Month: July 2024

A Netflix documentary about Prince is “dead in the water,” but not so for one about Sean “Diddy” Combs. The docuseries is being overseen by 50 Cent and his G-Unit Film and Production Studios, and will look into the lawsuits and allegations leveled against his long-time rival.

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, 50 Cent was asked about why he wanted to produce a documentary about Diddy. “I’m the only one from hip-hop culture that’s produced quality projects,” he said. “We do have a lot of talent within our culture where the talent has developed a comfortability in front of the camera, so they’re usually a part of it as an actor or driving force of why someone would watch the project; not the behind-the-scenes production, producing the whole project, so there’s a difference.”

The rapper and TV mogul was also asked about not attending Diddy’s parties. “He asked to take me shopping. I thought that was the weirdest shit in the world because that might be something that a man says to a woman,” he explained. “And I’m just like, ‘Naw, I’m not fucking with this weird energy or weird shit,’ coming off the way he was just moving. From that, I wasn’t comfortable around him.”

The Netflix documentary about Diddy does not currently have a premiere date.

Fat Joe knows his way around a hip-hop feud, as he famously had beef with 50 Cent in the 2000s. So, his perspective about those matters is an interesting and informed one, and now he has shared his thoughts about J. Cole’s (relative lack of) involvement in the Kendrick Lamar and Drake feud.

On a new episode of the On Purpose With Jay Shetty podcast, Joe spoke about Cole deciding to bow out of the feud and had both positive and negative thoughts on how Cole handled himself, saying:

“When you [get] called out in hip-hop, you gotta respond. And so, I’m a big fan of J. Cole, but it started from that. He probably saw that it could get real messy and real ugly, and so he said, ‘Yo, you know what? This ain’t me. I don’t want no parts of it,’ but he definitely got a stripe off […] because in hip-hop, they call you out, you come out, you know? That’s just what it is. […] You got to come out, and a guy like him… he was a king. He’s so talented, he’s a king, so it was like, ‘Wow, Cole! You did that?

But I get it, I get all scenarios. He was mature enough to think past the lyrical beef and say, ‘Yo, this might turn physical.’ I’m not mad at him, but I’m just saying from a real hip-hop artist… you know, I’ve been called out and I got to step up, even if I think the artist is a million times better than me.”

Check out the full episode above; The Cole-related portion of the show starts at about 1:11:00 into the video.

It’s going to be a busy next seven months for Saturday Night Live, and not just because of the election.

SNL returns in September for its 50th season, presumably with Glen Powell as host and Chappell Roan or Charli XCX as the musical guest, although that’s just speculation. Then, next February, comes the star-studded 50th anniversary special. Between those two dates, however, is the release of SNL 1975, director Jason Reitman’s film that takes place on the night of the first episode — which is also when it’s hitting theaters.

SNL 1975 comes out on October 11, 2024, exactly 49 years after the first “live from New York, it’s Saturday Night!”

The cast includes Gabriel LaBelle (as Lorne Michaels), Dylan O’Brien (Dan Aykroyd), Cory Michael Smith (Chevy Chase), Rachel Sennott (Rosie Shuster), Lamorne Morris (Garrett Morris), Nicholas Braun (Jim Henson and/or Andy Kaufman), Finn Wolfhard (NBC page), Jon Batiste (Billy Preston), Ella Hunt (Gilda Radner), Cooper Hoffman (Dick Ebersol), Andrew Barth Feldman (Neil Levy), Naomi McPherson (Janis Ian), Willem Dafoe (David Tebet), J.K. Simmons (Milton Berle), and Kaia Gerber (Jacqueline Carlin). Here’s more:

SNL 1975 tells the true story of what happened that night behind the scenes in the moments leading up to the first broadcast of the late-night sketch series. The chaos and magic of a revolution that almost wasn’t, as we count down the minutes in real time to the infamous words, Live From New York, it’s Saturday Night.

You can watch a clip from the first episode below.

Harry Potter is the rare property with not one, but two amazing theme park rides. Soon, it may have a third.

Universal Orlando Resort has revealed the first details about The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Ministry of Magic, one of five lands coming to the brand-new Epic Universe (along with Dark Universe, How to Train Your Dragon: Isle of Berk, Super Nintendo World, and Celestial Park).

The main attraction is Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry, which is described as a “journey from wizarding Paris to the British Ministry of Magic for the long-awaited trial of the infamous Dolores Umbridge.” Once the trial begins, riders join Harry, Ron, Hermione, and house-elf Higgledy in “a thrilling chase that will propel them up, down, forward, backward, sideways and more throughout the Ministry as they try to capture Umbridge – all while dodging attacks from Death Eaters, rampaging creatures and more along the way.”

Other highlights of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Ministry of Magic, which is set in both Paris and London, include theatre show Le Cirque Arcanus, restaurant Le Gobelet Noir, and Bar Moonshine, where “American witches and wizards can enjoy a taste of home at Bar Moonshine, where they’ll find exclusive beers, wines and cocktails served amid U.S. Quidditch team pennants and other items of wizarding Americana.” You can see photos from Epic Universe’s The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Ministry of Magic below.

Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry

Le Cirque Arcanus

Cosme Acajor Baguettes Magique

Café L’Air De La Sirène

Le Gobelet Noir

There’s a video journey, too.

Epic Universe opens in 2025. Find out more information here.

Ice Spice supported Doja Cat on The Scarlet Tour last year, but now it’s her turn to headline: The Y2K! World Tour just kicked off in Washington DC last night (July 30).

Given that Ice Spice is relatively early in her career and hasn’t released all that many songs just yet, she put just about everything she has into her setlist (per setlist.fm). Her set had 21 songs in total, including all 10 tracks from Y2K!, eight songs from the deluxe edition of her 2023 EP Like..?, and three of her collaborations with other artists: “Barbie World” with Nicki Minaj, “Boy’s A Liar Pt. 2” with PinkPantheress, and “Fisherrr” with Cash Cobain. Cobain is opening on the tour, so he actually joined Ice on stage for the song.

Check out the setlist below, as well as Ice’s remaining tour dates.

Ice Spice’s ‘Y2K! World Tour’ Setlist

1. “Popa”
2. “Munch (Feelin’ U)”
3. “Princess Diana”
4. “Phat Butt”
5. “Barbie World”
6. “Gimmie A Light”
7. “Plenty Sun”
8. “Bikini Bottom”
9. “Butterfly Ku”
10. “Gangsta Boo”
11. “Actin A Smoochie”
12. “Boy’s A Liar Pt. 2”
13. “B*tch I’m Packin’”
14. “Deli”
15. “BB Belt”
16. “In Ha Mood”
17. “TTYL”
18. “Oh Shhh…”
19. “Did It First”
20. “Fisherrr” (with Cash Cobain)
21. “Think U The Sh*t (Fart)”

Ice Spice’s 2024 Tour Dates: Y2K World Tour

08/01 — Montclair, NJ @ The Wellmont Theater
08/02 — Philadelphia, PA @ The Met Philadelphia presented by Highmark
08/04 — Boston, MA @ MGM Music Hall at Fenway
08/06 — New York, NY @ The Rooftop at Pier 17
08/09 — Detroit, MI @ The Fillmore Detroit
08/11 — Toronto, ON @ HISTORY
08/13 — Chicago, IL @ Byline Bank Aragon Ballroom
08/14 — Minneapolis, MN @ The Armory
08/17 — Denver, CO @ Fillmore Auditorium
08/19 — Los Angeles, CA @ Hollywood Palladium
08/21 — Oakland, CA @ Fox Theater
08/23 — Tempe, AZ @ Marquee Theatre
08/25 — Dallas, TX @ The Factory Deep Ellum
08/26 — Houston, TX @ 713 Music Hall
08/28 — Atlanta, GA @ Coca-Cola Roxy
08/31 — Miami Beach, FL @ The Fillmore Miami Beach at Jackie Gleason Theater

Today (July 30), Vice President Kamala Harris brought her 2024 campaign trail down to the Dirty South. During the Atlanta, Georgia stop at the Georgia State Convocation Center, she had a few notable entertainers popped and show their support (fitting as it is one of the country’s musical hubs).

In between her performance set, Megan Thee Stallion verbalized her endorsement for the presidential hopeful. But at the podium, Quavo delivered an equally fiery speech. The “Mink” rapper revealed that his support for Harris boils down to her stance on ending gun violence, a heartbreaking issue that has directly impacted him.

In October 2022, Quavo’s nephew and longtime collaborator, Takeoff (of Migos & Unc And Phew) was tragically gunned down in Houston, Texas.

Watch Quavo’s speech video from Kamala Harris’ Atlanta rally and read the transcript below.

If y’all don’t know me, I got by the name of Quavo. Born and raised in the North side of Atlanta, the home of the Migos. This city has always been home to me. From playing in the streets to, and you know, nurturing me to teaching me how to be the man that I am standing before you today. So, I mean one of the issues that I care about is resolving the gun violence. You can’t understand the struggles of gun violence if you not in the field or the heart of it. So, one thing I learned about working with Vice President Harris is she always stand on business.

From inviting me to the White House last year to discuss these solutions, to passing the biggest gun safety laws today. So, it’s only right in the birthplace of the culture, it’s also the same place where we launched the first African-American woman to run for president. Yeah, we changing the culture again. So, if you never voted before make sure that you get out and vote right now because this the real one. And in the words of my brother Takeoff, let me get a Kamala.

Every day is a blessing for Travis Barker. That’s not an empty outlook, in 2008 the Blink-182 drummer, experienced tragedy in a deadly plane crash.

Since the life-altering incident, Barker has changed his view of life. Now, he’s hoping that this optimistic attitude can be applied for good. According to TMZ, Travis Barker is selling the boarding pass for the plane ride.

But it is important to note that the piece of Barker’s life is being sold for a good cause. Currently, the ticket is listed on Barker’s personal website but will be sent via auctioning company Trophy. For $8,000, one interested party can secure the item, which be updated to include a meaningful handwritten note from Barker.

“I know I got Angels watching over me,” reads the note.

Barker’s joyful message is fitting considering he lost his two close friends, Charles “Che” Still and Chris Baker, to the crash, in addition to the two pilots. While, DJ AM also survived the crash, sadly he reportedly died from an overdose the year following.

He was sure to emphasize his gratitude in the product’s description section that reads: “A true one of a kind item for the ultimate Travis Barker collector. Having not flown for over 13 years following his near fatal plane crash, he was finally able to tour again overseas recently. This extremely rare commercial boarding pass is not just a piece of music memorabilia, it’s a true piece of Travis himself, complete with original handwritten note and cross drawing.”

In addition to the Qantas boarding pass from Sydney to Perth, the collector who snags the item will receive its museum grade display case and a signed certificate of authenticity, verified by Trophy. Find more information here.

Everyone loves rooting for the underdog in sports, but for Olympic swimmer Eric Moussambani—also known as Eric the Eel—the word “underdog” was an understatement.

Moussambani followed an unusual path from his home in Equatorial Guinea to the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games. Nine months before the games, he heard about a wildcard program the International Olympic Committee had developed to encourage competitors from smaller nations to participate in the Olympics. Rules at the time allowed small nations that didn’t qualify any swimmers by time to still send an athlete to compete.

He responded to the call to be an Olympic swimmer for his country. The only problem? He barely knew how to swim.

The 22-year-old had started swimming shortly after high school but had little opportunity to actually develop any actual swimming skill. He’d learned to swim in rivers and the sea, with fishermen telling him how to use his legs in the water so he didn’t sink.

“We didn’t have a swimming pool. We didn’t have anything, and I went to train at a private hotel pool that was about 13 metres long I think,” Moussambani has explained. “I trained on my own and I had no swimming experience. The pool was only available from 5am to 6am and I was only able to train for three hours a week…There was nothing professional about it at all.”

With a few months of that level of training, Moussambani showed up in Sydney to compete in the 100m freestyle. He had never even seen a 50-meter pool before, much less swam in one. His Sydney pool preparation happened at the same time as the U.S. swim team, so he tried to watch and learn what he could from them.

“I didn’t have any experience how to dive or how to start. I had to ask people how to do it,” he said.

South Africa’s swim coach helped as well, even giving him a pair of swim trunks and goggles when he noticed the swimmer only had shorts to wear.

When it came time for his heat, Moussambani was supposed to swim with two other swimmers, but both of them entered the water too early and were disqualified. So he was forced to swim his heat all alone. He was terrified that the crowd would laugh at him.

It was clear as soon as he dove into the water that he wasn’t quite the Olympic calibre swimmer spectators are used to seeing, but he swam his heart out. By the time he had swum a full length of the pool, however, Moussambani was clearly fatigued. The second leg of his swim saw him floundering in the water as he slowly made his way through the second 50m of the race. He said he couldn’t feel his legs and felt like he wasn’t moving forward at all. But then he heard the crowd cheering for him and it gave him the strength and power to finish.

Watch:

The True Story of Eric “The Eel” Moussambani at Sydney 2000 | Olympic Rewind

Even though his finish time was more than double the average competitive swimmer, he was thrilled to be the first person from his country to ever complete a 100m swim in international competition. That was really the whole point of the wildcard program in the first place, so even though his time wasn’t good, he had achieved something no one else from his central African nation had ever done.

But Moussambani didn’t stop there. He kept swimming and improving his time in the 100m, cutting it by more than half a few years later. And he has since been a staunch advocate for developing swimmers in Equatorial Guinea. The country now has two 50m pools, and in 2012 Moussambani became the country’s swim coach.

“I try to help young people who want to become good swimmers. I want to encourage them to swim and to take up sport,” he said.

Sometimes the best Olympic stories aren’t the winners but the unexpected heroes that come out of the games, showing us the strength and tenacity of the human spirit and inspiring us to not let anything keep us from moving toward our goals.

Megan Thee Stallion is a marketing maven. The “Where Them Girls At” rapper has coined several catchy phrases and nicknames that have made its way into popular culture. Now, she’s hoping her latest play on words leads one presidential hopeful into the White House.

Today (July 30), Megan Thee Stallion threw her support behind Vice President Kamala Harris during the politician’s rally in Atlanta, Georgia.

As Megan Thee Stallion took to the Georgia State Convocation Center stage, she proudly declared: “Hotties For Harris.”

A slogan that he super fans (of voting age) are sure to run with until the presidential election this November. Then, she broke into a performance of her hit song, “Savage.”

Everyone knows Snoop Dogg loves to keep his spirits high, with the help of one herbal remedy. But fans are convinced that he actually identifies as a Satanist in his worship observations. However, Snoop Dogg immediately slammed the accusation.

So where did the rumor start? In promotional images from the 2024 Paris Olympics, Snoop is seen rocking an iced out medallion, which people believe is a Baphomet.

“If you were on the fence about which side Snoop was on – he made it clear upon his appearance at the Satanic Olympics ritual. He wears Baphomet upon his heart,” penned one user.

In his Instagram Stories, the “Gin & Juice” rapper quickly put that rumor to bed. “I don’t know what y’all thought this was, but this is the goat,” he said. “I had this made because somebody told me I was the G.O.A.T. So I wanted to make me a goat chain. All that other sh*t y’all talking about, I don’t know what you all are talking about! This is the G.O.A.T. Greatest Of All Time!”

This certainly tracks considering the now-viral results from a Celebrity Family Feud trivia question.

First Doja Cat, now Snopp Dogg. Has satanism rumors become the new Illuminati membership conspiracy theory?