Capitol Records drops virtual AI rapper… Bhad Bhabie launches $1.7 million scholarship… Jake Paul update… Rihanna’s new Fenty lip gloss… and The new King of Pop

Listen to “Showbiz – Aug 24, 2022” on Spreaker.

 

Capitol Records was so proud of themselves. They had signed their first major deal with a virtual artist — an AI rapper named FN Meka — AND they were releasing FN Meka’s first single “Florida Water” with Gunna and the gaming streamer Cody “Clix” Conrad. What could go wrong? It turns out, EVERYTHING. An activist group called Industry Blackout tweeted at Capitol Records, “Have you lost your FN minds?” They then posted an open letter to the label that began, Dear Capitol Records, It has come to our attention that your company has decided to partner with Factory New on signing the artificially designed ‘rapper’ FN Meka. While we applaud innovation in tech that connects listeners to music and enhances the experience, we find fault in the lack of awareness in how offensive this caricature is. It is a direct insult to the Black community and our culture. An amalgamation of gross stereotypes, appropriative mannerisms that derive from Black artists, complete with slurs infused in lyrics. This digital effigy is a careless abomination and disrespectful to real people who face real consequences in real life. For example, Gunna, a Black artist who is featured on a song with FM Meka, is currently incarcerated for rapping the same type of lyrics this robot mimics. The difference is, your artificial rapper will not be subject to federal charges for such.” They went on to demand that everything involving FN Meka be removed and all the money they’ve earned from “Florida Water” be donated to charities that “directly support Black youth in the arts, as well as marketing budgets for Black artists signed to Capitol Records.” Capitol Records reacted immediately, announcing they were severing ties with the FN Meka project and pulling “Florida Water” off all streaming platforms. I don’t know if they’re making those recommended donations or not…..

Danielle Bregoli — aka Bhad Bhabie — aka the Catch Me Outside Girl from “Dr. Phil” — has partnered with a nonprofit to offer $1.7M in scholarships to help students enroll in technical and trade schools. The so-called “Bhad Scholarships” will range from $1000 to a full ride. Some kids will also receive $10K to start their own business when they graduate. Danielle said, “I know that there’s a lot of kids out there that really want to get real jobs and want to work hard, but they just don’t have the money to provide it. I thought it was an amazing idea.” Danielle said had things gone differently, she could see herself pursuing a career as a nail technician. And now, she actually wants to own her own nail salon.

Rick Ross is willing to pay somebody $10M if they’re willing to fight Jake Paul. Jake is currently 5-0 in the boxing ring, but he’s recently run into trouble getting someone to fight him. First, Jake was supposed to fight Tommy Fury, but Tommy is a British citizen and for whatever reason, he was denied entry to the US. Then Hasim Rahman Jr. said he’d do it, which would’ve been Jake’s first fight against a professional boxer, but Hasim ran out of time to make weight. Rick Ross posted a selfie with Jake on Instagram and captioned it, “Since everyone seems to be afraid to fight @jakepaul I’m down to put another 10 million on top to make the right match happen. What fight would you want to see?”

Rihanna has teamed up with MSCHF for a new Fenty Beauty makeup collaboration titled “Ketchup or Makeup?” While the surprise drop confused some fans of the makeup brand, others thought it was super creative. The “Ketchup or Makeup” palette costs $25 and contains six identical packets that look like ketchup, some will be filled with Fenty Beauty’s best-selling Gloss Bomb lip gloss….the others will be filled with ketchup. TikTokers has been doing reviews of the collection, with one person asking, “Is Rihanna still on maternity leave… who signed off?” This collection is only available at a NY hotdog stand pop-up or online at KetchupOrMakeup.com.

Harry Styles became the first global cover of Rolling Stone, gracing the covers of 14 versions of the magazine around the world. But the Rolling Stone UK cover is causing quite a bit of controversy. They slapped a caption on their cover boy Harry, “How the new King of Pop set the music world aflame.” This didn’t sit well with many people, including Michael Jackson’s family. Not only was Michael Jackson given the title “King of Pop,” it’s also trademarked by the Jackson Estate. Michael’s nephew Taj Jackson tweeted, “There is no new King of Pop. You don’t own the title @RollingStone, and you didn’t earn it, my uncle did. Decades of dedication and sacrifice. The title has been retired. No disrespect to @Harry_Styles, he’s mega talented. Give him his own unique title.”

 

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