The Weeknd has enlisted the help of an unexpected guest for his next album.
Actor Jim Carrey has confirmed his involvement in the Grammy-winning singer’s upcoming album Dawn FM. Carrey’s name appeared in a video teaser released by The Weeknd on Monday (January 3).
“I listened to Dawn FM with my good friend Abel @theweeknd last night,” Carrey wrote via Twitter. “It was deep and elegant and it danced me around the room. I’m thrilled to play a part in his symphony.”
The Weeknd working with Carrey might not make sense on paper, but the two happen to be neighbors. Last year, the Republic Records artist told GQ how they met.
“He lived literally like two buildings down from me,” The Weeknd said. “He had a telescope, and I had a telescope. He was like, “Where do you live? What floor do you live on?” I was like, Blah, blah, blah. And we looked out the windows on our telescopes and we could see each other.
The Weeknd’s Dawn FM is scheduled to drop on Friday (January 7). The album will also feature Quincy Jones, Tyler, The Creator, Lil Wayne and Oneohtrix Point Never.
Kanye West is trying to get Kim Kardashian back, right? Or is he dating a 22-year old model? Or both!?!
The formal rumor is it Kanye West is dating a 22 year old model named VineTria. She was seeing attending his Sunday Service recently (November) and has been seeing courtside with him as well. This was not at an NBA game, but the Donda Academy basketball game. Anyway, they seem to be a pretty happy couple even though this is a weird relationship juxtaposed with him screaming for Kim Kardashian to come back. He refused her divorce and even got a mansion across the street. How in the world is Kim out here dating Pete Davidson from Saturday Night Live and he is across the street?
DJ Akademiks is a good source of bad information now! I have to respect it on some level. He posted the following and gave me the headline to boot.
So, brother wants a three$ome, but not with the blunt.
Wait a sec. AllHipHop reports he was also spotted with another pretty white woman, Julia Fox! Is she the third person in the post?
According to photos obtained by editors at TMZ, the rapper and the “Uncut Gems” actress enjoyed dinner together at the Carbone restaurant on Saturday night.
Kanye, 44, sported a casual black jacket for the evening, while Julia opted for a denim corset top and jeans.
“Thankfully, I got to rest my voice during COVID, and though we don’t wish it on anyone, I was able to sleep, and it gave me my voice back in a way it hasn’t been here in years,” she told NME magazine.
Over the past year, Mariah has been recording new music at her Butterfly Lounge studios in Los Angeles and Atlanta, Georgia. She’s been collaborating with mystery artists for an upcoming top-secret project.
“There are some friends of ours singing on it with us, and they’re superstars and young teenage girls, and it’s amazing. I’m super-excited about it coming out next year,” she teased.
Mariah also revealed that her boyfriend, Bryan Tanaka, has been filming behind-the-scenes footage to give her fans a glimpse into her songwriting process.
“One of things we’ve been doing in The Butterfly Lounge is that Tanaka has been filming behind the scenes, which I hate,” she said, laughing in mock horror. “So it’s not me all glammed-up; it’s just me writing and producing – which most women are not seen doing. Maybe they are and don’t care how they look – but they’re not me!”
Over the weekend, the 52-year-old comedian posted a photo of himself and Chappelle on his Instagram page, explaining that they had run into each other on New Year’s Eve after finishing a stand-up set.
“Finished me set at @mccawhall and got a text from @davechappelle. Come over to the arena he’s performing in next door and do a guest set,” he shared. “Why not? I waved good-bye to this hell-year with a genius that I started comedy with 34 years ago.”
“He’s refocused and refined ideas a lot of us took as settled about race & history & Life On Planet Earth and spun them around with a phrase or punchline. We’ve done bad & good gigs, open mikes & TV tapings,” Oswalt explained. “We also 100% disagree about transgender rights & representation. I support trans peoples’ rights – ANYONE’S rights – to live safely in the world as their fullest selves.
“For all the things he’s helped ME evolve on, I’ll always disagree with where he stands NOW on transgender issues. But I also don’t believe a seeker like him is done evolving, learning. You know someone that long, see the struggles and changes, it’s impossible to cut them off,” he added.
“Impossible not to be hopeful and open and cheer them on. Also, I’ve been carrying a LOT of guilt about friends I’ve cut off, who had views with which I couldn’t agree, or changed in ways I couldn’t live with. Sometimes I wonder – did I and others cutting them off make them dig their heels in deeper, fuel their ignorance with a nitro-boost of resentment and spite?”
The “Goldbergs” star concluded by calling himself an LGBTQ ally and a “loyal friend,” traits that he needs “to reconcile myself, and not let cause feels of betrayal in ANYONE else.”
In addition, he apologized to those who were hurt by the photo and for deleting comments.
Remember the hit movie “Spider-Man: No Way Home”? That movie was great! I loved it! But there was one thing that did not happen – we didn’t get to see Miles Morales. I hope this is not a spoiler for you, but you should have gone to see it that first week like everybody else! I won’t say more, but I will say I expected to see Miles! Now, if you are into the comics, you know that Miles Morales in a version of Spiderman that is an Afro Latino kid from New York. This all manifested in “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse,” a 2018 animated film. It was the best Spiderman movie. “Spider-man: No Way Home” may have topped that. Anyway! This is the rumor!
Miles Brown is the kid from Black-ish, the hit TV show! And he’s growing up nicely! He is also looking a LOT like Miles Morales, who is a high school student. Also, he took pics with all the stars from the latest Spider-Man film! He was walking the carpet like he was in the MCU! Something tells me, they may have something up their sleeves.
More than that, Miles Brown has expressed his resolute interest in the role. (2021)
Kanye West has been spotted on a date with Julia Fox in Miami, Florida.
According to photos obtained by editors at TMZ, the rapper and the “Uncut Gems” actress enjoyed dinner together at the Carbone restaurant on Saturday night.
Kanye, 44, sported a casual black jacket for the evening, while Julia opted for a denim corset top and jeans.
The reality TV star filed to divorce the “Stronger” hitmaker in February 2021, and in April, the pair agreed to joint custody of their four children.
Meanwhile, Julia indicated she had parted ways from husband Peter Artemiev, with whom she shares an 11-month-old son, in a series of fiery Instagram posts late last year.
Connecting with in-house producer JudahBeats, VA vocalist SauceGod delivers his latest commercial release via Steve Stoute‘s United Masters.
Titled “C.C.,” short for Codeine Cowboy, the new single from the now Texas-based trendsetter follows previous releases “Better” and “Foreign Fevers.” The trance-like track details SauceGod’s ongoing sobriety journey while on mandatory lockdown.
In a statement to the press, SG reveals how the song was created:
“I was visiting Dallas in the Summer of 2020 and got stuck here during the lockdown. Giving up pills had me in a weird headspace, but the upside of that experience was the birth of this record.”
Part of Lizzo’s brand as an entertainer is embracing her body. The “Truth Hurts” hitmaker once again posted about her physique to start off 2022.
On January 2, Lizzo shared a TikTok video of herself dancing to “Rodeo” by City Girls. In the clip, Lizzo is wearing a brown bodysuit that shows off her arms, legs, and back.
“Bruh, I’m gaining weight I look [the f###] GOODT 🤤,” wrote Lizzo in the accompanying caption for the video. At the moment, that tweet has collected over 2000 retweets and 32,000 likes.
Last October, the verified TED YouTube channel released Lizzo’s “The Black history of twerking — and how it taught me self-love” presentation. The 14-minute discussion included the Grammy winner talking about her past self-image issues.
“I used to hate my ass, believe it or not. I have my father’s shape and my mother’s thighs, so it’s big and long. I used to think that only a#### like J.Lo’s or Beyoncé’s could be famous. I never thought that could happen to me,” Lizzo admitted.
I've always enjoyed listening to a wide variety of music, so it’s no surprise that I listened to a little bit of everything this year. I hope you find a new artist or song to add to your own playlist. pic.twitter.com/g6kBzAbrZG
The dictionary defines rapper as “a person who performs rap music or speaks the words of a rap song.” With that, rappers had the best year ever. In 2021, rappers dominated the charts, the headlines, and the streams and sales. It was almost as if there were no other genres existed. Purists can cry foul if they want, these guys and gals are putting up numbers, making history and paving a way for all of Hip-Hop in many ways. Lets re-live those that made power moves.
Drake
Drake moved into god-like rap levels in 2021 for numerous reasons. The Canadian kept fans and critics alike waiting with baited breath as he prepared to drop his Certified Lover Boy album. To hold everyone down, in March, he released Scary Hour 2, a 3-song EP that featured Rick Ross and Lil Baby. When CLB finally dropped, it was a solid outing that had its share of critics. Nevertheless, Drake’s star did not dim one bit. In fact, it got brighter as he remained one of the biggest pop stars in the world. That status did not stop him from becoming a fixture in Hip-Hop as he celebrated his 35th birthday with The Ultimate Rap League at Til Death Do Us Part. Simply put, Drake did it to death, with a variety of cameo appearances, chart-topping music and a highly-touted kiss-n-make-up with Kany West.
Lil Durk
Lil Durk more than vyed for the crown, he basically took it. He was not the pop sensation that Drake was, he still managed to top the charts enough to tie Taylor Swift for the most hits in 2021. All of this jumped off on December 24, 2020, when The Voice dropped. Durkio’s sixth studio album was an immediate hit and set him on the true road to greatness. Then he and Lil Baby dropped The Voice of the Heroes, which they toured in support of despite the pandemic. He had songs with Drake (“In The Bible”), Pooh Shiesty (“Back in Blood”), Coi Leray (“No More Parties”) and several others. He even got engaged to his longtime ride-or-die India Royale. That’s two crowns. 👑👑
Baby Keem
Baby Keem is destined to be one of rap’s next megastars. It does not hurt that he’s cousins with reclusive champon emcee Kendrick Lamar. Keem is another animal completely. While he’s not exactly a new artist, in 2021 he took the game by storm. The Melodic Blue, his debut studio album, formally hit on September 10, 2021. A Columbia Records and pgLang release, the album was full of heavy weights like Travis Scott, Don Toliver, Brent Faiyaz and cousin Kendrick Lamar. A total of four singles landed the album on the Billboard 200 chart with an estimated 53,000 total albums moved. Destiny awaits.
Polo G
Polo G busted a shot and 146,429,819 YouTube views later he trully manifested what he rapped. “Rapstar” was atop all the platforms that mattered, including Spotify and Apple Music. (The writer of this piece is wearing a Polo G hoodie right now.) Team Polo G put in the work around marketing and promoting his third album Hall of Fame, it was almost guaranteed a classic. He even fought back Lil Nas X’s “Montero (Call Me by Your Name)” to stay number 1 so run tell that. Polo continued to apply pressure all year, even sampling MJ’s “Bad” on “Bad Man (Smooth Criminal.” The audacity is a bit part why the 22-year old Cap A Lot will likely keep bussin’ in 2022.
Moneybagg Yo
Everybody knows about Moneybagg Yo, yo. When Morgan Wallen (the singer that used the N-word) wants to get back in good with The Blacks, who does he name? Lil Durk, Kendrick Lamar and Moneybagg Yo. In 2021, A Gangsta’s Pain hit definitively. The original version featured Future, Tripstar, Polo G, Lil Durk, Kaash Paige, Big30, Jhené Aiko, and Pharrell Williams and then he spun the block with a deluxe version that had new songs with Lil Wayne, Ashanti, EST Gee, Pooh Shiesty, Big Homiie G, Yung Bleu, Janiyah, and the omnipresent DJ Khaled. Bruh! Moneybagg’s offerings felt so dominant thanks to a bevy of collabs and big outings like the BET Awards.
Megan Thee Stallion
What a year for Megan Thee Stallion. The Texas Hottie managed to flourish at a time when she could have rested. At the BET Awards, he won four of her seven nods. This included Best Female Hip Hop Artist honors. She also won three Grammys, including Best New Artist. But all of that was rooted in her 2020 work. In 2021, she released Something for Thee Hotties, an album of freestyles and previously unheard songs that gave us the hit “Thot Sh#t.” She also collaborated with Lil Nas X, K-pop sensations BTS, Ariana Grande and Doja Cat as well in 2021. Off the mic, she graduated from college, became the first rapper to grace the cover of Sports Illustrated’s Swimsuit Issue, made a content deal with Netflix and dominated headlines with a publicist legal bout with Tory Lanez.
NFL wide receiver Antonio “AB” Brown took off his jersey and ran off the field before the Tampa Bay Buccaneers-New York Jets game came to an end on Sunday. The Bucs later announced Brown is no longer part of the team.
While Antonio Brown’s mid-game behavior had a lot of football fans and sports pundits baffled, the 33-year-old perennial Pro Bowler decided to turn his attention to music. His song titled “Pit Not the Palace” landed on DSPs last night (January 2).
“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,” spits AB on the track’s chorus.
Antonio Brown’s new single did not address why he seemingly retired as his teammates were still competing in the third quarter of yesterday’s game. According to ESPN, Brown did not fly home on the Buc’s charter plane.
Brown reportedly asked New York state troopers for a ride to the airport but he was denied. A local driver named Danny Chalet apparently drove Antonio Brown from MetLife Stadium. Chalet posted social media several videos of himself with AB.
Antonio Brown has been picked up from MetLife and is in the city with NYC driver Danny Chalet (IG Dannyboyhustlehard) pic.twitter.com/VXhdNNkpYp
“[Antonio Brown] is no longer a Buc. That’s the end of the story. Let’s talk about the guys that went out there and won the game,” stated Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Bruce Arians during a post-game press conference. The Bucs were able to pull off a 28-24 victory against the Jets.
Tampa Bay quarterback Tom Brady said, “We all love [Antonio Brown]. We care about him deeply. We want to see him be his best, and unfortunately, he won’t be with our team. But we have a lot of friendships that will last… I think everyone should be very compassionate and empathetic towards some very difficult things that are happening.”
Back at the beginning of December 2021, some troubling news broke involving Lil Wayne. A member of the New Orleans-raised rapper’ssecurity detail accused Wayne of pulling out an AR-15 during an argument.
The unnamed bodyguard did not initially press charges against Lil Wayne. However, a new article claims the man now wants authorities to prosecute the Young Money leader. He is apparently accusing Wayne of striking him in the head as well.
However, TMZ claims the chance of Lil Wayne being arrested for the alleged violent incident is very slim. The website wrote:
There’s a big problem — our sources say the case doesn’t appear strong on its face and will probably go nowhere. Cops haven’t even tried speaking with Wayne so far … a sign it’s not destined for prosecution.
TMZ
Individuals reportedly connected to Lil Wayne refuted that any physical altercation with the security guard took place. Associates also denied Wayne even owns a gun. Law enforcement investigators were said to be suspicious of the guard’s account because he did not have any visible injuries.
Lil Wayne previously pled guilty to gun charges in two separate cases. He served eight months in New York following a 2007 arrest for criminal possession of a weapon. Additionally, then-United States President Donald Trump pardoned Wayne in January 2021 after the 5-time Grammy winner pled guilty to a federal firearms charge in Florida.
Nicholas “Lil Xan” Leanos inserted himself back in the news recently when he decided to “expose” his ex-manager. Lil Xan, also known as Diego, took to social media to accuse Stat Quo of instigating his drug addiction.
“When I was on tour through 2018 to two thousand whatever, the world tours with Nicki [Minaj] and Juice [WRLD] and all that, I was a drug addict back then. And my manager [Stat Quo] was supplying me with the drugs,” said Lil Xan in a video posted to social media.
Apparently, those accusations led to some people online blasting Lil Xan for “snitching” on his former right-hand man. The 25-year-old California rapper returned to social media to address his critics.
“It’s like half-and-half. Half [are] saying, ‘Thank God you’re spreading awareness.’ And then the other half is [saying], ‘Oh, you’re a snitch now. He didn’t make you do that,'” explained Lil Xan.
The Total Xanarchy album creator continued, “I’m not a gangbanger. I’m a civilian. How am I a snitch? Did I go to court and f###### rat on my gang? I don’t have a gang. You can’t snitch if you’re not a f###### gang member. Miss me with that.”
Lil Xan went on to say he is trying to help other artists that are in a similar situation in the hopes he prevents someone from getting into “bad deals” or possibly losing their life. In addition, Diego took issue with No Jumper podcast host Adam22 for allegedly defending Stat Quo in this situation.
“Adam wants to go on here and say that I’m in the wrong for blaming Stat for supplying a kid [with] drugs,” stated Lil Xan. “He actually is salty that I unfollowed him… I think another reason is Stat and Adam have a very good relationship. I don’t know if they’ve been in cahoots talking about this, trying to clear Stat’s name.”
UK Rapper Aitch has been steadily making a name for himself in the U.K music scene following the success of his breakthrough hit, a feature on the wildly popular song from Russ Millions and Tion Wayne, “Keisha & Becky.” He continued his run with solo tracks and collaborated with artists including Tay Keith, D Block Europe, and Pa Salieu.
Now Aitch returns with another transatlantic pairing, recently inking with Oakland rapper Offset Jim. The pair released a fresh set of visuals for their new track “Chinese K.” They first connected when Aitch posted a video of him rapping along to Jim’s “No Pressure,” labeling Jim as a G.O.A.T. His word-perfect rendition of the song inspired their meeting and the track that followed.
An Unreleased Lil Baby track
In other news, Aitch shared details of another collab with a highly sought-after artist that is yet to see the light of day. The 22-year-old Manchester rapper explained that while he has the recording, he never released it as a remix because he got the track back too late!
“Lil Baby actually done a verse on “Taste” on my song,” he said. “It just never came out.” The interviewer expressed her surprise that Aitch would sit on music with the Atlanta artist. However, according to Aitch, he felt like releasing a Lil Baby version of “Taste,” months after the original felt forced.
“Basically, I got the verse months after the original song came out,” said Aitch. “I thought I don’t want to look like I’m trying to stretch the song.”
The Manchester rapper added, “It gets a bit boring, so I just had to sacrifice the Baby verse. It’s hard but it just can’t go out because I don’t want people to think that I’m trying to stretch it.”
R&B singer Omarion wants to enter 2022 without the baggage of being connected with coronavirus. Ever since the Omicron variant of COVID-19 became international news, people on the internet jokingly pointed the finger at Omarion.
The B2K member had something to say to the world about the Omicron wisecracks. Omarion delivered an NYE message during a segment on ABC’s Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve television special.
“Now I know that there has been a lot of confusion online recently, so my lawyers asked me to read this: I, Omarion, am a musician, an entertainer – you knew that – not a variant,” said the 37-year-old O album creator.
He continued, “The last time I had to do this was in 2000 when everyone confused Y2K with B2K. That ain’t how it’s supposed to be. No, but seriously, I want to wish you all a happy and safe new year’s. Peace.”
Omarion posted the New Year’s Rockin’ Eve clip to his Instagram page. The IG caption read:
@rockineve 🎯 We gone start this thang off right. #2022 Been getting a lot of disrespectful DM’s from folks I never did nothing to. Its time to address this. A Prosperous New year to all 🙌🏾. #imserioustho#Drop1 & Drop2
The Florida native was bringing in the new year in his hometown of Pompano Beach when he was nabbed by cops in his old neighborhood, Golden Acres. He was then taken to Broward County Jail and quickly released after posting a reported $25 bond. According to the Sun-Sentinel, Kodak Black violated a cease-and-desist letter from the local Housing Authority. The rapper was said to have caused some upset, bringing 100 air conditioning units to Golden Acres Projects last year.
Kodak Black Warns “Stay Out The Hood”
Now, Kodak has second thoughts about going back to the hood after this latest brush with the law. He took to Instagram Live on Saturday (Jan. 2) to discuss the incident with his followers.
“You know what, stay out the hood,” Kodak Black said. Everything that I was trying to do, I always keep the hood in my mix. I always steady slide back to the hood, I don’t need to be going through there. I don’t need to be through there. But how can you tell a n***a who really from the streets, who really doing his s###, really did my s### out there.”
He added: “N****s know what the f### going on with me. They can never bash me, never say, ‘Oh I can’t come back to the hood.’ Never gonna say, ‘Oh yeah he ain’t been back to the hood in a long time’… All that other s###, that over with.”
The “ZEZE” rapper most recent legal troubles come after completing 90 days of court-ordered rehab back in December. Kodak Black remains on probation for lying on a federal gun application so this recent arrest could have further implications.
Akademiks and Freddie Gibbs began the new year the same way they left the old, throwing online shots at each other. The controversial podcaster will also start 2022 with a new phone number following this latest exchange between the pair.
“Freddie Gibbs leaked my number after I asked him to either stop talking bout me or link up,” Akademiks tweeted. “And u want me to believe Jim Jones didn’t pulverize that sucker in Prime 112? Bruh asked for my number to put on ig bout ‘call him.’” He tagged the “Alfredo” hitmaker adding, “@FreddieGibbs u police.”
Freddie Gibbs leaked my number after I asked him to either stop talking bout me or link up. And u want me to believe Jim Jones didn’t pulverize that sucker in Prime 112? Bruh asked for my number to put on ig bout “call him” @FreddieGibbs u police https://t.co/CZO1G8KOenpic.twitter.com/UtHqxeYA9X
This latest installment of their social media feud began when Uncle Murda mentioned Freddie Gibbs’ alleged beatdown from Jim Jones during his end-of-year rap up. Ak was quick to make a joke out of it. “@FreddieGibbs u made the infamous uncle Murda Rap up,” he tweeted.
Meanwhile, Freddie took to his socials to share his thoughts, though failed to mention Uncle Murda or Akademiks.
“N##### talkin s### happy new year go pay your rent b####,” he wrote. He followed up with another tweet a few hours later adding, “I can’t wait to go to New York 🐰🍎.”
Akademiks was quick to chime in and reposted the rapper’s Instagram Stories where Freddie called out the many “NY rappers on my dick right now.” “FEDERICK Gibbs gets beat up by one New York rapper and dissed by another,” he wrote. ”Now he calling out the whole New York,” he said before asking “where the same trolling energy for Jim jones n Uncle Murda N####…”
Gibbs was at this time unphased, taking advantage of the old adage, “all publicity is good publicity.” His response to Ak’s post – “Keep posting me it’s all promo b####.”
Akademiks Continues His Taunts
The back and forth continued as Ak responded to Gibbs’s earlier tweets, taunting him about the alleged Jim Jones beating and calling him a broke laughing stock. “U started wit me u irrelevant trash broke ass p############,” said Akademiks. “I just exposed u the entire year til u a punch line now. N##### mention ur name to laugh at u. I’ll take credit for that.”
Again, Freddie Gibbs appeared unbothered by Ak’s jabs and responded with a denial, “Ain’t nobody do s### to me.”
However, it appears that a different story was playing out behind the scenes as it was some time after this that Gibbs leaked Akademiks number.
Freddie Gibbs leaked my number after I asked him to either stop talking bout me or link up. And u want me to believe Jim Jones didn’t pulverize that sucker in Prime 112? Bruh asked for my number to put on ig bout “call him” @FreddieGibbs u police https://t.co/CZO1G8KOenpic.twitter.com/UtHqxeYA9X
Jim Jones has been credited with saving the life of his good friend, Jerry Flete after he suddenly collapsed.
The pair were in Florida last week to attend a cryptocurrency event for the Jim’s Capo Coin when Flete began choking. They recounted the dramatic story during an episode of Inside Edition Sunday night (Jan. 2)
Jim Jones had little time to react to the situation and had to spring into action. “I just saw Flee sitting, just going through something that didn’t seem good like he was choking,” Jim recalled. “He couldn’t breathe, and his eyes was going back in his head, and he was catching a bit of a seizure. I actually didn’t know what was going on. Kind of scared me.”
The first aid training he learned as a child meant he was equipped to deal with the emergency. “When I was younger,” he said, “I had to take these classes for CPR and all that type of things for my little sister who has a heart condition. They needed the whole family to take these special classes before she came home when she was a baby.”
Jim Jones Had To “Get To It”
Fortunately, Jim retained the information and importantly was able to keep a calm head when called upon. “I think all those classes stuck with me all the way to this day,” he said. While initially, he was “just as frantic and confused as everybody else,” he found his composure and snapped out of it. “Something just jumped in me like, get to it. It gave him life again,” he said.
Jerry Flete believes Jim Jones saved his life, saying, “I’m here today because of Jim.” He explained how he went from hanging out during a break from work to waking up to Jim performing CPR. “I woke up, Jim giving me chest compression and telling me, ‘Wake up. Wake up.’” Adding, “He basically saved my life.”
Jim Jones shared the interview on Instagram with a plea to his followers. “Love u @flee_flicks but u scared th S### out of me,” he wrote in the caption. “On a serious note I encourage everyone to get cpr lessons for u n th family.”
Prominent members of the Bay Area rap community are weighing in on the untimely death of producer Traxamillion.
According to reports, the hitmaking producer passed away suddenly today (January 2nd) at the age of 43. Traxamillion’s production style is widely credited for kicking off the Hyphy style of Hip-Hop music.
“I f##### with a lot of underground on the L.A. scene: the Aceyalones, the Abstract Rudes, Volume 10. I was in a group called Lackadaisical, our whole gimmick was on some lazy, laid-back s###. We was doing shows, in magazines. I was young, I was in high school. Then I kind of fell off, did some other stuff. After a while, the underground sound, I f##### with it…” Traxamillion told AllHipHop.com during an interview in 2006.
Traxamillion’s career took off when he linked with Keak Da Sneak on their 2005 song “Super Hyphy.”
“The way ‘Super Hyphy’ beat came about, my little cousins came through and were doing what they do, I was just inspired by that. I always try to keep that in the music. I came up with this beat and drove to Keak’s show in Santa Cruz. I gave him a CD and told him listen to track number three. He checked it out and loved it,” Traxamillion explained to AllHipHop.com.
Rappers like X-Raided, Paul Wall, and e40 were shocked at the news of tracks a million’s death, which was confirmed by.the Thizzler On The Roof’s Twitter account.
Rest In Peace @traxamillion 🙏🕊️ The San Jose producer who helped create the "Hyphy" sound passed away today. This is a huge loss for Northern California 💔 We send our condolences to his family & loved ones. #RIPTraxamillionpic.twitter.com/I3k4NsUq5M
“Rest in peace tracks a million. The San Jose producer who helped create the ‘Hyphy’ sound passed away today. This is a huge loss for Northern California. We send our condolences to his family & loved ones,” read a message on the @TheThizzler Twitter account.
Traxamillion, born Sultan Banks, was produced hits for Bay Area heavyweights like Keak Da Sneak, Mistah F.A.B., The Pack, and Glasses Malone, Clyde Carson, San Quinn,, Too Short e40 and others.
Nicki Minaj is blasting her husband’s rape accuser for labeling her a vicious gang member intent on murder.
Jennifer Hough and her lawyers told a judge that Kenneth “Zoo” Petty and Nicki Minaj were members of the Makk Balla Brims, which has been called one of the most dangerous gangs in New York.
According to Hough’s $20 million lawsuit, Nicki and Kenneth have been using their connections in the underworld to threaten, bully and harass her into recanting rape claims against the rap star’s husband, which date back to 1994.
Kenneth, who served four years in prison for the knife-point rape, has been attempting to be removed from the National Sex Offender Registry. The conviction requires him to notify authorities of any jurisdiction where he resides or works.
Hough claims the couple offered her as much as $500,000 to change her story. When Hough refused, Nicki and Kenneth sent their gangster pals to intimidate her in hopes of changing her mind.
Hough said the couple’s trip to Queens, New York, in October of 2021 was proof that they are associated with the Makk Baller Brims, a subset of The Bloods.
Footage of the trip should Nicki and Kenneth surrounded by numerous men, some of whom allegedly threw up gang signs affiliated with the Makk Baller Brims.
However, Nicki Minaj claimed she was taking a picture in front of a mural dedicated to Sean Bell when she was quickly encircled by people she said were her fans.
“I was quickly surrounded by my fans, particularly in this instance because my pink Rolls Royce was in the direct sightline of apartment buildings across the street from where I had stopped. While my husband and I recognized a few friends and acquaintances from the neighborhood that night, including Rico Danna, an artist whom I intend to sign to my label, none of them belong to any gang. Further, we did not plan to meet anyone in advance because we had not planned to stop there. Once I came out of the car, the news traveled quickly, and people just showed up,” Nicki Minaj explained to Judge Eric Vitaliano.
Nicki has scoffed at Hough’s claim that she is a gangbanging criminal.
“Neither I, my husband, nor anyone I knew made any “gang” signs that night. I did not mention [Hough] or this case that night. Nor did I hear anyone, including my husband, mention [Hough] or this case that night.” – Nicki Minaj.
Nicki also flatly denied offering $500,000 to Hough. While Nicki admitted that an associate named “Black” set up a phone call between them, the rapper said she never asked Hough to change her story or offered her a dime.
“During the call, I never asked her to change her story; I never offered her any money in return for a statement, and I did not threaten her with any type of harm if she chose not to provide a statement,” Nicki Minaj claimed. “In fact, I emphatically told her that I did not want her to lie about anything and to tell the truth about what she had just revealed to me only if she was comfortable with doing so.”
According to Nicki Minaj, Jennifer Hough told her the rape allegations could have been a “misunderstanding.” Nicki said Hough was implying that she was open to a financial payoff.
Nicki said Hough told her verbatim: “I’m not saying it didn’t happen, but maybe it was just a misunderstanding.”
“I could not believe what I had just heard. I could not believe that it was so easy for this woman to imply that she may have exaggerated or lied after how much this man had suffered through as such a young boy,” Nicki Minaj revealed.
End-of-year rap ups have become an annual tradition in Hip-Hop, thanks to yearly tracks from the likes of Skillz and Uncle Murda. Now, the staple has come to battle rap in the form of Bonnie Godiva’s “2021 Battle Rap Rap up.”
The Yonkers emcee is one of the most prolific battlers in the women’s scene, with over 50 battles against some of the best competition, male and female. Her rap up was shared by Battle rap media outlet “OTFMZ,” who posted it on their Instagram page.
Bonnie began by sending a warning to the battle rap community that, “no one’s safe.” No lies were told as Bonnie immediately fired shots at a battle rapper with a young girlfriend; “Quantum Physics went from spittin’ 16s to dating one, how ironic, guess that lil 22 is his favorite gun.”
The third most viewed women’s battle rapper was not done addressing who she called “predators” with “no respect for women.” She referenced vlogger Chris Unbias who left the scene for some time after being locked up on sexual assault allegations but returned last year. Bonnie Godiva reserved another dig for Baltimore rapper Prep who admitted to faking a group chat with popular battle rappers to apparently make a girl feel better about herself!
Give It Up For The Ladies!
However, this was not an anti-man diss. Ms. Godiva is an equal opportunities shooter, and it was the ladies’ turn next. She accused the women, who “aint no better though, just better hoes,” of “fighting over dick instead of checks.” According to Bonnie, her fellow femcees, Jaz and Yoshi, “are both f###### a cokehead,” see QP, above.
Ultimate Rap League owner Beasley catches some heat as Bonnie name-checks three ladies who all stand accused of sleeping with the boss in one battle or another in the last twelve months!
One of the biggest events of the year got a mention as Bonnie shouted out Drake. The Canadian superstar partnered with URL and Caffeine.tv for “Til Death Do Us Part” in October. Remy Ma’s new all-female battle league, Chrome 23 also got a mention. Bonnie railed against folks who say Remy’s trying to take over the ladies’ scene. She also asked if everything was okay with the Queen of the Ring family suggesting the owners were directing subliminal shots at each other.
One of the most highly-anticipated female battles of the last 12 months, Coffee vs. Ms. Hustle had to be included. Their clash was delayed and then rescheduled. However, relations were so fractious there was no faceoff, and they had to be separated for their battle.
Bonnie Godiva tore through several other rappers and situations before rounding off the track telling Hitman to “holla” at her. She then instructed him to come see her for “one round, unlimited” in 2022!
Listen to Bonnie Godiva 2021 Battle Rap Rap Up Below
There’s still time to complete AllHipHop.com’s “2021 Battle Rap Superlatives” survey! Click here to select which events had the most impact on the culture over the last 12 months. Vote for these and all the other categories, plus your chance to become our “Fan of the Year.”
