Source: Miami Herald / Getty A suspect has been charged in the murder of rapper XXXtentacion . 22-year-old Dedrick D. Williams was arrested Wednesday evening by Broward County Sheriff County police and charged with First Degree Murder. XXXtenacion’s mother received word of the arrest during a candlelight vigil for the rapper XXXtenacion, real name Jahseh Dwayne Onfroy was killed Monday in a reported robbery attempted . He was only 20 years old. RELATED: Psychologist Weighs In On The Mental Toll Of Viewing Viral Disturbing Content After Death Of Rapper XXXtentacion RELATED: XXXTentacion’s Ex Girlfriend & Reported Abuse Victim Responds To His Death [ione_media_gallery src=”http://praisedc.com/” id=”1868333″ overlay=”true”]
Source: John Parra / Getty It’s definitely turning out to be one of those hot Summers that’ll go down in hip hop history. Pusha T exposed Drake as a deadbeat dad. Drake explained his Black Face photo and still hasn’t responded to Pusha. And A$AP Rocky dropped an album that no one is talking about. But the icing on top of the “messy male beef” cake is that Ja Rule decided that it’s time to reignite his beef with 50 Cent . Ja Rule has finally spoken about the Drake & Pusha T beef pic.twitter.com/3TmY4LsOU0 — 24/7 HipHop News (@BenjaminEnfield) May 31, 2018 Rule must’ve gotten super flashbacks with all the Drake and Pusha drama, so he decided to pull a Kanye West , and declare that his diss track, Loose Change (about 50 and Eminem) is the GOAT of rap battle disses. Drake, Push ima let y’all finish but “Loose Change” was one of the most disrespectful diss records of ALL TIME… — Ja Rule (@Ruleyork) May 31, 2018 We’re not sure why or if he didn’t expect the Queens bully himself to respond to the shady tweet. Clearly Ja wanted the smoke: If you a @50cent fan you don’t love yourself… — Ja Rule (@Ruleyork) May 31, 2018 And he’s also trying to make #GoatRule a thing. Grant it, he was one of the hottest guys in the game at the time and went up against multiple emcees at once to defend his title. I don’t think there’s EVER been a rap beef when 4 of the top rappers go at 1 guy… 50,Em,Busta,Dmx!!! Lmao the more I think about it #GoatRule — Ja Rule (@Ruleyork) May 31, 2018 So don’t sleep on the former Murder Inc. legend. He was singing and rapping back when Drake was still a fan of Pusha T. Drake geeking out about his Pusha T autographed mic when he was 17 years old pic.twitter.com/PYxehWw1Aw — Rap Access (@rapaccess) May 30, 2018 Moral of the story is that Ja and 50 beef will probably never let up. And Rule still doesn’t believe that he took home the L. But that’s a different story. Anytime there’s a 50 Cent / Ja Rule issue I’m always brought back to this video pic.twitter.com/PRpa3o73MJ — Jordan (@JPens4Real21) May 31, 2018 We’re pretty sure that this is just the begininng of 50 vs. Ja part 10. Who do you think will come out on top this time? And if you haven’t before, check out “Loose Change” when you hit the flip.
Source: Richard Cartwright / Getty This week in May marks National Teacher Appreciation Week and for anyone who’s learned something from an instructor, you have a lot to be thankful for. Everyone doesn’t have the luxary of having great teachers. As a matter of fact, some teachers are just plain scary. While the fear of God can definitely be a light under someone’s brain, too much spooky can have you questioning a teacher’s alleigience to the dark side. Swipe through for some of the most scary teachers from TV and movies, and you tell us if you’re passing their class or dropping out!
Source: Richard Cartwright / Getty This week in May marks National Teacher Appreciation Week and for anyone who’s learned something from an instructor, you have a lot to be thankful for. Everyone doesn’t have the luxary of having great teachers. As a matter of fact, some teachers are just plain scary. While the fear of God can definitely be a light under someone’s brain, too much spooky can have you questioning a teacher’s alleigience to the dark side. Swipe through for some of the most scary teachers from TV and movies, and you tell us if you’re passing their class or dropping out!
Source: Alexander Spatari / Getty Pistons forward Reggie Bullock continues to honor his late sister Mia. At a GLAAD event, Bullock shared his dream of rocking a rainbow jersey on the NBA hardwood one day to raise awareness. “I have this dream of playing basketball in a rainbow jersey and I’m going to make it happen,” said Bullock at the GLAAD awards. He originally tweeted about the dream in April. Just woke up out a dream and thought about playing in a colored jersey to incorporate #LGBTQ into sports. @nba help me make it happen in my lifetime — Reggie Bullock (@ReggieBullock35) April 22, 2018 Three years ago, Mia Bullock’s body was found in Baltimore, beaten so badly that she was hard to identify. “I was just lost for words, I was crying,” Bullock said, remembering the day he found out. “I couldn’t believe that it actually happened, and the way it happened. It was real tragic.” After a suspect in the murder was acquitted in a 2017 trial, Bullock has been dedicated to using his platform to create greater awareness for the trans community. In a Now This profile, Bullock speaks at length about how his sister’s death has affected him. NBA star Reggie Bullock is using his platform to fight for transgender equality after his sister was murdered pic.twitter.com/cU0sc7rgMM — NowThis (@nowthisnews) April 7, 2018 GLAAD shouted Bullock out on their Twitter account after his speech. . @ReggieBullock35 is with us at the #GLAADawards to help honor his late sister Mia and to advocate for trans women. pic.twitter.com/skP8ROazNE — GLAAD (@glaad) May 6, 2018 Bullock has been a dedicated advocate for the LGBTQ community since Mia’s death and he’s become more outspoken over time. His brave decision to announce his dream of a rainbow jersey is just the latest example. “I have this dream of playing basketball in a rainbow jersey and I'm going to make it happen.” @ReggieBullock35 #GLAADawards pic.twitter.com/FC7ZsSRQmt — GLAAD (@glaad) May 6, 2018 OFSmith32 showed love to Bullock on Twitter, writing, “@ReggieBullock35 I saw the video of u speaking @glaad last night, you were amazing! Proud doesn’t say enough, n how ur using ur voice 4 good! #mialiveson good work Reggie! I’m sure she is smiling from above. #endhate #endignorance.” @ReggieBullock35 I saw the video of u speaking @glaad last night, you were amazing! Proud doesn’t say enough, n how ur using ur voice 4 good! #mialiveson good work Reggie! I’m sure she is smiling from above. #endhate #endignorance — TheRealOtisFSmith (@OFSmith32) May 6, 2018 Sarah Kate Ellis typed, “Thank you @ReggieBullock35 for using your platform not only to pay tribute to your sister, but to also stand up for all trans women of color. With the violence facing that part of our community, it is so important for allies to use their voices to speak up.” Thank you @ReggieBullock35 for using your platform not only to pay tribute to your sister, but to also stand up for all trans women of color. With the violence facing that part of our community, it is so important for allies to use their voices to speak up. https://t.co/aJwi2VsIhI — Sarah Kate Ellis (@sarahkateellis) May 6, 2018
Source: Alexander Spatari / Getty Pistons forward Reggie Bullock continues to honor his late sister Mia. At a GLAAD event, Bullock shared his dream of rocking a rainbow jersey on the NBA hardwood one day to raise awareness. “I have this dream of playing basketball in a rainbow jersey and I’m going to make it happen,” said Bullock at the GLAAD awards. He originally tweeted about the dream in April. Just woke up out a dream and thought about playing in a colored jersey to incorporate #LGBTQ into sports. @nba help me make it happen in my lifetime — Reggie Bullock (@ReggieBullock35) April 22, 2018 Three years ago, Mia Bullock’s body was found in Baltimore, beaten so badly that she was hard to identify. “I was just lost for words, I was crying,” Bullock said, remembering the day he found out. “I couldn’t believe that it actually happened, and the way it happened. It was real tragic.” After a suspect in the murder was acquitted in a 2017 trial, Bullock has been dedicated to using his platform to create greater awareness for the trans community. In a Now This profile, Bullock speaks at length about how his sister’s death has affected him. NBA star Reggie Bullock is using his platform to fight for transgender equality after his sister was murdered pic.twitter.com/cU0sc7rgMM — NowThis (@nowthisnews) April 7, 2018 GLAAD shouted Bullock out on their Twitter account after his speech. . @ReggieBullock35 is with us at the #GLAADawards to help honor his late sister Mia and to advocate for trans women. pic.twitter.com/skP8ROazNE — GLAAD (@glaad) May 6, 2018 Bullock has been a dedicated advocate for the LGBTQ community since Mia’s death and he’s become more outspoken over time. His brave decision to announce his dream of a rainbow jersey is just the latest example. “I have this dream of playing basketball in a rainbow jersey and I'm going to make it happen.” @ReggieBullock35 #GLAADawards pic.twitter.com/FC7ZsSRQmt — GLAAD (@glaad) May 6, 2018 OFSmith32 showed love to Bullock on Twitter, writing, “@ReggieBullock35 I saw the video of u speaking @glaad last night, you were amazing! Proud doesn’t say enough, n how ur using ur voice 4 good! #mialiveson good work Reggie! I’m sure she is smiling from above. #endhate #endignorance.” @ReggieBullock35 I saw the video of u speaking @glaad last night, you were amazing! Proud doesn’t say enough, n how ur using ur voice 4 good! #mialiveson good work Reggie! I’m sure she is smiling from above. #endhate #endignorance — TheRealOtisFSmith (@OFSmith32) May 6, 2018 Sarah Kate Ellis typed, “Thank you @ReggieBullock35 for using your platform not only to pay tribute to your sister, but to also stand up for all trans women of color. With the violence facing that part of our community, it is so important for allies to use their voices to speak up.” Thank you @ReggieBullock35 for using your platform not only to pay tribute to your sister, but to also stand up for all trans women of color. With the violence facing that part of our community, it is so important for allies to use their voices to speak up. https://t.co/aJwi2VsIhI — Sarah Kate Ellis (@sarahkateellis) May 6, 2018
I t is officially April 20, so happy weed day! Yep, this is the day that people celebrate marijuana, grass, pot, ghanja — whatever you call it. This is also the day that many people fight for the legalization of weed. In states that have legalized marijuana, it’s been a huge boost to their economy and created tons of jobs. According to the Marijuana Policy Group (MPG) , as of 2016, legal weed has created 18,005 full-time jobs and added about $2.4 billion to Colorado’s economy. Imagine the benefits if weed was legalized all over the country? SEE ALSO: Calls For Starbucks Boycott After The Company’s Weak Apology For A Racist Arrest In the meantime, people are still being very innovative with their marijuana and one particular strain of weed is a prime example. According to the Colorado Springs Independent , a strain of weed called Black Power is making a comeback. It goes back to the days when weed was illegal and “when millions of people, mainly Black, were incarcerated, ended up with the name Black Power if the dealer was sort of ‘woke.’ Some people say Black Power is a blend of The Black and Power Kush — or maybe, as others say, Black Domina and Power Kush.” According to the review of the strain, “Black Power tastes like pineapple and mint, as a heavy-hitting Indica that doesn’t leave you stranded or sleepy. It’s a dark green bud that lands on the border somewhere between the ultra-violet purple hovering over things in super-hot climates and a dark green pine color pushed a few steps further.” Sounds powerful and, if you want to celebrate 420, Black Power might be the way to go. The Colorado Springs Independent also spoke to Wanda James, the first black owner of a dispensary in Colorado, about the importance of Black ownership in the weed industry. She explained, “We’re talking social justice, we’re talking medicine, we’re talking jobs, we’re talking tax revenue, we’re talking school construction.” Sadly, as of 2017, out of the 3,200 to 3,600 marijuana dispensaries in the U.S., only 1 percent are Black-owned. So if you are considering buying weed — consider buying Black in the name of Black Power. Here are a few to choose from: The Hood Incubator, District Growers, Simply Pure (owned by Wanda James), The Canna MDs and The Hollingsworth Cannabis Company. SEE ALSO: Forgive But Don’t Forget: Remembering Those Times When Barbara Bush Waded Into The Waters Of Race Billy Graham’s Complicated Relationship With Black America, Explained Woman Shouts N-Word, Literally Stops The Show At ‘Black Panther’ NJ Screening [ione_media_gallery src=”https://newsone.com” id=”3773125″ overlay=”true”]
Source: Bob D’Amico / Getty It’s the last episode of Scandal e ver. Forever, ever! And we kick off with Olivia Pope meeting up with Lonnie Mencken trying to figure out what to do about Jake and Cyrus. Mencken says he’ll help her if she can promise that Mellie makes gun control a priority. Olivia agrees and Lonnie kills himself. That latter part wasn’t part of Olivia’s plan, but that is how Mencken is helping (and keeping himself from being implicated). His death will get Olivia her Senate hearing. Cyrus and Jake are backed into a corner and Olivia sees this as her chance to start over. Eli Pope begs to differ. He thinks Olivia should “stop being a slave, trying to fix massa’s problems,” and skip town. He set up a nice offshore bank account for her so she can disappear if she wants to, but the old Liv is back so you know she won’t be going anywhere. Meanwhile, Papa Pope is about to pay everyone dust because he refuses to get caught up in Olivia’s whistleblowing shenanigans. But at the same time, you know he’s not going to leave without knowing Olivia’s fate first. via GIPHY The gladiators are terrified about testify about all the terrible things that have been done as part of B613 because it could potentially mean prison time. Mellie is terrified about testifying too because she could still get impeached and forced to step down. Meanwhile, Charlie is still locked up and doesn’t even know they’re doing this. However, when it’s time for the deposition, they spill all the tea about everything from Frankie Vargas to President Rashad, but they frame it as Jake and Cyrus being the masterminds. After the hearing, Rosen tells them that they should say their goodbyes now before the committee makes its recommendations because again, prison could be a reality. The first order of business is going to visit Charlie in prison. They inform him what’s going on, and Charlie and Quinn finally get their wedding. Jake confronts Rosen in a dark parking lot and threatens to kill him unless he does the “smart” thing, but Rosen is finally about that life. As Jake touches the gun in his waistband, Rosen stretches his arms out to the side and says he’s not giving in to him so he might as well do what he has to do. He basically reads Jake for filth and his thesis is, “I am not your bitch, but you belong to Cyrus.” That last part is true. We all know Cyrus gave the order to kill Rosen and Jake attempted to do what he was told, but Rosen got all up in his head so the murder is off, for now. Cyrus is livid and hurls all the usual insults at Jake, but Jake is finally tired of being a lap dog and tells him that he could have killed Rosen if he wanted to because he’s cold-blooded like that and killing is what he does. But Cyrus is the one who’s always barking orders and never actually getting in the midst of the action. That’s all it takes to put the battery in Cyrus’ back. In fact, Cyrus interrupts Abby and Rosen’s cuddle time in bed with a text telling Rosen that he wants to strike a deal. Rosen, the only truly clean individual in this entire universe, is naive enough to think that Cyrus is really about to lay down and take his punishment. So, they meet up at Cyrus’ office, Cyrus hands him a drink, and…you know where this is going, right? Rosen drinks the poison and the Cyrus smothers him with a pillow as he already lay choking from the poison. via GIPHY Why no one realized this was a trap is beyond any of us, because Cyrus would literally do something like this. We know this. They should have known this, but that’s what it is. So let’s pour one out for Rosen. via GIPHY Now we find Abby, Olivia, Quinn and Huck standing over Rosen’s body in the morgue. The coroner said it was a heart attack, but they know what’s up. Abby refuses to cry because she wants to act now and grieve later. Huck offers to take care of it but Olivia tells him not to because they’re the good guys now. “We’re the only white hats left,” she offers. Quinn goes to Papa Pope for help and he tells her like he told Olivia that they are on their own. He’s retired from the mess and dasit. via GIPHY Olivia laments to Fitz that they’ve lost. The thing is, with Rosen dead, that means there’s the deputy AG left. Cyrus still has the deputy AG in pocket so he’s going to win. Fitz is hopeful that things will work out, but Olivia has a meltdown because she hasn’t fixed anything and she dragged her people down (she actually did fix something, she got them to tell the truth, which set them free as the cliche goes). She points out that this is most likely the last time they’ll ever be in the same room together alone since she’s probably going to jail and that they can either keep talking about impending doom or do something else. You already know they chose something else. via GIPHY The next morning, Fitz gets news that the committee postponed the recommendations because they have a new witness. Turns out it’s Eli Pope. He was moved by news of Rosen’s death. He obviously knew what’s up and again, Rosen was the one person who didn’t deserve what he got. The committee thinks Eli is just a paleontologist so they’re not taking him seriously at all. They’re not even trying to hide their smirks and are especially amused when he tells them that he created B613. He goes into his most epic rant ever by telling them that he created B613 in response to them, “White men who were masters of the universe who left the world to rot.” He goes in about their privilege and how they have this power but act like petulant children so he had to come in and save them, and the world, from themselves. Then he flips it by telling them that they bare the responsibility for all that B613 hath wrought. He also lowkey makes them realize that they got played by a black man. “I am responsible for the fact that this nation still stands. I wake up every morning and I make America great again, this is my legacy!” is the exact quote to cap our last Rowan special. Now he has their attention, they hang on to every word he says. He manages to control the hell out of them, because that’s what he does, and says he can give them command, but he’s not going down for it, and that’s what it is. Rowan Pope saves the day. Finally, Jake gets arrested. Quinn rejoices with Abby and Huck because “the good guys win.” Abby finally breaks down because “the good guy is dead,” which is true. Olivia visits Jake in prison before he gets transferred and offers a teary apology for forcing him to step out of the sun. He tells her not to be sorry, that he loved her and that she should never be sorry for that. Jake thanks her for showing up for him and they exchange their final goodbyes. Sally Langston delivers news that the shadow government has been put to bed and that Mellie Grant is back on track. Cyrus pays Olivia a visit and Olivia is not with the small talk. She just wants him to hand in his resignation letter. Cyrus starts talking about how he can’t escape the darkness and ends up signing the resignation letter and that’s that. Cyrus, the one who should actually be in jail, get to roam free. Yes, Cyrus has to live with the “darkness,” but it just doesn’t seem right that Cyrus gets to be free while Jake rots in jail. via GIPHY Mellie then asks Olivia how they can restore the public’s faith in govt institutions and makes it clear that she needs Olivia by her side, but Liv is done. Liv tells Mellie that she has always known how to run the country in the way it needs to be run, and she will be great. Mellie asks what Olivia is going to do and her reply is, “Whatever I want.” Translation: Olivia Pope is free. via GIPHY The final episode winds down with a montage of Mellie in the Oval Office with Marcus by her side as the new VP. Abby and Huck visit Rosen’s grave, Charlie, Quinn and their baby are back together as a happy family, and Jake is in his cell fantasizing about being back in the sun with Olivia. Finally, Olivia goes to see Fitz and they deliver their classic Olitz-style, “Hi,” because you know Vermont is in their future. And the last thing we see is two little black girls at the National Museum of African American History and Culture staring at a portrait of Olivia Pope, the woman who brought down the republic in order to help it rebuild. How’s that for anticlimactic? RELATED POSTS ‘Scandal’ Recap: Olivia Pope Blows The Lid Off B613 ‘Scandal’ Recap: Team Mellivia Is Back In Action
Stock image by Getty Hart Family Pacific Coast Crash Likely To Be Murder-Suicide The crash off of the Pacific coast in California killing a family of 8 is suspected of being intentionally according to authorities. The family, known for traveling and partaking in different protests against police violence, was made up of all adopted children and two mothers, Jennifer and Sara Hart. According to NY Daily News , the highway patrol made the stunning disclosure after analyzing the SUV’s onboard computer and searching Jennifer and Sara Hart’s home in Woodland, Wash., for possible suicide notes. Reportedly, the car was travelling at 90 miles per hour when it departed from the cliff and landed in the Pacific ocean with all of the kids inside. Who was driving the car has not been revealed, or whether both parents had agreed to the murder-suicide involving their adopted children. So sad. Continue reading →