Entertainment
R. Kelly Prosecutors Want Jury To Be Anonymous, Claims He Is “Capable Of Inflicting Violence”
We may not have heard much about R. Kelly in the media lately, but the disgraced singer’s trials are moving forward swiftly. R. Kelly is facing a slew of charges across multiple states lines, but it’s now being reported that federal prosecutors in New York are asking for jurors to be kept anonymous. Meaning, they are petitioning for Kelly’s entire trial to be held in front of an anonymous jury because authorities believe the singer is “capable of inflicting violence.”

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This sort of rare move is usually held for cases that involve the mob or terrorists, but prosecutors reportedly noted that Kelly was accused of obstructing justice in his previous child pornography trial back in 2008. There are allegations that during the trial he paid off and intimidated witnesses and alleged victims.
“Multiple witnesses will testify that (Kelly) physically and violently assaulted them when they broke one of (Kelly’s) ‘rules,’” prosecutors wrote while adding “the fact that jurors are aware that their identities are publicly known may subtly and unconsciously impair their impartiality.”
The Chicago Sun-Times spoke with Steve Greenberg, R. Kelly’s attorney, who called the prosecutor’s request “ridiculous.” He added, “To suggest that (Kelly) may harm a juror because there are allegations that he may have engaged in domestic violence is, frankly, insulting. It’s insulting and illogical… We have to know who these people are.”
It’s been about a year that Kelly had remained behind bars as he awaits trials and faces charges of racketeering, sexual misconduct, sexual abuse, among many others. The singer’s Brooklyn trial is reportedly slated to begin on September 29 while his trial is his hometown of Chicago has a start date of October 13.
[via]
Celebrity
Meek Mill Draws Mixed Reactions With Drill Take on Nico & Vinz’s “Am I Wrong”
Meek Mill has released a couple of songs that leaked online recently, giving fans a proper way to hear the tracks after they popped up over the weekend. “Philly Heathens” has been praised for its attention to street culture and youth affected by violence, but his other new album, “Am I Wrong,” has received a much more divided response.
“Philly Heathens” has been praised for its lyrics about street culture and the young people who get caught up in violence. “Am I Wrong,” however, takes a vastly different approach, remixing the song of the same name by Nico & Vinz as a drill centric interpolation.
“Am I Wrong” is now 12 years old, and its connection to the EDM sound of the time makes it especially recognizable to those who grew up with it. So Meek’s take is built on a familiar musical reference, but the response has been far from universally complimentary. A lot of the criticism has been directed at the hook. The production has also been called dated, but the track was leaked, which may explain its sound. But the strongest reactions have focused on Meek’s chorus vocals.
Read More: Drake Joins Karol G in Houston for First Live Performance of “Ahi”
Some of the responses have been good, though. Some listeners felt the track was a throwback to the blog era, while others thought the criticism targeted almost entirely the hook, not the song as a whole. One Reddit commenter wrote that the track was good, but the chorus was bad, suggesting that Meek’s performance on the rest of the song was better than the reception to the hook may suggest.
The different reactions demonstrate the contrast between Meek’s two new leaks. “Philly Heathens” has resonated with audiences for its subject matter, while “Am I Wrong” has sparked discussion due to its interpolation and vocal approach.
Both songs are now officially available on YouTube so that fans can decide for themselves. The response to “Am I Wrong” shows how difficult it is to reinterpret a well known song, especially when a recognizable hook becomes the centerpiece of the new version
Celebrity
Drake Joins Karol G in Houston for First Live Performance of “Ahi”
Drake made a surprise appearance in Houston this weekend, joining Karol G on stage for the first-ever live performance of their collaboration, “Ahi.”
The surprise appearance took place during Karol G’s show in Houston, where Drake jumped out from the bottom of the stage to perform the song with her. “Ahi” is the latest from Karol G’s project No Me Arrepiento de Sentir Tanto, and the Houston show marked the first time the pair had performed the collaboration together on stage.
Drake made his entrance to a loud reception from the crowd. The rapper popped out from under the stage, bowed to Karol G, hugged her, and launched into their collaboration. With “Ahi,” the performance was not over. Drake stayed on stage and carried on with the set, performing “Janice STFU” and “One Dance” and giving the Houston crowd a long set from the Canadian rapper.
The collaboration also sparked speculation about Drake’s upcoming music. A rumor started that Karol G was one of the collaborators on the project, along with Molly Santana and Future, days before ICEMAN is expected to drop. Future and Molly Santana were among the names on the rumored list, and Future ended up on “Run To Atlanta.”
Read More: Cardi B and Kehlani’s “Safe” Takes Best HipHop at the VMAs
Drake’s Houston appearance comes as he continues to promote music outside the traditional album release cycle. He released FOMO, a visual YouTube project featuring visuals for several songs from Habibti and Maid Of Honor nearly two weeks ago. The project also featured a couple of unreleased songs, including new material with Yeat and new unreleased music with Don Toliver.
Drake and Don Toliver have also dropped a remix of Ella Langley’s “Choosin’ Texas.” The remix has recently sparked speculation about the artists after re uploaded visuals allegedly erased all footage of Langley.
But the Houston show shifted the focus back to Drake and Karol G. The surprise appearance turned the stop into the first live showcase of “Ahi” for the audience, while Drake’s renditions of “Janice STFU” and “One Dance” extended his surprise time onstage. It also gave fans their first chance to see the two artists perform their collaboration together, adding a live chapter to the release of “Ahi. “
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