Story

Jacob Blake Released From Hospital

The police shooting of Jacob Blake, who miraculously survived seven shots to the back, sparked a renewed surge in Black Lives Matter protests, even forcing the NBA to consider shutting down the rest of the season for a second time.

The 29-year-old has quietly been recovering in the hospital since his August 29 shooting, but, because of how many people knew of the hospital he was staying at, Blake and his family have feared for their safety. His father has reportedly been receiving death threats, which has influenced the family’s decision to move Jacob to another undisclosed facility.

Scott Olson/Getty Images

As reported by TMZ, Blake was released from the hospital a week-and-a-half ago but he is not home yet. He’s currently continuing treatment at a spinal rehabilitation center.

His family has said that he is paralyzed from the waist down because of the shooting. Although he is recovering, he is unlikely to ever walk again as a result of his injuries.

Jacob’s uncle says that he is doing as well as he can, explaining that Jacob is trying to get used to his new life.

Last month, Blake issued his first statement since the shooting, saying: “I got staples in my back, staples in my damn stomach. It hurts to breathe, it hurts to sleep, it hurts to move from side to side, it hurts to eat. There’s a lot more life to live. Your life and not only just your life, your legs — something that you need to move around and move forward in life — could be taken from you like this. Please, I’m telling you: Change y’all lives out there. We can stick together, make some money, make everything easier for our people out here, man. Because so much time has been wasted.”

We’re praying for a miracle for Jacob Blake.

[via]

Tweet LinkedIn PinShares0

Story

Kyle Ashen’s sun-drenched recollection with new release “That Local Girl”

Kyle Ashen’s latest release, “That Local Girl,” is a gorgeous trip down memory lane, a country single that explores that golden glow of memory, like flipping through old photographs touched by salt air and summer sunlight. It’s warm, cinematic, and deeply relatable, a song about the kind of love story that never quite goes away, even as time moves on.

“That Local Girl” is filled with imagery that quickly takes the listener into a world they can walk right into. You got a blonde-haired, blue-eyed girl on a boardwalk street by the ocean, a souped-up truck driving through town, neon lights reflecting off the ocean breeze, and the electric innocence of young love burning in the background.

But under all that cutesy trapping is something more than that, longing. Some people, some places that leave permanent marks on Kyle Ashen and us know that. What’s so brilliant about this song is that it marries those two ideas, making love and hometown memory feel beautifully inseparable. Sometimes you miss a person. And with that person, you miss an entire version of life. “That Local Girl” is more than a country love song from Kyle Ashen. He is a living postcard from the past, sun-faded, bittersweet, and glowing with feeling. A reminder that summers pass by, but some memories stay with us forever.

Connect with Kyle Ashen on Spotify || Instagram || Facebook || Youtube

Tweet LinkedIn PinShares0

Artist Spotlight

ECHOFLIP inspires faith and fire with triumphant anthem on “Kingdom Rise”

ECHOFLIP marches forward with commanding purpose on “Kingdom Rise,” a single that not only demands attention but also commands it. Driven by pounding drums, soaring melodic textures, and full-conviction lyricism, the song arrives like a battle cry with the heart of worship. Bold and energized and spiritually charged from beginning to end.

“Kingdom Rise” is street realism meets kingdom vision at its heart. It’s got grit in its pulse but grace in its message as well. Each bar rings with resilience with ECHOFLIP, a record that embodies struggle, perseverance, and steadfast faith in the face of adversity. The result is music that is rooted in reality while reaching for something much larger.

What makes the single particularly compelling is how seamlessly it combines high-energy Christian trap with uplifting spiritual themes. The hard-hitting production has edge and urgency, and its faith-centered focus gives it soul. It’s motivational without being pushy. Worshipful without momentum loss, without losing authenticity. Ideal for trap gospel, inspirational rap, and urban playlists that aim to uplift as much as energize, “Kingdom Rise” delivers on all fronts. It moves the body, it sharpens the mind, it stirs the soul.

Connect with ECHOFLIP on Spotify