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09 Jan 2023

New Ghostface Killah Album Dropping Exclusively On Stem Player

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Wu-Tang Clan Performs At Petco Park

Source: Daniel Knighton / Getty

Over the decades, Ghostface Killah has been the most consistent of artists from the Wu-Tang Clan as he’s dropped multiple albums that kept Shaolin on the map. Now he’s ready to return with a new project that’ll be exclusive to the Stem Player that Kanye West utilized for his Donda 2 album release back in 2022.

According to HipHopNMore, the new album from Tony Starks will be exclusive to the Stem Player device and to get Wu-Tang fans onboard with the release, the first single, “6 Minutes,” is available to stream on their website for 36 hours. No word on what the title of the album will be or whether or not it’ll feature his fellow Clansmen (Raekwon will more than likely make an appearance). But truth be told, we’re curious to see what Ghost and Stem Player have in store for the OG Hip-Hoppers of the golden era.

Users will be able to put their own content on its 256GB hard drive and also add additional storage thanks to a microSD card slot. With its mini-HDMI port, you could use it as a projector, and it also supports Wi-Fi and cellular connections. It starts shipping in February with more products being planned soon.

Though Kanye West didn’t exactly blow up the Stem Player with his Donda albums, the device did move units thanks to fans who had to get their hands on Ye’s latest projects. Will Wu-Tang fans be willing to shell out big bucks ($1000 for pre-order) on the new Stem Projector to listen to what Ghostface’s been cooking up in the lab? We’re not sure but it will be interesting to see what becomes of the new project should fans not back the latest move from Ghost and Stem.

Will you be buying a Stem Projector to listen to that new work from Ghostface Deini? Let us know in the comments section below.

09 Jan 2023

Rep. Hakeem Jeffries Delivers Powerful First Speech As House Minority Leader

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Speaker Vote

Rep. Hakeem Jeffries decided that his first order of business as the new House Minority Leader was to address the division in the House of Representatives between the Republicans and Democrats. The congressman then launched into a speech employing the alphabet that took some slight digs at Republicans and urged collaboration.

Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, 52, graciously extended his party’s hand to the newly-elected House Speaker, Rep. Kevin McCarthy, and members of his party vowing to find “common ground” in their future proceedings.

“We do extend our hand of partnership to you and want to make clear that we extend and intend to try to find common ground whenever and wherever possible on behalf of the American people,” Jeffries said. “Not as Democrats, not as Republicans, not as independents, but as Americans. But I also want to make clear that we will never compromise our principles.”

Jefferies then launched into his “Alphabetical Slaughter” (Look up this classic from Papoose) speech, using each letter of the alphabet to deliver a poignant line.

The speech in full below:

House Democrats will always put American values over autocracy, benevolence over bigotry, the Constitution over the cult, democracy over demagogues, economic opportunity over extremism, freedom over fascism, governing over gaslighting, hopefulness over hatred, inclusion over isolation, justice over judicial overreach, knowledge over kangaroo courts, liberty over limitation, maturity over Mar-a-Lago, normalcy over negativity, opportunity over obstruction, people over politics, quality of life issues over QAnon, reason over racism, substance over slander, triumph over tyranny, understanding over ugliness, voting rights over voter suppression, working families over the well-connected, xenial over xenophobia, “Yes we can” over “You can do it,” and zealous representation over zero-sum confrontation.

We will always do the right thing by the American people, so let us not grow weary of doing good for the American people who will reap the benefit of the harvest if we do not give up. God bless you, God Bless the house, and God bless the United States of America.

Salute to Rep. Hakeem Jeffries.

—

Photo: Tom Williams / Getty

09 Jan 2023

Pregnant Jessie J Gets Real About Her Difficult First Trimester: ‘I Can’t Even Explain to You How Sick I Feel’

What’s Jessie J‘s go-to accessory these days? A barf bag. That’s because the 34-year-old pop star, who recently surprised fans by announcing that she’s pregnant, has been in the throes of her first trimester — a not-so-glamorous reality she opened up about in a revealing Instagram video Sunday (Jan. 8).

The video features a reel of clips filmed at different times during her first trimester, many of them showing the “Price Tag” singer doubling over in discomfort, her head occasionally planted in a trash can or airsickness bag. In one clip, she leans down into a sink and runs water over her flushed face, and in another, she breaks down into tears.

“I can’t even explain to you how sick I feel,” she says in the video. “Look at the state of me.”

“I was warned about that first trimester and it was WOOFY WOOF,” she captioned the post, adding a series of emojis to visually express the exhaustion and nausea she’s facing:????????‍???????

But all is not bad. In a second video on Monday (Jan. 9), the singer shared with followers how delighted she is. “Happy Grateful Excited,” she captioned the visual, which shows clips of her with a big smile on her face, recording vocals, showing off her baby bump, and crunching into a giant cucumber as she rubs her belly.

The candid videos come just a couple days after the musician announced to the world that she’s expecting, a moment made bittersweet by the heartbreaking pregnancy loss she experienced a year prior. “I am so happy and terrified to finally share this… Please be gentle with me,” she wrote Friday (Jan. 6), sharing clips of her positive pregnancy test and ultrasound.

When she shared her pregnancy loss in 2021, the British star shared a raw, since-deleted post on Instagram that explained she’d decided to “have a baby on my own” because becoming a mom was “all I ever wanted.” “To get pregnant was a miracle in itself and an experience I will never forget and I know I will have again,” she wrote at the time.

See Jessie J’s videos about the realities of trimester pregnancy below:

09 Jan 2023

Latin Alternative Music Conference Sets Dates for 2023 Virtual & In-Person Event

The Latin Alternative Music Conference, or LAMC, has set dates for both its 2023 virtual and in-person events, Billboard can exclusively announce.

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The LAMC, which spotlights Spanish-language alternative music —  as well as artists in rock, hip-hop, and electronic music — will return in virtual form April 26-28. Its in-person conference, which will be a five-day event, is set to take place from July 11 to 15 at the Crowne Plaza Times Square in New York City.

Both the virtual and in-person events will feature panels, workshops, showcases, and networking opportunities for attendees. According to figures provided to Billboard, more than 100,000 registrants tuned in online, and more than 5,000 people from 150-plus cities in 17 countries attended the conference and events in New York last year.

The LAMC has also confirmed the return of the Wonder Women of Latin Music recognitions, presented by Amazon Music LAT!N, celebrating women “making a difference” in the industry, according to a press release. Launched in 2020, past honorees include Jennifer D’Cunha (Apple Music), Yvonne Drazan (peermusic), Celeste Zendejas (CESAC), Fabiana Kulick (Live Nation), Martha Ledezma (Fonovisa/Universal) and Amy Roland (Sony Music Publishing), among others.

Registration for the in-person July conference begins at $99. Registration for the virtual event is free via www.latinalternative.com, where the latest updates, option to contact the LAMC team with questions, and reserve a hotel for the in-person event are available.

The full schedule for the virtual and in-person conference will be revealed in the coming weeks, along with the Wonder Women of Latin Music Class of 2023 and additional details.

Latin Alternative Music Conference

Latin Alternative Music Conference

09 Jan 2023

CMA Launches Inaugural Diversity & Inclusion Fellowship With Three Universities

The Country Music Association will soon launch its inaugural Diversity & Inclusion Fellowship, which will provide a select group of BIPOC students with an immersive educational experience leading up to the 2023 CMA Fest in June.

The CMA has partnered with the University of Alabama, Nashville’s Belmont University and Knoxville’s University of Tennessee. Six students (two from each university) will be selected to take part in the fellowship, launching this spring. Students must be an incoming junior or senior majoring in public relations, advertising, journalism, business or a related field. Each student will also receive compensation for their work, as well as a stipend to cover living expenses while in Nashville.

“As we look at our industry and how we can drive country music into the future, it’s being thoughtful about who is part of it and who feels like they can be part of it,” Mia McNeal, CMA senior director, industry relations and inclusion, tells Billboard. “Working with all three of these universities has been incredible, thinking strategically and intentionally about how we can engage the student body in a way that is very direct and making a pipeline of talent.”

McNeal adds, “There has been a push for more artists of color within the country music industry, but they also need the opportunity to team with people behind the scenes who look like them.”

In April, the students will begin working remotely with the CMA’s communications team, participating in planning meetings with cross-departmental teams and various industry partners. They will then join CMA team members in Nashville in the weeks leading up to and through CMA Fest, June 9-12. Following the event, the students will take part in a six-week assignment with a country music publicity partner, offering the students additional real-world PR experience.

“They get the 360-degree view of exactly how public relations and communications is central not only to the CMA, but to the industry at large,” says Tiffany Kerns, CMA vice president, industry relations and philanthropy.

“The idea for this fellowship came out of having significant conversations with several artists and a wide variety of industry professionals who really felt that publicists are part of the storytellers of our business,” Kerns adds.

The University of Alabama’s Dr. Kenon Brown, who was previously the faculty advisor for the UofA’s CMA EDU chapter for about three years, serves as the fellowship’s managing faculty member. Brown along with faculty representatives from the university partners and CMA staff will review applications.

“We felt the one thing that would help students be exposed to the industry would be to give them first-hand experience,” Brown tells Billboard. “We wanted to also give them mentors to give them a more realistic viewpoint of how the music industry works. Hopefully this helps make them more excited about not just working in music but working in country music.”

In describing the types of students they are looking for, Brown says, “We want students who recognize the opportunity they have here to become a leader in this industry and a voice for promoting diversity and inclusion in the country music industry. We want students who can look at the country music industry and see the strides that they have made and see the advantage that they have to really add a unique voice to the genre.”

The CMA is also working with the Plank Center for Leadership in Public Relations on the fellowship, as well as with Trell Thomas, a public relations executive and co-founder of My Publicist is Black, to match each student participant with an industry expert to serve as a mentor throughout the fellowship.

“At CMA Fest last year, we had diversity on all of our stages,” McNeal says. “Our fans are diverse and that representation matters so much. It’s hard to be something you cannot see.”

The application to apply for the fellowship is open today (Jan. 9) through Feb. 24 at cmaworld.com/fellowship.

The fellowship is one of multiple recent initiatives the CMA has launched to support leadership, education, and diversity. The CMA previously teamed with Discovery Education for a series highlighting STEAM careers within the country music industry. In 2022, the trade organization also launched a 16-week training program to support women in leadership throughout the country music industry.

09 Jan 2023

HHW Gaming Presents 15 Games We Can’t Wait To Play In 2023

Video Games Dropping In 2023 We Can't Wait To Play

Source: Future Publishing / Getty / Video Games

Welcome to 2023, and it promises to be another significant year for gamers.

2022 is in the books, and it closed on an extremely high note thanks to God of War: Ragnarok blowing gamers away once again and cementing Kratos as one of the greatest video game characters ever, sorry Mario.

Oh, and we can’t forget Horizon Forbidden West, another fantastic entry into Guerilla’s epic franchise adding to PlayStation’s stellar year of exclusives.

But that was then. This is now. 2023 looks promising, thanks mainly to games that were supposed to drop in 2022 having their wigs pushed back.

Hip Hop Wired decided to narrow that list down to 15 games WE are most excited to pick up the sticks for in 2023. Now, if we miss one, that’s okay; remember, this is our list, but we don’t mind you throwing your suggestion our way.

Below are 15 titles we can’t wait to play on our Xbox Series X, PS5, and Nintendo Switch.

1. Dead Space

Resident Evil and Silent Hill had the survival horror genre on lock-in grounded locales. 2008’s Dead Space took the fear from those games and perfected it in outer space. 

Fast Foward to 2023, the good folks at EA decided it was time to revive the franchise and bring the necromorph terror to next-gen consoles.

The original team that made 2008’s Dead Space has since moved on and dropped The Callisto Protocol, a similar game but at the same time quite different. 

Motive Studios has taken over the franchise and promises the remake will stay true to the original but, at the same time, vastly improve on the game. 

Based on what he has seen so far, that looks like that will be the case. Dead Space arrives on PS5, Xbox Series X and PC on January 27. 

2. Resident Evil 4

Capcom shook the Resident Evil franchise up when it dropped Resident Evil 4 on the Nintendo Switch in 2005. Ditching slow gameplay mechanics, the tank controls fans came to love in the original games for a new over-the-shoulder camera view and fast-paced action, and a new inventory system turned out to be a successful gamble for the video game company. 

Resident Evil 4 would become one of the essential titles in video game history, so it makes sense that Capcom would also give it the same remake treatment that Resident Evil 2 and RE 3: Nemesis have received. 

Resident Evil 4 remake sees the return of Leon S. Kennedy, arguably one of the most popular characters in the RE franchise. It looks to build off the momentum started by his introductory adventure in Resident Evil 2. 

The game arrives on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series S | X, and PC on March 24.

3. Marvel’s Spider-Man 2

Sony is looking to have another strong year for the PS5, which could be easily attainable thanks to Insomniac Games’ Marvel’s Spider-Man 2. 

We still don’t know much about this game except that both Spider-Man and Miles Morales will be playable and will be taking on Venom. 

Insomniac assured fans that the game will arrive in 2023 but has yet to share a solid release date, we expect that information to come soon. 

4. Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth

It took a long five years for Final Fantasy VII: Remake to hit consoles, and thankfully so because that game was a masterpiece. 

Fortunately, we won’t have to wait long for the next installment, Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth. The game will pick up where the first chapter ended, with Cloud and the crew trying to stop Sephiroth from enacting his plan, and that’s all we know. 

The game is set to arrive “next winter,” so that could mean 2023 or the beginning of 2024, we’re hoping for this year because we are thirsty for more. 

Like the previous title, this game is exclusive to the PlayStation 5.

5. Final Fantasy XVI

Final Fantasy XVI, the next installment in the Final Fantasy saga, is taking it back to the times of knights, kings, queens, wizards, and palace intrigue, and it looks L I T. 

This one will be a timed exclusive coming to PlayStation 5 consoles first on June 22, and eventually on Windows PC. 

6. Assassin’s Creed Mirage

With the changing year, you can always expect a new game in the Assassin’s Creed franchise. For Mirage, Ubisoft’s next installment is returning to the original formula that made the game a hit with fans. 

This game will ditch the Action/RPG format returning to its stealth roots and will be set in Baghdad in the 9th century, and will follow the assassin Basim Ibn Ishaq, a character you met in Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla. 

Get ready to assassinate and get your parkour on when Assassin’s Creed Mirage drops on PlayStation, Xbox, Windows PC, and Amazon Luna sometime later this year. 

7. Forspoken

The developers behind Final Fantasy 15 took a break from the iconic franchise to bring to the gaming world Forspoken, a new IP from Square Enix. 

The game follows Frey, played by the beautiful Ella Ballinska, who is magically transported to a fantasy world where she will be guided by a talking bracelet and armed with magical spells to help her find her way back home to New York City. 

Forspoken is PlayStation 5 console exclusive and will also arrive on Windows PC on January 24. 

8. RoboCop: Rogue City

Teyon Games made a first-person shooter featuring our favorite cyborg cop, and it looks pretty damn good. RoboCop: Rogue City will have players taking on the role of Alex Murphy as he dishes out his brand of justice across Old and New Detroit while trying to stop a massive crime wave. 

RoboCop: Rogue City arrives on PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC via Steam on June 2023.

9. The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

It’s been almost 6 years since the release of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of The Wild, which many consider being a  game changer. 

While we still wait for a new Nintendo Switch, we won’t have to wait too long for The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, the highly-anticipated follow-up to Breath of The Wild. We still don’t know much about the game’s plot except that Link will have some new abilities, and a lot of the adventure will possibly take place in the skies above Hyrule. 

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom supposedly launches on the Nintendo Switch & Switch OLED on May 12. 

10. Street Fighter 6

Capcom is looking to have a much better launch with Street Fighter 6 than it did with Street Fighter V. When the next installment in the iconic fighting game franchise arrives, it will do so with three modes. 

Players can look forward to the classic mode Fight Ground that delivers old-school Street Fighter action, the new World Tour mode where players have to fight their way to the top, and a Battle Hub for multiplayer hands, feet, and dragon punches can be exchanged.

Street Fighter 6 launches on PS5, Xbox Series X, PS4, and PC on June 2.

11. Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League

Rocksteady Games gives Batman a break and gives players control of Task Force X in Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League. 

Technically, Batman is still around, but this time he’s on the wrong side of justice. In the game, players will control a team comprised of villains Harley Quinn, Captain Boomerang, Deadshot, and King Shark. Their mission will be to take down the Justice League, including “alpha target” Superman, The Flash, Batman, Green Lantern, and Wonder Woman. 

The supes are all under the control of Brainiac, one of Superman’s many enemies. 

Task Force X will look to do the impossible in Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League when the game arrives on PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC on May 26.

12. Dead Island 2

Dead Island 2, the long-awaited follow-up to the 2011 game, has had its wig pushed back NUMEROUS times, so could this be the year the sequel finally comes out? 

We hope so. 

In Dead Island 2, the action RPG shifts from an island resort to sunny Los Angeles, where players can pick up whatever they want and use it as a weapon to eradicate the undead.

Dead Island 2 arrives on PS5, PS4, PC, Xbox Series X, and Xbox One on April 28, we hope.

13. Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty

Team Ninja, the studio behind the action RPG series Nioh is looking to shake up 2023 with Wo-Long: Fallen Dynasty, a Soulslike game described as a “dark fantasy action game set in the Chinese Three Kingdoms period.”

We played the extensive demo and enjoyed our time with the game. We can’t way to play more when the game drops on Xbox Series X, Xbox One, PS5, PS4, and PC on March 3. It will also be a day-one release on Xbox Game Pass. 

14. Hogwarts Legacy

This might be the Harry Potter-themed game fans of the books and movies have longed for. Hogwarts Legacy will see players taking on the role of a student attending the fictional wizarding school during the 1800s, well before Harry Potter and his friends were born. 

It’s an open-world adventure full of all the fantastic lore from the Harry Potter books and films. Whether fans will be able to look past the transphobic nonsense the series creator J.K. Rowling has been spewing and pick up the game is another story. 

Hogwarts Legacy arrives on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X on February 10.

15. Star Wars Jedi: Survivor

Cal Kestis’ adventure continues in Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, and he’s no longer the green Jedi on the run we first met. Equipped with new skills, some better lightsabers, loyal droid BD-1, and a new ally and friend, Kestis is trying to survive as Darth Vader and The Empire continue the mission to wipe the Jedi from the universe. 

Unlike the first game, Survivor, which takes place five years after the events of  Fallen Order, will be much darker in tone. 

This sounds like the sequel we were hoping for. Star Wars Jedi: Survivor arrives on Xbox Series X, PS5, and PC on March 17.

09 Jan 2023

BTS‘ Jin Shared Uplifting Video Message with ARMY About His Military Enlistment: ’I’ll Be Back Soon’

BTS‘ Jin was the first member of the septet to begin their mandatory service in the South Korean army last month. But before he left for basic, the 30-year-old singer recorded a special message for the group’s ultra-dedicated non-military ARMY fan group.

“Hello everyone, this is Jin of BTS. I won’t be a civilian by the time the video is out. But I am here in front of the camera, because I wanted to leave you something, even if it is just leaving a message,” said Jin in the minute-long clip filmed in what looks like an alleyway that dropped on Monday (Jan. 9).

He noted that the video was shot during a break from appearing on an episode of the SBS-produced South Korean variety show Running Man, which he appeared on in November; Jin began his enlistment on Dec. 13. “Whenever I am available I wish to leave these videos and records once every few months to share with you as much as possible, even if it’s just checking in briefly,” he continued. “I may not be by your side at this very moment, but I’ll go looking for you soon, so if you just wait a little bit. I’ll be back soon. That’s all for today. Next time when I have the chance, I’ll be back with another video.”

Just before leaving for bootcamp last month, Jin uploaded a photo which showed off that his signature locks — most recently on display in his “Astronaut” music video — were shorn in favor of what’s known as the “induction cut.”

Per national law, all able-bodied South Korean men must serve in the armed forces for at least 18 months with varying lengths of service time. While the draft begins once they turn 18, men may postpone it until age 28. In December 2020, the Korean National Assembly passed a motion (nicknamed the “BTS law”) to allow top K-pop stars to postpone service until age 30 with a recommendation from the culture minister.

Jin is the first of the seven BTS members to fulfill his mandatory obligations.

Watch Jin’s video below.

09 Jan 2023

Coroner Report Reveals Lil Keed Died Of Blood Cell Disorder

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Hot 107.9 Birthday Bash 25

Source: Prince Williams / Getty

The cause of Lil Keed’s sudden death has been revealed. Coroners say he passed from a blood cell disorder.

As spotted on Raw Report the Atlanta, Georgia native’s cause of death has been identified by medical professionals. On Tuesday, Jan. 3 the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner/Coroner’s Office reported that the man born Raqhid Jevon Render died from Eosinophilia. According to Mayo Clinic “Eosinophilia (e-o-sin-o-FILL-e-uh) is a higher than normal level of eosinophils. Eosinophils are a type of disease-fighting white blood cell. This condition most often indicates a parasitic infection, an allergic reaction or cancer.”

The report seems to be a direct follow up to his mother, Michelle Woods, recently dispelling the rumors he passed from drug abuse. “7 months after learning about the passing of my son, I’ve received his official cause of death from the doctors. In grieving my son’s death, myself and the rest of the family were caused a lot of pain by the lies and rumors spread on the blogs and the internet with false information about Raqhid’s passing,” Woods wrote. “Today, we’ve confirmed that Raqhid died from natural causes with no drugs or alcohol found in his system.”

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According to the autopsy report obtained by People magazine it is still unclear what caused his condition. The documentation reveals that on May 13, 2022 he asked to be taken to the hospital. “He had been sick in bed for 4 days with complaints of stomach and back pains,” the report added. “His brother noted that the decedent’s eyes were jaundiced and drove him to the hospital in a private vehicle.” Unfortunately, Lil Keed suffered a seizure while en route to the hospital and died later that evening. He was 24 years old.

Photo: Prince Williams / Getty

09 Jan 2023

Sony Music and Todd Moscowitz Launch Santa Anna, New Artist and Label Services Company

Sony Music Entertainment and the leader of one of its frontline labels are launching a new artist and label services company. The major and Alamo Records founder and CEO Todd Moscowitz announced on Monday (Jan. 9) the formation of Santa Anna, a New York-based company that aims to “support entrepreneurs and assist artists in maximizing their creative potential and build their businesses.”

Lee L’Heureux, most recently general manager at Geffen Records, has been onboarded to lead Santa Anna as well as take on the newly created role of president of Alamo, reporting to Moscowitz and working closely with chief operating officer Juliette Jones to support operations, signings and partnerships.

Prior to Geffen, L’Heureux was senior vice president of rhythm, urban and hip-hop promotion at Warner Records, working hits for Lil Pump, Andra Day, PARTYNEXTDOOR and BlocBoy JB, among others, and earning a spot on Billboard’s Hip-Hop Power Players list.

“I’m excited for Lee to join the team and leverage his experience to create new opportunities for Alamo as well as launch the start of what will be an incredible journey for Santa Anna,” commented Moscowitz.

Moscowitz founded Alamo in 2016 after leaving 300 Entertainment, which he started alongside Lyor Cohen, Roger Gold and Kevin Liles three years prior. While initially distributed through Universal Music’s Interscope Records, Alamo decamped to Sony Music in June 2021 after the latter acquired a majority stake, bringing its entire catalog and roster over to SME.

Over the years, Alamo has had several breakthroughs with its artists, particularly Rod Wave, blackbear and Lil Durk. Other artists on the label include Smokepurpp, Comethazine, Yung Mal, 03 Greedo, Lil Gotit and more.

“I’ve always admired Todd’s approach to the music industry, as well as his dedication to supporting artists and their distinct, creative visions,” said L’Heureux. “I’m honored for the opportunity and look forward to taking Alamo to the next level and carving out a path for Santa Anna.”