K. Michelle brings up her old flame, Idris Elba; sex dolls are back, and this time with artificial intelligence; Meghan Markle's husband wants to cash in on Ms. Markle's celebrity

In this episode of What's The 411, journalist Kizzy Cox, and comedian Onika McLean are talking about:

In Quick Takes, the duo is giving a rundown of the following news stories:

• It’s official. Television producer, Kenya Barris, is following in the footsteps of Shonda Rhimes. He is leaving his overall pact at ABC, which terminates in August. Sources state that Barris will remain an executive producer on all of his shows, Black-ish on ABC; Grown-ish and the upcoming Besties on Freeform. He will continue to work on the ABC Studios projects he has in development, and his Netflix deal is expected to be substantial.

• Tamron Hall is on her way back to daytime! She has inked a deal with Disney for a new Daytime talk show, and she stated in a press release:

“I’m so thrilled to partner with Disney ABC to create a daytime television show that’s unconventional, fun, intimate and sometimes even raw. My new partners appreciate and respect the relationship I’ve built with my audience and know that if we create television worth watching, they’ll join us for the ride. I’m so grateful and excited for this next chapter. The landing makes the leap of faith so worth it."

• Actor and rapper, Will Smith, announced in a video on Instagram that he is teaming up with self-help author Mark Manson to write a book. Smith said:

• “We’re going to be meeting with five publishers… we’re gonna pick one. And if I had to take a guess, I feel very confident that we’re gonna go with the highest bidder… I’m just saying.”

• We talked about Meghan Markle’s father and sister doing everything possible to cash in on the celebrity of the Duchess of Sussex. Now, Meghan Markle’s ex-husband, Trevor Engelson, wants in, too. He’s planning to put all of their business on Front Street.

• And, in case you missed it, Beyoncé will be on the all-important September issue of Vogue magazine. Beyoncé’s photos were shot by Tyler Mitchell, the first Black man to shoot a Vogue cover.

• Singer K. Michelle fondly remembers her romance with actor Idris Elba, she told Hollywood Unlocked that “they split up because he wasn’t ready to settle down. “He told me he would never be committed to one woman. He said I would be taken care of, I would be fine, but he would never commit to one woman.”

WHAT’S POPPIN' – RACE and CULTURE

KIZZY: There is a huge debate going on right now about the unequal treatment of Black people subjected to gun violence vs. White people. Recently, actress Anne Hathaway, who is white, shaken by the death of Nia Wilson at the hands of a white man, challenged white people to wake up and pay attention. Hathaway said in part, White people DO NOT have equivalence for this fear of violence.”

Even David Hogg one of the survivors of the Parkland H.S. massacre in Florida said he would use his “white privilege” to also address the often overlooked gun violence in black and brown communities.

Q. Now, granted, Black people are not monolithic, but the response to these overtures have been mixed, ranging from it’s about time that white people are recognizing the inequality to, no I am not afraid and only Black people can help Black people. Where do you stand on this issue?

WHAT’S POPPIN' – RELATIONSHIPS

ONIKA: Recently, Meagan Good’s husband, DeVon Franklin, in an effort to separate dating from marriage posted on Instagram:

“There’s a time to act like husband and wife, but if doesn’t come until you’re actually married—until you have that indelible commitment to each other.”

Q. Do you like this idea? What happens when people choose to live together minus the marriage nuptials?

WHAT’S POPPIN' – RELATIONSHIPS

ONIKA: Speaking of marriage, ‘The Daily’ host Michael Barbaro, splits from his husband and is now dating a female producer on another show at The New York Times.

Q. I know that we live in a fluid society, but would you date man who was married to a man?

WHAT’S POPPIN – FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS

KIZZY: If you are a regular viewer of What’s The 411, you know we have talked about sex dolls at least twice before. Well, sex dolls are back in the news! And, this time because the manufacturers in China are now including artificial intelligence in the dolls. So they will be able to hold short conversations.

Q. Where are we headed with this? Is this good for society?

Shonda Rhimes Lists 8 New Shows for Netflix; Living while Black; family of Duchess Meghan (Markle) trying to cash in; and Michelle Williams coping with mental illness

In this video, journalist Kizzy Cox, and comedian Onika McLean are discussing relevant stories of the week.

In Quick Takes, the duo is giving a rundown of the following news stories:

• Kim Kardashian’s latest round of Kimoji fragrances—Kimoji Cherry, Kimoji Peach, and Kimoji Vibes—made $5 million in just five minutes. There’s no verification, but it’s Kim, so nearly anything is possible.

• Talking about the Black Girl Magic of Pat McGrath, we have learned that Black-owned cosmetics line, Pat McGrath Labs, which is a staple at Sephora, was recently valued at $1 Billion.

• ‘Love & Hip Hop’s’ Jessica Dime recently posted a photo of her 3-month-old daughter, Blessing Briel’ Williams, on Instagram for the first time, and she is beautiful.

• Showrunner, Shonda Rhimes, just released a list of eight shows to the NY Times, which includes The Warmth of Other Suns, and Pico & Sepulveda, a series set in Mexican California at the start of the Gold Rush in the 1840s.

• Comedian Shiggy, who came to fame impersonating, ESPN’s star host, Stephen A. Smith on Instagram, is back in the news in another video showing him pushing aside, Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson, a Super Bowl-winning quarterback at that, so he can take a photo with Ciara at the ESPYs. And, in case you don't know, Ciara is Russell Wilson's wife.

• Gospel singer Cissy Houston, is battling dementia, according to sources close to the Grammy winner. Cissy Houston is the mother of the late pop singer, Whitney Houston. We send our best wishes to the Houston family.

WHAT’S POPPIN – HEALTH

Recently, designer Kate Spade, and Anthony Bourdain, a celebrity chef and cultural curator, both committed suicide. Michelle Williams, formerly of Destiny’s Child, is choosing life and is taking another approach. For years, Williams has been coping with mental illness and decided to check herself into a mental health facility to get help.

Q. What do you think it will take for Americans, and particularly, Black Americans, to embrace mental health in the way that we embrace physical health?

WHAT’S POPPIN – POLITICS

Jeanine Pirro, a former Westchester County District Attorney, and now a Fox News host was on The View to promote her new book, Liars, Leakers and Liberals: The Case Against the Anti-Trump Conspiracy and things went left when Pirro told The View's host, Whoopi Goldberg, that she is suffering from Trump Derangement Syndrome.

Q. Why do conservatives feel the need to call people names when they have a legitimate issue with Trump?

WHAT’S POPPIN – CULTURE

Rolling Out reported that a white woman in Berkeley, CA. started harassing a group of Black people, yelling at them saying you don’t belong here. When the police arrived, a white female witness backed up the black family’s account of the story. The police arrested the white woman not because she was harassing people, but because she had a parole violation.

Q. What is it going to take for law enforcement to take these complaints more seriously and for there to be more consequences?

WHAT’S POPPIN – FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS

The family of the Duchess of Sussex, better known as, Meghan Markle, is doing everything to extend its 15 minutes of fame. According to Page Six, Markle’s half-sister, Samantha Grant, is reportedly being lined up to appear on the British version of Celebrity Big Brother. The network is theming this summer’s reality hit as The Eye of The Storm and is expected to introduce housemates that have all been caught up in their own media controversies. Even her father is turning up on various television shows.

Q. Should Meghan Markle's family be in the business of trying to cash in on her royal status?

Shonda Rhimes Takes Shondaland to Netflix, and so far, finds success

Showrunner, Shonda Rhimes, just released a list of eight shows to the NY Times, which includes The Warmth of Other Suns, and Pico & Sepulveda, a series set in Mexican California at the start of the Gold Rush in the 1840s.

Not all eight projects have names, for example, Untitled Shonda Rhimes Project — Based on the New York Magazine article How Anna Delvey Tricked New York’s Party People by Jessica Pressler. Manhattan makes a new friend like no other. But is she the stuff American dreams are made of or is she New York’s biggest con woman? Is it a con if you enjoy being taken? Shonda Rhimes (EP) will create the series. This project was expected after Rhimes received the rights from New York magazine to use the material.

So, get ready to get your popcorn and/or your favorite beverage and settle in for a slate of smart television programming.

Eminem drops freestyle diss of Donald Trump and crickets from Trump; 50 Cent Claps back at Wendy Williams; Tyrese’s legal battle with ex-wife and; more

QUICK TAKES:

It’s Breast Cancer Awareness Month and quite frankly, every day should be Breast Cancer Awareness Day especially for Black women. So don’t ignore any irregularities with your breast and make sure that you or any woman you know gets her baseline mammogram at age 35 and every year after your 40th birthday, no excuses. In NYC, there are health facilities that provide free and low-cost mammograms, so no excuses!

By now, we all should have seen the movie, Hidden Figures, where Taraji P. Henson played the role of mathematician Katherine G. Johnson, also known as the human computer. As you know, Ms. Johnson did the mathematical calculations that helped the U.S. beat Russia into space. Well, the $30 million, 40,000-square-foot Katherine G. Johnson Computational Research Facility named in her honor finally opened!

Shonda Rhimes is among the 2017 Television Academy Hall of Fame inductees.

FOX orders five additional episodes of STAR for the current Season 2, and TV ONE’S BOBBI KRISTINA premiered #1 in its time slot among African-American households.

Aisha Hinds and Rockmond Dunbar join Angela Bassett in Ryan Murphy’s Fox Series 9-1-1; LHHATL’S Waka Flocka Flame and Tammy Rivera land a spinoff reality show, MEET THE FLOCKAS; Peter Gunz and his wife, Amina Buddafly are taking their relationship issues to MARRIAGE BOOTCAMP REALITY STARS and; Jordan Peele surprised a UCLA class inspired by Get Out. The class is taught by celebrated author and educator, Tananarive Due.

In not so good news, NeNe Leakes was fired from the XSCAPE REUNION TOUR over a rape joke she stated while on stage. Nene later apologized for the joke and after a few days said she ‘had a real breakdown’ after rape joke backlash.

And, the bad news keeps pouring in for Megyn Kelly. Unfortunately, celebrity publicists are bailing on NBC’s Megyn Kelly Today, so the show is having difficulty getting high-profile guests. Also, Megyn Kelly Today is not a good lead-in for Hoda Kotb and Kathy Lee Gifford’s show as it is dragging down the ratings of that show.

WHAT’S POPPIN'

Harvey Weinstein and Rape Culture In America

After journalist Ronan Farrow’s 8,000 word story, in which, 13 women made detailed allegations against film executive, Harvey Weinstein’s decades of sexual abuse against women ran in the New Yorker, all hell broke loose. Women who were abused by Weinstein now feel emboldened to speak up and a number of men are ducking for cover.

Are you surprised that Harvey Weinstein is getting the Bill Cosby treatment?

EMINEM is BACK!

Hip-hop rapper, Eminem, slammed Donald Trump with his freestyle rap at the BET Hip Hop Awards. Although Eminem received widespread praise, everyone is not happy. Rapper YG feels like chopped liver because he and Nipsey Hussle released F--k Donald Trump in 2016, to some praise, but not nearly as much as the amount of praise that Eminem is receiving. YG posted his displeasure on social and then deleted it.

Judge Says Tyrese Gibson’s Daughter Can Testify

It’s been reported that since singer Tyrese Gibson remarried, he and his former wife and mother of his child, Norma Gibson, have been in an ongoing feud. According to TheBlast.com, a judge has given Tyrese’s ex-wife, the option of calling their 10-year-old daughter Shayla to the stand if she chooses.

Is this a good strategy for Norma Gibson to call her 10-year-old daughter to testify in court?

50 Cent Claps Back at Wendy Williams

Talk show host, Wendy Williams, is used to people clapping back at her, but none like 50 Cents' hurtful barbs.

Fifty announced a party to celebrate the end of his court-ordered child support payments.

Wendy responded to 50-Cent’s announcement saying, “You’re 42. You got a 21-year-old son. Get your life.”

Fifty was not happy and he posted on Instagram what many perceived to be very hurtful responses to Wendy Williams.

Wendy’s fans seem to think 50 Cents went too far? Agree?

MOTIVATIONAL QUOTE OF THE WEEK:

Our Motivational Quote of the Week is:

“When a black voice is raised in protest to oppression, those who are comfortable with our oppression are the first to criticize us for daring to speak out against it.” – Harry Belafonte

Plus, Shonda Rhimes gets a larger slice of Hollywood; Apollo Theater breaks new ground; Sean Penn is feuding with Lee Daniels; Diddy still reigns supreme and more

The panel of What's The 411 host Kizzy Cox and correspondents Courtney Rashon and Onika McLean are talking about:

 Prayers for rapper Fetty Wap, who was severely injured in a motor vehicle accident

The White House state dinner for the President of China

The Apollo Theater for the first time inducts non-musicians into its Walk of Fame; they are Richard Pryor; Jackie "Moms" Mabley; and Redd Foxx

Actor Sean Penn's feud with filmmaker Lee Daniels

Showrunner Shonda Rhimes is getting a larger slice of Hollywood

According to Forbes, Diddy still reigns supreme as hip-hop's cash king

Singer/actress Zendaya Coleman gets her own Barbie Doll that encourages girls to raise their voice

Actress Halle Berry has great comeback for critics

Businesswoman and former model, Tyra Banks, surprised teen fashion designer Kyemah McEntyre, who is a student at Parson's School of Design, when she wore one of Kyemah's designs on her FabLife television show.

First Lady of the United States, Michelle Obama,  gets animated for Disney's Doc McStuffins

and more.

In Caribbean Cook-up, Kizzy Cox, reports that the U.S. track team would not drink Gatorade with track star Usain Bolt's picture on it.

Rapper Rich Homie Quan gets called On The Carpet for smoking what appears to be marijuana in the presence of his young son.

More News: Chicago Reparations; P. Diddy's New Fragrance; The Booties Rock the 2015 Met Gala Red Carpet and more!

Watch the video of What's The 411 Episode 51:
Featuring What's The 411 host Glenn Gilliam and special guest host, Courtney Rashon, President, Courtney Rashon Industries

Quick Takes:

THE UNITED NATIONS recently unveiled a memorial dedicated in memory to those who were killed and sacrificed in the transatlantic slave trade and its atrocities. The memorial is entitled The Ark Of Return.

At the recent unveiling ceremonies, U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon called slavery "a stain on human history." The U.N. has declared 2015-2024 as the International Decade for People of African Descent. The memorial, designed by Haitian-American architect Rodney Leon, is at U.N. Headquarters in Manhattan.

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Singer Bobby Brown has been awarded a small victory. A judge has appointed Brown, along with his former sister-in-law Pat Houston, co-guardians of Bobbi Kristina Brown.

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Shonda Rhimes' shows: Grey's Anatomy; Scandal; and How to Get Away With Murder have been renewed by ABC.

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Everyone's still talking about the May-Pac fight that wasn't. But an equal number of people, on social media, are talking about how Jamie Foxx 'fizzled' doing the National Anthem, Foxx later told Ellen Degeneres, that his earpiece came out.

"My inner ears were out and I'm singing with an organ, so I can't hear what the organ is doing with the big crowd. So some of it was a little off."
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Walking Dead star, Seth Gilliam was arrested in Atlanta and charged with DUI, reckless driving, drug possession and speeding. He has since been released.
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A touching tribute took place at the recent Sports Emmys. TNT host Ernie Johnson won the Sports Emmy for Best Studio Host. But Johnson turned to the audience and said "there is only one place it belongs and that is on the mantle of Stuart Scott's house." Johnson then asked that Scott's daughters come up, where he presented them with the Emmy.
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The Gap Band has won songwriting credit and a share of the royalties for the Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars hit Uptown Funk. The group consists of Charlie, Robert, and Ronnie Wilson.

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BET.com is reporting that The Carters may be purchasing a new home....in New Orleans! And, to top things off, it used to be a Presbyterian church.

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Vibe and essence.com are reporting Beyoncé has offered 3 teenage girls a chance of a lifetime. Sisters Chloe and Halle Bailey, 17 and 19 years-old respectively, and Sophie Beem have been scouted by Queen Bey's Parkwood Entertainment and been offered multi-year contracts.

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In memoriam, we remember:
• Errol Brown, the lead singer of the band Hot Chocolate, has died at age 71 from liver cancer. The singer was best known for the hits You Sexy Thing and It Started with a Kiss.

• Guy Carawan, a white folk singer who stood up before a group of black students in Raleigh, North Carolina in 1960, and sang a little known folk song. That song was We Shall Overcome. The song became the anthem of the civil rights movement. Carawan, whom the New York Times called the Marseillaise of the integration movement, has died at age 87.
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What's Poppin'!!!

Sean "Diddy" Combs and his singer/model girlfriend, Cassie, are heating up the internet due to the release of Diddy's new fragrance called 3. a.m.; the commercial features the couple engaging in simulated sexual acts and nudity. Diddy defended the ad by saying:

"The concept, for the video, represents one of the things that 3 a.m. is for me. It's a very one-on-one time. It's a time to have fun and push the envelope a little bit. It's definitely an hour where you would find yourself with a young lady. Anything can happen at 3 a.m., and in the video, you see a fantasy that's in my head of what happened that night."

According to hollywoodlife.com, Macy's has rejected the fragrance ad.
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The 2015 Met Gala brought out a who's who of A-Listers to the red carpet. Raven Symone led the pack on throwing shade when she said on The View that, Beyonce, J. Lo; and Kim Kardashian should "put some pants on." Additionally, a meme has been circulating on social media asking people to pick out the porn stars by comparing the celebs at the Met Gala to porn stars attending an Adult Video Awards.

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THE 2015 MET GALA was a night filled with everyone's favorite celebrities wearing couture. Celebrities such as JAY-Z, BEYONCÉ, KIM KARDASHIAN, KANYE WEST, RIHANNA, JUSTIN BIEBER, and JENNIFER LOPEZ all attended and were looking fabulous or not!.

• The showstopper of the evening was Rihanna wearing a canary yellow elaborate gown with major detailing created by Chinese designer Guo Pe. The dress took two years to make.

• It was the "Battle of the Booties" For Jennifer Lopez, Kim Kardashian, and Beyoncé. All celebrities looked amazing in sheer, see-through and cut out gowns. Beyoncé wore a sheer flesh tone colored jeweled Givenchy gown, Kim was wearing a white sheer and lace ROBERTO CAVALLI gown with an elongated train and J-Lo wore a wine colored sheer cut out VERSACE gown.

• TARAJI P. HENSON was also in attendance wearing a gorgeous black and white strapless gown by ALEXANDER WANG.

• DWYANE WADE and GABRIELLE UNION looked fabulous. It was reported that WADE'S two VERSACE ensembles' for the night costs a whopping 900,000 dollars. His beautiful wife wore a wine colored draped ZAC POSEN gown.

The men who were flying solo that evening were also looking sharp.

• JUSTIN BIEBER was wearing flashy Balmain jacket adorned with gold, LEE DANIELS was dressed in a BURBERRY tux and COMMON wore a tux by PRADA. All of these guys looked handsome.

• Not to mention Jay Z who wore a black Tom Ford tux

• Kayne West wore Roberto Cavalli

• Derek Jeter and girlfriend, Sports Illustrated cover model, Hannah Davis, were spotted at the gala. Hannah was dressed in a red sheer one shoulder fitted J. Mendel gown and Jeter wore a Rag and Bone tux.

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Under The Radar:

MARLENE PINNOCK, A 51 year-old great grandmother, recently spoke out about the horrors of her beating by a California Highway patrol officer. Pinnock received a one million dollar settlement.

QUESTION: Is a monetary settlement enough?

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History has been made in Chicago. The CHICAGO CITY COUNCIL has passed reparations legislation for the victims abused by former police commander Jon Burge. Burge gained notoriety for torturing over 100 prisoners (majority being black men) from 1971 to 1992, in order to gain confessions. The council approved a settlement of over $5.5 million dollars which will be divided up between them. The deal also requires that Chicago teens learn about police brutality in school.

QUESTION: What about the officers involved, what punishment do they receive?

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WOMEN'S WEAR DAILY (WWD) called out JAY Z on his appearance at 2015 MET GALA. WWD essentially said that JAY Z needs to lose weight, that his suit did not fit well and perhaps JAY Z needs to see his wife's dermatologist to get cosmetic surgery or some fillers because the lines on his face are getting too deep.

QUESTION: Why is WWD going in hard on Jay Z? What's behind this shade?

On The Carpet

The Mayor of Cleveland, Ohio, Frank Johnson, because he did not know that Samaria Rice, the mother of Tamir Rice, the 12 year-old boy who was shot by a Cleveland police officer was living in a homeless shelter. Ms. Rice gave up her apartment and moved into a homeless shelter because she could not bear to look at the park where her son was murdered.

Question: Should the Mayor of Cleveland have assigned someone in his office to oversee Ms. Rice's well-being?

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BROADCAST AND CABLE NETWORKS are being called on the carpet because of the monopoly of white men on SUNDAY NEWS SHOWS and EVENING NEWSCASTS.

Question: Should the broadcast and cable networks have more diversity on their Sunday public affairs shows and evening newscasts?

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In the Pipeline

Director Ava Duvernay's African-American Film Festival Releasing Movement (AFFRM) recently launched its second annual membership drive. The drive, designed to financially assist Black women and Latinas filmmakers with distribution of their films, will run from May 4 through June 5.

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Parker Sawyer and Tika Sumpter are set to play Barack Obama and Michelle Robinson in an upcoming romantic drama SOUTHSIDE WITH YOU. The film centers on the then future first couple's first date and is currently in production.

Music Legend, Quincy Jones to Receive the EBONY Achievement Award;
Wendy Williams, Audra McDonald, Viola Davis, Shonda Rhimes, Pharrell and Others to be Honored

EBONY® Magazine's EBONY Power 100 Gala is scheduled for November 19 and will be held at the historic AVALON Hollywood in Los Angeles. For a third consecutive year, Nationwide will proudly present the prestigious affair to celebrate honorees on the 2014 EBONY Power 100 list.

The EBONY Power 100 list salutes the achievements of the most influential African-Americans in the country. Among the game changers honored this year are television producer, Shonda Rhimes; actresses Audra McDonald, Viola Davis, Laverne Cox, and Gabrielle Union; radio personality Rickey Smiley, NBA stars LeBron James and Kevin Durant, singer Usher Raymond, talk show host Wendy Williams, producer Pharrell Williams comedian Kevin Hart, ballerina Misty Copeland and Bishop T.D. Jakes.

"This event pays tribute to those who have made it their mission to make a positive impact on their industries and in their communities," said Matt Jauchius, Chief Marketing Officer at Nationwide. "Nationwide is honored to once again present the EBONY Power 100 Gala and celebrate the achievements of these amazing men and women."

Hosting the star-studded evening will be comedian and actor Wayne Brady. Brady is known for his television work on Whose Line Is It Anyhow, The Wayne Brady Show and Don't Forget the Lyrics.

Legendary icon Quincy Jones, will befittingly receive this year's coveted EBONY Achievement Award. Known for his groundbreaking strides in music and film, Jones is arguably considered one of the most innovative pioneers in entertainment.

Paying tribute to Quincy Jones will Queen of Funk Chaka Khan, Grammy-award winning vocalists Patti Austin and James Ingram, hip-hop pioneers Slick Rick and Doug E. Fresh, soul singer KEM, dance performer Savion Glover and jazz musician Terence Blanchard. At the helm of the evening's musical tribute to Jones will be renowned music director, producer and musician Ricky Minor whose band will serve as the house band.

The 2014 Power 100 list will appear in the December issue of EBONY on newsstands the week of November 17. The full list of the EBONY Power 100 can be found here. 

Comcast will also broadcast the event on CelebrateBlackTV.com and Xfinity On Demand during the month of December.

Uber producer, Shonda Rhimes, is at it again, fiercely defending people's rights to just be.

The Scandal and Grey's Anatomy creator shot down a Twitter user who complained about "gay scenes" on her shows, including those on the new hit, How to Get Away With Murder. In case you didn't know, Scandal and How to Get Away With Murder both feature gay male characters in the regular cast.

Dina Abdel Hakiem tweeted:

Rhimes responded with a series of tweets including one that says in part, #onelove. At least in Shondaland.

Perhaps, Rhimes' "no assholes" policy extends to her fans as well.