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CNN —Russian state media claimed Sunday that American rapper and producer Kanye West is visiting Moscow, but CNN has not been able to independently verify he is actually there. West, who now goes by Ye, arrived in Moscow on a private visit, according to the brand team for Russian designer Gosha Rubchinskiy, state media TASS reported. West himself allegedly posted on the Russian social media website VK on Sunday saying, “Hi, Moscow,” according to state media RIA Novosti. Several videos have emerged in Russian media purporting to show West and his security guards in Moscow, but he is not clearly identifiable in the footage. Luzhniki Stadium told Russian state media that there is no information about a Kanye West concert set to take place in the capital.

Persons: Kanye West, Ye, Gosha Rubchinskiy, Rubchinskiy, West, Hi, Yana Rudkovskaya, West’s, “, ”, Eduard Ratnikov Organizations: CNN, TASS, VK, Novosti, Luzhniki, Kanye, TCI Locations: Moscow, West, Russian, ”, American, Ukraine

CNN —Iranian dissident rapper Toomaj Salehi had his death sentence overturned by the Iranian Supreme Court this week in what his lawyers have deemed a victory for human rights in Iran. After being briefly released from prison in 2023, Salehi was re-arrested for “making false claims and spreading lies,” according to Iranian judiciary news agency Mizan. On Saturday, his lawyer Amir Raesian broke the news of the reversal in a post on X, saying that the Iranian Supreme Court had “avoided irreparable judicial error” and overturned Salehi’s death sentence this week. The Supreme Court found that the death sentence delivered to Salehi was excessive and failed to comply with Iranian law,” the group said in a statement Saturday. London-based human rights lawyer Caoilfhionn Gallagher who is the international counsel for the Salehi family said it was “not enough” that his life had been “spared” by the Iranian authorities.

Persons: Toomaj Salehi, Salehi, Mahsa, Amir Raesian, “, Iran’s, Chambers, Caoilfhionn Gallagher, Gallagher, ” Gallagher, Toomaj, ” “, Richard Branson, ”, Jemimah Steinfeld, ” Claudia Bennett Organizations: CNN, Iranian, Mizan, UN, Academy, Human Rights Foundation Locations: Iranian, Iran, Isfahan, London’s, London, British

☆ A Hungarian Rapper’s Bandwagon Gets an Unlikely New Rider
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-15 | by ( Andrew Higgins | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The 22-year-old rapper is so popular — he recently held three sold-out concerts at Hungary’s largest stadium — that even Prime Minister Viktor Orban, a stodgy champion of traditional values not known for being in tune with youth or its culture, claims he is a fan. Mr. Orban has said he particularly likes the song “Rampapapam,” a reggae-flavored ode to the joys of cannabis. It’s a surprising choice given the prime minister’s conservative views and one that raised questions about whether he has actually listened to it or just watched its video showing the musician playing soccer, the leader’s favorite sport. But Attila Bauko, a Hungarian superstar better known as Azahriah, has won so many passionate fans in Hungary that Mr. Orban, who has had 14 years in power, appears to want some of the rapper’s energy and stardust. “Since they see that a lot of people like me, it seems they want to be friendly,” Azahriah said in an interview backstage before a concert last month at the Puskas Arena, a sports stadium in Budapest, that attracted nearly 50,000 people for each of the three nights he performed.

Persons: Viktor Orban, Orban, Attila Bauko, Mr, ” Azahriah Organizations: Puskas Arena Locations: Hungarian, Hungary, Budapest

☆ Eminem releases ‘Houdini’ single with a star-filled music video
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-31 | by ( Lisa Respers France | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —Slim Shady is back, back again. Eminem also released a music video for the song in which he gets a little help from some of his celebrity friends. Eminem battles it out with his younger-self in the video, which will remind fans of his 2002 “Without Me” video. Recently a faux obituary appeared for his Slim Shady alter ego in his hometown newspaper, the Detroit Free Press. It referred to Slim Shady a “a rogue splinter in the flourishing underground rap scene.”“The Death of Slim Shady (Coup de Grâce)” follows Eminem’s 2020 album, “Music to Be Murdered By.” The full collection of new music is set for release this summer.

Persons: Slim Shady, Grace, “ Houdini, Steve Miller, ”, Megan Thee, Tory, Lanez, Eminem, Paul Rosenberg, Dre, “ We’ve, Snoop Dogg, Pete Davidson, Slim Organizations: CNN, Detroit Free Press

☆ Security Guard Injured in Shooting Outside Drake’s Home in Toronto
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-07 | by ( Joe Coscarelli | More About Joe Coscarelli | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

A man identified as a security guard for Drake was wounded in a shooting outside of the rapper’s Toronto mansion around 2 a.m. on Tuesday, the police said. The man was taken to a hospital with a gunshot wound, Inspector Paul Krawczyk, a member of the gun and gang task force, said at a news conference at the scene on Tuesday morning. The suspects fled in a vehicle and remain at large; the police did not offer a description but said the shooting had been captured on video. The shooting occurred outside the gates in front of Drake’s 50,000-square-foot mansion on Park Circle Lane in the North York neighborhood known as Bridle Path in Toronto, but did not involve the rapper, the authorities said. Drake was previously permitted to build fences twice as high as allowed by city law, citing a need for increased security.

Persons: Drake, Paul Krawczyk, Kendrick Lamar Locations: Toronto, North York, Compton, Calif

☆ Wally Gator: Emotional support alligator is missing
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-02 | by ( Sydney Bishop | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Emotional support animals registrations in the United States reached 115,832 last year, by an industry group’s count. But in the eyes of reptile rescuer Joie Henney, there’s only one:“Wally Gator” – his “gentle” certified emotional support alligator. The department “routinely” gets calls about “nuisance alligators,” she said, and refers callers to a permitted alligator agent trapper, per its protocols. Wally is often shown letting others pet and hold him, with Henney telling CNN in 2022, “He doesn’t show anger. We never could understand why.”Emotional support alligator, Wally, wanders in 2022 around Love Park in Philadelphia.

Persons: Joie Henney, Wally Gator ”, Wally, “, Melissa Cummings, ”, Cummings, Henney, Halle Sivalingam Henney, don’t, “ He’s, ” Henney, ” Cummings, Wally hasn’t, ” CNN’s Ben Morse, Zoe Sottile, Sara Smart Organizations: CNN, Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources, Henney, Halle, State, Philadelphia Phillies, Citizens Bank, US Department of Transportation, Phillies Locations: United, Pennsylvania, Brunswick, Georgia, Love, Philadelphia, Florida

☆ Mister Cee, ‘legendary’ New York City disc jockey, dead at 57
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-11 | by ( Lisa Respers France | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

“As a family at HOT 97 and WBLS, we’re deeply saddened by the passing of our beloved Mister Cee,” reads the statement posted on Hot 97’s site. LeBrun’s childhood friend Kevin “DJ 50 Grand” Griffin helped rapper Christopher Wallace record his demo, which launched him into infamy as The Notorious B.I.G., aka Biggie Smalls. “The first time I met him was when his DJ 50 Grand, rest in peace, [DJ 50 Grand died in 2022] brought Big to my house. The plan was we were going to redo the basement demo that he and 50 Grand put together,” LeBraun told Rock the Bells last year. (Death of Auto-Tune)” by saying, “I made this just for Flex and Mister Cee.”

Persons: Mister Cee, Big Daddy Kane, we’re, ”, Cee, Calvin LeBrun, Kane, Kevin “, ” Griffin, Christopher Wallace, Biggie Smalls, “, ” LeBraun, don’t, Wallace, ” LeBrun, Jay, Funkmaster Organizations: CNN, DJ Locations: New, Bedford, Stuyvesant, Brooklyn , New York, New York City

☆ ‘It felt so wrong’: Chumbawamba wants New Zealand politician to stop playing ‘Tubthumping’ at rallies
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-03 | by ( Dhruv Tikekar | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

But those headlines were soon eclipsed by Chumbawamba publicly condemning Peters’ use of its song. “Everything that Peters stands for is counter to Chumbawamba’s world view,” the band’s founding member and former vocalist, Dunstan Bruce, told CNN. Chumbawamba, which broke up in 2012, has asked its former record company, Sony Music Publishing, to issue a cease-and-desist letter to New Zealand First. In response to CNN’s request for comment, New Zealand First Party President Julian Paul said the party had nothing further to add. “As we rise, the dirt will start all over again,” he said during a party convention in July, according to a transcript published by New Zealand First.

Persons: Winston Peters strode, Peters, ” Peters, Chumbawamba, Dunstan Bruce, Winston Peters, Hagen Hopkins, ” Chumbawamba, “ Tubthumping, ”, Bruce, “, Peter Dungate, ” It’s, Eminem, Vivek Ramaswamy, Donald Trump, Rihanna, Pharrell Williams, Bruce Springsteen, Nigel Farage, Hutton Supancic, Julian Paul, Emmanuel Heisbourg, Heisbourg, “ tubthumping, You’re, — Peters, ‘ Organizations: CNN, New Zealand First, Labour, New, National, ACT, New Zealand, General Motors, Sony Music Publishing, APRA, NZ, New Zealand’s National Party, rapper’s, Republican, Independence Party, UKIP, Southwest, SXSW UKIP, University of Montreal Locations: Palmerston, British, Nazi Germany, New, New Zealand

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Jurors in the trial of two men charged with killing Young Dolph will come from outside of Memphis because of intense media coverage of the fatal shooting in the rapper’s hometown, a judge ruled Friday. A jury will be be brought to Memphis from outside of Shelby County for the June 3 trial of Johnson and Cornelius Smith Jr. Both men have pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder charges in the daytime ambush of Young Dolph, who was buying cookies at a Memphis bakery when he was gunned down in November 2021. Young Dolph, whose real name was Adolph Thornton Jr., was a rapper, producer and independent music label owner. A neighborhood street was named after Young Dolph after his death.

Persons: Young Dolph, Jennifer J, Mitchell, Justin Johnson’s, Johnson, Cornelius Smith Jr, ” Mitchell, Adolph Thornton Jr, Luke Evans, Evans, Paul Hagerman, Hagerman, ” Hagerman, “ We're, Hernandez Govan, Jermarcus Johnson, Smith, Justin Johnson Locations: MEMPHIS, Tenn, Memphis, Shelby County, “, Castalia

☆ Young Thug trial: Opening statements begin in rapper’s racketeering trial
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-27 | by ( Christina Maxouris | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —The prosecution began opening statements Monday morning in the racketeering trial of Grammy-winning rapper Young Thug, who is accused of leading a violent street gang in the Atlanta area affiliated with the national Bloods gang. Young Thug, whose real name is Jeffery Williams, was charged alongside more than two dozen other people under the state’s expansive Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act – known as RICO. Young Thug is among six defendants who have pleaded not guilty to all charges and are standing trial in an Atlanta courtroom, the judge said Monday. Prosecutors say Young Thug is the cofounder of a criminal street gang – Young Slime Life – that’s responsible for violent acts dating back a decade. The trial is expected to last months and could feature a star-studded list of witnesses, including rappers Lil Wayne and Killer Mike.

Persons: Young Thug, Young, Jeffery Williams, Fani Willis, Donald Trump, Gunna, –, Brian Steel, Thug, “, ’, Willis, Trump’s, that’s, Steel, “ Jeffery, ”, he’s, Camila Cabello, ” Travis Scott, Drake, Childish Gambino, Ludwig Göransson, Marquavius Huey, Deamonte Kendrick, Gotti, Quamarvious Nichols, Rodalius Ryan, Shannon Stillwell, Lil Wayne, Mike Organizations: CNN, Bloods, Judge Ural Glanville, Prosecutors, WXIA Locations: Atlanta, Fulton County, Fulton, “ Havana

☆ Tupac Shakur’s Volatile Life, Delivered by Friendly Hands
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-21 | by ( Sheldon Pearce | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

TUPAC SHAKUR: The Authorized Biography, by Staci RobinsonLast month, after 27 years, a suspect was charged in the murder of Tupac Shakur. A firecracker and crusader as sharp as he was brusque, Tupac reached megastar status in 1996, when his fourth studio album, “All Eyez on Me,” went five times platinum. Often hailed as one of the greatest rappers of all time, he was a magnet for controversy during his life, and became a martyr for hip-hop militance after his death. Along with scores of interviews, the book is stuffed with photocopies of the rapper’s personal writings. As if tucked between the pages, these hand-scrawled poems, raps and musings provide windows into his mind.

Persons: TUPAC SHAKUR, Staci Robinson, Tupac Shakur, Tupac, ”, Robinson, Shakur

Six months later, his friend-turned-rival Notorious B.I.G, whose legal name is Christopher Wallace, was gunned down. They hung out together on the set of the 1993 film “Poetic Justice,” which starred Janet Jackson and Shakur. Shakur found out that the night of that attack, Wallace and Sean “Diddy” Combs were together in a recording studio. East vs. West coastsLess than 24 hours after the 1994 shooting, Shakur made a court appearance in a wheelchair on sex-assault charges against him. Greenidge, who described the rapper as a professional mentor, told the grand jury he was in the convoy.

Persons: Tupac Shakur, Shakur, B.I.G, Christopher Wallace, Wallace, Duane “ Keffe, ” Davis, Davis, enmeshed, ”, Justin Tinsley, Janet Jackson, Sean “ Diddy ” Combs, Combs, Malcolm Greenidge, Reggie Wright Jr, Marion “ Suge, Knight, disrespecting Combs, Tha, Snoop Dogg, Faith Evans, “ It’s, Wright, Robert Ladd, Ladd, “, Orlando Anderson, ” Denvonta Lee, Mike Tyson, Bruce Seldon, Anderson, Daniel Ford, Ford, Lee, Deandrae Smith, Smith, “ Keffe, ” Lee, Keffe, Biggie Shakur, Tinsley, ” “ Biggie, ” Tinsley, ‘, Tupac, Rio Yamat, Ken Ritter, Scott Sonner, Gabe Stern, Andrew Dalton, Ryan Pearson, Stefanie Dazio, Felicia Fonseca Organizations: ANGELES, New York City, The Associated Press, Los, Records, New, Boy Records, Row, Tha Dogg, West Coast, Side, South Side, Bloods, MGM, Anderson, BMW, Authorities, Cadillac, ” Police, Las Vegas, ___ Associated Press Locations: East, West, New York, Las Vegas, Compton, midtown Manhattan, East Harlem , New York, Los Angeles, Brooklyn, Harlem, New York City, York , New York, Vegas, Lakewood, South Los Angeles, Reno , Nevada, Flagstaff , Arizona

☆ Duane 'Keffe D' Davis: Man charged in Tupac Shakur's 1996 shooting death has long put himself at the crime scene. Here's what we know about him
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-30 | by ( Aya Elamroussi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

The arrest comes some 27 years after the rapper was shot as he was leaving a boxing match on the Las Vegas Strip. Authorities allege Davis plotted and orchestrated the shooting in a matter of hours, after the rapper and others attacked Davis’ nephew that same day. Duane Keith "Keffe D" Davis has been charged in connection with the 1996 killing of rapper Tupac Shakur. Las Vegas Metropolitan Police DepartmentDavis was ‘the shot caller,’ police sayShakur’s shooting stems from a conflict between two gangs based in Compton, California, police said Friday. Davis ‘talked himself right into jail’Rapper Tupac Shakur poses for photos backstage after his performance at the Regal Theater in Chicago, Illinois, in March 1994.

Persons: Duane Keith Davis, Tupac Shakur, Davis, ”, couldn’t, indicting, Davis ’, Shakur, we’ve, ” Jason Johansson, Duane Keith, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Davis, Marion “ Suge, Knight, Johansson, Mike Tyson, Orlando Anderson, Anderson, Davis “, Suge Knight, ” Johansson, ” Davis, Terrence Brown, Deandre Smith, “ Duane Davis, Smith, “, Greg Kading, ” Kading, Davis –, –, ledgers, Davis ‘, Raymond Boyd, Michael Ochs, “ Davis, he’s Organizations: CNN, Las, Authorities, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, Southside Compton Crips, MGM, BMW, Cadillac, BET, Regal Theater, Michael Ochs Archives, Netflix, Las Vegas Locations: Las Vegas, Compton , California, Compton, bro, Nevada, Chicago , Illinois, Las

☆ How Hip-Hop Changed the English Language Forever
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-11 | by ( Miles Marshall Lewis | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +16 min

We unpacked five words — dope, woke, cake, wildin’ and ghost — that show rap’s unique linguistic influence. Please import it manually on src/routes/(pages)/$PAGE/+page.svelte and add it to the body loop referencing a name on the Google Doc. Please import it manually on src/routes/(pages)/$PAGE/+page.svelte and add it to the body loop referencing a name on the Google Doc. Please import it manually on src/routes/(pages)/$PAGE/+page.svelte and add it to the body loop referencing a name on the Google Doc. Please import it manually on src/routes/(pages)/$PAGE/+page.svelte and add it to the body loop referencing a name on the Google Doc.

Persons: vibrancy, Dave, — Slick Rick, “, ”, �, Homer Simpson, Rihanna, “ FourFiveSeconds ”, wilding, Erykah Badu, Megan Thee, Spoonie Gee, Lil Wayne, Spivey’s, “ It’s, Pharrell Williams, Shameik Moore, Zoë Kravitz, ” “, Lana Del Rey, Joe, Marcus Garvey, Lauryn Hill, Marcus Garvey intoned, Ramblin ’ Thomas, William Melvin Kelley’s, presciently, Badu’s, repopularized “, Badu, ” — Childish Gambino, “ Redbone ”, Donald J, Kendrick Lamar’s, Joey Bada, Lil Durk’s, Ron DeSantis, Elon Musk, Sir, they’ve, Munch, Red’s, ” Megan Thee, Patty, Nicki Minaj, “ Heard, Jay, Stackin, Al Pacino, Tony Montana, Morton, wildin, illin, killin, “ Buck Whylin ’, Chuck D, “ Buck Whylin ’ ”, Tonya Harding, Nick Cannon’s, “ wilding ”, Barry Michael Cooper, “ Wilding, Donald Trump’s, Wildin, “ Stylin, — Bruno Mars, Greg Nice, “ Swayze, Patrick Swayze’s, Guy, ghosting, Glock, I’m Swayze, Jared Seay Organizations: Daily News, src, Google, Oxford English, Queens, MTV, New York Times, Trump, Republican, Hulu, WAP, raunch, “, Morton Music, Public, The Daily News, Central Park, Oxford, ”, Adidas, Royce Locations: Oxford, Ethiopia, Africa, Florida, America, U.S

☆ The Future of Rap Is Female
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-09 | by ( Niela Orr | Photographs Adrienne Raquel | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +22 min

The Future of Rap Is Female As their male counterparts turn depressive and paranoid, it’s the women who are having all the fun. In the mid-’80s, the dynamics shifted slightly, when UTFO released “Roxanne, Roxanne,” a comical torch song dissing a woman who rejected the men’s advances. Like good sex, raunchy rap is only fun if all parties are completely enthusiastic, and this music provides necessary female perspectives to match what the men make. In Miami one weekend in late July, Rolling Loud, one of the biggest annual hip-hop festivals, made itself into a microcosm of the rap world. There’s a relentless gender pessimism in the air, too — on the street, on dating apps, in the Supreme Court and, of course, in rap music.

Persons: Sackler, Drake, Foley, Yung Miami, Wu, Da, Tupac Shakur, Nicki Minaj, Cardi, Megan Thee, there’s, ”, There’s Latto, Jung Kook, “, Diana ”, Boy’s, Red’s, Munch, Rodney Dangerfield, munch, ” MAIYA, “ We’re, Lil Baby, Flo Milli, —, ” Flo Milli, Ginger Rogers, Fred Astaire —, Debbie D, Lisa Lee, Mercedes Ladies, UTFO, Roxanne, Lolita Shanté Gooden, Gooden, ” FLO MILLI, Roxanne Shanté, Clover Hope, M.C, Brian Coleman, Lyte, Ruff Ryders, it’s, Missy Elliott, Lauryn Hill, Kash Doll, SKODI LOLA BROOKE, Lil ’ Kim, “ I’m, I’m, ” That’s, Lolita Gooden, Greta Gerwig’s “ Barbie ”, James Harden, P.J, Tucker, KENTHEMAN “, I’ve, Playboi Carti, Travis Scott, Grace Jones, Benzino, blowin, ignorin ’, Berry hairdo, Grandmaster Flash, It’s, ” —, ” Leray, VETTE, CHANEL, ” Flo, Cartier, “ Lyte, Flo Organizations: YouTube, Girls, City Girls, Public, Down Productions, Wu -, Digital, City, Memphis, Brooklyn Locations: Miami, Wu - Tang, “, Bronx, Mobile , Ala, y’all

☆ Travis Scott Debuts at No. 1 With the Year’s Biggest Week for Hip-Hop
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-08 | by ( Ben Sisario | More About Ben Sisario | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Almost two years ago, the career of the rap star Travis Scott had seemed in doubt after the catastrophe of his Astroworld Festival in Houston, where 10 people were crushed to death and hundreds more were injured. The authorities investigated Scott’s role, but in June prosecutors announced that a grand jury had declined to indict Scott and two festival officials. A number of civil lawsuits against Scott and festival organizers, however, remain pending. That cloud was no deterrent to Scott’s fans, who have sent the rapper’s latest album, “Utopia,” straight to No. That was by far the biggest opening for any hip-hop album this year.

Persons: Travis Scott, Scott, Maximus, West Organizations: Adidas, Balenciaga Locations: Houston, United States, Rome

☆ This summer has been all about recapturing our youth
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-05 | by ( Lisa Respers France | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

That’s right, I take it way back to the days when “summer vacation” didn’t mean me looking for reasonable airfare and accommodations to book. Something to sip on…A scene from "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem." “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem” is out this week and if ever there was a franchise that is both for the young and young at heart, it’s this one. One thing to talk about…People attend Day 3 of the Lollapalooza Music Festival on Saturday, July 30, 2022, at Grant Park in Chicago. That’s right, you can enjoy the long-standing, Chicago-set music festival from the comfort of your own home – and no need for porta-potties!

Persons: ” Let’s, ”, “ Barbie, O’Neil, Seth Rogen, Maya Rudolph, John Cena, Paul Rudd, Rob Grabowski, Oprah Winfrey, Gayle King, Oprah, “, Billie Eilish, Kendrick Lamar, Lana Del Rey, Trippie Redd, Redd, There’s, Joe Locke, Kit Connor, Charlie Spring, Nick Nelson, “ Heartstopper Organizations: CNN, Paramount Pictures, …, Hulu, PolkImaging, Penske Media, Netflix Locations: Grant, Chicago, New Jersey, Hulu, Milwaukee , WI

☆ Adidas’s Sale of Yeezy Sneakers Brings in 400 Million Euros
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-03 | by ( Melissa Eddy | More About Melissa Eddy | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

The Yeezy sales added €150 million to Adidas’s operating profit for the first half the year, “an incremental amount,” the sportswear maker said. And Adidas reported a steeply lower operating profit for the half-year: €236 million, versus €828 million a year earlier. Adidas began selling its first batch of its remaining Yeezy shoe models in June. But Mr. Gulden refused to elaborate on how much the rapper was making from the sales. Adidas said it has set aside €110 million of its proceeds from the first sale of the Yeezy inventory to donate to organizations.

Persons: Ye, ” Bjorn Gulden, Gulden, “, ” Mr, Philonise Floyd, George Floyd, Robert K Organizations: Adidas, Defamation League, European Jewish Association, Keeta Floyd Institute for Social, Kraft, New England Patriots Locations: North America

☆ How a Jay-Z Retrospective Took Over the Brooklyn Public Library
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-14 | by ( Joe Coscarelli | More About Joe Coscarelli | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

Earlier this week, when passages of Jay-Z lyrics from songs like “Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem)” and “Justify My Thug” appeared on the Art Deco-style, curved limestone facade of the Brooklyn Public Library’s main branch, fans and passers-by could only speculate on the occasion for the building’s sudden makeover. A surprise concert for the rapper’s home borough? A tribute to the 50th anniversary of hip-hop this summer? The answer, it turned out, was neither — and also a secret even from the man himself. On Thursday evening, when Jay-Z entered the library for a private event surrounded by an inner circle of family, friends and business associates, he was greeted by his live band playing instrumental versions of his hits out front, and a career-spanning archival exhibition that he never asked for inside.

Persons: Jay, Z Organizations: Art, Brooklyn Public

CNN —Dissident Iranian rapper Toomaj Salehi, arrested last October for supporting the protest movement in Iran last year, has been sentenced to six years and three months in prison, his official Twitter page said Monday. “Toomaj Salehi was sentenced to 6 years and 3 months in prison, and after 252 days of solitary confinement, transferred to the general section of the prison,” the tweet said. Salehi was arrested in October last year during protests triggered by the death of Mahsa Amini. Toomaj/Youtube“Your Toomaj, Iran’s Toomaj, the world’s Toomaj, and our Toomaj was unjustly imprisoned for six and a half years. When nationwide protests started in mid-September last year, Salehi called for Iranians to protest against the government.

Persons: Toomaj Salehi, “ Toomaj Salehi, IRNA, Reza Etemad Ansari, “, ” Ansari, Shargh, ” Salehi’s, Iqbal Iqbali, Salehi, Mahsa, Iran’s Toomaj, ” Iqbali, ” Salehi, ”, jang Organizations: CNN, Dissident, Twitter, Iranian, Kurd Locations: Iran, Sistani

☆ Concert season is so weird right now
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-08 | by ( Lisa Respers France | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Which “hurls” us into this week’s newsletter…Something to sip on…Pink performs on stage during a concert in Vienna, on July 1. ALEX HALADA/AFP via Getty Images“No home training.” – That’s what my late grandmother would have said about people who are throwing things at artists during concerts these days. Because clearly, if you are throwing things during a concert, you want to be a part of the performance. The married couple have a new weekly podcast, “The Best Podcast Ever.” Part of iHeartMedia’s Outspoken series, the project aims to amplify voices throughout the LGBTQ+ community. “The Best Podcast Ever” debuts July 10.

Persons: Pink, ALEX HALADA, ”, Lil Nas, Bebe Rexha, wilding, You’re, Tik tok, don’t, Charlie Puth, Adele, … Harrison Ford, Indiana Jones, That’s, ” “ Oppenheimer, Barbie ”, “ Barbie, Miranda Maday, Valerie Macon, Symoné, Miranda Pearman, “, Count, … Andrew Ridgeley, George Michael, Wham, Andrew Ridgeley, It’s, Michael Organizations: CNN, Getty, Lucasfilm, BEST, Netflix, Wembley Locations: Vienna, AFP, Stockholm, New York City, Vegas, Beverly Hills, China, England

☆ Charles M. Blow on ‘Rapper’s Delight’ - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-20 | by ( Charles M. Blow | Charles Blow | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

America Is An Island Where the Rules Never Changepick the one piece of culture thatbest captures the country. America Is ... We asked 17 columnists topick the one piece of culture thatbest captures the country. Opinion America Is Black Pain and Joy“Rapper’s Delight” by the Sugarhill Gang was the first rap song I remember hearing. Struggle and pain are often a kiln for creativity, and that has meant that much of American culture is born of the story of Black American life. It took the crosscurrents of Black life and produced of them a chorus, and America — and the world — was enthralled.

Persons: topick, Joy “, Eric Reese, I’m, America — Organizations: Library of Congress, Sugarhill, America Locations: America, South, New Jersey

☆ French Montana shares the spotlight with his mother in revealing new documentary
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-15 | by ( Samantha Bresnahan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

It’s about faith and family – a love story between a mother named Khadija and a son born as Karim, now known worldwide as French. “It’s based on letting people know you’re going to lose more than you’re going to win. In the new documentary "For Khadija," French Montana opens up about the sacrifices his mother, pictured here, made on behalf of her sons. Khadija kisses her son French Montana on the forehead, in an image from "For Khadija." For more, watch African Voices Changemakers on CNN International in July to see the full feature with French Montana.

Persons: Khadija, Karim, Mandon Lovette, Sean “ Diddy ” Combs, Drake, Robert De Niro, “, ”, CNN’s Larry Madowo, “ It’s, You’re, Jobs, French’s, Bryant Robinson, that’s, ” Khadija, French Montana, Max B, Swae Lee, ‘, ’, Sean, Diddy, Combs, Matt Winkelmeyer, French, Morocco that’s, Adam Levine, Africa …, …, That’s, ” CNN’s Earl Nurse Organizations: CNN, Tribeca, Bad Boy Records, Maybach Music, CNN International Locations: Montana, New York City, Morocco, America, New York’s South Bronx, Los Angeles, French, New York, Africa, Uganda, French Montana, Las Vegas, Kampala, Nigeria, Moroccan

☆ Snoop Dogg, his ape and a question of celebrity hype
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-07 | by ( Elle Reeve | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

The Bored Apes became some of the most famous NFTs after a series of celebrities said they got one. The Bored Ape crazeSnoop Dogg performs with his Bored Ape character, Dr. Bombay, in February 2023. He sold his versions as RR/BAYC with an accompanying website that detailed claims the Bored Apes contained references to racist memes on 4chan, a troll website. In March 2022, Snoop invested in Yuga Labs, and the month after, he invested in MoonPay. In the VMAs video, Eminem turns into a white ape wearing “hip hop clothes,” while Snoop becomes a cheetah-fur ape wearing a “pimp coat,” according to Yuga Labs’ description.

☆ Hip-Hop, Still Fly at 50
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( Guy Trebay | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

“Everything is a flashback,” Syreeta Gates said last week. “That’s the way it always is with our culture. It was a dizzying convergence, musically and visually. Decades afterward, the rap scholar Tricia Rose would note in “Black Noise: Rap Music and Black Culture in Contemporary America” how skeptical the mainstream initially was to music most thought was a fad. That is, until the indie producer Sylvia Robinson released the hit song “Rapper’s Delight” in 1979.

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