Source: WENN.com / WENN Score a W for Drake . The Toronto rapper won a settlement in a lawsuit be brought against woman who falsely claimed he got her pregnant and even said that he raped her. Turns out, as most people figured, she was pulling the jig . Reports Page Six : “The filing made by Drake against Layla Lace has been resolved, with Layla avoiding going to trial by agreeing to a stipulated judgment which prohibits her from repeating past statements she made against Drake,” his lawyer told Page Six on Friday. The “In My Feelings” rapper, 32, met Lace in February 2017 while he was on tour in Manchester, England, where he claims they had consensual sex at his hotel. A few months later, the model went on a Sirius XM radio show and claimed she was pregnant with his child. After dropping the pregnancy bombshell didn’t get the reaction she wanted from the rapper, she went to New York police and claimed Drake raped her during their one-night stand. She also continued to demand millions of dollars from the rapper. At the time, he sued for civil extortion, emotional distress, fraud, defamation and abuse of process. Actually, how was she able to avoid jail time? Drake’s lawyer said his client wants fans to move on past the incident. — Photo: WENN.com
On the 14th floor of HBO’s office I am instantly greeted by Sandra Bland’s face when I walk into the conference room. Source: Sandra Bland’s sisters Shante Needham (L), Sharon Cooper (R) / Charise Frazier I see two women, Sharon Cooper and Shante Needham, who if given a brief glance, would pass for their deceased sister. They are warm and very welcoming. The spirit of Sandra Bland is definitely in the room. On any other occasion, it might’ve felt like we were gathered to talk about something less heavy. As we greet one another and prepare to dive into the discussion, the imagery of Sandra’s face embedded onto Needham’s shirt won’t let me forget. We are here to talk about HBO’s latest documentary, Say Her Name: The Life and Death of Sandra Bland, which documents the events leading up to the death of their beloved sister, who was found hanged in a Texas jail (Waller County) three days after being pulled over by former officer, Brian Encinia. The completed project shows never before seen footage and details what transpired from Sandra’s arrest on July 10, 2015, to her death on July 13, 2015. The film also touches on Sandra’s impact and how her death became a literal representation of the undocumented state-sanctioned violence that many Black women in America face, birthing the rallying call, #SayHerName. “I think what we have managed to do is fully document what families go through in the aftermath of this,” Cooper said. “It really all comes down to I think historically, people who don’t have the proper or appropriate intel or access, have been telling our stories, and they tell our stories to the exclusion of us.” For the past three years Sandra Bland’s family undertook an unthinkable task. They have repeatedly witnessed the events leading up to their loved one’s death in watching dash cam footage of her arrest. They’ve read and negated online commentary written by people who never knew Sandra. They’ve sat through a long legal battle advocating for some form of justice. And all the while, they’ve had to process the stages of grief. “As you can only imagine, this was very, very, very raw. And to have to relieve it over and over and over again, it put a lot of emotional stress on a person,” Needham said. Just two weeks after Sandra’s death, HBO contacted Sandra’s family to begin documenting. HBO enlisted award-winning filmmakers, Kate Davis and David Heilbroner, to tell the story, who followed the events as they unfolded on social media and in the news. In total, from start to completion, the film took about two and a half years. For the filmmakers who’s life work is based in civil rights and activism, Sandra’s case enlisted a series of challenges and mystique which made her specific story unique. “We were also drawn to the story because it was one more situation where a person of color died at the hands of cops–at the hands of police, whether literally or not. She was in custody in this case, all too often it was happening on the streets,” Davis said. “Editing this film was doing a really complicated braiding. It’s a mystery. It’s a death in custody. It’s also a portrait of a woman as she becomes woke and empowered. It’s also a political parable of race in America,” said Heilbronner. As white filmmakers, Davis and Heilbronner are in complete alignment with what it means to tell a Black woman’s story, putting their own biases and privilege into examination during and after filming as they forged a tight bond with Sandra’s family during the process. “I’m just gonna note the elephant in the room. No Kate and Dave don’t look like the broader part of this community that’s being impacted, but they’re truth tellers,” said Cooper. “They just seemed so genuine, they cared,” Needham said. As filmmakers, Helbronner and Davis did their best to use all of the voices involved in the case, conducting on camera interviews with Sandra’s family and Waller County authorities. According to Davis, Brian Encinia was the only person who declined to participate in the film. Remarkably, Sandra’s voice narrates the documentary using snippets from her video blog, “Sandy Speaks.” “Sandy utilized a very free platform to speak her truth and to express herself, and so it was this digital memorialization of her that I don’t even think she realized that she was making at the time,” said Cooper. “And to be able to leverage that throughout the film and have her appear as the voice narrating her own documentary, that’s powerful and I don’t think that we take a step back and are just in awe of that and how powerful that is and how social media, because it does give us the power to connect and build community, we connected and built so much community through the duration of that case,” Cooper said. Social media and the news media played a large role in Sandra’s case, setting a tone for public perception in regards to the narrative. It presented rewarding but oftentimes difficult challanges for all involved; the family, filmmakers and the family’s legal counsel, Cannon Lambert. Lambert helped the family secure a $1.9 million in a civil settlement and also assisting the family in navigating a difficult and painful legal terrain. Encinia was fired by the Texas Department of Public Safety in March 2016 after a grand jury indicted Encina over falsifying Sandra’s arrest report. The Sandra Bland Act was signed into law in June 2017 offering an investment in de-escalation tactics for officers and awareness surrounding mental health. But a few days after the Sandra Bland Act was signed, the perjury charge was dropped against Encinia. Sandra’s case begs the question surrounding the definition of justice. “Justice is evasive,” said Lambert. “I don’t think you ever go into it believing that you as a lawyer have the ability to bring about justice. What you have the ability to do though is to shepard families through a very difficult terrain so that they can come away feeling like they were heard,” he said. Forgiveness is also an idea which Sandra’s family does not feel committed to take up. Needham and Cooper both expressed that the first step to forgiveness is an apology, which they believe has not been issued on behalf of Waller County authorities. But through their pain, the family has found time to heal using therapy, journaling and by supporting other families who have experienced the same difficulties. “We will never be the same. Holidays, birthdays, marriages, kids, grandkids. She’s gonna miss all of that. And why?” Needham said. “Say Her Name: The Life and Death of Sandra Bland” premieres Monday, December 3 at 10 p.m. (EST) on HBO.
Michael Hickey/Getty Images Lauryn Hill’s Tour Gets Some Interested Changes Several artists including Santigold, Nas, SZA, and Dave Chappelle were slated to perform for Lauryn Hill ‘s Miseducation 20th Anniversary tour–but it looks like that won’t be happening, as some performances were cut from the final roster. The cancellations were a surprise to many fans, who were only told that there were “production issues.” Santigold, one of the artist removed from tour dates, took to Twitter to explain her no-show. I’m sorry you paid to see us and we’re not there. That really bums me out. I’m also bummed that @MsLaurynHill and crew didn’t tell ppl why we’re not there. She took us off the bill. — Santigold (@Santigold) September 13, 2018 Nope not sick. So sorry I wasn’t able to perform for you all. Note I saw from @MsLaurynHill Mgmt team read… “Due to production issues, The Miseducation 20th Anniversary Tour is unable to accommodate Santigold’s performance this evening” — Santigold (@Santigold) September 13, 2018 The singer wrote that Hill and her tour organizers decided to “reduce the support” for Santigold’s set. Apparently Nas was also taken off the bill without much explanation. I will no longer be performing on The Miseducation Of Lauryn Hill Tour at the following dates due to the tour organizers' decision to reduce the support. So sorry to disappoint my fans. 9/14: Vancouver, BC 9/15: Seattle, WA 9/22: Phoenix, AZ 9/26: Denver, CO — Santigold (@Santigold) September 15, 2018 Unfortunately for Lauryn Hill fans, this is far from the first issue that the Miseducation tour–and other Lauryn tours/dates in the past–has faced. Most recently, after she angered fans by showing up late in Toronto earlier this summer, several North American dates were canceled. These new problems come only a month after Robert Glasper claimed that Hill stole music during the making of her first album, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill , and has failed to credit musicians in the past.
WENN.com Schoolboy Q and everybody over at TDE has been hinting recently that his album is dropping very soon–but it looks like that’s not the case anymore, and the reason is heartbreaking. The rapper was always known to be extremely close friends with Mac Miller, and in the wake of his tragic passing, Q says he’s not ready to put another album out. He announced the decision at a recent concert, where he said he didn’t even want to leave his house, but did so because he know that’s what Mac would have wanted. “You know I drop albums every two years, right? But listen, with my n***a gone right now, I just don’t feel right putting out an album,” he disclosed to the audience. “As y’all can tell, I’m not my real self right now. I shouldn’t even be here right now. But like I said, my n***a Mac would not want me to be in the house sad. He would clown me for some weird s**t. I’m here today because it’s no way he would allow me to sit in the house and be a little b**ch. I’m not gonna be a little b**ch.” “I’ma go back, and I’ma figure out when I’ma put this f***ing album out, because y’all are going to get this album,” he said. “I promise that. I’m just not ready to walk into the radio station and the first thing they ask me is, ‘So Mac Miller…’ I’m not ready to deal with those questions. So, right now, I’m not ready to put nothing.” Schoolboy saying he doesn’t want to drop his album because he’s not ready to talk about the passing of his friend on the promo run is the definition of devastating. Check out the video of his announcement below.
In real life, Bethenny Frankel is mourning Dennis Shields , both in private and in public. On the The Real Housewives of New York City reunion , however, she’s been facing off against her frenemies. Carole Radziwill accused her of bullying her now that they’re no longer friends. Some RHONY fans took issue with her accusation, and Carole took to Twitter to defend herself. Who is right? Towards the end of The Real Housewives of New York City Season 10, Episode 21 , ex-friends Bethenny and Carole did a postmortem on how their friendship ended. “What she does is, she creates this narrative, this false narrative about me,” Carole accused. “This false narrative that I’m some girl who’s this, this and this.” “It’s completely false,” Carole said as she aired her grievances. “Half of it is lies.” When Bethenny interrupted, Carole said: “Are you going to continue to bully me, or am I going to be able to speak?” Multiple times, Carole doubled down on her accusation that Bethenny is a bully who has been bullying her. “Let’s stop using the word bully,” tweeted a fan. “These women are getting paid a lot more of money to be on this show. It’s a choice.” The fan points out that, in contrast: “When children are getting bullied in schools or People for being different are harassed. That’s bullying.” Carole replied … and shared that she disagreed. “I get your point but don’t belittle what is happening here,” Carole wrote in her tweet. “[Obviously] I can handle it but kids need to know…..mocking someone and talking over a person is an intimidation technique. I.e. Bullying 101.” “If they learn to stand up against that,” Carole wrote. “The bully won’t be quick to escalate it.” But fans weren’t letting Carole off of the hook. “You need to think carefully about the word bully,” a fan tweeted. “You haven’t been bullied at all. You both don’t like each other. You both said hurtful things. Move on.” The fan cautioned Carole: “Don’t undermine others that have had their lives ruined by bullying by saying what has happend with you and Bethenny is bullying.” “No I disagree,” Carole wrote. “We need to call out even the smallest infractions as bullying. Only this way we can change the dynamic.” Carole continued: “Just like the # metoo movement is calling out ALL inappropriate actions. Men will pause next time they reach for a girls shoulders to rub. Change happens slowly.” Fans remained unconvinced, and continued to try to explain to Carole that bullying refers to a specific dynamic between perpetrator and victim. “So where’s the power differential in this situation?” tweeted a fan. “Where’s the intimidation? Where’s the fear? Where’s the helplessness?” Carole is a rich white woman who is related to royalty. Her potential pool for who could conceivably bully her is pretty narrow. “She has a choice,” wrote another fan. “Bullied people don’t have a choice. It was an argument between two friends that aren’t getting along right now.” This is a very complicated topic. A lot of terms — especially buzzwords — get thrown around and then misused until they’re all but meaningless. Most people would look at two former friends who are no longer again and say that they are feuding. One says cruel things about the other? That’s feuding. In contrast, the only Muslim kid at a middle school isn’t “feuding” with some mean kids on his bus. A gay child isn’t “feuding” with the classmates who tell him to hang himself. At the same time, is the definition of bullying as narrow as these fans suggest? Perhaps there are different types of bullying. Language is complicated, and both the literal meanings of words and the connotations of those words can evolve over time. View Slideshow: Bethenny Frankel: Quitting The Real Housewives of New York City Over Dennis Shields’ Death?
I think Nicki Minaj has her tit fully out in this weird mermaid photoshoot that I don’t fully understand because I was always taught that black people hated the water…not in a racist statement but in a generalized cultural observation I’ve heard over the years…which I guess is the definition of racism…but without cultural generalizations how do the social Justice warriors know what to yell at white people for culturally appropriating… It’s all too confusing, but what isn’t confusing is how bad I want to see a wave take this bitch out to sea…give her the proper viking funeral she deserves… I guess it’s appropriate for her to be in the surf…since she’s a fucking wave jacker and nothing about her is original…but where’s the fucking shark attack when you need it… The post Nicki Minaj Beached Whale Topless of the Day appeared first on DrunkenStepFather.com .
Source: Johnny Nunez / Getty Jay Rock has not enjoyed the same level of fanfare in comparison with his Top Dawg Entertainment labelmates, but his third studio album should change things greatly for him. The Watts MC steps up to the plate with Redemption , featuring Kendrick Lamar, J. Cole, Future, and more. Redemption features production from Mike WilLL Made It, Hit-Boy, Boi-1Da, Sounwave, Jake One and more. The album opens with “The Bloodiest” and shows Rock in top form with his signature aggressive style. Rock taps Brent Faiyaz for vocal assistance on “For What It’s Worth” and Hykeem Cater gives Rock a heater of a track for “Knock It Off” that serves as one of the album’s early highlights. Pops and Crooklin provide the backdrop for “OSOM” featuring J. Cole. Rock goes into autobiographical mode while sharing his rise to fame while struggling with his ties to the streets. Cole gives another one of his solid performances, mirroring Rock’s somber tale of battling with the pressures of being a rap star. The album’s second single, “Win” closes out the album on a stong note on a record with several high marks. Check out the stream of Redemption below. — Photo: Getty
https://linktr.ee/fasscoupe Fasscoupe is a lifestyle and movement led by KB & Ceno of Boston, Massachusetts. ‘Fassachusetts’ as they call it, is a mantra and way of life. Fly and flashy, Fasscoupe represents the definition of hard work, grind, and passion. The duo began taking music seriously in 2014 and admired the careers of Chinx Drugs, Max B, Waka Flocka, and French Montana. Fasscoupe released their debut mixtape, ‘Loyalty Before Royalty’ in 2016 hosted by DJ Lil Keem which featured Rich The Kid, Jose Guapo & Trouble and Skippa Da Flippa. In 2017, Fasscoupe collaborated with Jose Guapo for a joint EP titled, ‘Percocets & Pounds’ which is hosted by QC’s own, DJ Ray G. The duo is currently on the Mony Powr Rspt Tour along with 1017’s Hoodrich Pablo Juan, Yung Mal & Lil Quill and they have opened up for Lil Uzi Vert at the notorious House of Blues and performed at several stages in Austin, Texas for SXSW and will be performing at various cities for the Backwoods Tour kicking off late June. Now Fasscoupe is back with their highly anticipated 9 track project, ‘Hood Mascot’ which features Uncle Murda, Bia, Lil Baby, Duke, Jose Guapo, Tracy T & Hoodrich Pablo Juan and production from OG Parker, Quay Global Cassius Jay, 808 Mafia & more. The lead single “Slang” featuring Tracy T is currently in rotation on BET Jams and other platforms and the visual for the second single “Weekend” featuring Hoodrich Pablo Juan is nearing 300 thousand views via Youtube. Instagram @Fasscoupe @Fasscoupeceno Facebook @Fasscoupe Youtube @Fasscoupe Spotify @Fasscoupe Twitter @CenoAfterCeno @Fasscoupe_TCE Soundcloud.com/FasscoupeMusic Lalaa Shepard @lalaashep
https://linktr.ee/fasscoupe Fasscoupe is a lifestyle and movement led by KB & Ceno of Boston, Massachusetts. ‘Fassachusetts’ as they call it, is a mantra and way of life. Fly and flashy, Fasscoupe represents the definition of hard work, grind, and passion. The duo began taking music seriously in 2014 and admired the careers of Chinx Drugs, Max B, Waka Flocka, and French Montana. Fasscoupe released their debut mixtape, ‘Loyalty Before Royalty’ in 2016 hosted by DJ Lil Keem which featured Rich The Kid, Jose Guapo & Trouble and Skippa Da Flippa. In 2017, Fasscoupe collaborated with Jose Guapo for a joint EP titled, ‘Percocets & Pounds’ which is hosted by QC’s own, DJ Ray G. The duo is currently on the Mony Powr Rspt Tour along with 1017’s Hoodrich Pablo Juan, Yung Mal & Lil Quill and they have opened up for Lil Uzi Vert at the notorious House of Blues and performed at several stages in Austin, Texas for SXSW and will be performing at various cities for the Backwoods Tour kicking off late June. Now Fasscoupe is back with their highly anticipated 9 track project, ‘Hood Mascot’ which features Uncle Murda, Bia, Lil Baby, Duke, Jose Guapo, Tracy T & Hoodrich Pablo Juan and production from OG Parker, Quay Global Cassius Jay, 808 Mafia & more. The lead single “Slang” featuring Tracy T is currently in rotation on BET Jams and other platforms and the visual for the second single “Weekend” featuring Hoodrich Pablo Juan is nearing 300 thousand views via Youtube. Instagram @Fasscoupe @Fasscoupeceno Facebook @Fasscoupe Youtube @Fasscoupe Spotify @Fasscoupe Twitter @CenoAfterCeno @Fasscoupe_TCE Soundcloud.com/FasscoupeMusic Lalaa Shepard @lalaashep
Image via NBCU Photo Bank/Getty Lisa Bonet Speaks About Bill Cosby’s Energy The dozens of sexual assault/rape accusations against Bill Cosby has put those who knew him professionally in the spotlight as many want to know if there were signs of his criminal proclivities back in the day. During an interview with Net-A-Porter , Lisa Bonet , who played his daughter Denise Huxtable, made it pretty clear that she always felt that there was something off with “Americas’s Favorite Dad” Have the revelations about Bill Cosby’s alleged sexual misconduct tainted her memory of those years? She looks evenly at me. “No, it’s exactly as I remember it,” she says. But did you have a sense that anything was happening? “There was no knowledge on my part about his specific actions, but… There was just energy. And that type of sinister, shadow energy cannot be concealed.” You sensed a darkness? “Always. And if I had anything more to reveal then it would have happened a long time ago. That’s my nature. The truth will set you free.” But that wasn’t all… At the time, Bonet was branded a rebel who tested the patience of the most popular sitcom dad in the country. She showed up late on set and posed topless in Interview magazine, contrary to his wishes. Cosby famously opposed her role in Angel Heart, in which she performed a nude sex scene with Mickey Rourke. “I don’t need to say, ‘I told you so’,” she says about Cosby’s current situation. “I just leave all that to karma and justice and what will be.” The folks at Merriam-Webster have to put Lisa Bonet’s face next to the definition of “dry snitchin’”
