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Nicki Minaj has received a formal apology from Shannon Sharpe after the rapper dissed him on Lil Wayne‘s “Banned From NO (Remix).” In the latest episode of Sharpe’s Nightcap podcast, the NFL legend said he was sorry to Minaj, and explained how their misunderstanding led to him being name dropped on Weezy’s new track. “Bout […]
Ye — the rapper formerly known as Kanye West — has shown up to Sean “Diddy” Combs’ federal trial in New York City, pulling up to the courthouse in an all-white outfit Friday (June 13).
In footage shared by TMZ, the Yeezy founder steps out of the backseat of a car and walks inside, shaking a couple hands and throwing up a small wave on his way. In addition to a matching white denim jacket-and-jeans set, he sports a pair of sunglasses.
According to Variety, Ye told one journalist that he had come to show support for the disgraced Bad Boy Records founder. The publication also reports that West’s name had been included in a questionnaire for potential jurors to test whether they were familiar with any of the “hundreds of celebrities and people in Combs’ orbit.”
Combs has been on trial since May on allegations of sex trafficking and racketeering, with federal prosecutors accusing him of running an elaborate criminal enterprise aimed at facilitating his so-called freak-offs — drug-fueled events wherein he allegedly forced people, including his ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura, to have sex with male escorts while he allegedly watched and masturbated. His legal team has denied all of the charges, with Combs’ attorney Teny Geragos telling the jury in opening statements a few weeks ago: “Sean Combs is a complicated man, but this is not a complicated case. We take full responsibility that there was domestic violence. Domestic violence is not sex trafficking.”
If convicted, Combs faces life in prison.
A few days prior to Ye’s appearance at the trial, Combs’ legal team’s motion for a mistrial was denied. The defense had tried to claim that the prosecution had knowingly introduced false testimony by Bryana Bongolan – a witness who last week alleged that Combs had dangled her from a 17-story balcony in 2016 — but Judge Arun Subramanian ultimately ruled: “This is not fodder for a mistrial. This is the adversarial process at work.”
Ye has previously shown support for Combs amid the latter’s legal issues, with the former asking President Donald Trump to “please free my brother Puff” on X in February. Combs had already spent months in custody at that point following his September arrest.In March, Ye dropped a song titled “Lonely Roads Still Go to Sunshine” that appeared to feature Combs’ voice on a phone-call recording. “I just want to thank you so much for just taking care of my kids, man,” the voice seemingly belonging to Diddy said in the snippet. “Ain’t nobody reach out to them, ain’t nobody call them.”
Ye replies on the track: “Absolutely, I love you so much, man. You raised me. Even when I ain’t know you, know what I’m saying?”
The two hip-hop titans also worked together in the past, both appearing on Ty Dolla $ign’s “Guard Down” in 2015. In 2022, Ye presented Combs with the Lifetime Achievement honors at that year’s BET Awards.
This beef between Drake and Kendrick Lamar may last forever like the beef between 50 Cent and Ja Rule has. On Thursday night (Jun. 12), the Grand National Tour had its first of two back-to-back shows in Drake’s hometown of Toronto and it didn’t disappoint in the drama department. The Compton rapper performed his knockout […]
Love at first sight can be a dangerous thing. j-hope is back to heat up the summer with his lust-filled “Killin’ It Girl” single, which finds the BTS member joining forces with Memphis’ own GloRilla on Friday (June 13). Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news j-hope delivers […]
RIP Juelz. Snoop Dogg announced the sad news that his beloved French bulldog had died on Thursday (June 12). “Miss my dogg @juelzbroadus,” the rapper wrote on Instagram alongside a slideshow of both sweet and funny memories with the pup. Set to the heartbreaking strains of Wiz Khalifa and Charlie Puth’s 2015 tearjerker “See You […]
Former MTV VJ Bill Bellamy is paying tribute to his former colleague Ananda Lewis, who died this week after a yearslong battle with breast cancer at age 52.
The comedian and actor talked to TMZ after the death of his beloved friend and influential television host, whom he referred to as his “little sister” and had nothing but heartwarming things to say about.
“Ananda had a really warm soul,” he told the outlet. “There was something about her that was very comforting and you could just sit there and kick it with her. And she wasn’t stiff or stuffy or anything — her beauty didn’t even matter, it was actually an introduction to who she was. I just feel very, very heartbroken to get that kinda news about her because she was such a good person and just gave us the best of her.”
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He then brought up the important work early in her career when she hosted BET’s Teen Summit for three seasons before she took a gig at MTV. Teen Summit talked about issues plaguing the youth during the ’90s, and Lewis played an important role in the show’s success during her time as host.
“Teen Summit was a big deal,” Bellamy said. “Her show was really, really, really pivotal at that time because it was a voice of the youth [where they] talked about social issues and cultural issues, and she was that beautiful sista, intelligent, talented, her smile would light up a room.”
He continued by saying that the two quickly became friends when she headed over to MTV because of their similar cultural background. “When she came over to MTV, it was kinda dope because it’s like now we got two African-American people on this channel representin’ and we both always felt that we had to represent the culture and that’s when I knew she was my girl, because we knew at an early age that the opportunity we had on television was monumental and that we were representing our culture in a positive way.”
He added that her versatility in who she was able to interview was unique, and he compared her to legendary journalist Barbara Walters. “She would do obviously the music as well, but then she would jump off and do her really dope interviews,” Bellamy said. “She was like to me the Black Barbara Walters, because Ananda could sit down and have a dope ass intelligent conversation with you where she could rock out, from Obama to Lil’ Kim to whatever. She was nice like that. And so, for me, I always rooted for her because I just thought that this is what we need to see.”
Lewis interviewed then-first lady Hillary Clinton on Teen Summit in 1996, during which they talked about topics like healthcare and abortion — which was a big deal, because folks of that stature rarely engaged with shows that focused on minorities and inner-city youth in that era. The former host remembered that important episode on her YouTube page in 2016. You can watch it below.
Nelly and Ashanti rekindled their romance in 2023, about 10 years after originally breaking their relationship off. It’s been a busy two years since, with the couple tying the knot and welcoming their son, Kareem “KK” Haynes, in July 2024. The “Body On Me” collaborators are set to pull back the curtain and give fans […]
Tyler, The Creator opened up about the backlash to his 2015 album Cherry Bomb, saying it was the greatest thing to ever happen to him. In a sit down with Instagram for their new video series “Ask It Anyway,” Tyler opened up about the heavily criticized project. He said it was mostly a consequence of […]
Jay-Z’s pockets might be feeling a bit lighter after Wednesday night (June 11). Hov’s $1 million bet on the Oklahoma City Thunder to defeat the Indiana Pacers in exactly five games officially became a loss after the Pacers’ game three victory to take a 2-1 lead in the 2025 NBA Finals. Explore Explore See latest […]
Real recognizes real. According to Hayley Williams of Paramore, rising rap star Doechii is as real as it gets.
In a touching tribute penned for Them, the “Ain’t It Fun” singer offered plenty of praise for the “Denial Is a River” rapper, sharing that she’s been closely watching her career since her performance at the 2022 BET Awards. “Watching her on that stage, I had the same feeling I did the first time I saw Missy Elliott on MTV as a kid,” Williams said. “It was raw, bold, unmistakable talent — the kind that doesn’t wait for permission. She came out swinging, and I remember thinking, Oh, she’s taking it. This is hers.“
Prior to Williams’ discovery of Doechii, the rapper had already paid tribute to Paramore through a sample of the band’s hit ballad “The Only Exception” on her 2020 single “Yucky Blucky Fruitcake.” Williams pointed out in her tribute that she “hadn’t even caught” the interpolation when she first saw Doechii’s performance.
The singer went on to praise Doechii’s self-assured artistry, and even added that she still aspires to that level of confidence more than 20 years into her career as a performer. “People sometimes assume because of how I am onstage, that I carry that same confidence. But the truth is, that kind of boldness is something I still have to work to access,” she said. “With Doechii, though, that energy feels inherent. When I listen to her, I feel it — like it transfers through the speakers. And I think a lot of her listeners feel the same way.”
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Williams added that the rapper’s openness about her sexuality is just another example of how Doechii is doing music stardom on her own terms. “It’s powerful to watch an artist like her speak openly about identity in the public eye,” she said. “We need that. We need women who are unapologetic about who they are, who they love, what they believe.”
Closing her tribute, Williams thanked Doechii for giving performers everywhere — including herself — something to aspire to. “Watching someone emerge with that kind of confidence, that kind of clarity, is a gift,” she said. “She reminds me — and probably a lot of people — that moving through the world with certainty doesn’t mean you stop learning or growing. It just means you know your worth as you go. And that, to me, is something to look up to.”
Doechii is coming off yet another big win, this time at the 2025 BET Awards, where she took home the trophy for best female hip hop artist. During her speech at the ceremony, Doechii called out President Donald Trump activating the National Guard in response to the ongoing Los Angeles protests around ICE raids in the city.
“I want y’all to consider what kind of government it appears to be when every time we exercise our democratic right to protest, the military is deployed against us. What type of government is that?” she asked the crowd. “People are being swept up and torn from their families, and I feel it’s my responsibility as an artist to use this moment to speak up for all oppressed people.”
