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Don Lemon is back on the airwaves with a new eponymously named show that was first thought to be an exclusive deal with the X platform and is now streaming everywhere. In a new interview, the veteran broadcaster shared some details of his fallout with CNN, his conversation with X honcho Elon Musk, and more.
Don Lemon exclusively spoke with PEOPLE about the new show, returning to CNN to tell his side of things regarding the Musk conversation, and what he hopes to do with his new show. Hip-Hop Wired has seen the first episode of the revamped The Don Lemon Show, which is currently live on YouTube, and DSPs such as iHeart and Spotify.
From PEOPLE:
PEOPLE: And now you are on a new trail, with a new show.
LEMON: Like I said at the Time 100 gala, “I wanted to do something that scares me.” I’ve had this sort of idea swimming around in my head. I’ve always known that the future was going to be in streaming and it was going to be on these small device. Whether I had left CNN or not, that’s what I was going to lean into. To talk about things that are in the zeitgeist, to put issues out there that may not be handled or at least platformed on traditional broadcast television. I have the opportunity to talk a lot longer without having to rush to get to commercial breaks. I can do real conversations and I don’t have to be concerned about what you say, is it advertiser friendly, does it have to be sanitized? I don’t have to worry about that. I can have real conversations.
Check out the first episode of Don Lemon’s new show below.
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Photo: Getty
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The 55th NAACP Image Awards concluded over the weekend and the stars were there in all their revelry as expected. Usher, Colman Domingo, and Fantasia Barrino were among the winners, which featured several nods for The Color Purple.
The NAACP Image Awards took place at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, Calif. last Saturday (March 16) and was hosted expertly by Queen Latifah. For those unaware, the ceremony highlights entertainers and performers across several genres which include television, film, music, and also podcasting.
Usher was named the Entertainer Of The Year and gave a moving acceptance speech that looked back over his three decades as a performer and how he’s grown with his fans. The singer also mentioned his recent marriage, how his mother was instrumental in his rise, and also his popular Las Vegas residency gig. Oprah Winfrey announced the award, which was a surprise for attendees.
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Speaking of Winfrey, The Color Purple earned several awards throughout the night as Fantasia Barrino took home the Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture for her role in the musical. Winfrey, cleverly decked out in purple, was the executive producer for the 2023 film alongside Steven Spielberg. The Outstanding Motion Picture award also went to The Color Purple.
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Taraji P. Henson, who has been outspoken about pay inequity for women in Hollywood, took home the Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture award for her role in The Color Purple. The film also took home the Outstanding Ensemble Cast in a Motion Picture award.
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Colman Domingo was a two-award winner, taking home the Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture for his role in Rustin, and the Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture for The Color Purple. Domingo was also nominated for Entertainer Of The Year.
See the full list of the 55th NAACP Image Awards winners here.
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Photo: Getty
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Source: ANDREA ARIZA / Getty
Elijah Marley, the grandson of reggae legend Bob Marley, thrilled the crowd paying tribute to Jo Mersa Marley on his birthday recently.
On March 9, the family of the late, great reggae legend Bob Marley held a tribute concert to honor the birthday of the late singer and relative Joseph “Jo Mersa” Marley at Nine Mile in the St. Ann’s parish of Jamaica. Amid a star-studded lineup, one figure captivated the audience—Elijah Marley, the 12-year-old grandson of Bob and son of Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley.
With his father and uncles behind him beaming with pride, Elijah sang and the audience burst into cheers at his performance. The young Marley has been rising in prominence, having previously displayed his skills at the celebration of what would’ve been Bob Marley’s 77th birthday on February 6, 2022, at the Bob Marley Museum in Kingston.
The highlight of that “Roots 77” showcase (which also incorporated live stream performances from artists such as D’Angelo) was Elijah doing a cover of Stephen Marley and Capleton’s “Rockstone”, singing lead as he played the drums. He also captivated the 3,000 audience members with a performance of John Lennon’s iconic tune “Imagine”, and even covered country music star Blake Shelton’s “God Country,” adding his own twist to it.
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The concert honoring Jo Mersa Marley also featured notable artists such as Kabaka Pyramid, Spragga, Christopher Ellis, Lutan Fyah, and Black Am I. Jo Mersa Marley was on his way to being an established artist carrying on the family’s legacy as the first-born son of Stephen Marley, beginning with his debut EP Comfortable in 2014. He had released several singles that moved the needle in the reggae scene including “Burn It Down”, a collaboration with his brother Yohan Marley that was released in 2019.
The 31-year-old Jo Mersa Marley died in December 2022 after being found unresponsive in his car in a parking lot in Miami, Florida. The Miami-Dade Medical Examiner’s Office would later determine the cause of death as “acute asthma exacerbation,” with rhinovirus/enterovirus infection listed as a primary cause.
Rest in powerful peace Joe Mersa Marley.
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Source: Axelle/Bauer-Griffin / Getty
Uncle Sam is after Wendy Williams. The media mogul is apparently behind on her taxes and is in danger of losing her New York City condominium.
TMZ is reporting that the Ocean Township, New Jersey native is not current with her financial responsibilities to the government. Thirty Mile Zone says the former talk show host was served with a tax lien on her midtown Manhattan home located at 50 West 50th Street. The IRS estimates that Wendy Williams owes $568,451.57 due to unpaid taxes stemming from 2019 and 2021. According to records posted online the lien was originally filed in January of this year and was registered with New York City Department of Finance this February.
This is not the first time Wendy Williams has faced money woes. In 2022 Wells Fargo froze her accounts and filed a petition for a temporary financial guardianship citing that she is of “unsound mind”. As reported by Page Six she quickly refuted the claims and pointed the blame at a former “disgruntled” financial advisor. “This request for relief arises from, among other things, Wells Fargo’s failure and
refusal to reopen my personal, business, deferred compensation and investment accounts and unfreeze my financial assets, which has caused and is causing imminent and irreparable financial harm to myself, my family and my business,” she wrote in a statement.
Recently her Where Is Wendy Williams? documentary premiered in February. The Think Like A Man Too was shown to be confused, aggressive and at times drunk prompting concern from her fans and family. You can view the trailer below.
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Source: Albany Times Union/Hearst Newspapers / Getty
Presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is making a bold play, eyeing NFL quarterback Aaron Rodgers as his potential vice president pick.
According to reports, presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy has reached out to New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers to gauge his interest in becoming his vice president. Kennedy has confirmed that the veteran signal-caller is at the “top” of a list of candidates along with former Minnesota governor and professional wrestler, Jesse Ventura. He also said that he and Rodgers have been speaking “pretty continuously” and that Rodgers appeared to be very receptive to the idea.
Kennedy, who comes from a storied political family, has become more prominent in recent years due to his vaccine skepticism and voiced backing of conspiracy theories about the federal government and its public health system. Rodgers, 40, who is set to return as the Jets starting quarterback after getting injured in the first minutes of the past season, has become a somewhat polarizing figure as he has also embraced being a contrarian provocateur when it comes to vaccine skepticism during the COVID-19 pandemic.
He has backed Kennedy multiple times in the past few months. Ventura has previously said that if Kennedy considered him he would be honored, but his son, Tyrel Ventura, said in an email to the New York Times: “No one has officially asked Gov. Ventura to be a vice-presidential candidate so the governor does not comment on speculation.”
Given that the National Football League begins its season in September, there are questions as to how Rodgers would operate if he were to officially accept the role. Kennedy has reportedly also spoken to former Democratic presidential candidate and New York City mayoral candidate Andrew Yang, Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky, and former Representative Tulsi Gabbard. All three declined to comment on if those conversations took place to the press, but a source close to Kennedy’s campaign claimed that all three declined to be considered.
The added star power of Rodgers could boost Kennedy’s numbers – at present, he’s sitting in third place with a potential 15% of voters behind incumbent Democratic President Joe Biden at 35.5% and Republican nominee Donald Trump at 39.8%, according to polling data from Real Clear.
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Source: Paras Griffin / Getty / Tammy Rivera
Tammy Rivera and her estranged husband’s new boo had time for each other on social media.
After eight years of “marital bliss,” Tammy Rivera and Waka Flocka split in 2022, and the rapper happily announced in January 2024 that he has moved on with a woman he calls Big Mel.
His soon-to-be ex-wife took to her Instagram Stories on Monday, March 11, to drop a post that some believe is a direct shot at the “No Hands” crafter’s new love interest.
The post read, “No one can ever make me jealous over a seat I had first. You wouldn’t be sitting there if I didn’t get up.”
Big Mel didn’t waste no time responding to Rivera’s shade, writing in her own post, “Being washed up and can’t let go of your past is type crazy,” with Diddy’s Bryson Tiller assisted track “Gotta Move On” playing. At the bottom of the post she added, “This is the one, cuz it’s giving jealous and bitter.”
But that wasn’t the end of the discourse.
Tammy Rivera Had Even More Time
When the IG blog The Neighborhood Talk picked up the back and forth between the two women, Tammy appeared in the comment section, claiming she wasn’t shading Big Mel at first but admitting she is now.
Per HipHopDX:
Man I’m just waking up it’s 9am over where I’m at [face palm emoji],” she began. “Waka we literally just talked about this last night (your morning).. Waka get her please for I hurt this lil girl feelings. Oh btw that post wasn’t even about him nor you but hit dogs holla. You f’king up your seat Shein Tammy.
A blog follower had something to say to Tammy, calling her behavior “embarrassing” and saying that she was making herself look like a sidekick. Rivera clapped back while also revealing that she and Waka Flocka are still married.
“Sweetie we talked cause our daughter and to be honest we still legally married so we have to talk cause we have business that has to be handled until them papers are signed! Grown ppl business.”
Waka’s mom and Tammy’s mother-in-law, Deb Antney, chimed in, adding, “Why are we doing this sh*t on the internet? We don’t do this sh*t.”
The Trump-loving rapper has yet to respond, and we highly doubt he will speak on the matter.
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Source: Kevin Sabitus / Getty
A few weeks ago Eminem had older heads confused when he decided to rehash his old beef with Benzino on the track “Doomsday 2.” Although Zino is open to squashing his beef with Em in 2024, It doesn’t seem like the feeling is mutual.
Dropping off some new visuals for the aforementioned song, Eminem rocks some black and yellow attire (alone with the “Thunder” Air Jordan 4’s) as he strolls through a hospital that seems like it’s been rocked by a natural disaster while his rap peers such as Big Sean and Cordae appear to take on the adlib duties. Not gonna lie, we kinda feel bad for Benzino at this point.
Another Hip-Hop OG returns to show he’s still got enough bars to lock down a block and in his Young Thug assisted clip to “OK,” Busta Rhymes uses a cloud as his sofa high in the sky while utilizing some CGI magic to have the currently incarcerated Young Thug to spit his verse. Busta still got it, man.
Check out the rest of today’s drops including work from NBA YoungBoy featuring Herm Da Sheep, Maxo Kream, and more.
EMINEM – “DOOMSDAY 2”
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BUSTA RHYMES & COOL & DRE FT. YOUNG THUG – “OK”
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NBA YOUNGBOY FT. HERM DA SHEEP – “MY BOBO”
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MAXO KREAM – “NO THEN YOU A HOE”
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STARLITO – “WRITER’S BLOCK”
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THE MUSALINI & SMOKE DZA – “EYE OF THE STORM”
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NICE – “ON THE QUICK SIDE”
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TRF BAMRICH – “GRIM REAPER”
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SY ARI DA KID – “OUTSIDE LOOKING IN”
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Source: WWD / Getty / Kim Kardashian
Word on the street is Kim Kardashian is not a fan of her ex-husband’s new nude model/mannequin/wife, Bianca Censori, but that didn’t stop her from standing side-by-side in support of the artist formerly known as Kanye West while she continues to assault us with dated music.
Spotted on TMZ, the internet was stunned when videos hit X, formerly Twitter timelines, showing Kardashian and Censori within arms’ reach of each other, even hugging at Ye’s latest “listening party” for his album Vultures II.
Despite the hug, which blew the minds of Ye’s loyal fans, the celebrity gossip site reports things are not all good between the two women.
Per TMZ:
Check it out … Kim was standing with Bianca behind a police barrier, grooving and mouthing the words to a song from Kanye’s newest studio album “Vultures 2.”
Amazingly, they seemed chill and comfortable in each other’s presence at the Chase Center in San Francisco. But one thing was obvious — the women were not best buds or getting chatty with one another, at least in the footage posted on social media.
According to Yahoo! Entertainment, Kardashian is reportedly not a fan of Censori’s fashion style and her being around her children practically butt-ass naked.
“Kim instructed Kanye to never let Bianca dress like that around their kids,” a source said according to Yahoo! “She is truly surprised that Kanye would let his wife leave the house like that.”
She should also take that up with Ye since we all know he is his wife’s stylist.
Speaking of West, he is celebrating his latest single, “Carnival,” going number 1 by dissing adidas and Drake.
So much for the short-lived goodwill between the rappers.
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Source: Brandon Sloter / Getty
Remember last month, when Beyoncé released a pair country music songs, “Texas Hold ‘Em” and “16 Carriages,” and white country music fans across America had a collective Caucasian conniption over it? After she dropped the two songs, people immediately started debating whether or not the Rennasainse singer was really cut from the country cloth, country music stations initially refused to play her new songs, and none of that prevented her from becoming the first Black woman to top Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart.
Well, one person who has had Bey’s back through all of it is country legend Dolly Parton, and that hasn’t changed now that folks are wondering if Beyoncé will cover Parton’s iconic hit “Jolene” on her upcoming album Act II, which drops on March 29.
In fact, last week, Parton all but confirmed that a Beyoncé cover of her 1973 smash hit does, in fact, exist, although she didn’t reveal whether or not it would appear on the new album.
“Well, I think she has! I think she’s recorded ‘Jolene’ and I think it’s probably gonna be on her country album, which I’m very excited about that,” Parton told the Knoxville News Sentinel.
“I love her!” Parton said of the “Church Girl” artist. “She’s a beautiful girl and a great singer.”
From Knox News:
But Parton said she has always wanted Beyoncé to cover that song, and that the two artists have been in contact over the years. “We’ve kind of sent messages back and forth through the years. And she and her mother were like fans, and I was always touched that they were fans, and I always thought she was great.”
Parton praised Beyoncé when “Texas Hold ‘Em” became a No. 1 country song. “I’m a big fan of Beyoncé and very excited that she’s done a country album,” Parton wrote in a statement on Instagram. “So, congratulations on your Billboard Hot Country number one single.”
Of course, it shouldn’t surprise anyone that Parton is excited about the possibility of Beyoncé covering “Jolene” since the 78-year-old also reacted positively when Lil Nas X covered the same song.
It’s just wonderful to see that when haters seem to be the loudest in the room, Parton refuses to let her voice be added to that particular echo chamber, and, instead, she serves as a beacon of support and positivity for those artists.
Anyway, fans are still just going to have to wait and see if Beyoncé’s “Jolene” cover makes it onto her new album. Either way, the Hive is ready. See y’all on March 23.
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Source: Prince Williams / Getty
A new documentary series taking viewers inside the notable Magic City gentlemen’s club produced by Drake and Jermaine Dupri debuted at SXSW to rave reviews.
If you mention Magic City to anyone in and out of Atlanta, Georgia, you’re bound to get an approving response. The well-known strip club is the focus of a new documentary series, Magic City: An American Fantasy, which has Hip-Hop icon Jermaine Dupri and superstar Drake as producers. However, it is not currently attached to any distributor or platform. The series made its debut at the South By Southwest Festival Monday (March 11), with director Charles Todd and producer Cole Brown on hand to field questions from the audience along with fellow producer Jami Gertz after the first episode was screened at the Zach Theatre in Austin, Texas.
On the red carpet, Todd spoke of the influence that the strip club has. “Magic City is a purveyor of culture, and its an A&R – all the biggest hits that you hear on the radio, if it doesn’t break at Magic City, it doesn’t break, period.” Brown also spoke about the fine line everyone walked in bringing the series to the screen. “We wanted to walk a fine line with nudity, in particular — where you can’t make a documentary about a strip club and not have any nudity, it just isn’t true to form — and you’re trying to tell the true story,” he said. “At the same time, we didn’t want it to be salacious, gratuitous. We wanted to use it in such a way that you’re getting an image of what this place is. But if you go to Magic City, you see all the anatomy.”
That was underscored by Gigi McGuire, a former dancer at Magic City who appeared at the premiere and appears nude in the series. “I understood the vision of the artistic value of what they were trying to achieve, and I had no problem with agreeing to show these titties,” she told the audience, adding: “Strip is art, and the art is being celebrated, clearly.” In addition to Drake, the series also features appearances by Big Boi, Shaquille O’Neal, T.I., Killer Mike and Nelly.