Author: Jeric Macaraan

Christopher George Latore Wallace was born on May 21, 1972, in Brooklyn, New York, to Jamaican immigrant parents who raised him in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood that would later become the backdrop for some of the most vivid storytelling in hip-hop history. Today, Notorious B.I.G. would have turned 54 years old. Instead, the world marks the day the way it has every year since March 9, 1997 — with music, memory, and the lingering weight of what was taken too soon. Notorious B.I.G. and the Making of a Legend Wallace did not ease into greatness. He arrived fully formed. Signed to…

William Davis had just found his place. Then he was gone. The 22-year-old defensive back, who had transferred to Sam Houston State University earlier this year, died on May 16, 2026. SHSU confirmed his passing, though neither the university nor his family has released an official cause of death. Reports have circulated online, but none have been verified by any authoritative source. Davis had arrived at the Huntsville, Texas program in January 2026, drawn by a sense of cultural fit and community that he said mattered deeply — especially given how far he was from his roots in South Boston,…

Haitian culture, history and resistance took center stage in Chicago on one of the diaspora’s most meaningful days of the year. On May 18, Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas hosted a reception for the diaspora following the public Flag Raising Ceremony at Daley Plaza. The celebration, marking Heritage Month and Flag Day, brought together public officials, civic leaders and residents in a unified display of cultural pride. More than 40,000 people from Haiti and its broader diaspora live in Chicago and the surrounding Cook County area, contributing to the region’s cultural, civic and professional landscape in ways that continue to…

Coco Gauff is through to the semifinals in Rome, but she had to earn every inch of it. The world No. 3 survived one of the tensest finishes of her season Tuesday at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia, needing five match points to put away No. 8 seed Mirra Andreeva in a 4-6, 6-2, 6-4 quarterfinal that stretched well beyond the scoreline. It marks the fourth time she has reached the Rome semifinals and her third of 2026, following runs in Dubai and Miami. Up next for Gauff is Sorana Cirstea, the 36-year-old Romanian veteran who has announced 2026 as her…

Brandon Clarke, the Memphis Grizzlies forward who spent his entire seven-year NBA career with the franchise after a celebrated run at Gonzaga, died Tuesday. He was 29. The cause of death has not been officially confirmed, pending an autopsy, though the incident is under investigation as a possible drug overdose. Priority Sports, Clarke’s agency, confirmed the news in a social media post Tuesday morning, expressing grief shared by teammates, family, and the broader basketball community. The Grizzlies organization followed with their own statement, describing him as an outstanding teammate whose impact on the team and the Memphis community would not…

The stock market turned uneasy Tuesday after fresh inflation data and a sharp decline in semiconductor shares disrupted Wall Street’s recent momentum. The S&P 500 drifted lower throughout the trading session while the Nasdaq Composite suffered steeper losses as investors pulled back from major technology stocks. Investors closely watched the S&P 500 as volatility spread across major sectors. Much of the pressure followed the release of April’s Consumer Price Index report, which showed inflation remaining stronger than expected. The update complicated expectations surrounding future Federal Reserve rate cuts and quickly reignited concerns about borrowing costs staying elevated longer than investors…

The NBA draft lottery has come and gone, and the league is already buzzing. Front offices are burning up phone lines, agents are floating names, and fans are refreshing their feeds waiting for the next bombshell. What happens between now and draft night could redefine the trajectory of multiple franchises — and the rumors swirling right now are anything but quiet. At the center of it all is Washington. Wizards president Michael Winger has signaled that the organization is open to trading down from its current position, an interesting development given the team recently added two former All-Stars in Trae…

Kendrick Lamar has spent years building one of the most untouchable catalogs in modern music. So when two of his most celebrated projects quietly disappeared from Apple Music without warning or explanation, the internet did what it always does — it spiraled. The album GNX and the viral diss track Euphoria are no longer accessible on Apple Music. Users searching for either project are met with error messages declaring the content unavailable. Links that once led directly to the album now dead-end into nothing. For a fanbase that treats Lamar’s music as essential listening, the sudden silence hit differently. How…

Real Madrid are finishing the 2025/26 season with nothing to show for it — no cups, no title, and a dressing room that has come apart at the seams. What began as a disappointing campaign on the pitch has since revealed something far more troubling behind closed doors at Valdebebas, where Aurélien Tchouaméni and a cast of feuding stars have pushed the club into full crisis mode. The season started going wrong almost immediately. A Spanish Super Cup final defeat to FC Barcelona triggered the dismissal of manager Xabi Alonso, who was replaced by Álvaro Arbeloa. His debut in charge ended…

Cardi B has never been the type to sit anything out. So when she arrived at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 4 for fashion’s biggest night, the fact that she was running a fever did not change the math. She came anyway — heels, full look, and all. The Bronx-born Grammy winner disclosed to reporters at the event that she was not feeling well, confirming she was dealing with a fever while making her appearance on one of the most photographed red carpets in the world. For most people, that would be a reason to stay home. For…