Posts made in September 2021

SEASON ONE SERIES SYNOPSIS

“BMF” is inspired by the true story of two brothers, Demetrius “Big Meech” Flenory ( Demetrius Flenory, Jr.) and Terry “Southwest T” Flenory (Da’Vinchi), from the inner-city streets of southwest Detroit in the late 1980’s, who fostered the most prominent drug trafficking organization in the U.S., known as “Black Mafia Family.”

This series explores the brothers’ lives, their family dynamics and their relationship with the community in an authentic manner that highlights their upbringing in a traditional family unit. Their parents Charles Flenory (Russell Hornsby) and Lucille Flenory (Michole Briana White), as well as their spiritual advisor, Pastor Swift (Snoop Dogg), push the brothers to pursue formal educations.

The tension between Meech and Terry’s blood family and the criminal family they formed to eradicate themselves from poverty creates inner conflict as the brothers pursue the ever-elusive American Dream.

BMF is lead by a talented group of Executive Producers – RANDY HUGGINS
CURTIS “50 CENT” JACKSON – ANNE CLEMENTS – TERRI KOPP – TASHA SMITH and ANTHONY WILSON. But the entire cast and crew seems to be successfully conveying the life and times of a Detroit Drug operation with a very compelling story. The series has a fresh young cast that delivers stand out performances. Demetrius Flenory Jr portrays his father “Meech” and with soon generate a buzz that could translate into strong acting career.

DEMETRIUS FLENORY JR
(Demetrius “Meech” Flenory)
Demetrius “Lil Meech” Flenory, Jr., is an American actor who was born on April 22, 2000 in Miami, Florida. He is the only son of Demetrious Flenory, Sr., “Big Meech” from Detroit, Michigan. He attended the University of Nevada Las Vegas from 2018-2019. A natural born entertainer, Demetrius soon turned to acting and moved to Los Angeles to pursue his career. After years of working with private acting coaches honing his craft, he landed his first big role as the lead character on the STARZ Lionsgate series, “BMF,” where he portrays his father Big Meech.

Lil Meech states, playing this role “Is a dream come true for me.” “BMF” is scheduled to premiere on September 26, 2021. He is casted in several upcoming movies scheduled to release in 2021 and 2022.

Lil Meech is managed by BMF Management.

SEASON ONE CHARACTER DESCRIPTIONS

CHARLES FLENORY (Russell Hornsby)
Meech’s and Terry’s father, who’s a God-fearing, hard-working man that goes from one shift as an auto worker to another job as a maintenance man — and still doesn’t make enough money to keep his family afloat. Charles clashes constantly with Meech, whom he considers a bad influence on his “good” son Terry, until he discovers that Terry is actually working with his brother in the drug game. He tries to convince his wife, Lucille, but she’s not hearing him and more tension develops in their relationship. Eventually, Charles will learn that his wife has been hiding the fact that their home is in foreclosure. He stubbornly refuses to accept Meech’s “tainted” money — despite her pleas to let
Meech help.

LUCILLE FLENORY (Michole Briana White)
Meech and Terry’s mother, a hard-working, religiously devout, stern but loving woman who tries to run a decent, God-fearing household despite privation and poverty. Lucille has no idea how Terry has already been subsumed into the drug trade, or that the gun she finds in her sons’ bedroom is actually Terry’s, not Meech’s, as she assumes. She’s blinded by her desire for Terry to become the first male in their family to graduate high school. Lucille has also been keeping the fact that the house is in foreclosure secret from her husband, Charles, because she doesn’t want to add to his already enormous stress level. However, she wishes he would bend and accept the cash from Meech that would solve their problem, and she becomes frustrated when he refuses to do so.

DEMETRIUS “MEECH” FLENORY
(Demetrius Flenory Jr)
Charming and ambitious, Demetrius is a Detroit Street legend in the making. A high school dropout, who is hungry for his slice of the American dream. Meech always thinks three moves ahead. As a result, he quickly advances from a corner boy to a mid-level man on the make. He’s determined to lift his family out of poverty by becoming the King of Detroit and more, by any means necessary.

TERRY FLENORY
(Da’Vinchi)
Meech’s younger brother, who is a high school student and the apple of his parents’ eyes. They have no idea that, after school, Terry is a gun-toting crack dealer who is very much a part of his brother’s growing drug operation. Unlike the calm and collected Meech, Terry is a hothead who believes in standing his ground. Excited over the recent birth of his baby son, he’s unaware that life is about to deal him an unexpected blow — when he is waylaid outside his girlfriend’s house.

KATO
(Ajiona Alexus)
She’s a “Southern belle with grit,” that is carrying a dark secret. Kato is one of Meech and Terry’s “corner gang” who sells drugs for the brothers. She gets into trouble with Terry when she discounts their product, arguing that they’re not making sales because their crack has gotten too expensive.

LAMAR SILAS
(Eric Kofi Abrefa)
A fearsome thug in a doo-rag, who has recently returned to the neighborhood after a stint in a mental hospital. Lamar, was locked up there instead of going to prison, where he really belonged. A legend in his own time and a casual killer, who becomes livid when he sees Meech leaving his girlfriend’s house. Lamar becomes even more incensed when he discovers that Meech and his crew have taken over the crack trade that he left two years ago. He’s out to return things back to the way they used to be, by any means necessary, which puts him and Meech on a collision course.

DETECTIVE VON BRYANT
(Steve Harris)
Meech’s former baseball coach, who is also a police officer. He does favors for Meech and gets laced with cash in return. The question is how long can a person protecting and serving the community continue to play both sides of the fence.

YOUNG ROLAND
(Yusef Thomas)
Meech and Terry’s neighbor, who both confide in a call on whenever they’re in a jam. Roland has been friends with both Meech and Terry since they were kids, so he’s smart enough to stay out the middle of their sibling rivalry.

ROLAND WEST
(Ticarus Bunch)
Seen in 2005, he gives Meech a hero’s welcome back to the old neighborhood — along with hundreds of other friends and fans.

NICOLE FLENORY
(Laila Pruitt)
Meech and Terry’s little sister, who helps maintain the brother’s secret – that Terry is selling drugs with Meech. Nicole is a bright and personable young lady with a smart mouth, who constantly lives in the shadows of her brothers so she begins to act out for attention.

YOUNG NICOLE
(Loren Palmer)
She’s Meech and Terry’s little sister, who loves to dance and get in the middle of her brother’s rivalry.

PAT
(Wood Harris)
He’s the proprietor of the local barber shop — actually a front for a drug and after-hours spot. He has a real affection for Meech, whom he has taught everything he knows about the drug trade. But he insists that they go slow when it comes to slinging rocks — and Meech is getting impatient with Pat’s old school views. He thinks it’s time that he and Terry branched off on their own — but how Pat will react to their independent streak remains an open question.

LAWANDA
(Sydney Mitchell)
Terry’s girlfriend and baby’s mother, who is doing everything she can to hold on to the first man she’s ever loved. She knows Terry loves her and their newborn son, but Lawanda also knows that he loves running with his brother Meech. As the drama escalates with the Flenory brothers’ the drug war on the streets, the question becomes does Lawanda ride it out with her man, or seek refuge for her and her child.

MONIQUE
(Arkeisha “Kash Doll” Knight)
She’s a sultry, sexy woman who is having a torrid affair with Meech. What he doesn’t yet realize is that she is the ex-girlfriend of Lamar, and the mother of his young daughter.

B-MICKIE
(Myles Truitt)
Brian Mickie or B-Mickie as he’s affectionately known on the streets is the third wheel of Meech and Terry’s drug partnership and he’s been down with the Flenory brothers since day one. A “street-lifer, philosophizing stoner” who has more than a propensity for violence. B-Mickie’s a shooter. He’s a Master Chef in the kitchen when it comes to cooking cocaine into rocks and he’s secretly sleeping with someone that could jeopardize the integrity of their crew.

SLICK
(Myles Bullock)
An older member of Jay-Mo’s gang with quick wits and a slick tongue. We’ll also discover that Slick has history with another imposing figure in the streets, who he’ll help overturn the balance of power.

JAY MO
(Holmes Lindsay IV)
Jay-Mo is the leader of the 12th Street Boys, who are Meech and Terry’s biggest rivals. Seeking more muscle, he tries to recruit Lamar into his gang – but Lamar is strictly a lone wolf – for now.

PASTOR SWIFT
(Snoop Dogg)
Pastor Swift is the spiritual advisor of the Flenory Family. He is a man of The Word with the aura of an ex-con who believes in the power of the Lord. He helps the family welcome Terry home. Pastor Swift eventually ingratiates himself into every part of the Flenory’s life, helping the family find a lawyer, and becoming a confidant.

MARKISHA TAYLOR
(Alani “La La” Anthony)
She is the wife of a flamboyant drug dealer that Meech and Terry befriend. She sees something in Terry, a seriousness and sense of purpose she feels she can harness to make herself rich and powerful. She develops a friendship with him and his confidant and eventually, his lover, putting everything Terry has built out on the streets at stake.

LORI WALKER
(SERAYAH)
Lori Walker is Demetrius Flenory’s girlfriend, who is also the mother of his child “Neeka.” Walker is a smart, driven, yet naive college athlete who once fell for Meech’s bad boy charm. Walker is more mature and clear-eyed now. Her world centers more around her daughter, and she expects less out of Meech, which makes him want her more.

TINY
(Christian Robinson)
Tiny is a street smart guy who is all about his money. He is the nemesis of Meech and Terry, until Meech makes him an offer he can’t refuse.

No Melvin – No Us!

Infinite honors to our beacon toward Entertainment Excellence and equality.

By Richard Lei

April 30, 1995
In the spring of 1971, Huey P. Newton, minister of defense of the Black Panther Party, and Bobby Seale, the party’s chairman, went to see a low-budget, X-rated movie. “The first truly revolutionary Black film made,” Newton later called it in the party’s newspaper. Seale urged all “brothers and sisters in the struggle” to see Melvin Van Peebles’ “Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song.”

Thank you Brother Melvin for paving the way! Rest well until we do it again!

Melvin Van Peebles

August 21, 1932 – September 21, 2021

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

MAYOR BARAKA AND LT. GOVERNOR SHEILA OLIVER AND ESSEX COUNTY EXECUTIVE JOSEPH DIVINCENZO TO UNVEIL FORMER MAYOR KENNETH GIBSON STATUE IN FRONT OF CITY HALL, TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, AT 11 A.M.

Sculpture to honor former mayor’s life and legacy;

Artwork will stand in front of City Hall

Newark, NJ – September 13, 2021 – Mayor Ras J. Baraka, Lt. Governor Sheila Oliver, Essex County Executive Joseph N. DiVincenzo, Jr., and other dignitaries will unveil a statue honoring former Mayor Kenneth A. Gibson on Tuesday, September 14, at 11 a.m. in front of City Hall, located on 920 Broad Street.

The eight-foot bronze statue will honor the life and legacy of Mayor Gibson, Newark’s first African American mayor, who served for 16 years, from 1970 to 1986. He led Newark’s efforts to overcome the physical and spiritual damage inflicted upon the city by the 1967 Rebellion.

Mayor Gibson is well known for his famous quote, “Wherever America’s cities are going, Newark will get there first.” He passed away in 2019, at 86 years of age.

The sculpture was created by Mississippi native Thomas Jay Warren and will stand in front of City Hall. Over the course of a 34-year career, Warren has created 50 public monuments in 19 states and Canada. His portfolio of sculptures include U.S. Representative Donald Payne, Sr., as well as civil rights figures Rosa Parks and Medgar Evers.

Dapper Dan Celebrates Latest Capsule Collection with Pepsi

New York City, Dapper Dan joined NYFW: The Shows for a preview and celebration of his latest capsule collection with Pepsi.

With Pepsi as the Official Soda Beverage Sponsor of NYFW: The Shows and the Official Soft Drink of the NFL, Pepsi and Dapper Dan are taking the football fan apparel game to the next level to ensure fans show up in style, no matter where they’re watching. The Pepsi x Dapper Dan Football Watching Capsule Collection features bold (and comfortable) luxury gear perfect for football watching with a signature Pepsi x Dapper Dan logo pattern designed by the “father of logo-mania” himself.

Guests in attendance included Lt. Governor Brian Benjamin who stopped by to show his support to the Harlem native, Leslie Russo, Ivan Bart, Quannah Chasinghorse, Joel Kassewitz, Thanowa Lual, Nyangath Lual, Cianneh Browne, Junny and Kassewitz Ajani Russel amongst others.

Photo Credit: Roy Rochlin/Getty Images

Wu-Tang: An American Saga

Season 2 returns chronicling the lives of the legendary, Iconic and mighty Wu-Tang Clan. 

Look for a full video tribute on our upcoming original program- “RE Classics” – check out this sneak peak here – https://youtu.be/u00HRS3J-X0

Amazing series we can’t wait to binge!

The Clan is disillusioned with life in the projects, and Bobby knows that success in the music industry could be their ticket to better lives. 

But getting the Clan members to drop everything for music isn’t easy. The resentment between Dennis, Sha, Power and Divine still runs deep, while the other Clan members struggle dealing with intercity life. 

This time around, Bobby is dedicated to authenticity and though he knows he can lead his crew through the challenges of the music business, the Clan’s fractures may prove too much to overcome.

EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Alex Tse, The RZA, Method Man, Brian Grazer and Samie Kim Falvey

CAST:

  • BOBBY (RZA) / Ashton Sanders
  • SHA / Shameik Moore
  • DENNIS / Siddiq Saunderson
  • DIVINE / Julian Elijah Martinez
  • POWER / Marcus Callender
  • SHURRIE / Zolee Griggs
  • ASON / TJ Atoms
  • SHOTGUN / Dave East
  • GARY / Johnell Young
  • LINDA DIGGS / Erika Alexander
  • REBEL / Uyoata Udi
  • U-GOD / Damani Sease

GUEST CAST

  • JAMEL (MASTA KILLA) / Jaqwan Kelly *recurring guest
  • MOOK / Gbenga Akinnagbe
  • MECCA/ Ayanna Bria Bakari
  • TESIA / DeShawn White
  • TESIA’S EX / Andrew Manning
  • DELL / Jerry Clicquot 
  • MATHEMATICS / Curtiss Cook Jr.
  • CLIFTON / Jacob Ming Trent
  • SHANK / Mandela Van Peebles
  • LINDA DIGGS / Erika Alexander
  • TRACEY WAPLES / Lala Anthony