Month: July 2022

Fans of Desus Nice and The Kid Mero are still reeling from the news of their split, especially considering details remain scarce. We first reported on the rumors regarding the Bodega Boys coming to an end due to Desus’s enigmatic tweets. Soon, the hoopla caused Showtime to come forward with a statement, confirming that the pair were going their separate ways.

“Desus Nice and The Kid Mero will be pursuing separate creative endeavors moving forward. SHOWTIME’s late-night talk show DESUS & MERO will not be returning for a fifth season. Its final episode aired Thursday, June 23,” a spokesperson for the network said in a press release.

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On The Breakfast Club, Charlamagne Tha God shared a few thoughts about the controversy.

“Two talented brothas, wish them success in their solo endeavors, but one thing this situation reminds me of is we really are a culture that’s quick to talk about bad news,” Charlamagne stated. “Like, Desus & Mero been on TV for the last six years from Vice to Showtime—their show’s critically acclaimed, they got New York Times best-selling book, brand deals, they’ve done some amazing things together and I’ve never seen the culture collectively report on those great things the way they’ve done this breakup, but that’s just the way it is.”

“People will scream about what they think is your failures and they’ll whisper about your success.”

Angela Yee jumped in to say that it seemed like most people were upset at the end of an era, not a failure. Charlamagne clarified that he wasn’t speaking on the Hive, but once again emphasized “collectively as a culture,” he’s never seen a sweeping report on “the great things they’ve done.”

Watch Charlamagne detail his thoughts below.

The younger generation often complains that there aren’t enough “Old Heads” out there trying to teach them a better way, but Ice-T has dedicated himself to making sure he can help educate as many people as possible. The former gangster turned rapper used his life experiences to carve out a legendary career in both Rap and Metal, and now, he’s partnered with a friend, Mike known as Certified Spike, to pen a memoir, Split Decision: Life Stories. The music legend caught up with the Rickey Smiley Morning Show to talk about their collaboration, detailing the inspiration behind the book.

“One of my friends and I started out in the same business, we were in the streets, breaking the law, hundreds and hundreds of robberies,” said Ice-T. “When I started making music, I told my boys, ‘I’m done with this life. I wanna do something better, I’m gonna make music.'”

“He decided to continue and ended up catching a life sentence. So, he got out of prison, he did 26 years, and when he came home, he wanted to write a book,” the rapper added. He told Spike that their roles could have easily been reversed, so they decided to partner up to write “a cautionary tale to tell these cats that hey, this is not the road you wanna take.”

“I ended up taking the right road, and that’s what the book is about. It’s a cautionary tale showing people that every decision you make can change the trajectory of your life.”

The book seems to chronicle the stories of both Ice-T and Spike, showing the drastic differences in how things can turn out with one wrong turn. The lifelong friends are still locked in and Spike’s Instagram shows that he’s focused on community building while also occasionally hitting the road on tour with Ice-T. 

Listen to Ice-T’s interview below.

Another Real Housewives star counts herself as lucky to be alive after she became the victim of a frightening home invasion. Marlo Hampton has starred on Real Housewives of Atlanta for years, and just hours ago, it was reported that four people, all suspected to be gang members, were taken into custody on suspicion of being responsible for a string of robberies. Hampton is reportedly believed to have been one of over a dozen victims hit by the group.

Local news station WSBTV caught up with Hampton, and she told the outlet that she was home with her nephews when they were startled by a noise. “When I heard the boom, when I heard my nephew scream — and I knew that scream was a scream of fear — my heart dropped,” said Hampton.

Paras Griffin / Stringer / Getty Images

The “boom” she heard was the suspects kicking in her door. Hampton has previously shared on RHOA that she has been parenting her nephews, both now in their teens, for years. She added that the suspects may have fled the scene when she began yelling and screaming.

“I just thank God and we’re covered in the blood of Jesus and I’m here to share this story with you. But my main concern is, I want all the ladies—I want everyone to be aware if you are posting, if you do have luxury items, be careful,” Hampton said. The Sandy Springs Police Department were able to nab the alleged perpetrators “as they attempted a home invasion at a townhouse occupied by the mother of one of the children of famous rapper Future.”

The gang reportedly targets “high profile entertainment, sports or social media figures.” Anyone from reality stars to rappers to athletes—and those associated with them—are warned to be on high alert. It was also reported that police think that this gang was also responsible for a burglary at Gunna’s home.

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The breakup involving Tyrese and Zelie Timothy is playing out like a social media soap opera. Recently, the actor took to his Instagram account to declare his single status while berating his ex-girlfriend in the process. He suggested that she was more interested in spending time out and about, and according to Tyrese, he wanted a woman who was ready to settle down. He also called Zelie a snake and it all seemed like a viral moment that showed a man hurt by a romance gone sour, and now, Zelie has returned with a response.

Whereas these sorts of instances would find an ex returning the insults that they’ve received, Zelie went another route and professed her love for Tyrese.

Paras Griffin / Stringer / Getty Images

“Tyrese When we first got together, we promised each other that we would let nothing get in the way of our love. Not ex’s or social media. Yet, WE’VE been getting in the way of our love,” she wrote, adding that she refused to bring up “what you’ve done and said.” Zelie acknowledged that her actions have made the actor “sad.”

“All I have ever wanted for us was to be happy. Going through your divorce, your mother’s passing, your sister, and now your father with you has been hell, and being your way of escape has been beautiful,” she added. “But There were times that I let my stubbornness get in the way of what we were building. Times where I’ve done things and said things you didn’t like.”

This relationship with Tyrese was apparently her first, and it looks like she wants him back.

“After all this, you’ve made me know that hell is just earth without you. I’ve loved you with everything I have since the day we met. I hope going to these therapy sessions will help us both learn about each other deeper. I want you to know how much I miss you and what you mean to me. I love you.”

We’re sure this isn’t the latest episode of this saga. Check out Zelie’s post in full below.

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A post shared by Zelie Timothy (@zelietimothy)

Although reactions to her new single have been a mixed bag, Ciara is pushing full steam ahead with the promotion of “Jump.” The Pop-R&B icon recently released the uptempo dance record that hosted a feature from Los Angeles-based Hip Hop group Coast Contra, and the pairing seemed to throw fanbases for a loop. Coast Contra is known for being a bar-heavy collective—proven by their recent viral moments that received praise from some of Hip Hop’s most respected emcees.

Ciara has continuously offered dance tracks throughout her career and has amassed success along the way, but this time around, “Jump” divided listeners as they fired off social media debates.

Theo Wargo / Staff / Getty Images

As music lovers dissect “Jump” and its hitmaking ability, Ciara has shared a video showing some of her famous friends singing along. Each person filmed themselves and it was later spliced to include Kim Kardashian, Latto, La La Anthony, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Vanessa Bryant, Natalia Bryant, and J Balvin.

The clip also shows that these entertainers made their videos as they were working on other projects, out at events, or relaxing at home, so it looks like Ciara reached out for a few favors and they were happy to deliver. 

Check out the video below.

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A post shared by Ciara (@ciara)

If you thought that singing competition shows were on the decline, think again. For decades there have been series dedicated to taking unknowns and thrusting them into the spotlight, and there are plenty of options to choose from as a viewer—American Idol, The Voice, America’s Got Talent and more. We’ve watched as talented hopefuls have their dreams shattered after being eliminated or booted from lineups after famous judges tell them that their abilities just aren’t up to par, but Jason Derulo doesn’t think that these shows are necessarily finding the right talent.

The singer and social media influencer recently caught up with Billboard and stated that competition shows such as these need to focus on the “spark” that a person has, not just their talent alone.

Lisa Lake / Stringer / Getty Images

“I think a lot of times in these competition-based shows, they’re not looking for a special thing about a person but they’re looking for the best voice. Unfortunately, that is not what makes a star,” said Derulo. “It’s a special something about somebody that makes a star. Cardi B, before she put out any music, people were into Cardi B, she had that special something.”

“That’s why when you’re watching these shows like American Idol and The Voice, no star is coming out of them, very few and far between. Kelly Clarkson, yes, Carrie Underwood, yes. But how many seasons have there been?” Derulo has been promoting his Tuborg Open campaign where he reportedly will find and sign six artists from around the globe.

The controversy regarding winners of these popular shows not receiving their just do has been an ongoing conversation. Most are awarded record deals or opportunities to record and release music with superstars. However, even with the visibility and new industry contacts, many fade away as the next cycle of contestants is revealed.

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We haven’t heard much from Jacquees lately and that may be because he’s been hard at work on his next record. It’s been three years since we received his last project, King of R&B, and according to the singer, he’s returning with a record packed with heavy hitters that are poised to take over the R&B scene. He’s already collaborated with the likes of Trey Songz, Dreezy, Dej Loaf, Future, 2 Chainz, Dave East, and many more, and in an interview with Rap-Up, he explained what his fans can expect this time around.

“My new album that I’m working on right now, it’s executive produced by Future,” he said. “We haven’t dropped the album title yet, so we ain’t giving out the album title.”

Paras Griffin / Stringer / Getty Images

While he was secretive about the record’s title, Jacquees did reveal a few features to get fans excited. 

“Summer Walker on the album, 6LACK on the album, 21 Savage, I already told you, Chris [Brown] on the album,” Jacquees added. “This one, this the one.” He then detailed how he landed the feature with Walker, stating that they’re fans of each other’s music and it was was an easy collaboration since they’ve already worked together in the past.

“I really just asked her could she get on the song. She was on the King of R&B album we dropped a record called ‘Superstar,'” he said. “I sent her the song. She was like, ‘Oh, this hard. This sound like some of your old music.’ This one of the ones.”

This new album is slated for arrival at the end of the summer, so we’ll keep you updated on more news about that. Check out Jacquees’s interview with Rap-Up below where he also talks about getting Summer and 6LACK on a record together, as well as his connection to 21 Savage.

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The latest male celebrity to don a skirt on the red carpet? Brad Pitt, at the premiere of his highly anticipated Bullet Train movie.

The 58-year-old actor’s outfit for the big event consisted of a knee-length brown skirt and a matching jacket worn over a mauve-coloured linen button-up shirt. On his feet he wore combat boots, leaving a few inches of his lower legs exposed to show off his tattoos.

Ben Kriemann/Getty Images

As Page Six reports, one of the rarely-seen pieces looks to be a rhinoceros face while the other resembles a human skull; he hasn’t publicly shared the meaning behind the ink, though he has been candid about other pieces he’s gotten done in the past.

On his arms, Pitt has the phrase “absurdities de l’existence,’ or “life is absurd” in French, as well as his many children’s initials, an outline of Ötzi the Iceman, and another quote, which reads, “There exists a field, beyond all notions of right and wrong. I will meet you there.”

Angelina Jolie & Brad Pitt in 2015 — Kevin Winter/Getty Images

During his marriage to Angelina Jolie, the Inglourious Basterds star got some tattoos dedicated to her, including a matching Sanskrit design that pays tribute to their son, Maddox, as well as a scribble on his back penned by his ex, and her birthdate in Cambodia’s Khmer language which lives on his lower stomach.

 If you haven’t already heard about his new film, Pitt stars alongside Sandra Bullock, Joey King, Zazie Beetz, and Bad Bunny in Bullet Train, which follows five assassins aboard a train, all of who have been assigned different (but interlinked) missions – check out the trailer below, and tap back in with HNHH later for more pop culture news updates.

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