npr:

Aretha Franklin, the “Queen of Soul,” died Thursday in her home city of Detroit after battling pancreatic cancer. Her death was confirmed by her publicist, Gwendolyn Quinn. She was 76.

Franklin sold more than 75 million records during her life, making her one of the best-selling artists of all time. She took soul to a new level and inspired generations of singers who came after her.

No one’s life can be condensed to one word — but Aretha Franklin came close when she sang one word: “respect.”

“Respect” was written by the great Otis Redding. In his version, a man is pleading, offering his woman anything she wants in exchange for her respect. He sang: “Hey little girl, you’re sweeter than honey / And I’m about to give you all of my money / But all I want you to do / Is just give it, give it / Respect when I come home …”

Aretha changed those lyrics to demand parity. “Oooh, your kisses,” she sang, “Sweeter than honey / And guess what? / So is my money …” In her hands, “Respect” became an empowering song — for black women and for all women. It was a No. 1 hit in 1967, and it became her signature song.

Franklin was 25 years old when “Respect” was released. But she had been singing since she was a small child in her father’s New Bethel Baptist Church.

Aretha Franklin, The ‘Queen Of Soul,’ Dies At 76

Photos: Getty Images

Aretha Franklin, The Queen Of Soul, Has Died At 76

buzzfeed:

Aretha Franklin, the undisputed Queen of Soul and a music legend who enjoyed a career longer than many of her successors, died Thursday. She was 76.

Her publicist, Gwendolyn Quinn, confirmed her death to BuzzFeed News in a statement, saying she died at her home in Detroit at 9:50 a.m. local time. The cause of death was advanced pancreatic cancer of the neuroendocrine type.

“In one of the darkest moments of our lives, we are not able to find the appropriate words to express the pain in our heart,“ her family said in a statement. “We have lost the matriarch and rock of our family.”

The family also said they had been “deeply touched” by the outpouring of love and support they had received in recent days, after word first emerged the singer had fallen ill.

“We have felt your love for Aretha and it brings us comfort to know that her legacy will live on,” they said.

No other vocalist has reached the heights Franklin did during her monumental career. She is the most charted female singer in Billboard history, the first woman to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the winner of 18 Grammy Awards, and the “greatest singer of all time,” according to Rolling Stone.

Aretha Franklin, The Queen Of Soul, Has Died At 76

ironbulls-ironballs:

mamoru:

mamoru:

mamoru:

oh my god the ign plagarism story keeps getting weirder

dude got caught plagiarising a video game review and issued a CHALLENGE to people to find more plagarism and it turns out this guy has been plagarising in his videos, articles, reviews, and even his fucking resume

if you ever wonder if you are under qualified, remember this dude bullshitted his fucking resume and had a stable job stealing content for years

apply to any job you want regardless of your qualifications. be as confident as this guy. you just might get hired

IGN needs to start using TurnItIn 😂

sindri42:

aelita15:

toolmutual:

interrogation scene in a movey where the guy refuses to cooperate and he’s like “fuck you” and spits blood and the people interrogating him are like “what the fuck. nobody’s even hit you yet. where did you get all that blood from”

i think that’d be funny

“Dude are you ok”

“Can… can we get a doctor in here? I think this guy might be in trouble.”