Latest news with #SanDiegoPrideFestival
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Fat Joe & Jadakiss Host Father's Day Lunch for 70 Families Impacted by Criminal Justice System
Fat Joe and Jadakiss hosted a Father's Day luncheon at Sei Less NYC on Wednesday afternoon (June 11) for 70 fathers and their families who have been impacted by the criminal justice system. The Joe & Jada podcast co-hosts shared words of wisdom and traded stories with the families on hand while munching on an array of delectable Asian fusion dishes at the Manhattan staple. More from Billboard Fat Joe & Jadakiss Team Up to Launch New Music, Sports & Culture Podcast Jewish Groups Withdraw From 2025 San Diego Pride Festival Over Kehlani's Support For Palestine Elizabeth Hurley Gushes About Being 'In Love' in Birthday Suit Picture Amid Billy Ray Cyrus Romance After posing for photos and selfies, some of the fathers even had the chance to play their own music for the pair of New York rap veterans throughout the afternoon. 'A lot of kids grew up, parents used drugs and parents in jail and all that — the fact that I had my father, a real leader in my household, and working and always kept me focused on the right things,' Joe said of his relationship with his father. 'Kiss reflected on the importance of helping reintegrate those who were incarcerated back into productive members of society. 'Just hitting that switch to let them know that they can come back and get right due to whatever hardships they went through,' Jada said. 'There's some hope now when you come back to get readjusted. Hopefully change your financial situation.' Joe also implored fathers who have fractured relationships with their kids to reconnect. 'Reconnect with your kids because sometimes kids can get bitter their parents were away in jail,' Joe added. 'You gotta find that bond. It's always there, but you gotta find that red tape to get in sync.' He continued: 'Start now. Forget if you messed up the last 10, 20, 30 years. Start now to be a productive father and get your relationship with your kids. … On New Year's everyone want to lose weight; I think Father's Day should be an adjustment with you and your kids.' Joe and Jadakiss hosted the event in collaboration with Sei Less co-founder Dara Mirjahangiry and the REFORM Alliance, ensuring that this Father's Day these families had something to celebrate. 'Working with Fat Joe, Jadakiss and REFORM to celebrate these fathers at Sei Less was truly special,' Mirjahangiry said. 'Ahead of Father's Day, we really wanted to shine a light on these fathers who have been impacted by the criminal justice system and support their re-entry journey with compassion. It was a powerful way to bond through culture, community and cuisine.' Best of Billboard Chart Rewind: In 1989, New Kids on the Block Were 'Hangin' Tough' at No. 1 Janet Jackson's Biggest Billboard Hot 100 Hits H.E.R. & Chris Brown 'Come Through' to No. 1 on Adult R&B Airplay Chart
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
DJ Akademiks Denies Taking Payola From Drake During Kendrick Battle
DJ Akademiks denied taking payola from Drake in exchange for favorable opinions on his media platforms. During a recent livestream, the popular rap media personality said he had a conversation with pgLang co-founder Dave Free when he attended a Grand National Tour stop about the integrity of his coverage during the Drake and Kendrick Lamar battle. More from Billboard Jewish Groups Withdraw From 2025 San Diego Pride Festival Over Kehlani's Support For Palestine Elizabeth Hurley Gushes About Being 'In Love' in Birthday Suit Picture Amid Billy Ray Cyrus Romance Jin Says He'd Love to Collab With Bruno Mars in Puppy Interview 'Dave Free had a moment — he asked me — he said, 'Ak, what are you getting from this?' He says, 'Is he paying you,'' Akademiks said, allegedly that Free asked him about taking money from the Toronto rapper. 'And that was the most insulting thing — and I've had conversations with these men for a while — but the very idea that I was like a purchasable commodity was so disgusting,' he revealed. Ak then went on to say that he told Free that he was already popular before the beef reached a boiling point last spring. 'I reminded him,' he began. 'I said, 'You know I've been doing this for over 10 years. I've been doing this for over 15 years. How did you think I became me?' I said, 'You knew about me before this sh—t… Did you think I was a cheap h— that just could be bought?'' He added, 'That was the most insulting thing I could have heard. Because his idea was, 'Well if you're not getting paid by this guy, if Drake ain't paying you, why do you lean that much in that direction?' The people who I've defended the most I've never gotten paid from.' He did admit that his favorable coverage has benefited certain artists he likes, but reiterated that he doesn't take money, saying, 'Now, has my platform benefited them? Yeah, of course. But, again, we don't do pay-for-play. You can't buy my opinion. I've always said, 'The moment you could buy my opinion, I don't matter.'' Ak continued by also admitting that he was biased during the back-and-forth because Drake is his favorite rapper and because Kendrick's team cut off communication with him. 'Throughout the battle, we probably definitely came off very biased,' he said. 'Not only because I like Drake and he's my favorite rapper… but you guys lost communications with us at that time because if you chose not to involve yourself in clarifying the narrative, the narrative gets written without you. It always happens like that. I'm in the media, I know how it goes.' Billboard reached out to reps for pgLang for additional comment. You can watch the full stream here. Best of Billboard Chart Rewind: In 1989, New Kids on the Block Were 'Hangin' Tough' at No. 1 Janet Jackson's Biggest Billboard Hot 100 Hits H.E.R. & Chris Brown 'Come Through' to No. 1 on Adult R&B Airplay Chart
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Raekwon and Ghostface Killah Release Trailer for ‘Only Built 4 Cuban Linx' Documentary
Raekwon and Ghostface Killah have dropped the trailer for an upcoming documentary focused on the former's seminal 1995 album Only Built 4 Cuban Linx…. The trailer for the film, called The Purple Tape Files, included cameos from Kendrick Lamar, Method Man and numerous other Wu-Tang Clan members who shared their thoughts about the project. 'It ushered in the alter egos, the aliases,' RZA says, while Lamar adds, 'Still, to this day, it's flows that you haven't heard before, saying the most wild s—t.' More from Billboard Jewish Groups Withdraw From 2025 San Diego Pride Festival Over Kehlani's Support For Palestine Elizabeth Hurley Gushes About Being 'In Love' in Birthday Suit Picture Amid Billy Ray Cyrus Romance Jin Says He'd Love to Collab With Bruno Mars in Puppy Interview Many people referred to the LP as The Purple Album and Raekwon said the color purple was an intentional choice for the cover. 'I put myself into a serious mind frame,' Raekwon said. 'A serious storytelling album. I had to make this product stand out…I knew that purple represents royalty, and that's exactly what I was looking for,' he said. Raekwon went on to talk about having to prove himself as a rapper in his own right. 'We had to make a conscious decision,' he said. 'Either we want to stay here and keep holding guns and want to run around playing this game, or did we want to go for the American dream and get on this rap s—t.' Only Built 4 Cuban Linx… is considered one of the greatest rap albums of all time, and a mafioso rap masterpiece. By 2009, the album was certified platinum by the RIAA. Check out the trailer for The Purple Tape Files below. Best of Billboard Chart Rewind: In 1989, New Kids on the Block Were 'Hangin' Tough' at No. 1 Janet Jackson's Biggest Billboard Hot 100 Hits H.E.R. & Chris Brown 'Come Through' to No. 1 on Adult R&B Airplay Chart
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Jewish Groups Withdraw From 2025 San Diego Pride Festival Over Kehlani's Support For Palestine
All the Jewish groups that have traditionally participated in the San Diego Pride Festival have pulled out of this year's event due to headliner Kehlani's vocal support for Palestine. According to the San Francisco Chronicle, eight organizations and synagogues issued a joint statement this week saying that their decision was due to 'serious safety concerns' prompted by what they called the R&B singer's 'repeated amplification of violent antisemitic rhetoric.' Among those pulling out of the event slated to take place on July 19-20 in San Diego's Balboa Park — Kehlani is slated to perform on the first day of the fest — are the Jewish Federation of San Diego, Anti-Defamation League of San Diego and the Lawrence Family Jewish Community Center. In a statement released last week, the organizations said their decision came after 'The Finest Community Coalition released a statement last month, signed by nearly three dozen Jewish organizations, urging San Diego Pride to reconsider giving Kehlani a platform. That appeal has thus far gone unanswered, and as a result, there will be no organized Jewish presence at San Diego Pride this year.' More from Billboard Tyler, the Creator, Finneas, Kehlani & More React to Los Angeles Protests Against ICE Cloonee Postpones L.A. Shows Amid ICE Raids: 'I Will Not Throw a Party Whilst the Latino People Who Have Supported Me in This City Are Hurting' Leon Thomas' 'Mutt' Snatches Third Radio Crown of 2025 In addition to those organizations, the Chronicle reported that festival's current director of medical operations and her assistant director have stepped down from their volunteer roles. In response to the actions, San Diego Pride's board of directors said in a statement that it does not endorse the political views of any of its performers. 'Each member of our community must make their own decision about attending this year's events, but we hope everyone will come out as a sign of solidarity for our queer community,' read their statement. 'We honor the value of artistic integrity, the importance of free expression and the role that artists play in shaping culture, challenging systems and amplifying voices while respecting each other's differences.' Kehlani has been hit by a series of boycotts and cancellations due to her pro-Palestinian comments throughout Israel's ongoing war against Hamas following the militant group's terror attack on the Jewish state on Oct. 7, 2023, during which raiders killed more than 1,200 people and took more than 250 hostages. In the ensuing war, Israeli bombing and incursions into the Gaza Strip and other Palestinian-majority territories have resulted in the deaths of more than 55,000 Palestinians according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which does not make distinctions between military and civilian deaths. In May, Kehlani's Central Park Pride concert in New York was canceled under advisement from the city's mayor. The festival announced that the Pride with Kehlani show slated for June 26 as part of New York's SummerStage series of shows was called off after it was notified by Mayor Eric Adams' office that 'they have concerns for security and safety issues.' Kehlani responded to that cancelation with a 'lol' on their Instagram Stories. The SummerStage cancelation came after Cornell University pulled the plug on a planned Kehlani appearance at the school's annual Slope Day event on May 7 over her public support for Palestinians and what they deemed her 'antisemitic, anti-Israel sentiments.' Kehlani responded the the Cornell cancelation with a statement on April 26 in which they said, 'I am being asked and called to clarify and make a statement yet again, for the millionth time, that I am not antisemitic nor anti-Jew. I am anti-genocide, I am anti the actions of the Israeli government, I am anti an extermination of an entire people, I am anti the bombing of innocent children, men, women — that's what I'm anti.' The singer added, 'In fact, the very first Live that I did in the beginning of this genocide was with a really beautiful Jewish organization called Jewish Voices for Peace, and I still continue to learn from and work alongside really impactful Jewish organizers against this genocide.' Oakland native Kehlani was also slated to be a headliner at SoSF, a new San Francisco pride festival, but they announced last week that they had pulled out of that June 28 event. Kehlani's 2024 'Next 2 U' video featured the phrase 'long live the intifada,' a reference to the two violent uprisings in the West Bank and Gaza Strip aimed at ending Israel's occupation of those territories. It also depicted the singer and their background dancers waving Palestinian flags and wearing suits made of traditional keffiyeh scarves. In a since-removed Instagram video last May, Kehlani called out their musical peers for not joining in and commenting on Israel's war against Hamas, saying, 'You can't speak? Disgusting… It's f–k Israel. It's f–k Zionism. And it's f–k a lot of ya'll too.'Best of Billboard Chart Rewind: In 1989, New Kids on the Block Were 'Hangin' Tough' at No. 1 Janet Jackson's Biggest Billboard Hot 100 Hits H.E.R. & Chris Brown 'Come Through' to No. 1 on Adult R&B Airplay Chart
Yahoo
05-06-2025
- Yahoo
Local LGBTQ+ community deals with vandalism amid Pride Month
SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — The LGBTQ+ community has recently suffered a handful of acts of vandalism, leading some in the community to feel unsafe. 'Hillcrest is under attack and the LGBTQ+ community is under attack,' said Benjamin Nicholls, the executive director of the Hillcrest Business Association. That is the mutual feeling, according to activists and residence in the Hillcrest area. Pride Month events in San Diego: How to celebrate before July's parade, festival And across town in Allied Gardens at the Accession Lutheran Church, they too have had their Pride flags torn off their walls on several occasions. 'During Pride Month, it's really sad to hear that people are taking actions against our community,' said Gus Hernandez, an LGBT Community Center director. 'Taking down symbols from our community, in this case a Pride flag.' The Lutheran Church had put the Pride flags back up two times before, but Wednesday night the wall was bare. 'Lately there is a lot of anxiety and the temperature of the community is on high alert,' said Hernandez. 'Folks are used to these sorts of attacks on our rights.' Kehlani, Kim Petras to headline San Diego Pride Festival This latest vandalism comes on the heels of two other convictions of vandals targeting the Hillcrest community, who will be forced to pay for the damage they caused they painted with swastikas. 'This definitely feels like an important moment in history that we are dealing with,' said Hernandez. 'The way that Hillcrest responds to that is by showing up,' Nicholls added. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
