Kanye West goes Gospel with Easter prayer track

NEW YORK | Rap superstar Kanye West is showing his religious side by releasing a prayer in the form of a Gospel track to celebrate Easter.

Entitled “Ultralight Prayer,” the Easter song consists of inspirational spoken word by leading Gospel artist Kirk Franklin set to snippets of a church choir, with only passing resemblance to mainstream hip-hop.

“Father, this prayer is for everyone that feels they’re not good enough,” Franklin says, building up to a rousing, “That’s why we need a little more — faith!”

Franklin’s prayer first appeared in condensed form on West’s song “Ultralight Beam,” which opens his latest album “The Life of Pablo.”

“Ultralight Beam,” which featured prominent Chicago artist Chance the Rapper, blends mellow hip-hop and Gospel as West reflects on his faith, with the title an apparent metaphor for a connection to Heaven.

West — best known in pop culture for his flamboyant self-confidence and marriage to reality television star Kim Kardashian — has often spoken of his Christianity, with his first album “The College Dropout” featuring the hit “Jesus Walks.”

West gave out his latest track for free on SoundCloud, a frequent outlet for the prolific rapper who recently vowed to record three albums a year.

But West put out “The Life of Pablo” exclusively on streaming service Tidal and, in a sharp break with the conventional concept of an album release, has continually fine-tuned it since it went live.

source: interaksyon.com

Obama sends Easter, Passover greetings

WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama extended Easter and Passover greetings Saturday as Americans celebrated the Christian and Jewish holidays.

"These holidays have their roots in miracles that took place thousands of years ago. They connect us to our past and give us strength as we face the future," Obama said in his weekly radio and Internet address. "And they remind us of the common thread of humanity that connects us all."

Passover began at sundown Friday and ends on April 14. It commemorates the Israelites' exodus from slavery in Egypt, receipt of the Torah at Mount Sinai and eventual journey into the Promised Land.

At a festive dinner called a Seder, unleavened bread is consumed during the seven-day holiday to re-live the hasty flight from Egypt, during which there was no time to allow the bread to rise.

The Gospels say Jesus rose from the dead after his crucifixion and burial on the morning of what has become known as Easter Sunday -- the most important day of the year for Christians.

"For me, and for countless other Christians, Easter weekend is a time to reflect and rejoice," Obama said in the address stressing his own religious fervor.

"Christ's triumph over death holds special meaning for Christians. But all of us, no matter how or whether we believe, can identify with elements of His story. The triumph of hope over despair. Of faith over doubt.

"The notion that there is something out there that is bigger than ourselves."

Obama, a Christian who attends church regularly with his family, has faced slurs in the past from opponents who painted him as un-American and even a "closet Muslim" -- his middle name is Hussein.

Saying the core values at the heart of Easter and Passover "help unite Americans of all faiths and backgrounds," Obama wishes all Americans "a weekend filled with joy and reflection, focused on the things that matter most."

source: interaksyon.com

Playboy model dons lettuce leaves in new Easter-themed PETA ad

Just in time for Easter, Playboy and cover model Sheridyn Fisher is showing her love for rabbits—and "rabbit food"—by wearing only strategically placed lettuce leaves in a new ad for Makati-based People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) Asia.

In the new ad, which encourages everyone to show compassion for bunnies and other animals by embracing vegetarian meals, the lettuce bikini–clad Fisher gives herself lettuce leaf "bunny ears" and grins above the words "Be a Bunny's Honey. Go Vegetarian."


"Easter is the perfect time to help bunnies—and pigs, chickens, cows, and other animals—simply by choosing not to eat them," says Fisher. "Vegetarian meals are healthy, humane, and helpful to the environment, so they're something everybunny can enjoy."

PETA says not only are vegetarians fitter and trimmer, on average, than meat-eaters are, they also have a lower risk of heart attacks, cancer, strokes, and obesity.

“Vegetarians also save cows, pigs, and other animals from immense suffering on factory farms, in abattoirs, and on the decks of fishing boats,” it adds. “And vegetarian diets are good for the environment, too: Researchers at the University of Chicago concluded that switching from a standard meat-based diet to one free of animal products is more effective in the fight against climate change than changing from an ordinary car to a hybrid.”

Known for making a splash on the covers and pages of magazines such as Playboy, FHM, Cleo, Girlfriend, and Cosmopolitan, Fisher is also the owner, designer, and face of her own internationally known line of swimsuits, Sheridyn Swim.

Fisher joins a long list of celebrities—including Pink, Geneva Cruz, Lea Michele, Isabel Roces, Yasmien Kurdi, Pamela Anderson, and Sir Paul McCartney—who have teamed up with PETA and its affiliates to help animals.

source: gmanetwork.com