Snoop Dogg recently admitted that a trip to the movies turned into something he never expected. While speaking on the It’s Giving podcast, in a segment that has since been deleted, the rap icon explained that watching Pixar’s Lightyear with his grandson brought up questions he wasn’t ready to answer. The 2022 animated film shows Buzz Lightyear’s close friend Alisha Hawthorne starting a family with her wife, which includes a short kiss between the two women. According to Snoop, his grandson immediately wanted to understand what he was seeing. “‘They just said, she and she had a baby — they’re both women. How does she have a baby?’” the child asked. Snoop admitted that he felt unprepared, saying, “I didn’t come in for this s—. I just came to watch the goddamn movie.” He confessed the situation left him rattled. “It f—ed me up. I’m like, scared to go to the movies. Y’all throwing me in the middle of s— that I don’t have an answer for.” The moment reflected a much larger conversation surrounding the film. Disney and Pixar originally considered removing the kiss, but after employee pushback over what was seen as censorship, the moment was restored. Producer Galyn Susman described the decision as important, saying the relationship was meant to be “loving and inspirational.” Despite the creative defense, Lightyear faced bans in multiple countries, including Malaysia and Saudi Arabia. Director Angus MacLane expressed frustration, telling the San Francisco Chronicle, “The controversy is whether or not you think it’s appropriate for people to love each other. That’s a thing that’s a controversy? I don’t know where to begin on that one.” For Snoop, though, the film became less about international debates and more about being a grandfather. “These are kids,” he said. “They’re going to ask questions. I don’t have the answer.”

Cardi B has expressed why she believes she receives so much hate from female rappers. “For some reason, it’s something about me that these bitches can’t stand,” Cardi told Zane Lowe in an interview. “They can’t f**k with me. Some bitches, I feel like they’re on this class right now, they’re sophomores, and I’m a senior,” she continued. “ And it’s like you want to f**k with the senior so bad. You think you’re here with the senior. You’re not even a junior.” “And it’s like you need to worry about them other sophomores before you start worrying about here, the f**king senior,” she continued. “But it’s something about it that it’s like they can’t even focus on them. They got to focus on me. And they always got to focus on throwing me shots and throwing me slings. No matter if you’re a fucking sophomore or in motherfucking college, it’s me.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by Apple Music (@applemusic) As she prepares for the release of her highly anticipated sophomore album, Am I The Drama, Cardi also had some words for some men who were critical of her sampling JAY-Z  on her latest single, “Imaginary Playerz.” “For people to dog pile on me over one song,” Cardi said on X Spaces. “And when it comes to dog piling, it’s not even just like, ‘Oh well, I don’t like this song,’ because if you don’t like this song, fine, but to come at the way I speak, to make narratives of how I think I am and who the f**k I think I am, to talk about every single piece of me, to bet on my downfall is crazy.” “There’s grown men that are practically betting for me to lose. Grown-ass men that I ain’t never did nothing to, betting on my downfall,” she continued. “ And my thing is with these people, it just be like, when my record do good, when ‘Outside’ did good, people couldn’t believe it.”

Jadakiss had some words for those who claimed he grew up like The Huxtables. During a recent episode of his podcast  Joe & Jada with Fat Joe, he shut down the idea that the social media chatter said that he was raised as a rich kid. “Some assh*les in the comments think I grew up like the Huxtables,” Jadakiss said. “I don’t know what the f*ck is wrong with these people, but coming from where we come from, it’s a beautiful thing to have both of your parents. I know in rap, they see all these people– Yeah, we had both of our parents.” “Do that mean we wasn’t in the street? No. That mean our household had gold spoons? No. My moms bust her ass,” he continued. “My pops was on drugs. He was able to shake back. I was outside doing sh*t. I was smart in school, I was athletic, but I was outside.” The legendary LOX rapper then revealed some receipts of his past life and was shocked that people attempted to discredit him for having two parents “Just ask the people, just ask the cops, just ask anybody you wanna ask. But for some reason these people… you can’t be standing up to your word if you have both of your parents. Are you some type of assh*le? It’s a blessing to have both of your parents.” JADAKISSBEANIE SIGEL KISS THE MAC COLLAB ALBUM EXECUTIVE PRODUCED BY FREEWAY COMING SOON pic.twitter.com/2AvsopqGr4 — Ahmed/The Ears/IG: BigBizTheGod (@big_business_) August 24, 2025 On the music side, Jadakiss recently announced that he was dropping a collaborative album with Beanie Sigel titled Kiss The Mac. Freeway will serve as executive producer and the album will include appearances from both The LOX and State Property.

On what would have been Kobe Bryant’s 47th birthday, Vanessa shared a deeply touching tribute on Instagram that resonated widely. Vanessa posted a throwback photo of herself kissing Kobe on the cheek—set against a romantic European backdrop—and captioned it: “We love and miss you and Gigi so much. Sending our love to you. Happy birthday, baby.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by The Shade Room (@theshaderoom) Natalia Bryant, their eldest daughter, also honored her father with her own heartfelt gesture. She posted a playful snapshot of herself and Kobe mimicking a nearby statue, simply captioned: “Happy Birthday Daddy” followed by a red heart emoji. Keeping Kobe’s legacy alive, as previously reported, in a heartfelt gesture that resonated deeply with fans across Los Angeles. Lakers star Luka Dončić has donated $5,000 to help restore a beloved mural honoring Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna, which was recently defaced with black spray paint. The mural, created by Los Angeles-based street artist Sloe Motions—whose real name is Louie Palsino—featured the powerful message “Mamba Forever” alongside a portrait of Kobe and GiGi. It had become a cherished local landmark and a symbol of resilience, legacy, and community healing following the Bryants’ tragic passing in 2020.

Ciara recently sat down with Associated Press to discuss her new album, CiCi— her first project in nearly six years. It works as a follow-up to her 2019 album, Beauty Marks. Released on August 22, CiCi is an expanded version of her 2023 EP of the same name and marks her first release as an independent artist. Back in 2017, the Grammy-winning artist founded her independent label, Beauty Marks Entertainment. “It’s time. Honestly, I’ve been working on this album for almost five years,” she tells the outlet. “I put a lot of blood, sweat, and tears, as they would say, into this project…” The singer also revealed to the outlet that while recording CiCi, she had given birth to two of her youngest children: Win Harris and Amora Princess. “I literally gave birth to two babies while I was making this project, too. So, a lot has happened,” she said. Source: Associated Press (AP) While Ciara did take a brief reprieve to raise her ever-growing family, the singer made it clear that she wasn’t just “chillin’” the last five years and had always “actively put out music on the project.” With a career spanning over two decades, Ciara noted that she still enjoys creating music after all these years; however, if she ever happens to “stop loving the process,” she’ll “stop.” The “Level Up” singer continued, ” I have so much passion for it and I just feel so fortunate that 21 years later, from my first album ‘Goodies’ to now, that I still have the same excitement I had as a little girl.” “Success to me is yes, putting out music. Being the best artist I can be, hopefully being known as one of the best to ever do it …” she adds. “But it’s not solely in that,” she said. “People lose themselves because they didn’t live. I don’t want to be that girl – I’m not going to be that girl.”

After working with the STARZ network for over a decade, 50 Cent might be headed out the door. In a now-deleted Instagram post, the rapper shared a screenshot, revealing the once-popular drama network’s ratings were at an all-time low. “It’s not that hard to say goodbye. Bye,” 50 Cent wrote in the post’s caption. According to the screenshot the rapper posted, STARZ has “reportedly lost 42.5M dollars.” They also lost over “410,000 subscribers” over the past three months. The low ratings are “partly due” to the network’s biggest shows, like BMF, “underperforming.” Complex reports that during an after-market analyst call, STARZ president and CEO Jeffrey Hirsch did, in fact, blame the network’s “underperformance” on BMF’s latest season. That said, the 50 Cent-produced series may not be completely at fault. Back in May, Lionsgate issued a public statement, revealing that the company officially cut ties with STARZ. This separation could’ve played a significant role in the declining viewership. Ooops 50 Cent responds to the rumors that STARZ is losing money & subscribers because of BMF #50cent #bmf #hiphopculture #jviewsdaily #follow pic.twitter.com/QbmqyiWzxf — JViews (@jviewsdaily) August 17, 2025 This wouldn’t be the first time the rapper’s revealed his frustrations with the network. Back in April, Fif took to X (formerly Twitter), writing, “I have the number 1,2,3, and 4 top TV shows in African American and Latina households, and I hate that I did them with the wrong people. I’m not doing any BMF spin-offs or selling any other shows to STARZ. GLGGreenLightGang #bransoncognac #lecheminduroi.” On the bright side, back in 2023, Fif brokered a “non-exclusive broadcast direct deal” with FOX, per Variety. The deal will give the rapper the power to “develop scripted dramas, live-action comedies and animated series.” He will do so through his production company, G-Unit Film & Television. “Whether it’s music, film or television, Curtis always delivers premium entertainment that captivates millions of fans across the globe,” said Michael Thorn, Fox Entertainment‘s president of scripted programming, in a statement around that time. “He is the rare multi-hyphenate with a deft hand at storytelling, no matter the format or medium. We’re looking forward to developing new and exciting series for Fox with him and his team.”

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have cut ties with rookie safety Shilo Sanders less than 24 hours after he was ejected from a preseason game for throwing a punch at a Buffalo Bills player. The altercation occurred on Saturday, August 23, 2025, during Tampa Bay’s preseason finale against the Bills. Sanders, the 25-year-old son of Pro Football Hall of Famer Deion Sanders, threw a punch at tight end Zach Davidson after a heated exchange at the line of scrimmage. The punch led to an immediate ejection and quickly drew criticism from Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles, who labeled the act “inexcusable.” Footage from the game showed Davidson’s fingers caught in Sanders’ facemask just before the scuffle, but the rookie’s retaliation sealed his fate in what was already a tight roster battle. On Sunday morning, August 24, the Buccaneers officially announced that Sanders had been waived as the team worked to finalize its 53-man roster ahead of the regular season. The move ended his brief stint in Tampa Bay, where he had signed earlier this year as an undrafted free agent following the 2025 NFL Draft. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Preme Sports (@nflpreme) Sanders’ agents, Drew Rosenhaus and Robert Bailey, expressed hope that another team might claim him off waivers, emphasizing his potential despite the setback. Before joining the Buccaneers, Sanders played college football at both South Carolina and Colorado, following his father’s coaching path. Known for his physicality and coverage skills, he entered the NFL with aspirations of carving out a role on special teams and as a depth safety.

During a recent interview with the Associated Press, Mariah the Scientist addressed the critics of her relationship with Young Thug. “I’m used to people scrutinizing my relationship,” she tells the outlet. “It’s almost like I expect them to do that.” According to Mariah the Scientist, she wants to avoid the public having any say or “heavy impact” on her relationship with the rapper. She continues, “I just want to be able to actively decide on my own if it’s something that I want to do or not. Or, if it is something that’s serving me or not serving me. And I think it’s definitely been a process.” Rumors first circulated about the pair back in 2021. However, amid the early stages of their relationship, Young Thug and his YSL (Young Stoner Life) label mates became embroiled in a highly-publicized racketeering trial. The “Digits” rapper was arrested in May 2022 and would ultimately spend two years in prison. After agreeing to a plea deal in October 2024, the rapper was released in November. Aside from talking about her relationship with Thug, Mariah also spoke about her new album, Hearts Sold Separately. The project was released via Epic Records and the singer’s imprint Buckles Laboratories on Friday, August 22. Along with a new project, her single “Burning Blue” has become a No. 1 hit track on Billboard’s Rhythmic Airplay chart. The catchy tune also cracked the top 30 on the Billboard 200 chart. When asked about her feelings on becoming R&B’s next up-and-coming star, the former biology student-turned-singer said her hard work is “paying off.” Mariah added, “Just people appreciating the art I make, not on just an acknowledgment level, but actually digesting it and appreciating it. …It’s really not necessarily about the accolades, but I feel like accolades are indicative of the exposure and being perceived in a flattering way.”

Despite one Grammy win, five nominations, and becoming the third female hip-hop artist to have an album peak at number one on the Billboard 200, Eve surprisingly “doesn’t think about” her legacy in music. “I don’t think about it. I just, it’s not something that comes to my mind, it is not something I think about,” she tells the Associated Press in a new interview. In Eve’s opinion, she doesn’t mull over how much credit she receives because she knows what she’s “done and have accomplished,” and according to her, “that’s something no one could ever take” away from her. The “Tamborine” rapper acknowledges the impact she has had on her fans, who have told her how she inspired them; however, she didn’t understand the gravity of her career for herself until she wrote her 2024 memoir, Who’s That Girl? Eve continues, “I think the only time I kind of allowed myself to really reflect on it is after I finished my book and I did the audiobook. And literally, as soon as I got in the car, I called Cathy, my co-writer, and was like, ‘Yo, I did a lot, like, and I’m proud of myself, you know!’” In other news, Eve recently sat down for the Joe and Jada podcast with Fat Joe and Jadakiss. At one point in the conversation, the pair asked the rapper what motivates her to go on tour, considering her billionaire husband is waiting for her at home. The former “First Lady of Ruff Ryders” says she still likes getting her own checks. When Jadakiss asked how the tour was going, Eve said, “The tour’s good. So far we, um, we’ve only done three, four, we’ve done four shows. I did Europe first.” Fat Joe went on to ask why that “Rich Girl” is still doing shows. To which she responded with, “I like money. Okay? I like checks. So if there’s, I wouldn’t be doing it if it wasn’t a check involved, I wouldn’t be doing it if the check wasn’t right.” The “Let Me Blow Your Mind” rapper also made it clear that no man “saved her.” She added, “First of all, nobody ever saved me. I saved myself. I got my own money. If I wanted to stop working, my man wouldn’t care. But why would I not do something that I love?”

BigXthaPlug’s album rollout hit a serious snag after the Dallas rapper, whose real name is Xavier Landum, was arrested late Thursday in North Texas. The 27-year-old was booked into the Dallas County Jail on charges of unlawful possession of a firearm and possession of marijuana under two ounces. Police reports say the arrest stemmed from a traffic stop just before 9 p.m. when officers noticed his pickup truck driving without a front license plate near South Great Trinity Forest Way and US 175. Officers questioned Landum about weapons, and he admitted to having one in the vehicle, pointing them to its location. Authorities later said a criminal database flagged him as having gang ties in Arlington, which prevents him from legally owning a firearm. A small quantity of marijuana was also recovered during the stop. This is not the first run-in the rapper has had with police this year. Back in February, he faced marijuana charges in Arlington. The arrest created chaos around his scheduled celebrations for I Hope You’re Happy, his new album featuring Darius Rucker, Luke Combs, Shaboozey, and Jelly Roll. Landum was supposed to attend a release party Thursday night at a Deep Ellum nightclub, followed by another event Friday at a Dallas Wingstop. He never made it to the stage, as he was already behind bars before the first party even started. Despite the setback, BigXthaPlug had just marked a major career achievement. His 2024 project Take Care reached platinum certification, signifying more than one million copies sold. So far, his team has not commented on the arrest or whether his planned events will be rescheduled, leaving fans wondering what comes next.