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Embarrassing Olympic moves, white girl’s durag raises eyebrows

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PARIS (AP) — From an Australian b-girl with a meme-worthy “kangaroo” dance to Lithuania’s silver-medal winner in a durag, breaking’s Olympic debut had several moments that left viewers wondering whether the essence of hip-hop’s art form was captured on the Paris Games.

Rachael Gunn, or “b-girl Raygun,” a 36-year-old professor from Sydney, Australia, quickly rose to web fame, but not necessarily for her Olympic-level skills. Competing against several b-girls half her age, she was swept out of the round robin without scoring a single point, her unconventional moves landing flat, no match for her opponents.

At one point, Gunn lifted one leg while standing and leaned back, her arms bent toward her ears. At one other point, lying on her side, she reached up together with her toes, rolled over, and did it again, a move often called the “kangaroo.”

Gunn has a PhD in cultural studies, and her LinkedIn profile says she is desirous about the “cultural politics of break-up.”

“I never set out to beat these girls at what they do best — their power moves,” Gunn said. “What I bring is creativity.”

Australian Rachael Gunn, often called B-Girl Raygun, competes within the Round Robin Battle break-up competition at La Concorde Urban Park in the course of the 2024 Summer Olympics, Friday, Aug. 9, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin)

Clips of her performance went viral on TikTok and other platforms, with many individuals wincing on the sight of her moves showcased on the Olympic stage as a logo of hip-hop and breaking culture.

“It’s almost like they’re mocking the genre,” wrote one X user.

Some of this was “strange to see”

Many black viewers, specifically, criticized Lithuanian silver medalist b-girl Nicka (legally named Dominika Banevič) for wearing a durag to every of her battles. Once worn by enslaved Africans to tie their hair up for work, durags are still worn by black people today to guard and magnificence their hair. They became a trendy symbol of black pride within the Sixties and Nineteen Seventies, and have become a preferred hip-hop style element within the Nineties and early 2000s. But when worn by individuals who aren’t black, the durag might be seen as cultural approval. Banevič is white.

Actor Kevin Fredericks responded on Instagram to Banevič donning the headgear that “it’s weird to see someone who doesn’t need a headgear for protection or waves, but wears a durag.”

The 17-year-old competitor ultimately won the silver medal, losing in the ultimate to Japanese b-girl Ami (Ami Yuasa).

Banevič, in turn, attributes his success and breaking style to Nineteen Seventies Bronx breakdancers — the OGs, or “original gangsters” of hip-hop, who created the dance.

Lithuanian Dominika Banevic, often called Nick’s B-Girl, competes within the B-Girls quarterfinals within the breakdance competition at La Concorde Urban Park in the course of the 2024 Summer Olympics, Friday, Aug. 9, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin)

“It’s a huge responsibility to represent and raise the bar every time it comes to breaking because they did an incredible job. Big respect to the OGs and the pioneers who came up with all these moves. Without them, it wouldn’t be possible,” she said. “Without them, breaking wouldn’t be what it is today. So I’m grateful.”

Concerns about losing roots

Friday’s mishaps “may have turned off too many new viewers from getting the response they wanted from our Olympic premiere,” Zack Slusser, vice chairman of Breaking for Gold USA and USA Dance, said in a text message to The Associated Press.

“We need to change the narrative from yesterday’s initial impression of breakdancing as an Olympic sport. There were significant organizational and management shortcomings that could have been easily reconciled but unfortunately negatively impacted Breaking’s first point of contact with a new global audience.”

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The challenge for Olympic organizers was to achieve a broad audience, including many who were skeptical about adding the dance form to the Olympic list. Others feared that the subculture can be co-opted by officials, commercialized, and subjected to a rigid judging structure, while the spirit of breaking took root in local communities centered around street fights, ciphers, and street parties. Hip-hop began as a youth culture in black and brown communities within the Bronx as a method to escape socioeconomic conflict and struggles and to precise their will at a time when New York politicians labeled them as lost, lawless kids.

Refugee breaker Manizha Talash, or “b-girl Talash,” channeled that rebellious spirit by donning a “Free Afghan Women” cape during her pre-qualifying match — a defiant and private statement from the 21-year-old, who fled her native Afghanistan to flee Taliban rule. Talash was quickly disqualified for violating the Olympics’ ban on political statements on the court.

Both American b-girls were eliminated in Friday’s round robin, a blow to the birthplace of hip-hop in what stands out as the sport’s only appearance on the Games. B-girl Logistx (real name Logan Edra) and b-girl Sunny (Sunny Choi) were ranked in the highest 12 on the earth but didn’t advance to the quarterfinals.

“Breaking for the Olympics changed the way some people dance,” Choi said, referring to a number of the flashier moves and more packed routines. “Breaking changes with the times. Or maybe I’m just old-fashioned and don’t want to change. … I think a lot of people in our community were a little afraid of that.”

B-boys will take to the stage Saturday to present Olympic breakdancing one other probability to represent the culture.


This article was originally published on : thegrio.com
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Angelina Jolie’s disturbing performance in new interview sparks criticism Years after health problems caused her face to sag

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Angelina Jolie promotes her next film, “Maria”, in which she plays the role of the famous opera singer Maria Callas.

However, for some fans, the press was more about Jolie’s health and appearance than her work in film.

On November 21, Jolie sat down with Michael Strahan for an interview on “Good Morning America” ​​to discuss her fear of using her real voice to sing opera for the role and the enjoyment of motherhood. However, in the course of the chat, some fans claimed they noticed Jolie’s face looked different than usual.

In the newest interview, Angelina Jolie expresses concerns about her health. (Photo: Gilbert Flores/Variety via Getty Images)

One person was cited by Express US for this story he said“It looks rough.”

Another commentator on Page Six he wrote“Ok, I just read that her face looks different because she stated that she developed hypertension and Bell’s palsy, a condition that she said caused her face to droop to one side. I assumed she looked like she had a stroke, in order that explains it.

Debates about Jolie’s sickly appearance erupted when fans noticed visibly large veins on her arms during separate red carpet appearances. Even those that knew her health were still shocked and anxious by her photos.

Jolie first revealed that she had the disease in 2017. In an interview with Vanity Fair she said he said she discovered she had hypertension and Bell’s palsy in 2016, the identical yr she filed for divorce from Brad Pitt.

So when she was diagnosed with the disease, she said she wasn’t sure what could have caused it. “I can’t tell if it’s menopause or if it’s just the year,” said Jolie, then 42. “Sometimes women in families put themselves last until it manifests itself in their own health.”

However, she also said that she is trying to pay more attention to her health. “I actually feel more like a woman because I make wise choices, I put my family first and I am responsible for my life and health. I think that’s what makes a woman complete.”

Last yr, the “Maleficent” star opened up again about her condition, revealing that it was caused by the stress of ending her relationship with Pitt.

In an interview with The Wall Street Journal, she said he said“My body reacts very strongly to stress. My blood sugar levels go up and down. Six months before the divorce, I suddenly developed Bell’s palsy.

According to National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke“Bell’s palsy is a neurological disorder that causes paralysis or weakness on one side of the face. It occurs when one in every of the nerves that control the facial muscles becomes damaged or stops working properly, which may cause the facial muscles to droop or sag.

This article was originally published on : atlantablackstar.com
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“The Honorable Shyne” is a hit. This is why I wanted to tell this story. — Andlandscape

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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.

DavidDennis Jr. is a senior author at Andscape and the creator of the award-winning book “The Movement Made Us: A Father, a Son, and the Legacy of a Freedom Ride.” David is a graduate of Davidson College.

This article was originally published on : andscape.com
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Kendrick Lamar Releases Surprise Album ‘GNX’; group chats are going crazy

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Kendrick Lamar, Kendrick Lamar GNX, GNX, GNX album, K-Dot, K-Dot GNX, theGrio.com

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.

Kendrick Lamar, Kendrick Lamar GNX, GNX, GNX album, K-Dot, K-Dot GNX, theGrio.com
Photo: Dave Free

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.


Panama Jackson theGrio.com

This article was originally published on : thegrio.com
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