As protests spark across the country, a collective of over 100 Black rights organizations called Movement 4 Black Lives have shared an open letter in demand of defunding the police to free up funds that could be used towards disenfranchised communities. “Where could that money go? It could go towards building healthy communities, to the health of our elders and children, to neighborhood infrastructure, to education, to childcare, to support a vibrant Black future. The possibilities are endless,” the letter reads.

The letter received signatures from some of the biggest stars such as The Weeknd, Lizzo, John Legend, Natalie Portman, Jane Fonda, Talib Kweli, Common, and plenty of others, per Rolling Stone. 

The co-founder of Black Lives Matter Patrisse Cullors explained that the demand to defund the police doesn’t mean stripping away every dollar from them but rather, pushing back against expanding their budget to allocate dollars to other communities that could benefit from it in other ways.

“A demand to defund essentially means, what places does law enforcement have money that is unnecessary?”  Cullors explained. “There are a significant number of public health crises that law enforcement are forced to be the first responders to but should not be, and we could actually reallocate those dollars and give them back to the community. I’m talking about renegotiation of where we prioritize our money. Right now it’s mostly prisons and police, and we want to reallocate those dollars and put them into the community.”

Read the open letter here.

Once upon a time, Ice Cube was beefing with Common. While we often hear tales of the East Coast versus West Coast rap beef taking the lives of some of our favorite artists, those who lived through it have stories of face-to-face confrontations between rappers. In 1994, Common released “I Used To Love H.E.R.” where he seemed to take aim at the West Coast hip hop scene as he referenced Eazy-E’s hit “Boyz-N-The-Hood.” It reportedly wasn’t meant as a diss but a take on the rap scene moving into gang culture, but Ice Cube and his crew—including his Westside Connection collaborator Mack 10—took the lyrics as being offensive.

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A back and forth ensued and there was a point when the beef was escalating to heights that worried the industry. The two were able to mend their differences, but Mack 10 revisited those days with Vlad TV when he was asked about an incident that occurred in Los Angeles with Common. According to the interview, Fat Joe and Common recently caught up and spoke about Common running into Mack 10 and his crew in L.A. Common was apparently in the City of Angels filming a commercial when he bumped into the rapper. Fat Joe was also there, and as a friend of both Common and Mack 10, he stepped in and made sure that nothing went down. Joe reportedly said that he saved Common’s life that day.

“The issue was with his homeboy. It wasn’t even about the diss record,” Mack 10 said. “The issue came [from] his homeboy stepped out. I don’t know, maybe he was feeling some kind of way about the diss record. So, it was Common’s homeboy that kicked it off.” Mack 10 paused so Vlad interjected and said, “Things started to escalate.” Mack replied, “They did escalate.” Vlad said, “Fat Joe managed to diffuse it?” Mack replied, “With Common.”

Mack 10 clarified and said they were able to smooth things over with Common, but the rapper’s friend was another story. Watch Mack 10 tell his side of the story below.

Tiffany Haddish and her longtime "just a friend," Common, kept the "online" in "online dating" when they enjoyed a flirtatious virtual hangout through the Bumble dating app. It's been rumoured for quite some time now that Tiffany and Common were something of an item, although neither of them have ever confirmed the status of their relationship. Tiffany has claimed that they are purely platonic in the past, but a recent appearance from the rapper during her Instagram live session with Cedric The Entertainer earlier this month had folks speculating that they were not just dating, but actually quarantining together.

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Now, it looks like the two of them might finally be making their relationship public, as they appeared in an ad for Bumble which showed them using the app's new virtual dating feature that allows prospective couples to get to know each other while still maintaining social distance.

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Because we know everyone needs a good love story (and a good laugh) right now, we asked our friends @tiffanyhaddish & @common to take us along on their @bumble virtual date this past weekend ? ? Aren’t we all just looking for this kind of chemistry over Video Chat? Thank you to @tiffanyhaddish and @common for letting us in on virtual date night, for helping us donate food to hospitals in need, and for reminding us a slow jam over Video Chat could be exactly what we need.

A post shared by Bumble (@bumble) on Apr 22, 2020 at 3:50am PDT

At the beginning of their virtual date, Common and Tiffany exchange compliments before Tiffany receives a delivery: flowers from her new boo! The lovebirds proceeded to watch TV together after ordering food to their respective homes, but they didn't just feed themselves. Both Tiffany and Common had meals from 2 Cents LA and D’s Original Take Out Grill in Los Angeles and Virtue Restaurant in Chicago sent to hospitals to feed healthcare workers who are risking their lives on the front lines during the coronavirus pandemic. They also donated a combined $50,000 in grants through Bumble’s Community Grants Program to food service businesses across the U.S. Bumble has already pledged nearly $1 million toward small businesses in eleven different countries in order to assist them financially due to the effects of the global health crisis. Good on these two for their generosity, and here's to a bright future for them.

It was all about girl talk on Red Table Talk. On Wednesday (April 15), Jada Pinkett-Smith reunited with her Girls Trip co-stars Regina Hall, Tiffany Haddish, and Queen Latifah. The four ladies had a quarantine chat where the ladies discussed whether or not Girls Trip 2 was on the horizon. “The answer is ‘yes’ and I can’t wait to do it,” Queen Latifah said. “I can’t wait to work with y’all again and I hope we get to go somewhere fun.”

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Elsewhere, the women talked about their celebrity crushes. Regina made things awkward—and brought in laughs—when she named Jada’s husband Will Smith as her crush. Tiffany, who is rumored to be dating rapper Common, had a couple of names. “Well if we’re talking about females, then I’m into Meryl Streep,” she said, adding, “I like Giancarlo Stanton, No. 27 for the New York Yankees. I think he’s very handsome.”

Jada shared that hers is “Governor [Andrew] Cuomo. I don’t miss a press conference. When Cuomo is on I go, ‘Have to see my celebrity crush right now, sorry.’” Queen Latifah, who’s rumored to be engaged to longtime partner Eboni Nichols, weighed in that she has a crush on Victoria’s Secret Angel Adriana Lima. “I like the girl. She’s a Brazilian model,” Queen Latifah said. Jada chimed in, “She’s a cutie. She got some fire, too.” Check out the ladies on Red Table Talk below.

Wendy Williams seems to think Common is bad news for any prospective love interests, including his rumoured girlfriend, Tiffany Haddish. The controversial daytime talk show host has returned to broadcasting The Wendy Williams Show from home, and she’s making sure to keep up with her Hot Topics segment. On Wednesday’s episode of “Wendy @ Home,” the host delved into Tiffany Haddish and Common’s rumoured relationship. The two of them appear to be quarantining together after he was seen on her Instagram live with Cedric the Entertainer this week. While Tiffany’s denied any romantic affiliation in the past, claiming the two are just “friends,” speculation has been rising, so it was only right that Wendy addressed these rumours during Hot Topics.

“I like Tiffany Haddish and Common, only because she’s been lusting after him for so long,” Wendy said. “So it appears that they might be quarantining together.” She goes on to explain how the public “found out” that the two of them might be isolating together, noting that it doesn’t necessarily proved that they’re dating. “Maybe she’s working on music [with him],” Wendy pondered. “She’s into that music thing. She’s gonna put out a new single and all like that.” However, Wendy herself believes that something more than friendship is going on. “Are they quarantined together? I believe, yes,” she said. “You know, she talked real girl-talk about what she’d do to him. So I guess it’s going down.”

Jerritt Clark/Getty Images for Remy Martin

However, Wendy goes on to issue a warning to Tiffany about Common, telling her not to get too attached because of his unfavourable romantic history. “Tiffany, the thing is, don’t fall too hard in love,” she declared. “Common is not good with women. That’s all I’m saying. He keeps you, until he’s done with you.” Wendy proceeds to go through Common’s past relationships, before deciding that he’s simply bad news.

Good friends Tiffany Haddish and Common continue to fuel the rumor mill. The pair have been hanging out quite a bit over the last few months, igniting rumors that they’re more than friends. The actress has been pegged with questions about her relationship status, especially after Beyoncé’s mother, Tina Lawson, commented on a photo of Tiffany and Common that they were a “beautiful couple.“

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When her episode of The Real aired just two weeks ago, the hosts asked Tiffany about Common and she denied dating the rapper. “That’s my friend, he been my friend for a while,” Tiffany said. However, she also added that she’s completely open to hooking up with her friend. “But if he wants to date me, I will date him!” Adding more fuel to the fire, Tiffany was on Instagram Live with her fellow comedian buddy Cedric The Entertainer. While chatting with one of the Kings of Comedy, viewers noticed that Common was hanging out in the background. 

Then, the rapper came on the Live for a few moments to speak with Cedric before making his exit. Fans are no longer buying their “friends only” status as it seems as if they’re quarantine and chilling the days away. Whatever is going on, good for them. Check out a clip of Common and Tiffany Haddish on IG Live with Cedric The Entertainer below.

There’s been a bit of speculation about what’s really going on between Tiffany Haddish and Common. The pair have been photographed together over the last few months, and the gossip train has continued to chug on by, spreading rumors about the pair’s secret relationship. Recently, Tiffany Haddish shared a photo of herself and Common after they visited a painting class, and Beyoncé’s mother Tina Knowles commented, “Beautiful couple” with a red heart. The message further fueled the gossip fire, but during her visit to The Real, Tiffany addressed the rumors.

“That’s my friend, he been my friend for a while,” Tiffany said. However, if the rapper wanted to change things, the actress is open to it. “But if he wants to date me, I will date him!” Tiffany puts Jeannie Mai, who’s dating Jeezy, on the spot and asked her help on snapping an emcee. “Give me some advice, how do you date a rapper?”

After the hoots and claps subsided, Jeannie told Tiffany that if she really wanted to go out with a rapper, she just has to make sure she’s selective. “Before you worry about what they gotta do, make sure you got your eyes on the right one,” Jeannie Mai said. “‘Cause it’s not just any of ’em.” Tiffany quipped that she sees that Jeannie and Jeezy “are on bikes and stuff” and “going to Jamaica.” It’s apparently a vast difference from the rappers Tiffany used to date because she claims they’re all in jail. Check out the funny clip below.

All hail the queen! Wednesday (March 18) marked Queen Latifah’s 50th birthday, and her friends and fans took to social media to share heartwarming birthday wishes. The New Jersey emcee stepped into the music scene as a formidable rap force back in the late 1980s and has developed a career that has spanned all aspects of the entertainment industry. Her 1989 debut album All Hail the Queen gave us the feminist anthem “Ladies First” while her third project, Black Reign, had women worldwide yelling “Who you callin’ a b*tch?!” as they sang along to  “U.N.I.T.Y.”

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Queen Latifah operates a production company (Flavor Unit), has starred in multiple television shows (Living Single, The Queen Latifah Show, Single Ladies, Star), has been featured in various films (Set It Off, Hairspray, The Secret Life of Bees, Joyful Noise, Chicago, Just Wright, Girls Trip, Brown Sugar, Beauty Shop, Last Holiday) and can rap and sing the house down. Many of her famous friends showed her love on her 50th birthday, so we join in to salute and celebrate Queen Latifah, a rap icon. 

“Happy Birthday to the Queen!!! @queenlatifah has inspired me more than any other woman in the entertainment business,” Kandi Burruss wrote on Instagram. “She really has done it all & done it well! Everybody give @queenlatifah some bday love! ????.” Others like LL Cool J, Tiffany Haddish, Naughty By Nature, Monie Love, Lee Daniels, Kelly Rowland, and Jude Demorest gave her a shout out, including Common who penned an entire poem. Check a few of them out below.

Snoh Aalegra is officially joining the Roc Nation family after the most successful year in her music career. The deal she has signed is an official joint label venture between Roc Nation and ARTium Recordings, a company that she has been signed to for the past five years and was developed by legendary producer, No I.D. ARTium Recordings currently has one of the most esteemed rosters is all of music with acts like Common, Cocaine 80s, Jhene Aiko, Vince Staples, and more. Now, with Snoh Aalegra teaming up with Jay Z's Roc Nation imprint, she's preparing to take her already majorly successful career to the next level in the coming years.  

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At the tender age of just nine-years-old Aalegra, born Shahrzad Fooladi, began writing her own music. At 13, the Persian songstress signed her very first artist development deal with Sony Music Sweden in 2001. Now, after years of hard work and dedication the "Situationship" singer has released two studio albums in the past three years with her most successful being her sophomore musical offering, Ugh, Those Feels Again (2019). The 32-year-old's sonically soothing vibrations allowed her to peak at the 39th slot on the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and 76 on the Billboard Hot 200 Albums chart. 

Solange Knowles and Chicago hip-hop artist, Common, are not dating according to the 33-year-old singer/songwriter. This past Friday (Feb. 29), both parties attended the inaugural Lena Horne Prize for Artists Creating Social Impact celebration ceremony to which Ms. Knowles was the first-ever recipient of the award for her social activism. After a photoshopped picture of Solange and Common surfaced on the internet, it sparked some dating rumors that eventually forced the "Almeda" singer to come forward and clear the air about their alleged relationship.  

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Solange Knowles took to her Instagram Story to leave a cryptic message denying that she and Common are dating with a screenshot photo of David G’s 2009 hit street single "Lying On Me." Later, the singer/songwriter's representation reached out to SOHH publicly denouncing any romantic involvement with the "Fifth Story" rapper, stating:

"Solange and Common are not seeing each other. Both artists attended the Lena Horne Prize event simply to honor Lena Horne’s Legacy."