The Miami Heat unveiled a new statue in the likeness of retired NBA star Dwyane Wade on Sunday, Oct. 27.
The look of disappointment on Wade’s face said it all. “That’s crazy. I can’t believe that. Who is that guy?” Wade said after the statue was unveiled.
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Wade’s eldest son Zaire, 22, was also in disbelief. Some fans drew comparisons to the bust of soccer superstar Cristiano Ronaldo that was unveiled at Madeira Airport in 2017.
The 8-foot statue immediately went viral on social media after the unveiling. Many fans poked fun at the statue that they insist doesn’t resemble the 2006 NBA MVP.
Shame on whoever greenlit this—it doesn’t even look like Dwyane Wade. Y’all could’ve done better. This looks like a statue straight off Temu.
Rapper Gucci Mane performed during halftime at the Brooklyn Nets vs Atlanta Hawks game at State Farm Arena on October 23, 2024 in Atlanta, Georgia.
Gucci’s wife Keyshia Ka’Oir sat courtside and cheered him on as he performed for the crowd at the Hawks home opener.
Kevin C. Cox/Getty ImagesInstagram, WOTS
The stylish rapper was dressed in Rick Owens from head to toe. According to WOTS, he wore a Ricks Owens raw-cut ribbed tank top that retails for $261 and Pink Bauhaus Pants that retail for $1295.
Farfetch
He accessorized with Rick Owens Geobasket high top sneakers ($1295) and a pair of Gucci sun goggles ($275).
Paras Griffin/Getty Images
Among the celebrities sitting courtside was stylish singer and Instagram model Monica.
The arrest of Lil Durk – the world’s most famous drill rapper – marks the end of the Chicago drill rap era. Lil Durk (real name Durk Devontay Banks) was arrested on Thursday, Oct. 24, on murder-for-hire charges.
He is accused of hiring gunmen to kill Savannah, Georgia rapper Quando Rondo in Los Angeles in August 2022. The gunmen missed their target and killed Rondo’s cousin, Lul Pab, instead.
Durk’s arrest brings to an end Chicago’s violent subgenre of hip-hop. Many of the rappers who pioneered Chicago’s drill music in the early 2010s are either dead or in prison.
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Power II’s LaToya Tonodeo Says Lil Durk Has Big Future In Hollywood
Drill music introduced gangbangers like Durk, Chief Keef, King Von, FBG Duck, G Herbo, L’A Capone, Lil JoJo, Fredo Santana and more. Of this list, only Durk, Chief Keef and G Herbo are still alive.
Drill rap promoted gang life, gun violence, homicides, drug dealing, materialism and homophobia.
Record labels cut ties with “safe” mainstream rappers and signed drug dealers and serial killers.
MEGA/WENN
As drill music’s influence grew, more bodies began to fall. The most notable deaths include King Von and FBG Duck.
Quando Rondo’s gang associate Lul Timm shot and killed King Von during a fistfight outside a hookah lounge in Atlanta in 2020.
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King Von’s murder proved to be Lil Durk’s downfall.
According to the indictment, Lil Durk coordinated the plot to kill Quando Rondo, but they shot Lul Pab instead.
The feds executed search warrants in Chicago on Thursday morning (Oct. 24). Five of Durk’s gang associates were arrested and charged in Lul Pab’s murder.
Later that day federal marshals arrested Durk near Miami International Airport as he attempted to flee the country, according to the FBI.
Durk, 32, tried to outsmart the FBI by booking three one-way international flights to depart from Miami and Fort Lauderdale airports that same evening.
BACKGRID
According to an affidavit, the FBI received notifications from U.S. Customs and Border Protection that Durk had purchased a ticket on a one-way flight from Miami to Dubai. The flight was scheduled to depart from Miami on the evening of October 24.
Durk also purchased a one-way ticket from Fort Lauderdale airport to Switzerland, scheduled to depart that same evening. Undercover agents waiting at both airports noted that Durk did not board either flight.
APEX / MEGA
At approximately 6:40 p.m. ET on Oct. 24, the FBI received an additional CBP notification that Durk booked a ticket on a private plane departing Miami at approximately 9:00 p.m. ET, and destined for Italy.
Durk was arrested by law enforcement at 8 p.m. in the vicinity of Miami International Airport.
Durk is currently being held in solitary confinement at FDC Miami, a federal detention center, where he is awaiting extradition to Los Angeles.
The Grammy-winning gangbanger faces the death penalty if convicted.
Shaquille O’Neal was heavily criticized for behaving like a dirty old man on Angel Reese’s podcast.
Angel, 22, is young enough to be the 52-year-old NBA icon’s daughter. But there was nothing fatherly about his inappropriate behavior toward the young athlete.
The comment came while Angel and Shaq discussed making the WNBA more exciting for men.
Shaq said the WNBA would be more lucrative if the league lowered the basket so women could dunk more.
Angel was uncomfortable as Shaq commented on her dunking in the tiny booty shorts that she wore to Nick Cannon’s “Wild ‘N Out” tour in Chicago recently.
Shaq receives backlash for telling Angel Reese to imagine how many shirts she would sell if she dunked in those tiny shirts she wore. ? pic.twitter.com/gZm5uqZvZA
One commenter on a manosphere message board wrote: “She wore them c00chie cutters a$s hanging for attention, now she’s getting it and it’s an issue.”
Another person wrote: “How you want ni**as to vote for Black women then turn around and shame a black woman for being s*xually harassed by an old thirsty n1gga twice her age?”
A third person wrote: “Don’t mess up that Icy Hot endorsement.”
She’s a conflicted young lady… If she wants to be treated more classy, she has to behave at the class of standards she wants.
Shaquille was recently named president of basketball operations for Reebok. He extended Angel’s Reebok contract to a multi-year deal.
ESPN’s Shams Chariana reported on Oct. 24 that Angel signed a multi-year endorsement contract extension with Reebok. The deal includes Angel’s own signature shoe release in 2026.
Shams noted in his tweet that Angel set the rookie record for rebounds in a single season while averaging the most rebounds per game (13.1) in WNBA history.
Angel lost the 2024 Rookie of the Year trophy to Indiana Fever phenom Caitlin Clark.
Beyoncé disappointed Democrats when she was a no-show at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago in August. Beyoncé’s team gave the Harris campaign permission to use her song “Freedom” at the DNC.
But Bey’s fans were stunned when the singer failed to walk out on the DNC stage with Harris.
The first time she was scheduled Harris campaign wouldn’t pay her asking price. Now that Kamala is desperate she paying the big cash! Beyoncé banking!
Bey’s rep confirmed that she will show up this time. There are rumors that Beyoncé and Jay-Z are on video seized from Sean Combs’s home during a raid in March.
Beyoncé was up early for a sound check on Friday morning at Shell Energy Stadium in her hometown of Houston.
Celebrities have been queuing up to support Harris’ second run for president. On Thursday, Harris held a campaign rally in Georgia featuring Tyler Perry, Spike Lee, Bruce Springsteen, former President Barack Obama and more.
Perry gave a passionate speech urging Black men to get out and vote for Harris.
Tyler Perry: Years ago, there was a man on TV who had a helicopter and his name on hotels. Young Black men admired him and his name was in rap lyrics. But then I did my research, from the Central Park 5 to Project 2025. In Trump’s America, there is no dream that looks like me. pic.twitter.com/c5DWoyURBu
Harris will join Beyoncé on stage just 10 days before election day as she tries to stay even with former President Donald Trump in the national polls.
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On Friday, Katrina Thompson, the mayor of Broadview, Illinois, announced she has revoked the honorary key given to rapper Lil Durk.
Broadview is a village in Cook County, located 20 minutes from Chicago.
In a Facebook post, Thompson acknowledged Durk is presumed innocent, but she said Broadview residents have “even higher moral and ethical standards of behavior. And our public partners must also reflect the same uncompromising standards.”
“As mayor, protecting Broadview’s interests and upholding the values of residents is job number one.”
Broward County Jail
Durk (born Durk Banks) was arrested Thursday night in South Florida as he attempted to flee the country, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
Durk, 32, is charged with conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire. He is being held without bond.
The drill rapper’s arrest comes a day after five other members of his Chicago-based rap collective, “Only the Family” or OTF, were also arrested.
The Grammy-winning rapper faces federal charges that he paid for the attempted murder of rapper Quando Rondo in Los Angeles in 2022.
The shooters missed Quando Rondo but they killed his cousin Saviay’a Robinson, 24, a.k.a. “Lul Pab”, at a gas station across from the Beverly Center on Aug. 19, 2022.
During the 2-year investigation the feds connected the dots to Lil Durk through receipts linked to his credit card. The receipts showed payments for airline tickets, hotel rooms and rental cars for the gunmen in California.
According to the indictment, on Aug. 18, 2022 Lil Durk texted an associate: “Don’t book no flights under no names involved wit me.”
Durk won a Grammy in August for Best Melodic Rap Performance for his song “All My Life,” which featured rapper J. Cole.
FBI Agent Sarah Corcoran said in her affidavit that OTF members engage “in violence, including murder and assault, at the direction of Banks and to maintain their status in OTF.”
Corcoran said the shooting was in retaliation for the 2020 murder of Chicago drill rapper King Von.
King Von (born Dayvon Daquan Bennett) was fatally shot during a fistfight with Rondo outside the Monaco Hookah Lounge in Atlanta, authorities said.
The shooter, an aspiring rapper named Lul Timm, was arrested in 2020 for Von’s murder, but Fulton County DA Fani Willis dropped all charges against him.
Fulton County Jail
Durk and King Von were previously arrested in Atlanta in 2019 on attempted murder charges. Despite video evidence of Durk and Von shooting at a fleeing gang member, Willis dropped attempted murder charges against Durk.
Josh Brasted/FilmMagic
As the walls closed in on him, Lil Durk claimed he was a Muslim and he inspired a gangbanger to give his life to God.
“Don’t label me nothing outside of A MAN A FATHER and A 1000% Muslim,” Lil Durk wrote in a post on Instagram in August.
Chicago rapper Lil Durk inspires gang member to leaves streets alone, and give life to God ????
Simone Biles vows to continue defending her husband, NFL player Jonathan Owens from shock comments on social media.
Simone is tired of rude fans disrespecting her man. Her fans have been trolling Jonathan ever since he claimed he didn’t know who she was before they dated.
As part of the latest installment of Simone’s Netflix documentary, the Olympic gold medal gymnast made it clear she is personally affected by the comments about her husband.
Carmen Mandato/Getty Images
“Social media gives (followers) this false sense of reality that they really know who you are and how you function,” Simone said. “Most of the time they don’t understand the mental toll that it takes…”
“I know we signed up to be judged in the gym but when you guys are going to talk about him or my family, yeah, I’m gonna come at you guys. Most of the time, I bite my tongue but now, yeah, I have a voice, I’ve always had a voice. Just because you didn’t think I wouldn’t see it doesn’t mean I’m not obligated to respond… it’s crazy.”
Simone has no plans to leave social media, as other celebrities have done. She vows to keep shading people who come for her husband.
Michael Reaves/Getty Images
According to @SportsPro, Simone was named the No. 1 Most Marketable Athlete in the world ahead of LeBron James (#3), Caitlin Clark (#4) and Lionel Messi (#5).
This year's #SP50MM top ten… 1?? Simone Biles 2?? Vinicius Junior 3?? Lebron James 4?? Caitlin Clark 5?? Lionel Messi 6?? Rebeca Andrade 7?? Kylian Mbappe 8?? Ilona Maher 9?? Cristiano Ronaldo ? Katie Ledecky pic.twitter.com/vkoo2lTXgP
Pop singer Beyoncé is expected to perform at a rally for Democrat presidential candidate Kamala Harris in Texas on Friday, Oct. 25.
Beyoncé disappointed Democrats when she was a no-show at the Democratic National Convention. Beyoncé’s team gave the Harris campaign permission to use her song “Freedom” at the DNC.
The concert comes 1 day after Harris attended a rally in Georgia which featured former President Barack Obama, director Spike Lee, playwright Tyler Perry, rock singer Bruce Springsteen and others.
According to The Associated Press, Beyoncé is expected to perform at the rally in her hometown of Houston.
Harris will join the singer on stage just 10 days before election day as she tries to stay even with former President Donald Trump in the national polls.
Via Daily Express — While a poll has Harris and Trump tied in Georgia, Trump has typically polled ahead of Harris in the red state.
This would be the second time Beyoncé, who typically stays out of politics, made an appearance at a candidate rally.
She previously performed at an Ohio rally in 2016 in the final days of Hillary Clinton’s unsuccessful bid for the Presidency against Trump.
The major rallies come as Harris continues to face new blows in the final weeks, with the momentum she picked up throughout the summer, after mounting her candidacy when Joe Biden dropped out, starting to slow.
Chicago drill rapper Lil Durk was arrested in Florida on Thursday night in connection with an alleged murder-for-hire plot. Lil Durk, real name Durk Banks, was picked up by U.S. Marshals and booked into the Broward County Jail, where he is being held without bond.
Durk, 32, was arrested after five of his OTF gang associates were indicted on murder charges on Thursday.
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OTF members Kavon London Grant, Deandre Dontrell Wilson, Keith Jones, David Brian Lindsey, and Asa Houston are being held in jail without bond.
All 6 men are charged with the murder of “Lul Pab,” a cousin of Georgia rapper Quando Rondo. The shooting occurred in California in 2022. The intended target was Rondo himself, but the shooters missed.
Federal agents linked the murder-for-hire plot to Lil Durk in the indictment which alleges Durk’s OTF record label paid for airline tickets, hotel and rental cars for the shooters in California.
The shooters followed Rondo and Lul Pab who stopped for gas at a station across from the Beverly Center. That’s when the gang members opened fire. They missed Quando Rondo but killed Lul Pab.
Investigators say the shooting was in retaliation for the 2020 murder of Chicago drill rapper King Von. Von (born Dayvon Daquan Bennett) was fatally shot during a fistfight with Rondo outside the Monaco Hookah Lounge in Atlanta, authorities said.
Fulton County Jail
Durk and King Von were previously arrested in Atlanta in 2019 on attempted murder charges. Despite video evidence of Durk and Von shooting at a fleeing gang member, Fulton County DA Fani Willis dropped attempted murder charges against Durk.
For months prior to the Lul Pab murder, fans swarmed Lil Durk’s social media accounts asking him when he was going to “slide” for Von or “get back” for Von. A frustrated Durk begged his fans to stop asking him when he would retaliate for Von’s murder. Durk knew the feds were watching his social media accounts.
Josh Brasted/FilmMagic
Durk became the first alleged serial killer to win a Grammy Award for his song “All My Life” ft. J. Cole at the 2024 Grammy Awards.
As the walls closed in on him, Lil Durk claimed he was a Muslim and he inspired a gangbanger to give his life to God.
“Don’t label me nothing outside of A MAN A FATHER and A 1000% Muslim,” Lil Durk wrote in a post on Instagram in August.
Chicago rapper Lil Durk inspires gang member to leaves streets alone, and give life to God ????
Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascon recommended resentencing Lyle and Erik Menendez. His announcement during a press conference on Thursday means the brothers could walk out of prison as free men within weeks.
Erik and Lyle were convicted of shooting their parents, Hollywood music executive José Menendez and homemaker Mary Louise “Kitty” Menendez, at their Beverly Hills mansion in 1989.
José was shot six times while he and Kitty watched TV on a sofa in their den on August 20, 1989. Kitty was shot ten times as she was on the floor crawling away.
During the murder trials, prosecutors proved that the brothers ruthlessly plotted and carried out the murders of their parents after José removed his sons from his will.
Erik, then 18, and Lyle, then 21, purchased Mossberg 12-gauge shotguns because they didn’t want to wait the 2-week cooling off period mandated by California law.
Los Angeles Times
Following the murders, Erik and Lyle left the house to dispose of their bloody clothes and bury the shotguns.
They then went to a movie theater to buy tickets for a Batman movie to use as an alibi. But they abandoned their plan when they noticed the timestamps on the movie tickets was after the time of the murders.
They then headed to the “Taste of L.A.” festival at Santa Monica Civic Auditorium, according to police.
When Erik and Lyle returned home hours later, they were surprised to see a lack of police presence around the mansion. Their neighbors had not reported the sounds of screams and gunshots to police.
In an emotional call to 911, Lyle told the operator, “someone killed my parents!” Lyle said he and his brother returned home and discovered their parents’ bodies in the den.
When police responded to the home, Lyle and Erik claimed intruders broke in and killed their parents. They later said the murders were likely mob-related.
Police described the murder scene as “the most brutal” one they had ever encountered. They noted blood and brain matter splattered on the walls, floor and ceiling.
Police believed Erik and Lyle’s tearful statements and investigated the mob link. But detectives grew suspicious when a computer specialist contacted them and said Lyle and Erik hired him to delete their father’s updated will from José’s computer hard drive.
With the money from the fraudulent will and their parents’ life insurance policies, Lyle and Erik went on a lavish $700,000 spending spree.
Lyle bought a Buffalo wing restaurant in Princeton, New Jersey, as well as three Rolex watches and a Porsche Carrera sports car.
AFP via Getty Images
Lyle (wearing blue sweater) purchased a custom hair piece because he suffered from premature baldness. Lyle was allowed to wear the custom hair piece during their murder trials.
The brothers threw wild parties in the murder house, traveled extensively, and gifted clothes and jewelry to their girlfriends. Erik paid for expensive tennis lessons for himself as he had hoped to play in the junior boys tennis category at Wimbledon in England. Erik ranked 44th in the US as a junior tennis player.
But their lavish lifestyle came to an end when a remorseful Erik tearfully confessed to the murders during a recorded session with his psychologist.
Erik was especially distraught when he told his psychologist about his mother’s murder. Erik said that after shooting their parents multiple times, they ran out to the car where Erik handed Lyle ammunition to reload his shotgun. They went back into the house and Lyle coldly approached their mother who was on the floor screaming and crawling away. Lyle then fired the kill shot to Kitty’s face, lacerating her brain.
The psychologist later told police about Erik’s confession, which led to Lyle and Erik’s arrests.
Erik, now 53, and Lyle, now 56, have remained behind bars since their arrests in 1990.
After their first trial ended in a mistrial in 1994, they were found guilty of first-degree murder in 1996 and sentenced to life without the possibility of parole.
But a Netflix movie, titled “Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story,” cast doubts on their guilt and Gascon announced he would consider resentencing them.
“We are going to recommend to the court [on Friday] that the life without the possibility of parole be removed and they would be sentenced for murder,” Gascon told reporters on Thursday. “I believe that they have paid their debt to society.”
Gascon emphasized that his recommendation does not guarantee the brothers will be released from prison. The final decision rests with an LA Superior Court judge.
