Page 27 - Florida Sentinel 2-10-17

Entertainment
Russell Simmons Sells RushCard Business For $147 Million
Vince Staples Announces Release Date For 2nd Album
VINCE STAPLES
Vince Staples is gearing up to drop his sophomore album, according to Pitchfork.
The LP will be given to those who purchased VIP packages for Vince’s The Life Aquatic Tour, which starts February
24, and the label says the proj- ect is on its way to the public “very soon.”
The album will include the Long Beach rapper’s new sin- gle “Bagbak.”
This is the follow-up to the 23-year-old MC’s debut album, Summertime ’06, a double disc project that dropped in 2015 to critical ac- claim.
He also received his first plaque, a Gold certification in Australia for his work on Flume’s “Smoke and Retri- bution.”
Common Talks About Role In ‘John Wick 2’ Movie Out Friday
Russell Simmons expanded his brand to help the average person with financial free- dom, however a major glitch in 2015 threw the business into turmoil, that Simmons manage to handle by putting up $25M of his own money to cover.
Judging from the energy in his voice, Russell Simmons has great passion for Rush- Card and the industry he ig- nited—prepaid card services. He’s swatted naysayers who’ve accused his creation of preying on underserved com-
munities since launching RushCard roughly 15 years ago.
His company weathered a potentially business-killing event when, in 2015, a failed migration to a new transac- tion processor left thousands of cardholders unable to ac- cess funds.
He described that experi- ence to as “one of the most devastating times in my adult life.” He worked with regula- tors, put aside $25 million to repay injured RushCard hold- ers, then promised to “spend a lot more money than that in the community” through pro- grams such as RUSH art and education and peacekeeping initiatives.
And through the turmoil, Uncle Rush remained unde- terred. Last week (February 1), RushCard announced it was being acquired by com- peting prepaid card services company, GreenDot, for a re- ported $147 Million.
Uncle Rush says the busi- ness deal gives him the fi- nances needed to do more community activism.
More New Faces Added To ‘Power’: Larenz Tate Is One Of Them
Larenz Tate (“Game of Si- lence,” “House of Lies”) is set for a recurring role on the up- coming fourth season of the Starz’s hit drama series “Power.”
Tate will play Rashad Tate, a city councilman from Jamaica Queens, per Yahoo.com. The actor is best known for his roles as Peter Waters in “Crash” and as O- Dog in the 1993 hood film, “Menace II Society.”
His other films include
“Dead Presidents,” “Love Jones,” “Why Do Fools Fall in Love,” “A Man Apart,” “Waist Deep,” “Biker Boyz” and “Ray.
”Power” follows James “Ghost” St. Patrick, a drug kingpin living a double life
Larenz Tate added to the cast.
who seeks redemption in S4.
Curtis “50 Cent” Jack- son, Mark Canton, Ran- dall Emmett and Gary Lennon serve as executive producers on “Power,” which returns this summer on Starz
Common returns as the main baddie who tangles with Keanu Reeves (John Wick).
Chicago rapper Common has a high profile role in the upcoming movie “John Wick 2.”
The ultra violent action thriller reprises Keanu Reeves’ role as legendary hit- man John Wick who is forced back out of retirement by a former associate plotting to seize control of a shadowy international assassins' guild. Bound by a blood oath to help him, John travels to Rome where he squares off against some of the world's deadliest killers.
Common returns as the main baddie who will tangle with Keanu Reeves' titular assassin.
Common said filming the movie was demanding on all of the actors, most of whom per- formed their own stunts.
“When we were fighting, man, he [Keanu] was intense, Common said in a recent in- terview. “It was intense and we were going at it. Not to hurt each other, but it’s like, ‘Man, I’m about to deliver.’
Common’s role in “John Wick 2” is just the first of sev- eral high-profile appearances he will make on the big screen over 2017.
The Windy City M.C. is also starring in the upcoming films “A Happening of Monumental Proportions,” “Coco,” and the movie “Megan Leavey.”
Jim Jones/ Jay Z Beef Is Over! Jones Signs With Jay Z’s Roc Nation
Beyonce Being Sued For ‘Formation’ By Sister Of Slain New Orleans Bounce Artist
Jim Jones and Jay Z have a long history. Through it all, many beefs brewed. Now older and wiser, Jim Jones has worked a deal and signed with Jay Z’s Roc Nation.
Beyonce is being sued by the sister of New Orleans bounce artist Messy Mya murdered in 2010.
Beyonce is being sued for $20 million by the sister of a murdered New Orleans bounce artist.
According to The Advocate, Angel Barre, sister of Messy Mya, said that Bey- oncé used her brother’s “voice, performance and words from his copyrighted works to create the tone, mood, setting and location of the New Orleans-themed ‘For- mation’ video and audio recordings” without authori- zation or permission.
Messy Mya, born An- thony Barre, was shot dead in 2010 after leaving the baby shower of his pregnant girl- friend.
Barre is suing for royalties and seeking writer, composer, producer and performer credit to her brother.
Beyoncé’s label Sony Music and a company both owned by her and husband, Jay Z (pos- sibly Parkwood Entertain- ment) are named in the lawsuit as well.
Barre alleged that both the “Formation” video and the Lemonade video album com- mitted copyright infringe- ment.
However, the samples using Messy Mya’s vocals don’t ap- pear on the hour film or actual album, only the “Formation” video alongside sound bits from Big Freedia.
The history between Jay Z and the Harlem-based Diplomats crew (Jim Jones, Cam’ron, Juelz etc.) has long been a thorny one. Under the supervision of Jay's Roc-a-fella Records, Diplomats mainstay Cam'ron had the biggest record of his career, and Roc- a-fella co-founder Dame Dash and Diplomats capo Jim Jones grew up together.
But starting in the mid- 2000s, a series of personal and business disagreements led to bad blood between (and within) the two camps, with
diss tracks flying back and forth (and back...and forth...) Now, it appears all of that is at an end. On Tuesday, Vic Medina of Roc Nation posted a photo on Instagram of Jim Jones signing some paperwork. He captioned it, "It's a done deal... Jim
Jones/Roc Nation." Remember, Like Fat Joe,
these guys had BEEF!
Look at it like this, Jim
Jones is just coming back home...minus Dame and Cam, who he has been beef- ing with recently.
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