Tray Chaney unveils the brand new music video “KNOW THE FEELING” Directed by Tray Chaney @TraychaneyVision & DON JUAN @iamdonjuan The Energetic Turn Up Video captures Chaney & ABIRA @iamonlyabira rocking out partying with viral sensational drummer – @1BadAzzDrummer lighting his drums on fire!
“KNOW THE FEELING” is Chaney’s first national placement in the HBOMax original limited series “WE OWN THIS CITY” where he played Police Officer Gordon Hawk so it was only right I shot a dope video with the check HBO cut.
“ABIRA Greene also made a guest appearance on the HBOMAX LIMITED SERIES “WE OWN THIS CITY” so it was only right to cast her in my video plus she is an international incredible STAR with a beautiful spirit,” Chaney states.
Tray Chaney Official Music Video “KNOW THE FEELING”
The Death Row Records owner and Pete Davidson will be team captains for the 2023 Pro Bowl Games in Las Vegas. Snoop Dogg serves as captain of the AFC while Davidson handles the NFC.
Snoop Dogg joins AFC head coach Peyton Manning on the sidelines for the NFL’s all-star festivities. Eli Manning faces off against his brother as head coach of the NFC.
“I’m coming back to the NFL field, but this time, instead of performing, I’m going head-to-head with Pete and competing for the title of the Pro Bowl Games Champion,” Snoop Dogg told PEOPLE. “The competition is going to go off, but we all know that Peyton and our AFC squad are gonna do some big things. We’ll end up on that podium.”
Last year, Snoop Dogg participated in the Super Bowl LVI Halftime Show. He performed alongside Dr. Dre, Eminem, Kendrick Lamar, Mary J. Blige and 50 Cent.
The 2023 Pro Bowl takes place over two days under a new format. The event features a flag football game and skills competition instead of the traditional tackle football game played in past years.
Skills challenges begin airing live on ESPN on February 2. The rebranded Pro Bowl Games conclude on ABC and ESPN on February 5.
Rapper Lil Tjay is out of jail on bail after being arrested earlier this week for having illegal guns in an SUV he was in after the Ice Spice “Gangsta Boo” video shoot.
According to the Daily News, cops located two pistols, along with bullets and magazines, in a box on the front passenger side floor space of the Escalade.
The officers allegedly found a third snug in the back pocket of the driver’s seat. No one in the car had permits for the weapons, so law enforcement arrested Tjay and the other three people in the SUV charging them all with felony weapon possession as well as criminal possession of ammunition.
On Wednesday, Jan. 18, a Bronx Criminal Court saw fit to release Lil Tjay on a $30K cash bail and $90K bond.
KRS-One, Public Enemy’s Chuck D and Kurtis Blow founded the Hip Hop Alliance in 2021. The organization’s mission is to address the “needs and concerns of the Hip Hop and R&B workforce through advocacy, information and service.” Essentially, a union. But on January 14, Bow Wow tweeted how desperately hip-hop needs to “unionize,” unaware the Hip Hop Alliance existed.
So, in response, KRS-One, Chuck D and Kurtis Blow issued a statement to ROCK THE BELLS addressing Bow Wow’s concerns. Simultaneously, they’ve invited everyone—including Bow Wow—to take part in a special Clubhouse conversation on Friday (January 20).
“Like every other aspect of society’s workforce, the artists and creators of Hip Hop need protection, support and advocacy,” the statement reads. “From label disputes to intellectual property retrieval and the need for an overall governing body, the Hip Hop Alliance was established.
“Recent comments this weekend created a unique opportunity to bring forth a conversation that many in Hip-Hop & R&B have been addressing for a long time. The need of a governing body of Hip Hop. The goal of HHA is to empower artists to make informed decisions about their career and ensure that their rights are respected and protected.”
It continued: “As our culture comes together to honor and celebrate the 50th year of the creation of Hip-Hop, now is the time for all of us to come together. In that spirit, we invite our brother Bow Wow to join us this coming Friday (January 20) at 7 p.m. EST on the Clubhouse app and/or our Black History Month online conference on Tuesday (February 25) at 4 p.m. EST on the HHA YouTube page.
“In fact, all of the Hip Hop community is invited to these two informative conversations about the HHA, as we continue to build this organization to advocate, inform and service our brothers and sisters’ needs and concerns throughout the Hip-Hop ecosystem. We welcome all of the Hip Hop culture to roll up their sleeves and join us, as we work to uplift, honor, and protect Hip-Hop, for its past, present and future.”
Bow Wow’s original tweet elicited several responses encouraging people to check out the Hip Hop Alliance. So in the spirit of education, find more information here.
Another victim from the Texas shooting that killed Migos rapper TakeOff s speaking out for the first time.
According to KHOU 11, Sydney Leday, 24, believes it is a miracle that she is alive. But on Wednesday, Jan. 18, she finally opened up and spoke on the night and how she almost lost her life. She shared she was partying at 810 Billiards and Bowling Alley.
“Like any other 24-year-old, I was just out partying and celebrating,” she said before sharing she was dressed as a nun for the holiday season.
“I really never dress up for Halloween and that was something I was excited about,” she said.
She said at one point, she saw Quavo outside getting testy during a dice game around 2:30 .M.
“That’s when I knew something was wrong,” she said.
Leday said the argument quickly escalated and before she knew it, she was in the middle of gunplay.
She remembers falling to the ground and feeling a stinging sensation in the back of her head.
Somehow, her friends got her down an escalator and into her friend’s car. She was then taken to Memorial Hermann Hospital 12 minutes away.
That act saved her life. Check out the rest of her interview below.
He also allegedly made foreign campaign contributions, using money from businessman Jho Low to illegally transfer $21 million to the artist in 2012.
The Week says Michel in turn allegedly laundered a portion of the money as a donation to Obama’s re-election campaign.
A new indictment, filed in 2022, said he did the same also for Trump’s re-election campaign, as a strategy to buy favor with higher-ups who could stop the Justice Department from looking going through with an investigation into his money affairs.
Now, he plans to subpoena both past presidents to testify on his behalf.
On Tuesday, Jan. 17, his lawyer David Kenner said, “We’re planning on calling former President Trump and former President Obama. These subpoenas are going out for service today.”
Kenner did not explain what their testimony might be but added, “I believe it’s all relevant.”
The Justice Department attorney John Keller said in court, “The government is not intending to call any former presidents.”
He noted to subpoena the former presidents may unnecessarily delay the trial.
Is Angela Bassett the favorite to win an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress this year? The Yale University graduate continues to rack up nods from other film organizations prior to the upcoming Academy Award ceremony.
The British Academy of Film and Television Arts association revealed its list of 2023 BAFTA Award nominees. Angela Bassett made it into the Best Supporting Actress category for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.
Hong Chau (The Whale), Kerry Condon (The Banshees Of Inisherin), Dolly De Leon (Triangle Of Sadness), Jamie Lee Curtis (Everything Everywhere All At Once), and Carey Mulligan (She Said) are also up for Best Supporting Actress at the BAFTAs.
Angela Bassett plays Queen Mother Ramonda of Wakanda in the 2022 Black Panther sequel. So far, the Hollywood veteran has won a Golden Globe Award and Critics Choice Award for her Wakanda Forever performance. Bassett also received nods from the Screen Actors Guild Awards, Black Reel Awards, and NAACP Image Awards.
Throughout her film career, Angela Bassett starred in other motion pictures such as Boyz n the Hood, Waiting to Exhale, Akeelah and the Bee, and Avengers: Endgame. The 64-year-old entertainer scored a Best Actress nomination for What’s Love Got to Do with It at the 1994 Academy Awards.
The 76th BAFTA Awards take place on February 19 at London’s Royal Festival Hall. All Quiet on the Western Front, the Edward Berger-directed World War I drama, received the most nominations (14). The Banshees of Inisherin and Everything Everywhere All at Once followed with ten nods each.
Cardi B’s sitdown with Hollywood Unlocked founder Jason Lee has generated several headlines. The nearly 90-minute interview featured the Bronx-bred rapper talking about her “WAP” single with Megan Thee Stallion.
“WAP” is a bona fide international smash. The 2020 song was the first-ever No. 1 on the Billboard Global 200 chart. Cardi and Megan’s collaboration also spent four weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100 chart in America.
While “WAP” became a pop culture phenomenon that broke streaming records and angered conservative pundits, Cardi did not submit the song for Grammy Award consideration. She explained her decision on Revolt’s The Jason Lee Show.
“I need to stop letting the internet control my life. Because I didn’t want to submit ‘WAP’ because I was afraid that if I win… You know what’s so crazy? The internet got me even afraid of winning. That is insane,” said Cardi.
Even though “WAP” was not in contention to win a golden gramophone, the Recording Academy did make Cardi B the first solo female rapper to win Best Rap Album for 2018’s Invasion of Privacy. Cardi has scored a total of nine Grammy nominations during her career.
Comedian Jerrod Carmichael definitely triggered some negative responses for his hosting gig at the 80th Golden Globe Awards. A new report suggests the person at the top of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association was upset about some things Carmichael had to say on the show.
Jerrod Carmichael’s Golden Globe monologue centered around the entertainer calling out the Hollywood Foreign Press Association for only hiring him because he is African-American. The opening segment also included a bit about HFPA president Helen Hoehne.
“One minute you’re making mint tea at home. The next, you’re invited to be the Black face of an embattled white organization. Life really comes at you fast,” quipped Carmichael.
The 35-year-old Primetime Emmy Award winner later added, “I got an email from my publicist saying that Helen… wanted to have a one-on-one sitdown with me. I said, ‘No Thanks.’ I know a trap when I hear a trap.”
In addition, Jerrod Carmichael claimed the Hollywood Foreign Press Association reached out three different times to secure a meeting between him and Helen Hoehne. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Carmichael’s jokes did not sit well with the HPFA leader.
The industry trade publication reports:
Being name-checked so prominently at the top of the telecast — with Carmichael going so far as to call the meeting offer “a trap” — left Hoehne shocked and upset, per multiple sources. Multiple sources say Hoehne was seen being consoled by friends in the ballroom bar.
The Hollywood Reporter
However, other sources informed THR that Helen Hoehne was not upset by Carmichael’s comments. One person even suggested someone was trying to hurt Hoehne by pushing the narrative of her becoming emotional over the stand-up performance.
Jerrod Carmichael did anger some social media users. Critics viewed a joke about R&B/Pop icon Whitney Houston dying inside The Beverly Hilton hotel as disrespectful and insensitive. Carmichael also raised some eyebrows by making fun of Kanye “Ye” West’s recent antisemitic rants.
Harlem rapper A$AP Rocky currently has three studio LPs in his catalog. The A$AP Mob representative is set to release his next full-length body of work.
Apple Music’s Zane Lowe recently spoke to A$AP Rocky to promote his new “Same Problems?” single. The conversation also included Rocky revealing another album is on the way.
“Oh, it’s coming. It’s finished and we’re just putting the finishing touches on it. It’s coming for sure,” A$AP Rocky told Lowe. “I think we all need time for growth. I think that it’s pointless for artists to put out music when they have no fuel or no subject matter.”
Rocky continued, “Sometimes, I need to live a bit to give you the right subject matter to convey my experiences. The new stuff is me being vulnerable, and it’s just no filter, and just where I’m at, at my stage. My age and how I see things, my peers, the younger kids, the older cats, it’s just my perspective.”
Rihanna & A$AP Rocky Are The Parents Of A Newborn Baby
A$AP Rocky’s forthcoming release will be his first studio album as a father. Pop culture superstar Rihanna gave birth to the 34-year-old recording artist’s first son last year. The couple reportedly began dating in 2021.
“It’s so unexplainable. It’s just one of those things. I’m a member of our club now, like the dad club. You see a dad, you see me. I’m playing on, I’m a full dad now,” said A$AP Rocky about fatherhood. “Being outside and working and being creative, it drives more energy for you to obviously to think and soak things up like a sponge now that I’m a dad, because I have a whole nother perspective.”
The creator of the classic Live. Love. ASAP mixtape continued, “But it honestly helps you get home to your family and get home to your baby. And I can’t even explain it, man. You come home to heaven every day. I’m so thankful. God is good, man.”
Gene “No Malice” and Terrence “Pusha T” Thornton made up one of the most notable Hip Hop duos of all time. Better known as Clipse, the brothers burst onto the music scene with the classic single “Grindin'” in 2002.
Clipse also dropped the Lord Willin’, Hell Hath No Fury, and Til the Casket Drops albums between 2002 and 2009. Following their third studio LP, Pusha T and No Malice decided to pursue separate ventures.
While they have reunited on tracks like “I Pray for You” off Pusha’sIt’s Almost Dry, many fans want to see the Virginia natives officially come back together for another project. Complex asked the younger sibling about a possible reunion.
“I’m not sure, but I’m pressing it. I’m pressing it. But I’m glad you were there and I’m glad that you saw it. Because a lot of people think that I don’t be pressing the issue. But I really do,” stated Pusha T about No Malice addressing the topic at ComplexCon 2022.
Clipse may not be ready to reassemble for another run as a tandem, but Pusha T is not slowing down when it comes to releasing music. Last year, news broke that Pusha will team up with DJ Drama for a Gangsta Grillz project.
“I just feel like to me, the Gangsta Grillz and the whole mixtape culture and scene is what I’m about. That’s the purest form of Hip Hop to me,” Pusha T explained to Complex. “I want to merge those worlds and see what happens.”
The six-time Grammy nominee added, “I’m going to be honest with you, seeing Drama’s mixtape with Tyler and how they won a Grammy, I was like, man, mixtapes really won a Grammy. So I’m trying to be a part of that culture as well.”
Pusha T goes into the 65th Annual Grammy Awards ceremony with a Best Rap Album nomination for It’s Almost Dry. The category also contains DJ Khaled’s God Did, Kendrick Lamar’s Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers, Future’s I Never Liked You, and Jack Harlow’s Come Home the Kids Miss You.
A$AP Rocky just dropped a new single, “Same Problems?” ahead of his forthcoming album. He admitted it’s a good time for both he and Rihanna “to be more active.”
The Harlem native opened up about RiRi’s return to music and her upcoming Super Bowl Halftime Show performance during a rare interview with Apple Music’s Zane Lowe.
“I’m so glad that my lady’s back making music again and whatnot, and getting back out there”, A$AP Rocky told Lowe of Rihanna. “It’s just incredible.”
Rihanna shared her first single in over six years last October, “Lift Me Up,” featured in the Marvel sequel, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. The song, a powerful tribute to the late Chadwick Boseman, left fans wanting more.
Her upcoming performance at the Super Bowl on Feb. 12 will be her first since the 2018 Grammy Awards. While fans are eager to see the megastar put on a show, no one is more excited about it than the father of her child.
“The Super Bowl is huge, and her being the creative she is, she going to bring it, man,” he continued. “I’m excited. I’m more excited than everybody else, honestly.”
According to A$AP Rocky, the time is right for him and Rihanna to “be more active,” suggesting more music is on the way. “It is a good year for both of us to be more active and be out there,” the “Praise the Lord” rapper explained. Listen to the interview here.
Nonetheless, the multihyphenate has shut down fans’ hopes of a new album after releasing Anti in 2016. “Super Bowl is one thing. New music is another thing. Do you hear that, fans?” Rihanna said in November.
Suge Knight revealed he identifies with both Megan Thee Stallion and Tory Lanez in a new jailhouse call.
The former Death Row Records head, Marion “Suge” Knight, offered his thoughts on the case after Tory Lanez hired his former lawyer, David Kenner. Reports suggested Kenner represented Suge in his hit-and-run manslaughter case from 2018. However, that was not the case.
“If they’d have let me use David Kenner, I wouldn’t be having this conversation from prison with you,” Suge Knight told Rolling Stone. Kenner was barred from returning to Suge’s case after initially stepping down for personal reasons.
In a recent call from the Richard J. Donovan prison in San Diego County, Suge Knight revealed he followed Tory Lanez’s trial and can relate to Megan Thee Stallion.
“I understand what Megan goes through because when Tupac and I got shot in Vegas… I got a fragment and a bullet an inch to my skull today. They didn’t remove it because they said if it went another inch I’d have been a vegetable or dead… So I know what it’s like when people say, ‘You didn’t get shot, this didn’t happen, she’s lying.’ They accused me of stuff (too),” Suge explained.
However, he also identifies with Tory Lanez and understands the rapper/singer wanting a new trial based on misguided legal advice.
“If he’s guilty, that’s one thing. But if he didn’t have the right person representing him to get a fair shake, that another thing,” Suge continued. He also spoke on what Tory Lanez is likely experiencing behind bars while awaiting sentencing later this month.
Suge Knight On The Conditions Tory Lanez Likely Faces In County Jail
“Right now, Tory is probably going through [the] worst days of life, because the county jail [is] so horrible and dirty,” he added. “The food is garbage, the cell is freezing, it’s dirty and nasty. You could be sitting in your bed at night, and a rat might run across your chest, or it might bite you, roaches is all over your bed.”
A “well-placed source” told Rolling Stone that Tory Lanez regrets not testifying in his defense during the trial. According to the source, Tory wanted to testify but was dissuaded by his trial lawyer, George Mgdesyan.
Tory faces up to 22 years in prison and deportation back to Canada when he is sentenced next month.
Tory Lanez believes his lawyer misled him during his trial for shooting Megan Thee Stallion, and he should have testified in his own defense.
A “well-placed source” told Rolling Stone the singer/rapper wanted to take the stand to tell his side directly to the jury but was talked out of it by his trial lawyer, George Mgdesyan. Tory Lanez now believes that was the wrong decision.
Last month (Dec. 23), Tory Lanez was convicted of all three charges in his case, including shooting the Houston rapper. He is facing up to 22 years in prison and deportation back to Canada when he is sentenced next month.
Tory Lanez has added several new attorneys to his team in preparation for an appeal. One of them is powerhouse lawyer David Kenner who previously represented Snoop Dogg and Suge Knight in the ‘90s.
He told Rolling Stone that he couldn’t comment on the alleged “mistakes” made in Tory’s initial defense. The attorney added a motion for a new trial “will rely heavily on what we believe to be mistakes made in the previous trial.”
Kenner also confirmed Jose Baez joined him and co-counsel Matthew Barhoma on Peterson’s defense team. Baez famously got not guilty verdicts in Casey Anthony and Aaron Hernandez murder trials.
“I welcome the addition of Jose Baez to the defense team,” Kenner said. “It is our collective view that, based upon a motion for a new trial, and if necessary an appeal, we will ultimately be successful in freeing Tory Lanez.”
Tory Lanez New Lawyer Suggests “Numerous Errors” Were Likely Made In Trial
As reported by AllHipHop.com, Baez echoed a similar sentiment regarding mistakes made in the trial during an interview with TMZ.
“I would say that there’s probably a significant chance that there are numerous errors that are within the system and within this case that should be explored and see if perhaps the results would’ve been different should it have gone the other way,” he said.
“I certainly wish I had come in sooner as opposed to later,” Baez said. “Unfortunately, this is the way it is, but he’s got me now. And I’m certainly willing to give him everything I have. And hopefully, we’ll get the best result possible for him.”
Stephen A. Smith has walked back his Super Bowl Halftime show take after receiving backlash for saying, “I don’t wanna say I’m not excited,” about Rihanna’s upcoming performance, but “She ain’t Beyoncé.”
American Sports Television Personality, Stephen A Smith on Rihanna’s upcoming Super Bowl performance
“she is no Beyoncé… there’s levels to the talent…there’s Beyoncé and everybody else” pic.twitter.com/k96pCDFJei
The famed sportscaster went viral after his comments on The Sherri Show hit the net, leading Smith to issue an apology video.
“I just got off of First Take and I saw some headline that’s circulating all over the place about my quote that Rihanna ain’t Beyoncé,” he began. “See, you know I’m gonna own it. I know what y’all trying to do. But I’m going to own it because I get paid to speak for a living, so I need to be more careful. I want Rihanna to know: You’re a superstar. You’re sensational. You’re spectacular. You’re no joke and you are a worthy person to be doing the Super Bowl halftime show.”
Smith went on to say he is a Beyoncé fan, calling her “THE phenomenal performer,” claiming he only made the comparison because Bey performed at the halftime show twice. “And I thought those were two of the greatest shows that I’ve ever seen,” he added.
“So what I’m saying is anybody has to measure up to that. Last year with Snoop and Dre and Mary J. and Eminem, I was like, ‘Bruno Mars, Beyoncé, Coldplay. Big time! They got to measure up to that.’ Anybody who does a Super Bowl halftime show, forever I’m gonna say, ‘Beyoncé, Bruno Mars, Coldplay. And then Beyoncé by themselves.’ Michael Jackson could still be alive and I would say it’s gotta measure up to that.”
Stephen A. Smith Apologizes To Rihanna
The First Take host said he meant no disrespect towards Rihanna, saying he’s got “Nothing but love for her.” However, he added, “But Beyoncé is my sister too! I got love for both of them.”
While he believes “Beyoncé is the greatest performer out there today,” Stephen A. Smith said, “That doesn’t mean I’m hating on anybody else.”
He concluded by wishing Rihanna good luck and apologizing once again.
“Rihanna, go do your thing. I apologize for creating whatever brouhaha comes of this. I gotta be more careful where people twist it and turn it into something it ain’t. My bad on that. Now I gotta go. Good luck sweetie. Looking forward to seeing you perform at halftime during the Super Bowl. You know you gotta turn it out. And I believe you will! All the best to you.” Check out his comments in the video below.
J. Cole delivered a surprise to his fans and to an unsuspecting producer after dropping a new single, “Procrastination (Broke).”
Up-and-coming producer Bvtman announced the track on social media on Wednesday evening (Jan. 18) alongside a message from J. Cole explaining how the song came about. It all began with the rap superstar searching for a “J. Cole type beat” on YouTube after struggling to find inspiration.
He found himself on Bvtman’s channel, where the producers showcase beats in the style of rappers like Cole, Drake, Kendrick Lamar, Nipsey Hussle, Kanye West, and more.
He discovered the “Procrastination” beat, “pressed play, focused,” and his writer’s block was over. J. Cole admitted that ordinarily, the song would “stay in the vault.” However, he decided to release the track as a thank you to Bvtman and other producers. He also sent the song to the producer and gave him permission to release it via his YouTube channel.
The producer revealed he randomly received a text from Ibrahim “IB” Hamad, the co-founder of Dreamville Records and Cole’s longtime manager telling him Cole was a fan of his work.
“If you know me you know what this post means to me & what this song means to me. If you know me you know this is my peace finally, my dream.” Bvtman wrote on Instagram. “It’s crazy how this happened.”
Check out the message from J. Cole below and listen to the single at the end of the page.
“This song should live on your channel and serve as a thank you to you and every producer out there cooking up and sharing their work with the world. It’s a million artists out there right now just like me, hungry and searching every day for something to spark a word, a melody, a hook, a verse, a punchline, a way to vent, or a way to CUT THROUGH.
On a day when I couldn’t find much motivation, I was looking for anything to inspire me. Out of curiosity, I typed in ‘J. Cole type beat’ into YouTube. Yours was the first I saw. I pressed play, focused, and wrote this.
This is some s### that would normally stay in the vault, but I don’t want to hold onto the music like that no more. This is for you and whoever else need to hear it. God bless bro and keep doing what you do!”
Meanwhile, the follow-up to 2021’s The Off-Season, Cole’s sixth studio album, could be on the way. Earlier this month, the North Carolina-raised rapper wiped his Instagram, usually a sign an artist is readying for an album roll-out. His next full-length release is expected to be It’s a Boy.
Future has been on top for a long time and he is considered the GOAT by many. He definitely has the creative range and the hits to go with it. Dude is super smart. Well, he’s looking a lot smarter these days and I think it all plays into the massive year he is about to have.
The man with the master plan has confirmed that he’s got a joint album with another modern GOAT, who is Metro Boomin. Let it be known Heroes & Villains was one of the best albums of last year so shout out to him. Metro Boomin was not on Future’s album last year, but this year is going to be different. I Never Liked You still hit hard.They are going to release a joint project this year.
I trust Young Metro with Future! I can’t lie, I wish Drake was on this project! Drake needs to come back to us. He got some recent music, but it’s not hitting the same. On another note, Future and Lil Durk are going to be releasing something any second now. Salute them for that!
Los Angeles rapper Feezy Lebron has filed a $10 million civil rights tort claim. According to a statement obtained by AllHipHop, the law firms of Hadsell Stormer Renick & Dai LLP and Cohen Williams LLP are taking action against the L.A County Sheriff’s Department and Sheriff’s Deputy Justin Sabatine for threatening to shoot and kill Lebron. This serves as the first step to eventually suing both parties.
The incident took place in Gardena, California on New Year’s Eve shortly before 6 p.m. local time and was caught on the officer’s body cam. Feezy Lebron was sitting alone in his car in a public parking lot as he waited to meet a friend. Lebron, who was unarmed, was listening to music and talking to his fans on Instagram Live. L.A County deputies drove into the parking lot, shined a flashlight at Lebron’s car and then pulled in front of it.
“One deputy opened the driver’s side door, grabbed Lebron by the arm and attempted to pull him out of his car,” the statement reads. “Moments later, a second deputy walked up to Lebron, pulled out a canister of pepper spray and said ‘I’m just going to spray you.'”
Confused, Feezy Lebron asked, “For what?” That’s when Deputy Sabatine unholstered his gun, pointed it at Lebron’s chest and “repeatedly threatened to shoot him dead at point blank range.” Lebron, sitting motionless with his hands raised in the air, stared at the barrel of the gun fearing for his life.
Sabatine threatened, “Move your hands from right there and you’re done. You take off in this car, I’m gonna shoot you. I’m gonna make it super easy on you. You put this car in drive, you’re getting one right to the chest. I don’t care what you got. I don’t care if you got b####### on you, but guess what bro, now you gotta deal with it. But if you pull some b####### you’re gonna take one to the chest.'”
Feezy Lebron replied, “You’re going to shoot me?” to which Sabatine said, “Absolutely. Absolutely.” The deputies ultimately forced Lebron out of his car and handcuffed him. He was detained for approximately half an hour while they ransacked his car and personal belongings. The deputies finally released Lebron with a citation for a missing front license plate.
“Lebron has been completely traumatized by the incident and sought emergency care after the incident,” the docs say. “He continues to suffer panic attacks, is unable to sleep, and is afraid to drive.”
Lebron explains, “I wanted to spend New Year’s Eve with my family. Instead I wound up in a life-or-death situation, my heart racing, in fear for my life, with a deputy sheriff pointing a gun at my chest and threatening to kill me. I want justice so that my son and young people today never have to feel the fear that I felt that night.”
Attorney Reuven Cohen, Cohen Williams LLP, adds, “Deputy Sabatine’s brazen actions here are shocking, and they are terrifying. They are not only unconstitutional, they are criminal. We are seeking justice for Mr. Lebron through civil litigation, and we are asking both state and federal prosecutors to criminally investigate and prosecute Deputy Sabatine. The County of Los Angeles continues to prove its abject inability—if not unwillingness—to protect the people of Los Angeles from the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department.”
The Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department released a statement shortly after the incident that read: “While the department does not make statements related to ongoing investigations, Sheriff Luna has made it clear that he expects department personnel to treat all members of the public with dignity and respect, and that personnel who do not uphold our training standards will be held accountable.
“In the interest of transparency with our community, the Sheriff’s Department is releasing body-worn camera video from the incident.”
Deputies arrested Latasha Kendrick, the mother of Yak Gotti, for her alleged attempt to bring him rolling papers while he awaits trial in the YSL RICO case.
According to WSB-TV, Kendrick was charged with one count of criminal attempt to commit a misdemeanor on Tuesday (January 17). Authorities discovered rolling papers and tobacco products in a bag she dropped off at the Fulton County Courthouse.
Yak Gotti’s attorney Douglas Weinstein alerted deputies to the bag. The lawyer received a text from Nyesha Cox, who is the mother of Yak Gotti’s child, indicating something was in the bag.
“Weinstein told the deputy he received a text from ‘D. Kendrick’s baby mother, ‘NAE,’ stating that she had placed a sealed envelope inside of the bag,” an affidavit obtained by WSB-TV read.
Authorities questioned Yak Gotti’s mother after finding contraband in the bag. The 51-year-old woman claimed she didn’t know about the envelope. She was booked into Fulton County Jail.
Kendrick said she dropped off the bag per Cox’s request. An arrest warrant was issued for Cox.
Yak Gotti, Young Thug and 12 co-defendants are waiting for a jury to be seated to begin their RICO trial. Eight YSL members avoided trial by accepting plea deals in the case.
Jury selection is underway in the trial of three men accused of killing XXXTentacion.
The process to seat a jury began in Broward County, Florida on Wednesday (January 18). According to the Associated Press, opening statements in the trial are expected to start in February.
Prosecutors accuse Michael Boatwright of fatally shooting XXXTentacion during a robbery in 2018. Dedrick Williams and Trayvon Newsome were Boatwright’s alleged accomplices.
Boatwright, Williams and Newsome were arrested for murder and armed robbery in 2018. They pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Police also arrested a man named Robert Allen in connection to XXXTentacion’s death. He pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in 2022.
Allen agreed to testify in the upcoming trial as part of his plea deal. Boatwright, Williams and Newsome face the possibility of life in prison.
XXXTentacion, whose real name was Jahseh Onfroy, was shot and killed while leaving Riva Motorsports in the Fort Lauderdale area. Authorities said two masked gunmen confronted him after an SUV blocked his vehicle from moving.
One of the gunmen shot XXXTentacion. They allegedly stole a Louis Vuitton bag with $50,000 in it and fled the scene.
Prosecutors say Boatwright and Newsome were the mask gunmen. Authorities claimed they discovered Boatwright’s fingerprints on the door of XXXTentacion’s vehicle.
