Today in the News:
– Kris Kross rapper Chris Kelly dies at 34
– North Korea sentences US citizen to 15 years’ hard labour
– and PepsiCo is forced to withdraw its ‘racist’ Mountain Dew ad
Chris Kelly, one half of the 1990s rap duo Kris Kross, has died in an Atlanta hospital at the age of 34. Kelly had been found “unresponsive” at his home yesterday. Kris Kross was made up of Kelly, known as “Mac Daddy”, and Chris “Daddy Mac” Smith. They are most widely remembered for their 1992 hit Jump. They had performed in February to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the So So Def label that signed them. The duo, who famously known to wear their trousers backwards and extra baggy, were only 13 when they were discovered in an Atlanta mall. Their Debut track Jump, which many of us remember like it was yesterday, was Kris Kross’s first and most successful song, leading to instant fame for the teenage duo. There was no official confirmation of the cause of death. An autopsy is due to be held today. In 2009 reports surfaced that Kelly had cancer. But the singer denied he was ill, claiming he had suffered hair loss because of alopecia.
North Korea has sentenced a US citizen to 15 years of hard labour. The announcement, from state news agency KCNA, said Pae Jun-ho, known in the US as Kenneth Bae, was tried on 30 April. He was held last year after entering North Korea as a tourist. Pyongyang said he was accused of anti-government crimes. There are already high tensions between North Korea and the US, after Pyongyang’s third nuclear test. According to North Korean media Mr Pae had admitted charges of crimes against North Korea, including attempting to overthrow the government. If history is any indicator then this new development will probably trigger a visit by a high-profile American. Kenneth Bae, a Washington state man described by friends as a devout Christian and a tour operator, is at least the sixth American detained in North Korea since 2009. The others eventually were deported or released without serving out their terms, some after trips to Pyongyang by prominent Americans, including former U.S. presidents Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter. And that’s exactly what PyongYang seems to be fishing for.
US soft drinks giant PepsiCo has withdrawn a commercial over criticism that it depicts racial stereotypes and makes light of violence against women. The online ad shows a battered white woman on crutches being asked to identify a suspect out of a police line-up of black men and a goat. PepsiCo has since apologised for the ad for its Mountain Dew soft drink. In the video, the goat threatens to beat the woman up if she identifies him to the police. The woman eventually screams in horror and runs away. In a statement on Wednesday, PepsiCo said that it took “full responsibility” for any offence caused by the commercial. It said it had removed the ad from its online channels. The material was developed by African-American rapper Tyler the Creator. It truly is a nasty peace of not very creative work and here at Corporate Profile we can’t believe it ever made it out of the editting room.
Today in the News:
– Kris Kross rapper Chris Kelly dies at 34
– North Korea sentences US citizen to 15 years’ hard labour
– and PepsiCo is forced to withdraw its ‘racist’ Mountain Dew ad
Chris Kelly, one half of the 1990s rap duo Kris Kross, has died in an Atlanta hospital at the age of 34. Kelly had been found “unresponsive” at his home yesterday. Kris Kross was made up of Kelly, known as “Mac Daddy”, and Chris “Daddy Mac” Smith. They are most widely remembered for their 1992 hit Jump. They had performed in February to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the So So Def label that signed them. The duo, who famously known to wear their trousers backwards and extra baggy, were only 13 when they were discovered in an Atlanta mall. Their Debut track Jump, which many of us remember like it was yesterday, was Kris Kross’s first and most successful song, leading to instant fame for the teenage duo. There was no official confirmation of the cause of death. An autopsy is due to be held today. In 2009 reports surfaced that Kelly had cancer. But the singer denied he was ill, claiming he had suffered hair loss because of alopecia.
North Korea has sentenced a US citizen to 15 years of hard labour. The announcement, from state news agency KCNA, said Pae Jun-ho, known in the US as Kenneth Bae, was tried on 30 April. He was held last year after entering North Korea as a tourist. Pyongyang said he was accused of anti-government crimes. There are already high tensions between North Korea and the US, after Pyongyang’s third nuclear test. According to North Korean media Mr Pae had admitted charges of crimes against North Korea, including attempting to overthrow the government. If history is any indicator then this new development will probably trigger a visit by a high-profile American. Kenneth Bae, a Washington state man described by friends as a devout Christian and a tour operator, is at least the sixth American detained in North Korea since 2009. The others eventually were deported or released without serving out their terms, some after trips to Pyongyang by prominent Americans, including former U.S. presidents Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter. And that’s exactly what PyongYang seems to be fishing for.
US soft drinks giant PepsiCo has withdrawn a commercial over criticism that it depicts racial stereotypes and makes light of violence against women. The online ad shows a battered white woman on crutches being asked to identify a suspect out of a police line-up of black men and a goat. PepsiCo has since apologised for the ad for its Mountain Dew soft drink. In the video, the goat threatens to beat the woman up if she identifies him to the police. The woman eventually screams in horror and runs away. In a statement on Wednesday, PepsiCo said that it took “full responsibility” for any offence caused by the commercial. It said it had removed the ad from its online channels. The material was developed by African-American rapper Tyler the Creator. It truly is a nasty peace of not very creative work and here at Corporate Profile we can’t believe it ever made it out of the editting room.