The singer praised her son’s achievements in a series of videos on her Instagram Stories on Wednesday.
“I’m not exaggerating, this baby is talking. I put this on everything I love,” she told viewers. “Yesterday, I was like, ‘You love Mommy? Yeah?’ Then I asked him again. ‘You love Mommy?’ And he replied back ‘Yeah!'”
Insisting he didn’t reply in baby talk but with a fully-formed affirmation of love, Cardi went on to claim that he said a proper “hello” while singing along to children’s YouTube channel Cocomelon.
“I don’t know if that’s like the pandemic thing. I don’t know if this is normal,” Cardi added. “This s**t is crazy. I need a camera in his room 24/7.”
The 29-year-old then appeared to talk to her child directly, saying, “You’re talking, and you just turned four months today. You’re talking for real.”
Cardi and Offset have not publicly disclosed their son’s name. They are also parents to three-year-old daughter Kulture.
In many ways, becoming a musician is simpler today than it was decades ago. Digitalization opened up a slew of doors—a slew of business, social media, marketing, and promotion opportunities that many artists did not have a decade ago.
This may be why many people, including Justine Jakobs, choose to pursue careers in the music industry. However, not all of them succeed, and those who do frequently recount how they were “discovered” performing at this or that show, or how this or that record was played for this guy, or how they landed this or that deal or contract.
While it is true that many great musicians were discovered through pure chance in the past, tens of millions more, regardless of the era, had to take a different path to achieve some level of success in music—the same path Justine Jakobs was forced to take, of perseverance and dedication.
Justine believes that individuals who attribute their success to pure chance are not role models for aspiring artists. Justine is well aware of the amount of energy and time she expended to reach the point where she is now.
There were times when she felt as if she didn’t know which direction to take, or, as she prefers to put it like she was walking blindfolded through a pitch-black room. She admits that those times were extremely frustrating and that she considered giving up on her dream of becoming a celebrity numerous times.
Justine persisted, however, because she knew she has destined for the entertainment industry and that the spotlight was where she felt most at ease, and that was what kept her going.
Justine acknowledges that becoming a musician in today’s world is not easy, but she believes that having a clear goal, sufficient dedication, and a healthy dose of stubbornness enables anyone to succeed and achieve their dreams. All of the new opportunities and benefits that technology provides are simply nice bonuses for her.
That is why she is confident that anyone like her will succeed in pursuing their dreams, as she believes that no obstacle or difficulty is too great to overcome through hard work. Justine Jakobs is soaring toward great heights, so keep up with her by following her on Instagram.
Battle Rap has been a hot topic all week following the creation of an innovative new battle rap showcase, Midnight Madness. Fans of the culture have been congregating in Twitter Spaces in their thousands to discuss the latest happenings.
On Wednesday (Jan. 5) Lloyd Banks and Don Q, battlers in their own right, joined one such conversation, hosted by New Jersey rapper Tsu Surf. The industry artists got into an in-depth discussion, debating a wide range of subjects.
When the talk turned to battle rappers making music, Banks teased Surf fans with the possibility of a joint track. While Surf was tight-lipped on the topic, Banks hinted, “wait till they hear what we got.”
Don Q was keen to know what the excitement was surrounding Midnight Madness. After hearing the ins and outs of the exclusive battle rap enterprise, Don expressed an interest in getting involved. “Oh, hell yeah I’m with that,” he replied when asked whether he would put money on a battle. “I’m with betting or judging, either or,” he said.
Cassidy & Tsu Surf Clash Over Ultimate Madness
Elsewhere earlier in the day, Tsu Surf got into it with Cassidy after the Philly icon entered the Midnight Madness conversation. Cassidy was co-hosting a Twitter Spaces chat trying to obtain more information about it when word got back to Tsu Surf that Cass was being less than positive about the whole concept.
Tsu Surf was frustrated by Cassidy’s statements and felt he was misusing his platform, influencing his large following against the venture without knowing the facts. “This is the third day in the row y’all gone let some random muthafucka that ain’t even got s### to do with this, come in here and give his opinion about how y’all running or how y’all doing something that’s already done,” he ranted. “If he don’t want to be in, or don’t want to f### with it, move the f### along!’
Surf continued and while he called Cassidy a G.O.A.T and said he meant no disrespect, he also said he is “ass.” Cassidy attempted to placate Tsunami, “Yo, you got to relax,” he said before realizing Surf had already left the chat. “N##### in here vibing out, he come in here all aggressive and hostile,” said the “I’m A Hustla” hitmaker. “He talking ‘bout I’m a co-host…because I’m the f###### energy bro, n##### gotta run s### past me, why wouldn’t you?”
Could We See A Midnight Madness Battle Between The Two Heavyweights?
However, Cassidy put forward a notion that could lead to his next top-tier battle. He suggested a Midnight Madness clash between himself and Tsu Surf. “He might be the n#### that could gather up enough [money] to beat me,” he said. “If it’s gone be authentic,” he added, noting that the terms and conditions would need to be agreeable.
Also, be on the lookout for the announcement of AllHipHop’s “Battle Rap Superlatives!” We will soon be revealing the winners of the best of battle rap 2021!
Great music, regardless of its genre, era, or artist, has one unifying and universal factor that transcends language barriers, cultures, and generations to speak to something in our very souls. And that elusive and magical factor is pure, unbridled emotion. From Beethoven to The Beatles, from Elvis to Eminem, and from Muddy Waters to Madonna, the willingness to put it all on the line in a song and expose your deepest, most innermost self to the world touches a chord with us all and is a sound indicator of true talent.
The need for every artist, at some point in their career, is to channel their emotions in order to upgrade their talent and become a world-beating force. This is something that young musical sensation Alecksandro Rizzo has been busy tapping into and feels incredibly passionate about.
“Growing up, I always found in music an escape from reality because it offered me an alternative universe where I could be myself and experience my true emotions without censure or criticism,” explained Alecksandro Rizzo, before adding, “Music gave me an intense, rewarding, and meaningful inner life. It also made me feel that I could achieve and do anything. In short, it gave me wings. There was no doubt in my mind it was what I wanted to dedicate every ounce of my being to, and I also wanted to be able to express my emotions in a way I knew that only the most talented could.”
Alecksandro Rizzo has been a versatile musician from an early age. He is equally at home on the violin as the piano and a variety of other instruments. As his recorded output to date will testify, he has all the technical ability in the world. But what Alecksandro Rizzo, like all true artists, craves is the emotional authenticity to make the whole world take notice. He explained, “Anyone can knock out a novelty tune that’ll make them famous for 15 minutes.
However, I’m not interested in being a gimmick. I want to create something that’ll stand the test of time and mean something for generations to come. Channeling your innermost emotions to create music has a habit of making you a better artist. Yet, more importantly, if I can create something that connects with others the same way music once connected with me and set me upon the path I’m on, then I’d consider that my greatest homage to my art.”
Jim Jones insists he was joking about his mother teaching him how to tongue kiss.
Social media was buzzing after a clip of Jim Jones claiming his mother Nancy taught him to tongue kiss went viral. The Dipset member attempted to clarify his remarks once he became a trending topic on Twitter.
“For the record, I love my momma more than anything in the world,” he said in an Instagram video. “And for the record, it was a joke. People take things way too far. It don’t bother us anyway, but let’s get it clear. That’s weak what y’all trying to project.”
Jim Jones also tried to downplay the controversy in the post’s caption.
“Knock it off enjoy th laugh stop takin life so serious,” he wrote. “Th media loves to take something so simple and tune into a head line smh lol. Stop it 5. My child hood was better than urs and I was raised to b a respectful young man by nothin but queens. But carry on don’t forget to stream. We set th trends Thnku for all th support.”
Jim Jones originally made the comments about his mother on Angela Yee’s Lip Servicepodcast. During the conversation, the 45-year-old rapper said his mom taught him everything about sex then mentioned how he learned to tongue kiss.
“My moms taught me how to kiss when I was younger,” he said. “She taught me how to tongue kiss when I was younger. There wasn’t no instructions. She showed me with her mouth.”
Jim Jones mentioned his mother kissing him again when Angela Yee asked if he found tongue kissing to be disgusting at first.
“The first time I tongue kissed a girl, yeah,” he said. “With moms, it didn’t faze me.”
Watch the infamous clip from Jim Jones’ appearance on Lip Service below.
Representatives for the late Nipsey Hussle have shut down an NFT featuring his unreleased music.
Nipsey Hussle’s camp told AllHipHop the project was unauthorized, forcing them to put a stop to the planned release. Nip’s team reached out to those responsible for the NFT after reports emerged about the collection.
RAIRTECH partnered with Noddfactor Entertainment’s Leroy “Mr. Lee” Williams and Southwest Digital Distribution for the NFT. Ed Prado, the CEO of RAIRTECH, claimed to be working with Nipsey Hussle’s team when the project was originally announced.
“With all the NFT platforms available, it’s an honor to collaborate with the Nipsey Hussle team on such an iconic project for our first-ever NFT drop,” Prado said. “As we understand the significance of this project and its legacy, we’re excited to demonstrate the RAIR technology suite as a truly viable solution to empower creators with more control than any other solution on the market.”
RAIRTECH’s Nipsey Hussle NFT was scheduled to drop today (January 6th). The website for the collection has since been taken down.
The NFT was going to feature a song titled “Blue Laces 3” as well as seven additional unreleased tracks. The “Nipsey Experience” collection was also supposed to include a documentary about the deceased rapper and behind-the-scenes footage.
Moliy is a whole vibe, and she’s here to spread her Afro-fusion sound from Ghana to the rest of the universe. Hailing from Ghana but now calling Florida home, the singer-songwriter has one goal: to inspire the masses all around the world.
Listing Eminem and Lil Wayne as her influences, her love for music bleeds through her own sound, going from karaoke performances with friends and family to shutting down her own headlining show in New York.
While the COVID-19 pandemic may have slowed things down for most people, Moliy took advantage and recorded her debut EP, “Wondergirl.” The 6-track project pays homage to her distinct sound, which pulls influence from elements of jazz, soul, hip-hop, dancehall, and R&B — reaching areas from the shores of Ghana, to Nigeria, to Kenya, and even the United States.
Earlier this year, Moliy made her mark, exploding onto the scene as a standout feature on Amaarae’s “SAD GIRLZ LUV MONEY” which has over 5.2 million views on Youtube and counting. Most recently, she followed it up with yet another banger, “Ghana Bop,” created to have you moving on the dance floor.
AllHipHop: Talk about your Afro-fusion sound and what it means to you.
It’s a blend of Afro-pop, R&B, soul, dancehall, even Hip Hop. I like a lot of sounds, so to me, it’s merging all of those inspirations. Right now, people have a general tag for what they call “Afro-fusion,” but I’m hoping along the line, we will have different sections of what it means to be creating Afro-music. In the Western sense, there’s R&B and all of that. Everything has its category. Somehow with us, it’s all jumbled up into one group. I’m hoping it expands.
AllHipHop: I know you like Eminem and Lil Wayne…
Moliy: I love Kendrick, Lil Wayne, Eminem. People who are good with really dope melodies and add a sense of story-writing when they create music.
AllHipHop: You’re originally from Ghana, when did you come to America?
Moliy: It was recent, a couple months now. I’m from Ghana, West Africa, but I’m also American.
AllHipHop: What was it like growing up in Ghana?
Moliy: It was cool, I really liked it. Growing up in my childhood home, my mom had a restaurant/bar right next to the house. We’d hear lots of Highlife music, like Daddy Lumba. You might also hear a lot of Celine Dion, Michael Jackson. There were a lot of influences going on, and I got different experiences.
I got to see what it was like to be privileged, and what it was like to not. I had a mix of local friends and f international friends. I could also see the difference it is to be light-skinned. That kind of privilege, it’s really out there. If you go there right now, everyone’s going to look at you. They’re going to assume you’re rich, just based on the color of your skin. It’s pretty interesting, but I thoroughly enjoyed growing up in Ghana.
AllHipHop: When did you realize you could do music for a living?
Moliy: 4 years ago. I had just gone back to Ghana, and I wasn’t really working. I wasn’t in school. I had friends who were in the music scene, up and coming producers and artists, so I was in the studio quite a lot. But at the time, I was incredibly shy. I didn’t really think I could do it. As I started feeling like I could contribute, I’d chip in and say things like “Oh, you can write it this way,” or “you could sing it this way.” They really appreciated my comments and my opinions. I’m like, “Okay, let me create my own song.” From the first time I decided to create a song, it was like, “Nah, I can do this.”
AllHipHop: Talk about collaborating with Amaarae on “SAD GIRLZ LUV MONEY.” That’s such a dope song.
Moliy: At that point, I was still working on my project. I had DM’ed her, I told her that I wanted to work with her, because I could see what she was doing. I could see that she was creating a sound that was different from the authentic Afro-beats. It was a fusion and it was pretty interesting. I feel like our sounds match, so I thought we should work together. After my project came out, Wondergirl, she heard it and said, “Yo, this is dope! Let’s do it. Let’s get in the studio.” She sent me the instrumental, I wrote on it. We linked up in the studio and recorded it. It was pretty dope. It happened so quick and so easy, it was a dope experience.
AllHipHop: What was like the vibe of that studio session?
Moliy: It was early in the morning. [laughs] I went early and we stayed until 2pm, maybe 3pm. Everyone was on a high of “Wow, we’re creating magic right now.”
AllHipHop: How does it feel to see those numbers though?
Moliy: It makes me feel like, a lot more is possible. It opens up my mind to see what I can do – the future looks really bright when I see that.
AllHipHop: “Ghana Bop” is out now. Bring us back to when you made this record.
Moliy: I wrote “Ghana Bop” in the US, right before I went to back Ghana. I started recording and wanted to create a project. How really the song came about is, I saw a bunch of artists creating “bop bop.” Stormzy did it, Ms Banks did it, so I knew it was a thing. But I didn’t see anyone from Ghana do something like that yet. I figured if I’m doing it, I might as well put the stamp on it and call it “Ghana Bop.”
Really, the inspiration behind it was me manifesting my own confidence and speaking it into existence. I want to feel this way about myself. You would think I was feeling that way when I wrote that song. I really wasn’t, but I wanted to. [laughs] Now, I do feel that way. It’s really about confidence, about women feeling confident about themselves. No, I don’t need anybody. I got this. I’m beautiful. That’s what I want women to sing when they listen to music, those things that make you feel positive about yourself.
AllHipHop: What does female empowerment mean to you?
Moliy: It’s incredibly important. Over the past year or two, I’ve embodied that. I was coming out of a very toxic relationship, so I had to rewire and reprogram the way I think, and the way I feel about myself. In doing that, I could see a whole wave of other women who are actually doing the same thing. It’s a whole movement going on, which is dope.
AllHipHop: Where was the video shot? I love it, it’s such a vibe.
Moliy: I was in Ghana, then I heard Briana was in town. She owns the Matte Brand Company. She met me, she’s telling me “Look I listened to your project, it was really dope. You’re so dope!” That was it, we connected. Somehow she left Ghana, then she hit me up a couple of months later. She’s like, “Yo, I want to shoot a video for this. I really like this song.” She literally flew all the way to Ghana, shot this video, styled it, creative-directed it. My sister helped her as well, she was the DP. It was really a close-knit project, not a lot of people were involved. Most of the girls who came through, came through because they wanted to be there. It speaks to the whole woman empowerment thing, because everyone was really there to support and make it come to life.
AllHipHop: What was the best memory from that day?
Moliy: Mmm, girl. [laughs] If you only knew how many things went wrong. Let me tell you… on the last day of shooting right? This was a very stressful day already, because we had so many things to make happen that we were failing, but we were still going with the flow. The tip of the iceberg was me coming off one set, and having bird poop land on my freaking eyelash. [laughs] I’m like “What is happening right now?!” I almost cried, but I held it back. I Googled it, why did this happen? I did a quick Google search, and that’s the rarest thing for a person. Okay, it must mean good luck. It’s going to be a good video. That’s the most memorable thing, I’ll never forget that.
AllHipHop: What’s one thing you want to get from Wondergirl?
Moliy: From the sound, I want them to get how versatile I am. How open I am to creating different kinds of music. From the lyrics and the storytelling, I want them to get that you can be going through things, but you don’t have to let it drain you. You don’t have to soak it in like a sponge. You can let it flow through you and still be what you want to be, think what you want to,and try to attract what you want to attract. Because like there’s sad songs in there, but it’s sad songs that make you feel like “no, this is not what I want. I want better for myself.” There’s love songs that make you feel like “Yeah I have all this love to give, but you should know you need to deserve it to get it.”
AllHipHop: What can we expect from Honey Doom, coming out next year?
Moliy:Honey Doom is my next project. I want it to be a leveled up version of what people have already heard. I want them to hear different sounds that they haven’t heard me try yet. I want to let them know, you can’t put Moliy in a box. Obviously it’s going to carry the same empowering message to them: for females, for women. That’s what I always want to be putting out there. I also wanted to show my growth as a writer and as a vocalist.
AllHipHop: Why the title Honey Doom?
So to me, it’s bittersweet, which was the realization I had growing up. Because in my heart, I’m still a kid. But I need to be an adult. What I learned from all this is things don’t always go your way. Bad things happen, but good things happen too. It’s a balance, but it’s also staying true to yourself. It’s like “honeymoon,” but Honey Doom is the complete opposite.
AllHipHop: How was it performing in New York?
Moliy: Oh my God, it was amazing! I used to have stage fright, not long ago. It’s something that I’ve been working on. Doing that show made me realize it’s time to step into myself as an artist. Really enjoy it and feel out the crowd, make sure they’re having a good time. I can get it out of my head and really have a blast with it. It was a great performance, everybody there had an amazing time as well. I can’t wait to do more.
AllHipHop: How do you get over your stage fright?
Moliy: A lot of affirmations.
AllHipHop: 3 things you need in studio at all times?
Moliy: I need a drink to loosen up. [laughs] I need not so many people in the room so I could feel it out. I need the lighting down low, all the way down low.
AllHipHop: Talk about working with M.anifest and Vic Mensa. How was that?
Moliy: It was M.anifest’s track. Vic was a featured artist, I was the featured artist. It was me and Manifest from the get. We were in the studio together. We created the song together, then Vic was added onto it at the end. When he came to Ghana and we shot the video, it felt really great that two amazing artists like that felt like they could do a track with me, and to have it do good. Even though I’m still fairly new to the industry. I like the fact that it was a rap record. I like the fact that it was a record about no fear, because I have to have no fear if I’m really about to do all of this. Most of the features I’ve been doing are really real, none of it is just music. It’s real and it relates to me.
AllHipHop: Any goals for yourself?
Moliy: I have a lot of goals, too many. Top three right now would be to be financially independent, I want to be paid! Two, to work with more amazing artists that I truly admire. I want to do Burna. I want to do Rihanna. I want to do Baby Keem. There’s so many artists that I can’t wait to meet and collaborate with. Third, I want to improve myself as best as possible, as an artist more and more.
AllHipHop: Anything else you want to let the people know?
Moliy: Thank you to everyone who’s tuning in. You guys should really expect me to do a lot, a lot, a lot more. I’m not stopping. I’m planting ways, I’m ready to do this. I want you guys to keep doing what you’re doing, that’s your passion that you believe in. It’s a new year: write your intentions, focus on it and get it done. I’m rooting for you!
Snoop Dogg set some lofty expectations for this year’s Super Bowl halftime show.
The West Coast legend said the 2022 Super Bowl halftime show will be the greatest performance in Hip Hop history. Snoop Dogg made the claim while talking to Eli and Peyton Manning on ESPN’s Monday Night Footballbroadcast.
“It’s gonna be a great presentation,” Snoop Dogg told the Manning brothers. “We’re so thankful that the NFL is accepting Hip Hop on stage and letting us do what we do. We plan on putting together a great show and giving the people something they’ve been waiting on.”
He added, “They love to watch a great Super Bowl game, and at the same time, at halftime, we be loving to see who’s gonna perform. So, we’re gonna give you the greatest performance you’ve ever seen in Hip Hop history.”
Snoop Dogg will be performing at the game alongside Dr. Dre, Eminem, Kendrick Lamar and Mary J. Blige. The NFL, Pepsi and Roc Nation announced the all-star lineup in September.
The 2022 Super Bowl is scheduled to take place at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California on February 13. The NFL has explored contingency sites for the game amid spikes in COVID-19 cases.
Brooklyn-raised performer Joey Badass is preparing to release his third official studio LP. The wordsmith bornJo-Vaughn Scott informed his fans to be on the lookout for a new project arriving over the next twelve months.
“S###, the album dropping this year for sure,” said Joey Badass during an Instagram Live session. “I ain’t going to say exactly when, though, because there are certain rappers who be on my heels… It’s coming though.”
The forthcoming, presently untitled, body of work will follow All-Amerikkkan Bada$$. That 2017 album garnered critical praise and peaked at #5 on the Billboard 200 chart.
Joey Badass’s debut album, B4.Da.$$, came out in 2015. It also reached #5 on the Billboard 200 weekly rankings. The Pro Era frontman’s catalog contains 2012’s classic mixtape 1999 as well.
In addition to his career as a recording artist, Joey Badass added actor to his résumé. The 26-year-old entertainer appeared on television programs such as Mr. Robot, Boomerang, Wu-Tang: An American Saga, Grown-ish, and Power Book III: Raising Kanan.
Joey Badass also starred in the Academy Award-winning Two Distant Strangers short film. The former Edward R. Murrow High School student played Carter James in the lead actor role for the movie co-produced by Sean “Diddy” Combs.
Former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama’s media company Higher Ground announced a new Spotify podcast series titled The Big Hit Show.
New York Times contributor Alex Pappademas is set to host the audio documentaries which cover film, music, television, internet culture, and video games. The Big Hit Show will present in-depth conversations with the visionaries behind the content.
“Alex is a seasoned journalist who thrives at investigating the intersection of pop culture and changing social attitudes,” said Dan Fierman, Higher Ground’s Head of Audio. “While delivering the proper social and historical context, he speaks directly to the creators of these pop culture behemoths to understand the thinking behind their work.”
Fierman adds, “[Alex Pappademas] has chosen an incredible initial selection for The Big Hit Show and the contrast between a romantic vampire novel for teenage girls and a funk-drenched jazz-rap odyssey illustrates the potentially infinite remit of this series.”
The February edition of The Big Hit Show will recount Hip Hop superstar Kendrick Lamar’s classic2015 studio album To Pimp a Butterfly. Alex Pappadema is also delving into the 2008 romantic vampire fantasy film Twilight beginning January 12. The remaining chapters will hit Spotify throughout the year.
“The shows and films and albums we explore have all been chosen not just because they’re massive pieces of popular culture,” says Alex Pappademas. “We’ve picked them because each has had a profound butterfly effect on our culture.”
Pappademas continues, “Whether we’re tracing how an author’s vivid dream about a sparkly vampire led to an entirely new fan culture or how a megastar reckoning with success, expectation, and survivor’s guilt crafted a masterpiece that became the soundtrack to the biggest protest movement in a generation, listeners will know from chapter to chapter they’re getting a high stakes narrative that explains how our culture has been influenced and shaped by these creations.”
To Pimp a Butterfly won a Grammy Award for Best Rap Album in 2016. Rolling Stone placed the Top Dawg Entertainment/Interscope Records release at #19 on the magazine’s 500 Greatest Albums Of All Time list. Kendrick Lamar’s critically-acclaimed effort is currently certified Platinum by the RIAA.
Tip “T.I.” Harris has spoken about wanting to take part in a Verzuz against either Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson or Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter. Would the self-proclaimed King Of The South be willing to battle Wesley” Lil Flip” Weston?
During an interview with VladTV, Lil Flip addressed possibly facing his deep-rooted rival. The Texas-bred rapper laid out some ground rules in order for the matchup to happen.
“At first, my number was like [$3 million,] and then it was a million, but now after I got a chance to go be on the Verzuz set in person and have fun… anything around the $500K mark is cool because I had so much fun,” said Lil Flip.
Verzuz‘s Bone Thugs-n-Harmony vs Three 6 Mafia matchup, which took place on December 2, featured a guest appearance by Lil Flip. The U Gotta Feel Me album creator hit the stage to freestyle at the event.
When it comes to facing T.I., Flip added, “When you’re Flip Mayweather, you don’t pick your opponents. Put them in front of me and I’ll handle my business… It don’t matter who it is. I’m not looking for opponents, but if I was to do it, I know that’s what everybody wants to see.”
Atlanta’s T.I. and Houston’s Lil Flip were engaged in a highly-publicized beef back in 2004 over the “King Of The South” title. There were reports that the feud turned violent in Flip’s Cloverland neighborhood.
Since its inception, Verzuz has brought together several rival camps for a friendly hits-for-hits contest. Some of those heated musical bouts include Nelly vs Ludacris, Brandy vs Monica, Jeezy vs Gucci Mane, Bow Wow vs Soulja Boy, and The Lox vs Dipset.
Pro Bowl wide receiver Antonio Brown made international news after he decided to walk off the field during the Tampa Bay Buccaneers-New York Jets game on Sunday. The former Bucc is now speaking out about the matter.
Football fans and broadcasters speculated on the reason why Antonio Brown chose to leave mid-game. The 33-year-old Super Bowl champion offered a lengthy statement about the situation.
Antonio Brown stated, in part:
Because of my commitment to the game, I relented pressure directly from my coach to play injured. Despite the pain, I suited up, the staff injected me with what I now know was a powerful and sometimes dangerous painkiller that the NFLPA has warned against using, and gave it all for the team. I played until it was clear that I could not use my ankle to safely perform my playing responsibilities. On top of that, the pain was extreme. I took a seat on the sideline and my coach came up to me, very upset, and shouted, “What’s wrong with you? What’s wrong with you?” I told him, “It’s my ankle.” But he knew that. It was well-documented and we had discussed it. He then ordered me to get on the field. I said, “Coach, I can’t.” He didn’t call for medical attention. Instead, he shouted at me, “YOU’RE DONE!” while he ran his finger across his throat. Coach was telling me that if I didn’t play hurt, then I was done with the Bucs. I didn’t quit. I was cut. I didn’t walk away from my brothers. I was thrown out. Being fired on the sideline for having a painful injury was bad enough. Then came their “spin.” Coach denied on national television that he knew about my ankle. That’s 100% inaccurate. Not only did he know I missed several games with the injury, he and I exchanged texts days before the game where he clearly acknowledged my injury. He obviously knew I was on the injury list. And the GM acknowledged after the game in text messages to my camp that I did tell coach about my ankle pain on Sunday.
via Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet)
Following his departure from the game on Sunday, Antonio Brown released a rap song titled “Pit Not the Palace.” The chorus includes AB saying, “I’m from the pit, not the palace. I’m kinda stylish. Lifestyle lavish. Jump in the coupe with no mileage. Run it, style it.”
Gibbs responded by retweeting Gunna’s post with a single kissing face emoji. He swiftly followed up with a flurry of tweets beginning with. “Definitely about to be my biggest year in rap I appreciate all y’all n##### manne” before suggesting the entire world is against him.
Twitter @FreddieGibbs
Next, Freddie Gibbs implied he is “the hot topic,” and Gunna is only saying his name for clout. Then, when his long-time online nemesis, DJ Akademiks got involved, Gibbs took the opportunity to mock them both. He shared a clip of Gunna taunting him saying, “Let’s go both y’all look like studs.”
He carried on tweeting throughout the day at one point claiming to be a fan of Gunna. “I love gunna music,” he wrote. “I think he one of the best making music so to be recognized by one of the best is a blessing. Now don’t take this get back s### personal.”
This did not stop the exchange between the pair as Gibbs continued with his posts. He turned his attention to and an old, widely-seen clip of Gunna allegedly on an episode of CNN discussing a criminal case. He shared the video with the caption, “I’m just gon leave this right here y’all have a good evening.”
Back in 2019, an artist named Eric “Fly Havana” Elliott sued Joseph “Fat Joe” Cartagena and Reminisce “Remy Ma” Mackie. Elliott claimed he was not properly compensated for his contribution to “All the Way Up.”
According to Billboard, a federal judge ruled in favor of Fat Joe and Remy Ma. The court concluded that the two Hip Hop stars properly paid Eric Elliott a sum of $5,000 at the time the song was released and Elliott signed away his rights to “All the Way Up.”
U.S. District Judge Naomi Reice Buchwald wrote, “By its terms, the agreement unambiguously assigns any ownership rights, copyright rights, and any additional rights that Elliott had in the Composition and the Master.”
New York City representatives Fat Joe and Remy Ma released the “All the Way Up” collaboration in March 2016. The Plata O Plomo album track also featured French Montana and Infared.
“All the Way Up” peaked at #27 on the Hot 100 chart and spent 20 weeks on those rankings. Plus, the single earned two Grammy nominations for Best Rap Performance and Best Rap Song.
Kanye West is slated to headline the 2022 Coachella Festival, according to various reports.
Variety reported sources informed them Yeezy would be headlining the festival on Sunday while Billie Eilish will be the main event on Saturday.
Furthermore, according to Billboard, Kanye is also considering staging a second Sunday Service performance at this year’s Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. Ye first brought his gospel-themed show to the festival in 2019, his fourth time on the bill.
Billboard reports Kanye West is close to confirming his place closing the show on consecutive Sundays, April 17 and 24. Sunday Service is expected to feature on the April 17 performance which fittingly, falls on Easter Sunday.
Coachella promoter Goldenvoice is expected to make an official announcement regarding the festival line-up this week. The reunited EDM trio Swedish House Mafia is rumored to be the third headliner.
The sold-out festival is scheduled to take place at its usual location of the Empire Polo Ground in Indio, Calif. The festival has been postponed due to the pandemic four times, the original headliners were Travis Scott, Frank Ocean, and Rage Against the Machine. Travis Scott was stripped from the bill last month following the Astroworld tragedy in November.
However, there are concerns the festival may be postponed a further time due to the alarming omicron surge. Earlier this week, January’s Grammy Awards were indefinitely postponed following discussions with city officials, health and safety experts.
Joe Budden shared his thoughts about the “Fresh & Fit Podcast” hosts and their treatment of Black women.
Myron Gaines and Walker Weekes were on the receiving end of some hefty internet backlash after clashing with Asian Doll recently. Joe Budden shared some clips that resurfaced recently. In one Gaines refers to Black women as “bunch of Shaniqua’s” while Weekes says he does not date Black women, saying, “most Black girls are annoying, ratchet and they don’t know how to converse.”
“Now I don’t normally do the ‘repost another pod’ thing because 1. i just don’t, & 2. some stuff just doesn’t deserve to be highlighted, but today I’ll make an exception,” he began. “I don’t know these 2 Doofs but they don’t get to do this. Too ignorant, inexperienced, insecure, fragile and weak for this stale gimmick to not be seen through.
“Black women are everything, ESPECIALLY beautiful!! Every kind of beautiful too, so to hear this?!? From them?!? Lol it’s laughable.. but it’s not. It’s not ‘y’all don’t date Black women’ fam, Black women won’t date y’all (i can tell) so you harbor this hate and base opinions off as if you’ve been outside long enough to even know yourself… and y’all are angry about it, just not angry enough to not use them.”
Joe Budden then blasted those who exploit Black women for views.
“These Idiots know most podcasts can’t get off the ground or gain any traction without love OR hate from Black women,” Joe continued. “Both act as fuel. This is nothing more than a cheap, tasteless heave at a payday. The words don’t match the actions, if you hate them, do it without them. Skip the topic. Don’t have them as guests (you clearly don’t know how to host them). Don’t cater convo toward them.
“Say no to every dollar/view/like/download/subscription generated directly or indirectly by them, then I’ll believe you. This is just pure laziness (amongst other things). If you can’t find a funny/creative way to be inclusive or discuss dating then go back to the drawing board. I’ll skip the lecture on self hatred and just be glad they make is so easy to spot.”
Ultimately, Joe Budden shared his love of Black women and empathized with their plight in the podcast space. “And lastly, yes… we love ‘Shaniqua’ and ‘Buquiesha’ (LaKanya is a personal favorite.) i see why they hate some of you n-ggas having microphones!!! Smh.”
On Wednesday (Jan. 5), Wack 100 shared news about celebrated New York DJ Kay Slay who is currently battling COVID-19. According to the music manager, the situation is serious, and asked his followers for prayers and support.
Wack posted a photograph of 55-year-old DJ Kay Slay and revealed Wack is struggling with his fight against the virus.
“Pray for my brotha @djkayslay It’s not looking good,” he wrote. “He might be mad at me for this those that know Slay but he needs all the support he can get … Been 14 days fighting Covid and he’s just be put on a ventilator . Keep him in your prayers Please.”
Prayers and well wishes from concerned members of the Hip-Hop community poured in with people willing DJ Kay Slay a speedy recovery.
Royce Da 5’9” expressed his frustration and responded, “Ahhhhh F### 😖” while Twista was hopeful, commenting, “Homie gonna pull through God protects his chosen ones 🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾”
New York rapper and producer R. A The Rugged Man took to Twitter to send out some positivity. “Prayers up for the great Kay Slay. This man does so much for HIpHop and NY. He gotta get through this.”
Prayers up for the great Kay Slay. This man does so much for HIpHop and NY. He gotta get through this 🙏 https://t.co/f6IiSJbR3B
Skyzoo revealed his shock, recalling a recent conversation with the DJ. “Prayers up for my man Kay Slay the mixtape king aka Dez the graffiti genius. JUST spoke to him a few weeks ago. Smh. An absolute legend in the game who brought NY back and kept us up. Speedy recovery king.”
Prayers up for my man Kay Slay the mixtape king aka Dez the graffiti genius. JUST spoke to him a few weeks ago. Smh. An absolute legend in the game who brought NY back and kept us up. Speedy recovery king 🙏🏽👑
The gunmen were armed with a handgun an assault rifle. Dolph was shot numerous times and pronounced dead on the scene.
The cops are hunting for a 23-year-old rapper named Justin Johnson, 23. Johnson, aka StraightDropp, is being sought on a charge of first-degree murder.
Johnson is also being sought for attempted-first-degree murder. Police have placed him on their Top 10 Most Wanted list
Johnson, aka Straight Dropp faced accusations of being involved in the murder just weeks after the shooting took place.
Johnson was allegedly one of two rappers who stole a Paper Route Empire chain, allegedly from Young Dolph’s artist Big Moochie Grape. Johnson can be seen sporting the chain in his last video for his song “Stepped On” ft. Big Homiie G.
Fans of Young Dolph have flooded Johnson’s Instagram account with messages, begging for him to turn himself in.
Another local rapper who has been implicated in the shooting, but never charged with a crime goes by the name of JoJo Splatt. Many of Young Dolph’s fans believe JoJo Splatt was connected to the crime.
Reports noted his height, weight and unique stance, while others claimed he has been snitching on himself in various Instagram posts. JoJo Splatt has denied any involvement in Young Dolph’s murder, but “Flippa’s” fans believe otherwise, especially since JoJo Splatt has been wearing a PRE chain.
Just moments ago, JoJo Splatt appeared to defend Straight Dropp.
Hollywood power couple, Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith reportedly sold a minority share of their media company Westbrook to TV and film heavyweights Tom Staggs and Kevin Mayer.
The two former Disney executives paid $60 million for the stake in Westbrook and will now have 10% of the company that put out Netflix’s#### series Cobra Kai.
Valued at $600 million, Westbrook also was the company behind “King Richard,” a biopic about Venus and Serena Williams’ father, Richard. Smith starred as the leading dad in the flick.
Two big projects connected to Westbrook are “Emancipation” and “Bel-Air.”
Based on the horrifying picture called “Scourged Back,” “Emancipation” is a runaway slave thriller directed by former music video director Antoine Fuqua starring Will Smith.
The “Scourge Back” photograph is called a carte-de-visite and is housed in The Metropolitan Museum. The picture features Gordon, aka “Whipped Peter,” a runaway slave.
The picture was taken in March or April 1863 and was shot by McPherson & Oliver at a camp of Union soldiers along the Mississippi River after Gordan had escaped from a nearby plantation.
The portrait and Gordon’s narrative were featured in The Independent in May 1863 and then in the newspaper Harper’s Weekly on Saturday, July 4, 1863, as a special “Independence Day” feature.
The film dramatizes the trauma Whipped Peter experienced at the hands of his masters, John and Bridget Lyons.
“Bel-Air” is a dramatization of Smith’s#### NBC sitcom, “Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.” Will Smith was moved to make this a significant production after seeing the viral version on the internet.
Jessie D, a founding member of the Force MD’s, has died.
The official Facebook account for the legendary group announced Jessie D’s passing on Tuesday (January 4). No cause of death was disclosed.
“TO ONE HELL OF A ENTERTAINER “JESSIE D” OF LEGENDARY FORCE MDS,” the post read. “HE ATE, SLEEP AND BREATHE MUSIC EVERYDAY. PLEASE PUT A HEART UP FOR HIM. HE WAS LOVED!!!!!!!!!! TO THE FAMILY, FRIENDS AND FANS TODAY WE LOST A REAL TALENT. OUR CONDOLENCES GOES OUT TO HIS SIBLINGS, KIDS AND THE FORCE MDS….”
Jessie D, whose real name was Jessie Lee Daniels, and the Force MD’s rose to prominence in the 1980s with their blend of Hip Hop and R&B. The pioneering group released six studio albums, beginning with their 1984 debut Love Letters.
The Force MD’s experienced success as their 1985 single “Tender Love” peaked at No. 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. They also found a new audience when they appeared on Ghostface Killah’s acclaimed album Ironman in 1996.
Questlove was among the many Hip Hop artists who mourned the loss of Jessie D after learning about his death. The Roots drummer paid tribute to the Force MD’s member on Instagram.
“Another legend enters his phase as musical ancestor,” he wrote. “Rest eternally to #JessieD of the #ForceMCs/#ForceMDs. Probably the one outfit that truly managed to soar from phase one of hip hop (search for those legendary routines from those 82-85 tapes on YouTube) to the mainstream. They came from the school of you had to do it all: MC/DJ/battle/dance routines/comedy/know your history (novel idea huh?)/croon/harmonize & engage/entertain.”
