HBO’s Band of Brothers remains one of television’s most powerful war dramas, but one episode has only become harder to watch with time. Coming off Saving Private Ryan, Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg reunited for a deeper, more intentional look at the men who fought across the Western Front during World War II. But out of all 10 episodes, the toughest to stomach isn’t an hour built around high-stakes battle sequences or personal turmoil. It’s the penultimate chapter, “Why We Fight,” a harrowing episode that confronts the ugliness of war, the horrors of the Holocaust, and the danger of looking away.

‘Band of Brothers’ “Why We Fight” Confronts a Horrible Truth

While every episode of Band of Brothers has its tough moments, the ninth episode arguably takes the cake as the most sobering chapter in the entire drama. Much of the episode follows the burnt-out Captain Lewis Nixon (Ron Livingston) as he wanders around occupied Nazi Germany looking for his favorite whiskey and reeling from the news that his wife is divorcing him. As the men struggle with the silence, they force themselves to keep up morale with a powerful rendition of “Blood on the Risers,” but that all changes when “Why We Fight” takes a dark turn over halfway through as the Allied soldiers discover the darkest truth of the war. When an Easy Company patrol stumbles upon the Kaufering concentration camp, the response is a melancholy mixture of shock, anger, and a brokenheartedness that had been building up since many of these men watched their buddies die in battle. It’s a brutal, senseless, and historically accurate display that reveals the true nature of the Nazis’ attempts to rule the world, showcasing the unspeakable horrors of the Holocaust.

Watching Easy Company tackle the war machine that was the Third Reich in the eight episodes leading up to this offered a bloody, violent, and seemingly senseless picture of 20th-century warfare that is quite difficult to watch on its own. And throughout the ninth chapter, many of the men have grown disillusioned with the war itself, with those who had been on the Western Front for years silencing the younger newcomers who are itching to see some action. In many respects, men like Nixon are wondering what this was all for, and we see this clearly when Private David Webster (Eion Bailey) yells at the surrendered (yet still proud) German forces as they march on by. “Dragging our asses halfway around the world, interrupting our lives. For what?!” he laments. The men of Easy Company are given more downtime to think than they had been offered throughout the entire war, and the weight of what they’ve done, what they’ve seen, begins to crush them in the process. But before they can fully despair, Webster’s question of why they had to fight is answered — and no one would be the same.

Upon arriving at the Kaufering concentration camp, Easy Company is met by walking human shells. Men who have been beaten, abused, tortured, and starved and are in dire need of medical attention have been left behind the locked gates of Kaufering IV, one of the many camps in the larger complex. Writer John Orloff and director David Frankel did their homework here, having reportedly recreated the vile conditions of the camp through historical photos and personal testimony of the men who liberated Nazi Germany in the first place. It’s in the last 20 minutes of the episode that Band of Brothers reminds the audience why everything Easy Company and the Allies did had to take place, shedding a powerful light on not just the actions of the Nazis themselves, but on the German people who deliberately chose to ignore what was going on just outside their own town. The citizens, who continually profess not to be Nazis, are forced to aid in the cleaning up of the camp, burying the bodies of the men they pretended didn’t exist. The episode ends with a title card that notes that, between 1942 and 1945, the Nazis killed over 6 million Jews and 5 million ethnic minorities — and that’s not including those put in the camps because they dissented by aiding those in dire need.

‘Band of Brothers’ Episode 9 Is Difficult To Get Through

Image via HBO

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With an incredible eye for detail and historical accuracy that only adds to the disturbing nature of Easy Company’s discovery, “Why We Fight” is an aptly titled hour that speaks to the very soul of the viewer. It’s certainly an episode that’s difficult to forget and even harder to make it through once the patrol makes it to the Kaufering camp. Later, Major Dick Winters (Damian Lewis) reveals that other Allied forces discovered other camps throughout Nazi Germany, many of which were far worse than what Easy Company (and the audience) experience here, complete with execution chambers and ovens meant to burn the bodies. “You’ve never seen anything like this, it’s complete shock that just stumps every feeling of emotion that you have,” the real-life Winters once explained in an interview decades later. “The horror of it, you could never imagine something like this before.”

But it’s not just the visuals of “Why We Fight” that make it such a profound and pivotal chapter in not just Band of Brothers, but the war as a whole. It’s the way that the men respond to what they’ve encountered that truly breaks our hearts. Private Roy Cobb (Craig Heaney) is abruptly embraced by an elderly prisoner who just weeps in the soldier’s arms, and Winters is clearly at a loss for words the moment he walks in. But it’s Private Joseph Liebgott (Ross McCall) who is especially of note here, as he is called in to translate the moment Easy Company breaks into the death camp. McCall proves himself an expert at his craft here, forcing Liebgott to bury his own feelings about what he is hearing from the survivors in order to relay the truth to his superiors. As he does so, we can feel the aching in his voice as he stumbles through the explanation, hardly able to come to terms with what he’s seeing, let alone hearing.

In an interview with HBO Max’s official Band of Brothers podcast, McCall reveals that there was actually more footage cut out of the final episode. “In fact, there was a longer cut of this episode with about five more minutes in it, and it was all concentration camp stuff where they saw even more horrible things,” the actor recalled. “This was one of the very few times when [HBO] said, ‘You know, we love this episode, but it’s just one step too heavy.’”

The HBO Miniseries ‘Band of Brothers’ Remains at the Top of World War II Storytelling

There are few television productions that are as masterful as Band of Brothers. Although “Why We Fight” meditates on the very worst of humanity in the Nazi war machine and the German people who refused to stand against it, the miniseries also offers a challenging (if not at times conflicted) picture of the very best. “The Greatest Generation” overcame some of the most egregious horrors of their day, in all of modern history, and fought back against the forces that would have enslaved the whole world. Mixing in actual interviews with the very Easy Company men who served during World War II with dramatic interpretations of their exploits across war-torn Europe, Band of Brothers is a triumph of filmmaking that goes the extra mile far beyond what Saving Private Ryan could ever do — and that’s even including the D-Day sequence. It’s no wonder that Spielberg and Hanks were not finished with this period in not just American, but world history.

Armed with a powerful cast that shines masterfully in each episode, Band of Brothers is the war drama to end all war dramas. It’s a historical epic worth regularly revisiting so that we are reminded of what these brave men fought and died for. “Why We Fight” is a harrowing reminder that pure evil does exist in our world, and that standing against it may cost us everything. But it is far more honorable (and right) than standing idly by, remaining purposefully ignorant of the truth. It’s been two decades since Band of Brothers — still one of the greatest miniseries ever made — hit HBO viewers like a truck on the front lines of battle, and it still leaves a powerful dent.

Band of Brothers is available for streaming on HBO Max.

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Release Date

2001 – 2001

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Network

HBO

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Directors

David Frankel, David Nutter, Mikael Salomon, Phil Alden Robinson, Richard Loncraine, Tom Hanks

Writers

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Bruce C. McKenna, Graham Yost, John Orloff

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  Donnie Wahlberg

  C. Carwood Lipton

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Researchers have found a way to build a system for real-life tractor beams to haul objects in space.

By Douglas Helm
| Published 16 seconds ago

Rebel ships better watch out because, apparently, we’re closer to making tractor beams a reality than ever. Once confined to science fiction, tractor beams are edging closer to reality, though not in the way most people imagine from Star Wars or Star Trek.

A team led by University of Colorado Boulder aerospace engineer Hanspeter Schaub has spent years developing what’s known as an electrostatic tractor beam, a system designed to move space debris without physically touching it. Recent testing and modeling suggest the concept has advanced far enough that researchers now see it as a serious candidate for future orbital cleanup missions.

Earth Orbit Needs A Cleanup Team

The technology is aimed at solving a growing problem in low Earth orbit. Thousands of dead satellites, spent rocket stages, and shattered fragments already circle the planet at speeds exceeding 17,000 miles per hour. Every collision creates even more debris, increasing the risk of a runaway chain reaction known as Kessler Syndrome. First proposed by NASA scientist Donald Kessler in 1978, the theory predicts that Earth’s orbit could eventually become so crowded with high-speed junk that launching new satellites or crewed spacecraft would become dangerously difficult.

Unlike science fiction tractor beams that instantly yank ships through space, Schaub’s concept relies on electrostatic attraction. A servicing spacecraft approaches a derelict satellite or chunk of debris and fires a beam of electrons at it, giving the target a negative electrical charge. The servicing craft maintains a positive charge, creating an attractive force between the two objects. The result is a slow but continuous pull that can nudge debris into a safer orbit or guide it toward atmospheric reentry.

One of the biggest advantages of the system is that it never needs to physically dock with unstable debris. Traditional capture methods using robotic arms, nets, or harpoons become extremely risky when dealing with objects tumbling uncontrollably through space. Electrostatic tractor beams could potentially maneuver those objects from a distance, reducing the chance of catastrophic collisions during cleanup operations.

Refining The Tractor Tech

Schaub’s team has continued refining the technology inside the Electrostatic Charging Laboratory for Interactions between Plasma and Spacecraft, a specialized vacuum chamber that simulates the plasma conditions of orbit. Researchers use metal targets to imitate dead satellites and debris while studying how charged particles interact in microgravity-like conditions.

One major breakthrough involved controlling rotation. Space debris often spins chaotically, making it difficult to stabilize. The team discovered that pulsing electron beams rhythmically can gradually slow that motion, effectively acting like an invisible braking system before towing begins. That capability could prove just as important as the tractor beam itself.

The project still faces major engineering hurdles. Earth’s upper atmosphere contains constantly shifting plasma environments that can interfere with electrostatic forces. Ion wakes trailing behind spacecraft may also distort the beam’s effectiveness depending on altitude and solar activity. Power generation is another issue, since maintaining large electrical charges in orbit requires substantial onboard energy.

These Tractor Beams Are Not Just A Theory

Even so, the idea has moved well beyond theory. Schaub’s more recent estimates suggest that a full-scale electrostatic debris-removal mission could move multi-ton objects over hundreds of miles over the course of several months. The technology is also attracting renewed interest because the orbital debris crisis has worsened dramatically in recent years, driven by megaconstellations like SpaceX’s Starlink network and repeated anti-satellite weapon tests conducted by governments worldwide.

Several other companies and agencies are pursuing competing debris-removal systems, including magnetic docking craft, drag sails, robotic grapplers, and laser-based nudging systems. But electrostatic tractor beams remain one of the few concepts capable of moving non-cooperative debris without direct contact.

If funding and testing continue at the current pace, Schaub believes the first operational electrostatic tractor spacecraft could launch sometime in the 2030s. That still sounds like science fiction. But so did reusable rockets twenty years ago.

It’s Huda Mustafa’s world and we’re just living in it! The ‘Love Island USA’ star just dropped her debut single, ‘Bad Girls,’ along with the music video, and the record is already taking over timelines. The song has sparked a flood of reactions online, leaving some fans divided while others say they have already added it to their playlist.

RELATED: Issa Wrap! Social Media Reacts As Huda Mustafa Confirm Their Breakup In Joint Statement

Huda Mustafa Shakes Up Timelines With First Single ‘Bad Girls’

Fans got a glimpse of what it’s like being at Huda Headquarters in her new music video for the single, ‘Bad Girls.’ The reality star released her first song, along with visuals set in an office. It shows baddies at work serving looks and showing up as their best selves. Huda also stuns and stunts as the company’s boss. The record has fans sharing their thoughts online, and they’re not holding back when it comes to giving her their honest opinions.

The Roomies Can’t Decide If Huda’s Single Is A Bop Or Not

Over in The Shade Room Teens comment section, folks are divided — some are saying Huda did her BIG one, while others are saying it’s not bad but not amazing either. Peep some of the reactions below.

Instagram user @therealkilahslay wrote, “The girls that get it get it 💅🏽” 

Instagram user @alexia.myers wrote, “We could do without.” 

While Instagram user @thatgirlsaam__ wrote, “Definitely a good H&M song.” 

Then Instagram user @noelletorious wrote, “Actually not bad but sounds like every other pop song.” 

Another Instagram user @officialjaycee wrote, “Y’all keep saying this elevator music but this type of music charts the highest n most ! Keep going Hudaaa.” 

Instagram user @nanyy.97 wrote, “her vocals are so smooth omg 😍” 

Then another Instagram user @tkppfinstaaa._ wrote, “But if it was Ariana grande y’all would be all over it I mean when I heard the song I thought it was fire and it made me think of Ariana Grande 🙌” 

Instagram user @sundus_abde wrote, “She ate this 🔥❤️” 

While another Instagram user @thatsjust_bluee wrote, “I just can’t take it serious nor will!” 

Finally, Instagram user @alwaysssteph_ wrote, “It’s not bad. It’s not AMAZING either.” 

X Users Weigh In On Huda’s Debut Track

Reactions also popped OFF on X (formerly Twitter). Some fans were surprised at how good the track sounds, while others said they will definitely play it while getting ready.

Not Huda actually taking music seriously waitttt ?!!! pic.twitter.com/zzQZI8RgTn

— ★ KILL Λ ★ (@IsisYaFather) May 21, 2026

Ngl she ate!! Will play it when I’m getting ready ofc https://t.co/Dcs1I07qAG https://t.co/n4yIE8rnuV

— 𝐿𝒶𝒹𝓎 𝒩 (@n_yourladyn99) May 22, 2026

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might get cancelled for saying this but this sounds like it’s been copied from somewhere? it all sounds so familiar. i just can’t pinpoint exactly where i’ve heard it? oh wait… it sounds like song of the year! pic.twitter.com/iZDnG6tygK

— 🪄 (@arianastatto0) May 22, 2026

Thank God I never doubted my girl Huda Mustafa ever!!! Literally so proud, it’s only up from here Amen 🙏🏽 https://t.co/Lt7meD05DL

— minion🐻 (@mmasichi0) May 22, 2026

The shock when I learned shawty can ACTUALLY sang, sang. I’ve never been so flabbergasted in my life.

— Astro Wiz Kid ✨️ (@VeeTheVisionary) May 22, 2026

I was hoping it would be something with more quality lyrics but I’m guessing she’s trying to gain radio success first

— Royal🐉❤️‍🔥 (@muah_royalty) May 22, 2026

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Waitttt??
Yes Huda!!!
She’s out here living her main character arc while y’all watch from the sidelines..
Bad Girls summer incoming pic.twitter.com/pJiULsSpvs

— M. Reza Rahmani (@Rahmani_Mreza) May 22, 2026

Hold up Huda!!! She might be on to something!! pic.twitter.com/7CFUfX2etM

— 🌹Al’Bei🌹 (@_albei) May 22, 2026

RELATED: Huda Mustafa And Louis Russell Speak Out After His Ex-Gf Is Granted Restraining Order Against Reality Star (PHOTOS)

By Robert Scucci
| Updated 15 seconds ago

A few years ago, I stumbled upon a now-banned Instagram feed that focused on one thing: cleaning up crime scenes. Before you start judging me, just know that this was a natural escalation, and the same thing could happen to you if you’re not careful. I’m really into those ASMR videos of people powerwashing houses and driveways. This obsession led me to lawn care videos because I rent and don’t have a lawn, and I dream of one day coming up with a sophisticated mowing pattern of my own. It was a wholesome, vicarious arrangement. One thing eventually led to another, and the next thing you know, I’m wondering if this crime scene guy’s proprietary blend of cleaning agents would pass a luminol test after he scraped all sorts of miscellaneous chunks and fluids off the carpeting in question.

After all is said and done, it’s probably a good thing that account got shut down because if I dug myself any deeper, who knows how much further things could have escalated? Fortunately, I stumbled upon a movie about this exact thing, 2007’s Cleaner, starring Samuel L. Jackson just before he started his tenure as Nick Fury in the MCU. It has a 17 percent critical score on Rotten Tomatoes.

Cleaner is not 17 percent bad (Steven Seagal’s Attack Force on the other hand…). Across more than 10,000 ratings on the Popcornmeter, the film has a 40 percent approval rating, and I’m honestly wondering what’s wrong with everybody because this movie, to me, is in the 65 to 70 percent range. It’s a tight thriller about a crime scene cleaner whose most recent job sends him on an investigation that could threaten everything he cares about, and there are enough twists to keep things interesting.

The only real fault I can place on the movie is that it plays like a film that held back because it wanted to appeal to a broader audience. My thought is that since it has an R rating anyway, they should have gone full-on gritty here, but they didn’t.

ASMR For Sick Freaks

Like I said at the top, I fell in love with Cleaner quickly because I like watching people clean things. I also think Samuel L. Jackson can do no wrong. His character, Tom Cutler, is a retired police officer who runs a crime scene cleaning business called Steri-Clean. His job is simple: he shows up at a house when his law enforcement cohorts contact him, gets in his hazmat suit, mixes up his chemicals, and gets to work. The man is exceptionally good at what he does. He can turn your red couch back to white in no time at all, and you can be serving hors d’oeuvres off the same coffee table a dead, bloated body was draped over just hours before, and nobody would be the wiser. He’s that good.

Tom is also a widowed father raising his daughter Rose (Keke Palmer) all by himself. Their relationship is solid, but it gets strained due to the nature of his work and the long hours he has to pull to support her.

Tom becomes suspicious of one of his clients after cleaning Ann Norcut’s (Eva Mendes) house while she was out of town. The job was billed as a homicide cleanup. He enters using the key under the terracotta pot, does his thing, locks up, and goes home. The following day, he realizes he never put the key back, returns to the residence, and is questioned by Ann, who had no idea Steri-Clean did a job at her house. She also points out that her husband, John, is missing. Confiding in his former partner and the godfather of his daughter, Eddie (Ed Harris), Tom learns that John was days away from testifying against the former police commissioner and was probably taken out to prevent him from doing so.

Now, everywhere Tom goes, Eddie seems to be snooping around, as well as Detective Jim Vargas (Luis Guzmán), who’s so straight-faced and serious that he’s either hiding some horrible secret or he’s just as confused about this whole ordeal as Tom is. Tom also knows that he has to tread lightly because of his questionable past involving the man who killed his wife years earlier during a home invasion, and the fate he suffered behind bars while Tom turned a blind eye. Nobody is innocent in the traditional sense in Cleaner, but there’s a clear moral compass to follow once you get to know everybody.

Should Have Gone Harder

My only real beef with Cleaner is that it could have landed so much better as a gritty neo-noir thriller. All the beats and character archetypes are there, but everything feels too surface-level to fully let its hooks sink in. Samuel L. Jackson does an excellent job showcasing his skill set as a tradesman working in a hyperspecific niche industry, and his dynamic with Rose is always believable. He’s a man torn apart by his past traumas, but he shows up for his kid no matter what, even if the day has destroyed any sense of normalcy for him.

Ed Harris and Luis Guzmán do a ton of heavy lifting as morally dubious characters who are either just hard men with resting jerk faces on the right side of the law, or two guys hiding something from Tom as they manipulate their way through the premise. If there’s one thing this movie has going for it, it doesn’t lay all of its cards on the table, and an admirable amount of restraint is used, allowing the mystery to play out in a way that’s ultimately satisfying.

I just wish this one went a little harder, a la True Detective Season 1, instead of playing out like your typical bargain-basement, primed-for-mass-appeal early aughts thriller like The Glass House (2001) or Domestic Disturbance (2001). Fortunately, despite boasting similar production qualities to both of those films, the story itself is worth checking out.

If you’re like me and enjoy watching messes get cleaned up as a form of wish fulfillment (I have kids, sue me), you can stream Cleaner, which is currently streaming on Netflix.

Passenger, the latest fright flick from Norwegian horror maestro André Øvredal, hits theaters this upcoming long weekend. And while he has a full slate of upcoming projects, there’s one horror movie he doesn’t think he’ll ever get to make — even though the script was brilliant. He recently discussed the never-realized project with Collider’s Perri Nemiroff.

Øvredal is next slated to direct Bendy and the Ink Machine, an adaptation of the popular survival horror game of the same name. It’s “a very cool video game that I’m very excited about,” he told Collider. However, when it comes to dream projects, there’s one that Øvredal still thinks about. It’s a script he wrote based on an iconic horror classic: “Years ago, I wrote a script called The Overlook Hotel, and that was brilliant.” He clarifies that it was a prequel to one of Stephen King‘s most famous creations, but he doesn’t think it’ll ever make it to the screen:

“It’s a prequel to The Shining. That would be amazing. But that’s not really a movie that’s probably ever going to go.”

King’s 1978 novel The Shining centered around struggling novelist Jack Torrance and his struggle against madness and evil as he works as the isolated Overlook Hotel’s winter caretaker; the hotel’s horrific past is expanded in flashbacks as its ghosts drive Torrance to turn against everything he once held dear. Director Stanley Kubrick adapted the novel into a 1980 film with Jack Nicholson and Shelley Duvall; although the movie is now considered a horror classic, King himself disliked the deviations it made from the novel. King later spearheaded a 1997 miniseries adaptation that hewed more closely to the book, and wrote a sequel, Doctor Sleep, that was later adapted for film by Mike Flanagan.

What Is ‘Passenger’ About?

Passenger stars Jacob Scipio (Pieces of Her) and Lou Llobell (Foundation) as Tyler and Maddie, a young couple who are hitting the road for a van life adventure. A few weeks into their trip, however, they witness a horrific car accident that leaves a driver dead. And while that sight haunts them, so does the Passenger, a gruesome specter that follows them relentlessly. The film also stars Oscar-winner Melissa Leo (The Fighter) and was penned by Zachary Donohue (The Unknowable) and T.W. Burgess. It will be released on May 22.

Øvredal broke out with the Norwegian horror mockumentary Trollhunter in 2010. He has subsequently helmed the horror films The Autopsy of Jane Doe, Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, and The Last Voyage of the Demeter.

Passenger will be released in theaters on May 22. Stay tuned to Collider for future updates.

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Release Date

May 22, 2026

Runtime

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94 minutes

Director

André Øvredal

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Cast

• 
• 
• 
• 

  Joseph Lopez

  The Passenger

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Roommates, the streets are talking after a young woman tied to one of the most shocking rapper murders in recent memory — just learned her fate in court. What started as a birthday trip quickly turned deadly, and now both Alicia Andrews’ and Julio Foolio‘s names are back in headlines as new details continue to unfold from the case that rocked Florida and the rap community alike.

RELATED: Alicia Andrews Found Guilty In Murder Case Of Rapper Julio Foolio

Alicia Andrews Sentenced In Julio Foolio Killing

A judge has officially sentenced Alicia Andrews, 23, to 15 years behind bars for her role in the 2024 killing of rapper Julio Foolio, born Charles Jones II. According to reports, Andrews helped track Foolio’s movements during his birthday weekend in Tampa before he was ambushed and fatally shot outside a hotel. Prosecutors said Andrews and her boyfriend, Isaiah Chance, followed Foolio from location to location while relaying updates back to the gunmen who later opened fire.

Authorities revealed the attack stemmed from a long-running Jacksonville gang feud involving Foolio and rival groups allegedly connected to ATK and 1200. Trial testimony claimed Foolio’s social media activity and music, including diss-heavy drill tracks, intensified tensions over the years. Investigators said rivals spotted online posts about his Tampa birthday plans and allegedly used that information to coordinate the deadly retaliation mission.

Foolio’s Mother Speaks After Sentencing In Killing

During sentencing, Foolio’s mother, Sandrikas Mays, delivered an emotional statement directly addressing Andrews’ involvement. She told the court her son would still be alive had Andrews not participated in the plan, regardless of whether she pulled the trigger herself. Mays also pointed out that Andrews still has the opportunity to see her family and child, while she can no longer see her son. Her statement reportedly left the courtroom emotional as the judge prepared to hand down the maximum sentence possible for the manslaughter conviction.

“They hunted my son down like a deer in the woods. This was loyalty to v*olence over humanity. My son was treated like his life didn’t matter,” Mays can be heard saying.

Four Co-Defendants Face Life Without Parole

Prosecutors originally charged Andrews with second-degree murder, but jurors ultimately convicted her of manslaughter. Her attorney argued she played only a “minor” role in the crime and announced plans to appeal the conviction. Meanwhile, four additional defendants — Isaiah Chance, Sean Gathright, Davion Murphy, and Rashad Murphy on first-degree murder charges. Although prosecutors pushed for the death penalty, the jury rejected it. The four men now face mandatory life sentences without parole at next month’s hearing.

RELATED: Florida Police Arrest 4 Of 5 Suspects In Connection To Murder Of Rapper Julio Foolio (VIDEOS)

Fans are reflecting on the life and legacy of rapper Rob Base after he passed away at age 59. Rob, who was from Harlem, made up one half of a hip-hop duo with DJ E-Z Rock. E-Z Rock, born Rodney Bryce, also passed away at age 56 on April 27, 2014, from complications with diabetes.

RELATED: Prayers Up! NBA YoungBoy Associate Ben10 Reportedly Shot Again In Baton Rouge Weeks After Houston Incident 

Details On Rob Base’s Passing

Rob Base, whose real name is Robert Ginyard was a prominent figure in the ’80’s hip-hop scene and built his name off the 1988 hit ‘It Takes Two.’ On Friday, May 22, Rob’s official Instagram account released a statement confirming he passed away after a private battle with cancer. The message noted that he will always be remembered for his music and legacy, along with how she showed up as a loving father, family man, and friend.

“Rob’s music, energy, and legacy helped shape a generation and brought joy to millions around the world. Beyond the stage, he was a loving father, family man, friend, and creative force whose impact will never be forgotten. Thank you for the music, the memories, and the moments that became the soundtrack to our lives,” the statement read.

Rob passed just days after he celebrated his 59th birthday on May 18. He also dropped a message on Instagram that day, expressing gratitude and sharing a photo of himself.

Social Media Mourns Rob & Reflects On His Legacy

After news about Rob’s passing broke, The Shade Room’s comment section was flooded with reactions. Plenty of fans credited him for creating an iconic hit, while others shared how sad they feel seeing so many pioneers pass away from cancer.

Instagram user @amazing_amy797 wrote, “I’m bout to blast It Takes Two ALL day. Rest up 🙏🏾🕊️😢” 

Instagram user @jaylapage101 wrote, “Aww man RIP.” 

While Instagram user @kimmymar wrote, “Damnnnn.. it takes two is ICONIC 🔥. RIP 🙏🏽” 

Then Instagram user @onlyonesephora wrote, “Classic, Classic Classic ‼️‼️‼️ Rest Well Rob 🙏🏽” 

Another Instagram user @roycer__ wrote, “Yo MTV Raps era is goated, he was at the top of it. RIP :(” 

Instagram user @jheekidthegr8 wrote, “Mannnnn This got me stuck!!! 🙏🕊🕊” 

Then another Instagram user @iamjakkblakk wrote, “This song in skate key went crazy thank you rob base ya music will live on 🕊️🕊️🕊️🕊️🕊️🕊️🕊️🕊️🕊️🕊️🕊️” 

While another Instagram user @lilngb wrote, “This song still turn block parties up🔥🔥🔥” 

Finally, Instagram user @teethespacehoochie wrote, “I don’t care how old you are when IT TAKES TWO comes on you hit them dance moves! Rest in peace to him!” 

More About Rob Base’s Career

PEOPLE reports that Rob and DJ E-Z Rock met in Harlem when they were in grade school before they formed their group. Although fans know them best for ‘It Takes Two,’ Rob and E-Z Rock dropped their first track as a duo in 1986 with “DJ Interview.”

In addition to making its mark in the hip-hop, ‘It Takes Two’ also landed in the 2009 rom-com ‘The Proposal’, starring Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds. The record peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot Dance/Club Songs chart and later earned a platinum certification from the RIAA. Since its release, artist like Snoop Dogg and others sampled it.

RELATED: Prayers Up! Heartbreaking Photos Show Funeral Of 8 Children Killed In Louisiana Mass Shooting (UPDATE)