I Am… was originally released on April 6, 1999. Nas honored his album’s 22nd anniversary by posting an appreciative message on his Instagram page.
Esco’s IG post also included some interesting information about the late Nipsey Hussle. Fans of the Los Angeles legend were recently commemorating two years since he was killed on March 31, 2019.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CNVQ9Oql2yE/
“This album started out as a double album until half of it leaked,” wrote Nas. “Our brother Nipsey met with me to discuss doing a documentary on it and I was beyond honored. Didn’t get to happen. [folded hands emoji].”
The Queens-bred emcee continued, “I Am, my 3rd LP, was released April 6, 1999. Thank you all for the love.” Ghostface Killah, Hit-Boy, Big Sean, Busta Rhymes, LeBron James, Yara Shahidi, and other celebrities commented on Nas’s Instagram post.
I Am debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 chart with 470,000 first-week units. The project included guest features by Sean “Puff Daddy” Combs, Scarface, Aaliyah, and DMX. The Columbia Records release hosted the single “Hate Me Now” which caused some controversy at the time because of its religious-themed music video.
There have been conflicting accounts about the medical status of Earl “DMX” Simmons. The most recent reports claim the legendary emcee is still in a coma and on life support.
Nearly from the moment news broke of DMX’s hospitalization, false stories about his condition began circulating on social media. It becomes really problematic when a celebrity with a large platform intentionally or accidentally spreads fake news.
That appears to be what happened with Claudia Jordan this week. On Tuesday night, the host of Fox Soul’s Cocktails With Queens tweeted, “Rest in Paradise DMX. [broken heart emoji] [crown emoji] [folded hands emoji].”
However, DMX is still alive according to his manager. After getting bashed online for prematurely announcing the Yonkers-raised star’s death, Jordan returned to Twitter to post, “I’m sorry [folded hands emoji] [broken heart emoji].”
The former Real Housewives of Atlanta cast member deleted the “Rest in Paradise” tweet and expressed that she felt “awful” about the huge error. Jordan also interacted with one Twitter user who suggested she did not need to be apologetic.
In response, Jordan tweeted, “Yeah I know but didn’t intend on hurting anyone or doing anything wrong. I understand how people are feeling as I am too. It’s been heavy on my mind since he fell ill. But they’re right. Not my place. I just want to pray for the whole family & all his supporters that are in pain.”
The life and career of Kanye West will play out on the small screen as part of a new documentary series for Netflix. According to reports, the streamer paid $30 million for the content.
West’s docuseries is said to present never-before-seen footage of the Grammy-winning recording artist/billionaire fashion designer. His failed 2020 presidential bid is expected to be covered on the program.
Clarence “Coodie” Simmons and Chike Ozah are the creative forces behind the presently untitled West doc. Coodie & Chike directed Ye’s “Jesus Walks (Version 3)” and “Through the Wire” music videos.
Netflix is home to documentaries about contemporary musicians such as Beyoncé, Travis Scott, Lady Gaga, Taylor Swift, Ariana Grande, and others. Hip Hop-related programming like Rhythm & Flow, Hip-Hop Evolution, and Rapture live on the platform too.
Producer, rapper, designer, and all-around smart guy, will.i.am believes that since the COVID-19 global pandemic has shackled the world with the fear of infection, people are moving around like characters out of an Octavia Butler novel.
The “Where Is the Love“ rapper shared with the New York Times that the entire globe is “living in sci-fi times.”
He continued by saying that everyday life “is straight out of a friggin’ movie.” Particularly since everyone’s wearing a mask to stay safe.
But he has a solution.
He believes that people can look fly and be safe at the same time, and has created a tech-forward mask that will prove his point.
“We are wearing masks from yesterday’s movie,” Will.I.Am states, “So I wanted to make a mask to fit the era that we’re in.”
The Black Eyed Peas front man’s “smart mask” is going to be called Xupermask.
It will be a gazillion times more protective than the flimsy disposable ones that you get from Walgreen. To manufacture the PPE gear, Will.I.Am enlisted the Honeywell company because of its ground-breaking HEPA filtration system that the rapper will include inside of the silicon mask with mesh fabric lining on the sides.
These will feature a built-in noise-canceling headphone feature, a charging port, and LED lights for people who are out late at night. Not special enough?
Inside of the mask is a dual three-speed fan system to complement the HEPA filters and will have a seven-hour battery to power the features.
The mask is sleekly designed by Jose Fernandez, the man who created the SpaceX’s white suit, and is known for the innovative designs that were used in movies like Black Panther, The Avengers, and X-Men 2. Sporty, it will come in two colorways: white/grey/orange and black/orange.
‘We created XUPERMASK to change the game of our new normal,” says the multi-hyphenate.
“In this new age of style and security,” he further believes, “XUPERMASK is an uncompromising face mask design with high-tech performance for the modern lifestyle.
Yup, this most certainly is not the Walgreens hospital-looking masks. These bad boys are priced at $299 and go on sale on Thursday, April 8.
Touchdown Juice is an independent artist tapping in from Los Angeles, California who is no stranger to the music scene. He started releasing music in January of 2020 and has already recieved over 200K streams on Spotify from his 9 released singles.
Touchdown Juice makes music not only for the cultre, but he is defenitly making his way towards becoming a household name. He is currently getting ready to release his new project ‘The LANDing’ which is set to drop next month. Be sure to check out his music available on all streaming platforms! Get to know Touchdown Juice below!
What inspired your artist name? And where did you get the name from?
I grew up playing football, I played in high school and Division 1 College at Florida Atlantic
University (FAU). I got the nickname juice when I was a sophomore in high school. One of the older players on my team had the same initials as me, so when coach called us by our initials we would both run to do something at times. One of my coaches took it upon himself to bless me with a nickname that stuck with me for 13 years and counting. I just put two and two together when it came to my artist name, “Touchdown Juice” it had a little ring to it.
Why did you move to where you currently reside?
It’s all about location, I’m close to the studios in North Hollywood, nightlife in Hollywood, and the movers and shakers of the Hollywood hills.
Your network is your net worth and for me I have been building relationships with many people in and outside the music industry.
How would you describe your sound/style?
My sound is unique because of the regions of the country that I have lived in. I have been influenced from the South, Midwest, and West Coast and my music reflects the cultures of all three. I like to create vibes based on the beat im working with also. The beat by itself tells a story, has an energy, so I base what I say on the vibe I get from that. Sometimes it’s a sad song, sometimes its about females, drugs, and sometimes its just a feel-good high energy song.
Do you have any other special talents, such as acting, etc.?
I’m a former D1 athlete, played football in college. Played almost all sports growing up, haven’t been as active as of lately but I’m still an athlete.
I am almost a professional Supersmash Bros player on the Nitendo Switch, anybody can get it. I’m also a natural comedian.
When did you start doing music? And when did you start taking it seriously? Be as detailed as you’d like.
I have been making music for about a year now but have been around the industry for the past four or five years. I have friends who also pursue music as a career, they would fly out to link with people or go to meetings with studio executives or just record in some of the best studios in LA. I would accompany them to these events with hopes of possibly becoming a manager for upcoming or established artist. I did it for about a year trying to build relationships and work with artist that I felt as though were promising. I quickly realized that I could create better music by doing thing on my own. I recorded for my first verse and song in the living room of my current home. Haven’t looked back since I started.
Why music? Describe your passion.
I have always had a love and passion for music. I’m the type of person who will find a song that I like and play it 100 times and won’t get tired of it. That really helps when it comes to writing a song. I can play the beat over and over and it doesn’t bother me at all, I just enjoy the music and creating. Helps me express myself.
Making music isn’t work to me, I can spend hours on it and time will fly by. I have learned that when your passionate about something putting the work in to be great at it, isn’t a daunting task. It is what expected, you want to get better and time isn’t a factor.
Who/what inspires your sound/music?
Women, weed, and weather.
Women because they are really the ones who will support and take your music to new heights. A guy might listen to your music and think it’s dope but a female fan is usually the ones to buy tickets to shows/merch/post in support of you without expecting something in return. Also they pass their playlist on to others which helps with marketing. If I make songs women like or can relate to then they’ll support it and guys will come along too because they always want to impress females by knowing the words, dances, etc. associated with the song. Got to have a positive female influence to be successful in music.
I am a smoker, real chill and relaxed vibe. When im high I’m in a carefree mental space and enjoy creating when im in that mode. Weather plays a big factor because I prefer to live in warm/tropical/dessert like climates, I like making feel good music so when its nice out it has me ready to express how I feel on a track. It’s all about energy and your state of mind when it’s time to create. I make different music when I only drink, only smoke, or sip.
What would you like to do after music?
After music I will be invested in the real estate and cannabis market out in California, with hope of expansion nationwide when it’s federally legal for cannabis. Although these are both occupations that could take up all of ones time I believe that I can make music and continue to peruse real estate and legal cannabis. I would even say that they help each other and help me balance my out life.
Troubled Brooklyn rapper Tekashi69 is about to shake the collector’s world up by dropping music via two unique 3d animated NFT collectible art pieces on Friday, April 9th at 4 pm EST/ 1 pm PST.
While no one knows exactly what they will be getting, fans (or just collectors) are being told that he will be pulling concepts from both his Tattletales and Dummy Boy albums and splashing them up visually.
Oh, it’s about to get stupid. Can you imagine how high the bids for these jawns will be in that auction?
Don’t worry, if you can’t afford to hop into the big boy game (like who can?), Tekashi69 will be releasing a limited amount of affordable NFT’s for his average fanbase.
125 versions of 3 different NFT’s will be released at a lower price point (still ain’t gonna be cheap).
As a bonus, regardless of which one/level you purchase, 6ix9ine will give all 127 a surprise personalized gift at a later time.
The mastermind behind the rainbowed-hair chart-topper is Bondly.finance and they are about to come in and cake off this one event.
The company’s CEO Brandon Smith said that they have a very specific vision for this technology and this bounce-back artist.
On Friday, April 9th at 4pm EST multi-platinum recording artist Tekashi 69 aka #6ix9ine will drop two unique 3d animated NFT collectible art pieces which will integrate snippets from his Billboard charting Tattletales and Dummy Boy album.
“Our vision is to help create NFT’s that have multiple levels of engagement for creators and fans,” He said. “The two auction pieces are not only awesome digital art, they will also have unique features inside our various gaming and metaverse partners. Only their owner will be able to experience it.”
To participate in or watch this international auction, which will be open to every single person on the planet with the internet, on April 9th lock in at https://market.bswap.app and don’t be late.
Independent artist ColFax is an musician that discusses racism, politics, love, heartbreak, violence, and mental health, within his music.
As an artist who has performed many live shows, ColFax has opened for artists such as Freddie Gibbs, Talib Kweli, and Yo Gotti.
With his music, ColFax wants to show the world that it’s okay to be vulnerable as well as confident with yourself, and you should never be ashamed to be yourself.
ColFax recently dropped his newest single “We Love.” The single is definitely a vibe so be sure to check it out on all streaming services! Get to know ColFax below!
Colfax on the beginning of his career:
I started making music when I was 15. I didn’t take it seriously until I was 19. When I initially arrived in Phoenix, I met one of my close friends Marquel and that was around 15 years old. He also made music and we kind of just clicked from that point. We used to give each other homework assignments to make different types of music. We always pushed ourselves and would go from making a song without cursing, writing strictly hooks, songs structured with a chorus, etc. His father was Iroc Daniels who worked with a number of people in the industry from DJ Quik, 2 Chainz, Corey Gunz, etc. Being around Marquel and Iroc growing up, it really put things into perspective for me that being an artist wasn’t too far fetched. Not because of his status, but being able to see someone else do it and make a career out of it. It wasn’t necessarily “impossible”. I genuinely love creating content. I started to get a response on my music via soundcloud and I had released my first project, ‘Mile High State of Mind’ which got a lot more traction than I expected. At that point I was already in a relationship with music as I was creating content but after that I fell in love and I’m still working now to pursue my passion.
In your opinion, what makes you stand out from other/current artists out there?
My relatability and my blunt perspective on Society. The black and white, the grey lines, playing the devils advocate, etc.
Have you been compared to other artists? If so, who?
J cole, Kendrick, Joey bada$$
What are you most known for? What got you noticed?
My lyricism punchlines metaphors storytelling and honesty
Have you performed and/or participated in any talent shows and/or television shows?
Ghostface Killa & Sheek Louch 2012, Yo Gotti 2012, Elzhi 2013, Freddie Gibbs 2018 SoulyHad 2019. I’ve also opened up a few other shows in AZ.
How many albums/EPs have you released to date?
Mile High State of Mind (06/19/2016)
Dying Just to Make a Living (06/20/2019
303 & Heartbreak (02/13/2020)
What is next for you?
More music, more visuals, more meaningful content, just expect more and better.
Kim Kardashian has officially become a billionaire and that is without Kanye West’s projected bank.
Thanks to her successful cosmetics line and shapewear, she replaces her sister Kylie Jenner as the family billionaire. A little under a year ago, Forbes pulled the recognition from the younger sister, who was once believed to be the world’s youngest billionaire, because they believed the family inflated her numbers.
But not Kim.
Kim has been hustling since the infamous tape to get to this place.
Six short months ago, the magazine estimated her worth as $780,000,000. But now they are saying that there are other crafty business deals that the law student implemented that have helped her hit 10 digits.
Since 2017, her KKW Beauty has been generating about $100,000,000 every year. She sold 20% of her ownership stake in the company to Coty, a beauty conglomerate, and personally banked $200,000,000. She currently has a 72% stake in the company and Forbes notes that the brand itself is $500,000,000.
She has another company called SKIMS. But no one knows those numbers. It is believed to be worth around $250,000,000. No one is even including her television shows or the social media stuff.
It is dizzying reading all of those zeros.
She will probably be sad about losing the Mrs. West title or the cute KIMYE nickname. No worries, we think she will love being called KimBILLY Kardashian … wouldn’t you?
Rapper Young Buck made an interesting proclamation today.
The former G-Unit rapper, who has been at odds with 50 Cent longer than they were cool at this point, claims that he wrote rhymes for The General. I am not quite sure what to think of this. This may just be an act of war in a battle with no rules.
As we know 50 Cent has periodically taking shots at his former artist, most notably around the issues surrounding his alleged – but not confirmed – affinity for trans women. Young Buck has vigorously AND resolutely denied that he loves trans women like DJ Mister Cee for example. But 50 won’t let up. Now, at one point, Young Buck, who also goes by Buck Shotz, claims that he and $.50’s beef was actually fake and manufactured. 50 Cent definitely denied that and then, on top of it all, reiterated the transsexual allegations. So now I’m beginning to think that this is all war and nothing is off-limits, and the truth gets very blurry.
Check this out.
So for example, if 50 Cent is lying on Young Buck, why wouldn’t Young Buck lie on 50 Cent? I mean, it’s just so hard to tell what’s what. It definitely seems like this FACT or FICTION has taken a very long time to come out. I think we would’ve heard this before, kind of like how the rumors with The Game and 50 Cent started. 50 Cent charges that he took a number of old songs from his debut and gave them to his Compton protege. But anyway, we all know that these crews all collaborate and work together for the greater good. So it’s not impossible to think that the Young Blood could’ve helped 50 Cent or worked with him on his albums. It only helps him to help 50, right?
Struggle Jennings pours his heart and soul into his music, and you hear it with each release. Hailing from Tennessee, the prolific Southside rapper is step-grandson to Waylon Jennings and grandson to Jessi Colter, inheriting the same musical genes and talents while keeping his family’s legacy alive.
However, he’s an artist in his own right, with one hell of a story to tell.
Embracing the obstacles and life struggles he faced as a teenager to doing a 5-year stint behind bars, the rising star fully embodies his moniker: Struggle Jennings.
Through his music, he’s able to share personal and vulnerable experiences, records that help himself as much as it helps listeners.
Describing himself as “the troubadour of troubled souls,” also the name of his forthcoming album, Struggle Jennings, real name Will Harness sees himself as a poet of the broken. Most recently, he released his new collaborative album with Jelly Roll titled Waylon & Willie IV, also releasing the official music videos for “Good Die Young” and “Comfortably Lonely.”
AllHipHop: Why are you the poet of the broken?
Struggle Jennings: I’ve been through a lot, hence my name, but I also overcame a lot. I keep my music super honest and transparent so that those going through the same thing have something that gives them hope. I want people to know they’re not alone and know that other people are out here going through it and that they can make it out of it.
AllHipHop: How would you describe your sound, if you could?
Struggle Jennings: I’m from the streets. I’m an 80’s baby, grew up in the 90’s on rap and hip-hop. Of course, I’m from the South and come from a musical background. My family was in country music – I have a family member in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. My uncles and everybody listened to country or Southern rock so I absorbed a lot of that. Myself… I grew up listening to Tupac, UGK, the whole beginning of rap through the late 80’s and early 90’s. My sound is a collective of everything I’ve absorbed over the years.
Sometimes it’ll be straight rap, sometimes Southern hip-hop. Other times you’ll hear East Coast elements. Sometimes you’ll get that West Coast bounce out of me. A lot of times, I’ll pull in the instruments I love like the steel guitar, fiddle, or something with a lot of emotion in it to convey the emotion of what I’m saying. My sound’s all over the place. People ask “well, which ‘genre’ are you?” What is that, French? [laughs] I don’t even know what that word means anymore.
AllHipHop: Being from Tennessee, how does that play into your life and your career?
Struggle Jennings: Nashville is Music City. Everywhere you go in Nashville, on every street there’s 5 different bars with live musicians playing. I grew up listening to a lot of 8Ball & MJG and Three 6 Mafia. Being from Tennessee makes it harder to come out of Nashville as a rap artist because of the stigma of country music, the capital’s Music City. Coming from Nashville and everything I’ve endured gave me a hell of a story to tell WITH all the different people I’ve seen. From the struggling artists to the artists that made it – it has definitely given me a sense of inspiration.
AllHipHop: What does it mean to be step-grandson to Waylon Jennings, and grandson to Jessi Colter?
Struggle Jennings: It’s crazy because of course, it’s a double-edged sword. My mom had me when she’s 16 years old. She sang backup for my grandfather for a couple of years. She wanted to pursue her music, but she wanted to do it on her own. She didn’t want any handouts. She liked bad boys so with all the guys she dated, we ended up breaking away from the family. I still spent time with my grandfather more than any of the other grandkids, and my uncle Shooter, who is a year older than me. He’s my uncle, but more like a brother. It was a lot of pressure coming out, people think you’re supposed to fill those shoes or go in one direction.
When I first started rapping, people said “you’re Waylon Jennings’ grandson? He’d roll over in his grave.” Nah, if Waylon was alive right now, he’d be rapping too — if he was my age and raised up in the era that I was. My mom wanted to do it on her own so we ended up living in lower income housing. She worked 2 jobs and worked on her music — a single mom trying to raise me.
With us living in that environment then me going to Waylon’s house on the weekend to hang out with Shooter or to see my grandfather and grandmother, it was completely opposite sides of the tracks. I straddled those tracks: “okay, well this is possible because Waylon came from dirt floors in Texas. Now he’s got this big house, Cadillacs, Jaguars, Mercedes, maids…” Then back to being in my mom’s one-bedroom apartment where she took the living room so I could have a bedroom-type environment, it gave me a sense that it’s possible. What really drove me through a lot of the dark places I went and pulled me out of the mud was having that sense of “this s### is possible.”
AllHipHop: New album Waylon & Willie IV in collaboration with Jelly Roll. How does it feel for it to debut at #2 in the iTunes Hip Hop Albums chart?
Struggle Jennings: It was beautiful. Me and Jelly Roll have been friends going on 20 years now. From my past life, we were both in the streets together. He did time. I did 5 years in prison, he held me down the whole time I was down. With me coming home and transitioning, he’d already built a base and a platform.
Going through that same inspiration and hope like “oh okay, we can really do this.” Waylon & Willie I did incredible. Waylon & Willie II took off like nuts, we toured it. We dropped Waylon & Willie III, then this one was super special. We’re both at different points in our career now so to be able to get back together and throw all the b####### out the window, 2 friends go in there like it’s 2002 again and cut records, it’s always a blessing.
AllHipHop: “Enemy” is at 1.5 million views on YouTube in a few months, how does that make you feel?
Struggle Jennings: It’s doing pretty good. We’ve had some big ones like “Fall In The Fall,” it’s over 58 million now. When me and him get together, it’s magic. “Enemy” was especially good to see people rocked with it because it’s such a meaningful song.
Jelly and I lost one of our best friends last year to a home invasion so the song had a lot of meaning. We used old footage for the video along with his studio performance. To be able to watch it back and relive those moments was surreal, some of that footage you see in the “Enemy” video is from ’08. Anytime the supporters or the fans really cling onto something, share it and show it love is always nice. We’re telling our story and our life, it’s really personal when you do that and people f### with it.
AllHipHop: What inspired “Good Die Young”?
Struggle Jennings: The same thing that inspires all of them. I’ve got 7 kids and I came home 4.5 years ago. At that time, my kids were in foster care. I had an ankle bracelet on in a federal halfway house, and I went and lived in my brother’s basement.
I had just closed on our new house that I bought for my kids. I’ve got custody of all my kids now. It was one of those nights. A bottle of tequila and a whole bunch of reflecting, really thinking about how I want my kids to remember me.
The song’s saying I know I’ve been a bad guy, but I’ve always had a good heart. “I played the part of the villain, but I’ve been a hero for my children. When I’m no longer living just remember all the good parts.” Really speaking on this is who I am, I’ve always done my best to be my best even at my worst. I hope that’s what they remember me for.
AllHipHop: How’s fatherhood? I know family’s huge for you.
Struggle Jennings: With me, it’s family over everything until everything is gone. They’re my world, my life. They’re my inspiration, the reason I get up every day and keep pushing. Going through everything we’ve been through as a family, my 3 youngest kids lost their mother to a drug overdose.
My 2 stepkids…we buried their father a month and a half ago to a drug overdose. I’ve lost a handful of friends. My wife…. she’s been my best friend for 15 years. We were in separate relationships so now we’re the two that made it out of the storm. We are protecting the babies…giving them the best life they’ve ever lived. They taught me everything about life, about love. My kids are the best. As much as I am they’re foundation, they’re my backbone.
AllHipHop: How is music a coping mechanism for you? Just with everything you’ve been through.
Struggle Jennings: Music’s definitely therapy, since day one. I started off writing poems when I was a kid, then writing raps. I gave it up and went back to the streets. Did some time, started writing while I was in jail. The first time I did 2 years back in 2000, writing the whole time. When I got out, I was a single dad. The first bit of money I saved up, I bought a studio. Before that, I was recording in my closet. I’m a guy that really lives off faith and hard work, I believe those are the keys to success. Having music as such a passion and a driving force for me always gave me something to work for…something to have faith in. Even when everybody around me is dying or getting busted, it always gives me something to hold on to.
Of course, the therapeutic aspect of being able to put all that out on wax and record these songs. Now, one of the biggest things that keeps me sane is getting on Instagram or YouTube and watching all the comments. People pouring their hearts out saying “your music helped get me off the drugs” or “helped me through some addiction or prison sentence.” “My mom just died and your song ‘Your Little Man’ has gotten me through this.” Now I can’t go back because I can’t let them down. They’re looking at me like I made it through it, they can make it through it. Between music, the gym, and my kids, that’s the only thing that keeps me from going off the deep end.
AllHipHop: Biggest lesson you learned behind bars?
Struggle Jennings: The biggest part of my transition in prison was definitely letting go of all the irrational beliefs. As a kid I was taught: you feed your fam by any means necessary. It’s okay to do wrong as long as you’re doing it for the right reasons. Those old street codes were instilled in me as a child by my father and uncles. I’d always been the guy that felt I had control of my family, control of my environment, control of my money. Going into prison and not having control of anything outside of that cell: watching my baby mama get strung out on drugs, watching my kids be tossed around traphouses and going into foster care, watching my world and everything I held dear crumble and be affected by the decisions I made.
The fact I wasn’t there for them anymore gave me a whole new perspective on life: what mattered, what was important, and who I was as a person. I had to strip all the way down. I had to completely work all the way down to my childhood and say “okay, what is it that keeps sending me back to prison? Why do I keep making these decisions?” Because I feel I’m doing it for the right reasons, or at least I’m justifying it. I’m blaming my decisions on my conditions, instead of changing my conditions. The book that I’ve been reading that has helped me a lot is The Four Agreements.
AllHipHop: Yeah, everyone’s been talking about that recently!
Struggle Jennings: I’ve been talking about it for 10 years. I’ve been preaching the gospel of it. A lot of my mistakes and bad decisions in life were based on taking s### personally…allowing somebody else’s perception to rest on me and feel like I had to prove them wrong, getting violent or whatever it may have been. When in reality, how somebody sees me isn’t a reflection of me. It’s a reflection of how they feel. I love that book, definitely one of the biggest tools I used from it.
Struggle Jennings: It’s a complete reflection of me, who I am. There’s so much – this album’s special. I ended up having to break it up into 2 albums. The next one will come out in fall, but I locked in this year. 2020 was crazy. With us not being able to tour, the temperature, everything going on in the world, I had a lot of time to reflect. I started a record label, signed 5 artists and spent all of 2020 locked in the studio.
Troubadour of Troubled Souls was a collection of all the different stuff I went through. Not only me, but watching others I love going through it. Thinking about what my family went through, peers, the world in general. To date, it’s one of my favorite projects ever for sure. I’m excited! I want to talk more, but I don’t want to gas it up. I want them to hear it because I’m really excited for this album.
AllHipHop: What does it mean to have features with Yelawolf, your daughter Brianna, Jesse Whitley? I know Yelawolf is a longtime friend for you.
Struggle Jennings: Yelawolf’s my little brother man, he’s little big bro. He’s actually older than me. [laughs] Anytime I get in the studio with him, it’s amazing. He’s a musical genius and a good friend, we have fun in here. Everything with Brianna, those are some of the most proudest moments of my life watching her blossom into the artist she’s becoming. Got Caitlynne Curtis on “God We Need You Now” and “Soul on Fire,” one of the artists I signed this year. She’s amazing.
Jessie Whitley’s a longtime friend. He’s the son of Keith Whitley and Lorrie Morgan: country music royalty. He lost his dad at a young age. He lives a couple blocks from me, we have so much in common. Getting in and locking in with him, I love writing with other people. I love bringing people in and saying: “man I went through this, have you ever been through this?”
Struggle Jennings: We find some common ground, we go back and forth with the emotions that we felt and really dive into whatever it is we’re talking about. I got a chance to do that with Jesse Whitley, that was amazing. I’ve got JD Huggins on the album on a song called “Man Like Me,” that’s super rowdy. He’s a rock singer I just signed to my label as well, I got the fam all on there.
AllHipHop: What’re you most excited for with the tour kicking off with Brianna and Caitlynne Curtis on May 1st?
Struggle Jennings: I’m excited to get back out on the road. 2019, I did 191 shows. 2020 we started off the first month with 20 shows on the West Coast, then COVID hit. This is the first time I’ve been able to get my guys really back out on the road: go out there, hug people and shake hands. See fans and give that back out. I’m super excited for the fans to see Brianna and Caitlynee. I’m ready to get out there, see some beautiful scenery. Meet some beautiful people, rock them stages and drink too much tequila.
Morgan Freeman has teamed up with bosses at The Creative Coalition and the National Blue Ribbon Task Force for a new ad encouraging Americans to get their COVID-19 vaccines.
In a new campaign video, the 83-year-old reassures the public of the vaccines’ safety, while joking about his reputation as one of Hollywood’s most trusted voices.
“I’m not a doctor, but I trust science,” The Shawshank Redemption star says. “And I’m told that, for some reason, people trust me, so here I am to say I trust science and I got the vaccine. If you trust me, you’ll get the vaccine.
“In math, it’s called the distributive property. In people, it’s called taking care of one another. Get the vaccine. Help make our world a safe place for us to enjoy ourselves again. Please.”
His plea comes as more and more Americans are opting not to get the vaccine over fears it won’t be good for them and may lead to additional health issues.
When are we going to see the people that are accusing T.I. and Tiny of various sexual and gross improprieties? Most recently three more people, women have stepped forward to accuse them of a number of other allegations. I think we have heard a lot about the claims and very little about who is doing the accusing. More than that, we have yet to hear from a cop, law enforcement or even a DA.
I am not saying there’s nothing going on OR that this is just an epic smear campaign! I am saying lets get it going. Charge them, don’t charge them, but lets bust a move. The couple continues to vigorously deny the allegations, but are simply waiting for the people who are accusing them of these things to reveal themselves.
Through their lawyer, they issued the following statement:
“The Harrises continue to wait for the accusers to reveal themselves publicly. By hiding behind anonymous allegations, the unnamed accusers effectively render themselves not credible and unworthy of belief. We say: Stop trying to manipulate the press and misuse the justice system, and let the light shine on their identities so we can go about disproving these scurrilous accusations.”
Three additional women have stepped forward to accuse the rapper and his wife Tameka “Tiny” Harris of sexual impropriety and assault.
The women have hired the attorney Tyrone A. Blackburn to represent their collective interests. The firm’s spokesperson shared that he was in conversations with “investigators from multiple jurisdictions to pursue criminal charges.”
One woman claims that once the two stars of VH1’s The Family Hustle reality show once “pulled out a pill and forced her to swallow it.”
She further alleges that their security took her phone while the three were in a South Beach hotel room. Then the “Whatever You Like” rapper “forced her to take a powdered substance from his finger.”
She continues her account by saying, “[Tiny] undressed her and proceeded to engage in sexual intercourse. She said her body was numb, the room was slowing down, and she could not consent.”
The third woman reports that she was drugged and assaulted across three states: Nevada, California, and Florida.
This is going to be a hot year, no matter the season. I can see that Tip and Tiny are probably flustered at this shadow league of accusers, because they are like fish in a barrel. I supposed we’ll find out at some point.
Ashton Kutcher and Snoop Dogg are joining forces with music manager Guy Oseary to offer up $1 million in investments for a new virtual non-fungible token (NFT) competition.
Together with “Shark Tank” mogul Mark Cuban, the group will listen to live virtual pitches of innovative business ideas in an effort to diversify the rapidly-growing digital asset industry.
“NFTs: The Pitch” will also feature known heavyweights in the NFT and cryptocurrency field on the judging panel, with applications open until April 12th, ahead of the competition’s launch on April 21st.
In a statement, Oseary, who co-founded venture capital fund Sound Ventures with Kutcher, says: “Throughout my career, I’ve researched, invested in, and even personally incubated innovative ways to help artists reach their full potential.
“NFTs are a groundbreaking chapter for talent to continually protect and monetize their IP (intellectual property) via smart contracts, and have applications that touch all categories.”
For more information and to apply, visit: https://www.soundventures.com/nft
Born in Broward County from a Bahamian mom and Haitian father, Jay Givenchy had a rough path growing up in Pompano Beach in a single-parent home, his mother worked two jobs, and being the third of six children, young Jay Givenchy had a lot of time without parental supervision, so he had plenty of opportunities to get into all sorts of mischief. This free time in his hands led him into going in and out of jail from a young age and have him missing a lot of steps of the normal development through adolescence into adult life, that’s why the last time he got out of jail at 19 years old, after spending 4 years in “the system”, he had to readjust to normal life to avoid falling back again in trouble.
Meeting the successful local rapper Koly P at a barbershop and rapping for him, helped him focus on something good, finding a great way to share his experiences, his pain, and his desire to bounce back; “He told me ‘bruh, you go hard, you gone be the next thing out of Broward,’” and then took him to the studio and that was it.
Fast forward to now, he’s back with another single, ready to shake up the scene and all streaming platforms: Forgive or Forget. The instrumental for this song really gives a melancholic but, at the same time hopefully, type of vibe characterized by high pitched vocals, the trumpeting melodies, and the choir on the hook; This plays a fundamental role in the perception of this track as an open testament, a promise to everyone who ever underestimated or mistreated him, a battle cry that points out how instead of forgetting or forgiving he will use all those critics and setbacks as stepping stones to climb all the way up to a successful career and a successful life until he has all that he is working hard for, or “til my Audemars vvs baguette, and I’m eating steak and lobster on a jet” as the lyrics say. I really hope Jay has a lot more of this type of singles on the way because I can’t wait to hear more from him, being clearly one of the fastest-rising independent rap stars out of Florida.
Terry Crews became obsessed with exercise because he thought he’d have to fight his father one day.
The actor and “America’s Got Talent” host began hitting the gym almost every day for over two decades to get in the best possible shape to take on his abusive dad as he believed he would need to stand up to him in a physical fight to save his mother from the beatings.
“Growing up (for me) was not a good experience,” Terry said during his recent experience on the TV survival show “Running Wild With Bear Grylls.” “My father was very abusive. He used to beat my mother. So it was one of those things where I knew I had to get stronger because one day I thought I’d have to fight him. That’s how it started out.”
Crews revealed that mindset began when he was just five years old.
“I always, always had been like, ‘Be fit, be ready, be prepared, be there.’ But even then it’s hard because certain things did trip me up that I had to get over.”
The star has previously spoken about his complicated relationship with his dad, Terry Crews Sr., and said in 2014 he learned to forgive him after realizing all the good things he’d done for their family.
He said at the time, “I started giving Big Terry credit for what he did do. He was a good earner. He was a good provider. I never excused what had been wrong, but also being able to see the positive finally changed my perspective. It changed my view of our story. Finally, it all became clear to me, and I called my father.”
So I am going to keep it real with y’all, because this is a sensitive subject. But I have so many rumors on the DMX situation, but I can’t put any of it out there. Most of the stuff surrounding the legendary rapper is under lock and key.
Here is what we do know. He is presently still in a vegetative state, he has little to no brain activity, and he is being celebrated worldwide. This is day four of this coma-like state for an artist known for being extremely animated. We keep praying.
DMX has a total of 15 kids and many of them have come out to visit him. It has been speculated that they are saying “goodbye” to their dad. This is not confirmed but this is what the media is stating. Only one child at a time is permitted to see DMX, per COVID-19 restrictions at the White Plains medical center. I won’t speculate but I will speculate just a bit, as I believe they have held off making any rash decisions about his life in order for his children and other relatives to see him.
DMX is in bad shape, and there’s no getting around that. On Saturday when he was first had the heart attack, I was told that he actually died and was brought back to life. I am quite sure that the doctors and those watching over him knew that it was imperative that they fight vehemently for his life, giving him a chance for the miracle we are all looking for right now. Yesterday out of a vigil for the dog, many of his children actually gathered smiling and seemingly happy to be together. I am sure they are somewhat distraught but I think that this has actually brought the family together.
Right now I am told to continue to pray for DMX, which is what I will do. We really do love and respect him, as imperfect as he may be this is a guy that has given us a lot. And for that we are grateful.
Cardi B and husband Offset were intimate straight after recording their collaboration “Um Yea.”
In a voice note to fans, Cardi revealed how their duet came about, as she recalled: “I don’t want to give you this weird, fake ass romantic, awkward story, but I remember this one time when I was in the studio with Offset and he was doing ‘Um Yea,’ the song that me and him have together.
“And while he was doing the song and everything, he kept looking at me and smiling and s###, while he was making the song and then I told him, “I want to get on the song’. So I just started writing my verse and everything and he was looking at me like, “Oh s###, girl!”‘
“And then we f#####. We f##### right after,” she concluded.
Cardi is famous for being incredibly open about her sex life, and told Dazed magazine in a previous interview that she’s not trying to convey any kind of “message” – that’s just the way she is.
“You know when you’re around your homegirls, you talk about sex, about men, about this and that. I see the world as my friend and I’m gonna talk to them about what I talk about,” she explained.
Iggy Azalea has put thirsty men on blast, specifically those that DM her. But those direct messages are completely revealing and telling. When she revealed some of the people minus their names the Internet detectives jumped right on it. They took what detailed information Iggy left and overtly looked around at high following individuals to ascertain who was in her DMs. And they didn’t disappoint! Remember, this is all ALLEGED, but it seems like they are are on to something.
Most notable it seems like Travis Scott, a Jenner baby daddy, is one of those people that expressed a deep dark desire for Iggy Azalea. She in fact stated he wanted to kiss her “b#######” – allegedly! If you see the following, you see that there is a different in the number of followers from what she posted and the current IG following. But, the internet has pieced it together somehow. So, we’re going to have to look a little closer with this one because we do know the Internet does lie. However, I don’t think Iggy Azalea put this document out hoping or thinking that people would figure the guys out. She may have just blown her shot with a guy like Travis Scott. I don’t know if she likes him like that, but it could be offputting for the brother. Anyway Iggy Azalea should just do a song called “Dreams” in the lanes of the late great Biggie Smalls.
The inside of the a###, though?
What happens next? It’s anybody’s guess but let’s hope that it becomes more interesting because Iggy actually made us interested in her again! Kudos to her. Oh by the way here the other two guys that allegedly slide into her DM’s looking for some play! They don’t matter to us too much, honestly but here they are.
When headlines flashed “US Capitol Attacked: An Officer Killed and Another Injured In Attack,” we collectively waited with bated breath for the details. First of all, it was odd that the suspect in ramming a car into a capitol outpost was African American, but then the press and a report stated outright that the man was also a member of the Nation of Islam.
The man, 25-year old Noah Green is the suspect who was killed on the capitol grounds after he allegedly pulled a knife on surviving officers. Needless to say, the Nation of Islam has issued a statement expressing sympathy to the victims in the tragedy as well as corrected the notion that he was a member of the their religious organization. Green was quiet man that seemingly began to unravel mentally later in life. Needless to say, the organization has fired back stating “Timothy McVeigh confessed that he was a Christian, but nobody blames the church for his misconduct.” Timothy McVeigh was the criminal mastermind that commandeered the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing, which killed 168 people and injured 680-plus others.
The Nation of Islam statement in full.
We speak on behalf of the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan, the members of his family, all of the registered Muslim members of the Nation of Islam, and all people of good will everywhere, in that, we are in sympathy with the victims of this tragedy. And we are in sympathy with the families of these victims. And we, like you, can only offer them condolences and our deepest sympathy for their loss. Our prayers are for the full recovery of the officer who was injured.
The Nation of Islam has no history of violence against the government. Federal, state, and local law enforcement are all well aware of our history.
We have held four national marches, including the Historic 1995 Million Man March, which we know to be one of the largest gatherings in the history of the United States of America and the most peaceful on the U.S. Capitol grounds. We had a good working relationship with the U.S. Capitol police during each of these historic events.
It is being reported that Noah Green was a “follower” of the Nation of Islam. This young man, Noah Green, we believe may have attended our Saviours’ Day convention in Detroit, MI in February 2020. In March of 2020, due to the COVID 19 pandemic, we closed our Mosques, and began conducting meetings and classes remotely. A search of our records indicates Noah Green was not a registered member of the Nation of Islam. It appears that in late summer (August-September) of 2020, he started the process to begin his study to become a member, but he did not complete the process.
He did make a donation to the Saviours’ Day Gift. Every year, the followers and supporters make a charitable donation to the Nation of Islam’s Saviours’ Day Gift charity. Every donor who makes a donation of $1000 or more is issued a Certificate of Completion. This certificate does not establish that the donor is a member in good standing in the Nation of Islam.
Mr. Noah Green’s alleged use of an automobile as a weapon and the alleged possession of a knife as reported, violates our teachings. We absolutely disavow this act that resulted in the senseless loss of life. It is shocking for us to learn that someone who was attempting to be a part of our ranks may have been involved in something as tragic as this.
But, we respectfully say to the members of the media and to the American people, Timothy McVeigh confessed that he was a Christian, but nobody blames the church for his misconduct. No one would blame Jesus or their pastor for unlawful and immoral behavior that is contrary to the teachings of Jesus. You have criminals, people that do horrific things, but we never know their religion. It’s not important because religion does not teach criminal behavior. Criminal behavior is an aberration. Criminal behavior is a violation. Criminal behavior is absolute rebellion toward what God teaches through the mouth of His prophets.
When thousands of American citizens engaged in an attempted insurrection, attacking the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, resulting in the deaths of five persons and injuring many, the news media did not question what their religion was.
Nowhere in the teachings of Islam, nowhere in the teachings of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad, could we countenance any man taking the life of an innocent human being. For us, human life is sacred. And the violation of human life is a violation of God, Himself, because He’s the giver of life and He’s the ultimate cause of death. But He doesn’t give us the right to kill innocent people. That is against our law.
We are taught “to never be the aggressor in word or in deed”, for Allah (God) hates aggression and is not with the aggressor. This is our teaching. In fact, all of us who are members of the Nation of Islam have been instructed not to carry any weapons—not so much as a penknife—not on our persons and not in our homes. We do not rely on weapons of war to defend us. We rely on our belief and our faith in Allah (God).
We condemn the wicked mischaracterization of some media reports trying to tie this tragic incident to the teachings of the Nation of Islam and the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan, and all people of good will should do the same as well.
So, most of us, like you, are questioning why would this young man allegedly do such an act? If he did, what happened to him? What caused this? The family released a statement published in the Washington Post saying of Noah Green, he “was not a terrorist by any means.” He had been studying for his master’s degree in business administration but had also suffered from “depression and potential mental illness.”
It has also been reported in an article from CNN, that he shared on social media, “I have suffered multiple home break-ins, food poisoning, assaults, unauthorized operations in the hospital, mind control.”
This young man had struggled in his early life but overcame much as a student to graduate with a degree in finance. He had a wonderful, noble idea to help the black and brown people through his knowledge of finance. “I am sure,” Minister Farrakhan states, “had he been blessed to come through the crisis that he was going through, he would have been a star in the mission of the resurrection of our people. We need to know what happened to our brother.”
So, our research is continuing into what happened to this young man and we cannot rest until we find out what caused him to take a turn like this. We are saddened by the loss of this brother with such great potential.
With heavy hearts we offer sympathy and condolences to his mother, father, family and friends.
In some circles, Nick Cannon is perhaps best known as the veteran celebrity who served as a host for network television shows such as America’s Got Talent and The Masked Singer. He is also a recording artist that has engaged in lyrical back-and-forths over the years.
The Wild ‘n Out creator even fired back at arguably one of the greatest emcees in history when Cannon placed Eminem in his crosshairs in 2019 and 2020. That feud, seemingly over Cannon’s ex-wife Mariah Carey, included the actor/comedian’s diss track “The Invitation.”
Cannon decided to share his thoughts on which disrespectful rap records should be labeled the greatest of all time in his opinion. The 40-year-old multi-hyphenated entertainer presented his latest “World Famous Top 5″ list.
For the most recent installment in the series, Cannon chose “F### Wit Dre Day (And Everybody’s Celebratin’)” by Dr. Dre & Snoop Dogg, “No Vaseline” by Ice Cube, “Takeover” by Jay-Z, and “Back to Back” by Drake. His #1 spot went to 2Pac & the Outlawz’s classic posse cut “Hit ‘Em Up.”
“World Famous Top 5 Diss Tracks” follows Nick Cannon’s previous videos titled “World Famous Top 5 – Rappers Who Can Fight” and “World Famous Top 5 – Top 5 BARS.” The former list was topped by The Game. The latter list was topped by Jay-Z’s “I’m not a businessman, I’m a business, man!” line from Kanye West’s “Diamonds From Sierra Leone (Remix).”
Meeting the successful local rapper Koly P at a barbershop and rapping for him, helped him focus on something good, finding a great way to share his experiences, his pain, and his desire to bounce back; “He told me ‘bruh, you go hard, you gone be the next thing out of Broward,’” and then took him to the studio and that was it. 
