Regardless if there is a global pandemic or not, the auction block remains hot. In recent months we’ve learned of photos and notes from musicians and popular sports figures that have gone up for auction, and this time, a letter from former President Barack Obama to the late music icon B. B. King is up for sale. 

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After blessing us with decades of music, B.B. King passed away in 2015. A month before he died, Obama sent King a heartfelt letter on official White House stationery. “I recently learned of the health challenges you’ve been facing, and I wanted to send my warmest wishes during this trying time,” Obama penned in the opening of the letter.

According to TMZ, King faced a number of health issues brought on by diabetes and high blood pressure. “As the King of the Blues, you have made music that has changed our country and the world,” Obama said. “For decades, your soaring sounds and extraordinary craftsmanship have touched our hearts, moved our souls, and lifted our spirits.”

The outlet states that Syl Williams, King’s granddaughter, received the letter from her mother. The music icon would later suffer strokes before passing away from vascular dementia. His daughters claimed that King’s manager was abusing him, however, an autopsy didn’t support their accusations. Meanwhile, Barack Obama’s letter to B.B. King is expected to fetch $17,500.

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Social distancing is helping to slow the spread of coronavirus, but cases are clearly still being confirmed. Retired NBA player Jason Collins has come forward to announce that he has tested positive for COVID-19. Collins shared the news on social media in a series of tweets explaining how he believed he contracted the virus.

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"I believe I got it while on a trip to NYC at the beginning of the month for the Brooklyn Nets Pride night game. I had my first symptoms on [Wednesday, March] 11. Terrible headache. A few days later I had a fever and then the cough," Collins wrote. "On Saturday I went to the ER and got tested and spoke with some docs about the tightness in my chest. I’m home now resting but still experiencing some tightness and might go back to the hospital later today. On Saturday my lungs were clear, which obviously is good."

Collins thanked the public for the well-wishes and revealed that his partner also has been diagnosed with COVID-19. "Please stay safe and continue to social distance," he advised the public. "Thank you to every single health care worker out there that are our true heroes on the frontline. Please let’s try to flatten the curve & not overwhelm our health care system."

If Collins's name sounds familiar, it's because in May 2013, he became the first active male athlete in American sports to come out as gay on a large media platform. After playing 13 seasons in the NBA, Collins retired from the league. He gained national attention when he was shared his coming out news in a cover story fo Sports Illustrated.

Sneaker news has been pretty bleak over the last little while due to the fact that numerous release dates are being pushed back as a result of the Coronavirus. Despite this, new colorways and models are still being shown off. These models are a nice little reminder that the sneaker industry will continue to flourish once this nightmare is over. 

One of the shoes that continues to get new offerings is the Air Jordan 1 High OG. The Jordan 1 is easily one of the most popular shoes of all time so it only makes sense that we would continue to get updates well into 2020. Thanks to wavegod_thelegend, we now have a preview of the “Light Smoke Grey” colorway which we reported on just two weeks ago. As you can see, grey suede overlays are placed over white leather while the cuff is red and Nike swoosh is black.

Early reports indicate that this model will be dropping on July 11th of this year for $170 USD although this has yet to be confirmed. With this in mind, stay tuned for updates as we will be sure to bring them to you.

Also, let us know what you think of these, in the comments below.

When Lil Baby first emerged onto the scene, many were left wondering whether the game had simply run out of eligible rap names. Against all odds, Baby quickly endeared himself to fans with a barrage of bangers, including the breakout Drake duet “Yes Indeed.” By the time he delivered his debut album Harder Than Ever, he was already being touted as one of the most promising up-and-comers in a minute. Fast forward a modest three years later and he’s standing proudly at the top of the heap.

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Despite being only three weeks old (a proverbial baby, as it were) his latest studio album My Turn has already proven to be a fan favorite. Singles like the platinum “Woah,” the Future-assisted “Live Off My Closet,” the hard-hitting Moneybagg Yo collaboration “No Sucker,” and the powerful centerpiece “Emotionally Scarred” have clearly resonated with listeners, resulting in some truly impressive numbers for the Quality Control artist. So much so that it’s already eligible for Gold status, another plaque for his growing collection.

Are you still bumping Lil Baby’s most ambitious project yet? And if so, where do you feel it positions him in the hierarchy of current greats — is it fair to call him the best artist under the age of 30? 

Everything has been affected by the coronavirus outbreak. The health of our loved ones is the most important thing right now but, in the coming weeks/months, we will see even more of an effect on the economy, small businesses, and more. If you were on the prowl before COVID-19, you have surely noticed a difference in dating. With social distancing in effect, it’s not recommended to go out in public, effectively putting all of your relationship goals and aspirations on ice. Because of this, Wendy Williams came through with an important question: is it safe to have sex while this is going on? She asked Dr. Oz for clarity.

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“When I went to Dr. Oz, one of the things I talked to him about, I was like, ‘Dr. Oz, what do single people, including me, do about sex?'” asked Wendy on the at-home version of her talk show. “Because as much as a wanted woman as I am, I’m not thinking about that. I don’t want anybody over here. I think condoms are something random. You know, what about the sweat and the shower?”

While the part about sex was not included in the episode, Wendy noted that Dr. Oz advised her against it for right now.

“He ended up saying, ‘You know what? Hold out. It’ll be over soon,'” she added.

So there you have it. No sex for the time-being, y’all. Watch the video below to hear what else Williams had to say, including her moaning at her crab lunch…

Paul Pierce is considered to be a legend in Boston. He helped the team win a title in 2008 and while his hot takes get him in trouble, there is no doubt he is a respected player around the NBA. Pierce was drafted tenth overall by the Boston Celtics in 1998 although he was projected to go much higher. While speaking to the “All The Smoke” podcast, Pierce admitted that he actually wanted 

“The Clippers was the number one pick, and I was like, ‘Ooh, I wanna go home and play,’” Pierce said. So I worked out for them, and then I asked them for a second workout… I was projected to go No. 2 to the Vancouver Grizzlies. Clippers wanted a big man, they picked [Michael] Olowokandi.”

Pierce went on to explain how he felt while he saw himself slipping in the draft. As you can imagine, it wasn’t a very good feeling.

“The Draft comes, and I just slipped. I’m an All American, I’m a top 5 player in college, I’m up for National Player of the Year, so I’m wondering why is it that I’m slipping. I’m slipping in the draft,” Pierce explained.

While Pierce didn’t get drafted high, there is no denying things ended up working out for him.

DaBaby may be a man of action, but that's not to say he isn't for the children; after all, he is prone to going baby, sometimes even baby on baby. During these desperate times of self-isolation and voluntary quarantine, one must find comfort in the simple pleasures of life. For DaBaby such pleasures include hosting a baking session, a cupcake extravaganza sure to lift the spirits of the young ones in his family.

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Taking to Instagram to stream the event, DaBaby introduced his sous-chefs as "Baby Kirk," "Neicy Red," and "Crazy Man." With the new Lil Uzi Vert album and Drake & Future's "Life Is Good" blasting in the background, Baby goes step by step in guiding the youngsters through the process. With their minds stimulated, the kids seem eager to be involved, prompting Baby to channel his dad energy and implore patience -- a futile task, given the volatile combination of children and sugar. 

Yet somehow, he manages. Before long, the kids are stirring up a storm while DaBaby oversees the process proudly. "If they can't stop fighting put everybody to work! STIR! STIR! STIR!" he captions. Unfortunately, the clip leaves on a cliffhanger, leaving us without a glimpse of the finished project. Either way, it's a nice window into DaBaby as a family man, and it's wholesome to see him serving as a positive role model in an otherwise uncertain time. Be safe out there, and be sure to enjoy the little things. 

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How you think they turned out?

A post shared by BABY JESUS (@dababy) on Mar 23, 2020 at 9:28pm PDT

During the early 2000s, the Los Angeles Lakers had a complete stranglehold over the NBA. In 2002, the Lakers were going for their third-straight championship with Shaq and Kobe Bryant at the helm. They ended up going against the New Jersey Nets who didn’t have much of a chance. The Lakers easily won the series in just four games and proved themselves as one of the greatest dynasties of all time.

In a recent interview, Shaq was asked about the 2002 NBA Finals and unsurprisingly, the NBA legend had some harsh words about the series. Considering the results, Shaq’s comments are almost impossible to disagree with.

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“It was boring,” Shaq said. “It was boring because, what was that center’s name – Todd MacCulloch? Todd MacCulloch playing me? Stop it. You know what’s crazy? I actually got mad when we were playing in Jersey. You think Todd MacCulloch is going to stop me at the crib in Jersey in front of my grandma and grandpa?….Sheeeeeit! No. Stop it.”

After this championship, the Lakers eventually split up with Shaq going to the Miami Heat. Meanwhile, Kobe stayed in Los Angeles and won two more championships in 2009 and 2010.

Now that Kobe is no longer with us, we’re sure Shaq looks back on those early Lakers days with newfound fondness.

[Via]

In the months leading up to Kodak Black‘s incarceration, the young Floridian rapper was stirring the pot more than ever before. Whether beefing with T.I. and Tiny, disrespecting Lauren London, or sending shots at Lil Wayne, Kodak was never far from a confrontation — nor was he afraid to burn a bridge with an O.G. On that note, one of the strangest instances occurred when Kodak revealed a hostile encounter with Sticky Fingaz of Onyx, which ultimately led to a gun being drawn. At the time, Kodak infamously stated: “I ain’t like his old head energy.”

A little over a year since that still-mysterious encounter, Onyx hit up No Jumper for an interview. Never afraid to ask the tough questions, Adam 22 boldly inquires about the Kodak Black situation, maintaining that we haven’t exactly heard the entire story from all sides. Sticky claims that there’s no beef, going so far as to send the incarcerated young rapper his blessings. Adam proceeds to pour gasoline on the fire by offering a spoken-word rendition of Kodak’s infamous proclamation, opening the door for Sticky to speak on the matter.

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“Listen, I make records,” says Sticky. “Not to disrespect nobody cause I’m an OG in this shit, and I’m here to bring the light. Cause I’m darkness. Let’s think about the person we’re talking about. This is the same person that tried to bring mad shit through a Canadian border. The same person that said disrespectful shit about Nipsey Hussle. The character of the person we’re talking about, the drugs.”

Fredro Starr interjects, determined to steer the conversation away from the Kodak direction. Adam acknowledges that Onyx has been known to sound off on media hosts, citing their hostile encounter with Charlamagne Tha God as a prime example. Starr responds by saying the issues tend to be solved behind the scenes with far less coverage, and that while an interviewer should ask hard questions, they should know when to accept an answer and move on. Though Adam does attempt to push the thread a little further, Starr firmly yet fairly nips it in the bud. 

Check it out for yourself below. 

There are millions of people on TikTok who both create and attempt to pull off these dance challenges, but very few have the skills of Chris Brown. The fancy-footed Indigo star, along with the rest of the world, has been keeping himself under quarantine, but it looks as if he’s taken some time away from social distancing in order to catch up with Tyga and YouTube star Austin McBroom. 

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On Monday (March 23), Chris uploaded a brief clip of the trio giving their take on a popular TikTok dance—well, more just a few simple hand movements, but you get the point. The singer and his famous friends look to be in good spirits as they’re quarantined at home and Chris continued to show off his silly side in the video’s opening. “Gang in this b*tch,” he wrote in the caption.

Meanwhile, as the brief clip has circulated on social media, some fans weren’t too happy to see Austin alongside two of their favorite artists. Fans have brought up Austin McBroom’s previous controversial statements about black women where he tweeted things like, “Can’t do black girls cuz after I’m done, imma have to pay for their hair. #allbad” and “St. Louis is scaring me away from black girls…..blondes with blue eyes are looking more appealing !” Other fans were just happy to see more footage of Chris Brown and Tyga together, regardless of who they were with. Check out the video, and a few reactions, below.