Entertainment
Obama, Stevie Wonder, Snoop Dogg Pay Tribute to Rapper Nipsey Hussle
Former US President Barack Obama, legendary singer, Stevie Wonder and rapper, Snoop Dogg eulogised slain rapper, Nipsey Hussle in a very emotional memorial in Los Angeles on Thursday.
Obama wrote a letter to the family, which was read by Karen Civil, Hussle’s friend and business partner, where he praised Hussle’s attempts to revitalise the gang-plagued neighbourhood where he was raised, and where he was gunned down in March.
“While most folks look at the Crenshaw neighbourhood where he grew up and see only gangs, bullets and despair, Nipsey saw potential. He saw hope,” Obama’s letter said, referencing his efforts to build a skills-training centre and a co-working space.
The memorial was held at the 21,000-capacity Staples Center, a sports and pop concert venue, which was packed with fans wearing white and blue for the three-hour memorial.
The ceremony was followed by a 25-mile (40-km) procession through the streets of south Los Angeles.
Fellow California rapper, Snoop Dogg, recalled Hussle’s former connections with the notorious Crips gang that the musician later parlayed into efforts to combat gang violence.
“For God so loved the world, that he gave us a good Crip, the late great neighbourhood Nip. Rest in peace,” Snoop Dogg said.
He called the Grammy-nominated singer “a peace advocate” because of his work with all members of the community.
Wonder played his 1980 hit Rocket Love and a version of Eric Clapton’s Tears in Heaven to pay respects to Hussle.
Also, Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan said Hussle has become “to hip hop and rap what Bob Marley was to reggae.”
“He lived the gang life but he didn’t stay there. He lived the life of the ‘hood but he rose above the pull of gravity,” Farrakhan said in a speech.
Hussle’s two-year-old son, dressed in a blue suit, was brought on stage in the arms of the musician’s girlfriend, model Lauren London.
Hussle, 33, was shot on March 31 outside a clothing store he owned in south Los Angeles. Shortly after, a stampede erupted at a local vigil for Hussle after reports of a gunman in the crowd.
A 29-year-old man on April 9 pleaded not guilty to murder charges.
Police said Hussle’s shooting was motivated by a personal dispute, although it took place in a surge of gang-related violence in south Los Angeles in March.
Hussle, whose real name was Ermias Asghedom, was Grammy-nominated earlier this year for his debut studio album Victory Lap.
(NAN/Reuters)
Nigeria’s Afrobeat music star and multiple award-winner, Rema, will be featured this week on African Voices Changemakers, CNN International’s magazine programme, sponsored by telecommunications company, Globacom.
Born Divine Ikubor, the 24-year-old artiste from Edo State, discovered his passion for music as a church chorister and a rapper who entertained his peers in his secondary school, Ighile Group of Schools in Edo State.
Rema came into limelight after posting a viral freestyle on Instagram to D’Prince’s song “Gucci Gang”. Wowed by his rare talent, D’Prince flew him to Lagos and offered him a record deal with Jonzing World, a subsidiary of Mavin Records owned by music executive and producer Don Jazzy. His 2019 hit “Dumebi” was the first fruit of the contract.
His international breakthrough happened in 2022 with his single “Calm Down”, which led to a remix with American singer Selena Gomez. The song peaked at number three on the Billboard Hot 100 and first on Billboard Afrobeats Songs chart for a record-setting 58 weeks.
His talents have earned him several awards including the MTV Video Music Award for Best Afrobeats Video and the Billboard Music Award for Top Afrobeats Songs.
He was recognised for achieving 1 billion streams worldwide during his London concert on November 7, 2022 and he also performed at the Ballon d’Or ceremony held at the Theatre du Châtelet in Paris, France on October 30, 2023.
The edition will be broadcast on Saturday at 8.30 a.m., with repeats at noon the same day. More repeats come up on Sunday at 4.30 a.m., 7.00 p.m. and on Monday at 4.00 a.m.
Kellyrae, on Sunday night, was crowned the winner of this year’s Big Brother Naija Season 9, taking home the grand prize of N100million
He pipped the likes of Wanni, who emerged runer-up and Onyeka, who emerged as the runner-up.
The final featured Wanni as the last remaining contestant, with Kellyrae winning the competition with 35.95% of the votes. Onyeka emerged as the second runner-up, receiving 11.46 per cent of the total votes in the final show on Sunday.
Kellyrae now joins the likes of last season’s All-Stars winner Ilebaye Odiniya (Gen Z Baddie), to claim the grand prize.
Regarded as Nigeria’s most anticipated TV show, this season’s theme ”No Loose Guard”, which premiered on July 24, 2024, welcomed 14 pairs of housemates,
However, only one pair and six individual contestants made it to the final.
The other finalists were Victoria, Ozee, Sooj, Nelly, and Anita.
This year’s edition had an unusual twist as the participants were required to apply in pairs.
Among the eight finalists, Kellyrae, Victoria, and Wanni were considered favourites by many viewers to make the top three and earn final podium spots.
Though Wanni placed second, she proved to be talented. After Wanni expressed interest in acting, famous actress and filmmaker Funke Akindele recognised her talent and offered her a possible opportunity to work with her production team.
Globacom, Nigeria’s telecommunications and digital solutions services provider, on Thursday treated its business partners across the country to a luxurious ceremony in Lagos. The event was held at the Eko Hotel and Suites, Victoria Island.
At the event, Globacom honoured its top-performing partners that fulfilled all regional and national deliverable requirements with millions of naira in recognition of their outstanding work.
A total number of 71 partners were rewarded in two broad categories, with the winners receiving millions of naira in cash prizes. Category 1 comprised 22 Activation Award winners and 33 Divisional Recharge winners.
In Category 2, 16 partners were rewarded for outstanding performance at the national level. They included partners who performed excellently in Sponsored Data and Activation and those who won national awards in the Recharge category.
The event was held to “honour not just individual successes, but the collaborative spirit that drives innovation and growth”, according to a statement from Globacom. It added that each of the partners “continues to play crucial roles in Globacom’s mission to empower people and businesses, pushing the boundaries of what is possible in telecommunications”.
Globacom shared with them its current and future projections to grow the company and maintain a win-win partnership with the business partners and promised to constantly take their interest and that of other stakeholders into account in all of its plans and projections.
“We are excited about the future, of our continued partnership in serving our customers, fulfilling their needs and helping them achieve their ambitions. We count on you all to be by our side all the way”, the company reiterated to the business partners.
Globacom, which recently clocked 21st, noted that it has grown from being a telecommunications service provider to becoming a Digital and Technology Company, leading the drive into Nigeria’s digital future. It promised to continue to explore unlimited opportunities to serve the customers by investing heavily in the latest tools and technologies.
The company recently unveiled My-G which gives subscribers more data value and more freedom to explore their passions. It has also reinvigorated the Glo Cafe app to give subscribers total control and access to entertainment, gaming, data solutions and other VAS services on their mobile devices. Glo also enhanced the Berekete tariff plan to give unparalleled juicy benefits to subscribers, ensuring that every new business innovation, product and service bring Glo customers one step closer to their goals.
However, the partners had a terrific time being entertained, so the event wasn’t just about business presentations and prizes. Lilian Yeri Danceworld, an all-female dance company with a lot of versatile dance movements, was available to entertain the guests.
Celebrated musician, Flavour, also brightened up the evening with great music, adding color to bring the celebration to a close. Several guests joined him on the dance floor to enjoy his songs and flow along with his captivating performance.
