Apparently, YK Osiris is ready to try his hand at acting on television. The “Worth It” singer let his followers know he wants a shot at a role in Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson’s Power franchise.
“I think it’s time to put your boy in Power,” said YK Osiris on Instagram. “Put your boy in Power, dog. I’m telling you. That s###’s gonna be crazy! I’m getting Power this year. Watch this.”
The 23-year-old Jacksonville-born performer tagged 50 Cent in his IG video. Fiddy got wind of The Golden Childalbum creator’s Power request and responded on his own Instagram page.
“The youngn say he ready, I think if he [works] on acting he can do something. What y’all think?” wrote 50 Cent on Tuesday night. The 46-year-old Hip Hop mogul also reposted YK Osiris’s social media clip.
50 Cent serves as an executive producer for Power. The original Starz crime drama ran for six seasons. The show’s cast included Omari Hardwick, Lela Loren, Naturi Naughton, Joseph Sikora, Michael Rainey Jr., and La La Anthony.
The Power Franchise Brings In Big Numbers For Starz
According to Starz, the season two finale of Power Book II: Ghost produced the most-watched day on the Star app. Additionally, Power Book IV: Force reportedly debuted as the most-watched premiere in the network’s history with 3.3 million multiplatform views in the United States.
“The Power Universe continues to deliver worldwide hit series with incredible performance that compares favorably with many other high-profile streaming series,” said Jeffrey Hirsch, President/CEO at Starz.
Hirsch continued, “We’re excited to see these strong early numbers for the premiere of Power Book IV: Force, which is poised to join our growing lineup of tentpole series at Starz that have global multiplatform season average views in the nine to ten million range.”
Kodak Black’s Back for Everything debuted at #2 on the Billboard 200 rankings. The 19-track album opened with 60,000 first-week equivalent album units.
The success of Back for Everything has helped Kodak Black rise twenty-eight spots to #1 on the Artist 100 chart. This is the first time the Florida-bred rapper topped that weekly tally of the most popular music artists in America.
In addition, Back for Everything sits at #1 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and Top Rap Albums charts. Kodak Black’s “Super Gremlin” already peaked at #4 on the Hot 100 song chart.
The Atlantic recording artist only recruited Lil Durk as a guest feature on his fourth studio LP. Buddah Bless, London on da Track, Murda Beatz, Scott Storch, Starrah, Zaytoven, Boi-1da, Vinylz, Lee Major, and others provided production.
Previously, Kodak Black made it to #1 on the Billboard 200 with 2018’s Dying to Live. That Platinum-certified album opened with 89,000 units. 2017’s Project Baby 2 peaked at #2 as well.
Three Kodak Black projects (Project Baby Two, Dying To Live, Back For Everything) reached the pinnacle of the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. The 24-year-old southerner also has three Top Rap Albums leaders (Project Baby Two, Dying To Live, Back For Everything).
Rising artist DJ Jellita has been on the grind in the underground electro scene for quite some time. Starting out by DJing for his local parties in college, the artist has decided to give his career a shot.
DJ Jellita made his debut on all streaming platforms with a brand new 4 pack of songs titled ‘Meditation’. The EP offers an interesting listen from start to finish, offering a wide array of different styles from fast-paced drops to slow, more chill instrumentation.
The artist has been working hard on more music and is getting ready to drop his next couple of singles within the next couple of weeks.
While Nicki Minaj and Joe Budden have had their issues in the past, it appears the two can’t get enough of talking to each other right now.
The “Do We Have A Problem?” rapper appears on the most recent episode of The Joe Budden Podcast, due to air on Wednesday (Mar. 9). However, when Nicki jumped on Instagram Live to talk Queen Radio on Tuesday evening, she added Joe to the conversation. During their chat, Nicki addressed her recent remarks about women not existing for men’s pleasure and turned her focus to Black men and their needs.
“First of all, I wanna say this. Dear Black men, I f###### love you.” Nicki continued, “Dear Black men, I appreciate you. Dear Black men, you are needed and wanted, and dear Black men, you are the only men on this planet that, as little boys, you don’t get to be nurtured and treated like a child, like a baby, like someone’s thing that needs to be loved and hugged and kissed and told that we love you.”
She continued and explained that raising her son has taught her that grown men require the same nurturing as Papa Bear.
Nicki Minaj Tells Black Men: “We Need You”
“A lot of time, especially Black men, they’re not even allowed to show their emotions,” Nicki explained. “They get told, oh you gotta man up, and you gotta do this and you gotta do that. You gotta be the man of the house before you even… You know what I’m saying? A lot of times, the man needs to be treated like that, ladies! You know how we nurture our sons and our children, and we just adore them and kiss on them? They want that, they need that too. So, I just wanna make sure that I let Black men know for the rest of their lives – I love you, and we need you.”
Meanwhile, Joe Budden agreed with Nicki Minaj. “I love this. I love that you’re spewing this, I love that this is the message,” he said. Watch the full conversation below.
Latto confirmed that the secret feature on her upcoming song “Wheelie,” is none other than 21 Savage.
The “Big Energy” rapper had her fans guessing all week after sharing some hints about the featured artist on her next single. Lotto teased they are a rapper and a parent with a diamond-certified song who has been to the Met Gala. Many fans believed the clues led to either Cardi B or Nicki Minaj.
Speculation that it was actually 21 Savage began when the pair were spotted together filming a music video. He was not previously considered in the conversation, although he is Latto’s rumored boyfriend as nobody was aware he has a kid. However, he has been to the Met Gala and has a diamond-certified song in “Rockstar” with Post Malone.
Latto confirmed “Wheelie” features 21 Savage on Tuesday (Mar. 8) and also defended herself against pushback from those convinced it would be Cardi or Nicki.
“WHO EVEN SAID IT WAS A FEMALE?” Latto tweeted. “LMAO BYEEEEEE!!!!!”
When a fan spoke up for her, blaming the fans for making assumptions Latto replied, “This is literally all I’m saying lol.” She added, ”I can’t even play guessing games no mo w MY fans lmaooooo damn.” She further explained, “I been doing this since Queen of Da Souf album now issa problem?? Lol FOH.”
However, after a few more tweets, Latto was done. “Wheelie Friday. Y’all really suck the fun out of s###,” she wrote. “I BEEN teasing my features with my fans & making them guess.. Ima post a video snippet tomorrow & I’m done with the whole thing!”
She also revealed she will be doing a “Wheelie” Q&A with fans on Thursday night before the song drops.
The Game recently claimed he was better than Eminem, challenging him to a Verzuz during a recent episode of Drink Champs.
“Eminem, Eminem is Eminem,” he told N.O.R.E and DJ Effen. “I like Eminem, he’s one of the f###### good emcees, great emcees. I used to think Eminem was better than me. He not. He not. He’s not. Ay, challenge it. It’s not drama!… Swizz [Beatz] and Timbaland know that it’s bigger than Verzuz. I’m not saying I want smoke with Eminem, I’m saying I want smoke with Eminem, him, and him, whoever.”
Since then, he has doubled down on his claims, calling out Eminem telling him, “Let’s rap.” Music fans chimed in with their opinions on who the better rapper is and some used Em’s sales numbers as a metric. The RIAA confirmed the Detroit native broke the record for most Gold and Platinum-certified singles on Tuesday (Mar. 8). However, The Game is standing on his claims and fired off a series of tweets in his defense.
“All this talk I see on the net saying Eminem is better than me because he sold more records is like saying McDonald’s is better than Tam’s burgers, it’s FALSE !!! They just put more money in McDonald’s & promoted the s### out the happy meal dangling toys in kids faces,” Game began.
He continued, “Translation for those of you who don’t know how major record companies do business: it’s a machine designed to work for the artists who PLAY NICE in m####’s house. I was TOO REAL, TOO UNAPOLOGETICALLY BLACK & cut the puppet strings early on in my career n decided to rebel.”
The Game Says: “I’m Back Outside”
The Game said fans are clueless to what goes on behind the closed door of the music industry, while he has remained silent, choosing not to “open this can of worms.”
He claimed, “Major labels are known for BUYING ALBUMS & paying off everyone to boost sales of the artists THEY CHOOSE to shine the light on. If you ain’t dancin’ to m####’s tune, you lose your budget & the machine is taken off your project and put to work on another artist who’s willing to SD.”
Ultimately, The Game said, “I’m back outside & this entire s### bout to get shook the f### up !!!!” Read more of his tweets below.
The Young Money Boss also revealed how he stays at the top of his game with a career spanning nearly three decades during an appearance on the I Am Athlete podcast.
Lil Wayne explained he saw the star in Drake as soon as he heard him rap. “That’s when I saw way more than just potential,” he said. “When Drake’s music was brought to me from the homie Jas, it was about rap. I was like, ‘This dude sound different.’ What I loved about him, he was sounding just as dope as we were. When I say we, I’m talking about the streets and what we came from.”
Lil Wayne Says: “You Gotta Be The Ultimate Artist”
He continued, “I told him, ‘You could make working in the cubicle — you know how to make that the dopest thing in the world. Don’t stop.’ Then one day I heard, ‘[singing voice].’ Like, ‘What the f*ck was that?’ I remember asking Mack [Maine] who that is [singing] on the hook? … You gotta be the ultimate artist. My homie could do two nights when he hits your city.”
Lil Wayne also shared the secrets to his longevity in the music industry. “You have to be, first of all, you have to be embracing. You can’t be the person that’s saying I don’t like the new music.” He added, “You gotta love it. Learn it, like it and love it. You better understand that’s music. That’s not a certain type of music, that’s music. You got to Apple Music and top 100s and them folks right there.”
Furthermore, you have to be versatile and work on your craft Lil Wanye said. “Therefore you have to embrace that,” he added. “You gotta go get you a vocal coach. Rest in peace, Ms. Betty Wright. Then you got a Drake. He’s music. My goal now, if you want to be the ultimate artist, that’s what I want to be. In sports, we like to call them the Swiss Army Knife.”
Snoop Dogg chastised photographer Al Pereira for suing Nas over a photo of the Illmatic creator.
A recent Radar Online report revealed the photographer filed a lawsuit against Nas, who posted an old picture of himself and 2Pac on Instagram in 2020. Pereira, who shot the photo in 1993, sued Nas for sharing the image without permission or licensing it.
Pereira’s decision to pursue legal action didn’t sit well with Snoop Dogg. The West Coast legend went off on the photographer in a video uploaded to Instagram.
“How’s a m########### suing Nas for a picture that he in?” he said. “You f###### photographers done lost y’all m############ rabid ass minds.”
Snoop Dogg argued, “When you take a picture of a n####, that picture ain’t yours. That’s a mere likeness situation. You’re borrowing my likeness … We need some new laws to help us as artists, man, because it’s a bunch of m############ selling pictures with my face on it and I don’t get s### ‘cause they took the picture. Can anybody help me with that? Just a basic question.”
While Pereira’s lawsuit upset Snoop Dogg, the photographer claims Nas decreased the value of the image by posting it for free on Instagram. Pereira’s seeking unspecified damages and an injunction against Nas.
Travis Scott announced the launch of Project HEAL on Tuesday (March 8).
In wake of the Astroworld tragedy, Travis Scott created the philanthropic initiative to help today’s youth. The Epic Records artist pledged $5 million to academic scholarships, mental health resources, tech-driven solutions for event safety and more.
“Over the past few months I’ve been taking the time and space to grieve, reflect and do my part to heal my community,” he wrote on Instagram. “Most importantly, I want to use my resources and platform moving forward towards actionable change. This will be a lifelong journey for me and my family.”
Travis Scott continued, “While it’s easy for corporations and institutions to stay in the shadows, I feel as a leader in my community, I need to step up in times of need. My team and I created Project HEAL to take much-needed action towards supporting real solutions that make all events the safest spaces they can possibly be. I will always honor the victims of the Astroworld tragedy who remain in my heart forever.”
Project HEAL started by donating $1 million to provide HBCU students with scholarships. Backed by Travis Scott, the Waymon Webster Scholarship Fund plans to give $10,000 grants to seniors with 3.5 GPAs (or better) who might not graduate due to financial difficulty.
“Giving back and creating opportunities for the youth is something I’ve always done and will continue to do as long as I have the chance,” Travis Scott explained. “This program will be a catalyst to real change and I can’t wait to introduce the rest of the technology and ideas we’ve been working on. See you all so soon.”
Travis Scott launched Project HEAL a few months after last year’s infamous Astroworld Festival. 10 attendees died and hundreds more were injured at the event, leading to a bevy of lawsuits.
Nicki Minaj found a new home for her Queen Radio show.
The Republic Records artist teamed up with Amazon to bring Queen Radio to the newly launched Amp app. Nicki Minaj’s show previously aired on Apple Music before ending its run on the streaming service in 2020.
Amazon released a limited-access beta version of Amp on Tuesday (March 8). The live radio platform allows users to create their own shows using licensed music from Sony Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group and Warner Music Group as well as independent companies such as CD Baby and PIAS.
“Radio has always been about music and culture,” Amp’s vice president John Ciancutti said in a press statement. “But imagine if you were inventing the medium for the first time today. You’d combine what people love about radio—spontaneous talk, new music discovery, diverse personalities, and broad programming—with all that’s made possible by today’s technology … We are creating a new version of radio that will have an infinite dial of shows.”
Amazon’s Amp will feature multiple celebrity-hosted shows in addition to Nicki Minaj’s Queen Radio. Other notable artists involved in the app include Pusha T, Big Boi, Lil Yachty and Travis Barker.
“By bringing these incredible personalities into the beta, creators can experience Amp in a way that drives the feedback needed to build the app together, ahead of a public launch later this year,” Ciancutti said.
Eminem achieved another impressive sales feat in his storied career.
According to the Recording Industry Association of America, Eminem received the most gold and platinum certifications for singles in history. The RIAA announced 73.5 million new certifications for Slim Shady on Tuesday (March 8), giving him a total of 166 million single certifications.
Eminem earned 227.5 million RIAA Awards overall, including 61.5 million album certifications. The Shady Records founder also stands as one of only seven artists with three or more diamond-selling albums.
“These awards recognize Eminem’s unflinching commitment to his craft and the enduring connection he has forged with fans over the last twenty years,” RIAA Chairman and CEO Mitch Glazier said in a press release. “With today’s announcement, Eminem becomes the top certified singles artist in our program’s history and adds a rare third Diamond Album to his many creative accomplishments. Congratulations to Eminem and his entire label team who have set the bar higher than ever!”
Interscope Geffen A&M’s Vice Chairman Steve Berman added, “Interscope joins Aftermath in congratulating Marshall, Paul, and the entire Shady team on this remarkable achievement. It has been an honor to be part of one of the greatest journeys in the history of recorded music. The most beautiful part of this is it feels like the journey has just begun.”
The Gold & Platinum Awards Program was created by the RIAA in 1958. Gold records recognize albums or singles that sell 500,000 units. Platinum acknowledges 1 million units sold.
In the third offering of his career following his “Grounds Of Detroit(G.O.D.) series, Black Day In July Presents Lord Jessiah’s Time Waits For No One project – exclusively produced by Bronze Nazareth, which is a guaranteed plus for Wu-Tang fans.
This 14-track banger entitled ‘Time Waits For No One’ also features favorites from the D including DJ Los and llahdayz and NYC mainstays Mickey Factz, Bub Rock, Solomon Childs, and more. “Rotten To The Veins” gets the assist from Ty Farris and Recognize Ali, which is featured below.
Last week, snack food giant Lay’s took to social media to proudly announce that they had a new special edition bag featuring soccer star Lionel Messi. The response was probably not what they expected. As of this writing, their Twitter and Instagram posts about the release are among their most engaged posts ever… for all the wrong reasons. Nearly all of the 600+ Instagram comments are complaints that the bag’s design and concept are “stolen” from popular black-owned food company Rap Snacks.
Founded by James Lindsay, Rap Snacks is a popular food and beverage brand that sells “snacks” in colorful, eye-catching packaging that features prominent rap artists. The bags are designed by branding legend Jai Manselle and feature heavy hitters like Snoop Dogg, Cardi B, Migos, and The Notorious B.I.G. to name a few. In recent years, the company has really taken off and is sold in retailers like Sam’s Club and Walmart.
“The fact is that @manselle and #RapSnacks have been doing exactly this. This is robbery and I can’t see supporting you guys again until you make this right…” reads the post’s top Instagram comment. A barrage of similarly frustrated, annoyed, and disappointed comments fill the rest of the feed. A large number of comments specifically call out Lay’s for not only what they perceive as “stealing” from Manselle and Rap Snacks, but, also as gentrifying a creative idea as soon as it starts working.
Lay’s decision to feature a celebrity in the center of its product does give a very Rap Snacks-esque vibe. However, that might have been able to slide if it weren’t for the striking aesthetic similarities between the designs. Messi’s bag is black with his face in black and white and surrounded by gold text that informs you that you are looking at the “GOAT Edition” bag. Well, Manselle hit a strikingly similar cord last year with the Rap Snacks “ICON Edition” bags that could be described the exact same way (save for the fact that they feature rap icons Master P and Biggie Smalls instead of Messi).
Rap legend Percy “Master P” Miller is a major Rap Snacks investor and is featured on a bag that looks suspiciously similar to the Lay’s Messi bag. The always outspoken businessman took to Instagram this morning with his signature vibrato. In an Al Pachino-inspired clip, he can be seen walking down the opulent spiral staircases of his home with bags of Rap Snacks declaring (among other things) that “people want original, you can’t knock us off” and “You make a black and gold bag and talk about the GOAT?”
In a lengthy companion caption, Miller started “It’s time the truth be told” and ended with “@manselle Join the movement!”
Lay’s has yet to make a statement as of this writing. But, James Lindsay took the controversy in stride with a statement on his Instagram account that started: “When your brand is disrupting a multi-billion dollar industry. Your so-called competitors are going try to protect their market share by any means necessary. The crazy thing is, I do not see any of these companies as competitors. @officialrapsnacks we are in our own lane. Our packaging is original. Our flavor profiles are new and innovative.”
After a few hours, Jai Manselle also utilized social media to address how he felt about the situation in a lengthy post that was paired with a side-by-side image of the Rap Snacks ICON bags and the Lay’s GOAT bag. “When you innovate and disrupt an industry as we have with #RapSnacks, the entire industry feels the ripple” he began. He goes on to talk about how just a few years ago people called them crazy for their radical branding concept that is now being mimicked by the biggest brands in the world. Though he admitted to the situation “hitting a nerve,” he ultimately was positive about the controversy and encouraged fans to pay attention to the power that this demonstrates can come from “our ideas, our culture, and our minds.”
This is a developing story and it will be interesting to see how Lay’s chooses to handle the backlash from fans.
Justin Park loves music down to the core, here to remind folks you don’t need to be bound by any one genre. Born and raised in Los Angeles, with roots from all parts of the city, the rising star creates music from the heart and soul, with lyrics inspired by real-life experiences we can all relate to.
With his smooth and sultry voice, the Korean-American singer-songwriter not only has what it takes to make it to the big leagues, but carries a charismatic spirit that fans can’t help but gravitate toward.
In describing himself, he states, “I’m a ball of friendly energy. I’m very optimistic, I like to smile a lot, I like to care for people. I like to show them my love and gratitude, especially those who work with me. That’s what it is, I live life happy as f###.”
Last year, Justin unleashed his critically-acclaimed single and visual for “Adore You, Dior You” featuring Ted Park, a beat that he reminds us came out well before BLXST’s “Movie.”
Fast forward to today, he returns with his newest release titled “MI VIDA,” drawing in Spanish influences that stem from his upbringing in the city of Angels.
AllHipHop: How would you describe your sound?
Justin Park: My sound is one that’s evolving all of the time. I’m always influenced by anything. My creativity comes from all sorts of things: a conversation with somebody, overhearing a conversation, looking at someone’s clothes, at a piece of art, anything really. My sound changes everyday. I could do funk, pop, R&B, literally it’s whatever I feel like I want to do.
AllHipHop: What part of Los Angeles are you from?
Justin Park: LA LA, like right here. I was born in K-Town, went to Eagle Rock, then was raised in Pasadena. Came back to Koreatown, East LA, everywhere really.
AllHipHop: I saw somewhere that said you’re the Prince of K-Town?
Justin Park: Ha! [laughs] Prince of K-Town, I’ma have to get it trademarked one day, when I actually become the Prince of K-Town. Right now I say that because I walk around the city like I’ve never done before. I could walk into places where there’s a 2-hour wait. Even the restaurants, I’ll call ahead of time and they say “we have your seats right now.” If I need to entertain some people, oh Quarters. I hit them up and they say “oh we have your table already.” I walk into Terra Cotta like “oh wassup bro? Good to see you.” It’s dope.
AllHipHop: Biggest influences coming up? I know you’re very diverse.
Justin Park: My biggest musical influences are Stevie Wonder, Bobby Caldwell, Luther Vandross, Usher, Tupac 100%, Biggie Smalls, Jay Z, Thundercat. A lot of them.
AllHipHop: When did you decide to pursue music as a career?
Justin Park: I was a junior in high school. At our school, we have our talent show. The talent show was really hard, people were doing flips and s### off of chairs. The drumline team had these little glow up things, you turn off the lights and you see these stick figures. All I did was sing a song and I got first place, I just remember the feeling I got from that. The auditorium erupted for that one song. From then on, I said I’ma choose music.
AllHipHop: How did your parents respond?
Justin Park: I just have my mom so it’s a lot easier. [laughs] Half the battle was already won. With my mom, it was a little tough because she wanted me in school. She graduated college. She was one of the first in our Asian family to graduate. She said it’s so important for us to go to college, give us more opportunities, da-da-da. But I didn’t want to. I don’t like school. I don’t like to study, I don’t like books. I chose music. She’s like “well, can’t do anything about it.” I’m really stubborn, so I do what I want.
AllHipHop: Justin Park is your real name. Any contenders for another artist name?
Justin Park: That’s funny because I’m thinking about it now a little bit. I was driving the other day like maybe I should change my name to one word. You know how Zain Malik is like Zayn, it looks cool. I was looking at my name on Spotify: Justin Park. It looks so generic. Something cool: maybe it’ll happen, maybe it won’t. Maybe simplicity’s good.
AllHipHop: You released “Adore You, Dior You” last year. Did someone inspire this record?
Justin Park: “Adore You, Dior You” is more inspired by an idea than a person. When we wrote the record, a few key important people were already using the term to take the place of the phrase “Wine and Dine”. Adore you Dior you is a way of saying, I appreciate my girl so much I’d go above and beyond to make her happy.
AllHipHop: Ted Park is your good friend, I’m sure that session was lit.
Justin Park: Yeah he’s my good friend, that’s the homie. It was so lit. That was my first session with Ted, and Big Banana too. He’s a big name, he does a lot of people’s music. That’s who did the beat. Funny story, BLXST literally took the same beat. The 808s, the kicks, everything’s the same. And the guitar sample! What? It’s called “Movie,” it’s literally the same song. Obviously their version’s a little bit different.
AllHipHop: How’d that happen?
Justin Park: That’s the thing with Splice, Spice is this thing that gets sampled. You know how sampling is. They didn’t even change the time rate. It’s not faster, it’s not any slower, it’s exactly the same. I was sad because they came out with it months after us. Our video did really well, I’m like f###.
AllHipHop: Is there anything you can do about that?
Justin Park: It’s just Splice, that’s how it is.
AllHipHop: Best memory from the video shoot?
Justin Park: The best memory was having all of my friends there. The cars were really nice, it was cool to drive in. It was a vibe.
AllHipHop: New single “Mi Vida” out now, how are you feeling?
Justin Park: The song for me is super catchy, the music video is a f###### movie. I produced, casted, directed that whole b####. Storyboarded it as well, it’s really good. With that, I wanted to get more opportunities for Netflix specials and movies. Because I’m with UTA, I wanted to show them since I produced, directed, and storyboarded this whole thing. I want you guys to know I’m in this. Everything, triple threat type s###.
AllHipHop: What’s the story behind the video?
Justin Park: “Mi Vida” is a story about a guy who falls in love at the wrong place wrong time, like the worst f###### place wrong time. He’s at a bar and he falls in love with a Latina girl who’s giving him hella I love you vibes too. They have this little romantic thing, then one of her security guards ends up calling her dad. He’s like “what? Who the f### is with who?” He pulls up, beats the f### out of me takes me, tortures me, then I escape with my homie Zane Taylor. The cartel’s chasing me, that’s the story. It’s crazy!
AllHipHop: Where did you get the Spanish influences?
Justin Park: Growing up, not having a father figure I’d be out of the house a lot. When I’d go to Koreatown, downtown, a lot of the Mexican older folks would take me in and take care of me. There was a time when I was working at the Downtown LA fashion district, packing boxes with clothes, and carrying heavy stuff. the fashion district in Downtown. Most of them are Mexicans: running the stores, working the stores. I’d be in the back boxing with them. Spending all day with them: drinking cervezas, talking s### and laughing. That’s how I grew up.
AllHipHop: What is it you want fans to get from your story?
Justin Park: I just want them to feel happy. I want them to look at the story and feel love and romance. This music video’s very sensual, so I want them to see the romance.
Justin’s music was recognized by Jungkook of BTS on Instagram, which led to his track, “On the Low” to trend on Melon (South Korea’s Largest Streaming App ).
AllHipHop: How’d it feel to get the co-sign from Jungkook of BTS?
Justin Park: That was dope! I wasn’t expecting it at all. When I got home that morning, it was 4am or 5am. Someone had Insta messaged me, one of the fans. I looked at it, opened it, and it was a screenshot of his twitter. I’m drunk, I’m like “wtf is this?” It had my name and everything, it had to be something.
But it looked like everything else that K-pop fans tag me in. I thought it’s probably some BTS fan, but it’s different. I see the verification symbol, so random: @abcdefg… I’m like “what is this?” They’re like “Jungkook from BTS posted you!” I’m like “no way!” I looked again like “NO.” I go to Twitter and the s###’s trending. It’s at 20K likes already. I’m like “whoa, what’s going on?”
AllHipHop: How did he catch wind of you, do you know?
Justin Park: I actually don’t know. Though, it’s not that crazy though because I’ve had other K-pop stars like Monsta X support my music or say they checked it out. I’m always super appreciative that my music is getting on their radar somehow.
AllHipHop: What do you make of these blessings?
Justin Park: Just God telling me I’m on the right path, to keep enjoying myself and work hard.
AllHipHop: You’ve done BTS covers before, that must’ve been completely full circle!
Justin Park: I think it was. Even crazier than that, I was a fan when they first came out. This was when I was in middle school years ago, they weren’t poppin’ like that. It was crazy. I really thought it was 360 because I was such a fan of them when they first came out. They were just different. They had this immaculate style that I really fell in love with. Now, they’re the biggest thing in the world. It gives me hope though because it’s small beginnings. They had a very small company and now look at where they’re at.
AllHipHop: 3 things you need in the studio?
Justin Park: Hot water, maybe some alcohol. Some Propolis throat spray, I need to do it every so often. Some slides, that’s it.
AllHipHop: Do you feel in the music industry there’s not enough Asian representation?
Justin Park: I mean, obviously I’d say yes. There could be more representation, but we’re on the way there. I’m not worried. I’ma take care of it. [laughs]
AllHipHop: How was it performing at Terra Cotta Lounge Bar?
Justin Park: Dope, very nice. We packed it out, we sold out all of the seats. I’m going to be there soon for my single release.
AllHipHop: How’s it feel to have this hometown support?
Justin Park: Hometown support is amazing, obviously TerraCotta was packed out. Every time we do stuff here, everyone shows up. It’s a blessing. They really f### with us, I’m happy.
AllHipHop: Goals yourself as an artist at this point of your career?
Justin Park: Hell yeah, a lot of stuff. I’m trying to go to China. I’m trying to really be international. If you look at my analytics, I have fans everywhere. Mexico’s my second most popular demographic. That’s why we made “Mi Vida” as well. They taught me everything I know. I’m making a song to give homage to my city and the people who took care of me as a kid. There’s that, then I want to go to Korea. My third album hopefully is Korean, then I’ll come back to America.
AllHipHop: Anything else you want to let the people know?
Justin Park: Just my album coming out, I Can See The Stars From Here, hopefully in March. Single for “Mi Vida” is out now. I’m excited, everything will be coming out. Just telling the people I love them. [laughs]
Less than a week after his divorce was finalized, rapper Kanye West has debuted a new way to express himself. He is now a poet.
Well, he has always been a poet and hung around poets (he is friends with Chicago native and Def Poetry Jam alum J Ivy), but over the last few days, he has shared with the world a lens for his artistry … and hopefully, a valuable and therapeutic tool for his own healing as he deals with life, post-marriage.
Ye, who also appeared on Def Poetry Jam, took to Instagram and explained why he chose to share himself in such an intimate way.
He wrote, “I feel already compromised that I have to justify my expression after over 20 years of art that I’ve contributed to the planet, but I also see the need to make sure we as a species are allowed to still feel anything.”
“Men not allowed to cry,” the emotional artist shared. “Celebrities not allowed to cry. I will not explain this new piece for the explanation destroys the mystery and magic of true love and puts it in a box that can be counted.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/Ca2HTrlldjE/
The new piece posted on his Instagram is called “DEAD.”
In this esoteric piece, he states that “no one wanted to tell” him that he was “dead.” He also says that the “only people that would talk” to him were in his head.
“Art is subjective. Art only works when it is the artist’s absolute truth. Someone’s truth can be another person’s lie. We don’t all have to feel the same because we are not the same. Without further ado, I present to you my latest creation it is called DEAD,” he concluded.
This is the second poem that he has posted in three days. His first one was called “DIVORCE.”
A bunch of text messages sent after a seemingly consensual sex encounter might be significant evidence to clear Chris Brown of drugging and rape charges.
His accuser’s case might be out the window if the correspondence is authenticated.
According to Radar Online, the “Run It” singer saved text messages from a woman he had sex with two years ago and shared them with officials, hoping they will prove that he did not drug her when they were intimate.
The incident happened on a yacht docked outside of Sean “P. Diddy” Combs’ Miami home on December 31st, 2020.
Screenshots show exchanges between the “Jane Doe” and the platinum-selling chart-topper that included her calling him “baby,” him telling her she “should take a plan b” pill, and then her ghosting her for hours with her texting “Wya” and “Bae” with the sobby eye emoji.
Also seen in the messages sent almost immediately after the alleged violation are unsolicited nude selfies, suggestive sexual language, and flirtation.
The two continued going back and forth from her new number a few days later, on January 2nd, 2021, after she moved to Los Angeles.
The next few months, Jane Doe continued to text him, begging to come over to see him. In one message, she acknowledges that the two of them are at the same party and that she wanted to leave with him.
In June of 2021, she asks him, “Will I ever be able to see u again?” After sending another unsolicited nude out, she told him that she missed him and “U were honestly the best —- I’ve had (emoji) lol I just want it again. Why are you playing with meee] lol.”
He still did not respond to her.
Finally, almost nine months after their one-night stand, she wrote, “U knew full well I wasn’t pressing u about no ˛˛˛˛ U told me to stay and then gonna try to play me? Nah that’s crazy I didn’t deserve that but u def got it.
Her lawsuit stated that Chris Brown offered her a spiked drink while the two were in Diddy’s Star Island mansion’s kitchen.
The woman alleges that he gave her “tips about starting a career in the music industry” as he filled her cup with more alcohol.
She stated in her lawsuit that she became “disoriented, physically unstable, and started to fall in and out of sleep” and then he blocked her in a bedroom.
Jane Doe said that after he would not let her out of the room, he undressed, and raped the woman. She even said that he ejaculated inside of her.
After he climaxed, she says he said to her that “he was ‘done.'” The lawsuit mentions his “plan b” comment.
However, the text messages that Brown has provided seem to shift the context of their New Year’s copulation. He is currently taking legal action against her and working with law enforcement in Miami during the investigation.
Does absence make the heart grow fonder? Well, the Migos’ Quavo Huncho was spotted out on a hot date with this ex. Yes, it appears as though Karrueche Tran and he may be working towards romance.
So, aside from his creativity the Migos’ musician, seems to be making time for his romantic endeavors, this according to The Daily Mail. Generally speaking, the Left Handed Sniper is again shooting his shot and it is wet.
Back on? Karrueche Tran and Quavo Huncho reignite dating rumours as they enjoy a low-key dinner in LA https://t.co/iBVkWWvvOR
— Daily Mail Celebrity (@DailyMailCeleb) March 7, 2022
With all things considered, Quavo and Ms. Tran look great together. Back in 2021, the stars called it quits. So, their intimate encounter in West Hollywood may signal reconciliation. Does The Nice Guy restaurant serve as their fist “official” date? In fact, the “Bad and Boujee” spitter and his boo, were enjoying the ambiance of a private patio.
Be that as it may, this encounter is not shocking. Merely, two months ago, the Migos musician, sparked dating rumors when he was seen spending time with the Claws actress. As a matter of fact, it shows the previous pair thoroughly enjoying St. Martin.
In fact, the good folks over at The Shade Room have gathered delicious receipts. Best wishes go out to the “Intentions” MC. With all bets aside, whatever Quavo Huncho decides to do will be the right decision.
Recently Texas rapper Project88Icon spoke about his recent run of successes after being featured onNBA 2k21 with his song,“Go Viral.” In addition to his recent placement in the video game space he also landed a placement on Netflix and ESPN’s newest untitled series that has yet to be released.
Brought up in both Texas and Atlanta, Project88Icon says his music is a fusion of the two cities’ music with a futuristic twist.
“I rap, I can sing – I do it all. Some say I’m just musically inclined, but I’ve just been making music since I was younger. In middle school I was a fan of 2Pac, but I wanted to be a DJ. I thought I was going to be a DJ but then I started writing poems. My poems just kind of started turning into raps.”
“Atlanta moves on a different time so it allowed me to move around out there and understand the scene” – Project88Icon
From there while living in Atlanta Project88Icon soaked up the culture of ATL making long lasting connections with artist like Gorilla Zoe and other up and coming acts like Johnny Cinco.
“I moved to Atlanta when I was younger, I went to school out there for a little while. Growing up in Atlanta I saw a lot of activity as far as the music scene and the streets. I connected with a whole lot of people when I was younger and a lot of those people are DJs now and we’ve just stayed connected. Atlanta moves on a different time so it allowed me to move around out there and understand the scene,” Project88Icon said. “I was always writing and making music but I didn’t understand the business and so I did whatever I could to get my foot in the door. I did everything from working and writing for artists to doing whatever I could to help build their buzz.”
Plotting and planning his next moves Project88Icon released his first album in 2020 called Area88 and has since continued to feed the fans releasing roughly 9 singles in a few years time which included his fan favorite and breakout single, “Glizzy.”
“Glizzy was a spurt of the moment song, just a leaving the spot type thing. I had situations where I had people turn their back on me. That song was made from the experience where someone was close to me and set me up. I promised myself I would never be caught lacking without my pistol. I made a song about it and it was produced by my boy Feddi. We connected and knocked it out in like an hour. People always get hype off that song and it really moves the crowd – people really like the song. A lot of people from different walks of life like the song. It’s the wild wild west out here now, this is what it is,” Project88Icon said.
The song was released as a single on the Area 88 album and accompanies other songs that Project88Icon has released with Johnny Cinco, Gorilla Zoe and others.
“I got a street team and I promote music online, word of mouth is always great. But I am always trying to expand my brand. And that way I can tap into them when we need each other. We got the Alien Mob over here that’s always been so supportive of my music. It’s just we got a different way of thinking and moving. So we have that out of the world energy with everything that we do and you can catch that vibe in my 11:11 visual.”
RIP King Von! Check out the new lyric video as LIl Durk and the late- King Von team up for “Evil Twins”track featured on King Von’s album “What It Means To Be King” Out Now! Its an ominous and dark visual but that’s the kind of energy that the “Evil Twins” are bringing to the scene. Check it out below, this is like a haunted trap house and what a real life lyric video should be!
Some are tired of Kanye because of the inflammatory things he says – they want the “Old Kanye” who isn’t all up in the news. Meanwhile he’s got some pretty dope music that’s selling out arenas and none of that has to do with Pete Davidson, the reason everyone has been hating on Kanye the last week. Oh and there’s the documentary that Netflix bought for 30 million. Kanye is winning despite the smear campaigns that come his way and he seems to be relying on his faith to get him through it all.
