Oakland City Council Declares ‘Digital Underground Day’ in Honor of Shock G

Lorraine Kelly has said she went up ‘two dress sizes’ during the pandemic, and her confidence took a knock as a result.The 62-year-old TV presenter said she found herself eating ‘platters of chocolate every night at 8pm’ during lockdown.She admitted: ‘It went from a tiny square [of chocolate] to a whole bar.’Lorraine admits her weight gain has undermined her confidence.The veteran presenter told the Daily Mirror newspaper: ‘At the moment, even if I was invited to a red carpet event, I just wouldn’t have the confidence to go.‘Not even if George Clooney was waiting for me naked with a rose between his teeth.’Lorraine’s weight gain ultimately meant she wasn’t able to fit into her clothes, either, which she noticed over a period of time as she got dressed for work.And although Lorraine insists there’s ‘nothing wrong’ with being a size 14, she feels she’s been carrying too much weight.Reflecting on her weight gain, she explained: ‘There is nothing wrong with being a size 14, but my body is supposed to be a 10.’She added that on her daytime show, ‘we have models who are size 14, 16, 18, and they are perfectly proportioned, they’re perfectly healthy.’‘I’ve got friends that are teeny tiny, and that’s great, that’s where they’re supposed to be. But I’m supposed to be a 10.

Kanye West and Julia Fox just weeks after it began, as he doubled down on hopes that he will reunite with ex-wife Kim Kardashian.The Gold Digger rapper, 44, started dating the Uncut Gems actress on New Year’s Eve, following his split from the Skims businesswoman, and they had been inseparable ever since.Despite being inseparable over the last month, the 32-year-old appeared to confirm that their brief relationship had come to an end.Sharing a screenshot of an article which appeared to claim that she had been crying at an airport, she wrote on her story: ‘I haven’t cried since 1997 and I especially wouldn’t cry over THIS!!‘If anything I’ve been laughing more than before and if I look like s**t it’s cuz I got out at terminal 1 and ran on foot to terminal 7 cuz I was skin late for a plane to go see the only men that matter which is my son and my dad [sic].’Well, that’s that then.The pair might only have been together for a matter of weeks but there is a serious amount of drama to untangle – with Ye gifting his now-ex a selection of new clothes shortly after they were first spotted together.He then took things to another level when he gave Julia and her friends Birkin bags at her recent birthday dinner.However, their romance then took a turn when he publicly begged for Kim back on Instagram, sharing photos from her recent US Vogue shoot with their four children, North, Saint, Psalm and Chicago.‘GOD PLEASE BRING OUR FAMILY BACK TOGETHER,’ he wrote beside the upload.As well as this, Kanye has publicly taken aim at Kim’s new beau, Pete Davidson on his Instagram page – after they were first linked last year.In a string of posts he stated that he didn’t want Pete to see the four children he shares with the Skims businesswoman,

Coronation Street with perfecting her dance moves on the skating rink. However, Dancing On Ice's latest skating sensation is determined not to mix her new career move with her daughter, Phoebe Dynevor.Her dance partner Matt Evers joked that while she might have a striking similarity to Phoebe now, with the youthful new look she is sporting on stage, she won't be replicating anything Bridgerton-related."People are saying she's looking like Phoebe in Bridgerton.

Kendall Jenner and her boyfriend, Devin Booker, Justin Bieber and Hailey Baldwin, to The Weekend, the celebrities didn’t miss the most important football event of the year. The power couple — composed of Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck, of course — was among the slew of celebrities who were in attendance at the game.In addition, Kanye West went with some of his famous friends, including Tyga.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorDowntown Music Holdings has announced that its founder and current CEO Justin Kalifowitz will take on a new position as executive chairman, with current COO Andrew Bergman assuming day-to-day responsibilities as the company’s CEO. The move will become effective on September 1.According to the announcement, Kalifowitz, who has served as CEO since establishing the company more than 14 years ago, will continue to focus on driving strategic development, leading Downtown’s Board of Directors and working together with Bergman and the executive team on transformational growth opportunities for the company.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorJust days after Jay-Z and Roc Nation took part in a $325 million investment in the Fanatics sports e-commerce platform, the rapper, along with Fanatics onwer and Philadelphia 76ers co-owner Michael Rubin have applied for a New York gaming license to form Fanatics Sportsbook. The news was first reported by TMZ and ESPN and confirmed by Variety.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorGrammy-winning singer-songwriter Nanci Griffith died Friday morning in Nashville, a rep for her management company has confirmed to Variety. No caused of death was announced; she was 68.“It was Nanci’s wish that no further formal statement or press release happen for a week following her passing,” Gold Mountain Entertainment said in a statement.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorThe non-profit Executive Leadership Council has launched of a new program called Levels, which endeavors to help junior and mid-level Black employees in the music industry better navigate their careers and climb the ladder in the music business.Sponsored by Spotify, Levels is a four-month comprehensive virtual cohort program designed to accelerate the progress of black music professionals to the executive level.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorYoung veterans are nothing new in the music biz, but it still feels odd that Jade Bird is just 23: Her label, Glassnote, began showcasing her five years ago and she soon followed with an EP and, in 2019, a solid debut album. But her new release, “Different Kinds of Light,” is the proverbial big step forward, the one that conjures words like “maturity” and finds her becoming a seasoned performer, songwriter and especially singer.It’s almost like hearing a different artist, particularly on the opening “Open Up the Heavens” and the tracks that immediately follow — her smooth yet powerful delivery hasn’t necessarily changed, but there’s a subtlety and emotional depth that wasn’t there before.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorLegendary singer Tony Bennett — who celebrated his 95th birthday just last week, performing with Lady Gaga at two-sold out shows at New York’s Radio City Music Hall — has canceled his Fall 2021 tour dates.The tour — consisting of pre-pandemic shows dates had been rescheduled — was slated to begin in September. The affected dates include New York, Maryland and Connecticut as well as Oklahoma and Canada.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorJustin Bieber and Megan Thee Stallion led the nominations for MTV’s 2021 VMAs, which were unveiled by the network Wednesday. Bieber leads with seven nods, Megan is next with six, and several artists followed with five: Billie Eilish, BTS, Doja Cat, Drake, Giveon, and two of this week’s Variety cover stars, Lil Nas X and first-time nominee Olivia Rodrigo.The 2021 VMAs return to New York City this year, airing live from Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York on Sunday, September 12 at 8PM ET/PT, airing across MTV’s linear and digital platforms in 180 countries and territories.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorVeteran hitmakers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, and U.S. Representatives Ted Deutch and Michael McCall will be honored on Sept.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorAs the Covid-19 variant continues to spread across the globe, the status of all future concerts, let alone festivals, has come into some question. While an outdoor event packed with people is ostensibly safer than a theater or arena packed with people, it’s still an area packed with people — and it’s not really feasible to determine how many people might have become infected at the Rolling Loud Miami and Lollapalooza festivals, although social media posts from people who attended those events suggest that more than a few people came back with positive test results.With all of that in mind, the Bonnaroo festival, which takes place in Manchester, Tennessee over Labor Day Weekend (Sept.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorThe comedy recordings by legendary singer, actor, and filmmaker Rudy Ray Moore have been sold to the independent label 800 Pound Gorilla Records by his longtime manager Donald H. Randell.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorTwo years after R. Kelly was jailed on multiple sexual assault and misconduct charges, his trial in New York begins with jury selection after months of Covid-related delays.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorOut of a clear blue sky on a hot August Friday afternoon, Frank Ocean announce a new “luxury” jewelry and clothing company called Homer.The announcement comes with an 84-page catalog, the cover of which was designed and photographed by Ocean. Certain images are included below.Fans may have initially hoped for an announcement of new music, but Ocean’s multifaceted endeavors sometimes are a hint of new music coming — his last album, 2016’s “Blonde,” was accompanied by an Ocean-edited magazine and pop-up stores.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorAfter unveiling it during a performance at Boston’s Fenway Park on Tuesday, Guns N’ Roses have released “Absurd,” their first official new song since their 2008 album “Chinese Democracy.”However, to call the song “new” is a relative term: The song, formerly called “Silkworms,” has been knocking around for two decades and was reportedly written during the years of sessions for “Chinese Democracy.”The fast-paced track features Axl Rose singing with an almost comical British-tinged accent, along with several vintage shrieks.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorIn the wee hours of Thursday, Apple Music launched a livestream via an in-app takeover before Kanye West’s second livestream of his delayed new album, “Donda,” again at Mercedes Stadium in Atlanta.Two weeks ago, West — who has held similar listening events for his last two official albums — held a similar livestreamed session in the stadium ahead of the album’s originally planned release date of July 23. However, as he has done many times in the past, he skipped the deadline to do more work on the album, with the release date bumped to August 6.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorJack Harlow will headline FaZe Clan’s upcoming “Summer Tip-Off” event taking place on Friday, August 13th at Resorts World Las Vegas, a new integrated resort on the Strip The event is presented by Corona Hard Seltzer and hosted by Druski.According to the announcement, FaZe Clain is bringing fans “an IRL experience at the epicenter of gaming, music and sports.” Harlow Harlow will headline with a special performance at Ayu Dayclub, following a gaming exhibition with FaZe talent including FaZe Swagg, FaZe JSmooth, FaZe Santana & FaZe Booya and NBA stars including Damion Lee, Eric Paschall, Josh Hart and more.Admission is free and RSVPs are required.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorThe Weeknd’s video for his new song “Take My Breath” — which has been previewed in an Olympics ad and on social media this week — was scheduled to air in Imax theaters before “Suicide Squad” this week, but has been pulled due to epilepsy warnings regarding to the “intense strobe lighting” in the clip, a source close to the situation tells Variety.The song, the first leading up to the Weeknd’s follow-up to his blockbuster “After Hours” album, will be released on Friday at 12 a.m.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorEleven national LGBTQ and HIV/AIDS organizations on Wednesday released an open letter to rapper DaBaby in the wake of his recent homophobic statements and awkward attempts at apologies, requesting a private meeting to discuss the facts about HIV and how it is a preventable and treatable condition, and discuss a long-term opportunity for him to pass on the education to his large fanbase.The organizations are: Arianna’s Center, Black AIDS Institute, GLAAD, The Normal Anomaly Initiative, Prevention Access Campaign, Relationship Unleashed, The 6:52 Project Foundation, and leaders from the Gilead COMPASS Initiative including Southern AIDS Coalition, Emory University, the University of Houston, and Wake Forest