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Watch our iHeartRadio Awards recap here.

Taylor Swift has been wearing butterflies in her wardrobe lately, which some have speculated is tied into the theme of her new album (we’ll see what Mariah Carey has to say about that). As for exactly when the new Taylor tunes will be dropping, the pop Queen is playing it close to her vest.

“I love your passion, I love your attention to detail, I love how much you care,” she said to the crowd at the iHeartRadio Awards last night in LA, addressing the frenzied inquired about her next album. “I love seeing all the things you’re posting online. I just wanted to let you know that when there is new music, you will be the first to know.”

Swift is still reaping the benefits of her last body of work, 2017’s Reputation. She won “Radio Tour of the Year” for the “Reputation Tour” as well as Video of the year for “Delicate.”

Today Swift was on social media, giving props to a fan that admonishes Kanye West’s 2016 video “Famous,” calling the short the equivalent of “revenge porn.”

“The famous music video was straight up revenge porn," @Sagittariussnake tweeted "Not to mention putting abuse victims next to their abusers and celebrating sexual assaulters. It was disgusting and he doesn't get enough crap for it."

Swift liked the Tweet.

Watch our iHeartRadio Awards recap here.

Swizz Beatz and Alicia Keys have nothing but love and talent running in their family.

Their kids are into music, dancing, fashion and other arts, as we’ve seen on the clan’s various social media posts. Swizz’s oldest son Nasir, who has been making a name for himself as a producer, just secured a deal with Epic records. Last night during the iHeart Radio Awards, Keys brought up eight-year-old Egypt to play the piano while she sang “How To Raise A Man.”

“Say we need each other more than we know,” A.K. sang sitting next to her son on the piano bench. He was sharp, wearing a white bedazzled jacket and blue bandana.

“Somebody made a man,” she added as she rose, “to show me how to raise a man. /Raise a man. /You can't be a man. /If we don't raise a man.”

Keys also won the Innovator Award at the event. While onstage, she shouted out her son Genesis, who exchanged waves with Taylor Swift. The pop Queen sat in the seats next to Alicia and Swizz.

“My son, Genesis, I think is maybe trying to take Taylor out later tonight,” Keys said on kidding fashion about their adorable interaction. "He’s working on it. I’m not sure how it’s going to go, but it looks pretty good right now.”

Meanwhile, Swift addressed everyone asking for her new album: “I just wanted to let you know that when there is new music, you will be the first to know.”

We’re waiting, Taylor!

We loved that era, right? Throwback jerseys and caps to match, baggy dress suits, apple bottom jeans for the ladies and music that would be loved for generations to come. The early 2000s the dawn of the millennium. And here in 2019, fans of that era’s music are being served well (served as in “You Got Served,” lol).

The Millennium Tour 2019 kicked off last night in Atlantic City, with Chingy, Lloyd, The Ying Yang Twins, Bobby V, Mario, Pretty Ricky and headliners, the reunited B2K. At Boardwalk Hall, the eye test said it was about 80 percent females checking in to see acts that were just getting off the ground as the 2000s started, and have endured the test of time. Concert-goers are calling the guys on this roster “legends" now. And none more legendary than B2K.

The group broke up over a decade-and-half ago, after a string of classic songs, platinum-plus albums, sold out tours and box office blockbuster “You Got Served,” which you may recall from my horrible joke above. Just into their early 20s, it felt like B2K, if packaged right, would keep rising, finding even higher heights, even better tours, and sell out larger venues. But nah. Omarion, JBoog, Raz B and Fizz broke up. A nasty one at that. Members accused child molestation, money mismanagement and outright favoritism towards Omarion by the group’s former manager Chris Stokes. Young girls of the era cried a sea of tears when the collective stopped rocking together.

Omarion was always looked at as the foursome’s chosen one, and obviously went one to have a great solo career. And yet, B2K left a void. There hasn’t been a group in the last 15 years to take up where they left off. They proved to be irreplaceable.

Which brings us to late last year. During the intervening years, fans got to see some of the group together via social media and reality tv appearances, but all were stunned when a reunion tour was announced and B2K appeared together in promo clips. Seeing is believing, and yet, still some didn’t even believe until they actually purchased their tickets (and VIP packages) to the tour. Shows have been selling out and belief has been growing.

Before hitting the stage last night, a video package aired not only showing B2K's career highlights, but popular videos from their early-2000 contemporaries during their boy-band prime.

When it was time for the four to get on stage last night, they entered with flair.

On a riser perched above the stage, J-Boog literally leapt down into the eyesight of the crowd. He stood in front of screen displaying his face. Raz-B followed, propelled with an entrance that mirrored his group mate, landing on Boog’s right. Fizz came next, landing to the left of Boog and Omarion entered last, on the far left facing the crowd. The band played “Girlfriend” as they walked to the front of the stage. Women were screaming loudly, suddenly transported back to being 16 year old high school juniors attending the “Scream Tour.”

The guys, wearing all white, stood still for a moment, seemingly taking in the surreal moment just as much as the fans. Besides facial hair and some added man muscle, B2K look exactly the same. Raz still even wears fedoras. No signs of ring-rust, as the guys were in perfect sync with the female back up dancers on the routines.

“Uh Huh” was second and then came the theatrics. Boog pretended to get a phone call from his girl and they got into an argument. His fellas spent the next few minutes giving him relationship advice on “What A Girl Wants.”

“Gots Ta Be” kept the vibe sexy.

“Y’all never let up. Y’all never gave up,” Boog, who was the most vocal of the group during the night told the audience. “That’s why we gotta show you y’all our appreciation.”

Promise fulfilled, “Why I Love You” came after.

“We a long way from 17,” Boog said with a smile. “We grown-ass men now.”

Omarion would have his moment to himself to highlight his solo music. He teased “O” for a minute, before laughing and saying “y’all don’t know that. Y’all don’t know that.”

The women in the audience insisted they did. They told him everything but “on my mama” swearing they knew the words. O finally stopped playing, and let them have the song they wanted. He also served a taste of his signature smashes “Touch” and “Entourage” before taking it to Motherland with “Distance Between Us,” from his upcoming LP Passport.

O, and the rest of the crew would reform onstage, this time everyone wearing black and red, for “Bump Bump Bump.” Fizz rapped Diddy’s parts.

Although Puff Daddy wasn’t in the building, the Millennium tour did have some guest star surprise power. Ashanti came out with Lloyd (he incorporates a guitar into his show now) for “Southside.” Chingy had plenty of the ladies doing the famed “chicken head dance” on his set during “Right Thurr.” While Pretty Ricky were taking serious aim as show stoppers last night.

The Miami Hitmakers brought their beloved down bottom raunchy behavior front and center. Spectacular did a handstand into a backflip and landed his head right between the crouch of a female dancer and simulated cunnilingus. Spec later wore just a towel and rapped his part to “On The Hotline” barefoot.

The Millennium tour has plenty more dates schedule around the country in the coming weeks and the tour is so popular already, there has been talk about extending through more of 2019. Proving that a good thing is still a good thing, even if it’s no longer the new thing.

Some of the biggest artists in music paid tribute to the late, great Aretha Franklin over the weekend on Aretha! A Grammy Celebration For The Queen of Soul! Current names like Alessia Cara, John Legend & SZA joined musical legends Patti Labelle, BeBe Winans, and Celine Dionne to cover some of Aretha’s biggest hits. Every single performer seemed determined to sing their hearts out to honor her.

There is also an Aretha biopic in the works – it’s tentatively set for an August 2020 release and will feature Jennifer Hudson, who also performed at the tribute, as Aretha. According to Jennifer, she was handpicked by the diva herself, and they discussed the role before her death. The film will follow Franklin's journey from childhood singing in her fame preacher father's choir to her rise as an international superstar.

Watch the full tribute concert here and listen to even more of her biggest hits, her inspirations, and the artists who followed in her footsteps on Slacker’s Aretha Franklin: DNA!

Let’s face it: no matter how healthy a lifestyle you live, sometimes your body doesn’t cooperate and things go wrong. Which is why making sure you get checked out at least once a year is so important.

Just ask Lindsay Ell, who went in for her annual check-up assuming that, because she’s a health nut, everything would be a-ok and she’d get back to her regularly scheduled life. Not so fast, though. Her doctor saw something concerning, which turned into a test, which turned into a biopsy, which turned into surgery. She’s fine, and her doctors made it clear she did not have cancer, but what they found were pre-cancerous cells. If she hadn’t gone in, that could have turned into a life threatening situation.

So, Lindsay has used her web series “What The Ell” to document her whole experience from start to finish and use that to encourage you not to put off your annual check-up. So watch it here, and then go call your doc, ok?

This is some real apex pre-gaming. The most cost effective, convenient, and — judging from the actions of the commuting 20-something year old Long Islanders traveling to Brooklyn — the most lit way to the Barclays Center is indeed the Long Island railroad.

It’s 7:22 PM, and a couple of dozen Travis Scott fans get on the LIRR, drinks in tow. It's more than 30 minutes before “AstroWorld” opening act Sheck Wes is scheduled to take the stage, but you can already (literally) hear the buzz, as they excitedly talk loud and proud about young La Flame.

As some guzzled beers, one young lady had a liter of Coca Cola in one hand and a bottle of liquor covered by a brown paper bag in the other. She alternated drinking both just seconds apart. One guy yelled “Astro” while the crowd answered back “World!!!” A few minutes later it seemed like just about everyone in the train car was shouting “f--k the club up!!”

They were feeling it. Because they’ve seen it. We’ve all seen it. Scott has steadfastly worked his way to top four status, along with the current rap crown-holders Drake, Kendrick Lamar and J. Cole.

Yes, his girlfriend and the mother of his child is one of the world’s most famous billionaires, and a member of the most headlining-grabbing family in the world, the Kardashians. But Travis built himself up by himself. By endorsing and designing sneakers for the Jordan Brand, curating music for the commercials for the immensely popular 2K video games with LeBron James, and producing for one of the greatest producers of all time, Kanye West, Scott has done the work and reaped the benefits. Nothing has paid off more than the reputation the Houston native has built with his “raging” stage shows. He’s arguably the best live performer of any genre right now.

Scott has become a fixture on the festival circuit the last half decade. From Coachella, to Rolling Loud, to Made In America, he has amassed a following that not only want to buy tickets to his show, but will stand in line for an hour at these shows just to buy hundreds of dollars of merch to collect and wear.

2018’s first leg of the “Astroworld” World tour was such a cash cow, that more dates were added for 2019 and Travis has been selling out shows of stage bonanza in every city.

From the train-ride to the rollercoaster ride, welcome to Travis’ funfair. The Astroworld moniker comes from a now torn-down amusement park that was that Scott frequented in Houston, and the tour is aimed to feel like a day at the park. To whit, the Barclay’s show featured the star rapping upside down while riding on a Ferris wheel, standing on roller coaster car that hung above the crowd crawling on a track while a fan strapped into the accompanying seat damn near giggled to death with glee.

Two stages on each side of the Barclays faced each other with a wide enough gap to fit a few thousand people on the floor in a giant mosh pit. The main stage had a screen which displayed everything from Scott being chased by some new world order, to computer animated kids having a ball throwing up green slime. The second stage had the aforementioned Ferris wheel. That’s where Travis would start the show.

“Star Gazing” fired up the rocket ship. Immediately the ragers were leaping up and down to the beat.

Scott definitely has the most energetic fans in all of hip-hop. Chairs can’t hold them. Nobody sat down.

“Choose a side,” Scott said as he gazed down on the fans from the stage telling them to open up the mosh pit. “Pick a side. Please choose wisely. Please keeps your hands and feet inside the ride at all times.”

Midway through the show, the moment arrived that that Long Island crew on the LIRR has practicing for.

“F--k the club up bi--h,” Scott and his following started chanting on “No Bystanders.” The audience looked they were engaged in a full-on Royal Rumble, but no. No violence, no animosity, and most importantly, none of that pretty or prissy stuff. This was intense, explosive energy.

Later, Scott’s DJ said he wanted to turn the concert into a house party and dropped “ZeZe” by Kodak Black.

“Ice water, turned Atlantic./ Nightcrawlin' in a Phantom,” Travis rapped.
Told them, ‘hold it, don't you panic’./Took an island, (Yeah) flood the mansion./Dropped the roof, more expansion.”

During “Beibs in the Trap” the front of the roller coaster track that hung above, slowly descended to the main stage. Travis and a fan got on the car and road it.

Travis kept it to the ground during “Antidote” and brought two more fans up on stage to ride the roller coaster when “Goosebumps” came on.

Before the last call on the amusement rides, Travis imparted some sage words of advice.

“No matter what may come your way, always go ‘Sicko Mode on a muthafu--a.”

When the beat came on, the entire Barclays began singing Travis’ first number one hit.

“Sun is down, freezin' cold,” they began singing for Drake who not present. “That's how we already know winter's here./ My dawg would prolly do it for a Louis belt./
That's just all he know, he don't know nothin' else./I tried to show 'em, yeah...”

La Flame later came in on his part.

“Woo, made this here with all the ice on in the booth,” he rapped. “At the gate outside, when they pull up, they get me loose. /Yeah, Jump Out boys, that's Nike boys, hoppin' out coupes. / This shit way too big, when we pull up give me the loot. /Was off the Remy, had a Papoose.”

More than five years after their split and following several months of rumors, The Jonas Brothers announced they were reuniting and sealed the deal by dropping a new song, "Sucker.”

Friday night they gave fans a taste of their new music with a surprise show in NYC, but it sounds like the rest of us won’t have to wait long to get our dose of JoBros – they hinted that there’s gonna be a tour. In an interview with Elvis Duran they said they’ve written 30 to 40 new songs already!

If you haven’t watched yet, check out the video for “Sucker” - it features the Jonas ladies. Nick's now-wife Priyanka Chopra, Kevin's wife Danielle Jonas, and Joe's fiancée Sophie Turner appear with the guys in the clip.

Plus the brothers are kicking off a week on The Late Late Show with James Corden starting TONIGHT! Tune in, but while we wait, check out “Sucker” and all the best new tracks on Slacker’s New Pop Now station!

Reba McEntire will host the ACM Awards for the 16^th time this year, and she was also the one who had the honor of announcing all the nominees.

Chris Stapleton and Dan + Shay lead the pack, with six nominations each, not counting four more for D+S’s Dan Smyers as writer or producer (yep, he’s got a total of 10). Kacey Musgraves is close to the top with five nominations, and Dierks Bentley, Brothers Osborne, Florida Georgia Line and Bebe Rexha each got four. First time nominee producer Ian Fitchuk, who produced Kacey Musgraves’ Golden Hour, got six nominations total, the other five in the studio recording categories.

It’s disappointing but not surprising that there are no women in the Entertainer of the Year category for the second year in a row. “It doesn’t make me very happy because we’ve got some very talented women who are out there working their butts off,” Reba said after making the announcements. “I’m missing my girlfriends on this.”

Also, how is it possible that Chris Young isn’t in the Male Artist category? And three-time Entertainer of the Year winner, and nominee again this year Jason Aldean isn’t in the Male Artist category, either. That’s weird, right? And where are Kelsea Ballerini, Dustin Lynch, Cole Swindell, and oh – a fifth New Female Artist nominee?

Surprises include Jake Owen’s nod for “Down to the Honky Tonk” as Single of the Year, his first nomination in a decade. He won New Male Vocalist in 2009, and that’s the last time he was nominated for anything. And David Lee Murphy is up for his first ACM in 23 years for Music Event of the Year with Kenny Chesney on “Everything’s Gonna Be Alright.”

Let’s talk about the new artist categories. Due to some loopholes, it’s possible to be nominated in those categories more than once, and a lot of this year’s nominees have been, even after having had massive hits for a couple of years. Luke Combs is a prime example, and I mentioned this when the CMA nominations came out, too. He’s had four number ones from two albums – is he really “new?” High Valley, LANCO, and Runaway June were all up for New Duo or Group last year, and here they are again. And Danielle Bradbery and Carly Pearce were both nominated for New Female Artist last year and again this year.

We’ll find out who wins what April 7^th, live from Las Vegas on CBS. And here’s the full list of artist and song nominees:

ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR
Jason Aldean
Luke Bryan
Kenny Chesney
Chris Stapleton
Keith Urban

FEMALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Miranda Lambert
Ashley McBryde
Maren Morris
Kacey Musgraves
Carrie Underwood

MALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Dierks Bentley
Luke Combs
Thomas Rhett
Chris Stapleton
Keith Urban

DUO OF THE YEAR
Brothers Osborne
Dan + Shay
Florida Georgia Line
LOCASH
Maddie & Tae

GROUP OF THE YEAR
Lady Antebellum
LANCO
Little Big Town
Midland
Old Dominion

NEW FEMALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Danielle Bradbery
Lindsay Ell
Ashley McBryde
Carly Pearce

NEW MALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Jimmie Allen
Luke Combs
Jordan Davis
Michael Ray
Mitchell Tenpenny

NEW DUO OR GROUP OF THE YEAR
High Valley
LANCO
Runaway June

ALBUM OF THE YEAR [Awarded to Artist(s)/Producer(s)/Record Company–Label(s)]
Dan + Shay – Dan + Shay
Producers: Scott Hendricks / Dan Smyers / Matt Dragstrem
Record Label: Warner Music Nashville

Desperate Man – Eric Church
Producers: Jay Joyce / Arturo Buenahora Jr.
Record Label: EMI Records Nashville

From A Room: Volume 2 – Chris Stapleton
Producers: Dave Cobb / Chris Stapleton
Record Label: Mercury Nashville

Golden Hour – Kacey Musgraves
Producers: Ian Fitchuk / Daniel Tashian / Kacey Musgraves
Record Label: MCA Nashville

The Mountain – Dierks Bentley
Producers: Ross Copperman / Jon Randall Stewart / Arturo Buenahora Jr.
Record Label: Capitol Records Nashville

SINGLE OF THE YEAR [Awarded to Artist(s)/Producer(s)/Record Company–Label(s)]
Down to the Honky Tonk – Jake Owen
Producer: Joey Moi
Record Label: Big Loud Records

Heaven – Kane Brown
Producer: Dann Huff / Polow Da Don
Record Label: RCA Nashville

Meant To Be – Bebe Rexha featuring Florida Georgia Line
Producer: Wilshire for Rock The Soul Ent
Record Label: Warner Bros. Records

Most People Are Good – Luke Bryan
Producers: Jeff Stevens / Jody Stevens
Record Label: Capitol Records Nashville

Tequila – Dan + Shay
Producers: Scott Hendricks / Dan Smyers
Record Label: Warner Music Nashville

SONG OF THE YEAR [Awarded to Songwriter(s)/Publisher(s)/Artist(s)]
Break Up In The End – Cole Swindell
Writers: Jessie Jo Dillon / Chase McGill / Jon Nite
Publishers: EMI April Music Inc. / Nite Writer Music (ASCAP) / Songs of Universal, Inc. / Plum Nelly (BMI) / Big Music Machine (BMI)/ Big Ass Pile Of Dimes Music (BMI)

Broken Halos – Chris Stapleton
Writers: Mike Henderson, Chris Stapleton
Publishers: WB Music Corp./House of Sea Gayle Music, admin. by ClearBox Rights/Spirit Catalog Holdings, S.a.r.l. admin. by Spirit Two Nashville (ASCAP); Straight Six Music (BMI)

Meant To Be – Bebe Rexha featuring Florida Georgia Line
Writers: David Garcia, Tyler Hubbard, Joshua Miller, Bebe Rexha
Publishers: BMG Platinum Songs/Kiss Me If You Can Music (BMI) (all rights administered by BMG Rights Management (US) LLC) Big Loud Mountain (BMI) and T Hubb Publishing (BMI). All Rights Administered by Round Hill Works. Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp. on behalf of itself and Songs of the Corn and Jack 10 Publishing. Universal Music – Brentwood Benson Publishing (ASCAP) D Soul Music (ASCAP) (adm. at CapitolCMGPublishing.com)

Space Cowboy – Kacey Musgraves
Writers: Luke Laird, Shane McAnally, Kacey Musgraves
Publishers: Smack Hits/Smack Songs, admin by Kobalt Music Group ltd. (GMR); Universal Music Works/We Are Creative NBaSmack Hits/Smack Songs, LLC, admin. by Kobalt Music Group Ltd. (GMR); Universal Music Works/We Are Creative Nation/Jake and Mack Music, admin. by Universal Music Works; Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp./351 Music (BMI)

Tequila – Dan + Shay
Writers: Nicolle Galyon / Jordan Reynolds / Dan Smyers
Publishers: Beats and Banjos (ASCAP), WB Music Corp. (ASCAP), A Girl Named Charlie (BMI) / Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp. (BMI) / Buckeye26 (ASCAP) / Jreynmusic (ASCAP)

Yours – Russell Dickerson
Writers: Casey Brown / Russell Dickerson / Parker Welling
Publishers: BMG Platinum Songs/Kailey's Dream / So Essential Tunes / Not Just Another Song Publishing / Hillbilly Science and Research Publishing/Trailerlily Music

VIDEO OF THE YEAR [Awarded to Producer(s)/Director(s)/Artist(s)]
Babe – Sugarland featuring Taylor Swift
Producer: Roger Hunt
Director: Anthony Mandler

Burn Out – Midland
Producer: Ben Skipworth
Director: TK McKamy / Cameron Duddy

Burning Man – Dierks Bentley featuring Brothers Osborne
Producer: Nate Eggert
Director: Wes Edwards

Drunk Girl – Chris Janson
Producer: Ben Skipworth
Director: Jeff Venable

Shoot Me Straight – Brothers Osborne
Producer: April Kimbrell
Director: Wes Edwards / Ryan Silver

Tequila – Dan + Shay
Producer: Christen Pinkston
Director: Patrick Tracy

SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR*(Off Camera Award)
Ross Copperman
Ashley Gorley
Shane McAnally
Chase McGill
Josh Osborne

MUSIC EVENT OF THE YEAR [Awarded to Artist(s)/Producer(s)/Record Company–Label(s)]
Burning Man – Dierks Bentley featuring Brothers Osborne
Producers: Ross Copperman / Jon Randall Stewart / Arturo Buenahora Jr.
Record Label: Capitol Records Nashville

Drowns the Whiskey – Jason Aldean featuring Miranda Lambert
Producer: Michael Knox
Record Labels: Macon Music, LLC; Broken Bow Records; BBR Music Group; BMG

Everything’s Gonna Be Alright – David Lee Murphy featuring Kenny Chesney
Producers: Buddy Cannon / Kenny Chesney / David Lee Murphy
Record Label: Reviver Records

Keeping Score – Dan + Shay featuring Kelly Clarkson
Producers: Scott Hendricks / Dan Smyers
Record Label: Warner Music Nashville

Meant To Be – Bebe Rexha Featuring Florida Georgia Line
Producer: Wilshire for Rock The Soul Ent
Record Label: Warner Bros. Records

Samuel L. Jackson Ponders a Spike Lee Oscar Win.

When you’ve been waiting for over 30 years to win an Oscar, you have to make your acceptance speech count. Post the big ceremony in the press room, Spike Lee revealed that he actually had two speeches written last night when we walked up in front of the audience in the Dolby Theater in LA to accept his Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay with “BlacKkKlansman.” It was his first ever Academy Award win. One, was dedicated to thanking people who helped him in his storied three decade plus career. The other was the one he read.

“The word today is ‘irony,’ the Brooklyn visionary, clad in a purple suit which paid homage to Prince, said moments into his speech Sunday night. “The date, the 24th. The month of February, which happens to be the shortest month of the year, which also happens to be Black History month. The year, 2019; the year, 1619. History, her story. 1619, 2019, 400 years. Four hundred years, our ancestors were stolen from Africa and brought to Jamestown, Virginia, to be enslaved. Our ancestors worked the land from morning to night.”

Lee went on to explain how his grandmother lived to 100 and saved 50 years of Social Security checks to put him through Morehouse College and NYU Film school and delved into politics.

“Before the world tonight, I can praise our ancestors who helped build this country into what it was today along with the genocide of its native people,” he added. “If we all connect with our ancestors, we will have love wisdom and regain our humanity. It will be a powerful moment. The 2020 presidential election is around the corner! Let's all mobilize, let's all be on the right side of history. Make the moral choice between love versus hate. Let's ‘do the right thing!’ You know I had to get that in there.”

On Monday, the President retorted on social media, calling Lee’s words “racist.”

"Be nice if Spike Lee could read his notes, or better yet not have to use notes at all, when doing his racist hit on your President, who has done more for African Americans (Criminal Justice Reform, Lowest Unemployment numbers in History, Tax Cuts, etc.) than almost any other Pres!" Trump tweeted.

After the Oscars, Lee had more to say about how Trump is running the country. He admonished the Commander-In-Chief for not taking a tougher stand concerning domestic terrorism.

“I do know that the coda of this film [‘BlacKkKlansman’] where we saw homegrown red white and blue terrorism…,” Lee answered in the media room when asked about how his latest film has changed America society and the country’s awareness of the current KKK. “Heather Heyer, her murder was a homegrown terrorist act. When that car drove down that crowded street in Charleston, VA and the President of the United States did not refute. Did not denounce the Klan, The Alt Right, and Neo Nazis, this film--whether we won Best Picture or not--this film will stand the test of time being on the right side of history.”

Lee’s “BlacKkKlansman” was also nominated for Best Picture but ultimately that award was given to “Green Book.” Alfonso Cuaron who helmed “Roma” won over Lee in the category.

The Oscars came and went last night, and undoubtedly one of the people to watch was legendary director Spike Lee. He was hard to miss, decked out in one of a kind, gold Michael Jordan 3s, specially commissioned by His Airness, himself. Lee's “BlacKkKlansman” film went toe to toe with other Best Pictures nominees “Bohemian Rhapsody,” “The Favourite,” “Green Book,” “Roma,” “A Star is Born,” “Vice” and the cultural event of 2018 “Black Panther.”

Meanwhile, the Academy has finally cleaned up one of most staggering omissions: finally nominating the Brooklyn born Lee in the category of Best Director.

Nope, not even any of his early classics such as “Do The Right Thing,” “Mo Better Blues,” “Jungle Fever” not the epic “Malcom X” garnered him any recognition in that category. On Thursday, while being honored at the Icon Mann along with the director and famed costume designer Ruth E. Carter, one of Spike’s closest friends and a co-star in some of those early gems, Samuel L. Jackson told LiveXLive he was pessimistic that the iconic lens man would walk away with an Oscar.

“You really thinks he’s gonna win?” The box office champion would ask sarcastically. “In every award show he’s been to, has he won? That’s usually a sign of what going to happen.”

Jackson, credited Lee's casting of him as the crack addicted Gator in 1991’s “Jungle Fever” as the major breakthrough in his career. And he acknowledged that whether or not his Capital One-commercials co-star gets an award, Lee’s contribution to filmmaking is immeasurable nonetheless.

“There have been surprises. There have been mistakes,” Jackson added. “Spike’s already a winner in our minds and hearts and we’ll forever champion him. All these young directors that came behind him had an opportunity to do what they do because Spike was able to do what he did.”

In the end, Jackson was right and Lee did not walk away with the Oscar for Best Director, losing to “Roma’s” Alfonso Cuaron, nor Best Picture, losing to “Green Book." However, the man did score his first ever Oscar, taking home the Best Adapted Screenplay. His appearance on stage created one of the night’s most memorable moments, and finally gave long overdue acknowledgment to one of Brooklyn’s best. Perhaps those elusive Director and Picture awards will still be in his sure-to-be fascinating future.

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Category Archives: The Daily

A New Taylor Swift Album On The Way?

Alicia Keys Performs With Her Son At iHeart Awards

B2K Reunites For The Millennium Tour

Artists pay tribute to Aretha Franklin

Ell of A Life

Travis Scott Returns To Barclay's For Day 2 Of 'Astroworld'

The JoBros are BACK!

ACM Nominations

Spike Lee Stokes Donald Trump Anger Following Oscar Speech

Samuel Jackson Doubted A Spike Lee Best Director Oscar Win