State Champ Radio Palestine
HipHopWired Featured Video
Source: Anadolu / Getty
Student-led protests on college campuses over the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza have led to increased tensions with administrators and arrests.
Protests supporting the Palestinian people in the Gaza region of Israel during the nation’s conflict with the Hamas terror organization on college campuses such as Columbia University in New York City have become highly intense within the last few days. The school is the home of the “Gaza Solidarity Encampment,” erected last week by student protesters. The protests have riled up those for the Palestinians and those supporting Israel, leading Columbia President Dr. Minouche Shafik to initiate hybrid classes for the rest of the semester, which began Monday (April 22).
“Over the past days, there have been too many examples of intimidating and harassing behavior on our campus,” she wrote in a statement, calling for a “reset” due to the Passover holiday and citing the concerns of Jewish students who said that they were being intimidated by the pro-Palestinian protesters and were hit with antisemitic threats. “Antisemitic language, like any other language that is used to hurt and frighten people, is unacceptable and appropriate action will be taken,” Shafik continued. The Columbia Students for Justice in Palestine group issued their statement, saying that they “firmly reject any form of hate or bigotry” and their criticisms are of Israel’s government.
Tensions at the encampment hit a fever pitch over the weekend as the New York Police Department arrested close to 100 protesters at the encampment, with dozens of students at Columbia and Barnard being suspended and barred from school housing including Isra Hirsi, the daughter of Congresswoman Ilhan Omar. Barnard has since offered an olive branch to those suspended, offering to lift them for students, acknowledging many had “not previously engaged in misconduct.” Republican federal lawmakers and Jewish groups, however, are in opposition to these moves and are calling for stricter punishment and protection of Jewish students.
The spirit of the protests has spread to other colleges – New York University and Yale University also saw encampments go up in solidarity with those at Columbia and Barnard. To date, there are encampments of protesters supporting the Palestinian people at 15 university campuses nationwide. Faculty members at New York University and Yale were arrested after police said they denied requests to leave. There is also a growing shift in public opinion, as polls are showing most Americans disapprove of Israel’s handling of the war that began after Oct. 7, 2023.
HipHopWired Featured Video
An Israeli MMA fighter has taken credit for Ye aka Kanye West’s name on a military missile, bragging about it on social media.
Kanye West has become a part of the Israel-Hamas conflict, with his name having been scrawled onto a missile of the Israel Defense Forces.
An MMA fighter from Israel, Haim Gozali, claimed responsibility for the deed in a post made on X, formerly Twitter on Sunday (December 24). The post shows a picture of missiles, with one prominently displayed showing the message “Kanye West flying to Gaza Haim Gozali” on it. “You don’t like us Jewish. So we don’t like you too !!!”, the caption from Gozali’s post read.
The post was first made from the 50-year-old’s backup account, as Gozali had gotten his main account suspended from the social media platform for a week due to posting a photo of bombs emblazoned with the names of Khabib Nurmagomedov, Kazmat Chiamev, Belal Muhammed and Islam Makhachev.
The four fighters are all Muslim and have vocally expressed support for the people of Palestine. Gozali’s caption for that post read, “This is from me to the [rat emoji.” Gozali would repost the Kanye West photo through his main account after his suspension ended.
Gozali is a fifth-degree black belt jiu-jitsu practitioner who currently fights in Bellator MMA’s middleweight and light heavyweight divisions. He has served in the IDF previously, although there aren’t details on which unit it was in.
The fighter has been consistently vocal in his support of Israel, which has been waging war on the Hamas militant organization after a terror attack on October 7 which killed 1200 Israelis with 240 hostages being taken. In response, Israel’s military has operated daily air and artillery strikes in the Gaza region which have reportedly claimed over 20,000 lives according to the Gaza Health Ministry.
West, who has had a history of of antisemitic remarks dating back to last October when he first sent out the message “going death con 3 On Jewish people” on X, issued an apology in Hebrew on his Instagram page. The rapper’s apology was picked up on by Gozali, who has been reposting all news items about the bomb dedicated to the rapper on his X account.
—
Photo: Getty
HipHopWired Featured Video
CLOSE
Source: Prince Williams / Getty / Cardi B
If you’re a political hopeful or veteran hoping for a Cardi B endorsement, it’s not coming. The Bronx rapper is washing her hands of politics.
The “Bodak Yellow” rapper is fed up with the current political system and expressed her frustrations during an Instagram Live session.
Cardi B, who has always been quite vocal about politics and what is happening in the country and globally, was BIG MAD about NYC Mayor Eric Adam’s proposed budget cuts.
Mayor Mixxy’s 5% budget cuts will affect a bunch of NYC departments to help compensate for the billions of dollars that the city has to spend to take care of asylum seekers who have come to the city.
The New York Post reports that Adams plans to cut $32 million from the sanitation department, $74 million from the FDNY, and $547 million from the Department of Education.
Adams will also be getting rid of a bunch of street garbage cans in the outer boroughs, and 34 popular cultural institutions like the Metropolitan Museum of Art and Museum of Natural History will see their budgets cut by $6 million, according to the New York Post.
Mayor Adams Reasoning For The Severe Cuts
Regardless of there being a legitimate reason for the severe cuts, the Grammy Award-winning artist is not here for them, claiming things like the city will be “drowning in rats” (that’s been a problem forever) due to cuts to sanitation and crime will “go through the roof” because of the cuts coming to the NYPD.
“In New York, there is a $120m budget cut that’s going to affect schools, public libraries, and the police department. And a $5m budget cut in sanitation … We are gonna be drowning in … rats,” Cardi B said during the live session.
Mayor Adams might be on the side of Cardi B, who warned that more cuts would be necessary without additional federal funding to help manage the influx of migrants in NYC.
Per The Guardian:
Migrant costs are going up, tax revenue growth is slowing, and [Covid-19] stimulus funding is drying up,” Adams said in a statement.
“No city should be left to handle a national humanitarian crisis largely on its own, and without the significant and timely support we need from Washington, today’s budget will be only the beginning.
Cardi B Is No Longer Endorsing Presidents
The Biden Administration has not agreed to Mayor Adam’s pleas for funding amid the growing criticism for the continued funding to help Ukraine fend off Russia’s invasion and Israel’s ongoing conflict with Hamas, something Bardi touched on in her passionate IG Live along with announcing she is no longer endorsing presidents.
“I’m endorsing no presidents no more,” Cardi B said. “Joe Biden is talking about, ‘Yeah, we can fund two wars,’… talking about, ‘Yeah, we got it, we’re the greatest nation.’ No … we’re not. We don’t got it, and we’re going through some shit right now. So say it!”
She continued, “We are really, really, really f**ked right now. No, we cannot fund these … wars.”
Someone asked if the country is going “broke,” she replied, “Yes, it is. We ain’t got McDonald’s money.” Despite her claims, the country has seen some solid economic numbers. You can read about that here.
Further condemning Biden’s alleged terrible handling of the economy and foreign policy, she said, “Feed that … to somebody else, twinkle, but don’t feed it to me.” She then promised to ” get to the bottom of it.”
We will await those findings.
X Users React
Elon Musk’s sorry platform X has been a hotbed for discourse since Israel began bombing Gaza in retaliation to Hamas’ brutal attack on October 7.
Many have called on political leaders, mainly Democrats, including President Joe Biden, to call for a ceasefire in protests across the globe.
Recently, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries has been the target of many protests, and other Democrats. Still, some are pointing out the fact that the House of Representatives is currently under Republican control and are wondering why that energy isn’t being applied to the GOP and its batsh*t crazy members.
Many responded to Cardi B’s video by pointing out that she was aiming her valid criticisms in the wrong direction and that the Biden/Harris administration has nothing to do with New York City’s budget.
One thing is for sure: the upcoming presidential election will be a hot mess. We hope Cardi B and others understand that there is a lot on the line with a GOP hell-bent on “Making America White oops Great Again.”
Until then, you can see more reactions in the gallery below.
—
Photo: Prince Williams / Getty
2. Political Cardi is a hit with fans
6. Of course, you should not be shocked the MAGA folks will use this to their advantage.
HipHopWired Featured Video
Source: Eugene Gologursky / Getty
Kid Cudi made a public call supporting the people of Palestine and calling for a ceasefire in the war between Israel and the Hamas organization on social media.
On Sunday (Nov. 5), Kid Cudi weighed in with his take on the ongoing war between Israel and the Hamas organization that has been raging since the group’s attack and kidnapping of hostages. In a heartfelt message on Instagram, the rapper began: “The things I’ve been seeing in the news have been breaking my heart. I can’t watch what’s happening in the world and remain silent. I can’t imagine the pain people are feeling.”
Citing “generations of family members” dying as a spur to his speaking, the Entergalactic artist continued: “I know some people are gonna disagree with me, but that’s ok. As a Black man, I stand against all forms of oppression. And as an artist, I feel responsible to give a voice to the unheard, and to celebrate the spirit of all people through my work and my presence. It matters to me that my art represents my deepest beliefs about what I think humanity can look like.”
Kid Cudi expressed his support for the Jewish people, saying that he “condemned any violence” against them before adding: “But let’s be clear, supporting Palestinian liberation is not antisemitic, it’s human. Palestinians deserve their freedom. This isn’t politics, these are real lives. And I’m just a dude who gives a f–k about humanity.” The statement comes after several artists including Drake, Killer Mike, Kehlani, Macklemore and others sent an open letter to President Joe Biden and Congress demanding a ceasefire.
“I stand with the people of Palestine as they demand an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and an end to the ongoing genocide. My heart goes out to all my brothers and sisters of all faiths and backgrounds who are suffering. Free Palestine!! With Love, Scott,” Kid Cudi finished.
HipHopWired Featured Video
Dennis Graham has often spoken on behalf of his son, Aubrey Graham, otherwise known as Drake to much of the world. In light of recent criticism that Drake hasn’t shared a statement regarding the ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict, Dennis Graham said that Drizzy is being careful as support for either side could be dissected to bits.
TMZ caught up with Dennis Graham at LAX and the veteran Memphis musician shared his thoughts on why his son hasn’t spoken up in support of Israel despite being of Jewish heritage.
More from TMZ:
Drake’s silence, in particular, has been a hot topic on social media thanks to DJ Vlad … who’s been calling out Drizzy and DJ Khaled, who’s Palestinian, for not using their massive platforms to speak on the crisis.
Dennis says celebs get way more backlash when they publicly address hot-button issues, and he’s certain Drake would be no different.
Graham also shared that his son’s stomach issues that promoted his hiatus from music isn’t a major issue. Of course, Drake is enjoying a nice run on the charts with his latest album, For AlL The Dogs, once again dominating the streaming ecosystem as he often does.
While there is no timeline for Drake’s return to music, Dennis Graham said it could last for an entire year but even he isn’t too sure.
—
Photo: Chris Polk/BBMA2017 / Getty
HipHopWired Featured Video
CLOSE
As Israel is in the midst of conflict with the terrorist group Hamas in the Gaza region, LeBron James expressed support via social media which drew a lot of mixed reactions and plenty of disapproval.On Wednesday night (October 11), LeBron James posted a statement to X, formerly known as Twitter, addressing the current turmoil in Israel after the southern region including the Gaza Strip suffered an attack from members of the militant Hamas organization. James began, “The devastation in Israel is tragic and unacceptable.”
“The murder and violence against innocent people by Hamas is terrorism,” the post continued. “The SpringHill Company family sends our deepest condolences to Israel and the Jewish community. We pray for peace in the region and reiterate our continued commitment to fight hate in all its forms. We all must work to ensure this tragedy does not spread even more hate, racism, and antisemitism.” The statement was also co-signed by James’ business partner, Maverick Carter.
The Los Angeles Lakers forward’s statement is one of a series of releases by noted celebrities who have expressed similar sentiments about the conflict in the region which is now in its fifth day after Hamas members killed and kidnapped Israelis in the region in a shock attack over the weekend.
To date, Over 1,200 Israelis have reportedly been killed with close to 2,700 injured while in Gaza, it is estimated that 900 Palestinians have been killed along with 5,000 that were injured. It has increased divisions between those who believe the Israeli government to be too brutal in attacking innocent Palestinians in Gaza, and those who try to conflate the support of the Palestinian people with the support of Hamas.
James’ statement was met with dismay by quite a few users on X, who feel he made that statement to placate right-wing individuals. Others flatly accused him of “selling out” by not even mentioning the Palestinian people in the statement.
And tangentially, of course, many took the opportunity to crack jokes against LeBron James, saying he will never be a better player than Chicago Bulls guard and NBA Hall of Famer Michael Jordan.
Keep scrolling to see the reactions from X below.
—
Photo: George Pimentel / Getty
1. Kordeli
This X user simply said, “NO LEBRON NOOOO” in response to the statement.
2. Captain MB
A meme featuring Lightning McQueen from “Cars” spinning out of control comes into play to express this user’s disappointment.
4. A Bro Next Door
A meme satirizing LeBron’s penchant for being pictured reading a book.
5. Kanki
One user replied to James with a tweet commenting on the way Palestinians are depicted as opposed to Israeli when violence comes into play.
6. Maor Melikson
This user was one of the lone voices fully supporting LeBron’s statement – with one caveat.
7. StaticMMIV
This X user queried out loud if celebrities were to be censured if they didn’t put out a statement of support for Israel.
8. Blue_999
A comparison of LeBron James losing his hair to the land lost by Palestinians since 1948 in Israel.
9. Mr.
“See what the man you pretend to read says and you didn’t go beyond the first page just for the sake of photographing!”, this user wrote.
HipHopWired Featured Video
Mia Khalifa caused a storm of controversy over the weekend after expressing support for Hamas and Palestine amidst the war situation happening in the region. As a result, Mia Khalifa lost her business arrangement with Playboy and an endorsement deal due to her support of Hamas.
On Monday (October 9), Playboy, which now operates as a subscription-based digital platform, sent out an email to its users stating that Mia Khalifa, real name Sarah Joe Chamoun, will no longer share content across its network.
“We are writing today to let you know of our decision to terminate Playboy’s relationship with Mia Khalifa, including deleting Mia’s Playboy channel on our creator platform,” the email said, as reported by Daily Mail.
Khalifa, 30, has been actively sharing replies on X, formerly Twitter, regarding the situation between Israel and Hamas. For those unaware, Hamas is a Palestinian Sunni Islamist militant group that was founded in 1987 and is considered a terrorist organization by the United States and the European Union.
Taking to X, Khalifa wrote, “Can someone please tell the freedom fighters in Palestine to flip their phones and film horizontal” in one reply. In another, she wrote, “I can’t believe the Zionist apartheid regime is being brought down by guerrilla fighters in fake Gucci shirts – the biopics of these moments better reflect that.”
After Hamas gunmen attacked the Supernova Festival this past weekend and left over 260 dead, images from that incident and accounts from survivors made their way to social media. Again, Khalifa showed support for the actions, depicting one such image of Hamas as a “resistance painting” but that X reply no longer exists.
Beyond Playboy, Khalifa also lost an advisor deal with Red Light Holland, a company that produces “magic mushrooms” in the Netherlands and also entered into business with Wiz Khalifa via the Mistercap brand owned by the former adult star. The CEO of Red Light Holland, Todd Shapiro, fired Khalifa online and she screencapped the exchange with her own X quote reply that we’ve posted below.
—
Photo: Edward Berthelot / Getty
-
Pages
