V Don brings you the official audio for the title track off of his upcoming album “Black Mass”. The new 12-track album is fully produced by V Don and features Dave East, Smoke DZA, 38 Spesh, ElCamino, Dark Lo, Willie The Kid, Eto, Sauce Heist, Da$H, Rigz, and more! Preorder the album today and enjoy on all music streaming platforms 2/7/20!
Straight out of Louisville, Kentucky; is rapper, Philly Blocks! aka The Team 563 Boss. Philly Blocks is back at it making moves and giving his fans that heat, packed with back to back bars about the ups and downs of life in the hood — appropriately titled the “Day’s Of Our Lives.”Philly is on a hot streak, making collaborations with fellow Team 563 artists Cino fresh and Real Deal Lock. Philly keeps his plate full, with either making moves on his daily grind, or knocking out classics in the booth. The Kentucky-native is here to give his fans what they came for. “Days Of Our lives” Team 563’s Kapo has a unique way of giving you his delivery. A Big K.R.I.T. style vibe intertwined with a red hot Jadakiss flow. Something that is definitely missing from the game today.
(NEWSER) – Rapper Akon is of Senegalese descent and spent much of his childhood in the West African country, and now he owns a city there. "Just finalized the agreement for AKON CITY in Senegal. Looking forward to hosting you there in the future," he posted last week on Twitter. Yes, that's right, he named the city after himself. As the Independent reports, its official name is actually Akon Crypto City, and its economy is based on Akon's cryptocurrency, AKoin. The Missouri-born rapper is also an entrepreneur, and this is not his first high-tech venture in Africa; he also co-founded a lighting nonprofit that says it has brought solar power to 18 African countries.
Akon has described the city as a "real-life Wakanda," referring to the fictional country ruled over by King T’Challa in Marvel's Black Panther, promising it will be "futuristic." Residents will be able to use their smartphones to buy, hold, and spend AKoin. "It brings the power back to the people and brings the security back into the currency system," Akon explained in 2018, per the BBC. "It also allows the people to utilize it in ways where they can advance themselves and not allow government to do those things that are keeping them down." Akon built his namesake city on 2,000 acres near the capital city of Dakar that Senegal's president gave him.
The new Aaron Hernandez documentary is making it near impossible for the family of Odin Lloyd -- the ex-NFL star's murder victim -- to recover because they were blindsided by the film.
Sources close to Lloyd's immediate fam tell TMZ ... they feel like old wounds were reopened this past week when Netflix dropped "Killer Inside: The Mind of Aaron Hernandez" ... which chronicled Aaron's life and murder case, starting in 2013.
We're told they largely tried to move on after Aaron was convicted, but now they feel the doc is dragging them back into a dark place and forcing them to relive painful memories.
Our sources say they didn't sign off on 'Killer Inside' ... nor did they want to be involved in the production. We're told the family gets approached with offers to participate in Hernandez specials all the time -- but they always decline.
That being said, the Netflix doc uses enough old video of Odin's family talking, they think it looks like they actively participated. We're told the popularity of the film has sparked a new round of interest -- meaning, they're constantly getting unwanted attention again.
Even worse, we're told some people have gone to horrific lengths to voice their opinion about Odin's death -- with many messaging the family to defend Aaron, and insult their deceased relative.
One other thing ... our sources say the family was disheartened the doc used personal photos of Odin without their permission -- but they'd rather avoid a whole new legal battle. So, they're letting it slide.
Edward Norton was deeply affected by the experience of making American History X, partly due to the film's dark subject matter, and partly because the production was a very troubled one. Here's why the actor was never quite the same after making this film.
In 1996, Norton's performance in Primal Fear established him as a formidable talent, but it was his starring role in the 1998's American History X that truly showcased his talents.
In the film, Norton plays Derek Vinyard, a neo-Nazi who abandons his ideology after spending some time in prison. He then tries to prevent his younger brother, Danny, played by Edward Furlong, from following in his footsteps. As Norton told GQ in 2019:
"The film was, like, even the poster was iconic. It was a Shakespearean type of a story by design."
It's rare that an actor has to step in and edit the film they're starring in, but that's exactly what Edward Norton ended up doing. That's because the making of American History X proved to be almost as controversial as the film itself…and the film was plenty controversial.
In the middle of the editing process, director Tony Kaye had some serious creative differences with the production company New Line Cinema. Kaye had previously worked as an advertising director, and his experience in that industry reportedly affected his editing decisions. In fact, David McKenna, the film's screenwriter, told The Telegraph that:
"[Kaye] literally destroyed the movie. It was a commercial."
In the hopes of salvaging the film, Norton stepped in and began working with Kaye, but they were constantly at odds with one another. However, many of Norton's edits did wind up in the final cut of the film. It was a new experience for Norton, but the skill came in handy later: He ended up co-editing the 2005 neo-Western Down in the Valley, a film he also starred in.
After filming wrapped on American History X, director Tony Kaye was very bitter towards Edward Norton, and he wasn't shy about letting the media know his thoughts. The Telegraph quotes him saying that,
"[Norton is] a narcissistic dilettante, obsessed with his image, obsessed with screen time...I was going to take Hollywood by storm, and I would have but for that buffoon."
Keep in mind, Kaye doesn't seem particularly modest himself. Keep watching the video to see that
#EdwardNorton #AmericanHistoryX
Behind-the-scenes drama | 0:15 Bad reputation | 1:55 A transformative role | 2:55 Making an impact | 3:55 Sympathy for the Devil | 4:57
All Screwed Up is a compelling new series centered around the legendary DJ Screw, born Robert Earl Davis Jr.. Not only was Screw a groundbreaking DJ, he invented a signature style that has transcended more than 2 decades of pop culture and spring-boarded the career of dozens.
His slow pitched “Chopped & Screwed” technique has been featured in Academy Award & Golden Globe Award-winning films and on dozens of multi-platinum, Billboard topping songs. After discovering his signature sound in the early 90s, Robert’s popularity landed him in the middle of police harassment and a violent local beef. This dispute between two sides of America’s 4th largest city would go on to cause on of the most infamous divides in the South’s urban culture.
Produced by: IYO Visuals Cinematography By: Isaac Yowman Cam-Op & Gaffer: Freddy Dang Production Manager: Tannya Williams Production Assistant: Tiarra Wilson, Kelsi Sadler
Check out Boldy James' "Speed Demon Freestyle." Produced by The Alchemist.
Director: Avocado Artist: Boldy James Producer: The Alchemist Album: The Price Of Tea In China Release Date: 2/7/20 Label: ALC Records Mix: Eddie Sancho Master: Joe Laporta
Two former mainstays from St. Joseph’s basketball team are speaking out after a video went viral on social media appearing to show former St. Joe’s and NBA player Delonte West being beaten up and placed in handcuffs on the street.
Former St. Joe’s standout Jameer Nelson, who played alongside West for three seasons, took to social media Monday night to urge restraint in sharing videos of West, which show the former NBA player disheveled and rambling incoherently about being approached by someone with a gun.
It’s unclear where the incident took place, but a street sign in one of the videos indicates it was near Washington, D.C., where West was born.
“Mental illness is something that a lot of people deal with and don’t even know it, until sometimes it’s too late,” Nelson wrote in a lengthy statement on Twitter, adding he has spoken to West several times over the past few months and hopes his former teammate can get the help he needs.
Nelson’s comments were amplified by former St. Joe’s coach Phil Martelli, who called the video of his former student “so very painful.”
West and Nelson played together at St. Joe’s during back-to-back NCAA tournament appearances in 2003 and 2004, one of the greatest runs in Philadelphia college basketball history. West ultimately played eight seasons in the NBA on four different teams, most notably alongside LeBron James on the Cleveland Cavaliers for the 2007-08 and 2008-09 seasons.
But West has also openly struggled with mental illness, and was suspended for 10 games in 2010 after pleading guilty to gun charges.
“My family are trying to get him the best professional help that’s out there, the best that they can afford,” Dmitri West, Delonte’s older brother, told the Daily Mail in 2016. “You can’t put this down to the basketball or money. He is in a great place, he has a beautiful son, a beautiful daughter and a wife that loves him and gives him tremendous support. But sometimes he has this illness that just comes upon him. This condition is like a cancer - it can affect anyone, rich or poor, regardless of whether you are an NBA player or a football player.”
Apparently Delonte West was seen getting beat up in the street this Morning. I went to school with him and it’s crazy to see just how his life has gone downhill since the NBA. pic.twitter.com/chm6Sbu9h6
I see a lot dumb comments where folks making fun of Delonte west... this is not a joking matter .... I’m going to figure out how I can help him.... he need to be in rehab or something...
A Mexican bride’s happiest day turned into her last, after the gang rivals of her brother burst into her wedding and shot her dead. Her husband-to-be was then kidnapped by cartel hitmen who sped away in vans.
The grim scene, shocking even by recent standards in the crime-battered country, played out at Our Lady of San Juan church in Celaya in the central Mexican state of Guanajuato, the Sun and Daily Mail report.
The assassins who undertook the savagery are believed to have come from the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) led by feared boss Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, a former policeman known as El Mencho, who has overtaken the jailed Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman as Mexico’s main criminal bogeyman.
The bride, Karem Lizbeth Yépez Ortiz, was at the altar with her beau, himself an alleged narco named “El Calamardo,” when the shooting started at around 2.30 on Saturday. The bride was also the sister of José Antonio Yépez Ortiz, alias “El Marro,” who leads the Santa Rosa de Lima Cartel, which is embroiled in a long-running feud with El Mencho’s CJNG.
During the attack, which came right as the wedding ceremony was about to wrap up, Mexican site La Silla Rota reported that armed men arrived in vans at the church door, unleashing a hail of bullets. When the congregation had finished scattering, the bride was dead and the groom was nowhere to be seen. He was, it was reported, among two hostages taken by the CJNG, whose hitmen sped away in a number of vehicles, taking shots at anyone who dared to even look in their direction.
A completely innocent civilian who just happened to be near the church at the wrong moment was also killed, hit by a bullet as he rode on his motorcycle. Local media reports that the attorney general of Guanajuato state is investigating the matter, but none of the victims have yet been officially named. La Silla Rota, citing a law enforcement official, reported that the bride had in fact been killed.
The assassins are said to have been wearing bullet-proof vests emblazoned with the logo of the CJNG — vests which have shown up at a number of cartel massacres in Mexico in recent times. Mexico’s popular Blog del Narco now reports that the CJNG has posted videos goading El Marro himself for running away from the wedding scene to avoid being killed.
01 Sxrap 4800 - Armed & Dangerours02 Sxrap 4800 - No Friends 03 Sxrap4800 X 3MG Trap - One Way 04 Sxrap 4800 - Know My Story 05 Sxrap 4800 - Bosses 06 Sxrap 4800 - Package 07 Sxrap 4800 - First Day on the band 08 Sxrap 4800 - Exotic Tree
Written from a personal space of struggle, ‘Racks’ was created as a vital form of self-expression. Yucifer describes the writing process as something that “just felt natural, I just snapped and spat it all out at once.” This release is the cataclysm of depression and anger."
Yucifer drew inspiration by a succession of events that lead to a breaking point in the form of this song. The artist describes going through a very dark period in his life and having nothing to previously do with music. He soon realized he had a lot of things to put out and express to avoid poisoning himself up further with the things that he had held inside.
Before turning to music, Yucifer struggled to find contentment with his life, as a whole, and had been struggling to find the motivation to do anything other than think about these things. This just exacerbated his condition and everything spiraled downwards. His depression turned into severe anxiety and he started having a very strong psychosomatic response in the form of panic attacks a few months after this song was written.
Yucifer indicates, "that pain shapes you, but it is a fine line between letting it teach you what you need to be taught and being destroyed by it". He further indicates, "it takes pain to want to change, and disgust, at yourself, for ending in a position you no longer want to be in". Yucifer's wisdom comes from real life experiences which are portrayed in his music. Ultimately he says, "It is only then when you truly change, from the inside out and move forward, that you can pick yourself up".
Straight out of Central New Jersey comes fast rising emcee Trav Da Assasin. The Dot Mob member and Coastwave Regime artist is on the grind promoting his album titled "Next Up."
Peep this official visual off of it for "Stand Tall" featuring A-Money.
Groups across the country on Monday are gathering to honor the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
The Martin Luther King Jr. holiday is observed each year on the third Monday in January. King, who would have turned 91 on Jan. 15, is remembered for his important contributions to the civil rights movement to end racial segregation and discrimination in America.
The civil rights leader helped organized rallies and boycotts, including the successful Montgomery bus boycott, and advocated for peaceful protests. King delivered his iconic "I Have a Dream" speech in 1963 from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C.
He was assassinated on April 4, 1968, in Memphis, Tennessee.
Here are various events being held Monday across the United States in honor of the late civil rights hero.
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
In his memory, Martin Luther King Jr. Day is also the only federal holiday designated as a national day of service, in which Americans are encouraged to volunteer to improve their communities.
The annual event is an opportunity for Americans to answer the call posed by King, "Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?’"
In Atlanta, multiple events are planned throughout the city as part of holiday celebrations, including a march with a replica of a Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority bus from 1955 and tours of King's birth home.
In New York, the Brooklyn Academy of Music will honor the King’s legacy on Monday with its 34th annual tribute to the civil rights leader. The celebration is New York City’s largest public tribute to King’s life, according to the Brooklyn Daily Eagle.
In San Antonio, the 33rd annual MLK March will take place, considered to be one of the largest in the nation, followed by a commemorative program featuring Mayor Ron Nirenberg and other national, state and county officials.
“Every year, the people of San Antonio come together and celebrate the largest MLK March in the world. We march not only in an act of solidarity to honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy, but to advance his vision of love, peace and justice for all,” Nirenberg said of the event.
In Washington, D.C., the annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday Parade will take place starting at 11 a.m. local time. The District of Columbia was one of the first jurisdictions in the nation to hold a parade in honor of King after his death, and it helped in the effort to establish a national holiday in his honor.
On this episode of People's Party, Talib Kweli and Jasmin Leigh sit down with actress and writer Yvette Nicole Brown. They discuss her early dream of becoming a singer, which evolved into an acting career. Later, she talks about writing the movie "Always A Bridesmaid," and valuable lessons she learned from Donald Glover aka Childish Gambino on the set of the hit show "Community." Later, the trio discusses the idea of fame being a vapor and a trap that compromises the integrity of so many in the industry.
As the convo moves along, Yvette speaks on being a self-proclaimed "Blerd" and regular attendee of the Comic-Con conventions. The trio then goes on to discuss Trump-era politics, the importance of voting, ADOS, the lack of attention on immigration reform by progressives, and in closing Yvette gives some great advice to those seeking a career in Hollywood.
2:51 -- Yvette speaks on why she left the music industry.
5:10 -- Yvette Talks about her movie “Always a Bridesmaid” and that she wrote it because she felt like there were no romantic comedies for black people.
10:00 -- Yvette details what it was like working with Donald Glover at the start of his career on "Community," and lessons she learned -- witnessing his prolific tendencies first hand, never wasting a minute to create.
11:14 -- Yvette gives her take on the trappings of fame, and the only thing that should matter is a kind soul and that’s what people should be famous for. She also expresses her opinion that "Fame is not a virtue."
14:50 -- Yvette preaches about using your fame and platform to speak on important world issues.
15:15 -- Talib explains that Donald Glover wrote Atlanta because he wanted to watch something “black”.
17:20 -- Yvette talks about her role on Community and how she played “what a white man thinks a sassy black woman” is.
21:23 -- Yvette speaks on Comic-Con and why she enjoys it so much and also talks about the “Community” Easter eggs in each Marvel movie (Yvette makes an appearance in "Avengers: End Game").
26:36 -- Yvette says that no matter what, she will always fight for other people. She also discussed how she rarely stands up for herself, but will rise when people speak down on her character. She also speaks on the fact that there are not enough makeup or hair artists to help people of color on set, and the ongoing fight she is having within the industry.
29:40 -- Talib and Yvette speak on the threat that Donald Trump is creating and the importance of voting.
“If you can’t run for office, then vote” – Yvette.
33:43 -- Talib speaks on how he changed his mind about voting after becoming a student of Malcolm X.
35:14 -- Talib and Yvette speak on how Trump is actively trying to hurt people, and is a white supremacist.
“That is the biggest reason to vote, if you care for other people, vote.”
36:52 -- Talib and Yvette speak on the harm that ADOS is creating and how they aim to divide people -- particularly Black Americans.
41:00 -- Talib speaks on immigration reform and what progressives are fighting for.
44:07 -- Talib asks Yvette to share her advice on breaking into the business and industry in LA.
Diddy and Faith Evans played central roles in Notorious B.I.G.'s life and in the immediate success that followed ... so it's only fitting they'll be front and center when Biggie gets inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
Sources close to Diddy tell TMZ ... the music mogul and his family will attend the ceremony -- broadcast live on HBO -- on May 2 in Cleveland. We're told Diddy may have something up his sleeve to honor Biggie ... though it's unclear if he'll perform or pay tribute onstage.
Faith tells TMZ ... she's ecstatic about her late-husband being honored as a first-ballot inductee. And, like Diddy, Faith tells us her plan is to attend the ceremony. She's also hopeful she'll be part of the night's festivities honoring Biggie.
The duo, of course, go way back with Biggie. Diddy and Biggie met in the early 90s and he signed Biggie to Bad Boys Records in 1993. Faith was also signed to Bad Boys when she met Biggie at a photo shoot in 1994 and got married just days later.
When Biggie was tragically gunned down in 1997 in L.A., Diddy and Faith collaborated with 112 and released a tribute song, "I'll Be Missing You."
When the Rock Hall announced its honorees, Diddy couldn't hold back on his excitement ... filming himself on the street going berserk.
Biggie's among 4 inductees getting called to the Hall as first-time ballots -- Whitney Houston, The Doobie Brothers and T-Rex are the others. Depeche Mode and Nine Inch Nails round out the 2020 Hall of Fame class.
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