Rapper Jack Harlow’s DJ has been indicted on a murder charge for his alleged role in a nightclub shooting in Louisville, Kentucky at the end of last month.
Prosecutors charged Ronnie Tyshon O’Bannon aka Ronnie Luciano, with murder and tampering with physical evidence in connection with the incident.
A warrant out for his arrest, and O’Bannon finally surrendered to the cops yesterday (May 11th) and held on a $500,000 bond.
Jack Harlow was celebrating the 2021 Kentucky Derby horse race at the Ultra Lounge, where a fight broke out.
Jack was billed as one of the honorary announcers for the Kentucky Derby, but he was replaced at the last minute by four-time Kentucky Derby winner D. Wayne Lukas.
Jack Harlow has yet to comment about the club shooting.
Your favorite rapper Pooh Shiesty has something to deal with regarding the allegations that he was with a trans woman. Recently, Pooh Shiesty has been denying these allegations, even in a report that we published. And we thought that would be the end of it, but it was not.
A person PURPORTING to be that trans woman known as Nick IP, has said that it is all on tape. That’s right, folks, there is allegedly a videotape of Pooh Shiesty and that very trans woman. Not only does the person claim to make these allegations but has posted a screenshot as “proof.”
Now the proof – make sure you keep that in air quotes – is something that I barely can recognize, to be honest. But this is getting dragged out in a way I don’t fully understand. First of all, who cares. Mister Cee, been told you all what it is these days with some people. Second of all, if we’re going to care then let’s get to the proof. Honestly, I don’t want to see it, but all this dragging things out in the interest of being salacious is bogus.
So the transsexual woman has put a stamp on a letter. Now will she send it!?! A lot of people are calling the trans woman out for not putting something up, because it seems like she is simply promoting her only fans or other things that get her some money. Other people are looking closely, to details I cannot distinguish, and saying that that is not Mr. Shiesty. By the way, some people EVEN say they have seen the video and that the tattoos don’t match and some other things. I don’t know how that person saw the video but that just seems to be social media in the year 2021.
I guess we’ll just have to wait and see, or not see, won’t we?
Martin is still considered one of the funniest sitcoms of the 1990s. Comedian Martin Lawrence starred in the titular role. He also played supporting characters like Sheneneh Jenkins, Mama Payne, and Jerome. Plus, Lawrence made the city of Detroit an important part of the show as well.
Martin Lawrence has now teamed with the Detroit Pistons to launch Martin-themed merchandise. The limited-edition collaboration includes jerseys, hats, shorts, sweatshirts, T-shirts, and more items.
“Detroit has always shown me so much love and always shows up for me,” said Martin Lawrence. “From stand-up tours to fans on the street Detroit has felt like home. It’s an honor to be part of something that means so much to me to this many years later.”
Martin x Pistons
The “Martin x Pistons” merch line will be available for purchase on Friday, May 14 at Pistons313Shop.com. The 2004 NBA championship-winning franchise fully embraced the clothing alliance with the 56-year-old veteran entertainer.
“With the city of Detroit as the show’s backdrop, Martin became must-watch TV in the 90s,” said Mike Zavodsky, Chief Business Officer of the Detroit Pistons.
Zavodsky continued, “Martin’s love for the Pistons in the show translated into passion for the team – the fact that he has a ring from the 2004 team is proof of that. We’re thrilled to partner with Martin to introduce a merchandise line that pays homage to both Martin and the show’s Detroit roots.”
Martin x Pistons
Martin ran for five seasons on the Fox network from 1992-1997. The main cast also starred Tisha Campbell as Gina Waters-Payne, Tichina Arnold as Pamela “Pam” James, Carl Anthony Payne II as Cole Brown, and the late Thomas Mikal Ford as Thomas “Tommy” Strawn.
Numerous R&B and Hip Hop artists made guest appearances on Martin during its run. Tone Loc, MC Hammer, Bushwick Bill, OutKast, Method Man, Jodeci, Notorious B.I.G, Snoop Dogg, Christopher “Kid” Reid from Kid ‘n Play, and other music acts showed up on episodes of the program.
Besides leading his popular 90s-era sitcom, Martin Lawrence also acted in motion pictures such as House Party, Boomerang, Life,Big Momma’s House, Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins, and the blockbuster Bad Boy franchise alongside Will Smith. His filmography consists of the stand-up comedy films You So Crazy and Runteldat as well.
Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter will be the latest Hip Hop recording artist to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. On Wednesday morning (May 12), the RRHF revealed the latest batch of legends to make it into the Cleveland-based museum.
The iconic Brooklyn emcee will join Foo Fighters, The Go-Go’s, Carole King, Todd Rundgren, and Tina Turner as part of the 2021 Class. Hip Hop star James “LL Cool J” Smith – as well as Billy Preston and Randy Rhoads – were named as Musical Excellence Award recipients. Kraftwerk, Charley Patton, and Gil Scott-Heron are being honored with the Early Influence Award.
“This diverse class of talented Inductees reflects the Rock Hall’s ongoing commitment to honor artists whose music created the sound of youth culture”, said John Sykes, Chairman of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Foundation. “It will make for an unforgettable live celebration of music in October at this year’s Induction Ceremony in Cleveland.”
Jay-Z’s legacy will now be immortalized in the Rock Hall alongside a handful of rap acts previously initiated by the RRHF Foundation. Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five (2007), Run-D.M.C. (2009), Beastie Boys (2012), Public Enemy (2013), N.W.A (2016), 2Pac (2017), and The Notorious B.I.G. (2020) have all been enshrined in the Hall.
Mary J. Blige was on the shortlist for the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame Class of 2021. It was the Queen of Hip Hop Soul’s first nomination. LL Cool J was also nominated this year, but voters rejected the New York native’s induction into the Hall for the sixth time.
Jay-Z will enter the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame as one of the most commercially and critically successful Hip Hop artists in history. His discography includes near-universally accepted classic studio LPs like 1996’s Reasonable Doubt, 2001’s The Blueprint, 2003’s The Black Album, and 2017’s 4:44.
In addition, the billionaire Roc Nation founder holds the record for most solo No. 1 albums on the Billboard 200 with 14 chart-toppers. He also leads the list of most Grammy wins by a rapper with 23 trophies which also puts him in 9th place on the list of most victories all time.
In order to be eligible for a Rock Hall nomination, artists are required to have released their first record 25 years prior to induction. Ballots were sent to an international voting body of more than 1,200 members of the music industry. Fans were also able to vote for up to five nominees per day during the voting period.
The 36th annual Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame Induction Ceremony is scheduled for October 30 at 8 pm ET at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse in Cleveland with a radio simulcast on SiriusXM’s Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Radio channel 310. The Induction Ceremony will broadcast on HBO and stream on HBO Max at a later date.
Over the last several months, there has been a lot of internal drama involving The Joe Budden Podcast that played out in front of the public. Longtime co-hosts Rory Farrell and Jamil “Mal” Clay were absent from multiple episodes which led fans to wonder if they were permanently off the pod.
Budden temporarily replaced Rory and Mal with his friends Ice and Ish. At first, the new crew was met with significant backlash from loyal supporters. However, eventually, Ice and Ish built their own online backers, and the podcast carried on without Rory and Mal.
As some listeners began getting used to hearing fresh voices, The Joe Budden Podcast reverted back to its original lineup when Rory and Mal returned for the “Shaking The Tree” edition of the show last month. However, it was still noticeable tension among the podcasters.
In particular, Mal took issue with his and Rory’s seats being filled by other people. Mal expressed at the time, “Does the show go on without trying to resolve something first? I felt some type of way about that because to me it’s saying something. It’s saying like, ‘Yo, you’re replaceable.’”
Joe Budden, Mal, and Rory were once again back for “The Floor Is Yours” episode which was released on May 1. The podcast then went on another week-long hiatus. Instead of a new episode being released this week as expected, Budden took to Twitter to hint that the show may be coming to an end.
“Sorry not sorry🤷🏽♂️,” tweeted Joe Budden on the afternoon of May 11. The next morning he returned to the social media platform to post, “Helluva run!! God bless.” As fans of The Joe Budden Podcast began reacting to the New Jersey native’s tweets, the show’s founder seemed somewhat apathetic to the criticism he was receiving.
A Twitter user slammed Budden for allegedly going against “everything [he] preached [about].” The 40-year-old former Slaughterhouse member commented back, “I’m phony.” One person suggested Budden needed to get help because he cannot keep destroying everything he builds. Budden replied, “Yes I can.”
After another apparent fan indicated he would no longer support Joe Budden, the No Love Lost album creator, simply posted, “Take care.” There were also reports of a “deleted pod” where Budden allegedly admitted to firing Rory for asking about money connected to the podcast. Budden seemed to confirm that rumor was true with a reply tweet that read, “That’s the point.”
UPDATE:
After this article was published, Joe Budden essentially confirmed The Joe Budden Podcast with Rory and Mal has ended. A Twitter user posted, “So it’s over over heh? @JoeBudden 👀.” The rapper-turned-media personality quoted tweeted the question and answered, “100000%.”
UPDATE 2:
Joe Budden has released the “You Want It To Be One Way” Episode 437 of The Joe Budden Podcast on Patreon where he discussing the changes made to the podcast. He also tweeted, “It’s on Patreon and that’s where it will stay… I’m off to breakfast.”
Is Westside Boogie ready to release his next body of work? According to a new Instagram post, it appears the Compton-bred rapper is on the verge of presenting a new project.
“Just played my music for this random dude in Detroit… he just gave me the Green light,” wrote the Californian on Instagram. Shady Records co-founder Eminem was the “random dude in Detroit” Boogie was referring to in the caption.
Westside Boogie signed to Eminem’s Shady Records in 2017. The 31-year-old musician born Anthony Tremaine Dixson dropped his debut studio album, Everythings for Sale, two years later via Shady/Interscope Records.
In 2019, Eminem and Westside Boogie collaborated for the Everythings for Sale track “Rainy Days.” The song’s official music video has collected more than 31 million views on YouTube.
Besides being under the Shady umbrella, Westside Boogie also signed a management deal with the Atlanta-based Love Renaissance. He recently teamed up with his Love Renaissance comrades for the “LVRN x RapCaviar Cypher” and the “Just Say That” single.
“It was fun doing the cypher because I am competitive, and I wanted to body every rapper on LVRN even though I love them,” said Westside Boogie. His discography also includes “Skydive II” with 6LACK, “Dumb” with Royce da 5’9″, “Hairless Horsemen” with Guapdad 4000, and “Outside” with Joey Bada$$.
Drake’s chart dominance in the 2010s will be recognized at this year’s Billboard Music Awards. The long-running publication is set to celebrate the 34-year-old Canadian performer as the Artist Of The Decade.
Previously, Billboard revealed its Top Artists chart for the 2010s decade. Drake came in at #1 on those rankings, followed by Taylor Swift (#2), Bruno Mars (#3), Rihanna (#4), and Adele (#5).
The OVO Sound leader also capped the 2010s Top R&B/Hip-Hop Artists chart. His 2011 Grammy-winning studio LP, Take Care, was placed at #1 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.
Throughout his 12-year career as a mainstream artist, Drake has scored nine #1 albums on the Billboard 200. He also holds the all-time record for most entries on the Hot 100 chart (232) with 8 songs reaching #1 on that tally.
Drake joins a very exclusive list of acts to be awarded Artist Of The Decade by Billboard. R&B/Pop icon Mariah Carey won the honor for the 1990s, and Hip Hop legend Eminem won for the 2000s.
Other rappers to make it into the Top 40 of Billboard‘s 2010s Artist Of The Decade list include Nicki Minaj (#15), Eminem (#16), Kendrick Lamar (#21), Lil Wayne (#29), Travis Scott (#32), Cardi B (#35), Future (#36), and Jay-Z (#39).
The 2021 Billboard Music Awards are scheduled to air from the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles on Sunday, May 23 at 8 pm ET on NBC. The Weeknd leads the pack with 16 nominations. DaBaby was named an 11-time finalist. Pop Smoke (10), Juice WRLD (7), and Megan Thee Stallion (7) were also among the leading nominees.
Drake’s Billboard Stats
For the 2010s:
9 No. 1 albums on the Billboard 200 chart – the most of the decade of any artist
33 top 10s on the Billboard Hot 100 chart – the most of the decade of any artist
6 No. 1 songs on the Billboard Hot 100 chart
18 No. 1s on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart – the most of the decade of any artist
69 Top 10s on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart – the most of the decade of any artist
10 No. 1 albums on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart
Career Chart Records:
Only solo male with more than 50 career weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart
A record 232 entries on the Billboard Hot 100 chart
A record 45 top 10s on the Billboard Hot 100 chart
A record 22 No. 1 titles on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart
A record 84 top 10s on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart
A record 120 top 40 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 chart
Notable Chart Stats:
Eight No. 1 songs on the Billboard Hot 100 chart
Nine No. 1 albums on the Billboard 200 chart
11 No. 1 albums on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart
When Rick Ross purchased his home in Georgia for $5.8 million, he planned to have some of the space set aside as a lavish Hip-Hop destination for photoshoots, music videos, and movies.
He never thought that it would be the site for a crime scene.
Well, according to local law enforcement, Clayton County Sheriff deputies surrounded the estate after a wild car chase ended in a crash near the Maybach Music mogul’s property.
The report alleges that the person driving the car had a weapon.
After the man was apprehended, the sheriffs noticed that he did not have a gun on him. So, the new mission for law enforcement is to find out where the firearm was hidden.
In addition to not knowing where the weapon landed, no one yet knows if the “Hustlin’” rapper was home when all of this happened.
Rick Ross took to social media earlier this year to share with the fans how this property has proven to be a good investment for him.
“What you see outside my door is a gathering of film producers and directors who possibly want to rent the estate for another film,” The “I’m On One” artist shared on his Instagram Live. “As you all know, we have the ‘Coming To America 2’ that will be hitting the world in I believe March, which was filmed in this same estate.”
He continued, “It’s not free to come check out the estate. Twenty people are wanting to see it today, every day. What we do is charge people to come look at it, and there’s still 18 people that want to come a day. So, welcome to the promised land.”
J. Cole’s arrival to Rwanda has put a spotlight on the African country and also changed the local atmosphere.
Autumn Marie, music publicist and now Founder and Managing Director of KGL FWD a Rwandan based PR and brand marketing agency, says that the whole country is buzzing as Cole has joined the Rwanda Patriots basketball team in the national Basketball Africa League.
Marie told AllHipHop, “I am so excited to know J. Cole is in Rwanda! From a music marketing perspective, to have him drop his highly anticipated album, The Off-Season while he is in town is not just something to celebrate but something to stop and take notice of.”
The 6-foot-3, Grammy-winning rapper will play his first game Sunday vs. Nigeria. Cole played high school basketball in his native Fayetteville, N.C. and has sought to pay professionally for years.
As an American-born music industry vet, Autumn Marie said that J. Cole’s arrival is in a longer line of amazing talents that come to Rwanda.
“It (the Basketball Africa League) is well-timed and adds him to a longer list of artists such as Teddy Riley, Saul Williams and many others having explored projects in Rwanda in the last couple of years,” she said. It comes at a time when we see African music, fashion, travel and relocation flooding headlines and is part of something much bigger. So yes, I love is that he is here participating in BAL because it will bring more global attention to the games, but more importantly because it will show Rwanda and the African experience to young Black people around the world. After living here for three years, I can’t wait to see J. Cole tell the world about Rwanda!”
“NBA Africa” has been helmed by the National Basketball Association and FIBA(International Basketball Federation), almost ensuring it it is successful.
The league starts with a will kick off May 16 in a 26-game tournament that it all ends on the 30th of May. Each team will have 12 players players per team, eight of which players must be native to the country. The other team members can be from other countries.
Also, the tournament will be played in Rwanda’s newly built 10,000 seater Kigali Arena.
Rwanda plays host for the league for the next three years, according to rumor.
But the three men (who all of the world saw kill Ahmaud Arbery on video camera) have pleaded not guilty to hate crime charges.
What … are we supposed to believe that the crime was an act of love? GTFOH.
According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the three men have already been charged with the murder of the 25-year-old Georgia man.
U.S. Magistrate Benjamin Cheesbro revealed during a public hearing that these men “did willfully, by force and threat of force, injure, intimidate, and interfere with Ahmaud Arbery, an African American man, because of his race and color.”
With no private representation accompanying them to the court, Greg McMichael, his son Travis McMichael and William “Roddie” Bryan all entered not guilty pleas at their arraignment on the five federal counts related to the Arbery’s death.
The prosecution had a rebuttal for their nonsensical plea and shared with the court that they were ready to give to the defense next week one terabyte of discovery and the complete GBI case file.
The father (who is a white man) also said that Arbery was running down the street on the block that he lived on.
He went and got his son (another white man) and the two men got in their pickup truck to chase him. Their friend (yet another white man) eventually joined in and corners the young Black man with his truck.
Because he was blocked, and the younger man approached with a shotgun, Arbery tried to defend himself by lunging at Travis. That is when Travis shot him three times.
As a cover-up, the three men alleged to the local law enforcement that they were making a citizen’s arrest because they believed he was responsible for some burglaries in the neighborhood.
Pre-trial hearings, in that case, are set for Wednesday and Thursday. Also, in the name of Ahmaud Arbery, Georgia repeals the Citizen’s Arrest Law.
Because the crime involved guns, these men could face life in prison if convicted.
Just one day later, he makes history by being the first artist to be featured alone on the June/July 2021 cover of SLAM magazine (Issue 232).
The publishers released the cover for fans to see and received an overwhelmingly positive response from the sports and entertainment enthusiasts: covers.slamonline.com/j-cole .
Adam Figman, the Chief Content Officer at SLAM, says in a statement, “J. Cole stands for everything SLAM stands for—the way basketball and music overlap and inspire greatness in one another.”
“This cover was a long time coming,” he continues. “And we’re proud that we were able to make it happen just as Cole was about to release an album influenced by his love of hoops.”
In his SLAM article J. Cole explains why he named his upcoming album The Off-Season.
“The Off-Season symbolizes the work that it takes to get to the highest height. The Off-Season represents the many hours and months and years it took to get to top form.
“Just like in basketball, what you see him do in the court, that s### was worked on in the summertime,” J. Cole continued. “So for an athlete, if they take their career seriously and if they really got high goals and want to chase them, the offseason is where the magic really happens, where the ugly s### really happens, where the pain happens, the pushing yourself to uncomfortable limits.”
This all comes as a precursor to the rapper’s sixth studio album, which drops this Friday, May 14th.
At the top of the week, he dropped a mini-doc about the making of the project.
This time his alleged violent outbursts have resulted in the death of an unborn child and a lawsuit for damages.
Reports state that an unnamed woman, filing under the pseudonym “Jane Doe,” has claimed that he has been beating on her for years.
The woman provided a timeline to the assaults in the lawsuit that might give a clue as to who this anonymous woman might be.
In 2015, while being pregnant with “his child,” the two got into an argument.
What started as a simple conversation elevated into a violent one-sided fight where he punched her in her face and chest until she was unable to stand up and fell to the ground.
When she had fallen to the ground, he began to kick her, hitting her entire body. One location she was punted was in her abdomen.
She believes that the battery caused her to miscarry the baby.
Despite the beating, Jane Doe stayed with Soulja Boy and endured more trauma. She chronicled several other times he hit her. One incident was captured in 2018 during the filming of a show that aired on WeTV in 2019.
The assault was caught on night vision cameras.
The woman is suing for assault, sexual battery, gender violence, and other abuses. She is asking for damages.
The suspicion is that this unnamed woman is Nia Riley, his former girlfriend. Nia and Soulja Boy, whose real name is DeAndre Cortez Way, were cast members on Love and Hip Hop Hollywood and Marriage Boot Camp.
Recently, appeared on Unwine with Tasha K and revealed previously untold incidents of domestic violence she experienced at the hand of the “Kiss Me Through The Phone” rapper.
DJ Khaled and Megan Fox will battle it out in a virtual Fortnite match on Wednesday (May 12th).
The event will be the first in a string of Celebrity Gaming Showdowns as part of a partnership with LG Electronics USA’s OLED TVs.
Both DJ Khaled and Megan Fox will have some help during the 90-minute match – Khaled will be coached by Justin ‘FearItSelf’ Kats, while Megan will be aided by Wilton ‘Zews’ Prado.
“Only on OLED is the only place you’ll find a gaming event like this. It brings together the moments people love – gaming, sports, movies – all in one place,” DJ Khaled said in a statement.
“I’ve spent a lot of hours gaming over the years but playing on LG OLED is like an entirely new experience,” Megan added. “When I was asked to join the Only on OLED gaming showdown against DJ Khaled there was no way I was going to pass up the opportunity.”
Tune in to Khaled and Megan’s match on professional esports team Evil Geniuses’ Twitch channel.
KyForShort is not here to play games, she’s here to prove she’s one of the hardest females in the rap game. Hailing from Paterson, New Jersey, the singer, and rapper comes from truly humble beginnings. Her mom single-handedly took care of Ky and her 5 siblings. But from the struggle comes newfound strength, and Ky’s here to shake up the music industry with that same energy.
She states, “I’m unique with it, I don’t think there’s any female rappers that sound like me. I’m not inspired by any female rappers. I don’t have my own sound, my own flows. I’m more into male rap, I think I rap more like a guy ‘cause I be talking my big s###.”
Now thriving in sunny Los Angeles, KyForShort unleashes her newest single titled “Da Guy,” which follows her last banger “Sittin Pretty.” When it comes to the independent grind, Ky thrives in the studio — and she plans on staying there perfecting her craft until she reaches the top.
AllHipHop: What was it like growing up in Paterson, New Jersey?
KyForShort: It was crazy. I grew up with a single parent, my mom has 6 girls so 5 siblings. I was the middle child so she had my little sister, it was crazy. I’ve been through the struggle my whole life. I didn’t come from a silver spoon or wealthy family. I watched my mom lights off, dealing with crazy… living with grandma, having to move around, just the struggle for real. It was crazy.
AllHipHop: When did music come into play?
KyForShort: I’ve been into music my whole life. When I was younger, I used to write songs and sing them to my family, not even knowing what I was talking about. When I was in like middle school, I used to sing in the back of the class. I’d get kicked out of class for writing songs in my notebook instead of taking down the notes. All the school plays, I’d always sing. For Black History Month, I’d get a role in the play so I could sing and perform in front of the whole school. I’ve been into music my whole life, I’m just now starting to take it seriously last December.
AllHipHop: What happened last December that made you take it serious?
KyForShort: It was one night, we’re chillin’. I was drunk. I pulled up on my bro like “what’re you doing?” He said “I got a studio, you could pull up.” I said “cool.” Pulled up, I was recording something just for fun but everybody was going crazy. “Yo, you need to really rap for real. You need to take music serious.” I said “okay,” so I started going to the studio. Every other day, I was literally in the studio. I’d stay the night at the studio recording for fun, it was fun. I felt in place, so I started taking it more serious.
AllHipHop: Who are your favorite artists currently?
KyForShort: My favorite artist right now is Megan The Stallion, because she be talking her big s###. Moneybagg Yo, Lil Baby, Polo G, DaBaby, I like that type of music. Those are my top artists, I can bump that s### all day, they be talking crazy. Those are my favorites.
AllHipHop: I heard you have an interesting story, what happened?
KyForShort: Are we talking tea or are we talking…? [laughs] Before I came to Jersey, I was dating this rapper guy. I won’t say his name, he’s from Flatbush, New York. He’s a big rapper in the industry. We met in the studio. I wasn’t even on him, he was really on me. He’s rapping, making his songs. I said “I rap too, wassup?” He encouraged me that night to keep going. He said it was hard, it’s fire and I got potential. This was a year ago so I was nearly fresh to recording and everything. He said “keep going, you got potential.” Now when he come home, he can see me on TV. [laughs]
AllHipHop: When did you come to Cali?
KyForShort: July 26th, 2020. I came for vacation and I stayed, I never went back. I called my family like “guys, I think I’m going to move to Cali,” because I felt so in place. Where I came from, there’s no opportunity in Paterson. Paterson got a lot of talent, but there really is no opportunity. Where my family comes from, once you make it out, why would you want to go back? It was more so that, so I’ve been here ever since.
AllHipHop: What do you like about Los Angeles?
KyForShort: Everything, just the vibe. The land of the rich and famous, it’s everything. The vibe, I love everything about it. The weather the most, the trees. The palm trees, that’s my favorite part. The whole vibe is lit as f###.
AllHipHop: What’s the inspiration behind your name?
KyForShort: My real name is Na’kyszjiah, so I just put KyForShort. Instead of just saying Ky, KyForShort is different and unique.
AllHipHop: “Da Guy” out now! How are you feeling?
KyForShort: I’m feeling ready. Everybody’s f###### with it. Shout out to my bro King Vamp, he’s from Paterson as well. He’s an upcoming artist, I believe he’s about to get signed. I hit him up like “we need to work, we’re both from Paterson.” He was out in Cali, hit him up and said we need to get in the studio. We made 2 bangers. One of them is called “After Me,” it’s going to be coming out soon.
AllHipHop: Bring us back to that recording session.
KyForShort: It was lit, he’s really outgoing. He don’t even write, he went into the booth and was spitting, I’m like wait, let me get my bars right. Let me go back in my phone and get my bars together ‘cause he was going crazy.
AllHipHop: Can we expect a visual?
KyForShort: Yes, soon. I’m going to drop a visual for “Sitting Pretty,” which was my first single that I put out. We’re going to do a visual for “Da Guy” as well, real real soon.
AllHipHop: What inspired “Sittin Pretty”?
KyForShort: “Sittin Pretty” is my vibe, that’s what I do. I never gotta do too much, I really be sittin pretty. “P#### good and I got my own money so I’m ready.” It’s really facts, you gotta listen to the words. It’s really facts.
AllHipHop: Talk about the getting money and the independent grind.
KyForShort: You gotta get your money sis! That’s all you gotta do is get the money. However you get it, you gotta get the money. If you were to go broke today, nobody’s really gonna give you what you need. You gotta get your money, don’t give a f### about what anybody got to say. People get judged everyday, the biggest people in the world get judged everyday. Get your money. Make sure you get your money, period. From these nggas, get your money too. Make sure you get it, go in their pockets. I’m telling you, better get these nggas’ coins.
AllHipHop: What’s your take on the music industry?
KyForShort: As far as making and writing music, it’s really easy because I’ve been into it my whole life. It comes naturally. It’s the exposure. You can be known where you’re from, your friends and family can know you, but you have to really go hard so everybody can know “oh, she’s hard. She’s working for real.” You gotta be hard on yourself and really go all in. The music industry is a crazy game, it’s real odd you’re gonna make it. It’s a lot of people in the industry. The greatest have been making music years ago and are still greats today, it’s crazy. You gotta work hard and be passionate about it. If you want it, go after it. Go all in.
AllHipHop: What is it you want fans to get from your story?
KyForShort: I have younger sisters, they’re still in Jersey so they have dreams as well. I want the girls mostly to know that anything’s possible. I came from the struggle, like really down bad. The worst that you can imagine, my whole life I was living until I moved to California. I want them to know anything is possible. Chase your dreams, be confident, be nice to people. Be nice, be kind, be genuine. Genuine people are really is rare to find. Anybody who knows me for real, everything I do is really from the heart. I’m big on that: genuine, loyalty, ‘cause people be lacking that s###.
AllHipHop: Team Cardi or Nicki?
KyForShort: I’m definitely here for team Nicki because we can relate more. Nicki is about her flows, she can switch her flow up. She writes her own music which is very important to me, I write all my music. Songwriter I don’t deal with, all the stuff I write is from me. Nicki’s the bomb, she gets you in your bag. She’s the whole 9. Cardi’s fire too. I like Cardi B’s music but it’s Nicki Minaj, come on.
AllHipHop: Favorite Nicki Minaj song?
KyForShort: Honestly, it’d be either” Barbie Tingz” (I love the song), or the most famous “Itty Bitty Piggy.” “I was on the plane with the Wayne,” I was 12 years old listening to that song. It’s definitely been Nicki for years.
AllHipHop: 3 things you need in the studio?
KyForShort: A drink, for sure. Some 1942, I need that. I need some hookah and some snacks. Oreos are my favorite, M&Ms, chips, not so much candy. I don’t eat candy that much, but that’s the top. Some Oreos, hookah, and a drink, I’m good to go. I be spitting bars all night, I’m ready.
AllHipHop: What motivates you in the studio?
KyForShort: More the vibe.I like to connect with my engineer, shout out to B Royal. I f#### with him heavy, he’s dope. He records all my stuff since I came to Cali. You know when the engineer can really bop with your s###? ‘Cause an engineer is gonna do his job. When they really engage in it and really put in their all into it, that’s what really motivates me. I like to connect with the engineer for sure. I don’t really like people in my studio session either because why are you here if you’re not gonna tell me “oh say this?” Put your input, don’t just sit there.
AllHipHop: What can we expect next music-wise?
KyForShort: I’m definitely gonna be dropping albums. I’m coming strong. I dropped some singles to give y’all a tease of how I’m coming, but the album’s going to be crazy. All of them, multiple. Let them know.
AllHipHop: Is there a name yet or no?
KyForShort: My first album I want to call I Made It. I have this song I wrote for the intro song, it’s about everything I’ve been through so people can connect to me on a personal level. When they look at you, they say “okay she’s pretty, she raps.” It’s a lot of pretty b###### that rap, but you need to really know me for real so you can see why I go so hard with this rap s###. This is all I have, music is really all I have. I mentioned that in a song too: if it’s not music, I really have nothing else. This s### is really in me, I have no choice but to do music. The album’s definitely going to be deep. I’m going to do a singing R&B album, a rap album, then a mix with half and half.
AllHipHop: Goals yourself as an artist at this point of your career?
KyForShort: My biggest goal is I really want to move my family out the hood, for sure. I actually came to Cali because my grandmother passed away, she was the heart of the family. It’s crazy I won’t be able to move her out. [tears up] I want to move my family, I have a big family. My mom has 6 girls, my aunt has 3 kids. My 2 cousins have a bunch of kids. It’s going to be room for all of them. My aunt got a cat, she don’t got no kids but she got a cat. I want my family to live somewhere nice, rent-free. Don’t want to have to worry about nothing.
AllHipHop: What do you have planned for your birthday on May 23rd?
KyForShort: We’re getting spicy. I want to do yacht vibes, mansion party, bad b######, rich n*ggas, all that good stuff. 1942, weed, hookah, just vibes. I want to do some fun s###. I want to do it real big because I never had a party on any of my birthdays. When I turned 21, it was quarantine so I couldn’t even go anywhere. Now I’m about to be 22, ready to turn up. Ain’t nobody coming to my party if they don’t got a gift.
AllHipHop: Who’s in your DMs?
KyForShort: Ooh, let me see. This is getting spicy. Let me be cautious, I’ma go down. No Cap, that’s for one. Let me go down, it’s a few. On my last birthday, Tee Grizzley wished me a happy birthday. That’s just a few, I ain’t saying too much. I’ma leave it at that.
AllHipHop: Anything else you want to let us know?
KyForShort: I want y’all to know I’m coming hard and strong to take over this rap s###. You b###### in the industry, y’all okay but you don’t really got bars. Come on now, I be really waiting. When I hear some female rap, they don’t got bars. If they can make it, I know when I come in this s### it’s mine now. Giving the b###### a run for their money. You b###### gotta go harder, y’all need a ghostwriter or something ‘cause KyForShort is coming. You better be ready!
Nowadays in an oversaturated music industry, more than ever do we appreciate artists who carry a different, unique, and captivating sound that sets them apart from the rest.
2KBABY is the newest superstar out of Louisville, Kentucky.
At only 20-years-old, the rapper and singer already has records with some of the biggest artists of our generation, from Marshmello to Lil Durk to G Herbo.
When it comes to turning your life around for the better, 2KBABY serves as a role model — someone who’s risen from the trenches with no food on the table to now being able to provide for not only himself, but his family and loved ones.
Talk about full circle, 2KBABY, real name Christian Todd (who used to go by Lil Sage) went from listening to G Herbo (his favorite rapper), to then doing a song with him (“OLD SOUL” ).
In fact, it was 2KBABY’s remix of Herb’s “Eastside Story” into “Southside Story” that first got him his hood fame.
His biggest song to date remains “OLD STREETS,” a heartfelt record that speaks volumes to the pain and obstacles he faced coming up as a kid — even catching the ear of Lil Durk who hopped on the remix. Fast forward to 2021, the Warner Records signee continues to achieve new heights, releasing “Like This” in collaboration with dance music’s hottest DJ and producer, Marshmello, and most recently “Great White.” The sky’s the limit for 2KBABY, and fans are at the edge of their seat for new music.
On the 11th episode of Shirley’s Temple, Shirley Ju sat down with 2KBABY at Matrix Studios in downtown Los Angeles to discuss his love for cannabis, collaborating with Marshmallow on “Like This” and more.
AllHipHop: How much you smoking?
2KBABY: About a zip a day. I be smoking, ain’t gonna lie.
AllHipHop: How long you’ve been smoking for?
2KBABY: My first time ever smoking, I was 14. But I wasn’t a heavy smoker. Living in my city, I wasn’t really big on smoking weed. I smoked the blacks, but I wasn’t smoking weed. I wasn’t trying to be out and about high all the time, I was trying to be focused. Once I moved out my city and moved to Atlanta, I was putting my all into music, then I started smoking a lot of weed. I’ve been smoking since a youngin’, I’m 20 now.
AllHipHop: You’re only 20 and have a record with one of the biggest artists in the world. Were you aware of who Marshmello was?
2KBABY: I was already aware about who Marshmello was. Of course, lately he really started breaking out a lot more into different audiences. He started doing the track with 42 Dugg, then with Roddy Rich.
AllHipHop: So how did you hop on that train?
2KBABY: Just good people on my team, good people on his team. Bro heard the song, it was a song I had did a couple years ago. I had put it out, but I wasn’t who I was. I was still who I was, but a lot smaller. People didn’t see it, but bro heard it and he did his thing with it. Turned it into a whole new song. We made it happen. Since then, we were vibing.
AllHipHop: Wait with the head off or on? [laughs]
2KBABY: With the mask off. After he heard the song and sent it back, we got up in person. We’re vibing all the way up until we shot the video, and now we here.
AllHipHop: What was your reaction when you heard it back?
2KBABY: I was amazed honestly. Being from where I’m from, even the music I grew up listening to, I was really proud of myself seeing how far I’ve come as an artist. I really want to be able to take over every genre and even grow as an artist. I want to perfect my craft and see progress. Seeing where I came from, damn now I’m here. The song sounds great. I know what type of audience it’s going to go to, an audience I never thought I’d be able to reach. It’s a blessing.
AllHipHop: You said you want to make pop music. Talk about wanting to attack every genre and your distinct sound.
2KBABY: I want to make everything. Lately I’ve been trying to make pop and other s###, but I always continue to do what got me here. I always continue to make music in the lab for the streets, for my people that still love “Old Streets” and still love Lil Sage. I’m definitely trying to master everything in the background.
AllHipHop: I love “Old Streets.” I know that was originally a freestyle for Say Cheese?
2KBABY: It was a freestyle I’d posted, then Glock Rivers picked it up on Twitter. He’s a big influencer on Twitter. It went viral on Twitter. It went crazy, then it transitioned over to Instagram. Say Cheese picked up the freestyle, then a whole bunch of other pages. When I posted the freestyle, I had 20K followers. It was going viral for the whole summer. By the end of summer, it had 70K to 80K going up on 100K. By the end, I made it into a real song and dropped it.
AllHipHop: Did you think it’d become your biggest song? You can feel the emotion.
2KBABY: When I first did it, when I first dropped the freestyle, I didn’t know nothing. Now that I think about it, I’d dropped “Like This,” the original one. I was trying to promote and trap people to watch my video I just dropped. Alright, let me shoot a freestyle video and post it on Instagram. S###, that went crazy. They wasn’t even paying no attention to the music video I was trying to get people to watch, the freestyle’s going crazy.
AllHipHop: How was it getting Lil Durk on the remix?
2KBABY: Shout out to Lil Durk man, Durk hopped on the remix through the same people. Before I had made my decision as far as what label, I’d already made connections with certain people over at Alamo. Shout out them over at Alamo. My team and their team, it was off the strength of what we had already had. We crossed paths in the past, so same s###.
AllHipHop: How does it feel to get your first plaque so young?
2KBABY: It’s a blessing. It motivates me. Once I got that first one and I put it up on the wall, I envision the whole wall covered in plaques. It made me want to get more!
AllHipHop: You came along way since bologna meat…
2KBABY: Facts! Bologna meat to gold plaques.
AllHipHop: A huge part of this show is mental health. What was the reality of coming up in Louisville?
2KBABY: You gotta definitely be strong. You gotta be strong-minded because it’s a crab-in-a-bucket effect. It’s really every man for himself because nobody really gets it out of us. Everybody’s trying to maintain, they chasing a lot of s### that’s not even in the city too. Listening to everybody else and being around too many other people, you gon’ get caught up. My big bro instilled in me when I was 14: “always ride alone.” I had times when I was on some knucklehead s### and I was picking up the squad, but I learned my lessons from that s###. I tell everybody else: “ride dolo” when I’m in my city. It’s different. My city is lost in time.
AllHipHop: Really? How so?
2KBABY: The best car you gon’ see in my city is a Maserati. If you see anything better than that, it’s one of the odds. We ain’t even got no designer stores. The closest designer store is in Simpsonville. Other cities like here, New York, LA, everybody got stars coming out of there every day. You see stars, you see cars, you see all this crazy s### like it’s normal. In my city, we see all that on our phones. What I’m doing right now and what I’m seeing, my life now is still surreal everyday. It was already programmed in my head: “this is where I’ma be, this is where I’ma live or die. This is the normal.” Now, it’s crazy. Everybody and they mama wish they could go to Cali, in my city. It ain’t even about getting out here or trying to get no big crazy AirbnB. In my city, they be satisfied to be out this m########### in the hotel. Just be walking the strip.
AllHipHop: You say “I’ve been through too much just to live like this.” How was your mental state back then?”
2KBABY: Once I really put my whole focus into it, it did help. I ain’t gon’ lie growing up, I drove myself crazy sometimes. I look at other other kids, they live life. They focus on being a kid, having fun every moment. Damn, why am I 12, 13, 14, stressed as f### like I’m old? I was never satisfied, I always wanted more. I didn’t have the most. My momma had told me we didn’t have it like that, that’s just being real. We gotta work for everything, but I never gave up though. I always kept hustling.
AllHipHop: How does mom’s feeling now? I’m sure she’s proud as f###.
2KBABY: Yeah she’s good now, everybody’s good now. Everybody’s good, everybody’s maintaining. We all trying to keep working to the next level. It’s just the beginning.
AllHipHop: You used to rap as Lil Sage, where’d that come from?
2KBABY: It was my nickname back home, all my friends called me Lil Sage. I really started rapping because my best friend got locked up when I was 14. At that time I waited 6 months, he was downtown in the YC (Youth Camp). His sister told me after 6 months he got sent to camp. In my head worsT case scenario, I’ma start rapping Just to say free my homie. So he got a name here back out here while he’s gone, leaving his legacy. That’s what I was on. By the time he came home, I gained the city on my back. I said “c’mon bro, let’s go crazy with rap!”
AllHipHop: Is he still here to this day?
2KBABY: Yeah, he’s still here. Shout out Blasian, he got a kid now. Bro still doing music.
AllHipHop: How’s your mental state now that you got all these eyes on you?
2KBABY: I really focus every day on not living too fast. I try to stay in the same mindset. Keep myself in the same place I was when I was back home, living with my mama or living with my grannie. Staying at one of my homie’s spots, I was hungry as f###. Every day, I’d wake up hungry. I know it’s never overnight, but as long as I’m making progress everyday and taking care of what I gotta take care of, I’m getting steps closer. I’m set.
AllHipHop: I want to touch on “Old Soul,” because I love G Herbo. You’ve got the perfect features.
2KBABY: G Herbo is one of my favorite artists, fasho. Once I got that feature, alright I know what I’m doing right. That’s one of my favorite songs.
AllHipHop: Was that done in the studio or was that sent?
2KBABY: Nah it was sent. Same s###. Me and bro caught up in New York though. It was dope! Pulled up to his first show on the tour in New York, that s### was crazy.
AllHipHop: People be knowing all his lyrics.
2KBABY: Yeah, everybody be saying he off beat, but I don’t hear it.
AllHipHop: Talk about dressing up as old people. How was that?
2KBABY: Oh man, that was dope I ain’t gon’ lie. When I looked at the treatment, I loved it. I was chillin’, it wasn’t nothing crazy. Shorty went crazy on the makeup. The most fun honestly was the acting. We shot the video in two different places. I shot the video in Atlanta, he shot his s### back home. It was the beginning of COVID, everything was real strict. My favorite part was they did something in the video where we FaceTimed each other while we’re playing chess, that was dope.
AllHipHop: I was gonna ask, are you good at chess?
2KBABY: Hell yeah! I whoop ass in chess.
AllHipHop: What’s your favorite G Herbo song?
2KBABY: “Back On Tour.” When he dropped that, he was going by G Herbo. I like “Eastside Story” too. That’s how I blew up back home. I remixed “Eastside Story” and called it “Southside Story.” That’s how I got my hood fame.
AllHipHop: How was Atlanta?
2KBABY: Atlanta was cool, I locked in in Atlanta. I was in the studio everyday, either in the basement or in Sonny Digital’s studio. Shout out Sonny Digital, that’s big bro!
AllHipHop: I know Lucci’s out there, you got “Half A Milli” with him.
2KBABY: Hell yeah, shout out Lucci. We all under the same label.
AllHipHop: Is there someone you want to work with that you haven’t?
2KBABY: Post Malone, I want to work with Post Malone. That’s gonna happen.
AllHipHop: Are you big on manifesting?
2KBABY: YeaH fasho, that’s what I be on all day long.
AllHipHop: Do you meditate?
2KBABY: I be trying to. I ain’t gon’ say I be sitting up somewhere with my feet or my legs crossed up, but I definitely talk to myself. I be figuring s### out. Every day, I gotta get s### done. I gotta make progress here and there. I’ll be figuring s### out, having conversations with myself. Two minds work better than one. I can’t think with one mind, I gotta think with two minds.
AllHipHop: You record off the dome?
2KBABY: Yeah, I don’t write anything. Going to the studio prepared to me is going to the studio with the energy, ready to create and get in the bag. Call whoever I want to call. Call my squad, whoever to meet up and help with the vibe. Get in there and start painting.
AllHipHop: 3 things you need in the studio?
2KBABY: Lemon pepper wings, weed of course, and my loved ones forreal. Gotta make sure they my people.
AllHipHop: How many people you got in your circle?
2KBABY: Not more than I can count on my hand.
AllHipHop: You liking it out here in LA? I know you’re cold.
2KBABY: Yeah I’m freezing out here. I love LA, I make some of my best music out here. The scenery and the vibes, of course the weed. It’s all inspirational, motivational.
AllHipHop: Talk about your drip, I see you.
2KBABY: Shoutout Cult man! Cult sent me the jacket.
AllHipHop: Who are your favorite designers?
2KBABY: I like Balenciaga. I like Gucci, Burberry. I love Burberry. Honestly, I’m not one of those n*ggas that be crazy about designer s###. I grab s### I like. I could walk into whatever store and if I see a T shirt or flannels, I’ll buy it. I be wearing flannels, s### like that.
AllHipHop: I see crystals around your neck, I love that.
2KBABY: Yeah, I’ve been recently trying to get up on that s###. Trying to get some better vibes.
AllHipHop: You have a new song “Great White” coming out Friday, why did you name it “Great White”?
2KBABY: In the chorus, I say “Great White, all you little n**** in the backseat” basically saying I’m a big shark and everybody else is watching. Also sharks do their own thing, a shark is in its own world in the ocean while everything else is happening on land. I’m not in the mix like that. And when anything comes into the ocean the shark is at an advantage.
AllHipHop: And you shot a video for “Great White”? yeah the video is about me going and getting it by any means. Rich Porter came up with the treatment and we shot it in LA.
2KBABY and Shirley Ju
AllHipHop: Anything you want to let the people know?
2KBABY: I’m dropping my mixtape next month, it’s called First Quarter.
AllHipHop: Any features?
2KBABY: Mozzy, I threw Mozzy on there. That’s big bro, I f### with Mozzy. I got Mozzy on there, I ain’t gon’ say all the features right now. Always got something in the works.
AllHipHop: Favorite emoji?
2KBABY: The laughing emoji.
AllHipHop: Favorite snack?
2KBABY: Goldfish.
AllHipHop: Favorite song at the moment.
2KBABY: “Like This.”
AllHipHop: Favorite thing to do for self-care?
2KBABY: Shower. I take a shower when I’m bored. I take a shower when I wake up and take a shower when I go to sleep. During the day if I’m bored, f### it. If I feel like I’m sticky, take a shower.
AllHipHop: Hot or cold?
2KBABY: Hot! I like the heat, I ain’t gon’ lie.
AllHipHop: Greatest fear?
2KBABY: Going broke.
AllHipHop: Favorite show on Netflix?
2KBABY: Right now, I like Riverdale. I like Shameless too though.
AllHipHop: What’s your idea of perfect happiness?
2KBABY: Being at peace.
AllHipHop: First thing that comes to mind: “Old Streets.”
2KBABY: Louisville.
AllHipHop: What’s your secret talent?
2KBABY: I play alto saxophone and tuba, some high-pitched s###. I bought one, on some f### it s###. I should try to record some saxophone s###…I like Dragonball Z. That’s the only anime I watch. N*ggas be leveling up and going super saiyan, I be trying to level up.
Born and raised in Tokyo, Japan, Sophie Schultz is a 17-year old makeup artist and entrepreneur currently living in Brooklyn, NY with her aunt and fashion icon, April Walker. After being bullied for not blending in, she moved to NYC at age 15 to pursue her dream and explore her identity.
I Don’t Camouflage is a community and documentary series featuring the patterns and migrations of creatives who dare to stand out. https://www.idontcamouflage.com
Directed, Filmed, Produced and Edited by: Aiko Tanaka of I Don’t Camouflage
Special Thanks To: Sophie Schultz and April Walker #IDontCamouflage
Lil Nas X has insisted it’s “not (his) job” to be a good role model.
The 22-year-old rapper – whose real name is Montero Lamar Hill – shot to fame in 2019 when he released his hit single, “Old Town Road,” and has said that whilst he originally felt “a sense of responsibility” to be a role model for his fans, he now “doesn’t care.”
When asked about being a good role model, he told GQ Style magazine: “At first I felt a sense of responsibility. But now I kind of just don’t care. It’s not my job. Of course I want to spread good ideals, but I’m not nobody’s parents. At the end of the day, I’m just doing me, and hoping everybody else is following the lead, and doing themselves.
“Part of my plan is to make sure people know I’m going to do whatever the f### I want, when I want to, and if you’re mad at it, I’m going to laugh in your face.”
And now, the musician says he initially feared he would have to be “straight passing” if he wanted to continue his career.
“(I thought that I wouldn’t be) allowed to be really sensual or anything … like, I’m gay but I’m not ‘gay’ … like, I’m gay but I have to make sure you feel like I can be straight passing too,” he mused.
Nas X also reflected on his Christian upbringing and admitted he “never wanted to be gay” when he was growing up because he thought it was “just a test” from God.
“That was one of the main reasons why I never wanted to be gay,” he added. “I even thought, “If I have these feelings, it’s just a test. A temporary test. It’s going to go away. God is just tempting me.’”
Hollywood Foreign Press Association officials have responded to NBC bosses scrapping coverage of the 2022 Golden Globes by announcing a two-month set of reforms.
The HFPA board has been slammed for failing to have any black members, with Hollywood A-listers and executives calling for a boycott until the organization has its house in order.
And it appears they are deadly serious about making necessary changes.
In a statement released hours after NBC’s decision to cancel its coverage of the 2022 Golden Globe Awards, a spokesman says: “Regardless of the next air date of the Golden Globes, implementing transformational changes as quickly – and as thoughtfully – as possible remains the top priority for our organization.
“We invite our partners in the industry to the table to work with us on the systemic reform that is long overdue, both in our organization as well as within the industry at large.”
Among the reforms the organization is planning between now and the middle of July: approving a new code of conduct in consultation with publicists and studios, continuing outreach to potential new member candidates, and beginning a search for a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion officer.
The HFPA bosses will also add 13 black journalists to their membership.
Last week, former 8-time president Phil Berk was booted from the organization emailing members a scathing criticism of Black Lives Matter Founder, Patrisse Cullors.
Also, back in 2003, Berk was accused of grabbing Brendan Frasier’s butt and rubbing his middle finger on his “taint” during a HFPA luncheon.
The Golden Globes is also accused of ignoring Black filmmakers and journalists.
Flint, Michigan Native Rapper Richie Re teamed up with superstar Trap Beckham for the release of summer’s hot summer anthem “Long Hair Thick A$$,” following the success of her current single ‘On the Flo.’
Bringing the heat out of Flint, MI, independent artist and rapper Richie Rehas surpassed many of her counterparts within the 3 years of her career. Being an independent artist, she’s already surpassed 14 million streams on her latest album Rich B#### Chronicles Vol. 1 that was released in late November with artist Trina “Big Money”, YN Jay “Coochie Girl”, and QC artist Kollision “Goldmine.”
Seeing that the industry is taking a new turn with females dominating like Nicki Minaj, Cardi B, and Megan Thee Stallion, the guys have had a run for their money. On the rise with endless views and streams, Richie Re is making her mark in the game. Following the success of her solo single “On the Flo”, sampled from hip hop superstar David Banner’s ‘Like a Pimp’…” Richie and Trap Beckham’s collaborative effort is giving real Freaknik vibes. Having great energies on the record the two are already getting great feedback and responses from their fans across the world.
On May 14, Roc Nation emcee Jermaine Cole is expected to drop his next body of work named The Off-Season. The North Carolina native, better known as J. Cole, presented a new 12-minute mini-doc before the project hits DSPs this Friday.
“Applying Pressure: The Off-Season Documentary” was published on YouTube yesterday (May 10). The Scott Lazer-directed video opened with J. Cole talking to his “a lot” collaborator 21 Savage in the studio about the meaning behind The Off-Season title.
At one point, Cole tells 21, “That’s where The Warm Up [mixtape] came from. Every day I woke up, wrote verses, made beats. All that to say, The Off-Season was like the same concept. One more time before I leave, before I feel fulfilled in this game, let me try to reach new heights from a skill level standpoint.”
In addition, J. Cole spoke about being appreciative of reaching a position of comfortability, and he discussed wanting to spend more time with his family. Chapter 2 of The Off-Season documentary was labeled “Father Time.”
On fatherhood, the 36-year-old spitter said, “It was almost like a clock went off. Before life completely changes, I was like, ‘Damn, I need to refocus, wake back up, lock back in, and begin the process of The Fall-Off.’ Which is reaching its highest height before I feel like I can comfortably just relax.”
The Fall-Off is yet another music project Cole is apparently creating. He has been teasing that particular effort since 2018’s KOD album which ended with a track titled “1985 (Intro to The Fall Off).” Then the SoundCloud description for his “Album Of The Year (Freestyle)” in 2018 read, “The Off Season coming soon… All roads lead to The Fall Off.”
Near the end of the “Applying Pressure” documentary, Cole can also be heard saying, “Letting people know: The Off-Season, It’s A Boy, The Fall-Off is coming. Now that the possibility of not doing this s### seems real, and I’m at peace with that, don’t have a regret.”
Back in 2014, around the time he released 2014 Forest Hills Drive, J. Cole spoke about possibly retiring early from the Hip Hop game. The entertainer/businessman expressed that he would be “content” if Forest Hills Drive was his final album, saying “That would be the illest note to leave listeners with.”
J. Cole likely has at least two more album eras before he steps off the court for good. The Off-Season period kicked off with the well-received “Interlude” (stylized as “i n t e r l u d e”) single. The record was produced by Cole, T-Minus, and Tommy Parker. Both “Applying Pressure: The Off-Season Documentary” and “Interlude” are currently trending on YouTube.
