Page 21 - Florida Sentinel 7-28-17

Entertainment
Will Packer Announces Partnership With Universal Pictures And Discovery
Kendrick Lamar Tops VMA Award Nominations With 9
Following a record-breaking weekend at the box office for his latest release, Girls Trip, producer Will Packer has an- nounced a partnership with Universal Pictures and Discov- ery Communications for a TV production and branded-con- tent deal.
Will Packer Media will pro- duce a wide range of media, from scripted and unscripted series to advertising campaigns to short form content on a branded digital platform.
As a part of Discovery’s in- vestment, Packer will have a first-look deal with Oprah Winfrey’s OWN. The pro-
St. Petersburg native, Will Packer has signed a big TV deal.
ducer’s previous forays into
television include the Emmy- nominated remake of Roots and BET series Being Mary Jane, starring Gabrielle Union.
Will Packer Media will also develop and produce ad cam- paigns for branded clients. As a part of this endeavor, the company has acquired technol- ogy and creative agency Narra- tive_, a Cannes Lion shortlisted firm started by Tri- cia Clarke-Stone and Rus- sell Simmons that has developed marketing cam- paigns for the likes of Under Armour, JCPenney and Sam- sung, among others.
The 2017 nominations for the MTV Video Music Awards were announced on Instagram Live Tuesday. Kendrick Lamar leads the nominations with eight nods for his “HUM- BLE” music video.
Katy Perry and The Weeknd follow with five nom- inations.
In a new twist, the network announced that it will combine the Best Female Video and Best Male Video categories into Artist of the Year.
Other stars who racked up nominations include Bruno Mars, Ariana Grande, and
Kendrick Lamar’s DAMN album has put him at the top.
Chance the Rapper.
The VMAs air Sunday, Au- gust 27 at 8 p.m. ET/PT.
JAY-Z’s Spotify Refusal Could Be Costing Him $1M A Week
R. Kelly Hires Bill Cosby’s Former Lawyer To Deal With Allegations
According to reports, Robert “R.” Kelly is turning to a woman that was once a central part of Bill Cosby’s legal team.
It appears Kelly is hoping veteran lawyer Monique Pressley can help him in his latest public relations fiasco.
The British publication Daily Mail claims the R&B singer hired the DC-based Pressley Firm.
Pressley, an ordained min- ister, was often seen on televi- sion defending Cosby regarding allegations he sexu-
R. Kelly has hired Atty. Monique Presley.
ally assaulted numerous women.
She stepped down as part of the comedian’s legal defense last August.
Like Cosby, Kelly has been accused of sexually related crimes during his career.
In 2008, he was found not guilty of child pornography.
JAY-Z is reportedly sacri- ficing up to $1 million a week by refusing to allow his new album to stream on the Spotify music service.
The rap mogul released 4:44 exclusively on his Tidal stream- ing app last month, before making it available on other services, including Apple Music, but the album remains absent from Spotify.
Industry insiders tell Bill- board.com the decision could be costing JAY-Z hundreds of thousands of dollars, based on payments collected by other top artists.
JAY-Z pulled his catalog from Spotify earlier this year.
The hip-hop superstar, who pulled back his catalog from Spotify earlier this year, has yet to comment on the report.
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