Mike Epps Confirmed for Richard Pryor Biopic

Comedy king Mike Epps got to show off his serious acting chops with a short role as Richard Pryor in the yet-to-be-released Nina Simone biopic, Nina. But it looks like Epps will be getting a whole reel of film to get his Pryor on, because it’s been confirmed that the veteran comedian will play the lead role in the King of Comedy’s upcoming biopic. Oprah Winfrey, Lee Daniels (who’s directing) and Mike himself posted a group photo of them on the Richard Pryor movie set. So yeah, there you have it. (This should be good.)

Read it at Rhymes with Snitch.

Lil’ Kim and K. Michelle Clash on Twitter

Lil’ Kim and K. Michelle have one major thing in common: they both seem to attract a lot of enemies. So it was only a matter of time before the two supposed “friends” turned on each other, right? Well, that’s exactly what happened, and it all started when K. made the mistake (or not) of calling Nicki Minaj the “Queen of Rap” after watching her performance at the MTV VMAs. Not surprisingly, Kim’s fans had a moment and called her out for disrespecting the Queen Bee’s legacy. And in true K. Michelle fashion, she went off!

Kimmy came to her fans’ defense and called the “V.S.O.P.” singer’s tweets “shady,” which sparked a back-and-forth between the two. The argument ended with both of them making comments about the other being too old for the Twitter beef (nooo!), and how a phone call should’ve been placed to settle the squabble instead. But ehh, we already saw the drama unfold, so I’m thinking it’s a little too late for that.

Read it at BET.

Monica Speaks Out Against Gun Violence After Losing a Close Friend

You may know Monica for her powerhouse vocals and classic ’90s tracks, but the revered singer recently decided to use her voice for more than just soulful singalongs. Over the weekend, her brother-in-law’s best friend, Chris, fell victim to a senseless act of gun violence. His death inspired the esteemed songstress to take a stand against the growing epidemic of shooting deaths in our communities. In a profound tribute to Chris on her Instagram account, she said:

“…You were gunned down, taken from your children & in this cold cruel world that cares more now about reporting fashion & who’s dating who there was barely a mention on the news.. #WakeUpWorld the old burying the young is NOT the way it’s supposed to be. People only care for us as much as we care for ourselves … Change has GOT to come!!! #GoneToSoon”

Condolences to Monica and her family. And please, let’s stop the nonsense.

Read it at Madame Noire.