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In an interview with Ari Melber on MSNBC, Erykah Badu talked about her 2008 song, “Master Teacher” which is often credited as most recently popularizing the term “woke.”
The song, which also featured Georgia Anne Muldrow, had a chorus that said, “I stay woke,” and the 52-year-old singer further explained her role in popularizing the phrase. “There’s a song on [New Amerykah Part One] called ‘Master Teacher,’ and in that song… the chorus is ‘I stay woke,’ so ‘stay woke’ was introduced to the world by this album,” the 52-year-old neo-soul icon said. “And I tweeted it about this group that was detained, Pussy Riot… In my tweet, I said ‘Free Pussy Riot…stay woke.’ After that, ‘woke’ took off.”
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The word woke has most recently been used by the GOP as a buzzword for any part of the liberal agenda from teaching Black history to protecting LGBTQ rights.
But, when asked directly what Badu thinks conservatives mean when they use the word, she said plainly, “I think they mean ‘Black,’” the singer said. “It’s just another way to say ‘thug’ or something else, right?”
She also noted, “It is what it is. It doesn’t belong to us anymore, and once something goes out into the world, it takes a life of its own. It has an energy of its own.”
The term woke has found its way into the mainstream lexicon with Republicans using it daily to describe almost anything that they disagree with. The most significant legislative action was the passage of the Stop WOKE Act signed into law by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in 2022. The legislation restricts how racism and other parts of history can be taught in schools and workplaces. It even includes language that is supposed to prevent white students from “feeling bad” about actual American History.
The act is behind the banning of several books in the state as well as sanitized versions of Black historical facts like Rosa Parks and the Montgomery Bus Boycott.
While the popular and eclectic singer may have brought the term back to the forefront of American culture, social and culture historians note that the phrase can be traced back to as far as the 1930s.
According to MadameNoire, American folk legend Huddie Michael Ledbetter (aka Lead Belly) coined the term during an interview discussing his hit song “Scottsboro Boys,” according to NewsOne. In the 1938 interview, Belly urged Black people to stay vigilant when traveling through Alabama to avoid racial tension.
African American author Melvin Kelley also used the phrase in a New York Times essay where he examined Black language and idioms as a pushback against white supremacy called, “If You’re Woke You Dig It.”
The most recent use and retaliation against the phrase originated in 2020 during national protests against the police state in the wake of the murder of George Floyd by former Minnesota police officer Derek Chauvin.
Badu said in the interview that the true meaning of the expression belongs to the people who created it.
“It means being aware, being in alignment with nature,” the Grammy-winning singer added. “It’s not only in the political arena. That means with your health, that means in your relationships, that means in your home, that means in your car, that means in your sleep.”
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The Army is proceeding with the exclusion of Jonathan Majors from its upcoming slate of new ads after his recent arrest for alleged assault.
Sources have confirmed that the Army is close to releasing new advertisements in its recent campaign that exclude the actor in time for them to air during the NCAA’s Final Four men’s and women’s games this weekend. The ads were also set up to appear online and through social media platforms along with being displayed on digital and physical billboards. The purchase is estimated at $117 million.
Jonathan Majors, who currently stars in Creed III and Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania, was brought on to feature in the advertisements due to his high appeal, especially with a younger demographic. The Army’s aim of enlisting 60,000 recruits last year fell woefully under its goal by 25%. The new campaign, a revitalization of the “Be All You Can Be” slogan, first debuted in 1981 and was the hallmark of the armed force for two decades.
Congressional lawmakers did note the situation in a meeting held by the House of Representatives Appropriation defense subcommittee. “I see you had a bit of bad luck on your ‘Be All You Can Be’ commercial,” said Rep. Ken Calvert, R-Calif., the chairman of the committee to Army Secretary Christine Wormuth and Gen. James McConville, the Army’s chief of staff. “Hopefully you’re cutting a new commercial and getting it online as quickly as possible.”
“A majority of that content did not contain our main narrator. … So we have a ton of content to go back to, to create basically new commercials new ads, if we need to,” U.S. Army marketing head Major General Alex Fink said in a statement to the press issued Wednesday (March 30). “The campaign is full steam ahead.”
The 33-year-old actor was arrested Saturday (March 25), in New York City and charged with strangulation, assault and harassment. Representatives for the New York Police Department state he was involved in a domestic dispute with a 30-year-old woman. Majors’ lawyer, Priya Chaudhry, has stated that there’s evidence clearing Majors whom she states is “the victim of an altercation with a woman he knows.” Majors is expected back in court May 8.
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Fresh off his energetic performance of “Just Wanna Rock” on The Tonight Show, Lil Uzi Vert told TMZ that he supports the decision of his City Girls rapper girlfriend, JT to start therapy. He added that everyone should “embrace themselves.”
JT shared on Twitter that she is “eager” to start therapy while encouraging her fans to do the same.
Many of her fans congratulated the 30-year-old City Girl rapper on the social media site adding that her public decision could “inspire” others.
Lil Uzi’s support may come from his own journey into wellness. He announced earlier this month that he is sober and that the songs from his newest release “The Pink Tape,” were all born out of his sobriety.
He told TMZ that being sober allowed him to choose better song topics and encouraged other rappers to do the same, saying, “It’ll change your life.”
The couple has had an on-again-off-again relationship since first being romantically linked in 2021. But, earlier this year, she gushed about her admiration for Uzi telling Angie Martinez that she is “lucky” and “fortunate.”
“I can say Uzi is a great man, no matter how the internet tries to paint Uzi,” the Miami native told Angie with a big smile, according to Madame Noire. She added, “I’m so lucky and fortunate to have somebody like him because he’s so inspiring. When I see him in his bag, I’m like ‘I gotta get in my bag.’”
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The LAPD is reportedly investigating the theft of a car from outside the home of singer and billionaire entrepreneur, Rihanna.
According to TMZ, a 2012 Audi sedan was stolen from outside of the Los Angeles-area home late last week when the driver allegedly ran inside for something leaving the car running and the keys inside. The report notes that the driver believes that someone jumped in and drove off with it.
The incident marks the second time that LAPD has been out to the five-bedroom, seven-bathroom estate in Beverly Hills this month.
The gossip site previously reported that a man showed up at the Bajan singer’s home earlier this month with plans to propose to her. According to TMZ, because the man had broken no laws, he was released and asked not to return.
In 2018, a man was arrested after spending at least a day inside the residence while Rihanna was away. The man later claimed he was there to have sex with the singer.
It is unclear if she was home during the last two incidents.
The Fenty Beauty leader is currently expecting her second child with rapper A$AP Rocky the couple has a son who will turn 1 in May.
According to The New York Post, Rihanna’s massive Beverly Hills home features amenities like a bonus room, breakfast room, cabana, a center hall, gym, media room, and a walk-in closet. Other features include a den/office space and a separate guest house. The house is close to that of Beatles legend, Paul McCartney.
The singer performed at both this year’s Super Bowl and the 95th Academy Awards where she performed “Lift Me Up,” from the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever soundtrack. The song was nominated for Original Song and serves as Rihanna’s first Oscar nomination. Ultimately, “Lift Me Up,” lost to “Naatu Naatu” from the hit Telugu-language film RRR, which made history by becoming the first Indian film song to win an Oscar, according to BBC.
It’s been over seven years since Rihanna dropped a full-length studio album. However, she told British Vogue earlier this year that the wait may soon be over. “I want it to be this year,” she told the magazine. “Like, honestly, it’d be ridiculous if it’s not this year. But I just want to have fun. I just want to make music and make videos.”
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Chlöe Bailey spoke about her upcoming album, her viral role in Donald Glover’s latest series, and more in a recent interview.
Singer and actress Chlöe Bailey has been the source of heavy buzz recently thanks to her recent role on Swarm, the new Prime Video series from Donald Glover, and her solo album In Pieces. She appeared as the latest guest on Big Boy’s Neighborhood to talk about everything in her usual straightforward and honest manner.
The conversation quickly turned to that viral scene from the show, where in the first few minutes of the first episode, her character Marissa is shown having sex with her boyfriend Khalid (Damson Idris) as her sister Dre (Dominique Fishback) is watching through the open door. That scene would become viral with some expressing surprise and others criticizing Bailey for being in such a provocative scene.
“I’m an actress. I was doing my job and I think people gotta kinda remember I’m an adult and I’m an artist,” Chlöe said. “Nothing was seen that they haven’t seen from me. You didn’t see nipple, you didn’t see there, nothing.” Big Boy asked if she felt that Idris received the same level of backlash. “I don’t think so because he’s a man,” she replied. “Oh, the fellas get the high fives,” Big Boy responded.
Bailey continued, “Because I’m an actress I’m not reading it as Chlöe is about to do a sex scene. I’m reading it as Marissa is in this scene and her sister is watching. That’s what people are forgetting. It’s about the tension between Damson and Dom who did incredible acting in this show and I was just seen in the reflection for two seconds.”
She also spoke about the process of creating her first solo album, which will be released on Friday (March 31st). She also addressed the controversy over her duet with Chris Brown, “How Does It Feel?”, given his past history of violence against Rihanna. “I just let the music speak for itself,” Chlöe said. “Once the song came out, people enjoyed it. That’s what I just continue to do.”
Chlöe also spoke about her relationship with her sister Halle and joked about borrowing some outfits from her godmother. “Oh man, they told me on the album cover that that’s her dress”, Big Boy responded, sending the room into laughter.
Check out the entire interview below.
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Angela White, formerly known as Blac Chyna, is turning over a new leaf.
The 34-year-old model/socialite has been making headlines for her decision to reverse the results of several plastic surgeries. She recently underwent surgery to reduce the size of her breast and butt implants. Additionally, she had a procedure to dissolve the fillers in her face.
In a recent Instagram post, Chyna showed off her still beautiful face with the caption, “Sound On–My name is Angela,” the clip used an excerpt from Jay-Z’s “The Story of OJ.”
“I am ready to get back to Angela [her birth name]. Blac Chyna is Blac Chyna and I feel like I’ve outgrown that and it’s time for a change,” she added, per Page Six.
She notes that the change is part of her “life-changing journey,” which started with her shutting down her wildly-popular Only Fans channel.
“I’m just changing everything about me,” she said on the “Jason Lee Show” earlier this month. “It’s a dead end. All that stuff is a dead end, and I know that I’m worth way more than that.”
Angela also recently revealed that she was baptized last year. She shared a photo from the baptism with the caption, “I was reborn on my birthday 5-11-22,” she added, “God is Good.”
“Basically, I want to dissolve all of it,” she told her doctor in an Instagram Live, per Page Six. “Just dissolve it. Back to the baseline … I’m tired of the look. And it’s just not flattering, it’s not what I look like. It totally changed my face, and I’m just ready to get back to Angela.”
The mother of two also said, “Blac Chyna’s Blac Chyna, you know what I mean? I feel like I’ve outgrown that, and it’s just time for a change. And I just want to be good.”
Additionally, Page Six reports that Angela is also cutting her long signature nails in favor of a more conservative look. She’s previously said that her new look will take her to the “next level” now that she’s changing her “ways.”
The former reality star hasn’t announced new career plans, but her more than 16 million Instagram followers seem supportive of her progress offering messages of congratulations and prayers in her comment sections.
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Sean “Diddy” Combs is returning to reality television, this time with all of his children in a new show for Hulu.
According to reports, the entertainment mogul is in the midst of filming a new reality show for the streaming platform that will focus on him and his children. The show’s tentative title is Diddy + 7, which lines up with a trademark filed by his legal team earlier this year on his behalf. Representatives for Diddy and Hulu offered no comment when contacted.
“It’s going to profile the entire family. They all have businesses — even the kids — and it will feature everyone,” a source close to the show’s creation expressed to reporters. “[The show] is all about the dynamic of the family and how Diddy does it all with all the kids. They’re a real family, even all the baby mamas.”
These sources also report that the family’s individual accounts on Instagram are providing some previews of what potential viewers can expect. The REVOLT TV founder’s son Christian is currently promoting his latest single “Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop.” He and twins D’Lila and Jessie are the children of the late model Kim Porter. His eldest son Justin shared a photo of him with his youngest sister Love Sean Combs with the caption, “My twin”. Love was born on October 28th to her mom, cybersecurity specialist Dana Tran. Sources have also reported spotting Diddy and his family shooting scenes in Los Angeles and Miami among other locations around the country.
The 53-year-old’s return to the reality show world will certainly remind many viewers of the Making The Band 2 reality series from 2002 which aired on MTV. The show would last three seasons and contained a few pop culture moments that are still talked about to this day in addition to being responsible for the careers of groups Da Band, Danity Kane, and Day 26. Diddy was recently a judge on The Four: Battle for Stardom which aired on Fox.
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During a sit-down with The Tonight Show host Jimmy Fallon before their now-viral performance with The Roots, the remaining members of De La Soul recounted the band’s early days. They shared a touching moment with the enthusiastic audience.
Vincent “Maseo” Mason and Kelvin “Posdnuos” Mercer shared memories with Fallon about recording the group’s seminal debut, 3 Feet High and Rising. They also led the audience in a brief, heartfelt tribute to David “Trugoy The Dove” Jolicoeur who passed away last month at 54.
Jolicoeur died just weeks before the group’s catalog hit streaming services after years of legal disputes.
Maseo and Posdnuos told Fallon about how the group met in Amityville, Long Island and recalled their first public performance opening for Stetsasonic. “We did [one] song and I remember DMC came backstage and was like, ‘Yo, do the song again,’ it was just amazing,” Mercer said.
More recently, DJ Drama announced that he has a new Gangsta Grillz mixtape coming with the group, telling Elliot Wilson and Brian “B. Dot” Miller for a new episode of Rap Radar, “For me being a mixtape DJ I was always addicted to the new sh*t. I was a teenager in the 90’s so that’s my era; that’s what I ride around listening to” he explained. “De La Soul is coming to streaming [platforms] and I couldn’t be more excited. And we got a Gangsta Grillz coming. That’s a little sidebar.”
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At the conclusion of the interview, Maseo thanked Reservoir Media which secured the group’s six-album back catalog through its acquisition of the previous label, Tommy Boy Records in 2021. He also led the audience in thanking Trugoy the Dove.
“Can you please say for me ‘thank you, Dave?’” Mason asked the crowd.
“Thank you, Dave,” the crowd responded.
“Tonight, he’s watching,” Fallon added.
Later in the show, De La Soul and The Roots performed “Stakes Is High,” the titular Jay Dee-produced track from the group’s 1996 album. The moving performance made the rounds last week on social media with fans and other hip-hop connoisseurs calling the performance, “flawless.”
Watch the performance below.
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Many have been impressed with Damson Idris on the hit series Snowfall, but his uncanny impression of Jay-Z once again has people buzzing.
The 31-year-old British-Nigerian actor was a guest on The Drew Barrymore Show, and the host queried him about his friendship with Jay-Z and Beyoncé. After he answers with a laugh, Barrymore excitedly asks, “Oh my God! What is that like? They’re very embracing of you, right? Like, he’s paternal, basically, with you a bit.”
Idris admits that it’s true and shares a memory. “Yeah, I’ll be in Miami, it’s late, and I’ll call them up, and I’ll be like, ‘Hey, I can’t get a reservation at Carbone,’” he says, before delivering a spot-on impression of Jay-Z replying, “He’ll be like, ‘Damson, you gotta win a couple more Emmy’s before you can call me at 11:30.’”
It’s not the first time the actor has done it – his recollection of an awkward Zoom call he hopped on with Jay-Z and others during an appearance on Good Morning America in 2021 had many entertained.
After the crowd erupted with applause and laughter, he went on to describe his interactions with The Carters. “They’re the sweetest,” Idris said. “We’ve connected in many ways, but the Super Bowl was really great because it was really the first time I really connected with Bey, and I had just walked with Prada, and it was a huge, huge moment for me.”
The actor also spoke about his relationship with his sister and discussed his time auditioning for the lead role of Franklin Saint in the FX series with the late John Singleton – which led to him being dropped off in the middle of South Central Los Angeles.
“By audition number 8, Singleton took me to South Central, opened the car door, and said, ‘If you survive, you’ve got the role,’” he said to Barrymore. “And it really was an experience. You know, I was walking around South Central, I had to stay in character, so I wasn’t allowed to be British. And I said to his mother, ‘Oh, how lovely your hair looks today. I’m just gonna go, and you know, put this in a bin.’ And she goes, ‘John! He ain’t from here, huh?’ Nearly lost the part, but hey, six seasons later…” he concluded.
Check out the entire interview below.
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The breakout rap star of 2023, Ice Spice, got a big cosign from fellow New York rapper, Nicki Minaj who lauded her recent Dazed magazine cover. In an InstaStory, Nicki shared a screenshot of the cover writing, “GAG!!!” She emphasized the princess line before tagging Ice and telling her to “Catch it!!!”
Per Complex, the Queens native also commented on one of Ice Spice’s posts from her performance at Rolling Loud earlier this month. Nicki Minaj quoted some of the new star’s “Princess Diana” lyrics writing, “Btchs slow so I gih dem a pass. 🔥 Nah. Grah! No more passes Princess…Let’s go.”
Spice also shared the post on Twitter where she wrote, “ya heard da QUEEN.”
The shoutout comes on the heels of Ice Spice’s successful November release of her EP, Like..? which featured her hit breakout single, “Munch (Feelin’ U). The 23-year-old rapper is also gearing up to drop her first full-length album.
In a recent interview with Ebro Darden, she said that the album would drop “Most likely this year, since I’m going to have 10 songs, something like that or whatever.”
She added, “[It’s] definitely going to be different vibes in there, for sure. I don’t want to talk too much on it because…you feel me? But gotta keep the secret sauce a secret.”
The rapper also made a recent appearance on TikTok with Kim Kardashian and North West who is a big fan and has shared numerous videos dancing to her music and even a recent viral drawing of the rapper.