Singer Ashanti Hopes to Uplift Children With First Book

Photo credit: @walik1 @redcarpetimages/Instagram

After finding success as a singer, songwriter and actress — Ashanti has set her eyes on conquering the literary world.

The Grammy Award-winning singer, who has sold over 27 million records, released "My Name Is a Story" today.

Inspired by her struggles as a child, the 41-year-old artist's first outing as an author is a picture book starring her younger self that aims to instill confidence in its readers.

"I wrote this book to remind children that every name is special and deserves to be honored and celebrated," she wrote on Instagram about her reasons for writing the book.

She added, " Every name tells a story. What’s in a name? Everything! Saying each other’s names correctly is one way to value and see people fully. My hope is that MY NAME IS A STORY will be an inspiration to anyone who has been made fun of because their name was different, or had their name mispronounced or not pronounced at all."

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The star dropped by the Essence Festival of Culture earlier this month to celebrate the book launch by swapping stories with and signing copies for fans. She had so much fun that the session lasted an hour longer than intended according to reporting by PEOPLE.

"The stories were like, 'I'm so glad that you're doing this because I always felt embarrassed when it was time for the teacher to call out everyone's name and she would stutter on my name,' " Ashanti told the publication about her conversations with fans. "I didn't want them to feel like that."

The book is available to order on all major platforms now. 

Jamie Foxx, Snoop Dogg Join Forces to Slay Vampires in 'Day Shift'

They say religion is the opiate of the masses. That may be true, but if so, entertainment is not far behind, and movies are perhaps its most effective delivery method.

There are likely several reasons "Top Gun: Maverick" clocked a billion dollars at the box office 36 years after the original, but one of them is surely the collective need for a break from reality.

In a world where global warming, class wars, political unrest and a persistent pandemic have made life — less than optimal— sometimes 120 minutes in a fantasy world is the perfect prescription for the new-millennium blues.

With that in mind, the mad doctors at Netflix may have stumbled onto this summer's best remedy for that ailment with their latest offer.

Combining the talents of two of hip-hop and R&Bs finest, "Day Shift" is a modern-day take on the vampire genre that looks better than it has any right to be if the final cut lives up to the action-packed trailer.

Tha Dogg gone Vampire Huntin. #DayShift out on @netflix August 12th 👏🏿👏🏿🍿 pic.twitter.com/lfF0F9rL8n

— Snoop Dogg (@SnoopDogg) July 11, 2022

Rap legend Snoop Dogg and Oscar-winning actor Jamie Foxx, who has also been nominated for eight Grammys for his musical contribution and won one, portray unionized vampire hunters in the tale. It's a twist that Starbucks' corporate is sure to hate but it provides context for the motivation of Foxx's character, who has fallen out of favor with the union and is doing jobs on the side when not cleaning pools to make ends meet. The duo is joined by Dave Franco in a role that plays to his talents as a straight-man and comic relief.

Netflix boasts the film is “from the people who taught John Wick how to kick ass" in the trailer, and the movie does have strong ties to the highly praised action trilogy.

Director JJ Perry was a second unit director and stunt coordinator whose previous credits include the John Wick franchise, and the movie was adapted from an original script by Tyler Tice that has been revised by Shay Hatten ("John Wick: Chapter 3- Parabellum" and "John Wick: Chapter 4").

Check out the synopsis below and watch the official trailer.

Day Shift tells the story of longtime vampire hunter Bud Jablonski (Jamie Foxx), a man whose relationship with his wife (Meagan Good) and daughter (Zion Broadnax) is somewhat strained because of his secret line of work. While Bud’s family generally goes with the story that he works as a pool cleaner, in reality, he’s one of the many vampire hunters operating around the world to take out the blood-sucking ghouls for sizable bounties. Unlike Bud, who somehow managed to get himself booted from the union in the past, hunters like Big John Elliott (Snoop Dogg) count on their membership to get paid and stay involved in the larger fight against evil.

Keke Palmer Teams up With McDonald's to Surprise Future Black Leaders With $220,000

Keke Palmer (center) strikes a pose with the Future 22 leaders.

Keke Palmer continues to champion black business owners, entrepreneurship and leadership.

Just months after partnering with Amazon to support Black women business owners in honor of Women’s History Month, the 28-year-old singer and actress recently teamed up with McDonald's to recognize future Black leaders who are affecting change in their communities.

As the spokesperson for Future 22, a program designed to honor 22 visionaries who are “shattering ceilings and breaking barriers to create meaningful change in communities across the country” according to the company, Palmer surprised the group with checks for $10,000 apiece at last weekend’s ESSENCE Festival of Culture in New Orleans.

Palmer, who got her start as a child actress before transitioning into more mature roles and adding a burgeoning singing career to her portfolio, said in a statement that it was an honor to celebrate the leaders.

“They are creating bright futures for themselves and the next generation – and, really, all of us – and the excitement on their faces during the McDonald's surprise gave me joy," she said.

The recipients of the cash were varied and included everyone from a STEM educator who is leveling the playing field for Black and brown children in computer science to a financial literacy champion who is bridging the financial gap in inner cities, according to McDonald’s.

Palmer also participated in a fireside chat with the Future 22 leaders moderated by McDonald's Senior Director of Cultural Engagement, Elizabeth Campbell. She provided tips on staying true to one's mission, finding balance while changing the world and paving the way for others, among other topics.

"This year's Essence Fest theme was Black Joy, and we couldn't wait to celebrate all 22 leaders and bring them to New Orleans, in honor of their accomplishments," said Campbell of the event.”

She added, “It was more special than imagined, representing our commitment to feeding and fostering the communities we serve."