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It hasn’t been easy but almost two full years into it, we’ve all learned how to find some semblance of “normal” amidst a global pandemic. But even with concerts, restaurants, travel, and movie theaters returning, many businesses have yet to bounce back. And smaller, immigrant/ minority-owned businesses have the toughest road to recovery.

So when we reached out to Grammy-nominated vocalist and musician Kah-Lo for a new travel guide, the Nigerian born, Brooklyn based artist hit us back with a guide that highlights some of her favorite minority and immigrant-owned businesses in New York City — in an effort to give some shine and help them build back stronger than ever.

Perhaps best known for her stunning collaborations with the likes of Riton, Idris Elba, Selena Gomez, and of course Diplo (“Give Dem” is still a banger), this summer brought the release of Kah-Lo’s debut EP The Arrival — and what an arrival it was. Across five tracks, Kah-Lo flexes her unique voice over club-ready bangers that fuse chest-rumbling house, disco, afrobeat, and sing-along vocal hooks, solidifying Kah-Lo as a musical force to be reckoned with.

So queue up The Arrival and dive into Kah-Lo’s favorite minority-owned businessess in New York City, from her go-to smoothie spot to med spas to beloved eateries.

BKLYN Blend

This spot is known for its incredibly healthy and delicious sandwiches and shakes. All their food is named after iconic Brooklyn-isms and landmarks such as RED HOOK TOSS SALAD or Transfer at Atlantic Juice.

My fave combo is the NAVY YARD TUNA STEAK SANDWICH and BK NETS shake.

Body by Brooklyn

A full day spa, bathhouse, and wet lounge in one, this spot is the ultimate relaxation experience. The massages are an oasis away from the chaos that is NYC if you ever need to decompress. A big plus is having access to the wet lounge and sauna after a massage, to detoxify yourself afterward.

Vanessa Marc Spa

A black-owned full-service med spa in midtown, they get black skin. When my skin throws a tantrum or I just want a little one up in my maintenance routine, this is my go-to. I usually opt for the Oxygen Hydra Facial or the Justine Skye Glow named after another loyal client, Justine Skye.

They also offer laser hair removal that is best for thicker hair and darker skin tones.

Divine Flavored Catering

I usually don’t like to order Nigerian food because I believe my mom cooks better, and I learned from her. However, this place beats anything I’ve ever tasted in the US hands down. The best Nigerian food in NYC in my opinion! They have an extensive menu of all types of Nigerian food, from Jollof rice to Efo Elegusi, and snacks like meat pie.

They also offer portions large enough to cater.

Ode To Babel

Nestled in the heart of Prospect Heights is this little bar with an outdoor patio. When night rolls around, and the music really starts bumping, I’m immediately transported back home. The crowd is always so incredible, you’ll find yourself a dancing buddy in no time if you know enough of the words to the songs the DJ is spinning.

I’d tell you about the drinks, but I can’t remember.

Brooklyn Suya

Suya is street food originally from the northern part of Nigeria. It’s very hard to get it right outside of Nigeria, and I usually don’t even bother to try. However, after lamenting on Twitter one day, this place came highly recommended, and it did not disappoint. Although served with a diaspora flair i.e. over a bowl with kale, avocado, and eggplant as options, they do not compromise on taste.

Also, when they say spicy, they mean spicy – just as suya should be!

Buy Better Foods

A cute little store in Bedstuy that has everything you need to eat and live healthily. They make and stock their own oils, and sell those hard-to-find superfoods you read about in recipes. If you ever need a gut cleanse or just simply need to maintain your daily routine, this is the place to go

The post Grammy Nominee Kah-Lo Shares Her Favorite Minority-Owned Businesses In NYC appeared first on UPROXX.

Information on what led to the accidental shooting death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of the low budget Western Rust is still coming out, and every new detail that trickles out has been heartbreaking. This one is no different: According to The Wrap, the prop gun that was later unwittingly fired by one of its stars, Alec Baldwin, had mere hours prior been used in target practice.

A source told the publication that Thursday morning, before the tragic accident, crew members went out to do some “plinking,” in which people shoot at beer cans with live ammunition to kill time. Their weapons included a number of prop guns, including the one that later killed Hutchins and wounded director Joel Souza.

The prop gun, it was recently revealed, had been handed to Baldwin by the film’s assistant director, who assured him it was “cold,” meaning it had no live ammunition. Reports also surfaced about deplorable conditions on the set of the movie, including crew members forced to commute 50 miles each way after being told that they would be put up in a hotel near the Santa Fe set.

It’s an awful story that gets worse with each new reveal. Meanwhile, members of the GOP, including Congressperson Lauren Boebert and Donald Trump Jr., think this is all hilarious.

(Via The Wrap)

The post The Gun That Killed ‘Rust’ Cinematographer Halyna Hutchins Had Reportedly Been Used For Target Practice The Morning Before Her Death appeared first on UPROXX.

Sometimes sighted people can easily forget that beauty isn’t just something for the eyes to experience. It can be heard, smelled, and touched as well. Nowhere was this more evident than at Anthony and Kelly Anne Ferraro’s wedding on October 2.

Anthony is a blind Paralympian and winner of the gold medal in the 2018 USA Judo National Championships for Blind & Visually Impaired. He’s also an accomplished guitar player and motivational speaker.

Kelly Ann wanted her husband to experience her in a beautiful dress so instead of having one designed that was pleasing to the eye, she reached out to Loulette Bride to make one that felt amazing to the touch.

“Kelly really wanted to … make it really special for me,” he told Newsweek. “She went above and beyond” to find the wedding dress, which was made “tactilely pleasing” with use of chiffon, lace, silk, and velvet.

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The dress has a beautiful fringe on the arms that looks angelic when she waved her arms. It probably feels wonderful, too.

In a traditional wedding, the groom isn’t allowed to see the bride in her dress until she walks down the aisle. At the Ferraro wedding, he wasn’t allowed to touch the dress until that magic moment.

“She wouldn’t let me know anything about it until she came down the aisle and I got to touch it, so it was incredible,” he said. “It was so beautiful to me … I could picture her in my head perfectly,” said Ferraro.

“The textures are everything,” said Ferraro. “I see through my fingers, and through my hands, and through … touch.”

A video clip of the wedding posted by Anthony on social media has gone viral because people love the idea that beauty isn’t just about what we see with our eyes. Since it was posted on October 13 it has over 550,000 views.

One commenter called the dress “the sweetest thing ever.”

The couple met in 2018 after being introduced by friends. Anthony told USA Today he felt an “instant connection” when they first met. Their relationship inspired Kelly Ann to learn how to create a safe living space for Anthony by putting bubble wrap or pillows over sharp objects in the house.

She also learned to appreciate his love of the feel of soft fabrics such as velvet.

Studies show that blind people have heightened senses of hearing, smell and touch. Researchers from Society for Neuroscience also found that blind people have the ability to process sensations associated with touch faster than sighted people.

“Our findings reveal that one way the brain adapts to the absence of vision is to accelerate the sense of touch,” Daniel Goldreich, PhD, said according to Science Daily. “The ability to quickly process non-visual information probably enhances the quality of life of blind individuals who rely to an extraordinary degree on the non-visual senses.”

The wedding dress was an incredibly thoughtful gift for Kelly Ann to give her husband on their wedding day. It also sends a wonderful message to the rest of the world. Every couple is different. Every person is different. But when we branch out and learn to experience the world the way others do, we can find beauty in places we never imagined.

Marvel’s Eternals is the latest Disney film getting some big buzz as people begin to return to theaters during the still-ongoing pandemic. The latest foray into the expansion of the Marvel Cinematic Universe has plenty of fans excited, as the Titan-like stars of the film are expected to usher in a new era of the superhero canon. But as the days tick down until Eternals hits theaters, an undercurrent of skepticism about the project seems to be creeping up across some portions of social media.

The characters in Eternals are beloved to some, sure. But to a larger movie-going audience inundated with superhero movies in recent years, it seems this particular crop has drawn more ire than most ahead of its November release. There’s been a lot of fun had simply in making memes based on the names like “Kingo,” “Sprite,” and “Druig.”

The concept of the all-powerful Eternals staying hands-off during all the in-canon crises of the past, including a fraction of the Earth’s entire population disappearing, seems to be a sticking point as well.

In particular, the title cards introducing the main characters drew particular focus from some people online as promotional materials for the film hit social media.

A number of people seemed to think these names were actually fake.

Sprite was a target of some branding skepticism as well.

Kingo has become the basis of a number of memes in recent days.

There’s also this very solid CGI joke, too.

The movie is certainly getting buzz here, though not all buzz is positive buzz. Marvel fans that know what they’re likely getting early next month certainly seem hyped about what’s ahead. But it’s safe to say a non-so-quiet section of social media will take some convincing here, to say the least.

The post Rascals On The Internet Are Having A Lot Of Fun With The Rollout For ’Marvel’s Eternals’ appeared first on UPROXX.

It’s hard to believe that it was just this past April when Earl “DMX” Simmons died. Six months into a world without the hardcore rap legend has already been graced with numerous nods to his legacy. There was a moving tribute at the BET Awards from Swizz Beats, Method Man, Michael K. Williams, Busta Rhymes and others, a touching Father’s Day message from his fiancée Desire Lindstrom, a Yo-Yo Ma tribute track, and of course, the posthumous album Exodus, with features from Nas, Jay-Z, Alicia Keys, Snoop Dogg and so many others.

Now as the dust is settling on a legal battle, his family issued an official statement in regards to their handling of his estate. In the statement, DMX’s ex-wife and oldest sons are named as temporary administrators of his estate. And one can assume that this was pre-empted by the legal battle between his family and, Lindstrom — who was not officially wed to the rapper before his death. There have also been claims of people coming forward claiming to be children of the late rapper, the most recent of which would bring the number of children he fathered to 15. Suffice it to say, who gets to manage an estate that includes five platinum albums among the eight LPs, seven compilations albums, three mixtapes, and publishing rights to this and more, is a notable assignment. Read the full statement released today below.

“(New York, NY October 25th, 2021) – “DMX’s ex wife, Tashera Simmons oldest sons , “Xavier Simmons, Sean Simmons and Tacoma Simmons have been appointed temporary co-administrators of the estate of Earl “DMX” Simmons pursuant to a decision of the Westchester county Surrogate’s Court today. They will now exclusively manage the affairs of their late father’s estate. The estate has retained entertainment attorney Ron Sweeney of Ron Sweeney and Company to exclusively handle all entertainment related matters. Estate Attorney, Herb Nass is the attorney for the Earl “DMX” Simmons estate and the sons as co-administrators.”

The post Amid A Legal Battle, DMX’s Family Releases An Official Statement Regarding His Estate appeared first on UPROXX.

The controversy surrounding Dave Chappelle’s homophobic remarks in The Closer (on Netflix) continues, and for this newest development, Chappelle appears to have changed his tune. This is happening weeks after he addressed the matter of being “cancelled,” and he had declared that “I love it.” The “jokes” in question involve him declaring that he is “Team TERF” and in agreement with author J.K. Rowling’s TERF-aligned remarks. He’s also declared that “gender is a fact.”

The backlash was fierce, including Hannah Gadsby (of Netflix’s Emmy-winning Nanette special) calling out Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos for an “amoral algorithm,” which followed his claims that “content on screen doesn’t directly translate to real-world harm.” Then Netflix employees staged a walkout (the organizer of the walkout has been fired for leaking metrics) and Chappelle’s team signaling (via TMZ) that he was open to sitting down with those employees who staged the walkout. Now, Dave is defensively pushing back onstage, where he listed conditions for meeting with Netflix’s trans employees.

Chappelle posted video footage of his relevant remarks to Instagram; here’s the clip, and we’ll post transcribed quotes below.

As far as the transphobic remarks are concerned, there’s no apology coming from Dave: “I said what I said.” He’s also complaining about being cancelled by film festivals after accepting invitations (for an upcoming stand-up documentary), and now, Dave says that only Ted Sarandos and Netflix haven’t cancelled him:

“This film that I made was invited to every film festival in the United States. Some of those invitations I accepted. When this controversy came out about The Closer, they began disinviting me from these film festivals. And now today, not a film company, not a movie studio, not a film festival, nobody will touch this film. Thank God for Ted Sarandos and Netflix, he’s the only one that didn’t cancel me yet.”

Then Dave listed some conditions to meeting with Netflix employees while declaring that he won’t be summoned and is “not bending to anyone’s demands”:

“To the transgender community, I am more than willing to give you an audience, but you will not summon me. I am not bending to anyone’s demands. And if you want to meet with me, I am more than willing to, but I have some conditions. First of all, you cannot come if you have not watched my special from beginning to end. You must come to a place of my choosing at a time of my choosing, and thirdly, you must admit that Hannah Gadsby is not funny.”

Yes, he truly took a swing at Hannah Gadsby while putting the ball in Netflix employees’ court. That feels like a sure sign that this controversy ain’t over yet. What happens if those employees decide not to meet with him? That would be quite an outcome.

(Via Dave Chappelle on Instagram & Variety)

The post Dave Chappelle Demands That ‘Some Conditions’ Be Met For Him To Meet With Netflix’s Trans Employees: ‘You Will Not Summon Me’ appeared first on UPROXX.

A major hurdle has been cleared in the Ben Simmons saga: The Philadelphia 76ers are not fining him anymore. In a bit of news reported on NBA Today by Ramona Shelburne and confirmed by Marc Stein, the team has stopped levying fines against the All-Star guard amid his ongoing attempts to get a trade.

As Shelburne explained, this is, in part, because the Sixers are now in a situation where they need to stop withholding his money due to the circumstances under which he’s away from the team.

“Some of this, Malika, is because there’s a standard provision in player contracts that says if you’re dealing with a mental health issue — which Ben Simmons has reported to the team that he is, and he wants to work on himself, mentally and physically, this week,” Shelburne said. “They’ve taken that in good faith and said, ‘Ok, we’re taking that you are working on yourself, mentally and physically, and we’ve offered to make these resources available to you.’ And so right now, everybody’s in a good place, and the fines are not accumulating, and that was an issue for Ben Simmons, as you know, in the first couple of weeks in this standoff.”

Simmons addressed the team last week and said that he was not in a place mentally to contribute to the level he expects of himself, something that led to him getting support from teammates like Joel Embiid, Tobias Harris, and Tyrese Maxey. Back on Oct. 1, Simmons was owed $8.25 million of his contract, but the Sixers opted to withhold it and place that money in escrow.

The post The Sixers Are No Longer Fining Ben Simmons appeared first on UPROXX.

Ordinary Joe (NBC, 10:00pm) — It’s like Sliding Doors but with TV Prince James Wolk (Watchmen, Mad Men, Political Animals, Zoo) and no Gwyneth Paltrow. If that’s not enough to make you climb aboard, consider that Wolk not only plays a rock star (!) but two other Joes in parallel timelines. This week, Nurse Joe’s parenting all by himself while Music Joe’s (surprisingly) handling the task better. What’s Cop Joe doing? You gotta watch to find out.

We’re Here (HBO, 9:00pm) — Nope, you’re not looking at a photo of Beyoncé. This ^^ would be the fabulous Shangela (of RuPaul’s Drag Race fame), who’s back with the rest of the Queens (including Bob and Eureka) in Spartanburg, South Carolina and Temecula, California after COVID interrupted the first round. In Season 2, the trio will continue to recruit small-town residents (in this case, that would be Noah, Faith, and Olin) and train them for onstage moments that they never dreamed possible. This week, they’re traveling to Del Rio, Texas. Yee haw.

All-American (CW, 8:00pm) — Season 4 picks up after the Beverly and Crenshaw State Championship’s devastating events while Spencer’s struggling to come to terms with competitors.

4400 (CW, 9:00pm) — This new series follows (as the title suggests) 4400 people (all belonging to marginalized communities) who somehow disappeared from Earth without a trace. There’s gonna be quite an aftermath.

Wakefield (Showtime, 9:00pm) — This miniseries follows a beloved and brilliant psychiatric nurse who’s caring for patients int he Blue Mountains of Australia. Her array of patients will also entertain as well as endear.

Late Night With Seth Meyers — Anderson Cooper, Cobie Smulders. Atom Willard

In case you missed these weekend picks:

Dune (Warner Bros. film on HBO Max) — Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Jason Momoa, Oscar Isaac, Jessica Chastain, and Stellan Skarsgård playing a 300-pound villain. Oh, and sandworms and spice, too. What more could you possibly want? Well, how about an interpretation of Frank Herbert’s classic from director Denis Villeneuve? That’s more like it, especially because David Lynch would love to pretend that his version never existed. Expect a mythic and epic and world-building journey of a hero, Paul Atreides (Chalamet), who must live up to his incredible destiny. No pressure, of course.

Night Teeth (Netflix film) — Debby Ryan and Lucy Fry play the lead-character vampires of this film, but there are also vampires played by Megan Fox and Sydney Sweeney, so you know what that means: any human in their sights are in big trouble. That includes a college-student-turned-chauffeur, Benny (Jorge Lendeborg, Jr.), who’s tasked with driving the two primary vamps around to parties, where they can get their thirst on. Can Benny stay alive, can he save Los Angeles, and can he possibly do both things? Talk about a guilty pleasure of a movie.

The post What’s On Tonight: ‘Ordinary Joe’ Takes On Challenges, And ‘We’re Here’ Takes On Texas appeared first on UPROXX.

After months of pulling for his ailing mother Beverly Tate on social media, West Coast rap pioneer Snoop Dogg is now mourning her after she passed away. He announced as much this weekend as he updated his Instagram with a string of grieving posts. Beginning with one recalling one of his mom’s favorite phrases, he continued with a few more, writing “Mama thank u for having me” in the next and continuing to make brokenhearted posts through the rest of the day.

In May, Snoop first gave the indications that his mother was sick, asking fans to pray for her with another set of hopeful posts. Then, in July, he offered an update on her health, writing, “Me and my brothers went to c mama today and she opened up her eyes to c us and let us know she still fighting.” It looks like her fight is finally over; Snoop can take comfort knowing she was comforted and cared for at the end. Longtime Snoop fans are aware that she was the one who first gave him his rap name, nicknaming him Snoopy for his resemblance to the cartoon character. Snoop fans including stars like Magic Johnson have reached out to express their condolences, wishing him well

Also over the weekend, Snoop posted advising Dr. Dre to use the “negative energy” he’s experienced lately to “make something magical.”

The post Snoop Dogg Mourns The Passing Of His Mother, Beverly Tate appeared first on UPROXX.

The Batgirl movie is moving full steam ahead. The film has officially locked down its villain, which is good news, and that villain will be played by the recently resurgent and usually awesome Brendan Fraser, which is better news. Fraser has signed on to play Firefly, a Gotham City foe who has yet to appear in a live-action film, but did have a prominent presence in the hit Batman: Arkham Knight video game.

Deadline was the first to report Fraser’s casting for the highly-anticipated film, which will star Leslie Grace (In The Heights) as the title character and be directed by the Bad Boys for Life team of Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah:

The film will bow on HBO Max, marking one of the first major DC properties to debut exclusively on the streamer. Christina Hodson penned the script with Kristin Burr producing. While plot details are under wraps, it is known that Barbara Gordon, the daughter of Commissioner Gordon, will be the character behind the cape in this version. Gordon is the most established version of the Batgirl character and was first introduced in 1961 as Betty Kane.

Batgirl will also have an interesting place in the once crumbling DC Extended Universe. Grace’s version of the character will reportedly be the daughter of J.K. Simmons‘ Commission Gordon, who first appeared in Zack Snyder’s Justice League. That would place Batgirl in the same canon as the upcoming The Flash film.

On top of all that, directors Abri and Fallah also reportedly said in an interview that Batman will appear in the Batgirl film. As for which one, they simply said, “the real one.” That doesn’t really narrow it down, considering we currently have Robert Pattinson, Ben Affleck, and Michael Keaton all in the mix in one way or another. But presumably, that distinction will be made clear after The Flash wraps up its reality-breaking adventure through the DC Films universe.

Either way, congrats to Brendan Fraser for joining the elite pantheon of Hollywood action stars who’ve taken a crack at terrorizing Gotham.

(Via Deadline)

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