In February 2024, Rodney “Lil Rod” Jones came forth with disturbing allegations against Combs. Jones, who worked on “The Love Album: Off the Grid,” stated that he lived and traveled with Combs from September 2022 to November 2023. Jones asserted that the mogul forced him to obtain sex workers and pressured him to engage in unwanted sexual acts with them.
He also said Combs assaulted him with “constant unsolicited and unauthorized groping and touching of his anus.” Jones also accused other high profile celebrities, which are believed to be Meek Mill and Usher, of engaging in sexual activity with men. He also stated Combs and his son, Justin, were responsible for shooting one of Justin’s friends at Chalice Recording Studio in Los Angeles on Sept. 12, 2022.
According to People, on Monday, March 25, Jones amended his complaint to include Oscar winner Cuba Gooding Jr. as a defendant.
Jones alleges that in January 2023, while on a yacht rented by Combs in the US Virgin Islands, the “Jerry Maguire” star, “began touching, groping, and fondling [his] legs, his upper inner thighs near his groin, the small of his back near his buttocks, and his shoulders.”
The complaint states Jones was “extremely uncomfortable,” but even after he rejected the actor, Gooding “did not stop until Mr. Jones forcibly pushed him away.”
E’leese Shelton, an eighth-grader from Tallahassee, graduated from high school on Thursday at the age of 12. E’leese’s exceptional abilities became apparent when she was just a toddler. Her mother, Danrell Shelton, recalls the moment she realized her daughter was special.
“I got her a LeapFrog tablet, and we didn’t know that she was self-taught until it was telling her to do the letters, uppercase, lowercase letters, and we didn’t realize that she knew all of it,” Danrell told WCTV. “I did not teach her any of it. She just had the LeapFrog and she knew it.”
E’leese began reading at the age of 3 and learning math at 4. By the time she was 12, she had completed her high school education and was ready for the next academic challenge.
“It’s just kind of surreal,” E’leese said. “I believe it’s mostly because of my support system, like my friends, my mom, my church community.”
E’leese’s family has a history of academic excellence. Her older brother, E’ven Shelton, graduated from high school at 16. Despite the nearly ten-year age difference, the siblings maintained a friendly rivalry.
“She told him that she was going to outdo him,” their father, Fred Shelton, said. “So she stuck to her word.”
E’ven is proud of his sister’s accomplishments and believes that each generation should strive to surpass the previous one.
“The best thing that you could hope for somebody that you love is for them to do something better than you,” he said. “That’s just what we hope for the next generation.”
E’leese plans to attend Tallahassee Community College before transferring to Florida State University. She aims to be in medical school by the time she is 16 or 17, with the goal of becoming a pediatrician.
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NEW YORK (AP) — New York City’s rat-hating mayor has once again been ticketed for a rat infestation at his Brooklyn property.
Mayor Eric Adams’ latest ticket was issued by a city health inspector May 16 at a row house he owns in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood. The inspector observed fresh rat droppings and a rat burrow “at the front left base of the staircase of the property.”
A spokesperson for Adams, Liz Garcia, said in a statement, “The mayor prides himself on keeping his property clean. He will review the summons and follow all standard procedures.”
New York Mayor Eric Adams responds to questions during a news conference at New York’s City Hall, Nov. 14, 2023. (AP Photo/Richard Drew, File)
He appointed the city’s first “rat czar” last year after posting a help-wanted ad seeking applicants who could commit to the “wholesale slaughter” of the pests.
Adams, who now lives in Gracie Mansion, the official mayor’s residence, challenged the previous rat tickets he got at the Brooklyn property.
Three were dismissed, but the mayor paid $300 to settle the fourth. Adams told a hearing officer he had spent $7,000 on rat mitigation at the property.
According to the National Registry of Exonerations, more than half of the 3,300 people exoneration between 1989 and 2022 were Black people.
Of that population, a number of them were exonerate from facing the harshest punishment: the death penalty. The qualifications for capital murder vary by state. However, it doesn’t make the idea of sitting in a cold, dark cell awaiting your death any less chilling – especially when you know you’re innocent.
GRAMMY-nominated global Afrobeats star Ayra Starr unveiled her much-anticipated sophomore album, “The Year I Turned 21.” Accompanying the album release is the atmospheric Afro-R&B single ‘Last Heartbreak Song,’ featuring the soulful American singer Giveon.
Hailed as Ayra Starr’s coming-of-age record, “The Year I Turned 21” showcases the Gen Z singer-songwriter’s most personal storytelling alongside the empowering anthems that have become her trademark. The album’s themes of growth, love, heartbreak, and self-discovery are underscored by a newfound artistic maturity, reflecting the whirlwind year the Nigerian star has experienced.
Ayra Starr expressed her vision for the album, saying, “This is a coming-of-age story. The rollercoaster of emotions and genres intertwined tells the story of a 21-year-old African girl and superstar. 21 isn’t just an age; it’s a moment of change in your life. A time of necessary growth, hurt, realizing your power, love. Not everybody’s ‘21’ happens at 21. Whenever it is for you, learn from it, feel through it… that’s what matters.”
In ‘Last Heartbreak Song,’ Ayra Starr and Giveon explore the end of a one-sided relationship, with Ayra embracing self-protection and independence. Over atmospheric beats, she declares, “This is my last heartbreak song, I’ll be better on my own.”
The album also features ‘Commas,’ a feel-good hit that has amassed over 100 million streams in just two months and topped the UK Afrobeats Chart for five weeks. Another standout track, ‘Woman Commando,’ sees Ayra Starr collaborating with Anitta and Coco Jones, blending Afrobeats rhythms with Latin pop and R&B to create a global summer anthem.
Throughout “The Year I Turned 21,” Ayra Starr emphasizes self-care and personal growth. In ‘Bad Vibes,’ featuring Nigerian wordsmith Seyi Vibez, she commits to protecting her energy from negativity. On ‘Goodbye (Warm Up)’ with Asake, she experiments with jazz, taunting an ex before moving on.
Love songs like ‘Rhythm & Blues’ and ‘Lagos Love Story’ reveal Ayra Starr’s romantic side. ‘Control’ offers a seductive siren’s call across a crowded Havana bar, with summery guitars and hip-swaying rhythms.
However, it is the deeply personal tracks where Ayra Starr truly shines. The album’s centerpiece, ‘21,’ captures a range of emotions from youthful bravado to self-doubt. In ‘The Kids Are Alright,’ the album closer, she pays tribute to her late father with heartfelt lyrics and voice notes from her family.
With over 1 billion global streams, Ayra Starr’s influence continues to grow. Following her sold-out world tour last year, she is set to make her Glastonbury Festival debut on the Pyramid Stage next month. She has also garnered three BET Award nominations and received critical acclaim for her debut album “19 & Dangerous,” which now has 500 million streams.
Ayra Starr’s collaborations span some of music’s biggest names, including Wizkid, Stormzy, David Guetta, Kelly Rowland, Tiwa Savage, Aya Nakamura, Leigh-Anne, and her recent Latin music crossover hit ‘Santa’ with Rvssian and Rauw Alejandro.
Tracklist for “The Year I Turned 21”:
Birds Sing of Money
Goodbye (Warm Up) ft. Asake
Commas
Woman Commando ft. Anitta & Coco Jones
Control
Lagos Love Story
Rhythm & Blues
21
Last Heartbreak Song ft. Giveon
Bad Vibes ft. Seyi Vibez
Orun
Jazzy’s Song
1942 ft. Milar
The Kids Are Alright
Santa (Rvssian, Rauw Alejandro, and Ayra Starr)
As Ayra Starr steps into this new chapter, her sophomore album solidifies her position as one of Africa’s brightest stars, with a global influence that continues to rise.
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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.
I feel like I’m experiencing deja vu. I suppose that’s the point, though, of Eminem’s new single “Houdini,” where the now 51-year-old digs right back into his 2002-era bag for a song that in the 13 hours it’s been live has amassed almost seven million views on YouTube. Eminem is … back.
With frequent collaborator Dr. Dre in tow, Eminem does that thing that he used to do when he’d drop a new single purely intended to drum up controversy; he takes shots at pop stars (more on this later), talks about how folks can’t stand him and frequently tries to push the envelope of just how inappropriate he can be while providing some sort of social commentary about his place in the world.
All that was cool back in 2002 when Eminem did have a target on his back. Back then, Eminem was frequently used as an example of how music can lead people, especially “the youth,” astray. It is for that reason that his very uneven album, 2000’s “The Marshall Mathers LP,” is often considered a classic album — the good songs really shined a light on just how ridiculous society’s penchant for looking to blame art for parental and personal deficiencies.
It is not 2000. Eminem might still garner attention, and he is still quite clearly a very talented wordsmith and is going to move units, but Eminem is no longer a boogeyman; Eminem was always best when his back was against the wall. Eminem and Ice Cube shared this same trait — the more people seemed to hate them, the better their art.
Eminem’s art stopped being universally worthy of note years ago (at some point, even his most ardent detractors stopped paying attention to him and moved on), but that almost doesn’t matter. Eminem has such a huge fan base that even bad Eminem releases top the pop charts upon their release. Eminem is a notorious studio rat and has released at least 10 commercially successful studio albums. The haters don’t matter financially, but apparently, Eminem has been listening, and well, Slim Shady — his most outrageous and obnoxious alter ego — has one last run in him.
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Maybe that’s how we ended up with a song like “Houdini,” which doesn’t sound much like Eminem’s recent projects but more like the opening salvo of one of those monster albums from his early career. It’s full of schtick, accompanied by a completely outlandish, cartoonish video primed for MTV’s TRL … which ended in 2008. It was in songs like “Houdini,” which samples The Steve Miller Band’s hit 1982 song “Abracadabra,” where Eminem would have his inappropriate fun taking shots at the pop music darlings of the day. Christina Aguilera, Limp Bizkit, Michael Jackson, Mariah Carey (who either he did or did not date), and Britney Spears all caught stray shots from Eminem. Ironic, since Eminem seemed to often mock their huge success while also literally being of the same ilk. To be clear, some of those shots were in jest, but the barrage of disses at the pop stars of the early 2000s was in earnest.
Except, those people don’t even exist anymore. The boy bands and the machine-driven pop star are kind of a thing of the past. Sure there are huge artists out there but are they the same artists his audience will instantly recognize? Maybe, maybe not. Eminem decided to hedge that bet with a wildly unnecessary bar about Megan Thee Stallion being shot in the foot. He raps, “If I was to ask for Megan Thee Stallion if she would collab with me, Would I really have a shot at a feat?” Obviously, feat is a homonym for feet. To call that lazy and beneath even Eminem would be an understatement. Eminem is a rapper who had bars that were worthy of studying. This was a low-hanging fruit bar for the sake of doing this on his huge comeback single to illustrate that he’ll say anything he feels like. And it falls flat. It’s just dumb.
Also, there was a time when stuff like that would just be annoying, but everybody would have to move on. It’s 2024, and Twitter fingers are a thing. And a white boy that the culture has given a pass to because of his co-signs and talent isn’t likely to get the same ho-hum response as he once might have. Especially considering that Megan Thee Stallion really has been through quite the ordeal in which she was actually shot. Why Eminem would waste a punctuating bar on this is as nonsensical as Drake doing it. I would wager the bar doesn’t hurt Meg’s feelings or change her life, but if I were her, I’d be like, “Just … why?”
Maybe Eminem is searching for an enemy in Black women to give him something to rap about again. He wouldn’t be the first white man to disrespect Black women just because he could. It’s just an odd choice; but then again, I don’t really expect legions of Black male rappers to question Eminem so she’ll just have to take it and move on. Even LeBron James chimed in and shouted out Eminem for the song; le sigh.
Hopefully, Eminem will come with better work than this on his soon-to-be-released album, “The Death of Slim Shady (Coup de Grâce)” though it probably won’t matter. I only listened to “Houdini” because of the reference to Meg. I’m not even his target audience anymore. It is 2024 after all.
Panama Jackson is a columnist at theGrio and host of the award-winning podcast, “Dear Culture” on theGrio Black Podcast Network. He writes very Black things, drinks very brown liquors, and is pretty fly for a light guy. His biggest accomplishment to date coincides with his Blackest accomplishment to date in that he received a phone call from Oprah Winfrey after she read one of his pieces (biggest) but he didn’t answer the phone because the caller ID said “Unknown” (Blackest).
When it comes to style, singer/entrepreneur Rihanna never disappoints. She and her partner, A$AP Rocky, always understand the assignment and leave us with head-turning looks we can’t stop talking about.
She may not be giving us new music, but she’s always giving great looks. Check out some of our favorites.
Today, the Disney+ anthology series “Goosebumps” announced the addition of several new recurring cast members. Joining the lineup are Arjun Athalye (“Are You Afraid of the Dark?”) as Sameer, Eloise Payet (“The End of the Party”) as Hannah, Christopher Paul Richards (“The Kids Are Alright”) as Matty, and Kyra Tantao (“ZOMBIES 3”) as Nicole. These four teenagers, who mysteriously vanished in 1994, become a pivotal part of the present-day storyline. Also joining the cast are Stony Blyden (“American Born Chinese”) as Trey, Frankie’s boyfriend, and Sakina Jaffrey (“Billions”) as Ramona, a mysterious woman.
The series had previously announced its regular cast members, including David Schwimmer as Anthony, Ana Ortiz as Jen, Sam McCarthy as Devin, Jayden Bartels as Cece, Elijah Cooper as CJ, Galilea La Salvia as Frankie, and Francesca Noel as Alex.
Produced by Disney Branded Television and Sony Pictures Television, the new season of “Goosebumps” offers a fresh story, setting, and cast. The series is based on R.L. Stine’s globally bestselling Scholastic series, which boasts over 400 million books in print across 32 languages.
The new season follows fraternal twins Devin and Cece as they navigate life with their recently divorced dad, Anthony. Upon discovering a looming threat, they quickly uncover dark secrets within their community, sparking a series of events that reveal a profound mystery. As Devin, Cece, and their friends Alex, CJ, and Frankie delve deeper, they become entwined in the eerie tale of four teenagers who disappeared in 1994.
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Is your dad an experienced father? His children might span Gen X, millennial and Gen Z. His hair could be salt-and-pepper or completely gray. His age might range between mid-40s and early 60s. He’s not a new or young dad, but he’s also not a retired dad. He’s a veteran of fatherhood.
If so, you have come to the right Father’s Day gift guide. Shopping for an “Experienced Dad” can be daunting. Popsicle stick crafts and hand-drawn cards were hot commodities when everyone was much younger. But like piggy banks became actual bank accounts and fatherly advice shifted from basic safety to financial security, it’s time to level up the gifts.
While we know nothing truly beats seeing his children thrive, we’ve gathered a handful of meaningful gifts from Black brands that might compete. From the plant dads to the tech dads and the grillmaster dads, we’ve thought of something for a variety of experienced fathers.
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Cookout-ready spice set
(Photo: The Spice Suite)
Is there a more perfect gift for grillmaster dads than a spice set dubbed “Cookout Ready?” The Spice Suite’s box includes two different spice blends and a bottle of lemon pepper sauce. Light the grill!
If your dad is as experienced tending to his garden and plants as he is tending to his children, he may appreciate upgrading his toolkit with fertilizer from a Black brand like The Black Home.
Whether your dad keeps his hair cut close or rocks a head full of locs, he likely could benefit from a shower scalp massager from Briogeo.
Stimulating Therapy Massager sold by Briogeo
$18
Skincare set
(Photo: Shea Moisture)
Did you get flawless skin from your dad? Did you inherit his glorious beard game? If so, repay him with skincare or beard care products like Shea Moisture’s kit. The set comes complete with a wash, detangler, oil, and balm.
Thank him for all the times you stole a few spritzes of his cologne before a big date or the school dance and upgrade his signature scent with something new.
For those of us with father figures who are living embodiments of “Hakuna Matata,” the chill to our ease and the person we rely on when trouble finds us, gift him scented space. Thank him for his efforts with the “No Wahala” (“no trouble”) candle by FORVR MOOD.
Hey, listen, Papa has to chill in style from time to time. Encourage some high-quality chill this year with luxury pajamas or cozy boxers (for lounging) by a Black brand.
For dads who enjoy a good book, Black celebrities from their childhood and “Star Wars” trivia, Billy Dee Williams’ new memoir –“What Have We Here?” — is tailor-made.
Help him celebrate his greatest role in life with appropriate dad swag, such as a mug or T-shirt featuring famous Black TV dads. If TV dads aren’t his thing, consider celebrating his type, whether he’s a girl dad, boy dad or dope dad.
Above all else, your dad wants to spend time with you, the benefit of becoming a dad in the first place. Spring for tickets to upcoming sporting events, movies or concerts you know he’ll love. Make memories and bond by sharing in something that delights him.
A series of TikToks by women in New York documenting their experience being punched in the face by a rando has finally led police to their suspect: a Black man who made a bid for mayor.The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office accused 40-year-old Skiboky Stora of being behind the punching spree around the borough that left multiple women with injuries to the face and head. In one case, a 23-year-old white woman documented in a TikTok video that she was just walking down the street in Chelsea when she got socked in the face by a man she identified as Stora.
Georgia Nurses Thought It Was Smart To Mock Patients on TikTok
Though this incident occurred back in March, the DA’s office said in their release the string of assaults date back to at least September 2023.
From “F-ck you, white boy!” to “Die, Jews, Die,” prosecutors allege Stora carried a habit of yelling anti-white expletives and antisemitic threats toward the victims. However, in the midst of the alleged tirade, Stora was also reported to have placed his bid for a mayoral candidate.
Stora has sought public office in New York since 2021 and participated in a New York City mayoral debate in 2021, NBC News previously reported citing public records. In 2022, he filed a handwritten petition to get on the ballot for New York governor. Last year, records show, Stora ran for the District 9 seat on the New York City Council.
Stora told NBC News on Wednesday that he allegedly filed a lawsuit against Eric Adams last year, that he intends to run in the New York City mayoral election against him next year, and believes that he is being charged as an act of political retribution, identifying himself as a Black Republican.
Stora faces three counts of third-degree assault as a hate crime, one count of third-degree stalking as a hate crime and aggravated harassmet in the second degree.
“Skiboky Stora allegedly committed a series of hate-motivated incidents against several individuals based on their perceived gender, race and religion,” District Attorney Alvin L. Bragg said. “Nobody should have to fear for their safety because of their identity.”
In response to the allegations, Stora denied the claims listed in the indictment, per NBC. He told the outlet he “loved Jews” and denied ever meeting the woman who claimed she was attacked by him in Chelsea.
