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Jeni Kasım 09, 2021

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Lana Del Rey lashes out at Beyoncé, Nicki Minaj, Doja Cat and other women of color after being accused of glam - New York Daily News

Posted: 21 May 2020 01:16 PM PDT

Del Rey wrote: "Now that Doja Cat, Ariana, Camila, Cardi B, Kehlani and Nicki Minaj and Beyoncé have had numbers ones with songs about being sexy, wearing no clothes, f---ing, cheating, etc. — can I please go back to singing about being embodied, feeling beautiful by being in love even if the relationship is not perfect, or dancing for money — or whatever I want — without being crucified or saying that I'm glamorizing abuse??????"

'Dear Class of 2020': Obamas, Beyoncé, Lady Gaga salute young protesters in YouTube ceremony - USA TODAY

Posted: 08 Jun 2020 11:23 AM PDT

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Actor Tom Hanks had a message for members of the Wright State University 2020 graduating class. Storyful

Barack and Michelle Obama and tons of big-name celebrities turned out Sunday to virtually salute the high school class of 2020.

Though several speeches in YouTube's "Dear Class of 2020" livestream were filmed before Black Lives Matters protests broke out across the country following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody, a handful of celebrities focused on praising young activists for their role in pushing for change. 

Lizzo opened with a flute rendition of "Pomp and Circumstance," accompanied by the New York Philharmonic, as images on the green screen behind her displayed images from Black Lives Matter protests. 

Alicia Keys praised the younger generation for "inspiring the world to see our collective humanity" through protests, calling on everyone to "empathize with those who seem different on the surface." 

"Right now, it might feel like there's not a lot to celebrate, and that's OK," she said. "You're not thinking about your time at school. You're thinking about marching and protesting and making sure your voices are being heard. … You're taking your heartbreak and your outrage and turning it into action.

"I see you. You're unstoppable," she told graduates. 

Here are the graduation special's highlights:

Barack and Michelle Obama congratulated students for their 'long journey'

The Obamas appeared together in a video from their home, celebrating a "huge day for all of you," as the former first lady put it. 

The Obamas congratulated students on not just completing their academic journey, but doing so while figuring out how to support their teachers, friends and family through unprecedented circumstances. And above all, they advised graduates to make sure to properly celebrate their accomplishments, and to thank their parents for helping them succeed. 

"Today is the culmination of a long journey," Barack said. "Just as you were rounding the final turn, the world threw a pandemic your way. … That's a lot to ask of anybody, but despite all that, here you are." 

Michelle Obama joined the livestream again later to address protests in the U.S., calling attention to the country's long history of racism and calling on graduates to encourage their peers to vote and learn more about their local elections. 

"What's happening right now is the direct result of decades of unaddressed prejudice and inequality," she said. "For too many people in this country, no matter how hard they work, there are structural barriers for them that just make the road longer and rockier. … If you can't even approach the police without fearing for your life, well, then how do you even begin to chart your own course?"

She added later: "Not only can you do better than those who came before you, but you will." 

'Graduate Together': 4 memorable moments from virtual high school graduation featuring Barack Obama

Beyoncé told grads 'change starts with you'

Beyoncé, too, praised young people for their role in raising their voices in response to Floyd's death and called for more black female voices in the music industry. 

"You have arrived here in the middle of a global crisis, a racial pandemic and worldwide expression of outrage at the senseless killing of yet another unarmed black human being. And you still made it," she said. "Thank you for using your collective voice in letting the world know that Black Lives Matter." 

The music icon added: "We've seen that our collective hearts, when put to positive action, can start the wheels of change. Real change has started with you. … Your queerness is beautiful. Your blackness is beautiful. Your compassion, your understanding, your fight for people who may be different from you is beautiful."

Staying Apart, Together: A newsletter about how to cope with the coronavirus pandemic

Lady Gaga called for a brand new forest

Gaga said she had recorded her "Dear Class of 2020" speech two weeks ago and it had to be rewritten.

"My speech was recorded before the murder of George Floyd, and the subsequent activist movement protesting police brutality and systemic racism in this country," said Gaga, wearing a black leather vest with metal spikes.

Gaga said there is "much to be sad about, there is much to be celebrated. You are watching what is a pivotal moment in this country's evolution. You're watching society change in a deeply important way."

Gaga, her voice breaking with emotion, said she thinks of racism in America as a forest.

"I imagine a broad forest filled densely with tall trees – trees as old as this country itself, trees planted with racist seeds, trees that grew prejudiced branches and oppressive leaves and mangled roots that buried and entrenched themselves deep within the soil forming a web so well developed and so entangled."

"This forest is where we live, it's who we are," she said, inviting graduates to challenge that existing forest. "I believe in my heart that the people that are going to make this change happen are listening to me speak right now."

"It's you who are the seeds of the future" for a "new and different forest."

Gaga concluded saying, "Congratulations to the class of 2020; I can't wait to see your forest."

Condoleezza Rice, Jenna Bush Hager invoked passion, life rules

Rice, the former secretary of state, spoke during the "challenging, sometimes tragic, unprecedented times."

But she urged the youth to look forward to a brighter future. After growing up in Alabama in the Jim Crow era with dreams of becoming a concert pianist, Rice talked about finding passion despite any circumstances.

"My plea to you: Don't let anyone you tell you that you can't be passionate about something because of the color of your skin, or your gender, or circumstances from which you came," said Rice. "It is your passion, work for it, embrace it, and it will pay dividends in life."

Rice said have "faith the future will be better than where we are today."

Hager invoked her grandfather, former President George H.W. Bush, who had a list of rules in life which included, "Don't get down when life takes a bad turn; don't blame others for your setbacks," and "As you succeed, be kind to people along the way."

"Class of 2020, create your own list of rules," Hager said, "The world will be better because of you."

Mark Hamill, Daisy Ridley combined to read 'Oh, the Places You'll Go!'

"Star Wars" actors Hamill and Ridley read portions of the classic Dr. Seuss story "Oh, the Places You'll Go!"

"Even one story can inspire the world. Why can't it be yours?" said Hamill. After completing the story, the Jedi said, "With that, your training is older; now go forth and become more powerful than you can possibly imagine."

And if the path is not foreseen at this point, Hamill said, "Don't force it"

"The Force Awakens" director J.J. Abrams spoke afterward saying, "When life is hard, that is when true character reveals itself. Stay strong, stay positive and stay inspired. Because a great story can inspire the world."

Taylor Swift, Justin Timberlake, Liza Koshy, Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Kimmel and Shawn Mendes also joined in on the congratulations. Other guests teased to join later in the broadcast include Jennifer Lopez, Malala Yousafzai, Missy Elliott, Tom Hanks, BTS, Michael B. Jordan, the cast of "Schitt's Creek," Billie Eilish, Katy Perry and John Mulaney. 

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Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, high school seniors across the country are shifting their plans post graduation. USA TODAY

Obama's closing: 'Make it mean something'

Barack Obama returned at the end of the broadcast for final words to the graduating class. "Yours comes as the world turned upside down, by a pandemic, and a country swept up by protest. I can barely imagine how head-spinning these months have been for you."

He said the peaceful protesters were "unbelievably inspiring. You make me optimistic about our future" because "the old normal wasn't good enough."

Obama called for graduating students to serve society, use technology and social media wisely, to keep faith in democracy – by voting and protesting. "After all, we are a nation founded on protest." 

"America changed, has always changed, because young people dared to hope," said Obama. "Congratulations Class of 2020. Make it mean something, and keep making us proud."

Katy Perry, wearing a white gown that highlighted her pregnant baby bump, then instructed the graduating class to move their mortarboard tassels from right to left, signifying the end of the ceremony. Perry belted her songs "Daisies" and  "Firework."

The broadcast was intended to give graduating high school seniors a proper sendoff since many graduation ceremonies around the country have been delayed or canceled by the coronavirus pandemic.

"Dear Class of 2020" had been set to livestream Saturday, but organizers pushed it back a day so it wouldn't conflict with Floyd's memorial service.

Mariah Carey joins 'Schitt's Creek' cast to honor teachers

As part of YouTube's Dear Class of 2020, the cast of "Schitt's Creek" performed "Hero" (David's choice, of course) in order to commemorate teachers, but not before Carey dropped in.

From Moira's confusing vocabulary to David's iconic sarcasm, the video started with inside jokes from the hit Canadian comedy show. 

Then, the group of 10 beautifully harmonized the iconic singer's song to pay tribute to teachers and all of their hard work. Dan Levy, Catherine O'Hara, Eugene Levy and the rest of the cast were soon pleasantly surprised when Carey joined the call to finish her classic.  

"Moira, darling, I hope you didn't mean that I jumped in like that. You all sounded so good that I had to get in on it." 

After the performance, she delivered a heartwarming message for teachers, who "rose to the occasion and helped these students reach the finish line." 

To end the performance, Carey serenaded David with "Always Be My Baby," causing the mega fan to faint on screen and scream "I love you!"

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Who has Beyoncé collaborated with? From Jay-Z to Lady Gaga - Key 103

Posted: 09 Jun 2020 01:46 AM PDT

It's safe to say that Beyoncé is no stranger to an iconic collaboration! And being one of the biggest names in the music industry, it's no surprise that she has formed a rather impressive list of collab stars!

To celebrate the superstars amazing career so far, we've decided to take a look through her biggest and best collabs, including more huge names such as her husband Jay-Z, Ed Sheeran and Nicki Minaj.

Jay-Z

The iconic husband and wife have teamed up numerous times, bringing us hit after hit! It all started back in 2009 with the infamous 'Crazy In Love'.

'Baby Boy' with Sean Paul

In 2003 Beyoncé paired up with Jamaican rapper, singer and record producer Sean Paul to create this iconic tune. Featuring on her album 'Dangerously in Love', the song peaked at Number 2 in the UK charts.

'Check on It' featuring Bun B & Slim Thug

In 2005, the singer collaborated with American rapper and actor Bun B, as well as American rapper Slim Thug, in order to churn out the boppy tune that is 'Check on It'. The song was initially recorded to feature in the 2006 film The Pink Panther, another hit film that Beyoncé starred in.

'Beautiful Liar' with Shakira

By 2006, Beyoncé had released her second solo album 'B-Day', and this is where we found the legendary 'Beautiful Liar', which featured none other than Colombian singer-songwriter, actress, dancer and all round talented icon Shakira. The song was later released in 2007 as a solo single, with a Spanish and English mixed version of the song being later produced.

'Until the End of Time' with Justin Timberlake

Collaborating with American singer-songwriter sensation Justin Timberlake, 2017 welcomed the sultry bop 'Until the End of Time'. The song featured on the deluxe edition of Justin's second studio album 'FutureSex/LoveSounds', and reached the Top 20 on the US Billboard Hot 100.

Lady Gaga

2008 was a big year for Beyoncé and Lady Gaga, with the pair gifting us with two collaborations, resulting in two truly iconic tunes. Lady Gaga can be heard featuring on Beyoncé's third studio album 'I Am... Sasha Fierce' in 'Video Phone', with Beyoncé appearing on Gaga's album 'The Fame' in 'Telephone'. Both songs proved incredibly popular with fans and hit the charts immediately!

'Mine' with Drake

The singer collaborated with Canadian rapper Drake on 'Mine'. The song has a futuristic R&B vibe, hitting Number 8 on the UK R&B Chart shortly after its release in 2013.

'Love in This Club Part II' with Usher

This popular R&B tune saw Beyoncé, Usher and Lil Wayne join forces back in 2008! The song was featured on Usher's fifth studio album, and shot up the charts all around the world.

'Put It in a Love Song' with Alicia Keys

Jumping to 2010, it was clear Beyoncé was nowhere near done with the collabs! Teaming up with the one and only Alicia Keys, the pair released the boppy tune 'Put It in a Love Song', featuring on Alicia's album 'The Element of Freedom'.

'Flawless' with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

In 2014, the star joined forces with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie to create this BIG tune. The song featured on the singer's album 'Beyoncé', and appeared on several music charts before it was released as a single. A remix of the song was later released featuring the talented Nicki Minaj.

'Feeling myself' with Nicki Minaj

2014 proved a busy year for the superstar, going on to team up with Nicki Minaj to release the iconic 'Feeling Myself'. The song was a hit, climbing to Number 12 on the UK R&B Charts.

'Blue' with Blue Ivy

Although this may not be one of her best known collabs, it's certainly one of the sweetest! In 2014 Beyoncé released the heart-warming 'Blue' featuring clips of her adorable daughter Blue Ivy Carter.

'Runnin' (Lose It All)' with Naughty Boy and Arrow Benjamin

Shahid Khan, better known as Naughty Boy, released this track in 2015 featuring Beyoncé's stunning vocals. Naughty Boy is renowned for his catchy tunes, and this release was no exception!

'Freedom' with Kendrick Lamar

In 2017, Beyoncé partnered with popular American rapper Kendrick Lamar to produce 'Freedom'. The song was featured on her sixth studio album 'Lemonade' and spent weeks in the charts.

'6 Inch' with The Weeknd

In 2016 the former Destiny's Child singer paired with popular Canadian singer-songwriter The Weeknd in order to produce '6 Inch' for her second visual album 'Lemonade'. The Weeknd, also referred to by his real name Abel Tesfaye, is known for his incredibly popular songs 'The Hills', 'Can't Feel My Face' and 'Blinding Lights'.

'Perfect Duet' with Ed Sheeran

In 2017, Beyoncé and Ed Sheeran released an acoustic version of the English singer-singwriter's 'Perfect' in order to gift us with this gorgeous duet. The stunning vocals and beautiful tune sent them to the top of the charts, with Beyoncé performing her verse on the On the Run II Tour in 2018.

'Can You Feel the Love Tonight' with Donald Glover, Billy Eichner and Seth Rogen

Alongside the 2019 adaptation of Walt Disney Pictures film The Lion King came the iconic soundtrack, featuring songs with vocals from Beyoncé herself and other stars including Donald Glover, Billy Eichner and Seth Rogen. All featuring in the film, this stunning track truly makes us feel the love!

'Savage' with Megan Thee Stallion

The star's most recent collaboration is undeniably one of the catchiest tunes of 2020! Teaming with American rapper Megan Thee Stallion. The song quickly went viral on TikTok, accompanied by a 'Savage' dance that took the social media world by storm!

You can hear Beyoncé's biggest hits on Hits Radio.

What does it mean to be a 'Karen' or a 'Chad'? Viral name memes explained - New York Post

Posted: 14 May 2020 02:29 PM PDT

May 14, 2020 | 5:24pm | Updated May 14, 2020 | 5:56pm

Are you the type of gal who demands to speak to the manager when you feel you've been wronged? You just might be a "Karen."

Karen is the latest in a growing line of internet memes poking fun at real-life archetypes. Names such as Karen, Becky and Chad have been co-opted to call out social faux pas online, think: calling the police to shut down a kids' lemonade stand because they don't have a permit, or as slangy put-downs like, "Don't be such a Becky."

Other names have become so entangled in pop culture that they've taken on a new meaning: Who can think of anyone but the Kardashians when they hear "Kim"?

But while the internet directory is fun, real-life Karens (or Beckys, Debbies, Chads and Kyles) bear the brunt of the jokes.

Here's some of the names ruined by the internet, where they came from, and what the people named before the meme think about their online personas.

Karen

"Karen" has become social media shorthand meaning a middle-aged white woman — potentially with an asymmetric haircut a la 2009 Kate Gosselin — who makes a big fuss, and is not-so-blissfully ignorant. While the origins of "Karen" are oft debated, some point to Dane Cook's 2005 bit about the lamest gal in a group of friends being named Karen, others to the "Mean Girls" character played by Amanda Seyfried who is admonished for asking pal Cady (Lindsay Lohan) how she can be from Africa if she's white. Some view it as a righteous motivator for the creation of Black Twitter — the world wide web knows a Karen when it sees one.

One recent example of a Karen? A woman brawling with the Red Lobster staff, reduced because of the pandemic, because she had to wait too long for her food on Mother's Day.

Calling the cops, usually on black neighbors, is a calling card of a host of sub-Karens such as "Pool Patrol Paula" and "Dog Park Debbie," who enlisted the help of the police when a man's dog humped her own at the park.

Road rage is another feature of this viral type, on full display on the West Side Highway earlier this year when an angry mom, nicknamed "Kidz Bop Karen," lashed out at a Lyft driver and his passenger.

Chad

This one comes from the incel subculture, that's often described as involuntary celibate and comprised of mostly men who lack sex and romance in their lives. Per incel lingo, "Chads" are the guys who get laid.

These hyper-masculine sexually active dudes have chiseled jaws and bulging muscles. According to the internet etymology bible "Know Your Meme," the term began in the '90s in Chicago to describe an affluent frat boy, but quickly exploded on online forums reddit and 4chan.

"My parents named me after the African country," writes one DC-based Chad on Twitter who resents the recent Chad re-brand. "But my name has now become culturally synonymous with bland, Aryan-looking MAGA dudes."

Others see it as an opportunity: "The memes give me something to prove I'm not," says Chad Stark, 30, of Brooklyn. "I was so aware of how my name works against me, I think it helped me to land my girlfriend," adds Stark, who calls the memes "funny."

Becky

This name has been co-opted by both disgruntled online men like incels and social justice warriors calling out oblivious white women, like "BBQ Becky" who called the police on a black family's cookout.

The opening monologue in Sir Mix-A-Lot's 1992 song "Baby Got Back" is one of the origins of the disparaging "Becky." The hit kicks off with two pals commenting on another woman's behind: "Oh my God, Becky, look at her butt! It is so big. She looks like one of those rap guy's girlfriends."

Beyoncé gets some of the credit for revamping this Rebecca nickname: on her 2016 song "Sorry" she sang "You better call Becky with the good hair," which threw the internet into a tailspin of speculation on who she could have meant.

Now, it's expanded to reference any snobbish or out-of-touch woman, which poet Becky Lavarn, of Texas, does not relate to.

"For one, I am not white American and most memes are related to a white American Becky," says the 26-year-old. Still, she says she doesn't resent the use of her name, and even adopted it as part of her brand.

"I use Beyoncé's 'Becky with the good hair' as my podcast tagline to break the ice," she says.

Kyle

The caricature of Kyle is an angry, young white man with a love of energy drinks. This name originated from a foul-mouthed video posted in 2015 on the now-defunct video platform Vine. Titled "White kid fight," it had over half a million views, and showed a tatted-up teen antagonizing an imaginary "Kyle."

Punching drywall, being obsessed with extreme sports such as paintball and BMX, and opting for wraparound polarized sunglasses are all tropes of the Kyle meme, though Kyle Leonard doesn't relate to any of those.

"My personality is not at all like the memes," the University of Vermont medical student tells The Post.

The 23-year-old has a good sense of humor when it comes to the unflattering meme. "After it gained popularity I found myself making jokes about it" — but he might not be far off from the gag.

"While studying for my board exams, I drank about five to six cans of Bang Energy a week to caffeinate for long study days, so I guess I kind of became one with the meme," he says.

Stacy

Stacy also comes from the world of incels, go figure, they're famous for being online 24/7, and is basically a hotter version of Becky.

The hyper-femme Stacy, according to chat rooms and countless posts, is the female equivalent of Chad. She is oblivious to her own sex appeal, she lives the life of luxury and is always being courted by slobbering guys.

Felicia

This viral meme has a definite genesis: the 1995 comedy "Friday," starring Ice Cube. In it, a character called Felicia tries to mooch off of Ice Cube and Chris Tucker's characters. "Bye, Felicia," bids an unimpressed Cube.

While the name isn't a stereotype so much as a cold send-off, the name has become closely associated with the meme, causing real Felicias grief.

"I used to love my name, but when social media became a huge thing my name got thrown in the bunch of the 'Bye, Felicia' memes. I started to hate it," Felicia Ornelas, 24, who lives in Washington, tells The Post. "When I meet new people and they find out my name, they'll say, 'I've always wanted a friend named Felicia so I could tell them bye,' which can hurt," she adds. "I hate being the center of a joke."

Aaron

Comedy duo Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele ruined the name Aaron for a ton of dudes with the moniker. In their viral sketch "Substitute Teacher," Key mispronounces all the names of the white kids in the class. He fumbles Aaron, imploring the class, "A-a-ron!?"

Real-life Aarons apparently have to endure the intentional botch all the time. "If I could erase every copy of that sketch from the planet I would," wrote one Aaron on Twitter. A New Jersey-bemoaned Aaron also bemoaned online, "Every time I meet people and tell them my name is Aaron, they ask me if I've seen that 'Key & Peele' skit."

From Elon Musk to Jay Z, check out celebs who gave unusual names to their kids - Republic World - Republic World

Posted: 26 May 2020 08:53 AM PDT

From Elon Musk and Grimes naming their son to X Æ A-12  to Kim Kardashian and Kanye West naming their daughter North West, the 21st century has bought us many strange events and even more, stranger baby names. Though the internet has been taken by storm due to Elon Musk's son's name, this unusual baby name isn't the first. Here are some more unusual yet innovative names selected by celebrities to name their kids. Take a look.  

1. Kim Kardashian and Kanye West

Kim Kardashian and Kanye West have 4 kids. When Kim had her first daughter in 2013, the name North and especially with the surname West caused many uproars in media. Kim now has three more kids, who are named Chicago, Psalm and Saint. These names remain unusual but are completely adorable. 

Also Read | Kim Kardashian West Is Extremely Fond Of Her Children, Nieces, And Nephews & Here's Proof

2. Cameron Diaz and Benji Madden

Cameron Diaz and Benji Madden recently welcomed their first daughter in December. The Charlies Angels actor, who was extremely underground about her pregnancy, named her daughter Radixx. Radixx means a very spirited & energetic person to be around, a lovely yet unusual name. 

Read Also | Cameron Diaz To Be Selective About Work, Wants To Focus On Her Baby

3.  Jay Z and Beyonce

With 23 and 22 Grammy wins respectively, Beyonce & Jay Z are a power couple. In 2012, they welcomed their first daughter home and named her Blue Ivy Carter. Beyonce posted a snippet from A Field Guide to Getting Lost by Rebecca Solnit which explained the name. It talked about the importance of the colour blue, its depth and reach. And Ivy because it represented four in roman numerics, which was an important number for the couple.

Also Read | Beyonce's Amazing Parenting Tips That Might Help You As A Parent; Read Here

4. Cardi B and Offset

Cardi B and Offset, who are famous music artists, welcomed their daughter in 2018. They named her Kulture Kiari Cephus, a tribute to Offset's real name. It can be seen as a connection to Offset's two albums with Migos 'Culture' and 'Culture II' and the middle anme and surname are Offset's real last names. 

Also Read | Was Offset Cheating On Cardi B? 'Clout' Rapper Addresses Rumours

5. Elon Musk & Grimes 

Elon Musk and his girlfriend Grimes recently had a son and named him X Æ A-12 which they later had to change to X Æ A-Xii, due to California laws, where the couple resides. This took the internet by storm. There were endless debates and memes shared online about Elon Musk's son's name. Elon went on to say on a popular podcast that it was not him but his partner who came up with the name. He went to explain that it was just the letter X, followed by 'Æ' which is pronounced as 'Ash'. He added that A-12 was his contribution. 

Also Read | These Elon Musk Memes Are Not As Hard To Understand As His Baby's 'changed' Name; Check

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George Floyd, From ‘I Want to Touch the World’ to ‘I Can’t Breathe’ - The New York Times

Posted: 09 Jun 2020 09:13 PM PDT

HOUSTON — It was the last day of 11th grade at Jack Yates High School in Houston, nearly three decades ago. A group of close friends, on their way home, were contemplating what senior year and beyond would bring. They were black teenagers on the precipice of manhood. What, they asked one another, did they want to do with their lives?

"George turned to me and said, 'I want to touch the world,'" said Jonathan Veal, 45, recalling the aspiration of one of the young men — a tall, gregarious star athlete named George Floyd whom he had met in the school cafeteria on the first day of sixth grade. To their 17-year-old minds, touching the world maybe meant the N.B.A. or the N.F.L.

"It was one of the first moments I remembered after learning what happened to him," Mr. Veal said. "He could not have imagined that this is the tragic way people would know his name."

The world now knows George Perry Floyd Jr. through his final harrowing moments, as he begged for air, his face wedged for nearly nine minutes between a city street and a police officer's knee.

Mr. Floyd's gasping death, immortalized on a bystander's cellphone video during the twilight hours of Memorial Day, has powered two weeks of sprawling protests across America against police brutality. He has been memorialized in Minneapolis, where he died; in North Carolina, where he was born; and in Houston, where thousands stood in the unrelenting heat on Monday afternoon to file past his gold coffin and bid him farewell in the city where he spent most of his life.

Many of those who attended the public viewing said they saw Mr. Floyd as one of them — a fellow Houstonian who could have been their father, their brother or their son.

"This is something that touched really close," said Kina Ardoin, 43, a nurse who stood in a line that stretched far from the church entrance. "This could have been anybody in my family."

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Now a time stamp in the prolonged history of violence against black people, Mr. Floyd's killing has inspired people of every race to march in the streets and kneel, chanting "black lives matter" in hundreds of cities and small towns.

But Mr. Floyd, 46, was more than the nearly nine-minute graphic video of his death. He was more than the 16 utterances, captured in the recording, of some version of "I can't breathe."

He was an outsize man who dreamed equally big, unswayed by the setbacks of his life.

Growing up in one of Houston's poorest neighborhoods, he enjoyed a star turn as a basketball and football player, with three catches for 18 yards in a state championship game his junior year.

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He was the first of his siblings to go to college, and he did so on an athletic scholarship. But he returned to Texas after a couple of years, and lost nearly a decade to arrests and incarcerations on mostly drug-related offenses. By the time he left his hometown for good a few years ago, moving 1,200 miles to Minneapolis for work, he was ready for a fresh start.

When he traveled to Houston in 2018 for his mother's funeral — they died two years, one week apart — he told his family that Minneapolis had begun to feel like home. He had his mother's name tattooed on his belly, a fact that was noted in his autopsy.

Mr. Floyd was born in Fayetteville, N.C., to George Perry and Larcenia Floyd. But he was really from a Houston neighborhood called the Bricks.

After his parents split up, his mother moved him and his siblings to Texas, where he grew up in the red brick world of Cuney Homes, a low-slung 564-unit public housing complex in Houston's Third Ward that was named for Norris Wright Cuney, one of the most politically powerful black men in the state in the late 1800s.

Mr. Floyd's mother — who was known as Cissy — was among the leaders of Cuney Homes and an active member of the resident council. She raised her own children and, at times, some of her grandchildren and some of her neighbors' children, too.

As a child, Mr. Floyd was known in the Bricks as Perry, his middle name. As he grew, so, too, did his nicknames. He was Big Floyd, known as much for his big personality as his sense of humor.

Mr. Floyd's height — he was more than six feet tall in middle school — created a kind of mystique.

"You can just imagine this tall kid as a freshman in high school walking the hallways. We were like, 'Man, who is that guy?' He was a jokester, always laughing and cracking jokes," said Herbert Mouton, 45, who played on the Yates high school football team with Mr. Floyd. "We were talking the other day with classmates trying to think, 'Had Floyd even ever had a fight before?' And we couldn't recall it."

Mr. Mouton said that after the loss of a big game, Mr. Floyd would let the team sulk for a few minutes before telling a joke to lighten the mood. "He never wanted us to feel bad for too long," he said.

Mr. Floyd saw sports as the path out of the Bricks. And so he leaned into his size and athletic prowess in a sports-obsessed state. As a tight end, Mr. Floyd helped power his football team to the state championship game in 1992.

In one exhilarating moment that was captured on video — and circulated after his death — Mr. Floyd soars above an opponent in the end zone to catch a touchdown pass.

After graduating from high school, Mr. Floyd left Texas on a basketball scholarship to South Florida Community College (now South Florida State College).

"I was looking for a power forward and he fit the bill. He was athletic and I liked the way he handled the ball," said George Walker, who recruited Mr. Floyd. "He was a starter and scored 12 to 14 points and seven to eight rebounds."

Mr. Floyd transferred two years later, in 1995, to Texas A&M University's Kingsville campus, but he did not stay long. He returned home to Houston — and to the Third Ward — without a degree.

Known locally as the Tré, the Third Ward, south of downtown, is among the city's historic black neighborhoods, and it has been featured in the music of one of the most famous people to grow up there, Beyoncé.

At times, life in the Bricks was unforgiving. Poverty, drugs, gangs and violence scarred many Third Ward families. Several of Mr. Floyd's classmates did not live past their 20s.

Soon after returning, Mr. Floyd started rapping. He appeared as Big Floyd on mixtapes created by DJ Screw, a fixture in Houston's hip-hop scene in the 1990s. His voice deep, his rhymes purposefully delivered at a slow-motion clip, Mr. Floyd rapped about "choppin' blades" — driving cars with oversize rims — and his Third Ward pride.

For about a decade starting in his early 20s, Mr. Floyd had a string of arrests in Houston, according to court and police records. One of those arrests, for a $10 drug deal in 2004, cost him 10 months in a state jail.

Four years later, Mr. Floyd pleaded guilty to aggravated robbery with a deadly weapon and spent four years in prison. He was released in 2013 and returned home again — this time to begin the long, hard work of trying to turn his life around, using his missteps as a lesson for others.

Stephen Jackson, a retired professional basketball player from Port Arthur, Texas, met Mr. Floyd a year or two before Mr. Jackson joined the N.B.A. They had sports in common, Mr. Jackson said, but they also looked alike — enough to call each other "twin" as a term of endearment.

"I tell people all the time, the only difference between me and George Floyd, the only difference between me and my twin, the only difference between me and Georgie, is the fact that I had more opportunities," he said, later adding, "If George would have had more opportunities, he might have been a pro athlete in two sports."

Credit...Michael Starghill Jr. for The New York Times

After prison, Mr. Floyd became even more committed to his church. Inspired by a daughter, Gianna Floyd, born after he was released, Mr. Floyd spent a lot of time at Resurrection Houston, a church that holds many of its services on the basketball court in the middle of Cuney Homes. He would set up chairs and drag out to the center of the court the service's main attraction — the baptism tub.

"We'd baptize people on the court and we've got this big old horse trough. And he'd drag that thing by himself onto that court," said Patrick Ngwolo, a lawyer and pastor of Resurrection Houston, who described Mr. Floyd as a father figure for younger community residents.

Eventually, Mr. Floyd became involved in a Christian program with a history of taking men to Minnesota from the Third Ward and providing them with drug rehabilitation and job placement services.

"When you say, 'I'm going to Minnesota,' everybody knows you're going to this church-work program out of Minnesota," Mr. Ngwolo said, "and you're getting out of this environment."

His move would be a fresh start, Mr. Ngwolo said, his story one of redemption.

Credit...Victor J. Blue for The New York Times

In Minnesota, Mr. Floyd lived in a red clapboard duplex with two roommates on the eastern edge of St. Louis Park, a leafy, gentrifying Minneapolis suburb.

Beginning sometime in 2017, he worked as a security guard at the Salvation Army's Harbor Light Center, a downtown homeless shelter and transitional housing facility. The staff members got to know Mr. Floyd as someone with a steady temperament, whose instinct to protect employees included walking them to their cars.

"It takes a special person to work in the shelter environment," said Brian Molohon, executive director of development at the Salvation Army Northern Division. "Every day you are bombarded with heartache and brokenness."

Even as Mr. Floyd settled into his position, he looked for other jobs. While working at the Salvation Army, he answered a job ad for a bouncer at Conga Latin Bistro, a restaurant and dance club.

Jovanni Thunstrom, the owner, said Mr. Floyd quickly became part of the work family. He came in early and left late. And though he tried, he never quite mastered salsa dancing.

"Right away I liked his attitude," said Mr. Thunstrom, who was also Mr. Floyd's landlord. "He would shake your hand with both hands. He would bend down to greet you."

Mr. Floyd kept a Bible by his bed. Often, he read it aloud. And despite his height, Mr. Floyd would fold himself in the hallway to frequently pray with Theresa Scott, one of his roommates.

"He had this real cool way of talking. His voice reminded me of Ray Charles. He'd talk fast and he was so soft-spoken," said Alvin Manago, 55, who met Mr. Floyd at a 2016 softball game. They bonded instantly and became roommates. "He had this low-pitched bass. You had to get used to his accent to understand him. He'd say, 'Right-on, right-on, right-on.'"

Mr. Floyd spent the final weeks of his life recovering from the coronavirus, which he learned he had in early April. After he was better, he started spending more time with his girlfriend, and he had not seen his roommates in a few weeks, Mr. Manago said.

Like millions of people, his roommates in the city that was to be his fresh start watched the video that captured Mr. Floyd taking his last breaths. They heard him call out for his late mother — "Mama! Mama!"

On Tuesday morning, 15 days after that anguished cry, Mr. Floyd will be laid to rest beside her.

Credit...Erin Schaff/The New York Times

Manny Fernandez reported from Houston and Audra D. S. Burch from Hollywood, Fla. Contributing reporting were Marc Stein from Dallas, Erica L. Green from Washington, and Dionne Searcey and Matt Furber from Minneapolis. Susan Beachy contributed research.
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