Young Thug, Concerns Over Rap Lyrics as Evidence in Court

 Posted on August 20, 2024  |  9 minutes  |  1887 words  |  Martina Birk

The trial of Grammy Award-winning rapper Young Thug, real name Jeffery Lamar Williams, began on Monday in Atlanta, Ga. The trial is expected to take months and will be pivotal in shaping how the controversial use of rap lyrics as evidence in criminal cases is practiced going forward. The 31-year-old rapper was arrested in May 2022 on eight charges including conspiracy and street gang activity. The sweeping, 88-page indictment heavily cited his lyrics, music videos, and social media posts, and named 27 other people associated with his record label Young Stoner Life (YSL Records), including his protegé, the rapper Gunna (real name Sergio Kitchens). [Read More]

'Burlesque' Review: Moderate Musical Lacks Fun Bad Taste

 Posted on August 19, 2024  |  5 minutes  |  860 words  |  Tandra Barner

Ali (Christina Aguilera), a lonely innocent from Iowa newly arrived in Los Angeles, has lucky timing. The heroine of the musical Burlesque walks into a Sunset Boulevard nightclub where scantily clad women are gyrating onstage and Alan Cumming is manning the cash register. "Is this a strip club?" Ali asks. Cumming looks appalled. "I should wash your mouth out with Jägermeister," he says, fluttering his eyelashes. Then Tess (Cher), the club's owner and resident diva, struts out onto the stage, as imposing and stiff as a stilt walker, and belts out a number called " [Read More]

1. Living Alone Is The New Norm

 Posted on August 19, 2024  |  4 minutes  |  721 words  |  Patria Henriques

The extraordinary rise of solitary living is the biggest social change that we’ve neglected to identify, let alone examine. Consider that in 1950, a mere 4 million Americans lived alone, and they made up only 9% of households. Back then, going solo was most common in the open, sprawling Western states–Alaska, Montana and Nevada–that attracted migrant workingmen, and it was usually a short-lived stage on the road to a more conventional domestic life. [Read More]

Africa Creative Market Announces 3rd Edition: 'Innovation meets Imagination'

 Posted on August 19, 2024  |  2 minutes  |  250 words  |  Patria Henriques

Under the theme "Innovation Meets Imagination," ACM 3.0 aims to redefine the boundaries of creativity by bringing together key stakeholders from Africa and around the globe. This year's focus is on integrating technology into the creative sector, enabling industries to leverage technological advancements for enhanced commercial profitability and innovative growth. Hosted by Ascend Studios Foundation, the event is a cornerstone for dialogue, innovation, and partnership, fostering sustainable progress within Africa's dynamic creative landscape. [Read More]

An Ode to the Abuelos of Cinema

 Posted on August 19, 2024  |  7 minutes  |  1330 words  |  Billy Koelling

The surprise hero in a superhero movie—to themselves, at least, if not the audience—is usually the main character. A radioactive spider bites a teenager and suddenly he’s climbing up walls and saving the day. A soft-spoken scientist is exposed to gamma radiation and transforms into a super strong green giant. In the new DC movie Blue Beetle, out in theaters on Aug. 18, an ancient relic of alien biotechnology crawls up a recent college grad, Jaime Reyes (Xolo Maridueña), and gives him a suit of extraordinary armor. [Read More]

Anthropic Releases New AI Model Claude 3.5 Sonnet

 Posted on August 19, 2024  |  4 minutes  |  682 words  |  Patria Henriques

Anthropic launched a new AI model Thursday which it says is its “most intelligent model yet.” The new model, Claude 3.5 Sonnet, is reportedly twice as fast as Claude 3 Opus, the company’s previous best-in-class AI, and five times cheaper to run. Following a trend set by its competitor OpenAI—which just last month released the newest version of ChatGPT, GPT-4o—Claude 3.5 Sonnet is free for all users on the web and iOS to access. [Read More]

BBNaija 2021: Arin, Emmanuel, Nini, Princess, Saskay & Tega nominated for eviction

 Posted on August 19, 2024  |  1 minutes  |  141 words  |  Billy Koelling

Up for possible eviction this week are Arin, Emmanuel, Nini, Princess, Saskay and Tega. The housemates got the highest votes during the nomination session that saw the exclusion of the newly introduced housemates. At least one of the nominated housemates will exit the show on Sunday. ADVERTISEMENT Prior to the nomination announcement, Big Brother cautioned the housemates on the prevalence of whispering and speaking in hushed tones in the house. [Read More]

BOOKS: TABOO TIME | TIME

 Posted on August 19, 2024  |  2 minutes  |  292 words  |  Martina Birk

Martha Duffy March 10, 1997 12:00 AM EST It might be better if this woeful memoir had been a novel; its tone of hysterical self-obsession might pass as fiction. But Kathryn Harrison has already drawn on the theme of adult incest in her 1991 novel, Thicker than Water, to no great reverberance, so in The Kiss (Random House; 207 pages; $20) she tries the currently fashionable route of confession. Hers: an affair with her father. [Read More]

Davido confirms upcoming video which costs 100 million naira

 Posted on August 19, 2024  |  1 minutes  |  130 words  |  Billy Koelling

Davido made the revelation in an interview with Beat FM which has rebranded to 'TIMELESS FM' in honour of Davido, a rebranding that will run for 2 days. In the interview, Davido said he has shot a video for one of the songs on the album and it cost 100 million naira. The video was shot by ace videographer TG Omori who is known for his big budget cuts. [Read More]