(AllHipHop News) Racism and gender bias is still alive and well in Saudi Arabia.
This is quite evident in the recent controversy of Saudi rapper Ayasel Slay, who has recently come under fire for violating the customs, traditions and moral fabric of her hometown.
Slay’s hometown is not just any place… she is from the holiest city in Islam, Mecca.
And just like Lil’ Kim reps Brooklyn, Remy Ma, Cardi B rep the Bronx (Hip-Hop’s Mecca) and Kash Doll reps Detroit, Ayasel reps for the real city in her song “B### Mecca” or “Girl from Mecca.”
But the politicians, various monarchs and other religious authorities are super hot over her lyrics.
According to Al Jazeera, Saudi officials are trying to lock Ayasel up for her music video for her song. They are not feeling the suggestive Hip-Hop dancing, girls with their hair uncovered and most of all that this AFRICAN Saudi woman is out here rapping like she doesn’t know her place.
In her video, now removed from her Ayasel’s YouTube channel, she is performing in what looks like a café with young Black kids. Looking like Ladybug Mecca from Digable Planets, she spits lyrics that are sure to make you blush.
“A Mecca girl is all you need/Don’t upset her, she will hurt you,” Ayasel raps, touting just how fly authentic Mecca women are.
She then adds that they are killing the game by exceeding “all other Saudi women in beauty and strength,” according to Al Jazeera. “With her, you can complete the Sunna [get married]/Your life with her will become Paradise.”
Pretty raunchy stuff, right?
Regardless of how sweet you believe these lyrics are, Ayasel may be in serious trouble as this strict Islamic country does not play when it comes down to women breaking tradition.
Last week, regional authorities tweeted a message from the governor to Ayasel and her video production team are to be arrested and prosecuted.
أمير مكة #خالد_الفيصل يوجه بإيقاف المسؤولين عن إنتاج فيديو أغنية الراب ( بنت مكه ) الذي يسيء لعادات وتقاليد أهالي مكة ويتنافى مع هوية وتقاليد أبنائها الرفيعة. .. تضمن توجيه سموه إحالتهم للجهات المختصه للتحقيق معهم وتطبيق العقوبات بحقهم.#لستن_بنات_مكهpic.twitter.com/zVqggEujfh
“Prince Khalid bin Faisal of Mecca has ordered the arrest of those responsible for the B### Mecca rap song, which offends the customs and traditions of the people of Mecca and contradicts the identity and traditions of its esteemed population.”
Oh… you know Twitter went bonkers.
Mostly because the idea that the “identity and traditions of its esteemed population” could be taken as a nod to her race. The hashtag
#You_Are_Not_Mecca’s_Girls noting Ayasel’s African origins started to trend.
“Enough of this depravity,” one user said, referring to the video. “I hope the punishment for this African woman will be imprisonment then deporting her back to her country.”
ترحيل ترحيل اضافة الي محاسبة كل اجنبيه تدعي انها سعوديه في مجال الإعلام وغيره
(AllHipHop News) LL Cool J says that when Kobe Bryant put down the basketball and picked up the mic, out of all the rap music that he could have embraced, he was attracted to gangsta rap.
Yes… you heard it right.
The “Rock the Bells” icon talked to Entertainment Tonight’s Kevin Frazier about the time when his friend wanted to be a rap superstar way back in 1999.
Back then, in what seems like a lifetime ago, the NBA newbie signed his first record deal on Trackmasters/Columbia through music mogul turned marketing guru, Steve Stoute.
His single “K.O.B.E.” was released to the world in 2000, and while he put a lot of time and effort into the project, it never came out and he was subsequently dropped.
“We talked about rap,” LL told Frazier, “He played me this album, this gangsta rap album and I was like, ‘Kobe,’ I said, ‘Come on dog. That’s not what you need to be doing [laughs].’ He had a gangster rap album. He played me that album, we’re sitting in a parking lot. I was confused, I was sittin’ there like, ‘What are we doing? You got endorsements, what are you doing?'”
LL Cool J, with his signature smile, reminisced. “It had to be the funniest moment of my life, listening to him do gangster rap.”
The “NCIS: Los Angeles” star and Rock The Bells radio station owner also reflected on when Kobe Bryant performed at the 2000 All-Star Game with Tyra Banks.
“Yeah, we’re not gonna pretend like we wasn’t laughing,” LL said. “Like yeah, yeah, yeah the world was laughing, that was not — but you know, he took his shot. He took his shot.”
But despite, LL’s memory of Kobe as a mini Ice Cube, others in Hip-Hop remember him as a serious lyricist… applying his Mamba Mentality to learning the art form.
According to Grantland, in 99, he studied under the vets that recorded known lyricists like Nas, 50 Cent and even LL Cool J.
He even brought his Philly group, CHEIZAW, to get put on. Trackmasters put him through the fire and had him battle known spitters, Punchline and Wordsworth, who happened to be songwriters for the production company’s#### making machine.
According to Words, Bryant and his homeboy Broady had to go up against him and Punch.
Kobe lead with “I quantum leap into the future and battle myself.”
Unlike LL’s memory of a gangsta emcee, 24 was on his lyrical miracle s##t. But his boy was not… and he could not go blow-for-blow and round-for-round with the accomplished rappers. And Kobe, a man-child even back then, hated not being prepared and not ready for a clear victory.
(AllHipHop News) Bill Cosby has hit out at Harvey Weinstein’s conviction on charges of sexual assault and third-degree rape, insisting there was a “lack” of due process in the disgraced movie mogul’s trial.
Following the trial’s conclusion in Manhattan, New York City, on Monday (February 24th), Weinstein was remanded into custody and now faces up to 29 years in prison on the felony charges.
Taking to Instagram, Cosby, who is currently serving a 10-year jail sentence in a high-security prison after being convicted of three counts of sexual assault, hit out at the result through his publicist Andrew Wyatt.
“This is not shocking because these jurors were not sequestered, which gave them access to media coverage and the sentiments of public opinion,” he wrote. “There’s no way you would have anyone believe that Mr Weinstein was going to receive a fair and impartial trial. Also, this judge showed that he wanted a conviction by sending the jurors back to deliberate, after they were hung on many of the counts.
“Here’s the question that should haunt all Americans, especially wealthy and famous men…Where do we go in this country to find fairness and impartiality in the judicial system; and where do we go in this country to find Due Process?”
He added: “Lastly, if the #metoo movement isn’t just about Becky (White women), I would challenge #metoo and ask them to go back 400+ years and tarnish the names of those oppressors that raped slaves. This is a very sad day in the American Judicial System.”
(AllHipHop News) Kobe Bryant’s wife is suing the owners of the helicopter that crashed, killing her husband and daughter in January (20).
Vanessa Bryant claims they should have made sure the aircraft did not take off in foggy conditions on January 26th.
Kobe, his teenage daughter Gianna and seven other people lost their lives in a crash minutes later.
In her wrongful death lawsuit, obtained by TMZ, Vanessa alleges the weather conditions on the day of the tragedy were not conducive to flying, and the Island Express helicopter should have been grounded.
She also claims pilot Ara George Zobayan was flying at 180 miles per hour in the heavy fog in a steep decline moments before the helicopter crashed in Calabasas, California, after failing to properly monitor and assess the weather prior to takeoff.
Vanessa also claims Zobayan was disciplined in 2015 for violating the visual flight rule minimums by flying into an airspace of reduced visibility.
The suit maintains Island Express bosses engaged in an unnecessary and needlessly risky means of transportation under the circumstances and Vanessa is demanding damages for “pre-impact” terror and for the emotional trauma Kobe and Gigi suffered before the crash, as well as loss of love, right to support, companionship, solace or moral support and expectations of future support and counseling. The suit also seeks money for loss of financial support and for burial and funeral expenses.
Royce began this new album era with a record titled “Black Savage” featuring T.I., Sy Ari Da Kid, CyHi The Prynce, and White Gold. The NFL “Songs Of The Season” Series selection – like other tracks on The Allegory – addresses issues such as generational trauma, politics, and religion.
“The Allegory is a study on perception and secret (and, not so secret) ills that are afflicting our society. I have a desire to give light to these wrongs in an effort to start the conversation and hopefully help the next generation navigate through,” explains Royce.
Eminem, KXNG Crooked, DJ Premier, Westside Gunn, Conway The Machine, Benny The Butcher, Vince Staples, Cedric the Entertainer, and other special guests also appear on The Allegory. Royce produced a majority of the songs on the album.
“Production was the next step in the trajectory of my musical career. I’ve been a ghostwriter for years, reached Platinum-status with my own projects and helped others do the same. Adding the title of producer completes the circle,” states Royce.
Stretch was a club DJ in New York, while Bobbito was a Promotions Rep for Def Jam. Eventually, Stretch asked Bobbito to host the hip-hop program he always envisioned. Together with their connections, they tag-teamed and recruited the biggest players in the culture as well as industry.
What sets apart their show from the rest is the synergy of two personalities, offering entertainment laced with both quirky humor and exclusive music. Content included unsigned artists, B-sides/album cuts from artists with deals, live freestyles, and DJ scratch sessions.
Not only are they responsible for launching the careers of many artists today, but they also impacted the 90’s era tremendously.
The Jay Z/Big L freestyle on their show goes down as one of the greatest in radio history, by itself!
Fast forward to today, they have their new podcast via Jefferson Studio titled “The Actual Stretch and Bobbito Show,” following the success of their last podcast “What’s Good with Stretch & Bobbito” (NPR). In any case, the dynamic duo delivers the same high-quality content and energy they started 3 decades ago.
Stretch & Bobbito also released their highly-anticipated debut album No Requests, equipped with songs from their past — except turned modern.
Those who aren’t familiar with the radio legends can watch their “Stretch and Bobbito: Radio That Changed Lives” documentary on Vimeo, iTunes, Amazon, etc.
AllHipHop caught up compare today’s streaming era to the ’90s, their new album No Requests, and the evolution of radio.
AllHipHop: What’s one thing you want fans to get from No Requests?
Stretch: It’s not really that complicated, we want people to enjoy the music.
Bobbito: And dance!
Stretch: We made a record we think would really work well in intimate environments like listening in the privacy of your home, but it also works well in live settings with a band. Also in a DJ setting for dance floors.
AllHipHop: How did you link up with NPR for the new show?
Stretch: We’re not with NPR anymore, we’re now with Jefferson Studio powered by Atlantic Records. We got the podcast with NPR for 2 years because of our documentary. We screened It at NPR headquarters and did a Q&A afterwards. We crushed it, NPR’s like “Why don’t you guys have a podcast?” That’s how it happened. With Jefferson Studio, it’s our new home but we’ll still be bringing the same flavor. Our new podcast is called The Actual Stretch and Bobbito Show, we’re about to launch our first episode any day now. There’s actually a teaser up now.
AllHipHop: What are the biggest changes or challenges with radio?
Bobbito: We’ve gone from doing a successful radio show in the ’90s to doing a successful podcast recently for NPR, where we interviewed Stevie Wonder, Dave Chapelle, Erykah Badu. When we were on the radio in the ’90s, we certainly impacted the hip-hop community, but we also have a lot of guests that were beyond rap. Rosie Perez was a regular, Quincy Jones, on and on.
The major difference is in the ’90s if you missed our show, you missed it, too bad, haha! With podcasting now, there’s an accessibility ratio that’s a lot greater than the ’90s, which made our radio program very special and unique. If you missed it, you had to hope that somebody you knew taped it.
With the podcast, we’re reaching a lot more people simultaneously. Because there’s a lot of issues with podcasts and platforms — we’d love to do a mix show where we’re playing all the music we’d love to share, that we do in our club sets. But the podcast world doesn’t have that sort of ability the way our old radio station had.
AllHipHop: Compare the rappers today versus your come up.
Stretch: It’s a totally different ecosystem, totally different game. It’s a different world now in many ways. The accessibility is convenient for listeners, but the overall experience of the way music is consumed these days is way too controlled by corporate interest. There’s no real ritual involved.
When we’re doing our radio show in the ’90s, you’d stay up really late and make sure you have cassettes ready. That whole experience of the ritual of recording and sharing tapes with your friends, Beautiful experience with a lot more meaning and significance.
Bobbito: You had to earn it.
Stretch: Yes, everything is too easy now. “Great, I want it to be easy” someone might say. But for those of us that have experienced both, I don’t think it’s a coincidence that the music we most love coincides with an era where it was a lot more challenging to find music. It wasn’t easy to get your hands on it.
AllHipHop: You mention corporate interest, what does that mean?
Stretch: All these music platforms are owned by very big companies with a lot of muscle. They determine who gets signed, who gets pushed. Everyone on the homepage of Spotify aren’t there based on their merit system. I’m not saying there aren’t great artists on those homepages, but they’re there because their positions were paid for.
AllHipHop: How did you manage to curate so many legendary artists?
Stretch: We were at a moment in time that created an opportunity for us to provide a platform for a lot of unseen, unsigned, up-and-coming artists. Similar to what we’re doing with our album today in 2020, No Requests is providing a platform for a community of musicians as well as a community of listeners who want to hear something different and want to do something different. Our band is legendary.
You may not know who Camilo Molina is but if you’re in the Latin jazz world, he’s regarded as a “master” drummer in the field. You may not know who our musical director Luques Curtis is, but he’s been written up by New York Times for his excellence, and he’s got his own band.
Each member of our band in their own right are legends, in their own space. We pulled them together the same way that we had Big L and Jay Z on our show back in February ‘95. We’re just given a platform.
Our ability as radio show hosts back then is the same as our ability as producers to create an album, where we’re encouraging people to give their best performance. There’s a continuity between what we did 30 years ago to what we’re doing now. If you’re a true hip-hop head, you love all types of music. You’re not only listening to rap. We hope that your readers will be engaged with our album, explore all of the rhythms and polyrhythms that are contained within.
AllHipHop: Talk about the epic Jay-Z and Big L freestyle on your show.
Bobbito: Type up Big L and Jay Z, it’s a 10-minute freestyle that happened in 1995, February 25th to be exact. It’s perhaps the most legendary live moment in hip-hop history, which happened on our radio show.
AllHipHop: Big L hadn’t made any noise just yet. He was bubbling on the underground. Jay Z at the time only had a 12-inch deal. No deal and no distribution on his album.
Stretch: He came up because Big L saw him.
Bobbito: This moment was immortalized in our film Stretch And Bobbito Radio Changed Lives but if you go on YouTube and just type in Big L Jay Z, that recording is up to 10 million views. It’s a monumental moment. A lot of young people know the verses by heart, but don’t even know it was on me and Stretch’s show. Our radio show’s 30th anniversary is this October. We’ve been creating a cappella versions of a lot of freestyles from our show. We’ll be remixing them, putting new music underneath it with our band the M19s. I don’t want to tell you too much yet, that’s to come.
AllHipHop: What side projects are you individually working on?
Bobbito: I’m a filmmaker. I’ve directed three documentaries. My last one was Rock Rubber 45s, I also directed Stretch And Bobbito: Radio Changed Lives. We have the band. We’re deejaying around the world at events and clubs. I published a book on sneaker culture titled Where’d You Get Those? Stretch published a book on flyers of the 1990s called No Sleep: NYC Nightlife Flyers 1988-1999.
Stretch: I took my explanatory title from Bob. [chuckles]
Bobbito: We both had really long titles for our books. We both do a lot. Right now, our main priority is No Requests debut album which is available on all digital platforms. We also have CDs and merchandise. We have a 7-inch box set and a 12-inch vinyl album coming out with Fat Beats. We sold out at the Kennedy Center for our debut show. We did a show in New York, we have a bunch of shows coming up in various cities. We’re going to stay busy.
AllHipHop: How do you guys get along? 30 years is a long time to work together.
Stretch: We’ve been going from 1990 to present. It’s been a strong ride… a lot of holding hands.
Bobbito: [laughs] We are about as tight as you can imagine. Stretch is an amazing uncle to my son and a lot of people don’t know that. We’re family. We’re lifelong friends.
“Thanks to everyone supporting the Album. I’m glad you guys respect where I’m going with this sh*t. YOU CANT PUT ME IN A CATEGORY! ARTISTRY is EVERYTHING I wanna drop A boogie VS Artist this year. But only if ya ready. Before I go ghost I wanna flood your ears with straight ART,” tweeted A Boogie.
The 24-year-old rapper/singer born Artist Dubose also told his 600,000 followers that he is on a mission to make a club banger. A Boogie added, “Cookin up sh*t for the clubs next Versatility level on 10000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000”
Artist 2.0 was released on February 14. The album includes features by Lil Uzi Vert, Young Thug, Roddy Ricch, DaBaby, Gunna, London on da Track, Summer Walker, Khalid, and Trap Manny. Seven tracks from the LP broke onto the Hot 100 chart this week.
Thanks to everyone supporting the Album.I’m glad you guys respect where I’m going with this s###🖤YOU CANT PUT ME IN A CATEGORY! ARTISTRY😉is EVERYTHING I wanna drop A boogie VS Artist this year. But only if ya ready.Before I go ghost I wanna flood your ears with straight ART🖤
(AllHipHop News) Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson is an award-winning television director, but he is also a well-known internet troll. His recent Instagram post has some social media users claiming the Queens native may have gone too far with the jokes.
50 Cent uploaded a meme of accused pedophile R. Kelly and retired basketball player Dwyane Wade. In the picture, Kelly is quoted saying, “Heard you had a daughter now.” The 13-time NBA All-Star responds, “U touch her I’ll kill ya.” 50 captioned the image, ” LOL NOW THIS SOME FUNNY SH*T.”
Over the last several weeks, Wade has been speaking out in support of his 12-year-old transgender daughter Zaya Wade. She became a major topic of discussion online. Some celebrities like Boosie Badazz and Young Thug were critical of Wade backing his child’s decision to transition to a girl, while others like Cardi B publicly defended Zaya.
(AllHipHop News) Pop Smoke (born Bashar Jackson) was fatally shot on February 19 during a home invasion in Hollywood Hills, California. In response to his untimely death, many fans of the up-and-coming Brooklyn rapper repeatedly played his music on streaming services.
The Meet the Woo, Vol. 2 track hit #49 on the new Hot 100 rankings. “Dior” is officially Pop Smoke’s second entry on the chart following his contribution to Travis Scott and JackBoys’ “Gatti” which peaked at #69 in January.
Besides having two records make it onto the Hot 100, Pop Smoke also has a Top 10 album on the Billboard 200 chart. Meet the Woo, Vol. 2 premiered at #7 just days before the 20-year-old’s murder. It currently sits at #8. 2019’s Meet the Woo, Vol. 1 re-entered the Billboard 200 this week at #179.
Pop Smoke (@POPSMOKE10) posthumously debuts on the #Hot100 this week with "Dior" at No. 49.
The song is Pop Smoke's second career entry on the chart, after "GATTI," with JACKBOYS & @trvisXX.
(AllHipHop News) Roddy Ricch’s “The Box” continues to rule over Billboard’s Hot 100 chart. The biggest song of 2020, so far, is once again the #1 song in the country.
“The Box” tops the Hot 100 for a seventh consecutive week. The Please Excuse Me for Being Antisocial single collected 52.2 million streams in the United States over the tracking week, giving the record its eighth turn at #1 on the Streaming Songs chart.
Roddy also leads the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and Hot Rap Songs charts for the eighth week. In addition, “The Box” climbed one spot to #7 on the Digital Song Sales chart and rose three spots to #10 on Radio Songs chart.
Future’s “Life Is Good” featuring Drake still sits at #2. The Freebandz-OVO duo has been stuck behind Ricch for the sixth consecutive week. Former Hot 100 chart-topper “Circles” by Post Malone remains at #3.
Lanez’s upcoming New Toronto 3 will apparently be his last release via Interscope Records. He took to Twitter to make the announcement about his next music collection and his departure from the Universal Music Group-owned label.
He tweeted on Monday evening:
ITS OFFICIAL, NEW TORONTO 3 COMES OUT MARCH !!!! AND AS SOON AS YOU HEAR IT … I HAVE OFFICIALLY FINISHED MY DEAL WITH INTERSCOPE … ITS BEEN REAL… And it’s no bad blood with the label @Interscope… I HAD A 5 ALBUM DEAL ….I GAVE THEM 12 PROJECTS/ALBUMS if u include all the mixtapes with original music. I can OFFICIALLY go on record and say I exceeded that 5 ALBUM MARK… AND IM STILL JUST GETTING MY FEET IN THE WATER
The 27-year-old born Daystar Peterson went on to say that he hasn’t really dropped the music he wanted to over the last four years. Peterson wrote, “I just freestyle’d sh*t and songs that WOULD GET YOU BY, up [until I] said f*ck it “I gotta [at least] go 60% or they gone start thinking I’m super trash then boom ‘CHIXTAPE 5’ but this should be fun tho.”
Tory Lanez’s discography includes the studio LPs I Told You (2016), Memories Don’t Die (2018), Love Me Now? (2018), and Chixtape 5 (2019). He also has numerous mixtapes such as T.L 2 T.O (2009), Chixtape (2011), Lost Cause (2014), and The New Toronto (2015).
ITS OFFICIAL, NEW TORONTO 3 COMES OUT MARCH !!!! AND AS SOON AS YOU HEAR IT … I HAVE OFFICIALLY FINISHED MY DEAL WITH INTERSCOPE … ITS BEEN REAL . 🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯 – LoneStone
And it’s no bad blood with the label @Interscope … I HAD A 5 ALBUM DEAL ….I GAVE THEM 12 PROJECTS /ALBUMS if u include all the mixtapes with original music . I can OFFICIALLY go on record and say I exceeded that 5 ALBUM MARK … AND IM STILL JUST GETTING MY FEET IN THE WATER
I haven’t dropped the music that I REALLY wanted to for the last 4 years. I just freestyle’d s### and songs that WOULD GET YOU BY ,up untill i said f### it “i gotta atleast go 60 % or they gone start thinking I’m super trash then boom “CHIXTAPE 5” but this should be fun tho 😈🤯 https://t.co/m9LWpNWFAp
(AllHipHop News) Black Panther: The Album was released back in 2018. The Kendrick Lamar-curated soundtrack connected to the billion-dollar Marvel movie spent three weeks at #1 on the Billboard 200 and earned multiple Grammy nominations.
Fast forward over two years later, TMZ is now reporting that Yeasayer is suing Lamar and Tesfaye for allegedly stealing “immediately recognizable” elements from their 2007 song “Sunrise.” The Brooklyn-based rock band claims “Pray For Me” uses a modified “distinctive choral performance” created by the group.
Yeasayer is apparently seeking all profits from “Pray for Me.” Plus, they want an injunction to block further sales and airplay of the record. This pending lawsuit comes after Kendrick Lamar and Solána “SZA” Rowe were sued in 2018 for the “All The Stars” music video. Kendrick and SZA’s Oscar-nominated collaboration also appeared on Black Panther: The Album.
(AllHipHop News) Juelz Santana took to Twitter to commemorate his 1st anniversary behind bars.
Juelz is serving a 27-month sentence for “accidentally” bringing a loaded firearm to the Newark Airport. In addition to the gun, he also had non-prescribed Oxy pills in his carry-on bag.
After he completes his 27 months, he will be on supervised release for 12 months.
For now, at least Juelz is getting to do some of the things that bring him joy… like record music. Last week, the emcee released a single called “23 & 1” from the clink.
I released the single 23 and 1 from the #FreeSantana project on my birthday as a gift to my fans #23and1
On the song, Juelz breaks down what it is like to be on the inside, but super reflective on what this stint is doing to his family:
“My oldest son hit me like ‘Hold your head’/ Said I’m praying for you Dad, wish I could hold ya hand/ Brought tears to the eyes of a grown man/ Then he said, ‘Don’t cry, this is God’s plan.”
At the end of the song rapper Meek Mill, who knows a little something about being locked up, pops out with his one words of encouragement and real talk that should motivate anyone listening.
Y’all had been waiting on me and I seen that, had to give y’all something 🔥🔥
“Free my n##ga Juelz, real dripper. I was in a jail call. He was in jail. 23 & 1. I told him, ‘hold ya head, n##ga.’ He be back soon.” Despite being in jail, a *#FreeSantana* mixtape will be coming to you soon.
Some fans hopped in his comments with words of encouragement, hoping to comfort the Dipset member while he serves his time.
@dotkum01 commented, “It’s all mental bro! Get that knowledge while you’re in there and come out better than you were before you went in!
It’s all mental bro! Get that knowledge while you’re in there and come out better than you were before you went in!💯
If you’ve been following the drama between Lil Baby’s son’s mother, Jayda Cheaves, Alexis Skyy, and Ari Fletcher (aka TheRealKyleSister), then your mouth has been to the floor too.
These ladies have been going at it over social media for the entire world to witness. It all started with Ari tweeting something about people not being original and Alexis claiming she paved the way for women in the game.
Somehow Jayda got thrown in the mix causing Skyy to say she was intimate with her baby’s dad, Lil Baby. Then, Ari and Alexis went back at it and started talking about their looks, money, families, and more.
Well, Lil Baby ain’t here for Skyy claiming she and him had any type of relationship and posted and deleted a series of tweets saying he doesn’t want to be put in the middle of their drama.
On Sunday, he spoke up once again to defend himself against allegations that he slept with Skyy.
Ari and Alexis continue to come at each other via social media. I’m not sure when this feud will end, but the two have openly stated they are ready to fight.
Following in the footsteps of J. Cole and DaBaby, the two plan to continue what they started when it comes to music superstars. Both Raleigh natives, the two aspiring artists are currently signed to indie label Hazardous Records, based in their hometown.
“Push It” is a street anthem for all the people in their home state, and around the world. The 3-minute record contains a melodic, trap vibe, lacing your speakers with hard-hitting 808s.
The vocals and harmonies the dynamic duo create the perfect soundscape to get lost in the record. This will motivate you to go out and get it!
YK Toon might be one of the realist new rappers to come out of Houma, Louisiana (or the surrounding areas). At only 18 years, he has the streets on lock through both music and just who he is as a person. With a mother who’s lived damn near everywhere on the map, Toon became known in every hood he stopped through.
But the music thing took off in the most organic way possible. Through independent releases, specifically “City Rollin” and “Free Ziggy,” Toon quickly proved why he has the talents to make it in the big leagues. His unique style transcends genres of hip-hop and trap, with melody as he tells stories of real-life experiences through his lyrics.
Most recently, “City Rollin” received a standout remix with a verse from Quando Rondo. Now, he readies his forthcoming tape called I Don’t Play, a spinoff of his debut No Play Zone. AllHipHop caught up with YK Toon to discuss his upbringing, favorite rappers, and his creative process.
AllHipHop: Being from Houma, LA, what were you seeing growing up?
YK Toon: I just know Houma, South of Lafayette. I went to Baker High in Baton Rouge. I got kicked out of school. I did 6 months, came back home for a month, got in trouble again, got juvenile for life. I was 15, f##ked up one time and went back in for 6 months. I was in and out, doing all kinds of s##t. Then I got another charge, which was another thing on my head. I got an ankle bracelet on my leg for about 3 months, I was still living with my grandma.
I kept violating my probations. I got juvenile life on my head. You get juvenile life for a felony, so I f##ked around and kept violating my s##t. Cutting up. I stopped going to school young. The school literally had a sign that said ‘No Jameson’s allowed.’ That’s my last name. Real facts, I’ll call my mama right now. Because I’d just walk out of school. If a teacher made me mad, I’d walk out and walk home.
AllHipHop: Who’s all in your family?
YK Toon: My little brothers, they were in there too. We were all on the same page. He got sent off, he got sent off, he did a little 3 months. We all were just going back and forth.
AllHipHop: Did you guys learn your lesson?
YK Toon: We didn’t learn no lesson man, we were bad. We didn’t worry about going to jail, that was the least thing I worried about. Because I could go sit in jail and sleep in there. It is what it is. You can’t do anything once you’re in there. I learned how to be smarter and how to not get in trouble. If I do something, I know what to do.
AllHipHop: So when did music come in?
YK Toon: I just started rapping last year. I used to rap a lot though. I was always bad though.
AllHipHop: Being only 18, when did you start recording?
YK Toon: Last year. I turned 18 in April, and I made the “City Rollin” song. The audio, dropped it. The first song I dropped, it got 100K views. Then my second song “Free Ziggy” was taking off, that blew me up in the neighborhood at first. Boom, hit another 100K on my page. I’m like “yeah, turn up!”I just posted it on my page, my followers starting going up. Got 10K followers, I thought I was really doing something. I’m dancing around here.
People started hitting me up “can you perform at our party? We’ll pay you.” I was shy and s##t. It was Homecoming time, school was jumping! They wanted me to perform at Homecoming, I’m like “alright, let me come through.” I still got the video, my first one ever. It was crazy. [pulls out phone] Here’s the video, that was me on May 25th, 2019. As a matter of fact, this was when me and my girlfriend started talking. Look, she’s right there in the red. That same day, I got her.
AllHipHop: How’s it being from Baton Rouge? Where YoungBoy and Gates are from.
YK Toon: I heard of them, but I never really went through them. We stayed in my cousin’s in Shellwood. I just moved away, I stayed with my momma. We were just cutting up. I used to live with them, we grew up around each other. As I got older, I started drifting away from them. I moved back with my mom at 16 or 17. I stayed with my grandma. But my mom stayed in Texas, she stayed everywhere. Texas, Lake Charles, Baton Rouge, we were just everywhere. I’ve really been in every hood, thugged in every hood. I know n##gas from everywhere. We used to be moving back to back. If my mama didn’t like the house, she’d move.
AllHipHop: What’s the inspiration behind your name?
YK Toon: I used to be funny as hell. I would make you so mad, you’ll just shut down and cry. I used to get on their ass. Everything I said, it’d look exactly like them. You know I got jokes. They’re like “you a cartoon character,” so they called me Toon.
AllHipHop: What about your former name NFL Toon?
YK Toon: NFL stands for Never Forget Loyalty. s##t I used to run people. n##gas used to do some sneak s##t, I’m like “s##t, my loyalty runs deep.” YK stands for You Know Toon.
AllHipHop: What’d it mean to get Quando Rondo on the remix to “City Rollin”?
YK Toon: Fiend [from No Limit] set it up. We were in the studio, he’s like “who do you want on the song?” We just hit them up, dude was down to work with a n##ga quick. Some people are about their money. He goes hard, I like all his music. I used to listen to all his s##t when he first came out.
AllHipHop: Top favorite rappers?
YK Toon: Rapper I like? Lil Baby, DaBaby, MoneyBagg Yo, NBA YoungBoy. I like that old YB, that 38 Baby. I just listen to them when they come on. Damn, people really be going in on weed out here.
AllHipHop: It’s legal! What’s it like back home in Baton Rouge?
YK Toon: You going to jail for this! It’s worse than Texas. You get caught with over 2 grams, that’s 10 years out the bag. That’s everywhere down there. I really want to move to LA, because you guys really got the power. I’d be loaded everyday! I see why Snoop Dogg loves it out here.
AllHipHop: What is it you want fans to get from your story?
YK Toon: S##t. If I can do it, they can do it. It ain’t easy and it’s not cheap. You have to either invest in yourself or get somebody who’s going to believe in you. That’s all it is. I feel like anybody can be famous as long as they have promotion.
AllHipHop: What can we expect from your forthcoming project I Don’t Play?
YK Toon: You heard the title: I don’t play. I don’t play no games. The whole thing is 16 songs.
AllHipHop: Do you like to party?
YK Toon: Yes indeed. I like to smoke. That lean, I’ll do it.
AllHipHop: Does it help your creative process?
YK Toon: When I’m so high, I can rap so good. I never write a song, I just go. I’m high, I’m in the zone. When you come distracting my high, there will be problems.
AllHipHop: How’s it recording out here vs. back home?
YK Toon: The studio is better. They got damn near a million dollars in their studio. We out the trenches, we’re just coming up. Our engineers aren’t like their engineers. They’re smarter down there. They actually pay attention, we just pay attention halfway.
(AllHipHop News) WeTV’s “Marriage Boot Camp: Hip Hop Edition” is sparking up emotions that you usually never see from rappers.
On this week’s episode of the reality show the Ruff Ryders’ general and Lox member, Styles P broke down after completing a Frankensteinian lie detector test.
The rapper shouted from across the path to his wife Adjua, “I’m tired of hearing your mouth.”
The episode has members of the Hip-Hop community anxious as ideally, Styles and his wife have been married for some time and are one of “those” couples people want to be like.
But the couple has been experiencing tough times after losing their daughter, Tai, to suicide almost five years ago.
They revealed to the press that Tai had been depressed and felt very alone. At 19-years-old, with so much life to live, one might wonder “why?” There is no clear answer.
The CDC says that suicide in Gen Z is the second-leading cause of death. Between 2007 and 2017, young people aged 10 to 24 risk for suicide has increased by 56%. For teens between 15 and 19, the rate increased by 76% in that same period. Tai fell in that cluster.
With all the other stress that comes from being married (money excluded), we hope that the therapy provided by Dr. Ish and Judge Lynn Toler will not just be for our entertainment and will help Styles P and Adjua get to a level of comfort that will shift them to their highest vibration.
(AllHipHop News) Beyonce kicked off a Celebration of Life event for basketball legend Kobe Bryant and his daughter, Gianna, in Los Angeles on Monday.
The superstar performed her song “XO” at the top of the Staples Center memorial, backed by a choir and a small orchestra, explaining it was one of Kobe’s “favorite songs.”
“I’m here ’cause I love Kobe,” she told the packed venue, where the sportsman played for the Los Angeles Lakers.
Dressed in a gold suit, Beyonce also performed a stirring rendition of her hit “Halo.”
The memorial started 30 minutes late to allow thousands of fans to file in to the Staples Center.
Kobe and Gianna were remembered at the event, alongside the other seven people who also perished in a helicopter crash last month.
The Celebration of Life also featured highlight clips of Kobe’s basketball career and his life with his family, beamed onto the Staples Center’s famous jumbotron screens.
Kobe’s friend Jimmy Kimmel served as the event’s MC, but confessed he was the “wrong person” to lead the memorial as he sobbed while honoring his late friend and the victims of the crash, although he also managed a few laughs as he poked fun at the Lakers’ rivals, the Boston Celtics.
Kobe’s wife, Vanessa, also took the stage to thank fans and friends for their support.
Dressed all in black and fighting back tears, she said, “Thank you all so much for being here. It means so much to us…
“The outpouring of love and support that my family has felt from around the world has been so uplifting. Thank you so much for all your prayers…”
She went on to talk about her “baby girl Gigi,” calling her an “amazingly sweet and thoughtful soul” adding, “She was daddy’s girl but I know she loved her momma… She was one of my very best friends.
“Kobe always said she was me; she had my fire, my personality and sarcasm, but she was tender and loving on the inside. She had the best laugh. It was infectious. It was pure and genuine… Gigi was sunshine, she brightened up my day, every day.”
Vanessa added, “We will not be able to see Gigi go to high school… and ask her how her day went; we didn’t get the chance to teach her how to drive a car; I won’t be able to tell her how gorgeous she looks on her wedding day; I’ll never get to see my baby girl walk down the aisle, have a father-daughter dance with her daddy… or have babies of her own. Gianna would have been an amazing mommy. Gianna would have probably become the best player in the WNBA (Women’s National Basketball Association). She would have made a huge difference for women’s basketball.”
Turning her attention to her late husband, Vanessa called Kobe “my soulmate,” adding, “To me, he was Ko-ko, my boo boo, my bae-boo… I couldn’t see him as a celebrity, nor just an incredible basketball player; he was my sweet husband and the beautiful father of my children. He was mine. He was my everything.
“I was his first girlfriend, his first love, his wife, his best friend, his confidante and his protector. He was the most amazing husband. Kobe loved me more than I could ever express… we balanced each other out…”
Recalling his thoughtful and romantic Valentine’s Day gifts, Vanessa told fans and friends, “He bought me the actual notebook and the blue dress Rachel McAdams wore in The Notebook movie… We had hoped to grow old together, like the movie.
“A couple of weeks before they passed, Kobe sent me a sweet text and mentioned how he wanted to spend time together, just the two of us, without our kids, because I’m his best friend first. We never got the chance to do it… But I’m thankful I have that recent text. It means so much to me.
“Kobe wanted us to renew our vows… and he wanted to travel the world together.”
Vanessa also lightened proceedings when she called her late husband the “MVP of girl dads,” explaining, “He never left the toilet seat up.”
She added, “I want my daughters to know and remember the amazing person, husband and father he was; the kind of man that wanted to teach the future generations to be better and keep them from making his own mistakes… He taught us all valuable lessons about life and sports.”
Tearing up at the end of her speech, Vanessa told the Staples Center crowd that God knew Kobe and Gigi couldn’t exist without each other, adding, “He had to bring them home to have them together. Babe, you take care of our Gigi… We love and miss you Boo Boo and GiGi. May you both rest in peace and have fun in heaven until we meet again one day.”
She received a standing ovation as she walked off the stage.
Other speakers included basketball stars Diana Taurasi, Sabrina Ionescu, college basketball coach Geno Auriemma, who had hoped to welcome Gianna Bryant to his Connecticut Huskies team.
Lakers general manager and Bryant’s best friend and former agent Rob Pelinka recalled his pal teaching himself to play Beethoven’s “Moonlight Senata” on the piano, so he could serenade his wife.
Pelinka then introduced Alicia Keys to the stage to play the classical favorite.
Among the mourners were Snoop Dogg, LL Cool J, Spike Lee, Jennifer Lopez, basketball greats Magic Johnson, Dwyane Wade, and Shaquille O’Neal, and current stars Stephen Curry, Dwight Howard, and James Harden.
The proceeds from ticket sales for the Celebration of Life, which was interspersed with chants of ‘Kobe, Kobe, Kobe’, will benefit the Mamba & Mambacita Sports Foundation, which Vanessa relaunched earlier this month.
U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said: “Aljermiah Mack was a leader of the Nine Trey Gangsta Bloods, a violent gang that wreaked havoc across New York City. Now, thanks to the outstanding work of our partners at the NYPD, HSI, and ATF, he will spend the next 17 years in federal prison.”
During the trial, Tekashi 6ix9ine revealed the gang’s inner workings and highlighted how in-fighting over his career started a feed between top leaders of the gang, which resulted in his kidnapping in July of 2018.
Another cooperating witness named Kristian “Ceo Kris” Cruz also testified against Mack.
(AllHipHop News) Justin Bieber gatecrashed Kanye West’s latest Sunday Service and performed a cover of Marvin Sapp’s song “Never Would Have Made It.”
The Christian pop star expressed interest in performing at one of West’s weekly gospel gatherings last year, but it took him until Sunday to realize his dream.
He turned up to sing with West’s Sunday Service Choir, during a get-together, which also included music by Roddy Ricch and Nas.
Kanye’s wife Kim Kardashian captured video clips of Bieber’s appearance and posted them online.
