Hip-Hop Hall of Fame Set to Open in 2017 with Two Manhattan Locations

Photo Courtesy of the Hip Hop Hall of Fame Museum

Officially marking hip hop music’s path from an underground music form to a multi-billion-dollar genre enjoyed across the globe, the much anticipated Hip-Hop Hall of Fame is finally set to open in 2017 in Harlem and in Midtown.
The Harlem site on 125th street will be a 12,000-square-foot museum space, and the Midtown location will be a more hands-on 50,000-square foot space that features 90-minute tours and an interactive area.
JT Thompson, organizer of the museum’s entertainment committee, expressed why the physical element of the Hall of Fame is so important.
“People need to understand the importance of hip hop, the elements, the DJs, the B-boys and B-girls and the graffiti writers,” he told Complex.
The project is estimated to cost around $80 million, $50 million of which has already been raised through crowd funding. It will house legendary items from hip-hop history such as posters, actual garments worn by famous entertainers like Salt-N-Pepa, Run-DMC, Young Jeezy and Common and equipment used in shows.
The plans for this museum have been a long time coming and have changed locations several times, from the Bronx to the Kingsbridge Armory before finally settling on Harlem and Midtown. Most hip hop historians would acknowledge that the music first originated in the Bronx, but that location would likely serve as too far a hike for tourists.
Construction and planning was put on hold in 1996 after the turmoil surrounding the death of rap legend Tupac Shakur, but now organizers are expecting to break ground in 2015.
With other music halls of fame opening more than ten years before this one, such as the Rock Hall of Fame in 1995 and the American Classical Music Hall of Fame in 1996, it’s about time that a genre as influential as hip hop joined the ranks.
“Hip hop got a bad rep,” said Kenny Snyder, co-chair of the museum’s entertainment committee along with Thompson. “With this museum, it’s important to sit on the other side of it,” he said.
He is hopeful that this museum will promote the positive side of hip hop over all the negativity that is shown in the media.

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J. Cole Takes Aim At Cultural Appropriation With Iggy Azalea, Eminem Diss on ‘Fire Squad’

After J. Cole’s album 2014 Forest Hills Drive leaked on Wednesday, the real topic of discussion became the jabs the hip hop star threw at white rappers who seem to be stealing the hip hop limelight from Black rappers.
All 13 of J. Cole’s tracks found their way to the web well before their intended December 9 release date and fans are buzzing about his “Fire Squad” track, which took aim at Iggy Azalea, Eminem, Macklemore and even Justin Timberlake.
“History repeats itself and that’s just how it goes,” he raps. “Same way that these rappers always bite each other’s flows/ Same thing that my ni**a Elvis did with rock ‘n’ roll/ Justin Timberlake, Eminem and then Macklemore.”
It was later in the verse that J. Cole imagined himself trying to be happy if he saw Australian rapper Iggy Azalea snatch a Grammy in the future.
“While silly ni**a argue over who gon’ snatch the crown/ Look around my ni**a, white people have snatched the sound,” he continues. “This year I’ll probably go to the awards dappered down/ Watch Iggy win a Grammy as I try to crack a smile.”
Although the rapper immediately states that he was just joking, he also added that “all good jokes contain true s**t” before rapping, “Same rope you climb up on. They’ll hang you with.”
This isn’t the first time J. Cole has questioned the importance of race when it comes to selling music.
On his track “Crooked Smile,” he ponders what type of success he might have seen if he was a white artist.
“Wonder why we inhale, cause we in hell already/ I ask if my skin pale, would I then sell like Eminem or Adele,” he raps on the song from his 2013 album Born Sinner.
It’s an argument that has long plagued the rap community—not about whether or not white rappers belong in hip hop but why they are catapulted to success for music that many argue is sub par compared to their Black counterparts.
There is perhaps no better example of this then when Macklemore went home with not one but four Grammys earlier this year, while Kendrick Lamar went home empty handed.
Social media was set ablaze with users who voiced their frustrations with Macklemore’s Grammy win and explained exactly where the frustrations were coming from.
“Let me clear this up RIGHT NOW,” an Atlanta party host tweeted. “Nobody is upset b/c a white man won a Grammy.”
A series of tweets that followed explained, “We mad that a less talented rapper (& I use that losley [sic] ) won BECAUSE he was white.”
The same argument has been applied to Iggy Azalea’s success.
Debates have been flying over why the white rapper is able to rap in a manner that got Nicki Minaj criticized early in her career but she is seeing great success with that same formula.
Many hip hop fans argue that if a Black female rapper delivered the same rather simplistic and predictable verses that fill Iggy’s music, she would struggle to find the same success.
Iggy has also never been the target of claims that her sexually explicit music makes her a poor role model for her young listeners – the same claims that have been launched at Beyonce, Nicki Minaj, Rihanna and more.
Meanwhile, J. Cole took the time to send a message out to the current top rappers in the game and urged them to start working more closely together rather than focusing on hip hop beefs over who has the “crown.”
“Who’s the king,” the question blares towards the end of the track. “We all kings.”
A distorted voice goes on to say that “there goes lil ol Jermaine” snatching the crown and destroying it rather than placing it on his own head.
He ends the track by saying that the message is for “all kings” because he knows “deep down every poet just wants to be loved.

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Azealia Banks Gets Emotional During Insightful Breakdown of Cultural Appropriation

Azealia Banks, known for her racy lyrics and even bolder personality, has never been shy about giving her opinion and never seemed to care what anyone thought of it, but in a recent interview the rapping sensation showed fans her softer side, getting emotional while defending Black culture.
Earlier this week Banks appeared on Hot 97’s “Ebro in the Morning” and it wasn’t long before her beef with fellow rapper Iggy Azalea was brought up.
Earlier this month, Banks had given the Australian rapper flack about only loving Black culture when it was convenient and not standing up for the issues affecting the Black community. She went on to talk about the unfairness of the Grammys.
“That Macklemore album wasn’t better than the Drake record,” she told hosts Ebro and Peter Rosenburg referencing Macklemore’s Best Rap Album win at last year’s awards. “That Iggy Azalea s— is not better than any f—–’ Black girl that’s rapping today.”
“The Grammys are supposed to be awards for artistic excellence … Iggy Azalea’s not excellent,” she continued. “I have a problem when you’re trying to say that it’s hip-hop and you’re trying to put it up against Black culture.”
At this point in the interview Banks began to cry as she described how she struggles with the way America appropriates Black culture but won’t give credit where it is due.
“When they give these Grammys out, all it says to white kids is, ‘You’re great. You’re amazing. You can do whatever you put your mind to.’ And it says to Black kids, ‘You don’t have s—. You don’t own s—, not even the s— you created yourself.’ And it makes me upset,” she said.
At the end of the day, Banks just wants the respects she feels she deserves.
“At the very f—–’ least, y’all owe me the right to my f—–’ identity,” she said. “And to not exploit that s—.

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PRESIDENT UHURU KENYATTA'S STATEMENT AFTER SIGNING INTO LAW THE SECURITY LAWS(AMMENDMENT) BILL 2014!!! {FULL TEXT}

Today I signed into law the Security Laws (Amendment) Bill 2014, which provides a firm framework for the fight against terrorism. I call on all Kenyans to read the new law for yourselves instead of depending on interpretations that mislead. I am confident that you will find that there is nothing in this law that goes against the Bill of Rights or any provision of the constitution. Its intent is one; to protect the lives and property of all citizens. 

I was appalled by the deplorable behavior of Members of Parliament yesterday who as a result denied Kenyans the opportunity to follow the proceedings of Parliament. Those who disrupted the smooth operation of Parliament yesterday are oblivious to the threat that is upon the country. For the first time, we now have a law that focuses on prevention and disruption of threats. Further, the law allows for the use of technology in processing and advancing the ability for successful prosecution of suspects. 
This new law establishes an institutional framework for the counter-terrorism war and will create synergy between the different security agencies by creating clear command structures. This synergy is cascaded from the highest level to the lowest level through the national Government security structures. The law also raises the threshold for public and state officers who are charged with the responsibility of protecting Kenya and its people. The raised threshold is necessary because of lack of integrity and its role in compromising national security. 

It provides for heavy penalties for any transgression. My Government has also commenced wide-scale administrative and operational reforms that align command and control, improve doctrine and modalities of work and improve operational effectiveness on the ground. We must remember that we are still at war and still vulnerable to terror attacks. 
I therefore call upon each one of us to remain vigilant and share any information that would aid in securing our country with relevant authorities. I wish you all peace and prosperity during the festive season.

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10 Reasons Why Men Prefer Dating Younger Women

A good percentage of men nowadays will attest to having the urge to date women who are at least five years younger than they are. Why? As it is with men, they are attracted to pretty younger ladies who are still able to maintain themselves. The kind of lady who still wakes up, dresses to kill, wears make up and by the time they step out of that door, they are a complete package that any man would want to be associated with, but wait men also prove to be more complicated than that!
Here is a list of ten viable reasons:


FIRST, THERE IS THAT EGO BOOST IN MEN:

Every man wants to feel authoritative around their partners and due to the great age difference, the younger woman ought to have a lot of respect for the man .This is in comparison to the older woman who is probably almost the same age as the man and thus tends to feel less submissive to the man .Younger women hence tend to be totally submissive and thus attract a great deal of older men

SECONDLY, LONG TERM RELATIONSHIPS THAT PROBABLY ENDED UP WITH A BREAK UP OR A DIVORCE:

Chances are that the already mature man would feel dating a younger woman would help him recover the lost days of his youth. Take for instance a man who last visited the movies about two decades ago, will obviously be pleased to go back in time, probably watch a twenty-first century movie or two and apparently he will feel like he has already caught up with time.

GENERALLY, WOMEN ARE SAID TO MATURE FASTER THAN MEN:

This means that for a man that is, say twenty four years old, a woman who is around twenty two years of age is more mature than he is .This would mean the man is less mature than the woman and hence decisions made by the man would tend to be overlooked. It is therefore logical for the man to marry a woman who is much younger than he is.

FINANCIAL STABILITY OF THE MEN:

Most men with financial security know they have an added monetary advantage since women are in love with financial security. They therefore are doing fun stuff with young pretty women who have flexible schedules and have an open mind in all aspects.

DESIRE TO SHOW THE WORLD THAT HE ’STILL GOT IT’:

Truth be told, dating a younger woman is enough proof that a man, especially an older one still rules the world. In doing so his confidence magically elevates greatly and this, for men can be considered as an automatic ego boost exercise and a good way to outshine among their peers.

YOUNGER WOMEN ARE LESS DEMANDING COMPARED TO THEIR OLDER COUNTERPARTS:

Men view them as carefree and have less pressure especially on topics such as settling down for marriage. Younger women, according to men, want to have fun with their lives and not cling to serious attitudes like family affairs.

MYTHS AND BELIEFS EFFECTS ON THE GENERAL JUDGMENT:

Most of the men think that all older women are the same due to previous relationship experiences which obviously did not end well. For instance if during a previous marriage a man experienced disrespect, he may develop the notion that all older women are disrespectful and therefore, the older man looks for younger woman with the belief that a change is as good as rest.

YOUNGER WOMEN ARE ‘FRESHER’ COMPARED TO OLDER WOMEN:

The younger women tend to have an optimistic view of the future compared to an older woman. The older woman has probably been hurt over and over and with time, has become a pessimist. This thus makes the men get interested in the younger optimistic woman instead.

YOUNGER WOMEN ARE GENERALLY FUN:

As much as a younger woman is fun outdoors, she is also as fun indoors, her explorative nature makes her wants to know and do more when it comes to bedroom affairs and this is obviously a must have for any man out there.

LASTLY, DATING A YOUNGER WOMAN IS A SOURCE OF RESPECT AMONGST MEN’S PEERS:

As mentioned earlier, men who are dating a younger woman tend to show the world they have got it. This means the woman can be viewed as a trophy that the man is lucky to have

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6 REASONS YOU SHOULD APPRECIATE A PARTNER THAT’S TRYING SO HARD

To be a good partner isn’t easy, but even at that, to find a good partner is an even harder task. I mean if there were better partners there would be lesser divorces, fewer scenes of domestic violence, lesser breakups and heart breaks, lesser feeling of loneliness and rejection, lesser unhappiness rate in relationship—I can go on and on
The fact that there are terrible partners out there doesn’t mean that there aren’t good partners; sometimes people even have good partners and even let them go for some careless reasons. Also, some partners aren’t there yet, they still fall short of being that dream partner but the good part is upon all their shortcomings, they still try hard to be that better person to their partner—even such a partner should be appreciated.
I would share six reasons why you should appreciate the two kinds of partners mentioned above.
1. YOUR PARTNER WOULD FEEL APPRECIATED
Of course, we all know how the feeling of being appreciated is. When you appreciate your partner, there is this unexplainable feeling within that partner that only that partner can understand. That feeling of being appreciated makes you feel worthy —just like a young kid in school that’s being congratulated by her parents for improving from 10th position in class to 4th position—she might not be in the top three yet but she would feel worthy within her and would put in more efforts to go tops in her class.
2. YOUR PARTNER WOULD BE HAPPY
Everyone wants to be appreciated, everyone wants to be told ‘job well done’; there is this sense of happiness that comes with being appreciated, and a happy relationship starts with a happy partner. If your partner is disgruntled, you would never have that happy relationship.
3. WOULD BE WILLING TO DO MORE
The great thing about being appreciative of your partner is the fact that you would even be the one to reap the benefits. Imagine a lady thanking her man for taking her out on a date, it would mean more dates, more gifts and loads of flowers. Imagine a man appreciating his lady for probably a wonderful meal or for being a loving partner —trust me when I say that lady would go the extra mile in being there for her man. In the end it’s usually a win-win situation
4. YOUR PARTNER WOULD FEEL LOVED
Appreciation is a huge sign of love, as far as it is sincere. It’s even better not to appreciate your partner than giving out an insincere appreciation. Appreciating your partner would make your partner feel loved and when your partner feels that love for what he/she has done then your relationship can only go one place from there—the top.
5. IT SHOWS YOU’RE OBSERVANT
On your part, being a partner that can be appreciative of what’s been done for you only shows the good qualities in you. It shows you are an observant partner, shows a mature side of you and as well shows someone who wants his/her relationship to move forward. The better part of it all is that your partner would notice these as well.
6. IT INCREASES THE BOND
The aforementioned reasons only goes to show one thing—being appreciative would increase the bond between you and your partner. When your partner is happy, you would as well be happy; when your partner feels that love, you would as well; and when your partner is willing to do more for your, the bond in your relationship would grow in leaps and bounds.


Like I mentioned earlier, appreciating your partner is a win-win situation, nobody becomes a loser in doing that. Don’t wait for your partner to bring down the skies for you, appreciate the little things that’s being done for you and your partner wouldn’t only bring down the skies for you but the stars as well—a relationship in the stars, now that’s romantic.

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5 SIGNS HE IS DATING YOU BECAUSE OF THE SEX AND NOTHING MORE

So ladies, you met this great dude and you have probably had some nights of amazing sex with him; you want more but something deep inside you tells you all this guy wants is sex and nothing more.
Below are 5 signs he is dating you because of the amazing sex he gets from you and nothing more

1. YOU DON’T KNOW HIS FRIENDS:
Men love showing off and they are always eager to show the woman they love to their pals so if you have probably dated him for months and he hasn’t introduced you to any of his friends, then you mean nothing to him and all he wants from you is just sex.

2. HE DOESN’T TAKE YOU OUT ON A DATE:
Can you remember the last time he took you out on a date? The answer is NO because he has never taken you out on a date before. If he is into you just for the sex, there would be no date nights; the normal routine would be you coming to his house probably very late at night and leaving early the next morning. He won’t take you out on a date because he doesn’t want to be seen with you.

3. HE DOESN’T TALK ABOUT HIS FUTURE PLANS WITH YOU:
When all he wants is sex, he doesn’t talk about his future plans with you because he knows you are not part of his future. When you talk about him not being committed, you hear replies like ‘I am not the relationship type’.

4. TOO MANY PROMISES TOO SOON:
It’s just been weeks or even days you met him and he promises you the moon and the stars. He just wants sex and nothing more. To keep the sex going, he keeps on promising more so you don’t leave. The chances of these gifts materialising are slim and if he wants to keep the sex coming from you, he might probably give you just 1% of the promises and keep you hoping for more.

5. HE ONLY CALLS YOU WHEN HE WANTS TO SEE YOU:
If all he loves about you is the sex you give him and nothing more, he would rarely call. He would only think of you when he wants sex from you and that’s when he would call. When a guy truly loves a woman, he wants to hear her talk always, when he all he loves about her is sex, then he would only call when he wants sex.

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Too Much S-3x in a Short Time Can Give You Urinary Tract Infections

You might be in a new relationship, or you've just gone on a romantic trip with your husband, or you're having a long-distance relationship and are finally reunited with your partner. Whatever the reason you're having a s-3x-filled weekend, it can come with an unfortunate side effect:
Urinary tract infection (UTI).
Don't freak out though, it happens to a lot of women. Experts even have a colloquial name for it: Honeymoon cystitis.

"The urethra—the tube that goes from outside up into the bladder—is literally right next to the vagina," says ob-gyn Mary Jane Minkin, M.D., clinical professor at the Yale School of Medicine. When have s-3x, bacteria from the vagina can get rubbed into the urethra, where it travels up to the bladder. So when you have a lot of s-3x in a short period of time, it makes you more susceptible to these infections.

A common theory is that your body isn't used to the bacteria you're exposed to from a new partner, but Minkin says that might not be the case. In fact, it's usually your own bacteria that's causing the infection. So don't be too quick to blame your partner for your UTI.

To minimize your chances of getting UTI, Minkin suggests plenty of lubrication to prevent any tears or irritation (which can make infections more likely). It also helps if you pee before and after s-3x. If you're prone to UTIs, drinking cranberry extract on a regular basis can help. "Cranberry actually keeps the bacteria from sticking to the wall of the bladder," says Minkin. Your doctor may also prescribe an antibiotic that you can take each time you have s-3x, which will deliver a high level of antibodies to the urine (though not to your blood stream, so you won't get a yeast infection). They could also prescribe you a low-dose of antibiotics to take on a daily basis for a few months to see if it changes the flora in your vagina

However, if you have more than a handful of UTIs per year, Minkin suggests seeing a urologist to find out if there's something going on in your bladder that's making you more prone to infections. "If you get frequent UTIs, go to your doctor—you don't have to stop having s-3x!" says Minkin

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He Was The Most Important – LvG Hails Major Man Utd Target

Louis van Gaal has commented on reported Man United target and Aston Villa defender Ron Vlaar. The manager admitted that Vlaar was the Netherlands’ “most important” defender.
Vlaar, 29, and Van Gaal worked together for the Dutch national team and the duo played a key role in the country’s 2014 Brazil World Cup run.
However, following Van Gaal’s move to Man United, the defender has continuously been linked with a move to Old Trafford. Some see the defender as ideal for the Red Devils, especially with Vlaar thriving at the heart of a three-man defence during the World Cup.

Vlaar’s future at Aston Villa looks uncertain, especially with the player yet to agree a deal with the Midlands club.
However, Van Gaal was quick to hail Vlaar admitting he was the most crucial defender in his Dutch set-up.
Van Gaal told reporters:”He was the most important defender for Holland and he is always stable which is important. I was very happy with him.”
The two Dutchman are set to meet today as Aston Villa host in form Man United.

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Van Gaal comments on Victor Valdes transfer saga

Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal has commented on the ongoing transfer saga surrounding Victor Valdes, the former Barcelona goal keeper.
Valdes, who is a free agent at the moment, is currently training with the Manchester United first team squad to regain his full fitness, following his serious knee injury.
Spanish media are almost convinced that Valdes will join Manchester United, when the transfer window re-opens in January. Catalan newspaper Sport, for instance, are absolutely certain that Van Gaal, under whom Valdes made his club debut, will sign him for free in the winter transfer market.

It seems like Van Gaal has become frustrated with constant speculation on Valdes’ future. He said in the press conference ahead of United’s match against Aston Villa:
“I’m angry with the media because they invent stories that are not real. Valdés is training here, I have given him the opportunity to prepare and later we’ll see what happens.”

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Liverpool’s ‘black gold’ wins Tuttosport’s young player of 2014 award

The reputation of Liverpool starlet Raheem Sterling has been ratcheted up another notch on Saturday.
Showing the worldwide appreciation Sterling has, the 20-year-old Anfield star makes the front page of Italian paper Tuttosport having won the paper’s readers vote for the young player of 2014.
FIghting off competition from the likes of Inter’s Mateo Kovacic, Man United’s Adnan Januzaj, PSG’s Marquinhos and Barcelona’s Munir El Haddadi (to name but a few), Sterling won the popular vote for young player of the year.

Ajax’s Arkadiusz Milik was the runner up.

Tuttosport’s Saturday edition has Sterling on the splash holding his newest trophy. The headline calls the England international “Black Gold”.

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Chelsea could slip up like Arsenal – Manuel Pellegrini

Manchester City boss Manuel Pellegrini has warned Chelsea that the race for the Premier League title is far from over.
City trail Jose Mourinho’s men by three points after 16 matches this season, but pundits along with bookmaker Paddy Power have suggested that the crown is already secured for the Blues.
However, Pellegrini is adamant that his side are confident that they can still win the title following their exploits last season as they overhauled Arsenal, Liverpool and Mourinho’s men to claim the top flight trophy.

He told reporters: “I think Arsenal last season had a very similar number of points as Chelsea have now. So we’ll see what happens in the second half of the season and how many points you need to win.
“We don’t know. Maybe Arsenal last season couldn’t do it in the second half, but we don’t know what Chelsea will do this year. I think that we must try and think about our team and not the others.

“We always believed that we could make up the points, because we had so many games to play. You never win a title in December.”

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We need to continue our good run – Arsene Wenger

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger is adamant that he wants his side to continue their recent run of good form against Liverpool on Sunday.
The Gunners have won four out of their last five matches to ease the pressure on the Frenchman following criticism of his management in light of their 3-2 defeat to Stoke City.
Wenger has admitted that is determined for his team to keep building on their good displays to avenge their 5-1 defeat at the hands of the Reds at Anfield last season.

Wenger told reporters: “We’ve won five of our last six games and now we want to continue our strong run.
“We had a good game against Newcastle and this game on Sunday is another chance for us to show that we can have the continuity in finding a good balance between attacking well and defending well because Liverpool are always very strong at home.

“That’s why we want to continue to be faithful to our philosophy and play our game but also be solid defensively.”

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Real Madrid Rival Manchester United For £25m Hugo Lloris

Real Madrid are interested in signing Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper Hugo Lloris, who has also previously been linked with a £25m move to Manchester United.
Spanish source Fichajes.net claims that the French shot stopper is the club’s top target for the moment, though a previous exclusive from the Daily Star reported that United wanted Lloris to replace David de Gea if he made the move to the Bernabeu.
It seems clear that Real want to sign a new goalkeeper to replace the long-serving Iker Casillas, who looks somewhat past his best form after a glittering career with the club.

It would certainly take a big-name signing to replace the Spanish veteran, and Lloris’ fine form in the Premier League has earned him the reputation for being one of the best goalkeepers in Europe at the moment.

If Real do move for Lloris, it could be good news for United in their bid to keep star player de Gea at Old Trafford.

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