State Champ Radio Author: djfrosty
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The 2025 Met Gala is over, meaning some of the year’s chicest looks have been returned to their racks after gliding down the red carpet — modeled by some of the world’s biggest stars — at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City Monday (May 5). But before we say goodbye, let’s revisit […]
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Sinners, the hit horror film from director Ryan Coogler and starring Michael B. Jordan, is set in Mississippi in the small town of Clarksdale. Clarksdale, which doesn’t have its own movie theater, will host a special screening of the film this summer, according to reports.
TMZ reports that Clarksdale, a predominantly Black town of just under 15,000 residents, is where Sinners takes place. The nearest major city to Clarksdale is Memphis, which is about 76 miles to the north. The town doesn’t have a movie theater, so some residents have made the nearly 90-minute trek to Memphis and beyond to see the film. This summer, it appears that the town’s fortunes are changing. Mayor Chuck Epsy told TMZ that his side has spoken with Warner Bros. to bring Sinners to the town. Epsy says that the plan is to host a Juneteenth screening at Clarksdale High School’s football field and perhaps a panel featuring the stars, including director Ryan Coogler, Wunmi Mosaku, and more.
Sinners has defied box office expectations for a horror film, especially one that focuses primarily on Black characters. The success of the film has surprisingly baffled critics despite the high quality of storytelling and craftsmanship Coogler brought to the film.
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Photo: Tim P. Whitby / Getty
What will Doja Cat‘s fifth album, Vie, sound like? The more apt question after Monday night’s (May 5) 2025 Met Gala might be: what will Vie look like? Doja hit the blue carpet at the high fashion superbowl in a Marc Jacobs pinstripe bodysuit with a velvet ocelot-print bustier design and dramatic shoulder pads on […]
Revlon has fully settled a corporate espionage lawsuit that claimed several former employees “sabotaged” the company’s decades-old fragrance partnership with Britney Spears.
The case, filed last year by Revlon and its Elizabeth Arden unit, accused four ex-staffers of stealing trade secrets and breaching their contracts by taking the Britney account to upstart rival Give Back Beauty – a move the lawsuit described as a “heist.”
But over the past few months, Revlon has quietly struck deals to resolve those claims – first with Give Back Beauty and one of the execs in February, then last week with three more ex-staffers. On Monday, the judge signed off on the latter deal and ruled that the “matter be closed.”
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The settlements have cleared the way for Give Back Beauty to formally take over Britney’s lucrative perfume brand. In a February press release, the smaller company announced that it had “signed a transition agreement” with Revlon to clear the use of the intellectual property and end the legal dispute.
“My fragrance business has always held a special place in my heart,” Spears said at the time. “It’s always been a way for me to connect with my fans, who I love. I’m excited for this new chapter and bringing more beauty into the world with Give Back Beauty.”
A rep for Revlon did not immediately return a request for comment on the resolution of the litigation.
Spears first inked a deal with Elizabeth Arden in 2004, launching her “Curious” scent later that year to a reported $100 million in sales. By 2013, that brand had reportedly sold more than 500 million bottles and the overall Spears-Arden partnership was earning $30 million a year. But last year Spears declined to renew the deal and instead signed with Give Back Beauty, an Italian firm founded in 2017.
Faced with the loss of a valuable partnership, Revlon went the legal route – claiming that Britney had not simply walked away, but had been illegally poached by Give Back Beauty. The lawsuit claimed four Arden staffers (Vanessa Kidd, Dominick Romeo, Reid Mulvihill and Ashley Fass) had secretly helped orchestrate the star’s departure, including one who allegedly “acted as a double-agent” – working directly with Give Back Beauty while ostensibly negotiating with Britney’s team to renew her Revlon deal.
“Revlon and Elizabeth Arden were completely unaware that Revlon’s own team was actively sabotaging one of their most valuable licensing relationships,” the company’s lawyers claimed at the time. Spears herself was not named in the lawsuit nor accused of any wrongdoing.
Give Back Beauty and the former execs strongly denied the allegations, arguing in a later legal response that Revlon had gone to court with a “false narrative” of espionage and corporate raiding simply because it was angry that it had been beaten by a competitor.
“Revlon’s motion is … an anticompetitive ruse to damage a competitor because Revlon, weakened in the market by its recent bankruptcy, cannot compete fairly with GBB, and seeks to frustrate GBB’s transition of Britney Brands, at the same time, sending a warning about future competition from an international rival that poses a growing threat to Revlon’s market share,” the smaller company’s lawyers wrote at the time.
But by February, despite the strongly-word legal broadsides, Give Back Beauty and Revlon had apparently struck a deal to end their dispute. Beyond allowing Give Back to take over the IP for the brand, the terms of the deal have not been disclosed in court filings.
“Give Back Beauty will bring Britney’s fragrance and beauty business to another level,” Corrado Brondi, the company’s founder, wrote at the time. “We are looking forward to building on that legacy, introducing innovations to her product lines and expanding the brand into new markets globally, while ensuring that the spirit and authenticity of her brand remain intact.”
The February settlements covered Give Back itself and Ashley Fass; the settlement approved Monday covered Kidd, Romeo, Mulvihill. Reps for both sides did not immediately return requests for comment.
Nicki Minaj walked the carpet at the Met Gala on Monday night (May 5), which is the Queens legend’s eighth appearance at the prestigious May fashion event. Minaj stopped on the blue carpet for an interview with Entertainment Tonight, where she explained the inspiration behind her Thom Browne navy pinstripe dress to match the “Superfine: […]
All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes. In a recent shoot for the indie mag Document Journal, Lorde gave readers a look inside her medicine cabinet — and […]
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Source: Kevin Mazur/MG25 / Getty
Rihanna and A$AP Rocky might very well be the top “it” couple of the moment after the pair stunned and turned heads at last night’s Met Gala festivities. With Rihanna debuting her latest baby bump, proud papa A$AP Rocky also shone brightly.
As reported by TMZ, Rihanna and A$AP Rocky hosted the party at Jean’s Restaurant in Manhattan, and the swanky event was well-attended. The Barbadian billionaire stood out with a beautiful black top that exposed her baby bump. Rocky kept it sleek yet simple with a Black suit and an overcoat.
The party was attended by Megan Thee Stallion, Sabrina Carpenter, Daniel Kaluuya, and more.
There were several amazing looks at this year’s Met Gala, including Andre 3000 appearing at the event with a piano strapped to his back. Check out some of the flyness here.
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Photo: Getty
Please recognize she’s trying! Shortly before arriving at the Met Gala in New York City on Monday (May 5), Rihanna revealed that she’s pregnant with her third child with partner A$AP Rocky. So not surprisingly, in addition to discussing what she was wearing for fashion’s biggest night, there were questions about whether growing her family would mean delaying her already long-awaited ninth studio album.
When asked about that on the blue carpet, Ri — who was in a custom Marc Jacobs — had a very confident answer. “Noooooo!” she insisted about the upcoming album’s arrival to Entertainment Tonight before admitting some things might come a little later. “Maybe a couple videos! I can still sing!”
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The “Umbrella” singer — who shares sons RZA, nearly 3, and Riot Rose, 1, with Rocky — also joked earlier on to reporters as she was walking the carpet at the star-studded event that she “brought the kid!” Though she was dressed to the nines and in high heels, she told ET that she was feeling good that night. “‘m shockingly feeling OK and not too overwhelmed at the moment,” she shared before admitting that perhaps her third pregnancy did have her feeling a little bit overwhelmed in the beginning. “At first, it was kinda like, ‘Ahhhhhhhh,’ and ‘I’m tired,’” the nine-time Grammy winner said. “But then I’m excited.”
As for the “Tailor Swif” rapper, he was excited to let the world in on the couple’s happy news. “We were tired of holding that, and it was time to show the people what we was cooking up,” he told the Associated Press. “I’m glad everybody’s happy for us, because we’re definitely happy.”
And hopefully soon, Ri’s Navy will also be happy with the eventual arrival of R9. The “Disturbia” singer last released an album nearly a decade ago when she dropped Anti in February 2016. As for the delayed set? Ri shared in her March Harper’s Bazaar cover story that contrary to what she called “way off” rumors, the album would not be reggae.
“There’s no genre now. That’s why I waited,” the star explained. “After a while, I looked at it, and I was like, this much time away from music needs to count for the next thing everyone hears. It has to count. It has to matter. I have to show them the worth in the wait. I cannot put up anything mediocre. After waiting eight years, you might as well just wait some more.”
Watch Ri talk about R9 and her pregnancy with ET above.
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Mother’s Day is May 10, and if the Mom in your life is into cannabis, we’ve whipped up a quick and handy guide to help you shop. We just published an epic 420 gift guide last month, so this one will be a bit more streamlined as we’re only focusing on women-owned brands.
There are several women-owned cannabis brands out there who develop products for all cannabis enthusiasts, and we’ll attempt to center those brands in this roundup. You will certainly see companies we’ve covered in past roundups, and that’s just because we’re big fans of the featured brands.
Even if Mom doesn’t usually use cannabis products that employ THC, we’ve also got some CBD items below, which are purported to have vast therapeutic benefits. We’re certain to have a little bit of something for everyone in this guide.
If there is a women-owned cannabis brand with great products for Mother’s Day you’d like to see featured, email D.L. Chandler [dchandler@bhmdigital.com], and we’ll do our best to update the guide.
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Photo: Getty
1. Black Buddha Cannabis
Source:Black Buddha Cannabis
Black Buddha Cannabis was founded by Roz McCarthy, with women at the forefront, sparking the inspiration for the brand. Specializing in premium medical marijuana, Black Buddha Cannabis is sold in Arizona, Ohio, Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania.
Learn more here.
2. ButACake
Source:@ButACake
ButACake is a Black and woman-owned edible cannabis brand founded by trained pastry chef, Matha Figaro. We haven’t tried out the product, but considering Ms. Figaro’s story and what we’re all about at Urban One, we had to feature them. Hopefully, we can get our hands on some product soon.
Learn more here.
3. Cake She Hits Different
Source:Cake She Hits Different
Cake She Hits Different is owned by Chloe Kaleiokalani, and her brand boasts California’s top-selling all-in-one vape in the brand’s Designer Distillate device. Cake She Hits Different is also available in Arizona and will be entering the Nevada market this year.
Learn more here.
4. House of Puff
Source:House of Puff
House of Puff, founded by Kristina Lopez Adduci, is a Latina and woman-owned cannabis accessories brand based in New York. The company specializes in high-end “puffware” along with other products.
Learn more here.
5. LumiBloom
Source:LumiBloom
LumiBloom is a Black and woman-owned brand founded by MacKenzie McClain Hill. Focusing on beauty and overall wellness, LumiBloom makes CBD a centerpiece in some of its products, including bath salts, bath bombs, oils, and even hand sanitizer.
Learn more here.
6. Rollin Rosa
Source:Rollin Rosa
Rollin Rosa, founded in Chicago in 2022, is the brainchild of Vanessa Cardenas and Victoria Cristina Ruiz. Their pre-rolls come equipped with rose-colored tips in their light green vegan cones. It is one of the handful of Latina-owned cannabis brands emerging in the States.
Learn more here.
Sabrina Carpenter, Hozier, Doja Cat, Luke Combs, The Strokes, John Summit and Doechii are among the headliners of the 2025 Austin City Limits Festival. The fest that takes place in Zilker Park over two weekends — Oct. 3-5 and Oct. 10-12 — will also feature sets from Feid, Cage the Elephant, T-Pain, Empire of the Sun, DJO, Pierce the Veil, Rilo Kiley, Maren Morris, Mk.gee, Zeds Dead, Rainbow Kitten Surprise, Modest Mouse, Wet Leg, King Princess and many more.
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The artists will spread out on nine stages, with this year’s event again slated to stream on Hulu, which will air select live performances, interviews and more during the first weekend, with a full broadcast lineup and schedule to be announced later this summer.
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Other acts on this year’s roster include: Role Model, Japanese Breakfast, Car Seat Headrest, Magdalena Bay, Olivia Dean, Marina, Gigi Perez, MJ Lenderman, Phantogram, Passion Pit, The Dare, Ca7riel & Paco Amoroso, Panda Bear, Anderson East, Lucius and many more.
Three-day general admission, GA+, VIP and platinum tickets will go on sale today at 1 p.m. ET here, with plans available starting at only $25 down; one-day tickets will be available at a later date.
Fans can also catch some shade at the Bonus Tracks stage, which organizers call a hub of “culture, connection, and good vibes [that] comes alive between music sets with a diverse lineup of programming. Expect artist and thought leader interviews, podcast recordings, cooking demos, drag performances, and creative ways to move your body and recharge your mind.”
Among the past highlights on that stage are author and podcaster Brené Brown in conversation with Foo Fighters singer Dave Grohl and Ted Lasso‘s Brett Goldstein, as well as intimate chats with Billie Eilish and Noah Cyrus and dance parties with Bob’s Dance Shop, and the best of Austin Drag hosting bingo and live shows.
Check out the full lineup and 2025 ACL poster below.
