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King Matta: The Hip-Hop Phenomenon Lighting Up the Stage and Charts

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:24:51 GMT

In the pulsating heart of the American music scene, a blazing star has emerged. At just 26 years old, Matthew Alexander Bell, professionally known as “King Matta,” is igniting the hip-hop universe with a fervor that’s both awe-inspiring and irresistible.King Matta’s meteoric rise began in 2021 with an explosive debut that sent shockwaves through the industry. Teaming up with the acclaimed artist Tyler Lepley, his inaugural single, “Make it Work,” was more than a song; it was a proclamation.This track didn’t just enter the scene; it crashed through the gates, securing a formidable spot among the top 100 on the iTunes HipHop / Rap chart. It was a bold announcement of a new contender on the hip-hop horizon, showcasing raw talent that promised much more to come.But King Matta is no one-hit wonder.He swiftly followed up with the irresistibly infectious “DropDat,” a track that not only solidified his status as a musical juggernaut but ...

Phranc’s Queer Cardboard Fashion Sense

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:24:51 GMT

A butch lesbian who came out early and with gusto; a singer/songwriter who started out a punk legend but embraced a more progressive folk; a sculptor with a gift for transforming paper and cardboard into charming, meaningful objects—Phranc is a rebellious spirit with a taste for the retro and nostalgic. A new exhibition at Craig Krull Gallery (Bergamot Station) examines the artist, musician, and one-time Tupperware Lady’s 40-year archive of multidisciplinary gestures of affection and activism.Phranc: Shirt & Tie, 2022 Kraft paper, gouache, thread, 33 x 35 x 3 in (Courtesy of Craig Krull Gallery)The Butch Closet aligns Phranc’s parallel pursuits in music and art, beginning from her twin stories of influence—studying at the Feminist Studio Workshop at The Woman’s Building in the mid-70s, while simultaneously cutting a major figure in the Los Angeles punk scene—and offering a more thorough examination of the overarching garment motif that continues to express in her visual art to t...

A starfish’s body is ‘a head crawling along the seafloor’

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:24:51 GMT

By Ashley Strickland | CNNThe heads of most animals are easily identifiable, but scientists haven’t been able to say the same for sea stars until now.A starfish has five identical arms with a layer of “tube feet” beneath them that can help the marine creature move along the seafloor, causing naturalists to puzzle over whether sea stars have defined front and back ends — and if they have heads at all.But new genetic research suggests the opposite — that sea stars are largely heads that lack torsos or tails and likely lost those features evolutionarily over time.The researchers said the bizarre fossils of sea star ancestors, which appeared to have a kind of torso, make a lot more sense in evolutionary terms in light of the new findings.The findings were published Wednesday in the journal Nature.“It’s as if the sea star is completely missing a trunk, and is best described as just a head crawling along the seafloor,” said lead study author Laurent Formery, postdoctoral scholar at Stanfo...

How the Michigan scandal could impact Pac-12 football, and what it says about the future of the sport

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:24:51 GMT

Although unprecedented in nature and riveting in detail, the Michigan sign-stealing controversy is unfolding thousands of miles from the Pac-12 footprint and easy for fans to follow on merely a cursory basis.After all, the conference’s only known connection to the spy ring is largely immaterial: Connor Stalions, Michigan’s suspended analyst, purchased tickets to the Oregon-Washington game last season in Eugene. (He then transferred the seats, which were on the visiting side of the stadium, to another individual.)While the Big Ten roils and NCAA investigators descend on Ann Arbor, the Pac-12 collectively has a playoff berth to secure, a Heisman Trophy to win, a legal battle to resolve and transition plans to make.There’s no reason for stakeholders to concern themselves with the actions of a disgraced analyst for a football program in another conference.Or is the Michigan mess worth more than a glance at the latest headlines?The Hotline is here to offer a counter-narrative: There’s a ...

Green Day announce huge concert lineup for latest stadium tour

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:24:51 GMT

Green Day has announced a massive 2024 tour.And the East Bay act — featuring Billie Joe Armstrong, Mike Dirnt and Tré Cool — will have some mighty cool company for the road show, with Smashing Pumpkins, Rancid and The Linda Lindas signed up as the support acts in North America and Nothing But Thieves, The Hives, Donots, The Interrupters and Maid of Ace setting the table in the United Kingdom and Europe.Green Day’s The Saviors Tour — in support of the soon-to-released album of the same name — begins its North American run on July 29 at Nationals Park in Washington, DC and includes a stop in San Francisco.The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is set to perform Sept. 20 at the home of the San Francisco Giants — Oracle Park.“We’ve never been more excited to unleash new music than with Saviors, a record that’s meant to be rocked live, together. So let’s thrash. We’ve got some amazing friends who are coming along for the ride!” Green Day said in a news release...

Best Online Slots to Play in 2023: Top 10 Real Money Slot Sites with High RTPs

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:24:51 GMT

Sponsored ContentAre you tired of the same old online slots that leave you disappointed even after you’d landed 5 scatters and 3 “mega wins”?We hear you – and after spending plenty of time diving through hundreds of slot games, we have updated our list of the best online slots that pay real money and have explosive bonus rounds.We also found the best slots sites where you can play them, with Ignition coming out on top.Want to find out which slot games and online casinos are the best? Read on!Best Online Slots and SitesIgnition (777 Deluxe): Best overallSlots Empire (Asgard Deluxe): $12,000 welcome bonusSuper Slots (Mr. Macau): 250+ gamesSlots.lv (Golden Buffalo): Plenty of jackpot real money slotsRed Dog (5 Wishes): 240% match welcome bonusBigSpinCasino (Chilli Pop): Best 3D slotsBovada (Mystic Elements): Many exclusive slotsWild Casino (Jungle Stripes): Great variety of themed slotsEl Royale (Achilles): 150+ free spinsBetOnline (Rise of the Titans): Best for BTC slotsSportsbe...

'Large-scale' forgery operation busted in Pleasanton

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:24:51 GMT

(KRON) -- A “large-scale” ID theft and forgery operation was uncovered by the Pleasanton Police Department last week as they assisted the United States Marshals Service in arresting a wanted fugitive at their Pleasanton home, authorities said Thursday. According to Pleasanton PD, the victims of the forgery operation are throughout the San Francisco Bay Area.Police officers recovered two unregistered firearms, over a kilo of cocaine and around $3,000 in cash during the arrest, Pleasanton PD said. Suspects at large after Piedmont armed robbery The suspect was taken into custody.

Convicted Oakland doctor facing 30 years in prison for health care fraud, kickback schemes

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:24:51 GMT

(BCN) -- A doctor in Oakland is facing up to 30 years in prison after being found guilty of accepting kickbacks for patient referrals, health care fraud, and false statements relating to health care, federal prosecutors said.A jury convicted Henry Geoffrey Watson of 25 counts of various fraud charges for engaging in three health care kickback schemes from 2013 to 2019 while being a licensed medical doctor, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of California said in a statement Wednesday.One of the schemes the 67-year-old Watson was involved in was agreeing to refer patients to home health agency Amity Home Health Care in exchange for illegal kickback payments.Prosecutors said Watson and employees of Amity and its CEO, Amanda Singh, conspired to pay the doctor regular and recurring amounts, sometimes in the form of cash payments of $3,000 a month, to ensure that he referred Medicare patients to Amity each month.Watson also accepted kickback payments from an undercover ...

After team bus was attacked, Lyon must regroup quickly to turn around bad start to the season

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:24:51 GMT

Lyon’s players will have to refocus their minds quickly for the home game against Metz in the French league on Sunday after their team bus was attacked in Marseille by fans throwing projectiles last weekend, injuring their coach and causing that match to be called off. The bus attack was the lowest point yet for a club that has struggled badly this season, and is the only team in the league yet without a win. The seven-time French champion is last in the standings and now has to recover from the trauma of last week’s incident as well if it wants to avoid relegation at the end of the season. The Lyon team bus was hit by thrown objects on the way to Stade Velodrome, shattering some windows. Lyon coach Fabio Grosso was injured by falling shards of glass and needed medical treatment with his face bleeding profusely. “What happened on Sunday evening could have been a tragedy, and it certainly was for the sport and all those who love it,” Grosso wrote on his Instagram account....

No. 17 Air Force locked in on defending Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy against Army

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:24:51 GMT

Army (2-6) at No. 17 Air Force (8-0, No. 25 CFP), Saturday at 2:30 p.m. ET. (CBS Sports Network)Line: Air Force by 18 1/2, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.Series record: Air Force leads 38-18-1.WHAT’S AT STAKE?For Air Force, this is a chance to defend the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy. The Falcons beat Navy 17-6 on Oct. 21 to take the first step in the annual round-robin competition between the service academies. All they have to do is beat Army at Empower Field at Mile High to wrap up their 22nd CIC title. Should the Black Knights win, they can earn the title by knocking off Navy on Dec. 9. At stake is not only a trophy but a trip to the White House to receive the memento from the President of the United States. Air Force is off to its best start since the 1985 team began 10-0.KEY MATCHUPDefensive lineman PJ Ramsey and the Air Force defense limited Colorado State to just 42 yards rushing in a 30-13 road win last weekend. The Black Knights average 190.6 yards per game on the ground. A...