Jamaican sensation Shenseea is set to drop her highly anticipated sophomore album, Never Gets Late Here, on May 24th via Rich Immigrants/Interscope Records. Available for pre-save now, the album promises to be a vibrant fusion of rhythms and genres, showcasing Shenseea’s distinctive style.
Executive produced by hip-hop producer London on Da Track, “Never Gets Late Here” builds upon the success of Shenseea’s critically acclaimed debut album, “ALPHA” (2022). With a blend of dancehall, hip-hop, R&B, and pop, Shenseea solidifies her reputation as a versatile artist.
The album features a diverse lineup of guest artists representing various regional sounds, including Afrobeats star Wizkid, Coi Leray, Anitta, Masicka, and Di Genius. Across fourteen tracks, Shenseea demonstrates her songwriting prowess and knack for crafting infectious melodies, resulting in a truly unique musical experience.
Did you know Janet Jackson could have played Storm in the X-Men franchise? On The Drew Barrymore Show, Jackson revealed she could have had the role that eventually went to Halle Berry.
Jackson revealed that she did not take the role “because I was just embarking on the Janet tour.” Complex notes that may have been The Velvet Rope Tour as the film began filming in 1999, the same time as the tour was wrapping up.
In a fusion of urban style and timeless elegance, Simone I. Smith Jewelry has teamed up with fashion visionary Misa Hylton to unveil an extraordinary collaboration: the SIS x MISA Denim and Diamonds Collection. These new doorknockers offer an upgraded sophistication set to become the ultimate statement pieces for all the fashionable around-the-way girls. Available in two distinct shapes, these earrings are revolutionizing contemporary jewelry with their unique blend of denim and diamonds.
The Simone Doorknockers
The Misa Doorknockers boast brilliant simulated diamonds set in 18K yellow gold-plated triangle bamboo designs, adorned with hand-crafted denim enamel stations. On the other hand, the Simone Doorknockers feature the same dazzling simulated diamonds, this time set in 18K yellow gold-plated rectangle bamboo designs, also accented with denim enamel stations.
This groundbreaking collaboration seamlessly merges Simone I. Smith’s signature craftsmanship with Misa Hylton’s innovative designs, resulting in a collection that exudes sophistication, glamour, and urban flair. Crafted with meticulous attention to detail, each piece in the Denim and Diamonds collection offers a refreshing take on contemporary jewelry, blending the rugged charm of denim with the luxurious sparkle of diamonds.
The Misa Doorknockers
The ladies held a press preview for their new collection filled with sophistication and entertainment, as guests dressed in their finest Denim and Diamonds attire. From custom bedazzled denim hats to a gift bag of Simone I. Smith goodies, attendees were treated to an inspiring and uplifting evening. Delectable bites, including lobster rolls, crab cakes, and steak bites, paired with special cocktails, added to the ambiance of the event.
The Source Magazine, journalist Courtney Brown had the opportunity to chat with Simone I. Smith about her inspiration behind the collection and her passion for representing the community.
Courtney Brown (CB): When I looked at your site I instantly caught the inspiration. But when I saw the dolphin earrings, I was like, ‘yo, she was there.’
Simone I. Smith (SS) You know I was there. (laughs) I was there. I was there.
CB: What made you go that route to put hip-hop staples and include them within your line?
SS: Well, first of all, when I designed, so when me and Mary partnered, she’s one of my best friends, just like Misa, and we partnered up, we have a partnership and we have a business called Sister Love. And because Mary grew up in Yonkers, I grew up in Queens, we both grew up in the hip-hop era. And it was all about those big statement pieces. So I was like, we need to bring back all of the door knockers from back in the days. I don’t know how many of them we’ve launched now. I don’t know, maybe 20 pair, but we keep finding them. And then we just modernize them. They’re like sterling silver, 18 karat gold, but they’re high polished. You know, like back in the day, they were more kind of like a dull. It was like a dull gold.
CB: I love the quality too.
SS: Yeah, but it’s because those earrings just never went out of style. I always had a pair of bamboo earrings, always had a pair of triangle earrings. And you know, when we just decided to do it, we were both two girls from New York that grew up in the hip-hop era. You know, and she’s the queen. She’s the queen of hip-hop R&B, I think is what Mary’s title is. And me, I’m the queen of hoops. So, you know, so, but Mary was my number one, so like her and Misa, when I launched sis, Mary and Misa, they always wore my earrings.
CB: Is she wearing them on the hit series Power?
SS: Absolutely. That’s all Sister Love on power. Right. And then, so then, we just, you know, it was our goal to just bring the big, bold, pay homage to the late 80s, the mid to late 80s, and just continue to do that because, you know, we want women to feel good and also to show that women can work together. Because so many women, women can be very catty, you know that.
CB: Yes, yes.
SS: But women can work together. So Mary and I have our partnership. Misa and I, we have our collaboration. Our first drop is Denim and Diamonds. That’s the one that we have named Denim and Diamonds. And then these are Simone.
CB: These are my favorite!
SS: These are Simone.. And the triangle ones that Misa has on, those are the Misas.
CB: And when I saw the Nefertiti pendant! I just asked my friend, ‘Why aren’t the men repping us anymore?’… Remember how the men used to wear the Nefertiti?
SS: They used to rock us.
CB: The men used to rock us.
SS: What’s my boy on Power? Neek! Neek is rocking the Nefertiti. We got to give him props for that.
CB: Yes, we got to give Neek props.
After exchanging a few dabs like the cool girls did back in the day—I was instantly connected to Mrs.Smith’s grace, kindness and charm.
With its blend of urban edge and timeless elegance, the SIS x MISA Denim and Diamonds collection is set to revolutionize contemporary jewelry, offering statement pieces that resonate with the spirit of the hip-hop era.
Reebok’s latest foray into the fashion world has landed, unveiling their Spring/Summer 2024 ” Sport Classic ” collection. Embracing a vintage-inspired aesthetic with a modern twist, this dual-gender assortment aims to capture the essence of sporting culture both on and off the courts.
The collection, launched today, draws inspiration from the current ‘tennis core’ trend. It offers a range of apparel and footwear designed to resonate with enthusiasts of all ages and backgrounds. Notably, the apparel lineup boasts inclusive sizing options from 2XS to 4X, ensuring a diverse range of consumers can partake in the sporting spirit.
Highlighting the importance of values like fair play and community, Reebok’s Sport Classic range features heritage-driven court footwear alongside stylish apparel. New iterations of the iconic Reebok Phase Court and Club C Revenge sneakers are set to be key attractions within the collection.
Adding star power to the launch, Latin music sensation and Reebok partner Anuel AA was recently spotted donning pieces from the SS24 lineup, including the Sport Classic Crew Sweatshirt and Shorts.
Fashion enthusiasts won’t have to wait long to get their hands on these court-inspired pieces. The full collection is slated for release on May 3rd and will be available online at Reebok.com and through select retailers.
With its blend of vintage charm and contemporary flair, Reebok’s Sport Classic collection elevates style while promoting the timeless values of sportsmanship and camaraderie.
Rihanna has entered the Diamond Record Club for the third time. Rihanna’s 2012 classic “Diamonds” has received official diamond certification from the Recording Industry Association of America.
Roc Nation shared the achievement on X. “Diamonds” is Rihanna’s third song to achieve diamond status, following her 2010 collaboration “Love the Way You Lie” with Eminem (certified on May 9, 2013) and her 2011 collaboration “We Found Love” with Calvin Harris (certified on April 27, 2023).
According to Billboard, “Diamonds” was released by Rihanna as the lead single from her seventh studio album, Unapologetic, in 2012. The album was nominated for Best Urban Contemporary Album at the 2014 Grammy Awards. It secured Rihanna her 12th No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100, holding the top spot for three weeks. Additionally, the song dominated the Billboard Dance Club Songs chart for one week, the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart for 14 weeks, and the Rhythmic Airplay chart for ten weeks.
While Beyoncé has been known to change up her hairstyle almost as much as she changes costumes over the years, she’s letting everyone know that her real hair is every bit as amazing as her singing talents.
On Sunday, Bey took to IG to show her full wash, dry, and style routine as part of a promotion for her haircare line, Cécred. The video begins with her stylist brushing out her hair and then washing and conditioning it with a variety of products from her line and then combing through with a detangling comb before drying, flat-ironing, and styling it. Throughout the video, she narrates some aspects of her routine (she uses medium heat rather than high heat) while also dispelling the myth that women who wear wigs and extensions don’t have healthy hair- addressing some of the criticism she has received over the years.
She captioned the minute and a half long video with the following:
It has been such a special experience seeing all of your #cecredwashday rituals all over my timeline… I just had to join in with something I had in the archives
Being disruptive and challenging everything people feel should be the process has always been exciting to me. My hair and music seemed to do that a lot over the years…
Maintaining 25 years of blonde on natural hair through all the experimenting I do has played a huge part in developing @cecred’s products. It’s the hardest to keep color-treated hair healthy and strong, but @cecred is here. All quality, with NO shortcuts. Congratulations to the entire CÉCRED team for contributing to developing award-winning products.
Cécred is a partnership between Beyoncé and her mother, Tina Knowles. Tina ran a successful beauty shop in Houston, making her a natural subject matter expert for the pair’s line, which caters to a variety of textures and hair types.
Draya Michele and Jalen Green hosted their baby shower over the weekend. The parents wore matching red attire at the joyous celebration. The two are expecting a baby girl. You can see moments from the celebration below courtesy of The Shade Room.
Draya Michele became a hot topic after revealing she was pregnant with the baby of Houston Rockets star Jalen Green. Their relationship was criticized due to their age gap. Draya is 39, and Jalen is 22, close to the age of her son.
Yesterday (March 13), Draya posted on Instagram that she was struggling. Many are connecting her struggles to social media commentary.
“I feel like I am at the bottom of a pile of heavy humans,” she wrote. “Most hours of the day I feel like I am struggling to breathe.”
The Internet was in a frenzy after Draya Michele announced she was pregnant on International Women’s Day. The father of the child is presumed to be Jalen Green.
Draya is 39, and Green is 22, leading many to believe the model and actress are taking advantage of the Rockets’ star due to a big contract.
On Instagram, Draya wrote:
Happy #InternationalWomensDay ! As women, we navigate through so much, often leading us to question, “What is my purpose?” For me, the magic lies in motherhood and the awe-inspiring ability to bring life into this world over the span of two decades. It’s my superpower. And if anything can surpass the wonder of being a woman, it’s the privilege of bringing another woman into existence . We are overjoyed to share our love for you, little girl. I’m am excited to speak words to the daughter I never thought I’d have. We are anxious about your arrival, but take your time — this world can be tough. But know you are being brought into a space of love, security, and adornment. #28weeks #7months #comingMay2024 #girlmom
When Draya Michele joined us on Stepping Into The Shade Room back in September, we asked her if she wanted anymore children and whether or not she saw a future with the person she was dating at the time. Congrats on your baby girl Draya! pic.twitter.com/vxD1ayjKn3
Draya is a disgusting ass b:tch. Having a baby by a 21 year old and you 40 is some nasty and predatory work. Don’t she got a son? How would she feel if some old ass woman came sniffing behind her child? Having a baby for a check is deplorable behavior. pic.twitter.com/5FDo1wTjOE
It’s always a good day when DJ Snake releases new music. Now, the French DJ and multi-Platinum producer returns today with his newest banger titled “Teka,” this time tapping Latin superstar Peso Pluma.
Boasting 10 million followers on Instagram alone, DJ Snake is best known for his viral smash hit “Turn Down For What,” who’s official music video hails over 1.1 billion views and counting. This new exciting collaboration with Peso Pluma highlights Snake’s standout production skills paired with Peso’s crisp vocals, making it an undeniable smash.
The two superstars first previewed the track at Coachella, playing the song live for die-hard fans. The unforgettable moment set the stage for the record to be released to all streaming platforms, on track on becoming an instant classic. “The weekend has arrived, Italian brand clothes,” Pluma raps in Spanish over a bass-heavy beat with a hypnotic guitar loop. He then dives into the chorus with catchy lyrics: “she’s gonna rock the discotheque, theque, theque, theque, theque.”
Dizzy Cleanface, Nick, Ryan, and Aaron collaborated as a team to oversee the A&R process for “Teka.”
You may recognize Ta’Rhonda Jones from her standout role as Porsha Taylor on FOX’s hit television series Empire alongside Taraji P. Henson, but she’s actually so much more. Beyond the small screen, Jones is an activist, director, producer, celebrity master chef champion, fashion designer, host, comedian, rapper, songwriter and philanthropist.
Most recently, Jones landed her dream role hosting the newest show on OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network’s titled The Never Ever Mets. The show follows seven couples as they transform their online dating relationship into real life, meeting for the first time in person. Thankfully, Jones is there to facilitate every step of the way.
The Source spoke with Ta’Rhonda Jones about her love for Hip-Hop and how it landed her this new role.
How long have you been rapping?
I’ve been rapping since I was 10, 11 years old. Since I was a kid. I’ve been doing this a long time.
Did the acting kind of fall in your lap? It did. [laughs] I remember my brother calling me in the middle of the night saying “Hey, Terrence Howard is looking for this female rapper in their 20’s. I think you’d be dope for this opportunity. I do music with an engineer here and they passed the message along to him, he passed the message to my brother and that’s when my brother called me. But somehow the message got misconstrued, it was related to me wrong.
Terrence Howard was not looking for rappers, Empire was looking for women who were musically-inclined. When I went in, I’m thinking I’m gon’ find Terrence sitting in front of me spitting these bars. He was nowhere to be found! [laughs] They’re like, “Got your lines?” I’m like, what lines? Where’s Terrence? Because I’m supposed to be rapping for him. The rest was history. Empire fell in my lap. [laughs] Because I’ve never acted before. I’ve never even considered acting. I knew I wanted to be an entertainer, but not on the scale of acting.
That’s what happened with this show. I asked the producer after we got well acquainted with one another. I said what made you guys choose me? He said, “Well, I came across a video of you rapping in the studio. I thought, ‘Oh, this girl is something else.’” Wait, not because you think I’m a capable host, but because you saw me rapping in the studio? He said “Yeah.” [laughs] What a full circle home. I always say my music is the thing that’s going to open the doors for me, and that’s what it did with this opportunity with The Never Ever Mets.
What was the moment you fell in love with Hip-Hop?
I remember rapping this Shawnna song. I want to “lick you from your…” Now I was a kid, and I remember my grandma whooped me so good for singing that song. I didn’t realize until I got older, when you say the lyrics. When you listen to stuff now that you’re older and can understand the song, you’re like what? I was singing about cocaine this whole time? “Do you wanna ride on the white horse…”
You just never know until you get a little older. You mean to tell me I was rapping about cocaine this whole time? When I used to sing Shawnna, my grandma whooped me something good for rapping that song. I’m like what is the problem? Watching 106 & Park and TRL, trying to rush home to catch those moments? Oh my God, love music. Fell in love with music. My first CD was Destiny’s Child, The Writing’s on the Wall. I got a CD player for Christmas, and that was my first CD. Look, listen: R&B, Hip-Hop? That’s my thing.
WNBA sensation Sabrina Ionescu and her SI20 Foundation have teamed up with 2K Foundations and SLAM to refurbish a basketball court at the Los Angeles Boys & Girls Club (LABGC) in Downtown Los Angeles. The court’s official unveiling took place on April 17th, 2024, with Ionescu in attendance.
This collaborative effort aims to address the shortage of recreational facilities while inspiring empowerment and positive change within the underserved community of Downtown Los Angeles.
The comprehensive refurbishment includes sanding and refinishing, updating the iconic Mr. Cartoon mural, new backboards, padding, lighting improvements, and more. Located at 2635 Pasadena Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90031, the court will provide a revitalized space for youth engagement and community cohesion.
Ionescu, known for her dedication to youth sports and advocacy for women’s sports, continues to inspire young athletes. Partnering with 2K Foundations and SLAM, she highlights the transformative power of hard work and passion in breaking barriers.
The LABGC, a nonprofit organization, serves as a haven for children and teenagers, offering academic support, character development, and sports activities. The refurbished court will further its mission of empowering young people to reach their full potential by providing a supportive and enriching environment.
In a community facing challenges like poverty and limited resources, initiatives like this renovation project play a crucial role in fostering a sense of belonging and opportunity for local youth.
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