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Why Did Beyonce Cry At Tyler Perry’s New Studio?

(AllHipHop Rumors) Beyonce has admitted she cried at the launch of Tyler Perry’s new movie studio in Atlanta, Georgia.

According to Bey, the tears started to flow when she was overwhelmed by its significance for black entertainers.

Tyler Perry opened the studio with a star-studded party attended by Oprah Winfrey, Halle Berry, T.I., Tiffany Haddish, and Will Smith on Saturday.

The day after the bash, Beyonce, who went with her husband Jay-Z revealed she had been in floods of tears at the event, at which Tyler Perry paid tribute to pioneering black entertainers.

“Happy Sunday. Congratulations to Tyler Perry on the opening of his studios,” Beyonce wrote on Instagram. “I could feel our ancestors’ presence. Surrounded by my heroes, I watched Denzel (Washington), Queen Oprah, Spike (Lee), Whoopi (Goldberg), Sir (Sidney) Poitier, Will, Halle, Dame Cicely (Tyson) and our angels John Singleton and Diahann Carroll honored.

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Rumors & Tidbits: Tekashi 69, Tech N9Ne!

(AllHipHop Rumors) The dude Tekashi 69 is still the talk of the town. People are telling me that this dude could be out of jail before the end of the year. Now, I cannot find this online, but the formal news reports are saying early next year. Either way, the rapper is demanding that he be released! (OK, demanding in a a strong word.) But, through counsel he “respectfully” asked to be sentenced so he can know how much time he has and to start serving that time immediately. Now, Tekashi basically snitched on everybody he knew. Hell, he even told people where Waldo was. Here is the letter. 

Now, look at what they are peddling on Amazon and places like that. 

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Would you want to be Tekashi? I am thinking that you may get somebody “playing” Trey Nine too! You be safe out there!

Tech N9ne’s Label Responds To Rumors of Krizz Kaliko Leaving Strange Music!

The rumors were so strong that Tech N9ne had to go and address it! 


Based on the overwhelming amount of emails and social media posts I’ve seen, I’d like to take the time to give a statement in regards to Krizz Kaliko.

As I’m sure many of you have realized, and perhaps many of you haven’t, Krizz has not released any new music since his album, GO, on April 8, 2016. In regards to this album, I’m pretty certain that nobody knew that Krizz was actually out of contract when that was released. Krizz and I did a quick agreement to cover the release of that album, with the anticipation of entering into a new multi-album contract shortly thereafter. With that being said, we sent that new multi-album contract to Krizz over 2 and half years ago. Since then, Krizz and I have discussed the contract minimally and, oftentimes, in passing. However, we were unfortunately never able to make any real progress in finalizing a new contract. I know that Krizz is a chronic over-thinker, just as I am, and I’m also aware that he feels that his music hasn’t reached as many people as he would’ve liked and it’s caused him to really contemplate where the future will take him. I’ve personally spent a multitude of time in the studio with our artists and I know how much effort they put into their music – from the production to the writing to the emotion and meaning – so I truly understand how it could make them feel under appreciated when it doesn’t spread to the masses the way we all envision. I share that feeling, as I believe his music should absolutely reach more people. However, I’m well aware of how important Krizz’s music is to the massive amount of people that it has, indeed, reached. This point has been made incredibly obvious over the last few days.

Over the years, Krizz and I have had many conversations about other things that interest him besides music. Although I’m not entirely clear on what Krizz’s intentions are, I believe that whatever he may choose to pursue he will find success. I am abundantly clear on how upset many of you are that we’ve removed Krizz’s merchandise and name from our website, however, he has fulfilled all of his contractual obligations to Strange Music and we had no choice but to remove his name and merchandise from the site upon expiration of the “run out” duration of his contract. We did exactly that – adhered to the stipulations of his contract. Yes, I’m aware that there are other artists who have fulfilled their contractual obligations that still have a general presence on our site. This simply means there are different terms and “run out” durations with those other artist’s agreements.

The music business is an extremely volatile space to navigate and is littered with many unforeseen obstacles and detours and can truly be incredibly frustrating and discouraging. There have been many times when I’ve questioned my own continuation in this business, so this means I absolutely understand Krizz’s point of view.

I am also aware that many of you are wondering if Krizz will be involved with the October 19th Red Rocks concert. I’ve spoken to Krizz about this and he has committed to participating in the meet and greet and performance that evening and will absolutely be there. This is currently the final performance that he was scheduled for, with Tech, this year.

In closing, our entire staff, along with Tech and myself, wish Krizz the best in all of his future endeavors and I hope he realizes the impact that he had with the music that he created over the years.

Here’s to the next chapter!

Travis O’Guin

Strange Music, Inc.

Teacher In Trouble After Rapper Lil Tripp Punches Student In The Face

(AllHipHop News) Police in DeKalb County, Georgia are investigating a local rapper, who allegedly punched a student during an impromptu visit.

Local rapper Lil Tripp popped up at a homecoming event at Ronald E. McNair High School on Friday (October 4).

During his performance, Lil Tripp made it rain on the excited students who scrambled for the money.

During the fracas, Lil Tripp allegedly got into a fight and punched a student in the face.

While the performance was not cleared by district officials, a teacher did invite Lil Tripp to perform.

Now, that teacher is facing disciplinary actions over the alleged assault.

“School administrators were not aware that a McNair High School teacher invited the rapper,” district officials told the AJC. “He was not hired by the school and did not receive compensation. The school’s normal security plan was in place, and includes all staff assigned to locations in the gym and at entry and exit points.”

The teacher is not the only person to face disciplinary action.

The police have opened an active investigation into Lil Tripp’s alleged assault on the student. 

T.I. And Tiny Robbed; Bandits Get $750,000 Worth Of Jewels

(AllHipHop News) Rap star T.I. and his wife Tiny were robbed for almost a million dollars worth of jewels in his hometown of Atlanta.

The police are trying to track down bandits who broke into the celebrity couple’s Lamborghini and swiped a bag with $750,000 worth of jewelry in it.

According to reports, T.I. and Tiny were inside an Atlanta bar.

Tiny reportedly left a blue velour bag filled with expensive watches, diamond earrings, and wedding rings on the center console.

When the married couple left the bar, the bag was missing from their pricey Lamborghini.

Security guards in the area told police nothing out of the ordinary happened during the evening, and there was no suspicious activity in the area.

The cops are still hunting for the suspects. 

Kanye West In Talks To Help Rebuild The Bahamas

(AllHipHop News) Kanye West has teamed up with sportsman and humanitarian Rick Fox to aid those recovering from the Hurricane Dorian devastation in the Bahamas.

The two men met with government officials in Nassau over the weekend as part of an aid mission staged by Fox’s Bahamas Relief Foundation.

The former basketball star, who grew up in the Bahamas, has been helping raise funds and co-ordinate supplies for those worst hit by last month’s storm, which claimed the lives of at least 50 people.

The pair are also in talks with the government to help rebuild the island.

Kanye and Rick Fox met with the National Emergency Management Agency.

During their meeting, they spoke with John Michael Clarke of the reconstruction committee and Godfrey Rolle, Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ rep at NEMA.

Details about the conversations were not revealed, however, the disaster in the Bahamas could present Kanye with a market for his new affordable-housing concepts.

It was a busy week of doing good for a reformed Kanye West.

The rapper also popped up in Salt Lake City and held his “Sunday Service” at the same time The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints were hosting their annual conference.

Kanye’s choir gave a rousing performance as usual, and the rapper delivered a politically charged, religious-themed message during a sermon.

Lil Peep’s Mother Sues His Managers For Her Son’s Death

(AllHipHop News) Lil Peep (born Gustav Elijah Åhr) passed away on November 15, 2017. The 21-year-old was found dead on his tour bus before a scheduled stop in Tucson, Arizona. The cause of death was listed as an accidental overdose from fentanyl and benzodiazepine alprazolam.

TMZ reports that Peep’s mother, Liza Womack, has filed a lawsuit against the rapper’s management and First Access Entertainment. Womack is claiming the defendants are responsible for her son’s death.

According to the website, legal documents are pointing the finger at Peep’s managers for supplying him with Xanax, Ketamine and other drugs during “The Peep Show” and “Come Over When You’re Sober” tours. 

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Womack also alleges Peep repeatedly asked to leave the road due to physical and emotional exhaustion, but his team allegedly forced him to perform by pumping him up with drugs. The suit explicitly concentrates on the “Awful Things” rhymer’s final show in El Paso on November 14.

One of his managers, Belinda Mercer, is accused of telling Peep to take “an excessive amount of Xanax” before the El Paso performance in order to get sick and then get the insurance company to cover the canceled show. While it is not clear if he followed those instructions, Lil Peep performed that night in Texas before dying the next day in Arizona.

Additionally, Womack asserts Mercer and Peep had a sexual relationship. She is seeking unspecified damages in the suit.

DJ Khaled, French Montana & Jhené Aiko Take Part In The American Cancer Society’s “Get #YOUnited” Campaign

(AllHipHop News) The American Cancer Society recruited several pop culture figures to become ambassadors for its “Get #YOUnited” campaign during Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Music artists DJ Khaled, French Montana, and Jhené Aiko joined with public speaker/breast cancer survivor Nalie Augustin, fashion designer Kerby Jean-Raymond, and actress Kristin Chenoweth. 

Each ambassador appeared in a “Get #YOUnited” public service announcement and designed exclusive shirts. All net proceeds from the merchandise sales and donations benefit the American Cancer Society’s mission to support breast cancer patients.

“Someone near and dear to me was recently affected by breast cancer. I had to step up and do my part to help those fighting this disease,” says DJ Khaled. “We are all in this together. Let’s make a difference.”

“It’s an honor to work with the ACS again. I wanted to create something personal for my ‘Team Yagi-san’ in memory of my brother and those affected by this disease,” explains Jhené Aiko. “I partnered with my good friend Kerby Jean-Raymond to design something special.”

“I met my friend, Nalie, several years ago when she was battling cancer and did the dance challenge to ‘Unforgettable’. She’s an inspiration to me, always positive and always smiling,” states French Montana. “That’s why ‘Thriver’ best describes her. This is my gift to her and the others out there living with breast cancer.”

To learn more about the American Cancer Society’s “Get #YOUnited” campaign visit crowdrise.com. To learn more about the American Cancer Society’s “Making Strides Against Breast Cancer” program visit cancer.org.

Photos/videos courtesy of the American Cancer Society

Chance The Rapper & T.I. Discuss Which Judge Is The “Simon Cowell” Of Netflix’s ‘Rhythm + Flow’

(AllHipHop News) Simon Cowell is one of the reasons American Idol became such a huge hit when it premiered in 2002. The audience could not get enough of watching the British businessman share his true feelings about the contestants vying to win the singing show, even if it hurt some of the contenders’ feelings. 

A new music competition program is headed to Netflix this Wednesday. Rhythm + Flow centers around Belcalis “Cardi B” Almánzar, Chancelor “Chance The Rapper” Bennett, and Tip “T.I.” Harris searching for the next Hip Hop sensation.

Some potential viewers have wondered which Rhythm + Flow judge will fill the “Simon Cowell” role. Media personality Charlamagne Tha God sat down with Chance and T.I. to have a conversation about their forthcoming series.

“I feel like they made me Simon. When n*ggas had to go, it was like, ‘Alright, Chance. What’s it gonna be?'” declared The Big Day album creator. Tip responded, “You chose to be Simon.”

The expediTIously podcast host then added, “[Chance The Rapper] has a real knife-to-throat kinda [approach]. I’m more of a bullet to the back of the head kinda guy: ‘Listen, we all got somewhere to be, let’s get this over with.'”

Snoop Dogg, Quavo, Fat Joe, Anderson .Paak, Royce da 5’9″, John Legend, Big Boi, Killer Mike, Twista, Lupe Fiasco, Jadakiss, Ebro Darden, Miguel, Teyana Taylor, Jhené Aiko, Tory Lanez, Ty Dolla $ign, DJ Khaled, Smack, King Los, Sounwave, Hit-Boy, London on da Track, Tay Keith, and the late Nipsey Hussle make appearances on Rhythm + Flow. Chance The Rapper, T.I., and Cardi B are credited as executive producers.

Netflix’s Flow is split into three phases. “The Auditions” (episodes 1-4) scheduled to premiere on October 9. “Cyphers, Rap Battles & Music Videos” (episodes 5-7) will debut on October 16. “Samples, Collaborations & Finale” (episodes 8-10) is set to arrive on October 23.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Ogn-71aeNQ

Drake Admits Summer Walker Inspired Him To Write New Music

(AllHipHop News) Drizzy fans may want to thank Summer Walker for upcoming tunes from the OVO leader. The Atlanta-based singer-songwriter posted a message from Drake on her Instagram page.

The DM conversation shows Drake acknowledged that he found motivation from Summer’s “Fun Girl” track off her Over It album. He wrote, “Nah wtf. U snapped.  Just made me write two songs, it’s 7:30 am here. Album crazy .”

Walker posted in the IG caption, “So I guess fun girl is his favorite song on the album, mines isss… BODY what’s yours?”

https://www.instagram.com/p/B3SvQmwAHB4

Earlier this year, Drake showed up on Summer Walker’s “Girls Need Love (Remix)” song. The record became the LoveRenaissance songstress’ first entry on the Hot 100 chart when it debuted at #87 in March.

Walker dropped her debut studio album, Over It, on October 4. The LP includes features from Bryson Tiller, Usher, 6lack, PartyNextDoor, A Boogie wit da Hoodie, and Jhené Aiko. According to HitsDailyDouble, Over It is on pace to open at #1 with 115,000 – 125,000 first-week units.

Lizzo‬⁩’s “Truth Hurts” Becomes Longest Consecutive No. 1 For A Female Artist In 2019

(AllHipHop News) It took two years for “Truth Hurts” by Lizzo to climb to #1 on the Hot 100. After remaining in the top spot again, her breakout single has now spent 6 straight weeks at the apex of the chart.

“Truth Hurts” is one week from tying the record for most weeks at #1 for a female rapper (Iggy Azealia’s “Fancy” featuring Charli XCX). Plus, Lizzo now holds the record for the longest consecutive No. 1 for a female artist in 2019. 

Ariana Grande’s “7 Rings” led the tally for 8 nonconsecutive weeks. Lil Nas X’s “Old Town Road” featuring Billy Ray Cyrus clocked in 19 straight weeks at #1. The Georgia rhymer’s Country Trap smash is the longest-running No. 1 of all time.

While “Truth Hurts” dominates the Hot 100, Lizzo has another song on the chart at the moment. “Good As Hell” climbed 13 spots to a new peak of #30. That song was released in 2016. Over on the Billboard 200, the Cuz I Love You album holds at #9 and the Coconut Oil EP maintains the #66 position.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uo0RK_olDb4

All 13 Tracks From ⁦‪DaBaby’s ‘Kirk’ Land On The Hot 100 Chart

(AllHipHop News) Besides having the #1 album on the Billboard 200, DaBaby is also leaving his mark on the Hot 100. All 13 tracks from the Charlotte rhymer’s Kirk made their way to the chart this week.

“Intro” is the highest-charting record from Kirk at #13. Not far behind that song is “Bop” with a #19 placement. “Vibez” (#21) and “Toes” (#28) are in the Top 40 as well.

In addition, DaBaby’s Baby on Baby track “Suge” is the #20 song in the country. His “Baby” collaboration with Lil Baby sits at #26, and Megan Thee Stallion’s “Cash Sh*t” featuring DaBaby fell three spots to #44.

Kirk was a streaming juggernaut. The project collected 182 million total streams in its first week of release. Adding in pure sales, the album collected 145,000 first-week album units.

UK Rapper Krept Of Krept & Konan Recovering After Getting Slashed At BBC Radio 1Xtra Event

(AllHipHop News) Krept, star of British rap duo Krept And Konan, has spoken out after he was slashed backstage at the BBC Radio 1xtra Live event this weekend.

The “Rap Game” UK star was injured at the event in Birmingham, England following an altercation backstage.

He received medical support on-site but was not taken to hospital.

Taking to Twitter to address the situation, the musician – real name Casyo Johnson – shared: “My people thanks for the messages Im good, ill be back in no time. God was with me trust me. Cant keep a good man down.”

The event was cut short following the incident, with rumors circulating that the 29-year-old was involved in the incident.

This was confirmed when his rap partner Konan simply tweeted, “Bros good” while their friend Kritikal added, “Bro is good,” with the prayer and heart emojis.

In a later statement, West Midlands police bosses wrote: “It’s understood that a man sustained a slash wound during the assault. He was treated by on-site medical staff and did not require hospital treatment.”

Officials from BBC 1Xtra also addressed the incident in a series of tweets, stating: “Following an isolated serious incident, we have had to stop 1Xtra Live in Birmingham.

“We are co-operating fully with the police to establish what has happened,” they continued. “We’re sorry to everyone who attended 1Xtra Live in Birmingham for the early finish, however, the health and safety of everyone involved is always our top priority.

“We are upset and saddened that something like this should happen to a guest at one of our events and we remain in close contact and continue to offer our full support.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nc3zqKthTFA

Gucci Mane Co-Signs Atlanta’s “Coldest” Artist Yung Mal aka Iceburg

Anyone signed to Guwop has the ultimate cosign. 

Insert Yung Mal, who you may have seen come up alongside his fellow Zone 6 native Lil Quill.

Now, the Atlanta spitter is here to focus on his craft and independence, unleashing his debut solo mixtape titled Iceburg.

The 1017 Eskimo/Alamo Records signee arrives dripped out per usual, shedding yet another layer in his life for his growing fanbase.

The new project is laced with 15 braggadocious songs with features from his Gucci Mane, Gunna, Lil GotIt, King Von, and Pi’erre Bourne.

AllHipHop: For those who don’t know, who is Yung Mal?

Yung Mal: I’m Yung Mal, but I’m Iceburg. Nobody hasn’t really been calling me Mal like that.

AllHipHop: Why do they call you Iceburg?

Yung Mal: Because I’m cold.

AllHipHop: Atlanta got a lot of hot artists coming up right now. What sets you apart?

Yung Mal: Other artists may be writing. I got word that these other artists be writing. I don’t write music, I just freestyle. I know a lot of other artists freestyle too, but all my s##t is real organic.

AllHipHop: Talk about focusing on your solo artistry.

Yung Mal: Ever since I started, I’ve always rapped with someone else — with my little brother, with my other brothers who died. I just felt it was time for everybody to see something different. To see me.

AllHipHop: How’s it been?

Yung Mal: It’s good, it’s still the same. It’s not exactly the same, but it’s still a job. You still just working.

AllHipHop: You look at it as a job?

Yung Mal: Yeah, it’s definitely a job.

AllHipHop: Talk about enlisting Lil Gotit & Pierre on “Action.”

Yung Mal: That song was really actually kind of built. I made the song and it had a whole different beat on it. That song was created because I sent it to Pierre with an open verse. He sent it back, but I don’t think he really liked it. Actually, it wasn’t even on beat to me, so he went back and made the beat over. Then here we are right now.

AllHipHop: What’s your relationship with Pierre?

Yung Mal: I met Pierre through mutual people that we know, through Young Nudy. That’s who I really met him through. But when I started doing my thing, he just kept in touch with me.

AllHipHop: What about Lil Gotit?

Yung Mal: That’s my Lil bro. He right there, you know Atlanta. He be working. I talk to him, not on no rap s##t so you know it’s real. I talk to him a lot, not even on no rap s##t.

AllHipHop: Best memory recording “Action”?

Yung Mal: I can’t even remember really because we didn’t record it all together. I sent it to Pierre, then I sent it to Gotit.

AllHipHop: Best memory from the video shoot?

Yung Mal: That whole thing was fun. It was in Atlanta, the whole thing was cool.

AllHipHop: What’s one thing you want fans to get from Iceberg?

Yung Mal: The actual breakdown of me. It’s just all of me, me describing me on the beat. My day to day life and what I done been through. That’s real s##t I’m rapping.

AllHipHop: What’d it mean to get Gucci Mane on “Fresh”?

Yung Mal: He sent me that record. I hit him up and told him, “I need a record. I’m finna drop my album, I want you get you on it.” He sent me that record with an open verse, then here we go.

AllHipHop: How has your relationship with Guwop evolved over the years?

Yung Mal: He just texted me actually. He just dropped a new song, so he texted me. We were talking about the new song that he just dropped with YoungBoy and DaBaby.

AllHipHop: Biggest lesson learned in fatherhood?

Yung Mal: You can’t wait on nobody else. If you want something done, you gotta do it yourself… if you want it done right.

AllHipHop: How old is your kid?

Yung Mal: 5. He’s finna be 6.

AllHipHop: Does he know daddy’s a rapper?

Yung Mal: Yeah fasho, definitely.

AllHipHop: Who’s in your Top 5?

Yung Mal: Me, Lil Quill, Gucci, Thug, Gunna. That’s all I ever really listen to, Atlanta s##t.

AllHipHop: What’s your favorite Gucci song?

Yung Mal: “First Day Out,” because it’s a freestyle. I’m talking about it didn’t have a hook.

AllHipHop: Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

Yung Mal: In another country somewhere, just living life.

AllHipHop: Are you still rapping in the other country?

Yung Mal: Yeah… maybe.

AllHipHop: I talk to a lot of rappers who want to retire by then.

Yung Mal: Maybe. Who knows, it’s gonna be something big though.

AllHipHop: Anything else you want to let us know?

Yung Mal: Iceburg is available everywhere right now.

AllHipHop: What’s your favorite song off the project?

Yung Mal: “Numbers.” Everybody loves that song, I guess it just grew on me too.

DMX Aborted Def Jam’s 35th Anniversary Jam!

(AllHipHop Rumors) DMX turned into a stray dog when it came for him to do his his performance at Def Jam’s 35th anniversary! Apparently, he just went ghost, dog! Arf! Arf!

“He was literally MIA. Fabolous and Jadakiss saved the day in the eleventh hour,” an insider told Page Six.

Somebody told them that DMX was a “no show for personal reasons” and just decided not to go. We don’t know why, but I think it’s for the best, right? Personal can take on a myriad of meanings for somebody such as DMX.

All was not lost, true believers. Fabolous and Jadakiss jumped in to save the day and the dynamic duo rocked the crowd of about 750 with hits like “Breathe” and “We Gonna Make It.” Don’t sleep: this was a real crowd DMX dipped on! Chainz, TJ Porter, Fetty Luciano, Slick Rick, Stretch & Bobbito, DJ Premier, Teyana Taylor and others were all there for HIM! 

No word yet on what that “personal” matter was for DMX.

Tyler The Creator Paid Eminem No Mind When He Got Dissed!

(AllHipHop Rumors) Tyler The Creator is one of the most popular rappers out. He’s a young OG at this point! As a younger man, he said that one of Eminem’s albums was essentially trash and that set Eminem off…a couple years later. 

Well, it has been a couple years and now he’s talking about it to The Guardian.

“Did you ever hear me publicly say anything about that? Because I knew what the intent was,” the Flower Boy artist explained. “He felt pressured because people got offended for me. Don’t get offended for me. We were playing Grand Theft Auto when we heard that. We rewound it and were like: ‘Oh.’ And then kept playing.”

That’s not the type of response we typically want to hear from a rapper, but it seems to be the only one for a 47-year-old rapper like Eminem. Eminem is not the sort of dude to ignore somebody – even high profile fans like Tyler – and so he just goes off! 

The main reason people dissed Eminem after he went as Tyler was, because he said homophobic comments about the Flower Boy. Em spewed, “Tyler create nothin’, I see why you called yourself a f—-t, b####. It’s not just ‘cause you lack attention, it’s ‘cause you worship D12’s balls, you’re sacrilegious.”

Welp! Em would later apologize about using the “F-word” in regards to Tyler. Hopefully, Eminem can muster up some of the fire and brimstone without lashing out at people that actually like him.

Common Reflects On The Impact Of ‘Resurrection’ On The Album’s 25th Anniversary

(AllHipHop News) 1994 was a landmark year for Hip Hop culture. Several classic albums – such as Nas’ Illmatic, OutKast’s Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik, Bone Thugs-n-Harmony’s Creepin on ah Come Up, The Notorious B.I.G.’s Ready to Die, Scarface’s The Diary, and Method Man’s Tical – emerged in ’94. 

A 22-year-old Chicago native named Lonnie Rashid Lynn (aka Common) let loose a jewel that year as well. His sophomore studio LP, Resurrection, is widely considered one of the musical zeniths of his career.

Common presented an audio reflection on Resurrection with Apple Music’s Beats 1. He chatted on how Nas, John Coltrane, James Baldwin, Richard Wright, Nikki Giovanni, Maya Angelou, and religious passages inspired the project. The actor/activist/author also talked about his 1994 body of work impacting other emcees.

“I think Resurrection influenced Hip Hop in ways that different artists and producers kind of recognize that it’s something that they were influenced and opened to. J Dilla told me, because he wanted to be one of the first artists from the Midwest to be on some new fresh children of [A Tribe Called Quest], he saw us and was like, ‘Damn, he actually doing it,'” recalls Common. “Kanye [West], always has told me it was one of the albums for him, seeing in Chicago and doing it at that level, and that’s where him and No I.D., I think, started to connect.” 

Common added, “I feel like when people talk about Resurrection you don’t hear that in the talks with Illmatic or Ready to Die. But for some people that really listen to Hip Hop, they do look at it as one of those albums that were classic and meant something to the culture at that time.”

Arguably, the standout track on Resurrection is the metaphorical “I Used to Love H.E.R.” single. The album also hosts stellar songs like “Watermelon,” “Orange Pineapple Juice,” “Chapter 13 (Rich Man Vs. Poor Man),” and “Pop’s Rap.” Ernest “No I.D.” Wilson was heavily involved with the album’s production.

21 Savage Receives National Immigration Law Center’s Courageous Luminaries Award

(AllHipHop News) The National Immigration Law Center honored Grammy-nominated musician She’yaa Bin Abraham-Joseph. The Atlanta resident, also known as 21 Savage, was one of the 2019 Courageous Luminaries Award recipients.

Black Lives Matter co-founder/Reform L.A. Jails founder Patrisse Cullors presented the plaque to 21. Somos Un Pueblo Unido and Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP were the other Courageous Luminaries Award honorees. Actress Grace Parra hosted the event inside the Ebell Theater of Los Angeles.

“21 Savage’s story is a powerful reminder of our deeply flawed immigration system,” says Marielena Hincapié, the Executive Director of NILC. “We are committed to fighting for the rights of immigrants and we’re thrilled to honor 21 Savage for standing with us in this fight against this administration’s ongoing attack on immigrant communities.”

The London-born entertainer made national news after being detained by ICE agents in February for being an undocumented immigrant. According to 21, he was brought to America around the age of seven and his visa expired during his teenage years. Bin Abraham-Joseph reportedly filed a U-visa application with the US Citizenship and Immigration Service in 2017.

In response to his incarceration, supporters of the Atlanta-raised rapper helped spread the #Free21Savage campaign. A “Stop The Deportation of She’yaa Bin Abraham-Joseph” petition collected over 500,000 signatures. 21 was eventually released on bond after spending 10 days in ICE detention.

PHOTO CREDIT: Jerritt Clarke

EXCLUSIVE: “Godfather” Of Nine Trey Gangsta Bloods Asks Judge For Mercy In Letter After Tekashi 6ix9ine Testimony

(AllHipHop News) Nine Trey Gangsta Bloods’ alleged “Godfather” Jamel “Mel Murda” Jones is asking a judge to take it easy on him when he is sentenced later this month.

In April of 2019, Mel Murda pleaded guilty to one count of racketeering conspiracy and one count of participating in a narcotics distribution conspiracy for selling a kilogram of fentanyl.

He is one of a dozen men accused of sparking a wave of violence around New York City in a RICO case against Tekashi 6ix9ine and the Nine Trey Gangsta Bloods.

6ix9ine took the stand during an eight-day trial to testify against his former associates, which resulted in the convictions of fellow Nine Trey gang members Aljermiah “Nuke” Mack and Anthony “Harv” Ellison.

Mack is awaiting sentencing for dealing drugs, while Ellison will be sent to prison for kidnapping 6ix9ine during an internal dispute over the rapper’s career.

Mel Murda’s lawyer Scott Leemon asked presiding Judge Paul Engelmayer to stay within sentencing guidelines, and give his client 78 months in prison since his infractions were non-violent.

In a lengthy letter to the court which can be found below, Mel Murda explained how he was released from prison in 2005 and was attempting to turn his life around.

In 2006 he entered into a recording contract with Diplomat Records as a part of Jim Jones’s group Byrd Gang and that is when he fell back into his old ways.

“Although music provided Jamel with a legitimate means of supporting himself, it also kept him in contact with elements of New York City’s gang culture. It was this continued association with gang members that led to his conviction in this case,” Mel Murda’s lawyer Scott Leemon said.

In a heartfelt letter, Mel Murda, 39, pleaded for Judge Engelmayer to take it easy on him for the sake of his two children, when he is formally sentenced on October 17th, 2019.

Here is Mel Murda’s letter to Judge Engelmayer in full:

I hope this letter reaches you and you are in good health and spirits. As for me, I am just sitting at MDC thinking about a lot of poor choices I’ve made in life.

When I think back, a lot of my issues started when I was a young kid just trying to belong.

Coming up as a kid, I did not really have a positive role model in my life.

I found myself as a very angry teenager because of the things I experienced and the things I saw at home behind closed doors.

I took to the streets heavy at the age of fourteen. A lot of my friends suffered the same way I did, or worse, so we became each other’s comfort blankets.

The older guys in my neighborhood that embraced us were thugs off the corner and they were involved in illegal activities like drugs and violence.

But at least they seemed to care about our well being. Or so we thought at the time. In reality, I can see now, that they were really just molding us to become young criminals because they knew we really had nobody and we were gullible young kids looking to fit in and to find father figures.

We looked to these guys for the love we were missing. That is when the United Blood Nation came into my life at fifteen years of age. Between my anger and loyalty to the game, I made a lot of bad decisions trying not to let the gang down.

By the time I was eighteen going on nineteen years old, my childhood sweetheart, Dawn Gillespie, gave birth to my beautiful daughter That’s when I realized I wanted more for myself, my child, and for my heart: Dawn. But the streets still had a hold on me.

I was at war in my own head. I wanted to fall back from the gang life and do the right thing by my family, but I felt like I was somehow being wrong to my gang family, because at that point, I really believed they had been there for me when I had no one.

What I did was try to distance myself as much as possible. I started working in the music industry. I got signed to Diplomat Records when I was twenty-four years old and things were looking up for me. I found myself staying away from negativity but I was becoming very popular and with that life came a lot of envy, money, and women.

This all caused me to lose Dawn because of my own cheating and inability to be home because of the demands of touring and life in the industry.

I found myself become depressed and falling back on my old ways, going back to the streetsbbecause I was not happy. I had lost my earlier life even though I now had money and fame. I felt like something was missing. A lot of dormant anger from my childhood came back to the surface.

When I tried to return to the game, they were mostly only concerned with my present reputation and what I could do for them financially, and it was at that point that I realized that their love was never genuine. They gave me a position of authority because of who I was and my age.

During that time, in my mind, I decided that I was done with the streets but I still tried to keep ties with some of the guys I knew from the gang.

I know that was where I went wrong. My real family, I now realized, was my mother, Dawn, my aunts, and my brother. I got back together with Dawn and she gave me a baby boy named – my pride and joy. I realized I have to break the cycle because I don’t want my son or daughter going through what I did.

I want the best for them.

I know I should have woken up and realized this earlier, especially when I was shot five times and my loved ones almost lost me. Now I find myself caught up in this case and this is the first time I’m in real serious trouble.

But, I can promise you that it will be my last. I am not a part of the violence in my case, and this federal arrest has been a real wake-up call for me.

I sincerely apologize for all my actions and I take full responsibility. I ask for leniency and a second chance to return to my children as soon as possible. I want to return to my family and right all my wrongs so I can be there for them. They need me and I definitely need them.

It is a must that I break the cycle.

It is killing me that I’m not there for my children and my loved ones. I am completely done with the streets. I plan to change my environment, as well as the company that I keep.

To me, right now, the most important company to keep is that of my family and my children. Please allow me to return to them as soon as possible. I don’t need a whole lot of time to fix myself. I need counseling and for you to believe in me, and see that I’m not the monster they paint me to be.

Please understand that I’m human, and I ask you for a second chance.

Respectfully submitted,

Jamel Jones