Month: August 2024

2 Chainz could be heading to court. The “Kingpen Ghostwriter” rapper reportedly found himself at the losing of a business deal.

According to Law 360, 2 Chainz (real name Tauheed Epps) has filed a lawsuit against the cannabis company, Pineapple Express dispensary.

In the documents obtained by the outlet, 2 Chainz alleged that after investing $1.5 million into the business, it fell through on its promises to him. Within the filing, 2 Chainz claimed that he was guaranteed a dispensary storefront by April 2021, but several delays pushed its opening to March 2022. However, at this time, it is currently closed.

Another area of contention listed in the paperwork was dividend terms. 2 Chainz claimed that his investment would garner him a monthly dividend, which he would be allowed him to withdraw up to 110% with 30 days’ notice. However, when 2 Chainz attempted to request his funds in May 2022, the company did not pay out. By December 2022, 2 Chainz reached out to the dispensary’s co-founder, Vincent Zadeh. 2 Chainz alleged that Zadeh told him that their deal would no longer he honored.

With a plethora of successful business deals under his belt, fans are wondered how he found himself caught in in this legal mess. The document stated that the venture was introduced to 2 Chainz by fellow cannabis connoisseur, Snoop Dogg’s tour manager Damien Roderick.

In a statement provided to SFGATE, Pineapple Express’ co-founder, Matthew Feinstein clapped back at the claims made in the filing. Feinstein says, 2 Chainz’s lawsuit included “false claims,” including that he owed money. He also went on to say that this case would be handled privately, through arbitration.

In May 2015, the “Like This” rapper Chinx was tragically killed in his hometown of Queens, New York. Nearly three years following his death, local authorities formally made two arrests in the matter. Now, an official sentence has been handed out.

Yesterday (August 12), Fox 5 reported, that one man received a 23-year sentence in connection with the murder of Chinx (real name Lionel Pickens).

The alleged killer, Quincy Homere, will serve out the next two decades in a New York State prison after pledging guilty to the charges posed against him.

While addressing the court, Pickens’ widow, Janelli Caceres, relived the tragic moment. “I was told I had two minutes to say goodbye, holding his mother’s hand, watching his lifeless body praying and crying for him to wake up,” she said. “A mother has to bury her son. At the age of 28 I had become a widow. My children, who were 15, 11 and 4, are now without a dad.”

Following Chinx’s death, his past collaborators and friends Max B and French Montana expressed their condolences.

The Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz also shared a statement regarding Homere’s sentencing. Read Katz’ remarks below.

Quincy Homere was sentenced today to 23 years in prison for killing Lionel Pickens Jr., a successful rapper, husband and father who was mercilessly gunned down in 2015. Homere fired numerous rounds into Pickens’ car while he was stopped at a red light in Briarwood and then fled, leaving the young man for dead. Nothing can undo what happened, but I hope today’s sentence brings some solace to Pickens’ loved ones as they continue to grieve.

Sadly, the case is far from over. Homere’s co-defendant Jamar Hill hasn’t stood trial just yet, as he is currently incarcerated for an unrelated charge.

Women’s boxing at the Olympics does not typically end up on the front page of the news, but this year saw Algerian boxer Imane Kelif become a leading topic after she became the target of transphobic hate messages and intense online discourse after Italian boxer Angela Carini quite less than a minute into their quarterfinal fight after taking a Khelif punch to the face.

Khelif, despite being born female and identifying as female, became a trending topic as misinformation spread across social media over accusations she was a trans athlete — despite competing for Algeria, which has extremely stringent laws against the LGBTQ+ community. Many prominent voices joined in commenting on Khelif’s presence in the Olympics on social media, including the likes of J.K. Rowling and Elon Musk, who pushed and amplified the (false) uproar over Khelif’s sexual identity.

After Khelif won the gold medal at 66kg in Paris, she went on to file a cyberbullying lawsuit in France, which Variety confirmed includes Rowling and Musk as part of the complaint filed against individuals that posted hateful messages and spread misinformation on X.

The lawsuit was filed against X, which under French law means that it was filed against unknown persons. That “ensure[s] that the ‘prosecution has all the latitude to be able to investigate against all people,” including those who may have written hateful messages under pseudonyms, said Boudi. The complaint nevertheless mentions famously controversial figures.

“J. K. Rowling and Elon Musk are named in the lawsuit, among others,” he said, adding that Donald Trump would be part of the investigation. “Trump tweeted, so whether or not he is named in our lawsuit, he will inevitably be looked into as part of the prosecution.”

The complaint was sent to France’s national center for combating online hate. It’s not immediately clear what leverage the French prosecutor’s office would have against people living in outside of France, although Khelif’s lawyer states the French can request legal assistance from other countries. If this should make it to court, it would figure to be a landmark case regarding hate speech on social media.

The 2024 Paris Olympics are officially over. Still, the worldwide celebration is far from done. But there’s one last minute decision that has dampened those Olympic parties—Jordan Chiles’ bronze medal stripping.

But thanks to Flavor Flav, Chiles has something special to add to her jewelry collection. Yesterday (August 12), the hip-hop legend made good on his promise to replace the medal she was stripped of with a bronze necklace in hopes to cheer her up. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Flavor Flav confirmed that Chiles’ iced out bronze clock necklace was now a permanent fixture for Chiles’ possession only.

“USA gonna Fight the Powers that be,” he wrote. “In the meantime between time, imma always a man of my word, Jordan Chiles.”

Users online quickly began to praise Flavor Flav over his swift actions. Others pointed out that this wasn’t the first time Flavor Flav stepped in to show his support for a Team USA Olympian.

Back on August 1, thrower Veronica Fraley expressed how her financial strain was impacting her mental health ahead of the games. After Flavor Flav caught wind of it, he offered and then paid for Fraley’s rent.

Flavor Flav will go down in hip-hop history as one of the greatest hype man ever. But is a cheerleader for many other causes.

Five nights. Four days. Three stages. A whole lot of house music.

Last weekend, Defected Records brought a lineup of world-class DJs, producers, and performers to celebrate its eighth edition of the international destination house music festival, Defected Croatia. This festival has always been one of our favorite destination festivals to highlight because each year all the coolest kids flock here for a mid-summer throwdown.

Set upon Tisno’s breathtaking Adriatic coast, Defected Croatia gathered a global set of 5,000 house heads into an inclusive atmosphere to shimmy through the salty air among dance music greats and the scene’s most-loved pioneers. Over 80 artists from the likes of DJ Holographic, Hannah Wants, Honey Dijon, Le Chev, LP Giobbi, Natasha Diggs, Purple Disco Machine, Sam Divine, SG Lewis, Todd Edwards, and more soundtracked this year’s festival across three stages that hosted sweltering parties during the day and lit up throughout the evening.

The daily boat parties combined with its wellness programming of yoga classes and mindfulness sessions places this festival in a league of its own, showing that while the United States’ festival scene is alive and well, it’s these curated events in Europe that should really be on your radar.

But it’s not just the festival or its programming that makes it a world-class event. Defected Croatia is a yearly gathering that celebrates Defected Records’ ethos: “In Our House, We Are All Equal.” Defected Croatia’s dance floor was a place where people came together to exist in the moment. That’s the true power of these events.

Scroll down to view a photo gallery of this year’s Defected Croatia and secure your 2025 tickets here.

The titular podcast of Only Murders In The Building turns into a misnomer in the trailer for the popular whodunit’s upcoming fourth season, but even without the building, its stars Selena Gomez, Steve Martin, and Martin Short still display their crackling chemistry.

This time, however, they’re headed to Hollywood, where a movie studio has designs on turning their grassroots murder show into a full-blown film production. As with past seasons, the trailer promises season four will be packed with guest stars galore — but this time, there’s a twist. Eva Longoria, Eugene Levy, and Zach Galifianakis are playing themselves playing our intrepid trio, giving Gomez plenty of call for incredulous glances and Short and Martin a ton of opportunities to play out-of-touch (Short mistaking Galifianakis for Macaulay Culkin left me gasping for air).

Of course, those of us who caught the end of season three knew that the crew would eventually have to discover the latest murder victim, and this time, they’ve got their celebrity shadows in tow as they work to solve the mystery of the latest murder at the Arconia. While the trailer doesn’t quite give us any musical moments, we can only hope that the season 4 soundtrack gives us another cast member flexing their vocal chops, a la Meryl Streep’s “Look For The Light” or Steve Martin’s “Angel In Flip-Flops.” Perhaps this time, we can get the most musical cast member’s contribution as a treat, since she’s suppposedly quitting music soon?

You can watch the trailer for season 4 of Only Murders In The Building up top.

Olivia Rodrigo’s Guts Tour is rolling into LA tonight. When’s the best time to get to the Forum to make sure you don’t miss a moment? Honestly, if you’re not there already, you’re late. Just kidding, but getting there early wouldn’t be a bad idea… right? (Hint, hint, wink, wink.)

Fortunately, if you’re reading this anytime before 8 PM, you’re in luck; according to fans who attended the kickoff show in Palm Desert in February, Rodrigo doesn’t hit the stage until about 8:30 PM, at which point, she launches into a 90-minute set, finishing up right around 10 PM.

However, considering the traffic and parking situation around the iconic venue, you should probably be planning to get there a little earlier to find parking, hit concessions, grab refreshments, and use the restroom (one of the most overlooked parts of concert preparedness; nothing worse than having to run out to avoid a bursting bladder, only to return and find out you missed the best part).

Our longtime concert vets recommend giving all this at least an extra hour, but the Forum parking can take up to twenty minutes by itself, so if you’re pulling in around 7 PM, you’re in a good space. After that, you’re rolling the dice, buddy. Now, THAT takes guts.

The first popular tracksuit took off in 1967 and it started a fashion revolution. Athleticwear had always been a thing, but the tracksuit presented something new — a way for people to seamlessly transition between relaxation and exercise. Stylish enough to wear outdoors, and comfortable enough to wear at home, the tracksuit invented the concept of athleisure. And over the next 50 years, athleisure went from a sporty niche sub-culture to the look of the golden age of hip-hop, influencing streetwear in the process until the late 2010s and early 2020s, when it became the dominant fashion trend.

There is no doubt that when it comes to modern fashion, comfort is king, and athleisure is such a powerful trend that even if you don’t self-identify with the fashion movement, you undoubtedly own a number of athleisure pieces in your wardrobe. While athleisure has come in all sorts of different fits and silhouettes throughout its 50+ year history, when the style became a household name in the 2010s it had a clearly defined look — tight, form-fitting, and flattering.

But an interesting trend started bubbling up across fashion in recent years as styles became more relaxed, roomier, and more obscuring for the first time since the ‘90s. Right now, the dominant look in modern fashion, streetwear or otherwise, is baggy. So what is athleisure, a fashion movement known for its sleek silhouettes to do? Simple, the answer is to go baggy, and Under Armour’s Unstoppable Collection is leading the way.

The Unstoppable Collection is an extensive set of athleisure staples with a few pieces that lean comfortably into the baggy aesthetic. We’re here to highlight the best pieces and why you need to pick them up to level up your wardrobe.

Women’s UA Unstoppable Fleece Wide Leg Pants

Price: $100

The UA Unstoppable Fleece Wide Leg Pants feel like a future classic. Made from smooth premium double-knit fleece, these pants pack all the tech-focused functionality you expect from modern athleisure, like moisture-wicking quick dry material, and stretch fabric, but it’s presented in a loose full cut that looks wonderfully modern.

Dropping in a classic white or black material, these fleece pants look simultaneously comfortable and stylish enough that if they popped up in a futuristic music video, we wouldn’t bat an eye.

Pick up a pair of UA Unstoppable Fleece Wide Leg Pants here.

Men’s UA Unstoppable Vent Cargo Pants

Price: $120

Sleek, tech-focused, and stylish, UA’s Unstoppable Vent Cargo Pants attack two burgeoning trends at once: baggy fits, and the resurgence of cargo pants.

What I love about the Vent Cargo Pants is that instead of those bulky pockets typical of the style, the Vent’s side pockets are a bit more obscured, blending seamlessly into the design giving the pants a sleek look, while still providing the convenience of cargo pants.

The pants are breathable, made from durable stretch-woven fabric, and feature bungee-equipped adjustment at the hem for a more versatile and customizable look.

Pick up a pair of UA Unstoppable Vent Cargo Pants here.

Women’s UA Unstoppable Oversized Hooded Jacket

Price: $120

No baggie look is complete without a good hoodie, and UA’s Oversized Hooded Jacket is one of our current favs. Like everything from the Unstoppable Collection, this hoodie is designed to be, well, unstoppable, thanks to its water-repelling element-defying fabric.

That fabric ensures that the hoodie is durable, and designed to hold up to everyday abuse and wear and tear while being light, functional, and above all else, comfortable. Getting deep into the details, the hoodie has a drop hem shoulder and an extended body length, which helps to make its oversized fit look intentional rather than like you’re just wearing something that doesn’t fit right.

The jacket is available in three different colorways, but the standout to us is the Tetra Gray, which has a sort of light lavender vibe about it that makes it the collection’s stand-out piece.

Pick up the UA Unstoppable Oversized Hooded Jacket here.

The Emirates NBA Cup (formerly the In-Season Tournament) will be returning for its second year starting in November, as the league’s effort to give some regular season games a bit extra juice will begin group play on November 12 and end on December 3, with the quarterfinals on December 10-11, semifinals on December 14, and championship on December 17 (with the last two rounds being in Las Vegas).

Last year, the In-Season Tournament provided us with some good fun, with the Lakers beating the Pacers in the inaugural championship game, resulting in the Lakers hanging the first NBA Cup banner — to the dismay of some. On Tuesday, the league announced who will make up the six groups of five teams and when they’ll play their Cup games, as we continue to get details about the schedule ahead of the full release, likely later this week.

EAST A: Knicks, Magic, Sixers, Nets, Hornets

East A features three playoff teams from a year ago, as the Knicks and Sixers will be the favorites, while the Magic figure to be a contender as well. The Nets, now actively tanking, shouldn’t be a factor and the Hornets will be underdogs in every game but against Brooklyn.

Knicks: at Sixers (11/12), vs. Nets (11/15), at Hornets (11/29), vs. Magic (12/3)

Magic: vs. Hornets (11/12), vs. Sixers (11/15), at Nets (11/29), at Knicks (12/3)

Sixers: vs. Knicks (11/12), at Magic (11/15), vs. Nets (11/22), at Hornets (12/3)

Nets: at Knicks (11/12), vs. Hornets (11/19), at Sixers (11/22), vs. Magic (12/3)

Hornets: at Magic (11/12), at Nets (11/19), vs. Knicks (11/29), vs. Sixers (12/3)

EAST B: Bucks, Pacers, Heat, Raptors, Pistons

East B also features a trio of playoff teams, as the Bucks, Heat, and surprise conference finalist Pacers figure to be the top contenders in this group. Toronto and Detroit will be longshots in this group, but both teams are hoping to take some strides this season led by young cores, and we’ll see if they can make a little noise in this group.

Bucks: vs. Raptors (11/12), vs. Pacers (11/22), at Heat (11/26), at Pistons (12/3)

Pacers: vs. Heat (11/15), at Bucks (11/22), vs. Pistons (11/29), at Raptors (12/3)

Heat: at Pistons (11/12), at Pacers (11/15), Bucks (11/26), vs. Raptors (11/29)

Raptors: at Bucks (11/12), vs. Pistons (11/15), at Heat (11/29), vs. Pacers (12/3)

Pistons: vs. Heat (11/12), at Raptors (11/15), at Pacers (11/29), vs. Bucks (12/3)

EAST C: Celtics, Cavs, Bulls, Hawks, Wizards

The defending NBA champion Celtics will be heavy favorites in this group, with the Cavs as the clear top contender to them. The Bulls and Hawks met in the Play-In a year ago, while the Wizards are still figuring things out in their rebuild.

Celtics: vs. Hawks (11/12), vs. Cavs (11/19), at Wizards (11/22), at Bulls (11/29)

Cavs: vs. Bulls (11/15), at Celtics (11/19), at Hawks (11/29), vs. Wizards (12/3)

Bulls: at Cavs (11/15), vs. Hawks (11/22), at Wizards (11/26), vs. Celtics (11/29)

Hawks: at Celtics (11/12), vs. Wizards (11/15), at Bulls (11/22), vs. Cavs (11/29)

Wizards: at Hawks (11/15), vs. Celtics (11/22), vs. Bulls (11/29), at Cavs (12/3)

WEST A: Timberwolves, Clippers, Kings, Rockets, Blazers

Just about all of the West groups are tough, but the A group is the one that features a clear favorite. The Timberwolves, fresh off a conference finals appearance, should be a good bit better than the other four teams, but in a four-game round-robin, anything can happen. The Clippers will be dealing with life post-Paul George, while the Kings are hoping to get back in the playoff mix and the Rockets have an eye on actually crashing the Play-In party this year. The Blazers, meanwhile, are one of two teams in the West (along with Utah) clearly vying for the best odds to land the No. 1 pick.

Timberwolves: at Blazers (11/12), at Kings (11/15), vs. Rockets (11/26), vs. Clippers (11/29)

Clippers: at Rockets (11/15), vs. Kings (11/22), at Wolves (11/29), vs. Blazers (12/3)

Kings: vs. Wolves (11/15), at Clippers (11/22), at Blazers (11/29), vs. Rockets (12/3)

Rockets: vs. Clippers (11/15), vs. Blazers (11/22), at Wolves (11/26), at Kings (12/3)

Blazers: vs. Wolves (11/12), at Rockets (11/22), vs. Kings (11/29), at Clippers (12/3)

WEST B: Thunder, Suns, Lakers, Jazz, Spurs

West B is a fascinating group. Oklahoma City is the favorite after earning the West’s top seed a year ago and bolstering their roster with two big additions this summer. That said, we saw last year that LeBron James and the Lakers do take this seriously and the Suns might be looking to make a bit of a statement (if they can) that this season will be different. Beyond that, Victor Wembanyama always brings intrigue, and the Jazz will be the big underdog in this group.

Thunder: vs. Suns (11/15), at Spurs (11/19), at Lakers (11/29), vs. Jazz (12/3)

Suns: at Jazz (11/12), at Thunder (11/15), vs. Lakers (11/26), vs. Spurs (12/3)

Lakers: at Spurs (11/15), vs. Jazz (11/19), at Suns (11/26), vs. Thunder (11/29)

Jazz: vs. Suns (11/12), at Lakers (11/19), vs. Spurs (11/26), at Thunder (12/3)

Spurs: vs. Lakers (11/15), vs. Thunder (11/19), at Jazz (11/26), at Suns (12/3)

WEST C: Nuggets, Mavs, Pelicans, Warriors, Grizzlies

The Group of Death title belongs to West C, which was always going to be the case for whatever group landed the Grizzlies. Memphis was awful last year due to an insane run of injuries, but when healthy they were a top-4 team in the West for two straight years. Add in the defending West champs in Dallas, the NBA champs from two years ago in Denver, a Pelicans team that thinks they’ve upgraded their roster, and it may be the Warriors (who have Steph Curry) who are the underdogs in this group.

Nuggets: at Pelicans (11/15), at Grizzlies (11/19), vs. Mavs (11/22), vs. Warriors (12/3)

Mavs: at Warriors (11/12), vs. Pelicans (11/19), at Nuggets (11/22), vs. Grizzlies (12/3)

Pelicans: vs. Nuggets (11/15), at Mavs (11/19), vs. Warriors (11/22), at Grizzlies (11/29)

Warriors: vs. Mavs (11/12), vs. Grizzlies (11/15), at Pelicans (11/22), at Nuggets (12/3)

Grizzlies: at Warriors (11/15), vs. Nuggets (11/19), vs. Pelicans (11/29), at Mavs (12/3)

Gunna continues to promote his new album, One Of Wun, showing that there’s always work to be done to keep the momentum of a project moving. Two weeks ago, he released the video for the title track, and today, he follows up with the video for “Today I Did Good,” showing off all the hard work it takes to stay on top of his game.

The video follows a day in Gunna’s life, seen from his perspective (complete with a blinking eye effect!) as he breakfasts at a hotel in Rome, takes in a fashion show, boards a plane to Johannesburg in South Africa to shoot a video with Tyla, heads to London, then pulls up to Ohio State University to perform the first show of his Bittersweet Tour, and finally heads to Los Angeles for a photoshoot. And yes, all this is done in the space of a day, once you account for time zones. When exactly he sleeps remains a mystery, and honestly, I hope he’s scheduling enough downtime to ensure that getting enough rest.

Watch Gunna’s “Today I Did Good” video above.

One Of Wun is out now via Young Stoner Life Records / 300 Entertainment. You can find more info here.