Swae Lee decided to be a source of healing for the world through the art of music. On Friday (June 5th), as protests against police brutality and systemic racism persist across the country and around the globe, Swae shared a 2-minute clip to Instagram to acknowledge the events going in the world right now.
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“Hey, what’s up you guys,” he begins in the video. “I’ve just been tuning in, paying attention to everything going on around us in the media, in our communities, right outside our front doorstep. So, I just wanted to use my voice to do something positive. Imma sing a little tune for y’all. Vibe wit’ it." He proceeds to perform a tribute cover of Diddy, Faith Evans, and 112's 1997 song, "I'll Be Missing You," originally written in memory of the late Notorious B.I.G. Swae dedicated the beautiful tune and its powerful message to "the loved ones we lost and everyone joining this fight pushing forward."
View this post on InstagramDedicated to the loved ones we lost and everyone joining this fight pushing forward
Earlier this week, Swae partook in one of the demonstrations occurring in Miami to fight these horrible injustices done by police. “The voices of humanity are being heard now more than ever !!!!” he wrote on a post from the protest. “Feel the power of unity we have always been stronger as one …putting our differences aside is the biggest step for mankind. One love everyone stay safe and remember the right thing to do is the right thing."
Don Lemon Calls Out Ellen, Oprah, Drake & More For "Doing Nothing" Amid Protests
Don Lemon called out a ton of famous and powerful people on air for not doing enough in the fight for justice in George Floyd's murder by police.
Don Lemon has had enough of Hollywood's rich and powerful staying virtually silent while protestors fight for justice on the frontline for George Floyd after he was murdered by police in Minneapolis. The CNN Tonight host called a ton of famous figures out by name for their lack of action amid these protests, some of whom he notes are close friends of his.
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"What about Hollywood? Strangely quiet," Don said during a conversation with Rev. William Barber while they observed footage of the protests going on across America. "I've seen them on Twitter, I see them, 'Oh, I'm loving what Don Lemon's doing'...But they gotta do more than that...Why aren't they helping these young people? These young people are out there standing on a platform at the edge of an abyss by themselves."
"Yes, I'm calling you out, and you can be mad at me all you want," he continued. "And what they're doing, you're sitting there and watching TV and you're b*tching abut it...Get on television or do something and help these young people instead of sitting in your mansions and doing nothing. And have some moral courage and stop worrying about your reputation and your brand." He went on to note that while monetary donations are desperately needed, "visibility is extremely important."
During his monologue, he discussed the need for powerful folks in the industry to step up. "I wanna see every white person of power and influence and wealth out here fighting for this cause and for young people," he said. "Every black person of power and wealth and substance fighting for these young people...For the young kids who are doing the right thing." He proceeds to call out massively wealthy celebrities like Ellen DeGeneres, Oprah Winfrey, Tyler Perry, Diddy, Drake, and more, acknowledging that while they do donate “millions,” their "visibility in helping speak out for these young kids” is what’s needed right now.
Styles P Calls Throwing Chair At Diddy "Really F*cking Stupid"
Styles P reflects on his argument with former label boss Diddy and tossing a chair at the Bad Boy founder.
Years ago, The Lox found a home with Bad Boy Records. The New York rap trio was featured on a number of the label’s hits, but somewhere along the line, things began to grow sour between Sheek Louch, Styles P, Jadakiss, and the label’s head honcho, Diddy. The rappers petitioned to have The Lox released from Bad Boy, even speaking with radio stations to air out their grievances, but it wasn’t until Styles P reportedly threw a chair at Diddy did they all agree to part ways.
Theo Wargo / Staff / Getty ImagesThe Lox recently revisited that incident when speaking with HipHopDX, and Styles P was remorseful about how everything went down. “The moment with tossing the chair at Puff was a combination of being really f*cking stupid and really f*cking angry,” said Styles P. “I think for me, Big was always the barrier, and the mediator, and the middle person. He was always able to make things make sense to me. So I think when Big passed, it was just kind of really hard for me to deal with it and see certain things.”
While Styles may feel bad about those moments filled with tension, he still stands by everything he said about Bad Boy and Diddy at the time. “We don’t regret anything at all. It was like us saying you want some of this old man,” he added. Sheek Louch chimed in, “Man it’s a part of the history, baby. To be honest, if you would’ve known how many artists and MC’s came to us after that saying, ‘Yo, we should’ve did that,’ or ‘We wish we would’ve did that. It was still a very dumb thing to do, but it felt good to do because I think a lot of people wanted to do it. But they ain’t have the balls.”
“It made us who we are,” added Jadakiss. “It showed us, like he said, it might have not been the smartest thing to do today. But we was young, we was rebellious, and we was savage mode.” Meanwhile, make sure to keep an ear out for The Lox’s forthcoming record, Living Off Xperience, that’s set to hit streaming services sometime this year.
Diddy Reiterates That "The Black Vote Ain’t Free" In Response To Joe Biden
Diddy repeated his earlier statement that "the black vote ain't free" in response to Joe Biden's recent controversial comments about black voters.
After Joe Biden told black voters that they "ain't black" if they're still considering voting for Trump over him, Diddy responded by restating some earlier comments about how "the black vote ain't free." On Friday (May 22nd), Biden caught some heat for making such a careless remark while he was speaking to Charlamagne Tha God during a virtual interview on The Breakfast Club.
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Many, like Diddy, were outraged by how Biden's comment perfectly reflected the way some Democrats take support from the black community for granted. Diddy took to Twitter to send a message Biden's way, letting him know once again that "the black vote ain't free."
Last month, Diddy declared that "THE BLACK VOTE WILL NOT BE FREE THIS YEAR," and suggested that his black followers should "hold the vote hostage" until Biden proves that he has their best interests at heart. Diddy caught heat for his remarks, but it looks like he stands firm in his position that Biden can't just expect the black community to vote for him because he's a Democrat.
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Biden later addressed the backlash he received for his comment by expressing his remorse for acting so "cavalier," insisting that he's "never, never, ever taken the African-American community for granted."
Diddy Shares Bittersweet Video Of Andre Harrell Dancing With Kim Porter
Diddy honoured the late Andre Harrell and Kim Porter by sharing a clip of the two of them dancing together prior to their tragic deaths.
Diddy continues to remember his late mentor, Andre Harrell, and late ex and mother of his children, Kim Porter. Following the passing of Andre, a music exec and founder of Uptown Records who discovered Diddy and went on to launch his career, earlier this month, Diddy has been honouring his late friend with a number of heartfelt tributes. Most recently, he took to Instagram to share a clip of Andre dancing with Diddy's ex partner, Kim Porter, as they welcomed in the New Year in 2018. Kim passed away in November later that same year from pneumonia.
"SAVE ME A DANCE!! @ladykp @andreharrell," Diddy wrote on the bittersweet clip, followed by the broken heart emoji. "I PROMISE Y’ALL I’M GOING TO FINISH WHAT WE STARTED!!! REST IN POWER. Shit done got REAL!!!!"
View this post on InstagramEarlier this week, Diddy also shared a montage of Andre set to Babyface's tribute song to the late music legend. "This is a song Baby Face wrote in remembrance of Andre Harrell," Diddy wrote on the post. "Who I have officially given a new name ... From now on he will also be known as ANDRE THE GREAT!!!!! RIP @andreharrell."
Lord Jamar Talks Andre Harrell Quitting Rap Career After Seeing LL Cool J Perform
Andre Harrell’s unexpected passing has caused many to discuss his career, including Lord Jamar & DJ Vlad.
The music industry is still grieving the loss of Andre Harrell. The beloved music executive has created a legacy that is unmatched, and it’s clear that his protegé Diddy continues to have a hard time coming to terms with Harrell’s death. “I MISS YOU. HE WAS SO KIND. SO BEAUTIFUL. SO PATIENT. SO BLACK. SO CARING. SO SHARING. SO WISE. THE LIFE OF THE PARTY. A MUSICAL GENIUS! MY HERO,” Diddy wrote in the caption to a photo of himself and Andre Harrell.
Frazer Harrison / Staff / Getty ImagesLord Jamar and DJ Vlad chatted about the late music legend in a recent episode of VladTV, and during the discussion, they brought up Harrell’s early days in hip hop. Before he became instrumental in inking deals that turned some of our favorite artists into icons, Harrell was one half of the 1908s hip hop duo Dr. Jeckyll & Mr. Hyde. Vlad mentioned that he read that Harrell was gung-ho about his music career until he saw LL Cool J perform. It was then that he decided to go another route.
“‘Cause their whole style wasn’t aggressive like that,” Lord Jamar recalled. “It was more like that early emcee type of style and it was good for that, but he was smart enough to know. You see? And that’s part of it, being smart enough to assess your strengths and your weaknesses and know what you can do and what you can’t do. You might want to do some sh*t but I can’t really do that even if I want to do it… But I can help other people do that.” The two also talked about the evolution of Harrell’s hip hop duo partner Alonzo Brown who apparently didn’t do too bad for himself after becoming an executive producer of the Judge Mathis show. Watch the clip below.
Diddy Continues To Mourn Andre Harrell With Latest Tribute
Diddy honoured the man who launched his career, Andre Harrell, in a new tribute following the music exec’s tragic death last week.
It was a sad day for the music industry as a whole when the incomparable Andre Harrell passed away last week on May 7th. Diddy was hit especially hard by the legendary music executive’s passing, though, due to the pivotal role Andre played in discovering a young Sean Combs and turning him into a superstar. A few days after the tragic news broke, Diddy took to Instagram to share a heartfelt tribute to his mentor, including a clip from an acceptance speech he gave in which he thanked Andre for all that he’s done for him over the years. On Friday (May 15th), Diddy shared another beautiful message about the man who helped launch his career.
Diddy posted a photo of the two of them hugging on Instagram, along with some loving words. “Irreplaceable,” he began, “I MISS YOU. HE WAS SO KIND. SO BEAUTIFUL. SO PATIENT. SO BLACK. SO CARING. SO SHARING. SO WISE. THE LIFE OF THE PARTY. A MUSICAL GENIUS! MY HERO. LOVE FOREVER.”
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Following Andre’s passing, tons of artists and key players in the industry took to social media to pay their respects.
Rest in peace to a true legend.
6ix9ine’s Baby Mama Takes Dig At Lori Harvey Amid Future Beef
6ix9ine’s baby mama, Sara Molina, continues to take shots at Future, this time by dragging his girlfriend Lori Harvey’s dating history into the mix.
The newly developed beef between Future and 6ix9ine’s baby mama, Sara Molina, persists as Sara goes after the rapper once more over social media, this time involving his girlfriend, Lori Harvey. It all started on Wednesday (May 13th), when Sara was spotted getting into a blue Lambo with Rich the Kid despite her past with 6ix9ine. The recently incarcerated rapper clowned the two of them for associating with each other, but Rich clarified that they were just shooting Lil Tjay‘s new music video together.
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Future caught wind of this and proceeded to trash Sara for being used as a “prop” by rappers, officially declaring that “she belong to the streets.” Sara fired back by claiming that it was actually Future who “belong to the streets,” considering the sheer amount of different baby mamas he has. After Future responded by sending out some more indirect tweets about her, Sara hopped back on IG to get the last word in.
“Worry about your b*tch she been for the streets,” Sara wrote on her IG story. “And diddy…….and his sons.” Sara is, of course, referring to Future’s girlfriend Lori’s romantic history with both Diddy and his son, Justin Combs. The model made headlines last summer after the then-22-year-old had seemingly ditched Justin for his much older father.
Sara followed up this post with another message, this time bringing up her own baby daddy, 6ix9ine, by equating his and Future’s behaviour. “Feel offended by the antics and wanna be talking about OMERTÀ but moving the day way the snitch does as a father,” she wrote. Sara exposed 6ix9ine for failing to keep his promise to financially support her and their child after he got out of prison recently. Ironically, 6ix9ine turned to Future for advice considering his vast experience with handling baby mama drama.
Diddy Shares Heartfelt Tribute To Andre Harrell
Diddy pays homage to his mentor Andre Harell who passed away at the age of 59 over the weekend.
Andre Harrell was a pivotal force in the world of R&B and hip-hop. He worked at Def Jam Records as the vice president and general manager before founding Uptown Records. Though he's helped launch the careers of several artists in his own illustrious career, one of his most notable protegees to date in Diddy.
Jesse Grant/Getty ImagesEarlier today, Diddy took to Instagram paying homage to his mentor. He shared a clip of a thank you speech he made where he credited Harrell for all of his success. "I'm only standing up here because you gave me the chance. You gave me the opportunity," he says in the speech. "As a Black man, you took me underneath your wing. You was patient with me. You taught me and you talked to me and you taught me about the game."
Diddy penned a heartfelt message to go along with the throwback clip in honor of his friend and mentor, who he admitted played the role of a father figure in his life.
"I honestly still can’t believe it. I’ve got to give myself the reality of this in doses. Because I can’t even handle this. I hope to God that you are all blessed to have someone in your life that loves you and believes in you like this man believed in me.… I’m going to miss him so much. I can’t even imagine life without Dre. God bless @gianni, @onealmcknight and the rest of the family," he wrote. "LOVE YOU FOREVER @andreharrell !!!!!!!!!!"
50 Cent Confirms Jeezy Checked In With BMF & Diddy
50 Cent says that Jeezy is in the clear after checking in with BMF’s Southwest T through Diddy.
Last week, BMF co-founder Terry “Southwest T” Flenory was released from prison early as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. His brother Big Meech remains locked up. The creator of a new series about their notorious drug operation, 50 Cent decided to stay on the organization’s good side, urging his peers to connect with Southwest T and pay their dues.
He started with Irv Gotti, who still has not paid up. Then, Fif took aim at Diddy, who quickly made things right. Finally, Jeezy became the target. It took the Atlanta rapper a few days to come through but he seemingly got on a call with Flenory. 50 Cent has since confirmed that everything is right now with Jeezy.
Scott Legato/Getty ImagesSharing a photo of the rapper all decked out in a white tuxedo with a luxury whip in the background, Fif showed love to the iconic rapper.
“At jeezy all checked in, he called puffy and got on with @bmfboss_swt_263 every thing all good,” wrote 50 Cent.
Since two of the three characters have made things right with Black Mafia Family, we can assume that all of 50 Cent’s energy will now be transferred onto Irv Gotti. Do you think the Murder Inc. star will pay up? Technically, today would be the last day for him to come through.
