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Daft Punk is one of the most legendary acts in the history of music. The French duo formed all the way back in 1993, and since that time, they have completely revolutionized the electronic music genre. From working with Kanye West to The Weeknd, Daft Punk excited music fans and always found a way to deliver classic albums and live performances. Underneath their futuristic robot masks, they were able to maintain a special level of anonymity, that made their music that much more intriguing.

Shockingly, the duo announced their official split today with a video posted to their website called “Epilogue.” In order to make this announcement, they posted a clip from their movie called Electroma in which one member blows themself up. In the video, “1993-2021” is displayed on the screen, which tells you the group is no more. 

Pitchfork was able to confirm this news via Kathryn Frazier, who was the publicist for the group. This breakup is a massive announcement that has saddened numerous fans who were expecting the group to drop another album. Their last effort was 2013’s Random Access Memories and there were rumors they had something new in the works.

Regardless, Daft Punk will forever remain a legendary group and their contributions to music will forever be remembered.

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There’s a reason that Jay-Z won the race to become hip-hop’s first billionaire, beating out the likes of his fellow competitors Dr. Dre and Diddy to secure the prestigious title. Though his “business…man” lyric has become quoted to the point of parody, the sentiment holds true. Few rappers hold such a keen mind for entrepreneurial endeavors as the Jigga Man. Case in point, the legendary rapper has officially signed a new deal with Moët Hennessy, which would grant the wine and spirit company a fifty-percent ownership stake in Jay’s champagne Armand de Brignac, also known as “Ace Of Spades.”

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In an announcement tweet from Roc Nation, the nature of the deal is revealed. “Shawn JAY-Z Carter is pleased to announce a partnership with Moët Hennessy as they acquire a 50% stake in Armand de Brignac,” it reads. The partnership reflects a shared vision between Moët Hennessy and Shawn JAY-Z Carter for the future of this iconic Maison.” The link provided sheds further light on the partnership, detailing Jay’s intention to immortalize Armand De Brignac as an iconic staple in the world of luxury spirits. 

In a statement revealed via press release, Jay-Z opened up about his decision to strike a fifty-fifty deal, citing Moët’s existing credibility and enduring brand power. “We are confident that the sheer power of the Moët Hennessy global distribution framework, its unparalleled portfolio strength and its long-established track record of excellence in developing luxury brands will give Armand de Brignac the commercial power it needs to grow and flourish even further,” he explains.

Philippe Schaus, President & CEO of Moët Hennessy, also shared a few words on the partnership. “We are going into this partnership on equal terms together with JAY-Z and his family and with the same conviction that we are only at the beginning of a wonderful story,” he states. “Together, we will lay a strong path forward to firmly cement Armand de Brignac as a luxury icon for current and future generations of customers.”

Check out the full press release, as shared in a Roc Nation tweet, below. 

Cam Newton was going viral on TikTok yesterday as the star quarterback was in Myrtle Beach for a special 7 on 7 tournament. Newton was there to cheer on the teams and also sponsor one of the entries, although it turned a bit south when one of the players started heckling him. The teenager told him that he was “ass” and that he couldn’t even get signed, which led to a light confrontation in which Newton called the kid spoiled.

Many praised Newton for the way he handled the situation, while others were upset that a teenager thought he could speak that way. In fact, Jseth Owens, the teen behind the video, came out with an apology as he felt like the video misrepresented him. Owens claims it was just his competitive spirit at work, and that he is deeply sorry for all of it.

“I did not intend for it to get as far as it did!” Owens said. “As a football player, I let my competitive side get the best of me & it was a huge miscommunication. It was in the midst of the moment & I realize now how a lot of you took it as disrespect.”

Newton made his own statement about the ordeal, and as he noted, the whole thing is behind him and amends have been made. Needless to say, it’s better to just not criticize an NFL superstar, in such a public way because very few people will be on your side.

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Tekashi 6ix9ine has fixed his focus on Chicago rapper Lil Durk for months, antagonizing the troll by dissing his late friend King Von, his murdered cousin OTF Nunu, and others. He’s also gotten into it with Meek Mill since returning to the spotlight a few weeks ago, catching up to the Philadelphia rapper at a nightclub and nearly coming to blows. Following the release of his new music video “ZAZA”, which includes footage of his altercation with Meek, as well as a lyric that many have perceived to be a diss against Lil Durk, 6ix9ine’s enemies are forcing the rapper to read between the lines as they respond with subliminal messages.

 
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Lil Durk has seemingly refused to entertain 6ix9ine’s nonsense this time around, using cryptic messages that pertain to his constant trollery while asserting that he won’t be jumping into internet beef. His latest post calls 6ix9ine’s antics into question, writing on Instagram, “If you from the streets then you know the internet ain’t nun but lames behind names.” While he doesn’t call out the rapper by name, this could very likely be aimed at the returning star.

Many of 6ix9ine’s foes have jumped into the comments, including Meek Mill, who wrote, “A illusion”. G Herbo, who also has issues with Tekashi, said, “Lol Hate it here” while the recently-freed Rowdy Rebel added a shushing emoji. 

6ix9ine is back in the spotlight but, as always, people are stuck questioning how long his notoriety will last. It’s clear that he’s back on his supervillain ways, though, which were recently dissected in a new docu-series.

Do you think 6ix9ine is playing in dangerous territories?

It’s but a long time, but Bobby Shmurda’s release date is finally approaching. With the beloved rapper set to return home this coming Tuesday, TMZ has already provided a glimpse at what he aims to do upon touching down. Unsurprisingly, Shmurda intends on staying relatively quiet, catching up with his family. His mother Leslie Pollard told the publication that she intends on whipping up a home-cooked meal, which would mark Shmurda’s first since being imprisoned in 2014.

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Pollard also explains that Shmurda intends on hitting the ground running on a musical level, picking up where he left off. While the hip-hop landscape has changed drastically since his incarceration, many have been eagerly anticipating Shmurda’s release, including several rappers like Rowdy Rebel, Boosie Badazz, and Young Thug — in fact, Thugger went so far as to promise Shmurda a collaboration, prompting Quavo and YG to echo the sentiment. Suffice it to say, don’t be surprised to see Bobby Shmurda’s comeback project be a relatively star-studded affair.

As for a potential timeline, Rowdy Rebel has already expressed interest in sharing the stage with Shmurda come Summer Jam 2021, provided an iteration of the festival is actually able to take place. Should that indeed transpire, expect there to be plenty of Shmurda music served up beforehand, which seems appropriate given his intentions to hit the booth with a vengeance. Overall, it seems like Bobby Shmura’s many supporters will have ample reason to celebrate this year — are you excited to see how the rapper’s return plays out? 

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This season is unlike any other in NBA history. Of course, the league had to deal with COVID-19 last season, although that was only for just a couple of months in the bubble. Now, the league has to go a whole season with COVID and as a result, there are no fans in the stands. This has led to a particular atmosphere that the players have yet to acclimate to.

Kyle Kuzma of the Los Angeles Lakers believes that this atmosphere makes playoff seeding useless. As he explained, home-court advantage is no longer a factor this season, and he feels like that no matter where the Lakers finish in the standings, they will be poised for a deep run.

“I don’t really know that’s it’s as imperative as past years,” Kuzma said. “There’s not really a homecourt advantage and regardless, before you get to the Finals, you’re going to play the Clippers or the Jazz, or you’re going to play somebody that’s up there. It doesn’t really matter too much. ‘Bron was a four seed in his last year in Cleveland and went to the Finals. It doesn’t matter.”

These comments come after a mini losing streak by the Lakers, who have been having a hard time in light of Anthony Davis’s absence. While Kuzma might be right, his hypothesis will come tumbling down if the league starts letting a large number of fans back in the arena. 

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James Harden’s exit from the Houston Rockets was something that was painful for all sides. Now, the superstar player is on the Brooklyn Nets, and his new team seems poised to do some big things in the NBA playoffs. 

For now, however, Harden has a lot of his energy focused on Houston, as the city is currently going through a crisis. This past week, a horrible winter storm made its way through the entire state of Texas and it left millions without power and water. Those in need have been struggling, and as Harden explained last night, he has been hard at work trying to get resources to those who need them most. Harden still loves Houston, and he felt like he needed to do something.

“I’m on calls literally every day. All-day,” Harden said. “Trying to impact the city because they showed me so much love and respect during the time I was there. I call Houston my home.”

Harden’s efforts to bring resources to the city will certainly go a long way, especially as the entire state continues to recover from what was an unexpected storm. At this point, it seems like Harden is doing more than a certain Senator, that shall remain nameless.

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The hip-hop community was faced with another scare after reports broke on Sunday night that shots were fired during a music video shoot for an upcoming song by Roddy Ricch and 42 Dugg. Three people were taken to the hospital and two others reportedly drove themselves to the same medical facility. Thankfully, it appears as though both of the rappers involved are okay as one of Roddy’s associates confirmed that the rising star is alright before 42 Dugg assured fans that he’s also doing well.

 
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Updating his Instagram Story shortly after the incident, the Detroit rapper said, “Appreciate the concerns though I did not get SHOT!!!!!!!” Information about the incident was scarce for a few hours directly following the initial reports, worrying fans of both artists who recalled all-too-similar situations that have happened recently in the rap world.

As for Roddy, the rapper hasn’t updated his own pages but DJ A-Tron said that the rapper is A-OK. “My n***a Roddy good, all the homies good,” he tweeted.

The names of the victims were not released to the public, nor have the names of the suspect(s). An investigation is currently underway and we will keep you posted with any relevant information in further updates.

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Sacha Baron Cohen says that the Biden Campaign was “very happy” to see Donald Trump’s lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, in Baron Cohen’s most recent film, Borat Subsequent Moviefilm: Delivery of Prodigious Bribe to American Regime for Make Benefit Once Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan. In the scene, he is caught with actress Maria Bakalova in a very compromising position.

“Suddenly he was having to try to explain that he wasn’t playing with himself,” Baron Cohen told the Guardian. “It was such a close election that everything in those final weeks was crucial.”

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The Guiliani scene dominated the headlines following the film’s release in October 2020. The former Mayor of New York City had to deny the implication of the film’s ending in the press.

“The government was always proud of its misogyny,” says Baron Cohen. “It got elected after it was publicized Trump suggested grabbing women’s genitalia. He appealed to people with a feeling of emasculation, who were threatened by the rise of women. Predominantly white men who felt that they had lost their advantage.”

During a Fox News appearance, Guiliani berated a reporter who asked him about the scene: “You better apologize for that! I’ve been a United States attorney, associate attorney general, mayor of New York City, and a member of the bar for 50 years. I’ve never been accused of anything, and you’re accusing me of being Christopher Steele.”

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The Minnesota Timberwolves are moving on from head coach Ryan Saunders, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. The team announced their decision following the Timberwolves’ 103-99 loss to the New York Knicks, Sunday. No interim coach has been named.

“We would like to thank Ryan for his time and commitment to the Timberwolves organization and wish him the best in the future,” said President of Basketball Operations Gersson Rosas. “These are difficult decisions to make, however, this change is in the best interest of the organization’s short and long-term goals.”

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Under the leadership of Saunders, the Timberwolves currently maintain a disappointing 7-24 record on the season. After over two years with the organization, he finishes with a 43-95 overall record.

Saunders is the son of Timberwolves’ legendary coach Flip Saunders, who coached the Timberwolves from 1995-2005, as well as 2014-2015. Flip was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma in 2015 and passed away on October 25, 2015, at the age of 60.

Rosas says the Timberwolves will announce the next head coach on Monday, February 22. Under their new head coach, the team will travel to Milwaukee to play the Bucks on Tuesday night.

The Athletic’s Shams Charania reports that the Timberwolves will hire Toronto Raptors’ assistant coach Chris Finch.

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