For decades, recording artists have experienced the financial pitfalls of the music industry. Unfavorable record deals, excessive legal fees, or unanticipated personal debt is too often part of a performer’s life story. Big K.R.I.T. believes it is now time for his peers to come together to form a trade union.
The Mississippi-bred emcee/producer joined Ebro Darden on Apple Music 1 to talk about his newDigital Roses Don’t Diealbum. The discussion also included Big K.R.I.T. laying out his reasoning for why rappers need to unionize.
“We were talking about a union before we got on this show. And I was like, ‘Musicians have a union, most people have a union, why artists don’t have a union?’ I see mad artists, they go through the process. They either have a hit record or they don’t. They get signed, they get dropped,” Big K.R.I.T. told Ebro Darden.
The 35-year-old southerner continued, “They break down, they get on drugs, they go to the streets. But there’s no collective to call and be like, ‘Hey, man. I need to go to rehab. Hey, man. I need help with these bills. I acquired too much. What’s a good lawyer I can go to? What is the deal I signed?'”
Big K.R.I.T. also added, “And so I think we’re at a point now with all this information we have, and you got artists that I know made millions of dollars off of their deals, which I didn’t, but even they don’t want to be where they’re signed to. So who do you talk to? How many people do you put together? How much money do you pay a month to unlock that information with OGs and we all can connect?”
Big K.R.I.T. Left Def Jam Six Years Ago
Before releasing projects like 2017’s 4eva Is a Mighty Long Time and 2022’s Digital Roses Don’tDie through his own Multi Alumni company, Big K.R.I.T. dropped two studio LPs while signed with Def Jam Recordings. The 2011 XXL Freshman parted ways with the Def Jam label in 2016.
“They left me in the dungeon as a dragon. It was cool,” stated Big K.R.I.T. about his time with Def Jam during an October 2016 interview with The Breakfast Club. “They just forgot about me, so I crept up out that thing. And I’m free.”
Another Big K.R.I.T. Project Is On The Way
Big K.R.I.T. is also teaming up with Wiz Khalifa, Smoke DZA, and Girl Talk for a forthcoming project titled Full Court Press. That collaborative effort will be streamable on DSPs beginning April 8 via Asylum/Taylor Gang.
“We did these records in 2019. The world was very much open. And flew out to L.A. All of us have separately worked with Girl Talk and the homie’s an amazing DJ and producer. And so he had records of us on our own time. And then it was just this thing like, ‘Bro, let’s all get together and work one day,'” stated Big K.R.I.T. while appearing on Apple Music 1.
Will Packer is likely best known for producing films such as Think Like a Man, Straight Outta Compton, and Girls Trip. The Will Packer Productions founder also got the chance to oversee the 94th Academy Awards.
This year’s Oscars ceremony will go down in history for one internet-breaking moment. While presenting the award for Best Documentary Feature, Chris Rock decided to make a joke comparing Jada Pinkett Smith to the bald female character from the 1997 movie G.I. Jane.
The autoimmune condition known as alopecia apparently caused Pinket Smith’s real-life hair loss. After first giggling at Chris Rock making fun of his wife on live television, Will Smith then walked on stage and slapped Rock in the face.
Will Packer Promised The Show Would Not Be Boring
Will Smith’s unexpected outburst shocked people inside the Dolby Theatre. People around the world watching from home were also stunned. Reactions to the altercation, including a tweet from Will and Jada’s 23-year-old son Jaden Smith, poured in across social media platforms.
Oscar producer Will Packer also shared his thoughts on Twitter. While Packer did not directly mention Will Smith or Chris Rock, his comment was clearly in response to the headline-grabbing blow that took place at the Academy Awards.
“Welp… I said it wouldn’t be boring #Oscars,” posted Will Packer at 12:57 am ET. That tweet from the Florida A&M University graduate has amassed more than 12,000 likes in just seven hours. Over 2,000 Twitter accounts retweeted Packer.
Not surprisingly, “Will Smith • Chris Rock • Academy Awards • Jada Pinkett Smith” is the top Google trend at the moment. Will Smith’s name also leads Twitter’s top trending topic rankings in the United States and worldwide.
The “slap seen ’round the world” has definitely garnered significant social media and mainstream media attention for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. This is coming off the 2021 Oscars telecast drawing the show’s smallest audience in history.
Will Smith apologized to the Academy and his fellow nominees during his tear-filled acceptance speech for winning Best Actor (King Richard). Plus, the Academy issued a brief statement in response to Smith’s face-smacking incident. The Beverly Hills-based organization posted, in part, “The Academy does not condone violence of any form.”
The Academy does not condone violence of any form.
Tonight we are delighted to celebrate our 94th Academy Awards winners, who deserve this moment of recognition from their peers and movie lovers around the world.
Will Smith is, by far, the most-talked-about person on the planet this morning. The rapper-turned-actor made global headlines after he slapped Chris Rock during the live broadcast of Sunday’s 94th Academy Awards.
Chris Rock became the target of Will Smith’s frustration after the Best Documentary Feature award presenter joked about Will Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith. The comedian made fun of Jada’s autoimmune condition known as alopecia.
Last night also saw Will Smith win the Best Actor honor for King Richard. However, there is now a conversation about whether the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will rescind Will’s Oscar.
Some industry insiders are supposedly pointing out that the Academy established a code of conduct in 2017. Will Smith may have violated those rules when he publicly attacked Chris Rock inside the Dolby Theatre on Sunday.
The Academy Rarely Overturns Oscar Wins
“It’s basically assault. Everyone was just so shocked in the room, it was so uncomfortable,” a source told the New York Post. “I think Will would not want to give his Oscar back, but who knows what will happen now.”
Several Academy Award nominations have been rescinded in the past for various reasons related to ineligible nominees. Back in 1969, the Academy named Journey into Self as Best Documentary Feature after the award was taken away from Young Americans for violating eligibility requirements.
Chris Rock Refuses To Press Charges Against Will Smith
The Academy released a brief statement about the Will Smith/Chris Rock altercation. A tweet from the organization read, “The Academy does not condone violence of any form. Tonight we are delighted to celebrate our 94th Academy Awards winners, who deserve this moment of recognition from their peers and movie lovers around the world.”
The Academy does not condone violence of any form.
Tonight we are delighted to celebrate our 94th Academy Awards winners, who deserve this moment of recognition from their peers and movie lovers around the world.
Later in the show, Will Smith apologized to the Academy and his fellow nominees for his actions. However, the 4-time Grammy winner did not offer an apology to Chris Rock during his acceptance speech for Best Actor.
While Will Smith deals with the public fallout from slapping Chris Rock on live television, the 53-year-old superstar apparently does not have to worry about going to jail. The Los Angeles Police Department revealed Rock declined to file a report against Smith.
The “slap seen ’round the world” lit social media on fire. It seemed nearly everyone with an active Twitter account weighed in on the on-stage face smack. Even Jada and Will’s son, Jaden Smith, seemingly posted about the situation.
“And That’s How We Do It,” tweeted Jaden Smith around midnight ET on Monday. That tweet collected over 10,000 replies, 66,000 retweets,15,000 quote-tweets, and 420,000 likes.
Jada Pinkett Smith has openly talked about having alopecia. Dealing with the loss of her hair is apparently a sore subject for the Red Table Talk host. This is what likely prompted Will Smith to attack Chris Ross at the Oscars.
The altercation could also be the result of Chris Rock making fun of Jada Pinkett Smith at a previous Academy Awards event. According to reports, Will was still upset at Rock for a wisecrack about Jada over the “Oscars So White” boycott in 2016.
Will Smith went on to win Best Actor at the 94th Academy Awards for his portrayal of Richard Williams in King Richard. The 53-year-old Hip Hop legend apologized for his actions.
“I know to do what we do, you gotta be able to take abuse and have people talk about you. In this business, you gotta have people disrespecting you. And you gotta smile and pretend that’s okay,” stated Will Smith during his acceptance speech.
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air star later added, “I want to apologize to the Academy. I want to apologize to all my fellow nominees… Art imitates life. I look like the crazy father. Just like they said about Richard Williams. But love will make you do crazy things.”
Jermaine Dupri and Dallas Austin will entertain the crowd at the inaugural R&B Soul Picnic Festival, a “soul-healing experience” to promote mental health awareness with a music and lifestyle festival weekend in Atlanta, Georgia.
The outdoor concert goes down at the Promenade in Piedmont Park on April 2 and April. The event was created to pay tribute to the DJs for their contribution to the community. Jermaine Dupri and Dallas Austin will be taking to the decks alongside DJ Baby Yu (Young Jeezy’s Official DJ), DJ Trauma (Dave Chapelle’s Official DJ), DJ Mars (Monica’s Official DJ), DJ SNS, and more.
Jermaine Dupri spoke to the healing power of music and why a celebration like this is needed right now. “We’ve all had a bad couple of years surviving this pandemic,” he said in a press statement. “We lost loved ones and hope in the process. Our souls need some healing, what better way to heal our souls than some good ole R&B music, I mean music period,” he added.
The first-ever R&B Soul Picnic Festival will also include surprise guest performances in addition to the DJs spinning the decks. Festival-goers can also access wellness resources like yoga and reiki at a “Soul Healing Center.” Further services will include talks with certified mental health professionals and advice on homeless prevention, substance abuse, suicide prevention, and more.
R&B Soul Picnic co-founder Jacob York explained the significance of the event. “This is a weekend to forget all your worries and troubles and come out, dance, and love being a part of a community again,” he said. “We wanted to build an inclusive festival where we can all escape and enjoy one another’s energy with a whole lot of amazing music. All are welcome with open hearts and open minds. Can’t wait to see you there.”
Tickets for the R&B Soul Picnic are available here.
Mariah Carey is the much-anticipated feature of Latto’s “Big Energy” remix, which also sees an appearance from DJ Khaled.
Latto teased the collaboration on Friday (Mar. 25), the day she dropped her sophomore album, 777. She tweeted the special 777 emoji alongside a butterfly, Mariah’s well-known symbol of choice. The singer then retweeted the post with a not-so-subtle hint that a collaboration was on the way.
The rapper sent a sweet message to “the icon herself,” Mariah Carey, who celebrated her “anniversary” on Sunday (Mar. 27). She also paid tribute to the superstar songstress for appearing on the song.
“HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO THE ICON HERSELF @MariahCarey,” Latto tweeted. “THANK U FOR YOUR LEGENDARY VOCALS & ALL THE ADVICE YOU GAVE ME QUEEN 🦋🦋🦋🌈🌈🌈💖💖💖💖💖 LETS SHAKE THE ROOM AT MIDNIGHT,” she added.
Mariah Carey also shared her anticipation ahead of the “Big Energy” remix, although she had to correct Latto for her earlier birthday wishes.
“So excited for this moment dahhhhllling!!!!! So happy and proud of you and all you’re accomplishing!!! ❤️ ❤️ But I don’t have BIRTHDAYS! “It’s my anniversary!!!”” She tweeted in true Mariah Carey style. “😂 Congratulations Beautiful 🤩🔥🎰x🦋” she added.”
So excited for this moment dahhhhllling!!!!! So happy and proud of you and all you’re accomplishing!!! ❤️ ❤️ But I don’t have BIRTHDAYS! “It’s my anniversary!!!” 😂 Congratulations Beautiful 🤩🔥🎰x🦋 https://t.co/I8D83ECw0u
“Big Energy” is taken from Latto’s sophomore album and samples Tom Tom Club’s 1981 single, “Genius Of Love,” which Mariah Carey also used in “Fantasy,” her 1995 single.
Last week, Latto tweeted her high hopes for chart success after announcing the song. “FYI this might be Mariah’s 20th and my 1st #1 👀👀👀👀👀🎰🎰🎰🌈🌈🌈🦋🦋🦋🦋” she penned.
FYI this might be Mariah’s 20th and my 1st #1 👀👀👀👀👀🎰🎰🎰🌈🌈🌈🦋🦋🦋🦋
Questlove won the Best Documentary Oscar on Sunday night (Mar. 27) for Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised).
Questlove was temporarily speechless while accepting the award at the ceremony in Hollywood. “It’s not lost on me that the Harlem Cultural Festival is something that my beautiful mother and my dad should have taken me to when I was 5 years old, and …” he said, pausing as his eyes welled up. “This is such a stunning moment for me right now. But this is not about me. This is about marginalized people in Harlem that needed to heal from pain.”
Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson won the award with his first-ever nomination for his directorial debut. In Summer of Soul, he highlights the little-known 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival, also known as Black Woodstock, using found footage, featuring performances by Nina Simone, Stevie Wonder, B.B King, and many more legendary musicians from the era.
Questlove continued, “Just know that in 2022, this is not just a 1969 story about marginalized people in Harlem. This is a story of, of … I’m sorry, I’m just overwhelmed right now.” The crowd erupted in applause before he could continue. “I’m going to get myself together and I’ll thank everyone proper when I get offstage.” He concluded, “I’m so happy right now, I could cry. Thank you.”
Questlove Says “Black History Is American History”
Chris Rock presented Questlove with the award after getting smacked in the face live on air by Will Smith. “I’m not talking about that,” the musician said backstage in the press room following his win. “This is about the Harlem cultural festival.” he added, “Even though most will see this as a Black history film, we also need to start reframing that Black history is American history. And to let people know that you know, we had a hand in building this place.” Watch the touching speech below.
“This is about marginalized people in Harlem that needed to heal from pain,” The Roots legend said as he accepted during his acceptance speech for #SummerofSoulpic.twitter.com/Vi0jqHZa8L
Summer of Soul has earned Questlove numerous awards since its world premiere at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival, where it won the Grand Jury Prize and Audience Award in the documentary categories. He won the Best Documentary at the BAFTA Awards in London last month. He is also in the running for Best Music Film at the 64th Annual Grammy Awards in April.
By now you saw Will Smith smack the fire out of Chris Rock unless. you were sleeping. This incident happened at the 2022 Academy Awards ceremony. Last night, was a pretty cool show and had a plethora of diversity. We pretty much knew Will Smith was going to win, but we didn’t know there was a tremendous plot twist on his way to winning the best actor for his role in “King Richard.”
The 94th Academy Awards was turned into a circus when Chris Rock made an off-color joke about Jada Pinkett Smith’s hairdo, which was closely cropped. She was all the way beautiful – straight up! Jada Pinkett Smith bald isn’t all that funny, but it’s even less funny because she suffers from alopecia. The G.I. Jane joke did not go over well to Will or Jada. Jada‘s face became noticeably furrowed when Rock made the joke. After the comment, Will Smith calmly walked on stage at the Academy Awards and slapped Chris Rock before he could finish his bit.
The incident turn social media into a fire storm of confusion and commentary. Everybody was analyzing it, the Australian and Japanese uncensored version went into circulation, and people were trying to wrap their brains around an apparent act of violence at the esteemed Oscars award show. By the way, this was one of the most diverse outings for the Academy. So, Latinx and African-Americans were well represented.
And then this happened!
For all intent and purposes, it appears that the slap was real. Will Smith had a profanity-laden diatribe after doing the slap. He repeatedly said “keep my wife’s name out your f##kin’ mouth!” Over and over. By the way, Lupita was the co-star. Her face had me cracking up!
Chris Rock, while remaining extremely professional, became disheveled and confused, and stumbled over his words as he started to ease back into the teleprompter. He managed to get through it, but it definitely did not seem like he expected to get slapped on stage.
And yet, the word “staged” was trending on Twitter. Many people asked the question, “Was the interaction between Chris Rock and Will Smith staged?“
I don’t know! I doubt it. However there are some things that suggest it was. This is what Will looked like at the time of the joke:
You can see Jada was not feeling it.
Then, Brooklyn’s own Chris Rock let a grown man walk up on him and he had both of his hands behind his back the entire time. Perhaps he thought Will was going to hug him, but I am not sure the energy would suggest that.
Thirdly, Will had an incredible speech after he won the best actor honor, and it created a moment that will will always talk about. Otherwise, the Oscars were just regular. Nope but regular.
I think we now have some thing that we’re going to talk about for weeks and weeks and weeks and weeks. That is what you call controlling tonight at the narrative!
Now, I am just curious as to what will happen next. And that will REALLY determine whether or not is real or fake. If nothing happens, I’m going to think that it’s likely to be fake. If Chris Rock sues and goes forward in a legal manner, it’s definitely all real. If Will Smith pays any money, it’s all real. So now we just have to wait-and-see!
One thing is for sure, Will Smith did not apologize to Chris Rock from the stage. He apologized to the Academy and others but he did not apologize directly to Chris Rock. For those of us that have had some interactions with the law & legal, you never admit to anything. You never admit to a crime! An apology would be a form of guilt in my opinion. I am no lawyer, but that’s what I think.
Now, I want to know what you think! Do you think this whole thing was staged? And if not, what do you think about Will Smith slapping the absolute fire out of Chris Rock?
By the way, there’s some more smoke. Will had jokes for Will and Jada a few years back.
Will Smith walked up to Chris Rock live on-air and hit him across the face after the comedian made a joke about his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, during the 2022 Academy Awards.
Chirs Rock made the jibe while presenting the award for best documentary feature with a joke about Jada being in “G.I. Jane” because of her shaved head. Will initially appeared to take the joke well but Jada was clearly unamused. As the comedian continued with the show, Will got out of his seat and made his way to the stage.
He strode up to Chris Rock before hitting him square in the face. “Oh wow, Will Smith just smacked the s### out of me,” said Rock, leaving viewers believing it was part of the show.
However, as Will Smith returned to his seat, he yelled, “Keep my wife’s name out of your f###### mouth!” A stunned Chris Rock responded, “Wow dude. It was a G.I. Jane joke,” but Will repeated his previous instruction, even more forcefully.
“I’m going to, okay,” came the response. Chris recovered quickly and was straight back to presenting duties. “That was the greatest night in the history of television,” he quipped.
Soon after Will Smith was back on stage, although this time to collect the Oscar for best actor in a leading role for his performance in King Richard as Richard Williams, the father of Serena and Venus Williams. He referenced the earlier incident during his acceptance speech before apologizing for his actions.
“I’m being called on in my life to love people and to protect people and to be a river to my people,” he said. “I know to do what we do, you’ve got to be able to take abuse, you’ve got to be able to take people talk crazy about you, in this business you got to be able to have people disrespecting you and you’ve got to smile and pretend that’s OK.”
“Denzel said to me in your highest moment be careful, that’s when the devil comes from you,” he said referring to something the actor told him during a break.
“I want to apologize to the Academy; I want to apologize to all my fellow nominees. This is a beautiful moment. I’m not crying for winning an award … it’s about being able to shine a light on all the people… the entire cast and crew of King Richard and the entire Williams family.
I look like the crazy father … but love will make you do crazy things,” Will Smith concluded.
Last year, Jada Pinkett Smith revealed she shaved her head after struggling with alopecia. “Now at this point, I can only laugh,” she said in a video shared on Instagram. “Y’all know I’ve been struggling with alopecia. Just all of a sudden, one day…it just showed up like that. Now, this is going to be a little bit more difficult for me to hide. So, I thought I’d just share it so y’all not asking any questions.” She added, “Mama’s gonna have to take it down to the scalp so nobody thinks she got brain surgery or something. Me and this alopecia are going to be friends … period!”
Donald Glover has hired Malia Obama as a writer on his new TV series.
At the season three premiere of his show “Atlanta” in Los Angeles last week, the multi-hyphenate told Vanity Fairthat the daughter of former U.S. President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle Obama is “an amazingly talented person.”
“She’s really focused, and she’s working really hard,” Donald shared. “I feel like she’s just somebody who’s gonna have really good things coming soon. Her writing style is great.”
It is believed Malia has been hired to work on Donald’s upcoming Amazon series, tentatively named “Hive,” which follows a Beyoncé-like character.
Donald’s brother, Stephen Glover, is collaborating on the project as well, and also took the time to praise the 23-year-old’s contribution.
“Donald always says perspective is important, and people with different perspectives are important for a writers’ room. And for sure, she definitely has a unique perspective on everything,” he told the outlet.
“So, we wanted to hear her stories and have her work with us. Listening to her stories and having her involved really gave us a lot of good ideas.”
Malia graduated from Harvard University last year.
She previously completed an internship at The Weinstein Company in 2017, and garnered summer work experience at several TV studios.
The firearm was a .40-caliber Glock, and law enforcement connected the gun to the three men by matching the firearm’s serial number to one of the guns the soldiers are accused of selling.
The Feds reported another Glock, reportedly linked to the same cache of weapons, wounded seven people and killed one man at a mass shooting during a party in the 2500 block of West 79th Street on March 11th, 2021.
Law enforcement suspects that this shooting was gang-related also.
One of the three soldiers accused of selling the guns was Brandon Miller a former Chicago resident. Along with Jarius Brunson and DeMarcus Adams, the three men conspired to buy more than 90 guns at stores along the Tennessee-Kentucky border, near the Fort Campbell base.
There is a Federal gun trafficking conspiracy case against them in Nashville, TN. The evidence is mounting against the soldiers.
Prosecutors claim the empty gun cases discovered in Clarksville, Tennessee, correlated with the guns recovered by the Chicago police in the two killings.
The military base where Miller currently lives is in the town of Clarksville.
Federal agents testified that Miller would get an order. Then, other soldiers would buy the guns for him. He would smuggle them to his connection in Chicago after he received them.
Miller has been held without bail in jail since May 14th, 2021, two months after the last shooting. Miller’s co-defendants were arrested also but released on bail.
A trial is still pending.
G Herbo talked about Jackson’s death shortly after his brazen murder.
“SHORTY ALL I KNOW IS YOU!! FROM THE F###### CRADLE 2 THE GRAVE LITERALLY! AS IM WRITING THIS CAPTION TWIN I AIN’T EVEN DROPPING TEARS CUZ 4 WHAT WE ALWAYS BEEN STRONGER TOGETHER & YOU STILL WITH ME RIGHT NOW.. I FEEL YOU!” G Herbo said. “I DREAMT ABOUT YOU IMMEDIATELY & WHEN I DID I DIDN’T EVEN UNDERSTAND IT TOOK ME A COUPLE DAYS & IM STILL UNDERSTANDING MORE BUT RN I GET A CLEARER PICTURE… YOU KNOW HOW WE LIVE & YOU KNOW HOW WE PLAY.. NUN ELSE TO SAY.. IT BE SO KRAZY HOW I RYHME EVERY TIME I WRITE A CAPTION DAMN NEAR CUZ THIS S### NEVER PRACTICED! LOL I KNOW YOU 1 N#### THAT WANT THE BEST FOR ME & WANT THE BEST OUT OF ME!!!! IM TRYING TO BE MY BEST RN LIL BRO & ITS HARD BUT IM TRYINGGGGGGGG FOLKS!!
“The torture is real. However, do I invite the torture or create it for myself? Probably,” the 31-year-old admitted. “Do I fear a stable life? Do I fear that it’s going to stop my writing? For sure. Sometimes I wake up and it’s like, ‘It’s sunny today. I live in this house today. What am I? I am a mainstream sellout, dude.'”
Machine Gun Kelly, real name Colson Baker, went on to note that he put on an “exoskeleton of arrogance and cockiness” when he was first starting out in the music industry to protect himself.
“I’m overcompensating so much for how I actually was inside. I was scared to be myself,” he added.
The couple announced they were engaged in January of 2022. They broke the news by sharing a video of the proposal on Megan Fox’s Instagram page.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CYpcFruB2UB/
“In July of 2020 we sat under this banyan tree. We asked for magic,” the Transformers star wrote. “We were oblivious to the pain we would face together in such a short, frenetic period of time. Unaware of the work and sacrifices the relationship would require from us but intoxicated off of the love. And the karma.
“Somehow a year and a half later, having walked through hell together, and having laughed more than I ever imagined possible, he asked me to marry him. And just as in every lifetime before this one, and as in every lifetime that will follow it, I said yes…and then we drank each other’s blood.”
The 31-year-old musician followed up the announcement with a close-up video of the custom diamond and emerald engagement ring he created with British jewelry designer Stephen Webster.
“Yes, in this life and every life,” Machine Gun Kelly captioned the video. “Beneath the same branches we fell in love under, I brought her back to ask her to marry me.”
The star’s sixth studio album, Mainstream Sellout,” was released on Friday.
Embattled rap star Casanova claims his Fourth Amendment rights were violated, and he is seeking to have critical evidence against him tossed from court.
Casanova says the Feds overstepped their boundaries when they seized and reviewed information from his iCloud account.
The rapper’s lawyer James Kousouros, Esq. argued that the warrant for his iCloud account violated Casanova’s Fourth Amendment rights in numerous ways.
Kousouros said there was no probable cause to believe that the iCloud account contained any evidence, let alone “extensive” evidence, of his suspected criminal activity.
While the agents swore under oath that Cas’ Cellphone was “listed” on his iCloud account, “iCloud was built into the phone, and there was no probable cause to believe that he had ever set up his iCloud account, enabled it, and backed up data on it,” Kousouros argued.
The lack of proof that the iCloud account belonged to Casanova constitutes a “fatal flaw” in granting the original search warrant.
Feds present new evidence to keep Casanova in jail as he awaits trial for racketeeringPosts from Casanova’s Instagram accountFeds present new evidence to keep Casanova in jail as he awaits trial for racketeering
“Even if there was probable cause that [Casanova’s] iCloud account contained stored data and that he committed some or all of the Subject Offenses, allegations that [Casanova] used his cellphone an unidentified number of times to facilitate crimes did not provide reason to believe that criminal activity “pervaded” his iCloud account. As such, the warrant was overbroad in its sweeping authorization to search potentially the entire universe of [Casanova’s] life,” his lawyer said.
Casanova’s lawyer also said the warrant to search his iCloud account did not provide any details about his suspected criminal activity other than referencing the names of co-conspirators, “the underlying criminal enterprise,” and several criminal statutes he allegedly violated.
The rapper says the inadequate parameters allowed the Feds to rummage through his life, even though there was more than one phone connected to the account.
“The warrant permitted the government to seize and review a repository of [Casanova’s] entire life and then rummage through it on an unconstitutional fishing expedition merely on the basis that he allegedly used an Apple device to facilitate crimes,” Kousouros explained.
Rap star Travis Scott is slowly working his way back to performing.
The embattled rapper hopped on the stage during a celebrity-filled pre-Oscar party in West Hollywood.
TMZ caught footage of Trav’s return to the stage during a brief set where he rapped and DJ’ed.
Several A-listers were in the room to watch Travis pick the microphone back up for the first time and almost 7 months.
Celebrities who watched Travis rock included Leonardo, DiCaprio, Tyga, Venus and Serena Williams, Tobey Maguire, and others.
Travis may have been shaking off the rust since his hiatus from performing after the AstroWorld tragedy.
Travis Scott was headlining his event in Houston, Texas, on November 5th when the crowd surged, resulting in 10 fatalities and hundreds of injuries.
The youngest of the ten victims was nine-year-old Ezra Blount, while the oldest was 27. Around 300 people were injured and treated at the festival site, and 25 were taken to hospital.
Officials announced that the people killed at the event died from compression asphyxia, meaning they could not breathe due to external pressures on the body.
The 2022 Coachella Festival is slated to begin on April 15th. Billie Eilish is headlining on April 16th and 23rd, while Kanye West is atop the bill on April 17th and 24th.
Kim confirmed Pete had honored her with the body art on a promotional run for her upcoming series on Hulu, “The Kardashians.”
“(It) isn’t a tattoo, it’s actually a branding,” Kim Kardashian said during an interview with Ellen DeGeneres, making a stamping gesture. “Because he wanted to do something that was really different. (Pete told Kim), ‘I don’t want to be able to get rid of it or to cover it up, and I just wanted it there as like a scar on me.'”
In addition, Kim disclosed that Pete, 28, has several other tattoos devoted to her.
“He has a few tattoos, a few cute ones, that he got,” the 41-year-old revealed, indicating that the actor has at least three new pieces of body art. “(They are) cutesy things…my favorite one… says, ‘My girl is a lawyer.'”
Kim and Kanye, 44, started dating in 2012 and tied the knot in May 2014. They have four children – North, Saint, Chicago, and Psalm.
After filing divorce proceedings in February 2021, a judge declared Kim legally single. The mother-of-four started dating Pete last November.
Kim Kardashian discussed how difficult it was to be pregnant and in the public eye while pregnant with North, her daughter with Kanye West, in 2013.
During an appearance at Vogue’s Forces of Fashion conference in New York, the reality TV star revealed she was hurt by the nasty comments aimed at her weight gain.
“(I remember) the whole experience of being pregnant in the spotlight, how nasty people were to me in the press for gaining weight while pregnant, (but) you get to a place where you realize it doesn’t matter,” the 41-year-old continued.
Kim Kardashian has since discovered that she does not need to waste time pondering what other people think.
“It took me until recently to reach that point, but you do figure it out. (Eventually) you get to this place where you don’t care, even though there are all these messages about you. It can be hard to take the high road and avoid correcting the narrative.”
“North is very opinionated when it comes to what I’m wearing,” Kim Kardashian said of the eight-year-old. “She’ll always complain when I’m wearing too much black. I showed up at her school on Valentine’s Day wearing head-to-toe pink, and she got so excited she ran over and hugged me.
“(Of course), she opened my coat, saw the black lining, and says ‘Mom, you’re still wearing black.'”
Lizzo knows she has a hit on her hands when her friends start twerking to a track.
During an appearance on “The Late Late Show” with James Corden, the “Juice” hitmaker offered fans a preview of her upcoming song, “About Damn Time.”
In addition, host James asked Lizzo to whom she goes for honest feedback about her new music.
“My friends. They’ll tell me. They’ll be like, ‘This ain’t it girl.’ Or once they start twerking, I’m like, ‘This is it,'” she replied. “And then, I play it for my mom. But she is last to hear it because she is a Virgo woman and she’s a harsh critic… but she cried, she loved it.”
Lizzo didn’t confirm the release date for the track, or divulge when she plans to release her fourth studio album, which she recently completed.
In related news, Lizzo is celebrating the release of her new show “Watch Out for the Big Grrrls,” which just debuted on Amazon Prime.
The show follows the rap star as she searches for women to join her as backup dancers. And the new show on Amazon is just one of several power moves she is making.
According to Lizzo, she has a massive deal in the works but has yet to reveal more details.
“I know what y’all thinkin.. ‘damn lizzo you just announced a TV show… A single… and SNL,” Lizzo said referencing her upcoming appearance on the hit show on April 16th.
“Now what??’ But y’all don’t understand- I can’t be stopped,” Lizzo stated confidently. “This is my season. I’m about to be everywhere and I’m about to announce the biggest thing YET. Bigger than anything I’ve ever done. 3 years in the making. A Dream Come True. Stay tuned b####.”
Even though J. Prince, Damon Dash, and Kanye don’t believe winning Grammy awards should matter to artists in the Hip-Hop community, there are still those who value the golden gramophone trophies.
One example is Nas’ producer, Hit-boy, who has won three out of his nine nominations for producing for artists like Jay-Z, Ye, Nipsey Hussle, and Nas.
During a recent interview with ABC News, Hit-boy was asked if he believed the Grammys still matter, especially considering some of his peers talking about canceling it and Kanye, one of his friends, being disinvited because of his erratic behavior.
Hit-boy said, “It’s a little extra stamp of all the hard work you put in. You don’t just get one of these by just playing around. You have to be at the top of the top. It’s like the NBA Finals or the Super Bowl.
“It’s that extra piece of motivation to know you’re doing the right thing musically,” he said. “The nominations alone. But winning with Nipsey, winning with Nas, I have real meaningful Grammys. Kanye West and Jay-Z. I didn’t win by just playing around. I made some records that will stand the test of time.”
As reported by AllHipHop.com, J Prince blasted the ceremony saying it has a “slave master” mentality around it, and called for artists to stand in solidarity against The Recording Academy.
“I’ve been watching the Grammys control and dictate our culture to their benefit up close and personal for the past 30 years,” J Prince said. “And all the artists, managers, and executives would do is complain, but never have the nuts to come together to do anything about it.”
“This is a slave master, punish a n#### mentality and act to remind us that no matter how much money we have, we’re still n##### in their eyes,” J Prince continued.
“I recommend that the artists I mentioned above—and more—come together in Las Vegas and perform at the same time as the Grammys on a special network and streaming platform to prove that ratings will change where the Grammys are concerned when the No. 1 selling genre in music—hip-hop—come together,” he said. “Because there’s power in numbers.”
He then concluded, “The powers that be will be mad at me about this one. But f### ’em! I love the culture. The seed has been planted; let’s water it.”
G.Gutta, that’s My father & he was a big staple in the Detroit music industry back in the early 2000’s other than him, just Poetry in general
Allhiphop:Who inspired you to make music?
WesPalmRich: Music inspired me most, my pops was in the music scene but he wasn’t a lyricist or anything like that, but hearing the music created by different people from different cultures all across the world at such young age really lit my artistic fire.
Allhiphop:How would you describe the music that you typically create?
WesPalmRich: Ghetto gospel. I talk about the feelings we believe aren’t supposed to be discussed. I make music for the troubled & if you ain’t never been in no trouble you ain’t gone understand what I say.
Allhiphop:What is your creative process like?
WesPalmRich: Ever-changing, I’m a big believer in not conforming, I keep an open mind when creating and it’s one of the few times I like to let my feelings lead me blindly & that’s how I end up making so many different tracks that cross multiple genres,
Allhiphop:Who would you most like to collaborate with?
WesPalmRich: My top 5 collaborations I’m excited to see happen would be; Lil Wayne, Drake, Andre 3000, Missy Elliot, & JMSN.
Allhiphop:If you could go open a show for any artist who would it be?
WesPalmRich: Drake. Strictly off the fact that like drake took over from Wayne, I plan on taking over this new generation from drake
Allhiphop: What is one message you would give to your fans?
WesPalmRich: Find God. Without the highest nothing, doing is possible, I’ve done, or I do would be possible. Your spirit is the most important part of yo body. Make sure you take care of it.
Allhiphop:What is the most useless talent you have?
WesPalmRich: Useless? Damn lol I like to imagine I use all my talents but if I had to say it would be my talent to disappear lmao I’m fasho an introvert who has minor extroverted ways so I love to stay to myself, sometimes to a fault.
Allhiphop:Do you sing in the shower? What songs?
WesPalmRich: N#### name me one person who doesn’t sing in the shower?! I know you prolly sing in the shower. I will be in there off a lil Sade-type vibes or my n#### JMSN. If not something smooth like that I’m usually working on song ideas since my vocal is pitch-perfect in there
Allhiphop:What would you be doing right now, if it wasn’t for your music career?
WesPalmRich: Probably just being another cog in the system. Music helped me keep hold of my identity, especially when society shows you individuality isnt what they want.
Allhiphop:Where have you performed? What are your favorite and least favorite venues? Do you have any upcoming shows?
WesPalmRich: I’ve performed a little bit of everywhere, from church’s, to schools, bars, taverns, open mics, working towards the stadiums and arenas. No favorite or least, every chance I get to showcase my gift to even one person is a blessing from the LORD. As far as upcoming shows; Sada baby show @ oddbodys on the 25th, doing a show at my camps new venue called “Small Intimate Gatherings on the 26th, & Parables of the Poor album release on the 17th of April.
How do you feel the Internet has impacted the music business?
WesPalmRich: Definitely made it more accessible and easier to create which is a beautiful thing, in the same sense it’s highly saturated now that it comes at such an ease to do. People don’t have the patience, better yet the desire to find an artist worth listening to… smh I do miss those times but I know they’ll be back and I’ll be at the forefront when they are.
Allhiphop:What is your favorite song to perform?
WesPalmRich: My favorite song to perform would be “Do It With A” from my Ain’t S### Free project. Another that’s unreleased would be “Burberry Flow” from Parables of the Poor releasing April 17th
Allhiphop:Which famous musicians do you admire most?
WesPalmRich: Lil Wayne, Drake, & Kanye are artists I resonate with on a much deeper level because they paved the way for creatives like myself to explore this new artistic realm of highly cultured creativity merged with the authenticity of the streets
Allhiphop:What is the most trouble you’ve ever gotten into?
WesPalmRich: Man, I was less than 20 years old facing my 3rd arrest for some potential weed s###. By nothing but the grace of God, what I was transporting wasn’t located during the search of my vehicle but I still faced some consequences that could’ve had me sitting down for a little bit.
Allhiphop:What is the best advice you’ve been given?
WesPalmRich: “If you know something that can help another man change the trajectory of their family’s life and his future, and you don’t share that information…. You selfish.“
~ Eric Thomas
If you could change anything about the industry, what would it be?
Make substance cool again.
Allhiphop:What’s next for you?
WesPalmRich: The WRL & beyond! DèCamp will be one of the biggest household names of the next century in all areas of entertainment & arts. We will single-handedly help foster an era where true dynamic creativity thrives and people feel inclined to share their vast spectrum of talents with the world.
Lesane is in his own lane, creating his own sound on his own terms. Hailing from a small town called Handsworth in the heart of Birmingham, England, the rising star creates his own version of emo trap, with an undeniable knack for melodies and heartfelt lyricism.
Listing Chief Keef, Tupac, Kendrick Lamar, 50 Cent, and Michael Jackson as his biggest influences, LESANE made the conscious decision at 14 years old to commit to his music career, eventually dropping out of school and moving to New York City to pursue his dreams.
In describing himself, LESANE states he’s “the world’s best kept secret.”
Upon hearing any of LESANE’s songs, you’re immediately drawn and sucked into his musical soundscape. It’s refreshing, it’s unique, and it’s versatile. To date, LESANE has been releasing a slew of music for his growing fanbase, seeing much success with his breakout single “Don’t Do Drugs” which has accumulated over 8.6 million streams to date.
Fast forward to today, the 24-year-old returns with his newest single titled “Love (Boo Thang),” which holds fans over until the release of his forthcoming project titled GENRELESS.
AllHipHop: How are you doing?
LESANE: Still alive. Still breathing. Just drinking some tea.
AllHipHop: How is it over there in Birmingham?
LESANE: Mundane.
AllHipHop: How would you describe your sound?
LESANE: I try to be fluid. I don’t like to operate in the same realm so I try to do as much as I can in terms of creating different sounds.
AllHipHop: What was it like growing up in Handsworth?
LESANE: I always felt like an outcast. I always felt like I wanted to express myself differently from how people usually express themselves. It was a lot of character building. It was tough. It was rough, but it was a good story building moment.
AllHipHop: When did you fall in love with music?
LESANE: I remember one time when I was a kid, my cousin Chami saw me making melodies and tapping on tables. He said “Yo, one day you’re gonna be a musician.” When he died, that just replayed in my head so I said “okay, maybe I should become a musician.” I also knew I didn’t want to do the typical school route and figuring it out that way, so music just became the path that I was most passionate about.
AllHipHop: Talk about moving to New York City to pursue your dreams.
LESANE: New York was sick. It gave me perspective, because I was operating under the collective consciousness of Handsworth. I used to think that life was only as big as where I was from. Going to New York changed my perspective because it’s like, “Oh, there’s so many different people out there and everyone has their own perspective.” New York is filled with so many different types of people. When you’re having conversations with people, you can see the difference, especially when you’re from a small town. New York was a dope part of my life because it showed me that if you want to figure something out, you have to put your work in and eventually you’ll figure it out.
AllHipHop: How’d it feel to drop out of school? What did your parents think?
LESANE: My parents didn’t know I dropped out of school. I dropped out of school at the beginning of the year. I’d leave the house every morning and act like I was going to school, but I wasn’t. I was just going out, speaking to girls and stuff. But when my mom found out. she was going crazy. She didn’t approve of the music stuff in any way. Over time, she started hearing the music and she started seeing how serious I was. She just started supporting heavy.
AllHipHop: What inspired your song “Houdini”?
LESANE: “Houdini” and “Don’t Do Drugs” was me tired of not expressing myself the way I wanted. So those were the two records I made that were completely different from what I usually do. It was fun. It was sick. That showed I can make records outside of what I’m used to. Make it still sound cool, even though those two records are foundational in terms of my sound. “Houdini” and “Don’t Do Drugs” were the beginning of where the Genreless tape ended up sounding like. Genreless is like punk rock, pop music, but the foundation of it was “Don’t Do Drugs” and “Houdini.” Because that’s when I said I’m done expressing myself in a limited way. I’m a do whatever I want, whenever I want. [snaps]
AllHipHop: How was it shooting with Nicholas Jandora?
LESANE: Nicholas is a good guy, him and the team were great. They’re so easy to work with. We got the video done ASAP.
AllHipHop: How did you guys link originally?
LESANE: I think it came from Patrick. Patrick sent me some of his stuff and I said, “Yeah, we’ve got to get him on a video.” Patrick is marketing at UM (UnitedMasters).
AllHipHop: Talk about your new song “Love (Boo Thang).”
LESANE: It feels good man, it’s good. It’s always good to have new records out. I’m just excited to keep pushing music.
AllHipHop: Is there a certain female that inspired this record?
LESANE: I just wanted to create something that was wholesome for couples. I wanted to drop it for Valentine’s Day so couples could live with it. One day, it’s going to be the Valentine’s Day soundtrack.
AllHipHop: Is there rock influences in this record?
LESANE: I don’t think I’ve ever had any rock influences, that’s why it’s weird I make the type of music I make. Most of my influences are rappers:. Travis Scott. Kanye West, Bob Marley, Tupac. Biggie. Michael Jackson. It’s weird for me to end up making rock music. I used to see rock songs on the TV, but that’s about it. The first rock band I ever heard was Neck Deep and I was about 19.
AllHipHop: What can we expect from the music video?
LESANE: I’d rather not say anything. I rather people watch it and create their own perspective on it. I’m just excited to get another video out. I’m excited to get all the videos out.
AllHipHop: What do you want fans to get from your story?
LESANE: That I’m just a kid that’s expressing himself in his bedroom. Just a normal guy, making normal songs. Talking about how i feel in hopes to find people that relate.
AllHipHop: 3 things you need in the studio?
LESANE: Just a laptop and microphone, and we’re good to go.
AllHipHop: What can we expect from your new album, Genreless?
LESANE: Music that you wouldn’t expect from some who’s from where I’m from. Genreless is expressing yourself through different sonics and sounds, without being restricted to anything specific.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CZ7med5snoW/
AllHipHop: I think I saw you play the guitar too?
LESANE: I’m actually learning to play the guitar. I’m still in the early stages trying to figure it out. It’s hard, but it’s a fun process.
AllHipHop: What do you like to do when you’re not making music?
LESANE: Think about what song I want to make next. [laughs] There’s literally nothing else that I do apart from make music.
AllHipHop: How’s the independent grind?
LESANE: It’s fun. It’s a lot of character building. It’s a lot of trials and tribulations… Life’s a process, everything always unfolds how it’s supposed to. What I’m learning is you can’t really expect to reach greatness without going through the grind. You gotta put the work in to build a foundation that will last.
AllHipHop: Do you have any goals for yourself?
LESANE: I hope to find myself one day outside of music, just find myself. That would be a personal goal. Right now, it’s just about music. Hopefully one day I can change the world, but right now the focus is getting these records heard, making people relate, and inspiring people.
