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True to Quentin Tarantino’s signature filmmaking style, the soundtrack of his spaghetti western epic Django Unchained features an eclectic mix of songs. The needle-drops in Django Unchained range from hip-hop to country rock to R&b soul to operatic compositions from previous westerns’ original scores. Tarantino included as many tracks as he could from the maestro of spaghetti western music, Ennio Morricone. A handful of acclaimed artists recorded new songs specifically for the Django Unchained soundtrack, like Rick Ross and John Legend. Frank Ocean wrote a song for the movie, but (via NME) Tarantino couldn’t include it on the soundtrack because “there just wasn’t a scene for it.”

Ever since Mr. Blonde tortured a kidnapped cop to the sounds of Stealers Wheel’s “Stuck in the Middle with You,” Tarantino has been renowned for his iconic soundtrack choices. Tarantino had previously included western music by Morricone and...

Adam Blackstone is riding a career high.

For years he has been the musical mastermind behind live shows for Justin Timberlake, Rihanna, Janet Jackson, Alicia Keys, Maroon 5 and Eminem. This weekend, he picked up an Emmy Award for outstanding music direction for his work on “The Pepsi Super Bowl Lvi Halftime Show Starring Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Mary J. Blige, Eminem, Kendrick Lamar, 50 Cent.” And just last week, he kicked off a residency, “The Legacy Experience,” at new Los Angeles music venue the Sun Rose.

Blackstone never really saw himself as a frontman until Covid made him stop and think about his legacy. “People trust me to curate,” he says. “I saw a couple of my friends pass away during Covid, and I had heard someone say, ‘I don’t want to die with a laptop full of ideas.’”

Sharyn Goldyn, director of talent at The Sun Rose, which has seen Dave Chapelle,...

Atlanta rapper Fish Scales went through a terrifying ordeal Wednesday evening when he was ambushed by a group of robbers in his brewery, and then kidnapped and forced to drive to a remote area where he was then shot while trying to escape.

Luckily, the Nappy Roots member survived and is in recovery now.

According to police, Scales, whose full name is Melvin Adams Jr. first encountered the robbers when they entered Alantucky Brewery, which he co-owns with fellow Nappy Roots rapper Skinny Deville. They reportedly asked for cash, to which he responded by saying they don’t have cash on-site and only accept cards.

Adams was then kidnapped by the group who demanded that he take them to where he can get them money. He drove to the town of Hapeville, where he then attempted to flee and was shot by the robbers. They fled after shooting Adams, who...

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Here’s a look at this week’s biggest premieres, parties and openings in Los Angeles and New York, including red carpets for Thor: Love and Thunder, Westworld, The Terminal List and The Black Phone.

The Bear premiere

FX celebrated the premiere of its new series The Bear at Goya Studios on Monday with stars Jeremy Allen White, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Ayo Edebiri, Abby Elliott, Lionel Boyce, Liza Colón-Zayas, Matty Matheson, Edwin Lee Gibson and co-showrunners Christopher Storer and Joanna Calo.

Westworld season four premiere

Season four stars Aaron Paul, Evan Rachel Wood, Tessa Thompson, James Marsden, Jeffrey Wright, Luke Hemsworth and Angela Sarafyan, along with co-creator Lisa Joy, walked the carpet on Tuesday at Lincoln Center ahead of the HBO show’s return.

The Black Phone premiere

Universal’s latest horror thriller premiered in Hollywood on Tuesday, minus star Ethan Hawke but with support from director Scott Derrickson,...

Sunday, June 19, 2022, marked the anniversary of Black Independence Day in America—Juneteenth.

In recognition of this day, Juneteenth: A Global Celebration for Freedom, a sold-out concert featuring an eclectic lineup of thoughtful, impactful, and essential Black artists, took place at the world-famous Hollywood Bowl on Sunday, June 19, 2022. The show was broadcast live in its entirety on CNN.

The star-studded concert included performances by Amir Sulaiman, Anthony Hamilton, Bel Biv DeVoe, Billy Porter, Chaka Khan, Debbie Allen Dance Academy, D Smoke, Earth Wind & Fire, Khalid, Lucky Daye, Mary Mary, Michelle Williams, Mickey Guyton, Ne-Yo, Robert Glasper, The Roots and The Re-Collective Orchestra (a 68-piece all-Black symphony orchestra). The event made history as it was the first time an all-Black orchestra performed on stage in the Hollywood Bowl’s 100-year history. Both Principal Conductor of the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra Thomas Wilkins and Derrick Hodge conducted, while Adam Blackstone and The Roots...

Earth, Wind & Fire was alternately singing about the 12th of never and the 21st night of September, but it was all about the 19th evening of June as the veteran group proved an obvious audience favorite during “Juneteenth: A Global Celebration for Freedom,” a multi-artist, multi-genre show at the Hollywood Bowl broadcast live on CNN Sunday to commemorate the national holiday.

Held to celebrate the anniversary of Black emancipation in the U.S., the concert spanned almost as wide an array of musical and performance styles as could be packed into a single prime-time slot, from soul to classical to country to jazz. That breadth established, the lineup had a special emphasis on artists that ruled the R&b world of the ’70s, ’80s and ’90s, leading an emcee to joke to the sold-out audience about a time “before all those knee replacements out there.”

Even with Ewf, Chaka Khan...

Father’s Day and Juneteenth overlap this year, and there is no shortage of programming on television for the latter holiday, which celebrates the day in 1865 when Union soldiers, led by Major General Gordon Granger, landed at Galveston, Texas, and delivered the news that all enslaved people were free. The Emancipation Proclamation arrived two years later on Jan. 1, 1863.

Juneteenth has gained more awareness in recent years, finally becoming recognized as a federal holiday in 2021.

Programming celebrating Black music, culture and more will run all weekend, culminating in the holiday itself on Sunday, June 19.

Below, check out our Juneteenth viewing guide to watch to watch on TV and streaming this weekend.

Getty Images ABC

Country singer Jimmie Allen will host an hourlong segment recognizing the influence of Black artists in music. The special will run on ABC on Friday, June 18 starting at 8pm Eastern and Pacific time. The “Sound of Freedom:...

CNN on Sunday will broadcast the first-ever Juneteenth: A Global Celebration for Freedom, featuring a Hollywood Bowl concert with a lineup of artists, with an effort to inform and educate viewers on the meaning of the new federal holiday.

The network obtained the rights to the event, from Live Nation Urban and Jesse Collins Entertainment, and the lineup includes Chaka Khan, Khalid, Yolanda Adams, Anthony Hamilton, Billy Porter, Debbie Allen Dance Academy, Earth, Wind & Fire, Killer Mike, Lucky Daye, Mary Mary, Jhené Aiko, Ne-Yo, Michelle Williams, Mickey Guyton, Robert Glasper and The Roots, among others. Former First Lady Michelle Obama will deliver taped remarks.

Johnita P. Due, senior vice president and chief diversity, equity and inclusion officer for CNN Worldwide, said in an interview this week that event “is really one of the most meaningful things that I have been involved in” at the network.

“The thing that makes it special,...

Tyler Perry announced a donation for 500,000 to the Apollo Theater during the venue’s annual spring benefit gala on Monday.

Perry made the announcement during his acceptance speech for the organization’s Impact Award. Perry was presented the award by Whoopi Goldberg.

“My studio [in Georgia] was once a former Confederate-owned army base where there were 3.9 million negroes and slaves at the time, and there were Confederate soldiers plotting and planning how to keep them enslaved,” Perry said. “While now that land is owned by one negro and I know the importance of what it means to honor that and honor the history of what it has been, and what it has been and to redirect it and rechange it. So it’s very important to me that we all give and support, and with that said, I’d like to give a half-million dollars to make sure this place continues to grow and thrive.

With the fabulous extravaganza coming to an end, the 55th Annual Grammy Awards named the year’s big winners during an extremely entertaining presentation at the Staples Center on Sunday (February 10).

Taking home the top prize tonight was Mumford and Sons winning Album of the Year, while other tremendous victors included Adele, The Black Keys, and Carrie Underwood.

While viewers found out who took home the prizes of the night, they were also treated to dazzling performances from Rihanna with Bruno Mars and Sting, along with Miss Undersood, Justin Timberlake, and Taylor Swift.

In addition, Fun. cleaned up by taking home the coveted award for Song of the Year and Best New Artist.

Meanwhile, the complete list of 2013 Grammy Award Winners is as follows:

General Field

Record Of The Year

Lonely Boy - The Black Keys

Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You) - Kelly Clarkson

We Are Young - Fun. featuring...

The 55th Grammy Awards have arrived, and music's biggest night promises a ton of trophies, and hopefully some great live performances by today's hottest acts. Who has the best record of 2012? How about the year's best new artist? Stick with Zap2it throughout the night, as we continue updating the list of this year's winners!

All of the award categories are below, with the winners in bold.

Record of the Year"Lonely Boy" by The Black Keys"Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You)" by Kelly Clarkson"We Are Young" by Fun., featuring Janelle Monáe"Somebody That I Used To Know" by Gotye, featuring Kimbra"Thinkin Bout You" by Frank Ocean"We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together" by Taylor Swift

Album of the Year"El Camino" by The Black Keys"Some Nights" by Fun."Babel" by Mumford & Sons"Channel Orange" by Frank Ocean"Blunderbuss" by Jack White

Song of the Year...

Birthday shoutouts go to Colin Morgan (above), who is 27, Dedee Pfeiffer is 49, and Jonas Armstrong is 32.Scientology 'Alien Space Cathedral' Reportedly Revealed In New Mexico. Barney Frank 'Strongly Opposes' Chuck Hagel for Defense Secretary.Media personality Jake Sasseville discuss the business of (not) being gay in America.The 50 Most Powerful Coming Outs of 2012. Below you can see Rory O'Malley talk about coming out and The Book Of Mormon.

The new season of the terrific web series Old Dogs & New Tricks debuts on Wednesday, January 30th, and you can see the trailer below.

Fantasia (or her ghostwriter) wants you to stop taking her words literally.

Below you can see highlights from Anderson and Kathy's Nye show. Unfortunately, it doesn't show the times both of them were bleeped ... for mysterious circumstances.

Continuing the 50 Greatest 80's TV Theme Songs/Openings!, Here's #26, Cover-Up.Airing on CBS from September 22, 1984 – April 6, 1985, the action-adventure series Cover-Up starred...

November 5, 1957 - October 18, 1984

October 18, 1984. "A day that will live in infamy." At least in my mind — and a bunch of other gay boys of a certain age.

This Sunday marks the 25th anniversary of the death of mega-hunk, Jon-Erik Hexum.

The event can only be described as tragic — a hot, young, rising star accidentally shoots himself with a prop gun while on the set of his latest TV show. My best friend and I were devastated when we learned of the tragedy. At the time, neither of us knew the other was gay (remember, this was the '80s and we were kids). Yet for a brief moment, we let down our guard to lament the horrible tragedy: How could someone so young and talented (not to mention handsome) be gone forever?

Over two decades later I would include the incident in my debut novel, Band Fags!

“Oh, my God…...