Hip-Hop
Halsey Launches Fund to Amplify Black Creators’ ‘Art, Voice and Perspective’
Halsey is stepping up her support for the Black Lives Matter movement by launching a special fund to help black creators. The Black Creators Fund will provide financial support, resources and a platform to black creators, the singer explains in a statement posted to Instagram. “Looking for black creators who want to enrich the world with their work,” she writes, “use #BLACKCREATORSFUND & tag your favorite black creators in the comments.” Launching Thursday (June 11), the fund will help amplify black artists’ voice and perspective, read a statement. The initiative is an ongoing one, and it’ll be entirely funded by the Halsey team. “If you’re an artist, poet, graphic designer, writer, film maker, music producer, journalist, make up artist, or creator of any kind,” reads the launch statem...
Saint Jhn Remembers the ‘Real Superheroes,’ Launches Fundraising T-shirts
SAINt JHN is paying tribute to the real superheroes of this world. The “Roses” rapper has released a special edition t-shirt to honor George Floyd and the countless Black lives lost to police brutality. The “Real Superheroes Tees” feature a pair of powerful designs. On the front is an artwork of some devilish protesters, accompanying the words: “Not Travon, Not Eric, Not Sandra, Not Ahmaud, Not Breonna, Not George, Not Looters, Not A Riot, Not America, Not This Time, Not A Cult.” On the back is a burning map of the United States, containing at its heart a poignant letter. The shirts are available from the hip-hop artist’s apparel and lifestyle brand Christian Sex Club, with all proceeds going to Equal Justice Initiative, a not-for-profit committed to ending mass incarceration a...
Russell Simmons Accuser Criticizes ‘Breakfast Club’ for Giving Him a Platform
Following the debut of HBO Max’s sexual assault documentary On the Record — which features accounts from multiple women accusing Russell Simmons of rape — the hip-hop mogul was invited onto The Breakfast Club, where he once again denied the allegations against him. “Back then, I thought it was a game…. There were no Black actresses that I didn’t date and they’re my friends today,” Simmons said on the long-running radio show. “They don’t have the experience of me being a monster the movie makes me out to be.” He later added, “I can never say that someone doesn’t feel victimized. I can tell you that I don’t feel that I victimized them.” Not long after the interview was posted online, Sil Lai Abrams — one of Russell’s accusers featured in ...
MoneyBagg Yo Plays Golf & Hangs Out With His Kids in ‘Cold Shoulder’ Video: Watch
HIP-HOP 6/10/2020 In efforts to push his lauded album Time Served, MoneyBagg Yo ventures to the golf course for his “Cold Shoulder” video. Not only does the Memphis powerhouse practice his swing, but he also manages to squeeze in family time with his children. “Barely say no to my kids, been like that since I birthed ’em / DeMoney a spittin’ image of me, his mama say I cursed him,” he raps on the candid track. Last month, MoneyBagg hurled out the deluxe album for Time Served, which included seven new tracks. Features include Lil Baby, Rylo Rodriguez, Big Homiee G, and Big 30. In January, Time Served debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard 200, marking a career-high for MoneyBagg. So far, he notched two Gold records from the proj...
Chika Slams ‘Selfish’ YG for Filming Music Video During Los Angeles Protest
As protests continue to rise across the nation demanding justice for George Floyd and the entire Black Lives Matter movement, YG joined the Los Angeles demonstrations over the weekend–but Chika is calling him out for misusing his platform. “YG said he here to shoot a video,” the rapper and activist tweeted on Sunday (June 7) from the crowd. “I would like to go home. this feels incredibly disingenuous. but im glad people showed up.” “shooting a music video while breonna taylor’s killers are still walking the streets is f—ing disgusting,” she continued. Last week, YG shared his protest song “FTP (F— the Police),” which features lyrics like, “F— pig, f— bacon / I don’t eat pork, I replaced...
YG Plays ‘FTP’ During L.A. Protest: ‘All of Us Protesting Are on the Same Side’
As celebrities continue to protest across the nation in hopes of accelerating justice for George Floyd and the entire Black Lives Matter movement, YG participated in the action and had a resounding message for his detractors over the weekend. “For anyone out there talking I don’t question your advocacy and don’t think you should question mine,” he wrote in an Instagram post Monday (June 8) after protesting in Los Angeles alongside BLM co-founder Patrisse Cullors, Melina Abdullah of BLM LA and Kendrick Sampson in Hollywood. “See you gotta understand that a lot of people out there they see me as a N—a. They don’t see the black proud man. They see a kid from Bompton and they expect violence. They hear FTP and they think I’m gonna come and burn m...
Song of the Week: Run the Jewels’ “walking in the snow” Proves Tragically Prophetic
Song of the Week breaks down and talks about the song we just can’t get out of our head each week. Find these songs and more on our Spotify New Sounds playlist. After months of being cooped up inside and watching a so-called “invisible” enemy take the lives of thousands of our fellow Americans (and many more of our global brothers and sisters), the idea of returning to normalcy has been on many of our minds. Sadly, for some, the COVID-19 pandemic has been a deadly reminder that some things haven’t changed much. Poor communities, of course, are being hit hardest by the virus, challenging living conditions and less access to proper health care leading to a disproportionate number of deaths in many Black neighborhoods and other minority communities. And despite our country being devastated by...
Megan Thee Stallion Kicks Off Summer for ‘Dear Class of 2020′ With Sizzling Medley
The class of 2020’s graduation after party officially got its start with Megan Thee Stallion Sunday night (June 7). The rapper performed an at-home, virtual medley oozing of summer house party vibes right after this year’s all-star YouTube ceremony came to an end. Her nearly 10-minute set included “Big Ole Freak,” “Hot Girl Summer,” “Captain Hook,” “Cash Shit” and “Savage.” As Katy Perry said during her “Dear Class of 2020” appearance before the fete began, “a global graduation deserves a party for the ages.” “Congratulations to the class of 2020! Have a hot girl summer!” Megan said to the camera as her music wrapped. Sunday’s virtual graduation opened at 3 p.m. ET on YouT...
When Ahmaud Arbery’s Lawyers Couldn’t Get to Court, JAY-Z Sent a Private Jet
Blerim Elmazi and S. Lee Merritt, via Instagram, and Jay-Z, photo by Amy Price On June 4th, two lawyers representing the family of Ahmaud Arbery — the 25-year-old black man who, last February, was murdered while jogging through his Georgia neighborhood– found themselves without transportation to a court hearing in Brunswick, GA. After unsuccessfully trying to purchase plane tickets or rent a car, Blerim Elmazi and S. Lee Merritt were rescued by rapper JAY-Z, who chartered a private jet to fly them to the courthouse on time. “[Merritt] and I spent hours trying to find flights or cars,” Elmazi wrote in an Instagram statement. “At 1 am we started losing hope till we got a call from Jay Z’s people at Roc Nation who chartered a flight for us to attend this hearing with the family of Ahmaud Arbe...
Janelle Monae, Kelly Rowland & More Recite Maya Angelou Poem For YouTube’s Dear Class of 2020 Celebration
Tracee Ellis Ross, Kelly Rowland, Shonda Rhimes, Yara Shahidi, Janelle Monae and more recited Maya Angelou’s “Still I Rise” poem during YouTube’s virtual “Dear Class of 2020″ commencement celebration on Sunday (June 7). Each woman took turns reading lines from the poem such as, “Does my sexiness upset you?/ Does it come as a surprise/ That I dance like I’ve got diamonds/ At the meeting of my thighs?” The montage also featured clips of Angelou herself, as well as Misty Copeland dancing alone in a ballet studio. Watch the clip below. [embedded content] You Deserve to Make Money Even When you are looking for Dates Online. So we reimagined what a dating should be. It begins with giving you back power. Get to meet Beautiful people, chat and make money in the process. Ear...
Run the Jewels’ RTJ4 Takes Aim at Systemic Oppression amid National Uprising: Review
The Lowdown: Run the Jewels 4, which was released on June 3rd (two days earlier than originally announced), couldn’t have come at a better time. The duo, comprised of hip-hop mainstays Killer Mike and El-P, have ostensibly grown since their 2013 self-titled debut album. It’s imperative to recognize that the… Please click the link below to read the full article. Run the Jewels’ RTJ4 Takes Aim at Systemic Oppression amid National Uprising: Review Matt Melis You Deserve to Make Money Even When you are looking for Dates Online. So we reimagined what a dating should be. It begins with giving you back power. Get to meet Beautiful people, chat and make money in the process. Earn rewards by chatting, sharing photos, blogging and help give users back their fair share of Internet revenu...
How to Watch YouTube Originals’ ‘Dear Class of 2020′ All-Star Commencement
YouTube Originals’ “Dear Class of 2020” commencement ceremony, featuring Barack and Michelle Obama, Beyoncé, BTS, Lady Gaga, Maluma and more, will officially commence Sunday, June 7 at 3:00 p.m. ET. The four-hour virtual graduation, which was pushed back a day to honor George Floyd’s memorial service, will open with Lizzo and the New York Philharmonic performing “Pomp and Circumstance” and remarks from Alicia Keys. At the end of the celebration, Katy Perry will lead the graduates in the monumental tassel turn. Check out Sunday’s full line-up of commencement speakers, performers, featured celebrity guests and YouTube creators here. Viewers can attend the virtual ceremony by watching the livestream on the YouTube Originals channel and the L...
