Instagram Launches New Music Channel
Instagram is getting into the music business sort of.The company is launching a new @Music channel that will highlight artists and their day-to-day activities.
“For the past four years, we have become the home for artists big and small—a place where people across the musical spectrum come to share stories, reveal their creativity and connect directly with fans,” said Kevin Systron, CEO and founder of Instagram.
The channel is exclusive to major artists and new talent from around the world. It will also feature momets from music photographers, album illustrators, and more.
Read the full release below:
The music community is –– and always has been –– an important part of Instagram. For the past four years, we have become the home for artists big and small –– a place where people across the musical spectrum come to share stories, reveal their creativity and connect directly with fans.
Today we’re launching @music, a new account dedicated to exploring music around the globe, from those who create it to the community around it.
Each week, we’ll take a look at the musical experience on Instagram. That means showing you a different side of artists you know and love, like Questlove (@questlove), and introducing you to up-and-coming talents from around the world, like Tricot (@ikkyu193). It means highlighting music photographers, album illustrators, instrument makers and, of course, fans. In the Instagram tradition, we will also welcome community participation with a new, music-themed monthly hashtag project.
Music is a huge part of all of our lives here at Instagram. It’s a passion of ours, and we know it’s a passion of yours. So follow along at @music –– we think you’ll discover something new. — Kevin Systrom, Founder and CEO
Thoughts?
Nicki Minaj – Ex-Wig Maker Wins Appeal, $30 Mill Legal Battle BACK ON!
Our friends over at theJasmineBRAND.com, has informed us Nicki Minaj is taking a bit of an L concerning the legal battle against her ex-wig maker and his $30 million dollar lawsuit, with the appeal court ordering the case to be re-opened — due to them believing the man has a case against the rapper for allegedly stealing his wig designs.
Nicki was hit with a $30 million dollar lawsuit by her former wig maker Terrence Davidson. The man claimed he created the wigs that made Nicki a star and accused her of cheating him out of millions.
Terrence claimed that Nicki took his wig designs and then sold them to the public. He also said that she promised they would do a reality show together, worth millions of dollars but she never came through on her word.
Nicki fired back accusing Terrence of filing the legal battle because he was bitter he lost his most famous client and said he can’t trademark a wig style and therefore she didn’t do anything wrong by selling her wigs.
The federal court judge agreed with the singer and dismissed the entire lawsuit, stating that Terrence never had any written contracts with Nicki and therefore he has no case. The order awarded Terrence nothing from his $30 million dollar legal battle.
However, the wig maker wasn’t done fighting Nicki and filed an appeal in the case a month later attempting to overturn the judges decision. Nicki fired back shortly after claiming he was attempting to shake her down for money. The rapper once again said Terrence can’t sue her due to no agreements being signed by either of them.
Nicki claimed Terrence was only hired to design, create and deliver the wigs to her. She says in regards to the wigs she sold, hairstyles aren’t copyrightable and she didn’t break any laws by selling similar designs. She demanded the appeal be dismissed.
Then on April 24th, the appeal court came back with their decision and sided with Terrence. They explain that following their review of the lawsuit and the order dismissing the case by the previous judge, they have determined the lawsuit will be re-opened and Terrence can continue the legal battle.
They say that while Nicki and Terrence had no written contract that doesn’t mean the rapper could steal his designs and sell them on her own.
The order says the pairs oral agreement was essentially that Terrence would design and sell her wigs for her personal use ONLY. They say that if he was selling them to her knowing she would copy the design and sell to the public, he would have charged a higher price for the wigs.
The appeal court says Nicki has failed to provide any law that shows she could take Terrence’s designs and sell them to her fans. They are allowing the wig designer to continue on with his $30 mill legal battle and say if he can prove the allegations in his lawsuit then he has a case against the rapper — due to her not paying him a cut from her wig line sales.
The lawsuit will go back to the lower court where the two will resume. See the exclusive court docs. Courtesy of theJasmineBrand
Zac Efron is in the BUFF while filming his new Movie!
Zac Efron was spotted on the set of his new movie Dirty Grandpa wearing nothing but nude-colored briefs.
In the film, Zac plays Jason Kelly, an uptight groom about to be married, who is tricked by his perverted former army general grandfather (played by Robert DedNiro) to drive to Florida for Spring Break.
They’re currently filming in Georgia’s Tybee Island.
That’s really all we know about the movie at this point, but thanks to these photos we’ll be in the theater on opening night!
YES IT’S OVER! Trina Braxton’s Divorce From Husband Gabe Solis Is Finalized
You’ve watched “Braxton Family Values” star Trina Braxton and her now ex-husband Gabriel Adrian-Solis marital issues play out on the show. One minute they’re broken up, then they’re back together all wrapped up in love. But now, they're officially OVER. Trina is a single lady and Gabe is a single bachelor after their divorce was recently finalized in Georgia, according to TheJasmineBrand.com.
You’ll recall, Trina first pulled the trigger on their uncoupling in 2013, citing the marriage was irretrievably broken. This news came on the heels of cheating allegations where Gabe was supposedly engaged in Internet sex, allegedly with a transvestite. Yikes!
Following those reports, He claimed he never talked to the “woman” in question (despite proof) and that he is NOT into transexuals. He did confirm he has a sex addiction and was going through therapy. Hmph.
In an attempt to salvage his marriage, Gabe filed legal documents in December 2013 "challenging her right to a divorce" by claiming that they were still in love. He wanted to work on reconciling with his estranged wife. And his attempt appeared to have worked because Trina decided to dismiss the divorce filing.
Well…that all went out of the door after Trina re-filed for divorce last October in Gwinnet County. And now, Gwinnett County judge Warren Davis has ruled on the case, ordering a final judgment and decree that Trina and Gabe are now divorced as of April 16th. Since the divorce is finalized, that also means they have reached an agreement on the division of their assets and money. Peep the court docs here.
Based on the “BFV” upcoming season trailer, it looks like we’ll get a peek at Trina go through her divorce proceedings and this huge secret she’s been keeping will finally be revealed
YIKES! Momma Dee HAULED Off To Hospital After Car Accident In Atlanta
“LAHH ATL” star Momma Dee was involved in a car accident, resulting in her being rushed to the hospital via ambulance.
According to TMZ, Momma Dee had just come from lunch and was riding in a Uber car service when a person (allegedly a man) in a Nissan slammed into the back of the ride. Yikes! The alleged suspect reportedly began to exchange information with the Uber driver, but said suspect jetted from the scene before police arrived.
It’s reported Momma Dee said she was suffering from severe back pain, so an ambulance hauled her off to a local hospital to get checked out. We all know Momma Dee is a drama queen and today was no different. We hear she made it clear she was a celebrity. We can hear her now….”Do you know who I’m is?” LOL!
Muhammad Ali Reminds Floyd Mayweather Who Is The Greatest Boxer Ever
We know Floyd is always running his mouth, and normally he can back whatever he says, however last week Mayweather ruffled a few feathers when he told ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith that he’s better than Muhammad Ali and Sugar Ray Leonard.
After getting wind of that Muhammad Ali tweeted …..
George Foreman who never beat Ali sided with Mayweather, telling TMZ that, “pound for pound, Floyd is better than me and Muhammad Ali ever were. This is a better generation [of fighters] by far. They’re smarter, they’re stronger, they’re overall just better fighters.”
Its like Lebron and Kobe are the greatest out now, but neither will be greater than Jordan, same goes for Floyd he is the greatest out – but cant compare to Ali
Leonardo DiCaprio On Tinder As ”Leonard” – Report
Tinder has become one of the more interesting phenomenons in today’s sex-obsessed world. Even though Tinder was initially envisioned as a dating app, it quickly became about a ‘hook-up app’, as it came to be known on the market.
Since then, most single people in the US [and abroad] have experimented with it and tried it out, with varying degrees of success. However, celebrities tend to shy away from it, largely because they don’t want to be recognized. However, there’ll be the errant story here and there about some lone celebrity popping up on the app, only to be shot down by their publicist literally days later.
The latest example of that happening is with Leonardo DiCaprio, one of the biggest movie stars of our time. According to a new report from Star Magazine, Leonardo DiCaprio has been using Tinder to troll for women, using the name ‘Leonard’.
Apparently, Leo admitted to using the app while at Coachella and is reportedly ‘obsessed with swiping on girls and seeing who’s out there’. What, the dozens of Victoria’s Secret supermodels aren’t enough for him, he wants the regular citizens of the world too?
That’s one of the reasons this report is difficult to believe – not because I don’t believe that Leonardo DiCaprio would do something like this, but more because I don’t believe that he NEEDS to. He’s Leonardo freaking DiCaprio – why would he need to use Tinder to land girls?! He can get any supermodel in the world that he wants, and frequently does. It makes no logical sense for him to troll for plebeians on Tinder, unless he does it just for shits and giggles – which he very well might be doing.
What do you guys think? Is Leonardo DiCaprio using Tinder for fun, under the very obvious pseudonym of ‘Leonard’
Common Joins the Cast of ‘Barbershop 3′
Hip-hop artist Common has become quite the A-list actor.
It was recently announced that Common had joined the casts of Suicide Squad and Being Charlie, and now he’s signed on to star in Barbershop 3.
Common joins Ice Cube and Cedric the Entertainer, who will reprise their lead roles in the hit franchise. Malcolm D. Lee – the screenwriter and director behind The Best Man and The Best Man Holiday – has been tapped to direct.
Who Common will portray is currently unknown.
Forever Faster: Rihanna Stars In First PUMA Ad
Back in December it was announced that Rihanna is the new creative director of PUMA, and would be taking a hands-on approach with the global sportswear brand’s fitness and training line.
Ri’s first ad as part of PUMA’s “Forever Faster” campaign has hit the net. The black and white image features the singer showing off her midriff in leggings and a long sleeve top from the brand — plus, she’s rockin’ a pair of Pulse XT sneakers.
During an interview with WWD, Rihanna expressed her love for the design process; comparing it to having a baby:
I love designing. I’ve always enjoyed it. The thing I love most is the unexpected result between my brand and theirs, the combination, the marriage — it’s like having a baby, you put two things together and all of the sudden it bursts into a new thing. It’s life.
“Rihanna was a natural choice for us,” PUMA’s chief executive officer, Bjørn Gulden, said in a statement. “We’re delighted to have her as a partner, and we’re looking forward to what’s to come.”
Catch a snap of her in a PUMA jersey and black lipstick below..
Zoe Kravitz “Flaunts” Her Breast In Magazine Spread
Zoe Kravitz is in beastmode and loving every second of it. The gorgeous actress sat down with Flaunt magazine and talked about her upcoming projects, social media and her band Lolawolf.
With several movies in the works, Kravitz says “I’m doing sh*t that I love”! She conintued, “I just wrapped a film mid-January. It went straight to Sundance… Ever since then it’s been nonstop. Press for Insurgent. I have a film called Good Kill coming out with Ethan Hawke. Mad Max press is gearing up. Dope is also at Sundance. That’s coming out in June.”
And when she’s not working on the big screen, she rehearsing with her band Lolawolf who she says is gearing up for a tour and performance at SXSW. While it seems like Lenny Kravitz and Lisa Bonet’s daughter works 24/7, Zoe admits sometimes she has a problem getting things done. “It’s a lot of work. But you have to sit down and do it. My best friend Jimmy, who’s in my band [Lolawolf], he’s such a doer. I like to fantasize about doing it all the time, but he’s that guy that’s like, ‘What time tomorrow? Let’s just do it. Let’s sit down and start writing.’ And that’s how I get shit done. And it’s crazy you’re your biggest enemy, your biggest blockade. But whatever, it’s just like sit down and do it. Nike really did have it right. The slogan,” the 26 year old told Flaunt.
And speaking of Flanut, Zoe did just that in her photo shoot with the mag. Baring her breast and a little butt crack, Kravitz looked flawless in her simply stunning pics.
White House Praises Mom Who Was Caught On Video Disciplining Her Son During Baltimore Riots
A Baltimore mother-of-six is being praised by the White House for stopping her son from rioting
Toya Graham told news outlets, including CBS and CNN, that she wasn’t aware that she was being videotaped when she yanked her son, Michael, off the streets on Monday. The video went viral all over the world.
White House press secretary Josh Earnest said. “The thing that resonated with me is — was her expression that she was concerned about her son facing the same fate as Freddie Gray.”
In an interview with CBS News, Graham said she saw the crowd of youths throwing rocks at police, then she made eye contact with her son in the crowd.
“I could see the objects being thrown at the police, and I was like … ‘Oh, my God, this is really happening right here with me,’” Graham. And lo and behold: I turn around and I look in this crowd, and my son is actually coming across the street with this hoodie on and a mask. At that point, I just lost it.”
She told CNN’s Anderson Cooper that her biggest fear was her son would become another Freddie Gray. She was referring to the 25-year-old Baltimore man who died of a severe spinal injury while in police custody.
Cooper also interviewed 16-year-old Michael, who said his mother’s reaction was like “World War III.” He said he was initially embarrassed when his mother hit him, but he understood when she told him she did it because she cared about him.
Many viewers criticized the Mom for what some saw as violence she inflicted upon her son. While many praised her
Also, one of Graham’s daughters submitted an application to the Baltimore Police Department in hopes of becoming a police officer.
Oprah Admits She Wanted the Bruce Jenner Interview
How would Oprah Winfrey have handled Bruce Jenner's powerful interview with 20/20?
The 61-year-old legendary talk show host puts the question out there in a new interview with Women's Wear Daily, admitting that she wanted to do the groundbreaking sit-down with the 65-year-old former Olympian.
"There are only a few [interviews not over in an instant]," Oprah says. "I wanted Bruce Jenner. Diane [Sawyer] got it. That's great but there are few. There are only a few [interviews], but you're not going to be able to think about it."
While the interview was a huge ratings hit -- it was watched by over 17 million people -- even Oprah has to admit that it’s hard to think of new, exciting subjects to talk to.
"The problem is, and even now, because I started doing this with Next Chapter, there's nobody -- try to think of somebody -- who would be willing to do an interview on a regular basis that you can't go and Google and find out what has happened to them in the past week. There's nobody," she tells WWD about why she doesn't miss interviewing people.
Perhaps thinking about her missed opportunity, Oprah reflects on her past coverage of transgender issues in the candid new interview, and says she feels she could have done a lot more.
"I was in a conversation a couple of days ago and someone said: 'You know, we were talking about the whole issue of transgender and how it has become so accepted now, and somebody said, 'You know the Oprah show, I think has had a big impact,'" she recalls. "I said, 'I don't think so.' We did several transgender [shows], but we didn't do as much for transgender as I did for, say, abused kids or battered women. And they said, 'But no, you started the conversation. You started the conversation and the conversation has led us to here.'"
As for her future, the Selma actress doesn't see herself covering O Magazine every month like she has for the past 15 years.
"We actually seriously considered it [the end of her reign on the cover] for now, and made the decision not to do it now," she surprisingly reveals. "I'm amazed that we don't run out of ideas. I'm amazed at the number of poses that I've been able to do. I'm amazed that there's still a way to clap my hands, smile or raise a thumb. I don't have another clap in me, or another smile or another way to turn my head to the left. There's not enough wind machines."
Floyd Mayweather Police Report Leaks
Earlier this month Floyd Mayweather flat out denied assaulting his baby mama Josie Harris despite being convicted and serving time in jail for domestic violence
Surprise! A handwritten police report filed by Floyd Mayweather's own son from the night in question leaks online ahead of the highly anticipated Mayweather / Pacquiao fight…
Funk Master Flex got his hands on the report.
OOOPS!
AND FINALLY FROM “THE CRAZY PEOPLE SHOPPING AT WALMART” FILES
‘Hold On Tight’
That looks like a super fun ride. What’s probably more shocking to you than the child going for a cruise, is that if you look closely you will see it’s a two-child ride! Fun for the whole family!!
HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND EVERYBODY!!!!!!!!
EFREM
