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Dru-Lei Interview

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Today, I interview Dru-Lei of NEU. Now that Simba has been rereleased, he gives us some information for his upcoming project titled The Golden Child, and he lets us in on some of his upcoming appearances and features. Check out his music here.

  • What made you want to get into music?

I was born into music, my mother is a singer at her church and my father played music all the time like; Jazz, R&B, Blues, 90’s and 80’s music. My brothers were also into music. All of that made me want to be a part of it and dive deep into the culture.

  • Who is one of your major influences?

Michael Jackson. Everything about him made me want to be like him. But, now it’s like I want to be better than him, or have my name mentioned in the same breath as his.

  • Where did the name NEU come from?

That's really a question for Trilly Too Busy. But NEU stands for Nonchalant Enigmatic Uniqueness, we're laid back & don't get into the negativity that surrounds us in Jersey, we're hard to understand cause we're a different breed compared to the music scene of South Jersey & that's what really makes us unique. We’re 4 geniuses that know what the dream is and we’re trying make it a reality, teamwork makes the dream work!

  • Why rerelease Simba?

It didn’t do the numbers that I wanted, I wanted it to be heard by more people. And I want to release something for people to listen to until The Golden Child is released.

  • Who are some artists that you would like to work with and why?

Lauryn Hill, if I could get her back to who she was during The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill days, I would work with her while she was like that. Another artist that I would have to choose would be Tori Kelly. She’s an amazing person, she has a great voice and she’s an amazing song-writer.

  • What should we expect from The Golden Child?

Great music. Different from anything that you’ve previously heard from me.

  • Why name your project The Golden Child?

I look at myself as “The Golden Child” because I haven't gotten a bad review on anything I've done so far, so I feel like the people love me. I said a line on #IJustWannaRap “Baby girl I’m the Golden Child, I guarantee they know me now”, listening back to that line made my mind up “that's the title, The Golden Child”

  • What does it take to be on song with Dru-Lei?

You just have to have the heart to ask me, right now at least. I spread love, I got nothing but love for artists so if you ask me for a feature you got it.

  • Are you just a rapper, producer, or an artist?

I am an Artist, I’m so much more than a rapper, I don't just produce, and my artistry expands all the time.

  • Where do you see yourself within 10 in the music industry?

To be a growing legend, a fan favorite, if you think of music, Dru-Lei is one of the first names to come to mind. Nothing cliché or anything, I wanna be one of the greatest & cement my legacy.

 

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Ariana Grande – 34+35 (Remix) feat. Doja Cat & Megan Thee Stallion

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Ariana Grande, Megan Thee Stallion, and Doja Cat have teamed up for a new remix of Grande’s Positions track 34+35.

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Film & Television

Why Did Michaela Coel Walk Away From a $1 Million Dollar Deal with Netflix?

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Michaela Coel, the star of HBO’s hit series I May Destroy You had to decline Netflix’s $1 million offer after the streaming giant refused to allow her to retain “at least 5 percent of her rights” for the show.

Coel’s success in the U.S. is largely credited to Netflix. The streamer was the U.S. distributor of Coel’s acclaimed comedy series Chewing Gum. Netflix also housed a feature musical titled Been So Long in which Coel was the lead, as well as the drama series Black Earth Rising. Coel also starred in an Emmy-winning episode of Black Mirror, also distributed by Netflix. So, naturally, Coel’s history with the streaming platform made it the premier destination for her new project. After a short negotiation with a Netflix executive, however, Coel had to find a different home for I May Destroy You in order to maintain ownership of the series.

According to Vulture, Coel recalled that Netflix made her a $1 million offer for I May Destroy You in spring 2017 but she turned it down. Why? The streamer wouldn’t allow her to retain any percentage of the copyright. Coel even discontinued her relationship with CAA after it “tried to push her to take the deal”.

I May Destry You is based on Coel’s personal experience of being sexually assaulted during the making of Chewing Gum. At the age of 32, Coel is in full creative control of the series as its showrunner, director, star, and writer. She wrote all 12 episodes and co-directed nine, stars as a young writer Arabella struggling to come to terms and process a recent assault.

The series is now streaming on HBO.

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Film & Television

Ava DuVernay and Whoopi Goldberg Elected to The Academy’s Board of Governors

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The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has just elected members to its 2020-2021 Board of Governors. Among the six newly elected governors are director Ava DuVernay. EGOT winner Whoopi Goldberg has been re-elected for a second three-year term.

For those not familiar with the work of the Board of Governors, here is a breakdown of how it works and what it does.

Per Oscars official website, The Board of Governors directs the Academy’s strategic vision, preserves the organization’s financial health and assures the fulfillment of its mission.

Governors attend 6-8 board meetings annually (in person or by video). Each Governor also serves on one board oversight committee and their branch’s executive committee, and they are expected to represent their branch at numerous Academy events through the year.

The Academy has a total of 18 branches, including the actors branch and directors branch, where Goldberg and DuVernay will serve. Each branch is represented by three governors who are elected for three-year terms.

Since the #OscarSoWhite campaign in 2015, the Academy has been making efforts to increase diversity across the board. After the most recent election, out of 54 governors, the number of female Academy governors increased from 25 to 26, and people of color increased from 11 to 12.

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