Girls Trip, the breakout hit of the summer, has crossed the $100 million mark at the box office, proving, yet again, that movies for and by black people can put asses in theater seats.

Nelsan Ellis, who played the outspoken and gay short-order cook Lafayette Reynolds on HBO’s True Blood, has died after complications due to heart failure. He was 39.

Editor’s note: Every Friday for the month of June, aka African-American Music Appreciation Month, aka Black Music Month, we created a Spotify playlist based on the news of the week. Check out the stories behind playlist No. 1,  playlist No. 2, playlist No. 3 and playlist No. 4.

Editor’s note: Every Friday for the month of June, aka African-American Music Appreciation Month, aka Black Music Month, we’ll be creating a Spotify playlist based on the news of the week. Check out the stories behind playlist No. 1,  playlist No. 2 and playlist No. 3.

Editor’s note: Every Friday for the month of June, aka African-American Music Appreciation Month, aka Black Music Month, we’ll be creating a Spotify playlist based on the news of the week. Check out the stories behind playlist No. 1 and playlist No. 2.

Editor’s note: Every Friday for the month of June, aka African-American Music Appreciation Month, aka Black Music Month, we’ll be creating a Spotify playlist based on the news of the week. Check out the story behind last week’s playlist here.

To paraphrase Bruno Mars, American music is black music.