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Black Internet Reacts to Don Lemon’s Celeb-Packed Wedding

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Wedding bells rang on Saturday (April 6) for Don Lemon and his beau.

It signals an upward swing for the longtime anchor after a string of career dings, including a recent spat with social media site owner Elon Musk.

Lemon tied the knot with his longtime partner Tim Malone at a ceremony in New York City after their five-year engagement.

“Just married,” Lemon posted with a photo of the tuxedoed grooms exiting a church with their three dogs.

A list of celebs attending the nuptials, included Tamron Hall, music executive Clive Davis, Joy Behar, Sara Haines, Ana Navarro-Cardenas and Sunny Hostin from The View.

Some Black social media users were thrilled, showering the couple with compliments.

“Congratulations! What a handsome duo,” someone responded to Lemon’s Instagram post.

As always, there were also haters: “The end of society, the end of moral standards modern day, Solomon Gamora (sic),” a person commented on TikTok, an apparent reference to Lemon’s same-sex marriage.

U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield officiated the ceremony at Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church in midtown Manhattan in front of about 140 guests, PEOPLE reported.

In recognition of Lemon’s Louisiana roots, the guests formed a second line on Manhattan’s thronging sidewalks for the husbands to parade from the church to Ralph Lauren’s Polo Bar. The celebration included a brass band and folks waving white handkerchiefs as they bopped to New Orleans jazz.

“I never thought that I would get married,” Lemon, 58, told PEOPLE. “I mean, maybe Tim’s generation, he’s 18 years younger than me. So for him maybe it was more of a possibility.”

Lemon added: “The legal part of it is a big deal because I didn’t think it could happen. And for so many years of my growing up and hiding things, I never thought it could happen legally. But when you consider all the rights that people are trying to take away, I wanted to make sure that we get this done right.”

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Don Lemon Reveals His Post-CNN Plans and Honestly, They Aren’t Bad

This moment of bliss is undoubtedly a pleasant break for Lemon. In May 2023, CNN ousted its longtime star anchor after a series of controversies, including an on-air remark about GOP presidential candidate Nikki Haley’s age. He said the then-51-year-old Haley “isn’t in her prime, sorry.”

For months, Lemon faded from the public’s eye. He appeared to resurrect his journalism career with a streaming program, The Don Lemon Show, on X, formerly known as Twitter and owned by Musk.

But the social media billionaire abruptly canceled Lemon’s show in March after his interview with Lemon for the anchor’s unaired first episode. Musk became irritated when Lemon asked him about the platform’s lack of content moderation and the spread of hate speech.

Hopefully, the pendulum is swinging in the right direction.

Congrats to the happy couple!

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Hank Aaron defied racism to break home run record 50 years ago

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ATLANTA (AP) — Hank Aaron refused to be intimidated by racist hate mail or threats during his pursuit of Babe Ruth’s home run record.

Aaron’s teammates, including Dusty Baker, worried on his behalf even as the future Hall of Famer circled the bases following his record-breaking 715th homer on April 8, 1974. Baker, who was on deck, and Tom House, who caught the homer in the Atlanta bullpen behind the left-field wall, will return Monday for the 50-year anniversary of the homer.

After sprinting from the bullpen to deliver the ball to Aaron at home plate, House found Aaron’s mother giving the slugger a big hug.

“You could see both of them with tears in their eyes,” House told The Associated Press. “… It was a mother and son. Obviously, that was cool. It was also mom protecting her boy from — at that time, everybody thought somebody would actually try to shoot him at home plate.

“So there were all kind of things. I gave him the ball. I said, ‘Here it is, Hank.’ He said ‘Thanks, kid.’”

Atlanta Braves’ Hank Aaron eyes the flight of the ball after hitting his 715th career homer in a game against the Los Angeles Dodgers in Atlanta, Ga., Monday night, April 8, 1974. (AP Photo/Harry Harris, File)

Baker referred to Aaron as a father figure or big brother who looked out for him as he began his playing career with the Braves. Baker and other teammates, including Ralph Garr, tried to look out for Aaron during the home run chase.

“We always felt the need to protect him, always felt that need,” Baker said last week. “I think we were more afraid for him than he was actually afraid because he never showed any fear of the threats or whatever. It seems like it drove him to a higher concentration level than ever before was possible.”

Baker retired as Houston’s manager following the 2023 season.

Bob Hope, then the Braves media relations director, said Aaron would not be deterred by the threats issued late in the 1973 season as he approached Ruth’s record of 714 career homers.

“One time the FBI wanted to come meet with him on a Sunday and asked him not to play because they felt they had legitimate death threats on him,” Hope said.

“We went down to the clubhouse and sat down with him and Hank just said: ‘What kind of statement would that be? I am a baseball player. You guys do what you need to do to keep things secure, but I’m playing baseball.’ And I thought that was very reflective of his personality all the way through.”

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Hope said most fan mail Aaron received was positive. “The hate mail was not pleasant, but there wasn’t nearly as much as you’re led to believe,” Hope said. “It was just a very, very small percentage of the fans were causing that problem.”

Hope and Baker remained close to Aaron after Aaron’s career and until his death in 2021 at 86.

“One of the honors of your life that you don’t want is when Hank died, at his funeral, Dusty and I were the only two nonfamily pallbearers,” Hope said. “When I realized that at the funeral, it was almost overwhelming.”

Wonya Lucas, Aaron’s niece and the daughter of Bill Lucas, who with the Braves in 1976 became Major League Baseball’s first African American general manager, said she can remember “Uncle Hank” remaining strong during the chase. She said that stayed constant even when threats led to police cars showing up at Aaron’s home and Aaron’s oldest daughter, Gaile, having to return home from college.

“I certainly understood the gravity of the situation and how the mood shifted is probably a good way to put it,” Wonya Lucas said Friday. “But I do also remember his quiet strength, and despite all those conditions I described I felt safe in the home because I felt he gave us a sense of comfort.”

To mark the 50-year anniversary of Aaron’s 715th homer, the Atlanta History Center will open a new exhibit to the public celebrating Aaron on Tuesday that will remain open through the 2025 All-Star Game in Atlanta. MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred is expected to attend a preview of the exhibit on Monday.

Atlanta Braves’ Hank Aaron tips his hat to teammates greeting him at home plate after hitting his 715th career home run during a baseball game against the Los Angeles Dodgers in Atlanta, Monday, April 8, 1974. (AP Photo/Joe Sebo, File)

Aaron’s bat and the ball he hit for the record homer, normally housed at the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York, will be on display at Truist Park on Monday.

The Hank Aaron Invitational is designed to encourage high school players from diverse backgrounds to play at higher levels. Alumni of the Hank Aaron Invitational include Cincinnati pitcher Hunter Greene, who participated in 2015, and Braves outfielder Michael Harris II, who played in 2018.

Major League Baseball also supports other initiatives, including the Andre Dawson Classic, designed to promote diversity in the sport.

“For me, just having somebody that looked like me that could be that successful and do the things he’s done, the road he paved for players like me, that’s pretty huge,” Harris said Friday.

Despite those efforts, the number of Black players on major league rosters has declined. A study done by The Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport at Central Florida revealed African American players represented just 6.2% of players on MLB opening day rosters in 2023, down from 7.2% in 2022. Both figures from the institute’s latest reports were the lowest since the study began in 1991.

A recent spike in the number of African American first-round draft picks provides hope that MLB’s efforts, including the Hank Aaron Invitational, may make a difference.

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Texas Nurse Arrested for Bestiality with Great Dane; Husband Charged With Possessing Child Pornography –

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Following reports of disturbing activities reportedly committed by a Texas man, now known as William Mitchell Keen, shock and bewilderment swept across the community. The event began on March 13th when Montgomery County Pct. 3 Constable’s Office deputies responded to a distress call at the H-E-B store, located at 3540 Rayford Rd. A man matching Keen’s description was reportedly seen engaging in indecent exposure and stalking young children.

According to Click2Houston, Keen was arrested on accusations of indecency with a child by exposure following further investigations. Several youngsters recognized Keen as the culprit, adding to the seriousness of the allegations against him.

The charges, however, reached a disturbing conclusion when authorities looked deeper into Keen’s personal belongings. A search of his phone revealed a plethora of unlawful photos, including footage of child sexual assault. Even more alarmingly, explicit images of Keen’s wife, Joely Keen, indulging in bestiality with the couple’s Great Dane were discovered, as reported by KHOU.

The seriousness of these facts compelled law enforcement to take decisive action. William and Joely Keen were detained yesterday at their Harmony neighborhood home. William Keen is now facing new accusations of possessing child pornography, and his wife Joely Keen has been charged with bestiality.

The couple’s arrest provides some finality to a case that has likely shaken the town to its core. Despite the distressing findings, Montgomery County Animal Services took care of the couple’s three beloved dogs, bringing some relief in the aftermath of this upsetting incident.

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Black Twitter vs NYC Earthquake Will Crack You Up

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Nothing prepares you for an earthquake. One moment, things are fine. Then, the next moment, your walls are shaking, your things are toppling and your balance is thrown.

Most people just hit the mannequin challenge and stay still down until it’s done. Unless you’re like my grandmother, who practically floated down the stairs to try to get out of the house.

Friday morning, a 4.8 magnitude earthquake shook the northern east coast from Maine all the way down to Baltimore, according to the US Geological Survey. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said in a news conference there were “no life-threatening” situations following the tremor. However, flights departing from JFK and Newark Liberty International airports were all grounded, per CNN.

“We’re taking this extremely seriously. And here’s why, there is always the possibility of aftershocks,” said Hochul.

You know who’s not taking it seriously? Black Twitter (or X, but nobody says X). Best believe everyone got confirmation and first notice of the earthquake from social media and not New York’s shamefully late alert.

However, whenever something major like this happens, you can always count on Black Twitter to be the most unserious about it and give you a chuckle through the chaos.

“Me explaining to my grandkids how I survived The Bronx and an earthquake,” wrote one user. There was a user years ago who once said the first humans were made in the Bronx… if that’s the case, of course they’d stand an earthquake.

Other users posted hilarious memes depicting how people were shaken during the midst of the tremor.

Are Black folks a little theatrical? Absolutely.

The social media equivalent to stepping outside your house to discuss with your neighbors what the hell just happened is to hop online and ask, “Y’all felt that too?” Because, firstly, we gotta make sure we all just felt the same thing.

“Men all over NYC: ‘Hope you’re doing okay after that little earthquake. It just reminded me of how you used to shake up and rock my world,” one user wrote. Is it really a tweet-worthy event if a Future meme isn’t involved?

And then, of course, an Oprah meme.

Y’all be safe. I don’t think New Yorkers were given proper instructions on how to do this earthquake thing.

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Beyoncé’s “COWBOY CARTER” Rides to the Top of Billboard 200 Chart –

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Beyoncé’s latest album, “COWBOY CARTER,” has soared to the top of the Billboard 200 chart, becoming her eighth number-one record. With an astounding launch of 407,000 copies, including 168,000 pure sales, the album became the biggest debut of the year, cementing Beyoncé’s dominance in the music industry.

The reigning queen of the country has once again rewritten the record books, becoming the first Black woman in history to top Billboard’s Top Country Albums list with “COWBOY CARTER.” This incredible feat adds to Beyoncé’s already brilliant career, cementing her reputation as a genre-defying artist.

With “COWBOY CARTER,” Beyoncé not only achieved her seventh straight #1 album on the Billboard 200 but also made history as the first female artist to do so. Her past chart-topping albums include “Dangerously In Love,” “B’Day,” “Lemonade,” and “Beyoncé,” among others.

The unprecedented success of “COWBOY CARTER” stretches beyond the charts. With this release, Beyoncé also scored the largest US unit sales week of 2024 on the Billboard 200, highlighting her unprecedented fame and influence in the music business.

In addition to her chart-topping triumphs, Beyoncé has reached another milestone, reaching 1 million total album units sold in the United States in 2024 alone, a monument to her enduring appeal and the unwavering devotion of her passionate following.

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South Carolina defeats Caitlin Clark, Iowa to finish perfect season

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CLEVELAND (AP) — Dawn Staley and South Carolina completed their perfect season, ending Caitlin Clark’s historic college career with an 87-75 win over Iowa in the NCAA championship game Sunday.

With Staley directing a relentless attack from the sideline, the Gamecocks (38-0) became the 10th Division I team to go through a season without a loss. And they accomplished the feat after they lost all five starters from last season’s team that lost to Clark’s squad in the national semifinals.

“It doesn’t always end like you want it to end, much like last year. But my freshies are at the top of my heart because they wanted this. It’s awesome. …. It’s awesome. It’s awesome. It’s unbelievable,” Staley said. “When young people lock in and have a belief, and have a trust, and their parents have that same trust, this is what can happen. They made history. They etched their names in the history books.”

Head coach Dawn Staley of the South Carolina Gamecocks celebrates after defeating the Iowa Hawkeyes during the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament National Championship at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse on April 7, 2024 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by C. Morgan Engel/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)

Clark did all she could to lead the Hawkeyes to their first championship. She scored 30 points, including a championship-record 18 in the first quarter. She will go down as one of the greatest players in NCAA history. She rewrote the record book at Iowa (34-5), finishing as the career leading scorer in NCAA Division I history with 3,951 career points.

She hopes her legacy isn’t defined by falling short in two NCAA championship games, but more by the millions of new fans she helped bring into the game and the countless young girls and boys that she inspired.

“I think the biggest thing is it’s really hard to win these things, I think I know that better than most people by now, to be so close twice really hurts,” Clark said.

As the final buzzer sounded, a stoic Clark walked off the court, through the confetti, and into the tunnel heading to the locker room.

“I personally want to thank Caitlin Clark for lifting up our sport. She carried a heavy load for our sport,” Staley said. “She’s going to lift that league (WNBA) up as well. Caitlin Clark if you’re out there, you’re one of the GOATs of our game. We appreciate you.”

South Carolina has won three titles in the last eight years, including two of the past three, to lay claim to being the latest dynasty in women’s basketball. Staley became the fifth coach to win three national championships, joining Geno Auriemma, Pat Summitt, Kim Mulkey and Tara VanDerveer.

The Gamecocks, who have won 109 of their last 112 games, became the first team since UConn in 2016 to go undefeated. South Carolina had a couple scares throughout the season, but always found a way to win.

With most of the team returning next year except for star center Kamilla Cardoso, Staley’s team is in a good position to keep this run going.

Tessa Johnson led South Carolina with 19 points. Cardoso had 15 points and 17 rebounds.

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“Kamilla Cardoso was not going to let us lose a game in the NCAA Tournament,” Staley said. “She played through an injury, she played like one of the top picks in the WNBA draft, and her teammates did something that no teammates have done for somebody who went to the WNBA in our program. They send her off as a national champion. So this is history for us.”

Led by the 6-foot-7 Cardoso and Ashlyn Watkins, South Carolina enjoyed a 51-29 rebounding advantage. It also finished with 30 second-chance points.

The Gamecocks also showed off their impressive depth. Johnson helped the team to a 37-0 difference in points by reserves.

South Carolina trailed 46-44 late in the second quarter before going on an 11-0 run spanning halftime to open a 55-46 advantage early in the third quarter. Clark finally ended the run with a layup.

The Hawkeyes closed to 59-55 and had a chance to get even closer, but Hannah Stuelke missed a wide-open layup on a brilliant pass from Clark.

South Carolina responded with the next eight points, including two 3-pointers. The Gamecocks, who were 4 for 20 from behind the 3-point line during last season’s Final Four loss to Iowa, went 8 for 19 from deep against the Hawkeyes this time around.

The Gamecocks were up 68-59 after the third. They led 76-64 early in the fourth before back-to-back 3s by Clark and Gabbie Marshall got Iowa within six.

South Carolina guard Raven Johnson (25) blocks a shot by Iowa guard Caitlin Clark (22) during the first half of the Final Four college basketball championship game in the women’s NCAA Tournament, Sunday, April 7, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

Iowa was down 80-75 after a three-point play by Sydney Affolter with 4:12 left. That would be the last point the Hawkeyes would score as South Carolina got the last seven of the game.

Clark checked out with 20 seconds left when Iowa coach Lisa Bluder subbed in fellow senior Molly Davis, who hadn’t played since she got hurt in the regular-season finale against Ohio State.

Unlike the semifinals, when Clark struggled against UConn’s defense, she got going early against South Carolina. Clark scored 13 straight points for Iowa after the Hawkeyes jumped out to a 7-0 lead, including another logo 3-pointer, to help her school to a 20-9 advantage by the first media timeout.

South Carolina cut it to 22-20 with 1:30 left in the period before Clark scored the final five points, including a 3-pointer over Cardoso. Clark’s 18 points in the opening quarter set a championship game record, surpassing the 16 that Jasmine Carson of LSU had last year against the Hawkeyes.

She only had three points in the second quarter, hitting a 3-pointer with 1:53 left in the period. Meanwhile the Gamecocks used their depth and inside dominance to get back in the game. Cardoso had 11 points and seven rebounds in the opening 20 minutes.

The Gamecocks trailed 46-44 in the final minute when Te-Hina PaoPao hit a 3-pointer and Raven Johnson stole the ball from Clark near midcourt and went in for a layup. South Carolina led 49-46 at the half.

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Cassie Reportedly Cooperating with Authorities and More News

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Image for article titled Cassie Reportedly Cooperating with Authorities in Diddy Investigation, Candace Owens and Megyn Kelly Cozying Up with Black People and More News

Screenshot: KPRC 2 NOW

Teaching is never an easy job, especially when you work with children. However, those children are also just trying to figure out how to deal with intense emotions and more than likely don’t know how to express them. Well, one teacher’s reaction to a student’s tantrum led her to handcuffs. – Kalyn Womack Read More

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Critics assail Trump’s comparing himself to Nelson Mandela

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Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump compared himself to Nelson Mandela on Saturday in an attempt to defend himself against his upcoming hush money criminal fraud trial in New York.

Trump faces criminal charges that he violated campaign finance law ahead of the 2016 election to silence two women who allege he had an extramarital affair. Mandela was imprisoned for 27 years for opposing racial apartheid that segregated Black residents in South Africa, later becoming the country’s first elected president and first Black head of state in 1994.

In a post on his social media app, Trump likened his legal woes to Mandela, which drew strong reactions from Black organizers.

“It’s a slap in the face to the legacy and sacrifices of Nelson Mandela and the worldwide impact his life experiences have had on people” around the globe, Antjuan Seawright, a Democratic strategist and CEO of Blueprint Strategy LLC, told theGrio in reaction to Trump’s comments.

“It is a desperate cry for attention that we will see more from this extremist leader as the election gets closer.” 

Nelson Mandela (center) campaigns during the first democratic election, Cape Town, South Africa, 1995. (Photo by Susan Winters Cook/Getty Images)

Similarly, Angela Angel, senior advisor for Black Lives Matter PAC, told theGrio that Trump comparing himself to Mandela “is like comparing a circus clown to a Nobel laureate.”

“One spent nearly three decades in prison fighting against apartheid, and the other should be in prison for fraud, sexual assault, and orchestrating an attempted coup on the United States government.”

On his social media platform, Truth Social, Trump bemoaned a gag order issued by New York Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan, the judge overseeing the former president’s hush money trial. Trump is accused of falsifying business records to cover up the hush money payments made by his former lawyer Michale Cohen to adult film actress Stormy Daniels and former Playboy model Karen McDougal.

Trump, known for his public assails against judges and prosecutors, was placed on a gag order to avoid intimidating potential witnesses or jurors involved in the criminal trial that begins April 15. 

“If this Partisan Hack wants to put me in the ‘clink’ for speaking the open and obvious TRUTH, I will gladly become a Modern Day Nelson Mandela – It will be my GREAT HONOR,” Trump wrote on Saturday. “We have to Save our Country from these Political Operatives masquerading as Prosecutors and Judges, and I am willing to sacrifice my Freedom for that worthy cause.”

Seawright, who has advised several national campaigns, called Trump’s latest statements “disgusting” and “disrespectful.” He compared the former president’s behavior to a “baby throwing the bottle out of the crib in order to get attention, but also to distract people in the room from what else is going on inside the crib.”

He added, “It’s just another page in the catalog of examples of Trump’s strategy to say whatever to get attention from wherever.”

Angel of BLM PAC said Trump’s legacy, in comparison to Mandela, who helped to end racial segregation in South Africa and promote peace around the world, “has been marked by policies and rhetoric that targeted marginalized communities, including Black, Indigenous, and all people of color.”

“His administration’s actions, such as the Muslim travel ban, harsh immigration policies, and inflammatory statements regarding racial and ethnic groups, have exacerbated divisions and undermined efforts towards equality and justice,” Angel said. “His leadership style has been characterized by authoritarian tendencies, attacks on democratic institutions, and a disregard for human rights principles, leading to widespread condemnation both domestically and internationally.”

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She added, “He is not respected at home or abroad, and he weakens our global standing.”

President Joe Biden’s reelection campaign also slammed the four-time indicted and two-time impeached former Republican president for his comparison to Mandela.

“Imagine being so self-centered that you compare yourself to Jesus Christ and Nelson Mandela all within the span of little more than a week: that’s Donald Trump for you,” said Jasmine Harris, director of Black media for the 2024 Biden-Harris campaign.

Harris referenced statements Trump made days before Easter, in which he shared an alleged text message he received that pointed out how “ironic” it was that “Christ walked through His greatest persecution the very week they are trying to steal your property from you.” The comment was in reference to New York Attorney General Letitia James’ threat to seize Trump’s properties in a separate fraud case if he did not pay a nearly half-a-billion-dollar bond that was later reduced to $175 million.

In the hush money case, Merchan, the judge whom Trump has decried as corrupt over his daughter’s work as a Democratic political consultant, expanded the presidential candidate’s gag order to include not making public statements about family members of the judge and prosecutors connected to the case. 

Though Trump and his attorneys argue the gag order violates his First Amendment right, Merchan said it was decided out of concern that his statements to his millions of followers will “interfere with the fair administration of justice and constitutes a direct attack on the Rule of Law itself.”

Anthony Coley, a legal analyst and former Department of Justice official, told theGrio that Trump is “creating this drama in the court of public opinion — playing the victim, trying to provoke the judge — because he has a weak hand in the court of law.”

He added, “He’s facing criminal accountability and a real prospect of jail time because of his own actions, and no amount of grandstanding can change that.”

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Philly Man Creates Hip-Hop Inspired Potato Chips

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As part of our Start, Build, Grow series, The Root caught up with Rap Snacks Founder and CEO James Lindsay, who married his love of hip-hop with his passion for potato chips to create a viral sensation and become a major player in the snack game.

Start

Philadelphia native and self-described potato chip lover James Lindsay says the inspiration to launch Rap Snacks came from a desire for more creative chip flavors than those offered in the marketplace. For Lindsay, salt and pepper and barbecue-flavored chips just didn’t speak to the culture. So in 1994, he decided to make his own.

“Where I grew up, we like flavor. So I felt like there was a void that I could fill,” Linsday told The Root. “ If there was a barbecue in the marketplace, I came out with a honey barbecue. If there was a ranch in the marketplace, I came out with sour cream with a dab of ranch. It was just about adding a little more flavor to a stale marketplace. Our flavor profiles are totally outside of the box.”

Utilizing a co-marketing agreement with Universal Records and his friends and family as taste testers, Lindsay turned his dream into a reality. Rap Snacks has become a multi million-dollar business, with flavors like Migos Sour Cream With a Dab of Ranch Chips, Rick Ross Sweet Chili Lemon Pepper Chips and Nicki Minaj Bar-B-Quin with my Honey Gourmet Popcorn and branching out to add lemonade, noodles and apparel to his brand.

Relationships with some of the hottest rappers, Lindsay says, are a win-win – building brand equity for Rap Snacks and providing another avenue for artists to connect with fans.

“If you see Lil Baby on [a bag of] Rap Snacks, hopefully, you’ll think about his music and maybe download and stream it. So I tell [the artists] it goes hand in hand. It’s a tangible item that people can buy that’s also promoting your brand and you’re getting paid for it,” he said.

Build

In the 30 years since he launched his brand, Lindsay has taken his time to grow the Rap Snacks footprint through his in-house distribution team – a deliberate approach he says has been beneficial for his company. Rap Snacks are currently available for purchase online and in big box stores like Target, Walmart and Costco around the country.

“Sometimes it’s better to take one slow step forward than ten steps forward too quickly. We’ve been able to take little steps as we gradually grew the brand,” he said. “That’s one of the issues we have in the African American community. We’ll create an item or an idea, and we don’t have anywhere to go with it. It took me those years to create my own distribution and the brand that goes along with it.”

Lindsay says social media has been a tremendous tool for helping the brand reach a wider audience. Partnering with rappers like Lil Baby, who has over 23 million Instagram followers and Migos, who have 13.5 million Instagram followers has propelled the brand into the national spotlight – and got Rap Snacks a name drop in a Migos song.

“When we signed the Migos, they did a song called ‘Get Yourself a Bag of Rap Snacks.’ That was the first viral moment for us,” he said.

Grow

Looking ahead, Lindsay says he wants to expand the Rap Snacks brand overseas. Already available in Europe and Loblaws grocery stores across Canada, he’s got his sights set on Ghana.

“Ghana is the hottest markets in Africa right now. They have great leadership that’s trying to expand their global appeal. They’re welcoming the Western world with open arms to bring products to their people while also creating jobs,” he said.

Lindsay admits the road hasn’t always been easy, but says he’s proud of how he’s been able to turn his idea into a successful business that provides jobs for others.

“You’re going to have bad days and good days, but that love for the business when you’re trying to get [it] off the ground is what’s going to really help see you through,” he said. ““There are a lot of issues people don’t see. But at the same time, if you work hard, there is a big reward.”



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‘I feel that the people are ready for me again’

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LOS ANGELES (AP) — It has been 21 years since Sean Paul’s dancehall anthem “Get Busy” topped the Billboard Hot 100 — which means “Get Busy” is finally old enough to hear “Get Busy” at the club.

“It’s changed for me now,” Sean Paul told The Associated Press over Zoom from his studio in Jamaica, reflecting on the song’s legacy. “Because when I say, ‘Get busy,’ I’m telling the kids to do their homework or clean stuff up.”

In the years since Paul helped introduce dancehall riddims and reggae to new audiences, he’s released six ambitious albums, including two straight out of the coronavirus pandemic: 2021’s “Live n Livin” and 2022’s “Scorcha.” He’s become a father and a devoted husband. (The “Jodi” in the “Get Busy” lyric “Shake dat ting, yo, Donna Donna / Jodi and Rebecca”? That’s his wife.) And his ambition to make joyful, danceable music has never wavered.

Sean Paul performs during his concert at Strand Festival in Zamardi, Lake Balaton, Hungary, Friday, Aug. 19, 2022. (Tamas Vasvari/MTI via AP, File)

“It’s a timeless piece for me,” he says of “Get Busy.” “Every time I try to do a song, I try to put the same butterflies that I had in my belly when I was flirting with the first girl on the first dance floor I went to. It’s just a feeling.”

That translates to his goal of bringing positivity to the masses.

“I have a lot of help with the riddim tracks, the genre itself is very infectious,” he says. “It gives you joy.”

His dedication comes from life experience.

“I had a lot of problems, as most teenagers do, trying to find themselves, trying to understand what life’s about. You know, my father was in prison. It was a single mom situation, and she was struggling to make sure that we were conscious beings,” he says.

Music was the release.

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Now, he’s taking that energy on a 22-date U.S. run dubbed the “Greatest Tour,” kicking off May 2 at House of Blues in Orlando, Florida, and ending June 16 at the Fillmore in Charlotte, North Carolina.

“Why am I doing it now? I feel that the people are ready for me again,” Paul says.

“I did some work with some reggaetón acts last year,” he adds, referencing new dancefloor hits, including the massive “Niña Bonita” with Feid and “Dem Time Deh” with Colombian singer Manuel Turizo.

He’s also released a few solo singles, including the infectious “Greatest,” and promises more conscious songs in the future — thematically not unlike 2016’s “Never Give Up.”

“There’s a lot of struggles here in Jamaica as well as it being, you know, a very beautiful place. But we do have our struggles that we have to deal with,” he says. “A lot of people don’t know me for that type of material, but, you know, it’s as important in my career.”

At his shows, fans will get a little taste of everything. But “good vibes,” mostly, he says: “I think people feel the fun from me and it bounces back and forth.”

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