The Grammy nominated producer is stepping into the booth to show you what he’s got Hit-Boy Launches His Rap Career With “Jay-Z Interview” By now, you’ve probably “balled so hard” to Hit-Boy’s controversial, celebratory anthem to African-Americans gallivanting in France that you’ve twisted your ankle. Nonetheless, the producer-turned-rapper (that still plans to produce) has dropped his first single as an MC, “Jay-Z Interview”. The young homie definitely has skills on the mic, and we’re anxious to hear more. Hit the flipper to watch the video/listen to the song. Image via YouTube
Acclaimed, Pulitzer-honored science fiction/fantasy author Ray Bradbury has died at the age of 91 in Los Angeles, following one of the most fruitful creative writing careers of the 20th century. The man behind such genre classics as Fahrenheit 451 , The Martian Chronicles , Something Wicked This Way Comes leaves behind a stunning legacy spanning works adapted for television, film, and the stage. It’s difficult to quantify the impact that Bradbury had on the worlds of science fiction, literature, and the numerous film and television adaptations that sprang from his seven decades of writing, not to mention the generations of sci-fi and fantasy lovers weaned on his tales. The man had an asteroid and a moon crater named in his honor, for goodness sake, had dozens of his stories adapted for stage, film, and television, and never went to college. For a child growing up with Bradbury’s stories, the world was filled much more with wonder. For an adult, his tales prompted deeper introspection. It Came From Outer Space : Icarus Montgolfier Wright : Something Wicked This Way Comes : Bradbury on his Fahrenheit 451 : Folks will have their own cherished Bradbury moments, but I’ll leave you with one of my favorite of his real life stories. Writing in 2001, Bradbury shared the childhood incident that inspired him to become a writer in the first place: A chance meeting with a carnival magician named Mr. Electrico in 1932 following the death of Bradbury’s uncle. Mr. Electrico was a fantastic creator of marvels. He sat in his electric chair every night and was electrocuted in front of all the people, young and old, of Waukegan, Illinois. When the electricity surged through his body he raised a sword and knighted all the kids sitting in the front row below his platform. I had been to see Mr. Electrico the night before. When he reached me, he pointed his sword at my head and touched my brow. The electricity rushed down the sword, inside my skull, made my hair stand up and sparks fly out of my ears. He then shouted at me, “Live forever!” I thought that was a wonderful idea, but how did you do it? The next day, being driven home by my father, fresh from the funeral, I looked down at those carnival tents and thought to myself, “The answer is there. He said ‘Live forever,’ and I must go find out how to do that.” I told my father to stop the car. He didn’t want to, but I insisted. He stopped the car and let me out, furious with me for not returning home to partake in the wake being held for my uncle. With the car gone, and my father in a rage, I ran down the hill. What was I doing? I was running away from death, running toward life. When I reached the carnival grounds, by God, sitting there, almost as if he were waiting for me, was Mr. Electrico. I grew, suddenly, very shy. I couldn’t possibly ask, How do you live forever? But luckily I had a magic trick in my pocket. I pulled it out, held it toward Mr. Electrico and asked him if he’d show me how to do the trick. He showed me how and then looked into my face and said, “Would you like to see some of those peculiar people in that tent over there?” I said, “Yes.” He took me over to the sideshow tent and hit it with his cane and shouted, “Clean up your language!” at whoever was inside. Then, he pulled up the tent flap and took me in to meet the Illustrated Man, the Fat Lady, the Skeleton Man, the acrobats, and all the strange people in the sideshows. He then walked me down by the shore and we sat on a sand dune. He talked about his small philosophies and let me talk about my large ones. At a certain point he finally leaned forward and said, “You know, we’ve met before.” I replied, “No, sir, I’ve never met you before.” He said, “Yes, you were my best friend in the great war in France in 1918 and you were wounded and died in my arms at the battle of the Ardennes Forrest. But now, here today, I see his soul shining out of your eyes. Here you are, with a new face, a new name, but the soul shining from your face is the soul of my dear dead friend. Welcome back to the world.” Why did he say that? I don’t know. Was there something in my eagerness, my passion for life, my being ready for some sort of new activity? I don’t know the answer to that. All I know is that he said, “Live forever” and gave me a future and in doing so, gave me a past many years before, when his friend died in France. Leaving the carnival grounds that day I stood by the carousel and watched the horses go round and round to the music of “Beautiful Ohio.” Standing there, the tears poured down my face, for I felt that something strange and wonderful had happened to me because of my encounter with Mr. Electrico. I went home and the next day traveled to Arizona with my folks. When we arrived there a few days later I began to write, full-time. I have written every single day of my life since that day 69 years ago. I have long since lost track of Mr. Electrico, but I wish that he existed somewhere in the world so that I could run to him, embrace him, and thank him for changing my life and helping me become a writer. Live forever, indeed! Read the full entry here and leave your own Bradbury celebrations below.
Lawyers for George Zimmerman, the killer of Trayvon Martin, will ask a judge to release him from jail again after Zimmerman’s bail was revoked last week. The announcement comes as Zimmerman, 28, returns to a cell in the Seminole County jail in central Florida, after a circuit court judge revoked his bond. Judge Kenneth Lester Jr. yanked his $150,000 bond, posted in April, after prosecutors said both he and his wife had lied about their financial status. Free on bail or not, he faces trial on second-degree murder charges . They had failed to tell the court about at least $135,000 that anonymous donors had contributed to help bankroll Zimmerman’s legal defense in the case. “Mr. Zimmerman knew a sum had been raised … we feel the failure to disclose these funds was caused by fear, mistrust and confusion,” his lawyers said. “The gravity of this mistake has been directly illustrated, and [Zimmerman] understands this has undermined his credibility, which he will have to work to repair.” They also withheld one of two valid passports issued in George Zimmerman’s name, prosecutors said at a hearing. The judge pulled his bail as a result. The murder case has grabbed widespread media attention and sparked debate about U.S. race relations, profiling, media, guns and self-defense laws. Defense lawyers said in a statement posted on their website on Monday that Zimmerman, who went into hiding because of death threats after his previous release on bond, was unfairly “thrust into the national spotlight as a racist murderer.” The motion to re-post bail is expected to be filed Tuesday.
Canadian conservation officers euthanized a black bear that ate the remains of a convicted murderer, British Columbia Environment Minister Terry Lake said. Multiple news sources in Canada report that the bear’s description matched that of one seen guarding a cache that contained the remains of Rory Wagner, 54. Examinations of fur at the scene as well as teeth and claw marks confirmed the bear that was euthanized is the one that ate the remains of the missing man. The animal was put down because bears remember food sources. Bear Eats Man in Canada Officials suspect the bear pulled Wagner, who pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in 1994, from his car after he passed away on a remote logging road. Wagner and two others were charged with a killing a man they believed had sexually assaulted a family member. He served prison time and was released. Wagner, who was living in Kamloops, B.C., was reported missing May 23. Police said his death was not suspicious. Hunters found the site last week. Coroner Mark Coleman said it is not yet known how Wagner died. Coleman said an autopsy showed he was dead before the bear got him out of the car. Wagner was on parole, and when he failed to show up at his residence May 22, a warrant was issued for his arrest. His body was found shortly after.
Gwyneth Paltrow has Tweeted her way into a swirl of controversy. The actress, who is very open about her friendship with Jay-Z and Beyonce, was invited on stage in France this weekend to join the rapper and Kanye West during an encore performance of their popular single, “Niggas in Paris.” But when The Dream snapped the following photo of the actress, her reply set off a firestorm on the blogging site: “Niggas in paris for real,” Paltrow wrote. In response to the backlash over using that word, Paltrow Tweeted on Sunday: “Hold up. It’s the title of the song!” But that wasn’t good enough for some. “Lets be very clear she called a group of black men that have nothing to do with the song ‘Ni**as’. Are Kanye and Jay-z in the picture? No. She is specifically calling The Dream and Ty Ty real ‘Ni**as In Paris’ in that moment,” wrote one of Gwyneth’s follwers. “There was no need for that. She’s the one that connected the two, They have nothing to do with the song.” The Dream, meanwhile, rushed in to Paltrow’s defense – “FYI, sorry for the confusion. I typed ‘N—– in Paris for real’ from Gwen’s phone, my bad,” he Tweeted. “Please excuse it! We were lit.” – and now HE is facing backlash. One fan accused the producer of rushing in to “save that white princess.” What do you think? Did Paltrow do anything wrong here?
Gwyneth Paltrow has Tweeted her way into a swirl of controversy. The actress, who is very open about her friendship with Jay-Z and Beyonce, was invited on stage in France this weekend to join the rapper and Kanye West during an encore performance of their popular single, “Niggas in Paris.” But when The Dream snapped the following photo of the actress, her reply set off a firestorm on the blogging site: “Niggas in paris for real,” Paltrow wrote. In response to the backlash over using that word, Paltrow Tweeted on Sunday: “Hold up. It’s the title of the song!” But that wasn’t good enough for some. “Lets be very clear she called a group of black men that have nothing to do with the song ‘Ni**as’. Are Kanye and Jay-z in the picture? No. She is specifically calling The Dream and Ty Ty real ‘Ni**as In Paris’ in that moment,” wrote one of Gwyneth’s follwers. “There was no need for that. She’s the one that connected the two, They have nothing to do with the song.” The Dream, meanwhile, rushed in to Paltrow’s defense – “FYI, sorry for the confusion. I typed ‘N—– in Paris for real’ from Gwen’s phone, my bad,” he Tweeted. “Please excuse it! We were lit.” – and now HE is facing backlash. One fan accused the producer of rushing in to “save that white princess.” What do you think? Did Paltrow do anything wrong here?
My name is Kim, I’m 13 years old, I live in Paris, France & this is my Bieber experience. I was at a radio broadcast and they had to choose 2 people to attend the interview where Justin would be. I was chosen to get to go! When Justin arrived, my heart stopped beating. JUSTIN BIEBER, my idol was in front of me. I was in the seventh heaven. The interview went well and Justin even spoke about some words in French and threw us candy. He was really adorable. The presenter then announced to us that Justin was going to look for one girl in the crowd to give 2 VIP passes for the concert the next day! What you had to do was answer Justin’s question correctly! Justin had to ask the question, “What is the first song that I recorded in studio?” Beliebers raised their hand, one answered “One time.” I had to raise my hand, Kenny and Justin pointed at me. Justin smiled to me and said, “What?” I answered, “COMMON DENOMINATOR” It was the right answer. Justin said to me, “Yeah come here” I came over to him, he gave me a kiss and the VIP tickets! OMYGOD I could not believe it! After his broadcast ended, I was crying, it was so hard to breathe. I got to take a photo with Justin and the other girls who were in my row. By going to NRJ radio, I was so happy. I wish you all get to meet Justin, to live what I lived, it was really magic, I love him so much. Justin has to change my life, to never say never, because when we believe in it, we obtain. One week ago I felt depressed in my room and today look what I am writing. Dreams do come true. -@kimdrauhl View post: My name is Kim, I’m 13 years old, I live in Paris, France…
We understand, ninjas are in Paris… we get it. Hov and ‘Ye officially ran their song into the ground and broke their own record for most consecutive performances of their hit song, “Ni**as In Paris.” Last night, The Throne touched down in Paris, France as part of their “Watch the Throne” tour at the Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy. During the performance, the Throne broke their record for performing “Niggas in Paris,” tearing through the song 11 times. The pair had been increasing the number of times they perform the song during their United States tour, but took it to new heights when they hit the stage in the city that inspired the track. These ninjas certainly were in Paris. Check out the full performance next…
Luka Rocco Magnotta, a former adult film actor, is alleged to have brutally killed a man in Montreal and shipped at least two body parts to political parties in Canada. He is now the subject of an international manhunt. Thursday morning, INTERPOL issued an international arrest warrant for Magnotta, who may have fled overseas, with France as one possible destination. He is still at large as of this report. Luka Rocco Magnotta News Report The global bulletin follows a Canada-wide warrant issued by Montreal police hours after officers first entered the 29-year-old suspect’s blood-soaked apartment. It was the scene of one of the most gruesome killings in Montreal in recent memory. Investigators found a torso left in a suitcase, while a hand and foot were mailed to the Ottawa offices of the Liberal and Conservative parties. Police have obtained a video allegedly depicting the crime, and are taking steps to have it removed from a website where it was posted. As authorities search for Magnotta, the young man’s past has come under the microscope and Canadians are trying to come to terms with what kind of person might have committed such gruesome acts. Who is Luka Rocco Magnotta? Born in Scarborough, Ontario, in 1982 as Eric Clinton Newman, he changed his name to Rocco Magnotta in 2006. He has also used the alias Vladimir Romanov. According to a neighbor, Magnotta moved to Montreal four months ago. Magnotta is a self-described male model who launched his bisexual porn acting career “doing webcam shows” in Los Angeles when he was 20 years old. Photographs of him – often shirtless, his lips rouged and set in a model pout – are all over the Internet. Magnotta is featured in a number of online interviews about the porn industry and has often professed his love for cosmetic surgery. According to the Montreal Gazette , animal-rights activists worldwide have been after Magnotta since 2010, after a video surfaced that allegedly showed him placing two kittens in a plastic bag and then vacuuming the air out, suffocating them. Two more videos, also depicting the torture and killing of cats, also have been linked to Magnotta. A $5,000 reward was offered to bring him to justice. Police say Magnotta was romantically linked to Karla Homolka, the former wife of convicted killer Paul Bernado. Homolka was convicted of manslaughter in the 1991-92 rape-murders of three young women, including Karla’s sister Tammy Homolka.
After a whirlwind trip to Cannes, France last week and losing sentimental items and trust to TSA on her trip home, Kim Kardashian was looking to let loose. So she did. The Keeping Up with the Kardashians star made a beeline for Beyonce’s concert at Revel’s Ovation Hall in Atlantic City, N.J., on Sunday night. In addition to dancing and singing along to Bey’s chart-topping hits, Kim got a chance to chat with the woman of the evening herself backstage. OMG! The two have plenty to discuss, of course. Beyonce’s husband of four years, Jay-Z, is best friends with Kanye West, Kardashian’s serious boyfriend. Says a source klose to Kim: “Kim thought it was such a great show . There’s always some random rumors there is tension between them and there totally isn’t! Kim had so much fun.” B’s concert weekend, her first since becoming a mom, drew many big names. Michelle, Sasha and Malia Obama were among other notable attendees. During Saturday’s performance (she did four shows there), Beyonce revealed that she’s lost 60 pounds since giving birth to baby Blue Ivy Carter. “Y’all have no idea how hard I worked! They had me on that treadmill. I ate lettuce!” she told her fans. “Now tonight I’m gonna get chocolate wasted!” That’s probably what Kim says about … chocolate also. [Photos: WENN.com]
