crosspost now
Page: 3
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.
[embedded content]
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.
HipHopWired Featured Video
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.
HipHopWired Featured Video
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.
HipHopWired Featured Video
Source: handout / Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund
NBA legend Magic Johnson and his wife, Cookie Johnson, will be honored at a gala held by a charitable organization named for Nelson Mandela.
The NBA Hall-of-Famer and business mogul Earvin “Magic” Johnson has been feted for his charitable work and is set to receive another honor along with his wife, philanthropist Cookie Johnson, at an event to celebrate the life of the late South African president and freedom fighter Nelson Mandela. The couple will be honored for their charitable efforts at the Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund Gala to be held in Cannes, France, by the Nelson Mandela’s Children’s Fund. The event will take place May 24 during the Festival de Cannes and is held in collaboration with Trigo Networks.
The Johnsons were chosen as “icons who have embodied global humanitarianism through mission and deed,” according to the press statement released by Trigo Networks. The event will feature performances from musician and actor Benjamin Clementine who recently appeared in the Denis Villeneuve adaptation of Dune, along with the group Ghetto Kids from Uganda, with others to be announced at a later date. There will also be a presentation honoring the bond between Nelson Mandela and the late operatic star Luciano Pavarotti, with his wife Nicoletta Mantovani to be in attendance. The program will be directed by Manuel Alejandro Ruiz, also known as “Chosen Few.” All proceeds from the event will go towards the Fund.
The Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund was created in 1995 after the president decided to set aside a third of his salary towards its creation. As expressed by the Fund’s current CEO, Dr. Linda Nkube-Ncomo, “his vision was that it would serve as a catalyst for changing the way society treats its children and youth. He further believed that individuals including him would come and go, but the organization would continue to exist as long as there are good men and women looking after society’s voiceless children. The contributions of Magic and Cookie Johnson reflect the personal ethos of what led Nelson Mandela to start the Fund. This gala truly celebrates those who ‘Serve Like Mandela’.”
Source: Hip-Hop Wired / HHW
In the latest installment of I Got Questions, Remy Ma and Fat Joe reminisce about their careers and collaborations.
The highly popular interview series I Got Questions returns with a conversation between veteran rappers Remy Ma and Fat Joe. The Bronx MC’s sat down and the convo immediately got entertaining as Remy asked Joe Crack if he remembered how they met. After relating the first encounter on the set of a Jennifer Lopez video where she arrived in the company of the late Big Pun, the “Conceited” rapper also made a surprising admission.
“So I’m shooting the video, she’s like ‘Hey.’ Pun is like, ‘This is Rem, that’s my artist’ and whatever. That’s the first time we met. And I’m like…’I don’t like him,” she said with a laugh.
“Wait, wait, so that was your initial response?” Fat Joe asked incredulously. “You was very nonchalant, like ‘How you doin’?’ So I’m like, ‘Okay,” Remy Ma responded. But Fat Joe’s recollection of the second time they met centered on them being in the studio, with him in awe of her lyrical flow. “So I’m looking at you like, ‘damn…I need her to be MY artist!’
Fat Joe also harkened back to the now-classic track “Lean Back,” playfully revealing that Remy Ma made it a point to fight to get on the track. “I saw an interview where M.O.P. said you bullied your way to get on ‘Ante Up,’ and you bullied your way to get on ‘Lean Back’!! Yo, why do you scare men?!” he joked.
Remy Ma then revealed that her appearance on the M.O.P. remix was due to Prodigy’s verse being taken off because of verbal jabs thrown at Jay-Z.
The conversation also touched on both MCs’ views on women rappers and the industry, and a lively discussion on each of the Bronx natives’ top five rappers. Fat Joe also reminisced on his and Remy Ma’s appearance at the BET Awards after both went through stints in jail and other issues, calling it “his proudest moment”
“We work, we make a hit. And here we are at the BET Awards, we’re about to perform…me and you grabbed each other’s hands and we’re like, ‘F—k, we’re back. Like all the way back.’”
Check out more from the latest episode of I Got Questions above.
Source: Hip-Hop Wired / HHW
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.