Health and Wellness

Who loses out on rap beef?

Published

7 months ago

May 7, 2024

After nearly a decade of bubbling beneath the surface, Kendrick Lamar and Drake’s clash has blossomed into essentially the most influential hip-hop duel lately.

It began with a direct call out to Lamar during his performance of Metro Boomin & Future’s “Like That” on March 22. This battle is a singular product of the fashionable streaming era, where scathing diss tracks arrive at higher volumes and faster than another in history. Just on Friday, May 3, Kendrick received a 3rd response: “Meet the Grahams“arrived just 25 minutes after the second Drake”, “Family matters” The following weekend, they gave strategy to additional songs from each artist, making for a complete of never-before-seen songs with wordplay going backwards and forwards over the course of about 6 weeks.

It’s a really different take on the hip-hop conflicts of the ’90s and early ’90s, waged for months and years through responses to mixtapes, single pages and comments in magazine articles and radio interviews.

“Before, you had to wait for a Kay Slay mixtape or you had to wait for someone to come to the radio station [with the recording]and it didn’t necessarily happen in real time,” says the veteran rap host and Sirius XM hip-hop host Torah Carr. “The fact that these guys can go into the studio, upload a file to social media and get people reacting before it even hits the DSPs is just a testament to where we are with technology.”

“Streaming and real-time social media feedback have added new layers to some of the tactical issues around these issues,” says Nadeska Alexis of Apple Music.

This is clear from the covers chosen for these diss tracks – Kendrick’s assortment of Drake’s alleged personal effects, a Google Maps photo of his palatial Toronto estate, peppered with pins from the sex offender registry; Drake uses friend Kendrick Lamar’s Instagram comment and creative partner Dave Free pictured is Kendrick’s partner and kids. Combine that with the near-instantaneous reactions to IG stories, the cacophony of fan reactions on TikToks, dance battles on diss tracks, and podcast debates, and there is rather more to the song than simply the lyrics that set the rhythm and temperature of every emcee’s response.

As things heat up and the attacks turn into more personal and revealing, the audience swells in recognition that THIS is what hip-hop has been missing. The sparring, the focused, multi-threaded lyricism, the energy and excitement of wondering what each MC will say next and what personal and skilled revelations fans will likely be left with when the dust settles.

“It’s rare to see two rappers fighting each other in music these days,” Alexis says of the palpable excitement surrounding the newest rap. “We are used to seeing tension in tweets, on Instagram live, in DMs… literally everywhere in music.”

“This year we were fortunate to see two of the greatest rappers of our time – literally two generational talents – battle it out in a feud that has been simmering for over a decade. “Being able to see the lyricism and pageantry at the exhibition truly feels like a once-in-a-generation event.”

ATLANTA, GA – DECEMBER 9: Drake performs on stage in the course of the “Lil Baby & Friends Birthday Concert” at State Farm Arena on December 9, 2022 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo: Prince Williams/Wireimage)

But while men go head-to-head for rap’s respectability in musical moments like these, women on their periphery often take the brunt of essentially the most damaging slings and arrows, used as pawns to harm their opponents where it hurts most. This is a tactic rarely utilized in female hip-hop feuds. It seems that whatever the beef’s origins, the ladies related to the goal of every opponent’s ire are weaponized, whether through their sexuality, integrity, identity, or some combination of traits. Shopping mall.

Tupac poked fun at The Notorious B.I.G. by describing an affair along with his wife Faith Evans within the famous opening line of 1996’s “Hit ‘Em Up.” Nas’ ex-girlfriend Carmen Bryan was drawn right into a fight with Jay-Z when the Brooklyn-born rapper hinted that each he and then-76ers guard Allen Iverson had “more in Carmen” together – so to talk – in “Super” from 2002. -Ugly.” Drake’s baby mother, Sophie Brussaux, revealed her past in adult entertainment when Pusha T exposed her and son Drake’s existence in 2018’s “The Story of Adidon.” But why are women on the sidelines so are sometimes the fundamental goal when the true problem lies elsewhere?

“This is your weak point, especially if you are married, in a committed relationship or in a public relationship. “It’s a place where a rapper can pierce your armor if all else fails,” Carr says. He explains why essentially the most common response is, “Okay, ‘well, your girlfriend likes me,’ or ‘I was with your girlfriend,’ or ‘I had your girlfriend first,’ or ‘Your girlfriend is a rebound,’ or whatever.” I believe that is when people feel they will do essentially the most damage.

“Misogyny is still alive in hip-hop,” says Alexis. “We have made some progress over the last 50 years, but trying to break it down would require more words than we have time for.”

Now Kendrick Lamar’s longtime partner, Whitney Alford, despite having no known industry contacts and a largely private personality, has been publicly accused of infidelity and paternity fraud by the preferred rapper on the planet. Her racial identity was also scrutinized and, without her consent or personal input, she was identified as a victim of alleged domestic violence within the lyrics of Drake’s “Family Matters” and again in “Heart, part 6“

NEW YORK, NY – JANUARY 28: Whitney Alford and recording artist Kendrick Lamar attend the sixtieth Annual GRAMMY Awards at Madison Square Garden on January 28, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for NARAS)

As streaming numbers for dedicated artists skyrocket, fans have their hunger for genre-specific lyricism, gossip and excitement, and social media, blogs, podcasts and music journalism platforms have more to debate, debate and judge for weeks and months to come back women often have a always tarnished repute. But as history has shown us, these are constant victims of rap battles.

“Some people say there are no rules in war, but you don’t cross the line into disrespecting your family, because that turns a war of words into a beef,” Carr tells ESSENCE. “I think something like this is great. It’s competitive and it’s good for business, and both [rappers] being UMG artists. This makes the register ring. DSPs love it. But involving children, family members and people who are innocent bystanders, I think that goes too far.”

“After this dispute, I think it’s become clear that moms, partners, kids, your health records, your record deals – literally everyone and everything is fair game,” Alexis says. “It wouldn’t be the rules, but that’s the game.”

But what becomes of the ladies whose names remain the topic of jokes and whose lives remain a source of speculation long after the dust has settled on rap’s war grounds?

Kendrick Lamar at Life Is Beautiful 2023 on September 23, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo: Christopher Polk/Billboard via Getty Images)

“We’ve seen Carmen Bryan write books, make public appearances, and figure out how to capitalize on her name while being in the spotlight,” Carr says. “Faith Evans has denied all claims made against her, but she has already been in the public eye.”

“But for those who are a civilian, like Lady Kendricka Whitney, who is solely not involved on this business in any respect, it’s unfair to her. “Now he has to pick himself up and explain this to his children and family members, and maybe even go public to try to clear his name.”

Throwing uninvolved partners into the fray becomes an excellent more disturbing tactic once we consider the credibility of every emcee’s claims. The two provided salacious details about one another’s private lives and relationships with their partners and kids, but provided no evidence for these claims. But just because the digital age has modified the speed and content of disses and replies, it also seems to have shifted the burden of proof onto investigative fans, if not completely erased it.

“Unfortunately, it is becoming increasingly difficult to distinguish what is fact and what is pure fiction for entertainment purposes. I think this trend will continue,” says Alexis. The latest standards in hip-hop revelations appear to be barely different than 5 years ago.

TORONTO, ON – DECEMBER 27: Drake in his seats along with his best friend and his little boy. Toronto Raptors vs. Los Angeles Clippers in the primary half of an NBA regular season game at Scotiabank Arena. Toronto Star (Rick Madonik/TORONTO STAR/Toronto Star via Getty Images)

“I’m from a different era and things like that. If you said something like that, you had to have evidence to back it up,” Carr says. “Now, because of the size of the audience and the fan base and how vocal people are on social media, they’re really just going to compare what’s being said. I don’t think it needs to be proven.”

“In light of this, I think fans will simply use different criteria to judge these diss songs, including timing and execution,” Alexis explains. “But trust and believe that internet sleuths will come here and invest in all the claims made in these pieces. It just adds another dimension to the beef in the age of artificial intelligence and streaming.”

Bravado and skill battles for respect and bragging rights have been a component of hip-hop culture since its inception within the Seventies. But because the genre has spanned 50 years of existence, the culture of emcees trading personal attacks has turn into increasingly pervasive, and bars have turn into increasingly more virulent, and sometimes spill out of the “wax” into the streets, ending in violence. It’s traditional at this point, but given the tragic outcomes we have seen previously, is hip-hop beef still a obligatory cornerstone of the culture?

“I really can’t say that [beefs are] ‘necessary,’ but I think they bring us back to the true essence and competitive spirit of hip-hop,” says Alexis. “Over the last few decades, hip-hop has become a commercial phenomenon, but at its core, some things are still dear to us.”

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – FEBRUARY 08: Kendrick Lamar performs on stage while unveiling the 2024 Visa Cash App RB Formula One Team colours on February 8, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo: Daniel Boczarski/Getty Images for Cash App)

“I think this competition produces the best work,” Carr says. “Hip-hop is built on that, but anything that’s going to grow needs some kind of competition to push yourself to be better.”

“I think where we are in hip-hop right now, where everyone has an opinion and has a public forum to express it, Drake fans will say, ‘Drake got it.’ Kendrick fans will say: Kendrick did it. The media will go with whatever makes the most sense for what they do. At the end of the day, there are really no losers.”

No matter who wins or loses in a given battle, all wars ultimately involve casualties. As words are exchanged in lyrics and reputations are destroyed within the court of public opinion, the one real losers could also be those on the periphery, and the winner is the hip-hop fandom. Their trophies are latest cultural debates, latest party anthems for the summer, and renewed enthusiasm for a genre of black music that has just begun to lose its dominance on the charts.

“No marketing campaign could galvanize and revitalize the culture the way a clash like this does,” Alexis says of this now-historic rap feud. “As long as it stays in the music (and social media comments).”

This article was originally published on : www.essence.com

Health and Wellness

Women are less likely to undergo cardiopulmonary resuscitation than men. Training on breast mannequins could be helpful

Published

40 mins ago

November 22, 2024

IAM

If someone’s heart suddenly stops beating, this may increasingly have happened minutes of life. Performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation may increase their probabilities of survival. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation keeps blood pumping, delivering oxygen to the brain and vital organs until specialized treatment arrives.

However, research shows that bystanders are less likely to intervene to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation if the person is a girl. AND latest Australian study analyzed 4,491 cardiac arrest cases between 2017 and 2019 and located that bystanders were more likely to perform CPR on men (74%) than on women (65%).

Could this be partly because CPR training mannequins (so-called dummies) shouldn’t have breasts? Our recent research we checked out mannequins available all over the world to train people to perform CPR and located that 95% of them were flat-chested.

Anatomically, breasts don’t change the cardiopulmonary resuscitation technique. However, they’ll influence whether people try to accomplish that – and hesitation at these key moments could mean the difference between life and death.

Differences in heart health

Cardiovascular diseases – including heart disease, stroke and cardiac arrest – are probably the most common diseases important reason behind death for ladies all over the world.

But if a girl goes into cardiac arrest outside the hospital (meaning her heart stops pumping air properly), that is actually what happens. 10% less likely receive cardiopulmonary resuscitation than a person. Women too less likely survive cardiopulmonary resuscitation and are at greater risk of brain damage following cardiac arrest.

Bystanders are less likely to intervene if a girl needs cardiopulmonary resuscitation compared to a person.
Doublelee/Shutterstock

These are just among the many health inequalities experienced by women, in addition to transgender and non-binary people. Compared to men, their symptoms they are more likely to be rejected or misdiagnosed, or it could take longer to receive a diagnosis.

Reluctance of the witness

There can also be growth evidence women are less likely to start cardiopulmonary resuscitation compared to men.

This may be partly due to the concerns of those being accused of sexual harassmentworry may cause damage (in some cases based on the assumption that ladies are more “fragile”) and discomfort related to touching women’s breasts.

Bystanders may also get into trouble recognition the lady has a cardiac arrest.

Even in simulated scenarios, researchers found that interveners were less likely to remove women’s clothing prepare for resuscitationcompared to men. And there have been women less likely to receive Cardiopulmonary resuscitation or defibrillation (an electrical charge to restart the center) – even when the training was in the shape of a web based game that didn’t require touching anyone.

There is evidence of how people behave in resuscitation training scenarios reflects what they do in real emergency situations. This means it is amazingly vital to train people to recognize cardiac arrest and prepare for intervention, no matter gender or body type.

Attached to men’s bodies

Very Cardiopulmonary resuscitation training resources depict male bodies or don’t specify gender. If bodies shouldn’t have breasts, it’s a male default.

For example, the 12 months 2022 test taking a look at CPR training in North, Central, and South America, it was found that nearly all of available mannequins were white (88%), male (94%), and slim (99%).

The woman's hands press the torso of a mannequin wearing a blue jacket. — It is amazingly rare for a mannequin to have breasts or a bigger body.
M Isolation photo/Shutterstock

This research reflects what we see in our work once we train other healthcare professionals to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation. We noticed that every one the mannequins available for training are flat chested. One of us (Rebecca) had difficulty finding training mannequins with breasts.

Single mannequin with breasts

Our recent research we checked what cardiopulmonary resuscitation mannequins are available and the way diverse they are. In 2023, we identified 20 cardiopulmonary resuscitation mannequins in the worldwide market. Mannequins are often torsos with no head and without arms.

Of the 20 available, five (25%) were sold as “female”, but only considered one of them had breasts. This implies that 95% of obtainable CPR training mannequins were flat-chested.

We also checked out other diversity characteristics, including skin tone and bigger bodies. We found that 65% had more than one skin tone available, but just one had a bigger body. Further research is required on the impact of those elements on bystanders when performing CPR.

Breasts don’t change cardiopulmonary resuscitation technique

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation technique doesn’t change when someone has breasts. The barriers are cultural. And although you could feel uncomfortable, starting cardiopulmonary resuscitation as soon as possible can save your life.

Signs that somebody may have cardiopulmonary resuscitation include not respiration properly or completely or not responding to you.

Perform effective cardiopulmonary resuscitationit’s best to:

place the heel of your hand in the middle of your chest
place your second hand on top of the primary and interlace your fingers (keep your arms straight)
press firmly to a depth of about 5 cm before releasing
press your chest with a frequency of 100-120 beats per minute (you may sing a song) in your head to show you how to keep time!)

An example of performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation – using a flat-chest manikin.

What a couple of defibrillator?

You haven’t got to remove someone’s bra to perform CPR. But you could need to accomplish that if a defibrillator is required.

AND defibrillator is a tool that uses an electrical charge to restart the center. An underwired bra may cause minor skin burns when the debrillator pads apply an electrical charge. However, in case you cannot take your bra off, don’t let it delay your care.

What should change?

Our research highlights the necessity for a big selection of breast CPR training mannequins, in addition to a wide range of body sizes.

Training resources need to higher prepare people to intervene and perform CPR on individuals with breasts. We also need greater education on the chance of developing and dying from heart disease in women.

This article was originally published on : theconversation.com

Health and Wellness

Ant stings can be painful. Here’s how to avoid getting stung this summer (and what to do if it happens)

Published

8 hours ago

November 22, 2024

IAM

The starting of summer is just a couple of days away, and plenty of of us will be looking forward to long, sunny days spent on the beach, by the pool, camping or having a picnic within the park.

Insects love summer too. Most of them right then grow and feed. However, this shared appreciation of the season can sometimes lead to conflict.

Insects have long been preyed upon by many species, including birds, mammals, amphibians, and other insects. Accordingly, quite a lot of defense mechanisms have evolved – perhaps none more familiar to humans than the sting.

Many ants have a stinger on their rear end which they use to deliver venom. It will not be the sting itself that causes pain, but relatively venom. Ant venom accommodates a mix of various chemicals, a few of which have evolved specifically to manipulate the nerve endings in our skin to cause pain.

Let’s take a have a look at the several ant stings chances are you’ll experience this summer in Australia and how to respond.

Bull ants

Bull ants (also often called bulldog ants, jumper ants, or jumper ants) are large for an ant. Some species can grow to length 4 centimeters. They are easily identified by their large eyes, long mandibles (jaws), and aggressive nature.

Their sting is immediate, hot, sharp and unambiguous, similar to that of a honey bee. The intense pain will only last a couple of minutes before being replaced by redness and swelling across the sting site.

There are many differing kinds of bull ants in Australia.
Sam Robinson

Green-headed ants

Green-headed ants are also called green ants (but not to be confused with green ants). green tree ants northern Australia, which do not sting). Green-headed ants are common and love our lawns.

About Length 6 millimetersthey’re much smaller than bull ants. They can be recognized by their shiny green-purple exoskeleton.

Green-headed ants are frequently less aggressive than bull ants, but they can still deliver a big sting. The pain from a green ant sting can construct up step by step and cause intense, sticky pain.

Fire ants

Fire ants (or imported red fire ants) are native to South America. They were detected first in Brisbane in 2001it probably moved in containers and has since spread across south-east Queensland.

Fire ants are reddish brown and black and range in size from Length 2–6 millimeters.

You will almost certainly encounter fire ants of their nests, which appear like a pile of loose dirt. A hearth ant nest has no obvious entrance, which is way to distinguish it from other similar ant nests.

Disturbing a hearth ant nest will awaken an offended mass of a whole bunch of ants and expose you to being stung.

The initial pain from a single sting seems like an intense, hot itch, although it can be controlled. However, fire ant stings rarely occur in the only digits. One ant can sting multiple times, and plenty of ants can sting one person, which can lead to a whole bunch of stings. A hearth ant sting can cause pus-filled ulcers and scarring in the next days.

If you reside in an area where fire ants are present, it’s price taking a couple of minutes to learn how to do this recognize and report their.

Electric ants

Electric ants is one other nasty random import, coming from Central and South America. Currently limited to Cairns and surroundingsthese are tiny (1.5 millimeters long) yellow ants.

Like fire ants, these ants are frequently defensive, so lots of them will sting without delay. Their sting is more painful than you’ll expect from such a tiny creature. I compare it to being showered with red, hot sparks.

If you think that you see electric ants, please report it Biosecurity in Queensland.

Australian ants should not the worst

You may be surprised to hear that Australian ants don’t even make it to the rostrum when it comes to essentially the most painful ant stings. The winners include: harvester ants (North and South America), which cause severe, sticky pain, comparable to a drill slowly rotating in a muscle – for up to 12 hours.

The gold medal goes to the sting of the South and Central American bullet ant, which has been described How:

Pure, intense, sensible pain. It’s like walking on burning charcoal with a 3-inch nail stuck in your heel.

How to avoid getting stung (and what to do if you do)

Fortunately, the answer is frequently quite simple. Look around before you sit on the bottom or unfolded a picnic blanket, avoiding places where you see ant nests or a lot of foraging ants.

The selection of footwear might also be necessary. In my experience, most stings occur on the feet of those wearing thongs.

If you get stung, generally the situation will improve by itself. The pain often subsides after a couple of minutes (sometimes slightly longer within the case of a green ant sting). The redness, swelling and itching that sometimes follows may last for several days.

In the meantime, if mandatory, ice pack it will help with the pain. If it’s particularly bad, a topical numbing cream containing lidocaine may provide temporary relief. You can get it over-the-counter at a pharmacy.

A small proportion of individuals may experience an allergic response to ant stings. In very severe cases this may include respiratory problems or ingestion. If you or a loved one experiences these symptoms after an ant sting, you need to seek urgent medical attention.

This article was originally published on : theconversation.com

Health and Wellness

Health matters: WNBA star Napheesa Collier on her commitment to women’s reproductive health

Published

14 hours ago

November 21, 2024

Minnesota lynx

Napheesa Collier will not be only a WNBA superstar for the Minnesota Lynx and a two-time Olympic gold medalist, but additionally the mother of her daughter Mila and an advocate for women’s reproductive health rights.

It recently decided to partner with Opill®, the primary and only every day contraceptive pill available over-the-counter within the United States. This breakthrough represents a major step forward in women’s health care by providing a convenient and accessible contraceptive option. With Opill, women not need to visit health care facilities for prescriptions, making it easier than ever to take control of their reproductive health.

The collaboration relies on Opill®’s long-standing partnership with the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA). “One of the reasons Opill® partnered with the WNBA is the great passion of players who use their platform to support causes they believe in,” said Leila Bahbah, leading women’s health brand at Perrigo within the US. “Napheesa exudes this passion, and together we plan to educate and empower people to take control of their reproductive health.”

Collier advocates for girls and says she is willing to have conversations, even in the event that they are difficult. “I just truly believe in everything they do at Opill®. I believe it’s important to talk to people who may become pregnant and to women about the reproductive health and contraceptive options available to them,” Collier tells ESSENCE.

He continues: “I want people to know that if they want contraception, Opill® is a great option. It is the first over-the-counter drug approved by the FDA. It is inexpensive, available. You don’t need a prescription to get it. I think that’s a key thing in today’s climate.”

Collier notes that within the off-season, he tries to travel to various colleges to talk to students about their reproductive freedoms. “Talking about this topic is essential to remove the stigma as it should not be considered a shameful topic or something that should not be discussed openly. My mother was a nurse, so it was casual to talk about it in our house, and I want to pass it on to other people too, so I’m very excited about it,” she says.

In the present political climate, many ladies with daughters are concerned about their future and reproductive health. Collier, included. “Especially because I am the mother of a young girl, it is very important to me to be able to raise her in an atmosphere where she knows her reproductive rights and health, that she has access to affordable health care and contraception if she wants it and that she can ask me these questions and have open conversations.”

Collier continues: “It’s back to education. Again, I think it’s harmful that we can’t have open conversations about birth control and other issues that are usually taboo. I think it’s harmful. I think this does a lot of harm to women. It hurts. This is harmful to our society. Being able to talk about these issues and empowering women to learn about their rights and bodies creates a safer and healthier society.”

This article was originally published on : www.essence.com