Known for his signature Grammy-winning 1990 hit “U Can’t Touch This,” the rapper born Stanley Kirk Burrell quickly made a name – and a dance – for himself that would cement him as one of the most unforgettable musical artists of the 90s.
In honor of the rapper’s 60th birthday on Wednesday, many of his fellow celebrity friends sent well wishes and kind words, and some even took Hammer on a trip down memory lane.
Legendary singer Anita Baker sent birthday wishes on Twitter, saying, “YES That Attitude of Gratitude/Energy, radiates from you, my friend. Happy Born Day.”
The iconic Rick Jamesreached out on Twitter, reminiscing about “U Can’t Touch This” and the fact that Hammer sampled James’ “Super Freak” in the hit song.
“I remain the #1 Rick James Fan !!!! Salute Thank You,” Hammer replied.
The custom card art account Millburg cards shared an image of a then-six-year-old Hammer, to which he replied with a personal anecdote about his younger years. “My 83 year old mother reminded me that I had a job in 1968 … 6 years old working with the ice cream truck man … A few years later your Honorary Oakland A’S Vice President. Working all my life,” he said.
In the early morning hours Wednesday, Hammer posted a celebratory video, thanking those who wished him a happy birthday. “I’m blessed, I got no complaints…I’m grateful,” he said.
Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for The Recording Academy
It appears we might get not only a new song from Harry Styles this week — we might get a brand-new music video, too!
The Grammy winner shared a dizzying clip of his upcoming single, “As It Was,” on Wednesday, which shows him wearing the same sparkling red bodysuit seen when he first began teasing his new music earlier this week. In the new clip, Harry sits on the floor as he spins as if on an invisible record player, then looks directly at the camera before the screen cuts to black.
The nine-second clip doesn’t tease any lyrics, but it does reveal the tempo and a bit of the song’s apparently upbeat melody. The snippet also includes a few keyboard notes reminiscent of 80s pop music.
“As It Was,” which comes out April 1, is the first single from the singer’s forthcoming album, Harry’s House. The album, which is the followup to 2019’s Fine Line, is now available for pre-save and will hit stores on May 20.
(OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla.) — Oklahoma and Arizona became the latest states to impose transgender sports bans Wednesday.
Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt signed a law banning transgender women and girls from competing on women and girls sports teams in state public K-12 schools and higher education institutions.
“When it comes to sports and athletics, girls should compete against girls. Boys should compete against boys. And let’s be very clear: that’s all this bill says,” the Republican governor said Wednesday at the bill signing, despite the bill’s exclusion of trans girls.
Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey signed a bill that will ban trans girls from playing sports aligning with their gender identity in all public schools and any private schools that compete against them. Ducey also signed a bill that would ban gender-affirming care for trans youth.
There has been “no direct or consistent research” that shows that trans people have an advantage over cisgender peers in athletics, according to a Sports Medicine journal review of several research studies on potential advantages.
Supporters of the bill disagree.
“This legislation simply ensures that the girls and young women who have dedicated themselves to their sport do not miss out on hard earned opportunities, including their titles, standings and scholarships due to unfair competition,” Ducey said in a statement on the bill.
ACLU of Oklahoma Executive Director Tamya Cox-Touré slammed the bill, saying that the state was harming a small and vulnerable population “while overlooking the real issues with gender equality in sports when it comes to funding, resources, pay equity, and more.”
“Promoting baseless fears about trans athletes does nothing to address those real problems,” Cox-Touré continued in a statement. “Ultimately, SB2 violates the United States Constitution and federal civil rights law, puts Oklahoma at risk of losing federal funding, and harms transgender youth, all to solve a problem that does not exist.”
Several major athletic organizations, including NCAA, the Olympics and the governing bodies for U.S. national sports leagues, allow transgender women to compete against cisgender women.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that trans youth often report feeling isolated and excluded in academic environments. That discrimination puts them at increased risk for poor mental health, suicide, substance abuse, violence and other health risks.
Welcoming school environments that prohibit bullying and harassment in schools have been linked to positive outcomes for these students, according to research in The American Journal of Public Health.
“This legislation offers a solution to a problem that simply does not exist in Oklahoma, but the harm it will cause transgender and nonbinary youth is very real,” said Casey Pick, a senior fellow at the LGBTQ suicide awareness organization The Trevor Project.
The Oklahoma law, called the “Save Women’s Sports Act,” will go into effect immediately.
Oklahoma and Arizona joined several other states in banning trans students from participating in sports that align with their gender identity. Among those instituting bans are Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Iowa, Mississippi, Montana, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah and West Virginia.
Just days before Stitt signed the bill, Republican Utah Gov. Spencer Cox vetoed a similar bill and sent an impassioned letter against it to state legislators. The Republican-controlled legislature later voted to override his veto.
He stated that only four trans students are playing sports in Utah, with only one athlete in girls’ sports, and they are not unfairly dominating.
Cox said the high rates of mental health challenges transgender youth face due to discrimination influenced his decision to veto.
“Four kids who are just trying to find some friends and feel like they are a part of something. Four kids trying to get through each day,” Cox said.
He added, “Rarely has so much fear and anger been directed at so few. I don’t understand what they are going through or why they feel the way they do. But I want them to live.”
Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb, a Republican, also vetoed a transgender sports bill and is now facing attempts from the legislature to override his decision.
The sentimental way Maren Morris and Ryan Hurd stay connected while on the road will make your heart melt.
Seeing as the “Chasing After You” singers are both touring artists, their hectic schedules often keep them apart. When they’re on tour in separate cities, the country couple has a unique, yet romantic way they keep each other close at heart.
“When he’s touring and I’m touring, we’re usually in different cities every night. So I always make him leave me one of his T-shirts. It smells like his cologne and skin and I can sleep in it when I’m on my bus,” Maren describes to Mo Heart on The Walk Inof her husband’s sweet gesture.
As for how long the scent lasts, the country superstar says the shirt will usually get her through a week of touring. “Then it’s laundry day and he can just give me another one,” she jokes.
Maren and Ryan married in a Nashville ceremony in 2018 and welcomed their first child, son Hayes Andrew, in March 2020.
In the first-ever interview since the unfortunate news of Traci Braxton‘s passing, her sister Toni Braxton opens up about how she’s coping with the untimely loss.
“I wake up every morning and I go, ‘Did I dream it? Did I dream it?'”, the 54-year-old singer said on Tuesday’s episode of the Tamron Hall Show. “and I have to remind myself ‘No, she’s gone but she’s been here with us for 50 years.’ So I try to relish in that moment and try to smile about it.”
Toni, the eldest of the five Braxton sisters, confirmed Traci’s death on Instagram earlier this month, sharing a black-and-white photo of the family along with a note that reads in part, “Traci passed this morning as the snow was falling, our angel is now a snowflake.”
Detailing Traci’s last moments, Toni says her sister was surrounded by loved ones.”We were all there. Her son was there, husband was there, everyone was there. Her best friends were there,” she said.
Though Toni “misses her sister every day” she also says she and her family are “just very fortunate to have had my sister with us for as long as we did.”
Traci Braxton died following a battle with esophageal cancer. She was 50 years old.
Gov’t Mule fans are probably experiencing some heavy blues over the news that the veteran jam band has had to postpone all of its April tour dates because frontman Warren Haynes recently suffered a shoulder injury that will put him out of commission for a while.
“While on vacation in Costa Rica with my family this past weekend, I slipped on a wet surface and landed very hard on my shoulder,” Haynes reveals in a note posted on Mule.net. “Upon arriving back to the States and seeing a specialist, it’s been confirmed that I fractured my scapula. Unfortunately, this means that Gov’t Mule’s Spring Tour, which was set to begin next Wednesday, must be postponed.”
The ex-Allman Brothers Band singer/guitarist adds, “I’m truly heartbroken and so very sorry that this happened. I don’t think anyone was more excited to get back out on the road than I was. We’re working to reschedule these tour dates and will have updates as soon as possible. The doctors are confident that my shoulder will be healed in time for Mule to hit the road this summer, as planned.”
In all, 14 Gov’t Mule shows have been postponed, spanning from an April 6 concert in Syracuse, New York, through an April 30 performance in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.
The next date on the band’s schedule is a June 3 show in Haynes’ hometown of Asheville, North Carolina.
Visit Mule.net for the band’s full itinerary. Gov’t Mule’s latest album, Heavy Load Blues, was released in November 2021. A deluxe version of the record, the band’s first-ever full-fledged blues project, is due out via digital formats this Friday, April 1.
LISA O’CONNOR/AFP via Getty Images / Sean Zanni/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images
Kehlani and Justin Bieber are giving fans a reason to dance with their all-new single, “Up at Night.” Released Wednesday, the smooth track is about being unable to fall asleep because a certain someone is on their mind.
The track borrows the R&B elements that flourished in the 90s and early aughts, from a shuffle rhythm to a thumping bass.
“You wonder why I love you, there was never pressure/ Easy as I want to, there’s just no one better/ You think it’s calculated, baby, I’m just not that clever/ Never,” the “Gangsta” artist gently sings. As for Justin, he says he’s “a wreck” because he can’t stand the fact that his bed is empty.
“Up and Night” will be featured on Kehlani’s forthcoming album, Blue Water Road, which is due out April 29. The album, which is the followup to her 2020 effort, It Was Good Until It Wasn’t, is available now to pre-save.
“Blue Water Road is a destination in my mind,” Kehlani said in a statement about her forthcoming work. “It’s an emotional journey, a sexual journey, and a spiritual journey. To me, the album is like a glass house.”
A video of Don McLean performing his classic acoustic ballad “Vincent” last month at the Immersive Van Gogh exhibit in Los Angeles debuted today in commemoration of World Bipolar Day, and the anniversary of Vincent Van Gogh‘s birth.
The clip features the singer/songwriter performing his song inspired by the famed Dutch painter, who struggled with mental illness before taking his own life at age 37 in 1890, as animated versions Van Gogh’s paintings are projected behind McLean.
The video — a collaboration between McLean, Immersive Van Gogh and the International Society for Bipolar Disorders (ISBD) — premiered at AmericanSongwriter.com and also can be streamed at ImmersiveVanGogh.com/don. The clip also encourages viewers to make a donation to the ISBD. Those who contribute $40 or more will receive a code to access a two-for-one coupon for a visit to an Immersive Van Gogh exhibit in one of the 14 locations where the attraction is being presented. Donations can be made by visiting ISBD.org.
“I am excited to release this video in collaboration with Immersive Van Gogh and the International Society for Bipolar Disorders,” says McLean. “Van Gogh himself struggled with mental health, and by launching this video, we hope to support mental health awareness as a tribute to Van Gogh on his birthday.”
He also notes, “This is an especially meaningful way for me to commemorate the 50th anniversary of a song that so many people have told me has a special personal resonance for them.”
Immersive Van Gogh producer Corey Ross adds, “Don McLean’s song is truly a classic. We are grateful for the opportunity to bring wider awareness and understanding about bipolar disorders thanks to this collaboration.”
“Vincent” appeared on Don’s chart-topping American Pie album and peaked at #12 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Wanda Sykes says she was “traumatized” by Will Smith‘s physical and verbal attack on Chris Rock at last Sunday’s Academy Awards.
While shooting an upcoming appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Sykes, who co-hosted the 94th Annual Academy Awards with Regina Hall and Amy Schumer, told Ellen “I’m still a little traumatized by it. It was sickening. I physically felt ill.”
“For something to happen like what happened with Will and Chris, it takes away from so many things,” said DeGeneres, a former Oscars host herself.
“Absolutely,” Sykes agreed.
“It took away from Questlove‘s win, it took away from the Williams family…,” Ellen continued.
Wanda recalled, “We had just introduced Chris…So I ran to my trailer to watch him…And when I got to the monitor backstage, I just saw Will leaving the stage, and everything was quiet. And I was like, ‘What happened, what happened?'”
Wanda said from her vantage point, she could hear Will cursing from his seat, and, “I was like, ‘Is this really happening?’
“I just felt so bad for my friend Chris,” the fellow stand-up said.
Sykes added forcefully, “For them to let him stay in that room, and enjoy the rest of the show, and accept his award, I was like, ‘How gross is this?’ You assault somebody, you get assaulted out the building, and that’s it.”
“And plus, I wanted to be able to run out after her won and say, ‘Unfortunately, Will couldn’t be here tonight,'” Wanda said to applause.
Sykes continued, “I know he apologized to Chris, but…we were the hosts…We worked really hard…And nobody apologized to us, I mean [people in] the industry…It’s wrong. It’s wrong.”
Wanda added, “I saw Chris at [an afterparty] and as soon as I walked up to him, the first thing he said was, ‘I’m so sorry.’ And I said, ‘Why are you sorry?’ And he said, ‘This was supposed to be your night, you, and Amy and Regina we’re doing such a great job, and now it’s gonna be about this.'”
The full interview airs on The Ellen DeGeneres Show Thursday, April 7.
Katy Perry is jumping into the world of podcasts and will narrate the upcoming series Elizabeth The First.
The “Roar” hitmaker’s Kitty Purry Productions will launch the 10-episode series, which is all about actress and fashion icon Elizabeth Taylor, later this spring. The late actress’ estate, House of Taylor, is a partner in this new venture.
“Like most people, I was attracted to her glamour, and in my own life, I continue to find myself referencing her through some of my visuals. I’ve always felt a kinship towards her – I’ve even literally bathed in the same bathtub where she made that bar-setting Cleopatra deal,” Katy said in a statement.
“I’m inspired by her bold activism, her constant boss moves in business, and through it all, an unapologetic way of loving – all things I try to live in my own life. It’s an honor to be able to share her story in this way,” she continued.
The podcast will not only take a deep dive into Elizabeth Taylor’s life and career, including her battles against sexism and addiction, it will also share never-before-heard audio and stories about the National Velvet star.
House of Taylor said the upcoming podcast is “extraordinarily special” because it’s “the first narrative that explores Elizabeth as the original multi-hyphenate. She did it all and we believe wholeheartedly that this take on Elizabeth will resonate with audiences.”
The estate added of the Grammy nominee, “We choose our partners very carefully and could not be more elated to have worked with Katy Perry.”
Elizabeth The First is slated to arrive “in Late Spring 2022.”
