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Spinoffs are greatly appreciated for a few reasons: they allow viewers to see lesser characters develop independently; they give viewers a different take of the characters from the previous sitcom; and, finally, spinoffs are uniquely responsible for creating that ‘neighboring effect’ on television, allowing audiences and characters, alike, feel as if they are stepping from one living room into another. This has been seen time and time again in television. Cheers begot Fraiser, Grey’s Anatomy begot Private Practice, Buffy begot Angel, and  Dr. Who begot Torchwood. Check out some our favorites over the years.

Justin Timberlake better watch out because it’s about to be a battle of the blond haired, blue eyed soul singers if Robin Thicke has his way. The “Real Househusband” who brought us tracks like “Sex Therapy” and “Wanna Love You Girl” is back stronger than ever with the help of two equally charming heavy hitters in the game, T.I. and Pharrell.

The trio’s new track “Blurred Lines” is everything you need in a spring jam and a refreshing break from popped a molly music. And let’s be serious, who doesn’t love T.I. in a suit doing the Bill Cosby? Thank you Robin #Thicke for this.

Check out the video and let us know what you think. Pass or Play?

Given the many, many celebrities who’ve dropped out of high school, it’s obvious that one doesn’t need a diploma to make it in showbiz. Still, we thought we’d take a closer look at 15 of these stars – some of whom were actually gifted, others who’ve since gotten their GED’s, and others who are probably just relieved their occupations don’t call for much education. Click on to find out which stars made the list!

Source: WENN

Drake

Drake has been very open and honest about his education – or lack of it, we should probably say. The YMCMB rapper dropped out of school at 15-years old, but recommitted himself to his studies, proudly earning his GED in 2012.

Zooey Deschanel, Lindsay Lohan, Bruce Willis and Scarlett Johansson… want to know what they all have in common? They all attempted that rocky transition from actor to singer, some conquering this territory with success, but many failing spectacularly. The urge for actors to test their talents in other realms is an understandable one. It makes sense that if you’re celebrated for talents in one area, you surmise that you have what it takes to flourish in other arenas. The aforementioned actors are just a shortlist of individuals who’ve attempted the crossover, read on to find out which African American singers have dabbled into singing.

Terrence Howard

Source: WENN

Howard’s performance as an actor and rapper in the acclaimed film Hustle & Flow earned him an Academy Award nomination and recognition for his…well, flow. He followed the film with the release of his first studio album, Shine Through It –which presents music that is far different than what’s featured in the film. Most often described as experimental, the album features soft-rock, R&B and soul sounds.

AP Photo/Dave Allocca, StarPix

This Black History Month, we celebrate some of pop culture’s most influential movers and shakers who have changed the landscape of the world of entertainment. From the first African-American billionaire to the one of the hardest working men in radio, African-Americans have pioneered various media outlets, some even simultaneously.

Here are only a few of pop culture’s African-American innovators in the areas of music, television and film. We threw in a bonus, above: Michael Jackson. Besides his singing career both with the Jackson 5 and as a solo artist, and his investments across the music industry (including The Beatles portfolio), he invented the moonwalk, a move that continues to mystify and inspire dancers good and bad around the world. Check out this slideshow for more on the late, great MJ.

Source: AP Images

It’s been long overdue, but Bill Cosby and his TV daughter Tempestt Bledsoe finally had a one-on-one reunion on “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon” Friday night, proving the two haven’t lost their chemistry in the 20 years since “The Cosby Show” went off the air.

In a stroke of pure genius, Jimmy had both “Cosbys” on to promote their current projects. Bill was there to talk about his new book, I Didn’t Ask To Be Born, while Tempesst was discussing her new NBC sitcom, Guys With Kids. Since Jimmy is the producer of Tempestt’s show, it only makes sense that he organized this on-air reunion last Friday. At 75, Bill didn’t miss a beat when it came to the jokes during his segments, like when Tempesst said that the two of them get together often. He told her not to lie, joking:

“Sometimes my checks are late and that’s when I see Tempestt.”

See what I mean?

Overall, it was clear Bill wasn’t just a TV dad to the kids he saw grow up on his show. Check out clips of their interview below.

You know what they say about comedians, they have highs and lows. And just because they’re able to make us smile and laugh doesn’t mean they’re doing the same in their own personal lives. See which comedians have suffered their fair share of not so funny drama.

Known for being a show created by Bill Cosby, as a spin-off of “The Cosby Show,” “A Different World” went on to become one of the longest running black sitcoms.  We learned a lot of lessons from the show and had many laughs. And, who can forget those theme songs by Aretha Franklin and Boyz II Men? Here are 10 memorable episodes from one of our favorite black shows.

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They are celebrating over at HBCU Spelman College. Former Cosby kid Keshia Knight Pulliam hosted a major fundraiser at SAKS in Atlanta, reports The Young Black & Fabulous, and raised $1 million for her alma mater. The money will benefit Spelman students who aren’t able to graduate due to financial hardship. 

While African Americans give to charity more than whites, HBCUs are suffering in part because alumni do not give gifts to their schools. “One of the toughest problems HBCUs face is getting alumni to give back,” reports NewsOne. “Several studies report alumni giving at HBCUs to be in the single digits.” 

Marybeth Gasman and  Sibby Anderson-Thompkinseven penned a book, Fundraising from Black-College Alumni: Successful Strategies for Supporting Alma Mater, about how HBCUs can get black alumni to give back. The two theorize that HBCUs can’t use the traditional fundraising methods of other universities. They need to think out of the box when approaching alumni during fundraising efforts. According to the article, “Graduates often cite being treated poorly by a rude employee in the bursar’s office or some other administrative office as one of the main reasons they don’t give back.”

Empower magazine reports that some HBCUs, like Tennessee State University, has an average alumni giving rate of three percent. The national average is 20 percent. (A few like Alabama A&M has a rate of 50 percent.)

“African Americans prefer to give to concrete causes, want to be thanked and need to understand where their donations are going,” Gasman tells the magazine.

There have been some major gifts, such as Bill and Camille Cosby’s $20 million donation to Spelman back in 1987, which was and still is the largest gift to the  institution. But in order for financially-strapped HBCUs to survive, its successful alumni must give back.

Pulliam, who also starred in Tyler Perry’s House of Payne, graduated with a B.A. in sociology and a concentration in film in 2001.

At The Angel Ball last month. Image: PNP/WENN.com

When it comes to community service, African Americans give away 25 percent more of their income per year than whites, according to findings by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. The Root recently looked at the top 12 philanthropists and included were a number of black celebrities and businesspeople.

Most people are aware of Bill and Camille Cosby’s long history of philanthropy–in 1988, they donated $20 million to Spelman College, the largest gift ever given to a black institution. This is just one of their major donations. They also run the Hello Friend/Ennis William Cosby Foundation to fulfill the goals and dreams of their son, who sought to initiate change through education. 

But did you know Alicia Keys was a top philanthropist as well? She co-founded Keep a Child Alive with AIDS activist and film-television producer Leigh Blake in 2003. It is committed to providing AIDS medicine and care to children and families in India and Africa. In 2010, Keys’ Digital Death campaign raised over $1 million for Keep a Child Alive through Twitter and Facebook donations.

A black philanthropy list wouldn’t be complete without Def Jam co-founder Russell Simmons and Oprah Winfrey. Simmons, in fact, has been called the “Godfather of Hip-Hop Philanthropy,” for raising millions of dollars to benefit urban youth through his Rush Philanthropic Arts Foundation and Hip Hop Summit Action Network.

Oprah, of course, is the top African-American philanthropist. She has donated more than $300 million through the Oprah Winfrey Foundation, Oprah’s Angel Network and the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy Foundation. “Forty million dollars alone went toward the creation of Winfrey’s leadership academy for girls in South Africa. One hundred percent of proceeds from Winfrey’s Angel Network funds charitable projects and grants globally,” states the Root.

But you don’t need to be a multi-millionaire to give back. It is not only money to donate but time as well. Donate time to a homeless center or a grassroots community organization. But if you do want to give money to an organization, research first.

“They are not all 501(c)3s. You want to understand the type, and know what it means for the public and you, the prospective donor,”  says Amanda Ebokosia, executive director and founder of The Gem Project, a nonprofit organization that’s dedicated in building leaders through the development of educational enrichment programs for youth and young adults. Find out what type of nonprofit it is, either contact them directly or visit sites like Charity Navigator, for organizational information if listed. And check out sites like Volunteer Match to find a listing of organizations that suit your interests, advises Ebokosia. “Above all, you want to know the intentions of the organization, how they’re governed, and what they’ll offer for the community.” 

And, you don’t have to have a lot of money to donate. “With the spark of crowdfunding sites like Kickstarter or Indiegogo, we’ve found how great impact can be measured, by small contributions,” says Ebokosia. 

Another option are giving circles, groups of individuals who donate money or time to a pooled fund for charity or community projects. “It focuses on the collaborative efforts of individual contributions… to yield a bigger impact to support and fund a shared interest,” Ebokosia points out.  

Interested in getting involved even further, check out Friends of Ebonie, a full service social responsibility and career enrichment firm for millennials of color. And right now, given the ongoing relief effort for Hurricane Sandy, the American Red Cross is always an option.