By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire To many hip-hop fans, historians and to his peers, Chuck D is considered one of the most influential lyricists in contemporary music. In describing the Queens, New York City-born artist in the biography pages of his new book, “Chuck D Presents This Day in Rap and Hip-Hop History,” the publisher ...

By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire After his own failed musical aspirations, Joseph Jackson helped launch his children to international stardom in the 1960s and 1970s. He managed the Jackson 5 before the group left Motown and was rebranded as the Jacksons. Ultimately, the patriarch is responsible for the emergence of the biggest star in ...

Film Review: By Dwight Brown NNPA News Wire Film Critic Lions and tigers and bears, oh my. Tyrannosaurus, velociraptors and brachiosaurus—run for your lives. The cloned dinosaurs from the theme park Jurassic World are in trouble on the volcanic isle of Isla Nublar, which is erupting, spewing hot lava and emitting a deadly ash cloud. ...

Jay Benjamin Kitchen, former Sports and Entertainment Writer for the Precinct Reporter passed away on Friday, May 11.  He was 50 years old. Jay lived most of his life in Colton and graduated from Colton High School. He was a soccer referee with organizations IESRA and Colton AYSO.  He coached both his children’s soccer teams ...

What happens when an African American woman discovers through searching her roots that she has a half Korean sister?  This is the premise behind “War Babies,” a ten minute play produced by Towne Street Theatre as part of their Ten Minute Play Festival running through Sunday, April 29, at the Stella Adler Theatre.  The conversation between ...

Segerstrom Center for the Arts proudly welcomes the return of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in an exclusive Southern California engagement April 18 – 22. The Company will dance new programs that feature five works never before seen at the Center and several set to music by legends of the jazz world. The three Southern California Premieres ...

by Barbara Smith If you have been missing that irresistible disco beat of the 70’s, “SUMMER” is where you can find it– “SUMMER: The Donna Summer Musical,” that is, now in its final weeks at the La Jolla Playhouse. Directed and co-written by Des McAnuff (along with Colman Domingo and Robert Cary), this production takes ...

By Dwight Brown NNPA Newswire Film Critic Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars Denzel Washington may be the most accomplished actor of our generation. Like a chameleon, he’s morphed from the stern father in “Fences” to a dorky, introverted attorney in this meandering crime-drama/thriller. His talent is more than enough reason to sit through the ...

By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire Family members, friends and fans are grieving the loss of television and stage icon Robert Guillaume, who died last week in Los Angeles. Guillaume, 89, is survived by his second wife, Donna Brown, a son and three daughters. “He was a pioneer and what he did with his role ...

By Stacy Brown Washington Informer Fats Domino, the rock pioneer who inspired Elvis Presley, the Beatles and countless other superstars, died Wednesday at his home in Harvey, Louisiana. He was 89. Mark Bone, chief investigator for the Jefferson Parish coroner’s office, told NPR that Domino died of natural causes. Born Antoine Domino, the “Architect of ...