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Source: Cook County Department of Corrections / Cook County Department of Corrections
R. Kelly will now have to answer to yet another shocking allegation. The R&B crooner’s daughter Buku Abi claims he abused her as well.
As spotted by Vulture, the disgraced singer is being accused of sexual misconduct by his own offspring. Last week, a new documentary premiered that spotlighted the journey of his first born. According to the TVEI Network, R. Kelly’s Karma: A Daughter’s Journey reveals “the traumatic impact of her father’s actions that exposes the heartbreaking secrets and betrayals within the family, reclaiming her voice and identity in the aftermath of his notorious scandals.” During the two-part project, Buku Abi, born Joanne Kelly, says the crooner molested her when she was 8 or 9 years old.
“For a long time, I didn’t even want to believe that it happened. I was too scared to tell anybody,” she explained. “I really feel like that one millisecond completely just changed my whole life and changed who I was as a person and changed the sparkle I had and the light I used to carry.” She went on reveal how the first incident occurred when R. Kelly was hosting a party and she decided to sleep in his office to be near her father. Late into the morning she says she woke up to him touching her inappropriately. “I just remember waking up to him touching me. And I didn’t know what to do, so I just kind of laid there and pretended to be [asleep],” she added.
According to paperwork obtained by WBEZ Chicago, her mother Andrea Kelly filed a report with local police back in 2009. The claim was found to be “unfounded” by Illinois Department of Children & Family Services department. “The DCFS caseworker/investigator … specifically and personally advised Jane Doe’s mother that despite the fact that [the caseworker] believed that the events occurred, she had no choice but to deem the matter unfounded based on the length of time between the events occurring and Jane Doe reporting the incident,” the documentation read.
Upon the documentary’s release, Buku Abi took to Instagram to detail why she decided to tell her story. “I did it for me, I did it for my son. I did it for my peace of mind,” she wrote. “I did it for the ones that love and know me but never understood me growing up. I did it to honor truth. I did it to look my biggest demon in the eyes and tell ‘em I’m done.”
You can see the trailer to R. Kelly’s Karma: A Daughter’s Journey below.
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Kaseem “KA” Ryan began his Hip-Hop career in relative obscurity in the 1990s but later emerged as one of the most important writers within the genre. With the news of KA passing away over the weekend going wide, Hip-Hop fans and artists alike are mourning the loss of the talented Brooklyn wordsmith.
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— Ka (@BrownsvilleKa) October 14, 2024
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KA was born Kaseem Ryan on August 11, 1972, and was a proud son of the Brownsville neighborhood of Brooklyn, N.Y. His musical career began as a member of the underground group Natural Elements but he would vacate his role, focusing on other endeavors.
After the Natural Elements stint, Ryan joined forces with his friend Kev to form the Nightbreed crew but, just as he did with his former group, Ryan felt that his abilities were lacking in comparison to his rhyming partners.
Ryan speaks about his background during a stellar 2016 interview with the Red Bull Music Academy, which you can find here.
KA would begin his long transformation as an artist via his debut album, Iron Works, which also was the name of his imprint and further a calling to his signature sound. The project caught the ears of fellow Brooklynite GZA, who invited Ryan to join the Wu-Tang Clan swordsman on the chilling track “Firehouse,” produced by Roc Marciano, another artist who transcended his earlier sound and took his art to a stripped-down but still potent level.
In 2012, KA would release Grief’s Pedigree, leaning further into his minimalist, sparse yet lyrically dense style. Blessed already with a distinct, gravelly voice, Ryan used his tone but also his shockingly vulnerable lyrics to great effect. It was not music designed for the day party. Instead, it was meant to be absorbed, dissected, studied, and overall, respected.
The Night’s Gambit. Honor Killed The Samurai. Descendants Of Cain. A Martyr’s Reward. Languish Arts. Woeful Studies. The Thief Next To Jesus. Each of these albums carries its own sonic identity and there is no recommended starting point. Each release is so dense that one will be unpacking the meanings over several dozen listens and still not catch everything.
One of Ryan’s greatest gifts was his commitment to a concept. His will to use every bit of his ability and how he managed to refine his writing on each outing became his calling card but it didn’t capture every measure of the man.
Outside of Hip-Hop, KA was a husband, homeowner, and a New York City firefighter. While he didn’t speak at great lengths about his job in his music, he would share some details of that part of his life in profiles and interviews. Another striking aspect of Ryan is that he didn’t define himself by measuring his success in music. He treated it as a natural extension of himself and perhaps a way to process the things he saw growing up and doing his part to add to the legacy of the culture by willing himself to greatness.
Throughout nine solo projects that he largely produced and two collaborative projects, he also oversaw shooting videos, managing merchandise, and conducting meet-and-greet events with his adoring fans, KA remained humble and grateful.
A quick scan of his social media accounts showcased his everpresent humility, and he engaged his fans when he found the time to do so. Every story that will surely emerge in the coming days was how gracious he was and made himself tangible despite his legendary status in Hip-Hop.
If you ever cared about the quality of songwriting in Hip-Hop and want to discover a shining example of the heights it can reach in the genre, we suggest giving KA a bit of your ear.
As Hip-Hop fans the world over mourn one of the mighty titans of the culture, the jewels KA left us will live on forever.
May he rest powerfully in peace.
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Photo: @brownsvilleka/Instagram
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50 Cent is not to play with when it comes to his likeness. He is suing a New York City jeweler for using his name to sell chains.
As spotted on TMZ, the “I Get Money” rapper is coming for his coin. TraxNYC recently posted a video of a pendant that is similar to the crucifix that 50 Cent wears. “50 Cent is wearing this interesting cross and guess what 50 Cent? We made it and we made it for our customers,” he said. “We just jocked your style, I know you watch my videos and now I’m watching your s**t and jocking your s**t just like you jocked my s**t.” Maksud Agadjani went on to blatantly admit he ripped off the idea for the pendant from the G-Unit boss. “I thought it was a nice cross 50, and I thought it was nice enough for me to make.”
The post soon landed on 50 Cent’s radar prompting the MC to leave a comment on the original post. “This was a bad idea, you will regret this I promise,” to which the @traxnyc account directly responded, “yo don’t you got better things to worry about.” It seems their lack of urgency further aggravated the Queens, N.Y., native. Later that day, 50 Cent posted about it on his Instagram. “Every now and then someone does something like this.😟I don’t know why 🤷but I do know 🤨I’m a need that by Monday.” the caption read.
It appears Agadjani is trying to backtrack with a post reminding 50 Cent that crucifixes are a symbol of forgiveness. A representative for the rapper confirmed with TMZ that he is taking legal action against the shop. “Mr. Jackson takes the unauthorized use of his name and likeness for commercial purposes seriously.”
Maksud Agadjani played a jeweler in Uncut Gems. You can see TraxNYC’s original video below.
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GloRilla is easily one of the top Hip-Hop stars of her generation and her pathway to greater success is widening even further. The Memphis rapper dropped her debut studio album Glorious on Friday (October 11) and fans on X are going up for GloRilla.
Glorious clocks in at 15 tracks and boasts several big features, including Megan Thee Stallion, T-Pain, Bossman Dlow, Latto, Muni Long, Sexxy Red, and Fridayy.
Ahead of the album’s release, GloRilla fans were taken aback by the inclusion of Kirk Franklin, Kierra Sheard, and the Maverick City Music collective. Of course, the turn-up anthems that Big Glo is known for are all present throughout the album, and the singles “TGIF” and “Hollon” set the table for the main course as expected.
So far, fans are “How I Look” featuring Houston’s number one Hottie, Megan Thee Stallion, and the collaborators are also friends away from the tour stage as evidenced by the social media posts together.
Another standout for fans is “Watchu Kno About Me” featuring Sexxy Red, with the pair trading bars over a beat flip of “Wipe Me Down” from Foxx, Boosie Badazz, and Webbie. There is even some fan speculation that Glo took a shot at JT, formerly of the City Girls, on the track.
While he doesn’t appear on the album, Glo’s label boss Yo Gotti has several production credits across the project, thus stamping the Memphis sound that his artist has cultivated and grown over the years.
With all the positive returns thus far for Glorious, GloRilla is having an exceptional day and is trending on X. We’ve got reactions from the social media platform below.
GLORIOUS OUT NOW 🔥🔥🔥🔥& whatchu kno about me video !!! I’m so excited I hope yall luv dis album as much as I do 🥹I put my everything in dis just for yall ❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️🔥 https://t.co/PtqLRcdWTr pic.twitter.com/XcJ9OTWVdA
— GloRilla 🦍 (@GloTheofficial) October 11, 2024
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Desus Nice is taking his Bronx energy on the road. The media personality is working on a travel show for Amazon.
As spotted on Deadline, the New York City native is reportedly shooting a pilot for the streaming platform. The industry magazine says that the writer-comedian is working with Story Syndicate and Amazon MGM Studios on the project; if picked up, the series will run on Prime Video. On Wednesday (Oct. 9), he took to Instagram and made a nod to the project writing “New job alert.” While no other details about the show have been made available the travel format should be familiar territory to Desus Nice. Back in 2014, he appeared on Parts Unknown and gave the late great Anthony Bourdain a tour of the Bronx. The episode not only allowed him to shine a light on his hometown but gave many their first introduction to Desus Nice.
The man born Daniel Baker rose to fame during his Bodega Boys podcast run with his former partner The Kid Mero. From there Desus & Mero gained national popularity with their talk show on Viceland. In 2019, the series would transition to the Showtime network, which meant a bigger budget for production, but fans felt that there was something missing from the new iteration of the show. Desus & Mero would unfortunately part ways in July 2022. In an episode of 7PM In Brooklyn Mero explained a Draft Kings offer made him realized that their partnership wasn’t in a good place.
You can see Mero discuss their split below.
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Lawyers for Diddy have accused the government of purposely leaking information to prohibit him from having a fair trial.
A new legal motion submitted by lawyers representing Diddy claims that the federal government is colluding with the media to spoil their client’s chance at a fair trial. The filing made on Wednesday (Oct. 9), requests that the court take the “government’s scheme” seriously, and asks that all of the appropriate remedies including the dismissal of the trial outright and disqualification of witnesses be taken into account. The legal team cites a hotel surveillance video from 2016 – which shows Diddy, aka Sean Combs, allegedly assaulting the singer Cassie Ventura – as proof of the collusion. The video was aired on CNN in May, prompting Diddy to make a public apology. It is unclear how the network was able to obtain the video.
“The videotape was leaked to CNN for one reason alone: to mortally wound the reputation and the prospect of Sean Combs successfully defending himself against these allegations,” wrote attorneys Marc Agnifilo and Teny Geragos. The reasoning they presented the government as the likely suspect mentions that Ventura made no mention of the assault in her lawsuit against Diddy last November and “received a substantial eight-figure settlement,” and a third party would’ve sold the footage.
The lawyers named the Department of Homeland Security as the group behind the leak, claiming that the raids they conducted on Diddy’s homes in Los Angeles and Miami were done in broad daylight for full media exposure, stating that the media was present at the Los Angeles residence “before the crime scene tape was put up,” and pointed to DHS agents perp-walking Diddy’s children to a public area during the raid. They also allege that a DHS agent was behind anonymous leaks to the press.
Prosecutors have cited the hotel footage as core for their argument that Diddy engaged in sex trafficking and intimidation, alleging that he assaulted Cassie Ventura because she refused to participate in one of his alleged “freak-offs.” The motion came with another filed request by Diddy’s lawyers to have the trial begin in April or May of next year. The embattled music mogul is currently in federal custody in Brooklyn. He had another bail appeal denied by the court on Tuesday (Oct. 8), with a procedural hearing set for early Thursday (Oct. 10).
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One of the biggest evenings in the fashion industry will highlight Black men’s style. Colman Domingo, Lewis Hamilton, A$AP Rocky and Pharrell Williams have been tapped as the celebrity co-chairs for the 2025 Met Gala.
As spotted on the New York Times, the theme for the 2025 Met Gala has been formally announced. “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style” is directly inspired by Monica L. Miller’s, Slaves to Fashion: Black Dandyism and the Styling of Black Diasporic Identity. Originally released in 2009, the book details the history and cultural importance of the Black Dandy. She describes Black Dandyism to Vogue as “a strategy and a tool to rethink identity, to reimagine the self in a different context. To really push a boundary – especially during the time of enslavement, to really push a boundary on who and what counts as human, even.”
To ensure the theme is properly brought to life the Metropolitan Museum of Art has appointed Colman Domingo, Lewis Hamilton, A$AP Rocky, Pharrell Williams and Vogue Editor-In-Chief Anna Wintour as the co-chairs for the 2025 edition. LeBron James will also serve as an honorary chairman. The exhibit is slated to feature artwork, antique garments and other items that will explore the history of Black Dandy.
The 2025 Met Gala will take place on May 5 followed by the launch of the Superfine: Tailoring Black Style exhibit on May 10.
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Deshaun Watson was hit with another lawsuit last month accusing the NFL quarterback of sexual assault and battery, but the case appears to be in Watson’s rearview. In a new report, the attorney for the accuser says that the lawsuit has been settled.
ESPN shared a report on Monday (October 7) that the lawsuit filed against Deshaun Watson was dropped with the attorney issuing a statement to the network.
“We have now resolved our client’s claim with Deshaun Watson,” Tony Buzbee, the plaintiff’s attorney, told ESPN Monday night on behalf of the woman. “The settlement is confidential.”
In a separate statement, Rusty Hardin, the attorney for Watson, also confirmed that the case is settled.
In the lawsuit filed near the top of September in Harris County, Texas, the plaintiff alleged that in October 2020 she and Watson were due to have dinner at her apartment. Hardin issued a statement on behalf of his client denying that any wrongdoing took place while having dinner with the woman.
The NFL reportedly reviewed the complaint under its personal conduct policy guidelines but Watson was spared from being added to the commissioner’s exempt list as he was not formally charged. NFL officials decided not to offer any further details.
Deshaun Watson was a member of the Houston Texans in 2020 and currently plays for the Cleveland Browns.
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It seems that Coachella is in need of a big name talent to headline their 2025 show. Word on the street is both Kendrick Lamar and Rihanna have both declined.
As spotted on Bloomberg News, the once popular music festival is apparently trying to reclaim their greatness for next year’s event. According to the report both the rapper and songstress have politely said no to the opportunity of closing out the show. It is assumed that Kendrick passed because he was booked to perform at the NFL Super Bowl Halftime Show and apparently will follow that appearance with a stadium tour. Many speculate that Rihanna, on the other hand, is busy being a mother and an entrepreneur and has no urge to return to performing live. This apparently has put Coachella leadership in a tight spot as they have come to the realization that the festival is no longer what it once was.
Reporter Lucas Shaw says Coachella founder Paul Tollett has been feverishly “working the phones” in order to secure a high-profile artist to ensure that the concert series not only sells out but returns to its former cultural prominence. But as the article notes, it has become increasingly more difficult to book the biggest and brightest stars in music as these performers can pull those astronomical booking fees on their own.
Coachella 2025 will take place April 11-13 and April 18-20. You can find more information on the festival here.
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Cissy Houston, an award-winning singer who made waves in the Gospel world, has died. Cissy Houston was the mother of the late singer Whitney Houston and grandmother to the late Bobbi Kristina Brown.
In a statement from the family estate, featuring words of Cissy Houston’s daughter-in-law Pat Houston, the details of Ms. Houston’s passing were shared with the public:
In our time of deep sorrow, we announce the passing of Emily “Cissy” Houston, who transitioned today, Monday, October 7, at 10:30 a.m. ET, at her home in Newark, New Jersey, while under hospice care for Alzheimer’s disease. Houston, who recently turned 91 years old on September 30, 2024, was surrounded by her family.
“Our hearts are filled with pain and sadness. We loss the matriarch of our family,” says Pat Houston, the daughter-in-law of Cissy Houston. “Mother Cissy has been a strong and towering figure in our lives. A woman of deep faith and conviction, who cared greatly about family, ministry, and community. Her more than seven-decade career in music and entertainment will remain at the forefront of our hearts. Her contributions to popular music and culture are unparalleled. We are blessed and grateful that God allowed her to spend so many years with us and we are thankful for all the many valuable life lessons that she taught us. May she rest in peace, alongside her daughter, Whitney and granddaughter Bobbi Kristina and other cherished family members.”
Cissy Houston was born Emily Drinkard on September 30, 1933, in Newark, N.J. Her singing career began early as part of the Gospel singing group, the Drinkard Four consisting of herself, sister Anne, and brothers Larry and Nicky Houston. Houston had an older sister, Lee, who would later become the mother of singers Dionne and Dee Dee Warwick.
Among Houston’s many accomplishments in both the secular and Gospel music worlds was her work as part of The Sweet Inspirations group with Doris Troy and her niece, Dee Dee Warwick. The group sang background for several artists such as Otis Redding, Lou Rawls, Wilson Pickett, and Dionne Warwick among others. Houston gave birth to her daughter Whitney in 1963, which led to her eventually switching the focus of her career after performing with the group as a background singer for Elvis Presley. Houston also won two Best Traditional Gospel Album Grammy Awards, the first for her album Face to Face in 1997 and the second for He Leadeth Me in 1999.
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