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Gio Franklin Is the Next Big Name in the Music Industry

By: Brxton Lee Updated Category: Music
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The music industry is ever-growing, and new talents are constantly making their way onto the scene. The latest to establish his spot in the fiercely competitive industry is rising star Gio Franklin. His versatility and uniqueness as an artist have seen him become a household name, and many labels his music as the next big thing.

Gio is a singer/songwriter popularly known for his G-STAR album, released in 2019. He has also recently released G-STAR 2 earlier this year, which is a follow-up to the initial album.

Coming from a rich music background, Gio started nurturing his musical talent at a young age, and by age 15, he released his first song, which went on to gain over 1M streams on Soundcloud. The grand reception from his ever-growing fan base motivated Gio to release more music, and it was then he started working on the 13 track R&B/hip-hop album.

Gio’s broad understanding of various genres is part of what makes his music stand out. Gio does not confine his sound to one genre and creates music around hip-hop, rap, country, EDM, and pop. By exploring different genres, he not only gets to expand his talent but to equally create music that the audience can relate to.

According to Gio, music inspires him to keep moving even amidst challenges. He says music has always been there for him and helped him through the many tragedies he has experienced in his life. With every song, Gio aims to create music that inspires and brings out the best in everyone who listens to it. Just like music has been his second home and has helped him through difficult times, his goal is to create music that all can understand.

To the LA-based superstar, the studio is one of his best places. Drawing his inspiration from his surroundings, Gio creates lasting memories with his timeless songs. His talent has been noticed by some of the big names in the industry, including Adam Quinn, CEO of Apex Records, whom Gio terms as his number one mentor. Moving to LA, Adam was among the first to realize the young talent and took him under his wing; in fact, Gio notes in his recently dropped album G-STAR 2 Adam has been of great help showing him how to get it done. He is also working with celebrity vocal coach Nick Cooper on one of his future projects.

Although relatively new to the music industry, Gio would easily be mistaken for a veteran. His unique vocal range and sound is reshaping the music industry. As he continues to flourish, the only way for the singer and songwriter is up. Asked about the future, Gio Franklin is aiming for the top.

“I see multiple Grammys in multiple genres and maybe a few Oscars,” says Gio. He also hopes to one day own a music label or talent agency. The music industry is competitive, making it hard for upcoming talent to penetrate the industry; this has seen the industry lose some highly talented musicians as they did not have someone to hold their hand.

Lil Nas X Wants To Record A Smash Hit With Lizzo

By: AllHipHop Staff Updated Category: News
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Rapper Lil Nas X has confirmed his plans to record a song with Lizzo – and he is sure it will be a smash hit.

Lil Nas said he cannot wait to team up with the “Good as Hell hitmaker.”

“I was actually talking to Lizzo a few weeks ago (about this). I feel that it’s definitely going to happen,” he told NME.com after performing at BBC Radio One’s Live Lounge.

“It’s going to be a banger bop, everyone’s going to love it and going to play it 3 billion times,” he added.

Fans have been calling for the two rap stars to team up after they famously hit up a strip club after the 2020 Grammys for a “crazy night,” as the “Old Town Road” star described it to U.S. TV host Jimmy Fallon.

Nas also has his next dream collaborator in mind: “I’m feeling Rihanna right now. Rihanna, get in this damn studio,” he quipped to the British music outlet.

Ray J Upset With Wack 100 For Trying To Push New Explicit Tape With Kim Kardashian

By: AllHipHop Staff Updated Category: News
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Ray J has slammed Wack 100 for bringing up the singer and actor’s sex tape drama, claiming he has more explicit footage.

The star’s intimate moments with ex-girlfriend Kim Kardashian from 2002 were previously sold to bosses at adult film studio Vivid Entertainment after leaking online, and now the “One Wish” hitmaker’s former handler, Wack 100, insists he has more steamy clips of the pair, telling news outlets the footage is “more graphic and better than the first one.”

Ray, who is now married to Princess Love, has moved to disassociate himself from Wack’s comments, insisting he is trying to escape his sordid past.

Responding to the reports via Instagram, Ray writes: “This ain’t cool – I been staying off the Raydar (sic) – Just staying focused and being humble and thankful for all the blessings I’m receiving. How can I show growth and maturity if this kinda of stuff keeps happening?

“I’m a father now, and my job is to be a great parent and put them (kids) first. This is not the message I want to send out – smh (shaking my head).”

Wack claimed he had “part two” of Kim and Ray’s sex tape but explained the only person he’d hand it over to would be the Skims founder’s estranged husband, Kanye West because it would be “disrespectful” to go public with the footage.

Speaking on Bootleg Kev’s podcast, Wack said, “All I know is Kanye, holla at me, bro. We got part two on the laptop. Ain’t never been seen. We’d love for you to have it. It’d be a great personal, private NFT… I would never give it to anybody but Kanye ’cause it’s the mother of his children…. That’s for him. We can’t put that out there in the world like that. It’d be disrespectful.”

Meanwhile, Kim Kardashian has denied the tape’s existence through her lawyer, insisting Wack is just looking for fame.

Speaking on the 40-year-old beauty mogul’s behalf, lawyer Marty Singer said: “The claim that there is an unreleased sex tape is unequivocally false. It is unfortunate that people make these statements to try and get their 15 minutes of fame.”

The original film, “Kim Kardashian Superstar,” was a massive hit for Vivid, bringing in almost $100 million over ten years.

Kanye West Ends Lawsuit With Black-Owned Tech Company After Wild Deposition

By: AllHipHop Staff Updated Category: News
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Kanye West has agreed to end a lawsuit with tech company bosses who accused him of stealing their ideas.

The rapper and MyChannel chiefs have informed the court they have agreed to a joint stipulation of dismissal, with both parties set to pay their legal fees and the company agreeing to dismiss all claims against the Stronger hitmaker, RadarOnline.com reports.

MyChannel executives initially filed the lawsuit in August 2020, claiming Kanye had told them he admired the way their tech used artificial intelligence “to incorporate e-commerce in video content” and planned to use it on his Yeezy website.

They alleged they spent much money developing a program for the “Bound 2” singer, only for him to back out of the deal, prompting them to subsequently accuse him of stealing their idea and using it for his Sunday Service shows, but Kanye denied all wrongdoing.

The case was most noticeable for Kanye’s controversial deposition – the rapper refused to answer questions about the case and stormed out while wearing a Jesus Christ mask over his face because he claimed the lawyers had no right to see his face.

During the 10-minute Zoom meeting, Kanye called MyChannel’s lawyer “boy” 12 times and described himself as a “mental genius-ness.”

Before storming out, he also declared he was the “richest black man in America and a black Trump supporter and that he could not be bothered with the deposition because he had lives (and diets) to change.”

MyChannel’s bosses immediately went back to court, demanding Kanye sit for another deposition.

He recently agreed to sit for a second time, but that will not need to happen now that the confidential agreement has been reached.

R. Kelly Lawyer Implies Singer Will Not Testify In His Own Defense

By: AllHipHop Staff Updated Category: News
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R. Kelly is unlikely to take to the stand in his sex trafficking trial.

As the defense team wound down their case, Attorney Deveraux Cannick made the remark while the jury was out of the courtroom on Tuesday (September 21).

Upon hearing the comment, U.S. District Judge Ann Donnelly said that Kelly still has time to change his mind if he wants to take to the stand before closing arguments, to which R. Kelly star nodded his head.

The closing arguments could begin as soon as Wednesday afternoon, according to reports.

Kelly is accused of grooming several women and two men for sex while allegedly kidnapping and psychologically tormenting them, illegally videotaping sex acts, passing on sexually transmitted diseases, and refusing necessities like bathroom breaks and food.

The R&B singer has pleaded not guilty to racketeering charges and violating the Mann Act, which makes it illegal to transport anyone across state lines for sex.

Kelly denies the charges.

Will and Jada Pinkett Smith’s Malibu Home Caught Fire; No Injuries or Major Damage Reported

By: Bernadette Giacomazzo Updated Category: Rumors
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Will and Jada Pinkett Smith have suffered a tragedy.

According to The New York Post, the Black power couple’s home in Malibu has caught fire.

“Video footage from the sprawling estate on Cold Canyon Road showed an ambulance with flashing lights entering just after 3:30 p.m. Monday, followed by an ambulance, several other cars, and a utility vehicle,” reported the outlet. “A witness said a fire broke out somewhere on one of the properties, causing extensive smoke damage.”

It’s unclear whether Will and Jada Pinkett Smith were in the house during the time of the blaze.

But this is the same home where the couple hosted Jada’s 50th birthday party, which they turned into a skating rink.

Thankfully, no one was hurt in the blaze. It also appears that the home only suffered “smoke damage,” so there doesn’t appear to be any extensive damage to the home. Neither of the Smiths, nor their children, posted anything on social media about the fire, either. But this isn’t the first time the home has been subjected to a blaze — in fact, in 2018, the Smiths were forced to evacuate when the property was in the crosshairs of the Woolsey fire.

Will and Jada Pinkett Smith didn’t return the Post’s request for comment.

SB SurfsUp- “My Lil Chick On The West Coast” Video

By: AllHipHop Staff Updated Category: Music
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As one of the hottest new burgeoning artists from the South, Memphis, Tennessee, soul trapper SB SurfsUp is an entire vibe.

Courtesy of a loyal fanbase and many projects that hit, the Memphis native is rapidly solidifying his ascendency to Hip Hop prominence, and on his latest release “My Lil Chick On The West Coast,” he’s boasting a lyrical delivery worth of praise.

Having released multiple successful albums, singles, and videos while dominating Spotify with extremely successful streams, it was only proper that he bless the industry with another highly-anticipated banger.

Check out SB SurfsUp’s new visual for “My Lil Chick On The West Coast.” It’s the ultimate turn up!

Entertainment Executive Greg Browning Influences The Culture Through Inspirational Apparel Line “Watch God Work”

By: AllHipHop Staff Updated Category: Alternatives
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As the manager of Grammy-winning R&B group, 112, entertainment executive Greg Browning is familiar with change. But nothing could have prepared him  for the untimely death of his father-in-law.

“Throughout his fight against COVID-19, I continued to remind my family ‘Watch God work’, Greg explained. I would offer my wife uplifting words and reminded her that He (God) is going to pull us all through this.’

Though the Brownings eventually suffered a great loss, a new brand was birthed, and pushed the family to continue to keep their faith. The message “Watch God Work” was very simple, but powerful enough to thrust this burgeoning company into the limelight, merging faith and fashion with an encouraging word that is not specific to a particular religion, but can be applied to any thought process of being faithful and hopeful for better.

The Watch God Work Wear brand, less than one year old, has expanded from its headquarters in College Park, Georgia to a second location in San Diego and has been shipped across the 50 states. The apparel line started with t-shirts of varying designs, but has emerged with sweat suits, hoodies, socks, and other pieces to complement the slogan. The company’s initiative to promote positivity and awareness has spawned a scholarship fund in its name, featured in many fashion shows, and even caught the eye of many celebrities, professional athletes, influencers.

“Everyone can relate to the message of this brand. Throughout any process or anything we may go through in life, we have to be patient and watch how it all will work out in the end,” Greg says.

His uplifting quote: “I see myself in the future, and things look a whole lot better” has inspired an entire culture to trust their process and watch God work. 

The PopUp Shop Apparel Store, headquarters of Watch God Work Wear, is located 2459 Roosevelt Highway in College Park, Georgia. 

Click HERE to shop now.

Keep Up With Watch God Work Wear

Shop: https://www.watchgodworkwear.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wgwwear/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wgw.wear

You About To Go To Jail: Tory Lanez ALLEGEDLY Headed To The Big House!

By: Bernadette Giacomazzo Updated Category: Rumors
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Tory Lanez is off to jail!

Although there’s no official confirmation as of yet, Gossip of the City reports that the rapper will be headed off to jail later today. The outlet claims that Tory Lanez allegedly violated the restraining order that Megan Thee Stallion took out against him when he performed at Rolling Loud this past summer.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CUHp2xElHCs/

The claims made by the gossip outlet were further fueled by Tory Lanez’s last tweet, which read — in its entirety — “it’s been real.” The rapper also deleted most of his Instagram posts, and changed his profile photo to a black square.

Black Twitter wasted no time in sharing their opinions on the matter, with most folks celebrating the fact that the rapper — who shot Megan Thee Stallion in the feet — would finally be accountable for his crimes.

https://twitter.com/theerhonnichan/status/1440656237868171271?s=20
https://twitter.com/lunetdehaan/status/1440640487111606286?s=20

It bears stating that nothing has been confirmed by Lanez’s team, as of this writing. No other outlets have confirmed this allegation, either. If it is true, however, there’s nobody that deserves it more than he does. “Both sides” don’t deserve a platform, and there’s absolutely no reason or justification why he should have shot anybody, let alone a woman.

And please spare me the conspiracy theories about how Tory Lanez was going to buy Universal Records or some other horsesh*t, and “the lumernaaaati” is keeping him down. No. Absolutely the f*ck not. That’s not how the music industry works. I’ve been in it for more years than most readers have been alive. “The lumernaaaaaaaaati” could care less what a subliterate rapper does with his money — they’re too busy trying to force a hegemonic takeover of democratic governments.

I also don’t care what some random white dude got away with — they don’t need to get away with it either.

And finally, I am well aware that there’s a different justice system for white men and Black men. I well acknowledge that the corruption of the system has resulted in Black, LatinX, and indigenous men being incarcerated at a rate that’s exponentially higher than their white counterparts, simply because they couldn’t afford a big-shot lawyer that could sway the system in their favor. The for-profit prison pipeline is real, and I fully believe the whole system is overdue for an overhaul.

However, motherf*ck Tory Lanez for using those facts as an excuse for what he did. I will never get behind a man that shot a woman — especially a Black woman — for petty, unnecessary reasons. There’s no “there’s more to the story.” And unless Megan herself was ramming a Sig Sauer up his a** — which she wasn’t — nothing justifies what happened to her.

Throw Tory Lanez under the jail.

Baby Keem Adds Brent Faiyaz Feature To ‘The Melodic Blue’ Album

By: Yohance Kyles (@HUEYmixwitRILEY) Updated Category: News
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Baby Keem currently has the #5 album in the country. The Melodic Blue opened with 53,000 first-week equivalent album units, giving the California native his first Top 10 project.

The Columbia/pgLang release featured guest appearances by Kendrick Lamar, Don Toliver, and Travis Scott. Yesterday, Baby Keem added a song called “lost souls” featuring Brent Faiyaz to The Melodic Blue.

Baby Keem announced his Brent Faiyaz collaboration on social media. In addition, Disc 2 of The Melodic Blue also contains “hooligan” and “no sense” as new additions.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CUF51DVvIy1/

Baby Keem captured a lot of people’s attention with the “Family Ties” music video featuring Kendrick Lamar. R&B songstress Normani also made a cameo in the Dave Free-directed clip. The single peaked at #18 on the Hot 100, so far.

The Melodic Blue was well received by professional music critics and music fans. Presently, the album has a 73/100 score on Metacritic which signifies generally favorable reviews.

Brent Faiyaz also earned positive reactions on Metacritic for his 2020 project F### the World. The Maryland-raised singer is best known for his appearance on GoldLink’s Grammy-nominated hit “Crew” which also featured the DMV’s Shy Glizzy.

Like Baby Keem, Brent Faiyaz also has a connection to Kendrick Lamar and Dave Free’s pgLang company. The 26-year-old Lost Kids representative starred in a pgLang-created Calvin Klein video. Free also directed that visual titled “Solo” for the 7 series.

Fugees Set To Perform For Global Citizen Live Event

By: Yohance Kyles (@HUEYmixwitRILEY) Updated Category: News
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Ms. Lauryn Hill, Wyclef Jean, and Pras are officially back together. The iconic rap group known as the Fugees announced a reunion tour celebrating the 25th anniversary of The Score album.

Before Fugees hit Chicago, Los Angeles, Atlanta, and other cities, the trio will be part of Global Citizen Live. Their September 22 performance from an undisclosed location in New York City will air on September 25.

Global Citizen Live is a 24-hour showcase that works to unite the world in order to defend the planet and defeat poverty. Musicians, celebrities, and world leaders will be part of the event as well.

Fugees teamed with Global Citizen to help kick off the campaign to end the hunger crisis. Fans can sign-up for a chance to earn tickets to see the “Ready or Not” rappers in New York.

A description for the “Fugees in NYC” concert reads:

We’ve joined with the legendary Fugees to kick off a campaign to end the hunger crisis. Since the pandemic began, even more people have been pushed to the brink of famine, with 41 million now facing starvation. Climate change is making this situation even worse, with rising temperatures and water scarcity making it harder to produce and distribute the food that people need. This situation is especially acute in Haiti, where climate change, frequent natural disasters, and poverty have pushed nearly half of the population into food insecurity. It is time for the G20 to step up on these twin challenges. Join us to ask them to help end the hunger crisis and protect the planet. You could see this extraordinary Fugees reunion live.

www.globalcitizen.org
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A post shared by Global Citizen (@glblctzn)

A Star-Studded Line-Up Is Set For Global Citizen Live

In addition, Global Citizen Live tapped numerous other music acts. Fans will get to watch Chloe x Halle, Doja Cat, H.E.R., Jennifer Lopez, Lizzo, Meek Mill, Stevie Wonder, The Weeknd, Usher, and more.

“It is very important to me to be a part of this historic event to spread awareness and encourage action toward helping the people of Ethiopia during this devastating humanitarian crisis they are faced with. It’ll be an honor to perform and help bring support to these citizens who are suffering so severely,” stated The Weeknd in a press release.

Stevie Wonder said, “It is again my pleasure and honor to join with all of the artists who are using their gift of song to celebrate the Global Citizens’ event by doing our part in working against global warming, starvation, and singing for equality around the world… We Are The Village!!!”

Global Citizen Live will begin airing on September 25. Broadcast and streaming partners for the worldwide event include ABC, ABC News Live, BBC, FX, iHeartRadio, Hulu, YouTube, TIME, and Twitter.

J. Cole Addresses Fans Claiming He’s Coming In Third Behind Kendrick Lamar & Drake

By: Yohance Kyles (@HUEYmixwitRILEY) Updated Category: News
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J. Cole remained relatively quiet since dropping his sixth studio LP, The Off-Season, in May. Overnight, the Dreamville Records co-founder returned with a music video for the new track titled “Heaven’s EP.”

The instrumental for Drake’s Certified Lover Boy song “Pipe Down” served as the soundtrack for J. Cole’s latest musical offering. Cole used “Heaven’s EP” to namedrop Drake as well as Top Dawg Entertainment’s Kendrick Lamar.

“Some people say that I’m running third. They threw the bronze at me, behind Drake and Dot. Yeah, them n##### is superstars to me,” rapped J. Cole. All three Grammy winners are widely considered the top rappers of their generation.

Spotify’s RapCaviar placed J. Cole, Drake, Kendrick Lamar, and Nicki Minaj on its 2010s Hip Hop Mount Rushmore. Twitter users voted for Minaj to take the fourth position on the hypothetical monument.

RapCaviar’s Hip Hop Mount Rushmore for the 2010s

J. Cole & Kendrick Lamar Talk About Competition Among The Top Rap Stars

The debate over which emcee is the true leader of the past decade played out on social media, on talk shows, and in barbershops. J. Cole spoke about competing against Kendrick Lamar and Drake during his press run for The Off-Season.

“These are the guys that push you, and you gotta push them,” said J. Cole. “But what I’ve been trying to do for the past few years – I think I was so competitive. I don’t know how they feel, you’d have to talk to them – but I know for myself, I was so competitive earlier on, even though we were all friends and friendly, I never been a ‘reach out’ [person], especially when it’s competition involved.”

On Baby Keem’s recent “Family Ties” single, Kendrick Lamar told his fans and his peers that he was “smokin’ on your top five tonight.” The pgLang creator also demanded, “Don’t you address me unless it’s with four letters.” Most listeners interpreted those lyrics to mean K. Dot was declaring himself the G.O.A.T. (Greatest Of All Time) or the K.I.N.G. of Hip Hop.

Blogger Calls Out Akademiks For Lying About A Video Of Meek Mill Hitting A Woman

By: Yohance Kyles (@HUEYmixwitRILEY) Updated Category: News
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A Twitter user by the name of “Eleven8” found herself in the middle of the long-running Meek Mill vs Karen Civil drama. The former senior editor at Baller Alert blasted Meek on Twitter but later defended him on the social media platform against Akademiks.

After Meek Mill tweeted about Karen Civil supposedly orchestrating a smear campaign against him, Eleven8 responded, “Don’t you think if bloggers had it out for you, somebody would have posted what happened that time at the Ritz-Carlton in Atlanta.”

She added, “Y’all ask Meek what he wrote on [his ex-girlfriend Nicki Minaj’s] walls when he broke into her house… [I was] pro-Meek [as f###] and posted ONE thing he didn’t like, and all of a sudden he was threatening folks and claiming it’s a hate campaign against him. All the s### stored in my Rolodex and you try me?”

Akademiks Claims There Is Video Of Meek Mill Attacking A Woman

Next Akademiks inserted himself in the situation by going on a Twitch rant about Meek Mill and Karen Civil. During his live stream tirade, Ak claimed Karen Civil blocked footage of Meek “beating up a chick” from becoming public.

However, Akademiks posted a tweet walking back his accusations. The ex-host of Everyday Struggle threw Eleven8 under the bus by suggesting she was the person who broke the alleged story of Meek assaulting a woman.

“To clarify… in case I misspoke, I was referring to what @eleven8 was tweeting bout. I was saying Karen helps behind the scenes [to] make these f*cked up artists look better. Karen didn’t hide that video… Don’t [know] if she got it but clearly someone hid it if [I] just heard bout this now,” tweeted Akademiks.

Eleven8 Claims Akademiks Is Lying About The Video

Eleven8 reacted to Akademiks’s tweet. “Say bruh, [I don’t know] what you’re talking about or what video you’re referring to but I didn’t say anything about a video. There ain’t no video. Don’t cap on my name, G,” she wrote.

Meek Mill and Akademiks have been feuding for years. In 2020, Meek said Ak should be “canceled” for supposedly having a connection to law enforcement and fostering beef in Hip Hop culture.

Plus, Akademiks apparently called the police on Meek after the Philadelphia-bred rhymer tweeted, “Nah you online!! You just make money off the trenches … next phase is like green light.” Ak took the “green light” comment as a threat.

“Friday” Star Anthony Johnson’s Wife Struggling to Cover Funeral Costs

By: London Jennn Updated Category: News
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Anthony Johnson’s sudden passing has left his family struggling to pay for his funeral expenses even though the family has received an outpouring of offers to contribute.  

Lexis Jones Mason, the wife of comedian Anthony Johnson, also known as AJ Johnson, spoke to TMZ in the wake of her husband’s unexpected passing revealing the offers have turned into empty promises.  

Referring to the GoFundMe started by the family for AJ’s funeral she says “There’s $700 in there, a few of my friends Cash App-ed me and I got like another $400.” Fighting back tears she says “Y’all say y’all love him but where is the love? Y’all not helping.” 

She says she has been receiving calls and messages from people saying they are raising money but nothing has materialized. “No, we’re raising money because I have to pay for this all out of pocket.” 

The heartbreaking interview continues with Lexis saying that she is determined to do right by her beloved late husband. “We’re gonna have a service. I’m gonna do everything I know he would have done for me. It’s just hurtful. I would not be asking if we had it, or we had a policy.”  

“There’s people that’s saying that they’re gonna give money…we haven’t received it. Just to bury him and the funeral services alone will be close to 15 (thousand dollars)” 

Lexis is only asking for help to cover the funeral costs. She says if the family can’t come up with the money to give him the send-off he deserves, they’ll have a service and have him cremated. 

She says the family is grateful for anyone who genuinely wants to contribute to the funeral expenses but does not appreciate all the fake love they’ve been receiving. “Just please stop the fake love please stop the fake calls please stop the fake texts,” she pleads. “Just for our family, Me the kids and the grandkids, just stop it.” 

Breaking down she says “I’m gonna stay busy and I’m going to work in a couple of days. I’m not gonna worry about this, I apologize. If I had the strength I would go right now. It took everything in me to come on here and do this.”  

Anthony Johnson was a beloved figure in Hip-Hop culture, Lexis’s call for support should not fall on deaf ears.  The GoFundMe can be found here.

Drake’s ‘CLB’ On Pace To Win Sales Race Against Lil Nas X’s ‘Montero’

By: Yohance Kyles (@HUEYmixwitRILEY) Updated Category: News
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Lil Nas X’s Montero was originally projected to move 130,000-140,000 first-week units. Those projected numbers fell in recent days, and now the Georgia-raised entertainer could fall short of securing the #1 album in the country.

According to HitsDailyDouble, Montero racked up around 125,000 units in its opening week. However, Drake’s Certified Lover Boy was reportedly able to bring in another 156,000 in its third week.

If those totals are accurate, Certified Lover Boy will remain at #1 on the Billboard 200 chart for a third consecutive week. Montero is presently expected to debut at #2 on the album rankings.

HitsDailyDouble‘s sales projections can be imprecise as compared to the final Billboard count. The official Billboard 200 chart will be revealed on Sunday.

Some fans and industry insiders may see a No. 2 start for Montero as a disappointment. Lil Nas X spent months promoting his debut studio LP with controversial music videos, social media antics, award show performances, and interviews.

Lil Nas X could miss placing in the Top 10 of the first-week album sales for 2021. Drake currently leads that list with Certified Lover Boy which started out the gate with 613,000 album-equivalent units.

While Montero appears to be headed to underwhelming first-week sales, the project was well-received by professional music reviewers. The body of work currently has an 85/100 score on Metacritic which signifies universal acclaim.

The Game Calls Latest Scamming Allegations “Fake News”

By: London Jennn Updated Category: News
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Earlier this year The Game came under fire for allegedly scamming unsigned artists, promising to help boost their careers, and then running off with their bread! Now, another artist has come out with fresh allegations against the Los Angeles rapper. She claims he finessed her out of $1,000.  

The unnamed woman made the accusations during a recent episode of “The Morning Hustle” which was shared on Tuesday (September 21) by “The Neighbourhood Talk.” The post was captioned: “We Tried To Warn Y’all: Another Artist Claims The Game Scammed Her Out Of $1000 By Promising Her A Spot On His Mixtape: ‘Mixtape Isn’t Posted To His Official Pages.” 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by The Neighborhood Talk (@theneighborhoodtalk)

Someone must have alerted The Game to the post as he jumped in the comment section to respond directly. “Please stop wit the fake news,” he wrote. “I ain’t never scammed nobody in my life out of nothing !!!! If you want sumn to post, holla at me n I’ll do sumn to help y’all weird ass blog out.” 

Back in February, Game was similarly accused of taking advantage of aspiring artists and stealing from them.

“He doesn’t upload on his verified SoundCloud account, he uploads on a separate account with only 266 followers,” was just one of the many claims made in the post. “In addition, he doesn’t market it on Instagram or Facebook, nor makes an appearance on any of the songs.” 

https://www.instagram.com/p/CLvOABJs0By/?utm_source=ig_embed

At the time, he denied any wrongdoing claiming that it was the fault of the artists.

“So when someone that doesn’t happen with some unsigned artists, well that person is mad, right?” he said in an interview with “HipHopDX” at the time. “Because they thought that this drop or this mixtape slot was going to change their lives, when in reality it’s just a step on the ladder.  

“Use it as you may and get as much as you can off of it, but it’s not going to make you DaBaby. Basically, I’m just trying to uplift artists with dope opportunities.” 

However, The Game remains undeterred, last night (September 21) making his own post offering the same sort of opportunities he’s being called out for. “I’m doing 1/2 off features for ALL independent artists DM @THEGOAT now & ‘HOW MUCH?? 

https://www.instagram.com/p/CUGWya3hJgU/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

DJ Akademiks Claims Karen Civil Shelved Video Of Meek Mill “Beatin’ Up A Chick”

By: London Jennn Updated Category: News
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It’s been a turbulent few days for media marketing maven Karen Civil. Several artists in the industry have called her out for allegedly shady business practices, finessing them out of thousands of dollars. Joyner Lucas, Jessie Woo, and Meek Mill are just some of the artists who have made allegations against her.  

DJ Akademiks has weighed in with his opinion on the matter claiming the only reason some of these complaining artists have careers at all is that Karen previously covered up some dirt that could have buried them.  

Ak was live on his Twitch stream recently talking about the hidden side of the music industry when someone in the chat suggested that he was afraid of crossing Karen Civil. 

“The type of chick Karen is, she’s a scrappy b*tch who saves artists. I’ve seen her save artists,” said Ak. “She begs platforms like mine, ‘Don’t embarrass n*ggas.’ She’s worked for Nicki, Nicki’s a f*cked up human being. She’s tried to make her seem personable. That’s all I’m sayin’ my n*gga.”  

“Anytime I’ve had interactions with her, she’s makin’ f*cked up artists look better. I’m telling you,” he continued. “People who do sh*t—Meek got, apparently, somebody got Meek on video beatin’ up a chick, bro! That video never came out! Who made that sh*t never [come] out? Karen, bro!… All of these n*ggas, they need somebody like that because they make mistakes, they f*ck up, they do human sh*t.” 

Akademiks had alluded to this in an earlier stream where he went off on Meek Mill for trying to expose Karen Civil after she covered up for him.  

Akademiks went on to say that the reason a lot of these celebrity scandals get swept under the rug and aren’t believed by the public is “because you’ve got someone who’s specifically working to make sure them artists look good. Forget Karen, there’s always somebody like that, Karen’s the best at what she does.”   

“Karen gets rid of the skeletons and the tea that can ruin people’s careers. Karen been doing dirty work for a lot of people for a lot of years.  

The controversial personality then calls out the hypocrisy of some of those making allegations although clarifies that he isn’t referring to Joyner Lucas.  

Suggesting that Karen is being used as a scapegoat he says “she hid that sh*t for y’all n*ggas. She buried them skeletons. If you’re gonna expose her, expose yourself too. If she finessed some of y’all…GOOD  

Akademiks wraps up his rant saying the root of the problem is the industry itself. Watch the clip below.  

Dr. Dre’s To Pay At Least $4 Million for Estranged Wife’s Fees In Divorce

By: London Jennn Updated Category: News
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Dr. Dre is currently embroiled in a very expensive divorce that just got even costlier. In the most recent development, Dre has been ordered to pay an extra $1.55 million in attorneys fees.  

“The Blast” reports that they have obtained legal documents relating to the case and in particular, the temporary order issued by the judge in the case. This latest order takes the total that Dr. Dre must pay his ex-wife, Nicole Young in lawyers fees to more than $4 million. This is in addition to the $2 million he’s already paid in fees and the hefty spousal support he currently pays.  

The judge explained the reason for such high fees, basically very good (and expensive) lawyers. According to court papers, Young’s legal tab for celebrity lawyer Samatha Spector can cost up to $1,100 per hour 

“The attorney’s training and experience in family law. Ms. Samantha F. Spector and Lisa Helfend Meyer, certified family law specialists, have significant years of experience in family law and have extensive practical experience in complex family law matters. Considering the level of the case’s complexity, and the issues involved, an attorney of their level and skill is reasonably necessary; and therefore, the various hourly rates of the primary and secondary attorneys participating in this litigation are reasonable and justifiable,” the order reads. 

The judge had previously ordered that Dre should pay Nicole $293,306 in monthly temporary spousal support and has now further ruled that he must cover the household costs including security, insurance, gardening, taxes, repairs, and maintenance, retroactive to Sept. 1, 2020.  

The payments only extend as far as July 2021 and the judge has asked both sides to confer on any additional payments Dr. Dre owes Nicole for household costs by next month.  

Nicole Young filed for divorce back in 2020 after 24 years of marriage. Dre recently accused Nicole of stealing from him, something she denies.   

J Cole Surprise New Song and Visual “Heaven’s EP”

By: London Jennn Updated Category: News
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J Cole has treated fans to a surprise, dropping a new song and video out of the blue! Nothing about J Cole is “average” or “normal” and in that same fashion, J Cole shunned the standard mode of putting out new music. The way it usually goes, fans get a snippet of a new song shared by the artist on their Instagram stories, often while they’re in the studio laying the track. Next comes a promo clip of the official video announcing its release date. Then we get the track as promised on the advertised date.  

Not J Cole, however. He just dropped a brand new song “Heaven’s EP” and accompanying visual out of nowhere! The track uses the beat from Drake’s “Pipe Down” off the “Certified Lover Boy” album. The video features Cole in sumptuous surroundings. In a plush private jet, luxurious Las Vegas suites and the bright lights of the Strip contrasted with his usual casually dressed look in laid-back attire.  

Cole’s most recent project, his sixth studio album “The off-Season” came out back in May of this year debuting at No.1 on the “Billboard 200.” The 12 track project included features from 21 Savage, Lil Baby, Bas, 6lack, and Morray.  

On Monday it was announced that comedian and social media personality Druski would be hosting J Cole’s upcoming tour. J Cole’s “The Off-Season Tour” will see him take to the road alongside album collaborators 21 Savage and Morray.  

Druski made the announcement himself via Instagram in a video montage featuring various clips of him talking about him homing his stand-up comedy skills during the pandemic. “YES… I WILL BE HOSTING @realcoleworld ‘The Off Season Tour’ WHO’S READY ?!,” he revealed in the caption.  

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Little Brother Urges Fans To Not Buy Reissue Of ‘The Minstrel Show’

By: Justin Ivey Updated Category: News
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Little Brother asked their fans to not support a repressing of their critically acclaimed album The Minstrel Show.

After Fat Beats announced more vinyl copies of the LP would be available on its online store, Phonte and Rapper Big Pooh spoke out against the reissue. Both Little Brother members told fans to avoid buying The Minstrel Show vinyl because the two aren’t getting paid from it.

“I see ABB Records has decided to put up a repress of The Minstrel Show on vinyl instead of answering for 16 years of non payment on TMS or answering for 18 years of non payment for The Listening,” Big Pooh tweeted. “Humbly asking that you not support bad business practices. Thank you for listening.”

Although The Minstrel Show was released by Atlantic Records in 2005, Big Pooh noted ABB Records maintained the vinyl rights. Little Brother dropped their debut album The Listening via ABB in 2003.

“Atlantic Records own all platforms except vinyl, ABB retained vinyl rights when we initially signed to Atlantic,” Big Pooh mentioned on Twitter.

Phonte also addressed the situation, clarifying that he had no problem with Fat Beats. But like Big Pooh, he wanted fans to avoid buying The Minstrel Show vinyl – and not stream The Listening – due to Little Brother’s ongoing money issues with ABB.

“I have no smoke with @fatbeats, but @abbrecords can get the entire f### outta here,” he wrote on Instagram. “Either way, my brother @rapperbigpooh and I are asking that you don’t support any LB vinyl represses and stop running The Listening on all streaming platforms until Ben Nickleberry Jr. aka Beni B. of @abbrecords honors his f###### word and pays us what we’re owed. Thank you for listening. #LBbizness.”

Following Phonte and Big Pooh’s comments, Fat Beats deleted its Instagram post announcing the vinyl repressing of The Minstrel Show. The longtime Hip-Hop shop and distributor also took down the listing on its online store.

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