PHOTO OPS
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Source: Variety / Getty / Daphne Joy
Is anyone on the planet enjoying Diddy’s downfall more than 50 Cent? In an interesting turn of events, the G-Unit general’s ex, Daphne Joy, name came up in the lawsuit against the embattled music mogul as an alleged sex worker.
Joy’s name joined others like Yung Miami in the $30 million federal lawsuit filed by producer Rodney “Lil Rod” Jones, who worked on Sean Combs, aka The Diddler, last project, The Love Album: Off The Grid.
Per Page Six, Joy and the City Girls members were allegedly sex workers. Yung Miami also allegedly transports “Pink Cocaine” for Diddy.
50 Cent, born Curtis Jackson, has been taking shots at Diddy on Instagram every chance he gets, so it should come as no surprise he had something to say about his ex being named in the lawsuit.
In the caption for the post, he wrote, “I didn’t know you was a sex worker, you little sex worker.LOL. Yo this shit is a movie.”
The 48-year-old Queens rapper had more to say about the 54-year-old Bad Boy Records CEO.
In a follow-up post, he shared a screenshot of the lawsuit, claiming that Diddy had hidden cameras in every room of his home, recordings of celebrities, artists, music label executives, and athletes engaging in illegal activity” at his “freak-off” parties without their consent.
In the caption for that post, he wrote, “Smh this is gonna be so good, what you want to bet I’m a get these tapes. I’ll pay top dollar for them.”
Lol, bruh.
Joy and 50 Cent began dating in 2011 and welcomed their only child, son Sire, in September 2012.
We can only imagine what other developments come from this lawsuit.
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Source: Sony Pictures Entertainment / Netflix / Good Times
Good Times is back—well, sort of. Netflix dropped the first trailer for the upcoming animated series, and it did not go over well with social media.
The animated Good Times project focuses on the new generation of the Evans family. While the names have changed, the struggle for the Evans family remains the same.
The adult-themed satirical cartoon, which arrives on the streaming platform on April 12, stars J.B. Smoove (Reggie Evans), Yvette Nicole Brown (Beverly Evans), Jay Pharoah (Junior Evans), Marsai Martin (Grey Evans), Gerald “Slink” Johnson (Dalvin Evans) and Rashida “Sheedz” Olayiwola (Lashes by Lisa).
Source: Sony Pictures Entertainment / Netflix / Good Times
The official synopsis for the show reads:
An animated reboot of the Norman Lear series finds the latest generation of the Evans family, cab driver Reggie and his wife, the ever-aspirational Beverly, scratching and surviving in one of the last remaining housing projects in Chicago along with their teenage artist son, Junior, activist daughter Grey, and drug dealing infant son, Dalvin. It turns out the more things change, the more they stay the same, and keeping your head above water in a system with its knee on your neck is as challenging as ever. The only thing tougher than life is love, but in this family there’s more than enough to go around.
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X Users Are Not Feeling Good Times
The negative reactions to the trailer were immediate, with many focusing on the fact people like NBA hooper Steph Curry and Family Guy/American Dad creator Seth McFarlane are involved in the project as producers that follow a family growing up in the projects while never experiencing that kind of life themselves.
Other complaints focus on the show just not being a terrible reimagining of the original 70s sitcom that is full of racist stereotypes despite its predominately Black cast and showrunner, Ranada Shepard.
Carl Jones Clarifies His Involvement, Yvette Nicole Brown Shuts Down Haters In Her Mentions
Many also felt the show was trying to emulate The Boondocks’ style, which is ironic because Boondock’s creator, Carl Jones, was involved with the show at one point but revealed in a post on X that he left due to “creative differences.”
Yvette Nicole Brown even had to respond to people questioning her about her involvement in the “racist” show.
She followed up with a thread telling them no is forcing them to watch the show and explaining why she took on the role in the show.
Is The Immediate Fallout Justified?
Source: Sony Pictures Entertainment / Netflix / Good Times
The immediate negative reactions to the Good Times trailer and people hoping for the show to fail also raise the question, are we too harsh on TV shows and movies geared towards us?
White folks have shows like this all the time: King of The Hill, The Simpsons, Family Guy, and American Dad, and they have all gone on to be successful, spawning many seasons.
All those shows depict White America’s tropes in a jokingly and, sometimes, serious light.
So when it comes to a show like Good Times that is trying to do the same, even though we can’t immediately tell that based on a three-minute trailer, is that fair?
Good Times is no different from Eddie Murphy’s stop-motion-animation show The PJs or Jones’ The Boondocks; the main complaints just seem to focus on the names regarding the production aspect.
But as we lawd the original show, we can’t ignore the fact a white man was instrumental in bringing that show to television across the country.
We shall reserve judgment and see if this show is Dy-No-Mite when it arrives next month.
You can see more reactions in the gallery below.
2. We understand
5. Moon Girl & Devil Dinosaur is phenomenal, just hope y’all watching and not just talking
6. Another good show to watch, before Max scrubs it from existence
7. Well, Stewie killed his mom on Family Guy, just saying.
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Source: Jason Armond / Getty / Shohei Ohtani
Shohei Ohtani is doubling down on being hoodwinked, bamboozled, and led astray by his interpreter in this ongoing and still developing gambling scandal.
The Los Angeles Dodgers’ $700 million man, Shohei Ohtani, wants the world to know he did not bet on baseball or any other sport and that his translator, Ippei Mizuhara, lied and stole more than $4 million to cover his gambling debts.
Spotted on Yahoo! Sports, Ohtani finally broke his silence with a nearly 12-minute statement on the matter after Mizuhara was fired as his translator following accusations he stole money from the MLB superstar via wire transfers.
Per Yahoo! Sports:
“I am very saddened and shocked someone I trusted has done this,” Ohtani said through an interpreter at the beginning of his statement. He then denied being involved in sports gambling in any form.
“I never bet on baseball or any other sports or never have asked somebody to do that on my behalf,” he said. “And I have never been through a bookmaker to bet on sports. …
“Up until a couple days ago, I didn’t know that this was happening. … In conclusion, Ippei has been stealing money from my account and has told lies.”
Ohtani also denied knowingly paying off any alleged gambling debts.
“To the representatives in my camp, Ippei told the media and representatives that I, on behalf of a friend, paid off debt,” he said. “Upon further questioning, it was revealed that it was actually in fact Ippei who was in debt and told my representatives that I was paying off those debts.
“All of this has been a complete lie.”
Shohei Ohtani Claims He Had No Idea About His Interpretrer’s Gambling Issues
Ohtani also claims that Mizhura was telling a big lie when he told the Dodgers organization that he was in communication with Ohtani about the incident.
The slugger/pitcher claims he first learned about his interpreter’s gambling issues during a team meeting after the Dodgers played the San Diego Padres in South Korea.
Ohtani claims he and Mizhura had a “one-on-one” meeting at their hotel.
“Up until that team meeting, I didn’t know that Ippei had a gambling addiction and was in debt,” Ohtani said. “Obviously, I never agreed to pay off the debt or make payments to the bookmaker.”
“And it was revealed to me during that meeting, Ippei admitted he was sending money using my account to the bookmaker,” he said. “And at that moment, it was an absurd thing that was happening, and I contacted my representatives at that point.”
People Are Still Skeptical
Ohtani is adamant he did not bet on MLB or any sports, but many people are calling it a cap on the idea that he had no idea about the $4 million wire transfers.
ESPN First Take contributor and sports talk radio legend Christopher “Mad Dog” Russo does not buy what Ohtani is selling outright. On his show, he believes that Ohtani’s interpreter stole the money and that the Dodgers’ superstar is guilty of being a “good friend and some poor judgement.”
We are intrigued to see how this situation pans out. The MLB is currently investigating. Until then, you can see more reactions in the gallery below.
1. Very unserious
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Source: Prince Williams / Getty / Drake
Kendrick Lamar set the internet on fire with his “Like That” verse, seemingly calling out Drake, J. Cole, Future, and Metro Boomin’s new project, WE DON’T TRUST YOU. The Canadian rapper has responded, and Hip-Hop fans are giving him the side-eye.
GET IN THE BOOTH!
That’s what users on X, formerly Twitter, are screaming at Drake after allegedly addressing Lamar’s scathing bars.
Spotted on HipHopDX, the “Nice For What” didn’t clap back with bars but with a defiant and inspirational message during his most recent performance during his second performance of two shows during his stop at Sunrise, Florida, on his Big As the What? Tour on Sunday (March 24),
Per HipHopDX:
Drizzy delivered a message of defiance to the audience: “A lot of people ask me how I’m feeling… I’m a let you know I’m feeling. Listen, the same way I’m feeling is the same way I want you to walk out this building tonight.”
“I got my fucking head up high, my back straight, I’m 10 fucking toes down in Florida and anywhere else I go,” he added, his voice growing louder and more aggressive. “And I know that no matter what, there’s not a n-gga on this Earth that could ever fuck with me in my life!”
His response follows Lamar saying with all of his chest on “Like That” that he’s best out of the “big three.” On the song he rapped:
“Okay, let’s get it up, it’s time for him to prove that he’s a problem/N*ggas clickin’ up, but cannot be legit, no 40 Water, tell’ em/Ah, yeah, huh, yeah, get up with me/F*ck sneak dissin’, first person shooter, I hope they came with three switches/I crash out, like, “F*ck rap,” diss Melle Mel if I had to.”
Hip-Hop Fans Want Drake To Find A Booth
The audience at his show felt what Drake said, but fans on X, formerly Twitter, are screaming at Drake to get in the booth to address Kendrick Lamar.
“Drake had two diss tracks Ina weekend for Meek but Kendrick Lamar got him doing self affirmations on the stage Cmon man,” one X user wrote.
Another user wrote, “Whenever Drake beefs with men, he becomes the world’s most polite Canadian.”
Lol, bruh.
Do you think Drake will clap back? After seeing his initial reaction, we don’t think so.
You can see more reactions in the gallery below.
1. LOL, y’all are so unserious
2. Accurate
3. Howling
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Source: Rockstar Games / GTA 6
Grand Theft Auto 6’s 2025 date release could be in danger.
According to a Kotaku report, Grand Theft Auto 6, the next highly anticipated installment in the Grand Theft Auto video game franchise, could have its wig pushed back.
GTA 6 is still slated for an “early 2025” release date, but that date is in jeopardy due to “production delays.” The game could be released in late 2025 or sometime in 2026.
Per Kotaku:
As remote workers struggle with an unwanted return-to-office mandate from Rockstar Games, Kotaku has learned from sources with knowledge of the game’s development process that GTA 6 could miss its 2025 release window and slip into 2026.
Kotaku has also learned that it’s becoming more and more likely that the sequel might not land until late 2025. It’s also possible that it could even slip into 2026 as production reportedly falls behind.
While security and quality are reportedly the main reasons Rockstar is instituting the mandate to return to the office, I was told by sources—who wish to remain anonymous to avoid possible retaliation—that development on GTA 6 has started “falling behind.” I’m told this has leadership at Rockstar nervous and worried about the game missing the 2025 window and slipping into 2026, and is another big reason the company is pushing for a return to the office in April.
Is Rockstar Games Pushing Out Remote Workers?
Kotaku’s report comes after Bloomberg’s report that Rockstar Games was ending remote work, ordering employees back to the office following numerous leaks.
The drastic change was met with immediate criticism and caught many by surprise, leading to frustration. According to Aftermath’s reporting, some employees initially hired to work remotely felt like they were being pushed out of the company by not complying and completely upending their lives.
Some workers expressed concern to Aftermath that Rockstar Games was reverting back to its old crunch ways.
“We’re concerned about going back to that,” one Rockstar employee told Aftermath.
“I’ve been through a couple of projects, both of which had crunch. The first one was extremely difficult. I had way less gray hair back then. … We want to continue the strides we’ve made as a company to remove that toxic culture.”
Gamers also react to the news that they may have to wait even longer for GTA 6.
Some want Rockstar Games to take its time with the game, others don’t want the developers to experience crunch, and some are just overwriting; it’s been about 11 years.
You can see those reactions in the gallery below.
1. LOL, damn
4. Exactly
5. No, not yet
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Source: Anadolu / Getty / Xbox
Xbox has been in the news A LOT as of late, primarily due to fanboys losing their sh*t about the company’s new direction, but this latest development is something many gamers are on board for.
Spotted on VG247, the Microsoft gaming division is reportedly looking to make a big splash in the handheld gaming department after seeing Sony’s surprising success with its cloud-based/remote-play PS5 companion device, the PlayStation Portal.
On a recent episode of the Xbox Two podcast, Windows Central managing editor Jez Corden claims the Microsoft gaming company already has working prototypes.
Per VG247:
Speaking on the Xbox Two podcast, Jez Corden said that he knows that “[Xbox] have got handheld prototypes right now.” He clarified that they are “new prototypes” and not old ones that were supposedly previously in the works, and he also made sure to point out that it’s “not a cloud handheld” it’s “a fully native Xbox handheld.” This was pointed out on the podcast too, but it should be noted that just because Xbox is working on a handheld prototype, if it is, that doesn’t mean it will ever actually release. Projects like these are cancelled all the time, so don’t go writing any comments complaining it never came out when it was never guaranteed in the first place.
A “Fully Native” Handheld Sounds Clutch
This news isn’t all that surprising because Xbox is pushing the plan to make Xbox Game Pass available on devices other than Xbox Series X, S, or PC.
You can now run the subscription gaming platform on handhelds like Steam Deck, ASUS ROG Ally, Logitech G Cloud, the Lenovo-Legion Go, or your smartphones via a cloud gaming app still in beta.
However, a dedicated device would be a clutch, especially if paired with an Xbox Game Pass.
Gamers are reacting positively to the rumor of a “fully native” handheld console.
“I want a Xbox Handheld – its time As much as I like my ROG Ally, portable hardware that plays all my Xbox games with a simplified UI and not having to worry about system settings with improved battery life In other words a pick up and play experience,” Kinda Funny (XCast) and Gamertag Radio host Parris Lilly wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
You can see those reactions in the gallery below.
1. From your lips to God’s ears.
2. We hear you Parris
3. It would be nice
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Source: Lightspeed Studios / Undawn / Will Smith
Even Will Smith wasn’t enough to prevent this video game from flopping like his film Wild Wild West.
Undawn, the zombie survival game featuring Will Smith, bombed epically, according to a report from Reuters. The website reported that the game was a “key” in-house project at Tencent and “flopped spectacularly” even with Smith’s involvement and the game’s closet to 1 billion yuan (around $140 million).
We first reported on the game’s existence in May 2023. Before its June launch, 2.3 million people pre-registered to play it. That didn’t matter, as the game didn’t meet expectations.
In the game, which eerily resembles Smith’s film I Am Legend, the actor plays Trey Jones and serves as your guide in the game.
It was billed as a free-to-play mobile and PC game, as well as these other features:
Base construction and survival mechanics
An expansive open-world
Vehicular combat
Customization elements
PvPvE platform
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Per Reuters, through research firm Appmagic reporting, Undawn only brought in $287,000. The game’s poor performance resulted in Tencent shifting strategy in its mobile division, canceling a mobile game based on Square Enix’s Nier franchise and delaying the Assassin’s Creed: Jade mobile game.
News of the game’s flopping has taken many by surprise, with many people saying they didn’t even know it existed.
One person on X, formerly Twitter, wrote, “…there was a Will Smith-fronted zombie survival game called Undawn?”
“I’m not shocked as someone who’s only just hearing about The Will Smith-fronted zombie survival game Undawn,” another X user wrote.
Well, we knew. We just thought people didn’t care.
In the gallery below, you can see more reactions to Will Smith’s game, Undawn, flopping.
3. Apparently you and everyone else
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Source: Jason Davis / Getty / Candace Owens
Candace Owen’s relationship with The Daily Wire is over, and now X users are connecting the dots and feel she is using Black Press to get back in our good graces.
Per the Daily Mail, edgeless conservative Candace Owens and The Daily Wire are done. Per the website’s reporting, her exit comes after clashing with the company’s co-founder, Ben Shapiro, over the Israel-Hamas conflict.
Co-founder and CEO Jeremy Boreing announced the split with Owens in a post on X, formerly Twitter, simply writing, “Daily Wire and Candace Owens have ended their relationship.”
Owens confirmed her exit by responding, “The rumors are true— I am finally free,” in a post on her X account that also hilariously points her followers to a webpage to “support her work” or “give her a gift.”
The grift never ends with these people.
X Users See The Jig With Candace Owens
Anyway, the news of Owen’s exit from The Daily Wire, which was the home of her now-defunct talk show Candace, Owens has been making her rounds on more traditional Black outlets in what many have been calling a “rebrand.”
Owens has sat down with Joe Budden for a one-on-one interview, much to the chagrin of social media who feel people like Budden lack the skills to sit across from a person like Candace Owens, who has the propensity to push narratives that require pushback and extreme amounts of fact-checking.
Just recently, The Breakfast Club, for whatever reason, brought Owens on their show to spew her nonsense, and yes, like Budden, many feel the Power 105.1 morning show crew lacks the interviewing skills to handle her.
Also, now there are many clips of Owens landing on timelines where people agree with her outrageous talking points.
We here at HipHopWired are not buying what Candace Owens is selling.
In the gallery below, you can see more reactions to Candace Owens trying to rebrand herself.
1. Not here, not ever.
2. Exactly, stay over there Candace
3. Way too much
4. HEard you sis
If the DOJ’s lawsuit is successful, it could force the Tim Cook-run company to make significant changes to its highly successful business model.
In a press conference announcing the lawsuit, U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland said, “As set out in our complaint, Apple has that power in the smartphone market. If left unchallenged. Apple will only continue to strengthen its smartphone monopoly.”
Per The Verge, the DOJ’s lawsuit accuses Apple of:
Disrupting “super apps” that encompass many different programs and could degrade “iOS stickiness” by making it easier for iPhone users to switch to competing devices
Blocking cloud-streaming apps for things like video games that would lower the need for more expensive hardware
Suppressing the quality of messaging between the iPhone and competing platforms like Android
Limiting the functionality of third-party smartwatches with its iPhones and making it harder for Apple Watch users to switch from the iPhone due to compatibility issues
Blocking third-party developers from creating competing digital wallets with tap-to-pay functionality for the iPhone
In a statement to CNBC, Apple did not agree with the lawsuit and said it would fight it.
A spokesperson for the tech giant told CNBC, “This lawsuit threatens who we are and the principles that set Apple products apart in fiercely competitive markets. If successful, it would hinder our ability to create the kind of technology people expect from Apple—where hardware, software, and services intersect. It would also set a dangerous precedent, empowering government to take a heavy hand in designing people’s technology.”
Android users have been eating this all up because of the claims they have accused Apple of for years.
You can see more reactions in the gallery below.
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Source: Andreas Rentz / Getty / Erykah Badu / Beyoncé
The Beyhive has had enough of Erykah Badu coming for their queen Beyoncé.
Erykah Badu is feeling the sting of Beyoncé’s fans after she accused the Houston singer of swagger jacking again.
The “Bag Lady” singer took to her Instagram Stories to insinuate that her fellow Texas native bit her hairstyle on the alternate cover of her upcoming album, Act ii: Cowboy Carter.
Badu’s claims came on Wednesday, March 20, after Beyoncé shared the alternate cover to her new album. On it, the “Take My Soul” crafter is naked, covered by a sass saying “act ii BEYINCÉ,” while rocking braided hair with beaded bangs and holding a lit cigar.
In her post, Badu reposted the photo with the caption, “Hmmm.”
The hive, as expected, did not care for Badu accusing Beyoncé of biting her style. Badu hilariously hopped on X, formerly Twitter, asking for help from Beyoncé’s husband JAY-Z, of all people, writing in the post, “To JAY-Z. Say somethin Jay. You gone let this woman and these bees do this to me??”
Erykah Badu Has A History of Calling Beyoncé Out
This is not the first time Badu has claimed she has served as an uncredited style inspiration for Beyoncé. She also called out Beyoncé for biting her style regarding the hats worn during her performance.
During her Renaissance World Tour, Beyoncé wore metallic wide-brimmed hats during her performances, something Badu was also known for.
In that post, Badu also wrote “Hmmm” underneath a picture of Beyoncé and then shared a photo of herself wearing a hat during a similar performance, writing, “I guess I’m everyone’s stylist. favorite chrome mirror hat.”
Beyoncé seemingly saw the disrespect, and during a tour stop in Massachusetts, she had some time for Badu, replacing the lyrics on the “Break My Soul” (The Queens Remix)” saying “Badu, Badu, Badu, Badu,” instead of Badu, Lizzo, Kelly Rowl.”
Well, the Beyhive has seen and heard enough and is currently dragging Badu.
You can see those reactions in the gallery below.
1. Fair question
3. Interesting observation
4. An excellent breakdown of the madness
6. Seems to be true