Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, who served the Maryland city from 2010 to 2016, has been brought in the given structure to the rapper’s chaotic public relations and strategy to his statements regarding the unfortunate happenings. She has said that she noticed that there was a “breakdown in communication.”
She stated in a CBS Morning story with Gayle King, “Nine people have lost their lives and nine families are grieving and Gayle, I’m a mom.”
“This notion that Travis had the ability to stop the concert is ludicrous,” she continued. “They have a 59-page operations plan, and it clearly says the only two people that have the authority to stop the concert were the executive producer and the concert producer. He was not responsible for this, but he wants to be responsible for the solution.”
The team over at Verzuz and Triller has announced the next mega match-up. On Saturday, November 13th, they revealed that the upcoming back and forth will be between Bone Thugs-N-Harmony and Three 6 Mafia, in what will be the battle of the “Triplet Originators.”
In a post on Instagram, Swizz Beatz and Timbaland’s pandemic-made brand said, “T’S THAT TIME 🔥🔥🔥🔥 Bone Thugs-N-Harmony (@btnhlive) vs Three 6 Mafia (@three6mafia) LIVE from Los Angeles!! Thursday, DECEMBER 2ND. Y’all ready!? #VERZUZ MORE DETAILS COMING SOON!”
Both groups are worthy of celebration and have been on deck to compete.
According to Billboard, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony and Three 6 Mafia was originally scheduled for April 30th.
The Cleveland-based group, brought to the world by Eazy-E in the mid-90s can boast 14 hits on the Billboard charts including their 1994 breakout single, “Thuggish Ruggish Bone,” and the 1996 memorial to their aforementioned mentor, “Tha Crossroads.”
Song, Artist, Peak Position, Peak Date 1. “Bandz A Make Her Dance,” Juicy J featuring Lil Wayne & 2 Chainz, No. 6, Nov. 24, 2012 2. “Stay Fly,” Three 6 Mafia featuring Young Buck, Eightball & MJG, No. 9, Nov. 26, 2005 3. “Poppin’ My Collar,” Three 6 Mafia, No. 10, April 8, 2006 4. “Powerglide,” Rae Sremmurd & Juicy J, No. 17, April 7, 2018 5. “Bounce It,” Juicy J featuring Wale & Trey Songz, No. 25, Nov. 2, 2013 6. “Shell Shocked,” Juicy J, Wiz Khalifa & Ty Dolla $ign featuring Kill The Noise & Madsonik, No. 26, Aug. 30, 2014 7. “Show Out,” Juicy J featuring Big Sean & Young Jeezy, No. 23, March 30, 2013 8. “Sippin’ on Da Syrup,” Three 6 Mafia featuring UGK, No. 30, Aug. 5, 2000 9. “Low,” Juicy J featuring Nicki Minaj, Lil Bibby & Young Thug, No. 44, Nov. 1, 2014 10. “Lolli Lolli (Pop That Body),” Three 6 Mafia featuring Project Pat, Young D & Superpower, No. 48, Aug. 16, 2008
Despite the multiple member changes, the most accepted roster consists of the following: Crunchy Black, DJ Paul, Gangsta Boo, Juicy J, Project Pat, LaChat, Koopsta Knicca, and Lord Infamous.
They promoted the battle by captioning the date and asking the one question everyone wants to know, “YOU READY MANE!!!”
He is a proud founding member of the Wu-Tang Clan. He is one the most skilled emcees on the planet, even standing apart from his Staten Island brethren.
And now he can add that he is an owner of a premium wine company, an adult beverage that can now boast of being sold through Kentucky’s first Black-owned wine and spirit distributors.
According to his team, the man behind the “Purple Tape” and one of his childhood friends are about to get fans all the way lit with this new partnership.
The multi-platinum artist’s sparkling wine is called Licataa and was inspired by his love for Italian culture and cuisine. Licataa is produced on the Cantine Ceci farm in Parma, Italy, and is a family-owned winery.
Thus it makes sense for him to pair the product with a distribution model that is “in the family,” sort to speak.
The owner of the Louisville company called Legacy Wine & Spirits first met Raekwon when they were both 7th graders. Now, that childhood friendship has sparked into a profitable venture — first starting as a brand ambassadorship and now with Licataa being one of the premiere titles in Legacy’s portfolio.
Other bottles in the portfolio are the Black-owned whiskey brand Guidance, Black-owned bourbon Majesty, Local Choice, and rapper E-40’s line of Earl Stevens wines and spirits.
This announcement comes right as The Chef is ripping the nation on tour with GZA and Ghostface Killah.
“That ghostface, Raekwon, GZA show last week was crazy. Performed so many songs that I never thought I would see. Highlight was Ghost & Rae doing each other’s verses on Black Jesus + seeing all verses of Guillotine Swordz performed.”
“I have seen a lot of good performers, @Raekwon might be the best live performer I have ever seen. You could understand every word he said, never stumbled a single word, and he was on stage with two other greats, but still shined different.”
I have seen a lot of good performers, @Raekwon might be the best live performer I have ever seen. You could understand every word he said, never stumbled a single word, and he was on stage with twoother greats, but still shined different
Check out the story of Surpaul Cottrell wherecChildren and family are the driving force behind an ex-con who went from handcuffs to cufflinks.
Surpaul Cottrell released his life experience behind bars in seven books that captured his journey from the streets to falling in and out of love.
He self-published: “Surviving the Dating Game;” “The Cottrell Method: Implementing Healthy Habits into Your Life;” “Jaws of Death;” “State of Addiction: Restorative Justice from the Mind of an Ex-Drug Dealer;” “I Love You Doesn’t Mean S###;” “Beaver Fever;” and “Lessons: The Tools to a Healthier Life, Business and Future.”
“I grew up in Cambridge, Massachusetts. I played on both sides of the fence and started selling drugs when I was 12. I destroyed my community. I didn’t have to hustle, that was a choice that I made. I have loving parents that would give me the world if I asked. Living on both sides of the fence landed me in prison for over a decade, starting in 2007 for drug trafficking. Prison transformed my life. I took a negative and turned it into something positive. I started a publishing company behind the prison walls and have since become a motivator and a mentor to many prisoners, friends, family and clients.”
All books are now available for purchase on Amazon with eBooks available on his website, www.cottrellvision.com.
‘Untitled’ (P###. By @LegenDery2k) is the first single we’ve gotten from Joey B in over four year but with that said, the Boston based lyricist picks up exactly where he left off.
‘Untitled’ isn’t just a lazy song name, it’s an actual nod to the song’s topic; a complicated relationship with a significant other. The extremely catchy hook is matched with verses that tell the tale of a man who recognizes his wrongs and is doing everything he can to not only improve himself, but also to get his best friend back. She is the woman he loves more than anything in the world, and he wants her fully back into his life. Listeners should be on the lookout for the follow up single, “Part 2”, in the coming weeks.
Sean Kingston has avoided negative headlines for quite some time, but his run has come to a screeching halt.
According to reports, the “Beautiful Girls” singer beat the living daylights out of a video producer staying at his home, and now he could face criminal assault charges.
The director, who goes by GXDLIKE, said he had been staying at Sean Kingston’s Los Angeles area home for the past three months, with no major issues.
GXDLIKE collaborated with Kingston to direct a few episodes of Kingston’s vlog, “Deliverance.”
The relationship came to a violent end on November 5th.
GXDLIKE told TMZ that Kingston wanted him to shoot some footage from his phone, which was dead. Kingston allegedly flew into a rage and punched GXDLIKE in the face.
Then, the singer allegedly dragged the director into a hallway, pulled out a gun, and threatened his life before kicking him out of his house for good.
GXDLIKE suffered some scrapes and bruises, so he filed a police report accusing Sean Kingston of assault. So far, Kingston has not been charged with any crime.
Sean Kingston does not seem to be concerned in the least bit. He is currently in Texas, where he has gigs in Austin and Houston.
Will Smith was stunned when his daughter Willow shaved her head when she was nine.
Will, who shares Willow and son Jaden with wife Jada Pinkett Smith – admitted his jaw “nearly dislocated” when he saw his girl’s new hairstyle.
“Willow came skipping into the kitchen for breakfast. ‘Good morning, daddy,’ she said joyfully, as she bounced to the refrigerator,” he wrote in his new memoir “Will.”
“My jaw nearly dislocated, dislodged, and shattered on the kitchen floor: My world-dominating, hair-whipping, future global superstar was totally bald.”
“My mind raced and scrambled – how was she going to whip her hair if she didn’t have any? Who the hell wants to pay to watch some kid whip their head back and forth?” her father continued.
“But before I could respond, I felt something slowly turning, shifting, until it clicked into place: In a moment of divine connection and revelation, she had reached me. I leaned down, peered deeply into her eyes, and said, ‘I got it. I am sorry. I see you.'”
Kanye West’s Yeezy company is forking over $950,000 to settle a consumer protection lawsuit.
Yeezy will pay nearly $1 million over alleged false advertising regarding its shipping practices. However, it won’t admit any wrongdoing.
Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón announced the settlement on Monday.
“Online consumers are entitled to protection against unwarranted fees and unreasonably long waits for purchases to arrive on their doorsteps,” Gascón said in a press release. “We will enforce state and federal laws governing online shopping in Los Angeles County.”
Kanye West’s company was accused of unlawful business practices in the civil lawsuit. Yeezy allegedly made “untrue or misleading” statements about shipping products in a specific timeframe, including situations where customers paid extra for expedited shipping.
According to the suit, Yeezy repeatedly violated a California business code requiring online orders to be shipped within 30 days. If that deadline can’t be met, buyers are supposed to receive consumer equivalent or superior replacement goods. Sellers can also explain the delay and offer a refund.
Kanye West’s Adidas brand now owes $200,000 in civil penalties and $25,000 in investigative costs to each of the four district attorney offices involved in the case. It will also pay $50,000 in restitution to the Consumer Protection Prosecution Trust Fund.
Bill Cosby continues to find unexpected bedfellows in his post-prison life.
According to Radar Online, the disgraced comedian is now supporting Kanye West’s efforts to free Gangster Disciples co-founder Larry Hoover. Bill Cosby gave his stamp of approval despite having “no knowledge of Mr. Hoover.”
“I stand with Ye and Mr. Hoover,” Bill Cosby’s rep Andrew Wyatt said. “I also would like to say thank you to Ye on behalf of Mr. Cosby and the Cosby family for his support of Mr. Cosby. Thank you very much.”
Kanye West hired Bill Cosby’s lawyer Jennifer Bonjean to help get Larry Hoover out of prison. The gang leader is currently serving a life sentence for murder and running a criminal enterprise.
“We are thrilled to be working with a great team and grateful for the support of Mr. Hoover’s incredible wife Winndye and his son Larry, Jr.,” the Bonjean Law Group told Radar. “We are eager to work with Mr. West and Mr. J Prince who have long recognized the grave injustice that is being perpetrated against Mr. Hoover.”
The Bonjean Law Group added, “This is a human rights issue. No one should be sent to prison to die if they are not a continued threat to society. Mr. Hoover who is now in his 70s deserves to come home and live out the remainder of his life with his beloved family. If that happens, we have no doubt that he will use whatever influence he has in the world for good, just, and righteous purposes.”
Bill Cosby’s lawyer was also hired by R. Kelly in October. Jennifer Bonjean joined R. Kelly’s legal team as they try to challenge his sex trafficking and racketeering conviction.
Travis Scott is facing more blowback from the tragedy at his Astroworld Festival.
According to multiplereports, Epic Games pulled Travis Scott’s “Out West” dancing emote from the popular video game Fortnite. The item was supposed to go on sale on Monday, but it was removed following the deadly event.
Epic Games denied several outlets’ requests for comment, yet it acknowledged a part of its Item Shop was temporarily disabled on Monday. The makers of Fortnite didn’t publicly mention Travis Scott’s name or provide a reason why the emote was taken down.
“It’s known that the ‘Daily’ section of the Item Shop has been disabled,” Fortnite wrote via Twitter. “This is intentional and the ‘Daily’ section will return with the next Item Shop refresh.”
It’s known that the "Daily" section of the Item Shop has been disabled. This is intentional and the "Daily" section will return with the next Item Shop refresh. pic.twitter.com/rc6Kqh7qoW
Eight people died and hundreds were injured at Travis Scott’s Astroworld Festival in Houston on November 5. Officials have launched a criminal investigation into the deadly event, and lawsuits have already been filed against the Texas-bred rapper.
In a statement posted on social media, Travis Scott said he was “absolutely devastated” by what happened at his festival. He also noted the Houston police had his total support.
“I am committed to working together with the Houston community to heal and support the families in need,” he wrote. “Thank you Houston PD, Fire Department and NRG Park for their immediate response and support.”
Kanye West dismissed people who call him crazy in a new Drink Champs interview.
Part two of Kanye West’s conversation with N.O.R.E. and DJ EFN was released on Thursday. During the discussion, the G.O.O.D. Music founder lashed out at concerns about his mental health and suggested he’s worth $9 billion.
“OK, I’m crazy, but what y’all gon’ do about it?” he said. “Oh, this s### over with now. I’m 9 billi crazy up out here. See, y’all can save that crazy talk for somebody else.”
He continued, “Y’all not gonna diminish what I’m doing and what God is doing with me in the future by trying to cut my legs off or cut my influence off by calling me crazy. That don’t work.”
Kanye West insisted he isn’t crazy and downplayed the idea that he needs to be medicated. Although he was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, Ye claimed he’s in a good mental state.
“I know what’s going on and I’m not having it,” he told N.O.R.E. and DJ EFN. “I’m Buffalo Bill. I’m one of them characters from the movie back in the days … I’m not having none of it from nobody, ever, period, on my life.”
During the Drink Champs convo, Kanye West also spoke about how he only used backpack rap to benefit his career. He threw more shots at Talib Kweli, saying he never liked the Black Star member’s raps.
On November 12, 2021, the Universal Hip Hop Museum and AllHipHop.com are set to celebrate Hip Hop History Month by highlighting Afghani B-Girl Manizha Talash and a jam with The Notorious B.I.G., Keith Murray, Gravediggaz, and M.O.P.
Despite being under 20 years old, Manizha Talash deserves to be saluted because in the face of great danger, she practices Hip-Hop as a form of survival, joyful resistance, and defiance. The young woman is the first female breakdancer in Afghanistan. It is not only illegal to dance in Afghanistan (in 2012 people were beheaded for getting their groove on), but also it is considered against God’s will for a woman to do so. She has received death threats for her dancing. Despite this, she still clings to her goal to one day dance competitively in the Olympics.
On Saturday, November 12, 1994, The Notorious B.I.G, Keith Murray, Gravediggaz, and M.O.P. performed at the Newark Symphony Hall in New Jersey. Just a few months earlier, on September 13, Biggie released his debut album “Ready to Die.” The classic album would be ranked by many critics as one of the greatest Hip-Hop albums of all time. Biggie wasn’t the only star at the time. The world was mesmerized by the Def Squad member Keith Murray’s mythological, comical lyrics, M.O.P.’s exciting performances, and the supergroup Gravediggaz that consisted of which brought together Prince Paul from Stetsasonic and De La Soul fame (The Undertaker), Frukwan from Stetsasonic (The Gatekeeper), Too Poetic (The Grym Reaper) and the Wu-Tang Clan’s RZA (The RZArector).
UHHM X AllHipHop
This “Know Ya Hip Hop” Moment has been brought to you by @uhhmuseum.
Nick – who has 10-year-old Moroccan and Monroe with ex-wife Mariah Carey, Golden, four, and Powerful Queen, 10 months, with Brittany Bell, Zion and Zillion, four months, with Abby De La Rosa, and Zen, also four months, with Alyssa Scott.
He recently pledged to stay celibate for some time, but now he’s open to the idea of fathering more kids.
Playing Plead the Fifth with Andy Cohen on “The Nick Cannon Show,” the “Watch What Happens Live” host asked Nick who his “favorite baby mama” is.
Rather than refusing to answer, Nick laughed and said: “I got this. I ain’t scared of you, Andy.
“My favorite baby mama is… the next one!”
But that doesn’t mean the star is looking for another woman to procreate with, as he insisted one of his “past baby mamas could still be (his) next one.”
42 Dugg won’t spend any time in prison for illegally possessing a firearm.
According to The Detroit News, 42 Dugg was sentenced to three years of probation and fined $90,000 after pleading guilty to a weapons charge. His conviction stemmed from an incident in which he illegally possessed a 9mm Glock at a gun range in November 2019.
The Detroit native, whose real name is Dion Hayes, was facing up to 10 years in prison. He’s unable to possess a gun due to past convictions for carjacking and felony firearms possession.
“His conviction in this case clearly indicates that he has not lived a perfect life and has made mistakes along the way,” 42 Dugg’s lawyers wrote in a sentencing memorandum. “Dion admits his wrongdoing and acknowledges that he is not perfect. He is still a young man with many lessons to be learned in life.”
42 Dugg’s attorneys also noted their client wanted to become an “upright citizen.” They cited his desire to give back to his hometown as an example of his reformed ways.
“Dion dreams of using his success to impact the kids of Detroit — those who, like him, were incarcerated or had incarcerated parents,” his lawyers wrote. “Dion muses about buying a local skating rink and creating a gathering spot for young people, or of holding music writing classes at juvenile detention centers so that young people who are on the wrong path can find something positive to put their energy into.”
42 Dugg is signed to a joint deal with Yo Gotti’s Collective Music Group and Lil Baby’s 4PF. His latest mixtape, Free Dem Boyz, was released in May. A deluxe edition of the project dropped in August.
DaBaby released a new project after dealing with backlash for months.
The Interscope Records artist dropped an EP titled Back On My Baby Jesus Sh!t Again on Friday. The project is a sequel to his 2017 mixtape Back On My Baby Jesus Sh!t.
DaBaby’s EP is his first project since My Brother’s Keeper (Long Live G), which came out in 2020. It’s also his first release since he sparked controversy by making homophobic remarks at Rolling Loud Miami in July.
“If you didn’t show up today with HIV, AIDS or any of them deadly sexually transmitted diseases, that’ll make you die in two to three weeks, then put your cellphone lighter up,” he said at the festival. “Fellas, if you ain’t sucking dick in the parking lot, put your cellphone lighter up.”
Back On My Baby Jesus Sh!t Again is brief, clocking in with a runtime of 12 minutes. The six-track project features guest appearances by 21 Savage and Kodak Black.
DaBaby’s new EP arrives ahead of his Live Show Killa Tour, which begins on November 26. The controversial rapper has booked shows in 22 cities as part of a tour presented by Rolling Loud.
Stream DaBaby’s Back On My Baby Jesus Sh!t Again below.
Rapper Bun B has started to raise money for the victims of Travis Scott’s Astroworld Festival tragedy. The UGK member has agreed to donate a portion of proceeds from an event called “Breaking Bread” to give back to the community.
The “Trill” icon took to his Instagram to announce the event.
The event will feature food from Trill Burgers, Eatsie Boys, Blk MkT birria, Seoulside Wings, OhMyGogi!, Happy Endings, The Waffle Bus, Sticky’s Chicken, and others on Sunday, November 14th, from 1 p.m. – 8 p.m. at the 8th Wonder Brewery’s one-acre WorldWorld backyard in east downtown.
Interestingly, a good deal of the businesses participating in the “Int’l Players Anthem (I Choose You)” rapper’s event are vendors from the Astroworld festival.
Breaking Bread will help them get rid of the food to raise money for the doctor bills and other expenses for those victims and their families in need.
People, who are not interested in purchasing meals, can also donate. Organizers of the event have stated that a series of verified GoFundMe accounts have been launched for the victims.
In addition to helping out others, Bun B has dropped new music. His song “All Time High” with Spottie WiFi is now available on all streaming platforms and will drop as an NFT on 11/15 at SpottieWiFi.com.
Travis Scott is changing his Astroworld story more than his dusty fans are changing their underwear.
First, he claims he didn’t know what went on at Astroworld. Then, he claimed that he went to Dave & Busters with his baby mama, Kylie Jenner, after the festival. Then he got on Instagram and gave the performance of his life, where he couldn’t even muster tears for the dead. Now, his legal team is back to claiming that Travis Scott didn’t know what went on at Astroworld.
You know, either he has the most incompetent legal team in California history, or he’s the biggest jackass in the hip-hop industry today. (Why not both?, you ask, and you’d be right.) When there’s an active investigation, the smart thing to do is keep your damn mouth shut. In this case, this “gangsta” is snitching on himself. What in the New Jack Struggle is this?
Anyway, Travis Scott’s aforementioned lawyer, Ed McPherson was on Good Morning America today, saying there’s still a lot to do in investigating exactly what went wrong last week, but he insists his client was in the dark, according to TMZ.
Meanwhile, as Travis Scott sweats more than a defendant in a child abduction case, a ninth victim of the Astroworld tragedy has succumbed to her injuries. 22-year-old Bharti Shahani was trampled in the melee, suffered several heart attacks, and was declared brain dead. She died on Thursday.
In a just world, we’d be remembering the victims and letting that clown Travis Scott fade into obscurity as he deserves. But, we’re in this one, so we’ll get a stream of comments from white-knighting fans, groupies who may or may not have sucked his d*ck, and hoteps who swear that this is part of some massive conspiracy to take him down because he planned to buy Apple TV or some sh*t.
The MTV VJ-turned-Power actress recently revealed in a Self Magazine cover story that she was diagnosed with premature ventricular contractions (PVCs) in 2019. And in June of 2021, she had heart murmurs that were so disruptive that it caused her to pass out.
“I felt my heart racing all the time, but because it’s all I ever really knew, I didn’t even know that it was necessarily something wrong,” Lala Anthony, 39, told the magazine. “I just thought, ‘Oh, you just feel your heart racing sometimes because you’re working too much, you haven’t slept, you’re stressed.’”
Initially, she said, she was content with “self-diagnosing.” But when the problems became too severe to ignore, she rushed herself to the doctor. (For reference, folks: please don’t do that. If something doesn’t feel right, please go to the doctor.)
“I started feeling it even more — like this fluttering and this racing all the time,” Lala Anthony recalled. “I was like, ‘What is going on?’”
At that point, the doctors realized that her heart was beating at a rate that was 25 percent faster than the average person’s. The doctor prescribed her medication, but she didn’t take it because she said it made her feel dizzy. (Again, for reference: folks, please don’t do that. If a medicine doesn’t make you feel right, talk to your doctor and figure out a plan together.)
Ultimately, she got a catheter put in her heart through her groin area, and now, she goes for checkups every other month.
For what it’s worth: the same month that she had her emergency surgery, Lala Anthony filed for divorce from Carmelo Anthony.
At this point, most men know more about what Will Smith is (or isn’t) doing with his d*ck than they know what they’re doing with their own.
But, whatever. The TMI tour continues!
Will Smith released more passages from his self-titled memoir, which is out in stores now. In it, he speaks candidly about his first love, Melanie Parker.
He was so in love with her, in fact, that he couldn’t help himself and had freaky, nasty s*x with her on his mother’s kitchen floor. Doggy-style, folks, in case you were wondering (I wasn’t, but here we are).
And the way he described his mother walking in on him bent over his girlfriend while she’s on all fours is something straight out of a Jackie Collins novel.
And wearing slippers far too quiet to defend her delicate sensibilities, she approached the threshold of the family kitchen,” Will Smith wrote. “Still innocent, she flipped the light switch as she had done tens of thousands of times before. But this time, her eyes landed upon her eldest son and his girlfriend deep in throes of reckless lovemaking. As a teenager, outside of physical injury, you cannot feel worse than having your mother catch you and your girlfriend doggy-style on her kitchen floor.”
Rapper Lil Nas X is set to make a surprise appearance on an upcoming episode of the “Maury” show to clear up claims his dancer ex is married – and possibly a father.
In a teaser for next week’s episode, titled “Leave Your Wife For Me…That’s What I Want!” Lil Nas X confronts his ex, Yai Ariza, over his relationship status.
“Montero (aka Lil Nas X) found the love of his life, but was shocked to discover Yai was married… with a child! Is Yai the dad?” show host Maury Povich says in the teaser, showing off an alleged family photo of Yai and the child rumored to be his.
“Me and Yai have been together for a month and a half,” Lil Nas X tells his ex’s reported wife, who responds, “You’re a liar!”
During the taped clip, the woman shreds a rose bouquet gift Nas X tries to give to Yai, and it appears the dancer presents the rap star with a commitment ring.
The trailer for next Wednesday’s (November 17th) show ends with Maury about to present a paternity test, which will determine whether or not Yai is the biological father of four-year-old Noah.
