Hip Hop News

Just a day after announcing her long running daytime show was coming to an end in 2022, Ellen Degeneres decided to appear on the “Today” show this morning to tell Savannah Guthrie why she’s moving on, and how the recent toxic workplace reports impacted her decision.

“If it was why I was quitting, I would have not come back this year,” DeGeneres said. “I really did think about not coming back because it did…it was devastating. I am a kind person. I am a person who likes to make people happy. I just kept saying to [wife] Portia [de Rossi], ‘If I was a fan of somebody and even if I loved them, I would think there must be some truth to it, because it’s not stopping.’ Right on the heels of that, I read in the press that there’s a toxic work environment, which I had no idea, never saw anything that would even point to that.”

When Guthrie asked DeGeneres if she felt like she was being “cancelled,” the talk show host responded, “I really didn’t understand it. I still don’t understand it. It was too orchestrated. It was too coordinated. People get picked on, but for four months straight, for me, and then for me to read in the press about a toxic work environment, when all I’ve ever heard from every guest that comes on the show is what a happy atmosphere this is and what a happy place this is.

“I don’t know how I could have known when there’s 255 employees here and there are a lot of different buildings, unless I literally stay here until the last person goes home at night,” she continued. “It is my name on the show, so clearly it affects me and I have to be the one to stand up and say, ‘This can’t be tolerated.’ But I do wish somebody would have come to me and said, ‘Hey, something’s going on that you should know about.’”

Promising to begin “a new chapter” on Sept. 21, DeGeneres addressed the allegations and apologized to the people that were affected.

“As you may have heard, this summer there were allegations of a toxic work environment at our show and then there was an investigation,” DeGeneres said. “I learned that things happened here that never should have happened. I take that very seriously and I want to say I am so sorry to the people that were affected. I know that I am in a position of privilege and power and with that comes responsibility and I take responsibility for what happens at my show.”

Watch an excerpt of the interview (below).

In March, The Joe Budden Podcast listeners noticed that there was something off about the show. It was because Budden’s right-hand men, Rory Farrell and Jamil “Mal” Clay, were noticeably missing, and for weeks, Budden was aloof regarding their return. He pressed forward without his good friends before they made appearances once again, but on Wednesday (May 12), leaked audio from a recent episode shows Budden ranting about Rory and Mal. The host complained about his friends feeling entitled and not bringing anything to the table.

“Since Rory feels like he has so many options here, somehow he still feels like he’s running the show. He feels like he’s entitled to more,” Budden is heard saying in the clip. “Rory, you are in breach of your contract. And from this point forward, you are fired, and you are not welcome back.” After his name became a trending topic and the world knew that he was axed from JBP, Rory popped up on Twitter to share a statement.

“Mannn .. what an era,” tweeted Farrell. “Thank you to everyone that listened, supported, told their friends about us, bought a subscription, ticket, or merch .. any value starts & ends with y’all .. I’ll get to that messy sh*t soon but in the meantime I’m here to celebrate an amazing run!! Love.”

Then he joked, “I just read that back and it sounded like the Bow Wow ‘Thank You’ record smfh [pouring tears crying emoji].” After news circulated, Budden fired off a series of tweets. “Friend or not, I’m NEVER funding someone’s sabotage of me, that will NEVER happen,” said Budden. “I get far away from the threat…. You can think piece until your face turns blue.”

You can check out Rory’s tweets below.

Twitter

Following the news that his DJ was indicted on murder and tampering with evidence charges, Jack Harlow is finally speaking out. It was supposed to be a celebratory evening on May 1 because it was “Derby Day,” one of the biggest annual events for the state of Kentucky. Harlow was born and raised in the state and booked a gig at the Vibes Restaurant and Ultra Lounge in the city of Louisville. As Harlow and his crew, a group that included his longtime DJ Ronnie Luciano, real name Ronnie Tyson O’Bannon, were enjoying the scene when shots rang out.

A video later surfaced online showing the rapper running for cover before it was reported that 37-year-old Kasmira Nash had been killed in the incident. O’Bannon was arrested and tacked with charges and after remaining silent about the developing case, Harlow shared his official statement on Instagram earlier today (May 12). “My heart is broken by the events that occurred over Derby weekend,” the rapper wrote.

Rich Fury / Staff / Getty Images

“My heart breaks for Kasmira, her children, and everyone else touched by this tragic death,” he continued. “My heart breaks for my city, a place that’s been through too much pain already. I’ve been in touch with Kasmira’s family during this unimaginably painful time, and I’m grateful to them for keeping the lines of communication open. Nothing can reverse what happened. Too many lives have been changed forever. My life will remain committed to making Louisville a better place.”

It’s reported that Nash was an employee of the lounge. Another man was reportedly also injured in the fray and was treated at a nearby hospital. 

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Last year, as fans were excited over the Verzuz match-ups, people were asking for a Three 6 Mafia and Bone Thugs-N-Harmony pairing. There were rumors that the Verzuz was in the works, but information regarding the potential music event went dark. In November, DJ Paul caught up with us and revealed that his crew and Bone Thugs had agreed to appear in a similar format to Verzuz, albeit it was independent. They planned on sharing the stage outside of the Verzuz bubble, but Paul claims just 30 minutes before they went live, Swizz Beatz called Krayzie Bone and told them all to hold off until they could officially get Verzuz on board.

Then, Paul revealed to us, the Verzuz was canceled. He claims Krayzie Bone returned and said with all that was going on in the world, it wasn’t the right time. Verzuz moved forward and Three 6 Mafia seemingly missed their opportunity to add their name to the list of performers. It’s unfortunate for Hip Hop fans, and Three Six Mafia’s Crunchy Black is peeved at Timbaland and Swizz Beatz.

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“When it come to Paul and Juicy J, I don’t like to talk about the sh*t that they talk to me about, but I’mma speak on this just because Timbaland and Swizz Beatz told Paul that they gon’ set up a time or a date for them to go against ‘Verzuz’ against Bone Thugs-N-Harmony and they didn’t show us no love,” Black told VladTV.

“Bone Thugs-N-Harmony sold platinum and double-platinum albums. Three 6 Mafia sold platinum and double-platinum albums. Y’all said that y’all only dealing with people that have that accolade of double-platinum albums, you know what I’m saying?” said the rapper. “But just because Paul tried to set it up with his friends, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, y’all tell them to hold up for a minute, y’all gon’ set it up, and they never set it up.”

Crunchy Black questioned how Timbaland and Swizz Beatz can boast “spreading love” if they “didn’t do what the people want.” He added, “Everybody want it. Bone Thugs-N-Harmony and Three  Mafia to do the ‘Verzuz’… C’mon man. Swizz Beatz, Timbaland, I f*ck with y’all for real. Keep doing the good sh*t.”

He told them “don’t be on that bullsh*t ’cause we from the South.” Black accused Timbaland and Swizz of wanting to “downgrade” them because of where they’re from. “I hate for folks to play with Juicy and I definitely hate for folks to play with Paul.” Watch crunchy Black share his frustrations below.

Gal Gadot recently faced an onslaught of backlash after she tweeted her concerns regarding the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict, and Rihanna has faced a bit of it herself. In recent weeks, there has been increasing awareness regarding the airstrikes between Israel and Palestine as supporters of both sides have taken to social media in real-time to post updates. Rihanna surfaced on social media this evening (May 12) where she shared that she was distraught over the distressing news of innocent people dying in the crossfire.

“My heart is breaking with the violence I’m seeing displayed between Israel and Palestine!” the singer wrote in a text image shared on Instagram.

Fatima Shbair / Stringer / Getty Images

“I can’t bare to see it! Innocent Israeli and Palestinian children are hiding in bomb shelters, over 40 lives lost in Gaza alone, at least 13 of whom were also innocent children! There needs to be some kind of resolve! We are sadly watching innocent people fall victim to notions perpetuated by government and extremists, and this cycle needs to be broken.” In the caption, she wrote, “I stand with humanity!”

This isn’t the first time Rihanna has taken to social media to discuss controversial political topics. She has actively posted messages about Black Lives Matter, she vocalized her distaste for former President Donald Trump, she addressed the farmer’s protest in India, she’s advocated for undocumented Mexican immigrants, she voiced support for Sudan, and she sent messages supporting Americans Indigenous peoples during Thanksgiving. ans have also noted that seven years ago, she tweeted “Free Palestine,” but the tweet has reportedly been deleted. Still, alleged screenshots have been shared.

Check out the singer’s post, and a few reactions, below.

He was on his way to possibly taking home the win on American Idol, but teen sensation Caleb Kennedy will no longer be involved in the singing competition series. Kennedy fought his way through hundreds of hopefuls and the 16-year-old was among the Top 5 final contestants, but a scandal arose after a video surfaced online showing the country singer next to someone wearing a Ku Klux Klan-like hood.

The New York Post reports that American Idol confirmed Kennedy’s departure and soon, he returned to his Instagram with an apology to “his fans and everyone who I have let down.”

Kennedy has wowed both judges and the public with his covers of Jason Aldean, Coldplay, and Willie Nelson hits, but it wasn’t enough to keep Idol from giving him the boot. “Hey y’all, this is gonna be a bit of a surprise but I am no longer gonna be on ‘American Idol,’” Kennedy shared on social media. “There was a video that surfaced on the internet and it displayed actions that were not meant to be taken in that way.”

“I was younger and did not think about the actions, but that’s not an excuse,” he continued without delivering the context of the clip. “I wanna say sorry to all my fans and everyone who I have let down. I’ll be taking a little time off social media to better myself, but saying that, I know this has hurt and disappointed a lot of people and made people lose respect for me. I’m so sorry! I pray that I can one day regain your trust in who I am and have your respect! Thank you for supporting me.”

His fans have shown their support by telling Kennedy that he didn’t do anything wrong because he was reportedly a pre-teen at the time and wasn’t the person wearing the hood. Idol will return to small screens this weekend with their Top 4 finalists. It is unclear if they’ll address the controversy on air.

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