All posts by ilosm

Back in the day, iconic music legends, Diana Ross and Cher, were the best of friends. They had developed a sister-like bond and Cher even asked her then boyfriend to take Diana to pick out her Christmas gift, because she trusted Diana that much and knew Diana would know exactly what she’d like. Their friendship reportedly came to a screeching halt eventually though, due to a move that Diana and Cher’s man decided to make, which caused the two divas to fall out for good.

So whose this mystery man that Diana and Cher had beef over? That would be none other than Gene Simmons of the rock group, KISS. Now, we know what some of y’all may be thinking and nah family, that was not a typo, both of those beautiful, talented women looooved them some Gene Simmons- the dude with the long tongue and face paint. In fact, Gene was Cher’s man first and that’s where the problem came in between the trio.

In a prior interview with Irish Mirror, Simmons spilled the beans about how ‘the boss’ Ms. Ross stole his heart right from under Cher’s nose. Diana and Gene ended up dating for two years (1980-1983) as a result. See what else Gene revealed about their love triangle below:

Gene Simmons: “Diana Ross kept me on my toes and I ended up having a relationship with her for two years. I loved that she was such a strong woman who was confident in her own skin. That’s the most seductive thing. If a man thinks a woman can live without them, that’s it. Initially, Cher and I had a relationship and we lived together in Malibu.

One Christmas I asked her what I should buy her and she said, “Call my friend Diana Ross , she will tell you exactly what I like as she is my best friend”. So I called Diana up and we went shopping. Then our feelings for each other developed very fast and we started a relationship together. I guess thereafter Cher and Diana never spoke.”

Well, they say that in the entertainment world, the pickings are slim when it comes to finding a compatible boo-thang. Although Diana reportedly did her homegirl, Cher, dirty, I guess Gene Simmons must’ve turned Ms. Ross “upside down” and “round and round.”

Demond Wilson and Redd Foxx played junk men on “Sanford and Son,” but geesh…their network didn’t have to treat them like one! Well, at least that’s what happened according to Demond Wilson a.k.a. “Lamont.” Demond revealed some shocking information about how NBC treated two of their top ranking stars back in the day and how he and Redd Foxx were NOT trying to hear that. He detailed it all in a prior interview with “On Your Mental Health.”

“Prior to Redd and I, there was only one [black show on television] there was Amos and Andy. [Other shows at the time] were not Black shows, there were Blacks IN shows. There hasn’t been an all Black sitcom in…years. They stick all of Black sitcoms today on Cable. [Redd and I] we were breaking ground, we were making history. There was no play book that they could govern Redd and I…because there hadn’t been anybody like us before.”

He continued:

“We were dressing in the men’s room. When our first show aired…[the ratings] went through the ceiling and then Redd and I started dealing with them like men. Redd and I were making history and they tried to deal with us like we were third-class field hands and we said ‘NO that’s not happening!’ I was recently back from Vietnam and Redd grew up in the streets, and so I’m from Harlem, Redd is from St. Louis…[but] he spent a lot of time in Harlem. I have been silent for over 30 years. I have not spoken out against the atrocities that were perpetrated against us.”

 

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After Redd Foxx became completely fed up with the treatment they were enduring he left the show:

“Contrary to popular belief, Sanford and Son was never canceled; you don’t cancel a show in the top 10—Redd decided to leave.”

Demond became an ordained minister in 1984 and here is his take on the state of today’s reality entertainment and the current music industry:

“I believe that we’re living in the last days. The world to day is drunk off of the wine of inequity and I listen to some of these misogynistic rappers that make statements like we want to have the money the power and then we’ll get the respect…and there’s only power perceived, there’s no real power. If you have money you don’t have any power to do anything other than buy things. You don’t have the power to save your own souls and it’s sad. It seems as though with all of these reality shows, a lot of people have sold out and their going for the things of this world and nobody is focused today on anything other than themselves and what they can get for themselves…and even the folks that go to church, most of them are just religious spirit. You know they go in there and listen to these gospel singers who are self-centered and want to have a career and a lot of money and many of them, they’re anointed a lot of them because the anointing comes without reproach, you can be anointed and not be living close to God. And they sing these songs and the people feel good and as soon as they leave church they go right back to their self existence and it’s kind of sad the condition of the world today.”

What Demond Wilson thinks about Michael Jackson and folks treating him like a “god” ever since he was a kid:

“I’m looking at the late Michael Jackson who was a little kid from Gary, In…who just sold himself out and allowed the adversaries to transform him into nobody knows what he is and it was very sad. I look at people around the world- they’re lording this kid as though he was a God and that’s idolotry. Anything that you place in your heart…that takes the precedence over your relationship with God is idolatry…it’s an idol. My priorities for the last 25 years have been my personal relationship with God, my family, and my career- in that order and if it’s not in that order, it’s out of order.”

Whew! Demond Wilson doesn’t hold his tongue for nobody and I’m glad that he and Redd Foxx weren’t willing to take less than what they felt they deserved. The inequalities in the entertainment industry are still just as prevalent today, just ask some of today’s top actors like Taraji P. Henson, Monique, and Denzel Washington, whom have all spoken out about the lopsided justices within the entertainment world. They have come a long way, but there is still more work to do and actors like Redd Foxx and Demond Wilson helped to set the tone for that road to equal treatment for African American actors to take place now.

Do you agree with everything Demond said regarding today’s entertainment?

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Gladys Knight finally realized she had a problem back in the day, that she wanted to come clean about and she’s sharing her story with anyone willing to listen. It was an addiction that started a little over 30 years ago and she revealed how she eventually reached her breaking point.

Addiction- it can happen to any one of us, even your favorite entertainers. Gladys Knight is a soul music icon, but there was a time when she was caught in the horrific grip of gambling, specifically blackjack. Below are the details of some of the things Gladys said she did as a result of her addiction:

Via MichronicleOnlie: Knight realized she had a hit a new low one night when, not cognizant of the hours passing, suddenly realized that it was morning — and she should have been at home getting her son ready for school.

This was her wake-up call.
“I got into gambling when I was playing a casino,” Knight recalled. “One day a friend said, ‘Do you want to play some Blackjack?’ So I played and enjoyed it. You think you can win everything but you won’t.”

“[At that time] I was broke and yes, I had to go to work double-time, but it was OK with me.

When [my kids] got to college, it was really hard for me, so if they called me for something — like, ‘I need books’ — I would play, and I would win. And you should never win. Winning is how they get you. Because you think you’ll win everything, and you won’t. And I just woke up one day and said this don’t make no sense. I had gotten $2,000. And within 25, 30 minutes, I had won 60 grand. And I sat right at that table and gave every dime of it back. And I just got sick at the table. And I got up, went to the phone and called Gamblers Anonymous. And the lady on the phone said, “Where are you? We’ll come get you.” That was about 15, 20 years ago. And I went to one meeting. That was all I had to go to.”

“I have a faith that is unbeatable,” she said. “As far as my Lord and Savior is concerned, I try to go the way I’m supposed to, and when I fall short, I ask for help.”

Like we always say here at ILoveOldSchoolMusic, we think the lives/legacies of our favorite entertainers are something that we can truly learn from- regardless of if the story is good, bad, or ugly. Gladys Knight’s story of addiction is a prime example of that and we salute her for exposing such a vulnerable side of her life with the world.

The message in her story is simple: Whenever we know we have a problem of any kind, we should first recognize the problem, then simply do one thing and never take it for granted: Simply ask for help.

Kidada Jones, daughter of music icon, Quincy Jones, was the very last person to speak with her fiancé, Tupac, just moments before he died. In a very emotional recollection of what happened at the Las Vegas hospital, where ‘Pac died of gunshot wounds, the pain that clouded Kidada’s heart is evident.

Kidada Was With ‘Pac The Night He Was Shot & They Planned On Having A Baby

Kidada Jones was in Vegas with Tupac on that horrific night of September 7, 1996, when ‘Pac was shot on a Las Vegas strip. The two were also living together in Calabasas, CA at the time of his murder. According to Vanity Fair, they’d planned on having a baby; and whenever ‘Pac was on the road he’d call Kidada nightly, ending their call with the words, “I’d take a bullet for you.” That’s how much he loved her.

‘Pac Was Tense In Las Vegas Hotel With Kidada

VF reported that the night ‘Pac was shot, he told Kidada he didn’t want to go to the Tyson fight, but he’d promised Suge Knight he would. However, he didn’t want her to be around the rowdy pack of people at the fight, so he told her to stay at the hotel instead.

In the hours leading up to the fight, Kidada says Tupac became more tense and when she asked him if he was planning on wearing his bulletproof vest he said, “No. It’ll be too hot.” Later that day she says their ride to Las Vegas was silent and ‘Pac seemed to have a lot on his mind. They made it to Vegas, she settled down in the Luxor Hotel, while he went to the Tyson fight at the MGM Grand. Hours later, ‘Pac came back heated:

Via Vanity Fair: “Some nig&a started a fight with me for nothin’,” [Tupac] told Kidada. “Something’s up. You stay here.” After a fast change into a basketball jersey and some baggy sweats, he was gone.

Kidada Describes Very Sad Hospital Moments With Tupac

Kidada: When I got to the hospital they handed me a bag of bloody clothes and jewelry and told me, ‘He had no blood pressure when he came in. He’s had two blood transfusions and he is in the ICU hanging on by a string.’ I got a blanket from the hospital and circled the parking lot for nine hours. I said, “There’s no way he’s gonna die. There’s just no way. […] I walked around there ’til the sun came up….I was in complete shock.”-Via Q

What Happened Between Kidada & ‘Pac After He Regained Consciousness

Via Vanity Fair: [Tupac] regained consciousness once when Kidada was putting Don McLean’s “Vincent” into the CD player next to his bed. She heard a moan, and his eyes fluttered open. They were filled with mucus and swollen. “Tupac,” Kidada said, coming close, “do you hear me?” He seemed to nod. “If you can hear me,” she said, “move your feet.” The sheets rustled at the end of the bed. “Do you know I love you?” she said. “Do you know we all love you?” This time, the nod was distinct. As Kidada turned to the door, Tupac shook in convulsions. Then he slipped into a coma.

After ‘Pac’s Death “I Didn’t Want To Be Alive”

Via Q: Kidada said, “He and I lived together for four months and then he was murdered. […] It was the most horrible thing that ever happened to me. I knew we should’ve never gone to Vegas that night. I had a horrible feeling about it. I’ve gone over it in my mind a million times. It wasn’t supposed to happen. We weren’t supposed to be there. It was the worst possible thing that could’ve happened. [..] I never got to say goodbye. It’s not something that should happen to anyone. […] For a while afterward, I didn’t want to be alive. I was on my back, literally on my back, for months. My father [Quincy Jones] underestimated how that affected me and shaped and molded me as a human being.”

Six days after ‘Pac was shot, his beloved mother, Afeni Shakur, had no choice but to make the heart-wrenching decision to take him off life support on September 13, 1996. Rest on Tupac and Akeni Shakur…gone but never forgotten.

If you’re from the Old School, you probably remember actor/dancer, Gene Anthony Ray, from the popular ’80s TV show, Fame. He played the tough, street dancer — “Leroy” — who had a love for dancing, but a slight problem with authority.

In some ways, Gene’s Fame character was not that far off from who he was in real life. Just like his character, “Leroy,” Gene was an untrained dancer who learned how to dance by battling others at neighborhood block parties. He grew up in a then-tough neighborhood in Harlem, NY, and was said to hang the streets a lot back then.

His Family’s Crime Ring Arrest

When Gene landed his role on Fame,  his life began taking a turn for the better. Only prob’ was that some of his family seemingly didn’t make that transition with him…and instead chose to stay behind, indulging in a life of crime, according to several reports. We’re talking about Gene’s mother, uncles, grandmother, aunts — they were supposedly all living that life…and here’s what they ultimately got busted for while Gene was at the height of his career:

In 1984, Ray’s mother was arrested in a drug raid along with 14 others, including his grandmother, three aunts, and three uncles. Ray’s mother, Jean Ray [then 46 years old], was charged with dealing heroin and cocaine. His grandmother, [then-66-year-old] Viola (Lilly) Ward, was carrying six ounces of cocaine and a loaded .38-caliber pistol when she was taken into custody. In March 1984, after a two-week trial, Ray’s mother was convicted. According to police, she sold heroin and cocaine to undercover officers in several buys in 1983 that took place in Harlem bars. In April 1984 she was sentenced to at least 15 years, with parole eligibility in 1999. [Source: biography.jrank]

That’s not all though, unfortunately seeing his mother locked up, along with the rest of his fam,’ began to take a serious toll on Gene, understandably so. He reportedly began to lose focus and indulge in illegal activities.

His Legal Problems & Addictions

Ray made attempts to revive his career and had brief success in theatrical stage plays. But unfortunately, his personal struggles contributed to leaving him jobless. Then came his brush with the law:

Although Ray, who remained very loyal to his mother, was never implicated in the drug dealings, he was under tremendous stress. After failing to show up for Fame rehearsals 100 times and self-admittedly using drugs between shoots, he was fired from the show in 1984. Ray’s use of drugs and alcohol continued unabated.  In 1992, with his use of alcohol out of control, Ray stole a bottle of wine from a Milan supermarket and used it to attack two men who were taunting him. He was arrested, although the charges were later dropped. Having squandered his wealth to feed his drug habit, Ray was unemployed. [Source: biography.jrank]

He Passed Away With Little Fanfare

In 1995 there were several rumors circulating that Gene had passed away from AIDS. While his Mother once confirmed that Gene was HIV positive, it is not true that he actually died from HIV, nor AIDS in ’95.

Sadly, Gene passed away on November 14, 2003 from complications he’d suffered from a stroke in June of that same year. He was only 41 years old.

Gene died with little fanfare. There wasn’t much mainstream media coverage of his death. There weren’t thousands of fans lining the streets as his casket rolled by in his funeral procession. There were just his close friends and family, who knew Gene Anthony Riley- the person, the actor, the dancer, the shattered soul, and the man.

That’s a stark contrast to what life once was for him: The guy who at just 20 years old, had to hire two secretaries to answer the thousands of fan letters he received daily; The actor who was featured on a TV show that, although it didn’t air as long in the U.S., it gained 11 million regular viewers in the UK.

Life Is Like A Board Game

It’s almost painfully funny how life works. The choices we make and the consequences we get as a result, can oftentimes smother our accomplishments and almost bury them as if they never existed. Life is like a board game of Chutes and Ladders. You’ll get the opportunity to roll the dice, navigate through life…but along the way, your journey to the top may become complicated by virtues (ladders) or vices (chutes). It happens, but don’t quit, keep playing the game.

It’s been a heartbreaking three-year journey for the family and loved ones of late rapper, Nipsey Hussle…but hopefully the latest ruling in his murder case will help bring them at least some closure.

A jury has just convicted Eric Holder of first degree murder in the 2019 killing of Nipsey Hussle. Details are below…

Via Associated Press: Jurors found a 32-year-old man guilty of first-degree murder Wednesday for the 2019 fatal shooting of rapper Nipsey Hussle.

The Los Angeles County jury also found Eric R. Holder Jr. guilty of two counts of attempted voluntary manslaughter instead of two attempted murder counts as prosecutors had sought for two other men who were hit by gunfire at the scene.

Holder, wearing a blue suit and face mask, stood up in the small court room next to his lawyer as the verdict was read. He had no visible reaction.

Jurors deliberated for about six hours over two days before reaching the verdict.

Their was substantial evidence against Holder throughout the trial…ranging from eyewitness accounts, to nearby businesses’ surveillance footage of Holder before, during, and after shooting Nipsey Hussle.

During the trial, Holder’s attorney didn’t even bother to try to convince the jury that Holder was not the shooter, but instead attempted to persuade them to convict him on involuntary manslaughter charges:

Via AP – Holder’s lawyer Aaron Jansen said that being publicly accused of being a “snitch” by a person as prominent as Hussle brought on a “heat of passion” in Holder that made him not guilty of first-degree murder.

“This is a provocation that stirs up rage and powerful emotion,” Jansen told jurors Thursday.

However, the D.A. disagreed with Holder’s attorney, and instead presented a more likely theory, which the jury clearly agreed with:

Via A.P. – Deputy District Attorney John McKinney argued during the trial that Holder and everyone else in the conversation that preceded Hussle’s death were so calm that the “snitching” conversation could not have been the primary motive, and that Holder must have had some previous envy or hatred for Hussle.

McKinney told jurors that the nine minutes between the conversation and the shooting allowed more than enough time for the killing to be premeditated, a requirement for first-degree murder.

As we previously reported, Nipsey was killed outside of his Marathon Clothing store in Los Angeles, CA. He and Eric Holder were already familiar with one another, having grown up in the same areas in L.A..

Nipsey’s business associate, Herman Douglas, was also at Nipsey’s Marathon Clothing Store that day. He testified to the grand jury that Nipsey was the first one to spot Eric Holder when he and the woman initially pulled up, and asked, “Is that Shitty (Holder’s street name)?”

Their Conversation Was “Non-Confrontational,” Yet Direct

TMZ– Herman describes the conversation between Nipsey and Holder as non-confrontational, but he too says Nipsey told Holder he’d heard rumors about him snitching … and Nipsey advised Holder to take care of it.

Herman says Holder denied it, saying, “Motherf***ers be hating on me.” He says at the end Nipsey and Holder shook hands and parted ways with zero animosity.

Our hearts go out to the family and loved ones of Nipsey, including his children, his parents, siblings, and fiancee’– actress Lauren London, at this time. May Nipsey Hussle continue to rest in peace and power.

It’s long been said that music legends, Whitney Houston and Jermaine Jackson, had a thing going on back in the day. Up until recent years, the rumors were just that- rumors, until a few years ago when La Toya Jackson publicly revealed some inside info about this situation. See what she had to say about the late, great Whitney and her brother, Jermaine, below…

La Toya On Whitney & Jermaine’s “Affair”

Now, before we go any further, let’s clear up a few things about the ‘affair’ wording. For those who may not have heard, or are a lil’ too young to remember, Jermaine was married to Hazel Gordy (daughter of Motown mogul, Berry Gordy) in the ‘70s and ‘80s. However, it was also well documented, that they’re marriage reportedly experienced some separation, breakups, and make-ups, in the ’80s. Not justifying what you’re about to hear from La Toya, just adding more insight into the situation…moving on…

While Jermaine Jackson has refused to comment publicly about the alleged 80’s affair with Whitney Houston, his sister, La Toya, didn’t mind spilling the beans when she was featured on The Talk. She confirmed that Whitney and Jermaine were in a relationship…

La Toya: “Well actually, to be quite honest with you, he [Jermaine] did have a relationship. … He has admitted that they (Jermaine and Whitney) had an affair […] Well, in ’84, Jermaine and Whitney did work together. That was the beginning of her career, basically,” La Toya Jackson said.

On Jermaine denying the relationship with Whitney in his book, La Toya said:

“I think that Jermaine wrote that in his book to protect Whitney at that particular time…and he has admitted that they had an affair.”

Jermaine Was Distraught When Whitney Passed

According to The Sun, at the time of Whitney Houston’s death, Jermaine Jackson was so devastated that he was unable to attend her funeral and that 3 years prior to Whitney’s death, she comforted Jermaine over the loss of his brother, Michael. Michael allegedly didn’t approve of the relationship between Jermaine and Whitney, but his disapproval didn’t stop them from seeing each other, according to those close to the situation. Even when their alleged affair ended, they still kept in touch.

Was Saving All My Love About Jermaine?

Many have assumed that Whitney even alluded to their reported relationship in her classic love ballad, Saving All My Love. If you recall, that ‘80s classic is about  a woman having a romance with a married man and not giving up, as Whitney sang about longing for the day when that man would be all hers. The video even used a model that had somewhat of a resemblance to Jermaine Jackson…

Whitney and Jermaine not only made beautiful in the bedroom allegedly, but they made beautiful music together as well. ILOSM fam’ we know a lotta y’all may remember their slow jams, “If You Say My Eyes Are Beautiful” and “Nobody Loves Me Like You Do”…

What Jermaine Wrote About Whitney In His Book

Despite the fact that Jermaine refused to speak about the alleged affair with Whitney publicly, that didn’t stop him from writing about it. In later years, Jermaine Jackson penned a book called, You are Not Alone: Michael, Through A Brother’s Eyes. Openly, Jermaine wrote about how he struggled with his feelings for Whitney, although he put them aside for the sake of his marriage:

Jermaine: “As much as I wanted to lose myself in all these feelings, I told her [Whitney] to wait. Ultimately, we had to go our separate ways and it killed us both.”

Just like we always say, here at I LOVE OLD SCHOOL MUSIC, celebrities have reached a high level of greatness, but that doesn’t make them perfect people, they are still simply perfectly flawed human beings, just like the rest of us. So before any of us start judging the beloved Whitney Houston and Jermaine Jackson about their reported love for each other, let’s try to first consider the common ‘human elements’ that we ALL possess. Thanks for reading fam.’

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I Love Old School Music fam,’ for the first time in months, we’ve actually got some new news to report about Chris Rock, other than that infamous smackdown between him and Will Smith. This go ’round, the comedian-actor’s making headlines because of his love life. Apparently, he’s in a new relationship…one that’s different from his last long-term relationships. This time his reported relationship is an interracial one, and like his last one…she’s an actress as well.

Who’s His New Lady…Allegedly?

Meet Chris Rock’s latest alleged love, actress Lake Bell.

Now, if you’re like me, the you may not be too familiar with her work…but apparently, she’s kinda like a big deal in Hollywood. How do we know this? Because lately, the two of them have been spotted out and about, with Lake’s fans fanning over her before they even paid attention to the man by her side — Chris Rock.

Anywho, over here…Chris is a big deal. So we couldn’t help but notice that he’s been chillin’ with his new reported love for a while now.

In the past few weeks they’ve been spotted together several times by fans. Their most recent outing was for a seemingly romantic stroll on a Santa Monica beach the other day…

According to TMZ, “the comedian and the actress were in great spirits walking past Shutter On The Beach while calmly taking in the beautiful ocean views. Although there wasn’t any kissing or hand-holding, our sources noted there was almost no room in between their bodies as they moved along the path.” But there were other sitings of these two…

Then there was this recent outing to a Cardinals game in St. Louis, where they tried to keep their attendance on the low…but that didn’t necessarily work out for them. Check out the video below…

And a few days prior, the two got their grub-on at a Santa Monica restaurant…

Lake Bell is most known for her roles on the soap opera, “Children’s Hospital,” which she starred in from 2008 – 2016.

Their Past Relationships

As far as Chris’s last known public relationship…Chris(59) and his previous long-term girlfriend — 39-year-old actress, Megalyn Echikunwoke — said ‘peace out’ to each other in 2020.

And from what we hear, Lake Bell is fresh off a long-term relationship as well, following her divorce from a celebrity tattoo artist, Scott Campbell.

Not sure how serious Chris and Lake’s situation is, but hey…if they’re happy together, we wish them all the best. And besides, it gives us something else to associate Chris Rock’s name with at this time…other than ‘the slap’…just sayin.’ 🤷🏾‍♂️

ILOSM family, many of us remember the classic Spike Lee joint, Mo’ Better Blues. It starred and co-starred several legends, including Denzel Washington, Spike, Wesley Snipes, and many more.

“Young Bleek” Then

Speaking if Denzel’s character, “Bleek,” if you saw the film, then you probably remember the kid who played “young Bleek.” He was the kid practicing his trumpet skills with his mama, Lillian (Abbey Lincoln) in the beginning of the film. “Young’ Bleek’s” mom was looking over him, pushing him to play his musical scales, but “Bleek’s” lil’ homies were outside his window, yelling for him to come out and play. “Bleek” didn’t wanna practice trumpet that day, he wanted to go play, but his mother forced him to rehearse anyway.

That hard work ultimately transformed into “Bleek” growing up and playing at one of the hottest jazz clubs in town. Then, at the end of the film, after “Bleek” was no longer an active player, he was seen teaching his son, “Miles” (played by a different kid actor), trumpet skills in the same way his mother taught him in the beginning of the film. Except this time, “old Bleek” allowed his son to go play with his friends, when he said he wanted to take a break.

Anywho, in 1990, the kid actor who portrayed ‘young Bleek’ (a.k.a. young Denzel) was then 8 year old actor, Zakee Howze. Now that we’re all caught up on what happened in Mo Better Blues with “Lil Bleek,” let’s get into what Zakee looks like today as a grown man…

You see fam,’ although Zakee went on to land roles in the 1992 classic, Malcolm X, and the 1994 film, Fresh, it’s been a couple decades since he made noise in the acting world since and now we know why.

“Young Bleek” Today:

This is Zakee Howze now…

He’s reportedly 40 years old…and as y’all can see, the brotha ain’t a baby anymore. Also, based on what he’s revealed in his autobiographical book, Fragments A.K.A. Incomplete thoughts: Fragments, he’s also lived through some real-life-grown-man hardships.

Apparently, he’s had a criminal history, which developed when he was 12 years old. He’s also served time in prison and became a convicted felon. Check out his brief book summary of his life and the lessons he’s learned from it:

Zakee Howze: This book was written during a time of a recession in my country. I am a few days away from being a bastard case. My father bailed out on me and my mother. I fell in love with doing crimes at the age of 12. I caught my first felony at 15. I have a lot of stories to tell from first hand. I stripped myself away from blessing at an early age. You can see some of my childhood achievements at www.google.com and search for Zakee Howze. I have good friends that were murdered or had to go before the creator because of their reasons. I started feeling like nobody loved me. Actually some people did stop loving me. You the man when have the money, but what about being a good person? That doesn’t matter to a lot of people anymore. One thing I learned is that when materialistic items are stripped away from people you will see nothing but their true character. I had to write this book because I witnessed too many people who do not control their own life.

Thankfully, Zakee is no longer living a life of crime and although it’s unclear exactly what he’s doing these days, like my mama used to say: “Sometimes no news, is good news.” Simply put, as long as Zakee has not recently made headline news for regressing back to his old criminal habits, it’s a good thing…he’s more than likely being far more constructive with his life these days and we can’t be made at the man for that.

ILOSM family, many of us remember the classic Spike Lee joint, Mo’ Better Blues. It starred and co-starred several legends, including Denzel Washington, Spike, Wesley Snipes, and many more.

“Young Bleek” Then

Speaking if Denzel’s character, “Bleek,” if you saw the film, then you probably remember the kid who played “young Bleek.” He was the kid practicing his trumpet skills with his mama, Lillian (Abbey Lincoln) in the beginning of the film. “Young’ Bleek’s” mom was looking over him, pushing him to play his musical scales, but “Bleek’s” lil’ homies were outside his window, yelling for him to come out and play. “Bleek” didn’t wanna practice trumpet that day, he wanted to go play, but his mother forced him to rehearse anyway.

That hard work ultimately transformed into “Bleek” growing up and playing at one of the hottest jazz clubs in town. Then, at the end of the film, after “Bleek” was no longer an active player, he was seen teaching his son, “Miles” (played by a different kid actor), trumpet skills in the same way his mother taught him in the beginning of the film. Except this time, “old Bleek” allowed his son to go play with his friends, when he said he wanted to take a break.

Anywho, in 1990, the kid actor who portrayed ‘young Bleek’ (a.k.a. young Denzel) was then 8 year old actor, Zakee Howze. Now that we’re all caught up on what happened in Mo Better Blues with “Lil Bleek,” let’s get into what Zakee looks like today as a grown man…

You see fam,’ although Zakee went on to land roles in the 1992 classic, Malcolm X, and the 1994 film, Fresh, it’s been a couple decades since he made noise in the acting world since and now we know why.

“Young Bleek” Today:

This is Zakee Howze now…

He’s reportedly 40 years old…and as y’all can see, the brotha ain’t a baby anymore. Also, based on what he’s revealed in his autobiographical book, Fragments A.K.A. Incomplete thoughts: Fragments, he’s also lived through some real-life-grown-man hardships.

Apparently, he’s had a criminal history, which developed when he was 12 years old. He’s also served time in prison and became a convicted felon. Check out his brief book summary of his life and the lessons he’s learned from it:

Zakee Howze: This book was written during a time of a recession in my country. I am a few days away from being a bastard case. My father bailed out on me and my mother. I fell in love with doing crimes at the age of 12. I caught my first felony at 15. I have a lot of stories to tell from first hand. I stripped myself away from blessing at an early age. You can see some of my childhood achievements at www.google.com and search for Zakee Howze. I have good friends that were murdered or had to go before the creator because of their reasons. I started feeling like nobody loved me. Actually some people did stop loving me. You the man when have the money, but what about being a good person? That doesn’t matter to a lot of people anymore. One thing I learned is that when materialistic items are stripped away from people you will see nothing but their true character. I had to write this book because I witnessed too many people who do not control their own life.

Thankfully, Zakee is no longer living a life of crime and although it’s unclear exactly what he’s doing these days, like my mama used to say: “Sometimes no news, is good news.” Simply put, as long as Zakee has not recently made headline news for regressing back to his old criminal habits, it’s a good thing…he’s more than likely being far more constructive with his life these days and we can’t be made at the man for that.