Hilarious LeBron James Nike Spoof

 

Click here to watch the hilarious spoof of LeBron James and Tiger Woods

Rapper Rick Ross Sued by Drug Dealer

by Dr. Boyce Watkins

I never bought into the hype that Rick Ross was a fraud. Everyone seemed to feel that because he was found to have been a corrections officer in a previous life, that he somehow violated the oath which says that rappers have to be criminals in order to sell records. I don't know how true or false the rumors happen to be, but the fact is that I never cared.

However, when I found out that there is reason to believe that the rapper Rick Ross took his name from the notorious drug dealer "Freeway" Ricky Ross, I thought to myself, "This is just stupid. Why can't the brother just be himself?"

 

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Drizzy Drops Half a Million Copies

by Dr. Boyce Watkins, AOL Black Voices

I took a poll of some of my industry homies last week to get a sense of how"Thank Me Later," the debut album for Drake, was going to sell. It turns out that out of those bold enough to make a prediction, my friends Michael Bivins (formerly of Belle, Biv, Devoe and New Edition) and Vigalantee (a rapper in Kansas City, MO), were closest. Vigalantee predicted 450,000 units and Mike Biv predicted 400,000. No matter how you slice it, Drake is now officially the shizzle.

It's not as if anyone is surprised by Drake's stellar debut. He and the rest of the Young Money clique did an outstanding job creating buzz for the album and Drake proved that even in the age of massive Internet pirating, he can still make his money.

 

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Son of Dallas Police Chief Allegedly Kills a Cop

Suge Knight, Kanye West: Lawsuit, Guns and Money

• It appears that Kanye West and the infamous Marion "Suge" Knight are getting together to work out ... Read More
• By Boyce Watkins, PhD on Jun 22nd 2010 6:36PM | Comments (0)

How Love and Money Mix and How You Can Do it the Right Way

• I did the interview below on CNN Radio this week about love and money. Most of us know the feeling ... Read More
• By Boyce Watkins, PhD on Jun 22nd 2010 4:45PM | Comments (1)

Black Single Mothers and Dating: What's It Really Like?

• In this episode of 'Dr Boyce Watkins on AOL Black Voices,' we discuss black single mothers ... Read More
• By Boyce Watkins, PhD on Jun 22nd 2010 3:54PM | Comments (0)

Should Facebook Be Held Accountable for Murders by Members?

• A man was sent to prison after he did the unthinkable: He pretended to be a teenager, lured a young ... Read More
• By Boyce Watkins, PhD on Jun 22nd 2010 3:42PM | Comments (1)

Rev. Al Sharpton and Dr. Boyce Discuss the Plight of the Black Male

• Every week, I speak with Rev. Al Sharpton on various issues that affect the African American ... Read More
• By Boyce Watkins, PhD on Jun 22nd 2010 9:45AM | Comments (6)

Obama's Fatherhood.gov Commercial: Too Feminine for Black Men?

• On Father's Day, I wrote about the immense thrill of being a dad. This is one of the reasons I ... Read More
• By Boyce Watkins, PhD on Jun 22nd 2010 9:30AM | Comments (8)

BP Chooses a Black Man to Head its Claims Process

• "BP is paying all the bills right now," Darryl Willis, the vice president of resources for BP ... Read More
• By Boyce Watkins, PhD on Jun 22nd 2010 7:50AM | Comments (1)

Son of Dallas Police Chief Suspected in Killing a Cop

• Investigators are saying that the 27-year-old son of Dallas Police Chief David Brown shot and ... Read More
• By Boyce Watkins, PhD on Jun 21st 2010 8:38PM | Comments (2)

Rapper Fat Joe Questioned in Rape

by Dr. Boyce Watkins, AOL Black Voices

The rapper Fat Joe was detained by police Sunday night after he and his entourage were accused of sexually assaulting a woman in Madison, Wisconsin. According to TMZ, the woman is 33-years old and claims the assault occurred in a Cadillac Limousine after a concert at the Orpheum Theater.

Fat Joe (a.k.a.Joseph Antonio Cartagena) and his entourage were held for questioning, but he was released and not arrested. The details of the case are still being sorted out in the investigation. Relative to most artists, Fat Joe doesn't get into very much trouble. The 39-year old married father of two has not, to my knowledge been accused of any sexual assault, so I'd be surprised if he waited this long to get started. He has been arrested in some of the typical rapper non-sense in the past: In 1998, he and the deceased rapper Big Pun were arrested for assaulting a man with a baseball bat and stealing his gold chain. I'm not even going to try to explain that one.

 

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Where are the Female Rappers?

by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University

I met spoken-word hip hop artist Shanelle Walker when I went to give a speech atKentucky State University. Shanelle sent me a video of a rhyme she recited in honor of President Barack Obama. I was instantly floored by the performance, since I found her to be an incredibly powerful artist.
But Shanelle's performance led me to consider broader concerns, such as why there are so few women in the hip-hop industry. I remain confused that women are not given a chance to shine in a field dominated by men. While hip-hop has historically been the channel designed to give a voice to urban America, women have been effectively left out. While I've certainly spoken my piece on how hip hop needs to change, here are some reasons I believe women are missing:
1) The hypermasculinity of hip-hop: By becoming so masculine and sexualized, the music doesn't give women opportunities that don't involve a G-string. I look forward to the day when the culture is not driven by who gets shot the most and who does the best job of proving that he's a goon. That might actually lead to better music, since right now, many hip-hop artists come off like World Wrestling Entertainment characters. It's O.K. for an artist to also be a human-being.

 

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Diddy's Son gets a $360K Car - Too Much?

by Dr Boyce Watkins

Some of us turned our heads to the side when it was reported that the rapper and businessman Diddy gave his son Justin a $360,000 Maybach automobile for his 16th birthday. People asked me what I thought about this, since I've written a great deal on how to teach your kids about money, and I used a three letter acronym: TAH - "Tacky As Hayell."
I respect Diddy and I apologize for having to lean in on him for this one, but as S Tia Brown and I discuss in our latest episode of Financial Lovemaking, you can find ways to show your children love without spoiling them for the rest of the world. By giving his son such an extraordinary gift at such an early age, Diddy may have minimized his son's ability to conceptualize the value of working hard for his success or empathizing with those who are less fortunate. In other words, receiving such overdoses of dopamine at the age of 16 is a sure-fire recipe for depression later in life.

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Brian McKnight Ruled to Pay $341,000 for his 14-year old Child

by Dr. Boyce Watkins

It appears that the singer Brian McKnight is now a not-so-proud father. Well, the child isn't exactly a baby either. According to TMZ, the child is a 14-year old that Brian hasn't exactly claimed to be his own. Well, whether McKnight chooses to address the child as his own or not, a Florida judge has ruled that Brian must now take financial responsibility for the child. The amount owed? $341,640, which comes out to just over $2,000 per month for every month since the child was born.

The mother of the child, Miriam Lee, took Brian McKnight to court to establish paternity last year. Why she waited so long to do so is not clear. From this point on, the singer is responsible for making child support payments in the amount of $11,388 per month. The ruling was a default judgment, since McKnight was not in court and didn't respond to the woman's claim of paternity.

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Dr. Boyce speaks on the NBA and Obama

NBA Gets High Marks for Diversity in Annual Report Card

• According to Professor Richard Lapchick, author of the recent Racial and Gender Report Card for ... Read More
• By Dr. Boyce Watkins, PhD on Jun 12th 2010 11:20AM | Comments (0)

Obama's "Angry Black Man" Criticism: Isn't He Also Half White?

• In light of all of the interesting analysis that others have done regarding why President Barack ... Read More
• By Dr. Boyce Watkins, PhD on Jun 9th 2010 9:36PM | Comments (34)

CNN Asks Why Black Men Are Not Graduating From College

• Richelle Carey at CNN Headline News recently reached out to me to find out why black men aren't ... Read More
• By Dr. Boyce Watkins, PhD on Jun 5th 2010 4:24PM | Comments (32)

Dwyane Wade Given Temporary Custody of His Sons

• NBA star Dwyane Wade's divorce just got a little uglier. This week, the court gave Wade custody ... Read More
• By Dr. Boyce Watkins, PhD on Jun 4th 2010 8:51AM | Comments (33)

Could LeBron James' Mother Rumors Push Him Out of Cleveland?

• The world seems to be buzzing incessantly about the statements made by former NBA great Calvin ... Read More
• By Dr. Boyce Watkins, PhD on May 24th 2010 10:41PM | Comments (4)

 

Slim Thug and his comments about black women continue to get the artist into trouble.  Is he going to lose big money because of this?

The Age of the Hoochie Mama is Over

The age of the Hoochie Mama is over

by Dr. Boyce Watkins | TheLoop21 in Culture & Society

It's time for hip hop, and its audience, to grow up.

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More Black News - June 11, 2010

 

15-Year-Old Beaten By Police in Indianapolis

Taraji Discusses 'The Karate Kid'

Photo Credit: Getty Image AP John Shearer, Getty Images

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• Gary Coleman's Ex Wife Shannon Price Files Papers to Get Claim Over Entire Estate

  10:31 AMJun 11

  Source: BV Black Spin

  Shannon Price, the ex-wife of Gary Coleman, is certainly keeping herself busy these days, trying desperately to muscle in on Coleman's estate. Price, who was recently embroiled in everything from orchestrating death shots of Coleman to sell to ... Read More

• Angelique Kidjo Kicks Off World Cup with Curtis Mayfield Classic

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  Source: BV Newswire

  Yesterday, Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter and activist Angelique Kidjo performed hr rendition of the 1970 Curtis Mayfield classic 'Move On Up' at the kick-off celebration for the 2010 FIFA World Cup at Orlando Stadium in Soweto/Johannesburg, ... Read More

• Curtis Flowers begins Unprecedented Sixth Trial for Same 1996 Murders

  9:45 AMJun 11

  Source: BV Black Spin

  For the first time in United States history, Mississippian Curtis Flowers is being tried for a sixth time for the same murders. Flowers faced a jury of eleven whites and one black yesterday as opening statements were presented. The trial got underway ... Read More

• Celtics Defeat Lakers, 96-89, To Even Series

  9:23 AMJun 11

  Source: BV on Sports

  BOSTON -- The Boston Celtics put the NBA Finals back on serve with a 96-89 victory over the Lakers last night, evening the best-of-seven series at 2-2. It now makes the Finals a best-of-three series with two of those games in Los Angeles. Game 5 is ... Read More

• Brandon Johnson: 15-Year-Old Boy Beaten by Police in Indianapolis

  1:25 AMJun 11

  Source: BV Black Spin

  Indianapolis Police Chief Paul Ciesielski called for the firing of a white officer who's been charged with repeatedly striking a 15-year-old biracial boy in the face during an arrest. The attacks allegedly occurred after the boy had been subdued by ... Read More

• Whitney Houston: Continuing To Disappoint Fans Overseas As Speculation Over Weight Gain Ensues

  12:12 AMJun 11

  Source: BV Newswire

  There's little chance that Whitney Houston's European fans will always love her after her current world tour wraps. As many news outlets have reported, what was supposed to be a comeback tour for 'The Bodyguard' actress has turned into a mess of ... Read More

• O.J. Simpson Fights to Get a New Trial in Nevada

  11:58 PMJun 10

  Source: BV Black Spin

  O.J. Simpson's attorneys are planning to try to convince a group of Nevada judges to overturn his 2007 conviction of a hotel room robbery this week. They worry about time, since they are only going to have a few minutes to make their case. "We only ... Read More

• Oscar Grant Trial Has No Black Jurors

  6:58 PMJun 10

  Source: BV Black Spin

  On New Year's Day of 2009, Oscar Grant was shot in Oakland, Calif. The shooter was a Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) officer by the name of Johannes Mehserle. Grant was 22-years-old at the time of his death, and the shooting was captured by cell phone ... Read More

Teenage Boy Gets Beaten by Police

The Latest

Brandon Johnson: 15-Year Old Boy Beaten by Police in Indianapolis

• Indianapolis Police Chief Paul Ciesielski called for the firing of a white officer who's been ... Read More
• By Boyce Watkins, PhD on Jun 11th 2010 1:25AM | Comments (1)

OJ Simpson Fights to Get a New Trial in Nevada

• OJ Simpson's attorneys are planning to try to convince a group of Nevada judges to overturn his ... Read More
• By Boyce Watkins, PhD on Jun 10th 2010 11:58PM | Comments (0)

Oscar Grant Trial Has No Black Jurors

• On New Year's day of 2009, Oscar Grant was shot in Oakland, California. The shooter was a Bay ... Read More
• By Boyce Watkins, PhD on Jun 10th 2010 6:58PM | Comments (8)

How To Fight Like A Celebrity!

• From the Urban Daily: Have you ever noticed that celebrities always have beef, but never actually ... Read More
• By Lucette Jefferson on Jun 10th 2010 5:50PM | Comments (1)

Around the Web -- Jay-Z in Rolling Stone, Drake Was Rihanna's 'Pawn'? + More

• In his third Rolling Stone cover article, Jay-Z speaks on aging gracefully in a youth-oriented ... Read More
• By Journey Ade on Jun 10th 2010 5:45PM | Comments (2)

No Black Jurors Chosen in Oscar Grant Case

by Dr. Boyce Watkins

On New Year's day of 2009, Oscar Grant was shot in Oakland, California. The shooter was a Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) officer by the name of Johannes Mehserle. Grant was 22-years old at the time of his death, and the shooting was captured by cell phone cameras and disseminated throughout the Internet. Adding insult to injury, the Grant family just found that there will be no African American jurors in the trial of grant's shooter.

Jack Bryson, whose sons were with Grant the night he was killed, was angry about the jury selection.

"This is like a slap in the face," Bryson told The Associated Press. "This case came all the way to Los Angeles after the judge in Alameda County said they couldn't get a fair and impartial jury there.
"This is the best you can do, and you did this in two days. We could've stayed back in Oakland for this."

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Talib Kweli, Slim Thug, Marc Lamont Hill and Black Women

by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University

A note to Slim Thug: You probably just need to be quiet for a while. It's not to say thatyour comments about black women were outside your rights to freedom of speech, but if you keep dissing the audience most likely to go out and buy your records, you are probably going to end up in the same poorhouse as MC Hammer. Don't get me wrong, black men love your music (at least I do), but the bottom line is that brothers don't buy albums, books, or anything else put up for sale. But when black women turn on you, it's a wrap son. Settle down and go back to the studio; it's good for your financial health.
I wrote yesterday about the comments made by Slim Thug regarding how he perceives white women to be a better dating choice than black women, as well asColumbia Professor Marc Lamont Hill'sresponse to Slim Thug's words. It seems that the debate has taken a life of it's own, now that rapper Talib Kweli has joined the conversation. In a recent essay he wrote for Vibe Magazine, Talib Kweli was ever the diplomatic artist, as he showed respect for Slim Thug, but also expressed his own concerns for his colleague's remarks about black women:

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To read more about the debate regarding Slim Thug’s comments about black women, click here.

The Globe Magazine Angers Todd Bridges Over Coleman Pictures

by Dr. Boyce Watkins, AOL Black Voices

There has been a great deal of public speculation of the role that Shannon Price,Gary Coleman's ex-wife, played in the actor's death. To make matters worse, some are wondering how The Globe Magazine got a hold of pictures of a dying Gary Coleman that are set to be released on Friday. Todd Bridges, who co-starred with Gary Coleman on the popular sit-com, "Diff'rent Strokes," was allowed to see the photos in advance of their being published. Bridges was not happy.

"It's horrible. It's absolutely horrible. And I hope that whoever is responsible for this, and the people that are involved in this, people that are in the pictures, I hope they burn in hell," said Bridges, when appearing to discuss the issue on Entertainment Tonight.
What was most shocking was that even TMZ, a place known for the dirtiest of dirty celebrity gossip, refused to publish the photos. The Globe Magazine apparently has no such standard. A representative of Shannon Price has stated that Shannon is "very hurt by the pictures getting out there." But the problem for Price is that she is actually in the pictures that were taken.

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Your News: Rapper Slim Thug Gets Public Lashing by Black Scholar

by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University

When I recently read the open letter to the rapper Slim Thug(pictured above), written by Columbia Professor Marc Lamont Hill (pictured below), I was concerned. I love "Slim Thugger" and his musical brilliance, but putting him in an intellectual toe-to-toe with one of the most brilliant young scholars in America is like puttingLennox Lewis in a boxing match with Beyonce. Marc is my boy, and incredibly sharp, and I would encourage him to pick on someone his own intellectual size. Simultaneously, I encourage Slim Thug to quietly walk away and shut up. He needs to stay in the booth and use his intellect for something other than ridiculous social commentary.
But Slim Thug asked for his public butt whooping, after engaging in one of the most feeble and misguided critiques of the African-American woman that I’ve heard in quite a while. Even for a rapper, he sounded as if he needed to be educated on what black women are all about. Here are Slim’s words, "straight out of the negro’s mouth":

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Three Black College Students Shot Execution Style Three Yrs Ago - Killer Sentenced

by Dr. Boyce Watkins, The Institute for Black Public Policy

Nearly three years ago, two black college students and a friend were murdered in a schoolyard in Newark, NJ. Monday, a jury returned guilty verdicts for three of the murders and one attempted murder after deliberating for less than a day.
Rodolfo Godinez, a 26-year old gang member and native of Nicaragua, was convicted of all charges against him, including multiple counts of robbery, weapons possession and conspiracy. He can get up to 30 years to life for each murder count, and the sentences can be given out consecutively.
"This man will never see the light of day," said Robert D. Laurino, the acting Essex County prosecutor.
Sentencing for Godinez is set for July 8. His lawyer, Roy Greenman, said,"Obviously, there will be an appeal on a number of grounds," but he declined to state the grounds on which he'd be filing.
The prosecution did not assert that Godinez was the one who hacked at the victims with a machete or shot each of them execution-style, in the back of the head. He was argued, however, to be the one who summoned the other gang members to the schoolyard on the night when the murders took place. The murders were particularly chilling because all four of the victims were "good kids" with no criminal history and educational plans for the future.

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Find more black news at:

Your Black World

Black Scholars Blog

Black Political Blog

Black News Blog

Did Matt Lauer Have an Affair with Whitney Houston's Sister?

Popular 'Today' show host Matt Lauer and his wife of 12 years, Annette, have split. Word on the street is that when Lauer was in Vancouver covering the Winter Olympics, he allegedly "bumped Uggs" with Whitney Houston's half-sister, Alexis Houston.

Houston, who also dabbles in music as a singer/songwriter/producer, met Lauer on the set of his show back in 2007. She accompanied Dionne Warwick, who had sung one of her hits for a segment on marriage. Reportedly, Warwick and the show's producers had some friction before the segment aired, and Houston squashed it. Lauer was apparently impressed with how Houston handled her cousin, sources toldHollyscoop.

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Friend Says Teen Never Had Sex with Lawrence Taylor

Lawrence Taylor Didn't Have Sex with Teen: Source

• A source is telling the New York Post that the teen prostitute who allegedly got together with ... Read More
• By Dr. Boyce Watkins, PhD on May 15th 2010 3:35PM | Comments (0)

Why LeBron James Will and Should Leave Cleveland

• I love the city of Cleveland. I also feel bad for the city, since there isn't much to cheer for ... Read More
• By Dr. Boyce Watkins, PhD on May 15th 2010 10:29AM | Comments (5)

5 Ways African-Americans Can Use Technology for Empowerment

• From Politic365 - "1. Immerse yourself within the flow of information. Identify a few news websites ... Read More
• By Lucette Jefferson on May 15th 2010 6:00AM | Comments (2)

Black Women Speak Out About SCOTUS Appointment

• From Politic 365: The announcement of Elena Kagan could not really be called a surprise, since the ... Read More
• By Lucette Jefferson on May 15th 2010 6:00AM | Comments (6)

Lena Horne and the Hollywood Shuffle

• From The Root: Long before her recent death at 92, Lena Horne had become a recluse, living alone ... Read More
• By Lucette Jefferson on May 15th 2010 6:00AM | Comments (1)

Beyonce: 'Single Ladies' Dance Causes Uproar Amongst Parents

• Beyonce's 2008 hit 'Single Ladies (Put a Ring on it)' spawned a string of video remakes that had ... Read More
• By Brennan Williams on May 14th 2010 6:24PM | Comments (29)

Why LeBron will Leave Cleveland

by Dr. Boyce Watkins

I love the city of Cleveland. I also feel bad for the city, since there isn't much to cheer for in this economically-depressed town. The one thing they have is LeBron James, and now even that's in jeopardy. Ending with an embarrassing loss to the Boston Celtics in the second round of the playoffs, the Cavs are finding themselves shuffling to keep "the chosen one" in the place he started his career.

LeBron has had a good run with the Cavs, and he's proven himself beyond any reasonable doubt. But the truth is that all good things must come to an end, and it's time for LeBron to have a different experience.

I believe that LeBron wants to be in the thick of it all. He wants to be in New York or New Jersey, where the lights are brighter, the media hype is hyper, and the action never stops. He wants to be in the mecca of entertainment, media and sports, where he can build a legacy that will be remembered for the next 100 years. He wants to play for a team with a bottomless pit of money that comes from a market where the fans will pay any amount to see a champion at his best. That place would be either LA or New York, and he's not going to play next to Kobe.

 

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