State Champ Radio celebrity news
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YG has never shied away from mentioning his ties to the Piru street gang, and he recently used his connection and influence to broker a peace walk between rival Piru gangs. Over the weekend, YG held the walk in his hometown of Compton, Calif. while also stopping for lunch at an iconic burger spot in Hub City.
As reported by TMZ, YG held the walk on Sunday, (August 18) with the Treetop Pirus, who he is a member of, and the Fruit Town Pirus, both said to be factions of the larger Bloods street gang organization. According to a note from the rapper’s publicist team, around 50,000 people marched.
The march began at local Gonzales Parks around 2 PM local time with plenty of photos being taken and with young families also taking part in the festivities. According to the outlet, The Game, who also hails from Compton, was in attendance and took pictures with attendees. Wallie The Sensei also joined in.
During the walk, the “My Hitta” rapper made a stop at Tam’s Burgers for a bite to eat with some of the marchers joining in. Some might recall seeing Tam’s Burgers in Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us” video.
According to the outlet, the event was part of YG’s larger efforts to broker peace between the gang factions. This isn’t new for the Just Re’d Up 3 artist as he’s enacted a mobile mental health program previously, along with other philanthropic events.
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Photo: Brandon Espeleta
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Source: COACH / Coach
Jayson Tatum is extending his winning streak in a major way. He is now the face of the Coach For Men fragrance.
Source: COACH / Coach
As reported by High Snobiety, the Boston Celtics power forward has taken his talents to the men’s grooming category. This week, the apparel and leather goods brand launched their Coach For Men Eau De Toilette. Jayson Tatum stars in the advertisement proving he can use his star power off the court. Shot by Keizo Kitajuma, the still image campaign features the St. Louis Missouri native walking throughout downtown Manhattan. In a promotional trailer we see Tatum getting ready for his day with a couple of sprays of the fragrance.
In an exclusive interview with People magazine, he speaks on why Coach For Men made so much sense for him. “To me, the scent is all about confidence. I can wear it for any occasion, and it gives me that finishing touch, almost like a confidence boost. I know when I put it on, I’m ready to go out and feel my best,” he said. When asked about being chosen for the opportunity he made it clear he was excited. “It means a lot, I definitely don’t take it for granted,” Tatum explained. “I’m grateful to tell my story through the lens of the campaign.”
Coach For Men symbolizes “the spirit of the brand” and is inspired by “mavericks, rebels and all-American dreamers.” Coach For Men features notes of citrus and pear on the opening and settles with a base of suede and ambergris. You can shop it here.
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Taylor Swift and Ye, also known as Kanye West, will probably never end up being friends after the producer crashed the singer’s big moment at the 2009 MTV VMAs. If recent chatter is true, Taylor Swift changed her track “thanK you aIMee, with the letters, K, I, and M capitalized as a rumored shot at Kim Kardashian but now the song is titled “thank You aimEe,” capitalizing the letters Y and E.
Via the X Taylor Swift fan account @chartstswift, the song title change was highlighted. The song appears on Swift’s eleventh studio album, The Tortured Poets Department, and was assumed by fans and observers to be a dig at Kardashian. Ye and Kardashian reportedly recorded a phone call with Swift and altered the audio to make it appear that the singer agreed to a line Ye uttered on the track “Famous” from his The Life of Pablo album. Kardashian posted the audio to her social media channels, and it’s been up ever since for Swift apparently.
Of course, Swift hasn’t confirmed the rumors but that hasn’t stopped the Swifties from piecing together their theories, and considering how the beef started, who could blame them?
If you wanted to check out Taylor Swift’s “thank You aimEe” for yourself, it appears the track was initially being sold as a live song version but is no longer being sold on her website.
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Photo: Kevin Winter/MTV1415 / Getty
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Charles Barkley already answered the prayers of thousands of Inside The NBA fans by walking back his retirement talk from earlier this year. In a new interview, the basketball legend says he left $100 million on the table to remain with Turner Sports and helped save jobs in the process.
Charles Barkley, 61, was a guest on The Dan Le Batard Show and shared details from his vantage point on Turner Sports losing out on the new NBA media rights deal, which would begin after the upcoming 2024-25 season. The Chuckster, who has been vocally loyal to the Inside The NBA studio staff, says he turned down bigger offers to help keep his team intact and employed.
“The number one thing for me is my people from Turner get to keep their jobs for at least another year,” Barkley said to Le Batard. “That’s all I was concerned with.”
Barkley added that he was courted by several suitors but decided to not leave his TNT crew in a lurch.
“I want to thank all of those networks for reaching out to me. It was really humbling and cool, to be honest with you. Even though they were throwing crazy numbers, like damn, but as long as I got my people safe at TNT man, I feel really good,” Barkley said.
It appears that the Inside The NBA crew will continue beyond the end of the NBA’s contract with Turner Sports. The NBA’s new 11-year deal will bring games to NBC and Amazon Prime Video, along with ESPN.
Charles Barkley also covers the NCAA Division I men’s basketball tournament by way of a media partnership with Turner Sports and CBS.
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Photo: Getty
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Quando Rondo was in court earlier this week in connection to his drug case in Georgia, changing his previous not-guilty plea to guilty inside a federal court. With the rapper pleading guilty to a lesser charge, Quando Rondo still faces up to five years behind bars in connection to the matter.
As reported by WSAV, Quando Rondo, 25, appeared in court this past Tuesday (August 13) to change his not-guilty plea to guilty for a conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute marijuana charge.
After his court appearance, the rapper, real name Tyquian Bowman, told WSAV that he’s on a new path and hopes that it reflects in his actions going forward.
“I just want everybody to know I’m a changed person, I’m changing every day, and God has the last say so, Rondo said.
Adding to his statement to the press, Rondo apologized to his hometown in a bid to further display his changed ways.
“I really want to give an apology to the city of Savannah, and I want to give an apology to my family, friends, loved ones, most of all to my daughters,” Rondo added.
The rapper is still releasing music and has a new project, Here For A Reason, to release on Friday (August 16) according to WSAV’s report.
“I’m forever gonna rap! Nothing can affect music,” Rondo shared with WSAV.
Quando Rondo is due back in court on December 12 for his sentencing and will remain free on bond until then.
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Photo: Getty
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Source: San Francisco Chronicle/Hearst Newspapers via Getty Images / Getty
One of the culture’s most beloved creatives might be finally working with the world’s most popular streetwear label. A SUPREME x Tyler, The Creator drop might be on the way.
As reported by Highsnobiety, the New York-based company looks to be partnering with the face of GOLF le FLEUR. On Tuesday, Aug. 13, SUPREME posted some photographs of him sporting their signature box logo t-shirt. The “See You Again” MC is pictured wearing a hunting hat with the ear flaps tied up with what seems to be a silk-printed scarf slightly protruding from the collar. “Tyler, The Creator for Supreme, 2024,” the caption read.
While the clothing brand didn’t share any more details, Tyler left a comment saying, “MR. GREEN HAT REALLY,” which is a reference to not only his lyrics on “Session” from Bastard but also his history of wearing green SUPREME hats during his Odd Future days. The following day, posters with the same visuals appeared on the streets of London.
Tyler, The Creator has seemed to thrive in the fashion industry. Back in February it was announced he designed a menswear collection for Louis Vuitton. Prior to that, he and A$AP Rocky were the face of a 2020 Gucci campaign. At this time there is no release date on the Tyler, The Creator x SUPREME drop.
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Source: Julia Beverly / Getty
The man charged in the 2015 murder of New York City rapper Chinx was sentenced to 23 years in prison.
On Monday (Aug. 12), Quincy Homere was sentenced to 23 years in prison for the killing of New York rapper Chinx. Homere, also known as “Q” or “Qwality,” received the sentence in a Queens courtroom. The 32-year-old pled guilty to manslaughter the month before. At the time of his death, Chinx was enjoying a fair amount of success with a series of mixtapes and being signed to French Montana’s label. “Homere fired numerous rounds into Pickens’ car while he was stopped at a red light in Briarwood and then fled, leaving the young man for dead,” said Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz in a statement after the sentencing. “Nothing can undo what happened, but I hope today’s sentence brings some solace to Pickens’ loved ones as they continue to grieve.”
The murder took place on May 17, 2015, as Chinx, aka Lionel Pickens Jr., had stopped at a red light on his way home from a show in Brooklyn. Homere was identified as the shooter with an accomplice, Jamar Hill. Homere would make a statement in court. “I’d like to express my condolences to the family and anyone else that was affected with what happened here,” he said. “I don’t believe there’s words that can express the way I feel about what transpired here.” Chinx’s widow, Janelli Caceres-Pickens, also delivered a statement to the court, saying: “I was told I had two minutes to say goodbye, holding his mother’s hand, watching his lifeless body, praying and crying for him to wake up. A mother has to bury her son. At the age of 28, I had become a widow. My children, who were 15, 11, and 4, are now without a dad.”
Homere and Hill were identified as suspects in the killing in 2017 by DA Katz, with both pleading not guilty at the time of their arrest. They were indicted on five counts, one count each of second-degree murder, second-degree attempted murder, first-degree assault, and two counts of second-degree criminal possession of a weapon. Sources close to Homere stated that jealousy was a factor in the killing and court documents that the two “hunted Chinx down like an animal” due to a dispute they had over a phone while incarcerated on Rikers Island. Hill’s case has not been settled as he’s currently incarcerated for an unrelated charge.
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Source: Steve Jennings / Getty
Days ago it was reported that The Fugees had suddenly canceled their U.S. tour dates just days before they were set to hit the road. Now, it seems like one of their members has something to say to his fellow Fugees bandmate.
According to TMZ, Pras has just released a new record in which he takes direct aim at Lauryn Hill for who he feels is the reason The Fugees continue to be dysfunctional in the eyes of their fans. Dubbed “Bar Mitzfa,” the new song finds Pras immediately airing out his grievances about The Fugees situation spitting, “Still waiting for me to lose, don’t hold ya breath/They took a bite out of his ambizzy, I control the rest/Don’t blame me, blame her she made the mess/Not another f*ckin’ penny is what I told Clef [Wyclef Jean]…”
With word that the cancellation of the tour was due to lack of ticket sales, it seems like Pras isn’t too happy with the reputation that Lauryn Hill built for herself over the years such as arriving hours late to her own shows and canceling performances out of the blue.
TMZ reports:
We’re told the song was recorded sometime last week, when Pras needed to blow off steam … on the heels of low ticket sales shutting down the legendary hip hop trio’s reunion plans.
Remember, Pras agreed with fed-up fans that Lauryn’s reputation for being late and missing shows justified them boycotting the concerts.
You gotta think, Lauryn’s lateness also jams up his and the band’s schedule … not to mention any invited celebrity guests at the shows!!! After a while, everyone starts to treat the tour like a big joke.
As much as we love The Fugees, we know that copping a ticket to their shows is basically a 50/50 gamble on whether or not it will start on time or even happen at all. And we all know why that is (no shots).
That being said, Pras has skipped his own share of Fugees performances, but with all the legal setbacks he’s faced over the years, y’all know he might’ve needed this tour paper more than his fellow “Fugee-La” members. Just sayin’.
How or even if Lauryn Hill (or Wyclef) will respond to this cut is anyone’s guess, but had this been 1999, it would’ve been the talk of the town. Now, in 2024? Meh.
What do y’all think of Pras taking shots at Lauryn Hill? Sound off in the comments section below.
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Source: Charley Gallay / Getty
Jay-Z and Drake ended their intense dispute in the 2010s with the help of Elliott Wilson, as he revealed in a recent interview.
The back-and-forth between Jay-Z and Drake was one of Hip-Hop’s most notable scenarios for close to a decade, and veteran journalist Elliott Wilson revealed he helped squash their beef. “I got them back together, I got them to talk,” Wilson said during a recent appearance on The Bigger Picture podcast. “Around the time when Drake was doing the tour with Lil Wayne and they had a show in Queens, Drake came backstage and hugged me and was like, ‘I spoke to Hov. We’re figuring it out.’ He was excited that they had finally talked.”
The two superstar rappers had collaborated to great appeal, with Jay-Z appearing on “Light Up” on Drake’s 2010 album Thank Me Later after Drake teamed up with Jay-Z on “Off That” from The Blueprint 3, a year before. But on DJ Khaled’s “I’m On One” a year later, Drake threw out the line “I’m just feeling like the throne is for the taking / Watch me take it,” which many saw as a challenge to both Jay-Z and Kanye West.
The Canadian rapper quickly dismissed that idea, and the two would team up for the 2013 hit “Pound Cake.” But comments that Drake made about Jay-Z’s foray into the art world in a Rolling Stone interview (which Wilson stated Drake felt were off the record when he made them) rubbed Jay-Z the wrong way, causing the Roc Nation founder to deliver some heated bars directed at Drake on Jay Electronica’s “We Made It” remix. Drake would fire back on “Draft Day,” which led to the Reasonable Doubt MC delivering his own barbs on DJ Khaled’s “They Don’t Love You No’ More”: “N-ggas talking down on the crown / Watch them n-ggas you ‘round got you wound / Haters wanna ball, let me tighten up my drawstring / Wrong sport, boy, you know you’re as soft as a lacrosse team.”
The two would eventually settle their differences, reuniting on 2018’s “Talk Up.” When asked how he was able to help mend the dispute, with co-host Jeremy Hecht joking that he created a text messaging thread, Wilson replied, “No, just encouraging them to talk to each other, that’s all. I’m not Farrakhan. I didn’t put the play together [laughs].”
Check out the entire episode above.
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The fanfare and hysteria surrounding the beyond-viral feud between rappers Kendrick Lamar and Drake have finally wound down since the former’s smash hit “Not Like Us” became the cultural phenomenon that ended any lingering doubts about who “won” this rap beef, but one veteran emcee who is somewhat of a cultural phenomenon all by himself, André 3000, is weighing in on the spectacle and what it meant for Hip-Hop.
“I got a little sad, at a certain point,” the Outkast member said in a recent interview with Crack Magazine. “In early rap battles, you had kids in the park rapping against each other. But it’s not just people rapping now. You got people with 100 employees. You have livelihoods, empires, companies, deals — all of it can be jeopardized. If you don’t have anything to lose, sure, go for it. But if I already made it, I’m not sure it’s even worth it anymore.”
Yeah—the beef between Drizzy and K-Dot certainly didn’t have the feel of pure Hip Hop competition that the culture felt during the rivalry between Boodie Down Productions and Juice Crew. This beef was more reminiscent of the post-NWA split-up, when Ice Cube, Dr. Dre, and Eazy-E really seemed to be out to destroy each other. Drake vs. Kendrick got really ugly, and it’s undoubtedly the reason it had the whole internet in a chokehold for multiple months.
Still, the Dungeon Family alumnus acknowledged that Hip Hop has always been a competitive sport and that rap beefs are part of the game. He also didn’t seem to mind his name being dropped in Lamar’s verse on Future and Metro Boomin’s “Like That,” the very verse that catalyzed the feud.
“If he walk around with that stick, it ain’t André 3K,” Lamar rapped in the song.
“As a 49-year-old rapper, you’re just happy to get a shoutout,” André told Crack Magazine. “But as a rapper, I’ve noticed myself walking around with this stick. So It was a line for me, too, and I was trying to find a way to use it. But Kendrick used it, so I had to say ‘Yeah, he got it.’”
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