GRUNGECAKE

Category: News

  • Sha’Carri Richardson arrested on domestic violence charge ahead of USA Track & Field Championships 2025

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    Olympic and world champion sprinter Sha’Carri Richardson, 25, was arrested on July 27, 2025, at Seattle–Tacoma International Airport, facing a fourth‑degree domestic violence assault charge following an altercation with her boyfriend, fellow sprinter Christian Coleman. According to police reports, Richardson and Coleman engaged in a heated verbal argument after passing through TSA security. An arresting officer and airport footage showed Richardson allegedly pushing Coleman multiple times, causing him to fall into a column. She also reportedly threw a pair of headphones at him.

    Coleman declined to press charges or cooperate further, stating he did not wish to be officially identified as a victim. Despite his refusal, Richardson was booked at the South Correctional Entity in Des Moines, Washington, on the evening of July 27 and released the following afternoon, July 28. Just days after the incident, she appeared at the USA Track & Field Outdoor Championships in Eugene, Oregon. Richardson advanced through the preliminary round of the women’s 100 metres, clocking 11.07 seconds to finish second in her heat. However, she later withdrew from the semifinals, as well as the 200 metre event.

    Richardson holds an automatic berth in the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo, thanks to her win as world 100 metre champion in 2023. USA Track & Field acknowledged being aware of the incident but has issued no formal comment thus far. Richardson’s rising star continues to navigate turbulence off the track—from Olympic medals in Paris 2024 (silver in the 100 m, gold in the 4×100 m relay) to fallout from her airport arrest. The legal outcome and her future competition status remain uncertain as the investigation proceeds.

  • American Eagle clarifies intent after backlash over Sydney Sweeney “Jeans/Genes” ad

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    American Eagle Outfitters has issued a firm statement addressing the controversy surrounding its recent Fall 2025 campaign featuring actress Sydney Sweeney. The campaign, titled “Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans”, included ads where “Jeans” was crossed out and replaced with “Genes”, prompting widespread criticism. In one particularly scrutinised clip, Sweeney states: “Genes are passed down… often determining traits like hair colour, personality, and even eye color. My genes are blue,” before the voice-over delivers the tagline.

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    Critics argued the imagery and wordplay—especially the featuring of a blonde, blue‑eyed white woman—evoked eugenics, Nazi propaganda, and white supremacist symbolism. Social media users and cultural commentators described the campaign as tone‑deaf, regressive, and sexualised.

    In response, American Eagle posted:

    “’Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans’ is and always was about the jeans. Her jeans. Her story. We’ll continue to celebrate how everyone wears their AE jeans with confidence, their way. Great jeans look good on everyone.”

    //www.instagram.com/embed.js

    Reactions to the statement were deeply divided. Some praised the company’s emphasis on inclusion and personal style, whilst others saw it as dismissive of legitimate concerns, criticising the refusal to acknowledge the double entendre more directly. Despite the firestorm, the campaign appears to have spurred retail interest: American Eagle’s stock price reportedly rose by around 10–18% following the ad launch on July 23, perhaps reflecting heightened attention even amid controversy. As the debate continues to unfold, the ad raises broader questions about how fashion brands navigate sensitive cultural and political terrain—especially when using provocative wordplay and imagery in high‑profile campaigns.

  • Listen to Yeat’s new EP ‘Dangerous Summer’

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    After a whirlwind July that saw surprise festival cameos, a viral Drake co-sign, and a Lyrical Lemonade stage takeover, Yeat is keeping the momentum blazing with his new EP ‘DANGEROUS SUMMER’. Featuring collaborators like FKA twigs, Don Toliver, and SahBabii, the project is a cinematic, genre-bending evolution of his sound—teasing the sonic direction of his highly-anticipated LP ‘ADL (A Dangerous Lyfe)’.

    The Cole Bennett-directed video for lead single ‘Put It Ong’ plays like a twisted fever dream. In it, Yeat moves through a chaotic carnival flanked by ballerinas in clown makeup—visual metaphor meets avant-garde horror. Shot with real alligators by Harmony Korine in Florida and designed by the experimental collective EDGLRD, the project’s cover art pushes creative boundaries, matching the intensity of the music.

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    Yeat’s rollout included cryptic nuclear-fallout-style signage across cities, foreshadowing a new chapter in the twenty-five-year-old’s career. Coming off a string of global performances—including a 120,000 plus crowd in Romania and a Clout Festival finale in Poland—Yeat continues to solidify himself as a genre-defiant visionary.

    This drop follows the chart-smashing success of ‘Lyfestyle’, his first #1 on the Billboard 200, which sold over 89,000 units its first week. Since then, Yeat’s been unstoppable—remixing Drake’s ‘Feel No Ways’ at Coachella, releasing ‘The Bell’, and collaborating with Anyma on ‘Work’. His recent European tour, including his first headlining London show, earned high praise from The Guardian for its visceral energy.

    If ‘Dangerous Summer’ is any indication, Yeat isn’t just riding the wave—he’s designing the current.

  • Chance the Rapper’s upcoming album ‘Star Line’ is a sonic vessel of diasporic liberation, technological evolution, and Chicago grit

    His longtime collaborator, Brandon Breaux, made the cover art.

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    Six years. That’s how long Chance the Rapper has been away from full-length storytelling. But time away hasn’t dulled his edge. With ‘Star Line’, he returns sharper, bolder, and more dialled into purpose than ever—an evolution painted in soul, wrapped in diaspora, and embedded with revolutionary tech.

    Created with longtime sonic chemist DexLvL, Star Line doesn’t just reflect where Chance has been—it defines who he’s become. Travelling through Ghanaian coastlines, Jamaican hills, and global art fairs, Chance’s journey echoes Marcus Garvey’s Pan-African vision: building community, commerce, and culture for Black people everywhere. Still, this isn’t escapism. It’s grounded in the unshakable soil of Chicago and his unique relationship with Black identity—something Chance has never commodified but rather cultivated with care.

    Visually, that cultivation extends through Brandon Breaux, who once again links arms with Chance to design the album’s artwork. The collaboration—spanning over a decade—has birthed an iconic visual canon. Together, they’ve never needed industry approval. They’ve always been too busy building their language—unapologetically Black, imaginatively free.
    Then there’s the innovation. ‘Star Line’ is the first album with an NFC-enabled CD that taps into Bluetooth speakers. Yes, you tap the CD and it plays. That’s the kind of Black futurism Chance is investing in—albums as living artefacts, merch with embedded meaning. The merch drop via starlinegallery.co includes these NFC-enabled CDs and more—each item infused with unlockable content.

    The album’s lead single, ‘Tree’ featuring Lil Wayne and Smino, flips India.Arie’s ‘Video’ into a new-age anthem of liberation. Cannabis, here, isn’t stigmatised. It’s power. The self-directed video, set in a Black women-owned dispensary, imagines a future where cultivation equals sovereignty—where Black women run the farm and the fortune.

    This isn’t just music. It’s movement. And ‘Star Line’ is the vessel. ‘Star Line’ will hit all digital retailers on August 15.

  • Hear Ghostface Killah’s new single ‘Rap Kingpin’ from his forthcoming Mass Appeal Records album: Supreme Clientele 2

    “88 shit.”

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    Yesterday, Ghostface Killah released a new record called ‘Rap Kingpin’. Boasting about having old money, lying up with snow bunnies in the Swiss Alps, and his global status linked to being a member of the legendary Wu-Tang Clan, the Staten Island-bred gifted storyteller raps about his glory days and shows his classic flow stands the test of time. Check out the track produced by Ghostface Killah and Scram Jones, which samples both Eric B & Rakim’s ‘My Melody’ (co-produced by Marley Marl) and fan-favourite ‘Mighty Healthy’ from his 2000 album ‘Supreme Clientele’. It’s out now through Mass Appeal Records under exclusive license from Ghostface Killah.

    According to the press release, the rapping legend’s next project, ‘Supreme Clientele 2’, crafted over the last decade, is both a homecoming and a new chapter for Tony Starks, as he picks up the legacy with a new but familiar lens. The project features guest appearances from Nas, Raekwon, Method Man, GZA, Redman, Conway the Machine, Styles P, MOP (Mash Out Posse) and Dave Chappelle. It will be released on August 22.

    About the next serving, Ghostface Killah shared, “Supreme Clientele was a frame of mind and era in time. You could never duplicate that feeling, but you can tap back in. We dug in the files from years ago and pulled together a Clientele that is Supreme! Get ready, Supreme Clientele 2 is now.”

    ‘Supreme Clientele 2’ is a part of Mass Appeal Records’ ‘Legend Has It’ campaign, celebrating seven iconic artists all releasing new music, including: Slick Rick, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Mobb Deep, Big L, De La Soul and Nas/DJ Premier.

  • Punk Rock legend Jock McDonald passes away in a “freak swimming accident”

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    Punk Rock legend Jock McDonald—whose birth name was Patrick O’Donnell—has tragically died at age sixty-nine in what his bandmates are calling a “freak swimming accident” off Bundoran Beach in County Donegal, Ireland, on Saturday, July 26, 2025. McDonald had returned to Donegal in advance of a forthcoming tour when the incident occurred.

    Local RNLI volunteers responded to an emergency call and pulled McDonald from the water around 5:20 PM, after which he was rushed to Sligo University Hospital, where he was pronounced dead shortly thereafter.

    A founding member of the British–Irish Punk band The Bollock Brothers (formed in 1979), McDonald had built a reputation for bold, subversive creativity—famously covering Serge Gainsbourg’s ‘Harley David (Son of a B**h)’ and Alex Harvey’s ‘Faith Healer’, among other nonconformist favourites. His band released nine studio albums, four live albums, and twenty-eight singles, gaining cult status in Punk circles throughout Belgium, Germany, and the United Kingdom.

    Tributes poured in from fans, fellow musicians, and family. Drummer Pat Pattyn shared via social media that the news came at the request of McDonald’s children, and asked for privacy during a deeply painful time:

    “His family and all the Bollock Brothers are in shock… Rest in peace, my friend… I will miss you.”

    Longtime bandmate Keith Bradshaw remembered McDonald as his best friend of forty-five years and a “true legend”. Meanwhile, McDonald’s brother Gerry O’Donnell mourned his passing, saying, “He was more than a brother to me” and reflected on the irony of his return to Donegal, the place of his earliest roots, just as his life was cut short.

    The Rory Gallagher International Tribute Festival, which had welcomed McDonald in previous years, issued a statement affirming that “the music world will not be the same without him”, calling him “one of the great characters” in Punk’s global story.

    McDonald’s sudden death marks the end of a singular career defined by iconoclastic energy and international velocity. He had been working on a new single and album at the time of his passing, plans now left unfinished.

  • Deion Sanders overcomes bladder cancer, sparks rumours with Karrueche Tran

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    On July 28, 2025, NFL legend and Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion “Coach Prime” Sanders publicly revealed his recent battle with aggressive bladder cancer. The diagnosis came during a routine scan prompted by recurring blood clot issues. Sanders underwent surgery to remove his bladder and had a reconstructed organ built using a segment of his small intestine. According to Dr Janet Kukreja and his medical team, he is now officially cancer‑free.

    Sanders described the ordeal as physically and emotionally grueling yet optimistic, having lost about twenty-five pounds during the process. He candidly discussed major lifestyle changes post‑surgery, including unpredictable bladder control and the need for adult incontinence wear. Despite these challenges—and with a trademark sense of humor—he joked about needing a portable toilet on the sideline during games.

    In a surprising new development, footage surfaced of actress Karrueche Tran by Sanders’ hospital bedside during surgery. In the video, Tran is visibly emotional as she describes the bladder reconstruction process, fueling speculation of a deeper personal connection between them. TMZ reported that this appearance, alongside prior sightings and a lunch date, has intensified dating rumors—even though neither Sanders nor Tran has officially commented on the nature of their relationship.

    Throughout the press conference, Coach Prime emphasised the importance of early health screenings, encouraging all men to get evaluated and not ignore warning signs. The truth of his diagnosis remained private from his sons to avoid distraction, as he revealed that they were told the issue was a foot problem instead. Now entering his third season with the Buffaloes—fresh off a 9‑4 record and bowl appearance—Sanders is committed to leading the team forward on and off the field. Sanders’ recovery and message of resilience shine through his health saga—and whether the romance rumours hold water or not, people are paying attention.

  • Diddy takes another swing at bail

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    What do you know? Sean “Diddy” Combs has just filed another motion for bail—and this time TMZ got the exclusive scoop. According to our sources, Combs’ legal team slid a fresh bail package over to Judge Arun Subramanian on July 29, 2025, pleading that he’s now the only man in America behind bars for hiring male sex workers to bang his girlfriend. Let that sink in.

    Yup, Combs’ saying the world got it twisted—claiming the relationship was consensual, and he’s ready to stand on that in court. Suddenly it’s a soul‑searching love affair, not a crime scene. His lawyers argue “changed circumstances” and new evidence prove the government’s case is “thin.” The motion specifically asks for $1 million bail, surrender of his passport, home confinement, and strict travel limits—basically, a walk in the park compared to MDC Brooklyn life.

    Let’s recap the legal roller coaster: Combs was indicted in September 2024 on racketeering, sex trafficking by force, and transportation charges. He pled not guilty. His May 5, 2025 trial began with jury selection, and on July 2 the jury delivered a split verdict—he was found guilty on two counts of transportation for prostitution, but acquitted on the sex trafficking and racketeering charges.

    Judge Subramanian swiftly denied bail at that verdict hearing—highlighting Combs’ admitted past domestic violence. So now Combs is back at the notorious Metropolitan Detention Center, awaiting sentencing set for October 3, 2025. Prosecutors are gunning for a fifty-one month minimum prison term—though the sentence cap looms at twenty years.

    In true fashion, we’ll say this: Puff’s love life just got another chapter in a legal saga so wild it makes “Love & Hip Hop” look PG. Combs is hustling for freedom—with a whole new narrative. Will it work? Stay tuned, because this chapter is far from closed.

  • Famine unfolding in Gaza Strip, experts warn

    A UN‑backed body has issued its most dire assessment to date, warning that famine is currently unfolding in the Gaza Strip. Although a formal famine declaration has not yet been made, the new interim report by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) signals catastrophic hunger levels unmatched in recent conflict-era history.

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    The IPC finds that 86% of households regularly lack sufficient food, with many surviving by scavenging. At least 16 children under five have already died from hunger-related causes since mid‑July, and over 20,000 children have been treated for acute malnutrition. In Gaza City, a startling 16% of young children are acutely malnourished. This humanitarian catastrophe has intensified since Israel imposed a total blockade in March 2025, severely restricting aid and commercial entry. Whilst limited aid access resumed in May, critics argue that aid delivery remains obstructed due to inspections, bureaucratic delays, security risks, and active military operations.

    Though Israel denies pursuing a starvation policy, recent statements by both Israeli and international officials increasingly reflect recognition of the crisis. United States President Donald Trump, referencing visible suffering, expressed skepticism toward Israeli denials and pledged new aid measures involving United States and European provisions.

    International aid groups including Oxfam and Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) characterise aid airdrops and tactical military pauses as grossly insufficient, labelling current aid efforts as a “drop in the ocean” compared to Gaza’s needs. Experts emphasise that the Gaza crisis has reached the “worst-case scenario of famine” and that immediate, large-scale, unimpeded humanitarian access is essential to prevent further deaths and widespread suffering.

  • Busta Rhymes to receive Hollywood Walk of Fame star

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    Busta Rhymes will be honoured with the 2,818th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on Friday, August 1, at 11:30 AM PT at 6201 Hollywood Boulevard in front of East Town. Rhymes will receive his star in the category of Recording. Joining emcee Big Boy as speakers will be Chris Rock, LL Cool J and Chuck D.

    The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce administers the legendary Hollywood Walk of Fame for the City of Los Angeles and has proudly hosted the globally iconic star ceremonies for decades. Millions of people from the United States and worldwide have visited the cultural landmark since 1960.

    //www.instagram.com/embed.js