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Kobe Bryant and his 13-year-old daughter Gianna were killed in a helicopter crash on January 26th in California. There were seven other people on board who also lost their lives. The news sent shockwaves throughout the NBA and the world at large. Since the tragic accident, numerous tributes have poured in for the nine victims. In fact, today, there is a public memorial at the Staples Center where Kobe and Gianna will be honored. Kobe's wife, Vanessa, has made a few statements on social media since the passing of her husband and daughter. As you can imagine, Bryant is extremely hurt by what's happened and she is looking for answers. According to TMZ, Vanessa recently filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Island Express which is the company that owned the helicopter Kobe was flying in. Harry How/Getty Images Vanessa is saying that the helicopter never should have been allowed to fly in such terrible conditions and that the pilot, Ara George Zobayan, was flying too fast. In the report, it states that Zobayan had been punished for violating rules in the past. Court documents allege the pilot was going 180 MPH while flying through the fog. Stay tuned for updates on this case as we will be sure to bring them to you. View the full article

The Los Angeles Lakers will be holding 'A Celebration of Life for Kobe and Gianna Bryant' today, February 24th (2/24), as a nod to the numbers worn by both Gigi and Kobe. Those in attendance at Staples Center will receive a special edition t-shirt and program, both featuring memorable photos taken of the Laker legend and his daughter. Tickets for today's event were priced at $224 each, two for $224 and $24.02 each, with all proceeds donated to the newly named Mamba and Mambacita Sports Foundation. According to ESPN, more than 80,000 people entered for the chance to purchase tickets but the arena can only hold roughly 20,000. Among those 20,000 will be plenty of Laker legends including Shaquille O'Neal and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, as well as current NBA stars such as Stephen Curry, Luka Doncic, Russell Westbrook and James Harden. Although The Celebration of Life for Kobe & Gianna Bryant will not be shown on any video screens outside Staples Center, the event will air live on local tv stations starting at 10am local time (1pm ET). Live streams of 'A Celebration of Life for Kobe and Gianna Bryant' can also be found on CNN's website, NBA TV, CBS All Access, and BET and its social media platforms. View the full article

Never one to box himself in, Young Nudy has officially shrugged off the traditional Friday release date and dropping off his brand new Anyways album this afternoon. Clocking in at sixteen tracks and fifty-eight minutes, it's a major effort from the affable Slime Boss, who has continued to perfect his whimsical trap formula. And why not, given that it has helped set him apart as one of Atlanta's more interesting up-and-comers on a musical level. Given that Anyways only recently arrived a half-hour ago, it was difficult to engage in a deep dive off the bat. Yet there was something about "No Comprende" that called out to me. Perhaps it's the infectious beat from 20 Rocket, which sounds like a young robot discovering that drug dealing is hardwired into its coding. Lyrically, Nudy has more questions than The Riddler and he's eager for answers. "Damn, where your potted pan?" asks Nudy. "No weight on your block, who is this man?" He proceeds to float over the instrumental in typical fashion, firing off his free verse bars and taking the piss outta anyone he deems unworthy. "Kick a n***a head like Jiu-Jitsu," he warns. "When it come to gettin' money that's what I'm gon' do!" Quotable Lyrics How do I know you? You ain't been in these streets for none Been in the field busting guns Tunnel vision runnin' from twelve for none Duckin dodgin bullets, n***a it was fun Shit mo' better when a n***a got a gun View the full article

Things were out of control between Alexis Skyy, Ari Fletcher, and Jayda Cheaves on social media this weekend after Skyy claimed that she paved the way for the latter two to succeed -- a comment that did not sit well with them in the least bit. Jayda, who is Lil Baby's girlfriend, went into attack mode and when she got a little too spicy, Skyy attempted to sit her down by claiming she's having a side fling with the "Drip Too Hard" rapper. Prince Williams/Wireimage/Getty Images "I suggest you sit TF down b4 I come around & snatch MY N***A back aga... NVM you'll see," wrote Alexis Skyy in response to one of Jayda's comments. She even threatened to drop receipts on the matter. Well, Lil Baby doesn't play about his name or his girl, and he decided to step into the ring to clear up those allegations. "Won't let the devil in but I stay with some demons," wrote the rapper before hammering off a few other tweets. "You tried it hoe, that shit ain't work. Ain never cap in my rap! That shit embarrassing." While Lil Baby doesn't necessarily specify that he's addressing this particular situation, the timing adds up perfectly. Jayda Cheaves was heavily involved in the back-and-forth, which will likely continue into this week. View the full article

When a recording artist passes away, there are two different ways that fans tend to react. They either dive into their discographies and interviews, hoping to honor the artist's legacy and salvage the artist's memory. While some may be able to derive joy from the artist's work and pay tribute to them in this fashion, others may find this too painful of a reminder that someone they admired is gone. For those who can muster the strength, Pop Smoke's final interview is making rounds online. He speaks to the hosts of BBC Asian Network, DJ Limelight and Kan D Man, about his wave of success and his recently-released project Meet The Woo 2. The clip serves as a devastating reminder of where the Brooklyn rapper was heading and also how respectful of a guy he was. Before the hosts start asking him questions, he asks them where they're from and establishes a connection over their shared Middle Eastern roots. He goes on to discuss his breakout song, "Welcome To The Party", and the various UK producers he had linked up with. He seems genuinely appreciate of all the good fortune that was coming his way. "Life just work like that," he said. "You never know when the blessing comes your way." Last Wednesday (Feb. 19), Pop Smoke suffered a fatal gunshot wound during a home invasion in Hollywood Hills. Police are still investigating whether it was a targeted hit. View the full article

Zion Williamson came into the NBA with the weight of the world on his shoulders and very few people expected him to live up to the lofty expectations thrust upon him. When you're the number one overall pick, people expect a lot out of you and with Williamson, that was no different. After sustaining a knee injury prior to the start of the season, there was this fear that Zion would be a bust. Just a month ago, Zion finally came back into the Pelicans lineup and he has been on a tear ever since. Last night, Williamson helped propel the Pelicans to a win over the Golden State Warriors as he scored 28 points. Perhaps his best highlight was immediately after missing a free throw. In the clip below, Williamson gets his own rebound, misses the put-back, rips the ball away from Damion Lee, and scores before being fouled. It was an incredible play that speaks to just how good Williamson has been this season. Zion has all of the strength in the world and it's clear that some teams don't know how to properly play against him yet. To be fair, this happened against the Warriors who haven't exactly been an NBA-caliber team this year. Regardless, Williamson is already looking like a superstar and you can't help but just marvel at his athleticism. View the full article

Former Cleveland Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel is apparently no longer interested in playing football, at any level, despite his recent tweets about joining the XFL. On Friday, prior to Week 3 of the XFL season, Manziel tweeted, "I'm Back!!!!" before hitting send on another tweet, offering to take the XFL's ratings "to another level." "Oliver Luck. If ya wanna boost your ratings to another level just send me the contract tomorrow and we’re in there. Like I said YEARS ago... XFL2020 give the people what they want," Manziel tweeted. However, Johnny Football insists that he was just messing around. Wesley Hitt/AAF/Getty Images Shortly after his tweet started to pickup steam, the former Heisman trophy winner tweeted the following, "Have zero desire to play any football these days. Just love stirring up controversy." He added, "Love trollin." Even if the 27-year old QB was dead serious about playing for the XFL, commissioner Oliver Luck maintains that the league is just fine without him. When asked why guys like Manziel, or former Colts running back Trent Richardson, aren't currently rostered, Luck explained (H/T Tampa Bay Times): "I would argue that the players we have are better than those guys, to be honest with you. Johnny has his own history, and we have coaches from the CFL (Canadian Football League) who have seen him close up. I watched Trent when he was with the Colts, and I watched him when he was with the AAF. He was in the draft pool. Coaches and scouts looked at him and didn’t think he was going to help their team. I think the guys we have on our teams are the best 560 that aren’t playing in the National Football League." Following his disastrous NFL career, Manziel was given opportunities with the Canadian Football League (CFL) and the now defunct Alliance of American Football (AFL), but it doesn't look like he'll get a chance to complete the cycle in the XFL, whether he wants to or not. View the full article

Young Nudy's 2019 included the release of back-to-back tapes -- Faded In The Booth in April and Sli'merre, the joint effort with Pi'erre Bourne weeks later in May. Continuing his strides with stand-out verses throughout the remainder of 2019 and into 2020, he's back with his new project Anyways. With sixteen tracks in total, the rapper holds it down entirely on his own. In terms of production, there is, unfortunately, no credits to Bourne but Nudy does link up with the likes of Coupe, Mojo Krazy, 20 Rocket BL$$D, and DJ Marc B. Just a few weeks ago, he unleashed his first single off of the project, "No Go," along with North American tour dates in support of Anyways. Check out his latest project below and click here to see if he's coming to a city near you. View the full article

Kobe Bryant's tragic passing has united the city of Los Angeles as fans look to honor the legendary basketball players. Tributes have poured in from various individuals and organizations, especially the sports teams. The Los Angeles Lakers share an arena with the Los Angeles Kings of the NHL. Last night, the Kings honored Kobe Bryant by wearing purple and gold warmup jerseys prior to their game against the Edmonton Oilers. What makes these jerseys so unique is that they were mostly purple while "Kings" was written in gold in a similar font as the Lakers' jerseys. Meanwhile, the number 24 was placed underneath the "Kings" logo which helped add to the tribute. Typically, hockey jerseys don't have the number on the front although since this was a Kobe tribute, they were trying to replicate the basketball aesthetic. It just so happens that these jerseys were made for a great cause. After the match, every single player's warmup uniform was put up for auction and the proceeds will go to the Mamba & Mambacity Sports Foundation. Overall, this was a fantastic way to honor Kobe's legacy and we're sure the fans in Los Angeles enjoyed it. Not to mention, those are some of the nicest hockey jerseys we've seen in a while. View the full article

While some remixes can feel superfluous, others can inject a track with a shining new life -- as is the case with TeaMarr and D Smoke's first collaboration "Kinda Love." Thanks to the added presence of a back-and-forth dynamic, the track expands on the original's key themes by bringing a male perspective into the mix. Not unlike when Jessie Reyez added 6LACK to "Imported," D Smoke's presence inherently makes him the focal point of TeaMarr's wistful and passionate longings -- and vice versa. Though her strong vocals and lyrical content remain unchanged, what began as an individual declaration has evolved into a back-and-forth exploration of that "Kinda Love" and all its welcome benefits. A full-fledged beast with the pen, Inglewood's D Smoke wastes little time in getting to business. Taking to the soulful and brass-heavy instrumental with a dexterous flow, Smoke outlines all the side-effects that come with locking down a man of integrity. "Look in the pantry and get the ingredients," he raps, "bake you a loyal n***a never mischevious, take some foil better cover them well, hater bitches gon' be giving you hell." Check it out now, and sound off below -- does this have the makings of becoming the "official" version? Quotable Lyrics Look in the pantry and get the ingredients Bake you a loyal n***a never mischevious Take some foil better cover them well Hater bitches gon' be giving you hell View the full article

Plácido Domingo pulled out after sexual harassment allegations. Davinia Rodríguez withdrew because of illness. But the show goes on ... View the full article

At a weekend concert and at shops catering to hip-hop fans, the tragic deaths of young rappers from Pop Smoke to Mac Miller to Nipsey Hussle were front of mind. View the full article

Coronavirus concerns spur K-pop sensation BTS to hold a global press conference via livestream only on YouTube. View the full article

Dance performances in L.A. for Feb. 23-March 1 include Los Angeles Ballet's salute to choreographer George Balanchine at the Broad Stage View the full article

Classical music performances in L.A. for Feb. 23-March 1 include Gustavo Dudamel and the LA Phil in concerts pairing works by Dvorak and Ives View the full article