New York City, USA - May 2, 2016: Kanye West attends the Manus x Machina Fashion in an Age of Technology Costume Institute Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art

Kanye West is officially the richest Black man in the United States.

According to multiple media outlets, the 43-year-old rapper-producer is worth an estimated $6.6 billion, with over half coming from his clothing and sneaker line Yeezy. West's billionaire status became public back in April of 2020.

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Music Features

Larry King's Best Hip-Hop Interviews

Larry King interviewed countless rappers throughout his career, but these few stood above the pack

Mac Miller and Larry King

While Larry King admitted on several occasions that he "didn't appreciate Hip-Hop," the legendary interviewer opened up his show to a plethora of rap stars beginning in 2014.

His lack of appreciation wasn't malicious in the slightest. Raised on the sounds of Frank Sinatra and jazz, Larry King merely didn't understand the genre. But with each interview he strove to educate not only the public about Hip-Hop's cultural power, but himself. He often was hyper-focused on the lack of gay rappers within the industry, as well as the genre's use of the N-word, and asked about it unflinchingly.

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MUSIC

From BTS to Lizzo, Here's Who's Performing at the Grammy Awards

Billie Eilish, Ariana Grande, Lizzo, and more will take the Grammys stage.

BTS at the American Music Awards

Photo by Featureflash Photo Agency (Shutterstock)

This Sunday, January 26th, the 62nd annual Grammy Awards will commence.

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Culture News

10/10 Celebs Agree: Cancel R. Kelly

Nobody wants to defend a child predator.

R. Kelly Interview - CBS News

via youtube.com

Amidst the ongoing #MeToo movement, the Surviving R. Kelly docuseries is rocking the music industry.

Once again, the spotlight shines on a hugely influential celebrity whose sexual predation has been protected and facilitated for years. Now #cancelrkelly and #muterkelly are picking up steam, and celebrities are speaking out. Here's a handy roundup of everyone who agrees: fuck R. Kelly.

Vince Staples

Vince Staples on R. Kellywww.youtube.com

Vince Staples blasted people on Twitter who are just now taking notice of "this K. Relly shit." Staples has a point, considering he has been speaking out against R. Kelly since April 2018, when he used his Coachella interview to put "piece of fucking shit R. Kelly" on blast for being a "child molester."

John Legend + Sparkle

John Legend and Sparkle were the only artists who agreed to participate in the actual documentary, Surviving. The executive producer revealed that many others, including Lady Gaga, Jay-Z, Questlove, and Dave Chappelle refused. But as John Legend made clear on Twitter, he doesn't "give a fuck about protecting a serial child rapist."

Chance the Rapper

After taking flack for audio where he said he "didn't value the accusers' stories because they were Black women," Chance tweeted an apology to R. Kelly's survivors, and expressed regret for ever having worked with him.

Lady Gaga

Receiving newfound backlash for her 2013 R. Kelly collaboration, "Do What U Want (With My Body)," Lady Gaga set the record straight on Twitter. She said she stands behind the accusers "1000%" and plans to remove the song from iTunes and all streaming platforms.

Common

Common Admits Black Community Failed R. Kelly Survivors, Says That Ends Now

In an interview with TMZ, Common lamented the fact that he turned a blind eye to the long-cited allegations against R. Kelly. He believes the entire black community has been failing R. Kelly's survivors for a long time and should have put a stop to things long ago.

Jada Pinkett Smith

Jada Pinkett Smith took to Instagram to express confusion at the fact that R. Kelly's music sales have spiked greatly since the docuseries aired.

Ne-Yo

Ne-Yo took to Instagram, too, posting a #muterkelly image alongside the sentiment that music is not more important than protecting our daughters.

Kerry Washington

On Twitter, Kerry Washington praised the fact that #SurvivingRKelly was the #1 trending topic.

Omarion

Omarion announced on Twitter that people need to acknowledge the ugly truth behind their industry, and he will no longer be performing any songs written by R. Kelly. That being said, he still plans to perform R. Kelly written songs on his current tour so as not to disappoint fans.

Tank

Tank made a long, heartfelt Instagram post expressing that in spite of how R. Kelly inspired his career, he cannot separate the music from the monster. He writes about his love for his own black daughters, and he suggests that there are more predators like R. Kelly currently working in the industry.

Bun B

Bun B straight up said, "Man, fuck R Kelly." He also reserved some fucks for Hugh Hefner, Sparkle, and R. Kelly's ex-wife, but later clarified that he did not intend to discount their experiences.

Meek Mill

On Twitter, Meek Mill said he's "not feeling R" after watching the docuseries, and, similar to Tank, suggested that there are a lot of other people in the music industry with similar accusations floating around.


Dan Kahan is a writer & screenwriter from Brooklyn, usually rocking a man bun. Find more at dankahanwriter.com


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MUSIC

MUSIC MONDAY | The Oscars: Best of the Best Original Song goes to...

FEB 26 | Listing All 90 years of Academy Award Winners

Celebrating 90 years of Academy Award-winning music.

Every January, the entertainment community and film fans around the world watch the Academy Awards in eager anticipation. Hundreds of millions of movie lovers watch the glamorous celebrities and extravagant ceremony that reveals who will receive the most prestigious honors in filmmaking.

We thought it would be fun to make a mix of songs that won an Oscar, and also deserved it. There can be politics involved. When you look at some of the other nominees, how could they be passed over? But sometimes the Academy can really get it right. The music that does win can leave a lasting impact as there is a confirmation from the highest authority, that these songs are noteworthy. It becomes a mental note that every time we hear that song, it brings us back to the year we would hear it every day, until it faded from every minute to once in a while. The Oscars guarantee the life of the song lives on for generations.

It will take place at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California at 5:00 p.m. PST on March 4, 2018. Jimmy Kimmel will host for a second consecutive year, making him the first person to host back-to-back ceremonies since Billy Crystal in 1997 and 1998.

Below you will find a complete list of every Oscar winner for Best Original Song since 1934. For a complete list of nominees for the 90th Oscars, click here. What music made the final cut?

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Emmy award winner Lena Waithe's new show about the lives of black citizens of Southern Chicago is something so special.

Most Americans have consumed some form of TV - and those that haven't are surrounded by the remnants of it. They see ads for TV shows, listen to people talking about those shows - TV has managed to become a facet of the modern human experience. So, it begs the question: Why are we only seeing the same stories being told over and over again?

Don't get me wrong, we've seen a bit of a TV renaissance in recent years. The age of reality TV has given way to a new era of scripted dramas, dramedies, and the like ranging from Breaking Bad to Supernatural to Game of Thrones. And as great as this new influx of creative energy is - it's also come with a slew of glaring issues. Issues that range from a lack of representation to the mistreatment of minorities that do get introduced.

The Cast of The Chi (Mathieu Young | SHOWTIME)

That's what makes Lena Waith's The Chi such a beautiful outlier compared to most TV we're getting exposed to. I have to give a special disclaimer - I have only seen the first episode due to my lack of money for Showtime (but I'm saving up! I swear!) - so keep in mind that all of my reactions and thoughts revolve around that episode. And man, what an episode it was. Okay, disclaimer over.
The pilot is one of the strongest I've ever seen. Throughout the pilot, we are shown the tragic deaths of two black youths, Jonah and Coogie. They are both shown to be bright, beautiful young men - and their deaths are portrayed and senseless and heartbreaking. These deaths directly and indirectly interconnect the lives of an astounding cast of characters. And they are each used to their fullest throughout the episode, whether we're seeing young Kevin - played by Moonlight star Alex R. Hibbert - witnessing the tragic shooting of another character, Brandon - played by the brilliant Jason Mitchell - delivering a beautiful eulogy in that character's honor, or Emmet- played by the hilarious Jacob Latimore - trying to hide from the woman who has given his third child.

Through these characters, we are given a full spectrum of human emotion. We are shown immense grief and pain, we are shown pride and love, and we are even treated some well timed moments of humor to bring us back from the heartache. And it's done so with such precise balance - you never feel like it's ever too much. The only thing you do is wonder why? How could that happen?

In a world where racial tensions are running high, Lena Waithe puts forward an idea that shouldn't be as revolutionary as it is: That black stories are not only valid, but just as important as white stories. You can feel her passion and her care for the place and the people she writes about. And as an audience member, she managed to captivate me every second. She doesn't turn the South Side into some seedy crime-filled underbelly. She shows you what it is: A part of the Chicago where real people live and hurt and try their best to get ahead. It's got problems and sometimes it's dangerous, but that's not all this is.

Honestly, you have to watch this show. Especially if, like me, you haven't been exposed to these stories before. Plus, it's a damned good piece of TV.

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