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Usher has been honored for his contributions to the culture at the 2024 NAACP Image Awards, where he was gifted the Presidential Award.The ceremony was broadcast during which he received the award from NAACP president and CEO Derrick Johnson, was broadcast on BET on Saturday (March 16). In his speech, Usher thanked all the women in his life for their contributions.AD LOADING…“I’m so overwhelmed with appreciation for my entire family, without them I wouldn’t be able to do this,” Usher said. “They say behind or beside or with every strong man is a stronger woman, and for that I thank my mother and my beautiful wife Jennifer for holding me down. My kids, I love you guys so, so much.”Check out the video of Usher’s acceptance speech below.Last week, Busta Rhymes and Usher were among the many A-listers present at the William Morris Endeavor talent agency’s massive pre-Oscars party in Los Angeles. The event took place at the Beverly Estate, also known as the “Godfather Mansion” due to its use in a famous scene from the 1972 film The Godfather.In addition to Busta Rhymes and Usher, TMZ reported that John Legend, Teyana Taylor, and Justin Timberlake were some of the other titans present at the bash.AD LOADING…Other than the aforementioned musicians, Leonardo DiCaprio, Tobey Maguire, and Rob Lowe were also there.Regarding Hip Hop’s crossover with the movies’ biggest night, Juicy J took a trip down memory lane last year and told a story about how Will Smith took on a condescending attitude after Three 6 Mafia won their first Oscar in 2006.AD LOADING…The Memphis rap veteran made an appearance on Allison Interviews in September, where he discussed the backstory of his ordeal with the legendary rapper and actor in detail.“[Will Smith] ran up, he was like, ‘Man, I’m just mad ’cause y’all got one before me,’” the 48-year-old MC recalled. “It could’ve been a joke, but I don’t know him.”related newsUsher Recalls ‘Wild’ Experience Living With Diddy At 13 In Resurfaced InterviewMarch 4, 2024He continued: “First of all, when I seen him, I was like, ‘I grew up listening to your music, man. It’s an honor to meet you.’ And he shook my hand, but he was like, ‘Man, what the hell? Y’all got one before me?’“And like I said, he could have been joking. He’s a comedian, too. But I didn’t take it like that because I’m thinking people are gonna be like, ‘Congratulations.’ But he didn’t say that.”AD LOADING…Three 6 Mafia took home a golden statue for Best Original Song in 2006 for Hustle & Flow‘s “Its Hard Out Here For A Pimp.”

Lizzo has come under fire from conservative commentator Candace Owens, who claims that the “Good As Hell” singer is engaging in what she calls “problematic” behavior.Gaslighting is an often-misused term that describes the deliberate and systemic feeding of false information to make the victim question their own reality, which results in the victim doubting their perception and sanity, according to Psychology Today.AD LOADING…And Owens didn’t use the term in the correct context when she went on The Joe Budden Podcast on Saturday (March 16) to lob the accusations against the embattled singer.“I don’t like the game that people play where they do something that is so obviously outrageous, like, you know, Lizzo in a thong shaking your ass cheeks,” she began. “You know what that was.”AD LOADING…She continued: “This is a. Disgusting, b. Perverted, and people take their kids to the games. Is there no space that’s safe? […] And then she’s like, ‘if you don’t like it, that’s your problem.’ Like no, you are being problematic. And now you’re playing the game where you do something outrageous, and then, when we outrage, you pretend that we’re the crazy ones. I’m not dealing with that. Stop gaslighting me, okay?”Check out the full interview clip below.Lizzo’s “problematic gaslighting” called out by Candace Owens(via @JBuddenNetwork) pic.twitter.com/UyhpyJ3plv— HipHopDX (@HipHopDX) March 17, 2024Owens appears to be referring to the 2019 moment when Lizzo made headlines for arriving at a Los Angeles Lakers game in an outfit that exposed her fishnet stockings and backside in a thong.When the Laker cheerleaders performed a routine to her hit “Juice,” the jumbotron showed Lizzo twerking and showing her thong to the camera. Social media erupted with all types of comments from full-on support for her daring outfit choice to fat-shaming.AD LOADING…More recently, Lizzo has come under fire following a sexual harassment lawsuit brought against her by her former backup dancers, which has temporarily been put on pause.Court documents obtained by Billboard reveal that Judge Mark Epstein ordered the case to be stayed as of March 7, as Lizzo’s attorneys appealed a ruling against having it thrown out.AD LOADING…Epstein denied Lizzo’s motion to dismiss because the suit violated California’s anti-SLAPP (Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation) laws, which prevent people and corporations from filing frivolous lawsuits to stifle free speech.It is expected to take several months for the appeals process to conclude.related newsSnoop Dogg, Lizzo & More All Turned Down Jennifer Lopez’s New Film, Doc SaysMarch 1, 2024Earlier this month, Epstein denied the singer’s motion to throw out her sexual harassment lawsuit filed by three of her former backup dancers Arianna Davis, Crystal Williams, and Noelle Rodriguez.It’s important to note that while certain accusations have been dismissed — such as claims that Lizzo fat-shamed one of her dancers — the case as a whole will go to trial.AD LOADING…“It is dangerous for the court to weigh in, ham-fisted, into constitutionally protected activity,” the judge wrote. “But it is equally dangerous to turn a blind eye to allegations of discrimination or other forms of misconduct merely because they take place in a speech-related environment,” Epstein wrote in his decision.

R. Kelly has sued to get his commissary funds back, after they were allegedly taken by the United States government to satisfy a judgment against him.According to court documents obtained by HipHopDX, a hearing on the matter is scheduled for Monday (March 18), with Assistant United States Attorney Kayla Bensing representing the United States. The oral arguments will be livestreamed, and a link to the livestream can be found here.AD LOADING…In March 2023, the Illinois Supreme Court ruled Heather Williams was entitled to access the disgraced singer’s label fund — which was reportedly valued at $1.5 million in 2020, according to Billboard — before Midwest Commercial Funding, a property manager that won its own separate $3.5 million ruling against Kelly over unpaid rent on a Chicago studio.The following August, U.S. District Judge Ann Donnelly signed an order demanding that Kelly and his label, Universal Music Group, turn over more than $500,000 in royalties. The order, which was signed on Wednesday (August 23), previously demanded that the “Ignition” singer turn over $28,000, which was in his prison canteen.AD LOADING…“The defendant is appealing his conviction and the government’s seizure of his substantial Bureau of Prisons commissary account to satisfy the financial penalties imposed in the case,” read the announcement accompanying the livestream link, which also confirmed that each side will have ten minutes to argue their point.Check out the docket and documents below.R. Kelly sues Bureau Of Prisons over seized commissary funds pic.twitter.com/SqGyL8b9Ck— HipHopDX (@HipHopDX) March 17, 2024Heather Williams won a $4 million judgment against Kelly in 2020 after filing a civil lawsuit against him a year prior. She alleged that when she was 16, the “Ignition” hitmaker lured her to his studio on a promise she could be in a music video and then had sex with her multiple times as a minor.Back in November, R. Kelly filed a lawsuit against the Bureau of Prisons for allegedly leaking his prison emails and call logs to blogger Tasha K.AD LOADING…According to Billboard, the embattled singer filed the lawsuit in Chicago federal court on Monday (November 13), alleging a Bureau of Prisons agent illegally accessed his digital prison records and sold them to Tasha in 2019.Tasha K is named as a defendant in the suit, with Kelly’s legal team writing that she “rallied her massive following to harass the plaintiff with the use of the stolen information and created chaos in plaintiff’s personal life.”AD LOADING…The leaks left Kelly “isolated and fearful to communicate with his attorneys or other third parties” because he knew it could be “released to the general public for mass exploitation.”The lawsuit notes that an internal BOP investigation revealed that an unnamed officer had pulled R. Kelly’s records from the agency’s digital database of information on prisoners, scanned them, then emailed them to outside parties – including Tasha – and that nothing happened once that was discovered.related newsR. Kelly Says He Wasn’t Aware Of $10.5M Lawsuit Loss Over Threat To Doc ScreeningJanuary 16, 2024“No charges were brought against defendant BOP Officer A, and the government has refused to reveal any details about the investigation including the identity of Officer A,” the complaint reads. “In short, there has been a cover-up of the rampant BOP misconduct that is ongoing.”They also noted that the leaks have continued to happen since the investigation – pointing to an incident over the summer where the $28,000 he had in his prison canteen was discovered and subsequently seized to continue paying restitution to his victims.AD LOADING…R. Kelly’s lawyers allege that the leaks amounted to “negligence, an invasion of his privacy, an intentional infliction of emotional distress, civil theft and civil conspiracy.”A spokesperson for the BOP declined to comment to Billboard, citing agency policy on pending litigation.

Yung Miami has teased a new release after sharing a hotel photo shoot on Instagram along with the caption: “These hoes CFWM!!!!!”The pictures saw Miami rolling around on a hotel bed as well as the corridor in a see through top and matching pants that left little to the imagination.AD LOADING…The Instagram video was also soundtracked by what is presumably an upcoming Miami song, with Skilla Baby joining her on the hook.Fans were quick to demand the release of the track with one commenting: “Caresha drop this song and stop playing with me like fr….” Another said: “When this song dropping Caresha ???”One fan commented: “I’m ready for this songggggg.”Miami recently found herself compared to convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell by Akademiks in relation to sexual assault allegations being made against her ex-boyfriend Diddy.“Its Yung Miami fault Diddy back in the News,” he began. “I Told Her to STFU and she wouldn’t stop. now look a nigga making claims vs Diddy. @YungMiami305 stay in a *** place n STFU! you getting ya sugar diddy into to much problems!AD LOADING…“N Yall Thought I was capping when I said Yung Miami moving like she the new Ghislaine Maxwell of da Freak Offs.. Imagine 50 n-ggas coming thru to f*ck while playing ‘ACT BAD’ on blast in the background. GROSS.”Yung Miami and Akademiks have been feuding for a while but things have heated up since the lawsuits were filed against Diddy who the rapper split with last April.related newsYung Miami Hits Back After Security Guard Puts Her On Blast Over ‘Mean’ InteractionFebruary 22, 2024Akademiks has made a number of claims about Miami and Diddy’s sex life including: “Hello Caresha . We been waiting for u. Watever u can say bout me I done explained already. When ur n-gga that piss in ya face finna respond tho? U been diddy side bitch til now … u ain’t claiming no more. Where ya sign at?”Miami was named in one of the sexual assault lawsuits against Diddy.AD LOADING…In the lawsuit filed by producer Lil Rod, it is alleged a cousin of the City Girls star sexually assaulted him and attempted to have sex with him in front of the Bad Boy Records founder.Yung Miami was not accused of any wrongdoing in the lawsuit.AD LOADING…She has also not commented on the allegations against her ex-boyfriend or the lawsuit which accuses her cousin of sexual assault.

Bruno Mars has allegedly racked up an enormous $50 million gambling debt in Las Vegas while performing his much-acclaimed residency.Mars has been performing residencies in Las Vegas almost non-stop since 2016 after signing a multi-year partnership with MGM Resorts.AD LOADING…The “Finesse” singer, who is a known gambler, has now reportedly got into debt with the same company that has been paying him to perform.According to NewsNation, Mars’ gambling losses have been heavy and he has amounted a debt to that outpaces what he’s being paid.AD LOADING…A source allegedly told the outlet: “[MGM] basically own him. He makes $90 million a year off of the deal he did with the casino, but then he has to pay back his debt.”Bruno Mars has allegedly been an avid gambler since his teenage years and once spoke about his early days playing cards: “I used to be like a loudmouth. You know the guy, people would want to take his money. If you do get them to lose, they’re out for you, they’re gunning for you,” Mars said at the time. “And that’s when they’re weak. And that’s when you jump or pounce on them.”AD LOADING…He also claimed that he was 19 the first time he visited a casino: “I remember my first bet, my hand was shaking, and a guy called me out on it and embarrassed me. You gotta lose. You just have to lose to win, to understand.”The acclaimed singer has had a residency at Park MGM since 2016 which was recently extended well into 2024.related newsBruno Mars Opens New Las Vegas Nightclub With Star-Studded PartyFebruary 13, 2024The residency was originally supposed to wrap last August but he has continued to extend his stay in Sin City though it is unknown if this is because of the alleged debt he owes MGM.Bruno Mars has so far performed 100 shows as part of his current residency as well as 48 in 2022 that saw him perform alongside Anderson .Paak as Silk Sonic.AD LOADING…The residency has been attended by over 120,000 people and grossed more than $53 million becoming the highest grossing MGM concert residency.As well as his own hits, the show also sees Bruno Mars perform covers of songs from the likes of Stevie Wonder, the Beatles and Gwen Stefani, often as fan suggestions.

Cardi B has said that she’d love to do a collaboration with Rihanna, but there’s something very important holding her back from asking the “Diamonds” singer from doing so.In an interview with Million Dollaz Worth of Game, which dropped on Saturday (March 16), the “Bodak Yellow” rapper revealed that she doesn’t think her voice is as strong as the Fenty creator’s.AD LOADING…“I love Rihanna’s music. But, I don’t [make] music like that,” she said at the 48:15 mark. “I sound kinda stupid trying to sing like that. I sound stupid trying to make music like that. So, if I ever get that perfect record, I can not wait until I feel like, ‘This song…I know she’s going to like it.’ I don’t want to send her nothing like, ‘Ho, what the fuck is this shit? Take this thing out of my face.’”Check out her comments in the interview below.Elsewhere in the same interview, she dove full-on into the ongoing debate on whether couples should split bills 50/50.“This is really controversial,” she stated, in a clip seemingly taped between takes. Then she cited an example of a couple earning equal incomes, but where the man covers all expenses.AD LOADING…“How y’all ever gonna save up to buy a house or buy a business if you make the same money but he pays all the bills?” she inquired. “‘Cause he’s never gonna be able to afford to. Certain things it’s a joint thing to do.”The “Bodak Yellow” icon continued, expressing her belief that online discussions about relationships and finances have distorted perceptions of reality for folks online. “The internet really messes with people’s heads when it comes to real-life stuff,” she added.related newsCardi B Explains Why She Scrapped Her Verse On Ice Spice’s ‘Munch’ RemixMarch 16, 2024Viewers flooded the comment section with overwhelming support, wholeheartedly endorsing Cardi B’s sentiments.“Ppl delulu out here. We have to work together! When that went out of style ?,” questioned one user. “Now, for all you broke women saying only broke men think like this, a rich woman just gave y’all game and you will still disregard what’s being said,” a second user added.AD LOADING…“She ain’t told 1 lie, ppl don’t live in reality that’s the problem,” another commented.However, Cardi B also faced some resistance, notably from one user who argued that being taken care of enables individuals to fully embrace their femininity.AD LOADING…“Black people are the only ones I ever see have this conversation [tear emoji] why is it looked down upon for a woman of color to live in her full feminine energy if a man is willing to provide [woozy face emoji] make it make sense.”

Meek Mill has received an offer from Akademiks that the rapper may find hard to refuse after announcing his intention to enter the podcast game.Taking to X, formerly known as Twitter, on Saturday (March 16), the Dreams & Nightmares rapper revealed that he has a lot to say, and can only say it on a podcast platform.AD LOADING…“I want a podcast deal I have a a lot to say on many different levels!” he said, in part. “If you have a podcast business moving slow I can reverse that! From – meek mill – I’ve always been my own media and I wanna join the culture of black media!“I wanna partner with somebody already good in the business not just dive in! 2 episodes a month! Yeah just a podcast deal my boy…. I just wanna get in media now and rap to tell reforms stories about the system let others share their stories and address all propraganda [sic]… uplift the black culture … stop beefs publicly ..AD LOADING…He added: “it’s gonna be called ‘culture currency’ Teach the level of business knowledge I know from the streets to being around extreme wealth! Like how you had the show on Spotify but fueling street beefs I want that type of opportunity!”That prompted Akademiks, a longtime podcaster and rival, to make an offer to the Philadelphia rapper.AD LOADING…“I’ll offer you a Million dollars up front for you for 52 episodes,” he responded in a quote-tweet. “1 a week. We own video and audio, with a option to renew for a second year. Also we buss down ads 50% on any ads we bring in (Prizepicks, Fashionova etc). You can own the podcast, but we share the IP as long as u in the deal.”Check out the interactions below.Meek Mill says he’s ready to “join the culture of black media” pic.twitter.com/QF8Zu6jfUO— HipHopDX (@HipHopDX) March 17, 2024I’ll offer you a Million dollars up front for you for 52 episodes. 1 a week. We own video and audio, with a option to renew for a second year. Also we buss down ads 50% on any ads we bring in (Prizepicks, Fashionova etc). You can own the podcast, but we share the IP as long as u… https://t.co/B8CcL8lLae— DJ Akademiks (@Akademiks) March 16, 2024Oh and we’ll handle the production. We’ll record, edit and obviously promo as part of the deal .— DJ Akademiks (@Akademiks) March 16, 2024This is the latest million-dollar offer made available to the two warring factions.Earlier this month, Damon Feldman — the author of the book 16 Minute Man and the CEO of Official Celebrity Boxing — told TMZ  that he’s made all the necessary provisions for the pair to step in the ring, including booking a venue for May 18 and providing a $1 million purse for the winner, if they will take him up on his offer.related newsAkademiks Fires Back At Meek Mill Amid Diddy Sex Claims: ‘Nobody In Rap Envies You’February 29, 2024“DJ Akademiks, always starting shit — listen, man, you gotta step up,” he said. “I already have the boxing training camp for you at Gonzalez Gym. Raekwon [not the Wu-Tang Clan legend] here is going to train you. Meek Mill, he already has a trainer with Monique Jackson.”Feldman continued: “You gotta make this happen. May 18 in Atlanta. I already talked to my guys down at King of Diamonds. They’re helping get the venue down there. Step up. Celebrity Boxing has $1 million on the table.”AD LOADING…Neither side has taken Feldman up on the offer, so far.