BY: Ashley Blackwell
Published 4 weeks ago
The media has been filled with a (whole) lot of madness this past year. Between the internet’s diabolical trending topics and “clocking” celebrities’ tea, we’d be lying if we said we hadn’t been thoroughly entertained. This is our round-up of pop culture moments that defined 2024!
As you may have noticed, the land of the superstars has drastically changed since Juveline took over for the ’99 and 2000. In an era where front-page tabloids, iconic Wendy Williams interviews, and “MTV Cribs” were where most of our Hollywood insight came from, the public’s access to the big-timers’ lives outside the limelight was limited. However, through the evolution of technology, news production changed as well.
With the rise of microblogging, people could run to their nearest drama site or networking account for the latest gossip. They no longer had to track down the grocery store stands, sit behind a TV screen, or wait for new song drops on a music countdown. Individuals online created communities like Black Twitter (now X), giving us an influx of viral-worthy content that has become funny memes, generational slang, and global phenomenons.
As MySpace phased out, apps like YouTube, Instagram, and Vine saw the birth of digital influencers, setting the foundation for what it is today. From the heavyweight figures to the socially famous, enough has happened in the last 12 months (alone) to go down in history.
If you thought America’s niece’s (Skai Jackson) pregnancy was too much to handle, you hadn’t seen anything yet. Check out these highlights below.
Top 7 Pop Culture Moments That Defined 2024
1. Katt Williams cursed the whole year… in a good (but messy) way.
Katt Williams quickly refreshed our memory on why he’s everyone’s favorite uncle when he sat down with NFL legend Shannon Sharpe on his hit podcast, “Club Shay Shay,” last January.
Throughout the illustrious actor/comedian’s 30-plus-year run, it’s clear that he’s had his fair share of personal grievances. During the classic conversation, Williams caused quite a controversy after airing out the entertainment industry for its alleged lies and singlehandedly going off on a slew of fellow giants in the uber-competitive field.
The Ohio native shot daggers at Kevin Hart, Cedric the Entertainer, and Steve Harvey, among others, and doubled down on why he (seemingly) believes he was the blueprint for many of their careers. When speaking on Harvey, he said, “[He] couldn’t be a movie star. There are thirty thousand new scripts in Hollywood every year. Not one of them asked for a country-bumpkin Black dude that can’t talk good… and looks like Mr. Potato Head.”
Williams’ (nearly) three-hour interview currently sits at 87 million views on YouTube.
2. Reesa Teesa told us who tf she married.
Cyber sensation Tareasa “Reesa Teesa” Johnson set the world ablaze when she took to TikTok in February and exposed her ex-husband, whom she deemed a “pathological liar.”
In the 50-part series, the New Jersey native transparently took us on an in-depth journey through the mouth-dropping turmoil she went through while being married to her then-partner, Legion. The man in question (real name Jerome McCoy) has since come forward to deny his ex-wife’s claims. Ultimately, her immaculate storytelling earned her everything from brand collaborations and TV appearances to a now-over 3 million following on the platform and an adaptation deal.
Per Variety, Johnson’s story will be portrayed by “Insecure” star Natasha Rothwell, who’s also producing the project under her company, Big Hattie Productions.
3. Beyoncé reminded the people that she had inches for days.
Beyoncé lets many things slide, but when it comes to her hair… that’s not one of them! In April, the 43-year-old songstress showed off her glorious tresses in a Cécred ad. The video (posted to her Instagram) chronicled Yoncé’s wash-day routine with products from her hair care brand. Fans saw the Houstonian in raw form and heard an exclusive voiceover as she walked them through the process.
Funny Bey even appeared when she checked the naysayers about their doubt about her (actually) having long, healthy hair under the wigs and weaves. “The stigma and misconception is that people that wear wigs don’t have long and healthy hair,” she expressed. “That’s some bullsh*t ’cause it ain’t nobody’s business! I’ll get back to my hair!”
Of course, the clip went haywire, sending the internet into an utter frenzy. To date, it has over 40 million views.
4. Kendrick Lamar showed the world why he thinks Drake is “Not Like Us.”
Rappers Kendrick Lamar and Drake’s beef has been the most notorious since Biggie and Tupac. Reportedly, the ex-collaborators’ run-in stems from Lamar’s 2013 “friendly” diss on Big Sean’s “Control.” However, things came to a head when Lamar responded to J. Cole referring to Drake, Lamar, and himself as the “big three” of today’s hip-hop game in Drake 2023’s bop “First Person Shooter.”
When teaming up with Future and Metro Boomin’ for “Like That,” Lamar cited in his 2024 verse, “Think I won’t drop the location? / I still got PTSD / Motherf*ck the big three / N*gga, it’s just big me.” That was only the beginning of their diss-track war, which began in March.
In a series of tracks (back and forth), Drake spat fire on Lamar, accusing him of domestic abuse and not being the biological father of one of his children. Lamar then slammed the Canadian emcee with sexual predation and trafficking claims.
Lamar solidified listeners’ belief that he won the battle with his tune “Not Like Us,” where he went bar after bar “popping out and showing n*ggas.” The audio on YouTube has over 190 million views and 350,000 comments, while the official video surpassed 200 million views.
Per TMZ, Drake filed a defamation lawsuit against his and Lamar’s label, Universal Music Group, for the release and promotion of Not Like Us.”
5. Jools Lebron taught us how to be very demure.
Beauty personality Jools Lebron garnered worldwide success after she popularized the phrase “demure” in August. In a 38-second clip uploaded to her TikTok account, the transgender woman comically gave people the formula for being “demure, modest, and respectful at the workplace.” The now-legendary reel was recorded from Lebron’s vehicle, gaining her a spot on “Jimmy Kimmel Live” shortly after.
“You see how I do my makeup for work? Very demure, very mindful. I don’t come to work with a green, cut crease. I don’t look like a clown when I go to work. I don’t do too much; I’m very mindful while I’m at work,” she said in the video.
Following the breakout craze, many celebrities (including Jennifer Lopez and Khloé Kardashian) began using the Chicago diva’s groundbreaking saying. Today, Lebron has over 2 million followers on the Chinese-made app.
6. Shannon Sharpe had us all trying to find Michelle.
Uncle Shay Shay scarred everyone when he “accidentally” went on Instagram Live during an intimate session with an unidentified woman.
In September, the ESPN commentator stunned his audience when a broadcast began from his account, capturing the inappropriate audio of him and the lady (whom he called Michelle) having “grown-up time.” Their faces were never shown, and the camera appeared to have been directed toward the floor. Fans then speculated that Sharpe had an “old person’s moment” and mistakenly went live.
Once aware of the situation, he took to his Instagram to issue a statement, alleging that he’d been “hacked” and was “vigorously” working with his team to figure things out. However, the 56-year-old set the record straight in an episode of “Nightcap” with his co-host, Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson.
“This was not staged,” he addressed. “[I]came in, [I] threw my phone on the bed, [and I] engaged in an activity. I did not know IG Live. I’ve never been on IG Live. I’ve never turned IG Live on, so I don’t know how it works. And, so… all of a sudden, my other phone is going off, and people are calling me.”
Though humiliating (we can assume), Sharpe flipped it around for good, as he followed up with merch that quoted the “That’s My Michelle” phrase he said amid the unexpected recording.
7. Diddy was no longer a free man.
Diddy’s downfall happened swiftly. The ‘Bad Boy’ rapper/mogul’s empire as he knew it came crashing down when his ex-girlfriend, singer Cassie, filed a high-profile lawsuit against him in November 2023 with claims of sexual and physical abuse. Although both parties settled a day later, explosive court documents opened a Pandora’s box of additional allegations from reported victims.
In that same month, a woman named Joi Dickerson-Neal sued Diddy under New York’s then-Adult Survivors Act (which provided sufferers a one-year window to seek legal action despite the statute of limitations) for allegedly drugging and sexually assaulting her.
Diddy has also been accused of forcefully administering “freak-offs,” human trading, gang-raping, and other illegal activity. Months later, in March 2024, the 55-year-old’s Los Angeles and Miami homes were raided by the FBI. A 2016 video of the record executive attacking Cassie surfaced online in May.
After an unfathomable amount of (alleged) crimes and the information revealed surrounding them, Diddy (who denies all wrongdoing) was arrested in September. He’s still incarcerated and awaiting trial for sex trafficking, racketeering, and transportation to engage in prostitution, which is scheduled for May 2025.
Which of these were your favorite pop culture moments that defined 2024? Let us know below!
