Month: March 2022

Chris Rock Emotional in Return to the Stage in Boston: “At Some Point, I’ll Talk About That S*** and It’ll Be Serious, It’ll Be Funny.”

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LAPD Says Chris Rock Won't Press Charges on Will Smith

Chris Rock started his Ego Death comedy tour that will run through a majority of 2022. Rock was in Boston to take the stage for his first show and fans both in the building and around the world were eager to hear what the comedy legend had to say. According to Variety, he decided to stray away from talking about the slap from Will Smith.

“How was your weekend?” Rock opened the set. “I don’t have a bunch of shit about what happened, so if you came to hear that, I have a whole show I wrote before this weekend. I’m still kind of processing what happened. So, at some point I’ll talk about that shit. And it will be serious and funny.”

During Rock’s opening moments on stage, a fan yelled “Fuck Will Smith.” Rock would not acknowledge the statement and proceeded to say “I’m going to tell some jokes. It’s nice to just be out.”

The Boston show is one of six at The Wilbur theater. According to WCVB – Boston, Wednesday had two shows. A lengthy ovation led to an emotional moment as Chris Rock began to wipe away tears on stage.

“I’m still kind of processing what happened,” Rock said. “At some point, I’ll talk about that shit and it’ll be serious, it’ll be funny.”

You can see reactions from Rock’s crowd below.

The post Chris Rock Emotional in Return to the Stage in Boston: “At Some Point, I’ll Talk About That S*** and It’ll Be Serious, It’ll Be Funny.” appeared first on The Source.

Chris Rock’s Brother Brings Up “Good Hair” Doc & The Backlash Was Swift

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A tweet made by Tony Rock yesterday (March 29) picked up steam today and it placed his brother in the crosshairs of critics. Chris Rock has been the talk of the town this week after he was slapped by Will Smith on the Oscars stage and his peers have come forward in droves as they offer support. Smith has been called out over his actions and his Oscar win for Best Actor is being called into question, and prior to Rock speaking about the incident at his comedy show this evening, his brother Tony took to Twitter.

Comedian Tony Rock answered a few questions from fans yesterday while also tweeting, “Be sure to watch ‘Good Hair’ since the narrative is now changed to all my bro does is disrespect women of color.” He is referencing the 2009 Chris Rock-produced documentary Good Hair where Rock traveled the country and spoke with Black women about the importance of their hair in their culture.

Good Hair was controversial when it was released and it has continued to cause debates. Tony’s tweet sparked a fire on social media and soon, the Rock brothers found themselves on the receiving end of blistering observations. Sheila Bridges, a woman who suffers from alopecia and also starred in Good Hair, took to Instagram to condemn Smith’s actions while having fiery words for Rock, as well.

“I am not completely surprised that Chris Rock got rocked by Will Smith after making the medical condition of @jadapinkettsmith part of his comedic schtick — disrespecting her publicly,” Bridges wrote. “Shame on you @chrisrock. Didn’t we sit down and talk at length about how painfully humiliating and difficult it is to navigate life as a bald woman in a society that is hair obsessed? As if life isn’t challenging enough out here as an unprotected black woman?”

Good Hair has been a trending topic all day as thousands of people weigh in about the feature. While it seems that Tony’s intent was to redeem his brother by pointing out the documentary, it didn’t quite work out that way. Meanwhile, Rock has promised to address his Oscars incident in due time.  

Issa Rae Says “Rap Sh*t” Will Have “Sprinkles Of Stuff” From City Girls, Cardi B, Megan Thee Stallion

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Insecure may have concluded, but Issa Rae is far from finished with building her empire. Her Hoorae production company has been busy with new projects including Rap Sh*t, a series that will focus on women in Rap out of Florida. We previously reported on Rae revealing that Rap Sh*t was partially motivated by Jermaine Dupri’s criticism of female rappers: “I was just like, ‘This is so unfair.’ So that inspired the writing of it.” 

The Oscars may have stolen attention from other events last weekend, but over in Washington, D.C., Rae was celebrating the Kennedy Center’s 50th anniversary with a Hoorae takeover. While there, she spoke more about her upcoming, Rap-centered show and shared what viewers can expect.

Issa Rae
Amy Sussman / Staff / Getty Images

 “I love being behind the scenes, I love producing,” she said following a question about shifting from in front of to behind the camera. “I frequently say I never need to do something like Insecure again where I’m wearing all hats. I’ve experienced that, and I’m good!”

Rae has purposefully been enigmatic about her Rap Sh*t comedy, but she did state that while Insecure was inspired by her real life, this new series will be much different.

“It’s kind of like a combination of various female rapper stories. So you may see sprinkles of stuff from the City Girls, stuff from [Megan Thee Stallion], definitely [Cardi B], and just my general observations of being a female rap fan,” she said. “This is such a big deal for all of us to kind of have a reemergence party and a series of events to show you guys what HOORAE is doing. That is one of the priorities for us this year is to just reintroduce what we do for the industry and be in a place that celebrates culture and have them celebrate Black culture means the world to me and us.”

Check out a few highlights from the Hoorae event below. 

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Russ & Bugus Launch DIEMON Record Label, Artists Own Masters & Publishing

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His peers have often looked to him for advice on how to succeed as an independent artist and now Russ is rolling out his own label. For years, the rapper-singer has been forging his path in the industry as he has frequently spoken out about the ills of being a performer. From unreasonable percentages on streaming services to unfair label deals, Russ has been vocal in advising music artists on how to shape their careers on their own.

Today (March 30), both Rolling Stone and Variety reported on Russ’s new venture that he has embarked on with his fellow independent artist and best friend since childhood, Bugus. DIEMON, or Do It Everyday Music or Nothing, is a collective that has existed since 2010, and now, the moniker is the name of their new independent label.

When Russ signed with Columbia Records in 2017, DIEMON became an imprint of the label, but once he fulfilled his contract, he was back riding the independent wave.

“Everyone owns their masters; everyone owns their publishing,” said Russ. “We don’t eat on your merch or your tours, and everything’s a profit split deal. We’re not looking to invest in an artist just to change their music. If we like an artist enough to sign them, it’s because we like what they’re doing. It’s just a super artist-friendly situation, where we’re here to provide resources and mentorship to artists that we believe in.”

DIEMON has reportedly already signed its first artist, LaRussell.

“If you look at what he’s doing with his music, he’s putting out a bunch of content all the time — dropping albums here, dropping songs there. With him I was like, ‘Man, do whatever you wanna do. Whenever you need me, hit me,’” said Russ. “Because I know if that’s your vision and you wanna do all this content and do what you wanna do before you tap into the resources — I don’t care, rock out. That’s the same thing that I did, you know? But I know that wouldn’t be possible if he was signed to a major label, because they would be like, ‘Okay first of all, everything you’re putting out has to be ours. Second of all, you can’t be putting out this much stuff, we gotta have a plan.’”

Check out Russ’s post about his and Bugus’s accomplishment below.

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Olivia Rodrigo On The Beyonce Grammys Performance That Inspired Her: ‘I Remember Watching It like 25 Times’

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Olivia Rodrigo Sour Film Red Carpet
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Olivia Rodrigo is nominated for a whopping seven (!) Grammys at this year’s ceremony, but it’s one of her favorite memories of a performance over ten years ago that’s top of mind right now. In an interview with People, Rodrigo remembered watching Beyonce’s rather iconic 2010 performance of “If I Were A Boy” — which, by the way, also interpolates Alanis Morissette’s “You Oughta Know” in a brief moment of genius — and being pretty inspired by the moment.

“There’s this video of Beyoncé doing ‘If I Were a Boy’ at the Grammys, and I remember watching it like 25 times, being so enamored with her,” she said. “It’s so crazy that, maybe one day, a younger girl’s going to watch my performance many times and think that it’s cool. That’s the dream. That’s all I want.” Olivia is slated to perform at this year’s event, so it’s very likely that exact scenario will occur this Sunday.

In the lead up to the Grammys this year Olivia has been anything but slowing down. She recently released her Sour film documentary, Driving Home 2 U, and is also apparently practicing for her upcoming tour behind the hit album by singing while running on a treadmill. That’s probably harder than touring itself, right? I mean, I can barely get myself to keep going on the treadmill with normal breathing… but I guess that’s how you get into the kind of shape Beyonce is in.

Russ Announces Diemon, His Own ‘Artist-Friendly’ Label, And Reveals Its First Artist

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Russ 2021 Sacramento concert
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Russ has often bragged about his ability to find success in the music industry without having to sign a horrible contract with a label. This was a result of his DIY mentality that saw him release 11 albums and 87 songs between December 2011 to August 2014. It eventually led to him signing with Columbia Records in 2016, and the following year, he released his debut album There’s Really A Wolf. Since then, Russ has released three additional full-length projects: 2018’s Zoo, 2020’s Shake The Snow Globe, and last year’s Chomp 2. Now, for his latest endeavor, Russ is aiming to assist aspiring artists.

With help from his best friend and rapper Bugus, Russ has launched his own label called Diemon. The imprint is named after the collective that both Russ and Bugus have been a part of for the last decade. “Everyone owns their masters; everyone owns their publishing,” Russ said to Variety about the label, which he calls “artist-friendly.” “We don’t eat on your merch or your tours, and everything’s a profit split deal. We’re not looking to invest in an artist just to change their music. If we like an artist enough to sign them, it’s because we like what they’re doing.” He added, “It’s just a super artist-friendly situation, where we’re here to provide resources and mentorship to artists that we believe in.”

Russ wants potential artists on the label to understand the inner workings of the music industry as well as that they’re “no suits with no rhythm.” In addition to launching the label, Russ also revealed that its first artist is a California native named LaRussell who he discovered on TikTok.

Lizzo Is Launching Her Own Inclusive Shapewear Collection, Yitty, That Goes Up To Size 6X

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Lizzo Shapewear Yitty
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Lizzo has long been an advocate for the experience of plus size women, and all those living in a larger body. There’s been such a stigma and intense amount of fatphobia and hatred around fat bodies that sometimes it’s hard to remember all the progress we’ve already made in the area. For instance, plenty of brands have been called out for not having inclusive sizing, and in response, plenty of DTC clothing brands for women have changed their standard sizing to go up as high as 3X. As always, Lizzo is doing one better — make that three better.

Today she launched a new line of shapewear called Yitty in partnership with Fabletics. The brand is named for Lizzo’s childhood nickname. Her shapewear goes from size XS all the way up to size 6X, a size that while incredibly common, is extremely difficult to find. Lizzo recently teased the launch in a revealing Instagram post, calling it her “biggest thing YET. Bigger than anything I’ve ever done” and noting that it was “3 years in the making.”

In a post from earlier today, Lizzo called the line “a love letter to my big grrrls” She wrote: This is a love letter to my big grrrls, and a welcome letter to Every Body. This is *not* an invitation to change who you are… this is an opportunity to BE who you are on your terms. I don’t know about y’all— but I’m sick of people telling me how I’m supposed to look and feel about my body. I’m tired of discomfort being synonymous with sexy. If it’s uncomfortable TAKE IT OFF. And if it makes you feel good PUT IT ON. @YITTY isn’t just shapewear, it’s your chance to reclaim your body and redefine your beauty standard. I love y’all—I’m going live today and will answer any questions or feelings y’all have for me.”

“Instead of thinking about size in this linear way, we’re thinking about it on a spectrum where everyone is included,” the brand said in a statement. “Everyone’s size is just their size. It’s not high, it’s not low. It’s not big, it’s not small. It’s just your size.” In a press release, Lizzo said she had an epiphany when it came to the brand. “I was tired of seeing this sad, restrictive shapewear that literally no-one wanted to wear. I had an epiphany like, ‘who can actually do something about this?’ I decided to take on the challenge of allowing women to feel unapologetically good about themselves again.”

So far, Yitty is launching three distinct collection: Mesh Me, Nearly Naked and Major Label that are respectively described as “super bossy, super soft, super YITTY.” To learn more about the brand, check out their website here. The brand officially goes live April 12.

The Game Calls Out Hollywood For Trying To Cancel Will Smith: “This Was A Lul Ass Slap”

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His takes have often caused a buzz in Hip Hop and The Game is offering a few thoughts about the slap that remains a hot topic. We know, there has been an abundance of reports regarding Will Smith slapping Chris Rock at the Oscars following a joke made about Jada Pinkett Smith. Headlines related to the incident were intensified today after Academy Awards host Wanda Sykes spoke about being “traumatized” by the altercation, and the Oscars committee came forward with a statement about possible disciplinary actions against Smith.

Over on Instagram, The Game posted a screenshot of a Hollywood Unlocked report on Smith possibly losing his Best Actor award, and he penned a lengthy caption offering a differing perspective. According to Game, the Academy never wanted to award Smith to begin with and added, “He acted off impulse & imposed a slap down out of frustration & embarrassment on behalf of his wife.”

Chris Rock, Will Smith
Neilson Barnard / Staff / Getty Images

“Most people with opinions on the situation don’t have a committed relationship let alone a marriage of over 20 years to weigh against his feelings in the matter. He’s human & comedy is not always an excuse to publicly humiliate people especially while sitting front & center, Game continued. He condemned acting violently but stated, “This was a lul ass slap in defense of a woman battling a very delicate health issue.”

He then compared the issue to Alec Baldwin shooting and killing filmmaker Halyna Hutchins on set, as well as other scandalous Hollywood figures. Baldwin has come forward to also speak out against Smith’s actions.

“This fool Alec Baldwin took a woman’s life on set & got sympathy from the same Hollywood that is trying to condemn one of our greatest actors in history. It just so happens that he’s black !!!! Harvey Weinstein didn’t have to forfeit any accolades or awards & Roman Polanski was guilty of having sex with a minor & then vanished, became a fugitive & was still given an award. un-related to Hollywood but still an example of white privilege, Kyle whatever tf his name is killed people purposely & didn’t get a single day in prison… but y’all investigating a pimp slap.”

The Game ended his post by tagging Smith. Read through the entirety of the message below.

Julia Fox’s Alcohol Anonymous Sponsor Was “Real Housewives” Star Leah McSweeney

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Hollywood continues to show just how connected everyone is with this revelation from Married to the Mob founder Leah McSweeney and Julia Fox. The latter recently took pop culture by storm while traveling the world on the arm of Kanye West, but now that their romance has come to an end, Fox is pushing forward with her career sans the billionaire rapper. Aside from recently revealing she is working on a book, Fox has also been candid about her addictions and road to recovery.

We previously reported on the scathing allegations from Azealia Banks toward Fox as she called the Uncut Gems actress a “junkie.” Sweeney, who stars on Real Housewives of New York and has been sober for 10 years, recently mentioned her time with Fox as her Alcoholics Anonymous sponsor.

Julia Fox
Amy Sussman / Staff / Getty Images

“I was her sponsor in AA years ago, and we just stayed friends,” Sweeney said while on The Morning Toast. This isn’t the first time that she has spoken openly about it; months ago, Sweeney joined Fox on her Forbidden Fruits podcast and the pair detailed their relationship.

“Leah was my sponsor in AA. We were both so sick and suffering,” Fox said at the time. McSweeney added, “I have the coolest sponsees though… I mean, I really was in no shape to help anybody.”

Fox, who has admitted to previously struggling with addictions to pills and heroin, shared, “You told me something that I still think all the time: ‘Tire the body and the mind will follow.’ If I’m feeling depressed or stressed, I’m just like, ‘Let’s get busy.’ I’ll workout and whatever, and I always think about that.” It was advice that McSweeney received from her AA sponsor.

Check out The Morning Toast and Forbidden Fruits below.

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