Page 25 - Florida Sentinel 4-2-21

Entertainment
‘Sesame Street’ Introduces Two Black Muppets For Powerful Series On Race
Signed Jay-Z Trading Card Sold For A Record- Breaking Price
“Sesame Street” reiterated on its commitment to spot- lighting diverse voices this week by unveiling a heartfelt segment featuring two new Black Muppets as well as other digital resources.
The roughly three-minute clip, titled “Explaining Race,” introduces viewers to 5-year- old Wesley Walker and his father, Elijah. As the pair are enjoying an afternoon nature walk, Elmo arrives to engage them in a short and age-appro- priate conversation that touches on their Black identity.
Using autumn leaves as a metaphor, Elijah tells Wes
Wesley and Elijah Walker made their “Sesame Street” debut in “Explaining Race,” a digital segment that was released on March 23.
and Elmo, “When people of all colors come together, we stand strong, like this tree.”
Released Tuesday, “Ex- plaining Race” was included in “The ABCs of Racial Literacy,”
a new digital content series produced by “Sesame Street” in conjunction with its ongoing “Coming Together” effort meant to emphasize racial jus- tice.
Dr. Dre’s Decision To Back Out Of ‘Verzuz’ Battle Revealed By Swizz Beatz
JAY-Z AND BEYONCE HOLDING SIGNED CARD
Dr. Dre has an ear for per- fection that has made him nearly a billionaire but it has also stopped fans from getting performances and projects they crave. The latter reared its head when Dre backed out of a Verzuz battle.
During a recent interview with the Breakfast Club, Verzuz co-creator, Swizz Beatz, revealed that Dre was signed on to do a Verzuz battle but the platform’s early techni- cal issues turned him off to the
N-More.
“When Dr. Dre wasn’t feel-
ing the sound from Teddy Riley and Babyface, that hurt our heart. Oh my God,” Swizz said. “He was supposed to come at the end and an- nounce that he was gon’ do VERZUZ that night... He got on the phone, he was like ‘man, I can’t be a part of nothing that sound like that, my legacy is quality’. I was like ‘oh, we just lost Dre’... that one felt pretty crazy.”
Last week, a 2005 Topps “Signs Of Stardom” trading card signed by the Jigga Man was up for sale by Goldin Auctions. The 1-of-1 card was initially lingering around the $2,000 mark on the online auction site before one buyer started to heat up the race. Eventually, the sale closed at $105,780 which is the most spent on any non- sport/TCG card.
“An all-time record for any non-sports/TCG card,” the auction site said in an Insta- grampost.
Jay-Z’s success outside of rap only adds to the legend he created by being one of the best MCs to ever do it. His status as a cross-cultural icon was evident by the bread that was blown to secure this trading card.
DR. DRE
idea, as reported by HipHop-
Nicki Minaj's Mother Files $150M Lawsuit Against Hit-And-Run Driver
Nicki Minaj's mother filed a $150 million lawsuit against the man who is facing charges in connection to a hit-and-run accident that killed the rap- per's father.
Attorneys Ben Crump and Paul J. Napoli filed the law- suit on Friday in the Supreme Court of the State of New York on behalf of Carol Maraj.
The Nassau County Police Department confirmed with Insider that Robert Maraj died on Saturday, February 13, at the age of 64.
He was walking on a road- way between Roslyn Road and Raff Avenue in Mineola, New York, on February 12 when a vehicle struck him at 6:15 p.m. Robert was transported to a local hospital, where he was in critical condition before he
Rapper Nicki Minaj and Carol Maraj attend the Oscar De La Renta front Row during New York Fashion Week in 2018.
succumbed to his injuries. Four days after his death, Nassau County authorities said 70-year-old Charles Pole- vich was arrested in connec- tion with the incident after
turning himself in.
In a news conference last
month, Nassau County Police Detective Lt. Stephen Fitz- patrick said Polevich was "absolutely aware of what hap-
pened" during the incident, the Associated Press reported.
"He got out of the car and he looked at the deceased, got into his car, and made the con- scious decision to leave instead of dialing 911, instead of calling an ambulance for the man," said Fitzpatrick.
He added: "He went home and secluded the vehicle. He's well aware of what he did."
FRIDAY, APRIL 2, 2021 FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY FRIDAY PAGE 13-B