Yvonne Orji Is Filming Her First HBO Comedy Special At Howard & We Are Here For It
In a little over two months, Insecure will finally return to HBO after a two-year hiatus, but it's clear that the cast has been doing everything but taking time off since the last time we saw them on-screen.
Amanda Seales, who recently became a permanent host on The Real, and showrunner Issa Rae have been all the way in their bags with their latest business endeavors and reports show that our good sis Yvonne Orji has also been silently securing a check.
Instagram/@YvonneOrji
Along with releasing her first book, Bamboozled by Jesus: How God Tricked Me Into the Life of My Dreams (and 20 Lessons I Learned Along the Way), and working on her own TV show, the 36-year-old Nigerian-American entertainer will also be taping her first HBO stand-up comedy special on Howard University's campus and we are here for absolutely all of it.
Yvonne told the Chicago Tribune that although her comedic talents may not be what she's widely known for, her jokes are what her land her first major gig in the industry:
"It's funny, Issa met me as a standup, yet so many fans are just discovering that this is a thing that I do. This is how I got my start. So going on this tour has kind of introduced my fans to, this is what the creator of the show saw and that's how we became friends."
The hour-long special will be filmed live at the DC-based HBCU on February 29 and will premiere on the network this summer.
Scroll below for more Black AF headlines in the news this week!
1.'Queen Of Katwe' Actress Nikita Waligwa Dies At 15 Years Old
Disney
On Saturday, Disney actress Nikita Waligwa, who was described by friends as a "ball of light" died of a brain tumor after an intense battle with brain cancer. The actress starred in the 2016 film Queen of Katwe alongside Lupita Nyong'o.
2.Ne-Yo Confirms Split With Crystal Harris
Stefanie Keenan / Getty
This month, both R&B singer Ne-Yo and his estranged wife, Crystal Smith have broken their silence on their divorce after four years of marriage. In an interview released last weekend, Ne-Yo explained:
"We realize that our demons don't mesh and until both of us get a hold of our personal demons, it's gonna be just difficult for us to stay married. With that being said, that's that, that's the end of that chapter, not the end of the book. Like I said, that's the mother of my kids and I love her to death. We're going to be family forever."
3.According To The Internet, Tiffany Haddish & Common Are Totally A Thing
After Common's (very amicable) split with political commentator, Angela Rye, rumors swirled that the two were a thing and their recent appearance at the All-Star game pretty much confirmed that for Black Twitter.
4.K Camp Shows Love To The 14-Year-Old Tik Toker Whose Viral Dance Broke The Internet
Cultural appropriation is alive and well in America and this 14-year-old TikTok user is proof that representation is powerful AF. Jalaiah Harmon and her friend Skylar are the originators of the most viral dance on the internet right now. Since no one gave her credit for it, K Camp pulled up and showed lil' sis some love and it's probably the best thing you'll see all day.
Featured image by Instagram/@Yvonne Orji.
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Taylor "Pretty" Honore is a spiritually centered and equally provocative rapper from Baton Rouge, Louisiana with a love for people and storytelling. You can probably find me planting herbs in your local community garden, blasting "Back That Thang Up" from my mini speaker. Let's get to know each other: @prettyhonore.
ItGirl 100 Honors Black Women Who Create Culture & Put On For Their Cities
As they say, create the change you want to see in this world, besties. That’s why xoNecole linked up with Hyundai for the inaugural ItGirl 100 List, a celebration of 100 Genzennial women who aren’t afraid to pull up their own seats to the table. Across regions and industries, these women embody the essence of discovering self-value through purpose, honey! They're fierce, they’re ultra-creative, and we know they make their cities proud.
VIEW THE FULL ITGIRL 100 LIST HERE.
Don’t forget to also check out the ItGirl Directory, featuring 50 Black-woman-owned marketing and branding agencies, photographers and videographers, publicists, and more.
THE ITGIRL MEMO
I. An ItGirl puts on for her city and masters her self-worth through purpose.
II. An ItGirl celebrates all the things that make her unique.
III. An ItGirl empowers others to become the best versions of themselves.
IV. An ItGirl leads by example, inspiring others through her actions and integrity.
V. An ItGirl paves the way for authenticity and diversity in all aspects of life.
VI. An ItGirl uses the power of her voice to advocate for positive change in the world.
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Sheila Rashid's Androgynous Approach To Unisex Clothing Is A Lesson In Embracing Individuality
The ItGirl 100 List is a celebration of 100 Black women who aren’t afraid to pull up their own seats to the table.
For Sheila Rashid, it all started with some free-hand drawings and a few strokes of paint.
The Chicago-based clothing designer and creative director of Sheila Rashid Brand recalls using her spare time in high school to hand paint designs on t-shirts and distressed hoodies, distributing them to classmates as walking billboards for her art.
Rashid sought to pursue fashion design at Columbia College in Chicago but eventually took the self-taught route to build upon her knack for crafting one-of-a-kind, androgynous pieces.
Courtesy
Thanks to the mentorship of local designers taking her under their wings, Rashid was able to gain valuable experience in putting together collections and creating patterns; equipping her with them with the necessary skills to pursue her own collections.
After two years of living in New York, Rashid returned home to the Chi and uncovered the unique flair she could offer the city. “I moved to New York after that because I wanted to be in the fashion capital world,” she tells xoNecole. “That's when I really got a leg up. I found myself when I moved back to Chicago after moving to New York.”
For the Midwest native, inspiration comes from her time around creative peers and the city’s notorious winters — known to be a main character in many Chicagoans stories. “It's a different perspective and mindset when I'm making stuff because of the weather here,” she explains. “When we get summer, it’s ‘Summertime Chi’ — it's amazing. It's beautiful. Still, I find myself always making clothes that cater to the winter.”
"I moved to New York after that because I wanted to be in the fashion capital world. That's when I really got a leg up. I found myself when I moved back to Chicago after moving to New York.”
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Many designers have a signature aesthetic or theme in their creations. In Rashid’s design story, dancing between the lines of femininity and masculinity is how she’s been able to distinguish herself within the industry. Her androgynous clothing has garnered the eye of celebrities like Zendaya, Chance the Rapper, WNBA star Sydney Colson, and more — showing her range and approach to designs with inclusivity in mind.
“I think I do reflect my own style,” she says. “When I do make pieces, I'm very tomboyish, androgynous. My work is unisex because I feel like everybody can wear it. I cater to everybody and that's how I try to approach my clothes.” From denim to overalls, and color-drenched outerwear, Rashid has mastered the structure of statement pieces that tell a story.
“Each collection, I never know what's going to be the thing I'm going to focus on. I try to reflect my own style and have fun with the storytelling,” she shares. “I look at it more like it's my art in this small way of expressing myself, so it's not that calculated.”
"My work is unisex because I feel like everybody can wear it. I cater to everybody and that's how I try to approach my clothes."
Courtesy
Still, if you were able to add up all the moments within Rashid’s 20-year career in design, one theme that has multiplied her into becoming an “ItGirl” is her confidence to take up space within the fashion industry as a queer, Black woman. “Being an ItGirl is about being yourself, loving what you do, finding your niche, and mastering that,” she says.
No matter where you are on your ItGirl journey, Rashid says to always remain persistent and never hesitate to share your art with the world. “Don’t give up. Even if it's something small, finish it and don't be afraid to put it out,” she says, “It's about tackling your own fear of feeling like you have to please everybody, but just please yourself, and that's good enough.”
To learn more about the ItGirl 100 List, view the full list here.
Featured image Courtesy