Kai Cenat got more celebrity meetings than what he might have bargained for, as he took a picture with Kim Kardashian and La La Anthony. Most likely, this was for his painting session with North West, who recently celebrated her birthday on Saturday (June 15) and who got a pic with the streamer on his Instagram Story the same day. It’s unclear if they literally met yesterday or if it’s from an older meeting, but all signs point to the former. Of course, a lot of folks comically theorized as to what Kanye West might have to say about all this, especially now that we know Kim and La La were there.
For those unaware, Kai Cenat and Kanye West were the subject of one of the oddest and least necessary “beefs” in pop culture this year. Basically, the story begins with Ye sending the New Yorker some Yeezy merch, including hilariously oversized pants. When Cenat complained about this on stream, most likely in partial jest, the Chicago artist actually blasted him in his Instagram DMs, and the media personality even had a call with Kanye’s manager. Even though they patched things up via a new Yeezy merch box (with normal sizes) a while after, it’s still a head-scratcher.
Beyond Kai Cenat and North West’s meeting, Kim Kardashian also experienced a pop culture crossover this week that turned much more bizarre. “@kimkardashian can you please get my grandson parents out of jail!!!!” Karlissa Saffold asked via Instagram recently. If you have no idea what we’re talking about, Saffold’s son Blueface and his partner Chrisean Rock are currently in jail for probation violation and a felony fugitive warrant, respectively. Long story short, it’s a gossip train that would be quite the rocky ride for Kim.
Meanwhile, Kai Cenat had some celebrity fun of his own during his sleepover stream with Kevin Hart and Druski. They became quite the beloved comedy trio online over a short span of time, and there are highlights galore to witness. We’ll see what other interactions and link-ups happen in these stars’ lives. After all, there’s nothing like expanding the content circle and growing in our attention-driven industry.
Notably known as a part of our childhood—Now and Later® has launched ‘Pause Now, Hustle Later’ with media personality, entrepreneur, and candy lover La La Anthony, to spotlight emerging black-owned businesses in the self-care space and to encourage fans to take a pause NOW, so that they can reset and reenergize for their daily hustle LATER.
In honor of International Self-Care Day, Now and Later and La La are encouraging everyone to take a pause in their day for a moment of self-care. To help fans celebrate, La La has unveiled a hand-picked list of five Black-owned self-care businesses with products and services that can be added to any self-care routine.
Leading into National Black Business month in August, Now and Later is also committing $50,000 in financial support to the selected small businesses through the ‘Pause Now, Hustle Later’ Grant. Each business will receive $10,000 that will help fuel their hustle and aid in their continued growth.The Source zoomed in with Actress LaLa Anthony to get her take on recognizing International Self-Care Day and her collaboration with Now & Later, celebrate the start of National Black Business Month (August 2023) to support leaders and entrepreneurs.
“As a mom and businesswoman, the hustle is a part of my daily grind. I’m always on the go but at the same time, I have to pause and prioritize self-care so that I can show up as my best self,” said La La Anthony. “One of my favorite ways to unwind is to enjoy a sweet treat like Now and Later, and now I get to encourage others to take a pause while also shouting out some of my favorite go-to Black-owned companies.”
La La’s selected self-care brands include:
· Buttah Skincare, a line of highly effective products for both women and men, formulated to target everyday skin conditions leaving skin glowing, healthy, and renewed.
· Fancy Homebody, a clothing brand that offers a variety of loungewear and other essentials that are as chic as they are comfy.
· I See You Wellness, a Brooklyn-based wellness and lifestyle brand that specializes in essential oils, herbal tea blends, bath salts, smudge sprays, and skincare products and hosts virtual healing gatherings.
· Natural Radiant Life, which specializes in clean, plant-based, vegan and organic skin and body-care products.
“Just like the Now & Later brand, I was born in Brooklyn and I love candy, so it was a full circle moment for me to team up with them to award Black Brands with grants to further grow and glow”. Launched in 1962 in Brooklyn, Now & Later is housed by the Ferrara label alongside Brach’s; Nerds; Sweet Tarts; Laffy Taffy; and Trolli.
LaLa loves candy and often resets throughout her busy schedule to exhale, recharge, and focus while savoring her favorite cherry flavored Now & Later. Suggesting that it is quite alright to “Pause Now & Hustle Later” , LaLa shares her list of preferred black owned brands during her self-care time. “I love to indulge in products such as Butta Skin; Fancy Homebody; I See You Wellness; Natural Radiant Life; and Kimberly New York”. In addition to sharing a taste of ideal break time products, she and Now & Later have also teamed up to launch the ‘Pause Now, Hustle Later’ Grant during the month of August. Statistics from the Small Business Administration recognize that 50 percent of small businesses fail within the first five years due to lack of financial resources.
The Source zoomed in with Actress LaLa Anthony to get her take on recognizing International Self-Care Day, her collaboration with Now & Later, and celebrating the start of National Black Business Month to support leaders and entrepreneurs.
Shout out to LaLa and Now & Later for amplifying black entrepreneurs who are on the road to becoming billion-dollar businesses!
Lala Anthony is one of the most prolific and cross-generational personalities that hip-hop culture has ever witnessed. There’s absolutely no one like her. The Brooklyn, New York-raised talent, born Alani Nicole Vázquez, got her start in radio at just 16 years old and it’s been on ever since. From radio to landing the coveted role as an MTV VJ for Total Request Live to huge acting roles as well as hosting the 2023 Met Gala red carpet for Vogue — and on top of it all, being a mother — there are so many reasons Lala is important to the culture and with Hip Hop’s 50th approaching, it’s time to highlight that.
Right before the 2023 BET Awards, at the Amex & BET Watch Party at House of BET, I got a glimpse of Lala at work with the lights, camera, and mic on. Oh, and the many eyes staring and all the ears listening (because it has to be quiet on the set, of course) while she did it. It looked like she could do this in her sleep — which should come as no surprise. She’s been thriving for years in an ever-changing media space and in so many ways. It’s to the point where there’s something comforting about knowing that Lala’s involved. Whether it’s on Starz’s BMF or a cameo in a Drake music video, there’s a certain standard that comes with her association.
“I started on TRL really young and that was live TV, and you couldn’t mess up,” she told me after she wrapped filming. “So, I think I’ve gotten trained over the years to try to just do it in one take because on live television, you can’t do it again. So, I’m used to it.”
Exactly. There’s a reason Lala will always be famous. During our conversation, we discussed her early days on the radio, with Ludacris giving her a shot, Wu-Tang Clan, Nas, and the music she’s looking forward to the most this year.
How did you get your start at the radio station in Atlanta?
I was an intern. And then from there, I worked really hard, and Ludacris, they gave me a shot at actually being on the radio with him when I was 16 years old. So that’s how everything started, and that’s how my career kind of started. I know, I know. It was young. It was young. Well, I lied and said I was 18 so I could get the job, but I was really 16. It was young, but I was driven. I knew I loved music, I knew I wanted to do something with music, so once the opportunity to intern came up, I knew that was something I wanted to do.
You took that risk?
I did. I took a chance. It was a fun job for me to intern at a radio station as a teenager. You get to hear all the music you love and you get to meet all the artists that you love.
And also, since… He wasn’t Ludacris then, right?
Chris Luva Luva.
Right. So you guys are both at the top of y’all’s game at this point. During that time though, when you both were on the radio, did you two ever discuss what you wanted the future to look like?
Chris always wanted to be a rapper and we knew that. I’ll never forget the day he came in the radio station and he said, “I’m going to leave this job now.” He said, “So you got two options. You’re either going to get in the car with me and we’re going to travel all over the country selling my mixtape or you’re going to have to find another radio job.” And I was like, do I want to be in his Hyundai for however many months just on the road? Or, do I want to pursue my own career? I always supported Chris, but I wanted to find my own lane.
I decided to go with the option of getting on another radio station. That’s when I moved to LA, probably at about 18 or 19 years old, and got on the radio here in LA.
It’s been so dope to see you go from radio to TRL to doing all the TV shows like Power and BMF and reality shows to hosting the Met Gala red carpet. What would you say is your most memorable interview moment?
The internship that we talked about started because I remember Method Man and the Wu-Tang Clan, they were opening up a clothing store in Atlanta and I wanted to meet Method Man. I wanted to meet the Wu-Tang Clan. I was such a fan growing up. So, it wasn’t an interview, but it was the moment where kind of my career started when I went to the clothing store that they were opening. I got the internship because the radio station was there.
I always think about Wu-Tang as what kind of started me in this career and everything, and then years later, I was also a part of the Wu-Tang series. So it all came full circle, to be acting in the Wu-Tang series and knowing that my career started following Wu-Tang at the clothing store that day. I feel like hip-hop is the soundtrack to my life and my career and my path, so I have so much love for it. It started my career in music. It’s been great to see a little bit of everything.
Do you remember the first rap you ever memorized?
Yes. “Anything” by Nas I memorized, and I still to this day know by heart.
Which album drops were you the most excited for this year?
I loved Drake and 21‘s album. Thug’s album was great. There’s been some great music this year for sure.
Do you have any projects that you’re looking forward to?
Well, if Drake does, then I’ll look forward to that, of course. Nicki Minaj said she was releasing, so definitely Nicki for sure. I mean, I just take them as they come, and then I get right into them. I know there’s some great concerts happening. Definitely, Beyoncé’s concert, so that’s going to be great. I know Drake is going on tour with 21, so I’m going to definitely go to that. It’s a great time for music.
Speaking of Beyoncé, I do have a question about a specific picture though, because I know one year at the Met Gala you, Beyoncé and Nicki took a photo. Tell me about that moment.
It’s always great energy with all of us. I think that Nicki, we were sitting next to each other at the Met, and then Bey was walking around and came over to say, ‘Hi,’ and then we just snapped a picture together. The Met is so fun. You never know who you’re going to see or who you’re going to run into. That was a couple years ago. It was a fun night.
It’s like a dinner and then a performance — but it’s really fun. You get to see people that you love, people that you’re fans of and you get to see friends. It’s like a gathering of just great energy and people you don’t see all the time. So, it’s really a fun night and it’s in New York, which makes me happy because a lot of events are in LA, and I’m from New York and I live in New York, so it’s nice to have events like the Met be in New York.
What’s next for you or something we should look out for?
I just had a movie drop, The Perfect Find on Netflix with myself, Gabrielle Union, and Keith Powers. I just finished filming season three of BMF, which will drop in January, so people seem to be excited for another season of BMF.
North West interrupted Kim Kardashian’s IG Story video with an important update: she plotted with Lala Anthony via FaceTime to bring Ice Spice to the Kardashian home. Overall, it was a pretty wholesome exchange, as Kim was with her son Psalm and Lala’s one of her best friends. Moreover, the reality TV superstar enjoyed a brief moment of cuteness with Psalm before North threw Anthony in her face. Kim even seemed surprised at the call, which just shows North is savvier than you might expect. After all, who better to call than a beloved celebrity to try to link up with a beloved celebrity? Given North’s recent portrait of Ice Spice, it’s clear she’s a big fan.
“What is that? Cheese!” Kim told her son at the start of her video. “Look at my little baby. What’s that, peace sign?” Furthermore, Psalm smiled at the camera and put his hand up to say hello. Then, North interrupts her filming with Lala on the phone, which prompts a squeal from Psalm. “Oh hey!” the SKIMS mogul exclaimed when she saw Lala on North’s screen. “What are you doing? When my daughter is FaceTiming my best friend,” she said while showing North’s screen to the camera. Of course, Lala knew to pose for the Gram as well.
“I was trying to make a video. What are you guys talking about?” Kim asked. Anthony responded, “We talkin’ about Ice Spice. We talkin’ about her coming to yours, we talkin’ about her coming to visit me…” Furthermore, Kim confirmed that the Bronx MC is North’s newest obsession. “Ice Spice, that’s all North cares about,” the social media royal stated at the end of her video.
Meanwhile, even Spice herself responded to North’s viral portrait of her. Moreover, TMZ reporters caught up with her in Brooklyn and asked her if she saw the drawing. “I did, it was so cute!” she exclaimed. “Thank you, North.” Also, she did a great job of dodging paparazzi questions about Kanye West, and Kim and North posted a funny TikTok with her PinkPantheress collab “Boy’s a liar Pt. 2” shortly after. As always, stay tuned to HNHH for more wholesome family moments from the Kim Kardashian camp.
Viewers of a show or film will oftentimes associate the actor and or actress with their character outside of the show. Point in case, star La La Anthony. The former MTV personality has been under fire for her role in BMF on STARZ as of late. While she has talked about it in the past, it was co-star Kash Doll who spoke on her behalf last week.
The Detroit rapper and new mom was nearing the end of her NYC promo run when she was approached by TMZ reporters last Friday (Feb. 17). They asked her to share her thoughts on Markisha Taylor and Terry Flenory’s relationship, played by La La and actor Da’Vinci. The on-screen—rumored off-screen lovers—have eyes on them for the portrayal of an older woman having an affair with an up-and-coming drug kingpin still in high school. Especially since the show is largely based on the real lives of the Black Mafia Family.
Kash Doll Defends Co-Star La La Anthony
As Anthony’s name was mentioned, Kash Doll immediately came to her defense. “Why is it a problem if she’s acting it?” she questioned. “It ain’t like she’s dating him for real.” She went on to add that “a lot of it is not all the way true.” “[The show is] based on a true story but they[‘re] putting the lil’ sauce on it.”
Her response comes after backlash from BMF viewers since the season 2 premiere. Twitter user @taurusk_ tweeted: “So we just gonna breeze by La La Character in BMF being a child predator? lol.” Lala recently alluded to Markisha being the “older girlfriend” who forced Terry to step up and become a man in his late teens. During a visit to The Breakfast Club, Anthony spoke on her role and the woman who inspired it. The First Lady in question, Tonesa Welch, went on to share the interview and her grievances with the show as a whole. Big Meech is also providing his thoughts on the drama series. This was detailed by his son Lil Meech in a January interview. Let us know what you think about all of this, in the comments below.
La La Anthony is opening up about her thoughts on marriage, revealing that most of the married people she’s friends with are all miserable in their relationships.
“The people in the public eye go through stuff,” Anthony began. “It’s like this kinda idea of like, well, people don’t feel bad for them, or what did you expect, or what did you think.”
She continued, “Especially even dealing with athletes. It’s kinda like, well, what did you think was gonna happen? Guess what? Nobody goes into a marriage thinking that that’s gonna happen. No, you don’t go into a marriage thinking that. If you thought that and believed that your connection with that person wasn’t something different, then you wouldn’t get married to them.”
When Charlamagne mentioned that La La previously said that “people are gon’ cheat,” Anthony corrected him, insisting that entering into a marriage isn’t the same when expectations have been laid.
“I went into a marriage saying I found a connection with someone that, we’re gonna do it different,” she explained. “Regardless if you’re an athlete, whatever you are, entertainer. Any kind of business you’re in.”
I don’t hear people who aren’t married saying like, ‘I wanna get married.’ You just start hearing it less and less,” she said on the show. “Like, before, that was a goal…I’m not in conversation with people who are like, ‘I can’t wait to meet someone and get married.’”
She went on to say: “Most–I’m not saying all, I’m being careful with my words–most married people that I know are miserable. And not happy. And don’t wanna be married.” Is this true for married people?
