Hip-hop mogul Master P, the guy Google recently mixed up with singer Luther Vandross, is coming to the Wilmington Public Library after summer ends.
Master P continues the library’s tradition of drawing famous guest speakers for free events. He will make an appearance on Wednesday, Sept. 20.
He’s part of a robust lineup of celebrities headed to the library this fall, including a diverse mix of comedians, actors and others.
Jamar Rahming, executive director of the library, told Delaware Online/The News Journal that the following nine celebrities are anticipated this fall.
All events begin at 6 p.m. and are free. Seating is limited and first come, first served.
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Master P leads the charge to Delaware
Rap icon Master P will visit the Wilmington Public Library on Sept. 20.
The New Orleans mogul made headlines last week after social media users saw his photo appear when they Googled late soul singer Luther Vandross. The mix-up has since been fixed.
Before superstars like Lil Wayne, Ludacris and Nelly were household names, Master P helped to popularize music from the South in the 1990s. That has had a lasting impact on rap today.
Master P released music at a prolific rate when he launched No Limit Records. From 1997 through 2000, No Limit dropped 51 albums, according to Complex.
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The label included artists like Mystikal, Mercedes and P’s brothers Silkk the Shocker and C-Murder. The label also signed Snoop Dogg and helped revitalize the Cali native’s career.
Well over a decade before Jay-Z started Roc Nation Sports, Master P launched his No Limit Sports agency and signed Ricky Williams, the No. 5 overall draft pick in the 1999 NFL draft.
Over the years, Master P has expanded into films and other ventures.
Who is Ben Crump?
Civil rights lawyer Ben Crump will be at the library on Thursday, Sept. 21. Crump is famous for tackling several high-profile cases involving police-involved killings of Black people.
He’s represented the families of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Trayvon Martin.
Rahming said they wanted to do something special for HBCU Week in September, so bringing in Crump helps them meet that goal.
The library partnered with the HBCU Week Foundation. Ashley Christopher, president of HBCU Week, will facilitate the conversation with Crump.
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Based on Crump’s legal expertise, Rahming believes the audience will receive “pearls of wisdom” during his visit, especially the youth and young adults in attendance.
“It’s critical that we have prominent voices like him pour into the younger generation because we need young leadership,” Rahming said. “Leadership in most communities are filled with baby boomers, and in another couple of decades, they’re going to be dead.”
Omari Hardwick from ‘Power’
Another celebrity on deck is Omari Hardwick, best known as James “Ghost” St. Patrick on the Starz crime drama “Power.” The show, which ran for six seasons through 2020, follows Ghost, a married man with New York’s most popular nightclub. He’s also a kingpin of a massive drug operation, which creates problems.
A date for Hardwick’s visit to the library will be announced soon.
Doug Jones prosecuted KKK for church bombing
Former Alabama Sen. Doug Jones is on tap Wednesday, Oct. 4. Jones is a prosecutor who brought Klu Klux Klan church bombers in Birmingham to justice nearly four decades after the 1963 killing of four Black girls.
He’s going to have a conversation about that at the Wilmington Public Library with New Castle County Executive Matt Meyer.
Kenny Latimore & Faith Jenkins
Kenny Lattimore and his reality-star wife, Faith Jenkins (star of the courtroom reality show “Judge Faith”), will bring double trouble to Wilmington on Thursday, Oct. 12. Lattimore also will perform for the audience. He’s known for smooth hits like “For You,” “Never Too Busy” and “Stay on Your Mind.”
‘Living Single’ stars with Kim Wayans and Kym Whitley
Seasoned actress Kim Fields has a date with her Delaware fans on Friday, Oct. 27.
Putting a twist on the “Original Kings of Comedy,” Fields will present a comedy night in Wilmington, “Kims of Comedy.”
In addition to Fields, the lineup features Kym Whitley (“Next Friday,” “Black Dynamite”), Kim Wayans (“In Living Color”) and Kim Coles (“Living Single”).
Fields is best known for starring in the classic ’90s sitcom “Living Single,” a show featuring six black singles living in New York. It came out a year before “Friends” and is basically the Black version of that show.
Although the “Kims of Comedy” isn’t an official “Living Single” reunion, the event will delight fans of the show, since two of the stars will be in the building together.
Library alumni: KRS-One, Dennis Rodman, Phylicia Rashad
The Wilmington Public Library has been on a roll for the last few years, bringing in high-profile guests to the city for free.
Their star-studded alumni include Dennis Rodman, Slick Rick, Phylicia Rashad, KRS-One, Grandmaster Flash, Kountry Wayne, Lynn Whitfield and the cast of “A Different World.”
Last week the library brought in Myles Truitt and Chase Jackson, two actors from the hit show “BMF.”
The details
The fall speaking engagements are at Wilmington Public Library (10 E. 10th St., Wilmington) at 6 p.m. Admission is free. Visit wilmington.lib.de.us or (302) 571-7400.
If you have an interesting story idea, email lifestyle reporter Andre Lamar at alamar@gannett.com. Consider signing up for his weekly newsletter, DO Delaware, at delawareonline.com/newsletters.
