Current Events
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Ice Spice is once again having to defend her name. Cleotrapa claims she was poorly treated on the Y2K tour.
The Bronx, New York native was dragged online this week by her former friend Cleotrapa. In a series of videos, the “Rockstar” performer detailed how she was invited to open up for Ice Spice and was promised certain accommodations that allegedly never were honored. Her grievances included having to carry her own bags and not being looked after by Ice Spice’s security.
Cleotrapa says she spoke to the “Give Me A Light” rapper about the inconveniences and was soon barred from entering Ice’s dressing room. “This girl was really mad at me for saying something about that luggage,” she said. “She don’t want nobody to say nothing to her. She tried to lowkey torture me.”
As expected the rant quickly went viral to which Ice Spice responded on X, formerly Twitter, spaces. “Crashing out is sad, you guys,” she said. “The scary part of fame, honestly, is the moment that somebody feels like they can no longer use your platform or they’re not getting exactly what they want out of a situation the way that they want it. That’s when they decide to crash out every single time. I’m noticing a pattern.”
Ice went on to reveal that she was actually looking out for Cleo. “What had actually happened is that we added another tour bus so I was like, ‘Now we have extra room, we have extra bunks.’ So I was like, ‘Oh, let me see if Cleo wants to come so she can do her songs.’ But that’s what the f*ck I get for trying to be a good person.”
Ironically she has also taken a huge loss with her social media following. According statistics platform Social Blade Ice Spice has lost over half a million followers on Instagram within the last week. As expected Xitter was here for all the tea and took the opportunity to roast her. You can find some of their best responses below.
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The estate of Isaac Hayes won a personal victory after requesting through legal means that Donald Trump no longer use a popular track from the late singer and songwriter. A federal judge ruled that the Isaac Hayes hit “Hold On, I’m Coming” can no longer be placed by Donald Trump as he continues ahead on the campaign trail.
CNN reports that the estate of Isaac Hayes filed to enact an emergency injunction against Donald Trump’s campaign to halt the playing of “Hold On, I’m Coming,” performed and released in 1966 by Sam & Dave with Hayes and David Porter listed as songwriters. The estate states that Trump and his team do not have authorization to play the song.
Judge Thomas Thrash Jr. of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia issued the ruling on Tuesday (September 3).
“I do order Trump and his campaign to not use the song without proper license,” Judge Thrash said. The estate wanted to enforce a motion to have Trump’s campaign take down previous uses of the song but it was denied.
An attorney for Trump shared a statement with the media and was in support of the judge keeping the previous uses of the song intact.
“The campaign has no interest in annoying or hurting anyone. And if the Hayes family feels it hurts or annoys them, that’s fine, we’re not going to force the issue,” attorney Roland Coleman said.
After the hearing, Isaac Hayes III said, “We are very grateful and happy for the decision by Judge Thrash. I want this to serve as an opportunity for other artists to come forward that don’t want their music used by Donald Trump or other political entities.”
The Hayes estate has been battling Trump on the use of the song since 2022 when the business mogul announced his reelection bid.
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Photo: Tim Mosenfelder / Getty
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Source: Brad Barket / Getty / Steven Smith / Kanye West
If Kanye West hopes to continue dropping hot footwear, he will be doing so without his longtime collaborator and YZY designer Steven Smith.
Steven Smith is letting the chopper spray on his former boss, Kanye West after the embattled multihyphenate fired him. Speaking with Fast Company, Smith says, “He’s lost his mind. The whole of Yeezy is circling the drain, and this is just part of it. He has surrounded himself with toxic, C-grade losers.”
Ouch.
Smith’s comments are damming because he was described by the website as a “sensitive defender of Ye and, in particular, the treatment of his mental health.”
Now, not so much.
West gave Smith the boot in August and showed how petty he was by blocking Smith on Instagram. Smith has worked with the problematic rapper since 2016 and was one of the instrumental figures in the company’s success following the deal with adidas, which has since been terminated.
Despite losing his gig with YZY, Smith remains optimistic about his future, saying on the website, “I’m in a very happy place with it all. I will certainly be a priceless asset to whoever I work with next. It’s all his loss and the result of his foolishness.”
Smith did reveal the reasoning for his termination, but, according to Fast Company, “reached a breaking point” afterword on the street said the “saved” rapper wanted to launch his own porn company but scrapped the idea.
Bruh.
Other Wild Allegations
Smith is just the latest former high-profile employee to drop some serious but wild allegations against the “Monster” crafter.
West’s former chief of staff and far-right figure Milo Yiannopoulos claimed in an affidavit that the Chicago rapper is addicted to nitrous oxide thanks to celebrity dentist Thomas Connelly, who got Ye hooked on the poisonous gas.
According to Yiannopoulos, West spends up to $50,000 per month on nitrous oxide and underwent scans proving that he has suffered permanent brain damage from his abuse of the poisonous gas.
Connelly has denied the allegations, but in a video he sent to troubled boxer Robert Garcia, he can be seen using an oxygen mask, so he’s making it hard to beat the allegations.
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Fivio Foreign becomes the latest rapper to endorse Donald Trump’s presidential run, earning him online scorn.
The Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump is getting another (alleged) boost from the rap world, in the form of Fivio Foreign making an appearance at his latest rally. The “Off The Grid” artist was spotted hanging out with Trump at a meet-and-greet that took place after his campaign rally that took place in Johnstown, Pennsylvania last Friday (August 30).
Fivio Foreign took it upon himself to add further proof with a photo of himself looking at his phone while Trump spoke in a post on X, formerly Twitter, writing: “Haters gon say it’s AI.”
The Brooklyn artist was present at the rally with reggaeton artists Justin Quiles and Anuel AA, who took the podium and endorsed Trump onstage. Fivio Foreign’s presence at the rally comes days after the release of “ONBOA47RD”, a song with fellow Trump supporter Kodak Black. The former president has been actively courting rappers to endorse him, with the assistance of former Fyre Fest founder Billy Macfarland in the hopes of gaining Black voting support in the November presidential election. Trump notably held a Bronx, New York rally with Brooklyn drill rappers Sheff G and Sleepy Hallow in May, shortly before his conviction on fraud charges in the “hush money” case involving adult film star Stormy Daniels. Sheff G and Sleepy Hallow were among 32 people named in a 140-count indictment late last year on charges that they were bankrolling the activities of two gangs. Waka Flocka Flame has also been vocal in his support of Trump over the past few months.
While some lauded Fivio Foreign for his public support of Trump, many others blasted him online. “These big ole veneers must be affecting their brain…,” wrote one commenter on Instagram who used the tears of joy emoji and brain emojis.Another user on X, formerly Twitter by the name of StevenFrom NJ chimed in by writing: “Fivio is a scammer and Anuel will do anything for money so they are both perfect fits for Trump.”
Check out more of the online reactions to Fivio Foreign’s Trump rally appearance below.
2. Afropunjabi
3. Suguru Ghetto
4. Udoglobo, M.S.
5. Seven Major
6. AquaGirl215
7. CurlyShic
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R&B singer Tyrese tried to have a moment as a political pundit, and it did not go well for him. After admonishing President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris for allegedly not doing enough for Black people, social media users proceeded to drag him to the ends of the “loud and wrong” universe.
It started when footage of Tyrese speaking to Dr. Benjamin Crump started going viral. In the clip, the crooner was being critical of Harris and Biden for passing an Anti-Asian Hate Crime Bill that allegedly leapfrogged the problems of Black people throughout the nation.
“President Biden and Kamala Harris signed an Asian Hate Crime Bill, which makes it beyond illegal to ever purposely or maliciously do anything to anybody in the Asian community,” said Tyrese. “And there was a spike in crimes and criminal behavior in and around COVID allegedly and specifically motivated by Donald Trump. So everybody started treating Asians… beating them, killing them, shooting them, stabbing them, hurting them. And then [Biden] gets into the White House and skips over every Black and Brown Mexican and Latino that has been getting killed like flies and he makes it a low: Asian Hate Crime Bill.”
Black Ty wasn’t finished. He continued, “There is a crime bill that was signed into law that protects Asians at all costs. Where is that same f*cking law to be signed into law when it comes to Black and Brown people? Because what you’re doing is—President Biden and Kamala Harris—what you’re doing is, you’re saying that Black and Brown people will continue to be disposable. That sh*t doesn’t make sense.”
This Biden and Harris helped Asians and not Black people narrative has been running on social media for a while, but the problem is that it’s highly inaccurate. And for this, Tyrese proceeded to get schooled by anyone with actual political awareness beyond memes and barbershop talking points.
Off top, there is no Anti-Asia Hate Crime Bill, it’s actually called the Covid-19 Hate Crime Bill. In actuality, there have been a number of bills passed specifically tailored for the defense of Black people that include the Civil Rights Act of 1969 and more recently the Emmett Till Antilynching Act a hate crime bill of 2021, which Biden signed. Many people are quick to note all this energy about Democrats not really looking out for Black people, yet most progressive bills (like the George Floyd Act) were blocked by Republicans.
What makes all this particularly frustrating to people who know better, is that all the intel needed to counter such misinformation is just a Google search away. Add to this mix that a loud minority of Black men are doing it, and it’s just the nastiest of work.
Worth noting, Tyrese also recently revealed that he was taking a break (“go dark”) from social media. Do some reading sir, respectfully.
Check out the lessons Tyrese is getting in the gallery. Consider it the hard way of getting knowledge on these Internets.
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Fatman Scoop, born Isaac Freeman III, has reportedly passed away. He was 52.
The CT Insider reports that Scoop’s tour manager confirmed his passing. On Friday evening (August 30), Scoop reportedly suffered some type of medical emergency while on stage at the Hamden Town Center Park in Connecticut. CPR was performed before he was transported to a local hospital.
Scoop’s tour manager, Birch Michael aka Pure Cold, took to social media to announce the beloved rapper and hyepman’s death. “I am honestly lost for words… You took me all over the world and had me performing alongside you on some of the biggest and greatest stages on this planet, the things you taught me have truely made me the man I am today,” said Pure Cold in his post. “Thank you so much, I love you x.”
Scoop and his booming voice came to fame in the late 90’s and early 2000’s, thanks to his earworm hooks on party break tracks like “Where U @?” with Crooklyn Clan. But it was own club-rocking anthem, the Faith Evans (and many more) sampling “Be Faithful” that made him a star. It reportedly took years to get the track’s multiple samples cleared. He also featured on Missy Elliott’s his singled “Lose Control” with Ciara.
But real heads remember Fatman Scoop as the former radio promotions man at Tommy Boy Records who would be seen in the label’s famed ads in back of The Source magazine.
Recently, Fatman Scoop linked up with the Bronx rapper Dyce Peso, appearing on a song called
Since news of his collapse and unfortunate passing broke, social media has been mourning and honoring the Hip-Hop legend for his contributions to the culture.
Rest in powerful peace Fatman Scoop.
This story is developing.
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Kamala Harris’ presence & performance during her CNN interview were received well by social media, who also pointed out the flaws of the questioning.
On Thursday (August 29), Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris sat down for a primetime interview with Dana Bash of CNN and the reactions afterward were full of praise for her presence and deft answers from online observers. Her vice presidential nominee, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, was also present for the conversation which took place in Savannah, Georgia while the two were in the city before a campaign rally. Bash’s first question was about what Vice President Harris would do once elected. She wasted no time in stating that her highest priority should she be elected to office would be to “support and strengthen the middle class” with several policies including stifling corporate price gouging and increasing the child tax credit along with access to affordable housing.
Harris in response to first Q from Dana Bash: Sadly in the last decade we have had in the former president someone who has really been pushing an agenda & environment that’s about diminishing the character & strength of who we are as Americans. People are ready to turn the page pic.twitter.com/joNm229Jap
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) August 30, 2024
Bash would then query the vice president on a series of topics including her position on the war in Gaza, to which Harris echoed her comments from the Democratic National Convention, stating that “Far too many innocent Palestinians have been killed,” while reiterating her belief that Israel has a right to defend itself and a return of the hostages right taken by Hamas: “We have to get a deal done.” The conversation soon turned to the attacks by Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump on Harris’ racial identity including a remark that she “happened to turn Black” within the past few years. “Same old, tired playbook,” she replied. “Next question, please.”
Harris on Trump’s racist attacks: “Same old, tired playbook. Next question, please.” pic.twitter.com/WMyXzVRoI3
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) August 30, 2024
Harris would also defend the Biden Administration’s record of the last three and a half years, highlighting the economic growth and the benefits of the infrastructure bill that was passed nationwide. “I’ll say that that’s good work,” she stated. “There’s more to do, but that’s good work.” She’d also go on to speak about her reaction to when President Joe Biden endorsed her to be the Democratic nominee.
This was a highlight of the CNN interview — when Biden told Kamala he’d endorse her, she was worried about his well-being more than her candidacy. She will be a gracious Madam President. pic.twitter.com/4prnzePAht
— 🪷 Madam Auntie VP Kamala Harris for PRESIDENT! (@flywithkamala) August 30, 2024
The reactions to the interview online praised the Vice President for her poise in handling the first major interview of her presidential campaign. New York Times opinion writer Michelle Cottle noted that in a reaction article, writing: “Amusingly, Bash looked more flustered than Harris did for most of the interview.” Others online noted how Harris clearly illustrated her potential policies as a future president.
Check out more online reactions to the interview below.
1. Matt McDermott
2. Ketih Boykin
3. Trumps Taxes
4. Tre Easton
5. Portia J.
6. JJ Bittenbindr
7. Michaelangelo Signorile
8. Danielle Moodie
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Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz sat down with CNN on Thursday (August 30) for the first major interview featuring the pair as they continue to hit the campaign trail. Vice President Kamala Harris was asked about Donald Trump’s recent attacks regarding her race, and she smoothly sidestepped the jabs before moving on.
Much has been made of Vice President Kamala Harris and her swift rise to the top of the Democratic Party ticket after President Joe Biden elected not to run for reelection Some pundits and observers felt that Harris and Walz alike have not put themselves in the view of journalists that will dig into their politics and campaign talking points.
CNN anchor Dana Bash lobbed questions that seemed tailored by Harris and Walz’s Republican Party opponents and critics, but they both gamely answered the questions without following any script or histrionics. Bash then asked Harris about Trump’s attacks regarding her race that he raised during this year’s NABJ conference when he said Harris “happened to turn Black” but the vice president didn’t take the bait.
Bash asked her about Trump’s statement but was met with a succinct reply as she elected not to answer the question or validate Trump’s ignorance any further.
“Same old tired playbook. Next question, please,” Harris said with a laugh. Bash pushed back by asking if that’s all she’d offer and the vice president left it there.
The Vice President Kamala Harris and Gov. Tim Walz interview can be viewed on-demand via CNN and the network’s streaming platforms.
The clip below comes from Daniel Hampton.
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It’s bad enough for Donald Trump and his 2024 presidential campaign that numerous polls — even Fox News polls — have Vice President Kamala Harris leading Trump nationwide and in key battleground states.
But there’s more to indicate that the momentum of Harris’ campaign is going far beyond what Trump thought he would be facing. According to the New Jersey Advance, voter registration has gone up — ever since President Joe Biden stepped down from the 2024 election and Harris stepped up. Unsurprisingly, voter registration has skyrocketed especially among one demographic that is often the demographic burdened with saving the Democratic party from itself: Black women.
From the Advance:
Voter registration among young Black women took off like a rocket across more than a dozen states after President Joe Biden bowed out of the race against former President Donald Trump, according to data.
As Vice President Kamala Harris worked to secure her party’s support in the week after Biden announced his decision, new registration among the group was up more than 175%, according to an analysis from TargetSmart.
It compared voter registration to the week of July 21, 2020 to July 21, 2024. While there would be little reason for a spike in registration in the middle of the summer of 2020, Tom Bonier, a senior advisor to TargetSmart, told CBS News’ Major Garrett that the data is a bombshell.
A spike in voter registration fresh off of huge news — like the incumbent suddenly declining to run again and giving his VP a shot to become America’s first Black woman president — is something to be expected, but, according to Bonier, a spike this massive ain’t normal.
“175%, could that possibly be right? You must have triple-checked this, or many more times than that?” Garrett asked Bonier.
“You’re right to repeat the number because I’ve more than triple-checked it. It’s incredibly unusual to see changes in voter registration that are anywhere close to this,” the TargetSmart rep responded. “I mean, to remind people, 175% is almost tripling of registration rates among this specific group. You just don’t see that sort of thing happen in elections normally.”
If Trump or his camp ever thought running against Harris was going to be a slam dunk for MAGA, they have a rude awakening coming their way. November is fast approaching, and things are looking good for the underdog.
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Donald Trump’s involvement in an event honoring fallen veterans at Arlington National Ceremony came with reports of his campaign team getting physical with a cemetery official.
On Monday (Aug. 26), Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump and members of his campaign team caused controversy after two members got into a verbal and physical altercation with an official at Arlington National Cemetery. Trump was at the cemetery to participate in a wreath-laying ceremony honoring the deadly attack on U.S. military forces in Afghanistan as they were withdrawing from the country in 2021. When an attempt was made to prevent his staff from entering Section 60 of the cemetery to film and take photographs by an official, they were verbally abused and pushed aside, according to a source.
Trump would take a photograph next to the gravesite of one of the soldiers killed in the withdrawal, giving a thumbs-up gesture. He was surrounded by Gold Star families, whom he thanked for inviting him. The rules of the cemetery prohibit “political campaign or election-related activities within Army National Military Cemeteries, to include photographers, content creators or any other persons attending for purposes, or in direct support of a partisan political candidate’s campaign.”
“The fact is that a private photographer was permitted on the premises and for whatever reason an unnamed individual, clearly suffering from a mental health episode, decided to physically block members of [former]President Trump’s team during a very solemn ceremony,” Trump campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung said in a statement. In a press release, Arlington National Cemetery said it “can confirm there was an incident, and a report was filed.” They opted not to share further details to protect the official’s identity. Vice presidential candidate and Ohio Senator JD Vance, who spoke at a campaign event on Wednesday, dismissed the situation: “The altercation at Arlington Cemetery is the media creating a story where I really don’t think that there is one.”
The incident is another low point for Trump, who had not participated in the anniversary event in 2022 or 2023 and had enlisted House Speaker Mike Johnson to intervene to allow him at the event this year. Veterans have been increasingly vocal about the incident, expressing outrage at the callous behavior. The Army would issue a statement about the incident on Thursday (Aug. 29), saying: “This incident was unfortunate, and it is also unfortunate that the A.N.C. employee and her professionalism has been unfairly attacked.”