The Otis Redding Foundation will honor Jermaine Dupri with a huge honor in September. The producer, songwriter, founder of So So Def Records, and overall music mogul will receive the Otis & Zelma Redding Award of Respect at the second annual King of Soul Music Festival, which will take place in Macon, Georgia, on September 8 and 9, according to a statement. The event is a fundraiser for the new Otis Redding Center for The Arts. Redding, who was originally from Macon, passed away after a tragic plane crash when he was only 26 years old in 1967. September 9 would have been Redding’s 82nd birthday.

"We are so proud of his remarkable contributions to the music industry as a songwriter, producer, DJ, and entrepreneur. He was very close to my brother Otis III, who passed away in April, and credits him with teaching him to make beats. Jermaine aligns with Otis Redding’s spirit and the foundation’s mission to inspire and empower young artists," said Karla Redding-Andrews, vp/executive director of the Otis Redding Foundation.

Legendary DJ D-Nice and, actress Jennifer Freeman are now Instagram official. The new couple shared the exciting news on IG, posting a pic showing them in a face-to-face, full-on PDA moment. Freeman is known for her role as Claire on the television series My Wife and Kids, which starred Damon Wayans and Tisha Campbell. She has also worked opposite R&B group B2K back in the day –including members Omarion, J-Boog (Jarell Houston), Raz B, Lil Fizz– and Marques Houston in You Got Served. 

We wish the happy couple all the best. 

Lizzo recently revealed her latest collection from her Yitty clothing brand. The Smooth As Hell loungewear collection includes maxi dresses, pants, shirts, and bralettes in an assortment of colors that range from XS to 6X. The Grammy-award-winning artist is committed to her mission of body positivity and proudly wrote in the caption of her announcement on Instagram, “Yes, I know I’m fat. I know I have a belly. Wear what feels good.” In another video frame, Lizzo demonstrated her flexibility skills by saying, “Go as low as you want to go baby.”  

The Smooth As Hell Collection is available now, at yitty.com.

Bishop O.C. Allen and Rashad Burgess of Atlanta’s Vision Church, who were featured in the 2015 BET award-winning documentary Holler If You Hear Me: Black and Gay in the Church, have renewed their wedding vows in a fabulous ceremony celebrating their union after being a couple for the past two decades. On July 16, the founders of Vision Church in Atlanta expressed their love in front of 600 guests and their two children, Joshua, 11, and Caylee, 10. The pair exchanged "I dos" at The Whitley in Atlanta, as reported by PEOPLE. 

Their friend, Judge Glenda Hatchett—also known for her role on Judge Hatchett–officiated the ceremony. 

After sending multiple women into a frenzy, including Keke Palmer, Tarji P. Henson, Kimora Lee Simmons,  Usher closed his Las Vegas residency completing his mission to "give women something to look forward to, something to come here to Las Vegas with their friends for," he told GQ. In his final performance, however, there was only one woman on is mind as he ended the show with a sweet message for his girlfriend  Jenn Goicoechea. According to PEOPLE, after the eight-time Grammy Award winner thanked his team and talented performers who made the show legendary, he spotted his girlfriend in the audience and proclaimed, "My G.O.A.T...my love, Jenn." 

Usher and Goicoechea have been dating since 2019, as reported by Billboard. They share a daughter, Sovereign Bo, whos is nearly three years old, and a son, Sire Raymond, who is 20 months. The singer is also father to his two oldest sons, Usher "Cinco," 16, and Naviyd Ely, 14, with his ex-wife Tameka Foster.

Showtime announced earlier this week (July 17) that the much anticipated Biz Markie doc All Up in the Biz, will premiere on Friday, Aug. 11 at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT, streaming on Paramount+ and Showtime. Directed by Sacha Jenkins, the film follows Biz's early days in the rap game and his rise to fame. Biz Markie passed away in 2021. Best known for his 1989 Top 40 hit “Just a Friend,” Bz Markie was a rapper, beatboxer, songwriter, and producer who was fondly referred to as "the clown prince of hip hop."

If you missed it, you missed a lot! On July 19, Apple Music Live streamed Burna Boy’s sold-out show at London Stadium. It's likely a moment the Nigerian artist will never forget as he stood on stage in front of a sea of fans. The performance was also streamed on Apple TV+ and Burna Boy’s TikTok pages @AppleMusic and @burnaboyofficial. Special guests included Stormzy, J Hus, Dave, and Popcaan. Burna Boy is known for the hit songs “Last Last”, “Sittin’ On Top of the World”, “Ye”, and “Real Life.” 

See a behind-the-scenes clip above.

After a two-day search, Carlee Russell, a 25-year-old nursing student, returned to her parents’ home in Hoover, Alabama, on the evening of July 15. Although it is unclear how she got there or where she was while she was missing, Russell stands behind her claim that she was abducted after getting out of her car to investigate a lost toddler on a nearby highway in Hoover. 

On July 18, Russell’s parents, Talitha and Carlos Russell, told NBC News’ TODAY that their daughter's abductor is still out there, however, police have not been able to confirm their daughter's accusations. Nonetheless, Russell is safe, and her story provides more attention to the hundreds of other missing Black women whose stories never get told. 

See the clip above.

It was announced this week that Snoop Dogg and  Earl “E-40” Stevens are joining forces for a project outside of the music studio. The rappers will drop their new cookbook, Snoop Dogg Presents Goon with the Spoon, on Nov. 14. This is Snoop’s second cookbook and E-40’s first. The hip hop legends crafted recipes that include Morning After Bloody Mary, Bar Fried Chicken French Toast Sandwiches, and Flamin’ Hot Cheetos Mac ’n’ Cheese Bites. 

Get your cooking on and preorder here.

This week, Netflix released the first images of Emmy award winning actor Colman Domingo as Civil Rights activist Bayard Rustin in the new film, Rustin, and we must say, they are simply stunning. 

Rustin was the main organizer behind the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. He also worked side-by-side with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s, but Rustin, who was an openly gay man, never received his true accolades. In fact, he was nearly erased from history, until now. 

Produced by former President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama's production company, "Higher Ground Productions," Rustin premieres in select theaters on Nov. 3 and on Netflix on Nov. 17.