#MAGFAB: Busta Rhymes: for Ebony Magazine!
Busta Rhymes is one of Hip-Hop’s most creative, courageous, and transformative figures–and the work proves it. Writer Miles Marshall Lewis pick his brain and unearth a music pioneer.
The following is an excerpt of the Busta Rhymes cover story in the Fall 2023 Hip-Hop 50 Commemorative Print Edition of EBONY Magazine, on stands September 19th.
In a culturally disruptive career over three decades, Busta Rhymes has rocked many stages worldwide since Leaders of the New School’s “Mt. Airy Groove” introduced him in 1990. But never a setting quite like this one.
Imagine two enormous jumbotrons bracketing a raised platform in the middle of an abandoned airfield in the Saudi Arabian desert, and there he is: purple and lime-green jacket covered in Louis Vuitton’s LV logos, iced-out links, and that signature smile. Picture him rhyming quadruple-time to his 2011 feature on Chris Brown’s “Look at Me Now” for 600,000-plus Middle Eastern fans at the MDLBEAST Soundstorm music festival last December.
Busta’s rapid-fire verse, undoubtedly one of the fastest of all time, commanded all attention away from the other hip-hop greats onstage. The 51-year-old MC’s legendary scene-stealing is never-ending and infamous, starting with the A Tribe Called Quest classic, “Scenario,” in 1991 (“rawr! rawr! like a dungeon dragon…”). In Riyadh, Saudi Arabia—arms crossed in a B-boy stance alongside his longtime hype man-slash-bestie, Spliff Star—he stood as the embodiment of hip-hop, one of the most significant cultural exports in America’s history.
“As long as you can still produce great [music], you can’t put a timeline on it.The fire and the passion still burn in my soul to wanna do it. I’m still a fan of the culture, of the art. I still love it.”
-Busta Rhymes
“I stayed out there for 13 days,” Busta says months later, weeks after tearfully accepting his BET Lifetime Achievement Award and on the verge of releasing his eleventh studio album (he executive produced along with Pharrell, Timbaland, and Swizz Beatz). “I love it, I wanna get property there, and I wanna be able to get my citizenship there too. It was such a beautiful experience culturally, just to see how [Saudis hold] the family in the highest regard. ’Cause I’m super about family. I love the fact that everywhere I went to visit, family life and children were always together. It changed my perspective on the way we need to prioritize celebrating and living by our cultural aesthetics.”
Now the father of six children—roll call: T’zaiah, Mariah, T’khi, Cacie, Trillian, and Miracle—Busta Rhymes emerged from a tight-knit Jamaican family who raised their rambunctious firstborn son in East Flatbush, Brooklyn, moving later to suburban Uniondale, Long Island. Born Trevor Smith Jr., a portrait of the rapper as a young man reveals a raspy-voiced little kid obsessed with rap’s first breakthrough hit, “Rapper’s Delight”; a wayward tweener sent away for two summers to an aunt in northwest England, break dancing in UK clubs for pay; a high schooler with fellow classmates like Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter and Christopher “The Notorious B.I.G.” Wallace.
The Busta Rhymes origin story goes back to those days: a fated rap battle between seventh grader Chill-O- Ski (eventually known as Busta Rhymes) and his future bandmate Bryan “Charlie Brown” Higgins.
#RHOA: Shereé Whitfield Lists Her Dating Requirements: ‘Check My Boxes’
Shereé Whitfield is looking for love — and she has a checklist in tow. The Real Housewives of Atlanta star recently joined Chanel Omari on her iHeartRadio podcast, Chanel in the City, and shared what she’s looking for as she searches for love.
Whitfield, 53, revealed to the Chanel in the City host that although people get “confused” by her relationship with Martell Holt, the two are “good friends.”
The self-proclaimed “hopeless romantic” explained, “We enjoy being around each other. But I think people get confused with dating or when you’re in a committed relationship. I’ve never said we were in a committed relationship.”
She continued, “I’ve always said we’re dating. I’m having fun. I’m enjoying life. That’s always been my stance and that is still my stance.”
Whitfield recently shared her casual relationship with Holt on the latest season of Real Housewives of Atlanta. But following the conclusion of the most recent season, Whitfield explained that she’s still keeping her “options open” and “spending time with whoever [she] wants to spend time with.”
She added, “And once I figure out that this is the perfect guy for me, the right guy for me, then I will settle down.”
Omari quickly replied, asking the Bravo star what would it take for her to commit to a man, and what she is looking for ahead of making that decision.
Whitfield said for her personal search — and checklist — he must “be God-fearing.” She added, “I’m very, very big on family. So you have to be family-oriented. I need you to make me laugh.”
“I need you to have your s--- together,” continued Whitfield.
“I want you to be healthy. I want you to be fit. I want you to be a great communicator because I do know that’s a huge deal.” She added, “That’s why a lot of people get divorced because of communication. I want to be able to talk about anything with you. I want me to be able to trust you.”
After sharing her list with Omari, she joked, “When I think about my list, I’m like, ‘It’s not that long or that bad.’ ”
While she said the list may be short, she revealed it’s still “hard to find” someone who checks all those boxes. But the TV personality is holding out for that special someone. She explained to Omari how she’s open to getting remarried — if it's the right guy.
“I will get married again when I find that person for me … I don’t think I found that person yet, but I do know he’s out there,” said Whitfield. Prior to casually dating Holt, the Housewives star was previously married to former NFL player, Bob Whitfield.
The two were married from 2000 to 2007, and share two children. Following their divorce, the reality star joined the first season of The Real Housewives of Atlanta in 2008.
The original cast member then continued to star on the show until 2018, for an additional nine seasons; the star then took a four-year hiatus and returned to the series for season 14 in 2022.
While she shares her life with the Bravo audience, Whitfield still grows skeptical of men who are just searching for an Instagram connection. She told Omari that some men are just searching for a social media follow from the star. Whitfield said in that case she replies, “‘No, are you trying to be my friend or you trying to date me?’ ”
She also requires her potential partners to “work for [it],” and reminds Chanel in the City listeners to do the same.
The following is an excerpt of the Busta Rhymes cover story in the Fall 2023 Hip-Hop 50 Commemorative Print Edition of EBONY Magazine, on stands September 19th.
In a culturally disruptive career over three decades, Busta Rhymes has rocked many stages worldwide since Leaders of the New School’s “Mt. Airy Groove” introduced him in 1990. But never a setting quite like this one.
Imagine two enormous jumbotrons bracketing a raised platform in the middle of an abandoned airfield in the Saudi Arabian desert, and there he is: purple and lime-green jacket covered in Louis Vuitton’s LV logos, iced-out links, and that signature smile. Picture him rhyming quadruple-time to his 2011 feature on Chris Brown’s “Look at Me Now” for 600,000-plus Middle Eastern fans at the MDLBEAST Soundstorm music festival last December.
Busta’s rapid-fire verse, undoubtedly one of the fastest of all time, commanded all attention away from the other hip-hop greats onstage. The 51-year-old MC’s legendary scene-stealing is never-ending and infamous, starting with the A Tribe Called Quest classic, “Scenario,” in 1991 (“rawr! rawr! like a dungeon dragon…”). In Riyadh, Saudi Arabia—arms crossed in a B-boy stance alongside his longtime hype man-slash-bestie, Spliff Star—he stood as the embodiment of hip-hop, one of the most significant cultural exports in America’s history.
“As long as you can still produce great [music], you can’t put a timeline on it.The fire and the passion still burn in my soul to wanna do it. I’m still a fan of the culture, of the art. I still love it.”
-Busta Rhymes
“I stayed out there for 13 days,” Busta says months later, weeks after tearfully accepting his BET Lifetime Achievement Award and on the verge of releasing his eleventh studio album (he executive produced along with Pharrell, Timbaland, and Swizz Beatz). “I love it, I wanna get property there, and I wanna be able to get my citizenship there too. It was such a beautiful experience culturally, just to see how [Saudis hold] the family in the highest regard. ’Cause I’m super about family. I love the fact that everywhere I went to visit, family life and children were always together. It changed my perspective on the way we need to prioritize celebrating and living by our cultural aesthetics.”
Now the father of six children—roll call: T’zaiah, Mariah, T’khi, Cacie, Trillian, and Miracle—Busta Rhymes emerged from a tight-knit Jamaican family who raised their rambunctious firstborn son in East Flatbush, Brooklyn, moving later to suburban Uniondale, Long Island. Born Trevor Smith Jr., a portrait of the rapper as a young man reveals a raspy-voiced little kid obsessed with rap’s first breakthrough hit, “Rapper’s Delight”; a wayward tweener sent away for two summers to an aunt in northwest England, break dancing in UK clubs for pay; a high schooler with fellow classmates like Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter and Christopher “The Notorious B.I.G.” Wallace.
The Busta Rhymes origin story goes back to those days: a fated rap battle between seventh grader Chill-O- Ski (eventually known as Busta Rhymes) and his future bandmate Bryan “Charlie Brown” Higgins.
#RHOA: Shereé Whitfield Lists Her Dating Requirements: ‘Check My Boxes’
Whitfield, 53, revealed to the Chanel in the City host that although people get “confused” by her relationship with Martell Holt, the two are “good friends.”
The self-proclaimed “hopeless romantic” explained, “We enjoy being around each other. But I think people get confused with dating or when you’re in a committed relationship. I’ve never said we were in a committed relationship.”
She continued, “I’ve always said we’re dating. I’m having fun. I’m enjoying life. That’s always been my stance and that is still my stance.”
Whitfield recently shared her casual relationship with Holt on the latest season of Real Housewives of Atlanta. But following the conclusion of the most recent season, Whitfield explained that she’s still keeping her “options open” and “spending time with whoever [she] wants to spend time with.”
She added, “And once I figure out that this is the perfect guy for me, the right guy for me, then I will settle down.”
Omari quickly replied, asking the Bravo star what would it take for her to commit to a man, and what she is looking for ahead of making that decision.
Whitfield said for her personal search — and checklist — he must “be God-fearing.” She added, “I’m very, very big on family. So you have to be family-oriented. I need you to make me laugh.”
“I need you to have your s--- together,” continued Whitfield.
“I want you to be healthy. I want you to be fit. I want you to be a great communicator because I do know that’s a huge deal.” She added, “That’s why a lot of people get divorced because of communication. I want to be able to talk about anything with you. I want me to be able to trust you.”
After sharing her list with Omari, she joked, “When I think about my list, I’m like, ‘It’s not that long or that bad.’ ”
While she said the list may be short, she revealed it’s still “hard to find” someone who checks all those boxes. But the TV personality is holding out for that special someone. She explained to Omari how she’s open to getting remarried — if it's the right guy.
“I will get married again when I find that person for me … I don’t think I found that person yet, but I do know he’s out there,” said Whitfield. Prior to casually dating Holt, the Housewives star was previously married to former NFL player, Bob Whitfield.
The two were married from 2000 to 2007, and share two children. Following their divorce, the reality star joined the first season of The Real Housewives of Atlanta in 2008.
The original cast member then continued to star on the show until 2018, for an additional nine seasons; the star then took a four-year hiatus and returned to the series for season 14 in 2022.
While she shares her life with the Bravo audience, Whitfield still grows skeptical of men who are just searching for an Instagram connection. She told Omari that some men are just searching for a social media follow from the star. Whitfield said in that case she replies, “‘No, are you trying to be my friend or you trying to date me?’ ”
She also requires her potential partners to “work for [it],” and reminds Chanel in the City listeners to do the same.
#MusicNews: Corrine Bailey Rae masters a new musical frontier in ‘Black Rainbows’
Corinne Bailey Rae released her fourth album, “Black Rainbows,” a bold R&B and rock-infused project and her first album in seven years. Although the long period in between music releases might hinder some artists, it is clear the seven years of private musical evolution has culminated perfectly into the brilliance that is Rae’s most recent effort.
The near 45–minute album is liberating, inspired and transformative. “Black Rainbows” is unafraid to be gritty in the humanity, hope and pain that fuels the topic matter, as well as in its spunky, yet sensual, production. The intricate focus clearly put on placing these songs in the right order on the tracklist helps enhance the listening experience.
The intro track, “A Spell, A Prayer,” is bombastic and bold, starting with a few sparse string instruments and some chimes and gradually swelling into a modern rock symphony. The song itself discusses embracing what history teaches and the feelings that it brings while simultaneously reminding the audience to dig deeper into their history. This thematic premise makes the production of the song act in conjunction with the lyrics cleverly. The production at the end of the song drops out, only leaving the individual elements of the song, a drum and a bell to conclude the song.
“Earthlings” expresses a suave and funky type of hope that mostly focuses on fun and optimism for the future. The track is one of the more relaxed, low-key tracks but is by no means a filler. It is a nice three-and-a-half-minute breather that prepares for the more serious topic matter to come. To revel in this release of tension so soon is unexpected, but that only makes the track more enjoyable.
The constant twists and turns taken on this tracklist all work together to form a cohesive and moving story as it moves past the introductory tracks.
Empowerment and rage intertwine powerfully in the song “Erasure,” which tackles the trauma that is felt within the Black community from oppressive systems, such as slavery and bigoted people. The vocals on this track are rock-style and abrasive, which perfectly matches the justified rage Rae expresses on this track. To counteract the anger depicted in “Erasure,” “Peach Velvet Sky” narrates a more hopeful and bittersweet side of an overall dark time in American history. The track is inspired by the real-life story of abolitionist Harriet Jacobs, who described a sunset she saw when she was free after many years of being enslaved.
Rae also allowed herself to be raw in her experiences with womanhood, more specifically as a Black woman, on the track “He Will Follow You With His Eyes” where she challenges Western beauty standards. Rae does this in a manner that is invigorating, having the song start with a more orchestra-based, classical-European atmosphere that gradually becomes more modern as the song progresses; this mirrors the lyrics that first reflect traditional beauty standards, then later shift to Rae fully embracing her own beauty and the features that many Black women have. “My plum red lipstick / My black hair kinking / My black skin gleaming,” Rae sings with passion.
“New York Transit Queen” has the energy of a feminine anthem that celebrates the work ethic and readiness of young women. This song has the same conviction found in many 1980s pop-rock songs and the track is a song anyone can dance to at a booming concert.
Intimacy and romance arise thematically at the halfway point of the setlist. On “Red Horse,” Rae describes a fairytale-style romance of soulmates, a worthwhile wait and family, with a lyrical western flair. The song utilizes a heartbeat sound and whimsical, ethereal chimes. The romance not only stands well on its own, but after many songs that break down societal issues, it also serves as a reminder of the bright future that can occur if said society comes together and fights off hatred.
“Black Rainbows” divulges all expectations and tells a tale of generational trauma and hope through ten tracks of pure production-based bliss. Even with songs that go over eight minutes, no moment on this tracklist goes to waste. Furthermore, some of the album’s uniqueness arises from songs that repeat the same few sets of lyrics while using atmospheric production to do the heavy lifting of the storytelling.
Rae is courageous and confident in what she sings and produces, and her well-thought-out story makes this album one of the most unforgettable works to be released this decade.
#HipHopNews: Megan Thee Stallion Reportedly Dropped Out Of Global Citizen Festival To Open
Earlier this month, Megan Thee Stallion surprised fans by abruptly exiting the lineup of the 2023 Global Citizen Festival.
Initially attributed to “a scheduling conflict,” Page Six reported that a last-minute opportunity to share the stage with Beyoncé in their hometown of Houston might be the real reason. Today (Sept. 21), a source close to the situation cited “an inadvertent duplicate scheduling by her team” as the cause of the unexpected change.
Subsequently, Global Citizen Festival had to quickly adjust its marquee. Jung Kook, Lauryn Hill, and The Red Hot Chili Peppers now headline the event, which is also set to stream on platforms including Amazon, Apple, and YouTube. While the organization did feature big names like Beyoncé and JAY-Z in previous years, Megan has never performed there.
Speculation about her possible onstage collaboration with Beyoncé also had fans excited, and for good reason. The duo previously teamed up for the chart-topping “Savage (Remix),” making the rumored performance a highly anticipated event should it materialize. The record was RIAA-certified quadruple platinum in 2021.
Megan recently returned to the public eye with a new track titled “Bongos,” which arrived as a joint effort with Cardi B. The pair lit up the stage at the 2023 MTV VMAs with a live rendition of the song last week.
Regarding her relationship with the New York rapper, the Houston Hottie told “Entertainment Tonight” about their time together. She revealed, “I feel like we hype each other up so well. Anytime she might be feeling a way, I’m definitely her sunshine. She’s so sweet, and she’s so kind, and that’s why I really like her — ’cause she’s real.”
Megan is also diversifying her career outside of music. She landed a role in the upcoming A24 film D**ks: The Musical and will be appearing in the seventh season of Netflix’s animated series “Big Mouth.”
Jason Kelce Didn’t Confirm Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift Are Dating — Here's What He Really Said
Jason Kelce got social media buzzing on Wednesday morning after he went on a sports radio talk show and joked that rumors about his brother Travis Kelce and singer Taylor Swift dating are “100% true.”
Jason, 35, laughed about getting another question about his brother’s love life during an appearance on DeCamara & Ritchie on Audacy's SportsRadio 94 WIP on Wednesday morning.
The elder Kelce was recently asked about Travis dating Swift on live television after his game on Thursday night, and at the time said he doesn’t “really know” what’s going on in his brother’s dating life.
Asked again on the talk show Wednesday morning, Jason said that the report was “100% true,” which led to the internet — and the hosts themselves — thinking it was fully confirmed.
But audio from Jason’s interview shows he immediately says he’s “joking” about having the insider information on his brother’s rumored romance.
"It's hard to answer because I don't really know a lot about Travis' love life,” Jason told the radio hosts. “I try to keep his business kind of his business, stay out of that world." But, he continued, "having said that, man, I think they're doing great and I think it's all 100% true, and I hope this thing goes a mile — no, I'm joking, I don't know what's happening."
Representatives for the “Blank Space” singer and Travis, a two-time Super Bowl champion, have not commented on their relationship when reached by PEOPLE in recent days.
Rumors have swirled that Travis and Swift, both 33, are dating since a report earlier this month linked the two romantically.
Earlier this summer, the NFL star had said on his and Jason's New Heights podcast that he was trying to meet Swift backstage at one of her stops on her Eras tour this summer and that he tried to give her his phone number. But ultimately, Travis said his initial attempt to woo the pop star was unsuccessful.
"I was disappointed that she doesn’t talk before or after her shows because she has to save her voice for the 44 songs that she sings," he said.
The Kansas City Chiefs tight end formerly dated on-air sports journalist Kayla Nicole for several years before the couple broke up in August 2020 amid a cloud of cheating rumors. Travis had denied the rumors in a since-deleted tweet and has been quiet about his love life since then.
More recently, however, he’s opened up about dating again, telling his brother on their podcast that he’s “back on Tinder” again and was going to use a sideline photo of him as his profile picture.
The rumor that he and Swift are dating has stirred excitement and spawned some playful teasing around the sports world in recent days.
After Travis caught a touchdown pass during the Chiefs’ game on Sunday, NFL Network broadcaster Rich Eisen made a nod to Swift’s Grammy winning 2014 single, yelling, “Kelce finds a blank space for the score!”
The call drew a laugh from Travis, who joked about it on social media afterwards.
“Well played Rich…. Well played 👏🏻😂,” he wrote.
Anthony Anderson Will Pay Ex-Wife Alvina Stewart $20k Per Month in Spousal Support
The 'Black-ish' star could end up paying more per month based on his future income.
Anthony Anderson is responsible for paying his ex-wife, Alvina Stewart, $20,000 per month in spousal support -- and that number could go even higher
According to their divorce judgment, rendered on Wednesday and obtained by ET, Anderson's base rate is set at $20,000, but that amount will increase in the event that Anderson's annual earnings rise above $2 million.
Should that happen, the Black-ish star will be responsible for paying an additional 20 percent of the income.
The judgment also divided assets between the former couple, with Anderson keeping their 2004 Land Rover and their home in Encino, California. Meanwhile, Stewart will keep their shared home in Houston, Texas, and their 2022 Mazda.
Another shared property -- a pair of burial plots at Inglewood Park Cemetery -- will be sold and the profits split between the two.
Stewart filed for dissolution of marriage in March 2022 in Los Angeles County Courts, citing "irreconcilable differences" as a reason for the split.
Alvina had previously filed for divorce back in September 2015, requesting primary custody of their two now-adult children, Kyra and Nathan, as well as spousal support. However, in 2017, she filed to dismiss her divorce petition and reconciled with the Black-ish star.
Why Oprah Winfrey Wants to Remove “Shame” Around Ozempic Conversation
Oprah Winfrey has entered the Ozempic chat. The talk show host recently shared her thoughts on the recent headlines about new weight-loss drugs—including Type 2 diabetes medication Ozempic—saying she wants to take away the stigma around weight loss.
"You all know I've been on this journey for most of my life," Oprah shared during The State of Weight panel on Oprah Daily's The Life You Want series Sept. 20, per USA Today. "My highest weight was 237 pounds. I don't know if there is another public person whose weight struggle has been exploited as much as mine over the years. So I am ready for this conversation."
The 69-year-old recalled how she was "treated differently" when she was over 200 pounds versus when she weighed less than 200 pounds.
"This is a world that has shamed people for being overweight forever," Oprah also shared on the panel, "and all of us who have lived it know that people treat you differently, they just do."
Oprah went on to reflect on the stigma of weight gain, noting how the public criticized her for over it for years.
"One of the things that I've shamed myself about and was ashamed in the tabloids every week about for 25 years is not having the willpower," she continued. "There is a distinction between mindset, which we're now hearing. The brain tells you a certain thing about how you process food versus the willpower."
And although Oprah didn't speak to whether or not she has tried the medication, other public figures have. In fact, back in January, TikToker Remi Bader shared her experience with Ozempic in 2020, after she was prescribed due to being pre-diabetic and insulin-resistant.
"It was brand new, just got FDA approved, no one knew about it and I was so scared," she recalled on the Not Skinny But Not Fat podcast. "They said I need this. And I had a lot of mixed feelings."
But a few months later, Remi decide to stop the drug, which she said caused a cycle of "bad binging."
"I saw a doctor, and they were like, ‘It's 100 percent because you went on Ozempic,'" the 28-year-old continued. "It was making me think I wasn't hungry for so long. I lost some weight. I didn't want to be obsessed with being on it long term. I was like, ‘I bet the second I got off I'm going to get starving again.' I did, and my binging got so much worse. So then I kind of blamed Ozempic."
Meanwhile other familiar faces have denied the use of Ozempic, crediting their slimmer physiques to diet and exercise. In fact, Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Kyle Richards clarified she hadn't taken the drug, writing beneath a January Instagram shot of herself and friends post-workout, "I am NOT on ozempic."
At the time, when E! News reached out for comment, a rep for Novo Nordisk said Ozempic is "not approved for chronic weight management." The brand's statement said it's intended to treat type 2 diabetes, improve blood sugar and reduce the risk of major cardiovascular events for adults with the condition.
Quavo steps up advocacy against gun violence after his nephew Takeoff’s shooting death
The trauma Migos rapper Quavo suffered after witnessing his nephew Takeoff being gunned down last year is a disturbing sight he doesn’t want anyone else to experience.
Through his pain, Quavo found his purpose as a vocal advocate against gun violence. He met privately with some powerful political figures including Vice President Kamala Harris then later spoke on a panel about combating the issue during the Congressional Black Caucus legislative conference in Washington on Wednesday.
The Grammy-nominated rapper said Takeoff’s untimely death in 2022 ultimately convinced him to speak up.
“I feel like your calling comes at the least expected times,” said Quavo, who also honored his nephew with their Migos bandmate Offset during the BET Awards earlier this summer.
Police say Takeoff was an innocent bystander who was shot outside a Houston bowling alley after a disagreement over a lucrative dice game led to gunfire. Takeoff’s death was the latest in a string of fatal shootings in recent years that involved hip-hop stars such as Nipsey Hussle, Pop Smoke, PnB Rock and Young Dolph.
“You don’t think nothing is going to happen,” Quavo continued. “I need to step up to the plate and hit a homerun. I have to do something about it, so it won’t happen to the masses — especially in our culture. I don’t want this to happen to the next person. I want to knock down these percentages.”
Quavo joined a panel discussion Wednesday alongside Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock, Rep. Lucy McBath — whose activism was propelled after the shooting death of her teenage son — and Greg Jackson of the Community Justice Action Fund. It was a solutions-oriented conversation on community intervention strategies, the battle with gun violence and the power in advocacy.
Earlier, Quavo arrived at the conference hand-in-hand with his sister Titania Davenport, the mother of Takeoff.
After Quavo met with Harris, the vice president praised the rapper and Davenport’s “call for action” to prevent gun violence.
“We need to do better with the control of guns,” Quavo said. “We need to figure out how do we keep these types of incidents from happening to people going anywhere and thinking they can hurt somebody where it shouldn’t happen.”
After Takeoff’s shooting, Quavo often asked himself “How do we use (guns) safely?”
“And how do you keep them out of the hands of people that make bad decisions?” he said. “I’m kind of in a half-and-half place. Even police have guns. Unfortunately, some of the people in our culture and loved ones have been lost to police brutality. It’s all about choices and how we can put a filter on who can use these guns.”
Jackson said Quavo’s voice could make a difference. He applauded the rapper for sitting down with members of Congress, offering his firsthand insights and putting the pressure on them for impactful change.
“His voice and commitment around community violence intervention could provide more resources for those who are most at risk,” said Jackson, whose Community Justice organization hosted Quavo for a day of advocacy. They are both pushing for passing of the Break the Cycle of Violence Act, which would provide a $6.5 billion federal grant to communities to curb gun violence, create prevention programs, job training and workforce development for youths.
Jackson, who was shot in 2013, said combating gun violence has become personal for him.
“It’s what we need,” Jackson said. “With gun violence, in order to change it, we have to change the behavior just as aggressively as we focus on safety and ownership and access. But we can’t change behavior if our communities don’t have the resources they need, and our youth is being overlooked and forgotten.”
So far, Quavo has taken the right steps forward: Last year, the rapper and his family launched the Rocket Foundation in honor of Takeoff and he committed $2 million to invest in community violence intervention. He aspires to develop more after school programs in areas where community centers have been shut down and basketball goal rims were taken down.
Quavo says it’s imperative to keep the youth busy with productive activities in a safe environment. He’s already reached out to some in the hip-hop community for support including rapper Meek Mill, who’s been active with criminal justice reform.
But Quavo says he knows he needs more political backing to streamline much-needed resources to the less fortunate.
“I feel like after going to the White House, I need resources,” he said. “I need a bag of goodies, so I can take back and say ‘Here, this is for the culture.’ We have that extension cord. We are plugged into that type of environment. I don’t think no one else in our stature is that connected. In order for things to change, we need resources.”
Kim Kardashian makes her 'American Horror Story' debut with NSFW opening line
The 12th season of the popular FX anthology series, American Horror Story: Delicate, kicked off on Wednesday and marked one of the first big recurring scripted TV roles for reality superstar Kim Kardashian.
AHS features a revolving door of returning actors and fresh faces and was created by Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk. This latest season is based on the novel Delicate Condition by Danielle Valentine, described as a Rosemary’s Baby for a new generation.
This story for Delicate follows a woman named Anna, played by Emma Roberts, who is convinced that someone is going to great lengths to keep her from getting pregnant. The first episode, called “Multiply Thy Pain,” was directed by Jessica Yu and written by Murphy, Falchuk and Halley Feiffer. In it, viewers got to know Anna, a former The CW star turned indie film darling, along with some people from her inner circle like her husband Dexter, played by Matt Czuchry, and her publicist Siobhan, played by Kardashian.
And with all eyes on Kardashian for this season — literally much of the promotion was centered around her
Looking ahead
The attention shifting back to Kardashian is no doubt a welcome distraction for the show this week, after actress Angelica Ross accused Emma Roberts of making a transphobic remark on the set of American Horror Story in 2019, resulting in a phone call apology from Roberts.
This season will be split into two separate parts, with the first five episodes airing Wednesdays through October 18, while part two is set to debut sometime in 2024.
Lizzo Hit With New Lawsuit From Former Tour Wardrobe Designer, Ahead Of Receiving Humanitarian Award
Lizzo has been hit with another lawsuit from a former employee on the same day she’s set to receive the Quincy Jones Humanitarian Award from the Black Music Action Coalition.
Asha Daniels, her former tour wardrobe designer, filed the suit in Los Angeles Superior Court on Thursday (Sept. 21) against Lizzo — née Melissa Jefferson — her production company Big Grrrl Big Touring, Inc. (BGBT), her wardrobe manager, Amanda Nomura, and tour manager, Carlina Gugliotta.
Daniels has accused the Special singer of racial and sexual harassment, disability discrimination, illegal retaliatory termination and assault among other things.
“The timing of this award’s announcement stinks of an architected PR stunt by Lizzo’s team aimed at trying to repair the damage done to her brand,” said Ron Zambrano, her attorney and a partner and Employment Litigation Chair at West Coast Employment Lawyers. Zambrano is also representing the three dancers who filed their lawsuit back in August.
He continued, “With Lizzo’s attack on the other plaintiffs, we’ve heard from more than two dozen former Lizzo employees sharing similar stories of abuse and harassment who could be potential new plaintiffs. This is not going away… She has created a sexualized and racially charged environment on her tours that her management staff sees as condoning such behavior, and so it continues unchecked. Lizzo certainly knows what’s going on but chooses not to put an end to this disgusting and illegal conduct and participates herself.”
Daniels designed the wardrobe for Lizzo’s 2023 Special Tour, and began working for the singer in January
She detailed in the complaint how she expected a “healthy, diverse environment with virtues of respect and empowerment of women [but] unfortunately, the opposite turned out to be true.” Daniels “believes the following experiences of degradation, forced physical labor, denial of medical care, sexual harassment, and racial harassment were allowed to take place by Lizzo’s management without consequence because she is a Black woman.”
She explained that Nomura would “mock both Lizzo and Lizzo’s background dancers on multiple occasions [as well as] would imitate the dancers and Lizzo by doing an offensive stereotypical impression of a Black woman. Nomura would also refer to Black women on the tour as ‘dumb,’ ‘useless,’ and ‘fat.’”
Daniels revealed that “Nomura expressed that she would ‘kill a b***h if it came down to it’ if anyone threatened her job.” Additionally, she claimed to have witnessed “Nomura, the crew, and Lizzo’s management team openly discussing hiring sex workers for lewd acts while on tour in Amsterdam, attending sex shows and buying hard drugs.”
The complaint goes on to list how Daniels was denied breaks after working 20-hour days for seven days straight, suffered from sexual harassment at the hands of Lizzo’s management, and was even encouraged to refrain from dressing attractively in front of Lizzo, due to jealousy concerns regarding her and her boyfriend, Myke Wright (above).
After airing her grievances to Gugliotta, nothing was done and eventually, Daniels was abruptly fired. She now suffers from anxiety and panic attacks, as well as PTSD, and “migraine-induced eye twitch and ocular distortions, brain fog, and fatigue.”‘
Lizzo has not addressed the new lawsuit, but described the first set of allegations as “sensationalized stories.”
Adam Blackstone Joins Creative Team For ‘The Wiz’ Broadway Revival
Adam Blackstone has been added to the creative team behind the pending Broadway revival of The Wiz. Deadline exclusively reported the award-winning music director has signed on as the production’s dance music arranger with his associate Terence Vaughn.
The role also reunites Blackstone with frequent collaborator and the stage-show’s chreographer JaQuel Knight. The announcement was made by producers Kristin Caskey, Mike Isaacson, Brian Anthony Moreland, Ambassador Theatre Group, Kandi Burruss, and Todd Tucker.
“Joining The Wiz‘s creative team has been a very surreal moment,” explained Blackstone. “I remember watching the film on VHS daily for years, wondering how it sounded so incredible, how MJ transformed into the Scarecrow, and the score and orchestrations truly told a story all of its own.
“I get to musically partner with Terence Vaughn and reunite with my brother, super choreographer and creative director JaQuel Knight…I am excited and look forward to this body of work changing lives, just like it did for me in the ’80s.”
Knight added “With over a decade of working beside each other on some of the biggest stages in the world, I’m so honored to have him and his team by my side on this journey to Broadway. The work he does is so important to culture. To have him translate the music in my head to a joyous audio experience…grateful is an understatement!”
Corinne Bailey Rae released her fourth album, “Black Rainbows,” a bold R&B and rock-infused project and her first album in seven years. Although the long period in between music releases might hinder some artists, it is clear the seven years of private musical evolution has culminated perfectly into the brilliance that is Rae’s most recent effort.
The near 45–minute album is liberating, inspired and transformative. “Black Rainbows” is unafraid to be gritty in the humanity, hope and pain that fuels the topic matter, as well as in its spunky, yet sensual, production. The intricate focus clearly put on placing these songs in the right order on the tracklist helps enhance the listening experience.
The intro track, “A Spell, A Prayer,” is bombastic and bold, starting with a few sparse string instruments and some chimes and gradually swelling into a modern rock symphony. The song itself discusses embracing what history teaches and the feelings that it brings while simultaneously reminding the audience to dig deeper into their history. This thematic premise makes the production of the song act in conjunction with the lyrics cleverly. The production at the end of the song drops out, only leaving the individual elements of the song, a drum and a bell to conclude the song.
“Earthlings” expresses a suave and funky type of hope that mostly focuses on fun and optimism for the future. The track is one of the more relaxed, low-key tracks but is by no means a filler. It is a nice three-and-a-half-minute breather that prepares for the more serious topic matter to come. To revel in this release of tension so soon is unexpected, but that only makes the track more enjoyable.
The constant twists and turns taken on this tracklist all work together to form a cohesive and moving story as it moves past the introductory tracks.
Empowerment and rage intertwine powerfully in the song “Erasure,” which tackles the trauma that is felt within the Black community from oppressive systems, such as slavery and bigoted people. The vocals on this track are rock-style and abrasive, which perfectly matches the justified rage Rae expresses on this track. To counteract the anger depicted in “Erasure,” “Peach Velvet Sky” narrates a more hopeful and bittersweet side of an overall dark time in American history. The track is inspired by the real-life story of abolitionist Harriet Jacobs, who described a sunset she saw when she was free after many years of being enslaved.
Rae also allowed herself to be raw in her experiences with womanhood, more specifically as a Black woman, on the track “He Will Follow You With His Eyes” where she challenges Western beauty standards. Rae does this in a manner that is invigorating, having the song start with a more orchestra-based, classical-European atmosphere that gradually becomes more modern as the song progresses; this mirrors the lyrics that first reflect traditional beauty standards, then later shift to Rae fully embracing her own beauty and the features that many Black women have. “My plum red lipstick / My black hair kinking / My black skin gleaming,” Rae sings with passion.
“New York Transit Queen” has the energy of a feminine anthem that celebrates the work ethic and readiness of young women. This song has the same conviction found in many 1980s pop-rock songs and the track is a song anyone can dance to at a booming concert.
Intimacy and romance arise thematically at the halfway point of the setlist. On “Red Horse,” Rae describes a fairytale-style romance of soulmates, a worthwhile wait and family, with a lyrical western flair. The song utilizes a heartbeat sound and whimsical, ethereal chimes. The romance not only stands well on its own, but after many songs that break down societal issues, it also serves as a reminder of the bright future that can occur if said society comes together and fights off hatred.
“Black Rainbows” divulges all expectations and tells a tale of generational trauma and hope through ten tracks of pure production-based bliss. Even with songs that go over eight minutes, no moment on this tracklist goes to waste. Furthermore, some of the album’s uniqueness arises from songs that repeat the same few sets of lyrics while using atmospheric production to do the heavy lifting of the storytelling.
Rae is courageous and confident in what she sings and produces, and her well-thought-out story makes this album one of the most unforgettable works to be released this decade.
#HipHopNews: Megan Thee Stallion Reportedly Dropped Out Of Global Citizen Festival To Open
Initially attributed to “a scheduling conflict,” Page Six reported that a last-minute opportunity to share the stage with Beyoncé in their hometown of Houston might be the real reason. Today (Sept. 21), a source close to the situation cited “an inadvertent duplicate scheduling by her team” as the cause of the unexpected change.
Subsequently, Global Citizen Festival had to quickly adjust its marquee. Jung Kook, Lauryn Hill, and The Red Hot Chili Peppers now headline the event, which is also set to stream on platforms including Amazon, Apple, and YouTube. While the organization did feature big names like Beyoncé and JAY-Z in previous years, Megan has never performed there.
Speculation about her possible onstage collaboration with Beyoncé also had fans excited, and for good reason. The duo previously teamed up for the chart-topping “Savage (Remix),” making the rumored performance a highly anticipated event should it materialize. The record was RIAA-certified quadruple platinum in 2021.
Megan recently returned to the public eye with a new track titled “Bongos,” which arrived as a joint effort with Cardi B. The pair lit up the stage at the 2023 MTV VMAs with a live rendition of the song last week.
Regarding her relationship with the New York rapper, the Houston Hottie told “Entertainment Tonight” about their time together. She revealed, “I feel like we hype each other up so well. Anytime she might be feeling a way, I’m definitely her sunshine. She’s so sweet, and she’s so kind, and that’s why I really like her — ’cause she’s real.”
Megan is also diversifying her career outside of music. She landed a role in the upcoming A24 film D**ks: The Musical and will be appearing in the seventh season of Netflix’s animated series “Big Mouth.”
Jason Kelce Didn’t Confirm Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift Are Dating — Here's What He Really Said
Jason Kelce got social media buzzing on Wednesday morning after he went on a sports radio talk show and joked that rumors about his brother Travis Kelce and singer Taylor Swift dating are “100% true.”
Jason, 35, laughed about getting another question about his brother’s love life during an appearance on DeCamara & Ritchie on Audacy's SportsRadio 94 WIP on Wednesday morning.
The elder Kelce was recently asked about Travis dating Swift on live television after his game on Thursday night, and at the time said he doesn’t “really know” what’s going on in his brother’s dating life.
Asked again on the talk show Wednesday morning, Jason said that the report was “100% true,” which led to the internet — and the hosts themselves — thinking it was fully confirmed.
But audio from Jason’s interview shows he immediately says he’s “joking” about having the insider information on his brother’s rumored romance.
"It's hard to answer because I don't really know a lot about Travis' love life,” Jason told the radio hosts. “I try to keep his business kind of his business, stay out of that world." But, he continued, "having said that, man, I think they're doing great and I think it's all 100% true, and I hope this thing goes a mile — no, I'm joking, I don't know what's happening."
Representatives for the “Blank Space” singer and Travis, a two-time Super Bowl champion, have not commented on their relationship when reached by PEOPLE in recent days.
Rumors have swirled that Travis and Swift, both 33, are dating since a report earlier this month linked the two romantically.
Earlier this summer, the NFL star had said on his and Jason's New Heights podcast that he was trying to meet Swift backstage at one of her stops on her Eras tour this summer and that he tried to give her his phone number. But ultimately, Travis said his initial attempt to woo the pop star was unsuccessful.
"I was disappointed that she doesn’t talk before or after her shows because she has to save her voice for the 44 songs that she sings," he said.
The Kansas City Chiefs tight end formerly dated on-air sports journalist Kayla Nicole for several years before the couple broke up in August 2020 amid a cloud of cheating rumors. Travis had denied the rumors in a since-deleted tweet and has been quiet about his love life since then.
More recently, however, he’s opened up about dating again, telling his brother on their podcast that he’s “back on Tinder” again and was going to use a sideline photo of him as his profile picture.
The rumor that he and Swift are dating has stirred excitement and spawned some playful teasing around the sports world in recent days.
After Travis caught a touchdown pass during the Chiefs’ game on Sunday, NFL Network broadcaster Rich Eisen made a nod to Swift’s Grammy winning 2014 single, yelling, “Kelce finds a blank space for the score!”
The call drew a laugh from Travis, who joked about it on social media afterwards.
“Well played Rich…. Well played 👏🏻😂,” he wrote.
Anthony Anderson Will Pay Ex-Wife Alvina Stewart $20k Per Month in Spousal Support
Anthony Anderson is responsible for paying his ex-wife, Alvina Stewart, $20,000 per month in spousal support -- and that number could go even higher
According to their divorce judgment, rendered on Wednesday and obtained by ET, Anderson's base rate is set at $20,000, but that amount will increase in the event that Anderson's annual earnings rise above $2 million.
Should that happen, the Black-ish star will be responsible for paying an additional 20 percent of the income.
The judgment also divided assets between the former couple, with Anderson keeping their 2004 Land Rover and their home in Encino, California. Meanwhile, Stewart will keep their shared home in Houston, Texas, and their 2022 Mazda.
Another shared property -- a pair of burial plots at Inglewood Park Cemetery -- will be sold and the profits split between the two.
Stewart filed for dissolution of marriage in March 2022 in Los Angeles County Courts, citing "irreconcilable differences" as a reason for the split.
Alvina had previously filed for divorce back in September 2015, requesting primary custody of their two now-adult children, Kyra and Nathan, as well as spousal support. However, in 2017, she filed to dismiss her divorce petition and reconciled with the Black-ish star.
Why Oprah Winfrey Wants to Remove “Shame” Around Ozempic Conversation
Oprah Winfrey has entered the Ozempic chat. The talk show host recently shared her thoughts on the recent headlines about new weight-loss drugs—including Type 2 diabetes medication Ozempic—saying she wants to take away the stigma around weight loss.
"You all know I've been on this journey for most of my life," Oprah shared during The State of Weight panel on Oprah Daily's The Life You Want series Sept. 20, per USA Today. "My highest weight was 237 pounds. I don't know if there is another public person whose weight struggle has been exploited as much as mine over the years. So I am ready for this conversation."
The 69-year-old recalled how she was "treated differently" when she was over 200 pounds versus when she weighed less than 200 pounds.
"This is a world that has shamed people for being overweight forever," Oprah also shared on the panel, "and all of us who have lived it know that people treat you differently, they just do."
Oprah went on to reflect on the stigma of weight gain, noting how the public criticized her for over it for years.
"One of the things that I've shamed myself about and was ashamed in the tabloids every week about for 25 years is not having the willpower," she continued. "There is a distinction between mindset, which we're now hearing. The brain tells you a certain thing about how you process food versus the willpower."
And although Oprah didn't speak to whether or not she has tried the medication, other public figures have. In fact, back in January, TikToker Remi Bader shared her experience with Ozempic in 2020, after she was prescribed due to being pre-diabetic and insulin-resistant.
"It was brand new, just got FDA approved, no one knew about it and I was so scared," she recalled on the Not Skinny But Not Fat podcast. "They said I need this. And I had a lot of mixed feelings."
But a few months later, Remi decide to stop the drug, which she said caused a cycle of "bad binging."
"I saw a doctor, and they were like, ‘It's 100 percent because you went on Ozempic,'" the 28-year-old continued. "It was making me think I wasn't hungry for so long. I lost some weight. I didn't want to be obsessed with being on it long term. I was like, ‘I bet the second I got off I'm going to get starving again.' I did, and my binging got so much worse. So then I kind of blamed Ozempic."
Meanwhile other familiar faces have denied the use of Ozempic, crediting their slimmer physiques to diet and exercise. In fact, Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Kyle Richards clarified she hadn't taken the drug, writing beneath a January Instagram shot of herself and friends post-workout, "I am NOT on ozempic."
At the time, when E! News reached out for comment, a rep for Novo Nordisk said Ozempic is "not approved for chronic weight management." The brand's statement said it's intended to treat type 2 diabetes, improve blood sugar and reduce the risk of major cardiovascular events for adults with the condition.
Quavo steps up advocacy against gun violence after his nephew Takeoff’s shooting death
Through his pain, Quavo found his purpose as a vocal advocate against gun violence. He met privately with some powerful political figures including Vice President Kamala Harris then later spoke on a panel about combating the issue during the Congressional Black Caucus legislative conference in Washington on Wednesday.
The Grammy-nominated rapper said Takeoff’s untimely death in 2022 ultimately convinced him to speak up.
“I feel like your calling comes at the least expected times,” said Quavo, who also honored his nephew with their Migos bandmate Offset during the BET Awards earlier this summer.
Police say Takeoff was an innocent bystander who was shot outside a Houston bowling alley after a disagreement over a lucrative dice game led to gunfire. Takeoff’s death was the latest in a string of fatal shootings in recent years that involved hip-hop stars such as Nipsey Hussle, Pop Smoke, PnB Rock and Young Dolph.
“You don’t think nothing is going to happen,” Quavo continued. “I need to step up to the plate and hit a homerun. I have to do something about it, so it won’t happen to the masses — especially in our culture. I don’t want this to happen to the next person. I want to knock down these percentages.”
Quavo joined a panel discussion Wednesday alongside Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock, Rep. Lucy McBath — whose activism was propelled after the shooting death of her teenage son — and Greg Jackson of the Community Justice Action Fund. It was a solutions-oriented conversation on community intervention strategies, the battle with gun violence and the power in advocacy.
Earlier, Quavo arrived at the conference hand-in-hand with his sister Titania Davenport, the mother of Takeoff.
After Quavo met with Harris, the vice president praised the rapper and Davenport’s “call for action” to prevent gun violence.
“We need to do better with the control of guns,” Quavo said. “We need to figure out how do we keep these types of incidents from happening to people going anywhere and thinking they can hurt somebody where it shouldn’t happen.”
After Takeoff’s shooting, Quavo often asked himself “How do we use (guns) safely?”
“And how do you keep them out of the hands of people that make bad decisions?” he said. “I’m kind of in a half-and-half place. Even police have guns. Unfortunately, some of the people in our culture and loved ones have been lost to police brutality. It’s all about choices and how we can put a filter on who can use these guns.”
Jackson said Quavo’s voice could make a difference. He applauded the rapper for sitting down with members of Congress, offering his firsthand insights and putting the pressure on them for impactful change.
“His voice and commitment around community violence intervention could provide more resources for those who are most at risk,” said Jackson, whose Community Justice organization hosted Quavo for a day of advocacy. They are both pushing for passing of the Break the Cycle of Violence Act, which would provide a $6.5 billion federal grant to communities to curb gun violence, create prevention programs, job training and workforce development for youths.
Jackson, who was shot in 2013, said combating gun violence has become personal for him.
“It’s what we need,” Jackson said. “With gun violence, in order to change it, we have to change the behavior just as aggressively as we focus on safety and ownership and access. But we can’t change behavior if our communities don’t have the resources they need, and our youth is being overlooked and forgotten.”
So far, Quavo has taken the right steps forward: Last year, the rapper and his family launched the Rocket Foundation in honor of Takeoff and he committed $2 million to invest in community violence intervention. He aspires to develop more after school programs in areas where community centers have been shut down and basketball goal rims were taken down.
Quavo says it’s imperative to keep the youth busy with productive activities in a safe environment. He’s already reached out to some in the hip-hop community for support including rapper Meek Mill, who’s been active with criminal justice reform.
But Quavo says he knows he needs more political backing to streamline much-needed resources to the less fortunate.
“I feel like after going to the White House, I need resources,” he said. “I need a bag of goodies, so I can take back and say ‘Here, this is for the culture.’ We have that extension cord. We are plugged into that type of environment. I don’t think no one else in our stature is that connected. In order for things to change, we need resources.”
Kim Kardashian makes her 'American Horror Story' debut with NSFW opening line
The 12th season of the popular FX anthology series, American Horror Story: Delicate, kicked off on Wednesday and marked one of the first big recurring scripted TV roles for reality superstar Kim Kardashian.
AHS features a revolving door of returning actors and fresh faces and was created by Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk. This latest season is based on the novel Delicate Condition by Danielle Valentine, described as a Rosemary’s Baby for a new generation.
This story for Delicate follows a woman named Anna, played by Emma Roberts, who is convinced that someone is going to great lengths to keep her from getting pregnant. The first episode, called “Multiply Thy Pain,” was directed by Jessica Yu and written by Murphy, Falchuk and Halley Feiffer. In it, viewers got to know Anna, a former The CW star turned indie film darling, along with some people from her inner circle like her husband Dexter, played by Matt Czuchry, and her publicist Siobhan, played by Kardashian.
And with all eyes on Kardashian for this season — literally much of the promotion was centered around her
Looking ahead
The attention shifting back to Kardashian is no doubt a welcome distraction for the show this week, after actress Angelica Ross accused Emma Roberts of making a transphobic remark on the set of American Horror Story in 2019, resulting in a phone call apology from Roberts.
This season will be split into two separate parts, with the first five episodes airing Wednesdays through October 18, while part two is set to debut sometime in 2024.
Lizzo Hit With New Lawsuit From Former Tour Wardrobe Designer, Ahead Of Receiving Humanitarian Award
Asha Daniels, her former tour wardrobe designer, filed the suit in Los Angeles Superior Court on Thursday (Sept. 21) against Lizzo — née Melissa Jefferson — her production company Big Grrrl Big Touring, Inc. (BGBT), her wardrobe manager, Amanda Nomura, and tour manager, Carlina Gugliotta.
Daniels has accused the Special singer of racial and sexual harassment, disability discrimination, illegal retaliatory termination and assault among other things.
“The timing of this award’s announcement stinks of an architected PR stunt by Lizzo’s team aimed at trying to repair the damage done to her brand,” said Ron Zambrano, her attorney and a partner and Employment Litigation Chair at West Coast Employment Lawyers. Zambrano is also representing the three dancers who filed their lawsuit back in August.
He continued, “With Lizzo’s attack on the other plaintiffs, we’ve heard from more than two dozen former Lizzo employees sharing similar stories of abuse and harassment who could be potential new plaintiffs. This is not going away… She has created a sexualized and racially charged environment on her tours that her management staff sees as condoning such behavior, and so it continues unchecked. Lizzo certainly knows what’s going on but chooses not to put an end to this disgusting and illegal conduct and participates herself.”
Daniels designed the wardrobe for Lizzo’s 2023 Special Tour, and began working for the singer in January
She detailed in the complaint how she expected a “healthy, diverse environment with virtues of respect and empowerment of women [but] unfortunately, the opposite turned out to be true.” Daniels “believes the following experiences of degradation, forced physical labor, denial of medical care, sexual harassment, and racial harassment were allowed to take place by Lizzo’s management without consequence because she is a Black woman.”
She explained that Nomura would “mock both Lizzo and Lizzo’s background dancers on multiple occasions [as well as] would imitate the dancers and Lizzo by doing an offensive stereotypical impression of a Black woman. Nomura would also refer to Black women on the tour as ‘dumb,’ ‘useless,’ and ‘fat.’”
Daniels revealed that “Nomura expressed that she would ‘kill a b***h if it came down to it’ if anyone threatened her job.” Additionally, she claimed to have witnessed “Nomura, the crew, and Lizzo’s management team openly discussing hiring sex workers for lewd acts while on tour in Amsterdam, attending sex shows and buying hard drugs.”
The complaint goes on to list how Daniels was denied breaks after working 20-hour days for seven days straight, suffered from sexual harassment at the hands of Lizzo’s management, and was even encouraged to refrain from dressing attractively in front of Lizzo, due to jealousy concerns regarding her and her boyfriend, Myke Wright (above).
After airing her grievances to Gugliotta, nothing was done and eventually, Daniels was abruptly fired. She now suffers from anxiety and panic attacks, as well as PTSD, and “migraine-induced eye twitch and ocular distortions, brain fog, and fatigue.”‘
Lizzo has not addressed the new lawsuit, but described the first set of allegations as “sensationalized stories.”
Adam Blackstone Joins Creative Team For ‘The Wiz’ Broadway Revival
Adam Blackstone has been added to the creative team behind the pending Broadway revival of The Wiz. Deadline exclusively reported the award-winning music director has signed on as the production’s dance music arranger with his associate Terence Vaughn.
The role also reunites Blackstone with frequent collaborator and the stage-show’s chreographer JaQuel Knight. The announcement was made by producers Kristin Caskey, Mike Isaacson, Brian Anthony Moreland, Ambassador Theatre Group, Kandi Burruss, and Todd Tucker.
“Joining The Wiz‘s creative team has been a very surreal moment,” explained Blackstone. “I remember watching the film on VHS daily for years, wondering how it sounded so incredible, how MJ transformed into the Scarecrow, and the score and orchestrations truly told a story all of its own.
“I get to musically partner with Terence Vaughn and reunite with my brother, super choreographer and creative director JaQuel Knight…I am excited and look forward to this body of work changing lives, just like it did for me in the ’80s.”
Knight added “With over a decade of working beside each other on some of the biggest stages in the world, I’m so honored to have him and his team by my side on this journey to Broadway. The work he does is so important to culture. To have him translate the music in my head to a joyous audio experience…grateful is an understatement!”
The Wiz is set to launch its national tour next week in Baltimore with Alan Mingo Jr. starring as the titular character. Wayne Brady takes over as The Wiz at the top of 2024 in cities including San Francisco and Los Angeles. Additional casting is as follows: Nichelle Lewis as Dorothy, Deborah Cox as Glinda and Melody A. Betts as Aunt Em and Evillene, Kyle Ramar Freeman as the Lion, Phillip Johnson Richardson as the Tinman, and Avery Wilson as the Scarecrow.
Simone Biles Achieves Historic Sixth World Gymnastics Championships Appearance, Breaking Record
She secured her victory in the last round by outscoring Shi Jones on the vault with a final score of 55.700, while Jones had 55.300, and Skye Blakely scored 55.000.
Biles’ performance automatically qualified her for the World Championships team, with the complete lineup set to be revealed on Wednesday night.
Earlier this year, she made an impressive comeback in gymnastics, winning her eighth all-around title at the U.S. Gymnastics Championship in August. She’s not only the first to achieve this but also the oldest woman to win an all-around title, following her challenges with the “twisties” during the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.
Biles is the most decorated U.S. women’s gymnast, with a total of 32 medals from World Championships and the Olympics.
“Euphoria” Actor Angus Cloud Died From Mix Of Cocaine, Fentanyl & Meth, Coroner Confirms
An autopsy has confirmed that actor Angus Cloud died due to an accidental overdose.
The adored “Euphoria“ actor had a deadly mixture of cocaine, fentanyl, and methamphetamine in his system, the Alameda County Coroner confirmed. He’d also ingested benzodiazepine, which is a drug used to treat disorders such as anxiety. The actor passed away on July 31st in Oakland, California.
His mother, Lisa, broke the news of his death to devastated fans. Shortly after, reports surfaced that Cloud was severely depressed and had suicidal thoughts after burying his father, Conor, just a week before his own demise, though Lisa doesn’t believe Cloud would have taken his own life. Days before he was found dead, he hung out with friends at an album release party. Those who saw him said he appeared in good spirits, People reports.
“The only comfort we have is knowing Angus is now reunited with his dad, who was his best friend. Angus was open about his battle with mental health, and we hope that his passing can be a reminder to others that they are not alone and should not fight this on their own in silence,” the family said in a statement after Cloud died.
Cloud was only just beginning his acting career, landing his first big break as Fezco in the HBO hit series. His death shook his co-stars, with Zendaya, Javon Walton, Alexa Demie, and more all expressing their grief. Prior to landing the “Euphoria” gig, he appeared in several independent film and music videos. One of his final performances took place in the movie, “Your Lucky Day,” which will soon be distributed in the U.S.
Cloud was just 25 at the time of his death.
AND FINALLY FROM “THE CRAZY PEOPLE SHOPPING AT WALMART” FILES
Wife’s At Home Looking for it
I guess?
I guess?
HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND ALL!!!
EFREM
No comments:
Post a Comment