celebrity news
Page: 25
HipHopWired Featured Video
Jay-Z joined the growing ranks of celebrities in the cannabis space via the high-end Monogram brand, coupled with endorsements from his creative and artistic peers. Now, it’s being reported that Jay-Z’s brand, initially boasting $575 million in funds, has blown through the cash and can’t even be found in stores in dispensaries where advertised online.
In a report from SFGate, Jay-Z, birth name Shawn Carter, joined the cannabis space in 2020 with Monogram, and it came replete with the level of class and luxury expected of anything Hov puts his name on. Boasting a quartet of strains and pre-roll packages, Monogram was believed to be one of the major players, considering its top pitchman’s success in business.
Fast forward to 2024 and it doesn’t appear that the brand ever got its footing. illustrating this point, any potential buyer of Monogram wouldn’t be able to as none of its listed partner dispensaries in California and Arizona carried the product.
The outlet spoke with Seth Yakatan, an investor and adviser who worked with the California legal cannabis sector, and said that Monogram’s parent company, The Parent Company (TPCO), spent high amounts of cash which is evidenced by its seven-part video series featuring Jadakiss, Tinashe, Curren$y, 2 Chainz, and Chika among others.
Monogram was formed on the back of an investment round raised by The Parent Company, which consists of three cannabis businesses with TPCO going public in 2020 via a special-purpose acquisition company which SFGate explained as a fundraising method that fast-tracked a huge haul of cash. In all, TPCO oversaw 20 cannabis retail brands, several grow houses — places where cannabis is grown — and retail stores based in California.
Much of Monogram’s success was based on market projections made by TPCO and was expected to rake in $334 million after announcing the launch. However, as the story notes, California’s competitive market had to compete against itself amid high taxation, falling wholesale prices, and even illegal cannabis sales thus causing many businesses to close up shop.
SFGate also reports that Monogram is no longer in business with TPCO, with the split reportedly taking place two years ago. Monogram is now owned by an LLC connected to the Gold Flora brand, which absorbed TPCO’s business thus making them a minority owner.
—
Photo: Getty
HipHopWired Featured Video
Source: Paras Griffin / Getty
Drake’s legal filings against Kendrick Lamar and UMG have earned him some wrath from Uncle Luke, with the Hip-Hop icon calling him soft.
Drake’s latest move in his ongoing feud with Kendrick Lamar – filing legal petitions against the Compton rapper and Universal Music Group – has rubbed many in Hip-Hop and pop culture the wrong way. Count Luther “Uncle Luke” Campbell among them, evidenced in a social media post the Hip-Hop veteran shared over the past weekend.
“I like Drake’s music, I don’t like what he got going on right now but I like his music,” Luke began. “Some things you don’t talk about. You don’t talk about payola, you don’t talk about buying livestreams and you don’t sue after you got dissed, and you done did some dissing.” He’d go on to proclaim that it was a hallmark of this generation. “That’s y’all young people. y’all young people live in a soft society. That’s why I’m glad I’m an OG. All y’all young people soft. Soft, soft, soft. You got rappers that wanna diss somebody, then wanna go get the gun. Why not go and fight?”
The 2 Live Crew founder would go on to share differences between his generation and this one, citing his past beef with Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg. “One thing that’s off limits, the kids are off limits, girlfriends are off limits, mamas are off limits,” Luke said. His views were mostly met with approval in the comments, with one user writing: “Can’t tell people they wrong anymore without they feelings getting hurt…I just leave everything alone.”
Drake’s pre-action petition claims that Universal Music Group and Spotify were responsible for inflating the streaming numbers for “Not Like Us” using bots on social media and other means. The Certified Lover Boy artist filed the documents shortly after Kendrick Lamar’s latest album, GNX, was released. The move has earned him heavy criticism from others including Joe Budden, who called him a “piece of s—t” on his latest podcast episode, citing the Canadian rapper’s negative actions in the past fueling this karmic retribution.
UMG’s response to the filing was swift, stating: “The suggestion that UMG would do anything to undermine any of its artists is offensive and untrue. We employ the highest ethical practices in our marketing and promotional campaigns. No amount of contrived and absurd legal arguments in this pre-action submission can mask the fact that fans choose the music they want to hear.”
HipHopWired Featured Video
Source: Thaddaeus McAdams / Getty
And the lawsuits for Diddy just keep piling on as yet another woman has come forward to sue the Bad Boy founder for allegedly going Suge Knight on her and dangling her off a balcony many years ago.
According to People, Bryana “Bana” Bongolan filed a 17-page lawsuit against Sean “P. Diddy” Combs claiming that in 2016, the “Last Night” rapper not only sexually molested her but put her life in danger when he dangled her over a 17th-floor balcony of his and Casandra “Cassie” Ventura’s apartment. According to Bongolan, she had spent the night at Cassie’s apartment with her girlfriend when Diddy showed up the next morning and committed the assault.
Per People:
“He grabbed her, turned her back to his chest, and molested her by groping her breasts as she yelled to be left alone,” the lawsuit claims. After Bongolan began to struggle, Combs moved his hands from her breasts to her armpits and placed her on the banister of the 17-story balcony while repeatedly yelling, “Do you know what the fuck you did!”
Bongolan, who was 4 feet 11 inches tall and weighed about 100 lbs at the time, “attempted to resist him, throwing her weight back in a struggle not to be thrown to the ground and what would likely be her death,” but Combs “easily overpowered her again,” the lawsuit claims.
After Ventura emerged, she allegedly screamed at Combs to stop and informed him that Bongolan’s then-girlfriend was also in the apartment.
Combs then pulled Bongolan back over the balcony but did not release her, and instead “slammed Ms. Bongolan onto the balcony’s patio furniture, including a table,” the lawsuit claims. Bongolan said that she did not and still does not know what Combs believed she did.
With all these people coming forward with their stories of Diddy one can only wonder what else is out there that we haven’t heard as of yet. The lawsuit even includes another incident that the fashion designer witnessed between Combs and his ex-girlfriend, Cassie.
Also in the lawsuit, Bongolan claims she observed both “disturbing signs of an abusive relationship” and actual incidents of abuse between Ventura and Combs prior to the balcony incident — including one in which the music mogul threw a “large kitchen knife” at his then-girlfriend, “who, acting in self-defense, threw one back at him.”
As if that wasn’t bad enough, Bongolan revealed that Diddy continued to make her life a living hell as their working relationship continued.
The designer cited several instances, including a trip in which Combs “became aggressive” and “forcibly fed” her a drug she now believes was ecstasy and a photo shoot in which he cornered her to say, “I’m the motherf—— devil. You have no idea what I could do to you. I could kill you.”
Bongolan took Combs’ threat seriously, citing not only his treatment of Ventura but also her knowledge that rapper Kid Cudi’s car exploded after he dated the singer while she and Combs were separated. The designer also heard rumors that the Bad Boy Records founder “skinned a rival’s dog,” the lawsuit alleges.
Skinned a rival’s dog?! Which rival could this have been? If true, that man really is the motherf*ckin’ devil. No wonder he keeps getting denied bail.
Bongolan is suing for $10 million in damages for the physical and mental abuse she suffered at the hands of “Brother Love.”
What do y’all think of the latest accusations aimed at Diddy? Sound off in the comments section below.
HipHopWired Featured Video
Source: Jeff Kravitz / Getty
LL Cool J is without doubt one of the greatest MC’s of all-time and while many may consider him to be the actual GOAT of the rap game, LL himself is going a step beyond that assessment and labeling himself the most important rapper in Hip-Hop history.
Recently, Ladies Love Cool James appeared on Apple Music‘s Le Code podcast and gave an in-depth interview about himself and his career. While speaking about his place in Hip-Hop among the gods of the game, LL basically labeled himself Hip-Hop’s anchor being “humbly” saying, “I think that one day people are going to wake up and realize LL Cool J is the most important rapper that ever existed.”
While LL’s evaluation of himself is debatable (and it will be in many Hip-Hop circles and think tanks), the man did know how to balance hardcore Hip-Hop songs along with R&B tunes that made women swoon as soon as they came on the radio.
Continuing to make his case as “the most important rapper that ever existed,” LL stated, “They’re going to look and say, ‘Wow when it comes to the jewelry, this is the guy that introduced all the diamond and the ice and the jewelry and the champagne. They’re going to say when it comes to the love songs, they’re going to say, ‘This is the guy that introduced the love songs and all the love sh*t.’
“When it comes to the bad boy vibe, they’re going to realize that this is the guy who introduced all the bad boy vibes before it was done. When it comes to the GOAT terminology, ‘This is the guy who came up with all the GOAT stuff.’ They’re going to say when it comes to Def Jam, ‘Wow this is the first artist that was on Def Jam.’”
Well, the man isn’t wrong. He continued to explain he was the first rapper to make endorsements for clothing brands and attire a thing in the rap game and helped paved the way for rappers to become actors on television and movies. Whether or not that actually makes him Hip-Hop’s anchor being is up for debate, but he made some pretty solid points about his impact on not just the Hip-Hop game but the Hip-hop culture overall.
Check out the interview in its entirety, and let us know what your thoughts are in the comments section below.
HipHopWired Featured Video
Source: Houston Chronicle/Hearst Newspapers / Getty
Sad news is coming out of Wendy Williams’ camp as it seems that the mental health and well-being of the iconic talk show host has declined significantly since we’ve last heard from her.
According to Page Six, the attorney for Wendy Williams’ guardian, Sabrina Morrissey, wrote a memo to the judge overseeing their lawsuit against A+E Networks to inform him that Williams’ battle with dementia hasn’t only gotten worse but has left her “cognitively impaired and permanently incapacitated.” The revelation comes as Morrissey continues to battle the network for getting Wendy Williams to do their four-part series Where Is Wendy Williams? for which she was only paid a paltry $82,000 while the network raked in a fortune.
Morrissey states that she wasn’t aware that A+E and Williams were filming the show until several months into the process and that the network exploited Williams for their own gain as she was clearly struggling with her mental health at the time of filming. A+E Networks for their part denied any such wrong doing and tried to shift the blame on Morrissey instead.
Per Page Six:
They argued in a filing obtained by Page Six that the guardian was pursuing legal action against them to “attempt to excuse her own failure to protect” Williams and “deflect from her own decision” to allow the former host to be filmed “without checking in on her.”
Morrissey’s lawyer wrote in response, “None of the defendants ever gained the guardian’s consent for [Williams’] participation to be filmed, and the guardian did not learn of the talent agreement until March
2023, seven months after the start of filming.”
Though the show was a hit, it became obvious that Williams wasn’t in her right state of mind and was eventually diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia and aphasia, which is known to affect memory loss and causes people to act erratically, behavior Williams exhibited during the filming process.
How this will end up playing out is anyone’s guess, but our prayers and well wishes go out to Wendy Williams and her family.
HipHopWired Featured Video
Source: Nicholas Hunt / Getty
Queen Latifah will be the master of ceremonies for one of the most prestigious events in entertainment. She has been slotted to host the 47th Kennedy Center Honors.
As reported by Deadline the Newark, N.J., native will lend her talents for the upcoming awards show. On Monday (Nov. 25), the cultural institution announced that the “Ladies First” performer will be returning to the stage but this time as the host. Last year at the 46th edition, she was celebrated for her lifetime artistic achievements. This time, she will help shine a much needed spotlight on several influential creatives, including filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola (The Godfather), Grateful Dead, Bonnie Raitt and Jazz musician Arturo Sandoval. Additionally, the Apollo Theater will also be celebrated during its 90- year anniversary.
Queen Latifah shared her enthusiasm in an Instagram post. “I am so excited to share that I will be returning to the Kennedy Center Honors this year,” the caption read. The accompanying visual is a snippet of her 2023 interview with Nate Burleson on CBS Mornings. According to their website, “The Kennedy Center Honors recognizes and celebrates individuals whose unique contributions have shaped the way we see ourselves, each other and our world. Recipients have each had an impact on the rich tapestry of American life and culture through the performing arts.”
The 47th Kennedy Center Honors will be broadcasted Sunday (Dec. 22), from 8:30-11:00 p.m., ET/PT on the CBS Television Network and streaming on Paramount+.
HipHopWired Featured Video
Drake continues to have one of the worst years in Hip-Hop after Kendrick Lamar handily dismantled his rival in a series of songs that reached a peak with the “Not Like Us” diss track. In a recent livestream, Drake lashed out at K-Dot’s fellow Compton native Steve Lacy by referring to him as a “fragile opp,” sparking the talented singer to lean into the jab hilariously.
Earlier this week, Drake made an appearance on the Kick streaming channel of fellow Canadian and streamer, xQc. In the clips that surfaced online, the 6 God is continuing to lean into a defiant stance despite the several chinks his armor has taken since his public battle with Kendrick Lamar.
During the stream, Steve Lacy, who Drake referred to as a “fragile opp,” caught a stray for reasons that one can assume are related to Lamar. This happened ahead of Drake throwing a shot at former collaborator The Weeknd and asking xQc to skip the singer’s “Starboy” song. Drizzy did, however, say that Lacy’s track was, quote, a “good song.”
Taking to Instagram, Lacy embraced the petty and trolled Drake for the “fragile opp” bar before asking his legion of fans which one of them wanted the title, effectively taking all the sting out of the insult.
Check out Steve Lacy firing back at Drake’s “fragile opp” shot below.
—
Photo: Getty
HipHopWired Featured Video
Source: Aaron Davidson / Getty
Once again, Kendrick Lamar has the Rap world talking. Lil Wayne has seemingly responded to him after being mentioned on GNX.
As spotted on Vulture, the Compton, Calif., rapper made waves last week with the release of his newest project. In it, he makes several references to many of his peers post “Not Like Us.” On “wacced out murals” he raps, “Used to bump Tha Carter III, I held my Rollie chain proud / Irony, I think my hard work let Lil Wayne down / Whatever, though, call me crazy, everybody questionable / Turn me to an eskimo, I drew the line and decimals.” These lines are a direct reference to him securing the halftime performance for Super Bowl LIX. The 2025 edition is set to be hosted in New Orleans, and Lil Wayne publicly expressed his disappointment on not being able to perform in his hometown after the announcement.
Man wtf I do?!
I just be chillin & dey still kome 4 my head. Let’s not take kindness for weakness. Let this giant sleep. I beg u all. No one really wants destruction,not even me but I shall destroy if disturbed. On me. Love
— Lil Wayne WEEZY F (@LilTunechi) November 23, 2024
On Saturday (Nov. 23), Tunechi took to X, formerly Twitter, and apparently made reference to the song. “Man wtf I do?! I just be chillin & [they] still [come] 4 my head. Let’s not take kindness for weakness. Let this giant sleep. I beg u all. No one really wants destruction, not even me but I shall destroy if disturbed. On me. Love,” he wrote. This is not the first time Kendrick Lamar referenced Lil Wayne in his music. Back in 2010, he rapped over Kanye West’s “Monster” instrumental and said “I’m the best rapper alive, tell Wayne to swallow his pride.”
During the height of the Kendrick Lamar and Drake battle, Lil Wayne remained neutral and unbothered. Weeks later, he was was spotted rapping the hook to “Not Like Us” prior to performing his verse to “The Motto.”
Lil Wayne rapping “Not Like Us” while performing “The Motto” in Vegas last night.
pic.twitter.com/4f5pjVvMNZ
— Rap Alert (@rapalert6) July 14, 2024
HipHopWired Featured Video
Source: Jeff Kravitz/AMA2010 / Getty
The attorney for Dawn Richard has revealed that the singer was “terrified” of Diddy while working with the mogul in an interview.
The lawyer representing singer Dawn Richard, who was a former member of two groups created by Diddy, opened up about her client’s experience in an interview last week. Lisa Bloom spoke about Richard being “absolutely terrified” of the mogul and detailed how “he groped and grabbed her body parts, sexually assaulted her, that he not only failed to pay the money that was promised to her but actually prevented her from eating and sleeping during those years – just treated her terribly.”
Richard sued Diddy aka Sean Combs in September, alleging that he threatened to kill her and of “subjecting her to years of inhumane working conditions which included groping, assault, and false imprisonment.” Her lawsuit joined those of two dozen other victims in the wake of Diddy’s settlement last year with Cassie Ventura, another singer, and his ex-partner who Richard claimed she saw being violently assaulted by him. “Dawn Richard, my client, says that when she spoke out about it, tried to get Cassie to speak out…When she complained about it, she was also threatened with physical violence. So [it was] just a really violent, tumultuous atmosphere,” Bloom said to BBC. “And when she spoke out, she says she was threatened with more physical violence. She said Sean Combs had a vicious temper and she was absolutely terrified of him.”
Richard was a member of two girl groups, Danity Kane and Diddy – Dirty Money. The third member of that second group, Kalenna Harper, is the prime witness for prosecutors in the federal government’s case against Diddy charging him with sex trafficking and racketeering. According to federal prosecutors, Diddy called Harper 128 times after Richard filed her lawsuit. Harper would put out a statement shortly afterward stating that her former bandmate’s experiences “are not representative of my experiences, and some do not align with my own truth.”
In the interview, Bloom referred to Harper’s statement saying that she “came out publicly and essentially called my client a liar.” Bloom added: “The strong implication there is that he talked her into making those statements, perhaps gave her money. We don’t know. But that would be witness tampering. That’s what the government argued. The judge agreed and he was denied bail as a result, which he should have been.”
HipHopWired Featured Video
Source: Axelle/Bauer-Griffin / Getty
One of the culture’s most identifiable voices is living his truth publicly. Khalid has come out as gay after he says someone outed him.
As spotted on Vulture, the El Paso, Tex., native gave the world more insight on his private life. On Friday (Nov. 22), he took to X, formerly Twitter, and made the very surprising announcement in a very short but powerful post. “🏳️🌈!!! there yall go. next topic please lol,” he wrote. Naturally, the news took some of his followers by surprise prompting him to double down on his earlier reveal. “I am! And that’s okay,” he responded to one user. He would go on to allude someone he had relations with in the past had started disclosing his sexual preference without his consent. “I got outed and the world still continues to turn. Let’s get this straight (lmao) I am not ashamed of my sexuality! In reality it ain’t nobodies business! But I am okay with me 🖤 love yall.”
🏳️🌈!!!
there yall go. next topic please lol
— Khalid (@thegreatkhalid) November 22, 2024
Even then he was pressed online with questions on why he chose to hide his truth. Later on he clarified that he was not “hiding” anything. Within that same hour the sleuth community was able to identity the individual who they suspected outed Khalid as singer Hugo D Almonte. In a series of now since-deleted posts he had alluded to dating a “dumb a*s singer” who accused of him breaking into their home. In a following post he wrote, “B*tch a*s 🥷🏾 lied and said that I broke into his house cause I didn’t want him,” with an accompanying selfie of him with Khalid.
I got outed and the world still continues to turn. Let’s get this straight (lmao) I am not ashamed of my sexuality! In reality it ain’t nobodies business! But I am okay with me 🖤 love yall
— Khalid (@thegreatkhalid) November 23, 2024
The performer explained his actions in an exclusive email statement to Vulture. “[It’s] really funny how it works because my intentions was never to out someone who’s clearly been out already in the community in Los Angeles,” he wrote. “My intentions was to share my story and share how he tried to use his power to silence me because I simply ended our relationship, he was afraid of what I might say.”
I wasn’t hiding anything! It’s just not any of your business https://t.co/jAW9f7I5oO
— Khalid (@thegreatkhalid) November 23, 2024
Almonte went on to share that he has since faced criticism and even death threats. “All I’ve learned from this is never allow anyone to silence me, it’s crazy that these people said I was chasing clout, when I was holding onto this for five years, and I finally had enough,” he concluded. Almonte later say that he “would do it again and again and again the same way” in another since-deleted post.