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Rick James’ daughter says fans will see “the good, the bad, the ugly” of her dad in ‘B*tchin: The Sound and Fury of Rick James’

September 3, 2021 by WDNY Radio

The late Rick James‘ daughter, Ty, says she wanted to show the world that there was more to her famous father than just his outspoken personality, partying and drug use in the new documentary film B*tchin: The Sound and Fury of Rick James.

“The main thing that I would want people to take away is that we’re all human and we were born with imperfections,” Ty tells ABC Audio. “We all have flaws. We all make mistakes. And the most important thing is to get up and keep going and learn from your mistakes and try not to make them again.”

In the new doc, which features rare footage of the Grammy Award winning funk legend, fans will get to see James doing what he does best: songwriting, producing and putting on an amazing performance. Ty says she hopes the doc will show “how much of a genius” her dad was before he passed away at the age of 56.

“He paved the way for a lot…of artists to this day,” she says. “One of the most highly sampled musicians in the game still.”

Ty says showing that side of her father is exactly what director Sasha Jenkins did in the new doc. She notes that Jenkins stayed away from sugar coating her father’s life, while making sure to “give the fans the the truth first and foremost.”

“And that’s with the good, the bad, the ugly,” Ty explains. “And hopefully people get the lesson…’cause to me, it’s all about the lesson in life. And if you can take his story and take something positive from it and learn from it, we hit a home run.”

B*tchin: The Sound and Fury of Rick James premieres tonight at 9 p.m. ET on Showtime

Alice Cooper to serve as Grand Marshal of Phoenix’s Fiesta Bowl Parade in December

September 3, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Alice Cooper has been chosen as one of the grand marshals for this year’s Fiesta Bowl Parade, which takes place on Saturday, December 18, in the shock rocker’s hometown of Phoenix, Arizona.

Cooper will be joined as grand marshal by the nine founders of the NCAA’s Fiesta Bowl football game, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year.

Fiesta Bowl executive director Mike Nealy tells the Arizona Republic that Alice is the first rock legend ever chosen for the honor. Grand marshals picked for the event traditionally are individuals or groups whose actions and activities the Fiesta Bowl organization’s commitment to promoting economic growth, aiding charities and delivering innovative experiences.

Cooper, of course, is famous for his hard-rocking music and theatrical concerts, but he’s also the founder of Alice Cooper’s Solid Rock, a faith-based organization that provides a supportive creative sanctuary for Phoenix-area teenagers.

“It will be an honor to serve as Grand Marshal for this year’s Desert Financial Fiesta Bowl Parade…Riding on a float doesn’t sound like a hard job and I can’t wait to do so in my hometown,” says Cooper. “I appreciate the generosity of Fiesta Bowl Charities in helping Phoenix-area teenagers. It’s great when I see other organizations supporting similar organizations like our Solid Rock Teen Center to get the job done for members of our community.”

The Fiesta Bowl Parade marches through downtown Phoenix and features floats, giant balloons, marching bands, antique cars, local celebrities and more. Admission is free to the public, although tickets for premium and reserved seats are on sale now for $30 at FiestaBowl.org/parade.

The parade will be broadcast live on Arizona’s Family 3TV channel, and also will be viewable online and via the AZFamily app.

Seattle Seahawks sign former college basketball star to practice squad

September 3, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(SEATTLE) — With his NBA dreams on hold, a former college basketball star is now looking to reach the pros in another sport — football.

Former Baylor Bears standout Mark Vital has signed with the Seattle Seahawks, joining the practice squad as a tight end, the team said Thursday.

Listed at 6’5″ and 250 pounds, Vital started for the national title winning Baylor team last season. After he was not selected in the spring’s NBA draft, he briefly played with the Portland Trail Blazers summer league team.

Earlier this week, though, he said he would pursue a football career, and now he has taken the next step.

According to the Waco Tribune-Herald, Vital hasn’t played football since middle school. Still, one NFL scout described him as a “big, raw athletes” and highlighted his natural ball skills.

He wouldn’t be the first former college basketball player to succeed with Seattle, who converted George Fant to offensive tackle after signing him as an undrafted free agent in 2016. Fant later signed a $27.3 million contract with the New York Jets.

Vital scored 5.6 points and grabbed 6.7 rebounds per game in his senior year at Baylor. He was also a finalist for the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year Award for the second consecutive season.

Minnesota star Mohamed Ibrahim leaves season opener with leg injury

September 3, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(MINNEAPOLIS) — The season could be in jeopardy for one of college football’s best running backs.

Minnesota Golden Gophers star Mohamed Ibrahim left the team’s season opener against Ohio State with a lower left leg injury on Thursday night.

During a 1-yard run in the third quarter of that game, the senior appeared to injure his leg as he planted his foot. He limped off the field, and was seen entering the team’s injury tent. Several minutes later, video cameras spotted him with a walking boot on his leg, heading to the locker room for evaluation.

Minnesota head football coach P.J. Fleck said after the game that the injury occurred when Ibrahim “got kind of tangled up on a tackle.” He did not provide an immediate update on his star player’s status, saying “we’ll make sure he’s healthy at the point we bring him back.”

“Hopefully, it’s nothing major,” Fleck added, “but we don’t know that just yet.”

The nature of the injury has some concerned that Ibrahim could miss the remainder of the year.

Ibrahim gained 163 yards and scored twice on 30 carries in the game, playing a big role in keeping the Gophers close against No. 4 Ohio State.

Ibrahim was a third-team AP All-American in 2020, and recorded his ninth straight 100-yard rushing performance before the injury. He also scored his 33rd career rushing touchdown Thursday, moving past Laurence Maroney and into a tie for fourth-place on the program’s all-time list.

He also became the eighth Minnesota player to top 3,000 career rushing yards.

It’s a… ‘Montero?’ Lil Nas X jokes that he’s pregnant with his first album

September 3, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Lil Nas X would like to tell the world that he’s pregnant — with his first album, Montero.

Taking to social media on Thursday, the 22-year-old rapper put on a convincing fake baby bump to star in an over-the-top maternity photo shoot, which included flowing outfits, flower crowns and bouquets of flowers. The slideshow even included a fake ultrasound.

“SURPRISE! I can’t believe i’m finally announcing this,” the Grammy-winner announced. “My little bundle of joy ‘MONTERO’ is due September 17, 2021.”

In an interview with People, Lil Nas X explained what inspired him to spoof a maternity shoot. As it turns out, the idea came to him while listening to Megan Thee Stallion‘s verse on one of the album’s tracks, “Dolla Sign Slime.”

“I was like, ‘Oh my God, this is amazing,’ so I immediately called my stylist,” he dished. “She was like, ‘Wow, this all comes together. Your album. Your baby.’ I was like, ‘Yeah, this is my baby, huh?’ As a joke, she was like, ‘Yeah, you should do a pregnancy shoot.'”

“I was like, ‘You know what? That’s actually brilliant’… So now we have this entire thing coming out, and it’s going to be amazing,” Lil Nas X said. He added that he’s “both the mother and the father” of the album, though the producers who he worked with are “like the dads too…or maybe uncles.”

The faux maternity shoot follows Nas’ recent parody of Drake‘s highly anticipated Certified Lover Boy album artwork. Drizzy revealed his album cover on Monday, which features 12 pregnant woman emojis. Lil Nas X then issued his own interpretation of the cover art, claiming the Montero cover consisted of emojis of 12 pregnant men.

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Jimmie Allen explains his “obsession” with Disney

September 3, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Jimmie Allen has made no secret of his love of all things Disney. The singer, who has been to Disney World more than 70 times, visits the theme park not just to have fun, but to find inspiration from founder Walt Disney.

“When I was a kid, I just loved the movies,” Jimmie tells BroBible. “But then I started having an obsession with Walt, because Walt’s a guy that had a dream. He had a goal he wanted to reach. His first character, Oswald, was stolen from him, and instead of giving up, he came back, took out loans and bet on himself.”

Jimmie, who proposed to his now-wife, Alexis Gale, at Disney World, visits the park when he needs to get his creative juices flowing.

“Walt was a dreamer,” Jimmie says. “He executed his plans and he made it happen. So Walt is a huge inspiration. And every time I go to Disney, I ride rides sometimes, but for me, it’s my spot. Everybody has a place where they get inspired, and for me, it’s Disney World.”

Jimmie’s current single, “Freedom Was a Highway,” a duet with Brad Paisley, is currently in the top 20.

Disney is the parent company of ABC News.

Monica Lewinsky reflects on the way the media treated Britney Spears: “I made a mistake. Britney didn’t”

September 3, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Britney: Jon Kopaloff/FilmMagic; Monica: Karwai Tang/Getty Images

Monica Lewinsky has nothing but sympathy for Britney Spears.

The former White House intern who became the impetus for former President Bill Clinton‘s impeachment feels that while the media treated her and Britney similarly, they were maligned for very different reasons. But she tells InStyle that perceptions of famous women have “moved forward” since the 90s and early aughts.

“I think it’s long overdue and wonderful to see it happening for different women in different arenas and scenarios,” Lewinsky explained. “I made a mistake. Britney didn’t.”

Lewinsky also recalled running into Britney “in the early 2000s” at the New York City department store Henri Bendel.

“She was with Justin Timberlake,” she reflected. “I had my handbag company at the time, and she said she thought the bags were cute. I was beside myself, so I got her some. But at that time I wasn’t able to have the perspective to recognize, ‘Oh, this is happening to other women.'”

She continued, “When the fat-shaming happened to Jessica Simpson [in 2009], I thought, ‘Oh, O.K. This didn’t just happen to me. This is happening now to other people, too.'”

Lewinsky, who’s played by actress Beanie Feldstein in the forthcoming FX series Impeachment: American Crime Story, discussed America’s growing awareness about how she says the media mistreated her, which has led to many apologies.

“There were other young women this happened to, and there’s an enormous amount of collateral damage. So I think it’s not just an apology to a person; it’s an apology to how you’ve affected a culture,” Lewinsky said.

“It’s not surprising that this de-objectifying of women is happening alongside the #MeToo movement,” she added. “They braid together in a way that makes sense.”

Impeachment: American Crime Story premieres September 7 on FX.

Drake releases new album ‘Certified Lover Boy’ after slight delay

September 3, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Just moments before the highly anticipated release of Drake‘s Certified Lover Boy, the rapper announced it would be delayed — but only by two hours.

Taking to Instagram, the “Laugh Now, Cry Later” rapper shared a table of the upcoming album’s track list, showcasing 21 songs and where they are in the process of being completed.

“CLB FOR YOUR LISTENING PLEASURE EVERYWHERE @ 2AM EST,” he announced in the caption.

CLB, which is the sixth studio album from the Canadian rapper, was scheduled to drop at the stroke of midnight on Friday after several previous delays. Drake confirmed Friday’s release date Monday morning on Instagram, sharing a graphic of 12 pregnant woman emojis. He’s also promoted the album’s collaborators by taking out huge billboards in their respective hometowns.

“Hey Nigeria Tems is on CLB,” a billboard in the African country read, referring to a female singer who was nominated at this year’s BET Awards for Best New International Artist.

Other billboards in New York, Chicago, and Atlanta revealed that JAY-Z, Lil Durk, Young Thug, Future, 21 Savage and Lil Baby, also make appearances on Certified Lover Boy.

Here’s the track list:

“Champagne Poetry”
“Papi’s Home”
“Girls Want Girls” ft. Lil Baby
“In the Bible” ft. Lil Durk & Giveon
“Love All” ft. Jay-Z
“Fair Trade” ft. Travis Scott
“Way 2 Sexy” ft. Future and Young Thug
“TSU”
“N 2 Deep” ft. Future
“Pipe Down”
“Yebba’s Heartbreak”
“No Friends In The Industry”
“Knife Talk” ft. 21 Savage & Project Pat
“7am on Bridle Path”
“Race My Mind”
“Fountains” ft. Tems
“Get Along Better” ft. Ty Dolla $ign
“You Only Live Twice” ft. Rick Ross & Lil Wayne
“IMY2” ft. Kid Cudi
“F***ing Fans”
“The Remorse”

NeNe Leakes shares heartbreaking tribute in honor of husband Gregg a day after his passing

September 3, 2021 by WDNY Radio

A day after Gregg Leakes lost his battle with colon cancer, NeNe Leakes honored his memory by sharing a tender video of the two dancing.

Taking to Instagram, the Real Housewives of Atlanta star captioned her tribute with alternating red heart and broken heart emojis.

The video, which is NeNe’s first post following Gregg’s passing, shows the two slow dancing and flirting while Johnny Gill‘s “It Would Be You” thrums in the background. The couple is all smiles as they point at each other and sway to the music. The video ends with Gregg wrapping his arms around the Glee alum, who leans against his chest.

On Wednesday, a representative for the couple told ABC News that Gregg “passed away peacefully in his home surrounded by all of his children, very close loved ones and wife NeNe Leakes.” The family is asking for privacy at this time.

Gregg, 66, had been diagnosed with Stage 3 colon cancer in 2018. He underwent treatment and the cancer went into remission. NeNe announced in June that his cancer had returned and that Gregg had undergone surgery.

Colon cancer, also known as colorectal cancer, is the second-leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports. African Americans, as well as people over the age of 50, are at higher risk of developing the disease, according to the Mayo Clinic.

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Employers add 235,000 jobs in August and unemployment rate dips to 5.2%

September 3, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — Employers added 235,000 jobs in August, far below expectations of 720,000 new hires, and the unemployment rate dipped slightly to 5.2%, the Department of Labor said Friday.

The fresh labor market data comes as the spread of the more contagious delta variant has throttled the pace of the recovery. The latest figure is a steep fall from the approximately 1 million jobs that were added in both June and July.

So far this year, job growth has averaged 586,000 jobs per month, the DOL said. While employment has risen by some 17 million since April 2020, the economy is still down about 5.3 million jobs from its pre-pandemic level in February 2020 — when the unemployment rate was at a historic low of 3.5% prior to COVID-19 walloping the labor market.

Notable job gains last month occurred in professional and business services (which saw an uptick of 74,000 jobs), transportation and warehousing (which saw a rise of 53,000 jobs), private education (which saw an increase of 40,000 jobs), and manufacturing (which added 37,000 jobs).

Employment in retail trade declined by 29,000 jobs in August, likely a reflection of the virus resurgence, with major losses in food and beverage stores (where 23,000 jobs were lost).

Leisure and hospitality employment was unchanged in August, the DOL said, after back-to-back gains the previous months. Employment in leisure and hospitality is still down by 1.7 million jobs compared to pre-pandemic levels.

The latest data continues to reflect the uneven impact of the COVID-19 downturn. The unemployment rate for white workers was 4.5% in August, compared to 8.8% for Black workers, 6.4% for Hispanic workers and 4.6% for Asian workers.

The number of long-term unemployed (those jobless for 27 weeks or more) fell in August to 3.2 million, but is 2.1 million higher than in February 2020. These long-term unemployed accounted for 37.4% of the total unemployed in August, according to the DOL.

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