The Griselda collective is one of the top crews in Hip Hop at the moment. Benny The Butcher, Westside Gunn, and Conway The Machine built a prosperous movement out of Buffalo, New York.
Over the last several years, Griselda dropped numerous well-received solo projects, including Westside Gunn’s Pray for Paris, Conway The Machine’s From King to a God, and Benny The Butcher’s Burden of Proof. The label also released the WWCD (What Would Chine Gun Do) group album.
With success, comes imitation. Apparently, Benny The Butcheris taking issuewith other unnamed artists supposedly imitating what Griselda has been able to establish over the last half-decade.
“It’s crazy that n##### want to copy your moves just to be in competition with you,” said Benny The Butcher in a 14-second video posted to his Instagram Story. “N##### be wanting you to sharpen their sword so they can go and battle against you. Stop the b#######. Pay homage, n####. It’s only one Griselda, p####.”
Benny The Butcher did not directly name the individuals he believes are attempting to duplicate the independent record label. There have been rumors about possible tension involving Griselda and other rap factions.
A 2019 sitdown with the Rap Radar Podcast led to the speculation of a brewing feud between Griselda and Top Dawg Entertainment or Dreamville Records. Westside Gunn had to clarify that his comments claiming his team is the top group in Hip Hop because of their musical output was not meant to be a diss towards TDE or Dreamville.
“It was A LOT of controversy after this interview. They tried to make it seem like I was starting beef [with] TDE & Dreamville when in actuality I had and have nothing but ❤️ for them n#####… since then Bro dropped 3x. I’ve dropped 2x, Benny bout to drop then I’m dropping again. Was I wrong? 🤷🏽♂️,” tweeted Westside Gunn.
It was ALOT of controversy after this interview they tried to make it seem like I was starting beef w/ TDE & Dreamville when in actuality I had &have nothing but ❤️for them n#####..since then Bro dropped 3x I’ve Dropped 2x, Benny bout to drop then I’m droppingagain was I wrong 🤷🏽♂️ https://t.co/E76oPuVWVk
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Montero “Lil Nas X” Hill’s name was implanted in the ongoing backlash directed at DaBaby. While DaBaby was being chastised for making perceived anti-LGBTQ statements at Rolling Loud Miami over the weekend, some people chose to point a finger at LNX.
“If you didn’t show up today with HIV, AIDS, or any of [those] deadly sexually transmitted diseases, that’ll make you die in two to three weeks, then put your cellphone lighter up,” stated DaBaby on Sunday at the Rolling Loud Miami festival.
The 29-year-old Interscope recording artist added, “Ladies, if your p#### smell like water, put your cellphone lighter up. Fellas, if you ain’t sucking a n####’s dick in the parking lot, put your cellphone lighter up.”
Veteran rappers T.I. and Boosie Badazz both brought up Lil Nas X in defense of DaBaby. The two southerners used the openly gay entertainer’s performances and music videos, which typically display men being attracted to other men, as scapegoats for DaBaby’s actions in Florida.
Lil Nas X decided to fire back at his critics on Twitter. The Atlanta-raised hitmaker tweeted, “I’m starting to think you n##### gay too cuz yall stay on my d###… Some of y’all not even mad that I’m gay, some of y’all mad that I’m gay and still succeeding.”
i’m starting to think you n##### gay too cuz yall stay on my dick
Over the last three years, Lil Nas X has seen significant success in the music industry. “Old Town Road” featuring Country legend Billy Ray Cyrus holds the record for the longest-running #1 song on Billboard‘s Hot 100 chart (19 weeks).
It has been a headline-filled week for Jonathan “DaBaby” Kirk. His performance at the Rolling Loud Miami festival has been marred with controversy. In particular, a certain moment involving the 29-year-old rapper was widely viewed as homophobic.
“If you didn’t show up today with HIV, AIDS, or any of [those] deadly sexually transmitted diseases, that’ll make you die in two to three weeks, then put your cellphone lighter up,” DaBaby told the Rolling Loud Miami crowd.
The Charlotte native continued, “Ladies, if your p#### smell like water, put your cellphone lighter up. Fellas, if you ain’t sucking a n####’s dick in the parking lot, put your cellphone lighter up.”
While DaBaby did receive backing from fellow rappers T.I. and Boosie Badazz, the Blame It on Baby album creator offered a public apology. He tweeted, “Anybody who done ever been [affected] by AIDS/HIV y’all got the right to be upset, what I said was insensitive even though I have no intentions on offending anybody. So my apologies.”
In addition to initially showing remorse via social media, DaBaby addressed the controversy again at the end of his new “Giving What It’s Supposed To Give” music video. The self-directed visuals closed with a message that read, “Don’t Fight Hate With Hate… My apologies for being me the same way you want the freedom to be you.”
DaBaby also posted on Instagram:
You ever wrote a video, you and 3 others produce it, you direct it while starring AND rapping in it, film the video for 16 HOURS straight wrap up at 4am, take a shower & jump on a jet to @rollingloud and with only 2 hours of rest give one of the BEST performances of the entire festival yet the most controversial and emotion provoking performance as well; due to things deemed “insensitive” said during your performance even though you’re an ENTERTAINER, try to apologize and explain that you meant no harm & that you were only entertaining as you are paid to do, & have no problem with anyone’s sexual preference that is outside of yours, only to have a substantial amount of people refuse to understand your logic, tag along with a trending topic & play with your character and do everything they can to take money out of your pockets and food out your kids mouth, and have everybody around you panicking only for you to apologize anyway stand on the fact that you were entertaining and truly didn’t mean to offend anybody or start no commotion, although they’re currently offending you, & COINCIDENTALLY the video you were shooting till 4am the DAY OF @rollingloud touches on EVERY controversial topic trending in the headlines, so you then go against the grain in the opposite direction of every scared person around you & stay true to yourself & DROP DAT B#### in the height of the commotion & show the world once again that you CANT BE F##### WIT?😴I have🙋🏾♂️. I just did. God’s Work.
Rapper/television personality Safaree Samuels is upset with the creators of Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta. The 40-year-old reality show star went on Twitter to call out the VH1 series.
A recent episode of Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta included a scene where Safaree Samuels and Erica Mena’s young child fell on-screen. After Safire took a tumble, Samuels could be seen laughing.
“And y’all LHH editors ain’t s###. We told y’all not to air my baby falling and y’all still used it. Had us reshoot a whole bunch of b####### and y’all still used that. Y’all don’t have no respect, because that was not my response of me finding out I was having a boy!” tweeted Safaree.
He added, “That was tacky and tasteless!! It’s definitely about to be a wrap on my time with y’all. Y’all be wanting too much of [people’s] time to be [doing that] type of wack s###!! We filmed a [hour] long convo for that scene and y’all chop it to 3 mins and use that and make it a focal point. Weak.”
And y’all LHH editors ain’t s###. we told y’all not to air my baby falling and y’all still used it. Had us reshoot a whole bunch of b####### and y’all still used that. Y’all don’t have no respect, because that was not my response of me finding out I was having a boy!
That was tacky and tasteless!! It’s definitely about to be a wrap on my time with y’all. Y’all be wanting too much of ppl time to be doin dat type of wack s###!! We filmed a hr long convo for that scene and y’all chop it to 3 mins and use that and make it a focal point. Weak
VH1 also uploaded footage of the situation involving Safaree, Erica, and Safire to the official Love & Hip Hop YouTube channel. That video has collected more than 338,000 views since being posted to the platform on July 27. Clips of the moment have also gone viral on social media.
LIt seems that DaBaby and Dua Lipa are no longer cool.
Despite having a chart-topping song still popular on the radio, the two seem to have severed their friendship after the rapper’s homophobic rant during the Rolling Loud concert over last weekend.
The “ROCKSTAR” rapper has been under fire since shaming gay men and spewing misinformation about HIV during a recent festival performance in Miami. The backlash has been severe as he has lost several lucrative deals and received harsh criticism from other celebrities.
One of those celebrities is his British “Levitating” collaborator, Dua Lipa.
After he said during his show, “If you didn’t show up today with HIV, AIDS, or any of them deadly sexually transmitted diseases, that’ll make you die in two to three weeks, then put your cellphone lighter up,” followed by “Fellas, if you ain’t sucking dick in the parking lot, put your cellphone lighter up,” Lipa spoke out.
She wrote on her Instagram Story, “I’m surprised and horrified at DaBaby‘s comments. 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. We need to come together to fight the stigma and ignorance around HIV/AIDS.”
Currently, the song is #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, but maybe not for long.
Her fans are now starting to demand that she remove his verse from the mega-smash.
“@DUALIPA I get it, Levitating (Feat DaBaby) is your most streamed song, but c’mon you can’t condemn his actions and still be reaping the paychecks! If you’re pro-LGBTQ, it’s time to take this version down.”
All the backlash has made DaBaby go on full “F’ It Then” mode.
He started scrolling through her social media and liking tweets that basically dissed her.
“It’s funny how @DUALIPA song levitating is only number 1 because @DaBabyDaBaby is on it. You’re welcome. Because I deadass only heard of you because of DaBaby,” one comment said.
Another tweet dripped with sarcasm, “Patiently waiting for @DUALIPA to pull her song with @DaBabyDaBaby off streaming services.”
Not all of the tweets were anti-DaBaby. Some sided with the North Carolina rap star, and didn’t believe she should pull his verse off the track.
“dua lipa wont pull levitating with dababy bc its the only thing having her chart this is coming from a gay man”
dua lipa wont pull levitating with dababy bc its the only thing having her chart‼️ this is coming from a gay man
— jackson meningococcal (@minecrafter479) July 29, 2021
After having his Instagram was restored, Louisiana rapper Lil Boosie went on the defense of DaBaby by attacking Lil Nas X’s sexuality and saying that “everybody ain’t with their nephew sucking d##k.
Earlier this week, Boosie Badazz checked the top executive at Instagram, Adam Mosseri, for talking about why he suspended him from the popular social media platform.
Mosseri said that he had violated their strict nudity policy and the “Wipe Me Down” hitmaker took objection, claiming that he had only posted a nude woman with “emoji’s over everything.”
“How the hell my Instagram was took cause of nudity, it was took cause of f#####’ racist. That’s why it was took,” he said.
Now he is looking to get his streaming and posting rights removed again, possibly getting banned after his recent venomous tirade against gays, Lil Nas X, and what he considers is anti-heterosexual attitudes persuasive in entertainment today.
Boosie started out on 10 saying, “Everybody ain’t with their nephew sucking d##k. Not everybody with that s###. You just can’t put that s### on everybody and expect it to be cool.”
As the IG live continued, he further explained, “Lil Nas X said he wanna perform naked on stage for charity. You don’t f### with him like you f### with DaBaby. Be even-sided. You don’t feel that’s disrespect? Going dance naked. You don’t think that’s disrespect in front of boys who tryna be straight? It’s totally disrespect.”
“If I’m at an awards and he go up there naked, I’m gonna drag his ass off stage and beat his ass,” Boosie declared. “You let a n#### dance naked in front your children, you a m##########’ crazy m#########. Or you like dick, too.”
“Zaya, our 12-year-old came home and said: ‘Hey, so I want to talk to you guys. I think going forward I’m ready to live my truth. And I want to be referred to as ‘she’ and ‘her’. I would love for you guys to call me Zaya,'” Wade said on The Ellen DeGeneres Show.
Boosie took to social media and blasted him for that.
damn i can’t believe he said that. ☹️stream industry baby everybody!! industry baby out now!!https://t.co/9MtFIYjhba
Nawl… Lil Boosie is talking s### about beating up Lil Nas X. That ain't gon happen. Lil Nas X in the best shape of his life, 6'2 and probably got hands
Whoopi Goldberg once said, “We’re here for a reason. I believe a bit of the reason is to throw little torches out to lead people through the dark.”
And sometimes, no matter how glitzy and exotic the music industry might seem, many are wandering in the dark — trying to make heads or tails in this career path.
Very few have navigated this terrain better than 25 million record-selling Big Boi from the legendary group Outkast.
And because he is a real “G,” Big Boi is passing down some of those gems that made him one the most selling-est artists (regardless of genre) in the world.
According to Deadline, the “Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik” rapper is about to produce, with the support of Trailblazer Studios, a television series based on his own experience in The Dungeon recording studio.
The untitled show is said to be “a music-mentorship and DIY-studio-makeover series.”
Big Boi will go into the home studios of up-and-coming musicians and helping them to transform their basements, attics, garages, bedrooms, offices, closets and etc. into top-notch and professional recording studios.
At the same time, he will teach the artists and their teams about how the industry works. He may even allow them in his personal studio, showing them where all his magic happens.
The Atlanta native said, “Growing up, I spent hours in the Dungeon, writing rhymes and putting together beats.” It is said that even as minors, they would spend day-in and day-out trying to perfect their craft.
“I’m excited to work with the next generation of artists in a space that inspired countless songs and bring some of that magic to their own spaces,’ Big Boi said.
The 25th anniversary edition of “ATLiens” is @VinylMePlease's Hip Hop Record of the Month for August. The album is pressed on 2LP Neon Green & Blue Galaxy vinyl, mastered at half-speed & features a Listening Notes booklet by Lawrence Burney. Enjoy! 👽 https://t.co/SBgvRpTFu4pic.twitter.com/qnjvrMs4lr
An OshKosh B’gosh campaign, that was released this week, captures this essence and drive. With this new show, Big Boi will be able to pass on to others the principles that shaped him.
BilionAir Carter is here to give you that “Good Good!” Born and raised in Los Angeles, the actor and rapper just released his newest single titled “Good Good,” and it’s a certified banger for the summer.
Infused with both Latin influences and hip-hop, the West Coast recording artist pays homage to both Latin and black cultures and the communities that raised him, spreading nothing short of good vibes and positivity.
Speaking on the new release Carter states, “This song is a huge f### you to hate in-between two cultures that truly love each other. I love LA!! I wouldn’t change a thang. I want to help wake my people up and help position them into the best situation they can be in.”
As a childhood actor, Carter has been acting damn near his whole life, with an unwavering passion to entertain.
His impressive catalog of films include “Santa Clause 2,” “Black Knight,” “Kingdom Come,” and even a gig as the host of the red carpet at the Soul Train Awards.
Fast forward to 2021, the actor, rapper, and entrepreneur continues to express himself and his art through music, and he wouldn’t have it any other way.
AllHipHop: How’d you get the name, BilionAir Carter?
BilionAir Carter: BilionAir Carter is only spelled with one L because I don’t believe in taking two L’s. There’s no ‘e’ at the end because one of my phrases I always say is “the only way’s up.” In the sky, it’s only air, so that’s why “okay we’ll leave it as the ‘Air’ instead of ‘Aire’ because the only way is up. Carter’s my last name, and I take myself as being the third Carter up. The first Carter is Shawn Carter, Jay-Z, then there’s Dwayne Carter, Lil Wayne. Now it’s me Hanif Carter, BilionAir Carter. I’m here to take over.
AllHipHop: How would you describe your sound?
BilionAir Carter: Oh man, I have a mixture of East Coast from Nas to DMX, to down South Andre 3000. Even down to soul where I learned old school Teddy Pendergrass, Bill Withers. My family was in Motown so that’s instilled in me. It’s a bunch of different genres. Growing up as a childhood actor, I was never typecasted. That’s why coming into the music industry, I don’t want to be type casted in one genre or one lane. I want to be international.
AllHipHop: When did music come into play?
BilionAir Carter: This is my third year in music. The reason why I got into music, one because I said “damn, there’s so much trash out. Man, there’s no way I can’t do this!” The first year into music, I started realizing the reason I was in music. Back in the day, I was preaching everyone else’s scripts, learning everybody else’s words. Now it’s time for me to sing, say my own words and have my own audience in that realm.
One reason my name came into play, I had an epiphany one day. The Most High asked me “man, how much money would it take to take care of everybody in the world?” I said $100 million a month, which equals $1.2 billion a year. That’s how BilionAir Carter came into play. I said “dang I have to spell it differently,” because there’s a Billionaire Burk out there. A couple other Billionaires but I needed to be unique and stand out, I’m big on that.
AllHipHop: You’re from Los Angeles, how does that play into your life and career?
BilionAir Carter: I’m raised in the South Central/Inglewood area. I went to Centennial Elementary School, transferred from Emerson then moved to the Lancaster/Palmdale area. I graduated from Lancaster High. Growing up in LA is tough. You know, single mom. My dad was only two hours away but never was there. He couldn’t get over the fact that he couldn’t have my mom anymore. Growing up having different stepdads… My sister’s dad is a crackhead. One of the smartest dudes I know. I learned a lot from him: how to be a good man, also not do those things as well too. Switching from out here to go to Palmdale/Lancaster, it’s a different ass change. I wish I went to high school out here because I missed a lot of connections I would’ve had as far as athletics and being in the mix out here.
AllHipHop: Why is that?
BilionAir Carter: I stopped acting in middle school and high school because we moved an hour away. My mom asked me “do you still want to act?” I said “I’ll do sports.” I don’t have any problem with being gay or homosexuatily, but as a child it’s pushed a lot to get us to go into that realm. The directors wanted me to go to their house. I’m riding motorcycles with the directors, being underneath their wings. It deterred me in the wrong way because I was seeing things. A couple of my acting peers are Disney people and I saw how they did them. I’m glad I missed that realm. Especially if I would’ve got the money back then, I would’ve probably f##### it all off and been a druggie. S### you’re getting drugs? It’s out here, it’s easy to get to. That’s why I smoke so much damn weed. [laughs] I have no problem; do you. That’s not my lane. That’s a reason why I fell back a little bit because it was having too much of a negative hold on me. Nah, let me focus on other things.
AllHipHop: How does “GOOD GOOD” pay homage to black and Chicano cultures?
BilionAir Carter: Me technically, I’m not Hispanic, but my first ever best friends are Hispanic. My second favorite sport is soccer. That background is so instilled in me because I’ve gotten down with my people, we’ve gotten in trouble with the law, been to jail, all types of stuff. That right there is really Los Angeles culture, you can’t get away from it. That’s Los Angeles culture to its fullest.
AllHipHop: How was shooting the music video?
BilionAir Carter: That s### was dope as f###. The whole vibe and energy there, I was waiting for the negative s### to happen. There was only one negative thing that happened, it was very very small. It was between one of the chicks, my boy came over with his weed attempting to give his edibles. The girl had red hair, he said “oh this matches my Hot Cheetos s###.” She was on her bougie s### and caught a little attitude. He’s tall and big, so she might’ve felt he was coming off in some type of way.
Other than that, it was so bomb. I have a whole vlog coming with the video as well. I had my auntie doing the catering there, and my mom did the craft services. It was dope, I can’t even complain. People thought I wasn’t even out here, so that’s great. The reason why I did it like this is so people can see me in that light, so I can go back to acting. I can get those roles. I’m multi-talented in everything, I gotta get the bag in every way. [laughs]
AllHipHop: Goals yourself as an artist at this point of your career?
BilionAir Carter: Oh man, $100 million a month. That’s the start. I don’t know how the hell that’s going to happen, but with me helping people get to their millions… s###. What I know as far as corporation formation and legal tender, man we all can be beyond this realm. Especially women, y’all women are way smarter than us. You’re in every door, I see you everywhere. I’ve been groomed for so long that I’m ready for It.
AllHipHop: What can we expect next?
BilionAir Carter: To be honest, expect the unexpected, because I don’t even know what’s next. I’m in the campaign until January, I’m pushing this song all the way through. Just like Derez Deshon did with “Hardaway,” 3 years straight I believe he was doing that. I know I have other music sitting in the background as well. I want to do an album, but I’m not rushing it. I want to be able to blow up first, then give you that body of work. Throw a bunch of videos in place with the album as well, run it out the park.
DaBaby is continuing to receive backlash from his homophobic Rolling Loud performance.
Now, outrage is coming from across The Pond.
Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Sir Elton John has weighed in on the comments from the controversial rapper. The “Benny and The Jets” singer took to Instagram to share his thoughts on the “misinformation” and discriminatory remarks from last weekend’s concert.
He said, “We’ve been shocked to read about the HIV misinformation and homophobic statements made at a recent DaBaby show. This fuels stigma and discrimination and is the opposite of what our world needs to fight the AIDS epidemic.”
Over the weekend, DaBaby shouted from his stage, a rant that has caused him to lose some of his lucrative endorsements.
“If you didn’t show up today with HIV, AIDS, any of them deadly sexually transmitted diseases that’ll make you die in two or three weeks, put your cellphone light up,” DaBaby said.
He further singled out men who love to pleasure other men and said that if you have HIV that you will “die in two or three weeks.”
While he could have attacked the “ROCKSTAR” rapper, he instead informed the public on the real facts about HIV.
“HIV has affected over 70 million people globally: men, women, children, and the most vulnerable people in our communities. In America, a gay black man has a 50% lifetime chance of contracting HIV. Stigma and shame around HIV and homosexuality is a huge driver of this vulnerability,” Sir Elton John explained. “We need to break down the myths and judgements and not fuel these. You can live a long and healthy life with HIV. Treatment is so advanced that with one pill a day, HIV can become undetectable in your body so you can’t pass it onto other people. Homophobic and HIV mistruths have no place in our society and industry and as musicians, we must spread compassion and love for the most marginalised people in our communities. A musician’s job is to bring people together.”
The Elton John AIDS Foundation, founded by the artist in 1992 at the height of the HIV/AIDS crisis, continues to educate the masses by empowering artists with the right information to share with their fanbase.
His final message, not necessarily directed to the North Carolina chart-topper (but definitely one he should heed), was “HIV misinformation and homophobia have no place in the music industry. We must break down the stigma around HIV and not spread it. As musicians, it’s our job to bring people together.”
“Anybody who done ever been effected by AIDS/HIV y’all got the right to be upset, what I said was insensitive even though I have no intentions on offending anybody. So my apologies But the LGBT community… I ain’t trippin on y’all, do you. y’all business is y’all business.”
Anybody who done ever been effected by AIDS/HIV y’all got the right to be upset, what I said was insensitive even though I have no intentions on offending anybody. So my apologies 🙏🏾
But the LGBT community… I ain’t trippin on y’all, do you. y’all business is y’all business.
GRAMMY Award winning-singer Lizzo is deading a rumor that says that she “killed someone” at the Rolling Loud concert in Miami last weekend.
No one knows where the rumor came from, but it proposed that the “Truth Hurts” chart-topper did a stage dive during her performance and killed a person.
This was not far-fetched because so many other artists have stage-dived during the weekend, despite COVID-19 restrictions.
But she shut all of that down.
While on her Tik-Tok, Lizzo blasted people for believing the lie.
“So, I’ve seen a lot of annoying things about me on the internet but what bothers me the most is this rumor that I stage-dived at a concert and killed somebody,” she said.
She continued, “That is a lie a lie first of all. I’ve never staged-dived in my life, and b####.. killed somebody?…y’all really gone put that on my m############ name? I know I’m big but I’m not that big,” she joked.
“I’m not trying to catch nothing,” she added. “I don’t even want to catch feelings, b####. You think I’m trying to catch COVID? So, at this point, I’m going to be slightly rude about it.
“Don’t think, ‘Ah, she a celebrity. She think she all that.’ It’s not that, boo boo. You know what I think I am? Healthy. You know what I think I am? COVID-free. You know what I think I am? Full of vitamin D and vitamin C. You know what I think I am? Safe for my friends and family to be around.”
“If y’all see me in the street [and] come up on me — you want a hug, you want to shake my hand, you want to kiss me on the cheek,” she remarked.
“I’m nice, but this virus gonna have me acting up.”
We got you, Lizzo, and thank God you didn’t kill anybody.
A dream needs determination and sweat to become a reality. This is why success is not magic, and it never was. Success is the fruit of hard work and sacrifices. The inspiring story of 25-year-old music artist Yazan Alsharif exemplifies this.
Currently a rising star in the music industry, Yazan had to overcome several challenges in life to be able to live his dreams. And now he wants to motivate others through his music to help them realize their dreams while they still have time to fulfill them.
Yazan hails from a humble family from the countryside of Virginia, U.S.A. From a very young age, Yazan was passionate about music, so much so that he could never focus on his studies. He used to spend hours listening to traditional music and even played them in a loop to note every beat and rhythm of a track.
His academic career came to an abrupt end when he dropped out of college to pursue a career in music. He spent months making content for his YouTube channel “Yaz Sounds”.
At 13, Yazan composed his first music track and that’s when he knew what he wanted to do for the rest of his life. For his YouTube channel, Yazan would recreate some old classics in his own style to recreate the magic of yesteryear hits. With no steady source of income, he did several odd jobs to support his content on “Yaz Sounds”.
Yazan worked as a bagger at a grocery store for a mere $5 per hour and also worked as a pizza delivery guy. However, he continued to be laser-focused on pursuing his dream in the music industry.
Life took a positive turn for Yazan when one of his recreations of the famous track “When Doves Cry” became a viral social media hit. Within a few weeks of its release, Yazan’s subscriber base reached over a million.
Yazan was also spotted by music enthusiasts on other social media platforms, such as Facebook and Instagram. His newfound success was a huge motivation for him to scale up his career, but it had its downsides too.
While Yazan’s talent of mixing different genres to create a unique composition was well received by a section of the audience, he was also criticized for recreating old classics. He had to face several allegations of copying and some even called his way as a shortcut to success. Because he recreated yesteryear hits, people refused to recognize his real talent.
Yazan was determined to overcome this challenging situation. He wanted to create something fresh and unique to prove his critics wrong.
In early 2020, Yazan was successful in removing all the criticisms that were going around by releasing his first original single “Let Me Live Once More”. The song brought a fresh wave of energy and positive vibes that was lacking in contemporary music.
It blends the high notes of rap with the undertones of hip-hop. The blazing lyrics highlighted Yazan’s persistence to overcome all obstacles in his life and his ultimate realization that success comes with a price – and that is hard work.
To date, Yazan has released 4 singles and each of them has surpassed the popularity of the earlier ones. He wants to connect with his audiences through music, inspiring them to never give up. He believes that his success as an artist lies in his ability to transform the lives of his audiences in a positive way.
Most people think that having talent is the only thing you need to become successful in the music industry. Today, the music world has a sea of artists, making it competitiveand tricky to break through.
Josymar “Llay” Freire is a singer, songwriter, and vocal producer of Cape-Verdean and Guinean origins from Portugal. As a promising talent in the music scene, Llay has proved to his audience that he has what it takes to crack the ceiling in the music industry.
Llay has a unique genre for his music by incorporating R&B, hip-hop, and trap alongside Kizomba, Zouk, and Afrobeat.
Josymar “Llay” Freire’s career as a music artist began in his teenage years. He was so enthusiastic about music that he held small parties to promote his music by creatingvenues and hiring clubs for the events.
Llay’s first EP release in 2015, dubbed “Vou te Pegar,” has over 2.2 million views to date. Llay’s band produced the song, which features DJ Waldo, and the unique blend ofdiverse styles is irresistible. Some of his fans had this to say “This track is the best!
Amazing! Great clip, qualitysingers! Keep up the high standards and keep themcoming!”. “The incredible mix of Kizomba and Afrobeat is out of this world. We want more of this!”
Later, LLay and his Exl band released two singles, and his audience couldn’t get enough of them. Llay was on a mission to meet his fans’ demands, and indeed he didn’tdisappoint them! The singles opened a golden opportunity for Llay to participate in one of the biggest AfroLatino Festivals in Latvia.
This propelled Llay’s music career to higher heights and he produced three more singles to satisfy his fans’ requests.
After, Josymar “Llay” Freire felt the urge to go his own way and immediately produced his first solo, “Toca No Meu Body,” produced by DJ Pausas.
The single, which has aunique sound, caused a storm in the Portuguese music scene. The song was featured in Portugal’s biggestAfro/Kizomba Youtube channel called “Mais Kizomba.”
You can’t remain glued to your seat when you listen toLlay’s songs – you will always find yourself up and dancing to the vibrations of the Kizomba and Afrobeat touch in his music.
Llay’s unique tunes are simply breathtaking and have given him a name on notable music platforms. Hismusic has been featured on GlobalZoukGalaxy Channel, Radio Television Timor Leste, and Afro Music Channel, one of the biggest Afro pop channels across Europe and West Africa.
Josymar “Llay” Freire has released more captivating singles: “No Talking” and “Too Much,” his latest single thatis dominating the Portugal music airwaves. Llay hasamassed over 41,000 followers through his Instagram account and the number is growing daily.
Llay advises young up-and-coming artists and producers to be committed, zealous, and appreciate what they are doing; their hard work will manifest and pay off one day.
Be aware of what your fans are looking for and be creative enough to develop a unique sound and style that will make a name for you in the industry.
Back in 2002, some rap fans were ready to declare Common’s music career dead after he released the heavily panned Electric Circus album. However, the Chicago-bred emcee returned to form three years later with the now-classic Be.
Part of Be‘s critical success was due to the production provided by Kanye West. Common then teamed up with his G.O.O.D. Music label boss again for the well-received, chart-topping Finding Forever in 2007.
Apparently, the two Hip Hop legends were supposed to connect for a third installment in their rapper-producer tag team. Common talked about missing out on securing a threepeat with Kanye West during a recent interview with The Coda Collection.
“If there’s anything that I sometimes wish is I wished I would have did a third [album] with Kanye. I will say that. It’s very rare I’d be like, ‘Man, I should’ve did this or wish I did this.’ Because everything happens in its divine time,” said Common. “But I would’ve loved to have done a third album with Ye. And maybe that’ll happen at some other point. But at that time it would have been really dope.”
The Grammy and Oscar winner added, “Because I still was on G.O.O.D. Music, I was like, ‘Hey, check this out. I’m working with Pharrell here.’ He hopped in and he listened to it and was like, ‘Yo, that’s dope.’ Then it was a couple of joints like he would hop on, just to do some vocals. Obviously, we have songs that we recorded that didn’t make Finding Forever or Be, but we didn’t start a third project.”
While Be and Finding Forever are among Common’s most celebrated bodies of work in his catalog, Electric Circus was viewed by many listeners as a musical experiment that did not live up to expectations. It was seen by some reviewers as too far removed from the sound that was associated with the Soulquarian.
“Man, I’m so proud of that album,” said Common about Electric Circus. “It’s something about being an artist and taking chances and taking risks and being true to where you are as an artist at the time that eventually kind of builds its a strength and builds a superpower and almost a respect. Even if people didn’t like a particular album, they still be like, ‘Okay, you went there and you were being yourself. We know you ain’t just chasing money, you ain’t just chasing the hype, you really actually an artist.'”
He added, “I think the rollercoaster that happens for all of us in life and through being an artist, people respect that and they gravitate to that. They might talk about you at the time where you’re low, but when you go back up they’re like, ‘Yeah, that’s what I’m talking about.’ They like seeing that victory and fight in you. So my personal opinion about Electric Circus, the reason why I say I’m proud of it is because I went to what I was feeling. I wasn’t like, ‘Yo, let me try to do another Like Water for Chocolate or let me try to do another Resurrection.’ Because you know, people always say, ‘Man, where’s Resurrection? I need another Resurrection.’ But, I did Resurrection. I can’t go back and be that same age.”
Common went on to talk about how he was listening to and influenced by Jimi Hendrix, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Radiohead, and Stereolab at the time he was creating Electric Circus. He chose to pass on boom-bap beats which apparently frustrated his production team of Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson and J Dilla.
“I was ridiculed and talked about and it wasn’t received good and that’s never a good feeling, but I felt victory in doing something that I felt I was true to. And I’m a dreamer so I felt like, ‘Man, they’re going to get to it sooner or later,'” explained Common, before adding, “But in my heart, I’m proud of it. I’m grateful for it. I think it’s one of the most significant albums in my career.”
Unexpected situations connected to the ongoing criminal case involving Tory Lanez and Megan Thee Stallion continue to play out in public. The latest chapter in the legal drama happened at this year’s Rolling Loud Miami festival.
Tory Lanez showed up at Rolling Loud as a special guest during DaBaby’s set on Sunday. That surprise appearance at the Hard Rock Stadium could land Lanez in hot water with a Los Angeles County judge for being in too close proximity with Megan Thee Stallion.
Tory’s accused of shooting Megan in the foot last summer, and Rolling Loud sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ… she and her team at the festival were very upset about him appearing on stage with DaBaby less than an hour after she finished her set. That’s because a judge issued a protective order following the alleged shooting incident, requiring Tory to stay at least 100 yards away from Megan… and we’re told she was still backstage when he took the stage with DaBaby.
Tory Lanez (born Daystar Peterson) was formally charged with one felony count each of assault with a semiautomatic firearm, personal use of a firearm, and carrying a loaded, unregistered firearm in a vehicle. He pled not guilty to all charges. If convicted, Lanez reportedly faces a maximum sentence of 22 years and eight months in state prison.
The Canadian rapper/singer has repeatedly suggested he is the victim of a conspiracy and smear campaign orchestrated by powerful people associated with Megan Thee Stallion. However, Tory Lanez has yet to present any concrete evidence to back up those allegations.
Both Tory Lanez and Megan Thee Stallion have subtly and overtly addressed the Hollywood Hills shooting in their music and on social media. Lanez used his 2020 album titled Daystar to push back on the accusations leveled at him. Megan Thee Stallion dissed her alleged shooter on her debut studio LP Good News that same year.
It appears Jeffery “Young Thug” Williams is close to dropping another body of work. The Atlanta-raised rhymer was the latest recording artist to take part in NPR’s Tiny Desk (Home) concert series, and the performance included a glimpse into what is coming next from the YSL leader.
Young Thug debuted four new songs – “Die Slow,’ “Droppin Jewels,” “Hate The Game,” and “Tick Tock” – while performing in the intimate setting. He also ran through a Rock version of “Ski” from the chart-topping Slime Language 2 compilation. Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker joined Thug for “Ski.”
During the 13-minute Tiny Desk set, Young Thug also subtly teased the release date for his next studio album which is tentatively titled Punk. The back of his t-shirt features the date October 15, 2021.
Young Thug’s Tiny Desk (Home) is already a Top 10 trending video on YouTube. The Tom Kirk-directed NPR Music production has pulled in more than 270,000 views and 24,000 likes on the platform in its first 16 hours.
Besides performing at The Houdini Estate in Los Angeles for Tiny Desk, Young Thug was also on the bill for last weekend’s Rolling Loud Miami festival. Thugger used his performance in Florida to preview tracks from Punk.
“I’m about to put this album out, right? It’s called Punk. If I can perform something off of the album, say hell yeah!” Young Thug told the Rolling Loud Miami crowd on July 24. He also introduced a new pink aesthetic for his latest album era.
— STRAPPED! | Hip-Hop/Rap News (@STRAPPEDUS) July 25, 2021
Punk will follow 2019’s So Much Fun which opened at #1 on the Billboard 200 chart with 131,000 first-week units. Young Thug’s debut studio LP is currently certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America.
Over the last decade, Young Thug has released numerous mixtapes including I Came from Nothing, Barter 6, Slime Season, Jeffery, and Beautiful Thugger Girls. He also collaborated with Future for Super Slimey and Chris Brown for Slime & B. The latter project hosts the Hot 100 Top 5 hit “Go Crazy.”
According to reports, Kanye West is currently residing in Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium as he finalizes his upcoming Donda album. The G.O.O.D. Music record label founder shared a photograph of what appears to be his living quarters in the venue.
The Instagram post of the small room shows a mattress, a digital wall clock, a mounted flat-screen television, and a single locker. There is also a suitcase, clothing, footwear, and hand weights located in the space.
On July 22, Kanye West previewed Donda during a public listening event that took place at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Many of the Hip Hop superstar’s fans were expecting the project to drop the following day, but it did not come out on July 23 as his followers had hoped.
Plus, Kanye West was reportedly seen in the Mercedes-Benz Stadium during an Atlanta United soccer game over the last week. A photo of a face-covered man said to be West began spreading on social media. Stories then began circulating that the 44-year-old, Atlanta-born entertainer was living inside the home of the Atlanta Falcons.
So apparently Kanye West is still walking around Mercedes-Benz Stadium in his #DONDA release party fit. 💀😂 pic.twitter.com/JTwCpKXKzr
The Donda album is named after Kanye West’s late mother Donda West, a former English professor at Clark Atlanta University. Donda West passed away in 2007 as a result of complications from cosmetic surgery procedures.
Kanye West apparently tapped Lil Baby, Lil Durk, Travis Scott, Playboi Carti, Roddy Ricch, 2 Chainz, Pusha T, Jay-Z, and other artists as featured guests for Donda. The forthcoming studio LP will be West’s first full-length solo album since 2019’s Jesus Is King.
This week, DaBaby found himself in the crosshairs of social media. The North Carolina-bred rap star born Jonathan Lyndale Kirk is facing criticism for his perceived homophobic comments at the Rolling Loud Miami festival.
“If you didn’t show up today with HIV, AIDS, or any of [those] deadly sexually transmitted diseases, that’ll make you die in two to three weeks, then put your cellphone lighter up,” said DaBaby at the Hip Hop event.
In addition, DaBaby told the Rolling Loud Miami crowd, “Ladies, if your p#### smell like water, put your cellphone lighter up. Fellas, if you ain’t sucking a n####’s dick in the parking lot, put your cellphone lighter up.”
DaBaby has now offered an apology for singling out people with HIV/AIDS during his Rolling Loud Miami performance. The Blame It on Baby album creator took to Twitter to share his mea culpa while also mentioning Black Americans being assaulted by law enforcement officers.
“I tell fans to put a cellphone light in the air y’all start a Million Man March. ✊🏽I told you y’all digested that wrong 🤷🏽♂️but I ain’t gone lie I’m impressed. Now show this same amount of support when a racist cop [kills] one of our black ass…YA NOT 😂,” tweeted DaBaby on Tuesday afternoon.
The 29-year-old Interscope recording artist added, “Anybody who done ever been [affected] by AIDS/HIV y’all got the right to be upset, what I said was insensitive even though I have no intentions on offending anybody. So my apologies. 🙏🏽But the LGBT community… I ain’t trippin on y’all, do you. Y’all business is y’all business.”
I tell fans to put a cellphone light in the air y’all start a million man March.✊🏾
I told you y’all digested that wrong 🤷🏾♂️but I ain’t gone lie I’m impressed.
Now show this same amount of support when a racist cop kill one of our black ass…YA NOT 😂
Anybody who done ever been effected by AIDS/HIV y’all got the right to be upset, what I said was insensitive even though I have no intentions on offending anybody. So my apologies 🙏🏾
But the LGBT community… I ain’t trippin on y’all, do you. y’all business is y’all business.
& for any brands, networks, or artists that like to profit off of black rappers influence on the culture, without understanding it or having the patience to deal with what comes with the position we play in our culture.
Keep yo money next time us “N#####” human too.#GodBless
This summer, Chicago native Chance the Rapper and his nonprofit Social Works will partner with educator and author Bri McLean to feed the minds and the bellies of the food insecure in his city.
The three-time GRAMMY award-winning artist announced the collaboration, one inspired by freedom fighters of the 70s, on social media.
He captioned his retweet of a @BlockClubCHI post, “We wanna build literacy and community through a new free breakfast program inspired by the Panthers. If u kno a family with young children in West Chatham, Englewood, North Lawndale or East Garfield Park send them my way! This programming and these materials are lifechanging!!”
We wanna build literacy and community through a new free breakfast program inspired by the Panthers’. If u kno a family with young children in West Chatham, Englewood, North Lawndale or East Garfield Park send them my way! This programming and these materials are lifechanging!! https://t.co/cjpluvGChY
— Chance The Rapper (@chancetherapper) July 27, 2021
Books are targeted to students ages 3-8, but the spots are limited (making speedy registration important. In addition to free breakfast and books, they will be offering free family portraits to the community.
The nonprofit’s IG gave more information, including the four dates and locations.
“A post promoting the four events on Instagram says, “Alright alright so you know our founder @chancetherapper LOVES the kids so he’s back at it with another program called “Books & Breakfast” in partnership with a good friend and incredible educator, Ms. Bri McLean!
Books & Breakfast provides culturally responsive early literacy programming and materials that support families and communities to build a love for reading in their youth ages 3-8. This program launches July 31st at various Chicago Park District branches throughout the city.”
Chance is not just calling for the community to come out but asking for people to volunteer to help. If people are interested, they should hit them up here or DM on IG.
He continued his rant and said, “Ladies, if your p#### smell like water, put your cellphone light in the air. Fellas, if you ain’t sucking dick in the parking lot, put your cellphone lighter up.”
The “Montero” artist’s pops took to social media to address the anti-gay comments. In his Instagram story, captured by @amadijuana, he said “Bruh sit down you had your time.”
The image that Daddy X posted was of his son with DaBaby and played a song that the two artists made together called “Panini.”
The LGBTQ community has taken issue with DaBaby, calling for a boycott of his music.
DaBaby posted a video on his Instagram Live that said that his fans are both gay and straight, believing that if you weren’t at the show, you shouldn’t worry about what was said.
“I wasn’t going on a rant. That’s called a call to action. That’s what that’s called, ’cause I’m a live performer,” he concluded. “I’m the best live performer.”
