It’s taken me some time to find the words to address losing my cousin Latiefe “La” If you’ve known me through any part of my life’s journey then you know Latiefe. He has been beside me through every stage of it from dancing, to party promoting at Buddha Bar, to starting Blacksmith Management, to him booking talent for Chappelle’s Show, to becoming tour manager for Talib Kweli and then Vince Staples. La was always there and he always had my back, from hectic moments in London to helping me when I needed someone in LA to help with my daughters. Latiefe has always moved with the heart of a lion and the love of an angel. He never flinched when things got tough and that is something you can’t teach; it’s either in you or it’s not. He was my brother more than my cousin. It’s so confusing to think about not having another moment to talk about all that we’ve seen over the years, and how much we appreciate our mothers, Tee and Aunt Betty. Spending summers as a kid with grandma Ruby. It’s just a lot of loss lately and this one is hard to make sense of. I know the importance of celebrating life and its purpose but it still has a wild sting when you lose someone you love. It’s just hard to believe we won’t be able to laugh about how you stole my socks when we were kids but have you tell it I stole yours.
Thank you for always being you La!
Love!
I had an amazing time at the inaugural Good Health Summit at Morehouse. It was an honor to speak alongside some incredible guest speakers and hosts to discuss cancer and some of my personal challenges I faced when I was diagnosed with thyroid cancer as well as highlighting health and wellness in the Hip-Hop community.
Since its discovery, cancer has been spoken about like an ending: something whispered, feared, or avoided until it’s unavoidable. But that framing no longer reflects where the science, the treatments, or the lived experience truly are. Our conversation was about what’s changing: how prevention, earlier intervention, and new therapeutic platforms are extending lives and improving quality of life; with a goal to empower folks to act sooner and smarter.
For more information visit goodhealthsummit.com
20 years ago today (March 3, 2006), Dave Chappelle’s Block Party hit theaters. Directed by Academy Award-winning filmmaker Michel Gondry, the film captures Chappelle organizing a free block party concert in Brooklyn on September 18, 2004, inspired by the 1973 concert documentary Wattstax.
Featuring performances from a lineup of all-star Hip-Hop and R&B artists, including The Fugees in their first reunion since their 1997 breakup, Kanye West, Mos Def, Talib Kweli, Erykah Badu, Jill Scott, The Roots, Common, John Legend, Kool G Rap, and Dead Prez.
The film premiered at the 2005 Toronto International Film Festival before its wide release on March 3, 2006.
Watch De La Soul’s performance of “Different World” featuring Gina Loring on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon. 📺 http://linktr.ee/wearedelasoul
📸: @ToddOwyoung
