It’s finally May, which means summer is right around the corner and the anticipation is killing us! To hold us over – there are plenty of things that we’re excited to watch, read, see, listen and do (WRSLD) this month! Check out some of our picks.

watch:
- It sounds amazing, right? Global superstar Rihanna takes 256 fans and journalists on a world wind trip aboard a Boeing 777 to play 7 shows, in 7 countries in 7 days – all part of her “777” promotional tour last year for her latest album, Unapologetic. Welp, we certainly thought so until reports of just how apologetic those “lucky” fans and journalists ended up being when the trip turned about to be nothing short of a disaster. The new documentary, Rihanna 777, which her Fenty Films produced, is said to go behind the scenes of Rihanna’s notorious tour and we’ll definitely be watching when it airs May 6th on FOX to see how it all went down. Check local listings for times.
- Movie man, Tyler Perry has been keeping busy. Last month, we were all about his steamy drama “Temptations: Confessions of a Marriage Counselor” starring Jurnee Smollet. This month he’s doing what he does best and serving up some laughs with “We The Peeples” which stars our FAVE, Kerry Washington and funny man, David Allen Greer! It’s good to see Perry do a fun black comedy without Madea making a cameo! “Peeples” hits theaters May 10th.
- Also opening May 10th is the larger-than-life reboot of “The Great Gatsby” starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Carrie Mulligan. We’re eager to take in this over-the-top re-imagination of the tale which was originally slated to go head-to head with Leonardo’s other highly buzzed about film, “Django Unchained” in December. The studio has definitely pulled out all the stops to market the movie with various trailers hitting the Internet and TV. We’ll definitely be lining up to see this in our flapper hats. OK, maybe not with the hats, but we’ll be there.
read:
- When we caught legendary starlet, Rita Moreno (West Side Story) on television promoting her recently recently-released memoir, “Rita Moreno: A Memoir” (Celebra Hardcover), our interests were particularly piqued by what she had to say about her romance with Hollywood screen legend and total hottie, Marlon Brando. Our ears pricked up even more when she revealed that she once dated another hottie – Elvis Presley to make Brando jealous. Oh my! Sometimes truth can be stranger than fiction, but in this case it’s all just part of an amazing life’s journey. For the first time, Rita reflects on her struggles to break through Hollywood’s racial and sexual barriers and explores what it took to find her place in the world. Definitely a must read!
- At un’ruly, we love a good triumph-over-bad-circumstances story and The Lost Daughter: A Memoir (Penguin) by Mary Williams is just that! A daughter of the Black Panther movement, Mary Williams tells her remarkable life story of being raised amid violence and near-poverty, being adopted as a teenager by actress Jane Fonda and finding her way back home. The book is a chronicle of her journey back in time, an exploration of fractured family bonds, and a moving epic of self-discovery. We can only imagine what it must have been like to leave the streets of Oakland for the star studded climes of Santa Monica.

see:
- During a recent interview with CBS Sunday Morning, award-winning actress and titan of screen and stage Cicely Tyson talked about the first hand research she immersed herself into for her turn as Carrie Watts in the African American adaptation of The Trip To Bountiful on Broadway. With an all-star cast including the likes of Vanessa Williams, Academy award winner Cuba Gooding Jr. and Condola Rashad, The Trip To Bountiful is Horton Foote’s masterpiece about memory, mortality and the undeniable, universal yearning for home. If in the New York City area, we highly recommend you line up to go see this one. For tickets, visit Telecharge.com.
- The coolest house band on late night television – The Roots, are taking their act on the road criss-crossing major cities in the U.S. for select dates starting in May and ending in June. When they first landed their gig at Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, we were worried that they wouldn’t have time to record new music or perform live shows, but the guys are still doing what they do best and as always pushing the envelope of Hip-Hop via live instrumentation. To catch them on the road, visit Ticketmaster.com for dates.

listen:
- We’re serious about our music and LOVE discovering oldies but goodies! Although we’re more of an Ella Fitzgerald stan, this month we’re all about Miss Billie Holiday and her greatest hits album, “Billie Holiday’s Greatest Hits” released in 1995. Some of our favorite tracks include “Good Morning Heartache,” which is a moody tune and what some might describe as ear porn. Many greats (including Elle Fitzgerald) have covered the track but no one does it better than Billie… It’s all about singing through the pain and boy, did Billie have pain. The album is available on iTunes.
- Janelle Monae and Erykah Badu are messy wing-eaters! As in, they throw the bones on the ground. They also: twerk in the mirror, dance alone late at night, wear shades, and love who they are, according to Janelle Monae’s new free-spirit woman-power single, “Q.U.E.E.N.” Erykah Badu chips in on vocals. The last couple of minutes are especially enjoyable. Haha! We really love this collabo. Be sure to download the single on iTunes and watch the AMAZING video here.

do:
- Honor thy mother! Where would we be without mothers? This Mother’s Day, we’re about honoring mothers of all kinds, as maternity doesn’t always begin or end at the genetic level. Motherhood is an expression and takes all forms so, whomever fills the role of mother in your life, be sure to show your appreciation on this day and every day! 🙂
- Plan a Memorial Day getaway! Everyone knows that Memorial Day ushers in the summer road tripping, BBQ-ing and vacationing season and what better way to celebrate than to take a much needed trip somewhere – anywhere! Some of our favorite summer hideaways on the East coast include The Hamptons, Sag Harbor, Martha’s Vineyard and New Hampshire. We recommend doing it all, laying on the beach all day, paddle boarding, taking a boat out and of course enjoying great food. So gather some friends and hit the road! The countdown to summer begins…