Art for Sale Page 2

The Central Pavilion Photo: Jacopo Salvi
Naomi Beckwith, deputy director and chief curator, Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum and Foundation
Seeing In Minor Keys was beholding the fierce urgency of someone who has got to get going real soon (see also: the maximalist post-war presentations by Okwui Enwezor; Noah Davis’s cascade of proposals for the Underground Museum, Los Angeles; Bisi Silva’s endless, yet loving, reproaches against what she termed “cultural terrorism”). The result is a polyphony of propositions, the most salient of which is a survey of post-war African art with a much-needed, multi-generational focus on women from Werewere Liking to Ranti Bam. The exhibition offers an alternate route through artworks, eschewing both the path of prestidigitations and clinical distillations.
Ranti Bam Photo: © Marco Zorzanello
I suspect most visitors were not musicologists; few would understand what a minor key effects or symbolises. But Kouoh, in establishing a musical metaphor, asked us to look and listen, requiring a shift in our art-consumptive behaviour. We are asked to take a different bodily position, to attach ourselves firmly to the earth, and consider different criteria for art. The exhibition is a peri-spiritual project, which asks the audience to imagine a work of art mediating between the past and present and the living and the dead—not simply mediating between idea and form.
A major part of any exhibition is what happens around it as much as what’s on view within designated galleries. I arrived in a Venice where artists assisted each other on their installations and cared for each other’s appetites and grooming habits. Proud parents and cousins fawned on gravel paths, greeting new-found friends with a familial warmth sorely needed as visitors moved under the gaze of increased security and police presence.
Beatrix Ruf, director, Hartwig Art Foundation (and forthcoming Hartwig Museum)
Koyo Kouoh’s In Minor Keys Biennale felt far more “major” than minor to me. The five curators celebrated the artists she chose—many of them unfamiliar to many of us—with beauty, respect and a surprising sense of harmony, still holding in it conflict, protest and political urgency.
Helter Skelter at Fondazione Prada © Richard Prince
It was striking to see how many national pavilions and artistic projects responded to the In Minor Keys theme both politically and poetically. Questions of the human condition and presence permeated the works, while motifs of water, fluidity and ephemerality recurred throughout. I think especially of the Indian and Uzbek contributions, for example. Very defining was the sheer number of pavilions fully committed to performative practices: Florentina Holzinger’s intense and uncompromising Austrian pavilion; Miet Warlop for Belgium; the Dutch pavilion’s shutting down of its own architecture; Gabrielle Goliath, whose work—excluded from her country’s pavilion—appeared instead in a nearby church; the contemplative soundscape of the Holy See pavilion in a stunning cloister garden; and contributions by Tarek Atoui, Rirkrit Tiravanija, Sophia Al-Maria, Alia Farid and Fadi Kattan in the temporary Qatar tent.
In a kind of double-take recognition, one is especially struck by Sung Tieu’s intervention on the façade of the German Pavilion. By covering it with tiles referencing a now-defunct housing block where the Vietnamese were forced to live after German reunification, she dissolves the building’s historically loaded presence into a subtle monument to a community first exploited and later neglected by both German governments.
Opening week means endless walking, and even then, one still hasn’t seen it all. But I was glad not to miss the very significant show of Lydia Ourahmane, the immersive Canicula film installations of the Fondazione In Between Art Film, the brilliant Paulo Nazareth exhibition at Punta della Dogana, and the dark and deep Helter Skelter exhibition by Arthur Jafa and Richard Prince at Fondazione Prada.
Diana Campbell, artistic director, Samdani Art Foundation
Koyo Kouoh did not make exhibitions to “show things”—she made exhibitions to empower and embolden people to make great art and transform their worlds. She made exhibitions to open doors that were previously closed to many artists until recently. In Minor Keys is no exception. Koyo would never use a budget to build a wall—she would tear down walls and change how walls are built (as you see in the exhibition design). Many of the artists in the show also build or have built institutions, from RAW Material Company to Linda Goode Bryant, Denniston Hill and others.
Moon Babies in the Japan pavilion Photo: Luca Zambelli Bais
Koyo tasked her curatorial team with continuing to inspire artists and bring them together in Venice to challenge the limitations of thinking about the world in black and white terms. So I think a lot of what In Minor Keys will do will come from the ripple effects of the relationships that artists made with each other in building this show. Private philanthropy stepped in to make this artist-centric curatorial dream possible. As the writer Siddhartha Mitter said, “Koyo would never allow her Biennale to be scrappy.”
I believe other curators were inspired by this approach to open doors for artists, such as the Indian pavilion where I met the artist Skarma Sonam Tashi, who had never left India before participating in the Biennale. Beyond the main exhibition, this edition of the Biennale was about what it means to be alive and the stakes of humanity in 2026 (fertility, mortality and mourning: Japan, Denmark, Bahamas), which is why we see so much “live art” on a large scale (Belgium, Austria, Netherlands), works about mysticism and spirituality (Holy See, South Africa), and protest (protest signs integrated into the artworks of the main exhibition). One of my favourite collateral exhibitions was Darkness Visible: The Long Shadow of Dictatorship, an exhibition by Museo de Arte Moderno de Buenos Aires on the 50th anniversary of Argentina’s military dictatorship. Just as artists were protesting at the 61st Biennale, this exhibition, which shows the quest for freedom in another context by earlier artists, remains all the more relevant.
Ekow Eshun, writer, curator, broadcaster
I was very struck by the main pavilion in the Giardini. I thought that it was really powerfully choreographed as an exhibition. It seemed to me a show that took as a beginning point, or at least as an inspiration, Édouard Glissant’s idea of “Tout-Monde”, or “Whole World”, which essentially is a world without hierarchy. It’s a world without geographic or geopolitical power structures, a world where the West doesn’t come first. And this, I think, was one of the things that Koyo maybe was attempting to express, but certainly I read as an articulation in that space. So what does it look like to proceed through a world where the global south or the global majority speaks as clearly, as loudly, as eloquently, as profoundly as the rest of the world: as the North, as the West? And the presumption here is, all can speak in conversation.
The end result isn’t necessarily harmony—instead what you get is a chorus. Nevertheless, a chorus of voices, an attunement, a set of variations: major keys and, indeed, minor keys, playing against each other. For me, this was exhilarating. You walk into the main space, the first space you go into, where the walls are clad in indigo fabric, and there’s a sense of these artists looking out and speaking of a wider world. And then I like the way that the show radiated out from that central space, even to the extent that the colour of the walls has different shades of blue that start to ripple out from there—you have conversations that are taking place between the artists.
Alice Maher’s Les Filles d’Ouranos (1996/2025) Photo: Marco Zorzanello
And obviously within all of that, there is also the other theme or threnody, which is the mourning for Koyo, that takes place throughout the show. And that combination of looking and searching and inquiring and then remembering, and even mourning, I found very moving. I found the exhibition overall to be a work that spoke in personal terms, political terms, poetic terms and lyrical terms.
Francesco Manacorda, director, Castello di Rivoli
We really need to judge In Minor Keys using completely different parameters.
I don’t think we can judge it as an exhibition, we need to judge it as a process of rebuilding. There is an amazing word in Italian that doesn’t really translate into English, which is rimarginare. This is when you’re talking about a wound that is healing, and rimarginare is the idea of the whole of a wound as its margins, and therefore when the wound is fully healed, the margins are not there anymore. And I think that is what’s going on with this series of shows: getting rid of the margins and getting the West to recalibrate and reimagine what it means to have a visual culture that is not centred on our system but shared across different cultures. And this means that the system really needs to change, so we can’t just use the same parameters, like, “Oh, Daniel Birnbaum’s exhibition was better”, because this is a larger project of which In Minor Keys is just one of many steps. There will be more chapters in Venice and beyond that will continue this rimarginare process.
Big Chief Demond Melancon in In Minor Keys Photo: Andrea Avezzù
Because this is necessarily a long work of adaptation and not an episodic thing, it means that the institutions have to change as well. Museums are a Western invention and the market is also a Western invention: the fact that everything needs to be linked to a name, and that that name has to be recognisable, these are all things that need to be revisited. Then inside In Minor Keys I absolutely loved the idea of the engagement with the schools and with inspirational figures. But there were also great single artworks, both by well-known artists like Walid Raad, Otobong Nkanga and Kader Attia, but also by some I didn’t know, like Big Chief Demond Melancon, Mohammed Joha from Gaza or Alexa Kumiko Hatanaka from Canada.
Among the national pavilions, the Holy See really did a lot for me. The experience of the garden with the music was transformative, it was a phenomenon, and the combination of the mystical tradition with the new compositions was a completely spiritual experience. Although I didn’t find the Indian pavilion very resolved, I loved all the other Indian projects throughout the city: Amar Kanwar in the Palazzo Grassi; Dayanita Singh in the state archives and also Nalini Malani in the Magazzini was incredible. Then I think Chiara Camoni made the best Italian pavilion in my memory; and a final shoutout for Lawrence Abu Hamdan’s real masterpiece in the wonderful film exhibition Canicula.
Tai Shani, artist
Like most, I miss believing that contexts like the Biennale could offer a third space, where art-making and appreciation let us reach beyond our positions to find commonality and open new horizons. In recent years, this has felt increasingly untenable. The rifts are now so profound, fundamental and existential that our differences cannot be accommodated anywhere.
A protest demanding the closure of the Israel pavilion Photo: Ferdinando Piezzi/Alamy Stock Photo
Venice this year made that loss of a shared imaginary impossible to ignore. It was brought into stark relief by the protests across the Biennale. The one-day strike on 8 May, called by ANGA [Art Not Genocide Alliance] and local unions, was the largest in the Biennale’s history, yet wilfully underreported. Twenty-seven pavilions were fully or partially closed, a monumental display of how strongly the people who form the fabric of these contexts feel. “If I Must Die”, the poem by the late Palestinian poet and professor Refaat Alareer, killed in Gaza, opens In Minor Keys. Palestine and the engulfing global emergencies were everywhere: in the strike, in the mass protest, in the earlier resignation of the International Jury, and in the gestures made with scant tools to take an ethical position and reach for moral clarity.
What Koyo Kouoh’s exhibition is doing feels important. Its curation and politics articulate the urgency of decentring empire, refusing a Western canon or chronology and centring artists from the global south, the diasporas and the margins of dominant art history. This resonates with a wider geopolitical shift, and it felt important that it was there. The West has never been a majority, and its cultural and imperial dominance was, and is, contingent on unspeakable violence. There is no censoring that.
The Biennale has always carried real meaning for me, but its limitations have been exposed. The genocide has laid bare a huge rift: on one side artists, curators, writers, artworkers; and on the other the structural mechanisms for showing and producing the work. Something has to shift.
Hammad Nasar, curator, writer and director of programmes and content, Ibraaz
There is no confusion as to what Koyo Kouoh and her team stood for, and who they stood with. Visitors are greeted in the Giardini by the artist group Fierce Pussy’s deconstructed Palestinian flag and Ukrainian artist Zhanna Kadyrova’s concrete origami deer. In the Arsenale, the first encounter is with Refaat Alareer’s affecting poem “If I Must Die”, before being enveloped within a mesmerising multi-sensorial installation by Khaled Sabsabi (the Lebanese Australian artist selected, then controversially dropped, and eventually reinstated to represent Australia).
Walid Raad’s Postscript to the Arabic Edition (1938-2025)in In Minor Keys Photo: Marco Zorzanello
Amidst a dense hang, the mezzanine of the curated exhibition in the Giardini sings with an arresting juxtaposition of painting-collage-sculpture hybrid works that play with ideas of refuge: everyday life on empty cardboard boxes (Sohrab Hura); unreliable narrations of Yasser Arafat’s nightly changing beds (Walid Raad); and evocative landscapes of Gaza constructed from discarded materials (Mohammed Joha). There was space for “schools”—shape-shifting, artist-centric institutions—inside the exhibition. That solidarity and agency was reciprocated outside by the silent protests of artists and cultural workers wearing T-shirts bearing names and works of artists from Palestine; and then extended to the city in the louder strike co-ordinated by ANGA.
The national pavilions ranged from the dramatic clarion call of Florentina Holzinger’s bell ringing in the Austrian pavilion to Dana Awartani’s quietly powerful survey of threatened heritage sites across the Arab world in unfired bricks in the Saudi pavilion. Outside the “official” Biennale, Gabrielle Goliath’s Elegy, the cancelled South African pavilion (full disclosure: it comes to Ibraaz in London in October), is a haunting act of mourning. Lawrence Abu Hamdan’s investigation into the use of a sonic weapon to disperse silent protests in Serbia is part of the excellent Canicula, and Lydia Ourahmane’s fully functioning pier (from the exhibition 5 Works) will eventually serve a public park in Poveglia. These works ring in all the keys—engaging fully with the world as we find it.
• Venice Biennale, until 22 November
The acclaimed curator was due to present her plans for the exhibition next week
Walid Raad, Alice Maher and Alfredo Jaar are among those who have signed a protest statement in solidarity with the resignation of the exhibition’s jury
His double appearance in Venice is “a major historic first for an Australian artist”, the government body Creative Australia says

source

Copyright © 2026 Interactive One, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Gramz quickly told a judge to hold up, claiming that “forcing her” to pay it would impose a major financial burden on her.
Blogger Milagro “Gramz” Cooper’s mouth and fingers were clearly writing checks she can’t afford to cash based on her reaction after a judge reinstated Megan Thee Stallion’s $75,000 jury verdict against her.
TMZ exclusively reports that Cooper quickly told a judge to hold up, claiming that “forcing her” to pay it would impose a major financial burden, so she asked the judge to pause the payments while she battles the charges in a higher court.
Per TMZ:
According to new court documents obtained by TMZ, Milagro wants to delay payment while she appeals the ruling from the lower court. She argues there are still major issues with the case that should be reviewed.
Milagro tells the court she’s a self-employed media commentator and content creator whose income can fluctuate month to month. She says she does not have substantial liquid assets and lacks the financial resources needed to immediately satisfy the judgment or post a full supersedeas bond.

The celebrity gossip site reports that Gramz argues she supports her household, which includes two minor children, and notes that if she has to pay Megan Thee Stallion immediately, it could put a financial strain on her family.
She is pleading with the judge to pause any payment to the Houston rapper until the appeal is decided.
As expected, Megan and her legal team are completely against this request after successfully convincing a jury to side with Thee Stallion in her lawsuit against Gramz after she shared some posts related to Tory Lanez following the aftermath of the shooting.
Well, she should have thought about that before she got to typing and basically defaming the rapper, making her one of the many cases that these celebs are not playing when you drop baseless claims about them on the internet.
Social media is also clowning her following the revelation that she is trying to delay sending Megan Thee Stallion her coins.
“But…but…she told Megan to sue her. Her listeners don’t want to help? The family of the inmate who was sending her money not offering up a dime of support for their mouthpiece??,” one user on X, formerly Twitter, wrote.
Welp.
You can see more reactions below.
Milagro Gramz Claims She Can’t Afford To Pay The $75K She Owes Megan Thee Stallion was originally published on hiphopwired.com

Rest In Power: Notable Black Folks Who We’ve Lost In 2026
The 30 Most Beautiful Black Women In Hollywood
COMMENTARY: 5 Reasons Why Obama Will Beat Romney
Coco Gauff’s Most Elite Moments
We care about your data. See our privacy policy.

source

The sixth annual Hollywood Unlocked Impact Awards brought together some of the biggest names in entertainment, business and culture, with Meagan Good, Patti LaBelle and Tyler Perry among those recognized for their contributions to the Black community.
The biggest names in entertainment stepped out in style this weekend as the sixth annual Hollywood Unlocked Impact Awards celebrated the artists, entrepreneurs, and changemakers shaping culture on and off the screen.
Actress Meagan Good, music legend Patti LaBelle, and filmmaker Tyler Perry were among the honorees recognized during the annual event founded by Hollywood Unlocked CEO Jason Lee. The ceremony celebrates artists, entrepreneurs, and changemakers whose influence extends far beyond headlines, box office numbers, or chart success.
The awards arrive as Hollywood Unlocked continues to expand its footprint in media and culture. In a recent conversation with TheGrio’s Natasha S. Alford, Lee reflected on building his own seat at the table and growing the platform into something larger than celebrity news. That vision was reflected throughout Thursday night’s ceremony, which highlighted not only entertainers but also leaders whose work has created opportunities for others.
For Lee, the Impact Awards represent something bigger than a red carpet event. The annual gathering has evolved into one of the most visible celebrations of Black achievement outside traditional Hollywood institutions, recognizing people who have leveraged their platforms to create lasting change within Black communities.
That mission was evident in this year’s honorees.
Few figures embody Black ownership and self-determination in entertainment quite like Perry. Over the past two decades, he has built one of the largest independently owned production empires in the country, creating jobs and opportunities for countless Black actors, writers and filmmakers while proving that success does not have to come through traditional Hollywood gatekeepers.
LaBelle’s impact spans generations. With a career that stretches more than six decades, the Grammy-winning singer has remained one of Black music’s most beloved and enduring voices while successfully expanding into television, publishing and business ventures. Her longevity has made her a blueprint for artists seeking to build careers that outlast trends.
Good’s recognition highlights a different kind of legacy—reinvention. After entering the industry as a child actress, she has successfully navigated multiple eras of Hollywood while evolving into a producer, entrepreneur and leading woman whose career continues to grow.
Together, the honorees tell a larger story about what success looks like in Black America. While their paths differ, each has built something designed to last: a studio, a cultural legacy, a media platform or a body of work that continues to inspire the next generation.
As conversations about representation, ownership and economic empowerment continue across the entertainment industry, the Hollywood Unlocked Impact Awards serve as a reminder that Black influence extends far beyond the spotlight. The people being celebrated are not just shaping culture—they are building institutions, creating opportunities and helping define what the future of Black excellence can look like.
And for many in attendance, that’s what impact really means.
More About:Music Television Film Entertainment
Weekly New Episodes
Stream Now

source

June 7, 2026
Their appointment represents a unique leadership situation within HCA Healthcare’s Capital Division
Identical twin brothers, Dr. Travan Jasper and Dr. Travis Jasper, have returned to their hometown of Richmond, Virginia, to co-lead the emergency department at Chippenham Hospital, which is operated by HCA Healthcare.
The 56-year-old doctors recently took on the roles of co-medical directors at the hospital’s emergency department after several years working at hospitals in Georgia, ABC News reports. Their appointment represents a unique leadership situation within HCA Healthcare’s Capital Division, which includes 18 hospitals in Virginia and New Hampshire. According to HCA, the Jasper brothers are the only twins currently leading a hospital department in the division. 
The brothers’ journey began in Richmond, where they graduated as co-valedictorians from their high school before attending the same college and medical school. They were also the first in their family to earn college degrees and pursue careers in medicine. 
“It’s a real honor to have that opportunity to care for people you know, and you’re close to,” Travis told ABC News about returning to serve their community. 
Although both doctors initially hesitated to practice in Richmond because they were concerned about treating people they personally knew, they said their years of experience helped ease those worries. After taking their new positions, the brothers contacted longtime friends and acquaintances to share the news.
“Come to Chippenham if you want excellent care in the emergency department,” Travis remembered telling the community. “We’re going to be a part of it.” 
Hospital leadership praised the brothers’ teamwork and commitment to patient care. Chippenham Hospital CEO Lance Jones described them as an “asset” to the organization, noting their commitment to clinical excellence and compassionate treatment. 
“Their shared commitment to clinical excellence, collaboration and compassionate care reflects our mission to care for and improve human life. By treating every patient with the same attention, respect and support they would want for their own family members, they help ensure our emergency department delivers exceptional care when it matters most.”
Outside the hospital, the brothers are fathers to eight children together and are actively involved in youth mentorship through basketball programs. Reflecting on their partnership, Travis referred to his brother as his “superpower,” while Travan encouraged aspiring doctors to keep going despite challenges.
“Our journey has been a roller coaster,” Travan said. “All of those bumps and hurdles made us who we are today.”
RELATED CONTENT: Mario Bailey Launches New Black Doctor Directory Despite Ongoing Discrimination Lawsuit By White Doctor

© 2026 Black Enterprise. All Rights Reserved.

source

Yemeni cultural heritage
© Brent Huffman
After years of civil war and continuity violence, Yemen’s heritage has suffered hugely, with buildings damaged across the country and antiquities looted. Yet across the country, there is a determination to protect and restore its historical landmarks and cultures. Ben Luke speaks to Melissa Gronlund, one of The Art Newspaper’s reporters on the Middle East, about these efforts.
Robert Frank, Parade—Hoboken, New Jersey (1955, printed 1977)
National Gallery of Art, Robert Frank Collection, Robert B. Menschel Fund, in Honor of the 50th Anniversary of the National Gallery of Art, 1991.82.5 © The June Leaf and Robert Frank Foundation, from The Americans
At the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., the exhibition American Icon: The US Flag in Art opens this weekend. Ben speaks to the gallery’s chief curatorial and conservation officer, E. Carmen Ramos, about the exhibition.
Felix Gonzalez-Torres, Untitled (Revenge) (1991) installed in Felix Gonzalez-Torres: Sweet Revenge at the Museo Reina Sofía, 2026
Installation view by Roberto Ruiz Photography
And this episode’s Work of the Week is Untitled (Revenge) (1991) by Felix Gonzalez-Torres, one of the late Cuban-American artist’s sculptures using hundreds of wrapped candies. The work was first exhibited in Madrid in 1991 and is being shown there for the first time since that initial presentation in a survey show of Gonzalez-Torres’s work at the Museo Reina Sofía, which opened last week. The exhibition’s curators are Alejandro Cesarco and Nancy Spector and Ben spoke to them about the work.
Plus, the top takeaways from the new Art Basel/UBS report and a weaving by Anni Albers
A tour of the National Gallery’s landmark exhibition with our Van Gogh expert Martin Bailey, plus a new book zoning in on the Impressionists’ “Terrible Year” and a highlight from Museum Folkwang’s hair-themed show
What might the fallout be after Creative Australia’s unpopular decision to cancel Khaled Sabsabi’s project? Plus, AI art beyond this week’s open letter and a chat about Catlett’s terracotta sculpture ‘Tired’
Plus, the US National Gallery of Art’s women artists fund and one of the last paintings of Paula Modersohn-Becker

source

According to Nichols’ attorney, under New Mexico state law, families and estates can recover no more than $400,000 if suing hospitals regulated by government agencies.
A jury has awarded the estate of “Star Trek” actress Nichelle Nichols $13 million after filing a wrongful death lawsuit against Gila Regional Medical Center in Silver City, New Mexico.
Nichols, who died from heart failure in 2022, was admitted to Gila Medical, complaining of shortness of breath on July 29, 2022. The lawsuit alleges the actress should have received a full cardiac workup, considering that she had a heart condition. Instead, Nichols was sent to an observation unit and discharged on July 30, when she died several hours later.
The nine-page suit alleged that GRMC “fostered an environment which prevented Ms. Nichols from being diagnosed and treated properly.”
“Nichelle was taken in by ambulance because she was having sudden heart problems. They didn’t do cardiac work on her, and that was needed. They put her in an observation unit, which is not where she needed to go. She needed to get transferred to Las Cruces, where they have cardiologists on staff and on call and the right equipment just to diagnose her and take care of her,” Lisa Curtis, Nichols’ attorney, told KOAT in September 2025.
Despite being awarded $13 million, the Nichols family is only to receive a fraction of it.
According to Theresa Hacsi, an attorney for the Nichols’ family, they will only receive around $400,000, as it is the maximum award they can receive under New Mexico’s Tort Claims Act, which regulates hospitals owned by governmental agencies. GRMC falls under that law.
A second lawsuit in the case is currently pending.
Nichols, the first Black woman to star on television, became a legend for her portrayal of Lieutenant Nyota Uhura on the popular sci-fi show. She also returned to the role for several “Star Trek” films from 1979 to 1991. She was featured in 67 of the 78 original episodes of “Star Trek” that aired from 1966 to 1969. She nearly left the show after its first season to return to the theater, but stayed at the behest of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., who hailed her as a “vital role model” for young Black girls.

More About:Entertainment
Weekly New Episodes
Stream Now

source

Copyright © 2026 Interactive One, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
The issue for Drake fans is how they seemingly excused pedophilia claims made against JAŸ-Z instead of his Canadian counterpart.
JAŸ-Z and Drake fans have been divided since the weekend after the Brooklyn mogul delivered a blistering freestyle at the Roots Picnic. Now, fans of Drake are calling out The Joe Budden Podcast for allegedly picking a side in the feud, taking note of the unverified pedophilia claims and other factors.
The critique that the cast of Joe Budden’s podcast is facing stems from a clip made by Akademiks TV of the hosts discussing Kendrick Lamar and Drake’s feud, in particular, “Not Like Us” and the “certified pedophile” line. In the clip, the cast seems to approve of the jab, despite not having any verification of the accusation.
Fast forward to episode 934 of The Joe Budden Podcast, the cast took note of JAŸ-Z’s Roots Picnic freestyle and the claims that Hov shot down regarding being connected to the controversial financier, Jeffrey Epstein, who was beset with various accounts of being involved in a pedophilia ring.
In essence, some feel like Budden and his co-hosts are flip-flopping on Drake by not defending the claims made against him and instead giving the rapper born Shawn Carter the benefit of the doubt. As it stands, some members of the cast, including Ice and Dr. Marc Lamont Hill, have responded to the picking sides claim while offering their explanations of their reactions.
We’ve got reactions from the cast and fans online from all sides below.
—
Photo: Getty
Fans Accuse The Joe Budden Podcast Of Caping For JAŸ-Z Over Drake was originally published on hiphopwired.com

Rest In Power: Notable Black Folks Who We’ve Lost In 2026
The 30 Most Beautiful Black Women In Hollywood
COMMENTARY: 5 Reasons Why Obama Will Beat Romney
Coco Gauff’s Most Elite Moments
We care about your data. See our privacy policy.

source

Copyright © 2026 Interactive One, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
When Boosie stepped into the building with Incognito the energy shifted immediately, he came through with full confidence, that signature no-filter, no-apologies presence that’s kept his community rocking with him for years. Real ones know, and this interview reminded everybody exactly why Boosie stays relevant.
Before anybody could even get into the music, Boosie had to shout out his kids. Graduation season had him glowing, especially behind his son’s straight-A report card.
“Not one B,” he said proudly. “I raised them right.”
Nine kids deep and still talking about wanting a tenth, Boosie makes it clear that fatherhood isn’t just a title for him, it’s his foundation. Even on Father’s Day, when he had two shows lined up back to back, he made sure to get home and be present with his children. All the outside noise fades when family is the main thing.
Boosie is not letting up. He’s already got Gangster Melodies and Cadillac Music in rotation, and there’s a whole lot more locked and loaded. My Deepest Thoughts is on deck, plus collabs with BG, Daz, and his longtime brother Webbie.
“I feel like no duo ever better than me and Webbie,” he said, with a Universal and Sony release in the pipeline to back it up.
He’s also finishing an album with C Murder, with just one verse from Snoop Dogg standing between the fans and that project dropping.
TRENDING STORY Black Celebrities Born In November
TRENDING STORY 6LACK’s New Era Is About Love, Fatherhood, Peace, and Real Growth
Some of the realest moments in the whole interview came when Boosie opened up about C Murder. It was C Murder’s Bossellini album that put Boosie on his path, and the bond they built while incarcerated together is something that clearly still hits deep.
“C Murder was like my big brother in jail,” he said. “That was my bed partner… that become your real brother.”
That’s not just loyalty for the ‘gram. That’s a genuine connection, and Boosie keeps honoring it every chance he gets.
Boosie’s vision goes way further than music. He’s got four films ready to release on July 4th and just unveiled Boosted Network, his own streaming platform loaded with interviews, movies, and merch.
“My own Netflix,” he said simply. And when Boosie says it like that, you believe him.
The entrepreneur side of Boosie is just as sharp as the artist side, and he’s building something that’s going to outlast any single record.
Throughout the whole sit-down, Boosie stayed true to form. He touched on social media’s toll on mental health, promoted his upcoming pool party at his estate, and kept every opinion fully his own. No PR filter. No script.
When the closing chant hit and the interview wrapped, the message was simple: Boosie is still that guy. Hardworking, community-rooted, and unapologetically real from start to finish.
READ MORE STORIES:
Related Tags

Rest In Power: Notable Black Folks Who We’ve Lost In 2026
The 30 Most Beautiful Black Women In Hollywood
COMMENTARY: 5 Reasons Why Obama Will Beat Romney
Coco Gauff’s Most Elite Moments
We care about your data. See our privacy policy.

source

June 5, 2026
Black-founded startups raised $643 million marking the highest quarterly total since the second quarter of 2022.
Black entrepreneurs in the United States secured their strongest quarter for venture capital funding in nearly four years. Despite the increase, experts say the surge masks ongoing structural challenges that continue to limit access to capital for many Black founders and startups, according to TechCrunch.
Crunchbase data show that Black-founded startups raised $643 million during the opening months of 2026, marking the highest quarterly total since the second quarter of 2022, when founders secured $653 million. The amount already represents nearly 70% of the $942 million that Black founders raised in all of 2025.
However, the gains were largely driven by a small number of sizable investments rather than broad-based growth across the startup ecosystem. Major rounds included AI company SambaNova Systems’ $350 million funding raise, which significantly boosted overall figures.
While the funding totals are encouraging, Black founders continue to receive only a small fraction of overall venture capital dollars. Last year, Black entrepreneurs accounted for just 0.32% of the roughly $290 billion invested across the venture market.
Gené Teare, Crunchbase’s head of research, told TechCrunch that persistent barriers continue to affect fundraising outcomes. Those obstacles include “access to networks, relationships, and early introductions,” factors that often influence venture capital decisions before formal pitches occur.
“We are eight to nine quarters into a venture funding downturn, but Crunchbase data has shown a persistent decline in funding to Black-founded companies that outpaces the overall decline in startup funding. One has to wonder if the abundance of caution that’s now prevalent in the industry has prevented investors from taking chances on first-time founders who are more likely to be diverse,” she said.
The latest numbers suggest that investor interest in Black-founded companies may be improving compared with recent years. Still, analysts caution that the ecosystem remains vulnerable if funding growth depends on a handful of large transactions rather than expansion of investment opportunities.
RELATED CONTENT: Launch Your Startup The Right Way in 5 Easy Steps

© 2026 Black Enterprise. All Rights Reserved.

source

Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott challenges the Black father narrative through his stroller walk. Read more inside.
For generations, harmful stereotypes have painted Black fathers as absent, uninvolved or disconnected from their children’s lives. Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott challenges that narrative through his work with strollers, the community, and a powerful message about fatherhood. Read about how Scott is actively demystifying the Black father trope. 
Ahead of Father’s Day, Scott announced Baltimore’s first Father’s Stroller Walk. The event is designed to bring fathers, grandfathers, uncles and father figures together for a visible celebration of Black fatherhood. In videos shared on Instagram and social media, Mayor Scott can be seen pushing a stroller alongside Baltimore City Councilman Paris Gray while encouraging men throughout the city to participate.
According to theGrio, Scott said the event is intended to highlight a reality that often gets overlooked.
“Black fathers despite the rumors are more involved with their kids than their counterparts,” Scott told the publication in a statement. “Black Baltimore fathers have another level of fatherhood swag and this event is a place for us to display that and fellowship with each other.”
His comments are backed by data. According to statistics cited by Yahoo News, Black fathers who live with their children are more likely than their White and Hispanic counterparts to participate in daily caregiving activities — including helping with meals, bathing, transportation and homework.
For Scott, the issue is personal. The 42-year-old Mayor is a father of three and has frequently spoken about how fatherhood changed his life. His wife — Hana Scott — recently praised his hands-on parenting style. She even described him as a father who steps into family responsibilities without hesitation — even while leading one of America’s largest majority-Black cities.
Councilman Gray echoed the importance of fatherhood and community mentorship. Speaking with theGrio, Gray noted that many of the most meaningful moments of parenting happen away from public view. Bedtime stories, daycare drop-offs, daily conversations and simply showing up all help shape a child’s future.
The Father’s Stroller Walk arrives at a time when outdated assumptions rather than facts often dominate conversations about Black families. By creating space for Black men to gather with their children, Scott is offering a different image. One centered on presence, love, responsibility and joy.
Sometimes changing a narrative does not require a speech. Sometimes it starts with showing up, pushing a stroller and letting the community join in what has always been true: Black fathers are present and active.
RELATED: Mayor Brandon Scott: America Doesn’t ‘Deserve Black Women,’ Reflects On His Daughter’s Future
Mayor Brandon Scott Pushes Back On The Absent Black Father Myth — 1 Stroller Walk At A Time was originally published on newsone.com

Rest In Power: Notable Black Folks Who We’ve Lost In 2026
The 30 Most Beautiful Black Women In Hollywood
COMMENTARY: 5 Reasons Why Obama Will Beat Romney
Coco Gauff’s Most Elite Moments
We care about your data. See our privacy policy.
An Urban One Brand
Copyright © 2026 Interactive One, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

source

The NBA Hall of Famer is bringing the legend of Black Caesar to life in a new comic book series that blends African royalty, slavery, piracy and the fight for freedom.
NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal is adding another title to his already lengthy résumé: comic book creator.
The Hall of Fame basketball star has partnered with Archie Comics to develop Vengeance Unchained: The Legend of Black Caesar a new comic book series inspired by the legendary West African pirate whose story has been passed down through folklore for generations.
According to Variety, the project will be written by acclaimed comic book writer Stephanie Williams, with artwork provided by Ray-Anthony Height and Studio Sky-Tiger. Together, the creative team aims to reimagine the tale of Black Caesar as an action-packed historical epic centered on survival, resistance and liberation.
According to the official synopsis, the story follows an African king whose life is shattered when he is captured and forced into slavery. Stripped of his kingdom and separated from the woman he loves, he embarks on a perilous journey that ultimately transforms him into a feared pirate in the Caribbean. Along the way, he discovers that freedom is not given—it must be fought for.
“Growing up I always loved stories about warriors who refused to quit,” O’Neal said in a statement announcing the project. “Black Caesar starts as a king, loses everything, and takes his freedom back on his own terms. That’s the kind of story I want to help tell.”
O’Neal said the series is designed not only to entertain readers but also to spark deeper conversations about resilience, identity and power. He added that collaborating with Archie Comics, a publisher he has admired for years, made the project even more meaningful.
Archie Comics CEO Jon Goldwater praised the partnership, calling it a unique collaboration between two pop-culture institutions. Goldwater said O’Neal’s creative vision, combined with the publisher’s storytelling legacy, has the potential to make “Vengeance Unchained” one of the year’s most talked-about comic releases.
Best known for publishing the long-running Archie series and beloved titles such as Jughead, Betty and Veronica, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, and Josie and the Pussycats, Archie Comics is venturing into new territory with the historical adventure series.
Vengeance Unchained: The Legend of Black Caesar is scheduled to arrive in comic shops later this year. The project is being overseen by Colin Smeeton, Mike Parris and Matthew Gross through O’Neal’s Jersey Legends Productions and Authentic Studios.
RELATED: DUNKMAN: Everything We Know About Shaq’s Professional Dunk League
Shaquille O’Neal Teams Up With Archie Comics For New Black Pirate Saga was originally published on cassiuslife.com

Rest In Power: Notable Black Folks Who We’ve Lost In 2026
The 30 Most Beautiful Black Women In Hollywood
COMMENTARY: 5 Reasons Why Obama Will Beat Romney
Coco Gauff’s Most Elite Moments
We care about your data. See our privacy policy.
An Urban One Brand
Copyright © 2026 Interactive One, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

source

Rodney Mims Cook Jr. at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum on 4 June
Photo: Reuters
Rodney Mims Cook Jr, the chairman of the US Commission of Fine Arts, participated in a roundtable on US-Russian cultural exchange on Thursday, at Russian president Vladimir Putin’s showcase St Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF). He was the first US official to participate in the event in nearly ten years.
Oil and military targets around St Petersburg, Putin’s hometown, were hit on 3 June by Ukrainian drones in a strike timed for the start of the forum, which is known as Putin’s “Davos”.
The two-hour roundtable, titled “Russia-USA: dialogue of cultures,” was moderated by Mikhail Shvydkoy, Putin’s international cultural envoy who engineered Russia’s controversial return to the Venice Biennale last month.
Cook, who has helped guide US president Donald Trump’s ballroom project at the White House and triumphal arch proposal for a site opposite the Lincoln Memorial through the necessary approvals as part of his role at the Commission of Fine Arts, spoke for nearly 20 minutes at the roundtable about his longtime love for Russian culture. He said many of those present “have been my personal friends for decades”. A public champion of classical architecture, he outlined his support of heritage projects in Russia, including the cathedral of the New Jerusalem Monastery and the Arkhangelskoye Palace near Moscow, and about how he has built a dacha in Atlanta, Georgia, his hometown, in the Russian village style. Cook has worked on heritage projects in Russia with Priscilla Roosevelt, a writer and scholar, and his late father-in-law, James D. Robinson III, the former chief executive of American Express.
Cook also spoke of his work on Trump’s ballroom and planned “triumphal arch,” which Cook says he has promoted since 2000. In his presentation, he included a photograph of a heritage preservation event organised by the Soros Foundation, which was banned in Russia in 2015 as a state security threat (and is now named the Open Society Foundations).
Mikhail Piotrovsky, the director of the State Hermitage Museum, who was recently sanctioned by the European Union for his support of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, was seated next to Cook. Olga Lyubimova, the Russian culture minister, who was sanctioned by the EU in 2022 and the US in 2023, called for “depoliticisation” of culture and for symphony and ballet tours to resume. Valery Gergiev, the conductor, who is now the director of both the Mariinsky and Bolshoi theatres, was also at the panel, which promoted his return to conducting in the US.
The US actor Steven Seagal, who was granted a Russian passport by Putin in 2018 and appointed as a special envoy for Russian-American humanitarian relations, also spoke. The panel was broadcast live on Rutube, a Russian platform owned by state-controlled Gazprom-Media.
Neither Cook nor the commission responded to requests for comment about the intent of the trip to the St Petersburg forum.
Up until Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the forum welcomed large Western delegations and contributions. In 2017, for example, the then NBC News television anchor Megyn Kelly moderated a panel at the forum that featured her tense questioning of Putin. However, sanctions following Russia’s full-scale invasion cut off most business ties between Russia and the US. Yuri Ushakov, Putin’s advisor and Russia’s ambassador to the US from 1998 to 2008, told journalists on 2 June that “Americans haven’t been [at the forum] at this level since around 2017-2018”, the official Tass news agency reported.
Questioned in the US senate on 2 June, the secretary of state Marco Rubio denied knowledge of the US delegation in St Petersburg. “I’m not aware of the delegation that went,” he said when pressed by the senator Dick Durbin.
Other US guests at the economic forum included Candace Owens, a far-right commentator who has praised Russia for its beauty and Christianity in social media posts throughout her visit, and the British American manosphere influencers Andrew and Tristan Tate.
Vladimir Legoyda, a spokesman for the Russian Orthodox Church—whose Patriarch Kirill I has been a vocal supporter of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine—was another notable participant at the roundtable with Cook. Ahead of the summit, Cook had delivered a copy of the Sitka Icon of the Theotokos to a monastery in St Petersburg as a gift from Trump. It was a response to an icon that Putin presented to Archbishop Alexei of Alaska of the Orthodox Church in America after his meeting with Trump in Anchorage last August. Legoyda said the Orthodox Church can become a platform for US-Russian dialogue.
“We see the growing interest in Orthodoxy in the US today,” Legoyda said. “I believe and hope that this religious dimension of our life—which always transcends the prevailing climate, standing apart from any political expediency—can, alongside the immensely powerful cultural backdrop we discussed today, serve as the foundation for us to start with a clean slate, while remaining mindful of all the points of contact that have existed and continue to exist within our cultures.”
Sergei Chapnin, an expert on the church and culture who was fired as editor of the Journal of the Moscow Patriarchate in 2015 and is now the director of communications at the Orthodox Christian Studies Center at Fordham University in New York, tells The Art Newspaper: “Vladimir Legoyda’s brief remarks at the SPIEF should not be underestimated: the message was unmistakably clear—the Russian Orthodox Church intends to prosecute cultural diplomacy, and America is the principal target.”
The Putin ally has been a vocal supporter of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine
Olga Lyubimova, who has served as Russia’s top cultural official since 2020, was sanctioned by the European Union late last year
Event will be held in amphitheater of ancient Syrian city recently recaptured from Isil militants
Vladimir Putin’s deputy chief of staff will put $12.1m towards helping cultural projects that have been targeted due to “their patriotism and loyalty to the country” since the invasion of Ukraine

source

Tanzanian authorities have ruled influencer Ashlee Jenae’s death a suicide, revealing evidence from online searches and messages that investigators say pointed to emotional distress before her death.
This week, Tanzanian authorities officially ruled the death of influencer Ashlee Jenae, whose real name was Ashly Robinson, a suicide following an investigation into the circumstances surrounding her death during a trip to Zanzibar earlier this year.
According to statements from the Tanzania Police Force reported by TMZ, investigators reviewed digital evidence and personal communications as part of their inquiry. Officials said the investigation uncovered online searches, including a ChatGPT query about what might amount to a fatal dose of Valium and messages that they believe indicated Robinson was experiencing significant emotional distress in the weeks leading up to her death.
Zanzibar Deputy Director of Criminal Investigation Zuberi Chembera said authorities examined Robinson’s online activity, including searches related to self-harm. Investigators also reviewed text messages sent to family members and friends that they described as reflecting depression and, in some cases, appearing to be farewell messages.
Robinson died on April 9 while staying at a luxury resort in Zanzibar. The trip was reportedly intended to celebrate her birthday and included plans involving her fiancé, Joe McCann.
Authorities said a hotel employee discovered Robinson unresponsive after receiving no response from her room. She was transported to a hospital, where she was later pronounced dead.
Police previously announced that the immediate cause of death was cerebral hypoxia resulting from strangulation and suffocation. Following a broader investigation, authorities concluded that Robinson died by suicide.
A post shared by Brianna Robinson (@bn_robinson)
There have been no comments from Robinson’s family following Thursday’s press conference; however, at the time of her death, a number of her friends and family members were adamant she was doing well. In April, family members posted a statement on social media speaking to her healthy state of mind and asked, respectfully, that “any information not directly provided by our family be treated as unverified and not considered factual.”
The case initially drew widespread attention after family members publicly questioned the circumstances surrounding her death and sought additional answers about the events leading up to it. Authorities said they interviewed McCann and investigated reports of an argument between the couple before Robinson’s death. However, officials stated that no criminal charges were filed and McCann was not arrested.
Thursday, McCann expressed ongoing grief over Robinson’s death, saying he misses her every day and continues to struggle with the loss.
If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline in the United States. Support is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

More About:News
Weekly New Episodes
Stream Now

source

Copyright © 2026 Interactive One, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
“Hey Elon, if u see this, please put the audio post feature back on here. Thanks, u frog build looking b*tch. Barrel chested ewok u look like u eat sand.”
Doja Cat really misses the ability to post audio messages on X (formerly Twitter) so much that she decided to slam the platform’s owner, Elon Musk, for removing them.
“The Streets” crafter didn’t hold back while venting about audio posts being taken down. In a post on her X account, the musician called out Elon Musk for the removal of the feature and went in.
“Hey Elon, if u see this, please put the audio post feature back on here. Thanks, u frog build looking bitch. Barrel chested ewok u look like u eat sand,” Doja Cat wrote.
Phony Stark removed the feature last year, one of the many decisions he has implemented since his unfortunate acquisition of the social media platform.
Elon Musk has not responded to Doja Cat’s post, but social media is definitely appreciating her clowning the SpaceX chief.
“Instead of beefing with other female rappers she chooses to beef with evil billionaires, this is why she’s my fav,” one person wrote on X.
Another person on X wrote, “he really does look like what would happen if humans were allowed to breed ewoks like pugs…. her mind.”
“now why did you have to insult Ewoks like that Doja,” another post read.
Gotta love Doja Cat.
We’re not sure this will bring the audio posts back, and we are sure Musk will eventually say something because he is a very petty man.
Until that happens, you can see reactions to Doja’s post below.
Doja Cat Slams Elon Musk For Removing Audio Posts On X, Calls Him A “Frog Build Looking B*tch” was originally published on hiphopwired.com

Rest In Power: Notable Black Folks Who We’ve Lost In 2026
The 30 Most Beautiful Black Women In Hollywood
COMMENTARY: 5 Reasons Why Obama Will Beat Romney
Coco Gauff’s Most Elite Moments
We care about your data. See our privacy policy.

source

“If the President wants to improve the Black jobless rate, he needs to stop firing federal workers,” Gbenga Ajilore, chief economist at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, told theGrio
After President Donald Trump recently told theGrio his policies are bringing back “Black jobs,” the new jobs report for May shows that while the Black unemployment rate has slightly declined, it remains disproportionately high compared to the national rate and rates of other racial or ethnic groups.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, in May, the Black unemployment rate modestly dipped to 6.6% after reaching 7.3% a month prior. That is higher than the national unemployment rate (4.3%), the white unemployment rate (3.8%), the Asian unemployment rate (3.8%), and the Hispanic unemployment rate (5.0%).
The slight decline in the jobless rate for Black Americans comes after President Trump told theGrio a day before the job numbers were to be released that, “We saw some numbers that we’re doing really well.”
“We’re doing very well with the Black jobs, African-American jobs,” the president said inside the Oval Office, where he announced a $700 million federal investment in coal plants.
Despite the appearance of a positive shift in the job market for Black workers, Gbenga Ajilore, chief economist at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, told theGrio that the drop in Black unemployment was “driven by a drop in labor force participation more than a gain in employment.” In other words, more Black workers aren’t being hired; they’re simply opting out of the job search.
As theGrio previously reported, Black Americans have acutely suffered in Trump’s economy as a result of the confluence of his policies, most notably attacks on DEI and the slashing of the federal workforce.
“If the President wants to improve the Black jobless rate, he needs to stop firing federal workers,” Ajilore told theGrio, adding, “The federal government has been the best place for Black workers for over 80 years.”
Many Black Americans have been able to thrive in the middle class as a result of high federal employment, particularly in non-political civil service jobs. However, the Trump administration’s efforts to shrink the federal government in the name of so-called “waste and fraud” have specifically targeted these once-protected and coveted positions.
“Going to Schedule F is definitely not going to help either,” said Ajilore, referring to an executive order Trump signed on Tuesday that strips protections for 8,000 federal workers, making them “at-will” employees, making it easier for the government to fire them without cause.
When asked about the racial disparity in unemployment numbers, the president told theGrio that government and private sector investments in coal plants and the auto industries will bring more jobs to Black communities.
“What we’re really going to do well is when all these plants are open, you know. We’re building many car plants. We’re bringing cars back from Germany. We’re bringing, you know, we lost the car industry years ago. 54% of the industry went to Germany, Japan, Canada, Mexico,” said Trump.
“It’s all coming back. It’s amazing,” the president continued. “And where your Black worker is really going to do well is when those factories open. So, I think they’re going to be great. We’ve, we’ve been doing well. It’s been a big focus for me.”
Despite the president’s pronouncements, the coal industry has been in decline since 2008. It remains to be seen if Trump’s new actions will make any meaningful difference. Utility companies have also been using coal to produce energy for data centers, which have faced criticisms for polluting Black communities, among other environmental harms.
As for the auto industry, while job creation has grown, manufacturing jobs have steadily declined due to Trump’s global tariffs and the war in Iran, which are driving up costs and disrupting supply chains. What’s worse, as many as 100,000 manufacturing jobs have been lost in Trump’s economy.
“There is a level of disgust Black Americans have with the prioritization of this presidency, especially when it comes to more endless wars,” said Democratic strategist Ameshia Cross. “Black Americans are seeing a consistent lack of resources in their communities, and are told that we just don’t have the money.”
She added, “Meanwhile, we’re spending billions of dollars a day in a war of choice from this president.”

More About:News Politics
Weekly New Episodes
Stream Now

source