Keanu Reeves for Esquire - Winter 2021
PARIS, the Day Before Halloween He sits in the black leather booth of a Paris brasserie, a porcelain cup half full of cappuccino by his elbow, thumbing the screen of his phone with his left hand, which is caked with slashes of dried blood.
“Let’s see, where is it,” he says, scrolling. He’s searching for a text message he sent to Carrie-Anne Moss, his costar in the Matrix movie franchise, almost two years ago. Keanu Reeves had appeared in the doorway of this restaurant exactly on time, on about five hours’ sleep, just a few minutes ago. It’s called Le Grand Colbert, and he was last here for one very long night with Jack Nicholson and Diane Keaton, filming the end of the 2003 movie Something’s Gotta Give. He hasn’t set foot in the place since.
He was wearing a surgical mask, a black knit cap over his long black straw hair, a black motorcycle jacket, and jeans. He showed his proof of vaccination to the maรฎtre d’. And he walked into the bright salon of a place, thirty-foot ceilings and big round bistro lights and brass railings and clinking glasses and waitstaff in clean white shirts and dark aprons.
As he removed his mask and walked down the center of the restaurant, diners (a good percentage of whom are tourists and are here because of the movie), waiters, and bartenders watched him, a surreal, time-warp moment. He was Meg Ryan stopping into Katz’s Deli for a pastrami sandwich.
Is that—?
Does he actually—?
He stopped to chat at a table where someone happened to have worked with his girlfriend, the artist Alexandra Grant. He passed the booth where the famous scene was filmed. People always request that booth, so it’s always occupied. Today the woman sitting where Keanu Reeves sat in the movie she loves looked up and saw Keanu Reeves walk right past the booth where Keanu Reeves sat, and damn near choked on her escargot.
He’s still scrolling, searching for the thing.
“That looks like it hurt,” I say after a minute. “Your hand.”
He twists his hand around and looks down at it, showing a gash that extends from his pinkie clear down the side of his palm, all the way to the wrist bone.
“Oh, yeah,” he says, then gives a quick tilt of his head and smiles. “Movie shenanigans!”
Keanu is here talking with me to promote The Matrix Resurrections, the fourth installment in one of his gazillion-dollar movie franchises. But the reason he’s in Paris is to film John Wick: Chapter 4, the fourth installment in his other gazillion-dollar movie franchise.
“We’re filming nights now, and I finished at seven o’clock this morning,” he says, pulling back his hair, still damp from a shower. “I just woke up.” It’s 1:15 in the afternoon. He coughs a little.
I’m still looking at his hand. “Does it hurt?”
He looks at me, momentarily confused, then realizes I’m the one who’s confused. “Oh, no, this is all movie blood,” he says, amused. “It doesn’t all come off in the first wash.”
He turns back to his phone, focused. He scrolls through dozens of messages, a blur of alternating blue and gray text bubbles, the gray ones—the other person’s—punctuated sometimes with emojis and hearts.
“Sorry this is taking so long,” Keanu says. An apology, which is surprising because he is doing a favor, searching for a text message I’ve asked him to find—a message that contains evidence of him doing a favor for someone else, in this case Moss. (She did the emojis and hearts.)
“It’s weird going back through these,” he says, lost in the text messages the way you get when you scroll back in time. “This is very on-point for Resurrections.”
Now he scrolls in silence. Realizing that there will be a long dead space on my tape recorder, he leans down and says into it loudly, “I’m still looking up the list.”
Toward the end of filming Resurrections, Moss had asked him to recommend a few good movies she could watch with her teenage kids. “In the Matrix movies, I’ve always felt like I was his partner, and he was my partner, in the execution of these characters,” Moss told me. “It was never the feeling of, Oh, he’s the movie star. His work ethic is unlike anyone I’ve ever met, and I’ve seen it up close: He trains harder, works harder, cares more, always asks more and more questions to understand the depth of what we’re doing. And while he was doing all of that for himself, he always had an eye out for me. Like when I asked him for those movies, it seems like a little thing, but he’s so busy, he’s exhausted, and took the time to write this very, very thoughtful list.”
“It’s here somewhere,” Keanu says at the restaurant. “Anything else you’d like to talk about while I’m scrolling?”
There's more at Esquire.
BREAKING: Ahmaud Arbery Verdict: Travis Mcmichael, Greg Mcmichael, William Bryan Guilty On Murder Charges
BRUNSWICK, Georgia -- All three white men charged in the death of Ahmaud Arbery were convicted of murder Wednesday in the fatal shooting that became part of a larger national reckoning on racial injustice.
The convictions for Greg McMichael, son Travis McMichael and neighbor William "Roddie" Bryan came after jurors deliberated for about 10 hours. The men face minimum sentences of life in prison. It is up to the judge to decide whether that comes with or without the possibility of parole.
Travis McMichael stood for the verdict, his lawyer's arm around his shoulder. At one point, McMichael lowered his head to his chest. After the verdicts were read, as he stood to leave, he mouthed "love you" to his mother, who was in the courtroom.
Moments after the verdicts were announced, Arbery's father, Marcus Arbery Sr., was seen crying and hugging supporters outside the courtroom.
"He didn't do nothing," the father said, "but run and dream."
All three white men charged in the death of Ahmaud Arbery were convicted of murder Wednesday in the fatal shooting that became part of a larger national reckoning on racial injustice.
The McMichaels grabbed guns and jumped in a pickup truck to pursue the 25-year-old Black man after seeing him running in their neighborhood outside the Georgia port city of Brunswick in February 2020. Bryan joined the pursuit in his own pickup and recorded cellphone video of Travis McMichael fatally shooting Arbery.
Graphic video of Arbery's killing leaked online two months later. Though prosecutors did not argue that racism motivated the killing, federal authorities have charged them with hate crimes, alleging that they chased and killed Arbery because he was Black. That case is scheduled to go to trial in February.
The jury sent a note to Superior Court Judge Timothy Walmsley soon after returning to court Wednesday morning asking to view two versions of the shooting video - the original and one that investigators enhanced to reduce shadows - three times apiece.
Jurors returned to the courtroom to see the videos and listen again the 911 call one of the defendants made from the bed of a pickup truck about 30 seconds before the shooting.
The disproportionately white jury received the case around midday Tuesday and spent about six hours deliberating before adjourning without a verdict.
The McMichaels told police they suspected Arbery was a fleeing burglar when they armed themselves and jumped in a pickup truck to chase him. Bryan joined the pursuit when they passed his house and recorded cellphone video of Travis McMichael blasting Arbery at close range with a shotgun as Arbery threw punches and grabbed for the weapon.
On the 911 call the jury reviewed, Greg McMichael tells an operator: "I'm out here in Satilla Shores. There's a Black male running down the street."
He then starts shouting, apparently as Arbery is running toward the McMichael's idling truck with Bryan's truck coming up behind him: "Stop right there! Damn it, stop! Travis!" Gunshots can be heard a few second later.
The graphic video death leaked online two months later, and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation took over the case, quickly arresting the three men. Each of them is charged with murder and other crimes.
Defense attorneys contend the McMichaels were attempting a legal citizen's arrest when they set off after Arbery, seeking to detain and question him as a suspected burglar after he was seen running from a nearby home under construction.
Travis McMichael testified that he shot Arbery in self-defense, saying the running man turned and attacked with his fists while running past the idling truck where Travis McMichael stood with his shotgun.
Prosecutors said there was no evidence Arbery had committed crimes in the defendants' neighborhood. He had enrolled at a technical college and was preparing at the time to study to become an electrician like his uncles.
#JusticeForAhmaud
#RHOA: Money Woes? Nene Leakes Slashes Price, Again On Her Georgia Home
Nene Leakes seems to want to waste no time selling the Georgia home she’s lived in with her late husband, Gregg Leakes, for the past seven years.
The former “The Real Housewives of Atlanta” star has slashed the price of her Duluth home, just outside of Atlanta, for the second time in less than two months, The Post has learned.
Initially listing the home for $4 million in September, Nene cut the price to $3.8 million just last month.
On Tuesday, the price went down to $3.495 million — a $500,000 price decrease from the initial listing.
The reality star, 53, put the home up for sale the same month Gregg passed away after a four-year battle with colon cancer.
This is considered the first home they purchased together back in 2015 for a little over $2 million after she was slammed for renting several properties prior and a 2008 eviction.
Made up of five bedrooms and seven bathrooms, the mansion took several years to be completed.
Spanning almost 10,000 square feet, the Mediterranean-style home “gives you West Coast vibes,” the listing states. It also comes with two chef’s kitchens, waterfall features and is accompanied by a full wrap-around covered patio. The owner’s suite is complete with a fireplace, a free-standing tub and a his-and-hers double vanity.
Nene has been open about needing to move on following her husband’s death.
“The last five days before his passing was really beautiful,” she revealed in a September interview with People. “All of his children were there. His best friends were there. Our closest friends were there. We all sat with him around the clock.
“We talked a lot, and we made peace with what was happening,” she added, reflecting on her 25-year relationship with Gregg.
Nene and Gregg were married from 1997 to 2011, when they divorced, but they remarried in a Bravo special, “I Dream of NeNe: The Wedding,” in 2013.
They shared one son, Brentt, 22, and both have children from previous relationships
#MusicNews: Grammy Nominations 2022: See the Full List of Nominees Here
The full list of nominations for the 64th Grammy Awards have been revealed: Jon Batiste, Justin Bieber, H.E.R., Olivia Rodrigo, Billie Eilish, and Doja Cat. Also nominated are Fleet Foxes, Arooj Aftab, Low, Japanese Breakfast, Caroline Shaw, and plenty of others. Find the full list of nominees below. The 2022 Grammy Awards will take place in Los Angeles on Monday, January 31 and will broadcast live on CBS.
A number of changes have come to pass at the Recording Academy and its handling of the Grammys since the 2021 ceremony. In April, the institution announced an end to its practice of secret-committee nominations in its Big Four categories and established two new awards for Mรบsica Urbana Album and Global Music Performance. Over the summer, the Recording Academy updated its book of rules and guidelines to ban sales figures and chart numbers from being mentioned in “For Your Consideration” ads, too. The ceremony is also being produced with an inclusion rider for the first time after expanding its voting pool to include more voters from “traditionally underrepresented groups.”
It’s the first year of the Grammys with new Recording Academy President and CEO Harvey Mason jr., now officially in the position after serving in the role on an interim basis. He stepped into the position following the ousting of former Grammy chief Deborah Dugan, who was placed on administrative leave just days before the 2020 Grammy Awards. Following a legal dispute, the Recording Academy and Dugan announced a settlement this summer.
Last year, Beyoncรฉ set a new record for most Grammys held by a female artist with her Best R&B Performance win for “Black Parade.” After the 2021 nominees were announced, the Weeknd announced his intentions to boycott the Grammys going forward when After Hours and “Blinding Lights” received zero nominations. Still, he got recognized three times this year.
Record of the Year
ABBA - I Still Have Faith in You
Jon Batiste - Freedom
Tony Bennett & Lady Gaga - I Get a Kick Out of You
Justin Bieber Featuring Daniel Cesar & Giveon - Peaches
Brandi Carlile - Right on Time
Doja Cat Featuring SZA - Kiss Me More
Billie Eilish - Happier Than Ever
Lil Nas X - Montero (Call Me by Your Name)
Olivia Rodrigo - Drivers License
Silk Sonic - Leave the Door Open
Album of the Year
We Are - Jon Batiste
Tony Bennett & Lady Gaga - Love for Sale
Justin Bieber - Justice (Triple Chucks Deluxe)
Doja Cat - Planet Her (Deluxe)
Billie Eilish - Happier Than Ever
H.E.R. - Back of My Mind
Lil Nas X - Montero
Olivia Rodrigo - Sour
Taylor Swift - Evermore
Kanye West - Donda
Song of the Year
Ed Sheeran - Bad Habits
Alicia Keys & Brandi Carlile - A Beautiful Noise
Olivia Rodrigo - Drivers License
H.E.R. - Fight for You
Billie Eilish - Happier Than Ever
Doja Cat Featuring SZA - Kiss Me More
Silk Sonic - Leave the Door Open
Lil Nas X - Montero (Call Me by Your Name)
Justin Bieber Featuring Daniel Cesar & Giveon - Peaches
Brandi Carlile - Right on Time
Best New Artist
Arooj Aftab
Jimmie Allen
Baby Keem
Finneas
Glass Animals
Japanese Breakfast
The Kid Laroi
Arlo Parks
Olivia Rodrigo
Saweetie
Best Pop Solo Performance
Justin Bieber - Anyone
Brandi Carlile - Right on Time
Billie Eilish - Happier Than Ever
Ariana Grande - Positions
Olivia Rodrigo - Drivers License
Best Pop Duo/Group Performance
Tony Bennett & Lady Gaga - I Get a Kick Out of You
Justin Bieber & Benny Blanco - Lonely
BTS - Butter
Coldplay - Higher Power
Doja Cat Featuring SZA - Kiss Me More
Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album
Tony Bennett, & Lady Gaga - Love for Sale
Norah Jones - ’Til We Meet Again (Live)
Tori Kelly - A Tori Kelly Christmas
Ledisi - Ledisi Sings Nina
Willie Nelson - That’s Life
Dolly Parton - A Holly Dolly Christmas
Best Pop Vocal Album
Justin Bieber - Justice (Triple Chucks Deluxe)
Doja Cat - Planet Her (Deluxe)
Billie Eilish - Happier Than Ever
Ariana Grande - Positions
Olivia Rodrigo - Sour
Best Dance/Electronic Recording
Afrojack & David Guetta - Hero
รlafur Arnalds Featuring Bonobo – Loom
James Blake - Before
Bonobo & Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs - Heartbreak
Caribou - You Can Do It
Rรผfรผs Du Sol - Alive
Tiรซsto - The Business
Best Dance/Electronic Album
Black Coffee - Subconsciously
Illenium - Fallen Embers
Major Lazer - Music Is the Weapon (Reloaded)
Marshmello - Shockwave
Sylvan Esso - Free Love
Ten City - Judgement
Best Contemporary Instrumental Album
Randy Brecker & Eric Marienthal - Double Dealin’
Rachel Eckroth - The Garden
Taylor Eigsti - Tree Falls
Steve Gadd Band - At Blue Note Tokyo
Mark Lettieri - Deep: The Baritone Sessions, Vol. 2
Best Rock Performance
AC/DC - Shot in the Dark
Black Pumas - Know You Better (Live From Capitol Studio A)
Chris Cornell - Nothing Compares 2 U
Deftones - Ohms
Foo Fighters - Making a Fire
Best Metal Performance
Deftones - Genesis
Dream Theater - The Alien
Gojira - Amazonia
Mastodon - Pushing the Tides
Rob Zombie - The Triumph of King Freak (A Crypt of Preservation and Superstition)
Best Rock Song
Weezer - All My Favorite Songs
Kings of Leon - The Bandit
Mammoth WVH - Distance
Paul McCartney - Find My Way
Foo Fighters - Waiting on a War
Best Rock Album
AC/DC - Power Up
Black Pumas - Capitol Cuts - Live From Studio A
Chris Cornell - No One Sings Like You Anymore Vol. 1
Foo Fighters - Medicine at Midnight
Paul McCartney - McCartney III
Best Alternative Music Album
Fleet Foxes - Shore
Halsey - If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power
Japanese Breakfast - Jubilee
Arlo Parks - Collapsed in Sunbeams
St. Vincent - Daddy’s Home
Best R&B Performance
Snoh Aalegra - Lost You
Justin Bieber Featuring Daniel Cesar & Giveon - Peaches
H.E.R. - Damage
Silk Sonic - Leave the Door Open
Jazmine Sullivan - Pick Up Your Feelings
Best Traditional R&B Performance
Jon Batiste - I Need You
BJ the Chicago Kid, PJ Morton & Kenyon Dixon Featuring Charlie Bereal - Bring It on Home to Me
Leon Bridges, Robert Glasper - Born Again
H.E.R. - Fight for You
Lucky Daye Featuring Yebba - How Much Can a Heart Take
Best R&B Song
H.E.R. - Damage
SZA - Good Days
Giveon - Heartbreak Anniversary
Silk Sonic - Leave the Door Open
Jazmine Sullivan - Pick Up Your Feelings
Best Progressive R&B Album
Eric Bellinger - New Light
Cory Henry - Something to Say
Hiatus Kaiyote - Mood Valiant
Lucky Daye - Table for Two
Terrace Martin, Robert Glasper, 9th Wonder & Kamasi Washington - Dinner Party: Desert
Masego - Studying Abroad: Extended Stay
Best R&B Album
Snoh Aalegra - Temporary Highs in the Violet Skies
Jon Batiste - We Are
Leon Bridges - Gold-Diggers Sound
H.E.R. - Back of My Mind
Jazmine Sullivan - Heaux Tales
Best Rap Performance
Baby Keem Featuring Kendrick Lamar - Family Ties
Cardi B - Up
J. Cole Featuring 21 Savage & Morray – My Life
Drake, Featuring Future & Young Thug - Way Too Sexy
Megan Thee Stallion - Thot Shit
Best Melodic Rap Performance
J. Cole Featuring Lil Baby - Pride Is the Devil
Doja Cat - Need to Know
Lil Nas X Featuring Jack Harlow - Industry Baby
Tyler, the Creator Featuring YoungBoy Never Broke Again, Ty Dolla $ign - WusYaName
Kanye West Featuring The Weekend & Lil Baby - Hurricane
Best Rap Song
DMX Featuring Jay-Z & Nas - Bath Salts
Saweetie Featuring Doja Cat - Best Friend
Baby Keem Featuring Kendrick Lamar - Family Ties
Kanye West Featuring Jay-Z - Jail
J. Cole Featuring 21 Savage & Morray – My Life
Best Rap Album
J. Cole - The Off-Season
Drake - Certified Lover Boy
Nas - King’s Disease II
Tyler, the Creator - Call Me If You Get Lost
Kanye West - Donda
Best Country Solo Performance
Luke Combs - Forever After All
Mickey Guyton - Remember Her Name
Jason Isbell - All I Do Is Drive
Kacey Musgraves - Camera Roll
Chris Stapleton - You Should Probably Leave
Best Country Duo/Group Performance
Jason Aldean & Carrie Underwood - If I Didn’t Love You
Brothers Osborne - Younger Me
Dan + Shay - Glad You Exist
Ryan Hurd & Maren Morris - Chasing After You
Elle King & Miranda Lambert - Drunk (And I Don’t Wanna Go Home)
Best Country Song
Maren Morris - Better Than We Found It
Kacey Musgraves - Camera Roll
Chris Stapleton - Cold
Thomas Rhett - Country Again
Walker Hayes - Fancy Like
Mickey Guyton - Remember Her Name
Best Country Album
Brothers Osborne - Skeletons
Mickey Guyton - Remember Her Name
Miranda Lambert, Jon Randall & Jack Ingram - The Marfa Tapes
Sturgill Simpson - The Ballad of Dood & Juanita
Chris Stapleton - Starting Over
Best New Age Album
Will Ackerman, Jeff Oster & Tom Eaton - Brothers
Stewart Copeland & Ricky Kej - Divine Tides
Wouter Kellerman & David Arkenstone - Pangaea
Opium Moon - Night + Day
Laura Sullivan - Pieces of Forever
Best Improvised Jazz Solo
Christian Scott Atunde - Sackodougou
Kenny Barron - Kick Those Feet
Jon Batiste - Bigger Than Us
Terence Blanchard - Absence
Chick Corea - Humpty Dumpty (Set 2)
Best Jazz Vocal Album
The Baylor Project - Generations
Kurt Elling & Charlie Hunter - SuperBlue
Nnenna Freelon - Time Traveler
Gretchen Parlato - Flor
Esperanza Spalding - Songwrights Apothecary Lab
Best Jazz Instrumental Album
Jon Batiste - Jazz Selections: Music From and Inspired by Soul
Terence Blanchard Featuring The E Collective and the Turtle Island Quartet - Absence
Ron Carter, Jack DeJohnette & Gonzalo Rubalcaba - Skyline
Chick Corea, John Patitucci & Dave Weckl - Akoustic Band Live
Pat Metheny - Side-Eye NYC (V1.IV)
Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album
The Count Basie Orchestra Directed by Scotty Barnhart - Live at Birdland!
Jazzmeia Horn and Her Noble Force - Dear Love
Christian McBride Big Band - For Jimmy, Wes and Oliver
Sun Ra Arkestra - Swirling
Yellowjackets + WDR Big Band - Jackets XL
Best Latin Jazz Album
Eliane Elias With Chick Corea and Chucho Valdรฉs - Mirror Mirror
Carlos Henriquez - The South Bronx Story
Arturo O’Farrill & The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra - Virtual Birdland
Dafnis Prieto Sextet - Transparency
Miguel Zenรณn ^ Luis Perdomo - El Arte del Bolero
Best Gospel Performance/Song
Dante Bowe Featuring Steffany Gretzinger & Chandler Moore - Voice of God
Dante Bowe - Joyful
Anthony Brown, Group Therapy - Help
CeCe Winans - Never Lost
Elevation Worship & Maverick City Music - Wait on You
Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song
Kirk Franklin & Lil Baby - We Win
H.E.R. & Tauren Wells - Hold Us Together (Hope Mix)
Chandler Moore & KJ Scriven - Man of Your Word
CeCe Winans - Believe for It
Elevation Worship & Maverick City Music Featuring Chandler Moore & Naomi Raine - Jireh
Best Gospel Album
Jekalyn Carr - Changing Your Story
Tasha Cobbs Leonard - Royalty: Live at the Ryman
Maverick City Music - Jubilee: Juneteenth Edition
Jonathan McReynolds & Mali Music - Jonny X Mali: Live in LA
CeCe Winans - Believe for It
Best Contemporary Christian Music Album
Natalie Grant - No Stranger
Israel & New Breed - Feels Like Home Vol. 2
Kari Jobe - The Blessing (Live)
Tauren Wells - Citizen of Heaven (Live)
Elevation Worship & Maverick City Music - Old Church Basement
Best Roots Gospel Album
Harry Connick, Jr. - Alone With My Faith
Gaither Vocal Band - That’s Gospel, Brother
Ernie Haase & Signature Sound - Keeping On
The Isaacs - Songs for the Times
Carrie Underwood - My Savior
Best Latin Pop Album
Pablo Alborรกn - Vรฉrtigo
Paula Arenas - Mis Amores
Ricardo Arjona - Hecho a la Antigua
Camilo - Mis Manos
Alex Cuba - Mendรณ
Selena Gomez - Revelaciรณn
Best Mรบsica Urbana Album
Rauw Alejandro - Afrodisรญaco
Bad Bunny - El รltimo Tour del Mundo
J Balvin - Jose
Karol G - KG0516
Kali Uchis - Sin Miedo (Del Amor y Otros Demonios) ∞
Best Latin Rock or Alternative Album
Bomba Estรฉreo - Deja
Diamante Elรฉctrico - Mira Lo Que Me Hiciste Hacer (Deluxe Edition)
Juanes - Origen
Nathy Peluso - Calambre
C. Tangana - El Madrileรฑo
Zoรฉ - Sonidos de Karmรกtica Resonancia
Best Regional Mexican Music Album (Including Tejano)
Aida Cuevas - Antologรญa de la Musica Ranchera, Vol. 2
Vicente Fernรกndez - A Mis 80’s
Mon Laferte - Seis
Natalia Lafourcade - Un Canto por Mรฉxico, Vol. II
Christian Nodal - Ayayay! (Sรบper Deluxe)
Best Tropical Latin Album
Rubรฉn Blades y Roberto Delgado & Orquesta - Salswing!
El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico - En Cuarantena
Aymรฉe Nuviola - Sin Salsa No Hay Paraรญso
Gilberto Santa Rosa - Colegas
Tony Succar - Live in Peru
Best American Roots Performance
Jon Batiste - Cry
Billy Strings - Love and Regret
The Blind Boys of Alabama & Bรฉla Fleck - I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel to Be Free
Brandy Clark Featuring Brandi Carlile - Same Devil
Allison Russell - Nightflyer
Best American Roots Song
Rhiannon Giddens With Francesco Turrisi - Avalon
Valerie June Featuring Carla Thomas - Call Me a Fool
Jon Batiste - Cry
Yola - Diamond Studded Shoes
Allison Russell - Nightflyer
Best Americana Album
Jackson Browne - Downhill From Everywhere
John Hiatt with The Jerry Douglas Band - Leftover Feelings
Los Lobos - Native Sons
Allison Russell - Outside Child
Yola - Stand for Myself
Best Bluegrass Album
Billy Strings - Renewal
Bรฉla Fleck - My Bluegrass Heart
The Infamous Stringdusters - A Tribute to Bill Monroe
Sturgill Simpson - Cuttin’ Grass - Vol. 1 (Butcher Shoppe Sessions)
Rhonda Vincent - Music Is What I See
Best Traditional Blues Album
Elvin Bishop & Charlie Musselwhite - 100 Years of Blues
Blues Traveler - Traveler’s Blues
Cedric Burnside - I Be Trying
Guy Davis - Be Ready When I Call You
Kim Watson - Take Me Back
Best Contemporary Blues Album
The Black Keys Featuring Eric Deaton & Kenny Brown - Delta Kream
Joe Bonamassa - Royal Tea
Shemekia Copeland - Uncivil War
Steve Cropper - Fire It Up
Christone “Kingfish” Ingram - 662
Best Folk Album
Mary Chapin Carpenter - One Night Lonely (Live)
Tyler Childers - Long Violent History
Madison Cunningham - Wednesday (Extended Edition)
Rhiannon Giddens with Francesco Turrisi - They’re Calling Me Home
Sarah Jarosz - Blue Heron Suite
Best Regional Roots Music Album
Sean Ardoin and Kreole Rock and Soul - Live in New Orleans!
Big Chief Monk Boudreaux - Bloodstains and Teardrops
Chia Wa - My People
Corey Ledet Zydaco - Corey Ledet Zydaco
Kalani Pe’a - Kau Ka Pe’a
Best Reggae Album
Etana - Pamoja
Gramps Morgan - Positive Vibration
Sean Paul - Live N Livin
Jesse Royal - Royal Soja - Beauty in the Silence
Spice - 10
Best Global Music Performance
Arooj Aftab - Mohabbat
Angรฉlique Kidjo & Burna Boy - Do Yourself
Femi Kuti - Pร Pรก Pร
Yo-Yo Ma & Angรฉlique Kidjo - Blewu
Wizkid Featuring Tems - Essence
Best Global Music Album
Rocky Dawuni - Voice of Bunbon Vol. 1.
Daniel Ho & Friends - East West Players Presents: Daniel Ho & Friends Live in Concert
Angรฉlique Kidjo - Mother Nature
Femi Kuti, Made Kuti - Legacy +
Wizkid - Made in Lagos: Deluxe Edition
Best Children’s Music Album
123 Andrรฉs - Actรญvate
1 Tribe Collective - All One Tribe
Pierce Freelon - Black to the Future
Falu - A Colorful World
Lucky Diaz and the Family Jam Band - Crayon Kids
Best Spoken Word Album
LeVar Burton - Aftermath
Don Cheadle - Carry On: Reflections for a New Generation From John Lewis
J. Ivy - Catching Dreams: Live at Fort Knox Chicago
Dave Chappelle & Amir Sulaiman - 8:46
Barack Obama - A Promised Land
Best Comedy Album
Lavell Crawford - The Comedy Vaccine
Chelsea Handler - Evolution
Louis C.K. - Sincerely Louis CK
Lewis Black - Thanks for Risking Your Life
Nate Bargatze - The Greatest Average American
Kevin Hart - Zero F***s Given
Best Musical Theater Album
Original Album Cast - Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cinderella
World Premiere Cast - Burt Bacharach and Steven Sater’s Some Lovers
Original Broadway Cast - Girl From the North Country
The 2020 Les Misรฉrables Staged Concert Company - Les Misรฉrables: The Staged Concert (The Sensational 2020 Live Recording)
World Premiere Cast - Stephen Schwartz’s Snapshots
Barlow & Bear - The Unofficial Bridgerton Musical
Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media
Various Artists - Cruella
Various Artists - Dear Evan Hansen
Various Artists - In the Heights
Various Artists - One Night in Miami...
Jennifer Hudson - Respect
Various Artists - Schmigadoon! Episode 1
Andra Day - The United States vs. Billie Holiday
Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media
Kris Bowers - Bridgerton
Hans Zimmer - Dune
Ludwig Gรถransson - The Mandalorian: Season 2 - Vol. 2 (Chapters 13-16)
Carlos Rafael Rivera - The Queen’s Gambit
Jon Batiste, Trent Reznor & Atticus RossSoul
Best Song Written for Visual Media
Kristen Anderson-Lopez & Robert Lopez Featuring Kathryn Hahn, Eric Bradley, Greg Whipple, Jasper Randall & Gerald White - Agatha All Along
Bo Burnham - All Eyes on Me
P!nk -All I Know So Far
H.E.R. - Fight for You
Jennifer Hudson - Here I Am
Leslie Odom, Jr. - Speak Now
Best Instrumental Composition
Brandee Younger - Beautiful Is Black
Tom Nazziola - Cat and Mouse
Vince Mendoza - Concerto for Orchestra: Finale
Arturo O’Farrill - Dreaming in Lions
Lyle Mays - Elberhard
Best Arrangement, Instrumental or A Cappella
Bill O’Connell - Chopsticks
Robin Smith - For the Love of a Princess
Emile Mosseri - Infinite Love
Charlie Rosen & Jake Silverman - Meta Knight’s Revenge
Gabriela Quintero & Rodrigo Sanchez - The Struggle Within
Best Arrangement, Instruments and Vocals
รlafur Arnalds - The Bottom Lin
Tehillah Alphonso - A Change Is Gonna Come
Jacob Collier - The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire)
Cody Fry - Eleanor Rigby
Vince Mendoza - To the Edge of Longing (Edit Version)
Best Recording Package
Reckless Kelly - American Jackpot / American Girls
Nick Cave & Warren Ellis - Carnage
2nd Generation Falangao Singing Group & The Chairman Crossover Big Band - Pakelang
Matt Berninger - Serpentine Prison
Soul of Ears - Zeta
Best Boxed or Special Limited Edition Package
George Harrison - All Things Must Pass: 50th Anniversary Edition
Soccer Mommy - Color Theory
Steven Wilson - The Future Bites (Limited Edition Box Set)
Gang of Four - 77-81
Mac Miller - Swimming in Circles
Best Album Notes
Sunwook Kim - Beethoven: The Last Three Sonatas
Louis Armstrong - The Complete Louis Armstrong Columbia and RCA Victor Studio Sessions 1946-1966
Willie Dunn - Creation Never Sleeps, Creation Never Dies: The Willie Dunn Anthology
Various Artists - Etching the Voice: Emile Berliner and the First Commercial Gramophone Discs, 1889-1895
Various Artists - The King of Gospel Music: The Life and Music Oof Reverend James Cleveland
Best Historical Album
Marian Anderson - Beyond the Music: Her Complete RCA Victor Recordings
Various Artists - Etching the Voice: Emile Berliner and the First Commercial Gramophone Discs, 1889-1895
Various Artists - Excavated Shellac: An Alternate History of the World’s Music
Joni Mitchell - Joni Mitchell Archives, Vol. 1: The Early Years (1963-1967)
Prince - Sign o’ the Times (Super Deluxe Edition)
Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical
The Marรญas - Cinema
Yebba - Dawn
Low - Hey What
Tony Bennet & Lady Gaga - Love for Sale
Pino Palladino & Blake Mills - Notes With Attachments
Producer of the Year, Non-Classical
Jack Antonoff
Rogรฉt Chahayed
Mike Elizondo
Hit-Boy
Ricky Reed
Best Remixed Recording
Soul II Soul - Back to Life (Booka T Kings of Soul Satta Dub)
Papa Roach - Born for Greatness (Cymek Remix)
K. D. Lang - Constant Craving (Fashionably Late Remix)
Zedd & Griff - Inside Out (3scape Drm Remix)
Demi Lovato & Ariana Grande - Met Him Last Night (Dave Audรฉ Remix)
Deftones - Passenger (Mike Shinoda Remix)
PVA - Talks (Mura Masa Remix)
Best Immersive Audio Album (63rd Grammy)
Stemmeklang - Bolstad: Tomba Sonora
Booka Shade - Dear Future Self (Dolby Atmos Mixes)
Tove Ramlo-Ystad & Cantus - Fryd
Alain Mallet - Mutt Slang II: A Wake of Sorrows Engulfed in Rage
Jim R. Keene & The United States Army Field Band - Soundtrack of the American Soldier
Best Immersive Audio Album
Alicia Keys - Alicia
Patricia Barber - Clique
Harry Styles - Fine Line
Steven Wilson - The Future Bites
Anne Karin Sundal-Ask & Det Norske Jentekor - Stille Grender
Best Engineered Album, Classical
Sรฉrgio Assad, Clarice Assad & Third Coast Percussion - Archetypes
Yo-Yo Ma, Emanuel Ax - Beethoven: Cello Sonatas - Hope Amid Tears
Manfred Honeck, Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh & Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra - Beethoven: Symphony No. 9
Chanticleer - Chanticleer Sings Christmas
Gustavo Dudamel, Fernando Malvar-Ruiz, Luke McEndarfer, Robert Istad, Grant Gershon, Los Angeles Children's Chorus, Los Angeles Master Chorale, National Children’s Chorus, Pacific Chorale & Los Angeles Philharmonic - Mahler: Symphony No. 8, ‘Symphony of a Thousand’
Producer of the Year, Classical
Blanton Alspaugh
Steven Epstein
David Frost
Elaine Martone
Judith Sherman
Best Orchestral Performance
Nashville Symphony Orchestra - Adams: My Father Knew Charles Ives; Harmonielehre
Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh & Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra - Beethoven: Symphony No. 9
San Francisco Symphony - Muhly: Throughline
Philadelphia Orchestra - Price: Symphonies Nos. 1 & 3
Seattle Symphony Orchestra - Strauss: Also Sprach Zarathustra; Scriabin: The Poem of Ecstasy
Best Opera Recording
Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra - Bartรณk: Bluebeard’s Castle
The Metropolitan Opera Orchestra; The Metropolitan Opera Chorus - Glass: Akhnaten
London Symphony Orchestra; London Symphony Chorus & LSO Discovery Voices - Janรกฤek: Cunning Little Vixen
The Opera Philadelphia Orchestra - Little: Soldier Songs
The Metropolitan Opera Orchestra; The Metropolitan Opera Chorus - Poulenc: Dialogues Des Carmรฉlites
Best Choral Performance
Matthew Guard - It’s a Long Way
Gustavo Dudamel - Mahler: Symphony No. 8, ‘Symphony of a Thousand’
Donald Nally - Rising w/The Crossing
Kaspars Putniลลก - Schnittke: Choir Concerto; Three Sacred Hymns; Pรคrt: Seven Magnificat-Antiphons
Benedict Sheehan - Sheehan: Liturgy of Saint John Chrysostom
Craig Hella Johnson - The Singing Guitar
Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance
Jack Quartet - Adams, John Luther: Lines Made by Walking
Sandbox Percussion - Akiho: Seven Pillars
Sรฉrgio Assad, Clarice Assad & Third Coast Percussion - Archetypes
Yo-Yo Ma & Emanuel Ax - Beethoven: Cello Sonatas - Hope Amid Tears
Imani Winds - Bruits
Best Classical Instrumental Solo
Jennifer Koh - Alone Together
Simone Dinnerstein - An American Mosaic
Augustin Hadelich - Bach: Sonatas & Partitas
Gil Shaham Beethoven & Brahms: Violin Concertos
Mark Grgiฤ - Mak Bach
Curtis Stewart - Of Power
Best Classical Solo Vocal Album
Laura Strickling - Confessions
Will Liverman - Dreams of a New Day - Songs by Black Composers
Sangeeta Kaur & Hila Plitman - Mythologies
Joyce DiDonato - Schubert: Winterreise
Jamie Barton - Unexpected Shadows
Best Classical Compendium
Agave & Reginald L. Mobley - American Originals - A New World, A New Canon
Michael Tilson Thomas - Berg: Violin Concerto; Seven Early Songs & Three Pieces for Orchestra
Timo Andres & Ian Rosenbaum - Cerrone: The Arching Path
Chick Corea - Plays
Amy Andersson - Women Warriors - The Voices of Change
Best Contemporary Classical Composition
Andy Akiho - Akiho: Seven Pillars
Louis Andriessen - Andriessen: The Only One
Clarice Assad, Sรฉrgio Assad, Sean Connors, Robert Dillon, Peter Martin & David Skidmore - Assad, Clarice & Sรฉrgio, Connors, Dillon, Martin & Skidmore: Archetypes
Jon Batiste - Batiste: Movement 11'
Caroline Shaw - Shaw: Narrow Sea
Best Music Video
AC/DC - Shot in the Dark
Jon Batiste - Freedom
Tony Bennet & Lady Gaga - I Get a Kick Out of You
Justin Bieber Featuring Daniel Caesar & Giveon - Peaches
Billie Eilish - Happier Than Ever
Lil Nas X - Montero (Call Me by Your Name)
Best Music Film
Bo Burnham - Inside
David Byrne - David Byrne’s American Utopia
Billie Eilish - Happier Than Ever (A Love Letter to Los Angeles)
Jimi Hendrix - Music, Money, Madness...Jimi Hendrix in Maui
Various Artists - Summer of Soul
Good luck to all!
#HipHopNews: Jay-Z Passes Quincy Jones For Most Grammy Nominations Of All-Time
More than 25 years into his decorated career, JAY-Z continues to rewrite the music history books. Hov picked up another three Grammy nominations with the full list being unveiled by the Recording Academy on Tuesday (November 23) thanks to a pair of features.
With nominations 81, 82, and 83 in the bag, the Brooklyn mogul passed Quincy Jones to become the most-nominated artist in Grammy history.
Jay earned two of his 2021 nominations in the Best Rap Song category by appearing on DMX’s “Bath Salts” alongside Nas and then on Kanye West’s Donda standout “Jail.” Yeezy’s Donda LP is also up for Album of the Year honors. Kanye West isn’t far behind Hov with 75 total nominations and 22 Grammy wins.
“The voters are truly evaluating music and not getting caught up in the reputations of any other outside noise or any history of artists,” Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr. said of the selection process. “With that in mind, I think they’re voting for things that they are acknowledging as excellence.”
Hov’s most recent win came when he took home a sneaky Grammy victory at last year’s award show for his co-writing credits on Megan Thee Stallion and Beyoncรฉ’s “Savage” in the Best Rap Song category. JAY-Z could go back-to-back in the Best Rap Song category as a featured artist if “Jail” takes home the crown come February.
JAY-Z has 23 Grammy trophies to his name (the most of any rapper) with the first taking place at the 41st Annual Grammy Awards with his win for 1998’s Vol. 2…Hard Knock Life in the Best Rap Album category. The wins keep piling up as Hov was also inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in October.
Wendy Williams Will NOT Return To Talk Show, Sherri Shepherd is the Frontrunner to Take Over as Host
Not so good news for Wendy Williams fans. According to reports, she will “never” return to her talk show.
Meanwhile, it’s reported that fan favorite Sherri Shepherd is the frontrunner to officially take over as host.
This week, it was announced that Sherri will be the fill-in to host for the final weeks before the holiday break.
A source tells Radar Online that Wendy’s production company is looking for a replacement host. The source says that the job is
“Sherri’s to lose. She is the number one choice.” The deal will be done in the next few weeks and announced in January. Sherri is the frontrunner, and staff think it’s all but a done deal with her.”
It was previously reported that The Nick Cannon Show was possibly going to slide into Wendy’s time slot. However, Nick’s ratings are said to have been on the decline.
What are your thoughts about this?
#PRAYERS: Sharon Stone Asks for Prayers After Mom Dorothy Suffers 'Another' Stroke
Sharon Stone is sharing an upsetting health update.
On Monday (November 22), the 63-year-old Basic Instinct actress took to social media to reveal that her mom, Dorothy, has suffered “another acute” stroke.
“Say a prayer for Dorothy Marie Stone, my mom, who has suffered another acute stroke tonight. Thx ๐๐ป๐ค” Sharon wrote on Instagram along with a photo of Dorothy.
According to the National Center for Biotechnology Information of the National Institutes of Health, acute strokes “result in loss of blood flow, nutrients and oxygen to a region of the brain, resulting in neuronal damage and subsequent neurological deficits.”
Sharon has not disclosed how many strokes her mother has had, but she did reveal back in 2019 that her mom and grandmother have suffered strokes in the pa
Our thoughts are with Sharon Stone‘s mom during this time.
Pete Davidson sports giant hickey on neck on flirty date with Kim Kardashian
Pete Davidson may be needing some KKW beauty products to conceal his new love mark.
Kim Kardashian and Davidson were spotted getting dinner together, and a close-up photo of Davidson shows a hickey on the left side of his neck, directly below his ear.
Kardashian, 41, and Davidson, 28, put their newest handiwork on display while spending a romantic dinner date together at Giorgi Baldi in Santa Monica, Calif., on Sunday. They arrived together in his Lamborghini SUV and entered a private room of the restaurant.
The two left Giorgi Baldi hand in hand, and Davidson chivalrously opened the car door and guided Kardashian into the car. As soon as they were both settled, the two couldn’t stop giggling.
Kardashian wore a black baseball cap, black turtleneck and black leather gloves, boots and maxi skirt.
Davidson twinned his new girl with a similar baseball cap, but repping Uncle Paulie’s Deli. The “Saturday Night Live” star also wore a black and white fuzzy jacket, an army-green tee, blue jeans and sneakers.
Davidson’s hickey follows the fairly new couple getting out of an SUV and latching onto each other’s hands last Thursday in LA.
“She’s acting like a teenager,” a source told Page Six at the time. “She’s constantly giggling. Pete has made her feel like the clock has moved 20 years back. She seems happy.”
The pair first sparked romance rumors when they were spotted holding hands on a ride at Knott’s Scary Farm in Southern California in October — shortly after Kardashian hosted “SNL,” and they shared an onscreen kiss during a sketch.
Since then, the Skims founder has spent time with Davidson in LA, New York City and his hometown of Staten Island.
Media outlets confirmed the romance rumors last week, reporting that the two are “officially dating.”
While the two may not be shy about packing on the PDA, a source said us that the couple still wants to keep their relationship “under wraps.”
“They’re still getting to know each other, and want as little pressure as possible. They’re trying to keep it under wraps,” a source told us on Friday. “They’re dating. There’s no formal title. They’re dating and getting to know each other — still figuring it out.”
The source added that so far, Davidson is keeping up with the Kardashians.
“He’s so funny and is a really good person. All of the friends love him. He’s the sweetest person,” the source said.
Makeda’s Cookies reopens after Young Dolph shooting
Makeda’s Homemade Butter Cookies reopened its downtown location for the first time since Young Dolph’s fatal shooting. On Monday morning (Nov. 22), cars were lined up outside of 301 Jefferson Ave as customers waited to make their orders. Meanwhile, the flagship store on Airway Boulevard, where the rapper was shot and killed, will likely remain closed for the remainder of the year and will continue to serve as a makeshift memorial for the “Preach It” emcee.
Makeda’s Cookies had been suffering financially but with help from Dolph, who promoted the business the week before he passed, the word about their stores was getting out.
Memphis cookie shop Young Dolph was shot outside releases statement
After his tragic shooting, however, they were forced to come to a close amid an ongoing investigation, resorting to GoFundMe for monetary assistance. They have since raised $85,000 for employees’ paychecks, costs of repairs and security grief counseling for employees who were traumatized after witnessing Dolph’s killing.
In a statement to Fox 13, Operations Manager Raven Winton expressed her gratitude for the love they’re receiving from Memphis and across the country.
“It’s overwhelming, but it really does help my family to know that there are so many people that want to support us,” she said. “That’s what’s important. They are still devastated. It’s real hurtful because Dolph was really considered family to us.” She added that Makeda’s Cookies will keep the rapper’s legacy alive by renaming his favorite cookie, the chocolate chip cookie, in his honor.
As previously reported, Dolph was shot and killed on Nov. 17 as he purchased cookies at the Makeda’s Cookies on Airway Boulevard. After days of remaining silent, his cousin Key Glock reacted to the news with a heartfelt post.
“My heart is torn my brain bout to explode it HURTS when I breathe..why you leave me so soon??” he said. “I’ll never be the same, you was my lefthand man, my brother, my cousin, my mentor and drank partner...”
“Words really can’t explain how I truly feel right now..,” Key Glock continued. “I’m sick to my stomach bruh!! Peace ain’t even working.. all I see is DARKNESS, only GOD knows how much you meant to me.”
Alex Rodriguez, David Ortiz Named As Candidates For Baseball Hall Of Fame
Yankees and Red Sox are potentially set to meet again, but this time in the hall of fame.
Two of the greatest baseball players of the last 20 years, David Ortiz and Alex Rodriguez, are on the ballot for potential entry into Cooperstown.
According to Bleacher Report, Big Papi and A-Rod will join a list of 30 names that will be considered along with Barry Bonds, Curt Schilling, Sammy Sosa, and Roger Clemens, who are getting their last shot at making the Hall.
Additional names under consideration for the baseball hall include Mark Buehrle, Carl Crawford, Prince Fielder, Todd Helton, Ryan Howard, Tim Hudson, Torii Hunter, Andruw Jones, Jeff Kent, Tim Lincecum, Justin Morneau, Joe Nathan, Jonathan Papelbon, Jake Peavy, Andy Pettitte, A.J. Pierzynski, Manny Ramirez, Scott Rolen, Jimmy Rollins, Curt Schilling, Gary Sheffield, Mark Teixeira, Omar Vizquel, and Billy Wagner.
Sosa, Bonds, and Clemens each were nailed for using performance-enhancing drugs in their careers, potentially harming their hall of fame ballots. Ortiz and Rodriguez also face scrutiny for PED use. Schilling faces issues for his racist and bigoted social remarks. He was fired in 2016 after making a derogatory post about transgender people.
Janet Jackson wants no part of New York Times Super Bowl doc
Janet Jackson doesn’t need help from the New York Times, thank you very much.
Over the summer the newspaper brought the “Free Britney” movement — which sought to have Britney Spears released from her conservatorship — into the mainstream with its “Framing Britney Spears” documentary.
And last week it followed it up with “Malfunction: The Dressing Down of Janet Jackson,” which railed against the way Jackson was vilified in the wake of the infamous 2004 halftime performance, during which Justin Timberlake exposed her breast.
But Jackson’s former stylist Wayne Scot Lukas, who created the Super Bowl costume, tells Page Six that Jackson wanted no part of it.
“She wants that documentary to go away. She didn’t ask for a ‘Free Janet’ documentary. She’s not interested,” Lukas said.
Jackson declined to participate in the New York Times/FX project and urged Lukas and others to also not take part in it.
“She asked us not to do it. She wants to tell her own story,” he said.
The documentary explores how then-CBS CEO Les Moonves set out to ruin Jackson’s career after the embarrassing incident, while Timberlake’s career bloomed in its wake.
The former N’Sync singer received Grammy awards that year, but Jackson was disinvited from the awards show.
Viacom-owned MTV, which produced the halftime show, also barely played her new music videos despite naming her as the very first MTV Icon three years before the halftime show.
But other sources told Page Six Jackson is “over” the narrative that the Super Bowl somehow ended her career.
“It didn’t end her career. She still broke records with albums, and she was just inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame,” one source said.
Lukas told us he taped an interview for Jackson’s own documentary, premiering in January, but she told him not to address the Super Bowl in it.
“They’re going to discuss it, and she’ll have her final say. I’m not privy to her final say, I just need to be aware of my story and I’ve been loyal for 18 years,” he said.
Still, he says he continues to get blamed for the performance and has even received death threats since the FX doc aired.
“I really wish Janet or someone could come out now and say, ‘Leave my friend Wayne alone, he didn’t do anything wrong…’ as long as you keep me in the mix, fingers keep being pointed at me,” he said.
A rep for Jackson did not comment, but hopefully, Jackson will finally put the Super Bowl saga to rest when her Lifetime and A&E doc premieres in January.
We won’t hold our breath. Something tells us that won’t even be the last we’ve heard of Super Bowl XXXVIII.
Kevin Hart Says Dave Chappelle Is A ‘Good Dude’ Who Doesn’t ‘Have A Hateful Bone In His Body’
In his controversial Netflix special The Closer, Dave Chappelle brings up his friend and fellow comedian Kevin Hart, who lost his job hosting the 2019 Academy Awards due to resurfaced homophobic tweets. “Yo if my son comes home & try’s 2 play with my daughters doll house I’m going 2 break it over his head & say n my voice ‘stop that’s gay,'” he wrote in one from 2011, while in another from 2010, he said someone’s profile pic looks “like a gay bill board for AIDS.” In discussing the backlash to the tweets (of which there are many), Chappelle claimed that “clearly Kevin was joking” and that Hart’s only crime was “breaking an unwritten and unspoken rule of show business… you are never, ever allowed to upset the alphabet people,” his term for the LGBTQ community.
Hart was asked about Chappelle’s comments in an interview with the New York Times. “That’s my brother. My relationship with Dave is one that I value, respect, and appreciate,” he said. “In our profession, it’s a crab-in-a-barrel mentality. There’s this perception that there can only be one star or one funny guy, and we’re always pitted against each other. When you have that confidence and security to embrace another talent and stand by another talent, it says a lot about who you are. Chappelle’s operating at a different frequency, man, and I couldn’t be prouder of him.”
Hart also claimed that the “good dude” doesn’t “have a hateful bone in his body,” even though by declaring himself “team TERF,” as he does in the special, Chappelle sided with groups with anti-trans agendas. As for whether he sees any similarities between what he went and what’s happening to Chappelle now, Hart replied, “I was human. You can’t lose that. And that’s what happening today: We’re losing that in the attempt to say, ‘I’m right and you’re wrong and that’s it.’ I don’t understand how we ever evolve.”
You can read the interview here.
Kevin Spacey Ordered To Pay $31 Million In Damages for Being Fired from House of Cards
Who would have thought you had to pay back money after getting fired, ludicrous.
Kevin Spacey isn’t like us normal folk, and he has been ordered to pay $31 million in damages for getting fired from House Of Cards.
The 62-year-old actor played Frank Underwood in House of Cards and was written out of final seasons before getting fired for sexual misconduct claims
Those over the case have filed in favor of MRC, the production company behind the Netflix show, finding that Spacey violated the terms of his contract with the sexual harassment claims and he will have to fork up a hefty $31 million for it!
“The Arbitrator found that Spacey’s conduct constituted a material breach of his acting and executive producing agreements with MRC, and that his breaches excused MRC’s obligations to pay him any further compensation in connection with the Show,” the ruling says per Deadline.
“The Arbitrator further found that Spacey’s egregious breaches of contract proximately caused and rendered him (and his affiliated entities) liable for the tens of millions of dollars in losses MRC suffered when it had no choice, upon the revelations of Spacey’s pattern of harassment, to halt the production of Season 6 of the Show, to rewrite the entire season to omit Spacey’s character, and to shorten season 6 from 13 episodes to 8 to meet delivery deadlines.”
Kevin Spacey’s career was pretty much over following the accusations.
Dollar Tree Announces Most Items Will Now Increase To $1.25
Thanks to inflation, Dollar Tree announced Tuesday that prices would be changing from one dollar to $1.25. The chain has begun rolling out the new price point in stores nationwide.
“Our Dollar Tree pricing tests have demonstrated broad consumer acceptance of the new price point and excitement about the additional offerings and extreme value we will be able to provide,” President and Chief Executive Officer Michael Witynski said in a statement.
It’s expected that the chain’s loyal customers won’t be bothered by the slight price increase. In fact, it is believed that shoppers understand the current supply chain issues and inflation faced by retailers.
The statement notes that the change is permanent and is expected “to materially expand its offerings, introduce new products and sizes, and provide families with more of their daily essentials.”
Customers can expect that Dollar Tree probably won’t change its name anytime soon despite the price increase.
‘General Hospital’ Star Steve Burton Exits Show over COVID Vaccine Mandate
“General Hospital” star Steve Burton confirmed he has been ousted from his longtime gig after he did not comply with production’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate.
via: New York Post: Burton, 51, posted a video on Instagram Tuesday to address his departure.
“I know there’s been a lot of rumors and speculations about me and ‘General Hospital’ and I wanted you to hear it from me personally,” the actor said in the nearly two-minute clip. “Unfortunately, ‘General Hospital’ has let me go because of the vaccine mandate.”
A source confirmed to The Post that he was no longer a part of the show because he was unable to comply with the production’s vaccine mandate. His last episode was filmed on Oct. 27, though its air date is not known.
The former “The Young and the Restless” actor then alleged that he asked for medical and religious exemptions to the mandate. However, the production reportedly denied both. “Which, you know, hurts,” he continued. “But this is also about personal freedom to me.
“I’ll always be grateful for my time on ‘General Hospital.’ I love it there, I grew up there. I believe that when one door closes, multiple doors open … so I am excited to see what the future brings. And maybe one day, if these mandates are lifted, I can return and can finish my career as Jason Morgan,” Burton added, referring to the character he played on the show.
He has portrayed Jason since 1991 on the ABC drama. Despite the character being killed off in 2012, he began appearing as Jason again starting in 2017. Burton’s time on “General Hospital” scored him a Daytime Emmy Award in 1998.
In August, Burton revealed he caught the coronavirus when he and his costar Bradford Anderson canceled a few performance dates. The pair perform as the comedy and musical duo Stone Cold and The Jackal.
Burton is not the only “General Hospital” star to be hitting the headlines as of late. Ingo Rademacher, who played Jasper “Jax” Jacks, was fired earlier this month after he allegedly reposted anti-transgender comments on social media. The 50-year-old was criticized by his castmates, including trans star Cassandra James, who hit back at him, tweeting, “I am aware of a transphobic post shared by a fellow ‘General Hospital” actor.
“Shame on you. You have some serious unlearning and education to do. I feel deeply disappointed that such a public display of ignorance could come from our GH family. Misgendering trans folks is violence and if you come for one of us, you come for all of us,” she continued.
James added, “The cis world doesn’t get to decide which of us is valuable. I am so proud of the fans for always holding us to a high standard, for calling out transphobia and violence.”
Shortly after his comments surfaced, Rademacher apologized, saying, “Cassandra, I apologize to you sincerely. I think you’re an absolute talent and you’re very beautiful as well. I don’t think a transphobic man would say that. I think you’re absolutely gorgeous, I really do.”
Rademacher also reportedly is against the vaccine mandates and expressed his thoughts on social media on Nov. 7. “I will stand with you to fight for medical freedom. #medicalfreedom #nomandates #woke #awakening #coersionisnotconsent,” he wrote.
What is Sonny going to do without Jason?
Adele Has Emotional Reunion with Black Woman Who Mentored Her In High School
Ever wonder why UK singer Adele has so much soul? Well, it might just have something to do with one of the most impactful teachers in her life being a Black woman named Ms. McDonald at the Chestnut Grove Academy.
This Sunday, during the star’s ITV concert special, “An Audience with Adele,” she was asked by Hollywood actress Emma Thompson about her past mentorship and people who inspired her growing up.
Adele has emotional reunion with her high school teacher Ms. McDonald. “An Audience with Adele”/ Screenshot
It didn’t take long for the “Hello” songbird to reflect on her beloved teacher at the South London high school. “I had a teacher at Chestnut Grove, who taught me English. That was Miss McDonald.”
She continued, “She got me really into English literature. Like, I’ve always been obsessed with English and obviously now I write lyrics.”
What was most endearing about her memories of this teacher was that the woman made her students feel seen. With a trembling voice, Adele said, “She really made us care, and we knew that she cared about us. She was so bloody cool. So engaging,” the multiplatinum artist shared, before talking about her fly #BlackGirlMagic that seemed to sparkle in sequins and gold — during class.
Then, with the trick of television magic, the camera flashed to a modest Black woman in the crowd.
Adele asked, “Is she here?”
As her former instructor walked down the aisle, Adele started to cry, and the crowd cheered. Ms. McDonald walked onto the stage and hugged her now celebrity student.
The mic caught Ms. McDonald, dressed in an all-black suit, whispering, “I’m so proud of you.”
Adele has been recognized by The Recording Academy, the Academy Awards, presidents, and monarchs from all over the world, but this one woman seems to have touched her a million times more profoundly.
Adele says, “I didn’t know you were coming.”
Ms. McDonald replied that it was supposed to be a surprise.
That it was. The exchange could have lasted for hours. The teacher said to her student something that all teachers desire in one shape or form, “Thank you for remembering me.”
Then Adele uttered the words that every teacher wishes she or he could hear at least once in their lives, “No … you really did change my life.”
Summer Walker & Boyfriend LVRD Pharaoh Get Each Other's Names Tattooed on Their Faces
Summer Walker and boyfriend LVRD Pharaoh are showing off their love for each other in a very permanent way.
On Monday (November 22), the 25-year-old “Girls Need Love” rapper took to social media to reveal that she and her boyfriend got each other’s named tattooed on their faces.
“Bestfriend,” Summer wrote on Instagram along with a photo montage of she and LVRD Pharaoh, whose real name is Larry, showing off their new face tattoos.
Summer‘s “Larry” tattoo is placed next to her left eye while LVRD Pharaoh‘s “Summer” tattoo is placed right above his right eyebrow.
Summer Walker and LVRD Pharaoh aren’t the only stars with face tattoos – all these other stars are also rocking ink on their faces!
Jeff Bezos Donates $100 Million to Obama Foundation in Honor of Late Congressman and Civil Rights Leader John Lewis
Jeff Bezos has donated $100 million to the Obama Foundation. On Monday, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos donated $100 million to the Obama Foundation to honor late Congressman John Lewis. Bezos also asked that the plaza at the Obama Presidential Center be named the John Lewis Plaza as part of the gift, the foundation said in a statement, CNN reports.
“Freedom fighters deserve a special place in the pantheon of heroes, and I can’t think of a more fitting person to honor with this gift than John Lewis,” Bezos said in the statement.
John Lewis was first elected to Congress in 1986 and served 17 terms in the U.S. House of Representatives. He is also one of the original Freedom Fighters, who buses integrated and worked as a Civil Rights leader throughout his life.
AND FINALLY FROM “THE CRAZY PEOPLE SHOPPING AT WALMART” FILES
WHEN IS ENOUGH?
When do you normally say, enough is enough?
HAVE A GREAT DAY ALL!!!
EFREM
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