Lil Jon Opens A School In Ghana

Image: Instagram

Atlanta native, Jonathan Smith, better known as rapper Lil Jon, has raised money to give back in an amazing way. Partnering with the non-profit organization, Pencils of Promise, which was founded in 2008 and has built over 400 schools, Lil Jon opened a primary school in eastern Ghana's Asuogyaman District.

In an Instagram post, the rapper dedicated the Abomayaw D.A. Kindergarten to the people of the community and his mother, Carrie Smith-Williams, who died from complications of diabetes in 2013. After her death, Lil Jon used his Facebook page to raise awareness of the disease and also used his TV platform to educate the masses on diabetes research programs during his time on Celebrity Apprentice.

In the past, Smith has also raised money for schools in his hometown of Atlanta.

The new Abomayaw school will give children in the Asuogyaman District a safe and stable place to learn.

In addition to being the King of Crunk, it's safe to say that Lil Jon has earned another title as well: King of Compassion.

3 Actors Whose Vocals Rival Their Thespian Abilities

Rotimi

Image: Instagram

Most prominently known for his role as the club-managing, drug-moving character, Andre, on Starz Network’s show Power, the Nigerian-American actor is also a formidable crooner. He’s a force to be reckoned with on the small screen, as well as the big screen -- starring in such movies as Black Nativity and Divergent, but his vocal skills are not to be undercut. With four mixtapes and an EP under his belt, he’s no newcomer to the music scene. If you’re a Power fan, try listening to Rotimi’s “Want More” & “Baecation” from his a debut EP, Jeep Music Vol. 1 (released in August of 2017), and you’ll [almost] forget how much of a prick his character,  Andre, is becoming on the show.  All jokes aside, dude’s got major talent – and sex appeal. Try listening to “Anything Goes” from his Royal Wednesday mixtape while simultaneously scrolling down his Instagram page and you might start to view him in a different light, seriously.

Demetria McKinney

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Demetria McKinney is widely known for her recovering drug-addict character, Janine, on Tyler Perry’s House of Payne. McKinney appears on the show Saints & Sinners, which airs on Bounce TV as the network’s first original drama, and she has a recurring role on BET’s college drama, The Quad. Demetria takes on the role of the legendary icon, Whitney Houston, in the controversial movie highlighting the life of Houston’s late daughter, Bobbi Kristina, which is set to air on TVOne October 08, 2017 at 7 pm.  She also had a short stint on the popular reality show, The Real Housewives of Atlanta, and released a song titled “Unnecessary Trouble”, featuring castmate and fellow vocalist, Kandi Burruss, in late 2015. The song hits on the topic of staying out of our girlfriends’ relationship problems and it’s actually a banger. She released a few singles prior to her reality TV fame, including “Still Believe In Love”, featuring Musiq Soulchild, and “Work With Me” in which she requests compassion in dealing with her past relationship baggage. We see her beautiful face on our TV screens as someone’s mother or wife, but her music deserves just as much attention. Not only is the writing superb, her vocals are AMAZING. A favorite, “Easy”, which was released in early 2017, in which she proclaims her self-worth over a mellow beat, showcases her top notch vocals. To catch more of this multi-talented queen’s singing ability, try listening to “Is This Love” and you will be left feeling like you just stepped out of the 80s with some Deniece Williams vibes. Her debut album, “Officially Yours”, will drop on October 06, 2017.

Antonique Smith

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Antonique Smith’s claim to fame was her role as R&B singer Faith Evans, the ex-wife of the late hip-hop artist, Notorious B.I.G., in his biopic, Notorious.  She was previously a Broadway star, with a role in the musical Rent, but Smith exited stage left to focus on film and music. Her striking beauty landed her in music videos for hip-hop artists such as Nas and Rick Ross, but Antonique is far more than an actress with a pretty face. This girl can SANG! Her debut single, “Hold Up Wait A Minute (Woo Woo)”, was up for a Grammy in 2015. Her album, “Love Is Everything”, showcases her vocals and the woman did not come to play. “Higher” is a favorite – serving vocals and lyrics! Hopefully, we’ll hear more music from Antonique in the future.

3 Underrated Musical Artists

In this era of reality show superstars and millennial obsession with absurdity and outlandish trends, true talent can get lost in the dust. As an avid fan of 90s R&B, when music had meaning and singers were true vocalists, I yearn to find some semblance of what I consider the soundtrack of my teenaged years. When I come across music that gives me flashbacks, I become kind of obsessed with it -- and its deliverer. With that said, here are a few artists who have kept my love of R&B music aflame... but aren't given the love they deserve in the music industry:

Sevyn Streeter

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I fell in love with Sevyn when I heard "It Won't Stop" on the radio back in 2013 from her EP 'Call Me Crazy But...". When I tell you that EP was fire, please believe that I am not exaggerating one bit. I still get caught on it ever so often and play "B.A.N.S." on full blast so maybe my ex can hear it... wherever he is. She released two EPs and then her first LP studio album, Girl Disrupted, in 2017. Not only are her vocals ON POINT, she's also an amazing songwriter, which tells me that she's passionate... and passion makes for great soulful music - which she delivers impeccably. Sevyn's song "Anything U Want", from her debut full-length album, is amazingly reminiscent of a 90s SWV song. Her music takes me somewhere, and I love her for it. 

Tamar Braxton

Image: Instagram

Diva extraordinaire, Tamar Estine Braxton, grabbed my attention on her family's reality show, Braxton Family Values. She is outrageously hilarious and her original taglines took the world by storm. I was a fan of her beautiful sister, Toni Braxton, long before the reality show first aired in 2011, but Tamar won me over with her authentic absurdity! Then, I heard her sing and... I became a Tamartian. I was oblivious to her debut self-titled album, which debuted in 2000, but once "Love and War" dropped in 2013, I was SICK. This album dug up emotions within me that I thought were irretrievable! Real words with real vocals. Her song "Pieces" leaves my emotions in shambles every single time I hear it. Like a true, classic R&B artist, she released a Christmas album. Then came "Calling All Lovers" -- such a true masterpiece from start to finish. 'Broken Record' and 'Never' always get special playback. Her fifth LP is set to release later this month and she says it will be her last, which is utterly unacceptable to me. Either way, I'll keep her albums in heavy rotation eternally.

LeToya Luckett

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Yeah, the girl who was kicked out of Destiny's Child. I think people get so hung up on that fact and forget that she's actually a very talented singer. She's also a great actress and showcases her talent in her long-form visuals for her most recent album, "Back 2 Life". She caught my attention back in 2006 when 'Torn' dropped from her debut self-titled album. 'Obvious' was on repeat all throughout 2007! She came back in 2009 with her second solo album, "Lady Love", which was pretty much created a true fan out of me. I played that album into the ground. Earlier in 2017 when I heard "B2L" (from her latest album of the same title) and peeped the video, her talent once again slapped me in the face. I listened to the whole album and she stays true to what real music should provide -- a relatable story. So 90s of her! I love the visuals behind the album... very well put together and entertaining. Love her.

These artists have loyal fanbases but are still very underrated in my opinion. I hope they keep giving us real R&B fans what we need, not what we're used to *LeToya Luckett voice*.