Kid Cudi for Wonderland - Winter 2020!
The icon and rapper talks with John David Washington for our Winter 2020 issue.
“I want people to know that I’m here for good and that I’ve always wanted to help people. I have problems and I’m human, and people know I’ve been going through it. But we survive, and I want people to know that I’m a survivor.”
11 years ago, the world was formally introduced to Kid Cudi with his debut album, Man on the Moon: The End of Day. While there was already a buzz building around him — both for his first mixtape A Kid Named Cudi and his work on Kanye West’s 808s & Heartbreak — no one had foretold the disruptive impact the record would have. Living up to its grandiose title, Man on the Moon established Scott Mescudi’s own psychedelic space in the music industry and, retrospectively, reshaped the perimeters of rap.
After kickstarting the decade with follow-up album Man on the Moon II: The Legend of Mr. Rager, over the past 10 years we’ve got to know Mescudi as a multifaceted artist outside of his output as Kid Cudi. Musically, he’s evolved his sound across a number of records and joined forces with friends and collaborators, forming rock-leaning band WZRD with Dot da Genius in 2010, Kids See Ghosts with Kanye West in 2018 and “THE SCOTTS” with Travis Scott this year — whose eponymous debut track gave the artist his first No. 1 single.
After his first on-screen appearance in 2010’s How to Make It in America Mescudi has established himself as an actor too, most recently starring in Luca Guadagnino’s heady coming-of-age series We Are Who We Are. Reaping the rewards of the respect he’s earned in Hollywood, his current projects include executive producing Sam Levinson’s highly-anticipated film Malcolm & Marie (Zendaya, John David Washington), a role in Adam McKay’s Don’t Look Up (alongside Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Lawrence, Timothée Chalamet), and his newly-launched production company, MAD SOLAR.
But first, a full-circle moment to see out 2020: the long-awaited arrival of Man on the Moon III. Merging the signature Kid Cudi sound with new perspectives both musically and lyrically, it feels like a fitting bookend to the trilogy whilst looking firmly to a new dimension of the Scott Mescudi universe.
Speaking to his friend and early album confidant John David Washington, he speaks about his creative process for the trilogy and why 2020 finally felt like the right time to complete it, the value of feedback from the likes of Shia LaBeouf and Timothée Chalamet, and why it ultimately represents his survival.
Pre-order the Winter 2020 issue HERE.
#RHOA: Kandi Burruss' Family Is Giving Fabulous Holiday Fashions!
'Tis the season to show off your festive fashion — at least if you're Kandi Burruss and her gorgeous blended family, that is. The Real Housewives of Atlanta beauty and her stunning crew have blessed us with a series of stylish holiday season looks, including head-to-toe, matching designer ensembles. And now, Kandi, her husband Todd Tucker and their adorable children have gifted us a glimpse at their glamorous holiday family photos.
"It’s a family affair! Happy Holidays!" Kandi shared on Instagram on December 17 alongside a dazzling pic. The music mogul was all smiles in a gold, silver, and black gown with a plunging neckline and scandalous, high-cut thigh slit. Her abstract-patterned look was paired with a crimped, high ponytail and minimalist drop earrings.
Todd's dapper look included a black and white tux with a subtly patterned jacket and velvet pants — all of which coordinated perfectly with star-on-the-rise Ace Wells Tucker. Little Blaze rocked a frilly, white dress with lace details and a sizable, gold bow in her soft curls. Meanwhile, Kandi's daughter Riley Burruss and Todd's daughter Kaela shined bright in shades of gold with glittering touches.
Kaela's one-shouldered, metallic ball gown featured a dramatic skirt and a saucy slit and was the perfect counterpart to Riley's, body-con, nude-illusion dress that was covered in crystals.
Why settle for matching sweaters when your family could look this good?
#NewMusic from Mayer Hawthorne ‘Rare Changes’!
You can call Mayer Hawthorne many things, but you can't call the man lazy. While putting out music with his side project Tuxedo, he's also kept us on the hook with a bevy of solo singles that he dropped throughout 2019 and 2020. At first we speculated whether or not Mayer had an album in the works, and now we know that he did. Well, sorta. Mr. Hawthorne rounds up all those loosies for one LP that he's named Rare Changes.
The songs here aren't just thrown on haphazardly or in order of release. Instead, they're placed together to complement (our favorite being the combo of "Over," "M.O." and "The Great Divide" at the album's center). The only new track here is actually the album's short-but-sweet "Intro." But don't sleep on it, though. It's a sultry slow jam that could've easily been played during the quiet storm hour back in the '80s. In fact, our only gripe with it is that it really should've been a full-song so that we could luxuriate in its smoothness for a little while longer.
LISTEN HERE
#HipHopNews: Eminem Calls Out Snoop Dogg On New Song “Zeus”!
Eminem has some words for Snoop Dogg on his new album, Music to be Murdered By - Side B (Deluxe Edition).
On Friday (Dec. 18), Em dropped the new LP, which marks his 12th album overall, and on his new song "Zeus," he name-drops Snoop and throws shade at him for an undisclosed reason, which likely stems from some remarks Snoop made about Slim Shady over the summer.
"As far as squashing beef I’m used to people knocking me/But just not in my camp/And diplomatic as I’m tryin’ to be/Last thing I need is Snoop doggin’ me/Man, Dogg, you was like a damn god to me/Meh, not really (haha)/I had dog backwards," Em raps on the track.
Shady's bars about Snoop don't offer much context, but it's possible Em is upset because Snoop said Em wouldn't be on his top 10 rappers ever list. Snoop made the comment during a July interview with The Breakfast Club.
LISTEN HERE
"Eminem, the great White hope," Snoop said at the time. "White rappers had zero respect in rap. Let's keep that one thou-wow. None. He [Dr. Dre] has probably put Eminem in the position to where he could be one of the top 10 rappers ever. I don't think so, but the game feels like he's top 10 lyricists and all that that comes with it. But, that's just because he's with Dr. Dre and Dr. Dre helped him find the best Eminem that he could find."
Based on the lyrics about not expecting beef to come from his own camp, Em appears to be more upset about the situation because of Snoop's connection to Dr. Dre. Both rappers were mentored by Dre back in the day. The world-renowned producer worked closely with them both on the albums that transformed their lives.
Snoop has yet to say anything about the lines aimed at him.
Elsewhere on the same track, Eminem sincerely apologizes to Rihanna for the leak of a song that makes light of her past domestic violence incident with Chris Brown. "And wholeheartedly, apologies, Rihanna/For that song that leaked, I'm sorry, Ri/It wasn't meant to cause you grief/Regardless, it was wrong of me," he raps.
He also makes mention of Migos, Chance the Rapper and Drake on "Zeus" when referencing how rappers can lose fans after being the talk of the town for years.
Those are just a few artists Eminem name-drops on his Music to be Murdered By - Side B album. For the project, Em mentions 38 rappers.
Tyler Perry Splits With Longtime Boo Gelila Bekele!
Well, it certainly appears that actor/writer/producer/director Tyler Perry is single and ready to mingle based on his revealing Instagram post/thirst trap where he gave us a glimpse into his midlife crisis.
“This is what a midlife crisis looks like,” Perry captioned in the post while wearing workout clothes that, as you know, to get the ladies going.
“I’m 51, single and wondering what the next chapter in my life will look like. Whatever it looks like I’m going to walk with God, be the best father and man I can be, hold my head up high, and try to look my best doing it!!
In a world with so much sadness, please try and stay in the good! Merry Christmas and let’s look forward to 2021 bringing us peace!”
According to E! News, Perry and their longtime girlfriend/mother of his 6-year-old son Gelila Bekele amicably split while maintaining a friendship and raising their son together.
The 51-year-old almost billionaire and Bekele are rumored to have been together for nearly a decade that he spent pumping out projects and rarely mentioning her.
One rare mention happened in an interview with T.I. on his ExpediTiously podcast back in March. When asked why he wasn’t married, Perry responded, “I have someone who’s wonderful and she’s getting her share of all of it.”
Ladies, would you date Tyler Perry?
Rihanna Shocks Fan At A Gas Station In Barbados!
Rihanna gave one fan the ultimate Christmas gift.
While at a gas station in her native Barbados, the pop star ran into a mega fan and shot a sweet video with him.
“My Christmas just got made merry,” the delighted fan said in the video.
Both Rihanna, 32, and the fan were wearing masks.
Describing the circumstances of the run-in, Rihanna said they were “at a random gas station, we’re not even buying gas. We’re not even driving.”
She ended the video with a shout-out to her home country, screaming “Barbados!” to the camera.
Rihanna arrived in Barbados via private jet last week, presumably for the holidays.
Earlier this month, she debuted a sizzling Savage X Fenty holiday lingerie campaign, featuring the singer wearing a blue-and-white bra and underwear set — plus lace-up sandals and $200,000 worth of jewelry.
Jamie Lee Curtis Marks 36th Wedding Anniversary with Husband Christopher Guest With A Sweet Tribute!
Happy anniversary, Jamie Lee Curtis and Christopher Guest! On Friday, they celebrated their 36-year anniversary as a married couple and the actress, 62, commemorated the milestone with a sweet tribute to the Best in Show director, 72, on Instagram and Facebook.
"One of the longest relationships I’ve had seeking comfort and contact and connection is with Chris. Today marks the 36th anniversary of our wedding," Curtis wrote along with a black-and-white throwback photo of them holding hands at an event.
"My hand in his. Then and now. Connected through our children and family and friends it became the links in our human emotional chain that have seen each of us through triumph and tragedy," she concluded.
The couple has two kids: daughter Annie, 33; and son Tom, 24.
The anniversary post was originally shared on the Instagram page of My Hand in Yours, her website which benefits Children's Hospital Los Angeles and showcases artists and jewelry designers.
Curtis previously recalled the moment she knew she was going to marry Guest when she came across his picture in a 1984 issue of Rolling Stone around the release of This Is Spinal Tap.
"I looked at the man on the right, wearing a plaid shirt and a waggish smirk. I'd never seen him before, but I pointed at him. 'I'm going to marry that man,' I said to my friend," she wrote in an essay for Oprah Winfrey's O magazine in 2004.
"The next day I called [his] agent, gave him my number, and told him to have Chris call me if he was interested. I waited. Chris never called. I went on with my life. I began dating a sweet man, but we both knew it wasn't for good. When he had to leave for an extended business trip, I dropped him off at the airport to say a friendly but final goodbye. From the airport, I drove straight to Hugo's restaurant in West Hollywood to have dinner with friends. As I sat down at Hugo's, I glanced up and found myself staring straight at Chris, three tables away," she continued.
Curtis added, "He waved to me as if to say, 'I'm the guy you called.' I waved back: 'I'm the woman who called you.' A few minutes later, he got up to leave. Standing 20 feet away, he shrugged his shoulders and put up his hand as if to say, 'I'll see ya.' As he left, I looked down at my plate. The next day, on June 28, the phone rang. On July 2, Chris and I had our first date at Chianti Ristorante on Melrose. And by August 8, when he left to tape a year of Saturday Night Live in New York City, we'd fallen in love."
Gabourey Sidibe Fires Warning Shots After Sharing Naked Proposal Pics!
Last month actress Gabourey Sidebe announced she was engaged to be married to her boyfriend Brandon Frankel.
Last night, after sharing naked pictures of Brandon, Gabby had to warn other women about slipping into his direct messages with proposals of their own...
It all started after Gabourey wished Brandon a happy birthday using a naked picture of him with "Will You Marry Me" spelled out in balloons.
That's when things apparently went left because then Gabby had to give a clarification for the naked picture and then a warning that all DMs go through her.
YIKES!
Taylor Swift’s ‘Evermore’ Sells a Million Worldwide in First Week!
Taylor Swift’s “Evermore” became the singer’s third album in 16 months to sell a million copies globally in its first week, and the eighth straight studio release to sell that many in a week in her career, according to Republic Records.
Only her debut album, “Taylor Swift,” failed to sell a million worldwide in at least one given seven-day period; every release since 2008’s “Fearless” has done so.
“Evermore” is certain to have a big second week, as well. That will be the first tally to include the CD version of the album, which includes two bonus tracks. The disc was not in stores until Dec. 18, a week after the release of the digital download version. (Vinyl copies will not be arriving until after the new year.)
Although Swift was famously skeptical about non-paid streaming services back in the “1989” era, she and streaming currently enjoy a highly beneficial relationship. Even if album sales are still the benchmark of preference for the Swift camp and many of her fans, individual global streams passed the half-billion mark in week one, according to Republic, with more than 100 million of those steams for the lead single, “Willow.”
Billboard reported 329,000 album units for the project’s first week, with 155,000 of those in traditional album sales and another 167,000 representing the album equivalent of 220 million str song streams. This makes it the fifth-biggest U.S. album debut of the year.
Swift’s previous album, “Folklore,” released only four and a half months ago, retains its position as the top seller of 2020, after having had the biggest debut of the year. In-between the releases of “Folklore” in July and “Evermore” in December came several Billboard chart rules changes, including one that does not allow bundles of digital and physical copies to count until the latter has shipped, which means any tandem sales of both from Swift’s website are not yet being tallied, even if the download has already been delivered.
“Evermore” has been described by Swift as a sister to the earlier album; both broke from her usual pop form for a quieter and folkier sound with the aid of collaborator Aaron Dessner of the National. Interestingly, Billboard is qualifying the new album as an alternative release, and it tops that chart as well as the overall album chart.
“Folklore” has topped or appeared high among many critics’ consensus lists for the year. The surprise release of “Evermore” Dec. 11, which came with only a day’s notice, made the album too late to be considered for most 10 best lists, although a Variety critic had the two Swift releases tied at No. 1, writing, “Either of Taylor Swift’s two 2020 releases could be a list-topper in itself. Considered in tandem — entwined, like the braid that graces the cover of “Evermore” — they add up to one of the most accomplished and filler-free double-albums, official or otherwise, in pop lore.”
“Folklore” is up for album of the year, among other prizes, at the 2021 Grammys, after her previous two releases, “Lover” and “Reputation,” were shut out from consideration for that top prize. Many have wondered if the warm reception for its quick followup, “Evermore,” will influence voting, even though the newer album fell well out of the eligibility period itself.
Comedian Eddie Izzard Now Using ‘She’ And ‘Her’ Pronouns!
Eddie Izzard is now using “she” and “her” pronouns, the British comic announced.
“I’m gender fluid. I just want to be based in girl mode from now on,” Izzard told UK TV’s “Portrait Artist of the Year.”
Izzard — who has for years worn makeup and feminine clothing — said she chose to appear on the Sky TV show because it was “the first program I’ve asked if I can be ‘she’ and ‘her.’ “
“It feels great, because people just assume that they just know me from before,” she said, calling her “little transition period” a “positive” step.
“One life, live it well,” Izzard said.
The announcement quickly had the 58-year-old star trending online Sunday — and getting called a “hero” and a “trailblazer” by many fans.
“I can’t tell you what she means to me as a comic,” comic Shappi Khorsandi wrote. “Rocked my comedy world when I was a teen and beyond. Changed everything, made room. I love her and this morning I’m very happy for her.”
Another fan recalled meeting Izzard in a bathroom in the past.
“She explained that when she’s in girl mode she uses the ladies loo. I wanted to tell her I didn’t give a s–t what loo she uses, I’m a massive fan,” one fan wrote, saying she “just gawped cos I was geeking out.”
In September, the comedy legend told the Mail on Sunday, “When I’m in girl mode I am happy to be known as ‘she’ and when I’m in boy-mode, I am happy to be known as ‘he.’
“But I am equally happy to be referred to as Eddie or ‘Hey mate,’ ” she said.
Lizzo Surprises Mom With A Brand New Car For Christmas!
This is the season for spreading cheer, and Lizzo is getting a head start. The “Good As Hell” singer shared a heartwarming video on Sunday (Dec. 20) of the moment she surprised her mom, Shari Johnson-Jefferson, with a brand new car just days before Christmas. Lizzo captured the emotional moment on camera and showed her mom’s sweet reaction.
In the Instagram post, Lizzo reflected on the days when her father passed away and things were not going well for herself and her family and said now that she is able to, her goal is to spoil her mother. “Got my mommy a brand new Audi for Xmas I remember crying in my car when my daddy passed, no job no money nowhere to live, wishing I could one day provide for my family,” she captioned the post. “I couldn't do it for my dad so ima make sure I spoil Mama. Happy holidays y’all.”
The singer had the car parked outside with a bow on it and had someone walk her mom outside with her eyes closed. “Ok, Merry Christmas, mommy! Open your eyes!” the “Truth Hurts” rapper says in the clip, and her mom instantly started crying and thanking her. “Got you an Audi, girl! It’s an Audi. You see the circles on it. Come on!”
Her mom then says in the video: “Oh my, God! You see these things on television and you never expect them to happen to yourself.”
Lizzo’s fans jumped in the comments to praise her mom for her humbleness since she showed so much appreciation before even realizing what kind of car it was. “She was so happy before she even recognized it was an Audi and I love that so much, Merry a Christmas mom,” one user wrote. Another fan commented: “The fact she didn’t even realize it was an Audi just so grateful for her new car.”
The Grammy winner and her family have come a long way. The “Juice” hitmaker has been open in the past about feeling depressed after her father passed away while she was a student on a music scholarship at the University of Houston. She told “CBS This Morning” in January that the depression and the pain of losing him were so bad, it caused her to drop out of college.
“I kind of really gave up. Just because I was depressed. I didn’t have a purpose; I didn’t feel like I had a purpose for being a musician or anything. So that turned into, ‘Oh can I sleep on your couch,’ and that eventually, I got really guilt-ridden. So all I had was this car. It was a Subaru. That was my home for a little. I spent Thanksgiving in that car, and I remember I cried myself to sleep,” she recalled at the time.
Teyana Taylor Expresses Excitement in Playing Dionne Warwick in Potential Netflix Biopic Series!
Earlier this week, Dionne Warwick asked fans if they would be interested in watching a biopic series about her life and career, also making it known that she would like Teyana Taylor to play her in the potential show.
“Now I really gotta know this: if I did a series, would you guys really watch? I want you to be honest now,” Warwick said in the video she tweeted, also pitching the idea directly to Netflix.
It appears that Taylor is more than interested, with the multihyphenate taking to Instagram to show her enthusiasm about the new promising endeavor: “When the LEGENDARY @therealdionnew had this moment w/ @netflix & they started jotting notes in their palm pilots...I was lookin at them likeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee” She continued, “P.S. One thing about them doors.....They open.”
TMZ reports that Warwick contacted Karen Civil, who’s on Taylor’s team, and connected the pair via phone. Warwick and Taylor discussed the biopic idea, with Taylor expressing her enthusiasm about the part. In addition to starring in the series, the two also talked about producing it through Taylor’s production company, The Aunties Production.
According to the outlet, it seems that Netflix is interested in the series idea. The streaming platform responded to Warwick’s original tweet, writing, “taking notes.”
Taylor recently announced that she's retiring from music to protect her mental health. Since then, artists like Cardi B and The Game have offered Taylor words of encouragement, as her career heads in different directions.
Megan Thee Stallion Responds After Asian Doll And JT Argue Over Song Collab: “This Is Dumb”!
The online drama between Asian Doll and JT of the City Girls over a Megan Thee Stallion song appears to have boiled over with Meg responding to the back and forth, calling it “dumb.”
It all started after Asian Doll revealed to her fans on social media that she was originally supposed to be featured on Megan Thee Stallion’s song “Do It On The Tip.” Asian Doll’s feature ended up being replaced with the City Girls on Meg’s latest album.
“I think I had this before anybody had this song — this my verse,” AD said as she played the previously unreleased track.
Asian Doll rapped along for fans playing the track produced by Lil Ju. The general consensus from fans after hearing the track was that Asian had the hottest bars leading the rapper to tweet and delete “Friendship ended NEXT!”
She later clarified tweeting, “Me & Megan still friends idgaf about no song I did in my sleep…I was [mad] but ima Sagittarius we get mad then 10mins later WE DON’T GIVE A F*** BOUT NUNNADET S***,” she wrote in follow up tweets.
But the City Girls didn’t take too kindly to Asian Doll’s rant, which soon turned into a war of words online.
In a series of tweets, JT went off writing, “A real friend is something you b****** really don’t know nothing about!” she wrote. “I been doing good but ima bout to start laying y’all attention h*** out & I’m coming with FACTS!!!!! Sympathetic a** holes are really starting to grind on my gears! [For real]!” she added. “Like if you know it’s gone draw attention & cause commotion … why speak on it? Mind you lying! But GO OFF!” she said in tweets fans quickly deduced were directed at Asian Doll.
The online drama unfolded as both women traded shots at each other. Leading Meg to intervene, tweeting, “I hate that all of this is getting blown out of proportion. It was never as deep as the comments make it seem,” the Houston native began. Meg made sure to remind her followers that she and Asian Doll are, in fact, actual friends.
“When Asian got in her accident I hopped right on a plane to come see her when she go through s— I’m on her line…I don’t like putting my personal life on the internet because it’s personal to me. I never even saw people attacking her.”
Megan then directed her tweets to Asian Doll saying, “Asian, you know me better than that you know I don’t like all this internet s—t,” the “Savage” rapper wrote. “You blow s—t out of proportion because you’re a f—– hot head. You played the song live…that was that. What do I need to clear up? This is dumb,” she concluded.
Asian Doll also responded to Meg tweeting, “We was real friends. F*ck rap you should’ve said some yesterday & cleared s*it up but no you let that ho* get in your ear & you don’t even know that ho*.”
Second Stimulus Congress Agrees On A Coronavirus Relief Package!
On Sunday, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell announced that Congress had reached an agreement on a coronavirus relief package. The deal would provide $900 billion in aid amid the pandemic. Among Americans' financial benefits is the inclusion of another set of stimulus checks, though it's substantially lower than the original check. This time around, the checks are expected to be for $600 for each eligible individual, with an additional $600 to families per child. This is half of the $1,200 check that was in April's relief fund.
The drawn-out process of policymakers attempting to reach a new deal for a package, one that stretched across the summer and through the fall, was expected by many to provide some more on-demand help for Americans. There initially was a belief that another set of $1,200 checks would be featured in the package, but that has fallen by the wayside. Now, Americans are upset about the perceived lack of financial help from a deal that took months to put together.
More Than A Dozen Countries Ban Flights From The United Kingdom!
After a highly infectious mutated strain of coronavirus was discovered in the United Kingdom and plunged most of the country into lockdown, more than a dozen countries have banned flights from the region.
The Daily Mail reports that France, Germany, Israel, El Salvador, Bulgaria, the Netherlands, Italy, Finland, Denmark, Turkey, Morocco, Canada, Belgium, Austria, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Ireland have banned all flights from the UK.
On top of flights being canceled, trains will not run in between the countries. The Eurotunnel Le Shuttle has said that the UK-France border will close at 11 p.m. tonight, and the last shuttle between the UK and France is at 9:24 p.m., with access to the UK prohibited from 10 p.m. The Eurostar has also canceled its trains between London, Brussels in Belgium, and Amsterdam in the Netherlands, starting on Monday.
The travel restrictions were imposed after southern England was put in a Tier 4 lockdown to curb a new “mutant” strain of coronavirus. The new strain is 70 percent more infectious. According to the outlet, the World Health Organization said the strain has already been identified in Denmark, the Netherlands, and South Africa. At the same time, one case was found in Australia. No cases have been identified in the United States. Though more infections, it does not cause more severe sickness.
“We understand that the virus does not cause more severe disease from the preliminary information that [the UK] shared with us, although again those studies are underway to look at hospitalized patients with this variant,” WHO’s Covid-19 technical lead Maria Van Kerkhove told the BBC on Sunday.
More countries are expected to place travel bans in the UK in the coming days.
Under the Tier 4 lockdown, non-essential businesses are shut down. People are limited to meeting one other person from outside the household outdoors.
AND FINALLY FROM “THE CRAZY PEOPLE SHOPPING AT WALMART” FILES
‘CRAB APPLES’
Apple Bottom? More like pancake bottom with dat flat ass. #OhhhhGetEm!
HAVE A GREAT DAY EVERYBODY!!!!!!!!
EFREM
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