Nicki Minaj has without a doubt shared some of the most jaw-dropping photos on Instagram.
No truer words have ever been spoken like the ones from Sean Garrett's hook on Nicki Minaj's single "Blow Ya Mind.""She said her name was Nicki/ She came to play and her body was sick, yeah/ She kill when she walks, so sexy when she talks/ Oh, you know she gonna blow your mind."
With curves and confidence, Nicki Minaj dominates as a femme fatale in the music industry and on social media. All Barbz and Kenz are fully aware of her bewitching nature, which is why fan imitations of the rappers' poses and posts are so commonly found in your social feeds. Cool, calm, and collected is something no real fan could ever be with her because the thought of missing the exact moment Onika posts a pic is enough to disturb your slumber. No other Instagram could set your soul ablaze. Over the years, her illustrious career has seen more than just rose-coloured latex. In fact, her albums and singles have reached RIAA levels of gold and platinum. Not to mention, Minaj currently holds the record for most Billboard Hot 100 appearances for female artists.
Like her female emcee predecessors, the "No Frauds" rapper has dedicated her career to embracing her own femininity and sexuality while encouraging listeners to do so as well. However, Minaj hasn't done so in a cookie-cutter way but has imprinted her own mark in the blueprint, or should I say pink print, of what womanhood means in hip hop today. The more she has grown into the industry, the more her qualities of being unafraid and unsilenced have translated into visuals, red carpet appearances, and most definitely online presence. Barbie’s got bawdy! Minaj’s playful ‘Grams liven up our feeds, and her seductive breaks between photo shoots and concert sets are quite the snack. Join us in a recount of the rapper’s sexiest Instagram posts.
With October turning into November, we look back at the month's best additions to our Fire Emoji playlist.
In 2016, HNHH launched one Spotify playlist to rule them all: FIRE EMOJI: The Hottest Hip Hop Songs Right Now.The playlist is updated regularly and is representative of the best new releases in hip hop and R&B, or at least those that make it to Spotify.
Hip-hop's incredibly strong 2017 didn't let up for one second in October, with several high-profile releases stealing the show for many fans of the genre. Leading the way were two undeniable giants: Gucci Mane's Mr. Davisand the Future x Young collaboration Super Slimey.
For Gucci, it helped put an exclamation point on what was an exemplary 31 days, which also included the release of his autobiography and of course his lavish wedding to Keyshia Ka'oir. Tracks like "Jump Out The Whip," "Patek Water" and others have graced our playlist from those two albums this past month. Speaking of fire-worthy albums that dropped in October, Ty Dolla $ign came through with Beach House 3, which is safely among some of the best work he's ever done. Selections like "Don't Judge Me" and "Droptop in the Rain" also graced the Fire Emoji list. There was also Without Warning, a project that dropped suddenly on the last day of the month, bringing us the fire teaming of 21 Savage, Offset and Metro Boomin'.
Some old-school names made their way onto our Spotify playlist in October as well, with Snoop Dogg and the Wu-Tang Clan dropping new projects that infused their respective iconic sounds with some fresh political bite. Snoop's EP, Make America Crip Again, was headlined by the track "3's Company," which saw assists from Chris Brown and O.T. Genasis.
The Wu brought upThe Saga Continues, which served both as a title and mission statement for this long-form release. "G'd Up," a song that features Method Man, R-Mean and Mzee Jones as featured artists, was among the standouts that we included on the Fire Emoji list this past month. Finally, the likes of dvsn, Zaytoven, Young Dolph, Yelawolf,
Our current playlist contains songs from these projects as well as many others that were bumping throughout the month of October, along with some additional releases from back in September that are still very much a part of the conversation in the hip-hop community.
White Louisiana Teen Busted For Burning Down Black Church
The church was supposedly a pillar of the community.
A white teenager has been arrested in Richland Parish, Louisiana, in connection with the destruction of a predominately black church in the neighborhood. The building burned down early last week, and eyewitnesses have identified the young man as a possible suspect, based on accounts of the event.
According to USA Today affiliate The News Star, members of the St Paul Missionary Baptist Church found their church reduced to ashes and the 15-year-old in question is now being accused of stealing a truck and using gasoline to torch the place of worship."I couldn't believe it," Mary Alexander, a long-time member of the congregation, said. "Because we was just here last night for a church meeting and you never expect things like this would happen this close by." The fire was reported to police and firefighters early last Tuesday (October 31st) and, by the time law enforcement arrived on the scene, the church was completely enveloped in flames. There's been no details on how much monetary damage was done by the fire, nor is there any estimation of what it would cost to rebuild the community staple at this time.
Witnesses have already recounted to police that they saw the young white man driving a white Entergy truck near the church and, according to their stories, smoke began to rise from the building short after he sped off. Police worked with the Entergy corporation to track down the vehicle, which the suspect was still driving in Caldwell Parish a little while later.
The St Paul Missionary Baptist Church had just celebrated its 137th anniversary,according to The Independent. The teen who was arrested will be charged with theft of the gasoline truck and arson. He'll be tried in Richland Parish. "We don't know why," Alexander said of the sad turn of events. "Only God knows what's going through that person's mind. So we just ask for prayers for that person as well as our church family."
The Denver man accused of opening fire inside of a Walmart, killing three people in what police say was an act of "mass chaos," could face life in prison or even the death penalty, a judge said Friday.
Scott Ostrem, 47, made his first appearance in an Adams County courthouse dressed in a blue jumpsuit and giving one word responses to the judge.
Although prosecutors asked for more time to consider multiple counts against Ostrem, they were ordered to file formal charges by Monday. Until then, he is being held without bond on an initial warrant of three counts of first-degree murder.
Neighbors Say Walmart Shooting Suspect Was 'Hateful' Toward Hispanics1:08
Police in the Denver suburb of Thornton have provided no motive for why Ostrem walked calmly inside of a Walmart on Wednesday night and allegedly fired at random. He fled amid the panic, sparking a manhunt, and was captured the following morning about a half-mile from his home.
The victims were identified as Carlos Moreno, 66, of Thornton, and Victor Vasquez, 26, of Denver, both of whom died at the scene, and Pamela Marques, 52, of Denver, who died at the hospital.
The affidavit in the case remained sealed Friday.
While police released little information about Ostrem, neighbors at the Samuel Park Apartments described him as a loner who would walk around carrying weapons.
"He didn't seem to have anybody," Teresa Muniz, one of his neighbors, told The Associated Press. "Being angry all the time. That's what he seemed like, always angry."
Muniz said most of the building's tenants talk to one another, but Ostrem never returned her greetings and swore at people for leaving laundry in communal machines. She also said she sometimes saw Ostrem carrying a shotgun or a bow and set of arrows to and from the building.
Walmart Shooting Suspect Arrested After High-Speed Chase1:29
Another neighbor, Gerald Burnett, 63, said he was sitting on the stairs outside drinking coffee one morning when Ostrem came down, told him to move and cursed at him.
"Dude had an attitude, big time," Burnett said. "He's the type of person if you said, 'Good morning,' he wouldn't say nothing."
Another resident, Dennis Valenzuela, told NBC affiliate KUSA that he noticed Ostrem treated tenants differently because of their race. Thornton is about one-third Hispanic or Latino.
"Very quiet, but verbally abusive toward Hispanics," said the 49-year-old maintenance worker. "Just real rude, he would use vulgar language with Hispanics and stuff like that."
Thornton police spokesman Victor Avila wouldn't say if investigators knew about neighbors' statements or whether race played a role in the shooting, but told NBC News that the case is "an active investigation and everything will be looked at."
Ostrem recently had financial problems and filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in 2015. He also had minor run-ins with police dating back to the 1990s.
For the past three years, he worked in the metal fabrication shop of a roofing company. On the morning of the shooting, he left his work station without any explanation and never came back, boss David Heidt told the AP.
"We're all bewildered as to where we are now," Heidt said
President Donald Trump warned Friday that the Islamic State will continue to "pay a big price" after claiming responsibility for the deadly attack in New York City this week.
Trump on Twitter said the terrorist group, also known as ISIS, was being hit "much harder" in the last two days and blasted the suspect in Tuesday's truck rampage in Manhattan as a "degenerate animal."
Investigators had previously noted that 29-year-old Uzbek native Sayfullo Habibullaevic Saipov had become radicalized after watching ISIS videos on his phone and was inspired by leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi's call for revenge on the United States, according to a federal complaint.
ISIS in its newsletter, al-Naba, claimed responsibility for the attack, although it provided no evidence to back that up. The newsletter refers to the suspected attacker as a "soldier of the Islamic State," according to security consulting firm and NBC News partner Flashpoint Intelligence.
New Yorkers pay tribute to victims of terror attack0:31
Although Trump in his tweets said the military was going after ISIS harder, the latest data from U.S. Central Command shows no significant increase — at least in airstrikes — since the Tuesday attack in New York.
Coalition forces have typically conducted at least five airstrikes in a single day in the past two weeks, but as many as 15 to 25. Eleven were conducted on Wednesday and 13 on Thursday.
While a criminal complaint says Saoipov told investigators that he was inspired to carry out the truck attack, law enforcement sources have said it appeared he acted alone.
Saipov, who came to the United States in 2010, used a rented truck to run down people on a bike path along the West Side Highway in lower Manhattan on Halloween, police have said. Eight people were killed. He was shot and wounded by police, and on Wednesday was charged with two federal counts.
Sayfullo Saipov, the suspect in the New York truck attack. St. Charles County Department of Corrections / KMOV via AP
ISIS has urged its supporters to use vehicles in terror attacks. New York police deputy commissioner of intelligence and counterterrorism John Miller said Wednesday that Saipov "appears to have followed, almost exactly to a T, the instructions that ISIS has put out in its social media channels before with instructions to their followers on how to carry out such an attack."
ISIS has made dubious claims of responsibility in the past, including claiming that Las Vegas shooter Stephen Paddock was a "soldier" of the terror organization, also without providing evidence. That claim has been widely discounted by terrorism experts, and the FBI said there was no evidence that attack was connected to international terrorism.
The newsletter in which ISIS claimed responsibility for the New York attack also referenced the Las Vegas shooting. Paddock killed 58 people when he opened fire on a concert crowd on Oct. 1. Paddock then apparently killed himself, authorities have said.
Since the attack in New York, Trump has repeatedly called for Saipov to get the death penalty, although he backtracked on his suggestion that he be sent to the detention facility at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba
Harvey Weinstein and Kevin Spacey, both already reeling from sexual misconduct accusations, now face fresh allegations — with one against Weinstein that could result in charges against the producer.
Weinstein has faced sexual harassment or assault allegations from more than 60 women. On Thursday, "Boardwalk Empire" actress Paz de la Huerta said that Weinstein raped her twice in 2010.
She told Vanity Fair that both encounters happened in her apartment, about a month apart, the first after Weinstein offered her a ride home and then another time after he showed up unannounced in her building lobby.
"He’s like a pig," de la Huerta told Vanity Fair. "He raped me.”
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Kevin Spacey faces new sexual harassment allegations from 'House of Cards'3:22
De la Huerta's attorney confirmed to NBC News that a New York police detective had interviewed his client and said he provided material to the Manhattan district attorney, who he says is considering charges.
"We are aware of the sexual assault complaints. We are actively investigating them. The NYPD continues to work with the Manhattan District Attorney's office on the case. The investigation is ongoing," the NYPD said in a statement to NBC News.
Weinstein denied the claims through a spokesperson, who said, "Any allegations of nonconsensual sex are unequivocally denied by Mr. Weinstein."
The NYPD was already investigating allegations of sexual assault against the movie mogul, separate from a 2015 complaint filed by Italian model Ambra Battilana, which the NYPD investigated but the Manhattan district attorney decided not to prosecute.
NBC News has also confirmed there are at least four sexual misconduct or sexual assault investigations related to Weinstein underway in the Los Angeles area, and that London police are also investigating cases involving Weinstein. No charges have been filed.
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Harvey Weinstein sues his company as women continue to speak out with sexual misconduct allegations1:50
According to Vanity Fair, de la Huerta's claim is one of the most compelling for prosecutors because it falls within New York's statute of limitations for rape in the first degree, allegedly occurring after June 2006.
Meanwhile, Spacey on Thursday was the subject of a CNN report in which eight unidentified sources told the network that the atmosphere on the set of Spacey's hit Netflix series, "House of Cards," was "toxic" for young men.
The sources were not named. CNN described them as current and former "House of Cards" employees.
Netflix and Media Rights Capital, the production company behind the popular show, said it was “deeply troubled” by the report.
Cast member Kevin Spacey poses at the premiere of "House of Cards". Mario Anzuoni / Reuters file
NBC News has not verified the allegations. Spacey's attorney did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The claims against the Oscar- and Tony-winning actor come after MRC announced this week that it was suspending production on the sixth season of "House of Cards."
Netflix said in a statement Thursday following CNN's report that after the recent allegations, it sent a representative to the set this week.
"Netflix was just made aware of one incident, five years ago, that we were informed was resolved swiftly," the company said. Netflix also said it "is not aware of any other incidents involving Kevin Spacey on-set."
And MRC said it created an anonymous complaint hotline this week, and brought in crisis counselors and sexual harassment legal advisers for the crew.
"We are deeply troubled to learn about these new allegations that are being made to the press concerning Kevin Spacey's interaction with members of the crew of House of Cards," MRC said in a statement, adding that creating a safe working environment has always been a top priority.
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OCT. 30: Kevin Spacey Accused of Sexual Harassment1:51
Spacey's representatives said in a statement Wednesday that "Kevin Spacey is taking the time necessary to seek evaluation and treatment." Both his agent and public relations firm confirmed to NBC News overnight that they no longer represent Spacey.
Spacey has been accused by Broadway veteran Anthony Rapp and Mexican actor Roberto Cavazos of inappropriate sexual behavior.
Rapp alleged in an article in BuzzFeed News that Spacey laid on top of him in 1986 while the two were alone in a bedroom after a party at Spacey’s home. It was an act that Rapp, who was 14 years old at the time, characterized as a sexual advance.
Spacey in a statement said he did not remember the alleged incident but said he was "beyond horrified" and apologized. He angered some in the LGBTQ community by coming out as gay in that statement, which some said conflated homosexuality with alleged misconduct involving a minor.
