Rick Ross has once again weighed in on the beef between Kanye West and Drake, this time sharing a text Drake sent him.
Ross appeared on SiriusXM’s “The Mike Muse Show” to promote his new book, “The Perfect Day to Boss Up: A Hustler’s Guide to Building Your Empire.”
It was during that discussion that he gave his take on the recently reignited feud between the pair.
Host Mike asked the Miami rapper his thoughts on the beef, with Ross saying, “I love it.” Ross stated that he had spoken to Drake just last night and revealed a text he received from him that was, “so powerful,” which said, “Everything is unfolding. I’m about to be as free as a bird. And he put the caption of the owl”
He replied to Drake with, “the only thing I could say” which was “hahahaha! Because to me, “I understand the genius to both of these artists, and I understand this is nothing personal to them.”
“This is two levels of creativity inspiring each other. Because they both are right now thinking of the artwork, thinking of the credits. Where do we place what color is this, and to me, it only makes the game that much more genius, that much more valuable. Watching Kanye doing listening events in the Mercedes-Benz Stadium,” he says of Ye’s first two listening events. “You know what that is for a black artist? It wasn’t many years ago they wouldn’t even let a Black man into those types of arenas and now just to present my LP to some of my most valuable fans, we just going to listen, I’m not going to say one word.”
He says what the two are doing is just Hip-Hop and downplays Ye sharing Drake’s address. “Who didn’t have Drake address already? It’s the only hundred-million-dollar estate in Canada. So, if you don’t understand what’s going on, you would’ve thought that was personal. It really wasn’t. That’s just them getting ready for as Drake said ‘everything unfolding.’”
Busta Rhymes became a trending topic on social media this week after the Hip Hop veteran decided to share his views on COVID-19 mask mandates. Footage of the 49-year-old entertainer railing against mask wearing went viral on Tuesday.
“COVID can suck a d###. All these little weird-ass government policies and mandates, suck a d###. They’re trying to take our civil liberties away,” Busta Rhymes told a crowd at a concert in St. Louis.
The Extinction Level Event 2: The Wrath of God album creator added, “No human being is supposed to tell you that you can’t even breathe freely. F### your mask. I’m saying. Some of y’all might feel differently, but f### your mask.”
The resurfaced rant from the Seoul Tacos 10th Anniversary Block Party in June caused a lot of commotion online. Busta Rhymes was widely criticized for what was seen as spreading misinformation about the value of using masks during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Political journalist Roland Martin is one of those critics taking issue with what Busta Rhymes had to say about mask-wearing. The former CNN contributor used time on his Roland Martin Unfiltered show to slam Busta Rhymes for his remarks.
“What we are witnessing are people who have significant platforms, who sound about as dumb as Donald Trump about injecting bleach and sunlight into your body and it’s going to come out of your body,” said Roland Martin.
He continued, “Busta Rhymes, you are a rapper. You are a successful rapper. You are one of the best rappers. But you don’t know s### about science or medicine. Do I respect your rap game? Yes… But on this topic, you don’t know what the hell you’re talking about.”
Roland Martin went on to point out that hospitals across the country are currently treating large amounts of unvaccinated patients who contracted COVID-19. He also brought up Busta Rhymes admitting to having “breathing issues” in the past which could make him susceptible to coronavirus.
The CDC recommends anyone who is fully vaccinated should still wear a mask indoors in public if they are in an area of substantial or high transmission and individuals over the age of 2 who are not fully vaccinated should wear a mask in indoor public places.
The FDA has taken to Twitter to discourage people from taking part in the latest viral social media trend, the “milk crate challenge.”
The challenge is currently taking social media by storm with new videos popping up every minute, including some posted by your favorite rappers!
Now, comedian and talk show host Conan O’Brien, eager to responsibly participate himself has taken to Twitter explaining why his milk crate challenge video is yet to emerge.
He explained that he is, of course, “waiting for FDA approval before I take the milk crate challenge.”
Hilariously, the Food and Drug Administration responded, however, their reply was unsurprising saying, “Although we regulate milk, we can’t recommend you try that. Perhaps enjoy a nice glass of 2% and return all those crates to the grocery store?”
It is unclear whether or not Conan has followed their recommendation.
The milk crate challenge involves participants climbing to the top of a pyramid of milk crates then climbing back down again without falling off or breaking the pyramid. Social media is awash with videos of people falling painfully to the ground after failing the challenge.
Snoop has called the challenge “The bridge of death” asking who thought up the craze in the first place.
Dr. Rajwinder Deu, a professor of orthopedic surgery at John Hopkins University said the risk of injury is too high. “Everything depends on your fall, what angle you fall and what part of your body hits the ground first,” Dr. Deu said.
He says that Torn ligaments, fractured wrists, and dislocated hips are just some of the injuries challengers could receive. He further says that the wrong move could lead to paralysis and death. The doctor says, “this challenge doesn’t make any sense safety-wise.”
PnB Rock has been sentenced to probation after cops searched his home and found him in possession of weed and a stolen gun. He pleaded guilty on Monday and was ordered to complete 100 hours of community service.
In January 2019, Philly rapper PnB Rock was arrested after Bensalem Police searched his Pennsylvania home. The police obtained the warrant after an investigation that began in November 2018 as a result of numerous complaints of loud parties and constant weed smoke coming from his home.
Executing the search warrant, cops found approximately five pounds of marijuana, scales, packaging material, over $33,000 in cash, and a stolen .40 caliber Glock handgun. Both PnB, born Rakim Hasheem Allen, and his girlfriend, Stephanie Sibounheuang were arrested. In September 2019, Stephanie pleaded guilty to possession of a controlled substance and was sentenced to six months of probation.
In court, this Monday, PnB pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to deliver and one count of receiving stolen property. Bucks County President Judge Wallace H. Bateman sentenced PnB to 36 months of probation on each count, running concurrently. The judge further ordered PnB to complete 100 hours of community service and allowed his supervision to be transferred to California.
Earlier this month, PnB took to Instagram to display an impressive collection of gold and platinum plaques saying, “Sometimes I be forgetting I’m that N####…THESE bring me back to reality LOL ALOT MISSIN BUT YALL GET IT.”
Days after addressing the issue on the Summer Jam Stage, DaBaby jumped on BIA’s “Whole Lotta Money” jokingly calling himself a “canceled ass”. He also mockingly fake-cries and brings out tissues to wipe away his tears, rapping, “Yeah, whole lotta n##### with Glocks and pistols/Whole lotta hundreds in knots, they Crip blue/ N##### think I’m somewhere cryin’ with tissues/Certified, internet or not, I’ll get with you.”
Doubling down on the mockery, as the camera pans to him crying, the words “Starring DaBaby canceled ass” appear on the screen.
Keeping on theme with the track’s title he raps about his wealth throughout, mentioning the nine-acre estate he bought in 2019 and earning eight figures in 2020. Referencing the popular U.S sprinter he raps about running, “laps around all of these n##### just like Sha’Carri Richardson.”
Watch: DaBaby – Whole Lotta Money (FREESTYLE)
The video features footage from DaBaby’s performance at Summer Jam this weekend which also brought its own controversy. He opened the set with a pre-recorded video thanking Hot97 and again explaining he never intended to offend anyone. However, he then went on to say, live, “Other than the people that, you know, was truly offended, I feel like the rest of y’all m############ being cry-babies.”
DaBaby had been pulled from numerous festival line-ups following the controversy surrounding him.
This Saturday, DaBaby is slated to perform at Boosie Badazz’s Boosie Bash at Southern University’s A.W. Mumford Stadium. The show also features sets from artists including Lil Baby, Coi Leray, Mooski, Bobby Shmurda, Jacquees, and Morray. Boosie has publicly defended DaBaby’s homophobic comments several times.
Earlier this month, Tory Lanez released his first NFT album, “When it’s Dark” on 10 August, available exclusively on E-NFT.com. Reports claim a million copies sold in just 60 seconds in what is being dubbed “the first-ever music streaming NFT.”
A second round of NFTs dropped yesterday, August 24, giving fans another chance to cop the album. However, it seems that once again, all copies of the album have sold out!
Tory took to Instagram to celebrate and to explain that he’s about to make a lot of money and change the game in the process!
Visibly elated he shouts at the camera, “Yes…yes…yes! Y’all got to understand what’s going on right now. I’m not gonna beg you to make this fu*king money. I sat there and I wondered for a long time how imma get back right. They took every single avenue away from me,” he says referring to his recent troubles in the media. He continues, “I immediately went to praying. God show me a way. When the world is standing against me show me a different way.”
He continues, explaining he released his latest album, “When It’s Dark” as an NFT, “One dollar for the NFTs, some of those copies is going for $60,000! See how small the seller’s list is, it’s over! I cracked the whole sh*t. No more middle man. All you artists fu*k your label! Y’all gone get paid and your fans gone get paid.”
Tory claims to be revolutionizing the music industry saying, “This the digital trap house. Understand, look into it, do your research this is revolutionary history in the making! The lowest copy right now is going for $30,000!”
He goes on to say each copy was sold for a dollar and can now sell for $100,000. Watch the full video below.
The NFT album is advertised as sold out and lists varying resale prices from sellers.
(Image credit: E-NFT)(Image credit: E-NFT)
Tory Lanez was back in court this week and received a final warning from the judge not to violate the restraining order obtained against him by Megan Thee Stallion.
Megan Thee Stallion has accused her record label of doing anything they can to block her newest song coming out. She has a remix out soon with BTS and is going to court to make sure it comes out!
According to TMZ, they have obtained new court papers which show these claims. Megan states that her label, 1501 Certified Entertainment, and label boss, Carl Crawford, are blocking the release of her track with BTS.
TMZ reports that in the paperwork, Meg explains that she collaborated with the K-Pop group on a remix to their hit song “Butter”. The track is due to be released on Friday and her label is trying to prevent it from coming out.
The Houston bred artist thinks that releasing the song “Butter” will help her to expand her international fan base, borrowing from the Korean group’s huge international reach. Megan claims her record label told her they don’t believe the song would be beneficial for her career as a recording artist.
However, Megan claims that is just an excuse and not the real reason they’re trying to prevent the song from dropping. She believes that 1501 is trying to force her to pay them a 6-figure sum to sign off on the track.
This is not the first time she has had legal issues with her label. She previously accused them of blocking her from dropping new music because she wanted to renegotiate her contract. A contract she signed when she was only 20 years old.
She also won that case, obtaining an order from the court to prohibit 1501 and former MLB star Carl Crawford from blocking the release of her new music. It is this order she claims they are currently violating and it appears as though the judge agrees.
The latest update from TMZ states the judge ruled in Megan’s favor. Her remix of the BTS track will be released as scheduled.
BTS took to Twitter to confirm Megan’s “Butter” remix will be out this Friday, August 28.
Chicago rapper Kanye West is legally changing his name to “Ye.” He said he would do this years ago, but this time he seems to have moved to make the change official.
The 44-year-old has filed a motion with a Los Angeles court to legally change his birthname, Kanye Omari West to his popular nickname.
Image from TMZ
Names are incredibly important to one’s identity as they connect us to our families, culture, and community. Kanye’s name, one given to him by his mother, means “Let’s give (God praise)” in Nigerian Igbo. In one Hawaiian dialect, it means “free.”
His middle name Omari means a few things. In Swahili, it means “God the Highest.” However, in Hebrew, it means “he that speaks too much, talkative.” In Arabic, Omari means “flourishing, long-lived.” In all three versions of this second name, he has live up to the fullness of their meanings.
His surname, given to him by his father, links him to a heritage that he has passed on to his own children, North West, Saint West, Chicago West, and Psalm West.
This is not the first time he tried to change his name.
Back in 2018, he tweeted that he was no longer going to be called by his given name. He dramatically wrote, “The being formally [sic] known as Kanye West. I am YE.”
So … why would he change his name to “Ye” and not “Yeezy” or “Yeezus,” two other popular names that he has gone by over the years. In 2018, when promoting his album Ye, he said on the Big Boy radio show in L.A. that the name was biblical.
“I believe ‘ye’ is the most commonly used word in the Bible, and in the Bible, it means ‘you,'” he shared. “So I’m you, I’m us, it’s us. It went from Kanye, which means the only one, to just Ye – just being a reflection of our good, our bad, our confused, everything. The album is more of a reflection of who we are.”
The problem is … that is just an old English translation of you. The Hebrew and Greek are totally different and so depending on what part of the bible or the translation of the bible, “ye” might not even appear in it.
I have been very optiministic about the prospects of Saweetie and Quavo getting back together. Anybody that has experienced young love knows it can be complicated and messy. Also, we know these people just finding themselves and figuring stuff out. Then, on top of that, imagine the world having an opinion on your private relationship? Newsflash: it would be exponentially harder!
So, imagine the joy I felt hearing that they may be getting back together? It ain’t like Beyonce or Jay-Z breaking up, but it is cool. They’re a cute little couple like third grade love. According to the rumor, they are working on their relationship every privately and quietly. I like that. They need to continue to do that as much as they can. It will be hard but, if they can, they may got the full length.
Quavo, 30, and Saweetie, 28, are on good terms once again. The rappers had a dramatic breakup back in March 2021 after nearly three years of dating, but now a source says they’ve recently reconnected and have been enjoying their time together. “Saweetie and Quavo are currently both in New York and have quietly been spending time together on the DL,” a music insider EXCLUSIVELY told HollywoodLife. “Quavo has missed Saweetie since they broke up and he’s been asking to see her. Apparently she gave in because they linked up in NY and have hung out since they’re both there at the same time.”While all seems well with the exes, the source did note that Quavo and Saweetie are not back together — yet. “Nothing is official as of the moment, but don’t be surprised if you hear they’ve reconciled,” the insider said. HollywoodLife reached out to both star’s reps for comment, but we haven’t heard back.
HollywoodLife.com
They broke up March of this year! I thought it was longer than that, but that’s how we are moving these days! Good luck!
There is a scene in the new Power series, Power Book III: Raising Kanan, that many young people from the hood automatically understood.
The scene is when Little Kanan is confronted by some schoolyard bullies and ran away because they got the best of him.
His mother, being no-nonsense and tough as nails, gets a sock, fills it with his toys, and tells him to go back out there to fight. “Use whatever is around you, because there is no such thing as a fair fight,” one mother from West Philly might have said.
This scene, though familiar to a lot of kids from the hood, was lifted directly from one of the showrunner’s life. Rapper turned film producer and actor, Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson, said that his mom toughened him up using the old toy in sock method.
“[There’s a scene] from the first episode where [titular character] Kanan gets beat up and he goes back in the house and his mother puts the toys in the socks,” the “Get Rich or Die Tryin” rapper told The New York Post. “That really happened; that was from my life.”
“I got bumped around a lot in the park but I was more afraid of my mom than the people I got bumped around [by] because I could not escape her. She being a single mom at that point — she was everything,” he continued to speak about the woman that gave him life, but died by the time he was eight.
“She was my mom and my dad and she was tough so I didn’t know when it was OK to be emotional and when it wasn’t,” he explained. “She would look at me on the floor [when he was upset] and say, ‘Get up — what you over there crying for acting like a little girl [for].’
“She would get mad at you and you say, ‘Oh s–t — it’s not OK to be hurt this time.’ OK, so let me get up. So she determined when she should be soft and when she should be firm.”
His mother Sabrina may have died before she saw her son’s accomplishments, but she most certainly did not transition before embedding him a sense of legacy and pride.
At 11:00 a.m. Sunday morning (August 21), the Los Angeles Police pulled over Drakeo the Ruler while he was a passenger in an Uber car and arrested him for having a weapon.
The We Know the Truth rapper captured the whole ordeal on his social media, prompting many fans to ask the question, “How did they know he was in the car service?”
The answer to that question is simple: the windows on the car were tinted too darkly.
Drakeo The Ruler arrested on IG live earlier today after his Uber driver got pulled over for tinted windows.👀
Even though he did have a weapon on him, many are shocked that he would be searched and arrested since he and his small child were passengers in the ride.
“Who ever heard of someone get pulled over on a Sunday morning at 11 a.m. with their toddler son, while riding in the back of an Uber, WHOSE ONLY VISIBLE CRIME WAS HAVING TINTED WINDOWS? It would be ridiculous if it wasn’t so glaringly sinister.”
Who ever heard of someone get pulled over on a Sunday morning at 11 a.m. with their toddler son, while riding in the back of an Uber, WHOSE ONLY VISIBLE CRIME WAS HAVING TINTED WINDOWS?
It would be ridiculous if it wasn't so glaringly sinister.
“If you don’t think the LA Sheriff’s and the LAPD have been watching Drakeo’s every move and IG story since he came home — and listening to every song — I have a tunnel on 2nd Street to sell you.”
If you don't think the LA Sheriff's and the LAPD have been watching Drakeo's every move and IG story since he came home — and listening to every song — I have a tunnel on 2nd Street to sell you.
The rapper, who just was released from a prison sentence in November 2020 (after making a plea deal) is no stranger to struggles with the law. After being acquitted in 2019 from his last attempted murder case, a D.A. refiled the case on a gang conspiracy charge.
It makes it easy to see why he thinks the law is not on his side.
He just wants a shot to live as a free citizen and is currently out on $35,000 bail.
Lil Uzi Vert is not here for Kanye West’s ministry and has taken to Twitter to call him out as a “fake pastor.” But does he really feel this way or is the Philadelphia rapper trying to insert himself into the Drake vs. Kanye news cycle.
The boy with the diamond-encrusted in his head tweeted his thoughts out with a laughing with tears emoji. In a post that has now been deleted, the “The Way Life Goes” rapper stated, “Kanye a fake pastor.”
Despite him removing the tweet swiftly, fans still saw it and commented. One said, “U mad u got left off Donda.” To which Uzi Vert responded, “Chill bro before he don’t send my head bag-mask thing.”
This is not the first time that the Uzi Vert publicly bashed Kanye, aiming at his religion and his sincerity as a friend.
He said, “On some real s###, Kanye West ain’t fu**in’ with me.” The video had “Praise Da Lord” typed across the front.
Kanye saw the video message and reposted it, seemingly with a tongue-in-cheek level of unbothered-ness. The “Jesus is King” rapper tweeted, “I love UZI. I be saying the same thing about Steve Jobs I be feeling just like UZI.”
Many think that Uzi is simply pushing his demonic rhetoric, which is anti-Ye’s Jesus trip.
“demonic uzi was your best era . you didn’t give af bout s###,” one fan stated in a separate post. Uzi Vert answers that he is “back on that.” Perhaps, he is using Kanye’s heat to slide in with some free promotion for his own new project.
R. Kelly had sex with a 17-year-old without using protection and gave her a painful sexually transmitted disease, according to the latest testimony from his ongoing sex trafficking trial.
Taking the witness stand at the Eastern District of New York courthouse in Brooklyn on Monday, Jane Doe number five, who allegedly dated the singer for five years, revealed she first met Kelly in 2015 when she was 17 at a show in Florida.
She explained someone from his entourage handed her a piece of paper with his cell phone number written on it and told her not to tell anyone about it. Kelly then offered her an audition to sing for him and she met up with the star days later when he allegedly performed oral sex on her.
The unnamed accuser then told the court that Kelly’s assistant booked plane tickets for her so she could visit the hitmaker on his tour stops, insisting the aide knew she was only 17.
Jane Doe claimed when she first had sex with Kelly, he didn’t use protection or disclose his sexually transmitted disease.
Shortly afterward, she started living with the singer at his home in Atlanta, Georgia, where he demanded she get permission from him or his assistant before leaving a room and made her urinate in a cup.
Jane Doe testified she and Kelly had sex almost every day during the summer of 2015, and he videoed their encounters.
The witness realized she had contracted herpes from Kelly when she “couldn’t physically even walk” telling the court through tears, “I felt this man had purposely given me something he knew he had.”
The testimony became darker as Jane Doe number five revealed she and Kelly received a letter of consent from her mother in September 2015, allowing the 17-year-old to live with him and be homeschooled in Chicago, Illinois.
She testified Kelly flew her to tour stops, and she became pregnant in 2017 when she was pressured to have an abortion, orchestrated by the star’s assistant.
She also claimed the singer told another live-in girlfriend he married the late singer Aaliyah when she was 15, so he could accompany her to get an abortion when she fell pregnant.
Her testimony follows several days of similar claims from other women.
Kelly was arrested over two years ago and has pleaded not guilty to the sex trafficking charges. If found guilty on all counts, he faces up to life in prison.
Just when you think that the Karen phenomenon was toning down, another video pops up showing a craze white woman racially profiling harmless Black folk.
This time, the white woman got checked by the most unlikely source — her white man.
Imagine going to the gas station to pump gas and out of the blue you see a drunk white couple arguing.
Because you are petty, you start filming the conflict (after all that’s what smartphones are for). Then once spotted, you and your party (who happens to be Black) become the center of attention.
And the white woman redirects her attention from her man, the one that she is loudly berating, and launches in on your man, who is politely pumping the gas (unlike you … you are recording her meltdown).
Next thing you know … her man is defending you two.
That’s exactly what happened to Nikki Harbor and her boyfriend, Isaac.
In an interview with TMZ, Harbor detailed the entire ordeal and explains why she recorded the Karen — whose real name is Erin.
In the initial video labeled “Pt. 2 Get in the car Erin” the man (said to be her husband) is telling the woman, “you are about to get your #ss beat, Erin.”
After repeating that a few times, she mumbles something about knowing Isaac. The man jumps in her face and says, “He don’t know you. You don’t know him.”
Still, the Gas Station Karen insisted that not only did she know Isaac, but that he was a crack dealer.
88 Killa is exactly what his name embodies: a killa on the mic.
Born in ‘88, the number simultaneously represents his favorite Dallas Cowboy player, Michael Irvin, “because it’s Cowboys for life out here.” Meanwhile, Killa is his ode to Dipset’s own Cam’Ron. He states, “Every time he’d say some cold-ass s###, he’d be like ‘Killa!’” When I was growing up, man, that s###’s super f###### tight. I fused those names together and it stuck.”
Pairing his relentless bars with his charismatic personality, 88 Killa was previously a member of Brain Gang, an influential punk-rap group that grew into fruition in the late 2000’s. Since then, he’s grown into his own as a solo artist, always bringing that old school hip-hop feel and pairing it with modern day elements.
Flexing his versatility and ability to both rap and sing, 88 Killa’s goal is to put on for his hometown of Fort Worth, Texas, while inspiring the masses that if he can do it, they can too. Now, he unleashes his newest project titled 88 Special, a project for the “G’s that ride in cars with leather interiors and keyless entry.”
AllHipHop caught up with 88 Killa, who was posted at work in Ft. Worth, Texas. Hailing from Ft. Worth, the blue-collar Metroplex sibling of the more glossy Dallas, has shaped Killa’s world and sound in every way. He stated, “I’m at work right now, I got one of my employees holding it down while I’m on this interview for a second. They play my stuff in the back so they know, they support the grind.”
AllHipHop: How would you describe yourself?
88 Killa: I’m a smooth-skinned, Black man living in America [laughs], wanting to rap and hold it down for the Gs. I don’t really have a sob story of being a loser or nothing like that when I was growing up. Always relatively had the juice, but I want to put on for the city. From a working-class city called Fort Worth, Texas, where we’re known for a little bit of being rough around the edges. We got a lot of cool gangster rappers out right now, but I want to hold it down for dudes that don’t really be on that type of time. Want to cruise and get money basically, and I’m a family man so I can’t really be out here on the streets being active.
AllHipHop: What was that like growing up in Fort Worth?
88 Killa: For the most part, it was cool. I got along with everybody. Grew up hanging with Mexicans, grew up hanging with the white boys that were into Jackass. Was real involved in high school band, so I was cool with the nerds. I mean, I’m a nerd myself in that regard. Knew a whole bunch of people. Fort Worth is real big on in-person, human-to-human contact. You really have to be about what you’re talking about because they see you and they’re going to call you out. If you get the support from them, it’s really special because they have a million and a half things going on to where they’re taking their time out of their day. You really gotta make them proud.
AllHipHop: You say there’s a lot of gangsta rappers out there. What artists you were looking up to?
88 Killa: I’ll get in trouble if I don’t mention a guy named Twisted Black. He’s the legend/mayor of Fort Worth. He’s been in jail. it’s been a rumor that he’s getting out. He’s one of our first acts where he was right on the cusp of breaking, then he went to jail. He’s really about street life. Someone more newer is a kid named Go Yayo, he was poppin’ it for a little bit. He still is, but I don’t really know what his whole realm is. I wouldn’t say I look up to him, but he’s definitely making a name for himself.
There’s another cat named Solo Lucci, he’s from here. Even though he gets portrayed being from LA or Hollywood, he’s from around the way. Everybody was super excited with him being on reality TV and doing records with Chris Brown. They put their flag in the ground and made a name for their perspective of the city, and I want to do the same for mine.
AllHipHop: What about artists you genuinely f### with outside of your area?
88 Killa: First and foremost is Cam’ron. That’s my hero of all time, #1 rapper despite them and their shenanigans in the last VERZUZ battle.
AllHipHop: Right? That was such a disappointment.
88 Killa: Man, don’t even get me started. Me and my homie, we’ve been sending each other records since the VERZUZ.” Yo they could have played this and it would have run off!” We still tight, but Camron for sure. It’s a Houston rapper named LE$, and Nipsey Hussle for sure. That was my guy before it was trendy. I took that one pretty hard when he transitioned away from us. Of course being from Texas, you gotta really do the whole UGK, SUC, screwed up culture. We really on that out here.
AllHipHop: What’s your favorite Nipsey song?
88 Killa: Oh my god, there’s a project he did with Bino Rideaux. It’s a project him and Bino did that kind of came out under the radar. It’s a song on there called “Never Gone Know.” Damn I’m terrible with song names, but really that whole project. It’s called the No Pressure EP. There’s this song with Dave East on there where Dave East rapped the best verse of his entire life on that song. Man, there’s too many songs. There’s “Keyz 2 to the City,” all of them.
AllHipHop: How would you describe your sound?
88 Killa: My sound is a little bit of a mix of DJ Quik and people have told me I sound a little bit like LL Cool J. I don’t see it, but I definitely see the Quik influence because that was my guy too. I love Quik, Suga Free, all them fools. I’m trying to fuse a modern-day Texas sound with those elements. There’s a weird connection between Cali and Texas, we have this love-hate relationship with each other. I fuse both of those cultures with my songs.
AllHipHop: When did you realize you wanted to do music for a living?
88 Killa: It started when I was mad young, I was really into Michael Jackson. At the time, I came up with this idea. I was going to be the ultimate background dancer. I was going to be this epic dancer. I used to pop-lock in a little breakdance crew. My sister was hating and said “Man, ain’t nobody gon’ buy tickets to see you moonwalk on stage. You got to sing or rap.” I said “Alright then, I’ma come up with some raps.”
More and more, I started rapping in the halls, but I was extra trash. It really took off: I was dating this girl in high school. I found her kissing this fool under the stairs. I made a little diss track about this fool, passed it around to the school. Had the streets on smash, aka the hallway. [laughs] From there, it started up talking s###. It spiraled and people kept supporting, so we’re here now.
AllHipHop: Why did you change your name from Killa MC?
88 Killa: I made Killa M.C. when I was 16, I thought that s### was cool. It really started off as a thing with Run-DMC, I was into them at the time. I was a real Hip-Hop purist like man, Run-DMC’s the ultimate group. But ultimately I reached a plateau with that name. People weren’t really responding as I wanted them to, especially as I got older. I rebranded myself, pulled a Diddy and said “I’m changing my name and changing my look.” Ever since then, I started picking up way more traction. From the same people I was around and the same network I was running through, it breathed a whole new energy into my stuff. Who knows, in a year or two I might change my name again. [laughs]
AllHipHop: “Mink Coat Melody” out now. What was the inspiration behind this record?
88 Killa: There was a huge show a couple years ago when I was in this rap crew. I was relatively known locally for wearing crazy outfits or crazy jackets during performing. I found this mink coat at a thrift store last minute before this show. This show had sold out, it was a really big deal because it was nothing but local artists that sold out this really renowned venue. None of us had radio play, it was all word of mouth, so it was a big deal for us.
When I hit the stage, the crowd really erupted with me having this mink jacket on. Nobody remembers anything I rapped this show, they remember this jacket. I started collecting jackets throughout the years. I’d show up and do shows, it’d be a thing. “Damn, Killa’s in his mink.” Or “he might show up in his mink.” To where now, sometimes people think I’m going to be checking the mail with the mink on. There’s a whole attitude you have to be prepared for when you put it on, you walk out in the streets because it brings a lot of attention to you. If my mink coat could rap, this is the song it would make. This is the energy it is when you have it on.
AllHipHop: How’d it feel playing the piano in the visual, with the mink on?
88 Killa: The piano was cool, you know real sexy video. My child’s mother was a little tight that it wasn’t her on the piano, but she wanted to babysit so I had to get somebody else. Other than that, it was cool. Ironically, we recorded that song the day before we shot the video. That’s how fast me and my homies are moving right now trying to get it done.
AllHipHop: You say the song’s one of your personal favorites. Why is that?
88 Killa: Yeah! It’s one of those songs where it sums up me, it sums up my energy. The video was shot real well and classy. It was simple and sleek. Everybody who was involved from the model in the video who’s a well-renowned singer here locally in the area, to the crew that filmed it, we’re all super excited and motivated to get something done. It’s hard to have that energy with everybody on the same page, so it’s a real fun moment in life. For it to pick up the steam it has done around here, that’s exciting because everybody feels like things are moving upward.
AllHipHop: Do you feel like real Hip-Hop is hard to be seen nowadays?
88 Killa: Yes and no. You got to know what you’re looking for. There’s got to be a balance to everything. I used to be one of those people that felt real Hip-Hop was hard to find, but who are we to define what real Hip-Hop is? If it’s always been a microphone of what’s been going on in a particular area. There’s always been silly stuff from the disco era on to now. You have to learn with all types of music, especially rap out now. Even though I don’t understand it, I do try to listen to it to figure out why it appeals to certain people, different frequencies and waves that it’s speaking because there’s something to learn from every aspect of it.
AllHipHop: What are you most excited for with 88 Special dropping this Friday?
I88 Killa: t’s been a while since I’ve put out some s###, so letting fools hear it and seeing what I’ve been up to. It’s been such a process for me because I’ve been trying to put this out for a while. It seems like life’s been like throwing punches left and right. Last year, Corona. Right before Corona, we found out we got a baby on the way. Damn!” We had the baby, we had that Corona. There was that whole roller coaster. Now the baby’s here, I’m watching her crawl around the house and put stuff together. Watching her little brain get into stuff.
I took from her saying if she wants something, she’ll go get it. There’s no concept of her being too little or not able to get it, she’s going to crawl over there and figure that out. Damn! I need to apply that to my real life. [laughs] I need to go get that s###. It’s fun watching her grow up. I want to make some stuff she’s going to be proud to say, “Yo, that was my dad. He was on some G s###.”
AllHipHop: What’s the best part of fatherhood?
88 Killa: Watching her grow up. Even though she’s only 11 months, she’ll be a year in September. Watching her brain put things together. I’m in an interracial relationship. Her end of the world, she sees her mom. She sees me. That’s her parents. There’s not any of these racial, weirdo s### that’s going on now. It’s just love. “Yo, can y’all feed me?” I want to be able to give her the life that I wanted more out of. To travel, to see, to taste foods, do all types of things. The possibilities are endless with her.
AllHipHop: Do you have any goals?
88 Killa: Yes, ma’am. The goal is to stay black, straight up. Put on for the city, put on for my fam, maintain a high level of integrity. I don’t have a financial goal because there’s no such thing as having enough money. I want to live comfortably, I want to live on my own terms. I want to do things I want to do. Most importantly, I want to be in a position where I can help others. I ultimately want to be a Birdman where I’m an artist and I come on with a hand rub, give you a couple of lines, and let the young homies take it. I’ve always wanted to put people in a position and show them you don’t have to do corny s###, so that’s the goal.
AllHipHop: Anything else you want to let the people know?
88 Killa: Support me, share my s###. Hit me up, I’ll talk back. I’m not somebody that’s too cool to reach out. If you come to the city, if you find yourself in Dallas, look me up. I’ll tell you where to go and tell you where not to go. What to eat, what not to eat. Let’s do this, let’s build it together.
8rooklyn 8atman is truly an anomaly in the world of Hip Hop.
The Brooklyn native began as a dedicated Times Square rapper, often hustling his CD to tourists. An unfortunate sequence of events led to incarceration, however, it would prove to be constructive for the youngster.
After his release, he published a book, ‘Seeds In The Concrete,’ which went on to sell over 5,500 copies. With that said, 8rooklyn 8atman’s talents aren’t confined to literature. As an artist, 8atman has already begun to make his presence felt, having toured 30 cities in the past month and a half to gear up for the release of his sophomore LP Plague of a Dark Generation.
8rooklyn 8atman follows up his first single “Chiddy Bang,” which received over 150,000 views on Youtube, with his new fun-filled music video for “8ruce Wayne”.
Directed by 8rooklyn 8atman, the visual depicts the hero taking on Harley Queens as they initiate an unprovoked attack against Brooklyn’s dark knight.
The single has already been receiving local airplay at NYC’s premier radio stations Hot 97 and Power 105, along with being accepted for playlisting by MTV. Check out the visual below and be on the lookout for his DJ Whoo Kid-hosted album, slated for release on September 10th.
If you were around in the 90’s – YOU KNOW WU-TANG CLAN WASN’T NOTHING TO F WITH!
But, it wasn’t just the Clan. A whole slew of other artists went hard in the paint! There were affiliated acts like Killarmy, Brooklyn Zu, Cappadonna, Killah Priest, 4th Disciple, Mathematics, Sunz of Man, True Master, Streetlife and Shyheim The Rugged Child. I can’t even begin to list them all! It was an all-out industry bumrush! They were all talented! They were DOPE, but none of them achieved the success of the Wu-Tang Clan. There’s nothing wrong with that – nobody really did! That said, time has caused some people to forget.
I think Nore is one of those people! We love NORE! He has successfully transitioned into a podcaster and makes massive WAVES. As a rapper, he made waves too. He recently said something that offended some folks, most notably Shyheim. In the Mickey Factz episode of “Drink Champs,” Nore called the Wu-Affiliates “flunkies.” I know that Wu-Tang’s guys have not gotten the big accolades they deserve, but that’s no reason to call them flunkies! Also, many of them have better rhyme skills than Noreaga! This is facts.
Back in the day, Shyheim was known as the “Rugged Child,” But now he is the Rugged Man like RA. He’s got stray gray hairs coming out of his beard! He let Nore know how he feels about being called a flunky. Before you say something slick, remember Shy rapped with Jay-Z, Big Daddy Kane, Tupac, Biggie Smalls and Wu.
There’s something about the West Coast sound that births the remix to Hip Hop’s New York roots some of us crave.
It’s the laid-back lyrical lemonade needed to quench our thirst. Setting authentic vibes and embedded in realness, we introduce Oakland, California’s Ms. Kash.
A pit bull in a skirt making boss moves and getting the job done is only one of many ways to describe this multifaceted Queen on the rise. Her talents ranging beyond her infamous pen and real spit. Ms. Kash is the future of Hip Hop.
She eats every time with no crumbs left; a flawless execution when she’s on the mic. No stranger to this, Ms. Kash delivers one melodic masterpiece after another creating a catalogue of hits, and survey says, she’s highly unlikely to ever miss.
Fresh off the heels of her “Bag Me Up” single, Ms. Kash is back and making her AllHipHop debut with her latest, “2FACED”. The track gives haters an unfiltered reality check and forces them to look in the mirror.
We’ve all had one or two who we thought had our best interest at heart but in reality, were our #1 haters: just plain “2FACED”.
Jeremy “Yung Bleu” Biddle was apparently arrested in Gainesville, Georgia for a suspended license. According to the “You’re Mines Still” performer, he was the victim of racial discrimination before being taken into custody.
Yung Bleu wrote on Instagram:
THESE GAINESVILLE, Ga POLICE OFFICERS are racially profiling us! They approached me and my team for absolutely nothing trying to buy a trailer for my tour at (Absolute Trailers) the owner was [an] old white guy who called the police talking about they suspect fraud! I was just trying to buy a trailer! The first officers walk up with hands on guns. Damn near drawn on us saying “What y’all doing here”… We have a brief back n forth and then as I leave the cop is sitting in the middle of the highway waiting on us. They trap and get behind me! Say my tag is obstructed but she clearly had her lights on [the] way before she saw the back of my car! 5 cars have pulled up on us since then! Saying we do fraud and all type of lies! I HAVE MORE VIDEO BUT I will use only as evidence. We did nothing wrong!
@bleuvandross Instagram
In addition, The Shade Room reports:
Yung Bleu revealed he never made it inside the trailer store. He said he was outside of the place for about 10 minutes before police showed up. Yung Bleu learned that cops were called for suspected fraud due to an alleged run-in last week. After a brief exchange, he was allowed to leave the scene because the officers had no probable cause at the time. Moments later, the rapper was pulled over by another police officer.
@theshaderoom Instagram
Around 8:20 pm ET, Yung Bleu updated his Twitter followers on his legal situation. The 27-year-old Alabama native tweeted, “I’m iight, back free! F### em! Thank y’all.”
He also jumped in The Shade Room comment section to write, “They made that tag s### up to stop me. [You] pulled me over before [you] even got behind me dumb and smiling [because you know you’re] racist.”
Yung Bleu dropped the Moon Boy album on July 23 via Vandross Music Group/Empire. The 15-track project features contributions by John Legend, H.E.R., Moneybagg Yo, Kodak Black, Kehlani, Big Sean, Jeezy, Drake, Gunna, Chris Brown, 2 Chainz, Davido, and A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie.
“Rumors” by Lizzo and Cardi B is a Billboard hit out the gate. The Ricky Reed-produced single opened at #4 on the most recent Hot 100 weekly chart.
Lizzo scored her highest Hot 100 debut with “Rumors.” Previously, “Truth Hurts” started on the tally at #50. That track eventually climbed to #1, giving Lizzo her only chart-topper to date.
In addition to “Rumors” and “Truth Hurts” making it into the Top 10, Lizzo also reached the region when “Good as Hell” peaked at #3 in 2019. Cardi B now has ten career Top Ten entries. Five of those records were Number Ones.
“Rumors” racked up 21 million streams in its first week of release. It was the third most-streamed song of the week behind The Kid LAROI & Justin Bieber’s current No. 1 “Stay” and Lil Nas X & Jack Harlow’s “Industry Baby.”
Lizzo’s latest offering also placed third on the list of the most-sold songs over the tracking period (25,200 units). Plus, “Rumors” opened atop the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and Hot Rap Songs charts, respectively.
I calmed down & I’m locked in.. AND MY RECORDS LIVE IN THE TOP TEN 🗣@IAMCARDIB !!!!
The first-week commercial success of “Rumors” led to Lizzo celebrating on social media. The Atlantic recording artist posted a short clip of herself dancing and lipsyncing to Cardi B’s verse which includes the Bronx-raised rapper saying, “My records live in the Top 10.”
Lizzo also tweeted, “B####!!!!! B####!!!!!!!!!!!!! @iamcardib WE DID IT SIS!!!!” In addition, the vocalist/flutist thanked her online supporters for streaming “Rumors.” This milestone Hot 100 moment came after Lizzo had to deal with being body-shamed and cyberbullied following the release of the “Rumors” music video.
Since the “Rumors” visuals arrived on YouTube, the video has amassed more than 20 million views. Lizzo and Cardi B’s “Rumors” also hit #1 on YouTube’s Top 100 Songs US chart, and it is still trending in the Top 5 for the platform’s music section.
