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Synopsis: Built around “Stan” – the iconic Eminem track released 25 years ago about an obsessive, unstable fan – the film introduces us to a group of real-life ‘stans’ whose deeply personal connections to Eminem mirror some of the many themes found throughout his discography.

Review: As an Elder Millennial, I graduated high school the year Eminem skyrocketed to fame with “The Slim Shady LP.” Eminem was the world’s biggest rapper for about a decade and remains one of the most popular musicians. While my appreciation for his music has stuck with my nostalgia for his first albums, I respect his stature in the pantheon of hip-hop musicians. Some fans have never wavered in their devotion to the man born Marshal Mathers, and the film Stans is dedicated to them. Not quite a documentary in the traditional sense, Stans is more of a love letter to Eminem’s music and how it...

Exclusive: It’s smooth sailing this summer for Live with Kelly and Mark.

The daytime talk show hit a summertime high during the week of July 21, averaging 2.2M viewers — up 7% versus the week prior to become Live‘s best weekly performance since April.

The week also rose in ratings for women 18-49 and Women 25-54, per data from Nielsen.

On a yearly basis, Live with Kelly and Mark was up 8% in total viewers and 15% among women 18-49 as well.

Monday’s episode was the big winner that week. Featuring celebrity guests LL Cool J and Kristen Johnston, the telecast delivered more than 2.3M viewers, making it the most-watched in over three months.

This also marks the sixth season in a row that Live has led daytime talk shows with the women 25-54 demo.

A peculiar thing happens when an artist becomes a cultural landmark: the story ceases to be about them. It becomes about the people who listen. The documentary Stans is ostensibly about the rapper Eminem, yet he is present more as a gravitational force than a subject. The film’s true focus is on the planets and asteroids caught in his orbit.

Directed by Steven Leckart, this is an exercise in narrative inversion, exploring a legacy not through the creator but through the receivers. Its title is, of course, derived from the artist’s iconic 2000 song, a chilling epistolary tale of obsessive fandom gone wrong. The term’s lexical journey from a specific, dark warning to a generic (and often proud) label for intense devotion is one of the more curious linguistic shifts of the new millennium.

The documentary gives a platform to the modern bearers of this title, letting them articulate the bond they feel.

We have the nominations for MTV’s 2025 VMAs. Lady Gaga leads the field with a dozen noms, followed by Bruno Mars with 11 and Kendrick Lamar with 10. They’re the only performers in the double digits, and this marks the third year that Gaga has led all nominees.

Rosé and Sabrina Carpenter are next with eight each, followed by Ariana Grande and The Weeknd (seven), Billie Eilish (six) and Charli xcx (five), Bad Bunny, Doechii, Ed Sheeran, Jelly Roll, Miley Cyrus and Tate McRae have four each. See the full list below.

The Moonman statuettes will be handed out during the VMAs ceremony on September 7 at the Usb Arena in New York City. CBS and MTV will simulcast the event live, and Paramount+ will stream it.

Vying in the marquee Video of the Year category are Grande’s “Brighter Days Ahead,” Eilish’s “Birds of a Feather,” Lamar’s “Not Like Us,...

On Thursday July 24 2025, NBC broadcasts Late Night With Seth Meyers!

LL Cool J; Vanessa Kirby Season 12 Episode 117 Episode Summary

The upcoming episode of “Late Night With Seth Meyers” promises to be an exciting one, featuring two talented guests. LL Cool J, the iconic rapper and actor, will be joining the show. Known for his dynamic presence and impressive career in music and film, LL Cool J is sure to bring some interesting stories and insights to the late-night stage.

In addition to LL Cool J, the episode will also feature actress Vanessa Kirby. She has gained recognition for her powerful performances in both film and television. With her recent roles in popular projects, Kirby’s appearance is highly anticipated. Fans can expect her to discuss her latest work and share some behind-the-scenes moments from her projects.

As always, Seth Meyers will lead the conversation with his signature humor and engaging style.

This Wednesday, a hip hop legend is at the CBS Mornings table. Cultural icon and music pioneer LL Cool J sits down with the team to talk about the definitive story of hip hop. As the force behind the new Paramount+ series “Hip Hop Was Born Here,” he’ll share the powerful stories behind the music […]

CBS Mornings: LL Cool J, Keri Glassman...

On a warm summer night in the City of Brotherly Love, history was made as the Wu-Tang Clan took the stage for what was billed as their final show — and they went out in epic fashion. The Wells Fargo Center was electric with energy as thousands of fans gathered to witness the legendary hip-hop collective deliver a performance that was equal parts celebration, reflection, and unfiltered lyrical fire. Direct support for this tour came from Run The Jewels who also put on an electrifying performance.

From the moment the lights dimmed and the iconic opening chords of “Bring da Ruckus” echoed through the arena, it was clear that Wu-Tang wasn’t here to say goodbye quietly. With all living members present — RZA, Gza, Method Man, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck, U-God, Masta Killa, and Cappadonna — the group launched into a masterclass in hip-hop showmanship. Their chemistry was as potent as ever,...

An interview gives audiences insight into an actor's upcoming project. One of the most effective ways to promote a film, show, album, book, and more is by appearing as a guest on a talk show. There was a time when everyone wanted to book a spot on TheLate Show with David Letterman; an appearance on the talk show was a great way to get exposure and connect with fans. From 1993 to 2015, some of the most popular actors sat in the chairs next to Letterman's desk on stage to chat and laugh. Some prominent celebrities include Demi Moore, Robin Williams, Madonna, Denzel Washington, LL Cool J, and more. Yet, perhaps the most awkward Late Show interview occurred in 2009, when Joaquin Phoenix appeared in character to promote a movie.

According to Deadline, Phoenix was promoting his film I'm Still Here, a mockumentary musical parody of the actor's real life. He announces his...

The upcoming episode of “Late Night With Seth Meyers” promises to be an exciting one, featuring two incredible guests. Season 12, Episode 117, titled “LL Cool J; Vanessa Kirby,” is set to air at 12:37 Am on Thursday, July 24, 2025, on NBC. Fans of late-night television can look forward to an entertaining mix of humor and engaging conversation.

LL Cool J, the legendary actor and rapper, will be stopping by to chat with Seth. Known for his charismatic presence and impressive career, LL Cool J is sure to bring some great stories and insights. His journey in the entertainment industry has been remarkable, and viewers can expect to hear about his latest projects and perhaps some behind-the-scenes moments from his life in Hollywood.

Joining him is Vanessa Kirby, an acclaimed actress known for her powerful performances in film and television. With her recent successes, including standout roles in various acclaimed projects, Kirby is...

LL Cool J leads the guest lineup on Monday’s Live with Kelly and Mark, airing at 9:00 Am on ABC. The Grammy winner and TV regular will sit down to discuss Hip Hop Was Born Here, his latest project celebrating the roots of the genre. Also on the couch is Kristen Johnston, promoting her new […]

Live with Kelly and Mark: LL Cool J, Kristen Johnston...

To help you anticipate and navigate all that television has to offer across broadcast, cable and streaming, TVLine offers daily, weekly and monthly What to Watch digests, as well as an overview of every new TV show premiering in 2025.

This week, you’ll find 10 series premieres (including The Hunting Wives and Washington Black), a dozen returning series (including Acapulco and South Park) and a dozen finales (including Patience and Stick).

More from TVLineEvery New Scripted Show Confirmed to Premiere in 2025 — Save the Dates!What to Watch in July: Your Guide to 170+ Premieres Across Broadcast, Cable and StreamingLoot Season 3 Gets Fall Release Date - Plus,...

A new episode of the What Happened to This Horror Movie? video series has just arrived online, and in this one we’re looking back at the 1999 shark thriller Deep Blue Sea (watch it Here). To hear all about it, check out the video embedded above!

Directed by Renny Harlin from a screenplay by Duncan Kennedy, Donna Powers, and Wayne Powers, Deep Blue Sea has the following synopsis: On an island research facility, Dr. Susan McAlester is harvesting the brain tissue of DNA-altered sharks as a possible cure for Alzheimer’s disease. When the facility’s backers send an executive to investigate the experiments, a routine procedure goes awry and a shark starts attacking the researchers. Now, with sharks outnumbering their human captors, McAlester and her team must figure out a way to stop them from escaping to the ocean and breeding. The film stars Thomas Jane, Saffron Burrows, Jacqueline McKenzie,...

Michael Myers’ appearance in Halloween H20 is joining Neca‘s Ultimate action figure line.

The fully articulated 7-inch scale figure includes interchangeable heads with different masks and seven interchangeable hands.

Accessories include two kitchen knives (clean and bloody), fire axe, ice skate, and pumpkin. It’s packaged in a window box with opening front flap.

Priced at $34.99, it’s due out in the third quarter of 2025.

In Steve Miner‘s 1998 seventh installment in the Halloween franchise, Laurie Strode, now the dean of a Northern California private school under an assumed name, must battle the Shape one last time as the life of her own son hangs in the balance.

Jamie Lee Curtis returned to star alongside Josh Hartnett, Adam Arkin, Michelle Williams, Adam Hann-Byrd, Jodi Lyn O’Keefe, Janet Leigh, LL Cool J, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and Chris Durand as Michael Myers.

The post ‘Halloween H20’ Michael Myers Gets Neca’s Ultimate...

The latest trend in hip-hop has the genre going highbrow.

More than a half-century since it started, the most popular genre in the country has achieved not only mainstream acceptance but critical claim as well, producing a Pulitzer Prize-winner in Kendrick Lamar and long-overdue recognition as one of hte country’s major cultural exports. And for a genre that’s proven capable of melding with so many other forms of music, there’s now a new trend surfacing among golden age rappers: Collaborations with symphony orchestras.

“Hip-hop has always experimented with and dipped into other musical forms, because it’s basically a vocal on top of beats,” Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee and Public Enemy frontman Chuck D says. “This is just another application, an evolution and it’s about time. Wu Tang and RZA were doing stuff like this back in the ‘90s, and it just made...

With a strong year in music, the results of the 65th Annual Grammy Awards were up in the air for all categories. Musical superstars such as Beyoncé, Adele, Harry Styles, and more were up against each other for the big three categories with a result in each being an upset. In fact, there was a shocking amount of unpredicted winners this year for many categories. Nonetheless, one of the best years in music can be thanked to all of the artists nominated for a Grammy. Creating a vibrant show with performances by Bad Bunny, Lizzo, Sam Smith, Steve Lacy, Mary J. Blige, Brandi Carlile, Luke Combs, Kim Petras, and a large collection of rappers performing in tribute to the 50th year of hip-hop, the 2023 Grammys celebrates the diverse world of music that is popular today. Beyoncé’s New Title In winning Best R&b Song for ‘Cuff It’ and Best...

David James Elliott starred on Jag for 10 seasons, and the series brought the NCIS series to fruition thanks to the backdoor pilot that would pave the way for fans to then get to know Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs (Mark Harmon). Despite the show bringing new characters to life and starting NCIS, Harm has never appeared on the original NCIS.

Jag fans got a treat thanks to NCIS: Los Angeles when Elliot reprised his role of Harmon “Harm” Rabb Jr. in three episodes back during the show’s 10th season. But would he ever appear in the original NCIS?

Speaking to TV Insider, he said appearing in seasons 10 and 11 of NCIS: Los Angeles was done for his friend, and former Jag writer R. Scott Gemmill. While his friendship wth Gemmill led to his appearance in NCIS: LA, Eliott seemed to hint that while he'd be open to the idea, the odds...

LL Cool and Jazmine Sullivan canceled their appearances at a Fourth of July festival in Philadelphia in solidarity with the city workers who are on strike in Philly.

Both the rapper and the Philadelphia-born R&b singer were scheduled to perform at the Wawa Welcome America Festival on Friday, but hours before the performance, LL Cool J announced in a video statement on social media that he would forego the gig in support of the 10,000 city employees — ranging from 911 dispatchers to trash collectors to water department workers, the Associated Press...

Necaxa, a new docuseries from Eva Longoria and Welcome to Wrexham duo Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney Rob Mac, is set to premiere Thursday, Aug. 7 at 9/8c on Fxx.

In the Wrexham offshoot, “Longoria sets out to reignite the soul of one of Mexico’s oldest and most storied football clubs, Club Necaxa — enlisting the help of fellow owners Rob Mac and Ryan Reynolds, fresh off their headline-making revival of Wrexham AFC,” according to the official logline.

“Necaxa is a gripping bilingual docuseries chronicling a turbulent, transformational time marked by staff shake-ups, career-defining injuries and the relentless grit of a...

Photo Credit: Paramount+ Music fans, history buffs, and anyone who loves a good story, get ready! Paramount+ is about to drop a brand-new docuseries that’s going to take you on an incredible journey through the heart of Hip Hop. Hip Hop Was Born Here, this isn’t just another music show. It’s executive produced and co-created by none other than Hip Hop legend and Rock & Roll Hall of Famer LL Cool J himself, alongside Pro Football Hall of Famer Peyton Manning – an unexpected but exciting duo! Launching on Tuesday, July 22nd, the series is hosted by LL Cool J and promises to dive deep into the very essence of Hip Hop. We’re talking about its creation, its evolution, and its massive, ongoing impact not just as a musical genre, but as a global culture. All five episodes will be ready for you to stream exclusively on Paramount+, offering a unique historical tour.

Paramount+ today announced the new music docuseries Hip Hop Was Born Here, executive produced and co-created by Hip Hop trailblazer and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee LL Cool J and Pro Football Hall of Famer Peyton Manning.

Hip Hop Was Born Here is set to premiere on Tuesday, July 22, on the streamer in the U.S., Canada, Latin America, and Brazil. The series will also premiere internationally in the U.K., Australia, Italy, France, Germany, Switzerland, and Austria on Wednesday, July 23.

Hosted by LL Cool J, the series will chart the creation, evolution, and ongoing legacy of Hip Hop not just as a genre but as a culture.

All five episodes will be available to stream exclusively on the service, taking viewers on a journey through Hip Hop history – meeting OGs and future icons, visiting the neighborhoods, studios, and places that fostered early styles, as well as watching beloved artists analyze their favorite tracks.

Exclusive: Peyton Manning and LL Cool J have teamed on Hip Hop Was Born Here, a docuseries that explores the history of hip hop in New York City. Hosted by LL Cool J, the five-episode first season is set to premiere July 22 on Paramount+.

Co-created by LL Cool J and Manning, the series will chart the creation, evolution and ongoing legacy of hip hop, not just as a genre but as a culture. Viewers will be taken on a journey through hip hop history – meeting genre pioneers and future icons, visiting the neighborhoods, studios and places that fostered early styles as well as watching beloved artists analyze their favorite tracks, according to the description.

Manning executive produces via his Omaha Productions and LL Cool J via his Rock the Bells prodco. The docuseries marks Omaha’s first project with CBS/Paramount, touting it as one of its most ambitious projects...

LL Cool J digs into how New York City shaped the creation and evolution of rap in the new trailer for the upcoming docuseries, Hip-Hop Was Born Here.

The five-part series will offer a kind of historical and musical tour of the five boroughs as LL Cool J visits the neighborhoods and meets with the MCs and producers who were instrumental to hip-hop’s rise. A plethora of hip-hop luminaries will feature on the show, including Big Daddy Kane, Grandmaster Caz, Jadakiss, Method Man, Rev Run, Roxanne Shante, Salt of Salt-n-Pepa,...

Exclusive: Prolific director-writer Paris Barclay has signed with Innovative Artists Entertainment for literary representation.

Barclay has directed nearly 200 episodes of television, including episodes of NYPD Blue, ER, The West Wing, Lost, The Good Wife, CSI, Sons of Anarchy, House, Glee, In Treatment, Scandal, Empire, Pitch and Station 19.

Barclay won two Emmy Awards for his direction of NYPD Blue and has received seven additional Emmy nominations for producing and directing, including three for directing episodes of Glee, one for The West Wing and one for Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story.

He has also earned ten Directors Guild nominations for his work on In Treatment, Weeds, House, Glee and The West Wing, and won once for NYPD Blue. He also became the first director in the history of the Guild to receive a comedy and drama nomination in the same year, two years in a row, in 2008 and 2009.

A DGA member since...

“I am British, I am Jamaican, I am American. I am what I am,” says Slick Rick on “I Did That,” a track from Victory, his first album in twenty-six years. Born in Mitcham, London yet long considered a pioneer of ostentatious New York style and panache due to seminal golden-era recordings like “LA-di-Da-Di” with Doug E. Fresh and 1988’s The Great Adventures of Slick Rick, the man famed for wearing massive gold chains and one eyepatch embraces his British-Caribbean heritage here with newfound vigor. The album is accompanied by...

The Tribeca Festival 2025 has announced the complete list of winners for each of its competition categories. Libby Ewing’s “Charliebird” won the Founders Award for Best U.S. narrative feature, Sarah Goher’s “Happy Birthday” won best international narrative feature and Suzannah Herbert’s “Natchez” won for best documentary feature.

Awards were given out for the following categories: U.S. narrative, international narrative, documentary, viewpoints, the Albery Maysles award, the Nora Ephron award, short film, best new directors, storytelling, games, AT&T untold stories and Tribeca X.

“Every year at Tribeca, we set out to spotlight the most exciting new voices from around the world,” Cara Cusumano, Tribeca Festival Director and SVP of Programming said in a statement. “We are thrilled our jury honored this mission with winners that brilliantly represent the vibrancy and diversity of global independent storytelling today.”

The winners of the audience award, which are determined by audience votes throughout the festival,...

Tha Carter VI season is in full effect, as attendees of the BET Awards learned during Lil Wayne‘s performance at “Culture’s Biggest Night.” Wayne, who just dropped his Tha Carter VI album, invigorated the crowd with his rendition of “A Milli,” preceded by his new track “Welcome to The Carter.”

Wayne was backed by a choir in in red Young Money robes who kicked off the gospel-esque hook of “Welcome to Tha Carter,” the second song on Tha Carter VI. The smoke-shrouded stage then went lava red with...

Sly Stone, funk pioneer and frontman of Sly and the Family Stone, died Monday at the age of 82, following what his family described as “prolonged battle with Copd and other underlying health issues.”

“It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved dad, Sly Stone of Sly and the Family Stone,” the family wrote in a statement. “Sly passed away peacefully, surrounded by his three children, his closest friend, and his extended family. While we mourn his absence, we take solace in knowing that his extraordinary musical legacy will continue to resonate and inspire for generations to come.”

The legendary musician was the subject of a recent Hulu documentary, Sly Lives! (aka the Burden of Black Genius), from Oscar-winning director Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson. Questlove recently sat down with Gold Derby and shared stories about Sly Stone, his genius, and his lasting impact on pop culture.

See...

Two years ago, Lil Wayne released a career-spanning compilation, I Am Music. It seems like an impossible task to summarize three decades of music that dates to his febrile debut as one-half of B.G.z in 1995, spans a record-breaking number of entries on the Billboard Hot 100 as well as dozens of official mixtapes and countless unauthorized leaks, and solidifies him as one of the most prolific and influential acts of his generation. But I Am Music largely skips over his heralded early material – there’s nothing from his first...

At the start of the pandemic, in a conversation with Eminem, Lil Wayne admitted that with each new release, it was getting harder to find something fresh to say—or a fresh way to say it. He compared his albums to a painter’s canvas, increasingly cluttered with marks from previous efforts, leaving less and less blank space to work with. (Case in point: He admitted to Googling his own lyrics just to make sure he wasn’t repeating himself.)

Even during his self-proclaimed reign as “the greatest rapper alive,” Wayne’s albums were often graded on a generous curve. He’s long favored a hands-off method when assembling these sprawling hour-plus projects, preferring to record hundreds of tracks and entrust the final selection to a small circle of collaborators. The end product was rarely cohesive or deliberate, and on Tha Carter VI, it results in one of Wayne’s most meandering,...

During his peak mixtape days, Lil Wayne gained notoriety for rapping over hip-hop and R&b instrumentals from other artists. Now, Weezy has sampled rock band Weezer’s 2001 single “Island in the Sun” on a new song from his latest album, Tha Carter VI.

Titled “Island Holiday,” Lil Wayne’s track borrows heavily from the cut on Weezer’s 2001 self-titled album (better known as The Green Album). In addition to sampling the guitar riff, Wayne interpolates many of Weezer frontman Rivers Cuomo’s original lyrics. Listen to both tracks below.

Get Lil Wayne Tickets Here

“When you’re on a holiday/ You can’t find the words to say,” a heavily Auto-Tuned Weezy croons while opening the track. “All the things that come to you/ And I wanna feel it, too.” He continues by singing, “On an island in the sun/ We’ll be playin’ and havin’ fun/ And it...

iHeartRadio Music Festival will return to the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Sept. 19 and 20 with performances from Ed Sheeran, Tate McRae, Mariah Carey, Lil Wayne, Jelly Roll, and more. The event will be hosted by Ryan Seacrest, with both days of performances broadcast across iHeartMedia radio stations and streamed on Hulu.

Additional performances will be announced in the months leading up to iHeartRadio Music Festival 2025. Currently, the lineup also features Bryan Adams, Feid, GloRilla, John Fogerty, Justice, LL Cool J, Sammy Hagar, the Offspring, and Tim McGraw.

General sale...

Tate McRae, Ed Sheeran and Mariah Carey are among the artists slated to perform at this year’s iHeartRadio Music Festival, iHeartMedia announced Tuesday morning.

The two-day concert — taking place September 19th and 20th at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas — will also feature performances from Bryan Adams, Feid, GloRilla, Jelly Roll, John Fogerty, Justice, Lil Wayne, LL Cool J, Maroon 5, Sammy Hagar, The Offspring and Tim McGraw. Ryan Seacrest is hosting the event, which is expected to “include one-of-a-kind collaborations and surprise performances,” according to a release.

“What makes the iHeartRadio Music Festival one-of-a-kind is that we bring together the biggest artists from all genres of music for the entire weekend,” iHeartMedia’s chief programming officer Tom Poleman and iHeartMedia’s president of entertainment enterprises John Sykes said in a joint statement.

The festival is holding a presale for Capital One cardholders, with fans getting a chance to purchase tickets beginning on Wednesday,...

For better or worse, 9-1-1: Nashville will be coming to a screen near you this fall!

To date, not much is known about the series.

We’ve had some casting updates and little teasers about some of the characters, but as we prepare to enter the dog days of summer, we don’t know much about what the latest entry in the 9-1-1 franchise will bring.

(Sonja Flemming/CBS)

One of the things we do know is that the series will be led by Christopher O’Donnell, the former Robin on the big screen, who also spent fourteen seasons playing Special Agent G. Callen on NCIS: Los Angeles.

He’ll portray Captain Don Sharpe, described as a veteran firefighter and former rodeo rider who will work alongside his son, Ryan (not yet cast), and lead a Nashville firehouse.

The Librarians: The Next Chapter Season 1 Episode 3 Excels With Timeless...

MTV launched on August 1, 1981, famously charging out of the gate with The Buggles' hit song "Video Killed the Radio Star." It was pretty presumptuous and cheeky for the suits at MTV to assume that their new network was instantly ripping apart an old media landscape, but they were eventually proven somewhat right. MTV became, for a prolonged spell, a brand new cultural fulcrum for Gen-x youths. The network didn't just randomly showcase hip music videos — a medium that exploded in popularity thanks to MTV's machinations — but carefully curated them, allowing viewers to appreciate certain genres, labels, or artists they may not have known otherwise. Some early MTV explorers may recall 1983's "I.R.S. Records Presents The Cutting Edge." Hosts would introduce blocks of videos and even take requests. The term VJ entered the pop lexicon.

Also, to round out their programming blocks, MTV ran multiple news segments and documentary shows, updating...

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You may be surprised to hear this, but a film set can be a pretty tense workplace. Whether you're leading a crew of dozens while trying to spin millions in studio money into something resembling art, or you're one of the many cogs in the elaborate machinery that keeps a film production on track to be effective and make deadline, there's typically a lot on your plate when it comes to working on a set.

As it turns out, that includes some of our favorite stars. In some cases, it's pushed them to throw punches. Physical fights on film sets tend to be the type of thing that go down in show business legend -- and as such, many instances have differing perspectives from the parties involved about what actually happened. Still, whether it's stress, ego clashes, or just the...

To follow up his Oscar-winning Summer of Soul, Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson turned his focus on one of the landmark acts featured in that lauded documentary, Sly and the Family Stone.

The result, Hulu's Sly Lives! (aka the Burden of Black Genius), is now in the mix for an Emmy Award. “I like documentaries that make learning fun. Maybe I’m a natural-born griot,” he tells Gold Derby. “It just took five decades to get here.”

Questlove traces his passion for unearthing and sharing music history back to his early years on The Tonight Show as bandleader for the Roots. "On the first day of The Tonight Show, someone told Jimmy [Fallon] and I, ‘Everything that you ever know in your life is going to come out in this job,’” the artist recounts. This formative moment shaped his creative philosophy, one that prioritizes education through entertainment. “I’d rather educate you than entertain you,...

The general audience may not have been familiar with this Marvel Comics character, but there was interest in bringing him to the screen. The adaptation passed from company to company, Richard Roundtree and L.L. Cool J were considered for the lead role. David Fincher was one of the directors who signed on, then dropped out. But eventually, it all came together in the right way at the right time, helping usher in a golden age of Marvel film adaptations. How could a lesser-known character have such a successful film? Let’s dig into it and find out What Happened to Blade.

Created by writer Marv Wolfman and penciller Gene Colan, Blade debuted in the comic book The Tomb of Dracula in 1973. Becoming one of the rare Black superheroes at the time. A vampire bit his mother while she was in labor, leaving him immune to vampire bites but still able...

Chris O’Donnell, who portrayed Special Agent G. Callen on NCIS: Los Angeles, has spoken about the show’s conclusion and the plans for a movie that never came to fruition. In an interview with TV Line, he expressed that leaving the series was challenging, especially with the idea of a potential film lingering.

The series, which ran for 14 seasons, had built a strong fan base, and the prospect of a movie was an exciting possibility for both the cast and viewers. However, despite the enthusiasm, the movie did not materialize, leaving O’Donnell and fans to bid farewell to the characters without that final cinematic chapter.

Chris O’Donnell says goodbye to NCIS: LA almost had a comeback Chris O’Donnell in NCIS | Credits: CBS

Chris O’Donnell nearly gave fans a sweet NCIS: Los Angeles encore. But the dream fizzled before it ever made it to screen. In a chat...

Chris O’Donnellis returning to the procedural landscape, but that doesn’t mean he wasn’t regretful about his previous ventures. In an interview with TV Line’s Matt Webb Mitovich, the former NCIS: Los Angeles star mentioned efforts to revive the series after its 14-year-long run. In the NCIS spin-off, O'Donnell played G. Callen, the Special Agent in Charge of the Los Angeles office. The series also starred L.L. Cool J as Sam Hanna and Eric Christian Olsen as Marty Deeks. NCIS: LA had a decent run on CBS, though not quite as long as its predecessor, which concluded its 22nd season. When Mitovich raised the question of a television movie to depict the events following his time on the series, O’Donnell admitted he was on board.

“We suggested it, actually. But I don’t think that formula works real well for CBS,” O’Donnell noted. He added...

Movie sets can be tense places. Between Hollywood-size egos, similarly massive budgets at stake and all the ways things can go wrong, tensions are bound to flare. It can lead to anything from strong words to actual fists thrown. Like when…

5 George Clooney Choked David O. Russell on the Set of ‘Three Kings’

It’s no secret that, in Clooney’s words, Russell is a “miserable f--k” to work with, and he found that out firsthand on the set of Three Kings. Clooney got fed up with Russell bullying extras, “so I went over and put my arm around him. I said, ‘David, it’s a big day. But you can’t shove, push or humiliate people who aren’t allowed to defend themselves.’ He turned on me and said, ‘Why don’t you just worry about your f---ed-up act? You’re being a d--k. You want to hit me?...

LL Cool J's NCIS character, Special Agent Sam Hanna, first appeared in Season 1 of NCIS: Los Angeles. After reprising his role in Season 22, episode 18, of NCIS, many fans wondered if they could expect to see Sam again in the future.

Per TVInsider, NCIS executive producer Steven D. Binder addressed this possibility. Binder has stated that there is no official word on whether LL Cool J will return to the show next season.However, he did not rule out the possibility, stating, "But I, as a showrunner, say LL always has a place at NCIS. They all do. They're all great. They're pros. We love having them." He continued, "It's just people have very busy schedules, especially he does. So making it work is a logistical challenge and probably the bottleneck more than anything to why you may or may not see more. Not because there's not a desire and a will,...

On Monday, April 21, the iconic LL Cool J made a grand comebackto the NCISuniverse as Sam Hanna in the flagship series, but only in a guest capacity. He appeared in “After the Storm,” Season 22, Episode 18 of the procedural, which ended with the possibility of Sam rejoining the agency, thereby hinting at LL Cool J’s reappearance in future episodes of NCIS. Although nothing is set in stone yet, executive producer Steven D. Binder has echoed fans’ wishes, expressing hopes of seeing the TV star once more on the military series while also addressing the chances.

During an interview with TV Insider, Binder maintained that LL Cool J, like other NCIS stars, will always have a home with the franchise. However, while he would love to see the actor-rapper onscreen again, there’s the issue of scheduling. The EP said:

“I, as a showrunner, say LL always has a place at NCIS.

The ever-expanding NCISverse will be taking over Tuesday nights in fall 2025, with the mothership, NCIS: Origins, and NCIS: Sydney airing in a three-hour block. And the good news is that thanks to past crossovers and the interconnected nature of the franchise, we’ve gotten updates on characters from canceled spinoffs like New Orleans, Los Angeles, and Hawai’i over the years. LL Cool J even reprised his role as Sam Hanna on NCIS in the April 21 Season 22 Episode 18 “After the Storm.” Executive producer Steven D. Binder would love to see him again — and that episode certainly set up future appearances. While he was no longer Special Agent Sam Hanna — he’d left NCIS — the episode ended him on the path to return to the agency. “Seeing your team, working shoulder to shoulder with them, reminded me how much I missed it,” he’d explained to Vance (Rocky Carroll). The agency’s director assured him,...

Bruce Lee’s martial arts classic with 88% on Rotten Tomatoes is a hit on streaming 52 years later. He may have passed away over five decades ago, but the inventor of Jeet Kun Do, who famously taught Chuck Norris how to fight, remains arguably the most iconic of all martial arts movie stars.

But Lee’s influence on popular culture extends beyond the world of martial arts cinema, with everyone from Arnold Schwarzenegger to Eddie Murphy to LL Cool J citing him as an inspiration. As of 2022, Oscar-winner Ang Lee was reportedly developing a biopic of the late movie icon, with his own son Mason Lee taking on the lead role.

Enter The Dragon Is A Streaming Hit 52 Years After Release It Has An 88% Fresh Rating On Rotten Tomatoes

Lee’sEnter the Dragon has again proven its power to enthrall martial arts fans, landing on the streaming charts decades after its initial release.

Ever the sartorial statement maker, Dapper Dan returned to his African roots at the 2025 Met Gala in a black and white zoot suit emblazoned with the mythical Ghanaian bird symbol, the Sankofa.

“This is my third time here and this is the most important of my career… because I get the opportunity to praise us. I had to come here and represent culture,” the author and godfather of hip-hop fashion (né Daniel R. Day) told Met Gala co-hosts Ego Nwodim and singer Teyana Taylor. “I said, ‘I need to bring something here tonight to take us back, so I brought the Sankofa.’ My theme of the night is Sankofra and the true Harlem Dandy era, which I date to the Harlem Renaissance [in the 1920s and 1930s].”

According to sankofa.org, the nonprofit founded by the late Harry Belafonte, the symbol is “deeply rooted in the wisdom of Ghana’s Akan people, depicts a bird...

NCIS reintroduced a beloved character to the franchise in the form of NCIS: Los Angeles’s LL Cool J. Not only did his character, Sam Hanna, come to aid on a case, but he also gave us some updates on the most notable characters from NCIS: LA and Hawaii.

In the episode, the team investigated a quadruple homicide in which a suspect found covered in blood refused to speak to anyone except Sam. Even though Sam no longer worked as an agent, he did spend time trying to convince politicians to help veterans and people overseas. The team went to Sam for help, finding out he did know Mark but he did not believe the man was capable of murder.

Even though the man gave his name as Mark Davis, who had fought alongside Sam during their time in the marines, he was actually Mark’s brother, Roger.

Every week is Shark Week if you work hard, believe in yourself, and keep a VHS copy of Deep Blue Sea (1999) at the ready! Join your Horror Hosts Kimmi & Jon as they fight sharks, avenge birds, and celebrate the 2nd greatest shark movie ever made on this week’s episode of NIghtmare on Film Street.

We all know Jaws (1975) is untouchable, but only one shark movie was brave enough to make sharks wicked smart & heckin’ ruthless, bold enough to kill its biggest star halfway through, and crazy enough to cast LL Cool J in the role of a lifetime! Join ussss….

Solve The Mystery:

This season of the Nightmare on Film Street has a secret theme. Can you guess what it is? Every movie we discuss on the show this season has classified connective tissue, and if you can accurately predict the theme, you might win yourself a Nightmare on Film Street prize pack!

The Rock The Bells festival is back, and this time they’re hitting New Jersey. The LL Cool J-owned classic rap showcase announced their June 28 Class of 2025 event at Newark’s Prudential Center, with performances from Busta Rhymes, Redman, Eric B. & Rakim, Remy Ma, Too $hort, Scarface, Plies, Boosie, Fabolous, Lil’ Mo, and others. Roxanne Shante will host the event, while Kid Capri will be the show’s official DJ. Presale tickets are available from April 23 to 25, when general public tickets go on sale.

Along with individual sets, Rock The...

[Warning: The below contains Major spoilers for NCIS Season 22 Episode 18 “After the Storm.”] LL Cool J reprises his NCIS: LA role as Sam Hanna in the Monday, April 21, episode of NCIS. And with his return — he appeared on the mothership in the LA backdoor pilot and the three-show crossover with Hawai’i — comes a couple of key updates. First of all, Sam is no longer with NCIS. After his Elite team was killed in Hawai’i, he requested a leave of absence because he wanted a change of pace. Now, he’s working in D.C., on the Hill, wearing a suit, dealing with bureaucrats, and doing his best to protect democracy. (One senator comes in handy during the case.) It’s a “course correction,” he tells Knight (Katrina Law) when she checks on him, knowing the grief of losing a team. He asked to be a voice since politicians don’t see ...

LL Cool J is returning to the NCIS universe tonight, and we have photos and quotes from him about his journey back to playing Sam Hanna!

If you don’t know, the 57-year-old entertainer starred as the character in NCIS: Los Angeles, and has also appeared on the Hawaii spinoff, as well as the Og series in the past.

On the episode airing tonight (April 21), he will reprise the role once again!

The ep is titled “After the Storm” and has the following description: When a trio of combat vets are found murdered in a D.C. motel room, NCIS tracks down a suspect who refuses to talk to anyone but Sam Hanna.

Now, LL is speaking out about why he decided to come back.

Keep reading to find out more…

“I like the character, he’s beloved and it’s so fun playing him. I don’t see why I wouldn’t come back,...