State Champ Radio celebrity news
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Vybz Kartel, one of the most influential Dancehall artists of his time, spent nearly 13 years behind bars and was sentenced to life in prison a decade ago. This week, Vybz Kartel exited prison as a free man and is already back in the business of releasing music.
As reported by the Jamaica Observer, Vybz Kartel, 48, was freed from the Tower Street Adult Correctional Centre on Wednesday (July 31) to much fanfare. The popular deejay was sentenced to life behind bars in 2014 with eligibility for parole after 35 years. Kartel, whose real name is Adidja Palmer, was sentenced alongside Shawn “Shawn Storm” Campbell, Kahira Jones, and Andre St. John for the 2011 slaying of Clive “Lizard” Williams.
Back in March of this year, the United Kingdom’s Privy Council overturned the convictions of the accused after jury misconduct was discovered, sending the matter to the Court of Appeal in Jamaica to decide if the men should be retried or released.
On Wednesday, judges overseeing the matter decided to not enact another trial and allowed Kartel, Campbell, and St. John to go free. Jones remained behind bars as he continues to serve an 18-year sentence in connection to an earlier wounding with intent charge after shooting a man in 2009.
The panel of judges cited 12 factors that allowed the men to go free, which included the absence of evidence, the absence of defense witnesses, the absence of prosecution witnesses, the physical, psychological, and emotional health of Palmer, and other related factors.
In delivering a statement to the Observer, Kartel described his time behind bars as “hell” and warned young people in Jamaica to steer far away from a life of crime.
The self-proclaimed “World Boss” is wasting little time and released a new project titled First Week Out, a 12-track effort that he is heavily promoting across his social media channels.
Salute to Vybz Kartel!
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Photo: Hiroyuki Ito / Getty
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Source: Courtesy of Damon Dash / Damon Dash
Just a week ago it was reported that Dame Dash was about to sell his stake in Jay-Z’s classic debut album, Reasonable Doubt. But now, it seems like Dash will be forced to sell much more than he originally intended.
According to TMZ, a court has just ruled that Dame Dash will have to sell his entire share of Roc-A-Fella Records as his money woes continue to pile up. According to the report, Dash will have his 33.3% in the iconic record label auctioned off by a U.S. Marshall on Aug. 29. For serious bidders who plan on getting in on the action, they’ll have to send an email to attorney Christopher Brown in order to register for the upcoming event.
Naturally, the biggest gem here is Dash’s share of Reasonable Doubt. With rumors having swirled that Jay-Z had been trying to get that back from Dame for a while now, we wouldn’t be surprised if a representative for Hova ends up with the winning bid for Dame’s share of Roc-A-Fella Records.
TMZ reports:
Brown, as you may know, represents film director Josh Webber, who secured an $800K-plus civil judgment against Dash for copyright infringement and defamation two years ago.
Webber and Muddy Water Pictures produced “Dear Frank” and filed suit against Dash after claiming he went around and told people he owned the rights to the movie even after he was dropped from the project.
The court docs specify the purpose of the auction is to collect on the judgment. The docs also note Jay Z’s album “Reasonable Doubt” is the biggest asset Roc-A-Fella owns.
It will be quite the pricey entrance fee for anyone interested in the auction as the starting bid will be $1.2 million, with the winning bid having to put down 20% of the final tally as soon as the auction ends. We all know that’s pocket change to someone like Jay. Just sayin’.
What do y’all think of Dame Dash’s latest legal setback? Let us know in the comments section below.
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Source: FREDERIC J. BROWN / Getty
With the hype behind Kamala Harris’ presidential run continuing to build momentum (and garnering all kinds of hate), fans have been demanding that comedian Maya Rudolph reprise her role as the current vice president of the United States on SNL. Apparently, she will oblige.
According to Deadline, Maya Rudolph plans on returning to Saturday Night Live to give the Harris campaign a comedic boost until election season is over. With the stakes being as high as they are in this current election cycle—thanks to an orange wannabe dictator who plans on making Project 2025 his blueprint for a new America—Rudolph seems intent on using her comedic powers to help propel Kamala Harris into the White House and making that a priority from now until November.
Deadline reports:
Deadline has learned that pre-production on Season 3 of Rudolph’s Apple TV+ comedy series Loot, which was scheduled to begin filming August 26, has been paused. According to sources, the cast and crew of the comedy series, which Rudolph headlines and executive produces, were told earlier this week that production has been pushed for scheduling reasons.
Maya Rudolph is taking her role in fighting for democracy dead serious, and we love her for it. This is nothing new for Saturday Night Live as they’ve become a target for far-right trolls who feel they use their platform to clown their orange overlord and his disciples while propping up his political rivals.
SNL previously employed a similar stunt-casting strategy in the lead-up to the 2020 Presidential election with Jim Carrey and Rudolph playing Joe Biden and Harris from the start of the TV season in early October through December. Carrey relocated to New York, where SNL is based, for the duration.
Jim Carrey as Joe Biden was hella funny though.
Now that Kamala Harris is the main focus of this year’s presidential campaign, it will be interesting to see how Maya Rudolph re-introduces herself when SNL returns to the airwaves on Sept. 28.
Are you excited about Maya Rudolph’s return as Kamala Harris on Saturday Night Live? Let us know in the comments section below.
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Young Thug will remain behind bars along with his co-defendants after the new judge overseeing the YSL RICO trial has denied the group bond. Fulton County Superior Court Judge Paige Reese Whitaker also denied requests by prosecutors to place gag orders on attorneys from speaking to the media.
As reported by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Young Thug attorney Brian Steel stated to the court that his client has been living under poor conditions at Cobb County and asked that the rapper be released and placed on house arrest during an argument for bond.
In response, Judge Whitaker said to Young Thug and his co-defendants’ defense team, “I’m not going to reconsider any bond issues that have already been considered and ruled upon by another court absent legitimate changed circumstances.”
Whitaker came into view after Chief Judge Ural Glanville recused himself due to an ex-parte meeting held in secret in June with prosecutors and a state’s witness. Running for 19th months now, the trial remains the longest Georgia court history but Whittaker promises to move things along.
“It should not take another seven months,” Whitaker said to attorneys during a motion hearing on Tuesday (July 30).
State prosecutors said to the court that they will aim efforts at calling 105 witnesses to the stand. Whitaker is ordering the state to compile a list of evidence in connection to the next 30 witnesses they plan to call.
Further, AJC added in its reporting that the judge is looking over the case to decide whether or not to proceed with the case against Young Thug and his five co-defendants. Four attorneys from the defense have filed mistrial motions with two being denied by Whitaker thus far.
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Photo: Getty
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Source: Cook County Department of Corrections / Cook County Department of Corrections
R. Kelly is exploring yet another route in order to get his freedom back. He is asking the Supreme Court to review his federal sex crimes case.
As spotted on TMZ, the disgraced entertainer might have a legal ace up his sleeve. This week, his lawyer Jennifer Bonjean confirmed she formally submitted a petition asking for his case to be reevaluated. According to the US Courts, a writ of certiorari is a “a request that the Supreme Court order a lower court to send up the record of the case for review.” In essence, she is making a statute of limitations argument where the actions he was accused of occurred in the 1990s/early 2000s and he was charged with a law that did not exist yet.
Jennifer Bonjean appeared on TMZ and explained this is not the first time this technicality was brought to the court. “Yes, we raised this issue pre-trial and it was denied” she said. “The government’s position is that they admit they applied a statute of limitations that did not exist at the time the conduct was allegedly committed. But they are saying that ‘we were permitted to extend it’ nor did it ‘harm’ him or ‘violate’ him.
R. Kelly was convicted on three counts of child pornography and three counts of inducement back in 2020. He was sentenced to 20 years and is slated to be released in 2045.
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Stunna Girl, a recording artist who was a member of the Baddies reality television series, was recently shot in the chest under circumstances she has yet to reveal. However, the California native did share images of her imagery and asked fans to react.
TMZ shared a report regarding the gunshot suffered by Stunna Girl, real name Suzanne Brown. According to their report, Stunna Girl shared scant details of the shooting via her Instagram Story feed, and we do urge caution to anyone curious enough to look.
From the appearance of the images shared, it seems that SG has been seen by medical authorities as her injury heals. She explained that the bullet from the gunshot hit right above her left breast and exited through her armpit.
The feed begins with SG writing “Yall stop making up stories!!” and later adding, “I love yall thanks to everyone who’s reached//reaching out, my family,[friends], homies, supporters, [etc.]. I knew [I] was loved but this showed me just how much everybody really loves me & rocks fa me. I know yall aint lettin nun slide n gone paint this mf red about me!!”
Stunna Girl also shared that she’s still going forward with releasing her television series on RedRum TV after reportedly splitting with the Baddies franchise.
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Photo: Getty
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Source: Handout / Getty
Justin Timberlake is trying to save his name anyway he can. His lawyer claims he wasn’t intoxicated during his recent DUI arrest.
As reported by Digital Music News, the musician is set to virtually appear at a hearing next week regarding his driving under the influence charges. But his attorney’s hope is that the case can be dismissed entirely. His attorney Edward D. Burke Jr. claims the the case is “procedurally defective” and says the “young, part-time” badge who booked the singer did not follow proper procedure.
After concluding a hearing on Friday, July 26, he detailed his stance further to reporters outside of the court. “The most important thing we have to say today is obviously that Justin should not have been arrested for driving while intoxicated,” he explained. “The police made a number of very significant errors in this case, and you heard the District Attorney try to fix one of those errors just this morning upstairs in court.” He went on to add that Justin Timberlake “cooperated with the police offers from the second he was ordered out of his car to the second he was discharged on June 18. But the facts remain: he was not intoxicated. I’ll say it again: Justin Timberlake was not intoxicated and we’re confident that charge — that criminal charge — will be dismissed.”
According to Sag Harbor Village Police Department, Justin Timberlake told the arresting officer “I had one martini, and I followed my friends home.” He then was asked to perform a field sobriety test to which he did “poorly.” The report states he appeared to be “in an intoxicated condition” and emitted “a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage.”
You can see his lawyer discuss the trial proceedings below.
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Source: Emma McIntyre / Getty
It appears that Twitch is the new mixtape leak. Kai Cenat recently previewed a new track from Drake and Lil Yachty.
As reported on Hypebeast, the New York City native broke the internet once again. On Wednesday, July 24, the popular online personality took to Twitch and premiered a new track from Drake and Lil Yachty. Now referred to as “Super Soak,” the selection finds both MCs floating nicely on a slow-pitched beat, which samples Mr. Hotspot’s “Goodness Gracious.” Drizzy opens the cut with his signature approach of blending singing and rapping together. “I’m watching the moves, I’m playing it close / S.O.D., Super Soak / Rainy days, his and hers, matching coat / Jet is so big, it feel like a boat, staying afloat / I’m watching the moves, I’m playing it close,” he raps.
Lil Yachty follows Drake after the chorus with some moody bars on the second verse. “Twenty times Bottega, you can get what you want / Twenty times Balenci’, you could have it all / I don’t ask no questions ’bout who else involved / Get rid of your troubles (Phew), problem solved.” As expected, Kai Cenat turned up while the song played and proceeded to cut a rug from the comfort of his bedroom. Earlier this week, Adin Ross teased a song called “Promotion” that features Ye, Ty Dolla $ign and Future.
You can see the preview to the Drake and Lil Yachty track below.
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Source: ANGELA WEISS / Getty
The infamous fight between Joseline Hernandez and Amber Rose during the filming of College Hill: Celebrity Edition is one that everyone knew about but no one had ever seen. Yesterday (July 24), TMZ leaked the footage of the fight, and man, did those two women go at it.
Just a week after Amber Rose took to the Republican National Convention to call the MAGA movement her “people,” TMZ obtained the footage of the fight between her and Joseline Hernandez, which was spurred by an argument in which Hernandez questioned Rose’s racial background and whether or not she embraces being a Black woman. Needless to say, Rose didn’t take lightly to the criticism and ultimately ended up throwing hands with the self-proclaimed “Puerto Rican Princess.”
Unfortunately for viewers, the fight itself never aired nor was it shared online… until now.
TMZ reports:
Folks who saw that episode remember the confrontation well — Joseline was questioning Amber’s racial identity and background, and straight-up said Amber was not Black — and AR felt she was being singled out and made to feel bad for her white heritage.
Joseline also made the argument that Amber was conflicted with her mixed-race makeup — and that ultimately set Amber off, spurring her to get up and start repeatedly punching Joseline. Like we said, only one punch originally aired in 2023, and then producers opted to cut away.
Looked like Rose got some good licks in before everyone broke it up.
Though Rose has said in the past that she doesn’t consider herself to be a Black woman, that hasn’t stopped Republicans from boasting that having Amber Rose speak at their national convention is proof that they have support from the Black community. Go figure.
Check out the leaked fight below, and let us know your thoughts on the situation in the comments section.
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Source: YouTube / CNN
Charlamagne tha God called out Jake Tapper over a question about Vice President Kamala Harris during an interview.
In a live interview, Charlamagne tha God took CNN correspondent Jake Tapper to task over a question about the vice president and presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris. Tapper asked him if America was ready to elect a former prosecutor to the presidency. “Jake, I don’t even know if that’s the right question, asking if America is ready for a prosecutor,” The Breakfast Club co-host said. “I mean, is America ready for somebody with all of the criminal charges that Donald Trump has? Most convicted felons can’t even get those kinds of jobs that Donald Trump is currently campaigning for. They can get better jobs at McDonald’s and Walmart.”
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Charlamagne, who was joined by activist and writer Angela Rye, continued: “It’s weird to have to say, ‘Is America ready for a prosecutor?’ No, is America ready to elect a criminal?” Later on in the interview, Tapper read a quote concerning lying from the media personality’s book Get Honest or Die Lying and asked Charlamagne about how it ties into the “political rollercoaster” of the past few weeks. “I think the media lied to themselves for a week,” he said, referencing how outlets had called for the political rhetoric to be toned down in the wake of the attempt on Donald Trump’s life in Pennsylvania.
“I think CNN lied to themselves for a week. I think MSNBC lied to themselves for a week. And I want folks, especially the media, to understand you don’t have to willfully surrender to fascism.” He added, “You can’t talk about Trump without telling the truth. He absolutely led an attempted coup of this country. His followers were chanting, ‘Hang Mike Pence.’ [Trump] did suggest that Second Amendment supporters do something about Hillary Clinton. You can’t even begin to have conversations about dangerous rhetoric that leads to political violence without talking about Trump.”
Charlamagne tha God also stated that he was supporting Vice President Harris in her presidential run, saying that he had been reluctant to support President Joe Biden for reelection. The galvanizing of support for Harris has been remarkable, with Zoom calls held by organizations led by Black women and Black men in support of her campaign raising close to $3 million. This was part of a historic effort that saw the campaign rake in $81 million over 24 hours.
