Rapper Kevin Gates has escaped unharmed after he was involved in a scary traffic accident in Los Angeles on Monday (March 29th).
The “2 Phones” star was behind the wheel of his Lamborghini SUV (Sports Utility Vehicle) at around 8 pm local time when a woman in a Toyota Prius allegedly ran a red light and smashed into Gates’ ride, sending it spinning across the road.
In TMZ video footage shot in the aftermath of the crash, the rapper can be seen talking to the female from a distance while standing in the center of the intersection.
Police were called to the scene, where they determined there were no injuries to report, and they subsequently helped the drivers exchange insurance information.
Gates has yet to comment on the incident. Take a look at the footage:
Hip-Hop legend LL Cool J is linking with Dr. Fauci and the chair of the COVID-19 equity force Dr. Marcella Nunez-Smith to bring a town hall meeting on Rock The Bells radio.
The town hall meeting, which is virtual, will address the persistent issue “Is The Vaccine Safe For Us?“ and delve into a series of conversations surrounding vaccination.
Additionally, there will be numerous selected panelist that have been personally affected by the COVID-19 virus and how it is currently devastating communities of color. Some of the survivor stories will include demystifying certain types of information and directly addressing conspiracy theories.
The virtual town hall will have LL Cool J asking Dr. Fauci questions submitted by subscribers of the Sirius XM radio platform, where Rock The Bells resides. They will also share facts and research about COVID-19 to address peoples’ concerns in an intense, but certainly immersive Q&A session about COVID-19.
Below are some of the clips that will be played later today.
Why Should We Trust You? LL Cool J Speaks With Dr. Fauci About Trust And The COVID-19 Vaccine
LL Cool J Speaks With Dr. Fauci About The Safety of the COVID-19 Vaccine For Pregnant Women
LL Cool J Asks Dr. Anthony Fauci About The Production of Vaccines For Children
Should We Be Afraid? LL Cool J Addresses Dr. Anthony Fauci About The Concerns With The Covid-19 Vaccine
Wednesday, March 31 at 6:00pm ET on LL Cool J’s Rock The Bells Radio (SiriusXM Ch. 43)
Encore airings will be on Thursday, April 1 at 10:00am EST and Friday, April 3 at 8:00 am EST on Rock The Bells Radio (SiriusXM Ch. 43)
Back in 2018, Pusha T repeatedly told the world that Daytona was the best Hip Hop album of that year. King Push’s third studio LP earned him a Best Rap Album Grammy nomination and made numerous music outlet’s end-of-the-year lists.
The Virginia-raised emcee has been teasing the release of his next project for months. Mr. Biddy Barnes caught up with Pusha for the Behind The Velvet Rope Instagram Live show, and they discussed the G.O.O.D. Music president’s next collection of songs.
“I’m working on an album right now,” Pusha told Barnes. The currently untitled body of work is expected to host twelve tracks. The “Infrared” spitter added, “I gotta go sit in with [Kanye West] for a little bit, but other than that, it’s just these twelve. That’s what it’s gonna be.”
With his pending 2021 album following the critical success of Daytona, many Hip Hop fans’ expectations for Pusha are reasonably high. The veteran lyricist seems confident that his upcoming effort will live up to the anticipation.
“I’m gonna have the best album that drops in 2021. For sure,” declared Pusha T. His album discography already includes 2013’s My Name Is My Name, 2015’s King Push – Darkest Before Dawn: The Prelude, and 2018’s Daytona. Clipse also dropped 2002’s Lord Willin’, 2006’s Hell Hath No Fury, and 2009’s Til the Casket Drops.
New England Patriots quarterback Cam Newton is taking his talents to BET. As the host of the Sip N’ Smoke digital series, Newton will sit down with some of the most recognizable celebrities living in Atlanta.
The 8-episode program premieres on Wednesday, March 31 at 1 pm ET on BET.com and BET’s YouTube channel. Comedian/businessman/television personality Steve Harvey will be the show’s first guest.
“As a sports figure, I don’t always get to shed layers and give people a glimpse of off-the-field Cam, so it’s cool to join the BET Digital family and host Sip N’ Smoke,” says Newton.
The Atlanta-born athlete adds, “This series gives me the opportunity to put on for ATL, celebrate some of the people and things that inspire me and to create with my production company Iconic Saga.”
Cam Newton + Steve Harvey for ‘Sip N’ Smoke’
Future installments of Sip N’ Smoke will feature interviews with singer-songwriter/actress Teyana Taylor, producer/activist David Banner, nightclub owner Mr. Magic, social media influencer Zoie, rapper/actress Da Brat, and others.
“We’re excited to partner with Cam Newton on Sip N’ Smoke and to continue serving our vast multi-platform audience with best-in-class topical coverage featuring our most popular personalities,” states Amy Barnett, Senior Vice President & General Manager of BET Digital.
Barnett continues, “BET Digital remains the leading African American entertainment and news brand by engaging millions of viewers every month with an award-winning slate of entertaining and informative content.”
Sip N’ Smoke is produced by Iconic Saga Productions and Liquid Light Productions. Iconic Saga, which is based in Atlanta, was founded by Cam Newton in 2012. Derrick Speight and Amber Mike serve as Sip N’ Smoke executive producers for BET.
Today (March 31), is the last day of Women’s History Month for 2021. One rising R&B performer is using the occasion to address what he sees as the denigration, devaluation, and domination of Black women in modern-day music.
RCA recording artist Xavier Omär penned an open letter sharing his views on “misogynistic” lyrics in Hip Hop and R&B. The San Antonio, Texas native released his own studio album, if You Feel, in October 2020.
Read Xavier Omär’s letter below.
The last year has brought many of us to a breaking point. We’ve gone into the streets to tell anyone who will listen that the lives of Black people matter in this country and in our world. Yet at the same time our most popular songs denigrate women, telling them they don’t matter. Those things do not reconcile.
R&B and hip-hop, where I typically participate as an artist, is now responsible for the majority of all streaming music consumption. However, much of it is littered with misogynistic lyrics that blatantly devalue women to make heroes of men, portraying women as a commodity to be shared sexually with friends or sometimes even promoting physical violence against women. We have to make a change.
Before anyone tries to make me out to be playing the hero, Black women have been speaking out about this. But no one has been listening.
Essence magazine launched a campaign called Take Back the Music lead by Michaela Angela Davis and which offered non-combative and non-cancel culture solutions. Davis commented, “We want to make clear what our initiative is not … It is not a boycott of any particular artists or venue for artistic expression. We all have one thing in common: We’re deeply concerned by the pervasiveness of negative images of Black women and its effect on our girls.” She first said this in 2005. And in 2015, filmmaker Ava DuVernay shared on Twitter, “To be a woman who loves hip-hop at times is to be in love with your abuser. Because the music was and is that. And yet the culture is ours.”
Nothing has changed since Davis or DuVernay spoke out. Since the 1970s the outright denigration of women in all other music genres has decreased, but it has remained the same for R&B and increased in rap according to a 2020 Wharton working study. The incriminating lyrics examined in the study range from explicit violence against women to more dangerous implicit misogyny with lyrics less likely to associate women with competence and intelligence.
Because men — particularly Black men — dominate R&B/hip-hop, we have a unique opportunity to change the way Black women are portrayed and spoken about with our lyrics. In fact, we have a responsibility to be co-conspirators in the fight to protect Black women in every manner and challenge the lyrics that have displayed women as less than men because it puts them in danger.
• 1 in 5 Black women in the United States has experienced rape.
• 40% will experience intimate partner violence in their lifetime.
• And Black women are killed at a higher rate than any other group of women.
If Black women matter, they have to really matter. Not simply in theory or social media posts, but as a life practice. We can no longer claim to value and protect Black women while producing music that inspires the world to believe they are unimportant at best and deserving of violence at worst.
It’s not just a song. What we say into those microphones about women in our music impacts the lives of women who hear it and the men who are influenced by it. The same men who claim high respect for their mothers, sisters and friends somehow have little to no respect for mine by advancing these lyrics whether the man is a corporate worker in the music industry or an artist. If that mindset is reciprocated in our culture, then no woman is protected. We cannot afford to only have high respect for women who are related to us or that we know. We must extend that respect to women everywhere, including in our music because it has such a big impact on our communities.
For example, in Drake’s 2015 hit “Know Yourself,” he officially declared Toronto “The 6”: “I was runnin’ through the 6 with my woes!” And just like that, the Canadian city became commonly known as “The 6” and I, like many others, couldn’t wait to go. Forget the fact that the songwriter is from Zone 6 in Atlanta. Drake said that Toronto is now “The 6” and we all agreed. That was that.
We’ve seen this kind of power in music many times. What artists say matters and impacts culture. If this is true about nicknaming an entire city, wouldn’t it mean years of objectifying and shaming women has had an impact on our communities too?
I am not naive. I know this letter won’t change everything, but I hope it can add to the important conversation that’s already happening. I hope it will force me and my peers to think twice about the music we create. The lyrics we sing and rap, the images we display, have a much larger impact on the lives of women than we think.
The industry wants what sells, and in today’s society domination of women is the demand of R&B/hip-hop listeners as dictated by our streaming habits. So the way to introduce change is through all of us.
Tell your favorite artist to protect Black women with their lyrics.
Ask your streaming service to create playlists that value Black women.
Use your skip button to protect Black women.
Put your friends onto music that values Black women.
This may be the most difficult change of all, but enough is enough.
Michael Lamar White IV, known professionally as Trippie Redd, recently inked an exclusive global licensing deal. The business arrangement with Quantum PFS involves the musician’s merchandise.
“I’m excited to be working with Quantum to get my apparel to the masses and look forward to what’s to come,” says Trippie. The current Quantum PFS roster also includes Lil Durk, The Kid Laroi, Lil Tjay, JuiceWrld, G Herbo, Polo G, and more.
ID Supply co-owner and retail partner Brandon Ruddach will be in charge of leading distribution for Quantum PFS. The collaboration is expected to include 20 categories by the end of 2021.
“Trippie is a Hip Hop, Rock, and fashion icon,” states Ruddach. “It’s an honor to elevate his merchandise to the forefront of the marketplace as we maintain the artistic integrity he prides himself on.”
Quantum PFS is described as a merch design, manufacturing, and lifestyle hub. The company also closed an exclusive brick-and-mortar retail deal with the Spencer’s department store chain.
Eric Rellosa, Spencer’s Senior VP/GMM adds, “Trippie’s sales, like his music, are off the charts. We’re really on the same wavelength, and it’s incredible to partner with a groundbreaking visionary artist of his caliber and be the only mall destination for his merch in North America.”
The 2020 outdoor concert circuit was shut down in America as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, but it appears the festival season is finally back. San Bernardino’s NOS Event Center is set to host a major showcase later this year.
HARD Events has announced the 2021 return of its flagship event – the HARD Summer Music Festival. The lineup is filled with some of the top Hip Hop and electronic music acts at the moment.
Future, 2 Chainz, Don Toliver, Iann Dior, Lil Durk, Rubi Rose, and DJ Scheme are among the artists who have been announced as performers. Festivalgoers will get to see the stars across five different outdoor stages.
The 2021 HARD Summer Music Festival is scheduled for July 31 and August 1. HARD organizers are working closely with local officials to implement necessary safety precautions and will follow state and local health guidelines.
Passes for the HARD Summer Music Festival go on sale Friday, April 2 at 10 am PT at HardSummer.com. General admission: (1 day) $19.99 deposit, $89 full price – (2 day) $9.95 deposit, $159 full price.
The iconic Death Row Records is commemorating its 30th anniversary this year. As part of the celebration, DeathRowOfficial.com is selling classic projects and limit-edition merchandise.
Cassette re-releases of Dr. Dre’s The Chronic, Snoop Doggy Dogg’s Doggystyle, 2Pac’s All Eyez on Me, and Makaveli’s The Don Killuminati (7 Day Theory) will be available on April 20. The tapes can be pre-ordered at tapeheadcity.com.
In addition, Death Row will offer blockchain-based non-fungible-tokens (NFTs). The Diamond Medallion & Necklace NFTs are priced at $30,030.30, the Gold Coin NFTs are priced at $1,030.30, and the Silver Coin NFTs are priced at $30.30.
30th Anniversary Merch Bundle [1 Very Best of Death Row vinyl, 1 Short sleeve t-shirt, 1 Long sleeve t-shirt, 1 Hoodie, 1 Beanie, 1 Mug, 1 Vinyl slipmat, and 2 Masks
The Deluxe Death Row 30th Anniversary Gold Coin NFT
Exclusive audio bed from the Nate Dogg classic “Nobody Does It Better
Jada Pinkett Smith and Will Smith have swooped in to sign up one of the world’s youngest social media superstars.
Anastasia Radzinskaya, who was born in Russia and now lives in Florida, is only seven but boasts her own YouTube empire comprising 14 channels that collectively soared past 200 million subscribers in January.
The pint-sized celebrity also has more than four million TikTok followers and Forbes magazine named her the seventh highest-earning YouTuber of 2020, with earnings of $18.5 million.
Now she has teamed with the Hollywood stars’ Westbrook Studios company to produce a series of animated projects aimed at both pre-schoolers and adults.
The new deal will be overseen by the organization’s co-president and head of TV, Terence Carter, and senior vice president and head of scripted TV development, David Boorstein.
A hubcap from the vehicle Notorious B.I.G. had been riding in when he was killed in a drive-by shooting has gone up for sale.
The macabre piece of memorabilia was part of the GMC Suburban peppered with bullet holes on March 9th, 1997, as the tragic rap icon left Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles.
The hubcap features part of a promotional sticker designed to advertise Biggie’s second studio album, Life After Death, which was released just days after his slaying.
It read: “THINK B.I.G. MARCH 25 1997.”
The seller obtained the car part from a family friend, who owned the company from which the SUV had been rented, and the decorative wheel cover, which was documented in crime scene photos at the time, is now being sold by Moments In Time officials, with the asking price set at $150,000.
If you’re a fan of hip-hop, you’re a fan of the Detroit music scene.
Insert Tay B, who’s ready to make his mark in the rap game once and for all. When it comes to his work ethic, his grind, and his music, the rising star gives hope to all aspiring artists around the world that if he can do it, they can do.
Before signing his current deal with Columbia Records, Tay raked in over 5 million combined streams and 20 million views on Youtube independently.
The rising star decided music would be his end-be-all after seeing his own father locked up for 9 years of his life, someone who had a huge influence on his music dreams and aspirations. Tay fondly remembers a life-changing invitation to the studio by his dad, which resulted in him freestyling over Lil Wayne and Birdman’s “Stuntin’ Like My Daddy.” At age 12, he found himself in the studio and from that moment on, the rest was history.
Inspired by the likes of Big Sean, Drake, J. Cole, and Jay Z, Tay spits nothing but the real, telling his truth and his story through each release. Most recently, he released the official music video for “Stashbox” featuring LIl Durk, following his prior releases “Voila,” “Questions,” and “That Type of Time.”
Read below as we discuss his roots in Detroit, his dad’s influence on his music, establishing his name independently, the success of “Back To Back,” signing to Columbia Records, collaborating with Lil Durk on “STASHBOX,” shooting the visual, a forthcoming song with A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie, fatherhood, goals, and more!
AllHipHop: How was it recording your first song at age 12?
Tay B: It was cool. I was so young but it was fun. I rapped off the Lil Wayne “Stuntin’ Like My Daddy” beat. I recorded it all by myself, I did it in one take. I knew from there on: “man I kinda like this.”
AllHipHop: Being from Detroit, what was the household like growing up?
Tay B: It was cool. It wasn’t bad. My dad always made sure everything was good. He went to jail when I was 13 so from 13 on up, then it was different. I had to figure everything out by myself for the most part. That’s really when stuff changed. From 13 on down, I didn’t have a care in the world. No worries. When you’re 13, that’s when you’re getting older so you need guidance. But I had to figure everything out by myself at that point.
AllHipHop: How did your dad influence you doing music?
Tay B: He always played music. He played rap, but he played a lot of old school music too. If I’m riding by myself, that’s what I listen to. He called me one day like, “you want to go to the studio?” I’m like “yeah.” I went to the studio, wrote a verse, put it on the internet. I had it on Myspace, that’s what it was. I used to put my music on Myspace back then.
AllHipHop: How much of a role did Myspace play in your career?
Tay B: That was the only thing at the time to put some music on [laughs], so it was cool. I was so young, then it was sweet to people my age. I got real music. People at school… one time, we stopped class to listen to my music. It was crazy.
AllHipHop: Did you think you’d be here today? Signed and all that?
Tay B: Yeah, I mean this was the goal. You never know if it’ll happen, but it’s always the goal. So I’ll always felt music was it, so you gotta keep going. That’s how I am. I keep the thought of me being there, then I gotta get to it.
AllHipHop: How did you get such high numbers as an independent artist? It’s pretty impressive.
Tay B: I really don’t know. Honestly me, I had won the girls over first. Once you win the girls, you really won. It’s nothing. The dudes, they gon’ have to accept it. That’s really how it went for me. I was putting stuff out, but it was only getting a couple hundred thousand views. When I put out this one song called “Back to Back,” it got 700K in a month, then it got a million the second month. It was going up from there, that was my first million.
AllHipHop: How did that happen though? You just put it out?
Tay B: I just put it out, yeah. It hit so hard, the song had hit so hard. It was a summer anthem, all on the radio. Playing on the radio every day, it was crazy. In my city, I always had a name for being me at the same time. They know I do music, but I went to 5 high schools so a lot of people already know me. A lot of people know me throughout the city, then it spread out to different states after that. When they see numbers in different states, different people pick it up.
AllHipHop: “Back to Back” was in 2017, what was Tay like then compared to now?
Tay B: I’m not different, but definitely a lot changed. I’m the same me, the material things and the mindset elevated. That’s basically really it, I’m still Tay. You grow up, you learn. You go through stuff, that all plays a part in becoming the man I am today. It’s going to be different 5 years later.
AllHipHop: How was it shooting the visual for “Can’t Make This Up”?
Tay B: I shot that in Atlanta. Me and my videographer Jerry, we’ll listen to some music and say “let’s shoot it.” It don’t really be too much to it. He’ll say “what’s a hard song?” Let’s shoot and put it out.” That’s how it goes. “Can’t Make This Up” was a remake from an old school group from Detroit called Rock Bottom. I re-did that, that’s why a lot of people in Detroit love it, especially older people. They love it ’cause it gives them a little feeling from back then, the early 2000’s.
AllHipHop: How’d you get your name Tay B?
Tay B: No, my real name is Demontay. I got Tay B because when I was younger, you know you’re thinking of a rap name. In school, they really gave me that name. I was going to name myself Young Boss back then, now I’m like “man, I don’t really like that.” I don’t want nothing to do with Young. I can make it Tay Boss, nah I’ll make it Tay B. I’ll make the B stand for whatever I want it to stand for. Tay Boss, anything. That’s how I did it though. I really got the name from Facebook ’cause that’s how my name was on Facebook. It was Tay Boss, I thought I’ma make it Tay B. Make it simple. I got that name from middle school though.
AllHipHop: “STASHBOX” with Lil Durk out now. What’re you most excited for?
Tay B: It’s exciting for sure. I’m really ready for the people to hear it. They’ve been on me about it ’cause I’ve been teasing them with it. They ready to hear it, ain’t gon’ lie. I’m ready to see the reactiosn.
AllHipHop: How did that collab come about? What does it mean to you?
Tay B: It means a lot, I definitely grew up listening to Durk. To do songs with him and be cool with him, it’s real big. It’s different coming from where I come from. Really, don’t too many people from the hood get a chance to do the stuff I’m doing. It’s real, it’s big, I ain’t gon’ lie. Collabing with Durk and people like that, he’s from the same type of place I’m from but in Chicago. Same type of life, that’s why I really liked that. I like that this is one of my first big collabs. Me becoming a bigger artist, I really like that I collabed with him first before I collabed with a lot of people.
AllHipHop: Was that in the studio? Was that sent?
Tay B: We was in the studio together. We locked in the studio in the A. We whipped it up from there. I linked with Durk through my pops, my pops had linked up with him through another friend. My camera man, he’d been shooting Durk’s videos for years on years. That’s the only person that shoots my videos. It was gonna happen, it had to happen.
AllHipHop: What was your vision with the visual?
Tay B: The visual crazy. The visual got a little dialogue in there. Not even a mini-movie, just some little acting in there. Acting with us in the video, with another guy in the video acting out as the cop. That s###’s fire. A stashbox is basically in the hood, when you riding around with stuff you ain’t supposed to be riding around with, your car got a stashbox in it. It came out from there.
AllHipHop: Highlight from shooting the video?
Tay B: Damn near the whole thing to me. I ain’t gon’ lie, I love the whole video. This is my first video as a signed artist, it’s only going to get better and better. It’s really the beginning for people to open their eyes a little more, they gon’ see.
AllHipHop: How did you find your way to Columbia?
Tay B: Bird Vision Entertainment, Roddy Rich signed with them. I know him through my uncle, then my uncle hooked me up with an A&R at Columbia and that was that. We had a listening session, they called me back like “hey, we want to sign you.” The rest is history.
AllHipHop: Damn. How’d that feel?
Tay B: It felt good. It felt real good ’cause it was unexpected. Columbia to me, it’s a label that doesn’t sign anybody. You know it be labels that’ll sign people just to sign, Columbia don’t really sign anybody. That’s really why I fit there. I look at it like a little secret society, there ain’t too many people on there.
AllHipHop: 3 things you need in the studio?
Tay B: Me, myself and I. I don’t like nobody in the studio with me. If I don’t record myself, it’s me, the mic right there, and the engineer. When people come to the studio with me, I don’t really get no work done. I get a 5-hour block, I might do one song. But if I get a 5-hour block by myself, I do 5 to 6 songs. I don’t really like people in there. I don’t want nobody’s opinion or nothing. I like doing me, that’s it.
AllHipHop: You got a record with A Boogie coming?
Tay B: Crazy. It’s fire, I ain’t gon’ lie. That’s really one of the ones. How I caught the girl’s attention first, I had to do that for the girls, for the ladies for that one. That’ll be crazy. We should be looking to release the song with me and Boogie in the next 2 months for sure.
AllHipHop: Any goals for yourself at this point in your career?
Tay B: I’m really focused on selling records, becoming a bigger artist. I’m trying to see some plaques around my house. That’s really my main focus, I’m working hard for that. I don’t really care about nothing else. When I sell records, I make myself proud, my family proud. I won.
AllHipHop: How’s fatherhood? Your son’s only two, does he know Daddy’s this rapper?
Tay B: I love it, he’s a little mini-me. He likes everything I used to like when I was younger. I love it. He’s spoiled, super spoiled. I think he knows: “my daddy give me whatever.” I think he be knowing that, he too spoiled.
AllHipHop: Anything else you want to let us know?
Tay B: Be looking out for more music. “STASHBOX” out now! After that, be ready for me to go all the way in. Nothing much to it, just straight all music. No play, all work.
Pharrell Williams is mourning the death of his cousin Donovon Lynch after he was shot and killed by a police officer during a series of shootings in Virginia Beach.
The singer and producer has paid tribute to his cousin, who died aged 25 in the shootings over the weekend (March 26th-28th), after he was shot by a police officer, one of three separate shootings incidents in the Virginia Beach Resort Area on Friday night.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CNBSAyyHdzY/
“The loss of these lives is a tragedy beyond measure. My cousin Donovon was killed during the shootings,” Pharrell wrote on Instagram. “He was a bright light and someone who always showed up for others. It is critical my family and the other victims’ families get the transparency, honesty and justice they deserve.
“Virginia Beach is the epitome of hope and tenacity and, as a community, we will get through this and come out even stronger.”
On Monday (March 29th) Virginia Beach police issued another statement claiming Pharrell’s cousin Lynch was “brandishing a handgun at the time.”
“Homicide detectives have now conducted interviews with the officer involved in the shooting death of Mr. Donovon Lynch, an officer who witnessed the incident, as well as independent witnesses,” they said. “Both officers report that Mr. Lynch was brandishing a handgun at the time of the shooting. It was recovered at the scene.
“An independent witness affirmed that Mr. Lynch had been in possession of a handgun on the evening of March 26, 2021. The specific actions which results in the shooting are part of the ongoing criminal investigation.”
Authorities have said the first incident – which saw several people shot with no deaths – was likely the result of a fight.
Police added that “Bad Girls Club” star Deshayla E. Harris – who died in the second shooting aged 29 – was likely an innocent bystander, and no arrests have been made yet in connection with her death.
As the NCAA’s March Madness tournament continues, many fans find themselves pulling their hair out as numerous upsets disrupted their brackets. The same can be said in the topsy-turvy world of battle rap.
This spring, the culture of competitive emceeing has been jammed back with top-notched cards showcasing some of the best talents in the industry. This week was no exception. Fans predicted the winners of certain battles that should have been “sure bets.” But like in college basketball, nothing is ever just that easy.
The Ultimate Rap League’s Double Impact card on Caffeine.tv was just as unpredictable.
Unlike the other Double Impact cards, these teams were put together by the staff based off of a “mentor/mentee” concept determined by perceived compatibility. Most of these pairings proved to be exceptional. The card was a huge success with only one setback, two hot-headed vets that lost a lot of their luster by having poor sportsmanship.
DNA/ DON MARINO VS. RUM NITTY/ JEY THE NITEWING
The first battle was between DNA and Don Marino vs. Rum Nitty and Jey the Nitewing.
With only a few weeks to prepare, both teams stepped up to create moments. Rum Nitty and Jey the Nitewing made up a new team called Island Rum and DNA and Don Marino (who are already members of NWX) comprised the New X Outlaws. The biggest moment was their thirds, where both did a left shoulder (angel) right shoulder (devil) spin that was in a word, spectacular.
The second battle was between Arsonal and Kid Chaos vs. B Dot vs. Real Sikh.
People really counted out Arsonal and Kid Chaos (Anarchy) from the gate. The eyes were on Real Sikh and B Dot (Real Wrap), two rappers known for their incredible gift of lyricism. But battle rap is more than bars, no matter what people keep saying. Battle rap is energetic and is about presence. It is about personality. It is about aggression or at the very least swag. And clever poetry … lyrics … rhymes. And while newer “eras” of battle rap are fumbling along with their complicated rappity raps (and let’s not get it twisted, this is the only place in the world where lyricism is elevated to a divine level of artistry and no one does it better than lyricists like B Dot and Real Sikh), veteran battler Arsonal stands tall as battle rap personified. How he mentored Kid Chaos, helping him to edit himself (suggestions that analysts all over have been giving him), manifested in this big stage win.
To that end, lyrically B Dot and Real Sikh were incredible. Each round, they showed that this generation of Hip-Hop enthusiasts does actually understand the lost art of dancing within rhymes. Both of them were able to invoke the spirits Bhai Vir Singh and Amrita Pritam, Sundiata, and Manetho wrapped in the modern lyrical wizardry of Nas, Ras Kass, and Phonté.
Real Wrap starting things off spicy (@BDotTheGod @RealSikh99) 🔥🔥
The third battle was K-Shine and Lu Castro vs. Ave and Fonz.
This was truly a twin match. K-Shine and Lu Castro looked alike, rapped alike, and fought like they were wombmates. Ave and Fonz also punched like brothers who were used to bullying on the playground. Matched up to a tee, the world was bound to get something special.
Many count this as the battle of the night, as both teams seem to explode with combustive energy. Atomic-like power was expected from K-Shine and Lu Castro; the two of them are known for blitzing at a moment’s notice and singeing their opponent into defeat. Ave and Fonz, a duo that fans predicted would rely solely on their punching abilities, dispelled any notion that battlers only have one special move. Called “The Uncles,” the two were ready to pull out their lyrical belts and whup up on Shine and Lu.
This was a special battle — with the potential of not only being the battle of the year but a classic that people will point back to as an instructional example of how a great battle should look.
TAY ROC/ EAZY THE BLOCK CAPTAIN VS. GEECHI GOTTI/ SWAMP
The fourth battle was Tay Roc and Eazy the Block Captain vs. Geechi Gotti and Swamp.
What made this Double Impact an extraordinary event was how the top-tier artists were able to mentor the rookies, bringing out their personal best. The Gun Bar King and his protégé embodied similar energy, while Geechi Gotti and Swamp seemed to be opposites they enhanced each other’s performances. Everyone thought Gotti was going to carry the Carolinian … but he didn’t. The junior held his own. All of the rookies not only held their own but reminded people that there is a shift coming in battle rap and they are located right in the middle of the change.
The last battle was between Murda Mook and Calicoe vs. T-Top vs. Nu Jerzey Twork.
A version of this highly anticipated battle should have happened two years ago. They tried twice already to bring this battle to fruition, but those efforts were in vain. And after this horrible display of sportsmanship, probably should have remained a “wish battle” for the sake of the culture. Two legends showed up with the worst attitudes ever. Their unprofessional behavior diminished any value that their folklore-ish lyrical prowess might have earned them.
T-Top tried to remain cool but popped after feeling disrespected as a man (forget the battle rap stuff). Kudos goes to Twork who tried hard to salvage a battle that was at least important to him, even as his opponents could care less.
The Double Impact card was top-notched, despite the nastiness of the last battle. It’s an event with extremely high replay value. If you missed it, the full call will be released on the URL app this week.
It appears as though Quavo and Saweetie had serious issues before she called off their relationship earlier this month.
New footage has emerged of the couple involved in a physical altercation inside of an elevator, where Saweetie was renting an apartment in North Hollywood in 2020, when the altercation took place.
Although there is no sound on the video, which was obtained by TMZ, the pair were involved in an argument that turned physical.
Saweetie took a swing at Quavo, who was holding a Call Of Duty case, which fell to the ground. She attempted to pick up the case during the struggle, which ended with Quavo pushing her to the ground.
Instead of helping up his girlfriend, Quavo stood over her glaring at her menacingly. When the elevator door opened, a bystander witnessed Saweetie laying on the ground and opted not to get on.
The couple finally reached another floor, and Quavo exited, as did Saweetie, who was limping after the altercation.
On March 19th, Saweetie broke it off with Quavo, claiming he had been unfaithful to her during their relationship.
“I’ve endured too much betrayal and hurt behind the scenes for a false narrative to be circulating that degrades my character. Presents don’t band aid scars and the love isn’t real when the intimacy is given to other women,” Saweetie said in a statement on Twitter.
I’m single. I’ve endured too much betrayal and hurt behind the scenes for a false narrative to be circulating that degrades my character. Presents don’t band aid scars and the love isn’t real when the intimacy is given to other women.
The leaked video comes on the heels of another high profile altercation between Migos group members Offset, Quavo and Takeoff and Internet personality Justin Laboy, over an interview he conducted with Saweetie before she left Quavo.
The trio of rappers, who preparing to release their highly anticipated album Culture III, were p##### over a question about a threesome Justin Laboy asked, which produced a surprising answer from the Icy Girl. Saweetie said she was open to have a threesome with her ex-boyfriend – and another man.
Twitter exploded after the video between Quavo and Saweetie hit the Internet. The replies ranged from jokes, to conspiracy theories, to serious analyzations of the fight between Quavo and Saweetie.
There's no where in that video you see Quavo abusing Saweetie tho, we can speculate all we want
The war of a Big Pun’s legacy rides is on. I was not going to report on this, because this is family business, in my opinion. But I guess I will now, because it is not going away.
As we reported last week, and we broke the story, Big Pun has a new street named after him. It’s a wonderful thing for Hip Hop and The Bronx specifically. If you’re not celebrating, you must be a hater!. But here at AllHipHop.com. we love Big Pun and respect him as an artist and even a family man. Now, that may sound weird because there’s been a lot of propaganda about him, but his family loves him to this day and fought vigorously to get him this street. Big Pun Plaza is here!
That said, Fat Joe, Big Pun’s Twin and friend, did not show up. And in a detailed post on social media he explained why he did not show up. What do you think about that is your business and I will keep my opinions to myself. I do understand Joe’s sentiments though. Him and Liza, Big Pun’s wife, have had a long running beef and friction between them. The family has been homeless, destitute and all types of stuff. Chris Rivers a.k.a. Dragon Rivers, is out here doing the do and making a way as an artist without any help from the industry. Fat Joe could’ve helped him, but has stayed completely away from the family.
So, now people like Cuban Link – another of Pun’s Twinz – have responded to fat Joe, even Big Pun’s sister is saying something and she is not playing any games with y’all. I looked at her face, as cute as it was, and understood that I would never cross this woman! I hate to be posting drama, but it just seems to be playing out so publicly. To Fat Joe’s credit, I don’t think he’s going “back and forth,” but did address it that one time. This is sensitive stuff! We have to find a way to continue to pay respects to our pioneers and talents that I’ve gone before us. Big Pun is definitely one of those people and we will continue to salute him in perpetuity as long as we can.
That said, I hope that there can be some healing between all of these people, because beef is bad. Times are tough.
How is James Harden going to do 42 Dugg like this?
42 Dugg recently went to a Brooklyn Nets basketball game and immediately started trending on Twitter. He wasn’t trending on Twitter for the obvious reasons, that he’s one of the most well-known rap stars of the day. No, 42 Dugg was trending on Twitter because James Harden bent over so far to get eye-level with him. That caused people to start laughing.
Initially, this was put out there by the Brooklyn Nets themselves on their social media. I believe they immediately realize the humor that was populating social media after they published the picture of Harden and Dugg. They deleted the tweet but it went viral anyway and everyone started to repost it with their own spin.
— Ahmed/The Ears/IG: BigBizTheGod 🇸🇴 (@big_business_) March 30, 2021
And it kept on going straight like that.
I have to say, if you look at the body language in the picture, 42 Dugg is not really feeling how James Harden is bending over towards him. He literally looks like a kindergarten student that just had a tantrum and the teacher is trying to calm him down. His body language says, “I hate you.“ Clearly we don’t know exactly what happened but I am sure that it was all good between the two of them.
All of this was a festive time, because the BK Nets won over the Minnesota Timberwolves. Lil Baby, 42 Dugg and Lil Kim pulled up. Kim ended up performing and they even gave her a jersey with her name on it. She was ecstatic. “I’m about to cry, I always wanted my own jersey,” she said.
The streets are talking. If you can call them streets…
The Migos allegedly issued a beat down to Justin LAboy, a Revolt TV host, while they all partied at the same club in Atlanta.
There is not a lot to go on, but tis is what the internets are saying. First of all, LAboy is one of the dudes that interviewed Saweetie and people have stated that he is decidedly pro-woman. He is so pro-woman that people are calling him a simp of sorts. But, two weeks ago, he was asking Saweetie a bunch of intimate questions and seemingly lead to the break up of Quavo & Saweetie. This dude just goes all into her biz, from one night stands to threesomes.
Apparently, LAboy found some humor in them breaking up after his interview and the Migos did not.
This could be bogus. But for now…this is Hip-Hop talk. Quavious Keyate Marshall is not to be played with.Of course the inner-webs had jokes.
Many people are still reeling from a 21-year-old white gunman murdering eight people at three Atlanta-area massage parlors. Even though Robert Aaron Long supposedly claimed the attack was not racially motivated, most of the victims were Asian women.
The tragedy sparked the #StopAsianHate and #StopAAPIHate hashtags on social media. Politicians, celebrities, athletes, religious leaders, activists, and concerned citizens around the world expressed support for the Asian American community in the wake of the killings.
In response to the Atlanta shootings, Hip Hop artist Megan Thee Stallion announced her “Enough Is Enough” campaign. The Houston-bred rapper teamed with FashionNova to donate $50,000 to the Asian Americans Advancing Justice-Atlanta nonprofit organization.
Megan wrote on Instagram:
I am heartbroken by the loss of eight individuals taken from their families on March 16 in a senseless, violent attack against Asian Americans. To honor the memory of these victims, @FashionNova and I have partnered with the journalist and Asian activist @mayleeshow on a $50,000 donation to @advancing_justice_atl who work tirelessly to protect the civil and human rights of Asian Americans in Georgia and the Southeast. We stand in solidarity with all Asian Americans in saying that enough is enough. #StopAsianHate #StandWithAANHPICommunity
For the last five days, Montero “Lil Nas X” Hill has been the target of extensive online complaints and vitriol. His decision to incorporate satanic imagery into the “Montero (Call Me by Your Name)” music video and limited-edition MSCHF sneakers inflamed many Christians.
With so many eyes and ears trained on him at the moment, Lil Nas X is using the publicity to promote his music and products. However, the Atlanta-raised rapper also shared a letter that he wrote to his 14-year-old self where he discussed opening doors for other LBGT community members through his actions.
The note read, in part, “You see this is very scary for me, people will be angry, they will say I’m pushing an agenda. But the truth is, I am. The agenda to make people stay the f### out of other people’s lives and stop dictating who they should be. Sending you love from the future.”
LNX elaborated on the idea he is trying to convey with his art in a recent interview with Time. The “Old Town Road” hitmaker was asked what message does he hope his younger fans take away from watching the “Montero (Call Me by Your Name)” video.
“More acceptance, more open-mindedness amongst humanity as a whole. I want kids to know that they don’t have to harm themselves – and that they’re capable and worthy,” said the 21-year-old, Grammy-winning recording artist.
Apparently, the COVID-19 pandemic played a role in Lil Nas X wanting to express himself more freely. He told the publication, “Throughout quarantine, I’ve kind of grown into myself a lot more. I’ve become a much more confident version of myself, and very much more determined and intentional on every single thing that I do.”
Back in February, CyHi shared a horrific tale of an alleged attempt on his life. A lengthy Instagram post laid out a frightening scenario where the Hip Hop lyricist was shot at while driving in his hometown of Atlanta.
CyHi also told his IG followers that the supposed perpetrators fired at his vehicle after it crashed into a tree. At the time, he expressed concern about not knowing why he was the target of the attack.
HipHopDXcaught up with CyHi for an interview. The No Dope on Sundays rapper spoke about the traumatic experience and offered an explanation for the shooters aiming at him that day.
“To me, it could’ve been a couple of things. I feel like it could have been a mistaken identity because I do have a vehicle that a lot of other stars and emcees have that are here, artists that are here,” said the Barcode digital series creator.
He continued, “But also when I’m out of town and I’m doing my Wyoming thing, Sunday Service, and writing for other artists, I do have loved ones and friends who might be indulging in things that may not necessarily connect to me or I may necessarily not know about because I’m not in the loop like I was when I was a lot younger.”
It has been six weeks since CyHi first publicly addressed the violent incident. As of press time, local law enforcement investigators have not identified any suspects. CyHi spoke about the lack of progress in the case.
“Unfortunately, man, in our culture, it’s not cool to talk to the police,” explained CyHi. “It’s not cool to cooperate and different things like that. So, a lot of murders and a lot of assaults and different things that go on in the minority or Black community don’t get solved due to our lack of cooperation or respect for law enforcement.”
