Without question, AZ is one of the big homies of the Golden Era that has matured right before our eyes. Last year, he released the sequel to Doe Or Die, after 25+ years. And, in 2022, he drops The deluxe version of the album.” AZ said, “Salute to everyone anticipating the Doe Or Die II Deluxe, I feel the love and I won’t let you down. It’s packed with lyrical braggadocious punchlines and designed to take you on a journey” AZ says about the project. “This is true poetry from a true dart thrower.”
Remy Ma and Don Q were among the judges presiding over the most talked about battle rap event of the year so far, Midnight Madness.
Midnight Madness threw its first event in the early hours of Friday night (Jan. 29). The exclusive event was invite-only and was the most sought-after ticket in town. Battle rap’s elite joined a selective guest list, said to number a total of 75 people, for a night of highly anticipated clashes that would see Midnight Madness trending No. 7 on Twitter.
Midnight Madness Started With A Bang!
There was no live footage from the event – updates came from the media platforms in the building.
The first battle on the night was from rising talents, JUSCUZ and Hustle. The match embodied the spirit of the underground flight club. Come and make a name for yourself in front of the most respected names in the culture. Fight to prove you’ve got what it takes to walk away with the money on the floor, the championship belt, and the respect of your most esteemed peers.
One of veteran Shooney’s bars flooded the timeline, with many hailing it bar of the night. “I would show her what to do with money/ I would give Fen a key (finicky) but she be moving funny.”
I would show her what to do with money/ I would give Fen a key (finicky) but she be moving funny/- Shooney Da Rapper. #MidnightMadness
2021 Champion of The Year, Geechi Gotti would judge the third battle of the night alongside Champion’s very own Jay Blac. He flew in for Midnight Madness to hand the champ his title and prize money.
Jayblac pulls up to Give GEECHI GOTTI his bread for champion of the year then sits down to judge J2 vs. Bad Newz.
The timeline quoted bars back and forth and reported a close battle, however, there could only be one winner. Bad Newz took the money and the first-ever Midnight Madness Underdog title.
Drugz vs. Tru Foe was a real grudge match, with the two going back and forth all week. They argued in Twitter Spaces and ranted at one another on Instagram Lives. Nu Jersey Twork upped the steaks and put a last-minute $1,000 bet on the battle.
Nunn Nunn vs. Snake Eyez was debated back and forth in the Twitter Spaces for weeks, fans intensely supported one or the other. Both went into the battle with something to prove and knew all eyes were on them. This was always gonna be one of them ones!
Reports suggested Snake Eyez had a strong start with Nunn Nunn fighting back.
Snake Eyez has all the momentum in the first round.
The last battle of Midnight Madness was the main event between the veteran Big T against one of the brightest talents of the “new era”, Lu Castro. Lu went into the battle a clear underdog. Many said he could not win against the experienced small room pro, Big Tuna.
Remy Ma judged one final time alongside a panel of battle rappers.
Last Battle: Big T vs Lu Castro
Judges: Drect, Eazy Da Block Captain, Swave Sevah, Remy Ma, Don Q, Geechi Gotti & Quest MCODY#MidnightMadness
Finally, after a night of intense battles where belts were lost, and money won, Lu Castro took home the last win. He left as the highest-ranked Midnight Madness belt holder and Undisputed Champion.
BREAKING: Lu Castro is now the belt holder of the Undisputed Championship belt.
All reports indicated the first-ever Midnight Madness was a success. A remarkable achievement considering the idea was conceived a little over a month ago. The battle rap and wider Hip-Hop community united organically and put on something with the potential to shift the culture. Fans will have to wait until the footage drops on the Midnight Madness YouTube channel. However, word on the street is they will be out within the next week…
Elsewhere,Tsu Surf breaks down the guest list and discusses those Midnight Madness tattoos.
Special mention has to go to everyone who worked tirelessly to organize round the clock for a month curating the Midnight Madness concept. Tsu Surf, Bill Collector, and JakkBoy Maine oversaw the charge for what could be the best thing to emerge from the scene in years.
Earlier on Friday, the New York rapper dropped the exciting trailer for “Queens Get The Money.” She also announced the card for the first Chrome 23 event.
January 2022 kicked off an already tremendous year for hip-hop music. The number of singles and songs released in the first month of the year is unprecedented.
Already we have songs from the likes of Gunna, NLE Choppa, Roddy Ricch, NBA YoungBoy. And then even some veterans have come out with new joints. Gucci Mane, Big K.R.I.T., The Game & Kanye West, Playboi Carti, Earl Sweatshirt, and others have also dropped songs recently rounding out an impressive start to a new year.
Only time will tell if the kind of diversity we’ve seen in the past will continue to manifest in the new year.
She’s a woman and she’s black. Marlo Richardson already had two strikes, but it didn’t stop her from diving into the cannabis industry. And considering her string of successes in real estate, insurance, crypto, and production, no one’s surprised she’s taking Cali by storm.
Like many entrepreneurs, Richardson’s interests in the cannabis industry were borne out of the personal experience. Her mother suffered extreme hip pain that required surgery. To manage the worsening pain, Richardson’s mother was prescribed a heavy narcotic. The treatment was effective. Only it left her mother heavily sedated.
“It wasn’t until a friend gave me some CBD ointments and creams that she would have relief from the pain without the heavy sedating effects of the pain meds,” Richardson says. “From there, I started learning more about the cannabis industry and the true potential of cannabis.”
With that knowledge and a need to help others in similar circumstances, Richardson grew several cannabis and cannabis licensing brands. The first, a CBD and cannabis delivery spot out of the San Fernando Valley, is Just Mary. Richardson eventually teamed with legendary rapper Xzibit. He, of course, had already built Brass Knuckles, currently valued at $170 million. The rapper also has Xzibit Napalm Brands on the table. The company developed products for Just Mary. In 2022, Just Mary will be ready to offer its own line of CBD products.
Keeping it busy, Richardson has Tremendo. That’s a luxury brand inspired by the cannabis lifestyle. The brand incorporates a high-end journey in every element of its branding, from packaging and presentation to quality. Richardson promises a superior product cultivated in a state-of-the-art facility owned by her company. She expects Tremendo to be on dispensary shelves all over Cali.
Speaking with a community of BIPOC aspiring entrepreneurs, Richardson talks of the keys to success, regardless of if it’s the cannabis industry or real estate. First, be mindful of whom you partner with. That’s crucial in the cannabis industry with manipulators everywhere. Do your research and align your interests with candidates that demonstrate a proven track record, devoting themselves to producing quality products and services in and out of the world of cannabis. BlaqHaus restaurant owner Takela Corbitt, and Marcus and Brandon Watson of the professional boxing world.
While we wait for the full album Melt My Eyez See Your Future, we have been blessed with”Walkin’,” the first single in the
He explained to Zane Lowe:
“‘Keep walking’ means you got to keep moving forward with whatever is going on in your life. So when I wrote this record, it was about just moving forward and keep going no matter what’s happening in your life. Good things, bad things, they all just going to come to pass and you just got to keep walking. There’s a difference between walking away from something and running away from something.”
The glossy cinematic visuals also announced the ladies battling on the debut card for Remy Ma’s new all-female battle league, Chrome 23, on February 27. Another exciting update revealed the event will be live-streamed via Hot 97.
“Female Battle Rap Will Never Be The Same”
Remy took to Instagram to drop the trailer and share the line-up, something fans have long been waiting for.
“Female Rap will never be the same!” Remy declared in the caption.”@ChromeTwenty3 my all-female Battle Rap League 🔥The first card event will be on Sunday, February 27th- invite only- but available for Live Stream viewing -it’s only right I take it back to where I started at!!! You don’t wanna miss this!”
She added, “Sidebar: I’m sooooo hyped!! Double Sidebar: This trailer look like a 🔥 movie!!!!! #Reminisce #RemyMa #Chrome23 #QueensGetTheMoney MidnightMadness”
The trailer features the rappers clad in boilersuits and ski masks standing in front of a vault. They slowly unmask one by one to reveal the “Queens Get The Money” lineup. New fan favorite Pristavia takes on the bad girl of battle rap, Yoshi G in a match that was supposed to go down on another card. However, Remy Ma saw the potential and negotiated to have it as part of Chrome 23’s first event.
@Tsu_Surf I was booking my flight to pop out for Midnight Madness on the 28th and it hit me… I need that @_YoshiG and @PristaviaD battle on the Queens Get The Money card 😈 Call me💋💰 #RemyCard
The return of veteran QB Black Diamond after a long absence was a welcome surprise, she faces top lyricist Queen 40 BARRS. The “Face of Female Battle Rap,” Casey Jay goes up against her fellow “Bardashians” squad member, “Gun Bar Queen” O’fficial, in an unexpected clash. Veteran favorite Couture and the “First Lady of URL” Ms. Hustle, finally get the chance to settle an old score, completing the elite lineup.
“It has always been a male dominated industry,” she began. “Not anymore. In 2022 women practically run Hip-Hop, both in front and behind the scenes…”
She continued, describing what separates these women from the industry standard. “But there’s a different breed of female rapper that’s about to take over the world. This type of emcee…she pushes her own pen. She uses lyricism, punches double and triple entendres, metaphors, similes, angles, schemes. It can also get very personal. There’s no fancy production or no sexy choreography to hide behind…just pure talent and skill. “
Remy Ma concluded with: “This is rap in its purest form. I present to you, Chrome 23. A new female battle rap league, for women supporting women and run by women pushing the culture forward equally.”
Meanwhile, Remy Ma was rubbing shoulders with the who’s who of the battle rap community in Atlanta on Thursday night. She attended her first public outing as a league owner, the Midnight Madness bowling tournament, ahead of the elite underground battle rap collective’s first event.
Remy is one of the celebrity guests expected to attend the exclusive battle rap event on Friday (Jan. 28). She joined a team of battle rap queens, including 40 BARRS Ms. Hustle, Shooney Da Rapper, and Young Gattas, and gifted the ladies matching bowling jerseys.
CeoGamble is heating up in Tampa, and it’s confirmed a new untitled project will be released later this year. 2SC will be the lead producer from Five 5 Studios located in Ybor city for this release. Gamble, who is well known out of Georgia for his music, has seen success in many industries. He’s an extremely versatile artist, we are excited to hear new content from him and see what he has to offer. With a third child on the way, CeoGamble says this project is inspired to motivate young fathers and push positive messages to the youth. Singles; “All I know” and “Pave Da Way” are bangers to look out for.
Be ready for the drop on Spotify and all other major platforms!
Stay tuned for more updates follow him on Instagram.
The PNW has been making their mark on music since the dawn of rock n roll. Hailing from Seattle by way of Atlanta comes to dynamic hip-hop artist Pompeiii. His style is diverse and imaginative, singing and rapping across space production with ease.
Pompeiii’s latest release comes in the form of a catchy new single, “I’m Back”. Released in January, this single set a precedent on what we can expect from the nomadic artist in 2022. He mixes his signature gospel influence with quotable one-liners in what makes for an amazing listening experience.
Some of Pompeiii’s more notable releases are his 2020 single “Jewels in the Bag”, and his 2021 album “Blue Jay Flew”. A strong catalog and sense of urgency within his work is what will catapult Pompeiii to the top of rap music.
Vasjan Zisi also known as Vasjan is an artist/club promoter from Boston, Massachusetts. He recently dropped a visual for the song “Pull Up N Ride” which features new york artist Ron Suno. The record was produced by @Sebiiceleb. Critics are calling this record one of the best drill collaborations of the year. Its up-tempo vibe has the record circulating through clubs all over the east coast. The video was shot by @1ivisuals.
The video has over one million views on youtube. In 2020 he won the promoter of the year award in Mega Mass Tv Awards and was nominated as the Promoter of the year in the 2021 Boston Music Awards. He has worked with artists such as Lil Baby, Megan Thee Stallion, Tory Lanez, Da Baby, NLE Choppa, Young MA, Rubi Rose, Dave East, and many more. His rising stardom has improved over the years changing his audience from underground to mainstream
Childhood is always the best part of people’s lives that we can never get back. This makes this time all the more special to look back on during different phases of our lives. Childhood means games, family, friends, school days, color books, and so much more. Unfortunately, when the pandemic hit the world at the beginning of 2020, it changed our way of life. Not only has it crippled economies, but it has impacted our everyday lifestyles. The worst affected among us are children. With lives restricted indoors, children all over the world are facing the toughest time with no games or friends. The time considered ideal for children to develop their learning and socializing skills have been wasted fighting a pandemic.
Thankfully, the world has people likeMolly Wellon who make an effort to ensure children smile even in these challenging times. Molly is a fun and friendly children’s presenter and performer. She is a well-known YouTuber who creates entertaining content for kids on her channel Molly Kidz TV. Molly’s energetic stage presence and amazing way of telling kids stories have earned her over 10K views on multiple videos. However, Molly had a different start to her career.
Just a few years ago,Molly was stuck in a corporate job that did not give her the opportunity to use her skills. She decided to quit her job for good and focus on her passion. Initially, Molly started as a solo performer creating amazing songs for kids, especially preschoolers. Her debut public performance for children was at Gloworm Festival 2021. It earned her positive recognition for her craft, and that’s when she decided to follow her passion and became a YouTuber.
Molly specializes in creating fun-filled, original, and interactive songs for children. She has also recreated some famous classics. Her content has not only put a smile on children’s faces when they were forced to stay indoors but also helped them develop their learning skills. Besides YouTube, Molly has an extensive presence on other digital platforms as well like Spotify and Apple Music.
Her growing popularity over this period has landed her several opportunities to perform for kids live. To further enhance the quality of her content, Molly has hired a team of experts who share the same passion for kids’ content. She and her team work hard to make every video as interesting and interactive as possible. The main idea behind Molly’s humble initiative is to build a space for kids to grow their skills, which are otherwise missing during the pandemic-imposed lockdowns. Her efforts have paid off as many kids have rediscovered the missing part of their childhood through her videos.
Molly wants to inspire kids to dream big and make them feel that they have nothing to worry about. Just like she left her dead-end job to become unstoppable with her passion, Molly wants people to believe in themselves and chase their dreams. She wants to continue to grow her YouTube channel into a fun-filled world for kids. Molly is also looking forward to performing live at various children’s events in the coming years and transforming more childhoods with stories and music.
Master P is lending a helping hand to kids who’ve suffered from gun violence in Louisville, Kentucky.
The No Limit Records founder has joined the nonprofit Christopher 2X Game Changers as a special youth advisor. Master P will be involved in the organization’s Future Healers program.
“I love what Christopher 2X is doing with these kids and the promise of the Future Healers program,” Master P said in a press release. “I love the spirit of these kids and the fact that their parents and caregivers are involved. I appreciate them and want to help because they deserve encouragement, appreciation and support.”
Master P will be working with children between the ages of 4 and 13 as well as their parents and program partners. The Hip Hop mogul will connect with them through Zoom presentations and social media.
“We’re extremely, extremely pleased Master P is lending us his more than 20 years of impactful experience,” Christopher 2X said. “He has the perspective of a father who has raised successful kids, and he has uplifted many lives through youth projects he has led. We can’t even measure the encouraging, motivational words he can share with parents, medical professionals, students and the kids in the Future Healers program.”
Find out more about the nonprofit organization here.
The music industry has long catered to the emergence of young and talented artists and Milwaukee, WI-based artist and promoter who goes by ThePlaymaker is taking advantage of this opportunity. He recently opened TCM or The Compound MKE a full-service development complex for independent artists. The facility offers promotion and development services such as a full-service internet and social media marketing team, a podcast studio, a practice stage, a photo, and video studio, a graphic design and print department, tour and merchandising services, and consultation and music education courses. The Compound MKE will be a hub for creatives and artists looking to take the next step in their careers. This is all lead by ThePlaymaker who has made his career in promotion or artists through a combination of street marketing and digital exposure. He believes, “visual street promotion and marketing techniques are part of the promotional future” and ThePlaymaker has mastered techniques that are now becoming national common practice when it comes to hip-hop and rap promotion.
J Bentayga is a new up-and-coming artist from Fort Worth, Texas. Finishing college from Texas Tech University, Bentayga shows the new generation the importance of getting a formal education and still chasing your dreams. 2022 has just started and he has already released a new album he calls “Almost There”. The entire project has received many good reviews from listeners and bloggers across the country. Some notable tracks include “Only One”, “Type 2”, “Balmain”, & “Get 2Ü”. J Bentayga is driven, focused, & ambitious. He is also well known for his 2019 song “None Of Us Are Rich”. The future looks bright for J Bentayga as his music has been recently taking off globally and he has been featured and interviewed by many majors news and music outlets. It will be interesting to see if he signs a record label deal, partnership deal, or remain independent.
He is also CEO of the Twin Comma Club which is a collective of creatives that accepts new creatives and gives everyone a safe place to connect, network, & build. There are a lot of major things in the work for J Bentayga & the Twin Comma Club this year.
Walid Mostafi recently released a new single called “Self-Healing.” The song has amassed a sizable following since its debut. It became viral within a few days after its publication. Walid’s musical brilliance, along with the song’s catchiness, has produced a masterpiece.
Walid has a wealth of information despite his lack of experience in the music industry. He’s released three songs so far this year. When you listen to the kids, you can see Walid has worked hard to inculcate in them a wide range of emotions. The song “Self-Healing” is a good example of this. It’s a nice song that will appeal to folks of all ages.
Walid poured his heart and soul into writing this song. He enlisted Rumor Records’ assistance, who had decided to polish the song on their own. As a result, the song was an instant smash when it was ultimately published. We owe a huge debt of gratitude to Rumor Records for publishing such a terrific tune.
Famous Dex violated a protective order for a second time.
According to DJ Akademiks, Famous Dex was taken into custody after breaching a restraining order meant to keep him away from his ex-girlfriend. He’s been sentenced to 180 days in the Los Angeles County jail.
Famous Dex, whose real name is Dexter Gore Jr., was previously arrested for violating the protective order in June 2021. He was eventually sentenced to 364 days behind bars for domestic violence and gun charges.
Although he was supposed to be locked up for almost a year, Famous Dex caught a break and got out in a matter of days. He was allowed to walk free due to overcrowding in the jail.
But the Chicago native couldn’t stay out of trouble. Another violation of the protective order landed him back in jail and will lead to increased scrutiny of his whereabouts.
Once Famous Dex gets out, he will have to wear a GPS ankle monitor. The monitor will go off if he comes within 500 yards of his ex’s home.
The multi-platinum selling rapper has a history of domestic violence dating back to 2016. He’s also battled with drug abuse, which prompted him to go to rehab in 2020.
In his new music single ” Perspectives,” Singh D. investigates the beginnings of his musical career and unveils his beginnings. The song puts the listener on a roller coaster of emotions. The song quickly rose to the top of the music charts after its release. Singhs’ brilliance has already been recognized by fans all around the world.
Singh is well aware of the expectations that his ardent fans have for him. He’s been exposed to the music that New Yorkers like, and he’s tailored his own music to suit their tastes. All of his fans appear to be having a wonderful time.
The song ” Perspectives ” demonstrates Singh’s ability to express himself via music. He lives in New York City and loves to travel. His art reflects his exposure to numerous civilizations, as seen by his work. As a result, listening to music is quite enjoyable.
“In today’s world, people are always looking to be or do the next ‘different’ thing, when the main thing that makes any of us different is by being ourselves.”
Forrest Reigns is the next superstar coming out of Philadelphia; he brings music to a whole different level. At Only 20 years old, Forrest Reigns has diversified his catalog to the point where you can’t define the specific music genre. His sound is a reflection of alternative hip-hop with a touch of melodic rock mesh with popular music. His music has touched many people on the east coast. Differing from your typical artist, the basis of his music comes from living without fear and boundaries and tuning out the opinions of naysayers.
In 2017, Forrest began making music, but it wasn’t until two years later that he released music; Concurrently, the pandemic in 2020 gave him the push that he fully invested in his music career. His biggest obstacle since making music has adequately been structuring all his songs. Having the ability to make so many flavors of music, each deserving its proper structure and leaning off of constant freestyling, has helped him put together better hooks, bridges, and transitions.
Forrest Reigns’ primary focus is his upcoming project ‘Embrace,’ centered on him embracing his one’s fear within himself. Due to this, Forrest believes he’s compiled a group of songs where none of them sound the same, and all Embrace a different aspect of who he is. Apart from this level of self-knowledge at his current phase, Forrest is reluctant to sign to a label because he needs to continue expressing himself in his fashion. He would need to know in-depth about any set parameters soon and not feel any restriction behind his craft if he signed to a major label. Foreign has performed a few times, notably at his old high school, which felt like a massive milestone for himself and opened up for A Boogie at HennyFest this past September. Stay tuned for the release of his project ‘Embrace’ and his upcoming shows once he hits the road again.
New York Mayor Eric Adams thinks C Blu should still be behind bars.
Adams issued a scathing statement after the 16-year-old artist was released from a Brooklyn juvenile facility on Thursday (January 27). C Blu, whose real name is Camrin Williams, is accused of shooting an NYPD officer named Kaseem Pennant in the leg.
C Blu walked free after posting a $250,000 bond. Adams, a former cop, claimed the teen’s release was an indictment of the legal system in New York.
“New Yorkers should all be outraged that a repeat offender, accused of shooting at a police officer, is today walking free on bond because judges are precluded from even considering danger to the community, like every other state and our federal courts,” Adams said in a statement. ‘It is further proof that our current system is failing us.”
The mayor added, “Today of all days, with the city in mourning over the deaths of Detective First-Grade Jason Rivera and Police Officer Wilbert Mora, we all must come together and agree that changes are needed. We cannot allow those who carry guns to walk free – we can pursue safety and justice at the same time, and we must, for the safety of all of us.”
Earlier this month, C Blu was arrested after getting an altercation with police. Cops responded to call about a “disorderly crowd,” which led to a confrontation with the teen rapper.
Police claim C Blu didn’t respond to orders, resulting in a scuffle. He was allegedly holding a gun, which went off with bullets striking his groin and the leg of Officer Pennant.
C Blu’s lawyer Dawn Florio denies he shot the cop. He’s pleaded not guilty to assault and weapons charges.
Actress and former dominatrix Julia Fox has dated another rapper before linking with Kanye West. Apparently, Drake flewed her out a few times.
Page Six has floated that the Uncut Gems actress was rocking with Drake a year ago, right before the COVID-19 lockdown.
The way she and the Toronto rapper originally met was innocent enough. He slid into her DM to compliment her on her performance in the movie. At the time, she was in a long-term relationship with Peter Artemiev, the father of her one-year-old, so she ignored it.
After the two broke up, she hit the “Certified Lover Boy” up.
According to sources close to the hook-up, they met up in New York in February 2020 for a night of partying at the Bowery Hotel.
The next day, while she was working on a promotion at Bloomingdales, Drake came to visit here — causing an uproar with security.
The source said, “They closed down the store so he could visit.”
Days after Valentine’s Day Fox flew out to Los Angeles where the Champagne Papi gave her two of the famed Birkin bags, purchases that could run a player anywhere from $20,000 to $500,000.
She then went to his Toronto home for a while until the world shut down.
“They were closing the border [between Canada and the US], and she had to get back home,” said a source.
After returning home, she reconnected with her baby daddy and is now dating the father of Kim’s four children.
Kanye and Fox started dating this last New Year’s Eve. In less than 30 days, the high publicized relationship has crossed several continents, been featured stories in magazine spreads (that they posed for), and have a nickname (that she made up), Juliye.
No words from Kanye on it, but the insider says he was p##### about Drake slaying his girl.
The universe, no matter what J. Prince hope, doesn’t want Drake and Kanye to be friends.
Xavier Woods a.k.a. Austin Creed has found success by staying true to himself. His passion for professional wrestling and video games has allowed him to become a fixture in both industries.
As a WWE superstar, Xavier Woods aligned with Big E and Kofi Kingston to form The New Day in 2014. With multiple championships to their name, the trio’s become one of the greatest factions in company history. But more importantly, the group’s close friendship remains evident as they’re still aligned years later – a rarity for teams in WWE.
Outside of the ring, Austin Creed created a popular YouTube gaming channel called UpUpDownDown that’s opened up doors for him. His love of gaming came full circle when he landed a dream job at G4, the video game-centric TV network that relaunched last year.
There’s a lot on the plate for Woods, but his work ethic is something to behold. He’s managed to juggle his family life and various hosting gigs all while constantly being on the road touring with WWE. And that’s not even counting the physical toll on his body, which caught up to him recently when he suffered an injury that kept him out of action.
But there’s no slowing down for Woods as WWE’s on the road to WrestleMania. The journey officially begins this Saturday with the annual Royal Rumble, where winners will receive a world title shot at WrestleMania.
Ahead of the Rumble, AllHipHop caught up with Woods to discuss his bustling career. The versatile performer opened up about The New Day’s storied run, Black representation in wrestling, his connection to rapper Mega Ran and much more.
Read an abbreviated version of AllHipHop’s interview with Woods below and watch the full conversation via video.
AllHipHop: It’s great to talk to you because I’ve actually known Mega Ran for years.
Xavier Woods: That’s my guy.
AllHipHop: I’ve always heard great things about you. I do want to start with Mega Ran. You finally got him to do your entrance music. How special was that for you? I know that’s been something y’all have been talking about for years.
Xavier Woods: Yeah, it’s been wild because since I was in developmental, the pre-NXT, it was called FCW, we had a database that we could cycle through to try to find the music. And I typed in 8-bit or video game one day and I found one of his songs. And I was like, “This is great, I need more.” So, I looked him up on Spotify and I was like, “Wait, this is an actual person? He makes actual music that is made for me? What? I had no clue this was even a genre.”
And so he opened my eyes to a completely different style of music that is easily my favorite type of music, just video game, nerdcore rap. So, I found a way to send him an email and told him I found his music, but I wanted to use a different song, he was cool with it. A few years later after that, we had become friends. I brought him to Wrestlemania with me, one year within meeting my family. And the goal was always to get him to do my theme music. Like, “I need to hear your voice pumping through these speakers when I’m going to fight.”
And so fast forward to winning King of the Ring and then finally it’s like, “Hey, you know what? You’re going to have your own theme song now.” I said, “Oh, dope.” So 11 years deep, finally I get my own theme music. But to make it even sweeter I got to have Mega Ran rapping on it, and then another one of my buddies, Sayzee, a Canadian rapper out of Toronto who is incredible with a bunch of Dragon Ball Z and horror rap stuff.
And so, it’s awesome because regardless of where a person lands when they’re trying to achieve their goals and things like that, they never do it by themselves. But I think that people very quickly forget that. And it’s a lot of times because a lot of people won’t remind them. No, there’s not one person on this planet who reaches any level of fame or notoriety or does anything special by themselves. There are people who help you along the way, whether they be mentors, whether they be parents, friends, whoever. And being able to have one of my friends be a part of my wrestling journey while I’m out there actually doing it, it allows me to feel a certain way that I probably wouldn’t feel otherwise, knowing that my friends are with me while I’m doing this thing that I love. And so it’s a lot more than just music to me.
AllHipHop: Yeah, that’s nice. Speaking about friends, obviously, I think something that a lot of fans appreciate is how New Day has never had the big breakup angle or anything like that. You guys, you just became the King of the Ring, Big E just had his run as WWE Champion, Kofi, obviously, had Kofi Mania. How much has that meant to you for you guys to experience that solo success and then still be the New Day throughout it?
Xavier Woods: It’s been incredible because it’s not a gimmick or a thing just for the cameras. So, when they have moments of success, it feels like success for me. So, when Kofi won the title it felt like I won the title, and that’s my brother, that’s real. And it’s funny because we were talking about this the other day, the three of us, and just reiterating this point when one of us succeeds the other ones feel good. And I was like, “What is that?” And E was like, “I think that’s love, that’s what that is.” It’s just genuine, you feel happy that your friends are happy.
So, there’s really no reason that we would ever, ever want to do something like that. It doesn’t make any sense. And it’s cool that in wrestling you can see just a genuine, healthy, male relationship and it’s not just a bunch of just toxic dudes just yelling and screaming over leather and metal. Yeah, championships are important, you get more money when you’re champion. You get fame, you get a fortune, but also the championship isn’t going to call you when you’re 80 and you’re not moving around too well to talk about the good times.
And so I think that’s something that, one, is very important to us just because it’s who we are. And two, but then it’s really important just to wrestling culture to have something different. We could do the same thing as literally everybody else in wrestling ever. Or we could try to do something different. And people might not like it, but it’s an attempt to be different and to be better than what we are currently doing. And so that’s how I feel in my heart and soul.
AllHipHop: That’s great, that’s great. Now speaking of New Day’s role and impact, a lot of the talk right now in wrestling is about representation. And it’s diversity and Black wrestlers specifically. What has New Day’s impact been in your mind on Black representation in wrestling?
Xavier Woods: I don’t know, it’s weird to think about it like that. We were just three dudes who were trying to not lose our jobs at one point. And so to see people say things like that and to have people reach out and say, “I am more comfortable being myself in a wrestling locker room now because you guys showed it was okay,” it’s very humbling because these are things that I’ve felt. I’ve never necessarily always felt not comfortable as if a locker room was for me. Even though I played sports all throughout high school and things like that, I always felt like there was something that was in me that wasn’t in them that made me not click exactly. It was like an 85 percent click but there was just something that was either missing or whatever it was. And when I met Kofi and E and we really started grinding together and figuring that stuff out I realized it wasn’t just a couple of people that I could vibe like this with. Because I had Tyler Breeze at that time, we were very close then, we still are, Rick Viktor. I lived with those guys and those were my go-to guys.
Then finding Kofi and E and feeling, “Oh, wow, I can actually be myself and I don’t have to have these weird insecurities and make myself essentially feel like I don’t fully belong.” Because there was a lot of stuff I was dealing with within me. But knowing that anything that we might do on TV might give someone that okay to wipe that insecurity away and say, “I am worth it, I can survive here. I don’t have to be like anybody else. I don’t have to be anything that someone thinks that I should be, I can just be me and I’ll be okay,” I love it that some people are getting that from what we’re doing. And I love that we can bring those kind of feelings. Because it feels good to feel that way.
Xavier Woods
AllHipHop: Do you feel like your journey would have been so much different if you had somebody like you guys showing you that way back when you were Consequences Creed in TNA? If you had somebody there, do you think that would have changed the way you were able to be comfortable and just be yourself at the time?
Xavier Woods: Probably. I feel like just depending on the era and the type of people that you grow up with, watching, and the people that you meet throughout your journey, yeah, definitely. No clue what that would look like, and I very much like how I am now. And so I’m glad to have gone through stuff like that. But as far as people who were just helpful along the way, I always looked up to D-Von Dudley. And he’s a guy who legitimately became my mentor, who I wouldn’t have sent my stuff to WWE had it not been for a two-hour conversation that I had with him. When I got released from my other job, I was just floating and I was thinking, “Maybe I’m not cut out for this. Maybe I’m not good enough to be a wrestler on TV.”
And after talking to him he turned my whole life around, and minus that conversation of him telling me to quit feeling sorry for myself and pick myself up off the ground and keep going because I’m not a quitter, and all that type of movie, hurrah, Denzel, Remember the Titans type of speeches over the phone, I don’t send my stuff. And if I don’t send my stuff I don’t become Xavier Woods, I don’t pair up with Kofi and E. So many things don’t happen how they currently happened in my life. And so technically, I did have a guy. I did have a guy who helped me along the way in a way that he was meant to help me. And I will forever be grateful to him for that.
AllHipHop: Well It’s obviously been a crazy time to be a wrestler just because you’re wrestling during a pandemic. And part of it, you were wrestling in front of no crowd. What was that like for you, just to have been doing something your whole career where you’re using that audience response, and then suddenly you’re in there in an empty arena? What was that experience like for you?
Xavier Woods: Honestly, it was fine. In my early parts of my career. I wrestled in so many places that had either two people or seven people or nobody sometimes. So, it was cool to go back to your roots. But at the same time, minus that fan interaction and that actual energy and that noise, you lack adrenaline. And adrenaline can help shield you from pain. And so everything that hits you hurts way more when there’s no people there and that sucks. But overall, I was out for a lot of that time. So, I didn’t come back from my Achilles injuries until September of 2019. And so I was at home for a minute. I did Talking Smack for a while and then I re-debuted, I guess.
So I was only in the ThunderDome for a short amount of time in comparison to everybody else. But I will say when we did Mania and we had people, it was like somebody flipped the light switch as soon as we walked out to the crowd. It was like, “Oh, yeah, this is what it’s supposed to feel like.” So, it’s amazing to be back in front of fans again.
