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Safaree Samuels does not trust the government, especially when it comes to the hysteria surrounding an epidemic like the coronavirus. As the deadly disease spreads rapidly and more and more cases are confirmed each day, folks are taking serious precautions when it comes to protecting their health. The country of Italy has been shut down, major events around the world have been cancelled, and thousands have been quarantined.

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However, not everyone thinks that the public is getting all the information necessary about the virus. Safaree took to Twitter to start a dialogue about the fear that has been instilled into civilians about contracting coronavirus. The rapper and reality star noted that folks should not let the viral epidemic control their whole lives.

French government officials had to remind its citizens that cocaine is not a preventative measure for the novel coronavirus. With France's neighboring country recently taking major precautions, quarantining approximately 16 million of their citizens, the spread of the life-threatening COVID-19 disease into their borders have become a growing concern for their citizens and official health advisors as well. The original rumor that cocaine was a cure for the coronavirus began as a part of ill-advised information leak on the highly-popularized social media platform Facebook, which has had a history of containing false information in the past.   Spencer Platt/Getty Images

According to Politifact, the Facebook post popped up on the internet on Jan. 30 and featured a photo of the highly-addictive narcotic and a grammatically butchered banner headline that read "Cocaine kills coronavirus" and "Scientists is shocked to discover that this drug can fight the virus." As per usual, the false information eventually made its way to different social media platforms and has influenced some French citizens that cocaine could actually be used to prevent from contracting COVID-19.  

Despite the post being flagged for spreading dangerously false information that could potentially affect the health of millions of people, the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health in Paris, France had to make a statement to ensure the safety of the country's citizens. A Ministry official took to Twitter to announce in a short, concise statement that translates to:

"No, cocaine does NOT protect against COVID-19. It is an addictive drug that causes serious side effects and is harmful to people's health."

Coronavirus has become quite possibly the biggest news item in the world. Over 100,000 people have been diagnosed with the disease and it is quickly spreading throughout the world. The possibility of a pandemic has every country in the world on its toes and people are worried. Sports leagues are taking drastic measures to prevent the spread of the disease and moving forward, the NBA could be apart of those efforts. Over the past week, it has been reported that the NBA is preparing teams for the possibility of playing without any fans in the stands. 

According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, this possibility could very well become a reality and league executives are worried about what it could all mean, moving forward. On Wednesday, the league will hold a meeting where every team will have to discuss the "next steps."

An outbreak of the novel coronavirus has forced Italy to quarantine approximately 16 million people. Last month, government officials of the highly-populated area of Italy’s Lombardy region were forced to quarantine approximately 50,000 people after confirmed cases of the virus sky-rocketed from five to more than a hundred in less than three days. The Italian coronavirus outbreak allegedly began in the city of Codogno after a 38-year old man, known as ‘patient zero’ had been diagnosed with the disease. Now, Italy has become Europe’s most contaminated country on the continent with government officials taking extraordinary precautions to stop the spread of the disease.  Marco Di Lauro/Getty Images

According to BBC, the coronavirus has struck the country’s Northern and Central provinces resulting in stricter quarantine methods in the region. Under these temporary regulations, citizens in the Lombardy region and the 14 other Central and Northern provinces will need special authorization to travel throughout the country. 

Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte has taken command closing schools, gyms, museums, nightclubs, sporting events, and other establishments across the country. Highly-populated cities including Milan and Venice are currently under quarantine orders affecting approximately 16 million Italian citizens. Conte released an official statement to the Italian media advising people to stay indoors, stating: 

“There will be no movement in or out of these areas, or within them, unless for proven work-related reasons, emergencies or health reasons,” Conte told the public. “We are facing an emergency, a national emergency. We have to limit the spread of the virus and prevent our hospitals from being overwhelmed.” 

This past Saturday (March 7), a total of 5,833 confirmed cases flood the country with a total of 230 fatalities caused by the virus have been confirmed including a reported 36 deaths in 24 hours. Italy’s Chief of Staff for the Italian Army, Salvatore Farina, is among those affected and is currently ‘self-isolating.’

The United States is currently taking extra precautions to prevent the spread of the coronavirus in major metropolitan cities like New York and Los Angeles as well. Check out BBC‘s official report declaring a quarantine of 16 million people in the video provided below. 

Eric Andre’s brand of comedy has reached new levels as he recently pranked unsuspecting Beyoncé fans during a segment on Thursday (March 5) night’s episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live!. The future Rapper Ninja Warrior host took his talents to speak with Kimmel about his upcoming prank movie, Bad Trip which hits theaters, April 24. But it wouldn’t have been a quality Eric Andre late-night sighting if he didn’t participate in some pranks of his own utilizing the Jimmy Kimmel Live! production team. 

 Vivien Killilea/Getty Images

The high-energy comedian discussed Tiffany Haddish’s participation in the upcoming film before making an impromptu coronavirus joke, stating:

“I’m actually Patient Zero. I gave the coronavirus to the entire country. And Zika and H1N1. Let’s not forget about all the great diseases!”

The Lion King voice actor also revealed that during the filming of the movie a knife was pulled on him and Lil Rel Howery. At about the 2:55 second mark, Andre details how an Atlanta barber brandished a knife on him and the Chicago-bred comedian after they entered his barbershop attached at the genitals a Chinese finger trap. Fortunately, both parties were able to escape the scene without being harmed. 

At the seven-minute mark, Kimmel debuted the prank segment featuring Eric Andre dressed as Beyoncé, where he provided himself with the moniker “BeAndre.” The sequence entitled Beyoncé or BeAndré? featured multiple fans of the Grammy Award-winning songstress delivering heartfelt messages to her in a backstage production room. What they didn’t know was that they were going to be surprised by a disguised Eric Andre who concealed his identity only using his hands, dressed in a gown and lace front wig.  

Eric’s prank was able to bring some of the unsuspecting fans to tears as they thought they were really meeting their idol. Unfortunately, while they were ultimately disappointed that he wasn’t Beyoncé, Andre provided the fans with some must-watch entertainment, smashing a vase to smithereens and dropping a box of “bees.”

Check out Eric Andre’s full Jimmy Kimmel Live! interview and his “BeAndre” prank segment in the video provided below. 

Undefeated boxing legend Floyd Mayweather hasn’t completely ruled out a return to the ring (shocking, I know), but there are only a few options he’d realistically consider. Among them, UFC’s undefeated Lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov and the man Mayweather defeated in his last real match in 2017, Conor McGregor.

Of course, Mayweather would have to be paid handsomely to come out of retirement again – And when I say “handsomely,” I mean $600 million.

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During a recent event at London’s York Hall, Mayweather, who reportedly made $300M in his first fight with Conor, revealed the exact amount that it would take for a rematch with McGregor or a clash with Khabib. According to the Mirror, Floyd explained, “Like we talked about on social media, there’s two names right now. We talked about the Conor McGregor fight, we talked about the Khabib fight. For myself, the number is $600 million. If I’m going to go out there and risk it, it’d have to be worth it.”

Money Mayweather teased a promotional image for Mayweather-McGregor II back in January, although it appears as though that was just wishful thinking because McGregor remains fully committed to his UFC duties this year. The Irish superstar has expressed a desire to fight Floyd on his own turf, inside the octagon, but there’s no way in hell the 43-year old boxer would ever agree to that. And there can’t be anybody who actually thinks a Floyd vs Khabib boxing match would be entertaining, right?

The fact remains, if it’s not a $600M boxing match against either of those two UFC stars, it looks like Floyd will be content to enjoy his retired life.

“In the boxing world as of right now, it doesn’t make sense for me to fight any ordinary fighter. I’m a businessman. The Conor McGregor fight made sense. If it makes money, it makes sense.

“I don’t fight fighters or compete against competitors that only have cities behind them. If I’m going to fight you, you have to have a whole country behind you. The first fight was entertaining. It’s an entertainment business.”

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Things are getting progressively worse with the Coronavirus outbreak as more and more researchers are trying to find a solution. As they’ve tried to figure out a cure, or at the very least, some sort of vaccination, researchers from Peking University’s School of Life Sciences and the Institut Pasteur of Shanghai in China have identified two strains that have mutated from Coronavirus, according to Reuters.

From 103 samples they’ve taken, 70 percent has been identified as the L-type, a more aggressive strain of the disease, while the remaining 30 percent is identified as the S-type. The L-type was the strain that initially sparked the outbreak in Wuhan, China, prompting the country to take preventative measures against the virus spreading. However, the aggressive strain began slowing down following January 2020.

“These findings strongly support an urgent need for further immediate, comprehensive studies that combine genomic data, epidemiological data, and chart records of the clinical symptoms of patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19),” a study from National Science Review, the journal of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said. 

So far, there have been over 100,000 confirmed cases of coronavirus with 3,300 people dying from the disease. CDC has confirmed 129 confirmed cases with atleast nine deaths in the Washington state area. At the end of January, the US government declared coronavirus a public health emergency. We’ll keep you posted on any more updates. 

23-year-old, Jonathan Mok, was wrongfully beaten and assaulted after being accused of bringing the coronavirus to London. The UCL (University College London) student was walking down Oxford Street last Monday (Feb. 24), when he heard shouting about the novel coronavirus. After hearing remarks about his race and the COVID-19 virus, Mok decided to stand up for himself and was met by three to four men and woman who unleashed a surprise attack on the Singaporean collegiate student. 

 Anthony Kwan/Getty Images

Mok has been living in London for the past two years for his collegiate studies and frequently returns to Singapore during holidays. During the incident, the student was instantaneously punched in the face twice and kicked by a group of unknown Londoners near the Tottenham Court Road station. London’s Metropolitan Police Service confirmed on Tuesday (March 2) that they are investigating the assault, but have made no arrest. During a brief interview with Channel News Asia, Jonathan Mok stated:

“I felt really angry … It is ridiculous people are being targeted for being Asian.”

Since Mok’s attack, the Singapore High Commission urged all Singaporeans to take precautions while in the UK and report any type of abuse to the local authorities. John Wok took to his Facebook page to write in-depth soliloquy about being racially discriminated against, part of his post reads:

“Last Monday, at roughly 9.15pm on Oxford Street in London, I walked past a group of young men, when I saw one of them look at me (just as he walked past me) and said something to me, which I could make out the word ‘coronavirus’. I was stunned and turned around to have a look at the man made the statement. He was still staring at me as he walked past and realised I was looking at him. He shouted ‘Don’t you dare look at me, you ____’ (I could not catch the last word because of the accent). Within 3 seconds, he was in my face, together with 3/4 other young men, and a young lady (all of whom seemed no older than 20 years old, but were all more than a head taller than me). I was shocked and angry because he directed a racist remark at me and had the audacity to shout at me like I had wronged him. All of a sudden, the first punch was swung at my face and took me by surprise. When I was still shocked by the first hit, the guy delivered the second sucker punch. By then, a few passers-by had stopped and one of them tried to reason with them that 4 on 1 was not fair. The attacker’s friend tried to swing a kick at me as I was explaining to the passer-by that I hadn’t done anything at all. I tried to react in self-defence but couldn’t do anything substantial because I was still recovering from a broken finger in my master hand. The guy who tried to kick me then said, ‘I don’t want your coronavirus in my country’”

While the President of the United States may believe the coronavirus is a hoax, major corporations have been taking hits from the spread from the disease and is leaving American citizens dead from the virus. Jonathan Mok’s targeted attack is not what society needs in order to battle this current pandemic, but is a result of ignorance about the deadly virus. With a vaccine allegedly developed, hopefully, humanity will be able to move past this egregious disease and move forward amicably. 

Check out Johnathan Mok’s bruised and battered face in the Facebook post provided below. 

Imagine a tour with Rick Ross, T.I., Lil’ Kim, Jeezy, Boosie Badazz, Yo Gotti, 2 Chainz, and more… It seems too good to be too but that’s legitimately happening very soon. All of your favourite Southern drug rap kingpins are teaming up for the Feed The Streetz tour, hitting the road for some star-studded shows across the country this Spring.

Pegged as the “Living Legends” leg of the tour, each one of these artists is still very much active in the game today. Kicking off in Atlanta, the billing will include the following rappers: Rick Ross, Jeezy, T.I, Yo Gotti, Lil’ Kim, and Boosie Badazz. DJ Drama is being touted as a special guest and, on select dates, 2 Chainz will also be hitting the stage. I don’t know about y’all but, with that line-up, any price of admission is worth it.

While this isn’t exactly being marketed as a nostalgic affair, it will certainly attract a specific group of rap fans.

Check out the tour dates below, Stereogum. Are you going to be buying a ticket to one of the upcoming shows?

4/24 – Atlanta, GA @ State Farm Arena *
5/02 – Greensboro, NC @ Greensboro Coliseum *
5/09 – Houston, TX @ Toyota Center
5/15 – Brooklyn, NY @ Barclays Center
5/22 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Forum
5/24 – Oakland, CA @ Oakland Arena
5/30 – Chicago, IL @ Wintrust Arena

* with 2 Chainz

Pete Buttigieg has officially notified supporters that he will be stepping away from the 2020 Democratic primaries ahead of the presidential election.

The announcement came after the South Bend, Indiana mayor finished in fourth place in the South Carolina Democratic primary. 

Buttigieg made history as the first openly gay major presidential candidate but ultimately could not hold strong as the race ran on, especially as he failed to reel in Black votes across the board.

Win McNamee/Getty Images

He makes the announcement just ahead of Super Tuesday in which 15 American states and territories will decide the fate of one-third of all delegates. So ar, Buttigieg was slated to fall largely behind Joe Biden and Senator Bernie Sanders. The decision to put a halt to a Sunday0night rally in Dallas, and a Monday-morning fundraiser in Austin, Texas.

“Sometimes the longest way around really is the shortest way home,’’ Buttigieg said before a crowd, per The New York Times. “The truth is that the path has narrowed to a close, for our candidacy if not for our cause. Tonight I am making the difficult decision to suspend my campaign for the presidency.”

Sunday night, Senator Sanders spoke in Los Angeles, making a not-so-veiled attempt at reeling in Buttigieg's supporters.

“He is the first openly gay candidate for president of the United States and he did extraordinarily well,” Sanders said. “And tonight, I just want to welcome all of his supporters into our movement and to urge them to joining us in the fight for real change in this country.”

After Pete Davidson revealed during his Netflix comedy special, Alive From New York, that he was “forced” to apologize to politician Dan Crenshaw for mocking him on Saturday Night Live, the Texas congressman has insisted that Pete just “can’t stop thinking about” him. Pete acknowledged the incident during his special, explaining that he “made fun of this guy with an eye patch and then, like, I kind of got forced to apologize.” The apology took place on the Weekend Update segment of SNL, in which Pete brought Crenshaw out in order to say sorry to him face to face. During the Netflix special, Pete also noted that the whole ordeal unintentionally made the lawmaker more famous. Crenshaw has since been made aware that Pete regrets making the apology and that he never really wanted to do it in the first place.

During an appearance on “Fox & Friends,” Crenshaw was asked by host Brian Kilmeade about Pete’s comments in the special. “I can’t get out of Pete Davidson’s head. He’s been thinking about me a lot for the last year. I’m not sure his jokes always land, but it is what it is.”

“It’s a little sad,” the Republican lawmaker went on to say about the situation. “We had a really good moment, you know, at that time in 2018. America liked it. The left and right liked it. So, you know, we don’t really want to ruin that.” During the apology segment on SNL, Pete and Crenshaw paid tribute to Pete’s late father, a firefighter who died in 9/11. “The Pete Davidson I remember,” Crenshaw continues, “he went out to buy some cigarettes while we were rehearsing and he came back because he had found this lighter that said ‘Never Forget’ on it and he gave that to me as a gesture. He said this was kind of cool that this happened to come up as he was buying cigarettes.”

Kevin Winter/Getty Images

“I think he meant well at the time,” he concluded. “You can never tell with comedians. Who knows how much he had to drink beforehand. I don’t know, we don’t have to take it too seriously…To be fair, if we took everything that comedians said on a Netflix special seriously, man our country would be in a world of hurt,” he noted. “I would like to remember the guy that I saw in person and hung out with that night.”

DaBaby is officially grill-less, as the rapper showed off his pearly whites alongside his buddies Blac Youngsta and Moneybagg Yo, the latter of which recently got his diamond fronts removed as well. DaBaby can almost always be seen smiling. The rapper’s wide grin has become a signature part of his silhouette, but now when Baby flashes a smile, it’ll look totally different. DaBaby shared a clip of himself surrounded by his friends Moneybagg Yo and Blac Youngsta, beaming from ear-to-ear to show off his recent dental work. “Pearly white sh*t,” DaBaby can be heard saying in the clip, before pointing out the obvious: “I took the grill out.”

“All smiles,” Moneybagg declares in the clip. He, himself, recently debuted a brand new smile, after taking a trip to Colombia to visit Dr. Mario Montoya. Specifying that he did not opt for “the big cheap teeth,” Moneybagg’s shiny white veneers are practically perfect.

DaBaby later shared another clip of himself, Moneybagg, and Youngsta joined by Yo Gotti and Stunna 4 Vegas. “Whole lotta rich ass country n*ggas in the building,” Baby says of the group.

While Moneybagg, Youngsta, and Yo Gotti all reside from Memphis, Tennessee, Baby and Stunna are both North Carolina natives, the former from Charlotte and the latter from Salisbury. Baby will be returning to his hometown later this month to assist Diddy and the rest of the Combs Cartel on the judging panel for the Making The Band reboot auditions in Charlotte, and there’s no doubt he’ll be flaunting his brand new smile the whole time. 

President Donald Trump has already begun ramping up his campaign efforts as the general election is going to take place on November 4th of this year. In order to effectively campaign, Trump has decided to fly around the country and hold rallies in various different states. Recently, Trump was in Colorado and he had a very special guest with him. Of course, we are talking about UFC President Dana White.

TMZ recently caught up with White where they asked him about his recent trip and what it meant to him. As White explained, he was never actually supposed to speak but the President wanted him to. White also spoke about UFC fans who may jump ship knowing White is an avid Trump supporter.

“I wasn’t really campaigning, he called me and asked me if I wanted to go to Colorado “he said, ‘Wanna go to Colorado?’ So, I said, ‘Yeah.’ So, we flew over to Colorado for the day and then back to Vegas,” White explained before talking about the fans. “I could give a s**t. I don’t give a s**t. If you don’t like me because I’m friends with this guy, that’s your problem, not mine.”

Clearly, White is very comfortable with his political believes and truly doesn’t care that people have an issue. With the election drawing near, it will be interesting to see if White does anymore campaign stops.

Doja Cat will be hitting the road this spring for her North American headlining Hot Pink tour, making stops in 14 different cities including performances at Coachella for both weekends. The rising star’s popularity has kept on growing and growing ever since she went viral for her oddly charming, cow-themed “Moo” video, and with the release of her sophomore studio album, Hot Pink, she’s seen even more success than ever before.

Image  HNHH

After performing the track on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on Wednesday night, Doja dropped the visuals for “Say So,” which took the dreamy disco aesthetic of her late night set to a whole new level. “Say So” was made popular on Tik Tok, after a user named Haley Sharpe invented a dance routine to the airy track that went viral and led to Haley making a cameo in the visuals to show off her choreography. Now, Doja is taking her talents around the country (with one show in Canada), making her first stop on the Hot Pink tour in Chicago on March 25th.

Doja will then make her way from the East Coast to the West, with opening acts Ashnikko and Big Klit performing on select dates. The artist will travel from Austin, Texas, to Coachella Valley for the first weekend of the music festival on April 10th-12th. Remaining in California, Doja will make stops in Los Angeles and San Francisco before heading back to the desert for Coachella Weekend 2. Tickets go on sale on Friday at 10:00am and can be purchased here. Check out the full list of dates below:

March 25th – Chicago, IL – Patio
March 26th – Detroit, MI – Majestic Theater
March 27th – Toronto, ON – The Phoenix
March 30th – Philadelphia, PA – Fillmore
March 31st – Boston, MA – The Big Night
April 1st – New York, NY – Brooklyn Steel
April 3rd – Charlotte, NC – Fillmore
April 4th – Nashville, TN – The Cowan
April 6th – Atlanta, GA – Tabernacle
April 8th – Dallas, TX – Canton Hall
April 9th – Austin, TX – Emo’s
Avril 10-12th – Indio, CA – Coachella, Empire Polo Club
April 14th – Los Angeles, CA – The Novo
April 15th – San Francisco, CA – Regency Ballroom
April 17th-19th – Indio, CA – Coachella, Empire Polo Club

Another season of American Horror Story is on the horizon and they’re bringing in a familiar face. It was announced on Wednesday (February 26) that Macaulay Culkin will be joining the cast of the hit horror show’s 10th season. For years there have been rumors about American Horror Story’sconclusion, but it seems that the series will appropriately bow out after season 13.

Frazer Harrison / Staff / Getty Images

American Horror Story co-creator Ryan Murphy shared next season’s cast list on Instagram. It showed that Sarah Paulson and Evan Peters would be making yet another return after skipping out on season 9’s 1984. Other returning talents include Kathy Bates, Billie Lourd, Leslie Grossman, Adina Porter, Lily Rabe, Angelica Ross, and Finn Wittrock. This will be Macaulay Culkin’s first feature in the series.

In true AHS style, Murphy has kept the theme of the forthcoming season a mystery. While there haven’t been many details about what fans can expect in the next gruesome, mindbending set of episodes, Murphy may have given a hint. In his cast announcement Instagram video, the background is a gray sky over a beach as country singer Orville Peck sings “Dead of Night.” Check it out below and let us know what you think the next American Horror Story theme should be.

You got it, girl, you got it. Megan Thee Stallion is one of the premier ass-shakers on the planet, proving that time and time again with her insane displays during live-streams and in her live show. While she has established herself as a fearsome emcee from the South, the Houston-bred talent also carries a ton of sex appeal, truly serving as the total package. During a recent display, Hot Girl Meg listened to the hit collaborative single from Chris Brown and Drake, “No Guidance,” and felt a sudden urge to get on top of her male friend for a lap dance, twerking on him and making every dude in the world wish they were on the receiving end.

Lisa Lake/Getty Images

Rocking ice blue cornrows, Stalli hopped on top of her friend and started going to town, dropping it low and moving each cheek to the beat of the music. The soundtrack was perfect, with Drake’s clear vocals ringing in the background. Singing “you got it, girl, you got it” seemed to get Megan even more in the mood to be as sensual as possible.

At this point, Megan Thee Stallion basically has no competition. Perhaps Nicki Minaj is in the running for best twerker in the country after her recent moves but Stalli seemingly has this one in the bag.

After spending over a decade in the game, Nicki Minaj has solidified herself as one of the greatest rappers of all time, specifically becoming one of the most ferocious female emcees ever. Despite her status as a straight-up legend, she still somehow goes underappreciated on a regular basis — just ask Doja Cat. With her Barbz in tow, Minaj has one of the most loyal fanbases in all of music, but her haters are also pretty active online. Sending a message to anybody who dare say a negative word about her, she posted up while in Trinidad for Carnival this morning, issuing a quick shot at her critics.

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With an album likely on the way before the end of the year, the previously-retired Nicki Minaj is having the time of her life in her home country, spending some quality time with her husband Kenneth Petty as they take in the lively atmosphere in the islands. When she made an appearance at an event yesterday, Minaj was met with a number of fans who expressed their love of the superstar. Returning the favour, she posted a video on her socials where she mouthed the words “I love you too” to a fan before speaking directly to the naysayers.

“And I love you. Anyone with an issue can kindly suck a dick w|2 balls on the side,” wrote the musician.

We wouldn’t expect anything less from the Queen. Check out the post below.

Of all the cute celebrity kids on social media, Royalty Brown, Chris Brown‘s daughter, is definitely a frontrunner in the race to find out who is the most adorable child with a bank account larger than the rest of us. Some of the mini-Kardashians are in the running, while 50 Cent’s son Sire Jackson is also a pretty safe bet. However, RoRo has been racking up likes on her daddy’s page for nearly six years, earning her the top spot. She just solidified her ranking too with a heartwarming photo that her father took while shopping for cowboy hats. 

Emma McIntyre/Getty Images

Decked out in her full Western-inspired gear, Royalty Brown made Lil Nas X (and the entire country music community) quake by donning embroidered boots, a big belt buckle, a plaid shirt, light indigo jeans, and a big ‘ole hat atop her dome. She flashed the biggest smile you’ve ever seen, looking proud of her all-out ensemble. 

Breezy went on to refer to his daughter as a “country girl,” calling her “Old Town Ro” in the caption. This is easily one of the cutest pictures that has ever been uploaded to CB’s page, racking up nearly 300,000 likes in less than twenty-four hours. 

With a newborn son, Chris Brown has been spending equal amounts of time with his two little ones, sharing adorable shots of them both on his social platforms. Take a look at the picture in question below.

Over their lifespan, mixtapes have changed in body, but never in soul. Whether the vehicle is zip files, MP3s or C60 cassettes – they’ve always been an integral part of hip-hop’s maturation. Many fans like myself have benefited greatly from the projects that introduced new artists and DJs to the listening community – even though they were candidly, loosely ethical, bootlegged copies of intellectual property that created questions about fair use and legality – they also grew to mega popularity and demanded substantial financial returns. Overall, mixtapes have and continue to have a convoluted but important legacy.

Growing up, I was never really able to afford albums, so mixtapes were my window into hip-hop. If you’re old enough, you’ll remember having a “burner” in high school. No, not a prepaid cell phone – a person who was known for selling mixed CDs blessed with the game’s newest and most exclusive music. Luckily, one of my best friends and teammates was the aforementioned “burner.” So, after practice, we’d swing by his house and he’d go into the secret lab (which was really just the computer desk in his parent’s den) and voila, like magic a shimmering CD would float down from the heavens into his hand before tossing it in mine. This alchemistic wizardry unlocked a treasure chest of tunes that fueled my love for rap music. We’d sometimes just ride around for hours in his car after school listening to our favorite tracks and debating about the newest artists. 

One thing I loved about the tapes was their pageantry. You remember where you were when you heard classics like Lil Wayne’s Dedication or Jay Z’s Carter Collection. I’ll never forget where I was when I heard the Clipse now-infamous mixtape We Got It For Cheap Vol. 2. The project was drenched in voiced interludes and obnoxious DJ tags but most importantly vicious and imaginative bars. With the help of producer Clinton Sparks, Malice, Pusha-T, Sandman, and Ad-Liva redefined what the word mixtape meant. Rhyming over other rappers’ instrumentals in an uncanny fashion. As if they had something to prove and they deserved that industry acclaim and cultish fanfare. Back then tapes were a flare gun shot by up and coming artists trying to paint their name on the day’s rap mural. Take these lines by Malice for example: 

We Got It For Cheap Vol 2 – Intro [Malice]

“And it’s a known fact y’all tired of the circus,

So come home where you smell the crack in the verses!

The whole rap world watched the Clipse take a bow,

We left it in ya hands, you ain’t make Father proud!

None of y’all can copy; a hard act to follow,

We was cursed with the spirit of verses, the stigmata!

Suicide bomb ya, like Mohamed Atta,

Or the doors on that Phantom, Re-Up, we rap martyrs what?” 

Nowadays, it’s fairly normal to see artists routinely flood the hip-hop streets with an abundance of content. Every other week it seems rappers are delivering new music to fans – a far cry from earlier eras, times when listeners waited sometimes years to hear anything new from their favorite emcee. Twenty-plus track playlists, as is the en vogue terminology, and “commercial” mixtapes appear on platforms like Apple Music and Spotify with great regularity but in days past this sort of saturation did not exist. The explosion of the internet and advancements in technology has rendered music-making more accessible to hopeful DJs, producers, and rappers alike. Prior to this, getting your hands on a mixtape was a very limited and tangible experience. Sort of producing a snobbish hip-hop subculture. You’d have to find the block where the tape was being sold, sometimes out of a trunk or the corner store and get your hands on one before they were all gone. The web and early mixtapes sites allowed artists to reach more listeners quickly.

But, how did we get here? What are the origins of this modern-day practicality? And how can we explain the ebb and flow of their use and popularity from the infancy of hip-hop until now? Mixtapes have long been a grey area for both record labels and artists who bend copyright laws to facilitate the distribution of the mostly promotional projects. Mixtapes were some of the first building blocks for hip-hop – appearing as early as the mid-1970s in New York City. The groundbreaking compilations featured artists such as Kool Herc and Afrika Bambaataa. Classic records like “Planet Rock” emerged from mixtapes. They were incredibly effective in the early days and fans would collect and trade these tapes which helped spread hip-hop. 

From the 1980s into the 1990s, DJs began to join in on the mixtape craze and became a driving force in their revolution. Music personalities like Kid Capri and DJ Clue took tapes from sets on cassette, to an exclusive consumer experience featuring hard-to-find tracks and verses– he infamously had Biggie’s “Juicy” on one of his mixtape cassettes prior to the release of B.I.G.’s Ready to Die album, resulting in a furious call from Biggie on-air at Hot 97. DJ Clue is no doubt a pioneer in procuring the medium as its own art form. Clue helped build the prototype for tapes which became iconic.

DJ Clue, Memphis Bleek and Jay-Z circa 2001 at the Soul Train Awards –  Jeffrey Mayer/WireImage/Getty Images

Once homemade and sold door to door, in barbershop, and flea markets – the tapes grew into a multi-million dollar industry. RIAA reportedly estimated that in the early 2000s mixtapes were generating as much as $150 million dollars in sales each year. During this growth the music industry, for most part, turned a blind eye to the enterprise. I assume they equated the lost royalties to be invariable to gained promotion from the circulation of these tapes. Mixtapes famously incubated the early rap careers of artists like 50 Cent, T.I. and Jeezy. Like them, many rappers built the groundwork for their careers with mixtapes. Gaining the attention of major labels through the buzz those compositions created at a grassroot level.

Perhaps no artist in hip-hop history has executed and leveraged mixtapes to his benefit quite like 50 Cent. To rap purists, his name is synonymous with the word. Curtis took the game one step further, by not just spitting 16 bars on someone else’s instrumental, but making the songs his own. 50’s mixtape tracks were so popular they’d often get played in nightclubs and had mass appeal across the country. 50 rode the momentum he built through his mixtapes to one of the best selling debut studio albums of all time.  

Mixtapes grew to be a core marketing strategy for rappers of the new millennium. They essentially became the de facto demo tape for an artist. To do that, they took on many different forms. Battle campaigns waged against the industry (50 Cent), promotional teasers for upcoming albums, DJs combining exclusive verses tracked by high-profile rappers. Both artists and DJs found a lot of ways to leverage mixtapes effectively. Mixtapes also have and continue to be used for artists who want to exercise more creative freedom in their music. Giving them an avenue to express freely without the label’s influence. 

In 2007, DJ Drama and DJ Cannon were arrested on federal racketeering and bootlegging charges from the alleged sale of mixtapes. With the endorsement of RIAA, authorities raided the pair’s Atlanta studio – seizing more than 80,000 CDs and thousands of dollars in producing equipment. Classically dubbed the “mixtape martyrs,” Drama and Cannon bit the bullet for the industry. Drama, of course, pioneered the insanely popular “Gansta Grillz” series. Cannon was influential in his own right with the Affiliate Music Group – also producing tracks for previously mentioned “Gansta Grillz” series. The pair were incredibly formidable in the early part of the decade. It was a comeuppance and turning point in the timeline of mixtape culture.    

Don Cannon (L), DJ Drama, and DJ Sense, 2005 – Ray Tamarra/Getty Images

After the fall of the “mixtape martyrs,” in 2010, the mixtape industry looked to be on life support and in desperate need of defibrillation. There was a time when you needed mixtapes to find the newest music but blogs and websites partially replaced the importance of the tapes in that they exposed listeners to new content without the quest. Everything was now at your finger tips. In a way, fans didn’t critically need mixtapes like they once did. Also, there was no way to charge for mixtapes with sites and social media spreading them. DatPiff, LiveMixtapes and HNHH began streaming mixtapes for free and made them easily accessible. It became more difficult to find a physical copy of any mixtape release. Yet as they have so many times over the years – mixtapes adapted to survive producing a new era in consumption. The boom of streaming took mixtapes yet another step. 

Mixtapes are now big business components and perhaps just as important as albums themselves. A culmination of the mixtape timeline would be Chance The Rapper cashing in on a Grammy Award because of his project Coloring Book. He actually grew to superstardom before ever releasing one album. Acid Rap, another mixtape of his, initially propelled him into the spotlight along with a series of features on a-list records. Referencing Coloring Book he famously said on his Kanye’s “Ultralight Beam”: “Let’s make it so free and the bars so hard that there ain’t one gosh darn part you can’t tweet.”and on the project he had an entire song dedicated to addressing the place of mixtapes in hip-hop, saying “Am I the only n*gga still care about mixtapes.” 

There’s an overwhelming amount of content hitting the web. Some have expressed concerns about hip-hop being extremely oversaturated with an influx of music. But don’t expect things to change. Now, mixtapes are an essential part of mainstream rappers’ portfolios. No longer reserved for merely the up-and-coming. J. Cole, Kendrick Lamar, Future, Drake, and others will hit fans with new music, ambush-style. The compositions have also now lost their ties to DJs, free of interludes and drops like the ones in We Got It For Cheap Vol. 2. What we have now is a fusion of demo tapes and mixtapes which are their own entities. But if you ask me, more music is always a good thing. The essence of mixtapes are to cut out the middleman and get the music to the fans – without all the red tape. Now you have Apple Music and Spotify featuring mixtapes on their platforms, further bolstering their value to an artist’s catalog and blurring the lines between them and albums. So much has changed but so much stays the same. Mixtapes have morphed but retain their status in hip-hop.  

What’s your favorite mixtape, or mixtape memory? Sound off in the comments.

Bill Cosby’s publicist, Bill Wyatt, has issued a statement on the embattled comedian’s behalf in support of Harvey Weinstein after the jury found him guilty of rape.  Wyatt bashed the system itself, along with the #MeToo movement, while appearing to suggest that Weinstein’s either innocent or at the very least, received an unfair trial. 

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Based on Cosby’s case, Wyatt claimed that much of this case was influenced by public opinion, rather than facts. “This is not shocking because these jurors were not sequestered, which gave them access to media coverage and the sentiments of public opinion,” he wrote in an Instagram post. “There’s no way you would have anyone believe that Mr. Weinstein was going to receive a fair and impartial trial. Also, this judge showed that he wanted a conviction by sending the jurors back to deliberate, after they were hung on many of the counts.”

He added, “Here’s the question that should haunt all Americans, especially wealthy and famous men…Where do we go in this country to find fairness and impartiality in the judicial system; and where do we go in this country to find Due Process?”

Finally, Cosby’s rep made sure to fire aim at “Becky” as well as the rest of the #MeToo movement.

“Lastly, if the #metoo movement isn’t just about Becky [White women], I would challenge #metoo and ask them to go back 400+ years and tarnish the names of those oppressors that raped slaves. This is a very sad day in the American Judicial System,” Wyatt said before signing off with #FreeCosby and calling for criminal justice reform. 

Harvey Weinstein was found guilty of third-degree rape and criminal sexual assault but he did get acquitted of the more serious charges against him including first degree rape. 

There is nobody stopping Roddy Ricch as the Compton rapper is spending another week at the top of the Billboard Hot 100, holding onto his spot while his hit single "The Box" continues to gain in listeners.

Italy is attempting to contain the first-ever major outbreak of the novel coronavirus in Europe. The coronavirus crisis that began in China in late December has rapidly turned into a pandemic of epic proportions as approximately 2,000 people have died from the disease worldwide, most of which took place in China. Now, Europe is potentially the next continent to face rising death tolls as highly-populated areas in Italy are starting to experience more verified cases of the disease amongst its citizens.  

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According to The New York Times, Italian government officials have been scrambling to contain the disease after revealing that 150 verified cases have been diagnosed within the country’s borders. The government has locked a total of ten townships near the city of Milan closing schools, large public venues, and canceling the world-renowned Venice carnival. 

The new cases discovered in the  Lombardy region of the country only had five known cases of the coronavirus before Thursday. Now, with the number skyrocketing into the hundreds less than three days, the Italian government is struggling to protect its citizens from being infected. According to an emergency measures announcement issued by Attilio Fontana, president of the Lombardy region, late Saturday night, all events whether “cultural, leisure, religious or sporting” have been postponed. 

As of right now, there are at least 50,000 people currently on lockdown. On Sunday (Feb. 23), police and armed forces personnel were stationed to monitor the entrances and exits to the towns near Milan. 

The Italian coronavirus outbreak began in the city of Codogno after a 38-year old man, also known as ‘patient zero’ had been diagnosed with the disease. Apparently, he had begun to develop symptoms several days prior to seeking medical treatment which could have possibly helped spread the disease throughout Lombardy. 

While a coronavirus vaccine has supposedly been developed, this has been one of the quickest spreading outbreaks to occur yet. 

Nicki Minaj insists that she’s only “pregnant with so many ideas for this album” after fans when crazy on an Instagram video showing her husband Kenneth Petty rubbing her stomach. Pregnancy rumours have been circulating about Nicki ever since she and Kenneth went public, and after they tied the knot last October, they’ve only increased. Last week, when Nicki indicated that she and Kenneth have “a lot to celebrate,” some thought she might be referring to having a baby on the way. This assumption was only reinforced when Nicki posted a video of her and Kenneth on a plane to her home country of Trinidad, in which she makes sure to get a shot of Kenneth rubbing her stomach in the frame.

Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for Marc Jacobs

The comment section of the post was flooded with fans asking once and for all if she was pregnant. It seemed inevitable, but Nicki has responded to various inquiring people that she is not, in fact, with child.

One user asked her straight up if she was pregnant or not, to which Nicki responded, “Why I feel like I’m about to get a beating? Y’all swear y’all my mother chile. I’m pregnant with so many ideas for this album. It’ll be my best.” When another fan asked why Kenneth keeps rubbing her stomach, she explained, “Babe u gotta ask him. He rubs my feet & my stomach. Ima tell him stop rubbing my stomach tho. Cuz chile…” Though these and other responses are likely Nicki’s way of shutting down the pregnancy claims, it’s worth noting that she did not, technically, deny being pregnant. Still, if Mrs. Minaj-Petty does not wish to disclose her pregnancy status just yet, that is totally up to her.

Nicki Minaj got the pregnancy rumour mill going again when she posted a video of her husband Kenneth Petty rubbing her belly. On Sunday, Ms. Minaj-Petty gave her fans a glimpse into their journey to her home country of Trinidad with some posts on Instagram, and one video in particular has the Barbz reeling. Nicki posted a sparkle-filtered clip of herself and Kenneth on the plane, which begins with a shot of Kenneth’s hand soothingly rubbing her stomach.

He can be heard saying “Trinidad” over and over, while Nicki remains silent with a smirk on her face. Only the flag of Trinidad is included in the caption, but this brief video was enough to have almost everyone in the comments presuming that Nicki was finally confirming her long-time rumoured pregnancy.

Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for Marc Jacobs

Pregnancy rumours have been circulating around this couple for what seems like forever. After Nicki and Kenneth officially tied the knot back in October, the speculation was heightened when Nicki seemingly dropped hints that she was “expecting,” but nothing ever came of it. Then, last week, the rapper shared a photo of herself and Kenneth on Instagram and wrote that they have “a lot to celebrate.” Could she be celebrating their baby on the way? Or is she just happy with where she’s at in life? Nicki has to know how much this is killing everyone, but the rapper seems committed to waiting until she’s absolutely ready to announce the good news (if, in fact, she does have a bun in the oven).

Last weekend, NBA titans collided during all-star festivities in Chicago. Being recognized as an all-star is one of the sport’s highest honors. However, if we hooked a few players up to lie detector tests, they’d probably trade in their selection for another symbol of praise. Who could turn down the clout of a signature sneaker? Getting your very own signature sneakers means being immortalized by the culture and in the hearts and closets of footwear enthusiasts. Debates about all-time great sneakers are just as intense as ones about rankings the players who wore them. A truly great signature sneaker transcends the court and becomes a nostalgic part of that fashion era. But legendary kicks aren’t all applauded for the same reasons. While some are lauded for historical importance, others are remembered for their technical advancement or wearability.   

Sigs take a player’s brand and cache to a new level – taking individuals once virtually unknown to towering, giant advertisements on New York City building scapes. And it’s not always just stars who get sigs. In 2016 Adidas gave Nick Young, a journeyman role player, his own Crazy Explosive PE. Many felt it was better than league stars Steph Curry and James Harden. Nike continues to dominate when it comes to signature basketball shoes but other brands like Adidas and Under Armor occasionally make waves as well. A few of my personal favorites are Charles Barkley’s 1994 Nike Air Max2 CB34, Kobe’s 1997 Adidas KB8, Allen Iverson’s 1996 Reebok Questions, and the 1996 Jordan XII.  

A great signature shoe should embody the presence of the player it is meant to epitomize. Possessing design characteristics that are consistent with the individual’s style of play and their charisma (or lack thereof). Speaking directly to their flair. For an example of this, look no further than the Nike Zoom Flight 98, crafted for Gary Payton and nicknamed “The Glove.” Or the 2013 Kobe 9 Elites (arguably one of his best kicks with Nike). The disfigured product blueprints that never escaped artroom floors are a testament to how hard it is to effectively capture this magic. So, when brands catch lightning in a bottle with the perfect marriage of design, player, and product – it’s a beautiful thing to behold. Sitting on the shrine of shoe store shelves all over the globe. 

There’s no real formula for choosing a favorite – while some may be more swayed by the way a shoe feels and performs, other may be solely focused on the look or what made them popular. Less science and more personal preference. Risking slander from the most unforgiving of crowds, the sneaker community, I’m going to stick my neck out and compile a list of the best signature shoes for current NBA players.

10. Adidas – Harden Vol. 4 – James Harden

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Not a fan of the lace clips and the design is a bit boring. It seems like a step back from previous versions. Plus is the shoe is lighter, but they no longer feature BOOST cushioning. Not sure what Adidas is thinking here.  

9. Nike – PG4 – Paul George

Image Nike

PG came out the gate strong with explosive colorways but the same complacency we’ve seen with Durant’s line has set in with George’s designers as well. The PG3 was one of last year’s top models. A lot of sneakerheads are disappointed in the 4. 

8. Under Armor – Curry 7 – Steph Curry 

Image Under Armour

After some rather disappointing releases, the Curry 7 is Steph’s best shoe yet. It’s honestly the best design we’ve seen from UA and they’re still built to protect Steph’s fragile ankles.

7. Nike – Freak 1 – Giannis Antetokumpo

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He may be the best player in the game, but his kicks need work. Giannis’ shoes can be found worn by almost every high school basketball team in the country. It’s the perfect team basketball shoe that looks good in any colorway. This is a great place for Giannis to start. Hopefully, they keep improving.

6. Adidas – D.O.N. Issue #1 – Donovan Mitchell

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I’m very impressed with “The Spider’s” first signature. Adidas also did well playing off his nickname with four Superhero colorways. The shoe’s propulsion clip and BOUNCE cushioning round out some pretty sophisticated technology to boot. Solid debut for Mitchell.  

5. Nike – KD 12 – Kevin Durant

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Durant’s shoes are some of the most comfortable on the market and the colorways always go crazy. Yet, it seems like Nike has gotten lazy with the design over the years. Take a look at the KD 13 and you’ll see what I mean.

4. Jordan – Why Not Zer0.3 – Russell Westbrook

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Brodie’s signatures are almost as aggressive as his style of play. Bold colorways offset even bolder stylistic features.

3. Adidas – Dame 6 – Damian Lillard

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The rapper-athlete’s shoe might be as underrated as his game. Traction and control set Lillard’s signature sneaker apart. The shoes are very light due to the mostly mesh and knit construction of the upper. Arguably the best thus far in the series.  

2. Nike – LeBron 17 – LeBron James 

Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images

Critics will say that the LeBron 17s are a bit heavy and clunky, which is debatable – but it makes up for that in performance and comfortability. There are also a ton of colorways to choose from as is the case with LeBron releases. Overall the LBJ shoe line rarely disappoints. Like its predecessor, the shoe’s upper is composed of battle-knit providing superior comfort.

1. Nike – Kyrie 6 – Kyrie Irving

Al Bello/Getty Images

With his mesmerizing handles and acrobatic finishes at the rim, Kyrie Irving has perhaps the most aesthetically-pleasing style of play in the association. So, it is fitting his signature shoe is the most stylish. Great traction and support while evolving of the Kyrie 5. Sneakerheads will also notice Nike lowkey ripped elements of the Yeezy 2 in this Kyrie model. 

An exciting time for sneakerheads appears on the horizon as young stars like Zion Williamson, Trae Young, and Luka Doncic are sure to have signatures coming soon. Young is with Adidas while Doncic and Williamson are team Jordan Brand. All three are under the age of 20 and have had ridiculously spectacular starts to their career – the likes we’ve barely seen out of players this young. With Luka bringing a strong international appeal, Trae’s connection with Atlanta’s hip-hop scene and the Migos, and Zion’s Sportscenter leading nightly highlight reel – the next crop of players to get signature sneakers are probably ascending before our eyes.

What are some of your favorite signature sneakers? Let us know in the comments, below.

Terri, Bindi, and Robert Irwin, along with Bindi's fiancé, Chandler Powell, all took to social media to share some heartfelt birthday messages for Steve Irwin. The famed "Crocodile Hunter" would have been turning 58 years old on Saturday, February 22nd, had it not been for his tragic death on September 4th, 2006. To honour his memory on this bittersweet day, Steve's family members each wrote some beautiful words about the wildlife expert on social media. Steve's daughter, Bindi, shared an adorable shot of herself and her dad laughing as he holds a porcupine, accompanied by a caption of all the things she did today in his honour.

"Dad, Today is your birthday. I had an extra strong cup of tea just how you liked it," Bindi wrote. "I hugged Mum for you and told her how much we love her. Robert and I went on a hike through the mountains you cherished. I watched one of your documentaries with Chandler and shared stories about you. I walked through your office in the zoo and smiled at our old family photographs. Today and every day I miss you and love you beyond description. You’re always with me." Steve's wife, Terri, took to Twitter to remember her husband.

The 45th President of the United States of America, Donald J. Trump, recently expressed his disdain for Bong Joon-Ho's Parasite (2019) winning the award for Best Picture at the 92nd Annual Academy Awards. Feb. 9, the South Korean-based film made history winning all of the categories it was nominated in, including Best Original Screenplay, Best Director, Best International Feature Film, and Best Picture. The film became the first non-English movie ever to win the Oscar for Best Picture in Academy history. 

Chris Brown‘s daughter, Royalty, showed off her singing skills in a video posted by her mom and Chris’ ex, Nia Guzman, on which Nia wrote that Royalty was destined to be an even bigger star than her daddy. Nia shared the clip of her 5-year-old belting out Dan + Shay and Justin Bieber‘s country pop hit “10,000 hours” to Instagram on Tuesday. In the video, Royalty begins by singing the correct lyrics of the chorus, before switching it up with some lines about her mom asking her to do the dishes.

Nia captioned the post, “I LOVE YOU MY BABY…MY ROYALTY!” The adorable video got plenty of love from Nia’s followers, who praised Royalty’s impressive singing skills at such a young age and encouraged her to keep pursuing her dreams. Nia responded to one user who compared Royalty to her famous father. “She is going to be just like her daddy!” the user wrote. “Royalty is going to be an amazing singer, artist, and dancer.” Nia agreed,  but indicated that, “She is going to be everything he is and MORE!”

Frazer Harrison/Getty Images for The Recording Academy

This is certainly not the first time that Royalty’s artistic leanings have been compared to Chris. She’s been known to bust out her best dance moves, even recently suffering an injury after trying to imitate Chris’ famous “spins.” She also appears to have inherited his affinity for visual art. It looks like Royalty is destined for stardom. 

LeBron James - like Aaron Judge, Mike Trout, Cody Bellinger and other MLB stars - is absolutely furious over the way Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred has handled the Houston Astros cheating scandal. On Tuesday, LeBron took to twitter, not as the Lakers superstar, but as a "sports junkie" who demanded that Manfred do right for the sake of baseball, and sports as a whole.

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LeBron's thoughts on the matter:

"Listen I know I don’t play baseball but I am in Sports and I know if someone cheated me out of winning the title and I found out about it I would be F*^king irate! I mean like uncontrollable about what I would/could do! Listen here baseball commissioner listen to your.....players speaking today about how disgusted, mad, hurt, broken, etc etc about this. Literally the ball is in your court(or should I say field) and you need to fix this for the sake of Sports! #JustMyThoughtsComingFromASportsJunkieRegardlessMyOwnSportIPlay”

That hashtag is patently absurd but his point remains. Manfred electing to give Astros players immunity for "telling the truth" about how they used cameras to steal signs from opposing teams is simply outrageous. Furthermore, Manfred infuriated players and fans alike when he told reporters he wouldn't strip the Astros of their 2017 World Series championship because the trophy is "just a piece of metal."

Manfred later apologized for the way he disrespected the sports' prized possession, but the lack of punishment doled out to Astros players is the bigger issue. Sports junkies across the country demand justice. 

Ever since the firing of David Fizdale, the New York Knicks have been led by interim head coach, Mike Miller. While many throughout the organization like Miller, it seems as though the Knicks will be looking to move on in the offseason. One of the names that have been brought up as a replacement is none other than Tom Thibodeau who has been out of a job since last season when he was fired by the Minnesota Timberwolves. In a new report, it was revealed that Thibodeau has been doing consultant work ever since and has been bouncing around the country.

In fact, Thibodeau currently has no real home and has been going from place to place for work. With no permanent residence, Thibodeau is looking to settle down and some think he is dead set on working for the New York Knicks.

Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images

“He really wants the Knick job, he can taste it and he may even be in the lead,” someone close to the coach told Marc Berman of the New York Post.

Considering Thibodeau’s experience, it wouldn’t be a stretch to see him with the Knicks. Despite this, the Knicks are known for making awful decisions and if you’re Thibodeau, you should be wary about going to a franchise with a suspect track record. 

Only time will tell whether or not these two are destined for a partnership. If you’re a Knicks fan, this prospect should excite you at least to some sort of degree.

On Monday (Feb. 17), Jeff Bezos took to his Instagram account to reveal that he was launching a climate change initiative called Bezos Earth Fund pledging a total of $10 billion of his own capital. This past week, the richest man in the world purchased the most expensive estate in Los Angeles and is kicking off the new week with a plan to help the entire planet. The Bezos Earth Fund will provide grants directly to scientists, activists, researchers, and more with one common goal, to save the earth. 

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There is some irony to Bezos’ recent climate change announcement being that his corporation, Amazon is responsible for one of the world’s most massive carbon footprints due to the company’s commitment to providing customers with their products almost instantaneously. According to Bezos and his company cabinet, they intend to have all their energy come from renewable resources by 2030. Unfortunately, a plan has yet to be revealed as to how Amazon will accomplish this goal. 

Bezos captioned his Bezos Earth Fund Instagram post:

“Climate change is the biggest threat to our planet. I want to work alongside others both to amplify known ways and to explore new ways of fighting the devastating impact of climate change on this planet we all share.”

Jeff Bezos then went on to state where the funds will be allocated, stating that the money will go towards research and preservation efforts around the world. Bezos continued:

This global initiative will fund scientists, activists, NGOs — any effort that offers a real possibility to help preserve and protect the natural world. We can save Earth. It’s going to take collective action from big companies, small companies, nation states, global organizations, and individuals.”

In 2018, Bezos launched a $2 billion fund that would construct and finance preschools in low-income areas. The billionaire business owner also has been adamant about providing aid to homeless families by donating to a plethora of different charities who serve on homeless communities across the country.

Maybe not all billionaires are out to bleed the earth dry. Check out Jeff Bezos’ $10 billion Bezos Earth Fund announcement in the post provided below. 

Inarguably one of the most popular artists on the face of the planet, Texas-raised Post Malone has been thriving for the last five years, enjoying commercial success with each release since 2016’s Stoney. Starting off in the somewhat-dreaded SoundCloud rap lane, Post Malone made his way out of that box with consistency, charm, and a wide-ranging appeal. After Stoney, Malone had fans in the hip-hop and pop crowds twiddling their thumbs as they waited for his eventual follow-up, the critically-acclaimed beerbongs & bentleys, which remains a streaming favorite to this day. The singer/rapper made history another time with his third studio album Hollywood’s Bleeding last year, leading to a multi-nation sold-out arena tour that impacted Montreal, Canada’s Bell Center on Sunday, February 16.

Upon arriving at the arena, which holds over 21,000 fans on any given day, Post Malone’s panoramic following was made clear from the jump. Humans of all ages, genders, and backgrounds were waiting in line to enter the packed building. Whether you were in the general admission pit, one of the seated sections, or in a box view getting VIP service, you were forced to wait outside with thousands of others before making your way into your designated entrance. 

With his radio appeal, a multitude of generations was present to watch the rapper, who was last in the city for Osheaga Festival in 2018. A band of supporting acts, including Tyla Yaweh and Swae Lee of Rae Sremmurd fame, opened up for the diamond-certified artist, complementing his sound and bringing similar amounts of energy to their sets. I, unfortunately, was stuck in a media security room during the entirety of Yaweh’s set but several attendees raved about his song selection, his stage presence, and his overall dedication to artistry.

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Given the number of times they’ve collaborated in the past, striking on songs like “Sunflower” and “Spoil My Night,” Swae Lee was the perfect addition to this tour. When he’s touring with his brother Slim Jxmmi as the duo Rae Sremmurd, party vibes dictate their set, but last night at the Bell Center, Swae was more emotional than ever before. He seemed to stray ever-so-slightly from his “No Flex Zone” past to focus on his softer offerings, including “Guatemala” and his celebrated section of “Unforgettable.” 

The 26-year-old songwriter got personal with his fans, recalling one girl from his meet-and-greet earlier that night before noticing her in the crowd, inviting her onto the stage, and serenading her with her favorite song. He even debuted some unreleased music before flashing his phone number on the mega-tron, encouraging fans to shoot him a text message for additional release information. The words “Human Nature” appeared on the screen before Swae exited the stage, perhaps offering an early look into his next solo drop, which meant only one more performer was slated to entertain the crowd: the incomparable Post Malone.

Much of Post Malone’s appeal comes from his universal likeability. Post Malone occupies an extremely unique role in the world of hip-hop. At first, he was not fully accepted as the total package in rap but, after proving himself as a veritable hitmaker, the hip-hop community has had no choice but to accept him. His face is filled with tattoos, he drinks a shit-ton of Bud Light, and his smile lights up a room filled with over 20,000 people. The man’s presence is unlike any other artist I’ve witnessed in a live setting.

Rocking a shirt that included a woman’s picture and the words “She belongs to the streets,” Post Malone came out to a boisterous Montreal welcome, performing a myriad of head-bopping tunes from his three ultra-popular albums. 

“I’m here to sing you some shitty songs and get fucked up,” said the 24-year-old artist before admitting that, prior to getting on stage, he had played a few rounds of beer pong with his boys. It’s that transparency and relatability that keeps fans coming back for future Post Malone releases.

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Post was active throughout much of the show, taking a breather only to perform a few slower cuts from Stoney and b&b. Even then, you could tell that he was giving it his all for the thousands in attendance. His face dripped with sweat after belting out fifteen-straight bangers, burning off all of those beer-pong calories quickly. As the energy began to reach a peak, Swae Lee returned to the stage with a bouquet of sunflowers to tease their joint collaboration comparing the human soul to the delicate flora, handing out stems to front-row attendees. The two have incredible chemistry, which clearly transcends the studio. While they obviously have the ability to make some of the catchiest songs of the last decade, their friendship is what became most clear from their interactions on stage, enjoying a warm embrace before Posty finished the remainder of his tracklist. 

Above all else, the Runaway Tour proves Malone’s status as rap’s resident rock star. Before closing his set with “Congratulations,” Posty performed a 21 Savage-less version of his hit record “rockstar.” An extended instrumental break allowed the star to run to the backstage area to grab the guitar he so passionately strummed on minutes earlier to an acoustic version of “Stay,” before smashing it to shreds and pouring a can of Bud Light into the wreckage. Would you expect anything less from Post?

This isn’t a typical rap show, but that much should already be clear when considering purchasing tickets to a Post Malone concert. The man refuses to be boxed into a single genre, adapting elements of hip-hop, pop, rock, and even country in his music. If you’re attending a future leg of the Runaway Tour, be prepared to encounter an emotive new experience. 

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L.A. Country District Attorney Jackie Lacey announced that tens of thousands of marijuana convictions will be dismissed, as she recognizes how people of colour are disproportionately affected by this type of law enforcement. “The dismissal of tens of thousands of old cannabis-related convictions in Los Angeles County will bring much-needed relief to communities of color that disproportionately suffered the unjust consequences of our nation’s drug laws,” Lacey noted in a press release. “I am privileged to be part of a system dedicated to finding innovative solutions and implementing meaningful criminal justice reform that gives all people the support they need to build the life they deserve.”

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This order will dismiss 62,000 felony convictions for mostly marijuana sales and cultivation, along with almost 4,000 misdemeanor possession cases.Some of the felony convictions date all the way back to 1961. This motion will apply to cases across ten county cities: L.A., Long Beach, Torrance, Pasadena, Inglewood, Burbank, Santa Monica, Hawthorne, Redondo Beach, and Hermosa Beach.  As a result, 53,000 people will benefit from conviction relief. The statistics for this number are staggering: 45 percent of these individuals are Latino, 32 percent are black, 20 percent are white, and three percent are “other or unknown.” County prosecutors must be notified of all eligible cases by July 1st, after which they will review and determine whether the proposed dismissal or resentencing should be challenged for each case.

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The announcement was made in partnership Code for America, a non-profit group that launched an algorithm to identify convictions eligible for relief under Proposition 64, the law that made the possession and purchase of marijuana within the state legal. “Today’s action marks the completion of our California Clear My Record pilot, through which we will have helped to dismiss and seal more than 85,000 marijuana convictions across the state,” Evonne Silva, Code for America’s Senior Program Director of Criminal Justice, said in the press release. “This is a clear demonstration that automatic record clearance is possible at scale and can help to right the wrongs of the failed war on drugs. Looking forward, Code for America stands at the ready to help all California counties provide this much needed relief.”

An investigation has officially been opened after an eighth-grade student, revealed that a New Jersey teacher allegedly kicked students and made whip-cracking noises during a history lesson about United States slavery. Toms River social studies teacher, Lawrence Cuneo, who also holds a local political office seat as the mayor of Pine Beach, also allegedly had students reenact the process of picking cotton, while they lay on the floor and he kicked at their feet pretending to be a plantation overseer.   

 Chris Hondros/Newsmakers

According to the Asbury Park Press, the student took to social media to express his concerns about his teacher’s actions writing:

“It’s good to be informed about slavery but making us clean and pick cotton and pretending to (whip) us? Are you nuts it’s 2020 not 1800 get it right.” 

In the wake of the investigation, Toms River School District spokesperson, Michael Kenny, released a statement that the situation could have been handled better stating:

“As we comb through and further investigate the details of the alleged incident, we are keeping in mind that our curriculum has evolved to include more hands-on, authentic activities.” Kenny continued, “It seems initially clear that there was no ill intent but that better judgment should have been used with regard to the alleged instructional methods, particularly as it pertains to recognizing the sensitivities of all students.”

Amidst the controversy, some students and parents have come to the defense of teacher/mayor Cuneo stating that participation in the lesson was ‘voluntary.’ In an email written by Lawrence Cuneo obtained by WKXW, he intended for his lesson to show how “degrading and despicable the institution of slavery was in our history.” 

Cuneo wrote:

“Slavery existed within our country and the lessons learned, even if uncomfortable, need to be told. At no time was my intention to harm the sensitivities of any student. If this lesson did that, I apologize to those affected.” 

When questioned on whether or not Mr. Cuneo remained on the job following the accusation, Toms River School District spokesperson, Michael Kenny did not disclose that information saying the issue is ‘confidential’ and he could not discuss that publicly. 

According to enrollment data verified by the New York Daily News, Toms River Intermediate East is a majority white establishment. With educational institutions systematically targeting children of other races, religions, ethnicities, cultures, and more, it’s quite possible that this teacher could have overstepped his boundaries as an educator during a topic that is sensitive to some students. Hopefully, Mr. Cuneo’s curriculum will be adjusted to adhere to a more beneficial teaching method for his students. 

Nike and Jordan Brand’s annual All Star collection is always loaded with highly coveted sneaker releases, but this year is especially jam packed with the NBA’s festivities returning to Chicago for the first time since 1988. This includes Off-White and Don C collabs, as well as the New Beginnings Pack, “UNC To Chicago” Air Jordan 1 and “Red Cement” Air Jordan 3s.

With so much heat heading to retailers this weekend, it’s only right that we check in with StockX to see which kicks are available early and which pairs are padding the pockets of resellers. Scroll down for a rundown of the top Nike and Air Jordans releasing for All Star Weekend.

Air Jordan New Beginnings Pack

Average Resale Price on StockX: $1,027

Retail Price: $350

The New Beginnings Pack, featuring the Air Jordan 1 Hi ’85 and the Nike Air Ship, is expected to release any day now, but the resellers are already cashing in on this limited edition pack.

Of the two sneakers, the red and white Air Jordan 1 High ’85 is clearly the more valuable pair, as potential buyers are bidding $700 or more for that sneaker alone.

Nike

Air Jordan 1 Retro High WMNS “UNC To Chicago”

Average Resale Price on StockX: $257

Retail Price: $170

The latest women’s Air Jordan 1 Retro High OG nods to Michael Jordan‘s illustrious collegiate career, as well as his reign with the Chicago Bulls.

Unlike the strictly UNC patent leather colorway that dropped last February, this upcoming iteration opts for a black tumbled leather construction with red detailing on the toe and sole. Meanwhile, Carolina blue accents can be found on the Nike swoosh and heel. The “UNC To Chicago” Air Jordan 1 Retro High is billed as a women’s releasee, but the kicks will be available in extended sizes up to a men’s size 15.

Click here to cop your pair today.

Nike

Air Jordan 3 “Red Cement”

Average Resale Price on StockX: $235

Retail Price: $200

Jordan Brand will release two different “Red Cement” Air Jordan 3s on Saturday, February 15th – one available at retailers across the country, and another exclusive to Chicago. The latter looks just like the general release version, except it features “Nike CHI” detailing on the heel in place of the familiar “Nike AIR” branding.

Both pairs will retail for $200 but the Nike CHI iteration is obviously more valuable. For example, the “Nike Air” Red Cement 3s can be had right now for only slightly more than retail, while the Nike CHI is already selling for an average of $320.

Click here to cop a pair ahead of this weekend’s drop.

Nike

Off-White x Air Jordan 5

Average Resale Price on StockX: $1,458

Retail Price: $225

Of all the popular sneakers releasing during All-Star Weekend, Virgil Abloh’s Air Jordan 5 collab is far and away the prized possession. The collaborative kicks will be available in limited quantities on Saturday, February 15th – and if you miss out you can expect to pay well over $1,000.

Several sizes of the Off-White x Air Jordan 5 have already been sold on StockX with an average resale price of nearly $1,500. For those scoring at home, that’s nearly seven times the retail price. In other words, you’d be wise to at least try to cop a pair this Saturday.

Click here to see how much each size is going for right now.

Nike

Just Don x Nike Air Force 1 High “All Star”

Average Asking Price on StockX: $900

Retail Price: $200

In celebration of the All Star Game’s host city, Nike and Jordan Brand collaborated with several Chicago natives, including Don C. As a tribute to the Chicago state flag, his Just Don x Nike Air Force 1 High comes equipped in a predominately blue leather upper equipped with red detailing throughout.

Prior to Saturday’s release, resellers on StockX are asking $900 or more for the special edition “All Star” colorway and there are already several willing to pay well over retail price. To put that in perspective, Don C’s white AF1 collab from 2017 can be had for a mere $171.

Click here to put in an offer ahead of the February 15th release.

Nike

Rebecca Black's debut single "Friday" was a viral hit, however, it didn't earn her the type of attention she was hoping for. Black was the talk of the country. Her track was meme'd over and over again, becoming one of the biggest records of 2011 with millions of views on YouTube. Unfortunately, the then-thirteen-year-old girl became the butt of a nationwide joke, being bullied online and at school because of her single. She persevered through the pain though, taking things one day at a time and now, she's 22-years-old and remains a pop singer. Today marks the nine-year anniversary of "Friday" and Black took to social media to pen an essay about the impact it had on her life.

Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images

"9 years ago today a music video for a song called 'Friday' was uploaded to the internet. Above all things, I just wish I could go back and talk to my 13-year-old self who was terribly ashamed of herself and afraid of the world," wrote Black on Twitter. 

The viral star notes how difficult life became for her, falling into a deep depression and getting picked on incessantly from bullies at school. She says that, when she was fifteen, she had major depressive episodes. At seventeen, people would throw food at her and her friends in the cafeteria. At nineteen, every producer she contacted told her that they would never in a million years consider working with her.

"I'm trying to remind myself more and more that every day is a new opportunity to shift your reality and lift your spirit," she said, keeping positive. "You are not defined by any one choice or thing. Time heals and nothing is finite. It's a process that's never too late to begin."

The response to her post has been overwhelming for the artist, who says that she wants to cry (happy) tears reading all of the supportive messages that people are sending her. Read her full post below.

Last year, Young Thug was asked in an interview whether he thought he had a shot at becoming the President of the United States. "If this idiot could be president," No Jumper's Adam22 wondered, referring to the country's current Commander-in-Chief, "why not Thug?" The Atlanta rapper didn't need to ponder this question for very long to realize he agreed with the interviewer's position. Jeffery Lamar Williams is certainly capable of being president. 

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? @NoJumper x @Adam22 #Thugger2020

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"I'm really making people rich," Thugger confidently asserted while listing his qualifications. "I'm bringing pureness into the world, like my heart really in the right spot... It's like no matter how my words come out, n****, you gon' be able to understand his heart is in the right place... why wouldn't I win? You let this n**** win."

It's hard to dispute the man's logic there. We may not always be able to decipher what Young Thug is saying or singing or rapping, but we trust that it's stemming from some transcendental place to which he serves as our only link. For this reason, if he wishes to run for president, in Thug we trust. Today, he's got us giddy imagining this scenario, as he shared a photoshopped picture of himself in The Oval Office, dapperly dressed in a suit. While he didn't express interest in becoming POTUS, he did officially announce his bid to takeover the music industry. He enumerated a slew of record labels and music collectives in hip hop that he has his sights set on, aiming to bring success and wealth to even more artists:

"Looking forward to becoming president of
 #Ysl #SlaughterGang #Xo #Fbg #4pf #Xx #RG #Otf #Dc #Ommio #54 #Cme #Lvrn #LL #2x #Pnb #16 #JackBoyz #Amg."

This summer, some of the best NBA players in the world will be embarking on a journey to Tokyo, Japan for a chance to represent their country in the Olympic games. The United States is a powerhouse when it comes to international basketball and with some of the best players participating, the US is expected to win it all. Yesterday, Team USA announced the 44 finalists for its 12-man roster. Of course, this list included players like LeBron James, Kevin Durant, and Kawhi Leonard.

One of the names excluded from the list was none other than Atlanta Hawks sophomore, Trae Young. When asked about the snub, Young was very honest about his feelings. "I'd be lying if I said I wasn't hurt by seeing it," Young said Monday  Sarah K. Spencer. "Obviously I would have wanted to play on the team."

USA Basketball has today revealed the list of 44 NBA stars who have been named as finalists for the 2020 U.S. Olympic men's team preliminary roster. That list includes the likes of LeBron James, Steph Curry, Kevin Durant, Kawhi Leonard and Russell Westbrook.

Although that doesn't necessarily mean any of those former MVPs will be among the 12 heading to Tokyo this Summer, it does mean that they have all volunteered to some degree, according to The New York Times' Marc Stein.

Ethan Miller/Getty Images

Says Jerry Colangelo:

“Over the course of the remainder of the NBA season we’ll continue to monitor all of the athletes. Selecting the 12-man USA roster will obviously be an extremely challenging and difficult process, and we will again attempt to select the very best team possible to represent our country and who we hope will be successful in our difficult mission of repeating as Olympic champions for a fourth consecutive Olympics.”

The 44-man preliminary roster includes 29 players who have represented the U.S. in Olympic and/or FIBA World Cup competitions. 

Bam Adebayo (Miami Heat); LaMarcus Aldridge (San Antonio Spurs); Harrison Barnes (Sacramento Kings); Bradley Beal (Washington Wizards) Devin Booker (Phoenix Suns); Malcolm Brogdon (Indiana Pacers); Jaylen Brown (Boston Celtics); Jimmy Butler (Miami Heat); Mike Conley (Utah Jazz); Stephen Curry (Golden State Warriors); Anthony Davis (Los Angeles Lakers); DeMar DeRozan (San Antonio Spurs); Andre Drummond (Cleveland Cavaliers); Kevin Durant (Brooklyn Nets); Paul George (L.A. Clippers); Draymond Green (Golden State Warriors); James Harden (Houston Rockets); Montrezl Harrell (L.A. Clippers); Joe Harris (Brooklyn Nets); Tobias Harris (Philadelphia 76ers); Gordon Hayward (Boston Celtics); Dwight Howard (Los Angeles Lakers); Brandon Ingram (New Orleans Pelicans); Kyrie Irving (Brooklyn Nets); LeBron James (Los Angeles Lakers); Kyle Kuzma (Los Angeles Lakers); Kawhi Leonard (L.A. Clippers); Damian Lillard (Portland Trail Blazers); Brook Lopez (Milwaukee Bucks); Kevin Love (Cleveland Cavaliers); Kyle Lowry (Toronto Raptors); JaVale McGree (Los Angeles Lakers); Khris Middleton (Milwaukee Bucks); Donovan Mitchell (Utah Jazz); Victor Oladipo (Indiana Pacers); Chris Paul (Oklahoma City Thunder); Mason Plumlee (Denver Nuggets); Marcus Smart (Boston Celtics); Jayson Tatum (Boston Celtics); Klay Thompson (Golden State Warriors); Myles Turner (Indiana Pacers); Kemba Walker (Boston Celtics); Russell Westbrook (Houston Rockets); and Derrick White (San Antonio Spurs).

That list will be narrowed down to just 12 men in June.

Country-rap star Lil Nas X had one of the most surprising rises of 2019, enjoying the longest-reigning No. 1 hit single of all-time with "Old Town Road" and becoming a household name off the power of that one record. A bidding war between labels occurred after the track blew up, spending nearly twenty weeks on top of the Billboard Hot 100. The young man's star only continued to grow after he revealed his sexuality to the world, coming out as gay and thereby becoming the first openly homosexual black man to spend such a long time at the top of the chart. With such a strong connection to the internet, Lil Nas X has been using social media masterfully to keep his name in conversations despite a lack of new music. This morning, the 20-year-old rapper showed love to his "queen" SZA after her appearance at the Vanity Fair Oscars after-party, joking that she can do whatever she wants and he'll still be on her side.

Rich Fury/VF20/Getty Images

Like a veritable former stan account owner, Lil Nas X operated as if he were still swooning over celebrities every chance he got, basically writing a short fan fiction story about TDE songstress SZA as she attended the Oscars after-party. "Call me old fashioned, but i was raised to serve my queen," said LNX, sharing two photos of the singer at last night's event. "Clean for her. cook for her and everything i do is for her. and if she cheats? that is on me! she caught me slipping and i will apologize and do better."

In just over two hours, the post has already racked up over thirty thousand retweets, speaking to the impact of Lil Nas X's lasting viral power. Regardless of how you feel about his music, you've got to give the kid props. He knows how to use the internet.

In recent years, various hate groups from around the United States have become emboldened to voice their opinion on the country's current socio-political structure in regards to foreign policy and race relations. Some participants in these hate groups have taken it as far as eliminating people with opposing views on the nation's inclusiveness and diversity. Now, the Federal Bureau of Investigations is taking a stance against white supremacy and other 'racially motivated violent extremism' as they've elevated the importance of supremacist activity to a 'national threat priority.'

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This past Wednesday (Feb. 5), FBI director, Christopher Wray revealed to the bureau that homegrown/domestic terrorism will be a national priority implemented into their legislation and will be recognized and posed as dangerous as foreign terrorist organizations such as ISIS (ISIL). While speaking with to the House Judiciary Committee, Wray had this to say about his revelation:

"The most persistent threats to the nation and to U.S. interests abroad are homegrown violent extremists (HVEs), domestic violent extremists, and foreign terrorist organizations (FTOs). The international terrorism threat to the U.S. has expanded from sophisticated, externally directed FTO plots to include individual attacks carried out by HVEs who are inspired by designated terrorist organizations."

The former-Assistant Attorney General then went on to note that foreign terroristic threats are still a major priority for the intelligence agency stating:

"We remain concerned that groups such as the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) and al Qaeda have the intent to carry out large-scale attacks in the U.S." 

Wray then attested to the racially motivated attacks that plagued the country in 2018-19, revealing that these aggressions were a "primary source of ideologically-motivated lethal incidents and violence" and that the past two years hate crimes have drastically increased, the most since 2001. Wray spoke about how these hate groups target certain individuals:

"They choose easily accessible weapons — a car, a knife, a gun, maybe an IED they can build crudely off the internet — and they choose soft targets. That threat is what we assess is the biggest threat to the homeland right now."

With the Dylann Roofs and Patrick Wood Crusiuses of the world taking the easy way out by surrendering themselves to authorities and being immortalized for their actions through extended court proceedings, it's about time major government agencies become proactive about the domestic terrorism that rages rampant within United States borders.  

Hopefully, in the near future, we'll see a severe decline in the development of white supremacist rhetoric and organizations for the betterment of society. Check out the Vice President of the Anti-Defamation League, Oren Segal's, report on the FBI Director's announcement below.

In this series, we’ll be making the case for specific rappers to be included in “greatest of all-time” discussions. The more obvious choices (such as André 3000, Lil Wayne, Eminem, Jay-Z, Nas, Biggie, 2Pac) will be ignored in favor of artists who tend to get overlooked these days, for one reason or another. Previously, our writers have made cases for Pusha T, Ice Cube, DJ Quik, Big Boi, DMX, Ghostface Killah and Busta Rhymes. Today, we’re bringing back the series to pay homage to Slug.

Atmosphere is a rare commodity in hip-hop. Even in our current era when there is generally more of everything. Even with the oversaturation of hip-hop artists, we’re somehow pretty slim on duos — especially when it comes to duo such as Slug and Ant, where truly, each one plays a distinct role. Slug raps. Ant produces. And that’s it. It’s not to say that this is what makes them avant garde, it’s simply a discernable feature.

For the purpose of this argument we will focus solely on Slug. Slug, born Sean Michael Daley in Minneapolis, Minnesota has done more for hip-hop than your average pop-leaning rap fan might have you believe. Slug managed to put Minneapolis on the Rap Map way before it was a thing you could do “at your fingertips”– before the Internet at large could break down geographical borders and spread music instantly. His was the type of grassroots push that goes unseen in modern times. 

Slug debuted alongside his then-group-collaborator Spawn with the album Overcast! in 1997. While it’s an album he’s gone on to criticize in later years, it’s important nonetheless. By Slug’s own estimation he was trying too hard– but really, what’s wrong with that? For all intents and purposes, Slug is mostly trying to be lyrical, trying to paint a picture, create a scene in the mind’s eye. In the process he was getting more cerebral than many of his mainstream contemporaries.

That is one of the ways that Slug exhibits his GOAT status. It’s the details he puts into his rhymes and his mastery of the English language– he creates allegories and metaphors on a wider scale than the context of two bars (think: “Lucy Ford”), which offer a constant throughline in much of his music. There are certain metaphors or elements that recur in Atmosphere’s music, and each time, Slug offers the listener another piece of the puzzle. 

On a song like “Sound Is Vibration” from the debut, the poetic and introspective touch that many of his songs are known for is on full display. The song begins with fairytale-esque chimes while Slug’s lyrics add to the feeling: “I’m sparked, waiting for the dark to hit / Cause once the moon gets above my apartment / I catch fits for starting shit”— his own intonation rising with each bar as the beat picks up fervor. 

On his underground hit off the same album, “Scapegoat,” Slug details the ails of society in a templated manner with a minimal piano-key-driven beat backing his effort. The concept doesn’t make the song any less impactful, yet Slug has been particularly critical of his songwriting: “While it did get us booked on mix shows across the country, I felt it was almost a ‘cheating’ style of writing. I use the word ‘It’s’ over 50 times. That’s the hook. It’s cheating.” Though slightly masochistic in nature, his constant self-critique and analysis has ultimately allowed for his artistic growth and improvement in the creation of songs that offer more depth and variation than “Scapegoat.” 

Slug takes the road less travelled when it comes to creating rap music. He’s been able to connect with his fanbase so deeply because he truly reveals himself and his person in a way that a lot of rappers simply don’t. He’s also distanced himself from some of the rather superficial yet all-too-common tropes, including those centered around materialism. These factors have not only set him apart and created a cult-like following for the underground artist, but they’ve been instrumental in building his independent label, Rhymesayers– and again, let’s be clear that Rhymesayers was founded as an independent label way before (the year was 1995) it became the trend du-jour. It’s also a feat that comes without the major label distribution too, a sort of loop-hole we seem to find many “indie” labels doing these days. 

As far as the depth instilled in Slug’s pen, one of the prevalent metaphors in Slug’s music was this idea of Lucy Ford, or Lucifer— sometimes thought to be referring to hip-hop itself, other times his vices such as alcohol, or else, the mother of Slug’s child. This theme was woven through out the duo’s discography, from EPs to Atmosphere’s second studio album, God Loves Ugly, with the song “F’@k You Lucy”:

Most of this garbage I write that these people seem to like 

Is about you and how I let you infect my life 

And if they got to know you, I doubt that they would see it 

They’d wonder what I showed you, how you could leave it 

A friend in Chicago said that I should stay persistent 

If I stay around I’m bound to break resistance 

Fuck you, Lucy, for defining my existence 

Fuck you and your differences 

Ever since I was a young lad with a part-time dad 

It was hard to find happiness inside of what I had 

I studied my mother, I digested her pain 

And vowed no women on my path would have to walk the same

Whereas someone like Eminem might be a wizard with internal rhyming and lyrical acrobatics, one of Slug’s best writing qualities is the artful and purposeful nature behind his lyrics. Slug doesn’t just put two bars together and move on to the next two, with ideas unrelated (and this comes back to his own self-affirmed idea that, at the time, he was not just rapping “to string words together.”). Each bar helps to bring a larger picture and a personal affectation into view. His penchant for constant self-reflection (as well as self-deprecation) inevitably leads to growth, too, with the development of his family life coming to affect how he viewed his lyrics in retrospect. Slug was about that Dad Rap life before Kanye West did it. If we’re tracing the lineage, it may go back to just around/after When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint That Shit Gold (2008). The album that followed would be Family Sign (2011), the album that began to clearly mark a new era in Atmosphere’s music.

Before Slug became the Family Man he is today, he was battling demons like the rest of us– and they’re the usual suspects too– alcohol, depression, cigarettes, weed, himself, women. All of these vices fueled his early music and created some of the darkest, yet most relatable, music he’s released. On a song like “Bird Sings Why Caged I Know” the rapper adopts themes from Maya Angelou (who else??), over a haunting and impactful soul-riddled beat from Ant. It’s here we can really see Slug’s unique writing style — it’s conceptual and rife with interpretation.

It’s the bird, it must have been the bird

Disgusting critter, it must

We should have known better than to trust

This disease-infested ball of lust and carnage

Piece of garbage with wings and she has the guts to sing

Get the bird, catch her, shoot her, I don’t care

Get the bird, bring her down to the ground from out the air

Got to tear her apart, let me at her first

Sink her to the level of the rest of us that inhabit the earth

We can’t end a piece like this without highlighting the fan-favourite and perhaps Atmosphere “piece de resistance”, the album namesake “God Loves Ugly.” On the title track of the album, the rapper singles out his failings as a man and as an artist, and he offers them to the listener shame-free.

I wear my scars like the rings on a pimp

I live life like the captain of a sinking ship

The one thing that I can guarantee

I’m like a stepping razor, I suggest you stay fair with me

Been paying dues for a decade plus

Before that I was just another face on the bus

Tappin’ my foot, to the beat on the radio

Dreaming ’bout the mic and the money and the ladies

Oh mom, I promise I’m gonna be large

Some day I’ma stop trying to borrow your car

Gonna go far, with charisma and skill

Until they put my face on a million dollar bill

Atmosphere, it’s just a ten letter word

Discretion is the name of my cement-feathered bird

And if you didn’t hear, then fuck what others heard

Bars like “Discretion is the name of my cement-feathered bird” are among Slug’s defining lyrical features, in the sense that they sound cool as fuck on surface level, but they also require some unpacking. It’s the perfect example of how Slug’s lyrics are often the intersection between art and personal life and the crises therein. It’s lofty for the average rapper, yet for Slug, it might be a throw-away bar. It’s exactly this type of writing, though, that has proven Slug’s GOAT status as an MC constantly throughout his career, and why his flowers are due.

The internet loves to jump to conclusions, forcing recording artists to often explain made-up fan scenarios that have gone viral on social media. Lil Nas X is a product of the internet, using it to the max to ensure he remains one of the most popular artists in the world. He took full advantage of TikTok before anybody else, crafting "Old Town Road," which would go on to become a worldwide smash hit. He followed that up with the release of "Panini," a more hip-hop friendly record before dropping his current single, "Rodeo". On his critically-acclaimed project 7, Cardi B features on the song but, at the Grammy Awards, LNX premiered a new version with none other than Nas, the man he modelled his name after. Unleashing the music video for "Rodeo" earlier today, Cardi B's fanbase questioned why she was nowhere to be seen in the clip, and Lil Nas X had a decent enough explanation.

At long last, the impeachment process is over. United States Donald Trump has been officially acquitted of both charges, obstruction of congress and abuse of power. For the former, the vote tallied in at 52 in favor of acquittal and 48 against. For the latter, 53 in favor of acquittal and 48 against. The detion arose after Mitt Romney went against the Republican Party and voted in favor of conviction. 

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Likely feeling both emboldened and validated by the (unsurprising) results, President Trump confirmed that he would be addressing the masses tomorrow at noon Eastern time. It’s unclear whether there will be any fallout, but it’s unlikely the President nor the people will forget how this all played out. Expect the animosity between Republican and Democrat to intensify as the 2020 election approaches.

As the lone Republican to break from his party, Romney’s words may very well linger throughout the coming days. “I will tell my children and their children that I did my duty to the best of my ability,” he reflected, taking to the podium for a visibly emotional speech. “Believing that my country expected it of me. I will only be one name among many, no more, no less, to future generations who look at the record of this trial. They will note merely that I was among the senators who determined that what President did was wrong. Grievously wrong.”

Many have been quick to reflect on the historical context of the Impeachment, openly wondering how future generations will reflect on the process. That remains to be decided, but there’s no doubt that the debate will rage on. Where do you stand? 

Roddy Ricch is undeniably the hottest rapper in the game right now. "The Box" has been taking over the globe, thanks to TikTok, and he's now the first rapper in 2003 to have the longest-running #1 debut album on the Billboard 200, tying 50 Cent's Get Rich Or Die Trying. Please Excuse Me For Being Antisocial undoubtedly is a solid introductory effort for anyone who wasn't following him prior to commercial success.

He's currently on his North American tour in support of the album and like most rappers that enter Canadian territory, there's always the possibility of getting denied. As much as race plays a factor in it, G-Eazy has also been denied at the border so there seems to inexplicable targetting towards rappers in general, as well. Anyways, Roddy Ricch has finally made it into Canada and it appears that he has Drake to thank for that. Drake's the plug and all it took was one phone call for Roddy to get into the country. "Called @Drake and bro he got me into Canada," he tweeted with a muscle emoji. 

We're sure Canadian fans are appreciating Drake's efforts right now. Back in July, Roddy, a man of little words, simply tweeted that he spoke to Drake. Later on, he confirmed that he and Drake have a few songs together. When we can expect to hear them is unconfirmed but it seems more than likely that Drake will show face during Roddy's show tomorrow. 

Though many expected that the Republican Party would hold steadfast in their decision to acquit Donald Trump of all impeachment charges, Senator Mitt Romney has officially deted from the pack. With Trump facing charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress, Romney decided to vote in favor of conviction, making him the first –and possibly final– Republican to do so. 

Making the announcement, Romney expressed a desire to stand on the right side of history. “I sought to hear from John Bolton not only because I believed he could add context to the charges,” he states. “But because I hoped he would add reasonable doubt and thus remove the awful obligation for me to vote for impeachment.” As the decision to hear from witnesses was ultimately vetoed, Mitt never had that chance. “We’ve come to different conclusions fellow senators, but I trust we have all followed the dictates of our conscience.”

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“Voters will make the final decision, just as the President’s lawyers have implored,” he continues. “My vote will likely be in the minority in the senate, but irrespective of this vote, I will tell my children and their children that I did my duty to the best of my ability. Believing that my country expected it of me. I will only be one name among many, no more, no less, to future generations who look at the record of this trial. They will note merely that I was among the senators who determined that what President did was wrong. Grievously wrong.”

Though he predicted that President Trump and many of his supporters will turn their wrath upon him, many on both sides have already begun praising Romney as courageous. Check out Mitt Romney’s full speech below. As of this moment, the Senate stands on the verge of acquitting Trump from all impeachment accusations. 

Longevity in any career is admirable, but to have a lengthy, successful career in rap is a blessing for many artists. We’ve watched as rappers have rotated in and out of the hip hop limelight in our social media-driven culture as many artists catch waves and eventually fall off. Jadakiss has been a well-respected emcee for decades, and The Lox rapper caught up with HipHopDX to reflect on what it’s like to be involved in the industry for this long.

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“To have a career as a rapper is a beautiful thing,” Jadakiss said. “You can pull out the Great Wall of China list, probably longer than that, of dudes who have hit songs and had special moments in rap, but the career part, it might not be that long. It might just be the white picket fence. Dudes who had a lengthy, healthy, sturdy, career. It’s a beautiful thing.”

Jadakiss added that he recognizes that many artists have “moments,” but he likes the direction where hip hop is headed in. “We just gotta get to the next stage of what it’s gonna be. Get the authenticity back up. Lyricism, along with some of this new digital stuff that’s going on. It’s coming, though. It’s taking a little slow, cardio ain’t really there for it, but it’s coming.”

He continued, “There’s a lotta dudes that can rap, really rap. [YBN] Cordae, Russ, Drake, J Cole… a lot of these dudes is super nice. A lot of ’em. I like Young Thug. A lotta people might think I don’t like Thug. I listen to Thug more than I listen to a lot of them. You gotta listen to the music and absorb it. Some people are seeing him on a centerfold or something and just automatically judge him. You gotta listen. He’s saying some incredible sh*t.”

Jadakiss also noted that hip hop is the only genre of music that gets broken down into factions like West Coast, East Coast, Down South, etc. The rapper said that’s not done with country, R&B, or pop. “It’s not West Coast Pop,” he said. “They trying to figure out a way to put everybody against each other ’cause it’s growing fast.” Watch his clip below.

It’s been a long journey for Ceaser Emanuel, but he’s taken advantage of every moment. The Black Ink Crew star is the leader of VH1’s tattoo crew, and for years he’s shared his personal life with millions of reality television fans. There have been a few bumps in the road for the 40-year-old businessman, but he’s ready to put the outlandish antics behind him as he continues to roll out new shops across the country.

Dimitrios Kambouris / Staff / Getty Images

Anyone who has tuned into Black Ink Crew‘s New York City show has watched as Ceaser and his cohorts have entangled themselves in quite a bit of drama with women. Now that he’s a mogul with much to lose, Ceaser shared with Tiffany “New York” Pollard that the way he approaches dating has changed. In a recent episode of Brunch with Tiffany, Ceaser revealed that he’s done with the thot life.

“I’ve been trying [to settle down] but it’s difficult nowadays, especially with my work and being on reality TV,” he said. “And then my daughter, she’s 15-years-old going on 21. If she don’t like you, I can’t like you. That’s one of the biggest things with me is like, my daughter, it’s at a point where I have to bring home somebody that she could actually look up to besides her mother. Her dad just can’t be dating thots no more. He has to be home an attractable woman that she could sit there [and say], ‘Dad, you did good.'”

Check out his clip below and listen to Ceaser talk about how he’s expanded his empire now that he has two shops in Harlem, one in Atlanta, one in Orlando, and one in New Orleans. Ceasar added that he’s working on placing shops in Brooklyn, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C, as well.

Canadian artist Tory Lanez is one of his country’s hip-hop success stories, serving as an inspiration to boys and girls who hope to become an influence in the music industry one day. With rap’s representation growing by the day in the North, Tory Lanez continues striving as one of the main figures in Toronto, honing his craft and stunting his outstanding work ethic. Releasing several full-length projects over the last two years, Lanez has proven to the world that he is no longer an underdog. At this stage of his career, he’s a power player. He cozied up to another favorite within the business, Lizzo, to pose as relationship goals (even though they’re not officially an item.)

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Tory Lanez and Lizzo may not be dating but they came through to show us what a happy couple should look like. The two artists enjoyed a warm embrace as they closed their eyes, passionately taking in the moment. Tory rested his head on Lizzo’s chest, wrapping his arms around her and letting a smile creep out. He looks at ease in the image, comfortably adding in the caption: “Find u somebody that’s finna hug u like I’m hugging @lizzobeeating … she my whole spirit animal.”

French Montana was at the same party and he declared Lizzo “wifey” in his selfie with the breakout star. It looks like Tory may have some competition.

It's been a year since Cardi B first threatened to "dog walk" Tomi Lahren. Their feud started with Lahren belittling Cardi's political participation and then continued when the conservative talking head mocked 21 Savage's ICE detainment. It was a peak moment for 2019 pop culture and now it has bled into 2020. 

Jay-Z and Beyoncé are making headlines for remaining seated during the national anthem at the Superbowl on Sunday night and Lahren gave her two cents on the matter. "Beyoncé & Jay-Z (former crack dealer) sit for the national anthem because apparently the United States of America has oppressed them with millions upon millions of dollars & fans. Sounds rough. Maybe they should try another country that allows them a little more freedom & success?" Tammy tweeted this morning. "You hate police, Donald Trump, and the spirit of this nation so much you can’t pick your privileged asses off the chair for 2 mins to pay some respect? Despicable."

The month of February, as always, is absolutely loaded with sneaker releases in celebration of the NBA All Star weekend. Nike and Jordan Brand, in particular, went above and beyond this year with the All Star Game returning to Chicago for the first time since 1988, but there are also some notable Yeezys on deck as well.

Among the most anticipated sneakers releasing in the coming weeks are a brand new Air Jordan 3, another clean Air Jordan 1 Retro High OG, and the first of many "Space Jam" LeBron colorways. Virgil Abloh's Air Jordan 5 and Travis Scott's Nike SB collabs are also on the way, as is a classic LeBron 7, and much, much more.

Scroll down to preview 10 of the best sneakers dropping in February.

Nike SB Dunk Low "Plum"

Release Date: February 7

Retail Price: $100

The special edition "Plum" Nike SB Dunk Low originally released as part of the "Ugly Ducking" Pack in 2001, and it was exclusively sold in Japan. Now, nearly two decades after the initial launch, the kicks are finally receiving a U.S. release. In the mold of the OG, this 2020 iteration comes decked out in a premium suede with multiple shades of purple, complemented by accents of barn red. 

Air Jordan 1 High '85 "Varsity Red"

Release Date: February 8

Retail Price: $200

The Air Jordan 1 High '85, a sneaker designed to resemble the cut of the OG 1985 Air Jordan 1 model, will be making it's way to retailers this year in a few different styles, including this slick "Varsity Red" colorway. Black leather appears on the toe, tongue, mid panel and ankle collar while varsity red handles the rest of the upper including the Nike swoosh and "Nike Air" branding. Overall, the design could pass as an alternate version of the iconic "Bred" Air Jordan 1 High.

Nike LeBron 7 "All Star"

Release Date: February 12

Retail Price: $200

The special edition "All Star" LeBron 7, which LeBron debuted during the 2010 All Star Game, features a "Chlorine Blue" colorway featuring a woodgrain-like pattern, black accents throughout, and full length Air Max cushioning beneath it all. Furthermore, that woodgrain is equipped with reflective detailing, adding a little bit of extra flair to this LeBron 7 retro.

Nike LeBron 17 "Monstars"

Release Date: February 13

Retail Price: $200

Although the LeBron-led Space Jam 2 film won't be hitting theaters until the summer of 2021, Nike Basketball is getting an early jump on things with a two-pack of LeBron 17s. The "Monstars" colorway is highlighted by a glistening black knit upper, featuring multi-color accents, a purple iridescent midsole and iridescent "0" detailing on the tongue.

It's curious how the cycle works. Pundits such as the conservative Tomi Lahren make a living out of expressing resentful takes on the behavior of her adversaries. And yet if said adversaries didn't behave in such fashion, what would she have to talk about it?  It's become common practice for televised events to feature some degree of sociopolitical commentary and the Super Bowl is no exception. Even if it's not intentional, the fallout is often as damaging as the act itself. For Tomi Lahren, the inciting incident arose when Jay-Z and Beyonce remained seated during Demi Lovato's lovely take on the National Anthem. 

At this stage, neglecting to stand for the National Anthem is equivalent to shaking up a can of worms and cracking it open. It didn't take long for Lahren to get good and riled up at the Power Couple, whose combined net worth is staggering to say the least. Falling back on her old favorite insult, which is to say "former crack dealer," she made sure to give the duo a piece of her mind.

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"Beyoncé & Jay-Z (former crack dealer) sit for the national anthem because apparently the United States of America has oppressed them with millions upon millions of dollars & fans. Sounds rough. Maybe they should try another country that allows them a little more freedom & success?" she writes, neglecting to mention that Jay-Z is the greatest of all time. "You hate police, Donald Trump, and the spirit of this nation so much you can’t pick your privileged asses off the chair for 2 mins to pay some respect? Despicable."

Now, to Lahren's credit, she knows exactly what she's doing here. As did Jay-Z and Beyonce when they made the call. Perhaps the simple act of writing this is akin to tossing gasoline on the fire. Still, at its core, there's always amusement to be found whenever Lahren dips her toes into the subtle art of hip-hop commentary. Because let's be honest: the critics would be just as up in arms if they stood up. Was Radiohead's "Sit Down, Stand Up" foreshadowing to this fateful day? 

Fifteen years ago, Dave Chappelle was considered defeated by the gatekeepers of the entertainment industry only to make his return to the on-screen and on-stage to become immortalized as one of the most polarizing comedians in modern-day history. Coming off of an amazing Netflix special and Grammy Award win, the Half Baked actor has endorsed democratic candidate Andrew Yang and is now participating in the philanthropist/lawyer's campaign trail.  

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Chappelle originally became a member of the "Yang Gang" after reading the candidate's book, The War on Normal People and learning of Yang's universal basic income proposal also referred to as "freedom dividends." This past Tuesday, the world-renowned comedian revealed why he chose to endorse Andrew Yang for president during an impromptu discussion with local media. Dave stated:

"If people listen to me, so be it, if they don't, so be it, but I know I'm doing my civic duty by just saying the thing I believe in. This is without irony or a punchline, I'm just telling you – this guy's got some great ideas, you should check it out," according to the Des Moines Register. 

Chappelle then went on to discuss how disappointed he is in the wealthy disparity he witnesses throughout his daily interactions saying:

"The wealth disparity between me and my neighbors is immense. It's heartbreaking. And if you know a third of the people up the street can't buy groceries, then you start to feel an imperative concern. It's not the kind of thing I could just see and hope for the best, I should probably say something."

Dave Chappelle even sympathized with Trump voters hoping for a Head of State with new, innovative ideas to move society forward stating:

"I don't look at Trump supporters as my enemy at all," Chappelle said. "I understand why people voted for Trump, I understand people are desperate. And I think that Andrew is right you run against the reasons that Trump got elected. I got friends on both sides of the political aisle, I got fans on both sides of the political aisle. A lot of people say professionally it's not wise to support any candidate, but this idea is so good, that I think it should exist."

The Grammy Award-winning comedian then closed out his statement, praising Andrew Yang:

"And I think the fountainhead of many of the good ideas on the table this year are coming from a single source — Andrew Yang. And for some reason, no one's paying attention. This guy is the origin of a platform that really does address where I think the country needs to go."

With the Iowa caucuses taking place on Feb.3, Dave Chappelle might have the influence to swing voters in the direction democratic candidate, Andrew Yang. 

Check out the clip of Dave Chappelle explaining his endorsement of Andrew Yang in the video provided below. 

Today’s the day: the Super Bowl LIV is upon us, and for all you fake sports fans or diehard J-LO and Shakira stans, the most exciting part about this fateful Sunday is the halftime show. Though it was announced months ago that Jennifer Lopez and Shakira were the allotted performers, it wouldn’t be the Super Bowl halftime show without some surprise guests. According to Page Six, J Balvin and Bad Bunny will be taking the stage with their fellow Latinx artists to perform. The publication reports that Shakira will be opening the Pepsi halftime show, and perform some of her biggest hits from her discography including “Hips Don’t Lie” and “Whenever, Wherever.” Bad Bunny will then reportedly join her on stage to perform “I Like It Like That” as well as a snippet of “Chantaje.”

Kevin Winter/Getty Images for LARAS

On Tuesday, Bad Bunny released a new song in honour of the late Kobe Bryant called “6 Rings,” a reference to the number of championship rings Kobe earned during his basketball career. It has not been confirmed whether he will be given the opportunity to perform the tribute track, but Shakira has confirmed that plans are in motion to honour Kobe at the big event: “We’ll all be remembering Kobe on Sunday and celebrating life and diversity in this country. I’m sure he’d be very proud to see the message we are trying to convey on stage that day.”

Emma McIntyre/Getty Images

J-Lo will then reportedly follow Shakira and Bunny, to perform some of her smash hits like “Waiting For Tonight” as well as a mashup of “Love Don’t Cost A Thing,” “Mi Gente,” and “Que Calor,” the latter two for which she will be joined by J Balvin. Jennifer’s daughter, Emme, who has been making appearances with her mother on tour, will then reportedly join them. For the finale, J-Lo and Shakira will reportedly take the stage together to perform a mash-up of “Waka Waka” and “Let’s Get Loud.”

Kevin Winter/Getty Images

The two Latina superstars have spoken about the importance of representation in regards to their performances. “I love that the Super Bowl has two women performing this year, that they have two Latinos performing this year,” J-Lo said. “For me, it’s their 100th anniversary but it’s also the marker of a new time, not just for the NFL but for this country. [It] sends an important message to everyone.”

The coronavirus epidemic has the world shook right now. Although people have claimed that it's being overblown by the media, it's now a problem globally, BBC reports. The World Health Organization has declared the disease a global emergency. While a large portion of the diseases and deaths related to coronavirus has been in China, predominantly Hubei, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that the announcement isn't just on what's happening in China but the possibilities of it spreading across the world.

"The main reason for this declaration is not what is happening in China but what is happening in other countries," Ghebreyesus said. His concern is that as more documented cases of coronavirus spreading to other countries, they don't want it to spread to countries with weaker health care systems. So far, there are 98 cases in eighteen countries, although all of the deaths that occurred have happened in China. "Let me be clear, this declaration is not a vote of no confidence in China," Tedros said.

Tedros praised the Chinese government for the preventative measures they're taking while also denying that there's any reason to stop trade transactions or travel to China.

Major companies like Google and Tesla have shut down shops in China in wake of the disease. Wilbur Ross, The US Commerce Secretary, is looking at the bright side of this bleak outbreak, saying, it could "accelerate the return of jobs to North America."

While this week has been filled with tragedy and the world currently mourning the death of one of the greatest NBA players of all-time in Kobe Bryant, this year’s Super Bowl festivities are commencing in commemoration of his life and this Sunday’s big game. With Super Bowl LIV set to take place at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, FL, A-list celebrities are lining up their appearances and performances in celebration of the NFL’s final game of the season. With performances from the likes of DJ Khaled, Post Malone, Cardi B, Lizzo, Lady Gaga, Diddy, Shaquille O’Neal, and more, this year’s Super Bowl gatherings have the potential to be a historic moment in the entertainment realm.  

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DJ Khaled, who took home the Grammy Award for Best rap/Sung Performance for his single “Higher,” featuring the prolific and late-Nipsey Hussle and John Legend, will be performing at several parties in his hometown of Miami including the Bud Light Super Bowl Music Fest’s EA Sports Bowl, the VEWTOPIA Music Festival, and Rolling Stone’s party. In an interview with the Associated Press, the mega-producer had this to say about his Super Bowl plans:

“Oh yeah, we’re definitely celebrating (this) week. I remember Super Bowl came here 10 years ago and it was a special time. We want to make this special, too. I’m excited it’s in Miami.”

Coming off of her Grammy Award victories, Lizzo will also be making an appearance in Miami performing at the SiriusXM & Pandora Opening Drive Super Concert Series and then at the Planet Pepsi Zero Sugar party alongside Harry Styles and others. 

Cardi B has been booked to perform at an upcoming trailer reveal party for Fast & Furious 9 as well as a late-night performance at LIV and VEWTOPIA as a headlining act. Lady Gaga, who performed during the 2017 Super Bowl halftime show will provide entertainment for the AT&T TV Super Saturday Night audience while Post Malone hits the stage at the Bootsy On the Water pop-up. 

Shaquille O’Neal, who’s been struggling immensely with the death of Kobe Bryant, will be bringing his carnival-themed music festival, Shaq’s Fun House to Miami for Super Bowl LIV. The festival featuring performances by Diddy, Diplo, Pitbull, himself as DJ Diesel, and more will donate 100% of its proceeds to the Vanessa & Kobe Bryant Foundation as well as the families who lost loved ones in this past week’s helicopter accident. 

In an Instagram post, the Hall of Fame center revealed that he almost canceled his upcoming event stating:

“Part of me wanted to stay to myself as I reflect what my brother and his family mean to me and my family. But in thinking what would Kobe want, what would he do? Kobe would want us to push through and celebrate life. So let’s just do that.” 

While the world might not have Kobe and Gianna Bryant to provide us with the drive we need to be our best selves, life will continue on and force the masses to be accountable for our own greatness. Check out Shaq’s post about the loss of his brother below and tune into Super Bowl LIV this Sunday at 6:30 P.M. EST on FOX. 

It appears the NFL is doing something a little different this year with its musical acts. It was announced today that the NFL is releasing a visual album titled Super Bowl LIV Live, which will feature each performance at Super Bowl LIV, including the national anthem (Demi Lovato), “America the Beautiful” (Yolanda Adams accompanied by The Children’s Voice Chorus) and the Pepsi Super Bowl LIV Halftime Show (Jennifer Lopez and Shakira).

Each performance will go live shortly after it happens on digital service providers, such as Apple, Tidal, Youtube, and Spotify. The visual album will be available for pre-order and pre-save at participating providers starting January 30th.

“With the abundance of technology in today’s world, it was extremely important to us that we are able to share the ground-breaking Super Bowl performances with our fans across the globe after they occur,” said Brian Rolapp, EVP and Chief Media & Business Officer. “This visual and audio album is the first of its kind and will allow fans to experience the greatness of the artists’ performance on Super Bowl Sunday at their fingertips and across multiple platforms anytime they choose so. We are happy to continue the way we enhance the fan experience for NFL fans everywhere.”

All proceeds will go toward the NFL’s Inspire Change grant program, which works with the Players Coalition in helping support programs and initiatives that can improve communities across the country by focusing on education and economic advancement, police and community relations, and criminal justice reform.

Fans can pre-save the album over at NFL.com/SuperBowlLive.

Fans were a bit shocked when rumors recently surfaced that Queen & Slim actress Jodie Turner-Smith not only married actor Joshua Jackson back in December 2019, but the newlyweds are expecting their first child together. If Jackson looks a tad familiar, it’s because he has quite the Hollywood resumé of his own; the 41-year-old longtime entertainer is known for his role as Pacey on Dawson’s Creek as well as for his appearances in Cruel Intentions, The Might Ducks series, Shutter, The Skulls, Apt Pupil, Fringe, and The Affair.

Emma McIntyre / Staff / Getty Images

The British actress and the Canadian actor are figuring out where to make their home base as they prepare for the arrival of their first-born. One thing is for sure: they won’t be settling down in the United States. Jodie chatted with The Sunday Times and shared that in her opinion “the racial dynamics [in America] are fraught.”

“White supremacy is overt,” Jodie said. “It’s the reason I don’t want to raise my kids here.” She also took issue with gun control policies or lack thereof. “I don’t want my kids to grow up doing active shooter drills at school, she said, adding that her home country isn’t much better. “England has gone off the rails, so I was thinking maybe Canada.” People frustrated with the politics in their countries have often named Canada as their place to retreat, so it comes to no surprise.

Chipotle will forever find their way into some sort of controversy. The latest controversy associated with the company is related to its Massachusetts locations. According to NBC, Chipotle has been fined over $1.3 million after they were cited with 13,253 child labor law violations in the state of Massachusetts.

The company has been facing scrutiny from the state’s attorney’s office who claimed that they violated child labor laws at over 50 locations in the state on a regular basis. Specifically, the state’s attorney’s office said that there were teenagers under the age of 18 working without the proper permits. They also said the teens would be forced into working late shifts with many of them clocking too many hours.

“Chipotle is a major national restaurant chain that employs thousands of young people across the country and it has a duty to ensure minors are safe working in its restaurants,” Attorney General Maura Healey said in the statement. “We hope these citations send a message to other fast food chains and restaurants that they cannot violate our child labor laws and put young people at risk.”

Chipotle, however, has now made a new record because of their violations. The state revealed that this is the largest child labor penalty in history.

On top of the fine, Chipotle now has to also cough up an additional $500K for youth programs that will train and educate minors of the rules of the child labor laws. 

Former NFL star Antonio Brown has reportedly been freed from house arrest and will no longer have to wear an ankle GPS monitor while he awaits trial stemming from his altercation with a moving truck driver earlier this month.

According to ESPN, Circuit Judge Michael Usan agreed to let Brown off house arrest to fulfill contractual obligations, but he still has to check in with court personnel daily.

A superhero died yesterday.

To some, he may have been just a basketball player, but to millions more, he was invincible– a man who could hit two clutch free throws, limping on a torn Achilles, a man who could score 81 points in a single game, a man who, while being the best at it, showed us there was more to life than just basketball. Kobe Bryant was a hero.

Sure, I was undersized and never anything special, but it didn’t matter. When the bell rang and school was over, the first place I wanted to be was the basketball court. I wanted to reenact the moves I saw my hero, Kobe, make the night before on ESPN.

I’d have to heave the ball with all my strength just for it to reach the hoop from where Kobe hit the impeccable game-winner over Dwyane Wade in December of 2009, but when the ball finally went in, I felt like Kobe Bryant. I was shooting from the edge of a driveway in Charlestown, Rhode Island, but I felt like I was in front of thousands at the Staples Center. I could escape the stresses of middle school, the low self-esteem of my anxious 12-year-old self and, for just a moment, feel like I was invincible, because Kobe Bryant was invincible. Kobe Bryant was Super-Man.

This story is likely similar to millions of other kids who looked up to Kobe and found solace on the basketball court.

He was an assassin– 33,643 career points, 18 all-star selections, five NBA championships, an MVP award and countless more accolades. He was one of the rare competitors who could strike absolute fear in his opponents. Regardless of the score, a lead was never safe if Kobe was on the court. Unparalleled balletic footwork, a brain that seemed designed for basketball, an unshakable love for the fourth quarter, it all made Kobe the most entertaining player to watch.

Moments like when Kobe scored 62 points in three quarters in a 112-90 route over the Dallas Mavericks in 2005 made fans fall in love with his game. Kobe sat out the fourth quarter, and, as legend goes, when offered a chance to go back in to reach 70, he told coach Brian Shaw, “Nah, I’ll get it another time.”

How about when he scored 60 points in his final game and gave life to the Staples Center, that of which it hadn’t seen in years? Or when Matt Barnes pump-faked the ball into his face and Kobe didn’t even flinch? The alley-oop to Shaq in Game 7 against the Trail Blazers in 2000? The countless game-winners, deep fadeaways, jawdropping dunks, are all ingrained in the memories of NBA fans whose lives were impacted by Kobe Bryant.

A loss like this forces us to stare in the face of our own mortality. How can he be gone? He was invincible.

Kobe may have been passed the prime of his playing days, but he was just entering the prime of life. With his wife Vanessa, he had four children– Gianna, Natalia, Bianca, and their newborn Capri, who was only just born, in June 2019.

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Above all else, though, Kobe was a father. After taking a break from basketball post-retirement, he rekindled love with the game once again, vicariously through his daughter Gianna. The two could be seen attending NBA games across the country; he often tutored her from the sidelines in the art of the game. At his Mamba Sports Academy, he did the same for other young girls who found love for basketball. 

For his short film, Dear Basketball, Kobe won the Oscar for Best Animated Short Film, setting up what could have been an illustrious second-act: “What I love is storytelling,” he told Sports Illustrated in 2018. “I love the idea of creative content whether it’s mythology or animation, written or film, that can inspire people and give them something tangible they can use in their own lives.”

Tragically we will never get to see that second-act come to fruition. Kobe Bryant died yesterday, in a helicopter crash alongside his daughter Gianna and seven others. It’s one of the most devastating losses in NBA history.

This is not the ending Kobe Bryant was supposed to get.

JOHANNES EISELE/AFP/Getty Images

After peaking on the 19th spot of the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart last year, Billboard disqualified Lil Nas X's single "Old Town Road" from the chart claiming that the song did not 'fit the genre.' Now, billions of streams later, peaking at the number one spot in ten different countries, and staying number one on the Billboard Hot 100 Songs chart for a record-breaking nineteen weeks, Lil Nas X is the most prominent figure in all of music today. 

Now, to add insult to injury, Lil Nas X has won a Grammy for the song's visuals for Best Music Video. The video presented as an 'official movie' featured cameos from some notable personalities including Chris Rock, Haha Davis, Rico Nasty, Diplo, Jozzy, Vince Staples, and Young Kio, the song's producer. The five-minute production starring Lil Nas X and Billy Ray Cyrus on the run after an alleged bank robbery. The "Panini" performer eventually finds himself out of place in the hood while Billy Ray Cyrus makes his way to a bingo hall to perform his notorious verse. 

The video directed by Calmatic has made Recording Academy history as the 62nd annual Grammy Award winner for Best Video. After it was announced that the video was the winner, Lil Nas X and company approached the stage in obvious hysteria. Calmatic took to the mic first thanking his supporters, family, and colleagues. Lil Nas X took to the mic following the director's speech clearing his throat and simply stating:

"Thank You." 

The 20-year-old multifaceted artist proceeded to walk off stage before racing back to the mic to say 

"And thank you to my man, Saul, right here, he's amazing and Cal, you're incredible."

Some may not like it but Lil Nas X went from a struggling artist to a Grammy Award-winning singer/songwriter in a single year all thanks to "Old Town Road." Check out Lil Nas X's acceptance speech below as well as the list of Grammy winners, here. 

He may only answer to the name “Foodgod,” but Jonathan Cheban, the Russian-born TV personality and entrepreneur-turned-foodie, is having a not-so-heavenly experience as the face of the popular burger joint Burgerim. The company has gone belly-up, its Israeli owner has fled the country, employees haven’t been paid in months and thousands of investors have lost tens of thousands of dollars.

Best known for his close relationship with the Kardashian family and appearances on Keeping up with the Kardashians, Foodgod became the official spokesperson of Burgerim last year, posting rave reviews of the patties on social media.  

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“HOLY BURGERS! I love this spot @officialburgerim,” he tweeted. As part of his advertising campaign, the foodie fanatic even took Kim Kardashian to the chain’s Woodland Hills, Calif., location, which drew a rapturous review from the mega star. 

However, as of this week, Burgerim, whose catchphrase is, “the fastest growing burger chain in the U.S.,” may well prove to be the fastest declining burger chain in the U.S. after reports surfaced that the chain had been overly aggressive in its franchising efforts. According to a report in Restaurant Business, Burgerim solicited some 1,200 people “inexperienced in restaurants or franchising—teachers, cooks, accountants, police officers, engineers, war veterans and real estate professionals, many of whom drained savings accounts and retirement accounts to pay their fee, all hoping for a piece of the American dream.” The article also cites that the company went from owning one location in 2016 to over 200 by 2019 and launched a social media campaign to find investors. On Facebook, a post appeared on their page, which stated, in all caps “NO EXPERIENCE NECESSARY” and that those interested needed only $50,000 to open a restaurant. 

Foodgod has officially cut ties with Burgerim and slapped the burger joint with a legal suit looking to reclaim funds owed to him and requesting that it ceases to use his image for advertising purposes. 

“Music’s biggest night” is here. The industry’s finest have all gathered in Los Angeles to celebrate what the Recording Academy has deemed to be the best of the past year. Among nominees, Lizzo leads the pack with eight nods, followed behind by Billie Eilish and Lil Nas X who have six nominations each. 

Per the Hollywood Reporter, the non-televised portion of the awards show has already settled on the grim news of the death of Kobe Bryant and his 13-year-old daughter Gianna early Sunday evening, honoring their memories with a moment of silence. 

Alicia Keys is set to host the full ceremony as the evening’s stars move forward to collect their awards throughout the night. Keep up below with the night’s winners:

Album of the Year
I, I – Bon Iver
Norman Fucking Rockwell! – Lana Del Rey
WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO? – Billie Eilish
thank u, next – Ariana Grande
I Used to Know Her – H.E.R.
7 – Lil Nas X
Cuz I Love You (Deluxe) – Lizzo
Father of the Bride – Vampire Weekend

Record of the Year
“Hey, Ma” – Bon Iver
“bad guy” – Billie Eilish
“7 Rings” – Ariana Grande
“Hard Place” – H.E.R.
“Talk” – Khalid
“Old Town Road” – Lil Nas X f/ Billy Ray Cyrus
“Truth Hurts” – Lizzo
“Sunflower” – Post Malone & Swae Lee

Song of the Year
“Always Remember Us This Way” – Lady Gaga
“bad guy” – Billie Eilish
“Bring My Flowers Now” – Tanya Tucker
“Hard Place” – H.E.R.
“Lover” – Taylor Swift
“Norman Fucking Rockwell” – Lana Del Rey
“Someone You Loved” – Lewis Capaldi
“Truth Hurts” – Lizzo

Best New Artist
Black Pumas
Billie Eilish
Lil Nas X
Lizzo
Maggie Rogers
Rosalía
Tank and the Bangas
Yola

Best Rap Album
Revenge of the Dreamers III – Dreamville
CHAMPIONSHIPS – Meek Mill
I Am > I Was – 21 Savage
IGOR – Tyler, the Creator
The Lost Boy – YBN Cordae

Best Rap Performance
“Middle Child” – J. Cole
“Suge” – DaBaby
“Down Bad” – Dreamville f/ JID, Bas, J. Cole, EarthGang & Young Nudy
“Racks in the Middle” – Nipsey Hussle f/ Roddy Ricch & Hit-Boy
“Clout” – Offset f/ Cardi B

Best Rap/Sung Performance
“Higher” – DJ Khaled f/ Nipsey Hussle & John Legend
“Drip Too Hard” – Lil Baby & Gunna
“Panini” – Lil Nas X
“Ballin” – Mustard f/ Roddy Ricch
“The London” – Young Thug f/ J. Cole & Travis Scott

Best Rap Song
“Bad Idea” – YBN Cordae f/ Chance the Rapper
“Gold Roses” – Rick Ross f/ Drake
“A Lot” – 21 Savage f/ J. Cole
“Racks in the Middle” – Nipsey Hussle f/ Roddy Ricch & Hit-Boy
“Suge” – DaBaby

Best R&B Performance
“Love Again” – Daniel Caesar & Brandy
“Could’ve Been” – H.E.R. f/ Bryson Tiller
“Exactly How I Feel” – Lizzo f/ Gucci Mane
“Roll Some Mo” – Lucky Daye
“Come Home” – Anderson .Paak f/ André 3000

Best Traditional R&B Performance
“Time Today” – BJ the Chicago Kid
“Steady Love” – India.Arie
“Jerome” – Lizzo
“Real Games” – Lucky Daye
“Built for Love” – PJ Morton f/ Jazmine Sullivan

Best R&B Song
“Could’ve Been” – H.E.R. f/ Bryson Tiller
“Look at Me Now” – Emily King
“No Guidance” – Chris Brown f/ Drake
“Roll Some Mo” – Lucky Daye
“Say So” – PJ Morton f/ JoJo

Best Urban Contemporary Album
Apollo XXI – Steve Lacy
Cuz I Love You (Deluxe) – Lizzo
Overload – Georgia Anne Muldrow
Saturn – NAO
Being Human in Public – Jessie Reyez

Best R&B Album
1123 – BJ the Chicago Kid
Painted – Lucky Daye
Ella Mai – Ella Mai
Paul – PJ Morton
Ventura – Anderson .Paak

Best Pop Solo Performance
“Spirit” – Beyoncé
“bad guy” – Billie Eilish
“7 Rings” – Ariana Grande
“Truth Hurts” – Lizzo
“You Need to Calm Down” – Taylor Swift

Best Pop Duo/Group Performance
“Boyfriend” – Ariana Grande and Social House
“Sucker” – Jonas Brothers
“Old Town Road” – Lil Nas X f/ Billy Ray Cyrus
“Sunflower” – Post Malone & Swae Lee
“Señorita” – Shawn Mendes & Camila Cabello

Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album
Sì – Andrea Bocelli
Love (Deluxe Edition) – Michael Bublé
Look Now – Elvis Costello & The Imposters
A Legendary Christmas – John Legend
Walls – Barbra Streisand

Best Pop Vocal Album
The Lion King: The Gift – Beyoncé
WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO? – Billie Eilish
thank u, next – Ariana Grande
No.6 Collaborations Project – Ed Sheeran
Lover – Taylor Swift

Producer of the Year, Non-Classical
Jack Antonoff
Dan Auerbach
John Hill
Finneas
Ricky Reed

Best Music Video
“We’ve Got to Try” – The Chemical Brothers (Ninian Doff, video director)
“This Land” – Gary Clark Jr. (Savanah Leaf, video director)
“Cellophane” – FKA Twigs (Andrew Thomas Huang, video director)
“Old Town Road” (Official Movie) – Lil Nas X f/ Billy Ray Cyrus (Calmatic, video director) – WINNER
“Glad He’s Gone” – Tove Lo (Vania Heymann & Gal Muggia: video directors)

Best Music Film
Homecoming – Beyoncé (Beyoncé Knowles-Carter & Ed Burke, video directors) – WINNER
David Crosby: Remember My Name – David Crosby (A.J. Eaton, video director)
Birth of the Cool – Miles Davis (Stanley Nelson, video director)
Shangri-La – Various artists (Morgan Neville, video director)
Anima – Thom Yorke (Paul Thomas Anderson, video director)

Best Dance Recording
“Linked” – Bonobo
“Got to Keep On” – The Chemical Brothers – WINNER
“Piece of Your Heart” – Meduza f/ Goodboys
“Underwater” – Rüfüs Du Sol
“Midnight Hour” – Skrillex & Boys Noize f/ Ty Dolla Sign

Best Dance/Electronic Album
LP5 – Apparat
No Geography – The Chemical Brothers – WINNER
Hi This Is Flume – Flume
Solace – Rüfüs Du Sol
Weather – Tycho

Best Rock Performance
“Pretty Waste” – Bones UK
“This Land” – Gary Clark Jr.
“History Repeats” – Brittany Howard
“Woman” – Karen O & Danger Mouse
“Too Bad” – Rival Sons

Best Metal Performance
“Astorolus – The Great Octopus” – Candlemass f/ Tony Iommi
“Humanicide” – Death Angel
“Bow Down” – I Prevail
“Unleashed” – Killswitch Engage
“7empest” – Tool

Best Rock Song
“Fear Inoculum” – Tool
“Give Yourself a Try” – The 1975
“Harmony Hall” –Vampire Weekend
“History Repeats” – Brittany Howard
“This Land” – Gary Clark Jr.

Best Rock Album
Amo – Bring Me the Horizon
Social Cues – Cage the Elephant
In the End – The Cranberries
Trauma – I Prevail
Feral Roots – Rival Sons

Best Alternative Music Album
U.F.O.F. – Big Thief
Assume Form – James Blake
I, I – Bon Iver
Father of the Bride – Vampire Weekend
Anima – Thom Yorke

Best Country Solo Performance
“All Your’n” – Tyler Childers
“Girl Goin’ Nowhere” – Ashley McBryde
“Ride Me Back Home” – Willie Nelson
“God’s Country” – Blake Shelton
“Bring My Flowers Now” – Tanya Tucker

Best Country Duo/Group Performance
“Brand New Man” – Brooks & Dunn with Luke Combs
“I Don’t Remember Me (Before You)” – Brothers Osborne
“Speechless” – Dan + Shay
“The Daughters” – Little Big Town
“Common” – Maren Morris f/ Brandi Carlile

Best Country Song
“Bring My Flowers Now” – Tanya Tucker
“Girl Goin’ Nowhere” – Ashley McBryde
“It All Comes Out in the Wash” – Miranda Lambert
“Some of It” – Eric Church 
“Speechless” – Dan + Shay

Best Country Album
Desperate Man – Eric Church
Stronger Than the Truth – Reba McEntire
Interstate Gospel – Pistol Annies
Center Point Road – Thomas Rhett
While I’m Livin’ – Tanya Tucker

Best Latin Pop Album
Vida – Luis Fonsi
11:11 – Maluma
Montaner – Ricardo Montaner
El Disco – Alejandro Sanz
Fantasía – Sebastian Yatra

Best Latin Rock, Urban or Alternative Album
X 100Pre – Bad Bunny
Oasis – J Balvin & Bad Bunny
Indestructible – Flor de Toloache
Almadura – iLe
El Mal Querer – Rosalía

Best Regional Mexican Music Album (Including Tejano)
Caminado – Joss Favela
Percepcion – Intocable
Poco a Poco – La Energía Norteña
20 aniversario – Mariachi Divas de Cindy Shea
De Ayer Para siempre – Mariachi los Camperos

Best Tropical Latin Album
Opus – Marc Anthony
Tiempo al Tiempo – Luis Enrique + C4 Trio
Candela – Vicente García
Literal – Juan Luis Guerra 4.40
A Journey Through Cuban Music – Aymée Nuviola

Best Spoken Word Album (Includes Poetry, Audio Books & Storytelling)
Beastie Boys Book – Various artists
Becoming – Michelle Obama – WINNER
I.V. Catatonia: 20 Years as a Two-Time Cancer Survivor – Eric Alexandrakis
Mr. Know-It-All – John Waters
Sekou Andrews & The String Theory – Sekou Andrews & The String Theory

Best Comedy Album
Quality Time – Jim Gaffigan
Relatable – Ellen DeGeneres
Right Now – Aziz Ansari
Son of Patricia – Trevor Noah
Sticks & Stones – Dave Chappelle

Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media
The Lion King: The Songs – Various Artists
Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood – Various Artists
Rocketman – Taron Egerton
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse – Various Artists
A Star Is Born – Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper – WINNER

Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media
Avengers: Endgame – Alan Silvestri
Chernobyl – Hildur Guðnadóttir – WINNER
Game of Thrones: Season 8 – Ramin Djawadi
The Lion King – Hans Zimmer
Mary Poppins Returns – Marc Shaiman

Best Song Written for Visual Media
“The Ballad of the Lonesome Cowboy” (from Toy Story 4) – Chris Stapleton
“Girl in the Movies” (from Dumplin’) – Dolly Parton
“I’ll Never Love Again (Film Version)” (from A Star Is Born) – Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper – WINNER
“Spirit” (from The Lion King) – Beyoncé
“Suspirium” (from Suspiria) – Thom Yorke

Best Recording Package
Anónimas & resilientes – Voces Del Bullerengue (Luisa María Arango, Carlos Dussan, Manuel García-Orozco & Juliana Jaramillo-Buenaventura, art directors)
Chris Cornell – Chris Cornell (Barry Ament, Jeff Ament, Jeff Fura & Joe Spix, art directors) – WINNER
Hold That Tiger – The Muddy Basin Ramblers (Andrew Wong & Fongming Yang, art directors)
I, I – Bon Iver (Aaron Anderson & Eric Timothy Carlson, art directors)
Intellexual – Intellexual (Irwan Awalludin, art director)

Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical
All These Things – Thomas Dybdahl (Tchad Blake, Adam Greenspan & Roderick Shearer, engineers; Bernie Grundman, mastering engineer)
Ella Mai – Ella Mai (Chris “Shaggy” Ascher, Jaycen Joshua & David Pizzimenti, engineers; Chris Athens, mastering engineer)
Run Home Slow – The Teskey Brothers (Paul Butler & Sam Teskey, engineers; Joe Carra, mastering engineer)
Scenery – Emily King (Tom Elmhirst, Ben Kane & Jeremy Most, engineers; Bob Ludwig, mastering engineer)
WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO? – Billie Eilish (Rob Kinelski & Finneas O’Connell, engineers; John Greenham, mastering engineer) – WINNER

The entirety of hip-hop is pretty much obsessed with Zodiac signs. We can go as far as back as OutKast’s 1998 album Aquemini, the title for which combined Big Boi’s astrological sign with that of Andre 3000’s. Nicki throws out Sag vibes on her 2018 single “Barbie Tingz” with the line, “Sagittarius so you know I’m an optimist.” Last week Newlyweds Safaree and Erica Mena had an insightful 20 minute astrology reading that went in depth about their personalities and past relationships.

Drake loves to highlight the fact that he’s a Scorpio even naming a summer 2018 double album Scorpion after one of the symbols of the sign, beyond the October’s Very Own collective alluding to it. Beyoncé has also weighed in on her zodiac sign; Virgo. In an interview with Dazed & Confused she said “she’s a Virgo to a tee..a control freak…and pays attention to details.” In fact, on her 2003 album Dangerously in Love, she had two songs about astrology: “Gifts from a Virgo” and “Signs.”

The examples are endless, so we decided to make it easy and round up the rappers that reflect the best and not-so-best characteristics of their sign.  

Aquarius: Gucci Mane 

Maddie Meyer/Getty Images

Progressive, original, emotional, uncompromising

Gucci Mane is the OG Aquarius. His progressive side has been showing throughout his 10+ year career. When Guwop debuted in 2005 with his mixtape Trap House, he definitely set the Atlanta streets and later, the nation on fire. Gucci was one of the early pioneers of trap music, helping catapult it into the genre it is today, and co-signing some of Atlanta’s biggest stars to follow, including Young Thug and Migos before his 3-year incarceration in 2014. Today 1017 is an Alamo imprint, he’s married the love of his life Keyshia Ka’oir in a lavish wedding in 2017, and he signed rising star Asian Doll as the first female signee in 2018; although she left the label this year. Like a true Aquarius he’s also original and unique, tattooing an Ice Cream Cone on his face and making the ad lib Brrr a trademark of his music. While some veteran rappers have a lot to say about the direction trap music has taken, Gucci’s remained a supporter of the new generation signing acts like Hoodrich Pablo Juan and Lil’ Wop as well. He’s made his mark as a CEO, actor in Harmony Korine’s 2012 hit Springbreakers and continues to be an artist loved by all.  

Aquariuses

Megan thee Stallion

Logic

J. Cole

Kevin Gates

Lil Mosey

Dr. Dre 

Pisces: Tyler the Creator

Nicholas Hunt/Getty Images

Compassionate, artistic, gentle, sad, musical

Tyler the Creator really made waves this year with the release of his acclaimed album IGOR which was nominated for Best Rap Album at the 2020 Grammys. Tyler is a multi-disciplinary artist at this point with his fashion designs, Camp Flognaw, elaborate stage sets and costumes. He’s transcended just being a recording artist and moved into performance art with his lush videos as well as aesthetic. The emotion in his latest album IGOR, which describes a love triangle between him, a guy he’s seeing and the guy’s girlfriend are relatable while remaining very Pisces-like. 

Pisces

Lil Bow Wow

Lil Dicky

Molly Brazy

YG 

Earl Sweatshirt

Aries: Quavo

Amy Sussman/Getty Images

Confident, enthusiastic, impatient

April 21, 1991 Quavious “Quavo” Marshall was born and he’s kept exhibiting Aries’ traits ever sense. Part of rap trio, Migos, they’re some of Atlanta’s most successful exports with 2 Grammy nominations in addition to having the most simultaneous hits on the Billboard Charts. He’s confident enough to land a baddie like Saweetie, enthusiastic with the ad-libs, and all these traits can come together to create the perfect storm if anyone is not taking him or his music seriously as was demonstrated the Joe Budden beef. 

Aries

Lil Nas X

Big Sean

Chance the Rapper

Young MA

Ty Dolla Sign

Juicy J

Taurus: Travis Scott

Kevin Winter/Getty Images

Patient, reliable, devoted, responsible, uncompromising, hard working

Travis Scott’s sound has gone from Platinum Verb to Space Designer right before our eyes and introduced us to Astroworld; an album + festival bigger than music in the past two years. In his first mainstream breakthrough, Days Before Rodeo which was released in 2014, Scott talks about moving to LA and living in an apartment with a bunch of other guys just to get a shot at this music thing. Well it worked out for him in a major way, and now he has Stormi, his adorable daughter, Kylie Jenner as a baby moms, plus much more career success on the way. 

Tauruses

YNW Melly

6ix9ine

Meek Mill

Lizzo

Smokepurpp

Gemini: Kanye West

Kevin Winter/Getty Images 

Curious, adaptable, ability to learn quick, intelligent, impulsive

Who could be more of a Gemini than ‘Ye? He has never waited for any one to help him achieve any of his numerous dreams, from being a designer, to starting his own church (of sorts). Kanye is clearly an intelligent guy, despite any impulsiveness that may find him interjecting in a harsh manner  (think: VMAs) or popping up with some controversial opinions. 

Geminis

Tupac

Trippie Redd

Kendrick Lamar

Takeoff

Cancer: 50 Cent

Kevin Winter/Getty Images

Highly imaginative, emotional, moody, persuasive

Honestly, 50 Cent being a Cancer makes the most sense. He burst onto the scene with Get Rich or Die Tryin’ in 2003. After a long career as a musician, he turned into an entrepreneur and co-producer of hit show Power in addition to keeping us laughing online all the time with his memorable/petty IG beefs. He definitely seems to have his moods. Whether or not you agree with his methods, the man is truly an entertainer and keeps reinventing while simultaneously reimagining ways to stay on top.  

Additional rap Cancers:

Post Malone

Lil Kim

Saweetie

Rich the Kid

Leo: Lil Uzi Vert 

 Steven Ferdman/Getty Images

Creative, passionate, warm-hearted, cheerful, humorous

Lil Uzi is the most Leo Leo there is. Leos love the spotlight and are natural entertainers. Uzi has displayed a natural stage presence full of energy and endless creativity. He’s also a viral trendsetter with the latest hype surrounding his single and dance, “Futsal Shuffle 2020.” His first mixtape Luv is Rage (2015), threw a wrench into the mainstream sound and garnered positive reviews from both the underground and commercial worlds. It also showed his loyalty, including his then-girlfriend Brittany on the album art. His success didn’t stop there and he continued to flaunt his boisterous yet charismatic flow on hits like “Bad & Boujee” as well as his top 10 single “XO Llif3 Tour.” A lot is still in store for Uzi as his fans await the release of his second studio album Eternal Atake.

Leos:

Soulja Boy

Chief Keef

Young Thug

Lil Pump

Lil B

Sagittarius: Jay-Z 

Nicholas Hunt/Getty Images

Straight-forward, optimistic, restless, progressive and adventurous

For Sagittarius, Hov is representing the sign well. According to Jay-Z’s mom, Shawn Carter was born December 4th weighing in at 10 pounds 8 ounces and was the only one who didn’t give her any pain during birth. During his life, he’s shown off his progressive Sag trait by becoming one of the greatest rappers of all time as well as a songwriter, entrepreneur and more. His accomplishments are far too numerous to even begin to list here, but the optimism and restlessness of his sign have led him into a power coupledom with Beyoncé, ownership of Tidal, ownership of Armand de Brignac, as well as huge success with his management agency Roc Nation. From the beginning with his debut 1996 album Reasonable Doubt, he’s had the music industry on lock. 

Sagittariuses

Nicki Minaj

Juice Wrld

Offset

A Boogie wit Da Hoodie

Asian Doll

Scorpio: Drake 

Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images

Secretive, passionate, calculating, brooding, ambitious, sexual

Drizzy Drake will be a Scorpio legend for a long time with over a decade of steady hits. He’s managed to become the voice of at least two generations from his time acting on Degrassi as a teenager, to his transition to rap in the late 2000s/2010s. Not only has Drake put Canada on the map and opened the door for the talent coming out of Toronto like The Weeknd, PartyNextDoor, Nav, Rochelle Jordan, Majiid Jordan etc. he’s taken the country across the world on multiple excessive tours. His Scorpio nature is all over his songs from the moody production, to the trust issues displayed in his lyrics.

Scorpios:

Tyga

Future

NLE Choppa

Lil  Peep

Lil Boosie

Virgo: Beyoncé 

Kevin Winter/Getty Images

Loyal, analytical, kind, hardworking, practical, shy

We had to veer from the rapper-led course because Queen Bey has proved to us that she can flow with the best of them on tracks like “APESHIT,” from her 2018 collaborative album Everything is Love. A true performer in every sense, Beyoncé is also a hardworking and a perfectionist just like a Virgo. Her stage sets are legendary and her dance skills have been popping since she was little in one of her first groups Girls Tyme. Her Virgo loyalty is on full display with longtime bae Jay-Z (they’ve been dating publicly since 2004 and married since 2008). Just like Jay, she has too many accomplishments to list including headlining an unforgettable Coachella two weeks in a row after giving birth to twins and making a documentary about it in 2018. Her release Lemonade, an hour long video album and special that debuted at #1 on Billboard in 2016 with no promo was also a milestone. All in all, Beyoncé is Queen of the Virgos and we’re here to pay homage. 

Virgos:

Lil Yachty

Wiz Khalifa

Eazy-E

Playboi Carti

Nas

Libra: 21 Savage

Carmen Mandato/Getty Images

Diplomatic, artistic, intelligent, fair, understanding

21 Savage was rapping for approximately 1 year before the release of his 2015 breakthrough, Slaughtertape. Savage Mode with Metro Boomin’ was the primary put on, but he’s kept the balance like a true Libra ever since. Libras are known for their intelligence and 21 is no different. After a few years in the spotlight, he stopped buying jewelry to “save money… and increase his own wealth.” As far as diplomacy goes, 21 is a great example. Any minor beef that has arisen he actively takes steps to diffuse, like with Layzie Bone. He reached out and apologized before it went to far. In love, like a true Libra, he likes to spoil and be spoiled. His long and well-documented affair with Amber Rose was full of gifts including matching iced out watches. Clearly this was before the jewelry fast. Love can make you do crazy things. Currently, 21 is back in the US after an ordeal with immigration and made the Forbes 30 under 30 list in December. 2020 seems to have a lot in store for him. 

Additional rap Libras:

Lil’ Wayne

Cardi B

Eminem

NBA Youngboy

Snoop Dogg

Capricorn: DaBaby 

Jemal Countess/Getty Images

Ambitious, persistent, sensitive, practical, disciplined, DIY

DaBaby has had enough of a year to be the Capricorn Rap Representative. He went viral when he brought the Jabbawockees back, has been touring persistently and talks openly about how he engineered his come-up with DIY marketing methods like wearing a diaper at SXSW and using a street team. Capricorns don’t put their sensitivity on display but after a well-received interview came out with his baby mama where she had only great things to say about his role as a father, we know he’s got a soft side like any true Cap.

Capricorns:

Mac Miller

Miss Mulatto

Polo G

Joey Badass

Blueface

Halsey headlined as the musical guest for this weekend’s episode of Saturday Night Live. 

Promoting her new album, Manic, Halsey came of the gates strong with her country-style single “You Should Be Sad.” Silhouetted in front of an artificial sunset, Halsey appears riding a mechanical bull and rocking a black cowgirl hat. It’s a thematically coherent performance, but one that soon devolves into fairly regular SNL choreography. Vocally, she stays on point throughout.

For her second performance, this time of “Finally // Beautiful Stranger,” Halsey takes a more nuanced approach, taking the stage with just a guitar. Here, she’s supplemented by a 6-piece band for an intimate performance, reinforced by lengthy close-ups.

Halsey also lends her voice to the skit “Slow,” where she performs an R&B parody. 

Aside from the release of her new album, Halsey made headlines this week when she joked that she hopes the building from which Pitchfork operates collapses. She was seemingly unaware that Pitchfork is owned by Conde Nast and based out of One World Trade Center in New York.

She later apologized on Twitter writing, “Was just trying to make a joke! Intended zero harm. Just figured I could poke at them back with the same aloof passive aggression they poke at artists with! Clearly a misunderstanding.”

If you're planning a trip to Europe this summer, you may want to consider booking around these dates. From July 10-12, one of the world's hottest hip-hop centric music festivals will be taking place in The Netherlands. On an annual basis, the organizers of WOO HAH! Festival manage to grab most of the hottest artists in the genre, promising a show for the ages every year. Already, the line-up was looking pretty ace for the 2020 edition with Kendrick Lamar, EARTHGANG, Ski Mask the Slump God, and more announced in the first wave. The next batch of performers has just been revealed and, oh boy, attendees are in for a good show.

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If you're a hip-hop fan in The Netherlands, or if you've been meaning to plan a trip out to Amsterdam with a weekend layover elsewhere in the country, you will want to check out the details for WOO HAH! Festival this year. While it's not quite as world-renowned as Rolling Loud, WOO HAH! consistently brings some of the top rap acts to the stage with the last few years impressing festivalgoers massively. This week, more names were added to the card, which will entice y'all all the more to cop some tickets.

Young Thug, the buzzing Pop Smoke, artist of the moment Roddy Ricch, NAV, slowthai, Polo G, and the Eminem-featured Young M.A are all new additions to the line-up and there are even more surprises to come. At this point, we're just gonna buy our passes and figure out how to get there later.

It’s been decades since we’ve seen Jamie Foxx take to the small screen on In Living Color. We watched his portrayal of his hilarious character “Wanda,” and in his speech at the Urban One Honors, he portrayed her once again to a laugh-filled audience. Jamie’s daughter, actress Corinne Foxx, presented him with the Entertainment Icon Award, and the first thing he did was sing her praises. “No matter what you do, it’s how your kids turn out,” he said before she trotted back over to her proud father to give him a hug. Then, he went into how he was just a country boy from Texas listening to and watching people from Los Angeles and New York thinking that “city people are so cool, maybe I’ll get a chance to rub elbows with some of those incredible people.”

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Jamie shared that back in the day he wanted to break into the music industry but because he was known as the funny guy, people weren’t taking him seriously. While speaking about his days on In Living Color, the actor revisited Wanda and had the audience in stitches as he revised his character. “Word up, this is nice!” he said in her voice with his eyes crossed. “Oh, Urban Ones!”

He then talked about throwing a party for Diddy way back when (with the Diddy dance the music mogul used to pull off in music videos) and gave details about who was there. Missy Elliott, who was also in the audience because she was honored with the Music Innovation Award, was apparently at Jamie’s party for Diddy along with Jay Z, who no one knew at the time.

The comedian gave his best Jay Z impression before saying a producer friend of his brought Kanye West to the shindig, as well. “He brought this guy in, his jaw was kinda messed up and he had a backpack on. Who was it? Kanye West,” Jamie said. While giving his Kanye impersonation, Jamie said Ye told him he had a song he thought the actor would be great on. They immediately went to Jamie’s studio and worked on the classic hit “Slow Jamz.” He also shared how “Gold Digger” came about, so check out his speech in full and don’t miss out on these hilarious Jamie Foxx memories.

The wildly-popular Joe Rogan Experience runs for three hours on a daily basis, offering a platform to some of the world's leading thinkers to communicate their ideas with Rogan, one of the top comedians in the country. Enjoying an established career in television, announcing, and podcasting, Joe Rogan has been praised and critiqued alike. With such a major stage, the host of his own pod is regularly in the news because of things he'll discuss with his guests. With all the updates pouring in surrounding President Donald Trump and his impeachment trial, Rogan commented on this year's election, revealing that he's leaning a certain way. People weren't too pleased about his choice of candidate though.

Had he not been killed on that tremendously depressing day in June 2018, XXXTentacion would be turning 22-year-old today. The late Florida-based rapper had a loyal following and, since his passing, his supporters have kept his legacy and memory alive by continuing to make him one of the most-streamed artists of the last decade. Although he only got the chance to release a couple of studio albums in his lifetime, the estate of XXXTentacion has posthumously dropped two more, marking the end of his musical catalog. There is a chance that the fallen superstar pops up here and there for a posthumous feature verse in the future but, in terms of an album, there will reportedly be no further projects released under his name. As fans deliver their tributes to XXX’s family and friends on his birthday, his estate has thrown things back to two years ago, during the year the rapper was murdered, to look at how he would have wanted to celebrate his birthday.

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Despite all the negativity spewed about him in the media, XXXTentacion was trying to change his ways to become a better man. In the final year of his life, X established an organization with his mother called Helping Hand, aiming to aid homeless people in his city and contributing time to women’s shelters across the country. With that in mind, his birthday wish from 2018 makes perfect sense.

“My birthday wish is to unite the world and to end the huge physical and spiritual war going on, let us all agree to disagree,” wrote the recording artist on January 23, 2018. The post was shared anew today, in memory of the late rapper.

Rest in power, XXXTentacion and happy birthday.

Last month, Meek Mill and Roc Nation partnered together to release a mini-documentary about slain teen Antwon Rose. The unarmed 17-year-old was shot and killed by Pittsburgh police after the car he was riding in was pulled over for a traffic stop after it was suspected to be involved in a crime. Rose took off on foot and was killed, launching protests across the country as the officer who shot Rose three times was acquitted of any wrongdoing in the incident. The Antwon Rose video centered around his mother who spoke about her son, his life, and why there needs to be more active community involvement with police officers.

Stewart F. House / Stringer / Getty Images

Roc Nation returns with their Inspire Change organization to share another PSA, this time with the family of Botham Jean. The 26-year-old was sitting in his living room eating ice cream and watching football when former Dallas police officer Amber Guyger entered his apartment thinking it was her own. She claimed she believed he was a burglar so she shot and killed him. Guyger was later convicted of murder and sentenced to 10 years in prison.

"Botham Jean is my son," his mother says in the video. "He is an active child. He is the light in any dark room." Then, his sister adds, "Botham is my little brother. He is the kindest, sweetest person you could ever know. He is funny. If my mom and I have a disagreement, we would stop [and say] let's call Botham. Let's see what he says."

His mother shares that Botham was a lover of people but was "particular of the company he kept" so she never thought he would be "in harm's way." She added, "The world has lost a great man. He was destined for greatness... What I hope to see happen is that our black boys are not seen as a threat." The family doesn't want to see what happened to Botham occur again. Watch the full clip below.

While speaking at a dinner in Central London, hosted by his Sentebale charity, Prince Harry addressed his split from the royal family, marking the first time that he's spoken publicly about the subject he and his wife Meghan Markle announced their decision to do so. 

"It was so many months of talks after so many years of challenges," revealed the Duke of Sussex. "And I know I haven’t always gotten it right, but as far as this goes, there really was no other option. What I want to make clear is we’re not walking away, and we certainly aren’t walking away from you.” 

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at tonight’s dinner for supporters of Sentebale in London Video © SussexRoyal

A post shared by The Duke and Duchess of Sussex (@sussexroyal) on Jan 19, 2020 at 2:00pm PST

He went on to confirm that the resolution he and the Duchess sought was to continue to serve the Queen "without public funding." However, the compromise was not met.

“Our hope was to continue serving the Queen, the commonwealth, and my military associations, but without public funding. Unfortunately, that wasn’t possible,” he said. “I’ve accepted this, knowing that it doesn’t change who I am or how committed I am.”

Harry's words arrived just one day after Buckingham Palace officially announced that Harry and Meghan would be losing their royal titles of "His Royal Highness" and "Her Royal Highness."

"I will always have the utmost respect for my grandmother, my commander in chief, and I am incredibly grateful to her and the rest of my family, for the support they have shown Meghan and I over the last few months," Harry added. “I will continue to be the same man who holds his country dear and dedicates his life to supporting the causes, charities and military communities that are so important to me.” 

Kanye West has never been shy to dete from the norm when it comes to his sneaker designs. Ever since his days with Nike, Kanye has been redefining what it means to create new silhouettes. With the Nike Air Yeezy 1 and 2, Kanye was able to create something new yet awfully familiar. Of course, both of these silhouettes came with immediate success which Ye was able to carry over to his partnership with Adidas. Back in 2015, Kanye made his Adidas debut with the Yeezy Boost 750 which became an instant hit amongst OG sneakerheads and hypebeasts alike. From there, Kanye would go on to give his take on the Roshe Run with the Yeezy Boost 350 V1. A few months later, the V2 came out in what would become a dominant three-year run that is still ongoing. 

In 2017, West was beginning to drop numerous colorways of the 350 V2 and fans were excited to see what his next silhouette would be. West ended up shocking fans by dropping a brand new model on his website for pre-order. This shoe just so happened to be the Adidas Yeezy Boost 700 “Wave Runner.” At first, fans were incredibly confused. As someone who spends a lot of time on sneakerhead Facebook groups, I know how polarizing this sneaker was to people. Various people claimed it looked like something their dad would wear to mow the lawn with. Others felt as though the design was akin to a bargain bin Walmart shoe. In hindsight, these reactions were quite overblown but at the time, they seemed pretty fair. The chunky midsole and wavy tooling on the upper were unlike anything we had ever seen before. Not to mention, the grey upper, teal details, and orange midsole highlights were seen as a little bit too ambitious. If you were to ask someone in August of 2017 what they thought about these, they would tell you they’re awful. Ask anyone now and they would say this might be the best Yeezy of all-time.

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Despite the initial criticism, the pre-sale sold out instantly and pairs were reselling for upwards of $1000 USD. Over the past few years, the price on the “Wave Runner” has come down significantly thanks to numerous restocks. The reason for these restocks is quite simple: people still go nuts for these. Not to mention, the shoe is responsible for ushering in the “dad shoe” trend. For those who don’t know, dad shoes are any type of sneaker that is chunky and bulky. It’s the type of shoe you would see your dad wear to the grocery store or even a marginally fancy restaurant. Perhaps the most infamous dad shoe is the Nike Air Monarch. Back in 2015, the Monarch was for dads and dads only. But once the Yeezy 700 “Wave Runner” came around, it became acceptable for people under the age of 40 to wear massive shoes. In fact, it led to the birth of various other chunky runners that are now considered staples of late 2010s sneaker culture.

2017 and 2018 were filled to the brim with various brands trying to capitalize on the chunky aesthetic. High fashion brands were especially guilty of this, particularly Balenciaga who rolled through with the Triple S. Much like the Yeezy 700, the Triple S has multi-material tooling on the upper as well as a bulky midsole. Sneakerheads still roll their eyes whenever they see these in the streets but there is no denying they are a product of the trend Kanye started. 

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But how did Kanye’s shoe start this trend to begin with? Well, it’s simple. When Kanye does something, other brands pay attention. No sneaker brand has been able to drum up as much hype over the last few years as Yeezy. When Kanye first went to Adidas, his shoes were limited and hard to come by. Resale prices were massive which forced sneakerheads to look elsewhere. Other brands paid attention to the hype around the 750 and 350 and tried to give their own takes on that design. When the 700 came around, the same thing happened. The “Wave Runner” was so limited that all of a sudden, there was a demand for chunky shoes. Eventually, awkward, dad-like shoes were seen almost everywhere. Outside of the sneakerhead community, general consumers began to take notice as these funny-looking runners increasingly started dominating store shelves.  

Some of the other big silhouettes that were spawned from this movement were the Puma Thunder Spectra, Gucci Appollo, Adidas Ozweego (2019), Adidas Yung-1, and even the Fila Disruptor, to name a few. Be honest? How many women have you seen wearing the all-white Fila Disruptor over the years? It’s a shoe that is almost as common as breathing. Even the Nike Monarch has seen a resurgence with high schoolers wearing the shoe as a means to fit in with the times. Now, you don’t even need to have a kid to look like a dad. All you need is some chunky runners and you’re good to go.

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All of the aforementioned silhouettes have seen a ton of success over the last few years. Because of this, sneaker brands continue to come through with chunkier shoes that tend to push the boundaries of what the general public considers to be acceptable footwear. Kanye himself has been trying to push the limits as well. His Yeezy 700 line continues to grow with the V2 being his chunkiest and most massive shoe yet. Thanks to the 700 V3, West is now trying to make futuristic dad shoes and as you can imagine, sneakerheads are eating it up.

It remains to be seen where this trend will go in the future. For now, it seems like chunky runners are here to stay. Meanwhile, the Yeezy 700 “Wave Runner” remains one of the best sneakers in Kanye’s Yeezy library. With a new decade upon us, we are certainly in for an interesting era. With this in mind, what kinds of shoes are you hoping for during the 2020s?

In an upcoming UK documentary for Channel 5 titled Thomas Markle: My Story, Meghan Markle’s estranged father, Thomas Markle, called out Meghan for renouncing her royal titles along with Prince Harry.

“This is like one of the greatest long-living institutions ever. They are destroying it, they are cheapening it, they’re making it shabby,” he says in a preview clip, as reported by PageSix. “They are turning it into a Walmart with a crown on it now. It is something that is ridiculous, they shouldn’t be doing this.”

The clip ends with Thomas saying, “I can’t see her reaching out to me, especially now. Or Harry for that matter. But again, I think both of them are turning into lost souls. At this point, I don’t know what they’re looking for. I don’t think they know what they’re looking for.”

On Saturday, Queen Elizabeth and Buckingham Palace released a statement confirming that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle would no longer be using their royal titles: “I recognize the challenges they have experienced as a result of intense scrutiny over the last two years and support their wish for a more independent life,” the 93-year-old Queen said. “I want to thank them for all their dedicated work across this country, the Commonwealth and beyond, and am particularly proud of how Meghan has so quickly become one of the family.”

Thomas Markle was a no-show at the royal wedding in 2018.

Though Netflix was the dominant platform in the streaming uprising for years, more and more competitors have been giving them a run for their money—literally. With the launch of streaming services like Disney+ and AppleTV+, Netflix is spending more than they ever have before on original content. Per Variety, according to a new report from Wall Street research firm BMO Capital Markets, Netflix is predicted to invest $17.3 billion in 2020 on their own programming, a more than $2 billion increase from last year's estimated total of $15 billion.

This amount is so massive, it's difficult to even wrap our minds around. As Vice points out, a budget of this size roughly equals the entire GDP of countries like North Korea, Botswana, and Mali. The number is also significantly higher than its competitors. The aforementioned Disney+ will spend $1 billion on their own content, while AppleTV+ is investing 6 times as much. Amazon Prime Video has also dropped a clean $6 billion, while Hulu sits at a $2.5 billion budget. The forthcoming services HBO Max and NBC's Peacock are both reported to be spending around $2 billion each.

Martha Stewart, in an interview with Andy Cohen, made it abundantly clear she played no role in the selling out of Gwyneth Paltrow’s “This Smells Like My Vagina” candle.

“I’m sure it sold out,” Stewart said when asked for her thoughts on the product’s success. “She does that kind of irritating … she’s trying to zhush up the public to listen to her. And that’s great, I mean, let her do her thing. I wouldn’t buy that candle.”

Cohen followed up by asking what the candle’s success means for America.

“I think it’s not America,” Stewart replied. “I think it’s a lot of guys who are horny.”

Paltrow is selling the candle through her wellness company, Goop. The website’s description for “This Smells Like My Vagina” reads, “With a funny, gorgeous, sexy, and beautifully unexpected scent, this candle is made with geranium, citrusy bergamot, and cedar absolutes juxtaposed with Damask rose and ambrette seed to put us in mind of fantasy, seduction, and a sophisticated warmth.” 

The candle is currently sold out, but you can join the waitlist here.

Paltrow’s newest show, which revolves around Goop, is titled The Goop Lab and releases through Netflix on January 24th. Check out the trailer below.

Throughout his career, Kanye West has taken on many identity and personality changes. His most recent transformation has come in the form of a religious reawakening that has him vowing to never make secular music for the remainder of his career. The "Jesus Walks" rapper's all-inclusive Sunday Service gatherings have united many as Ye and his fellowship have made stops around the country, but it looks like Kanye's most recent booking for the Awaken 2020 Evangelical event in Phoenix, AZ is going to rub some patrons and activists the wrong way as the group who organized the event is known for their anti-LGBTQ rhetoric. 

Information obtained by The New York Daily News has revealed that the event will feature several headliners that are known for their anti-LGBTQ beliefs. Some of these evangelical personalities include Cindy Jacobs, a self-proclaimed 'prophet' who publicly encouraged the Christian community to combat the Equality Act, Guillermo Maldonado, a Miami-based pastor who believes homosexuality is a 'generational curse,' Ché Ahn, the president of Harvest International Ministry who has previously compared gay rights laws to racist legislation, and lastly, Lou Engle, a senior leader of the International House of Prayer who believes Nazism is kindled by homosexuality.  

If Kanye West is aware of the rhetoric spread by his co-headliners, he'll definitely have some explaining to do if he decides to go through with his participation in the religious event. A number of Twitter users have already expressed their disdain for Kanye agreeing to headline Awaken 2020. 

It was a strange scene at a market in L.A. just a few days ago when 50 Cent visited a local market. The rapper regularly travels around the country and schedules meet-and-greets for fans in an effort to promote his various alcohol brands including Branson Cognac and Le Chemin Du Roi Champagne.

Frederick M. Brown / Stringer / Getty Images

This time, Fif linked up with Ray J for a joint appearance so the Love & Hip Hop Hollywood star could promote his brands, as well, including his earbuds. Well, the day got off to a bumpy start after everyone arrived on time except for Ray. He, instead, reportedly showed up 90 minutes late with his Raycon poster in his arms, making his way through the buzzing crowd.

“I’m hands-on with my sh*t,” Ray says to a cameraman. Then, he wanders onto 50 Cent’s photo area where the rapper is posing for pictures with excited fans. Fif can’t help but just laugh at the situation before quipping, “What the Ray J is going on?” The scene, which also includes actor Jackie Long, was a bit chaotic as Ray tries to place his banner in the perfect spot, but Fif just rolled with it. Check out Ray J’s clip and 50 Cent’s highlights of the event below.

Cardi B has never shied away from speaking her mind, whether it’s politics or writing her own music. That’s the beauty of Cardi B — she speaks her mind even if it may come with repercussions. Cardi’s been pretty transparent about her life, working as a stripper to coming up in the music industry but her aspirations to get into politics rubbed a few the wrong way. However, it seems like she has some major support from a certain democratic nominee. 

Speaking to TMZ, Bernie Sanders expressed his thoughts on Cardi entering politics. Sanders has previously received support from Cardi in the past but he’s also tapped her some campaign work in recent times. He explained that Cardi’s experienced the struggle from first-hand experience growing up in the Bronx. “Cardi B is deeply concerned about what’s happening in the country. She knows what it’s like to live in poverty and struggle, and it would be great for her to bring that experience to politics,” he said.

This whole thing started in the last few days when Cardi hit Twitter to speak on her political aspirations. “I think I want to be a politician.I really love government even tho I don’t agree with Goverment,” she wrote. This isn’t anything new as Cardi’s previously expressed her interest in politics. Given the fact that Trump found his way into the Oval Office, it wouldn’t be shocking if Cardi used her celebrity power as leverage to get into Congress. 

It's official: Cory Booker will not be elected as the Democratic Presidential Candidate in the upcoming election to determine the next President of the United States. With such a large number of supporters, it's very clear that Donald Trump will be representing the Republican Party in the fall, possibly even leading the way against anybody that the Democrats choose to pit against him. Right now, there are no clear leaders on the left that pose a major risk to Trump's popularity. Cory Booker, who had been campaigning for several years in hopes of a 2020 run, officially called off his participation in the 2020 Presidential Election, dropping out and allowing his fellow leftists to battle it out. As you would expect, Trump had a message for Booker on social media, clowning him and taunting the politician by saying he was never a real threat in the first place.

Gwyneth Paltrow catches a lot of flack for her wellness company, Goop. The empire has been criticized for being built on lifestyle products that are overpriced and often based on pseudoscience. With the release of her six-part docu-series with Netflix, The Goop Lab, the criticism will likely flare up again. However, Paltrow isn't only making headlines at the moment because of her new show. There is one Goop product in particular that is attracting attention: The "This Smells Like My Vagina" candle. 

The $75 candle has sold out on Goop's website, likely due some rich customers' curiosity. The product's description explains how the company arrived at that name for the candle and the story is pretty straightforward. “This candle started as a joke between perfumer Douglas Little and GP,” reads the website. “The two were working on a fragrance, and she blurted out, 'Uhhh..this smells like a vagina' — but evolved into a funny, gorgeous, sexy, and beautifully unexpected scent. (That turned out to be perfect as a candle).”

Fresh off the release of his new single, “Yummy,” Justin Bieber looks to be already queuing up his next release. On Saturday, the pop star took to his Instagram to tease an upcoming record with Quavo & Murda Beatz or so it appears. While there’s no information on the record yet, like whats it called or when it’ll be dropping, we presume it’ll see life on his forthcoming album, which we know is on the way.

As for the snippet, we can hear Bieber rapping on the Murda Beatz-production, referencing fake friends and materialistic things, while name dropping Jesus in the process. “Aint it funny how the money, and the cars, and the clothes were nothing until I met Jesus/ And aint it funny how they you look up in the sky and see the stars & the moon and still don’t believe them” Bieber raps before Quavo handles the chorus. Check out the snippet (below) and let us know what you think.

Justin Bieber has been in the news these past 24 hours after his questionable attempt at getting the #1 record in the country. In a battle with Roddy Ricch’s “The Box,” Bieber has asked his fans to illegally stream the song at night while they sleep and during all day in attempt to get the #1 record, but it’s looking like Roddy Ricch may still come out ahead. We’ll know more on that in the coming days, but it’s not looking good for Biebs at the moment. 

"EEE EUH" is echoing across the globe. Roddy Ricch's "The Box" is indisputably the biggest song of 2020 so far. Well, some may wish to dispute that Justin Bieber's new single, "Yummy", is more deserving of this title. "The Box" already beat out "Yummy" for #1 on Spotify's Top 50 Streaming list in the United States, but we're still waiting for Billboard's Hot 100 to update. "Yummy" will enter the Hot 100 this week and, as massive of an artist as The Biebs is, it's looking like Roddy Ricch's song has a chance of clenching the top spot. Bieber has been pushing for his fans to adopt aggressive streaming tactics for "Yummy" to debut at No. 1, but the more widely beloved song shall reign. "The Box", which appears on Ricch's major label debut, Please Excuse Me For Being Antisocial, became his first top five hit last week by climbing up to No. 3. 

While we wait to see whether "The Box" is the biggest song in the country, why not look at some of the memes that are contributing to its popularity? Many of the memes play on the squeaking noises that appear at the beginning of the track, which initially seemed like an odd choice, but now gets everyone's blood pumping. There are also several memes that reference Netflix's most popular series at the moment, You. And of course, "The Box" has been edited onto several Spongebob Squarepants clips, because Spongebob memes are forever. 

The highly anticipated film Just Mercy starring Jamie Foxx and Michael B. Jordan had its wide release on Friday, and plenty of celebrities took it upon themselves to make sure everybody gets the chance to see this powerful movie. Based on a true story, Just Mercy follows the Harvard-graduate lawyer, Bryan Stevenson (played by Michael B. Jordan), who founded the Equal Justice Initiative, as he first sets out to help defend those wrongly condemned or without proper representation. One of his first cases involves a man named Walter McMillian (played by Jamie Foxx), who has been sentenced to death after being wrongfully accused of murdering a white woman. The film also stars Brie Larson, O’Shea Jackson Jr., Rob Morgan, Tim Blake Melson, and is directed by Destin Daniel Cretton.

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The story resonates with so many, which is why a great deal of the famous and wealthy were inspired to buy out entire theatres across the country in order to offer free admission to screenings of Just Mercy. These stars include Kanye West and Kim Kardashian, Kobe Bryant, Common, John Legend, Lena Waithe, Garrett Temple from the Brooklyn Nets, and Devin and Jason McCourty from the New England Patriots. Plenty of companies such as Microsoft, Facebook, and Goldman Sachs also forked over the cash for these screenings, as did entire sports teams like the Los Angeles Lakers, Cleveland Cavaliers, Sacramento Kings, San Francisco 49ers, Los Angeles Rams, and the Atlanta Falcons. These generous acts will allow folks to witness the impactful story on screen, who otherwise may not have been able to afford to purchase a ticket. 

The 2020 iHeartRadio Music Awards are almost upon us and the nominations are full of pop-culture icons in the making. With record-breaking moments coming from the likes of artists like Lil Nas X, Billie Eilish, Cardi B, and the award show reaching its seventh consecutive year in production, iHeart isn’t going to skip out on the opportunity to give the hottest musicians of the past year their flowers. 

Artists like Travis Scott, Cardi B, Drake, and more will be battling it out for Hip-Hop Artist of the Year while Lizzo, Lil Nas X, and Fletcher will be going head-to-head for the Best New Pop Artist honors of the year. DaBaby, Megan Thee Stallion, City Girls, and more have received nomination honors for Best New Hip-Hop Artist of the Year.  Post Malone, Khalid, Ed Sheeran have been granted the honor of being nominated for Best Male Artist of the Year while Ariana Grande, Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish, and others will duke it out for the women’s Artist of the Year honors. 

The 2020 iHeartRadio Music Awards hosted at the Shrine Auditorium & Expo Hall in Los Angeles, CA will be taking place on Sunday, March 29, 2020, at 5 P.M. PST. Check out the full list of nominations for the 2020 iHeartRadio Music Awards below. 

SONG OF THE YEAR
“bad guy” – Billie Eilish
“Old Town Road” – Lil Nas X
“Señorita” – Shawn Mendes & Camila Cabello
“Sucker” – Jonas Brothers
“Truth Hurts” – Lizzo

FEMALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Ariana Grande
Billie Eilish
Halsey
Lizzo
Taylor Swift

MALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Ed Sheeran
Khalid
Luke Combs
Post Malone
Shawn Mendes

BEST DUO/GROUP OF THE YEAR
Dan + Shay
Imagine Dragons
Jonas Brothers
Maroon 5
Panic! At The Disco

BEST COLLABORATION
“Dancing With A Stranger” – Sam Smith & Normani
“Eastside” – Benny Blanco, Halsey & Khalid
“I Don’t Care” – Ed Sheeran & Justin Bieber
“Señorita” – Shawn Mendes & Camila Cabello
“Sunflower” – Post Malone & Swae Lee

BEST NEW POP ARTIST
Ava Max
FLETCHER
Lewis Capaldi
Lil Nas X
Lizzo

ALTERNATIVE ROCK SONG OF THE YEAR
“bad guy” – Billie Eilish
“Doin’ Time” – Lana Del Rey
“Ready To Let Go” – Cage The Elephant
“The Hype” – twenty one pilots
“Trampoline” – SHAED

ALTERNATIVE ROCK ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Billie Eilish
Cage The Elephant
Imagine Dragons
Panic! At The Disco
twenty one pilots

BEST NEW ROCK/ALTERNATIVE ROCK ARTIST
Dirty Honey
Dominic Fike
Matt Maeson
SHAED
The Glorious Sons

ROCK SONG OF THE YEAR
“Blue On Black” – Five Finger Death Punch
“Ghost” – Badflower
“Lo/Hi” – The Black Keys
“Monsters” – Shinedown
“S.O.S. (Sawed Off Shotgun)” – The Glorious Sons

ROCK ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Disturbed
Five Finger Death Punch
Godsmack
Greta Van Fleet
Shinedown

COUNTRY SONG OF THE YEAR
“Beautiful Crazy” – Luke Combs
“GIRL” – Maren Morris
“God’s Country” – Blake Shelton
“The Ones That Didn’t Make It Back Home” – Justin Moore
“Whiskey Glasses” – Morgan Wallen

COUNTRY ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Carrie Underwood
Dan + Shay
Luke Bryan
Luke Combs
Thomas Rhett

BEST NEW COUNTRY ARTIST
Jimmie Allen
Matt Stell
Morgan Wallen
Riley Green
Runaway June

DANCE SONG OF THE YEAR
“Body” – Loud Luxury featuring brando
“Close To Me” – Ellie Goulding, Diplo featuring Swae Lee
“Here With Me” – Marshmello featuring Chvrches
“Higher Love” – Kygo & Whitney Houston
“So Close” – NOTD, Felix Jaehn & Captain Cutsv featuring Georgia Ku

DANCE ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Diplo
Kygo
Loud Luxury
Marshmello
The Chainsmokers

HIP-HOP SONG OF THE YEAR
“Going Bad” – Meek Mill featuring Drake
“Money In The Grave” – Drake featuring Rick Ross
“Money” – Cardi B
“Old Town Road” – Lil Nas X
“Suge” – DaBaby

HIP-HOP ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Cardi B
Drake
Lil Baby
Meek Mill
Travis Scott

BEST NEW HIP-HOP ARTIST
City Girls
DaBaby
Lil Nas X
Lizzo
Megan Thee Stallion

R&B SONG OF THE YEAR
“Before I Let Go (Homecoming Live Album)” – Beyoncé
“Girls Need Love (Remix)” – Summer Walker & Drake
“No Guidance” – Chris Brown featuring Drake
“Shot Clock” – Ella Mai
“Talk” – Khalid

R&B ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Chris Brown
Ella Mai
H.E.R.
Khalid
Summer Walker

BEST NEW R&B ARTIST
Ari Lennox
LightSkinKeisha
Nicole Bus
Summer Walker
The Bonfyre

LATIN POP/URBAN SONG OF THE YEAR
“Calma” – Pedro Capó & Alicia Keys featuring Farruko
“Con Calma” – Daddy Yankee & Katy Perry featuring Snow
“MIA” – Bad Bunny featuring Drake
“QUE PRETENDES” – J Balvin & Bad Bunny
“Taki Taki” – DJ Snake featuring Selena Gomez, Ozuna & Cardi B

LATIN POP/URBAN ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Bad Bunny
Daddy Yankee
J Balvin
Maluma
Ozuna

BEST NEW LATIN POP/URBAN ARTIST
Camilo
Guaynaa
Lunay
Rosalía
Sech

REGIONAL MEXICAN SONG OF THE YEAR
“¿Por Qué Cambiaste De Opinión” – Calibre 50
“A Través Del Vaso” – Banda Los Sebastianes
“Con Todo Incluido” – La Adictiva Banda San José De Mesillas
“Encantadora” – El Fantasma
“Nada Nuevo” – Christian Nodal

REGIONAL MEXICAN ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Banda Sinaloense MS de Sergio Lizárraga
Calibre 50
Christian Nodal
El Fantasma
La Arrolladora Banda El Limón

BEST NEW REGIONAL MEXICAN ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Banda Los Sebastianes
El Fantasma
Fuerza Regida
Kanales
Lenin Ramírez

PRODUCER OF THE YEAR
Andrew Watt
Benny Blanco
Finneas
Louis Bell
Max Martin

SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR
Ashley Gorley
Finneas
Frank Dukes
Louis Bell
Savan Kotecha

BEST LYRICS *SOCIALLY VOTED CATEGORY
“10,000 Hours” – Dan + Shay & Justin Bieber
“7 rings” – Ariana Grande
“bad guy” – Billie Eilish
“Beautiful People” – Ed Sheeran featuring Khalid
“Hot Girl Summer” – Megan Thee Stallion featuring Nicki Minaj & Ty Dolla $ign
“Juice” – Lizzo
“Lose You To Love Me” – Selena Gomez
“Nightmare” – Halsey
“Señorita” – Shawn Mendes & Camila Cabello
“Someone You Loved” – Lewis Capaldi
“The Bones” – Maren Morris
“You Need to Calm Down” – Taylor Swift

BEST COVER SONG *SOCIALLY VOTED CATEGORY
Led Zeppelin – “Black Dog” – Miley Cyrus cover
Ariana Grande – “break up with your girlfriend, i’m bored” – Lana Del Rey cover
Phil Collins – “Can’t Stop Loving You” – Taylor Swift cover
Sam Smith & Normani – “Dancing With A Stranger” – 5SOS cover
Elvin Bishop – “Fooled Around and Fell in Love” – Miranda Lambert, Maren Morris, Elle King, Ashley McBryde, Tenille Townes, Caylee Hammack cover
The Rembrandts – “I’ll Be There For You” – Meghan Trainor cover
Taylor Swift – “Lover” – Keith Urban cover
Lewis Capaldi – “Someone You Loved” – Camila Cabello cover
Jonas Brothers – “Sucker” – Halsey cover
Post Malone – “Sunflower” – Vampire Weekend cover

BEST FAN ARMY *SOCIALLY VOTED CATEGORY
Agnation – Agnez Mo
Arianators – Ariana Grande
Beliebers – Justin Bieber
BTSArmy – BTS
Camilizers – Camila Cabello
Harries – Harry Styles
Limelights – Why Don’t We
Louies – Louis Tomlinson
MendesArmy – Shawn Mendes
Niallers – Niall Horan
Selenators – Selena Gomez
Swifties – Taylor Swift

BEST MUSIC VIDEO *SOCIALLY VOTED CATEGORY
“7 rings” – Ariana Grande
“bad guy” – Billie Eilish
“Boy With Luv” – BTS featuring Halsey
“Con Altura” – Rosalía, J Balvin featuring El Guincho
“Con Calma” – Daddy Yankee & Snow
“Dancing With A Stranger” – Sam Smith & Normani
“I Don’t Care” – Ed Sheeran & Justin Bieber
“Kill This Love” – BLACKPINK
“ME!” – Taylor Swift featuring Brendon Urie
“Old Town Road” – Lil Nas X featuring Billy Ray Cyrus
“Señorita” – Shawn Mendes & Camila Cabello
“Sucker” – Jonas Brothers

SOCIAL STAR AWARD *SOCIALLY VOTED CATEGORY
Asher Angel
Cody Orlove
Danielle Cohn
DeStorm Power
King Bach
Montana Tucker
Niki and Gabi
Piper Rockelle
Scotty Sire
Stephanie Poetri
The Moy Boys
Zoe Laverne

BEST REMIX *SOCIALLY VOTED CATEGORY
“bad guy” – Billie Eilish (with Justin Bieber)
“Con Calma” – Daddy Yankee, Katy Perry featuring Snow
“Good As Hell” – Lizzo featuring Ariana Grande
“Higher Love” – Kygo & Whitney Houston
“Lover” – Taylor Swift featuring Shawn Mendes
“Old Town Road” – Lil Nas X featuring Billy Ray Cyrus

The 2020 Golden Globes on Sunday were rather tame, but at least one bizarre story was bound to come out of it and it came courtesy of Tom Hanks' son, Chet Haze. Haze was in attendance to witness his father being honored with the Cecil B. DeMille Award, but he ended up attracting lots of attention to himself. While on the red carpet, the 29-year-old confusingly busted out some Jamaican patois. The Internet struggled to make sense of the clip, but mostly resorted to just making fun of it. The viral vid was edited to have Haze shouting "BIG UP FIMI WHOL FAMILY SOON COM AT DI AWARDS NA SEEN. CHUNE IN" over Drake's "War" instrumental, as Drake plays with a similar accent on the song. 

It was announced last week that toy company Hasbro had officially acquired Entertainment One, the parent company of Death Row Records. That means that the imprint that birthed classic albums such as Dr. Dre‘s The Chronic, Snoop Dogg‘s Doggystyle, and Tupac Shakur’s All Eyez On Me is currently operated by the same people that distribute My Little Pony dolls. At the height of Death Row’s popularity, Suge Knight and Dre were said to have been earning $100,000,000 annually for the label, running it with finesse and strong business acumen. After the death of Pac, the incarceration of Suge, and the departures of Dre and Snoop, things began to go downhill for Death Row Records. The Doggfather knows a thing or two about how things spiralled out of control for Suge and Dre’s baby, speaking on the current state of affairs in the United States and likening President Donald Trump’s actions to those of Suge Knight.

Robert Mora/Getty Images

Editing Trump’s face on a photo of Suge Knight in a red suit, Snoop Dogg compared Trump’s recent moves to the former co-founder of Death Row Records. “Trump out here running the country like it’s Death Row Records,” laughed the West Coast legend. In the past, the 48-year-old has been extremely critical of American politics, especially with Trump in charge. He previously took a trip to the White House solely for the purpose of lighting up a blunt and raising his middle finger to the Republican party residing inside.

This begs the question: how would Suge Knight run the country if he were elected President?

The last time Justin Bieber released a solo single or a studio album, Obama was still President, we all thought Jon Snow was dead, and Kobe Bryant was the star of the Los Angeles Laker (not LeBron James). Seems like ages ago, right? Needless to say, a lot has changed since then – one thing that hasn’t is the Biebs’ ability to serenade with the best of them. We’re lightyear’s away from the world that Bieber gave Purpose, his highly successful fourth project, yet out of the proverbial time capsule, he emerges ready to marvel fans once again with his vivacious vocals. 

Bieber attends the fight between KSI and Logan Paul at the Staples Center, November 2019 – Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images

Purpose amassed Bieber three no. 1 singles, propelling him in the most rarified of air. But that kind of altitude could rattle anyone – so albeit for a time, the starlet allowed the world of music to eclipse him. He vanished from the scene for a better part of the decade. Bieber’s hiatus is almost two years longer than Adele – who went missing for three and a half trips around the sun after the birth of her child. Upon returning, though, she would release her defining no. 1 single “Hello,” a gem from her recording-setting album 25. The project would go on to become the highest-selling debut of all-time.

Usher, Bieber’s mentor, took a hiatus of his own in 2001. This before releasing 8701, a legendary albumthat went on to sell almost 5 million copies in the United States alone and go 4-times platinum, Usher’s sabbatical spanned four years. So there is a playbook for Bieber to return and return with a vengeance. When addressing if he thought the time off would hurt his career, Usher told MTV, “I feel what’s meant for me will wait for me.”

So could the blue-eyed, heartthrob reengineer this type of success after a half-decade album drought?  

Since we’ve last seen Bieber, he’s gone through a very public breakup with Selena Gomez, beef with The Weeknd, canceled the final leg of his Purpose World Tour, and married Hailey Baldwin. He’s also tussled with his mental health and drug abuse. At length, he’s spoken about devotion to God and taking a stance against racism. Bieber has grown a great deal over the past half a decade, but before the song’s official release, many pondered how his sound would evolve. Furthermore, what would the now-married pop mogul have to say?

Bieber and his wife Hailey attend 2019 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs between the Boston Bruins and the Toronto Maple Leafs – Omar Rawlings/Getty Images

In a December 24th Instagram video, Justin said, “As humans, we are imperfect. My past, my mistakes, all the things that I’ve been through, I believe that I’m right where I’m supposed to be and God has me right where he wants me. I feel like this is different than the previous albums just because of where I’m at in my life. I’m excited to perform it and to tour it. We all have different stories. I’m just excited to share mine.”

Bieber officially announced his new single “Yummy,” alongside the album’s trailerand hints of a tour to follow. If that wasn’t enough to sputter the hype vehicle, Justin released a trailer on New Year’s Eve announcing his 10-episode YouTube Originals documentary series.

This isn’t the teenage bubblegum version of Justin Bieber (not even close), and the miles traveled since his early success show resoundingly on “Yummy.” It’s a stark contrast to the Mickey-Mousery of older records like “One Time,” which he released in 2009 and was the antithesis of Bieber Mania.

“Your world is my world

And my fight is your fight

My breath is your breath

And your heart (is my heart)

You’re my one love

My one heart

My one life for sure

Let me tell you one time (girl I love, girl I love you)”

“Yummy” comparatively is a seductive and graphically descriptive sonnet to sexual innuendo. His delivery registers like a snake charmer’s hypnotizing command of sound, eventually making your shoulders bounce. The lyrics are pretty straightforward but few can bellow and belt on a number like the Beibs. There isn’t a whole lot of substance on the record but that’s not really what you sign up for pressing play on a Beiber track. He seems like he’s trying to fit his music into the box of current trends. Uninspiring but packaged to sell.

“Yeah, you got that yummy-yum

That yummy-yum, that yummy-yummy

Yeah, you got that yummy-yum

That yummy-yum, that yummy-yummy

Say the word, on my way

Yeah babe, yeah babe, yeah babe

Any night, any day

Say the word, on my way

Yeah babe, yeah babe, yeah babe

In the mornin’ or the late

Say the word, on my way”

The song is Produced by Kid Culture, Sasha Sirota, and frequent collaborator Jason “Poo Bear” Boyd. Other works produced by Poo Bear include 112’s “Peaches & Cream,” “Dance With Me,” Usher’s “Superstar,” Danity Kane’s “Sleep On It” and Mariah Carey‘s “The Distance.” The trio unite to engineer a sound that is four tablespoons airy chimes and bells, one cup reverberating baseline and a dash of high-hat sprinkled with a kick for flavor. Blended together and married to Beiber’s rich voice, the beat makes for a body-rocking, intoxicating delectable.   

“Yummy” is a flare gun, lighting up the sky but packing just enough flavorless punch to keep your attention. While it is pretty to look at, the song seems most effective in building hype for this long-awaited album. As Popcorn as “Yummy” appears, it has all the fixings of a commercial smash. Catchy, sexy, fun – the track is a satisfying appetizer for Beiber faithful who have likely grown with the singer and are ready for the accelerated explicitness of the lyrics. The instrumental sounds fluffy enough to grace a 10-year old’s, skating rink birthday party playlist with lyrics raunchy enough to be played in the strip club. In all, “Yummy,” loses its sweetness rather quickly.  Despite some moderate criticisms, the song tastes just good enough, and starved “beliebers” will gobble it up. 

Responding to a Forbesarticle, the Grammy award winner coined his new sound R&Beiber. 

The pop sensation has taken detours into country, EDM and even reggae with the likes of Billie Ellish and Ed Sheeran. But his roots will always be Pop and R&B. Since being discovered and mentored by Usher, who no doubt influenced his musical palette, style, and persona, the singer has flourished. Beiber once referred to himself and Usher as a “dynamic duo.” To denote this, days ago their collaboration “Somebody To Love” surpassed 100 million streams on Spotify. Usher’s influence can be heard in Beiber’s vocal delivery. The way he floats in and out of keys sometimes racing up to falsetto’s top floor before parachuting back down in an auspicious display of range and ocular command. Usher’s longterm vision for the singer has been in the works since the early 2010s. He said this about an adolescent Bieber even back then:

“I think he posses the confidence that you have to have as an artist. The talent that you [all] have yet to discover is what I notice more than anything. His ability to play guitar, play the drums, sing while playing the piano – these are all elements that speak to artistry. When you think of a long term story, you can’t just think about what you can do with a hit record, or what you can do with a great video – you have to think about an entire career.” 

Is this is the Justin Bieber Usher envisioned all those years ago? Is there still potential untapped or has the arguable King of R&B’s protege peaked only to now be on an inevitable and treacherously mediocre skid down the slope of success? Opposite what gravity feels like for the rest of us, a journey down the mountain is always harder than the climb for a fading star.  

The Hip-hop scene wrapped their arms around a young and budding Beiber as the 13-year-old initially traipsed from his rise to the pedestal of stardom, given his co-sign from Usher. Later, his 2013 album Journals had characteristics of R&B influence. An example of this comes on, “All That Matters” a swaggy and smooth single off the memento. As the singer has grown, he’s developed more and more of an edge; in and outside of the studio. In years past, Beiber has gotten features from the likes of Lil Wayne, Migos, and even Future who joined him on “What’s Hannin.” To boot, he’s appeared on a number Hip-Hop and R&B records himself – riding shotgun for tracks like Drake’s “One Dance” remix, DJ Khaled’s “I’m the One,” or the remix to “Foreign” from Trey Songz. The new album features Ty Dolla, Post Malone, and Kelani – so we’re sure the composition will exude an R&B, Hip-hop aroma. 

Bieber and Post Malone backstage at Coachella 2018 – Christopher Polk/Getty Images

Bieber’s new album and the tour will garner millions of “Beliebers” reciting his songs and consuming mountains of his content, inevitably. The project will probably produce massive commercial success. So far, “Yummy” is the album-catapulting single of the decade. I mean the decade is only four days old, but that counts for something, right? 

The fire spread currently engulfing Australia, the worst wildfires the country's seen in decades, has caused many across the world to react with an outpouring of love and well-wishes. The latest to join the social interaction is none other than the pop queen herself Rihanna, taking to her wildly-influential Instagram account to make sure the masses are aware of how serious it is.

"Devastating," is all the Anti hitmaker could say, followed by a tear-filled emoji and the #Australia hashtag to really make sure her message could be seen. The image she decided to share is almost unbelievable, showing the continent nearly engulfed fully in flames and dark matter. According to CNN, the numbers are pretty staggering to say the least. This past Sunday (Jan 5) saw around 2,700 firefighters on active duty, in addition to "3,000 army reserve forces and others with specialist capabilities to help fight the flames" as CNN details. As of today, 136 fires are burning across New South Wales, with 69 of those not even being contained according to the NSW Rural Fire Service (seen below).

Alongside Rihanna, our prayers are definitely with those currently facing the devastation currently going on in Australia. We'll be sure to keep you all updated on the latest.

The sudden fever to be anywhere but the United States in the wake of suspected aftermath of Donald Trump's latest airstrike in Iran is not immune to celebrity status, and Cardi B was among the most vocal public figures in a seemingly joking interpretation of the situation.

Saturday, the rapper took to Twitter to declare that she would be applying for Nigerian citizenship as a safety measure in the event that total war broke out between the middle eastern nation and her home country. Soon enough, however, her plea for citizenship was met with an immediate reaction from the chairman of Nigeria's diaspora commission.

"@iamcardib As one in charge of the Diaspora for Ngr, We can’t wait to receive you again," penned Abike Dabiri-Erewa in a tweet. "Our doors are open, sister. And you need to talk a walk through the Door of Return in Badagry. It’s an indescribable experience."

After President Donald Trump ordered a drone strike on Iran killing Qasem Soleimani, the internet is fearful that we're nearing the commencement of World War III. If you've been logged onto Twitter for even the briefest period of time this morning, you're fully aware of all the chatter surrounding Iran, a potential war, and Trump. There are plenty of memes being shared, making us giggle in the face of danger. Of course, people are worried that if a major war is declared, we will be involved in a draft and New York rapper Joey Bada$$ is already voicing his displeasure at that possibility.

John Parra/Getty Images 

Taking to Twitter to comment on the madness happening in our world, Joey Badmon apologized to the United States of America before announcing that he will have no part in the war everyone believes is imminent. "SORRY AMERIKKKA BUT I WILL NOT BE YOUR SOLIDER," he wrote. Unfortunately, Joey, like the rest of us, may not even have a say in whether or not he will fight in a potential World War III. Hopefully, we don't ever reach that point.

What do you think about the airstrike Trump ordered on Iran, and the subsequent threats uttered against the country?

Dreamville songstress Ari Lennox has no time for people like this. If you sway into her inbox with a hateful message attacking her for her physical features, expect to get clapped on and used as an example, just like this dude did after comparing the R&B singer and Teyana Taylor's looks to those of dogs.

When one man argued about Ari Lennox and Teyana Taylor's sex appeal, he made an extremely out-of-line remark about how both women look like animals. Noticing the tweet, Lennox decided to work her black girl magic by shifting this into a learning experience for black parents across the country. 

Amy Sussman/Getty Images

"Ari Lennox and Teyana Taylor's ability to have dangerously high sex appeal while simultaneously looking like rottweilers will always amaze me," wrote the troll online. Ari quoted the message and delivered a much-needed message to anybody who wants to raise their babies to be confident young adults. "People hate blackness so bad," she wrote in response. "Moms and Dads please love on your beautiful black children. Tell them they’re beautiful constantly. Tell them Black people are beautiful. Tell them black features are beautiful."

As reported by Revolt, this is not the first time that the singer has commented on those criticizing her looks. She previously went after those who have taken issue with the size of her nose, saying: "How many times will y’all come for my black nose? It will never tf go anywhere. Y’all are disgusting and the reason people self medicate and get surgery. Just fuckin stop."

Shout out to Ari Lennox for remaining true to herself. Preach.