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  • WizKid, Tems make Obama’s 2020 list of favourite music

    WizKid, Tems make Obama’s 2020 list of favourite music

    Nigerian artistes Wizkid and Tems have made former US President Barack Obama’s list of ‘Favourite Music of 2020’.

    In listing his favourite songs for this year, Obama is continuing an annual tradition.

    In 2019, Grammy nominee Burna Boy and Mavin Records’ star Rema made the list with “Anybody” and “Iron man” respectively.

    But the former Commander in Chief’s Nigerian pick for 2020 is Essence, a single from Wizkid’s “Made In Lagos” album in which he features Tems.

    According to Obama’s list, the former president has a diversified taste, listening to music from various genres, such as pop, R&B, hip-hop, música urban and country music.

    The list which was shared on Twitter today, according to Obama is complied with “valuable consultation from our family music guru, Sasha” who seems to have a considerable influence on her famous father’s music choices.

    See the full list of Barack Obama’s favorite music of 2020 below:

    SAVAGE REMIX – Megan Thee Stallion ft. Beyoncé
    LOVE IS THE KING – Jeff Tweedy
    FRANCHISE- Travis Scott ft. Young Thug g M.I.A.
    NADA- Lido Pimienta f. Li Saumet
    CAN’T DO MUCH- Waxahatchee
    THE BIGGER PICTURE- Lil Baby
    GHOSTS- Bruce Springsteen
    LEVITATING- Dua Lipa ft. DaBaby
    THE CLIMB BACK – J. cole
    REPEAT- J Hus ft. Koffee
    DAMAGE- H.E.R.
    GOODBYE JIMMY REED- Bob Dylan
    SUMMER 2020- Jhené Aiko
    BRAVE- Ruston Kelly
    UWRONGO (EDIT)- Prince Kaybee, Shimza, Black Motion, and Ami Faku
    BETTER DISTRACTIONS – Faye Webster
    LEMONADE- Internet Money ft. Don Toliver, Gunna, and NAV
    BLUE WORLD- Mac Miller
    CUT EM IN- Anderson . Paak ft. Rick Ross
    STARTING OVER- Chris Stapleton
    MECCA- Spillage Village, JID e EARTHGANG
    LA DIFICIL- Bad Bunny
    ESSENCE- WizKid ft. Tems
    ALL MY GIRLS LIKE TO FIGHT- Hope Tala
    KYOTO- Phoebe Bridgers
    SUN CAME OUT- Gunna
    REMEMBER WHERE YOU ARE- Jessie Ware
    4 My PPL – Goodie Mob
    DISTANCE- Yebba
    ONE LIFE, MIGHT LIVE- Little Simz

  • Wizkid makes Obama’s 2020 summer playlist

    Wizkid makes Obama’s 2020 summer playlist

    Nigerian music star, Wizkid, has ‘smiled’ his way into the ears of Barack Obama, making the former U.S. president’s 2020 summer playlist.

    Wizkid, whose real name is Ayodeji Balogun, is at No. 15 with his new single “Smile”, featuring American Grammy winner, H.E.R.

    Obama shared the selection with his followers on Twitter on Monday evening, in continuation of an annual tradition.

    “Over the past few months, I’ve spent a lot of time listening to music with my family.

    “I wanted to share some of my favorites from the summer, including songs from some of the artistes at this week’s @DemConvention. Hope you enjoy it,” he wrote.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that upcoming Nigerian-American rapper, Chika, also featured in the list with her uplifting single, “Crown”.

    The list features 53 songs from a range of genres, including reggae, hip-hop, country, pop and rock.

    American RnB superstar, Beyoncé, also made the list with “Already” from her new visual album, “Black is King.”

    Others in the collection are Rihanna, Bob Marley, OutKast, Nas, J. Cole, Nina Simone and Frank Ocean among others.

    Eilish, Leon Bridges, The Chicks, Common and Jennifer Hudson, who also made the list, were scheduled to perform at the ongoing National Convention of the Democratic Party.

    NAN recalls that Mavin Records singer, Divine Ikubor, popularly known as Rema, made the Obama playlist in 2019 with his hit single “Dumebi”

  • US presidential poll: Obama, Clinton react to Biden’s choice of Harris as running mate

    US presidential poll: Obama, Clinton react to Biden’s choice of Harris as running mate

    Former President Barrack Obama has joined major Democratic Party leaders to hail presidential candidate Joe Biden for choosing Senator Kamala Harris as his running mate.

    Obama said Biden “nailed this decision” with the choice of Harris, describing her as a perfect fit for the ticket.

    The former President, in a statement, said: “Choosing a vice president is the first important decision a president makes. When you’re in the Oval Office, weighing the toughest issues and the choice you make will affect the lives and livelihoods of the entire country — you need someone with you who’s got the judgment and the character to make the right call.

    “Joe Biden nailed this decision. By choosing Senator Kamala Harris as America’s next vice president, he’s underscored his own judgment and character. Reality shows us that these attributes are not optional in a president.

    “They’re requirements of the job. And now Joe has an ideal partner to help him tackle the very real challenges America faces right now and in the years ahead.

    I’ve known Senator Harris for a long time. She is more than prepared for the job. She’s spent her career defending our Constitution and fighting for folks who need a fair shake.

    “Her own life story is one that I and so many others can see ourselves in: a story that says that no matter where you come from, what you look like, how you worship, or who you love, there’s a place for you here. It’s a fundamentally American perspective, one that’s led us out of the hardest times before. And it’s a perspective we can all rally behind right now.

    “Michelle and I couldn’t be more thrilled for Kamala, Doug, Cole, and Ella. This is a good day for our country. Now let’s go win this thing.”

    On her part, Hilary Clinton, the Democrat candidate in the 2016 election, tweeted: “I’m thrilled to welcome @KamalaHarris to a historic Democratic ticket.

    “She’s already proven herself to be an incredible public servant and leader. And I know she’ll be a strong partner to @JoeBiden. Please join me in having her back and getting her elected.”

  • Twitter hit hard as scammers hack Obama, Bill Gates, Apple, other high profile official Twitter accounts, rake in over $10m

    Twitter hit hard as scammers hack Obama, Bill Gates, Apple, other high profile official Twitter accounts, rake in over $10m

    Official Twitter handles belonging to high profile individuals such as Barack Obama, Joe Biden and Bill Gates were hacked Wednesday to promote a Bitcoin scam.

    Others affected were Elon Musk, Kanye West, Michael Bloomberg, Warren Buffett and the world’s richest man Jeff Bezos.

    Hacked people and organisations include Gemini, #Binance, Binance’s CEO, #Coinbase, CoinDesk, and KuCoin, said Hacker News.

    According to Bloomberg, all the compromised accounts sent out tweets promising to double the money sent by anyone sending money via Bitcoin within the next 30 minutes.

    The official twitter handles of Uber and Apple posted similar tweets with the scam soon after.

    Apple Twitter account , with over 4.6 million followers, was devoid of any tweet as at 22.50 GMT.

    Cybersecurity news platform The Hacker News said the bitcoin account involved had already received nearly $1,060,000.

    One unconfirmed report said the scammers may have stolen as much as $10m.

    Meanwhile, Twitter has said it is investigating the issue. And later put on hold thousands of verified accounts.

    “You may be unable to Tweet or reset your password while we review and address this incident”, Twitter said.

    Twitter shares declined 2.3% post market.

    Some of the messages sent out by the hackers using popular handles include:

     

  • I didn’t know how my music got Obama’s attention-Rema

    I didn’t know how my music got Obama’s attention-Rema

    Afro-pop singer, Rema has averred that he doesn’t know how his song got Barrack Obama’s attention.

    The 20-year-old singer in a chat with Rolling Stones said:“It was amazing being the only Nigerian artist there. I don’t know anybody in the White House or in the American government. How did my music walk so far to his doorstep?”

    Rema said he had started out at his hometown’s Christ of Mercy church, where he was installed as a youth leader for a program called ‘Rap Nation’ that taught kids how to rap for the congregation.

    “If I look back, I wasn’t really that good,” Rema said while detailing the experiences that had further fueled his quest to find an opportunity he could lay hands towards showcasing his talent.

    He also explained that, following the death of his father in 2008, his brother had followed seven years later, bringing untoward financial hardship to his mum and two sisters.

    To make ends meet, they had embarked on a yearlong move to Ghana where very little was in store for them. “We were hungry. I was the only man in the house. I had to do something,” Rema said.

    D’Prince, who doubles as Don Jazzy’s brother, would later sign Rema after the ‘Dumebi’ crooner did a viral Instagram freestyle of his ‘Gucci Gang’.

    “When I took that break, I saw real life. I was like, ‘This is my only chance’. I had to prove myself. I had strictly hip-hop, trap songs. But D’Prince started pitching some Afrobeats to me,” he said.

     

     

  • Again, Obama attacks Trump on pandemic management

    Again, Obama attacks Trump on pandemic management

    Former U.S. President Barack Obama indirectly criticised his successor Donald Trump during a virtual graduation ceremony Saturday, in a rare public judgment during the coronavirus pandemic.

    “More than anything this pandemic has fully, finally torn back the curtain on the idea that so many of the folks in charge know what they’re doing,” Obama told graduates from several dozen historically black colleges and universities.

    “A lot of them aren’t even pretending to be in charge,” he said as he discussed the implications of the pandemic during the online event, without naming any specific leaders.

    Obama has kept a low profile since leaving office in January 2017 and rarely speaks out publicly.

    On Saturday he also highlighted how the health crisis has underscored racial inequality in America.

    He also expressed outrage at the shooting death of 25-year-old Ahmaud Arbery, killed on February 23 while out for a jog in Georgia.

    “A disease like this just spotlights the underlying inequalities and extra burdens that black communities have historically had to deal with in this country,” he said.

    “We see it in the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on our communities. Just as we see it when a black man goes for a jog and some folks feel like they can stop and question, and shoot him, if he doesn’t submit to their question,” he continued, without naming Arbery.

    In keeping with tradition, America’s first black president has up until now avoided publicly criticizing his successor, despite frequently being attacked by Trump.

    But earlier this month, in remarks leaked from a web call with people who worked in his administration, he called Trump’s handling of the pandemic a catastrophe.

    “It would have been bad even with the best of governments. It has been an absolute chaotic disaster when that mindset — of ‘what’s in it for me’ and ‘to heck with everybody else’ — when that mindset is operationalised in our government,” he said in that call.

    The US leads the world with coronavirus cases and deaths, at 1.4 million and nearly 90,000, respectively.

  • Trump tackles Obama for criticising his Covid-19 response

    Trump tackles Obama for criticising his Covid-19 response

    President Trump on Sunday ripped the Obama administration’s handling of the swine flu pandemic — after it was revealed that the former commander in chief called his successor’s approach to the coronavirus crisis an “absolute chaotic disaster.”

    “We are getting great marks for the handling of the Coronavirus pandemic, especially the very early BAN of people from China, the infectious source, entering the USA,” the president said on Twitter Sunday morning. “Compare that to the Obama/Sleepy Joe disaster known as H1N1 Swine Flu. Poor marks, bad polls – didn’t have a clue!”

    In a video chat with supporters Friday, Obama criticized Trump’s handling of the coronavirus.

    “It has been an absolute chaotic disaster,” Obama said, “when that mindset of ‘what’s in it for me’ and ‘to heck with everybody else’ ⁠— when that mindset is operationalized in our government.”

    During the 2009 swine flu pandemic, 12,469 people died in the US, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated.

    According to Johns Hopkins University, 78,799 Americans have died of the coronavirus so far.

    In a series of tweets, the president also thanked Vice President Mike Pence for tweeting the number of medical supplies the Federal Emergency Management Agency distributed to Iowa.

    “Under President @realDonaldTrump’s decisive leadership, @fema has been able to deliver millions of supplies and PPE to the people of Iowa as we continue our whole-of-America response to the Coronavirus,” Pence, who is heading up the White House coronavirus task force, tweeted on Friday.

    And with California beginning to reopen parks, Trump noted that his golf course is open for business.

    “So great to see our Country starting to open up again!” the president tweeted, linking to a posting from Trump Los Angeles.

    “Game on! We are thrilled to announce the reopening of @trumpgolfla beginning Saturday May 9th! We look forward to welcoming you back Book your tee time now!,” the Trump National Golf Club Los Angeles tweeted on Friday.

    California announced that it would begin opening parks, hiking trails, beaches and golf courses and urged people to follow social distancing guidelines and wear masks.

    Trump also went after “Fake Journalists” and the Russia and Ukrainian investigations.

    “When are the Fake Journalists, who received unwarranted Pulitzer Prizes for Russia, Russia, Russia, and the Impeachment Scam, going to turn in their tarnished awards so they can be given to the real journalists who got it right. I’ll give you the names, there are plenty of them!,” he said.

  • Obama lambasts Trump’s Covid-19 response in leaked web call

    Obama lambasts Trump’s Covid-19 response in leaked web call

    Former US President Barack Obama has strongly criticised his successor Donald Trump over his response to the coronavirus crisis.

    In a private call, he called the US handling of the pandemic “an absolute chaotic disaster”.

    Mr Obama has said he wants to play a larger role supporting Joe Biden in the presidential election in November.

    His new remarks were made in a call meant to encourage former staff to work for Mr Biden’s campaign, CNN reports.

    Mr Trump’s approach to government is partly to blame for the US response to coronavirus, Mr Obama said.

    “It would have been bad even with the best of government,” he was quoted as saying in the call. “It has been an absolute chaotic disaster when that mindset — of ‘what’s in it for me’ and ‘to heck with everybody else’ — when that mindset is operationalized in our government.”

    Mr Obama also strongly criticised the decision to drop criminal charges against former national security adviser Michael Flynn during the Trump-Russia investigation.

    More than 77,000 people have now died and the US has 1.2m confirmed cases – both by far the highest in the world.

    Many states introduced lockdown measures in March but have now lifted restrictions, allowing people to return to work.

    But health officials warn this may lead the virus to spread further.

    Mr Trump’s approach to the pandemic has oscillated. In February he dismissed the threat, saying it would disappear, but by mid-March he acknowledged its severity.

    In April he suggested that ingesting disinfectant could be a preventative – something experts immediately rejected.

    Last week he announced he would close down his government’s coronavirus task force but later said it is re-focusing on opening the economy.

  • US Presidential poll: Obama endorses former Vice, Joe Biden for White House Job [Video]

    US Presidential poll: Obama endorses former Vice, Joe Biden for White House Job [Video]

    “I’m proud to endorse my friend JoeBiden for President of the United States. Let’s go’, Barack Obama said on Tuesday.

    The former U.S.President and its first African-American, made the much expected endorsement in a video released on Twitter and Instagram.

    In the video, Obama also praised Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders and appeared to suggest that Biden should adopt some of Sanders’ ideas.

    “If there’s one thing we’ve learned as a country from moments of great crisis, it’s that the American spirit of looking out for one another can’t be restricted to our homes, or our workplaces, or our neighbourhoods, or our houses of worship. It also has to be reflected in our national government.

    “The kind of leadership that’s guided by knowledge and experience; honesty and humility; empathy and grace – that kind of leadership doesn’t just belong in our state capitols and mayors offices. It belongs in the White House.

    “That’s why I’m so proud to endorse @JoeBiden for President of the United States.

    “Choosing Joe to be my Vice President was one of the best decisions I ever made.

    “He’s got the character and the experience to guide us through one of our darkest times and heal us through a long recovery.

    “And I’ve got a lot more to say about why Joe should be President in the video. I hope you give it a watch.

    “Then I hope you’ll join us at JoeBiden.com and make a plan for how you’re going to get involved.

  • Obamas’ first film wins best documentary Oscar

    Obamas’ first film wins best documentary Oscar

    The Barack and Michelle Obama-produced film “American Factory” snagged an Oscar on Sunday for best documentary — a win for Netflix, which backed the story of a manufacturing plant in the US Midwest reopened by a Chinese billionaire.

    The film charts a Rust Belt community’s journey from optimism at the giant plant’s reopening, which brought back vital jobs, towards creeping anger and disillusionment, as the Chinese management imposed strict, exhausting demands on workers — and sacked those who did not comply.

    “Our film is from Ohio and China,” director Julia Reichert said. “But it really could be from anywhere that people put on a uniform, punch a clock, trying to make their families have a better life.”

    “Working people have it harder and harder these days, and we believe that things will get better when workers of the world unite,” she said in accepting her statuette.

    Co-directed by Reichert and Steven Bognar, the film is an all-access look at how both American and Chinese workers, from blue-collar to management, had their lives transformed by powerful global economic forces.

    The story was moving enough to catch notice from none other than the Obamas.

    The former first couple acquired “American Factory” early last year at the Sundance Film Festival, where it had won the directing award.

    It was released on Netflix in August 2019 as the first offering from the former first couple’s Higher Ground Productions company.

    The film’s co-producer and the factory’s chairman were unable to leave China for the ceremony, due to White House restrictions on travel over the coronavirus panic.

    “That inconvenience pales when compared to people losing their lives, suffering because of this virus,” co-director Bognar said backstage.

    The Obamas congratulated Reichert and Bognar for their win Sunday, with the former president calling the film “a complex, moving story about the very human consequences of wrenching economic change.”

    “Glad to see two talented and downright good people take home the Oscar for Higher Ground’s first release,” he tweeted.

    The former first lady said she was “glad to see their heart and honesty recognized — because the best stories are rarely tidy or perfect.”

    “But that’s where the truth so often lies,” she tweeted.

    “American Factory” bested “The Edge of Democracy,” “The Cave,” “For Sama” and “Honeyland” to take the Oscar.