GALLERY
Page: 7
HipHopWired Featured Video
CLOSE
Source: Gary Miller / Getty
Kendrick Lamar may have taken the slow approach during his days with Top Dawg Entertainment but as his own man, he’s delivering music and content at a higher clip. Just like the surprise drop of his latest musical project GNX, Kendrick Lamar delivered a video for the fan-favorite track “squabble up” filled with plenty of Easter eggs and nods to West Coast culture.
Kendrick Lamar delivered the “squabble up” video on Monday (November 25) while many fans were still trying to digest the bars and scope of GNX. Directed by Calmatic, the video features K-Dot in a sparsely decorated room decked out in blue and hitting a casual, almost disaffected two-step while his face remains monotone and serene all at once.
In the background, several moments unfold that, at least in our first watch, we didn’t catch. What does stand out is that every scene that pops off in the back is related to the West Coast in some fashion, most especially the Southern side of California.
Eagle-eyed fans on the X social media platform are already piecing together the images within, including a nod to Ice-T’s Power album cover and its cover model, Darlene Ortiz. Gang unity is also promoted in the video, along with the realities of the street such as a couple socking out and robbing a man.
There was also a clever moment where Lamar was seen reading a book titled How To Be More Like Kendrick for Dummies along with some ruckus going on behind as he casually reads the title.
On X, Kendrick Lamar is the talk of the online streets and we’re capturing the best reactions we’ve seen and sharing them below.
—
Photo: Getty
HipHopWired Featured Video
CLOSE
Kendrick Lamar shifted all eyes and ears towards the West Coast after dropping his latest body of work, GNX, which caps the massive year he’s had in music. Now that fans have sat with GNX over the weekend, the reactions on social media, especially the X platform, have been hilarious.
Kendrick Lamar dropped GNX last Friday (November 22), much to the surprise of all Hip-Hop fans who were caught off guard. The project is essentially an extension of the sound K-Dot embodied in his blistering “Not Like Us” smash hit with heavy references to Los Angeles, Compton, and the entire West Coast to be exact.
One of the top moments of GNX went viral as Lamar yelling Mustard’s name on the beat switch of “tv off” has since gone viral online. This in turn sparked a lot of jokes at the expense of a frequent target on GNX in Drake, with some of Lamar’s compatriots seemingly joining in on the digs at the Canadian superstar.
Thematically, GNX is a departure from Kendrick Lamar’s usually reflective work but still has several flashes of his expert songwriting and ability to spark emotions in the listener. We’ll be reviewing the project this week on Hip-Hop Wired.
On X, we’ve seen some brilliant replies connected to the drop of GNX and we’ve got them listed below.
—
Photo: Getty
HipHopWired Featured Video
CLOSE
Andrew Schulz, a popular podcaster and stand-up comic, was caught up in controversy after an episode of his Flagrant podcast featuring the ShxtsNGigs duo where jokes were made at the expense of Black women. Kendrick Lamar mentioned the viral moment on the track “wacced out murals” from his GNX project, prompting Andrew Schulz to allegedly refer to the Compton rapper as “too woke.”
DJ Akademiks hosted a recent live stream to discuss Kendrick Lamar, GNX, and the line from “wacced out murals” that stood out for a lot of listeners. On the track, K-Dot raps, “Don’t let no white comedian talk about no Black women, that’s law,” referring to Andrew Schulz and the ShxtsNGigs duo of James Duncan and Fuhad Dawodu.
During the Flagrant episode in question, Schulz examined the “Black girlfriend effect” trend of men who date Black women but aren’t Black themselves. “They grow their beard because they need a cushion when they get slapped,” Schulz said, garnering big laughs from Duncan and Dawodu.
Ak says he spoke with Schulz on the phone and claims that the comedian responded to Lamar’s verbal jab. “Is this guy too woke to understand a joke?” Schulz allegedly told Akademiks during their conversation.
Gary Owens inserted himself into the conversation via Instagram, sharing an image of Kendrick Lamar and the aforementioned line and writing in the caption, “If that’s the law that makes me a criminal.”
A quick scan of the post revealed that Owens wasn’t on the hook — this time, at least.
On X, formerly Twitter, fans are enjoying the fact that Andrew Schulz caught a stray on a track that largely finds K-Dot firing at all his opps. Check out the reactions below.
—
Photo: Getty
HipHopWired Featured Video
CLOSE
Jonathan Majors earned a bittersweet legal victory after a conviction in 2023 upended the once-popular actor’s momentum and cost him the role of a lifetime. Grace Jabbari, the ex-girlfriend of Jonathan Majors, has now dropped her assault and defamation lawsuit against him which has fans on X wondering if Kang will make a comeback in the MCU.
Jonathan Majors, 35, was found guilty of one count of reckless assault in the 3rd degree and one charge of harassment as a violation. Majors was acquitted of a charge of assault and another charge of aggravated harassment. Grace Jabbari, 31, accused Majors of physical assault and abuse after an incident in March of 2023 found the former couple at odds. Several accounts of the allegedly violent exchange were revealed before Majors’ conviction with the courts eventually siding with Jabbari although some charges did not stick.
Now with Jabbari dropping the assault and defamation lawsuit, observers are wondering if the larger public owes Majors an apology and if the role of Kang The Conqueror within the Marvel Cinematic Universe should still be his. It should be noted that Majors’ conviction from the incident still stands and Jabbari has not publicly claimed that the acts connected to the case didn’t happen.
Majors is already signed up for new films, with a role in the upcoming thriller Merciless from director Martin Villeneuve. Majors will also appear in the 2025 film, Magazine Dreams.
Jonathan Majors has maintained his innocence regarding the assault allegations and says he wants to continue his work as an actor.
[h/t Deadline]
—
Photo:
HipHopWired Featured Video
CLOSE
Denzel Washington has enjoyed a storied career that transfers seamlessly between the big screen and the stage, and he appears to be looking toward the sunset. In a recent interview, Denzel Washington says that director Ryan Coogler is writing him a part for Black Panther 3 and has a clear idea of how he wants to head into his impending retirement from acting.
Denzel Washington, 69, sat down with the Australian show TODAY in support of the upcoming Gladiator II film starring the veteran actor and was joined on the program by costars Pedro Pascal and Connie Neilsen.
The chat opened up with the cast members praising Gladiator film series director Ridley Scott on creating a lavish set that called back to the mighty days of the Roman Empire.
When the conversation turned to delivering a sequel to the beloved original Gladiator film, Washington was asked if he felt any type of pressure in stepping into the massive franchise. In his typically cool fashion, Washington says he embraces this phase of his career especially as he eyes an end to appearing onscreen.
“For me it’s about the filmmakers. Especially at this point in my career, I am only interested in working with the best,” Washington shared. “I don’t know how many more films I’m going to make. It’s probably not that many. I want to do things I haven’t done.”
After stating that bombshell, Washington delivered another toward the end of the junket conversation.
“I played Othello at 22. I am about to play Othello at 70,” Washington added. “After that, I am playing Hannibal. After that, I’ve been talking to Steve McQueen about a film. After that, Ryan Coogler is writing a part for me in the next ‘Black Panther.’ After that, I’m going to do the film ‘Othello.’ After that, I’m going to do King Lear. After that, I’m going to retire.”
The news of Denzel Washington having a role in the upcoming Black Panther sequel had folks expressing excitement on the X social media platform. We’ve got reactions below.
—
Photo: Getty
12. There is always one.
HipHopWired Featured Video
CLOSE
Veterans Day is here and the annual federal holiday honors those who served in the United States Armed Forces in all capacities. On social media, several Black veterans are sharing images of themselves in military garb and we’re highlighting what we’ve seen so far on Veterans Day.
To explain the history of the holiday, we look to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and their explainer below:
World War I – known at the time as “The Great War” – officially ended when the Treaty of Versailles was signed on June 28, 1919, in the Palace of Versailles outside the town of Versailles, France. However, fighting ceased seven months earlier when an armistice, or temporary cessation of hostilities, between the Allied nations and Germany went into effect on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month. For that reason, November 11, 1918, is generally regarded as the end of “the war to end all wars.”
Veterans Day continues to be observed on November 11, regardless of what day of the week on which it falls. The restoration of the observance of Veterans Day to November 11 not only preserves the historical significance of the date, but helps focus attention on the important purpose of Veterans Day: A celebration to honor America’s veterans for their patriotism, love of country, and willingness to serve and sacrifice for the common good.
According to Syracuse University’s D’Aniello Institute for Veterans and Military Families (IVMF), over 350,000 Black active duty and select reserve members are currently serving in the military in addition to over 2.4 million Black veterans in the country. This is referenced in the study, “Missing Perspectives: Black & African Americans in the Military—From Service to Civilian Life.”
While Black veterans are joined in celebration, that same study wrote in their findings that 56% of respondents said they faced issues around racial/ethnic discrimination with 455 saying that their racial/ethnic identity made it difficult to get ahead at work. Adding to that, 59% said that their transition into life outside the military was difficult. It should be noted that the study highlights several positives as well.
As we salute those who joined the military at great risk and reward on Veterans Day, check out the gallery of posts below to see Black veterans shine in their element.
—
Photo: Getty
HipHopWired Featured Video
CLOSE
Van Jones was one of several political commentators who took to the airwaves to deliver their thoughts about the results of Election Day, most especially the race between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris. In his analysis, Van Jones was rendered emotional as he explained how a Trump presidency might not bode well for some, sparking some on X to take shots at the pundit.
Van Jones, 56, was on CNN after the results were largely confirmed and declaring Donald Trump the winner of the presidential race. Jones, speaking to the concerns of those who might feel vulnerable under Trump’s leadership, expressed what many Americans might be feeling and got choked up along the way.
“There are going to be people tomorrow who are going to be handing clothes at the dry cleaners to people who don’t have papers. There are going to be people who are going to be cleaning your teeth tomorrow who don’t have papers. And they are terrified tonight,” Jones said.
In regards to Black women, who largely rallied around Vice President Harris, Jones examined their emotional state.
“They thought tomorrow morning they were going to walk out with their shoulders back a little bit, maybe be able to breathe for the first time, and feel like they belong someplace. They did everything that they knew how to do, and it’s going to be harder than it should be tomorrow for them to hold their heads up, and they’re not the only people who are hurting tonight,” Jones continued.
Toward the end of his breakdown of the election, Jones, audibly choked up, said, “It’s people who woke up this morning with a dream and are going to bed with a nightmare.”
On X, Van Jones has become a target of critique over his emotional takes and today is no different. We’ve got those reactions listed below.
People woke up this morning with a big dream. They are going to wake up tomorrow in a nightmare. But we will find a way through. pic.twitter.com/uzR5DpYytk
— Van Jones (@VanJones68) November 6, 2024
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
—
Photo: Getty
HipHopWired Featured Video
CLOSE
Source: Tom Williams / Getty
Angelo Alsobrooks and Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester achieved historic firsts on Election Day with the pair becoming the first women and first Black women in their respective seats to win U.S. Senate seats. This would mark the first time that two Black women are serving in the Senate chamber at the same time.
Angela Alsobrooks, currently the County Executive for Prince George’s County in Maryland, faced former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan in a race that most expected Alsobrooks to win in the heavily blue-leaning state. Hogan spent plenty in Maryland to flip Sen. Ben Cardin’s open seat but Alsobrooks ran a sharp campaign and banked on her strong record as a known elected official in one of the larger counties.
Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester, a congresswoman representing Delaware’s at-large district in the state, has been in politics since the 1990s. She served as deputy secretary of the Department of Health and Social Services in 1993 and secretary of the Department of Labor in 1998 under the exiting Delaware Sen. Tom Carper during his time as governor of the state.
Alsobrooks and Blunt Rochester will bring the number of Black senators in the chamber to six. They are also just the fourth and fifth Black women to be elected to the Senate.
The pair follow a great path that was first laid by Sen. Carol Mosley Braun, who was the first Black woman elected to the Senate in 1992. Vice President Kamala Harris was elected to the Senate in 2016. Sen Laphonza Butler, who will vacate the seat at the end of her current term, was appointed to the seat to serve out the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s term which ends this coming January.
The excitement of the news of Senator-Elect Angela Alsobrooks and Senator-Elect Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester is spreading. We’ve got reactions from X below.
Thank you, Maryland! pic.twitter.com/fUl9HGdmaU
— Angela Alsobrooks (@AlsobrooksForMD) November 6, 2024
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
From the bottom of my heart, Delaware, thank you 💙 pic.twitter.com/UI9GtzqYBJ
— Lisa Blunt Rochester (@LisaBRochester) November 6, 2024
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
—
Photo: Getty
HipHopWired Featured Video
CLOSE
Azealia Banks isn’t exactly the go-to person for all things political, but it appears she is endorsing a candidate in the presidential race all the same. In a lengthy post on X, Azealia Banks openly insults and then endorses Vice President Kamala Harris which sparked some replies on the social media platform.
Taking to the X platform on Monday (November 4), Azealia Banks unveiled her thoughts about the upcoming election, beginning with some sharp opinions regarding Kamala Harris.
From X:
So I’m thinking about this……. for as stupid and incoherent Kamala Harris is and as trash as Walz is, and despite the fact that Kamala Harris is the only Democratic Nominee to not have actively campainged in a Primary (the most undemocratic sh*t ever, and really says alot about her supporters lack of commonsense)… I really think keeping Elon Musk away from any type of political power in the USA is tantamount to any issue on the table here. You have to be a complete idiot to think that dirtbag cares about anyone or anything other than himself. He’s already been given way too much tax payer money – Allowing him to ascend to any position of political authority is very f*cking dangerous. One does not become the richest man in the world because of honesty and good character lol, you must be an expert liar, thief and cheater to become that. That man kidnaps his children, took photos of grimes getting sliced open during her c-section and sent them around, does a sh*tton of grimy fucked up shit to tesla factory workers, stole PayPal, Weasled his way into tesla and has too many passports for my liking.
After Banks concluded her verbal assault on Musk, she turned her attention toward Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and mentioned Donald Trump’s constant jabs at China, stating that he shouldn’t want to make an enemy of the superpower nation. She also had a few words regarding debunked rumors that the Democratic National Committee flew in migrants to help tip the polls in Harris’ favor and continued to center China’s role in taming Russia, especially with much of the major military powers having access to nuclear weapons.
Banks concluded her rant with, “I will be Voting For Kamala Harris tomorrow because Elon Musk (a f*cking overrated Ketamine addict) belongs no where near American Politics. The End.”
The endorsement was surprising for some after Banks pledged support for Donald Trump and attended a rally for the former president over the summer. The Harlem artist has been especially critical of Harris and the campaign for most of the year as well.
On X, reactions to Azealia Banks endorsement are present and we’ve captured some of them below.
So I’m thinking about this……. for as stupid and incoherent Kamala Harris is and as trash as Walz is, and despite the fact that Kamala Harris is the only Democratic Nominee to not have actively campainged in a Primary (the most undemocratic shit ever, and really says alot…
— Azealia Banks (@azealiaslacewig) November 4, 2024
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
—
Photo: Getty
HipHopWired Featured Video
CLOSE
Quincy Jones, a legendary record producer and songwriter who worked with several musical greats, died over the weekend in his California home. The enormity of the loss of Quincy Jones is on full display on social media, most especially the X social media platform.
Quincy Jones was born on March 14, 1933, in Chicago, Ill. Music became a part of Jones’ life at a young age under the guidance of his mother and a next-door neighbor. The idea of becoming a professional bloomed when Jones was a teenager, crossing paths with a blind pianist and singer by the name of Ray Charles who was just a couple of years his senior.
In the early 1950s, Jones, who was a trumpet player early on, studied for a short while at the Schillinger House facility, now known today as the Berklee College of Music. At the age of 20 in 1953, Jones hit the road as a trumpeter and arranger for Lionel Hampton. This opened doors for Jones to become an arranger for Dinah Washington, Clifford Brown, Cannonball Adderley, Count Basie, and others. In 1956, Jones joined Dizzy Gillespie’s band as a trumpeter and became its musical director. In that same year, Jones released his first album as a band leader.
Jones’ ear for music and talents as an arranger created a pathway for him to join Mercury Records as its A&R director and in 1964, he was named a vice president at the label, becoming one of the top Black executives in music at the time. Jones would continue to work as an arranger for the likes of Frank Sinatra and Billy Eckstine and moved into composing music for the film industry.
After suffering a brain aneurysm, Jones briefly stepped away from the music industry but returned and found himself drawn to producing pop records. Jones created his record label, Qwest, in 1980. He would also become a film producer in 1985, helping bring The Color Purple to life along with creating the score for the award-winning film.
Source: David Hume Kennerly / Getty
Among Jones’ several achievements, his work with the late Michael Jackson remains notable to this day. Jones was the producer of Jackson’s Off The Wall, Thriller, and Bad which all were massive successes and added to the legacy of both Jones and Jackson alike. During this time, Jones also produced the star-studded fundraising “We Are The World” single. Jones also dabbled in bringing television shows to fruition, serving as a producer for The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. In 1993, Jones founded Vibe magazine and owned the publication until 2006.
Source: William Nation / Getty
Jones has been awarded several honors, including the National Medal of Arts from President Barack Obama in 2011, the Ahmet Ertegun Award in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2013, 28 Grammy Awards, a Primetime Emmy Award, a Tony Award, seven Oscar nominations, the Los Angeles Press Club Visionary Award in 2014 to count just a handful of his accolades.
Source: Bettmann / Getty
In the Hip-Hop sphere, tracks that Jones produced have been the sonic backdrop to acts such as De La Soul, Nas, 2Pac, The Pharcyde, Mobb Deep, LL COOL J, Kanye West, Dr. Dre, Kendrick Lamar, and more. Jones also embraced Hip-Hop as a producer, working with Big Daddy Kane and Kool Moe Dee on his Back On The Black album in 1989, and Kid Capri, LL COOL J, Funkmaster Flex, Heavy D, and more on Q’s Jook Joint in 1995.
Quincy Jones is survived by seven children: Rashida Jones, Kidada Jones, Kenya Kinski-Jones, Quincy Jones III, Jolie Jones Levine, Martina Jones, and Rachel Jones. Jones is also survived by his grandchildren. Isaiah Jones Koenig, Quincy Renzo Delight Jones IV, and Nea Jones.
On X, the passing of Jones is the number one trending topic and we’ve got the reactions listed down below.
Quincy Jones was 91.
—
Photo: