Archive for the ‘kanye west’ Category

Charges Against Kanye West Dropped

October 27, 2009

Written By: Victoria H. (Urban Editor)

Charges filed against Kanye and his bodyguard Don Crowley for a fight with photographers at LAX last September was dropped, but Kanye and Don will have to complete 50 hours of community service.

Kanye and his bodyguard were facing misdemeanor charges after the two struggled with photographers in which camera equipment was broken and a photographer was injured.

Since the incident, Kanye settled with photographer, paying for the damaged equipment and injuries suffered. Kanye also attended 12 hours of anger management.

Kanye West In India?

October 14, 2009

Written By: Victoria H. (Urban Editor)

Kanye has been keeping a low profile recently- he canceled several TV appearances, a tour with Lady Gaga (Lady Gaga will tour solo) and a New Year’s Eve show at Madison Square Garden.

Many are wondering what is going on and rumors are already circulating that Kanye is in rehab (there were several reports that Kanye was drunk at the VMA’s). There is no confirmation that Kanye is in rehab, but Kanye did say on The Jay Leno show “I need to take some time off and just analyze how I’m going to make it through the rest of this life, how I’m going to improve.”

Sources close to Kanye are saying that Kanye might be in India to find himself. In the past two years, Kanye has lost his mother, his engagement with Alexis Rainey ended and he has had some legal trouble. Some close to Kanye said that he has not dealt with these situations and now feels overwhelmed. A source said that “Kanye knows he needs to come back from this break changed, and that isn’t going to happen at some rehab overlooking the ocean. He goes to India, he has a chance to come back seeming like he learned something from what happened.” The source also added that “there’s no plan yet for him to step back into the spotlight soon any time soon.”

Regardless if Kanye is in India, rehab or some other location, I hope that he is getting the break he deserves and that he is getting better.

Lady Gaga Will Tour Without Kanye

October 2, 2009

Written By: Victoria H. (Urban Editor)

As previously reported, the “Fame Kills” tour with Kanye and Lady Gaga was canceled, but Lady Gaga said that she will tour solo. Lady Gaga’s tour is expected to start in mid-November.

Lady Gaga said that her and Kanye “mutually decided to cancel the tour” and that “Kanye is going to take some time off, but I’m not.”

Kanye West/Lady Gaga Tour Cancelled

October 2, 2009

Written By: Victoria H. (Urban Editor)

Kanye’s “Fame Kills” tour with Lady Gaga has been canceled. The tour was scheduled to start in November. No reason was given for the cancellation, but there were rumors that Kanye and Lady Gaga were fighting daily and that ticket sales were low. There were also rumors that fans were still upset with Kanye over the VMA incident with Taylor Swift and they were boycotting the tour.

No official statement from Kanye or Lady Gaga has been released.

Kanye West Performs At The Common & Friends Concert

September 28, 2009

Written By: Victoria H. (Urban Editor)

Common held the second annual “Common & Friends” concert at the Hollywood Palladium on September 26th. The show benefits The Common Ground Foundation which is dedicated to empowering and developing America’s urban youth by providing support and education.

Guest performers included Nas, Ludacris, De La Soul, The Roots, Mos Def and Talib Kweli, but the biggest surprise was a performance by Kanye West.

Fans screamed in excitement as Kanye performed “Good Life”, “Flashing Lights”, “Get Em High” (with Common, Mos Def and Talib Kweli) and “Run This Town”.

For more information on The Common Ground Foundation, please visit: http://www.commongroundfoundation.org/home.html

VH1’s 2009 Hip Hop Honors

September 25, 2009

Written By: Victoria H. (Urban Editor)

VH1 will air the 2009 Hip Hop Honors on Tuesday, October 13th. The sixth annual honors show will have range of stars paying respect to Def Jam Records, as they celebrate 25 years as the premier label for hip hop. Tracy Morgan will host the show, with appearances and performances by Eminem, Mary J. Blige, Chris Rock, The Roots, Public Enemy and Kid Rock, just to name a few.

Def Jam was founded by Russell Simmons and Rick Rubin in 1984 in New York. The label made hip hop a worldwide phenomenon by introducing groundbreaking artists like RUN-DMC, The Beastie Boys, LL Cool J, Public Enemy and Kanye West. Def Jam has expanded into all aspects of our culture by branching into fashion, TV, film and videogames.

Lee Rolontz, EVP of Music Production at VH1 said that, “It is impossible to pay tribute to the best in hip hop without recognizing Def Jam Records. Throughout the years VH1 has honored numerous artists from the Def Jam label, but due to the magnificent impact that Def Jam as a company has made on not only hip hop culture but pop culture as a whole, we thought they definitely deserved the opportunity to be honored.”

I Disdain Your Soul

September 18, 2009

Written By: Hallie Madenski

Let’s talk about my four least favorite people right now. Michael Vick, Kanye West, Chris Brown and Serena Williams.

It’s just bad for society and civil rights in general, that these people all happen to be black, when they are in fact just douchés as humans. I never did appreciate people assuming I’m racist for supporting Hillary instead of Obama and I’m not going to be blindly worshipping Kanye’s diamond sneakers anytime soon either. The most unattractive thing to me is a pompous nature, something all four of these people possess. Chris Brown, in all his woman-beating glory, making a faux apology on Larry King Live. Michael Vick doing the same half-assed apology, one he was clearly forced to do for the good of his image. His image of course being that of someone who electrocutes and cuts the heads off of innocent animals.

How can you defend someone like that? Well easily I suppose, being a narcissistic seemingly blind and deaf person yourself, would make you sympathetic towards Michael Vick and Chris Brown. At least Chris Brown can sort of dance and sing, what can Michael Vick do? Throw a 3 yard pass to an already skilled receiver? Check. Someone can go to jail for years for tax fraud but somehow animal serial killers go under the radar. He spent time in jail for gambling more than for the canine murders. What kind of world do we live in? For the most part an enjoyable one, until I turn on Sportscenter and see Serena Williams.

Serena Williams, the bane of female tennis’ existence. Sister of the good-natured Venus, Serena’s been known in the past for claiming her opponents won by “cheating.” And recently she broke her racket right before she flew off the handle completely, screaming that she was going to shove her ball down the throat of the unfortunate line judge who called her for making a foot fault. She didn’t in fact step over the line during the serve, but that isn’t really a good excuse for her total roid-rage, hulk-style showdown; though the word ‘showdown’ might imply a worthy opponent.

I’m not sure the skittish five-foot-tall line judge really counts. Serena issues the classic half- hearted apology soon after her match, saying it was “in the heat of the moment” and that she “didn’t recall it even happening.” Chris Brown had the same story, hmmmm, no I don’t recall putting my fist in Rihanna’s eye and biting her flesh. Not even remotely convincing.

Depressing photos of Rihanna’s battered face appear on the screen, he looks at them and continues not show a speck of emotion. Most people would know to pretend to look sad just for pity’s sake. I turned the interview off halfway through, since Larry isn’t really the hardball question-asking dictator that he could be. But that’s why someone like Chris Brown chooses his show. You’re not going to see him on Howard Stern anytime soon because he’s a big baby who can’t handle pressure. I don’t care how big of a star he becomes, if I saw him in the street I’d spit in his disgusting face and attempt to castrate him as he ran from me.

Onto less disturbing matters, Kanye West appeared on the VMA’s recently, and of course sent a earth-shattering message to poor Taylor Swift. “Beyonce’s video is better, why on earth did you win you weird, less-beautiful little country bimbo?” Okay he didn’t say that, but I saw it in his eyes. The whole night became about Taylor Swift after that, people booed Kanye, as was deserved, and Beyonce invited her on stage when she herself won for best video. In your face Kanye, at least Beyonce won something huh? Speaking of Beyonce, a message to her: your hotness is not an invitation to constantly wear shiny bodysuits that somehow don’t give you a cameltoe, got it?

All humor aside, it all points back to how I really just dislike arrogance, and I think I thrive on dissecting these people. I want to take apart their brains and figure out what makes them think or feel that they can get away with their behavior. Is it an impulse or is it all planned out? Is Chris Brown’s abusive childhood partially responsible? Yes. But does everyone with a terrible life end up taking examples from the things that hurt them. No.

The instant urge to make a totally false apology to all of America or whoever is listening really says a lot about humanity. The fact that most people buy it says even more. Is their a special part of the brain that accepts falsehoods or do we just have terrible intuition as human beings? I feel a distance that I don’t want to feel when I see women accepting Chris Brown’s apology and men and women alike forgiving Serena Williams because she is a figure of symbolism in women’s tennis.

If a lesser known player had acted that way they might have been thrown out of the game for their actual behavior. Serena’s game was at match point and she left because the foot fault ended the game, not because she was escorted off the premises. Kanye and Chris and Serena and Michael are all at match personality point in my mind, and they already lost.

Kanye West Very Sorry For VMA Incident

September 15, 2009

Written By: Victoria H. (Urban Editor)

Kanye West appeared on Jay Leno’s prime-time debut Monday to perform “Run This Town” with Jay-Z & Rihanna, but to also to offer another apology for ruining Taylor Swift’s night at the MTV VMA’s.

Kanye said he knew he was wrong the moment he handed the microphone back to Swift and was booed by the audience. “It was rude, period.” Kanye said. Kanye posted a second apology to Swift on his blog on Monday, and told Leno he wanted to apologize to the country music star in person.

Leno asked Kanye what his mother would say about the incident. Kanye said that his mother (Donda, who passed in 2007 after surgery compilations) would have given him a lecture.

Kanye said that this incident has made him realize that he needs to take some time off and make some changes. “So many celebrities, they never take the time off,” he said. “I’ve never taken the time off to really — you know, just music after music and tour after tour. I’m just ashamed that my hurt caused someone else’s hurt. My dream of what awards shows are supposed to be, ’cause, and I don’t try to justify it because I was just in the wrong. That’s period. But I need to, after this, take some time off and just analyze how I’m going to make it through the rest of this life, how I’m going to improve.”

Kanye West Storms The VMA Stage

September 14, 2009

Written By: Victoria H. (Urban Editor)

Kanye has never been shy in voicing his opinion or throwing a tantum when he does not win, but in a move that shocked everyone, Kanye took the stage at the MTV VMA’s to express his anger that Beyonce did not win “Female Video Of The Year”- the problem…Kanye expressed his anger right in the middle of Taylor Swift’s acceptance speech.

Taylor said in her speech that she was surprised by the win, especially since she is a Country artist and that is when Kanye took the microphone from Taylor and said “Beyonce had one of the best videos of all-time.” Taylor was in shock and left the stage, while Beyonce was completely embarrassed. Later in the show, Beyonce took the stage and she bought Taylor back up so she could give her acceptance speech again.

Several reports said that Kanye was drunk when he arrived on the red carpet. After the incident, MTV asked Kanye to leave.

Kanye did issue an apology to Taylor on his blog, but as of this morning, the apology is gone.

Jay-Z, Rihanna & Kanye West To Open Jay Leno’s New Talk Show

August 10, 2009

Written By: Victoria H. (Urban Editor)

Jay-Z, Rihanna and Kanye West will be the first musical guest to appear on Jay Leno’s new talk show when it premiers on September 14th. The group will perform Run This Town, from The Blueprint 3, which drops September 11th.