Megan Thee Stallion for GQ - Men Of The Year Issue 2020!
Megan Thee Stallion won't stay silent.
In fact, the "Savage" artist, 25, hopes that Black women around the world are inspired to find the power in their voice, and use it to "demand more."
"I want Black women to be louder," Megan said while gracing the cover of GQ's 25th annual Men of the Year issue. "I want us to be sassier. I want us to demand more, be more outspoken, keep speaking and just keep demanding what you deserve," she added. "Don’t change — just get better. Grow from these situations. Don’t be beating yourself up about these situations … I feel we keep this stuff in and there’s some kind of way we flip it on ourselves. We didn’t f--- up — we didn’t do something wrong."
In the cover story, Megan opened up about her harrowing experience this summer, when she was shot, allegedly by fellow rapper, Tory Lanez. (Lanez is facing felony charges, but continues to deny the accusations.)
According to Megan's account of the evening, she had a gut feeling to get out of the car she was sharing with Lanez before the incident. However, when she tried to exit the vehicle and walk away, Megan said Lanez allegedly started shooting at her feet and wounded her.
"Like, I never put my hands on nobody," she told GQ. "I barely even said anything to the man who shot me when I was walking away. We were literally like five minutes away from the house."
Megan said the experience became that much worse when the drama began to unfold on social media and critics called her a liar. Talking to GQ about the backlash, she said she felt like she was completely alone in her fight for justice, an experience that she realized is shared by Black women.
"When I was growing up, my mom didn't have any help with me," she explained. "Everybody was doing everything that they could do to help. But it was only so much that my grandmother could do. And it was like, there'll be times that I'm in an apartment with my mama and I know something's wrong, but I don't know what it is."
"Like, now, I'm understanding you got a lot on you; it's a lot of pressure, but you're not saying it to nobody. I know it's probably just hard, to be a single mama trying to take care of yourself and your daughter. And you're putting on a face. … You are acting like everything was okay so I feel comfortable," Megan added to the magazine. "I feel like a lot of Black girls learn that early. I did. I do that a lot."
Putting the drama aside, Megan is proud of all she's accomplished this year, including releasing two mega hits: "Savage," which earned a Beyoncé remix, and her collaboration with Cardi B on "WAP," which claimed the No. 1 spot on U.S. Billboard Hot 100.
Although the latter hip hop track found wide popularity, it also faced equal amounts of criticism for its raunchy lyrics and sexual innuendos.
"Sometimes people are really not comfortable enough with themselves, and I don’t think they like to watch other people be comfortable with themselves. And I don’t think they want anybody to teach other people how to be comfortable with themselves," Megan said to GQ, reflecting on the criticism of the song.
The award-winning artist explained that she wants women to own their sexuality and recognize the importance of their own pleasure.
"I feel like a lot of men just get scared when they see women teaching other women to own sex for themselves. Sex is something that it should be good on both ends, but a lot of times it feels like it’s something that men use as a weapon or like a threat. I feel like men think that they own sex, and I feel like it scares them when women own sex," she said.
"Sometimes you just got to remind people that you’re magical and everything about you down to your vagina and to your toes is magical," Megan added in the interview.
#RHOA: Porsha Williams Slams Pregnancy Rumors After Hospitalization!
Porsha Williams is on the mend after being hospitalized for undisclosed reasons.
Over the weekend, the Real Housewives of Atlanta star revealed on Instagram that she was back home after a health scare. And while Porsha didn't reveal what led to her hospital stay, E! News can confirm it's not because of COVID-19 or a pregnancy.
"Thanking God for everyday" Porsha shared on Instagram on Nov. 16. "Thank you for the blessing seen and unseen, past and future."
When one fan replied that she was keeping "you and your unborn baby in my prayers," Porsha set the record straight. "Ma'am," she replied, "I am not pregnant."
The health scare comes as Real Housewives of Atlanta continues to film a new season. According to a source, the cast including Kandi Burruss, Cynthia Bailey and Kenya Moore still have a bit more of the season to film.
Production, however, was recently shut down because someone behind the scenes had COVID-19.
"As part of RHOA's regular testing protocol, it was confirmed an individual on the RHOA production tested positive for COVID-19," a source close to production told E! News. "The set follows rigorous COVID-19 safety protocols including contract tracing. Out of an abundance of caution, production is shutting down for two weeks."
This season will shine a spotlight on Porsha's efforts with the Black Lives Matter movement, as well as the relationship with her 19-month-old daughter Pilar Jhena with on-again, off-again boyfriend Dennis McKinley.
Until new episodes begin airing, Porsha is asking her followers to make their health a priority. She has also expressed gratitude for all those sending her positive messages.
"Thank you everyone for your well wishes. It's good to finally be home from the hospital," she shared online. "Biggest message I got from this week is to prioritize your health! You can't just go and go. If you don't God will sit you right in [sic] down and make you figure it out. Road to recovery..."
#NewMusic from Summer Walker Gets Into The Holiday Spirit With “Santa Baby”!
Today, music outfit Love Renaissance (LVRN) released a holiday compilation titled Home for the Holidays, which sees new music from 6LACK, Summer Walker, Kitty Ca$h, Boogie, Shelley FKA DRAM, Eli Derby, and more. In addition to the new project, fans can also see a new visual from the offering for Walker’s “Santa Baby,” which is produced by Lisa McCall and Slimwav and is a flip of Eartha Kitt’s Christmas classic:
“Santa baby, just slip a sable under the tree, for me, been an awful good girl, Santa baby, so hurry down the chimney tonight, Santa baby, a 54 convertible too, light blue, I’ll wait up for you dear, santa baby, so hurry down the chimney tonight/
LISTEN HERE
Think of all the fun I’ve missed, think of all the fellas that I haven’t kissed, next year I could be just as good, if you’ll check off my Christmas list.../”
The accompanying clip comes courtesy of maliaSHUTup and keeps things simple and in the theme of the song’s subject matter, with Summer Walker dressed in all red in a room that looks like it’s based in the North Pole. She can also be seen dressed in all white, adding to the wintery vibe of the holidays.
#HipHopNews: Wack 100 Urges 50 Cent & The Game Verzuz Battle!
Wack 100 is on a mission to get 50 Cent and The Game to the Verzuz stage. After the Verzuz team pulled off the Gucci Mane and Jeezy battle, impossible no longer applicable. Now fans have been given the allusion that any Verzuz battle occurs, even if there is a history of bad blood between the two artists.
Over the past two months, 50 has been challenged by T.I. Each time the Power producer perceived his challenger as a joke and proceeded to troll Tip. Fif was not feeling it and deemed the ATL rapper not worthy. Wack 100 feels as if The Game and 50 Cent can give the people what they want.
Back in the mid-2000s, The Game linked with 50 and G-Unit through Dr. Dre and created one of Hip-Hop’s best debut albums in The Documentary. After Dr. Dre and Interscope CEO Jimmy Iovine pushed 50 Cent’s The Massacre back to accommodate The Game, it caused a huge rift. During “The Hate It or Love It” video shoot, Fif refused to film sitting in the front seat with The Game. It resulted in a number of diss tracks and more. In a couple of instances, they were spotted at an LA club together, where the beef was supposedly squashed.
Now Wack 100 is looking for help to make a Verzuz battle happen.
“I got them to shake hands and function in the same clubs together twice,” he said on Instagram. “With a little help from @unclemurda & @djkayslay, it just might happen. “All Respect @50cent you told me we was good let’s give em what they want @losangelesconfidential smiles everyday. — #BridgingTheGap.”
50 Cent has shown little to no interest in VERZUZ since T.I. initially challenged him. Hopefully Wack 100, Uncle Murda and DJ Kay Slay can help change his mind.
Michelle Obama Rips Into Trump For Refusing To Concede And Says He Put Her Family In Danger With 'Racist Lies'!
In a lengthy caption to an Instagram post on Monday, the former first lady Michelle Obama tore into President Donald Trump for refusing to concede the election.
Obama called for a peaceful transfer of power, recalling how she and her husband welcomed the Trumps to the White House on Inauguration Day in 2017, despite Trump insisting for years that her husband was not born in the US and therefore an illegitimate leader.
"Donald Trump had spread racist lies about my husband that put my family in danger," she wrote. "But I knew that, for the sake of the country, I had to find the strength and maturity to put my anger aside."
She added: "I knew in my heart it was the right thing to do — because our democracy is so much bigger than anybody's ego."
The former first lady called out Trump and his allies for impeding a smooth transfer of power, with President-elect Joe Biden's team still unable to fully access things like classified information and federal office space as it prepares for Biden taking office on January 20.
"This isn't a game," Obama wrote. "So I want to urge all Americans, especially our nation's leaders, regardless of party, to honor the electoral process and do your part to encourage a smooth transition of power, just as sitting presidents have done throughout our history."
The post marked a much more critical assessment of Trump than Obama had offered before, with her convention speech over the summer marking her most fervent criticism of him to that point.
For most of Trump's term, she largely refrained from weighing in on the politics of the day.
Similar to her uniquely tailored convention speech, Obama made her critiques in support of the preservation of democracy, rather than just attacking Trump personally.
"Our love of country requires us to respect the results of an election even when we don't like them or wish it had gone differently — the presidency doesn't belong to any one individual or any one party," she wrote in the Instagram post. "To pretend that it does, to play along with these groundless conspiracy theories — whether personal or for political gain — is to put our country's health and security in danger."
#PRAYERS: Comedian Sinbad, 64, Is Recovering From Recent Stroke!
The family of Sinbad says the comedian-actor is recovering from a recent stroke.
The Adkins family says in a statement to The Associated Press on Monday that "it is out of sincere love that we share Sinbad, our beloved husband and father, is recovering from a recent stroke.
"Sinbad is a light source of love and joy for many generations. While he is beginning his road to recovery, we are faithful and optimistic that he will bring laughter into our hearts soon," the statement continued.
The 64-year-old Sinbad, born David Adkins, is known for his stand-up work and appearances in the sitcoms "A Different World" and "The Sinbad Show." The entertainer has also appeared in several movies.
"Our family thanks you in advance for your love and support and ask for continued prayers for his healing. We also ask that you please respect our privacy during this time," the family statement read.
Fourth Suspect Arrested in Welcome to Sweetie Pies Insurance Money Murder!
Back in August Welcome to Sweetie Pies star Tim Norman was accused of conspiring with a local stripper and an insurance agent/music producer to murder Tim's nephew Andre Montgomery for the insurance money.
A fourth person has just been indicted...
From Missouri Lawyers Media: Prosecutors on Thursday said a grand jury has now indicted another alleged co-conspirator, 29-year-old Travell Anthony Hill, for conspiracy to commit murder for hire.
According to a news release announcing the indictment, the uncle set up a $5,000 cash payment for Hill two days after Montgomery’s murder, and Hill was recorded that same day discussing Montgomery’s killing and his payment.
Jordan Brand Introduces Auto-Lacing Air Jordans!
This holiday season, Jordan Brand will launch the Air Jordan 11 Adapt, an innovative take on Michael Jordan's iconic fourth championship sneaker equipped with power lacing hardware. Introduced with the Nike MAG in 2016, Adapt technology has since been incorporated into a range of performance and lifestyle footwear, including the HyperAdapt, Adapt BB, Adapt Auto Max and Adapt Huarache. The implemented technology, controlled through Nike's Adapt app with a Jordan-flavored facelift, will allow the wearer of the Jordan 11 Adapt to not only personalize the fit and feel of the shoe, but even tweak the color scheme and flashing pattern of the button's lights.
While the Jordan 11 may seem like a random shoe to begin Jordan Brand's relationship with Adapt, there's history that explains the decision. When designer Tinker Hatfield turned in his original sketches of the shoe 25 years ago, he intended for the Jordan 11 to be a laceless model—that vision has now been realized.
Following the "Jubilee" Air Jordan 11, the Air Jordan 11 Adapt will release December 30 on SNKRS. While a price hasn't officially been announced, reputable news leaker _PO2345 says retail will be $500. Expect more news on this release and possible additional colorways in the coming weeks.
Michelle Williams Discusses Depression and Her New Memoir!
Over the years, Michelle Williams has discussed her long-term battle with depression and how it brought her to her lowest point where it caused her to put her professional life on hold and focus on her own self-work.
In 2018 that decision changed her life, and she now hopes to pay it forward in her upcoming memoir “Checking In: How Getting Real About Depression Saved My Life—and Can Save Yours,” which is scheduled for release May 25, 2021.
In an exclusive interview, Williams told ESSENCE, “We have to check-in,” she said, “We have to check in with ourselves. We have to check in with others, and we have to check in with God.”
In Williams’s heartfelt memoir, she shares details exclusively with ESSENCE. Inside the magazine pages, you’ll find that she opens up and reveals her entire truth, which includes a deeper dive into where her anxiety and depression came from.
“I’m ready to share,” she says. “I’ve been a very transparent person and now I’m ready to share the good, bad, and ugly parts of my journey—the concerning part of my journey. The parts I didn’t understand that led to certain responses and decisions being made.”
Williams book will take readers back to the beginning of her story.
“I really go into the specifics, I really go into the first time I was diagnosed,” who says she first suffered from depression as a teenager. “I go into assessing the first time I had anxiety in a romantic relationship and what it did to that relationship and then subsequently what it did to the next one.”
During the unprecendented and tumultuous events of 2020, Williams says her personal healing has been grounded in therapy. “It has not been a perfect journey as far as my anxiety goes,” she says. “But now, I embrace the triggers because it lets me know, okay, you’re not fully healed from this or in this area. Let’s take that to the therapist.”
Since finding her way back to her happy place, Williams has been very vocal about the role therapy has played in getting her life there and she has continued to bring awareness about what it can do for those who are struggling from mental health issues.
“When it’s untreated or you don’t get to the root of things, anxiety and depression can possibly rob you of the very things you work hard for and are praying for,” Williams shares. “Things are treatable, fixable and manageable. You just have to be willing to do the work and really face the pain and lean into it. You gotta touch it, you have to.”
Now she has her sights set on helping others too.
“I’m really looking forward to this next phase of my journey, which is to really help heal through my story,” Williams shares. “Let people know what I do on a daily, what I do on a monthly–whatever it takes to get people whole and get people where they can maybe start seeing some better results in their own life.”
Disgraced Pastor Carl Lentz Has ‘Gone Into Hiding’ Following Affair Reveal!
Disgraced Hillsong Church pastor Carl Lentz has “gone into hiding” after being fired from the trendy church.
Lentz — who has preached to Kendall and Kylie Jenner, Chris Pratt, and Kevin Durant, among many other stars — got the boot last week after admitting that he’d been “unfaithful in [his] marriage.”
Now we’re told he’s embarrassed and unreachable. “It’s like he’s gone into hiding,” “He’s not returning anyone’s phone calls. Friends have been trying to encourage him to hire someone to navigate this situation, but he’s not responding.”
Meanwhile, we’re told Bieber started distancing himself from Lentz over a year ago.
“[Justin] quit going and it was pretty abrupt. He separated from the church a while ago. They used him,” the source said. “They were opportunistic leaches. Carl ‘Hipster too cool for school’ is a total used car salesman type of guy.”
The first source suggested the pastor had jacked Bieber’s rockstar lifestyle.
“He was always living the pop star life, popping bottles on private planes. The infidelity was not a surprise,” the source said. “At one point, he was in Australia with Bieber at a bar with his shirt off and doing shots… He’s new age and modern, but shots and taking off your clothes in public places? Come on.”
Another insider confirmed that Bieber’s new spiritual advisor is Judah Smith, who leads Churchome.
In an interview with The Post, his mistress Ranin said that they’d had a five-month relationship after meeting in Brooklyn in May.
“We were obsessed with each other,” she said, “He was like a drug to me. I was a drug to him.”
She said that she spoke to him after he was fired, and claims he told her, “My life is over.
Meek Mill Gets 'Banned' From North Philly After Calling For Peace Among Local Rappers!
Meek Mill has apparently upset a handful of local rappers in North Philadelphia. On Sunday (November 15), the Roc Nation affiliate fired off a handful of tweets urging them to put their beefs behind them in the wake of King Von and Mo3’s recent murders.
“I’ll get all the main big artist in philly a deal if they put them bodies behind them and squash them beefs …I hear about,” he wrote. “got some hot young bulls from my city but they all beefing! And that’s just a idea but I’ll push thru with my city if y’all make it thing!
“It’s like 5 clicks that’s talented but they deep in! And get they most attention when they beefing! And when I say bodies I mean friends or family you lost!”
Philly’s Poundside Pop replied, “ITS TIME FOR YOU TO PICK A SIDE….. IS YOU ZOO OR NOT N-GGA????” to which Meek said, “I ain’t no fucking Zoo gang n-gga.”
Poundside then demanded Meek choose an alliance and pressed him about where he was from, tweeting, “Pretty soon everybody gone have to pick a side. Too much real shit going on to be cool wit everybody!”
When Meek responded with “18th Catherine,” Poundside quoted Meek’s own song “Dreams & Nightmares (Intro)” in which he raps, “I’m the same n-gga from Berks Street with them nappy braids.” He added, “BERKS ST IS THE ZOO. Dis shit is sad cuz @meekmill don’t kno where he from.”
Ultimately, Poundside and his friends declared Meek is now banned from North Philly for allegedly associating with their opps.
“Look at this opp-loving shit right here,” he says. “Oh my god. This some opp loving shit. You is from 63rd, bro. Not from North, bro. What is wrong with this bro? You crazy, bro. What’s wrong with you? What’s going on with your head, bro? Is you goofy?”
Meek has stayed relatively silent on the matter in the hours since the alleged “ban” was enacted. But on Monday afternoon (November 16), he tweeted, “We run the hood the fuck is you saying lol.”
Meanwhile, Poundside Pop hasn’t tweeted since October 4 when he wrote, “Murder murder murder,” which is possibly why Meek felt the need to speak on the violence in Philly.
NCAA In Talks With Indianapolis TO HOST 2021 March Madness!
INDIANAPOLIS — The NCAA announced Monday it would relocate the 13 sites for the preliminary rounds of the 2021 Men's Basketball National Championship. The organization is in talks with the State of Indiana and the City of Indianapolis about hosting the entire tournament in a single geographic area.
The announcement came after discussions made it apparent that hosting preliminary rounds in more than a dozen sites across the nation was not the best decision, given the current pandemic.
Indianapolis was already slated to host the Final Four April 3-5 next year. The change would mean additional games for the 68-team tournament during March and April.
The Division I Men's Basketball Committee looked to select a location that required limited travel and access to athletic facilities, medical resources and lodging for teams in a close proximity.
"We have learned so much from monitoring other successful sporting events in the last several months, and it became clear it’s not feasible to manage this complex championship in so many different states with the challenges presented by the pandemic," said Dan Gavitt, NCAA Senior Vice President of Basketball. "However, we are developing a solid plan to present a safe, responsible and fantastic March Madness tournament unlike any other we’ve experienced."
Mayor Joe Hogsett released the following statement:
“Indianapolis has a reputation for hosting the most successful major sporting events in the country – including eight Final Fours. Our city also boasts some of the nation’s top public health professionals, whose expertise will be crucial in planning for a safe tournament. We are confident that, thanks to the collaboration of our city’s civic organizations and the strength of our hospitality industry, Indianapolis can rise to this challenge. We look forward to continued conversations with the NCAA.”
Diddy Remembers Kim Porter On The 2nd Anniversary Of Her Death!
Diddy is remembering Kim Porter two years after her death. On Sunday (November 15), the 51-year-old music mogul took to Instagram to pay tribute to his late ex-girlfriend, who is also the mother to four of his kids: Christian, 22, twin daughters Jessie James and D’Lila Star, 13, and Kim's son, Quincy, 29, from a previous relationship, who Diddy helped raise.
"QUEEN KIM PORTER!!" Diddy captioned a series of black-and-white photos of Kim with their children. "IRREPLACEABLE ... LOVE YOU FOREVER ❤️." In a second post, Diddy shared a black-and-white photo of Kim dancing in a long, white dress. "The Ebony Goddess!!!" he captioned the stunning shot. "I miss her so much!!! And always will!!!! 💔."
Quincy also shared a tribute to his mom on Sunday, captioning a photo of them together: "❤️🕊💜."
Chadwick Boseman's Brother Reacts To Actor's Posthumous Nomination!
Chadwick Boseman's older brother, Kevin, is honored to see his late sibling's work be acknowledged.
On Saturday (November 14), Kevin took to Instagram to share a sweet note about Boseman's Best Actor nomination at the upcoming IFP Gotham Awards. "I had to sit with this for a couple days. After screening this with him, I told him he was about to get all the nominations and… I was so faithful he’d be here to experience this moment," he captioned a photo of Boseman in character, alongside three heart emojis. “Congratulations, Baby Brother."
Ma Rainey's Black Bottom debuts on the streaming platform on December 18 and remains Boseman's final film since passing away in August from a four-year battle with colon cancer. He was 43. In the film, Boseman plays a trumpet player, Levee, who attempts to win his spot in the music industry. It also stars Viola Davis and was produced by Denzel Washington.
Previously, Kevin told The New York Times about his final conversation with the Avengers star. "Man, I'm in the fourth quarter, and I need you to get me out of the game," the sibling remembered his youngest brother telling him. Pushed for further details, Kevin said that [Boseman] meant that "he was tired. He was ready to go." "When he told me that, I changed my prayer from, 'God heal him, God save him,' to 'God, let your will be done.' And the next day he passed away," he recalled.
Boseman’s family shared the news of his death on August 28 in a lengthy statement. "It is with immeasurable grief that we confirm the passing of Chadwick Boseman," the family kicked off the message. "Chadwick was diagnosed with stage III colon cancer in 2016, and battled with it these last 4 years as it progressed to stage IV. A true fighter, Chadwick persevered through it all, and brought you many of the films you have come to love so much. From Marshall to Da 5 Bloods, August Wilson's Ma Rainey's Black Bottom and several more, all were filmed during and between countless surgeries and chemotherapy. It was the honor of his career to bring King T'Challa to life in Black Panther. He died in his home, with his wife and family by his side. The family thanks you for your love and prayers, and asks that you continue to respect their privacy during this difficult time."
Moderna’s Covid-19 Vaccine is 95% Effective!
On Monday, Moderna announced the success of its preliminary analysis. The Biotechnology firm’s coronavirus vaccine is nearly 95% effective. Thankfully the 2.5 billion the U.S Government invested in the company was a smart move. Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine has proven to prevent illness, including serve cases.
Moderna will be joining its competitor Pfizer and BioNTech as one of the vaccines that may be released early next month.
“It’s extremely good news. If you look at the data, the numbers speak for themselves,” said Anthony S. Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
The clinical trial facilitated by Modern and the Fauci Institute consists of 30,000 people; 50% of test studies received a placebo, and 50% received the vaccine. Physicians studied 95 cases of COVID-19 in the trail. 90 of the test studies received the placebo. 11 of those cases were reported to be severe.
According to Fauci, impressive data was collected on severe cases. Morena’s vaccine has proven that it can prevent any case of COVID-19. The National Institutes of Health analyzed the results received.
“In this pandemic, what has been awful from a public health standpoint, an economic standpoint, is the worry people have to get so sick they have to go to the hospital. They have to get to the ICU and have a high risk of dying. If a vaccine could prevent 95 percent of people to not get disease, but to not get severe disease, that would be a game-changer: the impact on hospitals, the impact on people’s psyche and the impact on deaths.” Stéphane Bancel, chief executive of Moderna said.
Moderna will complete their 151 case study before applying for emergency-use authorization. The trail is expected to reach its endpoint within the next 7-10 days. At this rate, the company should be able to submit all data before Thanksgiving. If so, The vaccine will be made available to high-risk individuals by late December.
The Biotechnology firm is extremely dedicated to creating an effective vaccine. In fact, they invested $2 billion themselves. In total, the company has spent $4.5 billion on research and development.
The Food and Drug Administration will be responsible for review and approval. Moderna plans to produce 20 million doses by the end of the year. Two does of the vaccine will be needed. Side effects are moderate and include pain at the injection site, fatigue, headache, and muscle pain. They also plan to produce 1 billion doses next year.
AND FINALLY FROM “THE CRAZY PEOPLE SHOPPING AT WALMART” FILES
‘SANTA BABY HURRY DOWN TO WALMART TONIGHT’
Santa baby, hurry down to the self checkout tonight.
HAVE A GREAT DAY ALL!!!
EFREM
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