Former death row inmate, journalist, and activist Mumia Abu-Jamal has been hospitalized in Pennsylvania, but prison officials refuse to reveal why.

Abu-Jamal’s attorney, Bret Grote, said Monday that his client is being treated in the critical care unit of the Pottsville’s Schuykill Medical Center. However, Grote added that neither he nor Abu-Jamal’s brother, Keith Cook, have been allowed to see him. Grote also doesn’t know Abu-Jamal’s condition.

According to the Mumia Abu-Jamal Facebook page, Abu-Jamal’s wife Wadiya Cook was allowed to visit him in the ICU.

Prison officials won’t comment on inmate hospitalizations or medical conditions. A spokesman for the medical center said he had no information on Abu-Jamal’s condition.

Abu-Jamal was convicted for the 1981 murder of white Philadelphia police officer, Daniel Faulkner, and is serving a life sentence. His conviction was upheld through years of appeals, but Abu-Jamal, a former Black Panther, maintains his innocence. He has international support as a victim of America’s racist judicial system.

When I was in twelfth grade, my favorite class in school was philosophy. Instead of writing a long, boring paper, our final test of the year was completing a group presentation in which we were tasked with exploring a deep-rooted issue in our society that we believed was grossly misrepresented. The most memorable presentation came from a group of students who explored social inequality by statistically comparing the living standards of the average person to professional athletes. They exposed the extreme wealth gap between baseball players and firefighters, and managed to shine a light on the fact that the average employed person performs a necessary function in society, but is underpaid compared to people who are aimed to entertain us by playing a game. After the presentation wrapped, the students got a big hand except for one person, the teacher. Our professor looked up from his desk and asked them a question that I will never forget for the rest of my life.

“You did a great job researching their salaries, but why didn’t you examine the people who are paying them?”

At that moment, the class fell completely silent and even the kids who did the presentation didn’t have an answer for that. See, when you focus on the low-hanging fruit that is millionaire celebrities, it’s difficult to look higher to see the blood stained leaves at the top of the tree. This is my perspective on the entertainment business in a nutshell and this is what will be informing my opinion in this particular article, so if you are someone without the ability to see that most musicians, like professional athletes, are mostly high-paid employees (well, independent contractors to be more accurate), then chances are you will not understand me when I say that this #TIDALforALL backlash is utter bullshit.

1. The People Who OWN Your Favorite Artists Make More Money Than They Do

I really enjoy when billionaires stand up for themselves #TIDALforALL #TIDALforNOONE

— not a dee jay (@djcap) March 31, 2015

I always find it hilarious whenever some entertainer receives a huge contract for doing something they’re talented at, and people get self-righteous about the money they’re making, as if the people who offered them the contract are taking less or barely scraping their coins together to make ends meet. The way record labels work, the artist gets paid LAST. The way movie studios work, the actors get paid LAST. The way many professional sports leagues work, the contracts are not even guaranteed so the announced amount is NOT the amount they actually earn. Compare the annual salary of Sony’s CEO Doug Morris to the average yearly earnings of a Sony artist. If you think it’s close, you’re sadly mistaken.

2. Artists Have Been Getting Royally Screwed For A While

When Jay Z famously said, “I’m overcharging for what they did to the Cold Crush,” he was referencing a common industry fact that is very rarely talked about (or even known) in many public circles: Recording artists have a long history with being screwed. Therefore, ownership is actually revolutionary in it’s own way. In no way, shape or form is it comparable to social activism, but helping artists make money off of their art without it being pillaged by middlemen and greedy executives is a start. Is that to say that Tidal will definitely not have any illicit business practices? Of course not. Only time will tell that. But, I have absolutely no problem with artists being disgusted at making $23 for every $1,000 they sell (if they’re lucky).

3. An Artist-Centered Music Platform Can Help Lesser Known Artists Too

It’s easy to look at the owners of Tidal and say, “I’M NOT HELPING YOU GET MORE RICH!” but what about artists like Aloe Blacc who aren’t multimillionaires? If he is getting screwed by Spotify, what in the hell is wrong with a songwriter such as himself having another option with more control for himself? Their music can get 168 million streams and they walk away with $4,000. Many songwriters and artists are not out here driving Maybachs and living in plush Manhattan condos. They work for a living like we do, and have to find money to pay the mortgage and their car note. It still remains to be seen how Tidal will specifically help artists like Aloe Blacc but the fact that the owners are artists themselves is something to be hopeful about.

4. Where’s This Outrage When Rich, Non-Artists Make Business Deals?

Remember all of that Twitter backlash that billionaire Ted Field received when he launched Trauma 2 records? Field, who once was #236 on Forbes Richest People list, decided to team up with other moguls to create a record company that could help musicians also simultaneously break into TV and film (read: find other revenue streams to bilk artists out of). Well, there was no damn outrage. Ted Fields has made billions of dollars and screwed a lot of people along the way, but no one cares because he’s not a big name. But truthfully, there shouldn’t be any backlash to business deals because this is what life is like in a capitalist society. These artist came together to have a work meeting, and whether it disappoints you that they don’t come together for greater causes outside of the office, that is no reason to demean them gaining a measure of ownership over their own art.

Look, if you don’t want to pay $20 a month for a streaming music service, fine. That is your choice as a consumer and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that. But please spare us a lecture on morality because all artists, whether big or small, whether conscious or money hungry, are allowed to congregate and capitalize off their art because it is their livelihood. It’s up to you as the consumer to determine how much you’re willing to pay for their service, but to determine that they’re selfish for doing what they feel is in their best collective economic interests is beyond stupid. Let the market decide and leave it at that.

LAB

Lincoln Anthony Blades blogs daily on his site ThisIsYourConscience.com, he’s an author of the book “You’re Not A Victim, You’re A Volunteer” and a weekly contributor for UPTOWN Magazine. He can be reached via Twitter @lincolnablades and on Facebook at This Is Your Conscience.

Chris Brown will join the likes of Mariah Carey, Britney Spears and Cher when he begins a residency in Vegas this spring. Breezy will be a resident artist at Drai Nightclub & Beachclub.

His installment of the Drai LIVE concert series will start May 2, the same night as the much-hyped Floyd Mayweather v. Manny Pacquiao fight. The show launch will also act as a pre-birthday party for Brown, who turns 26 on May 5.

According to the club’s event page, ladies can purchase tickets for $40, while gentleman will need to pay $60. Curiously, they seem to be promoting Brown’s 2011 album “F.A.M.E.” despite two subsequent albums.

The next listed date in his residency is July 4th, but Drai LIVE will announce additional concert dates in the coming weeks.

Brown just wrapped the Between the Sheets Tour in mid-March. He had been co-headlining with Trey Songz and Tyga. The tour was plagued by Brown’s legal troubles as dates were pushed back and cancelled due to community service commitments and his assault conviction.

[Source]

LaQuan Smith is the designer you need to know. His #InspirationallyCrafted creations are being worn by top celebrities in music, film and popular culture. Beyonce’s Tidal launch look that stunned and delighted? LaQuan Smith. The self-made talent designed the look for his spring 2015 collection. While some may think LaQuan’s rise to the top of the fashion game is sudden, it has not been an overnight sensation. He has been crafting unique creations since the age of four.

But Smith’s life by design hasn’t been one that has been easily handed to the rising young star. His lineage isn’t from a traditional house of fashion but rather the house he called home where his early years were spent being instructed by his grandmother who instilled a passion and skill for sewing and pattern making. Smith cultivated this craft throughout his teenage years and by 2007, the 19 year old wonder kid started his fashion career in earnest. Smith describes his first few years as tough having been turned down by fashion design schools FIT and Parsons. But he didn’t let that stop him. He became an apprentice with Blackbook Magazine and famed stylist, Elizabeth Sulcer. For an aspiring designer, the experience was a seminal one ­ solidifying Smith’s penchant for strong, sexy, separates. He applied this aesthetic to his first capsule collection ­ a selection of gilded separates and accessories. His distinctive work sparked interest among fashion icons and risk takers including Rihanna and Lady Gaga, both of whom were early supporters of the gifted designer.

Smith’s work also intrigued Vogue Magazine, whose Editor at Large, Andre Leon Talley selected Smith as his mentee. Harnessing the momentum of these experiences ­ Smith formally debuted his first collection in the Spring of 2010. On the runway, celebrities like Serena Williams modeled in the designer’s collections while off the runway, Diane Von Furstenberg and Vogue’s Alexandra Kotur amongst others watched on. It was an auspicious start for Smith’s eponymous label.

Smith’s signature style has found a devoted following amongst Hollywood A­Listers such as Beyonce, Jennifer Lopez and Kim Kardashian each of whom have selected the brand on and off the red carpet. In addition to his robust celebrity clientele, Smith has cultivated an equally dynamic private order clientele which spans the globe from Lagos to London. Smith’s singular aesthetic has also been tapped by world recognized brands including Heineken and Chicago’s famed Joffrey Ballet, all of whom have commissioned custom editions of Smith’s designs. LaQuan Smith, and his eponymous label, are headquartered in Queens, New York and deliver globally.

Beyonce wears LaQuan Smith to Tidal Launch Event Photo: Getty Images

Uptown is proud to honor LaQuan Smith as a 2015 Uptown #InspirationallyCrafted Honoree in an event sponsored by Kia Motors. Similar to the Kia K900, Kia Sorento and Kia Optima, LaQuan embodies the spirit of invention, craftsmanship and has made a lasting impact on both culture, community and business.

Share your story of being #InspirationallyCrafted for the chance to win $250 and the opportunity to be featured on UptownMagazine.com. Learn more about the Uptown #InspirationallyCrafted Contest and enter here.

By Elissa Rosen

BMW of North America hosted a multicultural mix of Atlanta’s tastemakers and auto enthusiasts at the Atlanta Motor Speedway for an unforgettable evening complete with a VIP driving experience and a 3-course culinary demonstration by celebrity Chef Roble Ali of Roble & Co.

Guests were able to choose the latest and most powerful BMW’s including the 6 and 7 series as well as the M series models to take for a spin. Uptown caught up with some of the guests after testing these amazing vehicles.

Michael Byrd II, nephew of Chef Roble, had an invigorating experience. “I drove the 7 series and the M. It was amazingly fast and handles so well,” he said. BMW owners Hyunjin and Paige O felt the same way. “It’s not often that you get to drive a car like that and really experience its power,” they said.

Tiffany Simmons, one of the many Black Entertainment and Sports Lawyers Association (BESLA) members in attendance, loved the BMW i8, which was on display inside the VIP pavilion. She, along with many others, posed for pictures in front this latest supercar from BMW.

After the invigorating rides guests, including Lisa Wu, Adrienne Williams and Jarod Brown, gathered inside the VIP BMW pavilion for the 3-course demonstration and meal prepared by Chef Roble and Atlanta’s own Chef Reisha Pervis.

UPTOWN had a chance to chat with Mica Hughes, star of Bravo’s hit show Blood Sweat and Heels, who was in town specifically for the event. “I drove the i8,” the model and entrepreneur gushed. “It was so much fun. It is really a driving machine, the kind of car you would want to have in the Hamptons.”

Real Housewives of Atlanta newcomer Demetria McKinney is setting the record straight about her role on the show. This week, rumors began swirling that the singer/actress was given her walking papers by the show’s producers and was also banned from attending the upcoming season 7 reunion. However, Demetria refuted the gossip and explained the real deal.

“There have been rumors circulating that I was fired from ‘RHOA’ and ‘banned’ from the reunion set. This is completely untrue. Let me ‘Keep it 100.’ I was not ‘banned’ from the reunion set nor was I fired from the show. I am under contract for this season just like the rest of the cast,” Demetria told Hello Beautiful, before sharing that she’s more focused on her music than reality TV.

“Fortunately, because of the platform the show has provided for me, my music career has escalated and that will always come first. In addition to continuing to support ‘RHOA,’ I am currently busy with my live performances as well as preparing for the upcoming Funkfest Tour that I have been added to with R. Kelly, SWV and Erykah Badu. Thank you to all the ‘RHOA’ fans out there who continue support ‘100’ and my new single ‘Trade It All’ and don’t forget to check out the video with cameos from my girls Claudia [Jordan] and Cynthia [Bailey].”

Even though Demetria is “under contract,” there is no guarantee that her contract will be renewed next season. Fans have criticized the Tyler Perry actress for not bringing enough spice to the show and often allowing herself to be the butt of the jokes of veteran cast members. Nonetheless, her appearance on the show has given her career a boost in visibility that she likely wouldn’t have had otherwise.

What could have been a match made in A-list heaven now appears to be nothing more than another rumor concocted by gossip blogs. In a recent interview with Hello! Magazine, pop star Rihanna was asked about her rumored romance with actor Leonardo DiCaprio. Her response, as expected, was priceless. “It sounds to me like you should stay away from the blogs because they will screw you every time,” she said.

She continued to explain how her hectic lifestyle affects her love life. “I’m so busy right now that I just don’t have a lot of time to offer to a man, so it wouldn’t even be fair to be thinking of pulling somebody else into this life. But if I did, he would have to be man enough to live with my schedule and not get scared,” said Rihanna who has previously been romantically linked to Chris Brown, Drake and Matt Kemp.

Dating rumors spread like wildfire after DiCaprio threw Rihanna a private, star studded birthday bash where never-before-seen photos of them together surfaced. Sources close to the situation also reported seeing the two making out at a Playboy Mansion party and partying in St. Barts over the new year. Reps for DiCaprio denied the rumors back in February, stating, “He’s been single for some time.”

After eight years of wedded bliss ended in a public divorce, Paula Patton is finally opening up about her split with her longtime beau Robin Thicke.

During an interview on the Meredith Vieira Show, the 39-year-old actress detailed life after a divorce:

“You know I’m doing really well. It’s been a long year and a lot of challenges but I’ve grown quite a bit and just getting used to change.

I moved from my parents’ house to moving in with Robin and now I’m becoming an adult. I feel like a real woman now.”

In addition to revealing details of her life post-marriage, the Baggage Claim actress dished on life as a single mother to her and Thicke’s 4-year-old son Julian and working-mom guilt:

“I took a lot of time off to be with him and then I had to pack for a trip because I had to go to work and he said, ‘Mommy, I don’t want you to go to work.’ It’s the challenge of being a working mother and it’s the first time he ever said that to me because I did work when he was a baby, but now he is more aware of everything, so what are you going to do? It’s sort of the trials and tribulations of being a woman. Right?”

The former lovebirds met when Patton was only 14 years old. Patton split from the “Blurred Lines” singer in February of 2014, filing for divorce that October.

Empire actor Terrence Howard is dealing with as much off-camera drama as he is in the hit show he stars in. Howard’s ex-wife Michelle Ghent is claiming that he’s not only behind in spousal support, he’s also hiding assets received from his role on Empire to avoid paying his rightful share. Gossip site TMZ reports that Howard is required to pay Ghent $5,800 a month, but if he makes more than $62,500 a quarter, Ghent is entitled to 21 percent of the excess.

Howard and his attorneys are planning to make a legal claim in court this month alleging that Ghent is already being overpaid in spousal support simply because she threatened to leak career-damaging photos and videos of him. Ghent was only married to Howard for one year, and per the law, was only entitled to six month’s worth of support. However, Howard claims Ghent is receiving five years worth of support, which he feels serves as proof that he was blackmailed.

But there’s a reasonable chance that the judge may have a hard time sympathizing with the thrice-married star, given his notorious history with exes. In 2001, Howard was arrested for assaulting and stalking his then-wife Lori McCommas (pics of her battered face leaked online). Ghent has even filed a restraining order against him, citing that he punched and kicked her at their home. Howard also paid an ex-girlfriend $75,000 to sign a non-disclosure agreement about the abuse he allegedly inflicted on her.

There aren’t many details yet on what is shown on the videos Ghent has threatened to leak, but sources say one video is of Howard in the shower. Child, this just gets messier and messier!

For the past two years, NBC has debuted a live holiday musical special. In 2013, The Sound of Music kicked off the now annual tradition and last year, Peter Pan flew onto TVs. This year’s live holiday musical will be none other than The Wiz, produced by the world renowned Cirque du Soleil.

Craig Zadan and Neil Meron will executive produce the musical, before returning the show to Broadway for the 2016-2017 season. The original 1975 stage production for The Wiz won seven Tony Awards, including Best Musical, during its four year stage run. The 1978 film adaptation, produced by Universal Studios, starred Diana Ross as Dorothy and Michael Jackson as Scarecrow. Considering its star power, many deemed the film a critical flop, earning only $13.6 million for the $24 million production, but it is now considered a classic.

The Wiz is adapted from L. Frank Baum’s “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz,” with an African-American/multi-cultural spin.

No casting has been announced, but Dorothy has large, ruby shoes to fill. Fresh talent such as Solange, Zendaya Coleman, Jennifer Hudson, Keke Palmer or Willow Smith, who was originally tapped to play the title character Annie in the 2015 remake, could be up for the challenge. Could NeNe Leakes, Angela Bassett, Jenifer Lewis or Lynn Whitfield tackle the role of the Wicked Witch character? Who would you cast?

The Wiz will air live on December 3, 2015. Will you tune in?

Your wedding day is supposed to be one of the best days of your life, with everything perfect and as planned. A Houston, Texas couple hired a photo booth company for their guests to take silly pictures to help them remember their August 2012 nuptials. And they did, but not in the way you’d think. The couple, whose names have not been revealed, are suing Premier Photography and owner James Evans, charging negligence, mental anguish and breach of contract, after “Poor N*gger Party” was the caption printed on their pics.

According to Hale, the very least the couple wanted was an apology. If no settlement is reached, the trial will begin in July.

Winter is gone, so it’s time to get rid of that extra layer of warmth around your face — your beard. Although getting groomed at the barber shop offers some relaxation, that’s not always feasible with every day time constraints or even summer travel. You can achieve, however, the perfect shave at home or on vacation with the use of affordable NIVEA Men products. Here’s how:

1. Pre-shave prep: Start the shave routine with a fresh face. Use NIVEA Men Sensitive Face Wash ($5.99) to thoroughly cleanse your face. This face wash is formulated to remove dirt, oil, and impurities without drying your skin, so it can be used every day and night.
2. The Shave: A shave gel with natural ingredients will help protect your face against redness and irritation, as well as soften your facial hair for a more comfortable shave. NIVEA Men Sensitive Cooling Shaving Gel ($3.49) is formulated with chamomile and seaweed extracts for a soothing experience that leaves skin feeling cool. Apply this new shaving innovation that protects your skin from shaving irritations. (FYI: The NIVEA Men Sensitive Cooling Shaving Gel is also great for women to use when shaving their legs or underarms.)
3. Post shave: This crucial step not only helps further cool your skin after a razor shave, but also helps heal the skin, as sometimes good skin cells are removed through shaving. Instantly calm and soothe any shaving irritations, while leaving skin feeling cool with the first-ever NIVEA Men Sensitive Cooling Post Shave Balm ($6.59).
4. Protect: To finish, apply NIVEA Men Sensitive Protective Lotion Broad Spectrum SPF15 ($6.59) to moisturize all day and help protect skin from damaging UVA/UVB rays.

[Image: Shutterstock]

A Georgia teen who received a life-saving heart transplant two years ago died this week in a police chase. Anthony Tremayne Stokes, 17, was in the news two years ago after initially being denied a spot on the transplant list despite having six months to live. Doctors were concerned that the teen’s bad grades and brushes with the law indicated that he would be non-compliant in regards to the strict medications and follow-up treatments necessary after surgery. His family petitioned for him to be included, and he was eventually granted the transplant.

Stokes claimed that he saw the heart transplant as an opportunity to turn his life around. “So I can live a second chance. Get a second chance and do things I want to do,” Stokes told a television reporter.

On Tuesday, Stokes crashed into a bank sign while fleeing from police in a stolen car, according to a police report. The officer recognized that the black Honda Accord fit the description of a car that had been involved in a home invasion a short time before.

The vehicle had also been reported stolen in a carjacking earlier that day. According to the report, the officer tried to pull the car over, but the driver refused to stop.

Police believe that Stokes was the masked individual who broke into the carport door of a home before leaving when he realized that an 81-year-old woman was home. It is believed that the chase began as he was fleeing from that scene.

In January, Stokes was arrested and charged with possession of tools for the commission of a crime and criminal attempt. He was released a few weeks later after posting $5,000 bond.

Officials at Duke University are investigating after they found a noose hanging from a tree on the campus early Wednesday. The incident prompted outrage and protests among students.

Vice President of Student Affairs Larry Moneta vowed that the culprits would be held responsible, discrediting their “act of intimidation.”

“To whomever committed this hateful and stupid act, I just want to say that if your intent was to create fear, it will have the opposite effect,” Moneta said in a statement. “In time, each of these cowardly acts of bias and hatred will strengthen our resolve to love and support each other.”

Around 300 people marched across the Durham, North Carolina campus chanting, “We are not afraid. We stand together.” A 5 p.m. conference was scheduled at the university as well.

Racial and religious controversy have already struck the campus this year.

School officials said they were launching an investigation last week after a black freshman woman claimed that a group of white men taunted her with the same racist chant used by the Oklahoma University SAE fraternity.

In January, the school had to downsize a planned Muslim call to prayer from the school chapel’s bell tower after backlash and security threats.

McDonald’s announced on Wednesday that it will increase the minimum wage by $1 an hour for employees in its company-owned stores, following the lead of Wal-Mart Stores that made a similar move in February.

Employees at the fast food chain have led nation-wide protests against their wages, deeming them unlivable. In July 2013, McDonald’s released a laughable pamphlet detailing how its employees could not only live on $7.25 an hour if they budgeted properly, but even manage to save around $100 per month. The directive was heavily criticized and proven grossly inaccurate.

“We’ve listened to our employees and learned that — in addition to increased wages — paid personal leave and financial assistance for completing their education would make a real difference in their careers and lives,” said McDonald’s CEO Steve Easterbrook in a statement. In addition to the dollar raise, employees will receive paid time off and the company will expand its education assistance program.

The wage increase is for at least $1 over local minimum wage, which means that no McDonald’s worker will make under $8.25 an hour, which is the federally mandated minimum wage. McDonald’s believes that this initiative will mean that by the end of next year, the average employee will make $10 per hour.

However, these improvements will only be applicable to a small portion of McDonald’s employees. The new policies only apply to corporate McDonald’s locations–most of their locations are privately owned franchises that determine their own pay structures. Only about 10% of McDonald’s employees will actually benefit from these changes. Outside of that, the bump in pay is still well below the $15 per hour that protestors were demanding.

McDonald’s stock, which has been on the decline, was largely unchanged by the announcement.

[Source]

A 45-year-old man from the Washington D.C. area is suing Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity, claiming he was hazed by a member, who happened to be a Prince George’s County Police Officer. According to the The Washington Post, the lawsuit states that Harry Draughn Jr., was forced to strip down to his underwear, so he could be beaten with a cane, which was part of the pledging process to become a member of the graduate chapter.

Reports say that Jesse Stewart Jr., the officer who was off-duty the night of the alleged hazing incidents, is an intake chairman for the alumni chapter, and is listed as “2nd Vice Polemarch” on the website for the chapter.  The officer is also accused of forcing the pledges to rub him with lotion.

Documents suggest that Draughn paid $3,000 for membership in the fraternity, but could not receive a refund after his hazing complaints.

The lawsuit also claims that Draughn was “beaten with a cane on the bottom” and “since the beating on March 23, 2015, Plaintiff has had to sit on a pillow while driving and is suffering from lower back pain, has not [been] able to sleep, has felt depressed.”

As far as why he didn’t just simply quit pledging earlier, he explained that he “did not want to let his line brothers down.”

Source

Despite being one of the more passionate and outspoken artists in hip-hop, Wale is usually a bit more private about his personal life. The MMG rapper has just released his The Album About Nothing project, and while the title claims it’s about nothing, it’s actually about nearly everything fans could need to get to know him. During an interview with Billboard, Wale opened up about some of the demons he’s addressed on his most recent project, and things got pretty heavy as he confessed to using pills, his ex-girlfriend’s miscarriage, and being depressed for awhile.

Wale says of his pill use, “My confidence was shot, so I’d be taking whatever to keep me in a good mood, to get me in the right mood for an interview. I’m not going into the details as to what I was taking, but there’s definitely something for that. Just like there’s a fuckin’ app for everything, there’s a damn pill for everything or something you can pour in your glass. I was depressed not being where I wanna be in my career when I’ve put the work in. I wasn’t sleeping. I was drinking all day and I didn’t have anyone to go to. I couldn’t fight it. Those are some of the demons I talk about on the album.”

He then shared that his ex had a miscarriage, stating, “The girl I was with, we tried for a long time to have a child. And when she finally did [get pregnant], she miscarried at 10 or 11 weeks. I was visualizing my child’s face. We gave it a name and everything. All of that went away. And a couple of months before that, one of my closest friends died in a car accident, a cousin that was there for me through blood, sweat and tears.”

The rapper then dug deep into where his depression was triggered, and explained why he is always so defensive online, having negative interactions with followers.

“All these rappers, they do songs about their mothers. I’m Nigerian — my mother didn’t encourage me to do this. Even when [my first album] Attention Deficit came out and I had kind of made it, most parents would have been like, ‘My baby did it!’ but I don’t have that. My mom didn’t come to my [youth football league] games. I posted a football picture on Instagram the other day. That was my f*ckin’ rec’ coach on my [high school] senior night. My mom didn’t come to that. I can’t even explain to my mom what my job entails. She just knows that all of her bills are going to be paid. I didn’t have one-on-ones with my mom or dad. I was in juvenile facilities a lot. My point is that I grew up with the outside world meaning the most to me. This is in hindsight — I’m trying to figure out why I’m this way. I rely on the people’s opinions, because I don’t have much outside of that. I’m already on the side of Meek [Mill] and [Rick] Ross trying to squeeze in the picture. And I’m trying to keep a smile on my face. Imagine how you’d feel if someone who put in less work than you blew up? People say, ‘You’re such a bitch online.’ That’s all I have — my opportunity to connect with you. I didn’t want to be the guy that everyone was like, ‘He’s got such a bad attitude.’ But I’ve been through sh*t.”

To read the full interview from Wale, head over to Billboard here.

It won’t be long before fans are able to pick up their tickets to the upcoming N.W.A. biopic Straight Outta Compton, which hits theaters this August, and a new trailer was just released sharing more footage from the film. The second official trailer for the movie shows more intense moments from the story of the iconic rap group of the ’90s, including the moment when Eazy E pulled a machine gun out of his bag in front of Jerry Heller.

Meanwhile, in today’s real world, Heller made some pretty controversial comments about the late rapper who died over two decades ago, and former Death Row founder Suge Knight. The manager of N.W.A. recently did an interview with UGS Radio’s “Murder Master Music Show,” and he revealed that he regretted talking Eazy out of murdering Suge back in the day.

“I think that Suge Knight is an evil human being…he was a bad guy. He was a bad guy then and he’s a worse guy now. The guy is lucky. And I think that like they say in Vegas to O.J. Simpson, ‘It’s payback time’… Eric [Eazy-E] knew he was a problem from the beginning and that was that meeting when I talked him out of doing what he felt that he wanted to do,” Heller said. “If you know Eric, he was very firm in his ideas. And actually, as it turned out, that he was right and I was wrong.”

Heller also talked about the biopic, explaining how he wants to watch it first with his lawyer, to make sure it’s all accurate.

“I haven’t seen anything yet. I’m waiting until the movie comes out and I’ll be there in the front row with my lawyer and looking to make sure that it’s an accurate movie. ‘Cause they didn’t reach out to me at all to give any kind of advice, or insight, or background. So, it’s hard for me to believe that they got it right. Well, I didn’t expect them to because that’s the way they are. But I certainly thought that Universal, or Warner Bros., or one of their companies would insist on it. I’m really shocked that even though they didn’t reach out that somebody didn’t reach out.”

Yesterday’s family drama between exes Rachel Roy and Dame Dash wasn’t a sick April Fools’ Day joke. The bitter custody battle between the former spouses continues to heat up after Roy called the cops on Dash for allegedly kidnapping their two daughters, when the girls weren’t in school. And Dash posted the whole debacle on his Instagram account for the world to see.

Dash, former head of Roc-a-Fella, accused his fashion designer ex-wife of using his kids against him. The 43 year old claims he hasn’t seen his daughters Ava, 16 and Tallulah, 6, in four weeks.

The former hip hop mogul wrote on Instagram:

“Using the kids to get back at the fathers does nothing positive for the kids. Crazy how hard I’ve had to fight to be a good dad with emotional women…. The math just doesn’t add up to me…but I will always fight to make sure my kids have a mother and a father but it’s the most non logical fight on the planet.”

According to court documents, Roy, 41, is keeping the girls away because Dash is an “unfit” parent. Rachel alleges Dash is a “stoner” with a history of domestic violence, deeming him unqualified to care for the girls. She also requested the judge to terminate his visitation rights.

Roy also alleges Dash is a drug addict who kidnapped their daughter from a nail salon.

Hopefully the two can come to an agreement for the sake of their kids.

The seventh season of Real Housewives of Atlanta is winding down, and the cast filmed the highly anticipated reunion last week. Whether the last original peach-holder, NeNe Leakes, will return for an eighth season remains to be seen, but her co-star Claudia Jordan thinks fans are tired of her and her fighting antics:

“You know [NeNe] had seven years on the show and she’s definitely made her mark and made some great opportunities for herself,” Claudia told People. “I think at this point people are tired of the fighting. If she’s going to play nice and get back to the fun loving NeNe, I think it would be great but if you’re going to continue to be negative, what’s the point if you’re so miserable? If it’s so awful, then move along.”

Claudia is credited with being one of the few “RHOA” cast members who has gone toe-to-toe with NeNe and left viewers debating about which lady came out on top.

“When we went head to head it’s clear that I’m not intimidated by her. She’s not going to get the best of me so I already know I got that one already. I don’t need to prove myself. She knows what it is,” she said. “I just feel like it’s ridiculous to keep on having the same, every show, women fighting all the time. When it’s warranted and you have to check someone and let them know to not disrespect me, that’s what you’re supposed to do. You set boundaries so it doesn’t keep happening.”