Although it could never happen on the hip-hop-themed juggernaut known as Empire (but then again, this is Empire), actors Grace Gealey and Trai Byers wed on Grand Cayman Island on Thursday. TMZ first reported on the nuptials with fuzzy images from the intimate, private ceremony showing Gealey—who plays the devious Anika Calhoun, aka Boo Boo…

President Barack Obama met privately with a gaggle of socially conscious and/or highly influential rappers and singers Friday at the White House to push for support of his My Brother’s Keeper initiative, dedicated to helping young men and boys of color. The Hill reports that rappers Busta Rhymes, Common, J. Cole, Wale, Ludacris and Chance…

Old-school rapper—and longtime Bronx, N.Y., resident—Slick Rick became an American citizen Friday after many years fighting deportation, reports the New York Daily News.   Born Ricky Walters in the United Kingdom, Rick came into fame in the 1980s with the iconic hip-hop classic, “La-Di-Da-Di” (later redone by Snoop Dogg) as part of Doug E. Fresh’s…

Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser told lawmakers and city residents Friday that the District deserves representation in Congress, and she called for a citywide vote in November on the issue, reports the Washington Post. “I propose we take another bold step toward democracy in the District of Columbia,” Bowser said at a breakfast meeting in the…

Prince (born Prince Rogers Nelson) was hospitalized on Friday after his private jet made an emergency landing in Illinois. TMZ was the first to report that Prince’s private jet made an unscheduled landing at Quad City Airport in Moline, Ill., a little after 1 a.m. Initial reports had fans and admirers scared that something serious…

First of all, how much do we love the fact that Nate Parker’s film on Nat Turner’s slave uprising is called The Birth of a Nation, reclaiming the moniker of one of the most virulently racist movies in the entire American film canon? Second, can we hardly wait for the October release, which finally and, if…

There was a packed house in the Empire Ballroom of the Sheraton New York Times Square for the Rev. Al Sharpton’s National Action Network’s silver-anniversary convention Wednesday. The panel, “I Don’t Need to See A Doctor: Mental Health in the African-American Community,” reportedly came about because Sharpton would repeatedly hear those words when he would try…

The two do share membership in the very exclusive First Lady Club. But of course, it’s not that superficial. Former first lady Laura Bush recently hinted she would rather vote for former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton over Donald Trump, saying that she wants the next president to be someone who cares about women in Afghanistan,…

A viral video of a 10-year-old has been making the social media rounds, and it is truly delightful. In it, a young man easily breaks down the United States criminal-justice system and how it is skewed toward the rich. In about 30 seconds. The elementary school student from Garland, Texas, took part in a debate…

Le Twitter noir lost its collective black mind after the season 3 finale of Sleepy Hollow on Friday. Our girl, agent Abbie Mills, played to perfection by actress Nicole Beharie, sacrifices herself in order to stop the Hidden One (Peter Mensah), an ancient god up to no good. Mills, an integral part of the series,…