Kevin Gates became the subject of memes and Twitter jokes after two of his social media posts went viral.
A picture of Kevin Gates jumping in the air saw him almost touching his toes behind his back at a show. After he shared it via Twitter and Instagram on Thursday, people quickly began photoshopping it and creating memes.
“Oh Ye who Believe – Gifted – dive in the crowd no safety harness,” Gates wrote in an Instagram caption. “#HealingExperience #iamHim #KhazaTour.”
The photo impressed some observers and confused others, but it mainly provided humor for social media. Memes edited his leap into scenes such as skydiving and professional wrestling.
But Kevin Gates’ jump wasn’t the only reason he had social media buzzing. The Louisiana-bred rapper also sparked jokes and bewildered reactions after tweeting about semen retention on Thursday.
“Your Semen is your Life Force it is so powerful that it can create Life – the more Life Force you have the The stronger your Life Force is,” he wrote. “Nothing is more Precious than Wisdom it is in this spirit that we write, Behold #TheBeloved.”
Your Semen is your Life Force it is so powerful that it can create Life – the more Life Force you have the The stronger your Life Force is – nothing is more Precious than Wisdom it is in this spirit that we write,Behold #TheBeloved
thank you Kevin gates, from now on I will retain my sticky gooey life force inside my body. No semen demon will ever steal my precious nectar again. https://t.co/1WHxoOXfyN
Elijah Banx is Mr. Banx, also the name of his most recent debut album. The 9-track project is spearheaded by lead single “She Just Wanna,” which is his first record to receive radio play thanks to DJ Hed at Real 92.3. Speaking of radio, Elijah is the artist signed to Big Boy, aka the “voice of Los Angeles,” who recently got his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Hailing from Long Beach, Elijah prides himself in his ability to create music in all kinds of genres, not just rap. Describing himself as a “humble, down-to-earth, dude from Long Beach,” Elijah reminds folks that he’s “Long Beach’s first pop artist.”
He states, “If you know the history of Long Beach’s music it’s all gangsta rap and hip-hop. I’m the first artist to come out with country and pop music, I take pride in that. I’m from the Westside of Long Beach, which there’s never been an artist from the Westside of Long Beach to blow up yet.”
At the end of the day, Elijah doesn’t care about the fame or numbers, he’s here to create good music and spread nothing but good vibes to his growing fanbase. Putting his city of Long Beach on the map, he takes after the model that Nipsey Hussle left behind, hoping to leave a lasting impact on all those who listen.
AllHipHop: What was a young Elijah like growing up on the Westside of Long Beach?
Elijah Banx: Ah man, I was a geek. I’m not even going to hold you. I was in the streets a little bit, but I still liked my geek s###. Marvel, Harry Potter, I used to like to read books. I was always playing some type of sport or ducked off listening to some type of music. I had my MP3 player, I had the iPad Nano shuffle. Music’s always been somewhere near.
AllHipHop: Who were your favorites? Obviously Long Beach, you have Snoop.
Elijah Banx: Yeah, that’s definitely in my Top 5. Snoop Dogg, Ice Cube, Drake. I like J Cole. I like Kendrick. I’m a real Hip Hop head, even though I do the singing pop music. I grew up with real Hip Hop.
AllHipHop: Where did you get this other singing side from? The pop and country…
Elijah Banx: Just having a diverse ear. I always liked listening to other music. It’s crazy. One day, I was sitting here talking to Louie The XIII. Shout out to Louie. Me and him had an argument because he said “you know, you actually sing better than you rap.” I tried this melody on a song, he said “yeah, that could work.” I told him “bro I’m a rapper. I don’t know what you’re talking about, but I’m a rapper.” 9 months past by and I rebrand my name to Elijah Banx and droppin my first single singing record as Elijah Banx and that record makes it onto 92.3.
AllHipHop: Wow! What song was that?
Elijah Banx: “She Just Wanna” When that happened, I realized I was doing it wrong the whole time. I was rapping, I was going by another name. Soon as I changed both of those elements…
AllHipHop: What was your name?
Elijah Banx: E-Nasty. My whole city called me that too! I started this loose party crew in high school and we got big.
AllHipHop: How’d it feel to get played on the radio? Was that when Big Boy was there?
Elijah Banx: Yes, but Big didn’t break my record. DJ Hed and Chuck Dizzle broke my record. Shout out to them. It was in rotation all week so it felt unreal, but I didn’t get to really hear it. Every time, it was sent to me. I never got to hear it. When it premiered, I was at Coachella. I had to perform at Diddy’s little afterparty. And all week it was people sending me the record, it was never me hearing it. I didn’t get to hear myself on the record until “Woman Crush Wednesday.”
AllHipHop: Damn, how was that?
Elijah Banx: Dope! I low key got tired of hearing it. Every state we went to, they were playing it on the radio. I was interviewing, performing it. Damn, I wonder how these people who gotta perform these songs 100 times within 30 days are feeling.
AllHipHop: How did you and Big Boy form that bond?
Elijah Banx: We met through a mutual party. He had signed this artist from Long Beach. He was my partner at the time. Everywhere he went, I went. I was helping out. I was learning the ropes in this music thing. We’d do records together. And then one day BigBoy heard it and asked “who is this?” He said “oh that’s E-Nasty.” Big was like “the ngga that don’t talk? The ngga that don’t even be saying much.” He said “yeah.” And the rest fell in place.
AllHipHop: Were you not saying much? [Laughs]
Elijah Banx: Yeah I’m very bashful. I’m a sponge, I be soaking up all the… Some people come in the room and they want to be loud, that’s not my goal. It really shocked him because I didn’t really talk much, but he liked my voice. We sat down, he told me he liked my voice and everything. We built from there.
AllHipHop: You’re the first artist signed to him, right?
Elijah Banx: No, There was another artist from Long Beach who was the first artist signed to him. I’m his third artist, but one of his only artists left. It’s just me and him right now, we’re running through s###.
AllHipHop: What’s the greatest piece of advice he’s given to you?
Elijah Banx: Be on time to things. No matter how big or small the room is, no matter what element it is — it could be the club, the bar — if they have a DJ, you walk up to the DJ and shake their hand. You don’t go up and offer them your song, no. You go up, shake their hand, you introduce yourself and let them know you appreciate what they do. And keep it moving. DJs really remember stuff like that. Because most artists come up like “hey bro, I got a song.” I really go, get their Instagram: “alright bro we’ll connect. Because if we’re on Instagram, you’ll see what I’m doing. If you like it, you like it. That helped me out a lot because it helped me get my record played in a lot of different places.
AllHipHop: How does it feel seeing him get his Hollywood star?
Elijah Banx: You ever heard the saying, “if one wins we all win”? That’s how it felt, because I felt like I got a star. Because that’s really my mentor, that’s really my boss. He’s one of the selected few. Not everyone gets a star, they just gave Snoop a star and you know Snoop’s a star. People that’s not of the white culture, they wait to give us ours. Every time someone like us who comes from the same place gets one, we’ve got to celebrate. No hatred, no nothing.
AllHipHop: How are you feeling with your debut album Mr. Banx out now?
Elijah Banx: I’m feeling good. I’m feeling tired. I spent two weeks in Atlanta, I spent a week in Dallas. Spent a few days in Houston. New York, Miami, it just feels good to be in LA. We’re doing all press right now. We still got Arizona and a lot of other states to go to. I’ve done radio interviews: shout out to 94.5, shoutout to 107.3 Houston. We did a couple radio interviews, podcasts, performances, hostings. Just trying to show our faces, shake some hands and take some pictures.
AllHipHop: Why’d you name it Mr. Banx?
Elijah Banx: Because I am Mr. Banx, this is my first album. You only get one time to have a debut album. It’s supposed to mean something and have something to do with who you are. Some people do for example: “Elijah Banx presents Elijah Banx the album.” Nah. They call me Mr. Banx on some smooth 007, smooth suave type s###, so that’s why I called it that.
AllHipHop: How long have you been grinding for?
Elijah Banx: On a serious note, I’ve been grinding since 2015. Grinding, really taking this music seriously. I didn’t think about making an album until 2018. Okay we’re recording all this music, putting out these songs, but nobody has an actual project to attach your name to. That’s when I got with my management in 2018, Lamont Vintage with Vintage Society Entertainment. We said “man, we gotta start working on it.” I was subconsciously working on it. It wasn’t like I was going to the studio being like “this is for the album, this is for the album.” I was just going in recording. At the end, we said “okay, this makes sense”, New sound with, a new vibe to give to the fans.
AllHipHop: What songs mean the most to you and why?
Elijah Banx: “Woman Crush Wednesday,” that’s the song that took me the furthest. It’s the song that everybody knows me for. “Runaway” is my absolute favorite on the album. It’s about my last relationship and every word on there is true.
AllHipHop: How does she feel about it?
Elijah Banx: She hates the song. She hates it, but that’s because she feels like I put her hurt out there for everybody. She doesn’t understand how special that is because so many people relate to it. That’s my favorite song, she doesn’t really like it but one day she will like it. And “Get High,” because I love to get high.
AllHipHop: What or who inspired “Woman Crush Wednesdays”?
Elijah Banx: All the fine ass women on Instagram who I be seeing on my timeline. I’m talking about every day: scroll, swipe, like. It’s too many of them. It’s too many to even pinpoint where it came from. Shoutout to Rihanna though, because you’re my true Woman Crush Wednesday.
AllHipHop: What is it that you want fans to get from your story?
Elijah Banx: I want people to get from my story that no matter how you perceive these people, we all go through the same trials and tribulations. We all fall in love, we all get our heart broken. Most of us have come from nothing. A lot of us like to vibe, get high, and let the time pass. Life is about having fun. There’s artists like Kendrick and J. Cole, deep people who make you really think, that’s not really what I want to do with people right now in my journey. I want to be easy to listen to, and free to enjoy yourself when I’m on.
Elijah Banx: Oh it’s a vibe every time, shoutout to Atlanta. They show so much love, it’s ridiculous. That’s really my second home.
AllHipHop: How was the festival you did?
Elijah Banx: Oh it was dope. It was an R&B festival right? They had all these big R&B names, everybody had bands. It was real soulful and everything. I looked at my posts and said “I feel like I’m about to f### up the vibe right now,” but in a good way.
AllHipHop: Some of your records are R&B though?
Elijah Banx: They are, but I’m talking about they were easy on a Sunday morning. When I got on the stage, first thing I said was “Man I go by the name Elijah Banx, I’m from LA. I just want to bring LA to Atlanta real quick.” They said “okay.” I said “I know we’ve been taking it easy like a Sunday morning, but I’ma take y’all to the club on a Saturday night. Let’s go!” I changed the vibe up.
AllHipHop: What’s your favorite song to perform?
Elijah Banx: “Woman Crush Wednesday,” because it’s so flawless every time I do it. To the dance moves.
AllHipHop: You’ve got dance moves too?
Elijah Banx: A little. [laughs] Chris, I’m coming for you!
Elijah Banx: Yooo! It’s crazy, I haven’t even got to talk about it because it just happened. That was an experience, humble dude. Shoutout to one of my publicists, Molly. So literally I went to sleep in the car real quick while everyone finished up in the restaurant. They woke me up like “wake up!” I said “where we at?” They said “You’re at Jazze Pha’s studio, you’re about to record with him.” I said “n*gga, we are not at Jazze Pha studio!”
Then Jazze Pha pops out: “oh boy, what’s the deal?” Oh f###, we’re really about to record… okay let’s go. He welcomed me. I ran into some legends, they’re a little mean sometimes. This dude, I texted him like “bruh I can’t wait to come back and record with you.” He responded and said “the music is always good when the vibe is right, when the energy is good within people.” Shout out to him.
AllHipHop: What were the convos with Nipsey like?
Elijah Banx: Inspiring for sure because you know where Nipsey comes from. You know what he’s about. That’s fly Crippin’ at its finest. That’s who I look up to when it comes to how to carry yourself as a man, as an artist from out here from Los Angeles as a man.
AllHipHop: Are you doing anything for your community?
Elijah Banx: Yeah, it’s crazy. Facebook just reminded me today, 4 years ago Big Boy had this restaurant. I think he turned it into multiple taco trucks, he made it mobile. We were doing this fundraiser, we got all this water and all this food. Every year, me and Lamont or me and my team either do a toy donation in December, we definitely do the Thanksgiving Turkey Drives with Big. I’ve performed for a lot of elementary schools during the summer, summer programs, etc. Once we get the bread up, it’s a lot more I want to do for the city for sure. Especially with me being from Long Beach, we going to start in Long Beach but it’s LA all day. We going to spread it across the map.
AllHipHop: You got anything upcoming in Long Beach?
Elijah Banx: We working on a couple of things. I’m doing a ”Welcome Mr Banx” show soon since I haven’t performed in Long Beach since 2018.
Elijah Banx
AllHipHop: Any goals for yourself at this point in your career?
Elijah Banx: One of my goals right now is making sure my next project sounds better than my last. I’m racing myself now. Also, get the Math project done, that’s one of my goals. Math project is an album that’s going to have all features, because it stands for “Me And The Homies.” I’ve got to start working on that. I was selfish with my album, I didn’t do any features. Now it’s time to start reaching out to all the homies. I’ve got records with Kalan.FrFr, Jag, Garren and more Big names that’s on the way I can’t say much about right now but It’s time to share that with the world.
AllHipHop: How do you view West Coast hip-hop currently? There are hella people riding the wave.
Elijah Banx: Shout out to BLXST, I’ve known BLXST since 2012. Me and him were on the same label: Turn It Up Music. Little independent label, TIU music. I had texted him when No Love Lost came out. I said “thank you bro.” He said “for what?” I said “for opening the door for n*ggas like me.” Because at times LA caters more towards the real street rap. But to know people are willing to hear turn up beats where you’re still talking about relationships, love, and chill s###. I have to admit BLXST opened that door.
AllHipHop: Anything else you want to let the people know?
Elijah Banx: I want to let them know that we working, and I finally got my interview with Shirley Ju. Be on the lookout for Elijah Banx because we’re running through s### now. New music coming soon, new videos, everything on social media at Elijah Banx.
Ron Sweeney, who acted as a manager and lawyer for the Louisiana artist since 2005, is pushing the Young Money founder to cough up money regarding his percentage from his settlement from Birdman and Cash Money Records.
However, based on recent reports, Weezy is being and has refused to sit for a deposition regarding the settlement with his former father figure.
According to a court filing, on August 24, 2021, the artist (whose real name is Dwayne Michael Carter Jr.) was scheduled to answer pertinent questions about the money.
Yet, according to Sweeney, he didn’t show up to a deposition and will not talk about the payout. Furthermore, the executive alleges that the “Lollipop” chart-topper has instructed his team to not provide an additional date for the deposition to be done in the future.
Sweeney, who filed the document, says that Team Weezy is stalling until a judge can dismiss a $20 million lawsuit, that they believe is frivolous, all together.
He claims that he has not been compensated for helping Wayne grow his career and become the mogul he is. He says that he set up many business deals before they set ways and dissolved their business relationship.
In the lawsuit, he says that Wayne “failed and refused to pay Plaintiffs his promised 10% of the recovery from lawsuits, 10% of the sale of master recordings owned by Lil Wayne’s record label, and then 17% in general commissions that he owes to Plaintiffs in connection with Plaintiff’s day to day management activities.”
Before you cast your vote on anyone’s side, note that Wayne is also suing Sweeney. He says that he ain’t did all that for him and was swindling him for years.
He misrepresented himself as his manager, even as he was doing the work of a lawyer. He was paid as a lawyer, which is not in dispute, and doesn’t deserve any commission compensation or furnishing fee.
The courts have not weighed in on the deposition, not Wayne’s claim.
Beanie Sigel has thrown his support behind one rapper, in particular, and you won’t believe who.
In a recent YouTube video, the modern-day rap legend predicts that Saigon will win in the upcoming face-off against Vado. Sigel believes that Saigon has the edge because Jay-Z co-signs him, albeit tacitly.
Check out the video, in which Beanie Sigel makes his predictions, below.
Saigon, for his part, is already gearing up for battle. He recently took a friendly shot at Vado on his Instagram page.
“My homie said “your battle with @vado_mh is 2 weeks away, I hope U rehearsing.” I said “Not really, U aint see my sun Vado on TV, he known for choking, my sun definitely gon’ CHOKE, this easy work,” he teased. “😆…. “Im going to the county” 😂🤣… This s### is gonna be too fun !!!”
Check out Saigon’s post below.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CUBTKtogjNT/
We’re not ones to pick sides (yes, we are, actually) but we’re with Beanie Sigel on this one. Vado is certainly a beast, but Saigon is a silent-but-deadly killer.
For those who are interested, virtual tickets (because, COVID) are still available for the next few days. Get them now, while you still can.
So, who you got in this battle? Sound off below.
Battle Rap’s Oldest and FIRST Battle league.. M.C. W.A.R., (Masters in the Community Check the World Associated Rappers) back with #NWOIII Vado Vs Saigon & Charlie Clips Vs Oun-P at Center Stage ATL this Sunday October 3rd. TICKETS & PPV AVAILABLE AT WWW.MCWAR.COM Previously Keith Murray Vs. Fredro Starr with DJ Enuff in partnership with AllHipHop.com The #NWOIII Battle will Feature: Rah Digga & DJ Holiday CommentatingDJ Scream DJing for Charlie Clips Vs Oun-PDJ Kay Slay DJing for Vado Vs SaigonWith production from Magnedo7 (Eminem Credits) Stan Da Man, Stroud (TI producer) Magnedo7, & Encore Beanie Sigel performing Live
With more crazy matchups for the culture: BIG T VS E NESS SWAVE SEVAH VS. BIGG K MARV WON VS. CHEF TREZ SNAKE EYEZ VS YOUNG KANNON J MURDA VS UNO LAVOZ LOTTA ZAY VS JP CALI SMOOV LL COOGI VS REGGIE P ADV FLOSS DA BOSS VS LI THE MAYOR AR16 VS P.A.Y.N.E. DA SQUAD BOY
Freddie Gibbs described Tekashi 69 as a fake tough guy in an interview with Mike Tyson.
During an appearance on Mike Tyson’s Hotboxin’ podcast, Freddie Gibbs and the former world champion laughed about rappers boxing. Gibbs was asked if could “handle” Tekashi 69, prompting a dismissive response.
“That’s like a pit bull and chihuahua, that m########### like 5’3”,” Gibbs said. “M############ like that get f##### up. Ain’t nothing tough about a guy like that.”
Mike Tyson couldn’t stop chuckling about Tekashi 69 and wondered if the polarizing artist had a speech impediment. Freddie Gibbs’ answer elicited more laughter from the Hotboxin’ host.
“I don’t know, I just think he’s a little Mexican m###########,” he told Tyson. “He just says n#### a lot.”
Although Freddie Gibbs threw some jabs at Tekashi 69, he admitted he enjoyed some of the controversial rapper’s music.
“I ain’t gonna even lie, I liked some of his songs when he first came out,” he revealed. “I liked that s###. I ain’t with that snitching s###, but he was a good artist though. M########### can’t really take that away from him. He was a good artist. He was definitely an entertaining ass n####. But all that – when the s### get to all that legal s###, I don’t really f### with that.”
Freddie Gibbs also made a point to say the entire rap industry is full of people pretending to be something they’re not.
“Rap is the only industry where n##### is fake tough,” he told Tyson. “You don’t see no rock bands and s### like that, you don’t hear about no beef [between] country singers. Rap the only s### where m############ got these ol’ fake tough egos and s###. That’s why I stay to myself. I don’t f### with too many of these rap n##### like that.”
Watch Mike Tyson’s full interview with Freddie Gibbs below.
Growing up in Mesquite, Texas, Nathaniel Glen Miller Jr. gravitated to hip hop legends like 50 Cent, soaking up his journey to the top. Little did he know, he would begin his own route to attain the status of that caliber himself. After coming face to face with death in 2019 when he was shot in the head, Nathaniel underwent a life-changing phase. He pledged in his heart that the same music which got him through the most trying time in his life would become his career path. From that moment forward, he became C.h.a.m.p aka Baby Debo inspired by his mantra, “Change Happens at My Pace.”
C.h.a.m.p refined his craft and over the last 3 months his career started off with a bang with his two EP’s “Paper Route” and “YOLO.” Combined they received high ratings from his growing fanbase and saw streams skyrocket above 100,000 streams across streaming platforms. Fans have yet to stop playing the projects in rotation and still hyped over the production and lyrical composition of every song from start to finish. Classic cuts like “Baby Debo,” “Nights Like These,” “Obsessed,” “Vibez,” “Win” and “Yolo” have been a vibe, reaching into global recognition, with 30,000 views in only two weeks off the music video of “Baby Debo” alone.
C.h.a.m.p stays coming with the heat, gearing up to release his album, “Therapy” in November. Given the genius of his smooth lyrical delivery across every track released thus far, C.h.a.m.p’s upcoming album has fans in eager anticipation for the project. C.h.a.m.p promises that it will detail everything from his come up to his brush with death, but also come with energy and vibes for any mood. Follow the CEO of IER Entertainment as he carves his legacy.
R&B/Pop songstress Lizzo became a mainstream star thanks to songs like “Truth Hurts” and “Good as Hell.” Lizzo also made headlines for twerking in an NSFW outfit at an NBA game in 2019.
Confronting body issues is a major part of Lizzo’s music and brand. The 33-year-old entertainer took her thoughts on the subject to another arena by taking part in a TED Talk.
The 13-minute speech is titled “Lizzo: The Black history of twerking — and how it taught me self-love.” Lizzo explained how twerking empowered her to love her own body.
“I used to hate my a##, believe it or not. I have my father’s shape and my mother’s thighs, so it’s big and long. I used to think that only a#### like J.Lo’s or Beyoncé’s could be famous. I never thought that could happen to me,” said Lizzo.
The Cuz I Love You album creator continued, “I always felt like my body type wasn’t the right one or the desirable one growing up because I grew up in an era where having a big ass wasn’t mainstream.”
“Black People Carried The Origins Of This Dance Through Our DNA”
Apparently, a popular modern dance with roots in West African culture assisted Lizzo in being more accepting of herself. She spoke about her journey to achieving higher self-esteem with the TED Talk audience.
“Rihanna gave my ass a standing ovation. Yes, my booty – my least favorite part of my body. How did this happen? Twerking!” said Lizzo with a laugh. “Through the movement of twerking I discovered my ass is my greatest asset.”
Lizzo also traced the lineage of twerking from the Ivory Coast’s Mapouka dance to Josephine Baker’s Banana Dance to Beyoncé’s “Uh Oh” dance. The Grammmy winner added, “Black people carried the origins of this dance through our DNA, through our blood, through our bones. We made twerking the global cultural phenomenon it became today.”
Southern rappers Lil Wayne and Rich The Kid formed a musical alliance for a new mixtape. The 10-track Trust Fund Babies dropped on Friday, October 1.
Lil Wayne and Rich The Kid introduced Trust Fund Babies with the “Feelin’ Like Tunechi” music video. They also took part in a live Q&A on YouTube around the time their joint tape landed on DSPs.
In addition, Apple Music 1 host Zane Lowe caught up with Lil Wayne and Rich The Kid to discuss their new collaborative project. The conversation covered the two rap stars coming together for Trust Fund Babies.
“First of all, Rich is like my little bro from day one. Me and Rich had been rocking for years and we always said we were going to do something,” expressed Louisiana native Lil Wayne.
The Young Money Entertainment head continued, “We might do a song here and there, but we locked it in, got in there, and said we put our mindset and did it. As far as, as much as I gave on that, I do that every time I do anything.”
Previously, Lil Wayne connected with Rich The Kid for the Georgia-raised rhymer’s “End of Discussion” track off The World Is Yours album. Weezy and RTK also share a love for skateboarding.
“Even my inspiration from when I first started, even before I was doing music, I remember parts of my life where his mixtapes just got me through life. Like where I didn’t know what I was doing, but his mixtapes and his music inspired me to go out there, hustle, and find a way to make it happen,” said Rich The Kid about Lil Wayne.
It appeared Bill Cosby was willing to publicly back R. Kelly after the R&B singer was convicted of racketeering, bribery, sexual exploitation of a child, forced labor, and sex trafficking. Kelly is now facing a minimum of 10 years in federal prison.
Following the announcement of the guilty verdict, Bill Cosby’s spokesperson issued a statement about the case. Andrew Wyatt shared Cosby’s initial take on the matter during an on-camera interview with TMZ.
“We talked about it today, and the first thing [Cosby] said was, ‘Look, the guy was railroaded,’” recalled Andrew Wyatt. “As he said, Gloria Allred did the same thing that she did with him. You parade women out and you stir up the public sentiment to go against him. And that’s what they did to R. Kelly.”
Bill Cosby’s representative is now retracting those comments by claiming he was not speaking for his client despite specifically sharing what the comedian supposedly said to him. Andrew Wyatt took to Cosby’s verified Facebook account to walk back what he told TMZ.
The statement from Andrew Wyatt reads:
As the publicist of Mr. Cosby, I have the right to my opinion and my opinion is not a reflection of Mr. Cosby’s. Yes, I feel that Robert Kelly was railroaded and those were my words, not the words of Mr. Cosby. I will continue to reflect my views because the 1st Amendment allows me the same privileges as the media. Thank you very much.
Bill Cosby Facebook Page
After Being Released From Prison, Bill Cosby Supports Other Controversial Celebrities
Bill Cosby was also accused of sexual misconduct. After being convicted of three counts of aggravated indecent assault in 2018, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court overturned Cosby’s conviction because the court ruled the prosecution violated Cosby’s right to due process.
While Bill Cosby seems to be trying to separate himself from R. Kelly, the 84-year-old comedian/actor is still standing by another controversial figure. Cosby promoted Boosie Badazz’s My Struggle movie despite the Baton Rouge-bred rapper recently being called out for his homophobic rants about Lil Nas X.
Headie One is a busy man! At the end of August, he released the single “2Chains” and dropped a slick visual to accompany the track. Then just two weeks later came the track “Beggars Can’t Be Choosers” also with a glossy video.
Now, the North London native has dropped his new mixtape titled “Too Loyal For My Own Good.” For the first time on a Headie One project, there are no features, the rapper going solo throughout. As well as the usual drill cuts you would expect to hear, like the previously released “2 Chains,” the rapper explores a range of other sounds. There are upbeat tracks like “Nothing to Me” and “Finer Things,” as well as club tune “Louis Vuitton Collar,” which has an Afroswing vibe.
Headie One broke into the mainstream back in 2018 with “Know Better” after something from his personal life became a very public social media talking point. Since then, Headie has kept it real and been consistent allowing him to overcome the stigma the media attaches to many UK Drill artists. Earlier this year he teamed up with fellow UK rapper, Dave on the song “18HUNNA” which had audiences singing lyrics like “My little bro s###### out the pack and flushed it,” at festival stages all summer long.
Headie One released his acclaimed debut LP, Enda, last October.
Back in 2012, Wale presented Folarin. The mixtape is often considered one of the DMV emcee’s most celebrated projects.
Wale is tapping back into that early period of his career with a sequel. The Folarin II album will arrive on DSPs on October 22.
Fellow 2010s-era rookie J. Cole appears on the Folarin II single “Poke It Out.” The track uses the same electric bass sample as Q-Tip’s 1999 hit “Vivrant Thing.”
It has been two years since Wale dropped his previous studio album Wow… That’s Crazy. That collection of tunes was Wale’s fourth Top 10 entry on the Billboard 200.
Plus, the Warner recording artist reached the Top 10 region with 2011’s Ambition, 2013’s The Gifted, and 2015’s The Album About Nothing. He also contributed to Maybach Music Group’s commercially successful Self Made compilation series.
Wale is a Hip Hop veteran with over 14 years in the game. In August, he tweeted, “When I say I’m one of the greatest rappers of all time, I mean it with all my heart. I’ve put out more QUALITY music than most. My deep cuts are crazy. My singles all got plaques. Decade plus. THAT is why I’m heavy on the gratitude.”
Meek Mill returned today (September 1) with his new album Expensive Pain. The Dreamchasers leader recruited Lil Baby, Kehlani, Lil Uzi Vert, Moneybagg Yo, Young Thug, Lil Durk, A$AP Ferg, Brent Faiyaz, Giggs, and Vory for the project.
While Expensive Pain is Meek Mill’s fifth studio LP, it appears the Philadelphia native still feels like he is not properly recognized for his artistry as a musician. Apple Music 1’s Zane Lowe spoke to Meek about his new album and more for New Music Daily.
“Personally, and it’s up for the fans to have an opinion, and that’s what keeps me going, I don’t feel like I get the credit that I deserve as far as the artists,” said Meek Mill. “I come from the 2012 era. If you go check the [2011 XXL Freshman Class cover], shout out to Vanessa, I’m on the cover. It’s me, YG, it’s Kendrick [Lamar], it’s Mac Miller, rest in peace, Fred Godson.”
The 34-year-old rapper continued, “But all them guys, I respect them highly, and a lot of them guys lasted in the game. I’m one of them guys that’s still here in 2021. I’m about to put on at a talented level, not a marketed level. I want to go straight to the fans.”
Expensive Pain arrives three years after the Grammy-nominated Championships LP. Meek Mill’s discography also includes 2012’s Dreams and Nightmares, 2015’s Dreams Worth More Than Money, and 2017’s Wins & Losses.
Championships debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 chart with 229,000 first-week units. Dreams Worth More Than Money also hit #1. His catalog contains numerous mixtapes as well.
“This season right here, if I could tell you the truth, I never really was smoking weed my whole life because I was on probation. When I used to be 18, I was a young kid caught up in a trap house in the basement, smoking weed, writing my raps,” Meek Mill told Zane Lowe. “That’s the real spirit of Meek Mill when I really took rap serious.”
He added, “Now I’m back in the studio smoking freely. I’m not on probation. It unlocked the real art side of me, really new flows, new melodies, being more vulnerable, more personal. I think the people going to be able to identify when they hear this album. I got a lot of energy but I’m not screaming on a lot of records. You can hear me more clear because I’m expressing myself.”
In addition, Meek Mill also announced a special “Expensive Pain: Meek Mill & Friends” album playback concert for October 23 at Madison Square Garden. He will perform Expensive Pain in its entirety and bring out several special guests.
Former Roc-A-Fella Records A&R Kyambo “Hip-Hop” Joshua recently shared some insider knowledge from his time working with Jay-Z. He appeared on an episode of the “New Rory & Mal” podcast which also featured The Alchemist, Earl Sweatshirt, and WestSide Boogie.
While discussing the streaming era and how it’s caused the death of skits and hidden/extended tracks on rap albums, Hip-Hop revealed that the ending of Dr. Dre’s “The Chronic” was the inspiration for “Vol. 3…Life and Times of S. Carter.”
The revelation came when Hip-Hop recalled how Dr. Dre’s “B###### Ain’t S###” appeared as an uncredited song at the end of The Chronic. Rory then brought up the two hidden tracks that close out Jay-Z’s Vol. 3.
“I remember with The Chronic, ‘B*tchs Ain’t Sh*t was on the album and it wasn’t on the credits,” Hip-Hop said. “I remember a n**** playing it in school and I’m like, ‘I can hear it, but I can never find it!’ They were like, ‘Nah, you just gotta let the album play.’”
Rory cut in with, “When y’all put Vol. 3 out, I remember the next day in school everyone was like, ‘Yo, did you let that outro rock? There’s three more records!’”
Then, Hip Hop revealed, “I did it strictly because of that, because of The Chronic.”
Released back in 1999, Jay-Z’s ‘Vol. 3…Life and Times of S. Carter” ended with “Hova Song (Outro),” “Jigga My N-gga” and “Girl’s Best Friend,” but only the first of these was credited on the tracklist. Dr. Dre makes an appearance on “Vol. 3” featuring on the track “Watch Me,” one of the many occasions the pair have collaborated.
2021 has been a career-making year for Coi, beginning with the release of “No More Parties,” (which quickly went viral on TikTok), “BIG PURR (Prrdd)” (eaturing Pooh Sheisty, and finally her solo “Bout Me.” Support from industry heavyweights like Drake, Megan Thee Stallion, Cardi B, CityGirls JT and Yung Miami and more followed, along with a set at Rolling Loud and a spot starring in a new campaign for the SKIMS “Cozy Collection” by Kim Kardashian West.Coi’s momentum shows no signs of letting up. Instead, she plans to harness her success into diversifying her sound.
“As I get older and as I progress and get better as an artist, I see myself getting deeper into my music with my emotions,” Coi says, “There’s twerking music, pain music, some R&B, and some trap. I just want to give them something that is to my full potential. I want to take them to a place that they’ve never been before. It’s now or never, and the time is now.”
Akon gave an interview to “TMZ” and continued his run of questionable takes, this time sharing his thoughts about the recently convicted R. Kelly.
The controversial opinion came when “TMZ” told Akon that R. Kelly was facing serious time and asked whether the singer could redeem himself after being convicted of offenses against kids.
“This is how I see it,” Akon said. “I believe that God makes no mistakes. People can debate back and forth all day, but if it’s happening to him, it’s supposed to happen to him for whatever reasons — that’s God’s reasons on why it’s going down.”
Akon continued saying that Kelly must “reevaluate his whole way of being” and that whatever happens to Kelly now is “between him and God.”
The international business mogul then goes on to say that people don’t hate each other for no reason but that “everyone is going to make a mistake and everyone has the right to redeem themselves from those mistakes — even him.”
Speaking of R. Kelly’s many victims Akon added, “He has the right to try to make right by those he hurt. And then, the people that he hurt also have the right to decide if they wanna forgive him.” The “Locked Up” singer then said that he personally believes that not offering forgiveness “only puts you in more pain,” and that being able to “let all that go” is a strength.
Finally, Akon waded into the question of whether art can be separated from the artist. “At the end of the day, you cannot deny his talent,” he said. Speaking of R. Kelly as a person he says “We’re not the ones to judge because we weren’t there.”
R. Kelly was found guilty of charges including bribery, kidnapping, racketeering, sexual exploitation of a child, and sex trafficking involving six victims. Sentencing is set for May 4 where the disgraced star is looking at serving anything from ten years to life in prison. He’s also awaiting trials in Minnesota and Illinois for similar offenses.
R Kelly had plenty of time to reevaluate his life after his last trial. Instead he continued to be a sicko. So it’s jail time now. He can “reflect” on that while he sits in there forever. F### ‘em. https://t.co/jHZe0ABiTupic.twitter.com/c6tAgzFpoe
Wale’s new album is on the way and he’s given fans plenty of excitement ahead of its release. On Thursday he confirmed the title, “Folarin II” and revealed its release date. Fans can expect the project, described as “his seventh and most personal studio album to date,” to drop on October 22.
Wale also shared a new track, a single with collaborator and longtime rap companion J. Cole titled “Poke It Out.”
The song, produced by Cool & Dre samples Q-Tip’s classic “Vivrant Thing” and Wale and Cole bounce all over the familiar beat in what is sure to be a club banger.
The DMV icon kicks off the track, spitting some game to the ladies, before tagging in the Dreamville boss who flexes his emcee chops and takes shots at the competition. Cole also shows some love to ladies of all shapes shouting out Megan Thee Stallion and Coi Leray: “Poke it out / I wanna see you play / Whether you Meg Thee Stallion or like Coi Leray.”
The energetic offering marks their first collaboration in three years. The last time the rappers appeared on a track together was the “My Boy (Freestyle)” from Wale’s 2018 EP “Free Lunch.”
Wale’s upcoming project is the follow-up to his 2012 mixtape “Folarin.” Wale announced the project in June, “I understand you may feel how you feel for whatever soembody [sic] told you … but I just wanna reiterate that I’m one of the greatest of all time,” the rapper tweeted. “Catalog .Consistency. Influence. Longevity . DMV. With that said #Folarin2 this summer”
I understand you may feel how you feel for whatever soembody told you … but I just wanna reiterate that I’m one of the greatest of all time . Catalog .Consistency. Influence. Longevity . DMV. With that said #Folarin2 this summer . 🌹
Two years after the death of rapper Nipsey Hustle, his estate is still reconciling the debt left after his demise.
His brother Sam “Blacc Sam” Asghedom filed motions to the courts asking for an additional year to take care of the estate’s financial issues.
According to Radaronline.com this is the second report filed by the late chart-topper’s brother. Blacc Sam is in charge of the state and doing all that he can to make sure that after he takes care of those owed anything, that his niece and nephew have a substantial nest egg to carry them through life.
The legal papers state, “The assets of Ermias’ Probate estate are approximately $4,062,439.34 ($4,169,088.57 per inventory and appraisal, less $106,649.23 in creditor’s claims).”
Of the biggest creditors, the estate paid Paramount Recording Group $31k, American Express was paid $46k, and one woman named Tasleema Yasin, who was a songwriter for Nip’s song, “Hussle & Motivation,” has not had her debt stratified.
She is still owed residuals from her work. Yasin’s issues will not clear up easily as Blacc Sam rejects her claims that she is owed anything.
One creditor Chrome Entertainment actually suspended their demand for $27k to be paid to the company.
Nipsey has two children, one daughter named Emani (who Blacc is in the process of getting full legal custody of) and a son named Kross with Lauren London.
Uncle Blacc Sam is working with his financial team to make sure that the children walk away with $2 million apiece. And fans, nor the children, have to worry about the government coming for owed taxes.
According to the reports, Sam is updated on all of Nip’s personal taxes, “All Federal and California individual income taxes have been paid, and all required Federal and California individual income tax returns are on extension.”
Starz has quickly renewed 50 Cent’s BMF series for a second season.
Just a few days after 50 Cent’s new show premiered on Starz, the network ordered a second season of BMF a.k.a. Black Mafia Family. The renewal extends a fruitful partnership with the G-Unit rapper, who produced Starz’s popular show Power and its spinoff Power Book II: Ghost.
“Curtis ’50 Cent’ Jackson continues to find and cultivate stories like BMF that are culturally relevant, bringing the network important untold stories that are incredibly diverse both in front of and behind the camera,” Starz President/CEO Jeffrey Hirsch said in a press statement. “Following such a strong debut, we’re excited to see what Curtis, Randy [Huggins] and the award-worthy cast deliver in the second season.”
BMF became the No. 1 premiere on the Starz app following its debut on September 26. Preliminary reports suggest the show had one of the highest engagements for any series premiere across over-the-top media service platforms.
50 Cent serves as the executive producer of BMF alongside showrunner/writer Randy Huggins. The series is inspired by the true story of Demetrius “Big Meech” Flenory and Terry “Southwest T” Flenory, the masterminds behind the Black Mafia Family crime syndicate.
BMF stars Big Meech’s son Demetrius “Lil Meech” Flenory Jr.
Snoop Dogg and Kash Doll have recurring roles in the show. Eminem will portray White Boy Rick in the series, but his appearance is expected to be brief.
Azriel Clary, one of R. Kelly’s accusers, revealed how he coached her ahead of a 2019 interview with CBS’ Gayle King.
In a new interview with Gayle King, the 23-year-old woman revisited the first time she spoke with the journalist on national television. At that time, Azriel Clary was one of R. Kelly’s girlfriends and defended him amid widespread allegations of sexual abuse.
Over two years later, Clary detailed how R. Kelly directed her and Joycelyn Savage to behave in the 2019 interview.
“He came in and he told us to be angry and upset,” she told King on CBS Mornings. “And so we came in angry.”
Clary regretted how she appeared to the public, which was part of why she wanted to speak with King again.
“I was scared because I was like, ‘I don’t want the world to see me this way,’” she said. “I’m loving, I’m caring, I’m compassionate. And no one got to see that side of me.”
King asked Clary what she and Savage were dishonest about in their original conversation.
“Everything,” Clary insisted.
She then recalled how R. Kelly prepared them to answer King’s questions in 2019.
“Before that interview, he had us practicing every single day,” she explained. “Answering questions. And if he didn’t like our answer, he would tell us exactly what to say and how to say it. So any time you mentioned anything about sexual preference, we already know to say, ‘I’m not here to talk about that.’ ‘Cause that’s what he told us to say.”
According to Clary, R. Kelly was very pleased with their performance on CBS.
“He was so happy,” she remembered. “He was like, ‘You guys did amazing. You did so well. You carried yourself so well.’ I believe he even got food and wanted to celebrate. That’s how happy he was with that interview.”
Clary testified against R. Kelly at his racketeering and sex trafficking trial. He was convicted on one count of racketeering and eight counts of violating the Mann Act.
R. Kelly is facing 10 years to life in prison. He will be sentenced in May 2022.
San Antonio’s mayor has blocked Drake on Twitter out of loyalty to the hometown Spurs.
Drake drew the ire of Mayor Ron Nirenberg for snubbing the San Antonio Spurs in OVO’s new World Champions apparel featuring six NBA teams. The capsule collection includes the Toronto Raptors, Los Angeles Lakers, Chicago Bulls, Boston Celtics, Miami Heat and New York Knicks.
“#GoSpursGo,” Mayor Nirenberg wrote on Twitter alongside a screenshot of him blocking Drake.
San Antonio Spurs fans were annoyed by their team’s exclusion from the OVO collection, citing their franchise’s five world championships. The selection of the New York Knicks sparked complaints since the team hasn’t won a title since the 1970s.
The Toronto Raptors actually have the fewest championships among the franchises in the collection, but they are Drake’s hometown team. The Knicks have the second-fewest titles among those selected for the collection.
Drake and OVO partnered with the NBA for this World Champions capsule ahead of the league’s 2021-2022 season, which begins on October 19. The collection includes 59Fifty New Era fitted hats, wool and leather embroidered varsity jackets, heavyweight carded fleece, short and long-sleeve t-shirts, and cotton terry sideline towels.
