Posts made in May 2020

D-Nice continues to burn baby burn like disc inferno. And his hot streak doesn’t show any signs of being extinguished anytimeA soon. We consider D-Nice a Hip Hop Legend, Classic EMCEE, Producer and DJ. His insanely popular “Club Quarintine” is an instant Classic! Well deserved from a pioneer who paid his dues perfecting his craft including the work that he has done with KRS ONE and  releasing his own album the Instant Classic LP “Call Me D-Nice” in 1990. 

1/ST Preakness At Home To Include A Safe Drive-InFieldFest 
Exclusively Benefitting First Responders 
 
Baltimore, MD –The spirit of the legendary Preakness Stakes will be celebrated in unique fashion this year with the 1/ST Preakness At Homelivestream event featuring a look back at the fun, festivities and world-class Thoroughbred racing of Preakness past. The one-hour show, hosted by NBC Sports’ Laffit Pincay III and XBTV’s Zoe Cadman, will air on Saturday, May 16that 6 p.m. ETon Facebook.com/Preakness. The livestream event will feature appearances by some of racing’s biggest stars including, Hall of Fame trainer and seven-time Preakness winner Bob Baffert and Triple Crown winning jockey Mike Smith along with special messages from Maryland’s own baseball royalty, Cal Ripken Jr. and Jim Palmer. The livestream will include behind the scenes footage, never before seen content and a mashup of some of the best musical performances from previous InfieldFest concerts along with a special performance by the Naval Academy Glee Club. 

“The1/ST Preakness At Homerepresents our company’s vision to expand and deliver unique entertainment and horse racing content to a new and wider audience,” said Belinda Stronach, 1/ST Chairman and President. “The coronavirus pandemic changed the Preakness celebrations this year, but it gave us the opportunity to enhance an already incredible event and to imagine what new traditions could be incorporated into the Preakness of the future. We look forward to being back at Pimlico when it is safe to do so.” 
 
The1/ST Preakness At Homewill follow NBC’s nationally televised broadcast,The Middle Jewel: American Pharoah’s Run to the Triple Crown, airing on May 16that 5 p.m. ET.  NBC Sports’ Mike Tirico will open the show and will host a segment in which Belinda Stronach, 1/ST Chairman and President and Maryland Governor Larry Hogan will announce the new date for Preakness 145 at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland. The Preakness Stakes, typically held on the third Saturday in May, was postponed in March due to the coronavirus pandemic. 
 
The1/ST Preakness At Homewill also feature a Drive-InFieldFest, the nation’s first full-scale safe drive-in concert featuring a live DJ set by D-Nice exclusively benefitting first responders that will take place at 1/ST Racing’s Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Florida, produced by 1/ST Live.  
 
Respecting all social distancing requirements, D-Nice’s set will transmit live via guests’ car radios and will also stream live on YouTube via www.1stlivepresents.com. 
 
The 1/ST Preakness At Homecampaign was launched in collaboration with Hennegan Brothers Creative on the Preakness social channels featuring vignettes of Bob Baffert, Doug O’Neill and Mike Smith preparing for this third Saturday in May in ways they never have before. Those vignettes can be found here. 
For more information please visit www.preakness.com. Follow all of the excitement of the Preakness Stakes on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram – @PreaknessStakes, #Preakness, #1STPreaknessAtHome. 
 
About The Stronach Group and 1/ST
The Stronach Group is a world-class technology, entertainment and real estate development company with Thoroughbred racing and pari-mutuel wagering at the core.  The company’s consumer facing brand 1/ST (pronounced “First”) powers The Stronach Group’s forward-thinking 1/ST Racing, 1/ST Technology, 1/ST Live and 1/ST Properties businesses, while advocating for and driving the 1/ST Horse Care mission. 1/ST represents The Stronach Group’s continued movement toward redefining Thoroughbred racing and the ecosystem that drives it. 1/ST Racing drives the best-in-class horse racing operations at the company’s premier racetracks and training centers including: Santa Anita Park, Golden Gate Fields and San Luis Rey (California); Gulfstream Park – home of the Pegasus World Cup Championship Invitational Series, and Gulfstream Park West (Florida); and Laurel Park, Pimlico Race Course – home of the legendary Preakness Stakes, Rosecroft Raceway and Bowie Training Center (Maryland). 1/ST Technology is horse racing’s largest racing and gaming technology company offering world-class products via its AmTote, Xpressbet, 1/ST BET, XB SELECT, XB NET, PariMAX, Betmix, Monarch and XBTV brands. 1/ST Live blends the worlds of sports, entertainment and hospitality by delivering uniquely curated events such as InfieldFest and Pegasus LIV Stretch Village. 1/ST Properties is responsible for the development of the company’s live, work and play communities surrounding its racing venues including, The Village at Gulfstream Park (Florida) and Paddock Pointe (Maryland).  As the advocate for critical industry reforms and by making meaningful investments into aftercare programs for retired horses and jockeys, 1/ST Horse Care represents The Stronach Group’s commitment to achieving the highest level of horse and rider care and safety standards in Thoroughbred racing on and off the track. For more information please visit www.1st.com. 

CULTURE CREATORS CONTINUE ‘C2 SUMMIT’
HBCU INITIATIVE AS A VIRTUAL CONFERENCE
MAY 18 – 21 FOR GRADS SEEKING CAREER OPPORTUNITIES IN BUSINESS & ENTERTAINMENT

Execs from Pixar Animation Studios, Will Packer Productions, Motown Records, William Morris Endeavor, Live Nation, & More Slated to Speak

James Lopez to Host First “Culture Chat” Followed by Frank Abney III and Steve Pamon

The C2 Summit is in Partnership with Morgan Stanley and Powered by Microsoft

(NEW YORK, NY) – May 13, 2020 – Culture Creators, an exclusive platform established to cultivate and highlight the achievements of diverse professionals in entertainment, has announced that its second installment of the C2 Summit Series will take place online as a virtual conference Monday, May 18 through Thursday, May 21, 2020.


Following the success of last year’s inaugural event in Washington, D.C., the 2020 C2 Summit will provide HBCU students with a four-day digital experience that includes panel discussions, one-on-one interviews, speed mentoring, culture chats and a pitch competition. Attendees can take advantage of employment opportunities as well as unparalleled access to job recruiters and seasoned influencers with various backgrounds in business, entertainment, technology, finance, and lifestyle. Huge, a global experience agency, part of Interpublic Group (NYSE: IPG), has also joined the group of experts. The agency is making members of their team, including their Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Strategy and recruiters available for resume reviews and one-on-one mentoring.

Confirmed speakers are Chairwoman and COO (Atlantic Records) Julie Greenwald, Sports Agent (CAA) Carlos Fleming, General Manager (Motown) Marc Byers, Brands/Marketing (Mastercard) Jeffrey Swierk, Brands/Marketing (Heineken) Kenny Moore, Marketing Executive (Miami Dolphins) Marques Jackson, and Human Resources Exec (Nickelodeon) Courtney Oliver, to name a few. Panels will include entertainment attorneys, execs from William Morris Endeavor, Live Nation, The Coca-Cola Company, Rap Snacks, and more.  James Lopez (President of Will Packer Productions/Film and TV Producer) will host the first Culture Chat on Monday, May 18, at noon, followed by Frank Abney III (Filmmaker/Animator Pixar Animation Studios).  Steve Pamon (President/COO of Parkwood Entertainment) will host his Culture Chat on Tuesday, May 19, at 8:00 pm.  Rich Antoniello, (Founder and CEO of Complex Networks) will hold the last Culture Chat of the summit Thursday, May 21, at 8:00 pm.  Morgan Stanley’s Financial Culture Chats are always a crowd pleaser and will take place over three days during the summit.  Also, the C2 Summit team has created a special session dedicated to mental health awareness.

The C2 Summit is FREE for college students. Sign up now at aka.ms/cc2020.

 
Visit  http://theculturecreators.co/createnow/ for more information.

ABOUT CULTURE CREATORS
Culture Creators was founded in 2015 as an organization designed to celebrate black culture across passion points – music, television/film, visual arts, fashion, sports, tech, and entrepreneurship, specifically those who helped to create it and those who are now the ‘creators.’ The company operates as a national multimedia & experiential organization with a wide range of platforms but primarily focusing on education and digital content. By focusing on connecting the ‘old guard’ and the ‘new guard’ and serving as an outlet to educate, inspire and empower the younger generation of ‘creators,’ the company will build up a strong following of young adults known as millennials and generation Y.

 
In addition to thought leadership events, networking sessions and mentoring, and the annual “Innovators & Leaders Awards brunch, Culture Creators seeks to become the think-tank, talent incubator and pipeline for creatives, companies, and intellectuals who touch black culture in one form or another.

ABOUT MORGAN STANLEY
Morgan Stanley Wealth Management, a global leader, provides access to a wide range of products and services to individuals, businesses and institutions, including brokerage and investment advisory services, financial and wealth planning, cash management, and lending products and services, annuities and insurance, retirement, and trust services.

 
Morgan Stanley (NYSE: M.S.) is a leading global financial services firm providing investment banking, securities, wealth management, and investment management services. With offices in more than 41 countries, the Firm’s employees serve clients worldwide, including corporations, governments, institutions, and individuals. For more information about Morgan Stanley, please visit www.morganstanley.com.

 
ABOUT MICROSOFT
Microsoft (NASDAQ “MSFT” @Microsoft) enables digital transformation for the era of an intelligent cloud and an intelligent edge. Its mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more.

Richard Wayne Penniman (December 5, 1932 – May 9, 2020), better known as Little Richard, was an American singer, songwriter, and musician. An influential figure in popular music and culture for seven decades, he was nicknamed “The Innovator”, “The Originator”, and “The Architect of Rock and Roll“. Penniman’s most celebrated work dates from the mid-1950s, when his charismatic showmanship and dynamic music, characterized by frenetic piano playing, pounding backbeat and raspy shouted vocals, laid the foundation for rock and roll.

His innovative emotive vocalizations and uptempo rhythmic music also played a key role in the formation of other popular music genres, including soul and funk. He influenced numerous singers and musicians across musical genres from rock to hip hop; his music helped shape rhythm and blues for generations to come.

Continue to get to know the Legend and share his legacy!

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Richard

1960 – 2020

Everyone who loved Andre Harrell was introduced to his brilliance at different phases in his career. If you mention him to a diehard Hip Hop fan you will hear stories about how he and his crew mate Alonzo Brown formed the legendary rap group – “Dr. Jeckyll & Mr. Hyde “ in the early 80s releasing some of the dopest music ever recorded.

Dr Jeckyll & Mr Hyde were under Russell Simmons’ Rush Management and were known as the suit and tie rappers because of their designer suits, shirts and ties.
Their biggest singles were “Fast Life” (1984) and “Getting Money” (1983). They also recorded underground Classics like “Genius Rap” and the street favorite, the Beat and Lyric driven – “A.M. / P.M.” That song featured
one of the greatest story raps in Hip Hop History! A verse from Mr. Hyde (Alonzo Brown) about a shark who helped him find his magic potion!

https://youtu.be/gLASYMHtfsg

After the crew split in 1987 the duo both went on to do magical things. Brown became a Television and Film Executive and Andre Harrell went on to construct one of the most important music movements the world has ever seen.

In the footsteps of Motown’s Berry Gordy, Harrell is credited with having discovered and signing Sean “Puffy” Combs. In 1988, Mary J. Blige recorded an impromptu cover of Anita Baker’s “Caught Up in the Rapture” at a recording booth in a local mall. Her mother’s boyfriend at the time later played the cassette for Jeff Redd, a recording artist and A&R runner for Uptown Records. Redd sent it to Harrell, who met with Blige. In 1989, she was signed to the label, and she became the company’s youngest and first female solo artist. Uptown also developed and released a healthy roster of Hip Hop and R&B superstars.

The label played a key role in the development of the New Jack Swing style of R&B, courtesy of acts like Guy (featuring the hugely influential producer-performer Teddy Riley), Al B. Sure and Jodeci, Father MC and the late great Hip Hop Legend – “Heavy D” of “Heavy D and the Boyz.”

Harrell had multimedia deal, which involved film and television productions. They developed FOX’s hit police drama series, New York Undercover, which aired from 1994-1998.
Harrell renamed Uptown Records as Uptown Enterprises, and its records were featured in productions for Universal Pictures and Universal Television.

In 1994, Harrell had a son with Wendy Credle, a music attorney. They named him Gianni Credle-Harrell.

In 1995, Harrell was appointed CEO of Motown Records.

Harrell was the Vice Chairman of Revolt, Diddy’s multi-platform music network. On October 17, 2014, he was instrumental in launching the Revolt Music Conference in Miami, Florida, at the Fountainbleau Hotel.

According to IMDB, Andre had been working on a TV miniseries about Uptown that was in the development phase at BET. The three-part miniseries titled “Uptown” had Harrell on board as executive producer and was scheduled to hit the airwaves in 2020.

Andre Harrell is a true pioneer and multimedia super hero.

On May 9th 2020 Andre Harrell passed away at the age of 59. He will be sorely missed.