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The artist responsible for the statue of retired NBA star Dwyane Wade — which has been getting dragged on social media since it was unveiled by the Miami Heat over the weekend — is defending his work. The artist is telling critics that they don’t know anything about what goes into constructing and maintaining such a sculpture.
Absolutely losing it at D Wade’s reaction to seeing his statue…
“I can’t believe it… Who is that guy?”
LMMAAOO pic.twitter.com/eZET5w7Z7G
— Josh Reynolds (@JoshReynolds24) October 27, 2024
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that is NOT D Wade bro 💀
if the Heat decide to fix the statue we’re gonna give away 100x FREE LINEUPS for a shot to win $5,000 to random people who like this 😭
pic.twitter.com/ukM2dCgg1d
— PrizePicks (@PrizePicks) October 27, 2024
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Days after people on the internet unanimously responded to the unveiling of the Wade statue with a resounding, “Harpo, who dis man?” the artist, Oscar Leon, told NBC News, “To the critics, there’s a lot that needs to be understood.”
“We have to seal everything to keep the integrity of the sculpture,” Leon continued. “However, that does create a funny little side effect of being glossy in areas that we are not used to seeing when we look at somebody in the flesh.”
Leon appears to be under the impression that the statue’s “glossy” finish in certain “areas” is why people have been dogging the sculpture, not because it looks like he put Trick Daddy’s head on top of Wade’s body.
“The sealer definitely creates a little bit of, um, a misunderstanding to the eye. So, I would definitely encourage everyone to come to Miami and view it in person,” he explained.
Sir…
At this point, most people have seen this statue honoring Wade from every angle and camera distance imaginable, and so far we haven’t seen a single image of it that doesn’t look like a civil rights violation in a Heat jersey. It just really doesn’t seem like viewing the statue in person is going to change anyone’s perception of it.
To be fair, Wade himself also appeared to defend Leon’s work, and he also did so by pointing out that common folk don’t know the process that went into its creation.
From thegrio:
“I don’t know a lot of people with a statue. Do you know anybody? In here, y’all know anything about the process of the statue?” Wade asked the media Monday, Sports Illustrated reported. “No one out there does, neither. It’s an unbelievable process to be a part of and it’s a complicated process.”
Leon told NBC News the sculpture took over 800 hours to produce, sixteen of which were spent with Wade. The artists received final approval from Wade’s closest friends and Miami Heat executives. In posts to his Instagram Stories, Wade revealed more of the behind-the-scenes process, including shots of himself posing with a version of the statue’s face.
OK, fine, so the piece took a long time and a lot of effort to make.
That still doesn’t change that it looks like Joe Jackson in Dwayne Wade’s gear. Jussayin’.
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Diddy’s demand to have the names of witnesses against him in his upcoming criminal trial has been blasted by prosecutors in a recent filing.
According to reports, a request by the legal team for Diddy to reveal the names of those witnesses for the prosecution has been rebuked in a recent filing. “The Victim Gag Motion should be denied as an attempt to backdoor the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure to compel the Government to prematurely disclose its witness list,” wrote prosecutors for the United States Attorney’s Office of the Southern District of New York in a filing on Thursday (Oct. 31).
The 56-page motion blasted lawyers Marc Agnifilo and Teny Geragos for the move, writing: “Not only would such relief be unprecedented, but the defendant should not be permitted to use a local criminal rule as a sword to gag civil claimants whether or not their statements were connected to this criminal proceeding, or to evade established case law in this Circuit.” The motion also dismissed allegations levied by Agnifilo and Geragos that the federal government leaked to the public the 2016 hotel security footage that showed Diddy, aka Sean Combs, assault his then-partner Cassie Ventura.
“As the defendant is fully aware, the video was not in the Government’s possession at the time of CNN’s publication and the Government has never, at any point, obtained the video through grand jury process,” wrote U.S. Attorney Damian Williams, who also swatted away other defense claims that the government leaked material to media outlets. “Here, too, the defendant is grasping at straws. Because the defendant cannot show that the information in the Cited Articles is grand jury material, and because he cannot show that Government agents with access to grand jury material leaked the information, he cannot make the prima facie showing required for the relief he seeks.”
The filing comes as the grand jury for the criminal case is continuing to meet and hear from witnesses as well as to review new evidence submitted by the government including text messages, video, and audio from 60 of Diddy’s devices. “The grand jury is always meeting. This is an ongoing investigation,” said one source close to the case to CNN. The case, set to be heard by U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian, will begin May 5, 2025. Diddy is currently incarcerated at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, New York.
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The claims against Diddy are getting even wilder. A man says he has videotapes of the mogul having sex with other celebrities including two child stars.
As spotted on Page Six, a man named Courtney Burgess is stepping forward with some very wild allegations about the founder of Bad Boy Entertainment. The self-proclaimed music executive was interviewed on NewsNation’s Banfield show.
During the Q&A hearing he revealed that he has several flash drives given to him by the late Kim Porter. In them, Burgess says are videos of Diddy and other celebrities, specifically six men and two women. Even more egregious is his claim that two of the proposed a-listers were minors at the time. Burgess would go on to detail that all the high-profile stars in the footage appeared to him to be under the influence and were victims.
On Thursday (Oct. 31), he testified before a grand jury in Manhattan. TMZ caught up with him and his attorney Ariel Mitchell outside and were able to get some additional details and clarification. Burgess explained that not only does he have possession of the tapes but also an unedited version of Kim Porter’s memoir.
Earlier this year, Jamal T. Milwood published a book titled Kim’s Last Words. The purported memoir was written by investigative journalist Chris Todd and contained several serious accusations against Diddy, including claims of physical abuse and sexual debauchery. Porter’s children soon denounced the release, prompting Amazon and Barnes & Noble to pull it. Ariel confirmed they are looking to release their unedited version for sale shortly.
Sources tell TMZ that federal prosecutors have subpoenaed him and have demanded he turn over all his files which include Diddy. You can see the NewsNation interview with Courtney Burgess below.
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Madlib, the longtime producer who made his name early on as part of the Stones Throw Records label, filed a lawsuit against his former manager, Eothen “Egon” Alapatt. According to the complaint, Madlib is alleging that Egon engaged in business practices detrimental to their partnership.
In a pitch we received earlier this week, Madlib, real name Otis Jackson Jr., filed the lawsuit in Los Angeles County Superior Court on Thursday (October 31), which was also the anniversary of the passing of Madlib’s collaborative partner in Madvillainy, Daniel “MF DOOM” Dumile.
In our examination of the complaint, the producer alleges that Alapatt engaged in murky dealings that led to the pair exiting Stones Throw Records in 2010. Madlib took on Egon as a manager at this point which led to the creation of two related companies, Madcine Show and Rappcats. Alapatt was slated to run the business operations along with co-founder and recording engineer Jeffrey “Jeff Jank” Carlson, also named in the lawsuit.
Alapatt also helms Now-Again Records, which Jackson’s complaint alleges was pt into place as a go-between for business deals that were in place for Jackson. However, Jackson says Alapatt only sought to benefit himself and his singular business.
“Not only was EGON not performing these duties, but he was also engaged in rank self-dealing, concealing information from and repeatedly breaching his duties to Madlib, and otherwise engaging in persistent and pervasive mismanagement,” a portion of the complaint reads.
The suit further adds that Alapatt forced Jackson “out of several key music business platforms that he should have access to including but not limited to Ingrooves, Apple Music, Bandcamp, and YouTube as well as MADLIB’s own Facebook account and the Instagram account for his QUASIMOTO character.”
Alapatt has yet to publicly respond to the complaint.
This comes after the widow of MF DOOM, Jasmine Dumile Thompson, claimed that Alapatt took over two dozen rhyme notebooks belonging to the beloved lyricist containing songs that were never released. Alapatt is reportedly hoping to donate the notebooks to an archive, going against the wishes of DOOM’s widow.
The complaint can be viewed by following this link.
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Megan Thee Stallion had a busy 2024 with the release of her third studio album, Megan, and the recent deluxe drop of the project, Act II. The Houston Hottie is continuing the creative streak with the release of a new documentary that reveals details of her relationship with Tory Lanez, her struggles with mental health, and more.
Megan Thee Stallion: In Her Words premiered this week on the Amazon Prime streaming service and the documentary has held a share of public previews ahead of its release. Candidly, the artist born Megan Peete shares intimate details of her life with unflinching clarity.
What caught the attention of some on social media was Megan’s admission that she lied to Gayle King during their 2022 CBS Mornings interview regarding whether the pair ever slept together. While she denied having sex with the imprisoned Canadian artist, she says in the documentary that she slept with Lanez a couple of times while intoxicated. Some online seized on this as a means to exonerate Lanez from shooting at the rapper’s feet and injuring her.
Other moments from the documentary include Megan sharing that she made the grueling decision to take her mother and manager, Holly Thomas, off life support after a brain tumor was discovered. Megan’s journey of grieving after the 2019 loss of her mother is also documented.
Despite the setbacks, including suffering from anxiety and entering intensive therapy after the shooting incident, one hallmark of the documentary is the resiliency of Megan Thee Stallion. She makes mention of the various industry roadblocks but the consistent theme is that she is finally on the path of triumph.
The trailer for the documentary can be viewed below.
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A female accusing Diddy of sexual assault will have to drop her anonymity. The presiding judge has ordered her to reveal her name so the case can move forward.
As per New York Daily News, a Manhattan federal judge has ruled that a woman who claims Diddy raped her more than 20 years ago must disclose her name. On Wednesday (Oct. 30), Judge Mary Kay Vyskocil deemed her arguments “wholly meritless.” The U.S. District magistrate explained her reasoning in a formal response. “Combs has had no contact with Plaintiff for the approximately 20 years since the alleged rape and Combs is currently detained pending trial. As such, counsel has not identified any present threat of physical harm to Plaintiff,” the statement reads.
Furthermore, Vyskocil wants the case to be fair for both parties thus it will be required for the plaintiff to reveal herself in order for Diddy to defend himself adequately. “The Court appreciates that Combs is a public figure and, therefore, Plaintiff is likely to face public scrutiny if she proceeds in her own name. The Court is not oblivious to the potential toll of such scrutiny on any litigant,” she explained. “However, Plaintiff’s interest in avoiding public scrutiny, or even embarrassment, does not outweigh the interests of both Combs and the public in the customary and constitutionally-embedded presumption of openness in judicial proceedings,” the judge added.
While this requirement only applies to this case, Judge Mary Kay Vyskocil’s ruling could potentially influence other lawsuits against Diddy where the plaintiffs are using aliases. Diddy’s defense team have denied the allegations. Jane Doe has until Nov. 13 to reveal her name or the case will be dismissed. The Tennessee woman claims she was raped in a studio by Diddy and members of his entourage in 2004.
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Westside Gunn is staying true to tradition of releasing a new project every Halloween. The MC says 11 is his most personal project ever.
It seems the Buffalo, N.Y., native is looking to close out 2024 strong. Every year his fans expect him to release something new on the spooky unofficial holiday, and he did not disappoint. 11 features five new tracks all produced by Denny Laflare. With no guest appearances from other rappers, this effort is all Gunn as he prepares this loyal fanbase for the release of his new album Still Praying, which is scheduled to drop Friday (Nov. 1). According to the press release, FLYGOD deems this project as his most personal yet. “11 is the most personal project I ever made, it’s dedicated to my brother who was killed in April, but narrated by my brother who has life in prison fighting to come home,” Gunn explains. “This is the reality for Westside Gunn.”
“Stone” opens things up with a drop from late great DJ Kay Slay and transitions to a slow but grim instrumental. Here Gunn catches up with his friend Donald “Sly” Green, who is serving four life sentences. From there we get a return to the classic Griselda sound with “Unkle Howdy” and “Cain Tejada.” Additionally, we get a verse from Griselda’s in-house poet Keisha Plum on “BIG DUMP BALLAD.” You can purchase and stream Westside Gunn’s 11 here.
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It seems Clipse fans will not have to wait much longer for their new project. The group has signed with Def Jam Records for their new album.
As reported by Hypebeast, the Virginia Beach, Va., duo are officially back. On Tuesday (Oct. 29), Malice took to social media to share the news in a tongue-in-cheek way. In the post we see the man born Eugene Thorton standing in front of a digital sign that says “DEF JAM WELCOMES CLIPSE.” The caption read, “A picture’s worth….” While the label has yet to formally confirm the signing, the move would make sense as his brother Pusha T is already signed to Def Jam Records as a solo artist. Additionally, King Push served as president of Kanye West’s G.O.O.D. Music, which is an imprint of the historic Rap label.
Originally announced in June during an interview with Vulture, the two blood brothers confirmed Pharrell Williams would be producing the entirety of Let God Sort Em Out. “Pharrell producing everything is also an ode to the type of music and the type of albums we want to make. We still want to make full bodies of work. These are movies, man. These aren’t just songs. This isn’t just a collection of joints we went in and banged out. This is tedious,” Pusha T said. Since then, Nas, John Legend and Stove God Cooks have also been confirmed as guest appearances.
Let God Sort Em Out marks the Clipse’s fourth album and first effort in over 15 years.
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Tekashi 6ix9ine is back behind the bars. The rapper turned federal informant has been arrested for violating the terms of his supervised release.
As spotted on TMZ, the Brooklyn, N.Y., native was taken into custody Tuesday (Oct. 29), in New York City. According to NBC News a warrant for his arrest was issued by the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. While details of the paperwork have yet to be publicly disclosed, ABC News NY reports that authorities have confirmed that the “GOOBA” performer was detained because he traveled to Las Vegas without permission and missed his scheduled drug testing. He is also said to have tested positive for methamphetamine and arrived an hour late to his court hearing that same morning.
Tekashi 6ix9ine told the judge that he had just flown back to New York City from Florida and overslept. Additionally, he said that he traveled to Las Vegas to perform and thought he had permission to do since it allows him to earn a living as a music artist. In response to testing positive for methamphetamine the man born Daniel Hernandez says he takes Adderall, which contains methamphetamine. “I’m human,” he said to Judge Paul A. Engelmayer. “I’m human bro.”
The magistrate made it clear he was not pleased and said his behavior displays a “full spectrum disregard for the law” and promptly ordered he be arrested. Tekashi 6ix9ine is set to sit behind bars until his next hearing on Nov. 12.
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Nicky Jam, a popular Reggaeton artist, was one of many Donald Trump’s celebrity supporters who hit the stump with the presidential hopeful. After a series of tasteless jokes were delivered at a recent rally held by Donald Trump in New York, Nicky Jam is now walking back his endorsement of the former president.
Just last month, Nicky Jam was a proud Donald Trump supporter and appeared onstage with him while sporting a Make America Great Again cap. However, comedian Tony Hinchliffe unleashed jokes at the expense of Puerto Rico, referring to the island as “garbage” along with other racially charged barbs.
Taking to Instagram and speaking in Spanish, Nicky Jam denounced Hinchliffe’s insults then explained to his fans that he supported Trump due to concerns over the economy and thought as a businessman, he would improve conditions for all economically.
“I believed it was what’s best for the economy in the United States, where a lot of Latinos live [A] lot of immigrants that are suffering over the state of the economy,” Jam said. “With [Trump] being a businessman, I felt it was the right movement.”
Below, we’re sharing the video Nicky Jam posted to his Instagram page. The comments for the clip have been turned off, however, so we’re not certain how his statements were received among his 43.5 million followers.
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