D-Nice Invest in Start-Up Aiming to Revolutionize How Cities and Residents Interact

Harlem hip-hop pioneer D-Nice helped bring the world closer together during the pandemic with his widely viewed live DJ sets dubbed "Club Quarantine."

The 52-year-old legend, perhaps best known for his work with influential rap group Boogie Down Productions and discovering Kid Rock, is hoping to continue that work on an even larger scale.

Towards that end, he recently announced an investment in Silicon Valley-based startup Simplicity.

The company boasts of revolutionizing how cities and residents communicate and interact.

It touts its U.S. Simplicity app as a "city in your phone where people can find all critical city updates, emergencies, outages and more."

D-Nice, whose real name is Derrick Jones, has joined the company's Advisory Board as an investor and ambassador for the City of Los Angeles.

Michelle Obama, Rihanna and More Tune in to DJ D-Nice's Virtual #ClubQuarantine pic.twitter.com/H5yn5JpbSp

— NewsOne (@newsone) March 23, 2020

"Club Quarantine demonstrated the power of technology as a tool to bring together a community of people around the power of music," he said in a statement. "Simplicity is another example of leveraging technology to lift the spirits and deepen the relationships among people in cities around the world. The alignment was too obvious not to be part of the movement."

Simplicity co-founder Juraj Gago added, "Having Derrick back up this critical mission is significant and can help the company achieve our main goal: to improve life in cities."

"Club Quarantine" was a genuine phenomenon during the pandemic's peak. The eclectic and inclusive live DJ sets grew from having an audience of thousands to over a million, seemingly overnight, as the shows became a virtual social gathering spot for music lovers.

D-Nice was named Entertainer of the Year at the 2021 NAACP Image Awards and has taken the show on the road. He will fulfill a lifelong dream on Aug. 4, when he performs the show live at New York City's famed Carnegie Hall.

Travis Scott's Road to Redemption Goes Through Las Vegas

Frank Schwichtenberg, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Rapper Announces ‘Road to Utopia’ Residency at Las Vegas

The Travis Scott comeback tour gained significant momentum on Monday when the much-maligned rapper announced he had secured a Las Vegas residency.

"Road to Utopia" is touted as a "mind-bending, first-of-its-kind nightclub residency experience" by Resorts World Las Vegas. Housed at the resort's Zouk Nightclub, it kicks off on Sept. 17 and will span seven shows.

Got Goosebumps yet? Experience @travisscott like you never have before as he takes over the stage at #ZoukNightclub on September 17 and October 15 for live performances you won’t forget 🔥https://t.co/NkvbkZ6RlO pic.twitter.com/uX9tNg411i

— ZoukGroupLV (@ZoukGroupLV) August 1, 2022

Resort World Las Vegas' chief marketing officer, Ronn Nicolli called Scott a "one-of-a-kind, multi-talented artist" in a statement and added, "His residency will bring a new level of energy to Resorts World Las Vegas and add to the property's diverse list of entertainment and nightlife offerings."

For the 31-year-old musician, the gig is a major milestone in his continued return to the limelight following the tragedy at the Astroworld Festival less than a year ago.

Scott's signature annual hometown concert ended in a crowd stampede that left ten people dead and hundreds more injured last November.

In the wake of the disaster, the multi-platinum artist was dropped as a headliner from several major music festivals. Ultimately, he took a six-month break from performing.

He returned to the stage at the Billboard Music Awards in May. Since then, he has done a guest set at Rolling Loud, a nightclub appearance, and performances at parties during Coachella and the Oscars.

The shows at Zouk will be all about Scott, featuring the "Sicko Mode" singer performing his hits in a state-of-the-art facility. A possibility of Scott previewing upcoming tracks during the residency was also teased in the announcement.

"His electric performances will pair perfectly with our immersive atmosphere, bringing our guests an unmatched show unlike anything else they can find in Las Vegas," Andrew Li, CEO of Zouk Group, said. "We can't wait to kick off his residency and continue to amplify our talent lineup."

Mystikal Arrested on Rape, Domestic Abuse Charges in Louisiana

Ascension Parish Sheriff's Office

Mystikal, a New Orleans-born rapper who was once a prominent part of Master P’s No Limit Records roster during its heyday, was arrested in Louisiana over the weekend and faces several charges including rape.

A spokesperson for the Ascension Parish Sheriff’s Office said the 51-year-old musician was arrested just before midnight on Saturday, July 30, after deputies responded to a local hospital in reference to a sexual assault.

The victim, who sustained minor injuries during the attack, identified Mystikal, whose real name is Michael Tyler, as the suspect and he was booked into the Ascension Parish Jail. He is facing multiple charges including first-degree rape, simple robbery, domestic abuse battery, strangulation, false imprisonment and simple criminal damage to property.

This is just the latest legal trouble for the former star who exploded onto the hip-hop scene in the 1990s with the song “It Ain’t My Fault” and had his biggest hit in 2000 with “Shake Ya A***," which peaked at No. 13 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

He was sentenced to six years in prison in 2004 after pleading guilty to sexual battery. In 2010, he was released and registered as a sex offender in Louisiana. Just two years later, however, a domestic battery charge against his then-partner put him back in prison, where he served three months for violating his probation.

That was not the end of his legal troubles. He turned himself into the Caddo Parish Sheriff's Department in 2017 after a warrant was issued for his arrest for charges of first-degree rape and second-degree kidnapping arising from a 2016 allegation. The rapper spent 18 months in jail before being released on a $3 million bond. Eventually, the Caddo Parish District Attorney closed the investigation, citing a lack of sufficient evidence.