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The 30th Year Anniversary Special “Martin: The Reunion” Set To Premiere June 16 On BET+

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Martin The Reunion

The cult classic hit sitcom “Martin” will be returning to television for a 90-minute reunion special.

BET+ announced the 30th year anniversary special will take place on the show’s iconic living room set. The reunion is bringing back original cast members Martin Lawrence, Tisha Campbell, Tichina Arnold and Carl Anthony Payne the second to discuss the show’s five seasons.

READ MORE: The Cast of “Martin” Reunites For a 30th Anniversary TV Special

Hosted by comedian Affion Crockett, the cast will look back on the show’s most hilarious moments, revisit the iconic characters Martin made famous and pay an emotional tribute to the late, great Tommy Ford. Thomas Mikal Ford passed away in 2016 at the age of 52.

Complete with musical performances and drop-ins by celebrity super fans, MARTIN: THE REUNION brings back the wazzup wazzup wazzup passion fans have been waiting for.

The reunion special is executive produced by Martin Lawrence, Robert Lawrence, Rae Proctor and Stacy Lyles through his company Run Tel Dat Entertainment.

“Martin: The Reunion” is set to debut on June 16 on BET+.

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The post The 30th Year Anniversary Special “Martin: The Reunion” Set To Premiere June 16 On BET+ appeared first on The Source.

BET+ Announces “Martin: The Reunion” To Premiere June 16

by
Martin The Reunion

The cult classic hit sitcom “Martin” will be returning to television for a 90-minute reunion special.

BET+ announced the 30th year anniversary special will take place on the show’s iconic living room set. The reunion is bringing back original cast members Martin Lawrence, Tisha Campbell, Tichina Arnold and Carl Anthony Payne the second to discuss the show’s five seasons.

READ MORE: The Cast of “Martin” Reunites For a 30th Anniversary TV Special

Hosted by comedian Affion Crockett, the cast will look back on the show’s most hilarious moments, revisit the iconic characters Martin made famous and pay an emotional tribute to the late, great Tommy Ford. Thomas Mikal Ford passed away in 2016 at the age of 52.

Complete with musical performances and drop-ins by celebrity super fans, MARTIN: THE REUNION brings back the wazzup wazzup wazzup passion fans have been waiting for.

The reunion special is executive produced by Martin Lawrence, Robert Lawrence, Rae Proctor and Stacy Lyles through his company Run Tel Dat Entertainment.

“Martin: The Reunion” is set to debut on June 16 on BET+.

Share your thoughts with us on social media.

The post BET+ Announces “Martin: The Reunion” To Premiere June 16 appeared first on The Source.

ICYMI: BET Announces New Unscripted Music Documentary Series, “Murder Inc.”

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irv gotti murder inc documentary bet

A new unscripted documentary series is being produced by BET and Irving “Irv Gotti” Lorenzo titled, Murder Inc.. 

The five-part television event is set to narrate the untold tale of the rise, sudden fall, and redemption of, Murder Inc. Records; and the mastermind behind the Hip Hop powerhouse, Irv Gotti.

According to the statement announced today, each episode will take viewers through the label’s beginnings to the current day, featuring never-before-seen archival footage. Along with including a rich catalog of music chart-toppers and the power players that helped shape a musical era that would impact generations to come.

Launched in 1999, the New York based label Murder Inc. Records played a vital role in bringing forth the careers of some of the most influential voices in Hip Hop, and R&B. Murder Inc. helped launch and guide the careers of artist such as, Ja Rule, Ashanti, Lloyd, Charli Baltimore, Vita, and others.

Murder Inc. is scheduled to premiere Summer 2022 on BET.

“My life and Murder Inc. has been filled with many highs and lows. I got to work with my brothers and a lot of great people; from Jay Z, DMX, Fat Joe, Mary J Blige, to name a few,” said Irv Gotti. 

“Also, I got to start my record label, Murder Inc. Records, with Ja Rule by my side.” Gotti added, “My life was filled with great lows, but I’m not ashamed of those lows. It all helped make me the person I am today. So, with this documentary series, I plan to tell the truth and nothing but the truth so help me GOD.”

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Irv Gotti, Ja Rule BTS Murder Inc. Documentary (Photo: Sam Hicks)

Tiffany Lea Williams, Executive Vice President of BET Unscripted Programming shared, “Music is in our DNA. We thank our long-standing partner Irv Gotti, and the many talented artists at the iconic label for trusting our brand to tell their personal and inspiring stories. We look forward to bringing viewers a compelling music documentary series that reveals how this label consequently changed the music industry forever.”

The Murder Inc. documentary is executive produced by Irv Gotti (“Tales”), Ja Rule, Darcell Lawrence, and Chris Costine for Visionary Ideas and Tiffany Lea Williams for BET. Michael J. Payton to serve as Director.

Continue the conversation on social media.

The post ICYMI: BET Announces New Unscripted Music Documentary Series, “Murder Inc.” appeared first on The Source.

BET Announces New Unscripted Music Documentary Series, “Murder Inc.”

by
Irv Gotti BTS Murder Inc. Documentary

A new unscripted documentary series is being produced by BET and Irving “Irv Gotti” Lorenzo titled, Murder Inc.. 

The five-part television event is set to narrate the untold tale of the rise, sudden fall, and redemption of, Murder Inc. Records; and the mastermind behind the Hip Hop powerhouse, Irv Gotti.

According to the statement announced today, each episode will take viewers through the label’s beginnings to the current day, featuring never-before-seen archival footage. Along with including a rich catalog of music chart-toppers and the power players that helped shape a musical era that would impact generations to come.

Launched in 1999, the New York based label Murder Inc. Records played a vital role in bringing forth the careers of some of the most influential voices in Hip Hop, and R&B. Murder Inc. helped launch and guide the careers of artist such as, Ja Rule, Ashanti, Lloyd, Charli Baltimore, Vita, and others.

Murder Inc. is scheduled to premiere Summer 2022 on BET.

“My life and Murder Inc. has been filled with many highs and lows. I got to work with my brothers and a lot of great people; from Jay Z, DMX, Fat Joe, Mary J Blige, to name a few,” said Irv Gotti. 

“Also, I got to start my record label, Murder Inc. Records, with Ja Rule by my side.” Gotti added, “My life was filled with great lows, but I’m not ashamed of those lows. It all helped make me the person I am today. So, with this documentary series, I plan to tell the truth and nothing but the truth so help me GOD.”

832A6194
Irv Gotti, Ja Rule BTS Murder Inc. Documentary (Photo: Sam Hicks)

Tiffany Lea Williams, Executive Vice President of BET Unscripted Programming shared, “Music is in our DNA. We thank our long-standing partner Irv Gotti, and the many talented artists at the iconic label for trusting our brand to tell their personal and inspiring stories. We look forward to bringing viewers a compelling music documentary series that reveals how this label consequently changed the music industry forever.”

The Murder Inc. documentary is executive produced by Irv Gotti (“Tales”), Ja Rule, Darcell Lawrence, and Chris Costine for Visionary Ideas and Tiffany Lea Williams for BET. Michael J. Payton to serve as Director.

Continue the conversation on social media.

The post BET Announces New Unscripted Music Documentary Series, “Murder Inc.” appeared first on The Source.

The Cast of “Martin” Reunites For a 30th Anniversary TV Special

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Martin Lawrence Martin Show

The previously no-way-it-would-happen Martin television show reunion is really on the way. Martin Lawrence, Tisha Campbell, Tichina Arnold, and Carl Anthony Payne II have reunited for the 30th anniversary tv special set to air on BET+.

Unfortunately we will all be missing the presence of Tommy, the funny best friend of Martin, Thomas Mikal Ford, who passed away in 2016 at age 52.

“Martin is one of the most beloved sitcoms in our community, both because it is hugely entertaining and because it played a pivotal role in changing the narrative of Black voices in entertainment and in culture through the portrayal of young, ambitious Black leads and healthy Black relationships,” said Scott Mills, CEO of BET.

READ MORE: Tisha Campbell goes off on company selling ‘Martin and Gina’ merchandise.

Thirty years after it’s premiere the new special, as reported on Deadline, will look at the show’s origin and evolution. It will feature interviews with the cast and original directors. As well as musical performances and behind the scenes commentary. It will highlight the importance and impact of the show that shaped a generation.

“To be able to sit here thirty years later with this amazing cast that has had such an impact on pop culture is truly a blessing,” Martin Lawrence shared. “I am always humbled that the fans still want more of the show and its characters. I am looking forward to the reunion special.”

Martin and Gina back together on your television for the good of mankind.  Tisha Campbell echoed the excitement in an instagram post captioned “Y’all ready?! We ARE!!!”

The Martin reunion is executive produced by Martin Lawrence, Robert Lawrence, Rae Proctor and Stacy Lyles through his company Run Tel Dat Entertainment.

The reunion special, hosted by Affion Crockett, is tapping today, February 20th. While a specific premiere date has not been confirmed by BET+ but is slated to air later this year. All five seasons of Martin are currently streaming on BET+.

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The post The Cast of “Martin” Reunites For a 30th Anniversary TV Special appeared first on The Source.

Today in Hip-Hop History: Larry Davis Killed in Shawangunk Prison 14 Years Ago

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Some say he was 50 Cent before 50 Cent. Some called him “the Robin Hood of The Ghetto”, while the establishment dubbed him “the crack city terminator.” In the hood, his solution is considered the only possible answer to a continuous epidemic of police brutality. Some of your favorite rappers from French Montana to Lloyd Banks to Jay-Z have name-dropped him on their tracks and BET felt he was so important to American culture that their American Gangster series had to open with him, but only an educated few know why the name Larry Davis continues to ring bells more than three decades after that fateful night in November of ’86.

On February 20, 2008, Adam Abdul Hakeem aka Larry Davis, was stabbed to death in Shawangunk State Prison in New York by a fellow inmate after serving 23 years for an illegal weapons charge. Most would say that people die in American prisons daily, so what’s the big deal about another dead prisoner? Well, it must first be explained why Mr. Davis was in prison for so long on a mere gun charge in the first place.

As he said on camera after his capture in 1986, “the police gave me the guns!”, that Davis was finally charged with after being acquitted for shooting 6 NYPD officers. The then 21-year-old BX native’s defense was that he shot the officers in self-defense. Davis exposed that he sold drugs for these Bronx precinct officers, claiming that they wanted to kill him because of what he knew about the drug operation within the department and a Bronx jury believed him. This case was the first and very possibly the only time in American history that a civilian was cleared of all charges in the shooting of a police officer.

The NYPD and then-Mayor Edward Koch were outraged at the outcome. After Larry’s death, the former Mayor Koch was quoted as saying, “The prison system did what the criminal justice system could not.” It’s safe to say that with the endless accusations against the NYPD and other police departments around the country for brutality against Black and brown people, the sentiment of sympathy for Larry Davis has been met with fierce opposition.

With the recent killings of Black youth by police and civilians becoming the norm, the question in the urban community is whether or not Larry Davis’ solution to police brutality is the only option left. With normal citizens being given the option to shoot first and ask questions later when it comes to Black youth and the prison industrial complex as the penalty for defending yourself, the bare truth is that it has become the only option to some. With landmark cases from Emmitt Till to Botham Jean, history reveals that people such as Nat Turner, Denmark Vesey, and even Larry Davis will always be heroes. We’ve heard Larry’s name come from the mouths of everyone from ATCQ to Jay-Z.

Check out Larry’s story on Troy Reed’s Street Stories Larry Davis: A Routine Typical Hit, BET’s American Gangster series and is also rumored to be in the hands of several filmmakers, which could possibly spawn the story on the silver screen.

The post Today in Hip-Hop History: Larry Davis Killed in Shawangunk Prison 14 Years Ago appeared first on The Source.

Tyler The Creator Used To Mock BET As ‘A Defense Mechanism’ Before Peforming At The BET Awards

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Of all the standout performances at this year’s BET Awards, one of the most surprising and impressive was Tyler The Creator’s — not just because of the scale and production, but also because BET was the last place you’d catch Tyler The Creator during Odd Future’s precipitous rise. In fact, the crew used to rail against the network, among other outlets, as an example of the establishment that didn’t accept them.

Hindsight, as they say, is 20/20, though. In a new interview with Complex, Tyler explained how the mockery was a “defensive mechanism” that allowed him to pre-emptively reject outlets that he thought might reject him. “I was so hype to perform at the BET Awards,” he admitted. “I just never felt like my style of music would ever have been, not even appreciated, but allowed on there. And because of that, I would mock it.”

He continued, “It was like a defense mechanism because I felt like I wasn’t accepted by that audience. But when they asked me this year, man I was enthralled. I was so happy.” He also explained the deeper meaning BET holds for him, recalling, “That channel taught me how to rap. It taught me about just all the stuff I know.”

He also breaks down why he hates making merch, why he just got into watches, and explains his creative process behind the hilarious Converse ad he just directed featuring Tim Meadows, Bill Walton, and Vince Staples.