For many people, music is just a fun hobby. They’ll listen to motivational songs while running on a treadmill, pump up soothing country music while traveling across the country, and dance to passionate hip hop at a nightclub. There are only a select few individuals out there who view music as a beautiful way to express themselves. For them, music opens up a portal to an entirely new universe. It is their safe space and heaven on earth. One such person weaving magical symphonies with his pen is music composer, songwriter, and producer Kitt Wakeley.
On July 3rd, 1979, Wakeley was born in Memphis, Tennessee, but grew up in Holdenville, Oklahoma. By the time he turned 8, he was adopted by two angelic souls Jack and Linda Wakeley. From an early age, Wakeley found solace in music. It provided him a medium to channel his deepest thoughts and find out what he truly wanted from his life. Wakeley started with trumpet but later transitioned to keyboards as he grew older.
Throughout his academic journey at high school, Wakeley played in several bands and further developed his interest in a wide range of music genres. After finishing high school, he was offered several music scholarships at prestigious music schools. Instead of enrolling in music school, Wakeley decided to attend college at East Central University, obtaining a bachelor’s in Pre-Law and Sociology. Later on, he also enrolled in the University of Oklahoma and earned a Master’s in Public Administration. Though Wakeley had adopted a starkly different academic path, his heart was still in music. During college, he honed his skills in writing, producing, and recording music. His most notable musical venture was Mydion, a progressive rock band in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
In 1998, Wakeley entered the professional business world and started Medicorp with his partner John P. Jiles. His company specialized in Medicare Billing, Consulting, and Cost Reporting services. Medicorp later transformed into an umbrella company, Valir Health, which has operated more than 40 business ventures. The ventures include nursing facilities, home health, hospice, durable medical equipment, urgent care, outpatient physical clinics, rehabilitation facilities, drug abuse correction centers, and real estate.
A Music Maestro in the MakingAs his entrepreneurial ventures began to prosper, Wakeley had the opportunity to step away and finally focus on his passion full time. He released his first solo album under the pseudo-name of AudioKaoz, called “Cinematic Chaos.” His debut work was a hybrid of rock and Electronic Dance Music and cemented the spirit of his subsequent albums. This project granted Wakeley the honor to become a member of the National Academy of Recordings and Sciences (NARAS) and Grammy Voter.
After establishing his credibility in the music industry, Wakeley released his second album, called “Midnight in Macedonia. This time, he was confident to use his real name. His second album was even a bigger hit than his previous one and marked his entry into the Orchestral Rock genre, a hybrid of orchestra, piano, rock, and EDM. Recorded in 2015 in the dreamy landscapes of Macedonia, this ground-breaking project included several notable musicians, including Kenny Aronoff, Daniel Uribe, Tre Nagella, and Kevin Lively.
Wakeley’s masterpiece became part of the first round of Grammy ballots in four different categories. The nominations included “Best Contemporary Instrumental Album,” “Best Arrangement Instrumental Acapella” Best Instrumental Composition,” and “Best Rock Performance.”Wakeley’s third solo studio release was “Symphony of Sinners and Saints.” This project was carried out at the esteemed Abbey Road Studios, London, and collaborated with the Royal Philharmonic and London Voices.
Cliff Masterson was the conductor for the philharmonic during the recording. The album also featured famous guitarists, including Joe Satriani, Andy Timmons, Neil Taylor, Daniel Uribe, and Paige Harwell. Rounding out the lineup was Ryan Miller on bass guitar and Brent Berry on drums. Once again, Tre Nagella’s talent was used in the co-production and mixing of the project while Kevin Lively mastered the album.
Wakeley’s musical magic continues to inspire aspiring musicians worldwide. His journey tells them that there is no shortcut to success. If they want to make a name for themselves in the music industry, they must work hard and diversify their portfolio.
R. Kelly could spend his remaining days behind bars. A federal jury in New York convicted the “Down Low (Nobody Has to Know)” performer of racketeering, bribery, sexual exploitation of a child, forced labor, and sex trafficking.
The singer/songwriter born Robert Sylvester Kelly faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and up to life in prison. Kelly was also charged with federal crimes in Illinois as well as state crimes in Illinois and Minnesota.
The Domenick Nati Show caught up with “All Gold Everything” rapper Trinidad James for an interview. That discussion included James responding to a question about R. Kelly possibly being sent to prison for the rest of his life.
“With those types of situations, the details are always left up to the media – the actual real details,” answered James. “[R. Kelly’s] still denying it, but then the court, and obviously everyone on social media, is obviously saying that he’s wrong.”
The co-host of the Full Size Run digital show continued, “When you got one man versus the world – I’ve been in that position before – it’s almost humanly impossible to prove your point.”
Prosecutors & Filmmakers Laid Out A Case Against R. Kelly
R. Kelly was found guilty of being the leader of a criminal enterprise that took part in the coercion and interstate transportation of women and girls to engage in illegal sexual activity. Over 40 government witnesses testified against Kelly, including more than 10 victims.
Besides testimony, the prosecution also presented text messages, video and audio recordings, photographs, phone and travel records, and DNA evidence. R. Kelly was convicted of all counts by the federal jury in Brooklyn following the six-week trial.
Many of the decades-old sexual misconduct accusations against R. Kelly were also documented in Lifetime’s six-part Surviving R. Kelly docuseries. The Peabody Award-winning program exposed the wider public to R. Kelly’s history of alleged sexual abuse dating back to his illegal marriage in 1994 to a then-15-year-old Aaliyah when Kelly was 27 years old.
Chuck D, Syleena Johnson & Akon Also Shared Their Thoughts On R. Kelly’s Conviction
In July 2019, R. Kelly was arrested on federal child pornography and obstruction charges. Two of Kelly’s former employees, Derrel McDavid and Milton Brown, were also indicted in that case. The government claims R. Kelly engaged in sex acts with multiple victims while they were all under the age of 18 and created numerous explicit videos with those minors in the late 1990s.
Producing child pornography carries a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years in prison and a maximum of 20 years in prison. R. Kelly is presumed innocent until a jury of his peers finds him guilty of the charges beyond a reasonable doubt.
Entertainer/entrepreneurWilliam“Ray J” Norwood is dealing with a serious health situation at the moment. Reports began circulating on Tuesday claiming Ray Jwas in a Miami medical facility, and the Love & Hip Hop cast member confirmed his hospitalization on Instagram.
Hollywood Unlocked broke the news that Ray J was battling pneumonia. According to the celebrity blog, the “Sexy Can I” singer did not have anyone with him during his time in the hospital.
“I been in here all by myself for a week,” Ray J is quoted saying. “No family members came to see me not even my wife.”
Ray J married fellow Love & Hip Hop alum Princess Love in 2016. They had two children together before divorce papers were filed twice in 2020.
Not long after Hollywood Unlocked posted about his pneumonia diagnosis on Instagram, Ray J left two comments on the outlet’s IG page. Apparently, his loved ones have had access to him since being admitted to the hospital.
“God is good 👍🏼- Family with me – just can’t be [in] here too much sickness,” wrote Ray J. He added, “I can’t have visitors because they isolated [their] room – been on my with my family [every day] all day.”
COVID-19 protocols seemingly prevented Ray J’s family members from being in the hospital room with him. Ray J’s estranged wife Princess Love nor his older sister Brandy have commented on his condition, as of press time.
It appears the #MuteRKelly campaign is not over. After Robert “R.” Kelly was convicted of sex trafficking in federal court, Google-owned YouTube removed two channels connected to the Grammy-winning singer.
According to Bloomberg, YouTube suspended RKellyTV and RKellyVevo. However, R. Kelly’s music catalog is still available for streaming on YouTube Music.
When a YouTube user attempts to watch RKellyTV content, a message reads, “This account has been terminated for a violation of YouTube’s Terms of Service.”
“Ultimately we are taking this action to protect our users similar to other platforms,” read part of a memo written by Nicole Alston, YouTube’s Vice-President of legal.
In addition, a YouTube spokesperson acknowledged, “We can confirm that we have terminated two channels linked to R. Kelly in accordance with our creator responsibility guidelines.”
The #MuteRKelly movement attempted to pressure record companies and streaming services to stop supporting R. Kelly because of decades-long sexual misconduct accusations.
2019’s Surviving R. Kelly documentary catapulted the sexual abuse conversation surrounding Kelly into the mainstream which led to numerous law enforcement investigations.
Federal Jury Convicts R. Kelly Of Sex-Related Crimes
On September 27, a Brooklyn jury found R. Kelly guilty of racketeering, bribery, sexual exploitation of a child, forced labor, and sex trafficking. The self-described Pied Piper of R&B is facing a minimum of 10 years in federal prison.
“Today’s guilty verdict forever brands R. Kelly as a predator, who used his fame and fortune to prey on the young, the vulnerable, and the voiceless for his own sexual gratification,” stated Jacquelyn M. Kasulis, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York.
Kasulis continued, “A predator who used his inner circle to ensnare underage teenage girls, and young women and men, for decades, in a sordid web of sex abuse, exploitation, and degradation.”
The United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois also obtained an indictment against R. Kelly for federal child pornography and obstruction charges. Additionally, the 54-year-old Chicago native was charged with state crimes in Illinois and Minnesota.
While R. Kelly maintains his innocence in each of those cases, there are rumors suggesting he is considering working with federal prosecutors in order to secure a reduced sentence. WGCI-FM claims Kelly could reveal other celebrities that allegedly engaged in sex acts with minors.
Drake and Chris Brown are being hauled into court by a singer and producer who are claiming the pair stole their song!
The song in question is “No Guidance,” Breezy’s 2019 hit which featured Drake. The lawsuit was filed by singer Brandon Cooper and producer Timothy Valentine, who go by the stage names Mr. Cooper and Drum’n Skillz respectively. They claim the superstar artists ripped off their work on a track they made titled “I Love Your Dress.”
Cooper and Valentine point to the sequence of lyrics “She got it; she got it,” repeated 16 times on their song while “No Guidance” has the lyrics “You got it, girl; you got it” repeated at least 11 times.
The singer and producer claim that even an untrained ear can hear the similarities between the two tracks. They further accuse Drake and Chris Brown of extreme pettiness, using the lyric “flew the coop,” to taunt Cooper. They say the line is a play on his nickname, “Coop.”
We’ll have to wait and see how this one plays out. Have a listen to the tracks below in full.
The 2021 BET Hip Hop Awards aired on Tuesday, October 5 from Atlanta’s Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre. Missouri-bred rapper Cornell “Nelly” Haynes Jr. was the recipient of the “I Am Hip Hop” Award at the ceremony.
“I am honored to receive this award and humbled to be in such great company of past artists who have received this award,” said Nelly prior to the show.
He continued, “I have been blessed to work with some incredible people in my career, making 22 years go by in the blink of an eye. This award isn’t just about Nelly; it is about my fans, BET, and the people that continue to support me and allow me to do what I love to do.”
Nelly also performed at this year’s BET Hip Hop Awards which were filmed on October 1. The 46-year-old rhymer ran through a medley of his biggest hits like “Hot in Herre,” “Dilemma,” and “Country Grammar.” Plus, Jermaine Dupri, Paul Wall, and City Spud joined Nelly on stage.
Beginning with his 2000 debut studio LP Country Grammar, Nelly earned three No. 1 albums and six Top 10 albums. The St. Lunatics leader has four No. 1 songs on the Hot 100 chart as well.
Billboard magazine ranked Nelly as the #3 Top Artist of the 2000s decade. According to the RIAA, Nelly sold 22 million album units throughout his career with Country Grammar being certified Diamond (10 million units).
Two Hip Hop queens were the big winners at the 2021 BET Hip Hop Awards. New York City’s Cardi B and Houston’s Megan Thee Stallion won the most trophies.
Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion both won three awards. Their global megasmash “WAP” was named Song Of The Year, Best Hip Hop Video, and Best Collaboration.
“Thank you so much BET! Shouts out to @theestallion, we had a great year and it’s gonna be even better next year!” tweeted Cardi B on Tuesday night. Megan The Stallion quote-tweeted Cardi and added, “Thank you BET and thank you for having me 💙💙💙 can’t wait to do it again 😛.”
Tyler, The Creator took home two wins for Hip Hop Album Of The Year (Call Me If You Get Lost) and Best Live Performer. He was also presented the special “Rock The Bells Cultural Influence Award” by LL Cool J.
Hip Hop icon Jay-Z was a double winner. The Roc Nation boss won Sweet 16: Best Featured Verse and Impact Track for his Nipsey Hussle collaboration “What It Feels Like.” Roc Nation recording artist J. Cole was crowned Lyricist Of The Year.
Lil Baby won Hip Hop Artist Of The Year, Lil Baby & Lil Durk won Best Duo/Group, Yung Bleu won Best New Hip Hop Artist, Saweetie won Hustler of the Year, and Missy Elliott won Video Director Of The Year.
BET bestowed “Hot in Herre” hitmaker Nelly with the I Am Hip-Hop Award. Nelly also performed a medley of his biggest hits along with So So Def founder Jermaine Dupri, Texas rapper Paul Wall, and St. Lunatics member City Spud.
Young Thug, Gunna, Bia, Lil Jon, Baby Keem, Latto, Tobe Nwigwe, and Isaiah Rashad were among the performers for the 2021 BET Hip Hop Awards. 85 South podcasters Karlous Miller, DC Young Fly, and Chico Bean served as hosts.
During a recent interview on the “Million Dollaz Worth of Game” podcast, the Philly rapper revealed to hosts Gillie Da King and Wallo where his “zero tolerance” approach comes from.
“That s*** is fentanyl. If you take percs right now, you an a*******. You can die off of just trying to get high, kill half your brain cells in your mind just by trying to get high. Nine times out of 10, when you get a Percocet off the street, it’s probably gonna be a hit-up Perc. They got tests on the Instagram. We ain’t trying to do all that to get high, man.”
Meek attributed his decision in part to the surge in Fentanyl use, the deadly opioid linked to the death of celebrities including Mac Miller, Lil Peep, and most recently, Michael K. Williams. Speaking of his struggles with addiction the “Dreams & Nightmares” rapper continued.
“I ain’t no get-high n****. I did percs before in my life, got addicted and I been on percs before fentanyl came out, but still it was, like, an always-open door. If I wanted to do it, I’d just do it on my own. Now that s*** is a zero tolerance,” he said. “I don’t give a f*** about getting high, I’m not gonna risk my life to get high. You can die. You can have a bad Perc f*** your head up.”
Meek explained that now “The most I’ma do is smoke some weed and sip some liquor,” and that “I’m half-way slow when I get on the weed, but I rap good.”
“It unlocked the real art side of me, really new flows, new melodies, being more vulnerable, more personal,” he said. “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.”
Watch the official “Expensive Pain” video and listen to the project below.
Singer-songwriter Syleena Johnson shared her thoughts on R. Kelly recently, suggesting that he shouldn’t be in jail. She voiced the controversial opinion on a recent appearance of “Cocktails With Queens” which drew some backlash on Twitter.
The show’s hosts Claudia Jordan, LisaRaye McCoy, Vivica A. Fox, and Syleena Johnson spoke on recent reports that R. Kelly was trying to bargain with prosecutors for a reduced sentence by giving up the names of other celebrities who have preyed on children.
Guest Syleena Johnson shared her thoughts on the disgraced singer, “I’m not gonna cry. I think he has really been misjudged here. I don’t think he needs to be in jail. I think he needs to be in an insane asylum. Real talk.”
“Don’t get it twisted,” she continued. “I think he needs to be in a straitjacket. I think some of the behavior that has been going down has been erratic, and I think that a lot of Black men in jail have been misjudged.”
After suggesting R. Kelly is one of the over-represented mentally ill Black men in prison she went on, “This dude needs real help. He needs to be in an insane asylum. Insane asylum! Real talk. On meds, drugged to the point where – constant therapy – it’s too much. It’s too much.”
The “Baby I’m So Confused” singer suggested that R. Kelly was said to be bipolar and not taking his medication. Host LisaRaye McCoy challenged her on this saying medication was not the issue at hand but the Syleena was undeterred.
“I just think he needs to be in an insane asylum because he’s crazy…I think he has mental illness. I think he’s a narcissist, I think he has mental illness. You’re very narcissistic if all this time you had this information on other people that were hurting people, and then it wasn’t until you found out you got in trouble, that now it’s pertinent.”
“That also means you didn’t ever think you were guilty of anything. You never thought you were gonna get caught. That’s crazy.”
See some of the Tweets in response to Syleena Johnson’s comments below.
Claudia Jordan asked Lisa Raye if she still considers R. Kelly her friend and her response was, “he didn’t do it to me.” Is that what it takes for her to support his victims and let go of that awful ass man? Then there’s Syleena Johnson…just cancel the whole show.
Syleena Johnson really fixed her mouth to defend Robert K. to say he’s been misjudged, and needs to be in an insane asylum vs jail. GWORL, whet? ATP investigate all artist he worked with defending him saying stupid s### like this. Idgaf how much he put you on. He’s a pedophile!
@Syleena_Johnson I like you your music and all. But I feel you was wrong for saying that s### about #RKelly that's what is wrong with us black people we will tear each other down. You could've kept that in private especially after you work with him back in the day. Wrong PERIODT
N.O.R.E and DJ EFN’s “Drink Champs” podcast has played host to some of the most legendary Hip-Hop artists in the game. It looked as though they were about to score the most sought-after sitdown in the culture after N.O.R.E appeared to announce that Drake would appear on the show.
Last month, the “Banned From TV” rapper took to his Instagram account to share a video of him and Drizzy. In it, he appears to confirm that Drake would be on the podcast.
“C’mon Drake,” he said in the clip. “Tomorrow — Monday, Drake is on Drink Champs.”
However, it turns out that N.O.R.E was just trying to speak it into existence and Drake has no plans to appear on the show as of now. Speaking to “Hip-Hop DX” the Queens native explained, “Nah, we ain’t get Drake, that was all a rumor. We were really just listening to Drake’s music and my man in the background said, ‘Drake’s on Drink Champs! And we just said, ‘Drink Champs!’
However, all is not lost and N.O.R.E hasn’t given up hope of getting a tell-all interview with Champagne Papi. “But hey, he’s still in Miami. We’re still stalkin’ him,” he said. “We don’t mind being told no. But you never know. We’re actually in Hawaii just listening to his music and randomly, someone posted it. I ran with the story because positive energy creates positive energy.”
Meanwhile Drake has been keeping busy with fatherhood, amongst other things. The OVO boss shared some videos of him and son Adonis playing basketball.
The 2021 “BET Hip Hop Awards” aired on Tuesday night (October 5) and debuted a brand-new award, the “Rock The Bells Cultural Influence Award.” The first-ever recipient was none other than the visionary Tyler, The Creator.
Presented by founder and CEO of Rock The Bells, LL Cool J, the award seeks to recognize a “younger, innovative, otherworldly artist that has significantly impacted the culture — while uplifting their community.”
Presenting the award, the Hip-Hop legend explained why he created “Rock The Bells;” “To elevate classic Hip-Hop with a modern approach.” He continued saying he wanted to bridge the gap between the generations and that no matter the decade, “Hip-Hop is about creativity, originality authenticity and you being yourself being who you are true to what you do.”
Expressing his pride at the first-ever recipient, LL Cool J introduced Tyler as someone who is “original, fearless” and “creative when it comes to his approach to Hip-Hop”
Paying homage to those who came before him Tyler declared: “I wouldn’t be here or upon the stage or have this silly hat or anything without the Q-Tips, the André 3000s, the Chad Hugos, the Pharrells, the Kanye Wests, the Missy Elliotts, who no one ever brings up. Busta Rhymes, the Hype Williams who just took it to this different world. I preach those names and others that I didn’t name ’cause I’m limited on time.
“But I appreciate you so much for just opening the doors and throwing the key — not just opening the doors, but talking to young guys like me and giving me gems and things like that.” Showing some love to the “I Need Love” rapper, Tyler continued, “Even LL, the speech he gave me back there was just beautiful.” Tyler also nabbed the Hip Hop Album of the Year award for his sixth studio album, “Call Me if You Get Lost.”
Listen to “LEMONHEAD” from “Call Me If You Get Lost” below.
Walmart is still pursuing legal action against Kanye West over his proposed Yeezy logo.
According to the Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Walmart filed a revised objection in its trademark dispute with Kanye West in late September. The company has argued the Yeezy logo will confuse customers in its complaint to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
Walmart initially filed an opposition notice to the Yeezy logo in April. The Trademark Trial and Appeal Board struck portions of it in August and gave the company a September 23 deadline to file an amended objection.
In the updated version of the complaint, the massive corporation contends that consumers will wrongly assume Yeezy merchandise is affiliated with Walmart due to the logo. Walmart also claims Kanye West and his Yeezy brand are offering many products that are similar to ones sold by the retail giant.
Kanye West is trying to trademark a logo for Yeezy featuring eight dotted lines, which are styled to look like the rays of the sun. Walmart believes this is too similar to its famous yellow spark, which has been part of the company’s logo since 2007.
The trademark application for the Yeezy logo was submitted in January 2020. Lawyers for Kanye West’s brand have suggested Walmart’s logo grievance is “absurd” in court documents.
The Houston Rockets have a new theme song that features some of Houston’s most notable emcees.
Spanning three generations, the NBA team recruited Paul Wall, Bun B, and Slim Thug to make their franchise’s new soundtrack, “Light the Fuse,” and the players seemed to approve.
Fans were treated to the unveiling of the single on the website on Monday, October 4.
The song’s hook is catchy and anchored by Slim Thug saying, “Taking off like a Rocket, Light it Up, Light it Up. Light the Fuse. Can’t Nobody Stop it!”
Thug also starts the song displaying just how locked in he is to the sport. He raps as if he is a champion hooper the following:
“Taking off like a Rocket/ And can’t nobody stop it/ I put in work, I ball hard, I’m everybody’s topic/ They talk about the way I’m bad/ They never seen the swag/ When I break their ankles and slide past/ They be like, ‘Damn, he fast’/ Find an opp to smash/Give it to me, I do the dash/ Behind the line, left them running, drop the bag/ Threes please/I’ll be back for more of these/ Tell ’em it’s a whole new league, whole team MVPs.”
Bun B took a different approach and spoke about the actual athletes currently on the team.
“You know my young boy Jalen Green is ready for some action/ And KPJ ain’t quitting ’til he gets some satisfaction/ The future’s looking bright, ’cause we got some young stunnas/ So, when they in the building, ain’t nobody fixing to run us/ My potna Christian Wood is still a beast up in the paint/ And Jae-Sean Tate gonna get it cracking, think he ain’t?”
Paul Wall, flexing hard as a legend in H-Town. He put some energy in his verse, referencing some of his favorite players.
“Rep the House like D-House/ Hard work pays off/ K.J. Martin going off/ Man they don’t know what our squad’ bout/ Clutch City, got Clutch with me, got brain freeze from my icy mouth.”
Having your name rapped by these Texas titans and pumped from an arena’s speakers must be an experience. Check out the reactions from Christian Wood when he first heard it.
“That’s amazing,” he continued after the song was over. “Good to be in a song. I think that’s the first time ever being in a song, so that’s appreciated.”
This is also not the first time these rappers have done a song for a Houston team.
Hope the team’s season performance is just as excellent as the performance this trio gave.
Pooh Shiesty has changed his mind about delaying his trial for armed robbery.
According to Rolling Stone, lawyers for Pooh Shiesty and his co-defendants withdrew a request to delay the court proceedings. The trial is scheduled to begin on October 25.
Pooh Shiesty, whose real name is Lontrell Williams, was indicted for his alleged role in an armed robbery and shooting in Miami-Dade County, Florida. The Atlantic Records artist and two 21-year-old men, Bobby Brown and Jayden Darosa, are accused of robbing and shooting two victims at the Landon Bay Hotel in Bay Harbor Islands in October 2020.
Authorities say Pooh Shiesty and his associates went to the hotel to buy high-end sneakers and marijuana. During the transaction, the 21-year-old rapper allegedly shot one man in the buttocks and Brown shot another in the hip. Both victims survived, but the shoes and weed were stolen.
Pooh Shiesty and his co-defendants have been charged with one count of conspiring to possess firearms in furtherance of a crime of violence, conspiring to commit a Hobbs Act robbery, committing a Hobbs Act robbery and discharging a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. Pooh Shiesty pleaded not guilty to all four charges.
Last week, the legal team for Pooh Shiesty asked the court to delay his trial to properly build his defense. Lawyers sought to push the trial back to at least December 6, but prosecutors said it would need to be delayed until February 2020 if the request was granted.
Pooh Shiesty and his co-defendants switched course in a legal filing on Monday, declaring it was “in their best interest to proceed to trial” on October 25. Their lawyers made the decision to proceed despite a “voluminous” amount of discovery involved.
The Memphis-bred rapper’s legal team may have been worried about what prosecutors could do with more time to prepare for the case. According to Rolling Stone, the feds told the court they were reviewing new allegations and a possible superseding indictment.
Former “Love & Hip Hop: Hollywood” cast member, producer, and convicted pimp Mally Mall is no longer flossing with the big bank.
He has recently filed for bankruptcy, finally showing that crime doesn’t pay.
On the show, he seemed to have it going on.
Mally Mall had dime women like Masika Kalysha, Nikki Mudarris, and Hazel-E at offs over this successful entertainment influencer — but that proved to be a lie after he was convicted of using women to earn him his wealth.
Women used to sell their bodies so that he could afford his trips, cars and property but now the whole tables are flipped and his money has dried up.
According to 8 News Now, the producer whose real name is Jamal Rashid has legally filed for bankruptcy. He is currently serving a 33-month prison sentence after he confessed to pimping in Las Vegas, Nevada for over a decade.
Although people believe that prostitution is legal, it is not totally in Clark County.
He also tried to mask it by hiding under escort services, but he never had legitimate permits for the companies, which operated from 2002 through 2014.
In a statement, his rep said, “Mally Mall over the last several years had dedicated his life to music and helping people … He has fully recognized the error in his ways and has gone out of his way to try to make amends. He intends to take full advantage of each and every program offered by the Federal Bureau of Prisons.”
More details about the nature of his bankruptcy filing to come.
Elton John had high praise for Young Thug, invoking a comparison to Eminem in a new interview.
In a conversation with Billboard, Elton John talked about Young Thug appearing on the iconic singer’s upcoming album The Lockdown Sessions. While reflecting on the making of their song “Always Love You,” the hitmaker brought up Eminem when discussing Thugger’s efforts in the studio.
Elton John was particularly impressed by Young Thug’s freestyle ability. The iconic singer mentioned seeing Eminem deliver a similar performance before but noted he’d never seen anything quite like what Thugger did.
“I mean, I’ve seen Marshall [Mathers] do it in Detroit, but I’ve never seen someone like Thug come in and do that,” he said. “In the end, I had to leave because I think he felt a bit intimidated that I was there and I just wanted him to relax. But it’s just an amazing moment in my musical life… I have no understanding of how rap records are put together and it’s fascinating to watch.”
Elton John also reflected on his first time meeting Young Thug, which occurred after the YSL Records rapper sampled “Rocket Man” on the 2018 track “High.” John said he encouraged Young Thug to sing more.
“He wanted to meet me…and we shot the breeze for 40 minutes,” he recalled. “He said, “What do you think? What advice would you give me?’ I said, ‘Did you sing in the choir?’ And he said, ‘Yeah, of course I sang in the choir. Gospel choir.’ I said, ‘Sing more. Don’t just rap, sing more, because the mixture of rap and musicianship and melody is what really makes rap take off.’ And he’s doing that now.”
Elton John’s The Lockdown Sessions is scheduled to drop on October 22. The Young Thug-assisted track “Always Love You” will also feature Nicki Minaj.
No person can deny how a few industries around the world have been on a constant growth pedestal and have continuously shown great signs of positive changes and developments. These changes have created major opportunities for budding talents to flourish across sectors and pave their own path to success.
It is what individuals choose to do in their journeys and the many bold choices they make along their paths that go ahead in defining them as professionals and individuals, says Abraham Sanchez, the man behind songs like Starlight, All You Need, Moon Baby, Psycho Beat, Space, Heroes, Asymmetric, Pacific Mood, and Waves Browser. Through these tracks, he has proved his mettle as a music producer, composer, and R&B artist in ways more than one.
It won’t be wrong to say that Abraham Sanchez stands tall and unique from the rest in the industry and, even in a short span of time, has been able to thrust forward as a true-blue music professional. He is the one who, over the years, has made sure to create newness in music, something that can compel listeners and music lovers to keep listening to his tracks and hum them all day long.
The kind of variety he has offered listeners in his discography is nothing less than phenomenal. This very approach of his in music, his music production treatment to each song, compositions, and a unique vibe he offers people have all gone ahead in touching the right chords of people’s hearts.
Creating this crazy momentum in music was no easy task for Abraham Sanchez, and he had to fight tooth and nail for it, but today, when he looks back, he believes he has come a long way and still thinks he has a long way to go.
Till then, follow him on Instagram @jlowww and listen to his tracks on Spotify:
No matter how much ever we talk about a few professionals, especially in the music world like singers, songwriters, rappers, music producers, and more doing their best and standing apart even amidst saturation, there are a few stories that demand more attention from people. These success stories have been made by self-determined individuals, who started with nothing, but the aim to become well-recognized names in their respective industries, and went ahead in transforming their lives for the better and achieving their desired goals.
Daniel Christopher Lee is all about this and much more. His song “Sharks,” along with Summer Feels, Alone, and My Luv, show how crazy this R&B artist is, who has tried to mix and create magical music pieces and has never missed a chance to impress audiences by expressing himself in music in the most honest way.
Daniel Christopher Lee highlights that looking from far, the music space always seems too demanding and competitive, which it is in reality, but when one finds the courage to do it anyway and make a name for oneself, things start falling into place. It was his courage, he says, that helped him stay calm and continuously move ahead in his journey.
People absolutely love the fact that Daniel Christopher Lee, besides being an amazing music producer, lead vocalist, and R&B artist he is has emerged as a great serial entrepreneur with an MBA in Entrepreneurship and a BS in Organizational Management. As a music professional, composing soulful tracks, offering a distinctive musical vibe, and impacting the mindset of the listeners to give them joyful experiences is what his music is all about.
His innovative soundtracks have thrust him forward in the American music scene, and now he doesn’t want to stop for anyone.
Since Bobby Shmurda was released from his stint “Up North,” he has been working hard on his music, brand, and his philanthropy.
One example of him giving back was his recent donation of school supplies to kids in the New York City public school system.
On Monday, October 4, the “Hot Boy” rapper went into his pocket to bless 2,000 students with notebooks, pencils, pens, paper, and more.
However, his generous gift did not go without an old-school/old-head lecture. He told the students he gifted the supplies to, “Please do not give your mommas no trouble this year. And please do not give your teachers (those sweet little teachers) no trouble this year. And the dude teachers too … ah… ah… ah… All that, you heard?”
He continued by saying he was proud of them.
“I want to say that I’m proud of y’all for being brave, for being strong, and for staying in school. Always remember you guys are unstoppable. You can do anything you set your mind to,” the Brooklyn rapper continued.
This is not the first time he has given back to the community that held him down (at least energetically) while he was locked away for six years.
The families who reside in Brooklyn’s The Win Shelter chowed down on a tasty (but spicey) Caribbean-styled brunch. The menu included jerk salmon, curried chickpeas, stew chicken, and mac and cheese.
In addition to the grub, the children were also gifted gaming consoles, board games, action figures, footballs, jump ropes, princess-themed costumes, and other items. Dads walked away with something too. They were presented with new T-shirts, underwear, socks, books, and more.
Bobby also personally delivered and served leftover food from The Win Shelter event to another Brooklyn temporary housing location, the CAMBA Men’s Shelter.
Bee-B is a powerhouse singer, songwriter, rapper, A&R, and reality television star out of Compton, California, and she’s been putting in that work!
Jump Starting her career writing some of Bhad Bhabies greatest hits, from “These Heaux” to “Mama Don’t Worry,” real name Brittany B has come a long way from songwriting behind-the-scenes to now unleashing her own original music under the moniker Bee-B.
Speaking on her name change, she states, “I wanted to make sure there was a distinction between my songwriting and my artistry. I’m always credited as a songwriter as Brittany B, Brittany Barber. When I’m dropping music, it’s Bee-B. Also, it’s psychological. People often associate you with whatever you’ve done before, it’s hard for them to see you in a different light. The name change was a very distinct way to completely separate my songwriting from artistry so that people gave me a clean slate and paid attention to the music from me as an artist.”
If there’s one thing you can expect from Bee-B’s music, it’s the fact that it’s filled with substance. On her newest single “Confidence,” Bee-B stands for strength, self-love, and knowing your worth, pairing it with an equally powerful visual where she pays homage to the legendary Michael Jackson. Additionally, you can catch Bee-B on the recent season of Love & Hip Hop Atlanta.
AllHipHop: “Confidence” was produced by Harmony Samuels, shout out to him. Was it done in the studio?
Bee-B: Yes, we did this record together during quarantine. If you could make a record that’s a cool anthem that speaks to women, what would that sound like? It was mostly me. This is what I say when I’m talking to my homegirls: “look how you rock that fit, look how you got them sick. Must be your confidence!“ That’s how I came up out of it. He killed the beat and the rest is where it is now.
AllHipHop: What was your creative vision with the visual? I love how it had that old school, R&B aesthetic.
Bee-B: We wanted to create something and get back to when music videos had a theme, music videos when they gave you something to watch. Because content is so big now, everybody thinks “content is key, I gotta get something out.” So you see every person standing in a car. [Laughs] Every person is sitting on a porch. Everybody’s at the crib, every girl is laying in the bed. I swear! [laughs]
AllHipHop: It’s like everything has been done…
Bee-B: Right. Nobody’s willing to take risks anymore, to really put their money, effort, time to invest into their artistry. For me, if I’m going to do this and step out of the spotlight as an artist, I’ma do it right. The creativity came from: we’re going to be as creative as f###. We’re gonna go there, there’s nothing we can’t do. Forget conforming to who’s cute, what looks sexy or what everybody else is doing. Nah, this is a form of self-expression and you want to set a trend. You want to get people’s attention. If everybody’s going right, I want to go the opposite. Guess what they gon’ do? Everyone’s going to turn and look at me, they’re trying to figure out why I’m not following the crowd. That’s where I was with it.
AllHipHop: Where was the video shot?
Bee-B: It was shot here in Los Angeles. It was directed by AZ Films. Myself, Harmony, and the director collaborated on the treatment.
AllHipHop: I love that Harmony had a hand in that, that’s tight.
Bee-B: Yeah, especially after “Stretch.” We’ve all been a collaborative effort in making sure with each record, what the visual is going to look like. We almost see the visual while we’re making the record. Also the bars, your bars gotta be descriptive and hitting for you to have that creativity. When I say “Pretty Young Thang on my PYT,” that’s a reference to Michael Jackson. Why wouldn’t I want to pay homage?
AllHipHop: What does Black Girl Magic mean to you?
Bee-B: Black Girl Magic means that despite the obstacles that they put in front of me, I’m still going to turn lemons into lemonade baby. I’m still going to turn nothing into something.
AllHipHop: How’s your experience been on Love & Hip Hop?
Bee-B: I recently did some guest star appearances on Love & Hip Hop Atlanta. Yung Baby Tate, shout out to my girl. Her and I collaborated on one of the singles off her album, the record’s called “Bounce.” That’s another boss b#### anthem we did together. I had a lot of fun, she’s hella cool. She’s one of the first people I met in Atlanta, showed me love. Naturally when I found out she’s going to do the show, we talked about that and s### here we are. The show’s been great. It’s definitely more positive…
AllHipHop: Then people make it out to be?
Bee-B: No, it’s more positive than it was. Due to Black Lives Matter, due to women empowerment now and the #MeToo movement. The network has been wanted to be more empowering. Less ratchet, less fighting, less throwing drinks in each other’s face. It isn’t really too much of that anymore. Don’t say it’s not no drama because it is, there’s drama, but the drama is real life drama. Talking to your friend, resolving the conflict. Talking to your family members who you might have an issue with, dealing with your baby daddy that’s in your life. For me, I’ve been having fun.
AllHipHop: Do you have a love interest on the show?
Bee-B: I don’t have a love interest on the show but I am dating somebody… who I’m considering taking on the show.
AllHipHop: Is he in the music industry?
Bee-B: He is.
AllHipHop: Do I know him?
Bee-B: You might. [laughs]
AllHipHop: Coming up in Compton, you had your own experiences in the city. Did you think you’d be here today? All these accomplishments under your belt.
Bee-B: No, I did not think I’d be here today. My path for myself was so different then what my path has been. But I’ve never been out, and I’m really grateful for that. I knew that I’ve wanted to do music since I was 8 years old. I’ve been singing since I was 8, I knew that. Obviously we all have things we would’ve done different, but for the most part I’m really grateful.
AllHipHop: How does it feel to get the co-sign from Missy and Timbaland?
Bee-B: Oh God! I didn’t think they were going to clear the record, so I’m really happy that they did.
AllHipHop: Did you have to pull strings?
Bee-B: You know, that’s all Harmony. [Laughs] I remember the night before the record released that we did have their clearance, for us to release the record and it wouldn’t be taken down. That’s another thing about the music business. I’m an artist that because I work on both sides, I understand how the music business works. You can’t interpolate other people’s records, sample records and not get clearances because they’ll shut your s### down. So I made sure to get that. I wanted to make sure I paid them respect, that I respected what they had done before us. I didn’t want it to be another “Blurred Lines” situation with Robin Thicke and Marvin Gaye. [laughs]
AllHipHop: Wild! I interviewed Robin Thicke last year too.
Bee-B: Even with that it’s a sticky situation, because we are heavily influenced by each other. Oftentimes, I don’t think creatives mean any disrespect towards other creatives. I think they genuinely are inspired. I’ve been inspired by Missy and Timbaland since I was little. I’ve always raped and sung like Missy I’m a dark skin woman just like Missy. I’m a curvier girl just like Missy, I’m super creative just like her. I wanted to make sure the respect was there.
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AllHipHop: How was it working with Babyface?
Bee-B: Oh my god, Babyface?! Bruh, he’s incredible. I think he’s 60 at this point, and he sounds as if he’s 25. He’s still in it, still in the thick of music. He put on a songwriters camp for an untitled project he’s working on in Atlanta, along with Ciroc. Keyz from Ayo & Keyz is the head producer who put it together. They had Samye Scott from Atlantic Records. They went around to each room talking to us, guiding us, mentoring us, writing with us.
It was a once in a lifetime experience, I’m really grateful. At the time, I was asking God “give me a sign to keep going.” I got that call like damn! Just to be amongst everyone else: Eric Bellinger was there. Hitmaker was there. The producer SK, there were so many producers. Chris Tucker even popped up just to be in the room, it was such a star-studded event. Tricky Stewart, Sean Garrett, Dallas Austin.
AllHipHop: Those are Atlanta GOATs!
Bee-B: Right! And I got to be there. I was so nervous, but also very grateful.
AllHipHop: Did you learn anything from working with them?
Bee-B: I learned to take my time with making records. Not hopping in and freestyling because it sounds cool, but really taking the time to understand what it is that you’re saying and why you’re saying it. Babyface kept asking “well, why are you saying that?” Walking through the song, he’s like “why are you jumping to this part?” We were talking about the songs and the lyrics, that opened up my mind up to a while different style of songwriting and method of songwriting. I’m really grateful, I got to learn from the GOAT!
