U.S. Senate Addresses Ticketmaster In Hearing After Taylor Swift Debacle

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A United States Senate Judiciary Subcommittee convened on Tuesday to discuss Ticketmaster and its hold over the ticket sales industry. Senators Amy Klobuchar and Mike Lee took lead on the investigation which asked questions about ticket sales, monopolization, resale markets, and more.

“To have a strong capitalist system, you have to have competition,” Sen. Amy Klobuchar said. “You can’t have too much consolidation — something that, unfortunately for this country, as an ode to Taylor Swift, I will say, we know ‘all too well.’”

WASHINGTON, DC – JANUARY 27: Senator Amy Klobuchar, a Democrat from Minnesota, speaks during a Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee confirmation hearing for Denis McDonough, U.S. secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) nominee for U.S. President Joe Biden, on January 27, 2021 in Washington, D.C. As Barack Obama’s chief of staff, McDonough oversaw the VAs overhaul in response to its 2014 wait-time scandal and previously served as a deputy national security adviser. (Photo Sarah Silbiger-Pool/Getty Images)

Sen. Richard Blumenthal told Live Nation’s CFO, “Ticketmaster ought to look in the mirror, and say, ‘I’m the problem, it’s me’”

Criticism of Ticketmaster and Live Nation came from both sides of the aisle.

“I am not against big, per say. I am against dumb,” Republican Sen. John Kennedy told a Live Nation executive. “The way your company handled ticket sales for Ms. Swift was a debacle.”

Senators have mentioned a number of ticket sales for high-profile musicians during the hearing. Among them are Bruce Springsteen, Bruno Mars, Prince, Bad Bunny, Madonna, and more.

Perhaps the most important name mentioned was Taylor Swift. It was the complete failure of Ticketmaster to handle the sales of her Eras Tour that inspired the Senate investigation.

“The solutions are there for the taking,” Klobuchar said near the end of the hearing.

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Deion Sanders Defends Daughter Over “JSU Murders” Claim

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Deion Sanders took to his daughter’s defense over the weekend after Deiondra Sanders claimed that there were multiple murders on the campus of Jackson State University (JSU) while her father coached at the school. People quickly fact-checked her comments to find they were blatantly false.

“People don’t know there are killings on the campus … every few months,” Deiondra said.

SAN FRANCISCO, CA – FEBRUARY 04: Former NFL player Deion Sanders visits the SiriusXM set at Super Bowl 50 Radio Row on February 4, 2016 in San Francisco. (Photo by Cindy Ord/Getty Images for SiriusXM)

In response to the backlash, Deion Sanders admitted that his daughter may be wrong, but added, “Some things we just should let go.” The legendary NFL player coached at the school from 2020 through 2022.

Deiondra later apologized for her comments in a lengthy video posted to Twitter on Sunday.

“I would like to apologize for a statement that I recently made concerning the JSU murders,” she explained. “I do feel like that I over-exaggerated due to the fact that every time I did come to town I was made aware of shootings, murders, robberies on campus, around campus and in the city. But I really do apologize for what I said. It’s just that things did happen while my family was there that the public was not made aware of. But I definitely shouldn’t have exaggerated like that and I do want to say that I apologize for that. So I apologize to the whole JSU community, JSU campus and everyone that’s a part of JSU.”

While there may not have been constant murders, one student died right before Deion announced he would be taking a job at the University of Colorado.

Check out Deion Sanders and Diondra Sanders’ responses on Twitter below.

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Eli Apple Clarifies Tweet That Some Felt Was A Diss To Damar Hamlin

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Eli Apple is known for being a guy who is always trash-talking his opponents. The Cincinnati Bengals star got himself into trouble last year, as his trash-talk did not help him in the Super Bowl. In fact, he talked so much trash that fans would not let him forget about his inadequacies.

This year, however, Apple is not going away. His Bengals are a game away from the Super Bowl, and he is doing his best to get in the heads of his enemies. Overall, it is a very interesting strategy. However, Apple doesn’t care as he went after Stefon Diggs and Josh Allen in the tweets below.

Subsequently, Apple was criticized for using the number three in his tweet. Some people felt as though he was making a reference to Damar Hamlin. Considering Hamlin plays for the Bills, it is easy to see how some may have made the connection.

Eli Apple Responds

Apple saw the responses and decided to comment on the matter. In the tweet below, he notes how he would never make fun of such a serious situation. Overall, it was just a misunderstanding.

“All love thoughts prayers and concerns to @HamlinIsland as he continues to recover from that tragic incident,” Apple wrote. “Never would I make light of that scary unfortunate scene. This game is truly a dangerous risk to our bodies mind and spirit. Nothing but love to all my football brothers.”

Immediately after his apology, he continued to gloat in the face of Diggs, who called him a clout chaser. Below, you can see Apple write “safe travels to Cabo fam.” At this point, one could call Eli Apple the Patrick Beverley of the NFL.

The Bengals will now get to play the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship game. It should be a whole lot of fun, and we can’t wait to see how it shapes out.

Let us know who you think will win this game, in the comments down below.

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Kari Faux Proves She Knows Her Worth On “ME FIRST” Single

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2022 saw the arrival of some undoubtedly strong releases from female artists. It seems as though that trend will continue into 2023 – based on what we’ve heard so far, anyway. Obviously, Ice Spice’s EP took streamers by storm this past weekend, but now we’ve got Chloe Bailey’s debut album to look forward to, and a new single from Arkansas native Kari Faux.

On Tuesday (January 24), her “ME FIRST” track markedly landed on DSPs. It comes accompanied by a UNIIQU3 Jersey Club remix that’s surely just what your workout playlist needs.

Rapper/singer Kari Faux poses at Afropunk Brooklyn at Commodore Barry Park on August 24, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Matthew Sperzel/Getty Images)

The catchy, upbeat song was produced by Phoelix, 2forwOyNE and Park Ave. The trio clearly nailed the confident, feel-good vibe that Faux was going for.

Speaking on her first single of the year, the Houston-based rhymer dished, “‘ME FIRST’ is an affirmation. It’s a reminder not to neglect your own needs in hopes of being liked or accepted. It’s really a self-love bop for the twerkers. Get into it!”

According to a press release, this is just a taste of the magic Faux plans to bring later in the year.

Her last full-length project, the deluxe cut of Lowkey Superstar, quickly became a favourite amongst fans. Across 12 titles, she worked with names like JID, Jazz Cartier, Baby Tate, Smino, and Deante’ Hitchcock.

Stream Kari Faux’s “ME FIRST” on Spotify or Apple Music below. Additionally, make sure to come back this Friday (January 27) to hear more amazing new releases from some of our favourite artists.

Quotable Lyrics:

You like the way its fitting in my Eckhaus Latta
Wanna put a baby in it cause I’m shape like a bottle
Always do the most, rev it up full throttle
I may be 5’6″ but my face on model

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Rihanna, Angela Bassett, Brian Tyree Henry & More Score This Year’s BIPOC Academy Award Nominations

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Oscar Nominations

The 95th annual Academy Awards nominations were announced at 8:30 am on Jan. 24 at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater. Among the list of names called were also some of the most iconic BIPOC stars. The 95th annual Academy Awards, also known as the Oscars, have officially revealed this year’s nominations. SOHH, here are the BIPOC actors, […]

The post Rihanna, Angela Bassett, Brian Tyree Henry & More Score This Year’s BIPOC Academy Award Nominations appeared first on SOHH.com.

Brian McKnight Welcomes Baby Boy With Wife Leilani

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Brian McKnight and his wife, Leilani Malia Mendoza, have welcomed a baby boy to the family. The two made the announcement on Instagram, Monday.

The couple made the announcement alongside a photo of the two making a heart with their hands around the infant’s hand.

“‘For this child we have prayed and the Lord has granted us the desires of our hearts’ 1 Samuel 1:27 God’s greatest gift, our son is here!!!” the couple captioned the post. “Brian Kainoa Makoa McKnight. We are so in love!!!!”

PHOENIX, AZ – MARCH 23: Brian McKnight speaks onstage during Celebrity Fight Night XXV on March 23, 2019 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for Celebrity Fight Night)

McKnight and Mendoza already share a son, Jack, and daughter, Julia. McKnight is also the father of Brian Jr. and Niko with ex-wife, Julie McKnight. The two were married from 1990 through 2003.

McKnight and Mendoza previously revealed that they had experienced a pregnancy loss in a Mother’s Day post.

“The strength I saw in you through the loss of our son and the courage to deal with the hardest loss we’ve ever dealt with in our lives has been truly remarkable,” McKnight wrote.

He continued at the time: “Baby, you are the greatest example of being a mother I’ve ever witnessed. Today was supposed to be Kekoa’s due date, and I know how hard him not being here in the flesh with us is weighing incredibly heavy on us, but I know he is with us just like Julia and Jack are , as shining examples of your exceptional motherhood.”

McKnight and Mendoza began dating back in 2014. They announced their engagement three years later in May 2017.

Check out Brian McKnight and Leilani Malia Mendoza’s announcement on Instagram below.

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Chris Stapleton Is Set To Perform At Super Bowl LVII’s Pre-Game Events With Babyface And Sheryl Lee Ralph

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Chris Stapleton 2022 CMT Artists Of The Year
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Future football Hall of Famer Tom Brady and his Tampa Bay Buccaneers may be out of the runnings, but that hasn’t slowed down the hype around Super Bowl LVII. The teams playing in the final game are still unknown at this time, with four teams still fighting it out in their respective conference championships. However, at this moment, what we do know is this year’s featured entertainment.

Last year’s halftime show featured an all-star medley performance by rappers Eminem, Snoop Dogg, and 50 Cent alongside singer Mary J. Blige, and producer Dr. Dre featuring their chart-topping hits. This year, Oscar-nominated singer Rihanna is slated to up the mantle. The “Lift Me Up” singer has remained tight-lipped about her upcoming set, leaving fans to speculate what she has up her sleeve.

Now, further details are being released about this year’s pre-game festivities. The national anthem (“The Star-Spangled Banner”) will be sung by country music star Chris Stapleton.

Legendary R&B singer and producer Babyface will sing “America the Beautiful,” while multi-hyphenated Emmy Award-winning actress and singer Sheryl Lee Ralph will sing the Black National Anthem (“Lift Every Voice and Sing”).

Super Bowl LVII will take place on February 12 at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.

50 Cent Is Calling ‘Bullsh*t’ On Jay-Z Having More Of An Impact Than Eminem In Hip-Hop

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50 Cent 2022
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50 Cent has some new thoughts on Shaquille O’Neal’s recent The Big Podcast With Shaq episode that featured NBA player Jamal Crawford. It also sparked a new debate on whether Jay-Z or Eminem had a bigger impact on hip-hop.

“That’s why my five, the dominance outweighs the number,” Crawford said.

However, Shaq appeared to initially disagree by shaking his head in the clip. “Nope,” he replied.

“You can’t change the game,” Crawford continued. “Like, Jay-Z’s effect on hip-hop is bigger than any album sales that Eminem will have, you see what I’m saying? That’s just how it goes.”

Shaq still eventually managed to give him some credit. “That’s a good point,” Shaq added.

The clip soon got reposted by The Hip-Hop Wolf and 50 Cent chimed in with his thoughts in the comments.

“Ha, bullsh*t,” 50 said.

In terms of stats, both Eminem and Jay-Z have a serious track record. Em is among only seven artists to have 3+ diamond albums. Meanwhile, Jay-Z is tied with Drake for the most No. 1 albums among rappers, at a grand total of 14. 50’s support for Eminem makes sense, as it was Eminem who helped him get his start as a hip-hop star; most recently, Eminem allegedly petitioned Jay-Z to let him bring 50 Cent to the Super Bowl halftime show last year.

Meanwhile, 50 Cent recently stated that he plans to turn Eminem’s film debut 8 Mile into a television adaptation, continuing the pair’s tradition of backing each other’s non-music endeavors as well.