Majestic Music Quon drops another banger. The new single “OG Status” is a hot and catchy track that is sure to get the ear of the streets. OG Status is Quon’s view as a veteran from the streets on how the streets are today as opposed to how they should be. Nice production and Quon’s raspy voice over the 808 makes this song a definite heater.
Watch Now!
[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zKptBuMg4OM[/embedyt]
Tyrese met Tupac once, but their relationship did not stop there, as the soul does not die. Miraculously, the singer, actor, and sometime rapper would eventually meet and have an extremely close relationship with Afeni Shakur, Pac’s revolutionary mother. The relationship was so intimate, she hosted the Watts, CA entertainer at her ranch, and would volunteer herself as the godmother of Tyrese’s firstborn child. The movement matriarch, like the late legendary director John Singleton, would also give Ty the ultimate compliment. He reminded her of her son.
But, there is more. Tyrese explains that Tupac may have “visited” him while on his mother’s premises and he may not have been happy. Chuck “Jigsaw” Creekmur talked to Ty at length, in detail, about Afeni, Tupac and why he feels the spirit of the rapper may have paid him a visit in the night.
Tyrese, as told to Chuck “Jigsaw” Creekmur:
I went to Charlotte. Me and my ex-wife, we were on the brink of divorcing. Mrs. Afeni Shakur invited us to Charlotte…I’ve never told this story. Went to a part of Charlotte where she had a whole ranch and I slept at her place.
Now I swear to God, we’ve all had nightmares. But I never had nightmares on the level that I had while I slept at her house. And she said to me, “Everybody wants to be my son. Everybody wants to try and tap into his gangster and his alpha and being vocal and prolific and speaking up and speaking out about social injustice in the criminal…” It’s just me and mom (Afeni Shakur), she ain’t got no reason to feel what she feels. And she ain’t got no reason to say this to me. Right? “You’re the only one that reminds me of my son.”
READ ALSO: Tyrese Defends The Honor Of Breonna Taylor And George Floyd
I sat back in my chair. And I said the only other person who said this to me was John Singleton. We’re not talking about [Tupac’s] rap career. We’re not talking about what Tupac means to us all and thinking about Tyrese/Tupac we’re not talking about that we talking about Afeni Shakur and Pac’s sister who was also there.
Then she said, “Come here.” I walked outside. And she said, “You see this right here?” I say yeah, she said, “This is my son’s gravesite. In my front yard, I buried his ashes, some of his are ashes, right here.” And she had stones and she had an actual gravesite of Tupac in her front yard. And as I was there, and I had the nightmares that I had, literally, because Pac is the alpha that he is he probably had a problem with the fact that another grown man was sleeping at his mama’s house. I don’t think he had a problem with me, I just think like,bro, brother, I’m alive. Or still here. You know? Who is this man?” Pac is protective of mom.
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“Who is this man sleeping at my mama’s house?” I don’t care if she likes you are giving you compliments and saying you remind me of. “I’m Pac whether I’m alive or dead. And I’m gonna protect my mom at all costs. Who is this man sleeping at my mom’s house And I swear, bro, we were there for probably seven-eight days. Horses was there, the ranch – beautiful outdoor. So many conversations, so many heart to hearts. I remember playing him (Tupac) my rap music. I remember so many moments. I’ve never talked about this publicly. But when Ms. Afeni Shakur – mama – passed away, It hit me very differently that it may have hit everybody else, because when I tell you tried to get in front of me and my wife originally at the time divorcing, I tell you she said that’s my grandbaby I’m that baby’s grand, grand, grand godmother. My daughter Shayla. You know godmothers, you can have 10 of them, right? She (Afeni) said, “Shayla – I’m that baby’s godmother. My son (Tupac) never had kids. You remind me of my son so your daughter is my goddaughter.”
ALSO READ: Tyrese & Tupac: A Brief Tale Of Synchronicity
So as I do this legendary song with CeeLo Green with all of these uncomfortable images in it. And I continue to speak up and speak out. I’m not just one of them social media activists as living at home tweeting and instagramming from the comforts of my mansion. I’ve been marching speaking up and speaking out. I have rocked with the best of them and what I have done and then what I continue to do may never be on the main stage. But I know what I’m doing and I know what I stand for. And at the end of the day, I will go back to saying, “Why did I open up and go on to so many details and uncensored?”
because this point, there’s only so many shine builders, Rolls Royces, watches and diamonds, video vixens with leg muscles and a##, and cleavage. And all of this that’s going to inspire folks. People need to know the truth. They need to they need you to sit there, be transparent, and unpack it. It’s really good to be on the Forbes list, but we need to know how you got through the mental, emotional and psychological traumas that most people face while getting to that particular net worth.
Lil Xan’s tough-guy act at a 7-Eleven could cost him big bucks.
A guy named Anthony Sanchez is suing Lil Xan for pulling a gun on him during an altercation over Tupac Shakur. The rap star was in the crosshairs of Tupqc fans last year, after.he labeled the rap legends music as “boring” during an interview.
After seeing our #OnClout9 interview with Lil Xan – where he rated Tupac a "2" in clout because "he got boring music," Waka Flocka said Xan is "banned from hip-hop." This is Xan's response. [Peep his original #OnClout9 episode here: https://t.co/HKOEBtxV9c] pic.twitter.com/hbWLeosWiT
— REVOLT (@revolttv) March 7, 2018
Lil Xan was dragged by everyone from T.I. to Waka Flocka who called on the rap star to be banned from Hip-Hop for his comments
The controversy hit a low point in June of 2019 when Sanchez confronted Lil Xan about the comments in a 7-Eleven parking lot in Los Angeles.
During a brief back and forth Sanchez called Lil Xan a b####. Lil Xan responded in kind, by pulling a gun out and pointing it at Sanchez.
According to TMZ, Sanchez claims he feared for his life after Xan pointed the weapon at him and hit him with a cup, as he sped away from the 7-Eleven as a passenger in the SUV.
Anthony Sanchez is suing Lil Xan for emotional distress, and assault and battery.
Students and alumni of Historically Black Colleges and Universities would usually be enjoying the homecoming season around this time of year. Unfortunately, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has prevented many normal festivities from taking place. In order to keep the party going, YouTube is partnering with BET to present the special two-hour “HBCU Homecoming 2020: Meet Me On The Yard” livestream.
“Meet Me On The Yard” is one of the YouTube Originals’ Black-centered programs financed through the $100 million #YouTubeBlack Voices Fund. Former Howard University undergraduate La La Anthony as well as former Alabama State University and Virginia State University undergraduate 2 Chainz are hosting the HBCU event.
“BET is proud to partner with YouTube Originals to bring the HBCU Homecoming experience to our audience, at a time when culture and connection has never been more important,” said BET President Scott Mills. “Second only to Homecoming, the rich history of HBCUs is probably best illustrated through their vast alumni networks, in many powerful positions across fields from medicine to politics and entertainment; with many bringing their talent to contribute to BET’s legacy. We have deep personal connections to HBCU culture and we are thrilled to partner with YouTube in this reimagining of the HBCU Homecoming experience.”
In addition, 2 Chainz will perform at “Meet Me On The Yard.” The celebration’s lineup also includes Saweetie, NLE Choppa, Chloe x Halle, and Tye Tribbett. Plus, there will be appearances by social media personalities Desi Banks and Pretty Vee. FAMU’s Marching 100 band and Jackson State University’s Sonic Boom of The South band will be on hand too.
“HBCU Homecoming 2020: Meet Me On The Yard” premieres Saturday, October 24 at 8 pm ET/5 pm PT. Additionally, the show will broadcast on BET at 8 pm ET/PT. The virtual showcase, produced by Jesse Collins Entertainment and Live Nation Urban, will help raise money for the United Negro College Fund and Thurgood Marshall College Fund.
“We are so excited to be a part of this show. HBCUs are such an important part of our culture and the annual homecoming tradition just can’t be stopped. We are honored to partner with YouTube and Live Nation to bring all the excitement of an HBCU Homecoming weekend to a virtual world stage,” said executive producers Jesse Collins and Dionne Harmon of Jesse Collins Entertainment.
Executive producer Shawn Gee, President of Live Nation Urban, adds, “HBCU Homecomings are an integral slice of black culture. As a college student and young black man I attended quite a few homecomings, as an artist manager, my clients have performed at many HBCU homecomings, and as an event producer, my company has the pleasure to produce many of these great events for these great institutions. It is my honor to work with YouTube Originals and my friends at Jesse Collins Entertainment to bring this virtual celebration together to celebrate what is a cultural pillar of the Black community.”
With the COVID-19 pandemic still affecting most of the world, recording artists are establishing innovative ways to entertain their supporters since live shows have been shelved. For example, Migos rapper Offset is presenting a special virtual performance/meet-and-greet on Friday, October 16.
The forthcoming event is part of the AXR+EXP concert series which is powered by NexTech AR’s AiRShow app. Offset, Duke Deuce, YRN Murk, and others will appear as “interactive human holograms.” Fans will receive an exclusive code that will give them access to the artists through augmented reality technology.
“We are super excited to work with such a huge global super talent as Offset – and to use our AR as a part of the AXR+EXP concert series. This is the second virtual concert for the AiRShow app and I see huge economic upside for virtual concerts and post-pandemic concerts using our AiRShow app for special VIP interaction and even for livestreaming artists,” says Evan Gappelberg, NexTech CEO.
Gappelberg continues, “As we are anticipating Apple’s AR glasses launching soon, we believe that our AiRShow app will be a great addition for the glasses. With Apple’s AR glasses creating a window into another world we see these types of human holographic performances becoming the new normal in that world and we want our AiRShow app to be a part of that future. With this activation, we are positioning NexTech to be the leader in next-generation entertainment.”
Virtual attendees can expect Offset to run through tracks off his 2019 debut solo album Father of 4. “Offset’s Virtual Concert with Duke Deuce, YRN Murk & More” is scheduled to stream live on October 16 at 9 pm ET. To purchase specific packages ($9.99 -$89.98) visit futurestream.tv. The AiR Show T3D app is available for download in the Google Play store and Apple store.
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A few weeks ago, the world learned that Chrissy Teigen and John Legend suffered an enormous loss. The model-musician couple revealed their third child, Jack, did not survive after Teigen suffered severe pregnancy complications.
We love you, Jack 🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤 https://t.co/ySFzJB5e6k
— John Legend (@johnlegend) October 1, 2020
“We are shocked and in the kind of deep pain you only hear about, the kind of pain we’ve never felt before. We were never able to stop the bleeding and give our baby the fluids he needed, despite bags and bags of blood transfusions. It just wasn’t enough,” posted Tiegan on October 1. She added, “On this darkest of days, we will grieve, we will cry our eyes out. But we will hug and love each other harder and get through it.”
This week, Legend was tapped to perform at the 2020 Billboard Music Awards. He took the opportunity on Wednesday night to show love to his grieving wife. The singer-songwriter began his set by saying, “This is for Chrissy.” Legend then presented a live rendition of “Never Break,” a song off his latest studio album Bigger Love.
“Never Break” opens with the pianist crooning, “We got a good thing, babe. Whenever life is hard. We’ll never lose our way. We both know who we are. Who knows about tomorrow? We don’t know what’s in the stars. I just know I’ll always follow the light in your heart.”
Last night at the Billboard Music Awards, the first-ever Change Maker Award was presented to Michael “Killer Mike” Render. The Run The Jewels member was presented the honor by Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms for his social justice work. Mike used his acceptance speech from Atlanta’s APEX Museum to inspire aspiring entertainers and organizers.
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“Kids out there that sing and dance – what you do is worthy,” said Mike. “You are artists and your goal should be to express the very reality around you in the very most beautiful or ugliest of ways you see fit. Kids who run and dance and sing and jump, all the things they tell you don’t matter, you matter more than you know.”
The Atlanta-raised emcee/entrepreneur/activist added, “The kids that are organizing, plotting, planning, and strategizing, right there on the ground, and mobilizing – you are needed more than ever. I am a culmination of all these things.”
While standing next to his wife, Shana Render, Killer Mike also gave a shout out to his family members, his mentors, his teachers, and his hometown for encouraging and supporting him. The 2020 Billboard Music Awards aired October 14 on NBC. Kelly Clarkson was the ceremony’s host. Post Malone was the night’s big winner.
The 2020 Billboard Music Awards took place last night at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. Post Malone was the ceremony’s big winner by taking home 9 trophies. He was nominated for 16 awards.
🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆 @PostMalone #BBMAs pic.twitter.com/zuZmYFU7rk
— Billboard Music Awards (@BBMAs) October 15, 2020
Malone won the BBMAs preeminent honor – Top Artist. The Hollywood’s Bleeding album creator was also awarded Top Male Artist, Top Billboard 200 Artist, Top Hot 100 Artist, Top Streaming Songs Artist, Top Rap Artist, Top Rap Male Artist, Top Rap Tour, and Top Rap Album.
Cardi B was named Top Rap Female Artist. Summer Walker was named Top R&B Female Artist. Lizzo was named Top Song Sales Artist. Khalid triumphed in the Top R&B Artist, Top R&B Male Artist, Top R&B Tour, Top R&B Song (“Talk”), and Top R&B Album (Free Spirit) categories.
Lil Nas X won Top Hot 100 Song, Top Streaming Song, Top Selling Song, and Top Rap Song for “Old Town Road” featuring Billy Ray Cyrus. Kanye West’s Jesus Is King project scored the rapper gold for Top Gospel Album, Top Christian Album, Top Gospel Album, and Top Gospel Song (“Follow God”).
The 2020 Billboard Music Awards were hosted by American Idol winner and television personality Kelly Clarkson. Post Malone, Khalid, Swae Lee, Alicia Keys, Brandy, John Legend, Bad Bunny, Doja Cat, Saint Jhn, and En Vogue were among the acts that performed at the televised event.
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With the 2020 election season in its final days, Ice Cube created a political stir online yesterday. A large section of the Twitterverse was shocked to learn that the N.W.A. member has been working with the Republican Donald Trump Administration.
The news initially spread after Trump campaign advisor Katrina Pierson announced Cube reportedly assisted in the development of the president’s “Platinum Plan” for Black communities. Pierson tweeted @icecube, “Leaders gonna lead, haters gonna hate. Thank you for leading!”
Attention then turned to Cube. Many social media users began questioning why the man that previously said he would “never endorse a m######### like Donald Trump” is now teaming with the same politician Ice Cube called on to be arrested in 2018. The Hip Hop star’s name was trending on Twitter for hours.
Shoutout to @icecube for his willingness to step up and work with @realDonaldTrump Administration to help develop the #PlatinumPlan
ICYMI: https://t.co/V0qOAp0lwR
Leaders gonna lead, haters gonna hate. Thank you for leading! ✊🏾
— Katrina Pierson (@KatrinaPierson) October 13, 2020
I will never endorse a m######### like Donald Trump! EVER!!!
— Ice Cube (@icecube) August 27, 2016
Cube responded to the backlash by mentioning his so-called Contract With Black America. The 51-year-old entertainer tweeted, “Facts: I put out the CWBA. Both parties contacted me. Dems said we’ll address the CWBA after the election. Trump campaign made some adjustments to their plan after talking to us about the CWBA.”
When a fan expressed disappointment that Ice Cube was providing public support to the “darkside” by essentially backing Trump’s re-election, he replied, “Every side is the Darkside for us here in America. They’re all the same until something changes for us. They all lie and they all cheat but we can’t afford not to negotiate with whoever is in power or our condition in this country will never change. Our justice is bipartisan.”
Ice Cube’s explanations still did not sit well with many Democrats and progressives online, but right-wing individuals saw things differently. His Twitter mentions were filled with left-leaning critics calling him disparaging terms like “pawn,” clown,” and “coon.” However, Cube was embraced by Republicans and conservatives.
Facts: I put out the CWBA. Both parties contacted me. Dems said we’ll address the CWBA after the election. Trump campaign made some adjustments to their plan after talking to us about the CWBA.
— Ice Cube (@icecube) October 14, 2020
Every side is the Darkside for us here in America. They’re all the same until something changes for us. They all lie and they all cheat but we can’t afford not to negotiate with whoever is in power or our condition in this country will never change. Our justice is bipartisan. https://t.co/xFIXXpOs8B
— Ice Cube (@icecube) October 14, 2020
This is just like Isaiah Washington and that “Obama never invited me to the White House” b#######, but be a pawn for a white supremacist/fascist if you want to.
— king crissle (@crissles) October 14, 2020
You got played by Trump just like you got played by Jerry and now you look like a f###### clown. I’m sorry, a MAGA clown.
— Tony Posnanski (@tonyposnanski) October 14, 2020
https://twitter.com/awkward_duck/status/1316527985583820800?s=20
Trump will not deliver anything he promises. Everything will be ready in two weeks! For the last 4 years
— Andrea Kuszewski 🧠 (@AndreaKuszewski) October 14, 2020
You did the right thing. The dems wanted to hold your influence hostage until after the election and the Trump campaign is willing to work with you and took action. Don't worry about these haters 💪
— gootecks (@gootecks) October 14, 2020
Dems are like: Why buy the cow when we can get the milk for FREE!!!
Why help Blacks or do something for them when we already know that we will get their vote. Wasted energy.
Its good business! Dems believe they have us figured out.
— Marland Lowe (@MarlandLowe) October 14, 2020
The left would rather attack you for aligning with right leaning politicians to help our community— than give you props for doing something to help our community in general.
It’s b####### and the people doing that don’t really care about our community.
I hope you can see that.
— RAM (Richard Armande Mills) (@RAMRANTS) October 14, 2020
Hey @Icecube…do you truly believe that a bunch of rich Republican white men will do more for people of color than than Democrats? Please tell me you're joking…
— Andy Ostroy (@AndyOstroy) October 14, 2020
https://twitter.com/JamieOGrady/status/1316476289369485313?s=20
https://twitter.com/davidmweissman/status/1316476883115159552?s=20
Nawww-Only one side lied about a pandemic that killed my husband’s cousin and a couple hundred thousand others who died alone.
Only ONE side is suppressing our votes and forcing through a Supreme Court Justice who feels the N word is just fine in the workplace… 🛑— Holly Robinson Peete 💃🏾♍️ (@hollyrpeete) October 15, 2020
Putting children in cages, letting 200K+ people die, inspiring White Supremacy, brazenly cheating at everything, basically saying “whatevs” to Black Lives Matter…none of that is negotiable.
— A Phizer A (@Aqua174) October 14, 2020
50 Cent has this TV and film game on lock.
In addition to his expansive deal with STARZ and ABC, Fif has secured a three-picture feature film deal via a partnership with Eli Roth and entertainment studio 3BlackDot.
While the “Get Rich or Die Trying” rapper, whose real name is Curtis Jackson, is known for urban-street dramas, with this new venture his G-Unit Film & Television company will be doing projects that in the horror genre.
Perhaps taking a cue from the Jordan Peele, Fif wants to frighten you out of your socks.
Also assuming some of the financial responsibility for this new direction is Michael Besman, who will work with Arts District Entertainment, Eli Roth’s company.
According to a joint statement from both G-Unit and 3-BlackDot, there will be an “8-figure investment in 50 Cent and G-Unit Film & Television from 3BlackDot.”
50 took to social media to talk about the deal.
“See i’m working, you gonna work with me or just watch me work. i’m 🏃♂️💨 running laps around these fools keep up. LOL #STARZgettheapp
https://www.instagram.com/p/CGVoTzEH6Uf/?
Lil Uzi Vert and his friends pushed the limits in the City of Brotherly Love by illegally engaging in a paintball fight in the streets of North Philly on Tuesday, October 13th.
As police came to bust up the fun the rapper slipped away leaving his friends to get in trouble for “faked-out” gunplay.
According to TMZ, someone called the police and reported what looked like real guns being shot out of a car window. The simulated bang-em up, however, did not result in actual bullets being sprayed but rainbow-colored dye capsulated in medium-sized pellets.
Some of the evening was captured on social media by Uzi. In the footage, you can see him with a weapon and spraying his friend “DQ” who tried to run.
Later, the pint-size rapper shows off his arsenal of paintball gear, including an Uzi-styled paintball gun.
Towards the end of the video, Uzi alerts his friends that someone called the police. Clearly, not taking it seriously he shares that he actually is the authority— believing nothing would happen to him.
And nothing did. Uzi left the scene before the cops arrived and his friends were cited.
Trauma Tone has some of the biggest placements in the rap game, and he’s just getting started. Hailing from Charlottesville, Virginia, the certified Platinum producer has been putting in work, producing records for Bino Rideaux, Kevin Gates, NBA Youngboy, Money Man, Yo Gotti… the list goes on. When it comes to his beats, it’s his impeccable ear for sound and drums that allows him to flourish in the production space.
Currently based in Atlanta, Trauma has a crazy story to tell: dealing with a rare illness that resulted in a brain aneurysm at age 30. While achieving these incredible milestones, he’s been recovering in the hospital — still motivated as ever. Inspired by the likes of Pharrell and The Neptunes, Timbaland, Kanye West, and J. Dilla, Trauma combines old school influences with modern day sounds.
AllHipHop: Being from Charlottesville, Virginia, what were you seeing growing up?
Trauma Tone: It was typical, not too much going on. As far as music, we had a cool local scene. That’s pretty much it.
AllHipHop: You mention J. Dilla is a huge influence, how so?
Trauma Tone: J. Dilla for sure. As I grew older and got hip to his work, that’s a producer who stood out to me a lot. He had a certain groove about him, his beats. To her the production coming out of an MPC like that was fire.
AllHipHop: How did you learn how to produce?
Trauma Tone: One of my older cousins, he’s a big producer where I’m from and I used to hang around him in the studio. He introduced me to Fruity Loops, which is a production program. That’s how I got introduced to producing. He gave me the program and had me learn myself.
AllHipHop: How did you teach yourself?
Trauma Tone: Basically playing with the program. Youtube wasn’t even a thing when I got started, this was 2002. I didn’t have any tutorials or anything, I was just clicking stuff. It was easy to use in a sense once you understand a program: okay this is where you put the drums, this is where you play. From there I started messing with it. I still haven’t watched tutorials to this day for any programs, I try to learn myself.
AllHipHop: How’d you get tapped in with Chief Keef?
Trauma Tone: One of my friends from Cali, we were working on a bunch of different beats. He sent the beat to him, that was one of the ones getting placed. At the time, it was crazy because that whole drill movement was just coming in. It was real dope to have a song with him at that point.
AllHipHop: How would you describe your sound?
Trauma Tone: I like pain in the music, like soulful and blues type s###. Blues vibes.
AllHipHop: Do you have a producer tag?
Trauma Tone: Yea, it’s my name. A chick with a London accent saying my name, nothing too crazy.
AllHipHop: How’d you get tapped in with NBA Youngboy?
Trauma Tone: Have you heard of DJ Suede The Remix God? He does a lot of funny videos on Instagram that go viral. He’s been one of my close friends for a while since I got into the music scene, especially in Atlanta. We were working on beats, he already had a relationship with NBA Youngboy. He hit me up saying he wanted to get some stuff to him, that ended up being one the beats they rocked with.
AllHipHop: How’d it feel hearing “Cross Roads” back? TOP went #1 on Billboard.
Trauma Tone: It’s crazy because around the time all that stuff was going on, I was going through this little situation in the hospital. It was definitely dope. Not sure if you know the situation, but I had a stroke randomly.
AllHipHop: What happened?
Trauma Tone: I had bad headaches, I went to the hospital and started blacking out. It was crazy. I got really hot, was throwing up because I was so nauseous. The doctor I went to see told me to go to the emergency room. I went to the emergency room, they ran a bunch of tests. They gave me an MRI and Ct Scan, told me that I had an aneurysm, a blood vessel popped in my head, and I had a stroke.
AllHipHop: How did that happen?!
Trauma Tone: That’s what we’ve been trying to figure out, I’m still going to appointments. It happened out of the blue. Literally that same day when the doctor told me I had the aneurysm and the stroke, Suede called me like “yo man, we got a placement on NBA Youngboy’s album!” Damn, I’m so numb at this point because my doctor came and told me my head is bleeding. Definitely crazy. It was dope but the circumstances at the time, I couldn’t celebrate how I wanted to.
AllHipHop: How did you push through?
Trauma Tone: I’m actually still recovering, really starting to get back to work. We’re still working though as far as getting placements in and knocking s### out.
AllHipHop: You also produced “Dreka” and “Always Be My Gangsta” for Kevin Gates, how’d that happen?
Trauma Tone: I reached out to him on Instagram, didn’t even think he’d hit me back. I DMed him that I wanted to send him beats, he hit me back. He told me he liked my beats and wanted to do some stuff, we’ve been rocking ever since. Been working on records.
AllHipHop: Yo Gotti’s “I Know” featuring Rich Homie Quan achieved Platinum status this year, how’d that feel?
Trauma Tone: That’s one of my favorite placements. It was dope it went Platinum because it took awhile. We did that record in 2014, it went Platinum this year. I actually got that placement through Rich Homie Quan. At the time, I was working with him heavy. He called me one weekend when they had the BET Hip Hop awards in Atlanta. He said “man I got a session with Yo Gotti, send me some beats.” Next thing I know, Gotti’s label reached out to me. They’re saying they got a song I produced with him and Rich Homie Quan and it made on the album. I was pretty hyped because I was still working a regular job at that time. [laughs] I’d quit when I found out.
AllHipHop: What job were you working?
Trauma Tone: I was working for my uncle, it was a fried chicken spot. When I found out, my uncle was actually there. I was working with him, told him “stuff’s starting to pick up on the music, I think I’ma have to put my notice in and slide out.” He was cool with it because he understood what I was doing.
AllHipHop: How did you land in with Bino Rideaux?
Trauma Tone: I’d met Bino when I went to LA for the GRAMMY awards, we met through his manager. His manager had reached out that they wanted to do some stuff a month before. I ended up going out there, knocked out a bunch of records. We made 3 that night, got a few more that’s dropping soon.
AllHipHop: 3 things you need in the studio?
Trauma Tone: Besides my laptop, water, some candy, and Voodoo chips. Good vibes honestly, I don’t need too much in the studio.
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AllHipHop: What can we expect next music-wise?
Trauma Tone: Me and Money Man have been working on some stuff, hopefully we’ll get another project out soon. A joint project. I’ve been working with Curren$y, which is dope because he’s my favorite rapper. We’ve got 7 songs in so far, but we’re trying to get a little EP together for the people.
AllHipHop: Goals for yourself at this point of your career?
Trauma Tone: Being the best producer I can be, take this s### to the level of the producers I aspire to be. I want to be considered one of the greatest, especially in my time. Invest in other things outside of music too.
Wu-Tang Clan leader RZA and Interpol’s Paul Banks have revived their side project Banks & Steelz after sending each other new music during the coronavirus lockdown.
The unlikely pair first came together in 2013 and released the album Anything But Words three years later.
RZA explained how his new project with Banks came about.
“That’s something that happened during quarantine; me and Paul have been sending each other tracks. We got a song that we just finished… called The Pains of Love. And I think in COVID, the song is funny, because the pains of love is something that we’re willing to endure.
“That’s people who are locked up with each other and can’t go out for months. Can you endure that? The joy of love? Well how about the pain of love?”
One of the most sought after constituencies in the 2020 election is African American men, aged 18 – 35.
Not all Black men.
Not the ones that rock their Morehouse maroon ties or golf on Thursdays with their frats. Not the ones that darken the halls of Wall Street or read the New York Times.
Those guys typically vote. Both Donald Trump and the Joe Biden campaign are aiming at those brothers that probably have never considered voting because the candidates never speak to them.
They are axed out of the conversation because their pedigree is more Young Jeezy than Barack Obama, 50 Cent than Cedric Richmond, or Tsu Surf than Corey Booker.
But despite that… especially in this climate … someone has to speak to those dudes.
Trump tried to speak directly to them with his commercial, “No Way Out.”
There in the commercial, he hired a Black man and costumed him in a blue-collared construction uniform and staged him “at work.” The concept is cemented in “real talk,” where a brother is hopping on his Live to tell you why Trump is the right candidate without facts but the leaning on his hood vibes.
The brother, in his burgundy du-rag (worn inside out), scruffy beard, and oddly-placed hoodisms, relishes in his ignorance saying;
“To me… Trump is a freaking godsend. To me… Trump is life. To me… Trump is a second chance. So when you say he’s eh (does the so-so sign with his hands), I’m like ‘Nah dude, he’s way more than that.’ You see, I don’t have the luxury to worry about freaking Roe vs. Wade. I’m too busy trying to keep my family fed to think about that and for the first god**mn time in my life, I actually see a way out.
Another thing to unpack that walks the thin line of faking jacks and inauthenticity is when this brother speaks about working for Arabs. If you live in any city in urban America two things are off about this exchange.
1) That is not how people refer to those community stake-holders from the middle east. The accent is in the wrong place.
2) Did he just imitate their accent? You would do that and not call them the name that people usually call them? This is the classic case of pandering because it appears to be in the culture — but clearly is not.
Then you have the recent release from the Biden-Harris campaign featuring the Ultimate Rap League artists, DNA and Charlie Clips.
Within this commercial, the battle rappers present an argument that is heard all the time in Black barbershops and court-sides across the nation.
Charlie Clips raps about why he doesn’t believe in the power of the vote and DNA is speaking about why it is important to pull the lever. The two battlers address specific issues that matter to people of color, ending with their concerns about Black Lives Matter.
Regardless of the methodology or if you believe one candidate’s outreach is authentic or not, Black men are being targeted.
The campaigns, both Republican and Democrat, see how important it is to get them out to the polls. Now, it is on them to get them and cast their ballots.
Rapper Ice Cube is presently working with the Trump Administration on his highly-publicized “Platinum Plan,” according to numerous reports
Trump campaign advisor Katrina Pierson thanked Ice Cube in a viral tweet for helping develop the Platinum Plan. The plan, which is a program specifically for African-Americans, includes a $500 billion package for Black communities from the Republican Party.
Jermaine Dupri Exposes Black Republicans And Talks Kanye West & Ice Cube
Sunday, Ice Cube revealed in a video distributed online that he has met with both Republicans and Democrats, and stated explicitly that neither party has done right for Black people. Cube himself says that he is bi-partisan – neither Democrat nor Republican – even though most Black entertainers have gotten behind a Joe Biden and Kamala Harris ticket.
“We also met with the Republicans and sh#t. They brought us in. We talked to ’em,” Ice Cube said in the video. “They’ve moved their agenda a lot because of what we said. You know, they put $500 billion on the table. Who knows what’s gone really happen. I just know one of ’em gon ‘win. I don’t know if it can really matter to us. We gotta just push whoever’s in there ’cause ain’t nobody really solved our problems. People say we can’t take another four years of this. Black people, we can take anything, s###.”
Donald Trump‘s Platinum Plan will presumably help capitalize black communities, create 3 million new jobs, and create 500,000 new Black-owned businesses. How all of this works financially has not been clearly defined.
Ice Cube has not made a formal statement at the time of this publication. However, his past tweets dramatically contradict his present stance.
The tweets ranged from anger to humor.
https://twitter.com/koviebiakolo/status/1316469595851681795
Ludacris has teamed up with the company behind “Blue’s Clues,” “Doc McStuffins” and other popular cartoons for kids to launch his own animated series.
The Atlanta rapper is debuting a new cartoon on Netflix called “Karma’s World” with 9 Story Media Group.
A description of the show says the plot of “Karma’s World” centers around an “aspiring musical artist and rapper with big talent and an even bigger heart.”
Karma soon realizes the transformative power of music and sets out on a mission to change the world.
‘I’ve had a lot of accomplishments in my life, but everything that I’ve experienced seems to have led up to this point to where I can leave a legacy for all my daughters,’ Ludacris said in a statement. “Karma’s World is one of those legacies. I hope this series will show kids that there are many ways to overcome difficult situations.”
The show is targeting 6 to 9-year-olds and will explore a variety of important issues, including body positivity, discrimination, self-esteem, and more.
Ludacris is also overseeing the sound design of “Karma’s World” and he’s serving as an executive producer for the show, along with 9 Story Media Group.
Netflix has already ordered 40, 11- minute episodes of “Karma’s World,” which is expected to debut soon.
Stevie Wonder has ended his 60-year relationship with soul label Motown.
The “Lately” singer announced the news on Tuesday as he released two new songs under a new deal with Republic Records.
The soul legend staged a virtual press conference shortly after “Where Is Our Love Song” and “Can’t Put It in The Hands Of Fate” featuring rappers Rapsody, Cordae, Chika and Busta Rhymes.
During the press conference, Stevie also revealed he was launching his own imprint, So What The Fuss Music.
Stevie explained he joined Republic after extensive conversations with label boss Monte Lipman and India.Arie, who is one of the company’s top acts.
But he insisted his heart will always be with Berry Gordy’s soul company – his recording home since 1961 when he signed as an 11-year-old.
“Even though I have left Motown, I never leave Motown,” he said. “I’m sure that we can figure out how we can do some things at Motown.”
Wonder then suggested his upcoming gospel album – a tribute to his late mother – would be released via Motown.
The common thought is that when Biggie wrote and released “Who Shot Ya,” he was going at Tupac Shakur. By this time, Pac was in jail and heard it and all hell broke loose. Stuff was already brewing when this happened, but it certainly added insult to injury, even if it was perception-wise. The song was not directed at Pac at all!
But…there’s more to the story apparently. It seems a 22-year old Biggie Smalls was so hungry at the time, he was trying to take out all the comp. This seemingly included his peers. Jay-Z was coming up at the time and there may have been more competitive-ness than we knew. PEEP what DJ Clark Kent said:
INTERESTING!
We know what happened after Biggie died, Jay-Z soared.
Anyway, that boy Jay-Z ain’t been out there too prominent, but he sure is doing it on the business tip. His legend is swelling like crazy in that regard. Anyway, on the music side, somebody mashed Jay-Z with 90s rock gods Smashing Pumpkins. Check it out below.
