Black Actresses Make History With Two Emmy Nominations For Lead Roles… But Was Empire Snubbed?

It’s already a historic year for Black actresses as not one, but two have earned Emmy nominations for lead in a drama series. Viola Davis and Taraji P. Henson have each been nominated for roles in How to Get Away With Murder and Empire, respectively, presenting a true shot at a first ever Black woman win in a competitive category. Not to mention Queen Latifanh’s nod at Bessie Smith in HBO’s Bessie. Woop!

While the Empire cast is no doubt excited to see if Cookie is tough enough to take home a trophy, director Lee Daniels seems to feel his show was snubbed. Aside from Henson’s nomination, the hit Fox series received two other nods—in the costume category. In an Instagram video with Jussie Smollett, 55-year-old Daniels gave some pretty curt sentiments: “F*ck these motherf*ckers.” (He later said he was just “having fun.”) Now that’s how to get away with murder!

Read it at LA Times.

Cash Money Sues Tidal $50 Million Over Lil Wayne’s The Free Weezy Album

Birdman is holding on tight to Cash Money’s legacy rapper, Lil Wayne. Weezy’s longtime label is suing the Tidal music streaming service for $50 million for streaming The Free Weezy Album without consent, claiming exclusive rights to Wayne’s music. The lawsuit even goes as far as taking shots at Jay Z’s latest venture, naming the release “a desperate and illegal attempt to save their struggling streaming service.” (Petty!) Tidal maintains that Lil Wayne gave permission to stream his music in exchange for partial ownership of the company, while CM says the rapper has no right to do so.

Read it at TMZ.

Jidenna Writes Open Letter About Nigeria: “I Always Will Be Proud of My Heritage”

Jidenna burst onto the music scene this year with his debut single “Classic Man,” one of 2015’s best songs. Yet with that spotlight has come some criticism, most notably with regard to a recent interview with DJ Vlad in which the Nigerian-born artist spoke about the threat of kidnapping in his homeland. Some felt the comments shed a negative light on the African nation and reinforced stereotypes. The Wondaland singer/MC wrote an open letter about Nigeria in response.

“I am, always have been, and always will be proud of my Nigerian heritage,” he wrote, before shedding light on a personal story from his past that influenced his comments. “When I was 5 years old, my family was robbed at gunpoint. My mother was beaten, family members were kidnapped, and I was shot in my foot. As is the case with all kidnapping, targeting those who are perceived to be wealthy is the objective. In this instance, my father (a university professor) was the target because of his prominence in the community.”

Read it at XXL.