Arts & Entertainment
Grammy-Winning Artist H.E.R. Sues Label for Release
HipHopWired Featured Video Source: Scott Dudelson / Getty Singer-songwriter H.E.R. is suing her record label for release citing a California statute that limits contracts to seven years. H.E.R. née Gabriella Sarmiento Wilson filed for declaratory relief and violation of the business and professions code and is seeking to be released from MBK Entertainment. The company is owned by her manager Jeff Robinson who signed her in 2011 at the age of 14. Related Stories According to documents reviewed by The Blast, H.E.R. is named as an ‘exclusive employee’ for an initial period which “ended the later of 15 months after May 19, 2011 or 12 months after the commercial release of Wilson’s first album under contract, and up to five additional option period of more than one year each.” Wilso...
Vivica Fox Says Jada & Will Haven’t Taken “Accountability” After Oscars Slap
HipHopWired Featured Video Source: MICHAEL TRAN / Getty In an appearance as guest host on The Wendy Williams Show, actress Vivica A. Fox addressed the now-infamous slap at the Oscars and the comments that Jada Pinkett-Smith made about it this week. On her Facebook watch show, Red Table Talk, Pinkett Smith finally addressed the issue calling for her husband Will and Chris Rock to “reconcile.” However, the comments didn’t sit well with Pinkett Smith’s Set It Off co-star. Related Stories Fox began her remarks soberly saying, “This is going to be difficult for me. These are my peers. I’ve done a movie with both of them. Set It Off with Jada and Independence Day with Will Smith, which absolutely changed my life. When I saw this video last night, it made me cry, I’ll be very honest with you guys...
Beef Between Mo’Nique & D.L. Hughley over Headline Slot Continues
HipHopWired Featured Video Source: E! Entertainment / Getty Comedians D.L. Hughley and Mo’Nique went viral this weekend for a spat where the two legends were both convinced that they were due the top slot at a show at Detroit’s Fox Theater. As previously reported by MadameNoire, the incident occurred on May 28 when as she came out to start her set (before Hughley) Mo’Nique ripped into the comedian with a profanity laced diatribe. Related Stories “The motherf****** contract said that a b**** is the headliner. Mo’Nique is to be the last motherf****** person on the g****** stage. She is the headliner. I’m 30+ years in this motherf****** business and I don’t open for no g****** body. The contract said the headliner. But a n**** named DL Hughley turned into a b**** and said ‘I won’t...
The Rock’s Daughter, Simone, Slams Haters Who Don’t Like Her Wrestling Name
HipHopWired Featured Video Source: KENA BETANCUR / Getty Twenty-year-old Simone Johnson will not be known by a moniker that is any variation of her famous father’s. The daughter of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson was signed to the WWE in 2020, but her debut was delayed due to a knee injury. When she does take to the ring, she announced on Sunday that she will be known as Ava Raine. Not surprisingly, fans offered their own name suggestions on Twitter. One fan wrote, “I’m slightly disappointed she won’t be known as The Pebble,” to which she responded “i beg of you guys to find a new joke. anything.” A fourth-generation wrestler, Simone’s grandfather Rocky Johnson and great-grandfather Peter “High Chief” Maivia are WWE Hall of Famers. Her father was a 10-time WWE world champion be...
F.B.I. Investigates Basquiat Paintings At Orlando Museum
HipHopWired Featured Video Source: Rose Hartman / Getty As a resurgence of interest in the works of the late artist Jean-Michel Basquiat is taking place, a recent grouping of paintings has aroused suspicion and the interest of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. According to reports, the Art Crime Team of the F.B.I. has opened an investigation into the authenticity of 25 paintings on display in an exhibit entitled “Heroes & Monsters: Jean-Michel Basquiat” at the Orlando Museum of Art. The agency reportedly issued a federal subpoena last July to obtain “any and all” communications between employees of the museum and owners of the paintings. The request also demanded records from the museum’s board of trustees. The owners of the artwork and the museum’s director and chief executive, Aar...
Jussie Smollett Directed ‘B-Boy Blues’ to Debut on BET+
HipHopWired Featured Video Source: Chicago Tribune / Getty Former Empire actor Jussie Smollett, who was later disgraced after being convicted of making false reports about what he alleged to be a hate crime in 2019, has directed a new film. Smollett’s first project since his fall from grace, a full-length feature film called B-Boy Blues was directed and financed, in part, by the actor. The film is an adaptation of the 1994 novel by James Earl Hardy about the lives of Black gay men in New York City. It’s been described as “a clash of class and culture when Mitchell Crawford, a college educated journalist from Brooklyn and Raheim Rivers, a bike messenger from Harlem, fall in love.” The film has previously been seen by fans at the 2021 American Black Film Festival where it w...
Christian Cooper aka The “Central Park Karen” Victim Tapped By National Geographic To Host New Series
HipHopWired Featured Video Source: ABC News / Getty It’s not every day that a Black person can turn racism into opportunity, but New York bird watcher Christian Cooper appears to have done exactly that. The man who went viral after Amy “Central Park Karen” Cooper (no relation, although I wouldn’t be surprised if she called the cops to accuse a Black man of stealing her last name) tried to weaponize her white privilege against him has now been tapped by National Geographic to host the network’s six-episode docuseries titled Extraordinary Birder, which has been described as a series that chronicles Christian’s experience as he explores the “wild, wonderful and unpredictable world of birds.” “Whether braving stormy seas in Alaska for puffins, trekking into rainforests in Puerto Rico for parro...
The Best & The Worst of The 2022 Grammy Awards
HipHopWired Featured Video Source: CBS Photo Archive / Getty The 64th Grammy Awards held a lot of spectacle, and a couple of surprises, without any hands being thrown like last week. Of course, the evening didn’t go without a couple of snubs along the way. Held for the first time in Las Vegas, Nev. on Sunday (April 3), the Grammys were billed as a return to the splendor of ceremonies past before the COVID-19 pandemic. Hosted by Trevor Noah, the awards show started out of the gate with a captivating performance by the duo of Silk Sonic, better known as Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak — really a trio if you count THAT wig. The duo’s performance showed off the pizazz they’ve been exhibiting during their MGM residency and would be the backdrop for their winning all four of the categories they we...
From Tears to Pride To Slaps: The Best & Worst Moments From the 2022 Oscars
HipHopWired Featured Video Source: David Livingston / Getty It’s safe to say that the 2022 Academy Awards will be unforgettable (thanks to Will Smith & Chris Rock), but here’s a rundown of the best and worst moments of the evening for you to savor. The 94th Academy Awards was promoted as the beginning of a new chapter in the history of the motion picture industry’s highest honor with the three women hosts Amy Schumer, Regina Hall, and Wanda Sykes to add to the heightened inclusivity. Much like a great film, there were high and low moments that have many buzzing the morning afterward. The event kicked off with Beyonce herself gracing the crowd with a performance of her song “Be Alive” from the nominated film King Richard featuring Will Smith (who’d win Best Actor) about the fa...
Chuck D To Host New ‘Songs That Shook the Planet’ Series For Audible
HipHopWired Featured Video Source: Audible Originals / Audible As the frontman and cofounder of legendary Hip-Hop group Public Enemy, Chuck D has made music that changed the culture of the globe. And now, he’ll guide listeners as host of a new audiobook series chronicling music that has had the same impact. Audible, the Amazon platform dedicated to audiobooks, has announced that they are producing a new series under their Words + Music format entitled Songs That Shook the Planet. The series, which is crafted to showcase songs that have had significant influence politically and socially, will have Chuck D as the host. Songs That Shook the Planet will feature tunes from a variety of notable artists including Marvin Gaye, Billie Holiday, and Stevie Wonder, among others. Remaining true to the ...
Astroworld Aftermath: How Much Money Could Travis Scott Potentially Lose in 2022?
NewsOne Featured Video Source: Rick Kern / Getty Before Travis Scott’s Astroworld Music Festival tragedy on Nov. 5, 2021, the rapper was slowly becoming one of corporate America’s most popular collaborators. Some of the biggest brands in the world were throwing massive checks his way to help market and brand their products. Travis had created sponsorships with brands like Nike, Dior, Epic Games, Playstation, and so many more, but the tragic deaths and injuries during his show have compelled many of his sponsors to rethink their continuing relationship with the rapper, and Travis could be losing huge portions of his earning during 2022. Immediately after the tragic innocent Nike delayed the release of Scott’s Nike Air Max 1 collab, but the sneaker did end up on reseller apps. They have not ...
Alleged Anti-Vaxxer Letitia Wright May Not Return To Marvel Cinematic Universe Over Vaccine Mandate
NewsOne Featured Video Maaaaaaan, what is going on with Black Panther actress Letitia Wright? The 28-year-old who is best known for playing the role of Shuri in the Marvel Cinematic Universe smash hit has been the center of controversy ever since last year when she made comments that got her labeled an anti-vaxxer. Now, inside sources are reporting that her alleged reluctance to get the shot has led her to toy around with the possibility of not returning to the MCU after she’s done filming Black Panther 2, a film that she’s set to star in as the new Black Panther. A “trusted and proven” source reportedly told sci-fi entertainment blog Giant Freaking Robot that Wright—who, in August, suffered an injury while filming Black Panther 2 that has halted production on the film until sometime in 20...
