State Champ Radio crosspost now
Source: Hip-Hop WIred / iOne Digital
The newest episode of the acclaimed I Got Questions series features the Juice Crew’s Big Daddy Kane and Wu-Tang Clan’s Ghostface Killah reflecting on Hip-Hop culture and their careers.
The streets have been asking for it, so it’s only right that as Hip-Hop is enjoying 50 years of life as a culture, the pivotal interview series I Got Questions makes its return with two of the greatest MCs in Hip-Hop—Big Daddy Kane and Ghostface Killah.
[embedded content]
The two artists sit across from each other in a plush lounge setting, with Ghostface reminiscing on the first time he ever heard Big Daddy Kane rhyme while hustling in the projects in his Stapleton neighborhood of Staten Island. “That’s what really got me into Hip-Hop, and ink and putting the pen down,” he said. For Big Daddy Kane, he recounted his first time meeting Ghostface at their show in Newark, New Jersey, and how they immediately got into a cipher. “It was me, you, Scoob Lover, RZA, and Raekwon and Shyheim,” he said. He even revealed how the iconic “Where Brooklyn At?” moment from The Notorious B.I.G. took place at one of his shows.
As the two sip wine, Big Daddy Kane reveals that he started as a DJ but a robbery at his grandmother’s home forced him to pivot to rhyming. “Dude that stole those turntables did me a big favor ‘cause I sucked at DJ’ing,” the legend said with a laugh. The conversation went deeper, as Ghostface revealed that performing his classic track with Mary J. Blige from Ironman, “All That I Got Is You” is one that he’s reluctant to perform. “It just gets me sad. I don’t really perform that because it brings me back to a place where we was going through it. That record brings pain,” he remarked.
The two artists also spoke about the relationships with other older and newer artists in rap, and how they want to be perceived by the public. “Now there’s a disconnect,” Big Daddy Kane said, “That’s what we need to bring back so we can talk to the young rappers of today and give them the game. The same way it was given to me. The same way it was given to you.”
Ghostface also spoke about how some rappers need to be more embracing of their fans by signing autographs and greeting them on the street. “I’m an MC first, but I’m grateful though, ‘cause Kane we could’ve been somewhere else,” said Tony Starks.
Check out the entire I Got Questions episode with Big Daddy Kane and Ghostface Killah above.
HipHopWired Featured Video
Source: Christopher Cavanaugh / Brandon Coton / iOne Digital
In exclusive news, iOne Digital is relaunching Elev8, a new platform with a spotlight on a new wave of Christian Hip-Hop and R&B artists.
As the world is undergoing some turbulent times, there are many online who are looking for a sort of safe space to find motivation and attain reflection on topics related to mind, body and culture. In that spirit, the return of an online hub dedicated to that mission was announced Thursday (April 4). Elev8, pronounced “e-le-vate,” seeks to be a bedrock for those Black men and women seeking out nontraditional sources to further their interconnected well-being.
Elev8 is starting this mission out strongly with a new cover story covering seven talented rising artists in the world of Christian Hip-Hop and R&B. The artists – Childlike CiCi, Franchesca, Lee Vasi, Wande, Jor’Dan Armstrong, Mike Teezy and Stevie Rizo – got to sit down and talk extensively with Elev8 Digital Director Aliya Faust about their commitment to their faith influencing their music in various ways allowing them to push envelopes and appeal to the public.
“I’ve always been a wear-my-heart-on-my-sleeve kind of girl and that’s been kind of amplified in this Christian genre because it’s really soul work that this music is stemming from,” said Lee Vasi in the profile. For Armstrong, who’s attained the No.1 slot on Billboard charts recently, the new shift is remarkable. “I remember 10 to 15 years ago, we didn’t have these types of opportunities,” he states. “We didn’t have these types of platforms. We were frowned upon because we were different or because we had a different approach to what gospel sounded like. I’m grateful to be a part of what God is doing in the industry and the genre that we’re in.”
As Faust explains: “I think it’s important to have a brand like Elev8 because we acknowledge that what you feed your mind and body matter. Health is multifaceted. I always refer to four of the eight dimensions of wellness. Spiritual health, emotional health, physical health, social health, etc. – it’s all interconnected. When we nurture them in harmony, life is elevated.” In addition to more in-depth articles on each of the aforementioned artists, Elev8 will feature more soul-stirring conversations on all of those topics in conjunction with featured videos, exclusive digital profiles, and daily articles along with a newsletter.
Check out the first profile at Elev8 here.
Source: Paras Griffin / Getty
This year’s magically Urban One Honors finally airs on Sunday, February 25 and some of your favorite stare were in attendance to celebrate the “Best In Black” at the ceremony.
The 6th Annual URBAN ONE HONORS: Best In Black presented by TV One went down at the Coca Cola Roxy and featured class acts like Mary J. Blige, the Entertainment Icon Honoree, Dionne Warwick, the Lifetime Achievement Honoree, Chlöe, the Generation Next Honoree and the iconic Frankie Beverly, the Living Legend Honoree, among others.
During the ceremony, The Morning Hustle host Lore’l chatted with your favorite celebrities in the purple lounge for Hip-Hop Wired and the rest of our iOne Digital family; MadameNoire, Global Grind, HelloBeautiful, Cassius, NewsOne, and Bossip, which you can watch above.
HipHopWired Featured Video
Source: Foundation to Combat Antisemitism / FCAS
The Foundation to Combat Antisemitism (FCAS) has announced it will be running a Super Bowl LVIII commercial that will feature Dr. Clarence B. Jones, a confidante of the late, great Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Jones helped King draft his historic “I Have a Dream” speech which he delivered at March on Washington back on August 28, 1963. Now a lawyer, entrepreneur, and investment banker, Jones was also King’s legal counsel and one of his strategic advisors. Currently, Jones is the Chairman of the Spill the Honey Foundation, which was founded by New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft and acts to fight against racism and antisemitism via art and education.
The commercial’s goal is to foster unity between Black and Jewish groups in the face of hate.
“I know I can speak for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. when I say without a doubt that the Civil Rights movement (including the passage of the Civil Rights and Voting Acts) would not have occurred without the unwavering and largely unsung efforts of the Jewish people,” said Dr. Jones in a statement. “With hate on the rise, it is as important as ever that all of us stand together and speak out. Silence is not an option. I’m glad that I have lived long enough to partner with Robert Kraft and FCAS to continue to spread the message to the widest possible audience – the Super Bowl.”
Added Robert Kraft, “The work Dr. Jones has done over the course of his entire life and career is the embodiment of FCAS’ mission to build bridges and stand up to Jewish hate and all forms of hate. In the time we have spent together and through his work, I have become a huge fan of Dr. Jones, and I am proud to spotlight all that he has done for our nation.”
Watch Kraft give Jones the news below. Super Bowl LVIII kicks off Sunday, February 11 at 6:30PM ET.
[embedded content]
HipHopWired Featured Video
Source: POLO RALPH LAUREN / Polo Ralph Lauren
Polo Ralph Lauren is celebrating Chinese Lunar Year in a big way. The brand has a limited-edition watch to celebrate the occasion.
Source: POLO RALPH LAUREN / Polo Ralph Lauren
Hypebeast is reporting that the American fashion label is releasing a new timepiece that will commemorate the Lunar New Year and the arrival of the dragon. It features a stainless steel 38mm case and black gross grain straps; however, the point of difference is located on the off-white lacquered dial. The brand’s iconic Polo Bear is styled in a red velvet smoking jacket with a black shawl collar paired with black slippers and red socks. In one hand he is holding three envelopes; each bearing a golden dragon, which symbolizes health and wealth for 2024.
As expected, the timepiece is powered by the brand’s signature RL2000 caliber self-winding Swiss movement. We also get the font logo on the nine-hour marker and shiny black lacquered hour, minute and second hands. Lastly, this timepiece is water resistant to 50 meters / 165 feet. The Polo Ralph Lauren Chinese Lunar Year watch is limited to 50 pieces. The price is $1,750.00 and will be available starting Saturday, Feb 10. You can find more information on it at the Ralph Lauren website here.
HipHopWired Featured Video
Source: Emma McIntyre / Getty
Niecy Nash-Betts exhilarated the audience when she took to the stage to accept the Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie for her role as Glenda Cleveland in Netflix’s Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story.
The outspoken actress was her characteristic self with a speech that was both funny and poignant.
After thanking God, her wife, Jessica Betts, Ryan Murphy, the creator of the series, and Evan Peters–her co-star, Nash added, “And you know who I want to thank? I want to thank me.”
“For believing in me and doing what they said I could not do, and I want to say to myself in front of all you beautiful people, ‘Go on girl with your bad self. You did that.’”
The statement received rousing applause from the audience and Nash-Betts added, “Finally, I accept this award on behalf of every Black and brown woman who has gone unheard yet over-policed. Like Glenda Cleveland, like Sandra Bland, like Breonna Taylor. As an artist, my job is to speak truth to power, and baby I’mma do it till the day I die. Mama, I won.”
Nash-Betts portrayed Glenda Cleveland who was Dahmer’s neighbor. It was Cleveland who repeatedly contacted police about Dahmer’s irregular behavior and she was repeatedly ignored as the killer went on to murder more than a dozen men–most of whom were Black and Brown.
According to Huffington Post, Nash-Betts expounded on her remarks in the press room following her win where she stated, “I’m the only one who knows how many nights I cried because I couldn’t be seen for a certain type of role,” she said. “I’m the one who knows what it’s like to go through a divorce on camera and you still have to pull up and show out.”
“And you still have to go home [because] you have children and a whole life. So, I’m proud of myself. I’m proud that I did something that people said I could not do because I believed in me. And sometimes people don’t believe in themselves. I hope my speech was a delicious invitation for people to do just that,” she continued. “Believe in yourself and congratulate yourself. Sometimes you’ve got to encourage – what? Yourself. And that’s why it’s not called ‘mama-esteem,’ ‘them-esteem,’ ‘us-esteem.’ It’s called ‘self-esteem’ — because don’t nobody got to believe it but you.”
[embedded content]
HipHopWired Featured Video
Source: Cindy Ord/VF23 / Getty / Sanaa Lathan
Sanaa Lathan is executive producing and starring in a new drama about the infamous TV psychic Miss Cleo.
The Best Man: The Final Chapters star, Sanaa Lathan, will portray Miss Cleo and say her famous “Call me now” catchphrase in the forthcoming “darkly comedic drama,” Deadline exclusively reports.
Per Deadline:
Legendary Entertainment is developing the project, Miss Cleo, with Lathan as exec producer. Former Sony Pictures Television head of drama Sharon Hall, who exec produced The Expanse, is also exec producing the project through her Mom de Guerre Productions.
Miss Cleo was otherwise known as Youree Dell Harris, an actress best known for portraying the spokeswoman for a psychic pay-per-call-minute service called Psychic Readers Networks in a series of commercials between 1997 and 2003. Her tagline was “Call me now!”
In 2002, the Federal Trade Commission charged the company’s owners with deceptive advertising, billing and collection practices. Harris was not indicted but the people behind it agreed to settle by erasing $500M in debt from its victims and paying a $5M fine.
The website reports the series will follow Miss Cleo’s rise and her subsequent fall following the government’s $500 million court case.
The series is currently being shopped out to streamers and networks. While Harris’ time as the psychic crashed and burned, she did lend her famous voice to the popular video game Grand Theft Auto: Vice City.
Harris died in 2016; her life was documented in the 2022 Max documentary Call Me Miss Cleo.
Add this to the list of series and movies we look forward to watching.
—
Photo: Cindy Ord/VF23 / Getty
HipHopWired Featured Video
Source: AMC / The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live
Our favorite zombie apocalypse couple, Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) and Michonne (Danai Gurira), are back in the first trailer for the new limited series, The Walking Dead: Ones Who Live.
The Walking Dead has been on television screens since 2010, had 11 seasons, and is showing no signs of slowing up thanks to a plethora of spinoffs.
*Spoiler alert for those who may have checked out of The Walking Dead*
Initially set to be a theatrical release, TWD fans got their first good look at the upcoming limited series, The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live, which sees the long-awaited return of Richonne, the ship nickname given to Rick Grimes and his katana sword-wielding boo Michonne.
The show will see Michonne on her mission to desperately find Rick while he is forced to work for the CRM (Civic Republic Military), who found and kidnapped Rick after barely surviving the bridge explosion.
Rick Grimes left in season 9 after bravely sacrificing himself to save the community from a herd of walkers by blowing a bridge. He was dead by many of his friends, including the mother of his son and stepmother, his daughter Judith.
We first met the CRM during the two-season series The Walking Dead: World Beyond, one of the many spinoffs from the long-running original franchise that finally ended in 2022.
The official synopsis for the show reads:
The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live presents an epic love story of two characters changed by a changed world. Kept apart by distance. By an unstoppable power. By the ghosts of who they were. Rick and Michonne are thrown into another world, built on a war against the dead… And ultimately, a war against the living. Can they find each other and who they were in a place and situation unlike any they’ve ever known before? Are they enemies? Lovers? Victims? Victors? Without each other, are they even alive — or will they find that they, too, are the Walking Dead?
The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live is executive produced by showrunner Scott M. Gimple; Gurira, Lincoln Denise Huth, and Brian Bockrath also serve as producers.
The limited series premieres Feb. 25 on AMC and AMC+. Peep the trailer below.
[embedded content]
—
Photo: AMC / The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live
HipHopWired Featured Video
Source: BABY PHAT / Baby Phat
One of the most iconic coats is back just in time for the winter. Baby Phat is bringing back their Puffer Jacket for their 25th anniversary.
Source: BABY PHAT / Baby Phat
The house that Kimora Lee Simmons built is back. To commemorate the brand’s 25 year milestone the women’s brand is reissuing their Puffer Jacket. Originally released in 1999 this outwear piece would be embraced by women of all ages as it put a twist to how femininity was represented in fashion. It features an eye-catching stand collar with detachable faux fur-trimmed hood and of course the Baby Phat cat logo stitching on the back and left chest. Additionally, the ribbed hem and cuffs bring the nostalgia full circle.
Starring in the campaign is Kimora Lee Simmons and her daughter Ming Lee. The Baby Phat Puffer Jacket is offered in several colorways including Olive, Onyx, Sand, and a Glossy Red. It is available in sizes extra small to XXXL and is priced at $120.00. You can shop the Puffer Jacket and the rest of the new Baby Phat collection here.
Source: BABY PHAT / Baby Phat
HipHopWired Featured Video
Source: Variety / Getty / Morris Chestnut
Morris Chestnut is returning to primetime television and taking on the role of a character not many had on their bingo cards.
Spotted on Deadline, Morris Chestnut will be taking on the role of Sherlock Holme’s legendary partner in the upcoming series Watson.
The website reports that CBS has given Watson, written by Craig Sweeny (Elementary), a straight-to-series order for the 2024-24 broadcast season.
Chestnut will serve as an executive producer on the medical drama inspired by characters from Arthur Conan Doyle’s iconic Sherlock Holmes mysteries.
Synopsis of Watson Per Deadline:
Watson is described as a medical show with a strong investigative spine, featuring a modern version of one of history’s greatest detectives as he turns his attention from solving crimes to solving medical mysteries. The series lives in a universe where Holmes has been killed off, something Conan Doyle reportedly intended to do with The Final Problem.
In Watson, a year after the death of his friend and partner Sherlock Holmes at the hands of Moriarty, Dr. John Watson (Chestnut) resumes his medical career as the head of a clinic dedicated to treating rare disorders. Watson’s old life isn’t done with him, though—Moriarty and Watson are set to write their own chapter of a story that has fascinated audiences for more than a century.
Amy Reisenbach, President of CBS Entertainment, spoke on the upcoming show, saying, “We are thrilled to feature such a beloved character from the world of Sherlock Holmes at the center of this series and have it brought to life by Morris Chestnut in a fresh and unexpected take on the immortal doctor.
She continued, “Craig Sweeny’s bold new vision for the complex Dr. Watson deftly interweaves rich character storytelling with edge-of-your-seat medical mysteries.”
Morris Chestnut Loves A Good Medical Drama
Chestnut, taking on the role of Dr. Watson, continues his penchant for medical dramas. He played a doctor in Fox’s The Resident and Showtime’s Nurse Jackie and a lead pathologist in the Fox crime drama Rosewood.
In a time where shows seem to come and go, we hope that Watson slaps and lasts longer than a season.
Will you be tuning in? Let us know in the comment section.
—
Photo: Variety / Getty
