Page 24 - Florida Sentinel 7-12-19

Entertainment
Nicki Minaj Has Reportedly Canceled Her Saudi Arabia Performance
Nicki Minaj has reportedly pulled out of an upcoming fes- tival performance after her booking met with a public backlash due to the festival’s controversial location, accord- ing to the Associated Press. She already canceled a number of shows during her recent Eu- ropean tour but unlike those concerts, this one was one she decided to eighty-six herself. Nicki’s decision to play the Jeddah World Fest next week met with public outcry due to the nation’s stance on women’s and LGBTQ issues and rights.
In a statement released today, Nicki said: “After care- ful reflection, I have decided to no longer move forward with my scheduled concert at Jed- dah World Fest. While I want nothing more than to bring my show to fans in Saudi Arabia, after better educating myself on the issues, I believe it is im-
NICKI MINAJ
portant for me to make clear my support for the rights of women, the LGBTQ commu- nity and freedom of expres- sion.” Nicki has been outspoken on double standards in rap in the past, so her state- ment is in line with her previ- ously stated positions, even if some of her actions haven’t al- ways lined up with them.
Jay-Z’s Next Big Business Move Is Cannabis
Jay-Z may have recently been crowned hip-hop’s first official billionaire, but that doesn’t mean he’s resting on his laurels businesswise. If anything, he’s always been about expansion, and there’s one huge, lucrative industry he has yet to conquer: The legal weed business. Today, Jay announced he was tak- ing the first step into the world of cannabis products, partnering with the Califor- nia-based company Caliva as Chief Brand Strategist, as re- ported by Rolling Stone.
As Chief Brand Strategist, Jay will help the company with creative decisions and marketing but has plans to place much of his focus on the social justice issues legal- ization has presented in re- cent years. many people formerly incarcerated for marijuana-based offenses
JAY-Z
have been barred from the lu- crative opportunities pro- vided by the burgeoning business and that number disproportionately includes Black and Latino men.
In the statement an- nouncing the move, Jay promised to commit to “ad- vocacy, job training, and overall employee and work- force development.” Jay made the decision to partner
with Caliva specifically after thoroughly researching the company, saying: “Anything I do, I want to do correctly and at the highest level. With all the potential in the cannabis industry, Caliva’s expertise and ethos make them the best partners for this en- deavor. We want to create something amazing, have fun in the process, do good and bring people along the way.”
Jaden Smith Brought A TrucK Full Of Vegan Food To The Homeless On Skid Row
Jaden Smith has long used his fame to be an activist for is- sues he is passionate about. Smith was once again able to put his activism into action by bringing healthy food to those experiencing homelessness. LA’s Skid Row contains one of the largest populations of peo- ple experiencing homeless- ness. Smith brought a team and a few trucks full of food to the area to give to those in need.
On Sunday the “Icon” rap- per collaborated with I Love You vegan restaurant and took a food truck to Skid Row. Smith documented the event on Instagram. “The I Love You Restaurant is a movement that is all about giving people what
JADEN SMITH
they deserve, healthy, vegan food for free. We launched our first one day food truck pop-up in downtown LA. Keep a look out because this is the first of many,” Smith wrote.
A$AP Rocky Is Reportedly Being Held In ‘Inhumane’ Conditions In A Swedish Jail
Currently, ASAP Rocky is in a Sweden prison due to his arrest following a physical altercation with a man on the streets of Stockholm. He is being held for two weeks while prosecutors decide whether or not to charge him with aggravated assault, and while he’s waiting, the condi- tions are reportedly “inhu- mane,” as TMZ notes.
The publication reports that there is a prisoner in a neighboring cell with “severe mental issues who slams his head against the concrete wall and hurls feces every which way,” adding that the mess is not cleaned up. Be- yond that, Rocky is report- edly sleeping on a yoga mat with no blankets, the water is apparently not clean, and the food is supposedly not edible, which reportedly forced Rocky to eat just an apple a day for the first five days. TMZ’s source called the fa- cility “disease ridden.”
On Monday, Sweden’s Supreme Court rejected an appeal to have Rocky re- leased from custody, saying they found no reason to re-
A$AP ROCKY
view the case.
Rocky has received sup-
port from the hip-hop com- munity during this difficult time. Tyler The Creator is apparently boycotting Swe- den in light of Rocky’s situ- ation, and Schoolboy Q feels the same way, respond- ing to Tyler’s tweet, “I’m not goin nomo eitHer... #FLACKO.”
Rappers Are Starting Swedish Boycott In The Name Of A$AP Rocky
A$AP Rocky is still be- hind bars in a Swedish jail while prosectors decide whether to charge him with aggravated assault. Mean- while, his fellow rappers are gearing up for battle and have decided to cross Sweden off their tour schedules indef- initely.
Tyler, The Creator
hopped on Twitter to let peo- ple know, “no more sweden for me, ever,” while ScHool- boy Q echoed those senti- ments with “I’m not goin nomo eitHer...#FLACKO.”
T. I. shared their com- ments to his Instagram page on Monday (July 8) and cap- tioned it with, “Welp...There it is...Sweden’s now officially outside of the culture on the NO GO list!!! Until they @FreeFlacko it’s UP!!!”
Lil Yachty followed Q’s lead and EarthGang had al- ready joined the boycott via Twitter on Sunday (July 7).
“Me 3 will never hit Swe- den again... #freeflacko,” Yachty wrote, while Earth- Gang tweeted, “#FreeFlacko or we boycotting Sweden.”
PAGE 16-A FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY FRIDAY, JULY 12, 2019