Weekend Entertainment Recap: August 19th
Music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs had people debating if R&B is dead all weekend. The Bad Boy superstar took to social media and made comments earlier in the week saying that the genre is dead. Combs asked, “Who killed R&B?” The question led to a multitude of opinions and discussions from fellow artists including Chris Brown, Mary J. Blige and Tank as well as Black Twitter, of course.
Most people seemed to oppose his stance by citing artists whom they felt were keeping the genre alive. Some people even took it a step further blaming Diddy for the decline by highlighting his constant fusion of hip-hop and R&B. The entertainer may just be trying to gain some buzz ahead of his newly announced “hit for hit” concert with Jermaine Dupri.
While most of the entertainment world was searching for the killer of R&B, singer and actress Jennifer Lopez and actor Ben Affleck celebrated their new union. The couple married just over a month ago in Las Vegas but decided to share their love with friends and family. They held the all-white affair in Georgia and guests included Matt Damon, director Kevin Smith, actor Jason Mewes and Hollywood talent agent Patrick Whitesell.
J.Lo and Ben Affleck were not the only individuals celebrating this weekend. Rapper Fat Joe hosted a star-studded birthday event. The “Lean Back” rapper turned 52 years old on August 19 and was surrounded by the likes of Mary J. Blige, Jim Jones, Ashanti, Remy Ma, Juelz Santana and many more. The party was hosted by restauranteur Robert “Don Pooh” Cummins at the Brooklyn Chop House Times Square rooftop. Those in attendance were able to celebrate the Bronx native and also enjoy performances from talents such as Busta Rhymes and Styles P.
One artist not in attendance for the birthday festivities was Georgia rapper Quando Rondo. The 23-year-old rapper was involved in a shooting in Los Angeles on August 19 that resulted in the death of one of his friends, Lul Pab. According to news outlet KABC, Quando Rondo and his entourage were at a local gas station when three men in a white vehicle pulled up alongside the Escalade and opened fire. The rapper was uninjured during the attack, but his friend was rushed to the hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.
T’yanna Wallace, the daughter of rap icon, Biggie Smalls, found herself interacting with law enforcement as well. Wallace made headlines when she posted a million-dollar bond for her longtime boyfriend, Tyshawn Baldwin. According to Fox News, Wallace put her Queens, New York home up as collateral after Baldwin was held on a $1 million dollar bond. Baldwin is the suspect in a hit-and-run incident that caused serious injuries to a food delivery man, a mother and her two-year-old child. He expected to appear in court on October 18.
