The End of “Tex Brown?” Tripp Ali (@iamTrippAli) Parts Ways w/ Signal 23 TV!

The world of web stars and web series changes quicker than Atlanta weather! One day we are happy to announce there is new web series to debut or a new web star to meet, and then on other days a web star is announcing his departure.

This time, unfortunately, it is the latter as Tripp Ali, host of The Plug and star of Tex Brown, has announced he and Signal 23 Tv are parting ways!

The news of Tripp’s departure was made known via an ominous Instagram post where he announced that today he was parting ways with Signal 23 TV.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Tripp Ali (@iamtrippali) on Jun 14, 2017 at 11:50am PDT

His departure from the network comes as a surprise to many as his show has undoubtedly been one of the network’s biggest successes due to its content, grit, and the combined talent of Tripp Ali and Henderson Maddox. In recent months Mr. Ali he had even become of the faces, alongside Gary Lavard and Lando King, of the network and a highly anticipated tour, The Kings of Stream, has been in the works.

Naturally, we had to get a more in depth from Tripp about his departure. He sent this response:

Tripp Ali

I am an entertainer and when my craft is no longer respected or honored I need to move on. Entertainers must always be true to their craft and never allow themselves to be placed in an unfair contract or situation that goes beyond the realm of professionalism and decency. Continue to sign on to “The Plug” @ worldstarhitradio.com and I will updates on my next role.

We definitely wish Tripp the best in his future endeavors, but at the same time we hate to see Tex Brown end. The series may just be released in a similar fashion to About Justin upon Rico Pruitt’s departure earlier this year.  This has been quite the week for Mr. Ali, as you recall he announced he would be the sole host of The Plug after Brandon Karson’s allegedly abrupt departure. We reached out to Signal 23 TV, but at the time this post went live we had not received a response. What are your thoughts on Tripp Ali’s departure? Sound off in the comments section below!

Written By: Michael “Hey Mikey” Fanning

Tripp Ali (@iamTrippAli) Goes Solo! “The Plug” Releases Official Statement Regarding Brandon Karson’s (@mrbrandonkarson) Departure

The rumor mill of Atlanta is always churning, but often its rumors turn out to be facts. Yesterday, we reported that Brandon Karson may have departed his hit radio show, with Tripp Ali, The Plug, and as of this morning we can confirm he is definitely no longer a part of the show.

A representative from The Plug reached out to us late last night with an official statement regarding Brandon Karson’s departure.

You can read the statement below in its entirety:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

THE PLUG CO-HOST BRANDON KARSON DEPARTS INDEFINITELY

JUNE 8, 2017

ATLANTA, GA- ON MAY 19TH, A PLUG ATL PRODUCER WAS CONTACTED BY BRANDON KARSON REGARDING DETAILS OF THE SHOW. THE CONVERSATION SWITCHED OVER TO DETAILS REVEALING THAT BRANDON HAD SEEN SEXUALLY EXPLICIT CONTENT FROM TRIPP ALI’S TV SHOW “TEX BROWN” AND HAD MADE COMMENTS REGARDING TRIPP’S CHOICE OF REVEALING HIS GENITALS AND OPPOSING TO HIS DECISION. THE PLUG ATL PRODUCER DEFENDED TRIPP’S DECISION FOR IT BEING A INDUSTRY AND BUSINESS MOVE FOR THE ACTOR. IT WAS ALSO NOTED MR KARSON ALSO MADE A SIMILAR DECISION IN A PREVIOUS PROJECT.

SHORTLY AFTER THE EXCHANGE, THE PLUG ATL PRODUCER SHARED IMAGES OF THE CONVERSATION TO TRIPP ALI. DURING THE LIVE TAPING OF THE SHOW, TRIPP ALI VERBALLY CONFRONTED BRANDON LIVE ON THE AIR. ALI WAS PARTICUALLY UPSET BY THE FACT THAT IT WAS NOT BROUGHT TO HIS ATTENTION AND RATHER SAID TO A MUTUAL FRIEND/SHOW PRODUCER. AT THE END OF THE SHOW, KARSON REVEALED THAT IT MIGHT BE HIS LAST SHOW.  SHORTLY AFTER THE SHOW BOTH ALI AND KARSON MADE AMENDS BUT KARSON NEVER MADE PEACE WITH THE SITUATION AND UNFOLLOWED BOTH TRIPP ALI AND FORMER MUTUAL FRIEND/SHOW PRODUCER ON SOCIAL MEDIA. LATER KARSON PLEADED WITH A VIDEOGRAPHER TO EDIT OUT THE CONFRONTATION FROM THE SHOW ON THE BASIS OF AN ALLEGATION THAT THE PLUG ATL PRODUCER AND TRIPP ALI WERE TRYING TO DESTROY HIM AND HIS CAREER.

ON JUNE 8TH, IT WAS ANNOUNCED THAT THE SHOW WOULD REBRAND AND RELAUNCH WITHOUT BRANDON KARSON. THE PLUG IS YOUR NEW SOURCE FOR URBAN POP CULTURE. THE SHOW WILL RETURN MID-LATE JUNE ON WORLDSTARHITRADIO.COM AND SOCIAL MEDIA CHANNELS (@WEARETHEPLUGATL) AND WEARETHEPLUGATL.COM

YIKES! We are surprised to see Brandon and Tripp at odds, the two have definitely seemed to be very “ride or die” for each other. Brandon, we definitely invite you to reach out to us with your side of things as well. Still, with Brandon’s “indefinite” departure, we wonder is he looking for a new co-host, or will he be flying solo? Hopefully these two can mend this rift between them. Nevertheless, we wish all parties involved the absolute best!

Written By: Michael “Hey Mikey” Fanning

[VIDEO] “The Show Must Go On?” Did Brandon Karson (@mrbrandonkarson) Leave “The Plug?”

It is officially Thursday evening in Atlanta and the rumor mill is turning–at least  in our inbox, thanks to a few dozen of our minions. It seems things are always changing in the world of Web Stars and their other ventures seem to be no different. As you know web stars, Tripp Ali (Tex Brown, Steel River: When Were Young, About Him) and Brandon Karson (About Him: Freshman Year, District) have a popular radio show, The Plug. For over a year now they have entertained thousands of people everywhere with their fresh perspective and the chemistry from their very different viewpoints.

As awesome as they seemed together it appears Tripp Ali and Brandon Karson have parted ways, leaving the former as the sole host of The Plug!

[VIDEO] Q & A w/ Your “About Him” BAE! Catch Brandon Karson (@mrbrandonkarson) on His New Radio Show, “The Plug!”

About Him has truly taken the internet by storm, and its breakout star, Brandon Karson, continues to rise to greater heights. Being successful sometimes means trying different avenues and dabbling in other mediums, especially when you’re a man on a mission like Mr. Karson is! We managed to snag a little of Brandon’s time as he prepares for the premiere of his radio show, The Plug! Trust us when we tell you IT’S ABOUT TO GO DOWN!

Tripp Ali & Brandon Karson

Q: Why did you decide to do a radio show and where’d the name come from?

A: One of the producers from “About Him”, Kimberly Jones, came to both me and Tripp with a proposal from a connection she has with World Star Hit Radio. They wanted a more diverse line-up of shows, so they reached out to us because of the sudden following we garnered with the success of “About Him”. Melisa Fox, who we love, is the mastermind behind this whole idea. The name was something we thought of at the proposal meeting. We wanted to let it be known that we were in the business of connecting people, bridging the gap if you will. We wanted to be the “plug” for everything entertainment. 

Q: What makes Tripp Ali the right person to be your co-host? What’s your chemistry like?

A: Me and Tripp  are two totally different vibes. We think on two totally different wave frequencies, but it’s our differences that attract us. Our chemistry is extremely unique. It’s something that comes so natural. Our connection is one huge, ongoing conversation. It flows beautifully. We have fun together, man. 

continued next page!

The Multi-Talented Master of Making It Happen! Tripp Ali (@Abarex) Is A Star On The Rise!

The grind never stops and the hustle never sleeps! Few people know this better than Tripp Ali–singer, songwriter, director, screenwriter, actor–and did we forget an all around great guy! Tripp has been a mainstay in the entertainment industry for nearly two decades, and his level of success continues to rise. You may know him from hit web series like About Him, Freefall, Steel River, and Kaleidoscope, or the web/reality series, The Boyz Next Door Atlanta, but that is only a fraction of who he is and the talent he houses. There are a number of people we can list as quintuple threats, but very few of them boast Tripp’s skills and abilities. He cites his genes and supportive family as the source of his ability “to do just about anything.” “People in my family are very talented, so I guess it just runs in my blood; we have singers, musicians, writers…everyone is really supportive of everything I do. I can truly say my family loves me and has back hard and I love’em more for it.”

Hailing from Cleveland Ohio, Tripp began his journey in the music industry at the tender age of seventeen when he signed his first record deal. He then went on to travel and create music with the legendary rap group Bone Thugs-N-Harmony’s Mo Thugs. Later he moved to New York City to further his music career and began dabbling in screenwriting and directing. The result was phenomenal! He wrote and directed the hit film, The Good Wifey (2012), starring  Persia White (Girlfriends), David Ramsey (Arrow), Chico Bennymon (Half & Half), and Tangi Miller (Madea’s Family Reunion). Impressively, the film went on to sell out in Redboxes nationwide and was the fourth best selling DVD in sales at Wal-Mart for three weeks straight! “A lot of people don’t know I wrote that, but I am really happy with how it did…it was no easy feat and success like that on a non-studio film is kind of unheard of…The movie [The Good Wifey] is really thrilling, the cast is amazing, and that’s why people love it so much…”