CEO

Adidas CEO Considered Hiding From Kanye West During Airport Encounter

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Adidas CEO Bjorn Gulden has explained the viral photo of himself speaking with Kanye West at an airport in Las Vegas following the Super Bowl. Speaking at a press conference at the company’s headquarters, Gulden joked that he considered hiding from Ye to avoid bad press, but decided against it. Regardless, the relationship between the two sides is not being mended anytime soon.

“It was not a meeting, there was no business discussion,” he said of the run-in. From there, he joked: “If you meet him at an airport, I don’t know what you do. Do you hide? Or what do you do?” Gulden also reiterated: “The contract has ended. We are selling off the inventory.”

Read More: Kanye West Sparks Adidas Rumors After Posing With The Company’s CEO

Bjorn Gulden Poses With Adidas Soccer Ball

Bjorn Gulden, CEO of sports equipment maker Adidas, holds the official ball on November 15, 2023, at the Olympic Stadium in Berlin, Germany, during an event organized by sports equipment maker Adidas to present the official ball for the 2024 UEFA European Football Championship. (Photo by Tobias SCHWARZ / AFP) (Photo by TOBIAS SCHWARZ/AFP via Getty Images)

Kanye and Adidas have been at odds for years since their partnership. The company cut ties with Ye officially following his antisemitic comments in 2022. More recently, West called out the company for continuing to sell its stock of the Yeezy Boost 350. “Anybody who loves Ye would not buy these fake Yeezys,” he wrote on Instagram. “I never made these color ways I’m not getting paid off of them and adidas is suing me. All these celebrities and the public will stand against a T shirt or the color of my hat but when yall see me have my children hidden from me or see an actual Fortune 500 company r*pe one of your heroes in real life don’t nobody say nothing or do nothing. As far as the system goes What yall gone do now Take my album down again Freeze my accounts again Threaten people to not work with me again. All the new non approved 350’s are cooorny and everybody know the 350 been corny.”

Kanye West Calls Out Adidas

Check out more of Ye’s recent comments on Addias above. As for music, he recently shared a collaborative album with Ty Dolla Sign, Vultures. Be on the lookout for further updates on Kanye West on HotNewHipHop.

Read More: Kanye West Gets Praise From Snoop Dogg, & More After Revealing Adidas Is Suing Him For $250 Million

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Snoop Dogg’s Viral “Give Up Smoke” Ad Leads To CEO Firing

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Snoop Dogg’s viral “Give Up Smoke” advertisement for Solo Stove has led to the firing of the company’s CEO, John Merris. The company says that it saw no “substantial revenue increase,” despite the cost and virality of the marketing campaign. Christopher Metz is now stepping in as Solo Stove’s president, chief executive officer, and director of the board.

Interim CFO Andrea Tarbox explained the company’s decision in a statement caught by Uproxx. “While our unique marketing campaigns raised brand awareness of Solo Stove to an expanded and new audience of consumers, it did not lead to the sales lift that we had planned, which, combined with the increased marketing investments, negatively impacted our EBITDA,” she said. “We believe there is a significant opportunity for us to build awareness and that these new campaigns will expand our reach and benefit our brands over the long term.”

Read More: Snoop Dogg Pokes Fun At Weed-Quitting Hoax With Iconic “Friday” Reference

Snoop Dogg Performs During “The High Road Tour”

AUSTIN, TX – AUGUST 21: Rapper Snoop Dogg performs onstage during ‘The High Road Tour’ at Austin360 Amphitheater on August 21, 2016 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Rick Kern/WireImage)

The advisement campaign quickly went viral when Snoop Dogg posted on social media: “Announcement: I’m giving up smoke.” After fans went into a panic, he expanded in a further post: “I know what you thinking — ‘Snoop, smoking’s kind of your whole thing.’ But I’m done with it. Done with the coughing and my clothes smelling all sticky-icky. I’m going smokeless.” Despite tricking a number of fans and catching the attention of many publications, Snoop’s advertisement appears to have been in vain.

Snoop recently popped up in headlines when Drake shared a photo dump from 2023 to celebrate the new year on Instagram. In one of the pics, the Toronto rapper revealed that Snoop hand-rolled a blunt for him. “July 27th, 2023. Blunt rolled by Snoop Dogg. Death Row Records,” a handwritten note from the rapper read. Be on the lookout for further updates on Snoop Dogg on HotNewHipHop.

Read More: Snoop Dogg Reveals He’s Not Actually Giving Up Smoking: Fans React

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Mattel CEO Promises “Barney” Won’t Be An “Odd Movie”

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Mattel CEO Ynon Kreiz says the upcoming Barney film won’t be an “odd movie.” The clarification comes after Mattel Films executive Kevin McKeon revealed that Barney would be “surrealistic” and lean into adults “millennial angst.”

Speaking with Semafor for an interview on Saturday, Kreiz explained: “It’s too early to be specific, but I can tell you we are taking a fresh approach that will be fun, entertaining and culturally oriented. It will not be an odd movie.” The film is just one of several adaptations the company is working on, including American Girl Doll and Hot Wheels.

Read More: Details About Daniel Kaluuya’s Barney Movie Might Surprise You

Daniel Kaluuya At The Academy Awards

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – APRIL 25: Daniel Kaluuya attends the 93rd Annual Academy Awards at Union Station on April 25, 2021 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Chris Pizzello-Pool/Getty Images)

As for McKeon’s previous comments, he had been speaking about the film with The New Yorker in June. “It’s really a play for adults. Not that it’s R-rated, but it’ll focus on some of the trials and tribulations of being thirtysomething, growing up with Barney—just the level of disenchantment within the generation,” he said at the time. He also described it as an “A24-type” movie. The film will star Daniel Kaluuya. “Barney was a ubiquitous figure in many of our childhoods, then he disappeared into the shadows, left misunderstood,” Kaluuya said when it was announced in November 2019. “We’re excited to explore this compelling modern-day hero and see if his message of ‘I love you, you love me’ can stand the test of time.” Earlier this year, he added to Yahoo Entertainment: “The script’s gotta be good, you know what I mean? It’s in development. I ask for high standards on anything that I work on, and I’m producing this one, so it’s still in development.”

The Barney film will arrive after Mattel Films found massive success with Barbie, earlier this year. The film crossed the $1 billion mark worldwide at the box office on August 6, 2023. The feat made it the first film by a solo female director to do so. Be on the lookout for further updates on Barney on HotNewHipHop.

Read More: “Barbie” Earns $155M In Opening Weekend, Margot Robbie Speaks On Not Kissing Ryan Gosling

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Jay-Z Shows Up In All White To Michael Rubin’s 4th Of July Party

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The stars showed out in absolute bunches to one particular 4th of July party this year. Michael Rubin, CEO of sports merchandise company Fanatics threw a party packed full of guests dressed in all white attire. In attendance were major names like J-Lo and Ben Affleck, Justin Bieber, Tom Brady, and many more. Hip hop was also pretty well represented at the event with names like Travis Scott, Jack Harlow, and Lil Baby in attendance. One of the biggest stars to make their way to the party was Jay-Z.

The rap legend doesn’t pop up in the public light that often. Jay-Z recently made an appearance on wife Beyonce’s Instagram. The pair were relaxing in Paris following the end of her Renaissance tour. It was familiar territory for the couple who had also recently been spotted in the city for Paris Fashion Week. They were in attendance for Pharrell’s debut collection as Head of Menswear at Louis Vuitton. Subsequently, Jay-Z even gave a live performance after the show where Kim Kardashian got caught singing along to a track that features her ex-husband Kanye West.

Jay-Z’s All-White Fit

Recently one of Jay-Z’s biggest hit songs reached yet another astounding milestone. “Empire State Of Mind” a collab between him and Alicia Keys was certified 9x platinum. The track comes from Jay’s 2009 album The Blueprint 3 and is among his most well known tunes. While in Paris for the Louis Vuitton show Jay and Bey linked up with a number of celebrities in attendance. Despite that, the crowd afterwards still had some trouble during Jay-Z’s performance. After repeatedly trying to get the crowd to clap along, their failure to stay on beat eventually made him just give up.

Jay-Z’s most recent studio album came out all the way back in 2017. 4:44 saw the rapper processing many of the relationships he had with people like Beyonce, his children and even his own mother. What do you think of Jay-Z pulling up in style to Michael Rubin’s 4th of July party? Let us know in the comment section below.

Read More: Jay-Z’s Mother’s Wedding Hosts Tyler Perry, Kelly Rowland & Many More Celebs

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Savage X Fenty: Rihanna Steps Down As CEO After 5 Years

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While the Navy isn’t exactly happy with the lack of new music we’ve heard from Rihanna since 2016’s ANTI, they’ve been able to forgive her thanks to her hard work in other industries. She shared impressive designs from LVMH’s Fenty brand for several years, and though that was shut down, she’s also given us Fenty Beauty, Skin, and her tantalizing Savage X Fenty lingerie collection which was launched back in 2018. Over the years we’ve seen Rihanna model countless pieces for us. That’s likely to continue down the road, however, on Friday (June 23), we found out that she’ll be stepping down as CEO.

The news comes as the Barbadian creative nears closer to welcoming her and ASAP Rocky’s second child together. Their firstborn, RZA, turned one in the spring, and Rihanna has spoken candidly about how special the experience of motherhood has been for her. With two little ones soon to be running around, it only makes sense that she wants to free up her schedule so she can witness as much of their growth as possible. According to Vogue, the Bad Gal has found a very capable person to step into her shoes.

Read More: Rihanna’s Sultry Savage X Fenty Selfie Streak Continues

It’s the End of an Era for Rihanna

Rihanna Savage X Fenty
Rihanna attends Savage X Fenty Show Vol. 4 presented by Prime Video at Allied Studios on November 08, 2022, in Simi Valley, California (Photo by Emma McIntyre/Getty Images)

Hillary Super, the former CEO of Anthropologie Group, has been tasked with the job. Of course, Rihanna won’t be stepping out of the picture entirely. Instead, she’ll take on the role of executive chair. “It’s been beautiful to see our vision for Savage X Fenty impact the industry at such an incredible magnitude over the last five years. This is just the beginning for us, and we’re going to continue to expand in ways that always connect with the consumer,” she shared in a statement.

Elsewhere in the world of fashion, Rihanna kept her streak of noteworthy maternity looks going with an appearance at Pharrell’s Louis Vuitton debut earlier this week. She and ASAP Rocky perfectly coordinated in denim outfits, and as per usual, her baby bump was on full display. See for yourself at the link below, and check back later for more hip-hop/pop culture news updates.

Read More: Rihanna & ASAP Rocky Coordinate In All-Blue Denim Outfits For Pharrell’s Paris Fashion Show

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Elon Musk Has Hired A New Twitter CEO

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The Elon Musk Twitter saga may finally be reaching its end. After becoming the new CEO of Twitter in 2022, Musk modified the platform’s verification system. As a result, users now have the option to pay for verification. This has drawn criticism from some users who believe that this goes against the platform’s goals. The change in the verification system has also caused the blue checkmarks to be removed from the profiles of many public figures. Many of them have also voiced their opposition to Musk’s decision to change the verification feature. This includes artists such as Doja Cat and Lil Nas X, who have expressed their frustration at having their verification status taken away without justification.

Musk also recently responded to a tweet proposing the addition of a dating feature on Twitter. The tweet was posted by content creator Steven Mark Ryan from the Youtube channel Solving The Money Problem. Musk replied swiftly, calling the idea “interesting” and suggesting that it could even create job opportunities. Ryan’s tweet highlighted the feature’s potential, stating that it “might actually save humanity from extinction.” The YouTuber also referred to the idea as “very low hanging fruit” and expressed his belief that “Twinder would be HUGE.” Whether or not the whole thing is a joke remains to be seen.

6 More Weeks Of Musk

Those who have been dissatisfied with the way that Elon Musk has handled his Twitter acquisition will find his latest tweet very satisfying. The billionaire has revealed that he has chosen a new CEO to take his place at Twitter. The announcement was made earlier today, five months after Musk confirmed that he would be stepping down as the company’s CEO. Although the new CEO was not named, Musk stated that she will start her new role next month, Meanwhile, he will take on the position of executive chair and chief technology officer.

Musk expressed his excitement over the appointment and tweeted, “Excited to announce that I’ve hired a new CEO for X/Twitter. She will be starting in ~6 weeks! My role will transition to being exec chair & CTO, overseeing product, software & sysops.” What do you think of the latest update in the Elon Musk saga? Do you think the platform will change for the better when he is no longer CEO? Let us know in the comments!

Birdman Thinks QC’s P Is A Better CEO Than Diddy

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Birdman is on a mission to get recognition for the CEOs in hip-hop. It’s no doubt that Birdman created a blueprint for rap moguls, but perhaps, he isn’t celebrated in the way he should be. He brought artists like Lil Wayne, Drake and Nicki Minaj to the game, while uplifting artists that came after them like Young Thug and NBA Youngboy. However, in the wake of Billboard’s rappers’ list, he sought to make sure that they don’t forget the people behind the scenes funding and making plays to turn these rappers into superstars.

“I see you’ll did 10 best rappers which is well respeked but what about tha CEOs who made thaway for these rappers to be Supa stars,” Birdman wrote in a lengthy Instagram post. “Fought tha battle behind doors so they kan be super stars. Put some respek on my name and stop playin with me. I’m tha best to ever doit nothing but love for all CEO ever in 50yrs of hip hop.” Prior to this, he explained that he hoped that platforms like Billboard would honor the businessmen in hip-hop who turned it into a multi-billion dollar industry.

Birdman Reacts To Top 10 CEO List

While Billboard didn’t respond to Baby, Earn Your Leisure shared their own list of hip-hop’s best CEOs. At number one is Birdman, followed by Diddy, Jay-Z, Dr. Dre, Russell Simmons, Master P, LA Reid, Dame Dash, Jermaine Dupri, and then Suge Knight at #10. However, the honorable mentions include Kevin “Coach K” Lee and Pierre “P” Thomas, Irv Gotti, Dee, and Waah, as well as J. Prince. Though there are definitely many names missing, the list that appeared was otherwise pretty accurate.

However, Birdman doesn’t feel like Earn Your Leisure got their rankings of CEOs correct, either. Despite topping the list, he said that he doesn’t think Diddy deserves to be at #2 but instead, P from Quality Control. “P Fom @QC should be 2nd no doubt noshade jus being real gangsta CMRG. my [opinion],” he wrote. Though no one has responded to Baby, his choice of Quality Control’s P doesn’t necessarily seem surprising. Last year, the QC founder told the Cash Money CEO that he wouldn’t be running a successful label if it wasn’t for Birdman. Check out Baby’s comments above and sound off with your thoughts in the comments.

Birdman Wants Billboard To “Put Some Respek” On The CEOs: “I’m Tha Best To Ever Do It”

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It’s been nearly seven years since Birdman immortalized the phrase, “Put some respek on my name,” on the Breakfast Club. At the time, he took issue with the radio show’s coverage of his feud with Lil Wayne. If you recall, Lil Wayne felt as though he was stuck in his Cash Money contract which hindered his creativity. However, the infamous moment continued to be a staple in Internet culture for the years to come. Quite often, you’ll find someone use the gif of Birdman sitting behind a microphone with his arms crossed, demanding respect from Charlamagne Tha God.

However, the Cash Money founder apparently wants the same from Billboard. At the top of the year, Billboard and Vibe connected to deliver their definitive Top 50 Greatest Rappers list. Two of his artists – Lil Wayne and Drake – landed in the top 10. So, you’d expect him to be somewhat pleased about the list. This afternoon, he took to Instagram where he aired out Billboard for not giving the same acknowledgement to the CEOs of these labels who worked diligently to put on for the rappers.

Birdman Tells Billboard To “Respek” His Accomplishments

This week, Birdman addressed the controversial list, that he feels is “well respeked.” However, he felt as though they were playing him for not recognizing the CEOs at large. Cash Money undoubtedly changed hip-hop and the music industry forever, but his beef with Billboard largely has to do with the lack of acknowledgement for the CEOs, “made the way for these rappers to be supa stars.”

“I see you’ll did 10 best rappers which is well respeked but what about tha CEO who made thaway for these rappers to be Supa stars,” he wrote. “Fought tha battle behind doors so they kan be super stars. Put some respek on my name and stop playin with me. I’m tha best to ever doit nothing but love for all CEO ever in 50yrs of hip hop we held it down cash money rich gang STUNNAMAN tha best ever #THEGOATMAKER I doit do 4MS GLADYS.” Check out his post above and let us know if you agree in the comments. 

Elon Musk Announces Plans To Resign As Twitter CEO Following Poll

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Following the results of his recent Twitter poll, billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk has revealed that he will, in fact, step down as CEO of the popular social media platform.

Musk became the owner of Twitter in October after completing a multibillion-dollar deal to buy it.

On Sunday, he posted a Twitter poll asking his over 120 million followers if he should “step down as head of Twitter,” adding, “I will abide by the results of this poll.”

READ MORE: Elon Musk Announces He Doesn’t Have “Any Suicidal Thoughts” On Twitter

After more than 17 million voted on his fate, the results showed that 57.5% chose yes while 42.5% chose no, revealing a close final vote.

Musk tweeted Tuesday night that he will resign as CEO and work behind the scenes on Twitter. “I will resign as CEO as soon as I find someone foolish enough to take the job! After that, I will just run the software & servers teams.” he wrote.

Many have voiced their concerns about Musk altering Twitter’s platform since he took over in October. 

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – JUNE 13: Elon Musk speaks onstage at the Elon Musk in Conversation with Todd Howard panel during E3 2019 at the Novo Theatre on June 13, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Charley Gallay/Getty Images for E3/Entertainment Software Association)

In addition to laying off thousands of employees, he also caught backlash for altering Twitter policy and retuning account privileges to those who had previously been banned, including Donald Trump and Kanye West.

Continuing to alienate users, Musk changed Twitter’s verification system, making it possible to receive a blue check verification in exchange for an $8 per month subscription service, according to The Wrap.

Though Musk may soon be trading in his CEO title, it isn’t clear if the changes he put in place will remain.

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