::THE SLICE REPORT WITH MONA AUSTIN

buzzz worthy. . . 8-TRACK ALBUM FEATURES BIG BOI, DEITRICK HADDON, ERICA CAMPBELL, JEEZY , LECRAE, KELLY PRICE, KEITH ROBINSON, KORYN HAWTHORNE, JOHNTA AUSTIN, AND MORE NEW SONGS AVAILABLE INSTANTLY ON PRE-ORDER NOW, INCLUDES “SINNERS,” “GOTTA BE A MAN,” AND “KEEP HOLDING ON (ALRIGHT)” Nashville, TN (March 11, 2016) – Entertainment One Music (eOne Music) will be releasing a star-studded soundtrack in conjunction with Bounce TV for the network’s new hit drama series Saints & Sinners .  The new album Saints & Sinners: Original Soundtrack From Season 1 , will be out on Friday March 25, 2016 exclusively via all digital retailers.  Available for pre-order now, the digital release features three songs available instantly from the eight-track album, accompanying the compelling new TV drama. The Saints & Sinners series just began its eight-episode first season with the buzzworthy pilot episode debuting as the #1 highest-rated and most-watched ...

buzzz worthy. . . Valerie Simpson (vocalist) and Terri Lyne Carrington (drummer). Photographer: Kevin Yatarola/Lincoln Center   It must be an honor to be a Valerie Simpson fan and she agrees to sing a song you arranged. Terri Lyne Carrington know exactly how that feels.     “I have always loved the songs of Ashford and Simpson and have always been inspired by the genius of their musical contributions to American culture,” says  Carrington.  “I knew I wanted to include something of theirs on this CD, as The Mosaic Project: LOVE and SOUL pays tribute to many male artists and composers that have inspired or influenced me. I was between “Somebody Told A Lie” and “Send It” because I felt like both could possibly lend themselves to a jazz influenced approach, but “Somebody Told a Lie” won out. I asked Valerie Simpson to sing it on the CD and was quite nervous about playing the demo for her, but in the end, she liked it and I wa...

buzzz worthy. . . James Fortune in court on March 8, 2016. James fortune was sentenced to 5 years probation and 5 days in jail on a guilty plea related to domestic and family violence charges.  Authorities said in 2014 Fortune struck his wife Cheryl with a bar stool injuring her pelvis. The "Live Through It Singer" has avoided prison as Cheryl does not want to drag her family through prolonged legal and emotional woes. If he violates probation he could face 10 year in prison. When news of their altercation first surfaced Fortune  issued a statement  apologizing for his behavior, but said he couldn’t go into detail due to legal restrictions. “I am truly sorry for the negative attention this situation has brought my wife, family, friends and business partners,” he said in a statement. “Because it is a pending legal matter, I cannot comment on what has been reported.” He added, “I understand the seriousness of this matter and ask that you respect the p...

buzzz worthy. . . I was told you have not lived until you have had a Canadian butter crisp.  White House pastry chef Susan Morrison incorporated this traditional dessert into a "snow capped" last course for the Canada State Dinner.  A fully edible sugar forest, representing the border the U.S. and Canada shares was an additional dessert option.  At the Obama's 11th edition of the dinner, a first for Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, linking elements of the coming Spring and the border was the focus of the culinary and decor spread  said White House Social Secretary Deesha Dyer.

buzzz worthy. . . Gun control belongs at the center of presidential debates.The number of gun deaths in the last 24 hours in the U.S. is up and it is not due to terrorism or police brutality.  Candidates must come forth with a clear answer on how they plan to reform gun control. The political narrative in debates has shifted to focusing on foreign policy and other issues. Meanwhile, reports of gun related deaths are prominent in national new headlines.  A 4 year-old shot his mother, a pro-gun advocate, in the back, 3 officers were shot and killed (one fatally) in Woodbridge, VA and 5 people were killed in an ambush in Philadelphia to name a few recent incidents involving gun violence.  Jesse Jackson has said both poverty and gun control deserve to be top priority in the candidates addressing the nation on their readiness to lead. The civil rights icon elaborates here .

buzzz worthy. . . IMMERSE is Slated for June 13-15 at Lipscomb University in Nashville, TN, Offering Unprecedented Training for Developing Artists, Songwriters and Worship Leaders Reduced Registration Available Now Through March 31 at www.ExperienceIMMERSE.com Nashville, TN (February 24, 2016) – The Gospel Music Association is excited to announce its first round of artists and industry leaders for IMMERSE 2016.  Joining this year is Dove Awards New Artist of the Year, Lauren Daigle, Dove Awards Producer and Songwriter of the Year, Seth Mosley and Artist & Dove Awards Winning Producer,  VaShawn Mitchell.  The eighth annual IMMERSE Conference is set for June 13-15, 2016. To facilitate the growing demand after last year’s sell-out attendance, the 2016 event is relocating to a new home at Lipscomb University. This move allows for a greater number of aspiring talent and future industry leaders to receive unprecedented instruction and mentoring fro...

buzzz worthy. . .#letgirlslearn NEW YORK (AP) -- A number of high-profile entertainers - including Oprah Winfrey, Mary J. Blige, Charlize Theron and Meryl Streep - have signed an open letter calling on world leaders to fight for gender equality across the globe. The letter released Sunday states that some 62 million girls around the world are denied the right to education, 500 million women can't read and 155 countries have laws that discriminate against women. "Nowhere on earth do women have as many opportunities as men. Nowhere," the letter states. "The fight for gender equality is global." Signers also include Tina Fey, Robert Redford, Shonda Rhimes, Ashley Judd, Amy Poehler, Colin Farrell, Danai Gurira, Connie Britton, Elton John, Patricia Arquette, Muhammed Ali, Sheryl Sandberg and Sean Parker. The push is organized by the ONE Campaign, co-founded by Irish rocker Bono to end extreme poverty and disease. "We still living in a time perio...

buzzz worthy. . .#letgirlslearn FIRST LADY MICHELLE OBAMA CELEBRATES ONE YEAR OF LET GIRLS LEARN, AND ANNOUNCES NEW COMMITMENTS TO THE INITIATIVE In March 2015, the President and the First Lady  launched  Let Girls Learn, a U.S. government initiative aimed at helping adolescent girls attain a quality education that empowers them to reach their full potential. The recently released FY 2017 President’s Budget has requested more than $100 million in new funds for the initiative, building on the $250 million in funds requested in the FY 2016 President’s Budget to launch the initiative. Additionally, foreign governments, including  Japan ,  South Korea  and the  UK , hav e  collectively pledged nearly $600 million towards global girls’ education programming. Domestically, the First Lady is galvanizing students to become global citizens, from launching the  #62MillionGirls  social media campaign last September, to releasing the Let G...

buzzz worthy. . . Installation of a custom-designed digital organ is first ever in a performing arts center worldwide WEST PALM BEACH, Fla., March 9, 2016 --   The Raymond F. Kravis Center for the Performing Arts will be making history tonight when it becomes the first performing arts center in the world to install and feature a technologically advanced digital organ in its future productions. The custom-designed instrument is a gift from philanthropist Alex W. Dreyfoos, founding Chair of the Board of Directors of the Kravis Center. It is being financed by part of a $5 million gift from Mr. Dreyfoos who requested that $1.5 million of the total gift be allocated to a custom-designed Marshall & Ogletree George W. Mergens Memorial Organ of the Kravis Center. The instrument will be dedicated in honor of Mr. Dreyfoos' late business partner and longtime friend, George W. Mergens. The new organ - with an impressive ability to intensify sound to new heights - will be pre...

buzzz worthy. . . PR -- Multiple Grammy- and Gospel Music Association Dove Award-winning musician Yolanda Adams and Grammy Award-winning contemporary Christian music star Michael W. Smith are set to appear in THE PASSION, the two-hour epic musical event airing LIVE from New Orleans on Palm Sunday, March 20 (8:00-10:00 PM ET live/PT tape-delayed) on FOX. Adams will kick off the show with a special live performance and Smith has been tapped for a role as one of Jesus’ disciples. Adams and Smith join previously announced host and narrator Tyler Perry, and cast members Jencarlos Canela (Jesus Christ), Chris Daughtry (Judas), Prince Royce (the disciple Peter), Seal (Pontius Pilate) and Trisha Yearwood (Mary, the mother of Jesus). THE PASSION, written by Peter Barsocchini (“High School Musical”), tells the 2000-year-old story of the last hours of Jesus Christ’s life on earth through passages from the Bible and a variety of contemporary popular music, sung by the cast, and arrang...