Back in December, social media was shocked when Amar’e Stoudemire’s mugshot was posted following his arrest. The retired NBA player was arrested for allegedly slapping and punching his teen daughter following her graduation from the University of Miami.
Apparently the charges have been dropped…
CBS News reports:
The Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office on Tuesday confirmed to CBS Miami that misdemeanor battery charges have been dropped against Amar’e Stoudemire, the former NBA star who had been accused of punching and slapping one of his teen daughters last month.
In an emailed statement, the state attorney’s office said “the case was dropped due to the failure of the victim to cooperate in the prosecution of the criminal case.”
He also released a statement following his arrest.
“Over the last 24 hours, an incident at my family home led to my being charged with assaulting my daughter. It is an allegation based on a report that does not square with the facts. I am of the Jewish faith, today Jewish people all over the world celebrate Hanukkah and hear the story of how we fought wickedness. I believe that ‘whatever is hateful to you, do not do to others.’ As the investigation unfolds, the facts will show the allegations to be groundless as my daughter’s medical condition is not the result of being assaulted by a father who is nearly 7 feet tall and weighs 250 pounds. I could never see myself assaulting any person, especially my children. I respect, protect, and love my family, particularly my children. As a father, I ask for your grace as we secure our space and privacy.”
Actor/director Mo McRae makes his directorial debut with this racially-charged thriller A LOT OF NOTHING. Starring two-time Emmy and Golden Globe nominee David Oyelowo and Insecure star Y’Ian Noel this suspenseful film leaves you on the edge of your seats.
Also starring Cleopatra Coleman (The Last Man on Earth), Lex Scott Davis (Rebel) Shamier Anderson (Invasion) & Justin Hartley (This Is Us) . James (Noel) and Vanessa (Coleman) seem to be the perfect couple – happily married, successful, and comfortable. One night, their lives are rocked to the core when, after watching a tragedy play out on the evening news, they realize their neighbor (Hartley) was involved. In a state of shock, and with opposing viewpoints on how to address the issue, they embark on a highly combustible journey to ‘do something’ about it.
Opens in Theaters and VOD February 3rd, 2023
Wildly entertaining, humorous, and often absurd, A LOT OF NOTHING acts as a funhouse mirror to reflect the best and worst of humanity – and how our experiences of race, class, family, fear, love, and happiness drive our choices today. Mo McRae dazzles in his feature directorial debut, with a keen visual eye and a fresh, compelling voice. With A LOT OF NOTHING, he offers a pointed take on the micro and macro dynamics at play in many of our lives, tackling them with nuance, finesse, and wit.
Written by Mo McRae & Sarah Kelly Kaplan (Perry Mason) this film will definitely be the most talked about much needed conversation starter. Watch the trailer below.
Late last year, Migos’ Offset sued Quality Control Music over the rights to his solo career, claiming he paid millions to get the rights back. QC CEO Pee replied, “The last lawsuit was filed publicly and dismissed quietly. Let’s see how this one go. Been [too] real for all this lame s**t. Everyone know the real problem.” Offset gave a retort, saying, “N***as act like I’m the problem I paid millions to get my rights back. N***a you blackballed me I ain’t said s*** one time homie I ain’t spoke to you in 2 years now I drop and you want ya name on my credit?”
Now, QC Music has filed a motion to request that the lawsuit against them from Offset to be dismissed. The suit filed by the Migos rapper was to prevent the label from making money off his solo releases like “CODE” and “54321.” The cause for QC’s request claims that Offset breached legal agreements, which included a confidential clause after an argument online.
Quality Control’s dismissal request reads, “Because Offset is not the owner of recordings he has made or continues to make with Motown on or after January 15, 2021, including the recordings ‘54321’ and ‘Code,’ [Offset] lack standing to bring this action.”
QC says that Offset broke a “confidentiality provision” in their agreement, saying the rapper revealed “the terms of the Settlement Agreement in the Complaint and in social media posts.”
On this day in 1975, Andre Antwon Patton, who is best known as Big Boi, one half of the legendary ATL duo Outkast, was born. Patton has morphed into one of the biggest rappers/actors of this generation.
With four Outkast albums as well as four solo full-length releases of his own, Big Boi is recognized as one of the driving forces that helped put the spotlight on A-Town as a Hip Hop powerhouse city. His acting career rivals that of any of ATL’s pioneers except his partner Andre 3000, with appearances in the movies ATL, Idlewild, and Who’s Your Caddy as well as appearances on the sitcoms such as King Of The Hill.
Happy born day to Sir Lucius wish him many more from The Mind Squad!
On this date in 1994, crew members Wyclef Jean, Pras, and a young, talented Lauryn Hill otherwise known as The Fugees formulated their first album entitled Blunted On Reality on Hip Hop indie imprint Ruffhouse Records.
Not as familiar to Hip Hop heads as their follow-up smash sophomore album The Score, Blunted On Reality did not receive the commercial success their first go around, yielding only 12,000 copies sold in the first two years. After the release of The Score, that number jumped to 125K.
With Clef’s hands in every aspect of production, there were very few times when the Haitian national wasn’t behind the boards during the production of this album. Other producers include Salaam Remi, Brand X, Khallis Bayyan and even Pras.
Salute to the trio for bringing us this slept on classic!
Last year on the first day of Black History month, at least a dozen Historically Black Colleges and Universities received bomb threats, causing the schools to either evacuate or dismiss classes for that day altogether, showing the relentless commitment to racism in this country, especially towards its specialized, secondary learning institutions.
**From the report dated Feb 1, 2022**
The FBI is actively investigating bomb threats at the following schools: Mississippi Valley State University, Morgan State University, Alcorn State University, Tougaloo College, Jackson State University, Kentucky State University, Fort Valley State University, Howard University, Xavier University, The University of the District of Columbia, Spelman College, and Edward Waters University.
According to the report, Morgan State closed their campus for the day(February 1) due to the alleged threat.
The FBI released a statement via USA Today about the bomb threats which read, “The FBI is aware of the series of bomb threats around the country and we are working with our law enforcement partners to address any potential threats. As always, we would like to remind members of the public that if they observe anything suspicious to report it to law enforcement immediately.”
Over the weekend, Brooklyn rapper Billy B posted a TikTok video implying she hasn’t been included in “Don’t Play With It” NYC performances with Lola Brooke. While she was a feature on the now-viral song, hip hop heads agreed Billy B killed her verse. Giving that late 90’s tough femcee feeling we loved, Billy captured everyone’s attention alongside Lola. The BK beauty proved she was a force to be reckoned with.
Billy’s video came after Lil Kim invited Lola to perform at the Harlem Festival of Culture earlier this week. The TikTok video shows Billy lip syncing “Perc & Sex” by YN Jay while the caption of the video said, “POV: You wake up to yet another DWPI performance in without Billy B.”
On Saturday, Lola’s best friend Monàe Rodriguez, addressed the situation on Facebook.
“ITS LOLA SONG! SHAWTY IS A FEATURE! SHE IS ENTITLED TO HER OPINION HOWEVER IF SHE FELT AWAY SHE COULD Have EASILY CALLED LOLA NOT GO TO THE INTERNET! TOPIC DONE!,” Rodriguez wrote.
Billy quickly commented on Rodriguez’s post and blamed Lola’s team for the recent mishap.
“Called Lola and say what,” Billy said. “Last time we spoke she told me “I could perform the song by myself and to smut it out.” How tf ima smut it out ? Go ask ppl to perform it? Get outta here more then 3 promoters came and told us when booking her they asked for contact to book me also and her team snubbed it.”
She continued, “Didn’t negotiate no numbers or take it to my lawyers or nothing! JUST FOR THEM TO NOT REGISTER ME ON THE SONG. ADD ME AS A MAIN ARTIST! SO I CAN COLLECT MY PUBLISHING WHEN I DID THAT VERSE ON THE ARMS FOR THE TOWNS!”
Following the back and forth, Billy posted one last message on her facebook. She wrote: Starting with the tik tok … Apollo isn’t the 1st or 2nd or 3rd performance that’s went on in NYC that I wasn’t invited to or even told about prior to. I never once felt away about any performances in town or outta town because as I’ve said in MANY interviews DPWI is technically Lola’s record even tho the ORIGINAL song is featuring me. So if she is booked for ANYTHING I have nothing to do with that because we are 2 individual artist. Now morally if she performs in NYC ppl will expect to see me being that we’re both from here and we’ve performed it together plenty of times before the big success of the record. The tik tok was a POV POINT OF VIEW. Now on the back story that y’all know nothing about. – Promoters have reached out to my team saying that in the process of booking her they asked for my contact to book me also and would get snubbed. I know for a fact that’s not Lola’s personal doing because she doesn’t talk to promoters or handle the bookings but niggas was curving it. – When Lola hit me to collab I did everything on the arm with no hassle or hesitation BECAUSE THIS WAS GONNA BE A GREAT LOOK FOR THE TOWNS ! So for paperwork to not have been done correctly and for me to be left in the dark about a lot of situations and etc THAT SHÌT IS JUST WEIRD. – Ppl keep saying “why didn’t I just call her” but not understanding IM NOT THE ONE IN THE WRONG . Y’all only seeing the tik tok so i understand the confusion but it’s a lot going on behind the scenes. I’ve been a stand up bitch throughout this whole situation. There’s absolutely NO BEEF . I wish her continued success like I’ve always have BUT IM VERY DISAPPOINTED in how niggas handled me. Won’t be speaking on this situation anymore. What do you think should Billy B have been invited on stage in her hometown?
.@THCBILLYB adds more context to her TikTok video in an online debate with @lolabrooke718’s best friend. Billy accused Lola of not registering her on the song and snubbing her performance requests. She also confirmed there’s no beef between them. pic.twitter.com/74KJw6sSNz
On this date in 1994, the legendary Staten Island, NY collective known as the Wu-Tang Clan released one of the crew’s most memorable songs to date; “C.R.E.A.M.(Cash Rules Everything Around Me)” from their debut album Enter The 36 Chambers.
Recorded in Firehouse studios in NYC, Wu-Tang Clan leader/advisor The RZA sampled The Charmels’ 1967 song, “As Long As I’ve Got You.” Since the WTC’s creation of this hit, “cream” became a slang term used for money in hoods all across the country and eventually the globe.
On January 29, 2009, “C.R.E.A.M.” was certified Gold by the RIAA for sales of 500,000 units, 15 years after it was first released.
According to groundbreaking publications such as Time Magazine and Rolling Stone, C.R.E.A.M. is regarded as one of the best rap songs of all time.
On this day in 1989, Bay Area rap legend Too $hort released his second album Life Is …Too $hort on the legendary, but now defunct Jive/RCA imprint.
Not long after $hort retired from selling thousands of units from the trunk of his car, his fifth full-length studio release became his top-selling album to date. Even after dropping over twenty albums, Too $hort’s most successful LP was this ten-track gem laced with creative arrangements of curse words and a crash course on the pimp game. Tracks like “Pimp the Ho” and “Don’t Fight The Feelin’” were instructional tracks to those outside of Oakland unfamiliar with $hort, while songs like “Cusswords” and the title track gave off an “American hood” appeal that many around the country during the crack era could relate to.
Thanks to the Bay Area vet who put it down of Northern California when there wasn’t many well known rappers outside of New York to begin with. Salute for this piece of Hip Hop history!
Public Enemy hypeman Flavor Flav joined DJ Akademiks on his Off The Record podcast and spoke about his years long crack addiction along with other subjects that he mentioned in his upcoming book, Flavor Flav: The Icon The Memoir.
Flav said, “There was a time that I was spending $2,400 to $2,600 a day for six years straight. You do the math. And that’s how much I spent on drugs.”
