News

Erykah Badu has set a string of 2025 tour dates in celebration of the 25th anniversary of her sophomore album, Mama’s Gun.

Running from October through December, Badu’s “Mama’s Gun ’25: The Return of Automatic Slim Tour” begins on October 3rd in Hollywood, California, and will also make stops in Boston, Atlanta, Chicago, Brooklyn, and Nashville. See her full touring itinerary below.

Get Erykah Badu Tickets Here

Tickets go on sale to the general public on Friday, August 1st at 10:00 a.m. local time via Ticketmaster. Fans can get early access through a Live Nation pre-sale for select dates (use code Lights) beginning on Wednesday, July 30th at 10:00 a.m. local time.

Mama’s Gun was released in November 2000 as the follow-up to Badu’s breakout 1997 debut album, Baduizm. It was led by her first Top 10 hit on the Billboard Hot 100, “Bag Lady,” which also received...

ABC News Studios has acquired the new documentary Lilith Fair: Building a Mystery. The film about the famed music festival created by Sara McLachlan will premiere at Toronto Film Festival on Sept. 17 before debuting on Hulu Sept. 21.

Ally Pankiw directed the film, which is produced by Dan Levy’s Not a Real Production Company and commissioned by CBC. The film is produced with the support of the original Lilith Fair founders McLachlan, Terry McBride, Dan Fraser, and Marty Diamond. The film is based on the 2019 Vanity Fair article “Building a...

Sarah McLachlan’s late ’90s all-female touring festival Lilith Fair is the subject of a new feature-length documentary set to premiere on Hulu and Disney+ on Sunday, September 21st.

Titled Lilith Fair: Building a Mystery, the authorized film is inspired by the 2019 Vanity Fair article Building a Mystery: An Oral History of Lilith Fair, written by Jessica Hopper with former Consequence editor Sasha Geffen and Jenn Pelly. The film is directed by Ally Pankiw and pulls from more than 600 hours of archival footage, interviews, and stories from fans, festival organizers, and artists who played Lilith Fair.

Get Sarah McLachlan Tickets Here

The documentary includes interviews with McLachlan herself, Sheryl Crow, Erykah Badu, Bonnie Raitt, Brandi Carlile, Natalie Merchant, Mýa, Jewel, the Indigo Girls, Emmylou Harris, and Olivia Rodrigo. The latter will presumably be talking about the festival’s influence since she wasn’t even born yet when Lilith Fair was founded.

Sarah McLachlan’s late ’90s all-female touring festival Lilith Fair is the subject of a new feature-length documentary set to premiere on Hulu and Disney+ on Sunday, September 21st.

Titled Lilith Fair: Building a Mystery, the authorized film is inspired by the 2019 Vanity Fair article Building a Mystery: An Oral History of Lilith Fair, written by Jessica Hopper with former Consequence editor Sasha Geffen and Jenn Pelly. The film is directed by Ally Pankiw and pulls from more than 600 hours of archival footage, interviews, and stories from fans, festival organizers, and artists who played Lilith Fair.

Get Sarah McLachlan Tickets Here

The documentary includes interviews with McLachlan herself, Sheryl Crow, Erykah Badu, Bonnie Raitt, Brandi Carlile, Natalie Merchant, Mýa, Jewel, the Indigo Girls, Emmylou Harris, and Olivia Rodrigo. The latter will presumably be talking about the festival’s influence since she wasn’t even born yet when Lilith Fair was founded.

ABC News Studios and the CBC have picked up the U.S. rights to Lilith Fair: Building a Mystery, director Ally Pankiw’s feature documentary about Sarah McLachlan’s 1990s all-female music festival.

On the heels of a world premiere at the Toronto Film Festival, Canada’s CBC network, which also backed the project, will air the indie doc on Sept. 17 as part of its The Passionate Eye series. Then, in the U.S., Hulu and Disney+ will stream the title from Sept. 21.

The film will also stream on Disney+ internationally later this year and will coincide with McLachlan launching her first studio album of new music in over a decade, Better Broken, on Sept. 19 and a Canadian concert tour.

“I’m so filled with pride and nostalgia watching this film,” McLachlan said about the Lilith Fair doc in a statement. “Ally and the team have beautifully captured the magic...

While Julia Garner may be heralding his end when The Fantastic Four: First Steps arrives in cinemas later this week, HBO Max is heralding the streaming arrival of one of Pedro Pascal’s most slept-on films — Freaky Tales. The anthology project by Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck landed in cinemas earlier this year, but, despite largely positive reviews from critics, failed to make a wave with audiences, most likely due to a limited theatrical release. Now, it’s gunning for a second shot in the spotlight, as the Lionsgate flick sets an arrival date of August 8.

If you love a movie that introduces a multitude of characters whose paths cross in bonkers ways and has a soundtrack that sounds like it’s straight out of Stranger Things, Freaky Tales is the film you didn’t know you needed. Set in 1987, audiences will follow along with Pascal’s Clint as he...

Hope you’re ready for seconds, Freddie Gibbs and The Alchemist have announced Alfredo 2, the follow-up to their 2020 cult classic, Alfredo. To whet the appetite, the duo are sharing the new song “1995” along with a short yakuza noir, Alfredo: The Movie.

The new album is set to drop July 25th via Rabbit Vision, Alc Records, and Virgin Music. Pre-orders are ongoing. This’ll be the third major collaboration for Gibbs and Alc, including 2018’s Fetti with Curren$y. “1995” is a spiritual sequel to “1985” from Alfredo, boasting the same easy chemistry that makes the Mc and producer such natural partners. Alchemist’s spaced-out beat is swimming in vibes, starting with twinkling introspection and building to a guitar-fueled frenzy. He keeps the percussion levels low, the better to hear how Gibbs’ whip-crack flows slice and dice from different angles.

Get The Alchemist Here

Alfredo: The Movie is a bit of cheesy fun directed by Nick Walker,...

As Sudanese-American rapper Bas was prepping the release of Melanchronica, his somber joint album with London duo the Hics, one major hiccup stood in the way. The sample on “Four Walls,” a break-up ballad and the first song the three of them created for the LP eight years ago, kept getting denied.

“That song almost never made it out,” Bas tells Rolling Stone.

The artist who held the keys to clearing the track? Erykah Badu. Bas and the Hics had used “Telephone” from her 2008 album New Amerykah Part One to produce “Four Walls,...

Essence Festival organizers have taken responsibility for a concert that ran so far behind schedule that Lauryn Hill wound up taking the stage at around 2:30 in the morning.

Delays completely derailed the opening day of the 31st annual event, which returned to the Superdome in New Orleans this past weekend. According to Nola.com, opening night Friday, July 4, featured a whopping eight acts, with Hill joining the lineup just two days before the concert. As the show got underway, it was quickly beset by scheduling issues that only got worse as the night wore on.

“Beyond the Gates” stars Tamara Tunie (Anita Dupree) and Karla Mosley (Dani Dupree), as well as executive producer Sheila Ducksworth, will be attending this year’s Essence Festival of Culture event taking place in New Orleans, LA., from Thursday, July 3 through Sunday, July 6.

The group will be part of a panel discussion moderated by Crystal Renee Hayslett from the Essence Main Stage at 3:25 p.m. Ct on Friday, July 4 (Independence Day).

Launched in 1995 to commemorate the 25th anniversary of Essence magazine, the Essence Festival of Culture celebrates African American culture, music, and entertainment and is the largest of its kind in the U.S.

Attendance at the festival reached a record-breaking 250,000 people in 2024.

Musical acts set to perform this year include Maxwell, Babyface, The Isley Brothers, GloRilla, Psiryn, Lucky Daye, Jill Scott, Erykah Badu, Buju Banton, Summer Walker, Master P, Nas, Doug E. Fresh, and many more.

View this...

Erykah Badu and producer The Alchemist are teaming up for the “Abi & Alan Tour,” set for August 2025 in support of their upcoming collaborative album of the same name.

The 10-city North American run kicks off on August 8th in Seattle and will also hit cities including Denver, Toronto, and Austin. See the full schedule below.

Get Erykah Badu Tickets Here

An artist pre-sale (use code Abi122) for Erykah Badu and The Alchemist’s tour is ongoing. The general on-sale begins this Friday, June 27th, at 10:00 a.m. local time via Ticketmaster.

Described as a “multisensory experience that bridges hip-hop production mastery with neo-soul innovation, the “Abi & Alan Tour” will feature the accompaniment of Badu’s live band, The Cannabinoids.

News of the tour follows the release of “Next to You” last week, which served as a teaser for the new album. The project marks Badu’s first studio LP...

Erykah Badu has returned with her new song “Next to You.” The track serves as a teaser for her upcoming first studio album in 15 years, which is being produced solely by The Alchemist. Stream it below.

As described in a press release, the collaboration came out of Alc “providing the foundation” with his hazy instrumental and Badu then “putting her ‘izm’ on it” with her smooth vocals. “Follow me and we gon’ break the rules,” she sings. “I can’t even fly/ You’re the only one that gets me high.”

In March, Billboard reported that Badu’s currently untitled project was a primary focus in her life. “The album has been taking up most of her time; she says she can’t wait until she’s done,” journalist Damien Scott wrote.

Later this month, Badu and The Alchemist will head out on the road for the first time together...

In music, it’s an open secret that one’s look is as important as their sound, and Sly Stone was a cosmopolitan reflection of time and place who simultaneously transcended eras. The American icon died on Monday at 82, leaving behind a legacy of soaring musical achievements, struggle, and glittery Halston unitards and capes that still make today’s pop stars drool.

Sly and the Family Stone rose to the forefront during the tumultuous late Sixties, amid perilous Civil Rights demonstrations and protests against the Vietnam War, all while “Dance...

The post-industrial town of Macclesfield, England, has a rather unfortunate reputation due to its tiny size, perpetually grey skies, limited employment opportunities, and lack of even a single movie theater. At a low point in 2004, the Local Futures Group called it the “least cultured” place in England. When tourists do come, it’s often to visit the grave of Joy Division frontman/Macclesfield native Ian Curtis, who died by suicide in 1980 after creating some of the saddest (albeit staggeringly brilliant) music in rock history.

But a new rock trio, Cassia,...

No matter how you get there — early-morning Lirr, stuck on Montauk highway traffic, or affluent aerial transport (if you’re doing the latter, let’s be friends) — it’s become a summer tradition for more musically-inclined New Yorkers to descend upon the Surf Lodge. Once there, Montauk townies, preppy uptowners, humble fans of tech-house, scene kids, and everything in between get treated to sets from the biggest names in dance, rap, and pop. Just ahead of the long weekend that unofficially kicks off the summer, Rolling Stone can exclusively reveal...

Jin has always been his own kind of romantic within the BTS universe, with his own style. This is the guy you go to for epic swoon-worthy love songs about space travel through the cosmos of the heart, in classics like “Epiphany” and “Moon.” (Especially “Moon.”) He summed up his sound with his official solo debut single “The Astronaut,” his 2022 duet with Coldplay, where he kept hitting high notes from outer space. (But still — especially “Moon.” What a song, right?) Jin pushes his signature style even further with Echo, his new 7-song EP,...

Josh Johnson can’t remember all of the details about this one particular bank robbery gone wrong. It happened in the Seventies, or maybe it was the Eighties. The amount of money stolen is hazy. But he can recall the parts that matter — the funny ones. “He ran up in there, robbed the place, didn’t wear a mask,” the comedian says. “They eventually catch up with him, and he’s so shocked that he’s been arrested.” With an exasperated flair, the Louisiana native echoes one phrase the culprit...

The 2025 Billboard Women In Music event is here!

Among the celeb attendees include honorees Doechii, Jennie and Gracie Abrams, who all hit the blue carpet on Saturday night (March 29) at YouTube Theater in Inglewood, Calif.

The annual event, hosted by Laverne Cox this year, is held to “honor influential women in music, spanning artists and industry leaders, with performances, awards and tributes.”

Keep reading to find out more…

Also being honored this year include Tina Knowles, aespa, GloRilla, Meghan Trainor, Tyla and more.

This year’s event is set to feature performances from aespa, Erykah Badu, Angela Aguilar, Gracie Abrams, Megan Moroney, Muni Long and Tyla.

Keep scrolling below to see all of the celebrities in attendance and photographed on the blue carpet…

Laverne Cox

Doechii (Woman of the Year Award Recipient)

Jennie (Global Force Award Recipient)

Tyla (Impact Award Recipient)

Gracie Abrams (Songwriter of the Year Award Recipient)

Tina...

Erykah Badu fans have spent the past 15 years waiting for a follow-up to her 2010 LP New Amerykah Part Two (Return of the Ankh), but it seems like they won’t have to wait much longer. In a new interview with Billboard, Badu revealed that she’s hard at work on a new LP with the Alchemist, a producer who has worked with everyone from Eminem and Earl Sweatshirt to Big Sean and Lil Wayne.

Little is known about the record beyond the Alchemist’s involvement as the sole producer, though...

Erykah Badu hasn’t released a new album since 2010’s New Amerykah Part Two (Return of the Ankh), but that could all change soon. In a recent Billboard interview, the neo soul pioneer revealed she is working on her first studio album in 15 years.

Adding to the intrigue, it’s being solely produced by The Alchemist, better known for working with hip-hop artists like Freddie Gibbs, Earl Sweatshirt, and Boldy James.

According to journalist Damien Scott, the currently untitled project is a primary focus in Badu’s life. “The album has been taking up most of her time; she says she can’t wait until she’s done,” Scott wrote.

Elsewhere in the interview, Badu explained why it’s been so long between albums. “I tour eight months out of the year for the past 25 years,” she said. “That’s what I do. I am a performance artist. I am not a recording artist.

J. Cole has unveiled the lineup for his 2025 Dreamville Festival. On Monday, the rapper unveiled that he’ll headline the annual North Carolina fest alongside Lil Wayne, 21 Savage, J. Cole, Erykah Badu, and Tems. The two-day festival is scheduled for April 5 and 6 at Raleigh’s Dorothea Dix Park.

Lil Wayne leads the Saturday lineup, hitting the stage with Hot Boys (Juvenile, Turk, and B.G.) and Big Tymers (Mannie Fresh and Birdman) during his set. 21 Savage, Partynextdoor, Ludacris, Ari Lennox, and Chief Keef will also perform. Keyshia Cole will take...

With the loss of multi-talented instrumentalist Roy Ayers, who died on Wednesday at the age of 84, the hip-hop world is honoring one of its greatest inspirations and sample sources. Hip-hop production stalwarts such as J. Dilla, Dr. Dre, DJ Premier, Pete Rock, Q-Tip, Madlib, and others have sampled from his six-decade-spanning catalog of jazz and funk-laced compositions. The user-based platform WhoSampled tabulated that Roy Ayers has been sampled 964 times, with 85 covers and 54 remixes.

He’s been regarded as “The Godfather of Neo-Soul” for songs like “Everybody Loves The Sunshine,” one...

Roy Ayers, the legendary jazz-funk vibraphonist and pioneer of the renowned song ‘Everybody Loves the Sunshine’, took his last breath on March 4, at the age of 84. His family confirmed on social media that he was battling a long time illness. Ayers, who was an original practitioner of hard bop, eased into the jazz fusion genre in the early 1970s, with the formation of a music group called Roy Ayers Ubiquity.

Roy Ayers | Credit: By Werner Nieke, Cc By 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

He was one of the pioneers of the neo-soul movement. As a solo artist, he has released dozens of albums, dating back to 1963. Let’s take a look at the legendary artist’s musical journey.

The musical journey of Roy Ayers

Roy Ayers was born on September 10, 1940, in Los Angeles, California, in a musical family. What inspired Ayers was an encounter with vibraphonist Lionel Hampton at the tender age of...

Roy Ayers, the jazz vibraphonist whose smooth fusion planted the seeds of acid jazz and neo soul, died Wednesday at the age of 84.

Ayers’ family confirmed his death on the musician’s Facebook page: “It is with great sadness that the family of legendary vibraphonist, composer, and producer Roy Ayers announce his passing which occurred on March 4th, 2025 in New York City after a long illness.” A specific cause of death was not immediately available.

Originally a practitioner of hard bop, Ayers eased into jazz fusion in the early 1970s,...

Roy Ayers, the pioneering jazz-funk musician best known for his song “Everybody Loves the Sunshine,” has died at the age of 84.

“It is with great sadness that the family of legendary vibraphonist, composer and producer Roy Ayers announce his passing which occurred on March 4th, 2025 in New York City after a long illness,” read a post on the musician’s Facebook. “He lived a beautiful 84 years and will be sorely missed. His family ask that you respect their privacy at this time, a celebration of Roy’s life will be forthcoming.”

Ayers, who was born in Los Angeles on September 10th, 1940, released his debut album, West Side Vibes, in 1963, and collaborated with jazz legend Herbie Mann on a number of recordings. After releasing a handful more solo jazz albums in the ’60s, he formed his band Roy Ayers Ubiquity, developing his signature jazz-funk sound.

His signature song “Everybody Loves the...

Roy Ayers, the jazz-funk vibraphonist known for Everybody Loves the Sunshine and sampled ’round the music world, has died. He was 84.

Ayers died Tuesday in New York after a long illness, his family announced in a statement, describing him as “highly influential and sought after as a music collaborator.”

Ayers was a pioneer of the jazz-funk movement, and he was well-known for neo-soul, acid jazz and rhythm and blues as well. He released dozens of albums over the course of his career, beginning with West Coast Vibes in 1963. His biggest hit, Everybody Loves the Sunshine, came in 1976 from his group, Roy Ayers Ubiquity. His songs have since been sampled by artists including Mary J. Blige (“My Life”), A Tribe Called Quest (“Bonita Applebaum”) and Junior M.A.F.I.A. (“Get Money”). He also released collaborations with such artists as Guru, Fela Kuti, Rick James and the Roots.

In 2016, Pitchfork ranked the title track...

Contrary to popular belief, white liberal arts students protesting President Trump through interpretive dance isn’t “woke” — that’s just what The Man wants you to think.

The phrase “stay woke” first entered the public lexicon through the recordings of influential folk and blues singer Lead Belly with his 1938 song “The Scottsboro Boys.” Later, in the current century, the genre-spanning Erykah Badu brought the phrase back into pop culture’s consciousness through her own music, and when the Black Lives Matter movement emerged in the mid-2010s, “stay woke” became a popular warning among BLM supporters that reminded them to be vigilant in spotting racial discrimination.

Then, Childish Gambino released his hit single “Redbone” in 2016, and white college students everywhere stole the word “woke,” over-used it in Tumblr rants and Twitter fights, and turned it into a punchline on the left and curse word on the right that now pejoratively...

R&b legend Raphael Saadiq, who most recently was a key collaborator on Beyoncé’s Grammy-winning Cowboy Carter, will take the stage alone this spring for three concerts covering his lengthy career. The mini-tour, titled No Bandwidth: One Man, One Night, Three Decades of Hits, will draw from his work with Tony! Toni! Toné! and Lucy Pearl, as well as his solo albums and production work for other artists, from D’Angelo to Erykah Badu.

“I’ve always wanted to do a one-man show, ” Saadiq said in a press release. “I want to challenge myself.

Are Aespa & Blackpink’s Jennie Getting Awarded At 2025 Billboard Women In Music Ceremony? ( Photo Credit – Instagram )

Blackpink and Aespa, both K-pop bands, have been in the music industry for a long time. People have been enjoying their songs since their debut. While Blackpink debuted in 2016 under the label Yg Entertainment, Aespa has been active since 2020 after being formed by Sm Entertainment. Though Blackpink has cut ties with Yg Entertainment, leading to speculations of disbandment, recently, the group has announced their upcoming tour details, keeping their fans excited.

Blackpink consists of Jennie, Jisoo, Lisa, and Rose. On the other hand, Aespa has four members: Karina, Giselle, Winter, and Ningning. Each of the members has made their identity outside their group’s name. Jennie has not only excelled in her music but also made her debut in acting with The Idol. The songstress will be honored alongside the girl band Aespa at...

Grammy Awards 2025 Complete Winners List ( Photo Credit – Instagram )

The prestigious 67th Grammy Awards felicitated the best of the best in the music industry. The event took place in Los Angeles on February 2, 2025. While Kendrick Lamar made history at the Grammy Awards 2025 by winning three awards, which took his total Grammy wins to 20, Sabrina Carpenter defeated the likes of Taylor Swift and Ariana Grande to grab the Best Pop Vocal Album. Here is the complete winner’s list for the Grammy Awards 2025.

Album Of The Year André 3000 – New Blue Sun Beyoncé – Cowboy Carter (Winner) Sabrina Carpenter – Short n’ Sweet Charli xcx – Brat Jacob Collier – Djesse Vol 4 Billie Eilish – Hit Me Hard and Soft Chappell Roan – The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess Taylor Swift – The Tortured Poets Department

Song Of The Year

Shaboozey – A Bar Song (Tipsy) Billie Eilish – Birds of a Feather Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars – Die With...

Jamie xx, known for adding genre-jumping samples to his electronic tracks, announced the release of “F.U.,” a techno-warped single featuring Erykah Badu. Badu offers a handful of expletives in the opening notes, which originates from an ad-libbed performance during a Primavera Sound afterparty in 2019.

Both Jamie xx and Badu were billed to play at the afterparty, when Badu’s music equipment malfunctioned, leading the neo soul artist to give an impromptu a cappella performance. The producer recorded Badu’s voice during the Barcelona-based set, and Badu’s profanity-filled freestyle...

Jamie xx has shared “F.U.,” a new collaborative song with R&b icon Erykah Badu.

The song appears on the deluxe edition of Jamie xx’s 2024 album In Waves, which is out digitally today. Built on a live sample of Erykah Badu, “F.U.” reprises the hybrid dance approach of In Waves by offering a raw, off-the-cuff vocal performance atop a clean, thumping house instrumental.

Get Jamie xx Tickets Here

The collaboration between the two began when Jamie xx DJ’d a Primavera Sound after-party in Barcelona a few years ago, and Badu joined him onstage: “The decks stopped working and she just freestyled this incredible a capella performance, fully improvised, just her and the mic,” Jamie xx said in a statement. “I managed to record a bit of that, and it became the basis for the track. We connected about it when I was finishing the album and...

Very few television programs have the iconic history of musical guests that Sesame Street does: Over the years it’s featured everyone from Stevie Wonder to Tony Bennett, Erykah Badu to the Fugees, Patti Labelle to R.E.M., and clever interpretations like odes to the letter U from both One Direction (“What Makes U Useful”) and Smokey Robinson (“U Really Got a Hold on Me”), and opera singer Marilyn Horne trilling an operatic version of “C Is for Cookie,” and much more.

That legacy continues in the show’s 55th season, which launches on Max with Renee Rapp on Jan. 16 and follows with Sza, Noah Kahan, Michael B. Jordan, Samara Joy, Chris Stapleton, Jonathan Van Ness and Billie Jean King joining for songs and other segments. The full schedule appears below; episodes release every Thursday. The season be available on local PBS stations across the country and on the free PBS...

When “The Piano Lesson’s” hair designer Andrea Mona Bowman was first told she was tasked to create a wig for singer Erykah Badu, she was elated.

She immediately began designing what would be fitting for the Queen of Soul’s cameo as Lucille, the rousing bandleader at a jazz club, in Malcolm Washington’s film adaptation of August Wilson’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play.

“I was so excited because she’s an icon to me,” Bowman, the head of the hair department, tells Variety. “I just love everything about her style.”

But there was a slight problem.

Due to Badu’s touring schedule, she was available for only one day to shoot.

There would be no time for a prior hair fitting, which meant Bowman had to have several wigs ready in hopes that one would work.

“I had to prepare all these wigs but, by her having a red-yellow undertone,...

As 2024 draws to a close, everyone who's prone to opining on the art they've consumed throughout the year is making their lists of bests, worsts and so on. Your friendly neighborhood entertainment junkies at /Film have been busy little beavers over the last couple of weeks, compiling what we collectively believe to be the year's 20 best movies and 15 best TV shows. You may or may not agree with our selections, but we do hope you'll give each and every title a shot if you've got the time.

This list-making bug doesn't just bite critics; regular ol' moviegoers love to get in on the act as well. All you have to do is spend a little time on TikTok or YouTube, and you'll find folks of all ages weighing in on their favorites of the year. One person we've become accustomed to hearing from every December is former president Barack Obama.

Deadline’s Read the Screenplay series spotlighting the scripts behind the awards season’s buzziest movies continues with Netflix’s The Piano Lesson, the adaptation of the Pulitzer Prize-winning August Wilson play that was directed by Malcolm Washington in his feature-helming debut. Washington co-wrote the script with Virgil Williams, the Oscar-nominated so-screenwriter of 2017’s Mudbound.

The film, which features a stellar ensemble including Samuel L. Jackson, John David Washington, Ray Fisher, Michael Potts, Erykah Badu, Danielle Deadwyler and Corey Hawkins, had its world premiere at the Telluride Film Festival. It hit theaters in early November and began streaming on Netflix on November 22, and has since picked up a Best First Feature Spirit Awards nomination for Malcolm Washington and several supporting actress noms for Deadwyler.

Malcolm and Williams teamed to work on the script to get to the root of Wilson’s play, the latest in the playwright’s Century Cycle series to be adapted to the screen.

In Piano Lesson, the story is set in the 1930s and revolves around the Charles family’s prized heirloom piano. One brother (John David Washington) plans to build the family fortune by selling it, while one sister (Deadwyler) will go to any lengths to hold onto the sole vestige of the family’s heritage. Their uncle (Jackson) tries to mediate, but even he can’t hold back the ghosts of the past.

Deadline Related Video:

“Every family has a history, stories from the past that inform the present; an origin story,” Malcolm Washington says. “Ultimately this story is much bigger than me and my family — it, like the Black American experience, is an inter-connected web of stories that span space and time.”

In addition to Mudbound, Williams, the longtime Criminal Minds writer-producer, previously teamed with Denzel Washington, co-writing the Washington-directed 2021 drama A Journal For Jordan starring Michael B. Jordan and Chanté Adams.

Check out Malcolm Washington and Williams’ A Piano Lesson script below.

When it comes to the grand slam of Egot awards, the Grammys are always the most unpredictable. This year is no different, with several races too close to call. Here are the four toughest bets.

SEEWill Shaboozey’s record run on Billboard charts lead to Grammys like it did for ‘Old Town Road’?

Best Pop Vocal Album

You could make a case for each of the nominees here. Ariana Grande would seem to be the odd person out because her “Eternal Sunshine” is the only contender in this category that missed a nod for Album of the Year, but all the “Wicked” hype and its corresponding Oscar campaign could generate more buzz for Grande as an artist. Lady Gaga’s surprise Best Pop Solo Performance win in 2019 for “Joanne,” for example, happened during her big awards push for “A Star Is Born.”

Then there’s Taylor Swift, whose “The Tortured...

Hip-hop has always been about the beats, whether they're played live or sampled, and fusion/crossover hip-hop in particular has some genuinely flawless beats thanks to the inclusion of percussion and instrumentation in ways that more old-school DJs never got the chance to use. Drawing influences and sounds from folk music, bossa nova, metal, film scores, and even folk music, fusion hip-hop pushes the boundaries of the genre in innovative and artistic ways.

Some of these albums are all-star projects, and some are strange and experimental, but all have a unique spin on producing hip-hop. That's not to say that the classic approach hasn't influenced them either, though; they're still hip-hop through and through, so keep an eye out for guest appearances from some classic MCs while listening.

Sérgio Mendes - Timeless Concord Records and will.i.am Music Group, 2006

Sérgio Mendes was a Brazilian bossa nova pianist who had the occasional...

A Different Man Photo: Courtesy of Sundance Institute

The first big awards event of the season was held in New York last night, with Aaron Schimberg's transformative tale A Different Man taking top prize. Sing Sing and Nickel Boys each won two awards, putting them in good position for the race to come. There was a special tribute award for Angelina Jolie for her performance as opera singer Maria Callas in Pablo Larrain’s upcoming film Maria.

Zendaya received the Spotlight Tribute for her work in Luca Guadagnino's tennis-themed Challengers, while Timothée Chalamet and James Mangold received the Visionary Tribute for their collaboration on Bob Dylan biopic A Complete Unknown. Denis Villeneuve received The Gotham Director Tribute for Dune: Part Two, and the Ensemble Tribute went to the cast of The Piano Lesson, including Samuel L Jackson, John David Washington, Ray Fisher, Danielle Deadwyler, Michael Potts, Corey Hawkins,...

Quick Links 'The Piano Lesson' Is an Engrossing Adaptation of a Pulitzer-Winning Play Samuel L. Jackson Knocks It Out of the Park Yet Again Critics and Audiences Are Impressed with 'The Piano Lesson'

Samuel L. Jackson has been a beloved and respected presence on the silver screen for decades, having proven himself to be one of Hollywood's most dynamic and entertaining leading men throughout the course of his illustrious career. There is no genre, role, or film Jackson can't completely make his own, having starred in a slew of unforgettable classics like Pulp Fiction, A Time to Kill, The Incredibles, and Django Unchained (to name just a few of his endless hits), and his films have collectively grossed over $27 billion, making him the highest-grossing actor of all time.

Apart from his dazzling cinema work, Jackson has also had a prominent presence on the stage and on Broadway,...

For Malcolm Washington, an appreciation for August Wilson plays runs in the family. Several years ago, his father Denzel committed to producing film adaptations of Wilson’s Century Cycle plays — a collection of 10 works, each covering one decade of the Black experience in 20th-century America. Denzel started with the Oscar-nominated Fences, which he also directed and starred in, and followed that with Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, which won Chadwick Boseman a posthumous Best Actor Oscar nomination. In 2022, Malcolm’s brother, the actor John David Washington, starred in a Broadway revival of The Piano Lesson.

It’s been a big weekend for the Washington family.

While patriarch Denzel Washington chewed the scenery on multiplex screens in “Gladiator II,” the next generation of Washingtons stormed onto streaming with the film adaptation of August Wilson’s Pulitzer Prize winner “The Piano Lesson.” With the Netflix film, Denzel and Pauletta Washington’s kids — director Malcolm, actor John David and producer Katia — add to both their family mythos and Wilson’s legacy.

“We’re standing on the shoulders of the Wilsonians,” John David Washington told Variety at the film’s Los Angeles premiere on Nov. 19, listing artists who’ve appeared in Wilson’s works on stage and screen, including his father, Viola Davis, Samuel L. Jackson, Latanya Richardson Jackson, Stephen McKinley Henderson and Charles Dutton.

“They showed us how to do it,” he said. “Hopefully the younger generation will be inspired by what’s possible with these words.”

Malcolm,...

This review was originally published on September 16, 2024 as a part of our Toronto International Film Festival coverage.

August Wilson, the late acclaimed American playwright, chronicled some of the best stories about African American experiences using deeply humanized and comprehensive storytelling. Some of his notable theater works include Fences and Ma Raineys Black Bottom, both of which have been adapted into film. Denzel Washington, who produced both features, returns for a third Wilson adaptation with The Piano Lesson,which sees a Black family adapt to life in 1936 Pittsburgh following the Great Depression. Directed by Malcolm Washington and featuring a star-studded, talented cast, The Piano Lesson captures the importance of honoring our ancestors through legacy.

The Piano Lesson

In The Piano Lesson, a brother and sister clash over selling a family heirloom pianohe sees it as a path to wealth, while she views it as a vital link to their heritage. Their uncle tries to mediate,...

One of the best movies of 2024 is now available to stream on Netflix. Met with widespread critical acclaim upon release, The Piano Lesson is now a hot Oscars contender, and marks the directorial debut of Malcolm Washington, the son of Hollywood icon and Gladiator 2 star Denzel Washington. The drama follows a family in 1936 Pittsburgh, amid the aftermath of the Great Depression, as they grapple with their family legacy while deciding what to do with the titular musical heirloom.

Directed by Malcolm Washington, who co-wrote the screenplay with Virgil Williams, The Piano Lesson is an adaptation of the play by August Wilson. The movie is something of a Washington family get-together, with Tenet star John David Washington starring, Denzel Washington producing, and Katia Washington on board as an executive producer. The rest of the stellar cast includes Samuel L. Jackson, Ray Fisher, Michael Potts, Erykah Badu, Skylar Aleece Smith, Danielle Deadwyler,...

The Piano Lesson has finally been released on Netflix, and here is a full breakdown of the cast and characters from the film. Director Malcolm Washington is adapting the critically acclaimed 1987 play into a feature film, with him working alongside some of the most talented actors who are working today. There are tons of talented individuals in The Piano Lesson, and here's who they all are.

The Piano Lesson follows the Charles family, a multi-generational group of characters who have to decide what they want to do with the titular piano. The piano is a family heirloom that was crafted by the enslaved ancestors of the Charles family, with it being beautifully decorated and passed down. Some want to sell the piano and others want to preserve it, leading to a major conflict within the Charles family.

Actor

Role

John David Washington

Boy Willie Charles

Samuel L. Jackson

Doaker Charles...

The Washington family is hitting the red carpet!

Denzel Washington and wife Pauletta stepped out to support their kids Malcolm, John David, and Katia Washington at the premiere of their new Netflix movie The Piano Lesson on Tuesday night (November 19) held at The Egyptian Theatre in Los Angeles

John David, 40, stars in the movie, which Malcolm, 33, directed, and Katia, 36, produced.

Cast members in attendance included Danielle Deadwyler, Ray Fisher, Michael Potts, Erykah Badu, Skylar Aleece Smith, Corey Hawkins, and Gail Bean.

Katia had the support of wife Colleen at the premiere while Tyler, the Creator was also in attendance.

Here’s the movie’s synopsis from Netflix: “Set in 1936 Pittsburgh during the aftermath of the Great Depression, The Piano Lesson follows the lives of the Charles family in the Doaker Charles household and an heirloom, the family piano, which documents the family history through carvings made by their enslaved ancestor.

A new movie produced by Denzel Washington is performing well on Rotten Tomatoes. Washington is an actor who had his breakthrough role in the 1980s medical drama St. Elsewhere and went on to achieve great critical and commercial success. This includes being nominated for 10 Oscars and having his movies collectively gross more than $4.57 billion at the worldwide box office.

Over the years, Denzel Washington movies that have made huge splashes include the Equalizer trilogy, which has collectively grossed $574.3 million, and 2016's Fences, which was nominated for four Oscars, winning one. He also directed Fences, with the August Wilson adaptation marking his third of four directorial features so far. He is also a producer, primarily on his own movies, though he has also produced movies in which he didn't star, like 2020's Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, which is likewise an August Wilson adaptation.

The Piano Lesson Has Earned A Solid Rotten...

Play-to-film adaptations can often flourish thanks to the little tricks and turns that only the silver screen can provide: whether it’s Jack Nicholson’s claustrophobic close-up as he exclaims guilt in A Few Good Men, or the frantic editing of Amadeus. On the other hand, some adaptations do too little and end up feeling literally ‘stagey’ as a result. With The Piano Lesson in particular, it feels like not much has been gained by re-rendering this Pulitzer- winner on celluloid.

Adapted from August Wilson’s play — part of the ‘Pittsburgh Cycle’ that includes Fences and Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (all three now Denzel Washington-produced films) — The Piano Lesson is set in 1936 in Pittsburgh, where the Charles family live, with a large piano sitting unused in their house. Doaker (Samuel L. Jackson) explains the musical instrument’s tragic backstory: enslaved ancestors were traded so that the white head...

Netflix has launched a new trailer for Malcolm Washington’s ‘The Piano Lesson’ starring John David Washington.

Set in 1936 Pittsburgh during the aftermath of the Great Depression, the film follows the lives of the Charles family in the Doaker Charles household and an heirloom, the family piano, which documents the family history through carvings made by their enslaved ancestor.

Adapted from August Wilson’s Pulitzer Prize-winning masterwork, the story explores the intergenerational dynamics of identity, resilience and transcendence – revealing startling truths about how we perceive the past and who gets to define our legacy.

Malcolm Washington makes his directional debut. Oscar-nominated Denzel Washington joins as a producer, and the film stars John David Washington, Samuel L. Jackson, John David Washington, Ray Fisher, Michael Potts, Erykah Badu with Danielle Deadwyler and Corey Hawkins.

Also in trailers – Pamela Anderson stars in teaser trailer for ‘The Last Showgirl’

The movie launches on Netflix on 22nd November.

The Piano Lesson. Erykah Badu as Lucille in The Piano Lesson. Cr. David Lee/Netflix © 2024 Get ready for a captivating experience with Netflix’s upcoming release, The Piano Lesson, a film that masterfully blends family dynamics, historical depth, and intense conflicts. Based on August Wilson’s acclaimed play. Set against the backdrop of 1936 Pittsburgh, the narrative revolves around siblings entangled in a heated dispute over a cherished family piano. John David Washington (Tenet & BlacKkKlansman) takes on the role of Boy Willie, who is eager to sell the piano in order to purchase land that carries a painful legacy of slavery. Opposing him is his sister Berniece, portrayed by the remarkable Danielle Deadwyler (Till), who is determined to preserve this vital piece of their family’s heritage. This isn’t merely about a musical instrument; it’s a profound exploration of legacy, memory, and the burdens of history. The piano, adorned...