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Source: @joolieanniemarie / Instagram
Social Media has the power to shift culture in just an instant. The latest example is the way that TikTok creator Jools Lebron catapulted the word “demure” into the online collective consciousness.
Lebron, who identifies as a transgender woman, created several videos where she talked about how she presents herself at work as “very demure, very mindful.” The initial video garnered more than 10 million views in the first week. Lebron went on to make more videos using the buzzword and how to achieve these qualities.
She recently told US Weekly that she was motivated to create the videos because there’s been a “lack of empathy and regard for people’s feelings” as well as how they “represent themselves” on social media.
The viral trend has done more than just make Lebron’s catchphrases a household name. According to Variety, she now has made enough money to complete her gender transition.
“One day, I was playing cashier and making videos on my break, and now I’m flying across countries to host events, and I’m gonna be able to finance the rest of my transition,” she said n a recent online post.
The trend jumped from TikTok to X (formerly Twitter) with millions making posts about being “demure.” Further, copycat videos from celebrities like Kim Kardashian and Jennifer Lopez made the trend explode even further.
“I grew up an influencer kid, like, I watched all YouTube and all kinds of stuff like that,” Lebron told US Weekly. “Seeing them do the trend, and just welcome in someone that has loved them, and follow me back and show me my flowers has been everything.”
The trend even made it to The White House.
“When I did start making TikToks, I found more girls like me. I found girls who are plus size who are trans, who are having the same experiences that come uniquely with that set of combinations,” she told CBS News.
Lebron said that she does receive some negative comments on her videos, saying, “I think that people get in survival mode and they forget how they’re also being perceived when they leave a nasty comment or when they’re being rude or whatever,” she noted. “Let’s be demure. Let’s be mindful of why we came. Let’s be mindful because we didn’t come to just be mean girls.”
She continued, “We didn’t come to be messy and this applies to everything: your appearance, your mindset. Be mindful of what you think. Be mindful of your actions, and be demure, modest and reserved. That doesn’t mean a race, a color, an ethnicity, a finance. ‘Demurity’ is being the most thoughtful, mindful version of yourself.”
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Source: Chloe Bailey Cover Story Page | iOne Editorial | 2024-08-07 / Ione Digital – cs
GRAMMY® Award-nominated singer-songwriter and NAACP Image Award-winning actress, Chlöe Bailey sat down with HelloBeautiful magazine for their digital cover to talk about her career–and the release of her sophomore album, Trouble In Paradise.
Bailey told Hello Beautiful the project was recorded and mastered in St. Lucia where she found solace, acceptance, and creativity.
“I can walk around with no makeup, I can walk around loving my body, I can go to the ocean, truly just pray to God and thank him for the blessings that I have. And it reminds me that life isn’t all about what my career is. It’s not about outer validation, but the inner peace,” said Bailey about recording on the island.
She added, “I just really wanted people to feel the peace and the love that this place has brought me, where it was able to open up my creative mind and my creative spirit to literally write my troubles away in paradise. And the album feels like what a summer fling feels like, the back and forth of it, the highs, the lows, the love.”
The 26-year-old star is also set to co-star in a new crime-drama coming to Peacock produced by Will Packer and Kevin Hart. Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist stars Samuel L. Jackson, Terrance Howard, Don Cheadle, and Taraji P. Henson.
In the limited series, Bailey plays Lena Mosley, a character she describes as sexy, but who still has a passion for “science, technology and engineering.” She said that she hopes the character reminds people that women are multifaceted.
“And what I’m really loving right now, I’m really loving Megan Thee Stallion, how she shares her love for the Japanese culture … and being a sexy Black girl who loves anime,” Bailey told HelloBeautiful. “I love – with even Doja. She’s sexy with curves, but she equally rocks her kitten heels … It’s like, yes, we can be sexy on stage, but we also have those cute little quirks that make us who we are. Who says we just have to be one thing? None of us are just one thing.”
“So when people try to get those viral tweets by saying, ‘Chlöe’s sex appeal is contrived because she’s this sweet nerdy girl,’ why can’t I be both? And it just kind of makes me giggle to myself because I’m like, you have no idea because you don’t know who I am as a person.”
Source: Dalvin Adams / for HelloBeautiful
HipHopWired Featured Video
Source: iOne Digital / Hip-Hop Wired
LL COOL J is a first-ballot Hip-Hop Hall of Famer and his career is far from over with the impending release of The FORCE album in September of this year. In a recent interview, the GOAT himself reacted to Hip-Hop Wired‘s Rap Battles That Shifted Hip-Hop Culture cover story and also revealed his favorite battles of all time.
LL COOL J, 54, sat down with the Hip-Hop Wired team and gave his thoughts on our recent cover story detailing the historic beefs and back-and-forths that have transformed the very landscape of the culture. The Queens native, clearly a historian of Hip-Hop and four decades in, shared his reaction to the Rap Battles That Shifted Hip-Hop Culture featuring cover art by the legendary André LeRoy “A.L. Dre” Davis while adding his thoughts on Hip-Hop’s greatest battles.
“I think that they’re all different,” LL began. “Battles pre-Internet and post-Internet, the world is gonna know more about them. I enjoyed the Nas and Jay [JAY-Z] battle on one level, but obviously, you didn’t have so much of that social media amplification.”
Continuing his observation, LL added, “The one thing I would say about the Kendrick [Lamar] and Drake battle was that it got the benefit of all of social media. It was layered beyond the music in the music in a different. Similar way to 50 [Cent] and Ja [Rule] except there is a little more social media [now] than even as it was back then.”
LL was then asked about his favorite battles of all time. Naturally, the battle-tested LL COOL J named himself and all the battles that he emerged victorious in. Can’t argue with that.
Check out the exclusive Hip-Hop Wired and LL COOL J clip below. LL’s The FORCE album drops on September 6, 2024.
Additional reporting by Weso.
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Photo: Getty
HipHopWired Featured Video
Source: Activision / Activision
Bronny James may be in a self-admitted “slump” on the court at NBA Summer League, but his skills on the sticks are still sharp. Lebron James’ firstborn won the Call Of Duty Two Minute Drill, beating out some notable NBA gamers along the way.
Source: Activision / Activision
The Los Angeles Lakers draft pick won the Second Annual Call of Duty Two Minute Drill at the NBA Summer League by finessing a last-second 84-83 victory over Charlotte Hornets forward Grant Williams. Reportedly, Bronny was playing Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III he eeked out his win just before the 8pm tournament deadline, defeating Williams and Bobi Klintman of the Detroit Pistons. The latter came in third with 77 points.
With the W, Bronny earned a $10,000 prize and a custom-made Call of Duty Two Minute Drill at the NBA Summer League Championship Belt. Bronny fans shouldn’t be too surprised since he one graced the cover of Sports Illustrated for his e-sports talents as a member of Faze Clan back in 2021.
Held over this past weekend (the first weekend of the NBA Summer League), over 60 NBA players participated in the Call of Duty Two Minute Drill in a winner take all format. Players also got a chance to preview the forthcoming Call of Duty: Black Ops 6. Those NBA ballers and gamers included Paul George, now of the Philadelphia 76ers, Chet Holmgren of the Oklahoma City Thunder, Jalen Williams of the Oklahoma City Thunder, and Trey Murphy (Wahoowa!, #iykyk) of the New Orleans Pelicans.
Check out some photos from the event below.
Source: Activision / Activision
Source: Activision / Activision
Source: Activision / Activision
Source: Activision / Activision
Source: Activision / Activision
HipHopWired Featured Video
Source: YouTube / Marvel Studios
You just know Sam Wilson (portrayed by Anthony Mackie) is always to be going through it, being the new Black Captain America and all that rocking the Steve Rogers’ vibranium and adamantium blended shield entails. In the teaser trailer for Captain America: Brave New World all his talents are on display; dispatching proper fades, protecting the President and keeping the world together despite clandestine Ops infiltrating the White House.
Source: YouTube / Marvel Studios
Sign us up.
The trailer starts off on a solemn note with the Prez (Thaddeus Ross, portrayed by Han Solo aka Indiana Jones aka Harrison Ford) asking Black Cap to officially be part of the military. But of course, Sam spots the jig, with ish going to hell when OG Black supersoldier Isaiah Bradley (portrayed by Carl Lumbly) (you’re familiar if you watched The Falcon and The Winter Soldier) seemingly tries to assassinate the President Ross.
From there we see glimpses of Dora Milaje, Sam letting you know his Falcon talents still formidable. But the chef’s kiss the end of the trailer where what looks like the Red Hulk snatches Cap’s shield out of the air and slams it to the ground.
Oh, and Giancarlo Esposito is in the flick. Did we already say, Sign us up?
We’ll have to wait until February 14, 2025 (Valentine’s Day is booked, people) to watch Captain America: Brave New World, but we can peep the trailer below.
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Source: Jerritt Clark / Getty
Lee Daniels and Lena Waithe were among the attendees at the renowned event held in Los Angeles at the end of Black Music Month.
Last Friday (June 28), the Beverly Hills Hilton in Los Angeles, California, was the site of the Innovators and Leaders Awards Brunch, held by the esteemed Culture Creators Foundation. The non-profit group’s premier event was a fundraiser brunch for its mission of being a platform to recognize and salute those making significant contributions to the culture, business and entertainment industries. It was marked by the appearance of some notable figures such as director Lee Daniels and producer and director Lena Waithe, who were on hand to present awards. BET was a main sponsor of the event along with Möet Hennessy, Lexus and Rap Snacks.
Source: Jerritt Clark / Getty
Journalist and NAACP Image Award nominee Gia Peppers served as the host of the expansive event, which began with “The Collective Conversation,” a talk between rapper and actor Joey Bada$$ and political strategist Quentin James about the ways that the community can be more politically informed and engaged with emphasis placed on voting and advocating for more diversity and increases in Black employment. After a performance by Roc Nation’s remarkable R&B band, Infinity Song, actress and singer Teyana Taylor was surprised by Waithe who presented her with the Innovator of the Year Award, providing a heartwarming moment for all attending.
Source: Jerritt Clark / Getty
A similar moment occurred as CAA agent and board member Lorrie Bartlett was honored with the ICON Award by her longtime friend Daniels on stage. “I have had an incredible run and I feel so proud and lucky when I think about all I have accomplished thus far. Here’s the truth: more often than not, you have to make your own luck. The pathway to success is not the same for everybody,” Bartlett said to the audience. Other guests at the brunch included former honoree L.A. Reid, Andra Day, Regina King, Omarion, Debra Lee, YK Osiris, Alex Isley, Vanessa Estelle Williams, Pretty Vee, Trevor Jackson, Elijah Blake, Estelle, Cory Hardrict, designer Karl Kani, Flau’Jae, Jasper Hagen and Jessica Betts.
Source: Johnny Nunez / Getty
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Source: @wutangclan / Nike Sportswear
With sneaker companies dropping so many retros, a criticism is that the novelty of an OG shoe’s rarity and the feelings they evoke are now being lost. One shoe that has managed to duck the re-release treatment for years, and thus had its legend only exponentially grow is the famed Wu-Tang Clan x Nike Dunk.
Well, the black and yellow basketball shoe is finally getting the retro treatment. On Sunday, June 30, the official Wu-Tang Clan Instagram account (and Nike Sportwear’s) teased the return of the ultra grail-level sneaker with the caption “BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ” and a shoe covered in bees. Originally released in 1999, the Wu-Tang x Dunk High LE was gifted strictly to friends and family of the Staten Island Hip-Hop group. The shoe is a high top Nike Dunk in a yellow and black colorway (release sneakers consider it the “Iowa” colorway), with the familiar Wu-Tang Clan logo on the heel.
Word is only about 100 pairs of the sneaker were ever created. Finding a deadstock pair has become increasingly rare, and pricey—for example, an alleged deadstock promo sample is going for a smooth $45,000 on eBay right now.
The retro will cost less coin, but depending on how many Nike decides to actually manufacture, you can bet the aftermarket price will skyrocket since resellers and bots will be itching to get their hands on as many pairs as possible to cash out. Meanwhile, sneaker civilians will pray for the best via raffles and quick fingers, and strong wi-fi, on drop day.
No word on a proper release date, yet (and surely it will be sometime in the Fall), but I need two pairs, at least.
HipHopWired Featured Video
Source: Urban One / Urban One
Ludacris sat down with Urban One’s CEO Alfred Liggins for an in-depth talk about the impact of Black culture in America in Cannes, France.
On Wednesday (June 19), the Urban One Influential Beach at the Cannes Lions Festival in France was the scene for a dynamic talk between superstar rapper and actor Ludacris and the CEO of Urban One, Alfred Liggins. The subject was the powerful impact of Black culture in America and beyond. Liggins opened up by sharing the origins of the bond between the two with the audience. “I’m a little older than him but we started our careers together because I bought a little radio station in Atlanta back in 1995 called Hot 97,” he began before sharing how Ludacris got his start at the station as an intern before asking the Grammy Award winner to share a bit about his background.
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Ludacris spoke about how he began rapping at the age of 9, and how he came to Hot 97 with the hopes of joining the team. “If I can get a job up there, I can pursue my dream of becoming an entertainer, an international entertainer,” he explained. “What happened was, like you said, I just went up there and begged for an internship and at first your company said “we’re not hiring”. I said, “okay” and came back the next week and asked “Are you guys hiring yet, I’m willing to do anything, I’m willing to work for free.” They call it pleasant persistence.” He’d go on to reveal that after two months, he was hired to work on the morning show at only 18 years old.
The conversation soon moved to the impact of Black culture domestically and globally. “For a long time, it’s driven our local culture, international culture but it didn’t get its just due. How do you do that and what are ways that we can make that happen?” Liggins asked. “That’s a perfect example of why and how we need to invest into the Black dollar,” Ludacris responded. “I’m trying to provide a safe space and an incubator for my children the way that Urban One provided a safe space and an incubator for me. I think the more that we do these things and the more that we have these conversations, the more open-minded people are and the more they want to invest.”
Check out the entire conversation between Ludacris and Urban One CEO Alfred Liggins above.
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Source: Bernard Smalls / @PhotosByBeanz / Diddy
The downfall of Sean “Diddy” Combs continues as more stories about his godawful behavior emerge.
Whatever is left of Diddy, aka The Diddler’s reputation, was flushed down the toilet after CNN shared graphic surveillance footage of the rapper/mogul viciously beating his then-girlfriend Cassie Ventura.
The shocking video came after Cassie slapped the Bad Boy CEO with a lawsuit in November alleging physical/sexual abuse and psychological torment that he eventually settled.
But the damage was already done from the lawsuit because Cassie’s bravery opened the floodgates, leading to six more lawsuits accusing the mogul of drugging, assault, rape, and being a part of a sex trafficking operation.
Now, a new report from The Daily Beast details numerous accounts of terrifying behavior from Diddy that several former employees endured while working for him at lifestyle brand Sean John and his now-shuttered advertising agency Blue Flame.
One Former Sean John Employee Claims Diddy Grabbed Her Face
Working at Sean John was a nightmare for one former female employee at Sean John, detailing an incident when Combs grabbed her face, even making her stick out her tongue.
Per The Daily Beast:
“He didn’t like that I wasn’t agreeing with him, and he wasn’t interested in hearing my point of view,” the former employee recalled.
Instead, Combs allegedly began to yell and compared himself to a renowned fashion designer. “When you speak to me, you should imagine that you’re talking to Karl Lagerfeld,” she recalled Combs telling her. “Anything I say, assume that it’s coming from Karl Lagerfeld.”
“At that point, I didn’t have a response to that, and he reaches out and he grabs my face,” she added. “He puts one hand on both sides of my cheeks and says ‘Stick out your tongue,’ and then he squeezes my face harder and yells at me to stick out my tongue, forces his hands on my face.”
She recounted how Combs then told her he “just wanted to see” if her tongue was bleeding, because she was clearly biting it.
The employee said she “started looking for a job immediately.”
Another Employee Lost His Job Because of How He Looked At Diddy
The Daily Beast details a story from another former employee who lost his job just by making eye contact with the “Victory” crafter because he was upset with the Diddy for showing up hours late for a meeting.
The employee tells the website that Combs “took the look that I gave him personally.”
“There was erratic behavior, there was definitely what I would consider mental abuse, [with] how he spoke to us as employees,” the person told The Daily Beast, noting the insane 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. work hours due to Combs’ insane demands and the “culture of fear” he spearheaded at his company. “There was “a lot of profanity, kind of aggressive, in your face—physically in your face—kind of stuff,” the employee said.
This latest news comes after Rolling Stone’s earth-shattering expose on Diddy. He also divested from Revolt, giving all current and future employees equity in the company.
You can read the rest of the story by heading here.
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Source: Scott Gries / Bravo
Bravo’s reality series Summer House: Martha’s Vineyard, which features young, Black Gen Z professionals dealing with their drama while in Martha’s Vineyard, recently wrapped its second season. However, a potential third season of the show has yet to be given a proper greenlight.
Source: Bryan Bedder / Bravo
Deadline reports that Summer House: Martha’s Vineyard is currently “paused.”
Reportedly, the cast had to fight to even have reunion special, which its first season lacked, in order to smooth over personal issues left unresolved at season 2’s end.
The reunion special did happen on Sunday, May 26 and concluded its sophomore season with Bravo’s Andy Cohen serving as its host. Members of its cast include Nicholas “Nick” Arrington, a brand manager and stylist, Jasmine Ellis Cooper, a screenwriter whose husband didn’t appear in season 2 due to his deployment and Preston Mitchum, an attorney and activist, among others.
Summer House: Martha’s Vineyard is the diverse spin-off of Bravo’s Summer House which tracks out of pocket, and usually white, NYC professionals in the Hamptons over the summer months.
Source: Scott Eisen / Bravo
Being put on “pause” doesn’t mean Summer House: Martha’s Vineyard is canceled, but there is no timeline as to when and if it will return.