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inger Alicia Keys’ “Hell’s Kitchen” scores 13 Tony nominations, Wizkid features on Jamaican artiste Shenseea’s sophomore album, and LeBron James addresses rumors about his plans for next season. Stay in the know with our Rave News Digest, which summarizes five of the hottest global news stories you need to catch up on, saving you time and energy. Consider it your daily news fix.
1. Alicia Keys’ “Hell’s Kitchen” scores 13 Tony nominations
13 TONY Nominations is worthy of popping a bottle at 7am 🤯🤯🤯🤯 — Alicia Keys
The 2024 Tony Awards nominations have been announced, and Alicia Keys’ play “Hell’s Kitchen” has done very well. It got 13 nominations, the same as another show, “Stereophonic.” “Hell’s Kitchen” is about Alicia Keys’ early life in New York City and is up for awards including Best Musical, Best Book of a Musical, Best Direction, and Best Choreography. Actors Maleah Joi Moon and Brandon Victor Dixon also received nominations for their performances in the play.
Other nominees this year include Leslie Odom, Jr., who was nominated for Best Actor in a Leading Role in a Play for “Purlie Victorious: A Non-Confederate.” The play’s director, Kenny Leon, is up for Best Direction. Sky Lakota-Lynch has been nominated for Best Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical for “The Outsiders.” The 77th Tony Awards will be held on Sunday, June 16.
2. Wizkid to feature on Jamaican pop star Shenseea’s sophomore album
NEVER GETS LATE HERE 🐉 — Shenseea
The music world is excited as Jamaican singer Shenseea is getting ready to release her second album, “Never Gets Late Here,” on May 24. The album includes 14 songs, but one in particular is catching everyone’s attention: a song called “Work Me Out” featuring Nigerian star Wizkid.
Fans are eagerly waiting for this song because it blends Caribbean and Afrobeats music, promising a sound that will attract listeners everywhere. Shenseea’s work with Wizkid shows she’s keen on breaking new ground in music and crossing cultural lines with her songs. Besides Wizkid, her album also has other exciting tracks and collaborations, like “Hit & Run” with Masicka and Di Genius, “Flava” with Coi Leray, and “Red Flag” with Anitta.
3. South Africa: Tyla and US rapper Gunna spotted in Joburg for ‘Jump’ music video shoot and at Konka
American rapper Gunna joined Tyla in South Africa to shoot the music video for her popular song “Jump” from her first album. Their presence excited the local fans. Tyla’s album, released in March, has been a hit both locally and internationally. Besides filming in Johannesburg, Tyla and Gunna also visited Konka, a well-known spot in Soweto, where Gunna performed his latest song, “Fukumean.” Gunna is familiar with Amapiano and Afrobeats music styles and has gained global recognition with his work on Sarz’s song “Happiness,” featuring Asake.
4. Viola Davis and her husband, Julius Tennon launch book publisher JVL Media
Viola Davis, her husband Julius Tennon, and publisher Lavaille Lavette are launching JVL Media, a new publisher and packager focused on diverse and underrepresented voices.
— Publishers Weekly
Viola Davis and her husband, Julius Tennon, are starting their own book publishing company called JVL Media. They’re working with Lavaille Lavette, who will lead the company. Their goal is to publish books by authors who haven’t had many opportunities before. JVL Media will release both non-fiction and fiction books. Some of their first books will be “Had to Lose to Win: The Tiki Davis Story” by Tiki Davis and “The Inclusion Leader Genius” by Dr. Johné Battle.
Davis and Tennon have already produced successful movies and TV shows through their company, JuVee Productions, including “The Woman King” and “How to Get Away with Murder.” These projects also focused on sharing stories of people who are often overlooked. Upcoming fiction from JVL Media includes “New Hope” by Tanya Wright and “Black States of America” by D. E. Rogers, a science fiction story imagining a different history for Black Americans if Abraham Lincoln had survived. By fall 2025, JVL Media plans to start publishing children’s and young adult books as well.
5. LeBron James addresses rumors about his plans for next season
I’ve seen, heard a lot of reports about my future. I said it last night and I’ll say it again. I do not know yet as I’m only thinking about spending time with my family & friends! When I know after speaking with the fam, my counsel as
— LeBron James
After the Denver Nuggets beat the Los Angeles Lakers in five games during the first playoff round, LeBron James mentioned he would share his plans for next season when the time is right. On X (formerly Twitter), he addressed the rumors about his future, saying, “I’ve seen, heard a lot of reports about my future. I said it last night and I’ll say it again. I do not know yet as I’m only thinking about spending time with my family & friends!” He added, “When I know after speaking with the fam, my counsel as well as my representation about it then you guys will know.”
Speculation about James’s future began after his comments at a post-game press conference when asked if that game might have been his last with the Lakers. He responded, “I’m not going to answer that.” Under his current contract, James has the option to leave the Lakers and become a free agent, allowing him to negotiate a potentially large new deal with them or join another team. If he decides to stay for the final year of his current contract, he would earn $51.4 million for the 2024–25 season and could extend his contract to earn an additional $112 million from 2025 to 2027.
Featured Image: @aliciakeys/Instagram
Our Weekday News Digest summarizes five of the hottest news topics worldwide–including celebrity news from Hollywood to Nollywood, the latest trending global headlines from American reports to top African news today, and the best sports stories in 2024.
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