Diana Nicholson, right, the mother of Taraha Shenice Nicholson is comforted during a news conference at the Edgecombe County Sheriff's office in Tarboro, N.C.Newsweek Reports
Ten women have been found slain or have been declared missing in Rocky Mount, N.C., in recent years. But the rest of the country hasn't heard about a possible serial killer stalking the young women in this Southern town of 60,000. The latest victim, Elizabeth Jane Smallwood, was identified on Oct. 12. Why have the Rocky Mount homicides been largely ignored?
"When you think about the famous missing-person cases over the last few years it's Chandra Levy, Natalee Holloway, and Laci Peterson," notes Sam Sommers, associate professor of psychology at Tufts University. All these women had a few things in common—they were white, educated, and came from middle-class families. The victims in Rocky Mount—which residents describe as a "typical Southern town," and is about 40 percent white and more than 50 percent black—were different. They were all African-American, many were poor, and some had criminal histories including drug abuse and prostitution.
"If it was someone of a different race, things would have been dealt with the first time around; it wouldn't have taken the fifth or sixth person to be murdered," says Andre Knight, a city-council member and president of the local NAACP chapter. "All these women knew each other and lived in the same neighborhood; this is the sign of a potential serial killer. When it didn't get the kind of attention it needed, it made the African-American community frustrated."
Police have not officially linked all the murders and disappearances, but community members claim the similarities among the women, their lifestyles, and the location of their bodies make a connection all too obvious. "If you find two bodies in the same location, this could be the work of the same person or people," says Rocky Mount Police Chief John Manley, who would not comment on a connection, but implied the possibility.
Rumors are running rampant around the town about the identity of the serial killer. There is not much physical evidence, leading some to speculate it's a former law-enforcement officer or someone in the military. Others have deduced that the killer is targeting specific women as a form of revenge for contracting HIV from a prostitute. Along with Smallwood, the murders of Taraha Nicholson, 28, Jarniece Hargrove, 31, Ernestine Battle, 50, Jackie Nikelia Thorpe, 35, Melody Wiggins, 29, and Denise Williams, 21, remain unsolved. Authorities are also searching for Yolanda Lancaster, 37, Joyce Renee Durham, 46, and Christine Boone, 43.
Jackie Nikelia Thorpe, 35, was found killed in 2007 – she is one of six women found dead along Seven Bridges Road since 2005.
One man is in custody for the murder of Nicholson, who was the fourth victim, discovered back in 2005. This past September, police charged Antwan Maurice Pittman, 31, with her murder. He is accused of strangling Nicholson and dumping her partially clothed body in the woods. So far, authorities have not linked Pittman to the other murders. "There's a lot of mixed sentiments about Pittman," says Knight, referring to community speculation about whether police have charged the right man.
"In this Information Age, cases get solved through sheer publicity, whether it's an Amber Alert or America's Most Wanted, anyone could have a tip or be a potential source of information," Sommers says.
But the national media did show some interest in the story after it was revealed that five women were murdered in or around the town. "Nancy Grace called and wanted to have some of us on her show, but before it aired there was a white woman from Georgia that went missing. The Nancy Grace show was canceled," Knight says. HLN network, which broadcasts Nancy Grace, confirmed that Knight was booked for the show, which was ultimately canceled to profile the disappearance of Kristi Cornwell, a white woman from Blairsville, Ga., who went missing during an evening walk. Representatives from Nancy Grace told NEWSWEEK, "The booking was changed due to news that was breaking that day," and emphasized the change had nothing to do with the race of the victim. On Aug. 12, Anderson Cooper 360 Degrees covered the story.
That bit of media exposure brought new resources to the investigation. Originally, only a small amount of reward money was collected for information about the case. After the story aired on CNN , New Jersey philanthropist Peter Pinto, of the Kefalas-Pinto Foundation, donated $10,000 from a personal trust. In late September, the city donated an additional $5,000, which was matched by a $5,000 county donation, bringing the amount of reward money to $20,000. If there were no media coverage, there might have been no reward. The money isn't just going to help with the investigation, it's helping the families of the victims, specifically their children.
The money proved to be a blessing for Jurary Tucker, the mother of Yolanda Lancaster, who has been missing since February 2008. "We were able to use some of the money to get [Yolanda's] children ready for school," Tucker says. "They have to wear uniforms to school and they are very expensive; the money came at a good time." Tucker became the primary custodian of her granddaughter and grandson after Lancaster's disappearance.
When Annie Le, a 24-year-old Yale pharmacology graduate student, went missing on Sept. 8, it only took three days for the university to offer a $20,000 reward. In the case of the Rocky Mount women, it took more than six years to raise that same amount of money for 10 women.
Concerned residents of the town tried to promote the case by distributing fliers and purchasing a billboard advertisement featuring the women, but their efforts may have backfired. Mug-shot photographs of the victims, many pictured in orange jumpsuits, sometimes appearing disheveled or under the influence of alcohol or drugs, were used in their efforts. Unlike the images of a smiling Annie Le, these images showed the women during darker times.
"Everyone has a dark side at some point, but you want to put your best out front when you are trying to appeal [to the public] for help," Chief Manley says. "When you look at obituaries in the newspaper, [the photos] show a bright time in someone's life; you really want to show the person when they are doing well."
Manley says the police department used the victims' driver's license photographs to help with search efforts. "You don't need to air dirty laundry. Seeing someone's dark side doesn't appeal to the conscience of other people," he says.
Concern over the buried headlines and lack of national media attention isn't the only thing upsetting residents; some say there are deeper festering racial tensions in the community. When a candlelight vigil was held to commemorate the murdered women, only black community officials attended. When other vigils were organized for deaths in Rocky Mount, there was no racial divide, and community members, both black and white, attended the events in droves. "When a prominent attorney's wife died, we all came together and the church was full, but when the community was coming together to share their pain and reach out to these families, only black elected officials were there," Knight says. "They [white officials] didn't have an excuse, they just didn't come."
White officials, including the mayor, say they weren't invited to the memorial. "It's hard to attend something that you don't even know is occurring," says David Combs, mayor of Rocky Mount. "I was glad that we had the vigil and had people who were involved."
For the families who just want to locate their daughters or bring closure to their murders, the investigation has been a long, drawn-out process. Tucker speaks about her daughter in the past tense, quickly catches herself, and shifts to the present tense, emphasizing her commitment to finding her daughter. "As far as the investigation goes, I just hope they continue to do the best they can to put closure to the missing girls and the girls that have been found," Tucker says. "Whatever it is, we are here waiting."
"Regardless of drug addiction or other problems, that still doesn't give a person the right to kill another," says Knight. "If we can give a terrorist a day in court, we can get these women justice."
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AllHipHop Reports
Chuck D, the front man of Public Enemy, offered his opinion of Jay-Z and Gucci Mane during an interview on AllHipHop Radio's morning show Eric B and Friends earlier in the day.
The rapper expressed his admiration for Jay-Z from a career point of view, and stressed that he was impressed with The Blueprint 3 album.
"On Jay-Z - quote me on this - Jay-Z is the Rookie of the Year in 2009. You want to know why? Because at age 40, he is just getting started," Chuck said this morning. "He is simply forwarding the artform. Just imagine if he decided to pick up two more languages to add to his craft. He is #1." (Editor's note: Jay-Z turns 40 in December.
Chuck also said that rappers such as Gucci Mane and Baby of Cash Money, who both sharply contested Jay-Z's top slot on MTV's "Hottest Rapper" list had no artistic right to be so vocal.
Chuck D stated these were unfounded criticisms based on Jay-Z's body of work.
Chuck said, "Jay-Z's just getting started. Gucci Mane, he'd be better off jumping in a swimming pool with a plugged in toaster."
Chuck D stressed that his former Def Jam alumni could likely expand his brand if he further embraced the global community.
"The only thing what will make Jay-Z totally untouchable, would be if he learned another language."
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EW.com Reports
Lil Wayne entered a guilty plea to felony gun possession in an NYC courthouse this morning, MTV News reports. The rapper will likely be sentenced to one year in prison under the terms of his plea deal. He would have faced up to three and a half years behind bars if convicted.
The gun charges stemmed from a July 2007 incident in which police pulled over Wayne’s tour bus after a concert. (I was there in the audience earlier that night — it was an unforgettable show.) They found a loaded .40 caliber semi-automatic pistol. While Wayne initially pleaded not guilty, the situation changed this month when prosecutors said they had DNA evidence linking him to the weapon.
There’s no word yet on how this will affect Lil Wayne’s music plans, but it’s hard to see this as anything but a major roadblock to promoting his next album, Rebirth, which is still awaiting release after months of delays. Share your thoughts on his legal troubles below.
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NY Daily News Reports
Sam Jones III will need a lot more help than Superman can offer him.
The "Smallville" star, who played Clark Kent's best friend on the CW show, was arrested Wednesday morning in a federal drug sting, TMZ.com reported.
The Drug Enforcement Agency said Jones was accused of being a "co-conspirator" in several major drug deals last year.
According to court documents, the actor and several others devised a plan to purchase and distribute more than 10,000 oxycodone pills.
Jones was reportedly taken into custody by DEA agents who described him as the "Hollywood connection" to the plot.
The 26-year-old actor has been charged with conspiracy to possess illegal drugs with the intent to distribute. If convicted, Jones faces up to 20 years in federal prison.
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From HipHopWiredSo much can be said about the video for Drake's smash hit, Best I Ever Had, but they say a picture is worth 1000 words. But if the pictures aren't enough, we got a chance to catch up with one of the feature models from the video, Shakur, while she was traveling out to the west coast. While you may know the body from the video, you may have heard her single on your local radio station “Nadda Ho” featuring Will.i.am of the Black Eyed Peas. We got the chance to catch up with her about acting, rapping and her romantic rumors with an upstart emcee.HipHopWired: Where are you from?Shakur: I'm from Los Angeles, California.
HipHopWired: So born and raised there or just born?Shakur: Well born and raised but I spend a lot of time on the East Coast and the South because I am recording out there a lot.
HipHopWired: What's your ethnic background?Shakur: Both parents are Egyptian.
HipHopWired: Cool, I was thinking you have a unique look. It's like a European face with an African shape.Shakur: Yeah Egyptians come in all types; all Africans just depends on the ancestry. But people always think I'm Hispanic and I'm fluent in Spanish so it trips them up sometime.
HipHopWired: How did you get your start modeling?Shakur: I started modeling when I was about 13; I did commercial and print work around then so I was real young. My mother made me stop because she wanted me to be more focused on academics. So she pulled me out of entertainment to make sure the number one focus was school. Then when I was of age to do stuff on my own legally I got back into it. Music pulled me back before I could get back into modeling, so I focused on that and put modeling and acting to the back.
HipHopWired: So you say the music pulled you back into entertainment, how'd that come about?Shakur: Well I always had been writing and had a passion for music, I think I get that from my father but I kinda got pulled into it with people saying I have a talent for it and I just started recording and putting things I'd written on wax. It grew from being an interest to a passion to something I wanted to pursue with full force.
HipHopWired: How long have you been recording?Shakur: About 6 years, about 5 or six years I've been recording.
HipHopWired: I read another interview and it said that Kanye West personally called you to be in the Drake video, did you cultivate those relationships via the music or through modeling first?Shakur: Yea definitely the music first, I developed my relationships through the music with people knowing me as an artist, and people just happened to know I'm a pop artist with a good look for modeling. So people often misconstrue what comes first, but it is the music, but if I can gain exposure through the modeling and be able to use it as a means to get my music out there then I'm all for it.
So when Kanye hit me up about it, he had already known me from around the industry for the past couple years. He knows that I'm studying theatrics with a coach, so he was like, “I know you're doing your acting thing and this is a video we're about to shoot it would be a good look for you, not on some video girl stuff.” Not that I am against ‘video girl stuff', its just that as an artist it confuses people like what are you trying to be. He was like there was some acting to it, so when I got to set and saw the treatment and I was like oh okay, this is cool, not your typical stuff.
HipHopWired: Also we caught wind that you may be the best Drake's ever had; any truth to the rumors that you and him are an item?Shakur: The rumors saying that Drake and I have a romantic relationship and it's just not true. I met Drake on the set for “Best I Ever Had”. I only was involved because of Kanye's request as a friend. I've never been romantically involved with either one.
HipHopWired: So no fireworks at all?
Shakur: He is a very talented and very sweet guy, but the relationship has never been like that. I respect his talent but there is no romantic relationship between us. I understand this is all a part of the game as far as rumors go, but if you even look at the pictures posted on the gossip sites you'll see they are all from the set of the video.
For More Of This Interview, And To Hear Shakur's Song "Nadda Hoe" feat Will.I.AM Visit HipHopWiredRead more…
Tracklisting :
01 Drugs
02 Gang Bang Ft. Streets
03 Everyday Ft. King Gordy & Three Six
04 Disrespectful
05 Mic Check
06 This Nigga
07 Parking Lot Ft. Nate
08 My Sister Best Friend
09 Big Booty Kim Ft. Mastero
10 A Lot Of That
11 My Future Ft. Ms. Robinson
12 Wonderful Night Ft. Greensocks
13 Bitch You Think You Special Ft. King Gordy & Swifty
14 Mind Your Biz Ft. Mastero
15 Smoking Weed Ft. Lou Lewis
16 Wonderful Day Ft. Sony Bono
17 Losing My Mind Ft. Quan
18 I Hear Sirens Ft. Gamibo
19 Moma Don't Cry Ft. Playboy Tre & Rogue
20 Hip Hop ShopDownload HereRead more…
Rolling Stone Reports
R. Kelly has announced he’ll release his new album Untitled on December 1st both physically and digitally. The nameless LP, Kelly’s first since 2007’s Double Up and last year’s shelved 12 Play: Fourth Quarter, has already spawned first single “Number One,” featuring Keri Hilson, and second single “Religious” was delivered to radio recently after debuting on Kelly’s YouTube page. As Rolling Stone previously reported, his The Demo Tape mixtape was released this June.
For Untitled, Kelly broke with tradition and instead did some recording in Atlanta instead of his native Chicago, according to a press release. The album will also find the Chocolate Factory singer collaborating with up-and-coming producers like Chris Henderson, Lil Ronnie and Infinity. At an album preview party Kelly hosted at his own home, he reportedly told the crowd he party-tested Untitled hard. “For three months straight, I threw a party at my house every weekend. … Like 200 girls come over, and there’s some guys too, like four or five, but no pictures, so we can all be ourselves. Then I’d play the music and see how they would react… if they didn’t feel it, I’d go back downstairs and rework it…”
Kelly recently kicked off a tour in support of Untitled, a trek that’ll keep the singer on the road and not trapped in a closet until a December 8th show in St. Louis, Missouri. Check out the remaining tour dates below:
Oct. 22 – Atlanta, GA
Oct. 23 – Chattanooga, TN
Oct. 24 – Charleston, SC
Oct. 25 – Augusta, GA
Oct. 27 – Birmingham, AL
Oct. 29 – Dallas, TX
Oct. 30 – Houston, TX
Oct. 31 – New Orleans, LA
Nov. 1 – Memphis, TN
Nov. 5 – Los Angeles, CA
Nov. 6 – Las Vegas, NV
Nov. 7 – Oakland, CA
Nov. 12 – Indianapolis, IN
Nov. 14 – Detroit, MI
Nov. 15 – Milwaukee, WI
Nov. 17 – Chicago, IL
Nov. 20 – Louisville, KY
Nov. 21 – Charlotte, NC
Nov. 22 – Greensboro, NC
Nov. 24 – Washington, DC
Nov. 27 – Jacksonville, FL
Nov. 28 – Miami, FL
Nov. 29 – Tampa, FL
Dec. 4 – Norfolk, VA
Dec. 5 – Richmond, VA
Dec. 6 – Cleveland, OH
Dec. 8 – St. Louis, MORead more…
Video After The Jump
With the movie Saw VI about to hit theaters, Jimmy Kimmel and sidekick Guillermo unveiled their version. In this clip Guillermo has to choose between saving his mustache or his beloved Chihuahua's..lol. The real version of Saw VI is out tomorrow (October 23)
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Video After The JumpDave Chappelle, in my opinion the funniest comedian in the business made a recent appearance at the Laugh Factory. He let everyone in on "The Secret Of Depression". Watching this really made me miss the Chappelle Show. Come on Dave, bring that ish back !
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MYFOXDC Reports
Videos After The Jump
WASHINGTON, D.C. - An Ashburn, Virginia woman is in the fight of her life after suffering a very rare side effect to the seasonal flu shot.
The vast majority of doctors say flu shots are safe. In this case, the FDA says they found nothing wrong with this particular batch, but sometimes there are complications.
That's apparently what happened to Desiree Jennings, and now her life will never be the same.
At 26 years old, Desiree Jennings was the picture of health. She's a Washington Redskins cheerleader and an avid runner. Her life changed forever on August 23 when she says she got a seasonal flu shot at a local grocery store.
"I was training for a half marathon then," said Jennings, crying. "It just all went so fast."
Ten days after receiving the shot, she came down with the flu. After that, her health spiraled downwards. She started passing out and had to be hospitalized twice.
"We went to an urgent care place and they wouldn't even let her get out of my truck because she was seizing in the back so bad, so they called an ambulance immediately," says her husband, Brendan Jennings.
Doctors at Fairfax Inova and Johns Hopkins diagnosed her with a rare neurological disorder called dystonia. They think it was caused by a severe reaction to the flu shot.
Desiree now has difficulty speaking, walking, and even eating. During an interview with FOX 5, she had several seizures. The effects are irreversible.
"The symptoms will get worse if I use my voice or walk when the brain signals are misfiring," says Jennings.
Desiree reported her health problems to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) thinking there might have been something wrong with her vaccine. We also contacted the FDA and we were told they found no problems with the particular lot of flu vaccines that Desiree received, and the agency has not received any other reports of adverse effects from this lot.
Health experts stress that overall, extreme side effects are rare.
"The flu shot is safe for the majority of the public, and as I said before, your heart goes out to someone that experiences this sort of thing-- thinking that they are doing something great for their wellness and their general health, but it does happen in extremely rare cases," says Rachel Lynch with Fairfax Inove Health System.
For Desiree, she just happened to be one of those rare cases.
"I just don't want this to happen to anyone else," says Jennings.
Desiree and her husband plan to visit the Mayo Clinic in Arizona in November. They're hoping to get more answers about this disease and how they live with it.
Desiree has received flu shots before in 2007 and 2008.
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Tracklisting :
1.Listen
2.I'll Holla
3.Stand Up
4.Mr. 19.5
5.Mr. Bakerman
6.Hood Newz
7. Ya Dig! Feat. Jim Jones
8.Fucks With You Feat. Max B
9.I Be Knowin'
10.Patty Cake
11.My Ninja Feat. Cau2g$
12.Bundles Hot (Original )
13.Bring It Back
14.Bendin' Corners
15.Click Clack Feat. Bynoe (Free Bynoe)
16.Salute Me
17.Dont Get It Confused Feat. Chinx Drugz
18.Freestyle Feat. Ransom
19.That's That Bass Feat. Chinx Drugz
20.Signing Bonus
21.Critics
22-Can't Go On This Way
23.Icon
24.Lost In Tha RockDownload HereRead more…
Video After The Jump
Rapper Ludacris appeared on The Jay Leno Show's Top Ten @ Ten segment last night (October 20th). Luda had some pretty funny answers to a few of the questions. The most surprising answer might have been the revelation that he has the Miley Cyrus song "Party In The U.S.A." on his iPod, which he blamed on his 8-year old daughter..lol
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SixShot.com Reports
Former Bad Boy rapper Shyne's immigration issues just got more complicated as he will be deported back to his home country of Belize. According to New York radio personality Miss Info, the rapper will have to battle his way back into the U.S. from the Central American country.
"Shyne's team is fighting to stay in the U.S. where his mother and his grandmother live and where they raised him," said Miss Info. "But it seems like he's going to have to continue the fight from Belize.
Shyne will be released from Immigration custody but will then be deported to Belize soon. He has Harvard Professor Charles Ogletree advocating on his behalf in concert with his legal team. They're still urging fans to reach out to Governor Patterson's office to petition for Shyne's pardon, but deportation is imminent."
As previously reported, Shyne's father, Belizean Prime Minister Dean Barrow petitioned New York State Governor David Patterson to pardon his son from deportation. The request was later transferred into Ogletree's hands.
"All the lawyers who were dealing with his immigration problems, they are totally off the case now," said Shyne's uncle, Michael Finnegan. "He [OgletreeRONG>] has stepped in totally, he was given permission to deal with the situation in all its aspect," he said. "[Shyne's] father is one of the best attorneys in this country and I would want to believe he has total confidence in Ogletree, and I believe the family knows what it is doing."
The 30-year-old, who moved to Brooklyn as a teen, gained popularity after signing to Bad Boy Records. In 2001 he was sentenced to 10-years in prison following a nightclub assault involving Sean "Diddy" Combs and then girlfriend Jennifer Lopez.
Upon hearing the news of his release Diddy noted that he had reached out to his former artist. Shyne later debunked those statements revealing that Diddy never contacted him.
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HipHopWired Reports
“Even as a man I felt like it should steal on him right now, I'm just going to steal on him and I don't care what happens. I'm bout to PUNCH him.”
It's hard for certain fans to see images of an icon shattered when news begins to stir about their actual self behind closed doors. The camera's puts on an image that creates a hero, but in the end, they are human beings that are just like any other person on this earth.
As news of infidelity and a marriage falling apart, the legend of basketball star Michael Jordan seemed to be showing some cracks as it was hard to accept that Your Mighty Airness, yea the one that was in Space Jam, was capable of doing wrong to anyone.
While at a Michael Jordan party, rapper Chamillionaire dealt with the ultimate disrespect that a man can give to another man. Shouting out to his Vlog, he gave his personal account of what went down from something as simple as trying to get a picture with Jordan.
“Aw hell nah, I ain't taking no pictures with no niggas.”
Stating that he expected a response like that, maybe not as harsh, he further went in how he had been at a Reggie Bush event where he was part of an auction and paid $7,000 for a Michael Jordan jersey. According to Chamillionaire, Jordan didn't seem to care and gave another harsh response.
“You know what, I'll tell you what? You pay $15,000 right now for a jersey from me and I'll take a picture with you.”
According to the rapper, he didn't come off to the basketball star in any harsh way, but that was the way he was received. Although he had heard tales of Jordan being a mean guy, to say it nicely, he chose not to believe until he had to experience it firsthand.
The rapper's world must have started spinning for two reasons. One, as a man, it's pretty hard to deal with someone coming at them in such a manner without feeling the need to lash out. Pride is a helluva thing.
“Michael Jackson, Michael Jordan, those were the biggest icons I ever had…Michael was just a big disappointment.”
Secondly, as a fan, no person can describe how it feels to have such an event take place and be the fault of someone that they looked up to, but athletics and music starts truly have two faces.
Well, when all else fails just remember the fact that Jordan was a victim of broken ankles when he decided to come back and was toppled by Allen Iverson. That's reality for you.
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Video After The JumpIn one of the most bizarre videos ever. A gunman in Indianapolis spends nearly ten minutes praying with a woman before robbing her of her cell phone and taking twenty dollars from the cash register. The woman i'm sure was shaken up but she is very lucky to have walked away unharmed.Read more…
Video After The Jump
22 Year Old Ryan Bonnet is in jail today for allegedly beating a woman to death because she refused to give him a cigarette. Eileen Pruitt, 47 years old died from her injuries Sunday night following surgery. Bonnet who was drunk at the time of the attack is expected to face murder charges.
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Video After The JumpKanye West premiered his short film 'We Were Once A Fairytale' this past weekend, on his blog. Then suddenly removed it yesterday without an explanation. The film, directed by Spike Jonez shows Kanye drunk to point of making a fool of himself. Hitting on various women who are turned off by his behavior. Then it takes a bizarre turn that is sure to have people scratching their heads, but that's obviously what it is designed to do. My question is, what the hell is Kanye trying to tell us ?
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