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Scarface is one of the most beloved rappers of his generation and continues to innovate as a musician and songwriter for three decades and counting. The Texas legend shared a photo of him getting treatment in a hospital bed, prompting his Hip-Hop peers and fans alike to flood him with positive thoughts.
Scarface, real name Brad Jordan, took to Instagram and posted a photo on Saturday (August 24) of him being treated by a hospital staff but didn’t share what his diagnosis was.
“Ouch… [three prayer hand emojis]Grateful,” was the caption for the photo.
Several of Scarface’s contemporaries offered words of encouragement under the post, including Travis Scott, Deon Cole, Jadakiss, Warren G, Chance The Rapper, Young Buck, Ja Rule, and many more. Some might recall that the Geto Boys star was struck with COVID-19 which led to organ failure in 2020. The following year, his son donated one of his kidneys in what was a successful transplant.
Scarface has remained active lately as a touring act and appearing on tracks with the likes of Freddie Gibbs, Slim Thug, and E-40. He’s also been showing off his expert skills as a musician and has captured a new set of fans after his stellar Tiny Desk set for NPR which also sparked a nationwide tour.
On X, we’ve captured a handful of replies saluting the Deep Rooted artist. Keep scrolling to see them.
Get well soon, Brother Mob.
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Photo: Getty
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Dr. Umar Johnson is known for his strong opinions and ability to both enlighten and infuriate those who choose to debate with him. In a recent appearance on a popular podcast, Dr. Umar Johnson shared his thoughts on Hip-Hop and how he feels the music and culture have not helped the wider Black community.
Dr. Umar Johnson was a guest on the Hustle Over Everything with host Alex Whitfield, and the pair got into a spirited conversation regarding Hip-Hop that has since gone viral. In the chat, Johnson asserts that Hip-Hop music has “betrayed Black America” after fellow guest Mouse Jones locked horns with the famed Pan-African psychologist and educator.
Jones asked Johnson if he felt that Hip-Hop as a culture or the industry where it thrives was what sparked his harsh critiques. Johnson stated that the culture and industry are both responsible for what he framed as a betrayal.
“You’re still selling death and destruction to my kids while your kids are going to $30,000 a year privileged white schools; that’s what you call a traitor,” Johnson said. “The hip-hop community has betrayed Black America.”
Despite Hip-Hop’s half-century existence, Johnson doesn’t see that the music or culture has added true value to Black culture overall.
“You’ve been around for 50 years, the most popular music genre in the world, billions and billions of dollars, and all you can tell me about is a few people can get jobs,” Johnson shared. “That’s bullsh*t when you look at the cost that the black community has had to pay for Hip-Hop. A whole two or three generations of black kids growing up thinking the best thing you can do is be a gangster.”
With the clip of Dr. Umar Johnson and Mouse Jones debating the finer points of Hip-Hop going viral, fans on X, formerly Twitter, offered their thoughts on the debate and even posted some examples to counter Johnson’s arguments. We’ve got those reactions below, along with the episode of Hustle Over Everything mentioned above.
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Photo: Hustle Over Everything/YouTube
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Vice President Kamala Harris closed out the four-day Democratic National Convention with a powerful display of leadership in a speech that was both biographical and emotionally driven. Sharing the story of her family’s humble beginnings, Vice President Kamala Harris accepted her party’s nomination for president and took the crowd through a journey of being raised in the Bay Area by her single mother and how she was motivated to succeed because of it.
Seizing on the momentum gained from the moment President Joe Biden decided to not seek reelection, Vice President Kamala Harris spoke with a command not unlike her time as senator and as Vice President, garnering applause at almost every stanza in her speech.
As she accepted the Democratic Party’s nomination to become its presidential candidate, Harris kept her message straightforward and pushed back against the negative attacks toward her and her running mate Gov. Tim Walz with class. Like several speakers before her, Harris spoke about the importance of a strong democracy, opportunity for all, and a devotion to the values that Americans of all walks of life hold dear.
Harkening back to her days as a prosecutor en route to becoming California’s Attorney General, Harris reminded attendees and viewers at home that her focus then and now was to fight against criminals, give voice to those who feel they have been wrong by the system, and to never waver in the face of those who look to skirt by the legal system.
In a portion of Harris’ speech, she referenced the attempted January 6 insurrection that took place at the site of the U.S. Capitol, placing the impetus squarely on her opponent, Donald Trump. She mentioned Trump by name at several intervals, at one point saying that he desires to be an autocrat in the same vein as North Korean leader, Kim Jong Un.
With more pressing matters in mind, Harris also made certain to hit back at critics regarding border security, foreign policy, and strengthening the military, which contrasts greatly with Trump’s messaging that she is an extreme Leftist hoping to insert Communist rule in America.
Harris also spoke of supporting Israel’s right to defend itself against Hamas, a moment in history that pundits and observers alike feel could end up being a stain on the Biden-Harris administration. It was artful in how she still positioned her talking points to call for peace in the region and called for an end to the conflict, most especially the hostage situation, but those words may not be enough to sway some of her harshest critics who stand on the side of Palestinians.
On X, formerly Twitter, reactions to Vice President Harris accepting the Democratic Party’s nomination for president and her speech were rapid as they were glowing. We’ve got the best of them below.
Here is the video of Vice President Kamala Harris’ speech by way of PBS NewsHour below.
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Photo: Getty
5. If only..
7. It didn’t happen, so….
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Welcome back to another edition of Baes & Baddies and today, we’re delighted to introduce our readers to Twitch streamer, fitness enthusiast, and cosplayer, VIPPandaVII AKA Amber Noire. VIPPandaVII (or just VIP Panda) has a variety of interests that extend far beyond her stunning looks, and we’re honored to feature her.
What we know about VIPPandaVII is scant at best but from her Twitch bio page, we’ve learned that she is a veteran of the United States Navy, originally hails from Southern California, and currently resides in Texas. We noticed that VIP Panda refers to herself as a member of the “Straw Hat Pirates” which should be familiar to fans of the One Piece franchise.
Source: @ambernoire4 / @ambernoire4
Anime also figures big in the streamer’s life as she cites Way of the House Husband, Demon Slayer, and Samurai Champloo as some of her favorite series. Amber Noire is committed to fitness and shares tips on food choices, weight loss, and workouts with her supporters via her main Instagram page and a separate fitness-focused page.
Of course, she’s also a glamorous woman, and her cosplay outfits are designed to accentuate her hard work in the kitchen and the gym. That said, Amber Noire doesn’t lead with her looks or curves as she presents all sides of herself across her social media pages.
Source: @ambernoire4 / @ambernoire4
Check out the gallery below of images from X featuring our latest Baes & Baddies entry, VIPPandaVII AKA Amber Noire.
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Photo: X/@Ambernoire4
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Welcome back to another edition of Baes & Baddies and today, we’re delighted to introduce our readers to Twitch streamer, fitness enthusiast, and cosplayer, VIPPandaVII AKA Amber Noire. VIPPandaVII (or just VIP Panda) has a variety of interests that extend far beyond her stunning looks, and we’re honored to feature her.
What we know about VIPPandaVII is scant at best but from her Twitch bio page, we’ve learned that she is a veteran of the United States Navy, originally hails from Southern California, and currently resides in Texas. We noticed that VIP Panda refers to herself as a member of the “Straw Hat Pirates” which should be familiar to fans of the One Piece franchise.
Source: @ambernoire4 / @ambernoire4
Anime also figures big in the streamer’s life as she cites Way of the House Husband, Demon Slayer, and Samurai Champloo as some of her favorite series. Amber Noire is committed to fitness and shares tips on food choices, weight loss, and workouts with her supporters via her main Instagram page and a separate fitness-focused page.
Of course, she’s also a glamorous woman, and her cosplay outfits are designed to accentuate her hard work in the kitchen and the gym. That said, Amber Noire doesn’t lead with her looks or curves as she presents all sides of herself across her social media pages.
Source: @ambernoire4 / @ambernoire4
Check out the gallery below of images from X featuring our latest Baes & Baddies entry, VIPPandaVII AKA Amber Noire.
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Photo: X/@Ambernoire4
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Source: Julian Dakdouk / other
Beyoncé has moved the needle for the culture in several ways beyond music, leaving her indelible mark on fashion, footwear, hair care, and beyond. The Houston superstar’s latest venture is SirDavis, a whisky named after her great-grandfather and adds to her deep commitment to honoring her family’s influence and legacy.
Via a collaboration with Moët Hennessy, a subsidiary of LVMH, Beyoncé Knowles-Carter brings SirDavis to the forefront. According to a recent press release, the creation of SirDavis took years of development. The Cowboy Cater artist is said to be a fan of Japanese whisky and worked with Moët Hennessy intending to broaden the reach of the spirit within the American market. In a statement, the award-winning entertainer explained the inspiration behind the impending bra.d
“I’ve always been drawn to the power and confidence I feel when drinking quality whisky and wanted to invite more people to experience that feeling,” says SirDavis Founder Beyoncé Knowles-Carter. “When I discovered that my great-grandfather had been a moonshine man, it felt like my love for whisky was fated. SirDavis is a way for me to pay homage to him, uniting us through a new shared legacy. In partnering with Moët Hennessy, we have crafted a delicious American whisky that respects tradition but also empowers people to experience something new and unique in the category. You can taste it better than I could ever tell you — welcome, SirDavis.”
SirDavis is named after Davis Hogue, Beyoncé’s great-grandfather who worked as a farmer and also made moonshine during the restrictive Prohibition period. According to family lore, Hogue would make batches of whisky and stash it inside trees for his family and friends to sip. And now, Hogue’s great-granddaughter will carry on tradition along with her vision of refinement and collaboration with Moët Hennessy.
“SirDavis is not only a revelatory and exceptional American Whisky, which we are very proud of. It is also a testament of the unwavering dedication to craftsmanship, heritage and innovation shared by LVMH and Beyoncé Knowles-Carter,” said Bernard Arnault, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of LVMH.
Moët Hennessy tapped the services of Dr. Bill Lumsden, an avowed Master Distiller who has worked on fine Scotch whisky brands such as Glenmorangie and Ardbeg, names that should be familiar to readers of the Spirit.Ed column. Dr. Lumsden’s years of expertise in the whisky world were applied to creating SirDavis. Under his guidance, the team landed on a mash bill that puts the spice of rye at the forefront at 51 percent, the remaining 49 percent comprised of malted barley. After perfecting the balance of the distillate, the juice is then finished in sherry casks.
“With SirDavis, we looked to challenge the category norms and offer something new in the space,” said Lumsden. “The distinctive grain selection and unusual secondary maturation in sherry casks helped us achieve a signature profile completely unique to SirDavis, one of bold sophistication.”
Before going to market, SirDavis was anonymously submitted to several spirit competitions featuring some of the world’s top judges in the adult beverages space. In 2023, SirDavis won Best In Class for American Whiskey from the 2023 SIP Awards. In addition, SirDavis earned a Gold Medal designation from the 2023 New York International Spirits Competition and a 93-point rating from the 2023 Ultimate Spirits Challenge.
The design of the bottle was created with input from Beyoncé, and the whisky is a true homegrown product that is finished, blended, and bottled in Texas. SirDavis also owns the historic mark of being Moët Hennessy’s first spirits brand developed entirely internally by the company in the United States and has its headquarters in Houston.
While SirDavis has yet to launch nationally, interested parties can preorder SirDavis via its website. It will also become available at various retail locations across the United States, London, Paris, and Tokyo beginning in September. The airports LAX, JFK, and SFO will also sell the bottle.
To learn more, click here. View the bottle here as well.
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Photo: Julian Dakdouk/Moët Hennessy
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The Democratic National Convention kicked off on Monday (August 19) in Chicago, and the early returns suggest that things are off to a roaring start. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez delivered one of the more fiery speeches of the evening, aiming at Donald Trump and his record of busting unions while also praising Vice President Kamala Harris.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez was among several Democratic Party stars to deliver standout speeches, including former First Lady and Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, Sen. Raphael Warnock, and a spirited showing from President Joe Biden.
Ocasio-Cortez’s speech opened with how just six years prior, she was working as a waitress in New York City after graduating from Boston College. During that time, Ocasio-Cortez worked alongside her mother to fight foreclosure on their home.
As the speech rolled on, Ocasio-Cortez aimed her attention at Donald Trump, attacking the former president on rumored financial cronyism among other digs.
“Donald Trump would sell this country for a dollar if it meant lining his own pockets and greasing the palms of his Wall Street friends,” Ocasio-Cortez said during the speech to loud applause.
She added, “And I, for one, am tired of hearing about how a two-bit union buster thinks of himself as more of a patriot than the woman who fights every single day to lift working people out from under the boots of greed, trampling on our way of life.”
Ocasio-Cortez also used her speech to graciously praise President Biden for his leadership and framed Vice President Harris and her running mate, Gov. Tim Walz as champions for the middle class. This too also garnered heavy applause from the attendees at the United Center.
On X, formerly Twitter, the reactions to Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s speech at the Democratic National Convention have been plentiful. We’ve got them listed down below.
A video of the speech is posted below, courtesy of PBS NewsHour.
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Photo: ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS / Getty
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Source: Johnny Nunez / Getty
The late, great Phife Dawg famously rapped, “I’ll never let a statue tell me how nice I am,” on “Award Tour” off A Tribe Called Quest’s class Midnight Marauders album. The words still ring true over 30 years later when it comes to the Grammy Awards, which too often have been lacking when it comes to its respect for Hip-Hop culture.
Back in the day, the Grammys wouldn’t even air the Rap category winners during the proper show. To many, the slights still continue, like Jay-Z sitting in the front row only to go 0-8 in Grammy wins in 2018. Every year it’s a guarantee, the Hip-Hop heads will be upset, about something, justifiably so.
Needless to say, the Grammys’ relationship with the culture is still strained at best, with artists like Drake, Kendrick Lamar and Childish Gambino all essentially curving the show after being asked and passing on performing.
Considering the amount of Hip-Hop legends, who have dropped quality material, only to never take home a Grammy Award, you can’t blame them. Like Phife insinuated, a Grammy Award will never make you a great MC, but the acknowledgment would still be cool. And don’t get use started groups like the aforementioned A Tribe Called Quest or De La Soul or Public Enemy.
To be clear, we’re not taking anything away from stars whose shelves are littered with Grammys. We just wish the distribution of the accolades were more equitable.
As evidence, check out the eyebrow-raising list of Hip-Hop artists who have never won a Grammy in the gallery. It wouldn’t really be the Grammys if someone wasn’t getting snubbed, right?
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Photo Getty
1. Yasiin Bey
Source:WENN
Yasiin Bey f/k/a as the Mighty Mos Def is already one of the greatest MC’s of all time. Not so much in Grammy land.
2. KRS-One
Source:Getty
Blastmaster KRS-One and Boogie Down Productions are legends. For shame.
3. Wale
Source:Warner Records
Wale has only one nomination to his name for Best Rap Song back in 2013 for “Lotus Flower Bomb.”
4. Rakim
Source:Getty
The R has been nominated a grand total of two times.
5. A Tribe Called Quest
Source:WENN.com
A Tribe Called Quest has come up blank after only four nominations. Two nominations in 1997, one nomination in 1999, and one in 2012. Q-Tip has a Grammy, but that’s thanks to a performance on “Galvanize” by the Chemical Brothers.
6. Scarface
Source:Getty
Brad Jordan is still a GOAT.
7. Snoop Dogg
Source:WENN.com
Despite 16 nominations, Snoop Dogg has always come up empty. He holds the record for third most Grammy nominations ever without a win across all genres.
8. Ice Cube
Source:WENN.com
O’Shea Jackson has been nominated just one time. Think about that.
9. Wu-Tang Clan
Source:Hip-Hop Wired
Despite being for the children, the Wu-Tang Clan has managed to snag only one Grammy nomination.
10. DMX
Source:WENN.com
DMX once dropped two critically acclaimed and commercially successful albums in one year. Nevertheless, he’s 0-3 in Grammy Awards.
11. Busta Rhymes
Source:Getty
The Dungeon Dragon has a dozen nominations to his name.
12. Redman
Source:Getty
Redman will go down in history as a GOAT, but he only has two Grammy nomination to his name. His buddy Method Man has one Grammy, though.
13. Mobb Deep
Source:Getty
The speakers of the Dunn Language. Rest in power Prodigy.
14. Tupac Shakur
Source:Getty
The legendary life of Tupac Shakur was cut short, but a posthumous award is way past due.
15. Public Enemy
Source:WENN.com
This is just disrespectful.
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Donald Trump sat down with Elon Musk for an exclusive chat on the X platform’s Spaces section in support of his presidential campaign. In the chat, Donald Trump appeared to display slurred speech with listeners on X reacting to the meandering conversation in kind.
Donald Trump and Tesla CEO Elon Musk didn’t begin their planned conversation on Monday (August 12) as expected with well over 800,000 attendees having to wait 40 minutes before the conversation started. As some observers on X noted, this was not the first time Musk has been met with a technical glitch using the Spaces feature with a presidential candidate. Musk claimed that there was a cyberattack on his platform leading to the delay.
The environment was certainly friendly to Donald Trump with Elon Musk asking safe questions that allowed the candidate to freely riff as he’s known to do without facing much in the way of pushback. Trump, displaying a familiar campaign talking point of being tough on immigration, promised at one point to enact the largest deportation in U.S. history. Trump is seizing on the fears of voters who have been sold an idea that illegal immigrants are funneling in drugs committing crime, and taking jobs from Americans.
Musk, a former critic of Trump, praised the business mogul at several intervals in the discussion. Trump also gushed over Musk supporting his reelection bid, saying that Musk’s “endorsement meant a lot.”
It was also a moment for Musk to cozy up further to Trump, suggesting at one point that a presidential commission is formed with a focus on government efficiency while boldly asking to be appointed to the commission. Trump seemed pleased by the idea.
Although his campaign heads are denying what others heard, there have been several replies on X noticing that the former president routinely slurred his speech. The same X users are noting that few major news outlets are pointing out the deficiencies in Trump’s speaking, an opposite position those outlets took when discussing President Joe Biden’s speech during the debate he held with Trump.
We did not hear the whole discussion in full as we only heard clips shared by users on X. However, what we did hear does confirm that Trump was struggling to speak clearly at points but the reasons are unknown to us.
Check out the reactions to Donald Trump and Elon Musk’s chat below,
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Photo: Getty
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Vice President Kamala Harris is expected to announce that Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota will join her on the campaign trail as her running mate, according to campaign insiders. Analysts and observers alike positioned Gov. Tim Walz and Gov. Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania as the front runners, and now the hard work begins ahead of the November elections if the chatter remains true.
Vice President Kamala Harris has made a meteoric shift from supporting President Joe Biden in his reelection bid to now running her presidential campaign with tons of momentum. In recent weeks, Walz has made the rounds on several cable news shows appealing to the Democratic Party base, some who felt President Biden was no longer up to the task. Walz staunchly defended Biden on his record while dressing down his Republican Party opponent, Donald Trump.
With the base energized behind Harris, the potential Walz announcement thus far has gained wide appeal among pundits and it gives stability to the campaign despite it coming together fairly swiftly. According to CNN, the news is all but confirmed and Harris has promised that she will announce her pick on Tuesday (June 6).
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A former educator, Walz is currently in his second term as Minnesota governor and chairs the Democratic Governors Association. He previously served 12 years in Congress, representing a conservative-leaning rural district that, both before and after his tenure, has been mostly dominated by Republicans.
In the time leading up to his selection as Harris’ running mate, Walz had first been an outspoken defender of Joe Biden following his disastrous debate performance as calls for the president to end his reelection bid escalated. When Biden did drop out, Walz endorsed Harris the next day and has since emerged as a reliable, energetic and cutting advocate for the presumptive Democratic nominee.
While some felt that Gov. Shapiro was a lock considering his time rising the ranks in Pennsylvania politics, Walz presents a different sort of energy in a campaign that will need all the firepower it can gain against the widely popular Trump.
That said, Walz has already introduced talking points that appeal to swing voters, progressive voters, and those who feel the Democratic Party has been too passive in countering the vitriol that emerged from the Trump campaign.
One of Walz’s most significant contributions to the Harris campaign came when he labeled Trump and his running mate, Sen. JD Vance of Ohio “weird dudes” and the tag has stuck much to the chagrin of conservative pundits and the GOP alike.
On X, formerly Twitter, the reaction to the news regarding Gov. Tim Walz has gone viral. We’ve got the best reactions below.
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Photo: Getty