entertainment blog
Alabama Makes Juneteenth State Holiday, For Now
HipHopWired Featured Video Source: discan / Getty The state of Alabama has now made Juneteenth a holiday for its workers…but there is a catch for future celebrations to come. According to reports, Governor Kay Ivey sent out a memo declaring that Juneteenth will be a holiday for state workers in Alabama. The memo was circulated earlier this month, decreeing that offices will be closed on Monday, June 20th as Juneteenth – which is normally celebrated on June 19th. This year, that date falls on a Sunday. Related Stories The news does come with one striking condition. The decree allowing state workers to have the day off is only in effect this year at the moment. A spokesperson for Ivey, Gina Maiola, said that the decision to make Juneteenth a permanent state holiday will be up to the state le...
George Ezra’s ‘Gold Rush Kid’ Heading For U.K. No. 1
George Ezra should extend his U.K. streak to three-straight leaders with Gold Rush Kid (via Columbia), his third studio album. The English singer and songwriter’s latest LP leads the midweek chart, and is unlikely to be stopped on its path to the top. According to the OCC, Gold Rush Kid is outstripping its closest rival by four-to-one, and is almost certain to win the crown, equaling the efforts of 2014 debut Wanted on Voyage and 2018’s Staying at Tamara’s. Also new to the Official Chart Update is Chase & Status’s What Came Before (EMI), the electronic music duo’s fifth studio album. It’s aiming for a No. 3 entry, and could give the act its best charting performance since 2013’s Brand New Machine peaked at No. 2. Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and ...
Spotify to Acquire AI Voice Startup Sonantic
Spotify said on Monday (June 13) it will acquire Sonantic, a tech company that specializes in creating hyperrealistic artificial voices. In a blog post announcing the acquisition, Spotify said Sonantic’s technology could allow the audio company to better communicate with users when they aren’t looking at their screens and help reduce other barriers to entry for new listeners. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news Based in London, Sonantic was founded in 2018 by Zeena Qureshi and John Flynn. The company caters toward entertainment industry professionals and, in 2020, raised €2.3 million (about $2.4 million) in seed funding. Sonantic has also worked with Val Kilmer, who was diagnosed with throat cancer and ...
Lady Gaga Tipped to Play Harley Quinn In ‘Joker 2,’ Little Monsters Can’t Handle It
Lady Gaga is already a superhero, just ask any of her Little Monsters. If the “Poker Face” star does indeed come on board to play Harley Quinn in Joker 2, it would simply seal the deal. On Monday (June 13), The Hollywood Reporter revealed that Gaga was in early talks to play the ever-so-unhinged Quinn in a musical sequel to Joker, with Joaquin Phoenix in discussions on a return in the lead role. None of this is confirmed, though stranger things have happened. Joker was a hit, becoming the first R-rated film to pass $1 billion at the box office, while Gaga has an impressive and growing collection of cinematic roles, including central, starring performances in House of Gucci and A Star Is Born. Sources tell THR that “Warners has yet to close a deal with the actor, with the two sides deep int...
Rolling Stones Postpone Second Show Following Mick Jagger’s COVID-19 Diagnosis
The Rolling Stones will scrap another European tour date as frontman Mick Jagger recovers from COVID-19 symptoms. The Stones will postpone their scheduled concert this Friday night (June 17) at Wankdorf Stadium in the Swiss capital Bern, a statement reads. The legendary rock band is “deeply sorry for this postponement, but the safety of the audience, fellow musicians and the touring crew has to take priority,” continues the message, issued Tuesday (June 14). Jagger and Co. are expected to be fit for a return to the stage next Tuesday (June 21) when the Stones stop by San Siro Stadium in Milan, Italy, and the Switzerland date will be rescheduled at a later time. Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news pic.twitter.com/QAkS1mXjdy — The Rolling Stones...
Tame Imapala to Perform ‘Lonerism’ in Full at Desert Daze 2022
Tame Impala is celebrating the 10th anniversary of Lonerism by playing the album in its entirety at Desert Daze 2022. Set to take place from September 30 to October 2 in Lake Perris, California, the upcoming festival will mark Kevin Parker’s return to the Desert Daze stage after the band’s set was cut short due to a storm in 2018. Also joining Tame Impala this year are Iggy Pop, King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, Sky Ferreira, BADBADNOTGOOD, Boy Pablo, Perfume Genius, Reggie Watts, Aldous Harding, Men I Trust, Mild High Club, Viagra Boys and more. Lonerism was released on October 5, 2012 to critical acclaim, giving Parker a GRAMMY nomination for Best Alternative Music Album. It also spurred the single “Feels Like We Only Go Backwards,” which has been certified gold by the RIAA. Che...
Lizzo Changes Lyrics to “Grrrls” After Criticism of Ableist Lyrics
Lizzo has decided to change the lyrics in “Grrrls” the latest single from her forthcoming LP Special after receiving criticism for using ableist language. The song’s original lyrics, “Hold my bag, bitch, hold my bag / Do you see this shit? I’ma spaz,” have been changed to “Do you see this shit? Hold me back.” Listen to the updated version below. In a statement posted to Twitter, Lizzo said: “It’s been brought to my attention that there is a harmful word in my new song ‘Grrrls.’ Let me make one thing clear: I never want to promote derogatory language. As a fat Black woman in America, I’ve had many hurtful words used against me, so I understand the power words can have (whether intentionally, or in my case, unintentionally). I’m proud to say there’s a new version of “Grrrls” with a lyr...
Dame Dash and JAY-Z Finally Settle ‘Reasonable Doubt’ Lawsuit
JAY-Z and Dame Dash have finally settled their longstanding feud over Dash’s attempt to sell a portion of the Reasonable Doubt album as an NFT. Rolling Stone reported that court papers were filed earlier this week saw the lawyers for both parties announce an agreement that Dash could still sell his one-third stake in Roc-A-Fella Records but he could not “in any way dispose of any property interest in Reasonable Doubt.” On top of detailing what Dash can and cannot sell, the agreement also has additional stipulations including one that states the record label “owns all the rights” (including copyright) to Reasonable Doubt. The documents also add, “No shareholder or member of RAF, Inc. holds a direct ownership interest in Reasonable Doubt.” The settled agreement comes a year after RAF sued Da...
Lil Baby Documentary ‘Untrapped’ to Stream on Prime Video
Karam Gill’s Untrapped: The Story of Lil Baby documentary is set to exclusively stream on Prime Video. The feature-length docu takes a deep dive into the life of the GRAMMY-winning rapper, starting from his beginnings all the way to his rise as one of hip-hop’s most sought-after names: “While still a teenager, Baby— known to friends and family as Dominique Armani Jones— was one of the most notorious figures in the streets of West Atlanta, before he was arrested and sent to prison. After his release in 2016, he faced a hard choice: Return to the fast money of the streets, or take a chance that his charisma and untested talent could bring him success as a rapper. In 2020, his second album, My Turn, was the year’s top seller across all genres of music. Today, Lil Baby is a devoted father to h...
DJ Akademiks & His Twitter Fingers Brought Up By DA During Tory Lanez Hearing
HipHopWired Featured Video Source: Earl Gibson III / Getty DJ Akademiks running his mouth and inserting himself into the Megan Thee Stallion x Tory Lanez situation, now has his name being brought up in court. DJ Akademiks Should of Mind His Business HotNewHipHop reports the DA mentioned the problematic media figure’s name during a court hearing held on Thursday (June.9) to determine whether or not there is enough evidence to move forward to pretrial. Related Stories According to the website, the hearing was only five minutes long. Another talking point was Megan Thee Stallion’s interview with Gayle King, where she discussed in detail the events of that fateful night where she says Lanez, born Daystar Peterson shot her. Lanez has vehemently denied shooting the Houston rapper. His attorneys ...
Stole ‘Em: LaserShip Warehouse Manager Arrested For Pilfering Sneakers
HipHopWired Featured Video Source: WSOC-TV / WSOC-TV For some time, sneakerheads have been voicing complaints about coveted sneakers they ordered getting “lost” while in the hands of LaserShip. They weren’t kidding, as a LaserShip warehouse manager has been arrested for allegedly stealing kicks. Apparently, enough people complaining about LaserShip pulling the jig that a reporter from WSOC-TV, Jason Stoogenke, began investigating. The receipts started adding up—kicks were getting pilfered, and a culprit was identified. Related Stories Stoogenke delved deeper into the complaints against LaserShip and started noticing a pattern. Sneakers were going missing after purchasers were told they were shipped, and they tended to be Nikes. Over 40 people told Stoogenke about the struggle, and 28 of th...
French Montana ft. Baby Face Ray “Drive By,” Princess Nokia “Diva” & More | Daily Visuals 6.13.22
HipHopWired Featured Video French Montana’s been going harder than usual lately with his music video releases and over the weekend dropped a new video to keep his buzz going and his name ringing bells. Linking up with Detroit artist Baby Face Ray for his visuals to “Drive By,” French Montana takes to the streets of New York with his peoples in tow before linking up with Diddy and Drake at an afterhours spot that you know you probably can’t get into. When is Max B gonna be home, b? Fellow New Yorker, Princess Noka meanwhile takes her talents to a much more tropical place and in her clip to “Diva” finds herself in a small home near a river and some palm trees as she keeps it humble and sexy at the same time. She still gets love and props for throwing soup on a racist in the subway a few year...
