Entertainment
Fans warn Shaquille O’Neal after he was caught lusting after 24-year-old Ice Spice
A month after NBA star Shaquille O’Neal shared a snapshot of himself, Ice Spice, Taylor Swift and friends on the Super Bowl, the NBA legend has finally spoken out about his viral comments in regards to the rising New York rapper.
Shaq praised her within the post, saying the 24-year-old felt “damn great.” Critics have since branded the daddy of six a grimy old man, declaring the age difference between him and the Bronx star, who’s younger than his eldest child.
After rubbing his elbows post-game with a “Shake It Off” feeling, the basketball luminary shared his encounter on social media the subsequent day. The 52-year-old expressed his excitement about meeting the “Munch” rapper and captured the moment on Instagram where he stood next to Ice Spice producer Riot and Jamie Salter, the founding father of Authentic Brands Group, which acquired Reebok in March 2022.
Shaq and Salter have knowledgeable bond; Salter named the player because the newly appointed president of Reebok basketball. Shaq is the second-largest individual shareholder of Authentic Brands Group.
The two gifted Swift an NFL Judith Lieber bag, but that wasn’t what caused a storm on social media. He said the identical thing in post this made people do a double take.
“Uncle smokes durk and gurk, this caption is disgusting,” wrote one person under the photo, and one other wrote: “Shaq hungry.”
Many people online joked that Shaq will need to have been “hacked”, believing there was no way he could have written such words. Either way, Ice Spice approved and liked the post.
The athlete-turned-podcast host confirmed that he wasn’t hacked on the most recent episode of “The Big Podcast with Shaq.”
“The reason I posted with Ice Spice wasn’t because I was trying to flirt, but I wasn’t really letting her down, but I just wanted to show her some respect as well,” Shaq explained on the most recent episode of “The Great Podcast with Shaq.”
He shared that Jason Kelce, the brother of Swift’s boyfriend Travis Kelce, helped introduce him to the pop star. A representative for the Hall of Famer said he left his suite and went to Swift during a break to bring her a bag when he saw the young rapper. He said the photo and caption were his way of showing her “some respect.”
“So me and my partner Jamie Salter… we go downstairs, I take a photo and I see her. By the way, Ice Spice is okay. She’s really hot. So I took a photo and came back. She was nice, very nice.”
He continued: “I just did it really fast. I asked her and said, “Have we ever met before?” She said no.’ And then the explanation I posted with Ice Spice, and it wasn’t because I was attempting to flirt. I didn’t really blow her off, but I also wanted to point out her some respect.
The 6-foot-7 athlete said there was a lot discussion about his encounter with the “Love Story” singer that he didn’t want Ice Spice overlooked of the discussion.
“So I had to come back and say, ‘Oh yeah, and by the way, that little woman is OK too,'” he explained, insisting he wasn’t attempting to pressure her. “You have to understand that Shaq doesn’t do that, I don’t flirt like that.”
People didn’t like this answer, declaring that he was attempting to send the redhead a bat signal, hoping she would turn to him.
“A chick your kids’ age and that’s your final answer, Shaq!!” one person said, while another person warned: “Shaq, you’re starting to look like Diddy Man, you better leave the young bucks alone.”
“Respect? no, you wanted some Annie and that’s fine! She’s fine,” we read in one other comment.
User X wondered why people were so shocked by the athlete’s achievements: “It’s not latest, though about Shaq. He’s big now – he’s talking about Ice Spice, okay – this big guy really needs something significant. All you young girls, find your wife now, otherwise you should have much less money to support yourself.
This is not anything latest in case you know Shaq
Now his big grown ass is talking about Ice Spice’s great ass, the massive dude really needs something significant
All the young girls will find your wife now, otherwise you should have much less money to support yourself 🤧 https://t.co/17vsjZ9Eyg pic.twitter.com/G9tnT3ku1S
— Fire and Ice (@FireIce845018) February 18, 2024
He was often seen with young faces on DMs or shouted out with beautiful young faces, and when people called him out, he claimed it was only a friendly gesture.
In June 2023, he was seen dining with fitness influencer Brittany Renner. A couple of days later, when a Christian influencer nicknamed “The Home Depot Girl” went viral on the web for being too pretty to work at the shop and allegedly needed to quit resulting from all the eye, Shaq DM’d her and she or he offered her some support. However, many thought he was attempting to flirt after she posted his words of encouragement on social media.
“Don’t let these people bother you,” O’Neal wrote. After she replied, “Thank you,” he added, “Don’t read the comments, stuff like that drives you crazy. Have a pleasant day, tell all of your guys I said hello, lol.
Shaq DM’d a woman from Home Depot 😭 pic.twitter.com/jqda28GZIu
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) June 11, 2023
Shaq also recently made headlines after opening up about dating rules for his daughters, girls Taahira, Amirah and Me’arah, ages 27, 22 and 17, respectively. The NBA Hall of Famer is not going to allow his daughters to this point until they’re champions and are 24 years old. However, the principles are completely different for his sons, Myles (26), Shareef (24) and Shaqir (20).
If Ice Spice were Shaq’s daughter, by his logic she would only be partially pure. She is 24 years old but has not accomplished higher education.
Entertainment
Jussie Smollett’s 2019 Self-Attack Conviction Overturned – Andscape
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — The Illinois Supreme Court on Thursday overturned the choice to fireside an actor Jussie Smollett conviction on charges of organizing a racist and anti-gay attack on himself in downtown Chicago in 2019 and lying to police.
The the state’s highest court ruled that the special prosecutor shouldn’t have been allowed to intervene after the Cook County state’s attorney initially dropped charges against Smollett in exchange for waiving $10,000 bail and performing community service. The ruling and appeal didn’t address Smollett’s continued claim of innocence.
Smollett, who’s black and gay, claims two men attacked him, hurled racist and anti-gay slurs and placed a noose around his neck, resulting in an enormous seek for suspects by Chicago police and sparking a world uproar. Smollett was starring in a television drama that was filmed in Chicago, and prosecutors alleged that he organized the attack because he was unhappy with the studio’s response to hate mail he received.
“We are aware that this case has generated significant public interest and that many people were dissatisfied with the resolution of the original case and considered it unfair,” Justice Elizabeth Rochford wrote in a 5-0 decision. “Nevertheless, more unfair than the resolution of any single criminal case would be for this court to find that the state is not obliged to honor agreements on which people have relied to their detriment.”
Smollett’s attorneys argued that the case ended with Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx’s office dropped initially 16 counts of disorderly conduct. A grand jury reinstated the fees after a special prosecutor took over the case. The jury convicted Smollett of five counts of disorderly conduct in 2021
Emails searching for comment were sent Thursday to Foxx’s office and Smollett’s attorney, who argued that Smollett was the victim of a racist and politicized justice system.
Testimony at trial showed that Smollett paid $3,500 to 2 men he knew to perform the attack. Prosecutors said he told them what insults to shout and shout that Smollett was in “MAGA country,” an apparent reference to Donald Trump’s presidential campaign slogan.
Smollett testified that “there was no fraud” and that he was the victim of a hate crime in his downtown Chicago neighborhood.
He was sentenced to 150 days in prison, six of which he had already served released pending further notice — 30 months probation and ordered to pay roughly $130,000 in restitution.
The state appeals court’s ruling upheld Smollett’s conviction, declaring that nobody promised Smollett that he would not face a brand new charge after accepting the unique deal.
Illinois Supreme Court Justice Mary Jane Theis and Justice Joy Cunningham didn’t take part in Thursday’s decision.
Entertainment
Lil Baby didn’t just rap about change – he went to Harvard to achieve it – Essence
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – JUNE 27: Songwriter of the Year Award winner Lil Baby speaks on stage on the ASCAP R&S Music Celebration on the London Hotel on June 27, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Lester Cohen/Getty Images for ASCAP)
Lil Baby will not be only considered one of the most important names in hip-hop – he can also be an aspiring entrepreneur who’s serious about taking his business knowledge to the subsequent level.
The GRAMMY Award-winning rapper recently participated in Harvard Business School’s “Launching New Ventures” program, a prestigious short course designed to help entrepreneurs grow their ventures through modern strategies. The program, which will not be a level-granting initiative, focuses on key entrepreneurial tools, including opportunity assessment, competitive evaluation and developing sustainable business models, – we read on this system’s website.
For Lil Baby, born Dominique Armani Jones, the move was greater than just earning bragging rights. Known for hits like and , the Atlanta native has all the time been open about his desire to construct a legacy beyond music. As head of his record label 4PF (Four Pockets Full), he is committed to creating opportunities for artists and running a business that will not be only profitable, but in addition influential. However, he realized that running a successful label required honing his skills, and Harvard was the right place for this.
Movie shared on X On Wednesday, we got to see Lil Baby participating within the show. The clip ended on a touching note as he was presented together with his certificate of completion, followed by a surprise ceremony organized by his family.
While critics were quick to indicate that he didn’t “graduate” from Harvard – despite misleading headlines – his decision to commit to this system is critical in itself. Shows like “Launching New Ventures” offer insights that may transform corporations and help entrepreneurs overcome challenges, and Lil Baby’s presence signals his commitment to constructing a legacy that goes far beyond music. For Lil Baby, the move is an element of a broader commitment to securing his position not only as a rapper, but in addition as a mogul. His commitment to self-improvement reflects the values he promotes through his music: perseverance, resilience and development.
It’s also value noting that Lil Baby’s decision to attend Harvard sends a powerful message to his community, especially Black entrepreneurs. In a world where barriers to business education still exist, his decision to pursue higher education shows that it’s never too late – or too unconventional – to take what you are promoting seriously.
As Lil Baby grows, one thing is obvious: his diligence knows no limits. Whether he’s behind the microphone or within the classroom, he proves that the important thing to success is to continually strive for more.
Entertainment
More proof that you’re old: Mary J. Blige’s “My Life” album debuted 30 years ago
I actually remember November 1994. I used to be a sophomore in highschool and was still very clumsy and goofy. I hadn’t yet experienced what anyone would call a growth spurt, as evidenced by the very fact that my younger sister (three years younger) was taller than me. At this point in my life, I assumed I used to be destined to be certain I had a terrific personality that would give me a romantic future. I used to be told about one young student who was in love with me, but being 15 and never big, I didn’t really trust in my ability to pursue a dating life. In 1994, I saw myself because the Steve Urkel with no unreachable neighbor.
In 1994, I had a real love: music. I kept buying cassettes and compact discs; there was at all times music around me. Listening to the newest music from anyone and everybody was my hobby. Mary J. Blige was one in every of those artists that I used to be an enormous fan of. I mean, everyone really was. Her album “What’s the 411?” was released in July 1992, so when school began in August, it was one in every of those albums that everyone was talking about. “True Love” and him one other hip-hop remix the most popular songs were on fire and you can start an impromptu jam session in my middle school dining room by simply saying “true love” out loud.
To say that the anticipation for Mary’s second album was enormous can be the understatement of the yr. I still remember being blown away by the music video for the primary single “Be Happy” on MTV and BET’s “Video Soul”. I remember this mainly because I used to be so frightened about Mary’s life standing on those rocks. Of course she survived the video session, but I used to be very concerned for her safety. I could not imagine life without Mary. I purchased this single and mainly burned a hole in it.
Then got here the monster single “I’m Goin’ Down.” The remake of Rose Royce’s single from the movie “Car Wash” (titled “I’m Going Down”) had all of the black girls in my highschool able to break up with their boyfriends so that they too could sing about it lost love – teenage hormones cause strange problems. Let me just say this for the record: Mary’s version of this song is totally amazing. Her performance on the album is known; you can hear all the experience through her vocals.
If Mary stopped making music at this point, she would already be a legend, I actually consider that. But this whole album is a radiator from start to complete. Even today, once I hearken to “My Life”, my search ends in failure; “My Life” is largely a consolation at this point in my life. From “You Bring Me Joy” to the title track to the ultimate minute of “I Never Wanna Live Without You,” this album is a portal back in time to a version of me that was interested by what life had to supply. I used to be given the vocal type of Mary J. Blige to soundtrack this journey.
It’s also crazy to think about it this manner: “My Life” got here out at a time in my life once I was already driving a automotive. Sure, I used to be 15, but my father also let me drive himself, my siblings, and my friends wherever we would have liked to go because he got bored with running errands. We just agreed that if I got pulled over, he would not know I used to be taking the automotive. Coincidentally, although I used to be in a position to use the automotive at no cost for a solid yr before I could even apply for a driving license, I failed my driving test the primary time I took it on my sixteenth birthday. You’ve never seen a father more lost and upset in his son than my father was that day. We now call my father’s facial expressions “core memory.”
If you’re reading this because you’ve got seen the words of Mary J. Blige and “My Life,” you then, like me, are in a phase of life where you’re continually reminded that you’re not only getting old, but you might actually be old. I will not be old as hell, but I’m too old to be within the club, you realize?
Fortunately, nonetheless, my journey so far in my life includes a number of the best works of musical art in existence, similar to Mary J. Blige’s 1994 album “My Life.” This album – just like the profession of its lead voice, Mary J. Blige – brings me joy.
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