Entertainment
DJ Clark Kent was a true rap superhero – Andscape
When I feel of DJ Clark Kent, a certain quote at all times involves mind.
“I saw early on what happened to the industry and Jaz(-O)” – Jay-Z once said. “If Clark hadn’t encouraged me to make that first album, I don’t know where I would be.”
Kent, born Rodolfo Franklin in Panama, died Oct. 24 after a three-12 months battle with colon cancer, the statement said. posted on his Instagram. He was 58 years old. In a 12 months that has already seen profound losses in hip-hop — DJ Mister Cee, Rob StoneRich Homie Quan, Rico Wade and Fatman’s spoon simply to name a few – the lack of Kent hits a particular nerve, given his history and the style by which he passed away.
It seems trivial to say that without so-and-so, the history of hip-hop wouldn’t be the identical. However, within the case of DJ Clark Kent, the saying applies. First of all, his CV speaks for itself. His profession began within the late Nineteen Eighties as a DJ for Brooklyn rapper Dana Dane. He later DJed on the tour of Notorious B.I.G., one other Brooklyn resident. His first big hit as a producer was Junior M.A.F.I.A.’s “Player’s anthem” The song that marked Lil Kim’s first appearance on the album and that Clark coached her through was, satirically, the song that Clark and crew recorded the night Tupac Shakur was shot five times within the lobby of Quad Studios in November 1994.
Clark’s reach would extend beyond Biggie’s crew. As Jay-Z confirmed, his 1996 debut album wouldn’t have been possible without Clark’s influence. He produced three songs for the album, including “Coming of Age” and “Cashmere Thoughts”. But it was “The better of Brooklyn,” the primary of several collaborations between Jay and BIG, leading to a fun story that Clark has told several times through the years.
BIG had heard about Clark’s “man” Jay-Z for years but had never met him, although they briefly went to the identical highschool. Clark told the story “Who shot you?”, which was widely seen as a taunt towards Tupac following the Quad studio shooting. As Clark recalls, BIG recorded it as a show of lyrical dominance in front of Clark, who kept talking about “how nice” Jay-Z was. Before BIG heard the “Brooklyn’s Finest” beat, he wanted to keep it to himself, but – Clark said it was for Jay. This decision irritated A LOT, but he begged Clark to be on the record. When BIG entered the studio on the night of the session, Jay-Z and Dame Dash (who Clark also he introduced Jay years earlier) I saw art. From then on, he and Jay-Z spoke on daily basis for the remainder of BIG’s life.
Over the years, Clark’s production game has only improved. He produced “The sky is the limit” within the posthumous release of BIG album – the song is probably the most introspective version of BIG. Clark also produced Mariah Carey’s 2001 smash hit “Lover” which was the number two song within the country. But even these hits only provide a glimpse into Clark’s deep and profound legacy.
DJ Clark Kent’s cultural fingerprint was profoundly diverse. If his death is a huge blow to hip-hop, his death is equally devastating to the sneaker world. Clark boasted considered one of the most important and most extensive collections known. Throughout his life, he touted several collaborations with Nike and Adidas because these brands understood the influence and credibility he brought. He became embedded within the culture as a revered figure because he loved sneakers rather more than the hoopla surrounding them. This was seen in Clark and Russ Bengston’s Quickstrike, which aired from 2013 to 2016 on Complex TV. In this system, they turned a discussion about shoes and the stories related to them into an education. According to Clark, it inspired Jay-Z and Dame Dash to develop into obsessive about the Nike Air Force 1 throughout the early years of Rocafella Records. Clark was known to purchase ridiculous amounts of AF1, wear it once and throw it away. Aside from having tens of 1000’s of kicks, perhaps his best legacy within the sneaker world is what he shared together with his fans. He routinely distributed shoes to children and homeless shelters. The scavenger hunt he led throughout New York became a Clark Kent staple.
Clark stood out for his unique talent and passions, but at the identical time he was in a position to attract people. This, amongst other things, made him the force he was – and, truth be told, at all times might be. Still, there’s a sobering reality that Clark is gone. According to the American Cancer SocietyColorectal cancer affects the Black community at a much higher rate than another group. Black men and ladies are roughly 20 percent more more likely to develop colon cancer and 40 percent more more likely to die from it than other ethnic groups. DJ Clark Kent, like Chadwick Boseman, Clarence Williams III, and even my uncle, is currently considered one of those unlucky statistics. Clark has fought privately and celebrated publicly for the past three years. Even as a terrible disease ravaged his body, it never undone what he contributed to the culture just by appearing. There’s a reason why negativity and Clark Kent never really lived in the identical airspace. The energy he dropped at hip-hop and sneakers – to each room he entered – was warmth and camaraderie.
Days after we learned of his death, the tributes are still pouring in, as they need to. What DJ Clark Kent dropped at the world now seems different – a little less vibrant and a little less revolutionary. Living in a world without Clark hurts, but knowing that he now not suffers is a small dose of spiritual medicine.
To say that Clark died “too soon” is just too easy, even essential. Partly since it’s a coping mechanism. We all use it to create tragedy. However, Clark Kent’s death is yet one more reminder that death is the tailor of morality. It at all times puts life into perspective and reminds us that we’re all on borrowed time. Clark was lovingly called “God’s favorite DJ” and now she is with Him. Even beyond the sadness of an irreplaceable cultural loss, there’s the wonder that brought DJ Clark Kent into our lives – and, more importantly, made us appreciate him while he was with us – in the primary place.
Entertainment
‘In Her Words’ Details Hip-Hop’s Triumphs and Failures Megan Thee Stallion – Andscape
As I watched documentary in regards to the profession of rapper Megan Thee Stallion, I could not help but consider Serena Williams.
When Williams retired in September 2022, she received unanimous praise from the tennis community, celebrating her Hall of Fame profession. But many of the favor seemed disingenuous to me because I remember what it was like when Williams’ profession took off. Those of us who were there when the Williams sisters were thriving remember the body shaming, racism, and micro- and macro-aggressions they experienced. We remember many within the tennis community trying their hardest to beat the Williams sisters at every turn.
At some point in the longer term, Megan Thee Stallion will retire as one of the crucial successful female rappers of our generation – she’s already first woman with three number-one hits in a single yr, he won three Grammy Awards and six nominations. And when her profession involves an end, many individuals within the hip-hop community will stand by her side to have fun her profession, and much of it is going to seem disingenuous because we’ve got a full two-hour documentary that shows exactly how much misogynoir there may be on this heart of hip-hop and what it takes for a lady to reach the face of such harassment.
Directed by Nneka Onuorah, the film takes us through the parallel worlds of Megan’s best public achievements and her deepest personal tragedies. The first half of the documentary shows Megan finding her footing as an MC and performer under the tutelage and direct guidance of her mother, Holly Thomas. In the documentary, viewers learn that it was Thomas who shot Megan’s guerrilla freestyle and twerk videos, and they get to see first-hand how close they were. Thomas’ death from a brain tumor in 2019 is a devastating moment within the documentary and a real crossroads moment for Megan, who spends the remainder of the film looking for the community, happiness and peace that her mother provided her.
The documentary shows Megan’s pursuit of fame and her rise to superstardom, in addition to the person attempting to cover her scars with thin plasters. What’s particularly telling is that Megan returned to the road three weeks after her mother’s death. The juxtaposition of Megan’s public success and personal sadness is heartbreaking. And all of it ended on a night in July 2020, when rapper Tory Lanez shot Megan within the foot.
The documentary tells Megan’s entire story from that evening – from her friendship with Lanez to the character of their argument. It also includes an animated reconstruction of the shooting. Megan also explained why, just months after Minneapolis police murdered George Floyd, the police turned to a black woman, she refused to place the blame on a black man, even at her own physical risk. Meanwhile, the identical Black man she was attempting to protect began his own series of disgusting public attacks.
The shooting and fallout dominates much of the film’s second half and indicts Lanez, showing us the extensive trauma his act of violence has caused to Megan. But Lanez is merely a vehicle to debate the final hatred Megan has experienced by the hands of too many Black men.
The most damning moment of the documentary comes from a video montage of all the boys who defended Lanez after Megan admitted he shot her. Assembly features Joe Budden, DJ Akademik, 50 Cent, DaBaby AND Chris Brown. All the boys query, insult Megan and defend Lanez. Meanwhile, all of them had their very own accusations of molesting women. The clip ends ominously with Sean “Diddy” Combs supporting Lanez and admitting that he also has a dark side. Not to be lost in all this, there’s also a clip of LeBron James playing Lanez’s music on Instagram Live.
This also happens after the following montage through which essentially the most outstanding people in rap, including: Snoop Dogg, of all peoplecriticized Megan and other female rappers for showing their bodies and rapping about sex. While all of us could have assumed how deeply these moments would affect Megan, the documentary showed us moments of her crying, scrolling through social media, second-guessing herself, and being overly critical in moments where she might need previously been safer.
The media also bears a number of blame for this case, with bloggers and newspaper headlines being the important protagonists of this case. And, satirically, lots of these publications have learned nothing. Megan admitted within the documentary that she he lied to Gayle King the news that Tory Lanez has not had a sexual relationship has turn out to be the leading takeaway from the identical publications and social media accounts which have demonized her for the past half-decade. Headlines again appeared all around the Internet calling Megan a liar and using her revelations about her relationship with Lanez to disqualify her testimony about what happened the night of the shooting.
All the hate and trauma culminated in Megan having a mental breakdown and having to take a month off from a wellness camp. At the top of the documentary, he finds some semblance of peace in Lanez’s conviction. While this moment provided catharsis for the rapper, all of it made me sad. The notion that Megan needed to turn to the identical criminal justice system that so often oppresses black women to feel safest, and that she couldn’t find safety in a community that ought to have avoided Lanez and reclaimed her in the primary place. Unfortunately, she couldn’t depend on her community to guard her from trolls and harassment. Megan’s story is a direct rebuke to so many “fathers of girls” and toothless performative gestures of “protect black women” because lots of these men selected to side with the perpetrator somewhat than side with the lady he molested.
Megan Thee Stallion has survived and overcome a lot and that is an enormous a part of what makes her rise so special. But it’s hard to understand that perseverance without also acknowledging that she shouldn’t have been so resilient. There should not be a world where she needed to endure a lot abuse and public backlash for simply surviving an assault and telling her story, for being on the forefront of a revolution about women’s bodily autonomy in hip-hop, for being certainly one of the most important female stars rap in history.
doesn’t let anyone pass. It is an outline of all those that have found themselves on the unsuitable side of history and a pre-emptive rebuke to anyone who tries to pretend otherwise.
Entertainment
Chrissy Teigen’s sweet video of John Legend with kids backfires as Donald Trump supporters flood her comments
Celebrity couple Chrissy Teigen (38) and John Legend (45) were outspoken supporters of Vice President Kamala Harris’s efforts to defeat MAGA leader Donald Trump within the 2024 presidential election.
On November 5, the Republican politician emerged as the winner of election night, winning over 290 Electoral College votes, and returned to the White House for the second time after winning the 2016 election.
Fans of the president-elect won’t let Teigen forget that she was a robust supporter of Harris’ campaign, a lot in order that her most up-to-date Instagram post about her family was attacked by pro-Trump trolls.
The former “Lip Sync Battle” host shared a video on November 6 of her husband and two children sitting on the piano, with Legend singing to her youngest children, Esti and Wren. Her caption read, “When there are no words, there is music,” paired with a red heart emoji.
While Teigen didn’t make a direct political statement on this particular Instagram post in comparison with others, Trump supporters in her comments slammed the model and TV personality.
Someone wrote: “Let’s go TRUMPPPPP. Now perhaps deal with the belongings you actually find out about as a substitute of pushing a BS agenda that has no effect on you.
Another MAGA advocate wrote, “What a fantastic day today! Proud to be an American. Let’s make America great again.”
Another Donald Trump supporter asked: “Are you leaving the US?” A like-minded person wondered, “When are you moving?… Yeah, that’s what I thought. All talk, no action… just like KAMALA.”
On the opposite hand, many of her followers complimented Teigen’s family for his or her public support of Harris.
“Thank you to the entire family for how much you supported Kamala and Tim! Your spirit, your words, your fight – all of it has made a positive impact on so many! I appreciate you!!!!” one person said.
“We are very happy that you are with us. Your support for Kamala is amazing, your spirit, courage and positive attitude have made a huge difference,” commented a second Harris supporter.
The legend mentioned his family’s possible move from America in response to the Trump administration during a 2020 interview Cosmopolitan throughout the Covid-19 pandemic.
“You think about it from time to time,” the “All of Me” singer told the outlet about leaving the United States because of Trump. “We were born and raised here, all our families are here. It would be hard to leave.”
The 12-time Grammy winner continued, “But I don’t know what to do when you have a leader who’s trying to destroy democracy.” At the time, Trump was running against Joe Biden, but Biden believed the general public was “exhausted by Trump’s daily efforts to destroy democracy and the free press.”
Legend and Teigen remained in America throughout Donald Trump’s first presidency, which lasted from January 20, 2017 to January 20, 2021.
Once Trump decided to run for president this yr, they began openly supporting Harris’ campaign, receiving an invite from Legend to perform on the 2024 Democratic National Convention in August.
In October, three weeks before the last day of nationwide voting, the couple posted a video of themselves playing “Vote or Veto” on their Instagram accounts.
The game saw the 2 A-list stars raise awareness of Democratic policies such as abortion rights, free school meals and the $6,000 child tax credit.
They also opposed a national abortion ban, a policy often promoted in right-wing pro-life circles. Apparently, bringing up hot-button topics like reproductive rights caused the parents of 4 children to show off comments on their joint “Vote or Veto” post.
“Okay, we had some fun voting or vetoing @KamalaHarris and Trump’s policies – because let’s be real, some things just aren’t negotiable,” Teigen and Legend said within the caption.
They also added: “This is a personal matter for us and should concern you too. What’s on your must-vote list? Let’s talk about it.”
This stamp of approval for Harris and Trump’s takedown got here after Legend’s appearance Zeteo Mehdi Hasan News. During the interview, Legend reacted to Trump’s Vice President J.D. Vance’s comments about childless women.
“I just don’t understand the contempt he has for people without children. It just doesn’t make sense,” Legend said, before adding: “We don’t desire the federal government dictating when we have now children and what number of children we are able to have.”
Legend also sat down with “CBS Mornings” in October to discuss why he decided to campaign for Harris. He specifically discussed speaking out on politics as a star.
“Politics affects all our lives and we are all citizens. We all have a stake in what is happening in this country. We pay taxes here. Our kids grow up here and go to school here,” the EGOT winner explained to “CBS Mornings” co-host Tony Dokoupil.
Legend and Teigen have been married since September 2013, after first meeting in 2006 while filming Legend’s “Stereo” music video. They have 4 children together.
Teigen gave birth to a daughter named Luna Simone in April 2016. Their first son, Miles Theodore, was born in May 2018. Their second daughter, Esti Maxine, was born in January 2023.
Luna, Miles and Esri were conceived through in vitro fertilization. John Legend and Chrissy Teigen’s fourth child, a second son named Wren Alexander, was born in June 2023 via surrogate.
Entertainment
Black Hollywood Speaks Out: Kerry Washington, Cardi B and More Express Disappointment in Election Results – Essence
Photo: Kyle Mazza/Anadolu via Getty Images
It seems that the more things change, the more they stay the identical. Vice President Kamala Harris’ loss to Donald Trump sent waves of shock and consternation across Hollywood as Black stars expressed their deep frustration, concern and sadness with the country’s decision. Reactions poured in late Tuesday and early Wednesday, and the collective tone was certainly one of regret at what many see as a troubling turn for America.
Cardi B, a staunch Harris supporter who showed up at certainly one of her rallies, shared her disbelief on Instagram. In a video of her observing the outcomes, she bluntly expressed her anger with the caption: “I hate you all.” Later, during an Instagram Live session, she responded to a fan’s query about attending Trump’s inauguration: “I’m sick of you! Burn your fucking hats, motherfucker. I’m really sad. I swear to God, I’m really sad.” Her words echoed as a harsh response, underscoring the depth of disappointment felt by many.
Kerry Washington, who spoke on the Democratic National Convention on Harris’ behalf, he replied to the message, encouraging resilience and self-care. “It wasn’t a mirage. Swipe. Thank you @blackliturgies and @wetheurban for these pearls of love, truth, wisdom and humanity,” she wrote. “Be good to yourself today. There is more work to be done.” Washington’s post was a call for reflection and perseverance, and a reminder that the fight for progress must proceed.
He , Whoopi Goldberg, a longtime Trump critic, didn’t hold back. “He is the president. I still won’t reveal his name. This won’t change,” she said. Her co-host Sunny Hostin echoed the gloomy sentiment, describing herself as “deeply concerned” in regards to the consequence.
Other stars shared equally honest responses. LeBron James posted a photograph along with her daughter, with the caption: “My heart is heavy and remember this time, my princess. I promise to protect you with everything I have and more!! We don’t need their help!” The emotional message highlighted the protectiveness many Black parents feel in the face of political uncertainty.
Actor Wendell Pierce, known for his influential roles in and , shared: harsh assessment election consequences. “For those who have wondered how American society has allowed the sins of our past, know that tonight Trump won the majority despite his lack of character and integrity,” he wrote. “He has demonstrated his racism, misogyny, xenophobia and attempted to overthrow the government through insurrection… He is known for his court attack strategy that will ultimately grant him immunity and repeal his beliefs. His accusations will disappear. This says everything about our society. We absolved this behavior by electing him. A celebration of crime.”
For many black stars, the consequence was not unexpected, however it was painful nonetheless. “It’s an everyday Wednesday for us,” said star Yvette Nicole Brown. “Black people are used to this. The rest of you will be shocked at how America treats you when it doesn’t care about you.”
Former co-host Desus Nice summed up the moment with biting humor: “America having one of these genders reveals that it starts a fire that lasts for about 30 days.” This satirical metaphor speaks volumes in regards to the chaos many imagine awaits the country.
Franklin Leonard, the founding father of the Black List, was energetic on social media throughout election night, capturing the emotions of those that remember the turbulent years of Trump’s previous term. “Too many of you seem to have forgotten how crazy the Trump years were,” he said wrote on X. Early Wednesday morning, he shared his disbelief, adding: “I’m not sure about what just happened, and I’m pretty sure no one else is either.” His posts reflected a broader sense of confusion and frustration over the consequence.
Each response reflects a shared feeling that America’s alternative has once more left many individuals grappling with a reality that they feel feels heavy and all too familiar.
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