COVID-19

Wale Recalls Having COVID-19 And Its Lasting Effect On His Health

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While some rappers have taken to posting anti-vaccine conspiracy theories and spoken out against mask mandates over the past several months, others have been taking the COVID-19 pandemic more seriously… especially those who’ve actually felt the virus’ effects. During his recent visit to The Breakfast Club in New York, DC rapper Wale detailed his own scary experience with the virus — and its lasting effects on his health, even after he was sufficiently recovered to go home from the hospital.

“That sh*t feel like you don’t got no control over nothing,” he recalled. “I remember when I was in denial, I was like, ‘Yeah, I got COVID but I’m just gonna stay in the house’ and then it’s getting worse. I remember taking an Uber to the hospital ’cause I ain’t want to be dramatic. I’m like, ‘I can’t breathe’… I remember they was taking my blood, and the lady couldn’t find my veins and all this other stuff. I just remember I passed out from just that alone. I was like ‘Wow, I was really just like, regular, three days ago,’ and I realized how serious it is.”

After he recovered, he said, he had to “beg them n****s to let me go home” because the isolation began to get to him. “Just being in there dolo, nobody can come in,” he explained. He also addressed the aftermath, saying, “One thing that people don’t talk enough about COVID is the after-effects. The main thing with me is the COVID fog. That sh*t is real … It feels like you smoked too much. For me, because I have legitimate issues with anxiety and stuff, everything was heightened.”

You can watch Wale’s full interview with The Breakfast Club above.

Tucker Carlson Is Suddenly Nicki Minaj’s Biggest Fan After She Claimed Her Cousin’s Friend’s ‘Testicles Became Swollen’ After Being Vaccinated

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Fox News

Tucker Carlson is suddenly Nicki Minaj’s biggest fan—and all, appropriately, because of a pair of swollen testicles. On Monday, the “Bang Bang” singer posted a rather personal, and somewhat revolting, detail about her cousin’s friend who, if he exists at all, presumably was not consulted about having the status of his inflated and inoperable junk tweeted to nearly 23 million people:

“My cousin in Trinidad won’t get the vaccine cuz his friend got it & became impotent. His testicles became swollen. His friend was weeks away from getting married, now the girl called off the wedding. So just pray on it & make sure you’re comfortable with ur decision, not bullied.”

Before reading that tweet aloud (which, trust us, is worth losing a piece of your soul to watch a Fox News clip), Carlson—who is definitely the kind of guy who has used the words “my Black friend” on occasion—had to explain who Minaj was to his audience, which is sort of like a twenty-something trying to explain TikTok to their grandparents.

“So Nicki Minaj is a huge rap artist. Not sure there’s much overlap between her audience and this one, but our producers assure us she’s one of the biggest in the world,” Carlson said, in what might be the understatement of the century.

While there’s nothing funny about COVID, the hilarity of the words “impotent” and “testicles became swollen” coming out of Carlson’s mouth was not lost on anyone, particularly given the graveness with which he read them. And the chyron certainly didn’t make it any less funny.

But the real kicker came in Carlson’s three-word response to the tweet, as reported by Mediaite: “Which seems sensible.”

Carlson promised to report more on the “big reaction” to Minaj’s tweet on Tuesday’s show. Which, we’re sort of looking forward to watching.

Meanwhile, who do you trust?

(Via Mediaite)

Donald Trump Boo’d By His Day Ones Over Vaccine Stance

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Former president Donald Trump isn’t winning everyone over these days. The most recent former head of state has gone viral courtesy of getting booed by Alabama supporters for encouraging attendees to get vaccinated. Donald Trump Gets Boo’d From His Day Ones New footage is circulating online showing the Trumpster speaking in support of getting the […]

MSNBC Host Ari Melber Quotes Biggie To Encourage People To Get Vaccinated

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If there’s one thing MSNBC host Ari Melber is going to do, it’s force an awkward hip-hop quote in reference to complicated current events and political issues. Whether that’s a good thing or not is up to the viewer, but at least he’s trying to keep things relevant. His latest attempt came this afternoon during a segment on COVID-19 vaccine reluctance, into which Melber injected a quote taken from The Notorious B.I.G.’s 1997 Life After Death track “What’s Beef?”:

Beef is when your moms ain’t safe up in the streets
Beef is when I see you
Guaranteed to be in ICU

Melber clarifies that while COVID-19 isn’t exactly the same as having a street feud with the 6’2″, 395-pound, Brooklyn-bred rapper, it could conceivably go about as sideways. His point, of course, is that emergency rooms and intensive care units across the country are being overwhelmed with new cases of the vaccine — and that 99% of those cases are people who have not been vaccinated.

https://twitter.com/TheBeatWithAri/status/14284351382207897640

Melber’s quotes have been wide-ranging and deep; in recent months, he’s mined material from the likes of 21 Savage and Nicki Minaj, and while there are definitely plenty of rap fans who could seemingly do without his quotes, the fact that they nearly always go viral ensures that the important information and context he provides receive much-needed exposure.

Check out some of those responses below.

https://twitter.com/Shaka_Amandla/status/142804962729991373

Drake Reveals He Had COVID, Which He Thinks Made His Hair Grow In ‘Weird’

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Getty Image

As fans eagerly await the release of Drake’s highly-anticipated album Certified Lover Boy, the Canadian superstar himself has continually pushed it back. Although the initial delay could be attributed to his knee injury in late 2020, further delays have frustrated fans. However, it seems that Drake may have had a good reason for putting it off, as he casually revealed that he contracted COVID at some point over the past several months while defending himself from a fan account’s brutal assessment of his haircut.

After a fan account on Instagram posted comparison pics of Drake’s now-infamous “heart part,” commenting that in the more recent pic “that heart is stressed,” Drake himself replied in the comments, attributing the funky growth to a bout with coronavirus. “I had Covid,” he reasoned. “That sh*t grew in weird, I had to start again.” However, he promised, “It’s coming back don’t diss.”

The photo in question is several weeks old so it’s possible that he’s already mostly recovered physically and follically, and as he told Sirius XM’s Sound 42 show Fri Yiy Friday, “[ Certified Lover Boy]’s ready… album’s cooked, looking forward to delivering it to you.” It may still be a while until it’s released, as there are usually last-minute details to be worked out, brand partnerships to solidify, and tour dates to arrange before an album drops but hopefully, Drake can use that additional time to repair his broken heart.

Concert Promoter AEG Will Require Proof Of COVID-19 Vaccination At All Its US Venues

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Would-be concertgoers had better get their shots, as Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG), the second-largest concert promotion company in the US behind Live Nation, will be requiring proof of COVID-19 vaccination at all of its US venues beginning in October. AEG notably operates some of the biggest venues in the States, including Staples Center, Brooklyn Steel, and Webster Hall, and subsidiaries like GoldenVoice operate festivals including Coachella, Stagecoach, and upcoming fests like Lovers & Friends and Day N Vegas.

Up until now, and until the policy goes into effect, AEG has been allowing entry with either proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test within 72 hours of the event date. However, with new infections rising and the emergence of new variants of the novel coronavirus, including the Delta variant, AEG’s leadership wants to protect attendees — and the company’s bottom line — to ensure future events don’t get canceled or postponed as in 2020 when the initial COVID outbreak essentially shuttered the entertainment industry for months.

As AEG COO Jay Marciano explained in a statement:

“We have come to the conclusion that, as a market leader, it was up to us to take a real stand on vaccination status. Just a few weeks ago, we were optimistic about where our business, and country, were heading. The Delta variant, combined with vaccine hesitancy, is pushing us in the wrong direction again. We realize that some people might look at this as a dramatic step, but it’s the right one. We also are aware that there might be some initial pushback, but I’m confident and hopeful that, at the end of the day, we will be on the right side of history and doing what’s best for artists, fans, and live event workers. Our hope is that our pro-active stance encourages people to do the right thing and get vaccinated. We’ve already had to deliver bad news about JazzFest this week; I think everyone can agree that we don’t want concerts to go away again, and this is the best way to keep that from happening.”

In contrast, Live Nation has let artists set the tone, determining vaccination requirements for their own shows. With this move, it’s possible AEG will put pressure on its industry peers to take further steps to protect the public and prevent another potentially disastrous industry-wide shutdown.

Live Nation To Allow Artists To Choose Vaccination Policy

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Hip-hop fans might not need the COVID-19 vaccination to go turn up at concerts. Entertainment giant Live Nation has revealed a new policy allowing artists to choose if they require the coronavirus vaccination for entry or not. Live Nation To Allow Artists To Choose Vaccination Policy The artists performing at the venues will be allowed […]

Wiz Khalifa Now Has COVID-19

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The COVID-19 pandemic isn’t entirely over yet. Taylor Gang leader and rap superstar Wiz Khalifa is the latest high-profile entertainer to get connected to the global coronavirus pandemic. Wiz Khalifa Tests Positive For Coronavirus The father of one and ex-husband to model Amber Rose went to Twitter to announce he’s tested positive for coronavirus. The […]