barack!

The Obama one is my profile picture on facebook lol. Im trying to only have Obama pics up until November. Lets hope vanity doesnt take over.

JAY-Z doesnt deserve to be on the same cover that Barack Obama

I loooooooooove me some Jay he is sooooo cool and hot

Barack cover is hot too

Prince love him tooo

Billy Dee kinda of remind me of Andre 300 in that pic

I am going to buy those

Umm…Prince?? *cough*

What happened to Ben Carson?

I cant wait to get the Flava Flav and Missy Elliott ones!!

The Ali cover is my favorite..the epitome of a strong man..

#3. Why not?

He meets & exudes all of the qualifications of this issue. He was the first person that came to mind when I read the title.

So what he isn’t a polititian, this is about personality, the way they present themselves, their swagger.

*jumps up and d0wn* Lawd, Billy Dee Williams!!! The epitome of sexy.. talk about swagger. He he that b4 it was even a word! *wipes mouth*

@ #8 I co-sign with you

andre 3000

@COMPLEXNDOPE,again we agree on something….when i read “coolest brothers”,i immediately thought of jay-z…he deserves to be on this cover..

@#2,thats a good idea…i might steal it around september!lol

Look at my baby jay-z he looking really good on that cover. I love it when he wear a suit his swagger is crazy. Obama damn lol that all i have to say and samuel now i think he the coolest of them all.

i agree with #9.

WILLIAM DECEMBER WILLIAMS!!! love him!

Like I mentioned on another blog, didn’t know Ebony was putting rappers on their covers after what happen last year.I like the Billy Dee Williams and Barack covers.

I am with DJ #3, Jay Z has done big things, but he is no where worthy to be compared to the other men that grace the covers of Ebony

JAY-Z is a no no no no no AND I MEAN IT

Billy D Williams the first Brother in Space

BELIEVE IT OR NOT snoop dogg is GETTING THAT cover not Jigga who Jigga what
Just go to the voting thing on their site

Barack and Jay’s are serious…..Marvin’s is SOO CLASSIC-He gets My Vote!

Prince is the best.

Im loving Obama’s swagger…

it’s just about “cool” yall…and Jay Z is very very cool and ugly, but…you know, the man is cool. No big issue with his being on the cover! Samuel L. Jackson is considered the coolest man on the planet, though..It’s a fact. His status is cultish, which is why he’s all over video games, cartoons, hipster flicks, and alternative mags. The man is just TOO cool. Denzel is soooooooooooooooo attractive! Prince, so cool! Honestly, Obama is the only one who doesn’t strike me as “cool,” at least not in the immediate vain pop culture sense of the word! But ahhhhh he’s like the most charismatic, articulate, optimistic guy on the planet…so I guess he’s MORE THAN cool, huh? Love them all on the covers!

Our future President Obama is one cool brother! Jay-Z eptiomizes SWAGGER, so no doubt he will be on one! Love to see black men getting some postive shine! Diddy is kicking rocks about now!

#23 Samuel L. Jackson is one cool brotha!

Barak looks very cool and handsome on his cover.

I can see why the women back in the days went crazy over Marvin Gaye. He was handsome and he had an amazing voice.

i saw the prince one yesterday. it was a nice ass cover too! esp. for Ebony…

Ohhhh Marvin, how could I have not mentioned him by name? The man was a genius and not in the sort of light-hearted, flippant sense…but HONESTLY, the man was not only a gifted artist but a talented mind as well. Had he lived, even with the drugs, he might have been our Gore Vidal.

@ 9 I agreeX20.
I would really like to know why some feel Jay Z shouldn’t be on the same cover as the others?? The funny thing, back in the day, some people had the same reactions. Some felt Ali shouldn’t be up there with Martin. I personally think Jay Z fits the bill of cool. Jay Z is the epitome of cool. People who have NEVER heard the term swagger, prior to Jigga, now they know. Look it up in the dictionary and Shawn Carter’s picture is there (well it should be). NO one can say with a straight face that this man hasn’t put his name and game on the map. And he has changed the game forever. Please someone answer me why he shouldn’t be on the cover.

jay-z has it all.money and mo money,great intelligence,business sense.and that brings out the jealous haters.give up haters,you can’t stop him.at the end of the day,he still be rich and powelful and you’ll still be a jealous wannabee i love him

Oooh my momma loves her some Billy Dee…haha Colt 45.
I think Jay has been cool since Reasonable Doubt, Denzel was born cool, Prince defines cool and Obama is the new cool.I think its cool a definite read.

mkay i voted. how malcolm x is loosing escapes me. yeah prince danielle 1986-girl you were too young but i got 2 words; purple rain! i didn’t vote for jigga, he was in the same category as denzel who was too smooth as bleek in mo betta blues not to mention malcolm little in X.

this is a funny debate. yall can’t compare jay z to anybody other than former drug dealers and criminals. he’s the only blatent and proud former crack dealer in the whole damn poll, lol…get over it and him. CRACK KILLS AND EFFED UP A WHOLE GENERATION OF BLACK PEOPLE!

yes i had to vote for billy dee, that fool was smooth in his day, haha!

There is something weird about having Jay-Z on that list.
He should make that list only if they have more categories such as:
10 coolest Musicians etc: Marvin, Prince, Jay-Z, Diddy, Andre 3000
10 Coolest charismatic athletes: Ali, etc
10 Coolest actors: Billy Dee Williams, Harry Belafonte etc

Jay-Z has done some great things, mostly financial but can we put him in the same level as Ali, Barack or Belafonte? Clearly many people think so, I just don’t see it.
With great power comes great responsibility. What has he done?

dang Barack is serious….that’s the one

Lovin the Jay pic. All you haters need to “dig a hole!” I love it! All that black sexiness on one page is phenom! Wooooorrrrrkkkk em!

maybe im reading wrong but i didnt think this cover was based on WHOSE DONE THE MOST…it clearly says “coolest brothers”,i dont think they’re choosing them based on what they’ve done to make a major significant change in society…in that case why is prince on the cover or samuel l jackson?jay-z just screams,NOT LITERALLY,”swag” or COOL….

I will be getting the issue with Jay!!!!

check me out on myspace you guys!

I will be getting the issue with Jay!!!!

check me out on myspace you guys!

Where are Redd Foxx, Malcolm X, and Janmes Brown?

MARvIN GAYE OMG WHEEWWW !!!!!!!!! IM GETTIN THAT ONE! and the OBAMA ONE

@ 38. You make a solid point, but I guess it depends on your definition of cool.

I want the James Brown issue (that doesn’t exist) because when he was young shining shoes he was told by the white manager that he had to move and when he became successful he went back, bought the hotel, and fired the manager. thats to the best of my memory.

People just vote in the link above. These are only 8 of the brothas that they have in a large selection. Jay-Z is up against Denzel and well Denzel will get that one!

I like Everybody on the cover…Ebony did a good job

BEST COVER IS OF BILLY DEE WILLIAMS!!!!!

Barack Obama….he swagger is too much so he gets my vote.

luvin all tha covers

so the covers are already on stans which makes me thing the voting is just for ebony to talk about. i like jay z too you guys but he’s still till this day proud of his lucrative former crack salesman skills, that’s not something to be proud of. clearly ebony was doing a catch all w/this list.

Samuel L Jackson doesn’t belong and Prince is on the wrong cover. They should have kept him for the 25 hottest Black Women issue.

And where the fuck is The Right Honorable Minister Malcolm X? He better be on it.

Billy Dee Williams? okkk you cant get no smoother than that man there and Obama..Well there are absolutely no words I can give to describe how smooth he is. He is just that Brotha

#50 and Ebony definitely needs “something to talk about” because their magazines suck. I’m not voting because I don’t care but I see nothing wrong with Jay Z being in the running…maybe he should win because it definitely takes a lot of “selling” to convince someone you’re attractive with a face like his!!! Hey, is Quincy Jones one of the 25? He’s cool! What about Ron Isley? Really, really cool! Still, nobody’s cooler than THE MAN, SAMUEL L. ROYALE WITH CHEESE JACKSON! LOL!

is the one with Mr. Obama the only one with color (note the red tie). everyone pic is in Black and White.

Yes we can.

I love love Obama!

O8BAMA!

Usually don’t comment but I really don’t think Jay-z belongs in this group it just doesn’t fit Obama, Billy Dee, Denzel and Jay-z they might as well have been playing one of these kids is doing his own thang. Jay-z sticks out like a sore thumb. everyone else deserves the props.

#51 WHAT?!! I’ll say it one last time: SAMUEL L JACKSON IS THE COOLEST MAN ON THE PLANET! Seriously, Ebony inculded him because they’re getting in on what every other big pop culture medium has already done and that’s recognize the man’s spirit. He’s a really cool, articulate, comfortable guy…tons and tons of opinions and soooo talented, to boot. So, yeah…nobody cooler than Ol` Royal With Cheese Samuel. He doesn’t care, though…it’s why he’s soooo cool…he’ll probably win his first Oscar and miss the ceremony because he’s playing golf or shopping for hats or something! lol

@ Dukes, I think he does.He’s been in like over 50 movies and most of them been successful.And he still getting movie roles today got like 3 movies coming out in 2009.From a man working from 1972 to now, many people don’t even last that long.

CL, I think you’ve got your first ever Samuel L. Jackson stan? LOL! ME!

Dont see Why Jay Z wouldnt be included, his swagger is pretty damn serious

@33 ALL OF THESE MEN HAVE A PAST. What makes Jay different from the rest, he used that life as a stepping stone and kept it moving. You do not hear of him getting in trouble every other week. But you do hear of him signing some large contracts every other week. So that alone makes him cool. Sam J was a crackhead, but he moved on. We shouldn’t judge what they have done in the past, but how they have over come; How they are living today. If Jay was shouting “trap or die!” , that’s when a brother is uncool.

Jay has made swagger! How you going to have a magazine talking about swagger and Jay not be in the talking! Please! That being said, Obama, Samuel L. Jackson, and Denzil’s covers are the best to me!

Right on #61 i agree with all of that. Remember kids jesus forgives why can’t you?

What about Morris Day?

want to get every cover except Prince, the guy is an egotistical fool!

& he’ll probably sue Ebony for using his picture…

Very nice tribute to the brothers… Malcolm X is definitely worthy of a cover and that Marvin Gaye shot is classic.

Jay Z didn’t move on from the “gangsta” mentality so it’s a no no!!! Not “cool”.

I’ll get BARACK for SHOOOOOO!!!!

I think Martin Luther King should have replaced Jay-Z.

Like ya’ll niggas hating on jay will ever make a cover shut up! What was so cool about martin? I would perfer malcolm x ova martin

Boo to Jay Z and I’m a bit unsure about Samuel L too. Snakes on a plane was definitely not cool

@68

What was so cool about martin? I mean
he was of course a great man with a
lot of heart, but how is that fascinating?

THANK GOD THERE ARE 8 COVERS (SMACKING FOREHEAD)
Why should Martin be on THIS covers?? THE TOPIC IS COOL. And when you think of DMLK or any other Rev, cool doesn’t come to mind. Now, if your a pimp like Al, then cool might cross some minds. But not mine. Come on, we all know what they are talking about when talking about cool. They are talking about Black American cool. When you think of Malcom, what comes to mind, not his preaching, but his reaching. Reaching for that shot gun. That was voted one of times greatest picture. And if there are some that are judging Jay, Billy Dee pushed 40’s for years…

THANK YOU TABBY! about billy dee like someone else said these men all have a past….hello no one is perfect. Why hate on Jay? There are 8 covers choose the one you want but don’t be a crab hating on the next nigga

Thanks tabby that’s what i meant about what’s so cool about martin….At ariona

I cringed when I saw Jay-Z’s cover myself. I’m sorry but he is/was disrepectful to black women and a crack dealer.

I’m not quite sure about Prince. Has he ever dated a black woman?

Kudos for the rest. Suggestions King, Malcolm, Mandela…there’s more.

@64>>>now you just said it. Swagger and cool all wrapped up in one: Morris Day! Even though he’s old skool, nobody exemplifies cool like Morris. He’s the first one I thought of.

Love Obama, Billy Dee, and Denzel. The rest, ehhhh. I will get the one with Obama.

Why is everyone taking it so personal about Jay Z. Just b/c you like doesn’t mean everyone else should. It’s an opinion which means: a personal view, attitude, or appraisal so get over it.

MJ. Not Michael Jordan but Michael Jackson

Jigga got Swagger! Love me some Jiggaman! I want the cover of Obama, Denzil, and Jay.

The epitome of cool.

I love it.

I feel JayZ should be on the cover and I hate people sayhow these rappers are disrespectful to women in their lyrics. I mean if you don’t fit the criteria (hoe, hood rat, bitch, heffa) whatever the case may be why the hell are you offended?!! You know there are out there LMAO!!! So don’t front.

I feel JayZ should be on the cover and I hate people sayhow these rappers are disrespectful to women in their lyrics. I mean if you don’t fit the criteria (hoe, hood rat, bitch, heffa) whatever the case may be why the hell are you offended?!! You know there are out there LMAO!!! So don’t front.

@ Htown, that’s what Ebony makes it out to be.They dismissed somebody, I forget who it was to be on the cover just because of Imus.It kind of is ass-backwards to me.I don’t have a problem with Jigga.But I won’t fault Ebony.I think this is an ok look.

@ Sharonda I can respect that….

SAMUEL L. JACKSON ???

LOL, Because I was just watching Dave Chappelle Show when he was making fun of Jackson loud voice. Why wasn’t OJ, Michael Jackson, or M.Jordan on the cover ???

i guess ppl don’t read. did anyone read the criteria to be on the cover. swagger confidence and effortless style. its not for looks

I didn’t even recognize Billy Dee Williams. I’m not feeling that particular picture, but that’s okay though. Denzel still perfect as ever (sigh). Damn Pauletta!! LOL.

Ebony, always delivers.

My vote went to: Malcolm X ( why wasn’t MLK jr on the list for the 60’s?).
Marvin Gay for the 70’s
Tupac for the 90’s he was killing them then, and every rapper want to
like him, and people stay sampling his songs so…
Barack for the 00’s

i can’t really argue with the covers, those are all some cool ass dudes.

“JAY-Z doesnt deserve to be on the same cover that Barack Obama” co-sign

Prince and Marvin?!!! You know I’m going to cop these…..!

i can’t find Obama’s cover ANYWHERE. Shooot. That’s the one I want.

I love this concept Ebony published. Of course Obama is cool with his swagger–look at the votes. Marvin is classic but so is fine Billy Dee as John McKay in Lady Sing’s the Blues.” When he asked Diana Ross portraying Billie Holiday, “Are you gonna make my arm fall off” everyone in movies screamed. hehehe Denzel and Samuel are definitely cool. Jayz has earned this moment. Ali is legendary with his coolness and Prince has done a lot behind the scene ventures that made him cool, though Prince is more guarded with his coolness, his swagger is blatant.

All these guys deserve a cover. They all have their own unique coolness.

Jay-Z def deserves a cover.

Okay then MALCOLM X, not Martin, but please Jay-Z needs to get outta here, nothing cool about being a mysoginist, and this kills any amount of swagger he may have (yeah kill me for saying that). I mean be serious, you have Denzel, then someone of the caliber of Barack, then right next you got……..”Jay-Z”??? Even Will Smith would have been a better choice. Jay-Z’s cover is a fallacy!!

jay-z looks cool but i would buy the denzel cover

hey where’s tupac’s cover!!!!!

I think Malcolm X should grace a cover because he epitomized “true” manhood. He`s a brotha whom I would have loved to just sit down and talk to; talk about intelligent. Malcolm was brilliant and only went to the 8th grade. Yet he could confound the best of the scholars. I often watch his videos on YouTube. Man, do I LUV brotha Malcolm…

Why not Will Smith instead of Jay Z? Were Biggie and Tupac alive right now who would give a ish about Jay Z? What a joke. Denzel, Marvin, Samuel and Ali are the ones I would buy.

#38 u make such a good point..people on here have totally misconstrued what the whole issue is about. The issue is about the coolest brothers and yes Jay is a cool brother and a very cool one at that..dude has soooooooooooo much swagger its not even funny..so yeah i think he deserves to be on that list!

@ LMAO #98………EXACTLY!!!!

I like the Obama, Prince and Billy Dee covers..

I like all the covers except the Jay-Z one. I hope I’ll be able to find the Obama one on the stands.

got damn!!! jigga cool?? jigga the biggest pimp/machist/sellout of the industry cool? why not add diddy too then? WHAT A JOKE! whoever said will smith would be better was right. ima pick either denzel or barack.

@96 my sentiments exactly! I was reading all the responses and I’m thinking why no one is commenting on how Tupac should have been on the cover instead of Jay Z… I mean Tupac was the OG of swagger…Whether it was him in jeans and a vest he made it seem like his outfit was worth a mill… Jay Z is only where he is at b/c Tupac died too soon. Keep it real people Jay Z is not worthy of being on that cover… EBONY put him up there just b/c; he’s done nothing… no one wrote songs about their mamas until Pac wrote Dear mama (jay Z just followed suit)

Put ego trip over Jay Z…if you ask me Jay Z is the one who single handily destroyed the rap game

where is quincy jones?….he should be on a cover!!…quincy has it all …intelligence..business sense….humanitarianism ( if that’s a word) power, money……why da hell is he not on the cover?/

n lets not forget swaagger!…quincy is def smooth…

I can’t believe no one notice that MILES DAVIS is not on one of the covers….For God sake the men of the symbol of cool doing the 50s…he was probably the only black artist that was clearly didn’t like white ppl but was still love by the public. Every black (and white) artist since Miles had copy his whole public persona.

Andre 3000?

This is BOMB.

Love this! Brothers are looking good! Stop all the madness! Jay is rightly deserving of his cover! Jay has swagger! Jay is cool! That’s what this issue is about! Definitely want the Obama and Jay covers! Just beautiful!

Everybody keeps commenting on Jay not deserving the cover. Obviously the people at Ebony felt Jigga deserves one. Comparing him to Obama and Malcolm isn’t really a fair comparison cause each one of these people had a impact on what they do. Tell me a rapper that is STILL ALIVE that has been hot since 96′ and still can sell out a concert and make moves in the boardroom. Jay has also done alot of charitable work that alot of people overlook. Each person that has a cover is should be respected for their gift and talents. Jus my thoughts…

To paraphrase others : Will Smith, Tupac, Quincy Jones should have been there long before Mr “Big Pimping”. As for rappers being alive, well, Marvin Gaye is dead and he made the cover, so JayZ doesn’t HAVE to be there just because he’s the most successful COMMERCIAL rapper. Didn’t he destroy the coolness of hiphop? I didn’t know that was “cool”.

I woulda put Jimi Hendrix there instead of Jay but whatever. Even Tupac instead of Jay.

Where is WILL SMITH????????????????????????????????????????????
?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????
WILL is the man.

Haterz, Haterz, Haterz- Jay-Z defnitely deserves to be on the cover because he most certainly meets the qualifications of teh issue. Subjectively speaking- the Title is “Ebony’s 25 Coolest Brothers of All Time..” Jay-Z is always a very calm, collected, laid-back type of guy; he always thinks about what he has to say before he says it, and he definitely has a certian swagger about himself. Whether your a fan of his or not- you have to admit that the man has finesse. ~

..And by the way..Tupac was not what one would consider to be “cool”- Dope lyricist- Yes- Great Music- Yes- But everyone knows that this man was a hot head- he was always the center of some drama and didnt really seem to mind. Now, dont get me wrong I am a fan of Tupac- no doubt- but when I think of the word “cool”- he is not at the top of my list. Maybe if the issue was titled “Ebony’s 25 Greatest Rappers of All Time”…now that would be a different story.

Say what you want about Prince . The majority of entertaniers today swagger jack him on a regular ( The dream, Ne-yo, Usher). X is also worthy , the rest whatever .

i dont understand y prince is up there? i dont think he deserves that spot, theres just something about him that has always annoyed the shit out of me!

snoop or diddy….

Regardless of what you may think of Jay Z you cannot take away his accomplishment. I am not a fan of his because I don’t listen too rap, but, this man is definately cool and he is a mover and shaker. In his circle and for his generation he definately belongs on that cover. He seems too have cut away the childish things when he became a man and is holding his own.

Let’s not be so quick to critize #3 because he belongs up there.

What about Micheal Jordan? I mean lets be real, MJ made hooping extra cool! The shorts, the socks, the shoes etc…Not to mention his swag off the court! Anyone agree???????

Jay messed up hip hop are you serious if anything he enhanced it and help it go more global. S.Carter shoes sold out across the U.S. He is the one who brought some of yall beloved Rihanna, (Neyo my fave) and Jeezy to the music scene. The Live Nation deal is insane and of course he brings it to the stage. The Nets and 40/40 clubs are some of his many business deals.

Even if Pac and Big were alive today I think Jay will still be where he is at
because he is talented,smart and driven. I

@116 Gerri

If you think Tupac doesn’t belong because you say he was a “hot head”, then how can you explain Muhammad Ali?? That man made his living off of being obnoxious and boisterous. He is thee farthest thing from Billy D. Williams or Marvin Gaye if you ask me.

Maxwell did not make the list? i demand a recount!

******************************* CAN SOME1 PLEASE EMAIL ME THE OBAMA PICTURE, I SO WANT THAT AS MY PROFILE PIC************** OR CAN CL PLEASE MAKE IT A PICTUE WHERE I CAN COPY AND PASTE IT?*******************OBAMA 08′ YALL!! SMOOCHES….

i agree that Jay Z did mess up the rap game, at least its credibility. He gave hiphop fame but it made it a laughing stock when it comes to black people’s image by making it popular. hiphop is dead, and he helped kill it. lets face it.

I’d like to share it with the hotties who also like sports I met at R I C H L O V I N G.C O M ,where the hot affluent singles and sexy girls and models to hook up for Hot Love, Flirt and Sexy Dating!

Any of you niggas stupid enough to question the obligatory inclusion of PRINCE need to get educated. I agree with prior comments regarding the overrated inclusion of Jay Z. But then black people are incapable of thinking anything is “cool” unless the culturally-bankrupt influence of hip-hop pollutes the air that they breathe.

It’s crazy how people are talking about how Jay treats women..Isn’t Jay married ??? i never understood why people take EVERYTHING in Hip hop so literal..When sam jackson had a white woman chained @ the neck,nobody thought he was a bad person..they just thought it was great acting..EVERY man on ALL of these covers has faults..Just cuz they choose not to share those things with u,don’t mean that they don’t exist..@ least you’ve seen the different sides of Jay,from him being the hustler to the business man that he is now…
Who else has had the ability to change a whole culture..He coined the phrase “grown and sexy” Lotta things he raps about in his songs become the new “hot” thing
He’s made people all over the world respect the power of hip hop..if that aint cool,then what is ??
I guess cuz he’s a rapper he’s supposed to fall in the same categroy as all other “dumb” rappers

@123- I agree with you. Muhammad Ali doesnt really fit the bill either. Defnintely one of the greatest boxers of all time, definitely a reputable figure in black history- but not what I would consider to be “cool”. Idk- it’s all really just a matter of opinion really I guess.

I agree with the other covers, but not Jay-Z. How about Michael Jordan?
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Tupac cool?????????? now y’all r seriously trippin’

omg! this is off the chain! love the concept! hopefully i agree with their list lol ima cop an issue

prince is black??

ahaha j/k…but dis is a good luck from EBONY

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Barack Obama and Jay-Z???? Gag! What have either of them really contributed to the black community. Jay-Z is a thug and Barack barely notices the Black American community. What do we really know about him. Oh, I forgot, it is an election year isn’t it?

@ 132- My sentiments exactly. lol.

I am curious to know what the criteria was on selecting the 25 coolest brothers of all time in your magazine?

What happened to Sidney Poiter lol He just is cool too

Jay Z?

really?

what a pathetic choice.. Jay represents everything that is wrong with the black community (and I’m a fan of his music). he’s an example of how another race embraces arrogance while living in a country that is run by a different one. the rest are dope. the Obama and Ali ones are especially.