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Beyoncé’s Mother Defends Her Against #ENDSARS Backlash

Nigeria is currently in the midst of a major crisis as protestors are taking the streets to #ENDSARS, a movement calling for the end of a special unit within the Nigerian Police Force with a long record of abuse and harassment.

Celebrities are starting to speak out about the terrible events taking place in Africa, joining the movement to raise awareness against the Special Anti-Robbery Squad. Rihanna, Trey Songz, and many others have been vocal about what’s going on, supporting the Nigerian youth as they fight against the government.

As things have gotten extremely dangerous, with bullets being fired into a crowd of protestors last night, Beyoncé spoke out as part of #ENDSARS and, surprisingly enough, she was met with backlash for doing so. She claims that she has been working behind the scenes, collaborating with coalitions to provide emergency healthcare, food, and more.

People have been picking apart Bey’s message, letting her know that it’s “not about food” and missing her point that she has been actively working to help where she can.

Getting fed up with the constant scrutiny that her daughter faces for literally anything she does, Tina Knowles-Lawson chimed in to defend her against her critics.

Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images

In a two-part post, Tina says that, because of personal issues in her family, she was only made aware of #ENDSARS last week but that, ever since, she’s been spreading awareness about it. Then, she took aim at Beyoncé’s critics.

“No matter what my daughter does she is scrutinized and torn apart,” wrote Tina. “She Makes a record and uses all African artist, producers, writers. She is criticized because She didn’t get artist from every country in Africa there are 52 countries! Then she makes a film that by the way she doesn’t profit a penny off of, because she spent every penny in the budget on making something that celebrates our heritage! What profiting off of you did she do? She made art!! She is an artist! That is what artist do. She is not your political leader and not your whipping board.”

What do you think of her lengthy posts about the situation in Nigeria?

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DJ Akademiks questions if Lil Durk will get bond as the racketeering case goes on

Lil Durk’s legal battle is about to take another big step, and DJ Akademiks is already sharing his expectations for what could go down when the rapper returns to court in November.

Durk is in custody, awaiting his next VICAR case in which authorities say he was running a criminal enterprise. His next trial was set for October 5, but recent developments have called into question when those proceedings will occur.

Durk’s murder for hire trial recently resulted in a not guilty verdict in November. Regardless of that outcome, he remains in custody because the separate racketeering related charges remain unresolved. Durk’s attorneys have asked for the new hearing and have been ordered to appear by U.S. Probation and Pretrial Services, which also must submit a fresh bail report.

Against that backdrop, legal commentator Bradford Cohen had previously suggested Durk could eventually get bond. That view ties in with Durk’s not-guilty verdict in the earlier case, and the argument that the outcome could make it harder to sustain the remaining allegations.

DJ Akademiks sees things a bit differently. In a recent livestream, Akademiks predicted that Durk would not get a bond at the Nov. hearing. He believes the charges will stick and cites the seriousness of the allegations in the VICAR case as his reasoning. He also doesn’t appear to expect the rapper to be released from jail anytime soon as the case moves forward.

Akademiks’ prediction concerns the bond hearing, not Durk’s chances at trial. Durk’s legal situation remains unresolved for now. His recent acquittal has altered the circumstances of his arrest, but the separate racketeering case still looms over the rapper as both sides prepare for the next phase.

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Celebrity

DJ Akademiks Resurrects 2015 Drake vs. Meek Mill Beef With Alleged Nicki Minaj Backstory

DJ Akademiks is digging up hip-hop history buried for 10 years as he offers his supposed explanation for how the Drake/Meek Mill feud came to a head in 2015. The back-and-forth between Akademiks and Meek Mill has resurfaced the conversation. Akademiks returned to the long-running Drake-Meek beef on his stream last night, saying a comment by Nicki Minaj had something to do with what happened between the two rappers.

According to Akademiks, Meek and Minaj were shopping at a designer fashion store when they got to the register. He says that when Meek told her he didn’t have the cash to pay for Minaj, she allegedly told him he would never be Drake. Akademiks also claims Minaj left the store on her own, and then Meek went on X, and what happened next started the infamous feud with Drake.

The account remains an allegation, not a confirmed explanation. The information provided has not been independently verified, and ultimately only those involved, including Minaj and Meek Mill, could confirm the story’s authenticity.

The beef between Drake and Meek Mill started in 2015 and has become a staple in hip-hop conversation. Meek struggled after the fallout, while the beef became a defining moment in Drake’s career. However, the two eventually made up and collaborated on “Going Bad,” signaling a return to a more cooperative relationship despite the rivalry’s tension.

Now that Akademiks and Meek are throwing shots again, the events of 2015 are back in the conversation. By reflecting on the feud, Akademiks has added another possible piece of context to a story that has been a hot topic in hip-hop for years.

Whether his version of events is what actually happened, however, remains unresolved. Currently, the designer-store story isn’t factual, but it is Akademiks’ version of the events surrounding the beef.

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