*By Conor White*
Kanye West has shocked people before, but his recent outbursts, including a bizarre TMZ interview in which he said slavery was a choice, have left even his closest friends wondering if he's O.K.
"A lot of it, yes, it is disturbing," said Kareem Burke, the co-founder of Roc-A-Fella Records, adding: "I don't know what the intent is, which is crazy for me because I know his heart, and I know he has a great heart, so I'm hopeful things will change and Kanye will be the old Kanye."
Burke takes credit for giving West his start in music more than 15 years ago, when the rapper first signed to Roc-A-Fella. "I personally launched his career," Burke said in an interview with Cheddar at the Collision Conference in New Orleans.
He is now launching a media empire, including two movies which recently had their premieres at the Tribeca Film Festival: "O.G." and "It's A Hard Truth Ain't It". Jeffrey Wright won Best Actor at Tribeca for his performance in "O.G."
Both films deal with prison life in the United States, something Burke knows about. Before he was a media entrepreneur, he served five years for marijuana trafficking. Burke said he hopes the films help raise awareness of the problems with the country's prison system.
"Hopefully if these stories keep getting out, we're hoping that the dialogue starts, and hopefully change follows that," Burke said.
For full interview, [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/roc-a-fella-co-founder-misses-the-old-kanye).
After testing out some Icelandic cuisine, Cheddar's own Shannon LaNier gets a sneak preview of Taste of Iceland -- a cultural festival running between May 10-13 across New York City.
Cheddar's own Shannon LaNier gets a taste of Icelandic cuisine at Blue Lagoon Iceland in New York City.
Cheddar News reporter Ashley Mastronardi tracks the rise of the "mom-fluencer" or working mothers who have left their jobs to become full-time content creators. While not a new phenomenon, experts say the trend has gained momentum since the start of the pandemic.
Tens of thousands of fans descended upon the Swedish capital of Stockholm to celebrate the opening show of Beyoncé’s new world tour on Wednesday.
Peru’s government will allow the extradition to the United States of the prime suspect in the unsolved 2005 disappearance of American student Natalee Holloway on the Dutch Caribbean Island of Aruba, bringing her family hope there will be justice in the case.
With summer coming up, Cheddar News breaks down some artists that you can check out as music festivals approach for the coming season.
The top entertainment headlines for May 10, 2023.
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MTV, a division of Paramount, is planning to shut down its news division and lay off 25 percent of its workforce. The company cited "broader economic headwinds" as the reason for the shuttering. The decision comes as Paramount makes cuts to better compete with rival entertainment giants.
Cheddar's own Shannon LaNier reports from the world premiere of Disney's live action remake of The Little Mermaid, starring Hallie Bailey as Ariel.
