Drake and Kanye West may have an ongoing feud, but this week they found themselves in hot water together after both hip-hop stars were slammed for endorsing alleged sexual offenders.
Canadian rapper Drake, who recently released Certified Lover Boy, which has been breaking records on streaming platforms, gave a mysterious writing credit to disgraced singer R Kelly on the new album, for the song TSU.
To think we would stand beside that guy or write with him is just incredibly disgusting
Noah '40' Shebib,
producer
Social media was ablaze with comments of disbelief and while representatives for Drake and Kelly, who is currently facing several sex crime charges, have yet to comment, producer Noah '40' Shebib took to Instagram to clear up the matter.
"On a song called TSU at the beginning is a sample of OG Ron C talking," he wrote in a comment on artist Ravyn Wngz's account.
"Behind that faintly, which you can’t even hear, is an R Kelly song playing in the background. It has no significance, no lyrics are present, R Kelly’s voice isn’t even present, but if we wanted to use Ron C talking we were forced to license it."
The Canadian producer, whose father has Lebanese roots, said the move "doesn't sit well with me" and that he was not there to "defend Drake's lyrics", but he simply wanted to clear up the confusion.
"It's a bit misleading to call him a co-lyricist," he wrote. "To think we would stand beside that guy or write with him is just incredibly disgusting."
It has been reported that the song in question sampled on the album is Kelly's 1998 single Half on a Baby.
Once someone has been credited as a writer, they will also receive a part of the royalties.
West, meanwhile, has also faced backlash after collaborating with Marilyn Manson, who has been accused by several women of sexual and physical abuse, and self-described homophobe DaBaby, on new album Donda.
Manson was credited as a songwriter on the song Jail Pt 2 and the pair appeared onstage at West's listening event.
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Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
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The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The Farewell
Director: Lulu Wang
Stars: Awkwafina, Zhao Shuzhen, Diana Lin, Tzi Ma
Four stars
'The Batman'
Stars:Robert Pattinson
Director:Matt Reeves
Rating: 5/5
In numbers: China in Dubai
The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000
Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000
Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
Key products and UAE prices
iPhone XS
With a 5.8-inch screen, it will be an advance version of the iPhone X. It will be dual sim and comes with better battery life, a faster processor and better camera. A new gold colour will be available.
Price: Dh4,229
iPhone XS Max
It is expected to be a grander version of the iPhone X with a 6.5-inch screen; an inch bigger than the screen of the iPhone 8 Plus.
Price: Dh4,649
iPhone XR
A low-cost version of the iPhone X with a 6.1-inch screen, it is expected to attract mass attention. According to industry experts, it is likely to have aluminium edges instead of stainless steel.
Price: Dh3,179
Apple Watch Series 4
More comprehensive health device with edge-to-edge displays that are more than 30 per cent bigger than displays on current models.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
