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CELEBS GIVE BACK: FIRST LADY Michelle Obama & Kerry Washington "FREEZE-DANCE" And Brings The "Arts" To D.C. Kids

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First Lady Michelle Obama joined actress Kerry Washington to help inspire community children to change their lives through the arts recently.  Find out where they went and what they did inside…

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First lady Michelle Obama and actress Kerry Washington appeared at Savoy Elementary School in southeast Washington, D.C today as part of the Turnaround Arts initiative of the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities.

The program gives grants to low-income schools, in an effort to improve students’ overall performance through arts education. Several celebrities have signed on for the program with  Kerry adopting Savoy Elementary and actor Forest Whitaker and actress Sarah Jessica Parker each adopting schools last month.

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During her talk, which include a few dance moves, the FLOTUS touted Kerry for her committment to the program and enouraged the school kids to keep striving for success, even when faced with failure and rejection.

“Kerry got a lot of rejections She spent a lot of time developing her craft. She spent a lot of time practicing and working and trying out for things and having people tell her. ‘No,’ ‘No thank you,’ ‘You’re not good enough,’ ‘You’re not pretty enough.’ Could you imagine somebody telling Kerry that she wasn’t pretty enough, she wasn’t tall enough, she was too short? That’s all performing is, is rejection. … But when you work hard and you invest thousands of hours in anything, you get better. And that’s what you guys are learning here at Savoy.”

 

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During her remarks, she also thanked Kerry for her level of involvement and called her a "friend". 

"She’s not just a beautiful, fashionable, talented woman, but she’s real inside, and there is beauty deep inside. The fact that she is flying all over the country but she comes to spend time with you guys, and she does it for real; the fact that she’s taken time out of her schedule to come here today, it shows a level of respect for me, of course, and our friendship, but it shows more her love for all of you. So, Kerry, love you, girl. Keep it going. Very proud of you."

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And Kerry really threw her hat in the ring with the children…she kicked off her heels and joined the kids on stage for some and dance.

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Later in the day, Kerry also read stories to one of the third grade classes.

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And a few lucky kids in Jacqueline Lyons’ Pre-K Class go to meet the FLOTUS up close, as she spent time doing arts and crafts with the class. 

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The First Lady even got the kids on their feet where they freeze-danced to James Brown’s “Gonna Have a Funky Good Time."   A funky good time indeed….

 


Photos via McNamee/Getty Images North America

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Original Post Source – http://www.theybf.com/

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(Video) MUMU FRESH – “MY WHY” @maimounayoussef

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Grammy-nominated Washington, D.C.-based singer/songwriter/emcee Mumu Fresh presents her new single “My Why”. Produced by Carvin Haggins and Johhny Smith, “My Why” will appear on The Healing, Mumu’s forthcoming album which will also feature contributions from DJ Jazzy Jeff, Nile Hargrove, 14KT, Daniel Crawford, Vidal Davis, DJ Dummy and more. Mumu has collaborated with Lil Wayne & Tech N9ne (stream “Too Good”), Busta Rhymes, Salaam Remi & Black Thought of The Roots (watch the music video for “No Peace”) and Common (watch Mumu Fresh and Common perform “I Used To Love H.E.R.” live) and Tobi Nwigwe (watch the music video for “Tundah Fiyah”). Mumu has performed on two separate NPR Tiny Desk concerts (watch Mumu Fresh featuring Black Thought of The Roots & DJ Dummy on NPR’s Tiny Desk) and has performed worldwide at events like the Essence Music Festival, Montreux Switzerland’s Jazz Festival and Dubai’s Sole Fest DBX. “State of Emergency” marks another chapter in a career of self-described “art activism” for the Baltimore native who has performed and given lectures within the US prison system, The Congressional Black Caucus, I.M.A.N. Central in Chicago & Atlanta, The W. K. Kellogg Foundation, Ford Foundation and The Indigenous People’s Movement. Mumu is co-creator of the Recording Academy’s “Best Song For Social Change” trustee award which went live in 2023 at the 66th GRAMMY awards show and was presented by The First Lady, Jill Biden. The winner of Indigenous Music, Washington Area Music (WAMMIE) and Urban World Music Video awards, Mumu has served as Musical and Cultural Ambassador for the US State Department, Ambassador of The Black Music Collective and is a former elected governor of the DC chapter of The Recording Academy. Mumu describes “My Why” as “a tribute to that person(s), place, or thing in your life that is your “WHY”. Your reason not to give up. Your reason to keep trying and to push a little harder than you thought you could. You why reminds you of what you’re made of and brings out the best in you.” The Healing drops April 19.

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Santa Sallet X Nemizzo (MSP) – “Big Hands”

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DMV-based rapper/producer Santa Sallet and France-based producer Nemizzo are MSP, presenting their new single “Big Hands”. Sallet has been busy showcasing his brand of East Coast braggadocious rap across a slew of recent singles like “Camouflage” (watch on Youtube), “I Get Money” (watch on Youtube), “Championship Ring” (watch on Youtube) and “Chinese Funk” (watch on Youtube) in preparation for the release of Plutography, Sallet’s forthcoming album which blends salsa beats, southern trap, and eastern jazz with classic and conventional rap samples, reflecting Sallet’s international upbringing across South Africa, Dominica and the US. Sallet is planning a series of full-length releases, among them C.R.E.A.M. which recounts his journey from broke to financially free, and Women and R.A.P. which describe his pursuit of success in relationships and the music industry respectively. “This is the song that really started MSP Tunes,” Santa says. “Nemizzo had laid down his verse and I was like, let me try something on this and I just talked about what I knew. What I think is funny, the outro is actually me recording a bunch of potential beat tags. There was a miscommunication and Nemizzo extended the beat and made it the outro. I like it though lol.” Check out Santa Sallet merch here.

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Big YBA Releases Highly-Anticipated ‘Definition Of Living’ [Deluxe]

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Upping the ante, NC representative Big YBA unloads the Deluxe edition of his most recent album the Definition of Living. Featuring five new tracks including “New York,” “For Your Love,” “Rap Assassin,” “Rebellious,” and “Cut ‘Em Off,” which was premiered by way of popular live performance platform Off The Curb, the enhanced body of work accents the original flawlessly.

Three months removed from his “Swag Surfin'” sampling collaboration “Hypnotic” featuring Rich The Kid signee SetitOff83 and the strategic seeding of LP standouts “30, “Rookie, “Lord Forgive Me,” “Venting Session,” “Mercy,” and “DOA,” the now 20 track collection of songs includes a lone guest appearance from GetRichZay while production duties are handled by Jozzex, KH Beatz, Maineestreamm, Prod No Heart, and Trippy XVI.

Raised in Durham, Big YBA is rapidly emerging as one of the most electrifying young artists from the Carolinas. With a brand built on authenticity, his versatility and melodic sound have allowed him to break through the industry release after release. Determined to experience success outside of his hometown, he views his personal and professional growth as motivation for listeners with similar ambitions.

Stream the Definition of Living (Deluxe) via Nu Nation / Vydia as well as watch his Off The Curb performance visual for “Cut ‘Em Off” after the jump.

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