Music

Megan Thee Stallion revealed in a new interview that she waited until she was 20 to tell her mom that she wanted to become a rapper.

“I wanted to be perfect to her,” Megan told Tyra Banks for Sports Illustrated. “I was like, ‘No, I’m not gonna tell her yet.’ But she would have these CDs laying around the house — like, instrumentals — and I would take them in my room and I would take the beats and write to them in my room.”

As previously reported, Meg is the first rapper to grace the cover of SI, while Tyra became the first Black woman to achieve the feat in 1996.

Meg said she came clean to her mom when she entered college. “I was like, ‘I can rap.’ And she was like, ‘No, you can’t,'” she recalled. “And I was like, ‘Okay Mama, don’t whoop me, but I’m about to curse, okay?’ So I started going off and I’m cursing and [she gasps,] ‘Where did you learn all those words?!'”

Adds Meg, “And she said, ‘You’re not coming out until you’re 21.'”

The three-time Grammy winner talked about what inspired her to pursue a rap career, revealing she started practicing her craft when she turned seven when she realized she “wanted to entertain everybody,” then waited ten years before telling her mom.

Rapping is in Meg’s blood because her late mother, Holly Thomas, was known as the rapper Holly-Wood.   Thomas, who was also Meg’s manager, died in 2019 of brain cancer.

The new issue of Sports Illustrated is out now.

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There’s no doubt the most eye-catching component of the outfit Lady Gaga wore to sing at President Joe Biden‘s inauguration in January was the enormous gold dove brooch she wore on her fitted navy jacket.  Now, you can buy that same brooch — and help a good cause.

Vogue reports that the gold Schiaparelli dove brooch is now available at Bergdorf Goodman, Dover Street Market and direct from Schiaparelli, in four different versions.  The smallest, a six-centimeter brass dove, costs $750, and the most expensive one, a 12-centimeter white brass bird, goes for $2150.   According to Vogue, Gaga’s version was custom, and even bigger.

All funds raised from the sale of the brooches will go to Gaga’s own Born This Way Foundation. In a statement, Gaga’s mom, Cynthia Germanotta, with whom she co-founded the Foundation, said, “We couldn’t be more grateful to have the proceeds from the Schiaparelli Dove, a beautiful symbol of hope and new beginnings, benefit our work and mission to build a kinder, braver world.”

Meanwhile, Gaga’s current look is about as far away from her January ensemble as you can get: She posted a video of herself emerging from a pool while wearing a teeny-tiny orange bikini whose starfish-shaped top barely covers her.

 

 

 

 

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Michaela Coel is officially headed to Wakanda, Variety has learned.

The Emmy-nominated I May Destroy You star has joined the ensemble cast of the upcoming Black Panther sequel, Wakanda Forever. Details on her character have not be released. As previously reported, the film will focus on “furthering the mythology and the inspiration of Wakanda.” While additional cast has not been confirmed, Danai Gurira, Letitia Wright, Daniel Kaluuya, Winston Duke, Lupita Nyong’o and Angela Bassett are expected to reprise their roles from the original film. Wakanda Forever hits theaters July 8, 2022.

In other news, Yasiin Bey, formerly known as rapper Mos Def, has been tapped to play jazz piano legend Thelonious Monk in the upcoming biopic Thelonious. According to Variety, the film will “will center around [Monk’s] struggles for musical success, mental illness and the spiritual love triangle between his wife Nellie and one of the world’s richest women, Nica Rothschild.” Thelonious is slated to begin production in the summer of 2022. 

Meanwhile, Jordan Peele has revealed a July 22, 2022 release date for his forthcoming film, Nope. Peele shared the news on Instagram, posting the film’s poster, which shows a cloud at night with a kite flag tail attached over a mountainside backdrop. The poster also reveals that Get Out star Daniel Kaluuya, Keke Palmer, and Steven Yeun will star in the upcoming film.

Finally, HBO Max has renewed Michael Che‘s original comedy series, That Damn Michael Che, for a second season. As previously reported, the series, which premiered May 6, is told from Michael’s perspective and incorporates sketches and vignettes capturing “everyday situations.” Season one featured SNL cast members Cecily Strong, Heidi Gardner, Colin Quinn, Ellen Cleghorne and Colin Jost, as well as guest stars Omari Hardwick, Godfrey, Billy Porter and Method Man.

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Luke Bryan has always been a proud papa, but his two sons are at a particularly rewarding age right now, the singer tells People.

“As they grow older, it’s easier to let them tag along,” Luke explains, adding that 13-year-old Thomas “Bo” Boyer and 10-year-old Tatum “Tate” Christopher are becoming “little men” already.

“Their personalities are really different,” he continues. “…They become your buddies. I mean, they’re still your kids, you still have to do the discipline and you still have to teach them the right and wrongs of life, but they really morph into your buddies.”

Still, now that his kids are a little older, Luke’s enjoying involving them in his life and country music career. For example, during a show the singer performed on his birthday last week, Bo and Tate were among the family members to make a surprise appearance onstage.

“And I’m certainly in the golden years,” he concludes. “I mean, it’s like the sweet spot of being a dad right now, and you can let them tag along.”

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Lauren Alaina got a major surprise backstage at the Grand Ole Opry earlier this week, as not one but four of her singles received official RIAA gold certification plaques.

Her 2019 single “Getting Good” was among them, as was the title track of her 2017 Road Less Traveled album, plus two more songs off that project’s track list: “Doin’ Fine” and “Like My Mother Does.”

“This achievement as a female in country music is such an honor,” Lauren reflected on social media, sharing a couple of snapshots of the special moment when her team surprised her with her new hardware.

“Thank you to my fans for listening & buying the music I pour my heart into. These gold records are just as much yours,” she added.

Looking ahead, Lauren’s got a number of diverse ventures on the horizon. She’ll serve as opening act for Florida Georgia Line’s I Love My Country Tour this fall, and she’s also planning a couple of on-screen roles, both in an episode of the CBS series Secret Celebrity Renovation and in a starring role in the Hallmark film Roadhouse Romance.

Plus, Lauren also recently authored her first-ever book. Part coming-of-age memoir, part survival guide, the new title — called Getting Good at Being You: Learning to Love Who God Made You to Be — will be on shelves November 2. 

 

 

 

 

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Jason Aldean started teasing a big mystery duet earlier this week, sharing that his next song, “If I Didn’t Love You,” will feature an exciting and familiar voice. “Who do y’all think is singing on this one with me?” Jason said in the caption of his post.

But Carrie Underwood made things even more interesting on Thursday when she replied to Jason’s tweet with an emoji of a woman raising her hand. Additionally, some particularly savvy fans have discovered that with a little bit of color contrast editing, the picture that Jason posted can be tweaked to reveal Carrie’s face in the blank space beside Jason.

While neither star has officially confirmed the collaboration, it seems increasingly likely that when Jason’s new song comes out, it’ll feature Carrie on vocals.

Jason’s had quite a bit of success in the past duetting with female A-Listers. His 2018 collaboration with Miranda Lambert, “Drowns the Whiskey,” was a number-one hit, as was his 2010 single with Kelly Clarkson, “Don’t You Wanna Stay,” a song that also had massive crossover success in the pop world.

Meanwhile, Carrie’s no slouch as a duet partner, either. “Remind Me,” a song she recorded with Brad Paisley, was an ACM Award-winning, chart-topping hit after its 2011 release. Another crossover smash was “The Fighter,” Carrie’s collaboration with Keith Urban.

“If I Didn’t Love You” arrives Friday.

 

 

 

 

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