CBU April 2020 Emagazine

C B U

Crisp, Detailed and bold Colorful Print Designs For Ss’20 From

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SKM Jumbo Cowlneck Sweater Designer: Shaka King @shakakingmenswear Model: Kalmon Stokes @kalmonstokes Photographer: Leslie Andrews @leslieandrewsphoto Stylist: Chad Ross @blackkimchii

SHAKA KING MENSWEAR

CBU wishes everyone a Happy Easter!

CBU would like to thank all the healthcare workers, grocery store staff, food deliverers, postal workers, police, educators, fire personnel, rideshare drivers, transit workers, telecommunications personnel, the military, news personnel, essential workers and the countless volunteers who are helping all of us to get through this together.

I dedicate this issue to my brother, Dal A. Roach, who passed away due to Covid-19 on April 4 and to everyone who has loss someone during this health crisis. Stay Blessed! CBU.

Stay Home! Stay Safe!

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Tamia and Deborah Cox lift us up with "Count On Me" During this exceptional period in which we are living, there are more than a few moments of grace, from neighbors watching out for neighbors, to healthcare providers living their oaths and more, to incredible stories like the Italian priest who perished after selflessly giving his respirator to another patient.

And more than once in awhile, grace is captured in music. So many artists have taken their quarantined time to encourage and lift up their friends and fans. Tonight a new video has really captured us: Singers Tamia and Deborah Cox, two of the greatest voices of their generation, have remotely (from their houses) teamed with pianist Shep Crawford to provide an inspired cover of the Whitney Houston / CeCe Winans classic, “Count On Me.� And it is amazing.

This is a stunning impromptu recording that hits all the right notes, musically and emotionally. Most of all, it is a reminder that at times like this, we are all one family.

Check it out below, and then pass it on to someone else who needs to hear it.

By Chris Rizik

www.hardknotsjewelry.com

@hard_knots_jewelry

HOW TO GET

STIMULUS MONEY

Funds from the $2 trillion stimulus package signed into law last week are starting to get disbursed from the federal government. The package included loans for small businesses that can get converted into grants if certain requirements are met, checks for individuals making less than $99,000 and couples making under $198,000, and a wider availability of unemployment benefits for those who have been laid off.

Here's what you need to know about how to get access to the funds:

Individual checks •

Reversing its initial decision, the White House says Social Security recipients will not have to file tax returns to get their one-time $1,200 check.

•

Treasury Secretary Mnuchin said direct deposits will begin by April 17 and checks will start being mailed in three weeks.

•

Individuals making less than $75,000 are eligible for $1,200 and couples making under $150,000 can receive $2,400. Those with children under 16 will receive $500 per dependent.

•

Those making up to $99,000 as an individual or $198,000 as a couple can still receive a payment but of a lesser amount.

•

College students will be not be eligible to receive a check if their parents count them as dependents on their tax returns.

•

The payment amount will be based upon your 2019 tax return or your 2018 tax return if you have not already filed for 2019. Those who owe back taxes will still receive a payment.

•

People who do not typically file a tax return will need to "file a simple tax return" to receive payment, according to the IRS.

•

If the IRS has your bank account information on file, you'll receive a direct deposit. The IRS announced it will create an online portal for people to update or input their direct deposit details.

SBA loans •

Businesses with fewer than 500 employees, 501(c)(3) organizations with under 500 employees, certain veteran organizations, freelancers, sole proprietors and gig workers are all eligible for the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans.

•

The PPP loans are different from the disaster loans. The disaster loans, which are for those in a state that has declared a state of emergency, have a 3.75% interest rate for businesses and 2.75% rate for nonprofits and will have to be paid back. If you apply for these loans, you are eligible to apply for a $10,000 grant that you would receive three days after applying. More details are available here.

•

The PPP loans are backed by the SBA but will be provided by lenders. Interest rates cannot be higher than 4% and the maximum loan amount is $10 million. Lenders that are already part of the SBA's 7(a) program are also qualified to make these loans. You can find a list of those lenders here.

•

Business owners and sole proprietors can begin applying for the PPP loans on April 3, and freelancers and individual contractors can apply on April 10, according to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

•

PPP loans can be forgiven if the funds are used for payroll expenses, mortgage payments, or rent and utility costs within eight weeks of receiving the loan. The forgiveness amount depends upon your headcount and can be reduced or increased based on layoffs or hiring. However, the SBA states "due to likely high subscription, it is anticipated that not more than 25% of the forgiven amount may be for non-payroll costs." More details can be found here.

Unemployment benefits •

Part-time workers or those who are self-employed, including gig workers, contractors and freelancers, are now eligible to apply for unemployment benefits.

•

The amount each person receives will depend upon which state they live in, but those who apply and receive benefits should expect $600 on top of what their state provides until July 31.

•

Workers can receive payments for up to 39 weeks. Those who are unable to work due to caring for someone with coronavirus or who have it themselves can apply. A fuller list of details can be found here.

Kobe Bryant headlines

Hall of Fame class

By Wayne Sterling and Jay Croft, CNN

(CNN) - Kobe Bryant, a five-time NBA champion and the fourth all-time leading scorer in league history, has been posthumously elected into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility.

The announcement was made Saturday on ESPN.

The 18-time NBA All-Star played his entire 20-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers, winning the league MVP once and the finals MVP twice. He also captured two Olympic gold medals.

Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter Gianna and seven others were killed in a January 26 helicopter crash in Southern California as they traveled to a youth basketball tournament.

Other notable names joining Bryant into the hall are: •

Tim Duncan, a five-time NBA champion and 15-time NBA All-Star with the San Antonio Spurs. He is the only player in NBA history with at least 1,000 wins with one team;

•

Kevin Garnett, a 15-time NBA All-Star who won an NBA championship with the Boston Celtics in 2008.

He led the league in rebounds for four straight seasons;

•

Tamika Catchings, a four-time Olympic gold medalist and 2012 WNBA champion with the Indiana Fever. She won the 2011 MVP.

The Class of 2020 will be enshrined on August 29 in Springfield, Massachusetts.

"It's (an) incredible accomplishment and honor," Bryant's widow, Vanessa, told ESPN. "We're extremely proud of him.

Obviously, we wish he was here with us to celebrate. "But it's definitely the peak of his NBA career and every accomplishment he had as an athlete was a stepping stone to being here."

Lakers owner Jeanie Buss said in a statement, "No amount of words can fully describe what Kobe Bryant meant to the Los Angeles Lakers. Kobe was not only a proven winner and a champion, he gave everything he had to the game of basketball.

His fierce competitiveness, work ethic and drive were unmatched.

"Those qualities helped Kobe lead us to five titles -- and have now brought him to the Hall of Fame, where he will be enshrined with the greatest to have ever played the game. No one deserves it more."

asrv [ our focus is our future - sharpen the vision daily ] #RelentlessPursuit #ASRV

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Stay Healthy.

Stay Strong.

Stay Safe.

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‘Genius’ Trailer: Cynthia Erivo Plays Aretha Franklin

A teaser trailer for the latest season of the National Geographic anthology series offered a first look at Erivo’s portrayal of the Queen of Soul.

By Gabe Cohn for nytimes.com

During the commercial break that came after Cynthia Erivo’s performance at the Academy Awards, audiences watching at home got their first taste of one of Erivo’s upcoming projects: Her portrayal of Aretha Franklin in the National Geographic series “Genius.”

A teaser trailer for the series’s third season that aired during the Oscars telecast begins in what looks like a recording studio, with Erivo asking “Do you want to take it from the top?” But the video largely focuses on Erivo’s Franklin outside the studio and offstage, offering up flashes of her dancing, posing and, in one instance, shoving, generally doing all it can to hint that there will be high drama ahead. It includes a handful of shots that appear to be scenes of Franklin as a child.

What it doesn’t include is any instance of Erivo singing in character. That is the exact opposite of the approach that another upcoming Franklin project, the biopic “Respect,” took when it released its own, exclusively

singing-oriented teaser late last year. That movie, which stars Jennifer Hudson in the lead role, is also due out this year.

“Genius” is an anthology series, with each season centered on a different historical figure. The previous, second season cast Antonio Banderas as Pablo Picasso; the first gave Geoffrey Rush a mane of gray hair, a busy mustache and a big brain (yes, he was Albert Einstein).

The third season of “Genius,” with Erivo as Franklin, is set to debut on Memorial Day, and will air over four consecutive nights.

The trailer ends with Erivo’s Franklin saying “I want to make hits, Mr. Wexler,” apparently addressing the record producer Jerry Wexler, who will be played in the series by David Cross. We know that she succeeded; expect the series to showcase how it was done.

COLLECTION

MODERN ART You can either be a work of art or wear one The future looks bright with our latest collection. Graphics are bold, modern, and make an impact.

Patterns are wavy and fit for a gallery. The palette is primary and fully saturated. Whether courtside or outside, our latest spring styles are wearable works of art.

With spring finally here, it’s time to spread the love and positive vibes.

New neoprene tracksuits color ways

We are one. We are the future.

We are one. We are the future.

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ON THE BOOKSHELF

THE GAME IS NOT A GAME IS AN INSIGHTFUL, UNAPOLOGETIC EXPOSÉ OF THE INTERSECTION OF SPORTS, CULTURE, AND POLITICS FROM VETERAN JOURNALIST ROBERT SCOOP JACKSON. Part play-by-play, part op-ed, The Game Is Not a Game is an illuminating and unflinching examination of the good and evil in the sports industry. Liberating and provocative, with sharp wit and generous humor, Jackson’s essays explore the role that sports plays in American society and the hypocritical standards by which the athletes are often judged. The Game Is Not a Game is distinctly intended to challenge accepted ideology and to push the boundaries of mainstream sports media beyond the comfort zone. Chapters expose “Our Miseducation of LeBron James,” “#ThemToo: The UnRespected Worth of the Woman Athlete,” the duplicity of the NFL in its treatment of Colin Kaepernick and the anthem protests, the cultural bias of analytics, and the power of social activism versus the power and politics of professional sports ownership—all from the sharp, savvy, and self-critical perspective of one of the leading voices for social justice in sports media.

WWW.247HH.COM SUBSCRIBE Official 247HH exclusive interview with Chicago based sports journalist, author and cultural critic Robert "Scoop" Jackson, where you’ll hear about his new book "The Game Is Not A Game: The Power, Protest, and Politics of American Sports", & the process and research of creating his book..

Pharrell and adidas Originals Salute Basketball with New Collection Pharrell and adidas Originals have tapped everything from the Chinese New Year to traditional East African weaving patterns for design inspiration, but now the two are looking to sport with a new basketballthemed collection.

Consisting of seven footwear styles accompanied by matching apparel, the latest from Skateboard P and adidas‘s lifestyle division uses bright colors, bold prints, elegant materials and special branding in equal measures.

Two of the seven silhouettes are performance-geared: a new high-top dubbed the 0 to 60 STMT as well as a Crazy BYW 2.0 Low. The STMT is almost motorcycle boot-adjacent with a high cut, zipper closure and ankle strap, while the 2.0 Low offers a more classic hoop style. Both are awash in bold fades, shades and details, using soft abstract green, orange and blue prints for a spring-ready look. Each midsole is also stuffed full of BOOST cushioning for a soft, comfortable feel.

Meanwhile, the five lifestyle makeups — Stan Smith, Campus, Continental 80, SC Premiere and Nizza Hi — all use natural tan leathers or suedes. All offer pastel or neon-colored laces for a pop of flair, and replace standard circular perforations with triangular shapes for a nod to Pharrell’s signature Hu logo.

Accompanying apparel uses a vivid all-over print that combines a tie-dye ethos with thumbprint graphics. There’s a T-shirt, hoodie and shorts, all of which are dressed in yellows and oranges, accented with various shades of blue.

Uniting lifestyle and performance, the Pharrell x adidas Originals basketball-inspired collection is available now on the adidas webstore.

Prices range from $80-$200 USD.

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DJ D-Nice

leads virtual dance parties on Instagram Live: "Music has always been a great escape"

By David Morgan for cbsnews.com

D-Nice | www.d-nice.com | @dnice

Legendary DJ D-Nice is determined to bring a dance party to everybody at home. D-Nice (aka Derek Jones) is hosting a daily event that he calls "Homeschool at Club Quarantine.�

On Sunday, more than 160,000 people joined him on Instagram Live. Among the bold-faced names who have "dropped in" on the party were former first lady Michelle Obama, Oprah Winfrey, former Vice President Joe Biden and Jennifer Lopez.

On Monday's "CBS This Morning," D-Nice talked about his inspiration for the virtual dance party: "I was at home, I'm self-isolating, so just sitting here. And I realized, outside of just missing my family, that the other most important thing to me was the crowd, like, DJ-ing for people. I woke up at 4 in the morning and decided, I wanted to throw a party. It was supposed to be just for my friends, just a few friends on Instagram.

"I was literally just playing music from my laptop, and the next day, I hooked up the turntables. And then I noticed that the crowd started to grow. John Legend's in there, and I called Dave Chappelle up, he jumped in live. And then the next day J. Lo and Drake arrived. And then that Saturday night party was everything. It was like everyone was there!�

"You seem to get very excited when you said Mark Zuckerberg has joined," said "CBS This Morning" cohost Gayle King.

"I loved that part. When Mark jumped it, it was exciting. The part that touched me the most was, I put in the call to see if I could get the former first lady in there. I wasn't sure. The moment that she popped in, I just froze. It's not like I haven't DJ'd for her before, [but] I froze up. I didn't know what to play! The music faded, I was like, 'Oh, I know what she loves, she loves BeyoncÊ. Let's play that.' It was awesome.�

In terms of playing for a "crowd" of 160,000, D-Nice said, "I'm like, wow, this is pretty much the equivalent of, like, two stadiums of people just listening to music!�

Asked about how he came up with a setlist, he replied, "I don't have a playlist, I literally just play what feels good.

You know, I wanted people to feel good. I wanted the experience to be lifted through music, one song at a time.�

Co-host Tony Dokoupil asked, "What is it about music that people need right now?"

"Music has always been a great escape," D-Nice said. "Like, you can just feel good. No matter what your problems are, you put on a good tune, and it just takes you away. And I was trying to do that through the music.

"What was great, it was the other component: People were in a chat room, and the beauty of it is, it initially started with my friends pretending they were inside of a club. Hey, I'll meet you at the bar. Hey, who let this person in? The whole experience was fun. It wasn't just the music, it was just the experience of everyone just kind of escaping what's going on today just for a few hours.�

King asked, "You are so used to playing to large crowds. How different was it? You're alone, too, when you're playing the music. Was it a weird feeling for you, too?"

"I guess the weird part was that my neighbors were complaining that the music was too loud!" he replied. "I understand. I'm like, if they only knew! Gayle King is in here, Michelle Obama's in here. I have to play this music!�

When asked how long he will keep "Homeschool at Club Quarantine" going, D-Nice replied, "I was going to take a break, but since everyone's saying that it's a daily thing, and you kind of influenced me, so I think I'm going just continue doing it as long as people [want]. I read the comments, and people are saying some incredible things, how the music is uplifting their spirits and we all feel so connected through the chat rooms."

I never would’ve imagined that the best party I would create and DJ would be from the comfort of my own home. Homeschool is a thing! Yesterday was absolutely insane. The amount of artists and friends that virtually partied with me far exceeded my expectations. I’m feeling nothing but gratitude.

Thanks to all of you thatđ&#x;™?đ&#x;™? supported.

This đ&#x;™?đ&#x;™?đ&#x;™?đ&#x;™? đ&#x;™?đ&#x;™?đ&#x;™?đ&#x;™? đ&#x;™?đ&#x;™? has been a great way to keep our spirits high. Blessings!

Star Trek: Discovery Season 3 Is Also Facing Delays, But It's Not All Bad As America continues to take measures to help prevent the spread of Covid-19, many shows and films are putting production on hold in order to protect their casts and crews. This means that upcoming seasons or even currently running seasons will be affected by the virus, and that includes Season 3 of Star Trek: Discovery. The good news is the impact of coronavirus on this CBS All Access series hasn't been quite as drastic as some shows, but it still isn't ideal.

An update on the progress of Star Trek: Discovery Season 3 came during Wilson Cruz's Instagram Live session earlier in the week. While Cruz didn't have specifics on how far out the season was from being completed, Cruz's co-star Anthony Rapp appeared in the comments to talk about where the season is so far.

“They’re currently editing and doing visual effects for Season 3, but it’s shifting to work from home so it’ll be slower than usual. No word yet as to how long that will take or when it will be released...”

From the sound of Cruz's follow up tweet to Rapp's comment during the livestream, it looks confirmed that Star Trek: Discovery Season 3 will be delayed. The good news is that it seems all the filming is completed, which means that a good chunk of the post-production work can continue, albeit at a slower pace as crews shift to work from home.

This means there needs to be a lot of communication and collaboration, some of which may be slowed with many employees now working from home. The positive is that there was likely some form of long-distance communication happening probably given the franchise has artists working on Star Trek: Discovery globally, so hopefully this is a task many on staff are familiar with.

Star Trek: Discovery's release may be delayed, though it is worth noting it hasn't been given a premiere date to begin with. Executive producer Heather Kadin told TrekCore.com production was estimated to be complete by May before the pandemic, so it's possible the delay means the show won't be finished in time for a summer release. This is just speculation of course, and with fans never being given a release date to begin with, it's possible the series (which will revisit the Discovery team following their voyage 1000 years into the future) may have been planned to be held for Fall 2020 or early 2021.

Season 1 and 2 of Star Trek: Discovery are currently available to stream on CBS All Access. As always, continue to stick with CinemaBlend for more updates on what's happening in the Star Trek franchise, and for the latest news in television and movies at large.

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Rihanna Passes JAY-Z and Beatles on Most Top 40 Hot 100 Hits List With PARTYNEXTDOOR Feature

BY FNR TIGG

Rihanna has been taking a break from making music.

But when she decided to reemerge, she made history.

According to Chart Data, PARTYNEXTDOOR's "Believe It" has entered the Billboard Hot 100 at no. 23 on the chart. The song, which is featured on PND's new PARTYMOBILE album, has Rihanna's first feature in nearly four years. Also, the track's early success gives the songstress 51 Top 40 hits pushing her past The Beatles.

It also pushes her past her mentor JAY-Z who also has 50 Top 40 hits, making her just the tenth artist in history to have more than 50 top 40 singles.

Although her musical presence is missed, this single also shows how long she's been in the game. With "Believe It," Rihanna now has a song that has charted in the Hot 100 for three decades (2000s, 2010s, 2020s).

Rihanna's appearance on PARTYNEXTDOOR's album doesn't mean that she's straying away from her booming cosmetics brand. During her cover story for British Vogue, RiRi said she's adding skincare products to her Fenty Beauty line.

"Skincare, it’s the truth," she said. "It either works or it doesn’t. There’s nowhere to hide."

HOUSE DEMOCRATS PROPOSE WIDESPREAD STUDENT LOAN FORGIVENESS

House Democrats unveiled a proposal to cancel student loan debt for millions of borrowers on Monday amid the coronavirus outbreak.

The bill, called the Student Debt Relief Act, would cancel $30,000 in student debt for borrowers. The forgiveness would also be tax-free, meaning it would not be taxed as income. For those who owe more than $30,000, the government would assume their monthly payments. Additionally, all efforts by the Department of Education to collect debts would be suspended.

More than 43 million Americans owe a share of the $1.5 trillion in student loan debt today. Federal loans comprise $1.3 trillion of that.

“During this unprecedented crisis, no one should have to choose between paying their student loan payment, putting food on the table or keeping themselves and their families safe and healthy,” Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-MA), one of the lead sponsors told Yahoo Finance. “We must prioritize debt cancellation for the 45 million student loan borrowers who are struggling to pay off their debt during this difficult time.”

Borrowers can apply for an interest rate freeze that President Trump announced earlier this month.

According to Yahoo Finance, the ED has two options for borrowers: The department has dropped interest rates on student loans automatically to 0% for at least the next 60 days, and those who are having real difficulty with their loans can request interest-free forbearance from their servicer for at least two months — and require no documentation to receive it. Also, if borrowers are more than 31 days delinquent on their federal loans as of March 13, their payments are now suspended. According to ED, more than 3.2 million federal student loans are more than 31 days delinquent. 7.7 million are in default. Many borrowers are not eligible for that option at this time, according to Forbes.

The initial coronavirus relief package called for some help for students, but Democrats feel it doesn’t go far enough. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) opposes the bill, telling Fox News that student loan debt is not the biggest issue America is facing right now.

“Democrats are trying to reduce student loans by $10,000. What the hell has that got to do with the virus?” Graham (R-SC) told Fox News Sunday. “I’m sure everybody could use more money, but I don’t want to give money to people who have a paycheck. I want to give money to people who have lost their jobs.”

Music giant BILL WITHERS dies at age 81

(April 3, 2020) It is with a heavy, heavy heart that we inform SoulTrackers of the death of the great singer and songwriter, Bill Withers, at the age of 81. Known for a string of iconic songs and albums that touched on authentic human emotions in a way that acutely resonates now, four decades after his commercial peak, Withers became one of the most influential artists of the second half of the 20th century. He was beloved by soul, jazz, rock, pop and folk audiences alike, and the outpouring of emotion we expect on this day will ironically contrast with his own laid back, self-deprecating style.

Withers’ family issued the following statement: “We are devastated by the loss of our beloved, devoted husband and father. A solitary man with a heart driven to connect to the world at large, with his poetry and music, he spoke honestly to people and connected them to each other, As private a life as he lived close to intimate family and friends, his music forever belongs to the world. In this difficult time, we pray his music offers comfort and entertainment as fans hold tight to loved ones.�

West Virginia native Withers joined the L.A. music scene in the late 60s after a stint in the Navy. In 1970 he was signed to the Sussex music label and hit the ground running with his first album, Just As I Am, and its instantly classic acoustic ballad, "Ain't No Sunshine." Withers' understated, rootsy style was a perfect contrast to where popular music was going at the time, from pre-disco dance music to glam rock. His second release, 1972's Still Bill, became a career disc, with top hits "Use Me" and "Lean On Me," arguably one of the greatest songs of the past half century.

Withers was fairly prolific over the next half decade, releasing +Justments, Making Music, Naked and Warm, Menagerie and 'Bout Love. And while those discs were somewhat uneven, each contained enough jaw-dropping material to work well overall. It was these select, wonderfully melodic cuts, from "Lovely Day" to "Hello Like Before," that would make Withers' music continue to impact generations for decades, through dozens of remakes by other acts.

Frustrated with the music industry, Withers then stopped actively recording, although much of his rich catalog has been regularly covered by other artists. He toured intermittently into the 90s, but then generally ceased performing publicly. In June 2005, around the time of his 67th birthday, Withers was appropriately selected for induction into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, and later entered the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

In the 2000s, his recordings received renewed interest and are represented in repackaged, remastered discs. Early 2010 saw Withers' entire catalog rereleased, often with bonus cuts. These were timed to correspond with the release of the documentary, Still Bill, which provided a long overdue retrospective on the life and career of this seminal artist.

It is tough to describe the role that Bill Withers played in the soundtracks of many of our lives.

His songs pierced into the heart of emotions in a way that few others could. And even though he has largely stayed out of the limelight for more than three decades, he has remained a central part of our musical existence. He leaves his wife of 44 years, Marcia, who has managed his affairs for years, and children Kori (herself an accomplished singer) and Todd. He will be missed terribly, even as his incredible catalog of music lives on.

Rest in peace, Mr. Withers.

By Chris Rizik

"Early 70's" "Ain't No Sunshine"/"Lean On Me", Bill Withers (Concert Classics)

The late legend topped the Hot 100 with "Lean on Me." Withers tallied 13 entries on the Billboard Hot 100, between 1971 and 1984, including his iconic friendship anthem "Lean on Me," which spent three weeks at No. 1 in 1972. The song has earned 193.7 million on-demand U.S. streams and sold 1.4 million downloads since the inception of Nielsen Music/MRC Data in 1991.

"Lean on Me" has been covered numerous times, and Club Nouveau's 1987 version spent two weeks at No. 1 on the Hot 100, making the Withers-penned composition one of nine to have led the list via different acts.

Subsequently, Sheryl Crow, Kid Rock and Keith Urban's cover of "Lean on Me" hit No. 47 in 2010, Glee Cast's reached No. 50 in 2009 and Kirk Franklin's version, featuring Mary J. Blige, Bono, R. Kelly, Crystal Lewis & The Family, peaked at No. 79 in 1998.

Withers first hit the Hot 100 in 1971 with "Ain't No Sunshine," a track that has also seen its fair share of covers, including Kris Allen's version (No. 37, 2009). Withers' original peaked at No. 3 and ushered in three more top 10s for him: Along with "Lean on Me," he reached the region with "Use Me" (No. 2, 1972) and "Just the Two of Us," with Grover Washington, Jr. (No. 2, 1981).

Here is a look at Withers' biggest hits on the Hot 100: Rank, Title, Peak Position, Peak Year 1. "Just the Two of Us," Grover Washington, Jr., with Withers, No. 2, 1981 2. "Lean on Me," No. 1 (three weeks), 1972 3. "Ain't No Sunshine," No. 3, 1971 4. "Use Me," No. 2, 1972 5. "Kissing My Love," No. 31, 1973 Withers' history on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart is even more robust, as he tallied 22 entries on the chart between 1971 and 1985; six reached the top 10, including the No. 1 "Lean On Me.�

On the all-genre Billboard 200 albums chart, Withers notched 12 entries during his lifetime, including 1972's No. 4-peaking Still Bill, his sophomore LP featuring "Lean on Me" and "Use Me." In the Nielsen/MRC era, the set has earned 383,000 equivalent album units and its songs have logged 180.1 million on-demand audio streams.

Spring Scents

For Men

Dunhill Signature Collection Arabian Desert

Dunhill’s new Signature Collection, available exclusively at Harrods, is a quartet of scents designed (we imagine) to capture the international mix of tastes that flow through the doors of London’s most luxurious department store. The headline fragrance, Arabian Desert — which sits alongside Indian Sandalwood, Moroccan Amber and British Leather concoctions — has notes of pink pepper, rose and oud. It’s an exotic and expensive combination, perfect for those wanting to smell like the global one per cent.

Tom Ford Costa Azzurra Acqua

Tom Ford’s love of the Italian Riviera runs deep. We doubt he’s familiar with the traditional beach clubs there, which usually involve long queues, tickets, finding the last empty sun lounger fifty rows back from the sea, on a beach so crowded it looks like breeding season in a penguin colony. No, his version would include a wild and secluded pine-fringed cove, waves lapping gently at the shoreline, a single yacht bobbing in the distance, and the mix of salty, sun-warmed skin in the air. And that’s precisely what Costa Azzura Acqua smells like. Heaven.

Calvin Klein Eternity Flame For Men

Even Hollywood knows that blockbuster sequels offer diminishing returns. So with an era-defining scent like Eternity from the nineties, you’d think Calvin Klein should probably stop diluting the name with new editions and remind us how great the original is instead. But then they go and drop an update like Eternity Flame. A sweet-smelling scent composed of pineapple, rosemary and labdanum, even if it’s only a holiday romance this spring, it’ll keep you smelling a lot better than your natural, slightly stinky self.

Spring Scents

For Men

Hermès Un Jardin Sur La Lagune

The garden collection by Hermès is like discovering someone’s travel album. You may never have been to India during the monsoon, journeyed up the Nile, or visited the roof garden above the French label’s Paris headquarters, but these fragrances offer an olfactory snapshot of what it would be like. Un Jardin Sur La Lagune, a scented portrait of the Venetian lagoon (thankfully, devoid of tourists and belching cruise ships), features flowering magnolia and Madonna lily and a salty, aquatic edge. It’s like carrying a little piece of paradise around with you.

Acqua di Parma Cipresso di Toscana

Acqua Di Parma has long set the standard in smelling good, especially when it comes to the brand’s ever-expanding Blu Mediterraneo collection. Each fragrance focuses on the provenance of a particular plant or fruit; we’ve got figs from Amalfi, oranges from Capri, cedar from Taormino and myrtle from Panarea. Now, Cipresso di Toscana takes us to the cypress groves of Tuscany via transportive notes of petitgrain, star anise, pine, sage and lavandin. Just imagine the sun on your back on an Italian country path, with nothing but the lazy buzz of an insect to break the silence and you’re practically there.

Montblanc Explorer

The work of three top perfumers behind the likes of Paco Rabanne 1 Million, Burberry Brit and Davidoff Horizon, Montblanc Explorer not only smells good but does good too.

The slightly woody fragrance uses ingredients from a sustainable sourcing program that invests in the communities that produce them. With vetiver, patchouli, pink pepper, clary sage, bergamot, the overall accord gives off ‘rich uncle with a sports car’ vibes (in a good way). The leather-clad bottle is a nice object in itself too, like an artfully crafted paperweight, just waiting to compliment one of the brand’s fancy pens.

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Special Edition: Here’s what to do if you’ve been laid off or furloughed

Andrew Seam for linkedin.com Journalist connecting people with opportunity

Seventy thousand more jobless claims were filed in the U.S. last week than the first week of March — a 33% increase, according to the Labor Department. The numbers will likely continue to grow over the weeks to come as businesses are forced to shut their doors due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

States like Ohio, New York and Colorado have all reported dramatic increases in the number of people seeking unemployment benefits. The New York and Colorado websites crashed due to the increased traffic. People who work in human resources and recruiting have also told me about layoffs, furloughs and hiring freezes occurring around the country.

Due to the measurable increases in layoffs and furloughs, I want to discuss what you can do if you find yourself in this position. I also want to touch on what people should do if they had already been looking for work.

Don’t start applying right away You may have the urge to start applying for open positions right away, but you should take a breath before diving into a job search. “You’ll feel like you’re fixing your problem, but I would recommend thinking and planning for a couple of days,” said Biron Clark, who is the founder of Career Sidekick and was among LinkedIn’s 2019 Top Voices for job search and careers.

Use those couple of days to talk with people in your network, get letters of recommendation and to strategize how and where you want to look for work.

While you may feel a bit hopeless given the ongoing crisis and headlines, many recruiters and HR professionals told me that there are still companies hiring. For example, the health care industry is the front line of the pandemic and needs more people to help fight the virus — whether that’s as a health care professional or in a support role.

For people in industries hit particularly hard by the pandemic, Clark told me industries that are seeing a surge in demand may be areas to explore for opportunities. “If you can identify the one or two sectors that are seeing more demand or need for workers that can boost your chances of finding a job.”

Don’t forget about unemployment insurance Depending on your circumstance, you may be eligible for unemployment benefits. In the U.S., that program — known as unemployment insurance — is jointly run by the federal and state governments.

You can find out more about your state’s requirements, including exceptions made due to the pandemic, at CareerOneStop, which is sponsored by the Department of Labor.

“I’d be doing it right away,” said Clark. “It’ll get you groceries and help keep the heat and lights on while you’re job searching.”

What if you were already job seeking?

Existing job seekers should not give up — even if layoffs and furloughs are increasing your competition.

“Some employers are still hiring and the only sure way to not get a job is to stop applying,” said Clark.

“If you stop applying, there is zero chance of you getting a job.”

Of course, you should not expect a normal hiring process during the pandemic. You’ll likely need to get used to video interviews, as we discussed last week with Sarah Johnston, who is the founder of Briefcase Coach. Clark also underscored the fact that the hiring process will likely take longer since most companies are getting used to their new remote working reality.

Also, don’t get discouraged by news of hiring freezes. The job market will eventually heat up and it may be sooner than you think. “A month from now you may hear back from a resume you submitted today,” said Clark.

Remember that you’re not alone Job seeking can feel like a lonely process. Remember that a lot of other people are in a similar situation as you. Also, remember to take care of yourself to make sure you’re in the best position to get into the right job.

Clark suggests finding a structure to your day to stay productive. “If you have a structure, you’ll stay productive and feel better throughout the day,” he said.

Lastly, don’t forget to think big and be creative. “I think it’s a great time to think about where you want your career to be in two to three years,” said Clark. "Be strategic about where you want to be when this is over.”

If that is something outside your current or previous job, he suggested pursuing a side hustle or passion. Or, if you want to level up in your career, look at the people working in the jobs you hope to have someday and see what it takes to get where they are. Maybe that requires an online course that you can fit into your daily schedule, for example.

Whatever you choose to do, just remember that this is — without question — a difficult time, but time passes and so will this.

Will Smith Has A Lofi Hip-Hop Mix To Relax And Quarantine To

Will Smith offers his own take on the ChilledCow’s lofi hip-hop YouTube stream.

Will Smith has released a lofi hip-hop mix for those in search of calming instrumental tracks to listen to amid the COVID-19 (2019 coronavirus) pandemic.

Taking a cue for ChilledCow‘s popular lofi hip-hop YouTube stream, Smith has created a stream of his own on his YouTube account. Titled “chill beats to quarantine to,” the hour-and-a-half long stream finds an illustrated drawing of a young Smith (in the image of his Fresh Prince of Bel-Air character) taking on the role of ChilledCow’s studying anime girl as he bobs his head to the music. The 40-track playlist features instrumentals from Guustavv, Jobii, Dylan Sitts, and others. It has over a million streams.

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Reasons You Should Try Boxing

By Tudor Constantin for thegoodmenproject.com

It is not the easiest of sports but it is incredibly fun and enjoyable and for anyone looking to get fit or lose weight, this is the ideal sport to try.

Boxing has been around for centuries and while at first people practiced it as a means of self-defense, nowadays boxing can be used as a very fun and efficient workout. It is not the easiest of sports but it is incredibly fun and enjoyable and for anyone looking to get fit or lose weight, this is the ideal sport to try.

If you are still not convinced and want to learn more about the benefits that introducing this sport in your exercise routine can offer, you can check our list.

It’s a fun and accessible sport

If you want to keep yourself fit it is important to find an activity that you like doing and boxing can be incredibly fun. The issue with most workout routines out there is that they can become boring fast and if you plan to keep going you need to enjoy what you are doing as otherwise, the workout becomes a chore and you’ll quit before you can get a routine going.

If you want to keep yourself fit it is important to find an activity that you like doing and boxing can be incredibly fun. The issue with most workout routines out there is that they can become boring fast and if you plan to keep going you need to enjoy what you are doing as otherwise, the workout becomes a chore and you’ll quit before you can get a routine going.

It is never too late or too early to start boxing and even if you are older, you’ll still be able to practice and have fun. You also don’t need to be in good shape since you definitely won’t have to compete at a professional level at first and you can still use the intensive workout you’ll get out of it to get into shape.

What makes so many people avoid boxing is the thinking that they don’t belong to that sport either because they are too old or they’re not in good shape and this can’t be further from the truth. Boxing is for everyone since as long as you can make a fist and get your hands and body moving, then you can box.

The hardest part is to start and once you do, you’ll start questioning yourself why you didn’t start boxing earlier. It is easy to make a game out of boxing and there are many steps for you to climb and get better, which is why this is a perfect sport for anyone who enjoys a challenge.

Since there are so many skills to master and pieces of equipment in the gym that you can use, boxing never becomes boring and as we mentioned above, this is the key to enjoying a workout. If you’re not challenged, you’re more likely to feel like you’re wasting your time.

You also don’t need to have the latest gloves and Jordan’s for boxing since while they help a lot when boxing at the gym, you can still box anywhere without any equipment. It is possible to shadowbox at home and do conditioning exercises such as sprints, or push-ups. You can also get inspiration for new exercises, tactics, and techniques from the countless videos available online.

The perfect workout for weight loss and for getting fit Boxing is a high-intensity sport and you can burn as much as 500 calories in a single session and you’ll even continue to burn extra calories hours after the training session has ended. This is something that your typical cardio workout won’t be able to do and this is why for people who are looking to burn fat, boxing is among the best workouts to add to their routine.

When you’re boxing, you’re jumping and moving a lot and this requires a lot of strength. At first, these movements may be difficult for you to perform for extended periods but as your muscles adapt, they’ll also grow and improve your total-body strength.

Boxing is not just about punching as the head movement, footwork and defensive techniques such as weaving and bobbing will engage the whole body so that you can get a full workout.

Boxing will strengthen your lower and upper body as well as your core since they all need to engage when you’re making contact with the bag. Most gyms will also include additional strength training moves such as squats, planks, push-ups and weighted medicine ball exercises to help you get in shape quicker.

If you’ve ever wanted to get those well-defined chests and arms, and those washboard abs then boxing is a great sport that can get you there quicker. As long as you perform it well, it will engage every part of your body. Boxing can also make you a better athlete and get you in shape to try other sports and activities.

Mental Health benefits

Exercise is scientifically proven to help you fight depression and anxiety and highintensity workouts such as boxing can kick up your endorphin levels, which is that famous “feel good” chemical that produces feelings of euphoria and happiness.

Another benefit of boxing is that it can reduce stress levels which in turn can make you happier. High-intensity exercises force your body’s central and sympathetic nervous systems to communicate with each other and that helps improve your body’s ability to respond to stress.

By losing weight, increasing muscle tone, or simply improving endurance, there are many physical achievements that you can get from boxing and all these can add up to a boost of self-esteem and self-confidence.

Things such as finding better-fitting clothes and being able to climb a steep hill without getting winded are small things that can help your mental state before you even realize it. Having a workout routine that you stick to can also help you get better sleep, boost your brain and prevent memory loss and cognitive decline.

It’s a fun and accessible sport

There are many contact sports that you can practice but as far as defending yourself goes, boxing is at the top since it teaches you the importance of preventing the fight from going to the ground. This is very important if you ever have to face more than one attacker. Other contact sports such as BJJ or wrestling aren’t as effective in such situations.

Boxing can also teach you how to avoid fights since if you don’t want to harm the person attacking, you can stick to defense and block the shots using your footwork.

This can help you keep the attacker at a distance until he exhausts himself.

At-Home Boxing Workout for Men

By Malia Frey

If boxing interests you, consider a home boxing workout. Boxing gloves are not required, but you can use them if you prefer. You won't use a punching bag for this workout, either. Figueroa suggests that you start with a solid warm-up: • • • • • • •

Do 30 seconds of jumping jacks followed by a 10-second rest. Repeat three more times for a total of four sets. If jumping jacks are not comfortable, use alternating side toe taps instead of jumps and keep the arms movements the same.

Rest for one minute Prepare for boxing. Assume a boxing stance with your dominant hand in the rear and nondominant hand in front. Feet should be hip-distance apart with a slight bend in the knees.

Complete a boxing drill. Begin a 20-second punch combination. Jab with your lead (front) fist and then follow with a cross-punch from the rear. Repeat the combination for 20 seconds.

Rest for one minute Complete three more rounds of the punch combination. Rest for one minute between each set.

Cool down for about five minutes by walking around and doing simple full body stretches. Your workout is complete when your breathing returns to normal.

Once you get comfortable with this boxing workout, add new punch combinations to lengthen the workout and make it more intense. You can also add jumping rope (with or without a rope) to make the workout harder.

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We Can't Wait To Drive The 2020 Acura NSX

In the '80s, the market for luxury cars was controlled by American and European companies.

However, these companies were slow to offer revolutionary designs or models, choosing a reactive approach to their competitors.

Stylish, powerful, and technologically advanced... we love everything about the new NSX!

Honda figured out this problem and decided to take the initiative, creating Acura in 1986. It was the first Japanese luxury car brand to conquer the market.

Even though the brand started with only 2 models, it was enough to compete with big players. The result was a stand-alone brand that became as wellknown as its parent company.

Even now, Acura keeps breaking the records. Over time it transformed from a little niche brand to an industry leader. In 2009, it got the Five-star crash safety rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and Top Safety Pick honors from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

Here are 15 reasons we can't wait to drive the 2020 Acura NSX.

15

3.5L Twin-Turbo V6 "Sport Hybrid Super Handling All-Wheel Drive" is an alternative to the torque vectoring system developed by Acura. The rear wheels perform necessary actions on a curve on their own and don't require you to accelerate. The system works effectively in poor weather. It sends more power to the wheels with more traction.

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Sport Hybrid Super Handling All-Wheel Drive

"Sport Hybrid Super Handling All-Wheel Drive" is an alternative to the torque vectoring system developed by Acura. The rear wheels perform necessary actions on a curve on their own and don't require you to accelerate. The system works effectively in poor weather. It sends more power to the wheels with more traction.

13

Power Drive Unit While many electric cars feature an electric computer, transmission, and inverter as independent details, the 2020 Acura NSX has the power drive unit that unites all these parts. The system is responsible for the battery recharge and power distribution. It allows for a more compact design with reduced underbody height.

motorworldhype.com

12 Twin Motor Unit The hybrid-electric Twin Motor Unit features independent left and right motors. It dynamically distributes torque to the wheels for better handling. The company said that this system "maximizes the effectiveness of each tire’s traction as the turn is executed." This results in a more precise cornering, faster acceleration and lap times.

11

Power Drive Unit The company said that it could maximize reliability by minimizing the number of details.

That's why they used the direct drive electric motor. Removing the gearbox means getting rid of the most complex part of the vehicle. Honda says the motor can drive thousands of kilometers without any maintenance being required.

10

Direct Drive Electric Motor

The company said that it could maximize reliability by minimizing the number of details.

That's why they used the direct drive electric motor. Removing the gearbox means getting rid of the most complex part of the vehicle. Honda says the motor can drive thousands of kilometers without any maintenance being required.

9

Front and Rear Parking Sensors Front and rear parking sensors alert the driver about potential dangers during parking.

These sensors are hidden in the rear bumper. The system sends out sound waves towards the back of your car. When these waves return, they trigger an alarm to notify you of an obstacle. However, it doesn't take control of the vehicle.

8

Parking Assist

When you're parallel parking, the park assist is activated. The system uses sensors to scan for suitable parking spots. When you stop near the appropriate spot, the sensors will scan it again and tell you whether the space is the right size and if the car can be maneuvered into it.

7

7-Inch Touchscreen

The touchscreen and the infotainment system are taken from lesser Hondas. The car got a 7-inch touchscreen with an integrated navigation system. The ELS Studio nine-speaker stereo is responsible for the sound quality. The interface may seem outdated but the menu setup is intuitive. You can easily make precise system adjustments.

6

The Everyday Supercar Even though the NSX is a supercar, it's a comfortable everyday vehicle. The main features include the carbon-fiber trimmed steering wheel, faux-suede headliners and leather seats. The seats are comfortable and offer enough leg space. They provide enough thigh and spine support. However, there are no luxurious amenities one could expect from a supercar.

motorworldhype.com

5 4 drive Modes You can choose between 4 distinct modes: Quiet, Sport, Sport Plus and Track. Quiet and Sport modes make the steering more accurate and direct, the car becomes more maneuverable. Sport Plus and Track modes offer crisp steering. Whatever mode you choose, the 2020 Acura NSX promptly responds to your inputs.

4

Carbon-Ceramic Brake Rotors Rather than steel, carbon-ceramic brake rotors are made from a composite material.

The production process takes up to 20 days. These rotors have a structure similar to that of a diamond. This makes them really tough and durable. Carbon-ceramic brake rotors were originally used in aircraft and then transferred to supercars.

3

Highly customizable vehicle

The company doesn't offer any trims, but you can customize the existing version. There are many optional bright exterior colors such as Thermal Orange and Indy Yellow that cost $1 000.

There are dozens of interior colors and none of them will cost you anything. You can also customize the carbon-ceramic brake rotors.

2

Windshield Wipers With Rain Sensing Windshield wipers with rain sensing are a great way to keep the windshield clean during severe weather conditions. They use a sensor that sends out a beam of light that is reflected back by water droplets. This signals the system to start the wipers and adjust their speed and frequency.

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Driver And Passenger Lumbar Support

Lumbar Support is a system that aids you and your passengers while you are in the car. It corrects poor posture and helps avoid lower back pain. It encourages you to sit up straight. The company even said that the system increases the driver's reaction time and his or her vision capabilities.

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Designer Shaka King describes his different looks as dressy casual sportswear, upscale athleisure wear and soft tailored men’s fashion.

This spring/summer looks are no exception for 2020.

His new looks are crisp, detailed and showcase some bold, colorful prints.

SKM Jumbo Cowlneck Sweater Designer: Shaka King @shakakingmenswear Model: Kalmon Stokes @kalmonstokes Photographer: Leslie Andrews @leslieandrewsphoto Stylist: Chad Ross @blackkimchii

SKM SS'20 White Denim Coat Designer: Shaka King @shakakingmenswear Model: Kalmon Stokes @kalmonstokes Photographer: Leslie Andrews @leslieandrewsphoto Stylist: Chad Ross @blackkimchii

SKM Summer 2020 WRS White Rayon Shorts Designer: Shaka King @shakakingmenswear Model: Kalmon Stokes @kalmonstokes Photographer: Leslie Andrews @leslieandrewsphoto Stylist: Chad Ross @blackkimchii

SKM Summer 2020 African Wax/Denin Bucket and Citrus Punch Dropcrotch Shorts Designer: Shaka King @shakakingmenswear Model: Kalmon Stokes @kalmonstokes Photographer: Leslie Andrews @leslieandrewsphoto Stylist: Chad Ross @blackkimchii

The Kaleidoscope Collection Spring Summer 2020 SKM Ruffled Ban Collar Shirt

The Kaleidoscope Collection Spring Summer 2020 SKM Assorted Shorts Designer: Shaka King @shakakingmenswear

The Kaleidoscope Collection Spring Summer 2020 Designer: Shaka King @shakakingmenswear

SKM Designs Designer: Shaka King @shakakingmenswear Model: Carlos Wilkins @_loswilkins34 Photographer: Sadrea Muhammad @cre8ivejunkie1

SKM Designs Designer: Shaka King @shakakingmenswear Model: Carlos Wilkins @_loswilkins34 Photographer: Sadrea Muhammad @cre8ivejunkie1

SKM Designs Designer: Shaka King @shakakingmenswear Model: Carlos Wilkins @_loswilkins34 Photographer: Sadrea Muhammad @cre8ivejunkie1

SKM Designs Designer: Shaka King @shakakingmenswear Model: Carlos Wilkins @_loswilkins34 Photographer: Sadrea Muhammad @cre8ivejunkie1

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KINGDOMjewelz C r e a te d by S h a k a K in g M e n s w e a r

KINGDOMjewelz is an artisanal, handmade, one-off jewelry collection... with a twist. The weathered patina on the pieces, are part of the KINGDOMjewelz look.

KINGDOMjewelz + SKM Highwaist Wrap Pant ...thru the eyes of Stylist/Model Chad Ross (in this shoot) @blackkimchii-from his personal SKM & Kj collections.

Photographer: Carlos Jones @iamcarlosjones

Most of the findings, charms, coins, closures and chains used, have a vintage rustic look.

When at all possible vintage, deadstock or upcycled findings/ pieces, are used in creating these individual statements.

Photographer: Carlos Jones @iamcarlosjones

Photographer: Carlos Jones @iamcarlosjones

Designer: Shaka King @shakakingmenswear Photographer: Carlos Jones @iamcarlosjones Model and Stylist: Chad Ross @blackkimchii

First Look: Brian McKnight honors his wife with "Nobody" (April 5, 2020) For close to 30 years, R&B legend Brian McKnight has been churning out memorable ballads that have impacted multiple generations. Songs such as “One Last Cry,” “Still In Love,” “Anytime” and “Back At One” continue to resonate with fans and peers. His latest single release successfully follows such rich musical history and continues his successful romantic run.

“Nobody,” the lead single from McKnight’s twentieth (and apparently his final) studio album Exodus, stands on its own as a love song that is a dedication to his wife Leilani. The accompanying video includes footage from their actual wedding, which helps to reinforce the lyrical content. Fueled by a stripped down arrangement highlighting McKnight's signature piano and vocals, this single should easily find its way to multiple radio stations, and may even be destined to become the “wedding anthem" for this upcoming season.

It’s a welcome return to form by McKnight and a song that should capture old fans, while making new ones.

By Keivu Knox for Soultracks.com

First Listen:

Ledisi

makes our week with "Anything For You"

Ledisi is one of the most awarded and beloved singers to emerge during the past decade-plus, and for good reason. A dynamic vocalist and performer, she's consistently delivered stunning music, whether in traditional soul, jazz, blues or even contemporary R&B. Her much anticipated tour with Gregory Porter has been put on hold (we're crossing our fingers that their rescheduled June Detroit date can still happen), but she is committed to not staying on the sidelines. So she has delivered a new single to her fans that is all that.

"Anything For You" is a pure, touching love song that extols the virtue of true love, of having that special someone by your side -- and the promise of fidelity in the future.

Produced by the legendary Rex Rideout, the song is an adult soul tour de force, and the kind of cut that appears to be tailor made for one of the great vocalists of our time.

Check out "Anything for You" below.

It just made our week a whole lot better.

NEW MUSIC! The Album That Is A Superstar’s Most Complete Body of Work: The Weeknd, After Hours When Abel Tesfaye first arrived as The Weeknd in 2011, it was in the shadows, presenting a harrowing, sometimes nihilistic vision of R&B on the intoxicating breakthrough House of Balloons. A few years later, he had become a chart-topper, utilizing his pristine voice as a pop instrument on hits like “Can’t Feel My Face” and “Starboy.”

Yet After Hours, The Weeknd’s first proper album since 2016, is his most effective marriage of those two modes to date.

While his mastering of melody powers songs like “Hardest To Love” and the smash “Blinding Lights,” his understanding of song structure is present in the thrilling crescendo of the sixminute title track; “In Your Eyes” represents one of Tesfaye’s purest top 40 confections ever, and is soon followed on the track list by the haunted, explicit “Repeat After Me (Interlude).” After Hours is ostensibly a meditation on piercing latenight loneliness, and while The Weeknd has explored that theme before, he does so here with a sensational blend of his many skills.

Four ways to help prevent loneliness while you’re social distancing

By Amanda Ripley for washingtonpost.com

What if we were told that the best way to slow the spread of the coronavirus pandemic was to smoke 15 cigarettes a day? What would you do?

Loneliness, we know from the research, can be as bad for your health as smoking. It’s more predictive of mortality than obesity. And loneliness itself was a pandemic long before covid-19 got its name. (Between 1990 and 2010, there was a threefold increase in the number of Americans who said they had no one in whom they could confide.)

So canceling church, school, work and sports means we are doing something that can be hazardous to our health — in order to save lives.

It sounds like a trap. But it’s more like a balancing act — a seesaw we all have to ride now. You can alter one side and stay in balance, but only if you change what’s on the other.

We’ve heard a lot about what not to do. Now it’s time to talk about what we can do. “Look, I wash my hands a lot,” says Monica Schoch-Spana, a medical anthropologist at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security. “But if that’s all people are told to do, it only takes you so far.”

There are at least four specific activities that can help compensate for all the things we are not doing, according to the research and my conversations with disaster experts, psychologists and epidemiologists.

Loneliness creates a kind of toxic chain reaction in our body: It produces stress, and the chronic release of stress hormones suppresses our immune response and triggers inflammation. And the elderly, who are most at-risk of dying from covid19, are more likely to say they are lonely.

Fear also causes the release of stress hormones. And a pandemic involves massive amounts of uncertainty: by definition, the kind that won’t go away quickly. That kind of ongoing stress is hard for anyone to handle.

So what is the antidote? First, anyone who can exercise should do more of it now, every day.

Physical exercise reduces stress and boosts immune functioning. “Outdoor activities are good. Going for a walk, riding a bike, those are all great,” says Caitlin M. Rivers, an epidemiologist at Johns Hopkins. You can even do this with a friend, assuming you both feel healthy and are not in high-risk groups (and assuming you stay six feet apart in places such as San Francisco, where public health officials have so ordered). “Our overall goal is to reduce the number of contacts we have with other people, but you have to strike a balance.” And there’s never been an easier time to exercise without going outside or to the gym. (My current “gym” is on my phone, through apps such as Aaptiv, as well as free online yoga classes.)

Second, social closening. (Yes, that’s a word, it turns out.) Relationships are as good for the immune system as exercise. In a meta-analysis of 148 studies that followed more than 300,000 people for an average of eight years, researchers found that positive social relationships gave people a 50 percent greater chance of surviving over time compared with people with weak social ties. This connectedness had a bigger impact on mortality than quitting smoking.

To keep your relationships active, the phone is your lifeline. I’ve set a personal goal to talk (actually talk, not text) with one or two friends, elderly neighbors or family members by phone every day until this pandemic ends.

The one upside of every disaster I’ve covered over the past two decades is that people feel a strong impulse to come together and help each other. So far, I’ve seen that same tendency play out among friends and neighbors, despite social distancing, and we all have to work to keep that going. The coronavirus gives us an excuse to check in with each other.

The third antidote is mindfulness. If you have resisted this trend so far, now may be the time to reconsider. Meditation reduces inflammation and enhances our immune functions, literally undoing the damage of self-isolation. There is evidence that prayer can have a similar effect.

).

I’ve been using the meditation app Headspace for 10 minutes every day for the past two years. The big surprise is that meditation is not about clearing your mind. It’s about managing your attention, and it’s a hard skill to learn without some kind of guidance. It may sound kind of woo woo, but the science is persuasive. More persuasive than it is for other things we do (such as taking multivitamins).

Fourth, do something small for someone else. In surveys, people say volunteering gives them a sense of purpose and reduces anxiety. In Ireland, a woman named Helen O’Rahilly has helped organize nearly 6,000 volunteers to help elderly and immune-compromised people get groceries, almost entirely through Twitter. In Louisville, Erin Hinson is matching volunteers with people in need using Google Docs. My son and another kid on our street created fliers offering to help run errands for anyone who can’t go outside.

Wherever they strike, disasters have a way of revealing our preexisting weaknesses. But they also open up opportunities. I’ve seen this again and again, from communities destroyed by Hurricane Katrina to families devastated by 9/11. There is a golden hour after disaster strikes, a chance to come together and build resilience.

But this doesn’t happen automatically. We have to seize the opportunity, without fear. Viruses may be contagious, but so is courage.

500 Free Online Courses From Ivy League Schools That Will Make You Smarter (and Less Stir Crazy) Got time to kill? Check out these classes from the likes of Harvard, Yale, and Princeton.

By Jessica Stillman Contributor, Inc.com

With coronavirus rampaging around the world, nothing is certain at the moment except that daily life is about to be a whole lot different. With many businesses shutting their doors and public health officials imploring us to stay home and socially isolate ourselves (here's why you need to listen to them), many of us are going to have a lot of time on our hands.

How should we fill it? There are a million good ideas out there, from book lists to virtual museum tours to online classes for kids stuck at home. But perhaps one of the best I've come across is via Dhawal Shah, CEO of online education clearinghouse Class Central.

He emailed me this weekend to suggest those pacing the halls check out his company's list of nearly 500 free online courses offered by Ivy League universities online. Not only will they fill up large swaths of time, they'll also help you emerge from this crisis a little smarter than when it started.

There are classes on just about anything you can imagine, from Shakespeare to classical music to Buddhist philosophy, but here's an example of some that might be of particular interest to business owners:

• "The Science of Well-Being," Yale • • • • • • • • • • •

"Introduction to Computer Science," Harvard "American Capitalism: A History," Cornell "Introduction to Marketing," University of Pennsylvania "Economics of Money and Banking," Columbia "The Computing Technology Inside Your Cell Phone," Cornell "Bitcoin and Cryptocurrency Technologies," Princeton "Improving Your Business Through a Culture of Health," Harvard "Viral Marketing and How to Craft Contagious Content," University of Pennsylvania "Entrepreneurship 1: Developing the Opportunity," University of Pennsylvania "Machine Learning," Brown "Networks: Friends, Money, and Bytes," Princeton

John Legend unveiled his latest single "Actions" and an accompanying lyric video on Friday (March 20).

On the romantic jam, the crooner playfully laments his penchant for the host of love songs that litter his discography, singing, "La da da da da, here I go again/ With another love song that I wasted/ Just another love run out of patience/ She don't want it/ She don't need it/ Every other word coming from my pen/ She throw back in my face/ Saying 'Where you been?'/ I sound so poetic/ But it feels like I let her slip away."

On the grooving chorus, Legend asserts: “Actions speak louder than love songs.”

"Actions" will be featured on The Voice judge's forthcoming seventh studio album, which he confirmed earlier this week during his live-streamed "Together At Home" concert with wife Chrissy Teigen and kids Luna and Miles, and follows lead single "Conversations in the Dark.”

The untitled album is expected to drop some time later this year via Columbia Records.

Importance of the Data The 2020 Census will determine congressional representation, inform hundreds of billions in federal funding, and provide data that will impact communities for the next decade.

The 2020 Census will provide a snapshot of our nation—who we are, where we live, and so much more. https://www.census.gov/ The results of this once-a-decade count determine the number of seats each state has in the House of Representatives. They are also used to draw congressional and state legislative districts.

Over the next decade, lawmakers, business owners, and many others will use 2020 Census data to make critical decisions. The results will show where communities need new schools, new clinics, new roads, and more services for families, older adults, and children.

The results will also inform how hundreds of billions of dollars in federal funding are allocated to more than 100 programs, including Medicaid, Head Start, block grants for community mental health services, and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, also known as SNAP.

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Virtual volunteering:

Ways to volunteer from home in the time of coronavirus

By Angeline Jane Bernabe for gma.com

With the novel coronavirus keeping many at home due to self isolation, many across the country have felt many emotions over the past few days.

And while worrying over the constant change from the pandemic, many are also worrying about others, but feel a sense of hopelessness in how they can help.

But Points of Light, the world’s largest organization dedicated to volunteer service, has launched a new way for people to help others in volunteer work all from the comfort of their own homes.

With many nonprofits struggling to meet the demand for their services due to the lack of volunteers, “Points of Light” gives people the chance to virtually extend a hand to those in need and launched a new online clearinghouse on their website for volunteering opportunities in many places across the country which you can search by location.

Volunteer opportunities include “Self-Help,” which connects isolated seniors through shared interests like music and art and the “Crisis Text Line,” which offers text-based counseling to help with coronavirus-related stress.

Here are a few more examples that Be My Eyes many can choose from at home:

Be My Eyes is a free mobile app with one main goal: to make the world more accessible for blind and low-vision people. The app connects blind and low-vision individuals with sighted volunteers from all over the world through a live video call.

Catchafire Catchafire uses their website to match professionals with nonprofits based on their skills, cause interest and time availability. You’ll find tons of skills-based volunteering opportunities, many of which can be completed virtually.

Smithsonian Digital Volunteer program Crisis Text Line Crisis Text Line is a free 24/7 national crisisintervention and counseling service conducted exclusively through SMS text.

Volunteers use the nonprofit’s web-based platform to provide emotional support to texters who are dealing with a wide range of issues– bullying, self-harm, suicidal thoughts, and more. Prospective volunteers go through screening and a lengthy self-paced training.

Once completed, volunteers sign-up to take one four-hour shift each week for a year.

BookShare.Org Book Share offers thousands of books to people with reading disabilities. As an online volunteer you can either scan books to be added to the collection or edit books that have been scanned.

Translators Without Borders Translators Without Borders recruits volunteers who want to translate texts into different languages for NGOs and nonprofits.

The Smithsonian Digital Volunteer program engages the public in making its collections more accessible. Digital volunteers transcribe historic documents and collection records to facilitate research and preserve these valuable assets for future generations.

Amnesty Decoders Amnesty Decoders is an innovative platform for volunteers around the world to use their computers or phones to help our researchers sift through pictures, information and documents. Join a global network of digital volunteers helping us research and expose human rights violations.

Career Village Career Village is an online platform where students ask career questions that are answered by people working, or that have worked, in that field. All you need is a LinkedIn account to start helping students become better informed about the career decisions they are facing.

Apple Announces ‘Most Advanced’ iPad Pro

With a device that is reportedly quicker and more powerful than most PC notebooks, Apple has unveiled its “most advanced” iPad Pro. The tech company said in an announcement that the tablet, which is available for purchase beginning today on its website, comes with studio-quality mics, an Ultra Wide camera and a LiDAR Scanner.

Phil Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of worldwide marketing, said in the announcement, “The new iPad Pro introduces advanced technologies never before available in mobile computing.”

Schiller continued, in part, “Combining the most advanced mobile display with powerful performance, pro cameras, pro audio, the breakthrough LiDAR Scanner and new Magic Keyboard with Trackpad, this is another huge leap forward for iPad.” The tech company also unveiled its new Magic Keyboard for iPad Pro. According to the company, the keyboard provides the “best typing experience ever on iPad.” The keyboard features a floating design with smooth angle adjustment, a trackpad and a backlit keyboard. Customers will be able to buy the Magic Keyboard in May.

Craig Federighi, Apple’s senior vice president of software engineering, said in the announcement, “We’re making iPad even more capable and versatile by bringing trackpad support to iPadOS. We carefully considered the best way to integrate trackpad use into a touch-first environment while retaining everything our customers know and love about iPad." The company also said the iPad Pro now comes with five studio-quality microphones for receiving quiet details and emitting very clean sound. According to the announcement, “The combination of pro cameras, pro audio and the large display make iPad Pro a versatile mobile studio for creative pros including filmmakers, video professionals, podcasters and other content creators.”

In separate Apple news, Apple Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said that his firm, TF International Securities, is decreasing its iPhone supply predictions for Q1 of this year by 10 percent due to the coronavirus.

“It’s difficult to predict the shipments in 2Q 2020 because of the uncertainties of the coronavirus epidemic and consumer confidence,” he said, per a past report.

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Coronavirus brings moratoriums on evictions, utility and water shutoffs, bank fees, and data caps Here’s a list of the states, cities, utilities, and companies giving people a vital break on bills during the unprecedented coronavirus quarantine.

By Kristisn Toussaint for fastcompany.com

[Photo: wildpixel/iStock, eestingnef/iStock]

With major cities in states of emergency and thousands of Americans working from home during the coronavirus outbreak, the U.S. economy is taking a hit. Small businesses are struggling, those in the service industry are losing potential income as people practice social distancing, and some workers are just forced to go without a paycheck, whether because they can’t work remotely and have to take sick leave or because their employers are losing money themselves and have had to halt or scale back their business.

In these times, everyone needs support. How will Americans pay their rent while quarantined, if most live paycheck to paycheck? What if small business owners can’t pay their bills on time, because of the sudden drop in shoppers? Though we’re not (yet?) at the point where the government will give a lump sum of cash to every citizen, individual municipalities and corporations across the country are offering some relief measures. Here are a few examples of how governments and businesses are easing the economic burden of the coronavirus pandemic.

Moratoriums on evictions: San Jose was among the first cities to work on a plan to temporarily ban evictions resulting from the spread of COVID-19, and others are considering the same, including San Francisco and Philadelphia. Police officers in Miami, Florida, announced that they will not assist with eviction proceedings during the local state of emergency. New York is offering a one-week pause, which may not do much to help during a crisis of this length, but politicians are working on a stronger proposal.

Data caps waived: AT&T suspended broadband data caps and overage fees for home internet customers, and the FCC has since pledged to reign in potential abuses from internet service providers in general. For the next 60 days, starting March 13, the FCC has asked these companies not to terminate service for residential and small business customers and waive late fees incurred due to the economic circumstances related to the coronavirus pandemic, and to open Wi-Fi hotspots to “any American who needs them.”

Suspensions of phone and cable shutoffs: Also covered under the FCC directive, called the Keep America Connected Plan, phone and cable companies have suspended shutoffs to ensure customers have connectivity during the coronavirus pandemic. Companies that have made the pledge include Verizon, Comcast, Century Link, Charter (which operates Spectrum), Altice (branded as Optimum), Cable One (branded as Sparklight), T-Mobile, Cincinnati Bell, and more.

Suspensions of utility shutoffs: The municipalities of Detroit, Phoenix, Salinas, St. Louis, New Orleans, and more have suspended water shutoffs as they try to slow the spread of COVID-19. Utility company PG&E, which provides gas and electricity across Northern California, announced it would not shut off services because of nonpayment due to the coronavirus. Statewide, New Jersey will keep the power on for all customers, and citywide, Seattle won’t shut off water or electricity for any residents.

Co-pays waived for coronavirus-related testing: The White House announced that major health insurers have agreed to waive co-pays for COVID-19 testing (but not treatment, if you need it).

Before that announcement, individual states had issued their own orders to health insurers, including New York, Washington, and California.

Bank fees and penalties waived: Beginning March 9 and for “an initial 30 days” Citibank said it would waive monthly service fees and penalties for early CD withdrawal for regular and small business customers. Other banks have said they’ll work with customers who need financial assistance on an individual basis.

Photo: simon abranowicz for supreme

In the large scope of men’s

fashion, luxury menswear has historically aligned itself with the tailored rules that govern how a man is expected to present himself. But in recent years, that heritage has been hijacked by a new era of designers whose garments proudly orient themselves into realms like accessibility, youthfulness, gender neutrality and, ultimately, fashion with a capital F.

6 Men’s Fashion Trends To Try In Spring 2020

By AJ Longabaugh for artfulliving.com

Visionaries like Virgil Abloh, Kim Jones and Anthony Vaccarello fearlessly push their craft ahead of the curve, manifesting their complex creations in entirely otherworldly environs that can only be conceived by unapologetically dreaming.

Consider, for example, models parading down a neon-pink catwalk in the middle of a vast Provençal lavender field in celebration of Jacquemus’s 10th anniversary as a fashion house.

With that in mind, here are 6 top trends that emerged from the spring/summer 2020 menswear shows across London, Milan and Paris. Expect them to be hitting a street near you and shaking up the status quo one strut at a time.

Jacquemus | Photography provided by Runway Manhattan/Mondadori

Satin Passion Often associated with highbrow romanticism, satin has officially emerged in the world of menswear, revealing itself at full blast in Paris. Dunhill rising star Mark Weston channeled handsome elegance in the gleaming fabric, while Balmain prodigy Olivier Rousteing jolted us into the shining future, sending saturated colors and flowing silhouettes soaring down the runway. Far from feminine, satin can be dressed up, down or any which way a man sees fit.

Balmain

Pocket Protector No longer Louis Vuitton’s new kid on the block, visionary Virgil Abloh continues his menswear narrative with a collection that is very self-aware in all the right ways. A creative whose genius enhances everything he touches, the designer shone a huge spotlight on the pocket, which appeared in a variety of shapes, sizes and numbers on both jackets and trousers.

Looks like the man on the go will be ready to conquer any challenge he faces.

Louis Vuitton

Sheer Elegance In his third year as creative director of legendary fashion house Yves Saint Laurent, designer Anthony Vaccarello elevated his signature rock-star regalia with delicately embroidered tops, letting what lie beneath act as an accessory. Luxury menswear icon Kim Jones flexed his unmatched attention to detail for Dior, adorning fresh, fit blouses with intricate accents. The trend no one saw coming, sheer will most certainly find itself styled on leading men come red carpet season.

Dior

Sandal Vandal An open-toe-only footwear policy will be going into full effect next spring, with luxury sandals found on the feet of every modern man. Stomping down nearly every runway, the classic staple took on all manner of silhouettes, boasting laces, straps and buckles galore. The most approachable designs were found on the Hermès and Loewe catwalks, with a focus on functions where a sandal would actually be found, like on holiday in Greece.

Hermes

Matchy Matchy The classic daily uniform is finally getting the update it deserves, with a youthful edge and a universal flair. As seen on the Dior runway, Kim Jones’s take on this trend showcased a man of leisure simply going about his day.

And on the Prada catwalk, the renaissance took a more utilitarian approach, with sleekly tailored looks that felt simultaneously timeless and forwardthinking. Getting dressed just got that much easier.

Prada

Miami Fever The queen of sex appeal, Donatella Versace continued her brother’s legacy with a menswear collection chock-full of archival prints, leopard patterns and plenty of skin. Offering up its own take on the beach bum vibe, rising Milano brand MSGM paired simple white tanks with ombre animalprint trousers accessorized with classic bandanas.

These looks are primed for some fun in the sun during a long Miami weekend.

Versace

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Early 2000 Hip-Hop & R&B is Defining Modern Rap

More hip-hop artists are repurposing classic rap moments with modern percussion and techniques. Is sampling early 2000 rap records hip-hop’s answer to the cover song?

Last weekend, Drake released “When To Say When,” an introspective track that utilized the Bobby Glenn sample popularized in JAY-Z’s “Song Cry” classic. In case anyone thought the sample choice was mere coincidence, the Toronto rapper filmed a video in JAY-Z’s native Marcy Projects in Brooklyn.

In 2001, Just Blaze, the producer of “Song Cry,” made a soul sample. In 2020, JuneTheJenius, the producer of “When To Say When,” made a rap song sample. Junius retweeted a supporter who beamed, “‘Song Cry’ is one of my favorite samples of all time.” Rap fans born in 2001 will be 19 this year. They don’t know a world where hip-hop wasn’t a global force. They have more attachment to JAY-Z than Bobby Glenn.

Drake, who is 33, holds sentimental memories of JAY-Z’s The Blueprint like his father, Dennis Graham, may remember Ray Charles or Billie Holiday. And while Mr. Graham can sing a cover of “Blue Moon,” Drake can’t outright rap and re-release “Song Cry.” That’s why he and a slew of other rap artists are doing the next best thing: repurposing classic rap moments with modern percussion and techniques, making it hip-hop’s answer to the cover song.

Rappers have long borrowed hooks, lines, and concepts from their predecessors. Snoop Dogg covered Doug E. Fresh and Slick Rick’s “La Di Da Di” on “Lodi Dodi” way back in 1993. JAY-Z is wellknown for helping keep his late friend The Notorious B.I.G.’s legacy alive through lyrical references.

But younger artists are taking homage even further. If other genres can do cover songs with no pushback — and tribute bands do exist — why can’t rappers push the boundaries with tribute records? Why borrow a hot line when you can borrow a hot song?

Hip-hop’s sample reserve grows generationally. In the ‘90s, artists like RZA, DJ Premier, Pete Rock, and others were culling the soul, funk and jazz records of the ‘70s. Over the past decade, many producers and artists aren’t just repurposing ‘90s R&B — Drake has done this many times — but samples reawakened by rap songs of the late ‘90s and ‘00s. In February, Yo Gotti released “More Ready Than Ever,” which contains a Barbara Mason sample made iconic on Dipset’s “I’m Ready.” Last year, YBN Cordae released “Bad Idea,” which used the same Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway samples as Scarface’s “My Block.”

On Meek Mill’s 2018 Championships, the Philly-rapper re-explored Mobb Deep’s “Getaway” on “Trauma” (through a Barclay James Harvest sample actually saying “better way”) and JAY-Z’s “Dead Presidents” on “Respect The Game.” (Both songs sample Lonnie Liston’s “A Garden Of Peace.”)

G-Herbo is one of hip-hop’s most ardent nostalgia merchants. On 2018’s Humble Beast, “Mirror” sampled O.V. Wright’s “Mirror Of My Soul,” popularized on Dipset’s “DJ Enuff Freestyle.”

“Trials” sampled Barry White’s’ “Mellow Mood (Pt. 1),” which RZA previously used on Raekwon’s “North Star (Jewels).” On his recently released PTSD album, G Herbo sampled tracks previously flipped on JAY-Z’s “Dynasty Intro,” (Kleeer’s “She Said She Loves Me”); Beanie Sigel’s “Feel It In The Air,” (Raphael Ravenscroft’s “Whole Lotta Something Goin’ On”); and Jadakiss’ “Still Feel Me” (Nick Sargent’s, “New Life”). The songs are in near pitch-perfect accordance to the original producers’ sample flip, strongly hinting at a desire to celebrate the early ‘00s New York rap scene one loop at a time.

But rap’s nostalgic nods are even more evident when producers sample original hip-hop compositions. As much flack as Bad Boy and their Hitmen production team took in the ‘90s for looping classic ‘70s and ‘80s records, they seemingly paid it forward in the 2010s. Meek Mill, JAYZ and Rick Ross’ “What’s Free” brought new life to The Hitmen’s sinister “What’s Beef ” strings.

Rick Ross remade Biggie’s “You’re Nobody Til Somebody Kills You” for “Nobody.” Swizz Beatz and Lil Wayne caused a viral “Uproar” with their 2018 reworking of G-Dep’s “Special Delivery.” Teyana Taylor and Diddy’s King Combs son showed love to Mase’s “Tell Me What You Want” with “How You Want It?”

Elsewhere, Drake and Murda Beatz’s take on New Orleans Bounce for “Nice For What” famously used Lauryn Hill’s “Ex-Factor.” Saweetie’s “My Type” made Petey Pablo’s “Freek-A-Leek” a smash all over again. (Saweetie’s breakout hit, “Icy Girl,” borrowed the beat from Khia’s “My Neck My Back.” The Game’s latest remake is “Stainless,” which samples Tupac’s “Picture Me Rollin.” Trina and Nicki Minaj’s “BAPS” is an unabashed ode to Cash Money’s “Project Chick,” with both women referencing the 2000 original.

Tory Lanez, an artist both celebrated and maligned for his mimesis, explored the concept the most ambitiously on Chixtape 5, an album full of 2000s remakes. He and producer Play Picasso breathed new life into over a dozen 2000s classics from Fabolous, T-Pain, Pretty Ricky, Snoop Dogg, Chris Brown, Mya, and JAY-Z. Detractors may reduce loop-jacking to a gimmick — but it’s no cheap gimmick.

Though Tory’s co-manager Sascha Stone Guttfreund told DJBooth that it was a profitable record, Tory divulged on Hot 97 that the album was a “loss leader,” a term used for products sold at a loss to attract consumers. “I’m losing money doing the album but what is gonna come out of it?,” he said in the November 2019 interview. He shed light on the hurdles involved in the ten-month sample hunt: “You had to clear the song, wherever the song was actually sampled from, the writers, the artists, the publisher, the label, the soundtrack and movie it came from.” In total, 97 writers are credited on Chixtape 5.

Tory’s candor regarding Chixtape 5 illuminates the red-tape involved in the clearance process.

Fans are entitled to feel like songs such as “The Trade” are uninspired pleas to nostalgia, but they should also acknowledge there are probably cheaper, less stressful ways for artists to pander if all they’re trying to do with these singles is pander. Many of them feel like Tory, who reflected, “everything is inspired by the times when things were golden for us. I think all those pieces and everything that we’ve come out with has been all about nostalgia.” There’s a wistful desire to celebrate the past. Maybe some things really are “for the culture.”

Nostalgia is a bedrock of the entertainment industry. Despite there being young, imaginative creators in every field, we see movie and TV reboots announced every week. Writer Houman Barekat surmised for New Humanist that our interest in reliving the past is “an innate human impulse, poignantly futile, to try and stop time itself.” Music is the most crafty means of time travel. Rappers have a lofty visibility that makes them, but they’re also fans of rap with the power to make the whole world re-engage their youth with them.

Photo Credit: Shaughn Cooper for Okayplayer.com

That rap song sample is a two-fold undertaking: artists are not only trying to celebrate legacy, but honor a wing of the hip-hop canon that they aspire to eventually enter. It’s no coincidence that Drake, who aspires to be rap’s GOAT, re-explored a JAY-Z record. Or that G-Herbo enjoys rapping over Dipset and The Lox beats. Or that Tory Lanez celebrated hitmakers who transcended eras. Or, dishearteningly, that the late Pop Smoke remade 50 Cent’s “Many Men” war cry.

Sure, not every rap cover is a thoughtful exploit. But the artists who persistently explore them understand that touching a classic raises the expectations of a record. Those who don’t do the moment justice deserve flack. But when Meek Mill had the audacity to redo a Biggie record and ask JAY-Z to be on it, there wasn’t a chance that he was going to slack with it.

Those highs are what negates the lows of rap song covers. From a technical standpoint, many are lazy rehashes where trap drums and/or filtering techniques are the only difference from the original, but they evoke a nostalgia that belies the simplicity. Hip-hop purists have long called for the next generation to respect their elders. That’s what’s happening now. And just like the influx of rap samples brought a new source of income to musicians of the past, we will see more rappers like Petey Pablo — who performed “Freek A Leek” alongside Saweetie at the 2019 BET Hip-Hop awards — come to appreciate when young artists celebrate them.

EDUCATION

Kent State Announces Free Tuition For Students Attending LeBron James I Promise School

Now in its third year of operation, the inaugural graduating class from LeBron James’ I Promise School will receive free tuition to attend Kent State University.

Representatives from Kent State surprised the 11th-grade-students with the announcement of free tuition and one year of room and board, according to BleacherReport.com. The oldest class of the 193 students attending I Promise are currently in their junior year. They will be eligible for the free tuition offer from Kent State beginning with the 2021-22 academic year.

James opened the public school in his hometown of Akron, Ohio, in 2018 through the LeBron James Family Foundation to specifically help at-risk youth. The James Foundation has been working in the community for nearly a decade, focusing on educating children from difficult backgrounds.

“The I PROMISE program is built on the ‘earned, not given’ philosophy,” said Michele Campbell, executive director of the LeBron James Family Foundation.

“We are so excited that our students that have worked incredibly hard have earned even more life-changing opportunities to grow and excel.”

EDUCATION

Although free, the program does come with a few stipulations: to be eligible for the free tuition, I PROMISE students must be successfully admitted to Kent State, fill out required financial aid forms, and complete a requisite number of community service hours each semester. In addition, Kent State is also launching a fundraising effort to help these students with any additional expenses, including books and the remaining three years of room and board, according to wkyc.com.

According to valuepenguin.com, the average cost of college for the 2017– 2018 school year was $20,770 for public schools (in-state) and $46,950 for nonprofit private schools, only including tuition, fees, and room and board. As a result, oftentimes youth from disenfranchised backgrounds are forced to skip college or fail to finish because they cannot afford it or are unable to secure a loan. Needless to say, a free ride to attend college is a huge deal for the students at James’ public school.

By Roland Michel for blackenterprise.com

DESIGN IDEAS WITH BOLD COLoR It’s Spring and now is the time to think about adding pops of color to your home.

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Watch the trailer for Lena Waithe's new BET show Twenties

By Marcus Jones for entertainmentweekly.com

Lena Waithe’s long-gestating comedy Twenties is finally coming to TV, and EW has an exclusive first look at the trailer for the BET series.

Through eight episodes, the show will follow Hattie, an aspiring TV writer, and her two friends Marie and Nia, who respectively work as a film executive and a yoga instructor, as they navigate life in their 20s with their careers beginning to take off.

Hattie, played by newcomer Jonica “JoJo” T. Gibbs (Good Trouble), is BET’s first queer female lead, and like executive producer Waithe, she plans on using her gig as a writers’ room production assistant as a gateway to becoming a filmmaker.

Waithe is coming off her feature film writing debut with Queen & Slim, but the semiautobiographical Twenties was the first piece of her screenwriting that got off the ground, initially as a web series. The show then went from being developed at BET to TBS and then back to BET, and is finally coming to television more than a decade after Waithe first conceived it.

Along with Gibbs, Twenties will star Christina Elmore (The Last Ship) as Marie and Gabrielle Graham (On the Basis of Sex) as Nia, with rapper Big Sean making his TV debut as Nia’s prospective love interest, Tristan. Sophina Brown will recur as Hattie’s boss, Ida B., with Jenifer Lewis, Rick Fox, Vanessa Williams, and Seth Green all guest-starring on the show later in the season. Former A Different World head writer Susan Fales-Hill will serve as co-showrunner.

Twenties will air on BET in early 2020. Watch the exclusive trailer above.

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BLACK IN BUSINESS: Celebrating The Legacy Of Black Entrepreneurship

By Ruth Umoh & Brianne Garrett for forbes.com

A

Meet The Members Of The Black Billionaires Club

frican-Americans have played a

profound role in shaping the U.S. business landscape. Technological innovations like the traffic light, automatic elevator doors and even caller ID all sprung from the minds of creative black luminaries.

To honor their business achievements this Black History Month, Forbes spoke to a number of founders, investors, activists, celebrities and experts on the black diaspora. What emerged from these conversation was a rich, complex portrait of black entrepreneurship, one that highlights the black community’s tremendous creativity, as well as a resilience that was born, in part, out of hardship and necessity.

Historically, black-owned companies, like Madam C.J. Walker’s hair-care line and the businesses that formed Tulsa, Oklahoma’s Black Wall Street, were developed in direct response to racial discrimination. “These segregation patterns then created market opportunities for black entrepreneurs to step in, make money and meet the demands of the black community,” says Mehrsa Baradaran, author of The Color of Money: Black Banks and the Racial Wealth Gap. With few work opportunities and high job instability, many black pioneers took matters into their own hands, building small enterprises that served and employed fellow African-Americans.

The black community’s long history of entrepreneurship is marked by ebbs and

Robert F. Smith Smith, the founder and CEO of Vista Equity Partners, made national headlines in 2019 when he pledged to pay off student loans for the entire graduating class of Morehouse College. He made his Forbes 400 billionaire debut in 2015 with a net worth of $2.5 billion.

Current Net Worth: $5 Billion

David Steward Steward once watched his car get repossessed from his office parking lot. Today, he’s the billionaire founder and chairman of IT provider World Wide Technology—one of the largest black-owned businesses in America. In 2018, Forbes named him a billionaire with a net worth of $3.4 billion.

Current Net Worth: $3.5 Billion

flows. The Reconstruction era, the period after the Civil War, saw a sharp rise in the number of black-owned businesses as the country attempted to right some of the inequities of slavery. But in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the resurgence of Jim Crow laws enforcing racial segregation, coupled with the Great Depression, led to the decline of black entrepreneurship. “Black businesses were targeted and we saw a rollback in many of the advancements that were made previously,” says Tiffany Howard, a small business and entrepreneurship fellow at the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation.

The rate of black business creation continued to rise and fall throughout the 20th and 21st century, increasing in the ’90s, dipping during the 2008 recession and rising again post-recession. In recent years, the number of black-owned businesses has risen dramatically, with black women fueling much of that growth. In 2003, Oprah Winfrey, arguably the most notable black female entrepreneur, became the first black American billionaire. And in just the last five years, four other African-Americans have reached the billionaire echelon.

But even with this forward momentum, black entrepreneurs still face a number of challenges: primarily, a lack of access to capital, says Ron Busby, president of the U.S. Black Chambers. “We have the acumen, the creativity, the knowledge and even the manpower. But without access to capital, our ideas come to a standstill, are stolen or are manipulated.”

Meet The Members Of The Black Billionaires Club

Oprah Winfrey The media maven got her start in the entertainment and news industry, later morphing her hit talk show into a business empire. Forbes first listed her as a billionaire in 2003 with a $1 billion net worth.

Current Net Worth: $2.7 Billion

Michael Jordan Not only is Jordan regarded as one of the NBA’s greatest players, he’s also the highestpaid athlete, thanks to his majority stake in the Charlotte Hornets and a Nike shoe deal.

Jordan was first featured as a Forbes billionaire in 2015 with a $1 billion net worth.

Current Net Worth: $1.9 Billion

Many of the black 2020 30 Under 30 listmakers echo a similar sentiment in candid video interviews with Forbes, but they also note the black community’s collective ability to persevere against all odds. And in an effort to level the playing field for entrepreneurs of color, a number of corporations and wealthy black business leaders have created funds to invest in minority-owned companies.

Real estate tycoon Don Peebles announced a $500 million fund for emerging minority and female developers in June 2019, and banks like JPMorgan and Citigroup have launched initiatives and investment funds to support underrepresented entrepreneurs.

Still, much remains to be done both in the private and public sectors. “In order for there to be a great America, there must be a great black America,” Busby says. “And in order for there to be a great black America, you must have great black businesses and a great black economy.”

If history is any indication, black entrepreneurship will continue to grow and thrive in the coming years—an economic boon for Americans of all colors.

-Ruth Umoh

Meet The Members Of The Black Billionaires Club

Jay-Z In the words of Jay-Z, “I’m not a businessman.

I’m a business, man.” Since hitting the hip-hop scene more than 25 years ago, the rapper has created a $1 billion fortune that encompasses liquor, art and real estate. He made his first showing as a Forbes billionaire in the spring of 2019.

Current Net Worth: $1 Billion

Black In The Day: A Timeline Of Business Firsts 1821 We have Thomas Jennings, the first black patent holder, to thank for the prototype of modern dry cleaning.

1906 Madam C.J. Walker creates a hair-care line that will later gain her recognition as the first self-made female millionaire.

Black In The Day: A Timeline Of Business Firsts 1933

2001

H. Naylor Fitzhugh is the first known AfricanAmerican to graduate from Harvard Business School.

Ruth Simmons is sworn in as the 18th president of Brown University, where she’s the first African-American president of an Ivy League school.

1969 Warren H. Wheeler establishes Wheeler Airlines, the first black-owned and -operated air service in the U.S. 1971 Joan and George Johnson’s hair-care company, Johnson Products, becomes the first black-owned business on the American Stock Exchange.

1992 Reginald F. Lewis, the head of TLC Beatrice International, becomes the first AfricanAmerican to own a company with $1 billion in sales.

2001 Ruth Simmons is sworn in as the 18th president of Brown University, where she’s the first African-American president of an Ivy League school.

2002 Don Peebles becomes the first AfricanAmerican to develop and own a major luxury hotel.

1999 Franklin D. Raines becomes the first black CEO of a Fortune 500 company when he takes over Fannie Mae. 1999 Franklin D. Raines becomes the first black CEO of a Fortune 500 company when he takes over Fannie Mae. 2000 Robert L. Johnson becomes the nation’s first black billionaire after selling the cable network Black Entertainment Television to Viacom.

2003 Oprah Winfrey becomes the first black female billionaire, coming in at No. 427 on Forbes list of billionaires.

2009 Ursula Burns is appointed CEO of Xerox, making her the first black female to lead an S&P 500 company.

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RETURNS APRIL 12

LaKeith Stanfield Is Letting His Imagination Run Wild

The actor’s dynamic range lands him in a new love film, The Photograph

Blink and you might have missed him. You wouldn’t know Bergdorf Goodman’s sparkling new Goodman’s Bar, on the second floor of Goodman’s men’s store, is a micro-sized 32seater, as LaKeith Stanfield managed to find a way to work every literal inch of the room. He sipped grapefruit juice and tea in the booths, he ate yogurt mousse and passion fruit sorbet at the bar while ushering over waiters, he used a biscotti cookie as a mock lighter and he even danced on the tufted brown leather seats in his bright green Lanvin sneakers (cue Dave Chapelle’s famous “F*ck Yo Couch” skit). By any account of the term, it’s safe to say that energy is not something that Stanfield is lacking.

“I love performing in front of the camera,” he said, confirming what everyone was likely already thinking while watching him bounce around the bistro. Yet the actor’s ability to seamlessly transition into interview mode, to turn on his zen so to speak (he’s channeling guru vibes from the likes of Mooji and Satguru these days), proves that past the sprightly antics, not only does Stanfield mean business, but the man’s got some serious range. And it’s precisely why the business wants him right back, with Stanfield already housing a memorable selection of works in his arsenal thanks to titles like Atlanta, Sorry to Bother You and Uncut Gems.

But now in a seeming deviation from his usual subject matter, Stanfield has turned his talents to the romance realm for his leading role as Michael Block in The Photograph. Directed by Stella Meghie and also starring Issa Rae as his love interest Mae, the sentimental plot gives Stanfield a “new muscle to stretch” as he described it. Aptly premiering on Valentine’s Day, the movie centers on the usual rom-com themes of love and relationships, while bringing to the forefront two Black leads in a genre that doesn’t usually make room for anyone outside of the white mainstream.

HYPEBEAST: How did you become involved with this movie and what was the casting process like?

LaKeith Stanfield: Stella reached out to me with the opportunity to read over the script, this love story that had to deal with generations and operating through generations, generational love and transference of information. And I read it and I thought, well, if Issa is going to be the girl — because that’s what the information was at that point — I was like that would be a beautiful thing to see two dark-skinned people on the screen and it’d be an opportunity to spread more images like that, and be a part of this really brilliantly written story. So I was excited and I sent in an audition tape. And she liked it and I did a chemistry read with Issa.

You touched on there being two Black leads, and it seems that a lot of your roles paint a broader picture of the Black experience. Is this something you’ve consciously striven for or has it grown organically in your career?

Kind of both. I think the intention was always there for me to be a part of stories that would reflect my deeper feelings about the world and my place and my people’s places, and women, and Black women’s place and how that affected me growing up. And how much I love all the Black women in my life and I want to perpetuate images that show them in a positive light, or in a light that I feel reflects the genuine nature of things. I’d like to be portrayed in that way too, if I can help it. I do try and pick projects that speak to me and that don’t speak to stereotypical sensibilities, unless there’s something that can be learned from it.

I try to be a bit conscious of it, but I wouldn’t say that I completely have done that. I think it’s just that I’ve also been very fortunate to have opportunities that reflect those viewpoint.

The Photograph has obvious themes around relationships and love. What reflecting did you have to do about your own relationships to get into the character’s mindset?

It was just all there. I was just recently in a relationship, going into it. Yeah, I mean, all of the themes and stuff that were happening in

the movie, a lot of them I could reflect on and refer to in my own life. And so it was easy to see that there were parallels there and I knew that there were parallels for me that would be there for other people. Cause we’re all different but we ain’t all that different. Everyone’s excited for it being like a Black love film, but I want people to realize it’s a love film too and it appeals to everyone.

And how do you feel about Black love as it’s currently reflected in the media? Is it an accurate depiction?

I don’t really pay too much attention to the media to be honest, although I know I’m speaking to the media. But no, I mean with no disrespect. I just don’t really watch much news.

I don’t consume much media stuff. So I don’t really — I find my own independent investigations and things like that to be a little bit more fruitful than what I might get, especially from some of the larger media environment.

Because if I know more than anyone, I know that sometimes the media can misrepresent people and have them be skewed through a certain viewpoint. So I try to just focus on my own understanding of things rather than look to the media for that, although I love media’s role in certain things. I know that they have a place in the world and that they’re important, but I don’t really go there for my primary source.

With The Photograph being more sentimental, a love story, is this an indication of you wanting to branch into more similar films? Or is this more of a one-off experience?

have continued to speak up about it not being diverse. Are you hopeful at all that it will get more diverse or are you not necessarily concerned about who they recognize?

As long as I have the capacity to love and I can continue to question my love, my understanding of love and my connection with others, there will always be a spot for me in terms of movies that carry the same subject matter.

I think it’s a little bit of a reflection, right? Like, as society gets more open and understanding of our place in the world — which whether they want to or not, they’re going to have to because we’re coming through and we’re making strides every day. People like Issa, people like Donald [Glover], all of us are creating more and more wide platforms for us to have a voice. So if they are not willing to, if any constituency is unwilling to appreciate that, I think people will start to find that that’s not going to work in their benefit. It’s going to work against them because the world is moving. And not only us, but everybody has a voice and something to say.

Music is a big part of what you do as well. Can you talk a bit about your band and your experience there?

Yeah, MOORS is a project that I went into with my friend, Hrishikesh Hirway, and we were doing live instrumentations and stuff. Now I’m delving into my solo project, which is going to be called Self Control. And these are more of my personal experiences with people that I know who have been my brothers, [my experiences] with love, hate, fame, all this stuff, money, all these things that have been coming into my life in the last couple years. And how I might be able to approach that by what I call the rebirth, the old self dying and coming back anew. So that’s kind of the idea with this new project. I want to come full circle, full cycle and show everybody where I came from, where I ended up and where I’m going.

I do briefly want to touch on the Oscars, which recently took place and several celebrities

And so if you’re not paying attention to that, I think you’re gonna get lost in the wind. And so hopefully everyone catches up and then we’re able to all have a discussion about it and be able to all tell our stories on an open platform.

But that being said, I don’t look to those people for validation, none of those constituencies for that. We don’t work thinking about getting an Oscar or getting nominated for anything. We kind of just work to work. So, while it’s nice to sit around and get these statues and clap for ourselves and all of that, I don’t think that’s our primary goal. We just want to tell good stories.

So what does drive you, someone with such an eccentric, funny character? Where does the passion for acting come from?

I think I just think of things a little bit differently.

Not differently — I think I just have an imagination. And people assume that to be many things, quirky, weird, I’ve gotten a whole bunch of things. I think it’s just that I got an imagination and I’m not afraid to express it. So a job like this would be probably a good job for me because it allows me a playground to express that in a safe space where I can put it into different characters and use it to my advantage. And I love doing it. I love performing in front of the camera.

Now more and more, I’m starting to want to be positioned behind it though. I’ve got a vision and I want to have my vision be realized before I could direct some cool stuff. So that’s on my horizon soon. I’m exploring now. I’m making my own stuff on my YouTube page, I’m starting to write stuff on there just you know, starting from the ground up. I’m directing my music videos for my projects. And just going to do my own thing and build it for myself. And then from there, I can continue to expand out and hopefully at some point, I got plans to start creating the foundation for a production company that will start to put out the kinds of things I want to see.

You’ve done so many projects but is there any

one that you would say has made the biggest impact on you?

Right now, it’s the one that I have coming out with Daniel Kaluuya that I’m doing with Shaka King. It’s untitled right now, it’s a Fred Hampton project. And that was profound, the effect on me because I had this fist tattooed on me far before I knew that this story would ever come into my life. Because the Black Power movement was so profound and beautiful to me that people stood up and said, “f*ck this, we’re going to do something different. And we’ll stand up and die for it.” And I love that pride in oneself that our people have and that there’s these young men and women who were putting their lives on the line. Actually more so women than men in the Black Panther Party in this particular chapter, the Chicago chapter.

So it was an opportunity to step into a time and space where I just — I feel like we’re going back there, you know, we’re going back to just fros poppin, all of us really loving and living in our skin and doing it while moving with love. So this really affected me because the role that I played was kind of everything that was the antithesis of that, because I played the guy who infiltrated the Black Panther Party who works as an FBI agent. So it kind of was just a whirlwind, this crazy emotional journey and I hope that people can enjoy it. That one has affected me the most so far and I think that one is coming this summer.

We’ve thrown out a lot of words, like eccentric and quirky, to describe you. But what is it that you really want people to take from you and your personality?

I am a survivor. I am an open vessel and I’m a reflector of you. You that’s sitting here, the person reading this, the person listening to this. And my message is just to continue to go on the journey and continue to learn. If I can go back and tell myself anything, I would tell myself nothing. I want to continue to fall, continue to get up, continue to learn. And that’s always what we are doing but let’s do it together

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5G Will Change the Way You Work From Anywhere Ultra-fast wireless isn't just for mobile phones and gaming.

It will also transform the way we work.

By Jason Aten, Tech columnist for inc.com

There is no question that the way we work is changing. My Inc.com colleague Brit Morse wrote about a study that shows 62 percent of employees work remotely at least part time. That's partly due to the way companies are trying to attract the best talent, regardless of where they are located, but also because of advancements in technology that allow workers to stay connected with their teams.

Those changes have real benefits to businesses and employees, from increased productivity, greater profitability, and a happier workforce. Now, with the coming 5G revolution, remote work is no longer a niche trend but will become the way we work.

Here are three ways 5G will change the way we work from home, or everywhere: Increased Accessibility Everyone who works remotely knows that the biggest challenge is relying on internet connections that aren't always, well, reliable. Even when you work out of your home, and pay for high-speed internet, that doesn't mean you always get what you pay for. And never mind when you're traveling, or trying to work out of your local coffee shop. Nothing is worse than trying to log on to a Zoom meeting and finding out you're barely able to get more than 2 MB/s.

5G changes that because you no longer work at the mercy of the closest Wi-Fi hotspot. Having ultra-fast wireless capabilities built into your devices means that you'll be able to connect from virtually anywhere once carriers complete rolling out their 5G networks.

Increased Functionality With the increased speed and bandwidth of 5G comes the ability to work in some very interesting new ways. Now, it isn't that far-out to think about how virtual reality and augmented reality can allow us to work, even when we can't be there physically. For example, inspecting a factory in another country in real time, without having to leave your home office, is a viable scenario when you aren't constrained by the speed or reliability of your connection.

In fact, all kinds of work that currently require an employee's physical presence will be able to be done as 5G allows not just remote work but virtual work. That means remote workers will be able to actually interact with and manipulate objects or data from far away, in real time, just as if they were there.

For example, perhaps your job requires you to be onsite so you have access to vast amounts of data. Perhaps you're responsible for research or programming or other data-intensive work that has been harder to do remotely. With the arrival of 5G, however, those requirements no longer exist as you're able to access and process that same data in real time, from wherever you want to work.

Increased Productivity The ability to work from anywhere, instead of having your work environment dictated by your job role or function, will lead to increased productivity as workers are able to create an environment that works for them. At the same time, 5G will allow those workers to remain connected both to their teams and the work that they do.

Not only will that lead to a boost of productivity for individual workers, but for companies as well.

I work remotely, and one of the biggest challenges is all of the little delays that add up to a lot of time spent waiting. Waiting for meetings to launch. Waiting for files to upload. Waiting for images to sync across devices or networks.

5G, in addition to significantly faster data speeds, also means far lower latency. That's the short delay between the time when you request data and when it starts to download. 5G networks feature almost no latency, meaning that not only can you send more data with a command or interaction, but you can also do it instantly.

The bottom line is that when you're no longer chained to an Ethernet cable or the availability of a Wi-Fi hotspot, the opportunities for staying productive no matter where you work start to become real. There's really no question that the future of work is increasingly remote. With the rollout of 5G, that future is near and it's arriving quickly.

This is the phone that will change photography.

Meet Galaxy S20, S20+, and S20 Ultra. With revolutionary 8K Video Snap changing how you capture not just video, but photography — and 5G changing the way you share it. Add in Samsung Knox security, an intelligent battery, powerful processor, and massive storage — and the Galaxy S20 series unveils a whole new world for mobile.

Ranging from $1,000 to $1,600, available March 6th

Highly Anticipated

"Indie Soul Journeys" series coming to PBS

Soul music fans have been anxiously awaiting the upcoming series Indie Soul Journeys, which chronicles the lives of some of the hardest working people in show business, the leaders in the independent soul music community. As the show gets ready for its PBS debut this Spring, here is a brief interview with the show’s creator, John Jointer, who has also been working on the independent movie, Undeniable.

What is Indie Soul Journeys, and how does it differ from Undeniable? Indie Soul Journeys is a music docuseries that chronicles the personal and professional lives of the brightest and best artists within the indie soul music community. Our inaugural season will have episodes featuring artists like Eric Roberson, Avery Sunshine, Maysa Leak, Sy Smith, Frank McComb, and Yahzarah St. James. The difference between Indie Soul Journeys and Undeniable (our feature-length documentary project) is that Undeniable focuses on the broader story of the history behind the indie soul music movement and community, whereas Indie Soul Journeys focuses on individual stories of various artists within that community.

Eric Roberson

What can indie-soul fans expect from Indie Soul Journeys? Indie Soul fans can expect an inspirational and aspirational series that will uplift, motivate and encourage our viewers. Indie Soul Journeys is a fresh, inspiring docuseries profiling independent soul artists who have overcome extraordinary personal adversity in their pursuit to make their musical dreams come true.

Will this series replace Undeniable, or is that a project still in the works? Indie Soul Journeys was originally meant to pick up where Undeniable left off. They are two independent, yet interconnected projects. So, we have every intention of finishing Undebiable and ensuring that the very necessary and important story of the independent soul music movement is told.

Why did you create Indie Soul Journeys? The reason we created Indie Soul journeys is simple. These are important stories that deserve to be told. These are stories of music artists that are continuing and furthering a musical tradition that was birthed in this country by AfricanAmericans. It is music uniquely our own, and that makes these stories uniquely ours as well. And, my team and I felt that preserving the stories of these amazing music artists was of the utmost importance.

When will Indie Soul Journeys premiere? Indie Soul Journeys will premiere on PBS locally in Chicago in the Spring of 2020. There will then be a national premiere on PBS stations around the country later in the year.

Maysa Leaks

For those who are not in Chicago, how can they view/support Indie Soul Journeys? Folks can follow us on our social media platforms, for now, to receive any news and updates on Indie Soul Journeys. You can follow us on Facebook: @indiesouljourneys, on Twitter: @indiesojourneys, and on Instagram: @indie_soul_journey Avery Sunshine

We'll keep SoulTrackers posted as this much anticipated series gets closer!

By soultracks.com

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Ben Slayton (Blacknews.com)

CEO SEEKS TO INCREASE AFRICAN AMERICAN HOMEOWNERSHIP THROUGH LEGACY

by Marie Cyprien for blackenterprise.com

Ben Slayton, president and CEO of LEGACY Home Loans, has recently opened two new branch offices located in predominantly black communities. Slayton’s company is based in Las Vegas and is considered to be one of the most successful black-owned mortgage banking firms with a focus on building homeownership due to its unwavering loyalty to black communities throughout America.

Slayton has been a prominent community leader since he became the first African American realtor in America in 1964.

The reason behind Slayton’s use of the “legacy” lies in the fact that it has a special meaning to black Americans. Legacy is basically our desire to leave a large amount of wealth for our families. Homeownership is one of the main ways Americans gain wealth. However, African American homeownership is at an all-time low with only 41% of black Americans owning their own homes.

According to Slayton, “If we work together, we can increase that 41% to something close to where the White population is at 72%, which is over a 30% homeownership gap. We all need to do something about this, and one way is to start building sustainable wealth through homeownership and start leaving legacies for our families.”

The new branch offices are located all over the country including Hyde Park in Illinois, a suburb that was Barack Obama’s hometown and downtown Atlanta which is the hometown of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. According to BlackNews.com, the Illinois location is managed by Leonard Pollard, a 25-year veteran of the mortgage business while the Georgia location is managed by Tony Bryant who is also a 25-year veteran of the mortgage business.

What separates LEGACY Home Loans from other mortgage companies is that it uses the profits of the branches to not only open additional locations but to be able to hire people in predominantly black communities and donate to resources that serve the black community as a whole.

According to BlackNews.com, Slayton’s vision for the future of LEGACY Home Loans is to make it a household name in the black American community “when it comes to the purchase of a new home or a refinance of an existing home, by opening branch offices in every city in the United States that has 25% or more of African Americans in the population. And, by hiring local mortgage professionals in the black communities and giving them the tools, loan programs, and resources, they can compete head-to-head with any mortgage lender in the United States.”

What Is

Sexual Fluidity, Really?

A professor of human sexuality helps us clear up the confusion.

By Debby Herbenick for vice.com

"My guy pretty like a girl. And he got fight stories to tell," Frank Ocean sings on his new single. "I see both sides like Chanel."

Ocean is one of a growing number people— albeit, probably the one with the highest profile—who in recent years have begun to publicly resist strict labels on their sexuality. It could also explain why, especially among students in my human sexuality classes, one of the most frequent questions I get is on the topic of sexual fluidity. Thanks in part to celebrities like Ocean—not to mention Miley Cyrus , who identifies as pansexual, and Kristen Stewart, who has said that she's bisexual but also declared herself "so gay " on a recent Saturday Night Live episode, sexual fluidity is having a moment.

And what I've found is that people are intrigued, but also confused. So, what exactly does it mean

to be sexually fluid? Let's start with the basics: The term first gained widespread popularity after the publication of a 2008 book, Sexual Fluidity: Understanding Women's Love and Desire , by the researcher Lisa Diamond, a psychologist at the University of Utah.

In short, sexual fluidity refers to the idea that a person's attractions, and therefore their sexual identity—lesbian, gay, bisexual, heterosexual—can change over time. That's not a new idea: More than 70 years ago, sex researcher Alfred Kinsey and his team noticed this possibility when they interviewed thousands of Americans about their sexual lives and experiences. It wasn't unusual for people to describe sexual attractions to or even sexual behaviors with members of both sexes.

There are at least two beautifully written and acted scenes depicting this in the film Kinsey that come to mind, which you should watch if you haven't yet. (Full disclosure: I work with the Kinsey Institute, which continues to research human sexuality.)

To describe this "shifting" in scientific terms, Kinsey and his colleagues created what they called the Heterosexual-Homosexual Rating Scale—commonly known as "the Kinsey Scale."

On one end of the scale, a rating of zero means "exclusively heterosexual" and on the far end a six refers to being "exclusively homosexual.�

Yet in their research, they noted that many people's sexual behavior was somewhere in between, and there could actually be movement along the scale over the course of a person's lifetime.

That idea is clicking with a lot of people today: For instance, maybe a woman was always into men and identified as heterosexual. Then she developed a particularly close emotional bond with another woman (emotional attachments are a common pathway to sexual fluidity, though certainly not the only way), and found herself sexually attracted.

Sometimes, women who go through this experience still consider themselves heterosexual, but into women. That's where it can get confusing: Their attraction shifts, but they still identify with the same orientation.

Other women come to identify as bisexual or lesbian, both in identity and attraction. All of this underscores how personal and subjective, ultimately, a person's sexual identity is. Put simply, you get to come up with your own identity and describe it as you see fit.

That's something I remind my students when they describe their interests or behaviors and ask me to tell them "what they are." That's not for me to decide: As a researcher, I often have participants describing their identity as everything from "open" to "it's the person, not the gender" to "bicurious" and "it depends.�

Obviously, these gray areas can be hard to accept if you're someone who believes we're all born with a single, persistent sexual

orientation. Decades worth of research, however, suggests that's just not the case: Sexual orientation is in fact highly complex, and there are likely multiple influences on who you're attracted to and who you have sex with—including medications your mother may have taken while pregnant and even, if you're a guy, your birth order.

Most of the research to date, however, has focused more on women than men. So far, it seems that more women than men report changes in their sexual attractions and identities—particularly women who are sexual minorities, like lesbian and bisexual women. Bisexual men, as you might expect, also report higher than average levels of fluidity. And as I mentioned before, it's not unusual for some hetero-identified people to describe having had some kind of intimate same-sex experience. Even people who identify as asexual have experienced these shifts.

So why should all this matter to you? For one thing, if you find yourself attracted to a gender you were never into before, it's important to know that those feelings aren't rare or weird or abnormal. And if a friend or family member or partner shifts, understanding this basic fact may help you to be more compassionate and accepting—especially when other people might not be as understanding.

Love and sexual attraction are complex.

Sometimes things make perfect sense and it's easy to rationalize why we've fallen for someone. Other times, however, I'm hard pressed to put it any better than the French writer Michel de Montaigne. "If pressed to say why I loved him," de Montaigne once wrote, "I can only say because it was him, because it was me."

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Photograph: Kehinde Wiley, courtesy of Stephen Friedman Gallery

Kehinde Wiley: ‘I took the DNA of William Morris and created hybrids By Claire Wrathall for theguardian.com Kehinde Wiley at the opening of his Wiley Meets David exhibition at Malmaison Castle, Paris, October 2019.

Photograph: Alfonso Jimenez/Rex/Shutterstock

Best known for his portrait of Barack Obama, the artist’s first solo London show is inspired by a tale of insanity and the women of Dalston

Naomi and Her Daughters, 2013. Courtesy of Stephen Friedman Gallery

While growing up in South Central Los Angeles in the 1980s, the Nigerian-American

artist Kehinde Wiley, 42, discovered the work of the 19th-century British textile designer, writer and social reformer William Morris.

“He’s not so well known in the US,” he says. “But my mom was what you might call a junk dealer. [Her store] wasn’t really an antique store, but it sold second-hand furniture, oftentimes from old estates. So as a kid, I grew up seeing a lot of floral patterns, some Morris-inspired, some actual Morris pieces, among the stuff she was selling. And from very early in my life, there was this ornate sensibility inscribed.”

Though Wiley has diversified into film and sculpture (his 8.5m-high equestrian bronze Rumors of War was recently installed in Richmond, Virginia. It echoes the city’s monument to the Confederate general JEB Stuart, whom Wiley replaced with an African-American man in a hoodie and jeans), he is best known for his paintings of people, notably the official portrait of Barack Obama in the Smithsonian’s National Portrait in the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery in Washington DC.

Saint Jerome Hearing the Trumpet of Last Judgment, 2018. Photograph: Kehinde Wiley, courtesy of Roberts Projects

In it the 44th President of the United States, dressed in an open-necked shirt, his

posture relaxed, sits amid a dense tangle of intricately painted foliage and flowers.

It’s a backdrop, says Wiley, he could never have painted “without an interest in the William Morris style of block printing”.

Obama is seated, the chair resting, one assumes, on a soft, unseen bed of soil. But the bottoms of his shiny black shoes simply float. © Kehinde Wiley

Over the past decade he’s included literal representations of several familiar Morris designs – Honeysuckle, Iris, Blackthorn and Granada among them – in his portraits, though in Wiley’s hands the colours can be clashingly vibrant. “And it was only after working with that sort of decorative style that I began to take the DNA of Morris and build upon it to create hybrids of my own, these kind of all-over patterns that feel random and chaotic as opposed to that very rational order you see in traditional Morris prints.”

It’s appropriate, then, that his first solo in Walthamstow, northeast Londonshow in a UK museum, a survey of portraits of women, will be at the William Morris Gallery .

Though he’s painted celebrities from Michael Jackson to the rapper Mahogany Jones, none of the sitters in this new body of work are well known. He recruited them one afternoon, in Dalston, east London, where he and a team of assistants spent an afternoon scouting, “mostly in marketplaces”, where drawn by “their dress, attitude, looks, carriage or charisma,” they approached a succession of “complete strangers.

We would show them examples of my paintings,” he says.

“And I would just plead my case. For some it was an immediate yes, and for others it was a decided no. But I think what you’ll see is a kind of cross-section of the community.”13

Kehinde Wiley, “St. John the Baptist in the Wilderness” from “The World Stage: Jamaica“ series 2013

Kehinde Wiley’s “Napoleon Leading the Army over the Alps,” 2005. Wiley’s work will be the subject of a major retrospective at the Brooklyn Museum starting Feb. 20. Sarah DiSantis, courtesy of the artist and Brooklyn Museum

Joined by a sea of onlookers gathered in Times Square, Kehinde Wiley unveiled “Rumors of War” (2019) on Sept. 27. The artist’s first public monument is made of patinated bronze and stands more than 27 feet high on a stone pedestal. “Rumors of War” was on display on the Broadway Plaza between 46th and 47th Streets through Dec. 1, 2019. After the New York City presentation, Wiley’s largest work to date was moved to Richmond, Va., where it was installed permanently in front of the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts on Arthur Ashe Boulevard. New York Times

Kehinde Wiley discusses his portrait of Barack Obama, his "Rumors of War" statue and his painting "Napoleon Leading the Army Over the Alps" exhibited at the Brooklyn Museum on The Daily Show with Trevor Noah.

The title of the show, The Yellow Wallpaper, is a reference to the short story by the American feminist writer Charlotte Perkins Gilman, a friend of Morris’s daughter, May, in which a woman suffering from what she calls a “nervous depression – a slight hysterical tendency” finds her condition exacerbated by the wallpaper – “one of those sprawling flamboyant patterns committing every artistic sin” – on the walls of the bedroom in which she finds herself sequestered.

Published in 1892, four years before Gilman met the Morrises, it’s a work, says Wiley, that “explores the contours of femininity and insanity” and made a big impression on him when he read it as an art student at the San Francisco Art Institute, from which he went on to Yale.

What fascinated him were “the correlations, for me at least, between the sense of powerlessness and the sense of invention that happens in a person who’s not seen, who’s not respected and whose sense of autonomy is in question,” he says. “These same issues can be seen in conversations concerning race and class. In Perkins Gilman’s case it was to do with gender, but it made me want to explore the [effects of] different types of confinement. And the story provides the perfect foil for that.” Not least because the wallpaper plays a part, too. “That’s right,” he says. “The show will be a coming together of so many different impulses.”

Kehinde Wiley: The Yellow Wallpaper, runs from 22 February to 25 May at the William Morris Gallery, London E17 (wmgallery.org.uk)

First trailer for ‘Justice League Dark: Apokolips War’

Oh hell yeah! Coming on the heels of the well-received Warner Bros. Home Entertainment

animated film Superman: Red Son, comes the highly anticipated Justice League Dark: Apokolips War, which is an adaptation of the DC Comic.

The film is basically the animated version of Marvel’s Civil War and Infinity War. Featuring a slew of DC heroes from both the Justice League and Justice League Dark, the focus is on their fight with Darkseid and his minions. as they face-off against Darkseid and his minions.

The trailer, exclusively on IGN, mostly spotlights the likes of Superman and Batman, with only brief glimpses of Green Lantern (John Stewart), Lex Luthor, Darkseid, Cyborg, John Constantine, Swamp Thing and some of the other Justice League Dark members. One would assume the magic-wielding heroes will be the main focus of the actual movie, but we’ll have to wait and see.

Check out the trailer along with a more detailed synopsis and full cast list below, and let us know what you think.

Watch it On-Demand NOW!

Click Here To See The Trailer

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