09 Jun

Posted at 23:11h in Music, Throwback
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It’s not clear when or how it happened, but Sunshine Anderson’s “Heard It All Before” has become a cookout standard. And now that we are officially in cookout season, it’s only right that we revisit this unexpected classic.

Released in February 2001, “Heard It All Before” was the lead single from Sunshine Anderson’s debut album, Your Woman. The song is a kiss-off to a cheating lover who keeps repeating the same lies, and believe me when I say the early 2000s was not lacking when it came to these types of songs. However, most of them were forgotten as the years passed.

Sometime over the next 15 years, “Heard It All Before” achieved anthem status, but despite its theme, it’s not the breakup anthem you would expect it to be. The song has now become a staple on cookout playlists, so much so that people now believe it to be an important part of a successful cookout.

A remix for “Heard It All Before” — recorded as a duet with Brandy — was made, but it didn’t see the light of day till years later and has never gotten an official release.

“Heard It All Before” would become Sunshine Anderson’s one and only song to crack the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at No. 18. However, the enduring legacy of that one song has helped secure her place in popular music — and cookout — history.

PS: I never noticed Macy Gray in this music video until today.

02 Jun

Posted at 21:09h in Music, Throwback
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In August of 1994, Aaliyah released “At Your Best (You Are Love)” as the second single from her debut album, Age Ain’t Nothing but a Number. Unfortunately, it is impossible to talk about that album without talking about R. Kelly, who produced all 13 of its tracks and also wrote all except this very song, which is a cover of The Isley Brothers’ 1976 original.

Aaliyah’s rendition, though released in the ‘90s, somehow manages to sound more ‘70s than the original version. The stripped-down production and the singer’s breathy vocals come together like a Minnie Riperton song. Aaliyah achieved the remarkable feat of being restrained yet flamboyant, and it is made even more remarkable by the fact that she was only 14 when she recorded this song.

If you’re keeping a list of covers that blow their originals out of the water, make sure this song is registered.

02 Jun

Posted at 20:18h in Movies
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A jury has awarded Johnny Depp $10 million in compensatory damages and $5 million in punitive damages in his defamation suit against ex-wife Amber Heard, who was present in the court room when the verdict was read yesterday — the Pirates of the Caribbean is currently on tour in London. The Commonwealth of Virginia caps punitive damages at $350,000, which brings the judgment against Heard down to $10.35 million.

Heard, on the other hand, was awarded $2 million in compensatory damages in her countersuit, which brings the amount owed to Johnny Depp down to $8.35 million. Both actors released statements with minutes of the verdict. Depp said he was “truly humbled,” while Heard said she was “disappointed with what this verdict means for other women.”

In an interview on The Today Show, Heard’s lawyer, Elaine Charlson Bredehoft, says her client is unable to pay the $8.35 million owed to Depp following yesterday’s verdict. She also complained about the undue influence of social media throughout the trial.

02 Jun

Posted at 13:08h in Reality TV
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NeNe Leakes is being sued by Malomine
Tehmeh-Sioh, the wife of her boyfriend, Nyonisela Sioh. Malomine’s suit accuses he Real Housewives of Atlanta star of being in an extramarital affair with Nyoni, which led to their separation.

According to TMZ, Malomine claims she suffered emotional distress, mental anguish, and a loss of affection due to the affair. She’s suing for $100,000.

The suit was filed in North Carolina, one of seven states that allow spouses to sue sidepieces for “alienation of affection.”

26 May

Posted at 14:15h in Music, Throwback
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Today in 2007, the world was introduced to a recording artist named Kisean Paul Anderson, better known as Sean Kingston. The then-17-year-old released his debut single, “Beautiful Girls,” and the kids — myself included — ate it up. As it turns 15 years old today, the song also becomes TBT-eligible around these parts.

Co-written by the singer, J.R. Rotem and Peter Harrison, ”Beautiful Girls” is a doo-wop/reggae blend based on a sample of Ben E. King’s “Stand by Me.” Its music video plays on the doo-wop feel, flashing back and forth between the ‘50s and 2000s. The video also includes a prominent appearance by Lil Mama that I didn’t notice until today. In my defense, she was unknown at the time — her debut single, “Lip Gloss,” dropped a few weeks after “Beautiful Girls” and became a hit later that summer. She would end up being featured on one of the three ”Beautiful Girls” remixes.

With “Beautiful Girls,” Sean Kingston joined an elite club of artists who topped the Billboard Hot 100 with their debut single. He also became the first artist born in the ‘90s to top chart. The song would also reach No. 1 in the UK, Canada, New Zealand, Ireland and Australia.

26 May

Posted at 12:35h in Crime, Movies
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British prosecutors have charged Kevin Spacey with four counts of sexual assault against three men. He has also been charged with causing a person to engage in penetrative sexual activity without consent.

Most of the alleged incidents took place in London between March 2005 and August 2008, while one of them took place in western England in April 2013. According to the Associated Press, the alleged victims are now in their 30s and 40s.

These charges were announced just as the actor was testifying in court today in New York City as part of an ongoing civil suit filed by actor Anthony Rapp, who accuses Spacey of making sexual advances to him when he was just 14 years old.

23 May

Posted at 11:21h in Crime, Music
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Gunna has pled not guilty to the RICO charge filed two weeks ago. The judge has denied his request for a bond due to concerns about possible “danger to witnesses and other folks tied to this,” but may consider bond for good cause at a later date. The rapper (born Sergio Kitchens) has his next court date scheduled for January 9, 2023.

Young Thug (born Jeffery Williams), who was indicted alongside Gunna, also had his bond request denied just days after he was arrested, but his attorney is pushing for emergency bond due to “inhumane” and “dungeon-like” conditions.

23 May

Posted at 09:24h in Comedy, Viral
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In a new interview with the NY Post, Isaiah Lee — the man who attacked Dave Chappelle onstage a few weeks ago — says he tackled the comedian because he was triggered by his jokes about the LGBTQ community, pedophilia, and homelessness.

The 23-year-old, who identifies as bisexual and was once homeless, says he “wanted him [Dave Chappelle] to know what he said was triggering.” He adds, “I wanted him to know that next time, he should consider first running his material by people it could affect.” He says his was moved to tackle the Chappelle when another performer in the show’s lineup made a joke about pedophilia, which reminded him about the molestation he experienced as a 17-year-old while under the care of the Department of Children and Family Services in Los Angeles.

Isaiah Lee — who is also a rapper and goes by the stage name NoName_Trapper — says he never meant to hurt Dave Chappelle. 🤔

In related news, the headlines has gotten Isaiah Lee in more legal trouble. A former roommate — who identified him after the Chappelle incident — says he stabbed him at a transitional housing facility in December, which has led to an attempted murder charge. Lee has pled not guilty.