Jay-Z Releases His Personal and Political Album ‘4:44’ on Tidal

Jay-Z is back, and he is vulnerable. But for now, his secrets are exclusive to Tidal.

The veteran Brooklyn rapper, 47, ended weeks of speculation near midnight on Thursday, releasing “4:44,” his 13th studio album, as a digital exclusive on the streaming service he bought in 2015. The album — Jay-Z’s first since “Magna Carta ... Holy Grail” in 2013 — features 10 intensely personal and provocative tracks that, yes, include a few references to his wife Beyoncé’s marriage-baring “Lemonade” and the recent birth of the couple’s twins.

As part of a deal with Sprint, which bought a one-third stake in Tidal earlier this year, “4:44” was made available only to those who had subscribed to Tidal before the album’s release, along with existing customers of the cellphone carrier. Tidal, which trails in the streaming race dominated by Spotify and Apple Music, has relied largely on splashy exclusives from its artist partners to encourage sign-ups, making itself the first — and in some cases only — place to hear new music from Kanye West, Rihanna and Beyoncé, whose “Lemonade” has remained a Tidal exclusive since its release in April 2016.

For “4:44,” there was a populist twist to the exclusive release: The album also debuted in its entirety at midnight across 160 pop, rhythm and urban radio stations owned by the broadcast conglomerate iHeartMedia, and it will continue to be played all day Friday on select stations.

In a statement, Jay-Z, who has pulled much of his catalog from rival streaming services, called the release strategy for “4:44” a “perfect storm of sharing music with fans.”

Whether the album leads to more Tidal subscribers or just more online piracy, it is sure to be a talker. Already the lyrics are being dissected and pored over across social media and beyond as listeners attempt to decode which details come from the real lives of one of the most famous (and famously private) duos in entertainment.

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Coming in the wake of “Lemonade,” an ambitious multimedia project that was simultaneously Beyoncé’s most personal and most political work to date, “4:44” finds Jay-Z in a similar mode, weaving confessional and biographical songwriting with big-picture perspectives on black life in the United States.

Give us your thoughts...

Lamar Speaks On Sensitive Subjects On Wendy Williams

Lamar Odom says he is taking his sobriety seriously, but his past drug addiction and infidelity came at a huge price.

Notably, Odom's wife, Khloe Kardashian, filed for divorce after nearly four years of marriage in 2013. Along with losing Khloe, he lost the support of the rest of the Kardashians.

Odom was famously close to Rob Kardashian, who he used to refer to as his own brother. Now, the two don't talk.

"I guess it's maybe because I hurt his sister too much," Odom said on "The Wendy Williams Show" that aired Wednesday. "I would have a problem with me too … I mean if she was my sister."

Odom also said he hasn't met Rob's daughter, who was born in November.

As to whether Odom would get back together with Khloe Kardashian, that is a hard no.

"I say that with no offense to her — that would be the best for both of us you, know what I'm saying?" he said. "We have to keep our distance."

Odom, who left rehab in January, also said he hasn't kept up with any other Kardashians.

By Gabrielle McMillen

Posted above are a few things I found written up about Lamar Odom's Wendy Williams appearance. Well, if you ask me I think it was beyond brave of Lamar to come to the lion's den and talk to the beast first hand (not Wendy, but the media in general). Aside from money, fame and privileges we are all just humans trying to exist at the end of the day. People give more credit than deserved to Khloe for sticking by Lamar's side. I'm a firm believer in taking your vows seriously, "For Better or Worse" doesn't mean only until one of you hit rock bottom. If Khloe was a true ride or die, she would have still been there for Lamar as his wife, uplifting him and seeing to it that he got better. Love and marriage isn't always daydreams and roses but you took a vow and I believe you should do everything in your power to honor it. This is just my opinion on this matter.... what's yours?

Is Rae Sremmurd BREAKING UP???

They are absolutely NOT breaking up! But solo projects are in the works! So what are the chances Swae Lee and Slim Jxmmi release their solo projects AND SremmLife 3 all within like, a month of each other later this year.

Last year, the brothers both revealed they in fact were working on solo projects, with Swae Lee having a couple songs made for Swaecation in August. “I have eight songs right now that I feel like are candidates for the project, but I gotta make sure they’re all up to par,” he said in the interview with Complex.

Ten months later, Swae Lee said in an Instagram video his solo debut is “coming soon” without constricting himself to a release date. “Coming soon” in the rap world could be as soon as next month and as far away as never, though. Still, the idea of a solo album dropping in the coming months is exciting for both fans and Swae Lee, whose success with Rae Sremmurd and in the solo realm (“Unforgettable” with French Montana is charting high and recently appeared on 2 Chainz’s Pretty Girls Like Trap Music) is at an all-time high.

Rihanna's Poolside Session

Rihanna Caught in Hot Poolside Makeout Session With Mystery Man During Vacation in Spain

Rihanna’s got a new man! The singer was caught making out with a mystery guy in a pool in Spain.

Rihanna’s love life is always a popular topic of discussion, because we never quite know what’s going on. This time is no different. The singer was spotted canoodling with a mystery man on Monday (Jun. 26) while she vacations in Spain.

The twosome’s hot and heavy make out session was captured on camera by a stealthy paparazzo.

Between kisses, Rihanna and her new boo were seen laughing, smoking, and sipping champagne. The two later retreated into the luxury villa she been staying in.

Rhianna broke up with on/off again boyfriend Drake in October 2016. In recent years, she has also been linked to Leonardo DiCaprio, Travis Scott, and Matt Kemp.

While we don’t know who the handsome dark-haired companion in Spain is, she does seem to be enjoying his company.

What are you thoughts on this random romance?

Drake Announces 8th Annual OVO Fest with PARTYNEXTDOOR, Majid Jordan & More

The 8th annual OVO Fest is coming to Toronto in early August. One night after hosting the inaugural NBA Awards, Drake took to Instagram to announce this year’s event. Running as a two-day festival the last three years, OVO Fest will now return to a 1-day spectacle, taking place on Aug. 7 at the Budweiser Stage in Toronto (formerly the Molson Ampitheatre).

Headlined by Drake, OVO Fest 2017 will be supported by OVO Sound acts PARTYNEXTDOOR, Majid Jordan, Roy Wood$, and dvsn. Launched in 2010, Drake’s OVO Fest has brought out today’s hottest stars and heralded icons. Lil’ Wayne, Jay Z, OutKast, Usher, Lauryn Hill, Eminem, Nas, Kanye West, G-Unit, Nicki Minaj, TLC, Stevie Wonder, Diddy, Ma$e and Rick Ross are just some of the names to perform alongside the Canadian superstar. Last year’s event featured appearances by Rihanna, Kanye West, Future, and French Montana.

Tickets for OVO Fest 2017 go on-sale this Thursday (Jun. 29) at 10 a.m. EST via Ticketmaster and Live Nation. Will you be attending?

Conspiracy, Misconduct & Obstruction To Justice... Who Are The Criminals???

Three Chicago Police Offers Have Been Indicted In The Shooting Death Of Laquan McDonald

While the murder trial of Jason Van Dyke, the Chicago police officer who fatally shot Laquan McDonald in 2014, continues, the special prosecutor assigned to review the controversial nature of the event announced new charges on Tuesday. In a statement obtained by BuzzFeed News, Patricia Brown Holmes said current and former Chicago police officers David March, Joseph Walsh and Thomas Gaffney had each been charged with conspiracy, official misconduct and obstruction of justice for their efforts in what many believe was an attempt to cover-up the nature of McDonald’s death.

“The indictment makes clear that these defendants did more than merely obey an official ‘code of silence,'” said Holmes. “Rather it alleges that they lied about occurred to prevent independent criminal investigators from learning the truth.” Said investigators ultimately charged Van Dyke with first-degree murder in 2015 following the release of a graphic clip in which the officer shot McDonald 16 times in the span of 15 seconds. McDonald was holding a knife at the time, but the video revealed he didn’t approach the officers or throw the knife at Van Dyke, though they initially claimed he had.

Van Dyke pleaded non guilty to the charge of first-degree murder. How March, Walsh and Gaffney — whose collective time on the force amounts to at least 70 years — intend to plead remains unknown. The trio is scheduled to appear voluntarily at the Leighton Criminal Courthouse for their arraignment at 9am local time on July 10th.

New Music From Vince Staples

Vince Staples released his Big Fish Theory album last week, and his stopped by The Breakfast Club in New York City to talk about the project.

Vince, Charlamagne, DJ Envy and Angela Yee opened the conversation about Tupac’s biopic and what they thought about it before diving into Big Fish Theory — mainly the electronic sound of the project. “It ain’t new, people just don’t really know much about where they come from,” he said of the sound after giving examples like MC Frosty’s “Radio Activity Rapp” and Tha Dogg Pound’s “Cali Iz Active.” Big Fish Theory just draws influence from those and modernizes it.

Check out the full interview on YouTube.

Swagg Genius Clothing is on the move in the direction of  GOING UP!!! Right now we are giving away gear all summer long... I repeat ALL SUMMER LONG!!! How??? you ask. All you have to do to qualify is follow us on Instagram @swagggeniusclothing and DM us your email, it's that simple. Be sure to like a couple of pics while you're at it, it's not required but appreciated.

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Jada Pinkett Smith feedback on the "All Eyes On Me" Biopic

The film, starring Demetrius Shipp, Jr. and Kat Graham as Tupac and Jada, was released on Friday (16Jun17) - what would have been the rapper’s 46th birthday - and though the critics are raving, The Matrix Reloaded star is far from impressed.

In a series of tweets sent out on Friday, she wrote: "Forgive me... my relationship to Pac is too precious to me for the scenes in All Eyez On Me to stand as truth."

Jada then detailed the inaccuracies in the movie, stating: "Pac never read me that poem. I didn't know that poem existed until it was printed in his book... Pac never said goodbye to me before leaving for LA. He had to leave abruptly and it wasn't to pursue his career."

"I've never been to any of Pac's shows by his request," she added. "We never had an argument backstage."

And Jada admits the "re-imagining of my relationship to Pac" has been "deeply hurtful".

However, the actress, who became one of Shakur's closest friends when they attended Baltimore's School of Arts in Maryland together, insists she still thinks the stars of the new biopic deserve credit for their performances, adding: "Thank you for bringing so much heart and spirit to your roles. You both did a beautiful job with what you were given. Thank you both."

Jada ended her social media rant by wishing her late friend a happy birthday, adding, "you are cradled in my heart for eternity. I love you."

BET Awards Performance: Future Surprises the Crowd With Kendrick as Surprise Guest!

Future has been unstoppable in 2017, as he made history with back-to-back No. 1 albums on the Billboard 200 in consecutive weeks with Future and HNDRXX in February. Now, "Mask Off" has become the highest-charting single of his career, sitting at No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 after peaking at No. 5 in May.

He brought that string of success to the BET Awards stage, ripping through "Mask Off" with the help of surprise guest Kendrick Lamar, whose remix of the track in May caught plenty of attention.

Starting off solo and with a mask over his face, Future quickly lost the mask and tore into the track, before Kendrick emerged halfway through rocking black Nikes and an all-black outfit to deliver his lyrical gymnastics with the ATLien by his side.  What are your thoughts on this collab and their performance?

The Passing Of A Prodigy

Born in Hempstead, New York, raised in Queens, Prodigy became a member of the street-wise duo Mobb Deep. His grandfather, Budd Johnson, and his great-uncle Keg Johnson were strong contributors to the Bebop era of jazz, making Prodigy just that for music at a young age. Nas helped to raise public consciousness about Prodigy and Havoc, as the single, “Shook Ones Pt. 2,” raced up the hip-hop charts.

An album fueled by the inner city experiences of the then-young lyricists, The Infamous and Hell on Earth became hip-hop classics, studied by the likes of Eminem, Capone-N-Noreaga and more.

The group’s publicist issued a statement confirming the news stating:

“It is with extreme sadness and disbelief that we confirm the death of our dear friend Albert Johnson, better known to millions of fans as Prodigy of legendary NY rap duo Mobb Deep. Prodigy was hospitalized a few days ago in Vegas after a Mobb Deep performance for complications caused by a sickle cell anemia crisis. As most of his fans know, Prodigy battled the disease since birth. The exact causes of death have yet to be determined. We would like to thank everyone for respecting the family’s privacy at this time.”

New Edition Receives The BET Lifetime Achievement Award

The seminal R&B group New Edition dished out nostalgia along with their signature dance moves while receiving the BET Lifetime Achievement Award. In addition to the performance (where they were joined with the cast members of their show), a tribute video, and a speech, the group that dominated the ’80s gave a lengthy performance, including hits “Can You Stand the Rain” and “If This Isn’t Love.” How did you feel about their performance?

The Return of 90's R&B Group XSCAPE

One of the most legendary moments that ‘90s R&B fans everywhere have been waiting for arrived when Xscape came to the stage for their first BET Awards reunion performance.

Seated for a calming, soft, but powerful reintroduction, the ladies were absolutely stunning in their ensembles. The highly-anticipated comeback saw Tiny, Kandi, LaTocha and Tamika become the throwback stars of the night in just a few songs.  -Written by Diamond Alexis

I was very excited to see Xscape hit the stage doing some of their classics, looking as good as they did, but how do you feel about their performance? Some sounded as if they never took a ten year hiatus and others.... well, sounded as if they "Xscaped" rehearsal (I'll leave that for you to decide who's who). There even seemed to be a little onstage presence rivalry. But all in all this is a good look for the group and I have faith that they will rekindle that old chemistry. What are your thought???