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.”
Kanye West has begun working on a sequel to his 2021 album Donda.
West, who now goes by the name of Ye, released his 10th studio album, which is named after his late mother, last year.
According to Steven Victor, the chief operating officer of the rapper’s G.O.O.D. Music label, the star is already making a direct follow-up – the first time he will have released a sequel to any of his records.
“Ye has started working on his new masterpiece, Donda 2,” Victor told Complex.
Details of the new project remain scarce but West was spotted in the studio with fellow hip-hop star Scarface last week.
The 44-year-old dropped Donda last August following a series of bizarre public listening events and delays.
But its surprise launch and controversies surrounding the inclusion of DaBaby and Marilyn Manson as guest artists didn’t harm its success, as it debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 and topped the U.K. albums chart.
Donda also set a new record by reaching the top spot on Apple Music’s top albums chart in 152 countries in 24 hours.
In its first full day of release, the album was streamed over 60 million times in the U.S. alone.
Janet Jackson felt “guilty by association” after Michael Jackson was accused of child sexual abuse in the 1990s and 2000s.
In a trailer for the two-part documentary “Janet” released earlier this week, the singer/actress is asked about her relationship with her late brother, who died at 50 in 2009.
Reflecting on the accusations against her sibling, Janet Jackson comments, “Guilty by association. I guess that’s what they call it, right?”
The late “Billie Jean” hitmaker remains a controversial figure in the music industry.
Officials from the Jackson estate rejected the allegations.
Elsewhere in the trailer, Janet speaks about her parents, Joe and Katherine Jackson, and the pressure she faced as a child.
“There’s a great deal of scrutiny that comes with having that last name,” the 55-year-old states. “My father was very strict, he was in charge of my life, my career.”
“Janet,” which was filmed to celebrate the 40th anniversary of her first album, Janet Jackson, will air on January 28th and 29th.
The 2022 Grammy Awards will not take place on January 31 as originally planned.
Omicron variant-fueled surges in COVID-19 cases have led to the Grammy Awards being postponed indefinitely. The Recording Academy and CBS announced the postponement in a joint statement on Wednesday (January 5).
“After careful consideration and analysis with city and state officials, health and safety experts, the artist community and our many partners, the Recording Academy and CBS have postponed the 64th Annual Grammy Awards Show,” the statement read. “The health and safety of those in our music community, the live audience and the hundreds of people who work tirelessly to produce our show remains our top priority.”
The Recording Academy and CBS added, “Given the uncertainty surrounding the Omicron variant, holding the show on January 31 simply contains too many risks. We look forward to celebrating Music’s Biggest Night on a future date, which will be announced soon.”
This year’s event is the second Grammy Awards ceremony to be delayed due to the pandemic. Last year, the show was pushed back from January 31 to March 14, 2021 due to a spike in COVID-19 cases in Los Angeles.
The 2022 Grammy Awards were going to be held at the Crypto.com Arena (formerly known as the Staples Center) in downtown Los Angeles. The Daily Show’s Trevor Noah is still expected to host the event when it’s rescheduled.
Kim Kardashian and Pete Davidson have reportedly jetted to the Bahamas for a holiday.
According to editors at MailOnline, the pair boarded a plane to the island destination earlier this week.
Photos obtained by the outlet show Kim and Pete at the airfield about to step onto a private jet, with the reality TV personality rocking a chic black outfit.
Representatives for the stars have not yet commented on the photos.
Kim and Pete were first romantically linked back in October when they were pictured holding hands on a date at Knott’s Scary Farm in Buena Park, California.
They have since been spotted on dates in New York City – where he grew up and films “Saturday Night Live” – but they are yet to confirm the relationship.
Officials in Louisville, Kentucky, have declared December 18th to be Jack Harlow Day. The 23-year-old rapper shared a photo of the signed proclamation from Mayor Greg Fischer via Instagram on Tuesday.
“For answering, once and for all, that what’s poppin’ is Louisville when it comes to talent that makes it bigger than big, but doesn’t forget the ‘home” in hometown or homegrown,'” the letter reads. “The rapper’s way with words and beats has earned him untold fans, chart-topping releases and an ability to give back in meaningful ways, and he does.”
The “Whats Poppin” artist partnered with KFC bosses to aid affected communities.
“Growing up I always dreamed of being the biggest artist to come from Kentucky. Now I’m teaming up with @KFC, the biggest brand to come out of Kentucky,” he shared on social media. “For the next year, we’re gonna do some big things together.”
Jack Harlow added that the two partnered to give $250,000 to the American Red Cross and encouraged fans to donate to relief efforts.
On Tuesday, Kanye West and rumored girlfriend Julia Fox attended “Slave Play” in New York City.
In photos obtained by People, the 44-year-old rapper and the actress, 31, can be seen posing with friends at the Tony Award-nominated Broadway production.
According to reports, the two spoke to the cast after the show, written by Jeremy O. Harris. Sources claimed the Donda rapper came on time and sat next to the “Uncut Gems” star.
“(Kanye) loved the show. He’s a fan of Jeremy, so he flew in to see the play and came with friends,” the insider told People, adding that the father-of-four seemed “very happy to be there.”
The source added that Fox was “was very supportive and hung out and seemed very happy to be with him.”
Kanye West is currently going through divorce proceedings with estranged wife Kim Kardashian, with whom he shares four children-North, eight, Saint, six, Chicago, three, and Psalm, two.
Julia Fox welcomed a son in February 2021 with Peter Artemiev, whom she married in 2018.
“The Magical Vibe From (OMF) Out My Feelings Came To Me (MASTER JUGG ) on A Diverse Vibe. I Told Myself It Was Time To Switch It Up Starsky Walked In And Was Like That’s it There! That’s how I knew we had one from the melodies that blame Swagg / Ys Trakkz Put In The Instrumental It Was Crazy. I Went In And Recorded The Song In 5 Min With Thank Aaron, my personal engineer”. Starsky Stated That It Has This Vibe That Makes You Motivated & We Voluntarily Agreed.
It appears new tunes by Baby Girl are on the way. Blackground Records 2.0 label owner Barry Hankerson officially announced an Aaliyah album titled Unstoppable.
Barry Hankerson appeared on The Geno Jones Show where he talked about the forthcoming posthumous studio LP. Aaliyah’s uncle also hinted at some star-studded features for the project.
“About five years ago, we realized we had quite a bit of music that we had never put out that was recorded by Aaliyah,” said Barry Hankerson. “The vocals were there, and we decided to try to remaster it and to ask other artists that were big fans of her if they would like to participate in being on various songs.”
Later in the interview, Hankerson added, “[Aaliyah] wanted all of her songs out. And we promised her. Whenever we didn’t put a song on the album, I would promise her, ‘Hey, don’t worry. That song is gonna come out eventually.’ So it’s the fulfillment of a promise I made to her.”
Last December, Blackground Records 2.0 presented the posthumous single “Poison” featuring The Weeknd. According to Barry Hankerson, Unstoppable will also include collaborations with acts such as Ne-Yo, Snoop Dogg, Future, Drake, and Chris Brown.
Aaliyah and eight others passed away from a plane crash in August 2001. Before her death, the Detroit-raised singer dropped 1994’s Age Ain’t Nothing but a Number, 1996’s One in a Million, and 2001’s Aaliyah. The I Care 4 U compilation arrived in 2002.
Blackground Records 2.0 finally offered Aaliyah’s full discography on streaming services last year. One In A Million entered the Billboard 200 chart’s Top 10 for the first time following its re-release on streamers in August. Unstoppable is set to hit DSPs this month.
Cardi B has a message for anyone that may have hatred towards the LGBTQ community. The “Bodak Yellow” rapper took to Twitter this week to blast anti-gay rhetoric.
“Every bad b#### [has] a gay best friend or gay best friend cousin… If [you’re] homophobic, you just ugly,” posted Cardi B on January 4. That tweet collected over 2,800 retweets and 117,000 likes.
It is not clear why the Bronx-bred rapstress decided to address the topic of homophobia on Tuesday morning. Previously, Cardi B revealed she identifies herself as a bisexual woman. Plus, she recently officiated a same-sex wedding for Facebook Messenger’s Cardi Tries series.
Every bad b#### have a gay best friend or gay best friend cousin ……If you homophobic you just ugly.
Cardi B also had to deal with accusations of being prejudiced against trans individuals. In 2019, she tweeted, “I’m not transphobic. Ya love dragging that. Have I said some remarks in the past that I apologized for [?] YES, I’m from a place that people have closed mindsets so we might not [know what] insults [others] or not. I never disrespected no trans nor nobody from [the] LGBT [community].”
Morgan Wallen was one of the biggest breakout mainstream musicians of 2021. However, the Country singer found himself in hot water after a video of him screaming “n#####” went viral online.
Despite the racially sensitive scandal, Morgan Wallen’s Dangerous: The Double Album earned 2x-Platinum status from the RIAA. The project also spent ten weeks at #1 on the Billboard 200 chart last year.
Wallen was back in the news recently. His guest feature on Lil Durk’s “Broadway Girls” helped the single hit #1 on several Billboard rap rankings. Durk actually picked up his first Hot Rap Songs chart-topper thanks to the collaboration.
TMZ caught up with Lil Durk to ask him about his “Broadway Girls” partner Morgan Wallen. A cameraman questioned the Chicago-raised rap star on the “n#####” video controversy.
“Nah, he ain’t no racist,” responded Lil Durk. “That’s my boy. Also, we had a long talk. He had his public situation. We had it behind closed doors. I vouch for him and he’s good.”
The “Voice of the Heroes” rhymer also declared, “He ain’t canceled. I talked to him. When I say you ain’t canceled, you ain’t canceled.” Lil Durk went on to encourage Kendrick Lamar and other rappers to work with Morgan Wallen.
M·A·C Cosmetics tapped Hip Hop star Saweetie for Challenge Accepted. Pop culture icon Cher is also involved in the makeup brand’s campaign.
“Only M·A·C could bring Cher and Saweetie together,” says Drew Elliott, SVP, GlobalCreativeDirector, M·A·C Cosmetics. “When we were thinking about how to demonstrate our high performance, it was obvious that we needed an Icon and a Legend.”
Elliott continues, “M·A·C products are built for stars on stage or off, every day and all day. We could not be happier to have Cher and Saweetie put our formulas to the ultimate test, let’s see if you have what it takes.”
Both Saweetie and Cher appear in an ad for M·A·C’s Challenge Accepted. The 30-second spot features the “My Type” rapper and the “Believe” singer inviting their fans to put M·A·C makeup to the test.
“I have always wanted a matte lipstick that feels comfortable and doesn’t feather or fade,” states Chantel Miller, Director of Artistry and Digital Content, North America. “I spoke up for what I believed a lot of people and Pros would love… and then along came Powder Kiss Lipstick. Challenge accepted.”
Miller adds, “This formula is just groundbreaking. I get everything I want out of it and then some –with such a perfect selection of shades to match my mood, my makeup and whatever challenges my day (or night) has in store for me!”
Memphis rapper Moneybagg Yo let his 2.2 million Twitter followers know he is no longer drinking lean. The creator of the purple drank-inspired “Wockesha” single has apparently put down the double cup.
Yesterday afternoon, Moneybagg Yo took to social media to make the announcement. His life-changing decision was met with over 2,300 likes on the platform.
“I [used] to think being sober would f### [with] my creative process, I see [that’s] just a mind thing [because] I been more active, skin glowing, and I been dropping nun but pressure. 🔥 #NomoWockesha.”
I use to think being sober would f### wit my creative process, I see dats just a mind thing cuz I been more active skin glowing and I been dropping nun but pressure 🔥 #NomoWockesha 📉
Last summer, fellow Memphis native NLE Choppa called on Moneybagg Yo to start drinking liquid Chlorophyll along with his lean. Choppa’s #ChlorophyllChallenge went unanswered by Moneybagg at the time.
“I Have A New Challenge For Rappers. For Every Pint of Lean, Or Even Alcohol, Drink A Pint Of Chlorophyll. I Wanna Start By Challenging @MoneyBaggYo. I’ll Bring This To You Personally Fam,” tweeted NLE Choppa on June 22.
U.K rapper Central Cee has been busy recently, releasing an end-of-year wrap-up vlog and a GRM Daily Duppy freestyle all within a couple of weeks.
Furthermore, it looks as though the West London hitmaker will release another collaboration with fellow UK rap star Fredo after a clip circulated of the pair recording music together in the studio. Represent Radio shared the nearly minute-long clip stating, “Central Cee and Fredo have another track on the way!”
The duo first appeared on a track together last summer on Stay Flee Get Lizzy’s “Meant To Be,” released in March.
While it is unclear when it was filmed, the clip is from Central Cee’s end of the year recap vlog. The Londoner shared the video on his YouTube channel Tuesday (Jan. 4), featuring his 2021 highlights, including behind-the-scenes footage from his “Wild West” campaign.
New Music On The Way
On Monday (Jan. 3), the rapper shared a video via TikTok and confirmed that his new single, “Retail Therapy,” would be released Thursday, January 6.
“told her that I’m a Gemini, now she on google checking the compatibility”
Central Cee is unstoppable. another song teased on TikTok before dropping anywhere else…y’all paying attention? pic.twitter.com/f8NfajmBnV
Meanwhile, Central Cee picked up the Best Newcomer and first-ever Best Drill Act awards at the U.K’s Mobo’s last month, capping off a successful year. Moreover, his GRM Daily Duppy Freestyle dropped on Christmas Day and has amassed nearly three million views on YouTube.
Additionally, he dropped a video with D Block Europe in December and has a new mixtape on the way, available to pre-order now.
