Back in 2016 and 2017, Chicago natives Chance The Rapper and Jeremih teamed up to present the two-part Merry Christmas Lil’ Mama mixtape. The duo is ready to drop more tunes connected to that holiday compilation.
Merry Christmas Lil Mama: The Gift That Keeps on Giving will arrive on all streaming platforms on December 11. Besides hosting tracks from volumes 1 and 2, The Gift That Keeps on Giving also features two new original songs – “The Return” and “Who’s To Say.”
The collaborative effort comes after Jeremih dealt with a serious weeks-long battle with COVID-19. He was eventually released from a local hospital on December 4 and is said to be getting stronger every day.
In preparation of The Gift That Keeps on Giving landing this week, Chance The Rapper published a music video for “Are U Live” on his YouTube channel on December 3. Jeremih and fellow Windy City representative Valee joined Chano for the visuals.
See the full tracklist for Merry Christmas Lil’ Mama The Gift That Keeps on Giving below:
Micheal Ray “Tyga” Stevenson was one of the celebrities to take his talents to OnlyFans. He offers his followers a monthly subscription plan to have an uncensored look into his life for $20.
The 31-year-old rapper is now taking his association with the content service to another level. This week, Tyga announced his new OnlyFans management and lifestyle company called Too Raww.
“I had a vision of turning Too Raww into an empire that is not only about management, but can be a full-service lifestyle creative company. Everything Too Raww is my own personal taste and aesthetic, I will be hands on creatively and with the management aspect,” says Tyga.
The Legendary studio LP creator continues, “The concept of OnlyFans has allowed people to connect with their fans on a more personal level, and it’s allowing for more content-driven engagement. I’m having a lot of fun with this so far.”
Reps for deceased rapper King Von dropped a posthumous video for the rappers called “Wayne’s Story” today, delivering a powerful, yet sad political statement.
King Von wrote the treatment for “Wayne’s Story,” which was supposed to be a three-part series, like his trilogy “Crazy Story.” The Chicago rapper was also a budding script writer, and he penned the treatment for the new video, which was directed by Joán.
The video is part of broader roll-out of content from King Von’s album Welcome To O’Block, the rap star’s final release.
Welcome To O’Block features guest appearances from Polo G., Lil Durk, Prince Dre, Dreezy, Moneybagg Yo, Fivio Foreign, and Dreezy.
King Von was shot and killed during a fight outside of an Atlanta hookah lounge on November 6th, 2020. An associate of rapper Quando Rondo known as Lul Timm has been charged with his murder.
Take a look at the new video “Wayne’s Story” below:
For most people 2020 has been a down year filled with of all the complications associated with COVID-19, but for multi-Platinum and GRAMMY Award Winning producer Hit–Boy, his trajectory has been nothing but upward. From his project with Benny the Butcher to his production work with Nas, Jay Z and Jay Electronica respectively, many people within the industry feel that Hit–Boy has checked all the boxes for producer of the year.
He’s shown versatility, creating big sounding hit records and he’s pushed out gritty and raw sounding records that have solidified his place in the pantheons of all-time producers.
While it been nearly 10 years since Hit–Boy found himself on Kanye and Jay-Z’s “N****s in Paris,” Hit–Boy has proven that he has staying power churning out hit after hit since 2012. But while he’s worked with every major artist in the game from Travis Scott to Beyonce, Ariana Grande and Kendrick Lamar, this Southern California hit maker has remained humble with his nose to the ground refusing to let his successes and losses get the best of him.
AllHipHop: Thank you for taking the time to speak with me today. It’s a big honor to speak with someone as accomplished as yourself and you’ve had an incredible year. Congrats on your multiple awards and acknowledgements for producer of the year… So just getting into it, you’ve been on a tear this year, from Nas to Benny to Sean. Can you talk about your work ethic and how much work you’ve put in to your music over the last year? Do you make beats every day, what is your work flow like?
Hit-Boy: Yea most definitely, I’m just kind of taking advantage of how much I’m motivated. You know a lot of artists are coming to me and they’re thinking of me on a high level, so when they come through I want to have something that’s like….(pauses) I go by Hit–Boy for a reason, you know what I’m saying? I want people to really make songs that they want to put out immediately, or feel like they gotta do a video to, or just feel like its’ bigger than just making a song, like it’s a real movement, just like really touching the culture.
But just as far as creating, yea like I try to just kind of be over prepared. I try to have as many dope beats as possible in the lane of something I feel like they could possibly want. You know as a producer or creative you can never pinpoint what they want, ‘cause someone could be feeling totally different from anything they ever made that day. So you might have to pull something out the bag, you wasn’t expecting. But it’s all preparation, like me getting to the studio as early as I can to just dig in and just make stuff that kind of hits my soul. That’s kind of the stuff that people gravitate towards.
Once I locked in on that, and it wasn’t like, “Oh let me listen to their last hit and try to make something like that.” That’s when I was getting stuck in a box. I just come to the studio and make something that I feel and that has some sort of sonics that they may be used to rapping or singing over and I just take it from there.
AllHipHop: Do you find people pick out beats that you wouldn’t expect them to pick more often or when you have something specifically for them, do they pick that more often?
Hit-Boy: It’s all types of different ways, but there are times, when I’m like “It’s no way they not get on this” and they like… “Yea let’s load this up.” Sometimes I’m right sometimes I’m wrong. Sometimes I play something and they like, “Play something else.” Honestly it’s funny, I’ve been telling some of my homies that if I gotta play more than maybe four or five beats in the session – it ain’t gonna be the s###. You know what I’m saying? If we catch that wave within the first couple of beats I make, I already know the session gonna be magic.
When I did Benny the Butcher’s album the first song we did ended up being the outro to his album, you know “Legend.” It’s a lot of people’s favorite song on the album, and that’s the first song we ever made. So a lot of times it’s like that, so I know we catching magic and the first joint that we made is crazy.
AllHipHop: It’s been like 10 years since you did the “Paris” track with Kanye and Jay-Z… Can you talk about how that changed things for you looking back on it now…
Hit-Boy: That’s crazy… S### it just introduced me more to the Hip-Hop space and just being acknowledged on that level, just being a true creative in that realm. Obviously that wasn’t an easy album to get on and everyone wanted to be on there. Any producer would have wanted to be on that album so to make one of the biggest joints on there, I wasn’t even personally ready for that and it just happened and I learned a lot. I didn’t know what was coming and I didn’t know the high expectations that would be on me after I made that song. Now I’m just on auto-pilot making crazy joints every day.
AllHipHop: You really made one of the dopest albums in a long time with that Nas album (King’s Disease) and I know everyone talked about that. You are managed by Jay-Z, but they had their little thing back in the day, how did you feel about that?
Hit-Boy: S### I don’t feel no way, they be in pictures together, that was a long time ago, that ain’t got nothing to do with me, I rock with both of them.
AllHipHop: What’s it like being managed by Roc Nation and having a connection with Jay-Z, like can you talk about the advice he’s given you over the years, or anything that hit with you?
Hit-Boy: Yea, just to kinda not blame anybody for anything that happens or how things transpired within the game. You gotta just keep trucking regardless of if you feel like someone did you wrong, or whatever the case is. All that s### is irrelevant, it’s all about the music and if you making dope music, you gonna rise to where you need to, period. So just stuff like that for sure.
AllHipHop: Yea I know that you have said in previous interviews that The Blueprint was one of the first album you ever bought, so it must be a good feeling to come full circle…
Hit-Boy: It’s unbelievable, any time I link with him and make music with him s### is still just surreal for sure.
Hit-Boy
AllHipHop: After producing such a big records over the years, how do you not get too high or not get too low and just manage the ups and downs of the industry?
Hit-Boy: S### cause I’ve already been through so much. I’ve already been through the highest of the highs and lowest of the lows. So I just be balancing now and I don’t let it get to me too much. If I’m winning, s### that whats up. But if things aren’t going how I want them to, I just know I gotta get back in the studio and go harder it’s really that simple.
Versus you know even with people that’s like Internet stars and stuff like a 69 energy, that s### only lasts for so long, so I just more so lean on the music, I’m not gonna be in between projects with the goofy stuff, I’m just gonna duck off and focus on the music.
AllHipHop: “Racks in the Middle” with Nipsey – can you talk about what you remember about working with Nipsey and what you miss most about him…
Hit-Boy: S###, what I miss most is definitely just the energy he brought to the stu when he was her. His presence was definitely felt and you just know what kind of energy the music needed to have. Just the process of making the music, he’d be in there choppin like I’m not just a rapper, I’m a songwriter, that’s the stuff I think about
AllHipHop: Thank you for answering that question.
Hit-Boy: That’s s### is still unbelievable.
Hit-Boy and Big Sean
AllHipHop: This question kind of overlaps the previous ones, but when you work with some of these big artists like Beyonce, Drake, Travis Scott or Ariana Grande how do you prepare to go into a big session with them? Are some of these in person sessions are these mostly through email?
Hit-Boy: I mean most of it is hand to hand and them pulling up to my studio and working with me, but there are still some songs that come out through email. But most of the stuff is in person. When I’m working with someone, I try to think and use my imagination. I try to think, what would just be the illest s### and really just use my imagination and try to do something that sounds big
AllHipHop: You have such a versatile catalog, from the real gritty stuff with Benny to the big hits with Kanye, what is your favorite type of track to produce. Do you like the big hits or the gritty cuts?
Hit-Boy: I mean the big hits bring that bread and that’s a different ball game but I just like making music. Man I don’t even look at it like that. Because you can’t call it. It be songs like, ‘oh this song is outta here’ and then it doesn’t go anywhere and I be like confused. Then there are songs that I make real quick and it turns up. I just be doing it now and I don’t really put too much effort and energy into what’s going to be a super-mega hit.
AllHipHop: Can you name your favorite producers of all time that show through in your music today?
Hit-Boy: Dr. Dre, Battlecat, The Underdogs, Timbaland, Kanye, Pharrell, The Neptunes those are some of the top ones fo’ sho.
AllHipHop: That’s dope, I know you have done a lot of co-production work too, who are some of the people that you like working with personally
Hit-Boy: Lately just my homies, my homie Corbett, super dope producer and writer from Cincinnati. My homie G Dav and my boy G. Ry, he produced the “Laugh Now Cry Later” joint for Drake and Durk, we’ve been down for years, so just a lot of my homies – that’s who I’ve been locked in with lately.
AllHipHop: Whats some of the equipment and software you’ve been using lately, are there any new toys you like producing with?
Hit-Boy: I’ve just been all FL and using virtual instruments and a mini keyboard. I’ve been just keeping it really simple, just dig for the sounds and samples and chop it up on FL and Pro-Tools to record vocals.
AllHipHop: How do you feel about producers rapping and that vibe?
Hit-Boy: Do what you do, s### I was rapping before I thought I could make beats so I just really had time to get nice at the production and get good at the recording. If you do music, writing a song or whatever, go hard.
Hit-Boy
AllHipHop: OK so something that’s come across the industry is Clubhouse…. have you tried it yet and what are your thoughts on it?
Hit-Boy: I get asked that every day. Nah man I ain’t did it yet, I be kind of late on s### like that honestly, I ain’t really got time to be sending voicemails to people. Nah but I know it’s poppin cause everyone asking me everyday.
AllHipHop: So you’re from the Inland Empire right, Can you speak about coming up in a remote area and what that is like out there and any advice to anyone coming up where the industry is not really thriving or thought of often?
Hit-Boy: I’m from Pasadena and Inland Empire. I spent half my life from Pasadena and then half my life in the Inland Empire, so I’m kind of from both. S### I was out the way so I was able to lock in and just focus on music. But when I turned 18 I was full-time driving. I was full-time coming to Hollywood every day and just trying to meet people. I always had the same kind of passion, so if you really want it you gotta go after it.
AllHipHop: Lastly, you recently had a son, can you talk about how that’s changed things for you and how you’ve been thinking about the future with him?
Hit-Boy: Man that’s been the best and it’s crazy because he came right when the quarantine was happening, so I had nothing but time on my hands. It’s been perfect, versus you know me being locked in and having to fly and be everywhere and work with people. I’ve just been in my studio and going back home so it made it a simple process to be with him and still be locked in at the studio. I can be with him and still stay focused on the music. I feel like he brought me great luck, like ever since he’s been here, I’ve had amazing luck.
AllHipHop: Last thing is there anything you want to plug that you’re working on or any artist you’re working with bringing up or anything about that we didn’t discuss or whatever
Hit-Boy: Right now I’ve been focused on my own project so I’m putting out my first single actually next week featuring Big Sean and Fivio Foreign, that’s something I’m definitely excited about. But I’m always developing different acts, as far as what’s coming immediately and what I’m hype on, is my own. I got a song called “Salute” dropping and its gonna be a crazy video and a crazy movement. It’s my song
Bronx rapper A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie was released from jail earlier today (December 8th), after the cops raided his house and found a cache of high-powered weapons and ammunition.
The problems for the rapper started Monday night after he celebrated his birthday. A Boogie, born Julius Dubose, was commemorating his 25th year of life at a club called RAIN in Teaneck, New Jersey last night (December 7th).
According to reports, the rapper was involved in a fender bender involving his SUV. As he was exchanging insurance information with the other driver, a brawl outside of the nightclub.
One person, reportedly associated with A Boogie’s entourage, was shot during the altercation and sent to the hospital.
Today, New Jersey police detectives investigating the shooting went to the rapper’s home in Demarest, New Jersey accompanied by members of the NYPD.
Once the cops were inside, they found a variety of handguns including a loaded .380, a Glock .40 a 9 mm, hollow-point bullets, and several fully loaded magazines.
There was also an assortment of drugs inside of the house, including marijuana, edibles, and worse, paraphernalia associated with the drugs, according to The Daily Voice.
Although A Boogie was not associated with the shooting, but now he is facing a variety of gun and drug charges. His security guard was popped as well as his manager, after he was caught with marijuana edibles.
By now, we know that Floyd Mayweather is about to get into the ring with YouTuber Logan Paul. We also know that Logan Paul has very limited skills in boxing, whereas Floyd Mayweather is a Hall of Fame shoo-in with a pedigree that has many calling him the greatest of all time. Muhammad Ali ‘s fans may have something to say about that, but Floyd Mayweather‘s undefeated record and defensive superiority has always put him at the top of the proverbial pile in boxing.
Enter: YouTuber Logan Paul. Logan Paul lost his last fight to another YouTuber KSI in a highly contested loss. When we interviewed Jake Paul, Logan‘s younger brother, he admitted that if KSI was able to beat his brother he would have his hands completely full beating a legend like Floyd Mayweather.
But the question is right now why would Floyd Mayweather fight a guy so beneath him in boxing? A lot of people theorize it’s just money and that Floyd is looking for a quick payday off of someone who is easy to beat. With his limited experience, that might be true! Floyd definitely shouldn’t have any issue with this guy. Right?
However, there’s another theory that’s floating around that I’ve been hearing, and it deals with hard-core revenge. For those that know and should know, Mayweather is friends with Nate Robinson and Nate got knocked out cold by Jake Paul in an exclusive pay-per-view fight starring Mike Tyson an Roy Jones, Jr. That knocked down was a moment of the year and possibly knock out of the year – the ever crazy 2020. From what I understand, Floyd Mayweather advised Nate Robinson early in the fight training telling him how to beat his opponent. But, it did not work!
So, what does Floyd Mayweather do? He apparently decides to get in the ring with Jake’s brother Logan and beat his butt in front of the world showing them that they are not worthy of being in boxing! This is purely revenge for the embarrassing loss of Nate Robinson, who is actually a world-class basketball player embarrassed in a sport that he trained only four months prior to his incredible loss!
Now, Floyd Mayweather actually runs the risk of himself being embarrassed because this may not be a walk in the park. Logan, despite his inexperience, is a pretty big guy! He is roughly 200 pounds and 6‘2“ tall. Not only that, he’s hungry! He would love to get into that ring and beat Floyd Mayweather‘s cocky self! If he loses, he has lost nothing! He was not supposed to win against Floyd Mayweather anyway! If he wins, he gets all the credit for taking out one of the best ever! Not only that, he gets a pretty hefty paycheck to boot! Now think about this, he is a YouTuber that gets a ton of views on social platforms and has amassed millions of followers. He’s going to get paid some serious bread to fight a legend in an exhibition fight! But we know this is a fight fight! Only time will tell but I will be there watching!
The U.S. talk show host revealed the sad news on Monday’s episode of “The Wendy Williams Show,” fighting back tears as she told viewers her mother had gone “beautifully and peacefully.”
While she didn’t detail the exact date of her mother’s passing, she added it was “many, many, many, many weeks ago.”
“You know how you lose track of the day and time?” she mused. “All I know was it was a long time ago. The five of us, my mom, dad, my siblings, the five of us — she will always be here.”
Williams also told fans her mom “didn’t suffer, not one bit”, and was “surrounded by love” when her time finally came.
“Gone is the best mother, the best girlfriend, that a girl could ever have,” she concluded. “I feel fortunate that I had her in my life all of my 56 years.”
Wendy’s revelation about her mother’s passing came after family friend Courtney Brown posted about Shirley’s death on her Instagram page over the weekend.
Rap star Nipsey Hussle managed to lift himself and his family out of poverty during his 33 years on earth.
The rapper, who released his first mixtape Slauson Boy Volume 1 in 2005, managed to amass a fortune worth over $4 million before he was killed in March of 2019.
According to legal documents obtained by TMZ valuing his estate, Nipsey was worth $4,169,088. The bulk of his wealth was derived from his record label, All Money In No Money Out Inc.
Nip held a 100% interest in the label he founded, which was worth north of $2 million. All Money In No Money Out Inc. released five of Nipsey’s official albums, including his breakthrough album The Marathon in 2010, as well as his final album Victory Lap in 2018.
The trademarks for his name, photograph, and voice clocked in at $913,000. His 25% share in The Marathon clothing was worth $271,000. Nipsey also held a 25% stake in his store The Marathon Clothing, which was worth $271,000,
Nipsey was tragically gunned down on March 31st, 2019.
The rapper was shot at least 10 times in front of The Marathon Clothing store after a dispute with a 29-year-old gang member named Eric Holder Jr.
The entire city of Los Angeles shut down for Nipsey Hussle’s memorial service, which took place at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on April 11th, 2019.
Even President Barack Obama acknowledged the rapper’s positive impact on the Los Angeles community, before his untimely death.
The world has entered into year two of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) era. What started as an outbreak in Wuhan, China turned into a global pandemic that has left 15 million Americans infected and 284,000 Americans dead from the virus.
Celebrities such as Idris Elba, Tom Hanks, Kevin Durant, Joe Budden, Pink, Doja Cat, Jeremih, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, and President Donald Trump revealed they tested positive for COVID-19 at one point. New York City rapper Fred the Godson passed away from coronavirus complications on April 23.
Those growing numbers have not stopped some people from continuing to live their lives like the pre-COVID days. For example, about 500 people reportedly attended a Trey Songz concert in Columbus, Ohio on Saturday. The establishment where the show took place apparently did not require patrons or employees to social distance or wear masks. According to multiple reports, the Aftermath nightclub was cited for violating the state’s COVID-19 health orders.
On Tuesday, Trey Songz’s name became a trending topic on Twitter as users from around the planet shared their thoughts on concertgoers choosing to forgo safety regulations to see the R&B singer perform live. As of press time, Songz has not publicly commented on the situation.
“There was very little going on as far as any attempt for social distancing. If you had taken that event and put it in 2019, it would have been pretty much the same concert, same event that was taking place last night,” said Eric Wolf, Enforcement Commander of the Ohio Investigative Unit.
Plainclothes OIU agents reportedly arrived at the venue at 9:30 pm where they discovered people not wearing face coverings, walking freely in close quarters, and sharing alcoholic beverages. The case is being referred to the Ohio Liquor Control Commission in order to decide on any potential penalties against the establishment. Aftermath could face fines and suspension or revocation of its liquor permits.
Ohio has reported more than 484,000 total coronavirus cases. Over 7,000 people in the state have died from the disease. In July, Republican Governor Mike DeWine issued a statewide mandate that required all individuals over the age of 10 to wear a mask at all indoor locations that are not a residence. DeWine also recently announced he will be extending the state’s 10 pm-5 am overnight curfew.
“We’re in a very dangerous situation, and I think we can all agree that we can’t let our hospitals get to the point where healthcare is threatened. The curfew, mask-wearing, retail inspection have helped, but they haven’t helped enough. We’ll have to do more. We don’t have a choice,” tweeted Gov. DeWine on December 4.
Today, I am announcing that @OHDeptofHealth will issue an order, effective 6:00 pm tomorrow, that will mandate wearing of face coverings in public in all counties that are designated Red Level 3 Public Health Emergency Alert. pic.twitter.com/cqbMqmajJ2
— Governor Mike DeWine (@GovMikeDeWine) July 7, 2020
We're in a very dangerous situation, & I think we can all agree that we can't let our hospitals get to the point where healthcare is threatened. The curfew, mask-wearing, retail inspection have helped, but they haven't helped enough. We'll have to do more. We don't have a choice.
It has been a trying Sagittarius season for several rappers. Both Lil Baby and JT‘s respective birthday weeks were marred by controversies. Now Nicki Minaj is celebrating her 38th birthday as troubling allegations against her and her partner spread across the internet.
Fellow female rapper and social media personality Khia took to Instagram to call out Minaj and her spouse, Kenneth “Zoo” Petty, for supposedly being involved in the harassment of an alleged rape victim. The self-described Thug Misses blasted Minaj (born Onika Tanya Maraj) for unsubstantiated reports that the couple tried to pay off the accuser to keep her silent about a violent attack from 1994.
“So Nicki Van D#### tried to pay PETTYPHILE victim off so he could get his charges dropped and get off the sex registry?” Khia posted to her @ahzookha Instagram account. The IG caption read, “PETTYPHILE Ass Should Be In Jail. Why Is Nick Van D#### Contacting The Victim On PETTYPHILE Behalf? Ooop.” Khia was referring to the unverified story that has gained traction on YouTube.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CIfICols5mt/
Kenneth Petty was convicted for attempted rape with a knife of a sixteen-year-old girl in 1995. Petty served four years in prison, and he was ordered to register as a sex offender in the state of New York. He also pled guilty to manslaughter charges in 2006 for the 2002 death of Lamont Robinson in an unrelated case which reportedly caused Petty to serve seven years in prison.
Petty’s failure to register in California, and the media attention surrounding that particular court case, apparently led to someone claiming to be the person the now 42-year-old man raped 26 years ago to speak out in order to protect herself. In an anonymous 13-minute YouTube video, the woman suggested Minaj and Petty are initiating other individuals to harass her and her family.
“In March of 2020, I got a call from a mutual friend of Kenneth and my brother, and he said that he could connect me to them and make this go away. When he said he could connect me to them, meaning Nicki and Kenny, and when he said he could make this go away, I thought the agreement was going to be: if I don’t speak to anybody about them they wouldn’t speak to anybody about me. End of story. Well, that’s not what happened,” stated the woman.
She added, “What happened was this mutual person offered me $20,000 to write a letter stating that I lied about Kenny assaulting me. I didn’t want to do it. I got a phone call from Nicki Minaj herself saying she got word that I was willing to help them out in this [failing to register as a sex offender] situation… She said that she could send her publicist, Joe, out to where I was living at the time… After that phone call with Nicki, the only contact I had was from street goons.”
The alleged victim also said that she was never offered money directly from Nicki Minaj or Kenneth Petty. However, the woman claimed she was contacted by the United States Marshals Service because the law enforcement agency was supposedly aware she was facing harassment to recant her story about the 1994 sexual assault. Allegedly, she was offered the chance to enter the federal witness protection program.
While the woman has not been verified as Petty’s actual alleged victim, clips from the video, interviews with gossip-centered YouTubers, and a social media user claiming to be the alleged victim’s daughter have gone viral on YouTube and other social media platforms. As of press time, the woman has not shown her face or confirmed her full legal name.
Some observers believe Nicki reacted to the latest controversy involving her husband’s attempted rape conviction by jokingly tweeting “We did it joe” with a picture of Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris. That December 6 tweet was viewed by critics as a subtle reference to Joe Carozza, Executive Vice President of Media and Artist Relations for Republic Records, which is the label home of Nicki Minaj. The alleged victim named “Joe” as the publicist who purportedly wanted to meet with her in order to possibly change her story about Kenneth Petty assaulting her in 1994.
After a one week break from the top of the Hot 100, “Mood” is back at the pinnacle of the Billboard chart. 24kGoldn and iann dior’s radio-friendly hit (86.5 million impressions) ended BTS’s one-week reign with “Life Goes On.”
“Mood” has now spent six nonconsecutive weeks atop the Hot 100. The song also leads the Radio Songs chart for the sixth week as well as the Hot Rap Songs chart for an eighth time. 24kGoldn and dior also have the most popular entry on the Hot Rock & Alternative Songs and Hot Alternative Songs charts for the 15th week.
Roddy Ricch’s “The Box” (11 weeks) and DaBaby’s “Rockstar” featuring Ricch (7 weeks) are the only singles to have longer runs at #1 on the Hot 100 in 2020. The Weeknd’s “Blinding Lights” and Cardi B’s “WAP” featuring Megan Thee Stallion each capped the rankings for four weeks, respectively.
“Mood” is facing serious competition for next week’s #1. Mariah Carey’s annual chart takeover has begun with “All I Want for Christmas Is You” roaring back into the Top 10 at #2. The 1994-released holiday classic hit #1 for the first time in late 2019 and held onto the pole position until the Hot 100 chart dated January 4, 2020.
The International Olympic Committee announced four additional events have been confirmed for the 2024 Summer Games in Paris, France. Breakdancing (or breaking), one of the original four elements of Hip Hop culture, is now officially an Olympic sport.
Plus, athletes will be able to compete in skateboarding, sport climbing, and surfing for the first time beginning at the rescheduled 2020 Toyko Summer Olympics in 2021. Tokyo 2020 was scheduled to take place from July 23 to August 8 of this year, but the Games were postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“With this programme, we are making the Olympic Games Paris 2024 fit for the post-corona world. We are further reducing the cost and complexity of hosting the Games. While we will achieve gender equality already at the upcoming Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, we will see for the first time in Olympic history the participation of the exact same number of female athletes as male athletes. There is also a strong focus on youth,” said IOC President Thomas Bach.
The art of breakdancing was created by African-American and Latino youth in the 1970s. The street dance started in conjunction with the other Hip Hop elements of rap music, deejaying, and graffiti. Breaking would go on to become one of America’s most successful cultural exports of modern times.
Male and female breaking competitions are held around the world. For example, the Red Bull BC One is a highly-respected tournament that crowns a yearly world champion. Japan’s B-Boy Shigekix became the youngest Red Bull BC One World Final winner in November. Russia’s B-Girl Kastet repeated as Red Bull BC One champion this year.
Scott Mescudi is returning to his most famous album series. Man on the Moon III: The Chosen will land on DSPs this Friday, December 11.
The third chapter in the MOTM trilogy will include guest features from Phoebe Bridgers, Trippie Redd, Skepta, and the late Pop Smoke. Kid Cudi and Dot Da Genius are credited as executive producers for the project.
A music video for the track “She Knows This” is scheduled for release on December 11 with the visuals for “Heaven On Earth” arriving on December 17. Cudi recently tweeted, “First music video in 4 years. Ready for yall to see this madness.”
The classic Man on the Moon: The End of Day came out in 2009. That effort was followed by 2010’s Man on the Moon II: The Legend of Mr. Rager. 2016’s Passion, Pain & Demon Slayin’ is Cudi’s most recent solo LP.
Kids See Ghosts, the collaborative project with Kanye West, landed in 2018. Besides dropping new music, Kid Cudi is also working on a Kids See Ghost animated series as well as the forthcoming Mad Solar Radio podcast.
First music video in 4 years. Ready for yall to see this madness
Julian Xtra might be the most unique rapper on the scene, and he’s here to motivate the masses. Hailing from Chicago, the progressive hip-hop artist makes lyrical melodic music that covers heavy topics from politics to spirituality, reminding the masses that real hip-hop comes with substance.
An accomplished producer who’s put out several viral hits, Julian tells his story as someone who experienced a horrible bout of Lyme Disease back in 2012, resulting in the possibility that his music career might be over. Thankfully, he switched his lifestyle into a vegan, alkaline diet rich with herbs and holistic medicine — which he believes healed him back into full health. He even has his own vegan supplement line called All Green Everything.
With his newest single titled “Moths to the Flame,” Julian touches on the fact that for Hip Hop, the party is over. Due to the world‘s current state of civil unrest, party tracks or songs about drug use may not be the most productive use of the platform.
AllHipHop: You’re from Chicago, what was the household like growing up?
Julian Xtra: Being from Chicago, growing up was very cool. I grew up in a very diverse neighborhood, I was exposed to many cultures. I’m Mexican and Creole so I grew up with delicious cuisines on both sides as well as rich cultures. Out here, I knew a lot of Indians, Asians, Hispanic people, black people. I feel very blessed to have gathered a lot of different perspectives.
AllHipHop: Biggest influences?
Julian Xtra: Lyrically not necessarily content-wise, Eminem. I really loved Bone Thugs-n-Harmony. I loved how they were technical and melodic, I thought that was amazing. I love Lil Wayne, his star power. Drake, all those different guys.
AllHipHop: At what point did you realize this music thing was forreal?
Julian Xtra: I’ve been rapping since I was 9 years old. It felt like an inevitable progression, I was supposed to keep doing this and there really wasn’t much question. This is what I’m doing, so gotta figure out how to do it.
AllHipHop: Talk about your experience with Lyme Disease back in 2012, and starting your own vegan supplement line called All Green Everything.
Julian Xtra: Back in 2012, I was diagnosed with Lyme disease. It was affecting my brain so I decided to go ahead and get healthy. I started eating as clean as possible, paying attention, reading all the labels, making sure I could do the right thing to be in a better place mentally and physically. It changed everything for the better. I was able to still write good songs, still do all the things I could that somebody with neurological brain disease would have a rough time doing. I was able to continue doing it at a high level because I was healing and getting better. Now with this vegan supplement line, I’m going to expand that. What can I bring to the people, a product that I believe in? One of those is giving people healthy food. That’s all supplements are really are, food in pill form.
AllHipHop: How do you feel?
Julian Xtra: I feel terrific. I just got done doing a big workout today, it kicked my ass. I did core and cardio, I was studying a little bit.
AllHipHop: What was the inspiration behind your name?
Julian Xtra: My middle name is Xavier, for a while I was JXL, my initials for Julian Xavier Lozano. I thought I wanted something that popped a little more. In my production style, in my delivery, it tends to be over the top. Someone said extra, so alright I’ll take my middle name and flip it into that.
AllHipHop: Bring us back to when you recorded “Five Stars!” What do you want fans to get from the record?
Julian Xtra: That record is a celebration of wins. I’ve had a lot of wins this summer. I had a Forbes article come out that was amazing, for this production I did for a couple of huge brands. “Five Stars!” is a celebration of that, an affirmation to win. A song of gratitude so we can bring in more wins, more abundance.
AllHipHop: What’s the inspiration behind “Moths To The Flame”?
Julian Xtra: “Moths to the flame” is an affirmation. I decided purposefully to release it right after the election because whatever side of the fence somebody’s on, it’s about facing change head on. No matter what happens, if we’re disappointed or we’re elated, either way we have to keep marching forward and keep fighting the good fight. Making sure we have motivation to progress. If there’s a setback, we need to rally and cry to keep moving forward. Keep pushing, that’s the energy of the song.
AllHipHop: 3 things you need in the studio?
Julian Xtra: I need to feel comfortable. I do best at my home studio because it’s at home, I have everything I need there. I need water, a whole lot of it, and snacks. I need a vibe. I need no distractions. A lot of people like to show up with 100 people to the studio, that’s not what I do. I usually work at home but if I’m going to another studio, I come alone because I don’t need a 100 people talking to me or distracting me. I’m a hermit in how I work.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CF7oVO-Fgl6/
AllHipHop: How was opening for Post Malone?
Julian Xtra: It was crazy, a surreal experience. It was in Denver, almost 10,000 people in there. Post Malone is immensely talented, he really really impressed me that day. I have a lot of respect for him. It was a New Year’s Eve show. They were having technical difficulties right before Post’s set. While he was standing on stage, instead of being mad or being awkward, he smiled and cracked jokes about the whole situation. Some people could be a diva about it, but he was really cool. He was smiling, talking to the fans, sitting on the edge of the stage. It was really cool to see somebody famous be humble.
AllHipHop: Goals yourself as an artist at this point of your career?
Julian Xtra: We want to go ahead and make my personal stuff blow up on Instagram and TikTok, have those numbers grow so that way I can independently sell merch. The people among them that may be interested in health, I want to provide something for them.
AllHipHop: Anything else you want to let us know?
Julian Xtra: My music is meant to be motivational, something you listen to when you’re working out. Something you listen to when you’re trying to lift yourself out of a dark place. It’s meant to be affirmational, one of those things where you look yourself in the mirror like “I’m a winner!” That’s the purpose of my music.
Megan thee Stallion’s influence extends far beyond the music business – her clout now reverberates in the halls of the U.S. Congress.
The Houston, Texas rapper ended an amazing 2020 with a salute from powerful Congresswoman Maxine Waters.
Meg caught the attention of Congresswoman Waters, thanks to the op-ed she penned earlier in the New York Times, shortly after she was allegedly shot by rapper Tory Lanez during a dispute in Los Angeles in July.
Megan was motivated to write the piece in the New York Times after the controversial shooting, which is still winding its way through courts.
Megan thee Stallion thanked a variety of black women, including Congresswoman Waters in the op-ed, which is titled “Why I Speak Up for Black Women.”
“Walking the path paved by such legends as Shirley Chisholm, Loretta Lynch, U.S. Representative Maxine Waters and the first Black woman to be elected to the U.S. Senate, Carol Moseley Braun, my hope is that Kamala Harris’s candidacy for vice president will usher in an era where Black women in 2020 are no longer ‘making history’ for achieving things that should have been accomplished decades ago,” the “WAP” rapper wrote.
Congresswoman Maxine Waters was impressed with the article and decided to pen a letter to Megan on official letterhead straight from congress.
“I read the op-ed you wrote that appeared in the New York Times recently and I can’t thank you enough for bringing much needed attention to the plight of Black women, not just here in the United States – but everywhere,” Congresswoman Waters wrote to Hot Girl Meg.
“You are so right that Black women have paved the way and have done so by leading with courage and bravery,” she wrote.
Congresswoman Waters said she was extremely proud of the chart-topping rapper for using her voice to uplift the black community, especially the women.
“While we are too often overlooked, there is no doubt that Black women are a glue for our families and communities, and a crucial part of the fabric of this country,” Congresswoman Waters continued. “We see that – in your career and your tremendous success, despite the obstacles that have come your way.”
Congresswoman Waters has been a longtime friend of the Hip-Hop community. In 1994, she defended Gangsta rappers as “poets” when during congressional hearings over the then-controversial new genre.
Check out Congresswoman Maxine Waters full letter to Megan thee stallion below:
https://www.instagram.com/p/CIg4i_QFi5v/
“Dear Megan,
I read the op-ed you wrote that appeared in the New York Times recently and I can’t thank you enough for bringing much needed attention to the plight of Black women, not just here in the United States – but everywhere. You are so right that Black women have paved the way and have done so by leading with courage and bravery. There is also this notion, which you touched upon, that we as Black women have the ability to bear a heavier burden than everyone else in this society, That notion contributes to the lack of care and attention to the issues that specifically affect us. While we are too often overlooked, there is no doubt that Black women are a glue for our families and communities, and a crucial part of the fabric of this country. We see that – in your career and your tremendous success, despite the obstacles that have come your way.
I write all this to say that I am so incredibly proud of you and how you have used your voice to uplift Black women. I know that Black women and girls everywhere thank you for the way you so fiercely have their back. I want you to know that I have your back, too. I hope that during these trying times you take comfort in knowing that I am fighting for you, and all Black women, every single day. Stay well, keep fighting, and take care. We need your voice in this fight.”
Floyd Mayweather Jr. is to come out of retirement to take on YouTube star Logan Paul in the boxing ring.
The champ announced the news via Instagram last night (December 6th) a week after two other fight greats, Mike Tyson and Roy Jones, Jr, staged a successful comeback exhibition bout on pay-per-view.
Logan Paul, 25, has been calling out Floyd for a while, and after some back and forth with the 43-year-old boxing legend, the pair have finally agreed to a match this February.
According to Jake Paul, who has been clowning Nate Robinson since his terrible showing during the Tyson/Jones PPV, Logan is no slouch, and Jake warned Floyd not to take his brother lightly.
“My brother’s crazy. So who knows? You know, I don’t really know what’s going on inside of his mind,” Jake Paul told AllHipHop.com. “Obviously it’s garnering a lot of attention, which I think is the goal for both of them.”
Whatever the outcome, the Paul brothers are a huge draw. Jake’s fight with Nate Robinson helped sell over 1 million PPV buys and earned him over $10 million, because he had a deal to earn a percentage of the profits, according to reports.
Logan has over 22 million followers on YouTube and another 18 million on Instagram. Floyd has about 500,000 on his YouTube channels, and another 22 million on Instagram, so the numbers for this fight should be through the roof.
The Logan Paul/Mayweather fight is scheduled for February 20th, 2021.
Chance the Rapper had an eventful seven days last week.
First, he was called out by Dionne Warwick over his popular moniker, and his former manager attacked him for not paying commissions on a tour and his debut album The Big Day.
Chance dealt with Dionne Warwick with kid gloves over the weekend, but he had some sharp words for his ex-manager, Pat Corcoran, who filed a $3 million lawsuit against the Chicago rapper.
Corcoran contends Chance gave him the boot in April, asserting he was responsible for the lackluster sales of The Big Day, which opened at #2 when it dropped in July of 2019.
According to the complaint, Chance hyped up the album before it was even finished, and neglected to follow his ex-manager’s advice, leading to “a freestyle-driven product of subpar quality” and a botched tour which never commenced, due to “historically low” ticket sales.
According to Corcoran, he had an oral agreement with Chance, who guaranteed him 15% of the rapper’s profits, or roughly $2.5 million.
Corcoran was suddenly fired after seven years of service, and replaced with Chance’s father Ken and his rapping brother Taylor.
A representative for Chance released a statement denouncing Corcoran and dubbed his lawsuit nothing but a cry for attention.
“Mr. Corcoran has been paid all of the commissions to which he is legally entitled,” a rep for Chance The Rapper said in a statement. “Most of the complaint consists of self-serving and fabricated allegations that are wholly unrelated to Mr. Corcoran’s claim for commissions and were plainly included in a calculated attempt to seek attention.”
Chance’s reps said the lawsuit was without merit, “grossly offensive,” and they promised to aggressively defend the rapper in court.
Kurtis Blow, one of Hip-Hop’s first superstars, successfully received a heart transplant Sunday in Los Angeles.
The rumblings of the surgery quickly spread throughout the OG’s of the culture, who yesterday offered their prayers and expressed concerns across internet platforms. This is not the first time the rapper-turned-preacher has had issues with his heart. In 2019, he had several surgeries repairing arteries to his heart.
Another legend, Grandmixer DXT confirmed that the rapper had the surgery and also that it was successful.
Kurtis Blow is a legend for a number of reasons. He was once regarded as the “King of Rap,” as he first rapper signed to a major label. He was scooped up by Mercury Records in 1979 and, that year released the hit “Christmas Rappin’.” The song would go on to sell over 400,000. “The Breaks,” “America,” “8 Million Stories,” “AJ Scratch” and “Basketball” were other hit songs by KB. He would go on to record 10 albums. His impact is undeniable and has permeated through the culture for decades.
He also helped launch the careers of Run DMC and the Fat Boys. Run of Run DMC began his stellar career as a young DJ known as “The Son of Kurtis Blow.” Kurtis Blow, along with Run DMC, Sheila E., the Fat Boys, Blair Underwood, and others, starred in the hit movie “Krush Groove,” which was loosely based on Russell Simmons’ life.
Kurtis Blow – King of Rap
Most recently, Mr. Blow had been promoting the “Hip-Hop Nutcracker,” a holiday musical that has been a hit all over the nation. In the play, the 61-year old also performed some of his hit records.
The AllHipHop Family wishes a speedy recovery to Kurtis Blow.
