Rap star Kodak Black is a proud father again, with the birth of his brand new baby girl.
The rapper revealed his girlfriend Maranda Johnson gave birth to their daughter yesterday (January 21st.)
Kodak took to Instagram to share the good news with his followers.
“( 1-20-21 ) I Was Released From Prison 2 Years Early & My Daughter Enter This World (1-21-22)… It’s A Blessing…Queen Yuri Kapri Is Heaven Sent She Blessing Me She Has Every Lil Thing That I Was Missing. I’m Dam Near Perfect But She Is. What A Coincidence I’m Home A Whole Year Finally After Not Being Able To Be Free A Whole Year Since I Was 14 !!!! It’s Lit,” Kodak Black said.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CZBD4c-DIKm/
The birth of his child caps off a good week for the controversial rap star, who celebrated one year of freedom on January 20th thanks to a pardon by President Donald Trump.
The rapper was busted in the early morning hours on New Year’s Day for hanging around the Golden acres housing development where he was raised in Pompano Beach, Florida.
However, the charges were ultimately dismissed after a judge agreed the charges against Kodak Black were not warranted.
Famous singer Yung Bleu is in legal trouble in Los Angeles, where he was almost victimized thanks to the soaring crime rate.
According to reports, Yung Bleu and his crew were grabbing a bite to eat at a restaurant called Bossa Nova when things went left.
An unknown suspect attempted to rob Yung Bleu and his entourage. However, things did not go smoothly for the bandits.
A shootout erupted near the restaurant as Bleu, and his entourage attempted to fight off the would-be robbers.
Bleu’s manager reportedly suffered from a graze wound, but other than that, no injuries have been reported as of press time.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJPFCBC7Vm4
Yung Bleu and his group left Bossa Nova after the shooting, but they were arrested when they went to retrieve their vehicle.
The police arrived on the scene, searched their car, and found firearms. Bleu was reportedly charged with criminal negligence and possession of a firearm.
He posted a $35,000 bond and was released.
The person who attempted to rob Yung Bleu successfully managed to flee the scene.
Unfortunately, Bleu’s incident has become all too common in Los Angeles.
According to statistics released for the year 2021, property and violent crime is up 17%, while homicides have increased by 11%. Robberies are up 5.5%, and aggravated assault increased by 7.7%.
Remy Ma caused a rush of excitement today (Jan. 21) with a tweet that had battle rap fans in a frenzy! That was followed by an intense discussion where she hinted at exciting developments for her new battle rap league.
She tagged New Jersey rapper and battle rapper Tsu Surf with an interesting proposition. “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 #RemyCard.”
@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 “All The Way Up” hitmaker referenced one of the most anticipated clashes of the year so far, rising star Pristavia vs. the more established wordsmith, Yoshi G. The battle created so much energy that it spawned an entire movement which in turn led to the creation of Midnight Madness. The battle rap community came together organically with every level of battle rapper, from the top tiers to the rookies getting on board. Fans and media also played their part, and soon the exclusive underground fight club of battle rap was born, with Yoshi and Pristavia set to headline the first event.
All the planning played out in the Twitter Spaces, with the likes of Lloyd Banks and Don Q joining the conversation. Remy Ma began her career as a battle rapper and is now a new league owner. She recently established the all-female Chrome 23 battle rap league and announced plans for her upcoming first event, “Queens get the Money” in February.
— WOTY RHODES🦍👸🏾🇬🇾 THA VILLAIN 🦍🎀 (@MSHUSTLE1271) January 22, 2022
Remy Ma decided the Mignight Madness main event was so fire, she needed it on her card, which she promised would be: “the sexiest rap battle you’ve ever been to in your life.”
Remy Ma On The Importance Of Branding
Tsu Surf hosted a Twitter Spaces talk this evening when Remy Ma pulled up and spent over an hour answering questions from battlers and fans. One thing’s for sure, Remy Ma knows her stuff! She dropped gems throughout the discussion, giving her take on what battlers need to elevate their brands and their bags! She understands “there’s nothing worse than being famous and broke,” something battle rappers are only too aware of. Many of the best spitters gained massive notoriety before their pay equals the level of their fame. The ones that make successful careers for themselves have mastered the mechanics of branding and marketing, which Remy demonstrated clear knowledge of.
Remy spoke passionately about her plans for Chrome 23, demonstrating how invested in the culture she is, and a clear understanding of what it takes to succeed in such a venture. She moved her first event from the initial date of Feb. 12 because it clashed with Super Bowl Weekend. All-Star weekend is the following week, so Remy Ma rescheduled her card to Feb. 27 to maximize the media attention for her battlers. Fans were pleased to hear that the event will be live-streamed for free.
Additionally, she was forced to scale back the crowd due to the surge in COVID cases. Now, around 300 of the brightest talents in battle rap along with media and industry media will be in attendance. Remy Ma confirmed some of her celebrity friends will also be in the building. Furthermore, she also teased an exciting prospect for the culture. Not only do her female industry peers want in on a card, but they’re also so down to battle, they’ll do it for free!
While answering questions from fans, Remy Ma admitted she would battle Tsu Surf if she ever stepped back in the ring. “I wanna gun down a big dog,” she said, explaining why she chose the “Nana Crib” rapper. She said she wants to face “a top tier who talks as much s### as me,” teasing a battle that would shift the culture.
Wow Remy Ma Just Said She’d Battle @Tsu_Surf Because He’s A Big Dawg Who Talk s### like her 😳… Take My Money Now
Chrome 23 plans to hold four events per year, in February, March, August, and November, and plans are already underway for the first two. She dismissed any notion that her involvement in female battle rap dismisses the hard work others have put in before her. Remy said she has spoken to Debo and Baby Bunny, bosses at premiere women’s battle rap league Queen of the Ring, and regularly speaks to others in the community for advice and support.
Ultimately, Remy Ma wants to help further the culture and help the women make successful careers out of their talent. She wants to develop the type of girl she was when she met Big Pun on her way home from school. Being an artist herself, she also understands the difficulties women face as performers. She can relate to struggles with organizing hair and make-up, to managing childcare issues.
Listen to the clip from OTFMZ where Remy tells the women how to get what they deserve.
RJ Payne slowed down his feverish lyrical output to get an early jump on 2022 and he’s now released his first project. Beautiful Payne 4, the latest opus, is a deeper look into the psyche normally associated with ripping tracks to shreds.
“#BeautifulPayne4 is a closer look into my life as a regular person,” the Philly-born rapper told AllHipHop exclusively of the new music, which hit all streaming services midnight today. “I feel like I more than proved I can rap. Now it’s time to build my legacy with a lot more substance.”
He also stated that his longtime collaborator, producer PA Dre, provided the perfect backdrop to Beautiful Payne 4.
“PA Dre’s production on this project is some of the illest beats I’ve ever heard,” Payne said.
Dre gave insight on the creative process between the two of them, which has spanned several years.
“I feel like Vol. 4 is RJ Payne’s best penmanship out of all of the volumes we’ve created so far,” Dre said. “We didn’t use a lot of drums this time but the beats are formatted with enough dope variations so that they won’t come across boring or generic.”
“When I heard the song ‘Momma I Made It’ – that’s the first song on the album – I knew we had something special with this edition,” he continued. “I probably played that song 20 times on repeat before anything else.”
The other installments of Beautiful Payne have dropped in the past successive years and are availible on the artists site IamRJPayne.com.
There is one difference in this version of the Beautiful Payne series.
“The only rap feature is Strange Music artist King ISO, who I feel possesses an incredible pen plus delivers real believable emotion.”
Mary J. Blige is dropping a new album a couple of days before her performance at the Super Bowl LVI Halftime Show.
A few weeks before the project’s release, Mary J. Blige has shared the tracklist for her Good Morning Gorgeous LP. The upcoming album features 13 tracks with guest appearances by Anderson .Paak, DJ Khaled, Dave East, Usher and Fivio Foreign.
Mary J. Blige is scheduled to release Good Morning Gorgeous on February 11. The R&B star hasn’t dropped an album since 2017’s Strength Of A Woman.
Good Morning Gorgeous will be Mary J. Blige’s first LP for 300 Entertainment. She joined the label last year.
Mary J. Blige is going to participate in the Super Bowl LVI Halftime Show on February 13. The Grammy-winning singer will perform alongside Dr. Dre, Eminem, Kendrick Lamar and Snoop Dogg at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California.
Check out the tracklist for Mary J. Blige’s Good Morning Gorgeous below and pre-order the album here.
Ari Lennox claims she’s no longer doing interviews after a bad experience on a South African podcast.
The Dreamville singer vented about host MacG asking her an abrasive question regarding her sex life. During an appearance on the show Podcast & Chill, Ari Lennox was asked, “Is someone f###### you good right now?”
“I’m just like… why was I alone on a call full of people?” Ari Lennox wrote on Twitter. “Why didn’t anyone intervene? And why wasn’t parts of the interview destroyed like the team promised? Why did it happen to begin with? I just feel slow and ambushed and blindsighted.”
She added, “Just because I happily and freely sing/write about sex don’t make any kind of creepy disrespect warranted. I clearly was in immense shock and hate that I didn’t react differently.”
Ari Lennox noted she wasn’t looking for sympathy, but MacG’s questioning made her disinterested in future interviews.
“But f### it!” she wrote. “I don’t want anyone feeling sorry for me. I’m tired of the narrative. Exhausted. I’m good I promise. But as for interviews I’m not doing them anymore. There’s enough lives and interviews out there already.”
Ari Lennox’s posts led to a string of arguments on Twitter. One user accused her of not writing her own lyrics, prompting a response from the Interscope Records artist.
“I wrote every lyric on my Shea butter album you worthless germ!” she proclaimed. “I was completely shocked and have never in my life been asked such a distasteful and predatory question. Regardless of what the hell i wrote don’t give you losers the right to justify the disrespect.”
Watch a clip of the question that shocked Ari Lennox below.
Lauryn Hill, Wyclef Jean and Pras announced the cancellation via social media on Friday (January 21). The Fugees cited COVID-19 concerns as the main reason for calling off the tour, but Pras is facing a possible prison sentence for his alleged role in a back-channel lobbying campaign.
“We anticipate and understand disappointment but our anniversary tour will not be able to happen,” The Fugees wrote. “The continued Covid pandemic has made touring conditions difficult, and we want to make sure we keep our fans and ourselves healthy and safe. An idea sparked to honor and celebrate this 25th anniversary of The Score but we see now it may not currently be our time for revisiting this past work.”
Last September, The Fugees reunited for a show in New York City. The event was supposed to lead into a tour, which was scheduled to begin in November 2021.
The Fugees postponed their reunion tour in October. The group said it wanted cities to be fully open, allowing them to perform for as many fans as possible. But instead of rescheduling a new start date in 2022, The Fugees opted to cancel the entire tour.
“We’re grateful for the special night we did get to share with some of you in New York with that rare live moment,” they said. “If opportunity, public safety and scheduling allow, we hope to be able to revisit this again sometime soon. Thank you for all your love and support throughout the years.”
Law enforcement has identified the person who recently shot an NYPD officer in the Bronx. Reports named rapper C Blu, aka Camrin Williams, as the shooter, revealing his name despite him being a minor.
According to the Daily News, the 16 years old is a Bronx native and is being accused of shooting the officer during a tussle over the kid’s stolen gun. C Blu is a rising voice in the Bronx Drill movement and is friends with another popular rapper named Kay Flock.
NYPD reports that officers were called to break up a “disorderly crowd” near a building on Lorillard Place near Third Ave. The young rapper was a part of the crowd. However, when a police officer told him to do something, he refused to follow directives that a cop gave. The officer instructed him to take his hands out of his pockets, and it was this act of defiance that launched the fight between the officer and the child.
During the altercation, C Blu shot himself in the leg. The bullet went through his leg and grazed Officer Kaseem Pennant’s leg.
C Blu was arraigned this week in Bronx Supreme Court. Assistant District Attorney Joseph Maniscalco noted at the arraignment that before this most recent incident, the 11th grader was already on probation for gun possession.
“This defendant has taken to social media and appeared multiple times displaying a firearm that looks similar to the firearm he possessed in the incident,” Maniscalco said.
Still, despite the testimony of the cops, C Blu has pleaded not guilty to criminal possession of a weapon, second-degree assault, and other weapons charges.
His lawyer, Dawn Florio, said, “My client never touched the gun. You could hear the people saying that they thought the police officer shot my client.”
Tekashi’s old attorney worked to get the judge to set his bail at $200,000 and further charges that her client is targeted because of his celebrity.
She presented her artist’s as a high school kid who raps also.
C Blu is interesting and some of this is true. He said once in a YouTube interview earlier this month that he wanted to go to college. He said, “I’m still at school s— still. You gotta be smart … I want to be a biochemist, besides this rapping s—. I was really into science.”
Rapper Kanye West sent a shot out to Netflix about their airing of the new documentary about to drop. He wants them to know he needs approval before it airs.
Titled “jeen-yuhs: A Kanye Trilogy,” this movie features early footage of the musical genius shot and is directed by his friend Coodie Simmons and Chike Ozah. It will premiere this month at the 2022 Sundance Festival.
Ye took to social media to say, “I’m going to say this kindly for the last time … I must get final edit and approval on this doc before it releases on Netflix.”
“Open the edit room immediately so I can be in charge of my own image … Thank you in advance,” he concluded.
The documentary spans over two decades, starting at a time before he debuted his first album, and includes behind-the-scenes footage of the rapper, his friends, and even his mother.
Kanye is listed as a producer on the film. Some fans and movie lovers are worried that with the artist in that role, he will gloss over the offering and sanitize himself.
Simmons cleared that up to Variety, “When his team and the business people have gotten involved, they’re of course going to have their say. But I needed to tell this story.”
“It’s not about making Kanye likable or not,” he continued. “The footage doesn’t lie. What makes the film special is that it’s not something definitive; it’s his journey through my vision.”
Bronx native and rap icon Fat Joe and some of his famous rap friends will be taking over HOT 97 and WBLS on Jan. 22 to raise money for families impacted by the tragic 3-alarm fire at the Twin Parks North-West apartment building in his beloved borough. The day-long fundraiser, lasting from 10 AM EST to 7 PM EST, will feature The Don on-air, crossing both of New York’s biggest urban stations.
Joining the “All the Way Up” rapper will be artists like French Montana, A Boogie, Remy Ma, Dream Doll, Slick Rick, B-Lovee, Jeff Redd, and many more. The Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson is also scheduled to pop in.
Fat Joe shared, “I’d like to express my appreciation for my family at HOT97, WBLS, and all my friends that are supporting this fundraising effort.”
“It’s critical that we continue to come together,” he continued. “And uplift our Bronx brothers and sisters who are suffering physically, mentally, and emotionally from this tragedy.”
On Jan. 11, the now-social media influencer teamed up with the New York City Mayor’s Fund to Advance New York City to create the Bronx Relief Fund.
Prompted by the devastating loss of the 17 lives, dozens more injured and displaced because of the blaze, this effort is designed to raise money for those in need.
Joe has used his influence to persuade Nas, JAY-Z, LL Cool J, DJ Khaled, Jack Dorsey to donate to the fund. He also had business brands like White Castle to drop a contribution into the pot, and within 24 hours raised over $1 million.
To make a contribution to the Bronx Relief Fund at The Mayor’s Fund to Advance New York City, please visit https://fatjoe.me/donatebronx and 100 percent of all donations will help impacted families and enable the distribution of emergency supplies for victims.
Monday, April 18 is the National Tax Day for 2022 in the United States. That is the last date Americans have to file iirndividual income tax to the federal government.
New York-raised rapper Jordan “Pardison Fontaine” Thorpe believes Black Americans should be exempt from being taxpayers. He took to Twitter to explain his viewpoint on not paying taxes.
“Black [people] shouldn’t have to pay taxes… We built this whole s### for free,” tweeted Pardison Fontaine on Wednesday, January 19.
The Under8ed project creator added, “I really feel like it’s the least they could do… every other group [received] some type of reparation for [their] injustice… not us tho.”
Pardison Fontaine further expounded on his thoughts about taxes in subsequent tweets. According to the 32-year-old emcee, even purchases at fast-food restaurants like McDonald’s should be tax-free for African-Americans.
“[And] I mean no tax on nothing either McDouble 99¢… that’s all you get [f### outta here] with the $1.06 s###,” posted Pardison Fontaine. “Might [because] it’s [getting] close to February and my ancestors getting riled up… but America really on some s###.”
Pardison Fontaine is best known for singles such as “Oyyy,” “Rodman,” “Backin’ It Up” featuring Cardi B, and “Peach” featuring City Girls. The Grammy winner also made headlines in recent years for his romantic relationship with Houston rapper Megan Thee Stallion.
Paid in Full is now considered a Hip Hop cult classic. Roc-A-Fella Records co-founder Damon “Dame” Dash is credited as one of the producers for the 2002 motion picture starring Cameron “Cam’ron” Giles, Wood Harris, and Mekhi Phifer.
According to Dame Dash, fans can expect a sequel to Paid In Full in the near future. Dash confirmed he is working on another edition of the 1980s-set crime drama.
“I’m about to shoot Paid In Full in Newark,” Damon Dash told AllHipHop‘s Chuck Creekmur during an exclusive interview. The Charles Stone III-directed movie told the story of Harlem drug dealers Rico (Cam’ron), Ace (Harris), and Mitch (Phifer).
Dame Dash added, “It’s what happens after he put all that work on the street, and somebody had to get that money back. And I actually was one of the only d######## that lost money. Well, not d######, but I lost money in that one. Everyone else caught bricks, I lost 10 racks, I’m 16.”
Paid in Full generated $3,116,526 at the global box office. The movie’s soundtrack, released in October 2002 via Roc-A-Fella Records and Def Jam Recordings, included contributions by Cam’ron, Jay-Z, Master P, and other rap stars.
“There’s a lot of perspectives that people don’t know. We chose three, really one. Now I’m showing all perspectives,” stated Dame Dash about the forthcoming Paid In Full 2.
The native New Yorker added, “So you’ll see a perspective from the stickup kids at the time, see a perspective of the younger dudes, I was a younger dude, the 16-year-olds. You’ll see perspectives from Kevin Childs, Jay Black, everybody, Lou Simms. It’s going to be off the hook. Trust me. A lot of other little stories will be told.”
Brooklyn rapper Fivio Foreign had something to say about comments Atlanta’s Trinidad James made in 2021. Last year, James appeared on the Drink Champs podcast where he talked about the success of his “All Gold Everything” song.
The 2013 XXL Freshman continued, “Then every [record] label from then on out, until right now, is still trying to find artists to make them go viral. That’s what they do.”
This week, Fivio Foreign decided to respond to those Trinidad James claims from eight months ago. The “Big Drip” rhymer took to Twitter to share his opinion about the “going viral” discussion.
“Trinidad James musta lost his fuccin mind talkin he started da word Viral,” tweeted Fivio Foreign on Wednesday. That tweet collected over 1,300 likes on the platform.
Trinidad James musta lost his fuccin mind talkin he started da word Viral.
Ten years ago, Trinidad James dropped the “All Gold Everything” single. The Devon “M.E.” Gallaspy-produced track became a Top 40 hit and eventually earned Platinum certification from the Recording Industry Association of America.
Fellow Atlanta native Soulja Boy jumped into the “going viral” conversation as well. The “Crank That” hitmaker replied to a post about the Fivio Foreign-Trinidad James situation in DJ Akademiks’s Instagram comment section.
Soulja Boy wrote, “I was the first rapper to go viral 😂I went viral before ‘viral’ was a word 😂😂😂.” That comment amassed more than 7,000 likes on Instagram and over 400 replies.
2007’s “Crank That” was Soulja Boy’s breakout hit. The lead single off the souljaboytellem.com album peaked at #1 on Billboard‘s Hot 100 chart for seven weeks. “Crank That” also garnered Soulja Boy a Grammy nomination for Best Rap Song.
Digga D has been teasing his track with Liverpool’s StillBrickin since last November when he posted a snippet of the video on Instagram.
The West London rapper samples G Unit’s “Stunt 101.” H pays homage to 50 Cent, borrowing from his cadence and flow. Digga’s D’s close friend and rising talent StillBrikin hops on the second verse of the song.
Listen To Digga D X StillBrickin – Pump 101
Digga D had a breakout year in 2021 after the success of his mixtape, “Made in the Pyrex.” He was named the second-best U.K rapper by Complex U.K in December 2021 in a close race to the top spot with famed wordsmith Dave.
However, it appeared Digga D could be throwing his whole career away when rumors began circulating at the end of November that he had been arrested in Dubai. He was trending on Twitter for two days as reports suggested he was facing life imprisonment for stabbing someone while there. He later cleared up the matter confirming that while he did get arrested, he was not involved in any criminal activity and was released without charge.
Digga D fell foul of the harsh U.K laws concerning drill music in 2018. He was given a criminal behavior order banning him from using certain names, locations, and themes in his lyrics. Meanwhile, on the other side of the pond, Jay-Z is among the artists arguing for a change in New York law that would prevent rap lyrics from being used as evidence in criminal trials. The “Rap Music on Trial” legislation is intended to ban prosecutors from citing lyrics except in cases of “clear and convincing proof” of a link between lyrics and a crime.
Overnight, news broke that FTN Bae issued a video apology for accusing Doodie Lo of sexually assaulting her child. Doodie Lo, a member of Lil Durk’s OTF collective, apparently passed a lie detector test which prompted FTN Bae’s public mea culpa.
However, just hours later, FTN Bae is now claiming she was forced to make that statement about Doodie Lo. The influencer/rapper returned to Instagram to accuse Doodie Lo of pressuring her to apologize.
“My hand was forced making that Live. I had no choice,” said FTN Bae. “My son was questioned with David [Doodie Lo] on the phone. And my son got scared and denied everything.”
She continued, “If I didn’t issue [an] apology he would have released the audio and manipulated the story even more AND I’M GENUINELY TIRED. I was backed into a corner. As soon as I got off Live my son came in my room cause he peed his pants, crying saying he’s scared and confused.
FTN Bae then posted footage of what she claims is another child who witnessed the alleged assault against her son. In the clips, a young girl named Alex can be heard saying she saw David chasing Wesley before making the boy cry.
“It’s too much details from both kids. When [Doodie Lo] ‘passed’ his test, me and Wesley [were] put on the spot. And my son LIED! HE LIED BECAUSE THE MAN WHO HE’S SAYING TOUCHED HIM IS ON THE PHONE AFTER PASSING A TEST,” posted FTN Bae on her Instagram Story.
The Maryland native added, “This is not getting dropped and will remain to be fought in court. My son’s nightmares are REAL. What Alex said she saw is REAL. The trauma that my son deals with emotionally is REAL. And I stand with the kid no matter what that n#### do.”
FTN Bae went on to claim she is still working with law enforcement to investigate her son’s allegations against Doodie Lo. She ended an IG Story post by writing, “That’s my last and [final] word and a n#### is not going to sit here and keep playing with my life and this s### like it’s a damn f###### joke.”
Several blogs screen-recorded FTN Bae’s recent Instagram Live. In the video, she apologizes to Doodie Lo after the representative of Lil Durk’s Only The Family crew apparently passed a lie detector test.
“I’m gonna publicly apologize and say that [Doodie Lo] finally took a lie detector test. It took a while. It didn’t have to take so long,” said FTN Bae. “I never was trying to ruin his career or trying to get clout. I just believed my son.”
FTN Bae originally called Doodie Lo a “sick man” after her son allegedly claimed the rapper inserted threescrews in the child’s a###. Doodie Lo denied he molested the boy, but FTN Bae still doubled down on the allegations.
At one point, it appeared the troubling situation was headed to a civil trial. Doodie Lo sought a defamation lawsuit against FTN Bae. They both exchanged legal threats on social media as well. However, it appears Doodie Lo is ready to move on from the matter.
“At the end of the day, I ain’t gonna lie to y’all. I forgive her,” said Doodie Lo in an Instagram video. “I don’t know. I got a forgiving heart. It did f### up a lot of s### like with my kids, my family, my team, all that… I just always wanted to show my innocence.”
Swizz Beatz is celebrating the 30th anniversary of Interscope Records, joining them in an exploration of over 50 albums recreated by some of the most talented artists of the modern era.
Interscope shared the post and added details of how to buy the artwork.
“Tune in to @NTWRK on January 27-31 to purchase these limited edition vinyls with signed gallery quality giclée printed covers. The artwork for each album has been beautifully fixed to a custom dyed linen-wrapped vinyl jacket, and is presented in premium packaging designed by Italian luxury fashion house, @gucci.”
Interscope also revealed the proceeds will be donated to the Iovine and Young Foundation. The fund will go towards building high schools in South Los Angeles.
Interscope co-founder Jimmy Iovine was one of the executives behind the project. He explained the label’s “original mission was to find the most profound artists, empower their creativity and watch what happens…For the 30th, we wanted to continue that vision by assembling the most admired visual artists and empower them with that same creative license to honor the musical artists we have worked with over three decades.”
In addition, the works will be displayed at an exhibition at the LA County Museum of Art between Jan. 30-Feb. 13. Artists including Damien Hirst, Kehinde Wiley, Takashi Murakami, revisited works from musicians including Tupac, Kendrick Lamar, Lady Gaga, Dr. Dre, and many others.
Meanwhile, click here for more information, including how to purchase the limited edition Interscope vinyls.
Fat Joe has revealed he likes to keep his children humble despite his wealth.
During a recent episode of the “I Am Athlete” podcast, the Bronx Bomber revealed he values being honest about your finances. Especially with your loved ones!
“You should never lie to yourself. Don’t even lie to your family,” Fat Joe said. I tell my wife, I tell my kids, we are not Sean ‘P. Diddy’ Combs or Shawn Carter, Jay-Z. One day my son– he was like, 19 [years old], he’s like, ‘Yo dad, look at this!’ I look at it, he got Dr. Dre son on a private plane, you got Jay-Z. He’s like, ‘This is how the sons are moving now!’.”
However, Fat Joe kept it real with his son and taught him the importance of living within his means.
“I was like, ‘You ain’t f#####’ movin’!’.. We ain’t got that sh*t! So, stop lookin’ at them m####**ckas and stay the course! Stay in your lane, because a lot of—it can be women, too—but a lot of men lose themselves by not trying to keep it real with themselves.”
Elsewhere during the show, Fat Joe named what he thinks is the greatest rap lyric ever, and it comes from a fellow New York legend.
“The hardest lyric in Hip Hop is on JAY-Z’s first album when he said, ‘Something something and we will be each other’s crutches,” he said referencing Hov’s “Feelin’ It” from “Reasonable Doubt.”
Listen to the clip below where Fat Joe explains his interpretation of the bar.
Mary J Blige has dropped a brand new song with Dave East, “Rent Money.”
The single will appear on her 16th studio album, the forthcoming “Good Morning Gorgeous.” The project is due to arrive on streaming platforms on February 11. Notably, Mary J Blige will perform at the Super Bowl LVI halftime show just two days later in Inglewood, California.
The Queen of Hip-Hop Soul worked with Dave East on the song “Know How I Feel,” from East’s 2021 “Karma 3” deluxe album. At the time, the rapper revealed that he and Mary J Blige were planning a joint album and had already recorded four songs. “When you’re such a fan of somebody, or grew up on somebody’s music or just tuned into them so long … it’s fire. It just put me in another zone knowing who I’m working with. Knowing the legacy that she already got and the fact that she even working with me.”
Mary released another two songs from “Good Morning Gorgeous” in December, the title track and DJ Khaled feature, “Amazing.”
Meanwhile, Mary J Blige had another reason to celebrate this week. She was nominated for an NAACP Image Award for her role as Monet “Power Book II: Ghost.”
Sharing the good news on Instagram she wrote, “Monet ain’t playing with y’all out here!!! #PowerGhost.” Mary will find out on February 27 whether she has won the Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series.
Mary J Blige spoke to AllHipHop.com about her role as Monet and discusses being hand-picked by 50 Cent for the role.
He took to Instagram to share an unboxing video to celebrate their arrival. The shoes arrived in a monogrammed LV box complete with a matching tag and white strap. Khaled carefully removes the cloth protection bags to reveal the bright red sneakers. He then turns the shoe over in his hand, inspecting every aspect of the design.
“Wow. Virgil is here and Virgil is still here,” he said, referencing the subtitle of LV’s posthumous fashion show tribute to the late designer. “This is so beautiful, nah this is unbelievable, look at this. Get a close up.”
A card with a note written from the visionary creative read, “Virgil was here. Sign of the times, the most authentic high-end sneaker ever made. Transcending fashion into an art object through craftsmanship.”
Meanwhile, Louis Vuitton and Nike announced on Wednesday that 200 limited-edition Air Force 1 sneakers designed by Virgil Abloh will go on auction at Sotheby’s. The auction runs from Jan. 26 to Feb. 8 with bids for the exclusive colorways starting at $2,000. Sneakerheads who miss out on the auction will have to wait until later this year when LV launches a commercial run with limited quantities available.
Women’s Wear Daily reported that the proceeds of the auction will be going to the Virgil Abloh “Post Modern” Scholarship Fund. The designer created the fund in 2020 for Black fashion students and told WWD at the time:
”As a Black designer, I found my way through school, and a mixture of creative projects, and I had to make a name for myself. That took a lot of years and a lot of meetings and a lot of runway shows and a lot of work, and I wanted to make that door open for a younger generation to sort of have a pathway that stays open.”
“I was a student on a campus that was largely not as diverse as the world is,” Virgil Abloh explained. “And it’s important to set up this foundation specifically for Black students who may feel like in the industry of fashion, they don’t see many people that they can identify with,” he added.
