A DAY IN "THE LIFE OF RILEY"

MORE HOSTING

I’ll share cryptically – for now – that I just wrapped a day of co-hosting an on-line show that is “all about the Benjamins” (a clue, but not DIDDY or REVOLT! LOL!). Instead, it will be something ELSE from THE LIFE OF RILEY that you can see soon! STAY TUNED… and as always, THANKS FOR YOUR SUPPORT, FOLKS!

HARLEM SHAKE

UPTOWN SATURDAY NIGHT! Was too excited to be a part of HARLEM HISTORY as I hosted the Miss Harlem Shake 2014 pageant. One of the #Top 5 --- Ljeoma (PRONOUNCED E-JAMA) --- won! She’s a health educator, PHd student, and blogger. In addition to winning cash prizes and a slew of great SWAG, she raised $1,000 for her charity: Harlem's Children Zone, which I’ve had a the chance to chronicle a few times for recurring client “Oprah”. Ljeoma’s favorite meal at Harlem Shake is the BBQ Onion Burger and the jerk fries. The celebrity judge panel was fierce too: make-up artists extraordinaire Cynde Watson and Kevin McQueen; the debonaire Byl Thompson with CACHE; Broadway royalty and Harlem entrepreneur, Tony nominee Brenda Braxton; dancer/choreographer supreme Manwe; theater icon, storied stage manager of Broadway, Mr. Kenneth Hanson ; and the fiery Farrah Burns AKA The Harlem Chanteuse; and one of my favorite people of all time: the legendary Ms. Vy Higgensen who Founded and heads up Mama Foundation for the Arts. Her beautiful daughter Knoelle entertained the enthusiastic crowd with Minnie Ripperton’s "Loving You". And the sponsors were so great – including: Chatman Cakes, Sober Up, Uptown magazine, Harlem trends, Harlem Haberdashery, Jembere eyewear, graffiti artist Kindo Harper, DjNessdigital ,and more! Special shout out to Musa Jackson whose Musa Jackson Productions booked me and organized the event. And to the Harlem Shake TEAM plus ALL-of-the behind the scenes team-members – most pointedly, owner of Harlem Shake: Jelena Pasic who noted to me the night went beyond her expectations. Congrats to Ljeoma: the 2014 Miss Harlem Shake. abulous Job. See you next year! #MissHarlemShake2014 #Top5 p.s. Ant and I did an after set with one of our favorite couples: Brian and Nikita Henderson. We enjoyed karaoke at Radio Star. FUN!

 KEHINDE

I love me some Lola Ogunnaike who – along with Shannon Lanier – co-hosts Arise Entertainment 360 where I do Broadway and pop culture round-ups and re-caps + I get to guest co-host with her.

Well, I told her at a recent Kehinde Wiley party that the guest co-host (yours truly) expects to be invited to the baby shower as she has announced to us all (though I knew for a month now) that she and her hubby are expecting their new addition at the end of the year! CONGRATS, LOLA!

And that good news came with the great occasion we were attending: the PREMIERE of a film EXECUTIVE PRODUCED by my friend Lamar Johnson: “Kehinde Wiley: An Economy of Grace” (a MUST-SEE on PBS or somewhere nearby… and MISS LOLA has a cameo! Check it out on www.pbs.org).  

SPEAKING OF ARISE ENTERTAINMENT 360, the full episodes for my last two guest co-hosting stints on ARISE ENTERTAINMENT 360 are here:

http://www.arise.tv/entertainment/arise-360-25-08-8038  

 and

http://www.arise.tv/entertainment/arise-360-26-08-8017  

 ALWAYS A BLAST to GUEST CO-HOST on Arise Entertainment 360 with Lola Ogunnaike and Shannon Lanier: http://thelifeofriley.squarespace.com/rilys-blog/tag/arise-entertainment-360.

 Arise News is on TV now in NYC/NJ area - 18 million homes Mon-Fri 2pm on Time Warner Cable #92 & Verizon FiOS #481 plus still on millions of TVs overseas. And it's coming this FALL 2014 to CentricTV - BET Networks. As always, THANKS FOR YOUR SUPPORT! XO #ARISE360 #LOR_kehinde #kehindewileyPBS #economyofgrace #aneconomyofgrace #ARISE360 #ARISEENT360

SYLVESTER

We have to SHOUT OUT Anthony Wayne and his partner Kendrell Bowman (along with their partner, my favorite DIVA Sheryl Lee Ralph) as they unveiled Mighty Real: A Fabulous Sylvester Musical at the Theatre At St. Clement'st. It’s an ALL-MONTH-LONG-AND-BEYOND run – so please get your tickets and come out and feel #MIGHTYREAL!! Several of my FAVs were in the house - including Jamie Foster Brown, Michaela angela Davis, DjStormin Norman, Kendrick Jim Brown Reid, Derrick Hemphill, and more! FUN NIGHT and FIERCE PERFORMANCES! www.FABULOUSSYLVESTER.com  AND http://www.facebook.com/FABSYLVESTER.  

 We were too excited when Anthony Wayne graciously popped by our Spring 2014 series of “Billie’s Black Presents All Star Karaoke” with Patrick L. Riley. We had a blast as he gave us a preview of his Sylvester turn before he and I rotated on Miss Ross’ “Upside Down”! BLISS! http://thelifeofriley.squarespace.com/rilys-blog/2014/6/5/fvifw.html

 Interview from ALL STAR KARAOKE:

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10152256906708737&set=vb.662073736&type=3&theater

 AIN’T NO WAY:

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10152256929153737&set=vb.662073736&type=3&theater

 YOU MAKE ME FEEL (MIGHTY REAL):

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10152256942133737&set=vb.662073736&type=3&theater

 UPSIDE DOWN

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10152256951438737&set=vb.662073736&type=3&theater

MICHAEL JAI WHITE

Ernest Maynor & I at Michael Jai White's #falconrising premiere. Anthony Harper's sis Bri Cole's PR for MJW & actor Leon Robinson aka "Leon". Being Mary Jane's Richard Brooks came too! Enjoyed a great dinner at Negril after - also with Charon Richardson of G'wan by Charon fame - and what a great Saturday Night in New York City! P.S. Ern and I did stop by Karaoke One7 for a nightcap. WE JUST HAD TO! LOL!

MALIK YOBA

HAPPY BAIRTHDAY, MALIK YOBA, who produced a project that screens at Urban World Film Festival this weekend in New York City. It’s TONSURE – directed by my fellow freelance writer/producer at BET, FRED BUMAYE and also produced by Savannah homeboy Maurice Marable: http://www.bet.com/news/celebrities/2014/09/16/malik-yoba-produced-short-tonsure-premiering-at-urbanworld.html 

BRANDEE YOUNGER

Enjoyed BET buddy Blair Younger's sister Brandee Younger stellar harpist - at jazz club Minton's Harlem. Anthony Harper and one of my work BFFs Howard Chisholm were in the house too! "PRELUDE" available on iTunes: www.brandeeyounger.com. BRAVO!!!