Jay Z Responds To Tidal Critics

Jay Z’s premium music streaming site Tidal has faced its share of criticism since it launched a few weeks ago, but today he’s offered a response. After promising a “stream of consciousness,” he reaffirmed some of the ideals that the company has espoused from the beginning. He says that the service is meant to be a place “where artists can give their fans music without middlemen.” That apparently means a 75 percent royalty for all artists who use the service, not just the owners who appeared onstage at the launch. He also notes they’ve garnered over 770,000 subscribers in “less than a month,” but Tidal isn’t willing to stop there.

“The iTunes Store wasn’t built in a day,” he wrote. “It took Spotify 9 years to be successful. We are here for the long haul. Please give us a chance to grow & get better.”

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Nike Sock Dart “Triple White”

After making a rather stunning reintroduction to the market courtesy of a collaboration with fragment design, here we take a first look at one of the wider releases of the Nike Sock Dart. The slip-on silhouette will soon be delivered to shelves in a new all-white colorway dubbed “Triple White.” The breathable knit upper is contrasted by a translucent foot strap, all resting atop a white midsole. While no details on the release are yet available, look out for this summer-ready release on the streets later this year.

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A Riker’s Correction Officer Fired After Her Husband Shot Her In The Face

On December 21, 2013, Janine Howard, a 40-year-old Rikers corrections officer, wasreportedly shot in the face by her husband, Brian Martin, another corrections officer, after a domestic dispute in their home on Long Island. Howard suffered permanent nerve damage and critical injuries that necessitated the complete reconstruction of her jaw and her eye socket, the placement of plates in and around her mouth. Martin, who has a history of violence, was immediately arrested, and pled not guilty to charges of attempted murder last January.

But, at a Downtown Manhattan law firm on Friday, the story was what happened afterward.

Sitting with a few reporters, myself included, Corrections Officer Benevolent Association President Norman Seabrook, Mercedes Maldonado, Howard’s lawyer, and Howard passed around copies of a petition that was filed against the Department of Corrections and Corrections Commissioner Joseph Ponte on Tuesday, alleging that the agency in charge of Rikers unlawfully terminated Howard once she returned to her job this past December, without any reason given whatsoever.

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New Chief Keef Album Coming Soon

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Chief Keef, who keeps a new project on deck, has a new album coming soon. Last night, Keefy took to Instagram to reveal what is purported to be cover art to the project along with the caption, “The Cozart” Coming soon! Stores near you.” No official release date was given for the project. The cover art depicts Soso in mostly black-and-white puffing on what looks to be a blunt. The “stores near you” wording is a sign that this project will be an LP, but the way people are putting out “mixtapes” (wink, wink) these days – we’re looking at you Drake and Young Thug – there’s no telling.

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