Best (And Worst!) of 2013: Lil Wayne, Kendrick Lamar, Best Man Holiday
The highlights and lowlights of the year.
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Best and Worst of 2013 - It's been another rollercoaster year in the world of movies, television and pop culture — from the triumphant return of the Black rom-com to the ongoing drama in the Jackson family. We're counting down the best and worst events of the past 365. (Photos from left: Christopher Polk/Getty Images, David Wolff - Patrick/Redferns via Getty Images)
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Best: Michael B. Jordan in Fruitvale Station - Already a respected actor for his roles in The Wire and Friday Night Lights, Jordan became the talk of Tinseltown for playing Oscar Grant III in Fruitvale Station. The charming and talented young star has his dance card full for 2014 with projects like The Fantastic Four and Creed.(Photo: The Weinstein Company)
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Worst: The White-Washed Emmys - Scandal fans were holding out hope for a historic Best Actress win for Kerry Washington this year (she would have been the first Black woman in history to win the award), but instead had to make peace with yet another year where none of the many talented actors of color on television were recognized for their work. Major fail from TV's biggest awards show. (Photo: Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
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Best: The Butler Crosses $100 Million at the Box Office - Films about the civil rights era abound, but few have crossed racial borders like The Butler. Lee Daniels' epic film about a White House butler who serves through eight presidential administrations became one of a handful of films helmed by Black directors to cross the $100 million mark at the box office. (Photo: The Weinstein Company)
Photo By The Weinstein Company
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Worst: Paparazzi Madness - Paparazzi have never been good with boundries, but they seemed to push them further than ever this year. From Kanye West to Halle Berry, dozens of celebs have fought back against the intrusive shutterbugs, with Berry even successfully lobbying on behalf of legislation that would protect celebrity kids from being photographed or harassed. (Photo: Michael Buckner/Getty Images for LOGO)
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Best: 12 Years a Slave - While The Butler was a populist film with an uplifting ending that could be embraced by the masses, Steve McQueen's gritty 12 Years a Slave held up an unflinching mirror to America's troubled past. Excrutiating as it is to watch, the film — starring Chiwetel Ejiofor as a free man kidnapped and sold into slavery — forces us to come face-to-face with our history and features some of the best performances of the year. (Photo: Jaap Buitendijk/FOX Searchlight)
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Worst: Government Shuts Down - Can't they all just get along? The bitter infighting in Congress plunged us into a government shutdown that put hundreds of thousands out of work and froze critical programs. Even the usually even-keeled President Obama lost his cool with lawmakers, who seem to be letting party politics come before their duties to the country. (Photo: AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
Photo By AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster
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Best: Kendrick Lamar Claims the Throne - The West Coast rapper became the biggest name in hip hop with his debut album good kid, m.A.A.d city, but then decided to blow the roof off of the industry with his guest verse on Big Sean's track "Control." Besides dissing virtually every rapper on the Billboard Hot 100, Compton native Lamar crowned himself the King of New York. (Photo: Maury Phillips/WireImage)
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Worst: Rachel Jeantel Haters - Reliving the details of Trayvon Martin's tragic death during the trial of George Zimmerman was painful enough without having to contend with the ignorant folks who merciless teased and mocked his friend and key witness Rachel Jeantel. The young woman from Chicago was mocked for her speech, looks and education level — mostly from those who would have no idea what it's like to walk in her shoes. Here's hoping Jeantel is able to hold her head high and shut out all the haters.(Photo: Jacob Langston-Pool/Getty Images)
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Best: Kanye West Is a Daddy - Sure, there were paparazzi fights and Twitter rants, but we also got to see a softer side of Kanye West when he became a first-time father. West and his now-fiancé Kim Kardashian welcomed their daughter North West in June, and West hasn't been able to help himself from gushing abouth his new family. (Photos from left: Marc Piasecki/WireImage, Kim Kardashian via Instagram)
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Worst: Julianne Hough in Blackface - When will they learn? The former Dancing With the Stars contestant committed the ultimate no-no when she donned Blackface as part of her costume (she was dressed as Crazy Eyes from Orange Is the New Black) this past Halloween. While she did apologize profusely for the misstep, many wondered how Hough could think the look was a good idea. (Photo: Devone Byrd, PacificCoastNews)
Photo By Devone Byrd, PacificCoastNews
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Best: Wendy Williams' Ratings Crush - Securing her reign as the queen of daytime, Williams kicked off her new season by seeing a leap in ratings of 25% in key demographics. Translation: The Wendy Williams Show is the most popular talk show among New York women. And we all know, as goes New York, so goes the nation. It's only a matter of time before Williams' world domination is complete. (Photo: Jemal Countess/Getty Images)
Photo By Photo: Jemal Countess/Getty Images
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Worst: Paula Deen's N-Word Scandal - TV's butter queen saw her empire crumble this year after a leaked deposition revealed she had used the N-word liberally in the past. The news was made worse by Deen's bizarre apology tour, in which she shed tears but failed to convince her fans and sponsors to give her a second chance. Many stars, including Kevin Hart and Vivica Fox, believed the backlash went too far and felt Deen learned her lesson. (Photo: Courtesy Paula Deen via YouTube)
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Best: The Black Rom-Com Is Back! - Last year, the success of Think Like a Man got Hollywood to sit up and notice the often-ignored Black moviegoing audience. This year, it was official: the Black rom-com is back. From Baggage Claim to The Best Man Holiday, this year has been a great one for seeing our favorite stars in ensemble comedies. (Photo: Universal Pictures)
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Worst: Lamar Odom's Meltdown - Lamar Odom had a rough off-season. The former NBA star's world unraveled this year after allegations came out that he had been cheating on wife Khloe Kardashian. But that wasn't the worst of it — Odom also delved into a dangerous drug habit that may have cost him his basketball career. Khloe filed for divorce in December. (Photo: JOHN GALT /Splash News)
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Best: Destiny's Child's Super Bowl Reunion - Bey, Michelle and Kelly put the rumors of dischord to rest when the former Destiny's Child members reunited for the Super Bowl halftime show. Their performance was talked about for weeks afterward. (Photo: AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
Photo By AP Photo/Gerald Herbert
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Worst: Paris Jackson's Suicide Attempt - We're sure it's not easy being a Jackson, but Michael's daughter took her grief and anger to an extreme this past spring when she attempted to end her life. The teenager has been out of the spotlight in an in-patient treatment facility ever since — a blessing, considering the nasty details about her father's death that came out during the trial her family launched against concert promoter AEG. Hopefully 2014 will be brighter for the young lady.(photo: Splash News)
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Best: Miley Cyrus and Robin Thicke at the VMAs - Cyrus and Thicke made "twerk" the word of the year with their raunchy performance at the MTV Video Music Awards. While their NSFW antics angered some, the duet became the most talked-about five minutes of television all year.(Photo: Neilson Barnard/Getty Images for MTV)
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Worst: Lil Wayne's Health Scares - The YMCMB rapper scared the life out of his fans, friends and family last March when he was hospitalized for severe seizures that reportedly put him in a coma. While reports of his death were greatly exaggerated, his health scares continued with another set of seizures in May. (Photo: Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
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Best: Jamie Foxx Pays Tribute to Trayvon Martin at BET Awards - Sometimes a picture is worth a thousand words. While most of us attempted to find the right ones to pay tribute to slain teen Trayvon Martin, Jamie Foxx opted for a visual homage. His T-shirt emblazoned with Martin's face — hoodie and all — reminded the world that, though the teen's life was cut short, his legacy would live on. (Photo: Jason Merritt/BET/Getty Images for BET)
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