Hip Hop News

Social media is flooded with nips, tucks, and filtered photos, but Lizzo wanted to show herself in her most natural form. The “Truth Hurts” singer has continuously been vocal in the body acceptance and body positivity movements, and Lizzo hasn’t been she about showing off her curves. She hasn’t adhered to the societal standards of weight and beauty, and she’s partnered with Dove for a new campaign that takes aim at self-esteem issues generated by social media.

On Instagram, Lizzo stripped down to nothing and shared an unedited, unfiltered photo of herself. “WELCOME TO TAURUS SEASON,” she wrote in the caption.

“To celebrate I wanna give y’all this unedited selfie,” Lizzo continued. “Now normally I would fix my belly and smooth my skin but baby I wanted show u how I do it au natural — I am excited to be partnering with @dove and the #DoveSelfEsteemProject which is helping to reverse the negative effects of social media and changing the conversation about beauty standards. Let’s get real y’all.”

The singer received an outpouring of support from fans and her fellow entertainers, including her good friend, SZA. “It’s you having no blemishes at ALL lol,” the TDE star commented. “Sigh I jus admire u Fren[sad tear emoji] I wanna drop the FaceTime pics.” We want those FaceTime pics, too. Check out Lizzo’s photo below.

Reactions to the results of Derek Chauvin’s murder trial have been a mixed bag. Political lines have long been drawn in the sand as it pertains to Chauvin murdering George Floyd on camera last year, and we’ve read through several articles and posts about who’s-at-fault-for-what. On Tuesday (April 20), Chauvin was found guilty of second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter, and immediately commentators from varying industries took to social media to share their thoughts.

Tomi Lahren has been a leading voice in the far-right political movement as a host of Fox Nation and few were surprised with her response to learning that the Chauvin trial jury reach a verdict. “You got your justice so I’d assume there will be peace in Minneapolis tonight? No rioting? No looting? No harassing officers?”

She continued, “Is the Foot Locker safe tonight? Should be, right? Justice, right? No need to steal in the name of George Floyd anymore, right?” Some criticized Lahren, calling her reaction insensitive. “What happened to George Floyd at the hands of Chauvin was WRONG but there is still NO evidence it had anything to do with race!”

“Chauvin was found guilty on all counts in under a day. Any violence/rioting/looting that happens tonight can’t be blamed on a racist justice system!” Read through her tweets, as well as a few reactions, below.

Twitter

Twitter

The world of NFTs could very well change the music industry as we know it. The innovative way to release music and merch digitally is beginning to catch wave and it seems plenty of people are joining in the hype. A$AP Rocky just announced a special 4/20 capsule and The Weeknd also recently released a song exclusively into the NFT world.

Christopher Polk/Getty Images

Many are still confused about what an NFT is so the folks over at Saturday Night Live broke it down in their latest episode. Pete Davidson and Chris Redd break down the world of the digital unit in a parody over Eminem’s “Without Me” with Pete dressing up as Slim Shady. The clip went viral after it debuted on the show and it seems that it finally caught the attention of Em. The Detroit legend took to Twitter where he quote-tweeted the video with a thinking emoji.

Eminem’s capsule collections over the years have sold out time and time again, so naturally, it seems that joining the NFT world could be something he considers in the future. Perhaps that’s something we could expect from him after releasing Music To Be Murdered By – Side B.

This is not the first time Pete Davidson has parodied Em. In December, Pete Davidson parodied “Stan” on SNL which included a surprise cameo from Eminem himself. 

Check Em’s response below. 

The jury came in with their verdict today in court. Derek Chauvin was convicted on all three counts against him including manslaughter and murder. It’s a step towards justice but certainly not the end-all, be-all of police brutality against members of marginalized communities. Public officials are still facing pressure to make sure law enforcement officials are held accountable for their actions. 

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The death of George Floyd sparked protests and demonstrations across the world. As Chauvin was served a guilty verdict, there was an outpour of reactions from public officials to A-List celebrities who expressed relief of the news. Nancy Pelosi was joined by the Congressional Black Caucus where she offered a rather bizarre speech where she insinuated that, somehow, Floyd willfully sacrificed himself for justice.

“Thank you, George Floyd, for sacrificing your life for justice. For being there to call out to your mom, how heartbreaking was that, call out for you mom, ‘I can’t breathe,'” Pelosi said at the press conference. “But because of you and because of thousands, millions of people around the world who came out for justice, your name will always be synonymous with justice.” 

The comments she made were immediately met with backlash which she seemed to try to clarify afterward in a subsequent tweet calling for the George Floyd Justice In Policing act to be enacted immediately.

“George Floyd should be alive today. His family’s calls for justice for his murder were heard around the world. He did not die in vain. We must make sure other families don’t suffer the same racism, violence & pain, and we must enact the George Floyd #JusticeInPolicing Act.”

By now, we’ve all been confronted with the news that former police officer Derek Chauvin has been found guilty of second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter for the death of George Floyd. As many are breathing a sigh of relief, others await sentencing before celebrating accountability. The news has garnered reactions from politicians in almost every jurisdiction, and former President Barack Obama has released an official statement on behalf of himself and former First Lady, Michelle Obama.

Although the Obamas haven’t occupied the presidential office for some time, they often speak openly about political, social, and cultural issues affecting the United States. “Today, a jury did the right thing. But true justice requires much more,” Obama tweeted.

“Michelle and I send our prayers to the Floyd family, and we stand with all those who are committed to guaranteeing every American the full measure of justice that George and so many others have been denied,” he continued. This message was a caption to a more lengthy reaction. “In this case, at least, we have our answer,” the joint statement reads.

“But if we’re being honest with ourselves, we know that true justice is much more than a single verdict in a single trial.” Read through the Obamas’ statement in its entirety below.