Source: Lars Niki / Getty If you didn’t know, Dave East is part of a historic series on Hulu that follows the story of Wu-Tang . In his interview with Headkrack , the rapper takes a trip down memory lane revealing his rap favorites, who he grew up listening to and what it was like prepping his first studio album, Survival . Want Exclusives First? Click Here To Sign Up For Our Newsletter! In between music talk, Dave East also let us in on the emotional day he sent his daughter to school for the first time this year and how his parents influenced his own educational experience. Watch: ALSO TRENDING ON RICKEYSMILEYMORNINGSHOW.COM : Here’s The Real Story Behind The Wu Affiliate Killed By Police In 1994 Dave East Is Playing Method Man In ‘Wu-Tang: An American Saga’ Follow @TheRSMS
Source: The Washington Post / Getty The U.K. production of The Color Purple has been steeped in controversy after old homophobic tweets from the lead actress Oluwaseyi “Semi” Omooba resurfaced. She once wrote on Facebook, “I do not believe you can be born gay, and I do not believe homosexuality is right.” When she refused to apologize for her statements, she was let go from the production of The Color Purple and her agency. She proceeded to sue her former agency, Michael Garrett Associates, for religious discrimination. The ironic point of the whole situation is the character Omooba was meant to play, Celie, is known to be a queer character. Now, the author of the book in which the play is based, Alice Walker , is speaking out about Omooba’s firing. According to Shadow and Act , Walker defended Omooba’s dismissal from the U.K. production of her classic 1982 novel of the same name. “It is safe to say, after a frightful life serving and obeying abusive men, who raped in place of ‘making love,’ my grandmother, like Celie, was not attracted to men,” Walker said. “She was, in fact, very drawn to my grandfather’s lover, a beautiful woman who was kind to her, the only grown person who ever seemed to notice how remarkable and creative she was. In giving Celie the love of this woman, in every way love can be expressed, I was clear in my intention to demonstrate that she too, like all of us, deserved to be seen, appreciated, and deeply loved by someone who saw her as whole and worthy.” When addressing Omooba’s past remarks, Walker said: “Playing the role of Celie while not believing in her right to be loved, or to express her love in any way she chooses, would be a betrayal of women’s right to be free. As an elder, I urge all of us to think carefully about what I am saying, even as you, Oluwaseyi Omooba, sue the theatre company for voiding your contract.” Welp… The legend has spoken. Time will tell if Omooba will get the message.
Source: Erika Goldring / Getty Lizzo Accused of Second Plagiarism Claim for “Truth Hurts” The more successful it gets, the more people are trying to prove that Lizzo is not the one who made “Truth Hurts.” Now, the songstress is being hit with another plagiarism claim over her smash hit single. Justin Raisen, a songwriter and producer who has worked with the likes of Sky Ferreira and Angel Olsen, posted a video to his Instagram page where he compares “Truth Hurts” to a single called he allegedly wrote with Lizzo back in 2017 called, “Healthy.” His complaint is centered around “Truth Hurts’” now-famous opening line—”I just took a DNA test, turns out I’m 100 percent that b**ch,” along with the fact the two tracks seem to share the same melody. The clip Justin posted shows Lizzo and Raisen in the studio creating “Healthy” as well as the singer at Raisen’s family events. “We were never contacted about being credited for the use of the parts of ‘Healthy’ (melody, lyrics, and chords) that appear in ‘Truth Hurts’,” the caption states before explaining that this very dispute has been ongoing since 2017. View this post on Instagram The Truth about “Truth Hurts” On April 11th, 2017, we wrote a song called “Healthy” w/ Lizzo, Jesse St John, and Yves Rothman at our studio. “I just took a DNA test turns out I’m 100% that bitch” was taken from “Healthy” and used in “Truth Hurts”. We were never contacted about being credited for the use of the parts of “Healthy” (melody, lyrics, and chords) that appear in “Truth Hurts”. After reaching out to Ricky Reed and Lizzo’s team about fixing it, we put the song in dispute in 2017 when it came out. We’ve tried to sort this out quietly for the last two years, only asking for 5% each but were shutdown every time. Coming forward publicly to family, friends, artists, and colleagues seems to be the only way at this point in relieving some of our emotional distress caused by this. The last thing we want to do is throw any negativity toward Lizzo’s momentum and movement as a cultural figure. If we believe in what she’s preaching, believing in ourselves & our own voices is something we thought she’d understand. Shout out to the singer Mina Lioness ( @minalioness ) for tweeting “I just did a DNA test turns out I’m 100% that bitch”. A meme of that came up in our writing session & inspired the lyric and melody we wrote together. If Ricky and Lizzo’s team decide to settle this dispute with us, we would like to share some of the proceeds with Mina for her influence on Healthy. The clip below shows a video & photos from the day we wrote “Healthy” along with the comparisons between the two works. All the Love, Justin & Jeremiah Raisen #lizzo #truthhurts #healthy #billboard A post shared by Justin Raisen (@justinraisen) on Oct 14, 2019 at 11:50pm PDT Raisen goes on to say that he and the other collaborators aren’t asking for a massive amount of writing credits and are being “shutdown” despite seeking only five percent of the song’s rights. “Coming forward publicly to family, friends, artists, and colleagues seems to be the only way at this point in relieving some of our emotional distress caused by this. The last thing we want to do is throw any negativity toward Lizzo’s momentum and movement as a cultural figure.” This accusation marks the second time Lizzo has been accused of stealing portions of “Truth Hurts.” Back in February of 2018, British singer, Mina Lioness, says she first tweeted the line “I just took a DNA test, turns out I’m 100 percent that bitch,” which is when it became viral. Lizzo responded by stating that she never saw Mina’s original tweet, but admits she was inspired to write the line after seeing an Instagram meme with a similar line.
Source: Lourdes Sukari / Lourdes Sukari Dreezy Drops “Love Someone” Video Featuring Jacquees Dreezy dropped the video for “Love Someone,” featuring her boo, self proclaimed king of R&B, Jacquees. The visual, directed by Jake Riley and John Lathan, shows montages of several couples facing turmoil while Dreezy takes her situation into her own hands. “Love Someone” appears on Dreezy’s project, Big Dreez , released earlier this year. Take a look, let us know how you’re feelin’ it!
Source: Richard Theis / EyeEm / Getty WORTH IT. Beaumont Texas Inmates Escape Prison Several Times, Bring Back Whiskey And Cellphones Four inmates who boldly escaped from their federal prison “several times” for a booze run are going viral. The men identified as Julian Lemus, 34; Leo Martinez, 25; Silevstre Rico, 35; and Robert Young, 45 were recently caught after authorities were alerted that they were regularly escaping from and returning to the Federal Prison Complex in Beaumont, Texas. A spokesman for the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office posted the group on social media and reported details; the men were caught Friday while leaving the prison and cutting through a neighboring ranch. The spokesman added that they were carrying contraband in bags, including whiskey and cellphones. This is reportedly their constant M.O. FREE THE GUYS.
Source: Bennett Raglin / Getty Tuesday marks the two year anniversary #MeToo went viral bringing wider attention to victims of sexual assault and misconduct. Though 2017 was the viral moment, the #MeToo work has been carrying on since before 2017 thanks to founder Tarana Burke . For the movement’s two year anniversary, Burke is reflecting on its impact and how it’s shifted the ways people talk about sexual violence. In an interview with Teen Vogue , one standout moment came when Burke was asked about the “gray areas” of sexual assault and misconduct. One person who came to mind was Aziz Ansari , who was accused of sexual misconduct for repeatedly pressuring a woman to have sex. Eventually, Ansari issued a statement saying he took time to “process” the woman’s side of the story, and he also addressed the incident in his Netflix stand-up special “Aziz Ansari: Right Now”. Burke spoke on this and even brought up Dave Chappelle , who notoriously made jokes about Michael Jackson and child molestation in his latest Netflix special “Stick & Stones”. “Can I say something about that in terms of accountability,” Burke started. “I have been thinking a lot about Dave Chappelle and Aziz Ansari because they both have these comedy specials, right? And I know Dave Chappelle wasn’t accused of anything, whatever, but he decided he was just going to go down this road….But some people are not going to be comfortable with what I’m going to say. I’ve said this in places where people are like, ‘I don’t agree with you,’ but I think Aziz Ansari’s response… has anybody seen his stand-up? He didn‘t act like it didn’t happen. He talked very clearly about what his year’s been like, and not from a like, ‘Yo, this has been a really messed up year,’ but like, ‘what did I learn? What did I do? How did I try to make this situation, turn this situation around?’ He was humble.” Burke then went on to compare him to fellow comedian Louis C.K. who was also accused of sexual misconduct and is now trying to make a comeback. “And I said, you know, ‘Why can’t these other folks at least have some lessons,” Burke said. “I’m just so angry at the folks who kind of hide for six months, and then peek their head, like Louis C.K . Louis C.K. is an assh*le.” She continued: “And I’m going to tell you, he was one of my favorite comedians, right? I loved his show, I love Louis C.K., but you going to come back and start talking about transphobes, and children getting shot, what are we supposed to do?” Finally, Burke asserted: “And this is the thing about accountability with these public figures that I think they don’t get. You want my support, right? I don’t tell anybody what it should look like, but for me, when I think about accountability, you start with the person you harmed first. So before you bring your face out into the public or whatever, did you go to the people who you caused harm to and ask them what they need? Did you try to have a process, any kind of process, restorative process, with them? And they may say, “I don’t want that. I don’t want anything to do with you,” which is their right. But you have to start there. The second layer of that is, you want me to laugh at your jokes, buy your tickets, watch your specials, and you think you’re not accountable to me, and my values are not supposed to come into play on how I spend my money and my time? You are mistaken.” SEE ALSO: Questlove Clears Up Comments He Made About Iggy Azalea And Cultural Appropriation Police Interrogation Firm Sues Ava DuVernay And Netflix Over ‘When They See Us’
Source: Tim Mosenfelder / Getty Summer Walker released her studio debut album Over It earlier this month to much fanfare, and the enthusiasm from her loyal fan base paid off. The Atlanta songstress notched a new streaming record based on her numbers, beating out Beyoncé’s Lemonade as the most-streamed R&B album by a woman in its first week of release. Billboard reports that Walker streamed the equivalent of 134,000 units for the project released on October 4, bringing its week-end October 10 streams to 154. 7 million, besting Beyoncé’s first week numbers of 115.2 million for Lemonade . Even with the success of her debut, Walker still came in at second on the Billboard 200 charts behind K-Pop stars SuperM, who moved 168,000 equivalent units of their The 1st Mini Album release Congrats to Summer Walker! Check out Over It in the streams below. — Photo: Getty
Source: Estrop / Getty Governor Gavin Newsom made history by signing into law a bill that bans the production and sales of all new fur products in California. California is the first state in the nation to pass such a ban. Assembly Bill 44 went into effect on October 12 th . The bill applies to all new clothing, handbags, shoes, and any wearable item that is made with fur. Last year, San Francisco was the first major city to go fur free , so it’s no surprise to see California continuing to lead the charge. What does this mean? This means that consumers (and sellers) will receive a civil penalty if they are caught buying or selling these new products. Used fur, leather, shearling, cowhide and taxidermy are excluded from the bill. Furthermore, any fur products used by Native American tribes or for religious purposes are not included in the ban. Those that are caught breaking this new law will face a civil penalty. According to the Humane Society, the fur industry causes the suffering and death of more than 100 million animals worldwide and animals on fur factory farms are forced to live in cramped, wire bottom cages, deprived of the ability to engage in natural behaviors, before being killed by gassing or electrocution. Kitty Block, CEO and President of the Humane Society of United States remarked via press release, “The signing of AB 44 underscores the point that today’s consumers simply don’t want wild animals to suffer extreme pain and fear for sake of fashion.” Many high end brands including Versace, Michael Kors, and Gucci have vowed not to use real fur in their collections. This is not the only animal friendly law that Newsom signed into effect. Under another piece of legislation tigers and elephants won’t be allowed to be used in circuses. Another bill protects horses from being slaughtered while an additional piece of legislation now protects bobcats from being trapped and killed. Tracy Reiman, Executive Vice President of PETA praised the moment calling it “historic” for animals “including those who have been whipped into performing in circuses or skinned alive for their fur or skin.” She also added, “PETA is proud to have worked with compassionate legislators to push these lifesaving laws forward.” Block added via statement, “More cities and states are expected to follow California’s lead, and the few brands and retailers that still sell fur will no doubt take a closer look at innovative alternatives that don’t involve animal cruelty.” Beauties, would you want your state to sign into law a fur ban? Tell us yes or no and why in the comment section. DON’T MISS: Lil Kim Is Fur Real About Squaring Up With This Animal Rights Activist Who Harassed Her In NYC Mary J. Blige Debuts Bad B***h Fall In A Fur And We’re Here For it! San Francisco Is The First Major U.S. City To Go ‘Fur Free’ [ione_media_gallery src=”https://hellobeautiful.com” id=”3061350″ overlay=”true”]
Source: Sheri Determan/WENN.com / WENN Cassie Poses Nude In Maternity Pic Cassie is continuing to live her best (post-Diddy) life and she’s showing off her gorgeous gestation glow. The newly married Mrs. Alex Fine posted a behind the scenes pic from her maternity shoot. “When the shoot didn’t work out, but the BTS did,” Cassie captioned her post where she’s wearing nothing but fishnets.” View this post on Instagram When the shoot didn’t work out, but the BTS did A post shared by Casandra (@cassie) on Oct 14, 2019 at 9:30am PDT Looking good, Mrs. Fine! Prior to sharing her behind the scenes maternity shoot pic, Cassie told VOGUE that she and her personal trainer bae Alex debated whether or not to get engaged before or after their baby came but ultimately decided on before. They ultimately wed in Malibu with just 14 people by their side and she reflected on their proposal. Cassie also told the mag that Alex surprised her with his proposal that he did alongside the Compton Cowboys. “I knew that Alex was designing a ring, but I honestly wasn’t expecting a super elaborate proposal because we already had the wedding date set, but he planned such a beautiful experience for me. I was so surprised!” He told me to come ready because we were driving straight to dinner to celebrate my birthday early that night as my family was coming into town,” she remembers. “I was running a little late, so he called me to check in.” Cassie pulled up just before the sun went down, and Compton Cowboys leader Randy Savvy came out front to welcome her with flowers. “At that point, I got so nervous, but was also really excited.” Cassie also previously released these two maternity pics shot by Brendan Forbes. View this post on Instagram Birthday Suit A post shared by Casandra (@cassie) on Aug 26, 2019 at 9:17pm PDT View this post on Instagram A post shared by Casandra (@cassie) on Aug 26, 2019 at 7:13am PDT
Source: Jonathan Mannion / Jonathan Mannion Nectar Of The Culture: Moët & Chandon Announce Launch Of New Annual Program Moët & Chandon is pleased to announce the launch of its new annual program, Nectar of the Culture , in partnership with iconic cultural photographer, Jonathan Mannion. Source: Jonathan Mannion / Jonathan Mannion This debut collaboration celebrates the people, places and moments that push culture forward. Mannion, a respected documenter of the “Golden Era” of Hip-Hop, will work with Moët & Chandon to highlight a new era of pioneers who are changing the game and shaping culture to reach a new generation, the “Rose Gold Era.” To celebrate, the brand is releasing a limited-edition custom-designed bottle of Moët & Chandon Nectar Impérial Rosé. “I’ve had the privilege of capturing pioneers during the Golden Era of Hip-Hop who are now known as industry legends,” said Jonathan Mannion. “I’ve seen first-hand how Moët & Chandon has been an iconic symbol in the culture. We honor this lineage from then to now with a new class of creative thinkers, in what I like to think of as the Rose Gold Era. With Moët, I raise my glass to the next generation of visionaries who define it.” Source: Jonathan Mannion / Jonathan Mannion To capture the Nectar of the Culture , Moët & Chandon and Mannion will celebrate pioneers in key cities across the U.S including New York, Atlanta, Miami, Los Angeles and Chicago, leading with New York’s pioneer, fashion-designer LaQuan Smith.
