Latin Rap Star Maluma for British GQ Hype!
When Maluma was 15, he decided he would be one of two things: Colombia's greatest footballer or Colombia’s biggest pop star. Having spent years training in his hometown of Medellín with his team, Atlético Nacional, he took a gamble, told his coach he was quitting and, for his 16th birthday, asked his aunt to pay for the studio time he needed to record his first song.
“People used to laugh at me; they thought that I wasn’t going to make it,” he says, over Zoom from his apartment in Miami, wearing a dark-green Anti Social Social Club T-shirt, two pairs of small hoop earrings and an Audemars Piguet. “But I realised that the only way I could live a happy life was making music.”
The risk paid off: a decade later Maluma has found a massive global audience for his Spanish-language pop, with one of the largest social media followings in music – 57.5 million on Instagram, 20.7m more than Harry Styles – and 35.5m listeners per month on Spotify alone. He’s collaborated with Black Eyed Peas, Madonna and, most recently, The Weeknd for his “Hawái” remix, where the Canadian sang in Spanish for the first time, giving Maluma his highest-charting hit in the US yet.
The 27-year-old is a fashion-scene favourite, working with everyone from Louis Vuitton to Adidas, as well as a recent Calvin Klein campaign. He has been invited to sit on front rows from Paris to Milan, performed at Dolce & Gabbana’s Fall 2018 menswear show and, in 2020, made it onto the GQ Most Stylish list. For Maluma's most recent world tour, 11:11, Kim Jones designed a bespoke wardrobe, adapted from Dior’s SS20 menswear collection. “For the next one, we’ve been speaking with Balmain’s Olivier Rousteing.” Oh, and he’s also about to make his acting debut in a major Hollywood romcom, alongside Jennifer Lopez.
So, how did Maluma, who has had 20 No1s on Billboard's Latin Airplay chart in the last three years alone, go from local hero to selling out venues as sizeable as Madison Square Garden and Wembley Arena?
Born Juan Luis Londoño, his trajectory is best understood within the wider context of the Latin music boom that has been bubbling since 2017, when Puerto Rican artists Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee released “Despacito”, which became the most-watched video in the history of YouTube. Now, Spanish-language pop is global, with YouTube reporting that it makes up around 30 per cent of its top 100 videos in a given week. Maluma is one of the platform’s most powerful players, with 27.4m subscribers and tens of billions of views across his videos.
While his school friends might, at first, have been skeptical of his musical ambitions, Maluma's success has come as no surprise to his family, who he helped to support financially from the age of ten, selling sandwiches and sweets at school. He is still extremely close to his mother, father and sister, from whose names the moniker “Maluma” was created. As his sister, a psychologist, says in his 2020 YouTube Original documentary, “I always told him he was going to fill stadiums, whether through soccer or through music, and here we are.”
Maluma’s popularity has been predicated on his extraordinary knack for creating polished, commercially minded earworms that fill dance floors from Poland to Peru. He calls his sound the “Maluma genre” – one month he might release a ballad, the next a rap – but the genre he is most often associated with is reggaeton, albeit with a specifically slick pop slant.
An evolution of dancehall and reggae en Español, reggaeton was developed by black communities in Panama and Puerto Rico in the 1990s, many of whom were migrant workers from Jamaica, blending hip-hop and reggae rhythms with Spanish singing and rapping. Maluma’s latest album, #7DJ (7 Días En Jamaica), is a cross-cultural project that explicitly acknowledges and pays tribute to these diasporan roots, drawing on Jamaica’s dancehall and reggae traditions after Maluma was inspired by a pre-pandemic holiday to the island last year.
Maluma told Entertainment Weekly earlier this month that the album is about recognising the communities that have been integral to Spanish music. “We wouldn't have urban Latino music without Africa and the contributions of the black community in Latin American and here in the US. This album is a small way to show my love for Jamaica and for black culture.”
Jamaican musicians Ziggy Marley and Charly Black feature on the seven-track record, the mood of which is best summed up by Maluma’s favourite memory from the trip: “Charly took us out to this amazing, ghetto nightclub. It was super chilled and zero fancy – the way the girls were dancing, the music and the whole feeling of Jamaican nightlife was beautiful.”
Maluma has leaned into his reputation as something of a Lothario since coming up as teen heart-throb on the Medellín music scene. Where his earliest releases were subtly suggestive, by 2015 he had fully embraced his Pretty Boy, Dirty Boy persona (the name of his breakthrough second album of that year), writing steamy lyrics that are more obviously influenced by Latin hip-hop and trap than the romance of salsa. Oscillating between louche machismo and puppy-dog sincerity, he sings about polyamorous affairs, one-night stands, boring boyfriends and being a toy boy. While he toned down the launch for his fourth album, 11:11, last year’s Papi Juancho once again played up to his bad-boy edge. Track “Cielo A Un Diablo” is a warning for women: “Don’t ask a devil for heaven.”
Get more of this at British GQ Hype!
The Golden Globes 2021: See the full Winners List!
Awards season kicked off in earnest on Sunday night with the 78th annual Golden Globes, and all eyes were on the ceremony that is supposed to honor excellence in film and television. For many different reasons.
The Globes were already delayed from January due to the COVID-19 pandemic, leaving four-time hosts Tina Fey and Amy Poehler to emcee in the ultimate socially distanced manner — from opposite coasts. (Fey anchored from New York, while Poehler held court in Los Angeles.) While presenters appeared in person at both locations, celebrities battled through Zoom awkwardness and technical difficulties, and accepted their trophies remotely.
The controversy surrounding the ceremony was (briefly) addressed. The oft-maligned Hollywood Foreign Press Association — which oversees the event — is under new fire, as a recent Los Angeles Times investigation detailed ethical lapses and revealed that the HFPA doesn't have a single Black journalist among its 87 members. ("Tonight, while we celebrate the work of artists from around the globe, we recognize that we have our own work to do," said Helen Hoehne, an HFPA member from Germany, during the ceremony.)
With all sorts of Hollywood royalty in the (virtual) house, it was time once again to crown The Crown. Netflix's royal drama, which focused its fourth season on the Princess Diana era, took home four trophies: Best TV Drama and acting trophies for Gillian Anderson, Emma Corwin, and Josh O'Connor. Another Netflix drama, The Queen's Gambit, scored a pair of trophies, for Best Limited Series and an Best Actress in a Limited Series (Anya Taylor-Joy). Meanwhile, PopTV's Schitt's Creek, which swept the Emmys last fall for its farewell season, claimed two awards, for Best Comedy Series and Best Actress in a TV comedy (Catherine O'Hara).
On the film side, Nomadland — about a woman (Frances McDormand) who journeys around the American West — took home two key awards: Best Motion Picture Drama and Best Director trophy for Chloé Zhao, who became only the second woman to win in that category (joining Barbra Streisand for 1983's Yentl).
Soon after Fey took a shot at the Hollywood Foreign Press Association's diversity problem in the opening monologue — "Soul is a beautiful Pixar animated movie where a Black man's soul is knocked out of his body and into a cat. The HFPA responded to this because they have five cat members" — Soul won Best Animated Movie (and it later scooped up a second award for its score). And despite the lack of representation in the HFPA, several Black actors emerged victorious, including Daniel Kaluuya for Judas and the Black Messiah, John Boyega for Small Axe, and Chadwick Boseman, who triumphed posthumously for Ma Rainey's Black Bottom — an award that his wife, Taylor Simone Ledward, tearfully accepted on his behalf. And on a night when most of the favorites prevailed, acting newcomer Andra Day scored the big upset of the night, edging out stiff competition in Frances McDormand and Carey Mulligan to claim the Best Actress in a Motion Picture Drama trophy for The United States vs. Billie Holiday — the first time a Black actress won in the category in 35 years.
Elsewhere, Sacha Baron Cohen had a shiny night, as Borat Subsequent Moviefilm claimed Best Motion Picture Comedy and he won an acting trophy for that movie. Jane Fonda received the Cecil B. DeMille Award, while Norman Lear was honored with the Carol Burnett Award. Mank, which entered the night with six nominations, came up blank, as did four-time nominees The Father, Promising Young Woman, Ozark, and The Undoing. Scroll down for all the winners at the Globes, including Rosamund Pike, who declared that she did indeed care a lot that she won for I Care a Lot, and hoodie-wearing Ted Lasso star Jason Sudeikis.
Here’s the Full Winner List!
Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in any Motion Picture
Jared Leto, The Little Things
WINNER: Daniel Kaluuya, Judas and the Black Messiah
Bill Murray, On the Rocks
Leslie Odom Jr., One Night in Miami
Sacha Baron Cohen, The Trial of the Chicago 7
Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television
WINNER: John Boyega, Small Axe
Donald Sutherland, The Undoing
Dan Levy, Schitt's Creek
Brendan Gleeson, The Comey Rule
Jim Parsons, Hollywood
Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series — Musical or Comedy
WINNER: Catherine O'Hara, Schitt's Creek
Kaley Cuoco, The Flight Attendant
Elle Fanning, The Great
Jane Levy, Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist
Lily Collins, Emily in Paris
Best Motion Picture — Animated
Over the Moon
WINNER: Soul
Wolfwalkers
Onward
The Croods: A New Age
Best Performance by an Actor in a Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television
Ethan Hawke, The Good Lord Bird
Hugh Grant, The Undoing
WINNER: Mark Ruffalo, I Know This Much Is True
Jeff Daniels, The Comey Rule
Bryan Cranston, Your Honor
Best Screenplay — Motion Picture
Chloé Zhao, Nomadland
WINNER: Aaron Sorkin, The Trial of the Chicago 7
Jack Fincher, Mank
Florian Zeller and Christopher Hampton, The Father
Emerald Fennell, Promising Young Woman
Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series — Drama
WINNER: Emma Corrin, The Crown
Laura Linney, Ozark
Olivia Colman, The Crown
Jodie Comer, Killing Eve
Sarah Paulson, Ratched
Best Original Song — Motion Picture
"Fight For You," Judas and the Black Messiah
"Speak Now," One Night in Miami
"Hear My Voice," The Trial of the Chicago 7
WINNER: "lo si (Seen)," The Life Ahead
"Tigress & Tweed," The United States vs. Billie Holiday
Best Original Score — Motion Picture
WINNER: Soul
Mank
Tenet
The Midnight Sky
News of the World
Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series — Musical or Comedy
WINNER: Jason Sudeikis, Ted Lasso
Eugene Levy, Schitt's Creek
Nicholas Hoult, The Great
Ramy Youssef, Ramy
Don Cheadle, Black Monday
Best Television Series — Musical or Comedy
Emily in Paris
The Flight Attendant
The Great
WINNER: Schitt's Creek
Ted Lasso
Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture — Musical or Comedy
WINNER: Rosamund Pike, I Care A Lot
Kate Hudson, Music
Anya Taylor-Joy, Emma
Michelle Pfeiffer, French Exit
Maria Bakalova, Borat Subsquent Moviefilm
Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series — Drama
Jason Bateman, Ozark
WINNER: Josh O'Connor, The Crown
Matthew Rhys, Perry Mason
Al Pacino, Hunters
Bob Odenkirk, Better Call Saul
Best Motion Picture — Foreign Language
Another Round
WINNER: Minari
Two of Us
The Life Ahead
La Llorona
Best Television Series — Drama
WINNER: The Crown
Lovecraft Country
The Mandalorian
Ozark
Ratched
Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in any Motion Picture
Glenn Close, Hillbilly Elegy
WINNER: Jodie Foster, The Mauritanian
Amanda Seyfried, Mank
Helena Zengel, News of the World
Olivia Colman, The Father
Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television
WINNER: Gillian Anderson, The Crown
Helena Bonham Carter, The Crown
Cynthia Nixon, Ratched
Annie Murphy, Schitt's Creek
Julia Garner, Ozark
Best Performance by an Actress in a Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television
WINNER: Anya Taylor-Joy, The Queen's Gambit
Nicole Kidman, The Undoing
Cate Blanchett, Mrs. America
Shira Haas, Unorthodox
Daisy Edgar-Jones, Normal People
Best Television Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television
The Undoing
WINNER: The Queen's Gambit
Normal People
Unorthodox
Small Axe
Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture — Drama
WINNER: Chadwick Boseman, Ma Rainey's Black Bottom
Gary Oldman, Mank
Riz Ahmed, Sound of Metal
Anthony Hopkins, The Father
Tahar Rahim, The Mauritanian
Best Director — Motion Picture
WINNER: Chloé Zhao, Nomadland
Aaron Sorkin, The Trial of the Chicago 7
Regina King, One Night in Miami
David Fincher, Mank
Emerald Fennell, Promising Young Woman
Best Motion Picture — Musical or Comedy
Music
WINNER: Borat Subsequent Moviefilm
Hamilton
Palm Springs
The Prom
Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture — Musical or Comedy
Dev Patel, The Personal History of David Copperfield
Lin-Manuel Miranda, Hamilton
James Corden, The Prom
WINNER: Sacha Baron Cohen, Borat Subsequent Moviefilm
Andy Samberg, Palm Springs
Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture — Drama
Viola Davis, Ma Rainey's Black Bottom
Frances McDormand, Nomadland
Carey Mulligan, Promising Young Woman
WINNER: Andra Day, The United States vs. Billie Holiday
Vanessa Kirby, Pieces of a Woman
Best Motion Picture — Drama
The Trial of the Chicago 7
WINNER: Nomadland
Mank
Promising Young Woman
The Father
Congarts to all the winners!
#RHOA: Kenya Moore Called Out by Costars for 'Investigating' Who Allegedly Slept with the Stripper!
Kenya Moore's fellow Housewives want her to put her investigator skills to rest.
In a sneak peek at Sunday's episode of The Real Housewives of Atlanta, Kenya gets called out by some of her costars for trying to figure out who allegedly "screwed the stripper" following Cynthia Bailey's dungeon-style bachelorette party, which took place during the cast's trip to Isle of Palms, South Carolina.
"Was it you at six o'clock in the morning that Kenya's talking about?" LaToya Ali asks Drew Sidora during a cast dinner the evening after the X-rated occasion.
"Are we saying that it was Drew?" Kenya asks.mBut Drew, 35, does not want her name associated with the stripper allegations. "Don't say it was no Drew. Don't be throwing that s--- out there like it's cute, because we don't do that — we don't throw things out and assume s---," she says.
To recap, Kenya, 50, was convinced that Bolo the Entertainer gave some intimate, private attention to at least one other Housewife the morning after the bachelorette party, and she turned into a detective to try and figure out who was allegedly making "moans and groans" with the exotic dancer. (A rep for Bolo did not respond to PEOPLE's previous request for comment.)
At 6 a.m. the morning following the party, Kenya went downstairs and "could hear noises — moans and groans — and … voices coming from the hallway," she recalled to cameras. "I'm like, 'Are you serious? Somebody is screwing the stripper.'"
Furthermore, she claimed to the women, "I think I heard multiple women's voices."
"I know Porsha's voice, so I knew it was her," Kenya alleged to cameras. "But, honestly, I could not figure out who that other woman was."
When she heard about Kenya's claims, Porsha wasn't happy. "Kenya is so disgusting. She want me to go in there and be fired up … girl, you tired," she said. "I don't f--- with you. You honestly can't even bother me with your lies."
On the upcoming episode, both Drew and LaToya, 34, confront Kenya for "trying to figure out" everyone's whereabouts early that morning.
"Are you having regrets or feeling guilty about something, because your legs were busted wide open," Drew says to Kenya, who denies the claim, saying, "I sure wasn't."
"I'm actually not trying to figure out everybody else and what they were doing," says Kenya.
"Yes, you are!" Drew exclaims. From Kenya's perspective, "I pretty much think that it's obvious," she says. "I mean, we have this party, yes, you guys had fun, yes, you know, you guys were very sexual."
That's when LaToya steps in. "And you're doing investigation," she interjects. "Why were you investigating a girl's thing?"
Kenya's reasoning? "Because I wanted to," she says. "Simple as that. Do you have a problem with that?"
Needless to say, Kenya doesn't appreciate that her friend is questioning her actions.
"Clearly all of the peach juice she slurped up last night has gone to her brain," she says in a confessional, referencing LaToya and Porsha's makeout session the night before.
Also confused by LaToya is Kandi Burruss.
"One minute LaToya's going off on Drew because she was having a good time with Bolo, and then the next minute, she's mad at Kenya because she was doing an investigation," Kandi says. "Like, you're not making sense right now."
The Real Housewives of Atlanta airs Sundays (8 p.m. ET) on Bravo.
#MusicNews: Rewind! Watch D’Angelo ‘VERZUZ’ Performance at the Apollo!
The much awaited D’Angelo VERZUZ performance took place on Saturday night.
Fans weren’t quite sure what to expect from the live stream as the only thing that was revealed prior was that some “friends” will be joining during the performance at the iconic Apollo theater. It eventually marked as the first solo VERZUZ with some special guests joining throughout the one hour and 30 mins set.
The veteran singer opened his performance by performing a new song with some help from trumpeter Keyon Harrold before covering Smokey Robinson’s ‘Cruisin’ with some help from DJ Scratch on the 1s and 2s. Soon after, the singer went to a medley of hits from his classic debut album, Brown Sugar.
Method Man and Redman pulled up for ‘Left & Right’ (off D’Angelo’s sophomore LP Voodoo) before Method Man took over for ‘Break Ups 2 Make Ups’. He called everyone to support Black-owned businesses and even paid a tribute to Prodigy of Mobb Deep by doing a smooth rendition of ‘Quiet Storm’.
Soon after ‘Brown Sugar’ and still rocking his coat, D’Angelo invited H.E.R. to the stage, who first performed her Daniel Caesar collaboration ‘Best Part’ before the pair did a duet together for Lauryn Hill’s ‘Nothing Even Matters.’
In case you missed catching the live stream, you can watch the full replay of the performance HERE
Setlist:
Untitled New Song (with Keyon Harrold)
Cruisin’ (Smokey Robinson)
Alright
Lady
Me and Those Dreamin’ Eyes of Mine
Left & Right (with Method Man and Redman)
Method Man: “Break Ups 2 Make Ups”
1000 Deaths
Back to the Future, Pt. 1
Sugah Daddy
Devil’s Pie
One Mo’ Gin
Chicken Grease
Feel Like Makin’ Love
Jonz in My Bonz
Really Love
Another Life
Send It On
Spanish Joint
H.E.R.: Best Part
Nothing Even Matters (with H.E.R.)
The Root
Brown Sugar
Untitled (How Does It Feel)
#HipHopNews: Coolio Re-Signs with Tommy Boy; Releases Comeback Single ‘Out Fa the Bag’!
This is one piece of news you may not have expected to hear today but we at HHNM certainly like to present these.
Compton legend Coolio has re-signed with Tommy Boy Records, the label who released his first three albums: It Takes a Thief (1994), Gangsta’s Paradise (1995) and My Soul (1997). As we all know, Coolio achieved worldwide success with his second album and the title song which topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart for 3 weeks and won him a GRAMMY for Best Rap Solo Performance.
Coolio has joined forces with Tommy Boy again after 23 years and currently recording new music to make a comeback. To kick things off, he has dropped his first single ‘Out Fa the Bag’ featuring upcoming rappers AI and C.L.A.Y. It isn’t a sound (and video even) you’d expect from a veteran artist but that’s what makes this story interesting. Watch the video HERE.
Vanessa Bryant Claims Evan Rachel Wood's Year-Old Tweet Is 'Slanderous' For Calling Kobe A Rapist!
More than a year after the death of Kobe Bryant, his wife is taking issue with tweets posted immediately after his helicopter crash calling attention to his past rape accusation.
Vanessa Bryant posted two tweets onto her Instagram story from actress Evan Rachel Wood and documentary producer Abigail Disney. Both tweets, which received blowback from Bryant's fans the day they were posted, bluntly called the Los Angeles Lakers legend a "rapist."
In her story, Bryant wrote that Wood's tweet had just come to her attention, then launched an attack on both women claiming they had slandered her husband, exemplified structural racism in the criminal justice system and did not know the facts of the case.
Here's Bryant's response to Wood:
Your false, insensitive, defamatory and slanderous tweet on 1/26/20 is vile and disturbing to say the least. Behavior like this is part of the reason why innocent black men go to jail for crimes they didn't commit. An accusation doesn't make someone guilty. YOU DON'T KNOW THE FACTS OF THE CASE.
Bryant wrote the same thing regarding Disney's post, but with the later Jan. 29 date.
Bryant followed those posts with screengrabs of several angry replies to the tweets in question. While Wood deactivated her Twitter account back in June, Disney's is still up and has been hit with a tidal wave of angry messages in her replies.
The posts criticizing Wood and Disney came the same day Bryant called for the names of the deputies who leaked photos from her husband and daughter's crash site to be released, which she also addressed in her Instagram story.
The facts of the Kobe Bryant rape case
The Bryant case has been eternally litigated and re-litigated, but the basics bear out to this: Bryant, then married, invited a 19-year-old employee of a Colorado resort to his room, where they had sex. Bryant told police the encounter was consensual after previously denying it had taken place, while the woman claimed it was violent and not consensual. The woman had bruises around her neck, which Bryant tried to explain to police by saying strangling during sex was his "thing." The accuser's blood was also found on Bryant's T-shirt.
Bryant was arrested and charged with sexual assault, but the charges were dismissed more than a year later when Bryant's accuser refused to testify. Over that span, her identity had been leaked multiple times, she had received death threats and Bryant's legal team had aggressively probed her mental health and sexual history, including an encounter around the time of Bryant's alleged assault.
The day the charges were dropped, Bryant released a public apology which included these two sentences:
"Although I truly believe this encounter between us was consensual, I recognize now that she did not and does not view this incident the same way I did. After months of reviewing discovery, listening to her attorney, and even her testimony in person, I now understand how she feels that she did not consent to this encounter."
A civil case filed by the accuser eventually led to a settlement including a confidentiality agreement and a payment of an undisclosed amount. Obviously, discussion of the case didn't end there, and has remained a dark chapter in a story beloved by a legion of basketball fans and made even more contentious after Bryant's death.
Former Dream player Renee Montgomery is one the new Owners of The WNBA team Atlanta Dream!
The Atlanta Dream, the WNBA team previously co-owned by former US Sen. Kelly Loeffler, has been sold to executives from a national real estate firm and a former player.
The sale of the team to Larry Gottesdiener, chairman of the real estate firm Northland, was unanimously approved by the WNBA and the NBA Board of Governors, the league said in a statement Friday.
The new, three-member ownership group will also include Northland's Chief Operating Officer Suzanne Abair and former Dream player Renee Montgomery -- making her the first former player to become an owner and executive of a WNBA team.
"My Dream has come true," Montgomery said in a statement. "Breaking barriers for minorities and women by being the first former WNBA player to have both a stake in ownership and a leadership role with the team is an opportunity that I take very seriously. I invite you to join me as the Dream builds momentum in Atlanta!"
WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert said in a statement the approval of the sale "marks a new beginning for the Atlanta Dream organization and we are very pleased to welcome Larry Gottesdiener and Suzanne Abair to the WNBA."
"I am also thrilled that former WNBA star Renee Montgomery will be joining the ownership group as an investor and executive for the team," she added, calling Montgomery a "trailblazer who has made a major impact both in the game and beyond."
Atlanta's WNBA team supports Black Lives Matter after pushback from co-owner, a US senator
Montgomery sat out the 2020 season to focus on social justice issues and subsequently retired after 11 seasons in the WNBA.
Ownership of the franchise had been in limbo after the exit of Loeffler, who lost support among team members and other league players after she said she didn't support the Black Lives Matter movement and called for the depoliticization of sports.
Last summer, Dream players released a unified signed statement -- over Loeffler's objection -- saying they supported the Black Lives Matter movement.
"Last year, 2020, the players of the Dream refused to just shut up and dribble," Gottesdiener said in a call with reporters Friday. "They found their collective voice and the world listened."
"We are inspired by these brave women who navigated sports and activism in the midst of a pandemic," he added, "and we want to celebrate and honor them."
Loeffler lost to Rev. Raphael Warnock last month in the Georgia Senate runoffs. In the days leading up to the election, several Dream players were seen wearing "Vote Warnock" shirts.
Loeffler and now former co-owner Mary Brock said in a statement that they had "stepped up to keep the Dream in Atlanta" 10 years ago, saying it was "important to us to help level the playing field for women's professional sports."
"We are proud of what we accomplished and wish the team well in their next chapter," their statement said. "We will always value the hard work and dedication, and the memories, fans and friendships that sustained our commitment to the Atlanta Dream over the last decade."
Lebron James Fires Back At Zlatan Ibrahimovic: 'I Would Never Shut Up About Things That Are Wrong'!
LeBron James is one of the most socially conscious athletes in the world. Whether it's starting his "More Than a Vote" campaign to fight back against voter suppression, speaking out against gun violence or even opening the "I Promise" school in Akron, Ohio, James has never been shy about using his fame to help those less fortunate than himself.
That has brought him into conflict with politicians, media figures, fans, and now, apparently, even another athlete. AC Milan striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic is known to express his opinion, regardless of the topic. In a recent interview with Discovery+ in Sweden, that topic was James. Ibrahimovic believes that LeBron should stick to sports and criticized the Los Angeles Lakers star's social activism.
"[LeBron] is phenomenal at what he's doing, but I don't like when people have some kind of status, they go and do politics at the same time," Ibrahimovic said. "Do what you're good at. Do the category you do. I play football because I'm the best at playing football. I don't do politics. If I would be a political politician, I would do politics.
"That is the big first mistake people do when they become famous and they become in a certain status. Stay out of it. Just do what you do best because it doesn't look good."
James did not take kindly to Ibrahimovic's comments. In a lengthy post-game response, he reiterated that he would never simply stick to sports and would always use his platform for the benefit of his community.
"At the end of the day, I would never shut up about things that are wrong. I preach about my people and I preach about inequality, social injustice, racism, systematic voter suppression, things that go on in our community because I was part of my community at one point and seeing things that are going on," James said. "I know what's going on still because I have a group of 300-plus kids at my school that are going through the same thing and they need a voice.
"I'm their voice. I use my platform to continue to shed light on everything that may be going on not only in my community but around this country and around the world. There's no way I would ever just stick to sports because I understand this platform and how powerful my voice is. You can just ask Renee Montgomery if I would've shut up and just dribbled, seeing that beautiful black woman today be a part of a group where she's part of an ownership group with the Atlanta Dream down in Atlanta."
He went on to call out Ibrahimovic's hypocrisy considering comments that he has made about racism in the past.
"It's funny he said that, because I believe in 2018 he was the same guy who said when he was bad in Sweden, he was talking about the same things, because his last name wasn't a certain last name, he felt like there was racism going on when he was out on the pitch."
He concluded by suggesting that he isn't the person to attack on these matters. "I speak from a very educated mind," James said. "So I'm kind of the wrong guy to go at because I do my homework."
Ibrahimovic is known for being outspoken, but not in the same ways that James is. He was a member of the Los Angeles Galaxy for two seasons and the Swedish soccer star took out a full-page advertisement in the Los Angeles Times upon joining the team that read "Dear Los Angeles, you're welcome."
The two occupied the same city for only a short time, but apparently, Ibrahimovic was not a fan of James' off-court activism in that time. He's far from the only person to criticize the Laker star for using his platform to push for social change. None of them have succeeded in dissuading James, and, it seems, Ibrahimovic hasn't either.
R. Kelly Gets Fully Vaccinated Against COVID-19 in Chicago Prison!
While R. Kelly is struggling with his legal problems, he is lucky to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 before most of the US population.
TMZ reports that the veteran singer received his second dose of vaccine this month which makes him fully vaccinated. He is currently held at the prisons at Metropolitan Correctional Centre Chicago, where he is awaiting trial over sexual assault charges following his arrest in 2019.
About 63 inmates at MCC Chicago have been fully vaccinated so far, along with 128 staff members. Kelly has tried twice but failed both times to get released from prison early due to the pandemic for risk of contracting the virus.
Apart from the sexual assault charges, he is also facing racketeering charges in New York, as well as state charges in Illinois and Minnesota. Kelly has denied ever sexually abusing anyone. His new trial date is Sept. 13, 2021.
Tessica Brown, Who Used Gorilla Glue In Her Hair, Finds Lump In Each Breast!
Brown, 40, was looking into getting breasts implants. She returned to Dr. Michael Obeng, who removed the Gorilla Glue from her hair earlier this month, and he discovered a lump in each breast, according to her manager, Gina Rodriguez, TMZ reports. A mammogram confirmed the presence of masses and had surgery to remove them. The masses are now being tested for cancer.
Brown went viral about a month ago when she used Gorilla Glue to secure her hair after she ran out of her regular hair spray. She took to TikTok to share her dilemma, hoping that social media users might have advice or ideas on removing the glue.
On Feb. 6, Brown posted a photo of herself from a hospital bed. In an interview with Kiss 92.5, she said she went to the emergency room to seek treatment but left the hospital after the medical staff told her she would need to stay for 20 hours for proper treatment and observation.
The Louisiana native went through a special procedure in Beverly Hills, Calif., by plastic surgeon Dr. Obeng. This viral ordeal may have helped Brown to detect possible cancer early.
According to the National Cancer Institute, early detection can translate into starting treatment earlier, possibly before it’s spread. And past data has shown that early detection can help reduce the number of deaths from breast cancer among women ages 40 to 70, especially women 50 and older.
Emmanuel Acho Will Host 'The Bachelor: After The Final Rose Special,' Replacing Chris Harrison
Former NFL player Emmanuel Acho will be hosting "The Bachelor: After the Final Rose," replacing host Chris Harrison who stepped aside following a controversial interview.
Acho, the host of the YouTube series "Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man," announced on Saturday he would host the one-hour special for the 25th season.
"I've accepted the Rose & am honored to be hosting the @bachelorabc After the Final Rose this year," Acho tweeted. "It's been a pivotal season & this episode will be one of the most storied shows in its history. Empathy is needed and change is coming. See y'all then!"
Harrison announced on February 13 he was "stepping aside" from the show "for a period of time" after defending a frontrunner on the current season who came under scrutiny for social media photos from her past.
Harrison apologized after speaking out on behalf of Rachael Kirkconnell, a contestant who was reportedly photographed at an antebellum plantation-themed fraternity formal in 2018.
It is unclear how long Harrison will be stepping aside.
This is the 25th season of ABC's enormously popular reality dating franchise and the first in which ABC cast a Black man, Matt James, as the show's star.
During the episode, Acho "will sit down with Bachelor Matt James to discuss his season, his final decision and where he is now, as well as cover the current events about the franchise," ABC said in a press release.
The on-air personality and bestselling author will also speak to the season's final three women: Kirkconnell, Michelle Young and Bri Springs.
The special episode will air on Monday, March 15, immediately after the season finale of "The Bachelor.
Johnson & Johnson Single-Shot COVID-19 Vaccine Joining In The Fight Against Global Pandemic!
A day after an independent FDA Advisory Board recommended the approval of Johnson & Johnson’s coronavirus vaccine, the agency gave the company its full emergency authorization to begin distribution.
“The vaccine is highly effective in preventing severe COVID illness,” said Dr. Greg Poland, a professor of medicine and infection disease at Mayo Clinic.
According to the FDA, Johnson & Johnson vaccine is only 66% effective overall – much less than both Moderna and Pfizer. But it vaccine is 85% effective in preventing severe illness and it provides complete protection against COVID-19 deaths 28 days after getting the shot.
“The Johnson & Johnson vaccine has a 66% effectiveness rate and the way it’s been explained to me is that basically is going to eliminate hospitalizations and death but that’s great news considering what’s been happening the last year,” said Miami resident Mike Avila.
Avila was among the more than 200 people who participated in the Johnson & Johnson vaccine trial. He got the two doses of the vaccine and said he’s already seen the benefits.
While less effective, the Johnson & Johnson vaccine has other advantages over the other two shots. It’s one dose rather than two. It can be stored for longer periods and in temperatures warmer than the Moderna and Pfizer vaccine.
But the news of the third coronavirus vaccine approval comes a UM researchers found more contagious strains of the virus locally.
“We’re seeing about 25 % of the positive samples actually reflect the UK, the variant that came over from England,” said Dr. David Andrews with the UM Miller School of Medicine.
Andrews added that’s not all they discovered. “It’s been fascinating to see our strains from Brazil, California, New York. We are turning up a more diverse array of strains,” he said.
Lacoste Nabs Bruno Mars for First Fashion Collab, Debuts New L.A. Store!
Lacoste is getting off to a flashy start in 2021 with a first-time collaboration with Bruno Mars and a new style of retail debuting in Los Angeles.
Two years in the making, Bruno Mars’ collection of about 25 pieces — dubbed “Ricky Regal” after the pop star’s fashion “alter ego” — will be available from March 5 for just two weeks, at most. Lacoste is expecting the collection to sell out at some point during that time frame. This is only the second time that Lacoste, best known for its polos and association with tennis, will be collaborating with a non-athlete in any way. The first was a 2019 collaboration on tennis clothing with rapper Tyler the Creator.
“This is our biggest collaboration to date,” Jason Kim, Lacoste’s senior vice president of marketing for the U.S., said of working with Mars. And it marks the first fashion or lifestyle collection Mars has participated in, despite his years of celebrity status.
'Love & Hip Hop' Couple Lil Scrappy And Bambi Are Expecting Their Third Child!
Congratulations are in order for Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta stars Lil Scrappy and his wife, Adizia "Bambi" Benson.
On Saturday (Feb. 27), Bambi went on Instagram to share with fans that she’s pregnant.
In the video, Bambi stands with her back to the camera. She dramatically flips her hair and turns to the camera with a big smile to reveal her baby bump.
The couple has two children together, son Breland and Xylo, their daughter.
When Breland came into the world, the couple celebrated with their fans by posting a picture of their happy family together shortly after Bambi gave birth.
She captioned the photo "Still feels like I’m dreaming."
Columbus Short Says Britney Spears’ Parents Called Him A Racial Slur During Their Relationship!
Columbus Short was once a backup dance for Britney Spears and apparently a past fling. He recently revealed that during their romantic stint, Spears’ parents called him the N-word.
In his 2020 autobiography, “Short Stories,” he claims that Spears pursued him in 2003 during his time as a dancer and producer for her. He also claims they slept together once while on a trip to Rome.
He also describes the time her parents called him the racial slur. “I was next to [Britney] while she was on the phone with them crying while she had it on speaker.” He claims he overheard her parents ask, “Why are you f–king that n—-r?” And that, “Britney looked at me so apologetically, knowing I’d heard it. I shook my head and didn’t say anything, because what was there to say?”
The 38-year-old “Scandal” star told Jazzie Belle on her YouTube show, “Inside Hollywood,” that he wasn’t surprised hearing the racial epithet.
“I wasn’t shocked when it happened. Look where they’re from … they’re from Louisiana. The way it came out was so effortless, like that’s how they speak. I wasn’t shocked and I wasn’t hurt by it, I was just like, ‘Wow, this is … OK … I know who I am around here.’” He added, “Because they have black bodyguards doesn’t mean behind closed doors they don’t use that word.”
Adding, “After that, I felt like maybe [Britney] was using me to piss them off for some reason. I think she is a really sweet person that was tormented in a position on a high level that I can’t imagine. I liken it to Princess Diana. She was the pop princess. Britney couldn’t go nowhere — her world [was] completely controlled in this bubble. There would be times that she would act out, and I don’t blame her. She was trying to find her way.” He added, “I love Britney to this day… I feel bad for her. I wish the world knew the Britney I knew.”
According to Page Six, Short didn’t identify which parent said the word, but since then, Spears’ mother Lynne denied his claims to Page Six.
“I want to be very clear. Those terrible words are not remotely in my vocabulary. I would never say that to anyone, much less my daughter. Ever.”
A source close to the singer’s dad Jamie, also vehemently denied the allegations, saying, “Jamie was not there, and not involved. In fact, during this time period, Jamie was not involved in Britney’s business at all.”
Short’s autobiography also details the false rumors about the pair sleeping together before their Italy encounter. He says her jealous former choreographers spread those rumors.
He also discussed the time Spears sent her jet to get him and her other dancers two months before she released her2003 album.
“She sent us a jet, and just like that, we were in New York having a wild party for my 21st birthday,” he recalls in the book. Spears and her crew were partying at “Keith Richards’ apartment uptown,” he says, where Spears was allegedly staying, “and we were all in there going crazy.”
He claims that the “Hit Me Baby One More Time” singer was “going even more crazy at the party. “She was on me like white on rice, and would not leave me alone the entire night. Britney had her eyes on the prize and wasn’t about to stop until she got what she wanted.”
He said at that time, he wanted to keep their relationship professional and apparently, “wasn’t attracted to her like that.” Short has just separated from his first wife and was involved with another backup dancer.
Spears pulled him to the side at the party and insisted he go with her to Rome to get ready for her next video.
“I really tried my best, but this girl put on the full-court press,” and, “We ended up being intimate that one time. I never slept with her again after that, though.” And, “This was a dangerous sexual alliance for every reason under the sun, and I think that the worst part of it was that I was making the rumors an actual reality,” he said.
When they got back to the States, Short claims “Brit was still trying to get a repeat of what happened in Rome,” Short writes, “and she started to get suspicious because I continued to curve her.”
As for the pictures taken of them by the paparazzi, he says they made “A simple hug would look like a kiss, a quick store run would look like a date.”
As the media attention grew, Short says the singer’s management team and parents were irked, and the two had a falling out after playing a game of truth or dare. According to Short, Spears admitted that if she could marry one person, it would be him, but he said it would be his girlfriend who he was dating at the time.
“I was fired not too long after that, and Britney changed her number so I couldn’t contact her.” He said that in the end, he learned the lesson, “Don’t s–t where you eat, even if you really have to go.”
A Second Former Aide Accuses Cuomo Of Sexual Harassment!
A second former aide to New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo is accusing him of sexual harassment, according to the New York Times.
The former aide, Charlotte Bennett, alleges that Cuomo asked her questions about her sex life, whether she had monogamous relationships and if she ever had sex with older men, according to the Times. Bennett told the newspaper that the alleged incidents happened late last spring, during the height of the state's fight against the coronavirus.
Bennett was previously an executive assistant and health policy adviser in the Democratic governor's administration until she left in November, according to the Times. Bennett recounted one particular episode to the Times that allegedly occurred on June 5, in which she was alone with Cuomo in his office in Albany. The 25-year-old, according to the Times, said the Democratic governor had asked her a series of personal questions, including stating that he was open to relationships with women in their 20s, which Bennett interpreted as clear overtures to a sexual relationship.
In a statement on Saturday, Cuomo denied the allegations saying he believed he had been acting as a mentor and had "never made advances toward Ms. Bennett, nor did I ever intend to act in any way that was inappropriate."
Cuomo said he had requested an "outside review" of the matter and asked that New Yorkers await the findings "before making any judgments."
"I will have no further comment until the review has concluded," Cuomo said.
The Times report of a second aide comes after Cuomo denied allegations from another former aide who accused him of sexual harassment, including an unwanted kiss, in a Medium post on Wednesday. Lindsey Boylan alleged that in 2018, the Democratic governor kissed her on the lips following a one-on-one briefing in his New York City office.
Cuomo also firmly denied the allegations in a press conference in December when Boylan first made them. When asked for further comment, Boylan replied that she was letting her Medium post speak for itself.
The Medium post, however, has set off another series of bad headlines for the Cuomo administration.
New York State Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, a Democrat, released a statement on Wednesday calling the accusation by Boylan "disturbing."
"This is deeply disturbing. Clearly there is no place for this type of behavior in the workplace or anywhere else," Stewart-Cousins wrote.
White House press secretary Jen Psaki, when asked about the sexual harassment allegations by Boylan, said that every person who comes forward with allegations deserves to have "their voice heard."
"The President has been consistent in his position. When a person comes forward -- they deserve to be treated with dignity and respect. Their voice should be heard, not silenced. And any allegation should be reviewed," Psaki said.
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio called for a "full and independent investigation" into the allegations by Boylan. Cuomo and de Blasio have a years-long history of animosity, mostly centered on who has authority to do what in New York City, including serious topics like power over the subways and funding for key programs.
"Look, these allegations are really disturbing, let's be clear about that, they're really disturbing," he said, adding, "We got to take this seriously."
"When a woman comes forward with this kind of very specific allegation, they have to be taken seriously," de Blasio said.
Cuomo, who had enjoyed sky-high popularity and national recognition for his handling of the coronavirus pandemic last spring, is now facing growing criticism from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle in his state regarding his administration's handling of nursing home death data. CNN has reported he has been pleading with lawmakers for support and has even been accused of threatening political retribution against Democrats who have criticized him in an aggressive effort to contain political fallout from the revelations.
The US Attorney's office in Brooklyn, along with the FBI, are scrutinizing the handling of some of the data surrounding Covid-19 deaths in long-term care facilities in New York. The inquiry was described as preliminary, and it was not clear whether authorities are looking at the governor himself or members of his administration.
Boylan is currently running for Manhattan borough president. She unsuccessfully challenged Rep. Jerry Nadler in a Democratic primary in 2020.
AND FINALLY FROM “THE CRAZY PEOPLE SHOPPING AT WALMART” FILES
‘SEND IN THE CLOWNS’
Why so serious? Well, because after a long days work at the local clown store. Bumpo the clown here is rolling back to savings at his local Walmart. Food of choice? Frozen pizza for a clown who appears to have clown mouth, and no regrets.
EGGPLANT NATION: Meet Gianni
Meet Gianni! You can see more when GO HERE TO SEE THE PICS! And remember they’re NSFW!
DISCLAIMER: WE DO NOT OWN any images posted on this blog. All images are found online or submitted.
Enjoy!
HAVE A GREAT WEEK AHEAD ALL!!!
EFREM
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