Diana Ross Receives Supreme Honor

There isn't much that hasn't been said about Diana Ross in her over 40-year career, but it can be said with certainty that she has not yet been honored by the prestigious Kennedy Center. This December, along with legends from varying backgrounds: Actor/Comedian, Steve Martin; Filmmaker, Martin Scorsese; pianist Leon Fleisher and composer, Brian Wilson; Diana Ross will be awarded what has been considered the artistic equivalent of knighthood in Britain.

To celebrate the achievement, we'll leave you with a moment from Kennedy Center Honoree, Diana 'The Boss' Ross' epic 1983 Central Park Concert.



"The show will not stop!"

This "Endless Love" performance is inarguably one of the greatest concert moments in recent history. A crowd of over 300,000 bore witness as Diana Ross gave new meaning to Singing In The Rain.

Saturday Soul: L'Trimm, "Cars That Go Boom"

From The Cocoa Lounge



Holy Cabbage Patch Kids! We're in a fun, 80's mood, which means today's Saturday Soul may just come with its own can of Aqua Net.

Hence, the video for 80s duo, L'Trimm's, one and only claim to fame: "Cars That Go Boom." The group, comprised of emcees Lady Tigra and Bunny, were a wicked combination of JJ Fad and Cyndi Lauper who quickly jumped onto the Top 40 Charts and landed in oblivion.

We hope--somewhere--they've managed to find happiness with the ones they especially like:

Which ones?
You know the ones with the cars that go...
I hear you...
Hit it!

Cocoa Lounge NOW: Black Girls Rock with Honors

From The Cocoa Lounge



We spotlighted Black Girls Rock Inc. last year when we caught wind of the fantastic grass-roots work this organization dished out in the Big Apple. Black Girls Rock Inc. has continued to grow and recently joined forces with VH1 Hip Hop Honors and a slew of entertainers for its star-studded 2nd Annual Black Girls Rock! Awards, co-hosted by actresses Gabrielle Union and Regina King.

Sponsored by CoverGirl Queen Collection, VH1 Hip Hop Honors, bluhammock music, Jordan Brand, Akademiks, GIANT Magazine and METRO, this year's growing list of presenters include breakout superstar and COVERGIRL spokesmodel Rihanna, R&B heartthrob Mario, pop-star Mya, philanthropist/poet/artist Danny Simmons, hip-hop pioneer MC Lyte, R&B princess Ashanti, and Bad Boy recording artist and actress in the upcoming Disney film "Step Up 2," Cassie. Other presenters include music mogul Andre Harrell, Hip-Hop legend and icon KRS-One, Rain Pryor, NAACP Image Award winning actress, author, MS Avocate and daughter of legendary comedian Richard Pryor, philanthropist and former model Bethann Hardison, "The Wire's" Sonja Sohn, Discovery Home Channel celebrity chef Marcus Samuelsson and more.

(Honorees include: (clockwise) Common, Christte Michele, Missy Elliott and Tracy Reese.

A who's who of girls—and guys—who rock, have been penned into the nomination diaries. Street Soldier and Fox 5 News Correspondent, Lisa Evers, has been nominated for the Community Outreach Award; Jay-Z's hook girl, Chrisette Michelle earns a well-deserved "nom" for the Who's Got Next? Award for her brilliant neo-soul debut album, "I AM;" Hip-Hop icon Common, not only churns out hit after hit but has also penned the history of hip-hop with his 1994 love song to the art form, I Used to Love H.E.R. The Chicago-born rapper has been nominated for the Soul Brother #1 Award; And Philadelphia's Power 99 breakout female deejay, DJ Diamond Kuts, has spun a nomination for the Jazzy Joyce DJ Award. With attendance still pending, the irresistibly irreplaceable Beyonce Knowles, is rumored to be taking home the Icon Award.

Rock On!

The awards ceremony will take place Oct. 6th at the Lincoln Center in New York.


***10/09/07 UPDATES:***

For photos from the 2007 Black Girls Rock! Awards, CLICK HERE.

For more info about the Black Girls Rock! Awards visit: http://www.blackgirlsrockinc.com/awards/

Lieutenant Uhura: Remixed.

Since her inception in the late 1960s, Star Trek's Lt. Uhura has remained a pop-culture icon. The beehive-rocking, smart, Chief Communications Officer of the USS Enterprise, introduced international television audiences to a kind of black woman it had never seen before: a sista literally light-years ahead. Becoming one of the first African American characters to join a culturally diverse television cast, actress Nichelle Nichols helped to change archaic notions that once crippled the sci-fi genre, and proved once and for all that people of color would, indeed, have a place in the celluloid future.

Though, Nichols made Uhura's sci-fi trekking look easy, she battled racial inequalities both in front of and behind the scenes and had once contemplated leaving the show in its first season, until Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. talked her into staying. The legendary leader told her how important it was for the world to see her in such a groundbreaking role--and who can really argue with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr? Nichelle Nichols continued through the shows' three seasons, making television history along the way. King's words would ring true when, years later, Mae Jamison, the first black female astronaut, cited seeing Uhura on television as an inspiration for joining NASA.

Now, forty years later, the iconic role of Lt. Uhura will have a new face: Zoe Saldana's. The new Star Trek film will begin shooting this winter and is expected to hit theaters Christmas 2008.

Zoe has been given some pretty big shoes to fill, but we're sure she'll wear them well. Beam her on up, Scotty!

Junk on Your Trunk: Junkprints

The designer's name is Chanel Kennebrew, so it's no surprise that this trendsetter is brewing up her own memorable brand of fashion. Eclectic, pop-art influenced and fun, Junkprints, an online shop on Etsy, reminds of us of the kind of little boutique you might discover in a big city and never stop frequenting.

Check out the online collection, which includes fashion and Chanel's own artwork.

From London, With Love: M.I.A

From The Cocoa Lounge

Due to tight schedules, we've been leaning heavily on YouTube for content recently. Rest assured, we'll be back soon!

Today's YT special is for all those (like us) wondering Where All The Female Emcees Have Gone. Look no further....we've found one!



This particular emcee, M.I.A., was a little hard to track down as she has roots in Sri Lanka, London, and reportedly, Compton, CA...and on top of all that, we've been sleeping on her for years. But MIA resurfaced earlier this summer with a new album, and rather enjoyable video for her single "Boyz," that is equal parts throw-back and musically forward in this era of recycled tunes.

With a name like M.I.A., it's ironic that she's one of the only visible female faces in Hip-Hop this year. Is it time to file a missing person's report?

Why We *Heart* Serena!

She digs deep. She plays from the heart. And today she earned herself a spot in the U.S. Open Quarterfinals.

Here's Serena Williams doing what she does best to the beat of Kanye West's Stronger:



*Update: The same reason why we heart big sis Venus, too! Congrats to both these ladies on their return to the top tier of womens tennis.

Saturday Soul: Gladys Knight

On September 10th, Gladys Knight will be honored with this years' Ella Award. The ceremony, named for its first recipient, Ella Fitzgerald, celebrates singers who lend their time and support to charitable causes. Past recipients include Lena Horne, Frank Sinatra, Celine Dion and Elton John.



Enjoy this 1974 performance of "You're the Best Thing That Ever Happened to Me" from Gladys Knight and the Pips. After over 50 years in the business, Gladys' voice is still as rich as pure honey.

When the movie is made that highlights this womans' life and illustrious career, we think Kelly Rowland would make an excellent Gladys Knight. Don't they look alike?

(right: singer, Kelly Rowland)

Cocoa Lounge NOW: The Hollywood BBF

(Alicia Keys and Scarlett Johansson in The Nanny Diaries.)

The following article, "Hollywood loves BBFs 4-Ever" was published today in the Los Angeles Times. Relevant and brutally honest, this exposé sheds light on an old industry practice which can be perceived as either extremely progressive (in terms of race relations in America) or severely limiting (as black actresses are relegated to one-dimensional characterizations).

You be the judge:

---

Hollywood loves BBFs 4-Ever
By Greg Braxton
Los Angeles Times Staff Writer

August 29, 2007


Julia Louis-Dreyfus has one. Sandra Bullock had one. So did Jennifer Garner and Katie Holmes. Jennifer Love Hewitt has had two. Calista Flockhart took hers dancing. Kate Walsh had one, lost her, and got another one with a different face but the same name. And Scarlett Johansson got her first one last weekend.



(Regina King and Sandra Bullock in Miss Congeniality.)

They're stars who have all played lead characters who experience adventure with the help of their BFF (Best Friend Forever). But in many cases, these BFFs might more accurately be characterized as BBFs -- Black Best Friend -- played by an African American actress whose character's principal function is to support the heroine, often with sass, attitude and a keen insight into relationships and life.

Celluloid BBFs have been featured in the just-opened "The Nanny Diaries," as well as "The Devil Wears Prada," and "Premonition." But BBFs have been even more of an influence in TV series, including "The New Adventures of Old Christine," "Ghost Whisperer," "Alias," "Ally McBeal," "Felicity," "Summerland" and "Private Practice," the spinoff of "Grey's Anatomy" premiering this fall.

The BBF syndrome isn't something that Hollywood likes to talk about, even as it continues to be a winking in-joke among blacks in the industry. One African American actress said that she and her actress friends tease one another about forming a support group for characters who had to help out their "woefully helpless white girls."


But on a more serious note, the trend of BBFs underscores the limitations that African American actresses still face more than five years after Halle Berry's Oscar-winning performance as best actress in a leading role for "Monster's Ball." Despite impressive résumés, solid credentials and successful achievements, many of the black actresses who have played BBFs are rarely offered the heroine role in mainstream projects. Not one black actress will star in a prime-time series on the four major networks this fall season.

And, as has been long lamented, lead roles in films are few and far between.


(Alicia Silverstone, Brittany Murphy and Stacey Dash in 90's sleeper hit Clueless.)

Rose Catherine Pinkney, executive vice president of programming and production for TV One, a cable network targeted to black audiences, was one of the few TV or film industry executives willing to talk about BBF syndrome, saying: "It's wonderful that studios recognize great talent. And there's more diversity, so it looks like the world. But it's a shame that studios also don't have the courage to put these actresses in leads."

Some say it's unfair to even categorize BBFs -- it undermines the talent of the actors and actresses who work hard to win their roles, they say, and ignores the fact that some of these roles didn't necessarily call for an African American performer.

But Pinkney, a former Paramount Studios executive, added, "Historically, people of color have had to play nurturing, rational caretakers of the white lead characters. And studios are just not willing to reverse that role."

Of course, friendships or partnerships between black and white males are a staple in films and movies ("Lethal Weapon," "Wild Hogs," "Pulp Fiction"). But in many of those relationships, the dynamic is more even-handed -- the friends support each other -- or the black male is the dominant friend.

But it's different for women.


BBFs vary in personality and looks, but many share the same qualities: They are gorgeous, independent, loyal and successful. They live or work with their friend but are not really around all that much except for well-timed moments when the heroine needs an eating companion or is in crisis. BBFs basically have very little going on, so they are largely available for such moments. And even though they are single or lack consistent solid relationships, BBFs are experts in the ways of the world, using that knowledge to comfort, warn or scold their BFF.

And quite often, they are the only black character in sight.

"It's a stereotype that's been around for a long time," said Stuart Fischoff, professor emeritus of media psychology at Cal State L.A. "It's a way for bringing in a different culture, and the black friend can add ingredients that would not ordinarily be there. Blacks are seen as being more outspoken, so they can speak with greater authority and give more information."


(Aisha Tyler and Jennifer Love Hewitt of The Ghost Whisperer.)

Opportunity or limitation?
Aisha Tyler, who generated buzz when she played the first recurring African American love interest on "Friends," wound up in the BBF class when she played the best friend to a paranormal investigator (Hewitt) in CBS' "Ghost Whisperer."

Tyler, who left the series at the end of its first season to devote more time to her first directorial effort, a buddy comedy about two female cops that she will star in, said she feels fortunate that she is mostly offered roles that are more complex and interesting than the traditional BFF.

"But I don't know what the alternative is," said Tyler. "I think the more roles there are for African Americans, the better. This trend feels like a consolation prize, but at least these roles are available. A lot of ensembles are not diverse at all, so if it's a shot, it's a good thing."

With "The Nanny Diaries," musician Alicia Keys enters the distinguished class of BBFs that includes Tracie Thoms, Wanda Sykes, Nia Long, Brandy, Merrin Dungey, Audra McDonald, Regina King, Stacey Dash and Lisa Nicole Carson. Key BBF moments include:

* "The Nanny Diaries": Lynette (Keys) warning Annie (Johansson) that taking a nanny position as a lark instead of pursuing a career may be problematic: "The path of least resistance, it can lead through a minefield."

* "The Devil Wears Prada:" Lily (Thoms) scolding Andy (Anne Hathaway) about ignoring her circle of friends and getting swept up the world of high-style fashion: "The Andy I know . . . is always five minutes early and thinks Club Monaco is couture. For the last 16 years, I've known everything about that Andy. But this person, this glamazon . . . I don't get her."


(Calista Flockhart and Lisa Nicole Carson of TV's Ally McBeal.)

* "Ally McBeal": Renee (Carson) berating attorney Ally (Flockhart) for still pining after her old boyfriend, a colleague who has married someone else: "You two were like Barbie and Ken. He's a wimp. Five years from now, he's one of those boring little lawyers looking over his stock portfolio, playing golf at the country club with nothing left to offer you at the end of the day. . . . You can do better."

If there was a poster BBF for BBFs, it would most likely be Dungey.


(TV Veteran, Merrin Dungey.)

A veteran of several television series, Dungey is best known as Francie, the best friend of secret agent Sydney Bristow (Garner) in "Alias." After leaving that series in 2003, Dungey turned up on the WB's short-lived "Summerland" as Susannah, the best friend of Ava (Lori Loughlin).

Her next major role was in the pilot for "Private Practice," the spinoff of "Grey's Anatomy" that aired in May as part of a two-hour special. She played Dr. Naomi Bennett, the best friend of Dr. Addison Montgomery (Kate Walsh). In late May, producers announced that Dungey was being replaced by another African American actress, Audra McDonald, saying that there was more chemistry between McDonald and Walsh. The character will keep the same name when McDonald takes over the role.

Talent wins out
There is another view to the emergence of the BBF. Some producers say the casting of black actresses as the friend is not due to any race-specific casting, but comes down to best actress for the role. For example, producers of "Friends" said Tyler won the role strictly on talent.

Richard Gladstein, producer of "The Nanny Diaries," said he also was not looking specifically for a black actress to play the lead's best friend, a character not in the book that inspired the movie. "She just happens to be African American," he said. "Alicia Keys came in and gave a wonderful reading, and that was it."


(Kellee Stewart and Jordana Spiro in My Boys.)

And Kellee Stewart, who plays opposite Jordana Spiro (P.J.) in TBS' comedy, "My Boys," which launched its second season last month, refuses to be categorized as a BBF, calling it an insult to her talent. She won her role as a best friend to a sports writer over several actresses, including whites.

"To call this a trend or to say an actress was cast just because of her ethnicity is to negate her contribution," said Stewart. "It minimizes the talent and effort it took to win the role in the first place."

---

[Online link to article:] "Hollywood loves BBFs 4-Ever,"
by Greg Braxton.

Teyana Taylor: Trace Covergirl

Cocoa Lounge Fresh Face, Teyana Taylor, wasted no time landing the coveted spot of Trace Magazine. Her skateboard-biker-chic m.o. is perfect for the style and culture mag, most famous for its annual Black Girls Rule issue.

Without so much as a guest-hook spot populating the airwaves, this Pharrell Williams protege is quickly becoming underground musics' It-Girl. Keep an eye out for this eclectic teen; but blink and she might just be a superstar already.

Coccoa Lounge Legends [#003]: Kara Walker

"Her silhouettes throw themselves against the wall and don't blink." --Time Magazine.

Named one of Time Magazine's 100 Most Influential People in The World, Kara Walker's artwork is so bold, it doles artistic slaps to the face.

Her fairy-tale-meets-nightmare world of silhouettes are often centered around antebellum slavery themes, and racial/sexual relations. Walker is unflinching in telling it like she sees it, and in doing so, has become a legend in her own time.



As is expected when an artist goes against the grain, Walker's art is frequently met with controversy, but it hasn't stopped the accolades from coming; by age 27 she'd pocketed the MacArthur Genius Award and her art has been exhibited in prestigious institutions across the globe including the Guggenheim, Harvard, and the Metropolitan Museum of Modern Art.

If a Kara Walker exhibition is not coming to a city near you soon, don't fret. You can gaze upon her startling imagery in the privacy of your own home in one of several books about her work.

Fresh Face [#015]: Ayo

With influences that range from Donny Hathaway and Jimmy Cliff to Pink Floyd, Ayo's musical background is just as diverse as she is. Like fellow Afro-German, Fresh-Face Joy Denalane, Ayo takes genres and infuses them with a dose of her own sensibilities and culture. While her sound is not completely definable, we'd file it in our music collection under Folk: Soul.

Her latest video, Down on My Knees, reminds us of how simplistically artistic music videos used to be... Ahhh... the good ole days.