Entertainment
Ciara’s Gospel Performance Sparks Critics’ Backlash, Monica, Tina and More Call for Her Defense
Pop-R&B singer Ciara guest-starred this month on the gospel song “Altar (Remix)” by Christian hip-hop artist Hulvey.
While this turned out to be one among CiCi’s “favorite features” she’s ever done, web fans aren’t too pleased with the seemingly secular artist singing to the Lord.
However, despite the questionable comments, fans and friends, including fellow singers Monica and Tameka “Tiny” Harris, stepped in to defend her and have a good time the brand new song.
One he said“I really like this song. She has to sing and perform this song, God, you are as wonderful as I am.” Another wrote: “Oh my god!!! @ciara we need more stuff like this from you! So cool, so beautiful! This is a hit.”
“Altar Remix with Hulvey and Ciara is not good! Light cannot have fellowship with darkness. They confuse infants in Christ!” one person wrote on X.
Spiritual Word sent in regards to the response, during which many individuals suggested that the “Goodies” singer had “nothing to do with gospel songs.”
The second post read: “We hear Hulvey and Ciara working together, Ciara MUST disown and condemn every ungodly Dirty Dancing music video and social media post for starters. We should not ignore her being a stumbling block and cause confusion for young people, adults and the Body of Christ.”
Some read the criticism and asked who died and made them Peter on the Pearly Gates.
“The debate on whether someone (can) praise God or not is crazy to me! As far as I remember, there were no perfect people in the Bible,” one person wrote, while one other asked, “But Michelle could? You choose,” referring to Destiny’s Child singer and gospel artist Michelle Williams.
One fan said: “Snoop (Dogg) did an entire gospel album and you guys didn’t even bat an eyelid at it. LEAVE YOUR AUNT ALONE.”
Another listener added, “Well, don’t ask her to pray then, since y’all are so dense,” referring to the prayer that led Ciara to her husband, Russell Wilson. She and the Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback have been married for seven years and have three biological children, in addition to Ciara’s son from a previous relationship.
However, the 2 Atlanta legends took to social media to have a good time their friend’s song.
Tiny, who co-wrote the Grammy-winning song “Scrubs,” responded to a video post Ciara product of her singing the hit song: “I absolutely love this song!!!”
“People these days have a problem with everything,” wrote Monica, also referred to as “Goonica,” who honed her skills as a church singer. “That’s why you have to do what works for you, and that’s what she did, and that’s why she continues to excel! Have a great Sunday. Have a great day, you deserve it!”
Adrienne Bailon-Houghton, former Cheetah Girl and R&B singer 3LW, now married to gospel superstar Israel Houghton, also spoke out, posting three “hallelujah” hand emojis and writing again, “That’s right (fire emoji).”
Ciara and Russell have been very open and demonstrative about their faith. While talking about his relationship together with his wife’s oldest son in an interview, Wilson said he believes God told him to be in young Future’s life when he first met him when he was just a few months old.
At the identical time that God was talking to Wilson, he also appeared to be talking to Ciara. In 2019, the singer who topped the chart with “Promise” told Angie Martinez how she prayed for Wilson.
“I prayed for a God-fearing man. I prayed for discernment. I prayed for wisdom, to really learn from the wisdom that I have gained from the experience that I am going through,” she shared.
Oh @ciara & @DangeRussWilson I didn’t should eat @Vanity fair The Oscar party rug looks like this! 😩🙌🏽🖤 pic.twitter.com/uwR11lZX7n
— neat ηick (@Creat1ve) March 13, 2023
She continued, “I prayed for a man who loved children, because of course I have a son, if you want to love me, you have to love him. I prayed for a man who was also worldly. Because I love exploring, someone who would build my world was important to me. I was ready to get promoted!”
Another way Ciara shows her faith is by consistently praising God for her seemingly blissful marriage and family. Last July, the 2 celebrated their seventh wedding anniversary with a romantic trip to Japan. On that day, she shared a post noting how essential their bond was.
“In the Bible, the number 7 represents the complete and complete world. My heart is complete and stuffed with gratitude for the love we share. I even have the whole lot I need and need in you. Happy seventh anniversary @DangeRussWilson. Thank you for loving me the best way you do. I really like you very much,” she said he wrote.
Wilson has at all times kept his fingers crossed for his wife, who was heavily criticized in 2023 for wearing a sheer mesh dress to Vanity Fair’s 2023 Oscars party.
Oh @ciara & @DangeRussWilson I didn’t should eat @Vanity fair Such a carpet on the Oscars! 😩🙌🏽🖤 photo.twitter.com/uwR11lZX7n
— clever ηick (@Creat1ve) March 13, 2023
“Keep the pressure on the baby,” he wrote in her comments section after heavy online mockery.
But surprisingly, this is not the primary time Ciara has appeared on a Christian song.
In addition to “Altar (Remix)”, she also appeared in “Despite me” in 2020 and Maverick City”Inclusive and One”, which also featured American drummer Harolddd and rapper Rapsody in 2021.
Entertainment
“The Honorable Shyne” is a hit. This is why I wanted to tell this story. — Andlandscape
One of the primary reasons Andscape culture author Justin Tinsley and I were tapped to co-executive produce was our backgrounds as music journalists. The documentary chronicling Moses “Shyne” Barrow’s rise to fame, imprisonment, and re-emergence as a political leader suits firmly into our wheelhouse, as his best rap years got here within the early 2000s – right at the center of our hip-hop fandom. I donated my time helping with the documentary, which was a top ten show in its debut week on Huluas a likelihood to help tell the story of hip-hop. I got here away from the project with an understanding of a man in conflict, at odds with himself and his past, and wanting to forge a path forward.
Shyne’s story illustrates the American dream: a poor black immigrant comes to America and from nowhere becomes one in all the largest rap stars. It is also a story about how the American criminal justice system and music industry chew up and spit out so many young Black people. To carelessly follow Shyne’s story is to consider him as just one other young black man who fell into a bad situation and never recovered. After all, his rap profession was effectively derailed when in 2001 he was sentenced to ten years in prison for the 1999 shooting at Club New York in Manhattan. But what inspired me about Shyne’s story was his refusal to let this devastation define him.
In 2021, I hung out in New Orleans with former No Limit rapper McKinley “Mac” Phipps, who had just been released from prison after spending 21 years in prison for a murder he denied committing. As I listened to Shyne’s story, I considered Mac. Both were avatars of a system that tested rap as much because it tested individual men. Mac’s story was about how hip-hop lyrics may be used to accuse someone within the face of overwhelming evidence of their innocence. Similarly, Shyne’s trial created a sensation about hip-hop’s relationship to violence in a city hungry for head on a plate.
Both Shyne and Mac emerged from prison as completely different people than once they entered. In Mac’s case, it was the period of time he spent at home, during which he transformed from a teenage rapper into a man after 20 years spent in confinement. For Shyne, his transformation got here from faith when he converted to Orthodox Judaism in prison. When I have a look at people like Shyne and Mac, I wonder how they’ll survive being locked in a cage, and their answers are inspiring.
While Shyne’s rap stories are what drew me to this project, it’s his journey as a man that makes me proud to help tell his story. And we actually get to see that journey after he raps the ultimate bars of his rap profession.
Shyne got here to the film wanting to discuss his lowest moments – the time after his release from prison in 2009, when he lashed out, frustrated at seeing a latest crop of rap stars emerge within the void left by his absence. He was rudderless. As rudderless as anyone may be who has lost a decade to a prison system that wanted to destroy him. And much more, since it was closed when the superstar’s fame was on the tip of his fingers.
The raspy-voiced rapper could have let these mishaps define him, but that is where Shyne’s story resonates with everyone, whether or not they’re a rap fan or not. Shyne’s second act, the one through which he finds purpose in community and family, where he uses his innate charisma and true genius to turn out to be a political leader and motivational speaker.
I cannot discuss Shyne’s reappearance without mentioning Sean “Diddy” Combs. Combs, the disgraced hip-hop mogul who signed Shyne to his label Bad Boy Records and helped launch his profession, is the elephant within the room throughout the documentary and in Shyne’s life. So lots of the artists who emerged under Diddy – from G Depp and Mase to The Notorious BIG – suffered terrible consequences. Shyne’s name was all the time on the list because he spent ten years in prison. And yet, Shyne’s approach to healing and moving forward is as inspiring as his ability to overcome what he sees because the sabotage of his life and profession.
These are lessons I didn’t expect to learn from the stories in regards to the hip-hop star from my childhood. These are inspiring moments that can be of interest to those that haven’t yet turn out to be inquisitive about the Brooklyn, or somewhat Belizean, rapper featured within the documentary. These are the points that make me proud to be a a part of telling Shyne’s story.
Entertainment
Kendrick Lamar Releases Surprise Album ‘GNX’; group chats are going crazy
There are few things more exciting than receiving an infinite barrage of text messages at the very same time in numerous group chats. This normally implies that something vital has happened in popular culture. Well, the exact same thing happened about noon on November 22, within the yr of our Lord two thousand and twenty-four. Kendrick Lamar Duckworth, higher often called Kendrick Lamar, released the album “GNX”, nod towards Buick Grand National Regal GNXa rare muscle automobile released in 1987 – which also happens to be the yr Kendrick was born.
“GNX” is coming to the tip of what has been a banner yr for Kendrick Lamar. From epic diss records geared toward Drake, to creating the largest song of his profession (and a Drake diss track) on “Not Like Us”, to the “Pop Out” concert streaming live to tell the tale Amazon Prime, Kendrick won this yr. He even received seven Grammy nominations, mostly for “Not Like Us.” And this victory will proceed in the brand new yr. In September, it was announced that Kendrick would stay Super Bowl 2025 headliner will happen in New Orleans. This announcement sparked some controversy and comments from several New Orleans legends similar to Juvenile and most notably Lil Wayne, who felt disrespected; Kendrick immediately refers to this topic within the opening song of the album (all stylized in lower case), “wacced out murals”.
The thing is, Kendrick didn’t sleep for many of 2024. And then, while the remaining of us were minding our own business, listening to other albums that had just dropped, like Ice Cube’s “Man Down,” I began receiving text after text… and I knew that would only mean that something vital happened.
At this point in my life (and possibly even yours), Kendrick Lamar releases are a drop-everything-and-listen event. I immediately went to the streaming service, launched “GNX” and pressed “Play”.
I need to admit that the primary time I heard the album I used to be a bit confused. Kendrick has probably never been more popular or famous; if there was ever a time to drag a Kanye West and release his own version of “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy” – an album largely produced as Kanye’s best and most representative of Kanye’s greatness – now could be the time. “GNX” has a far more modern West Coast vibe and is certainly more for his die-hard fans than anyone who just began gaining attention due to his beef with Drake. Maybe that was the purpose; possibly not.
Either way, I can imagine that folks whose favorite lines are “OV-Ho” won’t be immediately thrilled. I wasn’t immediately blown away (though very amused by how sensitive Kendrick is to what people say about him on social media, well, everyone), but as is all the time the case with Kendrick albums, repeated listens are likely to correct any immediate monotony that I even have about his projects. For example, now that I’ve listened to it just a few times, I can not wait to listen to black college bands playing “tv off” style, which seems like a cousin of “Not Like Us.” The Shoot, Bayou Classic, which also takes place yearly in New Orleans on Thanksgiving Day, stands out as the first time we hear a band playing “TV off.”
Since the album didn’t come out long enough to be reviewed, group chats and social media were abuzz with immediate reactions. This is the a part of music releases I really like, where everyone seems to be listening to the identical thing, offering premature takes that will not even delay the following day. I’m not different; I’m sure I’ll say something about this album that can sound silly by Monday. Shoot, I can have already done it. But that is what happens when great artists release music. We spend time with others after which we refer to them, analyze them, criticize them, praise them, destroy them and let all our prejudices fly free. Love it.
It’s value noting that certainly one of Drake’s diss tracks that did not appear during last summer’s fracas was titled “The Heart Part 6,” and was an apparent try to usurp Kendrick’s pre-album practice of removing a non-album song titled “The Heart.” Well, Kendrick has a song on his recent album called, you guessed it, “The Heart, Pt. 6,” which I feel will probably be released soon Drake. Good job, Kenny.
Argue.
Entertainment
New music this week: Tyla, Lola Brooke, Coco Jones and more – Essence
Happy Friday, people! Whether you are drinking a warm beverage or preparing for a fun-filled weekend, this week’s latest music releases set the tone. From sensual R&B melodies to powerful hip-hop anthems, these songs have something for everybody.
Coco Jones leads the pack along with her seasonal album, and Tyla offers a heartfelt change of tone with “Tears.” Miguel’s smooth “Always Time” and Jorja Smith’s tender “Stay Another Day” showcase R&B at its finest, while Lola Brooke and Killer Mike turn up the warmth on “Go To Yo Head” and “Warryn’s Groove,” respectively. Today’s list also includes music from Eric Bellinger, Coi Leray, Blxst and more.
Below you possibly can read our list of latest products.
-
Press Release8 months ago
CEO of 360WiSE Launches Mentorship Program in Overtown Miami FL
-
Business and Finance6 months ago
The Importance of Owning Your Distribution Media Platform
-
Press Release7 months ago
U.S.-Africa Chamber of Commerce Appoints Robert Alexander of 360WiseMedia as Board Director
-
Business and Finance8 months ago
360Wise Media and McDonald’s NY Tri-State Owner Operators Celebrate Success of “Faces of Black History” Campaign with Over 2 Million Event Visits
-
Ben Crump7 months ago
Another lawsuit accuses Google of bias against Black minority employees
-
Fitness7 months ago
Black sportswear brands for your 2024 fitness journey
-
Theater8 months ago
Applications open for the 2020-2021 Soul Producing National Black Theater residency – Black Theater Matters
-
Ben Crump8 months ago
Henrietta Lacks’ family members reach an agreement after her cells undergo advanced medical tests