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Pharrell Enters His Diplomatic Era By Discussing Internet Safety With France’s President Emmanuel Macron

Pharrell is in his diplomatic era. Recently, he met with France’s president Emmanuel Macron at Élysée Palace to discuss cultural issues, including internet safety for kids. The two posed side-by-side in snappy suits in an extravagant room in the Palace.

“A safe place for all, secure and open, peaceful and democratic, which respects human rights,” Macron tweeted. “That’s what the Internet must be and remain, especially for our children. It’s one of our battles. Artists, join us, and speak out! Thank you @Pharrell for your commitment.”

Pharrell replied to Macron’s post with a prayer hand emoji.

According to RTL (which Billboard translated), a spokesperson for Macron shared that the two “got on really well. Pharrell Williams is very involved in the issues of the harmful effects of the internet and [smart] telephones on young people… It’s good because he [Pharrell] really reaches a big audience and he is very fine in his analysis.”

Tonight, Pharrell is reportedly set to appear at the Yellow Pieces gala — which benefits the Hospital Foundation, a charity guided by France’s First Lady, Brigitte Macron. Blackpink and other French musicians are performing at the event.

In the past, Brigitte Macron has been an advocate against cyberbullying, a cause that her husband and Pharrell clearly support as well.

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What We Want To See In ‘Marvel’s Spider-Man 2’

Marvel’s Spider-Man and its sort of sequel kind of spin-off, Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales are two of the best superhero games ever made. Everything about them from the swinging, the combat, and the small details is a love letter to the IP and its fans. It even went so far as to tell two original stories utilizing the source material instead of just retelling previous adventures. It makes the experiences feel fresh and has left many fans wanting more.

What exactly are we going to get from the culmination of those desires in the upcoming all-new Spider-Man adventure? Great question. All we have is a single reveal trailer, promising a 2023 release date without any actual gameplay. We did see a teaser that the game will involve Venom in some way, which makes sense considering what the first game teased, but the size of his presence isn’t known yet.

So without much information to go on the best thing we can do is rattle off a wish-list that’ll make us look super smart if, by sheer coincidence, the devs working on Spider-Man 2 happen to already be working on these ideas. Here’s hoping! Let’s speculate!

A Full Story For Both Peter And Miles

Peter and Miles’ adventures both featured depth-y storytelling that left even the most stone-hearted fans sobbing. With the second game on the way, it may be a fair question to ask which of these two major protagonists is going to take the lead in this upcoming game. What we want to know is, why not both? Peter and Miles have each shown in their own games that they are more than capable of taking the lead, and Insomniac is no stranger to mixing multiple dominant character arcs in a single game as we saw in Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart. This town is plenty big enough for two Spider-Men.

Less Stealth

As cool as it was to play as MaryJ and Miles in the previous game, their segments were hampered by stealth gameplay that just didn’t work. Nobody wants to be a superhero and have their superpowers taken away from them. At least not like that. The stealthier aspects of the previous game did work whenever you were playing as Spider-Man himself, but very few people enjoyed having that power taken out of their hands.

More Out Of Suit Sequences

The above gripe doesn’t mean there should be less out of suit moments. If anything there should be more! One of the great things about Marvel’s superheroes is they feel like people who are tasked with being superheroes instead of superheroes choosing to be people. This results in the characters themselves, Peter Parker and Miles Morales, feeling more relatable. This also elevates some of those character moments where Peter or Miles weren’t in their suit. So, in essence, they did the opposite of the stealth sections. They were fun character moments where we got to see Peter and Miles be themselves. It’s great to see the face behind the mask. More please!

New Powers And Gadgets

This one feels like a given but we need new powers and gadgets to play with. Miles’ Venom abilities give him a unique set of skills that Peter doesn’t have. Again we say, more please! Assuming time has moved between his game and this sequel, it would only make sense that Miles would be getting used to his powers and developing new ones. Likewise, Peter showed us plenty of gadgets in the first game that we got to use. He’s a scientist and always tinkering so he should definitely have some new toys to play around with.

Answer Some Of The Questions From The DLC

Those of us who played the DLC for Marvel’s Spider-Man know that it did not end so much as it created more questions that we wanted answers for. Characters made choices that are going to have a lasting impact beyond the DLC, and it definitely felt like it was laying the groundwork for this sequel. If Insomniac’s writers pulled this off right, they may have perfectly choreographed the entire next game to us through nothing but subtle moments in the two main games and the story beats of the DLC, creating the entire plot right under our noses. I could also be massively overthinking this, but when it comes to the sheer amount of moving parts it took to make the MCU work on the big-screen, would it actually be surprising to see Insomniac pull off something similar with Spider-Man?

While it’s hard to believe that we’re already so close to a new Spider-Man game without a clear view of exactly what we’re going to get, it also adds to the excitement. Hopefully, we’ll get a new trailer soon to satiate those of us who are eagerly awaiting an official release date. Preferably the sooner the better.

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Camila Cabello Rides An Ambulance With Camilo In His Psychedelic ‘Ambulancia’ Video

The hotly-anticipated music video for Camilo‘s “Ambulancia” with Camila Cabello is finally here. The Colombian pop star released the psychedelic video last night (January 24).

Last November, Camilo and Cabello performed “Ambulancia” live for the first time during his concert in LA. The sultry bachata-infused song was included on Camilo’s album De Adentro Pa’ Afuera which was released in September. Both fan bases were waiting for the “Ambulancia” video and it has finally arrived. Cabello revealed that she, too, was excited to release the video to the world.

“I love Camilo and he is such a close friend, which made teaming up with him on ‘Ambulancia’ so exciting,” she said in a statement. “The song is so special to us and I can’t wait for our fans to see the video!”

The video for “Ambulancia” was directed by Camilo’s wife, Evaluna Montaner. Camilo and Cabello bring the lyrics to life in a literal way. While singing about burning up the mattress together in a bit of passion, the two singers are shown on a bed that eventually catches fire. Camilo and Cabello also sing their song to each other while sitting on top of an actual ambulance.

Camilo is nominated at next month’s Grammy Awards. His De Adentro Pa’ Afuera LP is up for Best Latin Pop Album.

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Björk’s Coachella Performance Planning Is Still Underway, But The Björk Orkestral Will Be Part Of The Set

Björk is the first artist that should come to mind when you think of eccentricity and outer worldly creativity. There’s a reason why the Icelandic singer, songwriter, composer, record producer, and actress is revered as an inspiration or even the G.O.A.T. (greatest of all time) to some of today’s biggest acts, including SZA and Travis Scott.

Attendees of this year’s Coachella Festival will witness her in person on Sunday, April 16 and 23, as she makes her return to the California desert. As for what to expect from Björk’s set, set no expectations. In her music videos, she has taken fans to the tops of erupting volcanos and even flourishing fungal forests, so the world is her oyster as she plans for her upcoming performance.

The entertainer took to Twitter and revealed that the Björk Orkestral would accompany her stage, writing, “Dearest friends, we are so excited to bring Björk Orkestral to Coachella. We will bring on the stage a local orkestra and play arrangements from 30 years. Warmthness, Björk.”

There are still several weeks before music’s largest festival begins transforming its stomping grounds for attendees, so Björk has plenty of time to spill more tea about her featured performance.

Coachella is set for the weekends of April 14 to 16 and 21 to 23, in its usual location at Indio, California’s Empire Polo Club. For passes and more information, click here to be redirected to Coachella’s official website.

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A Nipsey Hussle Joke From ‘Family Guy’ Resurfaced On Twitter And Fans Are Calling Foul

A joke about Nipsey Hussle from an old episode of Family Guy has resurfaced online and fans are calling the show out for its perceived disrespect.

In the episode “Young Parent Trap,” which originally aired in April 2021, the Griffin family teens Chris and Meg invite their parents Lois and Peter to a music festival (both duos are in disguise; it’s a whole thing). The festival is parody of disastrous real-life festivals like Woodstock 99 and Fyre Festival, but its name (“Quachella”) and the mentioned acts are references to Coachella.

Chris tells his parents that the festival is going to have “holograms of Tupac and also Nipsey Hussle, who I’d never heard of and then was told to care immensely about.” The joke is a play on the Tupac hologram from Dr. Dre’s headlining set at Coachella in 2012, but also makes reference to Nipsey Hussle’s longstanding underground legend status.

While it’s true that Hussle was not very visible on the Billboard charts before his “debut” album Victory Lap dropped in 2018, he was very much a fixture of the hip-hop culture, recognized and respected by peers like Jay-Z and Rick Ross for the decade prior. He pioneered a DIY model for independent rappers with his innovative $100 mixtape, Crenshaw, and was well-known in Los Angeles for his philanthropy and community involvement.

Online, some folks felt that this joke denigrated this legacy. To be fair, when Nipsey was shot and killed in March 2019, many observers and pundits on news shows seemed baffled that his funeral warranted a capacity crowd (including Barack Obama) at Staples Center or a miles-long procession down Crenshaw, the boulevard he constantly shouted out in his songs.

But those people were, by and large, outsiders to the culture, exactly the sort of people who would be equally miffed to be in the presence of a Black person at all (think Fox News-y types). And as much as Family Guy loves to pepper in references to pop culture, its creators and writer’s room have been criticized at times for being a little… unseasoned.

“White people show making fun of a really tragic event like that feels kinda wrong,” one fan succinctly noted. Another pointed out that, while it may have been accurate, the joke could have “stayed in the drafts.” Others chimed in with a variety of opinions, which you can check out below.

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How The Stars Aligned For Mark Braster To Design The Grammy’s ‘When The Stars Align’ Capsule Collection

Mark Braster started out as an apprentice for Ms. Denise at D&M Apparel in Fort Wayne, Indiana (while also delivering the mail for two years) and now he’s being appointed to design merch lines for some major stars including 21 Savage, SZA, Kanye West, Young Thug, and Lil Wayne. His most recent collaboration is with The Recording Academy to celebrate the 65th Grammy Awards with a capsule collection modeled by rising artists JEELEL! and Bktherula.

The theme: “When The Stars Align.” Perhaps a message for those who still haven’t won a gilded gramophone? Either way, the collection is super clean. It includes uniquely designed sweats, hoodies, and t-shirts with a cosmic vibe that is both nostalgic and modern.

I spoke with the Brast Studios owner about how the stars aligned for him to create the collection for The Recording Academy, how the stars aligned for him to connect with the late Virgil Abloh, and how the stars aligned for him to work with Kanye West. He also gave me his Grammy speech.

How did you get on board with the Grammys to do their merch?

Long story short, I was referred. I found out last minute. I know that they wanted to try something different. At the end of the day, the power is in the youth. Everything is based on if the youth gravitates toward it or not. It makes or breaks the situation. They’re highlighting hip-hop this year, which is another huge thing. I thought that it was going to be myself and other designers but when I found that it was just me, it was surreal.

Tell me about the “when the stars align” theme.

It’s a concept that The Recording Academy wanted to go with. The initial theme was supposed to be love and music. My initial capsule that I presented was more Valentine’s Day driven. But I could also see why they wanted to switch it to “when the stars align.” At the end of the day, we were able to create those vibrant pieces that are pretty much cohesive with the Grammys branding this year.

Tell me a little bit about the pieces you worked on for it.

The first initial design was the long sleeve, which has a gradient on the sleeve, super vibrant. On the back of the shirt, there is an astronaut sitting on top of the world holding a Grammy. And then the upper left shoulder is a quote, which is a quote from Pharrell. Then all the movie posters from back in the day.

Hip-hop has this love-hate relationship with the Grammys and with this line and you being a Black designer, how do you feel about that?

It was not just the Grammys. It’s corporate brands overall. At some point, people just have to realize things have to change in order to grow. Change has to happen. A post on Twitter said, as much as they don’t want to believe corporate brands need people like us, we’re the ones with the creativity. We have fresh ideas to keep it relevant, which is 100% true. A lot of these brands are starting to collaborate with artists because they see the powers within the culture. I feel like someone (at the Recording Academy) really was like we need to make this change and I’m sure it wasn’t easy. Overall, it’s been a great experience. Unfortunately, we have to be the bigger person and be less emotionally driven to get the point across that we are powerful and we influence a majority of the world.

How did you get into the fashion field?

So, there’s a leather store here in Fort Wayne run by a lady named Ms. Denise. I would go to the leather shop and just watch her sew. I had ideas. I was putting pieces together but I just didn’t know how to do it myself. At some point, she was like, hey, I’m not doing this. You got to do it. I want you to learn. That was how I learned how to sew. She gave me my first industrial sewing machine. I actually got to rebrand the store. She paid me for the logo and it was one of the first times I got paid.

How much?

She gave me $500. She gave me a leather jacket because it was a leather jacket that I saw that I wanted. It was a Harley-Davidson leather jacket. So, she gave me $500, the leather jacket, and then the sewing machine.

Did you start making clothes to sell online after that?

I started selling clothes online out of high school. I had college scholarships for track but I ended up not taking a scholarship because fashion is what I wanted to do. I’ve always been artistic, so I ended up working at UPS as a delivery driver assistant. That’s when I first started teaching myself how to design for about a year. Then I wanted to try to do my own brand, so of course, I quit. I began doing custom pieces and that’s kind of how I started networking with celebrities.

Tell me what it was like working Virgil Abloh and Kanye West, which I am sure was a dream.

I actually spoke with Virgil way before anything with Kanye. Right after he started Off-White in 2013. He did the initial launch with Shane Gonzales from Midnight Studios and I took some photos for that shoot. I tagged him on Twitter and he reshared it. Then, he started following me on Twitter. Around 2015, I was more on Instagram where I would share stuff because I feel like that was the best way to get it out there, be creative, network, and show I was serious. I didn’t want a handout. I didn’t end up being like an employee for him or anything like that but just having Virgil acknowledge my work and my work was actually featured in an article of his.

What did acknowledgment do for you from that point on?

Money-wise, it didn’t really do anything, but I’d say I’ve always had high self-esteem. I know I’m good. Whatever I put my mind to, I’m good at it. I’ll be great. But just knowing that someone like that, of that caliber, makes me feel like I’m on the right track. I got a lot of work to do, but I’m on the right track.

How did Kanye connection happen?

The Donda thing was actually random. A friend of mine had just started working with Ye. I think he met him at Diddy’s house because he used to work for Diddy and then he met Ye at a party and Ye kind of just stole him from Diddy or whatever. A couple of weeks in, he hit me to work on the Donda stuff with him. He was like, the pay isn’t crazy, but I think you would be perfect or you will fit in. The first thing that we did was the New Year’s party flyer for him and Future. From there we kind of took on the Donda Sports and stuff, which led to the Slam Magazine cover placement.

Did you interact with Kanye much at all?

Just as a team. I did get to meet him in Chicago at a Donda game. Ye, Justin Laboy, and Antonio Brown. That whole era was crazy. Like the energy – I’ve never seen anything like it. When he came into a room, you could just feel it. It was wild. I’m not going to lie, it was almost intimidating for a quick second. It was a ton of people around. I got to say a few things.

What’s something you learned working with Ye that you take with you today?

Growing up, Ye was one of my idols. He and Pharrell. Those are the guys I looked up to fashion-wise; their whole demeanor and how they carry themselves. So you fast forward and I end up working with them. The biggest thing I took from this, it’s a couple of things was this was my first time actually working with an actual team. I’ve always done everything on my own. I’ve never had backup. I’ve worked with some people, but it wasn’t like this.

What’s the difference?

This is like an actual team effort. Everybody played their part and it was almost like a seamless situation. I will say it was like a ton of revision, but having that team aspect made it a lot easier to get clarity. As far as Ye’s vision, that’s one thing. Him as a creative, seeing how he works, it made me realize that it’s okay to be inspired. I feel like I was so hellbent on doing everything original or I can’t take inspiration from this or that. Whereas he’s inspired by everything around all of us. He doesn’t hide it at all. If he likes something, he’s going to let you know.

He had us watch this George Lucus film called THX 1138 and it’s like a futuristic film. I feel like the way he was dressing at that time, the boots and all of that, it just all made sense.

What was the deal with the boots, did you ask?

I don’t know. I wanted to ask. I literally felt like I feel like he’s in character. I feel like he took inspiration from THX 1138 as far as the boots and just how he wore his clothes and that George Lucas film played a part in the Donda Slam cover. If you look at the text, the way the names are at the bottom, it’s literally just like Star Wars. The intro where it’s angled was his vision. I loved it because I grew up watching Star Wars and Star Trek with my grandpa. That’s a huge thing. So seeing that it’s one of his favorite films and whatever, I was like, this is where I was supposed to be. Overall, it just helped with my confidence and just trusting other people, because working with other people, is a hard thing. And as a creative, it’s very hard. At the end of the day, there’s a purpose and the finished piece is like a masterpiece.

Give me your Grammy speech. Who do you want to thank?

I just like to thank everyone that has believed in me over the years. It’s too many people to name, but 100%, outside of me being talented, I wouldn’t be here without those people giving me a chance and just allowing me to show them that I’m a genuine person and I’m here to work. I specifically want to thank Barry (Hefner) from Since The 80s, because he’s the one that brought this opportunity to me. I’m still in disbelief. When he first asked me, I was like, bro, are you joking right now? And he’s like, nah. Like, I’m dead serious. I want to thank Barry.

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Marjorie Taylor Greene Is On The ‘Short List’ To Be Trump’s 2024 Running Mate, According To Steve Bannon

After spending her first two years in Congress quickly becoming a pariah and being stripped of her committees for spreading anti-Semitic conspiracy theories, Marjorie Taylor Greene has somehow become a rising star in the Republican Party. The Georgia congresswoman threw her support behind Kevin McCarthy during the contentious Speaker of the House vote, and she could be seen acting as a messenger for former president Donald Trump during the proceedings.

Greene has since been appointed to new House committees, including a controversial subcommittee investigating the pandemic, and if Steve Bannon is to believed, she might be on her way to being Trump’s running mate in 2024. The former president reportedly wants a female candidate on the ticket this time around, and Greene thinks she could be the one. Via NBC News:

“This is no shrinking violet, she’s ambitious — she’s not shy about that, nor should she be,” said Steve Bannon, the former top Trump aide who hosts the War Room podcast, where Greene has been a guest.

“She sees herself on the short list for Trump’s VP. Paraphrasing Cokie Roberts, when MTG looks in the mirror she sees a potential president smiling back,” he added, referencing Roberts, the late political reporter who worked for NPR, ABC News and other outlets.

A second source also told NBC News that Greene’s “whole vision is to be vice president.” However, Greene only needs to take a look at Nikki Haley (and countless others) to see how fickle Trump’s loyalty can be. Haley was a faithful defender of his administration, and for her loyalty, Trump reportedly refused to appoint her to Cabinet positions or even consider her as a potential replacement for Mike Pence because Haley has a “blotchy” complexion. So, you know, good luck with that.

(Via NBC News)

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Margot Robbie Was Once In A Hooters Commercial, But Not As A ‘Hooters Girl’

In the Best Picture-snubbed, Hollywood-on-cocaine epic Babylon, Margot Robbie plays an actress who gets discovered when another woman, who is described as “the girl with the tits,” fails to show up to set. This scene must have felt familiar to Robbie, who appeared in a Hooters commercial before she became a two-time Oscar nominee.

“I was in a Hooters commercial, not as a Hooters girl but as someone eating at Hooters,” Robbie told NME. “At the end of the day, they offered me a job and I was like, I think this is where my career is going and I’m going to end up working at Hooters.” She was 16 years old at the time. There’s nothing wrong with working at Hooters, of course, but there is something wrong with enjoying the mediocre wings at Hooters.

Sadly (although luckily for Robbie), her Hooters commercial isn’t on YouTube. There also aren’t any videos of her in the pit at a Slipknot show. “I remember going to the Slipknot concert at the time I was on Neighbours. I have never had more people come up to me ever than at a Slipknot concert,” she recently recalled to a mystified Cate Blanchett, who I’m guessing has never been to Hooters. Maybe if it was renamed Hootárs.

(Via NME)

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Ex-Convict Anna Delvey’s New Show Will Feature Her Interviewing Celebrity Guests While Under House Arrest

Last year, the world was introduced to Anna Delvey via Inventing Anna, the dramatized Netflix retelling of the heiress who scammed all of her friends and various New York City socialist out of hundreds of thousands of dollars. Delvey served four years in prison and was released from ICE custody at the end of last year, and she is already jumping right into another project which may or may involve some scamming antics. It’s unclear if she has really learned her lesson.

After curating some art shows and getting into NFTs (a very 2022 thing to do, what a time) Delvey’s latest endeavor will be a new talk show with the working title of Delvey’s Dinner Club. The show will feature the fake heiress inviting famous friends, actors, musicians, and journalists over to her house for a nice, intimate meal. Because she is still under house arrest, after all.

Delvey is teaming up with Wheelhouse and Butternut, the new lifestyle production company from former Food Network boss Courtney White. The series will use fly-on-the-wall footage as well as interviews with Delvey and her guests while she finishes out her house arrest sentence.

In a statement, Delvey said, “There’s nothing like the experience of bringing together a curated group of friends to share life stories and enjoy a great culinary experience. I’m grateful for the opportunity to work with Wheelhouse and Butternut to bring my vision to a wider audience and share a glimpse of the real Anna Delvey.” Her name, by the way, is not really Anna Delvey, but yeah! Let’s see how this goes.

(Via Deadline)

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Kanye West May Be Denied A Visa For Entry To Australia As He Plans To Visit The Family Of His Reported Wife

It looks like Australia isn’t playing around in response to Kanye West‘s antisemitic rants last year. According to the Associated Press, West may be banned from setting foot into Australia, as he may not meet its character requirements.

During a spot on Nine Network television, Australia’s Education Minister Jason Clare responded to reports that West may come to Australia to meet the family of his reported wife, Bianca Censori, in Melbourne. While Clare did not know if West had applied for a visa, he noted that people who had previously expressed antisemitic views have had their visa applications rejected.

“I expect that if he does apply, he would have to go through the same process and answer the same questions,” Clare said.

While it seems West may be able to enter Australia if he passes a character assessment, several Jewish leaders and activists are pushing for the rapper/producer’s entry to be barred.

“We had a sympathetic hearing,” said Peter Wertheim, co-chief executive officer of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry on Sky News. “We’ve made the case that this particular individual does not meet the character test and that it would be in the national interest not to grant him a visa and we set out our reasons in some detail.”

Opposition leader Peter Dutton added, “[West’s] antisemitic comments are disgraceful, his conduct and his behavior is appalling, and he’s not a person of good character.”