(AllHipHop News) Ayana Stafford-Morris and her husband, Siree Morris, are bringing the classic drive-in movie experience to Newark. The Newark Moonlight Cinema will show a trio of Michael B. Jordan films this weekend at 54 Bridge Street. Just Mercy will be shown on July 24th, Creed 2 on July 25th, and Hardball on July 26th. Ayana, who went to Arts High School in New Jersey with Michael B. Jordan, started her drive-in vision with the goal of highlighting African American filmmakers, actors, and actresses.
The format of the screenings will be Adult-oriented films on Fridays and Saturdays, and family movies on Sundays.
“Drive-in movies work well because they allow you to naturally social distance,” said Ayana. “COVID is still a real thing, but everybody wants to get out of the house, everybody wants the opportunity to do something with their family, so this is the perfect way to get out of the house, be with your family, still physically distance from other people and be able to watch a movie. It just makes sense.”
Ayana and Siree had to pass a city required COVID inspection before opening the drive-in site to patrons. The city of Newark had to make sure that the site afforded enough space for proper social distancing between patrons and inside the concessions area. Masks are required for anything done outside of vehicles, including purchasing concessions. “The city was really excited for us to bring this to Newark so they’ve been very helpful in getting us through the permitting process and licensing process.” Ayana said. “They’ve been a great partner for us.”
Ayana was inspired to start her own drive-in movie venture when her documentary “Why Is We Americans?” premiered at the Lighthouse International Film Festival earlier this year. The festival adapted the pop-up drive-in method for their screenings and Ayana thought it was a great idea. “I’ve been wanting to open up a movie theater of my own for some years now, my husband and I have talked extensively about it, and done a lot of research,” Ayana said. “We were trying to find out how to make that happen, so when I saw this I knew it was a great opportunity for me to capitalize on and remix a goal of mine. It’s not a traditional movie theater, but it’s very close to it, so I’m excited about that.”
Both Siree and Ayana are excited to bring a fresh take on the classic experience that is the drive-in movie. “A drive-in movie theater is kind of America’s Pastime” Siree said. He believes that people from his generation will enjoy it even more now. “We can social distance and pretty much have fun in a different way.”
While doing research into drive-in theaters across the country, Ayana came across a pattern. “We see a lot of (drive-in theaters) are playing Jaws and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, and we love those films, we’ve probably all seen them a million times by now, but those are not films that appeal to my demographic and the community that I serve” said Ayana. Showing primarily black stories will be a refreshing change of pace that other drive-in movie experiences rarely offer.
Next weekend, starting July 31st, the Newark Moonlight Cinema will be showing Girls Trip, Set It Off, and Hairspray for their Queen Latifah lineup. They also plan to show Harlem Nights, Us, Get Out, Transformers, Queen and Slim and Princessand the Frog in the future.
The Newark Moonlight Cinema Is scheduled to wrap on October 4th, but Ayana and Siree are already negotiating to extend their pop-up run into November.
Eli Eli is a new artist from Woodbridge, VA, who just came up with a brand new release, a brand new track titled “Karen”, which is actually inspired by the recent Karen challenge that’s sweeping up the nation and the media right now!
Musically, this song is very relevant because it represents a very current topic, but it is also a really good track in its own right. This particular release is a huge milestone for the artist, and it definitely marks an important step forward towards further solidifying his sound and vision. To put it in a different way, this song is pure fire, and it definitely burns a lot of the competition out there when it comes to up & coming rap music!
“Karen” is definitely a breath of much-needed fresh air, particularly in a genre such as modern rap. Everyone seems to be stuck in the same old cliches, and as a result, this particular music scene is becoming a little bit stale. However, every once in a while something fantastic and full of heart comes up, just like Eli Eli’s new release.
(AllHipHop News) Rob Kardashian’s ex-fiance Blac Chyna has come out in support of bizarre tweets from Kanye West about the Kardashian family.
The “Yeezus” rapper compared Keeping Up with the Kardashians matriarch Kris Jenner, the mother of his wife Kim Kardashian, to ruthless North Korean leader, Kim Jong-Un on Twitter on Wednesday in an apparent breakdown, tweeting: “This my lady tweet of the night … Kris Jong-Un.”
He also accused Kris of conspiring with Kim to “lock me up” for mental health treatment due to his bipolar disorder before levying theories of “white supremacy” against Jenner.
Now Blac Chyna, real name Angela Renee White, has stepped into the controversy to support his comments about Kris, who is grandmother to her and Rob’s three-year-old daughter Dream.
“Chyna of course wants her daughter Dream’s ‘Uncle Kanye’ to get whatever help he needs,” reads a statement to Page Six released by her lawyer Lynne Ciani on Thursday. “However, Chyna does not want all of his recent statements regarding his mother-in-law summarily dismissed as ‘crazy’ as some people apparently would like to do.”
The star went on to insist West’s statements regarding Kris “should not be entirely ignored.”
Blac Chyna has been caught up in an ongoing feud with members of the Kardashian family since she split from Rob in 2017, including numerous legal battles, such as a custody battle with her daughter’s father and a years-long assault lawsuit launched against her by the sock designer.
She went to battle with the entire family by filing a lawsuit in 2017 accusing various Kardashian relatives, including Kris, of assault, battery, domestic violence, defamation and interference with prospective economic relations.
White claimed the family conspired to have her and her ex’s Rob & Chyna reality show canceled after they split, and goes on to allege Rob physically abused her during their relationship.
“Can I live?” This is a question Black Americans are forced to ask on a daily basis. Amongst life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, life is perhaps the most important and basic human right guaranteed by the U.S. constitution. If we’re denied this basic right then the others become void and null. So, let’s start at the basics…Can I Live?
In the wake of the Black Lives Matter protests, Casey Jones II shares an emotional two-part song titled “Can I Live,” giving a glimpse into his and others’ experience of being Black in America. Casey wrote part one about a year ago, and it’s more relevant now than ever. Part two was written in response to the horrific murders of George Floyd and many other Black Americans by the police.
Casey Jones II is a rising lyrical hip-hop artist reigning from the hot, humid, and hostile swamps of Gainesville, Florida. Casey elevates his art form through intertwining flavors of soul, R&B, boom bap, and the blues. Each track tells an emotional story about life, love, happiness, and other experiences. By tapping into the pure essence of human emotion, Casey is able to create sounds that will be universally appreciated.
Leo Black is back with an anthem for Summer 2020. The record “Squad” currently has over 2 million streams collectively between Youtube and Spotify, and continues to climb. The music video was filmed at Youtube Space in Playa Vista, California, known as the prestigious playground for creatives known.
Speaking on the record, Leo states, “I knew ‘Squad’ was a hit the day I crowd surfed on a surfboard to it at a packed show. You never really know until you perform it in front of a crowd of hip-hop fans.”
Leo has previously showed us his humorous side in the outdoors pool scene for the “have a great day” music video, but chose to keep this one more intimate. “Squad” was filmed indoors transitioning from a more serious scene holding an AR15 pointed at the camera to the makeup room skit as the ladies get ready to party — while playing beer pong in the living room. The eye candy is endless as Leo vouches for his squad and loyalty in his raps.
Leo echoes “a real man is a slave to his woman,” following in the footsteps of Dame Dash. He’s been vocal about how women have been more loyal than men in the past, so he prefers to be accompanied by women.
(AllHipHop News) Outkast star Big Boi is teasing an odd new collaboration with one of his musical heroes – Kate Bush.
The rapper is a lifelong fan of the “Wuthering Heights” singer and even jetted to Britain in 2014 to catch one of her comeback shows in London, where he met the Brit backstage.
“I love Kate Bush,” he tells Yahoo. “That’s my people, man. My uncle turned me on to her since I was, like, in 8th grade… He turned me on to Kate and Fleetwood Mac and Sting and Lynyrd Skynyrd.
“So I grew up listening to Bob Marley too, and my top two artists of all time is 1A and 1B, Bob Marley and Kate Bush. And then number two would be N.W.A.”
Recalling his meeting with Bush backstage at the Hammersmith Apollo six years ago, Big Boi adds, “It was super-dope to go in and just to see all the songs play out onstage and the theatrical everything. And at the end of the show, she invited me and my wife back to the dressing room to have a glass of wine.”
Kate and Big Boi also hooked up for dinner in 2017 and now the rap star is hoping to get in the studio with the singer for a dream duet that could appear on Big Sleepover, his upcoming joint album with Sleepy Brown.
“Stay tuned…,” he says. “I can’t even talk about it right now!”
(AllHipHop News) Chart-topping rapper Lil Baby is baffled by Kanye West’s claims he blocked a collaboration, insisting no one told him the “Stronger” hitmaker was trying to track him down.
During a Twitter rant, Kanye confessed to being a big fan of the Georgia-based newcomer and alleged he had tried to arrange a studio hook-up.
West wrote: “Lil Baby my favorite rapper but won’t do a song wit me (sic),” during what many feel was Kanye’s latest bipolar episode – he also attacked his wife, Kim Kardashian, and mother-in-law Kris Jenner on Twitter.
But Lil Baby insists he knew nothing of West’s efforts to reach out to him until he read his tweet.
Nobody told me ye was trying to get me on a song 🧐 that’s fucced up
(AllHipHop News) Will Smith couldn’t help but laugh as a fan poked fun at his wife Jada’s ‘entanglement’ with singer August Alsina.
The actress came clean about her relationship with the 27-year-old musician during a recent episode of her Red Table Talk show on Facebook Watch, revealing she and August hooked up while she and her husband, Will Smith, were separated five years ago.
Jada’s comments have inspired the August’s new track, “Entanglements,” which features Rick Ross, and her choice of words in describing the affair got fans talking online.
While Will has kept his head down amid the drama, the “Aladdin” actor took to Instagram to share a playful video of himself jumping rope, with the camera attached to the rope to show fans its perspective while he jumped.
While many marveled at the cool clip, one user found the opportunity to make a clever comment Jada’s relationship reveal, penning, “Ok don’t get entangled,” adding a laughing-crying emoji.
Smith reacted to the comment, admitting it was funny – before telling the fan he’s “definitely gonna block you”.
“Hahaha… Okay… I can admit it. That’s Funny! I’m definitely gonna block you. But the joke was Very Funny!” he replied.
(AllHipHop News) From its inception, Hip Hop has contained an element of competitiveness embedded in it. Those early battles to be the best deejay, emcee, breaker, or graffiti artist helped expand the culture to become a global phenomenon.
Sometimes, egos can push what is usually nothing more than friendly competition into areas that involve genuine personal issues. Beefs arise. Fans and artists are often expected to choose sides.
“We don’t give a f*ck about that old sh*t. That old-dated ‘y’all can’t get along’… That sh*t is gone. You’re hustling. I’m hustling. You’re getting money. I’m getting money. What’s the beef? There’s nothing to beef over,” said Kamaiyah in a recent interview with AllHipHop.
She continued, “You have your market that you’re directly pitching towards. I have my market. If they somehow happen to cross paths, we’re still both making money because both of our sh*t is streaming. So what’s the real f*cking issue?”
Kamaiyah is not the only woman in Hip Hop that seems to be open to working with her high-profile female peers. This year, fans saw Doja Cat and Nicki Minaj link up for “Say So” as well as Megan Thee Stallion and Beyoncé unite for “Savage.” Both songs hit #1 on the Hot 100 chart.
Last year, Cardi B used her huge Instagram platform to shout out Kamaiyah, Tierra Whack, Chika, and Rapsody. The Grammy winner called on the media and her followers to support “dope” female rappers like the ones she mentioned in her IG video.
When a celebrity with an Instagram following of more than 40 million users at the time praises you, it is likely to have an impact on the number of new eyes and ears that start to take notice. So did Cardi’s endorsement bolster Kamaiyah’s streaming totals?
“I didn’t really pay attention. I know I got a lot of followers from it, for sure,” says Kamaiyah. “Shout out to the homegirl, Cardi. Cardi is a real one. I f*ck with Cardi. That takes a lot of humility and a lot of self-confidence to big up other females because females are insecure in Hip Hop. So that shows how secure she is within herself to shout out multiple other women. It’s dope that she did that.”
Over the last three years, an expanding spotlight continues to shine on female Hip Hop artists. Acts such as Lizzo, Saweetie, City Girls, Kash Doll, Noname, DreamDoll, Rico Nasty, Flo Milli, DaniLeigh, Asian Da Brat, Yung Baby Tate, 070 Shake, Melii,Ms Banks, Cuban Doll, CupcakKe, Tokyo Jetz, Leikeli47, Princess Nokia, and LightSkinKeisha have garnered playlist placement and national press coverage.
(AllHipHop News) DJ Khaled preparing to release his 12th studio LP in the near future. The Khaled Khaled albumera kicked off with a two-record assist from Drake.
One week ago, Khaled dropped “Greece” and “Popstar” featuring the Canadian superstar. Both singles instantly jumped into the Top 10 of the iTunes, Apple Music, and Spotify charts.
“Me and Drake, that’s my brother for real. I’m sure you could see that, and we had these great inspiring conversations throughout the years, and when ‘Popstar’ was created, I went to Toronto, and my son was born,” the We The Best boss told Apple Music’s Zane Lowe Zan
Khaled added, “What I love about Drake too is, me and him, you always want to make sure it feels right. That’s the way I like to rock, too. I want it to feel right and the stars align for us to come with two keys and it felt right, you know what I mean? I even told Drake on the phone, I said, ‘Yo Drake, we got to be the light. We got to.’ And he agreed.”
DJ Khaled’s three-decade career as a recording artist includes countless collaborations with other music stars. Besides Drake, the 44-year-old producer/executive apparently connected with Megan The Stallion for a new track as well.
“I mean f*ck it. This is the Zane Lowe show, right? I’ll be honest with you. Me and Megan, we got one. Yeah, we cooked something up,” revealed Khaled. Earlier this year, Hot Girl Meg earned her first #1 on the Hot 100 with “Savage” featuring Beyoncé.
Mississippi’s Clarion-Ledger newspaperpublished findings from an assessment of the facility conducted by attorneys and medical experts working with Jay-Z, Yo Gotti, and Team Roc which is Roc Nation’s philanthropic arm. Photographs taken inside Parchman showed the horrid conditions the men were forced to endure.
As part of lawsuits filed against the Mississippi Department of Corrections, Commissioner Pelicia Hall, and Superintendent Marshal Turner, a judge approved of Team Roc’s Parchman investigation in February. Some of the findings include:
Men incarcerated at Parchman resort to threats of self-harm, flooding cells and setting fires to seek help for severely injured and sick residents — including a diabetic patient who didn’t receive insulin for three days and a man who was urinating blood, according to court filings.
Oftentimes food comes undercooked, or spoiled, covered in insects or rat feces, if delivered at all. Water that inmates drink and use to wash their clothes is brown and foul-smelling.
At Parchman, officers allegedly provided gang-affiliated inmates with keys and weapons so they can assault or kill members of a rival gang, one plaintiff-hired expert, Dr. Madeleine LaMarre wrote.
Some cells had no running water and people were forced to urinate or defecate in plastic bags.
Several inmates described no follow-up appointments, even for symptoms that could be signs of serious conditions such as colon cancer, tuberculosis and a brain tumor.
Inmates claim access to consistent and competent medical care is hampered by a corrupt and indifferent system. Men reportedly frequently have trouble obtaining sick call slips needed to request appointments because the supply runs out. Oftentimes it can take several days for the patient to be seen, if at all. Guards regularly fail to transport men to their doctor’s appointments, resulting in treatment being delayed. Some people claim officers charge unofficial transportation fees of up to $150.
Since December 2019, at least 54 people have died while in the custody of the Mississippi Department of Corrections. The U.S. Department of Justice is said to be investigating the state’s prison system.
(AllHipHop News) Is Sir Robert Bryson Hall II really ready to walk away from the microphone for good? The Maryland rapper, better known as Logic, said he is truly done making music projects.
Before Logic enters into retirement, he dropped a new album titled No Pressure. The 15-track effort was executive produced by Hall, Ernest Dion “No I.D.” Wilson, and Chris Zarou.
Throughout his career, Logic scored three chart-topping albums on the Billboard 200. 2017’s Everybody, 2018’s Bobby Tarantino II, and 2019’s Confessions of a Dangerous Mind each debuted at #1.
2018’s Young Sintra IV peaked at #2. In 2019, the Supermarket soundtrack only reached #56 on the Billboard 200 with 11,823 first-week units.
No Pressure will likely be blocked from the top spot by Taylor Swift’s Folklore which arrived on the same day. At the moment, Logic’s latest LPsits at #3 on the U.S. iTunes chart behind Folklore and The Chicks’ Gaslighter.
(AllHipHop News) Besides sparking conversations this week about mental health because of a series of troubling tweets, Kanye West also promised to drop a new album today (July 24). As of press time, Donda: With Child is still not available.
Typically, new projects hit DSPs at midnight of the release date, but Donda cannot be found on the streaming sites. It is not clear why West has either delayed or canceled the release of his tenth studio LP.
West also promoted a movie that would be accompanying Donda: With Child on its July 24 date. However, the film has not been released either. In June, he did let loose the song “Wash Us In The Blood” featuring Travis Scott.
This is not the first time a Kanye West project has been postponed for various reasons. 2016’sThe Life of Pablo was pushed back several times. 2019’s Jesus Is King was delayed nearly a month from its original date.
While Ye fans did not get Donda at the start of that day, the 43-year-old billionaire’s longtime rival did return with a new body of work. Taylor Swift’s Folklore quickly jumped to #1 on the US iTunes charts.
(AllHipHop News) This new music Friday features a project from Hip Hop veteran Curren$y. The southern spitter teamed up with producer Harry Fraud for The OutRunners.
“Even those who have known me forever will find out things they didn’t know with The OutRunners. As long as I’ve been surviving out here, I realize we’ve got so much growing to do,” stated Curren$y.
The New Orleans native added, “Thank you Harry Fraud, this collaboration brought more out of me then I’ve ever seen or heard. I can’t wait to share this project with everyone.”
Curren$y and Harry Fraudreunited for the 9-track collection following their collaborative efforts Cigarette Boats, The Stage, and The Marina. The OutRunners featuresWiz Khalifa, Rick Ross, Conway The Machine, and Jim Jones.
(AllHipHop Features) Spectators might’ve noticed that when Black jogger Amaud Arbery was hunted and murdered by three white men, a group of armed military men emerged on the scene in response. There was no violence at that point despite Brunswick, GA being a hotbed for the KKK. When the NFAC re-emerged in Stone Mountain, Georgia on the Fourth of July, there was no violence. Again. In fact, at that time, the police officers yielded respect. Most large scale assemblies of people in protest have been chock full of discord, chaos, degrees of anarchy, and even total confusion.
One Grand Master Jay, the leader of the NFAC (Not F##king Around Coalition), has stepped to the forefront as an aggressive form of leadership that has not been prominent in recent memory. GMJ has managed to gain the attention of Black media, mainstream media, as well as masses of people in social media on a very surface level. However, all of that is insignificant to Grand Master Jay, who wants one thing for Black people: Liberation.
On Saturday, July 25th, the center of attention will be Breonna Taylor. Taylor was a 26-year-old African-American emergency medical tech that was fatally shot by Louisville Metro Police officers on March 13, 2020. She was in her own home when the officers burst in her home with a “no-knock” search warrant. She was hit at least eight time by officers Jonathan Mattingly, Brett Hankison, and Myles Cosgrove. Grandmaster Jay and the NFAC will convene another military formation in honor of Breonna Taylor to give the wheels of justice some much-needed oil.
The NFAC leader talks to Chuck “Jigsaw” Creekmur about what he hopes to accomplish, the response of local government officials, as well as activists leading protests on the scene. He is not here for the BS. He is here to protect and serve his people by any means necessary.
AllHipHop: Grandmaster Jay, how are you doing today, my brother?
Grandmaster Jay: Brother, I’m glad to be here. Glad to see you still see that you’re still Black. Can’t say that for too many others, but I’m glad to be here.
AllHipHop: Still Black, bro, it ain’t gonna change. So I wanna I want to jump let’s just jump right into it. I know you are a busy man I know that you have been on the frontlines in so many different ways, in thought as well as action. First things first, though, you have this this this formation coming in Louisville. In defense of Breonna Taylor. Can you tell our audience as well as others that may be watching from your words, why you are going there with your organization?
Grandmaster Jay: One word, frustration. We have sat back, and we have watched them (authorities) drag their feet (in the Breonna Taylor case). We have watched the lack of transparency as far as what’s going on. We have watched other people go in and try to demonstrate and protest or raise awareness around the issue. We have watched the lack of information that has not come out from the powers to be that in that area, and then we have watched the city pretty much just dissolve into a place of chaos.
I’ve been to Louisville before, and I don’t remember remembering seeing it like that. So that means that there must be a serious problem. We have watched everyone from sports figures to entertainment celebrities call for the arrest of the officers that hasn’t happened. But most importantly, we have also watched what it appears to be a lack of a conversation by the rest of the world around the death of this young lady (Breonna Taylor).
When everyone else was in an uproar over George Floyd and for a brief while they were in an uproar over Ahmaud (Arbery), it seems like Miss Taylor was lost somewhere in the discussion. So we decided that we needed to send a stronger message, and that that message needed to be not only seen but felt. And that the potential for a new level of resistance that hasn’t been seen in America in over 60 years, that they didn’t think existed anymore, that they thought that they had eradicated from the public psyche, that that was not the case.
We have been we’re not new. We’ve been coming for a minute. And now it would seem that it would be only logical for us to have our formation in Louisville and to open up a dialogue with the Attorney General. The governor As the mayor, the police chief, everyone else involved in finding out what exactly is going on. And what is the holdup and what appears to many people to be a cut and dry case of a police screw up. And that is why that’s the motivation for us. descending as I’ve seen the newspapers call it upon this town when in actuality, just like any militia, we’re holding a formation.
For someone who doesn’t take rap too seriously, Joe Young is pretty damn good at it. Born and raised in Germany, he states, “I’m not really a rapper, I just like to rap. I’m more of a businessman, rapping is more like therapy. I’m not really worried about rap money, I’m good.”
But that doesn’t take away from the fact that he’s worked damn near all the industry elites, including DMX, Rick Ross, The Game, Wiz Khalifa, Max B, Snoop Dogg, Tyga, 6ix9ine, Dave East, Method Man, Tony Yayo, Styles P… the list goes on.
Young was first mentored by the legendary Inspectah Deck of Wu-Tang Clan, before he fell under the wings of Ghostface Killah. He’s also designs their clothes for Wu Wear, which he’s a partner in. When it comes to businesses, he’s passionate about his tech company called 3rdspacecommunications, which might be the solution for the near future.
Now, Young releases his brand new single and visual for “Keep Me Alive,” enlisting CeeLo Green. AllHipHop caught up with Young via Instagram Live who had just woken up in Germany. Read below as we discuss the early days around Wu-Tang,
AllHipHop: You were born and raised in Germany, what was a young Joe Young like?
Joe Young: I was ambitious, I was the kid at the store who always grabbed the CD out of the box to see who I could write emails to. In younger years, I’ve always had this hustle and grind about me. I’m a regular guy man, nothing too crazy. I had a big family, have a lot of brothers and sisters. I always had ambition when I was young.
AllHipHop: At what point did music become real for you?
Joe Young: At 13 or 14, me and my brother had a little thing going on. I said “yo I’ll design the clothes and you rap.” He said “okay I’ma rap.” Coming up, we started rapping.
AllHipHop: I know Ghostface Killah was a mentor for you, when did you guys first cross paths?
Joe Young: First I crossed paths with Inspectah Deck, that’s my real mentor. The first single I’ve ever been on was with Inspectah Deck. Me and Ghost, I can’t even put my finger on the year. We met mad years back and started working together right away. Everything fell into place right there.
AllHipHop: How did you start working together?
Joe Young: I was a party promoter in ’06, so I booked Inspectah Deck for a show. One thing led to another, we ended up at the studio and made a record. We did a single, I got a deal with Sony off that single. The rest is history man.
AllHipHop: What are some things that both of them taught you?
Joe Young: They taught me to stay patient and don’t force anything. Stay ready and be cautious. Keep a sharp pen.
AllHipHop: Back then, did you think Wu-Tang would explode into what they’ve become today?
Joe Young: I don’t even think they really knew themselves. When they came out, I was young. I liked the music. Nobody thought it’s going to be the way it was because it’s an unorthodox sound, with the whole Shaolin theme. Nobody knew how big they’d be.
AllHipHop: Talk about designing clothes for Wu Wear, that’s super down.
Joe Young: When something’s meant for you to do, it’s going to happen along the way. I started back in the day when I was young so I always had the ambition to do that. Not knowingly, I always trimmed myself in that direction. One day, it happened.
AllHipHop: Do you have a passion for fashion?
Joe Young: I do, of course. I have a passion for anything that I grew up liking, that’s what I did it. I started at a young age around 14 or 15, having my first design. Having the first people checking out.
AllHipHop: Let’s get into your new single “Keep Me Alive” featuring Cee-Lo Green. How did that come about?
Joe Young: I was working with somebody on the West Coast, being creative and this song came together. He called me one day and said “yo I’m in a session right now, you tryna do a song with Cee-Lo Green?” I said “sure, why not?” They were at the studio already, I said “put it together and send it over.” I did the clearance, I did my verses and the rest is history. I work in a direction and that’s the outcome.
AllHipHop: The record speaks to the current times, what was your intention?
Joe Young: It’s organic. At the end of the day, if you look at the signs of the time, you already know what to do without even thinking about doing it. I went in that direction anyways.
AllHipHop: How was working with Cool & Dre?
Joe Young: I was over here in Germany, it happened through email thing. I shot a video a few months before with Snoop, it fell into pocket. I was working with this guy, I can’t mention his name because he did some outrageous s##t. I don’t deal with him anymore. He gave it to me because he couldn’t do anything with it, so I took it upon myself.
AllHipHop: What can we expect from the video?
Joe Young: I can’t really give up too much, but it’s going to be a nice video. It’s well put together, it’s dope.
AllHipHop: What’s the racial climate in Germany right now?
Joe Young: In Germany, you can still accept it. Out here, it’s not really what it is in the US because we’re not stupid like that. It’s regular to me, I always grew up like this. Of course, it’s a lot more things happening right now. If you’ve been black all your life, you’re used to it.
AllHipHop: What’s your faith in God like?
Joe Young: That’s the only thing that counts to me. You’re a miracle, I’m a miracle. So at the end of the day, we’re a whole bunch of energy. That’s like Avatar. I’m a very spiritual person. We have a word for it, we call it God. Other people call it Allah, other people call it Buddha. The higher the energy we’re connected to, it’s everlasting.
AllHipHop: How are you able to stay positive during these times?
Joe Young: What’s happening right now is not here to affect your real spirit, your real self. All of this s##t is fake.
AllHipHop: What’s the premise of your tech company 3rdspacecommunications?
Joe Young: We’re creating a software for school systems for art, entertainment, and sports. This is my real job. This rap thing is a hobby. We have a lot of prominent people who believe in our idea of the new future, that everything will happen on a virtual level through Oculus. The second wave of Corona is about to hit so we try to make it easier for the people to stay at home. They have ghost games with no audience, we’ll take these soccer games and put it on Oculus so people with the glasses can feel like they’re in the stadium watching the real game. It’s crazy.
AllHipHop: How did you get so good at tech?
Joe Young: I’m not really good at tech, I hired the right people for what I want to do. I’m not the guy at the computer, I have 120 people working for me. I’m not doing everything myself, I have a team.
AllHipHop: What other businesses do you have?
Joe Young: I’m co-owner of the Wu Wear brand in Europe. I’m the co-owner of Skull Society, another fashion brand. I have this tech company. We have a crypto company. We’re doing movies, we’re doing audiobooks. We’re doing a lot of things. We got our own industry, we got our own things to build. We got our own crypto. We got our own payment system like Paypal, but it’s called PayPortal. We do different things man, I’m not worried about this rap stuff.
AllHipHop: Do you have any goals for yourself at this point?
Joe Young: My only goal at this point in time is not to lose my mind.
AllHipHop: Anything else you want to let us know?
Joe Young: We have a single out “Keep Me Alive,” it’s doing pretty good. It’s close to a million streams after 2 days, we’re dropping a video soon. We’re working on new records man, new music. We got some big names on some songs. Check out Undefeated, that’s my EP with my homie from Turkey. Massaka. We’re featuring Tyga, Snoop Dogg, 6ix9ine, Gucci Mane.
AllHipHop: I saw that, how’d you get all of those people?
Joe Young: It happens like that for me. I know how to work. It’s a job, either you’re good at a job or you’re not good at the job.
(AllHipHop News) Damon Dash has insisted Kanye West is not “crazy” and dismissed West’s wife Kim Kardashian’s comments that he is in the midst of a “complicated” and “painful” bipolar episode.
In an interview with the New York Post’s Page Six column, Dash, who is currently ensconced with the rapper at his Wyoming ranch while working on West’s new album, insisted the “Mercy” star is “cool” and that “he’s tired but he’s happy.”
He also sent a series of rambling tweets, including one that claimed Kardashian and her mother, Kris Jenner, tried to get him “locked up.”
In a statement shared on Wednesday, the KKW Beauty mogul asked for “compassion” for her husband as he battles his “painful” bipolar disorder.
However, Dash denied West has a problem and insisted he is “going to be all right”.
“People think he lost his mind just because he cried,” he told the gossip column. “The way he lost his mind and jumped on a jet and then jumped off the jet to come back to his 40,000-acre ranch? Yeah, I’d like to lose my mind like that.”
He continued: “We are praying, we are working. People think like we are in an insane asylum (but) we got an album coming out.”
When he was asked about the Kardashian family’s concerns for West, he answered abruptly, “I don’t give a f##k about none of that. I see him — he’s cool. I don’t give a f##k what they say. He’s a little tired but he’s happy,” adding West is “productive” and “having fun.”
“Why are you talking about (his mental health)? He’s in a big room with 40 different companies. Ideas development. It’s a laboratory going on over here. Just think of Willy Wonka,” he said referencing Roald Dahl’s eccentric chocolatier from the children’s book “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.”
“People watched the rally and think he’s crazy, but that’s how the average person thinks. Everyone that listens to him (who thinks) he’s crazy is not a billionaire. But (for) some reason Elon Musk doesn’t think he’s crazy. I don’t think he’s crazy.”
(AllHipHop News) Derek Chauvin the former Minneapolis police officer who is already facing charges in the death of George Floyd is also facing multiple tax-related felonies.
According to CBS Minnesota, Derek and his wife Kellie – who are in the midst of divorce proceedings – have been booked on nine counts of felony tax evasion charges.
It was claimed investigators began looking into the Chauvins in June, 2020 for not filing Minnesota individual income tax returns on time from 2016 to 2019, and for fraudulently filing tax returns from 2014 to 2019.
Washington County Attorney Pete Orput noted: “When you fail to fulfill the basic obligation to file and pay taxes, you are taking money from the pockets of citizens of Minnesota.
“Our office has and will continue to file these charges when presented. Whether you are a prosecutor or police officer, or you are a doctor or a realtor, no one is above the law.”
The complaint details that, for multiple years, the Chauvins failed to file income tax returns and pay state income taxes. They also reportedly underreported and underpaid taxes on income from various employments each year.
The charges are the result of an investigation conducted by the Minnesota Department of Revenue and the Oakdale Police Department, and leave the couple facing a maximum sentence of 45 years in prison and/or a $90,000 fine each.
(AllHipHop News) Iggy Azalea has shot down reports suggesting she is facing legal problems from a skateboarder who was involved in an accident with her ex-boyfriend French Montana’s brother.
The Australian rapper has denied claims she is facing a $250,000 judgment in legal action over the 2016 car accident.
Sources alleged she was being sued alongside Ayoub Kharbouch, but Iggy took to Instagram to make it clear she’s “not liable.”
“My name is mentioned in a lawsuit from 2016 because I was the vehicle owner of a car that was involved in an accident,” she wrote. “I was not on the scene and I have never had direct involvement in this suit as per the judge’s orders – I am not liable.”
She insisted the lawsuit was “solely with the insurance company and driver of the vehicle.”
According to the lawsuit, the plaintiff is Jeffrey Linett, who was allegedly struck by Iggy’s Jeep Wrangler while skateboarding in Los Angeles. He claimed 18-year-old Ayoub was on his phone while driving, according to TMZ.
Iggy doesn’t need the drama right now as she settles into motherhood after giving birth to her first child with partner Playboi Carti earlier this year.
