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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.
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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.
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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.”
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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.
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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.
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Photo: AMC / The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live