Author: JD
Today marks the 20th anniversary of Tupac Shakur’s Me Against The World
This indispensable album debuted at #1 on both the Billboard Top 200 chart and the Billboard R&B Album chart. Me Against The World was Tupac’s first album to go to #1 on both charts and stayed at the top – of both – for 4 weeks straight! Featuring the hit singles “Dear Mama” and “So Many Tears,” Me Against The World is one of the most influential albums of all time. Released in 1995, while Tupac was in jail, and had just recovered from being shot at a recording studio, this was his most introspective piece of work to date.
Eddie Murphy Cast in Lee Daniels’ Richard Pryor Film
On Thursday, the director posted a photo of the him and Murphy together on Instagram with the caption: “Strap in and brace yourself. They done let me and him out of our cages! #idonteventhinkimreadyforthisone! #excited #proud #OMG” Murphy and Hudson joins Mike Epps, who cast as Pryor in August of last year. The highly anticipated film also includes Oprah Winfrey, who ET exclusively confirmed as his grandmother, Marie Carter. The biopic was first announced in January of 2014 and will be backed by The Weinstein Company. Winfrey will serve as one of the film’s producers, while Daniels is also reportedly set to direct. NEWS: Lee Daniels & Mo’Nique’s Candid Comments on ‘Blackballed’ Accusations Murphy was previously attached to another Pryor film to be directed by Bill Condon, but that project never got out of development.
NEMEN x ACRONYM Spring/Summer 2015 Capsule Collection
The NEMEN x ACRONYM Spring/Summer 2015 capsule collection can be purchased today through select brand stockists as well as via the brand’s online shop.
RIHANNA WILL BE DIOR’S 1ST BLACK CAMPAIGN STAR IN RECENT MEMORY
Just when we were placing our bets on how long it would be before Dior-obsessed “Cinderella” star Lily James would get a contract with the iconic French fashion house, Dior signed on a less obvious new face: Rihanna. The superstar singer was shot this week by Steven Klein at Versailles for the fourth installment of Dior’s “Secret Garden” campaign; each part thus far has been set at the royal chateau and has starred a model rather than a celebrity. A rep for the brand confirms that Rihanna will indeed star in a short film and print ad set to debut this spring. WWD originally reported the news. It’s her first campaign for Dior, and while she has sat front row at a couple of shows since Raf Simons took over (and looked amazing while doing so), she doesn’t typically wear the brand on the red carpet. But that’s not the only reason why this casting choice is somewhat surprising: Rihanna is also Dior’s first black campaign star in recent memory, and certainly the first under Raf Simons, who was under fire not long ago for his failure to cast black models. In fact, he waited seven Dior collections before he cast a single one in a runway show. When it comes to Dior’s celebrity faces — Charlize Theron, Mila Kunis, Marion Cotillard, Natalie Portman, Jennifer Lawrence — we can’t recall a single woman who wasn’t white. Kudos to the brand for finally breaking that trend.
Prince Covers Christian Singer-Songwriter for New Song ‘What If’
Always a man with a surprise up his sleeve (was anyone anticipating his first acting credit in years to be on New Girl?), Prince‘s new song is probably not what you’d expect from the Purple One. Prince & 3rdEyeGirl Bringing Hit & Run Tour to U.S. Prince and 3rdEyeGirl released an electric guitar-heavy cover of Christian singer-songwriter Nichole Nordeman’s “What If,” a song that embraces the closely-knit relationship between doubt and faith. Nordeman is a regular on the Christian music scene: Not only did she contribute a track to the Music Inspired by the Chronicles of Narinia album, but she wrote a song for VeggieTales called “Sweetpea Beauty.” In case you’re unfamiliar, VeggieTales is a children’s cartoon about anthropomorphic produce who sing and relay morality tales. Sure, Prince has sang about God and religion for years, but he usually doesn’t release studio versions of cover songs — much less covers of songs by a VeggieTales vet. In short, Prince continues to be awesome. You can listen to the song over here and check out the original version below. Prince released the song to Louisville, KY, radio, where he’s kicking off the U.S. portion of his Hit & Run Tour. That’s the only date announced so far, but given the last-minute nature of the European Hit & Run Tour, expect the rest of his U.S. dates to pop up with short to no notice.
Highlights From Kyrie Irving’s 57 Point Game
Kyrie Irving scored a career-high and NBA season-high 57 points, including a buzzer-beating 3-pointer to force overtime, as the Cavaliers defeated the Spurs 128-125.
Microsoft’s Cortana is coming to iOS and Android
Microsoft is planning to bring its Cortana digital assistant to iOS and Android as a standalone app. While the software maker has previously confirmed Cortana would come to additional operating systems, Reuters reports that the standalone app will be available on phones and tablets running iOS and Android. Microsoft is currently building Cortana into Windows 10, which is set to debut later this year, and it’s likely that the digital assistant will make its way on to Android and iOS alongside its PC expansion. MICROSOFT IS WORKING ON A NEW VERSION OF CORTANA FOR LATER THIS YEAR In an interview with Reuters, Microsoft’s Eric Horvitz, managing director of Microsoft Research, reveals that the company is planning a bigger roll out of Cortana later this year. “This kind of technology, which can read and understand email, will play a central role in the next roll out of Cortana, which we are working on now for the fall time frame,” says Horvitz. Microsoft is currently developing a more advanced version of Cortana, codenamed project Einstein, that pulls data from artificial intelligence. While there’s not many details on Einstein from Reuters’ report, it appears to be an effort to improve the awareness of Cortana and its ability to automate even more tasks. Microsoft’s move to bring Cortana to iOS and Android won’t surprise many. The software maker has consistently shown that it’s willing to bring its best Windows features to rival platforms in an overall effort to improve its services and apps. While Cortana is a standout feature for Windows Phone, and soon Windows 10, the small amount of consumers using it won’t help Microsoft’s goal of improving its digital assistant with machine learning techniques and bringing its services and apps to all smartphone and tablet owners. It’s a natural part of Microsoft’s continued transformation to return to its software roots with its apps and services running on every device.
Madonna Reveals She Dated Tupac Shakur & Much More on ‘Howard Stern’: Listen Now
In addition to serious issues like rape and her mom’s death, she also announces that her next single will be “Ghosttown,” for which she’s shooting a video next week. Did you know Madonna wrote “Vogue” in just a couple of hours? Or that she doesn’t like being stoned? Or that she dated Tupac Shakur? (We really didn’t know that one.) Madonna’s Albums Ranked Worst to Best Well, she revealed that and much, much more in a nearly 90-minute interview with Howard Stern on Wednesday (March 11) — her first interview ever with the radio personality. The chat covered a lot of ground, from her childhood and the early death of her mother to the time she was raped but didn’t report it and her odd friendship with Michael Jackson. “I could certainly relate to him on many levels, but he was also a very shy person,” she said of Jackson. “He was famous since he was a child and didn’t really have a childhood. He was painfully shy. We didn’t really have a relationship about me revealing myself to him, but making fun of the crazy world we were living and working in. We didn’t talk about our childhoods. … I think he felt eternally tortured. It was hard for him to look into people’s eyes.” Listen to the full interview here: