LeBron James Gets Real About The Lakers’ Struggles

LeBron James and the Los Angeles have been having a lot of problems this season. The team can’t seem to pull it together, and fans are growing frustrated with how things are going. At this point, the Lakers will be lucky to make the postseason, when in reality, they should be contenders to win the NBA title. Either way, it’s not a good look for the Lakers right now, and it’s a good enough reason to be concerned.

Last night, the Lakers lost again, this time at the hands of the Memphis Grizzlies. Despite scoring 37 points, LeBron’s efforts were all for nothing, as the team continued to create turnovers that led to their demise. After the game, LeBron spoke about how turnovers are killing the purple and gold right now.

LeBron James

Justin Ford/Getty Images

“There’s a difference between careless turnovers and attack turnovers,” LeBron said per Michael Corvo of ClutchPoints. “We gotta cut down on our careless turnovers — the ones that’s just unforced. We’re gonna have attack turnovers, which is OK. We have a lot of attackers and we understand that. But, the careless turnovers, where, literally, you just turn the ball over and there’s no pressure or there’s no reason for it, those are the ones that get us in trouble.”

With a record of 17-19, it’s not all doom and gloom right now, however, it’s still not particularly cheery either. Hopefully, the Lakers can turn things around sooner rather than later.

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Kyle Kuzma Criticized For Siding With Elon Musk Over $11B Tax Bill

It’s a sad day when you side with a billionaire. Washington Wizards’ forward Kyle Kuzma is now under fire for retweeting a CNN story that said Elon Musk will owe $11B in taxes, the largest amount ever for an individual. Kuzma quoted the tweet, mocking the argument “the rich don’t pay taxes”. The hooper once sided with Bernie Sanders on taxing Amazon, so his latest tweet comes as a surprise. 

Though the rich really don’t get taxed, it’s not a surprise that the richest person in the world would face such a high tax bill. Earlier this year, Tesla became the sixth company ever in the U.S to be worth $1 trillion. Musk is now valued at around $255.2 billion, so an $11B tax bill would be pocket change to the CEO. While Kuzma mocked the argument, he failed to realize that the rich always have the upper hand when paying taxes – if they even pay them. 


Theo Wargo/Getty Images

Earlier this month, Musk also announced how much he would be paying in taxes in a sympathetic tweet but was given a quick math lesson by writer Anya Overmann. “That’s 4.5% of your net worth. You paid 3.27% between 2014 and 2018, & no fed taxes at all in 2018. You made $36 billion in ONE DAY in 2021. Most US ppl pay 10 to 37% in fed taxes & up to 13.3% in state taxes. Stop vying for sympathy from people who pay and pay your fair share,” she tweeted. Well said. 

Since his tweet, some have tried to educate Kuzma but of course, he’s still being ridiculed for siding with a multi-billionaire. 

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Kyrie Irving Speaks Out For First Time Since Returning To Nets

It’s been almost two weeks since the Brooklyn Nets announced the return of Kyrie Ivring as a part-time player for games outside of New York. The point guard returned to practice this past Wednesday. 

In a recent conversation with reporters, Irving acknowledged the organization’s decision to bench him due to his choice to opt-out of getting vaccinated. “I understood the decision and I respected it. I really had to sit back and try not to become too emotionally attached to what they were deciding to do. I had to sit down and really evaluate things and see it from their perspective,” Irving said, according to New York Post reporter Brian Lewis. Currently, New York City mandates require all residents to have proof of at least one shot of any COVID vaccine to enter indoor gyms, Barclays Center included. 


Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images

Irving hasn’t played in any games because of his refusal to get vaccinated, but he’s very excited to finally get back on the court. “Last night I could barely sleep. I’m like, man, I just don’t want to come out and not be who I am as a player… [My] heart is racing and just not being nervous and touching the basketball again, and just the rhythm of the game. I missed it,” he relayed to Lewis. 

Kyrie made the decision not to get vaccinated back in October. The Nets stated that he would not be able to practice or play with the team until he participated. Nets GM Sean Marks made a statement at the time about Irving’s decision, saying, “Kyrie has made a personal choice, and we respect his individual right to choose. Currently, the choice restricts his ability to be a full-time member of the team, and we will permit any member of our team to participate with part-time availability.”

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Colin Kaepernick Loses Business Deal After Refusing Media Tour

Colin Kaepernick has been working on various projects since being ousted from the NFL. Kaepernick wants to be an advocate and he has done a fine job as he continues to raise money for marginalized groups, all while providing them with the tools they need to succeed. One of the many endeavors Kaepernick has started is the Mission Advancement holding company, which according to Business Insider, has raised a grand total of $250 million.

In a new report, it was revealed that Mission Advancement was trying to buy The Change Company, which is a group dedicated to giving banking and lending services to marginalized communities. The deal was going pretty well, however, it has since fallen through after Kaepernick’s refusal to do one thing.

Colin Kaepernick

Arturo Holmes/Getty Images for Netflix

The condition that Kaepernick was not interested in was having to do a press tour in which he spoke on camera about the deal and how it will benefit certain communities. It was not revealed why Kaepernick didn’t want to go through with the media appearances, however, it is understandable that someone of his status would be annoyed by the constant need to do PR on others’ behalf.

Kaepernick will certainly be working on various other projects in the near future, so stay tuned to HNHH as we will be sure to bring you the latest news and updates.

Colin Kaepernick

Emma McIntyre/Getty Images

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Jake Paul Addresses Reports Surrounding Tyron Woodley PPV Numbers

Jake Paul and Tyron Woodley fought against each other a couple of weekends ago in a rematch of their bout from back in August. After winning via decision the first time around, Paul was able to pull off a massive knockout in the second fight. This was easily the most impressive KO of his career, and fans are now interested to see who he will go up against next.

As for the pay-per-view numbers for this fight, there have been reports that the sales were not very good. Of course, Paul can be pretty boastful about how much money he makes from his fights, so these reports were clearly the last thing he wanted to see, as they could break the illusion of his popularity.

Jake Paul & Tyron Woodley

Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images

This led to a statement on Twitter recently where Paul addressed the PPV numbers with a stern tone. As he explains, the numbers are still rolling in, and they are very promising, all things considered.

“The PPV number rumors are bullshit 1st fight w Woodley we sold 500k+ Numbers for this one are still rolling in but still looking positive Not my best business night But remember.. Everyone wanted to see me Vs. Fury and that’s what we sold,” he wrote. “Shoutout to Showtime for riding with me and all the fighters on the card and Tyron for not being a bitch like most of these “fighters” are.”

The official numbers have yet to be released, so stay tuned to HNHH as we will be sure to bring you that information.

Safaree Samuels Hates How Kanye West Dresses: “It Bothers Me”

Would you rather dress like Kanye West or Safaree Samuels? An overwhelming number of people would likely choose the former, considering he is one of the most influential people of the last few decades in fashion. Having built his Yeezy brand from the ground up to become a multi-billionaire, Ye has sported some of the most era-defining looks, single-handedly changing the sneaker industry and contributing largely to how streetwear has taken over the fashion world. Reality star Safaree Samuels is very much aware of Ye’s impact in that space, but he’s “bothered” these days over the legendary artist’s clothing choices.

Yeezy is still one of the top brands in sneakers but Safaree says that in the last two years, he’s “hated” Kanye’s stylistic decisions. 

“I’ve always been a Kanye fan but I really hate how he’s been dressing these last 2 years,” said Nicki Minaj’s ex over Ye’s wardrobe, which was engineered mainly by Demna Gvasalia’s Balenciaga. “He use to be inspiration with clothes and jewelry. Now this guy just wears hoodies and black gloves and it bothers me.”


Brandon Magnus/Getty Images

For what it’s worth, Safaree isn’t the only person that has grown tired of Ye repeating outfits. In the last few weeks, we’ve seen Ye travel the world wearing exactly the same outfit, usually complete with a pair of Balenciaga boots, which look perfect for deep-water trekking. For somebody that has gone viral for wearing a questionable denim vest and fur in the summer, Safaree might not be the one to talk about other people’s fashion choices.


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What do you think? Is Ye’s style growing old?

Alicia Keys’ Insane New Chain Has Actual Piano Keys

On Wednesday, Swizz Beatz posted a video on Instagram to show off a custom Elliot Eliantte chain that he had custom-made for Alicia Keys, in celebration of the release of her eighth studio album Keys

The sparkling piece featured a huge, circular emblem inspired by a piano, and the diamond-crusted black keys that rest atop the dazzling white keys are actually functional, pressing down when one applies pressure to them. Above the piano keys reads “Keys” in black, cursive writing, and the entire piece comes together with a shimmering black and gold chain.

Alicia Keys performs on NBC's "Today" Citi Concert Series at Rockefeller Plaza on December 14, 2021 in New York City.
Arturo Holmes/Getty Images

In the video that Swizz Beatz posted, you can hear Jay-Z mentioning the quality of the keys chain, saying, “When we create these things, when AK comes out with the keys chain, I mean come on man. It’s just super hard first of all. I haven’t told you that, but that chain is just super hard. It comes from a different place. It’s beyond, you know, a show of wealth [like how] people tend to identify it as today. This thing comes back to you know, like you said Mansa Musa and all the great kings.”

Swizz Beatz echoed Jay-Z’s sentiments while writing the caption for the video, saying, “@eliantte thank you for bringing this gift to life for the Queen 🐐! Hov said no lies …… thoughts #keys #aliciakeys.”

Check out the video of the Keys artist’s stunning new chain, complete with pressable piano keys.

To see what the chain looks like on Alicia Keys, check out her recent interview on The Breakfast Club below. Let us know in the comments if you think her new chain is one of the best pieces of 2021.

Tyler, The Creator Clarifies Name Change Report

During a recent interview with Fast Company, Tyler, The Creator suggested that he has considered using his legal name, Tyler Okonma, more often in the future. However, as media outlets have stated that he might be changing his stage name, Tyler has pushed back against those reports, clarifying what he meant in a series of since-deleted tweets.

On Wednesday night (December 29), Tyler took to his Twitter page to send off some all-caps posts about his words being taken out of context. He said that he never explicitly said that he was thinking of changing his name, despite claiming in the interview that we will be seeing him use his government name more frequently in the future.

 

“I NEVER SAID I WAS CHANGING MY NAME, ARE YOU STUPID? YES,” he wrote on Twitter. “WILL EMBRACE MY LAST NAME MORE, LESS WOLF HALEY, NEVER SAID I WAS GONNA CHANGE MY STAGE NAME, WHAT YO EARS ON BRO?”

He moved on from the touchy subject to explain why he used all-caps for the post, saying, “ALL CAPS MAKES YOU THINK THE PERSON IS MAD OR SOMETHING HA, WILD IT GIVES OFF THAT EMOTION JUST BEING UPPERCASE.”

Watch the clip below, during which he discusses the origins of his stage name and why he thinks his “Creator” moniker is “dumb.”


Screenshots via @tylerthecreator on Twitter

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GRIP’s World Is One Worth Visiting

Every so often, an artist lands on your radar that proves to be undeniably captivating in nearly every regard. Lyrically dynamic, with a voluminous vocabulary and a focused mind for storytelling. Enough technical mastery to approach each beat with an innovative and unpredictable flow. The dangerous blend of charismatic swagger and intellectual insight.

It’s rare that an artist possesses such a well-honed balance of such important qualities. Yet GRIP, an Atlanta lyricist who recently linked a deal with Eminem’s Shady Records, strikes that exact balance with alchemical precision. For many — myself included, admittedly — his debut album I Died For This?! was an introduction to GRIP’s artistry. An introduction bolstered by a co-sign from Eminem, who also appeared on the album’s “Walkthrough,” and one-much needed. As GRIP himself explains on “A Soldier’s Story?” he was close to calling it quits prior to inking the Shady deal.

Is this really what I want? Am I still in love with this game?
Tigg called like, “Ni**a, Eminem just said your shit was flames”
Then me and Em hopped on a call, and it all seemed fittin’
Just a couple days from quittin’ and the rest is unwritten

grip shady records

Image via Artist; Photo Credit – Ari Skin

Though the game is only beginning to familiarize itself with GRIP — at this time, the rapper has only recently hit ten thousand twitter followers — he’s actually been active for quite some time. A few years removed from thirty, GRIP originally began taking the stage in his late teens. “Learning stage presence, all that good stuff,” he notes, when we spoke for our Rise & Grind series. Since those early days, GRIP has released three full-length albums and two EPs, among various singles. Throughout his catalog, he strove to prioritize penmanship, approaching each of his long-form releases with a conceptual throughline at the center.

With influences ranging from legendary hip-hop lyricists like Andre 3000, JAY-Z, Nas, Pac, and Biggie to boundary-pushing rock pioneers like The Beatles and Pet Sounds, GRIP’s eclectic musical background translates effectively into his music.

Production largely handled by his longtime right-hand man TU!, and GRIP often employs adventurous instrumental choices — sometimes several times in the same track. On IDFT, the practice is highly effective on standout cut “The LOX!,” which features fellow Atlanta up-and-comer Tate228. While the first part features GRIP spitting some razor-focused bars over a minimalist boom-bap beat, the second part explodes into a hard-hitting banger; it should be noted that GRIP snaps on both sections, showcasing his versatility in one fell swoop. And that’s not even covering his verse-of-the-year contender in the emotionally powerful “Patterns?”

Image via Artist; Photo Credit – Ari Skin

It’s also telling that not only does GRIP hold his own alongside both Bad and Evil on “Placebo” and “Walkthrough” respectively, but he arguably outshines two of the game’s noted rap deities. It’s also telling that Eminem respected GRIP’s artistry enough to take a backseat, using his name and near-unparalleled fame to promote the Atlanta lyricist on social media. Upon inking the Shady deal, GRIP spoke of how it was his Snub album that ultimately captivated Em’s attention. And while I Died For This?! may be the album that captures audiences on a widespread level, what with the Shady affiliation and all, Snub remains the essential companion piece to revisit. As GRIP himself is a noted film buff, think of it in these terms: I Died For This?! is his Pulp Fiction, while Snub plays out like Reservoir Dogs. 

While much could be said about both projects — which may very well be two of the most conceptually dense projects hip-hop has seen in some time — it’s far more effective to simply experience them for yourself. As GRIP is currently on the rise at a rapid pace, it feels like an appropriate time to show some appreciation for his craft. He’s clearly experienced countless hours honing his considerable talent, and that long and arduous journey was not without toil and sacrifice. Now, with plenty of ground to cover — he confirmed to us that he was already working on a new album — it’s time for the game to take notice of GRIP.  

For the fans who have been around from the beginning, be sure to hit the comment section with your favorite tracks. 

LISTEN: GRIP ft Tate228 – THE LOX!