Usher
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Source: Emma McIntyre / Getty / Usher
Following Diddy’s arrest, social media has been doing the most in trying to connect everyone who has been in the disgraced musician/mogul’s arrest to his “freak offs” and other shenanigans. Usher is one of those people.
Responding to people speculating something was afoot after tweets that disappeared from his X account, the iconic R&B star responded to sleuths on X, formerly Twitter, that his account was hacked.
“Account got hacked and damn y’all ran with it * laughing emojis*, See you tonight at Intuit Dome,” the “Love In This Club” crafter wrote in a post on his account, just a week after Diddy was arrested for sex trafficking with the Feds finding 1,000 bottles of baby oil and lube in his home.
Previous tweets on the 45-year-old musician’s account have reappeared, but that did not stop the train from pulling into the speculation station.
“u got hacked and the hackers decided to delete all your tweets instead of tweeting random stuff?,” one post in response to Usher’s tweet, read.
Another user on X wrote, “So crazy how it got hacked…but instead of posting crazy stuff, the hacker just DELETED your posts and Diddy just got arrested…and all the stuff with Justin Bieber. Soooooo weird we all “ran with it”. Right bro.”
According to Page Six’s reporting, at the time, the only tweets appearing on his page were from hackers writing about cryptocurrency scams. Pink and actress Megan Fox were also alleged victims of a hack over the weekend.
Welp.
As the fallout from Diddy’s arrest continues, we definitely expect more online speculation floating around anyone who called Sean “Diddy” Combs a friend.
You can see more reactions in the gallery below.
1. Lol, smh
2. Oh lord
3. Do you now?
4. Guys it’s not the big conspiracy you think it is.
5. Oh lord
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Usher is bringing Dave’s Hot Chicken to his hometown. The R&B star launched the restaurant’s first Georgia location in Conyers, a suburb of Atlanta, on Thursday (Aug. 30).
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Although Usher didn’t attend the grand opening (he’s currently on tour), the celebration included a drone show put together by Sky Elements. Usher owns the restaurant along with his franchise partners Lawrence Kourie and Andrew Feghali, two of the longest-tenured Dave’s Hot Chicken franchisees.
“Once I tried Dave’s Hot Chicken and spoke with the founders of the brand, I knew I wanted to be involved with the company,” Usher said in a statement. “I’m excited to open Atlanta’s first Dave’s Hot Chicken and look forward to everyone from my hometown trying it.”
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Dave’s Hot Chicken in Conyers.
SkyElements
“Dave’s Hot Chicken continues to gain traction from coast-to-coast, from our passionate guests to international superstars,” added CEO Bill Phelps. “Our focus remains on making the most craveable, hottest and juiciest hot chicken on the planet, and we’re thrilled to partner with Usher to bring Dave’s to Georgia.”
The grand opening featured a live DJ and free food. Dave’s Hot Chicken’s menu includes Hot Chicken Sliders and Hot Chicken Tenders available in seven spice levels ranging from no spice to Reaper, the hottest level, in addition to Kale Slaw, creamy macaroni and cheese and crispy, seasoned crinkle fries. The brand also recently launched Dave’s Bites available in no spice, medium and hot.
Dave’s Hot Chicken is available for delivery on DoorDash, GrubHub and Uber Eats.
“The number one thing is the chicken is so good,” Dave’s Hot Chicken president Jim Bitticks told Billboard at the grand opening. “And the spice, it’s I don’t know how to describe it, other than to say that it’s really balanced. Sometimes you try something that’s spicy and there’s too much of this or not enough of that. [Dave’s Hot Chicken] it’s perfect, right in the middle.”
“The founders grew up eating a lot of In-N-Out Burger, so the inspiration for Dave’s is In-N-Out meets Howlin Rays [Hot Chicken],” Bitticks continued.
Dave’s co-founder Arman Oganesyan was also in attendance alongside Phelps and Conyers Store Owner Lawrence Kourie.
Meanwhile, it’s been a busy month for Usher who launched his Past, Present and Future tour in Washington D.C. last week. The tour stops in Philadelphia tonight and tomorrow, followed by two nights in Toronto, Canada starting on Sept. 2.
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This coming September, Hollywood actors, writers, and directors will have a chance to take home some well-deserved gold when the 76th Annual Emmy Awards airs on ABC and yesterday the academy released this year’s list of nominees which included some of your favorite actors and series.
According to Pitchfork, the likes of Donald Glover, Selena Gomez, and even Jay-Z are up for some golden statuettes as their work in 2023 have not gone unnoticed by the academy. Donald Glover got himself two nods for his work on Prime’s Mr. & Mrs. Smith as he’s been nominated for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series and Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series (a lot of people slept on that series). Glover will face some stiff competition for Lead Actor as he’ll go up against the likes of Idris Elba (Hijack), and Hiroyuki Sanada (Shogun) amongst others.
Jay-Z meanwhile will be battling the likes of Usher for the Outstanding Variety Special Award as both men turned some memorable Super Bowl Halftime Shows while Selena Gomez earned herself her first acting nod for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for her role in Only Murders in the Building.
Per Pitchfork:
Notably, The Bear set a new record for most Comedy nominations in a single year with 23 nods, beating the previous record held by 30 Rock in 2009 with 22 nominations. One of those nominations goes to Lionel “L-Boy” Boyce for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series. Boyce was formerly a hypeman in Odd Future and actor on Loiter Squad, the rap group’s Adult Swim sketch comedy show.
“Television delivers stories that connect us, uplift us, challenge us, and always entertain us. Today, I am honored to celebrate the outstanding work of our extraordinarily talented and hardworking creative community,” said Television Academy chair Cris Abrego in a press release. “This morning’s Emmy nominations are a testament to their contributions and highlight the incredible programming that has risen to the top of an exceptional year in TV.”
Donald Glover’s Mr. & Mrs. Smith is also up for Best Drama Series with the show itself getting 16 nominations in total. We doubt it’ll get that clean sweep but how dope would it be if that came to pass? Just sayin.’
Check out the rest of the nominations on Emmys.com and let us know who’ll you be rooting for come September 15 in the comments section below.
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Photo: Getty
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Source: Christopher Polk / Getty
Kendrick Lamar and Killer Mike were among the winners at the 2024 BET Awards while Usher took the stage in a standout moment.
On Sunday night (June 30), the 2024 BET Awards took place in front of a packed house at the Peacock Theatre in Los Angeles, California. The night, hosted by actress Taraji P. Henson, was a star-studded affair that saw some of the biggest Black personalities in entertainment take home awards. R&B superstar Usher being awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award was the key highlight of the four-hour show, which also saw him take home the award for Best Male R&B/Pop Artist.
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Usher took the stage to receive the award after a medley performance of his greatest hits from artists including Childish Gambino, Summer Walker, Keke Palmer, Victoria Monét, and Teyana Taylor with Latto closing it out with her version of Ludacris’ verse on “Yeah!”. L.A. Reid and Babyface presented the award to Usher, who began his speech by saying: Getting here has definitely not been easy, but it has been worth it. This life achievement award, I don’t know man. Is it too early for me to receive it? Because I’m still running and gunning and still love this s—t like I was eight years old.”
Kendrick Lamar took home the award for Best Male Hip-Hop Artist, beating out Drake as his “Not Like Us” song served as the opening of the show as Henson rapped an interpretation dressed as the Compton artist was on his “Pop Out” concert. Nicki Minaj secured the award for Best Female Hip-Hop Artist, and Killah Mike got the major award of the night by winning Album of The Year for his recent release, Michael. The Atlanta rapper stirred the crowd with his acceptance speech.
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The rest of the evening also featured energizing performances from Megan Thee Stallion, who appeared at the BET Awards for the first time in three years while Victoria Monét thrilled the crowd with her set featuring her hit “On My Mama” and her new single “Alright”. The new wave of women rappers also took the stage, with GloRilla descending from the roof in a parachute to kick her set off. Sexxy Red also performed a medley of her hits, while Ice Spice gave the audience a preview of her upcoming Y2K album with a quick set.
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Usher Raymond has been in show business for three decades and has achieved several high marks in a career worthy of continual celebration. The Atlanta by way of Tennessee native accepted the BET Lifetime Achievement Award on Sunday (June 30) but much of his speech was muted due to some profanity and X wasn’t having it.
Usher was treated to an extensive series of tribute performances from the likes of Childish Gambino, Keke Palmer, Coco Jones, Teyana Taylor, Victoria Monét, Chlöe, Tinashe, Summer Walker, Marsha Ambrosius, and Latto at the 2024 BET Awards in Los Angeles, Calif.
Of course, there have been mixed reviews of the tribute performances but kudos to the performers for rocking the stage under that sort of pressure in front of one of the world’s best live entertainers.
When it was time to accept the BET Lifetime Achievement Award, Usher, full of his usual radiant charm, wowed the audience with a confident and comical speech that started normally as Ursher allowed “The A” to come out at the tail end of the speech.
“I don’t know, man, is it too early for me to receive it? Because I’m still running and gunning and I still love this sh*t like I did when I was eight years old,” Usher said in an earlier portion of his speech.
Later in the speech in which he honors Jimmy Jam, Terry Lewis, Babyface, and L.A. Reid, he said, “[to] the men who motivated me, who speak to me, who have spoken to me, who have been solid no matter how f*cked up it may have been…sorry, I’m cursing to let you know how I really feel.”
A TikTok user recorded the speech, which can be seen below and we do urge caution and there is profanity present. Keep scrolling to see reactions to the speech from X.
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Photo: Getty
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The 55th NAACP Image Awards concluded over the weekend and the stars were there in all their revelry as expected. Usher, Colman Domingo, and Fantasia Barrino were among the winners, which featured several nods for The Color Purple.
The NAACP Image Awards took place at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, Calif. last Saturday (March 16) and was hosted expertly by Queen Latifah. For those unaware, the ceremony highlights entertainers and performers across several genres which include television, film, music, and also podcasting.
Usher was named the Entertainer Of The Year and gave a moving acceptance speech that looked back over his three decades as a performer and how he’s grown with his fans. The singer also mentioned his recent marriage, how his mother was instrumental in his rise, and also his popular Las Vegas residency gig. Oprah Winfrey announced the award, which was a surprise for attendees.
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Speaking of Winfrey, The Color Purple earned several awards throughout the night as Fantasia Barrino took home the Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture for her role in the musical. Winfrey, cleverly decked out in purple, was the executive producer for the 2023 film alongside Steven Spielberg. The Outstanding Motion Picture award also went to The Color Purple.
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Taraji P. Henson, who has been outspoken about pay inequity for women in Hollywood, took home the Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture award for her role in The Color Purple. The film also took home the Outstanding Ensemble Cast in a Motion Picture award.
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Colman Domingo was a two-award winner, taking home the Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture for his role in Rustin, and the Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture for The Color Purple. Domingo was also nominated for Entertainer Of The Year.
See the full list of the 55th NAACP Image Awards winners here.
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Source: Tiffany Rose / Getty
Usher has spent years gathering good will, which only grew exponentially thanks to his Las Vegas residency and rocking the Super Bowl halftime show. However, Ursher has massively played himself after he was spotted kicking it with Russell Simmons in Bali.
In case you’re unaware, Simmons essentially ran off to Bali after he was accused by multiple women of sexual assault. Although Simmons has denied the claims (and former Def Jam exec Drew Dixon produced a whole documentary detailing her allegations), the theory is he skipped town to avoid prosecution. Thus, the Hip-Hop pioneer has been persona non-grata for many.
Nevertheless, there goes Usher seen kicking it with various people including Simmons during a trip to Bali. It’s worth noting that Usher, perhaps knowing better, didn’t share the pics (and video, too) himself. However, Russell gladly took to Instagram to share the good times he was apparently having with Usher. The R&B crooner’s trademark smile in the pics reveals he clearly wasn’t a hostage.
Considering Usher can thank Sean “Diddy” Combs, who has also been accused of sexual assault by multiple women, among the execs instrumental to his early success, being spotted having a good ol’ time with Simmons is not the best of looks. Another exec who had a hand in Usher’s rise was LA Reid, who has also been accused of sexual assault by Dixon as well.
This is not a trend Usher need be associating himself with. We’re not overreacting, you can peep the reactions below. To say that the criticism is rolling thick would be an understatement.
1. A choice was made.
2. Nasty work.
3. Where is the lie?
Following Usher’s 2024 Super Bowl halftime show on Feb. 11, four of his catalog albums surge on the Billboard 200 chart (dated Feb. 24), alongside the debut of his new release, Coming Home, at No. 2.
Coming Home arrives on the list with 91,000 equivalent album units earned in the U.S. in the week ending Feb. 15, according to Luminate. Of that sum, album sales comprise 53,000 – making it the top-selling album of the week, and the largest sales week for any R&B album in more than four years.
Four more Usher albums dot the Billboard 200: his former No. 1 Confessions, released in 2004, flies 92-15 with 33,500 units (up 199%), 2010’s chart-topping Raymond V Raymond re-enters at No. 68 (14,000; up 154%), 2001’s 8701 re-enters at No. 122 (10,000; up 187%) and 1997’s My Way re-enters at No. 197 (8,000; up 175%). The four albums house songs that Usher performed during his halftime show.
The Billboard 200 chart ranks the most popular albums of the week in the U.S. based on multi-metric consumption as measured in equivalent album units, compiled by Luminate. Units comprise album sales, track equivalent albums (TEA) and streaming equivalent albums (SEA). Each unit equals one album sale, or 10 individual tracks sold from an album, or 3,750 ad-supported or 1,250 paid/subscription on-demand official audio and video streams generated by songs from an album.
In total, Usher’s catalog of albums, including Coming Home, earned 145,000 equivalent album units in the week ending Feb. 15 – up 428% compared to the previous week (27,500 units). Removing Coming Home from the equation, his albums earned 54,500 units for the week – up 98% compared to the previous week (27,500 units).
Meanwhile, Usher’s halftime closer, “Yeah!,” featuring Lil Jon and Ludacris, re-enters the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart at No. 20 and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs at No. 8. It’s the single’s first appearance on either chart since 2004, when the Confessions’ smash spent 12 weeks atop the Hot 100 and eight weeks leading the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs tally. In the week ending Feb. 15, “Yeah!” earned 13.4 million official streams (up 142%), 8.7 million in airplay audience (up 66%) and sold 11,000 downloads (up 636%).
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Source: Michael Owens / Getty / Super Bowl LVIII / Patrick Mahomes
So, despite all the people claiming they were not going to watch this year’s Super Bowl LVIII for many reasons *coughs* Taylor Swift, it turns out this year’s edition of the big game was the most watched ever.
ESPN reports a record number of eyes were in front of their television screens to see the Kansas City Chiefs defeat the San Francisco 49ers, Usher’s brilliant Apple Music Halftime show, and less than a minute of Taylor Swift.
Per ESPN:
According to Nielsen and Adobe Analytics, the Kansas City Chiefs’ 25-22 overtime victory versus the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday averaged 123.4 million viewers across television and streaming platforms. That shattered last year’s mark of 115.1 million for Kansas City’s last-play victory over the Philadelphia Eagles with a 7% increase.
Nielsen also says a record 202.4 million people looked at some part of the game across all networks at one point, which was a 10% jump over the previous year’s 183.6 million.
It also eclipses the 2016 Super Bowl between the Denver Broncos and Carolina Panthers on CBS, which had 112.34 million viewers.
It was only the second Super Bowl to go into overtime and the second straight event to average over 100 million viewers.
Possible Reasons For This Year’s Super Bowl’s Ratings Success
On top of the thrilling game that saw the Chiefs need overtime to send the San Franciso 49ers back to the bay without the Lombardi trophy, again, there was also the added hoopla of Taylor Swift being in the building and, of course, highly anticipated halftime performance from Usher.
Leading up to the game, the extreme MAGA crowd somehow managed to link Taylor Swift, President Joe Biden, and Super Bowl LVIII in some ridiculous conspiracy theory.
Following the game’s result, President Biden even mocked them, using the infamous “Dark Brandon” meme with the caption, “Just like we drew it up.”
We will be tuned in again next year.
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Source: PATRICK T. FALLON / Getty / Jermaine Dupri
Jermaine Dupri thought he got a fit off, but X users vehemently disagreed.
Usher’s highly anticipated Apple Music Halftime performance at Super Bowl LVIII blessed us with many moments worth talking about and, most importantly, joking about.
One person catching heat on social media is So So Def general Jermaine Dupri and his choice of drip, which many believe was so so trash.
Dupri hit the stage during the performance, rocking a black short suit with a white button-up underneath paired with some eyebrow-raising socks and loafers.
Many viewers thought Durpi was CeeLo Green at first. One person wrote on X, formerly Twitter, “MY MAMA THOUGHT JERMAINE DUPRI WAS CEELO LMFAOOOOOOOO.”
Others couldn’t help but clown Dupri’s fit, especially his choice of socks.
Even Suge Knight got in on the fun. Also, how the hell is he running an X account from prison?
Of course, the slander of his fit didn’t get past him, and Dupri decided to respond via Instagram by showing that his socks were from Louis Vuitton.
In the caption for the post, he wrote, Ha!! ok I ain’t have time for y’all last night I was too drunk, me and my homies performed at the Super Bowl!so I’m just really seeing y’all got me fucked up !! But I will say it’s funny as hell,yoooo!! @pharrell you see this !? PS we came into this game with our clothes on backwards, i ain’t no regular nigga.”
Little did Dupri know that his responding by showing us he bought a pair of overpriced socks would only worsen the situation.
We’re glad Jermaine Dupri is being a good sport about the jokes. You can see more reactions to his awful fit in the gallery below.
2. Accurate
3. H O W L I N G