Issue 20  |  June 2010

Kehinde Wiley’s Legends of Unity

New York artist Kehinde Wiley was commissioned by Puma to create artwork for their brand for the 2010 African Cup of Nations. The paintings are currently on show in NYC.

Source: Hustler of Culture

A Black “Oceans Eleven”?

Brett Ratner’s next movie, a comedy tentatively titled Tower Heist, will feature Eddie Murphy, Chris Rock and Chris Tucker. The new film is about a group of con-men who devise a plan to swindle the residents of New York’s upscale Trump Tower, where they also work. Ocean’s Eleven writer penned the script. Ben Still is reported to have joined the cast.

Source: Digital Spy

Celebrated art of Haiti is buried under rubble

The earthquake that killed so many also demolished the island’s galleries and destroyed thousands of paintings

Number 18 Rue Bouvreuil was once a mecca for lovers of Haitian art. Outside the Musee Galerie d’Art Nader, perched on a hillside overlooking Port-au-Prince, a sign greeted visitors. “On top of the town, top in the arts,” it boasted. Inside, the walls were plastered with thousands of paintings recording nearly a century of Haitian history.

Read full story on The Sheet

Day 3 of NY Fashion Week

A run down of day 3 of New York Fashion week, with George Chakra, Lacoste, Andy & Debb, Adam Lippes, Peter Som, Ohne Titel, Prabal Gurun, Twinkle by Wenlan and the Arise Collective closing the show.

Erykah Badu + Lil’ Wayne: Jump up in the Air

I love Badu why did she team up with the little troll? Still a good track though:

Dumas movie starts row over black Depardieu

A fuss over race has soured the release of the latest film in which Gérard Depardieu takes on one of the giants of French history. Black actors and anti-racism campaigners are upset that the white star is cast as Alexandre Dumas, the country’s biggest national hero with mixed blood.

Read the full article on Times Online

Read our feature on Haiti’s cultural heritage: Dumas is of Haitian ancestry

We Are the World 25 for Haiti

I get goosebumps listening to this track! Apart from minor quibbles (why the Janet Jackson’s insert?), it’s quite a superb track!

Beyonce wearing African prints

Stills from Alicia Keys and Beyonce’s track ‘Put It in a Love Song’ are flooding the net. Both singers can be seen wearing African prints. The designs are orginals from Boxing Kitten. Far from being trailblazers, Beyonce and Alicia Keys are late on this trend.

Beyonce’s sister Solange was spotted wearing Boxing Kitten designs months ago.

Idris Elba makes music

TV made him famous but The Wire actor says that he would rather create his own world than star in someone else’s. New EP High Class Problems Vol 1 is not gangsta rap but a collection of personal, unabashedly romantic hip hop soul tracks that sees 37-year-old Elba, in his musician guise as Driis, crooning rather than spitting lyrics.

Music is not a new (ahem) string to Elba’s bow: this is his second EP, following 2006’s more hip hopfocused Big Man. But Elba also started DJing as Big Driis back in his teens, progressing from wedding parties to sound systems.

Read the full story on Metro

And the M-Net Face of Africa is…

22-year-old Lukando Nalungwe from Zambia. The model took the prize of $50 000, a modeling contract from O Model Africa and skincare products from Iman Cosmetics for 12 months.

Read the full story at Times Live

How Tarell Alvin McCraney took Hamlet back to school

Playwright Tarell Alvin McCraney survived an abusive childhood to become one of American theatre’s brightest young talents. He tells Nosheen Iqbal why getting a bunch of fidgety 11-year-olds to be excited by Shakespeare is his toughest challenge yet – but one he couldn’t resist.

Read the full review on Guardian

Gil Scott-Heron: the Godfather of rap comes back

In the 70s and 80s, Gil Scott-Heron’s music was a mesmerising mix of wry poetry and politics and he became known as ‘the godfather of rap’ and ‘the black Bob Dylan’. But then he got into drugs and, not so long ago, it looked like he was finished. Now the great outsider is back, he’s made a new album and he’s here on tour. He tells his extraordinary story.

Read full story on the Guardian

Behind the scenes for ‘World: ‘A good vibe going on’

HOLLYWOOD — The scene inside Henson Recording Studios Monday evening was eerily familiar and altogether altered. Quincy Jones in headphones raised a victorious fist before conducting a fresh take of We Are the World before a celebrity choir. Déjà vu.

But this was a fresh slate of singers. Not a single returnee stood among the 80-plus celebrities linking voices on We Are the World: 25 for Haiti, an updated twist on the classic that raised $63 million for African famine relief efforts.

Lionel Richie, who co-wrote the original, envisioned a new generation for the remake benefiting Haiti earthquake victims, said Randy Phillips, president/CEO of AEG Live. “He didn’t want to do the same thing again. That would have been an easier way to book this thing.”
Read the full story and check the pictures at USA Today

Sophie Okonedo set for Doctor Who

Sophie Okonedo is apparently set to appear in the new series of Doctor Who.

The Hotel Rwanda actress – who recently portrayed Winnie Mandela for a BBC drama – will feature in the second episode of the new series, according to The Sun.

The newspaper claimed she had already secretly filmed some scenes for the show, and that she will play a character called Liz Ten.

A source told the newspaper: “Getting Sophie on board is a huge coup for the BBC.”

Sophie has already provided a voiceover for the sci-fi hit, for the character of Alison Cheney in the 2003 mini-series Scream Of The Shalka.

Via the Associated Press

Naomi Campbell to Stage Runway Show for Haiti at New York and London Fashion Weeks

Today the mega-model is announcing her plans to organize a celeb-filled Fashion for Relief runway show and auction during New York Fashion Week. The show, which will be hosted by Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York, is slated for 7 p.m. on Feb. 12 at the tents at Bryant Park. The proceeds from ticket sales and auction items will benefit the earthquake recovery efforts in Haiti through Care, an organization dedicated to fighting global poverty, especially among women.

Campbell is also staging a similar show during London Fashion Week. We spoke to the supermodel In between organizing both events and getting ready for her own strut down the runway.

Read the full story at Stylelist