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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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Although Vancouver is a long way from Toronto, some fans have connected that Rick Ross running into some static in the Western portion of the northern country is due to the Drake beef. According to a new report Rick Ross and his crew finished rocking a music festival in Vancouver and came across a group who tried to impede his progress through the crowd.
Several accounts posted the breaking news on their respective feeds, including DJ Akademiks, TMZ, and more. According to the reports, Rick Ross was in Vancouver for the Ignite Music Festival on Sunday (June 30) and was heading through the crowd after leaving the stage when the confrontation began around 10:30 local time.
The group, who has not confirmed their affiliation with Drake, at least publicly, were reportedly upset that Ross chose to end his set playing Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us” as a closing track. As the reports go, one of the men trying to block Rozay’s progress reportedly swung at the Miami rapper with Akademiks claiming that a member of Ross’ crew was left unconscious.
Adding to this, blogger page @6ixaktv posted two videos of the fight with Drake liking one of the videos. According to the videos, it looked like the group didn’t want to square up when things were even but the owner of the page says that they have a clip of Ross getting punched.
An interesting thread of discussion also cropped up with many noticing that the men who confronted Ross appeared to be white and using the “N-Word” although, again, the group has not stepped forward to present their identity online.
On X, the reactions to Rick Ross being jumped by Vancouver goons have the Maybach Music Group boss’ name trending. We’ve got reactions from all sides below.
WARNING: The images in the clips below may be disturbing to some so proceed with caution.
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Photo: Mireya Acierto / Getty
3. Too late.
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Cardi B was the headlining act to usher in the return of the BET Experience Concert Series this weekend in Los Angeles, but the show ran into a technical snag. Cardi B, known for her passion onstage and off, gave a verbal lashing to the production crew which got a response from a celebrity blogger, prompting the Bronx superstar to unleash some firey bars in that direction as well.
Cardi B, Gunna, Sexyy Red, and Davido were among the headlining acts for the BET Experience Concert Series at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, Calif. The show took place on Friday (June 28) and the sold-out crowd was treated to a medley of Bardi’s biggest hits with the rapper inviting fans to piece together clues as to when she’ll drop another full-length album.
However, the show wasn’t without mishaps, none of which were Cardi’s fault. As reposted by entertainment blogger Milagro Gramz, a video from local radio station REAL 92.3 and the Big Boy’s Neighborhood show featured Cardi having some choice words for the production team for missing the cues in her performance after she spent well over six figures for the moment.
Milagro Gramz captioned the video on X in her reposting with, “I understand that people have families to feed, but I wished we lived in a better world because no one should ever be disrespected like this in a workplace environment/at all. This principle isn’t exclusive to less glamorous positions. Celebrities included.”
Cardi, seeing the post from Gramz, fired back on X saying, “Girl shut up.. when you do a show you don’t pay after you pay before.. I paid 350,000 up front the least they could do is get my pyro ready and turn the fans on because guess what??? At the end of the day that money is not returnable… don’t half ass my show because you comfortable when I definitely don’t half ass when it comes to paying.. don’t tell me how to talk to anybody when you the same ho talkin bout my kids and other deceased parents for no reason.”
It didn’t end there with Gramz adding in another post, “Y’all wanna know what’s sooooo crazy??? We did a show this past Thursday or Friday & I spoke about how beautiful Cardi’s kids are how good of a mother and how loving towards them I feel she is. I’ve repeatedly said, even though they’ve stepped into the industry and are doing amazing things I won’t discuss or post them out of respect. Like a real b*tch simply because previous words had been misconstrued and I don’t care for Cardi B as an entertainer. Y’all be loud and wrong asf and I be laughing at yall dumbass.”
Cardi didn’t let that reply go and wrote, “This wasn’t you talking about my child when she was 1 years old for no reason but you want to talk about morals??? Go to hell.. you been itching for a response from me go scratch your ass ho.”
Peep the audio below.
Gramz didn’t back down nor apologize and wrote, “This was your ace in the hole? You played yaself STUPIDO.”
From there, Cardi B deaded the argument and blocked Milagro Gramz swiftly.
On X, formerly Twitter, we’ve got reactions below.
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Photo: Getty
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Ma$e is currently the co-host of the It Is What It Is podcast with Cam’Ron, a long way from his time playing basketball and rising in the Hip-Hop ranks while in Harlem. On his podcast, Murder Ma$e shared details of beef he had with the late Big L, who allegedly set up the former Bad Boy Records rapper to be robbed.
On the Wednesday (June 26) episode of It Is What It Is, Ma$e, real name Mason Betha, told the tale of the beef he had with Big L. According to the Harlem World rapper, Big L reportedly stole lyrics from him and he decided to confront the Diggin In The Crates member.
Betha then says that after confronting the “Put It On” artist, he was at the famed Tunnel nightclub and said Fat Joe approached him to attempt to absolve himself of the beef. Later, Betha said that while walking in Harlem with former NBA player and current NBA coach God Shammgod, he was wearing his first Rolex watch.
He goes on to say that a person brandishing a weapon trained the gun on Shammgod and demanded Betha give up the watch. After contemplating running away, Betha said he threw the watch on the ground with him and Shammgod taking off.
The robber was reportedly located in jail and was served a little street justice inside the big house according to Ma$e.
On X, formerly Twitter, fans are reacting to the details of the story. We’ve got reactions from all sides below.
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Photo: Getty
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Source: Urban One / Urban One
Ludacris sat down with Urban One’s CEO Alfred Liggins for an in-depth talk about the impact of Black culture in America in Cannes, France.
On Wednesday (June 19), the Urban One Influential Beach at the Cannes Lions Festival in France was the scene for a dynamic talk between superstar rapper and actor Ludacris and the CEO of Urban One, Alfred Liggins. The subject was the powerful impact of Black culture in America and beyond. Liggins opened up by sharing the origins of the bond between the two with the audience. “I’m a little older than him but we started our careers together because I bought a little radio station in Atlanta back in 1995 called Hot 97,” he began before sharing how Ludacris got his start at the station as an intern before asking the Grammy Award winner to share a bit about his background.
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Ludacris spoke about how he began rapping at the age of 9, and how he came to Hot 97 with the hopes of joining the team. “If I can get a job up there, I can pursue my dream of becoming an entertainer, an international entertainer,” he explained. “What happened was, like you said, I just went up there and begged for an internship and at first your company said “we’re not hiring”. I said, “okay” and came back the next week and asked “Are you guys hiring yet, I’m willing to do anything, I’m willing to work for free.” They call it pleasant persistence.” He’d go on to reveal that after two months, he was hired to work on the morning show at only 18 years old.
The conversation soon moved to the impact of Black culture domestically and globally. “For a long time, it’s driven our local culture, international culture but it didn’t get its just due. How do you do that and what are ways that we can make that happen?” Liggins asked. “That’s a perfect example of why and how we need to invest into the Black dollar,” Ludacris responded. “I’m trying to provide a safe space and an incubator for my children the way that Urban One provided a safe space and an incubator for me. I think the more that we do these things and the more that we have these conversations, the more open-minded people are and the more they want to invest.”
Check out the entire conversation between Ludacris and Urban One CEO Alfred Liggins above.
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Tia Kemp and Rick Ross won’t be winning any co-parenting awards anytime soon, this after the rapper caught yet another verbal lashing from his son’s mother. Rick Ross celebrated Father’s Day this weekend by announcing he no longer has to pay child support for their son, but Tia Kemp wasn’t about to let him have his day.
On June 15, Rick Ross posted a video asking his fans what they would rather celebrate, Father’s Day or the final day of paying child support.
Tia Kemp caught wind of the video and unloaded on Rozay with a profanity-laced barrage of insults stating that if she wanted to run it back, she would. Kemp also mentioned that the money she’s making now dwarfs whatever payments Ross sent over for their son, who reportedly just finished high school.
It doesn’t appear that Ross was bothered by Kemp’s jabs as he just posted on his Instagram Story feed this morning (June 18) stating that he’s still celebrating Father’s Day.
Knowing how Rozay’s baby momma gives it up, we can expect a lot more insults in the coming weeks if they continue to poke and jab at each other through social media.
On X, formerly Twitter, Tia Kemp and Rick Ross’ back-and-forth was trending and we’ve got the reactions from all sides below.
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Photo: Instagram/@tia_kemp2
1. If that’s a goal in life, then yeah, sure. Great. Kudos.
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Charles Barkley is one of the most vital media figures of the global basketball community as evidenced by his long stint on the popular Inside The NBA program. Amid the NBA looking to enter broadcasting deals with other networks, Charles Barkley announced that the 2024-25 NBA season will be his last as a member of the Inside The NBA panel.
Charles Barkley, 61, appeared on NBA TV after Game 4 of the NBA Finals series between the Boston Celtics and the Dallas Mavericks, with the Mavs handling business. Barkley, speaking in his usual straight-talk fashion, has said previously that he was trying to find ways to keep Inside The NBA going but shocked viewers with his retirement announcement during the broadcast.
“I ain’t going nowhere other than TNT,” Barkley said. “But I have made the decision that, no matter what happens, next year is going to be my last year on television. And I just want to say thank you to my NBA family. You guys have been great to me. My heart is full with joy and gratitude.”
Barkley was referencing the ongoing negotiations between the NBA and Disney/ABC/ESPN, Amazon, NBC, and Warner Bros. Discovery for the league’s media rights. From early reports, it appears that Warner Bros. Discovery was the only group out as NBC seemingly emerged as a frontrunner although Adam Silver and the NBA have yet to share details of the potential deals. As it stands, Warner Bros. Discovery owns TNT and Inside The NBA and if a deal doesn’t materialize, the show would likely end anyway.
“I hope the NBA stays with TNT, but for me personally, I wanted you guys to hear it from me. I wanted to tell my NBATV and TNT family that I’m not going to another network, but I’m going to pass the baton to either Jamal Crawford or Vince Carter or you Steve [Smith],” Barkley added.
Charles Barkley added a no-nonsense air of authority on the show and his spirited and sometimes chippy banter with co-host Shaquille O’Neal and good-natured ribbing with Kenny “The Jet” Smith and Ernie “EJ” Johnson Jr.
Barkley has been with the network since 2000.
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LL COOL J doesn’t need to prove himself as a rapper as he’s cemented in the annals of Hip-Hop history as one of the culture’s living legends. However, a spark still exists within the Queens star, and his new track “Saturday Night Special” featuring Fat Joe and Rick Ross proves that his comeback promises were not a fluke.
LL COOL J has been teasing his upcoming 14th studio album, The FORCE ((Frequencies of Real Creative Energy), with fellow Queens native Q-Tip executive producing the project.
Produced by Q-Tip, who also shows up on the hook, “Saturday Night Special” displays LL COOL J giving a grim warning about a tough street cat that you shouldn’t cross. Sounding invigorated, LL doesn’t appear to have lost any of the fire that he displayed over the 1980s and 1990s and finds an interesting pocket atop the A Tribe Called Quest legend’s airy production.
Rick Ross takes over for the second verse, sounding comfortable over the soulful boom-bap, and Fat Joe, no stranger to this type of bop, added his flair. Even better, all three MCs stick to the same common theme and each verse has its standout moments among them.
LL’s return to music was a long time coming as it has been over a decade since he’s lost put out a project. Fans were curious to know how LL would sound over Q-Tip’s production and the results are seemingly pleasing even to the most hardened online critics. Of course, there are your requisite detractors but that’s to be expected in the “keyboard kourage” era.
For now, check out the video for “Saturday Night Special” below and keep scrolling to see reactions from X, formerly Twitter.
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Photo: Getty
6. Can’t win ’em all.
10. This facts.
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As Rasheed Wallace reportedly said, even the sun shines on a dog’s ass twice a day and Candace Owens is a perfect example of that phrase. Candace Owens was a recent guest on the Piers Morgan Uncensored show and in their discussion, the conservative pundit checked the host on the nature of the Israel-Hamas and the media’s reluctance to refer to the happenings as genocide.
Candace Owens, 35, sat down with Piers Morgan, 59, and the tense discussion surrounding the Isreal-Hamas war turned towards Owens making note of the fact that journalists are seemingly fearful of critiquing Israel’s actions. At one point, Owens included Morgan in that group.
“You too, Piers, seem a little fearful to critique Isreal and coming off as trying to be a little understanding of everything,” Owens said. Morgan, perhaps anticipating this, dodged the assertion. For her part, Owens clearly articulated what the word genocide means and did manage to get Morgan to throw a very soft jab at Israel’s PM, Benjamin Netanyahu.
The 90-minute conversation between Morgan and Owens touched on her leaving The Daily Wire, her political positions, her connection with Ye FKA Kanye West, the conflict between Ukraine and Russia, and much more.
Check out the clip in question below and keep scrolling to see reactions to the Israel-Hamas segment. Also, let’s be clear, we’re not on her side about much of anything. On this point, however, she called it straight and that’s all we’re noting.
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Despite rumors of beef between Young Thug and Gunna, Thug’s father, Jeffery Williams Sr., continues to publicly support Gunna while his son is embroiled in a RICO trial.
During Gunna’s Bittersweet Tour stop at Atlanta’s State Farm Arena on Tuesday (June 11), Thug’s dad could be seen in the VIP pit in front of the stage enjoying the Atlanta rapper’s performance of his and Thugger’s song “Ski” from the YSL compilation album Slime Language 2.
With a big smile on his face, Thug Sr. raps along with the song’s chorus while doing the #SkiChallenge as the crowd around him goes crazy.
Trending on Billboard
Back in December 2022, Gunna agreed to a so-called Alford plea, which allows a defendant in a trial to enter a formal admission of guilt while still maintaining their innocence. He was released from jail with time served and probation conditions that include 500 hours of community service.
“While I have agreed to always be truthful, I want to make it perfectly clear that I have NOT made any statements, have NOT been interviewed, have NOT cooperated, have NOT agreed to testify or be a witness for or against any party in the case and have absolutely NO intention of being involved in the trial process in any way,” the rapper said in a statement the day of his release in 2022.
Thug’s father has confirmed on multiple occasions that he still supports Gunna. Last December, during an interview with Infamous Sylvia, Williams Sr. adamantly defended the rapper, saying, “I love Gunna… Let me try to help the attorney clarify that a little simpler. Gunna hasn’t done anything whatsoever that can hurt us on this case, period.”
When asked about Lil Baby telling a DJ to stop playing his “Drip Too Hard” collab with Gunna during a concert and saying, “F—k the rats, turn this s—t off,” he reiterated his position on the matter. “He need to shut the f—k up ’cause he don’t know what’s going on,” he told Infamous Sylvia in another interview. “Ask Lil Baby has he ever came to a court date?”
Recently, one of Thug’s lawyers in the ongoing RICO trial was held in contempt and sentenced to 20 days in jail. However, the Georgia Supreme Court granted an emergency motion, pausing the jail sentence until they review the controversial decision. Prior to that, a witness called by the prosecution went viral for referring to Young Thug’s song “Lifestyle” as a “banger.”
Watch the clip of Young Thug’s father dancing at Gunna’s Atlanta show below: