Boosie Badazz puts Dwyane Wade on blast for support of Zaya’s Gender Change

While Dwyane Wade and Gabrielle Union were met with a lot of positive feedback regarding their daughter Zaya Wade‘s change of name and the public reveal of her gender identity, many have chimed in negatively with their thoughts.

Boosie Badazz is among those against the family’s decision to support Zaya. Also known as Lil Boosie, the Louisiana-born rapper, the took to Instagram to rant on the matter. ”Don’t cut his f*cking d*ck off!”

READ MORE: Lil Boosie sets the record straight about his alleged fistfight with George Zimmerman

While at the gym on February 18th, Boosie recorded an Instagram video with a number of transphobic comments in response to Zaya’s decision to come out as a transgender girl.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

IM GO SAY IT SINCE THIS PUSSY ASS WORLD AINT GO SAY SHIT ‼️U TRIPPIN NIGGA #period

A post shared by Boosie BadAzz (@officialboosieig) on Feb 18, 2020 at 8:32am PST

“I gotta say something about this shit, bro. Dwyane Wade, you went too fucking far, dawg,” he said in his IG video. “That is a male. A 12-year-old. At 12, they don’t even know what they next meal is gonna be. They don’t have shit figured out yet. He might meet a woman, anything, at 16 and fall in love with her. But his dick be gone—how he gon’—like, bruh, you going too far, dawg.”

The “Nasty Nasty” rapper criticized Wade for supporting his daughter’s gender identity and warns that the child is too young to make such a drastic decision. The 37-year-old rapper emphasized that while he is willing to accept Zaya may be gay, referring to him as female is not acceptable.

“Like, bruh, for real, if he gon’ be gay, let him be gay,” he stated. “…Don’t—and dress him as a woman, dawg. He’s 12 years old. He’s not up there yet. He hasn’t made his final decisions yet. Don’t cut his fucking dick off, Dwyane Wade, bruh. You fucking trippin’, dawg.”

The Wades have not shared any information about Zaya undergoing gender reassignment surgery, but have however related information about the pronouns Zaya has chosen to identify herself by.

On social media, Boosie sparked a myriad of reactions, both in support and against his transphobic comments on this child. Many of the comments pushing for Boosie to worry about his own eight kids and not Wayne’s daughter.

Boosie said sum real Shit on IG about Dwayne wade 💯 the world 🌎 so crazy & Influenced by the internet they Normalize a lot weird shit

— Corleone 🙇🏾‍♂️ (@lovegrams11) February 18, 2020

Boosie & anyone agreeing with him is only proving how ignorant y’all are.. Wade hasn’t mentioned anything about a sex change & yet here’s Boosie talking about “don’t cut his dick off..” you can’t even get a sex change until you’re 18.. “what if “he” meets a woman when he 16?” Ok?

— Majesty Ria (@ToriNicksWho) February 18, 2020

Boosie got a lot of nerve speaking on Dwayne Wade’s daughter like he don’t have 20 kids he need to be focused on raising.

— Zaria Linton (@ZariaFknLinton) February 18, 2020

 

Boosie known for making controversial comments was also called out after releasing the video for his past remarks in 2017 about wanting his then 14-year-old son to receive “some head” from a ”Bad B*tch”.

Boosie is the same man who said he wanted a grown woman to have sex with his fourteen-year-old son.

I think DWade is good in parenting advice from him.

— Frederick Joseph (@FredTJoseph) February 18, 2020

READ MORE: Dwyane Wade is proud of his child Zaya and wants her to ‘be her best self’

Union and Wade have not taken to social media to respond to Boosie’s rant, but have made prior posts in complete support of their daughter Zaya’s decision.

 

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Fueled by Culture is Creating Space for Black Creatives and Entrepreneurs to Connect with Tech Leaders

Former basketball player Marcus Damas is scoring big as an entrepreneur. As the founder of Fueled by Culture, Damas is at the intersection of marketing and culture. In 2016, he launched the “talent-oriented, creative and event production company founded in deep personal relationships with the drivers of today’s attention,” according to the company’s website.

Since then, he and his team have curated countless experiences for celebrities, executives, entrepreneurs, and organizations across various industries.

Last week, Fueled by Culture partnered with Microsoft for Startups for its signature event, Tech & Culture at The Mezzanine featuring star media personality, author, and philanthropist Karen Civil, joined by Andreessen Horowitz executive and tech leader Chris Lyons.

Merging tech and culture is one of the ways that Damas believes black creatives and professionals can become more fluent in technology and other social languages.

Marcus Damas, founder and CEO of Fueled by Culture (Photo Credit: Jamel Martin)

“Our people work in technology. Some are in technology and they don’t even know it. Or, they’re in technology and they don’t have a voice—and they don’t know how to navigate it. So to me, if our people see things under the lens of culture and see things crystal clear.”

Given Fueled by Culture’s success, Microsoft decided to partner with the marketing company to create a networking experience with the goal to get more black professionals into the tech and culture space.

“Microsoft saw the value in bridging technology and culture and they saw us as being the best partner for them,” said Damas.

Tech & Culture

The Mezzanine was full to capacity with standing room only as creatives, entrepreneurs, and techies awaited Lyons and Civil’s conversation. During the event, Civil and Lyons discussed how technology and culture are making significant impacts in their respective industries in a conversation led by Isa Watson, founder and CEO of Squad, a community for connection.

Civil’s ambition and entrepreneurial mindset have set her apart as a businesswoman. And, she says that it all started by being digitally and tech-savvy.

Chris Lyons and Karen Civil (Photo Credit: Jamel Martin)

“The tech digital space is how I started my career. Remember the AOL disk? That was my way of communicating with people outside of my community.”

Civil went from communicating with a pen pal while in high school to leveraging opportunities like meeting her favorite boy band. From there, she began to strategize ways to tell stories and connect with others while getting paid. She now works with movers and shakers in hip-hop, politics, and leaders at major corporations. And as a businesswoman, she is committed to helping her clients and other entrepreneurs understand how technology can help further their business.

And, she is also excited about the efforts to educate young people about tech.

“In the black community, it’s now a conversation that’s being had more. Seeing girls code and Google opening up their doors is exciting. And now, there are new opportunities and new careers,” added Civil.

For Lyons, fueling the culture looks like being able to ignite communities of color economically through his work at Andreessen Horowitz.

“We have the Cultural Leadership Fund, which is a strategic partnership with the world’s greatest cultural leaders. And that’s in the worlds of athletes, entertainers, musicians, and senior-level executives—who are all African American—who are helping to foster what we call shared genius.”

Those leaders are then connected with tech companies to help foster a new level of culture. Lyons also adds that the fund is an innovative way to move businesses forward.

Additionally, through his work, the tech industry is becoming more diverse.

“One hundred percent of the proceeds from our fund with management fees and carry (carried interest) go to a select number of nonprofits that help advance more African Americans into technology. We think that it’s extremely important to be able to identify the talent outside of the traditional ecosystems where Silicon Valley’s pool is coming from and help equip the next generation,” said Lyons.

Connecting through Culture

Watson, the founder of Squad, says that culture is that one thing that is authentic through and through. Therefore, it impacts the way people connect.

“When you’re online, you have all these, like curated types of interactions, and these curated types of ways that you present yourself. But when you’re in person and you’re live, right? I’m the embodiment of your own culture and your ability to embrace it better enables your ability to connect with somebody,” said Watson.

To that point, that is what made the Fueled by Culture event a success. Tech & Culture was a unique networking experience for some of the brightest creatives and entrepreneurs.

“Being an entrepreneur, there is no blueprint to success or to get from A to Z. So, it’s important to gather as much perspective as possible. We want to create an environment where people can pull perspective and apply it as necessary.”

Tech & Culture is an ongoing event series and Damas plans to continue to uplift the community and further the culture.

 

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LeBron James adds children’s book author to his impressive accolades

LeBron James’ accolades on the court are legendary – three NBA championship rings, four-time MVP, 16 All-Star Game appearances. Now, as a children’s book author, James is making an off-court move that could propel him even further in the hearts and minds of his youngest fans.

READ MORE: Kent State will provide free tuition for eligible students from LeBron James’ I Promise School

HarperCollins Publishers announced a two-book deal with the Los Angeles Laker star starting with an August release of his debut picture book, I PROMISE, to be followed next year by a middle-grade novel, reports Entertainment Weekly.

James, 35, and father of three children, said he was inspired to create a story where every child could see him or herself. The picture book is illustrated by Nina Mata.

“Books have the ability to teach, inspire, and bring people together,” James said in a statement, according to EW. “That’s why these books, and the opportunity to get children and parents reading together, mean so much to me. Most importantly, we wanted to make sure these stories are ones that every single kid can see themselves in. I PROMISE is powerful in that way and I can’t wait for people to read it.”

I PROMISE is described on HarperCollins’ website as “a lively and inspiring picture book that reminds us that tomorrow’s success starts with the promises we make to ourselves and our community today” and “has the power to inspire all children and families to be their best,” reported PEOPLE magazine.

READ MORE: LeBron James and Lakers pay tribute to Kobe Bryant

The book gets its name from James’ I Promise School in Akron, Ohio. The NBA superstar founded the elementary school in 2018, aiming to give a stable learning environment to at-risk kids.

The LeBron James Family Foundation started the I Promise Network in 2011. It has since grown to more than 1,400 Akron students in sixth through 11th grade, who receive mentoring, college and career preparation and family support from the foundation.

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Kenan Thompson to headline 2020 White House Correspondents’ Dinner

Saturday Night Live’s Kenan Thompson and Netflix’s Hasan Minhaj will headline this year’s White House Correspondents’ Dinner in April.

Thompson, the long-time SNL comedian, will host the dinner and Minhaj, who can be seen on Netflix’s Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj and was a former Daily Show correspondent, will be the featured entertainer. No word yet on whether President Donald Trump will attend the event. He has broken presidential tradition the past three years and didn’t show up for the affair.

READ MORE: No, Michelle Wolf isn’t Black, but after her savage takedown at White House Correspondents’ Dinner, we’ll trade Kanye for her in the racial draft

“Kenan and Hasan are two of the most engaged and engaging entertainers in America. I’m thrilled they’ll help us celebrate the role of a free press in our democracy,” Jonathan Karl, president of the White House Correspondents Association and ABC News’ chief White House correspondent, said according to Variety. “We’re looking forward to a lively evening honoring the most important political journalism of the past year.”

Last year, in lieu of the traditional jokes and laughter at the expense of political figures, the White House Correspondents Dinner instead provided guests with a primer on journalism. Historian Ron Chernow discussed journalism’s history and the importance of the First Amendment.

In 2018, comedian Michelle Wolf sparked controversy at the event after she attacked former White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders.

“I think she’s very resourceful, like she burns facts and then she uses that ash to create a perfect smokey eye,” Wolf told the audience about Sanders. “Maybe she’s born with it, maybe it’s lies.”

Wolf also went hard at President Trump, his aides, Republicans, Democrats and also the media, which she said let Trump go unchecked too often. “He has helped you sell your papers and your books and your TV. You helped create this monster and now you are profiting from him,” Wolf said.

READ MORE: Second-time ‘SNL’ host Chance the Rapper brings awareness to Chicago teachers

In 2006, Stephen Colbert headlined the affair and sparked controversy when he delivered a monologue about former President George W. Bush.

“I stand by this man,” Colbert told the audience about Bush. ” I stand by this man because he stands for things. Not only for things, he stands on things. Things like aircraft carriers, and rubble, and recently flooded city squares. And that sends a strong message: that no matter what happens to America, she will always rebound—with the most powerfully staged photo ops in the world.”

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REI's Past Season Style Sale Can Save Adventurers Up to 50% on Gear

Past Season Styles Sale | REI

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