Confined for 23 hours a day with only 15 to 20 minutes time out of the cell, Harlem-born hip-hop star and fashion icon A$AP Rocky (born Rakim Mayers), and two companions, have been jailed in Sweden for over two weeks following an altercation in the city of Stockholm. The U.S. Congressman serving Rocky's home district in New York City, Adriano Espaillat, is working to change that.
"Three young men, doing the right thing, successful, we're very proud of them, and they got bamboozled and thrown in jail," Espaillat told Cheddar Thursday. "That's why I'm fighting to get them out of jail."
On the final leg of their European tour, Rakim Mayers, and two other performers, Bladimir Corniel and David Rispers, were arrested and detained "for a suspected attack on an unknown person" on July 3, according to the Associated Press. In a video posted on the rapper's Instagram, two men are shown following the crew for multiple blocks, with one ultimately striking A$AP's security guard with headphones. Rocky can be heard repeatedly telling the two males to back away.
Swedish prisons are reportedly known for being a model for criminal justice, but Rep. Espaillat suggests his constituent's continued detainment and treatment might have more to do with the color of his skin.
"Race is always a factor, and continues to matter across the planet. In this case, it may have had something to do with it," the Congressman said.
"Sweden's gonna come out of this with a black-eye. I think that they really have not measured the kind of harm that it's done to their image," he added. "As a country that has always promoted itself for niceties, and having the haven of democracy there."
On Friday, a State Department official will travel to Stockholm to potentially rectify the situation. Kim Kardashian West announced over Twitter that President Trump, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Jared Kusher, and other members of the White House are working to free the three imprisoned in Stockholm.
At a press conference on Wednesday with the Congressional Black Caucus, Espaillat called on the State Department to do more, going as far as to call out Pompeo to "speak up."
Espaillat's message to a jailed A$AP: "We're fighting for you, stay strong, we'll get you out of there soon enough."
The "Long Live A$AP" rapper is known for his lyrics discussing a range of cultural topics from criminal justice, drugs, and race.
The most recent school shooting in Michigan is highlighting the tragic fact that U.S. shootings on campuses are ticking up. The aftermath of these incidents leaves students, faculty, and families suffering intense trauma with lasting effects. Darby Fox, an adolescent family therapist, joins Cheddar News to discuss how school shootings impact the mental health of students and their families.
With so many high-profile court cases taking over the media, from the trial over the murder of Ahmaud Arbery to the trial of Kyle Rittenhouse to the ongoing Elizabeth Holmes trial, Cheddar took a look at these cases and why there is such a big interest in them. Rachel Fiset, a white collar criminal defense lawyer and partner with Zeiback, Fiset, and Coleman, and Bryan Hance, attorney-at-law, professor, and academic program director of the pre-law and paralegal studies program at National University, joined Cheddar for a roundtable discussion on why there is so much public interest in so-called courtroom drama.
2022 is just around the corner and one of the world's most famous trendspotters says that there is a wide-ranging mix of trends coming up in the new year that could impact businesses, culture, and our society at large.
Trendspotter and cultural zeitgeist analyst Marian Salzman, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
Spotify has just officially released its 2021 'Wrapped'. For the past few years, the streaming giant has been presenting customers with their listening habits from the prior year, including favorite artists, most listened to the genre, podcasts, songs you name it. However, critics say this method just shows how apps can collect our data. CEO of Prevailion Karim Hijazi, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
Recent internal documents obtained by the New York Times reveal how exactly TikTok's algorithm works. The report highlights how the app is mainly focused on retaining two metrics which are retention and time spent. In addition, the document titled, "TikTok Algo 101" details how the algorithm understands human nature from when we get bored to our sensitivity and culture ques. It means the app monitors will kind of videos you like. Professor of Computer Science at the University of California in San Diego Julian McCauley, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
According to a recent study by a group of international researchers, artificial intelligence can predict new illegal drugs before they hit the streets. This method could help save lives and fight crime. Professor of Computing Science at the University of Alberta, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
Carlo and Baker discuss the sweeping new vaccine mandate in NYC that will target all private businesses. Plus, Trump's media venture gets its CEO and more.
A lockout is now in place for Major League Baseball. The collective bargaining agreement between the league and players association expired at 11:59 p.m. Wednesday night.
MLB commissioner Rob Manfred said both sides were unable to negotiate a new contract by that time, so the league locked out the players on Thursday at 12:01 a.m. The lockout also means trades and free agency deals have to stop for now. Dodgers Nation lead editor Clint Pasillas joined Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
