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The song that started the hip-hop “Civil War.” Future and Metro Boomin gave Kendrick Lamar the space to get a few thoughts off his chest, including how he thinks Drake and J. Cole aren’t in the “Big 3″ and it’s just him.
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LOS ANGELES (AP) — Newly released video appears to show Sean “Diddy” Combs beating his former singing protege and girlfriend Cassie in a Los Angeles hotel in 2016.
The video was aired by CNN Friday six months after the R&B singer filed a lawsuit that set off a wave of similar cases and public allegations against one of the most influential music moguls of the past three decades.
Here’s a look at the key events that have unfolded since late last year.
Cassie says in a lawsuit that Combs subjected her to years of abuse, including beatings and rape. Cassie, whose legal name is Cassandra Ventura, signed to Combs’ label in 2005, and the two were on-again-off-again romantic partners for more than a decade starting in 2007. The suit filed in federal court says Combs was “prone to uncontrollable rage” and subjected her to “savage” beatings. It says he plied her with drugs, forced her to have sex with other men, and raped her in her home as she was trying to end the relationship in 2018. Combs, through his attorney, “vehemently denies” the accusations.
With staggering speed, Ventura’s lawsuit is settled the day after it is filed. The terms of the agreement are kept confidential. “We have decided to resolve this matter amicably,” Combs says in a statement. “I wish Cassie and her family all the best. Love.”
Two more women accuse Combs of sexual abuse in lawsuits filed on the eve of the expiration of the Adult Survivors Act, a New York law permitting victims of sexual abuse a one-year window to file civil action regardless of the statute of limitations. The suits, filed by Joi Dickerson and another woman who was not named, allege acts of sexual assault, beatings and forced drugging in the early 1990s by Combs, then a talent director, party promoter and rising figure in New York City’s hip-hop community. Combs’ attorneys called the allegations false.
Combs temporarily steps down as chairman of his cable television network, Revolt, because of the wave of sexual abuse allegations. It would be one of several business setbacks for Combs brought on by the lawsuits.
A woman alleges in another lawsuit that in 2003 when she was 17, Combs and two other men raped her. The suit filed in federal court in Manhattan says she was living in a Detroit suburb and was flown to a New York studio, where she was given drugs and alcohol that made her incapable of consenting to sex, and the men took turns raping her. Combs says in a statement that “I did not do any of the awful things being alleged. I will fight for my name, my family and for the truth.”
A music producer files a lawsuit alleging Combs sexually assaulted him and forced him to have sex with prostitutes. The suit gives a long list of potentially illegal activities dealing with drugs and sex that the producer says he witnessed. A lawyer for Combs calls the allegations “pure fiction.”
Homeland Security Investigations serves search warrants in early morning raids on Combs’ homes in Los Angeles and Miami in what officials tell The Associated Press is a sex-trafficking investigation. Combs was at one of his homes in Miami at the time. His two sons, at his home in Los Angeles, were handcuffed during the search, Combs’ attorneys said. Officials did not say whether the raids were prompted by the civil lawsuits, but Combs’ attorneys said they believed they were.
Combs’ lawyer calls the raids “a gross use of military-level force” and says Combs is “innocent and will continue to fight” to clear his name. The attorney, Aaron Dyer, says there is “no excuse for the excessive show of force and hostility exhibited by authorities or the way his children and employees were treated.”
A lawsuit that names Combs as a co-defendant alleges that his son Christian “King” Combs sexually assaulted a woman working on a yacht chartered by his father. The suit filed in Los Angeles Superior Court says Sean Combs created the circumstances that led to the assault and paid to cover it up afterward. An attorney for the two men calls the allegations “outrageous.”
In the first major piece of legal pushback from Combs and his team, they file a motion to dismiss several elements of Dickerson’s lawsuit because they were not illegal in 1991 when the alleged incidents occurred. While the legal objections are procedural, the filing also slams the “numerous false, offensive, and salacious accusations” in the lawsuit.
Combs asks a federal judge to dismiss the Dec. 6 lawsuit that alleged he and two co-defendants raped a 17-year-old girl from Michigan in a New York recording studio. Again, the objections are procedural — alleging the suit was filed too late under the law — but the court document calls its claims “false and hideous.”
CNN airs video that appears to show Combs attacking Ventura in hotel hallway in 2016. The video closely mirrors an assault described in her lawsuit, which said Combs had already punched her that night, and she was trying to leave the InterContinental Hotel in Los Angeles when he woke and came after her. In the footage, a man who appears to be Diddy, wearing only a towel, punches Ventura, kicks her, and throws her on to the floor. The lawsuit alleges Combs paid $50,000 to take away the video at the time. Combs’ representatives had no immediate comment.
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24
Popstar Dinah Jane, formerly of Fifth Harmony, is making waves with her new single “Ocean Song,” released today. This catchy and upbeat track promises to be the anthem of the summer, blending modern pop with the rich sounds of her Polynesian heritage. The music video for “Ocean Song” is set to debut on May 24th.
Dinah’s upcoming EP, “Forever Summer,” will drop on August 21st, offering fans a deeper dive into her refreshed musical style. Reflecting on her cultural roots, Dinah shares, “Ocean Song is my personal prayer to my ancestors. In this new era of my career, I’m so excited to put my cultural identity at the forefront of my music. I’ve been all around the world and I’ve seen so many highs and lows in my career. Ocean Song serves as my return home to my ancestors, the elements, the ocean.”
For this single, Dinah collaborated with JG Gilbert, a producer from the Caribbean, and renowned Polynesian cultural expert Tiana Nonosina Liufau, who contributed traditional Polynesian percussion and ukulele elements. “The way we blended our unique island sounds is truly magical,” Dinah says. “That brought it all home for me.”
The release of “Ocean Song” marks an exciting new chapter in Dinah’s career, showcasing her as a formidable force in the music industry. Fans can now listen to “Ocean Song” on all major streaming platforms and look forward to the full “Forever Summer” EP later this year.
For a preview of what’s to come, check out the “Ocean Song” music video premiering on May 24th.
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Cedric Wayne McFadden was fatally shot in 2005 during a robbery In Ocala, Fla. Naturally after the Medical Examiner’s Office took his badly decomposed body to perform an autopsy and relay their findings to law enforcement, they gave the body to a funeral home so his family members could mourn and bury him. – Noah A. McGee Read More
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In our recent interview with gospel legend Erica Campbell on “Masters of the Game,” she explained that her music was not always churchy enough for everyone in the church community. Sometimes her solo work or her work with her duo, Mary Mary, was a bit too pop for some church people. And we know how particular church folks can be about gospel music. It’s got to hit the right notes and praise God in just the right way or they’re not interested. Sometimes, Campbell’s music has moved people in the wrong way. And sometimes they have said that to her face.
In one unforgettable moment in our interview, Campbell said once, she sang at a church in Atlanta, and when she finished, she sat down in the front row. “The pastor gets up,” she said, “and says, ‘Well, that was cute. Where’s my singer? Is my singer going to sing?’”
The shade! “That was cute”??? Wow. It’s easy to say Campbell should have just ignored it and, yes, in that moment, she just played it cool and maintained her dignity. She said she “sat there and smiled and sat a little taller. And then went on to sell platinum and win Grammys.” But she couldn’t entirely brush that off. The opinion of church folks matters to her, so it was a painful moment. She said she felt hurt and offended. But, more important to her was this: She would never allow someone else to determine the sound of her music.
“I think when you hear they’re not going to like that, they won’t like that … I started saying, ‘Who are they?’” she said. “And why did we give them so much power? Am I living for them? Or God? Am I trying to serve him? Am I trying to reach people in different places of different cultures of different lifestyles, or am I just trying to make sure that y’all happy? So then I can’t get to the best version of myself? Because I just made you my God.”
You can watch my entire interview with Erica Campbell on “Masters of the Game” on TheGrioTV.
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15
Global superstar and multi-platinum award-winning songwriter Tones And I has released her new single, “Wonderful,” now available on all streaming platforms alongside an official music video. The emotional ballad, co-produced by Rick Nowels and Randy Belculfine, highlights Tones’s exceptional vocal prowess and songwriting skills.
“‘Wonderful’ is a song I wrote about a very close person in my life. I wanted to let them know just how incredible they were, at times where they may have felt like they weren’t good enough,” Tones And I shared. This new release is the third preview of her forthcoming album, expected later this year, following her recent singles “I Get High” and “Dreaming.” She also released a special acoustic version of “Dreaming” with an official music video showcasing a stripped-back live performance.
Tones And I’s busy year continues as she embarks on an international tour. This month, she will perform at several festivals in Asia, followed by a European tour in July, including a headline show in London. She will then return to Australia and New Zealand for a nearly sold-out headline tour. Earlier in the year, Tones And I joined P!NK on her Australian stadium tour, playing to nearly one million people over twenty shows. For tickets and more details, visit www.tonesandi.com.
Tones And I recently made history as her hit “Dance Monkey” surpassed 3 billion streams on Spotify, making her the first and only female artist to reach this milestone, and one of just eight artists to achieve it with a single song.
In 2023, Tones And I released “The Greatest,” an anthem supporting the Australian Women’s Football team, The Matildas, during the FIFA Women’s World Cup. She also featured on the official FIFA Walkout Anthem, “BRING IT ON,” alongside Bia and Diarra Sylla, produced by RedOne. Tones And I performed ahead of the World Cup final at Sydney’s Stadium Australia to a full house and billions of viewers worldwide.
Her recent singles, “I Am Free” and “I Made It,” the latter composed for the Netflix film True Spirit, have further solidified her position in the music industry. She has also collaborated with artists like Macklemore, blackbear, Jonas Blue, Sam Feldt, and BIA, contributing music to major projects like the sequel Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom.
Since her breakout in 2019, Tones And I has become a force in pop music, garnering multiple awards, surpassing 10 billion streams, and achieving multi-platinum status globally. Her debut EP, The Kids Are Coming, and first full-length album, Welcome To The Madhouse, have both seen immense success, with the latter topping the Australian Albums Chart in 2021. With her unique voice, lyrical talent, and creative vision, Tones And I continues to push the boundaries of music.
ASIA
EUROPE
AUSTRALIA & NEW ZEALAND
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No matter how anybody felt about Diddy or the multiple allegations he was facing, nobody knew for a fact if he was capable of any of the things he was accused of since we had no evidence.
But now that CNN has obtained a 2016 surveillance video showing Diddy grabbing, shoving, dragging, kicking, and hitting his then-girlfriend, Cassie Ventura, the public now has a concrete reason to hate the man who was once considered one of the most successful and iconic figures in the history of hip-hop.
In a statement sent to CNN, Ventura’s attorney, Douglas H. Wigdor, says, “The gut-wrenching video has only further confirmed the disturbing and predatory behavior of Mr. Combs. Words cannot express the courage and fortitude that Ms. Ventura has shown in coming forward to bring this to light.”
The release of this video does a couple of things. It’s a reminder that it takes an unbelievable amount of courage for victims like Cassie to come out and be vocal about their experiences with domestic violence. Knowing that people would doubt and question her, she still decided to come out and share her story despite the backlash she would get from the few people who practice “victim blaming.”
It’s also a reminder that we should not blindly support these beloved figures in the entertainment industry just because we enjoy the art they create. For some people, it’s easy to separate art from the person. It shouldn’t be.
We should not in good conscience support or consume the art someone created if they are a piece of crap in reality. One of the reasons some of these horrible celebrities feel empowered to continue their deviant behavior is because they know they will continue to have supporters no matter what, and those supporters will continue to put money in their pockets.
Furthermore, nobody should be watching that surveillance video that I just saw and wondering, “What did Cassie say to make him so mad?” Who gives a damn! There is a video of a grown-ass man throwing a woman across the floor and throwing a vace at her. The first question that should be asked is “Why did it take this long for this surveillance video to be made public and why did he feel empowered to put his hands on a woman like that in the first place?”
In all honesty, we shouldn’t care. Impact always matters more than intent. I don’t care what Diddy intended to do there, the fact is that we see the man abusing a helpless woman in more than one way. That’s all we should care about.
Until then, we should hope that Diddy did not abuse any other victims the way he did Cassie. Not because we care about Diddy’s fate, but because we care about the well-being of other humans who may have been affected by his actions.
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Editor’s note: The following article is an op-ed, and the views expressed are the author’s own. Read more opinions on theGrio.
Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett is the kind of sister you’re proud to see get into Congress. She’s a Democrat who represents parts of Dallas, and she’s a lawyer who’s tough, smart and ginsu knife sharp with the tongue. I met her at theGrio Awards and her presence is powerful. You can feel her warrior spirit.
There are lots of great clips of her reading people for filth so whenever she’s on the news, I find myself cheering for her. Thursday brought us another chance to cheer for the good sister from Texas when a C-SPAN hearing started to look like a video from WorldStar.
Republican Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene is a crazy person from Northwest Georgia who would love to be Donald Trump’s vice president. She’s kind of like the Queen of America’s Karens, the symbol of the modern, angry white woman who is dragging down this country. This week, Greene was outright rude and inappropriate in attacking Crockett because when you’re MAGA, attacking Black people is good for business. So Greene created a wild scene in a House of Representatives committee hearing that was far crazier than Congressional hearings usually get.
Greene asked, “I’d like to know if any of the Democrats on this committee are employing Judge Merchan’s daughter?” She was referring to Judge Juan Merchan, who is presiding over Trump’s hush money trial in New York City. His daughter worked at a firm that works with Democratic candidates and has been the subject of attacks from Trump and the right. But all of this was irrelevant to the issue at hand — it was a hearing about holding Attorney General Merrick Garland in contempt of Congress.
The Democrats were befuddled. There was confused muttering until a voice rose from the din. It was Congresswoman Crockett. She said, “Please tell me what that has to do with Merrick Garland?” She paused. “Do you know what we’re here for?” That line was giving: Are you OK? Are you confused? Are you in the right room?
The question had a little shade on it, but not too much. It could’ve been ignored. But Karens like Greene never miss a chance to say something nasty.
“I don’t think you know what you’re here for,” Greene replied. A childish retort. You say I smell? Well, I say you smell, so there. But then Greene went too far. “I think your fake eyelashes are messing up what you’re reading,” she said.
Oh, no, she didn’t. Why did she have to make it about Crockett’s physical appearance? This is what being loud and wrong looks like. Because Greene was wrong — Judge Marchan’s daughter had nothing to do with anything going on in that room — and she was loudly attacking Crockett as if it were Crockett who was wrong. And it was an ad hominem attack. From there you knew it was going to be a food fight.
These are the sorts of microaggressions that we are used to, but we don’t have to accept being treated badly for the sake of decorum. We don’t have to keep the peace in the face of disrespect. Peace without respect is not peace.
Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez jumped in on behalf of Crockett. “That is absolutely unacceptable!” she said. “How dare you attack the physical appearance of another person!” She was speaking in the language of tolerance.
Greene said, “Are your feelings hurt?” She was speaking in the language of “screw your feelings.”
Greene loves to be seen fighting with other members of Congress because it sends a message to her MAGA voters that she’s tough and won’t back down from D.C. types. I bet she also believes that fighting with Black and brown members makes her look good to those MAGA voters in her district.
Ocasio-Cortez followed up with, “Oh girl, baby girl. Don’t even play.” AOC represents the Bronx.
Of course, Greene continued to play in their faces — you know the type. She’s the sort of white person who’ll say something racist and then claim to be the victim of racism. Ocasio-Cortez repeatedly demanded that her words be stricken from the record and that she apologize sincerely. Greene agreed to have her words stricken, but she said, “You will never get an apology out of me.” Trifling.
Later on in the hearing, Crockett found a sly way to hit Greene back. She asked a “hypothetical” question: Would it be acceptable, she said, “to talk about somebody’s bleach blonde, bad-built, butch body?” She was talking back to Greene without directly talking back to Greene. It allowed Crockett to get in a verbal punch while also maintaining her dignity. I mean, she was just asking a question.
Crockett and Ocasio-Cortez have reached one of the highest spaces in American life — they are U.S. congresswomen — and yet here they are defending themselves from the same sort of microaggressions that Black and brown people deal with all the time from the Karens of the world. No matter how high you go, there’s always a white person there to say I still don’t respect you.
Touré is a host and Creative Director at theGrio. He is the host of Masters of the Game on theGrioTV. He is also the host and creator of the docuseries podcast “Being Black: The ’80s” and the animated show “Star Stories with Toure” which you can find at TheGrio.com/starstories. He is also the host of the podcast “Toure Show” and the podcast docuseries “Who Was Prince?” He is the author of eight books including the Prince biography Nothing Compares 2 U and the ebook The Ivy League Counterfeiter.
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7
Hulu has unveiled a first look at the highly anticipated second season of “Reasonable Doubt,” set to premiere on August 22 with two gripping episodes. Subsequent episodes will be released every Thursday.
Emayatzy Corinealdi returns as Jax Stewart, the formidable attorney whom fans saw grappling with a challenging trial and a dangerous affair last season. As she tries to mend her life, a new, more personal crisis unfolds. One of Jax’s closest friends confesses to killing her husband, claiming it was in self-defense. However, an unyielding prosecutor has other ideas, leading Jax to enlist the aid of a driven defense attorney to take on the case. The stakes are higher than ever as Jax battles to defend her friend, salvage her marriage, and maintain her well-being amidst the chaos. This season promises intense courtroom drama and personal turmoil as Jax faces the biggest case of her career.
“Reasonable Doubt” is the brainchild of creator, writer, and executive producer Raamla Mohamed. The series also boasts an impressive lineup of executive producers including Kerry Washington and Pilar Savone for Simpson Street, Larry Wilmore via Wilmore Films, and Anton Cropper. Co-executive producers include Shawn Holley, Jon Leshay, Tamara Gregory, Lena Cordina, TASH Gray, and Resheida Brady. Produced by Onyx Collective, the show is a product of ABC Signature, part of Disney Television Studios.
The stellar cast features:
With its thrilling narrative and complex characters, season two of “Reasonable Doubt” is set to captivate audiences and push Jax Stewart to her limits. Don’t miss the season premiere on August 22, exclusively on Hulu.
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Each year, the stars converge on Cannes, France for the Cannes Film Festival, one of the most popular film festivals in Europe. Filmmakers from around the world bring their best work to compete for the coveted Palme d’Or, the award given to the director of the competition’s best feature film.
But while it’s a celebration of quality cinema, Cannes is also a hub for great fashion. And this year was no different, with stars like Naomi Campbell, Law Roach, and Giancarlo Esposito showing up and showing out all around Cannes.
Because almost everything looks better in France, check out some of the Black stars’ impressive looks at this year’s Cannes Film Festival.
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