(AllHipHop News) A new Hip-Hop horror series is set to terrify fans when it premieres on HBO.
Leah Benavides Rodriguez and Carlito Rodriguez’s Hip-Hop vampire drama has been picked up by HBO.
Titled, “Thirst,” the series will follow an Atlanta rapper’s journey to success. The key to his ascension is his proximity to a popping rap group in the area.
He is hyped when they invite him into the fold — but he has no clue that they are a family of vampires I’ve been sucking the life out of their victims for centuries.
Derived from Kevin Jordan’s original idea, “Thirst” is poised to push the barriers of what is acceptable content for those in the Hip-Hop space.
“Music has been integral to both our lives, and ‘Thirst’ is the perfect opportunity to blend genres, while exploring the intersection of fame, culture and what it means to be American,” Benavides Rodriguez and Carlito Rodriguez told Variety about their project. “We’re excited to bring it to life with Macro Television Studios and the rest of our dope team, and thrilled it has found its home at HBO.”
Benavides Rodriguez and Rodriguez will not only be writers, but will serve as executive producers and showrunners.
(AllHipHop News) Police in Houston are trying to get to the bottom of a violent shootout in front of a popular strip club in earlier this morning (September 20th).
V LIVE was hosting a “Twerk Wars” party when the violence erupted.
According to Houston Police Detective Andrew McCabe of the Major Assault Unit, a rapper pulled up to the spot around 3:30 a.m. when he was targeted by a gunman.
“From what we can gather there was a rapper here tonight. And as he arrived here. He began taking gunfire from unknown suspects,” McCabe told ABC13. “Gunfire was exchanged between the suspects and him. And then, both him and the suspects fled. They were two people that were struck by gunfire.”
Two of the wounded men were employees of the strip club. One man was shot in the head, and the other person was struck in the side.
Police have not revealed the identity of the rapper who was targeted, nor have they announced any arrests as of press time.
Fortunately, both victims are expected to survive.
On Wednesday, unconfirmed reports suggested Offset is expecting a baby with another woman – and that torpedoed his relationship with Cardi.
But a source said there is no other child and that the report’s dragging offset are false.
In fact, Cardi addressed the issue head-on during an IG Live session on Friday (September 16th) and said she and Offset simply grew apart.
“The reason for my divorce isn’t because of none of that s##t that ever happened before. It’s not because of cheating. I’m seeing people be like, ‘Oh, he has a baby on the way.’ That’s a whole f##king complete lie. That’s the second time people are trying to pin babies over here…”
Cardi said the real reason behind the divorce was pretty simple: she and Offset could not stop arguing.
Cardi has repeatedly reiterated there was no tablet between the two, there trying to unwind their relationship amicably.
(AllHipHop News) Rapper Price from the rap duo Audio Push has announced his forthcoming album that will be released under Heads Music imprint, Wyclef Jean‘s recording home. Madeline Nelson is the owner and operator of the label.
“Partnering with Heads Music was an ideal situation,” said Price. “It’s a dope experience to be partnered with the first Black female-owned and operated music distribution company and label. It feels good to know that my music and my art is in the hands of a legendary Black female music executive such as Madeline Nelson and the Heads Music team.”
The solo offering is a long time coming from Price who has made major moves as a solo artist. In the midst of a tumultuous year, he drops a new music video impressively titled, revolutionary minded “Mustafa” inspired by the movie “Lion King.”
Price also stated that the Will Tooke-directed, “Mufasa“ is a “celebration of millennial Black excellence, legacy building, and everyday life.” It will lead to a solo album, CLRD.
“This video and my solo album showcases the beauty of the Black experience,” price stated. “Although the struggles and hardships of Black life is what is usually focused on when our story is told, we overall are an overcoming people from the protest lines, to the boardrooms, to the streets. The excellence and beauty of everyday life of the Black experience is what I’ll be celebrating on my album using crazy raps, great musicianship and fire sonics across the board.”
Check out the video below.
Price told AllHipHop’s Chuck Creekmur in a forthcoming interview that he doesn’t want people to think that Audio Push is breaking up.
“I don’t want it to be seen as we’re ‘going solo,’ but we’re doing solo projects. Octane has been my best friend since I was 12-years old,” he said told AllHipHop. “But we have both obviously been making music together since we were 16, you know, but never put out solo music for the decade-plus that people have been hearing from us.”
Price has worked with Khalid, Brandy, Ty Dolla $ign, Travis Scott, Lucky Daye, H.E.R., Hit-Boy, and many others.
“Mufasa” is available now across all digital music platforms and CLRDwill drop September 25th on CLRD Ent./Heads Music.
While some believed that the rapper took artistic liberty too far, some thought it clearly articulated the frustrations of thousands negatively impacted by the administration that seemed to launch attacks on the poor and highly melanated.
Paris is back and surprisingly the issues that he addressed 30 years ago, are still oppressing people in 2020.
On September 11th, 19 years after the horrible attack on the United States by foreign agents, he released a video for his new song, “Nobody Move.”
The visual pays tribute to Emory Douglas whose work for the Black Panther Party became a symbol of rebellion.
Paris has recently shared the cover art and tracklist for his new album, Safe Space Invader and he is sure to bring his voice to the conversation buzzing on Black and Brown’s people’s lips.
Safe Space Invader will be released on his own label, Guerrilla Funk Recordings.
It promises to lift the following topics: police brutality, racism, gentrification, economic inequality, and cancel culture, among others.
Safe Space Invader is due to hit all streaming platforms on Friday, September 25th.
(AllHipHop News) Tory Lanez is back in the news again, this time he is being sued by a Miami club promoter and former “Love and Hip Hop: Miami” star, Prince.
He detailed the account saying, “He swung, he initially missed, he jumped over, and then they just started trying to attack me.” The incident was recorded on a cell phone, clearly showing Tory Lanez in the melee.
Despite previously knowing Tory Lanez, Prince contends that the “Stupid Again” rapper attacked him because of a misunderstanding.
“They felt that I was insinuating that they stole the record from me, and I was just like, no, I would never do that, that was never my intention,” Prince said. “I had no issue with him at all.”
Since the assault, Prince reveals that he has had to have surgery for a dislodged tooth— which has made him extremely uncomfortable with his appearance.
(AllHipHop News) Kanye West’s crusade to free artists from the bondage of their oppressive recording contracts took an interesting turn last night (September 18th).
In his latest rant, Kanye promised to pressure Scooter Braun, the manager of artists like Justin Bieber, Ariana Grande, J. Balvin, and others.
In June of 2019, Scooter’s company Ithaca Holdings bought Big Machine Records for $300 million and along with it, the masters to six of Taylor Swift’s#### albums.
The deal was financed by the Carlyle Group, which is a multinational private equity firm with assets north of $13 billion, and set off a feud between Taylor, who wanted to buy her music back, and Scooter, who decided to keep the valuable assets.
And just like Kanye, Taylor may start re-recording five of those albums to upend Scooter’s contested purchase of some of her best-known songs.
Kanye hopes to solve the problems before Taylor re-records her songs, just to have ownership of the music she created.
Surprisingly, Kanye’s benevolence may come with conditions when it comes to his former buddy, Drake. Yeezus threw some shade at Drake in a Tweet that may not go over well, even though he appeared to be joking.
Kanye’s vow to take the biggest labels in the business has already earned him praise from a variety of powerful rappers in the business including Logic, and super-producer Hit-Boy cosigned Kanye’s mission as well.
(AllHipHop News) Jackie Davila of Pleasant Grove, Texas is the proud owner of a Lamborghini Aventador thanks to rapper Young Dolph.
The rapper implored thousands of rap fans to join him in a contest that who have him gift the winner with a brand new Lamborghini Aventador. Dolph, not one to lie, drove the car directly to Jackie and gave it to her as her family and friends looked on. The 23-year old was recently married and is currently expecting a child.
Jackie expressed her jubilee to AllHipHop in a statement:
“Today was an experience like no other, I felt surprised, nervous, shook, in plain disbelief all at the same time! It never crossed my mind that I would actually be the winner and that YOUNG DOLPH himself would literally give me his car, his half a million dollar car at that. Every time my husband and I would go to his concerts I always told him “I wish I could meet him for once so he can know that I even exist and maybe smoke a blunt with him” and to finally get to meet him like this is simply amazing. Young Dolph and his team were humble and treated me so kind, they congratulated me and thanked me for being a big fan, I was so speechless I couldn’t and still don’t believe it. He is definitely a role model, someone I have looked up to for years, and a huge motivation. This is a tremendous blessing for my family and I, I thank God for everything and hope one day I can be in the same position as Dolph to give to others.”
The giveaway was a part of the promo rollout of Rich Slave, the new album by Dolph. The opus debuted at #1 on Billboard Independent and #4 on the Billboard 200.
Dolph has expanded his philanthropic offerings in the pandemic – from cash donations, school supplies, clothes, food, and more.
By the way, do not expect to see Jackie Davila riding dirty in her Lamborghini. She and her spouse plan to sell it and buy their first home with it. Dolph also paid the taxes on the car so that the IRS didn’t come for the Davila family.
With a career spanning 14 years playing Major League Baseball, it seemed Carl Crawford was only a super star athlete.
Fate would have it, an encounter with a child hood friend would change the trajectory of his life and career. In this interview with Allhiphop’s Seleah Simone, Crawford explains why he thought Megan Thee Stallion was a star, having J Prince as a mentor and so much more.
In the middle of what has been one of the toughest years globally, Manila-based, international record label, Tarsier Records, put together a historic Southeast meets West collaboration.
Grammy Award-winning songwriter and artist Eric Bellinger, Filipino artists Inigo Pascual, Sam Concepcion, Vince Nantes, DJ/producer Moophs and Malaysia’s pride Zee Avi have teamed for the new song “RISE.”
“RISE” is a pop-R&B, cross-cultural message of hope and a chant to rise above the tides of today, an inspiration to keep the faith during facing some of the toughest challenges together.
Eric Bellinger, known for his personal hit singles like “I Don’t Want Her” and his songwriting collaborations with Chris Brown on chart-topping hits like “Type A Way,” “Fine China” and “Love More,” has traveled the world and gained a lot of knowledge through personal experience in every song he creates.
It’s his first time collaborating with Southeast Asian artists of this caliber from the Philippines and Malaysia.
“No matter what or where the problem is, we’ll face it together as humans,” said producer Moophs on what sparked the fuel behind the project. LA-based singer-songwriter, Vince Nantes, who recently co-wrote the massive K-Pop BTS hit, “Black Swan.”
Moophs noticed that the unprecedented times created by the pandemic, political differences, and various protests took a toll on humanity. He wanted to create something people could hold on to in these trying times and remember back for years to come.
“Music is a universal language, it helps bring together people that might not even speak the same language. For me, both creating and listening to music is therapy. During the pandemic more people are looking to music to stay positive so that’s why it’s important for me to be a part of this project. It’s been an honor to be working with talented artists from around the world to share this message,” added international singer/songwriter & actor, Inigo Pascual.
Inigo was recently featured in Jo Koy’s “In My Elements” Netflix special and star of myxTV’s show “The Crossover” which can be found on DirecTV & Amazon Prime.
“RISE” is a universal message that calls on a broad audience to keep on rising, no matter who or where you are. It is out NOW on all digital streaming platforms on September 18.
(AllHipHop News) A legal tussle has broken out between the FBI and the City of Chicago and the beef is over actor, Jussie Smollett.
First, off Jussie claimed he received a threatening, racist homophobic letter on January 22nd. The envelope also contained a white powdered substance, which was later determined to be acetaminophen and protein.
Then there was Jussie an infamous incident on January 29th, 2019, when Jussie was allegedly assaulted by a group of MAGA-loving Trump supporters.
Jussie claimed the assailants tied a noose around his neck and dosed him with a bleach-like substance.
After an investigation, the City of Chicago claimed Jussie allegedly hired two Nigerian brothers named Abel and Ola Osundairo, to beat him up and stage the whole ordeal, so the actor could draw more attention on “Empire” where he starred as Jamal Lyon.
Later that month, all of the charges were dropped after Kim Foxx, the Cook County state’s attorney, ruled there was not enough evidence to successfully convict the disgraced actor.
In April of 2019, the City of Chicago sued Jussie for $130,000 worth of resources the cops wasted investigating the bogus crime, and then in February, the prosecutors charged him with six counts of making a false police report.
In November of 2019, investigators tried to subpoena the FBI to get evidence from their probe into the Smollett case.
“The City has no legal basis to obtain these materials, and as to non-grand jury materials sought by the subpoena, this Court should deny the motion and quash the subpoena,” U.S. Attorney John R. Lausch argued before Judge Virginia M. Kendall, in a bid to thwart any effort to turn over their evidence.
“The response would require the FBI to ‘reveal information acquired as part of an ongoing criminal investigation,’ as well as would “reveal and impair the effectiveness of investigatory records and techniques for law enforcement purposes,” U.S. Attorney John R. Lausch added.
The FBI is asking the court to deny the city’s request for their documents.
Following up her latest single “Vibes” just last week, buzzing up-and-coming singer/songwriter Juvahn is back again with another new track titled “City” featuring Eddy Mack.
This Divy Pota-produced track is officially out now on all platforms. Continuing to give fans song after song spewing good energy, Juvahn says this track in particular is for the lovebirds out there that magically are better off when they’re together.
“This track is for the power couples making moves and feeling unstoppable when they realize the right one’s by your side,” Juvahn says. “‘City’ is about taking over!”
As mentioned before, Juvahn is staying busy during a tumultuous time. She recently launched her independent label JV Inc. and opened up a new studio.
In addition to her latest release “Vibes” as well as this new banger “City,” Juvahn also has an upcoming single featuring Famous Dex, as well as a brand new fashion and merch line she’ll be launching in the 4th quarter.
Fans can expect more videos from the newcomer very soon including the official video for “City” shot by Brightminds Entertainment.
While we await an exciting 4th quarter from Juvahn, get hip to her newest track “City” available now below!
(AllHipHop News) While day-one fans likely look to The Slaughter Tape or Slaughter King as their introduction to 21 Savage, it was 2016’s Savage Mode EP that made him a star-on-the-rise. 21 and Metro Boomin’s first collaborative effort earned both men multiple Platinum plaques.
Even though the general public embraced 21 Savage’s full-length albums, there are still plenty of people that want him to drop another Savage Mode. There have been hints of a Savage Mode 2 for over a year, but the project has yet to materialize.
One fan was “tired of 21 & Metro cappin” about a Savage Mode sequel, so “Cora G” set up a Change.org petition calling for the duo to drop the project as soon as possible. As of press time, more than 25,600 individuals have signed the online appeal.
It appears Metro Boomin is also backing the demand for another collaborative effort to be released ASAP. Popular social media dancer SheLovesMeechie called on his Twitter followers to sign the Savage Mode 2 petition, and Metro retweeted Meechie’s post. However, 21 Savage has yet to publicly comment on the petition.
“Savage Mode 2 on the way. You know I gotta perfect my sh*t. This sh*t takes time. I be putting a lot of hard work into my sh*t. I ain’t finna just drop anything. My sh*t gotta be hard,” said 21 during an Instagram Live broadcast in May. “So it’s gonna take me a little longer. We working. I got a lot of other sh*t going on in my life too that I gotta balance and make all this sh*t work. But I promise you, I’m working. It’s finna drop. I promise it’s on the way.”
The original Savage Mode hosted the breakout hits “No Heart” and “X” with Future. Besides Metro Boomin, fellow producers Southside, Cubeatz, Sonny Digital, Zaytoven, and G Koop provided beats for the EP too. Savage Mode is currently certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America.
(AllHipHop News) Jaden Smith is leading a new eight-episode, unscripted Snap Original series titled The Solution Committee. The actor/musician will assist young activists and his celebrity friends in exploring ways to enact important racial and social justice reforms.
Willow Smith, Common, Janelle Monáe, Hailey Bieber, Yara Shahidi, Lena Waithe, and Phoebe Robinson will appear with Jaden Smith to discuss complex issues facing the world today. Topics such as racism, education, climate change, and voting will be covered on the show.
“Historically people between the ages of 18 to 23 have been less likely to vote. This is because a lot of young people feel like they don’t have the information or know where to get it. This show is about educating the youth and making sure they feel empowered and ready to vote,” states Jaden Smith.
The first two episodes of The Solution Committee will focus on “How To Vote” and “The Power Of Your Vote.” Smith will be joined by Bieber and Shahidi as well as 21-year-old Gabe Fleisher (founder of the non-partisan organization Wake Up To Politics) and 20-year-old Winter BreeAnne (national student leader for Women’s March Youth Empower).
“Snap is committed to bringing our community shows that connect them to the issues they care about most,” says Sean Mills, Snap’s Head of Content. “We’re inspired by the work of Jaden and these young activists to spark real conversation and action that can create change, and we are thrilled to partner again with Westbrook Media to bring this powerful series to Snapchat.”
The Solution Committee is beingproduced by Westbrook Media. The program is scheduled to premiere on September 21, ahead of National Voter Registration Day on September 22 and Election Day on November 3. New episodes will air Monday, Wednesday, and Friday on Snapchat’s Discover page and will include swipe-ups at the end to register to vote.
“On top of being a world-class entertainer, Jaden has dedicated so much of his life to finding innovative ways to shine a light on injustice,” said Brad Haugen, President of Westbrook Media. “Beyond encouraging young people to vote, Jaden and his friends show why we should all care about these systemic issues and what we can do to fix them. After working with the fantastic team at Snap on Will From Home, we know this series can attract real attention which will hopefully lead to some necessary change.”
(AllHipHop News) Back in 2018, Tahj “Saba” Chandler grabbed the attention of a lot of Hip Hop heads when he dropped the well-received studio album Care for Me. Saba then teamed with his Pivot Gang comrades for 2019’s You Can’t Sit With Us compilation.
The Chicago-raised rapper returned this week with a “2-song double single.” Saba’s self-produced “Mrs. Whoever” arrived with an official music video. Florida emcee Denzel Curry showed up on “Something in the Water.” These are Saba’s first solo releases in two years.
“Mrs. Whoever” ☎️
and
“Something in the Water” 🌊 Ft. @denzelcurry Out now
“For me, releasing music is me letting go and getting out of my own way. It’s me shutting down my own ideas of perfectionism, and me accepting my sh*t for what it is. I can keep holding on to sh*t and looking for the next best thing, which I think I’ve done my whole life, but I wanna combat that idea of something not being enough by just letting go and sharing my thoughts in real time,” explains Saba.
He continues, “I don’t really care to be understood right now in the same way that I think I did in the past. It would bother me when people would quote lyrics wrong or say ‘this song is about this,’ or ‘this song is about that,’ but that’s because the music was so personal to me. Now it’s just like, man, ‘I made this and I like it, here you go, get what you get.’ And I feel more comfortable with being there.”
(AllHipHop News) Cortez “Tez” Bryant is returning to his alma mater as an instructor. Jackson State University pupils will have the chance to learn from the entertainment industry veteran.
“We are beyond thrilled that Mr. Bryant will be sharing his knowledge and experiences with our students,” says Thomas Hudson, acting president of JSU. “Not only is he a successful music mogul, but he is a JSU alum who continues to give back to his college home, which we greatly appreciate. I know our students will gain exponentially from his insight.”
Bryant is teaching a seven-week “Careers in Music” program at the Mississippi-based HBCU. The course is a mix of two-hour weekly online and in-person sessions focusing on ethics, digital marketing, branding, contractual agreements, publishing, copywriting, and other tools.
“If I weren’t in the music business, I would have been a teacher. I always wanted to come back to Jackson State, which has done so much for me in terms of making me the person I am,” says Bryant.
The 41-year-old businessman continues, “From my high school, McMain, in New Orleans, where I met Lil Wayne, to my years at Jackson State, education has been a driving force and a foundation for everything I’ve ever achieved.”
Bryant attained a degree in mass communications from JSU in 2004. While at the institution, he began touring with Lil Wayne. Tez later became Wayne’s manager, and the two friends went on to start Young Money Entertainment.
Young Money helped launch the careers of Drake, Nicki Minaj, and Tyga. Bryantalso merged his management company with Gee Roberson’s Hip Hop Since 1978 to form The Blueprint Group which now represents Wayne, T.I., The Roots, Brandy, Jill Scott, G-Eazy, Lil Nas X, Trippie Redd, and others.
“One of the reasons my spirit moved me back to Jackson State is that there may be a younger version of me looking for an outlet. There may be the next inner-city kid not having much that can come to Jackson State and find themselves,” explains Bryant.
The former member of JSU’s Sonic Boom of the South Marching Band adds, “All the things I’ll be covering could each have a course of its own. But developing my syllabus was easy because this is my life. This is what I’ve been living, and God blessed me to be good at it.”
Bryan Calhoun’s The Music Business Toolbox will be the primary text for Bryant’s class. Calhoun oversees the digital strategy for The Blueprint Group. Students will also get access to special guest lecturers like Chauncey Hamlett, Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer for PepsiCo Beverages North America (South Division).
“He was responsible for the Kevin Hart and the Migos Mountain Dew commercials last year. I want the students to understand the overlapping spaces that connect business to music,” states Bryant about Hamlett. “I want to show the importance of brand power and working for brands and having music backgrounds and how it all ties together.”
(AllHipHop News) Originally, Anitta was not expecting to hear Cardi B on her new song “Me Gusta.” The Brazilian singer was shocked when she found out the Grammy-winning rapper contributed to the record.
“I was taking vacations in Europe, and two weeks ago my manager called me from Zoom and he said, ‘Oh, can you approve the final mix of the track?’ And I was like, ‘Okay.’ And I was listening to the track and suddenly her voice comes in, and I was like, ‘What?'” Anitta told Zane Lowe on Apple Music 1’s New Music Daily.
The 27-year-old Warner recording artist added, “I met Cardi B last year in the studio, but we never talked about this track. I never thought she was going to be on it and he did the surprise for me. And when I heard her voice, I was dying.”
“Me Gusta” is the culmination of several different cultures coming together. Anitta serves as a spokeswoman for the Portuguese-speaking people of Brazil. Latin Trap performer Myke Towers puts on for Puerto Rico, and Cardi B brings her Dominican/Trinidadian/American-influenced vibe to the track.
“I was so grateful I said to [Cardi], ‘Hey, thank you so much.’ She doesn’t know how much it represents to our country,” stated Anitta. “I know Brazil is a Latin country, but it’s different because the other countries, they speak Spanish. Brazil speaks Portuguese so it makes it very different, culturally talking, for us to mix countries because we communicate differently. So bringing the Brazilian culture to the world is something, I don’t know, I would never be able to pay back all of this she’s doing.”
(AllHipHop News) Members of Rihanna’s Navy fanbase are still waiting for the global superstar to release new music. Before the stans get a new album from RiRi, they will be able to check out her newest Savage x Fenty fashion show.
Rihanna announced “Savage x Fenty Vol 2” will showcase the Fall 2020 collection of her lingerie brand. The star-studded extravaganza will stream exclusively on Amazon Prime Video on October 2.
Travis Scott, Roddy Ricch, Miguel, Rosalía, Bad Bunny, Mustard, and Ella Mai were named as performers for the event. Numerous other celebrities such as Lizzo, Big Sean, Normani, Rico Nasty, Chika, Willow Smith, and Christian Combs will make appearances.
Rihanna built her reported $600 million net worth partly from the success of Fenty products. The Fenty fashion house is co-owned by French luxury goods corporation LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton.
