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Rihanna calls on world leaders to fund education in impoverished nations

Last Friday, the Earth Goddess Rihanna started tweeting at some of the most powerful politicians in the world asking them to commit to providing funding for the Global Partnership for Education.

According to their website, The Global Partnership for Education (GPE),

“Is a multi-stakeholder partnership and funding platform that aims to strengthen education systems in developing countries in order to dramatically increase the number of children who are in school and learning.”

Rihanna, as Global Ambassador for the GPE, is using her celebrity and influence to ensure that countries will commit to funding education for impoverished and disadvantaged communities.

Rihanna tweeted at the German Government Spokesman Steffen Siebert, Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Argentinian President Mauricio Macri, and France’s President Emmanuel Macron.

And of course, when Rihanna tweets at you, you respond accordingly. As did Justin Trudeau, Macri, and Steffen Seibert.

Rihanna is perhaps the biggest pop star in the world, but she uses that fame to effect change in the planet’s most at-risk communities. I mean, it’s quite the testament to RiRi’s standing in the world that she can literally tweet at leaders of entire countries and have them clamoring to answer.

The GPE aims to raise $3.1 billion by 2020, but it needs the help of countries all over the world. According to the Global Citizen website, GPE works by,

“Giving funds to and working closely with governments and Ministries for Education in 89 of the world’s poorest countries to create stronger education systems that will benefit every child and support lasting change for over 800M children.”

This is truly one of the great initiatives on the planet and Rihanna is fighting on behalf of the GPE, using her clout to force commitments from the world’s superpowers to help the partnership.

The interactions between Rihanna and these world leaders, and their subsequent responses, also revealed how damn trash our own country is. Donald Trump is too busy tweeting out Breitbart conspiracy theories to commit to funding education for the world’s poorest children.

Shoutout the countries with actual leadership and, like, normal people in charge. Must be nice.

As for Rihanna, as many on twitter are quick to point out, that woman is simply a miracle worker. All praise to the GOAT.

https://twitter.com/offlineahmed/status/876148419500412928

Les Brown

Against all odds, Les Brown became one of the top motivational speakers in the world

Les Brown is one of the most revered and well-known motivational speakers in the world, but that was not always the case.

Born in an abandoned building in Liberty City, a poverty-stricken area in Miami, Brown was labeled “educable mentally retarded” in the 5th grade due to his hyperactivity and inability to concentrate. Because of that Brown was placed into special education classes until high school.

Despite this setback and having no college education, Brown has become a bestselling author of several books on achievement and is looked at as an icon by some of his peers for his motivational speaking engagements.

The dynamic personality has given speeches to McDonalds, AT&T, and all over the globe to share his powerful story. So how exactly did Brown do it?

https://www.instagram.com/p/BVxFazbDh1w/

Well, after graduating high school, Les Brown became a city sanitation worker, but he had bigger dreams than that.

Brown wanted to pursue a career in radio broadcasting. He loved the cadence and style that disc jockeys had so he decided to go after it.

One day, after constantly practicing his DJ skills in his home with a brush as the microphone, Brown decided to head down to one of the local radio stations in hopes to become a DJ. When he got into the station manager’s office, the manager asked, “Do you have any background in broadcasting?”

Les responded “No, sir I don’t.”

“I’m afraid we don’t have a job for you then.”

The station manager figured that would be the end of Les Brown bothering him. But that manager gravely underestimated Brown’s determination to become a disc jockey.

Brown marched into the general manager’s office every day for the next week, hoping a job would be available. Finally, the station manager relented and gave him a job as an errand boy.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BVvaqG8DJsS/

Soon after, given Brown’s enthusiasm to learn the tricks and trades of being a disc jockey, the station allowed him to pick up visiting entertainers like the Fort Tops, Diana, Ross, and the Temptations in those classic Cadillacs. Mind you, Brown didn’t even have a driver’s license.

Brown did whatever was asked of him and more. He taught himself the hand movements of the DJs on the control panels, staying in the control room until they would ask him to leave.

One Saturday afternoon, Brown was the only one at the station when a DJ named Rock was drinking on the air. Brown walked back and forth in front of the booth saying to himself, “Drink Rock, drink Rock!

Brown kept filling up Rock’s drink at his request. Soon the phone rang and it was the general manager:

“Les this is Mr. Klein.”

“I know,” said Les.

“Les, I don’t think Rock can finish this program.”

“Yes, I know.”

“Would you call one of other disc jockeys to come in?

“Yes, sir.”

But when Brown hung up the phone, he said to himself, “Now he must think I’m crazy.”

Brown wasn’t about to waste this golden opportunity. This was his moment to drop the hammer and realize one of his dreams. Ain’t shit was stopping him.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BVhytXtjEBA/

He called his girlfriend and mom. “Turn up the radio and come out on the front porch because I’m about to be on the air!”

Brown waited 20 minutes before he called the GM. “Mr. Klein, I can’t find nobody,” Brown said.

Klein asked, “Young man do you know how to work the controls?”

“Yes sir,” Brown answered.

Brown couldn’t wait to get behind the control system and show Miami what he was made of. He sprinted into the booth and moved Rock out of the way so he could grab the spotlight.

He sat down behind the turntable, put on an old Stevie Wonder record and said,

“Look up this me LB, triple P-Les Brown, your platter playing poppa. There were none before and there will be none after me. Therefore, that makes me the one and only. Young and single and love to mingle. Certified, bonafide, indubitably qualified to bring you satisfaction, a whole lot of action. Look up baby I’m your l-o-o-o-ove man.”

He was HONGRY. Yes, I just created that word because spelling it with a U doesn’t do Brown’s desire for success any justice.

Brown’s performance blew away his audience and the owner of the station so much that he rose to become a full-time disc jockey.

From that memorable moment, Brown continued to achieve greatness as he landed a top radio show in Columbus, Ohio in the late 1960s and started his path to becoming one of most respected motivational speakers in the world.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BVcoc8yDFQz/

After moving to Detroit in the 80s, Brown found himself in some hard times while starting his business.

Brown needed to share his office with an attorney. It got to the point where he had to sleep on the floor because he couldn’t afford an apartment. Guys in the building would laugh at him and say,

“There’s the guy talking about becoming successful and look at him. He’s bathing in the bathroom upstairs on the 21st floor. He sleeps on the floor. Look at him.”

The only one laughing now is Brown, because he persisted, prepared, and persevered to get to a place where his high-energy, passionate voice has earned him the honor of being on of the Top Five Outstanding Speakers worldwide by Toastmasters International.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SP_vw1Jdvr4

Plenty of people won’t be able to envision your dream or they’ll want to tear it down because of where they are in life. Their way of thinking produces purely ‘reasonable’ results.

But in order for you to achieve your dream, you’ve got to be an “unreasonable person, you’ve got to be an uncommon person,” as Brown says in many of speeches.

As long as YOU know what you’re capable of and what it will take to achieve your dream, nobody else’s opinion matters.

Anything. Is. Possible!

Amazon is copping Whole Foods and selling Nike products, is that a good thing?

Amazon is making its move. Last week the company purchased Whole Foods, entering into the American grocery market. On Tuesday, the Wall Street Journal reported that Nike has agreed to sell some of its items on Amazon.

For millennials, Amazon is dope. It provides us with an easy one-stop shopping solution that is unmatched anywhere else on the Web.

But as Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, arguably the most powerful man in tech with a net worth of $84 billion, dips into every sector of the economy and Amazon swallows up smaller companies, we should be concerned that the online behemoth will eventually stifle competition. If I told you that Amazon would become an online marketplace for health insurance in five years, would you be completely shocked?

An op-ed in the New York Times Wednesday compared Amazon’s domination to the railroad monopoly in the 19th century.

Not only does Amazon produce television series, manufacture products like Alexa and the Fire TV Stick but it is also one of the world’s largest logistics networks and marketing platforms, as well as the dominant provider of cloud computing, which counts among its clients the Central Intelligence Agency.

Amazon’s easy-to-use interface and Prime membership service has bought good-will with consumers (including me). It may be years before any of us wake up and realize Amazon has integrated itself into every facet of our lives.

By then it may be too late. A MarketWatch article shows the reach of Bezos’ investments and it is pretty terrifying. Additionally, Amazon is also building brick-and-mortar stores which seems like a big “F U” to the competition.

Amazon doesn’t need Apple-esque stores in affluent neighborhoods but even if they don’t turn a profit it keeps the company at the forefront of everyone’s mind.

In 2013 Bezos purchased The Washington Post for $250 million. He brought a new approach to the newspaper industry and reimagined the Post, which is now rivaling the New York Times in online subscriptions.

At the Future of Newspapers Conference in Turin, Italy, Bezos said,

“We run Amazon and The Washington Post in a very similar way in terms of the basic approach. We attempt to be customer-centric, which in the case of the Post means reader-centric. I think you can get confused, you can be advertiser-centric — and what advertisers want, of course, is readers — and so you should be simple-minded about that and you should be focused on readers. If you can focus on readers advertisers will come.”

So, as Amazon introduces technology that delivers goods to our homes in minutes, is it crazy to think we will all become little Bezos bots who live in the United States of Amazon?

Conor McGregor

How Conor McGregor went from welfare to self-made millionaire

The story of Conor McGregor is far from over.

But based off of what he’s accomplished in just the past four years alone, you can already make a movie based off that shit.

There’s no denying that he has the biggest mouth arguably in all of sports, but he writes checks that his ass can cash.

But oh yeah, he’s been cashing in like a mad man as his intentions are clear: he’s in it for the money and isn’t stopping until he’s atop that Forbes Top 25 Highest-Paid Athletes list.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BViyARhgVPx/

Considering that he’s been in the game for not even half a decade, he’s already cemented himself as the cash cow of the UFC and most recently set up a dream match against Floyd Mayweather which is gonna make him stupid bread.

Win or lose, you’re looking at a guy who’s already pretty damn rich and gonna transition that into being wild fucking rich.

The craziest part is that it wasn’t too long ago when he was dead broke, working a job that not most would do, and dreaming of one day making it.

Not only did he make it but he far surpassed anything anyone would’ve expected from him. Now he’s ready to take all the money he can from sports and transition that into a movie career (most likely) where he isn’t going to risk his health and make even more BREAD.

No doubt he’ll be raking in cash for a long time to come but he started as a young boy in Dublin who knew he wanted to fight and didn’t want to be broke anymore.

Check out the video above highlighting Conor McGregor’s story and rise to the top.

Dr. Dre to donate $10 million to Compton High School’s arts center

Dr. Dre is looking to give back to Compton.

According to a report in the Los Angeles Times, the illustrious music producer will be donating a whopping $10 million to go towards a performing arts complex at the new Compton High School.

In the LA Times, Satra Zurita, president of Compton Unified’s governing board of trustees said,

“The support that Dre has shown to Compton over the years is unwavering and we are so excited that we will now be home to one of the greatest performing arts centers in the country,”

Dre had the board of trustees like…

https://giphy.com/gifs/dre-soundtrack-tracklist-YOdyzEf0qkfcs

The high school will probably be the most modern public school complex ever built, fitted with state-of-the-art equipment and technology. The performing arts complex will house digital media production facilities and a 1,200-seat theatre.

The performing arts center will serve to be more than just part of a school. It will also be a resource for the Compton community. Nothing better than giving back to your own hood.

In a statement to the Times Dre said,

“My goal is to provide kids with the kind of tools and learning they deserve, the performing arts centre will be a place for young people to be creative in a way that will help further their education and positively define their future.”


Dre knows best

Stay Motivated Ice Cube GIF - Find & Share on GIPHY

According to The Compton Unified School District, Dre will be will be directly involved in raising the remaining funds needed to complete the centre. They expect to break ground by 2020.


Lego Dre! Show em how to contribute to society

Hip Hop Deal With It GIF - Find & Share on GIPHY

Nipsey Hussle drops mini-doc, encourages black-owned business in L.A.

Nipsey Hussle has stepped his game up. Hussle will be opening the first official Marathon Clothing flagship store Saturday, June 17th.

While interviewing with Power 106 Los Angeles, Nipsey promised to drop a documentary on WSHH telling us the story behind the location of his new store.

The store will open in the parking lot where Nipsey came up, on the corner of Crenshaw Blvd. and Slauson Ave., right behind the Shell gas station.

During the interview with Power 106 LA, Nipsey explained how he could have opened it on Fairfax or on Melrose, but he felt a responsibility to the place he came from and wants to focus on redeveloping the area.

Nipsey has an emotional connection to the spot. He wants the store to offer hope, putting pressure on surrounding businesses to step their game up and provide jobs to those who wouldn’t find employment elsewhere.

The documentary depicts the struggles of what it took to finally obtain 3420 W. Slauson Ave #F Los Angeles, CA 90043. The video takes the Plaza back in time. This is where the marathon began.

Listen to interviews of those who grew up around Nipsey and watch clips of old videos showing us what it took for Hussle to finally reach this point.

You can see the gears turning in Nip’s head whenever the camera snaps back to him. Viewers will see this is the vision of a hustler. Being able to see someone come from nothing and create is the ultimate inspiration. Nipsey was able to turn his street hustling into something substantial, see it come to fruition in the doc.

Travis Scott is going to take over 2017 on work ethic alone

Lately, Travis Scott has been dropping fire. He’s released a bunch of tracks in the past couple months, all of which have been the flames.

Birds in the Trap Sing McKnight came out almost a year ago now and Rodeo almost two years ago. The funny thing is that both albums went platinum at the same time, hitting the 1,000,000-unit mark on the same day: May 22, 2017.

Both projects were too poppin’, peaking at No. 3 and No. 1 on the Billboard 200 charts. Rodeo’s single “Antidote” has since gone triple platinum.

While Birds in the Trap Sing McKnight’s “Goosebumps” and “Pick Up the Phone” both have gone double platinum.

“Pick Up the Phone,” actually certified double platinum on May 22 as well, meaning Travis received three platinum certifications in just one day.

The day before that, May 21, Scott was playing at Jacobs Pavilion at Nautica in Cleveland, Ohio and performed “Goosebumps” 15 times in a row, breaking his own Guinness World Record record in the process.

How you break your own Guinness World record the day before you receive three platinum certifications in one day?


Travis looking at everyone like…

https://www.instagram.com/p/BUU-dI4F3Ek/?taken-by=travisscott&hl=en

Travis got the plaques, the money, and the following, so why is he still out there dropping tracks like crazy? It’s because he’s a muthafuckin’ boss.

Do you remember me saying, Scott has been dropping the flames? The past couple of months have been crazy for Travie fans everywhere. The first song that set it off for me after BITTSM was posted on Spotify but then taken down called “Yeah, Yeah” featuring Young Thug. We found the plug on Soundcloud tho.

Since the beginning of spring, Scott has been on a straight up roll. He released three tracks on the same day “A Man,” “Butterfly Effect,” and “Green & Purple,” which features Playboi Carti. Then assisting Frank Ocean on “Lens,” SZA on “Love Galore,” 2 Chainz on “4 AM,” and Major Lazor on “Know No Better.”


Peep the fire:


What’s crazy? We’re not even done with this list of artistic traps. Peep this wild video La Flame made starring James Harden for his song “Way Back


And the short film he just dropped Birds in the Trap

It’s awesome to see how much Scott has grown and continues to grow. 2017 is definitely going to be a great year for him with a new album, some shit with Quavo in the works, as well as Travie pairing up with Nike for the new VaporMax kicks showing music is just the beginning.

Being only 25 years old, with two platinum albums, a Guinness World Record, and a collaboration with the largest sportswear brand in the world, I’d say Travie is a straight hustler.


Oh, I forgot to mention his 3rd studio album, Astroworld, is on the way as he promised us back in December


And is going to drop a project soon with Quavo called Cactus Jack x Huncho


Travis Scott peeping the fire on Facetime


We’re hype to see what’s next Travie! Flex!

BUTTERFLY EFFECT. OH MY FUCKING GAWD. OUT OF CONTROL. U CRAZY FUCKSDS LETS GOO #birdeyeview

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desus and the kid mero

How Desus Nice and The Kid Mero went from popped to kings of late night

If you’re not familiar with Desus & Mero by now, that shit’s about to change.

VICELAND’s #1 show on late night hosted by Desus Nice and The Kid Mero has critics raving about their real ass takes on everything from politics to ratchet Worldstar videos and their informative segments interviewing illustrious guests and shedding light on important things such as double-toppy.

But while they may have one of the most brolic brands of the millennium, it took hard work, getting slept, on and dedication to reach where they are today. Plus mad Backwoods.

Desus and Mero are a beacon of hope for washed millennials everywhere to never give up on their dreams and keep trying even when people overlook them.

Two dudes from the Bronx making it to late night television show what’s possible when you stay true to your own brand and talk that shit when somebody needs to be roasted. From being so popped with no bread that they had to share a Metrocard, Desus and Mero took all the steps necessary to get where they are today. Plus they’re just funny as fuck.

No one’s putting on for New York more than Desus and Mero right now and that’s a fact. Peep the video above to see two legends in the making.

a$ap mob

How A$AP Mob took their squad and created a global empire

When it comes to flipping a dollar into a dream, nobody’s done it better than A$AP Mob over the course of the past few years.

From platinum records to world tours, they’ve created a brand that’s allowed them to cross over into different lanes and genres.

It’s hard to imagine A$AP Mob only really been getting that recognition since 2011, but the ground they’ve covered in that short time is nothing short of remarkable and a lot of kids could learn from them.

Of course they had some of the realest talent to work with, but it was the vision they had as a squad that’s helped them expand into a global operation. These dudes are really out here.

With Rocky as the star that put them on the map, Yams had the vision, the aesthetic, and knew the necessary movements they had to make to get to the next level.

Now every member in the group is breaking out and finding their own lane, all while keeping their brotherhood alive. Ferg, Nast, Twelvyy, Illz, Bari, Lou, and many more are all cooking up something different. Their story is far from over.

Check out the video above and quit playin’.

8 Jay Z quotes that show how to move like a boss

Jay-Z’s name always seems to be used as a measuring stick for success. But at this point, what else do you expect?

Jay came from the Marcy projects of Brooklyn and somehow transitioned from a big time drug dealer (once losing 92 bricks) to hip-hop artist who is regarded by many as the best to ever do it.

Everything about Jay-Z exemplifies greatness. In every step of his life, too.

I mean, before he even dropped an album he was thinking steps ahead. Jay teamed up with his friends Damon Dash and Kareem Briggs and founded Roc-A-Fella Records which released his first project in ’96.

Then, as if having his own record label wasn’t enough, Hov finessed that into a distribution deal with Def Jam by ’97, which he followed up by becoming the label’s president in ’04. Levels.

Between 12 platinum studio albums and having the hottest chick in the game (still) wearing his chain, I’d say the Marcy native was synonymous with success as well.

And that’s just music. That’s not touching his business acumen outside of the industry. Like owning his own music streaming service in Tidal, or sports agency in Roc Nation Sports or, as recent as this year launching a new venture capital firm, dubbed Arrive.

And trust me, I’m not scratching the surface. I guess that’s why he’s the third richest man in hip-hop only falling behind Dr. Dre and Diddy, who, because of major moves in merch (Beats by Dre) and streaming platforms, were able to edge him out.

With an estimated net worth of $610 million as of 2016, according to Forbes, it’s important to peel back the curtain and analyze Hov’s lyrics closely. Let’s take a look.

For me, the key to this quote is that he found it genius not to give up. I’ve heard ‘not giving up’ characterized in many different ways: tough, hard, that it’s a resilient quality. But Sean Carter says its genius.

This illuminates the importance of perseverance. It’s a pretty simple concept, but just straight up continuing in the face of adversity is a truly powerful message.

You will face odds that give justifiable reasons to quit. No one is disputing the unfairness or the unprovoked circumstances that will be thrown your way. But as Jay says if you just keep going, despite these things, you will find success in your life.

I really enjoy this quote because change and projected growth are often misinterpreted. Claiming “I’ll never switch up” and accusing people of “changing” just shows how we associate growth as synonymous with betrayal. But this quote from Jay- Z puts all of that into perspective.

Instead of making it part of your personal brand to be stuck in your old ways, embrace change and progression. We should welcome change and challenge each other to meet our commitment to bettering ourselves.

There is an epic picture that shows a group of runners in a sprint. The leader is focused ahead, running with all his might to the mark. The runner in close second has his head turned looking at the racer in the lane beside him. The runner whose eyes were set on the finish fine cleared the tape first.

Worrying about anyone else other than yourself in your race, whichever race that may be, is the first mistake you can make when on your journey to greatness.

Jay-Z never followed trends. He could have gotten caught up in fads, getting caught up in autotune or the trendy trap sound of the south, but he stayed true to his own sound and made himself the benchmark.

When you focus on others you’ll find yourself subconsciously adopting their methods and you’ll lose yourself in the process. When we know that we all have something distinctive, and when we work on honing that individuality, it will be enough to help us reach our greatest potential.

A loss is not the end of the world. A fall doesn’t mean you have to stay down. Ask anyone successful and they’ll tell you how many no’s they faced before hearing a yes. Hov speaks to this very well.

Instead of seeing L’s as losses, Hov see L’s as lessons. Challenge yourself to learn from the mistake of each folly and use that as fuel to tackle your next endeavor.Jay-Z lost 92 bricks, bruh.

When you struggle and don’t come from much it’s easy to find contentment with “just enough” but Hov is addressing that status quo and is saying surviving is not enough.

This is the kind of mentality that made him push for his own label, then his own distribution deal, then becoming president of that very label. This is what drives him to venture into different businesses even after already attaining success. Why not? Why settle for just good enough?

What this bar does for me is make me look in the mirror and reassess what I think is success, and to challenge myself to raise the bar. Do more than survive.

Once Jay got one crack at success (dating back to his first winnings as a street gangster) he started seeing everything as an opportunity. That’s when he eliminated the idea of limits from his subconscious.

From luxury cars, Roc-A-Fella chains to the multiple estates, Jay-Z sees the unattainable as attainable. This mentality almost makes it impossible to be satisfied with anything else.

I don’t know what it is but sometimes we think we don’t deserve the finer things in life. A feeling of guilt tends to apprehend us from going after the things we crave. Jay-Z, a boss, is here to tell you to discard that mindset. Live it to the limit.

Newness is inspiring. You know the feeling of unwrapping a gift, or the puppy stage in a relationship, or that new car smell?

The endorphins and euphoric feeling you get after receiving something for the first time is unshakable. Jay-Z somehow is suggesting that you harness that feeling and carry it throughout every venture.

This is important because it preserves your inspiration. It gives you longevity. And for someone who has been in the game for multiple eras in hip-hop, it’s clear this mindset helped Jay continue to thrive.

We cannot get ‘bored’ when we are in the middle of the road. We have to seek that newness at all times. It’s how we make it through.

You’re going to have enemies with a target on your back and it would be naive to say you’ll ever take a loss. Jay-Z has sparred with Dame Dash, Nas, even Lil Wayne. Yet he’s still here standing.

To be a boss you have to learn to be fearless in battle. You cannot be afraid to take a hit on the jaw, as long as you get back up and keep swinging.