Latest news with #Tupac
Chicago Tribune
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Chicago Tribune
Biblioracle: Why I'm against ‘digital necromancy,' like the AI-driven Agatha Christie writing course
In 2012, hip hop star Tupac Shakur performed at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts festival on stage with Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre, even though Tupac had been killed in a drive-by shooting in 1996. The Tupac hologram was a little Hollywood special effects trickery that cost heavy sums, but now, thanks to generative artificial intelligence, we can resurrect just about any historical figure. Or can we? The most recent example to come across my radar is a BBC Maestro course featuring the woman who is considered the best-selling author of all time, Agatha Christie. BBC Maestro courses are essentially slickly produced, extended informational lectures combined with some exercises the viewer is meant to do along the way. They are not interactive, nor do they count for credit. They are, to my eye, purely for entertainment purposes. The maestros range across experts in singing, cooking, acting, decorating with flowers, and even sleeping. Still living writers who have done Maestro courses include Harlan Coben and Isabel Allende. But Agatha Christie is new because she is deader than one of the victims of her iconic mysteries, including 'Murder on the Orient Express' and 'Death on the Nile.' But there, on screen, in the preview video, is the voice and words (sort of) of Agatha Christie briefly expounding on the essential elements of a good mystery while she walks through a stately country house. This 'reanimated' Agatha Christie is being done with the permission of her estate, and consists of a script drawn from her writing, an AI that's mimicking her voice, and a layering of her face over that of a live actor. While the Christie estate and the avatar developers insist that they are working hard to be faithful to the original sentiments of the living person, AI ethicists object to this resurrection, pointing out that it is literally putting words in the mouth of someone who lived, and who cannot consent to this use. This is an example of what I have taken to calling 'digital necromancy,' and if you can't tell from my choice of term, I'm against it. There was a time where I would have brushed off the Agatha Christie example as mostly harmless, and on the scale of the application of generative AI in the service of digital necromancy, it's less egregious — especially considering its being done with permission from the people who have the rights to give permission — but I now see this and other examples as part of a bad movement that should be not just resisted, but rejected. Worse are the historical chatbots where people who lived and spoke and wrote are compiled into bespoke large language models and then let loose without consideration or care. Earlier this year, it was found that an Anne Frank chatbot could not and would not condemn the Nazis who killed her, much of her family and millions of others. This is likely because of Anne Frank's most famous passage from her 'Diary of a Young Girl,' 'In spite of everything, I still believe that people are really good at heart.' Defenders of this use of the technology say it helps students 'engage' with history, but what kind of engagement is this? It's not just pedagogically dubious, it's morally offensive. We have Anne Frank's words. We have scholars who have written about Frank, including 'The Many Lives of Anne Frank' by Ruth Franklin, which I reviewed here. If you want to know what someone thought, read them. If you want a writing teacher, find an interested, sufficiently expert human with whom you can interact. We are abundant, I promise. John Warner is the author of books including 'More Than Words: How to Think About Writing in the Age of AI.' You can find him at Book recommendations from the Biblioracle John Warner tells you what to read based on the last five books you've read. 1. 'American Midnight: The Great War, a Violent Peace, and Democracy's Forgotten Crisis' by Adam Hochschild 2. 'The Message' by Ta-Nehisi Coates 3. 'Fraud' by David Rakoff 4. 'The Unclaimed: Abandonment and Hope in the City of Angels' by Pamela J. Prickett and Stefan Timmermans 5. 'You Dreamed of Empires' by Álvaro EnrigueI think Scott is a good fit for the family drama (with a nice dash of comedy) from Luis Alberto Urrea, 'The House of Broken Angels.' 1. 'The Corrections' by Jonathan Franzen 2. 'This Is Water' by David Foster Wallace 3. 'The Goldfinch' by Donna Tartt 4. 'The Last Samurai' by Helen DeWitt 5. 'Long Division' by Kiese LaymonFor Bill, it feels like an occasion for some oddness and wit, which is excellently met by Charles Portis and 'Masters of Atlantis.' 1. 'Lessons in Chemistry' by Bonnie Garmus 2. 'Pride and Prejudice' by Jane Austen 3. 'The Housemaid' by Freida McFadden 4. 'Booth' by Karen Joy Fowler 5. 'Memorial Days' by Geraldine BrooksI have yet to find the reader who is not charmed by Rufi Thorpe's 'Margo's Got Money Troubles.' Get a reading from the Biblioracle Send a list of the last five books you've read and your hometown to biblioracle@
Libya Review
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Libya Review
Libya Urged to Immediately Release Detained Sudanese Refugee
On Thursday, Libya Crimes Watch (LCW) documented the arbitrary detention of Sudanese activist Mohammed Adam Arbab, widely known as 'Tupac,' aged 24, by staff members of the Sudanese Embassy in Tripoli. According to verified information, the activist was unlawfully detained inside an office at the embassy premises for 24 hours before being handed over, without any legal procedure, to Libyan authorities in preparation for his forced deportation to Sudan. Tupac is a registered asylum seeker with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Tripoli, with official status since November 2024. As such, he is entitled to protection under international law, particularly the principle of non-refoulement, which strictly prohibits returning any person to a country where they may face persecution, torture, or life-threatening harm. If deported to Sudan, Tupac would face grave risks to his life and freedom due to his activism, in a country still engulfed in armed conflict and known for widespread and systematic human rights abuses. LCW holds both the Sudanese Embassy in Tripoli and the Government of National Unity (GNU) fully responsible for this serious violation of international refugee law and human rights norms. The unlawful arrest and handover of a protected asylum seeker without legal safeguards, judicial process, or transparency constitute a clear case of refoulement, which is prohibited under international and regional legal instruments to which Libya is a party. LCW urgently calls on the GNU and all relevant authorities in western Libya to immediately and unconditionally release Mohammed Adam Arbab and to halt any plans for his deportation. LCW also urges the UNHCR to take immediate action to secure Tupac's protection and prevent his return to a country where his life may be in danger. Libya's authorities must fulfill their international obligations. Deporting a registered asylum seeker without due process is not only illegal, it is potentially fatal. Tags: Arbitrary DetentionlibyaSudanSudanese Refugee
Black America Web
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Black America Web
Watch: Joey Bada$$ Stops By ‘Sound Check With Jeremy Hecht' To Choose Between New York Legends Jay-Z & Nas
Source: Courtesy / UPROXX Studios The fire guests just keep on coming! This week, Brooklyn rapper and actor Joey Bada$$ joins host Jeremy Hecht for UPROXX's Sound Check, a new weekly interview series revealing your favorite artist's musical taste. Each high-stakes, 12-round episode features a carefully curated playlist of impossible choices, unearthing some never-before-heard stories and creative influences. This episode was recorded about an hour before Joey went into the booth and recorded his game-shaking verse during the Red Bull Spiral cypher with Ab-Soul and Big Sean at the Red Bull studios. Everyone in the hip hop community is aware of the current East coast vs. West coast battle that Joey just so happens to be in the middle of. With that being the case, it only make sense that he was forced to choose between songs from two of his favorite artists of all time – 'Changes' by Tupac ft. Talent and 'Sky's The Limit' by The Notorious B.I.G. ft. 112. Joey chose the Pac classic and said. 'I think the Tupac 'Changes' one is definitely like, that's probably number one…that's a generational classic…That joint it just do something to you…I probably listen to 'Sky's The Limit' more though, but I gotta give it to 'Changes'.' As a New York native, being a fan of both Jay-Z and Nas is almost embedded in you. Later in the episode, Joey had to pick which track he preferred from two of his favorite albums of all time – 'Dead Presidents II' by Jay-Z and 'World Is Yours' by Nas. The 30 year-old decided on the former: 'Out of the two songs that you play for me, I got to go 'Dead Presidents'…as much as I love Ilmatic, 'World is Yours' is not my favorite joint on there, you know what I'm saying. Like if you played 'It Ain't Hard to Tell' then it would have been a different conversation you know what I mean but…it's funny that 'Dead President' is not my favorite song on Reasonable Doubt either…'Friend or Foe' is probably my favorite.' In the final round, Hecht flips the script and turns the tables on himself by attempting to guess the track Joey says represents his entire life. Given two options—'Bag Lady' by Erykah Badu and 'Something About Us' by Daft Punk—Hecht correctly guessed 'Something About Us'. When asked about his song selection, Joey answers, 'That's my favorite song of all time…I can't even remember when I found that song um, that's on their Discovery album and uh I don't know bro it's just like it's so funky but it got like a hip-hop kind of R&B element to it, and then it's like when the words come it's like the perfect words bro…like me and my daughter listen to that song, it's one of her favorite songs now too.' Check out the entertaining full episode featuring Joey Bada$$ below! Stay tuned as many more guests are scheduled to visit the show in the coming weeks. Fans can catch new episodes of 'Sound Check with Jeremy Hecht' Wednesdays on UPROXX's YouTube channel and social platforms. For exclusive content, behind-the-scenes moments, and more, follow @UPROXX and #UPROXXSoundCheck on Instagram, TikTok, X and Facebook. Watch: Joey Bada$$ Stops By 'Sound Check With Jeremy Hecht' To Choose Between New York Legends Jay-Z & Nas was originally published on Black America Web Featured Video CLOSE
Top Gear
20-05-2025
- Automotive
- Top Gear
A US tuner has built a 1,000bhp V8 E30 BMW, and you must hear it immediately
Advertisement American Tuned TG meets Cory Mullenaux's wild, LS-equipped BMW and holds on tight 9 minutes 13 seconds California, as Tupac confirmed back in the Nineties, knows how to party. And there ain't no party like a twin-turbo LS V8-swapped E30 BMW party. Welcome to the wildest old Bimmer you'll ever likely see. It's the work of Long Beach's Cody Mullenaux, a man who started out as a truck driver, before graduating to owning a trucking business, before graduating to selling it all off so he could build his dream car. Advertisement - Page continues below A dream that takes the classic E30, outfits it with a tubular chassis, and then fills it full of front-mid-engined turbocharged American V8 fury. A thousand horses worth of LS fury, by the way. After a few quite literal false starts, Top Gear's tuning correspondent Rob Dahm gets to grips with this immaculate, incredible build. Want to hear what a twin-turbo, 1,000bhp+ LS V8-swapped E30 BMW party sounds like? Keep it rockin'… You might like Advertisement - Page continues below Looking for more from the USA? Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Look out for your regular round-up of news, reviews and offers in your inbox. Get all the latest news, reviews and exclusives, direct to your inbox. American Tuned USA Modified Video News See more on American Tuned
Edinburgh Live
08-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Edinburgh Live
Wu-Tang Clan fans stunned as they discover how band got their name
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info The name Wu-Tang Clan is instantly recognisable to any hip-hop enthusiast. With iconic tracks like 'C.R. E.A.M.' and 'Protect Ya Neck', their music is as integral to the genre as classics by Biggie or Tupac. However, despite their three-decade legacy, some newer fans may not know the origin of the Wu-Tang Clan moniker - or what the group was almost named. The story begins in Staten Island, New York, in the late '80s when three cousins - Robert Diggs, Gary Grice and Russell Jones - decided to form a rap trio, reports the Mirror US. They initially called themselves Force of the Imperial Master, a name that seems more suited to a sci-fi film marathon than the hip hop scene. The trio also went by the All in Together Now Crew - another name that's hard to associate with the group. At this point, Diggs was known as Prince Rakeem, Grice went by The Genius, and Jones performed as The Specialist. They gained respect in the underground scene, and by 1991, both The Genius and Prince Rakeem had signed solo deals. The Genius released Words from the Genius on Cold Chillin' Records, and Rakeem put out Ooh I Love You Rakeem on Tommy Boy. Neither release made much impact, and the labels dropped them. This led to a rebrand: Rakeem became RZA, The Genius became GZA, The Specialist became Ol' Dirty Bastard. And in 1992, with the addition of Staten Island's Dennis Coles (soon to be known as Ghostface Killah), they laid the groundwork for something far greater. Wu-Tang Clan. The name Wu-Tang Clan took inspiration from the 1983 martial arts classic 'Shaolin and Wu Tang', featuring Gordon Liu, capturing the story of a lethal clash between two kung fu schools. RZA and Ol' Dirty Bastard, who had a penchant for kung fu cinema, found the filmic link fitting. Yet, the collective didn't just settle on the name; they took it further by creating backronyms in quintessential '90s rap style. Some of the standout interpretations included: "We Usually Take All N****s' Garments', 'Witty Unpredictable Talent And Natural Game", and "Wisdom of the Universe, and the Truth of Allah for the Nation of the Gods." Their 1993 breakthrough album 'Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)' redefined the East Coast hip hop landscape. By 1997, their sophomore effort 'Wu-Tang Forever' soared to No.1 on the Billboard 200 and snagged a Grammy nod for Best Rap Album. "We reinvented the way hip hop was structured," asserted RZA. The band's success allowed each member freedom of movement within the industry. Whether it was Meth joining Def Jam, Rae sticking with Loud, Ghost signing with Sony, GZA linking up with Geffen—all still credited 'Razor Sharp Records. ' The Wu-Tang brand had become a formidable force in the music business.
