LL Cool J 'Accidental Racist' Criticism Not Quelled By Brad Paisley's Explanation

Monday (April 8) was not a good day for LL Cool J. The legendary Queens rapper went from G.O.A.T. to goat in social media after his lyrics on “Accidental Racist,” a post-racial collaboration with Brad Paisley, came under fire from critics and fans alike when the track hit the Internet ahead of the release of the country singer’s ninth studio album, Wheelhouse.

Uncle L, who has his own new LP, Authentic, set for release later this month, was the target of countless acerbic rants and jokes on blogs and, of course, Twitter for the following line: "If you don't judge my do-rag / I won't judge your red flag / If you don't judge my gold chains / I'll forget the iron chains."

The “Mama Said Knock You Out” MC’s verse was in response to Paisley’s empathetic crooning about a Starbucks employee taking his Confederate flag t-shirt as a sign for white supremacy, which makes him an “Accidental Racist” because he doesn’t believe that the flag symbolizes racism, singing, “I'm a white man living in the southland...I'm proud of where I'm from but not everything we've done," and "It ain't like you and me can rewrite history...walking over eggshells," before adding in an "aw shucks" manner that he's "A proud rebel son ... lookin' like I got a lot to learn."

Probably the most humorous tweet to come out of yesterday’s onslaught was from The Roots’ ?uestlove, who tweeted, “Just heard the "Accidental Racist" man that Weird Al is amazing.”

Outside of motivational tweets, the “NCIS: Los Angeles” actor has not directly or officially responded to the song’s rampant criticism, but Paisley, who likely enraged his loyal fanbase with the song, spoke to Entertainment Weekly about the song’s intentions, saying that the song was not a publicity stunt for his new album but was meant to be a window into America’s “adolescence” stage as it pertains to racism, where sometimes it feels like things are getting better, but other times it doesn’t.

"I think that [the song] comes from an honest place in both cases, and that's why it's on there and why I'm so proud of it," he said. "This isn't a stunt. This isn't something that I just came up with just to be sort of shocking or anything like that. I knew it would be, but I'm sort of doing it in spite of that, really."

The 2008 CMA and ACM Male Vocalist of the Year added that art has a responsibility to lead the discussion on difficult topics and ask hard questions.

"It really came to a boil last year with 'Lincoln' and 'Django [Unchained] and there's just a lot of talk about it," he said. "It was really obvious to me that we still have issues as a nation with this ... We're asking the question in a big way. How do I show my Southern pride? What is offensive to you? And he kind of replies, and his summation is really that whole let's bygones be bygones ... We don't solve anything, but it's two guys that believe in who they are and where they're from very honestly having a conversation and trying to reconcile."

The road to hell is paved with good intentions, let’s just hope that LL Cool J's sonic misstep won’t cause him to be banished to the fiery pits of "Slander Hell" for an eternity.

Ciara On Tension With Rihanna, 'There Is No Relationship'

Ciara On Tension With Rihanna, 'There Is No Relationship'

Ciara is finally going on the record about her longstanding, rumored feud with Rihanna. In an interview with Hot 107.9 in Philly, Ciara was asked what her relationship with Rihanna was, to which she responded, "There is no relationship." Ciara then said she might not even speak to Rih Rih if they were in the same room.

"If something is supposed to happen, it’ll happen. But even when it pertains to her I never had an issue with her. So I don’t know what it is, I can’t figure it out. I guess I don’t care to figure it out," explained Ciara. "But I always came from a place of love and support for her ever since we hung out a little bit, or whatever it is. So she’s on whatever she’s on, and it is what it is."

Rihanna herself was less confused about the conflict. A Rihanna fan site put up the interview with some captions on Instagram via YBF and Rihanna herself responded, "Hehe...u don't know??? Cmooonnnnn" to Ciara's statements.

Rihanna And Ciara Beef Escalates With Instagram Post

It seemed as if the beef between Rihanna and Ciara had subsided but BadGirl RiRi is a force to be reckoned with. The “Diamonds” singer made it clear that she wasn’t ready just yet to put her fighting fists down with a recent posting on Instagram that took a subtle jab at Ciara.

Rihanna’s best friend Melissa Forde posted a picture on her Instagram of her and Rihanna watching Ciara’s a capella version of her new single “Body Party.” She tweeted the picture with the caption “#BodyParty (bathroom acapella version) #London.” Ciara, retweeted the link without realizing the true intentions of it until later.

“I didn’t receive what they did from a positive place,” Ciara said via Rap Up.

Ciara thought the beef was over between the two of them. I’m not going at it with anybody,” she explained. “There’s never been still going at it for me. I’ve always thought that everything was cool ’cause I actually remember seeing Rihanna two years ago at the Met Gala after we had the little small back and forth. And from what I recall, everything was cool.”

Even with RiRi making subtle jabs at her Ciara kept things positive. “In my mind, I operate from a place of love and support. If you would have asked me about it up until this point, I would have nothing but good things to say ’cause I’m sincerely happy for her,” she said.

Although Rihanna might still be harboring feelings of contempt it seems as if Ciara is ready to move on.

Yinka Ayefele new Ford Jeep

How my wife was raped, stabbed by Okada rider in Bauchi – Victims husband

Bauchi—A 35-year-old man from the Tafawa Balewa Local Government Area of Bauchi State, Isa Umar has appealed to both the state government and the police to assist him by bringing to justice, a person who allegedly raped his wife.

Umar and the officer in charge of the Legal Aid Council, Zubayr Hanbali made the plea, yesterday, at the secretariat of the Nigerian Union of Journalists in Bauchi.

In his account of the incident, Umar alleged that he asked a commercial motorcyclist, (okada) whose name was simply given as Auwalu to take his wife and two children to a nearby village, but he diverted into the bush at Ball village in Tafawa Balewa Local Government Area and raped the woman in front of her two children aged between three and six years, after stabbing her with a knife.


File photo: Okada riders

“My wife lost her pregnancy as a result of the incident and suffered psychological trauma due to shock and the shame. I feel very sad over what happened to her and I intend to see that the person who committed this abominable act does not go unpunished. I felt ashamed of myself because he has spoilt my name and reputation,” Umar lamented.

He said that he took his wife to the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa Teaching Hospital and treated her for over two weeks, adding that the culprit tried to bribe him with N40,000 so as to bury the matter, but he declined and reported the matter to the Divisional Police Officer, DPO, in charge of Bununu.

According to him, the DPO said since Auwalu did not admit commiting the crime, it will be difficult for them to prosecute him, hence he approached the Legal Aid Council for assistance.

Narrating her ordeal to newsmen, the victim, (names withheld) who said she was a mother of four children alleged that the suspect diverted her to the bush instead of taking her to the village she was going to with two of her children and threatened to kill her if she refused to cooperate with him.

“He stabbed me with a knife and beat me. He wrestled with me and overpowered me before he raped me in the presence of my two kids and told me I cannot do anything to him because he would get away with the act,” Mrs Umar added.

The Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Hassan Mohammed Auyo said he was not aware of the incident but promised to investigate the allegation.

NFF cuts Eagles bonus, coaches salaries

Super Eagles coach, Stephen Keshi

The Nigeria Football Federation has taken a very significant step to curtail overhead cost in the administration of football in the country. The Technical and Development Committee of the federation, which met in Abuja on Tuesday, recommended for immediate implementation, a list of decisions that would substantively cut down the cost of prosecuting games involving the national teams.

One of the major decisions is the review of the salaries of all the national team coaches, including that of Super Eagles coach, Stephen Keshi. Even though he has a contract still running, We learnt that every coach in the employment of the federation would be affected as soon as the implementation begins.

The General Secretary of the NFF, Mr. Musa Amadu, told our correspondent on Tuesday that the federation was simply facing the reality on ground.

He said, “If you take just a simple look at the period around June and the cost implication for the country, for instance, you will understand that the measures being taken have become very necessary. We cannot continue like this; there has to be sensible auditing.”

The NFF added that based on the poor financial situation, the committee has also recommended the staff auditing of the technical crew and backroom staff of all the national teams. This move will see the national team coaches being cut down to maximum of two assistants and a goalkeeper trainer. The Eagles have three assistant coaches plus a goalkeeper trainer. The other backroom staffers are to be cut down too.

The players themselves were not spared in the latest decision. Their win bonus, which was raised to $10,000 some years ago has been cut down to $5,000. The bonus became an issue after the Africa Cup of Nations in South Africa as the NFF could not pay the final game bonus after it was nearly doubled from the pre-tournament rate.

“The Committee regrets the financial situation that has also necessitated the pegging of bonuses, review of allowances and salaries of coaches of the national teams,” the committee communiqué read.

The committee also considered the employment of coaches for positions of Technical Director of the NFF and the coaching staff of the U-23 national team but no names were listed.

The committee also deliberated on the war of words between Keshi and his players and assured that peace would reign before the country embarks on the series of matches for the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, as well as the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup.

Oga at the top movie debuts!!!

Call it the director’s creativity or mischief, the movie, Oga at the top, is out. Quite similar to the viral ‘Oga at the top’ quote, the movie features popular Nollywood actor, Nkem Owoh, also known as Osuofia. Although the viral quote stopped trending on Twitter after a week of dominance, Nigerians put their creativity to test as they made T-shirts, mugs, songs and jokes about the error made by the Lagos State Commandant of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, Obafaiye Shem, during an interview on Channels Televison.
Efforts to reach Osuofia proved futile as his mobile phone was switched off when Saturday Beats tried to reach him. He did not also reply to a text message sent to his phone.
Naija no dey waste time!!!

Flood returns to Lagos

 The heat in Lagos in the last couple of months has been insane....so insane that you'd pray for rain. But then the rain comes, and there's flood. Awolowo Way, Ikeja was flooded this morning after a down pour. Cars were submerged to window level, leaving a number of cars stuck.

15-year-old rape victim loses baby

                                         Deborah

Deborah Jolaosho, the 15-year-old girl, allegedly raped by a 40-year-old man, Taju Adejumo, has delivered a stillborn baby.

Punch Metro learnt that Deborah was delivered of the stillborn baby early last month.

On February 6, 2013, reported Deborah’s rape by the father of four.

After the rape, Deborah, who was a virgin, missed her period. Subsequent medical examination showed that the 15-year-old pupil of Meiran Community Junior Secondary School was pregnant.

As of February 6 when We visited the home of the Jolaoshos, Deborah’s pregnancy was said to be seven months.

The suspect had told our correspondent on the telephone then that the incident was the devil’s work.

Adejumo agreed then he had sex with the minor on one occasion, but insisted that he was not responsible for the pregnancy.

“I did not do it intentionally. As I speak to you, I cannot understand what happened to me that day. Since that time, I have remained unstable. As for the pregnancy, I do not believe that action led to it. From the scan and tests, we were made to believe she is seven months pregnant but I had sex with her about six months ago,” Adejumo had said.

A family source, who did not want to be quoted, told our correspondent on Monday that Deborah was delivered of the stillborn baby at Crescent Hospital, by Baale Bus Stop, Meiran, Lagos.

The source did not state the circumstances leading to the stillbirth but he said the pregnancy was in full circle.

He said they were happy she (Deborah) survived the birth of her stillborn baby.

“She was delivered of the stillborn baby at Crescent Hospital. She was delivered by Dr. Lateef of the hospital. The foetus has already died in her womb before delivery. We are happy Deborah survived,” the source said.

V-Channel Responds To Mercy Aigbe/Husband Disgrace Saga

Mercy and husband kissing at the show

We would summarise what happened yesterday for the sake of clarity and Mrs Gentry's legion of discerning fans.
Indeed, Mercy was hosted by indigenous television station on Startimes, Odua Mounmarowan, on Sunday evening. She came to the event with her friends, younger sister and Faith Irabor, a journalist in her car. However, Mr. Gentry came in from his hotel in Oregun, Lagos. The event was well-attended by movie and media personalities. Immediately after the event, Mercy went to the changing room allotted to her in company of her husband and Faith Irabor. On getting to the car park, however, Mercy’s car didn’t start; so she joined her husband with her friends and left for Oregun, her husband's hotel.


In all of these, one can’t get where Stella got her concocted report from. Mr Gentry left the venue happy as the event was successful and without hiccups.

As at the time the couple left, the musician specially invited to perform, Sunny Melody was still performing.
We are therefore confused as to where Mrs Dimoko got her story from? The moon, perhaps. Why does Mrs Dimoko keep publishing lies all in the name of journalism? Is she not happy that a younger woman, Mercy, has a flourishing career as an actor and producer and also enjoys domestic felicity? Mrs Dimoko, these are things God can do for you too if you stopped destroying homes and people.

Having said these, we challenge Mrs Dimoko to furnish the public with evidence of Gentry’s anger and battery, or Mercy leaving in a nightgown. We strongly believe that those who mean well for journalism should not watch people like this blogger drag the noble profession through the mud.

New born babies sale syndicate smashed in Delta

ASABA — A syndicate which specializes in luring pregnant teenage girls eager to deliver their babies under cover and thereafter selling the newborns to ritualists and childless couples has been smashed in Asaba, Delta State capital.

Already, a middle-aged woman (names withheld) who hails from one of the eastern states of the country alleged to be running an illegal maternity centre at a camp in Oduke, in the outskirts of the town, has been arrested, while a nurse and a medical doctor attached to the home are presently on the run.

Vanguard gathered that police have intensified manhunt for the runaway medical doctor and nurse involved in the deal.

It was also gathered that upon delivery of such babies depending on the sex of the child, they are sold for between N400,000 and N500,000 each.

Police sources confirmed the story, saying the suspect would be arraigned in court.

Thunder kills 2 traders, 3 goats in Asaba market

Also two traders and no fewer than three goats were struck dead by thunder at Niger Bridge Head market in Asaba, weekend.

The incident which took place on Friday evening threw the market into pandemonium as traders and buyers ran for dear lives following the deafening thunder accompanied by lighting.

Divisional Police Officer, DPO, in charge of the police station by the Bridge Head, Mr. Ngozi Ezeabata, confirmed the death of the traders.

Pastor Olukoya of Mountain of Fire Gives N40m To First Class Graduates

Pastor Olukoya rewards first class graduates
In his usual style of rewarding academic excellence, the General Overseer of Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries, Dr. Daniel Olukoya, has splashed N40 million on members of the church who graduated with first class honours degree from different universities across the country.
The event which is third in the series made the 77 graduates smile home with N 500,000 each.
The previous first class graduates went home with a car each, but this year the number rose from 15 to 77 so Dr. Olukoya settled for cash, which they could use to further their education or start something.
The breakdown of the graduates showed that University of Lagos (UNILAG) top the list with 12 graduates which cut across various disciplines, followed by University of Ibadan with nine of such graduates while one is from Central University College, Accra, Ghana.Speaking at the occasion, Pastor Shade Olukoya, who presented the award praised the graduates for dedication to their academic work and serving God at the same time.
According to her, the award was put in place to reward members of MFM who are dedicated to their academic work while also creating time to serve the Almighty God.

How Boko Haram Planned To Bomb Third Mainland Bridge

THE security and intelligence community chiefs that talked about the vigilance that prevented the planned attack of Lagos three weeks ago failed to disclose to the public the magnitude of weapons the masterminds of the terror act had deployed for the failed operation and the main target, The Guardian’s inquiries have revealed.
The Guardian Intelligence Unit learned at the weekend from the authorities concerned that apart from the deadly weapons uncovered, the arrested attackers’ main target was the strategic Third Mainland Bridge in Lagos.
According to revelations at the weekend, the attackers surreptitiously conveyed the weapons to Lagos inside some of the numerous fuel tankers that ply major roads to Nigeria’s former capital and indeed Nigeria’s commercial nerve centre.
The Guardian learnt at the weekend that indeed the Federal and Lagos State authorities were quite startled that the masterminds of the planned terror act could pile up weapons of mass destruction in Lagos, generally considered the safest haven for investment at the moment in Nigeria.
It was learnt that the Lagos State authorities, including the governor, were shown the illegal arms that the security and intelligence community’s interagency co-operation confiscated recently. “They were shocked, really shocked when they were shown the level of organisational capacity of the evil ones that planned to attack Lagos…”, a top source disclosed last week.
In a related development, security chiefs that briefed the National Assembly top-shots last week about the reality of the planned attack of Lagos reportedly told the federal legislators that indeed the attackers had planned to attack Lagos to cripple the economy. Lagos is the commercial nerve centre of Nigeria. Former Head of State, the late Gen. Murtala Muhammed, had in 1976 recognised the strategic importance of Lagos even while he was announcing the creation of Nigeria’s new capital Abuja then.
His words in a national broadcast to the nation on January 3, 1976: “… Lagos will, in the foreseeable future, remain the nation’s commercial capital and one of its nerve centres. But in terms of servicing the present infrastructure alone, the committed amount of money and effort required will be such that Lagos State will not be ready to cope.
“It will even be unfair to expect the state to bear this heavy burden on its own. It is therefore necessary for the Federal Government to continue to sustain the substantial investment in the area. The port facilities and other economic activities in
the Lagos area have to be expanded.
“There is need in the circumstances for the Federal Government to maintain a special defence and security arrangement in Lagos which will henceforth be designated a special area. These arrangements will be carefully worked out and written into the new constitution. Kaduna and Port Harcourt are to be accorded similar status and
designated as Special Areas…”
The Guardian Intelligence Unit learnt that the security chiefs told the federal legislators and their presiding officers that some of the attackers captured had hinted that the plan of attack on Lagos was deliberate: to cripple the nerve centre of Nigeria’s commerce and industry, a city that plays host to the international air and sea ports so that Nigeria’s economy could collapse.
It was said that the insurgents had reasoned that since they had successfully crippled business operations in the North, there should be federal character spread of the destruction, as even the East and South-South geo-political zones too have been negatively affected by the insurgency and kidnapping. The federal legislators were said to have been alarmed by a revelation about the sense of urgency of the insurgents to hit Lagos “just to make Nigeria ungovernable for the present administration”, as it was revealed.
It was not clear at press time whether the Federal Government’s planned amnesty programme for Boko Haram insurgents has been partly influenced by the confirmed incursion to the unofficial commercial capital that makes the money that Abuja spends. It is on record that as critics of Washington DC often say, “New York makes the money that Washington spends”, so it is with Lagos that consumes about 60 per cent of the fuel that PPMC/PPPRC imports and the rest of the country shares the remaining 40 per cent.
The Guardian was told that the implications of targeting the very strategic Lagos Third Mainland Bridge have been worrisome to authorities at all levels. This is part of the reasons for the concerns in Abuja and Lagos.
The Third Mainland Bridge is the longest of the three bridges connecting Lagos Island to the mainland. The other two are the Eko and Carter Bridges. It is the longest bridge in Africa. The Third Mainland Bridge is a vital artery of the network of federal highways and commands high patronage in Lagos Municipal Area, as it connects two of the Lagos State’s commercial hubs, Victoria Island and Ikeja.
The bridge, which has about 350,000 daily users, is also a vital link to Lekki, Ajah and Epe communities. Midway through the bridge, there is a link to Herbert Macaulay Way, Yaba. The bridge starts really from Oworonsoki, which is linked to the Oshodi–Apapa Expressway and Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, and ends at the Adeniji Adele Interchange on Lagos Island. Built by Julius Berger Nigeria Plc, the bridge was commissioned by former Military President Ibrahim Babangida in 1990 and it measures about 11.8 km in length.
The bridge posts huge economic relevance to the country as it saves commuters who shuttle between two of the Lagos State commercial hubs, Victoria Island and Ikeja, a lot of man-hours. It was said that the last repair of the important bridge cost the nation N1.055 billion.
It is feared that if Lagos Third Mainland Bridge is destroyed, Lagos and indeed Nigeria, are destroyed. It was estimated that the cache of arms seized from the insurgents about three weeks ago when it was reported that Boko Haram entered Lagos was capable of wreaking havoc on the vital bridge in the heart of Lagos.

Floating school for Makoko slum residents

Residents of Makoko/Iwaya Waterfront in Yaba Local Council Development Area, LCDA, will soon begin to enjoy the luxury of a floating school jointly built by the United Nations Development Programme, UNDP and NLE Works, Nigeria.
The three storey floating building is part of the regeneration plan for the coastal community.

According to the builders the construction of the school is aimed at achieving the Millennium Development Goals, MDGs, Goal II, which is to boost universal primary education.

This came barely eight months after the Lagos State government demolished hundreds of ‘illegal structures in the area.

When Vanguard visited the site of the floating school at the weekend, residents of the community were already heaving a sigh of relief, anticipating that many of their children will now have access to sound education.

Vanguard gathered that the new primary school named ‘Makoko floating School’, was built on a foundation of 256 plastic drums and powered by solar panels suspended on the roof. Investigation further revealed that, many residents are praying that the design will be approved by governor Babatunde Fashola.


…The three storey building floating school

Sources also told Vanguard that the floating school cost N993, 750 ($6, 250), because of its size.

Mr. John Adugbo, a resident of Makoko, said; “We have been waiting for the project that will aid more children to attend school. Presently, many children don’t have access to good educational facilities.”

Adugbo added; “All we have is a school that was constructed to serve as a palliative measure because of our peculiar challenge of being surrounded by water.”

The founder of NLE, and promoter of the floating school, Mr. Kunle Adeyemi who spoke to Vanguard from his Netherland office, said; “The desire to construct the school was burn out of curiosity after I visited the community and interest in the coastal community, where despite the little income made daily by the breadwinners, they have never stopped developing the infrastructure.”

Explaining the building’s features, Adeyemi said “The ground floor of the school would serve as an open recreational space for the pupils during the day and at night and weekends, their fathers can converge and hold meetings.”

He added that the first floor and the upper floor have classrooms that would serve their primary purpose.

According to him, “the structure will accommodate over 100 students and their teachers and it is an extension of the only existing school in the coastal community.”

Vanguard gathered that the community which has over 100, 000 residents has only one primary school, called ‘Whayinna Nursery and Primary school’ and no secondary.

Adeyemi continued “the floating school is an extension of the existing primary school which could only provide sound education service to less than 200 children in the community. The state government can also adopt the structure for all the coastal communities in the state,” he added.

Rihanna Dumps Chris Brown For Hot New Rapper

Chrianna fans are in for a shock as the pop star has once again severed the relationship with Chris Brown and now dating star rapper, A$AP ROCKY.
According to reports by MediaTakeOut:
Her new boyfriend is . . .A$AP ROCKY!!! According to a ROCK SOLID MTO INSIDER, A$AP and Rihanna have been on tour together now for about a month - and they've FALLEN IN LOVE!!!
The insider told MediaTakeOut.com, "This isn't some fling, they're in love . . . cuddling, hanging out, everything." The insider continued, "I've never seen Rihanna so happy - even happier than when she was with Chris."

Hopefully, A$AP ROCKY knows how to defend himself or, even better, has a bunch of hired goons--er--competent security team similar to CB's to watch his back in the event of violence.
And that violence may occur soon, because, according to MTO's talkative source, Mr. Breezy knows what's happening, and he's not amused.

Its Over – Chris Brown and Rihanna call it quits. E! News confirms this in an exclusive report.

 Its Over – Chris Brown and Rihanna call it quits. E! News confirms this in an exclusive report.

We can finally close the cluttered chapter of our Rihanna and Chris Brown scrapbooks, because it’s officially over…for now.
A source exclusive to E! News has confirmed the couple’s split after a tireless frenzy of are-they-or-aren’t-they tailchasing. Per the insider, RiRi will always love Chris but has moved on and is reshifting her focus to her career and business ventures.
Currently running the final legs of her international Diamonds tour while spending solo time with her “mini tour family” and conceptualizing new creative ideas for future shows, the superstar is also working toward launching a new perfume and continuing with her ongoing fashion camp