‘Empire’ star V Bozeman leads the March music issue of BLEEP

Posted on March 2, 2015 in Cover Features, New Issue Recaps

The music-centric March issue of BLEEP has landed. These artists are bold, they’re powerful, and they’re making statements with their art.

The three top dramas on network television, “Empire,” “Scandal” and “How To Get Away With Murder” all feature African-American lead characters along with casts that exemplify diversity. We asked V Bozeman, “Empire” standout and our March cover artist how it feels to be a part of such a revolution in television programming.

“It’s an amazing feeling and a proud feeling,” Bozeman said. “Being on this platform with these shows proves African American actors and actresses can be successful in prime time TV and can be marketed the same as anyone else. There are so many talented actors who would kill for a chance to be on a platform like this. I’m so thankful they created this platform for us and we are giving it our all. I thank God for Lee Daniels and to Fox for giving us this platform.”

We also talk with Johnny Ortiz, star of the new ABC series “American Crime” that debuts this month, about the necessity of presenting diversity and fairness on television.

“John [Ridley] really shows faith, family and the human spirit in ‘American Crime. Other shows are focused on the detectives and are all about catching the victim. This show isn’t about that. This show gives voices to everyone; it doesn’t matter what the color of our skin is,” Ortiz says, “it’s about reality. It shows the reality of what’s going on in America.”

Another artist who is at the helm of another type of revolution is Billy Gilman. After becoming a star before he was a teenager, the country crooner talks to BLEEP about growing up in the spotlight and what happened after he posted his coming out video last fall.

“I’m a singer and a songwriter and I’m happy,” Gilman told BLEEP. “When you’ve got this lingering thing in the back of your head, you can’t focus on the things that matter. Now that it’s not there – I can totally focus.”

But that’s not all we’re covering. We’ve got “Idol” alums Blake Lewis and Lee DeWyze talking about making music on their own terms, Tony Award nominee Anika Larsen on her new album, we are on the scene at the Berlin International Film Festival talking with the directors of the next wave of films and we also bring you the 4th Annual BLEEP Awards, our loving send up of the year’s best awards season moments.