State Champ Radio celebrity news
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With growing resistance to the current administration’s political stances, many are finding ways to use their constitutional right to free speech despite the backlash it can inspire. In Virginia, an owner of a popular dive bar has a direct message to President Donald Trump and his policies, riling up some of the former business mogul’s MAGA base.
William McCormack, the owner of McCormack’s Irish Pub in Richmond, Va., was profiled in local outlet RVA Mag, highlighting his line of t-shirts that take direct aim at Trump, ICE, and fascism overall. As a result, McCormack has attracted detractors who used Yelp to review bomb his establishment from thousands of miles away. The shirts, which feature the words “F*ck ICE, F*ck Nazis, F*ck Trump” in a circular setup with an “Antifascist AF” stamp in the middle of a shamrock.
From RVA Mag:
The conversation, which started on Facebook and quickly spilled into Google and Yelp reviews, has spread nationally with a predictable mix of support and outrage from commenters in California, New Jersey, North Carolina, and elsewhere. A debate McCormack has welcomed, “I’m protesting our government,” he told me. “It’s literally the very definition of the First Amendment.”
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For those not familiar with McCormack, his Irish Pub is something of an institution in Shockoe Bottom. It’s one of the city’s last original dive bars with a deep punk history stretching back to the 1990s. But over the years, he’s successfully branched out as a restaurateur, with his two whisky bars earning recognition both nationally and internationally.
“I’ve never hidden my politics there,” said McCormack, referring to his Irish pub. “It’s bigger than just the bar, it’s what you believe. And it’s what I believe one hundred percent.”
Naturally, the MAGA faithful and other so-called “patriots” are flooding McCormack’s social media feeds with insults and threats to not support his establishment. Sticking to his guns, McCormack didn’t seem necessarily concerned about the potential loss in business and is instead focused on serving those who share his values.
See the shirt and the chatter here.
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Photo: Getty
Bad Bunny attracted the ire of many once it was announced that the Puerto Rican superstar would be the featured performer at next year’s Super Bowl halftime set. Jay-Z, whose Roc Nation has helped put together the highly coveted performance slot, addressed the dustup around Bad Bunny in quick fashion.
TMZ reports that Jay-Z made a brief statement countering all the criticism regarding the decision to have Bad Bunny perform at Super Bowl LX. After the outlet asked Hov his thoughts on the artist born Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, the Brooklyn Hip-Hop and business icon initially didn’t want to have a conversation, but gave a quick soundbite.
“They love him, don’t let them fool you,” Jay-Z said regarding the singer and all the backlash Bad Bunny has received.
Jay-Z was clearly on the way to another destination, but graciously signed autographs while remaining tight-lipped about how Roc Nation and the NFL came to their decision.
The pushback against having Bad Bunny perform at Super Bowl LX has been high, with many decrying the fact that he’s a Spanish-speaking artist despite being an American citizen. Turning Point USA, the organization co-founded by the late Charlie Kirk, is reportedly putting together a countering halftime show featuring artists that they feel line up with what the country wants.
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Photo: Getty
Posta Boy, a Harlem rapper known for his battling prowess who cut his teeth on BET’s 106 & Park‘s “Freestyle Friday” series, has reportedly died. Posta Boy dominated the “Freestyle Friday” event for seven weeks straight and was the first inductee for the brand’s hall of fame.
It appears that one of the first people to break the news was rapper and educator Mickey Factz, who took to social media to offer his condolences. Soon after, word began to spread with other rappers such as Skyzoo mentioning that Posta Boy was an inspiration to him as a younger artist.
“Damn, RIP Posta Boy. As a 106 & Park alumni, the run Posta started made that audition line wrap around the corner twice after he retired 7 straight. We all wanted in. Much love to his legacy and strength to his family indeed,” said Skyzoo on Monday (October 27).
Others, such as fellow Harlem artist UFO Fev, Spanish Ran, and boxer Floyd Mayweather, who signed Posta Boy to his music label, all gave tributes.
According to still developing reports, it appears that the rapper born Sherard Dixon passed from an ongoing bout with cancer. He was 43.
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Photo: Getty
Keke Palmer might be one of the most beloved celebrities in the mainstream today, but it appears that her fans have a bone to pick with her over a new series she greenlit. Keke Palmer is facing backlash after promoting a new series, Southern Fried Rice, which follows the exploits of a Korean American adoptee who gets accepted into an HBCU.
Southern Fried Rice is part of Keke Palmer’s KeyTV lineup and stars Page Yang as Koko, who grew up in a Black family and enters the fictional Wright University in Atlanta.
More from Instagram:
Southern Fried Rice follows KoKo Jackson, a Gen-Z Korean-American adoptee raised in a tight-knit Black Southern family. When she leaves her small-town to attend Wright University, an elite HBCU in Atlanta, she enters a world that challenges her sense of belonging.
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DDG had noticeable motion on the music charts, achieving gold and platinum-selling success on a pair of records in his discography in his still ongoing rapping career. Over the weekend, DDG revealed that he’s made more money in 30 days of streaming than he’s ever earned as a musician.
DDG was at ComplexCon over the weekend, sitting down with Akademiks as the pair discussed the rapper’s career and foray into the wider world of streaming. The Michigan native dropped the bombshell revelation of his music earnings as reported by Complex.
“For what I signed for, I made that in 30 days on Twitch,” he told Akademiks. Currently, DDG is signed to Epic Records and released the albums Blame the Chat and moo this year.
DDG leveraged YouTube to get his music to his fans, leading to this record deal after garnering millions of views on his own. He has since aligned himself with the likes of streamers such as Akademiks, PlaqueBoyMax, and others, such as Kai Cenat. Both DDG and PlaqueBoyMax named Cenat as the top streamer of the year during ComplexCon.
Check out the discussion below.
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Photo: Getty
Hip-Hop fans are gathered in mourning the loss of a pioneering rapper from Los Angeles’ sprawling underground Hip-Hop scene. P.E.A.C.E., a member of Freestyle Fellowship, passed away over the weekend, and social media has been flooded with moving tributes.
Details are scant regarding the passing of P.E.A.C.E., but the official Instagram account for Freestyle Fellowship shouted out the rapper in a post sharing condolences.
“Rest well brother P.E.A.C.E [flying angels emojis]. You had a great heart and you were authentic. One of West coast Hiphop royal treasures. You will be surely missed my friend,” read the caption of the post with a photo of the rapper.
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Ghetts, an award-winning rapper who resides in the United Kingdom, was arrested and held in custody due to a fatal hit-and-run incident that he was reportedly involved in. Earlier this week, Ghetts appeared in a London court to hear his charges as he awaits his fate during the investigation.
BBC News reports that Ghetts, real name Justin Clarke-Samuel, was in Stratford Magistrates’ Court this past Monday (October 20) to hear charges related to the alleged incident that took place on October 18 in London. The victim was a 20-year-old man who died from his injuries the same day Clarke-Samuel appeared in court.
Ghetts also performed as an actor and held a role on the Netflix science fiction show, Supacell.
The outlet adds that the 41-year-old rapper will be in custody and has a court appearance at the Barkingside Magistrates’ Court scheduled for October 27.
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Photo: Getty
Stephen A. Smith used his massive platform to lash out at Rep. Jasmine Crockett, urging the Texas congresswoman to put aside her grievances with President Donald Trump. With the smoke clearing and after getting blasted online and in the media, Stephen A. Smith walked back his critiques of Crockett and took a shot at Trump as well.
Via his Straight Shooter With Stephen A program, Stephen A. Smith, apparently inspired by President Trump and his administration’s targeted attacks against Rep. Crockett, gave an apology that wasn’t as full-throated as his earlier digs against the Texas congresswoman.
“I can look Jasmine Crockett in the face and say I’m sorry for any kind of noise I caused in your direction, because she is accomplished, and she is smart, and she does have an incredible, incredible challenge working in this political climate on Capitol Hill,” Smith said.
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Smith also said, “I saw something disturbing in regards to President Donald Trump and how he came at Representative Jasmine Crockett. I get it now with Trump feeding into that nonsense, giving him ammunition to continue to go out there and talk about our Black women that way, I got it.”
President Trump referred to Congresswoman Crockett as a “low IQ person” this past June, a shot she didn’t take without returning fire of her own.
Smith also hit back at his critics, who felt that his words were meant to attack or harm Crockett because she’s a woman.
“When somebody tries to take that to accuse me of being disrespectful or in any way misogynistic, I’m going to push back on that because that’s emphatically false. There’s no truth to that whatsoever, and I’m not accepting that, and I’m not owning that,” Smith added.
Smith also took a dig at the Democratic Party, suggesting that its leaders figure out better strategies to appeal to voters, stating that Trump won the past election due to frustrations with the party at large.
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Photo: Getty
Gilbert Arenas defintiely earned one of his nicknames after going full troll after the arrests of Chauncey Billups and Terry Rozier in connection with an NBA gambling investigation. After Gilbert Arenas himself had a similar brush with the law, the former NBA player and current broadcaster had a little fun with the news by framing himself as an informant.
Taking to social media, Gilbert Arenas, 43, shared a photo of himself carrying a so-called “informant lunch” wearing a University of Washington Huskies basketball jersey, which some might remember from the film The 6th Man starring Marlon Wayans and Kadeem Hardison.
On a Thursday airing of Gil’s Arena, the former Washington Wizards All-Star leaned into the snitch allegations but also raised a fair point that, despite the NBA revealing that the gambling operation that landed Billups and Rozier in hot water was reportedly connected to the Mafia, only Black people are making the headlines.
As we reported earlier this year, Arenas was implicated in a gambling ring operating out of his Encino, Calif. home with involvement from members of an Israeli crime mob. Arenas posted a $50,000 bond in July. Just as he’s doing now, Arenas played up the arrest and his going free with a hilarious video of him being sprung from the joint.
The claims that Billups and Rozier are facing are still developing in the news. Adding to this, former Cleveland Cavaliers player and coach Damon Jones was also arrested in a separate but related case that also has ties to the Mafia.
On social media, the jokes have been flying after the NBA’s gambling arrest spree. We’ve got reactions below.
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Photo: Getty
Sean “Diddy Combs is currently serving his prison sentence in one of the nation’s most notorious facilities, and according to a friend, there was a brush of violence for the beleaguered mogul. In a report, it was revealed by a friend of Diddy’s that a fellow inmate pressed a knife to his throat after sneaking into his cell.
As exclusively reported by The Daily Mail, Diddy, who is being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, was approached by the inmate who fashioned a makeshift knife and held it against Combs’ throat, according to his best friend, Charlucci Finney.
“He woke up with a knife to his throat,” Finney told the outlet. “I don’t know whether he fought him off or the guards came, I just know that it happened.”
Finney continued, “If this guy had wanted to harm him, Sean would have been harmed. It would only take a second to cut his throat with a weapon and kill him. It was probably a way to say: ‘Next time you ain’t gonna be so lucky.’ Everything is intimidation. But with Sean it won’t work. Sean is from Harlem.”
Attorneys for Combs have attempted to have their client moved out of MDC due to the constant threat of violence and harm. They are angling to have Diddy moved to FCI Fort Dix in Hanover Township, N.J. This is a low-security facility where they hope to have Combs serve his 50-month sentence and enter a drug rehab program.
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Photo: Getty
