Entertainment

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Calls Out Anti-Semitism In Hollywood & Sports

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is questioning how celebrities are getting away with blatantly perpetuating anti-Semitism more and more these days, especially in light of the larger-than-ever exposure of the Black Lives Matter movement. In a new column for The Hollywood Reporter, the NBA legend points out the lack of outrage toward celebrities for spewing anti-Semitic views, despite the growing support for BLM and the fight against systemic racism. In the piece, which dropped just hours before Nick Cannon was fired by Viacom on Tuesday (July 14th) for allegedly expressing anti-Semitic remarks during his rant about white people, Kareem expresses his fear that the lack of explicit outrage towards this anti-Semitism “in the face of sustained prejudice” will cause what he calls an “Apatholypse”—”apathy to all forms of social justice.”

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He goes on to call out certain celebrities by name for their recent anti-Semitic tirades, including Ice Cube, who went on a bizarre Twitter spree last month in which he tweeted a number of “creepy symbols and images,” that “implied that Jews were responsible for the oppression of” Black people. Kareem also condemned NFL player DeSean Jackson for aligning himself with a quote incorrectly attributed to Hitler, that claimed that Jews had a plan to “extort America” and achieve “world domination.” Kareem mentions that former NBA player, Stephen Jackson, an activist and close friend of the late George Floyd, co-signed this horrific quote, although both he and DeSean have since apologized.

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“It’s so disheartening to see people from groups that have been violently marginalized do the same thing to others without realizing that perpetuating this kind of bad logic is what perpetuates racism,” Kareem notes. He also points out that comedian Chelsea Handler, a Jewish woman herself, joined in on the anti-Semitic sentiments—albeit seemingly by accident—by posting a video in support of “notorious homophobe and anti-Semite” Louis Farrakhan on Instagram.

“While it’s possible the words were wrong, celebrities have a responsibility to get the words right,” Kareem insists. “It’s not enough to have good intentions, because it’s the actual deeds — and words — which have the real impact.” He goes on to quote MLK as well as Billie Holiday’s “Strange Fruit” before concluding with, “If we’re going to be outraged by injustice, let’s be outraged by injustice against anyone.”

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Tina Knowles Shines Light on Beyoncé & Jay-Z’s Enduring Love in 17th Anniversary Tribute

When Beyoncé and Jay-Z marked 17 years of marriage, Tina Knowles turned to Instagram to tip her hat to the anniversary and the strength and heart behind it. In an affectionate video montage highlighting everything from backstage warmth to center-stage highlights, Tina Knowles praised the Carters for their solidarity. “Happy 17th anniversary to two of my favorite people in the whole wide world,” she wrote, ending with a simple red heart emoji that said more than any words could. “The love and the commitment, and the ability to put away all the outside noise, is phenomenal. The rest is just fluff; true love transcends all the nonsense. Enjoy your day.”

And in this instance, Tina’s words are ringing louder than ever.” The Carters have their issues, including recent scrutiny and public accusations that have rocked the clan. Jay-Z said in a personal statement released last December via Roc Nation that he was heartbroken about the effect that falsehoods like these have on their children. “My only heart break is for my family,” he said. “My wife and I are going to sit our kids down. One of them is old enough that her friends will probably read the headlines and ask questions. I mourn another loss of innocence.” It was a raw, vulnerable moment from one known as much for his lyrical swagger as for his guarded privacy. “Children should not have to go through such things in their age,” he added. “It’s unfair that we even have to make sense of this specific type of malice, which is meant to break families and to break the human spirit.”

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And yet here they are seventeen years later, still together, still strong, still in love. Tina Knowles’ tribute is more than a loving note from a proud mom. It is a strong declaration about the durability of aumber, it’s a testament to loyalty, growth and a bond that has proven from the very beginning to be louder than the noise.

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Azealia Banks Unleashes on Eminem with Blistering “School Shooter Music” Takedown

Azealia Banks never holds back when it comes to unfiltered opinions, and her latest target is none other than Eminem. The Harlem-born rapper, whose biting commentary is as noteworthy as her genre-defying music, set social media ablaze recently with a takedown of the Detroit rap legend. Once a Twitter user dared to invoke Eminem in one of her threads, Banks responded in classic fashion, pronouncing the record as “school shooter music.”

“No body wanna listen to that school shooter music,” Banks wrote in a tweet that quickly generated controversy. “This is hiphop, we don’t care or relate to white male anger and raps about wanting to kill your mother. ‘Stan’ is legendary for its own reasons but Eminem is just always too disturbed. One would think that at this point in his career he’d challenge himself to write even just ONE song that wasn’t about his mental illnesses. Eminem is always going to be that mad white guy nobody wanna f**k. When Eminem can make ONE a** shaker, and exhibit even 0.2 oz of sex appeal we can revisit. But vanilla ice was and is still the best white rapper of all time. Argue with ur mom.” It’s a tough criticism, but Azealia knows how to speak her mind.

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Banks, who isn’t one to shy away from a tussle, added insult to injury by saying Eminem is “too disturbed” and asking why, after two decades in the game, he’s still rapping about mental illness instead of taking his artistry into unknown territory. “One would think, at this stage, in his career, he would challenge himself to write at least ONE song that’s not about his mental illnesses,” she quipped. Her assertion is that Vanilla Ice, not Eminem, is the best white rapper ever. “Vanilla Ice was the greatest white rapper’s all-time and still does. Fight ur mother,” she continued, repeating her opinion the way only Azealia can.

Although her comments will undoubtedly set Eminem stans and hip-hop purists alike into a frenzy, they also provide a more subtle perspective on Banks’ longstanding critique of mainstream rap culture, not to mention the glorification of trauma and rage. Yes, her delivery’s sharp-tongued and unforgiving, though it’s always seasoned with her trademark flair. Azealia Banks knows how to keep the pot boiling, whether you love or loathe her. And at a time when it’s safer to play it safe, her new diss track shows she’s still that in your face.