March 31, 2019 was a day of sadness, sorrow, confusion and anger for the hip hop community.
And though it’s been three years today since the death of two-time Grammy-winning rapper Nipsey Hussle, the loss is still as hurtful now as it was back then.
Nipsey, born Airmiess “Ermias” Joseph Asghedom, was gunned down outside of his clothing store, The Marathon Clothing, on Slauson Ave in Los Angeles. Nipsey’s decision to open the store in the middle of Crenshaw, the area in which he grew up, was in keeping with his entrepreneurial efforts to build up and give back to the community that raised him.
That’s what ‘Nip’ was all about. After having lived his adolescent years a part of the gritty, gang-centered South LA lifestyle, the 33-year-old “Double Up” rapper was on a mission to uplift, inspire, invest and provide opportunities not normally available to young Black men like himself.
Nipsey was a prolific rapper whose music reflected not only his life experiences, but also his future plans, with lyrics like: “Think if I call it the great, the people gon’ call it the truth // Ain’t really trip on the credit, I just paid all of my dues // I just respected the game, now my name all in the news // Trippin’ on all of my moves, quote me on this, got a lot more to prove.”
Those lyrics from “Hussle & Motivate” were among a few of the other chart-topping hits from Nipsey’s debut studio album, Victory Lap, which went on to win Best Rap Album at the 61st Grammy Awards.
The old saying “the good die young” certainly rang true when Nipsey Hussle died. And while the young king was just getting started, Nip’s legacy will live on forever.
“Personal matters” have sent All That Remains drummer Jason Costa home in the middle of the band’s tour.
On social media, the band announced “that our drummer Jason Costa has to head home to deal with some personal matters. We love him and respect his decisions, we look forward to having him back when he is ready.”
Costa is being replaced by Anthony Barone, who’s performed with Shadow of Intent and Beneath the Massacre. “We would like to thank Anthony Barone for jumping in at the last minute,” All That Remains wrote. “Make some extra noise for him when you come to a show.”
The band’s current tour is marking the 15th anniversary of their third album The Fall of Ideals. It’s scheduled to wrap up May 19 in Huntington, NY.
Who doesn’t want to see Machine Gun Kelly surrounded by adorable kittens?
That’s what happens in his latest video: It’s for “make up sex,” a collaboration with blackbear from MGK’s new album, mainstream sellout.
In the video, MGK performs in a room full of kittens, some of which bob their heads along with the song, and then Kelly’s head is literally replaced with a cat’s head. Meanwhile, blackbear sings his part surrounded by silver Mylar balloons, until he and MGK come together to perform in a living room as pink rose petals shower down on them.
The duo performed “make up sex” on Jimmy Kimmel Live! earlier this week.
(NOTE LANGUAGE)Wednesday’s revelation that Bruce Willis is retiring from acting following a diagnosis of aphasia led to an outpouring of support from fans — both famous and not — on social media.
According to the Mayo Clinic, aphasia can rob a person of their ability to speak, read, and understand language, both spoken and written. The condition, which varies in type and severity, can result from numerous conditions, illnesses or injuries, all of which affect the brain.
The 67-year-old Die Hard series star’s condition was revealed in an Instagram post from daughter Rumer Willis, who overnight added touching throwback pictures of her and her dad in her Story.
Her initial post was commented on by stars including Jamie Lee Curtis, who said: “Grace and guts! Love to you all!” Kelly Ripa added praying hands and heart emoji, while Hilarie Burton Morgan replied with, “Sending you big hugs, babe. Xoxoxo.”
Willis’ Sixth Sense and Unbreakable trilogy writer/director M. Night Shyamalantweeted: “All my love and respect to my big brother Bruce Willis. I know his wonderful family is surrounding him with support and strength. He will always be that hero on that poster on my wall as kid.”
James Woodsposted: “If you love movies, you love #BruceWillis. He has embodied everything good about the word ‘entertainment’ for decades. Kudos to his loving family for handling difficult news with dignity and grace. I speak for the world when I say, ‘We love you, Bruce.'”
Seth Greentweeted: “I have so much love for Bruce Willis, and am grateful for every character he’s given us. Hugs and love for the whole family- thank you for sharing him with us all.”
Kevin Smith, who famously flamed Willis about their experience filming the comedy Cop Out, tweeted: “Long before any of the Cop Out stuff, I was a big Bruce Willis fan – so this is really heartbreaking to read. He loved to act and sing and the loss of that has to be devastating for him. I feel like an a**hole for my petty complaints from 2010. So sorry to BW and his family.”
Ziweposted: “bruce willis is a brilliant actor and we don’t spend enough time discussing his comedic genius in death becomes her.”
Meghan McCaincommented: “So much love, light, prayers, and strength to Bruce Willis, his wife, children, @justdemi and their entire family during this time. Have faith, there is hope and incredible geniuses at Mayo Clinic and NIH who work in neurology & study brains. Breakthroughs truly happen every day.”
Former SNL star and actress Rachael Dratchnoted, “I wanted to send some love to #BruceWillis. He’s the first celebrity I ever met. Back in the 90’s, touring with Second City at a show in Sun Valley, ID. Imagine our delight when we found out he was in the audience! He came backstage and couldn’t have been sweeter to us wannabes.”
Breaking Bad and Claws starDean Norris: “So sorry to hear the news about Bruce Willis. Worked with him on Death Wish and he was a lovely awesome badass man. Prayers for him and his family. Legend.”
Die Hard 2 villain William Sadler expressed: “Take a bow Bruce. Thanks for all the amazing moments and good luck with the road ahead.”
Writer-director Chris Stuckmanntweeted pictures of Willis in Pulp Fiction, Die Hard, and others, adding, “I first heard of Bruce Willis’ condition last year from a director who worked with him, and I’ve felt bad for him ever since. I hope he and his family are okay. I’m glad he’s getting the help he needs. Thanks for all the iconic performances.”
Former Marine-turned radio host Jesse Kelly recalled: “Bruce Willis came to see us in Kuwait. This was 9-10 months into the Iraq invasion. There weren’t great facilities of any kind. And it was BRUTALLY hot there. But we were leaving Iraq and coming home and he brought his band over there and played music for us. We loved him for it.”
RHCP’s Walk of Fame star under construction; AaronP/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images
(NOTE LANGUAGE) The Red Hot Chili Peppers will receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame today, and the LA band has a true emotional connection to those particular stretches of street.
“I’m pretty sure that I have inadvertently vomited on Hollywood Walk of Fame stars in my lifetime,” Anthony Kiedis tells Variety. “I’ve certainly slept on top of Hollywood Boulevard Walk of Fame stars in my lifetime. I’ve trod upon them not as a tourist but as a person running from the authorities or possibly running from somebody that I owed money to.”
“I’ve walked over every one of those stars — every sidewalk, every crack, every one of them. To be recognized and be a part of the physical fabric of those sidewalks means a lot to me,” agrees Flea.
He adds, “A lot of honors that we’ve gotten or not gotten, we don’t give a f**k about. But this one is actually really beautiful for me, and to be a part of that history, to be where Groucho Marx is and Marilyn Monroe is, means a lot to me.”
“Flea and I lived on Hollywood Boulevard back before it had been cleaned up and gentrified and turned back into the attraction that it is today, so I do have a relationship with the boulevard and the stars,” notes Kiedis. He adds, “In the end, you know, it’s a cool little object for people to spit their gum onto — and it’s exciting.”
A number of celebrities will be on hand to help the Rock and Roll Hall of Famers unveil their star, including actor Woody Harrelson, funk legend George Clinton — who produced the Chili Peppers’ 1985 album, Freaky Styley — and Thelonius Monster frontman and addiction counselor Bob Forrest. The ceremony will be livestreamed at WalkofFame.com at 2:30pm ET.
(NEW YORK) — Russian forces are continuing their attempted push through Ukraine from multiple directions, while Ukrainians, led by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, are putting up “stiff resistance,” according to U.S. officials.
The attack began Feb. 24, when Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a “special military operation.” Heavy shelling and missile attacks, many on civilian buildings, continue in Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, as well as other major cities like Kharkiv and Mariupol.
Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern:
Mar 31, 8:15 am
‘Significant Russian shelling’ persists in Chernihiv, says UK
Despite Russia’s claims of curbing its military activity around Chernihiv, “significant Russian shelling and missile strikes have continued” in the besieged northern Ukrainian city, the U.K. Ministry of Defense said Thursday in an intelligence update.
Meanwhile, Russian forces continue to hold positions to the east and west of Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, “despite the withdrawal of a limited number of units,” according to the ministry.
“Heavy fighting will likely take place in the suburbs of the city in the coming days,” the ministry added.
Heavy fighting also continues in Ukraine’s southern port city of Mariupol, “a key objective of Russian forces,” according to the ministry.
“However Ukrainian forces remain in control of the center of the city,” the ministry said.
Mar 31, 7:46 am
Kremlin reacts to US saying Putin ‘felt misled’
The Russian government is “concerned” by recent statements from U.S. officials claiming that Russian President Vladimir Putin “felt misled” by his advisers and the Russian military on the war in Ukraine, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said at a press conference Thursday.
“We do not just regret this. This is a source of our concern,” Peskov told reporters, “because such an utter lack of understanding is the reason why erroneous, rash decisions are made with very bad consequences.”
“It looks like neither the [U.S.] Department of State nor the Pentagon know what is really happening in the Kremlin,” he added. “They simply do not understand what is going on in the Kremlin. They do not understand President Putin. They do not understand the decision-making mechanism. They do not understand our work style.”
Mar 31, 7:25 am
Russia announces cease-fire in besieged Mariupol
Russia has announced a localized cease-fire in Ukraine’s besieged southern port city of Mariupol on Thursday to allow civilians to be evacuated.
A humanitarian corridor from Mariupol to Zaporizhzhia, via the Russian-controlled port of Berdiansk, would be opened from 10 a.m. local time, according to the Russian Ministry of Defense.
“For this humanitarian operation to succeed, we propose to carry it out with the direct participation of the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees and the International Committee of the Red Cross,” the Russian defense ministry said in a statement Wednesday night.
Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said in a later statement via Telegram that the Red Cross confirmed Russia had agreed to open a humanitarian corridor to Mauripol, where tens of thousands of civilians remain trapped with no electricity and dwindling supplies after weeks of Russian bombardment. A convoy of 45 evacuation buses was headed to the city to collect civilians, according to Vereshchuk.
A number of previous attempts to establish humanitarian corridors out of Mariupol have failed, with Russia and Ukraine trading accusations of breaking cease-fires and sabotaging evacuation efforts.
Mar 31, 6:21 am
At least 1,189 civilians killed, 1,901 injured in Ukraine: OHCHR
At least 1,189 civilians have been killed and 1,901 others have been injured in Ukraine since Russian forces invaded on Feb. 24, according to the latest figures from the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).
At least 108 children were among the dead and 142 among the injured, according to the OHCHR, which noted that the Prosecutor General’s Office of Ukraine had reported at least 145 children were killed and 222 injured as of Wednesday.
“We know the actual figures are likely far higher,” U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet said in a statement Wednesday. “In many places of intensive hostilities, such as Mariupol and Volnovakha, it is very challenging to obtain a comprehensive picture.”
According to a press release from the OHCHR, most of the civilian casualties recorded were caused by the use of explosive weapons with a wide impact area, including shelling from heavy artillery and multiple launch rocket systems, as well as missile and airstrikes.
The agency has also received “credible allegations that Russian armed forces have used cluster munitions in populated areas at least 24 times,” according to Bachelet, who noted that her office is “also investigating allegations that Ukrainian armed forces have used such weapons.”
“The persistent use of explosive weapons with wide area effects in populated areas is of immense concern,” she said. “Homes and administrative buildings, hospitals and schools, water stations and electricity systems have not been spared.”
According to Bachelet, at least one Ukrainian facility for bedridden patients and others with disabilities, mostly elderly people, came under fire while its residents were inside, with dozens of alleged casualties.
“My colleagues in Ukraine are working to establish the fate and whereabouts of survivors,” she added.
The OHCHR noted in its press release that “the receipt of information from some locations where intense hostilities have been going on has been delayed and many reports are still pending corroboration.” Those areas include Mariupol and Volnovakha in the Donetsk Oblast, Izium in the Kharkiv Oblast, Popasna in the Luhansk Oblast, and Trostianets in the Sumy Oblast, where there are allegations of numerous civilian casualties. Casualty numbers from those locations are being further corroborated and thus are not included in the latest statistics, according to the agency.
Mar 31, 4:32 am
Putin ‘massively misjudged’ invasion of Ukraine, UK spy chief says
Russian President Vladimir Putin has apparently “massively misjudged” his invasion of Ukraine, a U.K. intelligence chief said Thursday.
“It’s clear he misjudged the resistance of the Ukrainian people. He underestimated the strength of the coalition his actions would galvanize. He underplayed the economic consequences of the sanctions regime, and he overestimated the abilities of his military to secure a rapid victory,” Jeremy Fleming, head of the U.K. Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ), said during a speech in Australia’s capital, Canberra.
“We’ve seen Russian soldiers, short of weapons and morale, refusing to carry out orders, sabotaging their own equipment and even accidentally shooting down their own aircraft,” he added.
While Fleming agreed with a recent assessment by U.S. intelligence that Putin’s advisers were believed to be too afraid to tell the truth, he said the “extent of these misjudgments must be crystal clear to the regime.” He warned that Russia is searching for cyber targets and bringing in mercenaries to reinforce its stalled military campaign in Ukraine.
(JERUSALEM) — A spate of deadly shootings in Israel has sparked renewed fears that the security situation is deteriorating as Palestinians approach the Islamic holy month of Ramadan.
On the streets of Bnei Brak, a city just outside Tel Aviv, on Tuesday, a gunman fired upon civilians, killing five, including an Israeli police officer, before the suspect was shot and killed.
Tuesday’s slayings marked the third in a series of unclaimed attacks labelled as terror by the Israeli authorities in just eight days, a wave of violence that’s left 11 dead and raised concerns among political leaders and analysts about further attacks.
Early Thursday morning, two Palestinians were killed and seven were injured during an Israeli army raid on a refugee camp in Jenin, in the occupied West Bank. In response to the Jenin attack, the head of Islamic Jihad has ordered all forces to be on high alert.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who had warned of escalating violence while he was in Israel just 24 hours before the Bnei Brak shootings, denounced the attack.
“We strongly condemn today’s terrorist attack in Bnei Brak, Israel, that killed five innocent victims,” Blinken said. “This comes after two other recent horrific terrorist attacks in Hadera and Be’er Sheva, Israel. This violence is unacceptable. Israelis — like all people around the world — should be able to live in peace and without fear. Our hearts go out to the families of those killed in the attacks.”
Israel’s Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, meanwhile, vowed a tough response to the recent terror attacks.
“Israel is facing a wave of murderous Arab terrorism,” he said. “My heart goes out to the families who lost their loved ones tonight, and I pray for the well-being of the wounded. The security forces are working. We will fight terror with perseverance, stubbornness and an iron fist. They will not move us from here, we will win.”
Nine Israelis and two Ukrainians have been killed since March 22 in three separate attacks labelled as terror by the authorities. The previous attacks were carried out by Arab citizens. Tuesday’s suspect was said to be a Palestinian, from the occupied West Bank, who had been living in Israel illegally.
Hamas, the militant group in charge of the Gaza strip, described the latest attack as “heroic” but made no formal claim of responsibility. Mahmoud Abbas, president of the State of Palestine, condemned the killing of Israeli citizens and warned against reactions aimed at the Palestinian people, according to the Palestinian news agency Wafa.
In response to the violence, 3,000 Israeli police will be deployed in Jerusalem during the month of Ramadan, Israeli TV Channel 12 reported.
On Wednesday, Bennett announced new security measures, and told all Israelis with a license to begin carrying a weapon, compounding the tense atmosphere.
The number of casualties is the highest seen in such a short period of time since 2015. Unlike then, however, when the majority of the attacks were characterized as “lone wolf” knife attacks in Jerusalem and the West Bank, the latest attacks in Israel were boldly carried out in major cities in the heart of the country with the use of automatic weapons.
The second in the trio of recent attacks took place in Hedera, carried out by two men reported to have received training in Syria. The apparent rise of some Islamic State group sleeper cells, their capacity to carry out such attacks and their ability to infiltrate the Palestinian community inside Israel and find recruits to carry out such attacks, marks a change in the security situation, analysts say.
The attacks came as a surprise to many observers, with some noting that the issues that came to the fore during the conflict between Israel and Gaza in May 2021 have been left unresolved.
With a succession of Arab states normalizing ties with Israel, there is a sense among analysts that hopes of a peace deal are becoming hopeless — and without that hope comes the threat of more violence.
Israel’s “Nationality Bill,” enacted in 2018, which reaffirmed Israel as a nation-state for Jewish people, has also proved controversial abroad and for the estimated two million Arabs living in the country. There are fears that the escalation could spread violence into Jerusalem and the West Bank, and a repeat of the 2021 war could be on the cards.
And it is charged days like the commemoration of the Land Day on Wednesday or the beginning of the holy month of Ramadan on Saturday, and grievances left unaddressed, which can tip the scale toward a renewed wave of violence.
ABC has renewed two of its popular primetime dramas, The Rookie and The Good Doctor, according to Variety. The Good Doctor, which centers on Dr. Shaun Murphy, a young doctor with autism, played by Freddie Highmore, will return for its sixth season. Antonia Thomas, Hill Harper, Richard Schiff, Christina Chang, Fiona Gubelmann, Will Yun Lee and Paige Spara also star. The Rookie, which will return for its fifth season, stars Nathan Fillion as the LAPD’s oldest rookie officer who decides to join the force after a life-altering incident. Mekia Cox, Alyssa Diaz, Richard T. Jones, Melissa O’Neil, Jenna Dewan and Shawn Ashmore co-star. The renewal comes as ABC is prepping a potential spinoff starring Niecy Nash. The spinoff will be introduced in a two-episode backdoor pilot during the show’s current season…
Bridgerton fans rejoice! Jonathan Bailey and Simone Ashley, a.k.a. the Viscount and Viscountess Bridgerton, will return for the hit Netflix drama’s third season. Ashley tells Deadline, “We’re going to be back! Kate and Anthony are just getting started.” In other Bridgerton news, Netflix has cast Line of Duty‘s India Amarteifio to play the younger version of Charlotte in a yet to be titled spinoff focusing on the young queen, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Golda Rosheuvel, who plays Queen Charlotte on Bridgerton, will reprise her role in the prequel, as will Adjoa Andoh and Ruth Gemmell — Lady Agatha Danbury and Lady Violet Bridgerton, respectively. Other new additions to the cast include Michelle Fairley, Corey Mylchreest, Arsema Thomas, Sam Clemmett, Richard Cunningham, Tunji Kasim, Rob Maloney, Cyril Nri and Bridgerton’s Hugh Sachs…
Paul Herman, best known for playing club owner Peter “Beansie” Gaeta on The Sopranos, died Tuesday, his management company revealed in a statement obtained by Entertainment Weekly. He was 76. A cause of death was not given. Herman began his movie career in 1982, appearing in Dear Mr. Wonderful, alongside Joe Pesci. He followed that up with roles in Once Upon a Time in America, The Last Temptation of Christ, American Hustle, Bullets Over Broadway, Goodfellas, Casino, The Irishman and Silver Linings Playbook, among others. He also appeared on TV shows such as Miami Vice, The Equalizer and Entourage, in which he starred as Marvin, an accountant of Adrian Grenier‘s Vince Chase, from 2004-2010…
Following CODA‘s history-making best picture win at Sunday’s Oscars, the film will return to theaters April 1, according to The Hollywood Reporter. CODA, a heartwarming story about a musically talented teenager, played by Emilia Jones, and her relationship with her deaf parents and deaf brother, took home best picture honors, along with a best supporting actor trophy for Troy Kotsur and the best adapted screenplay award, for writer-director Siân Heder. Marlee Matlin and Daniel Durant also star…
Justin Bieber was booed at his concert in Montreal after dissing the town’s hockey team.
The “Sorry” singer was in town for his Justice World Tour on Tuesday and made a sly comment about the hockey team, the Canadiens, who aren’t doing so well, currently holding the leagues worst record of 18-38-11.
In footage from the concert, Justin, who happens to be a fan of the Toronto Maple Leafs — the rival of the Canadiens — taunts, “How ’bout the Leafs, though, huh? How’s that playoff spot looking for you guys this year?”
The shade didn’t go over very well with the audience very loudly booing the pop star and even shouting expletives.
Eventually, Justin quit trolling the team and got back to business. For the record, though, Justin’s team has a 42-19-5 record. So, safe to say he’s a proud fan.
(SAN JOSE, Costa Rica) — The U.S. men’s national soccer team is headed to the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Despite the team’s 0-2 loss to Costa Rica on Wednesday, the U.S. qualified for the tournament in Qatar — they simply had to avoid losing by six or more goals to secure a berth.
It will be the United States’ first World Cup appearance since 2014. The team failed to qualify for the last World Cup in 2018.
We’ve waited eight years to be back in the World Cup.
