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Vic Mensa Finally Finds Himself On The Autobiographical ‘Victor’

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Lately, I’ve been utterly fascinated by a current trend within music where artists with perfectly good stage names — Fly Anakin, Post Malone, Killer Mike, Vic Mensa, etc. — have been dropping albums titled with their real names (just their first name, though). For instance, Fly Anakin released Frank last year; Post Malone and Killer Mike dropped Austin and Michael earlier this summer, respectively; and last Friday, Vic Mensa shared Victor. I’m not entirely sure what sparked this trend — although I’ve got a sneaking suspicion that it was, as with many things, Doja Cat’s fault (she debuted in 2018 with Amala — but it has been interesting to watch so many artists enter their “vulnerable, stripped-down” eras at the same time.

However, only one of the above artists has really capitalized on the trend. After all, the use of your government name as an album title suggests that the album is going to be an introduction of sorts, peeling back the layers to reveal the person at the core of the persona. And with props all around to the other names mentioned above, most of these artists’ latest projects have been really good but not really revelatory or unique amid their respective discographies — except for Vic Mensa. With Victor, Vic has seemingly finally rediscovered his voice, over a decade after his entrance to the rap world at large. The struggles he went through to get here make it all the more impactful and welcome.

In a lot of ways, Vic’s career so far has been a victim of his associations. When I first discovered him back in 2011, he was the rapper and co-frontman of a band called Kids These Days at just 19 years old. Their blend of rock, blues, and rap was delightful and unlike anything else at the time, even with all the genre experimentation and fusion that marked the so-called Blog Era. Kids These Days put out an EP in 2011 and followed up with a mixtape in 2012, but split soon after, cleaving Vic from one of the more interesting aspects of his music, his band. This left him as just another in a plethora of new, young rappers scrambling for attention during one of hip-hop’s biggest talent booms since the Golden Era. It wouldn’t be the first identity crisis he’d go through.

In 2013, it felt like Vic had regained his footing with Innanetape, his solo debut mixtape, which garnered strong reviews and proved that Vic could stand on his own without the bluesy backdrops provided by his band. Unfortunately, the tape dropped six months after his friend Chance The Rapper’s game-changing Acid Rap, which seemingly ate up all the little oxygen available for breathless praise of rising rappers from the Windy City from blogs and critics. In comparison to the sonically adventurous Acid Rap, the more traditionalist approach of Innanetape got lost in the wash; it doesn’t help that Vic’s impressive technical delivery was overshadowed by Chance’s vocally dynamic bombast. This is all old news, but look no further than the fact that Vic’s opening for Chance on their shared 10th-anniversary tour for proof of the lopsided reception among fans, which caused a rift between them they only recently managed to mend.

It feels a little reductive to attribute Vic’s later unmoored wanderings to his and Chance’s later association with fellow Chicago star Kanye West, but it was right around the time both began collaborating with West that Vic’s musical compass seemed to start spinning out (incidentally, that was around the time Kanye’s did the same). Vic struggled with substance abuse around this time, and his musical releases — including his 2017 debut album The Autobiography and rock side project 93Punx — similarly felt unfocused and inconsistent. Mensa’s debut received generally favorable reviews, but most noted its scattershot approach (in my own review, I wrote that it felt unfinished, with the sense “Vic is still searching for a sound.”

With Victor, it feels like he’s finally found it. Playing armchair psychologist is a sucker’s game, but on past projects, it’s felt like Vic kept trying on different rap and production styles, looking for a persona or a gimmick that would redeem that early attention he got with Kids These Days and make him sound “unique.” Here, he sounds comfortable with himself, like maybe being conventional isn’t all that bad, as long as you truly great at it. From the confessional “Sunday Morning Intro” to the party-ready “Swish” with G-Eazy and Chance The Rapper, Vic embraces both his personal failings and the inspirational messaging which have always been the best parts of his prior work, employing straightforward, bass-heavy production that keeps things moving along with a gritty, propulsive intensity.

When it comes time to slow things down, Vic adeptly does so with introspective tracks like “Sunset On The Low End” and “Strawberry Louis Vuitton.” He tackles systemic racism on “Blue Eyes,” gives thanks for seeing 30 years on “Blessings” with Ant Clemons and D Smoke, and channels the spiritual best of Kanye on “14 Days” to close things out. His sole concession to trend chasing (outside of the title, of course), is the House-influenced bonus track “Eastside Girl” — which is wisely left for the end of the project, keeping fingers away from the “skip” button. Victor gives listeners exactly what it says on the tin: A holistic look at an artist who’s come into his own at last. Vic had to go through everything he did to mature enough as an artist to synthesize those experiences into an honest, unfiltered summation of himself. This is his real autobiography — it was worth the wait.

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Sufjan Stevens Revealed He’s Learning How To Walk Again In An Emotional Post About His Rare Autoimmune Disorder Diagnosis

Sufjan Stevens revealed today that he has been diagnosed with a rare autoimmune condition known as Guillian-Barre Syndrome. In an emotional new Instagram post, Stevens updated fans about why he’s been distant from the release of his upcoming album, Javelin.

The musician has been in the hospital, after losing the ability to walk. “Luckily there’s treatment for this — they administer immuno-hemoglobin infusions for five days and pray that the disease doesn’t spread to the lungs, heart and brain,” he assured fans. “Very scary, but it worked. I spent about two weeks in Med/Surg, stuck in a bed, while my doctors did all the things to keep me alive and stabilize my condition. I owe them my life.”

Stevens has since been moved to an acute rehab a few weeks ago, where he is undergoing physical and occupational therapy to learn how to walk again.

“It’s a slow process, but they say I will ‘recover,’ it just takes a lot of time, patience, and hard work,” he added. “Most people who have GBS learn to walk again on their own within a year, so I am hopeful. I’m only in my second week of rehab but it is going really well and I am working really hard to get back on my feet.”

Check out Sufjan Stevens’ full post below.

“Hi Friends. Quick update on my life. I’m very excited about having new music to share, but I just wanted to let you know that one of the reasons why I haven’t been able to participate in the press and promotion leading up to the release of Javelin is bc I am in the hospital. Last month I woke up one morning and couldn’t walk. My hands, arms and legs were numb and tingling and I had no strength, no feeling, no mobility. My brother drove me to the ER and after a series of tests–MRIs, EMGs, cat scans, X-rays, spinal taps (!), echo-cardiograms, etc.–the neurologists diagnosed me with an auto immune disorder called Guillian-Barre Syndrome. Luckily there’s treatment for this — they administer immuno-hemoglobin infusions for five days and pray that the disease doesn’t spread to the lungs, heart and brain. Very scary, but it worked. I spent about two weeks in Med/Surg, stuck in a bed, while my doctors did all the things to keep me alive and stabilize my condition. I owe them my life.

On September 8, I was transferred to acute rehab, where I am now undergoing intensive physical therapy/occupational therapy, strength building etc. to get my body back in shape and to learn to walk again. It’s a slow process, but they say I will ‘recover,’ it just takes a lot of time, patience, and hard work. Most people who have GBS learn to walk again on their own within a year, so I am hopeful. I’m only in my second week of rehab but it is going really well and I am working really hard to get back on my feet. I’m committed to getting better, I’m in good spirits, and I’m surrounded by a really great team. I want to be well!

I’ll keep you posted as I progress. Thank you for your thoughts and prayers. And a huge shout out to all the incredible caretakers of the world working night and day to help us heal. They are living saints.

Be well, be joyful, stay sane, stay safe. I love you.

yours truly from a wheelchair XOXOXO Sufjan Stevens.”

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John Fetterman Has Issued One Condition For Wearing A Suit After His ‘Jagoff’ GOP Colleagues Melted Down In A Letter About ‘Sanctity’ In Congress

Amid a looming government shutdown and the usual deluge of Senate business, John Fetterman’s colleagues are taking the time to be very upset about his congressional hoodie. Never mind that he is getting the job done and showing up for votes and looking much happier these days than before entering treatment for severe depression. His GOP colleagues are still somehow fixated upon Fetterman’s decision to dress like himself after Chuck Schumer relaxed the dress code for the Senate floor.

This is good news for Kyrsten Sinema’s denim vest, but of course, criticism has been coming from the GOP House wing, too. Lauren Boebert called out Fetterman’s “unbecoming” congressional attire, which led to his comeback about her “grabbing the hog” in public. He also pushed back at Ron DeSantis, who described “like, sweatshirts and hoodies and shorts” as “dumbing down.”

Still, Fetterman is willing to indulge the whiners by issuing a condition for showing up in a suit. As Democratic advisor Sawyer Hackett reported, Fetterman made a statement: “If those jagoffs in the House stop trying to shut our government down, and fully support Ukraine, then I will save democracy by wearing a suit on the Senate floor next week.”

The aforementioned whining has included a letter penned by Rick Scott, who gathered 46 GOP signatures (via Business Insider) for this rhetoric about the “sanctity” of the Senate floor:

“The Senate is a place of honor and tradition, and the Senate floor is where we conduct the business of the American people. It is where we debate the policies which impact every American family and, when necessary, it is where we must make the gravest decision imaginable – whether to send our fellow Americans into battle to defend the freedoms we all hold dear.

“The world watches us on that floor and we must protect the sanctity of that place at all costs. Allowing casual clothing on the Senate floor disrespects the institution we serve and the American families we represent.

“Allowing casual clothing on the Senate floor disrespects the institution we serve and the American families we represent. We the undersigned members of the United States Senate write to express our supreme disappointment and resolute disapproval of your recent decision to abandon the Senate’s longstanding dress code for members, and urge you to immediately reverse this misguided action.”

Fetterman does not appear to be bothered by these grumbles. He’s even launched merch to make further light of the absurd situation. Hopefully, this will all blow over soon, so that Fetterman can go back to making ghost noises and chuckling over how the far right actually believes that a 6’8″ man with a very distinctive voice and tattoos galore could have a doppleganger. Whew.

(Via Sawyer Hackett, Senate.gov & Business Insider)

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Knicks Owner James Dolan On Owning Teams: ‘I Don’t Really Like Owning Teams’

Few owners in American sports are more strongly disliked than James Dolan. The owner of the NBA’s New York Knicks and the NHL’s New York Rangers, Dolan’s tenure at the helm of both teams has been defined by a lack of championships and, especially with the Knicks, controversial actions that have led to fans wanting him out.

Dolan has been extremely sensitive to calls that he should sell his teams — people have famously been removed from Knicks games for expressing their belief that he should do this — but if there’s any solace for folks who want him out, it doesn’t seem like he loves being in the sports ownership business. In a recent New York Times piece, Dolan actually expressed that while he loves the Knicks and the Rangers, sports ownership isn’t exactly a passion of his.

He considered expanding his sports portfolio, perhaps by buying a baseball or soccer team. But while the Knicks and Rangers are “near and dear to my heart,” he said, “I don’t really like owning teams,” calling the economics of major league sports “kind of sleepy.” He ruled out that option.

Since Dolan took over the Knicks and the Rangers in 1999, neither team has won a championship. The Rangers have come close on several occasions and are a perennial playoff team in the NHL, while the Knicks have not been nearly as successful, as the team hasn’t made it to the postseason in consecutive years since 2013. Previously, Dolan was the owner of the WNBA’s New York Liberty, which moved farther and farther away from being a championship contender during his tenure. They are now owned by Joe Tsai, whose portfolio of teams includes the Brooklyn Nets.

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Who Is Travis Kelce? Meet Taylor Swift’s Rumored New Boyfriend

Taylor Swift continues to make headlines. Next month, a film documentary of her critically-acclaimed Eras Tour will hit AMC Theaters. Additionally, she will release 1989 (Taylor’s Version), a re-recorded version of her fifth studio album, 1989. But while fans are excited for new material, they also seem to be speculating about her love life.

Swift has recently been romantically linked to Travis Kelce, and while many fans are knowledgeable of the NFL star, some Swifties are dying to learn more.

Who is Travis Kelce?

Travis Kelce is a tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs. He also holds two Super Bowl rings for the 2020 and 2023 games.

He hails from Cleveland Heights, Ohio, and his brother, Jason, plays as the center for the Philadelphia Eagles.

While neither Kelce nor Swift have confirmed the dating rumors, Kelce has apparently been trying to shoot his shot at Swift for a while.

Back in July, Kelce revealed on his New Heights podcast that he attempted to give Swift a friendship bracelet during a stop at her Eras Tour.

“I was disappointed that she doesn’t talk before or after her shows because she has to save her voice for the 44 songs that she sings, so I was a little butthurt I didn’t get to hand her one of the bracelets I made for her,” Kelce said. “She doesn’t meet anybody — or at least she didn’t want to meet me, so I took it personal.”

If the rumors are true, it looks like Kelce’s effort certainly paid off.

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Adidas CEO Bjørn Gulden Said He Doesn’t Think Kanye West ‘Meant What He Said’ In His Antisemitic Comments

Following a series of antisemitic comments, Kanye West has fallen out of favor with the general public — and with many of his collaborators. After the comments, Adidas, who was carrying West’s Yeezy shoes and fashion line, cut ties with West. Despite the dissolution of this partnership, Adidas CEO Bjørn Gulden had nothing but positive things to say about West.

During an interview on Nicolai Tungen’s In Good Company podcast, Gulden spoke highly of West, lauding his creativity.

“I think Kanye West is one of the most creative people in the world,” said Gulden. “And both in music and what I call street culture. So he’s extremely creative and has together with Adi created a Yeezy line that was very successful… I don’t think he meant what he said and I don’t think he’s a bad person, it just came across that way.”

Gulden mourned the end of the Yeezy collaboration but expressed gratitude for the partnership.

“That meant we lost that business,” said Gulden. “One of the most successful collabs in history — very sad. But again, when you work with third parties that can happen. It’s part of the game. That can happen with an athlete, that can happen with an entertainer. It’s part of the business.”

You can see a clip from the interview above.

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A Former Trump Aide Has Accused Rudy Giuliani Of Groping Her With His ‘Frozen Fingers’ On January 6th

Things have gone from bad to worse for Rudy Giuliani. The one-time “America’s Mayor” is getting sued by a friend, and now he’s been accused of groping a former Trump aide on January 6th, of all days.

In her new book, Cassidy Hutchinson, who worked as an assistant to Chief of Staff Mark Meadows during the previous administration, claims that Giuliani put his hand “under my blazer, then my skirt” while backstage during Donald Trump’s pre-Capitol riots speech. “I feel his frozen fingers trail up my thigh,” she writes in Enough, according to the Guardian. “He tilts his chin up. The whites of his eyes look jaundiced. My eyes dart to John Eastman, who flashes a leering grin. I fight against the tension in my muscles and recoil from Rudy’s grip… filled with rage, I storm through the tent, on yet another quest for Mark.”

The Guardian has more:

“I find Rudy in the back of the tent with, among others, John Eastman,” she continues. “The corners of his mouth split into a Cheshire cat smile. Waving a stack of documents, he moves towards me, like a wolf closing in on its prey.

“‘We have the evidence. It’s all here. We’re going to pull this off.’ Rudy wraps one arm around my body, closing the space that was separating us. I feel his stack of documents press into the small of my back. I lower my eyes and watch his free hand reach for the hem of my blazer.

“‘By the way,’ he says, fingering the fabric, ‘I’m loving this leather jacket on you.’ His hand slips under my blazer, then my skirt,” Hutchinson writes.

Giuliani has previously been accused of calling his assistant “big t*ts” and claiming that “Jewish men have small c*cks because they can’t use them after they get married. Whereas the Italian men use them all their lives so they get bigger.” No wonder his life is falling apart and that he’s reportedly “penniless.”

(Via the Guardian)

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Taylor Swift Took Sophie Turner For A Night Out In NYC, Weeks After The Joe Jonas Divorce News

Last night (September 19), Taylor Swift and Sophie Turner were photographed leaving a restaurant in NYC — locking arms like besties just a few weeks after news broke that Turner was getting divorced from her husband, Joe Jonas. After the images surfaced on social media, fans were laughing about the move.

“Not picture me thick as thieves with your ex wife,” one person joked, referencing Swift’s “Vigilante Sh*t” lyric.

“She’s listening so intently while sophie was giving her the tea,” another user captioned another photo of Swift, that was reportedly taken of her at the dinner.

A few weeks ago, Turner was in the headlines after news broke of her divorce from Joe Jonas. The couple share two children. Sources had claimed that the two had different lifestyles, with Turner liking to party — despite past interviews where she self-described being an “introvert.”

However, Turner has stayed relatively quiet about the rumors, except for a standard divorce announcement.

“After four wonderful years of marriage we have mutually decided to amicably end our marriage,” the two previously shared in a joint statement. “There are many speculative narratives as to why but, truly this is a united decision and we sincerely hope that everyone can respect our wishes for privacy for us and our children.”

Upon the news, fans joked that one of Jonas’ other famous exes, Taylor Swift, had the opportunity to do the funniest thing ever. As it turns out, she followed the advice and did it.

Continue scrolling for some more reactions to Taylor Swift and Sophie Turner’s night out.

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Report: Trump Is Privately Worried Being Forced To Wear ‘One Of Those Jumpsuits’ If He Goes To Prison

With four indictments now filed against him, and the majority of them filled with damning evidence, Donald Trump probably should be worried about going to prison. The former president is facing a litany of charges for mishandling classified documents, meddling with the state of Georgia’s election results, and sparking the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol building.

In public, Trump has maintained his innocence, and even recently told new Meet the Press host Kristen Welker that he doesn’t even think about going to prison. In private, he’s reportedly freaking out.

According to sources for Rolling Stone, Trump has spent the past several months asking his lawyers and top aides what it would be like if he’s sent to prison. The former president is particularly concerned about his appearance and if he’ll be forced to wear “one of those jumpsuits.”

Would he be sent to a “club fed” style prison — a place that’s relatively comfortable, as far these things go — or a “bad” prison? Would he serve out a sentence in a plush home confinement? Would government officials try to strip him of his lifetime Secret Service protections? What would they make him wear, if his enemies actually did ever get him in a cell — an unprecedented set of consequences for a former leader of the free world.

In a more concerning move, Trump has also repeatedly gamed out what would happen if he’s convicted, yet wins the 2024 presidential election. A possibility that should be unthinkable, but the guy was already elected once, so never count out American voters and their ability to make a mess like you’ve never seen. It’s practically our superpower.

(Via Rolling Stone)

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Selena Gomez Explained Why She Will ‘Never’ Watch Her ‘My Mind & Me’ Documentary Ever Again

Selena Gomez has accomplished a lot in her expansive career. Her hit murder mystery series Only Murders In The Building premiered its third season last month on Hulu, and she also recently dropped a buzzy new single, “Single Soon.” Earlier this year, she released a documentary on Apple TV+ called Selena Gomez: My Mind & Me.

In the documentary, Gomez opens up about her mental health, her relationship with fame, and living with lupus. Yesterday (September 19), Gomez spoke about the documentary during the Music & Health Conference in Los Angeles (per The Hollywood Reporter). She admitted that she was hesitant to release the documentary, due to its raw, unfiltered nature.

“There was a very long period of time where I just didn’t know if it was a good idea,” said Gomez. “I knew, eventually, one day I wanted to maybe just be an actress for a while, and I didn’t know if it would jeopardize things in my life. I don’t know what I’m doing, letting people into my life. And then the moment it was released…I had no choice at that point. And I was relieved. I felt like a huge weight was lifted.”

While Gomez said she felt relief watching the documentary, she admitted she probably won’t rewatch it anytime soon.

“I felt like I got to say things that I’ve been keeping in for years,” Gomez said. “It’s very hard for me to watch. I will never watch it again, but I’m very proud of it. I couldn’t have been luckier to have the people that worked on it with me.”