The Double Scoop

Creed Is A Knock Out

Author: The Double Scoop

We got a chance to see the highly anticipated movie Creed during the Thanksgiving holiday. The cast alone was enough to make most people run to see the movie even if they had no idea who the boxing legend known as “Rocky Balboa” was. The very handsome Michael B. Jordan, the beautiful Tessa Thompson, and Sylvester Stallone reprising his role as Rocky came together to create magic on the big screen.

Director Ryan Coogler and screen writer Aaron Convington did an amazing job creating a continuation of the Rocky movie series. (Coogler and Jordan previously worked together on the 2013 hit film Fruitvale Station). For those including us who vaguely remember the original Rocky film, the movie was able to give a quick refresher without taking too much time away from the film.

Michael B. Jordan plays (Adonis Johnson) son of Apollo Creed, a former opponent turned friend of Rocky Balboa. In the original Rocky film there is no mention of Apollo having a son named Adonis, but in Creed it is revealed that Adonis is a product of an affair which was a very creative way of tying Jordan’s character into the movie. Apollo’s widow Mary Anne played by the ever so graceful and timeless beauty Phylicia Rashad takes it upon herself to take a young and troubled Adonis under her wing and raise him.

The film starts off a little slow but gradually builds momentum. Adonis is a troubled kid who loves to fight which eventually leads him to pursuing a career in boxing. He tracks down Balboa about training him which he initially turns down but later agrees to it. Both Mary Anne and Balboa are skeptical about Adonis’ pursuit of a career in boxing because they don’t want him to have the same fate as his father Apollo who died in the ring years ago.

Adonis wants to make a name for himself as a boxer without people knowing about his famous father, but the news is eventually leaked which results in Adonis being approached to fight world light heavyweight champion “Pretty” Ricky Conlan.

Rocky, despite receiving news about ailing health agrees to train Adonis for the fight.

Adonis survived all rounds with Conlan but eventually loses the fight. Although he didn’t win he still garnered respect from Conlan and fans as the amateur boxer who put up a mighty fight. The main fighting scene was intense, excruciating and exhilarating all at once.

Overall Creed was a good movie and it definitely gave an updated and modern twist to the classic Rocky film without taking away the shine from the original. Kudos to Ryan Coogler and Aaron Convington for the amazing writing and directing!

Source: Time

WHAT COLLEGE DIDN’T TEACH ME

Remember when your parents told you that going to college was the key to a successful career and life? Well today that advice certainly doesn’t apply to most millennials. According to research many millennials over the age of 25 with a college degree are burdened with student loan debt and working jobs that don’t require a degree.

A few months ago I went out to eat with some of my friends and we were all talking about the benefits of going to college. All of my friends are college grads and most of us, including myself have two degrees. We often complain about how much student loan debt we have and how much life would be easier if we didn’t even go to college. I’ve had this conversation with many people my age and a lot of us feel like college didn’t prepare us too much for our experiences today. Many people who go to college end up working jobs that are not in their fields. A lot of us have thousands of dollars of student loan debt which most of us can barely afford to pay back with the jobs that we obtained after graduating. If college is supposed to prepare you for the real world, why doesn’t it teach you basic concepts like doing taxes, how to manage your finances, or even how to communicate or negotiate well which is imperative in the workforce? For the most part college pretty much teaches you how to work for somebody else when in actuality we should all be working for ourselves and building our own empire.

If I could go back I wish I would have taken the time out to find out what I wanted out of life before going to college or grad school. I always felt this pressure by my parents to go to school and I never really established what exactly I wanted to do for myself. I think people should take at least 1-2 years off after finishing high school before going to college just to find out what they really want to do career wise.

A year and ½ ago I quit my job and started on a new career path in writing. I know that making a living out of a writing career is going to be challenging but writing is my passion and working for someone else for the rest of my life is not an option.

Going to college does not equate to a successful career and I think we should stop feeding people this false sense of hope. Don’t get me wrong for some people college is beneficial but it’s definitely not the best path for everyone.

Jeanine Daniels: The Mafia Boss

For most of us there are two paths to choose from in life; the path working to make someone else’s dreams come true, or the path making your own dreams come true. The latter path is so rewarding and fulfilling but there are many sacrifices that will have to be made and several obstacles that you will encounter before you can reap the fruits of your labor. A lot of people can’t handle those obstacles and aren’t willing to make certain sacrifices to turn their dreams into a reality, so they do like most and settle for the unfulfilled 8 to 5 and glide their way through life on a conveyor belt. Jeanine Daniels, an upcoming producer, writer, and filmmaker chose to take the road less traveled and although she has run into a few road blocks on her journey, she wouldn’t trade the life of living out her dreams for a life with no purpose or passion. I was able to catch up with the “mafia boss” (a nickname giving to her by a former mentor because of her loyalty) for a brief interview about her aspiring career.

Ashley E: I always ask people are they happy. Would you say you’re happy at this point in your life and what is your definition of happiness?

JD: I’m not “not” happy, if that makes any sense. I know what I love to do, I know who I want to do it with, I know who I am and I know what I can do.

But sometimes, I have difficulty making them all connect. And that can be beyond frustrating. As an artist, I just want to charge right into the things I want to do. But that’s not the best solution… all the time. I think being happy is largely knowing how to navigate your life between the ups and downs while maintaining a calm composure and feeling confident. Once you can successfully learn to do that, happiness is a default. So, I’m learning to navigate, but I’m using a hellafied GPS. Once I can ditch the gps and use only my gut, I think I’ll reach true happiness.

Ashley E: I saw a post you put on Instagram about feeling like a failure because you weren’t where you thought you should be in life. I can totally relate to that feeling at this point in my life especially when it seems like everyone around you is progressing and you seem to be regressing or at a stand-still. It’s surprising that you would say you feel like a failure because people like me are inspired by you and look at you like a success. Do you still feel that way or do you look at it more like you took an alternate route in life compared to most?

JD: There’s always this moment when I’m standing in a circle and everyone is talking about their careers & lives with so much vigor; how they just remodeled their bathroom, how their kids did the funniest thing yesterday, or how they have to get their car radiator fixed. While I’m standing there trying to explain what a “content creator” is, and “no, I don’t work for a TV network necessarily” and “no, I don’t really get paid” and “no, it’s more like a show that lives on the internet”… and the corrections go on and on. Not to mention the fact that, I don’t have a bathroom to remodel because I live at home with my mom, I don’t have kids, or a husband, or boyfriend, or even someone I’m dating for that matter, and the radiator thing? Well, I don’t own a car, but my mom does allow me to drive her 93′ Toyota Paseo. The doors don’t lock and I have to use a club to secure it, and its smokes up when I drive more than 55 miles an hour, but hey, I’m driving right?

I’m not going to lie and say this stuff doesn’t get me down. But, I also remember when I was on the other side with a consistent check, driving a nice car, and stuck at a desk 40-60 hours a week making someone else’s dream come true…I was sitting around missing the sun and happy hour every day, wishing I could work on my own stuff. So whenever I’m having a pity party, which honestly does happen more than I’d like to admit, I usually have to really think about which life I’d rather have: broke and free or balling and stuck.

I’m learning to take the good with the bad. And it took me to pack up my huge downtown LA loft, give up my car, move home and starve to realize I rather do this and be an artist, than ball out in the matrix. At my core, I’m supposed be an artist. It helps that I know that I’m good at what I do, and I know I love what I do. I’m quirky, single, broke, living at home, but I get to do what I love every single gottdamn day.

Ashley E: Black and Sexy TV is an independent network that was started on you-tube with a small budget. It has produced some amazing content, built a large fan base and is continuing to grow. How did you end up teaming up with the founders Numa Perrier and Dennis Dortch and how do you feel about being associated with a business that has become so successful?

JD: I was a big fan of Mr. Dortch’s movie “A Good Day to be Black & Sexy”, and the moment I saw it, I knew I had to find him out and see what else he had stored in that genius brain of his. I soon met Ms. Perrier and Kofi Oliver (an original founding member of BSTV) and Mr. Ali. We all gravitated towards each other and there was a unique energy we had between us. We did historic stuff together: sold web series to TV; sold pilots; sold content directly to audiences; made our own movies; green lit our own productions; and controlled the production process from beginning to end. I am blessed to have been on the ground floor of a partnership that changed the course of what independent TV is becoming.

Ashley E: You have produced a few successful shows; one in particular is That Guy. The show is one of my favorites off of the Black and Sexy TV network. What I loved about it is how realistic it was. It was like watching everyday people going through real life situations. What inspired you to create a show like that and how were you able to create a show from a male’s perspective so well being that you are a female?

JD: Being the lone female in a group of guys has its pros and cons, but one strong pro is hearing all the stories. Black men, regular every day Black men, are often dismissed and neglected in storytelling about relationships. I can’t remember a show since Martin that accurately represents Black men and their views, told from their perspective, from beginning to end. And it has always bothered me. So after the success of The Couple, I knew I needed to produce another show, but I wanted it to be from the male perspective. I started thinking about the dudes I used to date, two kinds in particular, and bam, I had an idea for a show, and just ran with it. I used my life as the foundation and often talked to my homeboys to make sure things were accurate. As a female who hung around a lot of dudes and had insider information about their secrets and emotions, I was pretty positive I had a handle on keeping things realistic, which is a big deal for me. And Jeremy McBryde was often my sounding board to make sure my theories on male behavior were correct, which they were 92.7% of the time.

Ashley E: That Guy became really successful. You created 3 seasons and even produced a movie for the show which was your first feature film. Were you surprised by the show’s success and why did you decide not to continue the show?

JD: I was extremely surprised by the overwhelming support of the show and the die-hard fans. The first episode did poorly, like super poorly; the audience, women, hated it. They said it was vulgar, disrespectful; a bad representation of Black men, and BSTV should have been ashamed airing it. I was speechless. But Jeremy McBryde encouraged me to keep going because he knew it was a hit, even though I felt like I got stabbed in my beating heart. So I pressed on and the tides turned, and EVERYONE had a different attitude about it by the 3^rd episode. The success of the second season and the movie solidified that my vision was correct about THAT GUY. After the movie I had no intentions to continue with the franchise. I was ready to move on and create something fresh, different characters, new problems, other obstacles and resolutions. But after a business meeting it was decided that because it was our most popular show with the largest and most loyal audience, it would be best for the company to do another season to jump start our subscription service. I reluctantly agreed. During the filming of the 3^rd season there were a lot of changes that I wasn’t happy with and a lot of decisions were made that weren’t in the best interest of the series or my vision. Yaddah yaddah yaddah. I left the company.

Ashley E: I know you are no longer a part of Black and Sexy TV and have started your own production company called nine27 Entertainment. What made you decide to start your own company and what type of content do you plan on producing?

JD: I actually created nine27 Entertainment a while ago, I just never did anything with it. I was blindly focused on what the team was doing at BSTV and loss site of certain things that I wanted to accomplish creatively. I knew that there were things in my career that I wanted to do I knew wouldn’t necessarily fit with what my former partners saw as the vision for BSTV. The company will allow me to showcase my knack for writing animation, sci-fi, fantasy, and edgier topics that don’t fit into the BSTV brand. I also knew that I wanted to work directly with musicians, and producers more which may lead to a full blown record label at some point. Nine27 Entertainment allows me to take all my eggs out of one basket and move them into one I get to fully control, monitor, protect, and watch grow and develop.

Ultimately I’ll be developing unapologetically creative content with a conscious across all platforms…that also has the best produced music out. Those without a soapbox will get their stories shared with the masses through nine27 ent.

Ashley E: Do you have any advice for the dream chasers and grinders out there pursuing their passions?

JD: My advice to all the dream chasers

Trust your gut
Get everything in writing
Be consistent
You’re only allowed 5 minutes a day to have a pity party, after that, get to work
Trust in your tribe to lift you up
Keep honest people around you who will tell you if your shit sucks (that’s really important)
Read something substantial every day, and memes or social media status updates do not count
Don’t force your creativity
ASK FOR HELP IF YOU NEED IT
Don’t complain about how much is on your plate if you said your goal was to eat.

INCIDENTS IN MISSOURI MIRROR CIVIL RIGHTS ERA

Several black students walk hand and hand amongst a crowd of white parade goers at the homecoming parade for the University of Missouri. They each step out of line one by one speaking into a megaphone to the now former university president Tim Wolfe about the incidents of racism and discrimination that they have encountered while attending the school. The students are a part of the organization Concerned Student 1950, which was named after the year the first African American graduate student was admitted to the university.

If you were reading about this situation in a book you would think that the time period was during the civil rights era not in the year 2015! I admit due to my busy schedule I haven’t been keeping up with the story as much as I should have but today I finally got a chance to read up on all that has been going on at the university. I was surprised to learn about a lot of the racial encounters that many of the black students faced so frequently on the campus such as being called a nigger or seeing racial acts of vandalism around the campus.

I’ve read comments where some people have actually said that the students should have just gone to an HBCU where incidents like this would not have taken place. I strongly disagree with statements like these. I actually attended a PWI and I enjoyed my college experience without encountering any type of discrimination or racism. Students should be able to attend the college of their choice whether it be an HBCU or a PWI.

I think what irks me the most about this situation are the insensitive comments made by people who have no idea what it feels like to be discriminated against or to have experienced racism. I read one comment where a guy said that blacks are always protesting about something. People are so quick to dismiss the race card when it doesn’t affect them specifically.

People born after 1992 are sometimes referred to as “the lost” or misguided generation but after seeing these students stand up for their rights I have no doubt in my mind that the future is in great hands.

It seems as though the worse of the campus situation is over. Arrests have been made for students who posted death threats to black students, and Mike Middleton has been appointed as interim UM System president since Tim Wolfe resigned from his position. Incidents like these go to show that we still have a long way to go regarding race relations in this country.

Source: Missourian

Photo Credits: The Final Call; State of HBCUS

Chi-raq Trailer Sparks Mixed Reactions

The movie trailer for Spike Lee’s Chi-raq was released a few days ago and people seemed to have either loved it or hated it. Critics of the movie complained about everything from the title choice down to the actors chosen to star in the film. Some even felt that the trailer watered down the severity of the crime in Chicago.

The mayor of Chicago spoke out against the title choice saying that it painted an unrealistic picture of the city, while others felt the picture painted wasn’t realistic enough and that the movie made light of the crime issue in Chicago. Chi-raq is a nickname given to the city because the violence in certain parts is comparable to war zones in Iraq.

The original trailer comes off as a comedic Broadway musical showing women making an agreement to withhold sex from their men in hopes that it will cause the violence in the city to stop. The backlash from the trailer was so heavy that Spike Lee spoke out:

“Chi-raq” is not a comedy. It’s a satire. There’s a difference between humor and comedy. In no way, shape or form are we not respectful of the situation that is happening in Chi-raq. This film is about serious business.”

Lee also released a second trailer which gave off a more serious tone. Seeing that Lee is a veteran filmmaker with a track record for making successful innovative and unconventional films that deliver a powerful message, I’m surprised that there is so much negativity directed at the movie. I think Lee knows exactly what he is doing and he has everything under control. The film is set to be released in limited theaters next month and it will also be available for streaming on amazon.

Watch the trailer here.

Source: The Root and CNN

Love Yourz: Are You Lovin’ You?

One of my favorite songs on J Cole’s latest album 2014 Forest Hills Drive is a track called Love Yourz. The song talks about being content with your situation and life regardless of what it might look like in comparison to another persons’. The message of the song is so relatable in this period of time that we’re living in. When you turn on the television the lives of the rich, beautiful and famous are glorified and glamorized. When you log onto social media sites your timeline is flooded with the lives of people who are showcasing to the world a picture perfect life, and for most the picture that they’re painting is far from perfect. What we see are illusions and those illusions cause a lot of people to become envious and depressed because they’re comparing their life to someone else’s.

The song also makes me think about self-love. I don’t think people realize how important and almost vital it is to love yourself before you decide to begin a relationship with another person. I’m realizing this now in my life more than ever. One bad habit that I have is looking in the mirror excessively. Some might consider it vanity but honestly it’s me over analyzing and critiquing what “I” consider to be flaws when I look in the mirror. Sometimes I find myself even comparing my appearance to others and wishing certain features I have were different instead of just embracing my uniqueness. I’ve never really considered myself to be overly insecure or someone that lacked confidence but over the past 2 years life dealt me some hard blows that caused me to second guess so many things about myself including my worth, my physical appearance and my importance.

I realized how much I needed validation from others about my appearance when I started my natural hair journey about 2 years ago. One day I decided to wear my hair in a new style and I remember looking in the mirror smiling and thinking to myself I really like my hair and the way that I look. Later that day I met up with the guy I was dating at the time and as soon as I opened the door to greet him his first words to me were “you look different!” followed by a shocked look and laughter. It was obvious he didn’t find my new look as flattering as I did and to make it worse he made jokes about my hair and appearance. I remember how insecure his words made me feel and how uncomfortable I felt going to work the next day out of fear of how people would perceive my new look. When I walked through the doors at my job my co-workers eyes lit up and they expressed how beautiful they thought my hair looked and how well the hair style suited me. I felt a sigh of relief because I received my validation to let me know I looked good. Realizing how much I relied on validation let me know that I definitely had some internal work to do. I feel like if you can’t look in the mirror and say I love myself and like whose staring back at you in the mirror than there is a problem.

Over the years I’ve invested a lot in relationships with significant others while neglecting one of the most important relationships I can have; that’s the relationship I have with myself. As this year comes to a close and going into a new year I made a vow to work on loving myself. I want to love myself, date myself, get to know myself more, and be content with only needing my validation before I allow someone else in my life. Loving yourself is an action that is easier said than done and I know it will take time but it’s an investment that is so worth it in the long run. How you feel about yourself can affect so many areas of your life and it plays a huge role in the relationships you have with others. It’s difficult sometimes not to get caught up on the physical and outward appearance because it’s what we see immediately. I know that the true reflection of who we are resides inside of us and I want my internal beauty and light to shine through to the outside.

This article was also featured on Confessions of An Ambitious Girl.

David Banner Defies Stereotypes With New Track “Marry Me”

Mississippi artist and rap veteran David Banner recently released a video for his track “Marry Me” off of his highly anticipated album The God Box.

The song which features the sultry vocals of Rudy Currence focuses on black love and men embracing, uplifting and appreciating their women. You can’t help but to easily fall in love with the melody and the lyrics.

“I’ll wrap my soul around this ring girl, If I could that’s what you mean to me….give me your hand and your heart girl…I swear it’s safe for eternity.”

With constant stereotypes forced down our throats about black men overlooking, mistreating, and neglecting black women, a track like “Marry Me” was much needed especially regarding the desire for marriage.

David Banner said the following about the track:

“It is time to mend our public, personal, spiritual, and social relationship with our Women. The progression of our people is rooted in the secured strength and stability of that relationship.”

Check out the video here.

Source: XONECOLE

The Return Of Adele

It has been 3 years since Adele’s last single was released. Her absence left fans with withdrawals and wondering had the British singer stepped down from the spotlight for good. Last Friday she quenched the thirst of fans when she released the video for her new single “Hello.” The video received over 43 million views on youtube in less than 2 days proving that absence does make the heart grow fonder.

Adele wrote an open letter to fans apologizing for being MIA; “I’m sorry it took so long but you know life happened.” She referred to the upcoming album which is set to be released on November 20^th as her “make-up” record to fans.

The upcoming album is titled “25.” Adele explained the title choice:

“Turing 25 was a turning point for me, slap bang in the middle of my twenties… I made the decision to go into becoming who I’m going to be forever without a removal van full of my old junk.”

I’m ecstatic that Adele is back! When I first heard one of her songs a few years ago I immediately became a fan and wanted to know more about her. Her voice is so unique and soulful; she’s the type of artist that doesn’t need tricks or gimmicks to enhance her talent. She has that type of talent that doesn’t come around that often. Her 2011 album “21” sold more than 11 million copies in the US alone and she broke the solo female artist record for staying at #1 for 11 weeks in the US.

Check out her unique video for Hello here.

Source: CNN

CANDICE J: THE UNFADING BEAUTY

At only 24 years old Candice J. was diagnosed with ovarian cancer which is very rare for young women. She had to endure months of chemotherapy and lost so much weight that she weighed only 89 pounds. Now almost four years later Candice is a proud cancer survivor who uses her blog “The Unfading Beauty” to inform and educate women about ovarian cancer. In our interview she shares her story on how her experience brought her closer to God and family.

Amy Nicole: Cancer is not something that most young people have to worry about but you were diagnosed with cancer at only 24 years old! What were your initial thoughts when the doctor’s informed you about your diagnosis?

Candice J: Initially all I could think about was what had I done to cause it or not done to prevent it. It was one of the first things I discussed with my doctor. His response: it was “luck of the draw.” However, I can’t say I agree. I have always been a firm believer that every thing happens for a reason. So it wasn’t “luck of the draw” for me. Although the form of cancer is very rare in young women and girls, I’ve realized that there was purpose in that journey. Lessons to be learned and a testimony that needs to be shared.

Amy Nicole: You were diagnosed with ovarian cancer, which is a very rare form of cancer. What is some advice you can share with young women about getting cancer screenings and taking care of their health?

Candice J: Unfortunately, because the disease is so rare in younger women, there are no cancer screenings right now that detect ovarian cancer. Unlike cervical cancer, which women have a pap smear to dectect, ovarian cancer is not detected in the cells of the cervix. Therefore that test would be inadequate to dectect ovarian cancer in your annual checkups. Ovarian cancer can be detected by a specific blood test (CA-125) and by transvaginal ultrasound. These tests however are usually only conducted if certain symptoms of ovarian cancer are persistent. Many of which can be confused for normal female reproductive woes and are still only slightly recognizable in the late stages of the disease. The key is really in knowing your body, paying close attention to certain issues that are persistent, and knowing the symptoms of ovarian caner. Some of the symptoms are consant bloating, eating habits changing (loss of appetite), too frequent urination, and constant discomfort of the abdomen.

Amy Nicole: After reading about your story on your blog you seemed so upbeat and positive throughout your battle with cancer. How did you manage to keep such a positive attitude throughout the process?

Candice J: Lol. I wish I could say that was true! Positive? Maybe. On most days. Upbeat? Not at all. Having to go through chemo is something I wouldn’t even wish on my worst enemy. I was very sick the entire time and often very weak. But I had a positive outlook and faith! In the back of my mind I knew I would get throught it and my doctor gave me a great prognosis. In addition, I had a great support team! With God, great family, friends and prayer we can get through anything.

Amy Nicole: Did you ever get angry or question God about why this happened to you?

Candice J: Oooh you bet I did question God! At times I thought it was pay back for my rebellious streak and living outside of his will. But thats how you think when you dont fully understand that God is in control and our lives are planned for us. While we may take detours from the path he has for us (with all our crazy antics and shenanigans), God will put us back on the right track. Sometimes it takes something drastic. And for me it was cancer.

Amy Nicole: You launched your blog “The Unfading Beauty” over a year ago which discusses a lot about your battle with cancer. Discuss the name of your blog and your ultimate purpose for creating it.

Candice J: I launched my blog during the month of September last year which is the month of Ovarian Cancer Awareness. I wanted to dedicate that month to informing people about ovarian cancer and sharing my testimony. Up until that point, I didn’t speak in detail about it. I felt I needed to though and figured my blog would be the perfect outlet. The name of my blog, “The Unfading Beauty” was actually inspired by one of my favorite Bible verses. 1 Peter 3: 3-4. I knew for a few years that I wanted to blog. I just hadn’t figured out at the time what I wanted to blog about and the name. It wasn’t until I went through a rather painful break up that it all came to me! I went through a small state of depression after the break up. Like most women, i was left wondering what I had done wrong and was I good enough. The only thing that made me feel better was running to God about it. One night I was led to 1 Peter 3 and when I read through verse 3 & 4, something hit me! That was it! It helped me realize that validation from a relationship didn’t matter. What I did or did not do in that relationship didnt take away anything from the woman God was making me. He used that situation to grow me and and further prepare me to be a woman that was precious in his sight. From that moment forward I started my journey to becoming an Unfading Beauty. I wanted to produce something for women to know that in a society that “LIKES” us based on the pictures we post, how we dress, how beat our faces are, the relationships we so perfectly portray, and the jobs we have, we don’t have to be validated by any that. The purpose of my blog is to encourage women to work on and refine their inner beauty just as much as the outer beauty. I would love to see more woman who operate in Light and self-love rather than those willing to do anything for love, fame and a few LIKES.

Amy Nicole: How has your life changed/how have you changed after surviving cancer?

Candice J: Omg! I have a closer connection to God and my family. I learned the importance of both. I’m overall a more positive person and one less concerned about material things. It’s caused me to relinquish control of my life and walk in his will. After surviving cancer I learned that the things we go through are often not for us. Many times we are given a battle because we are strong enough to handle it. And our strength is needed to be seen by others so they they can know they can make it through too! Our stories encourage others. And I strive to encourage others daily!

Amy Nicole: Do you have any upcoming projects in the work and how can people contact you?

Candice J: I am currently in the works of revamping my blog. I have the desire to turn it from a hobby to a business. I have taken a hiatus from it in order to do a little more research and regain focus on the type of content I want to put out. In the meantime I can be contacted through my social media. Facebook Page : The Unfading Beauty; IG: @unfadingbeautyc

I really enjoyed learning about Candice’s story. Her perseverance and positivity is so admirable and we hope that her story inspires someone else who is currently enduring hardships.

BAD BOYS III & IV CONFIRMED

It looks like the prayers of Bad Boys fans have been answered! Sonny has officially announced the release dates for the sequels Bad Boys III and IV. Bad Boys III is set to hit theaters in February of 2017 and Bad Boys IV in July of 2019. As of now the original director Michael Bay and producer Jerry Bruckheimer have not been confirmed to work on the two films.

Martin Lawrence has signed on to reprise his role as detective Marcus Burnett but Will Smith hasn’t confirmed whether or not he will be returning as the charming Mike Lowrey which will definitely be a disappointment to female fans. Earlier last year Martin Lawrence called out Smith on Facebook to do a follow up to Bad Boys II. He captioned a picture from the movie with the following statement, “11 years ago today, Bad Boys II was released in theaters. Feelin’ it’s about time for number 3… what do you think Will Smith?”.

Some fans are skeptical about the sequels and believe that producers may have waited too late for the follow up films as Smith is now in his late 40s and Lawrence is now 50.

I am very excited about the two sequels as I was a huge fan of both Bad Boys I and II. What do you guys think about the forthcoming sequels?!

Photo Credit: ComicBook

Source: Film