Johnny Lugauttiis a rockstar hailing from North Carolina, and now he has one of the hottest records in the rap game. Teaming up with hip-hop heavyweight Kevin Gates for a brand new single titled “Prada Me,” the heavy-hitting track features an addicting hook with metaphoric verses from each of the artists.
The emotion-provoking beat was provided personally by platinum producer Jay P Bangz, who helped to bring Mozzy his first plaque.
Speaking on the collab, Johnny states, “It was big for me. Kevin Gates one of the GOATs of the game so that was huge for me.. the song is basically saying no matter how good my dad did in life, I still want to be better than him and that he’s proud of what I’ve become. I know everybody was skeptical about the rockstar thing, but in due time. Everyone was “Prada Me” for being a rockstar, and I honestly ain’t did s### yet.”
Lugautti has won the hearts of his fans with his unexpected style and innate ability for creating bangers. He spent the last two years grinding and elevating his creative process. A strong team and features from Euro Gotit and Snap Dogg paved his way to working with industry icons like Kevin Gates and even Yung Bleu.
The rising star got behind the mic before he was a teen and shocked everyone with a flow beyond his years. Don’t let the simplicity of his tracks fool you as his creative music speaks wonders for the old and new generations.
Rapping isn’t just a gimmick for The Acclaimed’s Max Caster.
The AEW wrestler is known for the amusing raps he performs on TV, but he takes his music seriously. He loves Hip Hop, having grown up listening to the likes of Dipset and The L.O.X. before discovering artists such as Atmosphere and Murs.
Max Caster tries to record music as much as he can amid his busy schedule. Life as a professional wrestler comes with constant travel, making it difficult to devote time to his ambitions as a rapper.
“The double-edged sword with me being my own engineer, producer, mixer [and] promoter is that there is a lot of work,” he told AllHipHop. “So, I’m constantly making music, constantly writing music, but I’d like to say that … I should be recording music a lot more than I am. The weeks are tough. Travel is tough. I do a lot of outside shows, trying to meet the people. So, I will be recording more stuff.”
Max Caster has released his fair share of music, including 2021’s Critically Acclaimed Vol. 1 project. But he wants his next work, Vol. 2, to be a more intimate experience.
“I think on the next one, it’s going to be a lot more of my personal journey as a wrestler,” he explained. “The last album was a lot of the diss tracks we did for matches we were having on TV. And those were all great. But now we don’t have that many diss tracks coming out because we don’t know what we’re doing week to week.”
He continued, “So, I have a lot of time to write and a lot of tracks to fill. So, if I have 15 tracks, and maybe only one of them is a diss track that we’ve done for TV, well, I’m going to start to talk about my life and what it’s like to be a professional wrestler.”
Max Caster doesn’t have a release date for Vol. 2, but he plans to drop before the end of 2022. He also has his eyes on winning AEW titles with his tag team partner Anthony Bowens.
“The tag team titles is the number one goal,” he said. “Anthony and I are the best tag team in wrestling. We’re the most popular tag team, the most handsome tag team as well … I think it’s about time The Acclaimed got a little bit more respect. The next time we get a shot at those belts, we are going to win them. And everybody’s going to be super happy because everyone loves The Acclaimed.”
Check out AllHipHop’s full interview with Max Caster below.
Funk Flex is on a mission to prove he is still ‘that guy” on New York radio after Conway The Machine criticized him earlier this month for being a gatekeeper.
He recalled asking Method Man if the DJ would play their collab, “Double Barrel.” While the Wu-Tang legend said Flex would definitely play it on the radio, Math says he never did. Then he added, “This is why I said ‘rest in peace Kay Slade. New York is in trouble.”
Meanwhile, Funk Flex caught wind of Math Hoffa’s comments and challenged the rapper to send him a hot song to play. “Lets not talk about it? Be about it?,” he wrote on Instagram, sharing a clip of Math’s comments.
He told Math Hoffa, “get me 5 songs before thursday 7pm!!! Lets see if you ready!!!! If u got a hot one I will play it… if nothing aint hot out of the 5 songs we keep it moving????“ Funk Flex wrote.
The battle rap legend turned top podcaster did not back down from the challenge, confirming he was with the smoke during an appearance on Battle Rap media platform Verified Source. While he acknowledged Funk Flex “gave us years of classic moments, and broke so many records for the town,” he added, ”it hasn’t been happening the way it used to.”
Math Hoffa then asked his fans to help him choose the five songs during a live stream celebrating reaching 500,000 YouTube followers on his My Expert Opinion channel.
True to his word, Funk Flex chose Math’s new “Super Gangsta,” single and played it live while giving him his props. “Math, you delivered my brother. I see you and I commend you my brother.” Flex then called out Julez Santana. Check out the clip and listen to the new Math Hoffa track below alongside “RIP Sam Smith Freestyle” from Conway and Funk Flex.
In an exclusive interview with AllHipHop.com, Math Hoffa explained why the challenge was about putting on for New York City and not beef with Funk Flex. “I love my city; I fell in love with Hip-Hop here and I believe if you love something or someone you support them,” he shared. Math says the success of the Griselda camp and artists like Joey Bada$$ “proved this NY sound is still very much desired, so it’s perfect timing for me.”
Ne-Yo! Bro! Your wife has you on wave motion blast! Anybody know what that is?
She wrote a letter and that letter spelled it out.
“8 years of lies and deception,” she began. “8 years of unknowingly sharing my life and husband with numerous of women who sell their bodies to him unprotected… every last one of them! To say I’m heartbroken and disgusted is an understatement. To ask me to stay and accept it is absolutely insane. The mentality of a narcissist. I will no longer lie to the public or pretend that this is something it isn’t. I choose me, I choose my happiness and health and my respect.
I gained 3 beautiful children out of this but nothing else but wasted years and heartache. I ask that you all please stop sending me videos or information of him cheating because what he does is no longer my concern. I am not a victim.
I’m choosing to stand tall with my head held high. If someone can’t love you the way you deserve then it’s up to you to love yourself. With no hate in my heart I wish him nothing but the best.”
Ne-Yo and his former lady were a hot item that teetered on the verge of divorce off and on for years. He filed in 2020, but when the pandemic hit, they credited it for saving the relationship. Then, when I saw them on TV, they aimed to fix all the errors of the past. That clearly did not happen. I wish their kids Roman Alexander-Raj, Shaffer Chimere Jr. and Isabella Rose all the best, because this has to be a serious blow to them.
Wait a second. Just this year, Mase blasted Diddy for doing Diddy things. We all know that Bad Boy Records founder is a savvy business man. And everybody is not as savvy as he is. I am thinking Mase just does not know what to do when he is now accused of doing the very same thing that he was upset with Sean “Diddy” Combs of doing allegedly. In fact, Mase may be worse!
https://www.instagram.com/p/Cgpuq00jNS7/
As you may have seen, Mase signed Fivo Foreign to a deal for $5,000. First of all, as far as I know, Mase has no record label, management company or even a production company. But, OK. He’s Mase. Secondly, when Diddy was signing people, they did get a pretty large sum of money upfront. Not a measly $5k!
Then this happened:
https://www.instagram.com/reel/CgpBQ4ajkBy/
It seemed like yesterday when Betha said the following:
“When I see the hurt and the pain of other people on Bad Boy, that motivates me to say something. So I don’t be deemed as a person who just made a bunch of money and turned a blind eye. I’m not going to be like the rest of the people around Puff that don’t tell him he’s wrong. I’m not gonna be like the yes men around him that see him ruining people lives and never tell him he’s wrong. More people on here will tell me I’m wrong, but won’t say anything to him.”
I am confused at why he would then turn around and do the same to the younger generation. OK, hurt people hurt people.
Seriously though, business is business. And yet Brother Mase is a minister of a church. I feel that he could do better by Fivio. Looking at the comments, more people seem to key-keying that complaining.
So, I have not heard the video that I am posting next, but I heard Mase explains it all. Hopefully he makes some sense of it.
After a surge of gang-related violence was linked to Drill music, New York City’s Mayor Eric Adams took a hard position against the genre.
In a recent interview, Mayor Adams told the public about his plans to do away with the savageness of the music. He also said it is not without pushback – including his own family.
Jordan Coleman, the son of the second-Black Mayor of the Big Apple, gave a reality check to pops, saying, “you can’t ban a genre of music.”
The 26-year-old, who works with drill rappers at Jay-Z’s Roc Nation, had some words for his own dad during an interview with Complex.
“Coming out saying that the drill scene is going to be banned is outrageous because you can’t ban a genre of music — any kind of genre of music,” Jordan Coleman said.
During the Mayor’s press conference, he told the media his son shared drill songs with him and explained the basic themes of the rap style.
The New York Post says in text messages between Mayor Eric Adams and his son about the topic, the son checked his dad for talking about Drill music in an unflattering way.
Coleman said, “Dad, you cannot speak for me. I have Drill rappers on our label as clients, and I like Drill music. You cannot ban a genre. And I’m not sure why you said what you said, but I disagree.”
Still, Mayor Eric Adams is adamant that he has to do something, responding, ‘I understand what you’re saying, and you’re allowed to disagree. We come from different times.”
In February, he challenged social media companies to step in. He told them, “You have a civic and corporate responsibility.”
“We pulled Trump off Twitter because of what he was spewing. Yet we are allowing music [with] displaying of guns, violence. We allow this to stay on the sites,” Mayor Adams said.
Coleman, though they disagree, understands why his dad is locked in on Drill rap.
“He has to understand that it’s a style people choose,” Coleman said. “There’s abstract art where people will throw paint on a canvas and then call it abstract. And then there’s mumble rap, and there’s other subgenres within Hip-Hop. His version of Hip-Hop was a little bit different from what my version of Hip-Hop is today.”
“As Mayor of any city, you want your city to be safe, and you want people to have a good time in your city. You want people to come there, not to kill people, but to spend money and to enjoy themselves and create memories,” Coleman added.
“So, I think his focus was on the social media companies to not promote the bragging of killing one another.”
Budding Musical Artist Five Star is an up-and-coming musician who has a full head of steam to become a household name. Five Star knew he was different at an early age. Throughout his childhood, he dreamed about experiencing life as a successful artist. Although he loved music even then, opportunities to advance his career were practically nonexistent. That left him with only two choices; stay in the same place, or take risks; he chose the latter.
He understands the power of convicting lyricism. It’s like a sharp sword that cuts to the heart, separating right and wrong, tugging on the heartstrings of our entire being. Words can push people to accomplish remarkable feats and make their pursuits a reality. This power either builds people up or tears them down, no matter how challenging things seem. A powerful message can inspire artists and optimists to be creative, as so many have proved over the centuries.
Five Star’s journey to becoming a seasoned musician is fascinating. Although he had to overcome personal obstacles and self-doubt, and broken relationships, chasing his passion continued to fan the flame of his ever-growing hunger to showcase his talent to the world. Now, he continues to grow from every release and leverages the support he receives from his fanbase to help him solidify his platform.
2022 seems to be taking off for Five Star; it’s undeniable that his reach is increasing, his songs are ranking, and heartfelt music is making a difference in the lives of many. But, for sure, his influence continues to grow every day.
After eight years of marriage, a judge has ordered rapper Xzibit to pay support to his estranged wife, Krista Joiner.
According to Radar Online, as of Monday, August 1st, he will have to pay Joiner $2,239 a month in child support for the care of their 10-year-old son Gatlyn for the next eight years.
For her care, he has been ordered to dish out an additional $3,702 a month in temporary spousal support and an additional $5,941 to square up support arrearages for July.
On top of that, he has to compensate Joiner $50,000 for the forensic accountant to audit his finances and $125,000 for her legal bills.
This means he will have to shell out a little under a quarter mil before they get back to court in February, making one ask if it is “cheaper to keep her?”
So, you may wonder, how does “The Pimp My Ride” host have that much money? He invests well.
Xzibit and his business partner Dr. Dre own a cannabis business, Brass Knuckles, worth an estimated $170 million, and the Napalm brand of marijuana.
Xzibit and Krista Joiner are going through what looks to be a nasty divorce. The rapper claims that Krista and her new man are shacked up in their $3 million home with her new boyfriend without permission.
Xzibit and Krista were married in a lavish ceremony in Laguna Beach, California, in December of 2014. Their wedding went fine, but the rapper was busted for DUI immediately after the reception.
Krista filed for divorce from Xzibit in February of 2021.
What is music? Is it the coming together of different sounds and frequencies? Or is it an expression of its creator? Or perhaps an interpretation on the part of the listener? Music, it seems, is all of this at the same time. Think about any piece of music you have ever heard, and you’ll find bits and pieces of all these aspects bound together to create every song. This is why Hittin da Bullseye fame Jonny Sierra believes that music speaks louder than what’s heard. Let’s hear his take.
Music is a gift for humanity. It has, in fact, been a part of nature all along. However, the ears that were to hear and appreciate it took longer to come about. But once human beings had started to evolve, they observed the sounds of nature and enjoyed its complex rhythmic patterns, as though they appeared from a divine throat itself. This sound-only quality of music has been with us longer than words have been. Once language came about, words naturally found their way into music.
And today, we seldom have musical pieces that aren’t accompanied by words. For Jonny Sierra, “the words are a part of the music. They aren’t required to make music, music. They are a part of music and its growth. And the music itself is what the creator brings to the audience. He or she might be guided by a force of inspiration or be just looking for a vent or a way of understanding something complex.
And it’s that present moment that gets embedded in the music created. Of course, then it’s the audiences’ turn to color it with their own understanding. For me, the ability of music to take on all forms yet maintain its core is something that goes beyond all the raw ingredients that create it.”
Jonny Sierra’s enthusiasm and passion are contagious indeed. And we wish him all the best.
Cardi B’s highly anticipated showdown with the man claiming she stole his distinct back tattoo has been postponed.
One of the lawyers representing Cardi in the 5-year battle has become seriously ill, so a California judge has agreed to postpone rapper Cardi B’s upcoming trial until later in the fall.
According to an order on Friday, July 29th, U.S. District Judge Cormac J. Carney rescheduled her August 3rd trial until October 8th. He granted the extension because Cardi’s lawyer, Alan G. Dowling’s health problems were so bad that he would not be able to represent her.
Civil minutes from the court say, “Due to the unavailability of defense counsel because of serious illness, the court continues the trial date in this case to Tuesday, October 18th, 2022, at 8:30 a.m. Defendants are ordered to substitute new counsel by Friday, August 12th, 2022.
Dowling started working on this case in October 2017, after Kevin Michael Brophy, a musician, and surfer, alleged the cover of her first project, “Gangsta B##ch Music, Vol. 1,” featured a private picture of him appearing to simulate oral sex on her.
The outrageous cover shows the Grammy Award-winning star tossing back a 40-ounce of beer while a man is snuggled comfortably between her opened thighs.
Brophy insists the man is him, saying the back tattoo of a snake and a tiger displayed on the album art was stolen and superimposed without his consent.
Cardi B, real name Belcalis Almanzar, slammed the lawsuit during a deposition, saying, “It’s ridiculous. It’s wasting my time. It’s wasting my money. Like, I could really be with my kid right now. Like, I’m really upset because I really have to be with my kid…All because of some bulls##t.”
Kevin Michael Brophy is asking for $5 million in damages and a percentage of the project’s earnings since its release.
August 3rd was supposed to be the start of jury selection for the trial. But like at times before, something came up to deter proceedings. In October of 2021, Brophy’s lawyer Larry Conlan wanted to sanction Cardi after she was granted a new trial date because she had just given birth the previous month.
Brophy’s attorney Larry Conlan said to Law & Crime in an email, “We’ve been ready to try this case for two years now. Of course, we’re not happy about another delay, but it will be brief, and then our client can finally get this invasion of his privacy stopped, and justice served.”
Billie Eilish gets “social anxiety” whenever she has to step inside of a recording studio.
In an interview with Zane Lowe on Apple Music 1, the Happier Than Ever hitmaker shared that she doesn’t like the “vibe” of studios.
“I don’t like studios. I don’t like sessions. I don’t like (that) there’s a runner, and he asks you what kind of food you want at so-and-so, and he asks you if you want a La Croix (water),” the 20-year-old sighed.
“I really have never liked the vibe of studios. There’s no windows. It smells like weed. There’s other artists there – you bump into them, you look stupid. Then you’re embarrassed that they saw you when you looked stupid. I don’t know, it freaks me out. It truly gives me social anxiety to be in a recording studio… it’s not my gig, I don’t enjoy it.”
Elsewhere in the chat, Billie also noted that she prefers working with her musician/producer brother Finneas over anyone else.
“I have no idea what is to come. That’s what so interesting about thinking about, ‘Would you ever do this and that,’ because we all as people feel like we’re all going to be the same thing always, forever, and it’s just not realistic,” she continued. “I did work with a lot of people for a couple of years, and I just really didn’t enjoy it, honestly. I just don’t.”
The Brooklyn clergyman, who was recently robbed (along with his wife) during church service for $1 million worth of jewelry as his 20 to 26 parishioners watched in fear, is now in the headlines for allegedly being a crook.
A former member of his church alleges that he stole her retirement savings – a total of $90,000.
Bishop Lamor Miller Whitehead was robbed on Sunday, July 24th, as the church live-streamed on Facebook. The flamboyant preacher connected to several rap artists (including his cousin Foxy Brown) told police and the insurance company the thieves took off with a gang of bling.
What he didn’t mention to the cops was a lawsuit filed by 56-year-old Pauline Anderson last year in Brooklyn Supreme Court that alleges he was taking her money to invest in one of his firms.
It was her entire life savings.
Anderson did this because he promised to help her fix her credit so she could buy a home, the lawsuit states.
The complaint says in November of 2020, the woman gave her pastor the money in a cashier’s check, with the understanding he would give her $100 monthly allowances to pay for her living expenses and help her buy and renovate a house.
Instead, Whitehead never provided the woman with a receipt and only paid her the $100 once in January of 2021.
Besides that, Bishop Whitehead did not keep up his side of the bargain and even claimed he didn’t have to pay her back for investing the $90,000.
The lawsuit stated, “Mr. Whitehead fraudulently induced Ms. Anderson to liquidate her entire life savings to pay him the ‘investment’ of $90,000.00, promising to use the funds to purchase and renovate a house for her.
“Ms. Anderson was instead left with nothing but a vague promise by Mr. Whitehead to pay the funds back in the future followed by an assertion that he had no further obligation to do so,” the filing alleged.
While she did not get a receipt of the money, she kept text messages. According to a few text messages submitted as exhibits to the lawsuit, he told her that he had invested the money, but she would not be able to get a return soon because it is not easy to access it.
During a text message exchange on May 19th, 2021, Whitehead typed to Anderson, “And for the record anything that was given to me is a Donation unless it’s attached to a contract! I was making investments that’s what I Do!”
He also called the woman’s son a “liar” and promised God would deal with him.
In rebuttal, she said, “All of this because of what? Because you took money that you refuse to pay back and now, you’re quoting scripture to serve your purpose! This is so offensive and did you just go there. You said you were a man of integrity!”
The good Bishop denies wrongdoing and shifted the conversation to the unfavorable character of one of her relatives.
“Her son was a member of my ministry who was removed because he was unintegral. It’s a lawsuit because of who I am. Everybody that tried to sue me because of my celebrity status is just gonna keep going in trying to do what they do,” he told the Daily News.
The lawsuit confirms Anderson’s son Rasheed Anderson did introduce her to Whitehead’s ministry.
Months after this exchange, the Bishop “accidentally” emailed the son a copy of a contract for a $4.4 million mansion in Saddle River, New Jersey, which he was planning to buy. The lawsuit claims Anderson’s money was used as a down payment.
According to reports, Bishop Whitehead owns a $1.6 million home in Paramus, New Jersey. But he may be on hard times.
The apartments he bought in Hartford, Connecticut, have fallen into default because the Bishop has not made his mortgage payment since June.
Public records state this purchase never went through. Still, Anderson believes the Bishop is a crook.
Hilaria Baldwin claims her husband is the victim of unknown conspirators who are out to destroy her husband Alec Baldwin’s life! Read more!
Hilaria Baldwin has suggested that “enemies” have sought to “destroy” her husband Alec Baldwin’s life.
The yoga instructor, currently expecting her seventh child with the “30 Rock” actor, took to Instagram to share a black-and-white photo of the couple cuddling in bed.
In the accompanying caption, Hilaria reflected on some of the “darker” aspects of being married to a man in the public eye.
“The darker part is seeing behind the curtain at how some of this ‘business’ can function and the blows and sacrifices that someone in the public eye takes for speaking up for what they believe and for helping others,” the 38-year-old wrote. “Enemies of these missions seek to destroy you, in order to delegitimize your voice and purpose. This is not a new tactic… it’s as old as history…yet, how easy it is now more than ever to slander people and cherry-pick and piece together strands taken out of context, ‘opinions,’ or complete fabrications. And how some people believe it or stay silent out of fear.”
Alec and Hilaria have experienced a difficult couple of years. In December 2020, the entrepreneur faced allegations that she faked her Spanish accent and misled people about her nationality.
Alec has consistently maintained his innocence and recently said he feels “very hopeful” that he won’t be held criminally responsible for the fatal shooting.
And while Hilaria didn’t explicitly refer to the incidents in her message, she praised her partner for his “humanity.”
“Unfortunately, having experienced the dehumanization myself, (another old tactic to go after the spouse of your enemy)…leads us to the moments when we think: how much more can one body and one mind take before we crumple beneath the psychological torture?” she asked.
Beyoncé also hinted she may be unveiling more new music in the near future.
“This three-act project was recorded over three years during the pandemic. A time to be still, but also a time I found to be the most creative. Creating this album allowed me a place to dream and to find escape during a scary time for the world,” she wrote. “It allowed me to feel free and adventurous in a time when little else was moving. My intention was to create a safe place, a place without judgment. A place to be free of perfectionism and overthinking. A place to scream, release, feel freedom. It was a beautiful journey of exploration.”
And she also credited her late Uncle Jonny for inspiring many elements of the album.
Previously, the “Break My Soul” singer referred to Jonny – who was actually her mother Tina’s nephew – as “the most fabulous gay man.”
“He was my godmother and the first person to expose me to a lot of the music and culture that serve as inspiration for this album,” the 40-year-old continued. “Thank you to all of the pioneers who originate culture, to all of the fallen angels whose contributions have gone unrecognized for far too long. This is a celebration for you.”
To conclude the message, Beyoncé added that she hopes Renaissance inspires fans “to release the wiggle.”
“I gave him the goat. He almost cried. He almost broke down and cried on stage… it was a real moment. You don’t see that in our culture enough,” said Hart during an appearance on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.”
But the hilarious stuff did not go exactly according to plan.
“The goat, uh, goat took a s### on stage. He s### on Chris’s shoes. He destroyed Chris’s shoes. Chris had on some white moon boots, and that goat got him.”
Hart went on to note that he wanted to give Rock, 57, a goat as he has long viewed him as the “Greatest of all Time” or G.O.A.T.
“You know, you guys don’t know, Chris is a mentor, friend, inspiration. He’s a large part of the reason that I am where I am today in my career just from his advice, his insight, et cetera and he’s my G.O.A.T. I wanted him to feel that and understand how I feel about him in front of that audience,” the “Night School” actor continued.
JayDaYoungan was killed in one of three shootings in his hometown of Bogalusa, Louisiana on Wednesday (July 27).
According to police, the 24-year-old rapper’s death highlighted ongoing issues with violence in the city. Bogalusa Police Chief Kendall Bullen was at the scene of the JayDaYoungan shooting when a second incident occurred.
“It’s sad,” Bullen told WWL. “This is Bogalusa. It’s a small community.”
An SUV was shot up minutes away from where JayDaYoungan died. Bullets also struck the home of a man named Ray McGowan.
McGowan was watching television when gunfire erupted, leaving at least five bullet holes in his house. If he was sleeping at the time, the situation may have been worse.
“This is where my bed is at,” McGowan said, noting where the bullets struck his home. “It hit my pillow.”
Another home was shot up later that night. No one was injured as Bogalusa avoided more tragedy in wake of JayDaYoungan’s death.
Bogalusa’s police chief suggested all three shootings are connected.
“It appears sometimes a lot of our shootings and things in the young community are on opposite sides of the rappers they follow and support,” Bullen said.
Police haven’t identified suspects in the fatal shooting that claimed JayDaYoungan’s life. Authorities issued warrants for suspects involved in the second and third shootings.
Hip-hop musician DaeShawn Forrest has been tempting his fans with the release of “something special” ever since the month of March. It all began with the publication of “A Moment’s Time,” his first single of the year, which served as both a song and a short video in which the native of the Bay Area chronicled the rise and collapse of his engagement only months before what would have been his wedding day. With the release of his second song, “Walk Away,” in which he displayed his struggles with moving on from his heartbreak, he advanced the plot.
DaeShawn later went on to record two more singles, the vengeful “Revenge On The Soul” and his most recent one, “Once More,” in which he found a new respect for life after overcoming a depressive episode. Over the course of the last four months, he has published these songs, each of which advances the narrative of DaeShawn’s ascent, fall, and redemption in its own special manner.
The 22-year-old musician’s eagerly anticipated album, “Transparent 2,” has now been publicly launched after a period of teasers and sneak peaks. 15 tracks make up the project, which takes the listener through DaeShawn’s extremely emotional downfall and rehabilitation in his personal life.
The second installment of “Transparent” lives true to its name as DaeShawn dives headfirst into his rage issues, shattered heart, suicidal thoughts, melancholy, trust difficulties, lusty addictions, and his struggle to recover from all of his setbacks. One may readily infer after listening to the entire album that the experiences he has had have affected him irrevocably.
In addition to “Transparent 2,” DaeShawn Forrest also releases a new music video for the song “Close The Door,” an R&B-influenced tune with Le’Tresse Cherie that shows DaeShawn’s lustful tendencies. He and Kezia Macasa both appear in the film, which DaeShawn Forrest and Brandon Orozco co-directed.
“Transparent 2” is produced by DaeShawn Forrest with some help from long-time friend Jenna Rodriguez and is available now on all platforms.
Everyone loves The Acclaimed! It’s a statement that started as a catchphrase, but it’s becoming a reality for Max Caster and Anthony Bowens.
The tag team has seen their popularity skyrocket over the past year in All Elite Wrestling, the first major competitor to WWE since 2001. The duo’s rise is largely thanks to their entertaining entrance, which features Max Caster rapping about his opponents.
Max Caster’s humorous disses have become a highlight of AEW’s weekly television shows Dynamite and Rampage, which air on TBS and TNT. Crowds get excited when The Acclaimed’s entrance music hits, anticipating a hilarious takedown of whoever’s standing in the ring.
AllHipHop caught up with Max Caster to learn more about his raps and wrestling career. He explains how rapping became part of his wrestling persona, details the creative process behind The Acclaimed’s entrance, shares his true feelings about comparisons to John Cena and much more.
Check out the interview below and watch the full conversation on AllHipHop’s YouTube channel.
AllHipHop: Max, so to start off, I wanted to get a little bit about your process for writing your raps for your entrances. How long does it take you, after you find out your opponent, to write something?
Max Caster: Well, the process starts early in the week. I try and keep an eye on what’s happening in the news, what are the big stories? For example, this week, the stock market is crashing pretty bad, and there’s a baby formula shortage. So, I keep those in mind. If I can think of any lines throughout the week, I’ll keep those in the maybes.
I never know who I’m going to wrestle most of the time until the day of, maybe, probably just a couple hours before. So then it’s time to work quick. I usually bounce stuff off of Anthony Bowens. He’s always a good way to tell if something is funny, if something is relevant. If he gets it, then everybody else will get it, I think.
And then it’s just being able to write and be clever and have fun with it, while also destroying the people in the ring and destroying their lives.
AllHipHop: I read that you have a document for the entire roster, basically, so that you’re not caught off guard, so to speak. Are you constantly updating that and thinking of new stuff to target people?
Max Caster: Yeah, that document gets updated every so often. If I think of something or if one of the guys does something or he looks like someone, or we’re just joking around, and you say, “Oh, this guy reminds me of this.” I can go, “Oh, hold on. Let me write that down.” And so when it is time to wrestle them, I’ll always have that in my back pocket. I go, “Oh, that’s right. We thought of this three months ago. Let me hit him with this.” They’ll never see it coming.
AllHipHop: Now, you’re talking about how you’ve only got a few hours at times. Have there ever been moments where you’re basically leading right out to your entrance, and you were still working on it and still coming up with an idea?
Max Caster: Yeah. Very rarely that’ll happen. And that’s scary, because not only do I want to know exactly what I’m going to say, but I want to know what I’m going to say is absolutely perfect, the best it can be. And so if I’m ever in a situation where there’s not any good news stories or all the news is a little bit sensitive, I struggle to figure something out. I go, “Well, I need the one line that’s going to set it off properly or the one line that’s going to bring it home and get that huge pop at the end.” If I don’t have that, those two things are the most important things in the rap is the first line and the last line. The middle two are good, but you have to set it off properly and send them home properly.
So there have been times where I’m not fully confident in it, but more times than not, me and Anthony are like, “Yeah, this is the one. This is the one.” The one that we did against Samoa Joe was, we were discussing for a long time like man, I want to say that he uses his towel because he masturbates a lot. And I go, “Well, how do I say that to put it on the TBS network?” And we figured it out.
AllHipHop: Just getting a little bit of your history with rap, when did start kind of writing? Were you kind of doing rhymes as a kid? What was it like growing up for you?
Max Caster: I would say I started rapping or trying to rap in high school. We had a computer. We had a real crappy microphone in the kitchen of my house, and my friends would come over and we’d download instrumentals and we’d try and rap over them, and we didn’t know what we were doing. It was no good. Some of those recordings exist that I’ll never listen to. And I hope no one ever hears them, but that’s where it starts. Right? It’s just trying it out.
Some people stick with it. A lot of people don’t. And I don’t know what it was with me that made me drawn to making music. I learned how to loop things, how to sequence drums and what programs to use. And what’s Fruity Loops, and what’s this and what’s that? And it turned into this. I developed that skill on my own and how to edit audio, how to record myself. I still do all these things myself to this day for all the songs we put out. And that’s helped me streamline my career right now, to making these things without pretty much anyone’s help.
AllHipHop: That’s good. As you started as a wrestler, did you have any, I guess, reticence at all, like, “Oh, I don’t want to make the rapping being part of my character?” Was that always something that you were excited to kind of blend together?
Max Caster: Yeah, when I started wrestling, I didn’t really want to be a rapper as a wrestler because it had been done. I felt like it was a little stereotypical. I’m from Long Island, and there’s not a ton of Black wrestlers. So I don’t want people to see me a certain way, and it’s tough. But I realize that it’s a huge talent and a huge leg up that I have over everyone else.
And the rapping kind of snuck into what we were doing when I was part of the Shook Crew. We made a music video, and our first music video got 30,000, 40,000 views on YouTube. And we go, “Okay, well, there’s something here.” And that kind of developed into Platinum Max and being able to show off what I can actually do.
So I’m not really ashamed of it at this point. I’m not hiding it. I would love to get more respect as a hip-hop artist. But I cater to wrestling fans right now, and they’ve been a real nice fan base for me.
AllHipHop: In terms of the wrestling, obviously in AEW, you got paired up with Anthony Bowens, and became The Acclaimed. How well did you know Anthony before AEW? And how was it developing that chemistry as a team?
Max Caster: So before AEW, I knew Anthony just casually. He’s an acquaintance. He was a wrestler in New Jersey. I’m a wrestler on Long Island, and we would cross paths every so often. We share a trainer, Pat Buck, but we were never really friends, never hung out. I think we only had maybe one match against each other. And there is a clip. This is from like 2019 where he’s in the ring. I’m kicking him, and I have a microphone in my hand and I’m like, “You guys want to hear me freestyle?” And I’m kicking him in the face. So, that’s about as well as I knew him.
And then our paths kind of crossed here at AEW, where we were both fielding offers from AEW and other places. And Tony Khan had the idea to put us together in The Acclaimed. And that was the whole direction that we were given. So then that turned into, okay, well, what do we have? It’s like, “Well, I’m a rapper.” Well, we have to keep doing that and include Anthony in on the presentation.
So to his credit, he figured out a way to do it as a guy who can’t rap, who doesn’t make music at all, who admittedly has no rhythm. So, we figured it out. We have a lot of chemistry now, and I think that’s a testament to us just being good wrestlers and great entertainers.
AllHipHop: You talked about how it was Tony’s idea to put you together. What’s it like working with Tony Khan? What’s kind of that creative process like for you? Are you sending him ideas? Is it him giving you ideas, or is it really a collaborative effort?
Max Caster: It’s always what you make it when you work somewhere. It doesn’t matter anywhere. So if you have ideas, if you’re innovative, if you have things to elevate yourself, then what’s stopping your boss or your company from really doing that? So the process is from the start, Tony was like, “Oh, you know, you’re a rapper, keep rapping.”
I think it’s paid off because The Acclaimed is obviously the most popular tag team in AEW, the most popular homegrown team for sure. And whenever me and Anthony come out, that’s siren hits on our music. The fans tell you right away how popular we are. So I think that’s a testament to Tony and the company allowing the wrestlers, allowing us to use our judgment and our talents to our own benefit, which will eventually benefit the company, which it has.
AllHipHop: When you first showed up on AEW TV, those John Cena comparisons just emerge. But I think what’s been cool is you’ve made it your own, and you’ve also gotten praise from him about making it your own.
Max Caster: Yeah, the John Cena stuff, it bothered me at first. I’ll be honest. It’s tough to do something new in wrestling. Right? Everything’s been done. And even in movies, I just read something that in movies and TV, there’s only 36 possible plots in all of movies and all of media, 36 total. So, there’s more than 36 movies. There’s way more than 36 wrestlers.
There is going to be another rapper eventually. So it bothered me at first, but then I realized, well, you’re comparing me to arguably the greatest wrestler of all time. Definitely the biggest drawing wrestler of the modern era, or at least the era we’re in now. So it’s not a bad thing.
And to have John reach out to me and say the things he said publicly about me, I mean, that meant a lot.
I saw those comments right before I wrestled see CM Punk. And I had a little moment with myself and I’m just like, “Damn, this is a crazy life.” You know? And for all the people who are hating or they didn’t believe at first, I guarantee you they’re Acclaimed fans now.
Mozzy will be spending the next 12 months in a California prison.
According to Pitchfork, Mozzy started serving a yearlong sentence at the U.S. penitentiary in Atwater, California on Thursday (July 28). The CMG signee wound up behind bars on a weapons possession charge.
Mozzy, whose real name is Timothy Patterson, was indicted for being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition in 2021. He pleaded guilty, which resulted in prison time and a $55,000 fine.
“Life comes at you fast,” he said in a statement to Pitchfork. “Sometimes s### gets real and you gotta take that deal. It’ll get slimy out here. Appreciate my loved ones. Chin up, chest out. Love you the most.”
Earlier this year, Mozzy signed a deal with Yo Gotti’s label CMG. He contributed to multiple tracks on the CMG compilation Gangsta Art, which dropped on July 15.
Last week, Mozzy released an album titled Survivor’s Guilt. The LP hit DSPs on July 22 and marked his first solo project for CMG.
The West Coast rapper spent his entire career as an independent artist before signing with CMG. EMPIRE handled the distribution for the bulk of releases in recent years.
