Kanye West hosted the second listening event for his upcoming 10th album DONDA at the Mercedes Benz Stadium in Atlanta tonight (August 5).
Like the first one, Kanye’s second listening session for Ye’s new album was a solitary effort, just like the event that he hosted on July 22, when he unveiled the unfinished album during a solo performance in front of 42,000 people.
Kanye debuted another bizarre new outfit, which is sure to have people talking, like his last listening session, where he donned a mask made of sheer pantyhose, a red bubble jacket, red leather pants, and red Yeezy 1020 boots.
Tonight, Kanye wore a crazy-looking all-black jacket with spikes on, from Balenciaga’s FW20 collection, most likely inspired by the brand’s artistic director Demna Gvasalia, was tapped as the creative director for the second DONDA listening event.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CSMfjwSLZuP/
Once again, Kanye’s estranged wife Kim Kardashian showed up to support her soon-to-be ex-husband, by rocking a similar outfit to watch the spectacle at the Mercedes Benz Stadium.
The live stream started much earlier from the locker-room-like quarters inside of his “home” – the Mercedes Benz Stadium – where he has been holed up the last two weeks with a small team, working to finish DONDA.
Chance the Rapper popped in and so did Justin LaBoy, who sat down to get his haircut as Kanye who even lifted weights as he prepared for his big performance.
Also spotted before the live stream was Kanye’s close affiliates Malik Yusef, Consequence, Vic Mensa, and even Jay Electronica.
As fans waited for the live stream to start, the image that flashed on the screen was that of a mattress on the floor next to a lamp, some black sneakers, and his spiked designer jacket.
When Ye unveiled the first version of DONDA in July, the album was expected to have 15 tracks, with guests from artists like Roddy Ricch, Lil Durk, Jay-Z, Pop Smoke, Lil Baby, Pusha-T, Playboi Carti, and others.
An updated tracklist that dropped on Apple lists 24 songs, although none of them have titles and the release date’s listed as August 7 – which means Kanye could have wanted to have the day to himself since Drake’s Certified Lover Boy and Nas’ King’s Disease II are scheduled to drop on August 6.
The listening session, which was supposed to start at 9:30 PM, started over an hour late, but fans didn’t seem to mind the delay. They patiently waited as Kanye’s kids entertained the crowd, which did the #DONDA wave as they waited for their idol.
Kanye finally appeared solo, in the dark, by the makeshift bed, as the show was presented as a series of skits starting with the song “Hurricane.”
This was followed by “Praise God” featuring Baby Keem and Travis Scott who did not appear during the performance which featured Ye doing push-ups in his all-black outfit complete with a DONDA vest and an all-black Ski Mask.
During the night, Ye debuted a new song with Lil Yachty, performed “Off The Grid” featuring Playboi Carti, “Remote Control,” “Keep My Spirit Alive” featuring Westside Gunn, delivered an amazing performance of “Losing My Family” and he debuted a new collaboration with The Weeknd.
Kanye West is one of the Greatest Artist of all time. And when I say “Artist” I don’t mean just music. His visuals continuously prevail to be so iconic and stunning. Those beautiful environments he creates backed by his gifted musical talents is untouchable.#DONDApic.twitter.com/V4GLzSHSCN
Some of the highlights included Kanye whipping out his phone to make a call mid-performance, he hid under the blank blanket on the bed, crawled around like the Phantom of the Opera and prayed bedside during the epic song “Jesus Lord” featuring Jay Electronica, Jadakiss and Styles P.
The concert ended when Kanye levitated up through a beam of light, and out of the stadium.
DONDA is Kanye’s tribute to his mom, who died on November 10, 2007, at the age of 58, following complications after plastic surgery.
Donda was supposed to be released in July of 2020, but the album was pushed back for a full year as Kanye transitioned into a gospel artist and unsuccessfully ran for President of the United States.
Larry Hoover Jr speaks over the track 😭✡️🔱 wow. Kanye West tried helping Larry Hoover get out of prison. #Donda this track is deep pic.twitter.com/xPyVK2MJNx
After the success of his most recent single, “Sacrifice,” ErMonii is soon to end the wait for his long-requested debut album, “I Am ErMonii.”
Producer, recording artist, and audio engineer Edward Sanders goes by his musical alias, ErMonii. The Meridian, Mississippi artist has built his following and brand to international acclaim under the roof of his own imprint ErMonii The Product LLC. With a grind that reflects the late Black Mamba, ErMonii has been closing the gap upon his musical influences Future, Gunna, Lil Baby, Rihanna, Saint John, and Kanye West. His music has a creative taste to its composition that is unique to his style and artistry. It speaks to the heart of fans, inspiring positivity and encouraging the will to chase their dreams.
His voice has been a source of motivation to his fans worldwide, and as promised, he is adding the finishing touches to his debut album “I Am ErMonii.” Fans have been patiently waiting for the Mississippi native to put out the body of work, but ErMonii wanted to give his fans an album that takes them on a ride to discovering just who exactly is ErMonii. Applying all his focus and ingenuity in the album’s composition, ErMonii let loose his emotions like a flood that drowns each instrumental in nothing but unfiltered, untainted, pure emotion.
With his current catalog crossing streaming numbers in the millions, “I Am ErMonii” is going to take his status to a level of unquestioned respect and acknowledgement of his craft. Fans are finally getting what they’ve been wishing for, and there’s no doubt they will be blown away by the masterful compilation of the genius creative.
“I Am ErMonii” is slowly creeping up to its release that will be updated by the artist when the time is right. Don’t wait until the industry gives the album it’s much deserved five stars before tuning in. Follow his accounts to be in the know and catch the wave with his fans across the world as the countdown to his debut album draws closer.
In the past several years, digital marketing has taken the world by storm, becoming one of the preeminent avenues to get you or your product directly to the masses.
In the music space, this is no different as emerging artists strive to build a following online that peaks the interests of major labels.
Enter: Jens The Guru. Born Jens Elmera, the music industry veteran has single-handily taken the music scene by storm with his unique brand of advertising that has been able to launch the careers of several artists including but not limited to Stunna Gambino, Justin Rarri, Smoove’L, Mishaal, and more.
In the past several years, Jens The Guru has become one of the most in-demand digital marketers on the music scene. Though major record companies have courted him for his services, it is Jens’ ability to take talent from points A to B, almost single-handily, that has made him such a fan favorite.
As the music landscape continues to change, Jens The Guru has been able to not only maintain consistency through his advertising work but also teach others his methods via his Viral Tribe Formula course.
The course includes students from around the world, some of whom have been able to launch successful music careers of their own.
Now with his resume stamped and certified, Jens has taken things up another notch by releasing content via his Instagram page (@JensTheGuru), where he regularly answers need-to-know music industry questions from his thousands of followers.
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In the past several years, digital marketing has taken the world by storm, becoming one of the preeminent avenues to get you or your product directly to the masses.
In the music space, this is no different as emerging artists strive to build a following online that peaks the interests of major labels.
Enter: Jens The Guru. Born Jens Elmera, the music industry veteran has single-handily taken the music scene by storm with his unique brand of advertising that has been able to launch the careers of several artists including but not limited to Stunna Gambino, Justin Rarri, Smoove’L, Mishaal, and more.
In the past several years, Jens The Guru has become one of the most in-demand digital marketers on the music scene. Though major record companies have courted him for his services, it is Jens’ ability to take talent from points A to B, almost single-handily, that has made him such a fan favorite.
As the music landscape continues to change, Jens The Guru has been able to not only maintain consistency through his advertising work but also teach others his methods via his Viral Tribe Formula course.
The course includes students from around the world, some of whom have been able to launch successful music careers of their own.
Now with his resume stamped and certified, Jens has taken things up another notch by releasing content via his Instagram page (@JensTheGuru), where he regularly answers need-to-know music industry questions from his thousands of followers.
In short, Jens The Guru can be considered an industry trailblazer for the new age of media in the music industry. In that time, Jens has been tapped to appear on various platforms to educate the masses on the ins and outs of marketing their music. Watch below as he makes an appearance on the Brandman Network to share insight on the importance of paid advertising.
In short, Jens The Guru can be considered an industry trailblazer for the new age of media in the music industry. In that time, Jens has been tapped to appear on various platforms to educate the masses on the ins and outs of marketing their music. Watch below as he makes an appearance on the Brandman Network to share insight on the importance of paid advertising.
Sheek Louch said that they were going to bring out Sean “P. Diddy” Combs and Mase but decided not to at the last minute.
During an interview with Sway Calloway and Heather B, the “All About the Benjamin” winner shared how great it felt to win the now legendary battle of the Hip-Hop bands.
As he shared the glory of the victory, he also spoke about the many strategies they had to defeat Harlem’s Dipset crew.
He said the first thing that the group was prepared, and had one very important weapon of mass destruction, their deejay, Technician.
“We rehearsed like crazy. We [would] do a song, he would throw one of their s**ts on just to get us … in war mode,” Sheek said.
“The freestyle that Kiss did, we decided to do that at rehearsal during the soundcheck,” he shared while on Wednesday’s episode of Sway in The Morning. “I was like do that dog and he knew all the lyrics.”
He also mentioned that he knew that they had the advantage with DJ Tech because they had recently performed on a show with the Dipset. He noticed that on the show, all of them had different deejays.
The deejay, one of the most essential elements of all-rap performances, creates the chemistry.
“When I seen that they had separate deejays, I said ‘Ah Tech, we gonna destroy these n#####,” Sheek assert.
Sway brought up the Instagram war, something that Sheek admitted was above their pay grade. “We don’t know all that. We OG, son. Let’s rap.”
While going over the actual battle, Sheek recalled his effort to keep the peace.
At one point, while Cam was lounging on a beach chair, Styles P started rapping at him and got kicked in the chest by the Dipset leader.
Not knowing whether or not this was an act for the show, he scooped his partner up. The end game — there is more money to be made, like their upcoming concert tour.
One of the craziest revelations is that Puff called them with advice on the show. Their big bro, who they were signed to during the Bad Boy days, told them to include the freestyles because some of them were bigger than the Dipset’s released songs.
The Lox had planned to bring on some special guests but decided not to so that no one could say it was the star power that gave them the edge.
“We were going to bring Puff to do ‘The Benjamins,’ and then we were going to being Mase for ‘N##gas Done Started Something,’ because we know he don’t f##k with them,” he revealed.
Heather B added that it didn’t have to stop there, “They could have brought out Lil’ Kim or Eve, they got so may it’s crazy.” The list does go on, as the Lox have been featured with so many A-listers, they could host their own awards show.
The disrespect, said all in fun, did not stop there.
Sheek said that he doesn’t consider Dipset a group, mentioning that Cam was rapping with other Harlem artists like Mase, McGruff, and Big L (RIP). Juelz came later and Jim didn’t start rapping until later.
Still, he insisted that the two crews are cool and that they are brothers in real life.
Another jewel he dropped is that Cam, from the Dipset, actually negotiated the terms, making sure everyone got paid top dollar and had proper representation on the stage.
Fans believe that this, at least for Hip-Hop, was the best Verzuz ever. For more, check for the tour that starts in September and go for 30 days.
Harlem, NYC has birthed some of America’s most culturally relevant figures since the days of the renaissance, to jazz, all the way up to the iconic figures of Hip Hop.
Hoping to carry on tradition while carving out his niche, Malloy James is looking to add his name to the pantheon of legends to emerge from his historic neighborhood. Malloy’s artistic journey began early, as he found his voice and ability to convey emotion in various paintings, digital art, and musical compositions.
Throughout his career, he has been blessed to have his work sold, displayed, and heard in various countries, something that is not lost on the Harlemite.
“I use my art to connect people. I use my art to fill a void. I use my art to confront this state of being which we call life,“ said Malloy.
Recently, he unveiled his latest single, “Hiatus” which details the ups and downs of toxic love.
The feds have swooped in on the Blixky Gang, filing charges against the infamous Brooklyn crew’s alleged members.
The law enforcement body claims that for almost a year, the group of rappers and gang members —who are linked to rapper 22Gz— have been trafficking weapons from Georgia to New York City.
The question is … will more names be dropped in the near future?
The nine have been identified (listed in alphabetical order, not rank within the organization): Ken Alexander (a.k.a. Ryu), Christopher Machado (a.k.a. Chris Elite), Harlie Ramos (a.k.a. White Girl), Courtney Schloss (a.k.a. Bway/Balenci), Argam Taj (a.k.a. Sour), Samuel Taj (a.k.a. Sosa), James Thomas (a.k.a. Spazz), Jamel Thomas (a.k.a. Mel), and Duvaughn Wilson (a.k.a. Dupree).
All of them have been charged with conspiracy to commit gun trafficking.
According to Fox 5, Spazz and Balenci have been named in an indictment that details the nine-month operation. It further alleges that they used a Georgia resident to purchase 87 firearms from six federal firearms licensees in the state, with the intention to getting them to customers up north.
They would collect the money via various mobile banking apps, transporting them back to The Big Apple via commercial buses (i.e. Greyhound, Bolt, Peter Pan, etc.).
The operation hit a hiccup last November, when authorities recovered 18 guns during a stop in South Carolina, exposing the crew, finding among the weapons a high capacity .40 caliber magazine and a nine-millimeter drum magazine.
Authorities have further linked Balenci (also known as Bwy Balenci) to the Blixky Gang, stating that many of his customers were also in his street gang that has come to prominence because of their rap affiliations.
The indictment alleges, “Blixky Gang is comprised largely of aspiring rappers and its members have produced several music videos.”
Two members of the gang who have achieved some notoriety are Nicky Blixky and 22Gz.
Nicky Blixky was bubbling on the New York Hip-Hop scene before being shot and killed in his “torso and buttocks” last May, less than a month before dropping his first official mixtape.
His body was found in Prospect Lefferts Gardens.
Another rapper connected to them is 22Gz, a Flatbush rapper who is considered a pioneer in the Brooklyn Drill movement. The rapper also released his first major mixtape, “The Blixky Tape,” through Atlantic Records in 2019.
U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss spoke on the indictment on Wednesday, August 4.
“These arrests should also send a message to anyone who is thinking about illegally selling guns to New Yorkers or illegally bringing guns to New York: We and our law enforcement partners are watching,” He continued. “And we will prosecute gun traffickers to the fullest extent of the law.”
Prosecutors further believe that one of the guns was used in an NYC cop shooting in the Bronx earlier this year on February 21.
R. Kelly is so broke he can’t even afford to pay for court transcripts on the eve of his sex trafficking trial.
At a hearing on Tuesday the R&B star’s attorney Devereaux Cannick told Judge Ann Donnelly his client’s finances are “depleted” and asked the court to “give him daily copies of the transcripts.”
Cannick also revealed Kelly has “gained weight” behind bars and needs new clothes for his upcoming trial.
“We need measurements for appropriate attire for his trial,” he said. “We’re trying to get his measurements. How can we take his size?”
Judge Donnelly responded, “I’m not taking his size!”
KP’s Instagram bio reads “The Hottest In Philly,” and he’s here to uphold that title.
Hailing from the Southwest region of Philadelphia, the rising star creates heartfelt music to connect and inspire, with lyrics inspired by real-life experiences and happenings for the masses to relate to.
Teaching himself how to record at the young age of 12, KP went from using his home computer programs to freestyling off the dome at a professional recording studio.
In describing himself, KP states he’s a “young kid that really fell in love with Hip-Hop at a young age and has been rapping ever since. I wrote my first rap in 3rd grade so I’ve been doing this for a while now. I’m getting a lot of good things rolling, meeting a lot of different people and getting a lot of support.”
To date, KP has numerous street anthems to his name, including “Shooter’s Ambition” featuring New York’s own Casanova, “More Than Gold,” and “Summer Shootings.”
Beyond the music, KP has a huge heart when it comes to giving back to his community, diving into endless philanthropy efforts that come full circle given he was once a kid in the ghetto striving to make it.
Most recently, he released his newest controversial freestyle titled “Corona Flow,” spitting over the beat of Migos’ “Straightenin.”
This new drop holds fans over until the release of his forthcoming project titled Scenarios, inspired by love, relationships, and everything in between.
AllHipHop: What was a young KP like growing up in Southwest Philly?
KP: I had my mother and my father so I didn’t realize that we were in the ghetto until later on in my life. You start realizing “damn, why’s this bill not paid?” Or “Why’s my mom stressing about this? Why’s my dad not in a good mood today?” Because of certain things, you start seeing, “oh man, when I go to these neighborhoods there’s no trash around these neighborhoods. It’s really clean, there’s no corner stores. It’s quiet.”
I didn’t really have a super rough upbringing because I had my mother and my father. Anything I needed, they got for me. I didn’t realize we’re in the ghetto or less fortunate until I started getting older. Turning into a teenager, I started seeing different things and realizing what the world really is.
AllHipHop: Did you fall victim to the streets?
KP: Yeah, I mean my big brother Bubb was in the streets so I looked up to homie. He’s getting a lot of girls, getting a lot of money. I was always infatuated with that. I can relate to what these kids are dealing with growing up in the hood, because to me, when you’re a young kid and you don’t necessarily have much or have the things you really want — you want the nice cars, the nice girls, so that always intrigued me.
That’s really what made me initially like things in the streets and try certain things out myself, like selling drugs and running around with pistols. I ain’t necessarily had to do it, but I liked it. When you don’t really necessarily know other ways to get to where you want to be in life, it’s looking like everybody’s going that way and that’s the way to get the money, you fall victim to that. Luckily, I found my outlet through music. But every kid in the ghetto don’t have that outlet so I want to give them those outlets that they desperately need. I got something special for the kids coming really soon!
AllHipHop: Biggest influences coming up?
KP: Tupac to be honest, because he stood for more than the music. He was a real pioneer, he stood on what he believed in. At a young age, really to be honest Pac was my first experience with seeing Hip-Hop. Seeing Tupac on “California Love”: shooting the video and looking cool, got the chains, got the girls. But as I got older, it was mixtape Lil Wayne who influenced me. Right now, it’s J. Cole, Kendrick, Tory Lanez, and I can’t forget Jay-Z for sure.
AllHipHop: I know you were locked up in the past, what happened?
KP: I went to college, I got a Bachelor’s degree in Communication studies with a focus in Marketing. It’s ironic because I went to college to get away from the streets, then I ultimately fell victim to going to jail. I went to jail for assault on a police officer. I had simple assault, resisting arrest, and aggravated assault.
AllHipHop: Damn!
KP: Yeah, they got me. [laughs] I had a discrepancy with a police officer. I went to West Chester University of PA to get away from my environment. I took the same street mentality up there and it got me in a bad spot. I ultimately graduated 2017 with my Bachelor’s degree. I had to pay a bunch of lawyer fees to get back into the school. I had to pay the school. I had to go to jail for 2 months. I was on parole for 2 years, then I had to do another year of probation. Definitely a learning experience for me being a college student, going to jail then fighting my way back. It’s a real comeback story!
AllHipHop: How long were you locked up for?
KP: I had to do 2 months, I came out and they gave me a bunch of years of parole and probation.
AllHipHop: What did you learn from that whole experience?
KP: Honestly, I learned that being Black, it doesn’t make a difference if you’re in college or if you’re in the streets. The same rules apply because we’re not necessarily looked at as equal to be honest, in a lot of different ways. I felt as though as a college student, if you make a simple mistake or you get into a disagreement you wouldn’t got to go to jail for that… but people are going to jail for a bunch of different things. I’m a college student, why am I going to jail for making a mistake when everybody in college makes mistakes? That’s what you’re here for, you’re here to make mistakes and learn from them. But I realized the rules were different for people who look like me.
Why do I have to go to jail just because I don’t know the judge? and my dad doesn’t play golf with him on the weekends? Or the police officer doesn’t have a relation to me? A bunch of different things that let me see that it doesn’t make a difference where we’re at, we’re still going to get treated as Black people, as less in a lot of different ways. It also taught me to never question God because he doesn’t make mistakes. It definitely was a learning lesson and it made me a stronger person.
AllHipHop: I love how much you’re doing for the community, you collaborated with Black Lives Matter Greater New York and Black Opportunities. What inspires you to give back?
KP: I had met Hawk Newsome through my manager Status. Hawk is the CEO & Co-Founder of Black Lives Matter Greater New York and Black Opportunities. Remember when they had the storms in Houston? It was a crazy snowstorm. We‘re down there giving the people water, giving them food, providing ways for them to grow their own food and crops. I met Hawk down there because we’re like-minded individual on certain things, and been building a relationship ever since. I met his sister Chivona. She’s the Co-Founder. I met a few other people that’s in the organization too. We’ve been collaborating on a lot of different things, it’s definitely a great experience.
AllHipHop: How’d it feel to do a food, coat, toy drive in your city?
KP: Yeah Southwest Philly, I always try to make sure I tap in with the youth and the less fortunate. I donated the check at this elementary school in South Philadelphia for their library. I did the toy drive, we do that every year during Christmas. I stand on that. Anybody who has any type of limelight should always make sure they’re taking care of their people. I believe in that because I don’t think that nobody’s going to take care of us like we can take care of us, so why not? Why not be that person that always puts his best foot forward and looks out for my people?
AllHipHop: Let’s get into your music. What inspired “More Than Gold”?
KP: “More Than Gold” was inspired by George Floyd. There’s a lot of chaos going on after he got murdered. I had started writing in Philadelphia around that time. I finished it in California when I was with Caron Butler after the Jacob Blake shooting. It’s ironic because Caron Butler’s from Wisconsin, I thought that was crazy. I definitely got inspired right then and there to finish the record.
AllHipHop: How’d you end up collaborating with Casanova on “Shooters Ambition”?
KP: Cas had a song called “So Brooklyn,” he was doing a challenge for it. I did the challenge, he seen it. He liked it, posted it and it went crazy. He ended up coming to Philly for a show called the “So Philly” Showcase, which was a spin-off of the “So Brooklyn” thing. He’s promoting it and I’d met him there. He’s a real genuine dude. We’re building our relationship and I ended up asking him, “would he get on the record?”
This is after he kept coming to Philly. He’d come to Philly NOTO, bring me on stage, a lot of dope things like that. This was after we had already started building our relationship, I asked him to get on the record. He did it, came and shot the video in Southwest Philly on 52nd and Woodland Ave. That’s a great dude, great guy man. Free Casanova.
AllHipHop: Right! He’s still back there.
KP: Yeah, I be talking to people in his camp. Checking on him. He’s holding his head high, he’ll be home soon. That’s my guy. “Shooters Ambition” with Casanova is on Youtube, it’s almost at a hundred thousand views. It’s doing well.
AllHipHop: Why the name change?
KP: It was FakeFreeKP, but we had to switch it up to get clarification on the name. People were saying “Freak” and “Feek,” because on Instagram it’s @FakeFreeKP. It was all together so people were confused. I changed it to @ItsJustKP so now there’s no confusion and it’s clear as day.
AllHipHop: Highlight from shooting the music video?
KP: I got with a Philly Director named Chop Mosley to shoot it. He knows that I do a lot of storytelling. At first, people thought I was bigging up gun violence. I’ma always acknowledge gun violence because it’s a real thing, but I always try to have a message in my music. I wanted to make sure you could tell the video is a story and you understand why these things are happening, why the kid’s running around shooting people and doing certain things.
I don’t condone it at all! But I wanted to highlight why we do what we do and to give you insight, not talk about shooting somebody and that’s it. I always try to put something in there for you to learn from. I make that clear in the visual because when you listen to the song, some people think “oh, he’s talking the same thing everybody else is talking about: shooting up.” But in the visual, I paint the picture real good and Director Chop Mosley helped bring that to light.
AllHipHop: I was bumping the “Exodus Effect” last night, what was that one about?
KP: It was something to show DMX respect. I really love Swizz Beatz and his production. I had put that out and people liked that. Swizz Beatz actually posted it on his Instagram page. That meant a lot to me! I wanted to pay my respects because DMX was definitely an inspiration to me as well. Especially with the storytelling and the way I come in and out of my cadences when I’m rapping, I had to do something for him.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CQzV7TtlR_y/
AllHipHop: How’d it feel to have Rick Ross recognize your bars?
KP: That was extremely phenomenal for me because I looked up to Rick Ross at a real, real young age. Seeing how much he puts on for his artists and how much work he puts into them. You don’t get a lot of artists that wanna see they’re artists be bigger than them. He pushed Meek to the forefront, Wale to the forefront without any hesitation.
I love his music. It’s timeless, it’s a luxury. He talks a certain type of talk that you gotta be a certain kind of person to understand. It was phenomenal to know that somebody like that reached out to me, acknowledged me and what I’ve been doing, what I got going on. It was dope, I can’t even really put it all into words how much that meant to me. I really, really appreciated it.
AllHipHop: How was the shooting in the Rolls-Royce commercial too?
KP: Oh yeah, we had a shoot with Rolls-Royce a year and a half ago when they put out the Rolls-Royce Cullinan. The shoot was one of my partner Luis’ brain childs. It was a collaboration shoot between Rolls Royce and The Peninsula Hotel. It was pretty dope to be honest because I’d never been in a Rolls-Royce until then. To ride in it and see how it drives, meet the people from the company of Rolls-Royce, it was dope. That type of experience you can’t buy.
AllHipHop: How was it opening for Meek Mill?
KP: I opened for Meek, I opened for Blac Youngsta, I opened for Dave East, I opened for Wiz Khalifa. I was in college at West Chester, so I’d tap in with the concerts that had. Dave East and Wiz was at a club though called “NOTO” in Philly. It was dope. It gives me an idea of what I need to be doing and what I need to keep striving for so I can get to where I’m trying to go and get further in my career. It’s great for me because it lets me know to keep working, do this on the stage, do that on the stage. Eye contact, different things like that. It’s all just adding to the repertoire for me.
AllHipHop: What can we expect from your new project?
KP: I’m putting out an EP in August, it’s going to be a relationship project called Scenarios. Something different to talk about. A lot of dope production, it’s a different side of me. A lot of people think I’m one way, I want to show a different side of myself and my artistry. It’s going to be a really, really dope project. I don’t want to give a specific date but it’ll be here in August for sure.
AllHipHop: Any goals for yourself at this point of your career?
KP: I want to be one of the best artists in the world, to be honest. I want people to know I strive for us, I strive for my people. When it’s all said and done, I want people to know, “Damn, KP was a hell of an artist but also a hell of a person. He always was trying to make us evolve as a people.” That’s always my goal, I pride myself on that.
AllHipHop: Anything else you want to let us know?
KP: Make sure y’all look out for Scenarios in August. We shooting a lot of videos right now, working on new music, & stacking the content. Expect a flood really, really, really, really soon. Really soon.
T Baby is the “Trench Baby,” and he’s here to take over the rap game. At only 16 years old, the Chicago native is already living his dreams out on the daily, creating heartfelt trap bangers for the streets and beyond. Following in the footsteps of his older brother, rap phenom Polo G, T Baby proves talent definitely runs in the family.
T Baby describes himself as “trying to bring that real, nitty gritty drill music back to the city. Really trying to come with my own wave. “Not a lot of people my age pursue their dreams of being an artist, I’m here to show them you can do this.”
Fresh off the momentum of his debut single “F### Yo Homie,” T Baby returns with his newest release titled “Richest GangBanger.” The bar is set high being Polo’s little brother, and T Baby rises to the occasion each and every time.
AllHipHop: Why are you the Trench Baby?
T Baby: Man, I come from the trenches. The nitty gritty. That’s how I got my name. Everybody knows: oh yeah Trench Baby, T Baby. That’s what we gonna call him. So I took it and ran with it.
AllHipHop: What’s the reality of coming up in the Southside of Chicago?
T Baby: You know, it was like any other trench. Hard, nitty gritty, but it was a time when it was actually fun. Going to school, not having to worry about nothing. You got your friends out, some of y’all are going to the park. Doing normal, regular kids stuff before we grew up, then became immune to what we’re doing now.
AllHipHop: Biggest influences coming up?
T Baby: Polo for sure, my brother. G Herbo. I mess with Durk. I really rock with everybody out of Chicago. Everybody going crazy, everybody doing something.
AllHipHop: At what point did you realize music could be a viable career path?
T Baby: It’s crazy because we were in Miami, they said “man, why you don’t be rapping? How you little bro and you don’t rap? I know you got it, it runs in the family.” They played some beats, I just hopped on a song. Not gonna lie, my first song I didn’t like it, but I kept doing it. I seen myself progressing at it and I kept doing it.
AllHipHop: How’d it feel to have Polo G’s career take off the way it did?
T Baby: S###, it was crazy. I ain’t gonna lie, it was crazy. Seeing everything unfold piece by piece was crazy. People where we’re from, it doesn’t usually happen like that, you feel me? Blew up in two years, that was major fasho.
AllHipHop: Any advice Polo gives you in this music game?
T Baby: Oh yeah, for sure. Stay consistent. Never feed into none of the games. Social media plays a big part of why artists don’t grow. Don’t pay attention to the hate. The love always, always outweighs the hate. You know, regular brother talks.
AllHipHop: How’d it feel to release your first record “F## Yo Homie”?
T Baby: It felt good. Like dang, I’m really a rapper now. I recorded that in Chicago. I said “oh yeah, I’m gonna get on that play crazy. I gotta come — Polo’s little brother, gotta set the standard.” You know, I can’t come out with no regular stuff. That’s my brother. Man, everybody gotta feel me say something. Hit something. I came up with that.
AllHipHop: “Richest GangBanger” out now, how are you feeling?
T Baby: “Richest GangBanger” out now, go cop that. That visual’s hard. The song’s hard. Shout out Todd, he did the producing. I’m rocking with it. That’s my favorite song right now.
AllHipHop: What were you on recording this one?
T Baby: I recorded that in Atlanta with Todd. We were playing with beats, he played that beat and I freestyled really. S###, made the song.
AllHipHop: Best memory from shooting the visual?
T Baby: My sister hopped in the video. I ain’t expect her to hop in the video. This is supposed to be a solo thing, she hopped in the video to support it. That made me inspired to go even crazier. We shooting the video, then in the video there’s a scene where we put the dude in the back of the truck. We pull up to the store and we throw him in the truck, we can see people calling the police like really thinking something’s going on. They see all these black dudes throwing this dude in a truck, they calling the police. Police come, we say “nah, we shooting a video.” They get to tweaking off us, really thinking we doing something. We said “nah, chill. We just trying to shoot our video.”
AllHipHop: Instagram deleted you at 93K followers, what happened?
T Baby: Man, they deleted my Instagram at 93K. I don’t know what I be doing on Instagram, what they got towards me. [laughs] Instagram be tweaking with it. That’s the second page of mine they been deleted. The first time, I was at 75K.
AllHipHop: What were you posting? What happened?
T Baby: No, no, no. I had used the lyric caption, I had the “N” word and all that other stuff. Somebody reported it. It was lame really.
AllHipHop: Being only 16, are you still in school?
T Baby: Yeah, I’m still in school for sure. I’m a sophomore. It’s really hard trying to pay attention to school when I have a crazy life outside that, but I’m a strong person so I persevere. I persevere through anything, so I adapted.
AllHipHop: What do you need in the studio to record?
T Baby: I don’t really need nothing in the studio. Really Cap: he doesn’t necessarily tell me what to say, but he gives me direction. Polo says “oh yeah, you should say it like this. It’ll sound better like this.” He got the knowledge, so it’s always good to have him in the studio when I’m recording something.
AllHipHop: Anything else you need in there?
T Baby: No, not really. I ain’t no smoker. No drinker. I be sober for the most part. I don’t really do all that.
AllHipHop: Goals yourself as an artist at this point of your career?
T Baby: Oh yeah, for sure. I want to get on XXL. I want to get me an XXL cover fasho. I want to do an interview with some big name people. Get my passport, travel outside the country. I want to do a lot of stuff. There’s a lot of stuff I want to do, I got to put them goals in mind and do it.
AllHipHop: Anything else you want to let us know?
T Baby: Trench Baby, “Richest GangBanger” out now. I got a whole bunch of fire dropping. I promise you, you won’t be disappointed. Hall of Fame 2.0 the Deluxe, I’m gonna be on that too. Polo’s Hall of Fame deluxe, I got a feature on there. We finna turn up, go crazy.
AllHipHop: What song are you on?
T Baby: It’s called “Invite Only.” We were in the studio and our DJ, his name’s DJ Tony Tone, he makes beats. He just started making beats, so me and Polo hopped on the beat. He said “you should keep going crazy,” so we can persuade him to keep doing beats. He played this one beat and it went crazy. It was a turnt type vibe, a Polo type vibe. I did the hook on there, Polo did the verses.
AllHipHop: Do you guys have mad records in the vault?
T Baby: No, we only made two songs. But we’ve been in the studio every day. That’s what’s crazy, we been in the studio with each other every day.
AllHipHop: Is that where you get your work ethic from?
T Baby: Fasho. Seeing him in the studio, how he uses his thought process in recording songs, that’s definitely motivation for me. That makes me get in there and want to go crazy too.
AllHipHop: Anything else people might not know about you?
T Baby: I’m from the low end of Chicago, a lot of people ask me that. Around the Fuller area, 40th Street. All that good stuff.
DaBaby’s “Levitating” collaboration with Dua Lipa has been yanked from airplay on America’s second largest radio chain.
Bosses at Audacy removed the remix from the airwaves in light of homophobic statements the rapper made during his Rolling Loud Miami festival set last month.
Despite two apologies, DaBaby has also been pulled from a handful of festival slots too, including Sunday night’s Lollapalooza.
The “Levitating” remix, featuring DaBaby, has dropped to five on the new Billboard Hot 100 chart.
Audacy bosses reveal they were led by a response to DaBaby’s hateful remarks about HIV and AIDS sufferers from Dua Lipa, who posted to Instagram: “I really don’t recognize this as the person I worked with. I know my fans know where my heart lies and that I stand 100% with the LGBTQ community.”
Meanwhile, DaBaby has received an open letter from 11 HIV/AIDS organizations offering him a private meeting in a bid to educate him after his controversial comments at Rolling Loud Miami.
The letter urges the Ohio native to “use your platform and celebrity to heal not harm.”
Rapper C-Murder is on a Hunger strike to protest how Louisiana prisons are treating the COVID-19 outbreaks (particularly those who have died from the virus) and its treatment of the Terminally Il.
The No Limit soldier and brother to Master P, whose real name is Corey Miller, is currently serving a life sentence in prison for a murder that he says he did not commit.
In addition to attracting concerns for his fellow inmates impacted by the coronavirus, he is also asking for the immediate release of 31 sealed documents withheld from his trial, that could possibly free him.
The “My Life” artist said via statement “While [in] quarantined, the inmates are on constant lockdown and are not allowed to leave the dorm to receive fresh air.”
“The tests that they provide are not up to standard and they are giving many erroneous results,” he continued. “There are many inmates that have ailments that were not properly treated and as a result, have died after contracting the virus. The families of these men need to investigate their deaths due to improper treatment and neglect.”
“Aside from dealing with the pandemic,” he informs, “there are incarcerated inmates that have terminal illnesses that are not properly cared for and are dying.”
“I believe that the world should know what is occurring here and their loved ones deserve to know the truth,” the rapper shares.
In regards to his own life, there is another truth he hopes will see the light of day.
According to his team, he believes that there are over 30 documents that were not presented in his case that would exonerate him.
There are DNA files that would prove his innocence that was only discovered by his team after he was convicted.
He states, “I cannot have a fair trial if I do not have all of the documents that were presented to the state.”
“Half my life has been stolen by the Louisiana Judicial System and it stops now!”
Jamaica, Queens New York native, Dimitri McDowell just released an electric video for his latest single, “Contact” featuring BEAM.
On the record, the R&B/soul artist returns back to his roots with the Caribbean vibe, with both the song and video exploring the excitement of connecting with a lover on the dance floor.
The track is centered around a continuous beat with colorful synths that finds Dimitri performing, while serenading on a packed dance floor.
Stimulating, captivating, and passionate, “Contact” remix serves as the perfect anthem for Summer 2021. As Dimitri strives forward in his career, he continues to bring various waves of cultures together and forward.
Speaking on the record, Dimitri states, “It’s my time to display my gift, so getting back to my Caribbean roots was a must! I have to give people all of me, starting with culture.”
Dimitri has cemented himself as one of the most exciting new artists by being a 4-time winner of Apollo Legend and a 2-time winner of McDonald’s Gospel Fest. Exuding raw passion, the soulful singer’s credits include Billboard renowned singles such as “To My Bed” by Chris Brown, “Something New” by Wiz Khalifa featuring Ty Dolla $ign, and “Dangerous Games” by 112.
“Contact” remix will catch your attention on the first listen! So run, don’t walk to add this vibrant single to your summer playlists.
When I heard that Dipset and The Lox were going to face off, this is the first thing that flash in my head: “Styles Make Fights.” The battle was destined to be a clash of the New York titans, but it was not going to be your average Verzuz battle. There was so much more at stake: New York. This was a grudge match.
This was promoted as a Verzuz, but it really harkened back to the olden days when Madison Square Garden was the place for the biggest fights, especially in New York City. The crew at Triller (Verzuz’s parent company) even presented several boxing matches, equipped with legendary announcer Micheal Buffer to boot. Buffer quickly scurried off stage after doing his job, because it was immediately apparent that this was a tense atmosphere. Insults, jokes and near-chaos ensued. Perfect.
In boxing the best boxing matches are often those that have real tension, real emotion, of course, real warriors. Having rabid, polarized fans, vested in their side winning is paramount. In this case. It was like one of the great fights, I’d say Muhammad Ali versus Joe Frazier. Frazier was the Philly brawler, blue collar to the fullest. Ali was the braggadocios, flamboyant and fly charismatic people’s champ. Or maybe another comparison is better, but nevertheless…styles made Dipset and The Lox an incredible, historic moment.
“Ring generalship.”
Legendary boxing judge Steve Weisfeld describes ring generalship:
“This term describes a boxer who is generally controlling the action and putting himself into position to land clean punches, or employing a strategy to make his opponent fight his fight.”
When we saw The Lox’s eventual domination of Dipset, their “ring generalship” in numerous ways from the onset of the Verzuz. First, they tongue wrassled over who was going first and, when Cam’ron questioned the Yonkers natives’ New York-ness, Jadakiss – without hesitation says, ”Cam, you live in Miami — (DJ) Tech drop that sh#t!” The Lox proceed to play “F#ck You,” setting the told for the entire evening. For the rest of the night The Lox impose their will on their counterparts. One time, Kiss takes Juelz’s bandana and slams it down, another time Styles yanks Cam off a beach chair as he tries to casually lounge. They forced a fight. At another instance, Kiss clowns them for rapping over their own vocals, and at other times, they rap straight freestyles and mixtape joints. They truly took The Diplomats in deep waters, challenging their ability to swim with the big sharks. When Cam’ron tried to take it there acapella, he failed. He was even booed “at home.” Unheard of.
Dipset came there with the flyest of clothing and looked super swagged out, but The Lox – in shorts, Tims and sweats, took the battle to a place Dipset couldn’t follow.
This was the most aggressive Verzuz battle…and the best. Both sides were extremely aggressive, but was it effective? Both sides tried it, but The Lox were more successful. It took some time, but eventually The Lox had Dipset on the defensive and there was little they could do about it. They dissed how the Harlemites rapped over their own vocals, something attributed to younger acts. Not sure what Juelz was wearing, but they mocked the fancy clothing, and Kiss even called their jewels fake in a freestyle. “I’ll never let a n#### in leather pants beat me,” Jadakiss said to Jim Jones. So, it seemed like things might go overboard into violence, but the rules were never violated. (They also did not want to mess up future monies from a looming tour.)
No punches were thrown, even thought it felt like it may happen. It was a peaceful, gleefully rowdy event. It felt like good times from back in the 90’s where WE used to wear Tims, camo shorts, have rhyme battles and debate endlessly about who is the dopest emcee. The Lox’s “clean punches” were adhering to the core values of Hip-Hop. They performed bar heavy, but didn’t go all extreme rappity rap rap, over the audience’s head. They included the crowd a lot, which probably won their support. They called out Dipset’s “fouls” like “lip-synching.” Juelz tried to “take a nap” on the stage. In boxing, fighters that don’t fight tend to get booed.
“Good Sportsmanship”
Kudos to Dipset.
That was hard to watch. I have interviewed ever single member of each crew. But, The Diplomats sustained the social media roasting (that continues), and gave their counterparts their respect numerous times. In boxing, two people brutalize each other, but at the end of the bout, they hug it out. Cam, Juelz and Jim all congratulated The Lox, essentially conceding defeat. And they moved on, even though we fans are still fixated on their surgical (even if it was with a chainsaw) victory.
Roger Mayweather, legendary trainer for nephew Floyd, famously said, “Most people don’t know sh#t about boxing.” The same could be said for Hip-Hop. As a culture, like other cultures, there are those that give, those that create, and those that expand the boundaries of said culture until it reaches a tipping point. When that tipping point hits, the masses and takers come in and, most times, the sanctity of the culture is compromised. (Triller, by the way, is fusing boxing and Hip-Hop in an entertaining fashion that has raised many purists eyebrow. There was a full boxing card before the rap battle. We’ll see how it pans out.) Dipset didn’t emerge victorious and it was completely one-sided, but that does not mean they are suddenly wack or dated.
It just means it wasn’t their night and that happens. Most boxers that accept great challenge take big losses and can even be defined by it. What is Rocky if he wins in Rocky 1 (to use a pop culture reference)? In some ways, Dipset can actually be re-defined by this rough patch. What happens next – how they respond to adversity or embarrassment – actually will define the L.
As for Sheek, Kiss and Styles…they did that. And they did it in a way that made the entire culture proud from pioneers to neophytes. They studied their opponents. You can see they train daily (not just when there’s a payday coming. Their defensive game made for an amazing offense. They listened to the nuances around them AND they an amazing spin master in Technician The DJ. Technician may not have been their trainer, but he was an essential part of the flawless victory. They put the culture on notice: this is how it should be done. Great styles make great fights, even when you lose.
Four-time NBA champion LeBron James once famously referred to himself as a Hip Hop historian. He was also credited as an executive producer for 2 Chainz’s 2019 album Rap or Go to the League.
As a result of LeBron James’s connection to Hip Hop culture, many of his followers value his opinion on the subject. So when the basketball player also known as King James makes a declaration about rap music, people pay attention.
Verzuz presented “The Lox vs Dipset” battle live from Madison Square Garden on August 3. By the end of the night, many viewers crowned The Lox’s Jadakiss as the event’s Most Valuable Player.
Apparently, LeBron James agreed with the widespread praise for Kiss. The 36-year-old Los Angeles Lakers All-Star decided to give the Yonkers-bred emcee his virtual flowers on Twitter.
“JADAKISS is the most UNDERRATED hip-hop artist of ALL-TIME!! MY GOODNESS 💐💐💐💐💐💐💐💐💐💐@Therealkiss 🙏🏽😤😤😤😤,” shared LeBron James with his 50 million Twitter followers.
LeBron James also shouted out the entire Lox trio of Jadakiss, Sheek Louch, and Styles P on the social media platform. The star of Space Jam: A New Legacy tweeted, “@thelox just so 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥! 3 bullies.”
JADAKISS is the most UNDERRATED hip-hop artist of ALL-TIME!! MY GOODNESS 💐💐💐💐💐💐💐💐💐💐 @Therealkiss 🙏🏾😤😤😤😤
While Jadakiss is receiving significant applause for his performance at Verzuz, the Ruff Ryders representative has been making historic Hip Hop moments for four decades. In 2015, Kiss proclaimed he is one of the Greatest Of All Time with the Top 5 Dead or Alive album.
The New Yorker also dropped the solo studio LPs Kiss Tha Game Goodbye in 2001, Kiss of Death in 2004, The Last Kiss in 2009, and Ignatius in 2020. Four years ago, Jadakiss teamed with his 2020 Verzuz opponent Fabolous for the collaborative project Friday on Elm Street.
As a group, The Lox first emerged on the scene under the umbrella of the Sean “Puffy” Combs-led Bad Boy record label in the late 1990s. Tracks like “It’s All About the Benjamins” and “Money, Power & Respect” helped Sheek Louch, Styles P, and Jadakiss earn Top 20 Hot 100 entries and RIAA plaques.
The NBA 2K22 soundtrack includes an all-new integration with Seasons. New music from established and rising musicians will be incorporated into the basketball video game.
According to 2K Sports, acts like Freddie Gibbs, Gunna, Megan Thee Stallion, Metro Boomin, Saweetie, Skepta, Smino, and Travis Scott are among the artists listed as additions to NBA 2K22.
“Basketball and music are so intertwined and have become an integral part of our game,” says Alfie Brody, NBA 2K‘s Vice President of Global Marketing. “NBA 2K has become a global platform for music discovery and that continues with NBA 2K22.”
Alfie Brody continues, “This year, we are creating a dynamic soundtrack, complete with early access to unreleased tracks, new artists, and opportunities for fans to become part of the experience and solidify their place in video game history.”
The artists that will be on the #NBA2K22 in-game Soundtrack 🙌
NBA 2K players can also discover music throughout the year via the “First Fridays” series. Additional songs will be added to the soundtrack on the first Friday of every new Season.
The NBA 2K22 updates will feature a combination of high-profile and up-and-coming artists. Later this month, 2K Sports will reveal more details about what will be included in each Season.
“We’ve built NBA 2K to be one of the gold standards for video game soundtracks,” states David Kelley, Senior Manager, Partnerships & Licensing at 2K.
David Kelley adds, “This year, the opportunity to evolve the experience for players by creating moments where we can debut and share incredible new music is another step toward how we are bringing together the real-world of basketball culture with our game through music, not only through well-known artists, but also providing our players an opportunity to get in the game and showcase their own talents.”
The Producer Series will integrate a 2K Beats Pack into the game as well. That will create an opportunity for the NBA 2K community to showcase their talent by recording verses over the production.
Additionally, the 2K Rising Artists list highlights promising performers such as Boldy James, Griselda, Blxst, Princess Nokia, and Masego.
Coco Austin sparked plenty of online conversation after the 42-year-old Ice Loves Coco television personality admitted she still breastfeeds her five-year-old daughter Chanel Nicole.
“A lot of people are like, ‘Oh, you’re not getting the nutrition after 2 years old. Why do it?’ And I’m like, My child’s eating steak and hamburgers. She just likes a little snack every now and then and more of the bonding between the mother. Why take that away from her?” Coco explained to Us Weekly.
The lingerie model added, “I’m not going to just say, ‘No boob.’ At night, she cuddles with my boob. She calls it the boo-boo. She loves on it. It’s not like she’s getting milk from it, but she’s getting her little snack and it’s kind of soothing her to sleep.”
Some outside observers took issue with the idea of a five-year-old child still getting nursed by her mother. Rapper/actor Ice-T took to social media in order to defend his wife of nearly 20 years.
“Why the F are you worried about MY Child??? That’s what’s weird… Now go back in the basement,” responded Ice-T to one Twitter user who suggested Coco Austin breastfeeding Chanel is “sexual and gross.”
The star ofthe long-running NBC drama Law & Order: Special Victims Unit also posted, “News Flash! I’m still Breastfeeding! Every chance I can… 💎… News Flash! We feed Chanel FOOD… She just likes to suck mom’s boob every now and then… Me Too!!!”
In addition, Ice-T tweeted, “Lol. When it’s all said and done I guess I’ll be known as a T#### Lover… I can live with that.💎… Just wait till they find out how much I love Coco’s Booty! Lol.”
Legendary comedian Dave Chapelle helped introduce Rick James to a new generation of music lovers when he famously played a fictionalized version of the 1980s-era singer on the sketch comedy series Chappelle’s Show.
“I’m Rick James, b####” became one of the most popular catchphrases from Dave Chappelle’s classic “Charlie Murphy’s True Hollywood Stories” skits which included a cameo by James. An upcoming Showtime documentary is looking to further solidified the legacy of the Buffalo-born star.
B######’: The Sound and Fury of Rick James is scheduled to premiere next month. A new trailer – featuring appearances by Hip Hop stars such as Ice Cube, Big Daddy Kane, and Roxanne Shanté – was released this week.
Mass Appeal’s Sacha Jenkins directed B######’. The doc is said to be an intimate look at James’ dramatic rise and fall as an icon of Rock, Funk, and R&B.
Viewers will get to see rare footage of the “Super Freak” performer’s live shows, never-before-seen home videos, and interviews. Plus, other legendary artists, collaborators, and friends provide commentary.
Throughout his career, Rick James released numerous studio albums like 1978’s Come Get It!, 1981’s Street Songs, and 1983’s Cold Blooded. He won a Grammy Award for Best R&B Song in 1991 for his songwriting credits on M.C. Hammer’s “U Can’t Touch This.”
Rick James passed away in 2004 at the age of 56. B######’: The Sound and Fury of Rick James will air on the Showtime network beginning Friday, September 3 at 9 pm ET/PT.
With the launch of the new aaliyahiscoming.com website and verified @blackgroundrecords2.0 Instagram account, many fans of the late R&B singer Aaliyah believed more of her music could finally make it to streaming sites in the near future.
Apparently, in response to the growing rumors about the One In A Million album creator’s discography, the official Aaliyah social media accounts posted the following statement:
Protecting Aaliyah’s legacy is, and will always be, our focus. For 20 years we have battled behind the scenes, enduring shadowy tactics of deception with unauthorized projects targeted to tarnish. We have always been confused as to why there is such a tenacity in causing more pain alongside what we already have to cope with for the rest of our lives. Now, in this 20th year, this unscrupulous endeavor to release Aaliyah’s music without any transparency or full accounting to the estate compels our hearts to express a word – forgiveness. Although we will continue to defend ourselves and her legacy lawfully and justly, we want to preempt the inevitable attacks on our character by all the individuals who have emerged from the shadows to leech off of Aaliyah’s life’s work. Ultimately, we desire closure and a modicum of peace so we can facilitate the growth of the Aaliyah Memorial Fund and other creative projects that embody Aaliyah’s true essence, which is to inspire strength and positivity for people of all creeds, races and cultures around the world.
The Estate of Aaliyah Haughton via @aaliyah Instagram
In January, the Aaliyah Estate also responded to speculation that her full musical catalog was close to being uploaded to streamers such as Apple Music, Spotify, YouTube, and Tidal.
“While we share your sentiments and desire to have Aaliyah’s music released, we must acknowledge that these matters are not within our control and, unfortunately, take time. Our inability to share Aaliyah’s music and artistry with the world has been as difficult for us as it has been for all of you. Our priority has always been and will continue to be Aaliyah’s music,” read the January 2020 message from the Estate of Aaliyah Haughton.
The beginning does not look like the present for Mississippi-based, lyrical hip hop artist $tackz. In an interview, he explained how he got into music at the age of 10 expressing, “my younger brother CJ got me started. He actually made me record my first song in the closet at home.” His brother has continued to play a role in his music even if the location and methods have changed. $tackz holds that the most challenging thing he has had to overcome in his life and the most difficult subject he has written about is “seeing my brother fight epilepsy.” Family, including his brother and five kids, are $tackz’s biggest inspirations for his music.
Now, years removed from the closet studio, $tackz, though independent, works with many names in the industry such as Billboard top 10 producer DJ XO. $tackz recently dropped the anticipated music video for his single “Pop My Sh*t” with the producer on YouTube and is also set to release a full project titled “The Come Up 2.” It will drop October 5th and feature artists like Enzo Mcfly and Kirko Bangz.
$tackz embodies a real, authentic, and lyrical style that he hopes fans connect with and gives them a feeling they remember. He has sacrificed much on his journey so far and he hopes the investments on his career will continue to pay off as he takes the next steps.
Rapper Fetty Wap broke down in tears on social media on Tuesday (August 3) after fans helped honor his four-year-old daughter Lauren Maxwell.
The star, real name Willie Junior Maxwell, shared a series of emotional videos to Instagram Live asking his more than 6.8 million followers on the platform to leave butterflies in the comments section, explaining his girl loved the creatures.
“Shorty (My daughter) loved butterflies…and if y’all could do that, it’d mean a lot to me,” he wrote.
After fans responded with hundreds of butterfly emojis, the singer choked up at the outpouring of support.
“Man, thank y’all. That’s love. I appreciate ya’ll, for real. Damn. She’d be happy as hell,” he shared.
