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18 Feb 2023

Play That Funky Music: Mac McClung Wins 2023 AT&T Slam Dunk Contest, Twitter Salutes The Hops

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2023 NBA All Star - AT&T Slam Dunk Contest

Mac McClung thrust himself onto the world stage Saturday night (Feb. 18) after winning the 2023 AT&T Slam Dunk Contest in Salt Lake City, scoring three perfect scores along the way. On Twitter, the reactions to McClung winning the Slam Dunk Contest sparked a number of hilarious reactions.

Mac McClung, 24, hails from the small town of Gate City, Va., and has one heck of a story regarding his route into the NBA. After going undrafted in 2021 after playing for Georgetown University and Texas Tech, McClung toiled in the G League teams of the Los Angeles Lakers, the Chicago Bulls, and the Philadelphia 76ers. He is now on a two-way contract with the 76ers and is the first G League player to enter and win the Slam Dunk Contest.

What this means for McClung’s professional career remains to be seen but even in the Jordan Rising Stars challenge on Friday (Feb. 17), McClung attempted several spectacular in-game dunks and was said to be an early favorite among the analysts calling the game.

McClung faced off with New Orleans Pelicans big man Trey Murphy III, but McClung’s hops, dunking strength, and acrobatics all coming from a 6-foot-2 frame was just a touch more spectacular than Murphy’s efforts. McClung even showed a lot of swagger by motioning that the contest was over ala Vince Carter, prompting him to get mobbed by a gaggle of NBA stars.

After winning it all, McClung says he wants to come back and protect his new crown.

“It’s great,” McClung said. “I’m truly blessed and grateful to the NBA for giving me this opportunity. If you guys will have me, I’ll be back.”

Check out the reactions from Twitter to Mac McClung winning the 2023 AT&T Slam Dunk Contest below.

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Photo: Tim Nwachukwu / Getty

18 Feb 2023

T.I. Says ‘Kill The King’ Will Be Final Solo Album

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Legendz of the Streetz Tour Reloaded - Houston, TX

T.I., the self-proclaimed “King Of The South,” earned that honor in the minds of many of his fans and peers alike. The crown carries weight and it appears that Tip is ready to relinquish the throne after announcing a final solo album titled Kill The King.

T.I. spoke exclusively with TMZ Hip Hop regarding his decision to no longer release solo projects and instead lean into his many other creative endeavors, which include his burgeoning stand-up comedy career among other pursuits.

More from TMZ Hip Hop:

TMZ Hip Hop chopped it up with T.I. this week and, for now, he’s adamant “Kill the King” will be his last solo album.

The ATL rap icon explains he adopted that regal label after hearing Mystikal refer to himself as “Prince of the South” on the 2001 album “Tarantula.” Tip says he spotted a void for the throne and claimed it.

With more free time, Tip will work with a Black-owned cannabis brand and is prepping for the 20th anniversary of his classic album, Trap Muzik, later this summer. The wide-ranging chat revealed some other tidbits and surprises coming down the pipeline as well.

Check out TMZ Hip Hop‘s talk with T.I. regarding the sunset of his solo recording career in the clip below.

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Photo: Marcus Ingram / Getty

17 Feb 2023

Jalen Rose Says $100 Is The Minimum For Crispy Lineups & Fades, Twitter Has Thoughts

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TAO x Maxim Big Game Party

Jalen Rose has few peers in the world of crispy lineups and intact hairlines, especially in the NBA. The retired Detroit baller and current analyst recently shared that the lowest price a patron should pay for a haircut is $100 and Rose went up for both barbers and beauticians in his statement.

Jalen Rose, fresh at 50, spoke exclusively with Boardroom, the platform operated by Kevin Durant and his partner Rich Kleiman. In the brief video, Rose dispelled wisdom on what it should cost at the starting point to get the shapeups and tapers of your dreams.

“So first off, The minimum you’re supposed to be spending for a quality haircut is $100,” Rose began. “I’m here to defend the sanctuary this is called barbers and beauticians. You know, so many guys and people out here think y’all gonna show up and get a fly haircut and y’all gonna spend $35 dollars.

Rose contained, “Y’all gonna go to the end of the line. Y’all gonna hit up your barber, they gonna send you to the voicemail. You’ll have a 1 o’clock appointment. You gonna get there at 1 o’clock, and somebody gonna be sitting in that chair.”

The video doesn’t share where Rose is but it could be assumed that the interview took place in Salt Lake City, Utah where the 2023 NBA All-Star Weekend festivities are set to kick off. And one thing is for certain, Rose knows a thing or two about keeping a fresh cut and has one of the most formidable hairlines in the game. His only comp in the strong hairline game is Paul George and Anthony Davis at this point.

Check out the reactions to Jalen Rose saying you gotta pay a whole meatball at the minimum to get a fresh cut. Do you agree? Disagree? Engage the tweet below or sound off in our comments section. As for us? We don’t have Jalen Rose money so you got it, Big Dog.

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Photo: Marcus Ingram / Getty

7. Can’t front. This is a good tweet.

12. That’s a low blow.

15. Nobody, fam.

16 Feb 2023

Rev. Al Sharpton Leads Protest Against Florida’s Racist Erasure Of Black History

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Demonstrators protest Florida Governor Ron DeSantis plan to prevent A.P. course on African American studies In Tallahassee

The Rev. Al Sharpton led a protest in Florida on Wednesday (Feb. 15) aimed at criticizing the state’s racist erasure of Black history from its educational system, led by the efforts of Gov. Ron DeSantis. As noted during a speech delivered by Sharpton, DeSantis ordered the removal of a high school Black history course, which sparked concerns among several Black leaders nationwide.

The Miami Herald published a pair of reports regarding the march, centering on Rev. Al Sharpton and his efforts to bring attention to Gov. DeSantis’ decision to have the course removed and hopefully staving off a national movement among conservative elected officials who wish to do away with the looming specter of Black history subjects many on that side incorrectly view as negative in nature.

From the Miami Herald:

“Our children need to know the whole story. Not to not only know how bad you were, but to know how strong they are,” Sharpton told the crowd, adding, “If you would study history, governor, you would have known to mess with us and education always ends in your defeat.”

At the root of the protest was DeSantis striking down an Advanced Placement Black studies course aimed at high schoolers and the reason for the removal of the course was that the state believed it wouldn’t add “educational value” among other points.

DeSantis joins a growing list of GOP representatives who have an irrational fear of Critical Race Theory, using it as some manner of dog whistle among the base to stoke fears of some massive “woke” agenda sweeping the nation. When challenged, those against this so-called agenda can never fully explain what they are fighting against and it simply comes across as “don’t let the Blacks learn too much or else.”

We’ll share some videos of the protest led by Rev. Al Sharpton below. A scan of his Twitter feed goes even more into detail regarding this latest effort.

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Photo: The Washington Post / Getty

14 Feb 2023

Vado “So Kate,” Reuben Vincent ft. Rapsody “February 13th” & More | Daily Visuals 2.14.23

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The Smokers Club Fest

Source: Scott Dudelson / Getty

For a minute there it seemed like Vado was going to be the unofficial fifth member of The Diplomats and though it didn’t work out like we thought it would, the Harlem representative kept on grinding and hasn’t looked back.

Coming through with some new visuals to “So Kate,” Vado gets into the Valentine’s Day spirit and praises the woman in his life, and kicks it with an exotic young lady in his bachelor pad with dim lights and some exclusive sticky-icky to enhance the mood they got going. Nothing says romance like some good ol’ Mary Jane.

Keeping with the Valentine’s Day vibe, Reuben Vincente taps one of the best MCs in the game, Rapsody to hop in his clip to “February 13th” where the two artists struggle with the emotions that come with the ghosts of their exes past and learn a thing or two about themselves in the process.

Check out the rest of today’s drops including work from Kash Doll, That Mexican OT, and more.

VADO – “SO KATE”



REUBEN VINCENT FT. RAPSODY – “FEBRUARY 13TH”



KASH DOLL – “OH BOY”



THAT MEXICAN OT – “HEAR ME”



K CAMP FT. B-LOVEE – “PRETTY ONES”



RAY VAUGHN FT. AB-SOUL – “SANDCASTLES”



DDG – “DELILAH’S”



PRICE FT. RAY VAUGHN – “TED TALK”


https://youtube.com/watch?v=cWMBI41zQNE&version=3&rel=1&showsearch=0&showinfo=1&iv_load_policy=1&fs=1&hl=en-US&autohide=2&wmode=transparent

SKENG – “ELVIS PRESLEY”



14 Feb 2023

Imaginary Players: Big Gipp Thinks Beyoncé Would Be With 2Pac Instead Of Jay-Z If Alive

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Celebrities Attend Miami Heat v Atlanta Hawks

Source: Paras Griffin / Getty

Big Gipp feels a way about the recent GOAT rappers list. So much so that he thinks 2Pac would have landed Beyoncé if he were alive.

As spotted on AllHipHop.com the Goodie Mob member recently conducted an interview with Art Of Dialogue. In it he took serious umbrage with Billboard Magazine’s and Vibe Magazine’s “Top 50 Greatest Rappers of All Time” list. Their rankings had some very interesting surprises which naturally caused a stir online. The “Dirty South” MC expressed his frustration with Jay-Z taking the top slot and championed that 2Pac was more deserving of the honors.

“The only reason why you inching Jay past 2Pac is because he got God damn Beyoncé,” Gipp reasoned. “You take Beyoncé away then sh*t, bar for bar, yeah, he might rap better than ‘Pac. But ‘Pac came with the heart. That’s different, that’s just different. You can never beat the heart, bro. Some people can be technical, just like the difference between Jordan and LeBron.”

And he went on to further explain his position and also said Shakur would have bagged Queen B if he were still with us.

“If ‘Pac was here, who you think the girl would have been with? Hold up … you still can’t act. You can’t do no movies you can’t do what ‘Pac was doing” he said. “C’mon, how can you be better than ‘Pac? … that boy was a triple threat. He did groups that was successful, solo albums that was successful and movies that was successful, hands down partner. If he had lived he would have smoked everything walking.”

You can see Big Gipp discuss 2Pac in more detail below.



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Photo: Getty

13 Feb 2023

Sheryl Lee Ralph Sings Black National Anthem At Super Bowl LVII

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Super Bowl LVII - Kansas City Chiefs v Philadelphia Eagles

Source: Cooper Neill / Getty

Veteran actress & Abbott Elementary star Sheryl Lee Ralph dazzled fans as she sang “Lift Every Voice and Sing” to open Super Bowl LVII held at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona Sunday (Feb. 12)

The musical component of Super Bowl LVII, began after Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott was honored with the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award for his community service. The stage was set for the Emmy Award-winning actress, who was bedecked in a striking floor-length red gown/pantsuit as she began to sing “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” the hymn written first by NAACP leader James Weldon Johnson in 1900. The song is now regarded as the Black National Anthem and has been a key tune of the civil rights movement in the nation.

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Ralph highlighted the significance of her performing “Lift Every Voice and Sing” in a tweet hours earlier. “It is no coincidence that I will be singing the Black National Anthem, Lift Every Voice and Sing at the Super Bowl on the same date it was first publicly performed 123 years ago,” she wrote, with a video showing her entering the arena sporting a Savage X Fenty hat as an ode to Rihanna, who was the Apple Music Halftime Show performer.

The former Broadway star showed off her chops, singing the opening lines in a rich and somber cadence. As she continued, the chorus from the background singers all dressed in white added to her stately vocals, which closed in a triumphant tone with the final lines of the song. “Sing a song full of the faith that the dark past has taught us,” she sang. “Sing a song full of the hope that the present has brought us. Let us march on till victory is won.”

Her performance marks another high note in her career to date. Ralph recently won an Emmy Award for her role as sage teacher Barbara Howard in the hit ABC comedy series Abbott Elementary. She also recently released a Christmas album entitled Sleigh last year. Ralph’s husband, Pennsylvania Senator Vincent Hughes, expressed his praise in a tweet after the game ended with the Kansas City Chiefs beating the Philadelphia Eagles.

“The @eagles may have come up short in a valiant effort tonight but ⁦@thesherylralph certainly was a winner at the ⁦@AZSuperBowl,” he wrote. She responded, “Thank you baby!” and shared it with her followers.

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Photo: Getty

13 Feb 2023

McDonald’s Rolls Out The Cardi B & Offset Meal For Valentine’s Day

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McDonald's Cardi B and Offset Combo Meal

McDonald’s is no stranger to big-name collaborations and partnerships, and they’re rollout out a timely meal for this coming Valentine’s Day. The fast food leader will debut the Cardi B and Offset meal that is meant to be shared with the one you love, or at least like a little bit.

McDonald’s new couple-centric meal features Cardi’s preferred combo of the classic McDonald’s Cheeseburger with tangy BBQ sauce and a large Coca-Coola, while her hubby’s meal of choice is a Quarter Pounder with Cheese and a large Hi-C Orange Lavaburst. A large fries meant to share accompanies the meal, along with a hot apple pie.

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“Let me tell you, McDonald’s is date night done right,” Offset says of the meal. “It doesn’t have to be all boujee. Get your date, grab some good food, and have fun, that’s it.”

Cardi added, “Whether it’s going for a date night or grabbing a bite after late-night studio sessions… I’m always asking Offset to take me to McDonald’s. And now, Offset and I have a meal named after us! I want all my fans to try it – especially with that BBQ sauce.

Ahead of the couple’s meal hitting restaurants on V-Day, McD’s released a really cute commercial that’s definitely full of the warm fuzzy vibes of the upcoming day of love.


https://youtube.com/watch?v=C_LpH8qdT6g&version=3&rel=1&showsearch=0&showinfo=1&iv_load_policy=1&fs=1&hl=en-US&autohide=2&wmode=transparent

Tune in to McDonald’s YouTube channel on Valentine’s Day (Feb. 14) to see the commercial spot for the Cardi B and Offset meal.

McDonald's Cardi B and Offset Combo Meal

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Photo: McDonald’s

08 Feb 2023

Chiefs Head Coach Andy Reid Namedrops Fat Boys, Jay-Z & More At News Conference

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Super Bowl LVII - Kansas City Chiefs Media Availability

Source: Christian Petersen / Getty

Andy Reid is best known as one of the best football minds in the NFL today, but nobody would confuse him for being an expert on modern-day Hip-Hop. During a media session on Wednesday (Feb. 8), the Kansas City Chiefs head coach was asked to name the top three rappers alive and the results were hilarious.

Andy Reid, 64, was at the podium fielding questions from members of the media ahead of the upcoming Super Bowl contest against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday (Feb. 12). Among the reporters in the room, former NFL player Brandon Marshall used the moment to test Coach Reid’s Hip-Hop knowledge and the results were actually shocking.

“Do the Fat Boys count as one rapper?” Reid fired back, according to a report from local outlet The Kansas City Star. “All right, Jay-Z, shoot, I don’t know. I’m missing Master P. Yeah, I’m giving you all the old ones. Lil Wayne, wasn’t he just at our place? Who was just at our place?”

As the outlet notes, the name Coach Reid was searching for was Lil Jon, who was a halftime performer at the AFC Divisional Playoffs game versus the Jacksonville Jaguars at Arrowhead. Close, but no cigar, kind sir.

We’re actually impressed that Coach Andy Reid had the swiftness to name that many rappers but it figures that many of the stars he’s coached over the years blasted their tunes and put Reid up on game.

Check out the hilarious exchange below.

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Photo: Getty

08 Feb 2023

LeBron James Now NBA’s All-Time Leading Scorer, Surpasses Kareem Abdul-Jabbar #ScoringKing

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LeBron James #6 of the Los Angeles Lakers sets the All time scoring record.

LeBron James and his still-ongoing career are the stuff of legend despite the heavy criticism he continues to endure from pundits and couch potatoes alike. The Ohio native and future Hall of Famer became the NBA’s all-time leading scorer Tuesday night (Feb. 7), surpassing the great Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

LeBron James, 38, broke the all-time scoring record during a contest against the Oklahoma City Thunder lead by the explosive young core of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Josh Giddey, and Jalen Williams. The Lakers hosted the Thunder and the game was largely competitive throughout with James leading all scorers with 38 points.

The moment occurred in the third quarter and while it wasn’t some fancy shot from the corner or a thunderous dunk, it was a sweet 14-foot fadeaway jumper that sealed the moment for King James.  In a classy move, Abdul-Jabbar, one of the most beloved Lakers players of all time, congratulated James mid-court with NBA commissioner Adam Silver flanking him.

James allowed himself to crack emotionally if just for a moment, breaking a record that many thought would never get eclipsed, and has existed for four decades, almost as old as James is. The chants of MVP from the crowd were justified as well, as James continues to play at a very high level at an age when most players are already long retired or on the way out of the league.

The Western Conference is highly competitive this season and while the Lakers are in 13th place, they’re just two games from contending for the play-in game and a late-season run could be possible. That said, there are a lot of games left in the 2022-23 season so it’s anyone’s ballgame.

For now, let’s congratulate the Scoring King, LeBron James, on this historic moment. Keep scrolling to see reactions from some of James’ peers and others on social media.

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Photo: MediaNews Group/Pasadena Star-News via Getty Images / Getty