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The 2022 Super Bowl halftime show was a notable moment in hip-hop history, but it almost didn’t happen. While chatting with fitness entrepreneur Dolvett Quince on his Workout the Doubt podcast, Dr. Dre revealed he nearly pulled out of the gig, citing concerns about the potential backlash of partnering with the NFL after Colin Kaepernick‘s exile from the league.

“I was absolutely concerned about that,” he admitted. “I actually called a couple of close friends and said, ‘Listen, I’m gonna pull out. I’m not gonna do the show. Because I don’t know if I want that smoke. I don’t know if I want the backlash after doing the show and potentially looking like a fucking sellout or something like that.’

Dre’s conversations with Nas and Jay-Z, he revealed, are what ultimately convinced him to go through with the performance.

“I got on the phone with Nas. He called me up and was like, ‘Yo bro’ — you know, Nas has that voice — ‘Yo bro, you gotta do it. You gotta do this. It’s gonna be so powerful for fucking hip-hop, for the culture, for you, for L.A. and the whole nine,'” Dre recalled.

He continued, “We were on the phone for like 10 minutes and he talked me into doing it. Nas and Jay-Z were big reasons why I decided to do the show.”

As fans know, Dre’s halftime show included appearances from Snoop Dogg, Kendrick Lamar, Mary J. Blige, Eminem and surprise guest 50 Cent. It’s now up for five awards at the 2022 Primetime Emmys.

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(NOTE LANGUAGE) Kid Cudi, who’s been open about the highs and lows of his life, is sharing more with his fans. As the cover star of Esquire‘s September issue, he dished details on a variety of topics, including the current and future status of his friendship with Kanye West.

Cudi met Ye at a Virgin Megastore in 2006, and he requested that Ye listen to his music. Two years later, they encountered each other again when the Chicago rapper signed Cudi to his G.O.O.D. Music record label. The stars went on to collaborate on West’s 808s & Heartbreak, but Cudi made it clear that Ye was not responsible for his discovery or success.

“I just want to clear that up for anybody that feels like Kanye made my career or made me who I am,” he explained. “He brought me on to do 808s. I thought that was really f***ing awesome. I wanted to be a part of a family and saw G.O.O.D. Music as that opportunity. So I finally said yeah. Kanye West did not come and pluck me out of Applebee’s or the Bape store.”

Cudi and Ye would continue to work together on projects in the following years, including Cudi’s Kids See Ghosts. Their friendship eventually came to an end when West called Cudi out for being friends with Pete Davidson, who dated his ex-wife, Kim Kardashian.

In the Esquire piece, Cudi explained that he has “zero tolerance for the wrong energies” and noted it would “take a mother****ing miracle” for them to rekindle their friendship. “I don’t see it happening. He gon’ have to become a monk,” he said.

Cudi’s full interview also sees him discussing his friendship with Virgil Abloh, wanting a girlfriend and some of his future projects. Check it out here.

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NeNe Leakes remembered her late husband Greg on what would have been his 67th birthday.

Taking to Instagram on Tuesday, the Real Housewives of Atlanta alum shared a photo of the two in which she embraces him from behind.

“Missing the man that always had a plan!” she captioned the snapshot. “Today is a tuff one…every year on this date we would be out celebrating you! I can’t believe we are wishing you a heavenly Birthday today. I feel like you went somewhere and you’ll be back.”

“I miss you everyday Gregg!” she added. “HAPPY BIRTHDAY WE LOVE YOU SO MUCH.”

Greg died in September 2021 of colon cancer. At the time, a representative for the couple told ABC News that Gregg “passed away peacefully in his home surrounded by all of his children, very close loved ones and wife NeNe Leakes.”

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Surprise! Adrienne Bailon and her husband Israel Houghton are officially parents!

Taking to Instagram Tuesday, the couple announced that they welcomed a baby boy via surrogacy named Ever James.

Alongside a heartwarming black-and-white photo of the trio snuggled in bed together, they wrote, “Ever James / For this child we have prayed / Just to hear our baby cry / Skin to skin and face to face /Heart to heart and eye to eye.”

“Our baby boy is here & we are so in love! If you have followed our love story… you know that our journey to baby has been very challenging – But God is true to His word and His promises,” the post continued.

Bailon and Houghton, who wed in 2016, continued, “We have quietly prayed while sitting on this most magnificent secret for the last 9 months. He is worth every tear, every disappointment, every delayed prayer, every IVF cycle, every miscarriage. Everything.”

The new parents shared that they feel “joy and overwhelming love & gratitude” after welcoming their son and thanked those who “have stood with us over 5 years on this journey.” 

“He’s here and we have never been happier to lose sleep!” the post concluded. 

The couple was flooded with congratulatory messages in the comments section, including from celebrities like Khloe Kardashian. 

“I am so beyond happy for you A!!! He is the luckiest little boy to have you both as his parents,” the reality star wrote. “You are going to be the most incredible mommy! I love you! Enjoy every second.”

Country singer Mickey Guyton, Real Housewives of Atlanta alum NeNe Leakes and others also sent the couple well wishes.

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(NEW YORK) — Serena Williams is a big proponent of setting boundaries when it comes to protecting her mental health.

The tennis legend spoke with multihyphenate star Selena Gomez about her thoughts on mental fitness for Gomez’s mental health platform, Wondermind.

According to Entertainment Tonight, Williams said the practice to her means “really learning to shut down.”

“I did this years ago, before even mental health was a topic among everyone’s mind,” she said. “It was more just like, ‘Alright, I’m shutting myself down today.’ Just subconsciously, it was something I’ve always done.”

“It’s so important to just put yourself first, especially mentally,” she added. “I always have shutdown moments. I have serious boundaries and I don’t let anyone cross those boundaries.”

The Olympic gold medalist admitted she struggles with “do[ing] anything for me.”

“I’m terrible at that,” she said. “I’ve said it time and time again — I’m working on it.”

Still, she added that, “more or less,” she at least prioritizes “what I need to do. And then when I’m turned off, I’m turned off.”

Williams said prioritizing her mental health also benefits the people around her — namely her 4-year-old daughter Olympia.

The sports star said physical health is also influenced by one’s mental health. “It’s about being able to kind of manage your emotions and feelings and everything else still be able to perform,” Williams said.

Wondermind, a startup Gomez co-founded, aims to connect with mental health tools and media to support their “mental fitness,” and provides daily exercises “to support focus” according to its website.

“It takes more than an inspirational quote to really change your mindset. Even if you see a therapist (which is amazing), you still need to work on yourself between sessions,” the website reads. “(You wouldn’t expect physical fitness results seeing a trainer only once in a while, would you?) That’s what Wondermind is here for — to give you easy, doable ways to put your mental fitness first every single day.”

The platform also lists a committee of “mental health advocates,” including licensed psychotherapists, clinical psychologists, psychiatrists, therapists and social workers, who will “share their expertise on the website,” according to CNN.

Last week, Gomez revealed her mental fitness startup was granted $5 million in a series of funding that was led by Serena Ventures — Williams’ own investment portfolio.

Wondermind’s official Instagram shared a statement from its co-founders — Gomez, Mandy Teefy and Daniella Pierson — that explained how they plan to use the funds. “This funding will be used to accelerate the building of Wondermind’s mental fitness ecosystem across our daily online content, CPG products, and original storytelling for all platforms,” it read.

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(NEW YORK) — Here are the scores from Tuesday’s sports events:

MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL

INTERLEAGUE

Boston 5, Pittsburgh 3

AMERICAN LEAGUE

Tampa Bay 3, NY Yankees 1

Baltimore 4, Toronto 2

Detroit 4, Cleveland 3

Minnesota 9, Kansas City 0

Oakland 5, Texas 1

Chi White Sox 4, Houston 3

Seattle 8, LA Angels 2

NATIONAL LEAGUE

Philadelphia 11, Cincinnati 4

Atlanta 5, NY Mets 0

Miami 4, San Diego 3

Chi Cubs 7, Washington 5 (11)

St. Louis 5, Colorado 4

Milwaukee 5, LA Dodgers 4

San Francisco 2, Arizona 1

MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER

Los Angeles FC 1, DC United 0

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Big Sean is returning to his hometown for the fourth iteration of his Detroit on Now, or DON, weekend. The rapper recently shared the schedule for the three-day event, which includes plenty for residents to do.

On Thursday, August 25, there’ll be a screening of God Said Give ’Em Drum Machines — a film about Detroit’s contribution to techno. The event will proceed on August 26 with the presentation of several DON Awards, as well as invite-only activities, including an industry club and time on the basketball court. The final day of the weekend — August 27 — will feature panels discussing everything from fashion to mental health. Residents will also be given an opportunity to convene at a Block Party that will have carnival games, derby races and photo stations, among other things.

“After playing one of my all-time favorite shows at Detroit’s Mo Pop Festival a couple weeks ago, I can’t wait to return to the city and feel its incredible energy,” Sean said of DON Weekend. “I’m constantly inspired by Detroit and the city’s beautiful people. It’s a blessing to be able to give back to the city that made me.”

Sean will throw the event alongside local individuals and organizations, including the Boys & Girls Clubs of Southeastern Michigan, City Council President Mary Sheffield and Occupy The Corner Initiative. It’s expected that he will make an important announcement about the Sean Anderson Foundation Content & Production Music Studio, which he plans to build in the Boys & Girls Clubs.

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