Gerald Levert, Sheri Riley and Usher

When we celebrate the great contributions of music artists, we always like to give a narrative picture from those who knew them well. In our tribute of the late, great Gerald Levert, we brought a dear friend of the Grown Folks Music family, Mrs. Sheri Riley. For those not familiar with Sheri’s name, you definitely know her work. She is the founder and president of the successful entertainment consulting company, Glue, Inc., former marketing executive with Atlantic and LaFace Records and the marketing hand behind artists like TLC, Donell Jones, Usher, Toni Braxton, OutKast and of course Mr. Gerald Levert. From her story, we hope you will thoroughly enjoy this interview and gain more insight into this R&B legend. Also, catch some of Sheri’s exclusive pics with Gerald, Sean and Eddie Levert, Isaac Hayes, Phyllis Hyman, Don Cornelius and many more!

Great new series from thecashflow.com featuring Grammy Award Winning Songwriter/Producer Bryan-Michael Cox.

When it’s all said and done, at the end of the day, the lights must remain on, this is a business. A lot of great nuggets of info in here… check it out.

LaFace Records, aka “The Motown of the South” had it’s long overdue reunion party last week at Uptown in Atlanta. It was great reconnecting with the old crew and many of us were surprised at how many of us are still in Atlanta, but are too busy, “being busy” to hook up. was a special place during the 90′s and we were able to make history with the likes of Usher, Toni Braxton, TLC, Outkast, Donell Jones, Tony Rich, Goodie Mob and many, many others. You can say what you want about the label, the people, the lawsuits etc., but it was an exciting time in the industry and I’m proud to have been a part of it.
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Well done.

R.I.P. Shake.

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AllHipHop.com is reporting that Jermaine Dupri has been dropped from his position as head of the Island Def Jam Urban Division, a post he’s been in since February of last year.  While it’s unknown about the specifics of his termination (though an official announcement is expected soon), the hip hop industry had taken a big hit this past year despite the huge successes of artists like T.I. and Lil Wayne.  What’s more interesting, though, is what this means for Dupri’s Tag Records, the partnership announced last year between Island Def Jam and the men’s deodorant line.

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I meant to post this earlier. This was the blog talk radio show put on by James Andrews aka The Key Influencer as a tribute to Shakir. It was a wonderful celebration of his life, his accomplishments and his family. It’s the way we all want to remember him.   Shout out to James Andrews for putting this together.

Once again, you can make a donation for his children following the memorial fund link below.

Show Description:

All of us were stunned Saturday night to find out about our friend Shakir Stewart who has passed away at such a young age. This is a place I have setup to allow folks to mourn using the skill of communication I have been blessed with and that Shakir admired…God bless you my friend.

Related posts:
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Shakir Stewart Fund
Q Da Kid Letter to Shakir

Shakir Stewart Memorial Fund
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Donations to support the children of Shakir & Michelle (Sebastian and Micaela Stewart) can be made at any SunTrust bank location or the Shakir Stewart Memorial Fund.

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Q Da Kid Letter to Shakir

Update: Funeral Arrangements have been released
*Funeral services have been announced for Jheryl Busby, the longtime music industry veteran and former President/CEO Motown Records who died Nov. 4 at the age of 59.

A funeral will be held in Los Angeles on Thursday (Nov. 13) at 11 a.m. at “The Tabernacle” of Faithful Central Bible Church in Inglewood (321 N. Eucalyptus Ave.).

A repass will follow the services at a location and time to be determined at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, the family has asked that donations be sent t Jheryl Busby Foundation, c/o New Beginnings; 6767 Regal Park Drive; Fontana, CA 92336. (909) 355-3533

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Sad to report the death of yet another industry icon. Former Motown Records CEO, Jheryl Busby has passed away at the age of 59. Best known for finding, signing and establishing artists such as Patti Labelle, Bobby Brown, Queen Latifah, Jody Watley, Boys II Men and New Edition, he sold the company in 1988 to MCA Records & Boston Ventures for $61 million. The official story can be found here.

Our prayers and condolences go out to the Busby family as well as his extended musical family.

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