Grown-ish star Halle Bailey Casted as Ariel in ‘The Little Mermaid’

by Akeem Ivory | Jul 4, 2019 | Celebs, Featured

As the Renaissance of Disney’s classic films continues to be adapted into live-action, the cast for ‘The Little Mermaid’ was released earlier today and singer/actress Halle Bailey of R&B group Chloe x Halle has been cast as Ariel. Halle, who stars alongside older sister Chloe in the hit black-ish spinoff ‘Grown-ish’ on Freeform, joins mentor Beyoncé in the Disney live-action kingdom- set to appear in ‘The Lion King’ on July 19. She was showered with messages of congratulations on all social media platforms, however, there were some distasteful responses to Disney’s casting choice.

Yes, the role of Ariel will be played by an African American and there is not one problem with that. How about before this casting choice is made about race, we think about how well a Grammy award-winning artist would do in a role that consists of signing. Then we can note how she can inspire so many young African American girls.

dream come true… 🧜🏽‍♀️🌊 pic.twitter.com/sndjYUS6wO
— chloe x halle (@chloexhalle) July 3, 2019

“After an extensive search, it was abundantly clear that Halle possesses that rare combination of spirit, heart, youth, innocence, and substance — plus a glorious singing voice — all intrinsic qualities necessary to play this iconic role,” said Director Rob Marshall.

One of the disturbing comments made following the announcement eluded to Disney needing casting someone with nature “red hair” but the suggestions made were actresses of a white complexion. In the past, Disney has dealt with similar comments following the casting of Zendaya as Mary Jane Watson in the ‘Spider-Man’ franchise. So it seems that casting is a problem when someone of a different race takes on a role of a character that is white in other mediums but it perfectly fine when Hollywood whitewashed historical figures that are of a darker skin complexion.

Yeeeeessss!! Here for thiiiissss!! @chloexhalle ♥️♥️🙌🏽🙌🏽 https://t.co/8hpuSKb4rD
— Zendaya (@Zendaya) July 3, 2019

The 19-year-old Halle will be joined by Melissa McCarthy, Jacob Tremblay and Awkwafina, who are each currently in talks for roles either on the live-action side or lending their voice to a CGI character according to The Hollywood Reporter. Production is slated to begin in early 2020, with longtime music conductor for Disney movies Alan Menken teaming up with Lin-Manuel Miranda for the music.

Jul 4, 2019 No Comments

The Pistons’ busy off-season

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by admin | Jul 3, 2019 | Featured, NBA

The Pistons have had a very eventful summer with the NBA draft and free agency. Starting off by the Piston’s shocking decision to trade the draft rights to Kevin Porter Jr. and drafting France’s player Sekou Doumbouya. Many believe that Sekou was actually an upgrade and a huge steal in the draft. At 6’9 229lbs his upside seems to be a player like Demarcus Cousins but with the mobility and handles of a point guard. Many Pistons fans can’t wait to see the young 18-year-old hit the NBA hardwood this summer.

If that wasn’t enough the Pistons shocked the league for a second time by signing former MVP Derrick Rose to a 2-year $15 million contract this summer. The former league MVP finished last season averaging 18PPG 4.3APG & 2.7RPG for the Minnesota Timberwolves with a season high 50-point performance. Rose was one of eleven players to put up 50 points in a single game last season.

The Pistons also acquired some other solid free agent pickups including Markieff Morris and Tim Frazier. Markieff Morris finished last season averaging 9.4PPG 4.6RPG & 1.4APG for the Oklahoma City Thunder and now is joining the former team of his brother Marcus Morris. He’s a high-volume shooter and adds some scoring to the Pistons already packed roster. Point guard Tim Frazier will be able to play third string behind Derrick Rose & Reggie Jackson. This will give the two veteran point guards relief if need be.

The Pistons are still looking for a backup center behind Andre Drummond since Thon Maker usually plays the 4. JaVale McGee has been in the organization’s consideration for the back up spot. The Former Laker center finished last season with 12PPG & 7.5RPG. He met with the Pistons last Monday, but much news hasn’t followed. Many believe that he is waiting for Kawhi’s free agency decision to plan out the best course of action for him being on a successful team going forward. So, for now we wait.

Jul 3, 2019 No Comments

What to Expect From the 2019 All-Star Festivities in Cleveland

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by Eddie Lennon | Jul 3, 2019 | Featured

As we approach the 4^th of July weekend, we also approach one of the most exciting parts of the MLB season: All-Star Week. This article will give you a summary of each event, who’s participating, and what to expect. You can tune into all of the MLB Festivities next week through ESPN.

This year’s All-Star week is being held in Progressive Field, Home of the Cleveland Indians. Cleveland is a very live city rich in sports culture, and their fans have showed a tremendous amount of excitement to be hosting the events. The last time Cleveland hosted the All-Star game was back in 1997, when the stadium was named Jacob’s Field. Indians legend Larry Doby threw out the first pitch of the game, and Cleveland’s own Sandy Alomar Jr. took home the MVP trophy. With other Cleveland greats in attendance and 3 Indians on the AL’s roster, you can expect a great reception from fans not just local to the area, but from all over the country as well.

The first major event that will take place is the Celebrity Softball Game on Sunday, July 7^th. The rosters are filled with sports stars, actors, and musicians from the local area. Some great athletes who spent time playing for Cleveland sports teams you can expect to see would be Joe Thomas of the Cleveland Browns, JR Smith of the 2016 champion Cavaliers team, and UFC champion Stipe Miocic. Cleveland natives Machine Gun Kelly and Drew Carey will also lace up their cleats for this star-studded softball game as well. Some other celebrities you will see not from the Cleveland area include Actor Jamie Foxx, fashion designer Jerry Lorenzo, and musician Daddy Yankee.

Next on the list of activities is the much-anticipated Home Run Derby, which is going down the next night on Monday, July 8^th. Cleveland first baseman Carlos Santana will be competing for his city, going up against a deep lineup of this year’s best sluggers such as Christian Yelich and Pete Alonso. A previous article by SneakerReporter also said you should look out for Pirates Josh Bell and Blue Jays Vladimir Guerrero Jr. making the list, and both of them will be participating. Two more spots in the 8-man bracket remain a mystery, but you can expect both of those spots to be filled by players with an impressive resume for the event. One thing is for certain: you can expect a great show from some of the MLB’s best sluggers Monday night.

Last but not least you have the All-Star Game on Tuesday, July 9th, which will not disappoint the fans in any way. This year’s lineups consist of some MLB fan favorites, as well as plenty of new names we haven’t seen on this stage before. Cleveland’s own Francisco Lindor, Carlos Santana, and Brad Hand will keep the local fans on their feet all night. 31 first-time All-Stars will take the field as well, showing some of the great, young talent professional baseball has to offer. While the AL’s starting pitcher has not yet been named, they will be facing Dodgers Ace Hyun-Jin Ryu to start out the game. There are plenty of excellent players who will take the field Tuesday night, so you can keep your eyes peeled for your favorites. SneakerReporter’s Instagram @sr_mlb will be posting the lineups for not just the All-Star game, but other events as well. After everyone enjoys the holiday weekend, they can double up on the All-Star fun right after.

Jul 3, 2019 No Comments

R&B Artist Keith Jacobs ‘Saucy’ is the Summer Jam You Need

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by Akeem Ivory | Jul 2, 2019 | Celebs, Featured

Houston, Texas native and a graduate of famed HBCU, Southern University in Baton Rouge LA, Keith Jacobs has begun to crave a lane out for himself creating national attention in this Hip-Hop dominated era with single, ‘Saucy’ from his forthcoming still-untitled disc, due October 18th.

No stranger to love, Keith Jacobs often finds himself as the muse in which his lyrics flow, embodying the good and bad experiences of his life. He’s transparently honest and true to his music. It doesn’t come as a surprise that by sharing his art with the world, he wants us to not be afraid of being transparent in our relationships.

KEITH has the perfect tone, style, and groove that becomes the promise of stardom. Offering a throwback style of music that has been missing from the airwaves as of late. ‘Saucy’ is surely becoming “that song” at your favorite radio station.

“The ladies have found them a new summer jam,” says Keisha Nicoleat KBXX in Houston. “Keith’s new single “Saucy”, is sensual yet catchy,”

Built on the energy of a simple guitar line, the melodies evolve to present an entrancing layered landscape where you can swim in a simple moment. Keith Jacobs’ music has a style and vibe that pierces through our feelings with subtle sonic influences from Houston’s iconic music culture. His loyalty to his artistry and the music holds the key to his soul. He’s intriguing; forcing you to want to know more about the man and the artist.

Keith’s love of music would later allow him to cross paths with another Texas native, famed music producer Jean-Robert Redwine (Chris Brown, G-Easy, Mario, Ludacris, Zendaya, Tinashe). Together through Redwine’s custom imprint, Redwine Music, the creation of “Saucy” came to fruition.

Keith Jacobs will make his Essence Music Festival debut on Saturday, July 6th at the House of Blues in New Orleans.

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Jul 2, 2019 No Comments

The Renaissance of Disney Classic Films

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by Akeem Ivory | Jul 2, 2019 | Featured

Disney’s ‘The Lion King’ live-action adaptation is nearly weeks away from its theatrical premiere on July 19. The renaissance of Disney’s classic film has me asking the question why is Disney releasing live-action adaptation of their classic film?

As a kid so of what I thought to be the greatest cinematic experiences came from what are considered classic from the production of the Mouse House. These past few years with announcements of live-action adaptation… ‘Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast, Maleficent, Aladdin, The Lion King, and recently The Little Mermaid.’ I rejoiced at watching some of my favorite Disney movies again, some people felt the motivation behind these releases had to do with extending the copyright on these films.

I remember an episode of ‘Adam Ruins Everything,’ that explained the rules of copyright law and public domain. In this episode show host, Adam touched on Disney’s continuous battle to keep their intellectual property ‘Mickey Mouse’ from being fair use. In short, once ‘Mickey’ hits the public domain anyone could use hit a likeness in anything. In order to stop this from happening Disney fought to practically make intellectual properties strictly belong to their creator(s). This battle has only ended in extending copyright, seems a little hypocritical when Disney made its name in animated films based off of fairy tales in the public domain. As well as allegations that ‘The Lion King’ was a carbon copy of Japanese TV series ‘Kimba the White Lion’

Image result for why is disney releasing live action movie of classics

Thanks to the Sonny Bono Copyright Protection Act, extending copyrights to an author’s lifetime plus 70 years for individual properties, and 125 years after creation or 95 years after publication for corporate works. So the theory is Disney could take a film like Disney’s ‘The Jungle Book’ originally released in 1967, by releasing a live-action version in 2016 pretty much identical to its predecessor with unique Disney elements would then extend ownership of the film 49 years to 2111.

This theory has been debuted an article in the Plagiarism Today speaking about the ‘Dumbo’ remake stating:

“The release of a brand-new Dumbo film does absolutely nothing to impact the copyright term on the original 1941 film. Under the current law, that film is scheduled to enter the public domain on January 1, 2037. That’s on January 1st the year following 95 years after its publication… The remake doesn’t change that nor does it matter if Disney re-releases the film or releases an updated version of the original. That term remains the same.”

What this means is the copyright is not extended for the original Disney films but, any new character elements introduced will not be usable and you will not be able to make copies of it (outside the boundaries of fair use) without a license. While Disney has made an effort to make the public domain almost nonexistent in the US there is no way for them to extend the copyrights on the original works by re-releasing live-action adaptation.

So why are these Disney classic being re-released in live-action form? While the answer is simply money, the nostalgia of seeing your favorite film in a new form is luring enough. Tim Burton’s ‘Alice in Wonderland’ grossed over $300 million in North America. The success of this film began the trend of live-action remakes,many of those kids who watched films like ‘The Lion King’ in the ’90s are now parents and would love to share a piece of their childhood with their children.

Jul 2, 2019 No Comments

Giannis debuts the Air Freak 1 in Greece

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by admin | Jun 29, 2019 | Featured, Sneakers

Greek wunderkind Giannis Antetokounmpo is fresh off his first ever NBA MVP award after an astounding season. After his heartfelt, tearful speech in Los Angeles at the NBA Awards the Antetokounmpo family headed home to celebrate another huge accomplishment and new addition to Giannis’ ever-growing trophy room–the debut of his Nike signature shoe.

After months of speculation, Giannis and Nike finally revealed the Air Zoom Freak 1. Inspired by Giannis’ love of the Kobe line, the Freak 1 aims to enhance and fine tune the things that made Giannis fall in love with the Mamba’s line. The focus on containing Giannis movements is achieved with a series of forefoot bands and a unique traction pattern on the sole. The multidirectional traction pattern of the outsole is one of the most dynamic features of the Air Zoom Freak 1.

The sole and the forefoot bands were developed to support Giannis quick and powerful bursts as well as his long strides on the court. The new traction system will allow Giannis to destroy defenders with a scorching eurostep on one side of the court and lockdown the toughest scorers on the other. Along with the new traction system, the Air Zoom Freak 1 boasts double-stacked Zoom Air unit under the heel for both cushioning and response.

The Freak 1 is a love letter to Giannis’ unique personality, family, and heritage. The primary logo found on the tongue of the Freak 1 is an interlocked G and A with the enlarged A representing Giannis putting the family before himself. The clipped corner of the G represents Giannis uncanny athletic ability. The heel of the Freak 1 bears a logo that combines Giannis #34 with the Greek flag.

The roses found on the outsole represent the Greek custom of placing roses around the house after the death of a loved one. The quote “I Am My Father’s Legacy,” something he wrote on every pair of Kobe’s he wore since his father’s passing, has been permanently etched into the sole of the shoe. The aforementioned forefoot bands that ensure lockdown also represent family, each of the four bands represents an Antetokounmpo brother.

The Freak 1 debuted in a myriad of flavors. First the “All Bros” colorway will release 6/29 featuring a bright orange upper and a gradient midsole with speckled with paint. A more muted colorway with a black upper and white midsole will release in July. A special all-white colorway dedicated to his father will be available in September. The “Roses” colorway features hints of red on the outsole and a gleaming golden swoosh on the midsole. These are just the colorways we know of, Giannis showed off more in his rebuke of the haters including a purple colorway with splash of pink, turquoise colorway with beige hints, and a reversal of the All Bros colorway with a blue upper instead of orange.

Alongside the shoes, Giannis revealed the accompanying Greek Freak branded Gear including shorts and socks with Ancient Greece- themed branding. Giannis is poised to be the one the biggest stars in the NBA. Small market who?