State Champ Radio PHOTO OPS
Page: 10
HipHopWired Featured Video
CLOSE
Source: Gilbert Carrasquillo / Getty / Terrence Howard
Terrence Howard isn’t open to playing gay roles in films.
Howard is an accomplished actor, but he will never live down fumbling the Marvel Studios bag, and he might have fumbled another one due to what many people on social media are describing as homophobia.
Terrence Howard revealed he almost took a role in the forthcoming biopic about the late legendary singer Marvin Gaye while speaking with Bill Maher on the comedian and Real Time host’s podcast, Club Random.
Howard told Maher that he believes he made the “biggest mistake” of his career, aside from fumbling the role of James Rhodes to Don Cheadle in the MCU, was passing up the starring role in the Smokey Robinson biopic.
But instead of taking on the role, he decided to entertain his longtime Empire collaborator Lee Daniels, revealing that he had a conversation with Daniels about playing Marvin Gaye in a different biopic.
Maher responded, saying that he believed that Howard made the right decision because Gaye’s life story was “much more interesting,” adding that he “would’ve been perfect as Marvin Gaye, and that is a story that needs to be told.”
Terrence Howard Passed On Marvin Gaye Role After Hearing Story About His Alleged Sexuality
Howard decided to go full Lucious Lyon and pass on the role because of a story he heard from the late Quincy Jones regarding Gaye’s alleged sexuality, and that he couldn’t kiss a man, saying he would cut his lips off.
Per Variety:
“I was over at Quincy Jones’ house and I’m asking Quincy, ‘I’m hearing rumors that Marvin was gay’ and I’m like, ‘Was he gay?’” Howard explained. “And Quincy’s like, ‘Yes.’”
After that revelation, Howard decided he “could not” star in the movie.
“They would’ve wanted to do that, and I wouldn’t have been able to do that,” he said of portraying a gay man in a movie.
Maher went on to ask, “You mean you couldn’t kiss a guy on screen in a movie?” Howard responded, “No. Because I don’t fake it.”
“That would fuck me,” Howard added. “I would cut my lips off. If I kissed some man, I would cut my lips off.”
Maher responded by saying he wouldn’t go that far, but understands why Howard felt the way he did about the role. Howard further explained, “It does not make me homophobic to not want to kiss a man.”
The actor says it was more of a matter of him committing to the role.
“I can’t play that character 100 percent,” Howard told Maher. “I can’t surrender myself to a place that I don’t understand.”
Social Media Isn’t Buying What Howard Is Selling
Maher might understand where Howard is coming from, but social media, on the other hand, is not feeling what the Best Man star said about passing the role.
“Learning that Terrance Howard is a woman abuser, is homophobic & supports trump all in the same sitting… oh my…. Hustle & flow was NO ACT!,” one user on X, formerly Twitter, wrote.
Another user added, “Terrence Howard is a man with a criminal record and history of beating women. You lost your “man card” a long time ago.”
Well damn.
You can see more reactions in the gallery below.
HipHopWired Featured Video
CLOSE
Source: Pacific Press / Getty / Candace Owens
Donald Trump must be doing something wrong when his biggest fans are now regretting their support for him following his administration’s attack on Harvard University.
Speaking on a recent episode of her podcast, Candace, the far-right conservative, expressed her distaste for Trump and his administration’s attacks on colleges and universities as part of their ongoing campaign to get rid of DEI, calling it a blatant attack on free speech.
“I never thought that I would see a day where I would be rooting for a university above Donald J. Trump and his administration,” Owens said. “But I don’t recognize this administration right now. I don’t recognize what’s happening. I have a theory. I do.”
Hell, we never thought we would see the day either, mainly because Owens has been a staunch supporter of Trump and attacked other organizations like Black Lives Matter, other civil rights movements, plus other liberal ideologies.
Owens also called out people in Trump’s inner circle for continuing to suck up to Felon 47 because they are “are still trying to grift.”
“Which is ridiculous, because when you are out of office, we are going to have to live with these consequences,” Owens said, adding, “Our children are going to have to grow up in this America.”
Ownes Has Her Theories
The edgless conservative feels these attacks are “not worth it” and are only being implemented to make Trump and his supporters feel like they are accomplishing something.
She also feels loudmouths like herself and Tucker Carlson could face serious consequences for the things they say. “Everyone can see what’s happening left and right,” she continued.
Her comments come after Trump’s battle with Harvard, in which the university stood up to his administration, telling them it would not comply with Trump administration’s demands.
The historic institution filed a lawsuit last week after the administration’s threat to freeze research unless they comply.
Social Media Is Not Buying Candace Owens Flipping On Trump
Despite Owens turning on Trump, social media is giving her and those who happily pulled the lever for Trump the ultimate side eye.
“Candace Owens and Joe Rogan spent years hyping up Trump, and now that they’re criticizing him, suddenly they’re the voices of reason? They’re not principled, they’re just riding the wave. They see that Trump’s loyalists aren’t trending anymore, so they’re pivoting,” one person on X, formerly Twitter, wrote.
Another user on X wrote, “Maaan, don’t let Candace Owens rebrand herself to ingratiate a black audience and be anti-Trump, saying she didn’t know he would be like this. She was throwing us and our “culture” under the bus for years. Leave her where she at – let MAGA care for her lol.”
Beware of the jig.
You can see more reactions in the gallery below.
HipHopWired Featured Video
CLOSE
Source: Wirestock / Getty / Gorilla
Who would win between 100 men and one gorilla? Only on social media could this spark a national discussion.
Over the weekend, one user on X, formerly Twitter, who goes by the handle @DreamChasnMike, asked his followers, “i think 100 n***** could beat 1 gorilla everybody just gotta be dedicated to the s***.”
Like with any ridiculous question on the app that is allegedly no longer owned by Elon Musk, a serious debate on the topic broke out, sparking some hilarious reactions, of course, memes.
Some users dropped jokes about what they would do if they found themselves to be one of the 100 men involved in the hypothetical situation with the great ape.
One user joked on X, “me and the homies going to fight the gorilla but wearing suits to make the funerals easier.”
Another post read, “The 100 niggas vs 1 gorilla conversation has me weak cause once he snap the first nigga in half who tf gone wanna go next????”
The debate even found its way onto Shannon Sharpe and Ocho Cinco’s podcast, Nightcap.
Most Folks On X Think 100 Men Stand No Chance Against The Gorilla
The general consensus on social media is that the gorilla would easily beat 100 men.
So, could 100 men beat a gorilla? Well, Newsweek took things a step further and asked ChatGPT what would happen if this situation occurred, with the AI chatbot concluding that victory is possible for the men, but with certain conditions.
Per Newsweek:
Yes, 100 unarmed men could defeat a single adult male gorilla, but:
It would come at extreme cost (likely dozens of deaths or catastrophic injuries).
It would require incredible coordination, courage, and strategic sacrifice.
Without careful planning, the gorilla could very well win or cause immense devastation before being overcome.
“Victory is possible only through overwhelming numbers, sheer courage, and sacrifice.”
Well, we highly suggest you don’t mess with a gorilla because they are an endangered species, and they are strong as hell, just saying.
You can see more reactions in the gallery below.
9. Brilliant
10. RIP To Sean Price
HipHopWired Featured Video
CLOSE
Source: “Whenever” / Megan Thee Stallion
Hot Girl Summer is upon us, Megan Thee Stallion, the Queen of the Hotties, is back with a new single, “Whenever,” which also has a tantalizing visual accompanying it, and yes, her knees and twerking are still top-tier.
Megan Thee Stallion is back with some new music for the Hotties after rocking the Coachella 2025, letting us know that she is once again looking to take over the summer once again.
In her latest single, Megan Thee Stallion shows off her lyrical prowess while effortlessly floating over the Bankroll Got It produced track. In the visual directed by Zac Dov Wiesel, Thee Stallion rocks her signature cowboy hat while rocking a denim bikini before crashing her car into a doctor’s office reception area.
In other scenes, she poses on furniture in the office, including inside a fish tank, on a reception desk, a clock, and on a chessboard.
The chessboard scene is a standout moment for obvious reasons, as she straddles a chess piece while wearing nothing but lingerie and twerking.
“Whenever” will live on her next album, Act: III, which the Houston Hip-Hop star confirmed is “in the works” during a recent TikTok Live.
Megan Thee Stallion Talks About Her Upcoming Album’s Features
As for who will be on the album, Thee Stallion set down some ground rules for the artists she potentially wants on the project.
“I’m really just trying to figure out who do I want to do features with at this point in life,” she said. “I only want to do features with people that … one, I haven’t done a feature with yet, and two, that I listen to on my own time — people that I actually, you know, f— with.”
We’re going to have to wait and see who will be on Act: III, but until then, you can see more reactions in the gallery below.
HipHopWired Featured Video
CLOSE
Source: Gareth Cattermole / Getty /Ryan Coogler / Sinners
Ryan Coogler is highly thankful to all the support and love his phenomenal vampire flick, Sinners, starring Michael B. Jordan, is receiving, so he took the time to thank them personally.
Despite becoming one of Hollywood’s most successful filmmakers, Ryan Coogler remains humble and recognizes that it is the viewing audience that has helped him achieve his success.
Keeping the same energy after fans flocked to theaters to see Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Coogler penned an open letter thanking moviegoers for running, not walking, to see the film, leading to it taking a massive bite out of the box office and dethroning A Minecraft Movie in the process.
Fans also contributed to the film becoming one of the highest-grossing horror films of all time.
Coogler Expresses Eternal Gratitude To Fans
In the typewritten letter shared on the Sinners, Proximity Media, and Warner Bros. Instagram accounts, he wrote:
“Eternal Gratitude. I want to thank each and every one of you who bought a ticket to see SINNERS. Who decided to drive to see the film in different formats,” he begins. “Who bought popcorn and a drink, booked a sitter and carpooled, and stood in the lobby afterward and talked and made a friend. Who changed their work schedules. Who saw the film in groups.”
He further thanked viewers for the success of Sinners, as the project was deeply personal to him, drawing inspiration from his late uncle and his passion for blues music, one of the film’s many themes, alongside the vampiric element.
Coogler continued, “I had the gift of the opportunity to make a film inspired by my family and ancestry, but it was always a film that we wanted to make for audiences.” We always had our minds on you, the audience, and felt a deep responsibility to entertain you, and move you in the way only cinema can.”
Ryan Coogler Vows To Keep Making Cinematic Heat To Repay Fans For Their Support
The Black Panther director also noted he would repay fans by continuing to put out cinematic heat while showing love to his “cinematic influences,” Spike Lee, John Singleton, Steve McQueen, Ava DuVernay, Barry Jenkins, Quentin Tarantino, Jordan Peele, Francis Coppola,, Steven Spielberg, the Safdie brothers, Stephen King, Martin Scorcese, Brian De Palma, George Lucas, and Ta-Nehisi Coates.
Of course, he also had to thank his longtime collaborator, Michael B. Jordan, for their 13-year partnership, his wife, Zinzi, and his picture editor, Michael Shawver.
Sinners is still in theaters and on track to gross $100 million, despite publications like Variety attempting to downplay the film’s success.
Social media continues to praise the movie as well. You can see those reactions in the gallery below.
HipHopWired Featured Video
CLOSE
Source: Gareth Cattermole / Getty /Ryan Coogler / Sinners
Ryan Coogler is highly thankful to all the support and love his phenomenal vampire flick, Sinners, starring Michael B. Jordan, is receiving, so he took the time to thank them personally.
Despite becoming one of Hollywood’s most successful filmmakers, Ryan Coogler remains humble and recognizes that it is the viewing audience that has helped him achieve his success.
Keeping the same energy after fans flocked to theaters to see Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Coogler penned an open letter thanking moviegoers for running, not walking, to see the film, leading to it taking a massive bite out of the box office and dethroning A Minecraft Movie in the process.
Fans also contributed to the film becoming one of the highest-grossing horror films of all time.
Coogler Expresses Eternal Gratitude To Fans
In the typewritten letter shared on the Sinners, Proximity Media, and Warner Bros. Instagram accounts, he wrote:
“Eternal Gratitude. I want to thank each and every one of you who bought a ticket to see SINNERS. Who decided to drive to see the film in different formats,” he begins. “Who bought popcorn and a drink, booked a sitter and carpooled, and stood in the lobby afterward and talked and made a friend. Who changed their work schedules. Who saw the film in groups.”
He further thanked viewers for the success of Sinners, as the project was deeply personal to him, drawing inspiration from his late uncle and his passion for blues music, one of the film’s many themes, alongside the vampiric element.
Coogler continued, “I had the gift of the opportunity to make a film inspired by my family and ancestry, but it was always a film that we wanted to make for audiences.” We always had our minds on you, the audience, and felt a deep responsibility to entertain you, and move you in the way only cinema can.”
Ryan Coogler Vows To Keep Making Cinematic Heat To Repay Fans For Their Support
The Black Panther director also noted he would repay fans by continuing to put out cinematic heat while showing love to his “cinematic influences,” Spike Lee, John Singleton, Steve McQueen, Ava DuVernay, Barry Jenkins, Quentin Tarantino, Jordan Peele, Francis Coppola,, Steven Spielberg, the Safdie brothers, Stephen King, Martin Scorcese, Brian De Palma, George Lucas, and Ta-Nehisi Coates.
Of course, he also had to thank his longtime collaborator, Michael B. Jordan, for their 13-year partnership, his wife, Zinzi, and his picture editor, Michael Shawver.
Sinners is still in theaters and on track to gross $100 million, despite publications like Variety attempting to downplay the film’s success.
Social media continues to praise the movie as well. You can see those reactions in the gallery below.
HipHopWired Featured Video
CLOSE
Source: Nintendo / Nintendo Switch 2
After a delay, primarily due to Donald Trump’s blatant abuse of tariffs, Nintendo was forced to postpone pre-orders for the Nintendo Switch 2 for fans in the US. After some waiting, the day has arrived for gamers stateside to secure Nintendo’s new console, and as expected, things did not go smoothly.
Although people have been complaining about the Switch 2’s price, demand is still strong. Gamers had a frustrating time trying to secure a Nintendo Switch 2 due to several sites offering pre-orders crashing under the high volume of traffic.
Best Buy, Target, and Walmart all experienced issues with their websites on Thursday morning once pre-orders for the Switch 2 went live, according to Downdetector.
For about 45 minutes, starting around midnight, following the announcement that pre-orders for the Switch 2 went live, more than 2,000 customers reported experiencing issues while trying to connect to Target’s website.
Best Buy wasn’t any better. Even though they required customers to have an account on the website, a tactic to combat scalping, customers began encountering issues around 9 PM on Wednesday, which persisted until 2 AM on Thursday.
GameStop, remember them? Kicked off their Nintendo Switch 2 pre-orders on Thursday at 11 AM; spoiler alert, it was also a hot mess.
Still, some were able to secure their Nintendo Switch 2 consoles, even though it required some searching. To those people, congratulations on your major accomplishment.
The Buzz & Discourse Around The Nintendo Switch 2
The Nintendo Switch 2 is set to launch on June 5, a date Nintendo says will hold firm. Since its announcement, there has been considerable excitement, as well as considerable discourse, particularly regarding the costs of its games.
Mario Kart World, one of the console’s launch titles, will cost $80, and that is not sitting well with some gamers.
Many were worried that Nintendo would raise the price of the console in response to Trump’s tariffs, but the company has recently announced that the console’s price will remain unchanged. However, they did raise the price on accessories.
Welp.
You can see more reactions to the Switch 2 pre-order situation in the gallery below.
1. Felt this
3. Gotta kill time somehow
8. Nature is healing
HipHopWired Featured Video
CLOSE
Source: Marvel Studios / Thunderbolts*
Word on the streets is that Marvel Studios is back (even though they never left), according to reactions from those who saw the latest entry in the MCU, Thunderbolts*.
Fans and critics, including our very own Bernard “Beanz” Smalls, got to see Thunderbolts* ahead of its May 2 release, and the consensus is that the movie is a return to the top-tier comic book movie form we have come to expect from Kevin Feige and Marvel Studios.
Most reactions praise the film for its surprisingly emotional tone, a quality often lacking in Marvel flicks. Others are praising Florence Pugh’s performance as Yelena, who is now headlining her first film since her debut in the underrated Black Widow film and a guest appearance in the Disney+ series Hawkeye.
Pugh’s performance is being hailed as “superb,” with Beanz adding in his first reaction that she was the film’s “MVP.”
“#Thunderbolts was awesome. Tons of implications on how the MCU is moving forward. The team works well together, plenty of emotion. Yelena is my MVP. Definitely a super fun movie,” Beanz’s full reaction read.
Another reaction read, “#Thunderbolts is A24 meets Superhero character study. Raw. Fresh. Hilarious at times. Sad at others. It has you rooting for this scrappy ensemble on the edge of your seat. Big implications, but still it’s own thing. If this is how the MCU is doing films now, BRAVA.”
We couldn’t have said it any better ourselves.
Film writer Emily Murray described Thunderbolts* as “easily one of the best MCU movies in a long time,” adding it “Has so much spark, charisma, and tells a genuinely emotional story you connect with. A tear was shed. Florence Pugh in particular superb, just walks away with it.”
“Biggest compliment I can pay #Thunderbolts is that it felt like Infinity era MCU. A focus on the characters and story, rather than fan service or future set-up (until lengthy post-credit scene). Terrific cast, led by the always-excellent Florence Pugh,” said another user on X.
Hit the #Thunderbolts hashtag on X, and you will be hard-pressed to find a negative reaction. We shall see if the critics all agree when reviews drop next week.
Until then, hit the gallery for more reactions.
1. All facts here
HipHopWired Featured Video
CLOSE
Source: The Washington Post / Getty / Elon Musk
Phony Stark, aka Elon Musk, learned the hard way that it truly doesn’t pay to align yourself with Donald Trump and ruin people’s lives in the process.
Spotted on BBC, word on the street is Elon Musk has had enough of being involved in government because it’s tanking his bottom line. According to the website, Musk will “significantly” scale back his role in the US Government in response to Tesla’s profits sinking, a direct result of his dealings with Trump, and firing thousands of government workers as part of DOGE’s “cost-cutting” measures in an effort to cut government spending.
Per BBC:
Musk has led the newly created advisory body – the Department for Government Efficiency (Doge) – since last year, putting the world’s richest man at the heart of cutting US spending and jobs.
But Musk said his “time allocation to Doge” would “drop significantly” from next month, adding he would spend only one to two days per week on it after accusations he has taken his focus off Tesla.
His political involvement has sparked protests and boycotts of Tesla cars around the world.
Temporary government workers like Musk contracts are allowed to work only 130 days a year, and for those keeping count, since working from the day of Trump’s inauguration, his contract is set to expire.
It’s unclear whether Musk, who donated $250 million to Orange Mussolini’s campaign, will step down completely from his role at DOGE.
Social Media Vows To Not Let Up On Elon Musk
If Elon Musk thinks he can simply walk away as if nothing happened, social media is telling him to think again.
Users on X, formerly Twitter, are vowing to continue making life miserable for Musk due to his actions and the harm he has caused.
“Elon Musk says he is stepping back from DOGE in May, after having destroyed every government agency, the lives of 280,000 Federal workers, the support system for social security, not to mention thousands of lives overseas by the gutting of humanitarian aid. Don’t let the door hit you, dick,” one post on X read.
Another post read, “Boo hoo poor Elon, he really thinks he can just walk away after all the damage he did. The world won’t rest until everything around him crashes and he ends up the poorest man in the world. There will be no forgiveness. Musk should just flee back to South Africa.”
Welp, this is what you get, Elon Musk. Now deal with it.
You can see more reactions in the gallery below.
HipHopWired Featured Video
CLOSE
Source: Kevin Mazur / Getty / Megan Thee Stallion / Queen Latifah
Megan Thee Stallion is gearing up for another hot girl summer, kicking things off with her Coachella performance these past two weekends. During night one, living legend Queen Latifah was one of her many guests during her headlining set, and the two linked up offstage.
The Houston megastar delivered a phenomenal Coachella performance, which also featured appearances from Ciara and Victoria Monet, who elicited the most enthusiastic reactions from the fans.
“Thank you to everyone who came out to watch my team show out at @coachella ! Thank you to all my dancers and JaQuel 💙” wrote in the caption of her Instagram post. “yall are so amazing and are always so supportive and I appreciate yall for pushing me and motivating me ! Thank you to all my ladies @queenlatifah @courtneylaplante @ciara @victoriamonet that came out and shared the stage with me YALL ARE ICONS and made this experience so much more amazing for me thank you 1000 times !!! Love you hotties.”
The Trio We Didn’t Know We Needed
After ripping the stage together, Megan Thee Stallion joined Queen Latifah and her wife, Eboni Nichols, and they decided to enjoy some fine dining, including escargot, also known as snails.
“So me, Queen, and Eb is at dinner and b***h, and we’re about to try some sh*t we ain’t never ate before,” the “Hiss” crafter begins in the video.
Before embarking on their escargot journey, Thee Stallion boasted about her oyster seasoning skills after a friendly competition between herself and Nichols, saying they will battle for the title of “Best Oyster Maker.”
Next on the menu for Supreme Hot Girl was caviar with bread which seemed to be hit based on her joyful reaction. The final treat was steamed escargot paired with bread.
“I don’t know about this,” she said as she picked up the delicacy with her fork.
To top things off, she also got a lesson on how to eat mussels from the Queen herself, who warned her that if the shell doesn’t open by itself, don’t eat it.
The Hotties Loved To See It
The Hotties loved the candid moment between Megan Thee Stallion and Queen Latifah.
“I love this. Meg deserves to be surrounded by vets in the game who will uplift her and build solid healthy friendship/peer mentorship. A lot of the OG Women rappers like Queen, Missy, Brat, Eve and Kim have solid friendships with one another, “one post on X, formerly Twitter read.
Another post read, “A group I didn’t know I needed lol.”
Same sis, same.
You can see more reactions in the gallery below.
5. Very true
6. Not a “warm welcoming lesbian,” bruh.
