Playing today's Hip-Hop and R&B
Ananda Lewis, the well-known former MTV VJ and talk show host, has passed away at age 52 after a long battle with breast cancer.
The sad news was confirmed by her sister, and once it broke, the Hip-Hop community was frozen. Many artists and entertainers had been interviewed by Ananda over the years, and many built strong friendships with her, making her loss even more heartbreaking.
The California native graduated from Howard University in 1995.… Read more
Ye, the former Kanye West, has remixed his name once more in his ever-changing quest to forge his identity. In recent business document filings, it appears that Ye is now known as Ye Ye, although it hasn’t been explained why he’s decided to make the change.
As reported by Page Six, Ye Ye initially changed his name from Kanye West to Ye back in 2021. By way of his business manager, the Chicago superstar added the additional Ye, but it hasn’t been explained why he’s decided to make the change.… Read more
Jonathan Daviss, an actor who broke out as a star for Netflix’s Outer Banks series, has been cast as Calvin “Snoop Dogg” Broadus in an upcoming biopic. The biopic will be directed by Craig Brewer, and Snoop Dogg’s Death Row Pictures is listed as one of the producers for the project.
Deadline exclusively reports that Jonathan Daviss, 25, was cast shortly after Brewer was named as the biopic’s director. Brewer broke out as a director for his 2005 film, Hustle & Flow, and also directed Dolemite Is My Name starring Eddie Murphy, along with Coming 2 America, also starring Murphy.… Read more
Last month, the Trump administration announced it would withdraw from consent decrees in Louisville and Minneapolis that would’ve instituted federally mandated police reforms in both cities. While city leadership in Louisville and Minneapolis has given verbal confirmation that they will continue to implement the reforms agreed upon in the consent decrees, community members want the reforms to be codified into law.
According to KSTP, Minneapolis’s consent decree came after a two-year federal investigation found the Minneapolis Police Department (MPD) routinely engaged in abusive, discriminatory behavior against Black people and people with disabilities.… Read more
Singer SiR explained why his Toronto concert got cancelled last summer, and it might be because of the drama between Kendrick Lamar and Drake.
SiR is signed to TDE, the former label Kendrick Lamar was under was supposed to perform in Toronto, Drake’s hometown. The show was sold out, but it got cancelled at the last minute. At the time, SiR said he didn’t know why and apologized to fans. During a recent show in Canada, SiR said the real reason might’ve been the beef between Kendrick and Drake.… Read more
Lil Wayne just dropped Tha Carter VI, and to celebrate, he’s taking over London with a pop-up shop.
For the next two weeks only, there’s a Wayne pop-up shop live at Selfridges on Oxford Street, and it’s the only place on the planet where you can cop this exclusive heat. The space is posted up in the Men’s Designer Street Room, and it’s Tha Carter merch, think cover art aesthetics, gold-framed pics of Weezy, and a giant record on the floor that’s basically begging to be on your IG.… Read more
Entrepreneurs in Charlotte, North Carolina, are coming together to build a creative hub designed to support and uplift small Black businesses no matter the industry.
According to The Charlotte Observer, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Black Chamber of Commerce is advancing its mission to empower Black businesses and strengthen the community through the development of an Innovation Center. Designed as a creative hub, the center will support small Black-owned businesses by providing a space to strategize, collaborate, and scale their operations.… Read more
As Donald Trump sparks chaos by illegally deploying troops to Los Angeles, as immigration raids intensify, and as protesters are flooding the streets to demand dignity for migrants, far too many Black folks are sitting back on social media platforms singing a tired, familiar song. It’s being sung off-key with a false sense of safety and a dangerous misunderstanding of how white supremacist violence works. The chorus of retreat sounds something like this:
“Black folks need to stay home.”… Read more
Sly Stone, the mastermind behind the groundbreaking Sly and the Family Stone, passed away at the age of 82 after a prolonged battle with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and other health issues.
Known for pushing the boundaries of funk, soul, and rock, Sly’s legacy extends far beyond his chart-topping hits.
Sly and the Family Stone redefined music in the late ’60s and early ’70s with their vibrant fusion of genres.… Read more
