• [Exclusive] Doughboy Talks 'Break Da Knob' Success, Mike Brown & Changing Sound

    Rap star Doughboy stood out against his rapping opponents in St. Louis when he premiered his music video "Break Da Knob" on Sean "Diddy'" Comb's Revolt TV network. Now, with buzz surrounding the "Turn It Up" song and his video receiving nearly 13,000 views on YouTube, Doughboy is proving that he is contender getting ready to snatch the number one spot. In an exclusive interview with MusicTimes, the rap star breaks down the definition of "Break Da Knob," his distinct sound versus St. Louis rappers, Mike Brown and making a difference in his community with his The Speak Out Against Violence Essay Contest.

  • Geraldo Rivera Claims That Michael Slager Will Never Be Convicted of Murdering Walter Scott

    The case of former South Carolina police officer Michael Slager, who shot and killed Walter Scott last week after a traffic stop went horribly wrong, has gripped the country for days. While two videos have surfaced -- one from a police dash cam and the other now-infamous footage filmed by a bystander -- there is always room to debate the murder charge that has been filed against Slager. Who better to argue what might have seemed like an obvious outcome then Geraldo Rivera? Rivera believes that Slager will never be convicted of murdering Scott.

  • NYPD Unhappy With Commissioner Bill Bratton for His Support of Mayor Bill de Blasio

    NYC Police Commissioner Bill Bratton has one of the hardest jobs in the world right now, trying to bridge the deep divide between the NYPD and Mayor Bill de Blasio's City Hall. Things were a little bit tense even before de Blasio seemed to show support for the hundreds of protestors walking through various parts of the city in support of Ferguson and Eric Garner. The fact that he allowed it, making the NYPD's job even harder didn't sit well with the department and then when two Brooklyn officers were assassinated in retaliation, well it turned uglier yet. Bratton has tried to bring both sides together but now it seems that his attempts are beginning to backfire.

  • Ferguson Protesters Pepper-Sprayed After Infiltrating STL Police Headquarters

    We may have closed the book on 2014, but that does not mean the tension between Ferguson, Missouri, protesters and St. Louis, Missouri, police officers is over — not by any means. Instead, a group of 75 protesters proved last night, Dec. 31, 2014, that the racially charged divide is going to be an issue that follows us into this new year, 2015. The protesters served a literal eviction notice to St. Louis police officers late last night and many found themselves either pepper-sprayed or arrested.As part of their "March to the Arch" protest, several members of the group purposely went into the lobby of STL police headquarters and then proceeded to read off a list of demands and they posted hundreds of eviction notices on the outside of the building for alleged police brutality. Nineteen protesters were eventually arrested, primarily because they were laying in the middle of the road blocking the flow of traffic. The group had originally intended to occupy the area of the headquarters for four hours to commemorate how long Michael Brown lied dead in the street after being shot by Darren Wilson.

  • Hundreds of NYPD Officers Turn Their Backs on Mayor de Blasio at Rafael Ramos' Funeral

    The funeral for NYPD Officer Rafael Ramos at Christ Tabernacle Church in Queens was one of the more somber scenes in the city in recent months. Ramos and his partner, Officer Wenjian Liu, were assassinated while sitting in their patrol car eating lunch last week in Brooklyn. It was an act carried out in retaliation for the chokehold death of Eric Garner and the shooting of Ferguson teen Michael Brown last summer, and it has only deepened the divide that exists in the city. Mayor Bill de Blasio has tried in recent days to extend an olive branch to the NYPD, but it was glaringly apparent today that as a whole, the department isn't having it.

  • NYPD Claims Mayor Bill de Blasio Has Blood of Two Slain Brooklyn Cops on His Hands

    Did New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio lay the groundwork for violence against police officers by seeming to side with protestors who have been upset over the lack of an indictment in the death of Eric Garner? That appears to be the official position of the NYPD, which is now grieving what it is calling the "assassination" of two police officers reportedly sitting in their patrol car eating lunch yesterday. Officers Wenjian Liu and Rafael Ramos likely did not see Ismaayil Brinsley walk up beside the passenger side front window and take aim.Brinsley's deadly actions were intended to be a retaliation for the deaths of Garner and Michael Brown at the hands of police officers who were never charged, not even with a misdemeanor. While de Blasio spoke out against the violence condemning the murders, members of the NYPD turned their backs on him when he walked into the room to give an official press conference on yesterday's crime.It seems the NYPD feels that the mayor has been unsupportive and not aligned himself with them while the city has been in a state of upheaval and racial tensions are intensifying. The police feel so much like City Hall has abandoned them that officers actually have been signing a petition that would ban de Blasio from attending their funerals should they die in the line of duty.

  • Robert McCulloch Admits That He Knew Some of the Witnesses That He Presented to Ferguson Grand Jury Were Lying

    Robert McCulloch is the prosecuting attorney that was presiding over the Ferguson grand jury, which means that he has been under intense scrutiny from day one. McCulloch has also been blamed for Darren Wilson not being indicted in the Aug. 9 shooting death of Michael Brown. The general consensus seems to be that if the prosecution really wants an indictment, they'll get it, so the underlying feeling has been that McCulloch didn't push too hard for what many believe would have been justice for Brown. Unfortunately, the attorney hasn't helped his image at all by giving a recent interview to KTRS 550 and making some stunning admissions.

  • Will Rosie O'Donnell Exit 'The View' After Another Cutthroat Fight on Camera with Whoopi Goldberg?

    There has been so much talk lately about Rosie O'Donnell's unhappiness on "The View," mostly because of her almost-daily clashes with Whoopi Goldberg. If you have tuned in for even only a few minutes you will realize the tension that hangs in the air between these two. A few weeks ago, rumors started swirling that O'Donnell might not even make it the entire season without quitting, and after an ugly fight on camera between the two this morning, we almost have to wonder if ABC is hoping for that to happen.O'Donnell and Goldberg have not seen eye to eye lately on issues such as the Bill Cosby scandal or the Ferguson protests, and today they clashed over racism, with Goldberg insisting that O'Donnell had no idea what it is.Both Goldberg and O'Donnell addressed each other in a heated exchange that left the other women at the roundtable unsure of what to say.

  • Ferguson Protests Inspired D'Angelo to Push Up Release of 'Black Messiah'

    Earlier this week, neo-soul pioneer D'Angelo surprised the music world by suddenly releasing his new album "Black Messiah," his first new album since his 2000 classic "Voodoo," with almost no warning whatsoever. Despite its absurdly long gestation period, however, "The New York Times" reports that the album's release was somehow still rushed, as D'Angelo's label RCA had originally planned to drop it sometime in early 2015. But following the volatile situation in Ferguson, Missouri, and the grand-jury decision to not indict Officer Darren Wilson for the shooting death of Michael Brown, D'Angelo decided to push up the album's release to Dec. 15.According to D'Angelo's manager Kevin Liles, D'Angelo had called him up in distress last month following the Ferguson grand-jury decision."He said, 'Do you believe this? Do you believe it?'" Liles recalls. "And then we just sat there in silence. That is when I knew he wanted to say something."With the famously delayed album put on the fast track for release, D'Angelo and RCA pulled "many all-nighters" to finish the album, which included everything from the artwork and tracklist to the music itself.

  • J. Cole Performs Ferguson Protest Song 'Be Free' on 'Late Show with David Letterman'

    J. Cole released his third studio album, "2014 Forest Hills Drive," Tuesday, Dec. 9, and went on the "Late Show with David Letterman" to perform "Be Free," which is not on the album. Cole's commentary on Ferguson and tribute to Michael Brown, he used the stage to make his voice heard on the current issues facing the African-American community. His performance captured the sentimentality of "Be Free," as Cole delivered each word with poise and emotion. A simple performance with little fanfare, Cole stood on stage moving little but still showed his time-tested charisma, while a keyboardist played the simple and moving instrumental in the background, reported "Complex." He even wrote a new verse for the occasion and elicited a positive reaction from Letterman, who invited him back anytime."Be Free" has been the No. 1 trending song, according to "Billboard," since it came out. Cole has been one of the few artists who have been using his status to protest the grand jury decisions in Ferguson and New York City, writing a song and going out on the streets and protesting.

  • A Petition Has Been Filed by National Bar Association to Strip Darren Wilson of His Police Badge in Missouri

    About a week after learning that he would not be indicted for the Aug. 9 shooting death of 18-year-old Michael Brown, Darren Wilson ironed out the details and resigned from the Ferguson Police Department. Wilson agreed with the department that it is in everyone's best interest that he not serve and protect in Ferguson again.His being on the streets would only put him as well as other officers at risk. While it seems unlikely that Wilson will patrol anywhere again, he has still retained his badge — and that is something the National Bar Association is not happy about.The country's oldest and largest group of African-American attorneys and judges have filed a nine-page petition requesting that Wilson be completely stripped of his badge. The official petition is requesting that the Missouri Department of Public Safety revoke Wilson's badge. While under oath, Wilson insisted that during his altercation with Brown he had feared for his life, but some naysayers believe the officer got away with murder.
View More
Festivals
Popular Now
Real Time Analytics