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Source: Gilbert Flores / Getty
No matter what you think about controversial comedy legend Dave Chappelle, you have to admit he knows how to come through with words of encouragement right on time.
On Saturday night (Feb. 22) , Chappelle was honored at the 56th NAACP Image Awards with the President’s Award, and, in true Dave fashion, he delivered a speech aimed at positivity and people caring for each other while also getting in a few topical jokes.
“You know, look, I won a lot of awards recently, but this one tonight is probably the most special award I’ve ever gotten because it’s from this institution that represents these people, us, people of color, Black people,” the 51-year-old told the audience at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium.
“My god brother is here tonight, Ben Jealous,” he continued. “Ben used to be the president of the NAACP, and I asked him, I said, ‘What do you think? What do you think I should say tonight?’ And Ben sent me a whole speech. But what was important, he said, in 1915, the movie Birth of a Nation came out, and had a hideous depiction of African Americans. And by 1927, the NAACP had opened its first office in Hollywood. And from then, 100 years ago to this very night, they have been chipping away at this industry so that people like me can stand up in front of people and tell my story or our stories each and every artist in here, every opportunity we get, every time we’re on camera on stage, we just keep chipping away at this monster of a machine.”
Chappelle wasn’t about to leave the stage without getting in a few quips, of course, so he joked about all the controversy his Netflix stand-up specials, which have been panned as anti-LGBTQ+, has stirred up.
“But tonight, man, tonight, I feel invigorated because all my Netflix checks clear,” he said to the laughter of the crowd.
Then Chappelle got serious while encouraging people to see each other through the “difficult” time we are currently experiencing under the current administration. (He doesn’t actually mention Trump, but we know what he was talking about during his speech, which came not long after former Vice President Kamala Harris delivered her own fiery speech while accepting the Chairman’s Award.)
“Every time you see me, just know I’m only up there because I want to be right up there,” Chappelle said. “And I hope, I hope all of us who work in this industry feel strong and inspired and not discouraged, especially because this is a very difficult time right now. And your institution is, sadly, more relevant than it’s been in a long time. We got a lot of work to do, but it feels good to know that we’re not in it alone, that we got each other. And remember, community is everything.”
Shout out to Dave for telling the people what we all need to hear right now. Take care of each other, y’all, and we’ll make it through.
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Source: Jacob Kupferman / Getty / Steve Smith Sr.
When former NFL wide receiver Steve Smith Sr. woke up on Saturday morning, we are positive he didn’t think he would be one of the top trending topics on X, formerly Twitter.
Things got interesting for the former Carolina Panthers and Baltimore Ravens wide receiver, now an NFL Network analyst, when the husband of a woman on X responded to his post featuring a video of himself playing golf, accusing him of sleeping with his wife. He came bearing receipts in the form of text messages.
Smith has been married since 2000 and has four children.
Man just found out that former NFL receiver and current NFL Network analyst Steve Smith Sr. has been sleeping with his wife. He posted the texts and a phone call with Smith on X after finding out.
“I’m sorry”
pic.twitter.com/Q6FckGDXy8
— FearBuck (@FearedBuck) February 22, 2025
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
The accuser shared a screengrab of the alleged sexts between Smith and his wife while tagging multiple news outlets, Smith’s sponsors, Yeti Coolers and TaylorMade, his former team, the Panthers, Ravens, and, for some strange reason, Antonio Brown.
He also shared a video of an alleged phone call between himself and Smith where you can hear the former pro football player saying, “I’m sorry,” and a photo of a bare-chested Smith with a unicorn graphic over his midsection.
The man claims his wife met Smith while working for the Ravens marching band.
Social Media Had Jokes About The Situation
Following the revelation of social media has been on one, of course, it was nothing but pure jokes, especially regarding the explicit nature of the sexts.
“White man crashing out on Twitter cause his wife’s fucking Steve Smith Sr….and yall think I’ll leave this app? Tuh. NEVER. Can’t pay for this kind of live entertainment,” one user on X wrote.
Another user was too tickled by the accuser’s wife telling Smith he almost shifted her contraceptive device. “Rearrange my IUD…..I am dead,” the user said.
Bruh, moments like these make the dumpster fire that is X bearable.
You can see more reactions in the gallery below.
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Source: Grant Lamos IV / Getty / Hooters
Welp, it looks like your going to have to get your fill of beer, boobs, and wings elsewhere pretty soon because it might be a wrap for your local Hooters establishment.
According to Bloomberg News, the restaurant franchise best known for dressing its servers in skimpy orange shorts and tiny tops that give patrons beer, wings, and a side of boobs is on the verge of going belly-up.
According to the website, the casual dining chain has engaged in talks with law firm Ropes & Gray to begin the bankruptcy process, sources familiar with the matter told Bloomberg News.
No final decision has been made regarding seeking Chapter 11 protection, but according to sources, it could all happen within the next two months.
Hooters’ financial problems aren’t new; they have been going on for some time, with the company actively seeking a way to become profitable again.
Per The New York Post:
Hooters — which has about 300 locations nationwide — has faced increasing financial strain as traffic declines at its kitschy restaurants, leading to the closure of several outposts.
The Atlanta-based company has been working alongside turnaround consultants from Accordion Partners to address its financial difficulties, particularly its debt burden.
Several of its creditors have also sought guidance from investment bank Houlihan Lokey, Bloomberg reported.
The Post has sought comment from Hooters, Accordion Partners, Ropes & Gray and Houlihan Lokey.
The company had previously raised approximately $300 million through asset-backed bonds in 2021, a financing structure that allows businesses to use franchise fees and other assets as collateral.
This form of structured debt, known as whole-business securitization, is commonly used by restaurant chains, fitness centers and other franchise-heavy enterprises.
X Reacts To Hooters Possibly Being Shuttered
Social media, of course, has thoughts on the possibility of Hooters going away for good.
“How bad is the economy when strippers are complaining about empty clubs & low/no tips, and Hooters is filing for bankruptcy? This is all the proof you need something needs to change,” one user wrote on X, formerly Twitter, which honestly puts some much needed perspective on the current state of things.
Another user celebrated the chain’s apparent downfall and pointed out racism she experienced as an employee writing on X, “good, when i was 20 y/o i quit hooters because corporate emailed our manager and said it was too many black girls working there.”
Welp.
Hooters is not the only restaurant chain experiencing hard times lately. TGI Fridays had to cede control of some assets due to failing to fulfill debt obligations, and everyone’s favorite seafood restaurant, Red Lobster, also filed for bankruptcy in May. Flavor Flav did his part to prevent Red Lobster from further sinking into the bankruptcy abyss by becoming a pitchman and purchasing the entire menu.
We don’t think Hooters will have the same luck, but who knows, maybe somebody loves seeing boobies and eating wings as much as Flavor Flav loved cheddar bay biscuits.
More reactions to Hooters mulling Chapter 11 bankruptcy are in the gallery below.
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Source: Prince Williams / Getty / 50 Cent / Lil Meech
Lil Meech is finding out the hard way that his boss, 50 Cent, has pettiness levels through the roof.
50 Cent is taking his foot off BMF star Lil Meech and his father Big Meech’s necks. The Southside Jamaica Queens rapper shared on social media that the actor has a drug addiction that required him to send him to rehab.
On his favorite tool for antagonizing those he feels have wronged him, 50 Cent accused Big Meech of being jealous of the relationship he developed with his son while filming the hit Starz series BMF, which the rapper, born Curtis Jackson, serves as an executive producer on.
Lil Meech Was Allegedly “High As F*** On Set” According To 50 Cent
He also claimed in the eye-opening post that “MeMe,” that’s what he was calling Lil Meech, had a drug problem while adding that Big Meech did not like the fact that the “Wanksta” rapper helped his son.
“I thought about it I think he was uncomfortable with me and MeMe’s relationship,” 50 Cent wrote. “I’m telling MeMe I don’t want him doing drugs. He telling him he use to do X like it’s cool. I tell meme chill stop spending all ya money, he telling him how much money he blew. people don’t know I had to send MeMe to rehab.”
He continued, “Russell Hornsby peeped he was high as fuck on set he started throwing up at a weapons test then Ian told me the little [ninja] had whippets in his truck.I said what the fvck is whippets I look it’s the shit that be in Bebe guns.”
The post, which is hilariously still up, features a video clip of Gene Deal talking about Big Meech, born Demetrius Flenory Jr., being a snitch and working with “officers,” referring to Rick Ross.
How Did This All Begin?
50 Cent’s continued attacks on Big Meech and Lil Meech stem from his disgust for Big Meech taking a flick with longtime nemesis Rick Ross ahead of the now-canceled Welcome Home Concert and Lil Meech standing up for his dad.
We hope this doesn’t affect the show in any way. We still need our entertainment, Fif.
Social media has been reaction to the ongoing drama between the rapper and the Flenory family, you can see those reactions in the gallery below.
2. Points were made here
3. We guess
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Source: Jeff Kravitz / Getty / Kanye West
Kanye West and his Twitter fingers aren’t done typing. The rapper took to his favorite soapbox at the moment, X, formerly Twitter, to complain about the Grammys not giving him and his wife, Bianca Censori, tickets.
West had all the smoke for the Recording Academy for not blessing him and his naked wife, Bianca Censori, with tickets to music’s biggest night despite him earning a nomination for his song “Carnival” featuring Ty Dolla $ign, but eventually losing to Kendrick Lamar who took home the Grammy for his iconic Drake diss, “Not Like Us.”
“How could the Grammies [sic] nominate me Then not give me tickets And then people mad when I go off,” Ye wrote on X.
“I had to fight for 5 hours and call everyone I knew to get tickets to the Grammies [sic] They eventually gave me tickets but only for the red carpet. At that point I hadn’t started the rampage.”
The Grammys Confirm Not Giving West Tickets
According to a Grammys producer, the rapper (47) and his mannequin (30) were not given tickets to attend the Feb 2 award show held inside the Crytpo.com arena.
“They didn’t have a nomination on the [telecast] and Kanye wasn’t presenting,” Raj Kapoor told People. “He was not performing either, which is mostly what those seats are.”
The “Can’t Tell Me Nothing” crafter didn’t need to make it inside to cause a scene. He used his time on the red carpet to continue parading around his naked wife. Censori dropped her fur coat to reveal she wore a sheer dress with nothing underneath it.
Rumors hit the web that the couple was kicked out of the event due to Censori’s lack of clothing, but that was not the case. A source told Page Six that they left on their own accord.
Kanye West Has Been Dominating The Headlines
West has been dominating the headlines with his antisemitic rants on X, his bizarre Super Bowl ad that led potential shoppers to a Nazi shirt, and rumors of his wife divorcing him.
A rep for the rapper shot down claims of West and Censori splitting.
“Announcements about their private life will come from them directly, not unsourced rumor in the tabloid press,” spokesman Milo Yiannopoulos said.
We honestly wouldn’t mind if West, who claims he is now autistic, would go away and get some damn help.
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Source: Johnny Nunez / Getty / Marlon Wayans
We are positive no one had Marlon Wayans and Soulja Boy beefing with each other on their 2025 bingo cards.
Well, this is interesting. Rapper Soulja Boy and comedian/actor Marlon Wayans were engaged in a back-and-forth on X, formerly Twitter.
We can’t tell you why the feud between the two started. Still, according to XXL, Big Draco was BIG MAD about Wayans clowning him for tapdancing for Donald Trump at the Crypto Ball, one of Felon 47’s many inaugural celebration events.
“Marlon Wayans you a b***h and u not funny shut up ni**a keep selling ur soul and sucking the higher up d**ks,” the rapper said in one of the many now-deleted posts on X.
Wayans eventually saw the post and responded back sharing a photo of man grabbing Soulj Boy from behind with the caption, “I’m sorry, @souljaboy said what now? Lookin’ like you give up anything for some meth.”
“Hey @souljaboy you a grown man and still use the word ‘boy’ in your name,” Marlon added in a follow-up post. “Thats what they were calling you at that event huh? Hey there Boy, can you do that dance for me? I’ll throw u a meme coin f*** outta here slappy…Says the coon who jumped over the moon.”
https://x.com/MarlonWayans/status/1889811811815579912
Of course, Soulja Boy had to clap back, taking things to a violent level.
“You a b***h and I’ll slap the s**t out u,” the “Crank Dat” rapper wrote. “Speak on what u know b***h ni**a trump wasn’t even there it was a bitcoin event b***h ni**a u washed up pu**y…You a 52 year old black man that dressed up like a white b***h. Who really the coon? Broke a*s ni**a.”
The Jokes Got Dark
Things took a twisted turn as the insults got even worse.
“You molested lil boy. Go sit your lil a*s down on some uncle lap and stfu,” Marlon said to the rapper.
“Molested?” Soulja clapped back. “A ni**a ever touch me they gone die I don’t play that gay sh*t u sucked d**k for ur movie roles. I got my sh*t out the mud by myself no help just the internet.”
Soulja Boy took it there, insulting Wayans’ transgender child, and Marlon Wayans proceeded to go all the way in and kept the jokes coming.
https://x.com/MarlonWayans/status/1889786382995910791
You can see more responses and reactions in the gallery below.
1. Lol, damn
5. Never forget
6. Howling
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Source: PA Wire – PA Images / Getty / Ledisi
As expected, the MAGA contingent was once again BIG MAD at the Black National Anthem being sung at the Super Bowl.
Will this be an annual thing, or will the Orange Menace, aka Donald Trump, sing one of his useless executive orders ordering all American sports leagues only to perform the National Anthem and sporting events?
Even though the NFL has gotten rid of the “end racism” signage in the back of endzones for the Super Bowl, they still kept the singing of “Lift Every Voice” ahead of kickoff, a move the league adopted in 2020 in the wake of protests following the murder of George Floyd at the hands of police.
The song was adopted by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and is commonly called the Black National Anthem.
Louisiana-born singer Ledisi performed the song in New Orleans ahead of Super Bowl LIX in front of Felon 47 Donald Trump, and the performance was magnificent.
Unfortunately, like last year, the MAGA cult was BIG MAD at the idea of the hymn being used as a separate anthem in a league that features predominantly Black players.
Right-wing commentators such as Charlie Kirk sounded off on the performance. “Only our actual national anthem should be performed at the Super Bowl,” Kirk wrote.
“Black National Anthem’ is a racist relic left over from the BLM era. Get rid of it,” the lame account End Wokeness said on X, formerly Twitter.
Another crappy account R T wrote, “Just muted the Black National Anthem. There’s one national anthem for this country and that ain’t it. We’re all Americans, not divided by Race, Creed, Sex or Religious Preference.”
Black Xitter Loved Ledisi’s Performance
Thankfully, Black Xitter loved seeing MAGA all butt-hurt about the performance of the hymn.
“Yes, the Black National Anthem does deserve to be a part of the Anthems we sing at the Super Bowl. Why? Because Black History is American History,” one post on X read.
Another post read, “Baby, #Ledisi sang the Black National Anthem from her soul and pit of her stomach! The ancestors are proud!”
They can honestly stay mad. The NFL better not let these people influence them into taking out the Black National Anthem.
You can see more reactions in the gallery below.
2. Yes, yes it was
4. Oh they were big mad
5. It was Black as hell, and we loved it.
7. Never fails
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Source: Gilbert Flores / Getty / Kai Cenat
Kai Cenat made the right choice. Protecting his integrity and his bag over streaming with Kanye West.
The world’s most popular Twitch streamer (debate your cousin), is not linking up with the most problematic person in the world not named Elon Musk or Donald Trump.
Kai Cenat announced to his Twitch followers that the once-planned stream with Kanye West, aka Ye, is no longer happening. Cenat revealed that he made his decision after seeing West’s latest round of bizarre and extremely antisemitic tweets.
“I’m gonna go ahead and address the elephant in the room,” Cenat told his fans. “I seen the tweets, bro. I don’t know what’s going on.” He revealed he was just as stunned as everyone else by Kanye West’s recent online behavior. “I don’t know, bro. It’s crazy.”
Cenat’s announcement comes after he excitedly revealed on January 29 that he was planning to take a trip to Japan and hopefully get West on his stream. The Twitch streamer also bumped into the rapper at the Grammys before the whole Bianca Censori naked on the red carpet stunt.
“He’s a very good, motherf*cking dude,” Cenat said on January 29. “I think he’ll be open to the stream. “If I had to say a percentage,” Kai Cenat said. “It’s at like probably 90%. We been talking almost every day.”
Welp.
You Know Kanye West Is Going To React
Kanye West has yet to respond to Cenat’s decision, but we fully expect him to. We won’t be surprised if he calls him an “industry plant” again or something worse.
Fans have been reacting to Cenat making the right decision not to associate himself with a Black Nazi sympathizer, some are calling him a sellout, while others understand he’s got a brand to protect.
https://x.com/kanyewest/status/1888107257474511185
You can see those reactions in the gallery below.
2. Ehhhhhh
3. Basically
5. Oh really?
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Source: Gilbert Flores / Getty / 50 Cent
50 Cent demands absolute loyalty, and if he doesn’t get that, best believe he will air your a** out. Lil Meech, the star of BMF, found that out the hard way.
Things got rocky after 50 Cent called Demetrius “Big Meech” Flenory a snitch by posting a photo of a rat on Instagram and posting in the caption, “I think I’m Big Meech,” for linking up with nemesis Rick Ross, Lil
Rick Ross performed at Flenory’s Welcome Back concert after being freed from prison after serving 16 years.
Big Meech did respond to Fif, sharing a photo of the two with an animate piece of cheese and a rat covering the rapper’s face.
Rozay also clapped back at the “Wanksta” crafter imitating his voice in a picture, saying, “N-gga took a picture with Rick Ross!” and then changing to his voice and adding, “You like a hoe, n-gga. Put your back against the wall and just slide down.”
Lil Meech Reached Out & Got Exposed
Demetrius “Lil Meech” Flenory Jr. reached out to the Queens rapper and executive producer on BMF to see what’s good, and his messages were then shared by the G-Unit general on Instagram in a now-deleted post.
“They just told me u unfollowed me on Instagram and now u managing Skilla Baby with Rocket when I brought him around you first when u didn’t have a clue who he was,” Lil Meech wrote. “Now u mad at me when I would take my shirt off my back for you.”
“I can’t believe this man. U act as if I’m your enemy. I’ve only showed you love and loyalty. [I’m] human I go thru my own shit but I never switched up on you,” he continued.
Summer Walker’s ex-boo also clarified the Rick Ross and Big Meech photo, claiming it happened because of money. Basically, Ross was looking out for his dad.
“Fuck Ross but he gave my dad some bread so he can afford to pay his bills until our next season starts,” Lil Meech said regarding the hit Starz drama series. “This internet shit is throwing me off man. U know me in real life.”
Keeping that petty energy we have come to know 50 Cent for, he replied, “What next season little [ninja emoji]? “This implied that he was going to fire Lil Meech and find another actor to play his father in the show.
Further mocking Flenory Jr. in another now-deleted post, Fif clowned the young actor, telling him he was going to end up on Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta, “I’ll give Mona Scott [Young, executive producer of the reality series] a call for him later today!”
Social Media Is Not Suprised By 50 Cent’s Behavior
As expected, there is no shock regarding 50 Cent’s behavior. This is the same man who just mocked Irv Gotti, who passed away after suffering a stroke.
50 Cent will never change.
You can see more reactions in the gallery below.
2. You just know The Game had to give his 2 cents
3. Damn, even 50 Cent’s son had something to say
4. Fair point
6. Also fair
8. Accurate
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Source: Noel Vasquez / Getty / LeBron James
LeBron James seemingly had the perfect response to Drake following the rapper’s light jab at him during his first show on his Australian tour.
On Wednesday, LeBron James took to Instagram to express his excitement for Kendrick Lamar’s upcoming Super Bowl Halftime performance.
James shared a clip of an old K.Dot performance that was part of Dr. Dre’s epic medley during 2022’s star-studded Super Bowl Halftime show performance.
“He gone kill that [poo emoji]!!!! Can’t wait *Bart Scott voice,” Luka Doncic’s new running mate said in his Instagram Stories post.
Usually, this wouldn’t mean anything, but now it’s part of the ongoing battle between Drizzy and Lamar. Drizzy is still licking his wounds after “Not Like Us” has declared that anyone who rocked with Lamar and bopped to the Grammy-winning diss record is an enemy, including those he once considered friends like James.
Drake Has Been Taking Numerous Shots At LeBron James
Drake has been taking shots at LeBron James. During the opening night of this Anita Max Win Tour, the Six God changed the lyrics of his song “Nonstop.” In the original lyrics, Drake raps, “How did I go from 6 to 23 like I’m LeBron?”
During his performance on the Anita Max Tour, he switched the lyrics to criticize Bron, rapping, “How I go from 6 to 23 but not LeBron, man?”
This was not the only time Drizzy expressed his distaste for James. In his song “Fighting Irish Freestyle,” the Canadian Hip-Hop star seemingly criticized the Los Angeles Lakers superstar and DeMar DeRozan for attending Lamar’s epic Pop Out concert.
Fighting Irish is a nod to LBJ’s high school basketball team.
“The world fell in love with the gimmicks, even my brothers got tickets / Seemed like they loved every minute / Just know this shit is personal to us, and it wasn’t just business.”
James tried to show no love lost on his end, rocking a pair of The Boy’s Nike Air Force One sneakers with “Love you forever” etched on them, adding the infinity emoji to the post.
Meanwhile, Drake is still big mad and recently rocked a bullet hole-filled hoodie to signify all the shots he took and that he’s still here despite the “Not Like Us” kill shot.