Lontrell “Pooh Shiesty” Williams Jr. is pushing back against rumors that he was involved with a transgender woman. Social media users began questioning if the “Back in Blood” hitmaker was the person seen in sexually suggestive screenshots.
Reportedly, a trans woman named Nicki P posted videos online that included a bare-chested man wearing a 1017 chain and a long-nailed hand wearing a wristwatch. The Atlanta resident wrote in one caption, “Wit yo favorite rapper! Literally! Thanks for the AP DADDY.”
Trans Woman Posted Video “Wit Yo Favorite Rapper” Has People Speculating it’s Pooh Shiesty in the Video pic.twitter.com/eKwzhqfpGL
Nearly instantly, Twitter sleuths speculated the jewelry belonged to 1017 Records signee Pooh Shiesty. Other aspiring detectives determined the 1017 chains were fake and therefore the man in the clip could not be the Memphis-raised rapper.
As the theories played out on social media, Pooh Shiesty started reacting to the drama associated with his name. At first, he sent a now-deleted message to his 246,000 Twitter followers that read, “Can’t no internet tell u who I’m [f######].”
Pooh Shiesty also posted on the platform, “Go Play with somebody who ain’t gone kill you.” That statement could be referring to reports of accelerating fatal violence against transgender citizens across the nation. Some people interpreted the tweet as a possible threat.
Professional boxer Devin Haney and Jania Meshell apparently ended their relationship in recent days. Pooh Shiesty was brought into the couple’s public split after he was accused of commenting “She was in my dm” under an Instagram blog post about Haney and Meshell. The 21-year-old southerner denied leaving that comment.
In addition, Pooh Shiesty went on Instagram Live to address both situations. When it comes to the Nicki P allegations, he stated, “F###### and s###… Quit playing with 1017’s name though. That’s the wrong clout. That s### gonna lead to a shorter life span. Your ass gonna check out of here… They ain’t playing with me, they playing with 1017. They know I ain’t got no neck tattoo.”
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Once again, there are reports of Tory Lanez allegedly assaulting Love & Hip Hop: Miami star Prince Michael Harty. The two men have been engaged in a feud for years that reportedly included other violent encounters.
According to TMZ, Harty told police he was hit in the face while partying at Vendôme Club in Miami Beach, Florida last week. Tory Lanez is said to be the named suspect in a police report about the alleged battery.
The entertainment news website writes:
[Harty] was hanging out with NFL star Malcolm Butler, when he noticed some guys staring at them. We’re told the DJs and hosts made it well known Prince and Malcolm were in the building, and when Butler left Prince alone in their section, Tory came up with his entourage and allegedly threw the punch, leaving Prince with a massive headache and a swollen mouth.
However, representatives for Lanez told TMZ the incident never happened and the “Luv” performer did not come in contact with Harty at the location. Plus, Lanez’s team claimed there is no video nor witnesses that back up the party promoter’s accusations.
Tory Lanez’s rep also suggested Prince Michael Harty is “obsessed” with the Canadian singer/rapper. A similar situation supposedly took place in 2019 which led to Harty suing Lanez for allegedly attacking him at Miami’s LIV nightclub.
At the time, LIV released the following statement, “Last night our security broke up an altercation between Love and Hip Hop’s Prince and Tory Lanez. We have a zero-tolerance policy towards violence and both parties were immediately asked to leave the venue.”
Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office charged Lanez (born Daystar Peterson) with assault with a semiautomatic firearm, personal use of a firearm, and carrying a loaded and unregistered firearm in a vehicle. He pleaded not guilty to all counts.
Tory Lanez recently took to social media to declare his apathy towards any public backlash directed at him. The 28-year-old Daystar album creator tweeted, “I don’t care about repairing an image that people tried to smear and couldn’t.”
Cordae (formerly known as YBN Cordae) is preparing to release his sophomore studio LP, From a Bird’s Eye View. Prior to that project arriving in the future, the Maryland-raised emcee let loose the four-pack titled Just Until EP in April.
Just Until featured A Tribe Called Quest’s Q-Tip on “More Life” as well as Young Stoner Life’s Young Thug on “Wassup.” Cordae spoke about recording tracks with Thug during an interview on Apple Music’s Rap Life Radio with Ebro Darden.
“We did that joint one of the first nights we [were] in the studio just linking up,” said Cordae about Young Thug. “And we just [sat] down in a control room going back and forth and it’s incredible with Thug. This n#### is a master of cadence, flow, and being able to create high-level music at an extremely fast pace.”
Cordae continued, “And he would stop what the engineer was doing and shift the vocals and put a certain EQ and compressor on a vocal, so I’m just so impressed by that as well. I tell Thug all the time, I told him this in person, I’ll say it right now too. I feel like when it’s all said and done, he definitely belongs in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for sure.”
The four records on Just Until will not appear on the FromA Bird’s Eye View album. However, Cordae fans can expect another collaboration with R&B singer H.E.R. to make the final cut. The two recording artists previously connected for “Lord Is Coming” and “Racks” off H.E.R.’s I Used to Know Her.
“Yes, she’s definitely going to be on this next album,” Cordae told Darden. “We got a bunch of songs together in the can. Whenever we create, it’s always something dope. H.E.R and Anderson, I love being in the studio with them because they’re actual musicians to the highest level though.”
In a music video called “Rip Stick” featuring Pooh Shiesty and Sykobob, he revealed that he had “murder” tattooed in red on his eyelids.
His face is most striking as his thick black eyebrows and big almond-shaped eyes outline the tat. To further emphasize the dastardly message, fully read when his eyes are closed, is the red teardrop slightly under his eye, across from a cross.
In the video, he captioned, “Ain’t been sleep in a week still catching the biggest Z’s. And this ain’t even everything or what’s coming.”
This new body art comes days after he and Pooh Shiesty squashed their beef. On the eve of Mother’s Day, multiple videos emerged showing the two young adults…adulting and maturely handling their beef.
This comes after many suspected that their conflict would end in violence.
K.SHOY ENTERTAINMENT makes it to MJ Own Network on Roku Cable TV!!. Over the past 10 years, KShoy Entertainment has stamped its name as a successful recognized caribbean and hip hop entertainment multimedia resource outlet for talents. Reggae, Hip hop, R&B artists, as well as non-music talents (models, actors), and companies have increased their brand visibility and publicity through our carefully crafted and selective artist promotion services, media, advertising, events, contests, castings, affiliations, consultations and services.
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KShoya interviews Rap Artist Countree Slim. Faces of Rap Mothers branded rap artist Countree Slim from North Carolina talks about his life and debuts his rap hit song and music video COUNTREE SLIM – Came In. Introducing Rap artist #CountreeSlim From Prison to Hollywood Reality TV.
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The Barbs are happy because their queen has returned.
Nicki Minaj fans are celebrating as the “Super Bass” rapper posts for the first time in months on her social media. But don’t think she emerged because she wanted to show fans what she did for mother’s day!
Rocking her signature pink, Nicki appeared a little less matronly than one might expect a new mother to appear.
Perhaps, wanting to show her bounce back, Nicki is poised on her blushed-quilter desk with Chanel candy decorations where a less fabulous executive would have a lamp or stapler.
Covering up the most private parts of her body, which we are sure is also kinds of sickening, are two fuzzy pillows. She also was wardrobed in platinum jewelry and drippy rose crocs.
THE QUEEN IS BACK!
Her last post was January 9, only days after giving birth to her first child. Now, she may be giving birth to something else on Friday and fans believe that might be music.
New life, whether that be her hubby, baby, or a project, is needed for Nicki Minaj.
Steve Jobs once said “It’s not a faith in technology. It’s faith in people.” Kelvin “GP Radio” Santiago follows that line of thought. They say it is difficult to find industry executives that are equated with integrity, sincerity, drive and loyalty, but over the past 15 years Kelvin “GP Radio” Santiago has developed a reputation for just that. The Dominican rooted, New York raised, Miami based Santiago has amassed a roster of clients and successful projects that have effectively distinguished the promoter and talent broker from his peers.
Growing up in Long Island listening to artists like Biggie, Snoop, Dr. Dre, 50 Cent was the beginning of his love for Hip Hop, eventually turning his music passion into becoming one of the most respected radio promoters in the urban market. He says, “Money comes and goes but relationships last forever.”
Santiago is utilizing his experience to benefit an array of Grammy award winning and multi-platinum artists. Now he’s hoping to forge a multi-faceted entertainment company that encompasses music management, production and promotion. Whether he’s booking his clients on Power 105’s The Breakfast Club, Hot 97’s Ebro in the Morning, or rubbing shoulders with CEO’s at Sirius XM and iheart Radio Santiago is constantly pushing the envelope and finding new ways to break records and expand his artist’s presence.
As far as definitions go, Santiago’s titles are flaunting. Director of radio, booking agent, artist manager, and overall conduit between DJs and the music. He’s responsible for breaking records and monitoring how they’re landing. His client roster includes heavy hitters— Tory Lanez, singer/rapper Melii whose song “Icey” was used in Beyonce’s Ivy Park commercial. He also boasts clients including Rapper/Boxer Jake Paul who balances a distinguishable music and athletic career as well as Roc Nation DJ “Bodega” Flee.
He has broke over 10 records for Tory Lanez between 2017 and 2021 including hits like “Talk To Me,” “Broke In a Minute” and “Jerry Sprunger.” Santiago came up with the idea and facilitated Tory Lanez sending more than one thousand drops to radio DJs personally, and Santiago has managed to keep his rotation steady. Santiago also runs a three-tier label slash management marriage—Break Records, Next Level, and InAvAtor/Umbrella.
He’s currently focused on the development of Afro-Latina artist Melii. The Harlem bred vocalist’s latest release “Big Tipper” alongside Lil Wayne under Tory Lanez’ imprint Umbrella, made serious noise. Juggling creative personalities that are behind the world’s most acclaimed and often notorious superstars can be arduous. For Santiago, it’s routine. But not always as easy as he makes it look. Still, it’s a task he prefers to shoulder alone.
“People always say I should get an assistant or some help,” he laughs. “But trust is a major factor. I’m the oldest one here and I feel responsible for making sure things get done right. If anything goes wrong at the hands of someone else, then that would be on me.”
Santiago was vital in the early stages of R&B singer Jason Derulo’s career, as well as reggaeton artist J Álvarez and even financed Latin Trap artist Anuel’s first record ” Coronamos” featuring Lito Kirino. So what’s next on the horizon for Santiago? “I would like to open a one stop shop studio in Miami which will offer video editing, recording studios, green rooms but with a different vibe to each and every room.”
Meek Mill sent a shout out to Georgia’s Republican Governor Brian Kemp over the weekend.
This might have raised some eyebrows a few months ago when Donald Trump was running for re-election since Kemp was a supporter before the former POTUS turned on him.
But Georgia’s governor is getting kudos from more than Meek, thanks to a new bill he put his John Hancock one earlier this week.
Governor Kemp signed Senate Bill 105, which streamlines the processes within the state’s probation system.
In a rare showing of bipartisanship between the Republicans and the Democrats, Bill 105 passed 169-2 in the Georgia House of Representatives and unanimously in the State Senate.
Meek Mill, his organization the REFORM alliance, and other activists say Bill 105 will end the “probation to prison pipeline” which day has said has led to massive over incarceration.
https://www.instagram.com/p/COoTBvrHRgG/
“If you live in Georgia you can file for probation termination after 2 years with very high % of being granted,” Meek Mill explained. “This change will let up 50,000 people off probation when in effect!! THIS HOW WE
MOVING STATE TO STATE WITH ‘REFORM.’ We need all hands on deck join the movement! Reform alliance.com s/o to Georgia
governor for helping free some of us!”
The new bill will greatly release the time offenders will have to spend on probation in Georgia. According to stats, the average probation term in In the state is a whopping 6.3 years.
And, over 40% of those end up serving more than 10 years of probation, leading to an incredible stat: 1 in every 18 Georgian is caught up in the probation system.
“SB 105 is a bipartisan, evidence-based reform that will safely reduce the prison population, save taxpayer dollars and allow resources to be redirected towards true public safety priorities,” said REFORM Alliance CEO Robert Rooks. “It is a sensible and essential step toward ensuring a probation system that gives Georgians a meaningful second chance and an opportunity for real redemption.”
Meek became the poster boy for the problems with the probation system, after an 11-year battle with the state of Pennsylvania.
Meek was sent to prison for violating the terms of his probation for some minor and fractions, but after pressure, his sentence and his probation was vacated and he was allowed to plead guilty to a misdemeanor firearms gun possession charge.
In January, the REFORM Alliance played a role in passing the SB 1048, SB 1050, and SB 1051 laws which will reshape Michigan’s probation and parole system.
Meek, along with Philadelphia 76ers partner Michael Rubin serves as Co-Chairs for the REFORM Alliance.
Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter, Robert Kraft, Robert Smith, and others are listed as Founding Partners.
Swizz Beatz and Timbaland are excited about Verzuz’s new deal with Triller.
The pair took Verzuz – the virtual artist battle series – from Apple Music to Triller because they wanted to partner with a company of “super-disruptors and risk-takers.”
Swizz told Variety: “We needed a team that wasn’t scared and were super-disruptors and risk-takers. You can find companies that have a load of money, but they’re not thinking disruptively or strategically.
“It’s a multimedia company now. It’s a movement. It’s a lifestyle. That’s the part that I like, and this is just the beginning.”
Timbaland added: “We just got in the house and we’ve barely had a chance to look around yet. I knew Triller was a creative outlet similar to TikTok, but it seemed as if more rappers were using it — a lot. I watched the way they worked it, their edits of their own songs, the snippets they put out there. They made their own videos. I caught on to so many songs just because I saw them on Triller.”
And they are hoping to keep Verzuz’s gritty appeal, while also boosting its production values.
Swizz explained: “Now, we’re just a better-produced show. Everyone expects a show such as ours to stay raw and gritty, stay in that low place. My thing is that we can still keep it real, but we can totally put quality and integrity first. Everybody on the show is real, everybody behind the show is real — how much more real do you need to get?”
Coke La Rock is Hip-Hop’s original MC. This is not in dispute.
Coke La Rock was partners with DJ Kool Herc commonly known as the father of Hip-Hop. But right next to him, on the mic, was Coke La Rock. The 60-something-year-old Hip-Hop Pioneer was right there in the West Bronx with Herc and his sister/First Lady of Hip-Hop Cindy Campbell when they threw that now-infamous back to school party that doubled as a fundraiser for Cindy’s school clothing. Coke La Rock served as a companion piece to DJ Kool Herc work on the wheels of steel by grabbing the mic, doing shout outs and short rhymes in front of partygoers. Those rhymes would soon be the foundation for numerous rap heads, hit records like the Sugar Hill Gangs “Rapper’s Delight” and an eventual billion dollar business full of millions and millions of rappers. Such is his impact, he is now being called a “co-founder” of the culture of Hip-Hop.
We talked to Coke La Rock at WonWorld Studios in NYC for this exclusive and enchanting interview with a pioneer in a genre that doesn’t always pay proper homage to its forefathers and mothers. But this interview is a no holds barred look at an intriguing figure whose most interesting parts do not necessarily have anything to do with rap music. However, as it relates to Hip-Hop, Coke has a lot to say about his life and times. He discusses going all out for Kool Herc, ready to take a life, when the legend was nearly killed in a stabbing. He talks his early days of hustling and getting to places no other 17-year old could get into. He also discuses The Bronx, how crazy those jams were and even his penchant for holding three guns on him just in case.
AND THEN THERE IS HIP-HOP…
Coke La Rock keeps it real from his relationship to Herc to how he feels undervalued. He was here for the first Hip-Hop party with Herc and Cindy to being involved in the first rap battle to the first one to grab the mic to kick a rhyme. He even gives his Top 5…and the answer is a shocker. In a historical context, Coke La Rock is a national treasure and does not get nearly the respect that he deserves and it is time for that to change.
Look at this intriguing interview with AllHipHop’s own Chuck “Jigsaw” Creekmur.
Lizzo became tearful as she admitted to feeling “like a burden on everyone” in a TikTok video over the weekend.
The “Juice” star is known among fans for her usually-upbeat attitude, but kept things real as she headed online and opened up on her emotional state.
Filming herself in close-up while wearing a black-and-white striped shirt, Lizzo explained: “You know that part of sadness where you feel like a burden on everyone, and annoying, and nobody cares about you?
“Can we get rid of that part? It’s like, ‘Yo, I’m already sad’. Gotta add insult to injury that I have no one to talk to about it. It’s crazy. Like, why do we feel this way? Why do we feel this way when we get sad?”
Lizzo added: “I don’t want to feel this way anymore. I want to feel like I do have someone to talk to and people do care about me.”
“I am loved. I’m not alone. That’s how I want to feel but I don’t feel it,” she went on to remind herself, before ending the video by saying, “OK, this is embarrassing.”
And although Lizzo didn’t specify what had caused her sadness, she hinted in a follow-up clip that things were getting better for the star.
“I’m feeling better. I had a really rough night and a very emotional morning just thinking about my relationships and life,” she explained. “You know how it is, it gets dark.
“I’m definitely glad I reached out in any way I could, and TikTok was one of those ways to feel perceived and seen and heard was really, really helpful,” she said, adding that she planned to drink some tea and have a bath.
Don Cannon is a legend in his own right, and he’s come a long way from DJing at the young age of 5 years old. With his Instagram bio reading “your favorite producer,” the Philadelphia native is responsible for some of Lil Uzi Vert’s greatest hits, from “Money Longer” to “The Way Life Goes,” and even Rocko’s timeless smash “U.E.O.N.O.”
When he’s not producing and making beats, Don is playing the music executive role: primarily the co-founder of Atlantic Records’ Our Generation Now alongside long-time friend and collaborator DJ Drama. He also previously served as Vice President of A&R at Def Jam Recordings.
But now, he’s excited as ever to be stepping into his newest venture: the TmrO app. With his partner Kayla Shelton, this new app serves as a digital marketplace connecting the most creative minds from all over the world, specifically tapping into the music, film, and content creation industries. The location-based service allows businesses and creatives to connect with each other nearby.
Coming from true humble beginnings, which includes not even having food to eat, Don is here to pay it forward. AllHipHop caught up with Don via Instagram Live, who was interacting with the fans and playing them exclusives before tapping in with us. Read below as we discuss his come up in Philly, fond memories with DJ Drama, the mixtape days, discovering Lil Uzi Vert, why the TmrO app is a gamechanger, and more!
AllHipHop: Bring us back to when you were DJing at age 5, that’s wild.
Don Cannon: I did my first gig when I was 6, it was a wedding for my cousin. I was up there playing, I only had one record. 8 or 9 years old, I was rapping and making beats, but I was making these things called Pause Tapes. Back then, I had a karaoke machine so I’d sample stuff. I’d take a little piece of a sample, record it onto the next thing, pause it, go back and keep doing it until I had 3 minutes worth of loops, then I’d go back and rap on it through the karaoke machine.
Don Cannon:I moved on to getting my own professional DJ setup when I was 12 years old: Technics and a Gemini mixer. By the time I got to high school, I was already making mixtapes for the kids to listen to. My DJ name then was The Last Don. [laughs] I don’t know where that came from, probably some mafia movie. I carried that all the way until I got to college.
AllHipHop: What are your fondest memories from the mixtape days?
Don Cannon:One of them is Drama’s crib. DJ Drama had a house on 532 Glen Iris Drive, which is in the 4th Ward. I remember going there for the first time and making beats, having so many people want to come by the crib. Tip came through the crib to rap, David Banner, Lil Scrappy, Lil Jon. Any and everybody you can think of was at the house. It was a duplex, so he had the other side of the duplex. He had a lot of people come through. He had Monica come through, 2 Chainz when he was T#### Boi early, a lot of people. Sean Garrett’s a great writer, he’s coming by the crib as well. Those are my fondest memories because once I got my chops up and my money up, I’d dropped out of school on some Kanye West.
AllHipHop: Did you?
Don Cannon:Yeah, and Drama took me in. He said “yo, you can stay here until you get your s### together.” I wind up getting my own apartment, then we shifted a lot of the talent over to my apartment. I was living in this apartment complex, nobody had any idea that everybody from Raekwon to Freeway to Remy Ma to so many people came through there rapping. Nobody ever knew, Young Jeezy came through there. Nobody knew that apartment ever existed. I know now everybody’s like, “damn, I used to live next door! I ain’t know all that was going on.” We used to sneak people in, the most memorable times of where we started.
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AllHipHop: I saw you post you and DJ Drama have been through a lot together. I saw your post, y’all were locked up too. What happened?
Don Cannon:There was a little misunderstanding of what we did to the mixtape game. The IRAA is really the protection for labels and artists to make sure the copyrights stay intact, it protects the companies. When we’re doing mixtapes, they had no idea we were working with the artist. For the most part, they thought we’re taking albums and switching the covers. Bootlegging an album with a different cover.
AllHipHop: What the hell! That’s wild.
Don Cannon:It’s crazy because a young intern that worked at IRAA was a big fan of us. He wound up explaining to them what we really did. Once they took a listen, it seemed like a lot of the artists like John Legend to CeeLo Green when they’re doing Gnarls Barkley… when Gnarls Barkley first started, the first thing they put out was a mixtape with us. When they first got their deal with Downtown Records, they came to us to do a mixtape and we put the music out. It was a fun time. We got locked up behind it for us for a little while until they got an understanding. Once that came in, we got out of the case. It was a rough time but we stand tall, we got right back to the grind.
AllHipHop: Bring us back to when you guys came up with Our Generation Now? Did you think you’d build this into one of the most lucrative hip hop labels?
Don Cannon:For all the work that we put in, we always knew we’d turn into something. We never told the real story. What really happened was when Drama was doing Gangster Grillz, we had some other mixtapes on the side too. That wasn’t the only mixtape we’re doing. I had something called 28 Grams. He had an R&B series, I had an R&B series, then we had Gangster Grillz. We were trying to come up with something that could break artists, without it having to be under the Gangster Grillz brand.
At that time, Kanye was beating down doors trying to be the next rapper. Everybody loved him for his beats, but would never really give him a chance on rapping. He could rap really good. Him, Joe Budden, Cory Gunz, Stat Quo, these are all names that don’t fit the Gangster Grillz brand because the Gangster Grillz brand really started with Southern artists. What do we want to call this brand for breaking artists outside of Gangster Grillz? We wound up coming like “what’s going on? It’s the generation. It’s the new generation, generation now.” We only did 3 pieces, Killa Mike was in Generation Now under the Gangster Grillz brand.
AllHipHop: Really?
Don Cannon:Yeah. Gangster Grillz wind up taking off so we put all steam ahead, kept moving on that. Years later, people don’t know this neither, we had a DJ crew called Affiliates with me, him, and Trendsetter. We had our first label deal with Asylum Records in 2006. We had a situation there. As we moved forward, we took another stab at it. I was telling the story on The Breakfast Club, I had an artist named Jimme Wallstreet that my guy from Philly, Ace McCloud, one of my closest friends brought me. He changed my perspective on what I was looking for.
At first, I wanted a super duper rap rapper. It was hard to find. When Jimme Wallstreet came, he had Biggie swag. He wasn’t Biggie, but he had that finesse. It was different from Philly because everybody in Philly was battle rapping and going hard. Some years after, he wound up passing. I took some time off to keep my eyes on talent. It opened up my eyes to see somebody like Lil Uzi Vert, which was so different from Philadelphia. That’s history made from there.
AllHipHop: What did you see in Uzi in the beginning? I remember the “Carnage” record going crazy.
Don Cannon:The conviction. When his team first played me some of the records, I thought “man, dude is nice.” I imagine a rapping person that could really have stage presence like Waka Flocka. He was a performer. I said “yo, dude can rap. He’s from Philly and can perform. This is a no-brainer. I already see this vision.” When I first met, he was down in this basement studio up in Philly being nonchalant. I listen to some jams, I was liking all of the joints. A couple of weeks later, he’d hit my phone and said “yo what we doing?” Oh s###, kid’s is dope.
I went back to Philly and met him on South Street, he came with his cousin. We’re walking down South Street in Philadelphia, one of the most famous streets for shopping, eating, taking a stroll. It’s a dope street. We’re walking and talking, going to sneaker stores, people said “oh s###, that’s the boy Uzi!” Oh, he’s got a following in Philly? I gotta f### with the kid. I wind up saying, “oh okay, I’m going to take it back to the team.” At that time, we weren’t even thinking about making another label. I told Dram we should start this whole situation again. We wind up making history from there.
AllHipHop: Bring to when you made “Money Longer.” What was the vibe in the studio?
Don Cannon:When we first started making music, our first 50 songs had no thought process. Nothing to it. We’re gelling, getting sounds together, getting his voice together, getting my newfound trap beats from the history of what I was doing. I was doing a lot of classic hip hop records, and it was a sound that matched. When you find an artist, a lot of times they don’t match when you meet. It’s okay, you can still work with each other, but sometimes it’s not a gel.
Once we knew we had a gel, there were some things I started focusing on. I seen that EDM was making so much noise at the time. It was about beats, but I seen a transition early of EDM starting to pick up on artists. The DJs get popular and going to get artists and putting them on the beats. Bet, we taking it back to rap. Okay, how do I make a song or beat that’s a transition from EDM back to rap?” The “Money Longer” horns provided by Maaly Raw, they’re similar to the EDM sounds coming out. I had to bring back the hip-hop sounds without all the extra drops that EDM had. When I had that sound, I said, “oh we might’ve did something with this.”
Because he had already did the “Carnage” record, a few other records. This one was the lifeline to segue him into the hip-hop world. That’s where he’ll start making money: “oh, my money getting longer!” Wee put it out on SoundCloud one crazy night.”Yo, let’s put it out and see what it’s going to do.” My thoughts on it is it’s going to go. It had 99K downloads in 2 or 3 minutes, it was crazy.
AllHipHop: Do your expectations get higher as the success gets higher?
Don Cannon:My expectation for all artists gets higher. If it didn’t I wouldn’t have a vision or believe in nobody. I’m looking at that from all our artists. Uzi hasn’t even reached his peak. Our artists haven’t even reached the max potential they can get to before they go into their prime years. 2 albums in, you can’t really tell if a person’s#### his prime yet. It’s too early. Some people go classic first album, second album, then critically acclaimed. Critically acclaimed makes you that super duper star. Seeing a potential where it could be. A lot of this stuff is amazing, we just sit back and watch.
AllHipHop: Can you touch on Jack Harlow’s success and the rise of “What’s Poppin?”
Don Cannon:Same influence with Jack: a young talented dude that came to us. He had some records. When he came and met with us, he was totally professional. We sat in our office. We had a little room, he brought his producer Juan with him. We sat in there, chopped it up. We talked about favorite movies, favorite stances, anything that we loved musically. He told us a vision he had, we told him the vision we had. I’m not a great salesman. Anything that I’m doing, all I can give you is the real. If you follow, that’s cool. If you love what we’re doing, that’s cool. But I can’t sell you on why we’re the best fit for anything.
That goes for the app I’m doing, that goes for any artist I’m doing, or even if I’m starting a show. I can’t sell you on that. We’re not fake. He felt the vibes. We’ve got a condition going with us. The same thing, we gelled and from there he worked his ass off to get to where he is now, I can’t do nothing but respect that. I love artists that work the ass off and get there, and he did. I can’t say one thing he missed. When we find these artists, we always say, “yo, promise us you gon’ give us your all because we gon’ give you our all.” It happened, here he is.
AllHipHop: Let’s get into the app, tell us about TmrO.
Don Cannon:The TmrO app is an on-demand gig app, it’s great for any creative that wants to find gigs and be a part of that gig community. We have clients, we have creatives in there. You could be any type of creative. You could be a drummer, a hairstylist, an artist, a voiceover. I’m in the app as a voiceover. I do cartoons and commercials for the radio, so I got myself set up. Graphic design, videographer, on-set help, even down to an intern. This allows you to be in there and find things all in one app instead of having to search.
I see people on IG so many times say “hey I’m in Atlanta, I need a barber. I need a guitarist.” I always wanted to eliminate that. Even when we were starting Generation Now, it was more than artists at first. It was more where a we’re breeding the next entertainment lawyer? Where we’re breeding the next marketing person? This is a very important app for us to make for the world. Especially me growing up, knowing how hard it is to stay in your field. A lot of people love to create, then have to work a side job. Kayla’s friend was on set and when there was some downtime, she had to do Door Dash. Door Dash was good because it helped her live and eat, but she’s always trying to find out a good way to stay in her field. For the creatives, we’re trying to keep people in one field. If you’re a photographer, you don’t have to go make donuts at night. There’s nothing wrong with that, but that’s what this is all about. It’s giving people an opportunity to stay there.
AllHipHop: What’s the reality of coming out with your own app?
Don Cannon:I’ve always been in the tech. When I was little, I’d always take computers apart, put them back together. Create coding for little video games, was always that person ahead of the game with technology. It could be any gadget. 10 years ago, I had my own app for myself, but it was a selfish app. It was me and supported my brand. It told you where I was performing next. I had a platform called Studio Rats which was in there, it was videos of me in the studio. If you weren’t a fan of me at that time, that app wouldn’t necessarily be for you. It was all about me.
Moving forward now, I want to create a solution for people. There’s problems here, what’re the solutions? This is a solution based app because it gives creatives their chance to be in a space where they can make money and interact with different people, meet new clients without having to go to classifieds and sell people on a whole script of why they’re the best graphic artist. Their portfolios in there, you can look at it. You can talk to them, they’re real people. It’s not a bunch of bots. [laughs] It’s really important for us to do this.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CMcnQtAB7f-/
AllHipHop: I saw you raised over $20K dollars in less than two hours? How did that happen?
Don Cannon:We’re doing a crowdfunding campaign. Ihe crowdfunding campaign is very important because it’s allowing not only the creatives and clients to work inside the app, it’s gathering a whole community of people out there in their world that can invest in an app. Since the job acts Obama put into place, we weren’t able as the community to invest in the Ubers, Airbnb, all these things. To be an accredited investor, you had to make a certain amount of money. Now with the Jobs Act, it’s allowing you to be able to invest in small startups, small companies at any point.
We wanted to go to crowdfunding way so we can invite people like that. It could be my little cousin that saved up $250 sweeping floors, and wanted to invest in a startup that could turn into a billion dollar baby. When we put it out there, people started to see “oh, I can get $6 per share for $246 dollars minimum.” That’s nothing. That’s a pair of sneakers. That’s 2 months’ worth of pizzas, 2 concerts, whatever it is. It’s giving you some longevity with your finances, that’s all we wanted to bring. You know, a lot of people don’t get this life. Investments is everything now. You see people getting Bitcoin,t Doge coins, the new life in NFTs. We wanted to give people a chance. That first hour that we put out, people jumped on it. This crowdfunding thing for anybody is a slow grind, you gotta go out there and campaign. I want to educate and tell people you can invest and make some money later with a great startup company, and that’s TmrO. It’s for creatives, made by creatives.
AllHipHop: How do they sign up if they want to?
Don Cannon:Go to App Store in Apple. One thing I want to make clear, we didn’t do a crowdfunding campaign to make the app. The app’s already up and running, been out since November 2020. We have a thousand users in the app. People are working on both sides. Download it, it’s very easy. You set up a profile, you go on there and look around. If people want to invest, you can go to startengine.com/trmo-app. It’s $246. That’s not really a lot of money, but you can hold some stakes on owners and equity in a real startup.
We’re coming out with an Android version soon, I know a lot of people have Androids. We have so many new features, like Instant Book which allows you to book a gig. Say me and you were doing a gig and you cancel, I have to find somebody within less than an hour. It’s set up like Uber where I could go in there and find somebody really quickly, they could be on the job in about an hour. That’s very important. A lot of things we’re implementing in there, Instant talk. At first, we weren’t able to send links and pictures through the text on a portfolio. Now you’ll be able to send pictures and links through the text, talk to the person, get a feel for who they are before you hire them. That’s where we’re going with it.
AllHipHop: How are you balancing the app, the music, running a label, and your personal life?
Don Cannon:It’s a lot. It’s a 24-hour thing, especially with the education of it. The thing that I learned the most over the years is having a team. Sometimes people go into business and be the sole owner of everything, I’m glad that I have great partners on the label side. Got Drama, I got Lake. I got some good understudies like Willie Joe, who I call P. Diddy Jr. You got Royce Monroe, a lot of guys that help support the team and help everything move smoothly. On the TmrO side, we got people like Kayla, the CEO and the greatest person doing anything close to an app. You balance it out by you gotta have a super duper great team. Everybody wants to go into business by yourself but I’m here to tell you, get you some partners man. It’s the decade of the partnership. Get some people that know what they’re doing.
Swizz Beatz and Ruff Ryders just confirmed some great news: a brand-new, posthumous album from the late rapper DMX is on the way.
DMX passed away on April 9th, 2021, but thankfully, he stayed in the recording studio and had plenty of material to drop the new album EXODUS, his first studio album in 18-years.
The new album from DMX shares the name of one of his sons, Exodus Simmons, and is the late rapper’s first official studio album since Grand Champ was released in 2003.
“My brother X was one of the most pure and rare souls I’ve ever met. He lived his life dedicated to his family and music,” Swizz Beatz said in a statement. “Most of all, he was generous with his giving and loved his fans beyond measure. This album, X couldn’t wait for his fans all around the world to hear and show just how much he valued each and every single person that has supported him unconditionally.”
The cover for EXODUS was shot by legendary photographer Jonathan Mannion, who shot many of the most iconic images of DMX during the rapper’s 25-year career.
Before his death, DMX sold over 74 million records world-wide and racked up over 14 platinum RIAA certifications.
EXODUS will land in stores via Def Jam Recordings on May 28th.
The rap star-turned television mogul made an appearance at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, rocking a cowboy hat.
But Fif was not there to joke. His champagne brand Le Chemin du Roi was competing in the Rodeo Uncorked! International Wine Competition.
Even 50 Cent was surprised when Le Chemin du Roi came out on top and was named 2021’s Reserve Grand Champion.
It was no small feat, since there were over 2600 entries from 18 different countries, according to representatives for the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo.
R&B star Trey Songz has a new legal issue on his hands after he was accused of injuring a woman during a hit-and-run incident.
The “Bottoms Up hitmaker reportedly became embroiled in an argument with a female driver shortly after midnight on Thursday, and as the altercation escalated, Songz allegedly bumped his car into hers.
This prompted the woman to get out of her vehicle to confront him.
However, the singer was apparently not interested in discussing the incident further and is accused of speeding off, hitting her hand with his car in the process.
The alleged victim called the police over the altercation, which was registered as a hit-and-run.
The woman was not hospitalized as she declined medical attention. It’s unclear where the clash took place, but the incident is now under investigation.
Representatives for Trey Songz have yet to officially comment on the claims, but a source close to the star has denied any wrongdoing.
Rapper and super star J. Cole is taking his hoop dreams to the next level as the North Carolina native has signed up for the national Basketball Africa League (often called “NBA Africa” playing for Team Rwanda.
The league, which has been assisted by the NBA and FIBA, will have 12 players players per team. Of each team, eight of those players will be local, and the other team members can be from another country.
That’s where J. Cole comes in.
Cole will be playing for the Rwanda Patriots,according to the New Times Rwanda. The news hits just as Cole World is slated to drop a new album.
Sources with AllHipHop said that the league will be hosted in Rwanda for the next three years through the year 2023. The effort surrounding J. Cole will hopefully bridge the gap between America and Africa, which many referred to as the motherland.
#BREAKING: American rapper J. Cole @JColeNC is in Rwanda and could feature for local side Patriots at the upcoming Basketball Africa League.
— The New Times (Rwanda) (@NewTimesRwanda) May 9, 2021
The National Basketball Federation in Rwanda is hosting the FIBA Africa Games in August. Our sources say that the African league will be being in influencers to help push the league globally. The names of those influencers are not yet known.
We should be able to see J. Cole’s competitive skills soon, as our sources tell us the games kick off on May 16. A 26-game tournament, it all ends on the 30th of May. The tournament airs in Africa on ESPN.
Uncle Loops s an American artist residing in Dallas, TX.
Originally from Colorado, Uncle Loops moved to California in 2002 where he started his music career. While doing music with the group “The Flatlinerz”, Uncle Loops moved from Oceanside, CA to San Jose, CA and connected with well known Bay Area artists and engineers where he worked on perfecting his craft.
Uncle Loops has a unique style of recording and and epic sound, blending his Midwest roots with his West Coast vibe and Southern influences. Uncle Loops’ goal is that his music will not only inspire younger artists, but also those who felt age was a limitation.
He brings an OG vibe to the microphone every time he steps up. He also is a mentor to those in need of guidance, have big hopes and have failed within their communities. By hearing his music, his listeners will be able to relate by his storytelling lyrics and personable experiences.
Now, Uncle Loops releases his new single titled “Changin It Up” on all streaming platforms, which can be found on his forthcoming debut project titled Boutdo set to release sometime in June. The project talks of lessons learned and how to maneuver in a distorted environment. Uncle Loops shapes the mentality of his listeners through wavy beats and conversation lyrics.
He states, “I just get in the studio, go through some beats with the engineer and speak to the one that speaks to me.”
Uncle Loops has been influenced by artists like E-40, Too $hort, Clyde Carson, Andre 300, UGK, and Jay Z to name a few.
Chancelor Bennett, known professionally as Chance the Rapper, is partnering with AMC Theatres to exhibit Magnificent Coloring World. The Jake Schreier-directed concert film will be exclusively distributed through the movie theater chain.
Magnificent Coloring World is described as a celebration of the five-year anniversary of Chance The Rapper’s critically acclaimed Coloring Book mixtape. Park Pictures and Bennett’s House of Kicks produced the forthcoming motion picture.
“As the first individual music artist to distribute a concert film at AMC, Chance continues to break new ground in entertainment, and we are thrilled to bring this incredible event to the big screen at AMC communities around the country,” stated Nikkole Denson-Randolph, SVP, Content Strategy & Inclusive Programming at AMC Theatres.
Denson-Randolph continued, “Chance’s love of not only film, but the communal magic of the cinemas and the shared experience of seeing a film together makes this collaboration even more special.” A teaser trailer for Magnificent Coloring World was recently published on YouTube. The film is expected to premiere this summer.
Then in March of this year, Chance The Rapper made his solo movie video directorial debut with “The Heart & The Tongue” visuals which were shot at his House of Kicks studios in Chicago. Chance said at the time, “I’m proud to be releasing new music again and even prouder to be honing my film skills, and getting better behind the camera.”
Whether intentional or accidental, it appears the post-and-delete is the new rollout for Hip Hop artists. After Dreamville Records’ Bas spoiled J. Cole’s The Off-Season album release date announcement in April, Lil Baby seemed to do the same for his own forthcoming body of work with Lil Durk.
On Sunday (May 9), Atlanta’s Lil Baby uploaded a photo of himself and Lil Durk to his Instagram account. The caption for the now-removed picture read, “How does Voice of the Heroes dropping May 28 sound? 🤔 @lildurk 🤯🤯🤯🔥🔥.”
Durk took it a step further on his main Instagram page. The Only The Family frontman tried to activate his nearly 10 million IG followers by posting, “100k comments, me and @lilbaby gone drop our tape….. The voice x The hero.”
Then a week later, Lil Baby confirmed he and Lil Durk were recording a collaborative effort. The Quality Control Music representative even declared about Voice Of The Heroes, “It’s gonna be one of the craziest albums to ever come out.”
Thanks to a new collaboration on the #1 album Khaled Khaled by DJ Khaled, fans got an appetizer for what is likely to be the direction Lil Durk and Lil Baby take with Voice of the Heroes. The two hitmakers united for DJ Khaled’s “Every Chance I Get” track, and the song spent time at #1 on Apple Music’s Top 100: USA daily chart.
In addition, DJ Khaled, Lil Baby, and Lil Durk filmed an official music video for “Every Chance I Get.” The visual hit YouTube on May 4 and has already amassed more than 6 million views. It is currently the #1 trending video on the platform for music.
Growing up in Long Island listening to artists like Biggie, Snoop, Dr. Dre, 50 Cent was the beginning of his love for Hip Hop, eventually turning his music passion into becoming one of the most respected radio promoters in the urban market. He says, “
He has broke over 10 records for Tory Lanez between 2017 and 2021 including hits like “Talk To Me,” “Broke In a Minute” and “Jerry Sprunger.” Santiago came up with the idea and facilitated Tory Lanez sending more than one thousand drops to radio DJs personally, and Santiago has managed to keep his rotation steady. 