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Royce Da 5’9″ Explains To Nick Cannon Why “Talking White” Is His Pet Peeve

Detroit emcee Royce Da 5’9″ caught up with Nick Cannon for the media mogul’s Cannon’s Class online series, and during the discussion, Royce shared something that irks him. The rapper spoke about some people’s need to “talk White,” or change their speech in certain environments in order to “impress someone else.” Royce believes that he should be accepted in all rooms no matter how he delivers his message and “talking White” doesn’t make any one person more intelligent than another.

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“One of my pet peeves is talking White. I just attribute that to like, us not knowing [who we are],” said Royce. “We gotta have an identity and it can’t be ignorance.” Cannon chimed in, “You know, you hear the argument, ‘What is talking White. Do you mean being intelligent?'” Royce shot that down. “No, it’s not speaking intelligent because you can speak intelligent and not be talking White.”

Both men suggested that the person is “putting on a facade to impress someone else.” Royce added, “A lot of times it’s not to impress. It’s to fit in [or] send a signal that says I’m willing to be complicit, subservient, and inferior to your inferiority complex. You have to be comfortable with me being myself. If I can be my best version of self in a room with important White people and we can get along and we can have love for each other and we can accept one another, I should be able to do that same thing in a room with you. I’m a multilayered individual but I don’t want to break myself up into different people to do this balancing act in life.”

Check out Royce Da 5’9″ chopping it up with Nick Cannon below.

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Kanye West Joins Chicago Ceremony Honoring His Mother With Dr. Donda West Way

Kanye West was in Chicago for a street naming ceremony honoring his late mother, Dr. Donda West, and celebrating her lasting contributions to the city, her impact on education and the arts, and her influence on her son’s life.

A portion of 78th Street bears the official designation of Dr. Donda West Way, an appropriate tribute to a woman whose legacy remains deeply entangled with Chicago. Local news covered the ceremony, attended by community leaders, and Ye could be seen clapping in the background, wearing shades, as the new street sign was unveiled.

The event celebrated Donda West’s accomplishments and her impact on the people in her life. It was also a moment of profound personal significance for Kanye. His mother played a large part in building his confidence and supporting his musical ambitions, leading him down the path that would ultimately make him one of the most recognizable artists in music.

West had already paid tribute to his mother in his 2021 album Donda. The project took 10 years to complete, the amount of time it took Ye to process her tragic passing. Donda’s voice is present throughout the album, adding another personal element to a project centered on her memory and legacy.

The Chicago ceremony falls during a busy time for West. The artist is on a world tour and played a couple of shows in Chicago just a few weeks ago. Despite the ongoing controversy about his recent past and public reception, his repeated returns to the stage have underscored the enduring size of his audience.

Currently, the unveiling of Dr. Donda West Way is not about music but about celebrating Donda West’s life and accomplishments and the impact she continues to have through the legacy she left behind.

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DJ Akademiks Opens the Door to Pusha T Amidst Drake Controversy

DJ Akademiks seems to be changing his tune on Pusha T after the leak of the rapper’s alleged album with Pharrell, though the project reportedly includes several direct shots at Drake.

The reaction is notable as Akademiks and Pusha T have been on completely unique sides of the long-running Drake-Pusha T divide. Pusha T’s infamous beef with Drake reached a major milestone in 2018 with the release of “The Story of Adidon.” Akademiks has an OVO chain and has been a big supporter of Drake, which makes his latest comments about Pusha T even more shocking.

The two have had their differences, though they have never gone back and forth publicly over the years. Akademiks, however, responded to the leaked project with a more sympathetic view of Pusha T’s position. Akademiks didn’t just point out the rapper’s continued Drake references; he also recognized that Drake has been beefing with Pusha T and Pharrell over the last few years.

Things got spicy when Akademiks reminded him that Pusha T has liked a couple of his posts before. That detail apparently has Akademiks considering reaching out directly to talk with Pusha T.

Does Pusha T even want that kind of conversation? Still, Akademiks’ comments imply that he believes there’s room for a more productive discourse between two personalities who have historically been on opposite sides of the Drake-Pusha T feud.

For now, the leaked album has provided an unexpected opening for dialogue. Akademiks’ openness to Pusha T’s side, even with his clear ties to Drake, shifts the conversation away from taking sides and toward whether a direct conversation could actually happen.

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