Category: Music

JUST IN: Virgil Abloh, CEO of Off-White Dies Of Cancer.

American designer, entrepreneur and founder or mega fashion label Off White, Virgil Abloh, has died.

The 36 year old who has been artistic director of Louis Vuitton men’s wear since 2018 died of cancer on the 28th of November 2021. It was announced on Louis Vuitton’s Twitter page.

Born on September 30, 1980, in Illinois, to Ghanaian immigrant parents, his mother was a seamstress while his dad managed a paint company.

Virgil, who is a trained architect, ventured into the fashion world with Chicago street fashion. He then bagged an internship at Fendi in 2009 alongside American rapper Kanye West. Both artistes then began a collaboration that would then launch Abloh’s career into founding Off-White.

L-R: Kim Kadarshian, Kanye West & Virgil Abloh for British GQ.

The first American of African descent to be artistic director at a French luxury fashion house, he was named by Time magazine as one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2018.

Abloh battled cancer privately for years, but it never impeded or influenced the pace of his work as he only rose further and further toward the end of his life.

He met his wife, Shannon Sundberg, in high school. They married in 2009. He lived in Chicago with his wife and two children. Abloh was of the Ewe ethnicity of the Volta region in Ghana.

RIP.

Obama DMW, Davido’s Aide Is Dead.

Obama DMW with his boss, friend and music superstar, Davido.

Obama DMW, Davido’s road manager has died of suspected heart failure. He reportedly died today, June 29th at the Ever-Care hospital, Admiralty way, Lagos.

It was gathered that he had complained of having breathing difficulties and drove to the hospital himself where he got admitted for treatment. He died a few hours later.

Sources say his corpse has been deposited at the mortuary and he would be buried tomorrow.

AKA’s FiancĂ©e Dies In A Tragic Accident In Cape Town.

Ace South African rapper, Jarryd Forbes, popularly known as AKA, has lost his 22-year-old fiancée, Nelli Tembe, after she allegedly fell to her death from the tenth floor of the five-star Pepperclub Hotel in Cape Town, on Sunday, April 11, 2021.

Details are not clear about he events but according to the Western Cape SA Police spokesperson, Captain Fredierick van Wyk, the crime scene is being investigated and a case has been opened.

“Cape Town Central police are investigating an inquest case after an incident at a hotel this morning at about 7.45am on the corners of Loop and Bloem streets, Cape Town CBD, where the body of a 22-year-old woman was found deceased,” he said in a statement.

Tembe and Forbes’ families also released a statement on Sunday, confirming her death and revealed the rapper has been inconsolable. The couple got engaged in February, 2021.

RIP Nellie. 🕊🕊🕊

Legendary Music Producer Dr Frabz Murdered In The US

Nigerian music producer Ayorinde Faboro professionally called Dokta Frabz is dead.

Nikki Laoye announced that he had died after getting shot in the United States.

Frabz began his music career at Archbishop Vining Memorial Church Cathedral in Ikeja, Lagos as a pianist and drummer. He also played other Sunday School instruments as a kid.

He became a music producer professionally while studying International Relations at Covenant University. The moniker, Dr. Frabz stood for Doctor of Flavour, Rhythm and Blues. 

He worked for Don Jazzy and D’banj’s Mo’ Hits Record also producing hit songs such as Dagrin’s “Thank God”, WizKid’s “Bombay”, and “Joy”, Banky W’s “Lagos Party” among many others. He was the music director for the fourth season of Nigerian Idol.

Samuel Oguachuba popularly called Samklef who confirmed the death of the producer eulogized him calling him a music legend. A lot of other musicians have poured encomiums and praise on social media.

Rest In Peace Dr Frabz. 🕊🕊

Tory Lanez Charged For Shooting Megan Thee Stallion, Faces 22 Years Prison Term.

The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office has charged Tory Lanez a.k.a. Daystar Peterson in the shooting of Megan Pete a.k.a. Megan Thee Stallion, according to New York Times reporter Joe Coscarelli. Megan was shot twice in the foot on July 12, and alleged that Lanez was her attacker; Lanez denied this with lyrics contained in his new album DAYSTAR.

According to the release, Lanez will be charged with “one felony count each of assault with a semi-automatic firearm – personal use of a firearm – and carrying a loaded, unregistered firearm in a vehicle. [Lanez] also faces a gun allegation and that he personally inflicted great bodily injury.”

The Office’s release refers to a “24-year-old victim,” likely Megan Thee Stallion. The statement reads that Lanez and the victim were arguing in an SUV traveling in the Hollywood Hills when the victim exited the vehicle. “The victim exited the vehicle and Peterson is accused of shooting several times at her feet and wounding her.”

Lanez is scheduled to be arraigned on October 13 at the Folz Criminal Justice Center. If convicted, Lanez faces a maximum sentence of 22 years and eight months in prison.

Chrissy Teigen And John Legend Lose Third Child Shortly After His Birth.

Chrissy Teigen and her singer husband, John Legend have lost their third child due to pregnancy complications.

It would be recalled that the 34-year-old model was rushed to the hospital on Wednesday evening after she started bleeding and had to undergo blood transfusions.

Teigen took to her Instagram page on Thursday, October 1, where she penned a heartfelt note about the demise of their baby.

Their third child, named Jack, was born but suffered complications and died.

Sharing photos of herself and Legend in the hospital with their newborn son, Teigen wrote;

The couple got married in 2013 after meeting on the set of Legend’s music video for “Stereo” in 2007. They have two children, Luna and Miles.

Chadwick Boseman, ‘Black Panther’ Star, Dies at 43.

Chadwick Boseman, star of “Black Panther,” died on Friday after a four year battle with colon cancer, his representatives have confirmed. He was 43.

Before he was cast as the Marvel Studios superhero, Boseman’s career first exploded with his portrayals of Black American icons Jackie Robinson (in 2013’s “42”) and James Brown (in 2014’s “Get on Up”).

“Chadwick’s passing is absolutely devastating,” said Kevin Feige, president of Marvel Studios and chief creative officer of Marvel, in a statement. “He was our T’Challa, our Black Panther, and our dear friend. Each time he stepped on set, he radiated charisma and joy, and each time he appeared on screen, he created something truly indelible. He embodied a lot of amazing people in his work, and nobody was better at bringing great men to life. He was as smart and kind and powerful and strong as any person he portrayed. Now he takes his place alongside them as an icon for the ages. The Marvel Studios family deeply mourns his loss, and we are grieving tonight with his family.”

Walt Disney Co. chairman Bob Iger said, “We are all heartbroken by the tragic loss of Chadwick Boseman — an extraordinary talent, and one of the most gentle and giving souls I have ever met. He brought enormous strength, dignity and depth to his groundbreaking role of Black Panther; shattering myths and stereotypes, becoming a long-awaited hero to millions around the world, and inspiring us all to dream bigger and demand more than the status quo. We mourn all that he was, as well as everything he was destined to become. For his friends and millions of fans, his absence from the screen is only eclipsed by his absence from our lives. All of us at Disney send our prayers and heartfelt condolences to his family.”

Although Boseman never spoke publicly about his diagnosis, according to the statement, he worked through his treatment for much of his career, starting when he played another Black American icon, NAACP lawyer and future Supreme Court justice Thurgood Marshall, in 2017’s “Marshall” — a year before the premiere of “Black Panther.” Boseman most recently appeared in Spike Lee’s Vietnam War drama “Da 5 Bloods,” and this year he’s due to appear opposite in Viola Davis “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” a feature adaptation of the August Wilson play, directed by George C. Wolfe.

He was born the youngest of three boys and raised in Anderson, S.C., by his mother, who worked as a nurse, and father, who worked in a textile factory. When he was a junior in high school, Boseman wrote and staged a play about the shooting death of a basketball teammate, which turned his life towards the arts. He studied directing at Howard University, where he was mentored by Phylicia Rashad.

After moving to New York, Boseman was a part of the local theater scene, and began landing guest roles on shows like “Law & Order,” “CSI: NY” and “ER,” as well as a series regular part on the NBC mystery “Persons Unknown.” Boseman’s first big break, however, came when he was cast in “42” to play Jackie Robinson, the first Black man to play in Major League Baseball.

Poignantly, Boseman’s death is on the same day as Jackie Robinson Day, MLB’s annual celebration of the pioneering player.

Reaction to Boseman’s death was swift and profound. Both Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, the Democratic candidates for president and vice president, expressed their condolences on Twitter.

Feige first announced that Boseman had been cast as T’Challa, a.k.a. Black Panther, on Oct. 28, 2014, at a splashy press presentation of the studio’s upcoming slate. The actor won wide praise for his first appearance as the character in 2016’s “Captain America: Civil War,” which only made expectations for the impending debut of “Black Panther” — the first-ever Marvel Studios movie headlined by a Black actor — that much greater.

Boseman, at least outwardly, shouldered them with ease — even after the film shattered box office records when it debuted in Feb. 2018. “Black Panther” grossed over $1.3 billion worldwide, forever exposing the pernicious untruth in Hollywood that movies with predominantly Black casts won’t gross well overseas.

It’s difficult to overstate the impact “Black Panther” and Boseman had on the larger culture. The film was the first superhero movie ever nominated by the Academy Awards for best picture, earning six other nominations and winning three. More to the point, as Black Panther, Boseman presented to the world an image of a powerful and thoughtful Black man who was the leader of a thriving African nation and a superhero willing to race into whatever battle he felt was worth fighting, no matter the odds.

Before “Black Panther” premiered, he was asked by Variety about the possibility of making a sequel.

“I’m enjoying this moment,” he said. “If we start talking about sequels — if we do four of them, two of them, three of them — I just want them all to be special like this one.”

As A Father Of Girls, There Are Things I Cannot Sing About Anymore – Reminisce.

Reminisce.

Nigerian hardcore indigenous Rapper Reminisce, birth name Remilekun Safaru, has urged artistes to evolve in order not to be left behind. Reminisce, who recently released a new body of work, ‘Vibes and Insha Allah’, noted that there were some things he could no longer sing about because he has daughters.

 The self-proclaimed ‘Alaga Ibile’ made this known during a recent Instagram Live chat with media personality, Douglas Jekan.

“I don’t want to think of what I did in the past, I am bothered about what I am doing right now. Even though I appreciate what I have put in the past. (The) music (industry) is large. Collaborations are very important. Rap is now a basic skill; everybody can rap.

“I always tell myself that the worst that can happen is failure. (And if that happens), I can try again. Introduce yourself to a new audience everyday. I didn’t know the movie audience was large until I starred in ‘King of Boy’s. I am enjoying the fame. I didn’t know the market was this huge. I just stuck to rap music.

“One needs to evolve; if not one would be left behind. There are things in my old songs that I cannot say anymore. Because I have three daughters, it’s not cool to say those things any more. One needs to grow and evolve. When one doesn’t grow with one’s fans, they would leave one behind.”

Reminisce also advised budding artistes to stay humble. “I have met a lot of up-and- coming artistes, who have talents and looks but their attitudes are not right. We mentioned earlier that talent is just 10 per cent of what one needs these days. One needs other components to become a super star. Having the right attitude is one of them. Fireboy (who I recently worked with) has the right attitude,” he stated.

Davido’s ‘A Good Time’ Album Officially Hits One Billion Streams.

Less than a year after the release of Davido’s ‘A Good Time’, the album has officially crossed one billion streams across platforms.

This great achievement was announced by Columbia Records UK via Twitter where they congratulated Davido on this new leap and added star in his career.

Taking a break off of social media, Davido is presently in Los Angeles, focused on his next album, ‘A Better Time’.

A Good Time, Davido’s second studio album was released on the 22nd of November 2019. The album features guest appearances from international artistes such as Chris Brown, Summer Walker, Gunna, A Boogie wit da Hoodie, Popcaan and Nigerian acts like Dremo, Peruzzi, Popcaan, Zlatan, Yonda, Wurld and Naira Marley.

Producers who worked on the album are; Speroach Beatz, Tekno, Shizzi, Kiddominant, P2J, London on da Track, Fresh VDM, Seyi, Teekay Witty, Ray Keys and Vstix.

Kanye West Battling Bi-Polar Disorder – Kim Kardashian Reveals.

Reality TV star, Kim Kardashian has finally reacted to her husband Kanye West’s recent rants on Twitter.

Kim Kardashian and Kanye West.

For over two days now, Kanye West, 43, has shared troubling tweets, calling out his wife Kim Kardashian, mother-in-law Kris Jenner and many others.

West recently revealed he has been trying to get a divorce from Kim Kardashian for a year now after she met (possibly had sex with) Meek Mill at a hotel over prison reforms. He also referred to his mother-in-law as “Kris Jong-Un” as he accused her of teaming up with his wife to put out a statement about his behavior without his approval.

Kim, Kanye with their children North, Saint, Psalm and Chicago West.

The father of four, who suffers from bipolar disorder, further accused the Kardashians of “white supremacy.”

Kim Kardashian has now released a statement via her Instagram stories to address her husband’s mental health and his experience with bipolar disorder.

In the statement, the reality star suggested that Kanye’s battle with bipolar disorder is playing a major role in his ongoing Twitter rants. But she made no mention of the divorce amid claims she is meeting with lawyers to talk about a possible divorce.

This has been a truly difficult period for the West family. Hopefully they see it through unscathed.