brooklyn row house to shoot the video that would make him a star, and eventually ruin his life. Against the menacing strains of his viral hit ''Gummo,'' he and a crowd of men in red bandannas danced, waved guns and made cryptic symbols with their hands. Hernandez, clad in a green tracksuit, thrashed his rainbow hair and bared his multicolored teeth. At one point, he removed his own bandanna to show off a recent tattoo that would become his most identifying feature: the numerals ''6'' and ''9'' that covered half his forehead.
- The tattoo was part of a personal rebrand that shocked Hernandez's friends when he debuted it on Instagram. ''I didn't even know he had done that shit!'' says Andrew ''TrifeDrew'' Green, who directed the ''Gummo'' video. ''At that moment, I knew there was no turning back.'' Just a few months before, 6ix9ine had still been Danny the deli clerk, with mostly unmarked skin, black hair and preposterous dreams of stardom. Then the dye job; then the tattoos; then the full Tekashi.
- In his brief career, Tekashi 6ix9ine captured America's attention with an escalating series of provocations and controversies. He became hip-hop's troll prince, a master at sparking outrage and bottling it into a feverish popularity. It's a playbook that's been used before '-- 50 Cent, for example, dissed his way to rap's throne in the early 2000s '-- but the speed at which 6ix9ine found himself with an audience of millions could only have happened in the smartphone era. You didn't have to like him; you just had to have an opinion. ''He is the Donald Trump of the music industry,'' Elliot Grainge, the CEO of Tekashi's label, 10K Projects, told me last summer. ''We look at the data '-- 80 percent of the comments are hate. But if we showed you the analytics on who writes the hate comments, they're the ones who go to the shows and buy the T-shirts!''
- The ''Gummo'' video launched Hernandez on three parallel trajectories '-- one that made him famous; one that made him notorious; and one that may end his career. ''Gummo,'' powered by the bizarre, unforgettable 6ix9ine image, was a viral sensation that went platinum in just a few months. That surge in popularity would lead to the uncovering of Hernandez's pre-fame life, including a guilty plea for child-sex charges, a case that would define Hernandez in the public eye. But it was his introduction to Kifano Jordan, a.k.a. ''Shotti,'' that would be the most consequential part of that summer day in Brooklyn. Shotti was allegedly a member of the Nine Trey Gangsta Bloods, a subset of the violent prison gang founded at New York's Rikers Island jail in 1993. He produced the crowd of menacing young men in the video, and in time would become Tekashi's unofficial manager. Later, authorities allege, he would threaten Tekashi's life.
- People who knew Hernandez well agree that, before he met Shotti, he hadn't been involved in gang life at all. But just more than 12 months after that video shoot in Brooklyn, Hernandez would be in a jail cell facing 32 years to life on charges that included armed robbery and attempted murder.
- 69 Problems: In a Manhattan courtroom on October 26th, 2018, for a plea violation. Tekashi would avoid incarceration, but that evening, at a dinner celebrating the judge's decision, a gun battle would break out between Shotti's crew and his label CEO Elliot Grainge's security team. And within a month, Teakashi would find himself in a much bigger trouble. Photo credit: Jefferson Siegel/The New York Times/Redux
- Jefferson Siegel/The New York Times/Redux
- His friends all called him Danny. To them, he wasn't Tekashi or 6ix9ine, even after he put 14 songs on the Billboard chart and started hanging out with Kanye West. He was Danny Hernandez, from Locust Avenue, in Bushwick, who worked the counter at the Stay Fresh Grill and Deli, who picked fights on Instagram, and who lived in a crowded two-bedroom apartment in a derelict tenement. ''His mom's house'.'.'.'that was, like, him, his mom, his brother [his brother's] girlfriend, his girlfriend and his kid,'' says Andrew, who visited him often.
- Danny liked to needle people endlessly. Many of his closest friends had once been enemies; many of his enemies were once his closest friends. Almost always, a first interaction with him was negative. He'd find someone on social media, leave nasty comments, and dare them to fight him. Then, when they ran into him in person, he'd disarm them with kindness. He wasn't threatening at all in real life '-- around five feet six and 130 pounds, with a boyish demeanor and an impudent smile. Danny would quash the internet beef, explain that it was all a misunderstanding, and maybe even apologize. Then: lifelong friends.
- Danny's biological father had abandoned the family when Danny was an infant. His mother, who was born in Mexico, told him that his adoptive Puerto Rican father was actually his biological dad, according to a radio interview Danny gave on The Angie Martinez Show. Danny eventually learned the truth about his stepfather, but it didn't affect their relationship and Danny continued to describe himself as ''half Puerto Rican, half Mexican.'' They were close, and Danny referred to him, even afterward, as his ''real'' father.
- In early 2010, when Danny was 13, his adoptive father was shot and killed outside their apartment, on a busy street, in the middle of the day. He'd taken a trip to the grocery store and invited Danny along, but Danny decided to stay home. The crime was never solved.
- Not long after, Danny began acting out, and was expelled from the eighth grade. His family struggled financially. Along with his older brother, he worked odd jobs in Bushwick, but was repeatedly sacked. He never attended high school, not even for a day.
- Last August, while reporting a story about Grainge, Danny's label boss, I had a five-minute conversation with Danny via FaceTime. At that time, his career looked bright, and he told me with confidence that he would soon be the number-one rapper in the world. But when I asked him about his difficult teenage years, he told me something odd: ''For two months, I didn't say nothing to no one,'' he said. ''Not a word.''
- In 2015, Danny's girlfriend got pregnant. Having lost two fathers himself, Danny was determined to support his child. But living in an apartment with five other people, with no education and a minimum-wage job, he had few economic prospects. He needed to make a lot of money, quickly. He decided to become a rapper.
- Danny had not previously shown much interest in rap music, and he was not a natural talent, but he had the attitude nailed. He'd seen the response to his social media provocations, and he sensed that this could be leveraged to build a larger audience. If he was not the most technically gifted of performers, when it came to trolling, he was Mozart.
- But Danny was also a Christian, a true believer, as his mother had raised him, and during the darkest parts of his life, he would turn to religion for help. Having decided that music was the way forward, he appealed for divine assistance. As his career was just starting, he told me, he would walk the grimy streets of Bushwick and Bedford-Stuyvesant, muttering to himself in supplication '-- ''Please, God, change my life. Please, God, make me famous.''
- Much of what I know about Danny comes from Andrew ''TrifeDrew'' Green, one of Danny's closest friends and most important collaborators. Andrew, a former skateboarder, is lanky, athletic and handsome, with a gentle sense of irony and a nonchalant demeanor. He and Danny met on Instagram in the early 2010s. Danny had trolled Andrew, leaving nasty comments on a mutual friend's feed. The two got into it, trading barbs online, which escalated quickly into threats. ''I actually pulled up on him, to see if he wanted to thump,'' Andrew tells me. ''He didn't show.''
- Two weeks later, they reconnected and Danny made peace. Andrew realized that the taunting was a kind of immature courtship, and that Danny admired Andrew's videos and wanted to work with him. ''It was just to get my attention,'' Andrew says. ''He was actually just a little smartass. Just funny, goofy, joking and laughing.''
- Danny explained his vision to Andrew. His rap handle was Tekashi69. The ''Tekashi'' part was inspired by Japanese anime, of which Danny was a big fan. Six-nine was more mysterious '-- it was the sex number, obviously, but in its interlocking yin-yang digits, Danny had found something deeper that he never fully explained. He was obsessed with the number and, even before the tattoos, was wearing outlandish sports jerseys with the numerals emblazoned on the back, and the words ASSHOLE and STD'S in the fields for the player's name.
- One of Danny's first songs as Tekashi69, titled ''69,'' released in 2014. Musically, it was half-decent '-- an aggro-trap hybrid as effective as it was anonymous. The video featured graphic clips of pornographic hentai, a suite of Lamborghinis, and Danny appearing to get a blow job while Nirvana's ''Come As You Are'' played in the background. Danny can be seen receiving one of his first tattoos: a bone font on his inner forearm that read SCUM.
- S.C.U.M. was an acronym '-- Society Can't Understand Me '-- the tag line of S.C.U.M. Gang, a New York rap collective that Danny associated with. (Standout S.C.U.M. Gang rapper Zillakami shot videos of friends appearing to smoke angel dust.) Andrew, who was angling to be Danny's videographer, wasn't overly excited by the ''69'' video, which was shocking but visually incoherent. He was more impressed that Danny, who'd never had more than a few dollars to his name, managed to finagle the Lamborghinis.
- The ''69'' video didn't bring the kind of major label attention Danny was hoping for, but it didn't stifle his commitment, either. After it was shot, he got a series of more provocative tattoos: dozens of small ''69''s, spaced at regular intervals, like leopard spots, up the lengths of both his arms.
- ''Wizard'' Lee Weinberg is an affable dude from Long Island who runs a ramshackle independent recording studio in Lower Manhattan. For basement rates, he'll record, mix and master your album, and for a long time, he was S.C.U.M. Gang's go-to engineer. He was also one of Danny's ''Day Ones,'' meaning he knew Danny before the Tekashi identity took over. From the start, Wizard was responsible for smoothing out the rougher edges in Danny's sound. Andrew, too, became a crucial contributor '-- a talented rapper with his own career who was now co-writing Danny's songs.
- The Unofficial Manager: Tekashi with Kifano Jordan, better known as ''Shotti,'' who is allegedly a made member of the Nine Trey Bloods, a prison gang. He would become a key figure in Tekashi's life. Photo credit: Johnny Nunez/WireImage
- By the start of 2015, Danny, then 18, was evolving into a competent, commercially viable recording artist. But then he did something horrible. In February, he traveled with a rapper named Taquan Anderson to a trap house in Harlem to shoot footage for a new video. Instead, the two ended up making a series of sex tapes, one showing a nude young girl lying across their laps; another showing her fellating Taquan while Danny stood behind her, making thrusting motions and smacking her on the buttocks. The video was posted to Instagram, and Danny was tagged in it. He then reposted it to his own account.
- Soon, Danny found himself talking to Detective Maureen Sheehan of the NYPD Special Victims Squad. Danny admitted it was him in the video and that he'd posted it to social media. She informed him that the girl was 13 years old; her mother had seen the video and reported it to the police. Danny was arrested, and by his account, his bail was set at $100,000 '-- a sum he could never hope to afford '-- and he spent the next few months in Rikers Island jail.
- The prosecutor was threatening years in prison, but Danny's lawyer from the Legal Aid Society negotiated a deal. It wasn't bad, as deals go: In exchange for pleading guilty to a felony count of ''use of a child in a sexual performance,'' Danny was conditionally released on one year's probation, and temporarily spared the sex-offender registry. He was given a series of requirements to meet: obtain his GED, avoid getting arrested, write the girl and her family a letter of apology, complete 300 hours of community service, and attend outpatient mental-health treatment. If he did all of this, he would avoid jail time and stay off the registry permanently.
- In the years following the incident, Danny made a variety of lame excuses. He claimed that he was only 17 at the time of the incident (he wasn't). He claimed that he was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time (untrue). He said that he'd just met the girl and the other man in the video (irrelevant), and he claimed the girl had told him she was 19 (please). In his more self-pitying moments, he would present himself as the victim in the situation, making comparisons to Meek Mill, the rapper who had spent 10 years on probation '-- and served multiple jail sentences '-- stemming from one drug charge.
- It's difficult to imagine what restitution would have looked like in this case, but it's fair to say Danny never paid it. Instead, he buried the incident and focused on his career. But he'd left a loose end. Rumors began to swirl that Zillakami, his friend from S.C.U.M. Gang, had paid a portion of his bail '-- up to the full $100,000, though Andrew says it was more like two or three grand. A rift opened between the two. According to Wizard, Zillakami accused Danny of stealing the money, and Danny began taunting Zillakami in Instagram Stories and interviews. ''If that's true and you bailed me out,'' he said in an interview, ''you's a bitch, because who bails out a rapist?'' One day, representatives from S.C.U.M. Gang approached Wizard and delivered an ultimatum: Choose between working with us or working with Danny.
- Wizard chose Danny. He had heard rumors about the sex tapes, but he didn't feel that Danny was actually a pedophile. Also, the sessions he'd hosted with Danny and Andrew had a sensational musical energy he hadn't experienced before. ''I went with my gut,'' Wizard tells me. ''I see a lot of talented musicians, but his gift for marketing, the Tekashi69 identity'.'.'.'I'd never seen anything like it. I thought Danny was going to be a star.'' His decision '-- to ignore Danny's misdeeds in favor of his obvious charisma '-- was one many in the music industry would repeat in the following years.
- Danny took a lot of crazy risks, and he pushed those around him to do the same. Sometimes, he and Andrew would come up with enough money for one-way tickets to California, where they were featured on underground tracks. ''We'd be hustling, scraping up money to shoot a video in L.A. or some shit,'' Andrew says. ''We would only have money for one-way flights, and maybe enough to buy two bags of ramen noodles when we got there.'' Earning $500 or so a feature, they always managed to make it home.
- By 2017, Danny was attracting interest from established labels, as SoundCloud rap emerged from underground. Several breakout stars signed major deals around that time, including XXXTentacion, Lil Pump and Trippie Redd. Danny knew many of these artists, and producers began to use his aggressive energy to throw some flair on otherwise dull tracks.
- Among the first to see Danny's potential was Elliot Grainge, then 23, the CEO of 10K Projects, the independent label that had signed Trippie Redd. Grainge '-- tall, polite, English '-- hailed from a royal family of music management. His father, Lucian Grainge, the CEO of Universal Music Group, was the industry's most powerful man. His uncle Nigel Grainge had signed Sin(C)ad O'Connor to her first record deal; his cousin Nick Shymansky discovered Amy Winehouse. Elliot, looking to make his own name in the ancient family trade, was targeting generation SoundCloud. When I asked Elliot his thoughts about the genre, his eyes and nostrils flared: ''This is punk rock.''
- Early in 2017, Trippie invited Danny to California to feature in a song called ''Poles1469.'' The song eventually went gold, and a bidding war erupted to sign 6ix9ine, one in which Grainge couldn't financially compete. What he could offer instead was total creative control. After several rounds of negotiations, Danny signed with 10K, forgoing larger advances from Warner Bros. and Sony.
- Danny got to work immediately, returning to Wizard's grimy studio with Andrew and several hundred beats from various producers. One of these was the work of Pi'erre Bourne, most famous for producing Playboi Carti's ''Magnolia.'' Bourne's new beat was originally meant for Trippie; Danny would claim Trippie had given it to him as a gift, though Trippie would later claim it was stolen. Whatever the case, it was a scorcher that set a whining, high-pitched minor-key melody over insistent, driving hand claps.
- Danny turned it into ''Gummo,'' his breakout hit. The lyrics, co-written with Andrew, were a generic endorsement of the thrills of armed robbery, but Danny's angry vocals, barked at maximum volume into Wizard's distortion filters, then layered over Bourne's superbly chilling beat, gave the song a unique flavor of menace. Andrew says that the team hadn't intended to record such a threatening anthem, but the song's tone had emerged organically from the studio process. ''We worked on 'Gummo' for almost four months,'' he says. ''We tried a bunch of different flows, a bunch of cadences. The label didn't believe in it, but we just knew when we heard it.''
- Grainge, in L.A., tried to shelve ''Gummo,'' arguing that the gangbanger image wasn't right for Tekashi, who, in his mind, had the potential to be something more like the court jester of pop. But Danny, extending the creative-control clause in his contract, overruled him '-- this was his image, he insisted, and this was his sound. Grainge was forced to acquiesce. Now all that remained was to shoot the video.
- Around the time ''Gummo'' was released, Trippie Redd and 6ix9ine turned on each other. I heard competing explanations for the rift '-- that Trippie envied Danny's success; that Danny had stolen the beat for ''Gummo''; that there was a dispute about a girl. Whatever the reason, Trippie soon found Danny's weak spot and exposed him. Zillakami, possibly still angry about the bail money, posted about the underage-sex-tape indictment, to which Trippie reportedly alerted his millions of followers in a now-deleted video.
- The 6ix9ine identity, previously just provocative, was now radioactive. ''Gummo'' was released the same month the #MeToo movement emerged, and after decades of looking the other way, nobody, anywhere, was now willing to normalize a convicted underage sex abuser. He struggled to get radio airplay and TV appearances. Even in the historically more permissive world of music management, nobody wanted to work with Danny. For the remainder of Danny's brief career, his sole lifeline to the legitimate recording industry was Grainge. ''I didn't know about the charges, but I don't regret signing him,'' Grainge tells me. To Grainge, 6ix9ine had promise. ''The definition of a star is when someone walks in the room and they kind of brighten up the room. It's an energy they give off, that I'm very sensitive towards. He had that.''
- And yet the doxxing of Danny's child-sex case wasn't the worst thing to result from the ''Gummo'' video shoot. The worst thing, according to multiple sources, was the older man he met on the set that day. Kifano Jordan, 36, was better known as ''Shotti.'' He had a friendly disposition '-- ''a real stand-up guy,'' says a friend of Danny's, without irony '-- but he was also allegedly a made member of the Nine Trey Bloods with a record of arrests for drug charges.
- At the time ''Gummo'' was released, Danny had a manager, whom he'd hired through an associate of XXXTentacion. But in early 2018, Danny fired him, leaving himself in a vulnerable position: Although he was a highly successful recording artist, the blacklist prevented him from obtaining competent professional representation. In February 2018, Danny instead made Shotti his unofficial manager.
- Danny's associates question exactly how much managing Shotti actually did. ''He wasn't no manager,'' Andrew tells me, then blows a raspberry. Grainge agrees: ''That's not his manager. That's his f riend.'' Shotti could not be reached for this story, but several people tell me he thinks of himself as a contemporary Suge Knight. Soon, Danny adopted a strident gangbanger image. He began yelling ''Treyway'' in Instagram posts '-- a nickname for Shotti's business platform, but also likely a reference to the Nine Trey nation. His music began to promote gang politics enthusiastically, especially ''Blood Walk,'' a remix of Rich the Kid's ''Plug Walk'' that borrowed from Snoop Dogg: ''I keep a red flag, hanging out my backside/Only on the right side/Yeah, that's the Blood side.''
- Instagram-Ready: A surveillance-video still of a robbery near Times Square in April. Prosecutors allege that Shotti was present and Tekashi was filming the robbery from a car parked outside. Photo courtesy of the U.S. Attorney's Office
- For his friends, it was an inexplicable turn. The gangster image in his previous videos was a front, as fake as pro wrestling. In reality, he was a struggling teenage dad who had earned his money slicing ham at the Stay Fresh Grill. The distinction, though '-- that Danny's association with the Nine Trey Bloods was all an act to sell records '-- would quickly become murkier, and eventually beside the point at all.
- After ''Gummo,'' Danny put 13 more songs on the charts. His songs have been streamed more than 2.6 billion times, according to the music analytics company BuzzAngle. He's garnered more than 15 million followers on Instagram, and was at one point in the service's top 100 users. The popular consensus was summarized in a Youtube comment: ''This shit does bang but it's lowering my IQ.'' As his career progressed, his visual iconography became cartoon shorthand for an emerging demographic. On 4chan, a crudely drawn image quartered millennials into distinct generations: ''Boomers'' (post-30), ''Bloomers'' (late 20s), ''Doomers'' (early 20s) and teenage ''Zoomers,'' also known as Generation Z. The last had rainbow hair and a forehead tattoo of a ''69.'' Online, 6ix9ine was the face of a generation.
- In interviews, Danny suggested that he didn't have to try very hard to make a hit and downplayed his technical rapping ability. ''I didn't put no effort into that shit,'' he told radio host Angie Martinez following the release of ''Fefe,'' his collaboration with Nicki Minaj that hit Number Three. Grainge was eager to corroborate the story. ''He's been to the recording studio maybe 15 times, never for more than an hour or so,'' Grainge says. ''And he's got 15 hits!''
- But Wizard tells me the rapper was actually a studio perfectionist who agonized over every bar. Andrew says something similar: Together, he and Danny would lay down a series of lyrical ideas, then spend hours obsessively line-editing them. Thematically, the material never strayed far from the gangster archetype, but they weren't looking for range; they were looking for hooks. ''He focuses on every bar, and he can see if something's fire or trash,'' Wizard says. ''If it's trash, he'll focus on it. His real talent'.'.'.'basically, it's evaluating whether things are trash or fire.''
- Danny's songs were simple, but they were catchy, and short, too, ending just before the listener might get bored. In the months following ''Gummo,'' Danny showed surprising versatility, switching from belligerent screaming to a hoarse, emotional whisper to AutoTuned Spanish-language pop. The disconnect between his voicing, the lyrics and the production created a sense of internal conflict, and at his best, Danny pulled off one of the hardest tricks in songcraft: He made the listener feel multiple emotions at once.
- Throughout 2017, as his musicianship was improving, Danny doubled down on his already daring social media strategy. This meant tattoos, lots of them: spiderwebs on his jaw, enormous ''69''s on his neck, chest and stomach, and in a Gothic touch, the torture-porn icon Jigsaw, from the Saw franchise, on his right cheek. (Naturally, the face on his face had its own ''69'' tattoo.) It also meant beef, tons and tons of beef, with anyone and everyone he could find, including 50 Cent, Chief Keef, YG, Ludacris, Casanova and the Game.
- Violence began to plague 6ix9ine's public appearances, especially after he linked up with Shotti and his entourage. There was video of gunfire outside a nightclub in Minnesota, following a chaotic appearance where someone threw an ice bucket at the rapper. There was a video of a brawl in the outdoor loading zone at LAX, where a fistfight appearing to involve 6ix9ine spilled out onto a busy street. And there was reportedly gunfire at a video shoot in Beverly Hills for a song featuring 6ix9ine, Minaj and Kanye West. Minaj's dressing room was reportedly hit by a bullet from an unknown assailant before she arrived. It was unclear whether Danny was directly involved in these incidents, but his constant incitements on Instagram created a perpetually volatile situation. Andrew began to worry about his friend. ''Almost every time I was around him, I was like, 'You don't gotta do this gang-sta shit, bro,'''' he says. ''He has rainbow hair, for God's sake! He could've just been a star.''
- Danny often posted obnoxious Instagram content where he displayed his expensive jewelry, including a diamond-encrusted necklace of the Jigsaw marionette, which, he claimed, had cost him $300,000. ''Someone please come snatch my chain so my project could sell more,'' he wrote in one caption. In July 2018, he was kidnapped at gunpoint, beaten and robbed. In his recounting to Angie Martinez, he suggested the incident had been an inside job: His car had been rammed from behind, an assailant drew a gun, then forced him into another vehicle. He was then driven to his apartment '-- his captors already knew where it was '-- where he was forced to wait in the back seat while the thieves raided his home for jewels, terrorizing his girlfriend and child. Danny says he managed to escape by jumping out of the moving car.
- Grainge attempted to persuade Danny to move to Los Angeles, suggesting he rent a house in a place like Calabasas, where he could be neighbors with Kim Kardashian and Drake. ''I don't think he can be safe in New York City,'' Grainge told me in August. ''Not in Bushwick.'' Danny, loyal to his ''Day Ones,'' turned him down.
- In the spring and summer of 2018, Danny was arrested three times, first for driving with a suspended license, then for assaulting a police officer, then in connection with an assault at a mall in Houston, where he'd allegedly choked a 16-year-old who'd taken his picture. The arrests violated the terms of the plea deal in his sex-tape case; he had also repeatedly failed his GED exam. In October, Danny made a request for clemency at his sentencing hearing. In the courtroom was Grainge; so, too, were members of Shotti's entourage, dressed in subtle shades of red.
- The prosecutor asked for at least a year in prison.
- The judge spared him incarceration, instead issuing four years probation on the condition he not get arrested again or associate with known gang members. To celebrate, Grainge took Danny out to dinner at Philippe, a narrow, swanky Chinese restaurant in midtown Manhattan, whose private dining rooms often host New York's athletic and musical celebrities. Shotti and his crew attempted to attend, but were denied entrance by Grainge's security. According to his lawyer, Danny bailed on the scene.
- An argument broke out between Shotti, with his squad of thugs, and 6ix9ine's princeling label boss, with his security detail of retired cops. A member of Shotti's crew bashed someone in the head with a chair. A security guard working for Grainge pulled out a gun and shot one of his assailants in the stomach. It was a custody battle for rap's problem child.
- In November, three weeks after the fracas at Philippe, Danny announced on Instagram that he was firing his entire management team, meaning Shotti and his entourage, although he never mentioned them by name. In a radio interview, he attributed the firings to financial mismanagement. His lawyer explained it to me this way: ''He made the decision [to get out] after the judge granted him a second chance. The Phillipe incident'.'.'.'he was given back the best days of his life, and he took that second chance.'' By that point, the feds had already taken an interest in Danny; a search of his residence in September had retrieved an illegal firearm and a backpack that had been reported stolen by the victim of an armed robbery.
- The escalating situation put Danny at risk; one does not simply exit gang life with an Instagram post. Danny's collaborators got nervous. Wizard, assembling the final cut of 6ix9ine's debut album, began locking himself in the studio. Andrew, Danny's oldest and closest collaborator, distanced himself from the scene and focused on launching his own career.
- Two days after the announcement, Danny was approached by the FBI, who told him that his life was in danger. It turned out that Shotti was the target of an open federal investigation and that, for the past few weeks, law enforcement had wiretapped the phones of his crew. They'd been hearing chatter from gang members suggesting that a hit had been authorized on Danny's life '-- that he was in line to be ''super''violated.'' According to a leaked transcript of the wiretap, Mel Murda, one of Shotti's associates, was overheard suggesting that Shotti ''don't got nothing to lose no more.'' The FBI offered Danny its protection. He declined.
- An indictment soon followed: a task force consisting of the ATF, Homeland Security and the NYPD had been building a RICO case against Shotti and his crew for months. (RICO refers to the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, a federal law used to prosecute acts performed as part of an ongoing criminal organization.) Shotti and four members of his crew were arrested '-- as was Daniel Hernandez. The arrests, according to a statement from U.S. Attorney Michael Longyear, were prompted by a fear that Shotti and his crew would attempt to attack Danny in a public place, and the authorities would be unable to contain the situation.
- Powder Keg: Violence began to plague 6ix9ine's appearances especially after he linked up with Shotti. Photo credit: Gonzales Photo/Jarle H. Moe/PYMCA/Avalon/UIG via Getty Images
- Gonzales Photo/Jarle H. Moe/PYMCA/Avalon/UIG/Getty Images
- Famous rappers have been charged with serious felonies in the past, but the indictment brought against Danny and his crew has no precedent in the history of hip-hop. It alleged an extraordinary range of gang activity, including drug dealing, firearms charges, armed robbery and two attempted murders. There was the April incident at Brooklyn's Barclays Center where, according to the indictment, Danny and his crew were involved in a dust-up with rival rapper Casanova. A member of Shotti's crew fired a shot '-- no one was hit '-- and was later arrested. There was the July shooting in Bedford-Stuyvesant, where, the indictment alleged, Danny and his crew planned a hit on a disrespectful street rival. (The shooter missed, hitting a bystander.) There was the armed robbery in April near Times Square; the U.S. Attorney's office claimed that a group of Nine Treys were the perpetrators and Danny was outside, filming it all.
- At his arraignment on November 19th, Danny appeared disheveled before the judge. His hearing was directly after Shotti and the other alleged Nine Treys', even though they were being tried together. Danny was denied bail, despite offering to surrender his passport and to pay more than $1 million in bail. The judge frequently asked the prosecutors how they knew Danny had been present at shootings, like the one at the Barclays Center. The answer was often simple: Danny had posted about it on Instagram.
- Danny was brought to a federal jail in Brooklyn, according to his lawyer. There, his life was openly threatened by gang members. The guards at the prison immediately transferred him to a private facility in Queens. On November 26th, he was denied bail; he remains imprisoned today. The mandatory-minimum sentencing for the racketeering charges he faces is 32 years.
- In mid-December, I meet with Danny's criminal''defense attorney, Lance Lazzaro, who emphasizes to me that, despite the prison rumors, Danny was not cooperating with authorities, and under no circumstances would he do so. Lazzaro also tells me Danny was not, and had never been, a member of the Nine Trey Bloods, that the charges against him were based on ''hearsay,'' and that he was willing to fight the racketeering charge all the way to trial. ''Danny liked to present the image of being a gangster to sell his music,'' he says. ''But my client is not a gangster.''
- But when I ask Lazzaro if Danny might be willing to plead guilty to a lesser charge '-- say, armed robbery '-- he said it would depend on the charge and the terms. Shortly after our meeting, TMZ obtained surveillance footage of an April robbery that appears to show Shotti exiting an SUV, and a short Hispanic man with rainbow hair emerging shortly afterward. This robbery, authorities claim, was also captured on a separate video shot on Danny's phone, then sent to one of his friends, who posted it to social media.
- To some observers, Danny's arrest wasn't a surprise. ''All the politics, all the beef, it was like'...'You can't just be speeding down the highway without expecting to crash,'' Andrew says.
- But why would he feel the need to behave this way, I ask Andrew. Why on Earth would a platinum-selling recording artist stick up some kid on the street for a backpack?
- ''The internet,'' Andrew says.
- On November 27th, nine days after his arrest, 6ix9ine's first official album, Dummy Boy, was released online. It debuted at Number Two but was a commercial disappointment to anyone invested in Tekashi. The critics were not kind.
- With the exception of a couple of unreleased tracks on Wizard's desktop, this likely brings to an end the brief, bizarre and shocking career of Tekashi 6ix9ine. He faces six separate charges, and federal prison terms don't offer the possibility of parole. Even if he were to cooperate, it's not like he could enter witness protection '-- not with that face. Anything less than a decade inside seems improbable. Hernandez still plans on releasing music from jail, according to a recent report from TMZ. His lawyer was unavailable to comment on whether that's true, or the potential method for recording new music.
- All of this '-- his supercharged rise from his corroded Brooklyn neighborhood, his extended tangle with the legal system and his eventual arrest by federal agents '-- took just more than a year, an internet-fueled ride that went off the rails almost as quickly as it began.
- 6ix9ine's fall coincides with the crashing of the entire SoundCloud rap wave: XXXTentacion has been murdered; Lil Peep is dead of a drug overdose; Lil Xan recently went to rehab. Danny was the movement's defining face. His behavior was unforgivable, but his instincts as an influencer were immaculate, and that only made his critics hate him more, extending the cycle of popularity for as long as it could be sustained.
- Instagram was Danny's MTV, and trap music was his grunge, but the ironic, media-savvy distance previous generations had maintained between themselves and their entertainment had for him collapsed. He was a confused child of the internet who'd pierced the realm of stardom, but failed to understand where the theatrics were supposed to end.
- 7 gram mushroom tea - DMT World - The Psychedelic Social Network
- Been itching to try out a mushroom tea since my last several trips have been inconvenienced with stomach discomfort before and after the experience.
- Last minute decision, because I got some quiet peaceful alone time I drank 2 coffee cups full of mushroom tea on a half full stomach.
- Effects took an hour before anything was felt. About 2 hours before I peaked.
- I felt like time was moving slower and colours were more exaggerated. I also felt a little chilly so I hopped in the bath for a bit to begin the ride. The CEV's began first. The normal orange-ish colour I can produce with my eyes shut was very noticeable. And was drifting like clouds.
- Not sure how long I spaced out for but patterns and designs eventually began to slowly take over some of my vision. They were beautiful, gold grid-like patterns, slightly altering as they slowly rolled towards me taking over my vision completely now.
- I instantly recognized the environment as similar to what I have experienced with dmt breakthrough. I was in hyperspace! I must of drifted back to my body for a second because I was startled to have lost that much control in the bath tub and after a few attempts (you know how it is) I drained the bathtub and got into bed to enjoy the ride.
- This trip was very enjoyable. I cant recall seeing any entities, but feeling their presence was a recurring vibe. This was one of my best mushroom experiences.
- My stomach discomfort was minimal during the experience.
- I will be repeating this, but next time I want to see where 6 grams will take me.
- 7 seemed overkill for me, I got the experience I wanted, then when it was over the lingering effects lasted way longer than i wanted.
- I drank the tea around 7pm and couldn't sleep until after 3am maybe closer to 4, still managed to get up for work at 530am though.
- I am so happy to discover how similar dmt and mushrooms can be.
- I have had similar "operating table" like experiences with both substances, but this time I went to hyperspace, gently. I skipped the blast off.
- Makes me want to try pharmahuasca.
- I need to try a higher dose of mescaline aswell.
- Trip on, fellow psychonauts. Thanks for reading.
- What you didn't see after Will Smith slapped Chris Rock
- It was the slap seen around the world.
- But no one at the Dolby Theatre thought Will Smith actually meant to hit Chris Rock for making a joke about his wife at the Oscars, until Rock said out loud, ''Will Smith just smacked the s''t out of me.''
- Though ABC chiefs cut the sound when Smith ran on stage, the audience could clearly hear Smith shouting after he returned to his seat, ''Keep my wife's name out of your f'--ing mouth!''
- ''We thought it was a bit,'' said one Hollywood insider. ''Then we heard Will yelling. You heard it so loudly in the theater.''
- Another Hollywood insider told how she watched the chaos from the green room. ''Suddenly everyone froze and the whole place was, like, what the f'--k happened?''
- The insider told how Smith's longtime publicist Meredith O'Sullivan Wasson, Academy CEO Dawn Hudson, Oscars producer Will Packer and Academy president David Rubin then walked into a private room ''very quickly '... with great seriousness.''
- Will Smith's slap left Oscar producers and other actors scrambling to find out what was going on with the star. Chris Rock met with police but refused to press charges. NY Post photo composite The joke wasn't reportedly on the teleprompter or practiced in rehearsals but, among Rock's people, ''no one thought there were any issues with the jokes.'' REUTERS''There was a sense that something was wrong with Will,'' said the insider. ''I heard Chris' manager, Jason Weinberg, say, 'I've got to deal with the LAPD now. I have to find out what is going on,' then he walked out.
- ''Everybody was saying, 'Holy s'--t.' Even the bartenders. The gravitas was not lost on anyone. There were people saying, 'Oh, my God, poor Chris.' People were wondering if Chris' face was red because he was flush or because he was hit.''
- A source who knows Rock said the comedian walked to the front of the stage after Smith had retreated and tried to keep the peace. REUTERSPictures right after the slap show Rock on stage talking to a seated Smith as though trying to make peace, but a source who knows the comedian said he wasn't attempting an apology. Rather, he was saying, ''Whoa, whoa, OK, I hear you. I'm just here to give out the Oscar,'' the source said.
- ''How does that read as an apology?'' the source added. ''He was the one who was assaulted live. The fact that the guy continued to be so cool after this assault, he deserves an Oscar.''
- After hearing Rock's joke about her baldness, Jada Pinkett Smith rolled her eyes. She has suffered from alopecia since 2018. ABCRock was ''shaken'' as he walked off stage to meet with producers and members of the LAPD, the source continued.
- ''When he got off stage, he was a bit shaken. He was taken into a side room and talked to producers and LAPD. Then he went to the writers' room and spoke to his guys and left. I mean, these are guys he has worked with for years. No one thought there were any issues with the jokes.
- ''If anything, Regina Hall's joke about Will and Jada earlier in the evening (which hinted at their open marriage) was in way worse taste,'' the source said, while adding that Rock did not have a mark on his face from the slap.
- During this awards season, Smith, 53, and his 50-year-old wife have repeatedly been the butt of jokes about their marital status, and some have speculated that Rock's barb '-- ''Jada, love you, 'G.I. Jane 2,' can't wait to see it,'' referring to her bald head '-- might have been the last straw. Filmmaker Judd Apatow suggested, in a now-deleted Twitter post, that Smith ''could have killed [Rock]. That's pure out of control rage and violence. [Jada and Will have] heard a million jokes about them in the last three decades. They're not freshmen in the world of Hollywood and comedy. He lost his mind.''
- The Wall Street Journal reported that Rock's joke wasn't on the teleprompter nor was it practiced in rehearsal. Meanwhile, Rock reportedly did not know that Pinkett Smith suffers from alopecia, which causes hair loss.
- Smith's mentor Denzel Washington was first to offer words of wisdom to the actor as Rock looked on. REUTERSAfter the slap, LAPD officers asked Rock if he wanted to press charges against Smith. ''Chris said no and left soon after. He was stunned and shook,'' said the source.
- Back in the theater, it was Smith's great mentor '-- and now fellow Oscar winner '-- Denzel Washington who came over to his table first to offer words of wisdom. As Smith revealed in his acceptance speech for Best Actor later that evening: ''Denzel said to me a few moments ago, he said, 'At your highest moment, be careful, that's when the devil comes for you.'''
- During his acceptance speech, Smith revealed, ''Denzel said to me a few moments ago, he said, 'At your highest moment, be careful, that's when the devil comes for you.''' REUTERSDuring the commercial breaks, movie mogul Tyler Perry and actor Bradley Cooper also tried to calm Smith down. Fellow nominee Nicole Kidman was seen giving Smith a hug.
- ''He was wiping his eyes of tears, he knew it was not good,'' said Hollywood Reporter awards columnist Scott Feinberg on Matt Belloni's podcast, ''The Town,'' about Smith in the aftermath.
- After slapping Rock, Smith walked back to his seat and yelled, ''Keep my wife's name out your f'---g mouth!''Meanwhile, it was clear that Smith would not be leaving the ceremony. ''Everybody started to realize 'Oh my God, he's going to get back up there,' they did not escort him out,'' said Matt Belloni, the former editor of the Hollywood Reporter, on the podcast.
- Music magnate Diddy attempted to smooth things over on stage as he appeared to introduce a 50th anniversary tribute to ''The Godfather.''
- ''OK, Will and Chris, we're going to solve that like family at the Gold Party, OK?'' referring to the Oscars afterparty hosted by Jay-Z and Beyonc(C). ''But right now we are moving on with love. Everybody make some noise!''
- During a commercial break, actor Bradley Cooper was seen trying to calm Smith down. Rob Latour/ShutterstockThe backstage industry source said: ''Diddy was minutes from getting on stage when the slap happened. He was trying to stay in the moment and rehearse his script.
- ''He wanted to thank Will Packer and Shayla Cowan for an incredible show, as the first-time black producers, and to thank the hosts. But he wanted to lift up the room, show Will and Chris they are family and bring them back together. He went up to Chris backstage and gave him a hug, they had a private conversation and went to Will in his seat and hugged him too.''
- A-listers '-- including Jason Bateman, Taika Waititi, J.J. Abrams, Ron Howard, Sienna Miller and Sarah Paulson '-- watched in shock as the slap played out. Derek Blasberg''How and if they resolved it is up to them '-- to him, his intention was to bring love to them and say a few words of encouragement and be a part of that.''
- Smith's rep O'Sullivan Wasson was also seen during every commercial break at her client's side talking to him quietly until the Best Actor category was announced about 40 minutes after the slap. It's believed she helped Smith rewrite his acceptance speech, in which he apologized to the Academy but not to Rock personally for his moment of rage.
- As expected, Smith won his first Oscar for playing Richard Williams, the father of tennis legends Serena and Venus, in the movie ''King Richard.'' He kissed his wife and bounded up on stage.
- Will Smith dances without a care in the world at the 2022 Vanity Fair Oscar Party hosted by Radhika Jones. WireImage for Vanity FairDespite his act of violence, the crowd gave him a standing ovation, although Belloni said some people in his row refused to clap.
- Instead of going to the press room after his win, as is the norm, Smith returned to his seat, where he held hands with his wife. Meanwhile, his ''King Richard'' co-star Aunjanue Ellis sat next to him and placed her hand on his arm, as all three watched ''CODA'' win Best Picture.
- Smith, who is also a musician born in West Philadelphia, was later seen with his entire family, including kids Trey, 29, Jaden, 23, and Willow, 21, at the swanky Vanity Fair party, dancing to his own hits including ''Gettin Jiggy With It.'' Before the show, he and Baltimore-born Jada had posted a picture of themselves to Instagram looking tough. After the show, Smith added a comment: ''You can't invite people from Philly or Baltimore nowhere.''
- Seemingly having shaken off the incident, Smith and his Oscar took to the Vanity Fair party to dance to his own hits including ''Gettin Jiggy With It.'' WireImage for Vanity FairMeanwhile, Rock, 57, headed over to the annual Oscars party hosted by his pal, multimillionaire manager Guy Oseary.
- ''He's OK, he went to be with his best friend,'' said the source who knows Rock. ''Bottom line '-- you don't hit people, it was a joke.''
- True to his character, the Los Angeles Times reported that Rock also made a joke about the slap. Backstage, the comic said, he ''just got punched in the face by Muhammad Ali and didn't get a scratch.''
- By Monday afternoon, Smith had finally apologized to Rock on Instagram. ''I would like to publicly apologize to you, Chris,'' he wrote. ''I was out of line and I was wrong. I am embarrassed and my actions were not indicative of the man I want to be. There is no place for violence in a world of love and kindness.''
- Will Packer - Wikipedia
- Will Packer (born April 11, 1974) is an American film producer who founded Will Packer Productions,[1] and Will Packer Media.[2] Packer has produced 28 features often known for small scale comedies including Think Like a Man (2012), Ride Along (2014), Think Like a Man Too (2014), The Wedding Ringer (2015), Girls Trip (2017), Night School (2018), and What Men Want (2019).[3][4] He gained notoriety for producing the infamous 2021 Oscars ceremony.
- Early life and education [ edit ] Packer was born and raised in St. Petersburg, Florida. He graduated from St. Petersburg High School in 1991 and began attending Florida A&M University that fall. In 1996, Packer graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering.[5] On October 29, 2021, FAMU personally honored Packer by renaming its amphitheater the Will Packer Amphitheater.
- Career [ edit ] Rainforest Films [ edit ] It was at FAMU that he started filmmaking with colleague and future business partner Rob Hardy while participating in an internship with veteran producer Warrington Hudlin.[6] In 1994, Packer and Hardy produced their first film, Chocolate City,[7] for $20,000 and Packer helped broker a small distribution deal with Blockbuster video.[8] After graduating, Packer and Hardy moved to Atlanta, Georgia and co-founded Rainforest Films. Packer produced and oversaw the company's studio-financed and self-financed films and distribution projects.[9][10] Packer and Hardy's vision was to make films that would appeal to black audiences who hadn't seen genre films starring people like themselves.
- In 2000, Trois, Rainforest Film's first movie to be released theatrically, grossed over $1.2 million and became the fastest million-dollar grossing film independently distributed by African Americans.[9][10] Trois was in the Top 50 Highest Grossing Independent Films of the year, according to Daily Variety,[11] and Rainforest Films was at #34 on the list of Top 100 Film Distributors of 2000 listed by The Hollywood Reporter in August 2001. Due to the success of their first film, Packer and Hardy were listed among the "New Establishment" of Black power brokers in Hollywood.[10][12][13]
- In 2001, Packer helped broker a deal with Sony to produce and distribute urban films including Trois ' s sequel, Trois: The Escort, and Motives.[10][14] The film Lockdown, released on home video under this Rainforest-Sony collaboration. In 2005, Rainforest Films released The Gospel.[13] At this time, Packer started using the shortened moniker "Will Packer".
- Packer and Hardy wanted Rainforest's films to include established actors and actresses as well as those who are up and coming. 2007's This Christmas, a film about a middle-class family that reunites at Christmas time for the first time in many years, stars veteran actresses Loretta Devine and Regina King as well as R&B superstar Chris Brown in his feature film debut.[15] Packer produced five #1 films with Rainforest, Stomp the Yard, Obsessed, Takers, Think like a Man and Ride Along. His biggest hits with Rainforest have been Think like a Man, which grossed over $96 million worldwide after being released in April 2012,[16] and Ride Along, which brought in box office receipts totaling nearly $150 million as of April 2014.[17]
- In television, Packer, along with Andrew Young, Martin Luther King III, and Rainforest Films partner Rob Hardy, are co-founders of Bounce TV, a United States television network airing on digital terrestrial television stations. Promoted as "the first 24/7 digital multicast broadcast network created exclusively for African Americans," Bounce TV launched on September 26, 2011 and features programming geared toward blacks and African Americans in the 25''54 age range.[18]
- In June 2014, Packer and Hardy dissolved Rainforest Films. The pair were included in a lawsuit brought by former business partner Bernard Bronner in late June 2014.[19]
- Will Packer Productions [ edit ] In 2013, Packer launched Will Packer Productions. In July 2013, he signed a two-year deal with Universal Television to develop new projects for the studio.[20] Later that year, he signed a three-year deal with Universal Pictures.[21] Packer-produced films under the Will Packer Productions banner include #1 box office openers Ride Along 2, No Good Deed and Think Like a Man Too along with The Wedding Ringer and Girls Trip. Girls Trip was the highest grossing live action comedy of 2017[22] and the first film written, directed, produced, and starring African-Americans to gross over $100 million.[23] The film went on to gross $140 million on a $19 million budget. Packer also served as executive producer on NWA biopic Straight Outta Compton and on 2016 television mini-series Roots.
- He has produced the comedies Night School (2018), starring Kevin Hart and Tiffany Haddish, What Men Want (2019), starring Taraji P. Henson, and Little (2019), starring Marsai Martin and Issa Rae.[24] Packer has been included in several high-profile lists, including The Hollywood Reporter's "40(ish) Most Powerful People in Comedy,[25] GIANT magazine's "The GIANT 100", Jet magazine's "Who's Hot To Watch in 2008" and Black Enterprise ' s "Most Powerful Players Under 40."[26]
- Will Packer Media [ edit ] In 2017, Packer launched Will Packer Media, a branded content and digital production company, in partnership with Discovery Communications and Universal Pictures.[27] As part of the launch, the company acquired digital ad firm Narrative_[28] to serve as the new venture's branded content arm, WP Narrative. In 2018, Will Packer Media acquired women's lifestyle site xoNecole.[29]
- Will Packer Media projects include television series Ambitions and Ready to Love for OWN;[30] Power Star Live, a 30-minute live series for Twitter;[31] and digital series The Baxters, produced for Roma Downey's LightWorkers platform.[32] The company's WP Narrative_ division was a 2018 Webby Award Winner[33] and 10th Annual Shorty Award winner[34] for its work producing video short #TakeAKnee. WP Narrative was also honored for its #BackedByAxe campaign created for Showtime's Billions, winning at the Clio Entertainment awards,[35] 10th Annual Shorty Awards[36] and 2018 D&AD Awards.[37]
- Central Ave, an entertainment magazine series, debuted November 4, 2019 on Fox television stations.[38]
- 2021 Oscar ceremony [ edit ] Controversy [ edit ] Packer was named the Producer of the 94th Annual Academy Awards which aired on March 27, 2022. This marked his first "live" television production credit for a major show on a major television network (ABC) and was televised in more than 200 territories worldwide.[39] The show was overshadowed by Will Smith walking on stage and slapping host Chris Rock after he made a joke about his wife, Jada Pinkett's, hair.[40] Packer immediately tweeted, "Welp'... I said it wouldn't be boring", before deleting the tweet after criticism that he was being smug. He later tweeted that it was "a very painful moment for me".[41] Variety reported that Packer "was the key to Smith remaining in his seat".[42] Academy Board of Govenors member Whoopi Goldberg defended Packer's decision to carry on with the show saying, "And the reason they didn't go and take him out is because that would have been another 15-, 20-minute explanation of why we're taking the Black man out five seconds before they're about to decide whether he's won an Oscar or not".[43]
- Criticism [ edit ] Both Packer's producing of the ceremony and his handling of Smith's assault against Rock received widespread negative attention among critics, members of the industry and audiences of the ceremony. Deadline Hollywood compared Packer's producing to that of Allan Carr who produced the infamous 1989 Oscar ceremony.[44] Packer went on Good Morning America without the approval of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences to defend his actions and to declare that Rock told him that he didn't want Smith removed from the ceremony. However this was contradicted by the reporting from The Hollywood Reporter journalist Matthew Belloni who wrote, "Packer's assertion about Rock's apparent wishes was not necessarily accurate. I've got it on good authority that Rock never said that, and he only told the LAPD backstage that he didn't want this to become a criminal matter".[45]
- Personal life [ edit ] Packer is a member of the Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity (inducted into the Beta Nu Chapter at FAMU).[46][47] Packer married his first wife Nina Packer (general manager of Bryant Management and Dir. Of Operations for Blueprint Group, the artist management firm for Lil' Wayne and his YMCMB label from 2007-2014) in July 2001 and they have two daughters together, Nija Packer and Maya Packer. They were divorced in February 2009.[48] Packer proposed to his fianc(C) Heather Hayslett live on stage at the 2013 Essence Music Festival.[49] They were married in August 2015 in Georgia.[50]
- Filmography [ edit ] Feature films [ edit ] Chocolate City (1994) (producer)Trois (2000) (writer, producer)Trois 2: Pandora's Box (2002) (story writer, producer)Motives (2004) (producer)Trois: The Escort (2004) (executive producer)The Gospel (2005) (producer)The Gospel Live (2005) (executive producer)Puff, Puff, Pass (2006) (producer)Stomp the Yard (2007) (producer)Motives 2 (2007) (producer)This Christmas (2007) (producer)Three Can Play That Game (2008) (producer)Obsessed (2009) (producer)Takers (2010) (producer)Stomp the Yard: Homecoming (2010) (producer)Alpha Man: The Brotherhood Of MLK (2011) (executive producer)Think Like a Man (2012) (producer, cameo appearance)Battle of the Year (2013) (executive producer)Ride Along (2014) (producer)About Last Night (2014) (producer)Think Like a Man Too (2014) (producer, cameo appearance)No Good Deed (2014) (producer)The Wedding Ringer (2015) (producer)Straight Outta Compton (2015)[51] (executive producer)Ride Along 2 (2016) (producer)Almost Christmas (2016)[52][53][54] (producer)Girls Trip (2017)[55][56][57][58] (producer)Breaking In (2018)[59] (producer)Night School (2018)[60][61] (producer)What Men Want (2019)[62] (producer)Little (2019)[63][64] (producer)Jacob's Ladder (2019)[65][66] (producer)The Photograph (2020) (producer)[67]Beast (2022) (producer)Oracle (TBA) (producer)Television [ edit ] Truth Be Told (2015)[68][69]Roots (2016)[70][71][72] (executive producer)Uncle Buck (2016)[73]Being Mary Jane (2017-2019)[74][75] (executive producer)The Quad (2017-2018)[76] (executive producer)Ready to Love (2018)[77] (executive producer)The Atlanta Child Murders (2019)[78] (executive producer)Ambitions (2019)[79] (executive producer)Bigger (2019-2021)[80][81]94th Academy Awards (2022)[82]Blackballed (TBA)[83]References [ edit ] ^ "Will Packer | Will Packer Productions". Willpackerprods.com . Retrieved February 15, 2018 . ^ Media, Will Packer. "Narrative_: an integrated, story-driven marketing solutions agency". willpackermedia.com . Retrieved June 25, 2018 . ^ RYAN FAUGHNDER (August 8, 2017). " 'Girls Trip' producer Will Packer finds success by targeting an underserved audience". Los Angeles Times. latimes.com . Retrieved February 15, 2018 . ^ "Will Packer". Box Office Mojo . Retrieved July 24, 2021 . ^ Thornton, Cedric (May 29, 2014). "The American Black Film Festival: 10 Facts About Will Packer". Black Enterprise Magazine . Retrieved March 28, 2022 . ^ Jasfly, By. "FAMU-FSU College of Engineering :: Will Packer, the Hollywood Hitmaker". Eng.fsu.edu . Retrieved June 8, 2015 . ^ "Will Packer". IMDb . Retrieved July 24, 2021 . ^ "Campus Campaign To Sell His Movie Rob Hardy And Buddies From Florida A&m Made The Circuit Of African American Colleges Plugging His Erotic Thriller, "Trois." - philly-archives". Articles.philly.com. March 14, 2000 . Retrieved June 1, 2015 . ^ a b "Rainforest Films". Rainforest Films . Retrieved February 2, 2012 . ^ a b c d "About The Company" (Press release). Rainforest Films. Archived from the original on December 4, 2008. ^ Variety Staff (July 26, 2001). "Limited release B.O. winners '' 2000". Variety . Retrieved June 8, 2015 . ^ "PANEL: A Conversation With Will Packer And Rob Hardy Of Rainforest Films". Archived from the original on July 8, 2011. ^ a b "Unlikely pair win fans with 'Gospel' ". Los Angeles Times. October 10, 2005 . Retrieved April 10, 2018 . ^ "Rainforest Films". Archived from the original on December 30, 2008. ^ "This Christmas (2007)". Artistdirect.com . Retrieved February 2, 2012 . ^ "Think Like a Man (2012)". Box Office Mojo. July 8, 2012 . Retrieved June 8, 2015 . ^ "Ride Along (2014)". Box Office Mojo . Retrieved June 8, 2015 . ^ Molloy, Tim (September 25, 2011). "Black-Oriented Bounce TV Begins, Betting on Classic Movies". Thewrap.com . Retrieved June 8, 2015 . ^ "EUR Exclusive: 'Think Like a Man Too' Producers Sued for Gross Mismanagement, Abuse of Control". Eurweb.com. April 25, 2014 . Retrieved June 1, 2015 . ^ Lesley Goldberg (July 9, 2013). "Film Producer Will Packer Inks Overall Deal With Universal TV". The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved June 8, 2015 . ^ Fleming, Mike (October 31, 2013). "Universal Makes First-Look Feature Pact With Hitmaking Producer Will Packer". Deadline . Retrieved June 8, 2015 . ^ " "Girls Trip" Just Broke A Major Milestone & The Timing Couldn't Be More Perfect" . Retrieved June 25, 2018 . ^ " 'Girls Trip' Crosses $100 Million at Domestic Box Office" . Retrieved June 25, 2018 . ^ N'Duka, Amanda (May 3, 2018). "Issa Rae Joins 'Black-ish' Star Marsai Martin In 'Little' From Universal & Will Packer Productions". Deadline . Retrieved June 25, 2018 . ^ "The 40(ish) Most Powerful People in Comedy". The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved June 25, 2018 . ^ "Jet - Google Books". Johnson Publishing Company. January 14, 2008 . Retrieved June 8, 2015 . ^ "Will Packer Starting Production Company With Backing From Discovery and Universal" . Retrieved June 25, 2018 . ^ "Newly launched Will Packer Media acquires creative and tech agency Narrative". The Drum . Retrieved June 25, 2018 . ^ Spangler, Todd (January 18, 2018). "Will Packer Media Acquires Women's Lifestyle Site xoNecole". Variety . Retrieved June 25, 2018 . ^ Andreeva, Nellie (April 17, 2018). "OWN Orders 2 Will Packer Series: Drama 'Ambitions' & Unscripted 'Ready To Love' ". Deadline . Retrieved June 25, 2018 . ^ Spangler, Todd (April 30, 2018). "Twitter Boasts 30 New or Renewed Video Pacts, Details ESPN, NBCUniversal Live Programming". Variety . Retrieved June 25, 2018 . ^ Evans, Greg (January 30, 2018). "Roma Downey's LightWorkers Teams With Will Packer On 'The Baxters' Digital Series". Deadline . Retrieved June 25, 2018 . ^ "Take A Knee | The Webby Awards" . Retrieved June 25, 2018 . ^ "#TakeAKnee - The Shorty Awards". goo.gl . Retrieved June 25, 2018 . ^ "Billions - #BackedByAxe". Clios . Retrieved June 25, 2018 . ^ "#BackedByAxe - The Shorty Awards". shortyawards.com . Retrieved June 25, 2018 . ^ "#BackedByAxe WP Narrative_ |SHOWTIME Networks |D&AD Awards 2018 Pencil Winner |Use of Social Media". DandAD . Retrieved June 25, 2018 . ^ Albiniak, Paige (October 28, 2019). "Fox Prepares to Step Out on Central Ave". Broadcasting & Cable. 149 (10): 19. ^ "Oscars: Will Packer Set To Produce 94th Academy Awards". Deadline. October 5, 2021 . Retrieved October 12, 2021 . ^ Juneau, Jen (March 27, 2022). "Will Smith Smacks Chris Rock in the Face at 2022 Oscars After Rock Jokes About Jada Pinkett's Hair". People Magazine . Retrieved March 28, 2022 . ^ Bedigan, Mike (March 28, 2022). "Oscars-showrunner says Will Smith altercation was 'a very painful moment for me' ". Irish Examiner . Retrieved March 31, 2022 . ^ Lang, Brent; Donnelly, Matt; Davis, Clayton (March 31, 2022). "Will Smith Was Not Formally Asked to Leave Oscars Following Chris Rock Slap, Sources Claim". Variety . Retrieved March 31, 2022 . ^ Sand, Nardine (March 29, 2022). "Film academy governor Whoopi Goldberg: 'Nobody is OK with what happened' with Smith". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved March 31, 2022 . ^ "Second Thoughts On The Oscars, Toxic Masculinity & Admitting Wrong For Appeasing Will Smith's Assault On Chris Rock". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved April 15, 2022 . ^ "Oscars producer Will Packer claims Chris Rock didn't want Will Smith removed from ceremony". Goldderby . Retrieved April 15, 2022 . ^ "News Headlines '' Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University 2012". Famu.edu. December 7, 2006 . Retrieved February 2, 2012 . ^ ''FAMU's Beta Nu Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc. Receives College Chapter of the Year Award'', July 25, 2008. Accessed May 3, 2009. ^ "Producer Will Packer Proposes During Essence Music Festival'... [PHOTOS + VIDEO]". Straightfromthea.com . Retrieved June 8, 2015 . ^ "Will Packer Proposes Live at the 2013 ESSENCE Festival". Essence.com . Retrieved May 19, 2016 . ^ "JUST MARRIED: Hollywood Producer Will Packer & Heather Hayslett Tie The Knot In Surprise Backyard Wedding! | The Young, Black, and Fabulous®". Theybf.com. August 30, 2015 . Retrieved May 19, 2016 . ^ Max Weinstein (December 19, 2013). "N.W.A. Biopic 'Straight Outta Compton' Brings On Writer". Vibe . Retrieved June 8, 2015 . ^ "David E. Talbert and Will Packer Pair Up for Thanksgiving | Shadow and Act". Blogs.indiewire.com . Retrieved June 8, 2015 . ^ Lincoln, Ross A. (May 14, 2015). "Universal Sets Release Dates For 'Legend', 'A Meyers Christmas' ". Deadline . Retrieved June 8, 2015 . ^ Lincoln, Ross A. (April 13, 2016). "Universal Retitles Family Comedy 'A Meyers Christmas' ". Deadline . Retrieved April 17, 2016 . ^ Dominique Hobdy (February 25, 2014). "Malcom D. Lee and Will Packer Team Up for New Movie 'Girls Trip' ". Essence.com . Retrieved June 8, 2015 . ^ Jeff Sneider (March 19, 2014). " 'South Park' Writer to Take 'Girl's Trip' With Malcolm D. Lee, Universal". Thewrap.com . Retrieved June 8, 2015 . ^ Dave McNary (June 22, 2015). "Will Packer Sets Female Comedy at Universal". Variety . Retrieved May 19, 2016 . ^ Busch, Anita (May 13, 2016). "Regina Hall To Star In Will Packer's Untitled 'Girl Trip' Film At Uni". Deadline . Retrieved May 19, 2016 . ^ wilsonmorales (May 31, 2017). "Gabrielle Union To Star & Produce "Breaking In" With Will Packer - blackfilm.com/read | blackfilm.com/read". Blackfilm.com . Retrieved June 21, 2017 . ^ Dave McNary (April 13, 2017). "Kevin to Star in Comedy 'Night School' ". Variety . Retrieved May 21, 2017 . ^ Fleming, Mike (June 29, 2017). "Malcolm D. Lee To Direct Kevin Hart In Universal Comedy 'Night School' ". Deadline . Retrieved September 16, 2017 . ^ Shankman, Adam (January 11, 2019), What Men Want, Wendi McLendon-Covey, Taraji P. Henson, Max Greenfield , retrieved June 25, 2018 ^ Chism, Tina Gordon, Little, Issa Rae, Marsai Martin, George Lott , retrieved June 25, 2018 ^ " 'Black-ish' Breakout Marsai Martin to Star in 'Little' for Will Packer, Kenya Barris (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved June 25, 2018 . ^ Fleming, Mike (March 21, 2016). "Michael Ealy Will Star In 'Jacob's Ladder' Reboot". Deadline . Retrieved March 30, 2016 . ^ wilsonmorales (March 22, 2016). "Michael Ealy To Star In "Jacob's Ladder" Remake With Producer Will Packer | blackfilm.com/read". Blackfilm.com . Retrieved March 30, 2016 . ^ Issa Rae, LaKeith Stanfield to Star in Stella Meghie's 'The Photograph' ^ Elizabeth Wagmeister (May 7, 2015). "NBC Comedy Orders: 'People Are Talking,' 'Crowded,' 'Superstore' ". Variety . Retrieved May 17, 2015 . ^ Andreeva, Nellie. "Upfronts 2015: The Overachievers". Deadline . Retrieved May 17, 2015 . ^ Andreeva, Nellie (April 30, 2015). " 'Roots' Remake Set For History, A&E, Lifetime; Will Packer, LeVar Burton Produce". Deadline . Retrieved May 17, 2015 . ^ Cynthia Littleton (April 30, 2015). " 'Roots' Remake to Air on History, A&E and Lifetime Next Year". Variety . Retrieved May 17, 2015 . ^ "Will Packer to Executive Produce 'Roots' for Three Networks". Eurweb.com. May 2, 2015 . Retrieved May 17, 2015 . ^ Lesley Goldberg (May 8, 2015). " 'Uncle Buck' Remake Ordered to Series at ABC". The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved May 17, 2015 . ^ Andreeva, Nellie (May 23, 2016). " 'Being Mary Jane': Will Packer As EP, Erica Shelton Kodish Showrunner". Deadline . Retrieved February 15, 2018 . ^ "Breaks: Will Packer to Executive Produce Being Mary Jane | Video | Celebrities | BET Breaks". BET. May 25, 2016 . Retrieved February 15, 2018 . ^ "Upfront". Bet.com . Retrieved May 19, 2016 . ^ "Introducing Ready to Love, a New Dating Series from Will Packer". Oprah.com . Retrieved July 24, 2021 . ^ White, Peter (February 12, 2019). "Will Packer To Produce 'The Atlanta Child Murders' For ID". Deadline . Retrieved March 2, 2019 . ^ Petski, Denise (November 13, 2018). " 'Ambitions': Robin Givens To Lead Ensemble Cast Of Will Packer's OWN Drama Series". Deadline . Retrieved March 28, 2019 . ^ "BET Networks Announces the Cast for "Bigger," The Will Packer Executive Produced Original Series". The Futon Critic. July 30, 2019. ^ Ho, Rodney; Journal-Constitution, The Atlanta. "BET streaming service launches 9/19 with Will Packer's raunchy, hilarious 'Bigger' ". ajc . Retrieved July 24, 2021 . ^ Hammond, Pete (October 5, 2021). "Oscars: Will Packer Set To Produce 2022 Academy Awards". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved October 7, 2021 . ^ Jarvey, Natalie (November 4, 2019). "Quibi Buys Donald Sterling Scandal Docuseries From Will Packer". The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved July 24, 2021 . External links [ edit ] Will Packer at IMDbOfficial website
- Music in this Episode
- Intro: Will Smith - Summertime - 2 Seconds
- Outro: Kool & The Gang - Summer Madness 40 seconds
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