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Sean Paul Explains Why He Feels ‘Verzuz’ & Sound Clashes Can Be Bad For The Culture

By: Yohance Kyles (@HUEYmixwitRILEY) Updated Category: News
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Grammy-winning Dancehall recording artist Sean Paul caught some heat over his reason for not signing up for a Verzuz battle. Earlier this year, Paul told BBC Radio 1Xtra’s Seani B that he did not like the Verzuz platform or the name.

The 48-year-old performer made a comparison between the American-based Verzuz series and the sound clash tradition associated with the island of Jamaica. In Paul’s view, both presentations reinforce the idea of actual conflict. He even suggested the concept of battling musically is a product of “slave mentality.”

“I live in a violent society in Jamaica right now and the clash thing, is to me, something that is… I don’t want to say it’s causing the violence in society, but everybody is becoming complacent, so my stance is to fight against that in general,” said Paul in January.

At the time, the Dutty Rock album creator also stated, “Last year, when I said, I’m not down with the Verzuz thing and when somebody asked why don’t I like clashing, I told them it reminds me of slavery. A lot of people got offended and upset by that statement.”

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A post shared by BBC Radio 1Xtra (@bbc1xtra)

Sean Paul took part in another interview recently. Apple Music’s Zane Lowe spoke to the “Top Celebrity” singer, and their conversation once again covered Paul’s stance on the popular Verzuz.

“I was putting this album together called Live N Livin’ where I’m trying to put unity at the forefront,” Paul explained to Lowe. “I think that over the years, with our clashing each other, it’s been just a little bit embellished at times. It goes over to the point of us being complacent at saying some crazy things.”

He added, “I’m just trying to get back to the days where it’s more creative competition. So, when I was asked the question, ‘Would you do Verzuz?’ I said, ‘Nah.’ And they said, ‘Why?’ I said, ‘It reminds me too much of clashing right now.’ They were like, ‘What’s wrong with clashing? It’s part of your culture.'”

Paul continued, “I said, ‘Some things in culture are great, and some things in culture are very negative. I’m just trying to be the change I want to see in the universe and big up more the positive side of things.’ There are many positive things that come from our genre like us helping to spawn other music like Reggaeton. Personally, I’m just tired of seeing us go at each other.”

Since its inception during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Verzuz has hosted friendly hits-for-hits duels like Teddy Riley vs Babyface, Bounty Killer vs Beenie Man, DMX vs Snoop Dogg, Brandy vs Monica, Jeezy vs Gucci Mane, and Ashanti vs Keyshia Cole. Over 8 million viewers watched R&B divas Ashanti and Cole on January 21.

When the video-sharing service Triller purchased Verzuz in March, the brand’s original founders Swizz Beatz and Timbaland were added to the Triller Verzuz management team. Plus, 46 of the acts that participated in the series became Triller shareholders.

The next scheduled Verzuz event is set to see Blackout! collaborators Redman and Method Man meet up for a 4/20 special. In addition, 1990s-era R&B girl groups SWV and Xscape are currently expected to run through their most memorable records on May 8. There have also been teases of rematches as well as a “Ladies Night” edition.

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A post shared by VERZUZ (@verzuztv)

Snoop Dogg’s “Paul Vs Askren” Triller Fight Club Event Generated More Searches Than Wrestlemania 37

By: Yohance Kyles (@HUEYmixwitRILEY) Updated Category: News
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Triller Fight Club’s 4/17 boxing event, which was headlined by YouTuber Jake Paul defeating mixed martial artist Ben Askren by TKO in the first round, was met with mixed reactions. One thing is for sure, Snoop Dogg’s new league definitely created a lot of buzz.

According to veteran combat sports journalist Dave Meltzer, there was more online interest in “Paul vs. Askren” on April 17 than there was for WWE’s WrestleMania 37 on both April 10 and April 11. Meltzer reported comparative search stats for both events.

“This number may get larger, but the Triller show thus far has hit 5.2 million searches. For a comparison, both days of Mania combined was 750,000,” tweeted the Wrestling Observer Newsletter founder on Sunday.

WrestleMania 37 was a two-night event held at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. WWE’s annual sports entertainment extravaganza has been a mainstay in American pop culture since 1985. Special guests have always been an important part of the so-called “Showcase of the Immortals.”

This year’s Mania featured Puerto Rican rapper Bad Bunny in his debut wrestling match as he teamed up with Damian Priest to score a victory over The Miz and John Morrison. Jake Paul’s older brother, Logan Paul, made a cameo as a ringside guest for the Kevin Owens versus Sami Zayn clash.

Triller Fight Club was filled with celebrity appearances as well. Pop superstar Justin Bieber, SNL comedian Pete Davidson, Access Hollywood host Mario Lopez, and Family Matters star Jaleel White were all in attendance. Wrestling icon Ric Flair even refereed a slapping match.

The Black Keys, Saweetie, Mt. Westmore (the Hip Hop supergroup made up of E-40, Too Short, Snoop Dogg & Ice Cube), Doja Cat, and Major Lazer were all tapped to perform in Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium that night.

Not only did Snoop (born Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr.) hit the stage on Saturday with his fellow rap legends, but he was also part of the event’s commentating team. The Doggystyle album creator is a co-owner of Triller Fight Club too.

“I have been involved in many events across many platforms. Saturday night, which marked the launch of Proxima’s The Fight Club league, was in the top 5 of my entire career,” stated Snoop last year. “We are changing the entire game; boxing will never be the same and the audiences expect a new standard now. The Fight Club is that standard.”

https://twitter.com/triller/status/1383677969294512130?s=20

Lil Yachty Says Businesses Leaving Georgia Over Controversial Voting Laws Won’t Hurt Atlanta

By: Yohance Kyles (@HUEYmixwitRILEY) Updated Category: News
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There have been a lot of conversations about how Corporate America and Hollywood would respond to Georgia’s new Election Integrity Act (SB202) that was signed into law by Republican Governor Brian Kemp on March 25. Voting rights advocates say the legislation was designed to suppress Democratic-leaning voters, particularly African-Americans.

Major League Baseball decided to move this year’s All-Star Game out of the Atlanta area in response to SB202. Will Smith recently revealed he is relocating the production of his upcoming film, Emancipation, out of the state in protest of what the actor/producer called “regressive voting laws that are designed to restrict voter access.”

In contrast, Black Panther 2 director Ryan Cooglar announced that he will not take part in a boycott of Georgia. Cooglar stated, “What I will be doing is using my voice to emphasize the effects of SB202, its shameful roots in Jim Crow, and doing all I can to support organizations fighting voter suppression here in the state.”

Atlanta-raised rap star Lil Yachty was asked for his opinion on Georgia’s new Republican-backed voting laws and the possible effect a business boycott will have on pressuring lawmakers to revise the act. The 23-year-old entertainer expressed doubt that money leaving the state will actually lead to change.

“I don’t think that really plays much of a role. I think if they wanna do it, they gonna do it. But if they don’t, I don’t think that’s gonna change their opinion,” Yachty told a TMZ cameraman.

When asked if he is worried about Georgia’s economy being hurt by a boycott, Yachty responded, “I don’t know how long that will be that way. It’s so much going on in Atlanta, things will continue to thrive. Especially with a lot of film coming down there. Big studios are opening up. I don’t worry too much about that.”

Georgia has picked up the moniker of “Hollywood of the South.” Numerous movies and television shows are filmed in the state. In 2016, more major feature films were reportedly made in Georgia than in California. That same year the film industry spent a reported $2 billion in the state which created an estimated $7 billion economic boost.

Bernice King, Martin Luther King Jr.’s daughter and the CEO of Atlanta’s Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change, called on businesses not to leave Georgia. On March 25, King tweeted, “Please stop the #BoycottGeorgia talk. That would hurt middle-class workers and people grappling with poverty. And it would increase the harm of both racism and classism.”

Major Georgia-headquartered corporations like Delta and Coca-Cola have denounced the state’s Election Integrity Act. President Joe Biden called SB202 “an atrocity” and referred to it as “new Jim Crow laws.” Biden also stated that a Georgia boycott could hurt hourly workers and suggested Georgia legislators need to “smarten up.”

DMX’s ‘The Best Of DMX’ Hits No. 2 On The Album Chart, Song Streams Jump 499%

By: Yohance Kyles (@HUEYmixwitRILEY) Updated Category: News
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It appears many fans of Earl “DMX” Simmons mourned the late emcee by playing a lot of his music over the last week. Following his death on April 9, listeners ran up the streams for the Yonkers native.

Billboard reports the number of streams for DMX’s songs increased 499% in the United States for the week ending on April 15. That percentage jump helped play a part in the Best of DMX jumping to #2 on the latest Billboard 200 album chart.

The 21-track compilation pulled in 77,000 equivalent album units which was an increase of 544%. Listeners totaled 88.56 million streams for the songs on the project which equates to 59,000 units. About 9,000 traditional albums were sold.

In addition, DMX’s first two #1 LPs from 1998 – It’s Dark and Hell Is Hot and Flesh of My Flesh Blood of My Blood returned to the Billboard 200 rankings this week. It’s Dark sits at #46 (14,000 units). Flesh of My Flesh hit #107 (9,000 units).

“Ruff Ryders’ Anthem” was the most-streamed DMX record over the tracking period (16.44 million streams). That single was followed by “X Gon’ Give It To Ya” (10.19 million streams), “Slippin’” (9.36 million streams), and “Party Up (Up In Here)” (8.87 million streams).

While DSP users are playing a lot of DMX’s music at the moment, Florida rapper Zoey Dollarz is telling his Twitter followers to cease with the support for content created by deceased recording artists. Zoey’s message made the rounds in the blogosphere.

“Stop running up dead black artists streams if the money ain’t going to their families, we making these vultures even more rich after these kings die off then their families don’t get s###!!!!!” tweeted Dollarz on April 17.

The “Blow A Check” performer later added, “S### be wack these artists die n make more millions but their family get nothing, their kids get nothing. WTF kinda s### is that.”

https://twitter.com/ZoeyDollaz/status/1383592868757917699?s=20

https://twitter.com/ZoeyDollaz/status/1383593519521034245?s=20

It is not clear how much of DMX’s royalties and other music-related revenue is now going to his surviving loved ones. His family recently refuted a rumor that Jay-Z and Beyonce bought X’s master recordings as gifts for his children.

Last week, the Godfather of Harlem soundtrack curators released the first posthumous DMX verse. “Been To War” also features Ruff Ryders Entertainment’s longtime in-house producer Swizz Beatz as well as fellow New York representative French Montana.

Lil Durk Comments On Reports Of Gunfire At His Phoenix Concert

By: Yohance Kyles (@HUEYmixwitRILEY) Updated Category: News
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On Saturday, Lil Durk was out in Arizona to perform for a live crowd. According to reports, his show was cut short because of what was thought to be the sound of gunfire ringing out in the venue.

The Smurkchella organizers are claiming shots were not fired inside the space and no one was hit by bullets. Apparently, the noise that caused the commotion at Phoenix’s Celebrity Theatre was a microphone hitting the ground.

“When that noise comes through the PA system, it’s pretty jarring. So that loud noise caused people to panic, and people did scurry quite rapidly,” said Andrew Birgensmith, Celebrity Theatre general manager.

Between 7,000-10,000 people attended Durk’s Smurkchella concert. A few attendees apparently suffered non-life-threatening injuries as a result of trying to flee the scene after the commotion. Phoenix police officers did arrive at the location.

Lil Durk took to Instagram to comment on the gun-related reports connected to his name. He wrote, “They make up rumors when you lit. Last night I got paid 250k check the pics. P.S. we all got plaques together @poohshiesty @coileray.”

The Smurkchella Instagram page posted:

10K people showed up and got the opportunity to see the hottest artist in the game perform! 4 black men did that don’t allow negative media propaganda and rhetoric to mislead you! There was no shootings inside of @smurkchella! Yes, some things did go unplanned! It’s a concert, the first concert on the heels of a pandemic! We pushed for weeks to try to let as many people safely in as we could to experience this festival! Was that a mistake? In hindsight, maybe, but we wanted to do that for all you who wanted to be at Smurkchella, the people that matter the FANS! We tried to get more security, for weeks because we knew what was on the horizon! We were ensured prior that security was in place and would have everything under control so we could enjoy the show safe and responsible, but somethings were out of our control! Special S/O to Rockstar Enterprises LLC @ghostthegreat for the security without them it would’ve been no show at all! People were excited, nonetheless, it was a great experience that did not get shut down or end early! You got the chance to see @lildurk @coileray @poohshiesty perform their biggest songs together for the first time all on one stage! That’s history!!!!!!!!! Thank you to everybody that’s reached out and showed love support and appreciation! It’s doesn’t go unnoticed to all the people who flew in and came out, we thank all of you. Some things will get rectified in the upcoming days as far as the bottle service goes, but you can’t tell me it wasn’t a great event!!!!! All love, and thank you to all the artist that performed! @lildurk you the [goat emoji] don’t let them try to dim your light EVER! [blue heart emoji] @heat0fthem0ment @eleliottt @chianticlay @savagesznmedia

Celebrity Theatre’s Instagram page also posted a note addressing the incident on Saturday:

LIL DURK: SMURKCHELLA GUESTS

Celebrity Theatre was not the promoter for the last night’s Smurkchella event. Celebrity Theatre was simply the rental venue. We were not involved in the logistical coordination of the event whatsoever. While we regret any inconveniences associated with the event, all complaints, constructive criticism, and refund requests should be sent to the promoter at sm*********@***il.com.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CN03GjrHDcl/?igshid=1tu3gktzbyp9p

https://www.instagram.com/p/CN0RJ5CBs4-/

https://www.instagram.com/p/CN0bc-UHBAL/

 

READ: Diddy Pays Tribute To Late Bad Boy Rapper Black Rob

By: Kershaw St. Jawnson Updated Category: News
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Bad Boy founder Sean Combs has posted his reflections on the death of Black Rob on Instagram.

The text of the heartfelt tribute spoke to the “Whoa” rapper’s ability to make music that made people feel good. The photograph spoke to their relationship as New Yorkers and the brotherhood that they developed when he became the new voice of Bad Boy in the early 2000s.

He wrote, “💔 Rest in power King @therealblackrob ! As I listen to your records today there’s one thing that they all have in common! You have made millions of people all over the world feel good and dance! You are one of a kind! GOD BLESS! 🙏🏿 Love. 🖤💫✨ You will be truly missed!!!! 💔”

https://www.instagram.com/p/CN0cQxjHFu1/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Many thought that his words were not enough, implying that Diddy could have waxed poetics over the loss of one of his gunners— making his empire relevant after the death of The Notorious B.I.G.

Others considered the brevity of the caption and believed that the man behind so many of Hip-Hop’s greatest talents only cares about money and not artists that he put on.

Twitter profile Fifth Pyror stated, “Diddy is gonna be raking up a lot of money from let’s get it and whoa. And that’s all he cares about. His publicist or 50 baby moms probably typed that for him.. RIP Black Rob #RIPBlackRob #hiphop #BlackTwitter #comedy”

https://twitter.com/FifthPryor/status/1383905368594550786?s=20

@eliteblackguy posted, “Diddy gave black Rob a 10 album 450K deal when he first signed Diddy really a snake.”

https://twitter.com/eliteblackguy/status/1383905764486434824?s=20

“Diddy deserves to never know know peace another day of his life for the way he’s treated his artists,” tweeted DP’s by Moderna (@angryblkhoemo)

https://twitter.com/angryblkhoemo/status/1383558066537328645?s=20

“come in my mentions saying we don’t know what Diddy did for Black Rob and ima block you. no reason why he should’ve had a GFM in the first place if Diddy was doing all that you guys believe,” @caliohorniaqing stated.

And after Revolt posted a tribute, people jumped in the comments with reprimand there too.

“Diddy should’ve reached out and helped the second his clip went up a week ago. This the exploitation they try to hide from the people acting like there are moral ways to get to a billion dollars. Nah black billionaires are as ruthless as the white ones.”

Former Bad Boy employee Mark K. Curry said that despite the issues that the two once had, which have tastefully not been disclosed publicly, Diddy did reach out before Rob transitioned … even if it might have been too late.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CNkdAUch4ej/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

There are no words on tributes or funeral arrangements and/ or if Diddy will be reaching out to the family to help.

Lil Nas X And Cardi B Defeat Producer Over “Stolen” Song “Rodeo” 

By: Mike Winslow Updated Category: Exclusives
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Rap stars Lil Nas X and Cardi B have one less legal headache to worry about.

In October of 2019, producers  Brandon Lee and Glen Keith DeMeritt III claimed “Rodeo” sampled a song titled “Broad Day” by a duo named PuertoReefa & Sakrite Duexe.

Brandon Lee and Glen Keith DeMeritt III argued that “Broad Day” was based on their song “gwenXdonlee4-142,” so they sued Lil Nas X and Cardi B. 

Lil Nas X’s lawyers fired back, denying the allegations that “Rodeo” was lifted from their tune. 

“The Complaint, and each purported claim for relief alleged in it, fails because the musical elements from ‘gwenXdonlee4-142’ supposedly used in ‘Rodeo’ are neither original to Plaintiffs nor copyrightable subject matter,” Lil Nas X’s lawyers argued in their reply to the lawsuit.

After a year of legal wrangling, the case has finally been settled. 

Representatives for Lil Nas X and Cardi B used a mediator to engage in settlement talks, which proved to be fruitful.  Although terms were not been disclosed, the copyright infringement lawsuit has been dismissed from court – with prejudice, which means the case is closed. 

The dismissal is good news for Lil Nas X, who was recently dragged into court by Nike, over his infamous “Satan Shoes” collaboration with a company called MSCHF to promote his hit song “Montero (Call Me Be Your Name).” 

The rapper and his representatives settled that lawsuit, which ended with all 666 pairs of “Satan Shoes” being recalled.  As for Cardi, she’s been on a roll putting legal disputes to bed as well. 

In December of 2020, Cardi B settled a $30 million lawsuit with her former manager, Klenord “Shaft” Raphael.

More recently, Cardi B scored a legal victory against a blogger named Starmarie Ebony Jones. Starmarie claimed was a prostitute who had herpes and HPV. 

A judge recently ruled in Cardi B’s favor with a default judgment, after Jones blew off the “Bodak Yellow” rapper’s lawsuit. Jones has been ordered to take down all of the offending posts.

Lil Nas X Rodeo Lawsuit Dismissed
Lil Nas X Rodeo Lawsuit Dismissed

Dr. Dre Ordered To Get New Lawyers After Wife Wins STUNNING Victory In Divorce War

By: Kershaw St. Jawnson Updated Category: News
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Dr. Dre’s divorce is nowhere near over … and is more dramatic than an episode of “Empire” during the early seasons.

In the latest developments in the dissolution of their 24-year-old marriage, a Los Angeles court judge has mandated that the Aftermath founder find new attorneys to represent him. 

His counsel, Laura Wasser, and Howard King have been removed from the divorce case.

Weh?

According to reports, Nicole Young’s representation Samantha Spector believes that King can’t represent The Chronic rapper because he used to be the family lawyer and at one time repp’d both of them as their family lawyer.

She also contends that Wasser has worked with King in the past, thus making her — “vicariously disqualified.”

Damn … Nicole and her legal team basically knocked Dre’s queen off this divorce’s metaphoric chess board. Wasser is THE divorce lawyer for Hollywood stars, including big names like Kim Kardashian. 

The ruling is another loss for the West Coast icon.

This “L” is worse than the January agreement that had him give shorty temporary spousal support to the tune of $2 million. Dre is also paying for her security and her personal chef. 

Dr. Dre signed the papers for this deal while he was in a hospital bed in Cedar Sinai after suffering a stress-related aneurysm. Nicole wants her cut of the $850 million that was earned over the course of their two-decade marriage. 

Nicole also claims she was abused by the rap star, whose real name is Andre Young.

Developing …

 

Young M.A. Makes Power Move With New Liquor Deal

By: Kershaw St. Jawnson Updated Category: News
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Now we know why Young M.A. dropped her single “Off the Yak” in February.

Her latest bag is coming from a new endorsement with the NYAK Cognac, a premium cognac brand (80 proof) that is reportedly smooth tasting but at an affordable cost. Never heard of NYAK?

It is a new adult-beverage created by three executives, business mogul and CEO of Detroit Equities, Dennis McKinley; Former VP for Remy Cointreau, Patrick Charpentier; and former EVP of Seagram’s Spirits and Wines Jerome Hyafil.

They have joined forces like Autobots to give the public a product that will be competitive as it challenges industry heavyweights like Hennessy, Hine, Courvoisier, Martell, and Rémy Martin.

The team is banking on being the industry’s Optimus Prime and having the Kings County Captain be their Arcee.

The rollout is scheduled to pop off in 10 states representing five different markets: Florida, Texas, Georgia, New York, New Jersey, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Delaware, and Connecticut.

“NYAK is premium cognac and the culture loves cognac. We want to connect the NYAK brand to change agents in the culture…the artists who push the needle and drive our culture with their innovative artistry,” McKinley shared. “Our collaboration with Young M.A will be the first of many as we keep our finger on the pulse of what and who is shaping culture and lifestyle.”

A part of her responsibilities for the endorsement deal is helping the brand launch their “Celebrate Success” artist series.

“Celebrate Succes” will spotlight various musicians, singers, and rappers that the brand thought leaders believe push the envelope in live performances, exclusive video content, and original social media visuals.

We see you… off the “Yak” and now on that “NYAK!”

Bad Boy For Life? Has Black Rob’s Death Awakened A Reunion With Diddy?

By: illseed Updated Category: Rumors
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Black Rob Rest In Peace.

Mark Curry, one of the former rappers in Bad Boy Records, gave a bit of an update in the aftermath of Black Rob‘s death. Black Rob, as you know, died yesterday after having numerous health complications. Ultimately, it was kidney failure that took his life, I am being told. Word on the street, is that it was compounded by drug use and homelessness. Now, all eyes are on Diddy. Let’s keep it a buck. There has been so much misfortune by former Bad Boy artists or is that it ain’t even funny. Not everyone, but a lot of people.

Now everybody’s mad at Diddy. Should they be mad at Diddy? I’m not sure. But there are enough breadcrumbs for people to be saying stuff. So, Mark Curry gets on Instagram or some other social platform and makes a few statements about Black Rob and also comments about Diddy. He says that Sean “Brother Love” Combs  is looking to make things right and he proclaims “Bad Boy For Life.” Bad Boys for life? OK.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CNyVXI7hxXe/

And this is literally after – he says – 15 years of not speaking the the mogul. So a lot has happened in that 15 years, including Black Rob dying. So, what does this proclamation translates into? Seems like something positive. I think/hope that Diddy will have something for Mark Curry and others like him and that could be a job or something. Anything. I think that we need to have the broader conversation about healthcare, artists, insurance, mental health, substance abuse, and a few other things as well. Black Rob and DMX cannot just die and nothing change. Something has to change in the aftermath of these two tragic deaths so hopefully this is the start, but I am not really hopeful, because I think things will go back to change rather quickly.

What do you think?

https://www.instagram.com/p/CNyVjVRhZaH/

Uncle Luke And Family Join Rap Royalty On “Growing Up Hip Hop”

By: Kershaw St. Jawnson Updated Category: News
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WeTV’s#### reality series “Growing Up Hip Hop” has returned with its sixth season. 

The network will premiere the first episode introducing three new celebrity cast members and the mega rap stars, possibly to replace Romeo and Master P.

With the additions of Cree & Uncle Luke Campbell and Savannah, Stevie Jr. and Stevie J, the producers of the reality show, Entertainment One and Datari Turner Productions, are hoping to mix up the storylines and add to the drama of the franchise.

The current cast brings back the following royal rap families: 

The Simmons: Angela, Jo Jo, and Vanessa (children of Joey “Rev. Run” Simmons from the legendary RUN-DMC group).

The Dash Family: Boogie Dash (son of Damon Dash, the founder of Roc-a-fella Records, Roc-a-Wear, and key influencer to a whole bunch of other dope moments in Hip-Hop culture 94 until now).

The Denton-Criss Families: Egypt Criss (daughter of Sandy “Pepa” Denton and Anthony “Treach” Criss); Tyran (Pepa’s son); Tahira “Tee Tee” Francis (Pepa’s niece); Maureen Denton (Pepa’s sister); Pepa and Treach. Also connected to the family and the source of much of the drama is Sam, Egypt’s boyfriend.

The Isaacs Family: Brianna Isaacs (daughter of Kendu Isaacs and former step-daughter of Mary J. Blige).

Young Money Family: Lil Twist (rapper protégé of Lil Wayne).

The Wright Family: Eric Darnell Wright Jr. (son of the late Eazy E). 

The sixth season of its reality series Growing Up Hip Hop on May 13th on WeTV. 

Fake Gun Shots Ended Smurkchella, But Lil Durk Pulled Through With Flying Colors

By: Shirley Ju Updated Category: News
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Lil Durk is currently at the height of his career, and he’s taking his OTF (Only the Family) crew right to the top with him. 

When it comes to the feature game, the Chicago rapper has his hands in damn near every hit song you can think of, from Drake’s “Laugh Now Cry Later” and Pooh Shiesty’s “Back In Blood” to Coi Leray’s remix to “No More Parties” as well as Megan Thee Stallion’s “Movie.” 

Translation: if you have a Durk feature, that means you’re fire. Beyond his collaborations, the “Backdoor” rapper is the true “Voice of the Streets,” telling his story and truth while inspiring the masses that they too can change their life for the better. 

Almost every rapper in the game wants to work with Durk, and day one fans have yet to be disappointed. 

As the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions are slowly but surely eased, (masks are still required), Durk threw his festival called Smurkchella, dubbed “the biggest music festival of 2021,” at the Celebrity Theater in Phoenix, Arizona.

On Saturday, April 17th, Durk sold out the venue with over 10K tickets sold, as guests like Pooh Shiesty and Coi Leray turned out to support the Chicago rapper’s festival. 

Upon entering, fans were greeted with the letters ‘Smurkchella” spelled out in white balloons. Smurkchella attracted people from all walks of life eager to see Durk perform their favorite songs. 

While the mayhem on stage ensued, mostly due to the overpopulation of individuals present, that didn’t stop Durk from performing all his smash records back to back to back.

“Re-Up” was one of the first records he started the show with, and fans belted out the lyrics word for word. “When We Shoot” followed suit, before Durk performed his song “Pressin” with the late King Von, who was an artist on Durk’s OTF label. 

The crowd went crazy for damn near each song, including “The Voice,” and “Only The Fam” also featuring Von, from 2018’s Lil Durk Presents: Only the Family Involved, Vol. 2.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Shirley Ju (@shirju)

“Home Body” was the one that had the girls freaking out. At one point, Durk screamed “if you tired of a broke n####…”, hyping up the crowd for the arrival of Pooh Shiesty. The dynamic duo wasted no time in performing their viral hit “Back In Blood,” while Coi Leray popped out to perform the “No More Parties” remix with Durk.

But the real phenomenon happened abruptly when crowd-goers mistook a mic drip for gunshots. Suddenly, swarms of people began running away from the stage, causing a large majority of the patrons in the audience to flee as well.

Although this happened twice during the night, thankfully, there were no shootings of any sort and Smurkchella was a success. 

Everybody walked away safe and had a Saturday evening for the books.

Sure Jake Paul Won … But Really … Snoop Is The Winner of Triller Fight Club

By: Kershaw St. Jawnson Updated Category: Features
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Millions tuned in to see the Jake Paul versus Ben Askren fight on Saturday, April 17 on the Triller Fight Club card, hoping to see if the social media influencer will emerge victorious. They also wanted to see if Snoop was gonna win that $2 million bet he made with Dana White.

Well, the action pack night made those folk very happy— as Jake Paul and Snoop won real big.

URKEL IS BACK!

In addition to the fights, viewers were entertained by top-tier talent curated by Snoop Dogg, one of the Triller investors. The pre-show skits were hilarious but might have hinted at another business deal from the “Gin and Juice.” Jaleel White appeared as his popular TV character Steve Urkel. The spoof pretended that Urkel was an executive at Triller giving Snoop a contract. He also pitched a street fight component to Triller where people can upload hood bang-ups to Triller for fans to watch like a boxing Onlyfans app. This form of User Generated Content would make money for both Triller and the amateur brawlers and they would do a subscription-based revenue share.

White also took advantage of the throwback by promoting his cannabis line, Purple Urkel.

The main event didn’t go on until almost 1 am, Sunday morning but the whole event was enjoyable from soup to nuts. Dashed in between the fisticuffs were performances. At 9 pm (EST), The Black Keys opened up the night.

The was the Reykon battle against Joe Fournier, where the Columbian reggaeton performer lost his first fight.

The newly single Saweetie took the stage to perform “Best Friend” with Doja Cat, “Tap In,” and her hit song, “That’s My Type.”WESTMORE DEBUT!

MT. WESTMORE DEBUT!

While those Billboard Top 40 acts are attractive and sure to bring in a particular population, the real attraction (even over the fight) is the premiere of the Hip-Hop mega-group, Mt. Westmore.

Mt. Westmore is a collective made up of Snoop Dogg, Ice Cube, E40, and Too Short. All four of the stars have not only experienced an exponential level of success with songs that canvas over four decades, but they are also simply iconic.

First up was E40 who was stunting with a black and white Louis Vuitton bomber with a fur collar. Dripping with the Yay all over him, he performed some of his hits: “Choices (Yup)” and his part on Big Sean’s “I Don’t F**k With You.”

Next from the group was Too Short who did some of his party-starters, “Ain’t Gone Do it,” “Blow the Whistle,” and  “Shake that Monkey”  featuring Lil Jon & the East Side Boyz.

Ice Cube then took the stage to perform two songs from his catalog, “It Was A Good Day” and  “You Can Do It.”

The last of the West Coast mega-group was Snoop Dogg, the person pulling everything together. He performed “Gin and Juice” and “Drop It Like It’s Hot.” During the Pharrell-produced song, the Death Row superstar had pole dancers come out as he swagged all over the place with his personalized Snoop Lion mic.

Snoop also premiered a new song – “How You Feel Now.”

Now for the moment, everyone had been waiting for … the stage is dark and the fans see four black thrones with red lights illuminated from the back with the rap stars sitting from stage left to right: Too Short, Snoop, E40, and Ice Cube.

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The new song is fire as the chorus ranged out with, “Big soft woofers in back, plus I blow the windows out the frame; it’s a party when I pull up!”

The performance was only the start, according to sources the group is working on a project — sure to revive the West Coast dominance that they established in the mid-90s.

Snoop will drop a project on April 20th — three days after this historic night — titled From Tha Streets 2 Tha Suites.

RIC FLAIR, PETE DAVIDSON, AND THE SLAP CONTEST

No one expected the two Staten Island brothers to have one of the most bizarre and entertaining portions of the show. The Hall of Fame wrestler, formerly a Horsemen from the iconic NWA wrestling league, said that he said that he heard that the women in Buckhead called him “Peter the Pumpkin Eater.” Clearly still a live wire from the 80s, he saw a young woman in a top and shouted with a loud “Woohoo, hey girl in the high school sweater!” To which Pete Davidson said, “You can’t say that!”

The duo were the hosts for the Slap Strike competition between Da Crazy Hawaiian and The Bear Man. Slap Strike is a contest where opponents slap each other in the face super hard and the winner is the one that does not respond. Fans took to Twitter to share how much they enjoyed this part.

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Might not speak Spanish, but it says it all.

The winner was Da Crazy Hawaiian and let’s just say you don’t ever want to get him mad.

DOJA CAT DOES HER VERSION OF JANET AND JOSIE

Doja Cat ruled her performance when she and her background dancers came through with black double-breasted suit jackets on, sick choreography reminiscent of Janet Jo’s “Rhythm Nation” uniform. The outfits were perfectly tailored to show off their bodies and the itsy bitsy briefs underneath the jackets. Doja Cat’s hair was coiffed with a wet curly wig and her caramel-complected face was accented by violet-purple eyeshadow.

The next song that she did for the views was “Freak,” the single that has sparked the viral  #silhouettechallenge. When you see the dancers, they are now stripped down to hot pink cheetah-print teddies, looking like the Black girl from Josie and the Pussycats. The next time we see the singer, born Amala Ratna Zandile Dlamini, she is in a pink cheetah latex bralette with straps that connect down to matching bottoms with fishnet stockings with a Dolce Gabbana belt.

Another costume change was in order for when she did, “Kiss Me More” a new jam featuring TDE’s SZA.  The South African-Zulu and Jewish-American mixed chart-darling rocked a cheetah bubble jacket over her bathing suit. It is clear by her performance that she is watching the vets.

Snoop and the Triller team then announce their new NFTs based on Jake Paul’s last battle’s knockout and the one from that night. Within three minutes of the announcement, the auction of the first NFT was over $1 million.

Triller NFT 3 Hours Into The Auction

After this announcement was a touching tribute to DMX.

OSCAR DE LA HOYA COMMENTATES AND DROPS NEW FIGHT

Oscar de La Hoya pulled up to the “Triller Fight Club” to announce his new fight on July 3. While he did not say who is his competitor, he did say that it would be someone great. He also said that he was inspired by Mike Tyson to get back in the ring after 14 years of retirement.

He joined the team to analyze the Frank Mir and Steve Cunningham fight.

The highlight of this bout was that Frank Mir’s daughter Jennifer, an MMA champion, was in his corner helping coach and refresh between rounds. The professional boxer was up against former Navy vet, Steve Cunningham who in 2013 beat Tyson Fury, who was noticeably smaller than Mir (75 lbs. less).

Triller’s Fight Club is totally different from any other boxing league anyone has ever seen. Noticeably, the commentators were a mixed bag of funny. De La Hoya was leading the jokes as he appeared either drunk or high. In fact, one host said that they all have contacts from the weed in the air.

At the beginning of the fight, Oscar kept commenting on Steve Cunningham’s physique, saying that he loved it — highlighting his abs.

The next performer was Major Lazer who rocked his jam, “Diplomatic” featuring Guaynaa.

WAIT … JUSTIN BIEBER DON’T WANT TO BE BLACK NO MO’

There is something about these Justins (him and Timberlake) that jump in and out of Black music. As the anchor artist of the Triller Fight Club event, he basically told his “urban” fans that he ain’t care about which Biebs we wanted to see. He was gonna give us his new beige version, steep in his Canadian roots and not the swag Atlanta groove that put him on.

Justin Bieber gave us out-of-tuned versions of “Hold On,” “Somebody” and ending with the no longer R&B pop version of “Peaches.”  Usher’s old protégé is pure vanilla, purposely not singing melodically (not caring about the soul-light runs he used to present).

He didn’t dance like he used to…  alternatively opting for stomping across the stage in a stiff (dookie pants) shuffle. Orange beanie, white top and black skinny jeans, and pyro elevated by “I am really mean this” stomp with a slam-dancing prance across the stage.

MAIN EVENT: JAKE PAUL VS. BEN ASKREN

For this fight, the main event, Triller brought out celebrity ring announcer, Mike Buffer.

Part of being a star is knowing how to make an entrance. Jake Paul, the Problem Child, came in with an 8-foot robot that looked like a Transformer.

Ben came in … but it was uneventful. Just like the fight … which was over in 1 minute and 59 seconds.

Jake Paul, who has been under a cloud of frustration over the last few weeks, won with a knockout. Ten days ago, his bodyguard Shadow died. Just this week, he was hit with sexual assault allegations (one that Pete Davidson brought up to him in pre-fight banter). But the spirit of his friend must have been present because just as Shadow predicted, Jake Paul won in the first round.

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Shadow cast some light on Snoop too, as Uncle bet Dana White $2 million that the YouTuber would win over Ben. Snoop was quick to say, “pay up.”

One fan will also have to pay up, as they purchased the last knockout as an NFT for $1.1 million.

Triller NFT Sold

Behind The Scenes Of DMX’s Memorial Service, Swizz Beatz Is Working!

By: illseed Updated Category: Rumors
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Now, we know some of the details behind memorial services for Yonkers, New York Rapper DMX. We all know the recent story about DMX and his untimely passing, but we now know that there will be a massive celebration for him. If you need to know those specific details, check the link below. If you want some behind-the-scenes stuff, continue to read.

DMX Memorial: Here Are The Details

So, I have been privy to some information regarding the celebration of DMX‘s life. We are still mourning the loss of the great rap artist and actor but the celebration will not be thwarted. However, I am seeing that behind the scenes, there was a bit of a push and pull for where his celebration would be. Before TMZ said anything, I already knew that there was a massive celebration being planned. But I think that the Barclays Center in Brooklyn snatched the ceremony from Madison Square Garden in Manhattan. My original sources said that Swizz was working feverishly to have the celebration in Manhattan, but suddenly that changed.

Why? I don’t know. I have my thoughts but I don’t have any confirmations as to why. I know that Madison Square Garden is more in Times Square and perhaps less disturbance to the burgeoning tourist population, but I really don’t know. It also could be a money thing, maybe Barclays simply outbid MSG.

At any rate, like I said before Swizz Beatz is really making sure his man gets sent home in the grandest fashion possible. As you already know Swizz, and others helped orchestrate the audio backdrop to some of DMX’s biggest hits.

I am not sure exactly other details, but you can believe it’s going to be a star studded affair, and have a bit of exclusivity to it as well. It will not be like Nipsey Hussle, because the conditions around now with Covid are so different. But, you best believe the hood is going to come out and I am quite sure that  played a role in the location too.

Dmx GIFs | Tenor

RIP BLACK ROB.

Serena Williams Speaks On New Deal With Amazon For Intimate Docuseries

By: AllHipHop Staff Updated Category: News
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Tennis superstar Serena Williams is inviting cameras into her life both on and off the court for a new Amazon docuseries.

The 23-time Grand Slam champ and businesswoman will lay bare her personal and professional life for the as-yet-untitled project, which she will executive produce alongside her longtime coach, Patrick Mouratoglou.

The show is part of a new first-look TV deal Williams has signed with Amazon officials, with whom she will collaborate on both scripted and unscripted content.

“I’m very excited to be partnering with Amazon Studios – they are developing some of the most inspiring and important content for a global audience,” the mother-of-one, who is married to Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian, shared in a statement.

“I have a lot of stories I’m eager to tell, including a continuation of my own, and I look forward to sharing those with the world.”

Jennifer Salke, head of Amazon Studios, added, “Serena has transformed her sport and become one of the most inspiring athletes, entrepreneurs and women of her generation, admired not only for her unmatched prowess on the court but for her dedication to advocacy as well.

“We’re incredibly excited to share her journey in this new series, and to work with her to create new original content for our Prime Video customers worldwide.”

A launch date for the docuseries has yet to be announced. It won’t be the first time Williams has opened up on camera – she released the HBO documentary, “Being Serena,” in 2018.

 

BREAKING: Former Bad Boy Rapper Black Rob Dead

By: Mike Winslow Updated Category: News
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Just weeks after the passing of rapper DMX’s death, another rap legend has transitioned.

Former Bad Boy rapper Black Rob has died from kidney failure, after suffering a variety of ailments. Most recently, the rapper had revealed he had suffered from four strokes brought on by high blood pressure.

“Lord knows i tried to get help …… I’m sad to say RIP to Black Rob ….. Passed away in the hospital in Atlanta,” confirmed DJ Self, who broke the news about the rapper’s health woes last week, when he posted a video of Black Rob sending his condolences to the late DMX, who died on April 9th.

The rapper, best known for his hit song “Whoa,” had recently been discharged from the hospital and was reportedly planning to relocate to Atlanta, because he was homeless.

Last weekend, Black Rob, born Robert Ross, took to Instagram to reassure his fans that he was doing ok, but tragically, his illness took his life fast than anyone imagined.

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Bad Boy alumni/rapper Mark Curry had been providing updates on Rob’s situation on his own Instagram page and revealed he was supposed to undergo dialysis after fans launched a GoFundMe to raise money to help the rapper with his medical bills and living arrangements.

The GoFundMe had raised over $27,000 out of a $50,000 goal at the time of Black Rob’s passing.

Black Rob was 51-years-old when he died. He leaves behind a solid legacy and a respectable catalog. 

The Harlem rapper was featured on a variety of records with artists on Bad Boy, including G. Dep’s “Special Delivery,” as well as the remixes to Total’s single “What About Us,” Faith’s “Love Like Us,” Mase’s “24 Hrs. To Live” and others. 

Black Rob released four albums over the course of his career. Life Story was released in 2000, followed by The Black Rob Report in 2005. 

His career was interrupted by a six-year stint in prison after he was caught in a hotel room with $6,000 worth of stolen jewelry.  

Black Rob was released from prison in 2010. He delivered his album Game Tested, Streets Approved in 2011, followed by his final full-length, 2015’s Genuine Article.

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Snoop Dogg Links With Jamie Foxx To Hunt Vampires In New Thriller “Day Shift”

By: Kershaw St. Jawnson Updated Category: News
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West Coast rapper Snoop Dogg has been super busy getting his businessman on. 

Tonight (April 17th), Snoop is presiding over the Jake Paul/Ben Askren fight at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta via his Fight Club’s partnership with Triller. 

In addition to the Triller partnership and dropping new music with The Isley Brothers, Snoop is taking care of his acting career too. 

It was recently announced that Snoop Dogg is starring in a new Netflix-produced movie with Jamie Foxx and Meagan Good called “Day Shift.”

The film will be the directorial debut of American martial artist, action director, actor, and stuntman, JJ Perry, best known for his work as a second unit director and stunt coordinator on movies like “Fast & Furious 9,” “The Fate of the Furious,” and “Bloodshot.”

A vampire thriller, “Day Shift” was written by Tyler Tice and revised by Say Hatten. Foxx will be the lead, appearing as a hard-working dad with a blue-collar job (he’ll be playing a pool cleaner). Like most parents, he is grinding super hard to provide for his 8-year-old daughter…at least that is what he wants us to think.

His real job is tracking down blood-sucking vampires with his crew of international posse of vampire hunters.

There is no word yet on Snoop’s character.

According to his IMDB, the cast is currently filming. It also shows that he has been getting busy this year on the acting tip.  

Snoop Dogg has revived his role as the voice of “It” in the untitled Addams Family sequel and will play Professor Dominologist in another film called Domino: Battle of the Bones. 

Get it, Uncle Snoop!!!! Get it!!!!

 

Filmmaker Sues LAPD For Firing Projectile Into His Groin After YG Video Shoot/George Floyd Protests

By: Grouchy Greg Watkins (@GrouchyGreg) Updated Category: Exclusives
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A Los Angeles filmmaker who went to check out YG’s video shoot during the George Floyd protests in Los Angeles on June 2nd, 2020, has hit the LAPD with a lawsuit.

According to Benjamin Montemayor, he decided to go down to protest the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and other victims of police brutality after seeing YG’s post on Twitter.

Montemayor said he was one of more than 10,000 people who showed up that day to peacefully demonstrate, after the brutal murder of George Floyd at the hands of Minnesota police officer Derek Chauvin, on May 25th, 2020.

During the protest, Montemayor and a friend walked with a large, hand-painted banner measuring 7.6 feet by 3.8 feet, which read: PROTECT OUR COMMUNITIES, DEFUND POLICE, BLACK LIVES MATTER.”

The filmmaker said he and his friends marched peacefully in Hollywood for hours until all HELL broke loose – thanks to the LAPD. 

Montemayor said that Los Angeles Police Department officers outfitted in riot gear indiscriminately unleashed so-called “less lethal” chemical and projectile weapons on the crowd as they marched on Hollywood Boulevard.

“Without announcement or warning, Los Angeles Police Department officers targeted and attacked Mr. Montemayor and his friend because they were holding the banner—one officer ripped the banner from Mr. Montemayor’s hand, and a second officer violently shoved him,” explained Montemayor’s lawyer Shaleen Shanbhag of the law firm Hadsell, Stormer, Renick & Dai. 

“As Mr. Montemayor stood there, unarmed, not resisting arrest, posing no threat whatsoever to anyone around him, and having just been violently shoved, a third officer less than ten feet away aimed his green 40mm launcher at Mr. Montemayor and intentionally shot him in the groin with a high-speed plastic, hard foam projectile,” Shanbhag revealed. 

Montemayor crumpled in pain from the impact of the eXact iMpact ammunition fired from the 40mm launcher, which caused Montemayor’s right testicle to immediately swell to the size of a grapefruit. 

Montemayor had to be rushed to an emergency room due to the severeness of his injury. He had to undergo surgery the same day, to piece back together portions of his testicle, which exploded due to the impact of the projectile shot by the LAPD officer. 

After the surgery, Montemayor could not sit, sleep or drive his car due to the excruciating pain in his groin and lower back, thanks to a bulging disc caused by the projectile. 

Montemayor, who was physically fit and biked, hiked, and engaged in other activities before the shooting, also lost several production jobs because of his inability to lift heavy items on the sets. 

Benjamin Montemayor maintains he suffered emotional harm, severe emotional distress, loss of sleep, loss of enjoyment of life, anxiety, fear, and anger. 

Even though every time Montemayor sees a police officer, he has flashbacks of being attacked, he plans to continue to exercise his constitutional right to freedom of speech and association by engaging in expressive activities in Los Angeles. 

Montemayor is suing the City of Los Angeles, Chief Michel Moore, and unnamed LAPD police officers for compensatory, general, and special damages for assault, battery by a police officer, negligence, intentional infliction of emotional distress

‘Godfather of Harlem Back’ for Second Season on April 18

By: Kershaw St. Jawnson Updated Category: News
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In the fall of 2019, Godfather of Harlem debuted on Epix (and also appeared on the streaming service Philo) as an American crime drama based on the extraordinary life (and legend) of 1960’s New York gangsta’ Bumpy Johnson.

Starring Forest Whitaker as the Sugar Hill legend, the series received critical acclaim as Bumpy’s character was humanized and developed as a benevolent leader in the village — versus the cold-blooded criminal that other reports have said. Now the series is back with season 2 with even more action than before.

Dropping on Sunday, April 18 at 9 pm, viewers will catch up with Johnson who is now in the scope of five of New York’s crime families. Made men like Vincent “The Chin” Gigante, Frank Costello, and Joe Bonanno are conspiring to do Bumpy grimy since he popped one of their guys in the first season set only four months prior to the season 2’s opening.

Godfather of Harlem (Epix)

The Black mob boss is nervous as there is a bounty on his head and moving from bedpost to bedpost each day in secret not to get caught. He sends his wife and granddaughter down south for safety, while his daughter has established herself as a member of the new socio-political religious group, the Nation of Islam.

One storyline in the series is his venture into the heroine drug world creating a pipeline called the “French Connection.”

This promises to be interesting because this is a primary Italian plug and Feds are creeping in to break up all the underworld regime terrorizing the Big Apple in the sixties.

The first season (show and Whitaker) was nominated for several awards from BET, Black Reel Awards for Television, and the NAACP Image Awards.  And the setup for this second go-around promises to be just like fire. Watch is on Epix or Philo, starting April 18.

Listen To Bompton Rapper Infra Redd Banging Single “OHUMAD” Featuring Dennis Blaze

By: AllHipHop Staff Updated Category: Music
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Hip-Hop has always been about great stories and when it comes to that their aren’t many as unique as Infra Redd.

Straight out of Compton with Irish roots, his music is an ode to old school West coast.

With collabs from heavy hitters such as Snoop and Kurupt and opening up for the late Nipsey Hussle, Infra Redd has been steadily building a buzz.

And now with his latest single “OHUMAD” he looks to break the doors down in the industry.

For many years, West Coast Hip-Hop has a solid hold on the rap game. Infra Redd has been a student.

With his slick delivery reminiscent of the old G-Funk era, it is obvious where his inspiration to rap comes from. Using his “Bompton” esthetics, Infra Redd is way more than proud of his hometown.

As a student of DJ Quik, you will notice the delivery, neighborhood, and the color red is something they both have in common.

With 2021 starting off big for Infra Redd, AllHipHop will keep you in tuned with what’s in store from the Cali native and what is next on his journey to becoming the next West Coast legend.