SPIRITS

Megan Thee Stallion × Revlon

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Critically-acclaimed music superstar Megan Thee Stallion has been named the newest Revlon Global Brand Ambassador. Megan joins the pantheon of famous Revlon faces and takes her place among a diverse and accomplished group of women past and present, including current Brand Ambassadors Gal Gadot, Ashley Graham, Sofia Carson, Jessica Jung, Adwoa Aboah and Eniola Abioro.

“I’ve always set the bar high for myself with everything I do, but to now be a brand ambassador for Revlon, it feels like a new level,” said Megan. “To me, the Revlon brand stands for both beauty and female strength and I’m excited to help define what that means to a new generation of women.”

Known for her breakout anthems, including “Hot Girl Summer” and “Savage,” Megan Thee Stallion is the ultimate triple threat: music artist, social media sensation, and cutting-edge tastemaker. She continues to set and conquer goals in both music and television with a slew of awards and accomplishments to her name. Most recently, she released the song, “Girls In The Hood,” and hit #1 on the Billboard charts with her track “Savage”. She is also co-anchoring HBO Max’s reality show competition, Legendary, which highlights modern drag ball culture, working on her new album and pursuing her bachelor’s degree in Health Administration at Texas Southern University.

“Megan is a remarkable talent and we know she’s only going to continue to rise to new heights,” said Silvia Galfo, Revlon Global Brand President. “When we first approached her about a partnership nearly a year ago, we were drawn to her confidence and fierce ambition as much as her power to hold nothing back. She loves to express herself with makeup and is a constant inspiration to her fans on living boldly. It’s that authenticity and unapologetic spirit that we admire, and we are thrilled to welcome her to the Revlon family.”

Over its 80+ year history, Revlon has defined modernity with its electrifying “Unforgettable Women” campaign in the 1990’s and signed the first Black and plus-size models to beauty contracts. Revlon was also the first mainstream makeup brand to feature a woman of color in a national beauty advertisement in the 1970’s.

Megan Thee Stallion will begin appearing on behalf of Revlon across media platforms beginning this month.

An iconic American beauty brand, Revlon was founded in 1932 with revolutionary opaque nail enamel. Today the brand is regarded as global beauty leader, innovator and color expert, offering consumers in more than 150 countries a range of high quality color cosmetics, under leading franchises including ColorStay, Super Lustrous, Revlon Ultra HD and PhotoReady Candid. The brand has a rich heritage in hair color and care, including ColorSilk, the number one consumer hair color brand in the US. Revlon also offers a wide range of tools for beauty and nail. Revlon serves professional hair stylists and colorists with the Revlon Professional line, offering hair color, hair care and styling products under the Revlonissimo, UniqOne, and Equave franchises. Revlon Professional also provides cutting edge education to help salon professionals around the world transform their clients to look their very best. With a long-standing commitment to women’s progress, health and wellbeing, the brand has a history of raising funds and awareness for women’s issues through signature programs like the Revlon Run Walk and The Revlon Million Dollar Challenge.

Follow Megan Thee Stallion: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube

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The Beer Diet

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Top Florida rugby player Will Greaves has won a rare autographed proof copy of the transformative new book The Beer Diet: How to Drink Beer and NOT Gain Weight!

In a random selection process overseen by author Gary Greenberg, Greaves’ name was pulled out of a beer mug by the author’s wife, Nora Greenberg. The one-of-a-kind prize book is distinguished by a gray ribbon running across the cover that declares: “Not for Resale.”

But Greaves has other plans, vowing: “After The Beer Diet inevitably blows up into an international sensation, I’ll auction off the proof and use the proceeds to build rugby pitches – that serve beer!”

Tampa-based Greaves was a member of Greenberg’s Book Launch Team, a group of friends who helped to promote The Beer Diet when it was published by the Cosmic Café Press in July 2020. Kindle and print copies are now available for sale on Amazon, and arrangements are underway for distribution in bookstores through IngramSpark.

“Will Greaves may be small for rugby, but he’s tough as nails on the field, and as nice a guy as you’ll find anywhere off of it,” says Greenberg. “He also has good taste in beer, and literature, of course.”

In The Beer Diet, natural health journalist and avid homebrewer Greenberg describes how small adjustments in your lifestyle can make a huge difference in your health — and waistline. He shares even more about beer, health and life in general on his quirky YouTube channel, The Beer Diet Guy.

“I loved this book!” gushes Greaves, 30, production manager for Greaves Construction. “It’s no secret that I have let beer add (more than) a few inches to my waistline, and I can already tell the tips in this book are going to help. Thank God, because giving up beer was the other option!”

Gary Greenberg was born and raised in the Philadelphia area. He attended Penn State University where he majored in rugby, beer and coeds, and miraculously graduated with a B.A. degree in journalism in 1976. He has now been writing professionally for more than 40 years, primarily as an award-winning newspaper reporter and editor. Since 1999, he has owned and operated the freelance writing service SuperWriter, Inc. His other books include the metaphysical Miami crime novel Dead Man’s Tale, William Steel’s true crime memoir Sex and the Serial Killer, and the heavy metal detox guide The Chelation Revolution.

Doja Cat – Freak

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Today, multi-platinum, chart topping rapper/singer/songwriter/producer Doja Cat officially releases “Freak” at all digital service providers via Kemosabe/RCA Records. The track, which Doja initially uploaded to her SoundCloud last year quickly became a viral sensation on TikTok with over 1.2 million original creations. With over 5 million streams on SoundCloud, she treats fans by releasing the full track across all platforms while she works on new music.

Earlier this week, Doja was announced as one of the first wave of performers for the VMAs which are set to air live on MTV on August 30th at 8pm EST/PST. Doja is also nominated for 3 awards: PUSH: Best New Artist “Song of the Year” for “Say So” and Best Direction for Hannah Lux Davis on “Say So.” The nominations mark Doja’s first major award show nods continuing her breakthrough year. Fans can vote HERE.

Born and raised in L.A., Doja Cat made her first upload to Soundcloud in 2013 at just 16-years-old. She developed a knack for music by studying piano and dance as a kid and listening to the likes of Busta Rhymes, Erykah Badu, Nicki Minaj, Drake, and more. Soon, she went from obsessing over Catwoman (the Halle Berry version) to “crate digging” on YouTube. The budding talent taught herself Logic and how to compose on a midi controller.

Signed to RCA during 2014, she has released her Purrr! EP followed with her debut album Amala in spring 2018, but it was her August 2018 release of “Mooo!” which catapulted her into the mainstream and was met with critical acclaim. With co-signs from Chance The Rapper, Katy Perry, Chris Brown and J.Cole among others.

2019 was a big year for Doja, proving she is a mainstay artist with the release of tracks like “Tia Tamera” ft. Rico Nasty and her breakout hit “Juicy” ft. Tyga which appears on her sophomore album Hot Pink, released in November. She made her late night debut performance of the track on Late Night with Seth Meyers. She was also named the iHeart Radio “On The Verge” artist, with “Juicy” reaching #1 on the Rhythm radio chart and top 10 at Urban. Hot Pink has received rave reviews in the press and continues to be recognized as her strongest work to date with nearly 2 billion streams and video views combined.

Live, Doja has played numerous festivals and live shows including Rap Caviar Live Miami, Posty Fest, Day n Vegas, Rolling Loud LA and will play Coachella, Rolling Loud Miami, Broccoli City Fest later this year.

2020 kicked off another amazing year for the hybrid artist with the success of her single “Say So” continuing to climb the charts. She has delivered electrifying performances of the track on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, The Voice and The Late Late Show with James Corden. The track is RIAA certified platinum, reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100, #1 at Top 40 radio for 5 consecutive weeks, reached #1 at Rhythm radio, has over 180 million video views, and over 20 million Tik Tok videos created. The track has been streamed nearly 1 billion times worldwide. The follow up “Like That” ft. Gucci Mane is currently climbing the radio charts sitting inside the Top 20 at Top 40 radio and inside the Top 10 at Rhythm. Doja was also the first Vevo LIFT artist to be announced for 2020.

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Kylie Jenner Appears on Vogue Hong Kong Cover

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By Elle Grant

In recent months, the metropole Hong Kong appears almost daily in news feeds: ongoing protests, clashes with Beijing, the impacts of the new security law, and more. This week, however, Hong Kong finds itself in the news with a less then predictable name: Kylie Jenner.

The 22-year-old makeup and reality television mogul graces Hong Kong Vogue’s self-titled “Action Issue.” She poses in cranberry latex with white hot nails with the text “Act Now” printed across her lap. While the imagery of the cover is elegant, many are calling into question the decision to have Jenner fronting the issue, citing the ongoing dynamics currently in Hong Kong. The cover reveal comes just two days after Hong Kong delays its election, in what many are calling an effort to support the growing pro-Beijing presence in the city and cripple pro-democracy candidates. Both revelations follow years of protests in favor of democracy, with heightened tensions over the last few months due to the coronavirus and a new national security law imposed at the end of June.

Vogue Hong Kong cites on Instagram: “At the age of just 22, her beauty brand #KylieCosmetics has achieved far reaching success, and she is also active in charitable causes including funding surgeries for children with cleft lips and palate through Smile Train” as its reasons behind making Jenner the cover star. Similarly, Jenner gushed about her excitement on her own Instagram, but made no reference to the current political situation in the region. The cover appears especially interesting in context of the September issue of Vogue U.K. which features 20 different activists photographed in black and white.

Diet Prada on Instagram, a notorious critic of the fashion community, writes “Y tho?” when questioning the “Kendall for Pepsi move.” The latter statement is in reference to Kylie’s older sister Kendall Jenner’s own brush with controversy. Severe backlash and accusations of political tone deafness followed her now infamous 2017 Pepsi ad. In the ad, Kendall Jenner hands a police officer a Pepsi at a protest, seemingly in reference to the ongoing Black Lives Matter protests.

Comments, especially on social media, have called out Jenner and Vogue Hong Kong for the decision. “$5 she doesn’t even know what’s going on in Hong Kong,” joked one Instagram user. Another argued for criticism to be steered away from Jenner and instead towards the magazine: “How about you actually put an activist on the cover that stands for the message you’re trying to portray?” Currently, neither Vogue Hong Kong nor Kylie Jenner have commented on the criticism.

See full issue here.

Celebrate National Watermelon Day

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Celebrate National Watermelon Day on Monday August 3rd, with a fun quarantine cocktail. Watermelon inspired cocktail recipes below will refresh your summer day!

D’USSE Watermelon Spritz

Ingredients

1.5 parts D’USSE VSOP
0.5 part Aperol
2 parts fresh watermelon juice
0.5 part simple syrup
0.5 part fresh lemon juice
1 part Sparkling Wine

Garnish

Watermelon ball skewer & orange peel

Method

Add D’USSE, Aperol, watermelon juice, simple syrup and lemon juice into a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into an ice filled wine glass. Top with Sparkling Wine. Garnish with a watermelon ball skewer and orange peel.

JAJA Pink Panther

Ingredients

2 parts JAJA Tequila Blanco
3.5 parts Watermelon Juice (or 3 chunks of muddled watermelon)
1 small slice of Jalapeño (can be omitted)
0.5 part Simple Syrup

Garnish

Slice of watermelon & lime

Method

Add all ingredients to a shaker with ice and shake hard. Strain into a glass over fresh ice and garnish with a slice of watermelon and a lime.

VIDE Watermelon Vodka Soda

VIDE is a conveniently packaged, pre-mixed vodka soda with a hint of natural fruit flavor that comes in two varieties: Cranberry and Watermelon. Made with only three ingredients, VIDE is crisp, refreshing, and light! The 5% ABV beverage is 99 calories, gluten-free, and contains zero sugar or zero carbs.

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Natty Light – Dorm from Home

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As universities across the country announce campus closures to enact social distancing, droves of 21+ college students are facing a harsh reality; the semester they dreamed of won’t be happening. Natural Light knows how crushing this is for our fans, so we’re stepping in to help preserve some of the freedoms of on-campus living. The Dorm From Home initiative awards one lucky 21+ student with a “Nattified” mobile dorm unit. The dorm comes equipped with all the college staples and a space to call their own while they sit out another semester.

21+ college students across America will face hundreds of hours of digital lectures and exams this semester without a sanctuary to relax and step away from their studies. With the college experience hanging in the balance, Natty Light created a solution that delivers the independence of the college experience without ever leaving home.

The Dorm From Home mobile unit will be parked right in your backyard or driveway and comes

equipped with all the college classics:

Flat screen TV
Heat/AC/Electric
Mini fridge
Lax volume policies
Gaming system
Other people optional
Chill vibes included
A semester’s worth of Natty Light beer
money to enjoy responsibly*

“Having to miss a semester on-campus is a devastating feeling for our fans,” said Daniel Blake, Vice President of US Value Brands at Anheuser-Busch. “We could never replace the full experience, but Dorm From Home will give a piece of the college lifestyle back to one lucky fan and more importantly, it’s a reminder to the full Natty community that the college experience is worth celebrating, no matter where you are.”

For the chance to win, fans 21+ can post a photo on social with #DormFromHome and #contest to make the case why they deserve their own space this semester to dorm from home. Natty will select a winner based on the most creative and convincing argument that reflects the Natty Light personality and values.

The winner will receive their decked out mobile home to their doorstep at the start of the fall semester and will be theirs to keep.

No Purchase Necessary. Open to US residents who are 21+ and who are currently enrolled in an accredited college or university in the US or who were enrolled in an accredited college or university in the US within two (2) years prior to the time of entry. Ends 8/18/20. See Official Rules at naturallight.com/dorm-from-home for prize & details. Msg & data rates may apply. Void where prohibited. *Cash equivalent of 2 cases a month for 3 months

Natural Light was introduced in 1977 as Anheuser-Busch’s first reduced-calorie light beer. Currently the sixth best-selling beer in America, Natural Light is brewed with a blend of premium hops and a combination of select grains producing a clean flavor, light body and satisfying refreshment.

For more than 165 years, Anheuser-Busch has carried on a legacy of brewing great-tasting, high-quality beers that have satisfied beer drinkers for generations. Today, we own and operate 23 breweries, 14 distributorships and 23 agricultural and packaging facilities, and have more than 18,000 colleagues across the United States. We are home to several of America’s most recognizable beer brands, including Budweiser, Bud Light, Michelob ULTRA and Stella Artois, as well as a number of regional brands that provide beer drinkers with a choice of the best-tasting craft beers in the industry. From responsible drinking programs and emergency drinking water donations to industry-leading sustainability efforts, we are guided by our unwavering commitment to supporting the communities we call home.

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Jhené Aiko’s Chilombo Success

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Jhené Aiko’s blockbuster album CHILOMBO re-asserts its claim to the title of R&B album of the year this week, as the deluxe edition powers the album to over 46,000 new units. CHILOMBO re-enters the Top 10 on the Billboard 200 at #6, and reclaims the #1 spot on the Billboard R&B albums chart.

CHILOMBO DELUXE adds nine previously unreleased bonus tracks and remixes to the original 20-track album – including the new single “Summer 2020” – with new guest features from Kehlani, Snoop Dogg, Chris Brown, Mila J and Wiz Khalifa. Check out the in-depth cover-story profile of Jhené in the new issue of HITS magazine.

Chilombo (released in March) entered the Billboard Top R&B Albums chart at #1, and the Billboard 200 album chart at #2. Over 170 million first week streams ranked it as the biggest album debut in four years from a female R&B artist (since Beyoncé’s Lemonade in April 2016), and the biggest album debut of Jhené’s career.

Chilombo arrived on the strength of its five massive advance tracks, with cumulative streams over 700 million to date. They comprise: “B.S.” (featuring H.E.R.), “Triggered (Freestyle),” “None Of Your Concern” (featuring Big Sean), “Pu$$y Fairy (OTW),” and “Happiness Over Everything (H.O.E.)” (feat. Future and Miguel). The visual for another album track premiered in May, “Magic Hour.” The momentum continues to build with the release of “Summer 2020.”

Chilombo proclaims the artist’s full name, Jhené Aiko Efuru Chilombo, as it celebrates her coming into her own personal power. The initial jam sessions where she freestyled the lyrics to each song, took place on where Jhené’s great grandmother was born. Jhené was inspired by the beauty and power of the island’s volcanoes, having visited throughout the years. Chilombo means wild beast. The volcano is symbolic of the beautiful, yet powerful beast. Jhené Aiko is Chilombo. In contrast to her 2017 album, Trip, which intricately detailed the process of grieving, Chilombo finds Jhené embracing her strength and power, coming into her confidence as a woman, a creator and a healer. She has always embraced magic in her particular brand of soulful, trippy, ethereal R&B, but now on Chilombo she has taken it all to another level.

THE MAGIC HOUR, Jhené’s highly-anticipated 32-city North American tour with special guest Queen Naija, originally scheduled for May-June, will be rescheduled. Special merch and digital album bundles are available at Jhené’s official D2C store.

Follow Jhené Aiko: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube

Black is Beautiful

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SLO Brew & Liquid Gravity Brewing Co. have come together to craft a Coconut Coffee Stout in an effort to raise awareness against race-based injustice as a part of the Black is Beautiful initiative. Today the collaboration is going live for presale. Drink well, do good.

Brewed in a 20 BBL batch with 1800 lbs of malt for toasted notes of caramel followed by light additions of CTZ hop to tease a slight bitterness. This deep, rich brew is layered with fresh ground coffee & coconut for an 8% summer stout.

We are incredibly humbled to join up with our friends Liquid Gravity Brewing Co. down the road & hundreds of breweries worldwide to raise awareness for race-based injustice. As part of the Black is Beautiful beer initiative we will be making a collective donation to the NAACP SLO County Branch. Get in on the good stuff.

Available starting 8/5 online and in brewery taprooms.

SLO Brew Rock Taproom Hours Outdoor Dining (855 Aerovista Place)

Tues. – Thurs. 11:30 AM – 9:00 PM

Fri. – Sat. 11:30 AM – 10:00 PM

Sunday: 11:30 AM – 6:00 PM

SLO Stills Tasting Room Hours Outdoor Dining (855 Aerovista Place)

Wed. – Thurs. 3:00 PM – 8:00 PM

Fri. – Sat. 12:00 PM – 9:00 PM

Sunday: 12:00 PM – 6:00 PM

The Carrisa Creekside Dining Hours Outdoor Dining (Downtown, SLO)

Wed. – Thurs. 4:00 PM – 9:00 PM

Fri. – Sat. 12:00 PM – 10:00 PM

Sunday: 12:00 PM – 6:00 PM

SLO Stills Pop Up Shop Hours (Downtown, SLO)

Wed. – Thurs. 4:00 PM – 9:00 PM

Fri. – Sat. 12:00 PM – 10:00 PM

Sunday: 12:00 PM – 6:00 PM

Bring Summer Home. Get SLO Brew Craft Beer, Porch Pounder Canned Wine & SLO Stills Small-Batch Whiskey delivered straight to your door.

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JAJA-peño Margarita

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With National Tequila Day (July 24th) around the corner, celebrate with a new cocktail from JAJA Tequila called the JAJA-peño Margarita!

Ingredients

1.5 oz JAJA Blanco
1 oz Fresh Lime Juice
1/2 oz Triple Sec
1/2 oz Agave Syrup
2 Jalapeño slices

Garnish

Rounded Lime

Method

Combine all ingredients in a shaker with ice to chill the mixture and pour over ice in a rocks glass. Garnish with a rounded lime and serve!

Pronounced “HA HA,” JAJA was founded in 2018 by brothers Maurice and Elliot Tebele and their childhood friend Martin Hoffstein, with the mission of creating a fun, modern and authentic luxury tequila. Soon after they expanded their team to include Alex Pall and Drew Taggart of the DJ duo The Chainsmokers as Co-Owners of the brand. All the products in JAJA’s portfolio are produced using slow non-industrial methods at a heritage distillery led by a group of distillers who have over fifty years of experience in the industry. JAJA’s three varieties (Blanco, Reposado and Añejo) are all available nationwide. Priced between $34.99 – $52.99.

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Logic – No Pressure

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Grammy®-nominated, multi-platinum artist Logic gets back to the roots of his craft with the completion of his new album, NO PRESSURE, set to arrive at all DSPs on July 24th via Def Jam Recordings/Visionary Music Group.

After six years of major career accomplishments, including four #1 albums, NO PRESSURE finds Logic back in the studio with renowned producer No I.D., who produced Logic’s groundbreaking RIAA gold debut album of 2014, Under Pressure. Working again with No I.D., and 6IX, NO PRESSURE is the full circle career moment for Logic, making the music he loves with ‘no pressure.’

Prior to NO PRESSURE, the ever-prolific Logic released five albums: Under Pressure (2014); The Incredible True Story (#1 chart debut in 2015); Everybody (#1 chart debut in 2017; YSIV (#1 chart debut in 2018); and Confessions Of A Dangerous Mind (#1 chart debut in 2019). His Bobby Tarantino II mixtape entered at #1 in 2018.

In March 2019, “Supermarket,” the dazzling debut novel by Bobby Hall (aka Logic), entered the New York Times Paperback Fiction list at #1, making him the first-ever hip-hop MC to author a New York Times fiction bestseller. Logic’s accompanying Supermarket “soundtrack” album was simultaneously released via Def Jam/Visionary. The album’s Top 10 debut on the Billboard Alternative Album chart was an ‘Alt’ chart first for Logic.

Logic’s most recent Confessions Of A Dangerous Mind Tour, presented by Live Nation in October-November 2019, was a 26-city tour of the U.S. and Canada. He was joined on most dates by special guests J.I.D. and Confessions collaborator YBN Cordae.

Multi-platinum, Grammy Nominated artist Logic (aka Sir Robert Bryson Hall II, aka Bobby Hall) – among the top streaming artists in the world with billions of streams to date – burst onto the music scene through a series of mixtapes that led to a significant, rabid underground fan base. Those tapes – Young, Broke, and Infamous (2010); Young Sinatra (2011); Young Sinatra: Undeniable (2012); and Young Sinatra: Welcome to Forever (2013) – garnered millions of downloads and streams. They jump started a worldwide tour that led up to his record deal with Def Jam Recordings in 2014, and the release of his debut album Under Pressure that year. Logic kept up the pace with his second album, The Incredible True Story (2015, with the RIAA gold “Fade Away”), followed by Everybody (2017), containing the landmark 5x-platinum “1-800-273-8255” (National Suicide Prevention Lifeline) featuring Alessia Cara and Khalid.

Overlapping Logic’s albums were new mixtapes Bobby Tarantino (2016, with the RIAA gold single “Flexicution”), and Bobby Tarantino II (2018, with the RIAA platinum “44 More” and “Everyday”). YSIV (September 2018), the fourth chapter of his Young Sinatra saga, contained “One Day” which Logic performed with Ryan Tedder and over 200 immigrant children, their siblings and parents at the MTV VMAs. 2019 kicked off with the publication in March of Supermarket (Simon & Schuster), the debut novel written by Bobby Hall, which entered the New York Times Paperback Fiction bestseller list at #1 – first-ever for a hip-hop artist. It was accompanied by the Supermarket “soundtrack” album, which debuted inside the Top 10 on the Billboard Alternative Album chart, an ‘Alt’ chart first for Logic. The prolific artist dropped his fifth studio album in May 2019, Confessions Of A Dangerous Mind. It was preceded by the title tune single and video, “Confessions Of A Dangerous Mind,” and RIAA platinum “Homicide” featuring Eminem.

Follow Logic: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter