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Chingy Explains New “Woah Down,” Friendship with DJ Quik, & Why He Quit Smoking Weed

By: Shirley JuCategory: Features

Chingy will forever go down in history as an artist who created timeless music. Hit singles “Right Thurr,” “Holidae In,” and “One Call Away” became a movement in itself in the early 2000’s, with fans memorizing and reciting every word to every lyric for generations to come.

The St. Louis rapper and producer exploded onto the rap scene with his country accent and slang. Getting his start opening for Nelly in 2003, Chingy, real name Howard Bailey Jr. quickly went under the wings of Ludacris and signed to his Disturbing Tha Peace imprint.

With the success of “Right Thurr” playing in every club, every radio station, every function, Chingy’s debut album Jackpot easily sold over two million copies upon release.

Fast forward to 2020, Chingy hasn’t let up one bit.

Now, he defies musical genres and links with Nashviille’s Meg & Tyler to release “The Woah Down,” a combination of rap and country similar to “Old Town Road.”

Chingy’s distinct voice and Meg & Tyler’s vocal range is paired with a cinematic visual directed by Jeremy Ryan.

AllHipHop caught up with Chingy to discuss how he got his start, why he doesn’t smoke weed, his new single “The Woah Down,” relationship with DJ Quik, and more!

AllHipHop: How’s St. Louis? Are you guys on lockdown as well?

Chingy: Yeah, I’m in St. Louis. I was just with my daughter. She’s one, her name’s Galaxy. At the crib now, laidback. I need to get my damn haircut!

AllHipHop: Quarantine can’t be that bad if you have a one-year-old daughter.

Chingy: It’s not bad because I’m constantly creating in the studio. In times like this, all musicians and creatives should get some work done. Create some music, that’s what I’ve been doing.

AllHipHop: Bring us back to 20 years ago when you started opening to Nelly.

Chingy: People have to know that I know a lot of them who were in the crew and the group. Ali from the St. Lunatics’ younger brother is a childhood friend I grew up with. I know Kyjuan from the Lunatics. It’s St. Louis so of course, we know each other. How that happened was me, Amad (Ali’s younger brother), another friend named Kai, we’re in the studio making music. This was 2000, we decided to do the group thing. We called the group 3 Strikes. T-Love was a friend of Nelly’s and ours who was managing Nelly at the time. This is when Nelly first came out, he was huge. “Country Grammar,” all the hits were poppin’. T-Love wanted to manage us. They needed somebody to open on this tour run, so T-Love got us to open.

AllHipHop: What happened to the group?

Chingy: You know how groups are. If everybody’s not on the same page, there’s ups and downs. But as soon as I got out of the group, that’s when… [claps].

AllHipHop: What’d it mean for Ludacris to take you under his wings back then?

Chingy: I got signed December 14th, 2002. 2000 I was opening on that tour with Nelly, 2002 I got my deal in December. I got with Disturbing tha Peace through my producers The Trak Starz. Zo had a connect with Chaka Zulu, who’s manager and owner of Disturbing Tha Peace. Chaka Zulu is who actually found me, Ludacris didn’t. A lot of people think Ludacris found me, but it was Chaka who noticed what I was doing and took it from there. We sent my music to a lot of record labels.

AllHipHop: Was this right before “Right Thurr”?

Chingy: “Right Thurr” came out the next year, was the #1 song in the country in 2003. It all seemed like it happened fast, but I’ve been doing music since the 80’s. It’s been a long road, it didn’t happen overnight. The success part as far as becoming Chingy, worldwide or professionally, that part was due. It was time for that.

AllHipHop: You worked hard for that.

Chingy: Very hard. I still work hard right now. It doesn’t stop for me. I’m independent right now so label or not, I’m going to work hard. I love music. I’m passionate about it. Compassionate, that’s what I do.

AllHipHop: Bring us back to “Right Thurr.” Did you think it would have the impact that it did?

Chingy: The hook and the first verse was written when I was 16, in ‘96. ‘96 versus it coming out in 2003. I always had that record, but I finished it in 2002 with the second and third verse. We put it on vinyl. Did I think it’d blow up like that? No, I didn’t know. I knew it was a great dance record. People were always interested in how I talk, when I say certain words, which took it over the top along with the chickenhead dance.

AllHipHop: The dance everyone’s doing in the video?

Chingy: They still do challenges to this day, it was a historical moment for me. It’s history, along with the terminology, the song. You know how old, antique cars become classics? Music is the same way. “Right Thurr” is an antique record that’s classic. To this day, people love it. To this day, people play it. To this day, people do challenges. To this day, they love that record. It stood the test of time, along with “Holidae In,” “One Call Away,” “Pullin’ Me Back.”

AllHipHop: Do you ever get sick of performing those songs?

Chingy: Not at all. I don’t get tired of it because I love performing. I perform it all the time, so I’m used to it. It doesn’t bother me at all.

AllHipHop: What inspires you to create music today?

Chingy: If I’m listening to a playlist, the radio, or someone’s music playing, I hear something. It doesn’t have to be rap music. It can be R&B music, country music, pop music, whatever I get inspired by. I hear good music that might inspire me, I’ll be like “you know what, I like what they’re doing. Let me go create something.” Ideas tend to pop in my head when I’m sitting thinking or chillin’. I could be riding, ideas will pop in my head and I’ll lay something down. It’s a natural process.

AllHipHop: Let’s talk about your new single “The Woah Down.”

Chingy: I’m very excited. It’s a new single with Meg & Tyler, a country duo from Nashville. Meg was on The Voice, Tyler does a lot of beats for country acts. My cousin Stan was down in Nashville, he’s doing something with Gibson guitar. Meg & Tyler did a showcase. Somebody that told Meg & Tyler that I was Stan’s cousin, so they asked him about it. Stan said “we should go to Nashville, vibe with Meg & Tyler and see their studio.” Wherever I’m going if it’s a studio involved, I’m trying to work.

I woke up with this idea in my head for a beat. When I got to Tyler’s studio, I asked him to let me see the drum machine. I started coming up with the rhythm section, then had Tyler put some guitar, bass, strings over the track. Meg already had the “Woah Down” as the title, so she’s thinking of the hook. Me and Meg collaborated on the hook. I went in there, laid my verses down. There’s a little dance to it too.

AllHipHop: Do you envision it going up on TikTok?

Chingy: Creating it, I wasn’t visualizing it like that. Even “Right Thurr” too, I wasn’t visualizing “oh, this is the dance for the song. The song’s going to be big.” It’s groovy, it’s a great record to dance to. My cousin actually came up with a dance, we’re like “perfect!” Especially for today’s world and for social media today. Everybody’s into dancing, everybody’s into doing dance routines on TikTok.

AllHipHop: Was it inspired by “Old Town Road”?

Chingy: Not at all. Going to the studio, we finna make something happen. We didn’t know how it was going to come out sound and genre-wise. It’s pop country with a little hip-hop in it. This summer, I have an EP coming out called Crown Jewel. It’s more of a hip-hop conscious project. I’m rapping on there for real, no dance stuff. A great project talking about the third eye, which I call the first eye. The seat of the soul, where our awareness is at. It’s a meaningful project for all my conscious people who are aware and hip to the knowledge.

AllHipHop: You cut out alcohol and are vegan. How has that lifestyle been?

Chingy: Being on the road, alcohol’s thrown at you so much. I started drinking alcohol at a young age when I was 14. Becoming Chingy — after shows, before shows, afterparties, I was getting f##ked up. Seriously. Around 2011, I got tired of it. I wanted to quit drinking. I’d gotten sick the last 2 times from drinking because when I start drinking, I couldn’t stop.

AllHipHop: Did it affect your performance?

Chingy: In a good way, yeah. I’d go out there and rip it. I rip it without the liquor but when I get messed me up, we all do our thing. Being vegan, I haven’t eaten pork and beef since I was 19. Chicken, turkey, and fish, I quit around 2011 also. I cut out dairy a while ago. They keep these ingredients and preservatives in a lot of food so it’s hard to get around it sometimes. You have to be disciplined. I disciplin myself mentally to do everything. Even today with this virus, having a healthy immune system and getting your proper supplements, minerals, vitamins, super grain foods is very important to fight off viruses. I’m real big on working out and staying healthy. Everything I do I discipline myself mentally.

AllHipHop: Do you smoke weed?

Chingy: Nah, I quit smoking weed a long time ago. I’ma tell you why I quit smoking weed: somebody laced this blunt with some coke. I was flipping out. I was with my cousin on the West side of St. Louis at our people’s neighborhood, it’s a Blood neighborhood. I smoked and flipped out. I got out the car, rolling around. Something very interesting happened, we’re at our homeboy’s house. I was sitting on the porch and kept saying “man, am I shot? Am I shot?” They said “nah you trippin’.” When we left, someone came and shot on the porch. Shot the chair I was sitting in. I looked at it as a spiritual awakening, so I quit and moved forward.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B-agryAj0ew

AllHipHop: Saw your “enjoy yaself” video, talk about remaining positive during these times.

Chingy: I’m very mentally-disciplined. Times like this, everybody needs mental discipline. People need to get to know themselves, not personality-wise. Not what type of clothes you like, or shoes. Get to know yourself on the inside. When I say have fun and enjoy yourself, that’s because I love music. I can go record. I enjoy doing that so even in downtime, you find things you enjoy doing. I enjoy recording. Or, I might go upstairs and read. I enjoy reading.

AllHipHop: What are we reading?

Chingy: I always read The Kybalion because it’s very powerful. A set of hermetic principles which deal with mentality, correspondence, polarity, rhythm, gender, cause/effect, vibration. Very powerful book. Another one is Mastermind, which talks about perception, feelings, emotions.

AllHipHop: Who’s in your Top 5?

Chingy: I was recently listening to Future and Drake. I like that record “Life Is Good,” I like that beat. I’m always listening to Pharrell “Happy.” What’s cool to me, I listen to John Lennon a lot. He was a real spiritual dude, he passed before I was even born. It says a lot about the timelessness of somebody’s music. I’m always listening to Tupac and Eazy-E.

AllHipHop: What’s your favorite Tupac song?

Chingy: “Dear Mama.” I got a lot of favorite songs from Tupac, but “Dear Mama” right now.

AllHipHop: Shout out to Power 106 in the Live!

Chingy: I love LA. LA has always supported me to the fullest. California’s one of my biggest regions for my career, selling anything period. Me growing up, I catered more to the West Coast music. That bounce and West Coast flavor, you can find it in my music. May Eazy-E rest in peace, that’s my first favorite rapper. Then DJ Quik. He was right there in the “Right Thurr” video deejaying. 2 of my favorite artists right there.

AllHipHop: Do you still talk to Quik?

Chingy: Last time in California, me and Quik were in the studio. I got on one of his records. I talked to him the other day, we always communicate. I always ask him about the Death Row days. [chuckles] Last time in the studio, he said “Chingy you have to stop asking me about that, it brings back horrible memories.” Those were some interesting times. I like to go to the horse’s mouth, who was around? Who was there? He said “man, stop asking me about them.”

AllHipHop: Someone asked did you ever go to Chicago?

Chingy: I did a show in Chicago in this big field, I almost felt like Michael Jackson. They had to get me out of there. People were about to knock the van over, there were thousands of them. It was really, really crazy, I felt like Michael Jackson that day.

AllHipHop: Best memory on the Millenium Tour?

Chingy: Seeing all the artists come together, work together, do the tour together. The fans were the best thing to me because they showed me love every night. Big love, I appreciated that. I had a blast the whole tour. I’m always interacting with the fans and the people.

AllHipHop: What’s a crazy thing a fan has done?

Chingy: One time years ago, I was going out back after the show. This girl jumped on the truck and raised her skirt up. She didn’t have any panties on. She was riding with us on the truck, she was trippin’. That was crazy! We’re like “what the f##k? Damn.”

AllHipHop: What are some goals for yourself at this point?

Chingy: Keep doing music, dropping an album Crown Jewel this summer. “Woah Down” out now. I’ve been investing. I invested in McDonald’s, trying to stay in that world. I’m thinking about opening up a vegan restaurant, a little cafe type joint. It’s going to be called Galaxy’s.

AllHipHop: Why McDonald’s then?

Chingy: McDonald’s is a big company. A big brand. A big operation. They’re never going to lose money.

EXCLUSIVE: Havoc From Mobb Deep On Alchemist Battle: “It Would Be Fun”

By: Kershaw St. JawnsonCategory: Exclusives

(AllHipHop News) As Mobb Deep comes off of a whirlwind celebration of the 25th anniversary of their classic album, The Infamous, one half of the group continues to be pulled into another spotlight.

Havoc, who produced almost all of the bangers for the rap duo, has been on the top of Swizz Beatz and Timbaland’s list of competitors for their hit Verzuz series.

But who would be a worthy opponent?

Havoc has produced many classics for artists ranging from 50 Cent and Eminem, to “Famous,” which is perhaps Kanye West’s infamous song.

There is a roar from fans that point to one man, the guy who produced the hits that Hav didn’t create himself – The Alchemist, who has a formidable catalog of incredible bangers by everyone from Mobb Deep and Lil Wayne to Benny the Butcher and Eminem.

Mobb fans want this head-to-head because both producers also have an understanding of New York’s underground Hip-Hop scene that few could ever match.

But Hav doesn’t think that they have thought the pairing all the way through.

Hav shared exclusively with AllHipHop.com his thoughts on the battle between him and his Mobb brother:

“I spoke to Swizz, I spoke to Alchemist. You know what I’m saying? And that’s a tough one right there because that’s going up against somebody in my crew. You know what I’m saying,” Havoc told Chuck “Jigsaw” Creekmur.

“He [would] be playing records that I’m on, a part of, you know what I’m saying? So I’ll be like battling myself almost, you know what I’m saying? He part of the crew. It would be fun to me,” Havoc said.

According to Havoc if he does face off against The Alchemists, it would be more like two friends playing music as opposed to a traditional battle.

It’d just be like, “Yo,’ you know what I’m saying? We just, ‘Oh s##t, remember this?’ You know what I’m saying? It’d be something like that.

“But the Verzuz thing, I think it’s dope for the culture, man, you know Hopefully I can jump in there and battle somebody,” Havoc said.

Hav, you’re not the only one that thinks it is dope.

Over the last month, more than 20 million fans have logged into Instagram to check our battles between top producers, artists, and songwriters from multiple genres including Hip-Hop, R&B, and gospel.

Snoop Dogg and Banda MS Team Up For New Single To Unite Fans

By: AllHipHop StaffCategory: News

(AllHipHop News) Snoop Dogg and Banda MS have teamed up to record a new global single.

The rapper and the traditional Mexican supergroup are set to release the track on May 1, to unite fans.

“In the nearly six years since this company was founded, a great deal has been accomplished. We want to continue growing. As such, this alliance is a win-win,” said Sergio Lizarraga, president of Lizos Music – the company behind the track. “The song has great potential and it was the perfect song for us to join forces.”

Snoop Dogg and Banda MS previously announced they would be joining forces at a gig on July 11th in Ontario, California.

The date is still on the schedule, despite ongoing coronavirus pandemic concerns. 

Charlie Clips’ “The Dojo” Returns With Nu Jerzey Twork And Th3 Saga In Short Film

By: Kershaw St. JawnsonCategory: News

(AllHipHop News) Hip-Hop can be an incredibly vulnerable expression of art. And during the quarantine season, some rappers are tapping into their innermost beings and finding ways to articulate the angst that goes hand-in-hand with being a true artist.

Rapper and producer Charlie Clips has tapped two crews to relaunch his channel: NWX and The Four Horsemen. The name of his series is called The Dojo and both episodes have the same title and threaded theme: Good vs. Evil.

And so in the most recent episode of The Doja features Nu Jerzey Twork and Th3 Saga, who made a movie with their 11 minutes.

The synopsis of the short film explains how one rapper struggles with his faith, while the other another rapper serves as an angel, providing stability through belief.

Guess which one is which?

Each rapper crafts his dialogue in the form of conversational emceeing.

Bars and doctrine are what make this lyrical wrestling an important tool for evangelism. But what makes it an essential tool for evangelism is the honest back and forth about one of the rapper’s frustrations with God.

Theologian Rev. Nicole Duncan-Smith believes more Christians need to be transparent about conflicts with believing in a God that allows people to struggle.

“When believers articulate that they don’t understand why God allows them to suffer, they allow for a revelation of triumph and victory in their belief model that is a lot deeper than the superficial understanding that says, ‘I believe cause I am blessed.’ The question is can you believe when you are not being blessed.”

Wild ‘N Out’s Charlie Clips may be a comedian on television, but his curation of such a complicated work of art is nothing to laugh at.

We’ve waited for five years for content from the battle rapper turned content producer. Indeed, both this and the first of The Doja offerings have been worth the wait.

Common, Questlove and George Bush On Board For Oprah’s 24-Hour Weekend Of Positivity

By: AllHipHop StaffCategory: News

(AllHipHop News) Oprah Winfrey, Julia Roberts, and former President George W. Bush are to front a star-studded global live stream event set for this coming weekend May 1st.

The Call to Unite will begin at 7 pm EST on Friday and offer performances, prayers, and conversations about overcoming the challenges of the coronavirus pandemic.

The 24-hour special will also feature Jennifer Garner, Common, Questlove, Eva Longoria, Naomi Campbell, Mandy Moore, and Alanis Morissette, alongside cultural, spiritual, and community leaders.

The event will be live-streamed at www.unite.us and on Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, and Twitch. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8arqmRO2Ij0

Rich The Kid & Young Picc – Ice Water Dripping

By: AllHipHop StaffCategory: Sponsored Posts

Brooklyn rapper, Young Picc drops his new electrifying single “Ice Water Dripping” featuring Rich The Kid produced by Dj Mil Ticket. This track is the follow up to his Anthem “Foreign Lifestyle” which features Tory Lanez.

“Ice Water Dripping” is high energy track in which Young Picc lays a captivating hook & a flossy verse to match Rich The Kid’s polarizing delivered feature. This track is sure to move the clubs & rock radio.

Be sure to check out this track & also look out for other releases from Young Picc

www.youngpicc.com

EXCLUSIVE: Talib Kweli On ‘People’s Party’ Podcast, Trump Supporters & Black Star Reunion Album

By: Yohance Kyles (@HUEYmixwitRILEY)Category: Exclusives

(AllHipHop Features) Talib Kweli Greene has been a respected staple in Hip Hop culture since the 1990s. As an emcee, he is responsible for solo studio LPs such as Quality, The Beautiful Struggle, Prisoner of Conscious, and Radio Silence.

Kweli initially became a force in the musical landscape in 1998 as one half of the Brooklyn-based duo Black Star with Mos Def (now known as Yasiin Bey). The Javotti Media founder also partnered with Hi-Tek (Train of Thought, Revolutions Per Minute), Madlib (Liberation), Res (Habits of the Heart), 9th Wonder (Indie 500), and Styles P (The Seven) for collaborative projects.

Since Summer 2019, Kweli continued his love for being behind a microphone by transitioning from recording artist to host of the People’s Party podcast. The lyrically-gifted political activist – along with actress/comedian Jasmin Leigh – has interviewed celebrity guests such as Bun B, Jemele Hill, T.I., Van Lanthan, Too $hort, Lil Kim, Don Cheadle, The Game, Rapsody, The Lox, and Chuck D.

As large parts of the world are practicing social distancing in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, I got the chance to contact Talib Kweli via email. The exclusive Q&A covers the Reflection Eternal member’s latest entertainment gig, sparring with Donald Trump defenders on social media, and the highly-anticipated Black Star reunion album with Yasiin Bey. 

AllHipHop: How are you handling the self-distancing situation?

Talib Kweli: Unlike many people, I am privileged and blessed to be quarantining with access to nature. This has helped my spirit tremendously. I’m humbled and thankful, because I know that’s not an option for most.

AllHipHop: Has the COVID-19 pandemic impacted your recording of the podcast?

Kweli: We recorded People’s Party episodes at a breakneck pace as if the world was going to come to a stop anyway. We have many episodes in the can, probably enough to outlast social distancing.

AllHipHop: What was behind your decision to start People’s Party?

Kweli: Shout out to Jarret Myer from Uproxx/Rawkus, he approached me with the idea. I’d already tried to do a podcast before with TuneIn and I was planning on revisiting that at some point but partnering with Uproxx made it pop off quicker than I thought it would. 

AllHipHop: Is there a particular conversation that has stood out to you so far?

Kweli: Ice Cube stands out because unlike most of the guests I didn’t really have a relationship with him prior to the show. He’s one of my favorite MCs and human beings and having a conversation with him is one of the best things that’s ever happened in my career.

AllHipHop: Are there any people that you haven’t interviewed yet that you would like to have on the show? Why that person?

Kweli: Bjork. She’s her own genre of music and I think an hour plus sit down with her would be awesome.

AllHipHop: Do you have any interest in possibly hosting a talk show on a television network or a streaming platform?

Kweli: Yeah, why, you the plug?

https://www.instagram.com/p/B_fAF4BAriA

AllHipHop: You are very active on Twitter. Particularly, you have no problem engaging with MAGA and ADOS trolls. Would you be open to inviting a well-known Trump supporter on your show to discuss the 2020 election?

Kweli: I love the fact that you called ADOS trolls because that’s all they are. But yes, I once heard that fools multiply when wise men remain silent. I live by that code. I was raised to understand that pro-blackness means you never ignore bigotry if you see it. Bigotry is not logical, it doesn’t go away when it’s ignored. I also understand the paradox of tolerance which is why I will never invite people who are intentionally bigoted to my platform. My support for free speech doesn’t mean I support freedom from consequences. Only Trump supporter invited to my show would be Kanye West, and we would definitely have to discuss that.

AllHipHop: Would you be open to taking part in an Instagram Live DJ battle during the self-quarantine period?

Kweli: I am not a skilled enough DJ to battle anybody. I could do a playlist battle. I’d win that. Maybe a catalog discography battle with another artist. I’d do well with that as well. 

AllHipHop: Are you still recording music? Do you have any plans to release another full-length album?

Kweli: I’m always recording. I have an album with Diamond D and a new Black Star album with Yasiin Bey on the way. I just dropped a quarantined video for the People’s Party theme song with Boots Riley, check it out on my YouTube.

AllHipHop: Can you give an update about that potential Madlib-produced Black Star reunion album?

Kweli: Trying to find the right deal for the Black Star album. There are a few on the table, but we have to choose the right situation and roll this out properly. The people deserve that. 

French Montana Has Yet Another Beef – Fivo Foreign!

By: IllseedCategory: Rumors

(AllHipHop Rumors) French Montana is definitely doing the right thing – getting people talking. The situation with Fivo Foreign! isn’t really a new one, but it is now getting mainstream traction. Fivo went on an IG Live rant where he called French’s newest Coke Boy Mr. Swipey a background dancer in French’s video. 

Now, we know that’s not true. Swipey has his own, but this French situation is going to take him to the next level for sure. Fivo may disagree. “He gon’ have Swipey spinning and dancing in every video life if he’s some type of back up dancer. He ain’t no backup dancer for you n#gga. You ain’t about to use drill beats and have n#ggas spinning, put that n#gga on a song.”

Some have maintained that Fivo maybe in his emotions since Swipey got “picked” and not him. But you did not hear that from me. I don’t know. 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by DJ Akademiks (@akademiks)

Mr. Swipey came back to counter what his homie said, saying he went about it all the wrong way. And then there is the fact that dude does have songs with French, just not THAT song. 

https://www.instagram.com/p/B_dcq-tHGuG

“That’s not the way to go about it,” Swipey said. he looks like he’s really living life. Dudes are still not social distancing, eh?

https://www.instagram.com/p/B_dg7CHHbFs

Here is our interview with Swipey!

I gotta admit, I think of that CHARACTER from Dora The Explorer. What’s wrong with me?

LaMelo, LiAngelo & Lonzo Ball Plan To Sign With Jay-Z’s Roc Nation Sports

By: Yohance Kyles (@HUEYmixwitRILEY)Category: News

(AllHipHop News) It looks like the three famous Ball siblings will soon be throwing up the Roc sign. Lonzo Ball, LiAngelo Ball, and LaMelo Ball are reportedly signing with Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter’s Roc Nation Sports agency.

“This was a family decision,” Jermaine Jackson, LaMelo’s manager, told ESPN. “This is now an extended family. They put together a beautiful game plan with Jay-Z. The basketball game is about to change. They are going to create something totally new.”

The Ball family rose to international prominence thanks in part to Lonzo’s time as a guard for the UCLA college program and the part-time rapper’s outspoken father’s promotion of his son’s on-court abilities. Ball Patriarch and Big Baller Brand founder LaVar Ball eventually led his three children to star in the Facebook Watch reality series Ball in the Family.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sIdGlm1fG_c

Lonzo was picked at #2 by the Los Angeles Lakers in 2017 before being traded to the New Orleans Pelicans in 2019. LaMelo is projected to be drafted in the Top 3 of the 2020 NBA draft. Roc Nation Sports is said to be negotiating the 18-year-old guard’s pending sneaker contract.

At the moment, Roc Nation Sports represents Kyrie Irving, Danny Green, Rudy Gay, Skylar Diggins-Smith, Justise Winslow, Chris Boucher, PJ Washington, and other basketball players. The company’s roster also includes other athletes such as Andre Ward, CC Sabathia, Dez Bryant, Jalen Rose, JuJu Smith-Schuster, Robinson Cano, Saquon Barkley, Todd Gurley, and Victor Cruz.

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A post shared by Roc Nation Sports (@rocnationsports)

Lil Wayne & Apple Music Donate $200,000 To COVID-19 Relief Efforts In New Orleans

By: Yohance Kyles (@HUEYmixwitRILEY)Category: Music News

(AllHipHop News) Lil Wayne announced his One Family Foundation nonprofit organization partnered with Apple Music to donate $200,000 to the World Central Kitchen. The funds will help Wayne’s hometown of New Orleans during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The $200K donation was announced during the first episode of Weezy’s Young Money Radio on Apple Music. During the live broadcast on April 24, Wayne spoke to New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell about his contribution to the city.

Deion Sanders, Lil Baby, Travis Scott, Babyface, and Jessie Reyez also joined the Young Money boss on the inaugural Young Money Radio show. Plus, Tunechi previewed two unreleased tracks featuring Jessie Reyez and Tory Lanez from the deluxe version of Funeral.

Yesterday, Lil Wayne released an extended music video for the Funeral tracks “Piano Trap” and “Not Me.” Ricky x Willis directed the 7-minute, skateboarding-focused visuals. It amassed more than 650,000 views on YouTube in one day.

Run The Jewels Break Down The Class Struggle Concept Of “Ooh LA LA” Music Video

By: Yohance Kyles (@HUEYmixwitRILEY)Category: News

(AllHipHop News) Run The Jewels’ “Ooh LA LA” visuals are currently one of the top trending videos on YouTube. Directed by Brian and Vanessa Beletic, the clip provides commentary about the state of class divisions and capitalism.

Killer Mike and El-P shot the MV in early March before the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic shut down many businesses and led to over 26 million Americans filing for unemployment benefits. 

RTJ stated:

We shot this video only a few weeks before the pandemic hit with no clue as to what the future held. The fact that we got the chance to do it is damn near miraculous in hindsight. In conceptualizing the video with our friends Brian and Vanessa Beletic we imagined the world on the day that the age old struggle of class was finally over. A day that humanity, empathy, and community were victorious over the forces that would separate us based on arbitrary systems created by man. This video is a fantasy of waking up on a day that there is no monetary system, no dividing line, no false construct to tell our fellow man that they are less or more than anyone else. Not that people are without but that the whole meaning of money has vanished. That we have somehow solved our self created caste system and can now start fresh with love, hope and celebration. It’s a dream of humanity’s V-DAY… and the party we know would pop off.”

Greg Nice, DJ Premier, and Rage Against the Machine frontman Zack de la Rocha make cameos in the “Ooh LA LA” video. The song recently debuted on the season finale of the Netflix series Ozark which helped make the track the #5 most Shazamed song in the country.

“Ooh LA LA” is expected to appear on Run The Jewels’ forthcoming RTJ4 album. The project was recorded at Rick Rubin’s Shangri-La Studios in California and the Jimi Hendrix- constructed Electric Lady Studios in New York.

In addition, the duo has been sharing weekly free “Art The Jewels” downloadable activity and coloring books for fans during the coronavirus quarantine. El-P and Killer Mike also released an exclusive new line of “Wash The Jewels” t-shirts as a fundraiser for their tour crew members who have been financially affected by the COVID-19 outbreak.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B_gUcREAAUThttps://www.instagram.com/p/B_VExE0AzcT

The Weeknd’s “Blinding Lights” Tops Hot 100 For A Fourth Week

By: Yohance Kyles (@HUEYmixwitRILEY)Category: News

(AllHipHop News) “Blinding Lights” is the #1 song in America once again. The Weeknd’s smash After Hours single has led the Hot 100 chart four times, nonconsecutively. He held off Drake’s former Number One record “Toosie Slide” (#2) for a second week.

Elsewhere on the Hot 100, DaBaby’s “Rockstar” featuring Roddy Ricch, off the Blame It on Baby album, debuted in the Top 10 at #9. Ricch also sits at #3 with “The Box” which previously led the rankings for 11 weeks.

Besides having the most popular tune in the country, Abel “The Weeknd” Tesfaye is promoting his involvement with the Seth MacFarlane-created series American Dad! Fans of the TBS animated program will get to see the Canadian singer on May 4. 

According to reports, The Weeknd will premiere an original song on the 5/4 show. Tesfaye is also credited as a co-writer for the episode titled “A Starboy Is Born.” American Dad! airs Mondays at 10 pm ET/9 pm CT.

https://twitter.com/theweeknd/status/1254871737881096192https://twitter.com/theweeknd/status/1254942379938680832

Three 6 Mafia & Bone Thugs-N-Harmony To “Faceoff” On Instagram Live

By: Yohance Kyles (@HUEYmixwitRILEY)Category: News

(AllHipHop News) “This Is Not A Battle. This Is A Celebration Between Homies of Over 50 yrs Combined Dropping Slap!!!” wrote DJ Paul on Instagram. The Three 6 Mafia member was referring to the upcoming “Faceoff” against Krayzie Bone of Bone Thugs-N-Harmony.

Krayzie Bone also posted about the Instagram Live showdown set to take place on April 30. The Cleveland representative added on his own IG page, “Celebrating over 50 combined years of hits. Limited edition Collab merch available.”

Three 6 Mafia & Bone Thugs-N-Harmony: The Faceoff follows Swizz Beatz and Timbaland’s Verzuz series. Those two legendary super-producers curated Instagram Live battles such as Hit-Boy versus Boi-1da, Scott Storch versus Mannie Fresh, and Teddy Riley versus Babyface.

Bone Thugs-N-Harmony’s catalog includes several Top 20 hits like “Thuggish Ruggish Bone,” “1st of tha Month,” and “Tha Crossroads.” Throughout their career, Memphis-based rappers Three 6 Mafia released platinum-certified records like “Stay Fly,” “Poppin’ My Collar,” and “Lolli Lolli (Pop That Body).” 

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Offset Enlists Young Thug, Rich The Kid And Saint Jhn To Help Food Bank

By: Kershaw St. JawnsonCategory: News

(AllHipHop News) Drake. Rihanna. Jay-Z. And now, a member from the Atlanta based group, Migos, has added his name to the roll.

Offset steps up to the plate with a partnership with Facebook’s Oculus to raise money for the Atlanta Community Food Bank (ACFB) on Wednesday, April 29 at 4 PM PST. Cardi’s man took to Twitter to make the announcement:

“YO! I’M EXCITED TO ANNOUNCE OFFSET AND FRIENDS! I’M TEAMING UP W/ @youngthug @richthekid & @SAINtJHN TO RAISE FUNDS FOR @ACFB WE’LL HOST A VIRTUAL LIVESTREAM PERFORMANCE ON @oculus VENUES & FB PRESENTED BY SUPERSPHERE, WED, APRIL 29 AT 4PM PDT. VISIT https://ocul.us/offset

The four rap titans plan to do full half-hour virtual performances and possibly will have some special guests tap in.

What could make these performances special is if they take advantage of Oculus’ virtual reality capacity.

In 2014, Mark Zuckerberg acquired the company for $2 billion, pending regulatory approval.

While it has not been announced what technology will be on display, who wouldn’t want to see these guys get busy in 3D.

The Atlanta Community Food Bank distributes over 60 million pounds of donated grocery products a year to more than 600 nonprofit partner agencies throughout the city. Tune in on Wednesday to show your support.

T.I. Says Its “Premature” To Open Non-Essential Businesses

By: AllHipHop StaffCategory: News

(AllHipHop News) Rapper T.I. disagrees with Georgia Governor Brian Kemp’s decision to start lifting restrictions during the coronavirus lockdown.

The rapper told U.S. TV show Extra he believes it’s “premature” to begin opening non-essential services like hair salons and gyms, as coronavirus cases continue to rise across the country.

“I think that it’s premature… to put it bluntly. We’re not at a point where we’ve flattened the curve yet,” he said. “I think it’s still hitting our hospitals pretty hard and I think it may have been a premature decision.

“The thing is, we have voices within our culture and the ecosystem of our city, and we speak for the majority when we say, ‘Man, we think it’s time to sit tight and wait on the next move.’ I think that’s kind of how people are going to follow through.”

The star went on to suggest the U.S. government’s handling of the pandemic has been flawed, as he reflected that, “Some of the things just based off what science is saying and common sense tells me that some stuff is kind of off the mark.”

The star insisted that, for now, he isn’t making any changes in his quarantine life despite the lift on some restrictions, affirming: “I’m going to keep it the same way I’ve been doing it, you know.”

T.I. is enjoying the time with the family at home, saying, “It’s been phenomenal. I actually appreciate the time to wind down and actually reacclimate myself to my home and spend time with the kids, family. It’s been great.”

He’s not the only star to call out Kemp on the move, with rapper Cardi B lashing out at the decision online, suggesting the Governor favored “capitalism” over the health and wellbeing of citizens.