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This year has been a huge one for H.E.R. Having taken home two trophies at the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards and secured the Oscar for “Best Original Song” at the 93rd Academy Awards, this year was the perfect time for the acclaimed singer-songwriter to finally release her debut album, and thankfully, she did just that. Back of My Mind arrived last Friday, and the 21-track album featured star-studded collaborations with YG, Ty Dolla $ign, DJ Khaled, Chris Brown, Bryson Tiller, Cordae, Yung Bleu, and Lil Baby.

Days after the release of Back of My Mind, there’s apparently even more good news heading H.E.R.’s way.

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According to DJ Akademiks, early sales projections reveal that H.E.R.’s long-awaited debut album will move approximately 34,000 album-equivalent units in its first week.

At first glance, H.E.R.’s tentative first-week sales may not look like much compared to the mega releases as of late, but the projections actually represent significant commercial growth for the Grammy-winning artist. The singer-songwriter’s last project, I Used to Know Her, moved just 8,700 album-equivalent units, so if H.E.R.’s current sales projections hold, she will quadruple the first-week sales of her previous effort.

What’s even more exciting is that her early album sales and streams have her fighting for the sixth spot on the Billboard 200, which would mark her highest placement on the chart to date.

While we await the official first-week figures for H.E.R.’s debut album Back of My Mind, check out one of the album’s most popular singles, “Come Through” with Chris Brown.

Drake and Josh star Drake Bell attended a court meeting via Zoom in which he pled guilty to the attempt of endangering children and disseminating matter harmful to juveniles. With the former being a felony and the latter a misdemeanor, the status as to whether or not Bell will be spending time behind bars remains unsaid.

The performer was allegedly involved in an incident in Ohio in December 2017, which was later filed at a police department in Canada the following October. Based on communication between Canadian Authorities and the Cleveland Police Department, as the artist’s show took place in Cleveland, it was said that the15-year-old girl who filed the police report had stricken up a relationship with Drake years prior. According to TMZ, prosecutors have said that he “violated his duty of care and, in doing so, created a risk of harm for the victim.”

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The judge accepted his plea, and as a result of the fourth-degree felony, he could be facing up to 18 months in prison beginning in July. Seeing child stars find themselves in hot water is rarely surprising, but this is surely a story that catches raises far more eyebrows than another Disney star smoking weed while they are off-air.

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The creator of McAfee antivirus software, John McAfee, was found dead in a Spanish jail cell earlier today, just as the U.S. government called for his extradition. Several local news outlets have confirmed McAfee’s death which officials are saying was caused by apparent suicide. On Wednesday morning, hours before he was pronounced dead, the Spanish High Court came to an agreement with the U.S. government to extradite him back to America where he’s facing federal tax charges. 

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Police are still investigating McAfee’s death but justice department officials have already suggested that “everything points to suicide.” Another newspaper also described McAfee’s death as a suicide.

McAfee’s legal problems began mounting in October 2020 when he was hit with a 10-count indictment in Tennessee that accused him of evading millions of dollars worth of income tax. He’s been held in custody in Spain since the indictment was handed down. 

The indictment in Tennessee claims that McAfee had made millions of dollars off of public speaking bookings, the sale of his personal story for the purpose of a documentary, and consulting work. From 2014 to 2018, he had allegedly paid 0 in taxes.

He was also facing charges in Manhattan over a pump and dump cryptocurrency scheme that he’s alleged to have finessed a total of $13M out of.

We’ll keep you posted on any more updates regarding McAfee’s death. 

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West Coast rap icon E-40 has officially spent thirty years of marriage with his wife, Tracy Stevens. The couple got married in 1991 and they’ve spent the last three decades together, celebrating their anniversary this week.

The rapper posted some of his favorite pictures of them together to share their love with the world, looking back on some of their best memories as husband and wife.

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“Cheers to 30 years of marriage 30th anniversary is represented by pearl,” said E-40 on Instagram. “Pearls symbolize beauty from within and the kind of special bond that drives a 30-year relationship Mr. & Mrs. Stevens #myrib #mywife.”

Recently, Snoop Dogg spoke about his own marriage during a late-night talk show appearance, speaking about how it’s vital to establish a close friendship and communication boundaries at the start of a relationship, which will help allow the time to fly later on. E-40 and his wife have an incredible relationship and their fans are so happy to see that they’ve lasted for such a long time. 

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In the comments, West Coast rappers Kamaiyah, Iamsu!, and more have shared their congratulatory wishes. 

Take a look at the collection of photos below. Congratulations to E-40 and his wife on spending thirty years together!

Portland Police are making some new changes to the way they go about handling traffic stops. According to Associated Press, Portland has put a halt on low-level traffic stops in an attempt to address racial disparities. Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler made the announcement on Tuesday, revealing that police will also need a filmed consent to search any vehicles and inform citizens that they have the right to refuse.

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The changes arrive after data proved that there’s a disparity in traffic stops between white and Black drivers. The new implements of the policy are to “make our safety safer and more equitable,” according to Wheeler.

The police chief of Portland Chuck Lovell said that his officers have been directed to stop pulling over low-level traffic violations. However, officers have been asked to use their judgment if the violation seems like a threat, such as driving without lights on at night.

These policies have also been put in place due to the staffing shortage. The department is apparently short 150 officers of “authorized strength.” This is not only due to budget cuts but the increasing turnover rate among officers, many of whom left the force after the 2020 protests across America. Just last week, 50 officers who served as part of the city’s crowd-control unit who responded to the local demonstrations called it quits from the squad.

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