The Root

Though Lil Jon helped make the Usher song “Lovers & Friends” song famous, he apparently has beef with the R&B festival that goes by that same moniker. According to TMZ, the star may be taking legal action with Live Nation for being left off of the bill.

FX’s Atlanta may be off our small screens, but that doesn’t mean Donald Glover is done cranking out content for the culture. In fact, in newly released photos from Amazon Studios, it looks like we’ll get to see his creative genius flourish once again in an upcoming series titled Swarm.Read more...

Fisk University’s history-making women’s gymnastics team has already broken down barriers for HBCU athletes. Now, the team is ready to share its inspiring story with the world.

Marcus Stokes is a standout high school quarterback at Nease High School in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. Considered by recruiting sites to be one of the best signal callers in the nation, he was offered a full scholarship to play college football at the University of Florida. Sounds like a good thing right?

Jordyn Woods is out to prove that she’s more than just Kylie Jenner’s former BFF. On January 23, she dropped her new clothing line, Woods by Jordyn, which she describes as “an authentic clothing brand made for every shape, size, and color.” The line launched with three mesh bodycon dresses, the Kai, Luna and Sage,…Read more...

Black celebs started off 2023 with some beautifully styled pieces from red carpets, Paris Fashion Week, promo tours, and more! They set the bar for the stylish year to come! What’s your favorite look?Read more...

It’s no secret that politicians are rushing to declare that the COVID-19 pandemic is behind us. And on Monday, President Joe Biden let it be known that he’ll allow the two COVID-19 national emergency declarations to expire in May.Read more...

For those still following the pending criminal cases against R. Kelly, the disgraced singer had sex-abuse charges dropped against him in Chicago on Monday.Read more...

Just in time for Black History Month, the groundbreaking animated series, The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder, is returning for Season 2 on Feb. 1 on Disney+. In case you haven’t been watching since the original series aired on Disney Channel back in the early 2000s, the show follows Penny Proud, (voiced by Kyla PrattRead more...

While there may be a small percentage of the population that’s excited to see Bill Cosby’s return to the stage after all these years and numerous lawsuits, comedian W. Kamau Bell is not one of them.Read more...

It’s Grammy Week! Which means that not only will I get about three hours and 27 minutes of sleep between now and the awards ceremony on Sunday, but that it’s the perfect time for one of the greatest songwriters in the history of ever, Mr. William “Smokey” Robinson Jr., to resurface with a new album.Read more...

Black History Month is fast approaching. Although here at The Root we celebrate Black excellence 365 days a year, the origins of the historic month should also be acknowledged. For those who are unsure how it began, Black History Month initially began as a 7-day celebration in 1926.Read more...

If you haven’t heard of Keith Lee ...what are you doing with your life? Already popular on the app, the beloved TikToker has gained a huge following in the past year thanks to his honest and hilarious reviews of local Las Vegas restaurants.Read more...

There is on person saving us from our fashion-drama drought? Doja Cat. Her all-red Schiaparelli moment at Haute Couture Week 2023 shut the event down! The “Woman” artist spent five hours sitting whilst legendary makeup artist Pat McGrath’s idea came to life: 30,000 red jewels glued to Doja Cat’s skin. The dedication…Read more...

It’s almost Valentine’s Day, which means it’s time for me to watch one of my favorite Black love stories of all time, Love Jones.Read more...

It’s about damn time!

The country continues to mourn the life of Tyre Nichols, the 29-year-old Black man who died at the hands of five Black former Memphis police officers earlier this month. Americans have taken to the streets in various cities to protest yet another heartbreaking case of police brutality that resulted in the loss of an…Read more...

Weeks ago, when Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin collapsed in the middle of a primetime week 17 matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals, there were questions on whether he would even survive the frightening Monday Night Football incident.Read more...

There was a time when Former-President Donald Trump’s name held some real social cachet in New York City. Look back at episodes of the Real Housewives of New York, and you’ll hear “society people” actually excited to announce their connection with him.Read more...

If you asked movie fans which actress is the biggest box office draw, you’d probably get names like Jennifer Lopez, Scarlett Johansson, Jennifer Lawrence or Julia Roberts. Turns out the woman bringing in all the money is Zoe Saldaña. The Guardians of the Galaxy star has made history by starring in four of the top 10…Read more...

Leave it to The Joe Budden Podcast for ignorance to be spewed. Surprisingly, though, it wasn’t the host making outlandish remarks this time. It was singer Akon who decided to talk about a woman’s place in society. Though the interview took place in December, it is just now going viral.Read more...

I know everyone is obsessed with the NFL and NBA right now, but don’t forget about the WNBA. With major names like Jonquel Jones, Breanna Stewart, Courtney Vandersloot and Dearica Hamby making moves, the league is currently in the middle of an extremely fascinating free agency period, and one of the biggest names in…Read more...

The Root is sad to share that Brandon Smiley, son of comedian and radio host Rickey Smiley, has died at 32.

The majority of the time, Jason Whitlock’s thoughts on current events are not worth commenting on. However, every once in a while he says something so egregiously offensive, he absolutely deserves to be called out by as many people as possible.Read more...

In his Saturday Night Live hosting debut, Black Panther and Creed star Michael B. Jordan wasted no time addressing the elephant in the room during his opening monologue: his first very public breakup from model and entrepreneur Lori Harvey.Read more...

Although they lost their jobs and ruined their reputations, at least they have each other, right? Amy Robach was spotted with TJ Holmes outside of a restaurant the same day they were let go by ABC. The photos, which featured the pair kissing, holding hands and Robach jumping on Holmes, were published exclusively by …Read more...

The videos of Tyre Nichols being brutally beaten by Memphis police officers left the public in shock and disgust. Barack and Michelle Obama joined the nationwide call for police reform in a statement reacting to the footage.

For the first time in NFL history, two Black quarterbacks will face off at Super Bowl LVII for the right to hold up the Lombardi trophy. In the 103 years the NFL has existed, only 3 Black gunslingers have won Super Bowls as the starter for their team: Doug Williams, Russell Wilson and Patrick Mahomes. That’s it.Read more...

Nas may not be the most popular rapper of all time, although he is quite well known, and he may not have the best discography of all time, although he did drop Illmatic, he is considered by many to be the best pure MC of all time in terms of having the ability to rap.Read more...

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If you’ve never watched the X Games, this may be the year you want to tune in. I can already hear you asking why in the world you’d want to watch a bunch of people doing tricks on skis and skateboards, and I get it. But hear me out. This year, at ESPN’s high-flying action sports competition, all eyes will be on two…Read more...

This week, we told you that on Yelp’s list of Top 100 Places to Eat, only five of the restaurants were Black-owned. Welp, the James Beard Awards® just announced their 2023 Restaurant and Chef Awards semifinalists and the news was much better for Black folks.Read more...

On Saturday, January 21, 2023, celebrities of all kinds, bloggers, influencers, and journalists were in attendance for Beyoncé’s private concert for the Atlantis the Royal opening in Dubai.

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Updated as of 1/28/2023 at 3:15 p.m. ETRead more...

February is Black History Month, making it the perfect time to pick up a great book by a Black author. And this month, there are plenty of great titles to choose from. With inspiring memoirs, haunting thrillers and lighthearted love stories, February has something for everyone. So get to your favorite Black-owned…Read more...

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After a few weeks of anxiously waiting, the Memphis Police Department released the footage of the Tyre Nichols traffic stop to the public. Given the graphic description of Nichols being beaten, Tased and pepper-sprayed during the traffic stop, the contents of the video prove what many had speculated already happened:…Read more...

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On Friday, a source seemingly confirmed to CNN that T.J. Holmes and Amy Robach are about to get the boot from ABC. They stated that the pair are in the final stages of negotiating an exit from the GMA3. ABC News has not released an official statement, but it seems like only a matter of time before that happens.Read more...

First things first: none of these are bad movies or performances. We’re really just splitting hairs between great, amazing and life-changing. Angela Bassett has such an undeniable presence and talent, it’s impossible for her to not steal every scene. As she receives well-deserved honors and praise for her work in …Read more...

Grab your Aunties and Grandmamas! One of Motown’s iconic artists Smokey Robinson is set to release his first solo studio album in nearly 10 years titled GASMS (yes, like “orgasms.” Yes like “ear-gasms.” Smokey is coming in hot, in 2023 it seems) this spring.Read more...

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Black people rarely worry about the affairs of white people. But this particular situation required our attention.Read more...

In case you needed another reason to despise law enforcement, look no further than the Pennsylvania police chief accused of helping to distribute narcotics. On Wednesday, federal prosecutors announced that Shawn Denning, 41, could face up to 20 years in prison.Read more...

Hollywood loves the awkward meet the parents trope. Whether it’s played for drama in Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner, or in a comedy like Meet the Parents, it’s a universal theme everyone can understand. In the new Netflix comedy You People, writer/director Kenya Barris (black-ish) tries to thread the needle between the…Read more...

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The last thing America needs is the overlapping of our school shooting epidemic and the rise of hate crimes. But, here we are with a Kansas high school student caught sending a series of racist messages on social media—with a threat to bring a gun to school as the cherry on top.

Days before Christmas, disaster struck the nation’s oldest Black owned-publisher, Third World Press when a burst pipe destroyed the majority of their inventory.Read more...

The Real Housewives of Potomac have never been ones to look up to as far as fashion goes, but Bravo has released the photos from the season 7 reunion. Here’s a rundown of this year’s looks as well as a look back at season 6 to see if any of them upgraded their wardrobes this time around.Read more...