#FASHIONFAB: Colman Domingo in Louis Vuitton!
Colman Domingo came out of awards season as a leading man, a prestige powerhouse. Have another look.
He looks FABULOUS!
#RHOA: NeNe Leakes' Son Bryson Bryant Enters Not Guilty Plea In Felony Fentanyl Possession From Arrest Last Summer
NeNe Leakes' son Bryson Bryant has entered a not guilty plea to charges of felony possession of Fentanyl and misdemeanor 'loitering/prowling' following his arrest at his Lawrenceville, Georgia eight months ago.
Bryson, 34, has obtained legal representation to fight charges stemming from his July 3, 2023 arrest, Radar Online reported on Monday, citing court docs submit March 4 at the Superior Court of Gwinnett County.
At the time of his arrest, Bryant faced charges of possession of a scheduled II controlled substance, violation of probation, loitering and giving a false name, address or birthdate, the outlet previously reported.
According to the outlet, Bryant told authorities he was his brother, Brentt Leakes, when he was being taken into custody.
Bryant 'evaded police and claimed he knew the people that lived at the residence, which was false,' officials said, according to the outlet. He also allegedly gave the address of a home his mother sold years ago.
Bryant was in custody for just more than three months, as he was released from Gwinnett County Jail on $6,100 bond on October 5, 2023.
Officials said that the $6,100 was composed of $2,400 for the controlled substance charge; $1,850 for the charge of loitering and another $1,850 for the giving a false name charge, according to the outlet.
Bryant was booked at Gwinnett County Jail with a bond set at $3,700; the incident led him to also be charged with violating probation in another case.
NeNe Leakes, 56, spoke publicly about Bryson's problems in a July 2023 interview on Reality with The King with host Carlos King.
The Real Housewives of Atlanta personality said that her eldest son 'needs rehabilitation' and 'a lot of counseling.'
She said on the podcast: 'He needs a lot of counseling. Like many families out there, I have family members that are struggling with drugs and certain addictions.
'He has an addiction. He's been struggling with it for years. He's been in rehab for a couple of times and he still has come back out and relapsed.'
'As a mom just to watch it, my hands are tied,' NeNe said. 'For people who have had children or family members that have been on drugs, they know that they have to be ready. They have to simply be ready.'
She continued: 'I've spent so much money on trying to get Bryson where he needs to be. But every time I've sent him off is because I said, "You are getting your a** up and we are sending you off."
'But I learned through counseling myself that he has to say, "I'm ready to go," not me making him go.'
Bryant's younger brother Brentt took to Instagram July 18, 2023 to seemingly address the news, sharing a meme of his mother with her hands on her head, appearing to be in distress.
Brentt, who has 100,000 followers on the app under the handle @kingbrentt, also shared a throwback outtake from an old RHOA reunion featuring his beloved mother.
In the snippet, Leakes was sitting on a couch, dressed in a white pantsuit as she asked about a conflict, 'Now why am I in it?'
Bryant's latest arrest comes after he was arrested for a DUI in 2011 when he failed to stay in his lane. Then, in 2012, he was detained for driving with a suspended license.
In 2015, he was arrested after giving cops a false name during a McDonald's raid in Georgia. Bryson had been accused of being among a group of suspects who intended to print counterfeit checks at the fast food business.
#MusicNews: SZA, Monica, Muni Long & More Booked To Perform At Dreamville Festival 2024
J. Cole is going big for Dreamville Festival 2024. After making the announcement back in November that the festival was locked in for Saturday, April 6th and Sunday, April 7th in Raleigh, North Carolina, the complete list of performers has finally been unveiled, and there are quite a few surprises. The lineup is loaded with R&B and hip-hop superstars, Dreamville Records’ talented roster and a few artists on the come up.
The opening day of this year’s Dreamville Festival will headlined by SZA and Chris Brown. Before these two end the night with their R&B star power, Saturday’s schedule is filled with a variety of acts. Festivalgoers can expect to be entertained by JID, Lil Yachty, ScHoolboy Q, Sexyy Red, Jeremih, EARTHGANG, Teezo Touchdown, Amaarae, Lute, Luh Tyler and Domani.
Dreamville Festival’s second and final day will feature headlining sets by Nicki Minaj and J. Cole, who will once again shut his label’s signature event down. Leading up to that hip-hop-heavy conclusion will be a packed day of performances. Rema, Jeezy, Monica, Rae Sremmurd, Key Glock, Bas, Muni Long, Cozz, Omen, TiaCorine and Chase Shakur are all expected to make appearances.
With this stacked lineup, the fourth edition of the Dreamville Festival, which pulled in a record number of attendees last year to Raleigh’s Dorothea Dix Park, is poised to have its biggest year ever. Trust and believe that you’re going to want to be there when they make history. If you didn’t pull the trigger and purchase tickets back when Dreamville Festival 2024 was first announced last fall, make sure to secure your tickets now.
Various levels of tickets are listed on the ticket page of the Dreamville Festival website. Currently, General Admission and MVP VIP tickets are still available for immediate purchase. Potential attendees interested in GA+, JV VIP and Varsity VIP level tickets can sign up for a waitlist to be notified when/if more are released to the public.
For more information about Dreamville Festival 2024, tap into the festival’s official website
#HipHopNews: Cardi B Announces New Music & Reveals Cover Art
Cardi B seems poised to finally release her long-awaited sophomore album as she has now announced another single just weeks after dropping her first.
Taking to all of her social channels on Monday (March 11), Bardi revealed the cover art for her new single “Enough (Miami)” along with its scheduled release date of Friday (March 15).
The artwork features a nude, oiled up Cardi atop a white bench with flowing black hair.
The Bronx native previewed the song days earlier and had fans clamoring that the so-called “Old Cardi” is set to make a return.
The bass-heavy record finds Cardi B continuing the confrontational tone she took on in the recently released single “Like What (Freestyle).” The song’s video notably concluded with a teaser of the upcoming song.
“I can survive in the coldest conditions/ Hoes better lower their tone when they spittin’/ Bitches is washed, soap on the dishes/ I apply pressure like boa constrictors,” she raps menacingly.
On the hook she adds: “I see my opps linkin’ up/ I’m like, ‘What in the fuck?’/ If you scared then just say that, ho/ Enough is enough/ They was just in my DMs/ Ain’t no trustin’ these sluts/ I’m about to call up Diamond/ Bitch, knuck if you buck.”
The track is set to arrive just two weeks after the above joint, which samples Missy Elliott‘s 1999 hit “She’s A Bitch.” Given the back-to-back drops, the 31-year-old seems to be in album mode.
Cardi B recently promised to release her long-awaited second album sometime this year, saying on Instagram: “January 27 of 20-20-fuckin’-three. I be working on this shit at 5 a.m. You know, I’m a night owl.
“I promise y’all, this year I’m not letting my anxiety, I’m not letting what haters say, I’m not letting what fans say. If I do a song, I’ma just fuckin’ drop it. Well, I got no choice, because I’m dropping my album this year, so stay tuned for the announcement.”
Cardi’s last and only album, Invasion of Privacy, arrived nearly seven years ago in 2018.
Nicole Murphy Breaks Silence On Boyfriend Warren Braithwaite's Death In Heartbreaking Post
Nicole Murphy has finally broken her silence on her boyfriend's passing. After going social media silent since news broke of Warren Braithwaite's death from cancer, she has just returned to Instagram to pay tribute to her late partner.
On Sunday, March 10, Nicole posted a heartbreaking tribute on her Story. She uploaded a throwback selfie of her and Warren and wrote of how much she has been missing her since he passed away.
"I miss you so much my love. May you rest in peace my sweet," the 56-year-old actress wrote over the snap, set to Beyonce Knowles' song "Heaven". "It's so hard not hearing your voice or seeing your face. You were my world & my everything," she admitted, adding a broken heart emoji.
News about Warren's passing started to swirl on Saturday, March 2, after his friends posted tributes on social media. "Lost a good friend, a brother, a childhood friend today imma miss u like a mothaf**ka!!!" one of them wrote.
"Imma miss the 2 hour phone calls laughing and talking s**t with the money we made together over years partying the bottle wars in the club [you] was a good dude I don't give a f**k what nobody has to. Say about [you]!!! [you] was always a giving person never selfish or greedy!!! Sharing and caring was ur motto!!! This one hurts so f**king baddddd," the friend added. "But we gonna celebrate ur life way over the top cause that's who u where!!! Res5 easy!! aka trees aka 50grand aka wild oats love u bro f**k cancer!!!!! @nikimurphy stay strong sis."
Another person penned, "My n***a never shined on n***as he always wanted shine with his n***as!! If u didn't have it he would go the extra mile to make sure we all looked good when we step out!! A lot of yall n***as don't have. A clue what it is to have a team but when n***as wanna tear ur head [off you] wanna remember real n***as foh rip to a real!" The man concluded, "If I could have saved ur life 1 more time king."
It's unclear when Nicole and Warren started dating, but he appeared to be close to her family as she brought him to the wedding of her son Myles Murphy, whom she shares with ex-husband Eddie Murphy, with Carly Fink in September 2023. At the time, Nicole shared a photo of her, Warren and Eddie smiling at the nuptials, which took place in Beverly Hills.
Serayah Seen Left In Tears During Tense Conversation With Joey Bada$$
Serayah and Joey Bada$$ may be going through a roller coaster in their relationship. The pair have been caught on camera having a tense conversation that left the actress in tears in public, months after they were hit with breakup rumors.
On Monday, March 11, The Shade Room posted a video of the couple's emotional exchange when they stepped out together. It's not clear what they were talking about, but they seemed to have a serious conversation as they stopped on the sidewalk and Joey was talking animatedly with his girlfriend.
The pair later sat on an outdoor bench and continued their discussion. Serayah was seen getting emotional as she spoke while her boyfriend nodded his head to what she said. She was seen wiping her tears as she couldn't contain her emotions.
Despite their apparent problem, Serayah and Joey clearly still have love for each other. The rapper was seen putting his hand over her shoulders to comfort her, before she leaned her head on his shoulder during the outing.
The video surfaces several months after rumors swirled on the Internet that Serayah and Joey might have broken up. The speculation arose after the former "Empire" star was spotted stepping out with a mystery man in December 2023.
The man was later revealed to be R&B singer/songwriter K-Major, who captioned a picture of the two together on Instagram, "WHATEVER SHE WANTS [black heart emoji] 'Coming Soon.' " Serayah then commented on the post, "Can't wait to drop this [fire emojis]."
While it appeared that the two teased a musical collaboration, it didn't stop the split rumors, forcing Serayah to clarify her relationship status with Joey. She seemingly debunked the breakup speculation by posting a cute photo of her and the Brooklyn emcee on her Instagram Story, set to Tems' "Me & U".
Nicki Minaj Allegedly Yelling At Hairstylist Backstage At Seattle Show
Nicki Minaj is celebrating the revival of her iconic Pink Friday series with its sequel and accompanying world tour. The Trinidadian rapper embarked on her Pink Friday 2 World Tour in March, following the release of the album in December.
However, the tour has been marred by controversy as Nicki Minaj was reportedly involved in an altercation with a hairstylist backstage at her Seattle show. TMZ obtained a blurry photo of the alleged incident, though the severity of it is unclear.
Minaj has yet to comment on the incident, and fans have mixed reactions. Some have criticized her for overreacting while others have defended her, suggesting that the altercation may have stemmed from production issues.
Reports also indicate that Nicki Minaj's Pink Friday 2 World Tour has been affected by issues such as wardrobe delays, which could also have contributed to her frustration.
Michelle Visage officially replacing RuPaul as Drag Race Down Under host
After hosting three seasons of RuPaul’s Drag Race Down Under — a series that features drag performers from Australia and New Zealand — Mama Ru is stepping down from the position of host and will be replaced by Michelle Visage, Entertainment Weekly’s Joey Nolfi reports.
“It has been my great honor to bring Drag Race to Australasia,” RuPaul told the publication. “I can’t wait to see the franchise continue to flourish under the leadership of the incredible Michelle Visage.”
Visage wrote in a statement also published on EW:
“Thank you, RuPaul, for entrusting me with one of your beloved shows. The color, humor, and outrageousness of Down Under drag holds a special place in my heart. I’m ready to do everything in my power to encourage these beautiful queens to believe in themselves and let their inner light shine through.”
RuPaul will still serve as an executive producer of Down Under. In the judging panel, regular judge Rhys Nicholson will continue to appear alongside Visage, as well as “additional seats being occupied by a rotating roster of Down Under queens throughout the season in addition to regular celebrity guest judges,” according to the report.
Visage has been a regular Drag Race judge since season 3 of the flagship series. She’s also been a judge in every single season of RuPaul-hosted spinoffs like All Stars and Drag Race UK. In the first season of Canada’s Drag Race, hosted by Brooke Lynn Hytes, Visage made a one-episode appearance as well.
Nonetheless, this will be the first full season featuring Visage as the main host of a Drag Race series. An immediate question that pops up pertains to whether or not the show will be rebranded as Drag Race Down Under — dropping the RuPaul’s prefix from the title — or if the series will continue to be known as RuPaul’s Drag Race Down Under with Visage as its new host.
Colman Domingo came out of awards season as a leading man, a prestige powerhouse. Have another look.
#RHOA: NeNe Leakes' Son Bryson Bryant Enters Not Guilty Plea In Felony Fentanyl Possession From Arrest Last Summer
Bryson, 34, has obtained legal representation to fight charges stemming from his July 3, 2023 arrest, Radar Online reported on Monday, citing court docs submit March 4 at the Superior Court of Gwinnett County.
At the time of his arrest, Bryant faced charges of possession of a scheduled II controlled substance, violation of probation, loitering and giving a false name, address or birthdate, the outlet previously reported.
According to the outlet, Bryant told authorities he was his brother, Brentt Leakes, when he was being taken into custody.
Bryant 'evaded police and claimed he knew the people that lived at the residence, which was false,' officials said, according to the outlet. He also allegedly gave the address of a home his mother sold years ago.
Bryant was in custody for just more than three months, as he was released from Gwinnett County Jail on $6,100 bond on October 5, 2023.
Officials said that the $6,100 was composed of $2,400 for the controlled substance charge; $1,850 for the charge of loitering and another $1,850 for the giving a false name charge, according to the outlet.
Bryant was booked at Gwinnett County Jail with a bond set at $3,700; the incident led him to also be charged with violating probation in another case.
NeNe Leakes, 56, spoke publicly about Bryson's problems in a July 2023 interview on Reality with The King with host Carlos King.
The Real Housewives of Atlanta personality said that her eldest son 'needs rehabilitation' and 'a lot of counseling.'
She said on the podcast: 'He needs a lot of counseling. Like many families out there, I have family members that are struggling with drugs and certain addictions.
'He has an addiction. He's been struggling with it for years. He's been in rehab for a couple of times and he still has come back out and relapsed.'
'As a mom just to watch it, my hands are tied,' NeNe said. 'For people who have had children or family members that have been on drugs, they know that they have to be ready. They have to simply be ready.'
She continued: 'I've spent so much money on trying to get Bryson where he needs to be. But every time I've sent him off is because I said, "You are getting your a** up and we are sending you off."
'But I learned through counseling myself that he has to say, "I'm ready to go," not me making him go.'
Bryant's younger brother Brentt took to Instagram July 18, 2023 to seemingly address the news, sharing a meme of his mother with her hands on her head, appearing to be in distress.
Brentt, who has 100,000 followers on the app under the handle @kingbrentt, also shared a throwback outtake from an old RHOA reunion featuring his beloved mother.
In the snippet, Leakes was sitting on a couch, dressed in a white pantsuit as she asked about a conflict, 'Now why am I in it?'
Bryant's latest arrest comes after he was arrested for a DUI in 2011 when he failed to stay in his lane. Then, in 2012, he was detained for driving with a suspended license.
In 2015, he was arrested after giving cops a false name during a McDonald's raid in Georgia. Bryson had been accused of being among a group of suspects who intended to print counterfeit checks at the fast food business.
#MusicNews: SZA, Monica, Muni Long & More Booked To Perform At Dreamville Festival 2024
J. Cole is going big for Dreamville Festival 2024. After making the announcement back in November that the festival was locked in for Saturday, April 6th and Sunday, April 7th in Raleigh, North Carolina, the complete list of performers has finally been unveiled, and there are quite a few surprises. The lineup is loaded with R&B and hip-hop superstars, Dreamville Records’ talented roster and a few artists on the come up.
The opening day of this year’s Dreamville Festival will headlined by SZA and Chris Brown. Before these two end the night with their R&B star power, Saturday’s schedule is filled with a variety of acts. Festivalgoers can expect to be entertained by JID, Lil Yachty, ScHoolboy Q, Sexyy Red, Jeremih, EARTHGANG, Teezo Touchdown, Amaarae, Lute, Luh Tyler and Domani.
Dreamville Festival’s second and final day will feature headlining sets by Nicki Minaj and J. Cole, who will once again shut his label’s signature event down. Leading up to that hip-hop-heavy conclusion will be a packed day of performances. Rema, Jeezy, Monica, Rae Sremmurd, Key Glock, Bas, Muni Long, Cozz, Omen, TiaCorine and Chase Shakur are all expected to make appearances.
With this stacked lineup, the fourth edition of the Dreamville Festival, which pulled in a record number of attendees last year to Raleigh’s Dorothea Dix Park, is poised to have its biggest year ever. Trust and believe that you’re going to want to be there when they make history. If you didn’t pull the trigger and purchase tickets back when Dreamville Festival 2024 was first announced last fall, make sure to secure your tickets now.
Various levels of tickets are listed on the ticket page of the Dreamville Festival website. Currently, General Admission and MVP VIP tickets are still available for immediate purchase. Potential attendees interested in GA+, JV VIP and Varsity VIP level tickets can sign up for a waitlist to be notified when/if more are released to the public.
For more information about Dreamville Festival 2024, tap into the festival’s official website
#HipHopNews: Cardi B Announces New Music & Reveals Cover Art
Taking to all of her social channels on Monday (March 11), Bardi revealed the cover art for her new single “Enough (Miami)” along with its scheduled release date of Friday (March 15).
The artwork features a nude, oiled up Cardi atop a white bench with flowing black hair.
The Bronx native previewed the song days earlier and had fans clamoring that the so-called “Old Cardi” is set to make a return.
The bass-heavy record finds Cardi B continuing the confrontational tone she took on in the recently released single “Like What (Freestyle).” The song’s video notably concluded with a teaser of the upcoming song.
“I can survive in the coldest conditions/ Hoes better lower their tone when they spittin’/ Bitches is washed, soap on the dishes/ I apply pressure like boa constrictors,” she raps menacingly.
On the hook she adds: “I see my opps linkin’ up/ I’m like, ‘What in the fuck?’/ If you scared then just say that, ho/ Enough is enough/ They was just in my DMs/ Ain’t no trustin’ these sluts/ I’m about to call up Diamond/ Bitch, knuck if you buck.”
The track is set to arrive just two weeks after the above joint, which samples Missy Elliott‘s 1999 hit “She’s A Bitch.” Given the back-to-back drops, the 31-year-old seems to be in album mode.
Cardi B recently promised to release her long-awaited second album sometime this year, saying on Instagram: “January 27 of 20-20-fuckin’-three. I be working on this shit at 5 a.m. You know, I’m a night owl.
“I promise y’all, this year I’m not letting my anxiety, I’m not letting what haters say, I’m not letting what fans say. If I do a song, I’ma just fuckin’ drop it. Well, I got no choice, because I’m dropping my album this year, so stay tuned for the announcement.”
Cardi’s last and only album, Invasion of Privacy, arrived nearly seven years ago in 2018.
Nicole Murphy Breaks Silence On Boyfriend Warren Braithwaite's Death In Heartbreaking Post
Nicole Murphy has finally broken her silence on her boyfriend's passing. After going social media silent since news broke of Warren Braithwaite's death from cancer, she has just returned to Instagram to pay tribute to her late partner.
On Sunday, March 10, Nicole posted a heartbreaking tribute on her Story. She uploaded a throwback selfie of her and Warren and wrote of how much she has been missing her since he passed away.
"I miss you so much my love. May you rest in peace my sweet," the 56-year-old actress wrote over the snap, set to Beyonce Knowles' song "Heaven". "It's so hard not hearing your voice or seeing your face. You were my world & my everything," she admitted, adding a broken heart emoji.
News about Warren's passing started to swirl on Saturday, March 2, after his friends posted tributes on social media. "Lost a good friend, a brother, a childhood friend today imma miss u like a mothaf**ka!!!" one of them wrote.
"Imma miss the 2 hour phone calls laughing and talking s**t with the money we made together over years partying the bottle wars in the club [you] was a good dude I don't give a f**k what nobody has to. Say about [you]!!! [you] was always a giving person never selfish or greedy!!! Sharing and caring was ur motto!!! This one hurts so f**king baddddd," the friend added. "But we gonna celebrate ur life way over the top cause that's who u where!!! Res5 easy!! aka trees aka 50grand aka wild oats love u bro f**k cancer!!!!! @nikimurphy stay strong sis."
Another person penned, "My n***a never shined on n***as he always wanted shine with his n***as!! If u didn't have it he would go the extra mile to make sure we all looked good when we step out!! A lot of yall n***as don't have. A clue what it is to have a team but when n***as wanna tear ur head [off you] wanna remember real n***as foh rip to a real!" The man concluded, "If I could have saved ur life 1 more time king."
It's unclear when Nicole and Warren started dating, but he appeared to be close to her family as she brought him to the wedding of her son Myles Murphy, whom she shares with ex-husband Eddie Murphy, with Carly Fink in September 2023. At the time, Nicole shared a photo of her, Warren and Eddie smiling at the nuptials, which took place in Beverly Hills.
Serayah Seen Left In Tears During Tense Conversation With Joey Bada$$
On Monday, March 11, The Shade Room posted a video of the couple's emotional exchange when they stepped out together. It's not clear what they were talking about, but they seemed to have a serious conversation as they stopped on the sidewalk and Joey was talking animatedly with his girlfriend.
The pair later sat on an outdoor bench and continued their discussion. Serayah was seen getting emotional as she spoke while her boyfriend nodded his head to what she said. She was seen wiping her tears as she couldn't contain her emotions.
Despite their apparent problem, Serayah and Joey clearly still have love for each other. The rapper was seen putting his hand over her shoulders to comfort her, before she leaned her head on his shoulder during the outing.
The video surfaces several months after rumors swirled on the Internet that Serayah and Joey might have broken up. The speculation arose after the former "Empire" star was spotted stepping out with a mystery man in December 2023.
The man was later revealed to be R&B singer/songwriter K-Major, who captioned a picture of the two together on Instagram, "WHATEVER SHE WANTS [black heart emoji] 'Coming Soon.' " Serayah then commented on the post, "Can't wait to drop this [fire emojis]."
While it appeared that the two teased a musical collaboration, it didn't stop the split rumors, forcing Serayah to clarify her relationship status with Joey. She seemingly debunked the breakup speculation by posting a cute photo of her and the Brooklyn emcee on her Instagram Story, set to Tems' "Me & U".
Nicki Minaj Allegedly Yelling At Hairstylist Backstage At Seattle Show
Nicki Minaj is celebrating the revival of her iconic Pink Friday series with its sequel and accompanying world tour. The Trinidadian rapper embarked on her Pink Friday 2 World Tour in March, following the release of the album in December.
However, the tour has been marred by controversy as Nicki Minaj was reportedly involved in an altercation with a hairstylist backstage at her Seattle show. TMZ obtained a blurry photo of the alleged incident, though the severity of it is unclear.
Minaj has yet to comment on the incident, and fans have mixed reactions. Some have criticized her for overreacting while others have defended her, suggesting that the altercation may have stemmed from production issues.
Reports also indicate that Nicki Minaj's Pink Friday 2 World Tour has been affected by issues such as wardrobe delays, which could also have contributed to her frustration.
Michelle Visage officially replacing RuPaul as Drag Race Down Under host
“It has been my great honor to bring Drag Race to Australasia,” RuPaul told the publication. “I can’t wait to see the franchise continue to flourish under the leadership of the incredible Michelle Visage.”
Visage wrote in a statement also published on EW:
“Thank you, RuPaul, for entrusting me with one of your beloved shows. The color, humor, and outrageousness of Down Under drag holds a special place in my heart. I’m ready to do everything in my power to encourage these beautiful queens to believe in themselves and let their inner light shine through.”
RuPaul will still serve as an executive producer of Down Under. In the judging panel, regular judge Rhys Nicholson will continue to appear alongside Visage, as well as “additional seats being occupied by a rotating roster of Down Under queens throughout the season in addition to regular celebrity guest judges,” according to the report.
Visage has been a regular Drag Race judge since season 3 of the flagship series. She’s also been a judge in every single season of RuPaul-hosted spinoffs like All Stars and Drag Race UK. In the first season of Canada’s Drag Race, hosted by Brooke Lynn Hytes, Visage made a one-episode appearance as well.
Nonetheless, this will be the first full season featuring Visage as the main host of a Drag Race series. An immediate question that pops up pertains to whether or not the show will be rebranded as Drag Race Down Under — dropping the RuPaul’s prefix from the title — or if the series will continue to be known as RuPaul’s Drag Race Down Under with Visage as its new host.
Condragulations to Michelle Visage on this major new gig!
Cord Jefferson Calls Out 'Risk-Averse' Film Executives in Oscars Speech
Cord Jefferson accepted his first Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay on Sunday, and used it as an opportunity to plead for more risk-taking in Hollywood.
The American Fiction writer/director made his big-screen directorial debut with the film, and in his speech implored more Hollywood executives to take a chance on first-time filmmakers like himself.
“I’ve been talking a lot about how many people passed on this movie, and I worry that sometimes sounds vindictive. I don’t want to be vindictive, I’m not a vindictive person anymore and I’ve worked very hard to not be vindictive anymore,” he said. “It’s more a plea to acknowledge and recognize that there are so many people out there who want the opportunity that I was given.”
American Fiction, which follows a Black writer and professor’s struggles in the publishing world and within his tumultuous family, is an adaptation of Percival Everett’s 2001 novel Erasure.
Jefferson began his career as a journalist, writing for Los Angeles magazine and other publications before becoming an editor at Gawker. He then transitioned into a career writing for television, working in late night, on sitcoms and on the HBO limited series Watchmen, for which he won a Primetime Emmy Award.
Despite his credentials, Jefferson reportedly struggled to get American Fiction made. He told ScreenDaily, “Everybody else [besides distributor Orion/MGM] said, ‘We love the material, but we can’t make this movie here.' I knew Hollywood was risk-averse, but I was taken aback as to how risk-averse everybody was.”
In his Oscars acceptance speech, Jefferson made sure to highlight the dwindling opportunity for low- and mid-budget filmmaking in blockbuster-obsessed Hollywood.
“I understand that this is a risk-averse industry, I get it,” he said. “But $200 million movies are also a risk. And it doesn’t always work out, but you take the risk anyway. Instead of making one $200 million movie, try making 20 $10 million movies. Or 50 $4 million movies.”
According to The Independent, mid-budget cinema has been in stark decline since at least 2007. In 1990, the inflation-adjusted average production budget of the top-20 grossing films was $63 million, while in 2019 that number was $141 million.
Jefferson has noted that the budget for American Fiction was “significantly less than $10 million.” It made $22.5 million at the box office.
Kirk Cousins Signs 4-Year Deal With The Atlanta Falcons
Start frying his Magic City wings now! Former Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins has reached a 4-year deal with the Atlanta Falcons.
Cousins informed the Vikings of his plans to test the free-agent market which would allow him to begin talks with other teams on Monday.
During his time in Minnesota, Kirk has posted impressive statistics.
Since 2018, he’s earned three Pro Bowl nods and amassed 23,265 passing yards with 171 touchdowns and only 55 interceptions.
Unfortunately, his stellar 2023 season was cut short by an Achilles injury after just eight games.
That also includes a $50 million signing bonus, according to sources.
Kirk’s agent Mike McCartney shared the exciting news via Twitter.
The deal with the Falcons cannot be made official until the 2024 league year begins at 3 p.m. CT on Wednesday, March 13.
Before the announcement was made, the Atlanta Falcons dropped this reminder on their Twitter timeline…
Kirk is trending as people react to the news of his new deal with the Atlanta Falcons.
Oscars 2024 Ratings Revealed: Awards Show Sees Highest Viewership in Four Years
The ratings for the 2024 Oscars are in! This year’s ceremony, held on Sunday night (March 10), delivered so many highlights, such as Oppenheimer‘s Best Picture win and Ryan Gosling‘s “I’m Just Ken” performance.
Official reports of the TV viewership numbers for ABC’s broadcast show an increase from last year!
According to Deadline, 19.5 million total viewers watched the 2024 Oscars.
The figure represents a 4% increase from the 2023 Oscars, which counted a total of 18.8 million viewers.
This year’s Oscars was also the most-watched edition of the awards show since 2020, which saw 23.6 million people tune in.
Post-pandemic awards show ratings have been steadily rising after taking a nosedive in 2021.
Eric Carmen, Raspberries Frontman and ‘All by Myself’ Singer, Dies at 74
“It is with tremendous sadness that we share the heartbreaking news of the passing of Eric Carmen,” his wife, Amy Carmen, wrote on the singer’s website. wrote. “Our sweet, loving and talented Eric passed away in his sleep, over the weekend. It brought him great joy to know, that for decades, his music touched so many and will be his lasting legacy. Please respect the family’s privacy as we mourn our enormous loss. ‘Love Is All That Matters… Faithful and Forever.'”
The latter quote from Carmen’s wife is a callback to the song “Love Is All That Matters,” from his 1977 solo album “Boats Against the Current.” No cause of death or exact date of death has been announced.
While mostly known as a balladeer, in his early years the Cleveland-born musician was the primary singer and songwriter of the Raspberries, who rebelled against the heavy, glam and progressive-rock scenes of the early ’70s and threw back to the Beatlesesque pop they were raised on. Carmen was not only a deft (if deliberately derivative) songwriter but also a full-throttle rock and roll shouter in the Paul McCartney/ Steve Marriott tradition, and the author of several classic songs of the genre, including the band’s highly suggestive first and biggest hit, “Go All the Way,” as well as “I Wanna Be With You,” “Let’s Pretend,” “Tonight” and “Overnight Sensation.”
The group was often lambasted at the time for being too pop or wimpy, but the Raspberries could be a powerhouse rock band when they chose to. Along with kindred spirits Badfinger, Big Star and Todd Rundgren, they created a model that has been revived multiple times over the decades, most vividly in the early ‘90s with bands like Teenage Fanclub, the Posies and even Nirvana: Kurt Cobain was a fan, as well as Bruce Springsteen — who contributed liner notes to a live reunion album — Kiss and Motley Crue.
After the band broke up in the mid-’70s, Carmen established himself as a successful solo artist with “All by Myself,” “Never Gonna Fall in Love Again” and “Hey Deanie” (a hit for Shaun Cassidy). His run of hits continued into the ’80s with the “Dirty Dancing” song “Hungry Eyes.”
The son of Russian-Jewish immigrants, Carmen was born in Cleveland in 1949 and began showing musical talent as a toddler. He began taking violin lessons at six — his aunt was a violinist in the Cleveland Orchestra — and later piano and guitar; by high school was writing songs and playing in rock bands, including one with the unusual name of Cyrus Erie (inspired, like Buffalo Springfield, by a name on a tractor).
The vibrant Cleveland rock scene of the time — which also spawned Joe Walsh, later of the Eagles — featured many of the same musicians playing together in a dizzying series of bands. Cyrus Erie released a single on Epic called “Get the Message” in 1968 and continued for a couple more years before Carmen and the band’s fiery lead guitarist, Wally Bryson, joined forces with bassist John Aleksic and powerhouse drummer Jim Bonfanti to form the Raspberries in 1970, with the intention of writing harmony-driven pop-rock songs. Bonfanti had played with Bryson in local legends the Choir, who’d scored a 1966 nationwide hit in their mid-teens with the garage-pop classic “It’s Cold Outside” and opened for many of their heroes, including the Who and the Yardbirds. Aleksic soon dropped out and was replaced by ex-Choir singer Dave Smalley, who’d recently returned from serving in Vietnam.
Not surprisingly, considering their years of playing together, the lineup gelled quickly and powerfully, and soon united with producer-manager Jimmy Ienner (older brother and business partner of future Columbia Records CEO Don Ienner) and signed with Capitol Records. An inspired producer, the elder Ienner helped the band to attain their vibrant combination of power and pop: Bringing together a wide range of influences that ranged from the Beatles, Beach Boys and girl groups to hard rockers like the Who and Free, those influences came into vivid focus on “Go All the Way.”
The song reached No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100, either driven by or — depending on one’s take — held back by the controversy over the surprisingly explicit lyrics, still unusual for Top 40 radio in the summer of 1972.
”When I was writing ‘Go All the Way,’ I’d seen how the Stones were forced to change their lyrics on Ed Sullivan,” Carmen said in “Overnight Sensation,” Ken Sharp’s history of the group. “And I was listening to [the Beach Boys’] ‘Pet Sounds,’ where Brian Wilson is talking about sleeping with his girlfriend, but in an innocent way, and getting away with it. ‘I thought, If we sing this like choirboys and put the words in the girl’s mouth, maybe we can slide this by radio!’ And it worked.”
The group and Ienner never shied away from a gimmick — their debut album had a scratch-and-sniff logo on the cover that smelled like raspberries — and for their second LP, “Fresh,” they flew in the face of trends and embraced the ‘60s pop group imagery wholeheartedly, appearing on the cover in matching white suits. While the album spawned two hits in the jangly “I Wanna Be With You” (No. 16 on the Hot 100) and the ballad “Let’s Pretend,” and the determinedly outdated look had its own kind of cool among fans, the group’s reputation took a beating in the rock press — legendary critic Lester Bangs eviscerated their more derivative moments (most of which would be considered “influences” today).
Apparently stung by the criticism, the group ditched the suits and fired back in 1973 with “Side 3,” by far its hardest-rocking album. Ienner cranked up the drums, Bonfanti channeled his inner Keith Moon, and the sound created a blazing contrast with Carmen’s complex melodies, multi-chord song structure and the group’s harmonies, especially on the single “Tonight,” which in many ways is the ultimate power-pop song. Other highlights from the album include “I’m a Rocker” — featuring what may be Carmen’s most powerful vocal — and “Ecstasy.”
But “Tonight” stalled at No. 69 — possibly also due to Carmen shouting “Won’t you let me sleep with you!” during the song’s finale — and the band splintered, with Nebraska-born bassist Scott McCarl and former Cyrus Erie drummer Michael McBride joining for their final studio effort, 1974’s “Starting Over.” The album featured another Carmen classic in “Overnight Sensation” — as calculated a hit single as there ever was, its chorus goes “Want a hit record, yeah!” — which reached No. 18. But the group’s moment, if it ever truly had one, had passed.
“We thought that we were being radical,” Carmen told the audience at a Raspberries reunion show in 2004, “but FM radio thought we were being reactionary.”
However, within a year Carmen had joined forces with Clive Davis at his newly launched Arista Records, and less than 18 months after the Raspberries released their final album, he’d scored a No. 2 single with the maudlin “All by Myself,” a song that channeled and subverted Nilsson’s smash cover of Badfinger’s “Without You,” complete with the soaring chorus and tumultuous orchestra.
“Never Gonna Fall in Love Again” fared well as a follow-up, hitting No. 11 on the Hot 100 and rising to the top of the adult contemporary chart. Carmen did not revisit the top 10 until “Hungry Eyes” rode the “Dirty Dancing” phenomenon to a No. 4 peak on the Hot 100 in 1987 (the soundtrack also reunited him with Ienner, who served as executive producer). “Make Me Lose Control” rose one notch higher than that, as a No. 3 hit the following year.
Carmen never again charted a single after the 1980s, nor did he release any studio albums after 1984’s “Eric Carmen,” with one exception, 2000’s Rhino release “I Was Born to Love You” (originally released only in Japan) in 1998), which found him reuniting with songwriting collaborators like Dean Pitchford and Diane Warren.
Raspberries cultists were in for a treat when the band gave in to decades’ worth of reunion pleas and got back together, briefly, in the mid-2000s. A 2005 concert at L.A.’s House of Blues was released as the live album “Live on Sunset Strip,” for which Bruce Springsteen contributed a quote to the liner notes. Another show from that reunion, recorded at the House of Blues in Cleveland, was issued in 2017 by Omnivore as “Pop Art Live.”
”People used to ask me ‘Why don’t you guys get together and just play one gig?”’ said Carmen in an interview with Entertainment Weekly. ”Because it takes the same amount of preparation for one good show as a six-month tour. I never wanted to be the guy to put this band back on a stage and pop everyone’s bubble and have them go home saying ‘Oh, they weren’t that good.'” It didn’t help that things had ended acrimoniously back in the day, with a reported parking-lot fight. “But 30 years have passed, and everybody is a grown-up now, with a life.”
In 2000, Carmen joined Ringo Starr’s All-Starr Band on tour, performing his biggest solo and Raspberries hits as well as sitting in with the performer whose band had provided a template for much of his musical life.
In recent years, as he held back from releasing new music or performing in concert, fans communicated with him on social media — sometimes combatively, given his staunch conservative political views — until he withdrew from Twitter a few years ago. He married his wife, Amy Murphy, in 2016.
Yet Carmen and the group’s musical influence has resonated throughout the years. “All by Myself” was featured in a pivotal scene in the 1995 Nicole Kidman-starring film “To Die For”; two years later Celine Dion took her version of it to No. 4; and two decades after that, “Go All the Way” experienced a resurgence the original Raspberries scarcely could have imagined in 1972, when it appeared on the first “Guardians of the Galaxy” soundtrack.
Museum Of Natural History To Feature Jewelry From Notorious B.I.G., A$Ap Rocky And More In New Exhibit
NYC Museum Of Natural History is set to host a new exhibit featuring the bling from some of the game’s most notable names, including A$AP Rocky and The Notorious B.I.G.
‘Ice Cold: An Exhibition of Hip-Hop Jewelry, is set to debut on May 9 and wiull feature other Hip Hop celebs including Tyler The Creator, Nicki Minaj, Erykah Badu and Slick Rick.
“Hip-hop jewelry has had a huge impact on our wider modern culture,” said Sean M. Decatur, the museum’s president, in a statement. “These jewelry pieces are not just magnificent in and of themselves, they’re an important part of hip-hop history and hip-hop culture as artists claimed and transformed traditional symbols of luxury and success.”
The exhibit borrowed its name from Vikki Tobak’s 2022 book, which uses 40 years of iconic imagery of some of Hip Hop’s biggest stars and compelling stories to celebrate how “ice” has become a “proclamation of identity and self-expression.”
The 388-page hardback book published by TASCHEN maps out the evolution of the Hip Hop jewelry game, from Run-DMC‘s gold adidas pendants and Eric B. & Rakim‘s ostentatious dookie rope chains and Mercedes medallions to the over-the-top pieces of today worn by the likes of Cardi B, A$AP Rocky, Kanye West, Pharrell Williams, JAY-Z, Gucci Mane, Meek Mill, Cam’ron, Beyoncé and Rihanna.
Boeing whistleblower John Barnett Has Been found dead
John Barnett, 62, was a quality manager with Boeing who retired in 2017 after several decades with the company. He died March 9 from what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound, the Charleston County coroner’s office said in a statement. The Charleston City Police Department is investigating, it added.
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“We are saddened by Mr. Barnett’s passing, and our thoughts are with his family and friends,” Boeing said in a statement.
The Federal Aviation Administration and lawyers for Barnett did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
After midair failure, critics ask: Did Boeing learn from Max crashes?
In a 2019 New York Times story, Barnett was one of several whistleblowers who raised quality issues at Boeing’s South Carolina plant where the company builds its 787 Dreamliner aircraft. Barnett said he had discovered clusters of metal shavings left near electrical systems for flight controls, which he said could have “catastrophic” results if the shavings penetrated the wiring.
Barnett said he repeatedly raised his concerns to his supervisors but was ignored and instead transferred to another part of the plant. Barnett later filed a whistleblower complaint with the FAA. In 2017, the FAA issued a directive requiring that 787s be cleared of shavings before delivery, according to the story.
A Boeing spokesman told the New York Times that safety issues are “immediately investigated and changes are made whenever necessary.”
Later in 2019, Barnett told the BBC that he had also uncovered problems with the aircraft’s oxygen systems, which could mean some breathing masks would not work in an emergency, and that workers under pressure to meet production targets had installed substandard parts on planes. Boeing denied the allegations.
Long before the Max disasters, Boeing had a history of failing to fix safety problems
Boeing is under fresh scrutiny after a door plug blew out midflight on an Alaska Airlines-operated 737 Max 9 in January. The blowout was linked to loose bolts and led the FAA to ground all Boeing 737 Max 9 planes with a door plug.
Last week, the FAA said its six-week audit prompted by the incident had identified several issues of noncompliance in areas including Boeing’s manufacturing process control and its parts handling. The agency said it has halted production expansion of the Boeing 737 Max and has given the company 90 days to come up with a plan to fix the issues.
Boeing’s 737 Max jets were previously grounded in 2019 when software forced down the noses of two new planes in a way their pilots could not overcome, causing two crashes that killed 346 people.
If you or someone you know needs help, visit 988lifeline.org or call or text the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988.
Krispy Kreme’s St. Patrick’s Day Treat: Free Doughnuts and 4 New Flavors
Krispy Kreme is launching four new doughnuts and re-releasing the beloved O’riginal Glazed Doughnut to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day.
Sweets lovers are now able to purchase the holiday donuts for a limited time at participating Krispy Kreme locations in the U.S.
Customers wearing green can get a free O’riginal Glazed Doughnut at Krispy Kreme in-store or through the drive-thru from March 15–17; no purchase is required.
The O’riginal Glazed Doughnut is a green version of the classic Krispy Kreme doughnut.
Krispy Kreme's St. Patrick's Day Treat: Free Doughnuts and 4 New Flavors
Krispy Kreme’s St. Patrick’s Day
The four new doughnut flavors include:
Luck of the Rainbow Doughnut: An Original Glazed Doughnut dipped in green icing, rainbow explosion sprinkle blend, and topped with a buttercream cloud
Shamrock Cookies ‘N Kreme made with Oreo Cookies: An unglazed shell filled with cookies & Kreme filling made with Oreo cookies, dripped in white icing with green drizzles and St. Patrick’s fusion sprinkles
Plaid Party Doughnut: An unglazed shell filled with white Kreme filling, dipped in chocolate icing, and drizzled with green icing
Shooting Shamrock Doughnut: An Original Glazed doughnut dipped in light green icing with a green icing swirl, topped with a shamrock sugar piece
The four new doughnut flavors are accessible in-store, for pickup or delivery through Krispy Kreme’s app and website, and in Krispy Kreme 6-packs at select grocery stores.
AND FINALLY FROM “THE CRAZY PEOPLE SHOPPING AT WALMART” FILES
Thug Life Doggo
Excuse me officer Imma just get my btches over there
Excuse me officer Imma just get my btches over there
EVENING GOODIES: Meet Omar Thickness
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Enjoy!
HAVE A GREAT DAY ALL!!!
EFREM
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