VIBE Salutes Geronimo Pratt, Former Black Panther Leader

Nearly a week after his tragic and sudden death, family and close friends gathered near Chicago to celebrate the life of Juice WRLD. The 21-year-old recording artist was laid to rest during a private ceremony at the Holy Temple Cathedral Church of God in Harvey, Ill. on Friday (Dec. 13)

According to TMZ, attendees included numerous staff members and executive from Juice WRLD’s label home, Interscope Records. The funeral program featured a photo collage of the “Lucid Dreams” rapper, born Jarad Anthony Higgins, and a touching dedication from his mother, Carmella Wallace.

“My dear son Jarad, God trusted me to raise you and I poured all I had into you as the Lord guided me. We were inseparable and even though you left home early, we were always in each other’s hearts and always had a special bond,” she wrote. “We were always overjoyed to see each other, and you still called me ‘mommy’ as you hugged and kiss me when you saw me. Your love was pure and innocent, and your heart was genuine. You truly cared about people and wanted to make the world a better place.”

“I am going to miss you dearly,” Wallace added in closing. “Rest in peace my dear one; mommy loves you.”

#JuiceWRLD Funeral Held Today In Chicago 🙏🏾 pic.twitter.com/NlpB7Eg37W

— Kollege Kidd (@KollegeKidd) December 13, 2019

Fans also held a memorial in his honor at Chicago’s Cloud Gate, also known as The Bean.

On Dec. 8, Juice WRLD suffered a seizure upon landing at Chicago Midway Airport via private plane. After receiving a tip about drugs and weapons being on the plane, federal authorities began searching passenger bags which allegedly prompted Juice WRLD to swallow multiple Percocets in an attempt to hide the pills from FBI agents.

His exact cause of death has yet to be determined.

Tom Joyner signed off from his nationally syndicated radio show for a final time on Friday (Dec. 13). For the last 25 years, The Tom Joyner Morning Show has entertained and informed listeners with a mixture of music, commentary, comedians, celebrity interviews and more.

Joyner’s intention with his show has been to empower and entertain, he said in an interview with CBS News. “Our thing has always been to empower people. But to empower, we have to first entertain. If I've got you laughing, I've got you listening.”

The Tom Joyner Morning Show, which debuted in 1994, is the top rated urban radio program in the nation, airing in 105 markets nationwide, with eight million daily listeners. Joyner, who became the first black radio personality to land a syndicated radio show, credits his success with “super-serving” the black community.

“Don't worry about crossover,” said Joyner. “Just super serve, super serve, super serve. Anything that affects African Americans, that's what you do. Just worry about connecting to people and their needs.”

A native of Tuskegee, Ala., and graduate of Tuskegee University, Joyner got his start in college radio. Having grown up in a town centered in the civil rights movement, Joyner didn't hesitate to protest the lack of black artists receiving radio play, and doing so landed him a job.

“So I'm out there protesting the fact our radio station in this all-black town didn't play any black music,” he recalled. “And this guy who owned the radio station, which was inside a Ford dealership, came out and said, 'I don't need this. I'm trying to really sell some cars.' Tell you what, it's a sun up, sun down station, every Saturday, I'll let one of you play all the Aretha and The Temptations that you want.”

After college, Joyner jumped from different radio stations around the South and Midwest, one of which was owned by Ebony and Jet magazine owner, John H. Johnson. In the mid-80s, Joyner held down jobs in Chicago and Dallas, which earned him the nickname “Fly Jock.”

Joyner made $14 million a year at the height of his radio career, though his salary began to drop. “It got to a point where they would – 'All right, we're gonna cut your salary in half.' 'Okay.' 'And then in half.' 'Okay.' And then in half two years ago,” Joyner said. “Because my salary was based on my results, and not only was I losing affiliates but radio industry as a whole was losing traction.”

When asked if he would have stayed in radio for a higher paycheck he replied with a laugh, "Heck yeah. Shoot, my goal was to die on the radio. Have my funeral on the radio.”

Watch Joyner’s full interview in the video below.

 

Spike Lee is mourning the death of his Do The Right Thing co-star and friend, Danny Aiello. The 86-year-old actor passed away at a New Jersey hospital on Thursday (Dec. 12) following a brief illness.

“I am heartbroken,” Lee captioned a snapshot with Aiello taken from Do The Right Thing. “Just found out my brother Danny Aiello made his transition last night. Danny, we made cinema history together with Do the Right Thing. May you rest in paradise.”

Lee followed up the touching post with multiple photos of Aiello over the years. Aiello portrayed, Sal, a Brooklyn pizza shop owner and boss of Lee’s character, Mookie. Lee wrote, directed, starred in and produced Do the Right Thing, which earned Aiello an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting actor and a nod for Best Screenplay.

 

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I’m 💜 Broken. Just Found Out My Brother DANNY AIELLO Made His Transition Last Night. Danny,We Made Cinema History Together With DO THE RIGHT THING. May You Rest In PARADISE.🙏🏿🙏🏿🙏🏿🙏🏿🙏🏿🙏🏿🙏🏿🙏🏿🙏🏿🙏🏿🙏🏿🙏🏿🙏🏿🙏🏿🙏🏿🙏🏿🙏🏿🙏🏿🙏🏿🙏🏿🙏🏿🙏🏿🙏🏿🙏🏿🙏🏿🙏🏿🙏🏿🙏🏿🙏🏿🙏🏿🙏🏿🙏🏿🙏🏿🙏🏿🙏🏿🙏🏿🙏🏿🙏🏿🙏🏿🙏🏿🙏🏿🙏🏿🙏🏿🙏🏿🙏🏿🙏🏿🙏🏿🙏🏿🙏🏿🙏🏿🙏🏿🙏🏿🙏🏿🙏🏿🙏🏿🙏🏿🙏🏿🙏🏿🙏🏿🙏🏿🙏🏿🙏🏿🙏🏿🙏🏿🙏🏿🙏🏿🙏🏿🙏🏿🙏🏿🙏🏿🙏🏿🙏🏿🙏🏿🙏🏿🙏🏿🙏🏿🙏🏿🙏🏿🙏🏿🙏🏿🙏🏿🙏🏿

A post shared by Spike Lee (@officialspikelee) on Dec 13, 2019 at 7:02am PST

 

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SAL and MOOKIE.

A post shared by Spike Lee (@officialspikelee) on Dec 13, 2019 at 7:22am PST

 

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This Was The Last Time Danny AIELLO And I We’re Together. Danny Blessed Us With His Presence At The 30th Anniversary DO THE RIGHT THING Block Party -June 30th,20019.

A post shared by Spike Lee (@officialspikelee) on Dec 13, 2019 at 7:55am PST

Aiello, a native New Yorker, broke into the film world in the 1970s. His acting credits include, The Godfather Part II, Harlem Nights, Once Upon a Time in America, Moostruck.

“It is with profound sorrow to report that Danny Aiello, beloved husband, father, grandfather, actor and musician passed away last night after a brief illness. The family asks for privacy at this time read a statement on Aiello's Facebook page. A public memorial service for Aiello will be held next Thursday (Dec. 19) afternoon at The Riverside Memorial Chapel in New York City.

In honor of Aiello’s character, Sal’s Pizzeria in Brooklyn will give out 300 slices of pizza to customers on Friday, so long as they follow a few steps.

Read all the details in Lee’s Instagram post below.

 

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In Honor Of Our Late Brother DANNY AIELLO,Sal’s Pizzeria Is Giving Out 300 Hot And Tasty Slices. You Must Say You Read It On Spike’s Instagram.One 🍕Per Customer. Sal’s Pizzeria Is Open To 11pm Tonight. The Address 305 Court Street At The Corner Of Court And Degraw In Carrol Gardens,In Da People’s Republic Of Brooklyn. ABSOLUTELY NO EXTRA CHEESE.🤪🤪🤪🤪🤪🤪🍕🍕🍕🍕🍕🍕🍕🍕🍕🍕🍕🍕🍕🍕🍕🍕🍕🍕🍕🍕🍕🍕🍕🍕🍕🍕🍕🍕🍕🍕🍕🍕🍕🍕🍕🍕🇮🇹🇮🇹🇮🇹🇮🇹🇮🇹🇮🇹🇮🇹🇮🇹🇮🇹🇮🇹🇮🇹🇮🇹🇮🇹🇮🇹🇮🇹🇮🇹🇮🇹🇮🇹🇮🇹🇮🇹🇮🇹🇮🇹🇮🇹🇮🇹🇮🇹🇮🇹🇮🇹🇮🇹🇮🇹🇮🇹🇮🇹🇮🇹🇮🇹🇮🇹🇮🇹I🇮🇹🇮🇹🇮🇹🇮🇹🇮🇹🇮🇹🇮🇹🇮🇹🇮🇹🇮🇹🇮🇹🇮🇹🇮🇹🇮🇹🇮🇹🇮🇹🇮🇹

A post shared by Spike Lee (@officialspikelee) on Dec 13, 2019 at 12:35pm PST