T.I. Talks Jay-Z and Jermaine Dupri Working With The NFL Black folks have been side-eyeing the crap out of Jay-Z after he got in bed with the NFL for what felt like a shady (and pointless) partnership . Now, T.I. is weighing in on Hov’s decision, as well as Jermaine Dupri ‘s choice to partner with the Super Bowl when it was in Atlanta . But FIRST, in the exclusive Radio One clip the Rhythm + Flow host talks about becoming more involved with the community, saying he’s careful about categorizing himself as an activist … and here’s why: “I’m active, but I’m not an activist. I feel like an activist is more philanthropic. I’m in the for-profit biz. Activists are boots on the ground, they out doing the work, mobilizing, organizing, and sacrificing luxuries for the purpose of the greater good…” he explained. On Jay-Z and JD, he commented: “You see, at the time, my reason for not rocking with the NFL was because of how I felt they were manipulating the culture. I felt that they knew that Black dollars were important. Therefore, they came to Atlanta and I felt like they went all the wrong places and did all the wrong things to encourage the Black dollar at that moment in time. I feel like it wasn’t enough fair representation. JD was a good go, but I felt like it came after the slight — after I feel like we’d already been slighted — so, you know, he took a hard stand at it. I didn’t condemn him or criticize him for it. I told him I couldn’t participate. But, I think now that the smoke has cleared, I feel like, for me having that gripe — not being fairly or properly represented — if they go out of their way to find somebody who has an ability to fairly and properly represent the culture in Jay-Z, I can’t complain about that.” Check out the clip up top for his FULL thoughts, as he had a little bit MORE to say about JD, and let us know if you agree.
Source: HECTOR RETAMAL / Getty The NBA was shoring up what looked to be a fruitful union with China, but now tension between the sports league and the communist nation looks to be growing by the day. After Houston Rockets General Manager Daryl Morey tweeted in support of Hong Kong protestors, he set off a flurry of debate regarding free speech and the price of going into business with an entity known for its rigidness. To explain the rift in full, back on October 4, Daryl Morey tweeted out support of the Hong Kong protestors who are combating an extradition bill and other restrictions that infringe on the civil rights of those living in the semi-autonomous region. This tweet came just ahead of the Los Angles Lakers and the Brooklyn Nets on the schedule to play in China this week. NBA commissioner Adami Silver offered not one, but two statements to satisfy China’s concerns around Morey’s tweet. Silver did say that he would not find Morey in contempt and won’t limit free speech in the league. Morey’s tweet, which has since been deleted, angered Chinese leaders to the point of upending a potential windfall of money. China’s state-run CCTV has since suspended all NBA pre-season games after issuing a statement. “We’ve noticed NBA commissioner Adam Silver’s response to the inappropriate remarks by Houston Rockets GM Morey. We are strongly unsatisfied and opposed to Adam Silver’s claim of supporting Morey’s rights of having freedom of speech,” CCTV5, a sports channel, said Tuesday on its social media page. “We think any remarks that challenge national sovereignty and social stability are outside the category of freedom of speech.” The Rockets were one of the more popular teams in China, due in part to the team drafting now-retired star Yao Ming number one overall in 2002. Yao, now the chairman of the Chinese Basketball Association, has not made any public comments about the rift despite his history with the Rockets and the NBA. The fallout from Morey’s tweet has been substantial, with community events, ticket sales getting halted, and Chinese celebrities shouting down the Rockets and the NBA in the process. The league, which enjoys a strong following due to the aforementioned Yao’s time with Houston, also has a $1.5 billion deal to stream games with the Tencent media company, with the service blacklisting Rockets games. Further, the CBA is no longer collaborating with the Houston Rockets. Despite the apologies from Silver and from Rockets superstar James Harden, China does not appear satisfied with the team’s effort for repairing the issue. Several Chinese fans were also ousted from pre-season games featuring the Washington Wizards and the Philadelphia 76ers for holding fans that read “Free Hong Kong.” Additionally, a bipartisan group of lawmakers has urged the NBA to pull out of China, including the hosting of a training facility in Xinjiang, where it is thought that around a million Chinese minorities, the Turkic Uyghurs, are being held in so-called “re-education camps.” To underscore the seriousness of things, a CNN reporter attempted to ask Rockets players James Harden and Russell Westbrook if they will continue speaking out on social issues, most especially in the light of Morey’s Hong Kong utterance. An NBA spokesperson shut down the questioning promptly. #NEW : CNN reporter Christina Macfarlane ( @chrissymacCNN ) is quickly shut down by the Houston Rockets' media officer as she tries to ask a question about the NBA's ongoing standoff with China. pic.twitter.com/FP6jgBHUwu — Alex Salvi (@alexsalvinews) October 10, 2019 — Photo: Getty
Source: Splash / Splash News Record labels have no morals or scruples. Case in point, Tekashi 6ix9ine ‘s old recording home, 10K Projects, has reportedly offered the loose-lipped rapper a new deal worth up to $10M. Yes, the same Tekashi who dropped dime on his associates with the hopes of him being able to duck a potential 47-year sentence in order to walk free with time served, if all goes to plan. According to TMZ , the Brooklyn rapper will get the loot in exchange for two albums; an English and a Spanish language project. Last week, two of Tekashi’s former Nine Trey Blood associates were found kidnapping and racketeering charges , thanks in part to Tekashi Snitch9ine dropping all the dimes. The things is, Tekashi isn’t due to be sentenced until December. The judge may not be too keen on him potentially earning major moolah off his illicit behavior. There’s also the fact that him being a federal informant puts a permanent target on his back. God forgive something goes wrong as a consequence of his dry snitching, will the label be held responsible or accountable? Nevertheless, it seems Tekashi is intent on continuing his rap career . Good luck with that. — Photo: Splash
Source: Jeffrey Mayer / Getty Prince Estate Furious Trump Won’t Stop Using ‘Purple Rain’ At Rallies That guy in the White House keeps staring up trouble with musicians who, quite frankly, just aren’t fans of his and don’t play about their art. You would think Cheeto curmudgeon would be more focused on important things–ya know, like his impending impeachment inquiry , running the country, or trying to be a decent human being–but that would be too much to ask. According to reports from TMZ , y’alls lil President was on the road having the time of his life and turning up to Prince’s “Purple Rain” in the process. As is stands, everyone is still pretty clueless how and why this would tie into his re-election campaign theme, but here we are. This unfortunate event unfolded in Minneapolis, Minnesota at the Target theater during a Trump rally. Omg. They are playing Purple Rain at the Trump rally!! That is INSANE!! @PRNFamily @prince #NO #RESIST pic.twitter.com/b2oYmtccY4 — Sara Savoy (@SaraSavoy) October 11, 2019 The crowd looks like they’re enjoying themselves (duh, it’s Prince) but there are still several problems with this. Most importantly; we all know Prince would have never approved of this and on top of that, this isn’t the first time he’s pulled this very move. Princes’ estate has even already told Trump they don’t want him playing any of Prince’s music, at any time, ever. “President Trump played Prince’s “Purple Rain” tonight at a campaign event in Minneapolis despite confirming a year ago that the campaign would not use Prince’s music. The Prince Estate will never give permission to President Trump to use Prince’s songs.” This marks one year to the day that Prince’s estate wrote a letter to the Cheeto-in-Chief and telling him not to play his music, and yet, he did it again. At this point, it seems like some calculated shade and pettiness is afoot. Hopefully, the legend’s estate understands now that they need to take action–not just send warnings–as we know this guy doesn’t play by the rules.
This Just In: Ronnie Ortiz-Magro is not the only Jersey Shore cast member involved in a controversial relationship. We all know about the many ugly issues between Ronnie and Jen Harley , of course, but a newly-released trailer for upcoming episodes of this popular program makes it evident: Things may not be perfect between Jenni Farley and boyfriend Zack Clayton Carpinello , either. In an explosive look at what's on tap for these often-drunk and chaotic reality stars, Angelina Pivarnick accuses Farley's young lover of making a move on her. “What happened in Vegas?” Angelina’s fiancé, Chris Larangeira, asks as a flashback clip plays of Zack greeting her with a hug in the video featured here. In response, Angelina admits: “I just feel his hand go right on me,” as she slaps her hand on her butt, much to Chris’ shock and irritation. Later, Angelina says her engagement is in jeopardy, presumably as a result of this alleged incident. From here, the stars attempt to get to the bottom of this romantic mess. Chris refers to Zack as a “clown” and threatens to “knock this guy’s teeth out.” In a confessional, Vinny Guadagnino says he is “seriously worried about the next time we’re gonna be together.” “It's like Zack's word against Angelina's,” Pauly D says in a deep conversation with Vinny and Ronnie. Meanwhile, Jenni claims at one point that everything is reversed and that Angelina is the one who acted inappropriately with Zack. “We need to figure out what happened,” Snooki says calmly, to which Jenni fires back, “She f-cking kissed him!” Cut to a group meal and Angelina pressing Jenni over whether she's “trying to be grimy now,” which prompts Jenni to jump up in a blazing fury and pound on the table. She repeats, “Grimy?! Grimy?!” in stunned disbelief. Important takeaway here: Never refer to Jenni Farley as grimy apparently. “Now it’s an all-out war,” Vinny says. For the record: Angelina and Chris have been engaged since January of 2018, while JWoww started dating Zack in March amid her divorce from Roger Mathews, which the ex-couple finalized in August. “I never in a million years thought I would be dating someone younger than me,” JWoww told Angelina and Mike Sorrentino’s wife, Lauren Sorrentino, on a recent episode, adding in extreme detail: “We’re completely different. … Not my style at all. But then he turns into this fcking monster in bed. I was like, ‘Are you an escort? What’s going on?’ It wasn’t normal. “I had to look up positions and stuff.” Well… okay then! Check out the new trailer now.
Soon-to-be Alaskan Bush People star Raiven Adams is 11 weeks pregnant and back together with Bear Brown . They’ve had their ups and downs since going public with their relationship, and Raiven has received a shocking amount of outright hate . Now, Bear is standing up for his lady love and the mother of his child and begging fans to stop being cruel. Bear Brown took to Instagram late Wednesday night to share an impassioned plea with his fans and followers. “Everybody!” Bear’s urgent Instagram message begins. “Please stop sending Raiven disrespectful messages!” People have said very cruel things to Raiven from the moment that they went public with their romance. The ensuing engagement news, breakup news, pregnancy news, and reunification news all unfortunately prompted even mroe vile trolling. “She’s is going through enough without naysayers spreading gossip!” Bear points out. “Raiven is pregnant with my child!” Bear writes. This isn’t just a reminder to be kind to a pregnant woman whom he loves, folks. Unfortunately, he makes it clear that absolute monsters have been accusing Raiven of getting pregnant by someone else and claiming htat it’s Bear’s. “We’ve been living in the same house for a while!” the self-styled King of Extreme points out. Bear assures his followers: “I don’t need some test to know this little miracle is mine!” Bear has zero doubts — about Raiven’s intentions or his child’s paternity. “It is completely 100% impossible for it not to be given the time frame!” he reveals. Honestly? At this point he’s said more than fans deserve. He can just tell conspiracy theorists where to stick it and leave it at that. “So please remember,” Bear writes. “If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all!” That is some very good advice concerning a young reality TV couple who are just trying to live their lives. Bear then goes on to remind the world that he’s not just staying with Raiven because she’s pregnant. “Raiven is the love of my life,” Bear affirms strongly. Clearly! They dated for a full six months before they went public on their relationship. He then demands that anyone who considers themselves his fan “please show her the respect she deserves!” That is an extremely reasonable request — and he is, after all, the king of extreme . Bear didn’t devote his entire message to scolding hateful trolls. “And to everyone out there who has been so supportive!” Bear writes, yes, with his punctuation continuing to convey great enthusiasm. “Thank you!” he gushes. Bear then encourages his followers and supporters to “Stay AWESOME!” Awww, it was very good of him to stand up for the mother of his future child. Keep in mind that the hate with which Raiven has been bombarded hs played a factor on their relationship. How heavy a toll? It was why they broke off their engagement several weeks ago. People had attacked Raiven for being Bear’s girlfriend, for being pansexual, for being a relative newcomer to the family. All of that ranges from rude to bigoted to downright envious — Bear is, well, one of the more desired Browns as far as fans are concerned. This time, Bear is understandably scared that “fans” will ruin his real relationship for him again. Please be kind. View Slideshow: Alaskan Bush People: 13 Secrets They Don’t Want You to Know
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Source: Dia Dipasupil / Getty While promoting her anticipated children’s book, Sulwe , Oscar winner lupita nyong’o dropped some serious nuggets about colorism . When talking to BBC Newsnight on Monday (October 7) about the concept of her book, which centers on a Black girl who has darker skin than her family, Lupita shared her own personal experiences. “I definitely grew up feeling uncomfortable with my skin color because I felt like the world around me awarded lighter skin,” the Black Panther and Little Monsters star told host Emily Maitlis. Adding that said her lighter-skinned younger sister was called “beautiful” and “pretty,’ adding “Self-consciously that translates into: ‘I’m not worthy.’” Most importantly, she stressed that colorism “is the daughter of racism” in “a world that rewards lighter skin over darker skin.” Take a look: While colorism is an extension of racism and white standards of beauty that have been force-fed to us (hence, her being told that she was “too dark” during an audition), Lupita is stating nothing but facts when she says that Black folks have also internalized this hate. “We still ascribe to these notions of Eurocentric standards of beauty, that then affect how we see ourselves among ourselves,” she said. She’s absolutely right because the lens we view ourselves through doesn’t always reflect the reality of our infinite beauty. It’s society’s own initial reception of Lupita’s beauty that truly woke me up to how dangerous and irrational colorism is in our community. Back in 2012, when Lupita first came on the scene playing Patsy in 12 Years A Slave and how instantly inamoured Hollywood became with her—as was I. Whether it was her slaying the red carpet or being named People’s Most Beautiful Person, people couldn’t get enough of this new It-Girl. And yet, while this was happening in the “mainstream” world, it felt as is some Black folks had a different take on her fame. On the blogs, Twitter and Facebook, even the “wokest” folks expressed this fake concern about Lupita being overexposed and worry that she was being eroticized and fetishized by white folks. Even worse, there was this widespread belief that white folks were only praising her beauty (and dark skin) to somehow make fun of Black folks. Quite honestly, it’s pretty damn pathological. When white people praise light-skinned Black women like Beyonce or Tessa Thompson or the countless other beige-looking starlets, we wouldn’t bat an eye or question their motives because light-skinned and racial ambiguity is the standard of beauty. It’s what has been forced down our throats and we accept it. But when that same shine was focused on Lupita, it invoked something in us. It was an internalized disbelief that white folks could never find Lupita beautiful because we didn’t (well y’all, ’cause she’s the baddest woman on the planet to me). It was if her mocha skin and short tight 4c afro should never rock the cover of Vogue because we actually believed it wasn’t worthy because that’s what white folks had been telling us…and believed it. Somehow we were flipping this to say and do everything except admit we were the ones having a problem. Self-hate is a helluva drug. Granted, it’s been years since that all went down and things are slowly getting better, but colorism and disdain for darker-skinned Black women is still as persistent and pervasive as ever. Just look on Twitter, the ‘Gram or any other pocket of Black culture, there are examples of how our darker-skinned sistas are mistreated, ignored and verbally berated for the melanin. Even our favorite Black Hollywood gatekeepers continue to push this narrative by casting mostly lighter-skinned starlets in roles (especially as love interests), pushing out the chocolate sistas who are equally if not more talented. So say what you want, but all of this is happening on our watch by our own hands. While colorism may be the daughter of racism, it’s also the sister of internalized racism. The real question is what are we as Black people going to do to stop it? BEAUTIES: What are your thoughts on colorism in Black America? RELATED NEWS: SpeakHER Podcast: Season 3, Episode 5, Clarissa Brooks On Speaking Truth To Power, Colorism & Decolonizing Her Mind ‘Basketball Wives’ Recap: This OG Situation Seems Like Colorism At Work Youtube Vlogger Disappointed Her Daughter Didn’t Have ‘Pretty Eyes,’ Responds To ‘Colorism’ Backlash [ione_media_gallery src=”https://hellobeautiful.com” id=”2949694″ overlay=”true”]
Source: Han Myung-Gu / Getty Rihanna Declined Super Bowl Performance To Support Colin Kaepernick Rihanna is confirming what’s been suspected, she turned down the Super Bowl halftime performance as an act of solidarity with Colin Kaepernick. Our favorite Bad Gal is on the current cover of VOGUE and inside she’s speaking on a number of topics including Deranged Dorito and her plans to release a reggae album. View this post on Instagram @badgalriri is our November issue cover star! She talks to @abbyaguirre about @fenty, that album you’re waiting for, being happy in love, and, oh yes, she has a few choice words for the president. Tap the link in our bio for the full profile. Photographed by @ethanjamesgreen, styled by @tonnegood, written by @abbyaguirre, Vogue, November 2019. A post shared by Vogue (@voguemagazine) on Oct 9, 2019 at 6:37am PDT Things got especially interesting however when RiRi was asked about the Super Bowl. Rumors previously swirled that she turned down an opportunity to perform during halftime and Rih told VOGUE it’s “absolutely true” because she didn’t want to be a “sellout” and go against Colin Kaepernick. WELP–sorry, Hov ! “I couldn’t dare do that,” Rihanna said of the halftime show. “For what? Who gains from that? Not my people. I just couldn’t be a sellout. I couldn’t be an enabler. There’s things within that organization that I do not agree with at all, and I was not about to go and be of service to them in any way.” OOOOP! That’s not the only part of the interview that’s interesting, however, people are pointing out that the interviewer Abby Aguire blatantly confessed that she “didn’t have time to prepare questions” for Rih—-SERIOUSlY?! “Normally I bring a list of questions, but I didn’t have time to prepare one, which I make a split-second decision to confess. “I’m winging it, so you have to help me,” I say nervously. Rihanna flashes a grin that is somehow both reassuring and mischievous. “Aren’t we all?” she says.” Uhhh….now if a blac…. View this post on Instagram Our November cover star @badgalriri has left her mark on music, design, beauty, lingerie—and now she’s upending fashion at the highest levels. Tap the link in our bio to read her full cover story. Photographed by @ethanjamesgreen, styled by @tonnegood, written by @abbyaguirre, Vogue, November 2019. A post shared by Vogue (@voguemagazine) on Oct 9, 2019 at 10:20am PDT NVM. Hit the flip to see what else Rih had to say in VOGUE.
It’s been over 35 years that Alex Trebek has graced our televisions and homes as the host of Jeopardy! But according to reports, Trebek’s time as the legendary’s show’s host may be coming to an end. In an interview with Canada’s CTV television network , Trebek revealed that his chemotherapy treatments are starting to affect his speech. Text “RICKEY” to 71007 to join the Rickey Smiley Morning Show mobile club for exclusive news. ( Terms and conditions ). “I talk to the producers about this all the time now. I say, ‘Look, I’m slurring my words. My tongue doesn’t work as much, as well as it used to. The chemo has caused sores inside my mouth. It makes it difficult for me to speak and enunciate properly.’” He continued: “I’m sure there are observant members of the television audience that notice also, but they’re forgiving,” he added. “But there will come a point when they will no longer be able to say, ‘It’s OK.’” SEE ALSO: Alex Trebek Reportedly Censored By NBC, CBS For Statement He Made About Needing Prayers [VIDEO] You may recall that back in March, the 79-year old revealed that he’d been diagnosed with Stage 4 pancreatic cancer. However, he vowed in the TV interview to continue to fight. “We’ll play it by ear and keep chugging along until we either win or lose. I’ve lived a good life, a full life, and I’m nearing the end of that life… If it happens, why should I be afraid of that,” he said. Let’s keep Trebek and his family in our prayers. Sign Up For Our Newsletter! Close Thank you for subscribing! Please be sure to open and click your first newsletter so we can confirm your subscription. Email Submit ALSO TRENDING ON RICKEYSMILEYMORNINGSHOW.COM : Legendary Actress From ‘A Different World’ Passes Away Tatyana Ali & Her Husband Welcome Baby Number Two [PHOTOS] Tisha Campbell Details Childhood Rape By Babysitter [VIDEO] Follow @TheRSMS
