1/31/24

The Daily Buzz For Feb 1 ☕📰☕

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#MAGFAB: Keke Palmer on cover of Teen Vogue For Feb 2024
In her cover story with the mag, Palmer opens up about just how many changes she went through in 2023. Those transformations include becoming CEO of KeyTV and the record label Big Bosses Entertainment, turning 30 and becoming a mom to her son, Leodis.

“When I was younger, I used to have so much anxiety. I love to perform, but is that something that can last forever?” Keke asked. “I think I always would wonder, is it something that times out? Obviously, you have people that have been acting their entire careers…. but I just never knew how I could scale myself.”

That thought process is how KeyTV became the next step in her career evolution.
“If you were a lawyer, you want to get to be a partner,” she continued. “I didn’t understand what the version of that was for me. Some people become directors or they become a producer or they become the head of Paramount.”
Because Palmer has been in the entertainment industry for nearly her entire life, she wants to take that knowledge and use it to teach and empower the next generation.

“When you create generational wealth within underserved communities, you create wealth within our entire economy,” Keke explained. “My hope and my desire is to teach people the skills that I have, to teach them how to brand themselves, how to be entrepreneurs, how to work within a system, but also use that system to create something that’s unique to them. In doing that… I’m not behind the eight ball. And now my son, he can start at stage 10 instead of having to start at stage one like I did. I want other people to have that [too].”

While talking about her son, Palmer also revealed that the sacrifices she was forced to make so young have allowed her to be a mother in a way she’s always dreamed of.
“I 100% feel like money doesn’t buy you happiness. I’m not always happy because of my money. But the [financial] security I have with my son is a stress reliever,” she admits. “I’m not saying that a mom that is struggling isn’t patient, because I know that they are. But if they’re not, it’s like, ‘I get it, Miss Lady….’ So when I look at the position that I’m in and the kind of parent that I am or that I’m becoming, I think it’s remiss [not] to say that I have a lot of help.”

The new mother goes on to explain that it truly does take a village, noting that she and her home village share a few principles: Positive head spaces, respect, no judgment and unconditional support.
“It’s more about keeping Leo insulated with the people that I know and trust, that don’t just love him, but love themselves,” Keke explained. “That’s really big. It’s important that he has good examples. He observes everything. It’s about giving him the proper role models and making sure my family is around.”
You can read more from Keke Palmer’s cover story with Teen Vogue here. Amidst Hardship, Keke Palmer Is Focused on Her Son, Company, and Legacy


#RHOA: Kandi Burruss and Todd Tucker Dazzle in Coordinated White Looks

Kandi Burruss is no stranger to an elegant, glamorous style, and when she has her husband, Todd Tucker, by her side, it's even more of an extravagant event.

Such was the case on January 29, when Todd took to his Instagram page to share what may be one of the most adorable photos of himself and his wife we've seen. Keep scrolling to get all the details of The Real Housewives of Atlanta couple's recent post together, which included some sweet coordination and stylish flourishes.

Kandi Burruss and Todd Tucker wear coordinated white looks
In the Instagram post, Todd posed with Kandi outside as the pair rocked coordinated white styles. "One of my favorite pics of me and [Kandi]," he captioned the post, in which he rocked a baby blue short-sleeved collard shirt and crisp white pants. The restaurateur paired his look with white sneakers and a gold watch.

Kandi, for her part, opted for a white ruched minidress, pairing her outfit with white heels with criss-cross straps in the front and ties in the back.


#MusicNews: New Jill Scott Music on the way?
(h/t soulbounce) It’s crazy to think that it’s been almost a decade since Jill Scott released her 2015 album Woman. Fans have been patiently awaiting another project from the songstress, but quite possibly no one is more excited about the prospect of a new Jill Scott album than Jill Scott herself. She couldn’t contain her excitement when she hopped onto social media last night to share a few thoughts about what she’s been working on since last year’s sold-out Who Is Jill Scott? Words And Sounds Vol. 1 23rd Anniversary Tour.

Scott took to X/Twitter to post her first tweet of 2024, and her words radiated with enthusiasm and leaped off the screen. After greeting her adoring fanbase and posting a smiley face emoji, she wrote, “I’m over here blushing and smiling hard. I like it.” The “it” in question is her new collection of music, and if she likes it, then we’re pretty sure we’re gonna love it.

She continued, “What I’ve cooked for you has so much love, truth, vibrant ENERGY.” Coming from the woman who’s fed us a steady diet of soul food on “The Way,” “He Love Me (Lyzel In E Flat),” “Golden,” “Crown Royal” and so many more classics over the past 24 years, she is speaking our love language. If anyone knows how to synthesize love, truth and vibrant energy into R&B and soul music, it’s Jill Scott.

Jill kept it brief, ending her message with, “I’m looking soooooooooooooo forward to this body of work.” That’s literally all that she wrote, but that’s all the confirmation that we need. A new Jill Scott project is finally on the way. It sounds as if the collection may be near completion, and she’s satisfied with the results. We don’t know any additional details about this forthcoming body of work, but our bodies are ready for it.

Be sure to follow Jill Scott on X/Twitter https://twitter.com/missjillscott in case she decides to pop up there to share more new album news in the coming days, weeks and months. Read her complete tweet below.

 
#HipHopNews: Megan Thee Stallion Announces "Hot Girl Summer Tour" And Confirms New Album
Megan Thee Stallion confirmed her “Hot Girl Summer Tour” is expected to kick off in the coming months on “Good Morning America.”
“We’re having the tour this year. The ‘Hot Girl Summer Tour’ is going to be [in] 2024, summertime,” Megan revealed. This will be the rapper’s first solo trek in several years, coinciding with her new LP release. She added, “I feel like I’ve never been able to be outside doing my own thing during the summer since, like, 2019. So, this is going to be the first time that I drop an album on time for the summer. I do want to give the Hotties the Megan Thee Stallion experience.”

Megan performed for the first time since Tory Lanez’s sentencing in August 2023. She gave fans an exciting show at the Outside Lands Music Festival in San Francisco, California. In September of that year, Beyoncé brought her out during the Houston stop of the “RENAISSANCE WORLD TOUR.” There, the pair did a live rendition of “Savage (Remix).”

Elsewhere in her conversation with “GMA,” Megan discussed her return after being shot in the foot by Lanez in 2020. She said, “It was really rough because, for the past couple years, music just seemed so negative to me. I just wasn’t in a good space mentally after everything that had happened to me, and it just all felt like, ‘I’m tired of this. I’m tired of fighting.’ But I had to tell myself, ‘You know what? I don’t want to give up.’”

Meanwhile, her feud with Nicki Minaj was highlighted in their respective singles, “Hiss” and “Big Foot.” In the former, Megan appeared to take a dig at the Trinidadian rapper’s husband, Kenneth Petty. She spat, “These h**s don’t be mad at Megan, these h**s mad at Megan’s Law.”

Minaj responded in “Big Foot” with, “Bad b**ch, she like 6 foot, I call her big foot, the b**ch fell off, I said get up on your good foot.” Megan has yet to respond directly to the diss track.


Broadway Legend (The Wiz, Dreamgirls) Actor Hinton Battle, Tony-Winning Actor, Dead At 67!

Hinton Battle, the three-time Tony Award winning actor, has died at age 67. His cause of death is unknown.
The tragic news was confirmed by his friend, Debbie Allen, on social media. The famed dancer-actress wrote, “Today I honor Hinton Battle, my dear friend who left us to dance and sing in God’s Ensemble last night. He fought this battle to live and be creative impacting audiences and young people across the globe. Let us always hold him high in our hearts and in our mind’s eye and forever speak his name.”

Battle is best known for his role as Wayne in 2006’s Dreamgirls and as Scarecrow in the original 1975 run of The Wiz on Broadway.
Fans flooded Allen’s comments on Instagram with an outpouring of love and condolences. One wrote, “Devastated. One of the most talented humans ever to inhabit our planet. My deepest condolences to his family and friends.” Another chimed in, writing, “Heartbroken over this news. A legend in our hearts today and always.”

Battle was born in Germany on November 29, 1956. His agency regarded him as one of “Broadway’s most respected musical stars.” He studied at Washington, D.C.’s renowned Jones Haywood School of Ballet and at the School of American Ballet in New York City before launching his career on Broadway as a teenager by originating the role as Scarecrow in The Wiz.

According to Playbill, he went on to win three Tony Awards for Best Featured Actor in a Musical for his roles in Miss Saigon, The Tap Dance Kid, and Sophisticated Ladies. Later, he transitioned into acting, writing, directing, and producing as an adult.
Battle made appearances in Touched By An Angel, Quantum Leap, Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Foreign Student, and These Old Broads. Then, Battle and Yoshimoto Kogyo opened the Hinton Battle Dance Academy in Tokyo to help prepare the youth for a career within entertainment.

We sends our deepest condolences to the Battle family during this time.


Michael B. Jordan Is David Yurman’s Global Brand Ambassador For “The Vault” Collection!
The luxury brand has tapped the actor and director for its first-ever men's high jewelry line.
Michael B. Jordan has now added Global Brand Ambassador to his vast résumé which already includes actor, director, philanthropist and more. Luxury brand, David Yurman, has tapped the Creed star for their first-ever Men’s High Jewelry “The Vault” line.

Jordan poses in one campaign photo wearing three cuban link bracelets in the colors gold, silver and rose gold. He also sports their Pavé Chain Necklace in White Gold with Diamonds and matching bracelets in another image.
“I thought it was excellent working with two other Black men in the industry,” Jordan told Essence of the opportunity. “It was a lot of fun! Growing up in this industry, there weren’t key Black and brown faces in those positions. Working with talented photographers and creatives like Tyler Mitchell and Jason Bolden was a great feeling.”

Although the 36-year-old is backing the high-end jewelry line now, he admitted to the outlet that he wasn’t always a flashy guy. He shared that he would usually go for a more low-key style, including tucked-in chains, stud earrings, and simple watches.

“I think this is probably the most jewelry you’ve ever seen me wear in this campaign,” Jordan added.
“The Vault” collection consists of 30-pieces including glimmering pavé diamond necklaces, bracelets, rings and cufflinks. According to Jordan, his favorite accessories from the line are the chain necklaces. He said, “I felt like the design, the angles and curves they have on it, speaks volumes to me.”
 

Nia Long 'Honored' To Be Cast As Michael Jackson's Mom Katherine In Antoine Fuqua's Biopic

Nia Long has been added to the onscreen Jackson family. The actress has been confirmed as the latest addition to the cast of an upcoming Michael Jackson biopic titled "Michael" to portray the family matriarch Katherine Jackson.
Feeling honored to take on the role, the actress gushed over Michael's mother in a statement. "Katherine Jackson is an incredible pillar of strength and grace for the entire Jackson family," she said in the statement issued on Tuesday, January 30. "As a mother, she was selfless and endured forces beyond her control yet still managed to help build a legacy beyond measure. I am honored to bring her voice to the screen and share Michael Jackson's story with audiences everywhere."

Director Antoine Fuqua admitted he has been a fan of Nia, citing her "iconic performances throughout her career." The filmmaker shared, "I've been a fan for a long time because her characters stay with you. I'm excited to now work alongside her as she pours all of that into Katherine Jackson: a woman who was the glue, the rock, and the heart of the Jackson family during its best and its most turbulent times."

Producer Graham King added, "Beyond Nia's incredible talent, I was deeply moved by her connection to the material and her commitment to honoring Katherine and the love she had for her son."
The official Instagram page of GK Films also shared the news by posting a screenshot of Deadline's article about Nia's casting and captioning it, "We are honored and proud to announce the amazing, Nia Long to join our cast of MICHAEL as Katherine Jackson."

A 4-time NAACP Image Award winner, Nia rose to prominence after starring in the film "Boyz n the Hood" (1991). She is also best known for her portrayal of Beullah "Lisa" Wilkes on the NBC sitcom "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" (1991-1995). Her other acting credits include films like "The Best Man" (1999) and "Big Momma's House" (2000) as well as TV series "Third Watch" (2003-2005) and "NCIS: Los Angeles" (2017-2018).

The 53-year-old is joining Michael's nephew Jaafar Jackson, who has been cast as the late King of Pop, and Colman Domingo, who was recently tapped to portray the family patriarch Joe Jackson. Meanwhile, 9-year-old Juliano Krue Valdi, who is a big fan of Michael, is set to play a young version of the late singer
Per the official logline, " 'Michael' will bring audiences a riveting and honest portrayal of the brilliant yet complicated man who became the King of Pop. The film presents his triumphs and tragedies on an epic, cinematic scale - from his human side and personal struggles to his undeniable creative genius, exemplified by his most iconic performances. As never before, audiences will experience an inside look into one of the most influential, trailblazing artists the world has ever known."

The film is set to be released in the United States on April 18, 2025, with production currently underway.


Trump Allies Plotting 'Holy War' Against Taylor Swift In Fear Of Potential Endorsement For Biden
Donald Trump and his allies have apparently prepared themselves for an imaginary war against Taylor Swift. As they get wary of the singer's potential endorsement for Joe Biden, MAGA right-wing loyalists have allegedly been discussing strategy to attack the pop superstar should she reendorse the incumbent president for the upcoming election.

Citing three people familiar with the matter, Rolling Stone reports that Trump aides working on his campaign, his longtime allies in right-wing media and an array of outside advisers to the ex-president have long predicted that Swift will eventually endorse Biden as she did in 2020. While the Grammy winner has not officially endorsed Biden's 2024 campaign, Trump's allies are allegedly plotting to declare a "holy war" against the singer.

In fact, Trump has been fighting his private battle of egos with Swift. The former president privately claimed that he is "more popular" than the 34-year-old songwriter and that he has more committed fans than she does, a source close to Trump claims. The source spills that the 77-year-old also told some confidants it "obviously" made no sense that was not named TIME's magazine 2023 Person of the Year, an honor that went to Swift in last December.

Despite their alleged behind-the-scenes discussion, Trump campaign senior adviser Jason Miller shrugged off the prospect of a Swift endorsement for Biden. "Joe Biden might be counting on Taylor Swift to save him, but voters are looking at these sky-high inflation rates and saying, 'We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together'," Miller wrote.

Meanwhile, Fox News host Jeanine Pirro, who has acted as an informal political adviser to Trump, including during his presidency, warned Swift to stay out of 2024. "Don't get involved. Don't get involved in politics; we don't want to see you there," she said. "Joe Biden is in [a] hole with young people, he knows it. And if he thinks Taylor can get him out of that hole, he's gonna go for it."
Former GOP presidential hopeful and current Trump hype man Vivek Ramaswamy went as far as sharing a conspiracy theory that the upcoming Super Bowl is rigged to boost Biden following the Kansas City Chiefs' win. He claimed that unnamed forces would rig the Super Bowl to give the as-yet nonexistent endorsement from the "artificially culturally propped-up couple" increased visibility.

Swift is expected to attend the Super Bowl LVIII to support her boyfriend Travis Kelce, who will play with his team Chiefs against the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday, February 11.
The news of Trump allies' planned attacks on Swift arrive after The New York Times reported on Monday, January 29 that Swift is a key name on Biden aides' "wish lists of potential surrogates." His team is reportedly brainstorming on ways to get to officially sign her name on the Biden ticket heading into the November election.

One of the ideas is allegedly sending Biden to one of Swift's "Eras" tour stops. At the moment, however, this is very unlikely as the "Anti-Hero" songstress will start the international leg of her tour in February and will not return stateside until the fall, which would be too late.


The Baltimore Orioles Reportedly Selling For $1.73b To Rubenstein, Arougheti

Private equity billionaires David Rubenstein and Mike Arougheti have reached an agreement to purchase the Baltimore Orioles from the Angelos family in a deal that values the MLB club at $1.725 billion, according to Puck.
Rubenstein, the co-founder of private equity giant Carlyle Group, and Arougheti, co-founder of Ares Management, will start by buying 40% of the Orioles, the report says. They will buy the remaining 60% following the death of 94-year-old Peter Angelos, who stepped away from the team years ago due to illness. That structure could help the family minimize the tax hit in the sale.

Rubenstein, who is from Baltimore, will be the team’s control owner, Puck reported. MLB owners have not yet voted on the deal, and there is no timetable for it to close. John Angelos, Peter’s son, didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. Attempts to reach Rubenstein and Arougheti through their companies weren’t immediately successful.

The Orioles are owned by Angelos and his family. Angelos’ two sons, Lou and John (currently CEO of the team), are currently locked in a legal battle over the recent amendments to the family trust, a fight that has fueled speculation over the team’s future.
The Orioles are worth $1.6 billion, according to Sportico’s most recent valuations. That ranks 18th in the 30-team league. The club’s 2022 revenue of $264 million ranks 24th.

The Orioles won the AL East last season for just the second time in the past 26 years behind one of baseball’s youngest and most exciting rosters. Keeping that talent, which includes Rookie of the Year Gunnar Henderson and 25-year-old catcher Adley Rutschman, will grow significantly more expensive as they progress further into their careers. Spending on players, or lack thereof, has hounded John Angelos for much of the past few years as he’s overseen one of the sport’s lowest payrolls.

that the team was going to have to raise prices “dramatically,” which angered many fans.
Should the Orioles sell while Peter Angelos is still alive, it could cost the family hundreds of millions in capital-gains taxes, a number that would decrease if the team is sold after his death. That tax burden has been a critical part of the family’s thinking in talks with potential buyers.


Byron Allen submits $30 billion offer for Paramount Global, including debt
Media entrepreneur Byron Allen has submitted a $30 billion offer for Paramount Global, including debt and equity, Allen Media Group said in an emailed statement to Reuters on Tuesday.
Bloomberg News, which first reported the news said Byron Allen made a $14.3 billion offer to buy all of the outstanding shares of Paramount Global, citing people familiar with his terms.

Paramount Global declined to comment. More details to follow.


Parcel Giant UPS is cutting 12,000 Jobs!

UPS announced Tuesday that it will cut 12,000 jobs as part of a bid to save $1 billion costs. Managers and contractor positions will make up most of the layoffs.
The job cuts come as UPS issued a disappointing sales outlook for this year, saying it expects global revenue of between $92 billion to $94.5 billion. That would be up from the $91 billion in revenue it reported for 2023, but analysts surveyed by Refinitiv had been expecting revenue of at least $95.6 billion.

UPS lost business last year as customers concerned about a possible strike by the Teamsters shifted shipments to rival carriers, such as FedEx. Although UPS said it expects to get most of that business back, it had won back only about 60% of that lost business.
UPS’ business surged to record levels in the first three years of the pandemic, as online shopping exploded. The company’s sales topped $100 billion for the first time in 2022. The fact that revenue in 2023 fell more than 9% and won’t top that benchmark again in the near future is “candidly difficult and disappointing,” said CEO Carol Tome on a conference call with investors Tuesday.

“Some of this performance was due to the macro environment and some due to disruptions associated with our labor contract negotiations as well as higher costs associated with the new contract,” she said.
UPS’ (UPS) stock sank 7% on Tuesday.
Employee headcount at UPS had grown with the surge in business to about 540,000. It trimmed that headcount back to about 495,000 by the end of last year through attrition and reduced flying hours, rather than layoffs.

But the company forecast that the overall US small package market, excluding Amazon, will grow by less than 1% in 2024. The company also is dealing with a 12.1% increase in union wage rates, driving its efforts to cut other costs. And trimming salaried staff is a major part of its cost-cutting effort.

UPS said it has about 85,000 managers as part of its global workforce of nearly 500,000 employees. It has more than 300,000 hourly US workers represented by the Teamsters union.
“It’s a change in the way we work,” said CFO Brian Newman. “So as volume returns to the system, we don’t expect these jobs to come back. It’s changing the effective way that we operate.”


Jonathan Majors says he relies on his faith and prayer post-guilty verdict
TMZ ran into Jonathan Majors in West Hollywood, where he was asked about his well-being after being found guilty on two counts of assault in December 2023. “God is good, god is great,” the actor said to the reporter. He also cited prayer and faith as the tools that he uses to remain positive.

As previously reported, a New York jury found Majors guilty on one count of reckless assault in the third degree and a charge of harassment as a violation, all of which stemmed from an incident in March 2023 that involved his ex-girlfriend, Grace Jabbari. He was acquitted on another charge of assault and one of aggravated harassment. Sentencing is expected to take place Feb. 6 with Majors facing up to a year in prison.

“It is clear that the jury did not believe Grace Jabbari’s story of what happened in the SUV because they found that Mr. Majors did not intentionally cause any injuries to her,” said Majors’ attorney, Priya Chaudhry, following the verdict. “We are grateful for that. We are disappointed, however, that despite not believing Ms. Jabbari, the jury nevertheless found that Mr. Majors was somehow reckless while she was attacking him.”
Chaudhry continued, “Mr. Majors is grateful to God, his family, his friends and his fans for their love and support during these harrowing eight months. Mr. Majors still has faith in the process and looks forward to fully clearing his name.”

Earlier this month, the Creed III star gave his take on the matter in an interview with “Good Morning America.” During the interview, he stated that life has become difficult and he hadn’t been able to see his daughter because of his legal issues. He also denied physically attacking Jabbari while admitting that the relationship was toxic. “I’ve witnessed [domestic abuse] but never participated. I’ve been smacked up before, but never exercised it.”


Justin Timberlake Teases New *NSYNC Music: We’ve ‘Been in the Studio’

It might be more than just a Trolls soundtrack song.\
In an interview with Kelly Clarkson for her talk show Monday, Justin Timberlake teased that he and the *NSYNC boys — JC Chasez, Lance Bass, Joey Fatone, and Chris Kirkpatrick — have been making music.

“We’ve been in the studio,” Timblerkae told Clarkson. “So there may be a little something in the future.”
Timberlake nodded after the crowd erupted in applause. Before then, he reflected on how quickly the guys picked things back up when they made “Better Place” for Trolls Band Together last year.

“It’s kind of crazy,” he said. “There’s so much that picks up right where it left off as far as chemistry.”
The return of *NSYNC has been teased little by little. The group reunited at the MTV Video Music Awards when they presented Taylor Swift with the Moonperson for Best Pop. “I’m not doing well pivoting from this to this, like I had I had your dolls,” Swift said, calling the five-piece “pop personified” as she accepted her award. She asked: “Are you doing something? What’s going to happen now?”

*NSYNC later dropped the Trolls track and posed for photos on the red carpet for the premiere
The Clarkson interview comes after the singer was the musical guest on Saturday Night Live. There, he performed two tracks from his sixth solo album, Everything I Thought I Was. Among the tracks was a gospel song called “Sanctified,” which he performed with rapper Tobe Nwigwe. The pop star had premiered a snippet of the tune during an ESPN ad earlier in the week and, live from New York, performed the song in full for the first time. He also played “Selfish,” the LP’s lead single

“We were talking about the song itself and just breaking down the idea that you just don’t hear that from men often, that they would express an emotion that makes them vulnerable,” Timberlake said of the song in an Apple Music interview. “And then, growing up the way I grew up, you’re taught not to do that. But I don’t know, it just felt like a really honest song.”

He continued, “The lyrics just started to come out honestly. And when I listened to the whole album, I felt like it’s probably, of all the songs on the album, production-wise, probably the most straightforward, and I don’t want to say simple because it’s complex within its simplicity to me.”


Taylor Swift, Drake, BTS Music May Leave TikTok This Week as UMG Licensing Negotiations Collapse
Universal Music Group (UMG) says it will pull its entire music catalog from TikTok when its contract with the service expires on Wednesday (Jan. 31), accusing the platform of “trying to build a music-based business, without paying fair value for the music,” according to a new open letter.

In the letter, released Tuesday (Jan. 30) and addressed to UMG artists and songwriters, the company states that it’s particularly concerned about the rates that TikTok is offering to pay for its catalog. Other points of contention include the amount of content on TikTok that infringes its artists’ and songwriters’ works without providing “meaningful solutions” to help them combat it, the level of hate and harassment on the platform and TikTok’s stances on artificial intelligence (AI).

“With respect to the issue of artist and songwriter compensation, TikTok proposed paying our artists and songwriters at a rate that is a fraction of the rate that similarly situated major social platforms pay,” the letter reads.
Also according to UMG, during the negotiations, the ByteDance-owned social giant “demanded a contractual right which would allow [AI] content to massively dilute the royalty pool for human artists” while “developing tools to enable, promote and encourage AI music creation on the platform itself,” which UMG states is “nothing short of sponsoring artist replacement by AI.”

In the letter, UMG continued by claiming that when it proposed that TikTok take “similar steps as our other platform partners to try to address these issues, it responded first with indifference, and then with intimidation.”
“As our negotiations continued, TikTok attempted to bully us into accepting a deal worth less than the previous deal, far less than fair market value and not reflective of their exponential growth,” the letter added. “How did it try to intimidate us? By selectively removing the music of certain of our developing artists, while keeping on the platform our audience-driving global stars.”

If UMG pulls its catalog, it would affect all music distributed and administered by its recorded-music division as well as Universal Music Publishing Group. The company’s roster includes such megastars as Taylor Swift, BTS, Drake, Ariana Grande, The Weeknd, Lady Gaga, Lana Del Rey, Billie Eilish, Eminem, Nicki Minaj, Justin Bieber, Karol G and Post Malone.

“It is sad and disappointing that Universal Music Group has put their own greed above the interests of their artists and songwriters,” said TikTok in a statement sent to Billboard. “Despite Universal’s false narrative and rhetoric, the fact is they have chosen to walk away from the powerful support of a platform with well over a billion users that serves as a free promotional and discovery vehicle for their talent. TikTok has been able to reach ‘artist-first’ agreements with every other label and publisher. Clearly, Universal’s self-serving actions are not in the best interests of artists, songwriters and fans.”

The last deal UMG struck with TikTok to license both its recorded music and publishing was announced on Feb. 8, 2021. In July, WMG inked a multi-year licensing deal with TikTok that allows the company to use WMG’s music on its app as well as CapCut and its new “social streaming platform” TikTok Music, which is currently available in Brazil, Indonesia, Australia, Singapore, and Mexico. At the time the deal was announced, WMG CEO/chairman Robert Kyncl and TikTok’s chief executive Shou Chew said the agreement would benefit artists.

This is not the first time the music business has had issues with TikTok. In 2019, when the platform was just getting started, the National Music Publishers’ Association (NMPA) called on Congress to investigate TikTok for potential copyright theft. It was also reported around that time that TikTok was operating on expired deal extensions that were grandfathered in from when it acquired Musical.ly in late 2017. In March 2020, Billboard reported that all three majors had struck short-term licensing deals with TikTok.

Read the full open letter below.
Our core mission is simple: to help our artists and songwriters attain their greatest creative and commercial potential. To achieve these goals, our teams employ their expertise and passion to strike deals with partners all around the world, partners who take seriously their responsibilities to fairly compensate our artists and songwriters and treat the user experience with respect

One of those partners is TikTok, an increasingly influential platform with powerful technology and a massive worldwide user base. As with many other platforms with whom we partner, TikTok’s success as one of the world’s largest social platforms has been built in large part on the music created by our artists and songwriters. Its senior executives proudly state publicly that “music is at the heart of the TikTok experience” and our analysis confirms that the majority of content on TikTok contains music, more than any other major social platform.

The terms of our relationship with TikTok are set by contract, which expires January 31, 2024. In our contract renewal discussions, we have been pressing them on three critical issues—appropriate compensation for our artists and songwriters, protecting human artists from the harmful effects of AI, and online safety for TikTok’s users.

We have been working to address these and related issues with our other platform partners. For example, our Artist-Centric initiative is designed to update streaming’s remuneration model and better reward artists for the value they deliver to platforms. In the months since its inception, we’re proud that this initiative has been received so positively and taken up by a range of partners, including the largest music platform in the world. We’ve also moved aggressively to embrace the promise of AI while fighting to ensure artists’ rights and interests are protected now and far into the future. In addition, we’ve engaged a number of our platform partners to try to drive positive change for their users and by extension, our artists, by addressing online safety issues, and we are recognized as the industry leader in focusing on music’s broader impact on health and wellness.

With respect to the issue of artist and songwriter compensation, TikTok proposed paying our artists and songwriters at a rate that is a fraction of the rate that similarly situated major social platforms pay. Today, as an indication of how little TikTok compensates artists and songwriters, despite its massive and growing user base, rapidly rising advertising revenue and increasing reliance on music-based content, TikTok accounts for only about 1% of our total revenue.

Ultimately TikTok is trying to build a music-based business, without paying fair value for the music.
On AI, TikTok is allowing the platform to be flooded with AI-generated recordings—as well as developing tools to enable, promote and encourage AI music creation on the platform itself – and then demanding a contractual right which would allow this content to massively dilute the royalty pool for human artists, in a move that is nothing short of sponsoring artist replacement by AI.

Further, TikTok makes little effort to deal with the vast amounts of content on its platform that infringe our artists’ music and it has offered no meaningful solutions to the rising tide of content adjacency issues, let alone the tidal wave of hate speech, bigotry, bullying and harassment on the platform. The only means available to seek the removal of infringing or problematic content (such as pornographic deepfakes of artists) is through the monumentally cumbersome and inefficient process which equates to the digital equivalent of “Whack-a-Mole.”

But when we proposed that TikTok takes similar steps as our other platform partners to try to address these issues, it responded first with indifference, and then with intimidation.
As our negotiations continued, TikTok attempted to bully us into accepting a deal worth less than the previous deal, far less than fair market value and not reflective of their exponential growth. How did it try to intimidate us? By selectively removing the music of certain of our developing artists, while keeping on the platform our audience-driving global stars.

TikTok’s tactics are obvious: use its platform power to hurt vulnerable artists and try to intimidate us into conceding to a bad deal that undervalues music and shortchanges artists and songwriters as well as their fans.

We will never do that.
We will always fight for our artists and songwriters and stand up for the creative and commercial value of music.
We recognize the challenges that TikTok’s actions will cause, and do not underestimate what this will mean to our artists and their fans who, unfortunately, will be among those subjected to the near-term consequences of TikTok’s unwillingness to strike anything close to a market-rate deal and meaningfully address its obligations as a social platform. But we have an overriding responsibility to our artists to fight for a new agreement under which they are appropriately compensated for their work, on a platform that respects human creativity, in an environment that is safe for all, and effectively moderated.

We honor our responsibilities with the utmost seriousness. Intimidation and threats will never cause us to shirk those responsibilities.


Fani Willis Alleged Lover Nathan Wade Reaches Divorce Settlement with Wife

Nathan Wade, the embattled special prosecutor in Donald Trump’s sprawling Georgia election interference case, has settled his divorce – a day ahead of a scheduled hearing where he was expected to be asked about an alleged affair with Fulton County (GA) District Attorney Fani Willis that has become a sticking point in the former president’s criminal prosecution.

By entering into a temporary divorce agreement Tuesday, Wade no longer has to testify in a Wednesday hearing in which he may have had to answer questions about allegations that he had an improper romantic relationship with Willis and used money he earned on the case to take her on lavish vacations

Trump and two of his co-defendants are seeking to disqualify Willis’ office and to have the case dismissed, claiming that the alleged affair and financial ties amount to a conflict of interest.
“The Wade v. Wade hearing scheduled for January 31, 2024, has been removed by consent of the parties, a Consent Temporary Order has been entered by Judge Thompson,” Thomas Davis, staff attorney to Cobb County Judge Henry Thompson, emailed CNN on Tuesday.

An order signed by Thompson indicates the parties have entered into a “temporary agreement addressing all issues” and that the parties agreed the terms of the agreement will not be filed in court.

Willis appointed Wade to the special prosecutor position in November 2021, as the investigation into 2020 election interference by Trump and his allies was ramping up.
The allegations against Willis and Wade were raised in a 127-page court filing earlier this month by former Trump 2020 campaign official Mike Roman, a who was indicted over his role in the fake electors plot in Georgia.

Willis and Wade have not publicly responded to the allegations. The Fulton County district attorney’s office has until the end of this week to respond to the allegations in writing to Fulton County Judge Scott McAfee, who is overseeing the sprawling racketeering case.


AND FINALLY FROM “THE CRAZY PEOPLE SHOPPING AT WALMART” FILES
Hot Horse?

Dog Horse?


HAVE A GREAT DAY ALL!!!
EFREM 

1/30/24

The Daily Buzz For Jan 31☕📰☕

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MAGFAB: The cast of Avatar: The Last Airbender strikes a pose for Entertainment Weekly!

“Boomerang’s flying!” is a phrase stunt coordinator Jeff Aro found himself shouting a lot while hanging with the cast of Avatar: The Last Airbender in mid January. The reason? Sokka, of course.
On a hot set at the Sunset Bronson Studios in Hollywood for EW’s cover shoot, Aro works with the four stars of the highly anticipated Netflix fantasy series to warm up their martial arts-inspired battle moves. Actor Gordon Cormier’s muscle memory quickly activates as he begins twirling Aang’s signature airbending staff, while Kiawentiio’s arms begin flowing almost like waves to emulate the waterbending abilities of the mononymous actress’ character, Katara. And their costar Dallas Liu casually stuns the room as he executes an unscripted air flip for cameras against a backdrop of real flames. (We told you it was a hot set.) “It just comes from my martial arts background, so I got it in my back pocket whenever we want to get a cool shot,” says the actor, who plays firebender Prince Zuko.

Then there’s Ian Ousley. While a martial artist in his own right, his character of Sokka is the rare member of the series’ core “Team Avatar” group who can’t manipulate one of the four natural elements. Instead, he has his trusty boomerang, a prop Netflix flew out to the location especially for the actor. “That’s kind of my whole personality,” Ousley jokes. Before shooting his big hero moment — tossing said boomerang — he motions for everyone to get back. He refuses to even start until he can see most of the crew standing at an acceptable distance away. “This thing’s made out of pure steel,” Cormier remarks, playfully miming what would happen if Ousley accidentally knocks him in the head. Thankfully, both costars are nimble, and Gordon catches it off camera before the four assemble on stage for their money shot.

“Twelve-year-old me would be so happy right now,” Aro mutters as he looks over the playback on the monitors.
All four young stars are equally vibrating with excitement at the thought of getting to talk about the new Netflix adaptation (which premieres Feb. 22). It’s something they haven’t been able to do since they shot it years earlier and are only now reuniting for a promotional tour. (For context, Cormier auditioned for the titular role at age 11 and is now 14. “I was cast at 14 and I’m about to be 18,” adds Kiawentiio.)

Still, they’re younger than the original Avatar, which emerged in 2005 as a Nickelodeon animated series and drew in legions of fans to its fantasy world of benders — individuals with the power to control either water, earth, fire, or air, and the singular Avatar able to manipulate all four. “It was abundantly clear that this was probably one of the only things where I could see people like me on these kids shows,” comments Elizabeth Yu, 21, who now portrays the live-action Princess Azula. “There's something very magical about that.”

But the true magic of Avatar, much like its titular reincarnating figure, was its ability to cross generations. Over the course of three seasons — as well as a sequel series, The Legend of Korra; companion books; comics; and video games — the franchise tackled concepts of morality, spirituality, found family, and other themes that went well beyond the bounds of a mere kids show. It also just happened to showcase some of the most exciting feats of animation on television.

Albert Kim, a former EW editor who now spearheads the live-action series as showrunner, is one of countless adults passionately invested in this material, having initially intended to watch the cartoon in order to explain its context to his daughter. “I thought she was going to have trouble understanding the story, but pretty soon the explanations fell by the wayside,” Kim recalls. “I was just watching alongside her, just pulled into this incredible world…. It was the memories I had with my daughter that really sold me on the idea of doing this.”

It’s this love from seemingly disparate fan groups that has long piqued Hollywood’s interest in creating a live-action version. M. Night Shyamalan notably made a 2010 movie called The Last Airbender — so as not to confuse it with James Cameron’s Avatar. That effort was quite spectacularly read to filth by every corner of the fandom at the time. And the critics didn't care for it, either. White actors were cast to play Asian and Indigenous figures, the special effects couldn’t hold a candle to the theatrics of the original animation, and all of season 1’s main events were skimmed over in less than a two-hour runtime. (Kim purposefully avoided watching the movie. As of press time, he still hasn’t seen it.) Now, with the benefit of modern VFX, authentic casting, a format of eight hourlong episodes, and a renewed faith in the anime-to-live-action Hollywood cycle (thanks, One Piece!), the next Avatar is looking — to quote the original intro — to change the world.

Kim previously confirmed Avatar: The Last Airbender does not begin the same way as the animated series. Though the opening maintains familiar elements, Jabbar Raisani, the executive producer and visual effects supervisor who directed the new sequence, had one goal: “We just wanted to make sure audiences didn’t think they were getting a kids’ show. We want to ensure that our show is for all ages."

Aang, a young and spirited airbender, discovers he’s the next Avatar, a reincarnated being who emerges every lifecycle. Serving as a bridge between the human and spirit worlds, the Avatar uses their unique dominion over all four elements to maintain balance. But Aang has been mysteriously missing for 100 years, which has allowed the Fire Nation to ignite a war for global domination that already wiped out the Air Nomads — an event the new series realizes on screen for the first time.

“I think the airbender genocide is really cool… Well, no! No! Not like that,” Cormier says, quickly correcting himself. Even when he’s not trying, the actor naturally channels elements of Aang, including a playful awkwardness. “I mean, yeah, my whole family's dead, of course. It's not a good thing, but watching it is going to be sick!” (He means for the airbending effects.)

Kim says there’s a good reason this particular event wasn’t depicted on the original show. “It's a cartoon, it's meant for kids,” he notes. “But I felt it was important that we see the event that creates the story of Avatar. The famous line is, ‘Everything changed when the Fire Nation attacked.’ I wanted to see that.” He also clarifies that moments like this do not make his Avatar a dark retelling. He points to episodes of the original, like season 3’s “The Puppetmaster,” which tackled the taboo practice of bloodbending, as well as the series finale battle between Aang and the tyrannical Fire Lord Ozai, leader of the Fire Nation — both of which were more mature than the goofier nature of the first season. “For fans of the second and third season, I think it's all in line with what they saw there,” he says of the live-action reimagining.

Daniel Dae Kim agrees. Having voiced characters in both Avatar animated offerings and now playing live-action Ozai, he says, “The kids who watched the animated version of Avatar are now grown-ups, and so they're ready for more grown-up fare.”

Get more at EW.


#RHOA: Phaedra Parks Brought To Tears By Son Ayden At His 13th Birthday Party
Phaedra Parks was deeply moved to tears by her son Ayden Nida at his 13th birthday party, which unfolded on a recent episode of “Married To Medicine.
In the touching moment captured on the reality show, the teenager delivered a heartfelt speech expressing gratitude to his mom.

Ayden’s sweet tribute began with him saying, “There is no way I would ever be able to repay you for all that you do for us. Your love is so overwhelming sometimes, and it’s just…,” he trailed off, admitting his nervousness.
Undeterred, he continued, “But i have learned that that’s just you. One time i was getting stiches, you were crying more than i Was. I just want you to know i love you and you are my work.”

In response to Ayden’s heartfelt words, Phaedra said, “I am so proud to be his mom. Money can’t buy everything and so good parenting is a lot about time. Not just money. I just want them to know how much when i am with them, it matters.
The birthday bash, a carnival-themed extravaganza, cost a whopping $70,000 and took place in the backyard of Phaedra’s Buckhead Atlanta home on May 26, 2023. Ayden’s love for carnivals was brought to life with games, basketball, dancing, fire handlers, stilt walkers, and more. Celebrity party planner Tori Williams transformed Phaedra’s vision into reality, creating a memorable event for 120 guests.

Reflecting on the elaborate celebration, Phaedra described it as almost a “royal coronation,” making Ayden’s 13th birthday an unforgettable and impactful milestone in his life.
“He loves carnivals, so we had an actual Carnival company come and do the Carnival games,” she told The Messenger. “You could win gifts and toys, but then the kids also played basketball — we have a half court on my property — and they danced, and it was just a fun time. Then, the fire handler came and spewed fire, and then the stilt walkers gave us a great show. So I think it was entertaining to all.”

But the surprises didn’t end there. Phaedra went all out, gifting Ayden a staggering $150,000. “I gave him a piece of investment property, because he loves investments and money,” Parks revealed. “He wanted a dirt bike, [but I thought], ‘Let me get you something that you won’t kill yourself [on]. Let me get you something that’s going to be useful.'”


#NewMusic from Van Hunt ‘Our Love Lingers’

It’s a big day for our main man Van Hunt. The revered singer-songwriter who recently announced the start of his new label, OnTheHunt Music Group, takes a major step with the first output from the fledgling company. That output happens to be a brand-new single from Van himself that’s lovingly title “Our Love Lingers.”

LISTEN HERE
You don’t have to look far to find the inspiration for the track. Van is smitten with his lady love Halle Berry and the two don’t miss a moment to publicly show each other affection. “Our Love Lingers” is yet another example of that as Van sings of a love that has staying power.

He pulls out all the stops for the song’s instrumentation. Piano, strings, bass and various synths are all utilized at the beginning of this loving ode. Meanwhile, Van flexes his sizeable songwriting skills to wax poetic about the things that keep love hanging on despite the passage of time.
“You think time won’t deliver / On our promises? / You think I won’t remember / The things we said / With the echo so limber / Bouncing overhead,” he sings in a slightly distorted voice at one point. “Our love lingers / Our love lingers.” The next portion of the song then switches to programmed drums as things get funkier while still remaining flowery and romantic.


#HipHopNews: Jess Hilarious Confirms she’s the Permanent Co-Host Of "The Breakfast Club"
Jess Hilarious is officially joining Charlamagne Tha God and DJ Envy as the third co-host of their iHeart morning show, “The Breakfast Club.”
She shared the news on her Instagram page today (Jan. 29). The clip featured various DJs, bloggers, and podcasters like DJ Akademiks, Joe Budden, and Flakko discussing her potential role and doubting her earlier announcement statement.

Speculation about whether Jess was booted from the show arose after she called Charlamagne and Envy “old heads” for their comparison of SZA and Mary J. Blige. Her criticism led many to believe she prematurely lost the opportunity. Meanwhile, social media reactions ranged from assumptions that she spoke too soon to advice about not disclosing news until it’s confirmed.

“Sis, you had me for a minute. Good thing I didn’t comment before finishing the video or ‘The Breakfast Club’ was finna [have to ban] me,” Joseline Hernandez wrote underneath the post. B. Simone added, “Go time! Yes, baby.” Wallo, Jai Nice, Kam Williams, and more also shared their support.

The announcement cleared up the confusion following a recent “The Breakfast Club” interview with Cam Newton, where Charlamagne and Envy evaded questions about Jess’ role on the show. “Hold on. What happened? The people wanna know,” the former NFL player stated.

The confirmation video ended with a Feb. 5 date, hinting at her first day back on air. Jess previously appeared as a rotating guest among Claudia Jordan, Jason Lee, and Loren LoRosa following Angela Yee’s departure in December 2022.
Jess’ tenure also saw memorable moments, including a notable exchange with Sexyy Redd. The St. Louis native said, “I don’t mess with you. You be sneak dissing. I see everything. I was trying to make sure [Charlamagne and Envy] wasn’t sneak dissing before I came up here, too.”


Chita Rivera, ICONIC and pioneering Broadway Tony-winning dancer and singer, dies at 91!
Chita Rivera, the dynamic dancer, singer and actress who garnered 10 Tony nominations, winning twice, in a long Broadway career that forged a path for Latina artists and shrugged off a near-fatal car accident, died Tuesday. She was 91.
Rivera's death was announced by her daughter, Lisa Mordente, who said she died in New York after a brief illness.

Rivera first gained wide notice in 1957 as Anita in the original production of "West Side Story" and was still dancing on Broadway with her trademark energy a half-century later in 2015’s “The Visit.”
"I wouldn't know what to do if I wasn't moving or telling a story to you or singing a song," she told The Associated Press then. "That's the spirit of my life, and I'm really so lucky to be able to do what I love, even at this time in my life."

In August 2009, Rivera was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest honor the U.S. can give a civilian. Rivera put her hand over her heart and shook her head in wonderment as President Barack Obama presented the medal. In 2013, she was the marshal at the Puerto Rican Day Parade in New York City.
Rivera rose from chorus girl to star, collaborating along the way with many of Broadway’s greatest talents, including Jerome Robbins, Leonard Bernstein, Bob Fosse, Gower Champion, Michael Kidd, Harold Prince, Jack Cole, Peter Gennaro and John Kander and Fred Ebb.

She rebounded from a car accident in 1988 that crushed her right leg and became an indefatigable star on the road. She was on Broadway in a raucous production of “The Mystery of Edwin Drood” in 2012 and the chilly “The Visit” in 2014, earning another best actress Tony nomination.
“She can’t rehearse except for full-out,” said playwright Terrence McNally in 2005. “She can’t perform except for full-out, no matter what the size of the house. She’s going to be there 101% for that audience.”

She won Tonys for “The Rink” in 1984 and “Kiss of the Spider Woman” in 1993. When accepting a Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in 2018, she said “I wouldn’t trade my life in the theater for anything, because theater is life.”
She was nominated for the award seven other times, for “Bye Bye Birdie,” which opened in 1960; “Chicago,” 1975; "Bring Back Birdie,” 1981; “Merlin,” 1983; “Jerry’s Girls,” 1985; “Nine,” 2003; and “Chita Rivera: The Dancer’s Life,” 2005.

“I don’t think we have enough original musicals,” she told The Associated Press in 2012. “I know I’m being old fashioned, but the theater is the place where music, lyrics, words, scenery and stories come together. And I’ve been blessed enough to have done several shows when they really did. They take you places and they’re daring. That’s what we need.”

Her albums include 16 tracks pulled from her original cast recordings and put out as part of Sony’s Legends of Broadway series and two solo CDs — “And Now I Sing” for a tiny record label in the 1960s and “And Now I Swing” in 2009 for Yellow Sound Label.
In the 1993 musical “Kiss of the Spider Woman,” Rivera played the title role, a glamorous movie star at the center of the fantasy life of an inmate in a South American prison. The story, from a novel by Manuel Puig, had already been made into an Oscar-winning 1985 movie.

In his review, then-Associated Press drama critic Michael Kuchwara wrote that Rivera “is more than a musical theater star. She’s a force of nature — which is exactly what is needed for the role of the Spider Woman. With her Louise Brooks haircut, brassy voice and lithe dancer’s body, Rivera dominates the stage whenever she appears.”
In 1975, she originated the role of Velma Kelly (to Gwen Verdon’s Roxie Hart) in the original Broadway production of “Chicago.” Rivera had a small role in the 2002 film version, while Catherine Zeta-Jones won the best supporting actress Oscar as Velma — just as Rita Moreno had picked up an Oscar for her portrayal of Anita in “West Side Story.”

The songwriters for “Chicago,” Kander and Ebb, also wrote Rivera’s first Tony-winning performance, for “The Rink.” In winning the Tony for best actress in a musical, Rivera topped the show’s top star, Liza Minnelli, who also had been nominated. The two played a mother and daughter who struggle to rebuild their relationship after a long estrangement; the setting is an old-fashioned roller rink that has seen better days.

“Spider Woman” had been her first Broadway show since 1986, when she suffered a broken leg in the traffic accident while she was appearing in “Jerry’s Girls,” a Broadway tribute to the songs of Jerry Herman.
At the Tony awards a few weeks later, she flashed her cast and belted out “Put on a Happy Face” from the musical “Bye, Bye, Birdie.”

It took months of physical therapy to bring back her dancing skills. She told The Associated Press: “It never entered my mind that I wouldn’t dance again. Never. I can’t explain to you why. It’s hard work getting back but that’s what I’m doing.”

“My spirit is still there.”
Dolores Conchita Figueroa del Rivero was born Jan. 23, 1933, in Washington, D.C. Her Puerto Rican father, Pedro del Rivero, was a musician who played in the United States Navy Band, who died when she was 7. Her mother was Scottish and Italian descent.

She took dance classes and then entered the prestigious School of American Ballet in New York. Her first theater gig, at age 17, was in the touring company of “Call Me Madam.” That led to chorus stints in such shows as “Guys and Dolls” and “Can-Can.”
In her 2023 memoir, “Chita: A Memoir,” another woman steals scene after scene: her self-proclaimed alter ego, Dolores. Unapologetic and fiery, Dolores was the unfiltered version of Chita and served as motivation in times of self-doubt. In one chapter, Rivera writes that she doesn’t read reviews “or Dolores just might invest in a dozen voodoo dolls.”

“I consist of — and I think we all do — I consist of two people: Dolores and Conchita,” Rivera sain in an interview with the AP that year. “Conchita, she’s the one that has been taking all the glory, you know. She’s been doing all the shows, but Dolores is the one that’s pushed her into it. And she’s been keeping me on track, so I listen to Dolores. I listen to her. She’s growing in my head now as we speak.”

Among other early appearances on the New York stage were roles in “The Shoestring Revue,” 1955; a 1955 musical version of “Seventh Heaven” starring Ricardo Montalban; and “Mr. Wonderful,” a 1956 show starring Sammy Davis Jr.
“I can’t believe that I’ve been given the gift to look back and relive my life,” she told The Associated Press shortly before “The Dancer’s Life” opened on Broadway in late 2005. “It’s about how anybody can do it — if you really believe it, you have the good fortune, you do all the right things and you really work hard.”

Rivera, who had a relationship with the now-deceased Davis, married fellow “West Side Story” performer Tony Mordente in 1957. The marriage ended in divorce. Their daughter, Lisa Mordente, also became a performer who occasionally appeared on Broadway, garnering a Tony nomination in 1982 for “Marlowe.”


Shannon Sharpe Upsets The BeyHive After Suggesting Beyoncé Isn't "Moving The Needle" Like!

NFL player Travis Kelce’s relationship with Taylor Swift has been making headlines all season, even amid news of the Kansas City Chiefs going to the Super Bowl this year.
After Sunday’s (Jan. 28) game, Front Office Sports reported that the pop singer generated roughly $331.5 million in revenue for the football team. The calculations came from print, digital, radio, TV, highlights, and social media mentioning Swift since she made an appearance at one of Kelce’s games on Sept. 24, 2023.

During a midnight (Jan. 29) stream, Shannon Sharpe and Chad Ochocinco Johnson debated whether any other artist or personality could achieve those figures. The former stated, “Tell me the other [musician] that’s going to do that. $331 million in value.”

Johnson responded, “Beyoncé. Hypothetically speaking, if she wasn’t with JAY-Z and not Travis Kelce… Yeah, Beyoncé. She’d move the needle.” However, Sharpe retorted, “Beyoncé is not like this… These eight to 15-year-old eyeballs. I love Beyoncé. Beyoncé ain’t moving the needle like this chick, Ocho. [Taylor Swift] is the closest thing to moving the needle like Michael Jackson that we’ve seen. This is it.”

“Beyoncé moves the needle just like Taylor, if not more… Beyoncé has those same set of eyes: Young, old, middle age, and old, including I,” Johnson argued. “Hypothetically speaking, Beyoncé would move the same way that Taylor is doing. It would be Beyoncé being shown all the time.”
Inevitably, bringing up two of the most popular women in music came with pushback from their respective audiences. Evidently, the BeyHive wasn’t happy with Sharpe downplaying Beyoncé’s influence.

Beyoncé and Swift had the highest-grossing treks in 2023. They were spotted together in October of that year for the premiere of the “Karma” artist’s concert film, The Eras Tour.
In a subsequent Instagram post, Swift praised Queen Bey and thanked her for coming out. She wrote, “I’m so glad I’ll never know what my life would’ve been like without [Beyonce’s] influence. The way she’s taught me and every artist out here to break [the] rules and defy industry norms.”
 

Caitlyn Jenner Threatens To Sue Son Brandon's Reality TV Show For Using Her As Clickbait
Caitlyn Jenner is not happy with how her son Brandon Jenner has been using her to promote his new TV show. The former star of "Keeping Up with the Kardashians" allegedly isn't interested in making a cameo on "At Home With the Jenners", prompting Caitlyn to make a legal threat.

Sources close to Caitlyn claimed to TMZ that Brandon has been using Caitlyn's name as a clickbait without her authorization. Brandon allegedly claimed during interviews that the former Olympian will appear on the show, which has aired three episodes so far.
While Caitlyn did appear on the series as she was featured in a family dinner scene with David Foster, she allegedly had no idea that she would participate on the show. After finding out that she was used for promotions and was actually featured in one scene, her attorneys reportedly reached out to the UnchainedTV show's production company.

They threatened to take legal action unless Caitlyn was removed from the series. In response to the threat, it's said that the production staff has now scrubbed her appearances in the already aired episodes as well as upcoming episodes.
The "I Am Caitlyn" alum allegedly called Brandon when she learned about everything. She didn't hesitate to express her anger. Brandon appeared to understand as she was eventually scrubbed.

Despite her move, Caitlyn reportedly wishes nothing but the best for Brandon. She's currently in the middle of contract renewals with FOX and is not interested in working with other different networks as she doesn't want to risk her contract with FOX.
In other news, Brandon previously revealed that he's determined to be a "present father" for his and Cayley Stoker's three-year-old twins Bo and Sam unlike his parents. "I would say that the thing that I do most differently is just be really present. Both my parents, my mom and my dad, were really busy when I was growing up. I really try to be involved with them. I really try to do fun stuff. I'm just a very present father as much as I can be," he said.

Brandon, who also has eight-year-old daughter Eva with his former partner Leah James, added, "I think that's kind of the biggest thing is that the life that I'm really trying to lead is kids first and everything else kind of comes afterwards."
He further admitted that he's back in regular contact with Caitlyn as their relationship is "better" than ever. He explained, "I talk to my dad almost every day. We have a lot of things in common."


Issa Rae May Go Independent “Down The Line” Due To Show Cancellations with Black Creators!

Issa Rae revealed she may become an independent creative “down the line.” During an interview with Net-A-Porter, the California native spoke about the changing TV landscape. Issa explained that due to diversity trends and hires getting “canned,” it’s become difficult to tell “Black stories.” Rae explained that the amount of Black shows being canceled, including her own, has made her “pessimistic” about the future.

“You’re seeing so many Black shows get canceled, you’re seeing so many executives, especially on the DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) side, get canned. You’re seeing very clearly now that our stories are less of a priority,” she said. “I am pessimistic because there’s no one holding anybody accountable, and I can, sure, but also at what cost? I can’t force you to make my stuff. It’s made me take more steps to try to be independent down the line if I have to.”

Later in the interview, the creative explained that she wants to enter a space of “service” in a decade. The Insecure creator explained that helping people through philanthropic endeavors is ultimately her end goal. But while she’s in entertainment, she plans on going hard. Issa Rae also said she has much more to do regarding dream collaborators and has “barely scratched the surface.”

“I want, in 10 years’ time, to be transitioning towards service,” she added. “[My Hollywood career] is fun, but at some point, it’ll feel like not enough – and I want to be able to do more. [But], this year is really about firing on all cylinders. That’s what I’m excited about.”

Issa’s revelation arrives on the heels of her show, Rap Sh!t, being canceled. According to Variety, HBO notified the show’s team that the series wouldn’t return for a third season. Rae released an official statement regarding the end of her show. “I’m so proud of and grateful for Syreeta Singleton, our cast, writers, and crew that made this show possible,” Rae said. “Thanks to Sarah Aubrey and Suzanna Makkos for championing the cause.


Reba McEntire to Star in NBC Sitcom Pilot From Reba EP
Reba McEntire is reuniting with an old friend on a new TV show. The country music legend is set to star in a new NBC sitcom, TVLine has learned, with Reba veteran Kevin Abbott signed on as writer and executive producer.
NBC has ordered a pilot for the untitled multi-cam comedy, which stars McEntire as a woman who “inherits her father’s restaurant and is less than thrilled to discover that she has a new business partner in the half-sister she never knew she had,” according to the official description.

McEntire, of course, is no stranger to the small screen. In addition to selling tens of millions of albums as a country music superstar, McEntire starred in the self-titled sitcom Reba, which ran for six seasons on The WB and The CW. She later headlined the ABC comedy Malibu Country and recently recurred on CBS’ Young Sheldon and joined the cast of ABC’s Big Sky for its third and final season.

McEntire also serves as a coach on NBC’s The Voice and reunited with Reba co-star Melissa Peterman in last year’s Lifetime movie The Hammer. She’s set to sing the national anthem at Super Bowl LVIII next month.


Oprah Winfrey Celebrates 70th Birthday with a Run on the Beach: 'Health Is the Best Gift'

Winfrey turned 70 on Monday and celebrated by getting active, sharing a video to Instagram of herself going for a run on the beach. She paired the video with Jill Scott's "Golden," writing, "This is 70!"

“Celebrating 70 with a run on the beach. #healthisthebestgift,” she captioned the post. “Thank you for all the birthday love 🥳”
Last month, the media mogul told PEOPLE that she's feeling stronger than ever after incorporating more fitness into her life.
She admitted that she recently got a better handle on how to maintain a healthy weight long-term by using a holistic approach that includes regular exercise and other lifestyle tweaks. Winfrey also confirmed she has also added a weight-loss medication to her regimen.

Weight fluctuations "occupied five decades of space in my brain, yo-yoing and feeling like why can’t I just conquer this thing, believing willpower was my failing," said Winfrey, whose dogged rehabilitation after knee surgery in 2021 kick-started what has been steady weight loss over the last two years.

"After knee surgery, I started hiking and setting new distance goals each week. I could eventually hike three to five miles every day and a 10-mile straight-up hike on weekends," she said. "I felt stronger, more fit and more alive than I’d felt in years."

When she spoke to PEOPLE for a cover story in December, Winfrey said, "Gratitude really is my religion," adding that her 1985 movie The Color Purple "was a spiritual opening for me to see my life in a different way" at that time in her life.
She added that her lifelong purpose is to help uplift others.

"I still continue to rise, and I’m in a space now where my offering is to help other people to rise," said Winfrey. "The principle that is the underbelly, the cornerstone for how I operate in the world. ... Life is better when you share it."
Oprah: Her Incredible Life also features a 1985 interview from the PEOPLE archives, when Winfrey was on the brink of global stardom. She said at the time, "What works best in television is your ability to feel comfortable in front of the camera — and I feel real good."


Jason Derulo, Atlantic Recording Corp. Seek Dismissal From Woman’s Suit
Jason Derulo and Atlantic Recording Corp. are seeking dismissal as defendants in a lawsuit filed by an aspiring singer who alleges the singer signed her to his record company, then later threatened and fired her after she resisted his sexual advances.

Emaza Gibson claims in her Los Angeles Superior Court suit that Derulo hired her in 2021 and “promised to make multiple music albums” with her as part of a joint venture with Atlantic Recording Corp. and his label, Future History, which were named as co-defendants.

On Friday, lawyers for Derulo, 34, and Atlantic filed court papers with Judge Kerry Bensinger stating that the lawsuit’s claims against those defendants should be tossed out.
The attorneys note that Gibson alleges Derulo told her that in order to be successful in the music industry, an artist needs to partake in “goat skin and fish scales.” Both are slang phrases in which “goat skin” means to drink alcohol and “fish scales” refers to cocaine, according to the Derulo-Atlantic attorneys’ court papers.

“Ignoring the actual meanings of the words, plaintiff offers only the conclusory assertion that `goat skin’ instead refers to a sexual ritual involving goat’s blood and that she understood that Mr. Derulo was propositioning her for sex,” the defense attorneys further state in their court papers. “Her false allegation as to the meaning of two specifically defined phrases is ridiculous on its face and does not need to be accepted by the court.”

Further, there are no allegations that anyone at Atlantic mistreated Gibson, nor does she allege that Derulo was Atlantic’s employee or agent, the Derulo-Atlantic lawyers maintain in their court papers.
“In the end, none of the alleged conduct constitutes sexual harassment, violence or intimidation…,” the defense attorneys argue in their court papers.

According to Gibson’s lawsuit, “goat skin and fish scales” is a Haitian reference referring to conducting sex rituals, sacrificing a goat, goat blood and doing cocaine.
The lawsuit contends that “the manner and timing of such a statement meant that Derulo was demanding sexual acts from plaintiff in order for Derulo to fulfill his role as her mentor, supervisor and musical collaborator. This explicit demand for sex-in-exchange-for-success was reinforced through Derulo’s subsequent behavior.”

Derulo later began regularly inviting Gibson to have drinks or dinner, requests she declined in an effort to keep their relationship professional, according to the lawsuit filed Oct. 5, which further states she eventually insisted that her mother/manager be present during all of their future meetings or recording sessions, allegedly angering Derulo and causing him to stop answering her texts.

Gibson was fired in September 2022, the suit states, and she was never able to get a response from Atlantic executives about her allegations of “sexually, emotionally and physically inappropriate behavior.”
Gibson allegedly suffered breakdowns, weight loss, mood swings, hopelessness , loss of motivation and feelings of betrayal and deception and had to seek mental health treatment, leading to a diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder.


US Identifies Three Georgia Soldiers Killed in Attack in Jordan

The three US soldiers killed in the drone attack on a US military outpost in Jordan were identified Monday as Sgt. William Rivers, 46, of Carrollton, Georgia; Specialist Kennedy Sanders, 24, of Waycross, Georgia; and Specialist Breonna Moffett, 23, of Savannah, Georgia, according to the Defense Department.

They were all assigned to the 718th Engineer Company, a US Army Reserve unit based out of Fort Moore, Georgia, Pentagon deputy press secretary Sabrina Singh said at a briefing.
More than 40 were injured in the attack, according to Singh, a number that could increase. The drone hit a housing facility on the base where many service members were asleep in the early morning hours, leading to a high number of casualties, she said.

Singh said Monday that eight personnel who were medically evacuated were taken to Baghdad Diplomatic Support Center. Three of those service members will be transported to Landstuhl Regional Medical Center for follow-on care and the other five are expected to return to duty after being assessed for mild traumatic brain injuries. A US official previously told CNN that all eight had been evacuated to Landstuhl.

The drone approached the US military outpost, Tower 22, around the same time an American drone was returning to the base, which led to uncertainty over whether it was hostile and caused a delay to the US response, two US officials told CNN.
The enemy drone followed the American drone as it approached, but it is not clear whether the enemy drone intentionally followed the American one or if it was a coincidence, one of the officials said. The enemy drone also flew low, which may have allowed it to evade the base’s air defenses, officials said. US officials are also still assessing the drone’s point of origin.

The attack on Sunday marked a significant escalation after roughly 165 attacks on US and coalition forces since October 17, further raising concerns over a broader conflict breaking out in the Middle East while the US and its allies navigate rising tensions on multiple fronts. A US official told CNN that there have been six attacks since Friday, including Sunday’s drone attack and a multi-rocket attack on Patrol Base Shaddadi in Syria on Monday morning.

While Iran-backed militia groups have launched continuous attacks on US and coalition forces in Iraq and Syria — leading to one serious injury and dozens of others that officials have described as fairly minor — the US has also been taking action against the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen for their attacks on commercial shipping. Meanwhile, Israel is continuing its campaign in Gaza against Hamas, and launching attacks on Hezbollah in Lebanon.

The consensus is that an Iran-backed militia group is behind the deadly drone attack, though the US is still working to determine which group specifically is responsible. National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told CNN’s Phil Mattingly on Monday that the White House believes “the group was supported by Kataib Hezbollah, which is one of the main IRGC Revolutionary Guard-core backed groups in Iraq and Syria.”

“This one had lethal consequences in ways that previous ones didn’t,” Kirby said, “but that doesn’t mean that the intent of the previous attacks weren’t also lethal, it’s just that we were able to defeat them.”
Singh also said Monday that the attack bore the “fingerprints” of Kataib Hezbollah.

The US has already struck sites in Iraq associated with the group in recent weeks, and earlier this month targeted a member of the group that a US official said had “US blood on his hands.”
On Monday morning ahead of a meeting at the Pentagon with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin expressed his “outrage and sorrow” over the deaths of the three American troops.

“Let me start with my outrage and sorrow for the death of three brave US troops in Jordan, and for the other troops who were wounded,” Austin said. “The President and I will not tolerate attacks on US forces, and we will take all necessary actions to defend the US and our troops.”

Family members talk about their loved ones
Sanders’ parents told CNN’s Erin Burnett they want their daughter to be remembered for her service, sacrifice, and how she lived.

“I just want people to remember that you know, even though her time was short on Earth, she lived her life to the fullest and she enjoyed her life. In any situation that she was in, she made it enjoyable. Even being deployed she found different things to do to pass her time,” like learning a new language, practicing jiu-jitsu or crocheting, Oneida Oliver-Sanders said Monday on “OutFront.”
Asked about a US response to the deadly attack, Oliver-Sanders said, “Whatever is decided will not ease our pain at any level. Kennedy still has battle buddies who are still left there, and I know if it was her decision, she would be very concerned about their safety, so you know, whatever happens, won’t change our situation at all.”

Sanders’ parents confirmed they have a call scheduled with the Biden administration.
Moffett’s mother, Francine, told CNN’s Abby Phillip she was the first woman in the family to join the military and that her daughter had decided on the same career path.

“She became the second female in the family to join the military. And she was very proud of herself. And I was always very proud of her because if that’s the route she wanted to take, I wanted her to do that. She honored her service, and she was always proud to be in the military,” she said on “NewsNight.”
Moffett’s parents said she was thinking of re-enlisting. They said that when she deployed for the first time last August she had not known what to expect.
Francine Moffett said that in her last conversation with her daughter, she “wanted me to send her a package, and I did. And in that package was her real estate book, and some clothes.

But most important that was to her, was her strawberry shortcake snack cakes – and her sunflower seeds. She’s like, ‘Do not forget that.’ She had not had it and that’s what she wanted.”
She continued, “We just talked about her care package, and she was just like smiling. She was actually getting ready to go to chow when I talked to her last time. She’s like, ‘Mom, I’mma call you back.’ And I didn’t hear from her again. I didn’t hear from her.”


R&B Legend Uncle Charlie Wilson receives Walk of Fame star in Hollywood
A star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame was unveiled Monday honoring Grammy-nominated artist Charlie Wilson, a co-founder and lead singer of the Gap Band, successful solo artist and outspoken activist urging Black men to be tested for prostate cancer.

Jimmy Jam Harris was scheduled to emcee the ceremony in front of the Eastown apartments at 6201 Hollywood Blvd. Among those expected to speak at the event were Wilson's manager and president/CEO of P Music Group Michael Paran, Grammy winner Babyface and frequent Wilson collaborator Snoop Dogg.

The ceremony was on Wilson's 71st birthday, on the very street where Wilson used to sleep while homeless due to drug and alcohol addiction in the 1990s.
A native of Tulsa, Oklahoma, Wilson and his brothers would often sing in church, where their father was a minister and their mother accompanied them on piano. The brothers -- Charlie, Robert and Ronnie -- later joined forces to create the Gap Band, releasing their debut album in 1974.

The band was best known for hits including "You Dropped a Bomb on Me," "Oops Upside Your Head" and "Yearning for Your Love." The band churned out 15 albums before finally disbanding in 2010, but by then Charlie Wilson had already launched a solo career, starting with his first album, "Bridging the Gap" in 2000.

Despite his success with the Gap Band, Wilson fell victim to cocaine and alcohol, with his addiction leaving him homeless and living on the streets of Hollywood in the mid-1990s. While in rehab, however, he met Mahin Tat, a social worker at the drug rehabilitation program where he was being treated. The pair married in 1995, and he has been sober ever since.

Wilson has been a fixture throughout his career on the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop chart. He worked with some of the biggest names in the genre in 2010 when he collaborated with Kanye West on his album "My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy." His work with West led him to collaborate with artists including Beyoncé, Nicki Minaj, Rick Ross, Rihanna and Common.
Wilson received a BET Lifetime Achievement Award in 2013. He has been nominated for 13 Grammy Awards during his career and has also received a Soul Train Icon Award and an NAACP Music Makes a Difference Award.

Wilson was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2008, but thanks to early detection and treatment, he has been cancer free for 16 years. His experiences prompted him to partner with the Prostate Cancer Foundation and he has worked to encourage Black men to get tested to increase the chances of early detection. He has also regularly taken part in Stand Up 2 Cancer fundraising telethons.

The star is the 2,770th since the completion of the Walk of Fame in 1961 with the initial 1,558 stars.


NYC Councilman Yusef Salaam Cancels Ride-Along with NYPD After Cops Pull Him Over for No

*NYC councilmember Yusef Salaam, one of the exonerated “Central Park Five,” is speaking out after police pulled him over for no apparent reason.
“Last night, while driving with my wife and children and listening in to a call with my Council colleagues on speakerphone, I was pulled over by an NYPD officer in my beloved Village of Harlem within the 28th Precinct. I introduced myself as Councilman Yusef Salaam, and subsequently asked the officer why I was pulled over. Instead of answering my question, the officer stated, ‘We’re done here,’ and proceeded to walk away,” Salaam explained in a statement released Saturday morning, NBC New York reports.

Salaam was on a call on speakerphone with other council members discussing police stops when he was pulled over.
USA Today reports that the NYPD defended the officer’s actions during Friday’s traffic stop, saying Salaam was pulled over for tinted windows. The department posted a statement along with the body-cam footage, saying, in part, “As the video shows, throughout this interaction, the officer conducted himself professionally and respectfully,” the department statement said.

“This officer should be commended for his polite, professional, and respectful conduct and for using his discretion appropriately so the councilmember could complete his official duties,” the statement continued.
In the footage, the officer does not explain why he pulled Salaam over. The traffic stop comes amid an ongoing City Hall battle over a police transparency law called the “ How Many Stops Act.”

NYC Mayor Eric Adams recently “vetoed two city council bills last week — one which would require more transparency in police encounters with civilians,” per NBC New York.
“This experience only amplified the importance of transparency for all police investigative stops because the lack of transparency allows racial profiling and unconstitutional stops of all types to occur and often go unreported,” Salaam said, USA Today reports.

“Many of us in the council know what it’s like to feel vulnerable and powerless when stopped by an officer because we have personally experienced triggering interactions like I had last night,” Salaam said the morning after the incident. “It is our duty as public servants to collect the data necessary to determine the pervasiveness of these stops and solutions to build the trust necessary to make our neighborhoods safer.”

Adams reportedly invited Salaam and other councilmembers to participate in a ride-along with NYPD.  Salaam was set to attend on Saturday but backed out after the previous night’s traffic stop.
“In light of this encounter and coupled with the lack of logistical details provided by Mayor Adams’ office in advance, I will no longer be participating in tonight’s scheduled ride-along with the Mayor and NYPD. It is critical that I begin to organically develop constructive relationships with all of the precincts in City Council District 9,” Salaam said in a statement.


Chrisean Rock Abandoned By Over 200k Instagram Followers After Debuting Blueface Tattoo On Her Face
Chrisean Rock's devotion for Blueface has seemingly cost her a significant numbers of followers on social media. The reality TV star has lost over 200,000 followers on Instagram after she debuted a new Blueface tattoo.
As noted by TMZ, the raptress' official account on the photo-sharing platform saw a slightly smaller audience after she showed off the huge tattoo portrait of her on-and-off boyfriend on her face. Within a day, her follower number dropped from 5.3 million to 5.1 million, which is believed to be caused by a post in which she unveiled the new face tattoo.

On Sunday, January 28, the 23-year-old took to Instagram to share a clip of her getting the new tattoo. In the video, she was seen sitting down while getting the portrait of the rapper inked on the face before she showed the complete piece.
The reference photo is from his mugshot which was taken just a few weeks ago. The huge tattoo sits right next another of one of Chrisean's Blueface tribute tattoos. The older one, which sits just above her eyebrow, boasts his birth name in bold cursive letters.

The reactions to Chrisean's new tattoo were mostly negative, with one person saying, "You ruined your face girl." Another quipped, "Lord I pray I'm never this in love and delusional over no n***a AMEN!!" A third mocked the "Baddies" star as commenting, " 'Dummy Of The Year' award goes to Rock!"
Some others, however, doubted that the tattoo is a permanent one. "This gotta be a joke. I pray it's fake," one person remarked. Some fans also suspected that Chrisean's post was a PR stunt and the ink will eventually wear off. She indeed did not show redness or swelling associated with fresh ink which raised the suspicion.

Chrisean debuted the new tattoo tribute for Blueface after she revealed that she and her child moved back into his house. The rapper himself remains in jail following arrest for violating his probation on January 12.


Britney Spears Apologizes for Explosive Book Claims, Praises Justin Timberlake’s New Song

Britney Spears seemingly offered an apology to ex-boyfriend Justin Timberlake for the explosive details shared in her memoir.
On Sunday, the pop superstar took to Instagram to extend an olive branch to her N’SYNC ex, who was the topic of many different accounts throughout the book. In her post, Spears wrote, “I wanna apologize for some of the things I wrote about in my book. If I offended any of the people I genuinely care about I am deeply sorry.”

Timberlake faced scrutiny after Spears’ claims in the book. According to the “Toxic” singer, Timberlake would use a blaccent when speaking with certain Black artists. One of the most notable people he allegedly used the exaggerated accent with was R&B performer Ginuwine. Spears also shared how she got an abortion while pregnant from Timberlake due to him not being ready for fatherhood. Shortly before “The Woman In Me” was released, several sources alleged to multiple sources that Timberlake was nervous about what Spears might reveal.

After her apology, Spears also shared some praise to Timberlake on his new music.
“Also wanted to say I am in love with Justin Timberlake’s new song ‘Selfish.’ It is soo good and how come every time I see Justin and Jimmy together I laugh so hard ???” she wrote.

Spears has since switched her account to private despite having over 42 million followers, though it’s unknown if the post now going viral played a role in that.


AND FINALLY FROM “THE CRAZY PEOPLE SHOPPING AT WALMART” FILES
Wind Breeze There Is Good!

WOOSH!


HAVE A GREAT DAY ALL!!!
EFREM

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