Ciara Reveals Her “Goodies” Single Almost Went to Brittney Spears

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Ciara 3

Ciara’s “Goodies” would have been a Brittney Spears banger in an alternative universe. Appearing on the Kelly Clarkson show, Ciara revealed the song was trying to be spun to the pop star.

“I learned about this later, but they were trying to give my song to Britney Spears,” Ciara said. “I know Britney wasn’t the one trying to take my song, because I love Britney.”

Just last week, Ciara has released her latest single, “Wassup,” featuring GRAMMY-nominated rapper Busta Rhymes, via her very own label, Beauty Marks Entertainment. Written by Ciara, Busta Rhymes, and Courtlin Jabrae and produced by J.R. Rotem, the energetic record taps into Ciara’s ATL roots with a current-day Y2K sound.

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“’Wassup’ is a fun flex record. It started with a play on words on what we would say when I came up in ATL. “What’s up, what’s happenin?” It’s somewhat of a Y2K moment. I’m tapping into my ATL roots! It’s a song that’s meant for you to have the ultimate fun,” says Ciara. “Busta ‘slaughtered’ the track with his classic, undeniable, and unstoppable flow. He brought pure edge and the perfect energy to the record to take it all the way to a special place!”

Busta Rhymes remarks, “Y’all are in trouble because The Queen CiCi and The Dragon got a Banger!! That’s Wassup!!”

Busta and Ciara reunited on the road this summer for the critically acclaimed OUT OF THIS WORLD Tour alongside Missy Elliott. The tour left both fans and critics raving, Variety praised “Ciara was all sweat and allure,” while Atlanta Journal Constitution lauded, “[Ciara] captivated the crowd with her sultry dance moves and signature soprano.”

Additionally, today celebrates the 20th anniversary of Ciara’s 4x platinum debut album Goodies. A limited edition hot pink colored vinyl, which includes the original album and two bonus tracks, “Crazy” and “Represent Me,” is available now.

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Al B. Sure! Heightens Security Amidst Calls for Investigation Into Kim Porter’s Death

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Screen Shot 2024 09 29 at 10.17.59 PM

R&B singer Al B. Sure! is reportedly increasing his security measures after publicly calling for an investigation into the 2018 death of Kim Porter, the mother of three of Diddy’s children. Many have speculated that her passing may be linked to the hip-hop mogul, a claim that has sparked renewed interest following Sure’s statements.

During an appearance at the American Liver Foundation’s National Legacy Gala in New York, the singer made a cryptic remark about heightened security, acknowledging the presence of Homeland Security at the event. “We even have Homeland Security in the building. Detective Jackson, good to see you,” Sure told the audience.

According to a source who spoke with Page Six, Sure has “stepped up his security immeasurably” following his public remarks.

Last month, R&B singer and songwriter Al B. Sure spoke out against the controversial book claiming to be the late Kim Porter’s memoir, slamming it as “calculated fiction” and “fabricated BS.” Now, the “Nite and Day” singer has taken legal action, sending a cease-and-desist letter to both the book’s publisher and Amazon.

According to Page Six, Al B. Sure, born Albert Joseph Brown III, is attempting to block the sale of the self-published book titled Kim’s Lost Words. The book, allegedly written under the pseudonym “Jamal T. Millwood” — which conspiracy theorists have speculated could be an alias for the late rapper Tupac Shakur — was published by Todd Christopher Guzze and quickly became a best-seller on Amazon.

The cease-and-desist, issued by Sure’s attorney Robert J. Hantman, claims the book falsely portrays Brown in a defamatory light, particularly accusing him of engaging in sexual relations with Kim Porter and her ex, Sean “Diddy” Combs. In the letter, Al B. Sure demands that the book’s sale be halted, and that Guzze, Amazon CEO Andy Jassy, and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos issue a public apology.

The letter also warns, “Should you fail to comply with these demands within ten days, we will have no alternative but to pursue all legal remedies available, including filing a lawsuit for defamation.” Sure expressed his disgust, calling the allegations “the most disgusting, heinous lie I have ever heard of in my life.”

As Al B. Sure seeks to clear his name, the saga surrounding Kim’s Lost Words continues to draw attention.

Thoughts?

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The Vote Or Else Initiative Hits Philadelphia

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One of Philadelphia’s most beloved ever Philadelphia transplants is joining two or its loudly heralded natives sons for a Voter Registration and Town Hall in the City of Brotherly Love. Allen Iverson headlines a list of names that include Beanie Sigel and Freeway converging on Philly today at the Liacouras Center.

The organization Vote Or Else has been spearheading campaigns to get people

To register and go out to the polls come Election Day. They have also organized this event where athletes and luminaries from the hip-hop community have an open dialogue with themselves and amongst the people where they will speak on the upcoming election as well as issues facing the community they want to see addressed not just by the next President, but by state and local officials.

NFL legend Michael Vick, Nipsey Hussle’s brother and the head of The Marathon Brand and Blacc Sam, broadcasting Hall of Famer Angie Martinez, Killer Mike, Havoc of Mobb Deep, Jadakiss, Icewear Vezzo, and Star of Power Book II: Ghost, Michael Rainey, are among those coming to participate.

“Many of us in the hip-hop community have always been leaders for the Black community in general and it’s only right we come together, start organizing and discuss these issues,” Beanie Sigel said. “Of course everything can’t be solved overnight, but the more we dialogue and build with each other, the closer we get to coming up with solutions.”

Beanie started a journey to get better educated himself and educate others as well when it comes to voting earlier this year. His great friend and head of the organization Mobilize Justice Marvin Bing, urged him to get more involved.

This summer Sigel aligned himself with Mobilize Justice as well as organizations The Black Church PAC and AAPI(those three entities have banded together to form Vote or Else, with anti-gun violence, anti- voter suppression, and anti-Mass incarceration as main initiatives) to get active. Him and Bing helped recruit artists and activist to not just go on the communities and talk to people about the the absolute need to vote, but last month, Sigel was joined by a assortment of Detroit MCS such as Icewear Vezzo and Baby Money as they went door to door in various Motor City communities and registered those eligible to vote.

“I’m not telling people which politician to vote for,” Sigel advised. “I’m telling people they should get informed about candidates’ policies, not just Presidential, but state and local. Then you go to the polls and make an informed decision. You can affect change sitting on the sidelines.”

Sigel and company have already been to Detroit with Philly locked in for today.

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[WATCH] Lord Jamar Points Out Biggie’s “Out Of Pocket” Lyrics, Blames Diddy

In an exclusive sit down with Hip Hop podcast Art Of Dialogue, vocal Brand Nubian member Lord jamar delves into the lyrical content of one of the Notorious B.I.G.’s classic hits amid Diddy’s sex trafficking and racketeering scandal and says that some of Biggie’s bars aren’t aging well in this day and time.

“Biggie has some of the most out-of-pocket lyrics of any rapper ever and hopefully there will never be a rapper with worse lyrics,” Jamar injected into the convo. “But there’s so much sh*t that Biggie said that people just overlooked at the time and now, when we fast-forward to where we’re at, and hear about all the sh*t with Puff, now, certain things are not aging. It was bad back then but it’s aging even worse.” He went on to say, “I don’t care how good a woman looks, I would never give fellatio to her father because she’s so beautiful.”

Jamar then expounded on an industry rumor that there was a transgender “dude” in the videos for “Big Poppa” and in the bed with Biggie in the visuals for “Warning”. He went on to say that the same transgender was in the “Flava In Ya Ear” (Remix) video dancing behind LL Cool J, who began his verse saying “HeShe!”

He concluded his take on the current climate around Diddy by saying, “With all of this baby oil splashing around, you’re gonna get some on you. If you get some on you, that’s when things start to get slippery.”

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See It: Ray J Launches New Show ‘The Reality Check News’ Them Rants About Diddy Allegations

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Ray J is back in the chat when it comes to Diddy. It all went down during the latest episode of his show, The Reality Check News, where the 43-year-old weighed in on the allegations surrounding Combs who is accused with all types of heinous acts and is currently incarcerated awaiting trial.

“Diddy was my friend,” Ray J plainly stated. The rising mogul reflected on his personal relationship with the embattled music mogul. He then questioned the nature of the accusations. “What do you do when you’ve never seen all this sh*t that people are talking about? Do you believe it? Everybody’s innocent until proven guilty.”

Now get this, as the discussion progressed, Ray J’s commentary took a graphic turn, particularly as he addressed the allegations that Combs had engaged in non-consensual homosexual acts.

“Do you forgive somebody for taking somebody’s a?” he asked, as an image of Combs appeared during the broadcast. “There’s a lot of people out here taking from people. People are getting robbed of not only their money and their spirituality, they’re getting robbed of their womanhood and manhood. Aes are being taken in ways that nobody can explain.”

Ray J continued in a joking manner, regarding Combs’ alleged stockpile of baby oil and lubricant, humorously announcing his own plans to market a personal lubricant called “Ray-Y Jelly.”

“I see a lot of jokes out there right now talking about baby oil,” he remarked. “Everybody got a joke about baby oil or lube. Is that okay? Is that the message?”

All jokes aside didn’t Ray J say Diddy needed an exorcism after the Cassie video went viral?

From our recollection he said: “And it’s not and it’s not something that ni**as can just take lightly. You cannot do that. Not OK. It’s not cool. Period. [The video] was heartbreaking and shameful and unacceptable I’ve never seen nothing like that. I’ve never seen nothing like that in the history of my life, so that’s a new [one] for me. I don’t know what kind of demon you are, but somebody need to muthaf**kin’ perform an exorcism fast.”

Despite the jokes mixed in with his rant, Ray J hinted that the issue goes far beyond Combs, implying that other influential figures in the entertainment industry were guilty of similar misconduct. He suggested that these individuals could soon face public exposure.

“I’m exhausted with the people in this industry that have power who are abusing the power,” Ray J said emphatically. “I can say a lot of names… I won’t today but I will soon.”

Okay Ray J, we hear you. Let’s see what happens next. In the mean time, here’s his interview on his own show. Great marketing btw …

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Petition Granted To Seal Snoop Dogg’s 1993 Murder Case

Snoop Dogg Summer Apparel Line Drops at Walmart

Snoop’s past legal issues have officially come to an end after the petition to seal the records and transcripts from his 1993 murder trial.

Legal documents obtained from TMZ shows Snoop requested that a judge seal the records back in January 2024 and his petition was granted the next month.

Back in ’93, Snoop was still a rising star when he and his bodyguard were accused of shooting a man in Los Angeles. Mr. Snoop Eastwood was arrested following the above performance of “Murder Was The Case” at the 1993 MTV VMA Awards.

Snoop gave an insightful interview with MTV following his acquittal, explaining how the case changed his perception on life and switched the content of his music.

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[WATCH] Body Cam Footage From Rich Homie Quan Investigation Released Online

Rich Homie Quan's Family Releases an Official Statement

Rich Homie Quan’s cause of death was ruled by the Fulton County Medical Examiner’s Office as an accidental overdose earlier this month, which was cause by a lethal combo of fentanyl, alprazolam, codeine, and promethazine found during his autopsy.

It was reported that food was still in his mouth when he was discovered on the kitchen floor by his brother, Andre Munford, at 3am the morning before the ambulance was called. Later that same morning, his GF Amber Williams woke up at 11am and saw that Quan was still in the same position for the past eight hours.

At that time, Williams called 911 and paramedics took him to Atlanta’s Grady Hospital, which is where the 34-year-old rapper passed away. Body footage from police on the date of his death(September 5) has surfaced online, where you can see first responders question Munford and Williams about what exactly transpired before paramedics arrived.

Starting at 4:18, you can see the actual footage from the bodycam of police on the scene

His brother seemed to be able to handle the questioning quite thoroughly, but Williams seemed obviously emotional from the entire ordeal. GOSSIP OF THE CITY says that Munford took some pictures of him with the food in his mouth. APD also told Williams that Quan’s eyes were still open when he was being transported to the hospital.

Police on the scene claim that Quan’s death was suspicious, so homicide detectives were called to the scene.

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Civil Lawsuit Filed Against Lil Durk and Record Labels Over FBG Duck’s Fatal Shooting

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DSC09171LilDurk

The Dinizulu Law Group filed a civil lawsuit today in Cook County Circuit Court seeking to hold rapper Lil Durk (Durk Derrick Banks), his record label Only the Family Entertainment (OTF), and several other music companies accountable for the fatal shooting of Chicago rapper Carlton Weekly, known as FBG Duck, on August 4, 2020. Weekly was shot outside a Gold Coast retail store, and the lawsuit also represents two bystanders who were wounded but survived the attack.

The lawsuit, announced during a news conference by Attorney Yao Dinizulu, brings multiple charges, including wrongful death, civil conspiracy, negligence, and failure to render aid. The plaintiffs seek damages not only for Weekly’s death but also for the injuries suffered by bystanders Davon Brinson and Cashae Williams. The suit names additional defendants, including Alamo Records, Sony Music Entertainment Inc., Universal Music Group Recordings Inc. (Interscope Records), and Empire Distribution Inc.

The lawsuit claims that these companies profited from the violent rivalry between OTF and FBG Duck by promoting “diss tracks” that escalated tensions. It accuses Lil Durk, the head of OTF, and other members of the group, including the late King Von, of orchestrating a campaign of intimidation and violence against FBG Duck, placing a $100,000 bounty on his life. OTF is described as a criminal enterprise that used music and social media to promote gang-related activity.

The suit also alleges misconduct by the City of Chicago, claiming police and emergency services failed to promptly aid FBG Duck, who lay alive for over 17 minutes without receiving medical attention. Dolce & Gabbana and its security firms are also named for negligence, accused of failing to take adequate safety measures.

This lawsuit follows the January conviction of six gang members in connection with FBG Duck’s death. Federal prosecutors linked the murder to a gang war fueled by social media and rap music.

A summary of the complaint can be accessed at dinizululawgroup.com.

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Veteran Actor Ed Wheeler Dies at 88

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Screen Shot 2024 10 09 at 12.25.30 PM

Ed Wheeler, a seasoned actor known for his roles in Law & Order, Blue Bloods, Broadcast News, and Mickey Blue Eyes, has passed away at the age of 88. Wheeler, who built a prolific career spanning film, television, stage, and commercials, died on August 21 at Englewood Hospital in New Jersey due to respiratory failure from complications of pneumonia. His wife, Messeret Stroman Wheeler, confirmed the news to Deadline.

Born on February 18, 1936, in Brooklyn, New York, Wheeler initially made his mark in the entertainment industry through television commercials. Over the years, he became a recognizable face in national ad campaigns for major brands such as Luvs diapers, Reynolds Wrap, Sudafed, Pepcid AC, and Computer Associates, among many others.

Wheeler’s work in television and film extended across multiple decades, appearing in acclaimed series and films, and contributing his talents to a variety of genres. His work left an indelible impression on both the stage and screen, and his contributions to the industry will be remembered by fans and colleagues alike.

Ed Wheeler is survived by his wife, Messeret Stroman Wheeler, and will be deeply missed.

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Megan Thee Stallion Wins Minor Battle in Photographer Lawsuit

Megan Thee Stallion’s Foundation Launches Emergency Power Program with Bread of Life Inc.

Megan Thee Stallion’s Foundation Launches Emergency Power Program with Bread of Life Inc.

Houston rapper Megan Thee Stallion has secured a small victory in the ongoing legal battle with her former personal photographer, who sued her six months ago for wrongful termination and creating a hostile work environment. The photographer, whose identity has not been made public, also claims he was misclassified as a contractor rather than an employee.

A judge in Los Angeles granted Megan Thee Stallion’s request to transfer the lawsuit to New York City, moving the case out of California where it was initially filed. This change of venue represents a strategic win for Megan, allowing her legal team to defend the case in New York, where many of her professional affiliations, including Roc Nation, are based.

The photographer’s lawsuit also named Roc Nation as a defendant, and although Megan’s legal team sought to have the entertainment company dismissed from the case, the judge declined to do so at this stage. Roc Nation, Megan’s management company, remains a co-defendant in the case, meaning they will continue to be involved as the legal proceedings move forward.

While this decision is just one step in the larger legal process, it signals Megan Thee Stallion’s readiness to fight the claims against her and defend her professional reputation.

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