Incarcerated rapper Tay-K has avoided a literal death sentence in the case concerning his involvement with the murder of a photographer in Texas several years ago.
On Monday (April 14), Tay-K, whose real name is Taymor McIntyre, avoided receiving the death penalty after he was found not guilty of capital murder and guilty of the murder of photographer Mark Anthony Saldivar in 2017.
If McIntyre would’ve been convicted of the capital murder charge, he would have been facing the death penalty. Instead, he will now be facing a sentence somewhere between five and 99 years over his guilty murder charge conviction.
The ruling brings the trial, which saw McIntyre accused of both robbing and fatally shooting Saldivar, to a close. At the time the fatal shooting occurred, prosecutors allege that McIntyre, who was out on bond and under house arrest, cut off his GPS monitor and fled. It was at this time his song “The Race” gained viral attention by attracting over 360 million views on YouTube and reaching the Billboard Hot 100.
According to reports, McIntyre was able to circumvent the capital murder charge due to conflicting physical evidence and eye witness testimony. Mcintyre’s ex-girlfriend Joanna Reyes, who drove the car involved in the incident, testified against him during the trial.
“He climbed on the hood of the car, trying to get his stuff back, and that’s when Tay-K shot him,” Reyes said during her testimony earlier this month in a Bexar County Court.
Though Reyes testified in that she witnessed McIntyre shoot and kill Salidivar in April 2017, additional eyewitness accounts uncovered various descriptions of the shooter and there was conflicting information about the weapon used.
McIntyre is already serving a 55-year sentence on a separate murder conviction from a 2016 home invasion case. The jury is set to reconvene on April 14 to deliver a ruling on sentencing.
Sean “Diddy” Combs stood before a federal judge in Manhattan on Monday afternoon (April 14) to plead not guilty to two new felony charges.
The Bad Boy boss was hit with new sex trafficking and transportation for prostitution—added in a third superseding indictment that expands an already sprawling criminal case against the Hip-Hop mogul.
Diddy entered his plea in response to the April 3 indictment, which now alleges a pattern of criminal conduct stretching from 2004 to 2024.
The new charges widen the scope of the case to include incidents from 2021 to 2024 and introduce a second alleged victim identified in court documents as “Victim-2.”
Federal prosecutors claim Diddy used “force, fraud, and coercion” to compel women into commercial sex acts and transported them across state lines and international borders in violation of the Mann Act.
The indictment accuses him of manipulating victims through threats, violence and drugs, including ketamine and ecstasy.
Among the most disturbing allegations are claims that Diddy dangled a woman over a balcony, physically assaulted her and threatened her reputation to maintain control.
Prosecutors argue he used his celebrity status and influence to lure victims under the pretense of romantic relationships, only to exploit them.
The racketeering conspiracy charge, which has been central to the case, now spans two decades and includes allegations of kidnapping, arson, bribery, forced labor and drug trafficking.
Diddy has denied all wrongdoing.
His legal team maintains that the relationships were consensual and that the accusations are false.
He has pleaded not guilty to every charge brought against him.
The trial is scheduled to begin May 5 in Manhattan federal court.
Chris Brown set tongues wagging at Coachella after being seen warmly interacting with both Teyana Taylor and Karrueche Tran despite previous public tension.
Footage from the music festival over the weekend showed Brown approaching Taylor, who initially appeared tense. The two exchanged words before embracing and sharing a laugh, a moment that caught many by surprise, given their previous rumored clash.
In a separate video, Brown was seen smiling and chatting with Tran years after she was granted a restraining order against him in 2017.
The reunion with Taylor comes nearly two years after a heated incident at Brown’s 34th birthday party in Las Vegas.
According to multiple reports, Brown confronted Taylor over her decision to withdraw from his planned Michael Jackson tribute at the 2022 American Music Awards. Taylor had reportedly backed out due to scheduling conflicts.
Witnesses claimed Brown became aggressive, yelling at her and demanding she leave. Taylor allegedly responded by telling him he was “on one,” which only escalated the situation.
USHER, who was also at the party, attempted to calm things down but ended up in a confrontation with Brown. The dispute allegedly spilled outside, where Brown and his entourage reportedly assaulted USHER. Though early reports suggested USHER suffered facial injuries, he appeared unharmed the next day at the Lovers & Friends festival.
Despite the incident, Taylor later clarified the status of her relationship with Brown, saying they were “damn near blood brother and sister.”
Karruche Tran Accuses Chris Brown Of Abuse
Chris Brown’s interaction with Tran raised even more eyebrows. The actress and model was granted a five-year restraining order against Brown in 2017 after accusing him of physical and emotional abuse, including threats to her life.
She alleged he punched her in the stomach and pushed her down stairs during their relationship. The order expired in 2022.
Their brief exchange at Coachella, which appeared friendly, led to a wave of speculation online. Comments flooded Tran’s Instagram with people urging the two to reconcile.
Chief Keef is facing intense backlash after Bhad Bhabie appeared to confirm during a podcast that their relationship began when she was just 16.
During her appearance on Ari Fletcher’s “Dinner With The Don” podcast, the 20-year-old rapper and internet personality spoke openly about her past with the Chicago rapper, describing their dynamic as “friends with benefits.”
“I just used to go over there and hang out, get f#####,” she said.
Bhabie then seemed to nearly reveal her age at the time, stopping herself mid-sentence.
“I was like si…” she said before abruptly cutting herself off. She later added, “I took it personal because I was young,” and said the relationship lasted four years.
Bhad Bhabie accidentally slips up and EXPOSES Chief Keef for sleeping with her when she was just 16 😳 pic.twitter.com/DZseH8P9P5
The moment ignited a wave of criticism online, with many accusing Chief Keef of predatory behavior.
One user wrote, “Chief Keef Canceled How you 20 f###### a 16 year old?” Another added, “So if you’re rich enough and Chief Keef you can get away with rape. All yall n##### in the thread defending Chief Keef for this nasty ass s### are some f###### weirdos dawg.”
Bhad Bhabie On Rumored Relationship With Chief Keef
Rumors of a relationship between the two first surfaced in late 2020 when Bhad Bhabie was 16. She later confirmed on the “High Low With EmRata” podcast that she had known Chief Keef since she was “around 15 or 16” and admitted, “I really did love him.”
She also revealed several tattoos dedicated to him, including his last name on her chest, “CK” on her ankles and “Keith” on her wrist.
In December 2024, Bhabie said during an Instagram Live that her boyfriend, Le Vaughn, beat her when after she “cheated” by reaching out to Chief Keef. Despite the timeline suggesting she was underage when the relationship began, Bhabie has since defended Chief Keef, claiming they didn’t start dating until she was 18. “Some f###### s### I should’ve never got myself into,” she said.
Elsewhere in the “Dinner With The Don” episode, Bhabie opened up about traumatic experiences from her childhood and teenage years. She alleged she was molested by her mother’s ex-boyfriend, Dustin, between the ages of 3 and 6 and later by a bodyguard from ages 13 to 16.
She also said she dated men in their 30s during her mid-teen years. Despite reporting the abuse to authorities, she said no one was ever arrested. “It’s crazy how nobody ever got in trouble,” she said, expressing frustration over the lack of accountability.
Ja Rule went scorched-earth on social media after 50 Cent mocked his emotional response to Irv Gotti’s death and reignited long-standing allegations that 50 cooperated with federal authorities during the Murder Inc. investigation.
Ja lit up X (Twitter) over the weekend with a profanity-filled tirade, accusing 50 Cent of being a “rat” and dragging him for everything from his music to his parenting.
“@50cent SUCK MY DCK you b#### ass n####,” Ja wrote, kicking off a string of posts that quickly went viral. “I already ate your lunch shut up!!!”
He didn’t stop there. Ja tore into 50’s career, writing, “@50cent N#### you’re a used car salesman everything you do is trash.”
The outburst came after 50 Cent posted a photo of a fake tombstone on Instagram with the caption, “I’m smoking on dat Gotti pack. Nah God bless him LOL,” mocking the death of Irv Gotti, co-founder of Murder Inc. During an interview on The Breakfast Club, Ja Rule said he was “ready to go nuclear” over the post but was talked down by DJ Premier.
“I was hurt, I was ready to go nuclear,” Ja Rule shares how he felt when 50 Cent mocked the death of Irv Gotti.
He denies having had anything to do with his shooting.
— Baboon Forest Entertainment (@BaboonForestEnt) April 10, 2025
50 Cent Taunts Ja Rule Over His Reaction To Irv Gotti’s Death
50 Cent later mocked Ja’s restraint, writing, “This fool has been getting ready to go what he calls nuclear for 22 years.”
That jab seemed to push Ja Rule over the edge, prompting his rant. He returned to X with more heat, accusing 50 of snitching to federal agents and sharing what he claimed was paperwork tying 50 to an order of protection following a 2000 stabbing at The Hit Factory recording studio.
@50cent Go ahead and lie,” Ja posted, attaching a screenshot of the alleged documents. “Tell these good people tell the paperwork fake so I can send this next shot… WE GOT RECEIPTS boo boo…”
He also referenced a 2016 report involving Bang Em Smurf, who claimed the order of protection was real.
“@50cent Say I’m lying n#### I DARE YOU,” he added. “N#### said he had to talk yayo out of telling. You can’t make this s### up…”
Ja also mocked 50’s street credibility, writing, “He got shot 9 times and did NOTHING… stop glazing this clown…” and added, “@50cent Until you do something to the n##### that shot you you can’t troll no more… handle your business chump lmao…”
The order of protection in question reportedly stemmed from a March 2000 incident where 50 Cent was stabbed in the chest and suffered a collapsed lung.
According to Bang Em Smurf, the studio engineer involved in the altercation pushed for legal action. Legal experts have said that protection orders are automatically issued to all victims in such cases, and 50 Cent has consistently denied ever requesting one.
The feud between Ja Rule and 50 Cent has dragged on for over 20 years, fueled by diss tracks, interviews and social media jabs, with no sign of either rapper backing down.
Hip hop is not only music. It’s a creative outlet, a way of life, and a joyful means of self-expression. For students, it’s a perfect pastime that keeps the mind engaged, promotes self-development, and unites individuals. Few other pastimes can match its combination of rhythm, language, movement, and narrative. But why does it go so well with college life? Let’s investigate the justifications.
All day spent in class can become really dull. Your body remains motionless for hours as you take notes and gaze at screens. Hip hop fits in there. Hip hop keeps you moving whether you’re making beats, composing rhymes, or dancing. It disrupts the pattern and allows your mind a rest from conventional studies.
Moving your body also benefits your intellect. A little dance class can lift your spirits. Making a beat or composing many lines of a rap clears brain clutter. Being a professional is not the point. It’s about keeping sharp doing something enjoyable.
It Encourages Creative Thinking
College life is full of deadlines and rules. Essays follow formats. Tests have right and wrong answers. Hip hop gives you space to think differently. Writing rap lyrics helps you express feelings that might be hard to say out loud. Producing music challenges you to mix sounds that match your mood.
This kind of creativity can spill into your collegework too. You might find it easier to brainstorm or come up with fresh ideas. Hip hop teaches you how to be original and confident in your voice. These are skills that help in group projects, presentations, and even writing papers.
But let’s be honest, college can still wear you down. Long nights, tight schedules, and mental fatigue are common. Many students struggle to balance assignments with their personal interests. This is why some turn to academic help to ease the pressure. Writing services helps students who want support without falling behind. When you do my assignment with help from EduBirdie, you free up time to focus on your creative projects. It’s not about avoiding work—it’s about staying inspired without burning out. You stay responsible while giving yourself breathing room. Hip hop feeds your imagination. Academic help gives you time to feed it. That balance is what helps students stay sharp, creative, and mentally strong. In the end, both support each other. You don’t have to choose between your passion and your degree. With the right support, you can do both—and do them well.
Great Way to Meet People and Make Friends
College can feel lonely sometimes, especially when you’re new on campus. Hip hop brings people together. It gives you a reason to talk, share, and collaborate. You don’t have to be an expert. Just being interested can help you connect with others who share the same vibe.
You’ll often find campus clubs or open-mic events where people share their rhymes or dance moves. There’s a friendly energy at these gatherings. Everyone’s there to enjoy the moment and learn from each other. Building friendships through hip hop feels natural, not forced.
Skills You Can Learn Through Hip Hop
Hip hop isn’t only about entertainment. It teaches you real skills you can use beyond college. Here’s a short list of what you might pick up:
Public speaking – Rapping improves how clearly and confidently you talk.
Writing – Lyrics train you to be sharp and creative with words.
Teamwork – Collaborating with others on tracks builds your group work skills.
Time management – Practicing your craft helps you use time wisely.
Discipline – Sticking with a verse or beat until it’s perfect builds patience.
Listening – Producing music teaches you to notice small details in sound.
Storytelling – Every rap tells a story. You learn to connect words with feeling.
These lessons don’t feel like work. They come naturally when you’re having fun.
Builds Confidence in a Unique Way
Many students struggle with confidence in college. Speaking up in class or sharing ideas in groups can feel scary. Hip hop helps with that. Performing or sharing your music pushes you past your fears. Even if you’re just rapping in front of a mirror, you’re building courage.
You start seeing yourself differently. You hear your voice. You feel your rhythm. The more you create, the more you believe in your ability to express your truth. That feeling doesn’t stay in the studio or practice room. It follows you into classrooms, meetings, and job interviews.
Helps You Manage Stress Without Pressure
College comes with pressure. Grades, part-time jobs, future plans—it’s a lot. That stress needs a way out. Hip hop offers a pressure-free outlet. No one’s judging you. You don’t need fancy equipment. A pen, a beat, and some emotion are enough.
Writing or dancing helps release emotions in a safe, fun way. You can pour your frustration into lyrics. Let go of stress through movement. Or just relax with music that gets you. There’s no right or wrong here—just your style and your moment.
Hip Hop Keeps You Grounded
With so much happening around you, it’s easy to lose yourself in college. Expectations come from all sides—professors, parents, even friends. Hip hop keeps you connected to who you are. You choose your message, your tone, your look.
It gives you control over your story. While college teaches you facts, hip hop helps you explore your identity. It reminds you where you came from and where you’re going. That balance is powerful when everything else feels out of control.
You Don’t Need to Spend a Lot
Some hobbies cost a fortune. Sports need gear. Photography needs cameras. Hip hop doesn’t ask for much. You can start with what you already have. A phone, a free app, or just your voice is enough to get going.
Plenty of free platforms let you record or mix beats. Want to learn dance? Videos online teach everything from beginner steps to complex moves. Budget doesn’t block you from joining in. That makes it perfect for students trying to save money.
Final Thoughts
Hip hop is more than a hobby—it’s an experience. It helps you grow, relax, connect, and discover new sides of yourself. It fits right into college life, offering the fun and freedom you need to stay balanced.
No matter your skill level, you can find your space in hip hop. Whether you rap in your dorm, dance between classes, or write verses after a study session—it belongs to you. Give it a try. You might just find that hip hop is exactly what your student life has been missing.
Offset has broken his silence after viral photos showed Cardi B giving NFL star Stefon Diggs a lapdance at a New York City nightclub over the weekend.
However, despite their contentious divorce, Offset is pleased the mother of his youngest children has moved on.
Offset told a commenter on Instagram, “I’m happy for her !!”
The remark came after a fan joked, “Offset punching air” under a post about Cardi and Diggs partying together following Vybz Kartel’s concert over the weekend.
The footage quickly made the rounds online, showing the Grammy-winning rapper partying with the Buffalo Bills wide receiver.
The “Jealousy” hitmaker later posted a carousel of photos from the night out, captioning them, “What a night !!!! Ommmmggggg started well ended better.”
Stefon Diggs Confirms Single Status Amid Cardi B Romance Rumors
Meanwhile, Diggs also addressed his relationship status during an Instagram Live session over the weekend. He admitted he is not single but declined to name who he’s dating.
That only fueled the speculation that he and Cardi B may be more than just party companions.
This isn’t the first time the two have been linked. Back on Valentine’s Day 2025, they were seen arriving at a Miami hotel around 2 A.M., raising eyebrows. They were also spotted together at a different New York City club earlier in February.
The whispers go back even further. Some online sleuths previously speculated that Cardi and Diggs were romantically involved while she was pregnant with Offset’s child.
Cardi addressed those claims during an Instagram Live, calling them “f###### crazy.”
Cardi B filed for divorce from Offset in August 2024, months after publicly confirming their split in December 2023. Since then, the two have exchanged jabs online, airing out personal grievances online.
As of now, neither Cardi B nor Stefon Diggs has made any official statements about the nature of their relationship.
Shad Reed has been listening to the vets in rap and had some clear conclusions about aging in rap.
Despite it being more than a decade ago, I still vividly remember speaking with DJ Jazzy Jeff for a piece I was writing and him explaining that parents DO understand when it comes to Hip-Hop now.
When I asked him to elaborate (mainly because my mother—God rest her soul—didn’t), he said that people who were parents now were the ’70s and ’80s kids who grew up with Hip-Hop as it fought for its rightful place in popular culture.
But, for a long time, Baby Boomers were the tastemakers, and among them, Hip-Hop was a completely foreign concept. However, by the 2010s, that was no longer the case, and Hip-Hop had firmly woven itself into American society.
The influence of rap music on people making corporate decisions was clear: things had changed. Popularity, time and commerce bridged the gap between the authenticity of Hip-Hop and the American business landscape, for better or worse. But ultimately, it was a gargantuan success in that rap went from bodegas to boardrooms and became a multi-billion-dollar industry.
In the ’90s and even the early ’00s, there was a mindset in the community that once people in Hip-Hop got to a certain age, they either died, “retired” or fell off. Until then, not unlike athletics, rap was seen as a young person’s game.
While many people could still flourish in conventional professions well into their 50s, that was not true for most professional rappers; they mostly faded into obscurity. Again, though, there has been a generational shift; just like how Hip-Hop eventually carved its lane in corporate America, it’s now making it more accessible and acceptable for older and established participants.
Multiple artists over 50 (Eminem, LL COOL J, Ice Cube, Redman, Snoop Dogg, Common & Pete Rock, Fat Joe, MC Lyte) released stellar albums in 2024 alone. There are also podcasts like Drink Champs and Questlove Supreme, which praise artists and people in the culture for their longstanding contributions.
Radio stations also post their interviews online, giving them infinite life, which certainly hasn’t always been the case. Then there are podcasts like WTF with Marc Maron and The Joe Rogan Experience, which, while hosting a wide array of guests from multiple arenas, haven’t shied away from Hip-Hop either and are among the most popular podcasts today.
Additionally, some Hip-Hop YouTube series entertain and educate new and old fans alike (e.g., DJ Premier’s So Wassup and stellar video essays by content creators like Clout Cancun and Brandon Shaw’s Digging the Greats).
There are no longer limitations on content regarding magazine space or predetermined airtime on television or radio slots. The internet provides limitless space for material to be posted and shared. And while there is much to sift through, the cream rises to the top, and dope content finds its audience. Ironically, this also includes content ripped from programs that once required appointment viewing (news clips, segments from television specials, etc.).
It’s also worth noting that older fans come from a time when they paid for music to a far greater degree than the average popular music consumer today. Artists from that era capitalized on that loyalty, delivering quality material with a more niche approach rather than aiming solely for digital streaming playlists or mainstream radio.
De La Soul’s 2016 album …And the Anonymous Nobody was fan-funded. After bouncing from labels, they launched a Kickstarter to fund the album. The group, who had been releasing music for more than a quarter-century at that point, reached their goal of $110,000 in just ten hours. By the campaign’s end, they had raised over $600,000, proving a bankable market existed for Hip-Hop outside its key demographic. Given the “here today, gone tomorrow” pace of popular music, many people could easily overlook something like that if they were only focused on chart-toppers.
Then, the Hip-Hop audience and its artists are aging, too. Plain and simple. When it was born on August 11, 1973, in the Bronx, Hip-Hop was a party thrown by young people [no “old people” liked this culture when it started, lol]. They loved the music, but they grew up, so the music had to change to retain that audience and the millions who fell in love with it since. And since time and tide wait for no one, inevitably, the emcees evolved too.
For a more modern example (at least relative to the ’70s), in 1999, JAY-Z said on his classic track “Big Pimpin’,” “Me give my heart to a woman? Not for nothin’, never happen/I’ll be forever mackin’.”
Eighteen years later, on the title track of his 4:44 album, he spits, “‘You did what with who?’/What good is a ménage à trois when you have a soulmate?/’You risked that for Blue?'” Jay’s growth, maturity, and strength in vulnerability are noteworthy.
Another instance of this comes from his formidable opponent in the second-greatest battle in rap history (just behind Kendrick Lamar and Drake): Nas. Mr. Jones went from “Oochie Wally [Remix]” in ’00 to posing on the cover of his 2012 classic Life is Good with his ex-wife’s wedding dress, closing out the album on “Bye Baby” with lyrics, “At least I can say I tried, plus enjoyed the ride/Plus, we got our little boy, my little joy and pride/He got my nose, my grill, your color, your eyes/Next go round, I hope I pick the truest type/And watch me do it all again/It’s a beautiful life, a’ight.”
These two all-time greats remained relevant and consistent for more than 20 years in rap (two of the very few to have achieved that). The success of those albums showed there was an audience for deeper introspection and a more adult take on life. Since then, artists coming up after Nas and Jay—or even before—have broken through barriers those albums shattered, proving “B-boys” and “B-girls” could become “B-men” and “B-women” and still be embraced by the Hip-Hop community. It was an important step, and I am happy to see many artists taking it now as they approach middle age.
As a 37-year-old man, while I can appreciate and respect a hyper-sexualized contemporary record like “WAP,” it doesn’t speak to me. I’m at a point where I’m more interested in relationships than just rolling in the sheets, and I’m grateful Hip-Hop has proven to have space for both. This inclusivity is how it will continue not just to survive but thrive. I can’t wait to see what happens next.
Drake dropped a surprise during a livestream with Adin Ross on Sunday night (April 14) when he casually confirmed he’s crafting a new solo album and promised, “It slaps.”
The Toronto rapper made the announcement while chatting live with Ross, sending the livestream’s chat into overdrive.
“Working on a new album right now,” he announced. “It slaps.”
Drake also clarified that the project is a solo effort, not another collaboration.
Drake thanks everyone for streaming $$$4U, says “I’am working on a new album right now, it’s a slap” 🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/xykK5djRIL
The reveal comes just two months after Drake teamed up with PARTYNEXTDOOR for the R&B-heavy joint album $ome $exy $ongs 4 U, which dropped on Valentine’s Day.
The 21-track project, featured appearances from Pim, Yebba and Chino Pacas. It debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 with 246,000 album-equivalent units.
It marked Drake’s 14th chart-topping album, tying him with Jay-Z and Taylor Swift for the most No. 1 albums by a solo artist.
While $ome $exy $ongs 4 U leaned into a softer, romantic sound, Drake’s upcoming solo release is expected to return to his signature style. It will be his ninth solo studio album and the follow-up to 2023’s For All the Dogs.
During the same livestream, Ross asked Drake if he’d ever consider stepping into the ring for a celebrity boxing match.
Drake quickly shut it down, saying he wouldn’t do it publicly and joked, “Behind closed garage doors.” When Ross hinted at Kendrick Lamar as a potential opponent, Drake laughed but didn’t take the bait.
The livestream marked one of Drake’s first public comments about new solo music since the release of his collaborative album. No release date has been announced for the upcoming project.
Megan Thee Stallion lit up Coachella’s main stage Sunday night (April 13) with surprise guests and a not-so-subtle dig at Nicki Minaj before her set was abruptly cut short to make way for Post Malone.
Shortly after kicking off the show, the Houston rapper was joined by Hip-Hop royalty Queen Latifah, who performed her 1993 anthem “U.N.I.T.Y.” during Megan’s “Plan B.” The moment set the tone for a night centered on powerhouse women and bold performances.
— bourbon baby is mourning caitvi🧸 (@mothergan) April 14, 2025
Meanwhile, Ciara brought early-2000s nostalgia by joining Megan for “Roc Steady,” a track sampling “Goodies,” and performed her 2004 hit alongside Megan.
Megan Thee Stallion sampled “Goodies” on her song “Rock Steady” & tonight she brought out Ciara to do a mashup performance!
One thing about Ciara, she stays pouring into the younger artists in a big sister type way.. I love this! 🥰 #MegChellapic.twitter.com/5THBjkNdUC
— Jerome Trammel, M.B.A (@MrJeromeTrammel) April 14, 2025
The all-female lineup had the crowd roaring, with many calling it the most dynamic set of the weekend.
Elsewhere during the set, Megan appeared to throw shade at Nicki Minaj during her set by dancing in front of a performers dressed as Bigfoot—a clear nod to Minaj’s 2024 diss track that compared Megan to the mythical creature.
— Sim Guru The Wig Bender 👩🏽🦲🖤 (@TheSarah_O) April 14, 2025
Despite the technical hiccups, Megan’s choreography, stage presence and costume changes kept the crowd locked in. Social media lit up with praise, and “Megchella” soared to the No. 1 trending spot on X (Twitter.)
Many questioned why she wasn’t the night’s headliner, especially after Post Malone followed with a country-heavy set that left some attendees underwhelmed.
Megan Thee Stallion is set to return for Coachella’s second weekend on Sunday (April 20).
Former actress Maia Campbell is back. Let the hope begin. This is not exactly a return, but the picture below set the internet on fire. The In the House actress, who also turned heads in Tyrese’s “Sweet Lady” video made her mark in films like Poetic Justice and Seventeen Again. She’s back. Back in the day, she was everybody’s crush—and then things changed.
The streets (and message boards) have been wondering where she’s been. This isn’t her first post, but for some reason, this hit different. I think it’s the addition of the man in the picture. But it could be us happy to see her happy. Maia has had very public battles with bipolar disorder and substance abuse. At one point, LL COOL J, her TV co-star, tried to intervene. She wasn’t having it.
“Tell him to call me and organize a benefit concert for mental health,” she said in 2017, when he tried to help. That was a flex.
Fast-forward to now. A single picture!!! Before I go on, I want to discuss homie. In the pic, they look like a couple, but I don’t think that’s the case. I think he’s a hair stylist and she just got her hair done. What do you think? Here are a few pictures of him minus my one-time future wife, Maia.
I’m thinking they’re just friends. He sure came up off her on this post. Good for them both.
Back to Maia. Fans are like, “We miss you,” “Love and light to you” and other stuff. A lot of celebrities came to the comments as well. Is Maia on the comeback trail? I don’t see any evidence of that. I think most people just want her well and healthy.
Now 48, is Maia really taking her time with showing us what she’s up to? Inquiring minds want to know. We can’t forget someone like Maia. She was every bit of ’90s Black girl magic before the phrase even caught on. The term “it girl” comes to mind.
Her past is no secret and we aren’t here to rehash all that. We want to see her rise, even if it’s slow, quiet and outside of Hollywood.
Charleston White found himself in a confrontation with a woman who was upset by comments he made about her baby. The woman, who happens to share the child with Island Boy Flyysoulja, took issue with the controversial social media personality calling the baby “ugly.”
As White was in the middle of the interview, she walked up and snatched the microphone out of his hand. But, as the woman spoke, White just laughed and smiled before she eventually backed down.
He then doubled down on his opinion, saying, “The baby still ugly! I don’t give a damn what she says. That don’t take away from what that baby look like. Just hopefully, the baby grow up to be something better than what his daddy look like. And behave much better. B#### f###### with me about her baby. She know what that baby look like. She made it, I didn’t.”
Charleston White went off on Island Boy’s girlfriend after she tried to press him for talking crazy about their new born baby 👀 pic.twitter.com/YdocE5l1EZ
White’s early life was marked by significant challenges, including involvement in criminal activities that led to his incarceration at the Texas Youth Council from 1991 to 1998. Following his release, he transformed his life by founding the organization Helping Young People Excel (HYPE), which aims to steer at-risk youth away from crime and violence.
Through motivational speeches and digital content, White shares his story of redemption, inspiring others to make positive changes. His outspoken nature and unfiltered opinions have garnered him a substantial following on platforms like Instagram, where he addresses topics ranging from systemic racism to community reform.
Still, White remains a polarizing figure due to his controversial remarks and frequent legal troubles. He has faced criticism for provocative statements on social and cultural issues and arrests for offenses such as animal cruelty and aggravated assault.
In February, White was arrested in Fort Worth, Texas, on two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Then in October 2024, he was arrested for assault with a deadly weapon and cruelty to non-livestock animals in Tarrant County. Records noted the cruelty charge was for killing, poisoning or causing serious bodily injury to an animal without the owner’s consent. He was previously busted for the same charges in 2023.
Kanye West shares four children with ex-wife Kim Kardashian—North, Saint, Psalm and Chicago. According to a recent tweet from the divisive rapper/producer, he pays more than $200,000 a month in child support payments, which is apparently the highest figure in U.S. history.
Sitting significantly below West is Alex Rodriquez, who was ordered to pay Cynthia Scurtis roughly $115,000 per month. Talk show host/singer Kelly Clarkson agreed to pay Brandon Blackstock $45,600 in monthly child support, while Nas was ordered to pay Kelis $44,000 in monthly alimony and child support.
Then there’s Nick Cannon, who pays out approximately $3 million a year to his 12 children with four different women, taking a non-traditional approach to child support.
West and Kardashian married in May 2014 but began facing significant challenges in their relationship by late 2020, leading Kardashian to file for divorce in February 2021. The split was reportedly amicable, with both parties agreeing to joint custody of their four children.
In addition to the $200,000 per month in child support, the divorce settlement included half of the children’s educational and security expenses.
Throughout the divorce proceedings, Kardashian opened up about her struggles with the marriage on Keeping Up With the Kardashians and its Hulu successor, The Kardashians. She described feeling overwhelmed by the need to “clean up” West’s public controversies and his relocation to Wyoming, which strained their relationship further.
Kardashian admitted that she wanted a more grounded partner who shared her interests and could be present for day-to-day experiences. Meanwhile, West publicly expressed regret over the split, even attempting to reconcile during his performances.
Most recently, West claimed he never wanted children with Kardashian and insisted she “sex traffics” them. But that’s just the tip of the proverbial iceberg. West has fired several other outrageous tweets, including one about wanting to recreate the infamous Ray J sex tape that put Kardashian on the map.
Stephen A. Smith dropped a political bombshell and torched both the Democrat and Republican parties during an appearance on ABC’s “This Week.”
He revealed he’s seriously weighing a 2028 presidential bid after being approached by political insiders, billionaires and even his own pastor.
“I have no choice,” Smith said. “I’ve had elected officials and I’m not going to give their names… folks who are pundits… billionaires and others… talk to me about exploratory committees and things of that nature.”
The longtime ESPN personality, known for his outspoken takes on First Take, didn’t hold back when discussing his growing disillusionment with the current political landscape.
He took direct aim at the Democratic Party, accusing it of lacking leadership and direction.
“It’s not somebody big upping me,” Smith said. “It’s an indictment against a Democratic party that doesn’t have leadership and doesn’t have a vision. And it’s sad.”
Smith, who recently inked a new contract with ESPN, said he’s not actively campaigning but admitted he’s been urged to consider a run by people close to him, including religious leaders.
“People have walked up to me, including my own pastor for crying out loud, who has said to me, ‘You don’t know what God has planned for you… At least show the respect to the people who believe in you… to leave the door open.’”
He also called out Republicans, accusing them of hypocrisy when it comes to the Constitution, especially regarding efforts to push the boundaries of presidential term limits.
“You better be careful what you ask for,” Smith said. “Because some of the stuff that Trump and the right has been trying to get away with… like circumventing the 22nd Amendment… if any Republican supports that, I don’t want to hear a word out of their mouth ever again about following the Constitution.”
When pressed on whether he would actually run, Smith didn’t commit but left the possibility wide open.
“I would hope somebody else would step up that’s more qualified than me. But if it has to come down to me, it is something I would consider. Yes, I would.”
For now, Smith says he’s staying focused on his media career but made it clear he’s not closing the door on politics.
It’s getting to be that time of year again, when Hip-Hop purists gather for the annual MC Sha-Rock Day. On Sunday (April 13), Grandmaster Caz shared an Instagram video plugging the upcoming event, which is scheduled to take place June 7 at Gun Hill Park on Magenta Street in the Bronx from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. ET.
Caz was all smiles as he talked about the “luminary icon” known as MC Sha-Rock. The celebration, named in her honor, recognizes her contributions to Hip-Hop and the broader cultural impact of women in the genre.
It’s highlighted by concerts, awards ceremonies and other community events. Previously, her hometown of Wilmington, North Carolina, recognized her with a Living Legends Award and declared May 17 Sha-Rock Day. Similarly, in New York City, the MC Sha-Rock Day Presents: Woman in Hip Hop Festival celebrates her legacy with live performances and panel discussions aimed at empowering women in Hip-Hop.
MC Sha-Rock is widely regarded as the first female MC in Hip-Hop history. Known as the “Mother of the Mic,” she grew up in the South Bronx as Hip-Hop was just beginning to crawl. Beginning as a B-girl, she transitioned to emceeing and became a member of the Funky 4 + 1, one of the earliest Hip-Hop groups to gain national attention.
The group made history in 1981 by being the first rap act to perform on Saturday Night Live. Sha-Rock’s innovative style and cadence influenced future Hip-Hop legends like MC Lyte and Run-DMC, solidifying her legacy as a trailblazer in a male-dominated genre.
Sha-Rock’s influence extends beyond her music career. She has been an advocate for preserving Hip-Hop’s history and promoting its cultural values. Through initiatives like co-founding the Universal Federation for the Preservation of Hip Hop Culture, she has worked to ensure that Hip-Hop’s roots are remembered and respected. Her legacy is celebrated not only through events like MC Sha-Rock Day but also by contemporary artists who continue to cite her as an inspiration,
This is getting uglier than Shabba Ranks and Wanda from “In Living Color” having a baby.
Bricc Baby and Luce Cannon just lit a match under an already explosive case. Before I continue, let us establish who we’re talking ’bout.
Bricc Baby is a well-known rapper on the Los Angeles rap scene. He was born in 1988, one of the best years in Hip-Hop history. He uses social media extensively and also does a lot interviews—simply put, he does a lot of talking.
We’ll get back to that. Luce Cannon is basically the same thing, but let me skip all the formalities.
Both Luce Cannon and Bricc Baby were arrested as part of a federal RICO indictment targeting the Rollin’ 60s Neighborhood Crips and presumed leader, Big U.
They are currently cellmates in a Los Angeles detention facility. This is crazy because of their prior beefs and the charges they face.
See where this is going?
There are loud whispers of snitching, accusations of extortion and one of the craziest RICO indictments the West Coast has seen in a while. The digital streets are burning and Big U is right in the center of it.
Bricc Baby’s name is getting tossed around in the ugliest of ways. Snitching is the accusation. People are pointing fingers, suggesting that somebody has had something to say to the feds.
Luce Cannon has denied being involved in the RICO, but he did something damaging to Big U’s case. He told the world about the day PnB Rock was killed.
“It was me and Big U sitting there when it happened… I wish I could have just told him like, ‘Bro just give up the jewelry and we get it back to you later,'” Luce said, adding that he knew the folks who “melt the ice.” Oh man.
What are the chances that ol’ U is going to be there at the same time that a defiant rapper is killed?
It doesn’t end there. The feds allege that the Rollin’ 60s aren’t just a gang. They charge they are an extortion network. They claim they pressure artists and others into buying back their own stolen goods. You should already know about the one murder case involving a young rapper named Ray Shaun Williams.
Bro was signed to Big U but was later found dead in Las Vegas. His body was dumped. The indictment paperwork says Big U tried to pay folks off to keep quiet.
You guessed it. Nipsey Hussle’s death is slowly getting caught up in this. The streets say the tension between Big U and Nipsey was deeper than rap.
They say, “There’s rumors that Big U put the battery in people’s back” and that certain 60s felt Nip getting too big for the program. Did U create the environment that led to Nipsey’s death?
There is more.
Even Quando Rondo’s name popped up. His cousin reportedly got clipped over something 60s-related. A week later, Quando disassociated from the set. That man did something we never heard of—left the set.
Now, it makes some sense to me.
Big U has pleaded not guilty.and Big U has officially been charged with racketeering, one murder, and a stack of extortion-related offenses. And apparently, there’s a woman—a Grammy-winning one—somewhere in this case that the feds might be leaning on for a flip. Who could that be?
Stay tuned. The streets are watching, but the paperwork doesn’t lie. Or does it?
Mahershala Ali took on Jurassic World Rebirth not just for the dinosaurs or the spectacle but to challenge himself in a space far bigger than the indie dramas that made him a two-time Oscar winner.
“Doing something this big is very new to me,” Ali told Vanity Fair. “It’s a little bit of a test for me personally: Can I exist in a space this large, in something that is so much bigger than you and maybe your own specific talents? It’s just hard to pull it off. I think the bigger things are, the harder that can be.”
Ali plays Duncan Kincaid, a black-ops logistics specialist who works alongside Scarlett Johansson’s covert operative Zora and Jonathan Bailey’s paleontologist Henry.
Together, they infiltrate an island that once housed the original Jurassic Park research facility.
The Moonlight and Green Book star, known for his emotionally layered performances, said the role’s physical demands were a new kind of test.
“I was really going into it hoping to bring something special and buoyant to that character, to really bring an energy and heart to him,” he said.
“These big, blockbuster films, they’re not filmed in a way that’s necessarily going to set you up to feel that all the time because it’s so hard shooting these action sequences and running from a tennis ball and things of that nature.”
While Jurassic World Rebirth marks his first time leading a tentpole of this scale, Ali is no stranger to big-budget fare.
He’s appeared in Predators, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 and 2, and Alita: Battle Angel. He’s also been attached to Marvel’s long-delayed Blade reboot since 2019.
Still, Ali said he looked to past blockbusters for inspiration.
“But there were people in Jaws and in Jurassic Park, in Star Wars and these huge tentpole films that resonated with authenticity and a certain truth and purpose that made those films worth watching again and again.”
Jurassic World Rebirth is the seventh film in the franchise and opens in theaters on July 2.
Travis Scott discovered Oscar-winning actor Adrien Brody makes beats and wants to collaborate with him after a surprise run-in at a fashion show.
The Houston-born rapper opened up in his new Complex cover story about unexpected celebrity encounters, including one with The Pianist star, who apparently has a hidden talent for producing music.
“Did you watch The Brutalist? That movie is hard as f**k,” Travis Scott said, praising Brody’s latest film before sharing how their conversation took an unexpected turn.
“I ran into him at a fashion show recently, and I’ve always been a fan of his,” Scott said. “I sat next to him and I’m like, ‘I don’t even know if this dude knows who I am.’ And the first thing he tells me is, ‘Yo, bro.'”
That’s when Brody dropped the surprise.
“You know, I make beats and s**t,” he told Travis Scott, who was immediately intrigued. “I’m like, ‘You got to send me some beats!’ So we chopped it up. Man, that’s crazy.”
Brody’s interest in music production isn’t new. In a 2023 interview with the Los Angeles Times, he explained how his role in the 1994 film Angels in the Outfield led him into beat-making.
“That movie got me making beats because I hung out with some kids in The Bay in Oakland who were producing and rapping,” Brody said. “And I grew up in New York, in kind of like the birth of hip-hop, but I didn’t know that I could actually go make tracks. And I started producing tracks with these guys and learned how to do it and went back to LA.”
Lil Nas X said his rise to stardom and the chaos that followed led him to reconnect with spirituality and reevaluate his priorities.
The 26-year-old Hip-Hop artist told Paper magazine that fame didn’t pull him away from deeper meaning—it brought him closer.
“It usually works the opposite way around for other people, but it made me feel closer to everything around me and the synchronicities of life,” he said.
Known for his 2019 breakout hit “Old Town Road,” Lil Nas X admitted he once dismissed spiritual ideas as nonsense.
“There were all these things that I thought were ‘magical hoo ha’ for my entire life as a very sceptical young man growing up, but then I was like, Okay, this makes sense. I get this,” he said.
As his career evolved, so did his mindset. The “Industry Baby” rapper said he’s shifted his focus inward after years of trying to fix everything around him.
“In addition to that, after finding that spiritual side, I’ve kind of made a 180 in terms of thinking I need to heal the world all the time and towards coming back to myself,” he said.
That self-awareness has helped him recognize when he needs to step back.
“You have to have that balance, like, Okay, I need to focus on me right now,” he said. “I need to do my s**t. I’m obviously unwell, even though I don’t want to admit it. And the only way I can go back out there is if I can work with myself first. Now I’m tiptoeing back to the world again.”
Lizzo suffered a panic attack and spiraled into depression after returning to Los Angeles in October 2023.
Her bout with mental health came months after being hit with a lawsuit from three former backup dancers accusing her of harassment and discrimination.
The Hip-Hop artist, known for her chart-topping anthem “About Damn Time,” said the emotional toll of the allegations didn’t fully register until she landed back in the U.S. after a vacation in Japan.
“When I was in Japan, I was doing the best I can, but there was a huge scandal (and) I was dealing with a lot. When I touched down in Los Angeles, it didn’t hit me how deeply affected I was because I had been trying to be happy for everyone else (on holiday),” Lizzo said during an appearance on the On Purpose with Jay Shetty podcast.
The lawsuit, filed in August 2023, accused the 36-year-old of sexual, racial and religious harassment, weight-shaming, disability discrimination and fostering a toxic work environment.
Lizzo has denied all claims and sought to have the case dismissed. But the emotional impact was immediate once she returned home.
“I got in LA and had my first panic attack ever. I was in the car coming home from the airport,” she said.
She described the moment as physically overwhelming.
“I had this thought, I was like, ‘Everybody hates me. Everybody hates me for something that isn’t true, but at the end of the day, because of the position I’m in, everybody hates me, and there’s nothing you can do about it,'” she recalled. “I got into the house, I could barely walk, and I collapsed by my bed and was like, ‘Oh s**t.’ I couldn’t breathe… from then on, I have been in a state of depression because I didn’t know how to fix it.”
Lizzo admitted her usual coping strategies failed her. The weight of public scrutiny combined with the legal battle left her feeling hopeless. At her lowest, she said she lost the will to live.
But a brief encounter with supporters during a rare public outing helped her begin to recover. She said the interaction was “life-saving” and inspired the title of her upcoming album, Love in Real Life.
A judge later dismissed the weight-shaming and disability discrimination claims in the lawsuit but allowed the other allegations to proceed.
