Pop Shots – Get to Gettin’

Welcome to your weekly dose of pop world musings. Covering all things pop culture, this week Pop Shots is hitting you with thoughts on everything from Drake getting waxed, to Bebe Rexha getting heated, to Flavor Flav getting into women’s water polo, and since this is Pop Shots you know everything is seasoned with a little bit of attitude.

* Drake is the latest artist to be recreated as a wax figure at Madame Tussauds New York. Kendrick Lamar is looking forward to burning the entire place to the ground.

* Bebe Rexha took to Twitter to type out some of explosive thoughts regarding the music industry. “I’ve been silenced and PUNISHED by this industry,” she wrote, adding that she’s been given “no budget” to promote her new single, “I’m the Drama.” First off, all of this absolutely lives up to the title of the single, so if it’s part of a promotional campaign, it’s genius. If, however, it isn’t part of a promotional campaign, her label needs to make it the campaign. Someone there has to have a mind for this, right?

* Pearl Jam was forced to cancel two more shows on their European tour due to unspecified band members being ill. When you’re Pearl Jam, and someone in the band is sick, you have to cancel the show, because you can’t find a better man.

* Nicki Minaj wrote a lengthy post on Twitter blasting her former manager for going behind her back to reach out to Lil’ Kim in an attempt to squash the beef between the two rappers. Being that Nicki Minaj still has a career, I feel like instead of blasting her former manager she should be sending her a thank you card … and flowers … on a weekly basis.

* In an interview with People magazine to promote her new Paramount+ docuseries, Melissa Etheridge: I’m Not Broken, Melissa Etheridge revealed her sperm donor, David Crosby was a bit of a Johnny Appleseed. “We’re still finding kids from David Crosby out in the world,” she said, “My daughter’s like, ‘I have another half-sister.’” Pretty soon “made from David Crosby’s sperm” is going to have to be an option on dating sites, just for everyone’s safety.

* Diplo took to Instagram to address a civil lawsuit accusing him of sharing sexually-explicit videos and images of an ex without her permission, writing, “Don’t believe what you read in the news. I don’t own a 100 million dollar mansion, I didn’t pay 450k euros to rave in Ibiza and I didn’t send dirty snapchats in 2017.” Same, Diplo, same, but I sure wouldn’t mind being accused of the first two things.

* Flavor Flav — who signed a five-year sponsorship deal for both the men’s and women’s U.S. water polo teams – revealed he’s helping the athletes on the women’s team by hooking each of them up with a Virgin Voyage cruise, and a $1,000 bonus. He’s also planning to be in Paris to cheer them on, so hopefully an international edition of Flavor of Love is in our future.

* Finally, in sad news, Kinky Friedman passed away at the age of 79. The singer, songwriter, satirist, author, and former gubernatorial candidate created works that are beloved by many, and probably offended twice as many, and that’s why those of us who love him will never forget him.

That’s all for this edition of Pop Shots, but come back next Monday for more shots on all things pop.