In case you missed it, episodes 43 (“Now Why Am I in It?”) and 44 (“Smoker’s Lungs”) are both up.
On episode 43, life coach and DEI professional Thevey Felix joined me to discuss Usher & T-Pain’s airline convo, DaBaby & Megan Thee Stallion’s Twitter fight, Britney Spears’ conservatorship, Nick Cannon’s ever-growing brood, and so much more.
On episode 44, Alexis Garner stopped by to discuss Bill Cosby’s release, Sha’Carri Richardson’s suspension, the BET Awards, a potential Verzuz between Lil’ Kim and Nicki Minaj, and so much more.
On March 15, 1994 — one year after having their one and only child together — Mr. & Mrs. Bobby Brown (as introduced by Patti LaBelle) took the stage at the 8th Soul Train Awards. The then-married couple met at that very award show five years earlier. They performed “Something in Common,” their very first collabo and the only one to get the music video treatment. The song was a track from Brown’s third studio album, Bobby, and was released internationally as a single.
The performance took place at a time when the two were a power couple in the true sense of the word. Brown had just concluded another successful era with Bobby (which produced two top 10s on the Billboard Hot 100) while Houston had won Album of the Year at the Grammys (for The Bodyguard) just two weeks prior.
We all know how the story eventually ends, but on that particular day, there was never a better time to be Bobby & Whitney.
USA Track & Field — the governing body of track & field in the country — announced its roster for the Olympics and it had one very notable exclusion: Sha’Carri Richardson.
Richardson’s recent 30-day suspension disqualifies her from the sprint in Tokyo but expires ahead of the 4x100m relay. However, the USATF reserves the right to not select her for the team, and that is apparently what they have done.
In a statement, the organization said:
“All USATF athletes are equally aware of and must adhere to the current anti-doping code, and our credibility as the National Governing Body would be lost if rules were only enforced under certain circumstances.”
And it was supposedly over Lil Uzi Vert’s ex, Brittany Byrd.
According to TMZ, Uzi (26 years old, 5’4”) pulled up to Dialog Cafe in West Hollywood because he somehow found out that Byrd was there meeting up with SAINt JHN (34 years old, 6’2”) — the two were reportedly discussing a business project and were there with other people.
Basically, Uzi is stalking his ex.
Uzi reportedly confronted everyone at the table and then tried to fight SAINt JHN. Witnesses say Uzi swung and missed, and then fell to the ground. Awkward.
As he fell, a gun fell out from Uzi’s pockets. Byrd apparently approached Uzi, who then struck and pushed his pointed gun into her stomach.
Byrd was hospitalized after the incident and has since filed a police report.
In her first interview since the news of her failed drug test broke, Sha’Carri Richardson apologized to her fans, family, sponsors, and even her haters for slipping up, but made it clear that she would never be caught using a steroid.
The US Anti-Doping Agency has also released a statement confirming the failed drug test and announcing that Richardson has accepted a 30-day suspension that began on June 28 and ends on July 27, which means she will definitely miss the 100m sprint at the Olympics but will be able to compete in the 4x100m relay.
Jenna Prandini, who came in fourth at the Olympic trials, will get Sha’Carri’s spot in the 100m race at the Olympics.
Yesterday, the NBA announced that Toronto Raptors rookie Jalen Harris has been dismissed from the league for violating its Anti-Drug Program.
The NBA, it’s teams, and the NBPA are prohibited from disclosing further details about violation. Prohibited drugs including cocaine, LSD and opiates — referred to as “drugs of abuse.” In recent years, the league has laxed its policy on marijuana, adopting a three-strike rule that ultimately results in a five-game suspension, as opposed to a two-year suspension for drugs of abuse.
As a first-year player, Harris can apply for reinstatement in a year.
Sha’Carri Richardson reportedly tested positive for cannabis at last month’s Olympic trials. According to reporter Tyler Dragon, she is facing a 30-day suspension, which means she may miss the 100m sprint at the Olympics, but will be able to compete at the 4x100m relay.
Earlier on Thursday, it has been reported that she will no longer be competing at the Diamond League in Stockholm this Sunday, where she was scheduled to run in the 200m race. No explanation had been given for the sudden withdrawal, but it appears the failed drug test might be why.
In apparent anticipation of the headlines, Richardson tweeted “I am human” hours earlier on Friday.
Melissa Arnette Elliott arrived on this planet on this day in 1971. At age 20, she would form a R&B girl group called Fayze (later called Sista) that secured a deal with Elektra Records. The group seemed to be on its way to joining the ranks of the superstar girl groups that defined the ’90s. However, after the group’s debut album got shelved, the members went their separate ways.
With the end of Sista, Melissa — along with childhood friend Timothy Mosley (a.k.a. Timbaland) — was now focusing on writing and producing songs for other artists. Also, she began rapping and was now going by the name we would know her by: Missy Elliott.
As she began building a repertoire of classics as a writer and producer — from Aaliyah’s “One in a Million” to 702’s “Steelo” — Missy was also dropping classic verses (and hee-hee-hee-hee-haw-ing) as a featured artist on a number of hits. By 1997, she was ready to release her debut album.
As a child who grew up in the ’90s, I was spoilt with good music, but there are only a few instances I can remember where I heard something that — even as a child — I recognized as truly different from the rest. Missy Elliott’s “The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)” is one of those instances. Now, of course, I was too young to know that the song borrowed its key elements from the Ann Peebles classic, but it was the first time that I loved a song that wasn’t melodic in a typical way.
Over the next few years, I would become a whole Missy stan as she blessed us with one classic after the other, all accompanied with quirky yet amazing videos, and all while remaining original every step of the way. For millennials of a certain age, her songs are the soundtrack of our lives and a reminder of just how good we had it.
Join me in celebrating the life and career of this singing-, rapping-, dancing-, songwriting-ass queen!
“The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)”
“One Minute Man” (featuring Ludacris & Trina)
“All n My Grill” (featuring Big Boi & Nicole Wray)
The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania has overturned Bill Cosby’s 2018 sexual assault conviction due to an agreement the disgraced star made with a prosecutor (named Bruce Castor — who defended Donald Trump during his second impeachment trial), which prevented him from being charged.
The comedian has served two years after being found guilty of drugging and sexually assaulting a Temple University employee named Andrea Constand in 2004.
Yet another former child star is accused of behaving inappropriately with a minor.
According to legal documents obtained by TMZ, KyleMassey allegedly sent explicit pictures, videos and text messages to a 13-year-old girl in December 2018 and January 2019. The former Disney star was 27 years old at the time.
Massey has been charged with one count of communication with a minor for immoral purposes. The girl — who has known him since 2009, when she was just four years old — had filed a civil lawsuit back in March 2019 (which went nowhere because her lawyers didn’t think the actor had deep enough pockets to make it worth it). At the time, Massey claimed he was being extorted.
Kyle Massey was due in court on Monday, but failed to show up.
