PREMIERING SEPTEMBER 1 ON PARAMOUNT+

Martin’s fan-favorite character Varnell Hill is ready for his close-up on Paramount+ Tuesday, September 1.

The Varnell Hill Show reunites Martin Lawrence and Bentley Kyle Evans nearly three decades after Tommy Davidson’s Varnell made his unforgettable debut on the iconic sitcom.

The eight-episode comedy series stars Davidson alongside Kym Whitley, Wendy Raquel Robinson, Nick Cafero, Emmanuel Hudson and Chris Williams, with special appearances by Lawrence and renowned guest stars including Ms. Pat, Deon Cole, Damon Wayans, Mike Epps, Omarion and many more.

Set behind the scenes of Varnell’s long-running late-night talk show, The Varnell Hill Show finds the larger-than-life host fighting to stay relevant in an ever-changing television industry.

Surrounded by network executives with big ideas, a writers’ room trying to keep up, celebrity guests and a team tasked with managing his outsized personality, Varnell remains convinced of one thing: he’s still the biggest star in the building. Blending workplace comedy with satire, cutaways and fourth-wall breaks, the series explores the corporate, creative and personal chaos that goes into keeping “The Varnell Hill Show” on the air.

In association with BET Studios, the series is executive produced by Lawrence, Davidson, Jesse Collins and Dionne Harmon for Jesse Collins Entertainment, Stacy Lyles, Rae Proctor, and Robert Lawrence for Runteldat Entertainment, Mark Greenberg, Andrew Horne, and Evans for Harvest Studios, who also serves as showrunner, writer and director.

About Paramount, a Skydance CorporationParamount, a Skydance Corporation (Nasdaq: PSKY) is a leading, next‑generation global media and entertainment company, comprised of three business segments: Studios, Direct-to-Consumer, and TV Media. The Company’s portfolio unites legendary brands, including Paramount Pictures, Paramount Television, CBS, CBS News, CBS Sports, Nickelodeon, MTV, BET, Comedy Central, SHOWTIME®, Paramount+, Pluto TV, Skydance Animation, Film, Television, and Interactive/Games, and the newly established Paramount Sports Entertainment. For more information, please visitwww.paramount.com.

“Allow Me To Reintroduce Myself”



A Candid, Intimate 8-Part Conversation With JAŸ-Z And Director Rick Rubin Airs Two New Episodes Each Friday Through Friday, October 9

“Writing, Writing, Just Writing…. Everyday”

• The revelatory HBO Original documentary series JAŸ-Z IN 8, a candid and intimate conversation with JAŸ-Z and Rick Rubin, debuts FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 18 (8:00-8:42 p.m. ET/PT).

Executive produced by JAŸ-Z and Rick Rubin (“McCartney 3,2,1”), the premiere episode will be immediately followed by episode two (8:45-9:22 p.m. ET/PT) on HBO. Both episodes will be available to stream on HBO Max at 8:00 p.m. ET. Two new episodes will debut weekly on Fridays, concluding with episodes seven and eight on Friday, October 9. 

In Rick Rubin’s directorial documentary debut, the series unfolds over many hours of candid conversation between two creative superstars.

The career-spanning series closely studies the ingenuity of JAŸ-Z’s lyrics as he breaks down his writing process and traces how his words reflect his childhood, the experiences that shaped him, and the evolving world he navigated as his career grew. As JAŸ-Z guides us through the words and music that informed the work, he shows the deep inextricable connection between art and life.


• Synopsis: 30 years after his landmark debut album “Reasonable Doubt,” artist, icon, philanthropist, entrepreneur JAŸ-Z sits down with longtime friend, producer, and director Rick Rubin for an intimate reflection on his storied career, revisiting the music together and unpacking his work and life through a shared listening and illuminating conversation. Featuring many of JAŸ-Z’s iconic tracks and album cuts, including “99 Problems,” “Brooklyn’s Finest,” and “4:44,” the eight-episode series offers a deeply revealing portrait of the artist and his work, exploring the influences and inspiration that shaped both the man and his music.


• Episode Descriptions: 



Chapter One 
Debut date: FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 18 (8:00-8:42 p.m. ET/PT)
Episode one features “Intro,” “Meet The Parents,” “Can’t Knock The Hustle,” and “What More Can I Say”. 



Chapter Two
 Debut date: FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 18 (8:45-9:22 p.m. ET/PT)
Episode two features “Brooklyn’s Finest,” “I Love The Dough (featuring JAŸ-Z & Angela Winbush),” and “What More Can I Say”.



Chapter Three
 Debut date: FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 25 (8:00-8:41 p.m. ET/PT)
Episode three features “Lyrical Exercise,” “This Can’t Be Life (featuring Beanie Sigel),” “You Must Love Me,” and “4:44”.



Chapter Four
 Debut date: FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 25 (8:50-9:51 p.m. ET/PT)
Episode four features “Where Have You Been,” “Allure,” “Where I’m From,” “Can I Live,” and “Don’t You Know”.



Chapter Five 
Debut date: FRIDAY, OCTOBER 2 (8:00-8:42 p.m. ET/PT)
Episode five features “U Don’t Know,” “Politics As Usual,” and “Regrets”. 



Chapter Six
 Debut date: FRIDAY, OCTOBER 2 (8:45-9:38 p.m. ET/PT)
Episode six features “Jail,” “Ignorant Shit,” “Hovi Baby,” “Kill Jay-Z,” “99 Problems,” “Threat,” “Dead Presidents II,” and “Public Service Announcement (Interlude)”.



Chapter Seven 
Debut date: FRIDAY, OCTOBER 9 (8:00-8:47 p.m. ET/PT)



Chapter Eight
 Debut date: FRIDAY, OCTOBER 9 (8:47-9:42 p.m. ET/PT)
Episode eight features “New York (Concept de Paris),” “The Story Of O.J.,” “No Church In The Wild,” “Family Feud,” and “Legacy”.


• Featured Participants: JAŸ-Z, Rick Rubin.


• Credits: HBO Documentary Films presents JAŸ-Z IN 8, a Tetragrammaton production. Directed by Rick Rubin; executive producers, Shawn Carter, Daniel Kaluuya, and Rick Rubin; producers, Leila Mattimore and David Rohde; co-producers, Harlin Lawal and Will Mavronicolas; director of photography Bradford Young. For HBO: executive producers, Nancy Abraham, Lisa Heller, and Sara Rodriguez.

• Featuring stars Aaron Pierre, Kyle Chandler, Garret Dillahunt, Poorna Jagannathan, and co-creators Chris Mundy, Damon Lindelof, and Tom King. The eight-episode season debuts SUNDAY, AUGUST 16 at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT on HBO and will be available to stream on HBO Max.


• Logline: The series follows new recruit John Stewart (Aaron Pierre) and Lantern legend Hal Jordan (Kyle Chandler), two intergalactic cops drawn into a dark, earth-based mystery with cosmic ties as they investigate a murder in the American heartland.


• Cast: Kyle Chandler, Aaron Pierre, Kelly Macdonald, Garret Dillahunt, Poorna Jagannathan, Laura Linney, Jason Ritter, Ulrich Thomsen, Nathan Fillion, J. Alphonse Nicholson, Jasmine Cephas Jones.


• Credits: HBO in association with Warner Bros. Television and DC Studios. The LANTERNS pilot is co-written by Chris Mundy, Damon Lindelof, and Tom King, who are co-creators for the series. Mundy serves as showrunner. The first two episodes are directed by James Hawes, with Stephen Williams, Geeta Vasant Patel, and Alik Sakharov also tapped to direct. The series is executive produced by Mundy, Lindelof, King, James Gunn, Peter Safran, Ron Schmidt, and Hawes. Based on the DC comic characters from “Green Lantern.”

August 28, 2026 // Five-time GRAMMY-winning global icon Angélique Kidjo today releases “Bando [Orchestral] (feat. Pharrell Williams & Quavo),” a sweeping new rendition of the standout from her acclaimed album HOPE!!, alongside an official music video starring Kidjo, Williams and Quavo.

The visual was directed by acclaimed filmmaker Paul Hunter, whose legendary music video catalog includes The Notorious B.I.G.’s “Hypnotize,” Mariah Carey’s “Honey,” D’Angelo’s “Untitled (How Does It Feel)” and Michael Jackson’s “You Rock My World.”

Produced by Pharrell Williams, the new version expands the original “Bando” with the soaring sounds of Voices of Fire, the gospel choir founded by Pharrell’s uncle Bishop Ezekiel Williams, and the full force of L’Orchestre du Pont Neuf, the Paris-based orchestra led by composer and conductor Thomas Roussel.

The result transforms the song’s recurring declaration, “We’ll survive,” into an even more powerful collective anthem of resilience, possibility and joy.

Seeking to spotlight the vitality of the communities that inspired the song, Kidjo, Williams, and Quavo filmed the video for “Bando” with director Paul Hunter in La Grande Borne, a public-housing project in Grigny, in the suburbs of Paris.

Even as a historic heat wave swept through the area, residents filled the streets and danced for hours, embodying what Kidjo views as a much-needed counter-narrative to rampant stereotypes.

“Most of the time, people only talk about the pain and the struggle of people in the projects, but there’s also pride and joy and celebration,” she says. “When we made the video the whole community came out, and you could feel how proud they were to be seen and recognized. Even in the crazy heat, the kids were so happy and so hopeful. I hope that the song will do them justice, and lift them up even more.”

“The visual world of ‘Bando’ is rooted in culture and community,” says director Paul Hunter. “I was moved by the song and inspired to explore the world it evokes beyond the music itself. The most powerful moments came from observing people simply being together, seeing the younger generation supported by those who came before them, and capturing those natural moments of connection. The goal was to create an experience that felt lived-in and honest, while honoring the culture and people who give the song its meaning.”

“Bando” takes its title from a term for an abandoned house, but the song looks beyond a physical place to the lives and creativity that exist within communities shaped by poverty and inequality. At its core is Kidjo’s conviction that where someone begins should never dictate where they are able to go.

“So much of the art that we love comes from people who created something out of nothing,” says Kidjo.“When you have so little, making art becomes a way to have agency and protect your humanity. It proves that you have something of value to share with the world.”

Angélique Kidjo has released a new orchestral version of HOPE!! standout “Bando,” featuring Pharrell Williams and Quavo, alongside an official music video starring all three. Pharrell produced the track, which expands the original with Voices of Fire and a 50-member orchestra, and the visual was directed by legendary filmmaker Paul Hunter(Notorious B.I.G.’s “Hypnotize,” Mariah Carey’s “Honey,” Michael Jackson’s “You Rock My World”).

The video was filmed in La Grande Borne in Grigny, outside Paris, with residents from the community joining Angélique, Pharrell and Quavo throughout the shoot. It’s a joyful, celebratory visual centered around community, resilience and the idea at the heart of “Bando” that where you begin should never determine where you can go.

The orchestral arrangement was first unveiled earlier this summer as the finale of Louis Vuitton’s Spring-Summer 2027 Men’s Show in Paris, where Pharrell serves as Men’s Creative Director.

The release also comes on the heels of a huge few weeks for Angélique: she just made history as the first African musician and first Black African to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, before returning to New York to headline SummerStage in Central Park.

By Ann Marie Barron | ABarron@siadvance.com

The project features collaborations with Raekwon, Cappadonna, Czarface, Ransom, Skyzoo, Che Noir, and KXNG Crooked among others, according to a recent antiMUSIC report.

The project’s title is a look back at Deck’s career — from the Clan’s foundations on Staten Island to the comic-book-noir world of Czarface and back again.

Wu-Tang Clan was formed on Staten Island in 1992 by the rappers, who mostly grew up in the Park Hill section of Stapleton.

“Dragon’s Breath was designed to bring the culture and the true hip-hop experience of beats and rhymes back to the listener,” Deck said in an antiMUSIC interview. “It is also a testament to the OG’s and the legacy artists who have been told to hang up the gloves. Inspectah Deck is still spitting fire 30-years later.”

After the release of Dragon’s Breath, Deck will return with a new Czarface project on Aug. 28, 2026. Czarface Meets Frankie Pulitzer is the latest entry in the long-running “Czarface Meets…” collaboration series.

This installment welcomes Frankie Pulitzer (his alias will be unveiled soon) into the Czarface fold, according to antiMUSIC.

As of July 28, Deck has reunited with Wu-Tang Clan for the remaining dates of The Final Chamber tour.

The Clan will be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame on Nov. 14 at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles as part of the Hall’s 2026 class, antiMUSIC reports.

Inspectah Deck’s new solo-album Dragon’s Breath is now available at all DSPs. Czarface Meets Frankie Pulitzer arrives Aug. 28, 2026.

You can now Purchase, Stream, Add and Favorite Dragon’s Breath at your preferred DSP here.

• Director and Producer: Academy Award®-winning filmmaker Joanna Natasegara (The White Helmets, The Edge of Democracy), in her feature directorial debut.
• Producers: Abigail Anketell-Jones, Lauren Dark and Vanessa Kirby.
• The Disciple: A Wu-Tang Fable is a Netflix Documentary in association with Studio Gebbia, Film4, 36 Cinema, Sony Music Vision; an Aluna Entertainment and Violet Films production.
• Executive Producers: The RZA, Joe Gebbia, Jason Ropell, Abazar Khayami; David Kimbangi, Farhana Bhula and Ollie Madden for Film4; Trevor Burgess, Gary Hess and James Costa for Bird Street Productions.
• Editors: Chloë Lambourne and Chris Dickens.

Synopsis: The true story of an outsider whose relentless determination catapults him into the Wu-Tang Clan’s inner circle, where ambition and creativity converge to record an album destined to ignite global controversy.

Academy Award-winning producer Joanna Natasegara makes her feature directorial debut, tracing the decades-long journey of Dutch-Moroccan rapper and producer Cilvaringz, who transformed himself from the group’s most devoted fan into the unlikeliest of disciples to his childhood heroes, including The RZA, whose mentorship shapes the odyssey that follows.

That journey culminates in Once Upon a Time in Shaolin, a 31-track album packaged in an ornate, handcrafted silver box and auctioned to the highest bidder in 2015. Only one copy will ever legally exist. Its scarcity is a form of protest, and an argument that music still holds intrinsic worth as art in a digital age.

The result is one of the most controversial artifacts of our time that sparked ongoing conversations about technology, creation and ownership. It’s also a story about how far one outsider went to belong.

• The film had its World Premiere at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival.
• Quote from Director and Producer Joanna Natasegara: “For the last 5 years making this film has been a labour of love and discovery for me. Initially I was inspired by a teenhood love of Wu-Tang and a story about the secret album Once Upon a Time in Shaolin too intriguing to miss. In the making I discovered so much more about why Tarik, myself, and so many of us idolise them. They stand for so much that is so needed right now — community, talent, tenacity, innovation and love. I’m so thrilled audiences will get to spend time in this world I’ve loved so much.”

Damon Wayans reunites with “In Living Color” castmate David Alan Grier on the season three premiere of NBC’s “St. Denis Medical.”

• Damon Wayans (“My Wife and Kids,” “Lethal Weapon”)reunites with “In Living Color” castmate David Alan Grier on the season three premiere of NBC’s “St. Denis Medical.”
• Wayans will guest star in the role of Dr. Highland, a charming but pompous new doctor at St. Denis. He is filling in while Ron (David Alan Grier) is recovering from surgery. All the patients and staff (besides Alex) have fallen head over heels for him and his insights.
• “St. Denis Medical” is a mockumentary about an underfunded, understaffed Oregon hospital where the dedicated doctors and nurses try their best to treat patients while maintaining their own sanity. In season three, romantic entanglements and personal struggles complicate relationships in the Emergency Department, pushing some St. Denis employees to the brink.
• The series will return for season three on Monday, November 2 at 8 p.m. on NBC. Season one and two are available to stream on Peacock.

SERIES DETAILS

• Cast: Wendi McLendon-Covey, David Alan Grier, Allison Tolman, Josh Lawson, Kahyun Kim, Mekki Leeper and Kaliko Kauahi
• Showrunner / Executive producer: Eric Ledgin
• Executive producers: Justin Spitzer, Simon Heuer, Bridget Kyle, Vicky Luu
• Studio: Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group
• Production companies: More Bees, Inc., Spitzer Holding Company
• Format: Comedy (18 x 30-minute episodes)

CYNTHIA ERIVO TO BE HONORED ATAMERICAN BALLET THEATRE 2026 FALL GALA TWO-TIME GRAMMY, EMMY, AND TONY AWARD-WINNINGAND THREE-TIME OSCAR-NOMINATED ICONTO BE CELEBRATED AT EVENT ON OCTOBER 29, 2026, IN NEW YORK CITY NEW YORK, NY

(August 19, 2026) – American Ballet Theatre is proud to announce that acclaimed stage and screen artist Cynthia Erivo will be honored at American Ballet Theatre’s 2026 Fall Gala: Angels and Demons, on Thursday, October 29, 2026, at the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center in New York City. A two-time Grammy, Emmy, and Tony Award winner and three-time Academy Award nominee, Erivo has become one of the most compelling and versatile artists of her generation.

Her acclaimed portrayal of Elphaba in the Wicked films earned her widespread recognition, including Academy Award, Golden Globe, SAG, BAFTA, Critics’ Choice, and NAACP nominations. Earlier this year, she returned to the West End inDracula, taking on 23 characters in an ambitious one-woman production. An accomplished recording artist as well as an actor, Erivo recently earned her second Grammy Award for “Defying Gravity,” performed with Ariana Grande.

American Ballet Theatre is honoring Erivo for her extraordinary contributions to the performing arts and for her ability to inspire audiences through storytelling that transcends disciplines. Whether on stage or screen, her work reflects the same pursuit of excellence, discipline, and artistic integrity that has defined ABT for more than eight decades. She represents the limitless possibilities of creative expression and the enduring power of live performance to move, challenge, and unite audiences. “Few artists possess Cynthia Erivo’s extraordinary ability to transform themselves through performance,” said Susan Jaffe, Artistic Director of American Ballet Theatre.“Whether through music, theater, or film, she brings an uncommon combination of artistry, emotional honesty, and fearless imagination to every role.

Those are qualities we deeply value in ballet and strive to cultivate in every artist who takes our stage. Cynthia’s commitment to her craft and her ability to forge profound connections with audiences make her an inspiring artist and an especially meaningful honoree for American Ballet Theatre.”Erivo’s connection to American Ballet Theatre dates back to May 2020, when she appeared in the Company’s first digital gala during the pandemic, American Ballet Theatre Together Tonight, in which she performed an a cappella rendition of “America the Beautiful” accompanying a video of the Company’s dancers. In a spirited nod to the Halloween season, Angels and Demons serves as the theme of this year’s Fall Gala, bringing a sense of fantasy, mystery, and playful mischief to one of ABT’s most anticipated evenings of the year. Curated by Jaffe, the one-night-only program will explore the evening’s celestial and devilish theme through dance, transforming the David H. Koch Theater into a theatrical celebration of the light and dark, the ethereal and mischievous.

The program will feature excerpts from ballets including Coppélia, Swan Lake, La Sylphide, and Sylvia, as well as performances of Frederick Ashton’s Dance of the Blessed Spirits, Michel Fokine’s Le Spectre de la Rose, and Agnes de Mille’s Three Virgins and a Devil. Following the performance, the Angels and Demonscelebration will continue with dinner and dancing on the Promenade of the David H. Koch Theater.

The 2026 Fall Gala will be led by Gala Grand Chairs Sloan Lindemann Barnett and Violet Barnett; Emily Blavatnik and Laila Blavatnik; and Julia Koch and Mary Julia Koch, three mother and daughter pairs joining together in support of American Ballet Theatre and its artists. The Fall Gala is American Ballet Theatre’s premier annual fundraising event, bringing together leaders from the worlds of arts and culture, fashion, entertainment, philanthropy, and business in support of one of the world’s great ballet companies. Proceeds support ABT’s productions, the creation of new works, dancer training, education initiatives, and community engagement programs that bring the joy of dance to audiences of all ages.

For more information about the American Ballet Theatre Fall Gala or to inquire about tickets and sponsorship opportunities, please visit www.abt.org/Fall-Gala.

IRVING PLAZA – NEW YORK, NYSATURDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2026WITH SUPPORT FROM IMMORTAL TECHNIQUE & LORD SKO

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2026WITH SUPPORT FROM MELLOW MAN ACE FEATURING KROOKED TREEZ & PLANTA INDUSTRIAL HIP-HOP ICONS’ HIGHLY ANTICIPATED NEW SPANISH-LANGUAGE ALBUM DIOS BENDIGA IS OUT NOW

Multiplatinum hip-hop legends Cypress Hill announce the return of their longstanding Halloween tradition, Haunted Hill, with a two-night engagement at New York’s legendary Irving Plaza on Saturday, October 31, and Sunday, November 1, 2026. Tickets for both shows will go on sale via presale on Wednesday, August 26 at 10 a.m. ET, ahead of the general sale on Friday, August 28 at 10 a.m. ET at Ticketmaster.com.

Each night will feature an incredible lineup of support acts. Joining them on Halloween night, October 31, are Immortal Technique and Lord Sko. On Sunday, November 1, the lineup will include Mellow Man Ace featuring Krooked Treez and Planta Industrial.

Mellow Man Ace also appears on Cypress Hill’s critically acclaimed new album, Dios Bendiga, joining the group on the high-energy standout “Campeones.” Released on July 24 via HYBE, Dios Bendiga is the band’s first full-length project in more than four years and is their first-ever Spanish-language album since they exploded on the scene more than three decades ago. Honoring their Latino roots while pushing their iconic West Coast sound forward, the album also features collaborations with Alemán, Trueno, Coyote and Poe Leos.

Since its release, Dios Bendiga has earned widespread praise from NPR, Billboard, Rolling Stone en Español, GQ México y Latinoamérica, Vice, COLORS, Remezcla, Okayplayer and HOLA!. Rolling Stone en Español called it “a piece that connects their history with the present, without losing the pulse that made them a global reference,” while NPR praised it as “a fascinating exploration of their roots.”

That evolution is equally evident on stage. Most recently, the LA icons brought their high-energy live show to major festivals across Latin America, including Vive Latino in Mexico City, Lollapalooza Brazil and Tecate Pa’l Norte in Monterrey, commanding some of the biggest audiences of the night at each stop. With Haunted Hill, Cypress Hill returns to New York for two unforgettable nights celebrating a beloved Halloween tradition, decades of iconic music, and the success of Dios Bendiga.

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