Month: February 2023

China Insists it has been ‘Open’ on COVID Origins

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Following speculation on the pandemic’s origins, China said it has been  “open and transparent” with information it has obtained. 

Three years and over 6.8 million deaths later, concerns on how the worldwide virus emerged are at an all time high. 

Most recently, the U.S. Department of Energy  assessed with “low confidence” that the pandemic that was first detected in the central Chinese city of Wuhan in late 2019 began with the leak of a virus from a lab. This report remains sealed to the public. 

In defense of the accusations against China,  Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning Mao told reporters at a daily briefing that China has “shared the most data and research results on virus tracing and made important contributions to global virus tracing research.”

Mao added, “Politicizing the issue of virus tracing will not smear China but will only damage the U.S.’s own credibility,” opposing complaints from U.S. officials and members of Congress that China has not been fully cooperative. 

Still, not all opinions sway in favor of the United States. Members of the U.S. intelligence community disagree with the U.S. Energy Department assessment of the lab leak, specifying 

differing opinions within the government. On Monday, John Kirby, the spokesman for the National Security Council, said “There is just not an intelligence community consensus.” 

The DOE, which oversees a national network of U.S. labs,  concluded that the classified report was based on newly acquired intelligence and noted in an update to a 2021 document, according to the first reports made by the Wall Street Journal. 

Requests for comment made to White House officials by numerous sources to confirm the press report assessments have been declined. The last report, made in 2021, said four members of the U.S. intelligence community believed with low confidence that the virus was first transmitted from an animal to a human, and a fifth believed with moderate confidence that the first human infection was linked to a lab. The quest to find more information is ongoing. 

The post China Insists it has been ‘Open’ on COVID Origins appeared first on The Source.

Nike Is Commemorating The 50th Anniversary Of Hip-Hop With Special Editions Of Two Of Their Shoes

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Nike

Nike is commemorating 50 years of hip-hop in a very special way: Sneaker News has revealed that Nike is dropping a special set of Air Force 1 Lows, in honor of the beloved genre’s 50th anniversary.

These special Air Force 1s will come with white shoes bedecked with a silver logo. On the bottom will be a gray heel and sole, with a small, off-white layer between the bottom and the shoe. On the tongue is a small label reading “Nike: 50 Years Of Hip-Hop,” and inside the shoe will be gray, with the Nike Classics Air Force 1 logo.

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Nike

Additionally, Nike will also release a special black and gray hip-hop edition of their Dunk Highs.

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Nike

This year is gearing up to be a special one in the realm of hip-hop.

Earlier this month, the Grammys commemorated 50 years of hip-hop with an all-encompassing performance featuring artists from various eras, including Queen Latifah, Too Short, and GloRilla. Black Thought also released a “Love Letter To Hip-Hop” in the form of a song and mini-documentary. Last year, DJ Premier spoke with us about how he views the past, present and future of hip-hop.

As of now, there is no drop date for the shoes.

You can see the designs above.

The Reason Lil Wayne Called Drake ‘Drizzy Drake Rogers’ 15 Years Ago Will Make Canadians Face-Palm

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Drake recently opened up about exactly how one of his first interactions with Lil Wayne went. Specifically, the Canadian rapper noted that Wayne didn’t know what his name was when they meant, during an episode of A Moody Conversation alongside Lil Yachty.

“And I think his name was kinda like ‘Drake Drizzy Rogers’ / Or ‘Drizzy Drake Rogers,’ I’m too busy to play father,” Lil Wayne rapped in their 2008 collaboration, “Ransom.”

Yachty then asked Drake if Wayne still calls him that, fifteen years later. That was when Drake asked if he was aware of the backstory before sharing how exactly that line came to be.

“My email was [email protected]; Rogers was the service provider in Canada and [he] didn’t realize the ‘at’ in the email was like a middle interference,” Drake said. “He just thought my name was Drizzy Drake Rogers. I mean he rapped it once, I just didn’t have the heart to correct him.”

Rogers Communications, of course, is a major Canadian media and communications company that also owns the MLB’s Toronto Blue Jays and the Rogers Centre, where Drake’s beloved Toronto Raptors used to play their home games years ago.

Later in the interview, Drake and Lil Yachty discussed accents — with Canada coming up once again.

“I literally want to meet the first Toronto man of all time,” Drake added. “I don’t know who he is. I don’t know where he got the accent from or any of that but I know that he’s influenced all of us. I’m a full father talking like internet memes because that’s just my upbringing.”

Check out the full episode here.

Omah Lay’s Tiny Desk Concert Was His Subtle Stamping As Afrobeats Rising Star, Across The Diaspora

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When you think about the global music genre Afrobeats, who is the first act that comes to mind? Well, if Omah Lay wasn’t the first name to leave your lips, the Nigerian recording artist is working towards changing that. Making his Tiny Desk Concert series debut, the “Attention” singer put his best foot forward with a harmonious performance of his biggest tracks.

After finding success in 2020, thanks to his song, “Bad Influence,” which went on to be the most-streamed Nigerian song on Apple Music, Omah was sure to lead off his brief set with it. However, before transitioning onto the next track, which was “I’m A Mess,” he took a moment to introduce his band and supporting vocalists.

The musicians supporting Omah included guitarist Ernest “Subroza” Osei-Bonsu, keyboardist Donald Crentsil, drummer Kwabena Kyeremeh Adade, percussionist Leroy “Boogie” Greer, and bassist Steve Millar, while Domo Abrams and Monet Shelton provided background vocals. Speaking with the attentive in-studio audience, Omah said, “These boys are from Ghana, I’m from Nigeria, and the ladies [the background vocalists] are from America. So, my band is a mixture of it all.”

Songs “Soso,” “Never Forget, ” and a medley of “Infinity,” “Bend You,” and “Understand” close out his set. Quite a few of Omah’s fan-favorite tracks were notably missing from the set, including “Woman,” “Confession,” and “Damn,” the latter of which has been covered by 6lack. But to be fair, with so many songs to choose from, some just weren’t going to make the cut.

Watch Omah Lay’s full performance above.

Omah Lay is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

De La Soul Plans A Tribute Concert For Trugoy In New York As Their Catalog Hits Streaming Platforms

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The remaining members of De La Soul are planning to pay tribute to their fallen friend Trugoy The Dove with a concert at New York City’s Webster Hall. Thursday’s The DA.I.S.Y. Experience will transform the venue with “artwork from the group’s classic album, 3 Feet High And Rising” according to a press release, and will take place as the group’s catalog finally comes to DSPs.

Only 333 tickets will be available — since three is “The Magic Number,” after all — and you can reserve them beginning Wednesday (March) on the concert’s official website. And although that means that there will be plenty of disappointed fans, the De La Soul experience is for everybody; fans will be able to stream the concert live on Amazon Music’s Twitch channel at 8 pm ET, along with interviews with friends of the trio and other special guests.

Trugoy, aka Dave Jolicoeur, passed away at age 54 on February 12. The news of his death was met with a wave of tributes from hip-hop pioneers such as Nas, who saluted Dave during his Madison Square Garden show, Common, who was given one of his biggest breaks on De La’s 1996 album Stakes Is High, and a plethora of artists including Busta Rhymes, LL Cool J, Q-Tip, and Pharrell.

Kodak Black Will Enter Drug Treatment Program Following Arrest Warrant

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Kodak Black’s legal matters continue to weigh on him. Though he managed to get out of prison in 2021, he continues to deal with a plethora of issues. The rapper’s undoubtedly made some changes in his life, including enrolling in college. However, a judge signed off on an arrest warrant for him last week. The warrant went through the Broward County court, which stated that the rapper should be brought into custody immediately if any sheriff’s deputies encounter him due to a failed drug test. 

The warrant against the rapper stemmed from violating his bail conditions from his oxycodone trafficking case, specifically mandatory drug tests. In a matter of weeks, the agency he was supposed to report to stated that he failed to uphold his end of the bargain. On Feb. 3rd, Kodak Black didn’t report for a mandatory drug test and didn’t submit a sample. A week later on Feb 8th, they said that his sample came back dirty. They claimed they found traces of fentanyl in his tests. Shortly after, footage emerged of the rapper’s arrest. 

Judge Approves Kodak Black’s Drug Treatment

Things worked out for Kodak Black during his appearance in court on Tuesday morning. His attorney argued that a mix-up with Yak’s urine sample likely played a role in the test results. An employee for the lab that obtained the sample admitted there’s a possibility that an error occurred. From there, the judge and prosecution agreed to a hair sample instead to determine whether there were any drugs in Kodak’s system. However, the judge explicitly stated that the employee who took the urine sample shouldn’t conduct the hair sample. 

Ultimately, the judge ruled in favor of Kodak Black’s defense team who requested that he should enter a 30-day drug treatment program. Even more, the judge stated that Kodak could begin the program next week after he performs at Rolling Loud California. Yak, who came to court in a pink and yellow suit, thanked the judge before asking if he could have a Jolly Rancher from the bowl on the bench, which the judge approved. Check the clip above. 

[Via]

Zac Stacy’s BM Defends Him After He’s Sentenced For Domestic Violence Against Her

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Kristin Evans wanted to bring attention to Zac Stacy’s abuse, but now, she advocates for him not to be sent to jail. The former St. Louis Rams star went viral after a video showing him throwing Evans into a television and punching her surfaced online. The violent altercation reportedly occurred in their home in front of their then-five-month-old son. The incident happened in 2021, but only recently was it revealed that Stacy received a six-month sentence in jail.

Following the news, Evans took to her Instagram to share thoughts about the scandal. These days, she explains why she would rather have Stacy undergo a different punishment than being incarcerated. “Jail does not offer resources needed for mental health patients. It is not rehabilitative,” Evans wrote in a caption to a video. “The jail and prison system is a punishment in an authoritarian society made to oppress.”

Kristin Evans Explains Her Position

“I didn’t advocate for jail because the lack of resources, the lack of rehabilitation, the lack of education for mental health,” she continued. “And the psychological effect it may have on our son, having already developed a relationship with his father.” It seems Evans believes Stacy is a good father, and she would like to keep that bond intact. “Our son consistently FaceTimed his dad several times a week, he spends the entire weekend every other weekend, and he deserves to have that.”

Evans predicted that a message such as this would earn pushback. “Please give me some grace in understanding that I’m not being easy on Zac, rather I am trying to protect our son from anymore trauma. Nothing is black and white and not every abuser is the same.”

Kristin Wants People To Let Stacy Get Better

In her video, Evans detailed why she decided to release the video of the abuse in the first place. However, she believes that people can get better, and she wants Zac Stacy to be able to do that. “Especially with a diagnosable mental illness and significant head trauma caused by Football,” she added. Stacy hasn’t released a statement about the sentencing.