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Tina Knowles took those criticizing Beyoncé for her Christmas halftime show on Netflix to task online, calling it “mind-boggling.”
Critics of the A Cowboy Carter Christmas concert performed by Beyoncé on Christmas Day got a hefty rebuke from her mother, Tina Knowles, online. The superstar singer’s mother shared a post on Instagram from a fan that declared that “people will always, ALWAYS, always have some negative ish to say” about her daughter no matter the circumstances. Knowles then decided to add her own comments.
“Repost: My sentiments exactly!” she began in the caption. “It is mind-boggling to me that you would take your precious Christmas day and watch a performance of someone you hate and you don’t think has talent so that you can go talk ish about it later. Obviously you are so obsessed with them, addicted to them, and secretly admire them, wish you could be them, that you cannot help but to watch and critique and comment and say dumb ridiculous stuff that makes you look like a joke!!
“So go to another channel when it’s halftime watch goofy cartoons or Bozo the clown or something you can relate to and see yourself in,” Knowles continued, adding: “Said with love. PS I have learned so much from her warrior spirit, of when they go low I work harder ‘No weapon formed against me shall prosper’ one, two, three waiting for the fake bots to come.”
The 13-minute concert performance took place at halftime between the Baltimore Ravens and the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium in her hometown of Houston. “I’m so honored to be in Texas right now. It’s only right that we do ‘Texas Hold ‘Em’ for the first time in Houston, Texas on Christmas,” Beyoncé told the crowd. The 32-time Grammy Award winner performed songs with country artist Shaboozey and Post Malone and was joined by her daughter Blue Ivy Carter on the field.
The performance was a high moment for Netflix, which livestreamed that game and the previous tilt between the Kansas City Chiefs and Pittsburgh Steelers earlier that afternoon as the first-ever NFL games to air on the platform. An estimated 27 million viewers tuned in to the live show, which is now available for those who missed it as a standalone special, Beyoncé Bowl.
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Dwight Howard may not be the NBA superstar that he once was, but people still love getting hot tea about him and his baby mama is ready to serve it all up, as hell hath no fury like a woman scorn.
Not too long after announcing his engagement to Amy Luciani, Dwight Howard’s baby mama Royce Reed decided to take to social media to reveal the mental, emotional and physical abuse she claims to have suffered at the hands of the former NBA MVP. According to HotNewHipHop, Reed took to her IG account to state that Dwight “Asked for it!” and added, “I told him to leave me alone! Messing with my career after already being a deadbeat and then telling me to ‘Get a job!’—like I haven’t been working since I was 16—is the last straw.”
Following through on her threat, Reed went on to create a new Instagram account, @ihadababybysuperman, and went into detail about how her relationship with Dwight began in 2004 while she was a dancer for the Orlando Magic during his rookie year and reveals that after she got pregnant, Dwight agreed to pay for the abortion only to disappear on her when it came time to do so.
But that’s not all.
Per HotNewHipHop:
Reed also claims Howard initially wanted no connection to their child, forbidding his name on baby shower invitations. She recalls a brief change of heart in 2008 when he visited her, bringing a car and phone as gifts, and even offering to buy her a house under his name—an offer she declined. Despite the material gestures, Reed says their relationship turned abusive when they tried to co-parent. She accuses Howard of forcing her into unwanted sexual acts and subjecting her to verbal, physical, and mental abuse.
Sounds like Dwight was out there acting like Diddy. Just sayin’.
Dwight has remained mum on these accusations. And we doubt he’ll waste any energy defending himself, as much of his dirty laundry has already been aired for public consumption. At this point, it feels like nothing is shocking when it comes to the former NBA superstar.
What do y’all think about this latest twist in the story of Dwight Howard? Let us know in the comments section below.
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The Cosby Show actor Geoffrey Owens spoke candidly about his struggles to find work as an actor in a recent radio interview.
Six years after he was spotted working at a Trader Joe’s grocery store in New Jersey, actor Geoffrey Owens sat down for an interview to share more about his difficulties as a “middle-class actor”. Owens was a guest on “The Big Tigger Morning Show”, aired on the V-103 radio station in Atlanta, Georgia. The Cosby Show alum revealed that after the photos of him working at the store taken by a shopper were published, he left his position.
“I quit Trader Joe’s actually before the news hit,” Owens said. “It was strange because someone had been in the store taking pictures. … And I was like, well now that this is breaking, I’m not going to feel comfortable working in this store wondering who’s around with a camera. It’s gonna be just too weird. I’m a very private person.” The photos, published by the tabloid Daily Mail and by Fox News, were regarded as “job shaming” by observers.
But Owens would also receive heavy support from celebrities, including director Tyler Perry, who offered him a role in his OWN drama series The Have and The Have Nots. Big Tigger mentioned that his residual checks from The Cosby Show must’ve been good, to which the actor replied they weren’t, given that his role as Elvin Tibideux meant that “I did maybe 20% of the show.”
“People have a false you impression of what the average, what I call middle-class actor makes and their ability to make a living in the industry,” the 63-year-old continued. “So that’s what drove me to work at Trader Joe’s to begin with. Honestly, I’m not much better off now than I was then.” Owens has appeared on the CBS sitcom Poppa’s House and is currently promoting the holiday movie Mr. Santa: A Christmas Extravaganza, which he stars in with comedian Tommy Davidson.
The actor also shared how he was gifted $25,000 by rapper Nicki Minaj, which he wound up donating to the Entertainment Community Fund (formerly the Actors Fund) in honor of the late actor Earle Hyman, who played Russell Huxtable, Bill Cosby’s father on the NBC sitcom. When his revelation was met with surprise, he replied that
“at the time, it seemed like the right thing to do.”
Watch the interview above.
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It seems Jay-Z will have to defend his name in a court of law. A judge has denied his request to dismiss a rape lawsuit against him.
As spotted on Vulture, the Brooklyn, N.Y., native did not receive favorable news regarding a recent legal filing against him. On Thursday (Dec. 26), Judge Analisa Torres ruled that Jane Doe can move forward with her lawsuit against Sean “Diddy” Combs and Jay-Z anonymously. While the accuser remains unidentified, the magistrate did say that Jane Doe might have to reveal her name in the future for the case to proceed.
According to the Associated Press, Judge Analisa Torres also expressed her disproval on how Jay-Z’s legal team have handled the complaint thus far. “Carter’s lawyer’s relentless filing of combative motions containing inflammatory language and ad hominem attacks is inappropriate, a waste of judicial resources, and a tactic unlikely to benefit his client. The Court will not fast-track the judicial process merely because counsel demands it,” the written order reads.
The “inflammatory language” is a direct reference to Alex Spiro’s–Jay-Z’s attorney–criticism of the plaintiff’s lawyer Tony Buzbee. In an exclusive statement to the Hollywood Reporter, the Texas-based mouthpiece commented on the judges denial to dismiss the case. “I don’t typically comment on court rulings. I will say that the coordinated and desperate efforts to attack me as counsel for alleged victims are falling flat.”
Back in October, a woman named Jane Doe filed a lawsuit against Diddy and Jay-Z claiming the two raped her at an event following the 2000 MTV Video Music Awards. She has since admitted that there were several inconsistencies with her original filing.
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According to TMZ, rapper OG Maco has passed away at age 32. After weeks of attempting to recover from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, the ATL rapper has reportedly transitioned.
On Dec. 13, reports came out that Maco was fighting for his life after shooting himself in the head. On Thursday morning, OG Maco was found unconscious at his home after a neighbor reported hearing a gunshot. He was quickly taken to the hospital for surgery and was on life support. His family made a statement on his current state of health at the time, “We want to inform OG Maco’s fans, friends, and supporters that he is currently in critical but stable condition. He is receiving the best possible care, and we are staying hopeful as he continues to fight.”
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We send our thoughts and prayers to OG Maco’s friends, family, and fans. More news to come as the story develops.
Suicide is a real problem, but you don’t have to face it alone. If you’re struggling, reach out for help. Call 1-800-273-8255 for free, confidential support.
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While Jay-Z remains mum about Dame Dash as the latter continues to dish his thoughts, opinions and memories about his heyday in the music industry, N.O.R.E., for one, has no problem responding. And one of his comments seems to have rubbed the thugged-out rapper the wrong way.
In one of Dame’s segments in his recent interview on The Art of The Dialogue, Dame touched on the rape accusations Jay-Z faced at the beginning of December and said that Jay would need the “white media” to give him cover, as culture-centered shows like N.O.R.E.’s Drink Champs and Charlamagne Tha God wouldn’t be able to keep Jay’s reputation afloat. “Drink Champs can’t get him out of this one and neither can Charlamagne ’cause those are the guys that hold him down no matter what he does,” Dame said. “So he got to get to People magazine and Entertainment Tonight right now ’cause they on his head.”
Taking issue with Dame’s take on Jay’s situation and insinuating that N.O.R.E. and Charlamagne are basically Jay-Z apologists, the “Superthug” rapper took to social media to give Dame his own two cents. He brought up how large he’s living these days, having to travel across seas on the regular while Dame’s days of international business trips are well behind him. Dame’s financial struggles have been on public display for quite some time.
“No one’s trying to disrespect you,” N.O.R.E. said. “We trying to show you love, but you keep coming at everybody. If you got beef with one person, you supposed to keep that beef with one person. You got beef with everybody around him…you became the Lame Dash. We don’t want to disrespect you, and I’m trying not to, as much as I can, because I actually respect the sh*t out of you, but you became the lame, chatty patty person that you said you against. Get ya life together. My number’s the same if you wanna work it out.”
Hip-Hop drama between men well into their 40s and 50s is weird, but yet, here we are.
We hope the two men can get on the horn and work out whatever issues there is between the two because the last thing Hip-Hop needs is two fully grown men going back and forth on social media. Just sayin’.
What do y’all think of this situation? Is N.O.R.E. right for feeling a way about Dame Dash’s comments, or is Dame in the right for sharing his opinions regardless of who he offends? Let us know in the comments section below.
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Kasseem Dean Jr. learned the news of a lifetime during the holiday season after finding out that he was accepted to New York University on his 18th birthday. Helping Kasseem Dean Jr. celebrate the achievement was his dad Swizz Beatz, mom Mashonda, and stepmother Alicia Keys.
Swizz Beatz got deep into his proud papa bag and shared a series of videos on Instagram with his entire family surprising Kasseem Dean Jr. with the big news. With the family all donning NYU hoodies, Dean is seen in the video below walking in to the surprise and definitely enjoyed the moment as any other person would.
“This is what we all do it for in real life. Today we celebrate the 18th Bday of Kasseem JR. We also celebrated him going to NYU. The amazing part was he didn’t know he was accepted we saved the news for his Bday. Blessings to all the parents going hard for the future aka the Kids,” Swizz Beatz wrote in the caption.
Mashonda also shared images on her Instagram page praising her son for reaching his birthday milestone and achieving his collegiate goals.
“Keeping the news about NYU under wraps was quite a challenge; we wanted to surprise you on your birthday , surrounded by family. Your life is a profound blessing to all of us. Now, it’s GO TIME, time to embark on this new journey. Know that I will always be here by your side, my son. Thank you to my incredible co-parents HAPPY BIRTHDAY, she wrote.
Alicia Keys also got in on the IG love and offered her words of encouragement to her stepson.
“My amazing young king @yayachronicles !! You are totally unstoppable!! I’m so excited about every moment this year is going to bring!! This is just the beginning of things you can’t even imagine! Keep working hard and bringing that light and gratitude, everywhere you go!!!! The blessings of tomorrow will be greater than we can ever imagine today!!!
I love you Kassy!! Always your Umi!!!” Keys said.
Congratulations to Kasseem Dean Jr. and the entire family.
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Richard Parsons, a Black executive lauded for his efforts leading Time Warner and Citigroup, died on Thursday (Dec. 26) at the age of 76. Richard Parsons navigated deals such as splitting one-time Internet giant AOL from Time Warner and other notable moves.
Richard Parsons, who also went by the shortened version of his name Dick, was born on April 4, 1948, in New York and was raised in the South Ozone Park in Queens. Raised by parents of middle-class means, Parsons was an exceptional student in grade school ahead of attending the University of Hawaii at Manoa on a basketball scholarship. Returning to the mainland, Parsons entered Albany Law School of Union University, New York, and earned his Juris Doctor degree in 1971.
Parsons’ legal career began after he was invited to work for New York Gov. Nelson Rockefeller, who was later appointed as Vice President of the United States by President Gerald Ford. Parsons traveled to Washington to work alongside Rockefeller in 1974, crossing paths with fellow lawyer Rudolph Giuliani during this stretch. From 1977 to 1988, Parsons worked for the Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler law firm and was made partner.
In 1991, Parsons was asked to join Time Warner’s board and later became its president in 1995. Parsons oversaw Time Warner’s merger with AOL in 2000, but the partnership did not create the financial windfall some expected. After Time Warner Chief Executive Gerald Levin retired in 2001, Parsons stepped in to take Levin’s place. Under Parson’s leadership, Time Warner successfully split from AOL by removing the name association with the company and lowering the company’s $30 billion debt to $16.8 billion after selling Warner Music and portions of the wider business.
After stepping down in 2007 from Time Warner, two years later Parsons became the chairman of Citigroup, using his management and business oversight skills to help the banking company after it was hit by the financial crisis. In 2014, Parsons worked as the interim CEO for the Los Angeles Clippers after the NBA banned owner Donald Sterling for life for his racist remarks. Parsons, a Republican Party voter, did not involve himself with racial politics and famously downplayed race in interviews electing to focus on other aspects of himself.
In 2015, Parsons was diagnosed with multiple myeloma and officially retired in 2018 due to health concerns. Parsons passed away at his Manhattan home according to reports. His death was confirmed by Lazard, where he was a board member.
Richard Parsons is survived by his wife, Laura, and their three children.
[h/t CNBC]
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Terrence “Punch” Henderson, the president of Top Dawg Entertainment and, according to his bio, SZA‘s manager, found himself at the center of social media discussions regarding the talented songstress. Although we haven’t been able to determine all the fine points, fans on social media believe there is beef between SZA and Punch, but in typical TDE fashion, those on the outside aren’t privy to the facts.
SZA has been enjoying plenty of fanfare lately after the surprise drop of her SOS Deluxe: Lana project, a reissue of 2022’s SOS. The singer, real name Solána Rowe, posted and later deleted comments Punch reading, “And to be clear, I love Punch deeply! NO ONE should be attacking him or being cruel on my behalf. Sometimes people grow apart, and that’s okay.”
We’ve tried to find the original space where the CTRL singer wrote the comment but only the Hip-Hop screenshot accounts online are pushing this supposed split. However, upon deeper examination, Punch still has in his bio that he’s still SZA’s manager and eagle-eyed fans are slowly realizing that the beef is something they may have imagined, seizing upon the past creative rifts.
A quick scan of the (formerly?) feuding twosome’s social media accounts doesn’t seem to point to any issues. Punch’s timeline seems to give the most direct clues that whatever transpired is behind the two and that it’s all peace and love.
“Also, nothing real can be threatened. Relax ppl. lol,” read one X reply with another reading, “SMH. Change your bio and everything goes haywire. Sheesh. I’m beginning to suspect some of you guys don’t fancy me very much.”
Punch’s last reply on X featured him asking fans what their favorite songs from SOS Deluxe: Lana was, sharing a couple of his selections.
On X, fans are still trying to make this beef with SZA a thing. We’ve got reactions from all sides below.
Listen to SOS Deluxe: Lana below.
Lmao closed my eyes for two seconds for the first time in 36 hours and missed the damn drop ! SOS DELUXE ( Lana ) OUT NOW ON ALL PLATFORMS !!! https://t.co/AlJpuNRp7c pic.twitter.com/bvNiwknUOk
— SZA (@sza) December 20, 2024
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While everyone was spreading joy and well wishes on Christmas, Brooklyn rapper Joey Bada$$ was dealing out knuckle sandwiches, as he got into a scuffle at a clothing store in New York City.
According to XXL, the “Fallin’” rapper got into some fisticuffs this past Monday (Dec. 23), with an unknown man. It was all captured on a surveillance camera and ultimately leaked for public consumption. While no one knows exactly what led to the incident, the footage captures Joey Bada$$ in a very animated face-to-face confrontation with a man at the retail store before the two began to throw hands near the store’s exit door.
While others attempted to break up the fight, Joey was having none of that and continued to dish out some haymakers before ultimately walking away.
Per XXL:
The skirmish comes two days after Joey received a proclamation from New York Mayor Eric Adams naming Dec. 20 Joey Bada$$ Day. This honor coincides with the second-anniversary celebration of his ImpactMENtorship Program. The same day, Joey joined the New York City Department of Youth & Community Development for their second annual Hip Hop Holiday Giveaway.
Joey recently completed his first artist residency at the Clive Davis Institute at NYU Tisch and was announced as the inaugural artist scholar in residence at Columbia University’s Teachers College Gordon Institute.
XXL has reached out for comment to Joey’s camp but have yet to hear back from them.
Check out Joey Bada$$ put hands on someone below, and let us know your thoughts in the comments section.
Video shows Joey Badass getting into a fight in a New York City clothing store. 😳pic.twitter.com/piGYjqKMyY
— XXL Magazine (@XXL) December 24, 2024