Top Boy has returned to Netflix with a premiere of the second season arriving today (Friday, Mar. 18).
The Drake-backed crime series set in Britain announced a return back in January, sharing a trailer promising more of the gritty realism of the first series.
The rapper-turned-actor discussed his roots as a child actor before he joined the U.K. supergroup So Solid Crew. He also revealed how shows like Top Boy are changing the narrative among Black British actors during an interview with Rolling Stone.
“Believe it or not, it was slightly frowned upon back then to be an actor. I didn’t get a lot of positive responses from my peers. If you wanted to be an actor, it was like, ‘Why would you do that? Just be a musician.’”
However, the industry is evolving. Top Boy has spotlighted the acting careers of many U.K. rappers, including Dave, Scorcher, Little Simz, NoLay, and Kano. He reflected upon the opportunities a social realist drama like Top Boy creates.
“We didn’t have a genre back then that represented Black people in the way that they’re represented now,” he explained. “So most of the parts you [would] play didn’t really ring true, or relate to a Black audience. There weren’t things like Top Boy back then. There weren’t things that were authentic. Stories that are written by ourselves and for ourselves, that didn’t exist.”
Watch the latest Top Boy trailer below.
Top Boy Season 2 | Official Trailer | Netflix
Meanwhile, the talented Top Boy actor flexed his rapping chops, dropping a new song on Thursday (Mar. 17). “What you doing looking at me?” he asked, announcing the single’s release. “Surgeon’s out now. Go and grab that, hurry up. Go!” he added. Check out the lyric video below.
His fellow Top Boy co-star, female power-house rapper Nolay also delivered her new “Top B####” single on Thursday. She also has a 5-track tape of the same name dropping next Friday. Watch the video below.
Nicki Minaj continues to make history as a woman in the male-dominated rap game, sitting atop the iTunes charts with her latest release. However, this number one has extra special significance.
Chart Data reports this latest No. 1 sees her become the “rapper with the most #1 songs in US iTunes history,” surpassing The 6 God himself.
“@NICKIMINAJ is now the rapper with the most #1 songs in US iTunes history, surpassing @Drake (26).”
.@NICKIMINAJ is now the rapper with the most #1 songs in US iTunes history, surpassing @Drake (26).
However, the rapper topped the charts with a collaboration that almost stayed hidden in the vault following a leak. Nicki Minaj and Coi Leray reached No. 1 on the iTunes chart within hours of releasing “Blick Blick” on Friday (Mar. 18). The two surpassed Doja Cat, who sits at the second spot with “Freaky Deaky.”
During her recent interview with Joe Budden, Nicki Minaj reflected on how different the industry was for the artists that came before her.
“Did they have the opportunities?” she pondered. “Some of the biggest rappers, some of the most influential rappers, they’ve never made a million dollars for a show. They’ve never made what they absolutely deserved based on the doors that they opened for others, based on their level of talent, their level of influence.” As such, she can understand how they might react to the deals being offered to today’s stars.
Nonetheless, Nicki Minaj understands why some of her older peers can be critical of hip-hop’s younger generation of rappers.
“They’ve never been rewarded for doing any of those things,” she explained. “Now they get to sit back and watch other artists who they know [are not] as talented as them [succeed]. I know that can’t be easy for them to watch.” Catch up on the interview in full below.
Snoop Dogg continues to set the standard in hip-hop NFT’s unveiling his new “Supercuzz” comic book series.
The Doggfather plays the titular character who spends his days “smoking the forces of evil and weeding out crime” in the fictional Angel City. Snoop Dogg will grace five covers of the comic book series by crypto marketplace MakersPlace.
Announcing the collection Snoop Dogg took to social media to share an image of one of the covers on Thursday (Mar. 17). He also gave a few details about the character, revealing “Supercuzz” as – “a self made crypto-trillionaire.”
“Me and @BossLogic present (w/creative direction by @CBroadus and @kai__Henry)… Supercuzz,” he wrote in the Instagram caption. “A next generation superhero born from the streets of Angel City, who enjoys the high flying lavish lifestyle as a self made crypto-trillionaire but also dedicates himself to smoking the forces of evil and weeding out crime!”
Snoop Dogg: “Supercuzz To The Resuce”
Me n @BossLogic present (w/creative direction by @Champmedici and @kai__Henry)… Supercuzz, a next generation superhero born from the streets of Angel City
The collection arrived on Thursday, featuring five limited-edition collectible animations voiced by Snoop, followed by five open edition graphic stills. Australian graphic artist BossLogic created the original artworks.
“Snoop Dogg and BossLogic are two iconic forces in their respective crafts and are both pioneers in the NFT space,” said MakersPlace CEO Craig Palmer in a statement. “We’re honored to host the release of ‘Supercuzz’ collection on MakersPlace and give art enthusiasts accessibility in purchasing NFT’s from their favorite creators.”
“1. 2. 3. N 2 the 4 thank. U 🙏🏾🙏🏾📱👊🏾✨💫” he tweeted. “I just wanna thank y’all,” he said during the video. “Right now, the number one, two, and three spots belong to Snoop Dogg,” he declared. “We got more coming,” he then shared thanking the NFT community.
The Harris Family finally gives what the fans have been asking for. The gift comes in the form of the music video for “Family Connect.” Tip and his son Domani are on the mic and Messiah, another Harris Family son, crafts the beat of the song.
Domani gave AllHipHop the scoop on why this is so special.
“I’ve always wanted to do a record with my pops but I’m also working really hard to keep our careers separate. I felt this was the perfect song for us to collaborate on because it talks about that,” he said.
Folks may recall a clip going viral in October where Tip and Domani hit the stage together at AfroPunk in Atlanta. That was the song, but there were no visuals.
Tip was filming movies and Domani was traveling on D Smoke’s “War & Wonders” tour. Hip-Hop’s favorite father and son duo linked up with BLE Studios and Philly Fly Boy to finish the highly-anticipated video.
The single is not exactly new, but it feels fresh.
“Family Connect” originally showed up on Tip’s latest studio album, 2020’s “The L.I.B.R.A” (The Legend Is Back Running Atlanta). The apex of the project was “Pardon” – which featured Lil Baby. The song broke into the top 20 and was trending on YouTube. The Tip came back with “Ring,” which featured Young Thug.
SXSW in Austin, TX yielded a celebration for Domani’s 21st birthday on Wednesday at Just Blaze’s showcase. They not only performed “Family Connect,” but fam brought out a birthday cake for Domani. Everybody say to the young legend-to-be.
Hit songs like “Live Your Life,” which featured Rihanna topped the charts, but nothing is bigger than featuring Domani and Messiah on a single track.
“Working with your children musically tops any feature I’ve ever done, because this is my blood, and they both did their thang on it making me a proud pops,” the King said.
Nicki Minaj and Coi Leray have finally delivered their highly-anticipated collaboration “Blick Blick,” after a long and bumpy road. The song was initially put on the back burner after Coi’s father Benzino leaked information about the track during a Clubhouse conversation last month.
Undeterred, Nicki Minaj eventually agreed to let the song see the light of day following a conversation with Coi Leray. Listen to the song below.
Earlier on Thursday, Coi Leray proudly displayed Her Nicki Minaj-inspired Barbie tribute tattoo, marking the release of the track. “This fly AF,” Nicki tweeted, giving the ink her seal of approval.
Meanwhile, Nicki Minaj revealed her favorite bar on the song. “All these PR STUNTS but btch you ain’t PUERTO RICAÑA 😝🤯” she told her Twitter followers.
However, she also gave love to her partner on the track declaring, “Did Coi body that or did Coi body that? I was in love with her verse the second I heard it. No way I wasn’t stealing her outro flow. #BlickBlick,” she penned.
Did Coi body that or did Coi body that? I was in love with her verse the second I heard it. No way I wasn’t stealing her outro flow. #BlickBlick
Nicki Minaj promised to deliver “verse of the year” on Monday (Mar. 14). She told fans they would have to undergo some vocal training to be able to spit her bars.
“And no you won’t be able to learn the verse right away so don’t try,” Nicki warned The Barbz. “Breath control. Breathe. Meditate. Diction exercises. Do that for the next 4 days. Then maybe. 🤷🏽♀️ but I can’t make any promithis promithis promithis #BlickBlick 3.18.22”
And no you won’t be able to learn the verse right away so don’t try. Breath control. Breathe. Meditate. Diction exercises. Do that for the next 4 days. Then maybe. 🤷🏽♀️ but I can’t make any promithis promithis promithis #BlickBlick 3.18.22
During another Q&A earlier this week, Nicki Minaj revealed that she did pull the plug on the track before giving it the go-ahead. She had previously denied its existence after Benzino’s leak. “I don’t have a collab coming with anyone. Onika mode. Love you,” she wrote on her Instagram Stories back in February.
“I did pull it,” Nicki clarified in response to a fan asking the verse. “But the label hit me going hard. But rlly I had a private convo w|coi & that’s what changed my mind. Not the label.”
She added, “I just felt bad that she was robbed of telling the world in her own way @ her own time. But that’s water under the bridge now. Good vibes all 2022.”
We recently came across a music executive and film producer who seems to be standing out in the crowd of current execs. He goes by the name of ELEVENNYNE.
Originally hailing from South Central Los Angeles, ELEVENNYNE was able to take his lifestyle to new heights after putting in years of hard work and consistency. He has since relocated to the Hidden Hills, which is one of the most affluent upscale neighborhoods in all of California. He’s definitely a good example of what it means to go from rags to riches.
As of now, ELEVENNYNE is the executive director over at Universal Music Group’s subsidiary entity, Bungalo Records. This company has worked with some of the biggest acts in the world like Beyoncé, Christina Aguilera, and more. This is definitely a huge accomplishment for anyone that’s working towards getting into the music business.
ELEVENNYNE is also in the process of releasing an independent film called “Adam & Eve”, which features Brian Hooks (He played in Soul Plane, Fat Beach, 3 Strikes, and more). For anyone who’s a movie fan, make sure to tune in when it drops, as it is set to release during April of 2022. Make sure to follow ELEVENNYNE on all social media platforms @ELEVENNYNE in order to stay up to date with all future films and content drops by this rising executive.
The breakdown of Kim Kardashian and Kanye West’s marriage has been a very public and acrimonious one.
The reality TV star has become accustomed to sharing the most intimate details of her private life with millions of viewers worldwide on The Kardashians TV shows. However, her divorce from the superstar rapper and subsequent relationship with SNL comedian Pete Davidson has been especially public.
Kanye West has aired his grievances with his ex-wife’s parenting methods on several Instagram posts and has also taken to bashing Davidson. Kim Kardashian asked a court to formally end her marriage earlier this month. A judge agreed to do so, though divorce proceeding remain ongoing.
While it may be difficult, the mother of four said she has to put the kids first in co-parenting with Kanye. During a recent appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show which aired Thursday (Mar. 17), she discussed how she does this despite the turbulent state of their relationship.
“I’m always just hopeful and no matter what goes on, it’s the father of my kids. I’ll always be protective. I always want my kids to just see the best of the best,” she explained. She added, “I just try to — as hard as it can be sometimes — I do try to ignore it and try to do whatever’s best for the kids… Take the high road.”
Kim Kardashian On Pete Davidson
Kim Kardashian also discussed her new relationship saying, “It’s not official ’til you post,’ referring to their first official social media outing. She spoke on finding romance again at this stage in her life.
“I was like, you know what? I’m in my 40s, like, f### it, just go for it. Find your happiness. I went for it and I took my time. I found it and it feels so good,” Kim Kardashian shared. She added, “I want to hold on to that forever.”
Kim Kardashian talks about Pete Davidson on The Ellen Show, not ready for what Kanye about to do on Instagram https://t.co/NQhtZe0M4q
— Piñata Farms: The Meme App (@pinatafarms) March 16, 2022
Meanwhile, Kanye West picked up a 24-hour Instagram suspension on Wednesday after the social media giant ruled he violated their policies. His posts that day included one declaring, “SKETE gotta stay away from my children,” referring to Pete Davidson. Another claimed Davidson would get Kim Kardashian “hooked on drugs,” because he’s “in rehab every two months.”
Prince Ink has stamped himself as the voice of the incarcerated and it’s rightly so with the way he uses his rap platform to express the injustices he faced while being locked up. Outside of the things that go unheard, inmates weren’t granted basic access to music. This pushed Prince Ink to create his own in order to be a voice to what was really going on behind the bars. He defines his sound as “stir crazy”, but what was meant to break him, only set him down the path to pursue his artistry.
His time in prison was an eye-wakening one and pushed him into taking the craft more seriously even though he’s been rapping since the late ’90s. Prince Ink, whose birth name is Michael Scott, has since worked with big names like Young Thug, Swae Lee, Key Glock, and Quavo of the Migos who joined him on his most recent single titled “Dirty 30”.
Life inspired the Southside Atlanta rapper to create his most in-depth body of work with Therapy 1 and 2. These projects are just an accumulation of his experiences and a way for him to openly express his pain and past. He speaks on the challenges he’s faced from his enemies conspiring to broken promises, backstabbing, and all topics his audience seems to relate to. One of his greatest feats thus far has been reaching over a million views on Worldstar in just 24 hours.
Prince Ink is continuing to build his fanbase daily simply by speaking his truth. Currently, he’s working on his next mixtape titled, “Saved By The Food Saver”, and plans to release more collaborations in the future.
In this day and age where the internet is the main source of information, it has become tricky, to tell the truth from fake news. Every day, people from all over the world rely on various news sites and blogs to keep up with their favorite celebrities. With so many news sites and each posting a different side of the story, it has become challenging to separate the truth from the lies, and this is often very frustrating.
According to Mikey Sarabia and Ivan Parra, this was what inspired them to launch their website, Our Generation Music. They say they wanted a platform that would deliver truthful and reliable news to the audience, and keep hip hop fans up-to-date with the happenings in the music and entertainment industries.
Both Mikey and Ivan have been and still are huge fans of hip-hop music. However, over time, it became almost impossible to keep up with the news as there was lots of unsubstantiated information. Joined together by one goal, they have now formed their company, Our Generation Music, on the foundation of trust and integrity.
Our Generation Music prides itself in delivering unbiased yet progressively challenging conversations on hip hop, rap, and culture as a creative and promotional launchpad for on-the-verge artists. They are helping young talents grow their careers by giving them a platform to showcase their skills, which will expand their reach. Our Generation Music has worked with numerous artists, including Layze, Yeat, Ken Car$on, and Sofaygo.
Their unique approach and excellent work ethics are helping them be unique and they have received tremendous support from the industry. Our Generation Music has grown its Youtube channel to over 70k subscribers and 500K+ on Instagram despite it being a new account.
When they started their platform, one of the major challenges that Mikey and Ivan had to deal with was the loss of their Instagram page. After all the hard work, they had to start all over again from scratch, but they persevered.
The two have now grown their online following and expanded their reach to various parts of the US and beyond. Our Generation Music uses its platform to announce the latest projects and has received recognition from numerous artists, such as Kanye West, Migos, Cardi B, Playboi, and different athletes.
Through their Youtube channel, they are sharing original content bridging the gap between the celebrities and their fans. Mikey explains that their goal is to create an environment that supports and upholds authenticity and integrity, giving both the audience and artists a chance to connect with each other. Mikey and Ivan post music reviews, exclusive interviews, vlogs, and premiers on their website and social media platforms.
In the coming years, their hope is to build a strong community sharing authentic and truthful content as they bridge the gap between artists and fans. Mikey says that their goal is to help more artists reach their audience by giving them a platform to showcase their skills and share their stories with the rest of the world.
Zo Duncan is a prominent songwriter from Detroit, MI. He is quickly gaining notoriety in the music industry, but he believes his journey has just started. He is a published poet and author apart from a prolific songwriter. After making a name in the world of literature, he turned towards the music industry and hasn’t looked back since then.
“In 2017, I moved to Los Angeles, CA because I realized that I could do more in Los Angeles than Detroit. However, that doesn’t mean I have any less love for my city— the city that made me complete. I feel proud of Detroit and its vibe and I’m glad more people from home are popping and getting the recognition they deserve” Zo said.
Zo is a skilled artist. He’s an expert in various genres of music, including R&B, Country music, Hip Hop and Pop. If you check his online catalog, you’ll definitely find something to vibe with. He’s versatile and someone who loves to experiment with creative ideas and musical genres.
Funny thing is, he never wanted to be an artist. Zo moved to LA to be a songwriter, but instead of waiting for artists to record his music and release his work, he decided to take control of the process. Now being hailed “The Spike Lee of Songwriting”, Zo is a master craftsman at putting together a great record.
According to Zo, “Creativity is unpredictable. You have thousands of innovative and creative ideas that are lying idle in your head, and you can’t predict when some of these ideas will find their way into a musical composition.”
When Zo dropped his debut EP, Half-Truths & Whole Lies, the response from listeners was incredible. The EP landed #3 on the iTunes UK Top R&B charts and #60 on all genres. “My aim is to offer something new and unique experiences to the listeners each time I write” Zo stated.
Zo is delighted with the way his career is moving at this point. In no time, he has gotten the support of so many fans and followers who absolutely love and respect his craft. You can follow Zo Duncan on Instagram.
More than 3,000 people signed a petition calling for Kanye West to be removed from this year’s Coachella Festival.
Kanye West’s harassment of Kim Kardashian and Pete Davidson, among others, led to a user creating the petition on Change.org. The online campaign hopes to get ‘Ye axed from the 2022 Coachella Festival lineup.
“We have watched Kanye harass, manipulate, and hurt Kim, Pete, and others for over a year now,” the petition’s creator wrote. “No one seems to want to stand up to him, and the ones that do, he puts under fire as well. Most recently, he has been threatening actual bodily harm on others.”
The user added, “This is ridiculous that he is allowed to freely do this. Coachella (along with other brand names that are still working with him) should be ashamed of themselves and should not be giving him any more of a platform.”
Kanye West is set to co-headline the 2022 Coachella Festival, which takes place in April. ‘Ye previously threatened to bail on the gig if fellow headliner Billie Eilish didn’t apologize to Travis Scott over a perceived diss.
“COME ON BILLIE WE LOVE YOU PLEASE APOLOGIZE TO TRAV AND TO THE FAMILIES OF THE PEOPLE WHO LOST THEIR LIVES NO ONE INTENDED THIS TO HAPPEN,” ‘Ye wrote on Instagram in February. “TRAV DIDN’T HAVE ANY IDEA OF WHAT WAS HAPPENING WHEN HE WAS ON STAGE AND WAS VERY HURT BY WHAT HAPPENED. AND YES TRAV WILL BE WITH ME AT COACHELLA BUT NOW I NEED BILLIE TO APOLOGIZE BEFORE I PERFORM.”
Billie Eilish didn’t apologize, noting she “never said a thing about Travis.” Kanye West believed she referenced Travis Scott’s role in the Astroworld tragedy when she said, “I wait for people to be OK before I keep going,” at one of her shows.
Coachella booked Billie Eilish to headline on April 16 and 23. Kanye West will be the headliner on April 17 and 24.
The LGBTQIA+ community wants to block rapper Boosie Badazz from performing in El Paso, Texas.
The protesters believe that Boosie, an artist known for his rich history of going on homophobic rants, incites messages of hate and violence against the community.
According to El Paso Matters, the “Wipe Me Down” artist has an upcoming concert at the Raves Night Club. But members of the LGBTQIA+ community hope that promoters hear their cry and pull the plug on the show.
One of the venue owners, Cynthia Bryant, said that she tried to get out of the contract with the artist but to no avail. She says she feels like “a fricking hypocrite.”
“I feel like such a failure because I couldn’t protect the one thing I stand for, and it breaks my heart. I don’t know how to fix it,” Bryant noted while saying her venue considers itself a safe allied space for the community.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TisHjtQe-IM
Mamoud Kamara, the promoter for the concert, said that Boosie filmed an apology video for his statements but was not willing to make it public.
The concert will still go on, but the club has reserved the right to stop the show if anything goes sideways, “this includes violence, this includes hate, this includes verbal abuse.”
Despite these efforts, Amber Perez, an event promoter within the queer community, says that this is not enough to make Raves featuring Boosie a safe space.
“That’s crazy to me to think that you can literally say, ‘Oh yeah we hosted a Pride event but we’re going to host this person who is openly homophobic and transphobic, but you’re (the LGBTQ community are) still safe here,’” she said. “By the very definition, the idea of a safe space is one where you don’t necessarily need to have bodyguards and things like that.”
“El Paso Sun City Pride stands in solidarity with our LGBTQIA+ Community and do not want artist like @boosiebadazzofficialfanpage in our city,” El Paso Sun City Pride said in a post on Instagram. “We call on our city leaders, community members to prevent hatred to enter our city. We already know what hate speech can bring to our community reflecting back to the August 3, 2019 mass shooting.”
The organization was referring to the August 2019 shooting in an El Paso Walmart, which left 22 people dead.
Dave East is a man of many talents. The Harlem spitter is holding it down for New York City right now, but his brand has leapt into worldwide superstardome. He has accomplished so much in a short period of time, but he is also climbing steadily atop another mountain.
And yet some things stay the same.
He just released a new project called How Did I Get Here? (HDIDH), where he gets deep but leaves much for fans to long for. The album is very personalbut he holds back just enough (9 songs) that will cause a demand for more. And more is what he gives us.
East didn’t deflect any conversation at all. He talked about his ability to still create incredibly engaging music, his burgeoning acting career, his life as a father, Nipsey and the state of Hip-Hop right now as the culture approaches its 50th anniversary. Right there in the middle is Dave East, a pillar of New York rap.
50 Cent is getting into business with the Houston Rockets.
The NBA franchise officially partnered with 50 Cent and his Sire Spirits company. The G-Unit rapper’s multi-year deal brings his Branson Cognac and Le Chemin du Roi Champagne brands to Houston Rockets games and other events at the Toyota Center.
“Since I moved to Houston in January 2021, the love shown to me by this City has inspired me to make a positive and long-lasting impact in the community,” 50 Cent said in a press statement. “My investment in the Houston Rockets and their investment back into my charitable endeavors makes this partnership all the more special for me. I’m excited for what the future holds.”
50 Cent’s liquor brands will be showcased in multiple themed bars, a branded luxury suite and a courtside loge box. The Toyota Center’s Red & White Wine Bistro will be rebranded as the Sire Spirits Bar & Restaurant.
“In his time as a Houston resident, Curtis [Jackson] has demonstrated a strong passion for helping students in our under-served communities which mirrors the continued efforts we have as an organization, making this a perfect partnership,” Rockets President of Business Operations Gretchen Sheirr said. “Curtis’ business acumen and creativity have been well documented throughout his entertainment and entrepreneurial career and we’re excited to bring Sire Spirits to Toyota Center for fans to enjoy at Rockets games and our wide variety of events.”
50 Cent and Sire Spirits plan to sponsor the Black Sports Professional Career Fair and annual Black History Night. His G-Unity Foundation also intends to work with the Rockets to help parents and children attend games if they cannot afford tickets.
Bronx-born rapper Cardi B will be in court again after a security guard filed a lawsuit against her for an alleged assault.
The Grammy award-winner is being sued by Emani Ellis, who in 2018 was working in Beverly Hills as a security guard when she was allegedly attacked.
Ellis claims that Cardi “violently, unlawfully, intentionally, suddenly and maliciously striking her about the head, face, and body, placing (her) in great for her life and physical well-being, and legally causing her to sustain injuries and damages.”
Ellis alleges that Cardi, who is Afro-Latina, “spit on (her) and used multiple profanities and racial slurs against (her) who is African-American.”
As a result of Cardi B’s attack, the security guard says that she cannot work and now has “permanent disabilities.”
In a tweet that has since been deleted, Cardi spoke about the incident, saying, “Why don’t you guys post the part where the doctor’s office said that that’s not what happen? and if I assaulted why she didn’t press charges? Why would I put my hands on some1 twice my size by myself while I’m experiencing sharp pain 4 months pregnant?”
Now, Cardi admits to fighting the woman but says it was self-defense.
According to the Blast, legal documents state that any violence on Cardi’s part was “reasonably necessary” because she had to protect herself from the woman’s “assault.”
Her attorney wrote that the fight “was reasonably necessary for her self-defense and safety and was justified by (the security guards) assault.”
The lawyer also hopes a judge will not award Ellis for “Speculative Damages.”
This means she will not “recover any damages alleged because such damages, if any, are too speculative to be recoverable by law,” addressing Ellis’s claim that she sustained a “shock and injury to her nervous system.”
Donald Trump showed love to Kodak Black, who received a pardon from the ex-president last year.
Kodak Black’s lawyer Bradford Cohen shared a message from Donald Trump, who thanked the Atlantic Records artist for some public praise. The former president expressed his appreciation for Kodak Black saying, “Getting rid of Trump is the worst thing America could’ve did.”
“In case you think the President just gave out a commutation and then forgets about it…he doesn’t #N.F.L.,” Bradford Cohen wrote on Instagram alongside a screenshot of the message. “#L.O.V.E. from your Unc Trump…lol…”
Donald Trump granted clemency to Kodak Black and Lil Wayne, among others, in one of the ex-president’s final acts in office. Kodak Black, whose government name is Bill Kapri, was serving time in prison for falsifying information on federal forms to buy firearms.
After the pardon was announced, Kodak Black conveyed his gratitude via Twitter. Since then, he’s endorsed Donald Trump on several occasions.
“I Want To Thank The President @RealDonaldTrump For His Commitment To Justice Reform And Shortening My Sentence,” the Florida native wrote. “I Also Want To Thank Everyone For Their Support And Love. It Means More Than You Will Ever Know. I Want To Continue Giving Back, Learning And Growing. @DanScavino.”
Gorilla Nems joined the newly minted AllHipHop podcast and it was crazy. The Coney Island heavy bar spitter came to midtown Manhattan at the world-famous WonWorld Studios to join in a great conversation about his newly found international fame. Those of us that know (you know – real hardcore Hip-Hop heads), are very familiar with Nems as a battle rapper and an MC that holds nothing back.
However within the last six months his song “Bing Bong” has taken over social media, the radio, and the Internet. His voice has been streamed well over 1 billion times over social platforms that have allowed people to use his voice and lip-synch with them. The result is some of the funniest, craziest mess you ever saw from amateur comedians.
Nems is funny, but he’s not a comic. He’s an MC through and through. He’s not taking this opportunity lightly and he’s already begun to work on various TV opportunities, possible movies, and of course the music.
Chuck Creekmur aka Jigsaw and SlopsShotYa sit down with Nems to discuss his life, his trials and tribulations, and what he expects to do with his resurgence. He’s got a remix of his hits song that includes Fat Joe, Busta Rhymes, Paul Wall, Trae Tha Truth, and others. And brand new music is on the way too. Nems’ story is way past due, but also right on time.
Even at such a young age Hip Hop star, NLE Choppa has made his mark, and he’s even already expanded his endeavors far beyond just Hip Hop.
NLE is certainly his own competition as he continually battles himself on the journey of continued greatness.
Debuting at 16, NLE still displays so much passion and conviction with quite an energetic and aggressive delivery to this day.
The 19-year-old recently dropped his ‘Me vs. Me’ album that displays his sharp prowess and chronicles the layers and different sides of his life as well as the battles he faces with self daily.
While music is still very much on the forefront, the Memphis emcee also has been working in his community to open schools and libraries. He has also launched his food truck with the purpose of putting healthier food options in the community with the intent to change the thought process and improve the overall health of his community.
Health and wellness are near and dear to NLE Choppa, as this has also been evident through his work in alternative medicine and with the birth of his NLE Heath & Wellness store. NLE’s mission with the store is to help heal people holistically without the use of pharmaceuticals.
AllHipHop’sRea Davis had a chance to talk ‘Me vs. Me,’ health and wellness, expansion, and more with NLE.
AllHipHop: How does it feel to have achieved so much success at such a young age, especially since everything kind of took off when you were 16?
NLE Choppa: I just feel like it’s a blessing. I feel like it’s a lot of people, you know what I’m saying, a lot of older people that wasn’t doing what I’m doing at this age, and a lot of people right now are not doing what I’m doing at this age, so I feel like it’s a huge blessing because at the end of the day, it’s an opportunity that doesn’t come to a lot of us that early. A lot of people gotta work a little harder for it. Some things like this don’t come until like early or late twenties, damn near in your thirties. So, I just feel like I’m blessed, and God saw something in me that he instilled in me since birth. It put me in the position that I’m in today.
AllHipHop: Has it hit you yet? Sometimes when success hits, life is moving so fast. Do you live in the moment? Do you take it all in?
NLE Choppa: I really live in the moment, but I still feel like it just ain’t hit me hit me yet. I feel like the best time things do hit you is when it’s memory. I feel like a little later on in life I’m going to be like yo I really did all of this at this age. I really was this. A lot of stuff I don’t really too much enjoy right now because I’m always looking for the next thing. I’m trying to be better than who I was yesterday. I’m never really complacent with what I’m doing now. I’m just all about the next step. So when it does get to the time where I really just sit down and relax and look back on my life, I know like I’m going to be more grateful for these years/ my early years because it’s the foundation for my future.
AllHipHop: Talk to me about this project. What was the inspiration behind ‘Me Vs. Me?’
NLE Choppa: Um Myself. That’s pretty much why I named it ‘Me Vs. Me’ because I feel like I was battling myself good and bad. Whatever it was, I always came back to self with questions. Came back to self with what songs I should put on there. Came back to self with which songs were hard. Just battling myself. So, I feel like the biggest inspiration was me.
AllHipHop: So a lot of times we are in our own head, battling our own self on everyday decisions, or sometimes it can get a little hectic and sometimes we are in our own way. So how do you get around it when you are battling yourself?
NLE Choppa: Trusting you. You know what I’m saying. Having faith in what you do. Having faith in what God has already designed you to do. I feel like that’s why I named it ‘Me Vs. Me’ because it’s a lot of times as people we sit down and doubt ourselves, and that’s when we become our enemies. But as long as we know like whatever we doing is going to be achieved it’s no pressure on it, so I realize that even if I do doubt sometimes, I still stay with that goal. I still stay on a road that’s hard and that’s rocky because I know on the other side, it’s gonna be smooth. Just knowing that whatever you are trying to achieve is already achieved. Keep working.
AllHipHop: So you arebig on meditation. A lot of people are trying to get into meditation; a lot of people like it. What does meditation look like for you?
NLE Choppa: Meditation, I ain’t gonna lie, it saved my life. It was at a point of time where I was at my lowest, and I was at my lowest because just off the simple fact that I wasn’t even breathing right. I wasn’t getting the right amount of oxygen into the brain. I wasn’t getting the right amount of oxygen, and I wasn’t releasing the right amount of carbon dioxide. A lot of stuff had me toxic. A lot of stuff was building up. It really just saved my life because it brought calmness in my life because I was always on edge or just anxiety built or just depression built. It just brought a type of calmness in my life to let me know that everything is okay. Stay patient. Keep working.
AllHipHop: I know you are big on wellness as well, so did you stop smoking and drinking to focus on mental health? What was the reason?
NLE Choppa: No more smoking, no more drinking, no pills, no lean…none of that. I even cut off a lot of people and even changed my diet. So I feel like within meditation it opened my eyes to do all of the things to make sure I’m in the right state of mind.
AllHipHop: Do you ever have any conversations with your rapper peers about the importance of mental health?
NLE Choppa: Anytime I’m in a room with any rapper, I make sure I’m vocal about what I believe in and about what I do everyday. You never know, it might be their third or fourth time hearing it, and that may be the time that they take heed to it. When they see me do it, a lot of people wouldn’t listen to their own mom about certain things, but when they listen to someone who comes to them as them, they’ll listen to it. It’s like if a rapper comes to a rapper as a health guru, or like if a basketball player comes to a basketball player as a health guru. God sends you the help you need as you. God doesn’t send himself to people on who you think he might be. He sends it to people you will listen to the most. That’s my job.
AllHipHop: I know you are very passionate about also giving back to the community. I know that you are working on libraries and schools, and your herbal stuff. What else are you working on?
NLE Choppa: My food truck. Developing my food truck. Trying to get it to be a worldwide thing. When it gets up and running, do food truck tours, help feed people, do something like free food Friday for whomever is starving. They can come get some free food. Feed the homeless. Just stuff like that around my food truck. Just implementing…that’s really one of my main focuses right now.
AllHipHop: How has dad life changed your life? Especially having a little girl?
NLE Choppa: That’s pretty much why I got where I’m at. I knew change had to give especially if I was having a little girl because I wanted her to look up to somebody because you know at the end of the day I want her to view me as who she would like to date in the future, so she won’t be broken-hearted. I want to be a perfect role model to show her what a man is and what a man is supposed to do for her. I know that’s something that’s lacking in this world right now. Showing your daughter or giving your son who they are really supposed to be. How they are supposed to be taught and how they are supposed to grow up. That’s the one reason why I changed a lot of my life. I try to empty out a lot of the negative and bring in a lot of the positive.
AllHipHop: Talk to me about Tupac’s influence on you. I know you have the tattoo. We saw you pay homage in “Picture Me Grapin.” Talk to me about Tupac’s influence on you, and also, who else were you influenced by coming up?
NLE Choppa: Tupac was a major influence, major because not only what his music was, his music was beautiful. He had balance in his music, but who he was as a person day-to-day is what spoke volumes for me. What he stood on; the principles he stood on…the type of person he was. I’ve been in the same room with people who said they were in the room with him. I’ve been in the same room with producers who say they produced music for him. They said the type of person he was it never changed. It was always him. Even if it was one of his other six personalities, it was always true to that personality. Just being real. That’s what I take heed of, and that’s what I support. I feel like that’s what I want to be remembered for just being real.
AllHipHop: Who else influenced you coming up? What other artists?
NLE Choppa: Lil Wayne for sure. The diversity he had with his music. The diversity he had with his style. [He was] comfortable just in his own skin. I have to give a big shout out to Bob Marley. On my Rasta side because most of my family is Jamaican. My mother she was born in Kingston. My grandmother was born in Kingston. So I have Jamaican roots. Bob Marley, he played a huge role in my sound also.
AllHipHop: Speaking of Tupac, no one can deny that you are talented, but how did you feel about some of the critiques that came and some of the backlash that came when you made the comment about people drawing comparison to you and Michael Jackson and you and Tupac?
NLE Choppa: A lot of people don’t understand me. They don’t really know me. A lot of those comparisons come from people within my circle who see me on a day-to-day basis. A lot of people just see what they see on the social media, and that’s not who the person is internally. So a lot of people wouldn’t know the comparisons I give, but they’ll probably understand it when it’s too late. Like everybody else does when a person is probably gone or when a person is further down the road way older. They’ll understand it, it just wasn’t meant for them to understand now.
AllHipHop: So we’ve gotten a lot of great music out of Memphis over the years in Hip Hop. Who are some of your favorite artists out of Memphis?
NLE Choppa: Moneybagg, Pooh Shiesty, Big30. Those three are strong with me. I f*ck with them, and I grew up with 30 and Shiesty. We were in the studio before we blew, before I even blew. I always looked up to Bagg when he made his ‘Federal’ mixtape.
AllHipHop: Did you listen to any of the older artists too out of Memphis? Did you check out the Verzuz with Three 6?
NLE Choppa: Three 6 Mafia. Yeah Three 6 Mafia. DJ Paul, Juicy J, 8 Ball & MJG. All of those guys. It’s always been heavy in my household growing up from my parents. My mom, she went to a lot of Juicy J parties growing up, so just a lot stuff like that culturally and stuff.
AllHipHop:So speaking of Verzuz, whowould you like to see in a Verzuz battle?
NLE Choppa: In a Verzuz battle…I don’t really know. I’d like to see…if they were alive, I would’ve loved to see a B.I.G. and Pac one. I feel like that would be crazy, a Biggie and Pac one. Put some holograms together, and do something like that. That would be amazing.
AllHipHop: How would you describe your sound?
NLE Choppa: My sound is unique. I gotta lot of different sounds, a lot of different flows. I feel like they all come back as unique to me. I can rap on any beat. Country, rock, metal whatever it is, rap, R&B, anything. It’s just people haven’t heard that diversity yet, but this year they will hear it. I’m going to be dropping a lot more music. So, I just feel like my music is unique. One of a kind.
AllHipHop: Do you think you will be intopolygamy forever,or do you think it’s a right now thing?
NLE Choppa: Naw for sure forever. I just know the purpose of it. A lot of people do things because they hope it goes this way or think it may go this way, but I actually know the benefits of everything. I actually know what I can accomplish. I actually know what my ancestors did back in the day. I know how the Egyptians, how the Roman empires, how the Aztec empires, how all these empires thrive and strive for a long time because they had civilizations; they had villages, and people played their role, and did their role, and did what they had to do. Now we are in a new generation where a lot of stuff is brainwashed because the power that we hold is not really to be shared as far a melanated people, melanated beings. The power we have and the power we had once before, if we start to implement more of it in this generation, in this age, we would be able to get back what’s ours.
AllHipHop: Who are your Top5 favorite rappers dead or alive?
NLE Choppa: I don’t really like to do these because honestly I feel like I always miss out people. I gotta give Pac…gotta put Pac in there. I gotta put Wayne in there. I gotta put DMX in there. I gotta put Biggie in there, and I’ll guess I’ll put me in there. I guess that category is kind of hard because I resonate with people for different reasons. I try to stay away from those type of questions because I feel like I always forget somebody. It’s so much talent dead or alive. You can go to the Lil Snupes. Lil Snupe had so much potential. Great artist.
AllHipHop: What other endeavors are you tapping into? What else do you want to do? What else do you see beyond music?
NLE Choppa: Acting, TV shows, movies. I feel like I need to implement this year. I’m supposed to be getting my own TV show, and hopefully I’m supposed to be in a movie by the end of this year, so we getting it done.
AllHipHop:If your sex life was amovie? What would be the title?
NLE Choppa: ‘Young & Wild.’
Photo Credit- Johnnie Carpenter courtesy Warner Records
Twantooinked the Colorado “Ball” musician says he has been on a roller coaster grind his entire life however entering the 2022 year it just feels a bit different. He was able to do something he says he hasn’t done in years which was actually sit back and reflect on a successful 2021 music year. He removed himself from social media. In doing so he was able to take time away to think, appreciate personal goals while building up new milestones in doing so he found himself taking a look back at missed opportunities.
He states so much happened in 2021 musically. Ranging from songs “ Don’t care “ and “Ball” both surpassing one million streams to his first music video gaining well over 500,000 views on YouTube. Twantooinked musician obtained his very own verified account on today’s most popular music site SoundCloud. As this year 2022 welcomed itself in immediately he naturally went back into grind mode with all aspects in life he states whether it was a new house, replacing his iconic Ford Mustang convertible which has been mentioned in songs “Don’t care” and “Ball” and then eventually stolen and totaled out by an unknown car thief.
Twantooinked states he had wrapped around the idea of where do I go from here he felt as if he was in the same space with everyday surroundings while musically he was in a whole different space reaching levels that were unexpected. During the social media hiatus, he was able to build a year’s worth of new music, new ideas, new goals, and looks Foward to having new accomplishments.
For updates and exclusives regarding Twantooinked Musician, songwriter follows him on socials below.
Since the birth of social media, we’ve seen hundreds of songs from legacy artists have their own viral moments and reach new audiences across generations. There have also been countless times where such artists have been trending after appearing in funny or controversial videos. This begs the question: why aren’t more legacy acts capitalizing on this momentum and re-energizing their fanbase by being present on these platforms, creating their own content?
According to entrepreneur/music marketer Sean Taylor, AKA BrandMan Sean, a primary reason for this is that they’re skeptical about the value that social media will bring when they’re already successful. He believes that artists are missing out hugely due to their reluctance to adapt when it comes to investing their time being on one platform in particular. “There’s no faster way to market established acts than by getting them active on TikTok. Once you win TikTok, the other platforms fall like dominoes”, Taylor states.
One such artist who wasn’t convinced that TikTok was for her was Grammy-award winner Macy Gray. The R&B/Soul singer was a firm believer that her core demographic wasn’t on TikTok and the platform wouldn’t be the best way to spend her time/budget to promote her music.
However, since working with BrandMan Sean’s content marketing and advertising agency, ContraBrand, not only were they able to change her mind but they were also armed with content ideas ready to strike while the iron’s hot following Gray’s viral performance of ” The Star-Spangled Banner” at last month’s NBA All-Star game. This has worked to such great effect that you could confidently cite Gray as being a trailblazing legacy act on TikTok.
While her performance was doing the rounds across socials in the hours following the game, garnering millions of views, existing and new fans were also able to connect with the American singer-songwriter directly, rushing to follow her on TikTok and Instagram. While many legacy acts have verified accounts, they are often being run by their management being used as merely a music promotion tool. However, in Gray’s case, she’s been posting her own videos, doubling down since her performance at the Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland. As a result, she went from around 400 followers to over 90,000 in just a matter of days.
“When it comes to Macy it’s not even as much about gaining new fans like it is with newer clients, it’s just more about how do we reengage these people who already know who you are, and remind them that you exist”, explains Jacorey Barkley, co-founder of ContraBrand Agency. “You need to let them know that you do have new music coming out, which is what the digital ads and even the social moments are all helping to do. It’s easy from an execution standpoint, and a material standpoint, but it has been hard from a standpoint of convincing Macy to hop on and give TikTok a try as she’s already successful”, Barkley states.
There have been plenty of videos going viral featuring Gray in the past couple of weeks. From LeBron James trying to hold back his laughter during her rendition of the national anthem, to fans taking to social media to talk about her aggressively hugging Jennifer Hudson backstage at the NBA All-Star game, Gray’s big personality is tailor-made for social media.
“The great thing about working with Macy is that every time she goes out in public and does something with somebody she’s literally like a walking viral moment”, Barkley laughs. “That’s been really great because even now we’re building out these game plans and how to strengthen those viral moments and give them a little bit more legs rather than just letting them just be one-off things that happened here and there and actually having a place for fans to and follow and engage with her directly.”
ContraBrand is a content marketing and advertising agency that first made waves in the industry after working with rapper/singer 24kGoldn, leveraging TikTok to accelerate trends that helped his single, CITY OF ANGELS, to over 200 million streams. That success led to several future TikTok campaigns, including helping build a groundswell for his first Billboard #1 hit, Mood.
Gray’s not just been benefitting from being a walking viral moment when around others as Barkley describes her, she’s also been creating her own solo viral videos. Gray recently participated in the trending #dropitchallenge, with her video racking up over 1.9 million views to date.
Her caption ‘when you’re 50 and u can’t get all the way down….’ sparked lots of support in the comments on TikTok, including Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Nicole Scherzinger, who wrote, “U did your thing on it sis!!!”, as well as a fan who wrote “I’m 34 And I’m with you. I love you, your music makes my not flexible body move just fine.”
ContraBrand Agency’s focus when building campaigns with artists lean heavily on utilizing narratives, influencers, and social trends across multiple platforms to build omnipresence within digital communities. BrandMan Sean firmly believes that Gray can and will become the blueprint for how to successfully market legacy artists in the TikTok era.
“Macy is a unique personality that has always benefited from being herself and there’s no faster way to rebrand an established act like Macy Gray than TikTok”, says Taylor. “But be clear that TikTok is just the starting point. We have big ideas and there’s plenty more to come.”
