State Champ Radio celebrity news
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Slick Rick has not released a full-length project in over 26 years, and that will soon change this summer. Partnering with Idris Elba, Slick Rick is slated to release his visual album Victory this summer via Elba’s 7Wallace label and Nas‘ Mass Appeal Records.
Slick Rick, long considered Hip-Hop’s most masterful storyteller, will deliver Victory this June. As we see in the trailer for the project, the artist, real name Ricky Walters, constructed the album over four years and recorded in Europe, Africa, and North America. Rick’s suave voice can be heard explaining the value of songwriting and poetry, reminding viewers that before films, words were how pictures were painted.
Victory serves as Slick Rick’s fifth studio album, last releasing his gold-selling album, The Art of Storytelling, in 1999. Rick and Elba are the executive producers for the album, with special appearances from Nas, Giggs, and Estelle.
“Victory is all about perseverance, storytelling, imagination and evolution. A visual blend of art and heart — a sonic journey that reflects where I’ve been and where I’m going. Victory isn’t just music — it’s a bold in your face statement, showcasing British artistry at its finest!” Rick shared in a statment.
Elba adds, “Working with Slick Rick… back home in the UK, and then offering the world of hip hop something amazing has been a blessing. It’s literally a gift!”
Mass Appeal co-founder Nas also shared a statement.
“Slick Rick and I have a long history of working together so it was great to get back in the studio with him to create this new record. He has been such an influential figure in Hip Hop culture and I look forward to him sharing this project with the next generation of fans,” shared the Queensbridge MC.
Victory clocks in at 30 minutes and is directed by Meji Alabi, who worked with Beyoncé on her Black Is King project. The project carries the bold, creative visions of both Rick and Elba, who, beyond acting, released music previously and is an active DJ, among Elba’s other talents.
The powerhouse affair features longtime studio engineer Young Guru, who mixed the project, and photography was provided by Jonathan Mannion. Victory will see a world premiere at SXS7 London at Shoreditch Town Hall on June 7, followed by a special session with Slick Rick, Idris Elba, and Meji Alabi.
Victory will make its debut in the States on June 13 at the SVA 1 Theater during the Tribeca Festival, which will have a Q&A session with Slick Rick. That same day, Victory will be available on DSPs and for purchase.
To purchase tickets for the SXSW London showing, click here. For the Tribeca Festival showing, click here.
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Photo: Jonathan Mannion
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Adin Ross is no stranger to garnering controversy as dictated by the many times he’s gone viral for his explosive takes and his current alignment with DDG, who was recently accused of some heinous acts. During a recent livestream, Adin Ross unleashed a vicious verbal attack against Doechii, calling her a “piece of sh*t” among other choice words.
Adin Ross, 24, is one of the most popular streamers in the business and boasts over a billion views among his various platforms that include Twitch, YouTube, and the Kick platform where he is currently signed. During a stream, someone in the chat mentioned Doechii’s name, sparking Ross to go on a tirade.
“Don’t get me started on that b*tch,” Ross repeatedly said, adding, “Don’t get me started on that industry plant. People say a lot of sh*t about me but one thing I’m not is an industry plant.”
Ross continued to aim barbs at Doechii, angered by what he witnessed during the TDE artist’s Met Gala appearance. The “Anxiety” star was seen on video sharply directing her team to cover her Met Gala outfit from the rain as she traveled to the event. She has since apologized to her team and fans for the outburst.
That wasn’t good enough for Ross, who then called Doechii a “entitled, unintelligent piece of sh*t” and urged his fans to stop listening to her music. He then made a plea to The Weeknd and Playboi Carti, asking why they included Doechii on the “Timeless” remix.
On X, fans are packing up Adin Ross with the swiftness, along with making mention that he was just on air with DDG, who is accused of physically abusing his son’s mother, Halle Bailey.
Check out the reactions below.
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Photo: Allen Berezovsky / Getty
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As the sex trafficking trial for Sean “Diddy” Combs continues, major media companies reporting on the matter have requested to review evidence at the center of the trial. A consortium of media brands filed the request earlier this week, which would allow viewing of the so-called “Freak-Off” footage mentioned in earlier reports.
As reported by Variety, the media companies include the Associated Press, Business Insider, Vox Media, Wall Street Journal, and more, all of which are requesting to view the footage of the parties infamously and allegedly masterminded by Sean “Diddy” Combs. During opening statements heard this week, Diddy’s ex-girlfriend, Cassie Ventura, mentioned the freak-off parties and accused Combs of ordering her and others to perform extreme sexual acts.
During her testimony, Ventura, who took the stand while in her third trimester carrying her third child, shared with prosecutors that she had handed over visual evidence via laptops that were in her possession.
“While the News organizations appreciate that some trial exhibits in this case may be sexually explicit and sensitive for the alleged victims, the public and the press should be permitted to view and consider this evidence (which lies at the heart of the Government’s case), consistent with the first Amendment right of access to criminal trials,” read a portion of the media companies’ filing.
Variety adds in their reporting that they are not asking for physical copies of the videos, instead only wanting to view the footage to inform their reporting. Attorney Douglas H. Wigdor, who represents Ventura, has filed to deny the request, writing that the media companies “did not cite any case, and nor are we aware of any authority, granting this unprecedented request in a sex trafficking case to unseal videos depicting coercive sex acts.”
A decision on allowing the media companies to see the footage has yet to be made.
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Photo: Getty
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Ironheart, the highly anticipated miniseries starring Dominique Thorne as genius MIT student Riri Williams, is slated to launch this summer. Marvel dropped the official trailer for Ironheart on Wednesday (May 14), which details Riri Williams’ journey into superheroism after studying abroad in a famed African nation.
Dominique Thorn stars as Riri Williams, an MIT student from Chicago who is encountered by a mysterious figure known as The Hood, played by Anthony Ramos, who helps fund her mission to build an all-powerful armored suit similar to the suits created by the late Tony Stark, better known to the world as Iron Man.
The trailer shows The Hood testing Williams’ brilliance inside her makeshift laboratory, and later promising riches to make her dreams of building a super-suit come true. As it would happen, The Hood doesn’t seem to have the purest intentions for Williams, setting up a clash with Ironheart in the future.
The six-part series follows the action shortly after Ryan Coogler’s Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, where we first encounter Williams after being recruited by the Dora Milaje’s top general, Okoye. Coogler also serves as an executive producer for the series, which also stars Lyric Ross as Williams’ friend Natalie Washington, and Alden Ehrenreich as Joe McGillicuddy, among others.
Get the full cast and other details for Ironheart here. Check out the trailer below. The show’s first three episodes will be released on June 24.
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Photo: Marvel/Getty/Disney+
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Halle Bailey has levied explosive claims against the father of her son, DDG, alleging that the popular streamer and music artist abused and attacked her several times during their union. On Tuesday (May 13), Halle Bailey filed to obtain a court-ordered restraining order against DDG.
In a report from TMZ, it was shared that Halle Bailey, 25, detailed the abuse she suffered at the hands of DDG, 27, adding that the issues dated back to the top of this year. The pair have not been an item since October of last year, but were still in contact as co-parents for their young son.
During a January visit to his son, DDG reportedly became angry with Bailey as she tried to get their son in a car seat, allegedly calling the singer the b-word and demanding she leave his vehicle. From there, Bailey says that the two began to scuffle, with the streamer allegedly slamming Bailey’s head against a steering wheel.
Adding to this, Bailey claimed that back in March, DDG showed up at her house and let himself in without asking, then went to her bedroom to take a photo of her empty bed. He then allegedly sent an image of the text with the caption, “now I know what u been on lol,” which Bailey presumed was charging her with having sex with other people.
Days later, the menacing allegedly continued with DDG appearing at Bailey’s home asking to see their son, but she didn’t want the boy to leave as she told the father that Mom and baby were feeling ill. DDG was allegedly angered by this and smashed Bailey’s Ring camera and took her phone.On X, the reactions to the news have fans of Halle Bailey angry and ready to ride against DDG, who feigned shock at the news during a stream with Adin Ross. We’ve got those reactions below.–Photo: Getty
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Michael Jordan will bring his years of basketball excellence and experience to television screens in the next NBA season after NBC Sports made a big announcement. Michael Jordan will join the network’s team as a special contributor covering NBA action.
The announcement was made on Monday (May 12) and highlights that Michael Jordan will be joining the NBA on NBC roster, with Air Jordan sharing in a statement his feelings on the new partnership.
“I am so excited to see the NBA back on NBC. The NBA on NBC was a meaningful part of my career, and I’m excited about being a special contributor to the project. I’m looking forward to seeing you all when the NBA on NBC launches this October,” Jordan said.
The NBA launched a series of new deals with various networks, and the revival of the NBA on NBC brand was part of the updated coverage formats. Jordan, a six-time NBA champion and Hall of Famer, will join former NBA stars Jamal Crawford, Reggie Miller, and Carmelo Anthony in analyst roles. Mike Tirico and Noah Eagle will provide play-by-play calls for games.
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Source: John Lamparski / Getty
The sex trafficking trial for Sean “Diddy” Combs is underway after opening statements were heard as the prosecution unveiled their star witness, Cassie Ventura, who took the stand. Among the harrowing details shared by Cassie Ventura, she added that her fear of Diddy’s anger is why she went along with the so-called “freak-off” parties.
We do wish to caution readers before proceeding, as some of the details within will be disturbing to some.
TMZ reports that prosecutors opened up their case on Tuesday (May 13) to discuss the allegations of sexual abuse, violence, coercion, and assault that occurred under Diddy’s watch and direction. Before Ventura took the stand, the prosecution shared that Combs forced his ex-girlfriend to have sex with male escorts, with one allegedly urinating in her mouth under Combs’ orders.
Ventura, who was accompanied by her husband Alex Fine to court, spoke about the 2016 beating at the hands of Combs, sharing that it happened shortly after a freak-off party. When asked why she participated willingly, Ventura shared that she was “confused, nervous. I wanted to make him happy.”
Prosecutors questioned if Ventura agreed to attend the initial freak-off party, and she did so without knowing it would be the start of more.
“Then there were more. It wasn’t something I wanted to do, at least not that frequently,” Ventura told the prosecutors. She added that the fear of retaliation and the threat that Diddy would release the video footage of the freak-off activities kept her from saying anything.
Ventura also told prosecutors that she provided evidence of the freak-off parties, sharing that she provided several laptops that allegedly contained said footage. Amid all of this, Ventura and Fine are expecting their third child.
On X, reactions to the opening statements are in, and we’ve got some listed below.
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Photo: Getty
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Ice-T has lived a colorful life as a founding voice in the so-called “Gangsta Rap” space as an artist ahead of a long and still-ongoing career as an actor. In a recent interview, Ice-T shared a tale of how a person he considered a good friend set him up and robbed him.
As spotted on Complex, Ice-T sat down with the Get Up & Tighten Up podcast hosted by Norman Seabrook, and he shared his early beginnings in Los Angeles, his foray into Hip-Hop music, and his journey as an actor.
Harkening back to his rapping roots, Ice shared how his alignment with individuals involved in street activity who were both protective of him and standoffish against other rappers, but also turned their backs on him while using his fame as an inside track to his riches.
“So when you’re from this environment…you just never know,” Ice-T said of running the streets. “I got set up by one of my best friends. It was funny, after it happened, I talked to somebody. They said, ‘That was somebody you fed, that was somebody who’s actually sat down to dinner with you that set you up.’”
To check out that portion of the interview, check out the 50-minute mark of the Get Up & Tighten Up podcast, posted below.
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Photo: John Atashian / Getty
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Sean “Diddy” Combs‘ high-profile trial will hear opening statements this week, and prosecutors have already suffered a setback. As previously reported, a key witness known as Victim-3 was expected to testify against Diddy but has yet to be found by the prosecution.
Deadline exclusively reports that the U.S. Attorney’s office for the Southern District of New York has been unable to locate Victim-3 after Jane Doe initially stated they would testify in court. Jane Doe was scheduled to state before the court how Combs allegedly used his power and influence to sexually exploit her.
The outlet adds in its reporting that the inability of the prosecution to locate the witness gives Combs’ team fuel to halt the progression of the case in the short term. The defense team might attempt to lay groundwork for a delay in the start of the trial or even a mistrial, although the latter seems far away from the realm of possibility.
According to unnamed sources that spoke with Deadline, it is assumed that Victim-3 has ceased all communication out of a fear for her safety. The witness’s name was shielded from public view and would remain so.
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Sean “Diddy” Combs and his defense team were granted a delay in the jury selection process on Friday (May 9), pushing it to this coming Monday. Opening statements are reported to be heard after the jury is selected, and it was also revealed that a key witness has decided they will not testify against Diddy.
The Daily Mail reports that Judge Arun Subramanian granted the defense’s request based on their feeling that jurors would get “cold feet” between Friday and Monday (May 12), which is when opening statements were originally supposed to be heard. The prosecution attempted to push back, but the judge said that if the jury is fully selected on Monday, it would ensure that the process would not need to be restarted.
Other developments in the trial involve Jane Doe, also known as Victim Number 3, who was thought to be a key witness. It appears that Victim Number 3 never worked with prosecutors, and according to a TMZ report, she did not want to testify. The outlet added in another report that Victim Number 5 might testify, and the judge ruled that they will need to reveal their identity to the court.
The defense also claimed that Diddy and his ex-girlfriend, Cassie Ventura, were both physically violent with one another. Ventura came forth with explosive claims about Combs, which led to an investigation and his eventual arrest. She is not involved with the sex trafficking trial directly, but it is said to be a character witness.
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Photo: Axelle/Bauer-Griffin / Getty
