Jon Jones Addresses Potential Francis Ngannou Fight

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When Francis Ngannou defeated Stipe Miocic for the UFC Heavyweight title just a couple of weekends ago, many in the MMA world were immediately calling for Ngannou to defend his title against Jon Jones. Jones is considered to be one of the greatest fighters of all time and now that he is fighting in the Heavyweight division, a bout against the likes of Ngannou would only make sense.

While Jones has had issues with the UFC when it comes to contract negotiations, he recently did an interview with Fight Hype where he claimed that he is fully ready to up against Ngannou. Simply put, he just wants the UFC to get their business right and if that happens, the fight will go down.

Francis Ngannou

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“Hopefully the fight happens. We just gotta stay focused and stay training and see what the UFC is going to do on their part,” Jones said. “I think it’s gonna happen … I think the UFC will eventually do the right thing. I think this is one of the greatest fights of our generation and it would be really sad if it weren’t gonna happen. And I believe that it will. It’ll happen, all in good time.”

This should come as good news to all of the UFC fans out there who have wanted to see Jones get right back into the Octagon. Ngannou has proven to be a massively tough fighter, and Jones would be his greatest test yet.

Let us know who you think would win that match, in the comments below.

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Shelley Explains The Touching Reason For His Album’s Release Date

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Shelley — FKA DRAM — has a new album dropping in April, his first in over four years. Since then, he’s gone through a musical reinvention, a physical transformation, and a couple of name changes, but the biggest change to his life was the passing of his mother last year. The duo was close; in 2017, they released a holiday EP together, dueting on the Christmas classics “Silver Bells.” According to Shelley, she’s also the reason for his upcoming album’s release date, April 29.

Posting a photo of the pair on Instagram, Shelley explained that he pushed back the release date of his album to his mother’s birthday in honor of a favor she did for him before her death. As he expands in the caption, “Before she passed I played her my upcoming album and I begged her to promise she wouldn’t play it for anyone else. She held her promise and took the music with her beyond this life.”

For Shelley, the new release date is his way of paying her back. “Her birthday is April 29th, so I’m pushing my album Shelley FKA DRAM’s release date to April 29th as not only my gift back to her, but my promise to play it for the world.”

To promote the upcoming album, fittingly titled Shelley FKA DRAM, Shelly has presented the rollout in the form of a mock late-night talk show, which provided a smooth framing device for the videos for singles “Exposure” and “Cooking With Grease.”

Shelley FKA DRAM is due 4/29 on Atlantic Records.

DMX Was At Peace On “A Minute For Your Son”

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With DMX’s fate currently uncertain, many have turned to prayer, following the example so often set by the man himself. Though frequently plagued by the alluring call of darkness within, X never failed to keep his head high, turning to God and finding solace in religion. Such themes have been present in his music since It’s Dark And Hell Is Hot first released in 1998, and the honest manner with which he explored his inner duality made him an artist unlike any other. 

When he released The Great Depression in 2001, it felt like the conclusion of a journey; not the end of the novel, but perhaps an act. Lessons had no doubt been learned in the years that followed his big debut. For a time, X was among the rap game’s biggest superstars, a lifestyle that brought no shortage of fame and spotlight; as revealed in the telling Ruff Ryders Chronicles documentary that aired on BET last year, he never wanted any of that. The toll was strong, and when he released his fourth studio album in October of 2001, it felt as if a lifetime had passed.

Years removed from the project’s initial arrival — a project that likely deserves a thorough revisitation — there remains a simple power in album closer “A Minute For Your Son.” Backed by a celestial and soothing instrumental from longtime collaborative Swizz Beatz, X takes a moment to speak directly to God, reflecting on his journey and pledging to set a shining example moving forward. Given the current circumstances, it feels like an appropriate time to revisit the powerful, and generally slept-on, album closer. And if that’s not enough — stick around for the three additional bonus tracks that follow.

Does anybody have any memories surrounding DMX’s The Great Depression? 

QUOTABLE LYRICS

You got a minute for your son, Father? I need to talk
I’m so tired of tryin’ to run, Father, let’s take a walk
I’m so sorry for what I done, Father, it ain’t my fault
But the devil’s been on my back lately, he’s like a hawk
You never give us more than we can handle, but it’s gettin’ hard
And I’m a strong individual, but I need You, God

Blake Griffin Comments On His First Game With Kevin Durant

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When Blake Griffin signed with the Brooklyn Nets, many around the league saw this as a huge sign that the Nets were going to be almost impossible to take down. With James Harden, Kevin Durant, and Kyrie Irving on the same roster, the Nets were already a powerhouse, and adding a motivated Griffin only cemented that fact. Last night, Griffin got to play his very first game with Durant in the lineup, and as expected, they both had solid games all while beating the New Orleans Pelicans by a modest 28 points.

Following the match, Griffin was asked about playing with Durant for the first time and as one can imagine, the newest Nets star was quite complimentary of KD. He noted that despite his injury, Durant has yet to lose an edge and it’s going to be a scary sight for the rest of the NBA.

Kevin Durant

Elsa/Getty Images

“After missing two months and then coming back and looking that comfortable, it’s just crazy,” Griffin said.  “But in terms of playing with him, players like that, some of the guys we have, they just make the game easy.”

The Nets continue to dominate the Eastern Conference and come playoff time, it’s going to be almost impossible to take these guys down. This spells trouble for the rest of the league, but if you’re a basketball fan in Brooklyn, you have to be loving this.

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Kehlani Speaks On Her Privilege As A Straight-Presenting Lesbian Artist

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Kehlani hasn’t had to fight as hard as others in the LGBTQIA+ community to be accepted as a serious artist. Recently coming out as lesbian, Kehlani is aware that she is privileged to a certain extent as a cisgender-presenting straight-presenting woman. The singer has specified her preferred “they/she” pronouns, asking fans to respect them as she encourages others to be their true selves. 

Following her low-key coming-out moment on Instagram Live, Kehlani spoke with The Advocate about her gender and sexual identity, unpacking her privilege and showing love to artists that have struggled to be accepted in music because of who they are. 

“I have a lot of privilege,” says the artist about how she passes as both cisgender and straight. “I think a lot of artists who we talk about and say, ‘Oh, they had to come out or they had to do this,’ a lot of them can’t hide it. A lot of it is very [much] in how they present. It’s tougher for them. It’s tougher for trans artists. It’s tougher for Black gay men. It’s tougher for Black masculine gay women.”

Kehlani previously came out as queer before realizing that they were actually lesbian. 

“I didn’t even really have to come out in my private life,” they explain. “I don’t walk down the street and people look at me and go, ‘Oh, I bet she’s queer. Or I bet that she’s into women‘ or anything like that because of the way I present. That’s all privilege and I think that there are quite a few artists who were truly at the forefront but weren’t able to make the strides that I was able to make being 100 percent myself because of the way they present and the biases and the phobias of the American public and the world… I’ve been lucky, super lucky.”

Kehlani thinks that, while their generation is one that can openly have conversations about gender and sexual identity, people need to be more open about having educational moments to better understand the spectrum. 

Read the full interview at the link below.

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Nike LeBron 8 “HWC” Release Date Revealed

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There has been a plethora of dope iconic Nike LeBron shoes that have been released so far in 2021 and with 75 percent of the year still left to go, it seems like even more great models will be making their way to the market, very soon. One of them is the Nike LeBron 8 “Hardwood Classic” which is a PE from around 10 years ago. The shoe is meant to pay homage to the classic blue and orange Cleveland Cavaliers jerseys that fans remember so well at this point.

In the official images below, you can see how the model has a mostly blue upper, while orange highlights are found all the way throughout. It’s hard not to be a fan of these, especially when you consider their history and the fact that they never released to the public, originally. Now, that is all about to change as this month, fans will finally have an opportunity to cop them and add a significant shoe from LeBron’s history to their collection.

The release date has been officially set for April 14th, which is in just six days from now. The cost will be $200 USD, and they will be available at your local retailer, and of course, the Nike SNKRS App. Let us know if you plan on grabbing a pair, in the comments below.

Chynna Lives On With Posthumous Kirk Knight-Produced “Burnout”

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One year ago to this day, rapper Chynna Rogers passed away at the age of 25. She was widely mourned by her family, friends, and fans, including many from the hip-hop community. Now, the late artist’s memory lives on with a new posthumous single “burnout,” produced by Pro Era’s Kirk Knight. 

Sonically, Knight’s production is hazy in nature, a blend of uptempo trap drums and atmospheric synthesizers. Chynna gives herself space to set the tone, letting the beat build before sliding in with some vocals. Opting to keep things restrained, Chynna’s charisma is on display as she manoeuvers over Knight’s soundscape. Lulling listeners into a false sense of security with the first half’s laid-back delivery, the second half finds her speeding things up. “700 ni**as getting in, it’s a turnout,” she spits. “Every other ni**a couldn’t win, better learn how.”

Be sure to check out Chynna’s posthumous single “Burnout,” her first release since “Stupkid,” now. Rest in peace, Chynna. 

QUOTABLE LYRICS

700 ni**as getting in, it’s a turnout
Every other ni**a couldn’t win, better learn how
Only giving passage to my friends and my birds now

Coi Leray’s Twerking Skills Are Rapidly Improving

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Coi Leray is the hottest new it-girl in rap, rising the ranks with two big new songs. Her ascent started with the release of her smash single “No More Parties” before continuing with a few features, as well as her follow-up single “Big Purr (Prrdd)”. The rapper is angling to become one of the biggest breakout successes of the year, promising to deliver with her upcoming debut album.

As she continues to plot her moves to the top, Coi Leray has been showing off her natural body on social media, sparking a debate about body-shaming after people came after her for her skinny frame. Coi has combated that talk with even more content of her flaunting her body. As she seeks to improve her twerking skills with the help of Megan Thee Stallion, the 23-year-old rising star appears to already be implementing her fresh skillset, shaking her booty in slow-motion for TikTok.


Johnny Nunez/Getty Images

No stranger to going viral, Coi Leray is back with yet another mesmerizing video to her new single “Big Purr (Prrdd)”. This time, she’s wearing MISBHV activewear that highlights her frame before turning around and bouncing her cheeks to the song’s hook. She slowed the video down to make sure that people really get a good look at her booty in motion. 

As it stands, the video has been viewed over 11 million times, with over 2 million likes. Clearly, she’s been doing a few things correctly.

Check out the video below and let us know if you’re liking this latest chapter of Coi Leray’s career.

@coileray

 

♬ BIG PURR (Prrdd) – Coi Leray