Producer Dr. Dre ended the year by squashing his multiple-year beef with his now ex-wife.
The mogul is finally getting rid of some residual lawsuits between him and Nicole Young that amounted to the nastiest – and most expensive breakup in Hip-Hop history.
As a part of their $100 million settlement, the *Chronic* artist will have to fall back from the $350,000 embezzlement lawsuit he filed against his children’s mother.
During the early part of their separation, she wrote herself checks from the Record One recording studio, wiping the company out.
However, Dr. Dre claimed Nicole violated Penal Code 496 by pulling $353,571.85 from the company’s account before she was removed from the business.
Nicole’s goal was not to use it for the studio’s needs but “for her own, personal obligations.”
But the “crime” will be forgiven.
The divorce was nasty and stressful, with the two arguing over an alleged prenuptial agreement that Nicole said Dre tore up during happier times. The divorce was so stressful that many believed it caused Dr. Dre to be hospitalized with a brain aneurism in January of 2021.
Rap star Kodak Black has started 2022 off in the worst way – by getting arrested.
According to reports, Kodak was busted early this morning (January 1st) in his hometown of Pompano Beach, Florida.
The cops collared the rapper for trespassing in Golden Acres, the old neighborhood where he grew up. Kodak was caught around 1:30 am on Northwest 10th Drive.
Kodak, real name Bill K. Kapri, was hauled off to the Broward County Jail, where he quickly posted bond and was released. So far, the cops have yet to release details about Kodak’s most recent run-in with the law.
Apparently, Kodak Black was in the area, where he brought in the New Year by attending a local event.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CYL4mcfLRcd/
Over the summer, Kodak Black was in Golden Acres doing some good after buying a truckload air conditioners for the housing projects’ local tenants.
Kodak also helped distribute the air conditioning units to excited residents who were suffering in the middle of a heatwave.
The arrest could complicate things for Kodak Black, who is still on probation for lying on a federal gun application for attempting to buy a cache of guns.
The rapper previously violated the probation when he failed a drug test when MDMA was detected in his system. Kodak seemed to be doing good at the end of December 2021.
Walk Down Gang (WDG) member BBA Trigga just dropped off his debut solo single to kickoff 2022. BBA Trigga’s new song is titled “Fell In Love” featuring 2ooley.
“Fell In Love” serves as an introduction to BBA Trigga and his mentality coming from the tough streets of ATL, where he was raised.
“I am from Atlanta. Eastside. I just be rapping just so y’all can feel me, feel the pain, feel everything,” BBA Trigga told AllHipHop.com.
“Fell In Love” is the first release from BBA Trigga’s upcoming album Trigganometry on Block Enterprises. BBA Trigga explained what fans can expect from his debut release.
“You got hood, you got music for the n##### who really living like that, you got music for the females, you got music for the people who just listening. I’ma touch everybody because everybody going to feel the pain when they hear it,” BBA Trigga told AllHipHop.com.
Take a listen to “Fell In Love.” A video for the single will drop later this week on AllHipHop.com as well.
Drake is letting y’all know that he is about his business … not yours!
The “Certified Lover Boy” is currently suing a jeweler over a diamond necklace they made for him and he wants them to stop using his face in their ads.
According to Radar, the GRAMMY Award-winner demanded an injunction against Gemma LTD jewelry and its owner, Ori Vechler for using his image and likeness to promote his image and likeness.
The Hong Kong-based company used pictures of Drake on its social media.
Initially, Drake reached out to the ice-makers via Instagram and ordered three pieces: a diamond ring, diamond rings, and diamond necklace (dropping half of the undisclosed price as a down payment). He received them in 2020, during the pandemic.
However, he was “not satisfied with the jeweler for several reasons.” He believes that pieces were wack and lacked the quality that he was promised. When he attempted to return the items, the company refused to receive them.
Instead, Drake’s legal team says that the company started using pictures of him without any license on social media in late December 2019 and early 2020 “to bring light to their brand.” Instagram is primarily the platform Gemma exploited with the chart-topping artist.
“While Drake was briefly a Gemma customer, his status as such did not also include giving Gemma the right to use his name and likeness in a licensing campaign for its products,” the attorney said. “This is especially the case when Drake is actually dissatisfied with what he received from Gemma, has been attempting to return it and obtain a refund (to no avail), and never would want his name or likeness associated with Vechler or Gemma, or for his fans and the public to think that he is somehow affiliated with them or endorses them.”
Y’all gonna learn to stop messing with that Canadian boy.
RJ Payne is not yet a household name, unless your home is a trap house full of emcees, microphones and Hip-Hop junkies. Heads of state like Eminem, Ice-T, Royce Da 5’ 9”, and numerous other dignitaries have extolled the lyrical virtue of one RJ Payne. The rapper, who hails from Philly, but has spent significant time in New York City, has managed to outwork and outshine his peers. In 2021, he released “Beautiful Payne” and “Leatherface 3: There Will Be Blood” and left hardcore fans on edge as he teased “If Cocaine Could Talk 7: Nino’s Revenge”. The latter release included features from Redman, Ransom, Flee Lord, Shyheim, JoJo Pellegrino, UFO Fev, Inspectah Deck, Ras Kass, Apathy and producers like Stu Bangas, Havoc, Termanology, Vanderslice, P.A. Dre, Nicholas Craven, and more. These releases and this acclaims do not tell the complete story.
The aforementioned legends have all been blown away by Payne’s aggressive, hyper lyrical and punchline laden style of rapping. But the two projects from 2021 are essentially a gateway drug in this era of streaming and word-of-mouth. Anybody that hears Payne on any of his numerous features are guaranteed to go down the never-ending rabbit hole of mixtapes, guest appearances and sporadic songs that have come out at feverish rate. Similarly, the co-signs are just the tip of the iceberg. Lyrically, RJ Payne explodes out of the lineage of great spitters like DMX, Big Pun, Kool G Rap, Big L, Canibus, but lines up with today’s legends like Mickey Factz, Ransom, Royce Da 5′ 9″, Papoose, Conway The Machine, Benny The Butcher and Westside Gunn, among many others.
Moving into 2022, we’ll have to see if Payne actually signs a deal with a major player like Dr. Dre or Eminem or if he maintains his indie status with his Educated Ignorance Music Group. Ice-T has signed on with “If Cocaine Could Talk 7: Nino’s Revenge” and the West Coast OG has previously told AllHipHop’s Chuck “Jigsaw” Creekmur he intends to introduce the younger gunner to Compton’s more famous doc. The future is more than bright for RJ Payne and he has promised never to run out of lyrics. So, he may have yet to attain the widespread market penetration that others have, he’s destined to come to a hood near you like his crack in the 80s. Its Payne!
Editor’s note: A few artists could have been in that top slot, but Payne has been that contender, ala Clubber Lang, yelling at the champs for a shot from the title. They may not want to give him that chance. Well, the prediction is: pain.
THE REST OF THE BEST
Conway The Machine
Conway The Machine
Conway The Machine is now a staple, a force so mighty, the game changed under his will (along with Benny and Westside). La Maquinawas Conway’s best, most complete album thus far, and in 2021 that kept him steadily rising outside of his core audience. On it, he employed different flows and eased back off the punchlines a bit, making his artistry feel more natural. If It Bleeds It Can Be Killed, with blogger-turned-producer Big Ghost, served up exactly what the fans expect from the Buffalo rhyme slinger. These projects and numerous guest features kept Conway at the top of the pile, representing us at a high level.
Benny The Butcher
Benny The Butcher
“The Butcher Coming, ni##a!”
News flash: The Butcher is here. Like his counterpart, Conway The Machine, Benny The Butcher more than maintained his dominance at the upper echelons of hardcore rap. However, we saw him throw numerous jabs in 2021 in the form of The Plugs I Met 2 (a collaboration with Harry Fraud), Pyrex Picasso and Trust the Sopranos (with 38 Spesh). With them, Benny did not lose a single square inch of his spot, but advanced it enough to get him a highly-anticipated release with Def Jam Records.
Mumu Fresh
Mumu Fresh
Mumu Fresh presented Hip-Hop with its highest self in 2021. The Queen, whose real name is Maimouna Youssef, had the most impressive album roll out with her career-defining opus, QUEEN OF CULTURE: VINTAGE BABIES II. The album was a collaboration with DJ Dummy and the pair continued to plow down convention, stretch the collective mind of the audience and throw sharp elbows in a ridiculously crowded rap market. She put it down, melding her lyrical excellence coupled with supreme visual sensibilities as seen on “North Star” with D Smoke or “Rap God,” a definitive, unapolegetically Black proclamation.
Russ
Russ went and did it. The early verdict onChomp 2 is a certified banger. The co-signs alone tell the respect he garners. We’re talking features by Ransom, Papoose, The Game, Styles P, Jadakiss (AllHipHop’s 2021 Person of the Year), Westside Gunn, Big K.R.I.T., Snoop Dogg, Jay Electronica, Big Sean, Wale, Ghostface Killah, Cyhi The Prynce, Mozzy, Joey Badass, Conway The Machine, and Lloyd Banks. And on every song, Russ bars it up with these greats. He doesn’t get washed and he effectively put the gods of rap on notice that he is here and he wants full respect for what he’s accomplished.
Boldy James
Boldy James
Boldy James is proof that you don’t have to be tearing down the mic in order to be a top-tier lyricist. His slow, monotone flow can mask deeply intricate bars with tremendous depth. Last year was the true break-out year for Boldy, which included a Grammy nomination for the Detroit native. 2021 was nothing to sneeze at though. His unique drip and delivery still go hard with the wordplay and subtle cleverness. Bo Jackson (August) and Super Tecmo Bo (December) were recorded with The Alchemist, one of the best producers of numerous eras. The two of them are a cheat code to greatness.
Millyz
Millyz
Millyz doesn’t sound like Biggie Smalls, Mobb Deep, D-Block, Boosie or Project Pat, but when you hear him spit, you can tell he has studied the greats. The Boston-spitter pour all that he has experienced into his music. Always lyrical, he melds his high-level lyricism into songs that resonate on an emotional level. He’s definitely from the streets, but he does not glamourize his experiences. He wears sincerity well, all the while linking with pillars like Jadakiss, G-Herbo, Jim Jones and Dave East. Pablo & Blanco (album with Dave East) and Blanco IV put him on the rocket to success from 2021 into 2022.
Ransom
Ransom
Ransom made it clear in 2021 that he feels like he is the best lyricist and was willing to do whatever he had to do to prove it. His IG bio even boldly proclaims, “I’m the greatest rapper alive!” He managed to back up all that he bragged about. He dropped Se7en with assists by Lloyd Banks, Royce da 5’9″, LX Wulf, j.Arrr, Nicholas Craven, V Don, Lord Sear, Chup The Producer and 38 Spesh. It was his 5th full-length album that became his definitive work thus far, Heavy Is The Head. Jersey City emcee and Big Ghost Ltd. joined force to cook up a classic. Ran ended the year off with Coup de Grâce, an album with Griselda Records signee Rome Streetz.
GRIP
Unlike a lot of artists on this list, GRIP did not release numerous projects in 2021. He release one total work, I Died For This!?. However, that project was both a silver bullet and a portal for the uninitiated. It put GRIP’s creativity, lyricism and willingness to take big changes on full display. And for those that were not fully familiar with the Atlanta native, its highly likely fans went back to visit Halo (2020), Snubnose (2019) or Porch (2017). In 2021, as a Shady Records capo, GRIP built a big bridge to success with Royce Da 5′ 9″ and Eminem. And there was also Big Rube just so we all know, nothing can change even when everything does.
Lakeyah
Lakeyah
Lakeyah did not come into 2021 for play. The Milwaukee, Wisconsin native released her LP debut In Due Time in April and definitively proved that she has the potential to be a huge star. And, with features by Gucci Mane and Young Bleu, she made it clear she can rock with the big boys. Later, in September, she release her Gangsta Grillz project My Time and really made a statement on her third Quality Control Music album. The album featured Tyga, Moneybagg Yo, Bankroll Freddie, and lots of DJ Drama ad-libs to puncuate the obvious. Lakeyah is here to stay.
Skillz chose to rap over the instrumental to Jay-Z”s classic “Encore” to summarize the most exciting events in 2021 for his 6:12 second track, which is accompanied by a video directed by Cristopher Schafer.
Skillz kicks it off by dissing the January 6th rioters who stormed the Capitol before dropping some bars claiming President Biden only made it into the White House because he chose Kamala Harris, who seemingly disappeared for most of 2021.
Skillz had some words for Lil Nas X, whom he accused of trolling all year while predicting that the rapper will eventually admit that he is not gay. He also clowned people over the incredibly dangerous “Milk Crate Challenge” on social media and joked on Kanye for allowing Pete Davidson to “steal” his girl.
The rapper also called out Jussie Smollett after the actor was convicted of perpetrating a hate crime against himself and dissed double murderer Kyle Rittenhouse.
Unfortunately, Skillz revealed he has decided to call it quits with his 20th recap.
Kim Kardashian has become embroiled in a dispute with her neighbor over the star’s plans to build a new driveway.
Kim’s neighbor, Sarah Key, filed for an injunction to stop Kim from building the access road on a strip of land Key claims she owns, according to legal documents obtained by TMZ.
The “Keeping Up with the Kardashians” star’s disgruntled neighbor accuses the 41-year-old of wanting a unique driveway that gives her easy access to and from her house in the gated community of Hidden Hills, California.
Key’s injunction aims to stop building work before it gets underway, as she claims a portion of the drive would be on her property.
The injunction does not directly name Kim or her family but aims to prevent the Hidden Hills Community Association from approving any works.
Earlier this year, Key filed a restraining order against the same organization blocking Kim from building a vault, parking, and a wellness center under her property and a detached guardhouse.
According to TMZ, the star denied that she had plans to build a vault.
The year 2021 has come to a close, and as is custom, Uncle Murda dropped His version of the “Rap Up.”
Uncle Murda”s “Rap Up 2021” Clarkson at clocks in at 14:01 seconds. And, in an interesting twist, the rapper is utilizing technology this year.
His version dropped as an NFT which he said includes Rolex’s, a PS5, “BMF” and “Power” premier tickets, and millions of Shiba inu, the latest dog meme cryptocurrency.
But back to the music. The year 2021 was filled with ups and downs, and Uncle Murda did not miss much. For his version of wrap up 2021, Uncle Murda flipped the violins and Tony Toni toné’s classic “Anniversary.
The song starts off disrespectful – a signature of Uncle murders year end recaps.
This year, he goes in on Lil Nas X in the opening lines, and shockingly predicts the young rapper will end up with AIDS, like Eazy-E.
After a few lines wrapping about how short he was regarding Bill Cosby’s release, Uncle Murda straight up just Tyler the Creator for tossing other n##### salads.
Elsewhere in the song, Uncle Murda clowns Will Smith over his drama filled year with his wife Jada Pinkett Smith, and he gives props to the murderer of Alpo Martinez.
Uncle Murda also labels Trick Daddy a crackhead for saying Beyoncé can’t sing, had some particularly harsh lines for Freddie Gibbs and he claims the vaccine is a government hoax.
Uncle Murda labeled Dr. Dre’s ex-wife a greedy b****, and blamed her for causing super producer’s brain aneurysm.
Unfortunately, Uncle Murda ended the “2021 Rap Up” with disappointing news – this will be the last one he ever does.
The cops in Cobb County are investigating one of their own after Jack Harlow sounded the alarm about a Black woman being manhandled in front of his show earlier this week.
A white Atlanta cop assaulted the young African-American woman outside of Jack’s show on Tuesday, December 28th concert at the Coca-Cola Roxy at The Battery.
The Cobb County Police Department (CCPD) is now saying that they know about the incident and are checking into it.
According to 11 Alive the CCPD told the press that they are aware of the 13-second clip and will investigate the incident where one of their officers grabbed a woman by the neck during an argument.
Authorities did not identify the officer to the media.
The police department shared a statement that said that it “takes any and all allegations of officer misconduct very seriously.”
“The incident is going through an internal review to get a full understanding of the entire incident before any potential action is taken,” the statement continued.
They became aware of the altercation after the rapper took to social media demanding the officer be fired.
As reported by AllHipHop.com, he posted on Instagram, “When I watched it I was disgusted by that cop and all I wanted to do was make something good happen for this girl immediately.”
“I told the world to help me identify her so I could find a way to give her a hug and give her as many tickets to as many shows as she wants.”
The Kentucky native noted that tickets are a band-aid to the real problem.
“But that’s not enough, and its not a solution to a systemic issue that people who don’t look like me have to face,” he said. “The next step is identifying this police officer and getting him unemployed as fast as we can. Assaulting a young woman and putting his hands on her neck is sickening.”
Witnesses are refusing to cooperate in the Drakeo the Ruler murder investigation.
Detectives believe that authorities will have a difficult time bringing justice to the deceased rapper’s family without information on the suspect.
According to TMZ, police on the case are relying heavily on the venue’s surveillance footage and cellphone clips to support their investigation into the December 18th murder at the Once Upon A Time festival in Los Angeles.
The investigators had tried to talk to witnesses who were backstage when the rapper was stabbed in his neck, but mum is the word. No one is talking.
There is another angle that detectives are taking. They are looking to see if there is a connection between Slim 400 and Drakeo’s deaths, which happened weeks apart.
Slim was murdered in Inglewood ten days before Drakeo was stabbed to death.
Rumors suggest that Drakeo was beefing with Slim’s protégé YG, though the “FDT” rapper has not been connected to the fatal stabbing.
According to The Sun, California Highway Patrol said that “there’s nothing credible,” still TMZ suggests that no one is ruling this theory out, pointing to the rise of local gang violence in Los Angeles.
He captioned Instagram dedicated to his brother, writing, “His name gone forever live on. Literally was a king that got it out the mud and I watched it all from the start. From recording all yo lil freestyle and post ’em on YouTube [to] smoking on the porch waking everybody up to spit this hard ass s### you be coming up within 10 minutes effortlessly to going to camp.”
“Every time I get out, you go back; every time you get out I went back,” he continued. “Beating indictments starting yo own label and even getting a song with drake, biggest artist in game. And you did it by yo self. You was a self made boss and a leader. You was my idol and big brother and I learned a lot from you and I’m definitely gone make sure they still know the truth. #longlivedrakeo #longliveketchy @drakeotheruler“
Former University of Las Vegas basketball player Dylan Gonzalez took to social media to accuse R&B star Trey Songz of rape. Twitter erupted with many responses, some not surprised and some dismissive.
The baller must have decided that she didn’t want to bring the new year in with this secret. She dropped the news early morning on the last day of the year.
She tweeted, “Trey Songz is a rapist. Lord forgive me I Couldn’t hold that in another year. See you in 2022.”
Some people like user @zoeytruu asked, “Wait are you okay specifically cause if not I want you to not be detailed but specific. Cause he needs to be outed.”
The same friend called for an investigation, saying “I want a case built around it not social media accusations cause I’m sick of hearing these women suffer at his hand dude.”
One woman said, “Women have been saying trey songs is a predator.”
Another person wrote, “how did y’all watch that video of trey songs actively preying in meg thee stallion and not believe keke palmer.”
Whyt_Leh vowed that they would delete his songs after these latest accusation.
“Damn , trey songs really did admire R Kelly huh.” Vincent Conway tweeted, while others argued over if Gonzales was saying he raped her or someone else.
When one Twitter user asked for context of the tweet, another one asked, “What context could you ever need to understand rape.”
He replied, “Obviously that’s not what I’m talking about.. Y’all are reading too deep. Context as in is she a victim or someone she knows etc. “Trey songs is a rapist”, is general statement so I wanted to clarify. I don’t care for trey songz so this isn’t me victim blaming. Just asking.”
Obviously that’s not what I’m talking about.. Y’all are reading too deep. Context as in is she a victim or someone she knows etc. “Trey songs is a rapist”, is general statement so I wanted to clarify. I don’t care for trey songz so this isn’t me victim blaming. Just asking.
This could be connected to a November accusation in the same city that she used to play in.
TMZ reported that on Sunday, November 28th, someone sent in a complaint to the Las Vegas Police Department about an incident at The Cosmopolitan hotel.
This is not the first time that the singer has been accused of rape.
In the summer of 2020, Newsweek reported, a model named Celina Powell alleged that he nonconsensual sexual encounter where he trapped her in the room and urinated on her. She first spoke about this on the “No Jumper” podcast.
In 2017, actor KeKe Palmer said that Trey Songz was sexually intimidated on “The Breakfast Club” radio show. When asked about their former friendship and if she thinks she might have misread the situation, Keke said, “I have not talked to that guy … It wasn’t a misunderstanding. I tell my truth, and I just thought it was interesting that after all those things went down, someone else had something to say.”
Social media responded, “Keke Palmer warned people about Trey Songz & people gaslit her & said she was overreacting. Rather acknowledging that she felt violated to the point where she hid in a closet from him.”
Keke Palmer warned people about Trey Songz & people gaslit her & said she was overreacting. Rather acknowledging that she felt violated to the point where she hid in a closet from him..
In rebuttal to Palmer’s claims, Trey Songz in his own appearance on “The Breakfast Club said, “*”I did not put her in the video without her permission. I don’t care that much to sneak Keke Palmer in the video for two seconds. Who the f### does that?”
Fans of battle rap experienced one of the most successful years in the culture’s history in 2021. There were more events than ever before, and celebrities including Remy Ma and Drake got involved behind the scenes and in front of the camera. With such a range of events and high-level performances, choosing the standout artists was a difficult task. Among those recognizing the emcees for their efforts was the popular battle rap media platform, OTFMZ.
The outlet has long been a staple in the women’s battle rap community, spotlighting and promoting talented emcees. They hosted a live show, The OTFMZ Awards to celebrate the best artists of the year and handed out plaques to the deserving winners.
Female Battler of the Year
The most sought-after accolade of the night for the best overall battler of 2021 went to Coffee Brown. The San Bernadino, CA native has been impressive all year and had the scene raving about her battle with T-Top. She went to war with one of the best anglers in the game in a close debatable clash that many have her winning and had a great battle with Lady Caution.
Coffee saw off stiff competition from some top names including Boston legend 40 B.A.R.R.S and Grind Time Veteran Gattas. She thanked her supporters for rocking with her through the ups and downs and hopes to continue to make them proud throughout 2022.
The Rookie vs. Vets-style clash went down on Queen of the Ring and Ultimate Rap League’s “Heir to the Throne 2” event and had fans endlessly debating over who was the victor.
A long-time fan favorite, Jaz the Rapper collected two awards for her return to the Smack stage against Gattas. She silenced any doubters with a veteran performance and shook the building with her witty bars.
Newcomer Pristavia picked up two awards after cooking all year with back-to-back wins across different platforms. The talented lyricist from New York beat some of the nicest writers in battle rap to scoop the honor of best pen all year.
Casey Jay was touted as the Face of Female Battle Rap by none other than URL boss Smack White after her impressive display in URL’s UM3 tournament. She reached the semi-finals to face eventual joint-winner Geechi Gotti with some of the most talked-about battles of the competition.
The guys were not left out altogether as one lucky man was crowned Male Sex Symbol of the year. The title went to Florida Native Loso who accepted his award graciously. The Christian rapper thanked his Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ in his victory speech, noting, “without him this would not be possible.”
The first annual OTFMZ awards show was hosted by P Da Don and Hurricane Du along with contributions from Meech Clark and three-time Grammy nominee Pop Wansel The entire team worked hard to put on a fantastic tribute to the talented artists who showed out all year long. You can watch the OTFMZ Awards in full below.
UK rapper Clavish has rounded off his successful year by treating his fans to more fresh music in the form of a new freestyle.
Clavish emerged on the scene 2017 when a video of him sitting in a car spitting some grimy bars went viral. His first offering, “All These Funds,” came out on GRM Daily a year later, and he has continued to build his reputation on the platform. His epic 8-minute Daily Duppy Freestyle has amassed over seven million views since its release last year. Complex called it “arguably one of the hardest Daily Duppy freestyles of the year,” naming him one of their 21 rappers to watch.
Listen to Clavish “2022 Intro Freestyle” Below
Touted as the next to blow in UK rap, the North London native released his debut LP “2002” earlier this month. His supporters were craving consistency from the emcee, and it seems Clavish is set to deliver it.
Sharing the project with his fans Clavish wrote: ‘2022’ OUT NOW ON ALL DIGITAL PLATFORMS ✍🏾 I APPRECIATE THE LOVE & SUPPORT NATURALLY WOULDN’T BE ABLE TO DO NONE OF THIS WITHOUT YOU LOT. BUY IT, STREAM IT BUT BELIEVE IT CAUSE IT’S REAL NOT NO PRETEND MUSIC 🤞🏾WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE TRACK ?? #2022”
Meanwhile, Clavish passed by ‘Plugged In’ with Fumez The Engineer and delivered his fans another all-new freestyle in time for Christmas. He rapped about the realities of life in the spotlight in his signature laidback flow.
Alicia Keys may have the nicest chain in the game after showing off her piano keys inspired ice.
The black and white diamond-encrusted piano-inspired piece features actual working piano keys. The circular pendant has the word “Keys” at its top and hangs from a sparkling black and white chain, also dripping in diamonds.
Swizz Beats shared a visual of his wife’s new custom Elliot Eliante jewelry. Jay-Z could be heard in the background of the video praising Alicia Keys latest acquisition.
“When we create these things, when AK comes out with the keys chain, I mean come on man. It’s just super hard first of all.” said Hov. “I haven’t told you that, but that chain is just super hard. It comes from a different place. It’s beyond, you know, a show of wealth [like how] people tend to identify it as today. This thing comes back to you know, like you said Mansa Musa and all the great kings.”
“Can’t lie wife piece might got it for 2021😳👀🥶🥶🥶🥶🥶🥶🥶🥶 @eliantte thank you for bringing this gift to life for the Queen 🐐! Hov said no lies …… thoughts #keys #aliciakeys,” Swizz wrote in the caption.
Meanwhile, Alicia Keys proudly displayed her new piece during an interview where she shared the project with her fans alongside her album’s producer, Mike Keys.
“#KEYSmas continues ✨✨✨🎄🎄🎄🎄👑👑👑🎊🎊🎊🎊💜💜💜 The gift of music is the besssstttttt!!!!! Me and @mikewillmadeit going at it #Original verses #Unlocked the 2 sides of the #KEYS album Which version of the song do u choose from the songs we’re playing?? 🤷🏽♀️🤷🏽♀️🤷🏽♀️”
Elsewhere, fans of the soulful chanteuse are expecting some new music from Alicia Keys after she teased a collaboration with Gideon.
Sharing a video of the talented singer covering her classic song “If I Ain’t Got You” she wrote,” Yaaaaaassssss!!!!!! Who wants a me and @giveon song??????👀👀👀 #AintGotYou #KEYS.”
New details have emerged about the trip after Shyne, the former Leader of the Opposition and Belizean parliamentarian, explained his development plans. He revealed music executive and record label boss Steven Victor facilitated his discussions with Kanye West.
“So happy to welcome my brother Kanye West to BELIZE!” he wrote in a Facebook post. “We’ve been talking for the last few months through our mutual brother Steven Victor about Belize investments and real estate development.”
Shyne spoke of his mission to “promote Belize on the world stage” to bring tourism and investment to the nation.
He continued sharing his delight when “big brother,” J Prince told him he and Kanye West were en route to Belize. “Kanye is the creative genius of geniuses,” he said. “I’m beyond grateful that we were able to stand in the heavenly Belizean Ocean and talk about how he will use his genius to contribute to the development of Belize like never before.”
He added, “I look forward to working with Kanye, J Prince and Steven Victor to transform Belize like never before.”
Kanye West Is Enjoying The Belizean Beaches
Meanwhile, J Prince shared a picture of himself alongside Kanye West and Shyne from the crystal-clear waters of a Belizean beach. Bizarrely, though they were thigh-deep in the waves, all four men were fully clothed with Kanye decked out in a hoodie!
‘I’m ending 2021 with a bang on Prince Island. We’re In the water strategizing our future moves for 2022. We Love Belize,’ J Prince captioned the photo.
Nardo Wick responded to the criticism and released a statement after he said robbing people made him more money than being employed.
During an appearance on the “Big Facts Podcast,” Nardo Wick spoke about life before he signed his record deal. He revealed he made thousands of dollars robbing people and lacked an incentive to get a job.
“I would just look at it like, I would go rob a n***a and get this much, why would I go to work for a week?” Nardo said. “But you got to think, for real. If I go do this to somebody and get $7,000, $5,000 […] why I’m finna go to work for two weeks and make $500? Hell no.”
Nardo Wick said he never got a job cuz why get a job when u can just rob a N#### pic.twitter.com/d59rX9Np5P
After being on the receiving end of some backlash and accusations of glorifying crime, Nardo took to Instagram to clarify his remarks.
“Im not tryna influence nobody to go rob nobody, they asked a question about MY PAST and I answered it,” Nardo wrote. “That’s what I was doing when I was 15-16 years old, A product of my environment. My mama had just came home from prison and it was a hard time for us and we ain’t have nothing. I would never tell or try to convince a young black man or anyone period to crash out!”
“I changed my life and started taking rapping serious because I knew that I wouldn’t make it if I kept doing what I was doin,” he added. “There is nothing wrong with a job, robbing ain’t cool at all and I ain’t try to make it seem cool I was speaking on past events.” He said he was “young and dumb” but has now “changed for the better.”
Tyler, the Creator blasted reports that he is considering abandoning his longstanding stage moniker in favor of his real name.
The rapper, real name Tyler Okonma, adopted his Tyler, the Creator stage persona from a Myspace page he created aged just 13 for his artwork and music.
However, recent videos have been released with his real name in the credits, and in an interview with Fast Company, he confirmed he is thinking of a name change.
“I started using that one more, and random people from Kentucky would be, like, ‘Cool beats, bro!’ And so I just kept the Tyler, the Creator thing going and, you know, I’m 17 in high school, around LA, the name’s getting around, and I kind of just kept it as my stage name,” he explained. “It’s really dumb but it stuck with me so it just works.”
In a pair of since-deleted tweets, Tyler called the reports “dumb” and said he was not planning to change the name that made him famous.
“I NEVER SAID I WAS CHANGING MY NAME, ARE YOU STUPID? YES… WILL EMBRACE MY LAST NAME MORE, LESS WOLF HALEY,” Tyler the Creator tweeted. “NEVER SAID I WAS GONNA CHANGE MY STAGE NAME, WHAT YO EARS ON, BRO?”
During the interview, Tyler said he’s a more mature artist. The rapper said he was just planning to embrace his full name.
“My full name, Tyler Okonma, in all caps just looks really cool. So you might see more of that, I don’t know, I’m getting older and I think when people get older they start to realize s###, you just start changing.”
According to Tyler, the comments were taken out of context.
“INTERVIEWER ASKED ABOUT MY STAGE NAME, I EXPLAINED HOW I GOT IT, I JOKED ABOUT IT BEING DUMB BUT KEPT IT,” Tyler explained in another tweet. “TALKED ABOUT MY AFRICAN LAST NAME HOW I WANT TO EMBRACE IT NOW THAT IM OLDER AND HAVE A NEW VIEW ON IT. SITES SAYS IM CHANGING IT. FALSE.”
Last month, in a post memorializing the late designer Virgil Abloh, Tyler revealed how the fashion legend had inspired him to use “more of my African last name.”
2021 was an incredible year for battle rap, with some of the most impactful cards the culture has ever seen.
The year also delivered more battles than ever before with leagues of all sizes hosting frequent events, putting on for the culture time after time. AllHipHop.com has been there every step of the way and as 2021 comes to an end it’s time to decide who were the most outstanding contributors of the year. We call it our “Battle Rap Superlatives” list!
For the second year running, we would like to involve our fans, alongside some battle rap influencers, owners, media outlets, and emcees in celebrating the most talented artists of the last 12 months. As the life force of the culture, your contributions are essential to help us pay tribute to the exceptional talent of the year. This is your chance to make your voice heard. Not only that, you also have the opportunity to become our Fan of the Year 2021!
Our Fan of the Year winner will be the person who’s watched more battles than anyone else this year. You will need to bring receipts though, so send us a video submission to prove it! The lucky winner will be revealed with our highly anticipated list in 2022.
The categories are detailed here with a link to the survey below. The survey ends on January 5 so make sure you get your vote in while there’s still time!
Fan Top 10 Favorite/ Preference Battle Rappers of the Year (Female and Male)
A co-ed preference list, this top ten seeks to give space for you to be honest about those lyricists that speak to you, make you scream at YouTube, or make you want to root for them.
There are plenty of names, both male and female to choose from. Two-time Champion of the Year Geechi Gotti had an immaculate year, jointly winning URL’s Ultimate Madness 3 tournament and taking a clear win over Harlem legend Loaded Lux. Pristavia began the year as a relative unknown on the battle rap scene and spent the near making a name for herself as one of the most dangerous emcees to emerge from the women’s scene in years.
Top Female Battle Rappers of the Year
List the women who have come into the year — ripping the roof off of it without breaking one of their pretty and perfectly manicured nails.
The women were on their grind this year. Casey Jay continued the run she was on in 2020, scoring impactful wins in URL’s Ultimate Madness 3 tournament earning her a battle with Boston legend 40 B.A.R.R.S. Coffee Brown was one of the most talked about female battlers of 2021, consistently putting on all year. Gattas was virtually untouchable all year though her battle with Jaz the Rapper on Til Death Do Us Part was one of the biggest comebacks and upsets of the last 12 months.
Top Male Battle Rappers of the Year
Name the best male rappers that have been slaying the competition all year.
The competition in this category is stiff with many battlers in the running. Two of the most hard working among them this year are A. Ward and Bill Collector. Ward battled more than anyone in the runnings for battler of the year although he is yet to battle on URL. Bill Collector delivered some of his best ever performances during the King of the Dot Season One and has impressive wins on other platforms.
Real Sikh has been in some wars against top tier names on some of the biggest cards of the year including a victory against Danny Myers that ended his winning streak in spectacular fashion.
Top Emerging Talent of the Year
Who are the new faces and voices that have “emerged” this year as some of the top emcees in the world?
Among them, Real Name Brandon won URL’s Ultimate Madness 4 tournament, his imposing style and booming vocal projection and stage presence making a big impression. Anderson Burress came through URL’s crucible and wowed audiences with his sarcastic humor, later having a possible Moment of the Year with T-Top on Civil War.
Top Battle Rap Event of the Year
What cards do you believe towered over the rest?
RBE’s Max Out saw the return of Cassidy and Hitman Holla and Drake partnered URL with for Til Death Do Us Part. Queen of the Ring’s No Holds Barred 3 hosted one of the biggest female battles in 2021 and the rematch between Geechi Gotti and A. Ward was the highly-anticipated main event on The Riot’s stacked Monopoly Card. Some of the nicest female lyricists clashed on She Goes Hard’s True to The Game card producing some dope battles and performances.
Top Battle Rap Media Outlets
Battle rap media consists of a few different styles of coverage: Analysts, Reporters, Op-Editors/Vloggers, and Talk Shows. What shows, bloggers or personalities made the biggest noise in 2021?
Battle rap media showed out this year with OTFMZ becoming the go-to outlet for breaking news and Let’s Tak Battle Rap podcast churning out essential stats and updates consistently. Let’s Chop this Fable had all the latest KOTD S.1 news while Top Tier Podcast covered local leagues and the international scene. Battle Rap Trap added a daily talk show, Verified Source, covering the latest news and events. Battle Rap’s Fanatic’s emphatic reaction videos and in-depth autobiographical films, Entourage were warmly welcomed. Rap Redux seemed to come out of nowhere making full-length films documenting valuable history for the culture.
Most Impactful Event of the Year
What are the most impactful happenings in Battle Rap over the last 12 months?
A diss track and alleged voodoo gave us two of the biggest moments this year. Casey Jay shook the culture with her back-to-back wins against Prep and Nu Jersey Twork in URL’s Ultimate Madness 3 tournament. After both rappers choked against her, Prep’s cry of “What this b#### do to me?” caught on and was referenced in many subsequent battles. Eazy The Block Captain’s Top Tier diss track created one of the most impactful moments this year and had rappers rushing to the studio to join the movement.
Who are the leagues that have given the culture the most talked about events, the most exciting cards of the year? We want to recognize the hardest working leagues of all sizes, so we divided them up by YouTube subscriptions.
The “Big Three” brands all scored huge wins this year with URL’s celebrity partnerships, RBE’s big name battles and KOTD’s trailblazing S.1 among them. iBattle’s impact was undeniable showcasing some of the most diverse battlers of all tiers week in, week out. Dre Dennis’s Gates of the Garden and Geechi Gotti’s league, The Riot proved emcees can battle while running a league. She Goes Hard emerged as another platform where the top female spitters can display their craft and had some crazy battles on their platform in 2021.
Skillz recently claimed he wouldn’t release a “Rap Up” song for 2021, but he’s decided to keep the tradition alive.
Weeks after saying he was done with the annual recaps, Skillz declared he would drop a “Rap Up” on Thursday (December 30). The veteran rapper did an about-face after The Shade Room attempted to get involved in his long-running series.
“Dec. 3rd. @theshaderoom yall funny,” Skillz wrote alongside screenshots of the gossip outlet’s messages to him. “I wasnt gone do one…now Ima do one and copy all her s### [heads to the studio].”
Skillz also hopped on Twitter and declared, “2021 Rap Up” on the way cuz [I’m petty].”
“Cool. Ima copy all her s### & make mine tonight,” Skillz added on Instagram. “2021 Rap Up on the way…….the end of an era.”
Skillz began his yearly recaps with the “2002 Rap Up.” The songs soon became a Hip Hop tradition that fans came to expect around the holidays. Yet Skillz seemed ready to move on from the series at the beginning of December.
“Ain’t gonna be no 2021 Rap Up from me,” he wrote on Twitter and Instagram. “I’m done with em.”
But fans holding out hope that he’d change his mind have lucked out as the “2021 Rap Up” is on the way.
Melanated NFT Gallery is giving DMX fans a chance to own some of his rare works.
DMX’s longtime friend DJ Superior has teamed up with Melanated for an NFT called DarkManX No Words. The collection includes unreleased songs, handwritten lyrics from the late rapper’s rhyme book, a freestyle battle, photographs and more.
The DMX NFT auction opens on Friday (December 31) at 6:30 p.m. Eastern. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to his family.
Melanated is billed as the first blockchain technology services company owned and operated by a Black woman. In addition to DMX, the gallery will also be auctioning off an NFT featuring jazz legend Miles Davis.
“Our mission is to provide a vehicle for melanated creators to maintain creative and financial control of their work and to ensure they continue to recognize fully the financial compensation and benefits of their work, in perpetuity, through the Smart Contract,” Melanated founder and CEO Nea Simone said in a press release. “Our vision is to be the genesis and destination for melanated NFTs, from African and Afro-Latinx creators to the global collector, ultimately addressing and dismantling Generational Financial Trauma (GFT) that has permeated the creative space for far too long.”
Click here to bid on the DMX auction once it launches.
