Britsh Rapper Santan Dave for British GQ, August 2021!
Rapper Dave has spoken about the ‘exhausting’ levels of pressure he feels ahead of releasing his second album.
The artist, 23, covered British GQ as he reflected on the trials and and tribulations of the music industry.
For the striking cover shoot, the rapper – who also goes by Santan Dave – sported gold grills on his teeth and donned a fluffy white polo shirt.
‘I cannot afford to fail at anything’: Rapper Dave detailed the ‘exhausting’ pressure he faces in the music industry as he covered British GQ magazine
Discussing the pressures of his industry, Dave said that he, ‘wakes up and writes a lyric on the way to the shower and I stay in the shower until I turn into a prune.’
He added, ‘Then I think, like, “F**k! I cannot afford to fail at anything.” That pressure is exhausting. It wasn’t initially exhausting, but I can definitely say that now it is exhausting.’
The South London rapper also discussed his fears that his new album, We’re All Alone In This Together, won’t receive the same hit reception.
‘First album, everything is so cool, having a buzz for the first time, it’s like “Wow, wow.” Now it’s just realising that it’s peak outside,’ he explained.
‘I’m naturally just a deep thinker, so it’s always gonna have a darkish tint to it.’
Dave said his 2019 album, Psychodrama, ‘was me aged zero to 20’, adding that he now can ‘explore stories from before, stuff that led up to the events of the first album: heritage, history, culture, my family, the countries that we come from’.
Dave continued: ‘This album, God willing, will explain itself. There is a magic to it! I feel like my first album was a concept, but this is a canon.
‘That’s the way I’d put it. In this album, it’s referencing itself: it is self-aware.’
The Brit award winner was also asked what he would say to his younger self, to which he replied, ‘I’d say enjoy performing more.’
He continued to say that he ‘used to hate performing, because I never had the songs to give me the confidence to perform, because I was always rapping so much.’
‘I wasn’t moving a crowd. I always had to go into something deep.’
Last year, Dave’s first album scooped British Album Of The Year at the BRIT Awards.
Psychodrama beat stiff competition to win Best Album ahead of Stormzy’s new release Heavy Is The Head, Michael Kiwanuka’s self-titled LP, Harry Styles’ Fine Line and Lewis Capaldi’s Divinely Uninspired To A Hellish Extent.
As well as being a talented musician, Dave has also turned his hand to acting and made his screen debut in the third season of Top Boy.
See the full feature in the August issue of British GQ available via digital download and on newsstands Friday July 9.
Success: Last year, Dave's first album scooped British Album Of The Year at the BRIT Awards. Dave has also turned his hand to acting and made his screen debut in Top Boy
#RHOA: Kandi Burruss Looks Stunning in a Cheeky Louis Vuitton Bikini!
As Fourth of July weekend wrapped up, Kandi Burruss celebrated a holiday with fewer fireworks, but just as much sizzle. In a July 5 Instagram share, The Real Housewives of Atlanta cast member nodded to a swimwear-centric holiday with a photo of herself at her very cheekiest.
"Somebody said it was [National Bikini Day]," Kandi wrote in her caption. "I was a little thicker last year but this pic fits the occasion." The singer was dressed for the occasion indeed, wearing a blue-and-white bikini that was printed with the Louis Vuitton logo. She also wore oversized earrings, but Kandi's cheeky pose made the biggest statement of all.
With her back to the camera, the Atlanta mom gave her followers a good look at the back of her thong bikini, and a couple of her RHOA friends hopped into the comments to weigh in. Kenya Moore summed up her feelings with an open-mouth emoji, while LaToya Ali wrote: "Lmaaao yaaassss."
Want more RHOA? Catch up on the latest season through the Bravo app.
#MusicNews: Amorphous teams up with Kelly Rowland and CeCe Peniston for new “Finally (Cannot Hide It)”!
Exactly a year ago, Amorphous tweeted he is coming for his flowers as a music producer. Since then, he’s surely achieved exactly what he set out to do, and then some. Just ahead of his debut EP Things Take Shape, which is set to drop on July 7, the young star drops off a preview “Finally (Cannot Hide It)” featuring Kelly Rowland and CeCe Peniston. On the track, Kelly opens up the new single with her well-loved vocals:
LISTEN HERE
A few months ago, Amorphous tapped in with Kehlani to release their collab single “Back Together.” Back in November, Amorphous revealed his mash-up version of Luther Vandross’ “Never Too Much” and Rihanna’s “Kiss It Better,” and it took social media by an absolute storm. The track was so infectious that it caught the attention of DJ Khaled and Cool & Dre, Fat Joe, who added in their own flavor and partnered with the young producer prodigy to make it into an official single. Shortly afterwards, “Sunshine (The Light)” was born, accompanied by a star-studded music video on a yacht to match.
Be sure to press play on Amorphous’ brand new single “Finally (Cannot Hide It)” featuring Kelly Rowland & CeCe Peniston.
#HipHopNews: Nicki Minaj Teases ‘Very Important’ Announcement!
Nicki Minaj has “very, very, very important” news to share.
The Queen of the Barbz took to Twitter on Tuesday to tease a major announcement. She plans to reveal more when she goes live on Instagram this Thursday, July 8, at 10:30 p.m. EST, and she assured fans that she will be on time for the livestream.
“There’s something I URGENTLY need to share w you guys,” tweeted Nicki along with a video of herself with pink hair. “I’ll go LIVE on IG THURSDAY @ 10:30PM EST No, I won’t be late. In fact, I’ll be early. This is VERY VERY VERY IMPORTANT. Love you guys so much.”
Last month during her IG Live, she hinted that something big was in the works. “When I make that announcement, that’s when I’ma go live again and pop a different level of shit,” she said.
It’s unclear what she plans to announce on Thursday, but fans have started speculating what it could be. The phrase “Nicki Is Coming” became a trending topic on Twitter.
The rap queen has several projects in the works including her highly-anticipated fifth album. “I’m back to enjoying music. You know when you’re just back in your zone and your creativity is on high and you can just do it in your sleep. It’s magic again,” she said during last month’s livestream. “This album will definitely be my best album of all time thus far.”
The announcement could also be related to her upcoming HBO Max docuseries. The six half-hour episodes will explore Nicki’s personal and professional journey, while providing unprecedented access to her life.
Britney Spears’ Longtime Manager Larry Rudolph Resigns As Singer Weighs Retirement!
Larry Rudolph, the longtime manager of Britney Spears, has resigned as more controversy swirls over the pop singer’s restrictive conservatorship.
“It has been over 2 1/2 years since Britney and I last communicated, at which time she informed me she wanted to take an indefinite work hiatus,” Rudolph, who has been Spears’ main manager since the early years of her career in the mid-1990s, wrote in a letter Monday sent to Spears’ co-conservators Jamie Spears and the court-appointed Jodi Montgomery. “Earlier today, I became aware that Britney had been voicing her intention to officially retire.”
He added, “As her manager, I believe it is in Britney’s best interest for me to resign from her team as my professional services are no longer needed.” (See the full letter below.)
This latest twist in the Spears saga comes days after co-conservator Bessemer Trust jumped from assisting and overseeing the performer’s career and $50 million-plus fortune. As she made clear in her June 23 appearance at a hearing over the 13-year-old conservatorship, Spears herself wants the complex legal arrangement dissolved or fundamentally altered.
“It is my wish and dream for all of this to end. I want my life back,” she told Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Brenda Penny as family, lawyers and court officials listened in. “I truly believe this conservatorship is abusive … I want to end the conservatorship without being evaluated. I want to petition to end the conservatorship.”
Rudolph states in his resignation letter that he has “never been a part of the conservatorship nor its operations.” However, “management” was mentioned by Spears herself in her sometimes chilling statement to the court via telephone late last month.
Focusing on a 2018 tour that she was reluctant to participate in, the singer said that she was informed “my own management could sue me if I didn’t follow through with the tour.” Spears, who also has a business manager overseeing her career, went to add, “he handed me a sheet of paper as I got off the stage in Vegas and said I had to sign it. It was very threatening and scary and, with the conservatorship, I couldn’t even get my own attorney. So, out of fear, I went ahead and I did the tour.”
Except for a period of time in 2007 and 2008, Rudolph has helped guide Spears’ career since 1995 and through the onetime Princess of Pop’s ascent to the top of the charts with hits like “Baby One More Time” and “Toxic.” Even after the conservatorship kicked in in 2008 after a series of public incidents involving Spears, the returning Rudolph remained a stabilizing figure for Spears as she released more albums, went on world tours and even had a lucrative residency in Las Vegas.
Spears suddenly pulled out of the Sin City shows in 2019 saying she was going on a “hiatus” due in no small part to health issues her sometimes estranged father Jamie was experiencing.
Spears has indicated online and elsewhere that she may not return to performing. Most recently, a probing New Yorker piece by Ronan Farrow and Jia Tolentino detailed the extremes the conservatorship has gone to over the years, and leaned into Spears’ displeasure over the machine her career has become.
Currently, the controversial conservatorship, which has spawned the #FreeBritney movement, has a July 14 hearing on the calendar. Although Spears indicated last month she wanted to end the conservatorship and perhaps replace her court-appointed attorney Samuel Ingham III (who is cc’d on Rudolph’s letter today), neither the singer nor her camp have filed paperwork to terminate it — a move that is within her legal rights in California.
As it stands, the arrangement that controls Spears’ career, personal and professional finances, her relationship with her children, who she sees and doesn’t see, and even her own body is set to run until at least September of this year.
Here’s the full letter from Rudolph, who also manages Aerosmith and its lead singer Steven Tyler.
James P. Spears and Jodi Montgomery, as co-executors of the estate of Britney Spears:
It has been over 2 1/2 years since Britney and I last communicated, at which time she informed me she wanted to take an indefinite work hiatus. Earlier today, I became aware that Britney had been voicing her intention to officially retire.
As you know, I have never been a part of the conservatorship nor its operations, so I am not privy to many of these details. I was originally hired at Britney’s request to help manage and assist her with her career. And as her manager, I believe it is in Britney’s best interest for me to resign from her team as my professional services are no longer needed.
Please accept this letter as my formal resignation.
I will always be incredibly proud of what we accomplished over our 25 years together. I wish Britney all the health and happiness in the world, and I’ll be there for her if she ever needs me again, just as I always have been.
Larry Rudolph
Sha’Carri Richardson breaks her silence after being left out of Tokyo Olympics!
Sha’Carri Richardson speaks. Hours after it was reported that she had been left off of the U.S. Track & Field team after failing her drug test, she used her Twitter account to break her silence.
In the tweet that she wrote on Tuesday (July 6) afternoon, she wrote: “The attention that is on track now and was because of very very few names. So if that’s where fans support lay, you can’t be mad at that.”
News broke that Richardson would not compete in the Tokyo Olympics after failing to be selected for the 4x100 relay team. Her month-long suspension prevented her from being given a spot on the 100-meter race team, as well. So, many were hoping for the rising star athlete to at least be given a chance to run in the 4x100 competition. However, the dream is now being delayed for another four years.
The USA Track & Field released a statement confirming this announcement. “While USATF fully agrees that the merit of the World Anti-Doping Agency rules related to THC should be reevaluated, it would be detrimental to the integrity of the U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Track & Field if USATF amended its policies following competition, only weeks before the Olympic Games,” a portion of its message read.
It continued: “All USATF athletes are equally aware of and must adhere to the current anti-doping code, and our credibility as the National Governing Body would be lost if rules were only enforced under certain circumstances. So, while our heartfelt understanding lies with Sha’Carri, we must also maintain fairness for all of the athletes who attempted to realize their dreams by securing a place on the U.S. Olympic Track & Field Team.”
Since this news broke, a number of public figures have continued to show support for the star athlete. We’re sure that we’ll see her at the Olympics in four years — and with a vengeance.
#RIP: Actress Suzzanne Douglas Dead At 64
Suzzanne Douglas, known for her leading role in the Robert Townsend sitcom The Parent ‘Hood has passed away at the age of 64.
Angie Tee, reported to be a cousin of the late actress, broke the news of Douglas’ death on Facebook July 6. In her post she wrote:
“Suzzanne Douglas a beautiful and talented actress made her transition today. She warmed our hearts on movie screens and television sets all over the world. This beautiful soul was my cousin.
“I can remember growing up, there weren’t very many black actresses who had starring roles but there was my cousin with the lead role in “Tap” starring alongside great dancers such as Gregory Hines and Sammy Davis Jr. She also performed with Angela Bassett and Whoopi Goldberg in “How Stella Got Her Groove Back.” The Inkwell, Jason’s Lyric and so much more the list goes on. The world will miss your talent but your soul will live on forever Rest in Paradise my beautiful cousin Suzzane you will be missed RIP”
Douglas was born in Chicago and raised in public housing on the city’s south side by her single mother along with her three siblings. After developing an interest in the arts at a young age, she earned a Bachelor’s degree from Illinois State University before later earning a Master in Music degree from the Manhattan School of Music.
For her lead role in Tap in 1989, Douglas won an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture. From there she went on to star in other feature films such as The Inkwell, Jason’s Lyric, and How Stella Got Her Groove Back. In 2015, she portrayed Cissy Houston in the Lifetime biopic Whitney.
Douglas appeared in a number of TV sitcoms and dramas over the course of her career as well. In addition to her leading part as Jerri Peterson in the WB comedy The Parent ‘Hood, Douglas also had guest roles on The Cosby Show, Touched By An Angel, The Parkers, and The Good Wife. Most recently, she starred in Ava Duvernay’s 2019 minseries When They See Us.
Earlier this year, Reagan Gomez, who starred alongside Douglas in The Parent ‘Hood gave her TV mom her digital flowers. Today she has retweeted those Mother’s Day posts in her memory. So far, no cause of death has been revealed.
Kim Kardashian Announces She's Temporarily Shutting Down KKW Beauty to Relaunch a New Brand!
Kim Kardashian is giving KKW Beauty a makeover. The beauty and fashion mogul took to social media Tuesday to share that she will be temporarily shutting down her beauty brand to relaunch "under a completely new brand with new formulas that are more modern, innovative, and packaged in an elevated and sustainable new look."
"To our loyal customers, It all started with a contour kit and expanded to eyes, lips, body, and many incredible collections over the past four years," the statement began.
"On August 1st at midnight we will be shutting down the KKWBeauty.com site so that we can come back to you under a completely new brand with new formulas that are more modern, innovative, and packaged in an elevated and sustainable new look," she continued.
The new product range will also come with a new "shopping experience," which will allow customers to purchase all of Kardashian's beauty and cosmetic products in one place.
"I'm excited to continue to develop and expand my product range and for you to finally be able to experience it the way that I have always envisioned," Kardashian said. "In addition, my team is hard at work to improve the customer shopping experience where you will be able to purchase my beauty and cosmetic offerings in all categories from one single website."
Kardashian thanked her fans, adding, "Thank you so much for being on this incredible journey with me, and I promise we won't be gone for too long."
The mom of four launched the line in 2017, selling 20 percent of her KKW Beauty company to Coty for $200 million. While the deal was announced in 2019, it wasn't finalized until January of this year.
"I'm so proud of how the KKW brand has grown over the past four years, and I look forward to working with Coty for the next phase of innovation, advancement, and the ability to bring new launches to customers all around the world," Kardashian said in a press release at the time. "This relationship will allow me to lead the development of the creative elements that I specialize in, while benefiting from the incredible resources of an established company like Coty."
The deal is set to include a skincare line slated for a 2022 release, as well as further development of her existing products, which is what may be taking place now as the beauty brand takes a step back to relaunch. As per the deal, Kardashian and her team will remain the creative visionaries for the brand, while Coty will focus on product development with forays into haircare, personal care and nail products.
Nikole Hannah-Jones Accepts Role at Howard University after UNC-Chapel Hill!
Following an extended battle over tenure, an investigative journalist who won a Pulitzer Prize for her ground-breaking work on the bitter legacy of slavery in the United States announced Tuesday that she will not return to the University of North Carolina’s faculty and will instead accept a chaired professorship at Howard University.
The debate over whether Nikole Hannah-Jones should be given a lifetime professor appointment at North Carolina’s flagship public institution has sparked weeks of outrage both on and off the Chapel Hill campus. Several professors and alumni expressed dissatisfaction, and during protests, Black students and teachers questioned whether the school valued them.
Hannah-Jones said in a written statement, “These last few weeks have been very dark. To be treated so shabbily by my alma mater, by a university that has given me so much and which I only sought to give back to, has been deeply painful.”
On Tuesday, she said that her tenure application had been held due to conservative political meddling and concerns from a key journalism school contributor. She bemoaned the “political firestorm that has dogged me since The 1619 Project published,” which has been attacked by conservatives, including Donald Trump.
Instead, Hannah-Jones will be holding a position as Knight Chair of Race and Investigation Journalism at Howard, which also announced on Tuesday that it recruited award-winning journalist Ta-Nehisi Coates.
University officials have stated that Hannah Jones’ tenure request for UNC Journalism School had been filed last year to the school’s trustees, but it was stopped when a board member who vetted lifetime appoints voiced concerns about her non-academic history. Instead, a five-year contract was originally given. Then the trustee board eventually took up the proposal last week, despite rising pressure, and voted to offer its tenure.
“To be denied it (tenure) to only have that vote occur on the last possible day, at the last possible moment, after threat of legal action, after weeks of protest, after it became a national scandal, it’s just not something that I want anymore,” Hannah-Jones said on CBS This Morning.
Hannah-Jones and Coates’ Howard appointments have been funded by almost $20 million donations made to support Howards’ continuing education and investment in black journalists by the Knight Foundation, the John D., and the Catherine T MacArthur Foundation Ford Foundation, and by an anonymous donor.
“It is my pleasure to welcome to Howard two of today’s most respected and influential journalists,” Howard President Wayne A. I. Frederick said in a news release. “At such a critical time for race relations in our country, it is vital that we understand the role of journalism in steering our national conversation and social progress.”
Hannah-Jones, who earned a master’s degree from UNC, was named a Knight Chair in the journalism school in April. Even though her predecessors were guaranteed tenure when they were hired, it was later revealed that she had been given a contract position.
Hannah-Jones cited political interference and the influence of a powerful donor to the journalism school on Tuesday, a reference to Arkansas newspaper publisher Walter Hussman, who revealed that before the process was halted, he had emailed university leaders challenging her work as “highly contentious and highly controversial.”
“I cannot imagine working at and advancing a school named for a man who lobbied against me, who used his wealth to influence the hires and ideology of the journalism school, who ignored my 20 years of journalism experience, all of my credentials, all of my work because he believed that a project that centered Black Americans equaled the denigration of white Americans,” Hannah-Jones said in her statement. “Nor can I work at an institution whose leadership permitted this conduct and has done nothing to disavow it.”
Phoenix Suns follow Chris Paul's lead in Game 1 NBA Finals win!
PHOENIX -- After waiting 16 years to make the NBA Finals for the first time in his career, Phoenix Suns point guard Chris Paul found himself with no basketball to watch on TV as he tried to kill the time in the days and hours leading up to Tuesday's Game 1.
"I was watching them soccer games," Paul said after the Suns' 118-105 win over the Milwaukee Bucks. "I watched a hockey game last night. I'm watching that, like, 'Damn, how do they know to pass it there?' And they probably think the same thing with us. But we do this so often, and we have seen just about every coverage you could possibly see, so it's second nature."
And Paul's wealth of experience made it feel natural for Suns coach Monty Williams to see his point guard carve up the Bucks' defense in the third quarter -- scoring 16 of his game-high 32 points on 6-for-7 shooting -- because Williams implicitly trusts Paul to execute for their team.
"When it's going like that, you just want to space the floor well and let him orchestrate," Williams said after his team went up 1-0 for the fourth time in the four series they'll play this postseason. "I thought he was making the right plays.
"He was making shots, and when he's in that mode, we just feed off of that."
Part of Paul's offensive explosion came by exploiting the Bucks' switching schemes. With just under 3½ minutes to go in the third and Phoenix starting to pull away, Milwaukee center Bobby Portis found himself switched out on Paul well beyond the 3-point arc.
The 6-foot Paul dribbled back nearly to the half-court line like a windup toy ready to spring into action and then attacked the 6-foot-10 Portis, unleashing an inside-out dribble, followed by a crossover, followed by a hesitation move to blow by the hapless Bucks big man as Paul capped the sequence with a finger roll layup to put Phoenix up by 18.
"We have to punish teams for switching 1 through 5 like that," said Suns shooting guard Devin Booker, who poured in 27 points of his own. "Like I just heard Chris say, we prepare for any type of defense and we watch a lot of basketball, and where we have been most successful in that situation is space out. So, every time he shoots it, we think it's going in."
Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer admitted Paul rendered their defense ineffective.
"So, yeah, he's a good player," Budenholzer said, stating the obvious. "Their pick-and-roll game is tough to guard. I think we have to just keep getting better. We have to keep looking at the film and see how we can maybe take away some of the rhythm or make it where he's not getting into his spots as easily. That will be a big part of looking between Game 1 and Game 2."
Paul and Booker became the third set of teammates to each score 25-plus points in their Finals debut since 1980, according to research by ESPN Stats & Information, joining the Oklahoma City Thunder's Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook (2012) and the Orlando Magic's Shaquille O'Neal and Anfernee Hardaway (1995).
Booker and Paul were particularly devastating when they took on the Bucks' defense in isolation opportunities. They went 12-for-19 out of isolation, according to ESPN Stats & Info data, accounting for their most iso makes and attempts in any game since they became teammates last offseason.
It was a spectacular carryover for Paul, in particular, from the Western Conference finals, when he closed out the LA Clippers in Game 6 with 41 points. The 73 combined points are the most he has ever had over a two-game span in his postseason career, and Paul became just the fourth player in league history -- joining two former Suns greats in Steve Nash and Kevin Johnson and a fellow do-everything guard in Oscar Robertson -- to total 70-plus points on 65% shooting and 15 assists over two games in the playoffs.
"Chris Paul, he's been a bucket, man," Booker said. "I mean, he obviously gets his team involved; he's the greatest leader to play this game. But he's been a bucket for a very long time. And my six years of playing against him, or five years of playing against him, you understand that. There's no scouting report that says Chris Paul can't get a bucket."
Paul waited a long time for Game 1 of the Finals. And then he didn't wait to make his mark once he was in it.
"He's just a really good basketball player," Williams said. "He's one of those rare guys that can see the floor, and he knows where all five guys should be. He took advantage of his opportunities tonight versus their switching defense, and thankfully he made shots."
Spike Lee tells Cannes Black people still 'hunted down like animals'!
CANNES, France (Reuters) - Director Spike Lee on Tuesday denounced the state of race relations in the United States three decades after he first shook audiences in Cannes with films on bigotry and violence, drawing parallels with the 2020 killing of George Floyd.
Lee, the first Black person to head up the jury at the Cannes Film Festival, said little had progressed since 'Do The Right Thing' premiered on the French Riviera in 1989 - a Brooklyn-based tale of spiralling racial tensions and police brutality with a startling resonance now.
"When you see brother Eric Garner, when you see king George Floyd, murdered, lynched... you would think, you would hope that thirty-some motherfucking years later Black people would stop being hunted down like animals," Lee told a news conference in Cannes, where the world's biggest cinema showcase is due to kick off.
A judge sentenced former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin to 22-1/2 years in prison in June for Floyd's murder during an arrest in May 2020.
Video of Chauvin kneeling on the neck of the handcuffed Floyd for more than nine minutes caused outrage around the world, and the verdict was widely seen as a landmark rebuke of the disproportionate use of police force against Black Americans.
Eric Garner was killed in a deadly chokehold by a white police officer during a 2014 arrest. His dying words, "I can't breathe" became a rallying cry for the Black Lives Matter movement.
Lee's darkly funny 'Do The Right Thing' - in which tempers fray and led to a deadly outcome over the course of boiling hot day in Brooklyn - outraged some critics when it was first released, with some claiming it would encourage riots.
Eric Adams declared winner of NYC Democratic mayoral race!
Eric Adams declared victory in the city’s Democratic mayoral race Tuesday after holding on to a razor-thin lead in a pivotal new tally of votes, putting him on track to become just the second Black mayor in Big Apple history after running a centrist campaign heavily focused on crime-fighting.
Adams, Brooklyn’s current borough president and a retired NYPD captain, led former sanitation commissioner Kathryn Garcia by just 8,426 ballots — or 1% of the total — after more than 120,000 absentee votes were added to the Board of Elections’ unofficial tally of ranked-choice results.
The Associated Press called the race for Adams after the absentee ballot drop. Even before the AP call, Adams, 60, took a long-awaited victory lap over the June 22 primary, which was marred by delays and embarrassing tabulation errors.
“The results are clear: an historic, diverse, five-borough coalition led by working-class New Yorkers has led us to victory in the Democratic primary for mayor of New York City,” Adams said in a statement. “Now we must focus on winning in November so that we can deliver on the promise of this great city for those who are struggling, who are underserved, and who are committed to a safe, fair, affordable future for all New Yorkers.”
Adams — who’d become the first African American mayor since David Dinkins if elected — will face long-shot Republican mayoral candidate Curtis Sliwa in the November general election. That race is widely expected to be a one-sided affair in deep-blue New York.
After serving in the NYPD for more than two decades, Adams — who used to be a registered Republican — was elected Brooklyn borough president in 2013.
He has long had his eyes on Gracie Mansion, and spent much of his energy on the campaign trail vowing to put a lid on a surge in shootings in the city while seeking to strike a balance by also touting his credentials as a police reformer during his time in the NYPD.
He’s a staunch opponent of the “Defund the Police” movement and clashed repeatedly with the progressive candidates in the mayoral field. He has also attracted controversy over the decades, including by defending Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan.
Garcia, who campaigned as a problem solver with extensive experience in city politics, did not immediately offer public comment after the updated results.
When only in-person ballots were in the mix last week, Adams held a 14,755-vote lead over Garcia, meaning the ex-sanitation commissioner gained significant ground in the absentees.
However, the Board of Elections said less than 4,000 absentee ballots remained outstanding after the Tuesday release, making Adams’ lead effectively insurmountable. The outstanding ballots featured errors that voters are allowed to fix, or “cure,” by Friday if they wish to have them counted, the board said.
Maya Wiley, Mayor de Blasio’s former counsel and the only other viable contender left in the race, was eliminated in Tuesday’s last ranked-choice round after trailing Garcia by 12,367 ballots for second place.
That means Wiley did not fare well in the absentee returns, as she was behind Garcia by less than 400 votes when only considering in-person ballots.
Nonetheless, Wiley, the progressive standard-bearer in the race, did not concede after the absentee ballot unveiling.
Rather, Wiley — who filed court papers last week to reserve her right to request a recount — suggested she’s not done and took withering aim at the city’s Board of Elections over a vote counting error that plunged the primary into chaos last week.
“We will have more to say about the next steps shortly,” said Wiley, who earned the endorsements of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and other left-wing heavyweights. “Today, we simply must recommit ourselves to a reformed Board of Elections and build new confidence in how we administer voting in New York City. New York City’s voters deserve better, and the BOE must be completely remade following what can only be described as a debacle.”
Simone Biles’ Boyfriend Jonathan Owens Shares Surprising Revelation About Their Relationship!
Simone Biles and Jonathan Owens' love story deserves a gold medal.
While the Olympian and the Houston Texans football star, who confirmed their romance in August 2020, often share photos together on social media, they've kept many details about their relationship close to their hearts. That is, until now.
"Her work ethic was really the first thing that kind of caught my eye," Owens explained in the third episode of Simone vs Herself on Facebook Watch. The 25-year-old athlete continued, "I never really watched gymnastics before I first started talking to her. When I met her, I honestly didn't know who she was."
He recalled that early on, he knew she was famous, but didn't realize to the extent that people loved the gymnast.
"It was just like, ‘Oh, she has a lot of followers—she must be pretty good or something," the football player continued. "That's how I would tell people and they'd be like: ‘Simone Biles?! You for real, the gymnast?! And I'm like, ‘Man, she's good like that?!"
Owens grew to admire Biles for all that she is, including her undeniable skill in gymnastics.
"The coolest thing for me is that I get to witness someone who's literally in the pinnacle of their sport, you know, and it's motivating," he continued. "You know -- just to see that and the impact that she has on people."
He described an instance of walking past some girls who were "shaking" over seeing the gold medalist.
"This is kinda when I knew I was like, ‘Okay, yeah, she's the real deal,'" he gushed.
While their relationship is clearly going strong, Biles did recently reveal to E! News' Daily Pop the one thing they fight about.
"He's actually the hardest working athlete I know," she shared. "But we definitely get in fights all the time about which sport is harder...We're always supporting each other but then at the end of the day we still bond on a crazy level."
Biles' gymnastics career will continue at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics.
Chris Brown Sued by Housekeeper Claiming Vicious Dog Attack!
Chris Brown is in trouble…again. He’s facing a lawsuit from a former housekeeper who claims she was the victim of an attack by one of Chris’ dogs.
via HNHH: The woman, who filed the lawsuit as Jane Doe, said that Breezy’s Caucasian Shepherd Ovcharka, Hades, viciously mauled her while she was working at his place in Tarzana. She said that she was taking out the trash when Hades started to attack. She said the dog tore through skin and ripped chunks of flesh off of her face, arms, and her body.
Jane Doe also accused Chris Brown of ignoring her pleas for help. She said Chris and his crew were in the house when it happened and never came outside, even as she was screaming.
The lawsuit states that she was left in a pool of her own blood once the dog ended its attack. She accused Chris Brown and his crew of attempting to hide evidence and trying to clear the scene. She added that Chris Brown told police that he didn’t know what happened or where the dogs were. Doe said in the suit that Hades was euthanized weeks later by the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office Animal Shelter, even though it’s hours away from the singer’s home.
The housekeeper is suing Chris Brown for major damages, claiming that she had to undergo serious surgery and that the attack resulted in permanent scars. Her husband is also suing Breezy for losing the ability to have the love and partnership of his wife because of the attack.
This isn’t the first lawsuit Chris Brown is facing over the attack, either. The sister of the victim also filed a lawsuit on claims that the attack made her suffer from PTSD.
How long do you think it’ll take Chris to settle this one?
Scarlett Johansson is pregnant, expecting baby with Colin Jost!
Scarlett Johansson is pregnant! The Oscar-nominated actress is expecting her first child with husband Colin Jost. One source told us: “Scarlett is actually due soon, I know she and Colin are thrilled.”
Another insider added: “Scarlett is pregnant but has been keeping it very quiet. She has been keeping a very low profile.”
The “Avengers” star, 36, sparked pregnancy rumors in June after skipping out on several “Black Widow” events.
“She hasn’t been doing many interviews or events to promote ‘Black Widow,’ which is surprising since it is a huge Marvel/Disney release and she is both the star and an executive producer,” our source explained.
Instead, she’s been carrying out promotional appearances via Zoom, appearing virtually on “The Tonight Show” to chat with Jimmy Fallon on June 21 — conspicuously only shot from the shoulders up.
She was also absent from a “Black Widow” screening in the Hamptons on Friday — attended by her co-star David Harbour and followed by a party at Mariska Hargitay’s home — even though she and Jost own a home in Montauk, where they’re frequently seen out and about.
A Hamptons source told us: “Scarlett usually spends a lot of the summer out in Amagansett and Montauk, and you’d often see her walking her dogs on the beach or getting coffee. But this summer it seems like she is deliberately trying to keep a low profile.”
Disney has already thrown “Black Widow” events in New York, Los Angeles and London but sans ScarJo. The actress stars in the big-budget flick — released this weekend after being postponed last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic — as the titular character, a Russian-born spy-turned-Avenger. It’s among a number of movies that Hollywood hopes will revive the box office.
Florence Pugh, who plays Romanoff’s sister Yelena, has been heavily promoting the movie, appearing on Zoom on “Good Morning America” on Tuesday and also attending a red carpet premiere in London on June 29.
The new arrival will be Johansson’s second child. She previously welcomed daughter Rose, now 6, with ex-husband Romain Dauriac.
Johansson and the “Saturday Night Live” star, 39, quietly tied the knot in October 2020 after three years of dating. This will be his first child.
The two Js met on the set of “SNL” in 2006 but weren’t romantically linked until May 2017, when they were spotted kissing at an afterparty for the NBC stalwart, a few months after Johansson filed for divorce from Dauriac. The duo made their relationship public in December 2017 before announcing their engagement in May 2019, and the “Lucy” star called Jost “the love of my life” while appearing on “SNL” in December 2019.
“I’ve met someone I love. And who I feel more comfortable with than I ever have before,” Jost subsequently wrote of Johansson in his 2020 memoir, “A Very Punchable Face.”
Jost already seems ready for fatherhood, as he was spotted carrying his stepdaughter out in New York in April after a family dinner with Johansson.
A rep for Johansson was unavailable for comment.
Statue of Martin Luther King Jr. Vandalized With Swastika and SS Bolt Symbols In Long Beach!
Long Beach residents were outraged over the weekend after a statue of Martin Luther King Jr. was defaced with hate symbols.
A photo shared on social media showed the statue of the civil rights icon had been marked with a swastika and SS Bolts.
According to the Long Beach Police Department, the vandalism is being investigated as a hate crime.
Officers rushed to the statue at 1950 Lemon Ave. in Martin Luther King Jr. Park at 3:20 p.m. Friday after receiving a call alleging hate or bias-driven vandalism.
Police had no leads on any suspects in the vandalism as of Monday afternoon.
Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia described the graffiti as “horrific” in a tweet, assuring locals that authorities are looking for the perpetrators.
“Our MLK statue is a symbol of hope and justice for the community,” the mayor said. “This hate and desecration has no place in our city.”
“Hate has no home in Long Beach,” said Councilwoman Suely Saro, who posted a photo of the statue being cleaned on Saturday.
The local AOC7 Neighborhood Group organized a peaceful march to protest the hate following the vandalism.
A small crowd gathered near the statue, with some holding banners reading “no tolerance for hate in Long Beach” and “white silence is violence.”
Carroll Baker says 'it's a sin' Bill Cosby was jailed: 'I don't think it was his fault'!
Screen legend Carroll Baker didn't mince words while offering up her thoughts on the #MeToo movement and "wonderful" Bill Cosby.
Baker, one of Hollywood's last living stars from cinema's Golden Age and an Oscar nominee for the 1956 film Baby Doll, put the blame on Cosby's accusers and questioned why women would choose to be alone with the "very sexy" comedian. The 90-year-old actress made the unfiltered claims on The Hollywood Reporter's Awards Chatter podcast, just one day before Cosby was released from prison.
"My heart is broken for Bill Cosby," the Baby Doll star declared. "Bill Cosby did not deserve, at his age and in the condition he's in. ... He's a wonderful human being, absolutely wonderful, and I can’t bear the fact that he's in prison. I don't think it was his fault.”
Cosby, 83, had his conviction overturned last week. In 2018, he was sentenced to prison for three to 10 years for assaulting Andrea Constand. Sixty women have accused the disgraced Cosby Show star of sexual assault, typically after they were drugged. (Cosby admitted to giving women drugs, but maintained sex acts that followed were consensual.) Baker put the onus back on the women.
"Why would you go into a secluded place with a man? To play pinochle?" she exclaimed. "I'm sure they were all entranced with him. I have a feeling that that drink was just an aphrodisiac and he did not force them to take it, he just offered it to them. And I think it's a sin he's in jail."
As for convicted rapist Harvey Weinstein, Baker called the Oscar-winning producer "a maniac" and said he deserves to be behind bars. However, she takes issue with women coming forward about sexual misconduct claims years later.
"But also these days, I hate the fact that these women do this," she continued. "That they come back from years before and they ruin a man's career."
As for whether Baker witnessed problematic behavior in the industry, the Giant actress could only think of one incident.
"I was only asked once to lie down on the casting couch, and I just walked out the door," she shared.
When asked if she thought there were "nonconsensual" acts going on she wasn't privy to, Baker replied, "No, I don't think so."
Pop Smoke’s Murder Suspect Will Not Face The Death Penalty!
A suspect involved in the murder of Pop Smoke has learned that he will not be sentenced to death, the Daily News reported. On Tuesday (July 6), prosecutors announced that they are not pursuing the death penalty against 20-year-old Corey Walker.
“Our office is not going to be seeking death on this case,” Deputy DA Hilary Williams said. “But we are going to be asking for a lot.”
According to statements made in a preliminary hearing, Pop Smoke was taking a shower at his Hollywood Airbnb when a group of masked intruders raided the home with intentions to rob the Rolex and thick gold chain the rapper previously flaunted on Instagram.
He attempted to fight back and was fatally shot by a 15-year-old as others kicked him on the floor repeatedly.
Though Pop passed away at the hands of a minor, Walker — the only adult suspect involved in the murder case — admitted that he played a role in the fatal shooting. He reportedly told an informant that he and three others used gloves, ski masks and a police scanner to commit the crime. He was later charged with murder and was deemed eligible for the death penalty as Pop’s killing occurred amid the heist, but his defense lawyer Christopher Darden filed a motion to dismiss his murder charge. Per Darden, his client solely drove the vehicle to the Hollywood home.
Following Tuesday’s arraignment hearing, prosecutors said that Walker now faces a maximum sentence of life without parole if he’s convicted of Pop’s slaying. (July 7), he is due back in court, where he will enter a formal plea.
Walker’s hearing comes roughly a month after his family expressed their desire to speak to Pop’s mother, Audrey Jackson. At the time, she said she was skeptical and needed more time to make her decision.
AND FINALLY FROM “THE CRAZY PEOPLE SHOPPING AT WALMART” FILES
‘CUSTOMIZE AT WALMART’
customize at walmar tCustomize to your hearts content it is! A bunch of those would make me sleepy too, you know.
HAVE A GREAT DAY ALL!!!
EFREM
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