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Approximately 24 years ago (1998) Lauryn Hill rapped the lyrics, “It’s silly when girls sell their souls because it’s in.” And right about now, fans can only imagine if those same thoughts are on her mind regarding her 23-year-old daughter (Bob Marley’s granddaughter), Selah Marley’s, latest business move. You see, Kanye West has caused a major tizzy all across social media, by rockin’ a “White Lives Matter” shirt for his new Yeezy clothing collection on Monday, in Paris. Thing is, he also took Lauryn’s model-daughter along for that ride…to the surprise of many.

So, why are fans surprised and now speaking out on this? For several reasons. For starters, Kanye is doing what Kanye does — sparking controversy. But what really has many Lauryn Hill fans taken aback, is that Selah Marley is doing what her moms, nor late activist grandfather, Bob Marley, would likely not have done — she’s teamed up with Trump-supporting Kanye, and flaunted his “White Lives Matter” shirt at ‘Ye’s latest fashion show.

In case y’all haven’t heard…the WLM shirt is ‘Ye’s latest creation that he was photographed wearing, alongside not only Selah, but also Black controversial conservative, Candace Owens, while at the Paris fashion show.

The back of the shirt reads, “White Lives Matter,” in bold white letters; while the front showcases an image of Pope John Paul II with the message, “We shall follow your example.”

Needless to say, fans have been goin’ off about this ever since– calling Kanye every name under the sun; while also expressing confusion over how the daughter and granddaughter of such pro-Black legends — Lauryn Hill and Bob Marley — has gotten to this point with her seemingly opposing outlook.

Fans were quick to point out Selah Marley in some of the online images that have now surfaced of Kanye’s fashion show:

“Kanye West got Lauryn Hill daughter wearing a ‘White Lives Matter’ tee collection. Streets is don,” wrote one Twitter user.

Kanye West got Lauryn Hill daughter wearing a ‘White Lives Matter’ tee collection. Streets is done.

— 😶💭 (@NupeFiasco) October 3, 2022

He had lauryn hill daughter in them threads too 😭😭😭

— JXB 🏂 (@JXB314) October 3, 2022

Is this really Lauryn Hill’s daughter? 🤦🏾‍♀️ https://t.co/ROmTv8c8a0 pic.twitter.com/kvRiQSIRhm

— .nO.Cut. (@yaDailySHOT) October 3, 2022

Wait…what?! Lauryn Hill’s daughter?

— Berneta 🏳️‍🌈 (She/Her) (@BernetaWrites) October 3, 2022

For the record, fans are not against White lives. In fact, within American culture it’s long been understood that White lives matter – as they should, along with all lives. However, the question has always been whether or not Black lives actually matter in America…given the hundreds of years of continued oppression and systemic racism African Americans face daily on every level. That is why so many fans are perplexed by Kanye’s latest spectacle.

Anywho…not sure how Lauryn Hill, nor Selah Marley’s pops, Rohan Marley (Bob Marley’s son), really feel about Kanye seemingly utilizing their daughter as a walking billboard to get his message across. Maybe…only time will tell.

Shar Jackson has been in the acting game for many years, but most fans know her for her role on Moesha, which opened many doors for her career. She went on to make appearances on shows like The Bernie Mac Show and MTV’s My So-Called Life. Shar also co-starred in the Nickelodeon film, Good Burger.

But apparently, she isn’t the only member of her family who caught the acting bug at an early age. Shar also has a well-known cousin who was regularly featured on a few hit ’90s sitcoms. All these years have gone by, but somehow they kept this on the low for the most part.

“Family Matters” & “Punky Brewster” Actress

For those who don’t know, Cherie Johnson happens to be Shar Jackson’s cousin. Cherie made her acting debut at a very young age with her role on the hit 80’s sitcom, Punky Brewster. Ironically, she played “Cherie,” “Punky’s” best friend. But most fans remember her for Family Matters.

Years later, Cherie left her mark on television when she portrayed “Laura Winslow’s” best friend, “Maxine ‘Max’ Johnson,” on Family Matters. Cherie made regular appearances on the hit sitcom for eight seasons from 1990 to 1997 when the show was canceled.

After Family Matters, Cherie turned her attention to the production side of the film industry and she even produced and starred in an independent film called I Do…I Did back in 2009. Shar also appeared in that film. Might have seemed like it was just a matter of good casting but the ladies were just keepin’ it in the family.

A while back, Shar took to Instagram with a sweet post about her cousin. She shared a photo of them together and captioned it, “Beautiful things happen when my gorgeous cousin @cheriejohnson75 and I get together!!!!”

These days,  life has evolved in various ways for the actress cousins.

According to reports, she’s now married with two adorable daughters. She also sometimes has her cuz, Shar, co-host her “Cherie’s World Podcast,” with her…

 

 

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A post shared by 🍒Cherie Johnson (@cheriejohnson75)

Shar Jackson has remained focused on raising her four children, and she’s also made numerous appearances on reality TV shows. She’s appeared on ABC’s The Ex-Wives Club, MTV’s Celebrity Rap Superstar, and VH1’s Celebrity Boot Camp. 

Can’t wait to see what else the future holds for these queens.

These younger R&B cats out here today – who think they’re ’bout it – ain’t got NOTHING on some of these REAL R&B singers from the ’90s and back! Jodeci is a direct example of that! Dalvin revealed that his fellow Jodeci group member, K-Ci, did the unthinkable to him back in the day. It could have cost Dalvin his life and you won’t believe why…or better yet, we are talking about take-no-mess K-Ci, so, maybe you will…

DALVIN EXPLAINS WHAT WENT DOWN BETWEEN HIM & K-Ci

Dalvin revealed to SoulCulture, that before he and his brother/Jodeci member, Devante Swing, met brothers, K-Ci and Jojo, they were each doing their own thing in two separate gospel groups in North Carolina. But boy…on the day Dalvin and Devante met K-Ci and JoJo at 14 and 16 years old, it was CHAOS:

Dalvin- “We’re all from Charlotte, North Carolina and we met there […]we met some of the girls from UNITY [a local gospel group] and their names were Barbara Jean and Poo-Poo. […] Poo-Poo was dating K-Ci before we even met. Barbara Jean would always tell us that we need to meet K-Ci and Jojo. We heard about them before, but we hadn’t met them yet…”

THEIR MEET & GREET BLEW UP LIKE A SPONTANEOUS COMBUSTION BETWEEN DALVIN AND K-Ci…

DALVIN DETAILS WHY JODECI MEMBER, K-Ci, ALMOST SHOT HIM

Jodeci: [L-R] JoJo Hailey, Dalvin DeGrate, K-Ci Hailey, Devante Swing DeGrate

Dalvin continued:

Dalvin- “Barbara Jean and Poo-Poo took us to meet them [K-Ci and JoJo] one day. They had a little gospel studio joint and next thing I knew K-Ci pulled a gun out on me because he thought I was messing around with Poo-Poo. I told him, ‘Man, are you serious?’ My brother was actually dating her sister, Barbara Jean. So when we got there and this happened I told my brother these dudes are crazy and that I was leaving.”

The visual on this is crazy…and since no one was hurt, it’s actually kind of funny. The thought of K-Ci, who was a gospel singer mind you, being strapped with a 9 milli (or whatever type of gun he pulled) at just 16 years old is wild. Since when have you heard of a ‘teenaged Kirk Franklin type’ pulling a gun on somebody for something so minuscule? It’s a good thing Jodeci decided to switch genres. Moving on…

DEVANTE SWING CONVINCED DALVIN TO WORK WITH K-Ci & JOJO

 

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A post shared by Jodeci (@jodeci)

After the dust settled, the music prevailed and brought Dalvin and K-Ci back together again:

Dalvin- “I left and D [Devante] stayed there with them [at the studio with K-Ci and Jo-Jo]. He would keep on telling me that they were writing songs and he wanted me to come back to start working with them. I ended up coming back and a couple of months later we formed the group.”

 

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A post shared by Jodeci (@jodeci)

And the rest is history. SO glad they settled their beef because R&B wouldn’t have been the same without Jodeci!

Source

Missy Elliott took a trip “back down memory lane,” like Minnie Riperton, and she did it all online. In a beautiful tweet, she once reminisced about her days as part of hit producer/Jodeci member, Devante Swing’s, record label, Swing Mob, in the 1990’s. While reminiscing about the good ol’ days with her prior mentor, she also confessed about the struggles and insecurities she faced at that time…

Missy Reveals Her Past Insecurities As Part Of Devante Swing’s Group

The “Supa-Dupa Fly” singer/rapper/producer recalled her first big break in the Swing Mob girl group, Sista. Missy was the lead singer of the group, but that title still couldn’t block the physical insecurities Missy says she had, in comparison to her Sista group members.

“…Before I was a solo artist i was in a girl group called SISTA! We were under The LEGENDARY guy group Jodeci we was their girl group! The best Memories from VA 757 this was my early stages as a writer & a singer Nah I cant sing like BEY‍ & I was really insecure because at the time I didn’t see myself as pretty & amazing like my group members nor the size that the industry mostly saw for artist,” wrote Missy in her tweet.

Through it all, she’s still grateful to prominent music industry executive, Sylvia Rhone, for sparking the match that ignited the firestorm of a careers she and her mentors have had:

“I am humbly grateful for @iamSylviarhone for believing in us & Devante & Jodeci…”

She continued with a joke about writing a bunch of weed songs back then, LOL…and about the old school hairstyles they were rockin.’ Check out Missy’s full tweet below:

My 1st beginnings just when u thought u knew ‍♀️ welp in case yall didn’t know before I was a solo artist i was in a girl group called SISTA! We were under The LEGENDARY guy group Jodeci we was their girl group! The best Memoriesfrom VA 757 this was my early stages as a writer & a singer Nah I cant sing like BEY‍♀️& believe it or not I was really insecure because at the time I didn’t see myself as pretty & amazing like my group members nor the size that the industry mostly saw for artist but I am humbly grateful for @iamSylviarhone for believing in us & Devante & Jodeci & funfact we had our pants legs up because we had a Dope SISTA tattoo on our leg that I still have til this day& Oh & i remember wanting to write a love song since I used to always sing bout weed‍♀️‍♀️ I figured I’d switch it upbut lastly can y’all imagine how much BLACK GEL WE USED IN THESE PONYTAILS Them old school hair styles CLASSIC! Styled by @misahylton song name “ Brand New”

A post shared by Missy Elliott (@missymisdemeanorelliott) on Apr 18, 2018 at 9:18am PDT

Stevie J. & K-Ci Had BRUTAL FIGHT After HORRIFIC Thing Was Done To Missy Elliott

Although things are cool between Missy Elliott and Devante’ Swing these days, according to what hit producer/”Love & Hip Hop” star, Stevie J. revealed last year (2017), it was NOT always that way.

Stevie J. dropped some massive bombshells about his time working with Devante Swing’s then Swing Mob artists, Missy Elliot, Jodeci, Ginuwine, Tweet, Timbaland, and others in the 90’s. Stevie was working with Devante on production, but he says their killer producer-combo came to a screeching halt one day in a Rochester, NY studio. In his interview with Drink Champs, Stevie said that one day they were all in the studio- himself, Missy Elliot, Timbaland, Ginuwine, Jodeci, and others- when Devante Swing walked in with his cousin, bodyguards, and two pitbulls on a leash – like some straight ‘Nino Brown’ type of stuff. What reportedly happened next shocked the hell outta him.

According to Stevie, Devante walked up to each of his artists and started smacking them. Stevie said he watched Devante smack Missy Elliott really hard in the face, then Ginuwine, Timbaland, and so on! Then he said Devante’s cousin went behind him and smacked them again, while they all stood there and did nothing!

Stevie J. also said that Devante knew not to try that with him, but apparently Devante’s cousin didn’t get that memo. So according to Stevie, the cousin walked up to him like he wanted to deliver a smack down and Stevie was like ‘You better not put your hands on me potna’…

Stevie says he and Devante’s cousin started arguing and that’s when K-Ci (of Jodeci) jumped in. According to Stevie, he then started trading blows with K-Ci, Devante’s cousin, and Devante’s bodyguard all at the same damn time! The fight got so vicious, that Stevie said somebody hit him over the head with a bottle and that he still has the scar over his eye to prove it.

Missy, Ginuwine & Timbaland Left Devante’s Label, Thanks To Stevie J.

As soon as the fight was over, Stevie recalled telling Ginuwine, Missy, Timbaland that they were stupid if they stayed with Devante’s label and continue to let Devante treat them like that. Stevie’s words must have affected them, because he said soon after he told them that, they all left Devante’s label and started their own thing. See what else Stevie J. said about that fiasco in the video up top (graphic language).

Myrna Smith, a member of the group, The Sweet Inspirations, sang back up for rock & roll legend, Elvis Presley. Smith had many fond memories of Elvis in which she reflected on his love for music as well as his love for black women, particularly her.

Sweet Inspirations:

The Sweet Inspirations was an R&B gospel group comprised of four members: Cissy Houston, mother of the late Whitney Houston, Sylvia Shernwell, Myrna Smith, and Estelle Brown. While they were successful in their own right as a group with many hit recordings, the one song that stood out the song was their song, “Sweet Inspiration.” Back in the 60’s, that song had many people bopping their heads and tapping their feet.

One of the people who loved that song so much was allegedly Elvis himself. According to Elvis.com, Elvis loved the song so much that he contacted the group to have them sing back up for him. The ladies of Sweet Inspiration worked with Elvis in Vegas, on his national concert tours, and on recordings from 1969 to 1977. Aside of Sweet Inspirations, Smith sang back up for Elvis in his Graceland recordings as well. Cissy Houston left in 1969 to pursue her own solo career but the Sweet Inspirations remained loyal to the king of rock & roll.

Lovin’ The King:

In a documentary called, This Time, Smith admitted that Elvis tried to pursue a relationship with her. This isn’t too surprising, as their have been rumors that Elvis was very fond of the ladies. However, it might surprise you that Presley loved black women as he was a rumored racist. Smith dispels those rumors with her open and candid conversation about the love she shared for Elvis. In the video, Smith shared that she and Elvis were often flirty with each other, however, they worked together. Aside from them working together, Smith had a boyfriend, Gregory, that was apart of the band as well. However, that didn’t stop the King from showing Smith love and affection. Elvis’ dear friend, Jerry Schilling, loved Smith too. Unlike the king, Schilling never stopped pursing Schilling and he eventually won her over. Smith even married Schilling briefly from 1982-1987.

See Myrna Smith Discuss Her Flirtatious relationship with Elvis:

It was clear that Elvis loved his background vocalists. Elvis loved gospel and soul music. The Sweet Inspirations did a great job of blending their voices to make a soulful sound that Elvis couldn’t get enough of. Even after singing and performing in concerts, they allegedly would continue to sing and jam all night. Presley reportedly called the ladies his “church sisters”. See a video below where Elvis is having a conversation with The Sweet Inspirations and Myrna is featured in the video.

Elvis Has Interesting Convo w/Sweet Inspirations Backup Singers

Up until the day she died, Myrna Smith made a living telling old stories of Elvis and even singing as a back up singer for Elvis impersonators. Despite her financial struggles, she was determined to keep her career and her friendships with her group mates going for as long as she could. According to the documentary This Time, The Sweet Inspirations were hoping to resurrect their fortunes with the help of producer Peitor Angell, however, their fame would never be the same without the original King being alive and well. Tragically, Smith died at the age of 69 on December 24, 2010 from kidney failure. Because of Smith’s memories, we learned two things about the King of Rock and Roll: he loved black women and he was possibly not racist.

We have heartbreaking news to share I Love Old School Music family…rap legend, Coolio, has passed away today, and his loved ones are devastated.

The latest info to surface, regarding his cause of death, is as follows:

Via TMZ — Law enforcement sources tell TMZ … paramedics were called to a house in Los Angeles around 4 PM for a medical emergency and when they got there they pronounced Coolio dead.
We’re told police have opened a death investigation but as of right now there does not appear to be signs of foul play. However, our sources say the coroner will make a final determination following an autopsy.

It’s also being reported that Coolio died unexpectedly at his friend’s home in Los Angeles.

According to Coolio’s manager, Jarez, ‘Coolio went to the bathroom at his friend’s house, but when he didn’t come out after a while … the friend kept calling for him, and eventually went in and found Coolio laying on the floor.’

The friend then called an ambulance, but once the EMT’s arrived they’d announced Coolio dead on the scene.

Although Coolio’s manager says the EMT’s suspect Coolio suffered a cardiac arrest, again, the official cause of death will not be determined until an autopsy is performed.

Our hearts are aching for Coolio’s children and his loved ones. He may be gone too soon…but his legacy will continue to live on through his classic ’90s hits, like “Gangsta’s Paradise.” Artis Leon Ivey Jr. a.k.a. Coolio…rest well king.

ILOSM family, who remembers when Jermaine Stewart had everybody singing “We don’t have to take our clothes off, to have a good time, oh no”? He had radio on fire for a while, but after his initial success of “The Word Is Out” and “We Don’t Have To Take Our Clothes Off,” his light just kind of dimmed.

While many of us probably assumed that maybe Jermaine Stewart has been living his life doing something else away from the spotlight, it turns out that sadly he passed away years ago. Unfortunately the man who had us jammin’ back in ’87 was dead just twelve years later.

His Unfortunate Controversy

Jermaine’s life was cut short, but in his almost four decades of life, he still was connected to a few rumors that were never proven. At the time of his death, word on the Old School curb was that he was in the process of completing a tell-all book about his life that would have exposed several down-low male entertainers that he’d been romantically involved with. Many of these alleged men were known to be heterosexual men with families, children, and thriving careers…

Cause Of Jermaine Stewart’s Passing

In 1997 by the age of 39, Jermaine had the AIDS virus and he ultimately passed away from AIDS related liver cancer.

What Happened To His Manuscript After His Death

It’s been said that after he passed away in the Chicago suburb of Homewood, Illinois, his manuscript disappeared off of the face of the earth and there were probably several famous men wiping their brows in a sigh of relief…if the rumor is true.

His Good Friend In Music, Jody Watley

Although many of us R&B fans in the U.S. only know Jermaine for his top ten jam, “We Don’t Have To Take Our Clothes Off,” he had another hit that was inspired by his good friend, Jody Watley, called “Jody,” which reached the top twenty on Billboard. After the hype surrounding his 1986 album, Frantic Romantic, fizzled out, Jermaine continued to have some success in the U.K. Throughout his career, he actually released a total of 4 albums between 1984 to 1989, with a fifth album that was never released in 1992, and two additional albums that were released posthumously.

Old School Fun Facts About Jermaine Stewart

Jermaine was a regular dancer on Soul Train, who was very good friends with Jeffrey Daniel and Jody Watley of Shalamar (Jody and Jeffrey were both Soul Train dancers as well). When Don Cornelius announced he and Dick Griffey were putting together a group, Jermaine auditioned but didn’t make the cut. He instead traveled around the country as one of Shalamar’s backup dancers before being offered the opportunity by Arista Records (after getting discovered by the Culture Club’s Mikey Craig) to release his solo projects.

And there ya’ have it family. A memory about an entertainer who made an impact on R&B music and pop culture of the 80’s, but was somehow overlooked by mainstream media when he sadly passed away. Jermaine Stewart is gone, but definitely not forgotten and his song “We Don’t Have To take Our Clothes Off,” is a message that a many of these youngins today probably need to here. May Jermaine continue to rest peacefully.

Natalie Cole rose to fame and left her own unique imprint on music. As the daughter of the iconic singer/Jazz pianist, Nat King Cole, Natalie poised for musical greatness at an early age. With classic jams like “This Will Be,” “Inseparable,” “Our Love,” and “Unforgettable,” the Los Angeles, CA native won Grammy Awards, American Music Awards, NAACP Image Awards, and a plethora of other accolades.

Throughout her career, she released a staggering 24 albums of memorable music. But despite the level of success she achieved, Natalie faced many dark moments in her life that she was brave enough to graciously share with the public through her autobiographical book. We have an incredible amount of respect for her for being able to do so. From marital problems and divorces, to drug abuse and alcoholism, the beloved “I’m Catching Hell” singer also confessed that she was no stranger to toxic and destructive behaviors.

HORRORS NATALIE REVEALED ABOUT HER INVOLVEMENT IN PROSTITUTION ARE HEARTBREAKING

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In her highly regarded memoir, Angel on My Shoulder, Natalie Cole opened up about prostitution in efforts to forever document the trials and tribulations she endured, with the hopes that she would help someone else avoid the same pitfalls. With the collaborative help of Digby Diehl, Cole managed to paint a picture of her life with the stroke of a pen. Although most people would be afraid to share details about their downfalls, Natalie decided to tell her story. After battling withdrawal from heroine, during a high point of her career, Natalie attempted to turn her life around. But, when she relocated to New York, she met a man who only further complicated her life. His name was Ronnie and he happened to be a pimp:

“Withdrawal from heroin—there’s nothin’ like it. You throw up, you sleep, you sweat. You’re delirious, you’re cold, and some folks even start hallucinating. If you get through it without killing yourself or somebody else, it’s no small miracle,” she wrote. “Soon afterwards, I moved to New York and met a guy named Ronnie who was a pimp and wanted to “help me supplement my income.” I was hired as the come-on girl who would pique the attention of potential Johns. Once I’d made contact and Ronnie had concluded the financial transaction, the real business would happen under the bridge—without me.”

Her co-collaborator, Digby Diehl, also further discussed her “work” on the streets on Harlem, NY.  “She stood on the street and waved at guys in cars,” said Diehl. “She’d bring a guy to the curb, where other women would do the business. She advertised her body so that they could sell theirs. I gather it didn’t go on for very long. But it was the lowest point of her life.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q43i8NSiXh0

Other Illegal Business Ventures Cole Shared In Her Book

In addition to prostitution, there many other business ventures Natalie was involved in. However, most of them weren’t legal. She’d gotten involved in fraudulent activity after she committed wire fraud to purchase drugs. Natalie and her first husband, Yancy, also attempted to sell drugs but the seemingly lucrative venture went awry when the couple could not refrain from using the drugs themselves:

“Eventually Marvin and I started freebasing coke. I set up my own little laboratory in our home. I got so good at it that I developed a reputation as a “gourmet cocaine chef”—I was called the Base Queen. Marvin and I actually tried dealing. We were awful at it. We would smoke up half the inventory before we ever got around to selling it.”

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It’s Not Where You Start, It’s Where You Finish

Natalie Cole is a great example of the unfortunate truth about many celebrities. Although they live life under a microscope, with the world watching their every move, they aren’t perfect people, they’re simply perfectly flawed human beings who happen to be known by the masses. However, just like the rest of us perfectly flawed humans, celebs are still capable of and entitled to make mistakes. But, it’s not about where you start, it’s where you finish. At the time of her death, Natalie Cole had been drug-free for more than 30 years. Job well done Ms. Cole.

Sources: NYDailyNews, People Magazine, “Angel On My Shoulder” autobiography

Her pops is boxing icon, Sugar Ray Leonard. Her mother is Sugar Ray’s wife, Bernadette Robi. However, their 25-year-old daughter, Camille Leonard, is out here carving her own lane, and that’s a beautiful thing.
Can we pause for one second to acknowledge that Sugar Ray is 66 years young, but he’s looking closer to 40?!! He has clearly been taking great care of his health and he’s representin’ the Old School well. Props to Sugar Ray.

Meet Sugar Ray Leonard’s Daughter

Okay, now back to his beautiful daughter. Her name is Camille Leonard and Sugar Ray Leonard couldn’t be more proud of her. She attended LMU (Loyola Marymount University) in Los Angeles. From the looks of it, she spends her spare time spending some quality time her her parents.

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As well as being on her grind, promoting her fragrance line, Born Indigo. In one online post, she shared the following photo of herself and her Pops at her Born Indigo promotional event, captioning it with:

“SO blessed SO Lucky SO grateful… best surprise @sugarrayleonard papa, thank you for coming to support me♥️”

In addition to building her own brand, Camille became became a model, signing to Ford Model agency.

Camille also seems to enjoy hangin’ out with her friends, two of which include Kardashian family members – Kendall and Kylie. Kendall and Kylie are Kris Jenner’s (The Kardashians’ mother) and Caitlyn Jenner’s (formerly known as Bruce Jenner) daughters…

So what’s Sugar Ray been up to lately? Of course he still commentates professional boxing matches and he makes his rounds to various events promoting his Sugar Ray Leonard Foundation, which focuses on raising funds and awareness for a cure for type 1 diabetes. His foundation also supports programs that help people rebuild their communities in ten cities across the United States and it supports accessible housing, healthcare services, and educational services and job training.

By the way, good genes must run in Sugar Ray’s family because below is a pic of his parents and a touching post he shared a few years ago…

And there you have it folks…we learn something new everyday around here I tell ya.’

One of these twins (above) has been a major player in the acting world for six decades and their star is still shining now. If you love old school movies, you know all about this twin. There was a time when Hollywood couldn’t mention Black actresses/actors without mentioning this icon.

Alright ILOSM fam,’ those are all of the hints we’ll dish out on this one. Scroll down to find out if your guess was on pint with this one…

He Is None Other Than…

That’s right! It is ‘Mr. Smooth’ himself, Billy Dee Williams!

Did you know he is a twin? His sister’s name is Loretta, which is also their mother’s name. Billy Dee is a junior- his Pops’ name is William December Williams Sr. (Billy’s real name).

Billy once stated that he and his sister are extremely close, although he often laughed when she and their mom used to try to get him to convert to their religion, Jehovah’s Witness. He said he respects their religion tremendously and that they’re religion always seemed to help them have a “wonderful attitude about life,” as opposed to his outlook on life, which he said was sometimes confusing to him. Although Williams had nothing but high praise for their religion, he just said that it wasn’t for him and that the topic of religion was the main thing he and his twin sis’ didn’t see eye to eye on, but other than that, they talked all the time and were tight as can be.

Like we mentioned earlier, Billy Dee is still relevant today. In recent years he reprised his classic “Landon Carlissian” role in the “Star Wars” film. Prior to that, the then-77-year-old also got his dance-on in the competition show,  Dancing With The Stars. He had to back out of the show eventually, because of health reasons. He said, “I’ve got this chronic back problem. I’ve had a wonderful, brilliant, fantastic blast of a time…Pure joy. And I want to thank every one of you folks for your support.” He also said “I’m doing pretty good for a 77-year-old, but I can’t do all the things I did when I was a young lad.” We totally agree and it was still inspiring to see him doing his thing on the show though.

Billy Dee is now 85 years young and lookin’ like the bill of health these days! Whenever a legend, like Billy Dee Williams, has found a way to continue to reinvent himself over and over again, and continue to stake his claim and remain relevant in an industry that oftentimes changes “stars” like used bed sheets, it’s a very inspirational and beautiful thing to see. Billy Dee is an excellent template to show these new cats how to build longevity in the game and it’s not always about who can be the most outrageous on the internet, it’s about who can be smart enough and calculated enough to keep their brand thriving for six decades. We look forward to seeing much more work from smooth brother number one, Mr. Billy Dee Williams, in the future.