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Pretty Ricky’s Baby Blue Faces Federal Charges For $24Mil PPP Loan Scam
The pandemic has placed a strain on thousands of businesses throughout the United States and to help themselves stay afloat, many owners took out Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) Loans. Over the last few months, there have been rising reports regarding business owners or professionals being charged with various counts of fraud for their use of the millions of dollars they’ve requested from the government, including former NFL star Josh Bellamy. He stands accused of receiving PPP Loans and using the funds on luxury items and lavish vacations, and it’s reported by the Department of Justice that Pretty Ricky singer Baby Blue has also misused PPP finances.
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The Department of Justice published a lengthy statement about Diamond Blue Smith, also known as Baby Blue, and the allegations set before him including wire fraud, bank fraud, and conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bank fraud. “Smith was arrested and appeared yesterday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Regina D. Cannon of the Northern District of Georgia,” wrote the DOJ.
They further claim that Baby Blue “obtained a PPP loan of $426,717 for his company, Throwbackjersey.com LLC, using falsified documents” before seeking another for “$708,065 for his other company, Blue Star Records LLC, using falsified documents.” The DOJ claimed that Blue then purchased a $96K Ferrari as well as other luxury items.
Twelve others have been named as co-conspirators with Baby Blue as the DOJ asserts that they worked together to obtain $24 million in funds. Blue has yet to publicly respond to the allegations but his social media pages are now private.
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ReeToxA confronts the past with truth on “HMAS CERBERUS”
“HMAS CERBERUS,” ReeToxA’s new single, is a raw, very personal song about his life experiences. The song sounds like Oz rock from the 1990s, and modern alternative and grunge. It sounds brave and familiar at the same time, like a truth kept secret for a long time.
“HMAS CERBERUS” is based on a true story from Jason McKee’s life, and it shows how his ten years in the Navy changed him and how they still do. The song bravely speaks to the emotional toll of service, including alcoholism and mental stress, sincerely.
The poem is what makes the single stand out. The writing is brilliant and stays smart, and it’s hard without being preachy. The singer got the idea for the song when he saw four seasons in one day at a beer garden in Melbourne. It connects the sudden change in the weather to a life that is constantly changing and hiding how you feel. It’s a potent metaphor for a mind that finally stops long enough to figure out where the damage started.
The song “HMAS CERBERUS” is both intense and at the same time. It makes you think, but it’s also surprisingly easy to dance to, which shows that dark themes don’t have to be sad music. The song is both interesting and challenging to listen to because of the gritty guitars and rock base. In a sea of safe releases, ReeToxA stands out as honest, raw, uncomfortable, and necessary. “HMAS CERBERUS” is a brave meditation that stays with you for a long.time
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Kieran James Honors Memory with “Part of the Grind”
Singer-songwriter Kieran James delivers a devastating new single with “Part of the Grind,” a track to tackle the tangled emotions behind loss and memory. A love letter penned to a close friend who faced severe cognitive decline, the song’s emotional heft feels universal yet heartbreakingly personal.
Set to delicate instrumentation and achingly sung vocals, “Part of the Grind” is both a lament and an honoring, a means of remembering while addressing the unavoidable cost of time and illness. His voice floats, leaving room for silence and the long pauses that so often come with grief. But in that silence, there is warmth as well, a refusal to let memory be totally extinguished.
Resilience is also implied in the song’s title, a reminder that even in heartbreak, life goes on and holding the memory of someone stays with the rhythm of everyday living. it’s an anthem for anyone who has ever looked on witnessing decline, mixed sorrow with love.
In Kieran James’s “Part of the Grind,” we hear music as well as go behind it. He gives us room feel, to mourn, and to honor. In the process, he turns private pain into something achingly universal, a song for everyone who has either loved or lost.
