Calling all Prince fans! The Purple One has just dropped a new song, “Stare,” exclusively on Spotify. The release comes less than one month after he removed his music from all streaming services and just one week after he announced that he and his band, 3rdEyeGirl, would be releasing a new album. [Billboard]
Lupita is coming to Broadway. The Star Wars actress just signed on to be in the off-Broadway production of Eclipsed, a play written by Zimbabwean actress/writer Danai Gurira (who plays Michonne on Walking Dead). The play is about rebuilding community following the Liberian Civil War and is set to debut in September. [Page Six]
A new vaccine could put an end to the Ebola epidemic. The World Health Organization announced that it had developed a vaccine that showed a 100 percent success rate in Guinea. Doctors would administer the vaccination to everyone in a community where a new case of Ebola had emerged. We pray that this ends the outbreak once and for all. [The Guardian]
Russell Simmons and his production company, All Def Digital, are officially partners with HBO. The multitalented Simmons signed a first-look production and development deal with the network yesterday. Currently, Simmons already has five projects (yes, FIVE) in the works with HBO, including a show that centers around hip-hop culture and another futuristic comedy. [Variety]
Mimi is trying her hand at directing. The singer and actress will be making her directorial debut on The Hallmark Channel this December when she will both direct and star in Mariah Carey’s Christmas Project. One can only hope that that means she’ll be performing a rendition of “All I Want For Christmas is You”! [People]
Bad news for all K. Michelle and Azealia Banks fans: The two singers announced that they were canceling their joint tour that was supposed to kick off this fall. The good news is that there’s no beef between the two singers; K. Michelle was simply unavailable. Even better news? Azealia will hopefully still be embarking on her own tour. [Pitchfork]