Posts made in June 2024

Ryan Coogler Talks Milestones and Shares His Take on Selling Complex Concepts on The Latest Episode of Mavericks with Mav Carter.

In an exclusive sit-down on the latest episode of Mavericks with Mav Carter, Ryan Cooler delves into the complexities of selling ideas in the film industry, candidly opens up about his unwavering commitment to delivering quality work, and more.  

In an exclusive sit-down on the latest episode of Mavericks with Mav Carter, Ryan Cooglerdelves into the complexities of selling ideas in the film industry, candidly opens up about his unwavering commitment to delivering quality work, and more.  

For your coverage consideration, please indicate that Mavericks with Mav Carter is a SpringHill series

Key Episode Highlights: 

• Ryan Coogler reflects on the VHS/DVD era, underscoring the deliberate movie choices required in contrast to today’s instant accessibility. He also applauds “Set it Off” for its groundbreaking LGBTQ+ representation and exploration of police brutality, being ahead of its time.
• Writing has always intrigued Coogler, although he didn’t initially aspire to be a writer; this realization came later in life.
• Coogler discusses his fascination with time and the patience required for his craft, contrasting how theatrical releases are often judged by their opening weekend. 
• Starting his career at a young age, Coogler relates to current trends, allowing him to connect with contemporary audiences which in turn has made him successful. 

This episode premieres today, June 19 at 10am PT, on The SpringHill YouTube Channel. 

About Mavericks with Mav Carter:  Curiosity, which has always served Mav well, will lead this 1-on-1 conversation, as the audience learns about each guest’s journey and how they embody the SpringHill mission to Make it Till You Make it. 

About SpringHill: SpringHill is the creative and entertainment community within The SpringHill Company (TSHC), founded by LeBron James and Maverick Carter. Fueled by the stories of makers, the brand is committed to putting the craft back into creativity and nurturing the unique gift in all of us. 

Everything the SpringHill brand builds is meant to create a pathway to what’s next in creative expression and encourage creative disruptors to relentlessly CRAFT YOURS. SpringHill original content properties include Recipe for Change, Mavericks with Mav Carter, Call My People, Two Ways About It, On Site and more. For more information visitwww.makespringhill.com and follow@MakeSpringHill on social media.

Mavericks with Mav Carter is a SpringHill series

On this day in 1865, Union soldiers arrived in Texas and formally announced the last enslaved people of their freedom, two years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation.

One hundred and fifty-nine years ago, newly freed slaves didn’t know what awaited them outside of slavery, but they knew they now had the opportunity to pursue a better life for themselves, their families and loved ones, and the next generation.

Today, we move forward with that same hope our ancestors had as we continue our fight for a more perfect union, but we also acknowledge the work still ahead of us, and the barriers that remain — many of which our ancestors faced, too.

Systemic racism and white supremacy remain all too prevalent in our society and institutions. There is more we can — and must — do to protect the right to vote and counter the voter suppression laws that all too often target Black communities. We must keep fighting to expand access to affordable health care, to bring down costs, and to defend our hard-won freedoms from those working to dismantle them.

Our work continues, Lamar, and I’m grateful to have you with us.

Thank you, and happy Juneteenth.

Jaime Harrison
Chair
Democratic National Committee

It has been confirmed – Iconic Singer/Songwriter Angela Bofill passes on at age 70

Longtime vocalist and songwriter Angela Bofill, known for R&B hits such as “This Time I’ll Be Sweeter,” “I Try,” “I’m On Your Side” and “Tonight I Give In,” died on Thursday, June 13th, 2024. She was 70.   

Although reports of Ms. Bofill’s passing were mentioned years before and were found at the time to be false, manager Rich Engle and members of the Bofill family  have in fact confirmed her death.  She suffered two strokes previously that had left her debilitated, but able to take the stage. During that time, friends and music  industry colleagues supported Ms. Bofill while she told the amazing story of her life during the performance production of “The Angela Bofill Experience.” Ongoing complications from Ms. Bofill’s strokes continued to plague the singer–who was inducted into the Women Songwriters’ Hall of Fame in 2023.

“With heavy hearts, we can confirm the loss of Angela Bofill, our mother, grandmother and sweet songbird to the music industry and dear friend to many,” stated daughter Shauna Bofill-Portuguez. “She loved every one of her fans and was always reading letters and kind notes from those who adorned her and continued to support her wonderful legacy in music.”

Born on May 2, 1954, to Cuban and Puerto Rican parents, Ms. Bofill’s goal was to be a singer.  Influenced by the rich Latin culture of her Bronx upbringing and early schooling in Harlem, Angela sang and sought after opportunities to shine on stage.  She was introduced to GRP Records executives Dave Grusin and Larry Rosen by Dave Valentin, her friend and an exemplary jazz flutist.  Grusin and Rosen’s label was then distributed by Arista Records.

Her first album under the Arista/GRP banner, “Angie” (1978), produced the Quiet Storm classic “This Time I’ll Be Sweeter” and the jazz/Latin-flavored “Under the Moon and Over the Sky.” Both songs and the project were well received by jazz/R&B radio and she went back into the studio in less than a year.   Bofill’s second Arista/GRP album, “Angel of The Night” (1979) featured the title track (an R&B/jazz hit) as well as the stunning ballad and hit single
“I Try” along with “What I Wouldn’t Do (For The Love of You).”  As a result of solid sales and radio airplay on jazz/R&B stations of the aforementioned recordings, Ms. Bofill’s success with African American audiences and the Afro-Latin community was solidified.  

After the Grusin/Rosen team parted company with Arista Records, for her third project, Bofill found herself directly under the wing of Arista’s founder/president and music luminary Clive Davis – who had success with vocalist Phyllis Hyman,  discovered Whitney Houston and revitalized the careers of Aretha Franklin and Dionne Warwick. Her third album, “Something About You”  (1981), produced by Narada Michael Walden, who would produce “Holdin’ Out for Love” and the dance hit “Too Tough,” which became Bofill’s first Top 5 R&B success and spent 4 weeks at the #2 position on the Dance chart. A follow-up single, “Tonight I Give In”, reached the Top 20 and “I’m On Your Side,” from her fourth album, produced the Top 20 R&B hit of  the same name.

Bofill recorded two more albums for Arista before moving on to Capitol Records in the late 1980’s. Working with producer Norman Connors for the album, “Intuition” (1988), Angela enjoyed success with a remake  of Gino Vannelli’s “I Just Wanna Stop”, which reached No. 11 on the R&B chart. She recorded three more albums over the next eight years and would later work with the legendary Diana Ross and jazz saxophonist Kirk Whalum. On Connors’ album, “Eternity”  (2000), Ms. Bofill can be heard on “You Can’t Hurt Me Anymore.” She also appeared in the stage plays “God Don’t Like Ugly” and What a Man Wants, What a Man Needs.” 

After losing her ability to sing after suffering a second stroke, Ms. Bofill returned to the stage, at the suggestion of Rich Engel, her long-time manager. Due to a lack of health insurance, the benefit concert, The Angela Bofill Experience, was organized to pay her hospital bills. Planned by Engel and supported by New York City radio stations Kiss FM and WFAN-FM, the event took place on March 11, 2006, at the Bergen Performing Arts Center in Englewood, New Jersey. In the show, a witty and good spirited Bofill recounted her life and career in words, while vocally, she was joined by singers Maysa Leak, Phil Perry, and Melba Moore, who performed her biggest hits and signature songs.  Similar events followed as the music  industry rallied around Ms. Bofill, as additional aid was sought from the Rhythm and Blues Foundation. 

In 2012, Ms. Bofill was profiled and interviewed for the hugely popular TVOne documentary series, Unsung. A year later, she was inducted into the Women Songwriters Hall of Fame.

Angela Bofill was married to Rick Vincent from 1984 until 1994. The union resulted in the birth of her daughter, Shauna.  During her final years, Ms. Bofill resided with Shauna Bofill-Portuguez and husband Chris Portuguez along with their four children in California. Mrs. Bofill-Portuguez states, “she was loved and lived out her final years as a mother and a grandmother, being taken care of and just having a beautiful life, with her family.”

Funeral services will take place at on Friday, June 28th, 2024, 1 pm Pacific time at Saint Dominic’s Catholic Church, 475 East I Street, Benicia, CA 94510.

A new sport will make its Olympic debut at Paris 2024 – and its name is breaking. It’s a mix of youthfulness, cool, thrills and excitement, but before you see it at the Games, another crucial battle must take place: the fight for Olympic qualification.

The revolution is here! At Paris 2024, breaking will make its debut on the programme of the Olympic Games

After the debuts of skateboarding, sport climbing and surfing at Tokyo 2020, as well as other urban disciplines such as BMX Freestyle and basketball 3×3, the Olympic Games in Paris will feature the sport of breaking following its Youth Olympic Games debut at Buenos Aires 2018.

Since the confirmation of its addition to the Olympic programme in 2020, the best B-Boys and B-Girls in the world have had their eyes on winning the first Olympic medals in their sport.

However, before any of that can happen, they will need to battle to qualify for the Games.

Keep reading to find out the answers to the main questions about the breaking qualification process and athletes to watch at Paris 2024.

HOW MANY ATHLETES WILL COMPETE IN BREAKING AT PARIS 2024?

A total of 32 athletes (16 B-Boys and 16 B-Girls) will compete for the first-ever medals in Olympic breaking.

There will be a maximum of four athletes per NOC (two per gender), while host country France has secured two (one per gender) and the Tripartite Commission will allocate four Universality places (two per gender). To be eligible for a Universality place, athletes must participate in the Olympic Qualifier Series and finish in the top 24 in the final ranking of the OQS.

That leaves 26 quota places available, which will be allocated to athletes by name during the qualification period.

Although breaking is known as a youthful sport, not every break dancer is eligible to compete at the Games. Among other criteria, B-Boys and B-Girls must have been born on or before 31 December 2008.

WHAT IS THE QUALIFICATION PATHWAY TO PARIS 2024?

There will be three competitions in which the athletes can secure a slot for the debut of breaking at Paris 2024: The 2023 World Championship, the Continental Games/Championships and the Olympic qualifier series.

2023 World Championship

The B-Boy and B-Girl who are named champions at the WDSF 2023 World Championship, which will take place in Belgium from 23 to 24 September 2023, will secure quotas for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

Continental Games/Continental Championships [Continental Qualifier]

A total of 10 athletes (five per gender)will obtain their quota from the Continental Games or Continental Championships of their regions. Always respecting the maximum of athletes per NOC, they will be the highest placed B-Boy and B-Girl in the following Continental Games/Championships:

• Africa – 2023 WDSF African Breaking Championship: 12-13 May 2023, Rabat, Morocco
• 21 June-2 July 2023: European Games, Krakow, Poland
• 23 September – 8 October 2023, People’s Republic of China: Asia qualifier, Asian Games
• 20 Oct-5 Nov 2023, Chile: Americas qualifier, Pan American Games
• Oceania – Date and location TBD

There are two exceptions to take into account:

If the winners of these events have already secured their quota through the World Championship, the slot will be allocated to the next ranked eligible athlete, not yet qualified, at the same Continental Games/Championship.

If one continent doesn’t have a Continental Qualifier or there are no medal events for breaking in those Continental Games/Championships, the highest placed athlete at the WDSF Continental Breaking Championship 2023 of the respective continent will earn a ticket to Paris 2024.

Olympic Qualifiers Series (OQS)

From March to June 2024 the Olympic Qualifiers Series will take place, with the location yet to be confirmed. B-Boys and B-Girls not yet qualified will have their last opportunity in the OQS, which will offer the final 14 quotas available (seven per gender).

WHAT IS THE PARIS 2024 BREAKING COMPETITION FORMAT AND SCHEDULE?

There will be two breaking events at Paris 2024 – the men’s and women’s inpidual competitions. They will feature 16 B-Boys and 16 B-Girls who will fight to advance to the next rounds (or for the gold medal in the final) in face-to-face solo battles.

The debut of breaking at Paris 2024 will be long-awaited, not only because of the novelty it brings, but also because it will take place at the end of the Games. The whole breaking competition will take place between the 9 and 10 of August 2024.

The iconic Place de la Concorde will be the venue in which breaking will make its Olympic debut. It will be the epicentre of urban sports during the next Olympics as it will also host the BMX Freestyle, skateboarding and 3×3 basketball competitions.

Japanese breaking star Shigekix: “My goal in Paris 2024 is victory”

B-BOYS AND B-GIRLS TO WATCH AT PARIS 2024

Historically, the USA (where breaking was born in the 1970s), Japan and France are powerhouses of breaking, but little by little other countries have shown that their athletes are also ready for the battle. B-Boys and B-Girls from Latin American countries, Belgium, Spain and Italy – to name just a few – are also among the favourites when they compete in international competitions.

At Buenos Aires 2018 and the last World Championship, which took place in Paris in 2021, the medals were spread among athletes from several countries. And since the 2020 announcement that breaking would be a new Olympic sport, the NOCs have put more effort into developing the sport, meaning the competition in Paris 2024 is even more open.

At Buenos Aires 2018, B-Girl Ram of Japan was the star of the sport, winning every round she competed in during the women’s competition to take gold. Her first medal came when she topped the podium in the mixed competition alongside B-Boy B4(Vietnam), beating a team formed by B-Boy Broly (Argentina) and B-Girl Lexy (Italy) in the final.

At the World Championship 2021, female Japanese break dancers were again dominant.

B-Girl Ayumi (Japan) topped the women’s podium, after defeating compatriot B-Girl Ami in the final, who couldn’t defend the title she won in 2020. B-Girl Jilou (Germany) captured the bronze medal after a strong battle with B-Girl Anti (Italy).

However, Ami proved she is still among the B-Girls to watch after winning the gold medal at the recent World Games in July 2022, where she beat USA’s Sunny Choi.

Other B-Girls to take into account on the pathway to Paris 2024 are Madmax(Belgium), Sunny (USA), Paulina(Poland) and Furia (Spain), among others.

On the men’s side, the current world champion is B-Boy Victor (USA). The American won his first major title when he was 14 years old when he topped the podium at the 2011 Red Bull BC One Tampa Cypher. Since then, Victor’s career has been all about success, including winning the world crown in 2021, the 2019 World Urban Games title and the recent World Games title in 2022.

He won the gold medal in the World Championships in Paris ahead of Phil Wizard(Canada), who came second, and B-Boy Amir (Kazakhstan), who finished third. 

At the World Games in 2022 he battled against his compatriot Jeffrey Louis in the final.

Other competitors that you’ll want to keep an eye on include Luan San(Brazil), XAK and Johnny Fox (Spain), Dany Dann (France) and Mini Joe(Venezuela).

Although the qualification process for Paris 2024 does not start until 2023, there are some big competitions to mark on your calendar if you don’t want to miss the performances of the best B-Boys and B-Girls, including the 2022 World Championships (21-22 October, Seoul).

BREAKING QUALIFICATION TIMELINE TO PARIS 2024

• 12-13 May 2023: WDSF African Breaking Championships, Rabat, Morocco
• 21 June-2 July 2023: Europe Continental Qualifier
• 22-24 September 2023, Belgium: WDSF World Championships
• 23 September – 8 October 2023, People’s Republic of China: Asia qualifier, Asian Games
• 20 Oct-5 Nov 2023, Chile: Americas qualifier, Pan American Games
• Date and location TBD: Oceania Continental Qualifier
• March-June 2024, locations TBD: Olympic Qualifier Series
• Within three days after the event: The WDSF publishes the event results on their website
• Within five days after the event: The WDSF confirms in writing to the NOCs the quota places obtained
• Two weeks after the event: The NOCs to confirm to the WDSF the use of the allocated quota places
• Within five days after the previous step: WDSF to reallocate all unused quota places
• Date TBC: The Tripartite Commission to confirm in writing the allocation of Universality Places to the NOCs (where applicable)
• Day TBC in June 2024: WDSF reallocate all unused quota places
• 8 July 2024: Paris 2024 Sport Entries deadline
• 26 July – 11 August 2024: **Paris 2024 Olympic Games **

On Thursday, June 6 we hosted a Spring Convening in downtown Manhattan. The purpose: unite our partners for a conversation about how to move the needle on public health—and youth mental health in particular.

Jana French from Crisis Text Line, an organization working on the front lines of mental health, joined our Founder Dr. Olajide Williams, Founding Artist Doug E. Fresh, and Executive Director Lori Rose Benson for a moving conversation about the connection between mental and physical health, the power of music and physical activity to lower stress, and more. Jana also shared insights from their recent Resilience report about what young people need to cope with stress and support their mental health. 

We’ve never put together an event quite like this. It was a packed space, but our attendees were able to hold intimate conversations and make connections over small bites after the panel. (Check out more photos below.)

We’re grateful to Bloomberg Philanthropies, Proskauer, Columbia’s Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, and Emblem Health for their generous support! 

If you’d like to help us build health literacy that can save lives, consider making a one-time or recurring donation! Together, we can move the needle for health equity. 

Support Our Work

In the Media

• “The success of the program is not just limited to anecdotes.” Read a new Forbes interview with Dr. Williams about the origins of HHPH and where he sees our potential to grow.
• If you have a few minutes, watch Doug E. Fresh teach Sherri Shepherd how to do the Dougie—and hear about the impact HHPH has made not just on students, but on communities around the country. 
   

STARZ announced that season four of “Power Book II: Ghost” will be the final installment of the epic drama series, airing in two parts. Part one of “Power Book II: Ghost” debuts on Friday, June 7, and part two premieres on Friday, September 6 at midnight on the STARZ app. On linear, both parts will debut on STARZ at 8:00 PM ET/PT in the U.S. and 9:00 PM ET in Canada.
The season four premiere of “Power Book II: Ghost” on June 7 coincides with the 10th Anniversary of Power’s debut on STARZ. “Power” spawned two additional “Power” franchise spinoffs, including “Power Book III: Raising Kanan,” which is currently filming its fourth season in New York and “Power Book IV: Force” which is currently filming its third season in Chicago.

The news quickly follows the announcement yesterday that STARZ plans to expand the Power universe with the development of a new prequel series, “Origins,” that will continue to explore the “Power” universe in a fresh way, delving into the origin story of fan favorite characters Ghost and Tommy.

“This explosive season of ‘Ghost’ is a fitting crescendo in a decade of an immensely popular franchise – fans will not be disappointed,” said Kathryn Busby, President of Programming for STARZ. “While this marks the conclusion of one chapter, our commitment to the Power universe endures with more compelling storytelling on the horizon.”

Season four of “Power Book II: Ghost” cast includes Michael Rainey Jr. as “Tariq St. Patrick,”** Mary J. Blige **as “Monet Tejada,” *Cliff “Method Man” Smith* as “Davis MacLean,” Gianni Paolo as “Brayden Weston,” Woody McClain as “Cane Tejada,” Lovell Adams-Gray as “Dru Tejada,” LaToya Tonodeo as “Diana Tejada,” **Alix Lapri **as “Effie Morales,” Larenz Tate as “Rashad Tate,” Caroline Chikezie as “Noma,” Lightskinkeisha as “Brushaundria Carmichael” and Michael Ealy as “Detective Don Carter.”
“Power Book II: Ghost” is the first series in the expanded “Power” Universe franchise. Brett Mahoney (“Empire,” “The Following”) serves as showrunner and executive producer for season four. The “Power” Universe series is executive produced by the creator and showrunner of the original “Power,” Courtney A. Kemp through her production company End of Episode, Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson through G-Unit Film and Television, and Mark Canton through Canton Entertainment. Lionsgate Television produces the series for STARZ.

ABOUT “POWER BOOK II: GHOST” SEASON FOUR In light of Season Three’s explosive finale, it’s Tariq St. Patrick and Brayden Weston against the world. With new alliances formed in each faction, Tariq and Brayden must find a way back into the game — and a way to insulate themselves from ever being put in the same situation again. But when Brayden starts flirting with a new, reckless lifestyle, Tariq wonders if there really is room for two at the top.

Monet may have finally met her maker, but she has no idea who’s behind it. Davis, suspended and pending disbarment in the wake of his brother’s death, fully embraces the criminal side of his enterprise and finds himself working for both sides — his loyalty dependent on whichever will benefit him most. Faced with the reality that life can end in just a few ways, Effie buckles down on getting out and securing a legit future at Stanford.
After last season’s betrayal, Diana and Dru question their roles in the game and the family business, while Cane sees an opportunity to level up when he starts working for Noma. As Noma fights to establish her business in the States, she also tries to keep a close eye on her bratty daughter, Anya, who is now on Tariq and Brayden’s radar. With the fate of his future in the game and his family at the forefront, Tariq must reconcile his past to rise to the top of the food chain and become who he needs to be to protect those he loves most.
FOLLOW “POWER BOOK II: GHOST” ON SOCIAL Instagram: GhostStarz Facebook:

GhostStarz Join the conversation with #PowerGhost #PowerTV and #STARZ
About STARZ STARZ (www.starz.com), a Lionsgate company, is a leading media streaming platform committed to delivering premium content that amplifies narratives by, about and for women and underrepresented audiences. STARZ is home to the highly rated and first-of-its-kind STARZ app that offers the ability to stream or download STARZ premium content, as well as the flagship domestic STARZ® service, including STARZ ENCORE, 17 premium pay TV channels, and the associated on-demand and online services. STARZ is available across digital OTT platforms and multichannel video distributors, including cable operators, satellite television providers, and telecommunications companies. In February 2021, STARZ launched #TakeTheLead, a multi-faceted and innovative inclusion initiative expanding its existing efforts to improve representation on screen, behind the camera and throughout the company.

About Lionsgate Lionsgate (NYSE: LGF.A, LGF.B) encompasses world-class motion picture and television studio operations aligned with the STARZ premium global subscription platform to bring a unique and varied portfolio of entertainment to consumers around the world. The Company’s film, television, subscription and location-based entertainment businesses are backed by an 18,000-title library and a valuable collection of iconic film and television franchises. A digital age company driven by its entrepreneurial culture and commitment to innovation, the Lionsgate brand is synonymous with bold, original, relatable entertainment for audiences worldwide.