Doja Cat had a standout 2023. The Los Angeles-bred rapper/singer dropped her highly-anticipated fourth studio LP, Scarlet, on September 22. One record on that project ends the year with a major accolade.
Scarlet hosts the “Paint The Town Red” track. That hit peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Doja Cat’s second Hot 100 leader also reportedly tops a list for Spotify in the rap category.
According to Chart Data, “Paint The Town Red” was the most streamed 2023 rap song on Spotify. The RCA Records-back single racked up over 730 million streams on the audio platform since its release in August.
There have been questions about how to categorize “Paint The Town Red.” Is it rap or pop? The Recording Academy nominated Doja Cat’s single in the Best Pop Solo Performance category for the upcoming 2024 ceremony.
In addition, Doja picked up Best Melodic Rap Performance and Best Rap Song nominations for “Attention.” That song has totaled more than 105 million streams on Spotify so far.
Doja Cat also included “Attention” on the official Scarlet tracklist. The album debuted at No. 4 on the Billboard 200 chart by moving 72,000 album-equivalent units in its first week of release.
DJ Akademiks and Metro Boomin have been in a war of words for years. The latest round in their beef included Ak using deceased relatives as ammunition.
“@MetroBoomin. You a b#### ass n####. Don’t like s### bout me you hoe ass n####… every time I violated [you]… [you] basically ran and tuck your tail,” Akademiks tweeted on Saturday (December 30).
The Off The Record podcast host then posted, “@MetroBoomin your b#### ass ain’t respond to Drake… [You] a known hoe.. go mourn in peace [you] s#######.”
“@MetroBoomin, you a sucka n####… tweet [and] deleter.. .a true pure 100% [fish scale] p####. [Sensitive] beatmaker who [throws] stones and [hides your] hand… Keep mourning [you] b#### ass n#### and keep my f*cking name out of [your] likes and mentions,” Ak continued.
Akademiks also wrote, “@MetroBoomin remember you the same b#### ass n#### who made No Jumper pull [an] interview [with] you because your sensitive ass didn’t change your tampon that damn day… your ass should be in the studio making beats and stay [the f###] off Twitter/Instagram/YT.”
.@MetroBoomin you a sucka n####… tweet a deleter.. .a True pure 100% fishcale p####. Sensistive beatmaker who throw stones and hide ur hand…. Keep mourning u b#### ass n#### and keep my f*cking name out of ur likes and mentions.
.@MetroBoomin remember you the same b#### ass n#### who made No Jumper pull a interview w/ you because your sensitive ass didn't change your tampon that damn day… your ass should be in the studio making beats and stay tf off Twitter/Instagram/YT
Nicki Minaj has made good on her promise to get Funny Marco a Christmas gift following their recent sit-down.
The rap icon chopped it up with the comedian in a hilariously awkward interview to promote her latest album, Pink Friday 2. The duo met up during the holiday season, leading Marco to ask his guest for a gift.
After confirming he would like “lamb,” Minaj questioned what restaurant he’d like it from. However, Marco was really pushing his luck and was actually referring to a Lamborghini. A red “2 X7,” to be specific.
After rolling her eyes and going silent, Minaj jokes, “Nicki left. You have reached her business manager.”
Nonetheless, despite initially ignoring his request, the “Barbie World” hitmaker apparently changed her mind. On New Year’s Day (January 1), Nicki Minaj took to her Instagram Story with a surprise for Funny Marco.
She posted a photo of a red Lambo truck telling Marco to “look outside your window right now,” for his “surprise.”
Unfortunately, it appears Nicki Minaj was trolling. She followed up with another post revealing her team misheard her request to get Marco the “best lamb chops” and not a “red Lambo truck.”
Minaj then took to Instagram Live to explain further. “There seems to have been some sort of a mix up with something that I posted,” she said before teasing that he could have gotten his wish if things had gone differently during their interview. “So Funny Marco, if you’re seeing this, you should have let me win ‘Rock, Paper, Scissors.’”
Cardi B borrowed a famous Tina Turner song to caption her New Year’s Day photo dump before revealing she and Offset are still intimate despite their ongoing separation.
The Hip-Hop super couple sparked reconciliation rumors after they were spotted partying together in Miami on New Year’s Eve.
While Cardi firmly shut down speculation of a reunion, she later admitted they slept together. The “Bongos” hitmaker clarified their relationship status during a New Year’s Day talk with her fans on X.
“Was I clubbing with my baby daddy, yes,” she explained in a Spaces discussion. “Did I get dick down on New Year’s Eve, yes. I needed dick on New Year’s Eve.”
While Cardi conceded she and Offset had a good time and were “were vibing,” on their night out, it’s not enough to mend their relationship. She said she’s determined not to fall back into their old patterns, revealing they would reconcile before arguing and blocking each other the following day.
Cardi B also shared that she and Offset are going to therapy. “If it goes well, then we will be back together,” she said, after stating that while “we love each other,” they have “communication” issues.
Meanwhile, Cardi shared a series of stunning photos from her New Year’s Eve celebrations on social media. She used the famous Tina Turner song to caption her post, seemingly about her night with Offset.
“What’s love got to do wit it?” she wrote alongside her photo dump. “Happy New Years.”
Playboi Carti has a thing for Ice Spice, and he isn’t afraid to let her, or the world know how he feels, shooting his shot at the Bronx-bred rapper on his new song with Travis Scott.
Carti kicked off the New Year with a surprise single featuring Travis Scott called “Backr00ms” alongside a music video. The song, released on Monday (January 1) sees Carti round out his verse with his thoughts on the “Barbie World” rapper.
“I think I need me a Ice Spice, yeah, I want me a munch,” Playboi Carti raps on the track, which coincidentally dropped on the flame-haired artist’s birthday.
Furthermore, Playboi Carti doubled down on his Instagram Story, sharing a raunchy photo of Ice Spice from her birthday dump IG post.
“Backr00ms” follows Carti and Scott’s#### song “FE!N” from Scott’s Utopia and their “Love Hurts,” and “Green & Purple” collaborations.
Meanwhile, Carti recently released the Kanye West-produced “2024” ahead of his upcoming album, rumored to be titled: I AM MUSIC.
He addressed the project during a November interview with Numéro Berlin.
“I’ve been recording in Paris, I love Paris. Amazing,” Carti explained. “I was recording, in a cave, for like three months, and all the music that came out of that is just chaotic and crazy. Then, I’m in a glass house, somewhere in the hills, and the music there is just very good to the ears. And then, I’m in Atlanta and the tensions are just high and the music is biting.”
Tamar Braxton is disgusted over leaked behind-the-scenes footage from the night Chrisean Rock allegedly assaulted her backup dancer and is sharing her own video from that night following backlash over sister Toni.
The reality TV star went viral in November after attending one of Braxton’s shows. Rock was said to be upset that she wasn’t allowed to perform, sparking an altercation with dancer James Wright. Tamar Braxton claimed Wright suffered multiple injuries which required hospital treatment. Rock denied the allegations, accusing Braxton of clout chasing and trying to “embarrass me publicly.”
On Monday (January 1), TMZ shared a video showing tensions flared earlier in the evening. Chrisean Rock awkwardly breaks up Tamar Braxton’s prayer circle, moving her sister Toni out of the way so she can stand beside her. Toni appears alarmed and refuses to hold Rock’s hand as the prayer continues.
Tamar Braxton Outrage Over Leaks, Responds To Backlash Over Sister Toni
It’s unclear who posted the footage, but Tamar Braxton is fuming over the leak. She took to social media Monday to call out the culprit.
“I wasn’t going to say anything because I think that at this point y’all are going to believe whatever you want,” she wrote on X. “And ALL the events that happened was unfortunate. But what is truly DISGUSTING is that my dressing room and prayer is a sacred place and whomever released that can go straight to hell.”
Tamar Braxton returned later on Monday to address the backlash over her sister Toni’s refusal to join hands with Chrisean Rock. She also posted a video from the night of the alleged incident showing Wright with a bloody mouth.
“Finally video of the truth!,’ she captioned the video. “Leave me and Toni Braxton out of this!!!” Check out her post below and watch the video at the end of the page.
“I’m OVER it!! Coming for my sister who has lupus and don’t even really come outside was the line for me. This is so traumatic,” she continued. “Having to relive that night because some greedy person wanted to sell footage. Well now i have the ALL the footage y’all been waiting on. God don’t like ugly. It’s all on my YouTube. I’m Never EVER discussing this again Goodnight.”
Taraji P. Henson is no longer interested in getting married.
The “Empire” actress has been engaged twice, with her most recent engagement to American football player Kelvin Hayden getting called off in 2020.
During an appearance on the “Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard” podcast on Monday, Taraji, 53, revealed she would now rather have a life partner than a husband.
“I’m single and happy,” she stated. “I’m not longing (for a relationship) and at this point, I’ve decided I don’t want to be married. For what? I’m not having (more) kids (so) what’s the point? Let’s be life partners. Live and thrive. I want to keep my house, you keep yours… So if you want us to be together, I’m still gonna keep my house but you can buy us another house, I’m not moving in with you, you’re not moving in with me and we’re gonna enjoy life… without all that paperwork.”
She continued, “I’m OK, I’m happy, just as long as my loved ones are healthy. My heart is open, I’m not bitter or jaded… I’m open to love (but) I don’t feel like I’m missing anything.”
Taraji P. Henson, who has a 29-year-old son, admitted it is hard to find a man who can date “a very successful woman” and handle the invasion of privacy.
“People are gonna be in your business. And that happened; they didn’t like that we were together. Somebody created a page and started trying to tear him down,” she said, not divulging who she was referring to. “I was like, ‘I told you I come with a lot, ’cause if you weren’t with me this wouldn’t be happening. You could be dating any woman and it wouldn’t be looked at under a microscope. That means now your life is public. Every move you make people are watching because of me.'”
Taraji noted that her partners “usually start off infatuated” with her and are “proud” of her success but that often fizzles out and they feel threatened.
Citing an example, she added, “I knew we were doomed when he took us to the spa and the lady said, ‘This way, Mr Henson.’ I was like, ‘She just f**king killed my relationship.'”
Consequence and Talib Kweli are at it again—this time after the A Tribe Called Quest affiliate called out the Black Star rapper for his multiple harassment allegations. The two have been feuding since 2022 when Cons stood by Kanye West amid his antisemitism controversy. To seal the deal, Cons dropped an entire diss track aimed at Kweli called “Beef Forever” in which he brings up Kweli’s ex-wife, DJ Eque, who filed for divorce in 2021.
“You might have went around with the Lyricist Lounge, but the underground know who got the Lyricist Crown/So you should be afraid, watch the levels EQ/You should know that night I could’ve left with Eque.” He also references rapper Res and the sexual harassment claims she levied against him in 2018. “You probably so afraid of that left from Eque, and that’s the reason why them other girls got #MeToo’d/You never been more than a Mr. Me Too, and you don’t really want no smoke with the one I too, n####/ We got beef forever, once we got beef we got beef forever.”
Naturally, it didn’t take long for Kweli to respond via Instagram, his preferred social media platform since being booted from Twitter. In an attempt to defend himself, he dragged Akademiks and his ex’s recent sexual assault allegations into it.
“‘That’s why Trumps my guy, he keeps it a bean! – DJ Wackademiks – NGL I didn’t have Dexter and Wackademiks alliance on my 2023 bingo card,” he captioned the post. “You can tell these knee grows have no friends this song [trash] How @constv mad at me for saying what he be saying about Kanye two years before he said it and @akademiks I been waiting for your Jerry the Mouse ass to jump out the window. So Trump the nazi rapist is your guy huh.”
Kweli later claimed Akademiks and Consequence “conspired” to release “Beef Forever” on the media personality’s Instagram page.
“Today @akademiks ex girlfriend accused Akademiks of rape,” he continued. “Dexter really needs better friends. The language @akademiks used to describe @constv diss song about me was ‘violate.’ This man sure does know a thing or two about how to violate. What’s crazy is @constv (Dexter) started stalking me in defense of Kanye, a man he now says the same things about that I said two years before he did. When called out for this behavior, @constv falsely accused me of being raped by Afrika Bambatta. Let’s say that horrible thing happened, which it didn’t, but if it did, I would not be something to laugh about.
“Both @akademiks and @constv hang out with Tekashi 6ix9ine. @constv had his son around 6ix9ine. 6ix9ine was arrested for raping a minor. @akademiks and @constv are also Trump supporters. Trump was indicted for rape. Trump was also Jeffrey Epstein codefendant in a child molestation case. These are not coincidences. Birds of a feather indeed. The universe is listening. @akademiks I told you that you were next.”
But Cons fired back, sharing a headline about Talib Kweli being accused of sexual harassment by rapper Res and comparing him to R. Kelly. As he wrote in the caption, “Hey @akademiks. Don’t worry about DJ Chicken Fingers. He’s the BackPack version of R.Kelly. Promising Deals For The Panties. Knowing Full Well…He A Vaseline Boy. ‘You probably so afraid of that left from EQ/And that’s the reason why those other girls got Me Too’ed’ via NoCapCons.”
He also shared a photo of Kweli on his wedding day and wrote, “Look at this SausageHead (Pause). Couldn’t keep her huh @talibkweli. She wouldn’t get the Vaseline from Costco huh…I don’t blame her though. At least you still got The Native Tongues. #BEEFFOREVER.” Keep scrolling to see them all.
It’s no secret Freddie Gibbs doesn’t care for Akademiks. The Alfredo rapper laid into the polarizing media personality for days on end in 2020 after Akademiks said Gibbs was “absolutely irrelevant” if Jeezy is, a reference to a comment Gibbs made about his former CTE World boss during an interview—and it’s been on ever since. So when a woman from Akademiks’ past accused him of sexual assault last week, Gibbs took the opportunity to roast the former Everyday Struggle co-host.
“Let the disrespect be as loud as the disrespect,” Gibbs wrote. He added, “@Akademiks quiet as a church mouse today happy new year U rapist a## b####,” before calling him a “hoe a## n###a.” He then vowed, “I’mma come to court and slap U.”
@Akademiks quiet as a church mouse today happy new year U rapist ass b####.
Akademiks inadvertently invited the drama into his life during an episode of his podcast in which he claimed he caught his ex hooking up with two of his friends. He said after passing out, he found security footage of the woman with the men the next morning.
“[I was] shaming her,” Ak said. “I said to her, you came to my house and had two n##### just f### you raw. I ain’t seen no condom, no nothing. I told her, you should go get tested, that’s wild. From that moment, the denial shifted. And she kept trying to pivot on the denial to ‘send me the video.’ My homies did not tell me they f##### her. At that point I only seen it on my security camera.”
The woman, Ziya Abashe, quickly took to social media to tell her side of the story.
“For you to pretend you didn’t do anything? That I just went to your house and I’m some thot, like we didn’t know each other for 2 years. You tried to save yourself after your friends assaulted me. Whether or not you got drunk or not. I know that when you woke up, you were on top of me too. You raped me too.”
Following the podcast, Abashe said a rape kit was conducted and encouraged Akademiks to come clean. She added, “I look crazy right now, but I’m not going to stand here and let this man continue to lie about me. That’s not what happened Akademiks, you know that’s not what happened.”
Akademiks has been accused of questionable behavior concerning women multiple times. Purported texts from him to a young girl are also making the rounds. Find them below.
Allegedly akademiks is linking & flying out underage girls & keeping in contact with girls to turn 18 to have sex with. This is a new story & their are multiple girls coming out about him making them drink to the point their unconscious & unresponsive so he can assault them pic.twitter.com/anE2QiChln
Cardi B and Offset have supposedly been estranged for some time, but that’s not how it looked on New Year’s Eve. The husband and wife duo spent the holiday together at a Miami strip club and appeared to be having a good time. In a clip circulating online, Cardi and Offset toss money into the crowd as the music bumps. But according to the “Bodak Yellow” rapper, that doesn’t mean they have reconciled. As she said on Twitter, “We not together.. we together when I say so not when you THINK so.”
The meetup was rather convenient considering both the Migos member and Cardi B were in Miami for a performance at Fontainebleau Miami Beach. Offset was performing at LIV, while Cardi was booked poolside. The two were previously spotted together in New York City around Christmas, but Cardi once again denied they were back on.
Cardi B and Offset got married in 2017 and went on to have two children together. However, their relationship has been marred by infidelity rumors since the beginning. More recently, Blueface claimed Offset hooked up with his ex Chrisean Rock. Cardi seemed to have had enough and went on social media to rant about their split.
This motherf###er really liked to play games with me when I’m at my most vulnerable time, when I’m not the most confident, he liked to play games with me, because he knows I’m not an easy girl,” Cardi said. “You really been f###ng feeling yourself, you b#### a## n###a, with your b#### a## album and s##t, and you’ve really been f###ing doing me dirty after so many f###ng years that I motherf###ng helped your a##, not even a f###ing thank you did I get from your b#### a##! I’m so f###ing tired of it!”
Elsewhere she tweeted, “@OffsetYRN you a b#### a## n#### …and trust me imma f###in take it there! Motherf###as will try you when you at ya lowest and your most vulnerable time.. you out here feeling yourself but trust me the tables turn.”
Cardi B confirmed their breakup on December 11 after Blueface claimed Offset slept with Chrisean Rock. She wrote: “I don’t know if you guys been getting clues for me from my Lives or from my Stories when I put some certain music or find my own followings. When it comes to today’s events, I don’t know if it’s true. I don’t think it’s true. I don’t care to find out because I’ve been single for a minute now.”
She added she didn’t think Offset cheated on her with Rock but also didn’t “care to find out.” She continued, “I want to start 2024 fresh, open. I’m curious for a new life, a new beginning. I’m excited.”
Colman Domingo has revealed he didn’t get a role in “Boardwalk Empire” because of his skin color.
The “Euphoria” actor revealed to The New York Times that he auditioned for the role of a maître d’ at a Black-owned nightclub in the Prohibition-era drama in 2014, the final year of its run. Domingo received a callback following his audition, in which he sang and tap danced in a tuxedo, and he thought the role would be his big break.
According to the article, “There was just one problem, his agent said. After the callback, a historical researcher on the show reminded producers that the maître d’s in those nightclubs were typically light-skinned, and Domingo was not. ‘Boardwalk Empire’ had passed.”
Domingo received the news while he was in the gym, and he later declared to his husband at home that he was ready to quit acting.
“That’s when I lost my mind,” he recalled. “I can’t take it anymore, I think this is going to kill me.” However, the 54-year-old eventually decided to keep pursuing his career, and his determination has paid off in the last few years.
In 2022, he won the Emmy for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series for his performance as Ali in “Euphoria,” and he is currently nominated for a Golden Globe and Critics Choice Award for his portrayal of civil rights activist Bayard Rustin in the movie “Rustin.”
He also stars in the new movie musical adaptation of “The Color Purple” alongside Taraji P. Henson, Fantasia Barrino and Danielle Brooks.
Uncle Murda‘s annual New Year’s Eve “Rap Up” has become just as much a tradition as the ball drop in Times Square. Like clockwork, the gruff sound of Murda’s voice rang in 2024 with more than six minutes of highlights from the past 365 days. The track begins with an old clip from Trick Daddy calling Murda “the No. 1 clown for the last five years.”
Summing up Uncle Murda’s schtick, it continues, “You take people’s unfortunate disasters. You take people’s downward spirals in life. You take the things that people go through within a year, [and] you sit there and put it in a song. You mention the dead. You mention victims. You mention everybody. You mention people’s money, wives, children. You’re disrespectful.”
And, of course, Diddy was one of those people whose “unfortunate disasters” made the cut—almost immediately. From there, Murda dives into the fentanyl crisis and suggests Jamie Foxx did some coked laced with the powerful pain killer and came back “looking like a f###king clone.” He also claims Blueface became the “first rapper to f### Soulja Boy’s baby mother.”
Donald Trump’s infamous mug shot, Young Thug’s seemingly endless RICO trial, Troy Ave testifying against Taxstone and Joe Budden vs. Drake beef brings listeners into the third minute of the track before Uncle Murda goes into the messy infidelity rumors between Cardi B, Offset and Chrisean Rock. He also brings up Sexyy Red’s sex tape and imagines she probably got pregnant while filming it.
Murda then takes a shot at Megan Thee Stallion, calling her a “ho” when referring to Tory Lanez’s conviction for allegedly shooting her. Next, he addresses André 3000’s flute album, saying, “André 3000 finally put some s### out/Honestly, he was better not putting s### out/I was trying to catch a vibe but I just can’t catch that s###/All he did was play flutes, I wish he would have said some s###.”
“Rap Up 2023” feels shorter than past efforts, which Murda admits toward the end, saying “I ain’t even finished it/I still got so much s### to pop.” Listen to what he did finish in full below and expect two more installments in the coming days.
The cinematic landscape of 2023 offered viewers an extraordinary range of talent and creativity, highlighting the best in modern filmmaking. From the historical drama of Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer to the emotional depth and visual of Martin Scorsese’s Killers of The Flower Moon, these films demonstrate the immense potential of cinema to captivate and engage audiences. The year also saw groundbreaking advancements in visual storytelling, as evident in the animated marvel Spiderman: Across The Spiderverse, and the action-packed, politically loaded They Cloned Tyrone. Each film on this list, whether it be the heart-wrenching narrative of The Iron Claw or the directorial finesse in Creed III, serves as a testament to the evolving artistry and technical prowess in the world of cinematography. These top 10 films of 2023 not only entertained but also pushed the boundaries of what can be achieved through the lens of a camera, offering viewers a rich tapestry of stories and visuals.
2023 was a remarkable year for cinema, showcasing a plethora of exceptional movies both in theaters and on streaming platforms. Here are 10 of our favorites for 2023, along with a few other notable mentions. – Chuck “Jigsaw” Creekmur and Chris “Boogie” Brown
Killers of The Flower Moon
Killers of the Flower Moon, Martin Scorsese’s latest 3.5-hour epic, is a gripping true crime story set in the 1920s. It centers on the harrowing serial murders of the Osage Tribe in Oklahoma, following the discovery of oil on their land. Adapted from journalist David Grann’s book, the screenplay, co-written by Scorsese and Eric Roth, unveils a dark chapter in American history.
The film explores two distinct groups: the Osage Tribe, who gain wealth and prestige from the oil, and a band of unscrupulous men driven by greed. These men plot to seize the Tribe’s inheritance, resulting in the brutal murder of many Osage members.
Leonardo DiCaprio stars as Ernest Burkhart, nephew to the manipulative rancher and politician William King Hale, played by Robert De Niro. Burkhart, back from World War I, finds work as a driver, introducing him to Mollie, a wealthy Osage heiress portrayed by Lily Gladstone. Their ensuing relationship, marred by Hale’s sinister plans, ignites a series of tragic events.
Scorsese’s masterful storytelling and direction, combined with profound performances, create a film that resonates deeply. The movie examines themes of prejudice, deception, and corruption, highlighting the injustices faced by the Osage Tribe. Scorsese’s commitment to authenticity is evident through his consultations with Osage Tribal Leaders, ensuring accuracy in the portrayal of the Tribe’s customs and language. Furthermore, his attention to detail is second to none. Case in point: he subtly intercects the Osage massacre with the savage bombing of Black Wall Street, both in Oklahoma.
Spanning 3.5 hours, the film methodically unfolds this harrowing tale. It alternates between a Western, a love story, a thriller, and a crime drama, reminiscent of Scorsese’s iconic mob films. The first half of the movie spotlights the Osage Tribe’s prosperity and later their dehumanization, leading to deception and murder. The second half focuses on the FBI’s investigation and subsequent trial, seeking justice for the heinous crimes.
Killers of the Flower Moon boasts an ensemble cast, including Brendan Fraser, Jesse Plemons, and John Lithgow. However, the standout performances are from Gladstone, DiCaprio, and De Niro. Gladstone delivers a compelling portrayal of Mollie, balancing warmth and vulnerability. DiCaprio, in his seventh collaboration with Scorsese, expertly navigates the complexities of his character’s divided loyalties. De Niro, in his eleventh project with Scorsese, immerses himself in the role of Hale, masterfully depicting his character’s malevolence.
Killers of the Flower Moon is a testament to Scorsese’s unparalleled filmmaking, which is why it is our movie of the year.
We interviewed several Native rappers and asked their views on the movie. Watch it here.
Christopher Nolan’s filmography is impressive, and Oppenheimer stands out as his magnum opus and the best-directed film of his career. The film excels in craftsmanship, historical accuracy, screenplay, performances, production, and technical merits, making it a profound character study deserving of its acclaim, regardless of its box office success.
This is quite possibly the best Godzilla movie ever made. It’s not just the Kaiju backdrop that impresses; the compelling human story is emotionally riveting. The blend of story, direction, performances, mayhem, visuals, and score makes it a standout.
This sequel to 2018’s Into The Spiderverse is another animation triumph. It offers heart, great characters, an engaging story, world-building, and thrilling action. The cliffhanger ending leaves the world eager for the next installment.
They Cloned Tyrone
They Cloned Tyrone stars John Boyega (Tyrone), Teyonah Parris, and Jamie Foxx as peculiar characters in a gripping pursuit of a sinister government conspiracy. This Juel Taylor-directed mystery is a unique proposition in a world of cookie-cutter movies and remakes. The film stands out with its intelligent and stylish execution. They Cloned Tyrone not only captivates with its distinctive storyline but also shines through its outstanding performances and a well-crafted script, courtesy of co-writer Tony Rettenmaier. The film is a classic and enjoyable watch that sets conspiracy theorists and sci-fi bluffs ablaze.
Past Lives
This Korean language film, a stunning directorial debut by Celine Long, is a unique and thought-provoking take on love and relationships spanning from childhood to adulthood. It’s a complex love story backed by excellent performances and is an A24 gem worth watching.
The Covenant
A gripping, emotional military drama packed with high stakes, tension, action, and a spirit of courage. Guy Ritchie’s direction and the powerhouse performances of Jake Gyllenhaal and Dar Salim make this my favorite film of Ritchie’s to date.
Creed III
Michael B. Jordan’s directorial debut is impressive, featuring a strong story, relatable themes, great performances, and thrilling fight choreography. It’s a fitting end to the franchise, yet leaves a desire for more of “Adonis Creed.“
The seventh entry in this 27-year franchise is filled with thrills, action, and excitement. Christopher McQuarrie’s direction, along with Tom Cruise’s charismatic leadership and the cast’s great performances, make it one of my favorites of the year.
A powerful and emotional film based on the true story of the Von Erich family in Texas wrestling. Zac Efron’s performance, arguably the best of his career, anchors this gut-wrenching film.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQlZraTTr34
Another notable films include John Wick: Chapter 4, Air, Blackberry, Anatomy of a Fall, The Creator, Extraction 2, Equalizer 3, Dream Scenario, Sisu, A Haunting in Venice, Big George Foreman, No One Will Save You, Reptile, Thanksgiving, and Grand Turismo.
Cardi B felt like she was “fighting for her life” before her New Year’s Eve performance in Florida on Sunday. The “Bodak Yellow” rapper posted a video on her Instagram Stories hours before her performance to reveal that she felt “so sick.”
“I’m literally fighting for my life right now,” she told her followers. “I am so sick. I don’t understand right because when I was in New York, I was going out with sweaters, toes out, everything. I was good.”
Cardi B joked that she is “allergic to Florida” as she started to feel unwell as soon as she arrived in Miami.
“It doesn’t even make no sense. As soon as I landed four hours later, I got a little cough. My chest started getting tight,” she explained. “Bro, I’ve been fighting for three days and I have a huge performance later. Huge performance. Like, alright, I get that it’s New Year’s but I have this huge performance and I’m fighting, fighting.”
https://youtu.be/vL3NPLJAVSI
Despite her illness, Cardi still went ahead with her performance at the Fontainebleau Miami Beach resort as part of Dick Clark’s Rockin’ New Year’s Eve.
A few days earlier, the musician told her followers on X, formerly known as Twitter, that she was leaving “toxic” energy behind in 2023.
“I must be a lil toxic cuz I enjoyed cursing ya out today… but we not taking that into 2024,” she wrote. “Now have a good day. No make it a bad day!”
Cardi B wrote the message after shutting down speculation that she had reconciled with her estranged husband Offset.
Trey Songz is once again being accused of abhorrent behavior toward women—even though the source’s reputation is undeniably questionable. According to Celina Powell—who’s been at the center of multiple controversies surrounding her alleged involvement with a cornucopia of rappers—Songz not only kidnapped her for two days, but he also starved her and refused to give them water. The infamous “groupie” recently sat down with the We In Miami podcast and recounted her alleged run-in with the singer.
“F### Trey Songz, and I’m going to stand on that,” she begins. “That stupid little kidnapper stole my phone and kidnapped me. Mr. Steal Your Girl really be stealing b######.”
She continues, “The short version is he saw me at a club…me and him exchanged a few DMs. He was like, ‘f### no.’ Then he seen me in person and was like, ‘OK, come here.’ We went there because I was like, ‘Sign me up. I’m a w####.’ And then he was like, ‘OK, give me your phone.’ I gave him my phone and he wouldn’t give me back my phone. He threw it over his balcony. Kidnapped us for the whole two days. Didn’t feed us. Didn’t give us no water. Nothing.”
When asked if she was actually having fun, she shouted, “Hell no! I would have been down to f### him, but the way he went about it…hell no.” But then one of the hosts asks point blank if she actually did. She replies, “It’s like a dark topic” and didn’t deny or confirm whether she had sex with him.
Trey Songz has been sued multiple times for sexual assault. More recently, a Jane Doe filed a $10 million sexual battery and assault lawsuit, which accused the 38-year-old of grabbing and exposing her breast while at a pool party. The woman claims the incident took place at the Foxwoods’ Resort Casino on Connecticut’s Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation reservation in August 2013. Songz was at the resort hosting an event where the woman wanted to get a picture with him. The woman previously issued a demand for a $5 million settlement to settle out of court in April 2022 to no avail.
In February, another Jane Doe filed a $25 million civil case against Songz, 300 Entertainment founder Kevin Liles and Atlantic Records over claims he sodomized her during a party in March 2016 and left her needing medical attention.
Former college basketball player Dylan Gonzalez accused Songz in January 2022 of raping her nine years earlier in Las Vegas, following reports he was being investigated for a separate allegation of sexual assault at a Las Vegas hotel in November 2021. That same year, a Miami woman refiled a suit against Songz claiming that he assaulted her at a nightclub at a New Year’s Day party in 2018.
NDIKWENDA’ is the African inspired new single from Greek producer Stavros Zacharias with 10,000,000 streams on all its music platforms. Coming from the prestigious Greek producer Stavros Zacharias is this final single of the year entitled ‘Ndikwenda,’ seeing out 2023 in emphatic fashion. Inspired by African culture and the rich vivid nature of its music scene, Stavros worked with the remarkable female artist Lano to produce this hit, boasting interwoven timbres of contemporary electronic music fused with the sounds of traditional African music; a combination that works effortlessly well.
Spending hours in the studio to perfect the track, Stavros ingeniously employed the use of natural instruments such as the shamanic drums and flute which contributed significantly to the overall sound. With the help of the talented Michalis Papathanasiou who aided the mixing and mastering of the track, ‘Ndikwenda’ was born – be sure to not miss out on this standout single to see out 2023.
Dave Chappelle is up to his old tricks, taking aim at marginalized communities in his latest Netflix special, The Dreamer. The famed comedian’s new set includes several jokes targeting the trans community and disabled people, once again enraging a portion of the LGBTQ+ population.
For the first 12 minutes, he focuses on trans people, telling a story about visiting actor Jim Carrey while he was shooting the 1999 film Man on the Moon, in which he went method on set while portraying comedian Andy Kaufman. Chappelle recalls being “very disappointed” that he spent the day speaking to Carrey pretending to be Kaufman, ending by saying, “That’s how trans people make me feel.”
Chappelle, who has joked about the LGBTQ+ community numerous times during his standup routines, addressed the controversy, saying, “If you guys came here to this show tonight thinking that I’m going to make fun of those people again, you’ve come to the wrong show. I’m not f###ing with those people anymore. It wasn’t worth the trouble. I ain’t saying s### about them. Maybe three or four times tonight, but that’s it.
“I’m tired of talking about them. And you want to know why I’m tired of talking about them? Because these people acted like I needed them to be funny. Well, that’s ridiculous. I don’t need you. I got a whole new angle coming. You guys will never see this s### coming. I ain’t doing trans jokes no more.”
Instead, Chappelle said, he was going to start joking about “handicapped” people because “they’re not as organized as the gays. And I love punching down.”
He eventually circled back to the trans topic with, “To be honest with you, I’ve been trying to repair my relationship with the transgender community cause I don’t want them to think that I don’t like them. You know how I’ve been repairing it? I wrote a play. I did. Cause I know that gays love plays. It’s a very sad play, but it’s moving. It’s about a Black transgender woman whose pronoun is, sadly, n####a. It’s a tear-jerker. At the end of the play she dies of loneliness cause white liberals don’t know how to speak to her. It’s sad.”
He added, “God forbid I ever go to jail. But if I do, I hope it’s in California. Soon as the judge sentences me, I’ll be like, ‘Before you sentence me, I want the court to know I identify as a woman. Send me to a woman’s jail.’ As soon I get in there, you know what I’mma be doing. ‘Give me your fruit cocktail, b####, before I knock your motherf###ing teeth out. I’m a girl, just like you, b####. Come here and suck this girl d### I got. Don’t make me explain myself. I’m a girl.’”
Chappelle’s 2021 Netflix special, The Closer, incited Netflix employee walk-outs and protests in solidarity with the LGBTQ+ community. Netflix’s Ted Sarandos initially defended Chappelle and his right to artistic freedom in a memo distributed among Netflix employees but later said he “screwed up.”
Par for the course, there are several people outraged about Chappelle’s jokes and are voicing their opinions on social media. Check a few of them out below.
f### whether or not you “can” joke about people, how are people not tired of dave chappelle just doing the same shtick over and over? you anti-trans people would eat the s### out the toilet if someone told you trans folks said you couldn’t
I think it’s extremely weird and probably telling (in a way that only a shrink could unpack) that Dave Chappelle, one of the sharpest comedians to ever stand on a stage, is still out here antagonizing trans folks. Hard to reckon with what a disappointment he has turned out to be.
Chaka Khan is done with touring. The “Ain’t Nobody” hitmaker confirmed that she intends to stop touring, although she will continue to perform live on select occasions
Elaborating on her decision, the 70-year-old explained that there is more to her life than music.
“Some people, that’s all they have, you know? I got this rich-ass life. I’ve got great-grandchildren I want to get to know better,” she stated. “So I will not do another tour. I’ll do dates, but it won’t look like a tour. They’ll be far enough apart that I can have time to sleep in between.”
When asked if she would ever retire, the singer joked about musicians who dip in and out of retirement. “Well, I might do that three or four times, like other b###### do,” she quipped.
Khan is next scheduled to perform in Los Angeles in January, and she has several shows lined up in the U.K. in June and July. Elsewhere in the interview, Chaka Khan ended her feud with Kanye West and claimed that she doesn’t “really care” about her musical legacy.
“I would hope that some of my s### has some longevity, but if it doesn’t, that’ll be because hopefully somebody better has come along,” she said. “I just hope that the art form doesn’t get so screwed up with stupid s### – kids today think that every instrument can be played on a keyboard. Instruments have to be introduced once again to these kids.”
Akademiks is currently embroiled in serious sexual assault allegations. The allegations arose after former partner Ziya Abashe accused him and his friends of sexual assault and rape in a video posted on Saturday (December 30.)
“For you to pretend you didn’t do anything?” she said. “That I just went to your house and I’m some thot, like we didn’t know each other for 2 years. You tried to save yourself after your friends assaulted me. Whether or not you got drunk or not. I know that when you woke up, you were on top of me too. You raped me too.”
A woman claims DJ Akademiks and his homeboys ran a train on her..
she went on saying everybody was drunk and alleges that she was r*ped by Akademiks and crew..
Abashe’s video was in response to Akademiks’ own account of an incident, where he claimed to have found footage of the woman engaging in sexual activities with his friends while he was passed out.
The situation began to unfold when Akademiks spoke about inviting a woman to his house on an episode of his podcast. He alleged that after passing out, he found security footage of the woman with his friends the next morning.
“[I was] shaming her,” Ak said. “I said to her, you came to my house and had two n***** just f*** you raw. I ain’t seen no condom, no nothing. I told her, you should go get tested, that’s wild. From that moment, the denial shifted. And she kept trying to pivot on the denial to ‘send me the video.’ My homies did not tell me they f***** her. At that point I only seen it on my security camera.”
Following the podcast, Abashe claimed Akademiks’ story was incorrect, accusing him of participating in the assault himself. Abashe has stated that a rape kit was conducted.
“I look crazy right now, but I’m not going to stand here and let this man continue to lie about me,” she said. “That’s not what happened Akademiks, you know that’s not what happened.”
There’s been significant social media reaction to these allegations, with many users expressing outrage and supporting the woman’s claims.
Additionally, Akademiks has been accused of being abusive toward women in the past, with a former girlfriend reportedly claiming he behaved “pervy” and would only initiate sexual activity after getting drunk.
Akademiks or however tf you spells his s### is going under the jail. That n#### should’ve been locked tf up so many years ago or somebody should beat his ass into ICU and every time he tried to get out, got sent right tf back in.
Megan Thee Stallion is “disciplined and determined” about maintaining her fitness routine amid her busy schedule.
The ‘Hot Girl Summer” hitmaker admitted there are “tough days” when she may not be motivated to hit the gym, especially when she’s working and traveling, but she inspires herself to go by remembering the health benefits.
“There are always going to be tough days, but I remind myself that exercise is an investment into my long-term physical and mental health,” she stated.
“It goes back to being disciplined and determined, even while on the road. I work really hard to maintain my fitness routine and stay committed to getting the results I want.”
The 28-year-old rapper, who has partnered with Planet Fitness, noted that physical and mental health “go hand-in-hand,” so she prioritizes exercising because it gives her “mental clarity” and more energy.
While she is excellent at motivating herself, Megan added that having “a strong support system” also helps her stay on track.
“It also comes down to having good people around you to be your gym accountability partner,” she stated.
In addition to her workouts, the rapper is also very disciplined about her diet.
“Having a healthy and balanced diet is a huge part of my process. I’ve integrated a lot of fruit and vegetables into my meals – I love protein-rich meals and I drink lots of healthy smoothies – so I’m definitely proud of the adjustments I’ve made,” she explained. “It takes a lot of discipline and consistency, but I try to be extra health-conscious with everything I put into my body.”
