Month: June 2022

Generation Now, originated by DJ Drama, Don Cannon, and Leighton “Lake” Morrison, is one of the most prominent labels pushing the next wave of the culture today. Their joint venture partnership with mega label Atlantic Records, which began back in 2015, has resulted in over 30 billion global streams and launched the careers of Lil Uzi Vert and Jack Harlow, among others. Last Wednesday, the partners announced that they are expanding this deal.

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While details of the partnership have not been released yet, Generation Now did commit to taking advantage of the large label infrastructure to continue pushing and developing new artists in a creative and culturally resonant way. Their roster of current and rising stars includes Killuminatii, Sonny Digital, Seddy Hendrix, and Carvena.

Lake Morrison had some words to say about the deal in a statement. “Generation Now was founded with the goals of developing real artists, putting them and their art at the forefront, while still moving the culture forward,” says Morrison.

“It’s rare to find a major label that shares those same ideologies but that’s what makes our partnership with Atlantic so unique. Thank you to [chairman/COO Julie Greenwald, chairman/CEO Craig Kallman, and co-president of Black music Michael Kyser and Lanre Gaba] and the entire Atlantic staff for believing in us and our artists. We can’t wait to keep making history together. Watch what comes next!”

“We are thrilled to extend our partnership with Generation Now. Lake, Drama and Cannon are important figures in hip-hop and have always aimed to collectively move the culture forward with their forward thinking and individual expertise,” added Kyser and Gaba.

“Atlantic and Generation Now share a common vision in the importance of artist development which can be seen with the global success of superstars Jack Harlow and Lil Uzi Vert. We speak for the entire Atlantic Records family when we say we are very much looking forward to this next chapter with Generation Now, as we continue to make history, developing and breaking incredible new talent together.”

The Atlanta label is adding this expansion to a winning streak, spearheaded by the massive success of Jack Harlow’s “First Class,” which has spent three weeks at the top spot of the Billboard Hot 100. His sophomore major label record Come Home the Kids Miss You debuted at number 3 on the Billboard Top 200 Albums chart, a career achievement that only builds to the social media and rap world hype that artist like him and Lil Uzi Vert have built up. 

Other big wins for Generation Now include DJ Drama’s recent Grammy for his work on Tyler, the Creator’s Call Me If You Get Lost, which won Best Rap Album in 2022, and celebrating the anniversary of Means Street Studios opening in Atlanta, which the label founded ten years ago.

On top of that, they’re also creating a new studio that will focus on helping young creatives in Atlanta. DJ Drama released a Gangsta Grillz mixtape with Dreamville earlier this year (to much fan acclaim) and also reminisced on the “legendary” 2016 XXL Freshman Cypher he was a part of.

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At this point, everyone knows that Dave Chappelle is passionate about “cancel culture.” But now it seems he’s doing some cancelling of his own, trying to stop a $39 million housing development that would apparently include affordable housing.

Chappelle has purchased 19 acres of land next to his home in Yellow Springs, Ohio in order to halt a large development from going forward in the area. It seems that Chappelle bought the property in order to create distance between his preexisting land and the potential new construction.

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Chappelle voiced his opposition to the new housing back in February during a rant at the Yellow Springs Village Council. He threatened to rescind millions of dollars of investment in the village if the proposed construction moved forward. Chappelle lives on the edge of Yellow Springs in a three-bedroom house situated on a 39-acre farm which he bought back in 2015.

Chappelle has denied that he is against affordable housing. One of his representatives, Carla Sims, stated, “Dave Chappelle didn’t kill affordable housing. Concerned residents and a responding Village Council ‘killed’ a half-baked plan which never actually offered affordable housing.” She noted that only 3 of the 143 lots would be affordable housing. An architect who works closely with Chappelle added, “It’s clearly not designed for the benefit of the villagers… The developers rushed the project, and got a sweetheart deal with council that was not properly vetted.”

It’s not yet known how much Chappelle spent on the additional 19 acres, but the comedian is worth an estimated $50 million, so he has a lot of cash to spend.

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As Bre Tiesi prepares to welcome her first child (and Nick Cannon’s eighth) into the world any day now, the 31-year-old has been making rounds on the press circuit to open up about what she’s expecting from motherhood and how she plans to move forward with her baby daddy – not to mention his various other baby mothers.

“How do you split time, or how often will Nick, you know, be able to come see his son?” an Entertainment Tonight host asked the model and mother-to-be during an exclusive interview earlier this week. She responded, “I mean that all obviously [is dictated by] what’s going on in his work schedule.”

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She explained, “We all can go through the assistant to make sure it’s on the calendar if there’s something important,” adding that Cannon is the kind of man who “always shows up” for the women in his life when they need something from him, whatever it may be.

“So, tell me about the delivery. Will Nick be there?” ET asked Tiesi. “Yes, Nick will absolutely be there, he has no choice,” she confirmed with a laugh.

Speaking on the initial backlash she faced after revealing her pregnancy late last year, she said, “When it first started happening I was just like, ‘I don’t understand why everyone is so concerned. Like, why are you upset about what happens in my household?'”

“I understand people’s side and they’re used to their conventional relationships. That’s what’s instilled in us,” she added. “Whatever you want to call this has been going on for years.”

Elsewhere in the interview, Tiesi revealed that she doesn’t currently have contact with Cannon’s other baby mamas (though some of them have developed strong bonds in recent months). “I respect everyone’s space,” she told ET.

“At some point, we will. We just don’t necessarily need to at the moment. I think no matter what, the kids are going to be super close.”

Check out the full interview below, and tap back in with HNHH later for more pop culture news updates.

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It has been one month since the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas resulted in 19 dead student and 2 dead teachers. The tragedy once more ignited the debate over gun control in the United States, with many calling out the government for its continued inaction on the issue. 

Now, the federal government has finally passed a law to strengthen gun control. The Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, signed into law today by President Biden, is the largest reform packed to be passed by Congress in almost 30 years.

“Time is of the essence. Lives will be saved,” Biden said in his address before signing the document. “From Columbine to Sandy Hook to Charleston, Orlando, Las Vegas, Parkland, El Paso, Atlanta, Buffalo, Uvalde and for the shootings that happen every day in the streets. How many times have you heard that: ‘just do something, for God’s sake just do something’?”

The act will strengthen background checks on young people between the ages of 18 and 21 who are looking to buy a gun, and will incentivize states to pass red flag laws. Biden acknowledged that he knew there was still more to be done. “While this bill doesn’t do everything I want, it does include actions I’ve long called for that are going to save lives,” said the President. “Today, we say more than ‘enough.’ We say more than ‘enough.’ This time, when it seems impossible to get anything done in Washington, we are doing something consequential.”

He also said he hoped this bipartisan bill might open doors for other legislation. “If we can reach compromise on guns, we ought to be able to reach a compromise on other critical issues, from veterans’ health care to cutting edge American innovation and so much more,” he said. “I know there’s much more work to do, and I’m never going to give up, but this is a monumental day.”

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Despite his comical film and TV roles, David Spade doesn’t joke around with money. Last Thursday, he donated $5,000 to Kevin Ford, a Burger King employee who has not ever missed a day of work in the 27 years he’s worked there. 

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The 57-year-old actor made the contribution through Ford’s GoFundMe page, and he also sent him an Instagram DM, according to these TMZ screenshots. “Keep up the good work. 27 years,” wrote Spade. 

The Burger King employee responded with much gratitude, saying he might be able to take a day off now. Spade joked, “Wait till year 30.” Ford took it well and said, “Damn, are you one of my managers? [laughing emojis] Thank you again Sir, you’re the best, have a great day.”

Ford recently went viral this week when the fast-food chain got him a “goody bag” to celebrate the achievement comprised of a few questionable items: some Reese’s, Lifesavers, a movie ticket, a lanyard, some keychains, and a few other everyday items.

Ford posted a video praising Burger King for their actions, saying that “loyalty pays off.” However, many were critical of Burger King and the higher-ups that authorized the gift for not giving Ford more reward for his incredibly hard and consistent work. People have rightfully said he deserves more than just a goody bag, whether that be vacation time or a whole franchise.

Amid the virality of the incident, Ford’s daughter started a GoFundMe page for her father, which provided some context to the accomplishment. Ford started working at Burger King as a single father when he gained custody of his two daughters. He continued to work there and raised four daughters all the way to college, and they all benefitted from the health insurance that the job provided.

“My dad continues to work here, because though he does look young, he is coming up on retirement age and leaving would cost him his retirement,” says Ford’s daughter Seryna in the GoFundMe page description. “In no way are we asking for money or is he expecting any money but if anyone feels like blessing him he would love to visit his grandchildren.”

Kevin has told TMZ that he’s a big fan of David Spade’s films, which makes the interaction all the more meaningful. As of writing this article, over 3,200 people have raised over $105K for Ford.

This isn’t the first time Burger King has been criticized by employees or customers, but it’s also not the first time a celebrity gives its workers the wild reward they deserve. Whatever the case, at least Ford is seeing his hard work pay off and being properly rewarded for it – all while cracking jokes with a superstar comedian. 

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On June 20, Beyoncé released her highly anticipated single, “Break My Soul.” The track is a part of her upcoming album, Renaissance, which is set to drop on July, 29. Many fans were shocked to hear that the track was a dance record, seemingly meant for an upbeat club or a fun parade. Nonetheless, the single has been climbing the charts and everyone is anticipating her newest project.

As thousands of people begin to fall in love with the song’s vibe, one person, in particular, is experiencing a different bundle of emotions. Robin S is a singer and songwriter who had an abundance of success in the 1990s. Her hit song “Show Me Love” brought her a lot of attention– so much so that Queen Bey decided to sample it in her latest release.

In an interview with Good Morning Britain, Robin explained her reaction to hearing Beyoncé sample her song. She recalled that her son brought it to her attention, letting her know that she had been trending online following the song’s release.

She stated, “… This message goes out to the Queen B herself, Beyoncé, to Jay-Z, to the entire team. Thank you so much for giving me my flowers while I’m still alive. I’m honored and excited to see what else can happen.”

Following her interview, the singer revealed that Beyoncé had sent a gift to her house. She uploaded a picture of a bouquet of white flowers on her Instagram– in the center was a note that read, “Thank you for being such a huge inspiration. Thank you for paving the way.”

In a heartfelt message, Robin thanked the mother of three and acknowledged her legacy. “May you continue to be that beacon of light, that ray of sunshine and that hope for the generations to come.”