Entertainment
The Kendrick Lamar-Drake feud is over – or at least it should be – Andscape
The moment every rap fan has been waiting for has finally arrived: on Friday, Kendrick Lamar and Drake’s fight became an atmospheric explosion of songs. The day began with “Lamar”6:16 in Los Angeles“, followed by a seven-minute barrage of Drake “Family matters” which Lamar quickly chased down with a six-minute gut punch titled “Meet the Grahams” The songs showed us two of rap’s biggest stars at their fiercest, most determined to win and at their nastiest. The feud has develop into more personal than expected, and Kendrick’s execution makes it seem to be he landed the toughest blows. This night will be one of the vital unprecedented moments in rap and a fight we are going to discuss for years. However, given the devastating nature of every rapper’s allegations and lyrics, it’s probably time to finish the diss tracks — or at least get back to the type of rhyme battle it began with, if that is even possible.
We’ve been waiting for Kendrick Lamar and Drake to air their grievances for a decade, ever since Lamar called out Drake on Big Sean’s show.Control” in 2013 yr. From then on, the 2 traded subtle blows and it was only a matter of time before a full-blown battle broke out. This fight has all the time featured – think Manny Pacquiao vs. Floyd Mayweather, which boxing fans have been clamoring for for years – two of the most effective on this planet circling one another, while rap fans eagerly await the ultimate showdown. However, unlike a boxing match, Drake and Kendrick come together in great shape. Their jabs are as sharp as ever and their haymakers are still to be feared.
At the start of this battle, it was clear that Kendrick Lamar had a plan. Each song he dropped left a crumb for the later one and a touch that an enormous left hook was waiting. Drake’s responses, especially his poorly performed “Taylor created freestyle”, which used artificial intelligence to imitate the voices of Tupac and Snoop Dogg, seemed more spontaneous and reactive. This tension between calculation and spontaneity came to the fore on Friday, as the day began with Kendrick’s “6:16 in Los Angeles.” He posted the song on Instagram along with a blown-up photo of a pair of Maybach driving gloves and spent three minutes arguing that Drake can’t trust his friends and that he has leaks in his camp. Once again, the song was precise and sent the Internet searching for hidden meanings: Did 6:16 refer to Tupac’s birthday, Father’s Day, Euphoria’s air date, Bible verses, or any other theory hip-hop Reddit could uncover? The song made it clear that Kendrick at least had an idea of what Drake was planning, all because his inner circle wasn’t so internal: “Are you finally able to play have-you-ever?” Let’s see. Have you ever thought that OVO affects me?”
“6:16 in LA” dropped a number of days after Kendrick Lamar’s “Euphoria,” setting two records in a row. This overturned Drake’s most famous victory, his 2015 “Back To Back” moment, during which he released two consecutive songs hating on Meek Mill. Lamar also continued his deep character evaluation and deconstruction of Drake. Still, he felt like he was hiding something, promising that there was something else he hadn’t said.
As the day progressed, it seemed inevitable that we might hear Drake’s response sooner moderately than later. DJ Akademiks, Brian Windhorst, and Drake’s LeBron James all alluded to something happening. And as we approached midnight, a backlash seemed inevitable.
On Friday night, Drake unveiled a seven-minute music video titled “Family Matters,” which featured everyone from Rick Ross to The Weeknd and A$AP Rocky. In a vacuum, this song would be one in every of the strongest diss records of all time, as each of those artists was seriously attacked by Drizzy (“I don’t even know you’re still rapping ’cause they just talk about how you’re fit again,” he says hilariously Rocky). But these were snacks. The song was all the time based on what he was saying to and about Kendrick Lamar.
“Family Matters” is one in every of Drake’s best rap songs of his profession. He knew he was coping with the leading lyricist of our era and he did an incredible job. “They were shaking thinking about what I’d say, but they texted you like, ‘We already won,’” he raps, barking out a command over a beat that explains why he’s greater than just the singing and dancing pop actor he tried out for introduce Kendrick Lamar him as. The song has its share of cringe-worthy moments, an important of which is the road “Always rap like you want to free the slaves” as a pejorative. It’s only a weird phrasing, especially since most of the jabs at Drake center on his relationship with Blackness. It’s also paying homage to his line “beaten and chained like black American slaves” from last yr’s “Slime You Out.”
However, this line was buried by many other notable moments within the song. Drake used “Family Matters” to make several serious accusations against Kendrick, namely that he is abusing his partner and that the daddy of his child is allegedly a longtime associate of Kendrick and business partner, Dave Free. The song had all the things a knockout punch in 2024 requires, for higher or for worse: accusations, tea, lyricism, wit and venom. The song should be the talk of the weekend.
But again, Kendrick Lamar was ready. Just minutes after “Family Matters” premiered, Lamar released his second album of the day titled “Meet the Grahams.” This time, the album cover is the identical as “6:16 In LA”, however the image is zoomed out to point out alleged prescriptions for Ozempic and other drugs disbursed under Drake’s name. The song has a memorable Alchemist beat (the producer supposedly sent it to Kendrick). without knowledge what it will be used for), by which the Compton MC addresses in near whispers all of Drake’s relations, from his son to his mother, father and the alleged 11-yr-old daughter Drake has been keeping a secret.
The song is not nice to take heed to and doesn’t feel like it was meant to be.
Listening to “Meet the Grahams” is like listening to a terrifying voice memo intended for one person to digest. Kendrick begins the song by talking to Drake’s son, Adonis, and tells the 6-yr-old, “Dear Adonis, I’m sorry that this man is your father, I mean it. You need to be a person to be a person, your dad is unresponsive.”
Kendrick makes more revelations and accusations, this time claiming that Drake and his OVO Sound label are involved in sex trafficking. He even compares Drake to Harvey Weinstein. That was it. This was all the things Kendrick had alluded to in his previous songs and it was uncomfortable to listen to. The sheer force and ferocity of “Meet the Grahams” and the timing of the film – which reinforced the assumption that Kendrick had access to people in Drake’s camp – overshadowed Drake’s release.
And it gave the impression of Kendrick Lamar would be the ultimate winner.
Friday’s adrenaline – the largest rap stars swapping records in real time – was exciting. It was one of the vital exciting nights in rap. But when this rush passes, we are going to be left with a harsh reality. The allegations made by the 2 men – domestic violence, sex trafficking and general mistreatment of ladies – are serious. Even more disturbing is when every man’s feigned concern for girls falls apart during questioning. Drake raps like he’s horrified that Kendrick allegedly hits women in the identical song, calls out Chris Brown, and years later defending Tory Lanez, who shot and killed Megan Thee Stallion. Kendrick Lamar may discuss his concern for girls, but it’s not enough when he used his latest album as a option to promote Kodak Black, who was previously accused of raping a highschool student pleading guilty to a lesser charge of first-degree assault and battery in 2021.
Neither man has any moral ground when it involves this matter. They just sound like they’re parading Black women’s trauma to be able to take one another down in a hyper-masculine rap feud. And it will only serve to maintain indignant fans digging up dirt on the ladies whose names are checked in every song, while at the identical time on the lookout for clues to discover an unnamed 11-yr-old girl who may or may not exist.
This is what rap feuds appear to be, with women serving rappers who wish to insult one another. And this is a trope as tiring as it is unnecessary; childish and harmful for no reason. Tupac did it Evans’ faith when he disgusted Biggie. Jay-Z did it Carmen Bryan when he got here to us. And Pusha T did it Sophie Brussaux when he disgusted Drake. Rappers sling mud, reveal dark secrets and deliver the proverbial death blow, and ladies are each the nuclear bomb and the side effect.
If this is the ultimate stage of this argument, then we’ve got seen enough. It’s over, but it’s time to call it anyway. Kendrick Lamar outperformed and outplayed Drake from start to complete – it’s hard to argue with that. But we have also strayed up to now from what we got here here for – battles of lyrics and wit – that there is not any point in continuing.
The heavyweight fight is behind us. We had an evening we cannot forget. If Drake and Kendrick Lamar want to return back to point out who can rap higher, let’s do it. But perhaps we have gone too far into something else, something completely personal, and we do not think the subsequent moves will be fun.
Entertainment
The art collector left his mark on TheGrio’s Masters of the Game
In the next episode of Masters of the Game, hosted by Touré, we introduce you to Shirley and Bernard Kinsey, an influence couple who’ve dedicated their lives to preserving African American history through art and artifacts. Through greater than 50 years of marriage and a shared passion for education and history, the Kinseys have built one of the largest and most influential private collections of African American history in the world.Kinsey collection— making them true champions of history, art and cultural preservation.
Art collectors
The Kinseys have long believed in the transformative power of education. For them, educating others means sharing the wealthy history of African-American culture through art and historical artifacts. Their collection includes works by iconic artists corresponding to Ernie Barnes, Charles Alston and Beauford Delaney, nevertheless it is their collection of rare historical documents that really stands out. Among their treasures is a heartbreaking nineteenth century letter delivered by an enslaved girl who couldn’t read – she was sent from one plantation to a different under false pretenses. The next work of their collection is Zora Neale Hurston’s brave and hilarious letter to her ex-husband, through which she asks him to remain out of her life endlessly.
From humble beginnings to becoming one of the most influential black couples of our time, Toure’s conversation with the Kinsey family takes us on a journey through the depth, resilience and radiance of African-American culture. Their collection not only preserves history, but in addition inspires future generations to inform their very own powerful stories, making the Kinseys true masters of the game. Don’t miss this episode of “Masters of the Game” at 8 p.m. ET on Friday and 1 p.m. ET on Saturday on TheGrio Cable Network.
Entertainment
Simone Biles torn apart after giving George Strait’s wife a ‘vulgar look’ while fans came to her defense
Did Olympic gymnast Simone Biles cut George Strait’s wife’s eyes on the Country Music Awards?
Some people think so after a viral video of Biles, 27, showing her frustration within the audience on the 58th annual CMA Awards on November 20.
In several clips circulating online, the 27-year-old gave Strait’s wife, Norma Strait, a “dirty look” on the annual awards show where her husband was honored with the John Paul II Lifetime Achievement Award. Willie Nelson.
“Does anyone know if there is a dispute between Simone Biles and George Strait’s wife?” – one in all the X users asked on the evening of this system.
X’s post included a clip of Biles looking nervous as Norma and other attendees danced in the gang on the Lifetime Achievement Award ceremony tribute performance.
The tribute to the “King of Country Music” featured country stars Lainey Wilson, Jamey Johnson, Miranda Lambert and Parker McCollum. Additionally, Chris Stapleton joined Strait on stage to walk through the “Honky Tonk Hall of Fame” to conclude the segment.
Speculation about Biles’ possible disdain shown on the CMA Awards has turn into a topic of debate online, with fans and critics taking sides in the controversy.
“I watched it live and wondered the same thing, and then death looked up and down, she definitely hated!” answer on X platform he stated.
Original X poster he replied“As long as I’m not the only one who saw it.”
However, the legendary gymnast had her defenders. For example, user X sent“He’s probably just watching her reaction (honestly) without thinking about the cameras.”
“Nothing happened” – another person he argued. “George Strait’s wife doesn’t care about messy things like that. It looks like Simone could have a resting face. She wasn’t the one black person either. There are many Black people in country music, from singers to musicians.
George Strait, 72, makes a rare appearance with wife Norma on the 2024 CMA Awards #George #quarrel https://t.co/ua4Xcsjdsq pic.twitter.com/vYByc0Ub6k
— DHNDE (@dhndecom) November 21, 2024
Similar entry To read“I saw it and cringed, it’s just her face, but she should politely decline if she doesn’t like country music.”
Another fan he wrote“She probably saw the camera give attention to George Strait’s wife and just looked around curiously. I do not think she’s giving a mischievous have a look at all, she just looks like she’s noticed that the camera is specializing in the people next to her.
Despite questions on Biles’ on-screen response, the multiple-time world champion expressed her excitement to attend the 2024 CMA Awards on the day of the event.
Biles reposted photos from the evening on her Instagram Story. In one photo, shared by hairstylist Justin Revenge, the Olympic gold medalist showed off the short red dress she wore to the red carpet, in addition to the silver off-the-shoulder dress she wore to the CMA Gala.
The star of the Netflix docuseries “Simone Biles Rising” appeared at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville to present the Female Vocalist of the Year award to country singer Lainey Wilson.
Lainey Wilson won the Female Vocalist of the Year category, beating out fellow nominees Kelsea Ballerini, Ashley McBryde, Megan Moroney and Kacey Musgraves.
Biles herself had a successful 12 months as an athlete. The Texas native won 4 medals on the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, bringing her profession total to a record 11 victories for an American gymnast.
However, Vice President Kamala Harris couldn’t replicate Biles’ success because the Democratic presidential candidate in 2024. Harris lost to former President Donald Trump within the nationwide election.
Biles publicly called on current Democratic President Joe Biden to take a stand on behalf of American women before Republican MAGA leader Trump enters the White House on January 20, 2025.
“Mr. Biden, you need to stand up, straighten your back and shake some things up before you go… xoxo women of America,” the Olympian wrote on Twitter on November 6 in response to the election results.
Entertainment
What do you know about Cynthia Erivo?
With the discharge of Wicked fast approaching, it’s protected to say that Cynthia Erivo is on fire straight away.
The film adaptation of the Broadway musical (which is an adaptation of a best-selling novel based on one other novel) is about to open to over $175 million worldwide this weekend, and Erivo has just landed a significant deal.
Universal Pictures has struck a first-look cope with its production company Edith’s Daughter, Deadline reported.
“Having spent the last three years working with Donna Langley, Peter Cramer and the Universal team on Wicked, I have experienced first-hand the love and fearlessness with which they tell stories and uplift narrators,” said Erivo. “I am absolutely delighted to take the next step in our cooperation under our first-look agreement. This is not only a milestone for my production company, but also a testament to the power of storytelling and the importance of diverse voices in film. I can’t wait to bring our visions to life and share them with the world!”
However, some could also be just discovering the 37-year-old from Stockwell, London (where she was born right into a family of Nigerian immigrants) or may don’t know about her background and profession to this point. There’s quite a bit to like about the Emmy, Grammy and Tony winner – and much more to grasp beneath the surface. Below we have gathered some things you have to know about Erivo, including some very necessary ones.
He is a Broadway sensation
Before Erivo became a star of the silver screen, she made a reputation for herself on the stage. The actress’ breakthrough role was the role of Celie within the musical adaptation of “The Color Purple” on Broadway. From 2015 to 2017, she delivered critically acclaimed, groundbreaking performances, winning the 2016 Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical and the Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album.
She has played several iconic black characters
Aretha Franklin, Harriet Tubman and Recy Taylor are black American historical figures immortalized on screen by Erivo, who has played all of them in movies. Shortly after her Broadway run in 2017, Erivo played Taylor in “The Rape of Recy Taylor.” She then starred as Tubman within the 2019 film “Harriet.”
In 2021, Erivo played Franklin within the National Geographic anthology “Genius: Aretha”. While critics praised her performance, Franklin’s family had a special tackle the project, claiming she was never consulted and even felt “disrespected” by the production team.
He is a queer icon
Earlier this yr, Erivo received the Schrader Award from the Los Angeles LGBT Center as a self-proclaimed member for her talent and support of the queer community.
“Acknowledging that I am queer publicly – especially in the public eye – means taking a risk to claim my freedom,” she said in her speech through which she agreed to return out as queer later in life. “It seems we prefer to see the world in black and white rather than accept the difficult (but beautiful) complexities of our humanity.”
Although it has never been explicitly confirmed, Erivo has long been considered one half of a fairly powerful Black Hollywood power couple, as she is commonly seen at red carpet events alongside fellow industry heavyweight Lena Waithe.
He has a novel sense of fashion
From shaving her eyebrows to her signature long and ornamental nails, Erivo is understood for her daring sense of fashion. Her uniqueness was even incorporated into her makeup for “Wicked.” The makeup artist used stencils to attract eyebrows and add freckles. Meanwhile, a special shade of green face and body makeup was developed to make Erivo’s melaninated skin appear “clearly” on screen, and the shade was named “Cynthia Green,” the film’s makeup artist said People Magazine. It’s value noting that despite the hours-long application process required day by day for months of filming, she also said that Erivo “never, ever, ever complained.”
She doesn’t suffer fools
Social media was abuzz this week with response to actor/podcast host Dax Shepard’s invasive query about Erivo’s signature elaborate manicure, specifically how he moves through it while using the lavatory. When footage of her interview with Shepard hit the Internet, many individuals were quick to sentence its inappropriateness, asking her how she wipes herself while having very long, jeweled nails.
“My answer is that no one wipes their ass with just their fingers. You use wipes, right? And you wipe it off,” she replied calmly.
Erivo further expressed her annoyance with this query; the one she had exhibited before.
“I understand, it annoys me. Come on, guys,” she said. “I understand, but I’m a functioning adult and I’ve never walked around smelling like… you know.”
People participating within the discussion found this query rude, disgusting and invasive. It can also be, as Erivo identified, unoriginal. In response to this viral exchange, some have responded by demonstrating how they adapt these very human processes to long fingernails – and shockingly, it’s just about the identical process we have all been doing since potty training. It’s really not that complicated.
He has some questionable tweets in his search history
When it was announced in 2018 that Erivo would play Harriet Tubman within the biopic “Harriet,” the British actress’s seemingly problematic comments made years earlier about the language of Black Americans inevitably resurfaced. As previously reported by theGrio, this compounded existing questions about the choice to forged British-born Erivo because the historical African-American hero, given what some perceived as a disdain for African-American culture.
“As for the tweets, they were taken out of context, giving me no room to explain what they meant – and they weren’t actually mocking anyone,” she explained on the time: Complex reported. “It was not intended to be (offensive) at all. It was to celebrate a song I (wrote) when I was 16.”
Speaking further about the controversy during an event on the Toronto International Film Festival, she said: “I actually have never… never spoken negatively about people because I don’t desire to; I don’t desire this energy to be passed on to others.”
She continued: “I do not think it’s good for us in any respect; I do not think it serves any purpose apart from to bring negativity into my life and yours, and I just don’t desire that.
Perhaps he has some tension with the band in “The Color Purple.”
For unknown reasons, Erivo claims she was not invited to a special screening of the musical “The Color Purple” for family and friends, which was also attended by other members of her Broadway forged. It’s a bit strange that the Tony-winning revival star wasn’t on the guest list. When asked about her apparent rejection in the course of the interview and whether it reflected her initial considerations for Celie’s role within the film adaptation, Erivo suggested she couldn’t talk about it.
Despite every little thing, he’s capable of admit his mistake
Erivo can have had mixed emotions previously as a result of questionable comments or her unwavering passion for her craft, but she is ultimately capable of admit when she was incorrect. In the lead-up to Wicked’s premiere, fan-made art got here to light that edited the film’s poster to look more like the unique Broadway Playbill, obscuring Erivo’s direct gaze with the brim of her witch hat. The actress was initially very offended, but later admitted that she can have overreacted.
“I think for me it was a human moment…” she later explained. “I probably should have called my friends, but I’m fine.”
After all, she is an expert
Say what you want, but Cynthia Erivo is robust and talented. He can also be a one that is alleged to place the nice of the team ahead of his personal glory. During a recent appearance on “Cutting room floor” podcast, she described her technique of coming into harmony together with her “Wicked” co-star Ariana Grande and the way the 2 worked together to create a unified sound fairly than resorting to diva-like behavior in an try and outshine one another.
For example, although she and Grande have very different voices, Erivo noted that what they’ve in common is way more necessary.
“I think what connects us is the way we hear music, so we can hear each other,” she explained. “And the beauty of singing with someone who can also hear is that you follow each other back and forth. We can find ways to make our textures and sounds make sense, and that’s really hard with humans.”
Erivo added: “It also signifies that you found someone completely selfless because they care about working with you, and being an element of that’s essentially the most amazing thing. When you find someone who’s committed to creating sound together, (there may be) no ego.
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