Spike Lee courtside at Madison Square Garden, Photo Courtesy of Yard Barker

Candice Wiggins had a very successful WNBA career. Wiggins won a WNBA Championshop and once won the WNBA’s Sixth Woman of the Year Award.

But, to add to that list, she can say that as a member of the New York Liberty, she played in front of die-hard New York Knicks fan Spike Lee.

Wiggins retired from basketball as a member of the New York Liberty in 2015. But she distintly remembers Lee sitting courtside!

“I would say, you know the coolest thing was playing in Madison Square Garden and just helping the Liberty have the best season in history,” Wiggins told me on Scoop B Radio.

How cool is that? 

Check Out Candice Wiggins and Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson chatting on Scoop B Radio.

“And I would say having Spike Lee at the game. He came to our two last games. He came to the Eastern Conference Semis and then the Eastern Conference Finals and I remember the whole season I was saying the last year: ‘I know I’ve made it, as soon as I signed with the New York Liberty, I said: I know I’ve made it when Spike Lee comes to a game.’ And I kinda just put that out there in the universe and every time I would say it to people, people were just like: ‘Man, Spike Lee ain’t coming to no WNBA game, he ain’t coming to our game, he’s never coming to our game. He ain’t in 20 years.’  Everyone kind of just rolled their eyes.”

Retired WNBA player Candice Wiggins chats with Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson on Scoop B Radio about playing at Madison Square Garden In front of Spike Lee. Photo Courtesy of New York Daily News

But Wiggins had faith as small as a mustard seed. And guess what? Spike Lee came to a New York Liberty game!

“I’m like: ‘man I have a feeling, man I just have a feeling that if we get good enough.’ I was just putting it out in the universe and then I’ll never forget I was warming up and then I looked up at the Jumbotron in Madison Square Garden: and it said: “Thanks Spike Lee, welcome Spike Lee to a Liberty game.” I was like: ‘oh no it’s over now.’ Like this is it, like this is it. And then you know, I had two of my best games in my entire career with him there?  And I just, that’s when I really felt that like I was on the top of Mount Everest. Like you know, it was the craziest thing I just felt like this is it. This is what athletes play for to be in the mecca; Spike Lee sideline at the Garden, damn!”

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Ray Allen plays the role of Jesus Shuttlesworth in the film He Got Game. Photo Credit: Quora

Nineteen years ago today, “He Got Game” debuted, and the world met Jake and Jesus Shuttlesworth.

The film, stars Ray Allen and Denzel Washington and keyed in on the life of Jesus Shuttlesworth, the basketball star of Brooklyn’s Lincoln High School. Jesus is the most sought after high school basketball prospect in the nation.

Denzel Washington plays the role of Jake Shuttlesworth, Jesus’ father.  Jesus’ story is overshadowed by his father who is doing a long bid in jail after accidentally killing Jesus’ mother.

Although in prison, Jake Shuttlesworth tries to earn himself an early release by talking his estranged son into playing basketball at the governor of New York’s alma mater, Big State University.

Simply put, Lee’s film gave the world a glimpse into the life of a blue chip athlete. 

Actor, Hill Harper not only played the role of cousin to Ray Allen in the “He Got Game” film, but he also played the role of his teammate on that Rail Splitters team. At the time of the film, Allen was in the early years of his career as a member of the Milwaukee Bucks, but way back then, Harper knew that Allen had something special.

So what stood out?

“His work ethic,” Harper told me on Scoop B Radio.

Check Out Hill Harper Chat With Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson on Scoop B Radio 

“He had a work ethic. He was shooting and playing every day. He wanted to do well as far as the acting was concerned, wanted to do well as far as the basketball was concerned.”

Ray Allen went on to retire as one of the greatest shooters in NBA history. He also won two championships with the Miami Heat during the big three era of LeBron James, Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade on South Beach. Harper is not surprised by Allen’s success, in fact he saw it coming even on set.

“People that I know who are successful and have longevity, they have work ethics and it comes down to that and he obviously had that. When he was acting, he wanted to be the best that he could be. When he was playing ball, he wanted to be the very best that he could be.”

With a budget of 25 million, “He Got Game,” made  22.4 million in the box office. 

Check Out The Trailer

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The post Spike Lee Directed & Denzel Washington, Ray Allen Starred “He Got Game” Debuted 19 Years Ago Today appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

The Knicks’ 90s glory days are long-gone. The club has just three winning seasons in the past 16 years. At 27-42, the Knicks stand at 12th in the NBA’s Eastern Conference. After the loss to the Nets last night at MSG, they officially clinched their fourth consecutive losing season. Man oh man, the ’90s Knicks were a team that New York City still holds in high regard and misses. John Starks, Charles Oakley, the late Anthony Mason, Doc Rivers and of course, Patrick Ewing.

Ewing played 17 years in the NBA, 15 of those as a Knick before he was traded to the Seattle Supersonics for Vin Baker. Ewing finished his career averaging 21 points and a shade under 10 rebounds per game. Ewing and the Knicks had some memorable moment. Lets see, there was the time in 1990 when the Hoya Destroya scored 51 points on Kevin McHale, Kevin McHale and Larry Bird at The Garden.  ​

Hey, remember Game 5 of the ’94 Finals when he pummeled Olajuwon, scored 25 points, 12 rebounds, and eight blocks on the Olajuwon-led Rockets. There was also that 22 points, 22 rebounds and 7 assist outing in game 7 of the 1994 NBA Playoff Conference Finals against the Indiana Pacers. That game sealed the deal and propelled the Knicks to the ’94 Finals against the Houston Rockets.

Simply put, Ewing was the man in N-Y-C.

Rapper, Pusha T thinks so too, apparently. Appearing on today’s episode of Scoop B Radio Overtime, the rapper who reps both NYC and Virginia to the fullest chatted about some of his all-time favorite sports uniforms. He likes the old Washington Bullets uniforms from the days of Wes Unseld. The Bullets, of course are now the Washington Wizards. The Wizards even retro’ed thos unifors a time or two when Michael Jordan made a brief cameo on that team. The team has even incorporated a similar design to their current uni’s to make it whole. Someone get Mitchell & Ness on the line! We need that Jordan Throwback.

But I digress.

The meat and potatoes of the interview with King Push was his admiration for that Knicks squad that were both hustle and muscle and the nostalgia of even Spike Lee donning the orange and blue fabric. “Definetly the Knicks, of course,” Pusha T told me.

“You gotta remember. For example, like, the Knicks, if I was messing with the Knicks, it was like there was a Ewing component to it. Or a Spike Lee Component to it. They were so culturally relevant at the time. They were champions of the team and they were like to me, cool guys! So I was like oh man, this is fresh. Anyrhing they put on was fresh. They were definetly representing the Knicks organization at that time.”

Spike Lee, like Jack Nicholson is probably the original super fan; the orginiator. His engagement with players is what stands out. Who can forget his classic duels with Reggie Miller?

The new Knicks are nothing worth watching, but the nostalgia of the old Knicks, still lives on.

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The post Pusha T on Patrick Ewing, Spike Lee & 90s Knicks: “They were so culturally relevant at the time” appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

Black History Month is here and while the month is short and will be over before you know it, it’s a month where African-Americans of times past and present are honored for their sacrifices, achievements and accomplishments marked throughout history. It’s a time for us to reflect on that rich history and celebrate the lives of the ones lost and present whom paved the way for generations of other African Americans to walk in freedom and while this movement is still a “work in progress” for the most part, we’re proud that they stood fearlessly in the face of adversity to make sure we have some of the luxuries we have today such as the right to vote.

One way to honor and look back on African-American culture, history, activists and the actors that played them or played parts representing such troubling times is by way of a movie. I personally love watching movies, especially the ones that portray the African-American men and women whom did so much for us. So, if you just happen to have a down day this month and want to celebrate the occasion, listed below are 10 Classic movies portrayed by African-Americans that you should watch in honor of Black History Month. In no particular order they are:

‘Purple Rain’

What better way to celebrate black history and the life of music legend Prince. The musical drama features some of Prince’s most iconic songs and killer outfits.

‘Malcolm X’

‘Malcolm X’ is was Spike Lee classic, portrayed by Denzel Washington. The movie chronicled the life of the civil rights hero.

“‘Selma’

Ava DuVernay made history with ‘Selma’ in 2014, becoming the first black woman to have her film nominated for “Best Picture” at the Oscars. ‘Selma’ is a portrait piece of Dr. Martin Luther King as he led the march from Selma to Montgomery for voting rights.

‘Glory’

Free black men were conscripted to fight in the Union Army during the Civil War, but as this 1989 period drama shows, not even their willingness to sacrifice their lives for their country was enough to shield them from racism and segregation. Denzel Washington stars in the role that would nab him his first Oscar.

‘Barry’

‘Barry’ is one of two drama films (of what will surely be many) that take a glimpse at the life of a younger former President Barack Obama, the man who would one day become the first black president of the United States.

‘The Princess & the Frog’

In 2009, Disney made history by featuring its first ever African-American princess. Anika Noni-Rose portrayed princess Tiana in this film.

‘The Color Purple’

Okay, so there’s really nothing to say about this one but – CLASSIC!!!

‘The Wiz’

‘The Wiz’ in which stars Diana Ross and a very young Michael Jackson is the black version of ‘The Wizard of Oz’ story.

‘Carmen Jones’

Dorothy Dandridge became the first black woman to be nominated for a Best Actress award at the 1954 Oscars for her role in this epic musical, based on Bizet’s tragic opera ‘Carmen.’

‘A Raisin in the Sun’

Starring Ruby Dee and Sidney Poitier, this 1961 adaptation of Lorraine Hansberry‘s play is a film about an African-American family search for the American Dream and what happens when that dream is derailed.

These movies are sure to give you a dose of the richness of the African-American culture and a sense of why we should celebrate this month each year. We’re not just celebrating the culture but we’re acknowledging the people whom broke barriers in every arena which makes us glad to be a part of such an amazing history. You can find other classics listed here. Did your favorite make the list? If not what, African American movies are your favorite classics? Sound off in the comments.

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The post 10 Black Movie Classics You Should Watch in Honor of Black History Month appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

For as long as I can remember, dark skinned girls seemed to have always received shade from the light skinned girls. They were classified as the pretty ones while we were classified as well “The Dark Ones”. They got the good grades, the good guys and the free passes into bliss, while it seemed like the dark skinned girl was left out in the cold to fend for herself. No passes were given, no free rides and dark skinned girls had to work two times harder than her counterpart – the light skinned girl. A glimpse of this can be seen in the 1988 Spike Lee classic School Dayz where the light skinned girls squared off with the dark skinned girls and even though it’s not that serious today, people still have a way of making “skin tone” an issue. Chika Okoro is a dark-skinned girl whom according to praisedc.hellobeautiful was always told: “You’re so pretty for a dark skinned girl” but still failed to meet the expectations of her rival, the light skinned girl. Okoro whom is a 2^nd year MBA student at Stanford Graduate School of Business recently gave a speech titled Confessions of a D Girl: Colorism and Global Standards of Beauty.

Okoro began her talk discussing a casting call for the  Oscar nominated movie Straight Outta Compton in which she details how the casting call ranked for women by the alphabets A-D. Medium to darker skinned ladies were ranked as D and if a lady was of a lighter tone she was ranked under A in which stood for the Beyoncé types. Okoro stated that when she read the information, she felt betrayed.

I felt betrayed that when even in these small circles where I’m allowed to feel beautiful, I’m still shoved aside for those with more “Favorable” features: Light skin, light eyes, long soft real hair. Chika Okoro

In past years there have only been a handful of movies that represent women of color in general and if you’re like me, those are the movies that I pay to go see; just so I can support our women of color and hopefully raise the standards of us being in more quality, decent films than ones that call for us to be crazy, angry or a prostitute. I mean after all, there are some talented and well gifted women of color whom can grace the screen just like Cate Blanchett or Meryl Streep, whom are talented in their own right. But the opportunities for a black woman are still slim to none. Okoro stressed the fact that it’s OK for us to stand up against what society tells us is acceptable or beautiful according to their standards.

Check out Chika Okoro’s video as see hits the hammer on the nail regarding “colorism” in our society. Have you felt neglected, pushed aside or withdrawn because you’re dark skinned? Or maybe you’re light skinned and have felt some shade from dark skinned women or society, sound off in the comments and let’s talk about it.

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Since the release of  Acid Rain, Chance The Rapper has worked alongside Donnie Trumpet and The Social Experiment, became the first unsigned artist to perform on Saturday Night Live, exchanged (not-so-friendly) words with Chi-Raq director Spike Lee and acted as a pop out artist on Kanye West‘s TLOP. Now, it’s time for the Chicago kid to drop some new heat.

Chance was expected to drop his highly anticipated third mixtape during the month of April, but with the releases of Beyonce‘s LEMONADE and Drake‘s VIEWS, that promise was broken and honestly, we completely understand the hiatus (his work would’ve been overlooked and he is TOO good for that).

For all who have waited to hear new music from Chicago native,  I think it is safe to say that Chano Season is coming sooner than later. Chance took to Twitter to share the artwork for a new musical project with the hashtag #Chance3.

#chance3 Chance 3 https://t.co/8rOIFuczrj pic.twitter.com/9s4xOp2Ug3

— Lil Chano From 79th (@chancetherapper) April 30, 2016

Chance was recently spotted with Dj Khaled rumored to have been filming a music video and not to mention he has a collab with Jay Electronica in the works.

We see you, Chance!
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The post Are We Closer to Chance The Rapper’s New Mixtape? appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

“I will be magic,” he wrote as a teenager, planning his future career. Michael Jackson’s ambition to succeed and his undeniable talent as a singer, dancer and songwriter are the focus of Spike Lee’s new documentary, “Michael Jackson’s Journey from Motown to ‘Off the Wall,'” which made its world premiere Sunday (Jan. 24) at the Sundance Film Festival.

Director Spike Lee assembles a plethora of archival footage, interviews with contemporary talents and family members, and Michael’s own words and image to create this insightful masterpiece of the star’s early rise to fame.

Fans are given an  in-depth look at a chapter of his career that is rarely examined, “Michael Jackson’s Journey from Motown to Off the Wall”. The documentary allows audiences to travel with Michael as careers takes off at Motown, strikes a new path with CBS records, and build a legendary relationship with super producer Quincy Jones. An illuminated portrait emerges of how an earnest, passionate, hard-working boy would become the “King of Pop.”

Archival footage of the Jacksons’ performances on “The Ed Sullivan Show,” ”American Bandstand” and their “Destiny” tour is interspersed with interviews with music industry talents from then and now like Sammy Davis Jr., Gene Kelly, Berry Gordy, Quincy Jones and Questlove.

The film follows Jackson’s career until the release of his groundbreaking 1979 album “Off the Wall,” which paved the way for 1982’s “Thriller,” the best-selling album in history.

It doesn’t get into Jackson’s personal life or any of the legal troubles that would plague him later in life. It’s simply a portrait of a man and his music.

“Michael Jackson’s Journey from Motown to ‘Off the Wall'” is set to premiere Feb. 5 on Showtime.

Check out a clip of “Michael Jackson’s Journey from Motown to Off the Wall”  below.

The post #RESPECT Spike Lee Unveils New Michael Jackson Documentary appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.