Month: May 2022

She did not exit her Sportscenter ESPN gig quietly and has spoken about leaving back in 2018, and Jemele Hill is giving more insight into her time with the network. The journalist co-hosted His & Hers with Michael Smith and it is well-documented that the relationship between Hill and ESPN wasn’t the calmest of waters. During her visit to Assets Over Liabilities, Hill revealed that during her tenure on His & Hers, she made $200,000 less than her co-host.

Others in Hill’s position would have outwardly blamed the network for not seeing their value, but Hill took a different approach by adding that negotiations play a key role in getting what you want.

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“I was making $200,000 less than him even though we were doing the same job,” said Hill. “It’s not so much about what you’re worth, it’s about what you will negotiate. I started at ESPN at such a low salary to begin with. One of those, ‘We’ll see how it works kind of contracts.’ A two-and-two contract: two-year deal with a two-year option, one of the worst contracts I ever signed.”

“My first year was $120,000, but that’s as an independent contractor, so that means I had to pay my own taxes and no health insurance. The lesson that I learned, you can’t sell out for a name,” she added. Because working for Sportscenter wasn’t some lifelong dream she had held onto, it was easy for Hill to walk away. 

Watch Jemele Hill on Assets Over Liabilities below.

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It is always refreshing to see artists in audiences, enjoying concerts like any other, and over the weekend, Anita Baker was a highlight. The legendary R&B-Soul-Smooth Jazz icon has been cranking out hits since the 1980s and hasn’t ceased in entertaining audiences far and wide. Her classics have remained staples on playlists for decades—songs like “Sweet Love,” “Caught Up In The Rapture,” “Angel,” and “I Apologize”—and many of our favorite rappers have been amazed, and inspired, by her music.

We recently reported on the 64-year-old songstress taking a moment during one of her performances to acknowledge Chance The Rapper who, she said, helped her regain her masters after decades of fighting for ownership.

“You should say hello to a friend of mine by way of the music industry and by way of helping me, helping me to get a hold and ownership of my master recordings,” Baker said as she pointed at Chance who was in the crowd. 

Also recently spotted taking in an Anita Baker show was Lil Wayne, and it doesn’t really come as a surprise. The Rap icon sampled Baker on “Best Thing Yet,” and during her show, she stopped to acknowledge him in the crowd, causing an uproar among fans. In a video shared online, Wayne stood at his seat as the audience applauded and began to take pictures.

As Ms. Baker thanked him, he thanked her in return. Check out the brief but heartwarming exchange below.

After taking a few months off to heal, DaniLeigh returned to social media earlier this month. At the time, she not only did a tell-all interview breaking down exactly what happened between her and DaBaby during their public spat last year, but the songstress also delivered a diss track, called “Dead To Me” on which she aired out all of her feelings.

During the sit-down with iHeartRadio’s Angie Martinez, Dani said the ex-couple’s feud “was very triggering, very sad.” She added, “I wish it didn’t happen because I don’t want my baby to see that later on in life, but she’ll grow to be her own person and be able to take things in.”

The mother of one also addressed the “VIBEZ” hitmaker’s claims that she was only his sidepiece. “During that time, I definitely wasn’t his sidepiece, and he knows that too,” she said.

Since then, DaniLeigh appears to be committed to becoming the best version of herself that she can, not only for her own good but also for the good of her daughter, Velour, who has been making more frequent appearances on her social media as of late.

The 27-year-old has also been using IG to proudly flex her post-baby body, revealing where her physique is at from all angles months after giving birth while blasting “Dead To Me” in a tiny black set.

“Working towards the best version of me,” she wrote over the Story post, which Draya Michele dubbed as “bomb” on @theshaderoom – check it out below, and tap back in with HNHH later for more pop culture news updates.

He’s a beloved pioneer of Hip Hop who has witnessed the ever-changing transition of the genre from one generation to the next, so Darryl “DMC” McDaniels of Run-DMC knows a thing or two about the impact of Rap. His classics have been covered, remixed, chopped and screwed as music fans have enjoyed the evolution of the trio—a group rounded out by Rev Run and the late-great Jam Master Jay.

Each generation faces its own sets of obstacles, especially within Hip Hop, and in recent years, we’ve seen a rise in artists losing their lives to violence, mental health struggles and suicide, or drug addictions and substance abuse. HipHopDX chatted with DMC about the culture and he expressed a bit of frustration with current artists failing to use their platforms to speak about these plaguing issues and, instead, often choosing to perpetuate them. 

Gustavo Caballero / Staff / Getty Images

“They didn’t listen. The big problem is nobody in this current generation of rappers is constantly making records about the issues. Think about it,” said DMC. “Out of all the top rappers, all of them, of this generation, did any of them make a message of self destruction? No. All of these successful dudes and girls, nobody’s doing songs about Peep, Mac Miller and Juice WRLD.“

He gave an example using his fellow Rap icons.

“Look at that void right there. Imagine if Q-Tip, Big Daddy Kane and Rakim OD’d. Every artist from Ice Cube to De La Soul would’ve made records addressing the issue. So this generation is being silent. So I’m like, ‘Yo. This is my culture. These are my people.’ Their age don’t mean nothing. What I’m doing now, as the OG, I’ve been doing this since 1983. Nobody wants to step up and take the responsibility for making sure another Juice WRLD and Mac Miller doesn’t happen again. Then I guess that I was given a microphone for a reason.”

DMC also added that “harmful, addictive, and unhealthy” behaviors are often “celebrated,” mentioning that if Future is going to “make that song about Percocet,” the very next song should be about the dangers. Do you think artists should hold the responsibility for bringing awareness to these issues? 

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Rappers like Megan Thee Stallion, Latto, and Doja Cat have been letting us know that they’re ready for summer with some spicy bikini snaps and now, 52-year-old Jennifer Lopez is giving them a run for their money with a photo dump of her own. On Tuesday, May 31st, the multihyphenate let her 210 million followers know that she’s activating “summer mode” nearly three weeks ahead of the season’s official start date.

For her backyard shoot, Lopez bared her chiselled abs in a black string bikini, keeping warm with a beautiful butterfly-print silk coverup. The Hustlers actress accessorized with $400 Versace sunglasses and a pair of 4-inch heels from her signature JLo Jennifer Lopez shoe label, priced at $60, as per Page Six Style.

Kevin Winter/Getty Images

While the first photo is slightly more modest, number two finds the mother of two flaunting her figure, which looks perfectly toned from head to toe. 

For her final inclusion, Lopez shared a video of her strutting herself and posing for the camera poolside, proving that her physique isn’t just smoke, mirrors, or IG filters.

When it comes to her fitness routine, the Selena actress doesn’t play. “There’s no quit in Jennifer, she’s hardcore,” celebrity trainer David Kirsch has said of the starlet, describing her also as “very hyper-focused and very disciplined.”

“She has better muscle tone than some of my clients who are 25,” he added.

In other news, just a few days ago R&B star Ne-Yo claimed that Jennifer Lopez “ghosted his DM” – read more about that here, and tap back in with HNHH later for more pop culture news reports.

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The investigation into what occurred in Uvalde, Texas continues to take unexpected turns. Salvador Ramos, 18, took the lives of 21 people—19 students and 2 teachers—at Robb Elementary School before being shot and killed by authorities. While the tragedy itself gained international attention, the Uvalde Police Department’s response set off a chain of subsequent investigations into if they handled the scene properly.

There have been allegations that over three dozen officers were outside of the school during the shooting, which reportedly lasted over an hour, who refused to enter the building. Parents were said to have fought police as they attempted to breach the school, with at least one mother reported as being handcuffed due to her defiance.

Steven McCraw, the head of the Texas Department of Public Safety, would come forward to confirm the news during a press conference last week, adding that it was “the wrong decision” not to immediately act. Now, Fox 11 News Los Angeles reports that following the news that the U.S. Department of Justice was looking into the case, the Uvalde Police Department has ceased cooperating with the state Department of Safety. The outlet added that “Pete Arredondo, the Uvalde school district police chief, has not responded to Texas Rangers in two days.”

A spokesperson for the Department of Safety said:

“The Uvalde Police Department and Uvalde CISD Police have been cooperating with investigators,” the statement said. “The chief of the Uvalde CISD Police provided an initial interview but has not responded to a request for a followup interview with the Texas Rangers that was made two days ago.”

Arredondo has reportedly claimed that he was under the belief that the “active shooter” notice was changed to “barricaded subject,” so he believed they had time. He has also taken criticisms for the changing timelines that were reported by police following backlash.

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Shortly after returning from a babymoon baecation with the mother of his eighth child, Bre Tiesi, Nick Cannon was spotted out on a dinner date at Nobu with another woman in his life – model Brittany Bell. The two have been in an on-again-off-again relationship over the years, with Bell giving birth to five-year-old Golden and one-year-old Powerful Queen from the America’s Got Talent personality.

Photos were captured of the co-parents on Memorial Day, with Cannon dressing down in all-black while the 34-year-old looked as glamorous as ever in a baby blue corset top, matching trousers, and a bright pink blazer. On her feet, Bell wore crisp white sneakers, carrying a gold bag in her hands.

Daniel Knighton/Getty Images

As Daily Mail notes, it remains unclear if the evening out was a platonic or romantic one, but nonetheless, it’s always great to see Cannon’s connection with the mothers of his many children amid their busy schedules.

Paparazzi cameras flashed as the father of eight opened the car door for Bell, driving her to and from the restaurant in his luxurious Rolls Royce.

As we mentioned earlier, the 41-year-old recently returned from a trip with Tiesi to the tropics, where they shared beautiful beach photos that find Cannon wrapping his hands around the pregnant starlet’s budding belly, eagerly anticipating the arrival of their first child together.

“BabyMoonin,” the expecting mother wrote in her caption. “I still just can’t believe it… Baby, mommy and daddy love [you] so much already.” Check it out below, and find photos from Nick Cannon and Brittany Bell’s Nobu date night here.

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