Apple to Spotlight Black Voices During Black History Month

Photo Courtesy Apple

It is nearly that time of year again when corporate America momentarily does anything within its power to align itself with Black interest and causes. 

Black History Month is on the horizon, so it should come as no surprise that the most valuable company in the world is ready to ramp up its cultural diversity this February.

What does the first company to reach a $3 trillion market value valuation have in mind to put a spotlight on Black voices?

Well, the house that Steve Jobs built announced it is celebrating Black History Month with the release of a special edition Apple Watch Black Unity Braided Solo Loop and matching Unity Lights watch face inspired by Afrofuturism.

A release accompanying the announcement by Apple describes how the project came to fruition and what it represents in the company’s eyes to the Black community.

Designed by members and allies of the Black creative community at Apple to celebrate Black history and culture, the Apple Watch Black Unity Braided Solo Loop and matching Unity Lights watch face honors generations of Black people across the African diaspora. This design symbolizes a communal belief in the necessity for a more equitable world. The vibrant red and green colors of the Pan-African flag appear like speckled light across the black band.

That’s a lot of pressure for a $99 phone accessory for one of the most expensive phones on the market and a downloadable watch fact. Fortunately for Apple, it is not the only initiative the company is taking to spotlight Black history. 

The company says it will be “amplifying Black voices with a variety of exclusive content and curated collections” throughout February. This includes special episodes of “The Message” podcast on Apple Music 1 discussing the contributions of Black creators, whatever “workouts that honor Black History Month” are on Apple Fitness+ and much more. 

Read the full press release here to discover everything Apple has in store for Black History Month.

If you want to get a head start on the celebration and have an Apple watch or like to collect bands, the Black Unity Braided Solo Loop is available now on Apple's website.

Cardi B Awarded Millions in Defamation Suit Win Against Blogger Tasha K

VOGUE Taiwan, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Jury Awards Rapper $4 Million in General and Punitive Damages 

Three years after declaring in an Instagram Live video that if a certain blogger was going to keep
harassing her and her friends and making s—t up, that she was going to take, “All your f—–g bread!” Cardi B may have not decimated Latasha Kebe financially, but the popular host of the Wino Gang Podcast stands to lose millions.

Tuesday, a day after the jury found Kebe, known online as Tasha K, and a company she owns liable for defamation, invasion of privacy and intentional infliction of emotional distress against the rapper, awarding her $1 million in actual damages for pain and suffering and/or reputational injury and $250,000 in medical expenses — jurors added $1.5 million in punitive damages and Cardi B’s attorney fees to that total to push the compensation owed to more than $4 million.

“After almost four years of repeated libel and slander against me, being able to walk away from this victorious brings me great happiness,” a triumphant Cardi B, whose real name is Belcalis Almánzar, said in a statement following the victory Tuesday.

this is three years ago when Cardi B said to Tasha K
"you wanna keep making sh*t up? alright then, imma take all your fkin bread"
she literally doesn't play pic.twitter.com/GWfhZXORKu

— CardiBArchive💎💎💎 (@cardibarchive_) January 25, 2022

"During this trial, all of you have learned about the darkest time in my life," she said. "That moment in time was fueled by the vile, disgusting, and completely false narratives that were repeatedly and relentlessly being shared online. I thought I would never be heard or vindicated, and I felt completely helpless and vulnerable. I have never taken for granted the platform that my fame allows me to have, which is why for over three years I dedicated every resource I had to seek justice.”

The opposing counsel did not agree with Cardi B’s assessment of the facts, nor the conclusion reached by the jury.

“We disagree with the verdict, and we will be filing an appeal,” Kebe’s lawyer Sadeer Sabbak said in a statement Tuesday.

The legal victory has its roots in 2018 when Kebe began making “degrading and harassing statements” about her, the lawsuit says. On Sept. 19, 2018 Kebe published a video of an interview she did with a woman who said she’d known Cardi B before her music career. The video includes the “false, malicious and defamatory” statements that Cardi B was a prostitute, has herpes and had suffered outbreaks on her mouth, and used cocaine.

“None of the aforementioned statements about Plaintiff are true,” the lawsuit says. “Plaintiff was never a prostitute or a user of cocaine. Plaintiff has never, and does not now, have herpes, nor has she had herpes outbreaks on her mouth.”

50 Cent and Mona Scott-Young's ‘Hip Hop Homicides' to Explore the Murders of Notorious B.I.G. and Tupac Shakur

Photo Courtesy Lionsgate

Rapper turned entertainment and alcohol mogul, 50 Cent, and “Love & Hip Hop” producer Mona Scott-Young took to Instagram this past Thursday (January 20) to share their excitement over a new joint television project.

“Hip Hop Homicides” will look at unsolved murders in the hip-hop community and endeavor to uncover clues as to what really happened.

“50 and I created this show in response to the disturbing number of murders in hip-hop,” Scott-Young, discussing the genesis of the show, said in a statement. “With this boots-on-the-ground investigative series, we will look to closely examine and explore leads surrounding these cases with the hope of finally providing loved ones with answers.”

Jackson added, “G-Unit Film and Television has thrived by telling real stories. As I continue to grow my current slate, premium non-scripted programming will be a major focus."

Produced by 50’s G-Unit Film & Television in cooperation with Scott-Young’s Monami Productions and Lionsgate Television, the eight-part series will air later this year on AMC Networks’ WEtv as well as its streaming service ALLBLK.

Van Lathan, a former co-host of TMZ Live who won an Oscar for his work as executive producer for Two Distant Strangers — the 2021 Academy Award Winner for Best Live Action Short Film, will host the series.

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