Erykah Badu Will Donate Concert Proceeds To Fund Detroit Rape Kit Project
Erykah Badu is never one to bite her tongue. So it comes as no surprise that she’s speaking out about the recent killings of black men by trigger happy police officers.
Following the unfortunate incident of five Dallas law enforcement officers being gunned down a few nights ago, the Dallas native took to her Twitter to spread love and light to everyone who came across her Twitter timeline:
While the world is focused on police brutality issues across the nation, the “Bag Lady” singer is using her star power for another cause. Erykah is teaming up with the Right Productions to donate money from her concert at Chene Park Amphitheater on August 12th to the African American 490 Challenge. The organization helps process abandoned rape kits that have sat on shelves for years.
According to the Detroit Press Press, the 490 Challenge is a partner of Enough SAID, the Michigan Women’s Foundation campaign raising money to test more than 11,300 rape kits found abandoned in a Detroit Police Department storage unit in 2009. The 490 Challenge bears that name because each kit costs $490 to test. About 10,000 kits have been tested so far, and money is now going toward completing the tests and investigating the results.
The 490 Challenge will receive $5 from each ticket sale as well as the proceeds from the $100-per-ticket reception before the concert and the $1,000-per-person VIP reception with Ms. Badu after the show. Organizers said tickets to both receptions are 100% tax deductible. Nice!
#RHoA: New Friends! Kandi Burruss Ditches Phaedra Parks For Girls’ Trip With Tamar Braxton?
Oh? Kandi Burruss appears to be completely over her issues with Phaedra Parks as she continues to enjoy her summer with her besties Tamar Braxton, Tiny Harris and Shekinah Anderson! Burruss and Parks’ relationship hit a major snag during The Real Housewives of Atlanta’s Season 8, with the two butting heads throughout the season and even during the Season 8 reunion show. Burruss recently admitted that her issues with Parks still haven’t been completely resolved. And amid their RHOA feud, the ladies have apparently been growing apart as they focus their energy on their families and other friendships.
Parks has been keeping busy enjoying the summer with her sons, Ayden and Dylan, as well as hanging out with her main girl Porsha Williams. And Burruss has been enjoying her new addition Ace Wells as well as spending time with her husband, Todd Tucker! And she even posted a video of herself preparing to take off with her girls Braxton, Harris and Anderson as they prepared to take a girls’ trip to celebrate Harris’ birthday!
Parks and Burruss have had disagreements in the past. But it is clear that their friendship may not survive their current fallout! What do you think about Kandi and Phaedra’s feud?
#EMPIRE: Season 3's premiere title revealed
The Season 3 premiere sets the ton for the entire season. Empire doesn't return to our screens for another few months, but we now know the title for the Season 3 premiere, which is a nod to a prevalent theme teased by executive producer Ilene Chaiken
As the summer months pass by, we can't help thinking about our favorite hip-hop family, the Lyons. Following Lucious' sham marriage to Anika in the Season 2 finale, it's been said that Cookie will be completely done with Lucious. However that doesn't mean they won't still interact with each other. Lucious and Cookie have three sons together and are business partners so we're bound to still see the two work together and bicker. Fans can also look forward to seeing flashbacks of young Cookie and Lucious. We've seen them as young adults, but Empire Season 3 will feature teenage Lucious and Cookie played by different actors. It looks like we might see how the couple met and first got together.
Empire will be back in action for Season 3 on September 21, and we've now got a title for the premiere. The installment is called "Light in Darkness" and production on the premiere begins in Chicago in August. Speaking to TVLine about the highly anticipated third season, executive producer Ilene Chaiken revealed: "What we're setting up is a battle of dark vs. light. Who are the Lyons and how will they continue to define themselves going forward? Can they ever change? Is Lucious the dark lord, pulling them all in the other direction? And really, where does Tariq fit in with all of this? I would venture that if Tariq really is Lucious' half-brother, there probably isn't a good one and a bad one." The lines of good and bad are extremely blurred on Empire. We would never describe Lucious as good, but we wouldn't exactly call him a dark lord either. With the surprising reveal that Lucious' mother is still alive, it's clear to see that he is damaged and insecure inside, which is a driving factor for his actions. Are you excited for the Empire Season 3 premiere?
New Music: V. Bozeman – Dear Officer
V. Bozeman is using her voice to send us a strong, conscious message about the many unwarranted police shootings.
The soulful song, “Dear Officer” featuring rapper Young Lyfe, questions the safety of husbands, brothers and sons of color.
“Dear Officer, will you let our husbands walk away? / Will you let our brothers live today? / Can our sons go outside to play? / Dear Officer / Without getting shot today,” she sings.
The “Empire” star positions herself as an advocate for change, with the songs powerful lyrics. The sound of squad car sirens and the sobs of a crying woman are layered into the track.
Take a listen HERE
At least people are talking!
New Hip Hop Music: Joe Budden Remixes Beyoncé’s ‘Freedom’
Joe Budden powerfully demands “Freedom” on his freestyle over Beyoncé’s LEMONADE cut.
Mentioning Alton Sterling, Philando Castile, Eric Garner, and Sandra Bland, among others, Budden uses the song to address race relations in this country. “We just keep on praying, all while we feeling it,” he raps. “Racism still alive, now they not concealing it.”
Budden uses a soundbite from Jesse Williams’ powerful BET Awards speech and audio from Castile’s fatal shooting incident that his girlfriend Diamond Reynolds live streamed. Both add to the jarring images shown in a moving YouTube video featuring scenes from protests across history.
“They sayin’ let’s make America great again,” Budden raps. “I’m curious, what time would you like to place us in? / Were we degraded then? Did they enslave us then? / Or is it ignorant of me to even say again? / If it’s Civil War, then what are we civil for? / If this is freedom to y’all, you better get us some more.”
LISTEN HERE:
Joe explained the root of the track. “I was told there was once a world where slaves communicated with each other via music, and tho I wasn’t present for that, the Hip-Hop I fell in love with always encouraged me to do the same (Thank you Public Enemy),” he said. “Let this act as an unfortunate reminder that times change and they don’t. #BlackLivesMatter #YallLivesMatter #OurLivesMatter … I’m afraid to wonder what happens when we as a ppl decide to stop saying it. Some deem us threatening now by sheer design. We are not.”
Chris Brown Fired from His Residency at Drai’s Nightclub After Calling the Venue Racist
Chris brown has been let go from Vegas residency at Drai’s Nightclub for refusing to apologize to the club’s owner after calling the venue ‘racist’ on Instagram.
via TMZ: Not too long ago … Chris torched the club on Instagram, and that pissed off Drai’s to the point it issued an ultimatum — apologize or get out.
But it wasn’t just the IG post … Drai’s says Chris’ recent behavior has “garnered negative public attention” causing concern among Drai’s management.
Well…what did he expect? You can just go around blasting your place of business as ‘racist’ and not expect any pushback — even if they ARE racist.
Dr. Phil Files $250 Million Lawsuit Against National Enquirer
According to the Daily Mail, Dr. Phil has had it up to here with American Media (AMI), the company who owns the National Enquirer, and recently filed a $250 Million lawsuit against them.
According to Dr. Phil, the National Enquirer has published 80 false stories over the past 13 years, about him and his wife Robin McGraw and he wants them to pay -- literally.
The daytime talk show host says, "Enough is enough, it's time for them to own up. As a member of the media, I have a deep respect for the First Amendment. But it does not protect these people who knowingly print lies for money, particularly lies about my wife."
Dr. Phil's lawyer, L. Lin Wood says, "If you ask me professionally, I would like nothing more than to see this company put out of business. They serve no legitimate purpose in society.
In many of the stories, the National Enquirer implies that Phil and his wife are on the rocks, and L. Lin Wood says it is all lies. Wood says, "Dr. and Mrs. McGraw are role models for the happily married. There has never been talk of divorce or even separation."
Dr. Phil and his wife are preparing to celebrate their 40th wedding anniversary next month.
AMI have yet to release any statements regarding the matter.
Kobe Bryant and Wife Vanessa Expecting Third Child
We guess Kobe Bryant has figured out something to do in retirement. The former Lakers star and his wife, Vanessa, announced via Instagram that they are expecting their third child.
Beyond blessed and excited to share that we are expecting our third baby girl, the now retired former champion sent out to his 6.4 million Instagram followers. Although they were almost divorced back in 2011 when Vanessa filed after 10 years of marriage, in 2013, the couple jointly announced a reconciliation. This year, they celebrated 15 years of marriage.
Their third baby, a girl, will join sisters Natalia,13, and Gianna, 10.
Joseline Hernandez Accuses Stevie J of Child Molestation
Just days after announcing her pregnancy on social media, “Love and Hip Hop” star Joseline Hernandez is now accusing her ex and alleged baby’s father, Stevie J, of molesting his 4-year-old daughter, Eva, whose mother is their reality TV co-star Mimi Faust.
After Joseline made her shocking accusation, Stevie’s former nanny, Lena James, co-signed her story, saying she was fired as Eva’s nanny after speaking out about the alleged sexual abuse.
It all started when Hernandez took to social media to post a lengthy message about Stevie, vowing to keep their unborn child away from him. “Your dad was a child molester and so are you,” Hernandez wrote in a post she later deleted. “You fantasize about sleeping with your own daughters.”
She went on to call Stevie a “devil in disguise.”
James posted her own message on Instagram about the abuse, and claimed that Faust knew for nearly two years about “what was going on” between Stevie and Eva.
“You basically tried to get rid of me once I was able to get the truth out of Eva when she came home one weekend from her father’s house with redness between her legs and having pain urinating,” James wrote.
“Tell them about how you told me about him getting arrested for child support like it was some kind of justice then he was out in a matter of days.”
Lena went on to say that she is only speaking out now because Hernandez did so first.
“But only because I had no real evidence except the words of a traumatized 4-year-old. But now that I have confirmation of the sick nonsense from another adult I refuse to be silent. It makes me sick to my stomach and it is beyond disgusting,” James continued.
“I never wanted my name associated with any of the rachetness but someone has to be an advocate for that child and stand up for what’s right,” she said.
The Shade Room reported that they had an exclusive source claiming Joseline’s story is false, and that the nanny, Lena James, is actually Mimi’s niece, who is disgruntled after being fired.
Faust then commented on the post, calling it “real journalism” and commended the site for being responsible. Meanwhile, Stevie has yet to claim paternity of Joseline’s unborn baby.
Serge Ibaka's Sauna Session Will you Ladies HOT & BOTHERED!
Ladies all for YOU it’s Serge Ibaka. The newly traded NBA star had a post-workout sauna session. He looked wet and shirtless and yeah I know it’s getting you HOT and BOTHERED isn’t it? LOL!
Listen, we don't know what Ms. Keri Baby is or is not doing with this (seeing that they seemingly broke up), but inquiring minds want to know things.
Anyways, Mr. Ibaka will be setting up shop in Orlando soon as he's been traded to the Magic. This should get interesting....Ladies carry on!
Taylor Swift And Calvin Harris "Fell Out After She Wrote Rihanna Hit With Him"
Taylor Swift and Calvin Harris's relationship reportedly reached "breaking point" after he failed to acknowledge her input on his hit song 'This Is What You Came For'.
The 26-year-old singer's involvement in Calvin and Rihanna's recent hit has long been rumoured, after she was listed as a co-writer on the Wikipedia entry for the track before the entry was changed to Nils Sjoberg - believed to be Taylor's pseudonym.
However, TMZ.com have now claimed that disagreements over the track were the "breaking point" in Taylor and Calvin's relationship.
According to the outlet, when Taylor and Calvin were dating, the singer came up with the track and did a demo on her phone.
After sending it to Calvin, the pair are alleged to have hit the studio and laid down a full demo, with Taylor singing and Calvin behind the beat. While both parties are said to have realised the hit potential of the song, they apparently agreed that revealing they had collaborated would overshadow the song's release.
So Calvin recorded the hit with favoured collaborator Rihanna, while Taylor reportedly kept the publishing rights under her pseudonym. But on the day of release, 29 April (16), when the DJ was interviewed on Ryan Seacrest's show, when asked if he would ever do a collaboration with Taylor, Calvin replied: "You know we haven't even spoken about it. I can't see it happening though."
TMZ allege that this was the "breaking point in the relationship", adding that "Taylor was hurt and felt Calvin took it too far".
Just days afterwards, Taylor caused a media storm at The Met Gala when she was filmed dancing with The Night Manager star Tom Hiddleston, with whom she is now in a relationship.
While Taylor has moved on from Calvin, she has been a lot more generous than the Scottish superstar DJ, and doesn't appear to have any plans to prevent him from performing the song. Calvin famously wrote a song with his ex-girlfriend Rita Ora, and then banned her from performing it after they split.
Meanwhile, the website claim Taylor's camp are now reportedly revealing her involvement in the song because "they're sick of Calvin trashing Taylor and feel he should be thanking her for quietly giving him a smash hit."
#EGGPLANT NATION: Meet Jamel King Chocolate
Meet Jamel that King Chocolate! Well you can see more of his chocolate goodies when you GO HERE FOR THE PICS! And remember it’s NSFW!
DISCLAIMER: WE DO NOT OWN any images posted on this blog. All images are found online or submitted.
You’re Welcome
AND FINALLY FROM THE CRAZY PEOPLE SHOPPING AT WALMART FILES
‘Sweater Puppets’
Thanks for the “peeking through the closet door” glimpse into your chesticle region. You’ve got all sorts of bad going on right now
HAVE A GREAT DAY EVERYBODY!!!
EFREM
