Savannah, Georgia rapper Quando Rondo was targeted by gunman who attempted to kill him yesterday morning.
According to the cops, the rapper stopped at a local convenience store in Blackshear, Georgia following his sparsely attended performance at an area nightclub.
The rapper, real name Tyquian Bowman, and his entourage were in the parking lot of the convenience store in around 3:00 a.m. when the shooting started.
A gunman lay in wait for Quando Rondo and his crew, across the street from the parking lot on a highway, when the shooting started.
One person with Quando Rondo’s crew was shot in the hand and had to be rushed to the hospital for treatment. By the time police arrived, Quando Rondo had fled the shooting scene.
Quando Rondo has been the subject of multiple threats of violence, after a beef with Chicago rapper King Von turned deadly.
Lil Wayne heaped praise and respect on late rapper DMX during a gig in Miami, Florida over the weekend.
The “Lollipop” hitmaker was performing as part of Trillerfest when he took a moment to honor the fallen star, who died on April 9th, aged 50.
Sharing a story about touring with DMX, Wayne said:
“When I was a younger kid, we used to be on tour a lot, right. Like six months a year. We used to have so many artists we didn’t need to have no opening acts ’cause we just needed another record label, and it was just us and them. So back then we went on this tour called The Cash Money/Ruff Ryders Tour.
“Being from New Orleans, it’s so far away from New York and Cali (California) and s### like that. We didn’t know if it was real when we seen it on TV, the New York guys, the L.A. people. So when we saw DMX, we all fell in love.”
He added, “When I got on tour with him, and now you’re in the hotel lobby, you’re backstage, you run into a n#### and he actually says something to you, and when you see this nihga talk like how he rap, and you see this n#### is what he is, and you see this n#### has a zillion dogs with him…, it’s impossible not to be obsessed, infatuated, impressed, whatever.”
Wayne’s tribute came a week after DMX’s family and friends staged a memorial service at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center in New York.
NLE Choppa allegedly got into a huge brawl on the beach, apparently over the weekend that just passed. First things first, people are calling him out on his meditation and enlightenment phase that seemingly has completely passed. As you all know this website has been interviewing NLE for quite some time, right when he started to pop. So we like him a lot. We also love to see that he was growing significantly, even though he was still a very young person. He’s made it a point to talk about being on a higher plane of existence. But is it real?
Well, here’s the deal. NLE Choppa seemingly got into a fight and caught a punch square on the jaw. In fact, the dude that got jumped by several of the crew allegedly only got in one punch. That punch looks like it hit “Choppa” flush. This COULD be completely fake quite frankly, because the video is extremely grainy. New technology, i.e. cell phones has a loud for a really crisp and clear video footage. HOWEVER, I saw another one and it has a more crispy look and appears to be Choppa. This version looks like something from the 80s or the 90s to be honest.
But, if it is NLE Choppa then he caught that SINGLE punch AND got beat up thoroughly for it. In the video a woman is yelling at them to break it up and saying stuff like “it’s not fair, but you know how things go. A fair one = a beat down. Now the fans are asking “Will the real Choppa please stand up?!” Also, where did these guys learn how to fight!?
Last month, Doja Cat scored another Top 10 hit with her latest offering “Kiss Me More.” The SZA-assisted song has peaked at #7 on the Hot 100 chart so far. Doja Cat’s “Say So” with Nicki Minaj climbed to #1 on the Billboard weekly tally in 2020.
“Kiss Me More” marks the first time the Doja Cat and SZA collaborated on a track together. Doja was asked about working with the Top Dawg Entertainment songstress during an interview with Capital XTRA Breakfast with Yinka and Shayna Marie.
“I feel like me and SZA are similar in the way that we both grew up with spiritual backgrounds, but she was perfect for this song,” said Doja Cat. “I feel like I say this every time. She was in my heart when I wrote this, and I needed her to be on the hook, and I needed her to put a verse because she brings a depth to everything that she does.”
The Los Angeles-based performer continued, “I went in writing the song, thinking it was just going to be about kissing and have silly metaphors for kissing, and things like that, but she took it to a level of ‘I need love. I need to be loved better. I need more love than what you’re giving to me.’ So that kind of vibe I feel like is important.”
"she was in my heart when I wrote this" – @DojaCat on collabing with @sza on 'kiss me more' 💌
“Kiss Me More” featuring SZA is expected to be the lead single from Doja Cat’s upcoming third studio album titled Planet Her. Previously, Doja dropped the studio LPs Amala in 2018 and Hot Pink in 2019. The latter project peaked at #9 on the Billboard 200 chart.
Meanwhile, SZA’s followers are waiting for the follow-up to 2017’s Ctrl. A recent tweet by Top Dawg Entertainment CEO Anthony “Top Dawg” Tiffith caused some fans to speculate that SZA is returning with a new body of work on May 7. However, there was also suspicion that Tiffith’s cryptic announcement was about Kendrick Lamar, Jay Rock, or Isaiah Rashad.
If the forthcoming TDE release is connected to SZA, it would arrive after the St. Louis-born singer/songwriter let loose the singles “Good Days” and “Hit Different” featuring Ty Dolla Sign in 2020. “Good Days” rose to #9 on the Hot 100 chart, becoming SZA’s third Top Tenner following “All The Stars” with Kendrick Lamar (#7) and “What Lovers Do” with Maroon 5 (#9).
Back in 2018, Cardi B dropped “Be Careful” as the third single off her grammy-winning Invasion of Privacy album. Three years later, the song is spreading across the internet again thanks to a cover by Chloe Bailey.
One half of the R&B duo known as Chloe x Halle recently posted her version of “Be Careful” on Twitter. Chloe’s video has amassed more than 2.2 million views, 43,000 retweets, and 183,000 likes on the platform.
Over on Instagram, the same clip garnered an additional 2.7 million views and more than 550,000 likes. Chloe’s vocal performance eventually reached Cardi B, and the New York City-raised rapper responded on Twitter.
“This is soo beautiful, got me smiling from ear to ear and blushing maa hard… You see this how I thought I sounded on the track 😩😩,” wrote Cardi in a quote-tweet. Chloe later replied, “You BODIED this, thank you for this song 😭🥰☺️☺️.”
“Be Careful” is one of Cardi B’s most recognizable hits. It peaked at #11 on Billboard‘s Hot 100 chart and earned 3x-Platinum certification from the Recording Industry Association of America.
The track also received a nomination for Best Rap Performance at the 61st Annual Grammy Awards. Cardi B lost in that category to Anderson Paak’s “Bubblin'” as well as Kendrick Lamar, Jay Rock, Future, and James Blake’s “King’s Dead.”
Chloe x Halle have several Grammy nominations to their name too. The Georgia-bred sisters secured a Best Urban Contemporary Album nod for 2018’s The Kids Are Alright. That same year also saw the siblings nominated for Best New Artist.
Additionally, the Recording Academy picked Chloe x Halle for two nominations at the 63rd Annual Grammy Award ceremony held in March. Their second studio LP, Ungodly Hour, competed in the Best Progressive R&B Album section. “Wonder What She Thinks of Me” was up for Best Traditional R&B Performance.
The comprehensive collection, available at an exceptional bargain, is rife with educational content that can take anyone from a complete novice to a seasoned player on a journey towards improvement and self-discovery. Across the bundle, users gain access to 14 different courses, 470 lessons, and 79 hours of training on guitar chords, notes and scales, techniques, and so much more.
In addition to remarkable access to lectures and content around the clock, if you pick up The Complete 2021 Beginner to Expert Guitar Lessons Bundle, you’ll gain access to courses by Dan Dresnok, who has earned a 4.5 out of 5-star Instructor Rating over his tenure.
With over 26 years of teaching experience, he’s played as a session guitarist for studios, and written a number of method books. Specializing in jazz, bluegrass, blues, rock and music theory, Dresnok is as versatile and well-versed an instructor as one can find.
While taking courses, you will learn simple fundamentals such as how to read tablature, or tab, as well as how to find every note on the guitar, and learn all of the basic chords. Among the many courses you’ll have to go through, some of the most helpful include: Beginner Guitar Lessons Crash Course, Daily Workouts to Mastering Guitar, and Beginner Guitar Foundations: 22 New Lessons to Get You Playing Guitar Fast.
With an average rating of 4.1 out of 5 stars, this vast bundle of lessons, exercises, and valuable teachings is as accountable a tool as you’ll find. With an accumulated value of $2,800, The Complete 2021 Beginner to Expert Guitar Lessons Bundle is available for a steal right now at just $29.99.
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Many Hip Hop devotees have literally been waiting 25 years for the chance to hear a collaborative album created by Nas and Jay-Z. Some rap fans are once again getting their hopes up that the two rap titans will actually make that happen in the near future.
Jay-Z and Nas nearly broke the internet last Friday after their latest collaboration “Sorry Not Sorry” hit DSPs as part of DJ Khaled’s Khaled Khaled album. The three men even filmed a music video for the single.
“Sorry Not Sorry” fueled online conversations about a fantasy musical union involving the two GOAT contenders. Speculation of a Hov/Esco joint project went into overdrive following tweets posted by DJ Khaled and superproducer Hit-Boy.
On May 2, a Twitter user asked, “Can we get a Nas/Jay-Z album totally produced by @Hit_Boy?” The actual Hit-Boy quote-tweeted the person’s question and replied, “Who wanna see it? 🤔💡”
Then a similar interaction happened nearly an hour later on the same platform with DJ Khaled. The Genius Twitter account asked users to share their dream collab albums. Khaled simply responded, “NAS AND JAY-Z.”
The timing and similar subject matter could just be a coincidence. However, Hit-Boy and DJ Khaled’s separate tweets instantly stirred up theories that this could be a coordinated tease of what’s to come because both men have specific connections to Nas and Jay-Z.
Hit-Boy produced the entirety of Nas’s 2020 album King’s Disease which earned the Queens-raised spitter the Grammy Award for Best Rap Album. DJ Khaled is signed to Jay-Z’s Roc Nation management.
In addition, both Hit-Boy and DJ Khaled have worked extensively with Nas and Jay throughout their careers. Not only do all four musicians have a history together, but the two emcees have created several respective collaborative albums in the past.
Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter’s catalog includes two studio LPs with R. Kelly as well as Watch The Throne with Kanye West and Everything Is Love with his wife Beyoncé. The Brooklyn-bred billionaire is also an uncredited collaborator on Jay Electronica’s A Written Testimony.
Nas teamed with AZ, Foxy Brown, and Cormega in 1997 for The Firm: The Album. In 2010, the entertainer/entrepreneur born Nasir Jones connected with Damian Marley for the Reggae/Hip Hop fusion project Distant Relatives.
DJ Khaled’s “Sorry Not Sorry” is not the first time Jay-Z and Nas were on the same track. Following their infamous feud in the late 1990s/early 2000s, both New Yorkers linked on songs like “Black Republican,” “Success,” “I Do It For Hip Hop,” and “BBC.”
DJ Khaled had the most-talked-about music project to drop on Friday, April 30. Khaled Khaled was trending on social media throughout the weekend, and it appears the collection is likely to land at #1 on next week’s album chart.
According to HitsDailyDouble, DJ Khaled’s Khaled Khaled is projected to move between 80,000-100,000 first-week units. If that sales range holds, the total should be enough to give the We The Best boss another Number One.
DJ Khaled has managed to earn two #1 albums throughout his career. 2016’s Major Key and 2017’s Grateful both topped the Billboard 200 chart. 2019’s Father of Asahd just missed the top spot by peaking at #2.
So far, Khaled Khaled has been a streaming juggernaut. The current Apple Music Top 100: USA chart is led by DJ Khaled’s “Every Chance I Get” featuring Lil Baby and Lil Durk. Several other tracks from the LP remain in the Top 20 as well.
Lil Baby also appeared on the Khaled Khaled cuts “I Did It” along with Post Malone, Megan Thee Stallion, and DaBaby as well as “Body In Motion” along with Bryson Tiller and Roddy Ricch. DJ Khaled recruited some of the top names in the industry for his latest compilation.
Khaled Khaled also includes contributions by Lil Wayne, Jeremih, H.E.R., Migos, Justin Bieber, 21 Savage, Drake, A Boogie wit da Hoodie, Big Sean, Rick Ross, Puff Daddy, Justin Timberlake, Meek Mill, Buju Banton, Capleton, Bounty Killer, and Barrington Levy. Plus, Beyoncé is credited as “Harmonies by the Hive” on “Sorry Not Sorry.”
“I can’t memorize everything, but I can tell you this. Every song [is] very special,” DJ Khaled told Zane Lowe on Apple Music’s New Music Daily. “I want you to take your time when you listen to it, when you’re in your car, when you’re in the house.”
The First One podcast host continued, “Just let it sink in from top to bottom, no skips, and just ride out. The thing is that everything I do, I go hard and make sure that we put [in] timeless work. Stuff that’s going to be played forever.”
Memphis rapper Moneybagg Yo has the #1 album in America. The Collective Music Group representative’s A Gangsta’s Pain became his first project to top the Billboard 200 chart.
After being released on April 23, A Gangsta’s Pain brought in 110,000 first-week album units. Moneybagg Yo was able to rack up 147.4 million on-demand streams for tracks off the project.
A Gangsta’s Pain is Moneybagg Yo’s fifth top 10 entry on the Billboard 200. 2017’s Federal 3X (#5), 2019’s 43va Heartless (#4), 2020’s Time Served (#3), and 2020’s Code Red with Blac Youngsta (#6) each peaked in the region.
In celebration of his first Number One on the Billboard 200, MoneyBagg Yo wrote on Instagram:
#1 Album In Da World 🤯🙌🏾 Mannnnee Dis S### Feel Crazy, I’m Forever Grateful Tho! Without My Fans and My Team I Wouldn’t Be S###! God Working Thank Y’all I Promise To Neva Let Up!! #DeluxeOTW #BreadGang
With the recent commercial success of Rod Wave, Young Thug, and Moneybagg Yo, Hip Hop artists have led the Billboard 200 chart for three out of the last five weeks. That streak was broken up by Justin Bieber’s Justice and Taylor Swift’s Fearless (Taylor’s Version).
Episode one of the series features Big Sean and Myra having a honest discussion, focusing on how to focus If you’re feeling stuck at all what depressed or anxious.
Big Sean and his mother offer up a variety of tips in episode 1, including tips for setting goals.
“The first thing when you want to do anything or accomplish anything, is you have to decide what you want,” Myra explained. “You ‘gotta wanna’ I call it. So you gotta know what you want and then you set an intention to accomplish that.
“You have to learn to focus on what it is that you’re going after. And a lot of times we’ll say ‘oh I want a red car but oh I’ll never be able to afford a red car’…so you have to be strong and focused -laser focused on what it is that you are attending and yes and then you’re vibrate with it and that’s when you will attain it.”
BIg Sean and his mom talked about the importance of a gratitude journal. The rapper revealed he puts an entry into his every single day, to remain thankful for his blessings.
“The more you are grateful for the more you will have to be grateful for so that is the value of a gratitude journal,” Myra Anderson said. “Start being grateful for the little things that happen in your life and for things you never think about being grateful for.
“I never thought to be grateful for my spit until we had a friend that had cancer and had to have some kind of operation. Now she has to take a sip of water out of a straw three or four times a minute,” Myra Anderson revealed.
Big Sean and his mother drop installment of the series every Saturday in the month of May Get his IGTV account.
The endeavor is extremely important to Big Sean, who has struggled with mental health issues in the past, including anxiety, depression and suicidal thoughts.
The rapper’s mom has a B.A. in economics from the University of Michigan and a Master’s Degree New York University, worked as a middle school teacher. Now she serves as the executive director of President of the Sean Anderson Foundation.
Myra was instrumental in helping Big Sean get through a number of challenges, so they decided to team up and share the techniques they used with the world.
Last night (May 1st), Tory Lanez treated his fan base to a virtual performance of his latest album, Playboy.
Tory ran through every song on the x-track album during a 30-minute set produced by Create Music Group at Matrix Studios in Miami, Florida.
After his performance, Tory gave a post-show interview with DJ Carisma. During the sit-down, Tory revealed he has a full-length project with R&B superstar Chris Brown on the way.
“I just try to do my best you know I’m saying,” Tory Lanez said. “R&B to me it’s like you know it’s very hidden in our generation right now. So I just be trying to make sure that like no matter what I’m doing I’m always touching the bases. I don’t ever want to just be in the regular R&B that everybody else is doing. I try to always make sure my s### [is] a little different. The production hits harder.”
PRIMIS
In addition to the project with Chris Brown, Tory is preparing to release two new singles: one called “Skat” with DaBaby and another featuring newcomer Yung Bleu.
In addition to his music career, Tory Lanez has been busy juggling several business endeavors.
The rapper/singer is operating his Florida-based ice cream shop, Notorious Creamery, growing his Umbrella Water brand and pushing his Delta 8 and “Black Leprechaun” lines on cannabis.
While many states around the country are opening up, the Covid-19 pandemic has yet to subside.
Over 103 million people in the United States have been vaccinated so far, but more than 50,000 people continue to contract the disease every day.
One of those people was Moneybagg Yo’s grandmother. The Memphis rap star took to Twitter to announce that his grandmother had tested positive for coronavirus and pneumonia.
“Dam mane how df My mama got COVID and pneumonia smh I need y’all prayers right now 😔🤲🏾,,” Moneybagg Yo revealed on Friday (April 30th) in a since deleted post.
Thankfully, Moneybagg Yo’s grandmother appears to be doing better, and he thanked his fans for their unwavering support during the crisis.
“Not going to lie I made a couple of M’s in the pandemic, ion want it to end…I feel like the pandemic helped a lot of people,” Moneybagg Yo said at the time. The rapper was intensely scrutinized over the tweet, and he returned to Twitter just an hour later to apologize for the comment.
Tweet
Over 32 million people caught the Coronavirus in the U.S. since the pandemic started in March of 2020, and over 576,000 people died.
Thankfully, Moneybagg Yo’s grandmother is not one of them.
OBlock is up for sale! The notorious hood which housed famous Hip-Hop personalities like King Von and Chief Keef is up for sale. Now, Durk is already claimed that he wants to buy the housing project matter what the cost. A lot of people squawked at that and suggested that his stomach was bigger than his mouth. However, there may be an opportunity for him to collaborate with some of the other people and make the purchase.
So, O-Block is up for sale! I always find it interesting and something like this happens because it’s a stark reminder that we don’t actually own the blocks and Real Estate that we kill each other in. With the hoods that we claim! You get my point but can Durk actually afford to buy OBlock?
There has been no price tag attached to the neighborhood however some speculators have suggested that it’s worth about $80 million. I don’t know where that number comes from, but I know that it probably doesn’t tell the whole story. I believe that the space is already being set up for demolition but that’s just speculation for me right now. However, there are issues of demolition, maintenance, building up and other such matters around owning such a large piece of real estate. I am quite sure Durk isn’t going to make it a parking lot! And even that would cost money!
Then there is what the Chicago SunTimes mentioned in its report that broke the story.
What’s not mentioned: the gun violence that’s troubled Parkway Gardens and the surrounding area for years. A portion of King Drive along Parkway Gardens known as “O Block” — a reference to a gang member who was killed nearby — was once the most dangerous block in the city.
Some people have put Lil Durk’s net worth at about $3 million, but I am pretty sure it’s more than that. By the way, Michelle Obama is also from OBlock and look where she ended up! I hope a lot of the people that come out of there see that the possibilities are in list and it’s not limited to Hip-Hop and rap music. Maybe Obama can help buy Oblocka!
Remember when Tekashi snuck in Oblock and did a quick vid? That was hilarious lol!
On another occasion, he went for about 20 seconds at 3am. LOL!
Lil Durk wants everyone to know his relationship with as long-term girlfriend India Royale is stronger than ever.
The rapper was forced to defend The mother of his three-year-old child, Willow after his name started trending on Twitter over the weekend for all the wrong reasons.
Durk squashed a rumor that started to spread like wildfire, claiming that India had cheated on him. The confusion started with Lil Durk himself, who fired off a series of tweets fans mistakenly thought was about his girlfriend.
However, the rapper took to Twitter to quickly shut down the rumor, letting everyone know everything was straight with India. This isn’t the first time Durk had to respond to rampant rumors that India was stepping out on him.
“It p### me off how y’all change s### around tryna make it like somebody a hoe talking bout her like talking bout my kids kill that rumor my b#### ain’t nun like you goofy hoes,” Lil Durk snapped.
It p### me off how y’all change s### around tryna make it like somebody a hoe talking bout her like talking bout my kids kill that rumor my b#### ain’t nun like you goofy hoes
In January of 2020, Lil Durk took to Instagram to shut down a similar rumor that India had cheated on him.
“India did not cheat on me she to 1000000 for that and respect herself 2much we will never let the internet break up our home y’all can keep trying tho…we don’t care frfr,” he posted to his IG account in January of 2020.
Even though Durk clarified the status of his relationship with India, Twitter was still having a field day with the rumor.
YOU don't even respect her. Why yall gotta refer to them as your B####. Until yall show them respect and vice versa please don't think your supporters are gonna respect her or you
Bro that’s how they talk if heon call her ah b#### as in calling her to do something or to come hea wtf it matter in Chicago they like that your preference is yours there’s is there’s no gtf💯😒
So, I have purposely not commented on this to date. There’s a reason for this but I’ll get into that later. First things first, Irv Gotti has apologized for alleging publicly that DMX died due to a horrific overdose of fentanyl and crack. If you don’t know about fentanyl then leave it alone, because the drug is deadly. It’s really affecting white communities more than Black communities, but we know that crack affected Black communities disproportionately. Also: Ronald Reagan. So, Irv Gotti has apologized for revealing this information to the public. In his apology, he seems to refer to other media outlets as the real source of the information. Personally, I don’t even know about all that. I didn’t see anything about fentanyl and DMX until he said it.
Anyway, a conversation with Tashera Simmons is the result of this apology. So the apology is good, and all that, but it’s still a bad look. At the end of the day, we love DMX as an artist and as a person and to hear these words come from one of his homies, it’s different than hearing it come from The Shade Room. Let’s keep it a buck here! That said, His apology has not been received so well in other places in spaces.
Swizz Beatz has not accepted the apology, calling Irv Gotti a “bozo”! Now, you have to remember all of these guys have known each other for a very long time, upwards of 30 years and some change. Irv God he is the guy that got DMX his deal at DefJam, but they go back even farther than that. Irv is also a producer so he was producing songs for X back in the day.
There may not be any beef to this, but it is a testament to how folks feel openly calling him a bozo like that. By the way, this comment came under a post by 50 Cent, who always takes liberties to diss Ja Rule and Irv. Nevertheless, this is quite crazy to me. I think Irvin is out of favor with Ruff Ryders and Swizz, but he was at the funeral without incident.
There is a slight other side to this. The interviewer of Irv, Kendra G, who used to love me (just kidding) at one point, made a lengthy comment and presented another side.
I wish I could go back in time and see how the world would have taken that one part of the interview. Most people only saw that clip but we talked for over 30 mins and you showed so much love for X the whole time! The question was where were you when you found out X died and you started off talking about your son’s party and then you just stated you knew it was gonna happen because of that information … you even got choked up. Because we had already knew the information we had had no idea the impact that 11 seconds would have. What has been breaking my heart the most is the fact that people are questioning your love for X!! YOU LOVED HIM SO MUCH!!! We all learned many lessons From this moment. I pray people can understand you truly meant no harm ❤️ love you Gotti
The only thing with what Kendra G is squawkin’ ’bout is that she knows how this works. I know how this works and Irv Gotti knows how this work. If you I say, “I love Jay-Z…Jay-Z is the GOAT…Oh how I love Jay-Z. Jay-Z sold my momma crack. Man, he’s a real role model for success and overcoming the olds, by any means. Salute, Hov!” You know, they are going to focus on ONE part of that quote and pull it out. That’s what they call a PULL QUOTE.
Today (May 2nd) German Hip-Hop MC, Drive-By will host his birthday bash in virtual reality.
Already an inspiration to many in the real world, now Drive-By looks to utilize technology to inspire more.
The MC was born with a disability that has left him in a wheelchair without the use of his legs, full use of his arms and hands.
Faced with those obstacles, he didn’t let that stop him from driving a car, writing songs, perform live on stage and living his life to the fullest.
Since 2018 Drive by has been hosting an annual Birthday bash in his hometown of Offenburg, Germany.
The event has featured DJ’s and performers such as Ras Kass, CR7Z, DJ Eule, DJ Lowz, DJ El Fatal, and more.
Last year German MC Olli Banjo was scheduled to perform at the event but due to Covid-19 the event was canceled.
This year the event will be taking place in AltspaceVR, Hosted by EDO. G and feature live performances by Drive-By, Olli Banjo and Fokis plus a live DJ set by DJ Ice Cap of Munich, Germany.
Music Mergers is a platform designed to simplify the search for talent, giving a dedicated place for musicians to connect with industry professionals without the distractions of social media.
The platform is both mobile and web-friendly, and works as a monthly credit subscription format.
Music Mergers was founded by Dontrell “Uncle Loops” Lendsey, a Marine Corps veteran and corporate leaderalong with long standing friend Brian “Excel Beats” Whittaker, a professional music producer with a very extensive background in the entertainment industry.
Uncle Loops has focused on developing professionals for the past 7 years after finding that management needed the same level of focus as musicians, working with developing independent talent towards success of being discovered by industry professionals.
Uncle Loops is considered a master negotiator and has helped work deals for musicians with notable recording companies such as Empire and Atlantic Records.
Excel, known early in his career for his work on Grammy Award winning group Bone Thugs-N-Harmony’s eighth studio album titled Uni5: The World’s Enemy.
Excel produced the leading single for the album titled “See Me Shine” which peaked at #10 on the Billboard US Rap Songs Chart. Uni5 would go on to peak at #3 on the Billboard US Top Rap albums and #14 on the Billboard Top 200 Chart.
Music Mergers is a tech company designed to bring back artist development to a digital platform and simplify the search of music professionals for musical talent.
Due to the pandemic of 2020, Uncle Loops and Excel Beats wanted to put a platform together that would allow for the music community to continue to thrive if this were to happen again.
The minds of both Uncle Loops and Excel Beats came together to create a much needed development tool for independent talent across the globe.
Rapper Jack Harlow literally dodged a bullet this weekend during a wild encounter in his hometown of Louisville, Kentucky.
The rapper was back in town for the Kentucky Derby, and he decided to drop in to the “2021 Derby Weekend Kickoff” at the Vibes Restaurant and Ultra Lounge earlier this morning (May 1st).
Jack was chilling and having a good time, when a woman, a man, and some other people became embroiled in a physical confrontation around 1:00 a.m.
TMZ captured footage of the fight, which ended in gunshots, sending everyone, including Jack, scrambling for their lives.
Unfortunately, one of the women involved in the tussle was pronounced dead at the scene from a gunshot wound, while another man was transported to the University of Louisville Hospital for treatment and is expected to recover from his injury.
“Authorities say the club was well attended at the time of the incident however there were no other injuries,” according to LMPD spokeswoman Alicia Smiley. “The Homicide Unit is handling the investigation and believe both shootings took place inside the venue.”
So far, police have yet to identify the suspect who fired the fatal shot.
After putting his foot in his mouth in a radio interview, producer and music executive Irv Gotti is apologizing for misspeaking about the circumstances around DMX’s death.
The Queens native took to Instagram and wrote, alongside a picture of him and The Dog, his love for the deceased rapper, “1st off. Let me say again. How much I love my n#### X. The fact that this is coming into Question is the only reason why I feel the need to address the b#######. I love X and love him Unconditionally and that won’t change til I die. Dog Love.”
“Now the interview I did for @wgci and @kendragmedia is the interview where I said what I said about DMX. Now Everything I said. Had already been reported in the media. If you look back at @balleralert and
@theshaderoomand other media outlets. everything I said had been out there already. I did not break anything I said. But you know what. I understand. No one wanted to hear it from me. And for that I am truly sorry. To ever make people think. I don’t love my n#### X.”
DMX and Irv Gotti have had close to a 30-year history.
Their professional relationship and brotherhood goes back to the Blunt Recordings/TVT Records and Gotti was even the one that introduced X to Lyor.
Had that introduction not happened, who would have known what might have happened. Their history demonstrated a sincere love.
“Anybody that knows me or knew X. Cannot ever front like me and X didn’t share a special bond. I put my whole career on the line for X. And did things for X that is unquestionable. Our relationship grew and grew to the point where I feel I understood X and the love he wanted. That’s why I say DOG LOVE. Unconditional LOVE is what I gave X. It didn’t matter to me anything he was doing. I loved him. And always would try and do the best for him.”
He tried to make amends, particularly after so many people have expressed disapproval or disappointment.
“I spoke with @tasherasimmons Who I love also. And I apologized as soon as I seen it went left. I explained to her I was only saying things that I heard reported already. To which she said they don’t know if it’s real yet. They are waiting for the doctors to come back and tell them. Then which I apologized even more. For repeating what had been reported. I apologize to my brothers @general_over_everything and @waahdean They know exactly where my heart is with X. And where my heart is with them. We have done things together. That will never change how I feel about them. They are my brothers. Again. I apologize for talking out of turn.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/CORJxQTnEkt/
Even as he apologized, in true Gotti fashion, he justified his actions … actions that had 50 Cent and Swizz Beatz on his neck.
“In my defense. I honestly thought I wasn’t saying anything that everyone didn’t hear already. If anyone thinks the love I have for X is nothing but genuine unconditional love. Just look at our history. Really look at it. And there is no way you can think that. Love you X. Until I die and see you again. #ripdmx#doglove #ruffryders #family.”
Maybe he will be more cautious in what he says next time someone transitions … but let’s hope we don’t get a chance to find out any time soon. We are really not trying to lose any more icons.
NUSKI2SQUAD is the 16-year-old St. Louis raised rapper who has been making waves with his single “Live On” Remix and collaborations with G Herbo, Quando Rondo, Toosii, and Yungeen Ace.
This weekend, he releases a new visual for single “Laser Tag” off his current project – depicting shell casings and a shot-up car as a laser light show weaves in and out of the frame. Throughout the somber scene, Nuski2squad delivers lines like “Cherish your life because when you gone, ain’t no coming back. “
For only 16 years young, the rapper has already dealt with his fair share of hardships, including homelessness and the passing of his father. His lyrics depict his wisdom and sobering outlook on life, proving that he is poised to break out this year.
The music fits a “trap gospel” subgenre, especially his most recent album, Lil Nuski, that speaks to losing family members and life’s fragility. Check out the new video for “Laser Tag,” where Nuski2squad raps about the consequences of violence.
