After being traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder in the summer, there were various questions as to whether or not Chris Paul would be happy with his young squad. Having traded away Paul George and Russell Westbrook, it looked as though the Thunder were trying to rebuild while using Paul as a veteran force who could teach the young kids a thing or two about the game. Somehow, the Thunder have been able to prove themselves as a formidable foe in the Western Conference and are even in a playoff spot. Most of this success rests on the shoulders of Paul who been nothing short of phenomenal for the team.

Last night, Paul pulled off some impressive moves against his former team, the Houston Rockets. In the end, the Thunder blew the Rockets out of the building. LeBron James was impressed by Paul's performance and took to Twitter to laugh about some of his incredible moves. 

Lori Harvey decided to celebrate her 23rd birthday a little early this year, and she definitely received the royal treatment. Friends of the birthday girl greeted her with champagne, roses, and balloons as they boarded a private jet to a mystery destination. Upon arriving at her hotel, Lori discovered that the whole room had been decked out with candles lining the floor and rose pedals leading up the a heart on the bed. Of course, it’s highly likely that Lori’s “alleged” (although is it really still alleged?) bae, Future, set the whole thing up. If this is the case, then it looks like Future is not the most creative so-called boyfriend when it comes to romantic birthday surprises.

Upon seeing Lori’s snapchat story showing off the hotel room surprise, some keen observers noticed some similarities between this romantic gesture, and others Future has made for his exes, Brittni Mealy and Joie Chavis, while he was with them.

In a side-by-side comparison video of all three birthday surprises posted by The Shade Room, the similarities between Brittni, Joie, and Lori’s rose pedal-ridden rooms are undeniable. While it’s definitely a great way to spoil your lady on her birthday, this may not be a “third times the charm” type of scenario. Is it time for Future to come up with something else?

We’re still waiting on the arrival of Rihanna‘s R9, an album that seems to be put on hold indefinitely at this point. While RihRih’s been building the Fenty empire in the past few years, we’ve yet to hear much music from her. We do, however, know a few things about the project including the direction she’s taken with the album. She’s tapping into a more dancehall/reggae sound for this album and enlisting some heavy hitters in the scene to help bring it to life.

 Roy Rochlin/Getty Images

One of the people that was reportedly reached out to was Shaggy. In a recent interview, the international reggae star revealed that Rihanna’s peeps had reached out to him for a collab on R9 but he ended up declining. His reason? He didn’t feel the need to audition for it.

“They approached me for the Rihanna project, yeah. There’s a lot of great people involved, but for me, I didn’t need to audition to be on the record. I’ll leave that to younger guys,” he said. “But from what I hear, it should be good.”

She previously shared details in a cover with Vogue, explaining that the direction of reggae just feels right. “It’s in my blood. It doesn’t matter how far or long removed I am from that culture, or my environment that I grew up in; it never leaves. It’s always the same high. Even though I’ve explored other genres of music, it was time to go back to something that I haven’t really homed in on completely for a body of work,” she said. 

A lot of Ne-Yo‘s hits are the slow, sensual kind that begs to be added to any given R&B playlist. It’s for that reason why sometimes the “Sexy Love” singer can’t shy away from playing his tunes when it comes to personal time with his wife, Crystal Renay, but according to the singer, it’s only “by request only.” 

Jerritt Clark/Getty Images

TMZ caught up with Ne-Yo at the airport and questioned him about a rumour they heard that he listens to his own music during sex. After admitting that it’s true he made it clear that it was never his idea. Ne-Yo did reveal just one annoyance that comes with listening to his own music. “I’m guna be very honest. Half the time I don’t like it because I can’t listen to my music without critiquing, so like, mid-stroke I’m like ‘ah that verse could have been better.'” The cameraman suggested that maybe that’s a good tactic to “last longer.” 

“That’s true, but I don’t need those tactics,” Ne-Yo responded. As for the most requested song by Crystal, it’s his 2006 release “Mirror.” Ne-Yo and Crystal met in 2015 and got married in February of 2016 when Crystal was expecting their first child together, Shaffer Chimere.

When Nas dropped off “Life Is Good” in 2012, it felt like reassurance. A reminder that, in spite of a few concerting personal narratives, his equilibrium was back on track. Fast forward to 2020, where Future and Drake have borrowed the expression for their first major single since What A Time To Be Alive. One might think a moment of humility was upon us; both men have witnessed their personal baggage going public, with Drake admitting to having been “caught slipping” in this very chorus. Yet the stakes have become too high, the fortune too vast. When Future and Drake connect, it’s opulence over everything. It’s part of what makes them such an enjoyable partnership; the hip-hop equivalent to Fraiser and Niles Crane.

For the most part, Drake’s contributions to “Life Is Good” dwell on his material gains, and how they serve to contextualize his cultural dominance. Within the opening lines, he’s already dropped an elite level flex about his acrobatic Patek -- courtesy of Virgil Abloh, esteemed designer and writer of “Brick” on bricks. Shortly thereafter, he’s boasting about a “manor house in Rosewood,” establishing his reach as international. Essentially, he’s reminding his haters that they’re simply beneath him, a brazen cockiness no doubt emboldened by Future Hndrxx, the self-proclaimed “well-known nuisance.” He even makes reference to Kanye West hijacking June 2018 for his Surgical Summer, a move Drizzy deemed to be on some serpentine energy.

It’s interesting to note that while Drake remains adamant that “Life Is Good,” many of his chosen exhibits lead back to material wealth. For an artist who often speaks candidly about his insecurities and doubts on a personal level, some of his material with Future can feel a bit shallow in comparison. Even his section of the instrumental seems to lack any urgency, like a formidable mobster who may or may not have gained a wine gut. Still, what he loses in substance he makes up for in swagger; the duo have a formula and little reason to dete from it. Perhaps Drizzy is simply content to sit shotgun, as he did back on What A Time To Be Alive. In reality, “Life Is Good” remains Future’s show through and through.

Driving that point home further is a beat switch, a tactic that has become a staple in Future’s arsenal. Cementing Fewtch as a man of action, the spooky instrumental picks up the pace accordingly. While Drake opted for a success-is-the-best revenge approach, Future seems content to return to the trenches and handle his business accordingly. “I'm tryna avoid nonsense, get Osama sprayed in this bitch,” he raps. “They had the candlelight lightin' it up, n***a anybody could get it.” Cementing himself as a "poor high class" individual, there's a validity there that speaks to the appeal of Future's image. Even at his bougiest, there's an underlying sense of menace arisen from a hustler's personal experience. And damn it, the formula works. Perhaps simply it's a shared sense of expensive tastes that allow Future and Drake to find common ground -- neither one seems inclined to challenge themselves during a collaboration. It's not like they need to -- when it comes to providing elite-level threatening luxury raps, Future and Drake are the logical conclusion. 

Cleveland Cavaliers head coach John Beilein may have upset some of his players when he reportedly referred to the group as "thugs" during a recent film session, but he has the support of NBA Hall of Famers Shaquille O'Neal and Charles Barkley. During the January 9th edition of Inside The NBA, Shaq called out the Cavs' players for being overly sensitive and attempting to get Beilein fired.

“If you have to be apologized to for your coach calling you a thug, you ain’t gonna never win. You’re soft, period… Stop being so sensitive.” 

Barkley added, "To be complaining about a coach who's coming in trying to make y'all work on fundamentals when y'all stink, make y'all watch film, make y'all practice hard - this is starting to be a joke."

It's been a rough couple of seasons for the Cleveland Cavaliers ever since LeBron James left in the summer of 2018. After finishing near the bottom of the standings last season, the Cavaliers are on track to do the same thing this year. Last night, the Cavs had a positive experience as they defeated the Detroit Pistons in overtime by a score of 115-112. Tristan Thompson was nothing short of dominant in the game and even recorded an impressive 35 points, which just so happens to be a career-high for him.

After the game, Thompson's teammates went crazy in the locker room as they tried to celebrate his big achievement. Players began chasing Thompson around the room while dousing him in ice water. Thompson appeared to be pumped up by it all as the whole locker room was all smiles.

Beyonce's "Ivy Park" Adidas collection is headed to retailers next Saturday, January 18 and we have new details today about what's on the horizon. In addition to the collaborative apparel that will be releasing, Beyonce and Adidas have also teamed up for a four-pack of footwear options, including two Adidas Nite Joggers, an Adidas Sambarose and an UltraBoost.

Official images of the latter recently surfaced, showcasing a predominately maroon color scheme, highlighted by a solar orange outsole and a matching "Ivy Park" hangtag that can be clipped onto the heel. Additional details include hiking-inspired laces with a lace toggle and "Ivy Park" detailing in place of the familiar "UltraBoost" text on the heel cup.

According to Sneaker News, one of the Ivy Park x Adidas Nite Joggers will also feature a "Maroon/Maroon/Solar Orange" color scheme, while the other is reportedly listed as "Ecru Tint/Grey/Solar Orange." The Adidas Samabrose, which Beyonce teased on her IG account last month, comes in white with maroon and solar orange accents.

Stay tuned for more details of the full collection.

Despite coming out nearly four years ago, the Adidas Yeezy Boost 350 V2 hasn’t lost any of its momentum. Sure, it may not be the ultra-rare sneaker it once was but that doesn’t take away from just how dope it is. Throughout the course of this year, various 350 V2 colorways are expected to hit the market and we can’t wait to see what these drops entail. 

According to Yeezy Mafia, one of the sneakers that’s on the way for 2020 is the 350 V2 in the “Cinder” colorway. As you can see from the images below, the “Cinder” model is exactly like the “Black Static” model except with one little difference. This particular has a gum bottom which is a trope Kanye West has been experimenting with on some of his newer Yeezy models. The gum bottom is a nice contrast to the black upper and will certainly make for another big hit amongst sneakerheads.

For now, these are slated to drop in the Spring of 2020 for $220 USD. Let us know in the comments below what you think of these and whether or not you plan on copping. Stay tuned for updates as we will be sure to provide any new information.

Image Nike

Image Nike

Image Nike

Image Nike