State Champ Radio GALLERY
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Jordan Brand may have a new must-have collaboration on their hands as the sneaker world was buzzing on Thursday (March 28) when Nina Chanel Abney gave us a sneak peak of her upcoming Air Jordan 3. The shoe promises to break a few necks and earn even more double takes when they hit the streets.
Two years after releasing her first Jordan Brand collaboration in the Air Jordan 2, Abney returns with her take on the highly popular Air Jordan 3 silhouette, which she remixed with an interesting color blocking that immediately caught the eyes of sneaker enthusiasts across social media. Aside from the spiffy colorway, the materials used to remix the silhouette add to its allure. According to Sneaker News, it’s all about the details when it comes to these.
Sneaker News reports:
Relying heavily on green shades — Bicoastal and Malachite to be exact — the Nina Chanel Jordan 3s are built with premium suede and canvas uppers, with Fossil-colored midsoles set to match the laces, eyelets, interiors, and the customized heel back Interestingly, these Air Jordan 3s also feature thicker roped laces which aren’t too common on Air Jordans, but they add that lifestyle aesthetic that Abney is clearly looking to capture.
Yeah, these might hit “Grail” status before they even hit the shelves.
The Nina Chanel Abney Air Jordan 3s are set to release June 20 for $225. Check out pics of the kicks and let us know if you’ll be copping in the comments section below.
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Louis Gossett Jr., a celebrated actor who became the first Black man to win a Supporting Actor Academy Award, has died. Louis Gossett Jr. was also an Emmy Award winner for his appearance in the Roots miniseries.
The Associated Press reports that Louis Gossett Jr. died early Friday morning (March 29) in Santa Monica, Calif., with the news confirmed by the actor’s first cousin, Neal L. Gossett.
Gossett was born on May 27, 1936, in the Coney Island section of Brooklyn in New York City. At the age of 16, a teacher encouraged Gossett to try out for an acting part on Broadway and won the part. Gossett starred in Take A Giant Step, although he had no formal training.
Acting became Gossett’s passion despite having athletic skills as a basketball player and was offered a scholarship at New York University. Instead, Gossett turned his attention to theatre and never looked back.
According to his cousin, Gossett was more than his riches and fame; he used his position to address racism and was aligned with the likes of Nelson Mandela and others.
“Never mind the awards, never mind the glitz and glamor, the Rolls-Royces and the big houses in Malibu. It’s about the humanity of the people that he stood for,” his cousin told the AP.
Gossett won the Supporting Actor Academy Award in 1983 for his role in An Officer and A Gentleman. That same year, Gossett also took home the Best Supporting Actor Golden Globe. He also was a star in television, winning his lone Emmy Award in 1977 for his role in Roots. Gossett also won a Best Supporting Actor – television Golden Globe in 1992 for his role in The Josephine Baker Story.
Gossett is survived by his son Satie and daughter Sharron.
Louis Gossett Jr. was 87.
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Lyft, a major player in the rideshare market, proved that someone on its marketing team is most certainly a part of the Beyhive in classic fashion. After another rideshare social media account offered a discount on rides for fans going to Act II: Cowboy Carter listening parties, Lyft upped the ante in a major way.
With us being a neutral party, we won’t say the other rideshare company’s name although it won’t be hard to figure out as this story goes on. As it stands, the company in question offered a 16 percent discount on rides for fans on X (formerly Twitter) who wanted to attend listening parties for the latest album from Beyoncé, Act II: Cowboy Carter.
Lyft, taking note of the offer replies under the tweet from the other company writing “crumbs were left,” a nice little jab that we’ve seen in times past between major companies via their social media accounts.
After a fan suggested that Lyft sweeten the pot, the company responded by offering 50 percent off rides for those going to those aforementioned listening parties.
Now how is that for customer satisfaction?
While we don’t know if the other company is going to fire back just yet, for now, Lyft is the grand champion of the people AND the petty but the true winners are fans of Beyoncé who get to hear Queen Bey shift the culture once again with her latest album.
The singer recently suggested that while country music influences Act II: Cowboy Carter, this is still very much a Beyoncé album. We heard that. Also, we have to score a win for Lyft’s marketing team.
To take advantage of the 50 percent off rides with Lyft, use this code: SPAGHETTI24.
Check out the reactions to the playful back and forth on X and don’t forget, Act II: Cowboy Carter drops Friday, March 29.
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10. Okay, let’s not get carried away LOL
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Yung Miami saw her name trending this week on social media as the legal issues involving Sean “Diddy” Combs continue to develop swiftly. In an amended lawsuit, Yung Miami was accused of allegedly transporting pink cocaine for Diddy, which is reportedly a mixture of ecstasy and cocaine.
XXL obtained court documents related to the lawsuit brought by producer Rodney “Lil Rod” Jones, which has since been amended after the initial filing. According to the report, Lil Rod added 25 pages of additional information related to the matter and went into detail about how the Bad Boy mogul used drug mules to deliver the narcotics.
“Plaintiff and the Combs Rico Enterprise were rehearsing for ‘Something in the Westival.” in Virginia,” reads a portion of the court filing. “Plaintiff Jones personally witnessed Mr. Combs do a few lines of coke in his dressing room. Defendant Sean Combs wanted tuci but Brendan forgot it, so Defendant Kristina Khorram called Yung Miami. Who then brought it on the private jet from Miami.”
The name Brendan mentioned in the above paragraph is Brendan Paul, who was arrested this past Monday (March 25) at the Opa-Locka Airport in Miami, Fla. around the same time police conducted raids on Diddy’s homes.
Yung Miami has not made any mention of the ongoing legal matters that Combs is currently enduring. She has been active on X and shared a tweet that fans seized on amidst the legal happenings while speculating what will happen next for the artist and podcast host.
On X, we’ve got reactions from all sides to the alleged transporting of pink cocaine on Diddy’s behalf below.
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Drake and Lil Wayne have been in the musical spotlight for years and have dozens of songs that few people could commit to memory with perfection. So it was baffling to see fans overreact to the revelation that Drake and Lil Wayne employed a teleprompter during a recent concert.
Drake and Lil Wayne joined together onstage during a weekend stop in Sunrise, Fla. for the Canadian superstar’s It’s All A Blur tour. The pair performed the track “Right Above It,” which was a single on Tunechi’s 2010 album, I Am Not A Human Being. It was also the theme song for the HBO sports drama Ballers featuring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.
Fans who either attended the show or saw footage noticed that a teleprompter was used to help the two keep pace with the song, and it doesn’t appear that Drizzy or Weezy skipped a beat during their set. That said, a passionate debate was sparked with many wondering if the use of teleprompters during a Hip-Hop concert was a new thing.
Of course, when you’re trying to deliver a perfect set for paying fans, you want to stick the landing and why wouldn’t an artist use every technical advantage to make sure attendees are getting their money’s worth? R&B singers do this all the time and given the bodies of work both of these major artists have produced, they’re certainly not going to remember a song they recorded more than 14 years ago.
We’ve got the reactions from fans on X, formerly Twitter, debating the finer points of using a teleprompter for some odd reason. It’s all pretty silly if you ask us but hey.
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1. Mans deleted the tweet but he was flabbergasted.
2. A person with some sense.
6. Faceless avis always with the bad takes.
8. People are delusional.
9. Mans whole brand is being salty.
10. Again, another person with sense.
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Shaun King stands as one of the most controversial figures as the activist has a heavy number of detractors that seemingly eclipse those who support his work. King, reportedly a recent convert to Islam, was slated to deliver a keynote speech for an Islamic organization, which has since been rescinded.
Shaun King made waves after announcing that he and his wife had converted to Islam just before the holy period of Ramadan while mentioning his support of Palestine amid the nation’s conflict with Israel. The news of King’s spiritual choice led to him trending on social media with jokes flying at a rapid rate.
King was slated to be a speaker in Minneapolis in connection to a fundraising dinner for the local branch of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR). After the news spread wide that King would be a keynote speaker, CAIR endured heavy backlash. As a result, CAIR took the speech off the table in response.
From CAIR’s X page:
We have heard concerns expressed—directly and indirectly—by our community regarding Shaun King being the keynote at your Annual Iftar Fundraiser. We have made the decision to not have Shaun King as the keynote speaker for our upcoming annual fundraising dinner.
This has become a distraction from the sole purpose of our event—to support the work of protecting and advancing the civil liberties of Muslims in Minnesota, especially in these challenging times. We appreciate your feedback and are committed to ensuring our focus remains on our mission. Thank you for your understanding and continued support.
It doesn’t appear that Shaun King has addressed CAIR’s decision.
On X, formerly Twitter, had some thoughts and we’ve got them listed below.
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Photo: San Francisco Chronicle/Hearst Newspapers via Getty Images / Getty
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Kendrick Lamar put the Hip-Hop world on notice after dropping a verse on “Like That” from Future and Metro Boomin‘s new WE DON’T TRUST YOU project. K-Dot revisited his “Control” verse days and restored the feeling after aiming shots at Drake and J. Cole while declaring himself the best among the so-called “Big Three.”
Kendrick Lamar has been spending more time focused on his pgLang brand and assisting the career of his cousin, Baby Keem to great effect. The former TDE standout has often been mentioned in the same tier as Drake and J. Cole, with many thinking the trio would clique up one day and shift the entire ecosystem.
K-Dot put those hopes and dreams to rest on “Like That” and didn’t mince words at all. Some are of the mind that Lamar has taken subliminal shots from Drizzy over the years, in particular, related to their status within the Hip-Hop hierarchy.
From “Like That”:
“Okay, let’s get it up, it’s time for him to prove that he’s a problem/N*ggas clickin’ up, but cannot be legit, no 40 Water, tell ’em/Ah, yeah, huh, yeah, get up with me/F*ck sneak dissin’, first person shooter, I hope they came with three switches/I crash out, like, “F*ck rap,” diss Melle Mel if I had to”
In a bid to distance himself from the pack, Lamar added, “Motherf*ck the big three, n*gga, it’s just big me” which left nothing to the imagination.
This isn’t the first time Kendrick Lamar caused a stir. Back in 2013 on Big Sean’s “Control,” Kung Fu Kenny named names and essentially dared everyone to try his pen and had people not even involved in the jabs responding to the verse. Time will tell if Drake or J. Cole will respond, considering the latter has always represented his connection to Lamar as friendly.
Again, this could also be traced to a perceived beef between Future and Drake, although that hasn’t been confirmed. Further, Metro Boomin has had recent issues with the Canadian superstar that went public, adding to the lore of discord between them all.
On X, formerly Twitter, folks are chiming in about Kendrick Lamar’s jabs toward Drake and J. Cole. Check out the reactions below.
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Azealia Banks was once considered one of the best women rappers of her generation but has achieved more notoriety lately for her fiery rants against the culture. Once more, the Harlem artist aimed barbs at Beyoncé and Jay-Z, sparking outrage and criticism from the Beyhive and beyond.
Beyoncé put the world on notice after sharing details behind her upcoming studio album, Act II: Cowboy Carter, the highly anticipated follow-up to 2022’s Act I: Renaissance. The Houston superstar explained in detail the impetus behind the album and expressed gratitude for having her song “Texas Hold ‘Em” going No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, the first Black woman to do so via a country music song.
Azealia Banks took to social media and had plenty to say about the rollout of the upcoming album, taking shots at Beyoncé’s husband in the process.
“Wow we didn’t even try to put even a little effort into a more artistic title?” Banks wrote via her Instagram Stories feed on March 19. “Sis I live for whiteyonce Donatella Bianca Bardot DOWN, But I’m kind of ashamed at how u switch from baobab trees and black parade to this literal pick me stuff.”
Banks added, “Like u do lame stuff like bring out some black listed white women (Dixie chicks) at the country music awards and they would never ever do the same for you. Ur always sharing ur platform with white women who are so jealous of you but have such a long history of sabotaging other black womens careers.”
Caught in the fray was Hov with Banks saying, “Ugh I’m so saddened by Jay-Z and his overstrategizing everything beyonce to the point where it’s clearly his influence and not the real Bianca Bardot. Someone tell Jayz his strategies are corny and beyonce has better ideas.”
Okay, then.
On X, formerly Twitter, reactions from all sides to the comments from Azealia Banks poured in. Some suggested that Banks focus on putting out new music while others agreed with some of her points, albeit some did so with reluctance.
We’ve got those reactions listed below.
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Photo: Lexie Moreland / Getty
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Beyoncé has captured the attention of the masses once more with the earlier announcement of her upcoming eighth studio album, Act II: Cowboy Carter. Taking to Instagram, the Houston superstar shared the backstory of the creation of the project and what inspired the new creative direction.
On Tuesday (March 19), Beyoncé froze the world in its tracks and issued a massive statement concerning Act II: Cowboy Carter, the followup to 2022’s Act I: Renaissance. The entertainer says that the album was five years in the making and was inspired by a negative moment she experienced.
From Instagram:
Today marks the 10-day countdown until the release of act ii. Thank you from the bottom of my heart to all of the supporters of TEXAS HOLD ‘EM and 16 CARRIAGES. I feel honored to be the first Black woman with the number one single on the Hot Country Songs chart. That would not have happened without the outpouring of support from each and every one of you. My hope is that years from now, the mention of an artist’s race, as it relates to releasing genres of music, will be irrelevant.
This album has been over five years in the making. It was born out of an experience that I had years ago where I did not feel welcomed…and it was very clear that I wasn’t. But, because of that experience, I did a deeper dive into the history of Country music and studied our rich musical archive. It feels good to see how music can unite so many people around the world, while also amplifying the voices of some of the people who have dedicated so much of their lives educating on our musical history.
Queen Bey goes on to add, “I focused on this album as a continuation of RENAISSANCE…I hope this music is an experience, creating another journey where you can close your eyes, start from the beginning and never stop.”
As it stands, the ending sentence is perhaps what got the Beyhive most excited.
“This ain’t a Country album. This is a “Beyoncé” album. This is act ii COWBOY CARTER, and I am proud to share it with y’all,” she wrote.
Act II: Cowboy Carter drops on March 29.
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Photo: James Devaney / Getty
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Loaded Lux, one of the top names in the sport Battle Rap, was reported to be dead by a YouTube streamer but it appears that wasn’t the case. It has been confirmed that Loaded Lux is very much alive, however, it’s been said that one of his family members was shot and killed recently.
By way of the Sub 0 BLACK URBAN NEWS YouTube channel, the host Sub 0 shared a Washington, D.C. outlet’s story of a shooting over the weekend that left two men dead. In his reporting, Sub 0 said that Lux was one of the victims of the deadly shooting.
As news began to spread online, colleagues and others close to Lux shot down the rumors and stated that one of his family members was killed on Sunday (March 17). It isn’t known if the victim in that shooting was indeed Lux’s relative.
On Tuesday (March 19), Lux’s name began trending with many of the replies shooting down Sub 0’s report and saying that this was a clout-chasing moment for the streamer. Further, outlets like Gully TV, who spoke with Un Kasa, uncovered that Sub 0’s report was false. Some online are also blasting Gully TV for using “R.I.P. Loaded Lux” in the thumbnail for their report.
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As the news continued to spread on X, formerly Twitter, folks began taking personal shots at Sub 0 for spreading news of Loaded Lux’s death. Reactions are still pouring in and we’ve got some of them listed below.
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