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Diddy Wants to Drop Producer’s Lawsuit, Says It’s Full of ‘Blatant Lies’

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Sean “Diddy” Combs asked a federal judge on Monday to dismiss a lawsuit filed by a music producer that accused the music mogul of broad sexual abuse and other inappropriate conduct.

The February lawsuit filed by Rodney “Lil Rod” Jones — one of several filed against Combs up to now yr — is riddled with “extraordinary tales,” “blatant theatrics,” “legally meaningless allegations” and “blatant lies” intended only to “generate a media frenzy and use it to force a settlement,” according to a motion to dismiss filed in federal court in New York.

According to the motion, the case fails to show that Jones has legal standing to bring the lawsuit, lacks essential details equivalent to the time and site of the events described, and “fails to state a single viable claim.”

When Jones filed his lawsuit in February, several lawsuits had already been filed accusing Combs of sexual harassment and other forms of abuse, however the circumstances surrounding the hip-hop star have since turn out to be even grimmer.

In March, simultaneous raids on Combs’ homes in Florida and California led to the revelation that he was the topic of an ongoing federal sex trafficking investigation.

And in May, CNN aired a 2016 hotel security video showing him punching, kicking and dragging R&B singer Cassie, who was his protégé and longtime girlfriend on the time. The incident closely matched the outline in a lawsuit she filed in November that was settled the subsequent day but drew intense scrutiny of Combs.

Days after the video aired, Combs posted an apology video on social media, saying he was “truly sorry” and that his behavior was “inexplicable.”

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Jones’s sprawling lawsuit, which also names Combs’ son and several other of his associates as defendants, describes a yr Jones spent in Los Angeles and Miami as a music mogul preparing to release an album due in 2022 and 2023.

Jones says he witnessed — and in lots of cases audiotaped — lots of of hours of illegal drug and sexual intercourse by Combs and people around him. Combs’ Monday filing says it’s “replete with incredible tales of impropriety” but “contains very few allegations about Jones other than the allegation that Combs failed to pay a producer for his work.”

Combs alleges that the lawsuit is an attempt to portray the trade dispute as a broad criminal conspiracy led by Combs without presenting any substantial evidence.

Jones also claims Combs tried to solicit sex from him, groped him, forced him to use prostitutes and pressured him to have sex with them.

However, the motion filed by Combs’ attorneys says that “Jones failed to state the most basic facts, such as the location and time the alleged assault occurred or what allegedly happened,” and failed to present evidence that Jones was coerced in a way that made him a victim.

The Associated Press doesn’t typically name individuals who say they’ve been sexually assaulted unless they admit it publicly, as Jones and Cassie did.

Other than what was captured on hotel security footage of Cassie, Combs has completely denied the allegations made within the lawsuits against him.

“Let’s be clear. I did not do any of the horrible things that have been accused of me,” he said in a post in December.

This article was originally published on : thegrio.com
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Janet Jackson recalls another major wardrobe mishap she experienced on stage

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Janet Jackson, Rhythm Nation, Janet Jackson style, theGrio.com

Janet Jackson once almost showed her full moon to the Queen of England.

The 58-year-old music icon opened up about an embarrassing wardrobe malfunction she had within the ’90s, in addition to a few of her most memorable fashion moments. British Vogue. When the “That’s the Way Love Goes” singer stepped out for a photograph in her iconic “Rhythm Nation” jumpsuit, she said, “Funny story about that jumpsuit: I was performing for the Queen of England and we were playing ‘Rhythm Nation.’ And sure enough, as soon as I crouched down, my pants ripped right down my ass crack. And I mean that very seriously.”

Jackson was in disbelief, she said, adding: “I thought, ‘Oh my God.’ And then I started feeling air in there, so I knew it had actually happened.”

She coped with the style faux pas by never turning her back on the Queen. When the choreography required her to show, she said, “I just looked straight ahead.”

“Can you imagine what it would be like if I showed myself to her for even a second?” she asked.

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Elsewhere within the film, Jackson takes viewers on a journey through her childhood looks within the Nineteen Seventies to her more memorable stage looks from throughout her epic entertainment profession. She admits that she was a tomboy who often needed to argue her viewpoint when it got here to her mother’s clothing decisions. She preferred wearing suits and trousers, while her mother favored dresses and colours like pink.

But, Jackson noted with a sly smile, “I’ve gotten my way in a lot of cases.”

She added: “It was just about being myself and being comfortable.”

In another photo from her teens on the American Music Awards, she wears a red ruffled taffeta dress and a pair of hoop earrings, one in all which has a key hanging from it. She explained that since she didn’t carry a key chain, she needed to get creative when it got here to keeping her keys on her person.

“I was in charge of the animals, and we had animals: giraffes, mouflon sheep, pheasants, toucans, cockatoos, dogs,” she said, adding: “That’s why I kept the key there.”

She also noted that she hadn’t seen the dress for the reason that ’80s, when her older sister LaToya wore it herself.

“Sisters,” she said with fun.

The video ends with a scene from her current tour designed by Tom Browne.

“There are certain designers who are just brilliant to me. Thom is right up there. He’s a genius and he did this for me on tour,” she noted of the designer she called a friend.

“I think he did it, but he did it, and I did it,” she said of the tuxedo jumpsuit look.

Discussing the present tour and her fans, the music legend said, “You know, it’s people who have grown up with my music since the beginning and their kids. It just lets me know that my music has stood the test of time, which would be any artist’s dream.”

This article was originally published on : thegrio.com
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Kendrick Lamar’s first song since ‘Not Like Us’ shows the contemplative side of black Air Force 1 energy

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thegrio.com, kendrick lamar, pop out show, not like us, super bowl

One day last fall, while I used to be in school at Howard University, I felt a bit uneasy about the work that several of my students had become me. I don’t have to go into detail, but let’s just say I felt something like — RIP to Rich Homie Quan. My class felt it, so I closed the class and let everyone leave early. Anyway, I showed as much as my next class wearing triple-black (otherwise often known as all-black) Nike Air Force 1 Lows. One of my students, who can also be a sneakerhead, noticed my shoes and said something like, “Oh, what era are we in?” I began lecturing my class about how kindness is weakness and that they were confusing my desire for them to succeed with my willingness to just accept mediocre work. Although it wasn’t a fun class that day, all of us got here away with a clearer understanding of my expectations and their efforts. I had shown the black energy of the Air Force 1, they usually knew it.

The black Air Force 1 is a legend in the footwear industry. While the all-white Nike Air Force 1 Low is a beloved shoe worn by people from ages 8 months to 80 years old, when people think of its black counterpart, they think of sinister, mean, indignant, and destructive behavior. Anyone who wears black Forces just isn’t committing against the law, but anyone who does commit against the law is wearing (or has worn) black Forces. That last statement might be not true, however it could thoroughly be true. Black Forces are synonymous with the type of one who is above things and living that life; either they’ll show you that they’re serious, or they already are and you understand you shouldn’t mess with them anymore. The black Air Force 1 is the shoe of a one who stands as much as the system and every little thing in it.

That’s why I wasn’t surprised when Kendrick Lamar posted an untitled single on Instagram (the streets call it “Watch the Party Die”), which featured a worn, battered black Air Force 1 cover. It’s Kendrick Lamar’s first song since his summer heater and potentially the best diss album of all time, “Not like us.” The shoes in the Instagram post could thoroughly be the ones he stomped on Drake’s credibility and coolness; Kendrick’s entire record series criticizing Drake’s post “Yes,” gave the black Air Force 1 energy.

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The song itself is interesting since it almost feels like the thoughts of a man walking down the street whose favorite shoe is a pair of black Air Force 1s. Kendrick is sick of, well, all of you. Maybe even me. He’s annoyed by fake individuals and folks who haven’t got anything to do with anything, men here who don’t have anything to supply women there. Now he’s a considering man who’s on a mission to destroy and rebuild the game because, well, possibly he seems like he’s the just one who can do it. That’s definitely the black energy of the Air Force 1.

He can also be conflicted. He desires to have empathy for those individuals who just don’t appear to know any higher. He wants to wish for them, but… he’s wearing black Air Force 1s. He’s about motion and pushing boundaries for many who matter most to him. He also knows that the price of his fame, celebrity, and artistry is his peace of mind. The same con artists who’re a threat to the community through their music and their lives will attack him because he has something to supply.

Again, Kendrick feels like a person whose job and actions are about purpose and getting the job done, and he’s stuck in an industry full of individuals who care about nothing but destruction. He needed to get rid of Drake for being the epitome of that thing. Look, I do not know if that is what Kendrick actually thinks about every day when he goes into the studio (or in any respect), but when we later discovered he’s rapping in the same shoes he’s wearing on the cover of this song, I wouldn’t be surprised. This is a person who has every little thing, and who also knows what meaning. That’s what I got from this song: Kendrick, who may or might not be on the point of drop a brand new album — he tends to drop songs as precursors to his albums — is drained of everyone.

Now I can be remiss if I didn’t mention that Kendrick is an artist and he just competed in and won the biggest rap battle we have had in ages. He’s having the best 2024 ever, it seems. AND NOW he’s a Super Bowl headliner in New Orleans. But I feel that is the point; regardless of how high you’re, you possibly can’t stop being yourself, and Kendrick is willing to place that work into all of you who’re making the game worse for many who are coming up.

Kendrick says it is time to look at the party die. I’m guessing he’ll do it in his black Air Force 1s because that is 100% the energy he’s giving.


(*1*)


This article was originally published on : thegrio.com
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Kendrick Lamar to headline 2025 Super Bowl halftime show

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LOS ANGELES (AP) — Kendrick Lamar to hit NFL’s biggest stage next yr: Grammy winner to headline Apple Music Super Bowl Halftime performance in New Orleans.

This NFLApple Music and Roc Nation announced on Sunday that Lamar will host the halftime festivities at Caesars Superdome on February 9. The rap megastar, winner of 17 Grammy Awards, he said he cannot wait to introduce hip-hop to the 2022 NFL Championship Game, where he guest-starred alongside Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Mary J. Blige, 50 Cent and Eminem.

“Rap music is still the most influential genre to date,” Lamar said in a press release. “And I will be there to remind the world why. They chose the right person.”

Lamar, 37, has enjoyed massive success since his debut album “good kid, mAAd city” in 2012. He has since won 17 Grammy Awards and have become the primary non-classical, non-jazz musician to win a Pulitzer Prize for his 2017 album “DAMN.”

The rapper’s most up-to-date album, Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers, was released in 2022. He was featured on “Like That” with Future and Metro Boomin on the track, which spent three weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 this yr. He also scored one other hit with “Not Like Us.”

In 2016, Lamar gave a shocking seven-minute performance of songs like “The Blacker the Berry” and “Alright” on the 58th Grammy Awards. Lamar dazzled as a gap act two years later on the Grammy Awards, performing performance of “XXX”.

In June, Lamar turned his Juneteenth “Pop Out” into celebrating the unity of Los Angeles. It got here to on the heels of his rap battle with Drake throughout the three-hour concert, which featured emerging Los Angeles rappers and stars including Tyler, The Creator, Steve Lacy and YG.

Roc Nation founder Jay-Z called Lamar a “once-in-a-generation” artist and performer.

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“His deep love for hip-hop and the culture informs his artistic vision,” Jay-Z said. “He has an unparalleled ability to define and influence culture around the world. Kendrick’s work transcends music, and his influence will be felt for years to come.”

Roc Nation and Emmy-winning producer Jesse Collins will co-executive produce the halftime show. Creative direction for Lamar’s performance can be provided by pgLang, the creative firm founded by Lamar and Dave Free — who previously directed the rapper’s music videos.

“Kendrick has proven time and again his unique ability to create moments that resonate, redefine and ultimately shake the very foundations of hip-hop,” said Seth Dudowsky, NFL music director.

Last yr, Usher shined with a star-studded show featuring guests comparable to HER, Jermaine Dupri, Lil Jon, Ludacris and Alicia Keys.

“The Apple Music Super Bowl Halftime Show is a celebration of the music we love and the incredible artists who create it, all on the world’s biggest stage,” said Oliver Schusser, vice chairman of Apple Music and Beats.

This article was originally published on : thegrio.com
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