Month: December 2015

  • Cast from Empire Working on Empire Spinoff

    Cast from Empire Working on Empire Spinoff

    Cast from Empire Working on Spinoff
    The cast from Empire has been working with Lee Daniels to develop an extension to Fox’s hit series.  Fans will most likely see the Empire spinoff by late 2016.  Lee Daniels informed reporters that the Empire extension will be a prequel that focuses on a younger version of Taraji P. Henson’s character, Cookie Lyon.

    Dana Walden, Fox TV Group co-chief has explained that the spinoff will happen and writers have began planting seeds in Empire’s episodes.  Lee Daniels has been working on his next project for Fox yet it has nothing to do with Empire.  Daniels is developing a soap called ‘Star’ about the journey of  three-member female singing group from Atlanta.  the show will take inspiration from the real-life stories of contemporary girl groups.

    From Lee Daniels’ future work to his current show: Rhonda from Empire, actress Kaitlin Doubleday, promised us that there would be a jaw-dropping Rhonda Lyon moment in season 2:





    Who Pushed on Empire?
    Rhonda from Empire wasn’t lying as proven in the last episode of the incredible series.  The midseason finale of Fox’s hip-hop series left fans with a countless number of questions.  So who pushed Rhonda on Empire?

    Who Pushed Rhonda on Empire?

    Many people say it was Anika yet that would be too easy.  The reason we fell in love with the show is because it surprises us with shocking plot twists episode-after-episode.  Lee Daniels has his work cut out for him as he has spoiled us and we now expect absolute greatness from him whether it be Empire or the show’s spinoff.

    Fox Next Empire Artist Revon Y

    We recently discovered a talented young actor that Lee Daniels could certainly use in the Empire spinoff: Fox’s Next Empire Artist semi-finalist Revon Yousif is an actor, writer and singer from Detroit, MI.  Here is a demo reel he created recently that shows his talent:

    Yousif is an aspiring actor from Sterling Heights one of Detroit’s core suburbs.  He attended Oakland University and has been acting for nearly six years.  He is best known for his role as Shia Collins in the sci-fi action thriller ‘2101’.

    Yousif has played small roles in ‘Scream 4’, ‘Good News’ and ‘The Midnight Hour’.  Yousif knew that he wanted to be an actor since he was in the 9th grade.  His hard work and dedication may appeal to Lee Daniels who is certainly working on enough shows to find the perfect role for Revon.

    We can learn a valuable lesson from Yousif’s Fox Next Empire Artist audition video: Be so good they can’t ignore you.

  • Da Brat’s Empire Appearance

    Da Brat’s Empire appearance was more than just a gig for the 41-year old rapper and actress.  When you see Da Brat on Empire you are seeing a chapter out of Shawntae Harris’ real life: Da Brat served 2½ years in prison after an altercation with a former Atlanta Falcons cheerleader at Jermaine Dupri’s Studio 72 club in Atlanta.

    Da Brat Released From Prison
    Da Brat, released from prison in 2011 has released video documentaries that show her transition back into the community.  In 2014 she was ordered to pay $6.4 million for the 2007 incident.

    Da Brat Empire

    Da Brat on Empire glorifies her amazing accomplishments as Cookie was not able to persuade her to rap on the midseason finale.  The talented artist was the first female rapper to have a platinum-selling album with her 1994 debut ‘Funkdafied’.

    Da Brat met Lee Daniels through Mariah Carey years before he created Empire.  Daniels is always looking for talent to fulfill his directing desires, which makes Fox’s Next Empire Artist a perfect tool for the award-winning director.

    Jessica K is one of Fox’s Next Empire Artist semi-finalist that may be able to impress Daniels.  The singer’s exquisite vocal fluidity reminds you of those fluid verses Da Brat delivered on Funkdafied, allowing you to coast to her smooth lyrics.

    Fox Next Empire Artist Jessika K

    Jessica’s Instagram page explains that Jai Lyn is her Alter Ego and she is fabolous.  Jai Lyn’s single, ‘If I Were You‘ combines beautiful heartfelt lyrics with 808s and guitars to create a fascinating pop ballad:

    The talented singer’s ability to lift people’s spirits through her beautiful voice is seen in the following video that shows Tom Joyner enjoying Jessica’s performance of ‘Sweet Thing‘.

    Here is a throwback that shows Jai Lyn singing Teena Marie’s ‘Square Biz‘ at a talent show: 

    Jessica has that voice that makes you want to put up the volume, close your eyes and let the music take over your soul.  Similar to the show’s newest star, Alicia Keys, Jessica has the ability to sing complex vocal runs that may earn her a spot alongside Skye Summers at Empire Entertainment.

  • Empire Songs Season 2

    Empire Songs Season 2
    Fantasy is not an escape from reality instead it’s a way of understanding it.  This theory certainly reigns true when it comes to this season’s extraordinary Empire songs. Season 2 featured unforgettable tracks from Jamal Lyon (Jussie Smollett) and Lucious Lyon (Terrence Howard) so it was no surprise when Jamal and Lucious both receive nominations for Song of the Year.

    Cookie Empire Fox

    The season finale of Fox’s record-breaking hip-hop series featured the return of Naomi Cambell.  On Empire’s initial season Campbell was featured in numerous episodes as Camilla Marks.
    We can learn some valuable lessons from Naomi Campbell. On Empire’s midseason finale Camilla returns and informs Hakeem of her plan.  “Everything I did was for you, for us.” 
    Talent v. Experience
    In Empire’s first season Hakeem attempted to convince Lucious that he was ready to take over the family business.  The young rapper is as talented as they come yet he lacks the experience necessary to run the Empire.  Unlike Hakeem, Camilla has wisdom and implements her clever strategy in order to remove Lucious from Empire Entertainment.
    The members of Fox’s Next Empire Artist semi-finalist group ‘Ball in the House‘ understand that talent means nothing whereas experience and hard work mean everything.
    Fox Next Empire Artist Ball in the House

    The group has been wowing audiences since the 90s with their fascinating performances and magnificent recordings.  Experience enables you to collaborate with people you admire.  Ball in the House has performed with several talented artists including Gladys Knight, Kool & the Gang and Smokey Robinson.

    The following video shows the group performing an abridged cover of Ed Sheeran’s ‘Thinking Out Loud’:

    Ball in the House is at the top of their game and among the elite contemporary groups worldwide.  Every winning team has experienced members and Ball in the House in no exception.  Over the past 20+ years the group has built an Empire and may soon be expanding its reach to Fox’s throne.

  • Empire Season 3 aka Season 2 Continued

    Empire Season 3
    One of my friends at work just asked me when Empire season 3 would start and I explained to him that when Empire returns the show will still be in its second season.  I walked away, later realizing that I didn’t answer his question so he just sent me a text asking, “When will Empire come back on? Not season 3, the rest of season 2?”

    When will Empire come back on?
    Empire will be back on March 30, 2016.

    One person that can’t wait for Empire to return is Fox Next Empire Artist semifinalist Carmen J.  The Detroit singer, model and actress has been working hard to build her amazing music catalog which already features some classics.

    Carmen J Fox Next Empire Artist

    Carmen J’s most recent single, Wild One reminds us how important it is to live free, stay positive and be happy.  The song starts off slow and then crescendos into Carmen’s energetic chorus similar to the way Jussie Smollett’s ‘Ready To Go’ Pepsi track begins with a slow walk before speeding up.

    I knew Wild One would be different, something unexpected for me … I really wanted to share this song because I felt so connected to the feeling I had when I wrote it. While creating music is a freeing space, it can also be a very nerve wrecking process surrounded by judgement . I always have to remind myself to let go… Let go of fear, control, worry and doubt. Stop hiding or holding back. Accept everything you are without compare to others. We all have our own battle to over come, be easy on yourself. The same things I have to remind myself in my lows or time of doubt I know others could connect to as well. I just want you to remember to live free wild one 💖 I hope you enjoy… Go take a listen soundcloud/introducingcarmen #wildone
    A video posted by Carmen (@sillygirlcarmen) on Nov 27, 2015 at 8:53am PST

    ‘Cold’ is another amazing song by Carmen J, produced by Jordan Lewis and written by Kareem James and Carmen.  The amazing track is a modern rendition of ‘Too Close’ by the R&B group Next.  Carmen is able to revitalize the song with her amazing voice.  
    The singer, model and actress uses her fascinating music to express herself.  Carmen J’s amazing vocals could earn her a spot on Empire Entertainment’s roster in the very near future.  

  • ‘Empire’ Season 2 Fall Finale “Et Tu, Brute?” Most Shocking Moments

    Jamal Skye Empire Finale

    Happy Fall Finale, Empire fans! Instead of the usual recap, I’m breaking this episode down by shocking moment, because it’s the fall finale and you know Empire is going to give us the DRAMA and some juicy stuff. Let’s dig in.

    Jamal Lyon Skye Summers Lucious Empire
    Lucious Jamal Lyon She Fixed You Empire

    “She fixed you?” Lucious noticed that Skye and Jamal are, ahem, very close. Jamal assures his father that he’s still gay, but Lucious can’t help but be proud that his son is showing romantic interest in woman.

    Hakeem isn’t nominated for an ASA award. Instead, Freda Gatz secured a nod in the Best Rapper category. Yikes. Jamal is also nominated in five categories.

    Charlamagne Empire You Black Now

    Charlamagne Tha God Vs. Skye Summers Vs. Jamal Lyon Vs. Labels. Charlamagne takes Skye to task about being biracial and Jamal about being gay. It’s a shocking — and ill-timed — discussion of labels. But in the show universe, the haters on Twitter are totally into it.

    Cookie returns to prison! Not like that. She comes back to host a family day Lyon Dynasty performance in place of Cookie’s Cookout.
    Hakeem Empire
    Cookie Empire
    Hakeem Prison Performance
    CAMILLA IS MIMI’S WIFE! Say what?! Mimi kept talking about how her wife was coming into town and she even introduces her at the Swiftstream announcement — I didn’t see it coming that it would be Camilla, Hakeem’s ex-flame.
    Hakeem Camilla Empire
    Mimi’s pen is a camera! And she used it to record video of her private meetings with Lucious, in which he trashes the board. She shows these videos to the board and sets a vote to remove Lucious from his precious positions as CEO and chairman of Empire. Seems like it was Camilla’s grand plan all along.
    HAKEEM VOTES HIS FATHER OUT OF EMPIRE! Mimi becomes chairman, but turns it over to CAMILLA!
    COOKIE SPITS IN CAMILLA’S FACE! Because Cookie is awesome.
    Cookie Lyon Spits on Camilla Marks Empire
    Lucious breaks down and cries with Cookie! Aww.
    Cookie Lucious Empire Fox
    Cookie Helping Lucious Empire
    Someone (Anika?!) breaks into the mansion and pushes Rhonda down the stairs! And this is why you don’t become friends with Anika.
    Rhonda Lyon Baby, The Heir
    Anika Calhoun Empire Fox
    Rhonda Lyon Empire Finale
    Lucious also gets an ASA nod! For “Song Of the Year.” And now it’s on between Lucious and Jamal for the coveted award.
    Lucious Lyon Empire
    And now it’s time to play the waiting game for the second half of Season 2.

  • When Does Empire Come Back On 2016?

    The same people that claim they don’t watch Empire are asking: When does Empire come back on 2016?

    When Does Empire Come Back On 2016?

    Empire returns on September 21, 2016.

    For those wondering ‘When is Empire coming back on?’ you are not alone.  The show used a strategic approach this season, saving the best for last.  As usual Empire fans used social media to express their thoughts throughout the midseason finale.  Here are some of the most hilarious memes inspired by Empire’s midseason finale:

    Hilarious social media moments like these make us all the more anxious, impatiently asking: When does Empire return? For the next four months, no matter how many times we are told that Empire returns on March 30, 2016 we will be wondering: When does Empire return!? Why? Because the show’s midseason finale proved that it is hands down the best television show on the planet!

    😭😂😭😂😭💀💀 #empirememes #empirefinale #empire #empirefox #empireseason2 #whopushedrhonda
    A photo posted by joe johnson (@meechino_flame) on Dec 3, 2015 at 12:03am PST

    #empirememes #empirefinale #empire #empirefox #empireseason2 #whopushedrhonda
    A photo posted by joe johnson (@meechino_flame) on Dec 2, 2015 at 11:55pm PST

    #empirememes #EmpireFox #empire #ThirstyRawlings #seasonfinale
    A photo posted by TriggerMan (@triggerman74) on Dec 3, 2015 at 12:36am PST

    #empirememes #empirefinale #empire #empirefox #empireseason2 #whopushedrhonda
    A photo posted by joe johnson (@meechino_flame) on Dec 3, 2015 at 12:05am PST

    #empirememes #empirefinale #empire #empirefox #empireseason2 #whopushedrhonda
    A photo posted by joe johnson (@meechino_flame) on Dec 3, 2015 at 12:05am PST




    Along with Instagram and Twitter Tumblr is yet another great source for hilarious Empire memes, gifs and quotes.  Here is what Tumblr users had to say about the Empire midseason finale:

    http://tinydramatist.tumblr.com/post/134437417588

    http://empirefoxtv.tumblr.com/post/134437094837

    http://empirefoxtv.tumblr.com/post/134435036017

    http://lucayaandchill.tumblr.com/post/134446665315/when-i-saw-that-lawyer-on-his-knees-in-the

    http://lucayaandchill.tumblr.com/post/134446822550/naomi-walked-in-like

    http://fuckyeahblackcelebrities.tumblr.com/post/134437176158/lmfaoooo

    When does Empire come back on?

    You don’t know what you got till it’s gone.  The series will return with its ‘Death Will Have His Day’ episode, the 11th episode of season 2 and the 23rd episode of the Empire series.


    Many fans believe that Anika pushed Rhonda down the stairs, attempting to kill her because she wants her unborn baby with Hakeem to inherit Empire Entertainment.  More reason to ask: When is Empire coming back on?

  • Empire Cookie Meme

    The most recent episodes of Empire have shown Cookie’s serious side as she recently found out that Laz was a member of the 125th St. Bulls, the gang that kidnapped Cookie’s son, Hakeem.

    We love Empire’s storyline yet Cookie’s struggles make us appreciate the comical moments of the second season’s earlier episodes, many of which led to hilarious memes.  The following Empire Cookie meme is one of our absolute favorite:

    Empire Cookie Meme

    Cookie of Empire
    Who was watching #Empire with us tonight??? Follow us on Twitter: @Bossip & @BossipDBS #EmpireFox #EmpireSeason2 #EmpireMemes
    A photo posted by @bossipofficial on Oct 7, 2015 at 7:45pm PDT

    #people have got more on me than I have on them tbh 😩😒😂 #when #your #friend #starts #telling #embarrassing #stories #about #you #person #barely #know #youre #messin #wrong #bitch #iknowthings #things #cookielyon #cookiequotes #empire #empirememe #empirequotes #cookiememe #instameme #meme #instaquote #qotd #quote
    A photo posted by Georgina Ezuanyamike (@x_peanutbuttercup_x) on Jun 7, 2015 at 2:23am PDT

    Cookie of Empire

    Empire Cookie Meme

    Cookie of Empire

    Empire Cookie Meme

    Cookie of Empire





    Cookie of Empire, Taraji P. Henson, has certainly been busy lately.  The award winning actress was recently honored at the VH1 Big 15 With Entertainment Weekly bash.  Henson accepted her award from actress Debbie Allen who attended Howard University with actress Phylicia Rashad, best known for her role as Clair Huxtable on The Cosby Show.

    Cookie of Empire showed us the importance of being thankful, explaining that she would not have been able to finish her education without the Andrew Allen award Rashad and Allen established in honor of their father:

    Taraji’s Empire family refused to be left out: Terrence Howard, Trai ByersJussie Smollett, Bryshere Y. Gray and Gabourey Sidibe recorded the following video congratulating Henson for her award:

  • Empire, New Show Approaches First Anniversary

    Empire, New Show Approaches First Anniversary
    When you read the “Empire new show” portion of the headline you probably said “Empire is no longer a new show.”

    The original air date for the first episode of Empire was January 7, 2015.  The show is not even a year old yet the attention it has been given makes it feel like we’ve had Empire in our lives for a longer period of time.

    The show continues to work hard in order to deliver fans excellence Wednesday-after-Wednesday.  The masterminds at Fox fully understand that the strength of the team is each individual member and the strength of each member is the team.

    Innovation is the one and only sustainable competitive advantage a company can have therefore Fox continues to transform the show by adding entertaining cast members that help develop the show’s provocative storyline.  As a result, they have used the Fox Next Empire Artist competition to recruit additional talent in order to strengthen the team.

    Ryan Wirtz Fox Empire Artist

    Ryan Wirtz is one of the talented artists that Fox has chosen as a semifinalist in the competition.  Wirtz is a R&B singer and songwriter who began singing when he was seven years old.  During his childhood, Ryan idolized Whitney Houston and Marvin Gaye, explaining his unbelievable talent.

    In 2006, the Apollo Theater launched Wirtz’s career.  His unforgettable performance of “Ordinary People” amazed the crowd.  Since then Wirtz has appeared on numerous shows including “America’s Got Talent,” “The X Factor,” “Good Day L.A.”, among others.
    Similar to Empire, Wirtz has been able to accomplish a great deal of success, we can only imagine what the two will be able to accomplish as one!

  • The Best Time to Wear the new line of Empire Clothes

    Disclosure: I am a member of an affiliate program on behalf of Delivery Agent for the Fox Shop.  This means that if you click on a link to the FOX Shop and make a purchase I will receive commission.

     
    Shop Empire Fox
    Empire Fox Shop

     

  • Empire, Show’s Cast Adding New Talent

    Empire, Show’s Cast Adding New Talent
    Another Wednesday means another amazing episode of our beloved Empire show. Cast members like Cookie and Luscious, played by Taraji P. Henson and Terrence Howard, represent some of the show’s fascinating talent.

    Fox Empire Next Artist Kevin B

    So what do you do when you’re the number 1 show on television? You continue to look for talent to become even better! That is exactly what the geniuses responsible for the Empire TV show have been doing through Fox’s Next Empire Artist competition, and we met another artist that might be joining Cookie and Luscious’ Empire.

    Kevin B, DyRec is an artist, actor, model and fitness professional.  The young lyricist has dedicated himself to perfecting his skills and has become a very talented songwriter and composer.  DyRec’s catalog of impressive tracks consists of an intimate depiction of his life, deep thoughts and testimonies.
    Lucious Lyon Hip-Hop

    Some have went as far as describing it as dead while hip-hop’s current artists continue to insist that the art has simply transformed with time.  Hip-hop was once groundbreaking, back when this debate did not exist.

    Similar to Lucious Lyon DyRec is driven to create music that brings back the classic art of hip-hop.  Rap is something you do.  Hip-hop is something you live.  DyRec recognizes the substantial impact that he can make throught his music and is inspired by his potential to make a difference.

    Check out DyRec’s hit single Part By Any Means.

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