Sadly, we have lost another member of the culture due to apparent substance abuse. Michael K. Williams, best known for his role as “Omar” on The Wire died at his Brooklyn apartment at the age of 54.

Williams spoke about his substance abuse as he rose to stardom and admitted that he was surprised that he was still alive.

Williams said in a 2012 interview that he would retreat to Newark, NJ during breaks in his shooting to obtain cocaine and weed. “I was playing with fire” Williams said at the time. It was a matter of time before I got caught and my business ended up on the cover of a tabloid or I went to jail or worse ended up in a body bag.”

Actor Wendell Pierce who played alongside Williams in The Wire shared beautiful memories of his friend. — The death of my love for this brother, can only be matched by the depth of my pain learning of his loss.” Pierce goes on to say that his friend was an “immensely talented man with the ability to give voice to the human condition portraying the lives of those who humanity is seldom elevated until he sings their truth.”

Hollywood film producer Manny Halley said during a brief interview: “Michael was my friend and I’m sad to learn that he’s no longer with us in the physical but his spirit is sure to live on with many of us for the years to come.” I just spoke with him last week and he wanted me to work on a film project with him.”

Just this past June, Michael K. Williams paid tribute to rapper DMX at the 2021 BET Awards who also died as a result of his struggles with substance abuse.

Our condolences goes out to his entire family and friends.

The post Actor Michael K. Williams Lived A Life of Fame While Struggling with Addiction first appeared on Hip Hop Enquirer Magazine, LLC.

Australia is trying to make an example out of Chris Brown by not allowing him in the county because of his domestic violence conviction against Rihanna. They have allowed Brown 28 days to present a case for a visa granting him entry into the country. Chris Brown has four big shows set to take place in the land down under, but they are in jeopardy as Australian authorities intend to refuse him access in.

Well Brown may not have needed all 28 days to present his argument for why he should be allowed in. He took to Twitter and made a point that he could be more influential than any parents or public service announcement ever could.

This is not the first country to attempt to deny Brown entry into a country. The United Kingdom stopped him in 2010 and back in February he had to cancel shows in Canada as they were not going to allow him to cross the border.

There is a point to be made on Brown’s part, celebrities hold a great deal of power in the digital age where we view them and hear them almost daily. So there is a lot of truth about the influence he could have on kids about domestic violence. The issue is that he is willing to use this power to get something in return which appears to come off as disingenuous.

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Nick Kyrgios, the young tennis talent from Australia, has decided he will split with his coach Simon Rea to return home to Canberra. The 19-year-old Kyrgios made this announcement on Saturday.

Kyrgios made national headlines when he shocked the world by defeating then-world number one Rafael Nadal en route to the quarterfinals in the 2014 Wimbledon. He also won the  2013 Australian Open junior singles title and has been working with coach Rea ever since.

As far as replacement for Rea as tennis coach for Kyrgios, Tennis Australia will take over in the continuing development of the youngster. Davis Cup coach Josh Eagle and Todd Larkham will also be taking over in an arrangement to work with Kyrgios.

Kyrgios mentioned that the fact that he misses his hometown of Canberra during time he is not competing in tournaments influenced his decision.

In a statement released by Kyrgios he noted his respect for Rea. He stated, “Not only is Simon a great coach but he is a great person and I wish him the best in the next phase of his coaching career.”

The next scheduled tournament appearance for Kyrgios is next month at the ATP 1000 in Toronto.

Photo Credit: Dailymail.co.uk

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In a statement sent to Billboard.biz, WME’s Christian Muirhead wrote: “WME now represents Drake in all areas worldwide.  Contrary to previous reports, there has been no change with Drake’s management team, and he continues to be managed by Gee Roberson, Al Branch, Kyambo Joshua and Cortez Bryant of Hip Hop Since 1978.”

As Billboard reported last month, Drake recently shifted the bulk of his representation to WME after several years at ICM, but would continue to be represented by ICM’s Robert Gibbs for domestic booking and managed by Hip Hop Since 1978. According to the WME rep who spoke to Billboard, the Young Money/Cash Money artist will continue to be represented by HHS78, the management firm founded by Gee Roberson and Kyambo “Hip Hop” Joshua and known for its high-profile client list, which includes Lil Wayne, Kanye West, Nicki Minaj, and T.I., among others, as well as Cortez Bryant’s Bryant Management, in addition to WME; Roberson was named chariman of Geffen Recrods earlier this year. Bryant, who is currently in Australia with Lil Wayne, had not responded to emails seeking comment at press time.

No one really knows whats going on, but everyone knows that something is. Hopefully we can find out what.

The post Did Drake Fire Management Team? Some Say Yes, Some Say No. first appeared on Hip Hop Enquirer Magazine, LLC.

I remember, not so long ago as a youngin, one of the first major rap influences of my life being Wu-Tang Clan. Thanks goes mostly to my neighbor who would stay rewinding and replaying probably one of the most memorable Wu albums to date Wu Tang Forever!

I can still hear and feel the force, energy and brilliance of the lyrics each one delivered on every track! It was not only the production value of the album that made such an impact but also the mathematical genius behind the Wu’s meaning which I’ll spare both you and me the time of trying to explain it myself.

During a time of shiny suit rappers (the formerly known Puff Daddy and then Harlem World leader Mase) the Clan managed to remain true to their authentic street cred value by bringing to the world rap music in its most rarest and to-the-core form.

They were arguably one of the dominating forces of rap back in their day and undoubtedly the driving force behind Tre’s current rap ambition. Well, it pleases me to know that after all these years, numerous solo projects, and minus a few members (R.I.P. Dirty) that the Wu-Tang Clan STILL ain’t nothing to f*ck with as the remaining members of the Shaolin temple recently performed for a hyped up crowd of dire Wu fans in Sydney, Australia.

Ghostface Killah

GZA

Inspectah Deck

Thats called crowd control

Goldie the Ghost

This 1s for you Dirty

Wu-Tang forever & worldwide

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The post Wu-Tang Forever! The 90s Rap Group Performs in Sydney, Australia!! first appeared on Hip Hop Enquirer Magazine, LLC.