Kanye West has the industry abuzz about his new album and he’s just dropped major info surrounding the set. Including a few surprises.
Dive below for details…
‘Love & Hip-Hop Miami’ has proven to be compelling viewing straight of the gate thanks to its spotlighting of serious issues (amidst the madness).
One of said issues is colorism and newcomer Amara La Negra has led that debate with specific reference to the hardships of being accepted as Afro-Latina — within the Latin community and beyond.
Amidst all the discussion though, it’s been easy to forget that Amara is an artist and is prepping new music to facilitate a crossover into the mainstream arena.
A recent signee of BMG, a release is said to be imminent to capitalize on the buzz of the show. To whet appetites, Amara and producer Rock City shared a preview.
Check it out below…
DJ Khaled has called on Weight Watchers to join him on his journey towards a healthier lifestyle.
Brilliant news for the ‘Wild Thoughts‘ hitmaker below…
Is the Latino community unwilling to address its problematic relationship with black people?
Fortunately, thanks to ‘Love & Hip Hop Miami‘, it may be forced to.
Details below…
Scribbled in history books for some good and not-so-good reasons, 2017 brought with it some of modern music’s most memorable moments. Now, as the year draws to a close, TGJ is reflecting on our favorite moments that rocked – and to some degree reshaped – the Urban and Pop musical landscape as we know it.
Next up we reflect on once beloved gospel star Kim Burrell and the year she fell from grace…
R. Kelly is no stranger to controversy and today it’s boiled to scary new levels.
Hailed as R&B’s Piper Piper, a new report claims the singer is leading something altogether more dangerous – a sex cult, in which women are allegedly being held against their will.
The lengthy Buzzfeed feature, which is being touted as an expose, was penned by respected investigative journalist Jim DeRogatis and forms its basis on details accounts from “former members” of the singer’s inner circle. They are Cheryl Mack, Kitti Jones, and Asante McGee.
Shocking on all fronts, the collective claim is that Kelly recruited 6 women to live in his rented properties, where he is in control of all aspects of their lives: “from what they eat, how they dress, when they bathe, when they sleep, and how they engage in sexual encounters that he records.”
Per the ex staff interviews, Kelly has a strict set of “rules” the women have to adhere to (including asking to use the bathroom). If they don’t, physical and verbal punishments are given.
As for titles, he reportedly calls them “babies” and they are to refer to him as “daddy.” While communication is allegedly limited to cell phones he provides.
So who are the women at the centre of the scandal?
They’re described as including a 31-year-old “den mother” who “trained” newcomers on how Kelly liked to be pleasured sexually. Perhaps most disturbing is the assertion that the woman is high-school friends with the woman (then a girl) at the center of Kelly’s 2008 child pornography trail. Said trial saw the star accused of having intercourse with a 14-year-old and recording it. He was acquitted and has consistently maintained his innocence.
Other women are said to include: a 25-year-old who’s been party of Kelly’s entourage for seven years, a 19-year-old model who’s been papped with Kelly in public, and a 26-year-old Atlanta songwriter who began her relationship with the crooner in 2009 (when she was 19). There’s also a singer, aged 18, from Polk County, Florida, who Mack revealed was 50-year-old Kelly’s “favorite.”
The use of the “cult” phrasing comes from the concerned mother, who brought her then 19-year-old daughter to Kelly help boost her career. This despite being well-versed in the backstory surrounding prior allegations. Per the feature, she believed she (together with the girl’s father) would be able to protect her.
Two years on said singer is one of those living with Kelly in an arrangement that her mother believes is actually her “being held against her will.”
In a “desperate fight” to bring her home, she contacted law enforcement. However, that was to no avail, as her daughter is not classed as a missing person. When policed investigated, the singer has told police she is “fine and did not want to be bothered.”
Mom insists otherwise.
Recounting the last time she saw her daughter in December 2016, she said:
“It was as if she was brainwashed. [She] looked like a prisoner — it was horrible. I hugged her and hugged her. But she just kept saying she’s in love and [Kelly] is the one who cares for her. I don’t know what to do. I hope that if I get her back, I can get her treatment for victims of cults. They can reprogram her. But I wish I could have stopped it from happening.”
Two of the ladies interviewed for the feature confirmed that they also has sexual relationships with Kelly.
During said time, they claim to have had limited control over their phones and social media. No pictures of Kelly or his house were permitted allowed with Kelly or any of the rooms in his homes.
Mack specifically added that Kelly would routinely insist the women wear unflattering jogging ensembles because “he doesn’t want their figures to be exposed [or for them to look appealing to others].”
McGee and Jones also claim that Kelly records his sexual activities with the women and shares the videos with men in his inner circle.
**************
Unlike the prior allegations against Kelly (a number of which he settled), this situation – regardless of its validity – is unlikely to lead to anything in the legal arena. Because, as DeRogatis notes, the law allows consenting adults to take part in any relationship they like, no matter how “nontraditional.” What’s more, all the women within Kelly’s alleged “cult” are of legal age.
Still, in the court of public opinion, this is a deafening blow to the star whose career oddly took its biggest hit after he was acquitted in the 2008 trial. [He confusingly achieved some of his most notable hits while the case was on-going.]
This latest report ultimately brings to the surface an uncomfortable narrative Kelly has long been trying to sanitize.
Occurring almost a decade after the most scathing of accusations, it’s effectively introducing a whole new audience to the darker corners of his story.
Add to that DeRogatis’ claims that the star has been quietly settling up to a dozen civil suits – including that of a 17-year-old singer from his circle – and it’s most definitely not a good time to be Robert Kelly.
Your thoughts?
The world watched in shock last week when the Grenfell Tower in London burned down – leaving hundreds dead and hundreds homeless.
In a commendable bid to raise funds for all of those affected, Simon Cowell has assembled a who’s who of the UK music industry to record a cover of Simon & Garfunkel‘s classic ‘Bridge Over Troubled Water.’
Artists present include Rita Ora, Leona Lewis, Liam Payne, Emeli Sande, and Craig David.
Unwrapped moments ago, all proceeds from sales and streams of the song will go towards helping those impacted.
Take a listen below…
Full list of artists featured:
Angel
Anne-Marie
Bastille Brian May – Queen
Carl Barât – The Libertines
Craig David
Deno
Donae’o
Dua Lipa
Ella Eyre
Ella Henderson
Emeli Sandé
Fleur East
Gareth Malone & The Choir for Grenfell
Geri Halliwell
Gregory Porter
James Arthur
James Blunt
Jessie J
Jessie Ware
John Newman
Jon McClure – Reverend and the Makers
Jorja Smith
Kelly Jones – Stereophonics
Labrinth
Leona Lewis
Liam Payne
London Community Gospel Choir
Louis Tomlinson
Louisa Johnson
Matt Goss
Matt Terry
Mr Eazi
Nathan Sykes
Nile Rodgers
Omar
Paloma Faith
Pixie Lott
Ray BLK
RAYE
Rita Ora
Robbie Williams
Shakka
Shane Filan
Stormzy
The Who (Roger Daltrey, Pete Townshend)
Tokio Myers
Tom Grennan
Tony Hadley
Tulisa
WSTRN
5 After Midnight
Your thoughts?
Tinashe‘s narrative has been one of the more puzzling among artists who’ve had buzz over the last few years.
Her inaugural set, ‘Aquarius,’ made quite the splash on Urban charts in mid-2014 thanks to its DJ Mustard-produced hit, ‘2 On.’ Yet, despite nabbing one of that summer’s biggest anthems, the ‘Joyride’ singer turned left and since then has seemingly had her eyes set on seeing her name scribbled on pop charts.
The pursuit – which has seen the ‘All Hands on Deck’ singer try her hand at everything from EDM to emo-pop and collaborate with the likes of some of music’s biggest names (see: Chris Brown, Britney Spears, and Nick Jonas) – has admittedly proven futile. As such, even though she’s 3 years in the game, many still consider her a “new” or “buzzing” artist.
Tinashe believes she has the answer to that: colorism and racism in the industry. Recently taking to The Guardian, she discussed what she believes is the industry’s take on black women:
“There are hundreds of [male] rappers that all look the same, that sound the same, but if you’re a black woman, you’re either Beyoncé or Rihanna. It’s very, very strange.
[There was Ciara, but] it felt like they almost had to sacrifice someone because there wasn’t enough room, which isn’t true. Ciara’s an amazing artist, Beyoncé’s an amazing artist, Rihanna’s an amazing artist, and they’re all very different!”
“There’s colourism involved in the black community, which is very apparent,” she says carefully. “It’s about trying to find a balance where I’m a mixed woman, and sometimes I feel like I don’t fully fit into the black community; they don’t fully accept me, even though I see myself as a black woman. That disconnect is confusing sometimes.”
Tinashe says all the separation and setbacks with her music have been discouraging, but have never completely broken her spirit.
“It’s definitely been discouraging, and I have days where I’m less confident, but at the end I know that I’m going to get to where I need to go.”
“There’s doubt that seeps in, there’s self-deprecation, because you look to someone to blame and you can’t blame anyone but yourself, but I’ve never, ever thought, ‘I’m going to work in a mall.’”
Has Tinashe’s success narrative been impacted by the black community ‘not accepting’ her?
Weigh In!
The aftermath of Camila Cabello‘s departure from Fifth Harmony has seen both acts largely stray from any mention of the other.
Indeed, in Cabello’s case utterances of 5H have been replaced with “the group,” while her former bandmates have stressed their renewed sense of “sisterhood” and improved “communication” in virtually every interview.
All ambiguity was thrown out of the window, though, when 20-year-old Cabello stopped by 92.3 AMP to plug new single ‘Crying In The Club.’
In a bold move, the hosts not only questioned her on 5H’s comeback offering ‘Down,’ they also asked her if she regrets how she left the group.
Watch the ouch, ouch, awkward moment below…
That definitely made for a butt-clenching watch.
Still, Camila handled herself well and, in a true testament to media training, kept the focus on her own activity.
Her album ‘The Hurting. The Healing. The Love’ is presently set for a September release, while Fifth Harmony are expected to deliver their third LP before.
Your thoughts?
The R&B group New Edition is to be honoured for its contributions to Pop culture and R&B Music by this year’s BET Awards.
The ceremony will air on June 25th 2017 and will also bring with it the Humanitarian award for Chance the Rapper in celebration of his bold and brave efforts to support the African-American community.
It’s an immense honor & I’m inspired to do so much more after receiving this. Thank you @IamDebraLee I won’t let you down https://t.co/cz6RSgsrT0
— Lil Chano From 79th (@chancetherapper) June 6, 2017
Your thoughts?
Viola Davis‘ JuVee production company has announced the birth of a brand new TV series named ‘Two Sides of the Truth’.
The series, which is yet to bag a premiere date, seeks unearth the truth behind high profile cases linked to the Black community and law enforcement in America.
Davis shares..
Every other week we hear about these horrific incidences and many of them go unsolved and unresolved. We hope that this show can take those headlines and humanize them.
The visionary announced news of the project’s arrival as she set her sights on the next season of the TV thriller ‘How to Get Away with Murder’.
Unfamiliar with the series?
Your thoughts?
[Photo Credit: Brian Bowen Smith]
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