Month: April 2021

She one of the most celebrated women in sports and is a WNBA icon, but Lisa Leslie is highlighting her controversial moments in the league that some sports fans may have forgotten about. Leslie currently holds the position as head coach for the Big 3 team the Triplets, but prior to that position, she was tearing up the court for the Los Angeles Sparks. Leslie’s professional career lasted for 12 years until 2009 and her accolades include Finals MVP awards and championship titles. 

Yet, in 2008, during a game between the Sparks and the Detroit Shock, an argument broke out between players, and Rick Mahorn, assistant coach to the Shock, stepped in to calm the fray. During the brawl, Leslie made her way to the court, as many other players did, to save her teammate, and during the chaos, Leslie was knocked to the floor. The story of what happened will differ depending on who you ask.

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It was widely reported that Mahorn, a former NBA player for the Detroit Pistons, attempted to restrain Leslie, resulting in her falling to the ground. However, during her appearance on Uncensored, the sports icon alleges that she was pushed by Mahorn.

“All I remember seeing is us running down court and Candace, when I looked over, she was in a tussle with one of the Detroit players and she was on the bottom,” Leslie recalled. “That’s what I saw. That’s my teammate. And I was on my way to get whomever off of her to get her off the floor. Somehow in the moment of running one way and then in the direction of me turning around, I never saw the coach, Rick Mahorn, who is what, [six-foot-six, six-foot-seven]?”

“He pushed me while I was on my way back to looking, you know, focus at Candace on the ground and Detroit player on top. I was running over there like, to get her, and he pushed me. Literally pushed me so hard that I was off both my feet and I landed somewhere back from where I was starting from the run.”

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“Why would this man put his hands on me I will never understand that day,” Leslie continued. “Why I didn’t have a lawsuit against the WNBA and him personally I have no idea why I listened to other people because it was just simply wrong.” Mahorn was suspended for two games following the incident.

Watch Lisa Leslie share her story—and make sure to check out archive footage of the infamous court brawl—below.

We’d bet that you weren’t expecting to hear about members of Xscape and Boyz II Men beefing online in 2021, yet, here we are. The 1990s was a thriving era for R&B music, especially groups. Dozens of trios, quartets, and quintets found fame as they harmonized up the charts, and we hail many of them to be icons or legends in the music industry.

Two notable figures are singers Kandi Burruss from Xscape and Wanya Morris from Boyz II Men. We’d like to think that those times were filled with love and collaboration, but Kandi revealed that it wasn’t all sunshine. “I had a bad experience with Boyz II Men,” Kandi said. “It was bad…. It wasn’t about the singing.” One of the hosts asked if the disagreement had to do with “attitudes” and Kandi nodded her head to confirm. “We fell out after that,” she added.

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“I don’t think I’ve ever been disrespected like that before in the studio in my life,” she recalled with a laugh. “It was crazy. Really. But at the end of the day, that was a long time ago. Clearly, we moved past that, but it was kinda weird for me because some of us were cool. I didn’t know everybody in the group but I knew a few of them. We had hung out.”

Boyz II Men singer Wanya Morris surfaced with an explanation. He said they were writing the song “Good Guys” in a specific way taught to Boyz II Men by legendary producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. “We finished the song, right? And once we finished the song, she started talking about splits. The song wasn’t actually finished, but she started talking about splits.”

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He said Boyz II Men countered that they hadn’t even finished the song so a conversation about production or royalty splits at that stage was pointless. Morris claims that Burruss said since she “came up with the hook” a discussion needed to be had. “Literally, we’ve been in the game long enough to say, hold on a second,” added Morris. “That’s not it works. That’s how it became, we understand that’s how it became, but we don’t ride in that lane.”

“We made a little bit of a stink,” Morris admitted. “It wasn’t anything really crazy... From that point, it became a little bit harder to work with her.” Elsewhere he threw a bit of shade when he said, “She hasn’t really worked since, right? Like, music wise?” before listing off people that sing better than the Xscape star.

Swipe below to hear these two share the stories of their fallout below.

America is returning to its new normal now that vaccines have been made readily available to all citizens, but the music industry is still wary of in-person events. It is true that several states including Texas and Florida have been operating as usual for months with clubs and bars open to the public, but not everyone is on board. There were plenty of artists who found success on social media while under quarantine, and while they are excited to get back on the road in front of a screaming audience of fans, some, like Tory Lanez, are still capitalizing off of virtual concerts.

Lanez shared that tomorrow (May 1) he would be performing his recent Playboy project at a virtual event and he made the announcement over on Instagram. “Every vocal break , crack screech .. every missed and made note .. every raw vocal in my body …. I will give y’all tomorrow … LIVE !!!” he penned in a caption.

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“This is how I sound raw , real and direct,” Loanez added. “F*ck all the studio effects , f*ck the bullsh*t just real and raw vocals and emotion ….. TOMORROW !! ‘Playboy Capsule Live’ eat your heart out … THANK U TO ALL MY PARTNERS HELPING BRING THIS TO LIFE @youtube @twitch @playstation @instagram @tiktok @theshaderoom … WOULDNT BE POSSIBLE WITHOUT YALL.”

Check out the promotional video for the online event and let us know if you’ll be tuning in.

They ducked and dodged rumors about their relationship for years but only recently have Lil Uzi Vert and JT been public about their romance. In recent months, the world has witnessed the City Girls rapper and Uzi trade loved-up messages online, and while fans have been embracing their relationship, the trolls have come out to berate the couple. JT and Uzi have made it clear that they are happily in love, and now JT is giving more insight into her connection with Uzi during her appearance on Respectfully Justin alongside her City Girls groupmate, Yung Miami.

“When I first met my man, I was still in a halfway house,” said JT. She spent over a year behind bars after being convicted of credit card fraud. “So he came to see me. He came to Atlanta. I was still in the halfway house.” The Florida rap star added that Uzi didn’t arrive empty-handed. “He had a bag full of money,” she claimed.

“I had a little Chanel bag and he told me to take as much as you can. I could only fit thirty thousand [dollars] and I was so mad,” JT joked. “I don’t want to keep talking because I don’t want it to seem like I’m bragging. I have a good man. I didn’t even know he was a good man. I was f*ckin’ with him for almost two years before I found out he was a good man… He bring me flowers. He remember the sh*t I say I want.”

Watch the City Girls on Respectfully Justin below.

After The Weeknd publicly stated that he would never again submit his music to or attend the Grammys, The Recording Academy was swift to respond. It came as a shock to music fans that The Weeknd’s chart-topping After Hours album didn’t receive one bit of recognition at the last award ceremony. After Hours debuted at No. 1 and spent a year on the charts, but The Recording Academy’s voters didn’t think it was worthy of even one nomination.

Later, Iggy Azalea took to Twitter with allegations that the Grammys are “rigged as f*ck,” and Bebe Rexha suggested it was about payoffs. Following the backlash, it has been announced that The Recording Academy has made significant changes to its voting process, including eliminating secret committees that determine the ceremony’s most coveted categories including Best Album and Best New Artist.

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Variety describes the changes as: “Elimination of Nominations Review Committees In General and Genre Fields” and “Reduction In Number of Categories Voter May Vote,” as well as two new categories being added (Best Global Music Performance—Global Music Field and Best Música Urbana Album—Latin Music Field). There will also be adjustments made to the less controversial craft categories that involve production and presentation.

“It’s been a year of unprecedented, transformational change for the Recording Academy, and I’m immensely proud to be able to continue our journey of growth with these latest updates to our Awards process,” said Harvey Mason Jr., Interim CEO of the Recording Academy. “This is a new Academy, one that is driven to action and that has doubled down on the commitment to meeting the needs of the music community.”

“While change and progress are key drivers of our actions, one thing will always remain — the Grammy Award is the only peer-driven and peer-voted recognition in music,” he continued. “We are honored to work alongside the music community year-round to further refine and protect the integrity of the Awards process.”

The next Grammy ceremony is slated for January 31, 2022.

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The legal troubles are heating up for Diplo after he was accused of distributing revenge porn of a woman he was allegedly involved with. In November 2020, a woman filed a restraining order against the mega DJ, alleging that Diplo hired a private investigator to track her moves. Diplo has since denied the allegations, and it looks as if he’s taking her to court.

According to TMZ, Diplo has accused his “ex-fling,” Shelly Auguste, of not being able to take “no” for an answer. In court documents, he described Auguste as an “unstable fan who manipulated herself into” his life. Their interactions reportedly occurred years ago, but Diplo claimed that she hasn’t ceased harassing him.

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They reportedly began a consensual relationship sometime in 2019 and by 2020, the brief romance had come to a full stop. Diplo said Auguste went on to create fake accounts on social media and even sent “sexually suggestive messages” to his relatives. When their budding relationship ended, Auguste is accused of sending the DJ dozens of messages and voice recordings, some involving Diplo, and would show up to his home unannounced. He claims he feared for his safety and eventually sold his home.

Additionally, Diplo says that Auguste sent racist messages to the mother of one of his children, calling her an “ugly dark skin b*tch” and saying, “Go kill yourself I know I see right through you you’re not gorgeous.” Auguste denied sending any such messages and claimed that Diplo’s recent accusations only surfaced because she sought legal counsel first.

The DJ’s attorney, Bryan Freedman, told TMZ, “As this Complaint makes clear, my client and his family have been harassed, stalked and abused by Ms. Auguste for far too long — and it’s time for the courts to step in and put an end to her appalling and dangerous behavior.” Diplo has sued Auguste for “stalking, trespassing,” and revenge porn. 

Auguste says she and Diplo have been talking since 2014 and their “fling” wasn’t brief, at all. “The truth will prevail,” she added.

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