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By claiming the No. 1 spot on the NBA’s highest selling jersey list, Carmelo Anthony, who is having an MVP-caliber season, became the first Knicks player to see the top spot since the list was announced beginning in 2001.

It’s quite the accomplishment for Anthony, because the Knicks weren’t expected to improve as much as they have, and the Brooklyn Nets’ arrival in New York was supposed to rain on the Knicks’ parade. Instead, the Knicks have won 13 straight and clinched the Atlantic regular season title with a 51-26 record. They are poised to take on the struggling Boston Celtics in the first round of the playoffs.

Anthony, a six-time All-Star, is in another battle: He and Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant are currently fighting for this season’s scoring title. Going into Wednesday night, Anthony averaged 28.6, while Durant was averaging 28.3 points per game.

Looks like artists may start to watch what they say in their songs.

UltraViolet, an organization dedicated to championing women’s rights and fighting sexism, is urging Reebok to drop Rick Ross based on the controversy of the lyrics akin to date rape in the song, “U.O.E.N.O.”

In case you haven’t heard, the rapper states in the song, “Put molly all in her champagne/ She ain’t even know it/ I took her home and I enjoyed that/ She ain’t even know it.”

A petition drafted by UltraViolet states, “By holding Rick Ross up as something to aspire to, Reebok is sending the message that raping a woman is cool — and that’s a dangerous message to send the boys and young men that Reebok markets to. This is what rape culture is.”

On April 4, members of UltraViolet protested outside Reebok’s flagship store in New York City and delivered a petition with 71,763 signatures against Ross.

Read more on AOL Black Voices

A man was arrested in Connecticut Monday afternoon after he pulled out a BB gun as President Barack Obama’s motorcade passed by, according to authorities.

Police say the unidentified man was acting suspiciously, pacing back and forth, before he pulled out what looked like a rifle. President Obama was in Connecticut to meet with families who lost loved ones during the school shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary last December. The president later spoke at the University of Hartford to champion Congress to come to a vote on new gun control proposals.

Read more at The Grio.

Brooklyn rapper Maino is taking his talent to the stage, but not the one we are used to seeing him on.

The rapper will be starring in a stage play called “Freedom.” The play is about a wrongly-convicted man who spends over 20 years in jail for a crime he didn’t commit. The play’s focus is to bring to light the number of unjust incarcerations that happen on a daily basis.

It follows the real life story of David Ranta, who was arrested and convicted of murdering Rabbi Chaskel Werzberger in 1991. He was recently released on March 21st, 2013.

Read more at SOHH

Whether you’re a business owner trying to ramp up your startup’s connections or a recent graduate looking to secure post-grad opportunities, your LinkedIn account is crucial to landing new-found opportunities. LinkedIn is an excellent online networking tool that can assist you in building vital professional relationships.  Here, BlackEnterprise.com’s social media contributor S. Lynn Cooper highlights what you should do to complete

Finish what you’ve started

First impressions are everything. Think of your LinkedIn profile as your one shot. Thus, your LinkedIn profile should list your current position and at least two previous roles, academic institutions attended and contact information which will then make your profile 100% complete, according to LinkedIn’s standards.  Take the time to fill out the descriptions, listing your duties and inject keywords relevant to your industry.  Ask yourself, what would others type in the search box to find someone with my skill set?

Put your best foot face forward

Browsing through most social media sites, you’ll notice a majority of the profile photos are not professional. These laid-back photos are acceptable for personal profiles, but, since LinkedIn is a professional’s playground, promoting yourself or your brand without having professional photographs can drastically alter the way you and/or your business is viewed.

Studies show that LinkedIn profiles with appropriate photographs are much more likely to get clicked on than those without.  So, even if you don’t have a professional photo, taking one with a high-resolution camera in conjunction with appropriate lighting, clothing and background is better than having no photo at all.

Reach out

Perform a series of searches to locate people you know by name via the search box. Once you’ve identified these contacts, click the connect button to add them to your network.  Send a custom message to the person within the invitation, especially if you’re not in constant communication with the individual. Once you’ve made a significant amount of connections, you should view the “People You May Know” page to review colleagues you may have missed.

Request meaningful recommendations

Take the time to reach out to your supervisors and closest colleagues to obtain quality recommendations prior to sending a request on LinkedIn, and explain the importance of their recommendation.  Once they have completed your request, take a moment and thank them and consider returning the favor by recommending them.

Get those apps

Third-party applications approved by LinkedIn allow you to customize your profile and showcase your work products. You may have crafted a white paper or presentation that can be of value to your industry; consider sharing it with your network via SlideShare which you can connect to your LinkedIn account. Perhaps you’ve penned a blog article, add the WordPress app so you can share you’re expertise.

Take time to explore the infinite amount of tools and features that LinkedIn offers. It’s like a gold mine for those who want to take advantage of connecting with other professionals, establishing thought leadership and creating new opportunities.

Have LinkedIn tips? Share your best practices in the comments section below.

S. Lynn Cooper is a Washington, DC-based digital strategist and communications expert. Cooper is the founder and director of Socially Ahead, a strategic communications agency that specializes in the creation of social and digital strategies and campaign management. Follow her on Twitter at @sociallyahead.