Chadwick Boseman Wasn’t Snubbed By Oscars, Says Family

Last night’s (April 25) Oscars have garnered mixed reactions, but a standout moment was when the winner for Best Actor was announced. Chadwick Boseman was in the running for his moving portrayal of Levee in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom alongside Viola Davis, but in the end, the Black Panther star lost out to Sir Anthony Hopkins for The Father. The legendary actor graciously accepted his award but made sure to mention Boseman during his speech.

“At 83 years of age, I did not expect to get this award. I really didn’t,” Hopkins said. “I’m very grateful to The Academy. Thank you. I want to pay tribute to Chadwick Boseman, who was taken from us far too early. And again, thank you all very much. I really did not expect this, so I feel very privileged and honored, thank you.”

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A post shared by Ma Rainey (@maraineyfilm)

Soon, social media lit up with Boseman fans who were disappointed that the actor didn’t receive a posthumous win. There were accusations against The Academy with claims that Boseman was snubbed, but the actor’s family reportedly feels different. TMZ spoke with Derrick Boseman, Chadwick’s brother, who said that everyone in the Best Actor category “was excellent and deserving of the award.”

Boseman’s relatives aren’t bothered that he didn’t win last night and, in fact, they wish Hopkins nothing but the best. “I”m sure [Anthony] would if Chad won.” Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom was Chadwick Boseman’s final film before he passed away following a long bout with colon cancer. The actor was 43. You can watch Hopkins’s acceptance speech below.

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Tichina Arnold Shuts Down “Martin” Reboot Rumors

In the early 1990s, television history was made when Martin premiered. The popular series was a fan favorite and starred Martin Lawrence, Tisha Campbell, Tichina Arnold, Thomas Mikal Ford, and Carl Anthony Payne II. Weekly, the group of friends and lovers would engage in comedic banter and after its final episode aired in 1997, fans cried out for more.

Over the years, there have been rumors about whether or not the cast would rejoin together for a Martin reboot or reimagining, and back in 2018, there was a glimmer of hope. However, that was shot down after Tisha and Tichina recently appeared on the Tamron Hall Show. While there, Tamron asked about the possibility of a reboot and Tichina delivered the bad news.

“As Tisha told you, I kinda shoot from the hip,” said Tichina. “And uh—it’s something that we wanted to happen. It’s something that we tried very hard to happen, but the way it looks to me, realistically, it’s not gonna happen. Not unless it’s an animation. Tisha brought up a great idea to do an animation of it, but I always say, a show can never ever be rebooted without the original cast.”

“Now, we may be able to have a rebirth, maybe,” she continued. “But as far as a reboot, I don’t think that’s gonna happen.” Tichina also mentioned Ford, as the beloved actor passed away in 2016. “Tommy’s no longer with us, the show is never gonna be the same.” It’s sad news for Martin fans, but Tichina added, “Some things are best left alone.”

NBA YoungBoy Surprises Fan With Phone Call While In Jail

A little thing like jail isn’t going to keep NBA YoungBoy from reaching out to his dedicated fans. The 21-year-old rapper has been incarcerated since last month after he was apprehended following a short-lived foot chase. YoungBoy faces several weapons charges related to his September 2020 arrest where he, along with several others, was taken into custody while reportedly filming a music video in Louisiana.

We previously reported that YoungBoy entered a not guilty plea and was denied bond, but it looks as if he’s been receiving support while locked up.

A video surfaced online from a YoungBoy fan named Raquel who was able to get the rapper on the telephone. It seems that the young fan penned a letter to YoungBoy while he’s been inside and it touched him so much that he decided to give her a call. “I was calling to thank you for writing me. I got your letter. It made me smile,” a soft-spoken YoungBoy is heard saying on the line. The fan couldn’t believe it and expressed her love for the rapper as she became emotional.

In the caption, Raquel added, “Y’all don’t know how much this shocked me I’m still in disbelief ‘I fell in love with your room’, & y’all don’t talk about my me crying if y’all ask my family & everybody around me my only dreams was too meet nba youngboy & drive a Tesla & both came true well I didn’t meet him but still y’all know what I mean my life is complete.”

Check out the posts from the fan below.

DreamDoll & “Snowfall” Actor Damson Idris Deny Dating Rumors

A simple moment on the red carpet became the subject of relationship gossip for DreamDoll and Damson Idris. The rapper and Snowfall actor were seen standing next to one another in a group photo at an Academy Awards after-party on Sunday (April 25), smiling and carrying on. There wasn’t anything to suggest that the two were a couple, but soon, social media users began to speculate by the hundreds. 

Damson noticed the trend and stepped forward with a response that suggested he wasn’t used to this type of reaction from fans when he’s simply standing next to someone who just happens to be famous as well.

DreamDoll, Damson Idris, Rumors
Carmen Mandato / Stringer / Getty Images

“Ok. So don’t pose near women because then we are apparently married. [notepad emoji] Forgive me, I’m still learning. [red wine emoji.]” The Shade Room reposted Damson’s tweet and included the caption, “#DamsonIdris speaks out after fans think #DreamDoll is his potential boo after they took a picture last night at an Oscar party.”

DreamDoll saw the caption and although things were clarified, she still slid in the comments to share her thoughts. “Y’all need to relax,” she wrote. “Potential boo? I literally just met him yesterday it was just a damn photo.” Check it all out below.

Alexis Skyy Is Over Dating Men Who “Run The Streets”: “I Could Never!”

It doesn’t look like Alexis Skyy is having much luck with romance. The social media influencer has shared the ups and downs of her relationships on both reality television and the internet. Years ago, she revealed on Love & Hip Hop Hollywood that she was pregnant with Fetty Wap’s baby, but recently, the real father of her daughter came forward. Then, Alexis shared that her baby daddy, Brandon Medford, knew two years ago that he was the father of her child and she accused him of being absent.

She was public about her relationship with rapper Trouble back in 2019, and since then, there were rumors that she had a new beau. Her current dating status is unknown, but Skyy took to her Instagram Story to denounce men who like to stay out all night.

“Dating a n*gga who run the streets is for TEENAGERS,” wrote Alexis. “I’m a whole grown ass WOMAN! If you can’t get yo ass in this bed and lay tf down at a decent hour, then you ain’t the one for me! Y’all be thinking that sh*t cool when a n*gga trap all day, be in another b*tch face all evening and come calling yo phone like ‘open the door bae’ at the crack of f*cking DAWN [woman making an X with her arms emoji].”

“I could NEVER!!!” Skyy continued. “It’s called RESPECT, MORALS , STANDARDS! ‘Grown’ relationships don’t have continuous revolving doors. Get You a MAN MAN [strong arm emoji] SIS PERIOD [exclamation marks emoji][one hundred emoji].” Do you agree with her and should women be held to the same standard? Check out her message below.

Waka Flocka Takes The High Road After Troll Calls His Music “Irrelevant”

We haven’t heard much music form Waka Flocka recently, leaving some unfamiliar music lovers to question his relevancy. Long before Waka was a WEtv reality star on shows like Growing Up Hip Hop Atlantaand Waka & Tammy: What the Flocka, he was beasting out bars in the studio. Earlier today (April 26), Waka shared a selfie where he looked disgusted, and in the caption, he wrote, “Me when bitcoin goes down.”

Seemed like a bit of a joke, but a troll capitalized off of the moment. “Are you crying because your music is irrelevant now?” Artists receive comments such as these by the hundreds, and while some celebrities have opted to clap back with a vicious retort, Waka Flocka decided to take an alternative route.

Waka Flocka, Tammy Rivera, Music, Flockaveli 2
Jerritt Clark / Stringer / Getty Images

“Na… I can turn that up in a snap of a finger literally,” Waka replied. “Music not my only option no more [hand peace sign emoji] my the Heavens bless you and yours King.” We may not have to wait much longer for new Flocka tunes; it’s rumored that Flockaveli 2, which is said to be Waka’s last album, will arrive sometime this year, so fans just need to sit tight.

Check out the brief exchange between the chart-topping rapper and the troll below. 

Rick Ross Mourns DMX, Says His Death “Should Motivate Us”

If there is someone who knows about health scares due to drug abuse, it’s Rick Ross. In 2018, the Florida rapper was rushed to the hospital after he was reportedly found unresponsive in his home. In his memoir Hurricanes, Rozay detailed an experience where he had a seizure and defecated on himself. In 2019, Ross revealed that his abuse of codeine and “things I was drinking, the other drugs I was doing, and on top of not resting” caused him serious issues. Rozay has since changed his lifestyle and shed weight.

After recently being hit with the devastating, unexpected loss of DMX, Ross reflected on his time with the rapper and expressed empathy for X days after his formal send-off.

Rick Ross, DMX, PEOPLE, Addiction
Carmen Mandato / Stringer / Getty Images

“Me having family members that suffer with addiction, I understood the struggle that he was up against,” Ross told PEOPLE. “So it’s something that was really painful. Of course, I didn’t expect this. And it just hurt. So if anything else, it should motivate us. Let’s do what Dark Man X would have wanted us to do. Let’s turn up. Let’s go to the next level.”

In 2019, Ross worked with X and Swizz Beatz on “Just in Case,” a single from the soundtrack to the Epix series Godfather of Harlem. Ross recalled being on set with DMX while filming the music video for the track. “I got to see the funny side of him, we got to laugh at a few jokes,” Ross added. “I saw him really focused and turned up. And hearing about his addiction many years ago, being in the industry, it’s something that’s been in my heart the most.”

Rest in Peace to Earl Simmons. Watch the music video for “Just in Case” below.

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Reporter Denies Mistaking Daniel Kaluuya For Leslie Odom Jr. At Oscars

A red carpet question by a journalist has caused her to unintentionally become the subject of ridicule. On Sunday (April 25), Daniel Kaluuya took home the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in Judas and the Black Messiah, besting his fellow nominees including Sacha Baron Cohen, Paul Raci, Leslie Odom Jr., and his co-star, Lakeith Stanfield.

South African reporter and former Miss Universe Margaret Gardiner was one of several journalists in the Oscars press room, and she posed a puzzling question to Kaluuya after his win. “I was wondering what it meant for you to be directed by Regina, what this means for you at this time with the world in the state that it’s in?” She seemed to be referencing One Night in Miami, a film directed by Regina King that starred Leslie Odom Jr. It was also suggested that she may have been referencing Shaka King, director and co-writer of Judas and the Black Messiah.

Daniel Kaluuya, Leslie Odom Jr., Regina King, Shaka King, Oscars, Margaret Gardiner
Handout / Getty Images

In a video that has gone viral, Kaluyya is seen asking Gardiner to repeat herself. She posed the question again, this time without mentioning Regina King since, as we know, King wasn’t involved in Judas and the Black Messiah. Kaluuya graciously answers the question but once he finished, he gave someone off to the side a strange look.

Soon, Gardiner went viral and was mocked for not knowing the difference between Kaluuya and Odom Jr. She returned to social media to set the record straight, explaining what she meant to ask. “#DanielKaluuya I did not mistake you for Leslie Odom Jnr. I’m sorry if it seemed that way. I had wanted to ask about Regina King not being nominated as a director for One Night in Miami, and your win for Judas and the Black Messiah for the community at this time.”

“2. (cont) #DanielKaluuya There was a sound issue so I dropped the part about Regina King and restated my question. What does it mean for the community at this time. When I listed to the audio, I do understand, but there was no confusion.” Still, people didn’t let up because they felt as if her explanation wasn’t the truth and she didn’t apologize. Check out her tweets, along with a few reactions, below.

Margaret Gardiner, Daniel Kaluuya, Oscars, Regina King
Twitter

Teejayx6 & 24Hrs Team Up For “EDD Baby”

When it comes to scam raps, Teejayx6 has proven to be among the most direct when it comes to his hustle. Other rappers might offer vague allusions to the illegal activity they partake in but Teejayx6 offers a step-by-step breakdown in the most straightforward manner possible. It’s largely humorous through his comedic storytelling abilities, though it seemed that’s where the line was drawn as far as his artistic endeavors.

On his latest single, “EDD Baby,” he’s offering a glimpse of a more commercial-friendly side without compromising his M.O.. With assistance from 24Hrs and production from Lex Luger, Teejayx6 turns the auto-tune on while he reflects on the ins and outs of his hustle and the potential dangers that arise while on the job.

Check the latest from Teejayx6 below.

Quotable Lyrics
Everyday I pull a band out the ATM
Everything free, I just wait on the stim
On the corner, just waitin’ on a pimp
‘Bout to get a band when I type in this pin

Joey Trap Charges The Game On “Trappin’ Ain’t Unfair”

Joey Trap has been slowly rising the ranks on his own terms. The New York rapper has been flooding the streets with new music over the past few years but 2020 found him unleashing project after project on what felt like a bi-monthly basis. Needless to say, he’s been active and he has even more music on the way following the release of LOYALTY last month.

With a new album titled, Professional arriving soon, the rapper slid through with his latest single, “Trappin Ain’t Unfair.” The rapper reflects on the streets and the losses that naturally come with it with a Travis Scott-like effect coating his vocals. 

It serves as the second release from his new album following the title track. Check his new single below.

Quotable Lyrics
Trappin’ ain’t unfair
You gotta hustle to stay off the grid
Bitch, you on welfare
How in the fuck could you hate on the kid?