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Martin Luther King Jr. is, with little doubt, one of the more notable figures in the annals of Black history, and his sacrifice for the greater good of all maintains its resonance in modern times. In the wake of the transition of power within the White House on January 20, Hip-Hop Wired is electing to honor Martin Luther King Jr. instead and will share ways to uphold the great leader’s lasting legacy.
Hip-Hop Wired and the entire Urban One family for years have highlighted the incredible accomplishments of Martin Luther King Jr., and the sting of his light being snuffed out in 1968 nearly upended the Civil Rights Movement as over 100 cities rioted after his assassination in Memphis, Tenn. At just 39 years of age at the time, King was close to achieving the impossible feat of unifying the country and wisely highlighted the true divide in America of race and class. And in the decades since King’s passing, Black people in America achieved incredible feats in the face of insurmountable odds only to conquer those barricades admirably.
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Check out a portion NewsOne’s profile and recognition of Martin Luther King Jr,’s 96th birthday below:
In 1957, the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) was formed following the efforts and response to the “Montgomery Bus Boycott” in 1955. Rosa Parks jump-started the Civil Rights Movement that same year, after refusing to give up her seat to a White person. Dr. King and several other leaders joined the boycott, creating the SCLC.
With the help of the Quakers, Dr. King traveled to India in 1959 to visit with Gandhi. The trip was the necessary push needed to galvanize Dr. King’s desire to employ a similar approach with non-violent disobedience protests Stateside. SCLC activist Bayard Rustin, also a student of Gandhi’s teaching, served as King’s right hand in planning the 1963 “March On Washington” and was a trusted ally.
Releasing just a handful of books during his lifetime, Dr. King’s written work contained nearly the entire scope of his personal and academic pursuits. “Stride Toward Freedom: The Montgomery Story” was released in 1958. His last work, “Where Do We Go From Here: Chaos Or Community,” saw a 1967 release.
Please read the entire profile here.
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One of the most viable ways one can engage the world using the philosophies of King comes by way of The King Center, helmed by Dr. Bernice A. King, the leader’s youngest child. Dr. King has enacted the training and education module Nonviolence365™️, which aids in the practice of nonviolent social activism. We could not think of another way to honor Martin Luther King Jr. other than pointing directly to all of the amazing efforts and activations sparked by The King Center.
Learn more by visiting The King Center website and check out the variety of resources there.
Adding to this, MLK Day is largely seen as a day of service. In that regard, search your local community organizations and volunteer to be in service of your neighbors, including the disabled and elderly. This can also include working in soup kitchens, homeless shelters, or your local houses of worship. A gripping cold has taken over much of the country and several groups could use all hands on deck to bring warmth and comfort to the less fortunate.
On X, Martin Luther King Jr. is trending and we’ve gathered some replies to share with our readers below.
An urgent need… #MLK #MLKDay #KingHoliday pic.twitter.com/aP41uBs5ol
— The Martin Luther King, Jr. Center (@TheKingCenter) January 19, 2025
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Mac Miller left the world far too soon in 2018, just as his creative output was gaining notice and garnering him a wider fanbase. To commemorate the drop, the estate of Mac Miller has released a new body of work in Balloonerism along with a short film, and fans on X have reacted to the release in kind.
Balloonerism clocks in at 14 minutes and has just two features with SZA and Delusional Thomas showing up for “DJ’s Chord Organ” and “Transformations” respectively. According to what we read on Wikipedia, this album was recorded between 2013 and 2014. But fans reportedly have had access to some of these songs over the years via leaks and it was teased late last year at Camp Flog Gnaw.
Much of the album follows the soulful nature of Swimming, one of our favorite releases from the Pittsburgh star, and finds him flexing his singing abilities across several tracks. Songs like “5 Dollar Pony Rides” melt into a jazzy groove after a verse as Miller belts out vocals. The track “Friendly Hallucinations” continues the warm sound of the preceding track but finds Miller in confident rapper mode as he handles the hook capably.
Sonically, it sounds reminiscent of Miller’s work on his mixtape Faces, and certainly reveals more of his musical interests and connections with the sprawling musical community of Los Angeles with bassist Thundercat showing up on backing instrumentals alongside Thundercat’s brothers, drummer Ronald Bruner and keyboardist Jameel Bruner among others. Larry Fisherman, the producer moniker of Miller, shows up in the credits as well.
You can check out Mac Miller’s Balloonerism by clicking here along with the short film below supporting the project. Keep scrolling to see reactions from X regarding the new drop.
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President Joe Biden will be vacating the White House after serving four years along with his decades of public service, some of which has garnered its fair share of criticism. In his outgoing address, President Joe Biden warned of an oligarchy taking form in Washington and framed the changing landscape of content moderation in social media as a danger to democracy.
In the 17-minute farewell address, President Joe Biden was stern in his delivery as he thanked the American people before taking aim at the formation of what Biden feels is an influential core of Big Tech leaders such as Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk inserting themselves in opposition of democracy.
“Today, an oligarchy is taking shape in America of extreme wealth, power and influence that literally threatens our entire democracy, our basic rights and freedoms, and a fair shot for everyone to get ahead,” Biden said.
President Biden didn’t explicitly name Zuckerberg or Musk by name but it is little secret that the pair’s recently affirmed proximity to President-elect Donald Trump is questionable considering the influence the pair wield in both wealth and across social media. Further, Meta, helmed by Zuckerberg, is adopting a new policy that does away with content moderation and instead will adopt the community notes feature from X.
Further in the address, Biden suggested that Supreme Court justices serve an 18-year term limit instead of the lifetime appointments of today. He also made slight mention of Trump’s 34-county felony convictions although he won’t face any time.
President Joe Biden’s farewell address can be viewed below.
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Wendy Williams is a pioneer in the world of terrestrial radio and daytime talk shows and became infamous for her no-holds-barred approach to reporting on celebrity happenings and the like. Having stepped away from broadcasting due to reported health issues, Wendy Williams broke her silence and joined the cast of The Breakfast Club morning show to discuss her health issues, the widely reported conservatorship, Diddy’s legal woes, and more.
Wendy Williams joined The Breakfast Club by phone accompanied by her niece, journalist Alex Finnie. Williams’ former mentee, Charlamagne, opened up the chat by explaining to an audience what a conservatorship and some readers might recall singer Britney Spears was once under a similar guardianship.
Williams, sounding just as vibrant as her radio days, shared with the hosts that she is not cognitively impaired as many outlets have reported and likened the conservatorship to being in prison. Speaking from an undisclosed facility, Williams was quick-witted and humorous, highlighting that she shouldn’t be housed with individuals who are suffering from deeper mental and physical disabilities than she is.
Finnie jumped in for Williams and explained that where her aunt is being held was, “essentially a luxury prison” and confined to a small space where she isn’t allowed to interact with the outside world. That said, for all the reports of Williams’ cognitive decline, she sounded very much like the host of old and denies that she’s in as dire a place as has been widely shared in the media.
Naturally, Williams kept up with what was going on outside of the facility and had some choice words about Sean “Diddy” Combs.
“Diddy will go to prison for life, people. You don’t know the things that I know about Diddy back in the day. You know what? It’s about time, people. It is about time. Diddy done,” Williams said.
There is a GoFundMe effort for Wendy Williams aimed at her having the conservatorship lifted and retiring to Florida to be next to her family. Click here for more information.
We’ve got reactions regarding the video from X listed below.
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TikTok, the wildly popular social media app that has made stars among some of its users and exploded as a commerce hub, is under the threat of being banned or forced to sell off its assets. With the threat of TikTok going away, thousands of users are flocking to the Chinese social media app RedNote and discovering a new community in the process.
The United States Supreme Court is currently weighing a decision on a law that would ban TikTok in the country over national security concerns and the fact it is owned by a Chinese company. The proposed deadline is January 19, and the nation’s highest court has previously heard arguments from the social media brand’s parent company ByteDance and the incoming Trump administration’s position thus far is to keep access open to the app in the States.
RedNote, which is also known as Xiaohongshu, first launched in 2013 as a shopping destination but now has expanded into a full-on social media hub where users share various forms of content including the short-form video format TikTok is known for. According to a report from Reuters, over 700,000 users joined RedNote in the course of two days with a reported 50,000 Americans among that number but pales in comparison to the roughly 150 million American users of TikTok.
RedNote is currently the second most popular free app on Apple’s App Store. The outlet also added that Lemon8, which is a social media app owned by ByteDance, has seen increased user numbers as well.
On X, the massive social media defection is being documented with some revealing the language barriers users are facing and how some Americans are helping Chinese users improve their English. With some of the stringent laws in China, users have been careful in what they share and discuss on the app but the influx of users is seemingly welcomed.
We’ve got some reactions from X regarding the TikTok defection to RedNote below.
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Drake shocked his legion of fans and detractors by taking pre-trial legal action against Universal Music Group and Spotify for allegedly platforming “Not Like Us,” the scathing diss track from his rival Kendrick Lamar. This week, Drake filed to drop the legal petition against UMG and Spotify which prompted many on X to assume that the OVO honcho is waving the white flag.
As reported in detail by Billboard, Drake and his legal team filed for the withdrawal of the petition on Tuesday (Jan. 14) in a Manhattan court. The Canadian superstar’s Frozen Moments LLC was the top name on the petition and as the outlet adds, the company still has an active filing aimed at UMG and iHeartRadio in Texas courts. No official statements have been made by the aforementioned parties in these matters.
In November, Drake took action against UMG and Spotify in the aftermath of his explosive audio feud with Kendrick Lamar, with “Not Like Us” topping the Billboard charts and shifting the musical landscape. Many on the sidelines believe that the Canadian superstar’s light has dimmed since taking the heavy blows delivered during the back-and-forth battle, along with unproven accusations of sexual misconduct and other heinous charges.
The petition was a revelation for many considering the longtime partnership between Drake and UMG, which began with Lil Wayne’s Young Money outfit before signing with Republic Records. In 2022, Drake signed a deal with UMG reported to be up to $400 million, adding to the shockwaves felt by the industry with the filing of the petition.
In it, Drake states that UMG violated the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act and added that Spotify worked with the company by offering reduced licensing fees in exchange for pushing “Not Like Us” into the algorithms of users of the streaming service. The Texas petition levies similar charges. The outlet rightly explains that a petition is a pre-trial action that legal teams use to gather information ahead of filing a full-on lawsuit.
On X, formerly Twitter, music fans are taking shots at Drake for pulling the petition. We’ve got those reactions below.
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Lord Jamar achieved worldwide fame as a member of the legendary Hip-Hop group Brand Nubian and made a star turn as an actor on HBO’s Oz series. However, these days Lord Jamar is more known for his polarizing views about Black Americans, Vice President Kamala Harris, and his love of the flat earth theory, causing some online to ridicule the veteran rapper.
Last October, Lord Jamar was a guest on comedian Godfrey Danchimah’s In Godfrey We Trust podcast and discussed the election at the time along with other national happenings over the course of the episode. Alongside comedian Dante Nero, the show bumped up against the flat earth discussion, and a now-viral moment of Jamar challenging decades of science and proven facts is making new rounds thanks to a YouTuber giving his own take.
Jump to the 4:00-minute mark for the earlier video for context.
We’re not too keen on platforming a white content creator dunking on a Black Hip-Hop legend, but facts are facts and Professor Dave took a few months to debate Lord Jamar in a video he posted over the weekend with Godfrey, Nero, and Jamar. As you can see below. the debate got intense with Professor Dave using this as a moment to get a little virality going for himself. Godfrey removed the episode but Professor Dave, who admits he had him a banger, recorded the Zoom call and shared it with his audience.
Sharing a video from Dave Farina of Professor Dave Explains for context.
Others online, such as broadcaster Rakeem Shabazz, have blasted Jamar for his unfounded statements and desire to debate others far more knowledgeable than he is on the subject. Further, some are wondering why Jamar is embracing the talking points of the so-called Foundational Black American (FBA) movement spearheaded by Tariq Nasheed and others.
We’ve got reactions to the thoughts of flat earth truther Lord Jamar from X listed below.
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The wildfires ravaging Los Angeles County in California have devastated homes and misplaced longtime residents as firefighters battle the blazes. The community of Altadena, which has a significant number of Black residents, is suffering from the damages of the wildfires as they forge a path forward.
Several outlets have covered the damage from the wildfires in Altadena and the town of Pasadena, including Pasadena Star-News and CBS News. The Eaton fire has damaged around 4,000 structures according to the Star-News, adding that 18 percent of Altadena’s residents are Black along with 7 percent of Pasadena residents.
“This will (displace) a lot of Black people, said Sheila Foster, who lost homes in both Altadena and Pasadena. “Some of them are elderly, some were barely holding on before the fire, trying to keep their property because it was going down from generation to generation up here.”
As seen in Yahoo! News by way of TheGrio, the Eaton fire is among four blazes which include the Palisades fires, and as seen both burning over 30,000 acres of land and over 10,000 structures total. There is a multinational effort made by firefighters from the north in Canada and to the South in Mexico. This is especially interesting to note considering the aggressive tone towards the named countries from President-elect Donald Trump.
On X, formerly Twitter, some are mentioning the devastation endured by the residents of Altadena and Pasadena, while also noting efforts of spectacular scope are being made to support those displaced by the blazes. Those reactions can be viewed below.
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Remy Ma and Eazy The Block Captain have become a central focus in the battle rap scene after details were revealed regarding their relationship and commentary from Papoose about their union. In a recent Chrome23 battle event, Eazy Tha Block Captain enacted a lyrical scheme asking Remy Ma if she loved him during the heat of the battle against his opponent, Shotgun Suge.
Over the weekend, Chrome23 hosted the “Read The Room” battle with Eazy The Block Captain, and Shotgun Suge as the main event. As is the custom in the battle rap arena, private details, and jarring insults are par for the course. In that regard, Suge took some of the strongest shots possible at Eazy, with several angles centered on his relationship with Remy Ma.
Fans are largely saying that Suge vanquished Eazy on his home turf of New Jersey but the Philadelphia native has never ducked any sort of smoke on the stage. During a scheme where he names the alphabet, thought largely to be a dig at Remy’s estranged husband Papoose’s “Alphabetical Slaughter” song, Eazy flipped bars asking Remy if she loved him and in the back, a resounding “yes” could be heard in the clips that surfaced online.
Eazy The Block Captain asked Remy Ma “Don’t you love me?”
Remy: Yes. pic.twitter.com/LoRm4fsqLO
— VideoMixtape.com (@VideoMixtape_) January 6, 2025
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While the moment got a big pop from the crowd, fans who study the culture said that Eazy has used this scheme before and are accusing him of recycling. Others thought the dig was clever but the consensus is that Shotgun Suge emerged victorious.
In the aftermath of the clash, fans on X have their comments on Remy Ma professing her love for Eazy The Block Captain in battle rap fashion. Check out the replies below.
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Residents in the Westside, Los Angeles neighborhood of the Pacific Palisades, are threatened by a raging wildfire, leading Gov. Gavin Newsom to declare a state of emergency, and officials are looking to tame the blaze. The Pacific Palisades and other neighborhoods in California are under evacuation orders while the images from the wildfire have sparked both concern and debate online.
All across social media, the California wildfire has been discussed widely with users posting stirring photos and videos of the blaze. According to various reports from the likes of CBS News and the Los Angeles Times along with local outlets.
The fire began in Northwest Los Angeles on Tuesday (Jan. 7) morning and led to the evacuation of around 30,000 residents of the Pacific Palisades, which is nestled in the Westside region of Los Angeles County. High winds throughout the day spread the brush fire and CalFire reports that the blaze grew to a size of nearly 3,000 acres. Damages from the blaze are still being tallied along with the number of injuries, with widespread reports of heavy traffic and the like as residents look to flee to safety.
A second blaze broke on in Eaton in the Northern Los Angeles County neighborhood of Altadena and has reportedly torched over 1,000 homes according to CalFire officials. There was also a blaze titled the Hurst Fire that broke out in Los Angeles’ Sylmar neighborhood on Tuesday and touched several hundred acres.
Winds reached as high as 99 mph in the Altadena region and 84 mph at Hollywood Burbank Airport according to the National Weather Service. Santa Ana winds are typical in California but not usually this intense according to officials covering the weather event.
On X, formerly Twitter, residents enduring the wildfires are sharing their accounts of what they’re facing and giving detailed photos and video footage of the spreading damage. Those replies can be viewed below.
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