Ne-Yo has been very vocal during the fight to end systemic racism, using his platform to promote networks that could use our help in this revolutionary time. He was present for George Floyd's final funeral at the Fountain of Praise Church in Houston, Texas, singing for the audience before making a statement that did not sit well with people.
During his time on the stage, Ne-Yo spoke about George Floyd, referring to him as a "sacrifice."
"50 states are protesting at the same time, this man changed the world," he started. "I just want to thank George Floyd for the sacrifice so my kids can be alright. I appreciate the sacrifice, I really do."
The man was visibly shaken during his acapella performance of Boyz II Men's song "It’s So Hard To Say Goodbye To Yesterday." While the moment was raw, social media is unimpressed with his choice of words.
"Me after checking to see why Neyo is trending," wrote one person on Twitter after noticing that the singer was listed among the Trending Topics. "Neyo said what? Sacrifice?!!!!" said another.
It's clear to see why people are angry but Ne-Yo likely did not mean any harm from this statement. He has been very active on social media and in real life as we all fight for change.
George Floyd Burial Is Today: Live Stream
George Floyd is being laid to rest in his home of Houston today.
George Floyd, in the wake of his death at the hands of the Minneapolis police, has re-ignited the Black Lives Matter movement with ferocity, and we hope too, will lead to systemic change within the institutions that rule the country. We’re already seeing subtle movement in that direction, with police reform as well as police defunding being pushed across the nation, and Minneapolis’ own police disbanding entirely.
Following a private funeral, George Floyd’s memorial was open to the public in Houston, Texas, yesterday. Many civilians, upwards of 6,300, poured in to pay their respects to the man who has become the catalyst for long-overdue change, and shone a light on injustices that plague Black people day in and day out.
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Today, he will be laid to rest. Floyd’s body will be buried in the city of Pearland, and he will be transported to his final resting place by horse-drawn carriage. He will be buried next to his mother at the Houston Memorial Gardens, reports local news site KHOU.
Rev. Al Sharpton is expected to deliver the eulogy today, while Floyd Mayweather is also expected to attend the services– he previously offered to pay for Floyd’s funeral costs.
As the funeral continues today, you can watch the live stream of the service and procession below.
Rest in Power George Floyd.
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Tiffany Haddish Ripped Apart For Centring Herself At George Floyd’s Memorial
Tiffany Haddish is getting heavily criticized for supposedly complaining about not getting a shout out from Al Sharpton at George Floyd's memorial service.
Tiffany Haddish was one of the many celebrities to attend the memorial service for George Floyd on Thursday (June 4th), but one particular moment during Rev. Al Sharpton's speech is rubbing people the wrong way. In a clip from the memorial for George, who was killed at the hands of four police officers last week, Al Sharpton acknowledges the myriad of celebrities in the room, listing off stars like Kevin Hart, Ludacris, Tyrese, Will Packer, Master P, and T.I.
However, after it appears that someone has brought to Sharpton's attention that Tiffany Haddish is also present, he asks the room, "is Tiffany here?" after which Tiffany's voice can be heard presumably telling the famed Baptist minister that she is, in fact, there.
Although Tiffany didn't appear to be "demanding" a shout out from Sharpton or "complaining" that he forgot about her, the comedian still got a ton of heat for her conduct at the memorial.
However, others pointed out that she never even asked to be acknowledged.
Some instead found it strange that Sharpton was even shouting out celebrities at a funeral in the first place.
George Floyd Memorial & Public Viewing Information
George Floyd’s family and attorney Ben Crump release details and information about the upcoming memorials and public viewings.
Official details for the upcoming memorials and public viewings have been announced by the family of George Floyd and renowned civil rights attorney Ben Crump.
There will be events taking place in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Raeford, North Carolina, and Houston, Texas.
The first official memorial will happen in Minneapolis. Set to begin at 1 PM local time on Thursday, June 4, people will gather to remember the life of George Floyd, who lost his life to police brutality last week after officer Derek Chauvin kneeled on his neck and back for eight-minutes, restricting his airway. It will take place at North Central University.
On Saturday, June 6, there will be a public viewing and memorial in Raeford, North Carolina. The public viewing will take place from 11 AM to 1 PM at Cape Fear Conference B Headquarters. The memorial is in the afternoon at 3 PM.
Finally, George Floyd’s life will be celebrated in his home state of Texas. A public viewing is happening on Monday, June 8 at Fountain of Praise in Houston. It will start at 12 PM local time and end at 6 PM. A memorial takes place the following day at the same location at 11 AM.
Rest in peace, George Floyd. Learn how you can help here.
Lil Wayne Lands Dr. Dre For "Young Money Radio," Teases "Funeral" Deluxe
Lil Wayne will be joined by the legendary Dr. Dre on tonight’s “Young Money Radio,” which will see the premiere of a “Funeral” Deluxe Edition.
If there are two artists who we wish would have collaborated at some point during their respective careers, it’s Lil Wayne and Dr. Dre. Despite both standing at the height of their crafts, Dre and Weezy never properly connected for a musical link-up. Still, it’s clear they have respect for one another, as Dre has been officially announced as the latest guest to appear on Lil Wayne’s Young Money Radio.
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Following appearances from Eminem and YBN Cordae, Dre is set to join Weezy on air at 4 pm PT/ 7 pm ET / 11 pm. From the sound of it, it’s clear that Wayne understands the significance of a Dre appearance. “This man doesn’t EVER do interviews,” he captions, alongside another enticing revelation. “Also… I’ll be dropping NEW MUSIC tonight (deluxe style) so TUNE in and watch.”
Like that, we’re looking at a meeting of the minds between two of the best artists in hip-hop history, as well as what very much sounds like a deluxe edition of Funeral lined up for release tonight. All things considered, this might be the biggest episode of Young Money Radio thus far — who’d have thought these Young Money artists would transition so nicely into the radio game? Before long, we’ll surely see Drake at the helm of his own show.
For those interested in what’s guaranteed to be a great conversation, during which a question along the lines of “why didn’t we ever collaborate?” will surely be asked, tune in to Apple Music later tonight. And look out for that Deluxe Edition to come shortly thereafter.
Shaq To Pay For Funeral Of High School Sports Star Killed In Drive-By
Shaq shared that he would pay the funeral costs of Dexter Rentz, friend to Orlando rapper LPB Poody, who was killed during a drive-by shooting.
It’s well-known that Shaquille O’Neal is an altruistic sort. The NBA legend has regularly given back to those in need, especially families who have been hit with tragedies. Last year, he paid for the funeral of a seven-year-old girl who was shot and killed while riding in the car with her mother. Days ago, we reported that Shaq would be covering the funeral costs of an 11-year-old Louisiana boy who lost his life in a car crash. Now, he continues his charitable giving and has shared that he will pay for the funeral of an 18-year-old high school sports star who was shot and killed in a drive-by shooting.
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Earlier this week, we reported on popular Orlando rapper LPB Poody being injured in a shooting. There weren’t many details of the incident shared in the media, aside from reports that four people in total were hit and there was one fatality. The person who died was 18-year-old Dexter Rentz, a Ocoee High School student who was on his way to play football for the University of Lousiville.
When Shaq heard about the tragedy, he told ESPN that he reached out to Dexter’s family and told them whatever they needed, he would provide. “Whatever his mom wants. He was on his way, he really was,” the doting father said. “I don’t know what it feels like to lose a son, but I know what it feels like to lose someone.”
Lil Wayne Shares "Mama Mia" Video Teaser, Details Admiration For Kobe
Lil Wayne paid homage to the late Kobe Bryant on "Funeral" but in a recent interview, he explained what exactly he admired about the late NBA legend.
Lil Wayne Funeralarrived just a week after the passing of Kobe Bryant in January. The rapper had always called Kobe his favorite, putting the late Laker legend ahead of Michael Jordan on his personal list. Wayne paid homage on Funeral in two different ways. He made the tracklist 24 songs long with track eight, "Bing James," holding a 24 second moment of silence -- both in tribute to Kobe's jersey numbers.
In a recent interview with Lil Wayne, the rapper detailed his admiration for Kobe in totality. Explaining that his last encounter was the most memorable, Lil Wayne said Kobe was the same on-and-off the court, applying the Mamba Mentality to not only being a great player but an even better person.
"I think the main thing for me is, what I admire the most is how it evolved,” he said in regards to Kobe's legacy. “He became a champion. It’s very hard to become a champion. Not to mention, he did it again—not to mention, he did it again—not to mention, he did it again and then again.”
Wayne also shared a preview of the upcoming video for "Mama Mia" which is scheduled to drop on Saturday morning at 8 a.m.. Peep the clips from the interview below and check out the HNHH review of Funeral here.
Pop Smoke Celebrated In Lively Brooklyn Procession
Pop Smoke's memory was honoured during a celebration of life in his Brooklyn neighbourhood of Canarsie on Thursday.
Brooklynites gathered together to celebrate the life of the late Pop Smoke during a funeral procession in Brooklyn on Thursday afternoon, two weeks after he was tragically murdered in Los Angeles. Though his family and loved ones held their own private memorial last weekend to say goodbye, folks were able to honour Pop's memory by taking to the streets of his native neighbourhood of Canarsie, beginning their march on 82nd Street and Flatlands. Family, friends, and fans of the late rapper could be seen gathered under a mural of his likeness on 82nd as a horse-drawn carriage rode by with the words "POP SMOKE" engraved on the glass walls, in the signature style of Off White designer, Virgil Abloh.
According to Complex, attendees belted out the lyrics to songs of his like “Welcome to the Party,” “Dior,” and “Shake the Room" that were blasting out of car speakers. Folks could be seen dancing on top of cars and yelling out his signature catchphrase, "Woo!" any chance they got. A man even popped a bottle of champagne while Pop's "Element" played in the streets, before the celebration ultimately came to an end at the corner of 92nd Street and Seaview Avenue. “You would never see this sh*t before Pop Smoke,” a man shouted over the crowd. “We’re united! This is real Brooklyn sh*t.”
Pop Smoke has always been proud to rep Canarsie. In September 2019, while driving through his neighbourhood, he told The New York Times that he made music for the young people who grew up like him and “got to carry their guns to school because it ain’t safe, but they still got to make sure they get they diploma ’cause they mom could be happy.”
50 Cent has announced that Pop Smoke's first posthumous album, which he will be executive producing, is set to be released in May, with features from Roddy Ricch, Drake, Post Malone, and more.
Pop Smoke To Be Laid To Rest In Brooklyn Later This Week: Report
Pop Smoke’s death certificate provides new details.
Recent celebrity deaths, like those of Kobe Bryant and Pop Smoke, have raised questions regarding how TMZ repeatedly manages to get hold of confidential information in these sorts of circumstances. Well, prepare to be baffled again because the tabloid site has now obtained Pop Smoke’s death certificate somehow.
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The document reveals that doctors performed a thoracotomy on the left side of the late Brooklyn rapper’s chest in an attempt to save him from a gunshot wounds in his torso. TMZ speculates that his chest was opened in order to remove bullets, but the document also states that the time between the shooting and his death was “rapid.” Pop Smoke, born Bashar Barakah Jackson, was rushed to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center at 5:12 AM on February 19 after being shot by home invaders in the Hollywood Hills. It remains unknown whether the assailants intended to kill Pop Smoke before breaking in or whether his shooting was a byproduct of the home invasion. Police are still investigating.
According to the death certificate, the 20-year-old’s body was transported back to his native Brooklyn. His family held a private memorial over the weekend. His final burial is reportedly scheduled for later this week.
In other Pop Smoke-related news, 50 Cent has announced that he will be executive producing the late rapper’s posthumous album.
Lil Wayne’s "Funeral" Had Young Thug, DaBaby Features
Mack Maine discusses Lil Wayne’s unreleased songs with Young Thug & DaBaby that were initially meant for “Funeral.”
Lil Wayne‘s Funeralincluded collaborations with Young Thug and DaBaby, according to Mack Maine. The Young Money Republic president detailed Weezy’s collaboration process since the rapper doesn’t actually tune into what’s going out outside of Wayne’s world. But there was, in fact, a collaboration with two of hip-hop’s hottest artists right now: DaBaby and Young Thug.
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“We had one with DaBaby, but we had some clearance issues. They should still be collabing soon, whether it’s on Wayne or DaBaby’s next album,” Mack Maine told Complex. “DaBaby always gives Wayne his props in different interviews, saying how he influenced him coming up. And Wayne actually fucks with his flow too. So that was organic. And we had one with Thug. It’s a beast. Thug wanted to do something fresh because he did his vocals in 2017, so he felt like his vocals were a little too old.”
Wayne and Thug have obviously had their issues in the past. In the past year, Wayne’s daughter Reginae’s had to defend her father after Thugger said he didn’t think Wayne likes him, claiming that the Young Money founder is “spoiled.” That was last summer, though. Since then, Wayne revealed that there was a collab with Thugger meant to be on the project so things between them are apparently copacetic. Thug’s also continued to show Wayne love, per usual. However, Mack Maine insisted that this collaboration between Thug and Wayne will see the light of day soon. After all, it’s only a phone call away.
“Hopefully one day we could figure it out. I’ll figure it out, holler at Thug and his people, and figure out a way that it could still be heard. It’s a monster,” he said before explaining how they pick artists to collaborate with Wayne. “And that’s usually how it goes. That’s the feature selection. It’s not like we’re like, such-and-such got to be on this album. We don’t do nothing like that. Once we see what we have, we figure out how can we fine tune and who we can add. Who could actually be on the same part of the matrix that he’s in? That’s the important thing.”
Peep the full interview here.
