deerstalker
https://www.blackenterprise.com/summer-jam-irv-gotti-stage/
Written by Ebony Johnson
The Summer season in the tri-state area kicked off with the annual Hot 97 Summer Jam, Friday, June 20—and an honorable tribute to Murder Inc.’s Capo Irv Gotti. In its 31st year, the hip-hop event was powered by the Black Promoters Collective and continues to draw crowds and delight audiences. The 2025 lineup brought JaRule, Gunna, Glorilla, Kash Doll, Jim Jones and Meek Mill to Newark, New Jersey’s Prudential Center stage—among others like A Boogie and Muni Long. Fans even got a dose of Jada Kiss. The Yonkers rapper blessed the building with his presence and mic with his verse off the track “I’m From New York” alongside JaRule.
Cash Cobain hit the stage with hits like “Fisherr” and “Slizzy,” and introduced Zeddy Will to perform “Get Jiggy.” The set was brief but filled with high energy and followed by Tanzanian artist Diamond Platnumz, who graced the stage with an amazing dance crew. Ayra Starr performed “Rush” and “Bloody Samaritan,” and got some good audience engagement as they performed some adlibs to her song. Masicka followed Asake with a surprise performance, giving a live presentation of what it’s like behind the doors of Magic City. If you know you know.
The highlight of the night was a tribute to Murder Inc hitmaker and founder Irv Gotti. Irving Lorenzo, died Feb. 5 of a stroke after a lengthy battle with diabetes. Gotti was the engine behind Ja Rule’s solo career, and singer Ashanti’s early success. Irv produced hits for Jay-Z, DMX, Jennifer Lopez, Lloyd, Fat Joe and others. A montage of Irv’s life was shared with concertgoers. It included pictures of Irv, his parents, his friends and his record label.
The Irv Gotti tribute included a throwback roster of Murder Inc. members from the early 2000s. As Deniece Williams’ classic song “Free” plays, the crowd is shocked when Mic Geronimo performs his song “Sh-t’s Real.” It’s clear his performance is a special one. Ja Rule’s friends included Lloyd, Charli Baltimore and Vita. Hope lingered. Fingers were crossed that maybe Ashanti would pop out to perform one song. Unfortunately, that did not happen.
Nonetheless, what would Summer Jam be without Funkmaster Flex? New York City’s veteran DJ set the tone for the rest of the show with his turntable talent and ability to transition from one song to the next in a matter of seconds?
Jim Jones took the stage, performing songs with Juelz Santana, Rowdy Rebel, Bay Swagg and Zeddy WIll again (it was an amazing night for him). As mics were cut from Jim Jones’ set, the Dipset rapper expressed he gets dreams and nightmares when that happens. The next thing the crowd knows, Philly rapper Meek Mill is standing on stage performing his hit song “Dreams and Nightmares,” not once but twice with the audience so loud he didn’t need to rap a word.
Muni Long hits the stage at midnight to perform her songs: “Hrs & Hrs” and “Made for Me.” Glorilla follows and brings remarkable energy and choreography to perform a plethora of her hit songs: “TGIF,” “Yeah Glo!” and “Wanna Be” and more. She brought life back to the audience for Gunna’s arrival. Gunna performs “Top Off,” “P Power,” “Pushin P” and he finishes with “Fukumean.”
A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie hits the stage at 2am. His hits “Jungle” and “DTB” set the crowd off. Boogie’s songs “My Sh-t”, “Look Back At It” and “Drowning” finished the night on a positive note.
All-in-all, Summer Jam was an eventful night filled with amazing performances and dope contributions to Black Music Month.
RELATED CONTENT: Gladys Knight, Stephanie Mills, Patti LaBelle, And Chaka Khan Bring 6 Decades Of Soul To ‘Queens Tour’
Written by Ebony Johnson
The Summer season in the tri-state area kicked off with the annual Hot 97 Summer Jam, Friday, June 20—and an honorable tribute to Murder Inc.’s Capo Irv Gotti. In its 31st year, the hip-hop event was powered by the Black Promoters Collective and continues to draw crowds and delight audiences. The 2025 lineup brought JaRule, Gunna, Glorilla, Kash Doll, Jim Jones and Meek Mill to Newark, New Jersey’s Prudential Center stage—among others like A Boogie and Muni Long. Fans even got a dose of Jada Kiss. The Yonkers rapper blessed the building with his presence and mic with his verse off the track “I’m From New York” alongside JaRule.
Cash Cobain hit the stage with hits like “Fisherr” and “Slizzy,” and introduced Zeddy Will to perform “Get Jiggy.” The set was brief but filled with high energy and followed by Tanzanian artist Diamond Platnumz, who graced the stage with an amazing dance crew. Ayra Starr performed “Rush” and “Bloody Samaritan,” and got some good audience engagement as they performed some adlibs to her song. Masicka followed Asake with a surprise performance, giving a live presentation of what it’s like behind the doors of Magic City. If you know you know.
The highlight of the night was a tribute to Murder Inc hitmaker and founder Irv Gotti. Irving Lorenzo, died Feb. 5 of a stroke after a lengthy battle with diabetes. Gotti was the engine behind Ja Rule’s solo career, and singer Ashanti’s early success. Irv produced hits for Jay-Z, DMX, Jennifer Lopez, Lloyd, Fat Joe and others. A montage of Irv’s life was shared with concertgoers. It included pictures of Irv, his parents, his friends and his record label.
The Irv Gotti tribute included a throwback roster of Murder Inc. members from the early 2000s. As Deniece Williams’ classic song “Free” plays, the crowd is shocked when Mic Geronimo performs his song “Sh-t’s Real.” It’s clear his performance is a special one. Ja Rule’s friends included Lloyd, Charli Baltimore and Vita. Hope lingered. Fingers were crossed that maybe Ashanti would pop out to perform one song. Unfortunately, that did not happen.
Nonetheless, what would Summer Jam be without Funkmaster Flex? New York City’s veteran DJ set the tone for the rest of the show with his turntable talent and ability to transition from one song to the next in a matter of seconds?
Jim Jones took the stage, performing songs with Juelz Santana, Rowdy Rebel, Bay Swagg and Zeddy WIll again (it was an amazing night for him). As mics were cut from Jim Jones’ set, the Dipset rapper expressed he gets dreams and nightmares when that happens. The next thing the crowd knows, Philly rapper Meek Mill is standing on stage performing his hit song “Dreams and Nightmares,” not once but twice with the audience so loud he didn’t need to rap a word.
Muni Long hits the stage at midnight to perform her songs: “Hrs & Hrs” and “Made for Me.” Glorilla follows and brings remarkable energy and choreography to perform a plethora of her hit songs: “TGIF,” “Yeah Glo!” and “Wanna Be” and more. She brought life back to the audience for Gunna’s arrival. Gunna performs “Top Off,” “P Power,” “Pushin P” and he finishes with “Fukumean.”
A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie hits the stage at 2am. His hits “Jungle” and “DTB” set the crowd off. Boogie’s songs “My Sh-t”, “Look Back At It” and “Drowning” finished the night on a positive note.
All-in-all, Summer Jam was an eventful night filled with amazing performances and dope contributions to Black Music Month.
RELATED CONTENT: Gladys Knight, Stephanie Mills, Patti LaBelle, And Chaka Khan Bring 6 Decades Of Soul To ‘Queens Tour’
Netflix is no stranger to adding animation to the lineup, near and far. As we ride into the summer season, we’re receiving a taste of everything that is coming for the rest of the year: anime, the family friendly shows, the animation for the littles in your household along with some surprising and hotly anticipated adult animated fixtures coming. Let’s dig in and see what awaits us!
The second half of 2025 is filled with a variety of new and returning animated series and films spanning across multiple mediums and genres. The upcoming slate includes highly anticipated adult animation titles like Long Story Short and Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell: Deathwatch; more must-watch anime titles like SAKAMOTO DAYS S1: Part 2, and Leviathan; family friendly film In your Dreams and the definitely not-for-kids R-rated comedy, Fixed; along with new and returning kids series including Dr. Seuss’s Red Fish, Blue Fish, and Gabby’s Dollhouse returning for Season 12. With 2025 only halfway over, there is still so much more to come!
UPCOMING FAMILY FILMS
June 20: KPop Demon Hunters
When K-pop superstars Rumi, Mira and Zoey aren’t selling out stadiums, they’re using their secret powers to protect their fans from supernatural threats.
November 14: In Your Dreams
What if your dreams could become reality? Stevie and her little brother Elliot journey into the wildly absurd landscape of their own dreams to ask the Sandman to grant them the perfect family. Get ready for the adventure of a nighttime in Netflix’s brand-new animated film, In Your Dreams. Featuring Jolie Hoang-Rappaport, Elias Janssen, Craig Robinson, Simu Liu, and Cristin Milioti.
UPCOMING ANIME
July 24: My Melody & Kuromi
A stop-motion animation series starring My Melody and Kuromi, two globally popular Sanrio characters, is born! My Melody is a straightforward and cheerful girl. Kuromi, the self-proclaimed rival to My Melody, may seem like a troublemaker, but she is actually quite girly. In this original story, these two polar opposites team up to face a crisis that threatens the fate of Mariland, the town where they live. The theme song will be “Kawaii (Prod. Gen Hoshino),” performed by the world-renowned five-piece girls’ group LE SSERAFIM and produced by Gen Hoshino!
UPCOMING KIDS & FAMILY SERIES
About Netflix:
Netflix is one of the world’s leading entertainment services, with over 300 million paid memberships in over 190 countries enjoying TV series, films and games across a wide variety of genres and languages. Members can play, pause, and resume watching as much as they want, anytime, anywhere, and can change their plans at any time.
Find Netflix Anime: 
:ANIME TWITTER: / netflixanime :JAPAN ANIME TWITTER: / netflixjp_anime
Love anime? So do we! See what else we have to offer on the site via anime here!
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The post Netflix Reveals Animation Lineup Through December 2025 appeared first on Black Nerd Problems.
Squid Game, as we know it, has come to an end. The South Korean drama/horror series, which is supposedly dystopian, but honestly hits just a little too close to home, received a three-season run in total. Honestly, many were surprised to see Squid Game go beyond one season, but the series’ popularity kept it going. Season 3 of Squid Game is now out in the world, and we won’t spoil it for you here. But we will discuss the ending tag on the final episode ever of Netflix’s Squid Game, which features the cameo of a major Hollywood star and sets up the inevitable… an English-language spinoff that we’ve already heard a little bit about.
Who Cameos In the Final Episode of Squid Game Season 3?
An unexpected face appears in the very final minutes of Squid Game. But which Hollywood star cameos in the final moments of Squid Game season 3? Why, it’s Cate Blanchett. As we leave behind the original story of Squid Game, we see the nefarious “game” has gone international.
Cate Blanchett is clearly located in the United States’ Los Angeles in the Squid Game‘s very last episode. And Blanchett is, you guessed it, recruiting Americans to play in the US’ very own version of the deadly competition. Undoubtedly, Blanchett will have a lot of luck with her quest, and we see that she’s already snagged in one poor soul. She gives a nod to In-ho, the Front Man, and he drives off, passing the Squid Game torch.
What Does Cate Blanchett’s Finale Cameo Mean for the Squid Game Franchise?
But what does Cate Blanchett’s appearance in the Squid Game season 3/series finale mean? Well, we’ve heard whispers of an English-language Squid Game spinoff series since October of 2024. And Blanchett’s Squid Game scene appears to confirm this offshoot show. Although Netflix hasn’t officially commented on an English-language Squid Game, this cameo appears to confirm that it’s gotten a… green light and will star Blanchett in a new take on the show’s conceit.
What Do We Already Know About an English-Language Squid Game Spinoff on Netflix?
In October of 2024, we heard that David Fincher was attached to develop an English-language Squid Game spinoff. At the time, Netflix didn’t comment. And we still don’t know if Fincher is involved here. But since Fincher has handled Mindhunter and House of Cards for Netflix. It seems plausible. And now, we have the first member of our cast, Cate Blanchett.
The idea of an English-language spinoff of Squid Game raises one key question: is it really necessary? But we guess with a team of Blanchett and Fincher, we’ll let an LA-based version of Squid Game at least take a shot.
The post SQUID GAME Finale Episode Sees Major Star Set Up English-Language Spinoff appeared first on Nerdist.
There are moments when you see someone’s work and just know that they are going to manifest greatness at every possible turn. An intrepid young creator crafts something that builds on existing work and leaps fearlessly toward the next level. Enter, Z Cher-Aime: creator, writer, director, and voice actor on the animated short film Captain Zero: Into The Abyss Part II. Who leaves nothing to your imagination and tells you outright, ‘Oh, I’m about to cook something fierce, strap in and stay tuned’ and then does it. Black nuance, context, and reference take the wheel in CZ2 and never let up. Let’s get into it.
First and foremost, I couldn’t stop seeing Cher-Aime all over my Twitter timeline. For the last year or two, our algorithms would align because of some animation or comics discourse. As the production of CZ2 was ramping up and funding was needed, Cher-Aime made no bones about asking up front. There’s a stigma creators have developed around asking for funds, which is counterintuitive because we live in a deeply capitalist society. It was refreshing to see someone, a maker, be like, ‘Yo, give me money. I put everything into this project, and it’s dope AF’. Of course, they didn’t say it like that, but what drew me to their work was their constantly clever reuse of the Disney animated Robin Hood meme. You might know the one, an image of Robin in disguise as a beggar with a cup and sunglasses. I can’t even count how many times they used it to update folks on the funding progress, except that I shared it every single time. I shared it because I saw Cher-Aime’s drive, desire, and initiative to get Captain Zero off the ground. Their enthusiasm for their work was so infectious that they made a fan out of me before I ever saw the film.
After more than a year of online interactions, I have finally seen Captain Zero: Into The Abyss Part II. It goes kinda hard.
The Look (Context)
The animation style in Captain Zero is elevated, to say the least. It doesn’t hide from itself by trying to look like anyone else’s work but is clearly a student of the game. Taking bits and pieces and shaping them into a unique, sharp, thin outlines and glossy catches of light that immediately brought me back to Peter Cheung’s work on Aeon Flux. A staccato kind of fluidity that captures the unique movement of each character, somewhere directly between the smoothness of Osmosis Jones and the dropped frame style of the Sony Spider-Verse films. Action perspectives are placed so well that they conjure the aura of Dragon Ball Z. If Captain Zero’s Oblivion (voiced by Pose powerhouse Angelica Ross) menacingly walking toward Xerxes doesn’t make you think of Broly setting it on Trunks and Gohan in ‘93, then you don’t see the vision. Of course, the brilliance of the design team at Cutting Edge Animation in throwing a vaporwave color scheme-slash-RuPaul Season One filter, along with the old school VHS distortion (and the FBI intro!) to ground the feel of the world of New Troy City cannot be overlooked or understated. Attention to detail is the name of the game in animation, and Captain Zero II nails it.
The Feel (Nuance)
Captain Zero II was so clearly conceived through the lens of the Black experience. It feels comfortable for me to watch as someone having a Black experience. The captions do some amazing work to display the nuance where dialogue and facial expressions alone might go over folks’ heads. Being that this is a short film, a lot of character building needs to happen in a tight timeframe. Framing the whole thing as interstitials between moments in a therapy session is a smart way to get to the root of what drives and torments Xerxes/Captain Zero (voiced by Z Cher-Aime) quickly and effectively.
Nuance is a powerful tool for bringing underrepresented voices and perspectives into any endeavor, more so for a short film debuting at *checks notes* the Tribeca Film Festival (!). So, to have a Black lead character is already a big enough deal. Add to that having a Trans actor voice a Trans character whose color scheme is also the Trans flag’s. The nuance lives in the fact that this is not brought up or extolled upon. You just have to know, to know. Buttafly Girl (voiced by Zolee Griggs) is a Black, femme superhero with mechanical wings who can fly, run super fast, and her hands WORK. All these characters simply exist, and it is everything.
There’s no way we’re going to get through this without noting that acting luminary Keith David is a part of this cast as the abyssal entity plaguing Xerxes and Captain Zero. What does it mean in real life for Cher-Aime to have the GOAT voice actor lend his legacy to the project? (So much, so very much) But what layer of nuance does it add to the project to bring mental health and wellness into the fold as a primary narrative device? Can you imagine how many consumers of animation and Black media will come across this and have that symbolism hit them like a ton of bricks? So much is accomplished within and around this short piece of animation that is worthy of accolades. I’d be remiss not to say that I feel like Keith David revels in the pathos of his darker roles. David’s turn as The Depression Demon is the polar opposite of his Spawn, with the evil intent of his Hordak, the gravitas of his Goliath, but spoken with the creepy omnipotence of his Devil (from Hit-Monkey). It’s kind of scary.
The Nod (Reference)
An aspect of Captain Zero II that cannot be undersold is the cultural references. All kinds of culture, Internet culture, anime culture, superhero culture, Black culture – too much to even articulate in this article! They can be hard to spot upfront, but goodness gracious, they are so present. My favorite has to be the captions reading, “Collective Black confusion,” “white disbelief,” and “white embarrassment.” The animation tells the story of those moments, but adding the visual text adds a great layer for viewers and for audiences who might be hard of hearing.
The long and short of the narrative is about Xerxes dealing with his insecurity and unknowingly succumbing to the personification of his depression. Visual cues to his low self-image are all everywhere. In small facial expressions, being called out by Oblivion in 4K on the news, the depression entity showing up on the jeering faces of his classmates. The point is made enough times that the therapy scenes with Dr. Niobe (also voiced by Angelica Ross), we are familiar with the language of Xerxes lying about how he’s doing. Using the dual/secret identity as both a trope of superheroism on the surface and a tactic for avoidance in therapy is a stroke of genius that plays well at both levels.
Impressed, But Not Surprised
Short films are one of the most challenging pieces of media to deliver. Often, they don’t live long enough in the zeitgeist after their festival runs to be more than a very expensive business card for the production team. I was deeply impressed with what Captain Zero: Into The Abyss Part II was able to pull off. To get all of these pieces into place is one thing, but to do it with a predominantly Black voice cast while exploring a Black male protagonist’s mental health?! Even more impressive. However, when I look at the quality and intention of the work, the team assembled to put it together, I note the accolades and reviews spilling in. I remain impressed, but not at all surprised. At present, Cher-Aime is looking at a potential theatrical release for CZ2 in 2027. (Check out the OG Captain Zero: Part I here!) Stay tuned on where to find it next by tapping into @CaptainZeroTAS on social media.
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The post ‘Captain Zero: Into The Abyss: Part II’ Review appeared first on Black Nerd Problems.