Kanye West to Acquire Right-Leaning Social Media Platform Parler

Kanye West

In the middle of a firestorm ignited by his recent antisemitic remarks and continued erratic behavior, Kanye West is doubling down instead of backing down.

Parlement Technologies announced on Monday (Oct. 17) morning that the mogul has an agreement in principle to acquire its social networking service Parler.

Launched in 2018 as a "conservative" alternative to sites like Twitter and Facebook, the site is best known for its association with former President Donald Trump.

Parler became the unofficial internet home of his Make America Great Movement. Marketed as a safe space for those with conservative values to share their thoughts without fear of censorship or reprisal, the site attracted hordes of Trump supporters.

It is heavily associated with far-right extremism, conspiracy theorists, racism and antisemitism. Parler is also a stronghold for followers of the QAnon movement. 

Sometimes called a cult, QAnon pitches Trump as America's savior, conspired against by satanic forces and executing thousands of pedophiles as part of his duties during his time in office.

Kanye blaming his:
- failed marriage
- his mental illness
- his fallout with his friends ...

on JEWS.

A new low, even for Kanye. pic.twitter.com/fSXJ68eWlu

— StopAntisemitism (@StopAntisemites) October 16, 2022

The move might seem baffling to some, but for longtime fans of the artist, it likely comes as no surprise. West, who suffers from bipolar disorder, behavior has grown increasingly unpredictable since his mother Donda West, died of complications from cosmetic surgery in 2007.

In recent years, the "College Dropout" rapper had embraced Trump's MAGA movement and supported his presidency as well, made death threats to Pete Davidson after the comedian began dating his estranged wife and implied that slavery was a choice.

Following in the footsteps of Trump (Truth Social), and West's friend Elon Musk (Twitter), by seeking ownership of a platform where he can espouse whatever beliefs he wants without getting policed —as he recently was on several social media sites after his egregious comments about Jews and others — does not seem so far-fetched with that in mind.

"In a world where conservative opinions are considered to be controversial, we have to make sure we have the right to freely express ourselves," said West, of his reasons for the purchase, in a statement.

Parlement Technologies CEO George Farmer is the husband of recent Kanye-crisis collaborator Candace West, who sparked controversy with the Yeezy boss when the duo wore "White Lives Matter" T-shirts at the brand's Paris fashion show earlier this year.

pic.twitter.com/e8nlOFBg06

— Candace Owens (@RealCandaceO) October 3, 2022

Farmer said, "This deal will change the world and change the way the world thinks about free speech."

He added. "Ye is making a groundbreaking move into the free speech media space and will never have to fear being removed from social media again. Once again, Ye proves that he is one step ahead of the legacy media narrative. Parlement will be honored to help him achieve his goals."

The parties intend to enter into a definitive purchase agreement and expect to close during the fourth quarter of 2022. The terms of the proposed transaction would include ongoing technical support from Parlement and the use of private cloud services via Parlement's private cloud and data center infrastructure.

Jeremih Partners With Winemaker Russell Bevan, LiveOne to Launch Wine Brand

"Birthday Sex" singer Jeremih is launching a wine brand in partnership with LiveOne.

First, he brought the world an eponymously named ballad about birthday sex, and now Grammy-nominated R&B singer Jeremih is putting something on the market that may increase its frequency.

The man behind the ode to natal day naughtiness, which peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 2009 and is certified 3x-platinum, is following in the footsteps of some of his hip-hop contemporaries and releasing an alcoholic beverage.

Instead of championing liquor with his personal brand, which artists like Jay-Z, Drake and Diddy have done, to name a few, to massive success — the 35-year-old Chicago native is launching a wine label.

"People might think I'm a tequila or Hennessy drinker but don't let the media fool you. I've always been a white wine kinda guy," he said in a statement released today (Oct. 14) announcing his partnership with LiveOne and winemaker Russell Bevan to produce the beverage.

LiveOne a "creator-first, music, entertainment and technology platform" created LiveOne Brands to diversify its business model and attempt to break into the multi-billion-dollar celebrity wine and spirits category.

According to Nielsen, off-premises sales of white wine for the 52-Week period that ended March 6, 2021, totaled over $9.1 billion. With Jeremih lending his name and likeness to the mix and Bevan, who has helped craft over 15 100-point wines, providing the technical know-how, the partners believe they have a winning combination.

"Watching my friends launch their own liquors got me thinking; why am I not doing that? So that's where LiveOne came in," Jeremih said. "They linked me with legendary winemaker Russell Bevan, and when two legends link up it's a recipe for success."

He added, of the wine which will be priced for accessibility according to LiveOne, "Now I got a wine that's perfect for the crib, the club, the studio - anywhere you wanna get a little loose. I'm excited to expand my entrepreneurial endeavors and showcase my creativity in a whole new way."

Silk Sonic Chooses Not to Leave the Door Open for Additional Grammy Awards for Debut Album

"An Evening With Silk Sonic" has been removed from Grammy consideration.

Put a big plate of food in front of some people and they will eat until they are sick. That is, apparently, not a problem for Bruno Mars.

The silky-smooth R&B singer — who has won every Grammy Award he has been nominated for the past eight years, has withdrawn his debut album with Anderson .Paak — "An Evening With Silk Sonic," from Grammy consideration.

"We truly put our all on this record, but Silk Sonic would like to gracefully, humbly and most importantly, sexually, bow out of submitting our album this year," he said in a statement to Rolling Stone. "We hope we can celebrate with everyone on a great year of music and partake in the party. Thank you for letting Silk Sonic thrive."

The move might have come as a surprise to music fans, especially considering it won all four awards it was nominated for at last year's Grammys for its lead single, "Leave the Door Open."

Released in March of 2021, which made it eligible for the show, it won Best R&B Song, Best R&B Performance, Song of the Year and Record of the Year. The album was not released until Nov. 12, putting it in this year's window (Sept. 1, 2020, to Sept. 30, 2021) for award consideration.

However, for the dynamic duo, one evening of validation and adulation was seemingly enough.

"Andy and I, and everyone that worked on this project, won the moment the world responded to 'Leave the Door Open.' Everything else was just icing on the cake," Mars said, noting the group would be celebrating and partaking in the party with everyone else. "We thank the Grammys for allowing us to perform on their platform — not once but twice — and awarding us at last year's ceremony. We'd be crazy to ask for anything more."