Abbott Elementary is one of the top breakout television shows of 2022 after debuting in December 2021. The ABC sitcom earned seven Primetime Emmy nominations, including one for Outstanding Comedy Series.
Quinta Brunson, the creator of Abbott Elementary, goes into Emmy night with a few personal nods from the Television Academy. The Philadelphia native is up for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series and Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series.
While the Abbott Elementary cast and crew celebrated their Emmy nominations, news broke that a woman named Christine Davis filed a lawsuit against Brunson and ABC for copyright infringement. Davis believes the series is a knockoff of her concept for a mockumentary show titled This School Year.
Davis claims her script and show were registered with the copyright office in 2020. The suit states, “Without [Davis’] permission, license, authority, or consent, [Brunson & ABC] knowingly and illegal used [Davis’] works to create the Abbott Elementary television show.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cO-_7oi-61Y
It appears Quinta Brunson will continue to focus on creating her workplace comedy as the legal matters play out. On Monday, the 32-year-old actress/producer took to Twitter to post, “First day of production for Abbott Elementary season 2. 💅🏾 😊.”
Abbott Elementary also picked up Emmy nominations for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series (Tyler James Williams), Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series (Janelle James, Sheryl Lee Ralph), and Outstanding Casting For A Comedy Series.
“Crying shaking and throwing up has new meaning to me because I real life did all three. Still speechless. Congrats to the entire staff and cast of Abbott Elementary. And I want to share this moment with all of the people who watch and love the show. Emmy nominated, baby!” tweeted Quinta Brunson on January 12.
The rumors are true. Longtime entertainment partners Daniel “Desus Nice” Baker and Joel “The Kid Mero” Martinez have parted ways.
Showtime’s Desus & Mero late-night talk show starring Baker and Martinez is officially over. Apparently, the Bodega Boys podcast will no longer present new episodes either.
“Bodega Hive: The illustrious @desusnice and @THEKIDMERO will be pursuing separate creative endeavors moving forward. #DESUSandMERO will not be returning to SHOWTIME. It’s been a good run, fam,” read a tweet from the verified Desus & Mero Twitter account.
Desus Nice also confirmed the news by posting, “Shouts to showtime & shouts to the hive, thanks for being part of the journey. Proud of the show my staff made every episode. Big tings soon come…”
shouts to showtime & shouts to the hive, thanks for being part of the journey. proud of the show my staff made every episode. Big tings soon come…. https://t.co/bKKezHz5qS
Many social media users reacted to the Desus & Mero program coming to an end. For example, conservative podcaster Jason Whitlock shared his thoughts on the trending topic.
“Show averaged about 50K viewers throughout its 4-year run. Never rated. It’s comical to see people acting like this was a successful show. These guys were the Katie Nolan of comedy,” tweeted Whitlock.
Nice quickly fired back at the Blaze Media contributor. The Bronx native quote-tweeted Jason Whitlock and added, “You would be the expert on flop shows.” His response collected over 10,000 likes on the platform as compared to Whitlock’s 370 likes.
The Showtime network aired Desus & Mero for four seasons beginning in 2019. Prior to that, The Kid Mero and Desus Nice co-hosted a show of the same name on Viceland. Complex TV’s Desus vs. Mero web series ran for forty-six episodes in 2014.
Fredo has announced his return after a year-long hiatus following the release of his fourth studio album in August last year.
The West London rapper has been living the high life during his absence, traveling the world while enjoying the trappings of fame. Now, the “Rappin’ and Trappin” hitmaker has decided it’s time to make his return and he could be back before the end of the summer.
Furthermore, Fredo made his comeback even more exciting, hinting a couple of the U.K.’s heavy hitters are also on the record.
Like much of the world, the U.K. has been hit with a heatwave with temperatures reaching near-record heights. Fredo decided to cool off with his friends at a pool party attended by some of his possible collaborators.
His manager Sincere shared a video montage from behind the scenes at the bash featuring Fredo alongside some of the biggest names in U.K. rap, including Tion Wayne and Nines. Check it out below.
Meanwhile, Fredo also shared some images from the party while announcing his comeback via Instagram. “My one year break is over 🎶’ he declared in the caption. He then hyped his fans even more, teasing, “ask @tionwayne.”
It appears something could also be in the works with Nines, following his release from prison earlier this year on drug charges. The North-West Londoner took to his Instagram Stories to share a photo from the party alongside a revelation of his own.
Kodak Black went on a Twitter rant early this morning (Jul. 19) following his arrest last week. He blasted those who “targeted” him “so they can get credit,” for being the ones to send him to prison.
The rapper was charged with drug trafficking last week after cops found 31 white tablets of oxycodone and $75,000 in cash while searching his vehicle. However, Kodak Black’s attorney filed a motion to test the alleged drugs seized by police.
The “Super Gremlin” hitmaker took to Twitter, sharing his frustrations with the authorities in a series of angry posts. He claimed people want to see him fail, especially the cops who he accused of clout chasing.
Kodak Black Accuses Cops Of Clout chasing
“They want a n#### sad, depressed, suffering! Nobody cares bout all da good you do! Just wanna catch you slipping so they can get credit for sending you to prison!”
Kodak Black continued to vent. “Bro these people targeted me so bad! It be alotta s### ion say dawg but it’s krazy how they hate a n#### and don’t want me round here, dont wanna see me win, don’t want me doing nothing for the community.”
The Florida native, who frequently gives back to his hometown, expressed that he isn’t obliged to live within the community nor help uplift it. He also called out those refusing to acknowledge his progress. “Can’t nobody sit up here and lie & say they ain’t been noticing the change and the progress I’ve been making!! They wanna remind people of my past instead of encouraging me to keep at this pace I’ve been going !” Kodak Black added.
He then slammed the government, which he claimed only “destroy and neglect,” rather than “serve and protect,” before addressing his own legal issues. “How tf you send a n#### to jail for my own medication?” Kodak Black questioned. “Then tarnish my character like im trafficking oxycontin ??? But im posta sit here and dont talk about it?”
Kodak Black also blasted the haters who rush to mention Donald Trump, who granted the rapper clemency in 2021. ” Any mistakes made they gone bring up trump! Lol yall some soft ass hating ass mf!” Check out his comments below.
Tee Grizzley thought that he would remain behind bars for the rest of his life after being arrested and charged in 2015 for a series of robberies at Michigan State University. However, he was determined to regain his freedom and get out of prison, so he took the law (books) into his own hands.
“I didn’t think I was getting out,” Grizzley said during a recent appearance on Million Dollaz Worth Of Game podcast “Man, look I got n##### in there telling me, ‘You better take ten years if they try to give that to you.’”
He continued and explained he turned to his legal team for advice on what to do next. He also sought advice from fellow inmates. However, they and his lawyers urged him to do whatever he could to avoid going to trial. Nonetheless, he wasn’t too keen on spending a decade behind bars and so took matters into his own hands.
Tee Grizzley – “First Day Out”
He decided to hit the law library to research his case. He started with the tool his allegedly used in the robberies. “They say we armed cause of the sledgehammer, right?” Tee Grizzley explained. “So I get in the law book. First thing I see I go to that type of s###, and they say, ‘You can only consider something a weapon if they use it to threaten somebody and demand something.’ I ain’t never told nobody I was gonna hit them with the hammer. I ain’t raised nobody or nothing. So they can’t say that that’s a weapon.”
Tee Grizzley then took the idea to his lawyer who, despite his previous advice to the contrary, believed he was onto something.
He recalled: “I told my lawyer that and my lawyer surprised like, ‘No you right.’ I’m like, ‘The f### you mean I’m right? You knew this before me. I get to tell my co-defendant, ‘Look read the law book. Look at every case,’ and we end up getting up out that m###########.” Check out the episode below.
Tee Grizzley recorded his hit single “First Day Out” just days after his parole ended in October 2016. The track became the lead single from his debut mixtape, My Moment released in 2017.
Rolling Loud organizers had less than a week to replace one of their headline acts for their Miami festival when Kanye West pulled out last week, just five days before his scheduled performance.
Despite their best efforts, they couldn’t get the Donda hitmaker to change his mind and so had to find an alternate act at very short notice. Rolling Loud Co-Founders Tariq Cherif and Matt Zingler issued a statement on Sunday (Jul. 17), though they gave no reason for Ye’s withdrawal.
“We were looking forward to Ye headlining Rolling Loud Miami 2022. We spent months working with him and his team on the performance. Unfortunately, Ye has decided that he will no longer be performing,” Rolling Loud explained.
Many fans took to social media to express their disappointment at the news Kanye had bailed on the festival. However, the complaints continued when Kid Cudi was revealed as his replacement.
Tariq took to the Rolling Loud comments section in an attempt to provide answers to festival goers. “Tried to convince Ye to stay on the lineup but he wasn’t having it 🤷♂️,” he explained in the pinned comment.
Others shared their frustrations at the last-minute switch and began naming artists they would have preferred to replace Ye at Rolling Loud. Among those named, Travis Scott was one of the most popular suggestions. Cherif claimed it wouldn’t be possible and blamed the Hard Rock Stadium venue, who he said had concerns following the ten deaths at his Astroworld Festival last November. “Venue won’t allow Travis because of Astroworld deaths,” he continued though he has since deleted his comment.
However, Tariq has had to backtrack, explaining to TMZ that he swiftly deleted the comment because it was untrue. He claims Rolling Loud tried to get Travis Scott to replace Ye, but they couldn’t make it happen. The short notice left little time to prepare the rapper’s elaborate stage production, and they couldn’t go ahead.
Meanwhile, Rolling Loud Miami kicks off this weekend at Hard Rock Stadium, beginning Friday (Jul. 22).
Grinding for success and staying focused is difficult to work to build your name within an industry where it’s 10 other million artists on the same path as you, notoriety which is Mainstream stardom A.K.A Fame, the limelight, being a part of the industry that no one can escape from nor want to depart from. Ty ThaGod is a rising hip hop recording artist/songwriter that can testify to that.
For some time now, the young entrepreneur has been releasing a lot of hit singles and getting them placed in varieties of platforms. – “I just want to be Great and have a great life, I’m just having fun with the way things are going! I’m not worried about the money, for that’s going to come in the future, but for the moment I’m just having fun with everything I do and living life.” His stance on the industry is that he’s not saying he’s better than most artists out there but he’s different and brings a unique sound to the game from his tone of voice to his versatile delivery.
Ty Thagod is a phenomenal self-motivated Artist and he is granted to shine in the future of his career. We expect him to do big things throughout his journey not only as a hip-hop recording artist but as a C.E.O as well.
Also, don’t forget to follow him on social media @iamtythagod
While 50 Cent has a penchant for using Instagram to troll his fellow celebrities or call on outstanding debts alongside promoting his many business ventures, he also utilizes it to share his opinion on issues he feels strongly about.
In the past few months alone, the G Unit boss has used the social media platform to clown Madonna, Benzino and Young Buck, a couple of former business associates, and Teairra Mari during the ongoing lawsuit. He has also questioned Megan Thee Stallions’ version of events surrounding the Tory Lane shooting incident. He has however been a fierce supporter of comedienne Mo’Nique, even casting her in one of his shows.
However, 50 Cent took to Instagram on Monday evening (Jul. 18) for matters of a more serious nature, sharing his thoughts on a new child support bill put forth by Republicans. 50 Cent posted a news report discussing the proposed bill, which, if successful, could see fathers making payments to unborn babies. The post states, “Senator says legislation would make it possible for mother to get back pay from as early as conception.”
The post goes on to explain if the bill becomes law, mothers would be entitled to “payments retroactively if paternity was not established until birth.” An amendment of this kind, “could help clear the way for a federal abortion ban.”
Fiddy is not feeling the proposed bill and expressed his thoughts plainly in the caption. “👀Ok f### this,” 50 Cent declared before adding, “i quit, 🤷🏽♂️”
50 Cent is a father of two boys, 24-year-old Marquise, with whom he has a strained relationship, and nine-year-old child Sire Jackson, who he shares with actress and model Daphne Joy.
The music industry is diverse and intriguing. Different genres speak to different people and have the ability to unite them. People make music for all sorts of reasons, passion, the stories they can tell, nostalgia, and more. This art form has been closely woven into human culture and will remain so for a very long time to come.
Given the broad scope and practice in this field, some amazing artists have contributed to the music community, specifically from the hip-hop genre, and one such artist on the rise is AQ.
AQ believes music is a journey, and he prides himself in telling his story in the most beautiful way possible. He also creates music to get him through life’s rough patches.
AQ comes from the southside of Texas, where he grew up listening to alternative music and pop. In a way, music has always been part of AQ’s life; however, it was only later that he finally found his genre and fell in love with hip-hop. AQ mentions how hip-hop resonates with him and gives him a distinct opportunity to tell his story.
Not long after he began his hip-hop career, he started to gain attention once he released a few tracks—AQ has more than 35K monthly listeners on Spotify. His highest-streamed song, “Knights,” has been streamed a jaw-dropping 900K times.
AQ’s newly released project is “(PRE)ESH” (pronounced Pre-Esh), a three-pack preview and teaser to his highly-anticipated sophomore album, PREESH. Additionally, AQ has released visualizers for, “Kick The Bucket,” and “Gimmie The Loot.”
While AQ has taken a page out of Lil Wayne’s book with his drop of “The Leak” before his album The Carter III, AQ is using this opportunity to showcase his lyrical prowess and mastery over impactful rhythms intertwined between a variety of different melodies.
While things are looking great for AQ at the moment, he has gone through his fair share of hard times to attain success today. The news of his manager’s death came as a shock to him, and he was left with no choice but to pull himself together and push forward regardless. Another instance where AQ struggled was within a short while of making music professionally, he received an offer from Pusha T. However, at the time, due to unforeseen circumstances, AQ was unable to honor this deal, which made him unhappy and uneasy for a while, as he thought he was blowing his one shot to cut through the noise in the music industry. Nevertheless, AQ saw beyond the situation and decided to rewrite his story by putting in the work.
AQ emphasizes the need to follow your dreams and never give up on them. He adds that dreams are vehicles that drive us to fulfill success, and as such, we must remain resolute in seeing them come true.
AQ is an ambitious artist, as he envisions himself on the front page of reputable magazine covers and billboards across major cities, making waves in the music industry. He hopes to go on tour soon and make appearances at festivals like Coachella, Rolling Loud, and Wireless Fest. AQ would also love to collaborate with artists like Kanye West and Kid Cudi. While many might think of him as overly ambitious, one thing remains clear: he is headed toward achieving all of this and more.
Music producer and APAR share his inspiring journey of rising from the bottom to success. He is an innately gifted producer who learned virtually every skill he possesses on his own. Even during his low moments, APAR’s hard work and dedication to his craft have seen him grow to become one of the country’s top sought-after DJs and producers. His authenticity and skills have seen him play various stages across the U.S. This includes playing and producing for artists in other countries, including Ecuador and Malaysia.
APAR points to some of his career highlights, including a rare opportunity to play at the highly coveted Electric Daisy Carnival 2018. The celebrated DJ also graced one of Ecuador’s biggest shows, Galapagos, where he featured as the main DJ for the night. Playing at such high-end events and shows has opened numerous other opportunities for the passionate DJ to help grow his brand. According to APAR, one of his biggest achievements is creating a rich and diverse network of key industry stakeholders.
With a dream to expand and become a globally celebrated producer, the sensational DJ’s most significant challenge is gaining entry into new markets. Entering new cities and developing his brand has not been easy. It takes something special to beat the immense competition, especially in a foreign land. But a highly gifted individual, APAR has been able to showcase his talent, proving his worth. He has proved his doubters wrong and solidified his position as one of the top names to watch out for in the international music scene.
DeWanda Wise is optimistic for the future of Black talent but insists that studios need to invest appropriately to ensure roles are created.
The actress is making waves in Hollywood after starring in “Jurassic World Dominion,” but she’s been vocal about the lack of action roles offered to Black stars.
Talking to Refinery29 about the issue, DeWanda tentatively shared that she was confident the landscape is changing, but she’s also a realist about the situation.
“You had both John Boyega and Ray Fisher essentially calling (out) bulls**t (in Hollywood),” she said. “Boyega specifically was like, ‘You will not be able to create new Black heroes without giving them hero moments.’ So that was a part of the bedrock upon which we were filming. I think blowing the whistle, calling it out, and then honestly, making sure that our actors are prepared to do the work.
“Meaning that they know that it requires, you know, preparation and training and all that stuff beforehand, but also that these studios continue to facilitate that. To pay for the training, to pay for the meal plans, and actually give us the resources and the support to continue to take up space and make the kind of impact that’s possible. So I’m optimistic.”
DeWanda also touched on “Get Out” director Jordan Peele’s impact on the industry. The 38-year-old worked with Jordan on an episode of his “The Twilight Zone” reboot and said it’s one of her all-time favorite shows.
“I love that space,” she smiled. “I went to theatre school (and) those genres give us the most to latch on to because it’s the equivalent to Shakespeare and Greek tragedies.
“Stakes are so high, and it’s such a fun playground. I want it for us so badly. There’s so many Black women who are very clearly not only saying, ‘I want to work in this space,’ but who are readying themselves.”
I thought Desus and Mero were unstoppable! But, it seems they have broke up -lickety rickety split! But there is more – these two dudes are beefing! Unbeknownst to me, there have been rumors of beef for quite some time. How do two dudes that are 50/50 types end up blowing up a lifetime of work in one fell swoop? CRAZY!
Well, somehow – per the rumors – it comes down to money. What else is new?
They did the typical thing – started duking it out on social media. But not all out – more like here and there. The Puerto Rican brother aka Mero seems to be the first to set it off, proclaiming, “it’s a wrap Brody” on Twitter. Here’s all he said:
NAH ITS A WRAP BRODY, SOMEBODY MENTIONED DUDE TWEETING THAT FROM SOME COUNTRY AT LIKE 3AM.. I TOURED W DUDE FOR YEARS HE WAS F#### AND IN HIS BAG. PODCAST DONE ENJOY THE BACK CATALOG MY PALS.
He said that his dark-skinned former brother Desus ghosted him, effectively bouncing out on their podcast. And then Desus jumped out and had something to say.
the hive deserved better than this ending. Reddit can slander my name but when the truth comes out…….actually just wait.
That sounds very ominous!!! I wonder what the “truth” is!?
He also said this…
This is the official statement:
“Bodega Hive: The illustrious @desusnice and @THEKIDMERO will be pursuing separate creative endeavors moving forward. #DESUSandMERO will not be returning to SHOWTIME. It’s been a good run, fam.”
Their original show was called Desus Vs. Mero and then the Bodega Boys sprung out of that. Desus & Mero was the last show they had on Showtime. They just went back to where they came from. And the Bodega is closed!
The Beastie Boys will be recognized with an intersection named in their honor.
A Manhattan street corner depicted in the Paul’s Boutiquealbum cover will be renamed Beastie Boys Square. The New York City Council approved the tribute following a nine-year campaign.
“#BeastieBoysSquare campaign was initiated by @heterodoxxinc in Fall 2013,” organizers noted on Instagram. “After years of diligent lobbying the Bill for the street name was presented by @chrismartenyc of @nycdistrict1 and on July 14, 2022 it has been passed by the @nyccouncil under the leadership of @nycspeakeradams. Dedication date TBD. Thanks to the local residents, businesses, politicians, and organizations, who supported & fight for the right of the street name over the years, plus those who supported from far away.”
The pitch for Beastie Boys Square was initially rejected in 2014. Councilmember Christopher Marte helped push the renewed efforts to honor Ad-Rock, Mike D and the late MCA.
“As many of us know, once the Beastie Boys hit the scene, it really changed the Hip Hop game,” Marte told PIX 11. “I see it as a celebration. A celebration for the Lower East Side, a celebration for Hip Hop. And especially a celebration for our community who has been organizing for a really long time to make this happen.”
Rumors about Lil Durk – or his look-alike – getting punched at a casino aren’t true.
A man named James Lett IV has been identified as the actual victim in a video of a casino brawl. Lil Durk and Lett have similar hairstyles, which led to the rumor spiraling out of control online.
Lett reacted to being misidentified as the Alamo Records rapper on Instagram Stories.
“There’s no such thing as a bad press,” he wrote in one post.
He also shared a screenshot of someone asking why people thought he was Lil Durk.
“People are dumb that’s why only 1% of the world is rich,” Lett wrote. “99% of people don’t know anything.”
Lil Durk’s recent social media activity seemingly bolstered the wild speculation regarding the viral video. He announced a Twitter hiatus on Saturday (July 16).
“Ima take a break off this s### ima be back soon,” he wrote.
Lil Durk deactivated his Instagram account as well.
“I’m finna disappear for a minute,” he said in a video posted prior to the deactivation. “Finna lock in, come back a thousand times stronger. Some monster s###. Every time I pop back up, it’s that.”
Sy Ari Da Kid is far from new to the scene, but the Atlanta transplant by way of The Bronx has really stepped into the modern day goat conversation with his latest project, The Shadow In The Shade. The album is a who’s who of Hip-Hop excellence with Sy Ari as the cornerstone.
The opus features Jadakiss, T.I., Benny The Butcher, Big K.R.I.T., Trouble, Lloyd Banks, Ransom, Mickey Factz, Cyhi The Prynce, Shawn Ellery, JR Writer, Raekwon, and Bumpy Knuckles, among others. Each guest brings something special and unique to the project, which recently re-manifested as a deluxe version. This is a perfect album for lovers of the culture in all of its diversity. It is also the ideal
In this exclusive interview with Chuck “Jigsaw” Creekmur, Sy explains a number of matters. He talks being signed and subsequently buying himself out of a Cash Money Records deal. He discusses his lack of involvement with his good friend Mickey Factz and Royce Da 5′ 9″ when they had lyrical beef last year. He also offers insight on the tremendous lift creating The Shadow In The Shade, which is already a contender for the coveted album of the year.
A man who threatened to shoot fans attending Yo Gotti’s Birthday Bash appeared in court on Monday (July 18).
According to multiplereports, Elijah Hyman will undergo a mental health evaluation following a mass shooting threat. Hyman faces 30 counts of attempted murder for planning to shoot concertgoers leaving Yo Gotti’s Birthday Bash, which took place at the FedEx Forum in Memphis on July 15.
“Mr. Hyman reached out for help,” his attorney Leslie Ballin said. “He actually flagged down an officer for help, he was in crisis.”
Hyman pleaded not guilty to charges stemming from his Yo Gotti concert threats. The 28-year-old suspect will remain in jail over concerns about his mental health.
“He is going to stay in custody,” Ballin said. “He is not going to asked to be released on bond. That is for his safety and more importantly the safety of the community.”
Police said they found guns, including a rifle with a scope, at Hyman’s apartment. He lives in the Chisca apartments, which overlook the arena where Yo Gotti and others performed.
Yo Gotti addressed the threat against his annual concert in a statement on Twitter. He thanked local police for preventing an attack.
“We were informed of a potential threat regarding an individual seeking to harm attendees leaving Birthday Bash that occurred 3 hours after our show ended,” Yo Gotti wrote. “I would also like to thank the Memphis Police Department for their swift and proactive action in ensuring that all attendees returned home safely.”
Bad Azz Brijion just released her newest single and visual, “Short D,” a fun summer anthem for the girls. With the title speaking for itself, “Short D” has become a whole phenomenon, even hitting a million views online organically.
The record has even been compared to the timeless smash hit “No Scrubs” by TLC, which both empower women worldwide that they deserve nothing but the best.
Hailing from Los Angeles, Bad Azz Brijion has been singing and dancing since she was five years old, getting her start singing in the choir at church. Taking the West Coast by storm, the rising star is directly influenced by all the greats, including Prince, Lil Wayne, Tupac, Nicki Minaj, Drake, Missy Elliot, and Lauryn Hill.
And with Brijion being her government, she had to add the “Bad Azz” to remind folks what type of time she’s on.
AllHipHop caught up with Bad Azz Brijion in downtown Los Angeles to discuss her background in music, roots in Los Angeles, the inspiration behind “Short D,” shooting the visual, relationship with Ice-T, performing Long Beach Pride, goals, and more!
AllHipHop: What part of LA are you from?
Brijion: Honestly, I’ve lived all over. West LA, South Central, Inglewood, I’ve traveled all over. I’m pretty much an LA native, just lived everywhere.
AllHipHop: What does LA mean to you?
Brijion: I love LA. Honestly, I’ve traveled. I’ve lived for a few weeks or a month in different locations, but LA to me is home. There’s nothing like it. There’s the beauty of it. Then there’s also the gritty griminess of it. Our fashion, our culture, you know, it’s a vibe for sure.
AllHipHop: Who did you grow up listening to? When’d you fall in love with music?
Brijion: I grew up listening to Missy Elliott, Lauryn Hill, Lil Wayne, Drake, Nicki Minaj. Shoot, I’ve listened to a plethora of music growing up. My grandparents listened to Prince, so I got a little bit of the old school vibes too. Definitely always been a Hip Hop head. Always listening to the latest Lil Wayne mixtape and vibing out to Pac because of my mom. Just a plethora of good music.
AllHipHop: When did you realize you could do music for a living?
Brijion: I realized it very young. Since I was born, all of my baby videos are me singing and performing for my family. I started singing in church when I was 5, then around 9 years old was when I started to record professionally. Around 10 was when I started writing, that’s when I shifted from being a singer to a rapper. Since I was 9 years old was when I knew I could make a career out of it. Everybody took me seriously, I was getting real studio bookings and doing shows.
AllHipHop: Bring us back to when you recorded “Short D,” it’s a bop!
Brijion: “Short D” I actually made a couple months ago. The original song by Gillette went viral on TikTok, there were a lot of different content creators saying there needs to be a female rapper that redoes this song. I said you know what? I’m the girl for that. I hit up one of my producers. I said, “you know what? I want to flip the record. I want to make it my own.” He sent me a beat, I wrote to it. I got in the studio and the rest is history.
AllHipHop: What does “Short D” mean? [laughs]
Brijion: Short dick girl! No little weenies. No little sausages, we don’t want no little sausage.
AllHipHop: How often do you encounter…?
Brijion: Thank God I haven’t… you know. I don’t got that many bodies on me, so I haven’t encountered that many. [laughs] I haven’t encountered that many Short D’s. But I hear a lot of stories so I wrote it from my perspective and my girlfriends’ perspective and just like a fun, you know, women empowerment vibe and switching the narrative of what we want and not settling for less and just really putting our best foot forward. You know, we are not taking no little weenies, no little pockets, none of that!
AllHipHop: What inspired the music video?
Brijion: What inspired the music video is I really wanted to be inclusive in who doesn’t want a short dick? Let me definitely incorporate some of my gay friends and have the ladies of course, but I wanted it to be super inclusive in who doesn’t want little d####. The cast is very broad. Theres cis womens, trans, gays.
AllHipHop: Best memory from shooting?
Brijion: My favorite part of shooting the video was all the looks that I did and having fun with the cast. They really pumped me up: all the dancers, the choreographer. I had a great time with everybody on set.
AllHipHop: How does it feel to hit a million views on WorldStar?
Brijion: I’m really pumped up. I’m like alright, go me! It went viral on WorldStar. It’s a million on their actual website, then it’s at almost 200K on their Instagram. On my Youtube, it’s around All in all, I think I’m doing some pretty good numbers. Iit just dropped not even a week ago.
AllHipHop: Talk about that, just being independent and getting those numbers.
Brijion: I’m excited to get those numbers to be honest. Of course, I expected a big commotion of it, just because of the production, the cast, the looks, and everything it took to make the video. I’m excited because I didn’t think it’d go that viral that fast. I’m just pumped up. I like all the great feedback and I’m having a lot of trolls. Okay, I got some new haters. It’s lit. [laughs]
AllHipHop: Talk about “Short D” versus TLC “No Scrubs”?
Brijion: I’d say they have the same message when it comes to women owning what they want and not settling for less. Both of them are very empowering anthems. We always hear about guys bashing women and saying “they don’t want this kind of girl, they don’t want this and they don’t want that.” Both of those records, my record “Short D” and “No Scrubs” have the same vibe as to where we’re like “nah, we’re not taking no s### from y’all. We don’t want no dude in the passenger side of a ride. Don’t want no little weenies, no little pockets.” Especially when you’re getting your own and you’re doing your thing, you want a partner to meet you where you’re at. You’re a boss, you don’t want to have to pull somebody else’s weight too.
AllHipHop: You have a man?
Brijion: Yeah, I got a man. [laughs] He loves the song. He definitely loves the song, he’s all for it. He’s definitely supportive.
AllHipHop: What is your relationship with Ice-T?
Brijion: So Ice is my play uncle. I’ve known him since I came out of the womb honestly. His ex-wife and my mom were pregnant at the same time, so little Ice is one of my childhood friends. We grew up together. I remade “6 in the Mornin’,” one of his hit records. He heard it and he put his stamp on it. He said “yo this is dope. I’m all for it.” Now we’re working on the treatment and everything like that for the video. I’m really excited that I got his blessing. It’s his record so I was really honored that he enjoyed my flip on it.
AllHipHop: What does it mean to work with a legend like that?
Brijion: It’s an honor. It really is an honor. It feels good to know somebody that’s old school takes heed to my craft. Because a lot of the old school rappers sometimes feel like Hip Hop is so different, it’s not the same. Sometimes they discredit us younger rappers, so it feels really good to know I have his stamp. He’s backing me and he’s willing to push the record, really help me take it to the next level.
AllHipHop: What is it you want fans to get from your story?
Brijion: I want them to definitely persevere.When they listen to my music I want them to feel ambitious. They feel bossy. They feel enlightened, positive. I just want anybody who takes the time to listen to my music to really get into their zone, whatever that may be. If you’re a boss or you’re working and doing this, I want everybody who listens to my song to really feel that bossyness. That empowerment that you can do it too vibe, because you can.
AllHipHop: 3 things you need in the studio at all times?
Brijion: Water, weed and Woods. [laughs] For sure, don’t need nothing else.
AllHipHop: Secret to staying snatched?
Brijion: Well first of all, shout out to my doctor. But you have to maintain it, so definitely get in the gym. Of course, rehearsing for shows definitely helps me stay fit. Definitely maintaining the situation for sure.
AllHipHop: You’re performing at Long Beach Pride, that’s so exciting!
Brijion: Yes, I’m really excited. I’ve been in rehearsals and everything all week. I can’t wait to perform for everybody and just vibe out, have a good time at the festival.
AllHipHop: How did that happen?
Brijion: One of my friends linked me with one of the talent coordinators for the Hip Hop stage. He sent over my music and he was in love. He said “yeah, she can do it. Let’s do it.” We had a little meeting and the rest is history. Now I’m on the list to perform. I’m excited. It’s Iggy and Yoyo and a few other artists that are headlining, so I’m really pumped.
AllHipHop: Any goals for yourself at this point in your career?
Brijion: Just to have my foot on everybody’s necks. I definitely want to perform at a big arena. I’d love to do a Rolling Loud, a Coachella. Definitely want to sell out Madison Square Garden, those kinds of things. Everything’s happening so fast, so I want to continue to stay on my grind and see what’s next for me.
AllHipHop: What can we expect next? Do you have more music coming?
Brijion: Yes, I’m gonna release another single within the month, just to stay consistent. Then I’ll have an EP dropping within the year or two.
AllHipHop: Do you have a name for the EP yet?
Brijion: Not yet. I haven’t even selected the songs yet. I have so many songs that I’ve been doing and working with so many producers. I gotta really buckle down and figure out exactly what route I’m going to go with the EP, but I’m definitely releasing one this year.
AllHipHop: Anything else you want to let the people know?
Brijion: Follow me at @Brijion, that way you guys can stay in the loop and stay connected with what I have coming up next for sure. Check out the video for Short D on YouTube and run those numbers up!
Kodak Black’s lawyer Bradford Cohen asked a court to allow the attorney to inspect evidence from his client’s latest arrest.
According to court documents obtained by Radar Online, Cohen filed a motion to test the alleged drugs seized by police during a traffic stop in Florida.
Last week, Kodak Black was arrested on drug charges. Police said they found 31 white tablets of oxycodone in his vehicle.
Cohen claimed it would be “impossible” to defend the Atlantic Records rapper without independently testing the alleged drugs. The attorney argued an inspection was “essential” for a proper defense.
Kodak Black, whose real name is Bill Kapri, was stopped by Florida Highway Patrol because the tint of his SUV’s windows appeared to be darker than the legal limit. Police also said the registration for his vehicle was expired.
Authorities allegedly found a bag of pills and $75,000 in cash while searching Kodak Black’s vehicle. He was charged with trafficking in oxycodone and possession of a controlled substance.
“Never judge a case based on an arrest,” Cohen said regarding his client’s legal woes. “There are facts and circumstances that give rise to a defense, especially in this case. We negotiated a bond of $75,000 and we will move forward with resolving the matter quickly.”
Kodak Black was released on bond. He commented on his arrest in an Instagram post, writing, “SMH ! Not Again.”
Philadelphia rapper Tariq “Black Thought” Trotter has been appointed as a general partner at Impellent Ventures, a groundbreaking equity-centric venture fund.
The Grammy Award-winner and The Roots’ lead-emcee is joining the team to diversify his portfolio.
“I’ve been keeping an eye on the industry and looking for new ways to invest and diversify my portfolio. I also get to see a lot of investment opportunities before anyone else does because of what my brand means to founders,” the emcee stated.
The company distinguishes itself in the VC space by focusing on “uplifting startups through an emphasis on mentorship courtesy of proven investors and successful business mavens from companies such as Paychex, Android, LinkedIn, DraftKings, Google, and more.”
“The combination of these elements made it natural to align with Impellent Ventures,” he continued. “Phil and I are longtime friends, and our relationship led to my first visit to the Harvard Innovation Lab in 2016. Joining Dave and Phil has been a long time coming and natural evolution of our shared interest in helping find and fund the next great generation of entrepreneurs.”
Impellent Ventures also provides unprecedented access to connections and capital from Tier 1 hubs for entrepreneurs of color and trailblazers from underserved communities, giving back and showing unparalleled support.
As such, the company will galvanize the growth of new businesses under the guidance of some of the industry’s most respected visionaries.”
IV has also made strides in other sectors outside of arts and entertainment, like “Artificial Intelligence, Healthcare Technology, Robotics, Consumer Goods, and Apps.”
The company hopes that adding the spit-kicker to its team will help bring more artists in the space to their business.
