A judge rejected Rob Kardashian’s claim of reaching a settlement with Blac Chyna in a revenge p### lawsuit.
According to Rolling Stone and TMZ, a Los Angeles judge refused to enforce an alleged settlement struck via email in May. Blac Chyna’s case will go to trial with jury selection scheduled to begin on Monday (June 20).
Blac Chyna originally sued her ex Rob Kardashian in 2017. She accused him of posting naked photos of her on Instagram.
Rob Kardashian said he and Blac Chyna reached a deal involving another civil case against the two. She would allegedly drop the revenge p### lawsuit if she didn’t have to cover any costs of a separate case against the former couple.
“The deal was, ‘If you can somehow do it, if you can somehow make the [other] case go away, we’ll dismiss this revenge p### case,” Rob Kardashian’s lawyer Todd Eagan explained at a court hearing. “And we detrimentally relied on that. We took a lot of action, a lot of energy to make it happen. I have the executed dismissal of the [other] case.”
Blac Chyna’s lawyer Lynne Ciani denied finalizing any deal. She said her client proposed a monetary settlement to Rob Kardashian, but he rejected it.
“Plaintiff is ready to go forward on Monday, and we will go forward,” Ciani told the judge.
Blac Chyna previously sued Rob Kardashian’s family for defamation. She lost that case in May.
The family of Suge Knight’s victim Terry Carter, who was killed in 2015, requested millions of dollars in a wrongful death lawsuit.
According to Rolling Stone, the family’s lawyer Lance Behringer called for Suge Knight to pay $81 million at a court hearing on Tuesday (June 14). The jury began deliberations later that day.
“Nobody’s comfortable talking about money,” Behringer said. ‘But that’s what we have to do.”
Terry Carter’s widow Lillian and his daughters Nekaya and Crystal were seated in the front row of the courtroom while Behringer argued his case. Their attorney claimed they deserved the money for each of the years the 55-year-old businessman would’ve lived.
“Dying on the concrete floor alone at Tam’s Burgers was not a natural death,” Behringer said. “He was taken from these three women.”
Suge Knight, 57, killed Terry Carter in a hit-and-run outside Tam’s Burgers in Compton, California.
The Death Row Records co-founder’s attorney David Kenner called the fatal incident “a tragic accident and a tragic loss of human life” at the wrongful death trial. Kenner said his client, who testified remotely from prison, considered Terry Carter to be a friend.
Suge Knight pleaded no contest to voluntary manslaughter in 2018. The Hip Hop mogul was sentenced to 28 years in prison.
Comedian Chaunté Wayans says she never wanted to meet rapper Jay-Z, despite being one of his biggest fans.
In an interview with veteran journalist Allison Kugel, Chaunté spoke about an opportunity to meet the Hip-Hop mogul and rap megastar and said she passed it up. Why? She doesn’t want to ruin the image of him in her head.
“I was a big fan, and I still am a big fan of Jay Z,” the funny woman said. “I had the opportunity to meet Jay Z and Beyonce when they first got together, through my Uncle Damon [Wayans]. However, from past interactions I’ve had, I said, ‘I don’t want to meet him, because if he’s an A-hole then…’ You know what I mean? I want to see him like I can never touch him.”
Growing up, Wayans allowed the 40-year-old to meet tons of famous people … some of them right in her own family. Navigating the fame, as a child in this family, where her aunts and uncles, Keenen Ivory Wayans, Damon Wayans, Sr., Kim Wayans, Shawn Wayans, and Marlon Wayans, are basically Hollywood royalty, was challenging especially when it came down to normal family stuff like going to weddings, baptisms, or funerals.
Photographers and fans seemed to lurk at every turn.
“One of my great aunts passed away,” she remembered in the interview. “My Uncle Marlon [Wayans] and I just finished this show, and we get off the plane and we get to the funeral, and there are two dudes standing outside in their shorts holding pictures and things for [my family] to sign.”
“We have no idea who these people are, she continued “But they are here getting autographs at our great aunt’s funeral. We go into the funeral, and you would think seeing all these older church lady types that they would know nothing about technology.”
Chaunté finished telling the story, recalling, “Towards the end of the funeral, every old person in there pulls out their phone to do Snapchat and selfies with my family. Mind you, they were so involved with taking pictures of my family that they left my dead great aunt in the funeral home, while we are all crying. These are the things that happen. That is why you have to start to pay attention to certain things (laughing), because that is how you find comedy.”
Finding the comedy in everyday things is apparently a Wayans trademark. She told the journalist her uncle taught her how to write jokes.
She said, “When I started doing comedy, I went to Shawn (Wayans) first. I was on tour with Shawn, and he sat me down to show me how to develop a joke, and we watched certain specials together. Or at 3 am I would call one of them and say, ‘I did this joke, and I don’t know how it worked.’”
“There was a structure to writing jokes, and they were all very supportive and always answered the phone. The structure comes from them saying, ‘keep going.’ If my family thinks something is funny, you will hear ten minutes of them trying to give you jokes off of what you just said, to the point where you’re like, ‘Hey man, hold on and let me go get a recorder (laugh) or let me write some of this down.’ The Wayans formula is, once you get a joke in, they can’t stop going with it. That’s the real formula.”
Family is clearly everything to the young comedian. From playing baseball on the Fourth of July to remembering times when everyone was spry enough to play baseball and dodgeball, she beams when talking about the love they have for each other.
It is out of that love and because of the legacy she says she wants to create a project for her famous family before everyone hangs up performing.
She says on the interview, “Funny thing is, I’m working on something right now where I would love my aunt Kim [Wayans] to be my actual aunt on the show. There are a few things I’m always keeping them in mind for. I also feel like they have all done so much that sometimes I think, ‘I hope I get them while they are still in this business.’”
If she pulls that off, she doesn’t have to worry about whether or not she would want to meet Jay-Z. Jay-Z will want to meet her.
Drake surprised fans by announcing a new album titled Honestly, Nevermind on Thursday (June 16).
The OVO rapper unveiled the project’s title, cover art and release date via social media. Drake’s seventh album will drop at midnight.
“7th studio album HONESTLY, NEVERMIND out at midnight,” he wrote on Instagram.
Drake’s message didn’t include a tracklist. He hasn’t released any solo singles in 2022, so listeners will be hearing a completely new batch of music.
The Grammy-winning superstar’s latest LP will premiere an hour after the debut of his new radio show. Drake’s show Table For One will air on SiriusXM.
“My first radio show TABLE FOR ONE on SOUND 42 @siriusxm premieres tonight at 11pm EST,” he revealed on Instagram.
Drake’s Honestly, Nevermind will be the follow-up to his Certified Lover Boy LP, which dropped in September 2021. Certified Lover Boy debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, becoming the diamond-selling artist’s 10th album to reach the top of the chart.
Honestly, Nevermind hits streaming services a month after a report surfaced about Drake signing an “expansive, multi-faceted deal” with Universal Music Group. According to Variety, an insider referred to it as a “LeBron-sized” deal that could be worth $400 million.
The global music scene is arguably one of the most difficult spaces to break into. The industry is extremely competitive, with hundreds of artists trying to make it and have their music heard. This makes it difficult to cement your spot, especially as an upcoming artist. But this has not stopped eduxr from reaching the top.
Eduar Maldonado, better known by his artistic name, eduxr, is a fast-rising R&B artist who has not only managed to break into the industry but has risen to the top, becoming a popular singer/songwriter. His work has received a lot of attention from his growing fan base, with his latest album getting over half a million streams. eduxr has also shared the stage with some of the top artists in the industry.
eduxr has worked with various artists, including Jay Oc and S Moreno. Together, they wrote and composed “Dirty Sound”, which was a big hit gaining over six million views across all platforms. eduxr was also featured on Eminem’s radio station, Shade 45, on DJ Whoo Kid’s show.
His unique sound, smooth lyrical flow, and authenticity in composing his music have enabled eduxr to create powerful and timeless songs that tell the story best. He says that in writing his music, his main focus is to bring together a powerful piece that will leave an impact on the listener and, above all, encourage them to step out of their comfort zone and not give up.
“Getting to our dreams is not easy, and there are a lot of hurdles,” says eduxr. But we should not give up. By sharing his story through his music, eduxr shows us that while the journey is tough, with hard work and dedication, nothing is unattainable. He is also building a safe space where you do not have to be judged for being vulnerable.
Eminem explored the similarities between himself and Elvis Presley on a new single titled “The King & I.”
Slim Shady dropped the CeeLo Green-assisted track on Thursday (June 16). The song will appear on the upcoming Elvis biopic’s soundtrack, which will be released on June 24.
Eminem tackled his connection to Elvis in the third verse. The diamond-selling rapper brashly copped to stealing Black music, a common criticism of Elvis and Eminem.
“I stole Black music, yeah true/Perhaps used it as a tool to combat school/Kids came back on some bathroom s###/Now I call a hater a bidet/’Cause they mad that they can’t do s###,” Slim Shady rapped.
A few lines later, Eminem directly addressed his correlation to Elvis.
“Now I’m about to explain to you all the parallels/Between Elvis and me, myself/It seems obvious – one, he’s pale as me/Second, we both been hailed as kings/He used to rock the Jailhouse, and I used to rock The Shelter/We sell like Velveeta Shells and Cheese,” he rapped.
Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis biopic will hit theaters on June 24. The film’s soundtrack includes Doja Cat, Denzel Curry, Swae Lee and Nardo Wick, among others.
Listen to Eminem’s “The King & I” single featuring CeeLo Green below.
If you’re a Trizzy fan, you’ve already heard him spruik his label, Ruby Recordings. The word “Ruby” in Ruby Recordings comes from his mother’s name and the gem’s beauty. Trizzy launched Ruby Recordings in 2015, and it was where Trizzy dropped albums like Winners Never Quit, and 2018’s My Name Is Trizzy.
And as you’d expect from Trizzy, he’s got a discerning ear for up-and-coming artists, signing a handful of artists to the label over the years. We wanted to spotlight a few lesser-known artists on Ruby Recordings, so you’re onto Trizzy’s mates before they blow up like him.
FriO Isa Blaque
Stemming from a culture of drug use, gang violence, and poverty, FriO not only makes music to put himself in a better position but also to educate listeners on various topics of wealth, health, love, finances, and straying from criminal activity. Though he racks up hundreds of thousands of views and streams, FriO has managed to stay pretty low-key all these years – his latest song, Live From The Trenches, has a unique trap sound that we’re super keen on though, so it may not be much longer that FriO Isa Blaque is an unfamiliar name.
AB Tazz
AB Tazz has been around a few years and got noticed as a featured artist on Trizzy’s We Ain’t Gotta Rush. To this day he works closely with Trizzy, including a song called BadaBang, but recently he has found himself in the studio with the likes of Jake Strain, Yung Fate, and Tonee Marino. His charming vocals make him a perfect addition to any playlist – check out Yoga.
Moeschino
Brooklyn artist Moeschino – real name Maurice Holden – is perhaps best known for this single Sundress from back in 2018. Making upbeat hip-hop with an r&b edge, Moeschino released his debut single, Its My Time, in 2021, with support from the likes of label boss Trizzy. He’s steadily been dropping music for years but of late he’s been in the fashion game too, dropping a Rich Legacy collection. Today he’s dropped a new single called Soulmates.
Akademiks is once again the topic of discussion. Why? I do not know that he warrants it, but he’s here for some comments he made about young girls. Well, the comments were made a bit out of context. Basically, he was talking about his life in college and saying if you are a senior, you may have sex with a freshman. It was not 30-something year old AK talking about having sex with 17-year old. To me, this is still creepy, but I get the sort of thinking he is having with that.
So, if you want to see the full context, see the video below.
So the video is about 7 years ago, not 10 the way AK’s supporters have been saying. But, there’s definitely more to this, apparently. A high school girl reportedly claims that AK was in her DM’s trying to get a piece of her pie.
She was in HS, but a “newly 18-year old.” She said she never responded to him. She goes into details.
This brought Taxstone out!
Good morning focus up and don’t try to bag no 17 year olds while you in your 30’s. Be Safe Tho
Neo-Soul singer Erykah Badu and Hip Hop artist Tracy “The D.O.C.” Curry are the parents of Puma Sabti Curry. The former couple also joined forces to become filmmaking partners.
Erykah Badu executive produced a new 94-minute documentary about The D.O.C. that is screening at the 2022 Tribeca Film Festival. Dave Caplan made his directorial debut with The DOC movie.
“I am excited to announce that I am coming on board as executive producer of The DOC which recently will have its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival,” said Badu in a Deadline article.
The Baduizm album creator added, “It is no secret that D.O.C. and I have created a ‘work of art’ together in the past, and I’m excited to continue our relationship professionally. D.O.C. has been my best friend for over 30 years, and I am honored to bring this amazing documentary home.”
The DOC Chronicles The Life Of The Lyricist
Describe as a “time capsule of the passion and purpose behind Hip Hop music in the 90s,” The DOC also tells the story of the Texas-born rapper/songwriter falling in love with Badu as well as his connection with Death Row Records.
Tribeca’s synopsis of the documentary reads, in part:
The film chronicles the life of the lyricist and producer who wrote for N.W.A. and Dr. Dre, co-founded Death Row Records, mentored Snoop Dogg, and left his mark on Hip Hop culture forever. 30 years after a devastating car crash that took his voice, The D.O.C. is still struggling with his legacy as a rapper with the greatest cadence before West Coast rap exploded in popularity and he considers surgery that might be able to restore his vocals. TheDOC explores this risky decision alongside a cast of celebrities who reflect on his impact in their lives and in the world from music, to love, to civil rights crusading.
The D.O.C., Dave Caplan, and Gary Ousdahl received producer credit as well. The commentary cast includes Erykah Badu, Dr. Dre, Eminem, Snoop Dogg, Ice Cube, Xzibit, Too $hort, Kurupt, Daz, Tone Lōc, DJ Yella, and others.
The DOC premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival on Friday, June 10. The Beacon Theatre also hosted a special birthday performance for The D.O.C. by DJ Quik, Das, Kurupt, and surprise guests. A final screening takes place on Saturday, June 18 at the Village East by Angelika.
Mo’Nique and Netflix have apparently ended a longstanding racial and sexual discrimination legal dispute. The outspoken comedian accused the streaming service of low-balling her for a potential stand-up special deal.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Mo’Nique and Netflix moved to dismiss the suit. The outlet could not confirm the terms of the settlement. However, Michael Parks, a representative for Mo’Nique told THR, “The matter has been amicably resolved.”
The situation began in 2018 when Mo’Nique and Netflix were in talks to produce an hour-long comedy show for the streamer. Mo claimed Netflix only offered her $500,000 and wanted her to give up complete creative control.
Mo’Nique took issue with the so-called “talent fee” because other white and/or male comedians were making at least eight figures for their specials at the time. Netflix compensated Dave Chapelle, Chris Rock, Ricky Gervais, and Amy Schumer well over $10 million.
“When the talent was not a Black woman, Netflix offered to pay, and did pay, astronomically more than it pays to Black women like it offered to Mo’Nique,” read the lawsuit filed by the Academy Award-winning actress.
Additionally, Mo’Nique asked her supporters to boycott Netflix for color and gender bias which led to some backlash and ridicule directed at The Parkers star. The California-based company denied the allegation in a statement to the media.
“We care deeply about inclusion, equity, and diversity and take any accusations of discrimination very seriously,” stated a Netflix spokesperson at the time. “We believe our opening offer to Mo’Nique was fair — which is why we will be fighting this lawsuit.”
Sergio “Gunna” Kitchens is among the over two dozen Atlanta area defendants facing racketeering charges. That criminal case has not stopped Gunna’s team from continuing to promote his music career and DS4Ever album.
Yesterday (June 15), Gunna’s verified YouTube channel published the “Banking On Me” music video. The self-directed visuals arrived the week of the YSL Records representative’s 29th birthday.
“Banking On Me” arrived during the DS4Ever era. That album dropped on January 7. Gunna’s third studio LP debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 chart with 150,000 first-week units.
DS4Ever hosts the singles “Livin Wild,” “Too Easy” with Future, and the album version of “Pushin P” with Future and Young Thug. The project also features 21 Savage, Drake, Kodak Black, Chlöe, Lil Baby, G Herbo, Nechie, Yung Bleu, Chris Brown, and Roddy Ricch.
Fulton County, Georgia indicted Gunna’s Young Stoner Life label head, Jeffery “Young Thug” Williams, on RICO charges as well. Both Gunna and Young Thug are currently incarcerated after being denied bond.
Plus, this week saw Gunna post a birthday message on his social media pages. The note read, in part, “For now, I don’t have my freedom. But I am innocent. I am being falsely accused and will never stop fighting to clear my name.”
22 & 2, just a bed & a shower, no windows just walls. Can’t see or talk to anyone. I’m writing now & still praying everyday . I was raised to fight fire with water, even tho my country’s amendments have failed me! PROTECT BLACK ART! pic.twitter.com/wqsfXAzHJe
Legendary comedian Dave Chappelle found himself at the center of a “cancel culture” scandal when his comedic takes about the trans community led to backlash. Fellow comedian Jerrod Carmichael also had some words to say about Chappelle’s jokes as well.
Jerrod Carmichael recently came out as gay during his Rothaniel comedy special on HBO. GQ magazine spoke to the 35-year-old North Carolina native. He addressed Dave Chappelle.
“Who’s getting canceled for what they’ve said? What does that mean, that people are mad on Twitter? Everybody’s fine. These grown men are fine,” stated Jerrod Carmichael.
The Carmichael Show actor added, “Chappelle, do you know what comes up when you Google your name, bro? That’s the legacy? Your legacy is a bunch of opinions on trans s###? It’s an odd hill to die on.”
Jerrod Carmichael continued, “And it’s like, hey, bro. Who the f### are you? Who do you f###? What do you like to do? Childish jokes aside, who the f### are you? It’s just kind of played. But he’s choosing to die on the hill. So, alright, let him.”
Dave Chappelle has downplayed the idea of “cancel culture” damaging his career. After some LGBTQ organizations slammed him for promoting TERF (Trans-Exclusionary Radical Feminism) ideology on his The Closer special, Chappelle told a Los Angeles crowd, “If this is what being canceled is about, I love it.”
Last year, Lupe Fiasco let his Twitter followers know that he believes his next full-length release will be a certified classic. The Chicago-bred emcee even compared the upcoming project to a masterpiece by Nas.
“It’s my Illmatic… No [cap],” tweeted Lupe Fiasco in August 2021. Two months later, he added, “It’s my best album. Calling it now… may pull back later but for now it’s #1.”
The Grammy-winning Hip Hop artist is back on Twitter to promote his next body of work. Drill Music In Zion will stream on DSPs beginning June 24.
Overnight, Lupe Fiasco dropped the official title track for the album. Fiasco and Soundtrakk produced the four-and-a-half-minute single.
“Drill Music In Zion” is the second record presented from Fiasco’s forthcoming eighth studio LP. Previously, he put out “AUTOBOTO” as a single. According to pre-sale links, Drill Music In Zion will have 10 tracks.
Many Hip Hop historians believe Lupe Fiasco came out the gate with back-to-back classic albums. Food & Liquor arrived in 2006 to critical acclaim. The Coollanded a year later.
Both Food & Liquor and The Cool earned Grammy nominations for Best Rap Album. 2013’s Food & Liquor II: The Great American Rap Album Pt. 1 also picked up a Best Rap Album nod from the Recording Academy.
Lupe Fiasco promised a different sound for his latest project. Two years ago, he informed his fans, “Well it’s all trap music… so you might wanna sit this one out if you don’t like trap Lupe & Soundtrakk… Cuz it’s trappy trappy… 😈.”
Well it’s all trap music…so you might wanna sit this one out if you don’t like trap lupe & Soundtrakk…Cuz it’s trappy trappy…😈 https://t.co/CXpfCDUhzK
Headie One and Luciano announced one of the most highly anticipated drill collaborations to emerge from Europe, previewing an as-yet-untitled single.
Arguably the biggest drill stars to emerge from their respective nations, the pair took to Instagram with a joint announcement. They also revealed the song will arrive later today (Jun. 16), accompanied by a video.
“Recorded and shot this in 24 hours,” Headie One and Luciano penned in the caption. “It’s dropping this Thursday. What should we call it? 🌪🌪🌪” Check out the preview below.
Luciano is heralded as the frontman of German Hip-Hip – or Deutschrap, as it’s known locally. He’s also one of the most successful. His album “Aqua” was the most-streamed German-language album of the last year, and he is considered the founder of the German drill genre.
Prior to his collab with Headie One, Luciano discussed working with other musicians during an interview with GQ in April.
“Who I work with from the music industry comes with the flow. It’s very organic. The human vibe has to be right. I can’t work with anyone who just has a s##### attitude or who thinks my attitude sucks. I can’t work with him, whether he did 18 videos for Drake or something.”
Meanwhile, Headie One who teased the single with Luciano last month, announcing new music “coming very soon,” believes in the continued growth in the international drill scene.
“Everyone around the world is always open to new sounds. Drill is very honest,” he explained to Clash Music earlier this year. “When you’re not sugar-coating anything and you’re telling the whole truth, you’re just being true to yourself. You’re sharing a story, making people know that reality, and people feel that. It’s why drill is everywhere now – because it’s real. I think everyone can relate in some way and that’s why it will always grow.
While fans are waiting for the new Headie One and Luciano collab, check out some of their recent offerings below.
Redman celebrated his friend and Lords Of The Underground member Dupré “DoItAll” Kelly for winning a Jersey city council seat.
He took to Instagram to share a video montage from the celebrations after the historic victory by the Lords of the Underground member. The clips include the newly elected official celebrating with his fraternity brothers. Others show Redman embracing DoItAll along with the moment he was announced as the winner in the run-off election.
“THE VICTORY !!!! CONGRADS TO @doitalldu My BROTHER ! GOD is GREAT ! Wont He Doit ! HISTORY IS MADE ! NOW LETS GET TO WORK.”
Redman also thanked Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, who backed DoItAll in last month’s race and again in the run-off election.
“THANK YOU TEAM BARAKA.and @thereal211ci For Great Ground Work. JERSEY STAND UP,” Redman penned in the caption. Check it out below.
He won the West Ward council seat by a margin of 1,858 to 1,312 — 58.6% to 41.4% — over Chigozie Onyema, 35, a lawyer and former state official. DoItAll explained the significance of the win at the Robert Treat Hotel to supporters who gathered after the polls closed. He also shared how Tupac inspired him to enter politics over 25 years ago.
“I am the first platinum-selling hip hop artist in the nation of the United States of America to ever win an election to an official seat,” he said as per NJ.com. “And just like [the late Newark Mayor] Kenneth Gibson said, ‘As Newark goes, so goes the nation.’”
He added, “Hip hop has always been a genre of music that was really political, and it talked about being oppressed and how to get out of it, so this is a big win for hip hop. Me and Tupac had a conversation over 25 years ago or so, and in that conversation, Pac would tell me, you got a million fans or two million fans, but you want to make more fans so you can turn those fans into voters and then become elected officials.”
DoItAll also shared a video showing the lengths Redman went to to help secure election victory.
The Bey Hive mobilized and began searching for any clues leading to new music from the Texan superstar.
However, all the speculation is over. The Hive can stop buzzing or begin doing so legitimately as their Queen B has announced the imminent arrival of act i RENAISSANCE.
Tidal issued a simple tweet that caused social media to go into overdrive as “act i” immediately became the No. 1 trending topic on Twitter. “Beyoncé RENAISSANCE July 29,” read the tweet.
The new album is available for pre-save, and a box set is also available for pre-order here. act i RENAISSANCE, reportedly features 16 tracks. The title suggests at least one other act will come from the project.
Meanwhile, it turns out, Beyoncé has been working on the project for some time. She revealed a telling hint during an August 2001 interview.
Harpers Bazaar asked the multi-hyphenate when fans can expect new music.
“With all the isolation and injustice over the past year, I think we are all ready to escape, travel, love, and laugh again,” Beyoncé replied. “I feel a renaissance emerging, and I want to be part of nurturing that escape in any way possible.”
Beyoncé revealed that the project has been in the works for nearly three years. “I’ve been in the studio for a year and a half,” she said in the interview published on Aug. 10, 2021. “Sometimes it takes a year for me to personally search through thousands of sounds to find just the right kick or snare. One chorus can have up to 200 stacked harmonies. Still, there’s nothing like the amount of love, passion, and healing that I feel in the recording studio. After 31 years, it feels just as exciting as it did when I was nine years old. Yes, the music is coming!”
It is no secret that artists feel more intensely than other people. This emotion can shine like a beacon through their work. Whether it is music, painting, photography, or sculpting, feelings are directly communicated through that artist’s medium of choice.
For Eli Barillas, that medium is music. She does not hold back when writing a song but instead lets her creativity flow with emotion. The result is raw to the point of primordial. Her lyrics run the gambit of human experience, complete with beautiful music that adds even more of an impact to what is being said. Like so many other artists, Eli Barillas thinks and feels on a different level than those who do not fall into this group of creative genius.
She calls it a blessing and a curse. A blessing in that artists can have transformational experiences that define what it is to be human. Happy moments are euphoric, but like the rest of life, you have to take the bad with the good. Eli Barillas explains that it can be excruciating when an artist is faced with the dark side of emotions. Pain, anger, despair, loneliness, and betrayal resonate much more deeply and thus have significant impacts.
These impacts can result in masterpieces. For musicians like Eli Barillas, great songs can be inspired by painful emotions. While there are countless feel-good tracks out there that happen to be terrific pieces of music, it is the titles that pull at our hearts that are truly memorable. These tracks are nothing less than someone baring their soul and sharing a deeply personal experience with the world.
Eli Barillas points out that the most creative people can often be battling a host of problems. There is staggering evidence that artists endure mental health issues because they do have a deeper connection with reality. Eli Barillas somberly points out that since songs are often emotional manifestations, it is not a coincidence that so many songs resonate with the masses globally. The human experience can be challenging enough, and those who feel more intensely often create masterpieces to give themselves a creative outlet.
On the other hand, Eli Barillas advises, “Often people think that all is well amidst the success and the spotlight artists earn; however, even creative geniuses need someone to be just there and be their rock.”
Born and raised in the Southern African country of Zimbabwe, Thembi Mawema is only 28 years old and already a major powerhouse behind The Shade Room (TSR), one of the most influential Instagram platforms in the world. Not only that, the recognizable executive is funny, fashionable, smart, and making major moves on her own in Hollywood. After coming to the states in 2008 she attended Chico State University in the Northern Sacramento Valley and graduated with a degree in Communications. The African beauty began her media career at KCSC Radio as a Promotions Coordinator then quickly moved on to become an award-winning Radio Talk Show Host.
In Fall of 2015 Mawema became a social media brand ambassador for the well-known website XONecole, the online destination of influencer Necole Kane. Mawema moved to Los Angeles in 2016 and had a chance run-in with Angelica Nwandu, CEO of TSR during an event hosted by the young entrepreneur and burgeoning actress/director Issa Rae. Mawema made quite the impression because following the event she says, “I actually received an offer from both Angie to join TSR, and Issa’s team to be a part of a project she was working on at the time, “The Peak.” Mawema ultimately chose TSR as she and Nwandu hit it off immediately and the rest is Instagram history. “Angie was open to the ideas I had to help scale the brand to what it is today,I was hired on the spot.”
Over the course of the last 6 years, she has climbed the ladder of Creative Content Director to Managing Editor to her newfound position as Director for The Shade Room. In this position, Mawema oversees all content placed on their social media platforms, including Instagram which boasts almost 27 million followers, or as she likes to call them “Roommates”. Mawema says, “I think about the Roommates before posting anything. It’s kind of like The Shade Room is for the Roommates by the Roommates: They all let us know what they want.”
Mawema works directly under Angie and says, “I love that the number one company in this space is founded and led by a woman–a black woman–an African woman. Whew!” Whether she’s fact-checking stories, running analytics, or tuning into the latest dramatic viral episodes, Mawema has a keen eye for what the Roommates want and need to know. Working behind the scenes she can be credited with breaking some of the largest stories on the internet.
In addition to her role as Director, she has stepped out in front of the camera working as a host for The Shade Room where she can be seen on numerous red carpet events such as the VMAs, Billboard Awards, and Grammy Awards, and the BET awards. She has landed memorable interviews with everyone from Saweetie and Queen Latifah, to Cardi B and Diddy, with her signature white braids and Gele’ head wraps becoming a staple at most major events. During the pandemic, Mawema could be seen on The Nick Cannon Show where she was sought out to appear as a celebrity commentator in a segment titled “Shading with the Stars,” and another called “Shoot Your Shot.”
There is a Zimbabwean proverb “A ripened fruit does not cling to the vine” and Mawema has indeed heeded that and spread her wings. Outside of her work with The Shade Room, she is widely known for her fashion tips and lifestyle YouTube channel. With fashion partnerships ranging from Shein to beverage partnerships with Simi Wines, she has been spotlighted on Fashion Bomb Daily, Marie Claire, and All Things Ankara.
Mawema says she’s living her best life right now and is excited to be considered a cultural leader. Follow her on Instagram at @thembitv_
Megan Thee Stallion accused her former best friend Kelsey Nicole of colluding with Tory Lanez following the 2020 incident when Megan alleges the Canadian artist shot her.
In a new interview with Rolling Stone, the Houston native alleged that Kelsey, who was also at the scene, accepted money to keep silent about the shooting. Megan claims Kelsey Harris told her she met with Tory Lanez at a hotel less than two days after the shooting.
“I’m like, ‘Kelsey, as my best friend, why would you meet up with the person you saw shoot your best friend?’” Megan Thee Stallion explained. “She said, ‘Megan, y’all wasn’t answering my calls. My back was against the wall. I didn’t know what to do.’ What the f*ck do you mean your back is against the wall? You’re the only person in this situation that would clear this up for me.”
Despite remaining silent for the last two years, Kelsey responded once the interview was published. She took to her Instagram Stories to reveal she’s waiting her turn to speak out.
“If y’all not catching on to the social media games by now then I don’t know what to tell y’all,” she said. “But you guys have to pay attention, I knew this was going to happen…I know y’all want me to talk but this is just the beginning. When it’s my turn just know, I’m gonna break everything the f### down ok? And we gon’ see who really look bad in the end,” she said.
Tory Lanez has not responded to either Megan Thee Stallion or Kelsey Harris. However, he is subject to orders that prevent him from discussing the case. In addition, during a hearing last week, the court discussed the issue of confident legal documents being leaked online.
Meanwhile, Megan Thee Stallion took to Instagram to share some stunning images from her cover shoot with Rolling Stone. “Thee hardest and thee realest anybody with any different to say speak up or shut up,” she penned in the caption. She may have been responding to 1501 boss Carl Crawford’s most recent comments in their ongoing dispute.
Wack 100 expressed some deep-seeded regret with Big U. I did not know those guys were so close. But, that olive branch was turned away like Chuckii Booker! Big U would have none of it!
I feel bad for Wack100. This seems like a bad turning point. My sources tell me it is ALL BAD as it relates to this situation. I always saw Cali as Killa Cali, but it seems cooler heads are prevailing these days. People know say certain “things” are past due. But they have not happened.
For the best….
And here is Big U’s reply.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CezlE7UJUnM/
And Hassan Campbell had something to say.
By the way, Wack100 said he never apologized or anything. So, there you have it.
