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Oxymorrons: The Perfect Blend Of Hip-Hop & Alternative Rock

By: Shirley Ju Updated Category: Breeding Ground Showcase
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Oxymorrons have somehow created their own unique lane that the music industry has yet to see: the perfect blend of alternative rock and hip-hop. Beyond that, the Queens, New York-based band stands for something greater than just music, but actually pushing the narrative and standing for justice during these unprecedented times.

Furthermore, they don’t follow the typical guidelines when it comes to genre, which also comes to life in the diversity of races within the band members. Based in New York, the group consists of Dave on the lead vocals, Jafé on the guitar and vocals, KI on the vocals, and Matty Mayz on the drums. Dave states, “We blend genres and do what we want to do.”

Having established their own growing fanbase, the band recently conjoined on an impromptu release of their new single “Justice.” The record speaks volumes showcasing their frustration and rage towards systemic racism and police brutality, which was surprisingly recorded back in February months before the George Floyd incident. All proceeds are being donated to charities and nonprofits.

AllHipHop caught up with Dave and Jafé to discuss their New York influences, writing “Justice” before quarantine, journey to 333 Wreckords, goals, and more!

AllHipHop: How did you guys come together?

Dave: Initially, it was me and my brother KI, who’s not on the call now. There’s 3 vocalists and emcees, we interchange and do whatever. The tracks are composed of a lot of different vocals from us. We started off as a group with a DJ first, then we added our drummer Matty who’s still our drummer now, which is amazing. We had this concept and this idea, we grew up listening to everything. We’re huge fans of Billy Joel, N.E.R.D, Queen. On the hip-hop side, you got from Kanye to Jay Z to Big. Everything you could think of, we all blended it together and created this sound you hear now.

AllHipHop: How does New York influence your life and careers?

Dave: Do you hear how we rap? [laughs] We’re New Yorkers to the core!

Jafé: The blending of genres and the freedoms we give ourselves musically to explore new sounds, then bring them into the new sound we’re trying to create. It’s the epitome of New York, we have so many nations, cultures, foods, sounds here. I’ve lived in 3 out of the 4 boroughs in my life so I’ve seen, heard, tasted a lot of s##t.

Dave: Queens is the melting pot, the most diverse borough. You have every culture. I’ve lived in 3 different states myself: Boston, Atlanta, New York. Our Queens sound is worldwide, more than just a borough or New York sound. Even in the band, there’s two Haitian guys, a Dominican dude and a Venezuelan Jew. We’re a melting pot of everything.

Jafé: Our parents definitely raised us acknowledging our roots and our ancestors. I grew up around a lot of Afro-Carribean music, playing percussion. The undertones with the way I rhythmically play guitar is not as forward, but it’s in the DNA of our style.

Dave: Absolutely. Even when we’re writing songs, we’re tapping into that. Being Haitian, I grew up listening to Kompa music. I spent a year of my life listening to nothing but Reggae music, then you have the NYC hip-hop scene where you’re talking about your boom bap. The hard gritty New York rap. We’re also really alternative kids, listening to any band from Blink-182 to Underoath to My Chemical Romance. We’re listening to it all, we really blend every musical genre possible.

Jafé: Leftover Crack and Rancid. The punk scene in New York was a big part of my life too.

Dave: Even my brother, he’s a big K-pop fan. He loves K-pop! Everything is influencing what we do. For us, music is about phonics and how it touches people — between the word choice and the instrumentation of what you’re doing. That’s what we try to create anytime we create an Oxy song.

AllHipHop: Talk about the meaning behind the name Oxymorrons, I know it speaks for itself.

Jafé: Pretty much. [laughs]

Dave: That’s why we’re named that. It’s about blending things that don’t traditionally go together. When you blend them, it feels good and sounds good. It’s good, it’s no different than jumbo shrimp. [laughs] Oxymorrons fits exactly who we are.

AllHipHop: At what point did you guys realize this music thing could be a career?

Dave: Several. [laughs]

Jafé: Every one of us have a decade-long journey of pursuing music and putting yourself out there, putting your all into something you really believe in. I’ve been doing it actively with my own band since I was 15. My parents were musicians, I grew up playing in their groups from the age of 5 until 14. I don’t know how to do anything else, I’ve never considered not doing music. I’m glad it’s working out.

Dave: Same, my older brother was in a lot of different hip-hop groups. I grew up around Lost Boyz and Onyx, literally they grew up on my block. They’re my older brother’s best friends. Sticky Fingaz, dudes like would come to my house. Pretty Lou, I played with his goddaughter. Freaky Tah’s grandmother lived across the street from me. We’re around hip-hop our entire lives.

Jafé: That’s hip-hop royalty.

Dave: Exactly. I remember I was really young: when Russell Simmons signed Onyx, he drove through my block to do that. It’s been a crazy time with music and what’s influenced us, the experiences that came along. Even with my parents, my dad plays keyboard. My dad’s a musician. My mom’s not, my mom’s actually the educator. She balanced that scale out where “hey you’re going to be smart musicians, not the dumb ones.” They made us experience our culture, where our roots came from and being proud of that. Understanding that even with Oxy, rock music is black music. Not to ever forget that.

AllHipHop: What does it mean to release a song like “Justice” during this time? You actually recorded in February, before quarantine.

Jafé: Yeah, we wrote it in February. After George Floyd and Ahmaud Arbery, a lot of people have been mobilized to hit the streets and use their art as our activism. We’ve felt this way, we’ve been angry about the issue for most of our lives. I’ve experienced police brutality within my own family. We’ve all been subjected to violence from them, to racial profiling to wrongful arrests, to being targeted for smoking weed. There’s a lot of performative activism and performative politics happening. They give us Black Lives murals, try do these things to shut us up and make us happy.

That’s their idea of justice, but we want the white racist mass shooter justice. The one who doesn’t get killed on site, the one that’s given a bulletproof vest and taken to Burger King so he can be put in jail and await trial. As opposed to people sleeping in their car and getting murdered, it’s f##king ridiculous. It makes it hard for highly intelligent colored people like ourselves to participate in the system. We have to bring ourselves to vote, really blindly believe that this 2-party system and this lesser of two evils is the best contribution we can make. It’s really upsetting to us.

We know better, we’re smarter than that s##t. They try to con us but at the same time, we’re obligated to participate because people have fought for these rights and not participating still hasn’t worked for any of us. I’m going to vote but I’m never happy about it. It’s a facade, it’s bulls##t. It’s giving us crumbs, it’s putting a bowtie on a steaming pile of s##t. We’re not getting to the root of the issue, that’s what this song is calling out. We don’t even know what justice is, we’ve never had it as people.

Dave: It’s a bandaid. The conventional form of justice, there’s nothing to gain. It literally makes no sense. It’s aesthetic justice going on, who cares about painting Black Lives Matter on the street? It’s a nice sentiment, it’s cool, but I’d rather you pass legislation.

Jafé: Change the law.

Dave: Not the sidewalk, I don’t care about the sidewalk. Thank you for the poster, awesome. Who cares?

Jafé: Do it afterwards, give us a law then paint the s##t everywhere. That’s a celebration.

Dave: That’s really what we want. Don’t do it for TV, don’t do it for the Gram, don’t do it for clout. Don’t do it because it’s in the moment, you need to lower the level of chaos going on, the chaos comes from lack of action. We want real action, let’s cut it out. Justice is about that, we’ve been screaming this sentiment forever. We’ve been touring, we toured Donald Trump’s election season. We’ve seen what this is all about. We get up and live in this skin everyday. This isn’t a moment for us, this is existence.

Jafé: We really live by existence is resistance. Our existence is resistance. We don’t always have to be so politically involved or loud. We’re the ones experiencing this with our bodies, psychologically, spiritually, emotionally.

AllHipHop: What was your decision to have proceeds go to charity?

Dave: We wanted to ensure that our efforts weren’t ever perceived as momentary clouting or opportunistic.

Jafé: We didn’t want to put something out to promote. We didn’t want to promote ourselves either. As many petitions that we signed, donations we’ve made, protests we’ve attended, we also participate politically with our art and music. We always have, since a teenager. This is our contribution. With every movement, music and art is a huge part. It helps mobilize people. We talked about it for a bit because we could also feel uncomfortable. Damn, we’re dropping a new song and trying to get everyone’s attention. Get people to stream it and share it.

Dave: We didn’t want it to be about us. The best way for it to not be about us is for us not to profit from it, like a lot of people do now. Yes you’re screaming Black Lives Matter, but because it’s PC now and everybody’s online. It’s PC right now, that’s what it is. Everybody is online, and they think they can do this. To show our solidarity with our people, it doesn’t matter how big this song gets. It’s not for the moment. It’s not now, it’s forever. Every proceed from this song no matter what it is, it’s going back to the people. Going back to what we believe in. It doesn’t need to benefit us in that way. We made that decision, thank you Jason and everyone at the label who agreed. They stuck by our decision, that’s amazing. We appreciate it and we want people to know that. Hey we’re here, this is our offering. It’s pure and it comes from the heart, not from anywhere else.

Jafé: Unfortunately I don’t think this country will be at complete peace during our lifetimes. That’s why we wanted the proceeds to go towards injustices forever. There’s still trans issues, indigenous issues, immigrant issues. We can always keep supporting people, ongoing with the times.

Dave: Exactly. Long after we’re gone if people still listen to this song, we’re still contributing to the fight.

AllHipHop: How’d you find your way to 333 Wreckords?

Dave: We’ve been in a lot of different situations. From offers from majors to working with legacy labels like Tommy Boy which is amazing. That was really cool but we realized independence is really important to us. Realistically, we DM’ed Jason. We’re fans of FEVER. We talked, we chatted. Over time, it morphed into this. It took a year for us to get here. It didn’t happen overnight. We both calculated things. We flew out to LA, worked together. Went to New York for shows. We took our time. It made sense to be the best decision not only for label and reach, but we align as people. Jason has the same personal sentiments we do, he understands us on a granular level. He understands our struggles as people, not as musicians. It bleeds into us being musicians and our lives align. If we didn’t release a song, we’d still have everything in common with Jason. It was a very easy decision, Wrecks made the most sense.

Jafé: Everything Jason does is people over profit, same thing with his label and this collective. It’s the people involved in it, over them owning masters or telling us what to do, what to wear, who to record with. That’s all we’re looking for: freedom. It’s a smarter business move for us. It promotes longevity and hopefully capital for generations to come. We’re not trapped to a label the way so many artists are.

Dave: Historically, the industry’s been horrible to artists, especially minority artists. We’ve been taken advantage of. We pour into an industry that’s never equally poured back into us, ever. To be in a situation where we can contribute to the future of music for our people, let’s do it.

Jafé: We feel super safe and supported. That’s a dream. We didn’t get a fancy advance check, but we’re free and we have resources. There’s no price tag on that.

Dave: It’s happening and we enjoy it. It’s better than we could imagine.

AllHipHop: You’ve toured with some of the greats: Lupe Fiasco, Common, Gym Class Heroes, Waka Flocka, Ludacris, Rihanna, Salt N Pepa. What was the highlight?

Dave: Lupe’s on my top 5 list of rappers of all-time. He’s one of the baddest rappers breathing! If he wasn’t breathing, which I hope never happens but will at some point because we’re human, he’s still top 5. Meeting him was incredible, he’s everything that you see in real life. So is Common. Common has an energy that when you walk into a room, he lights it up as if he’s an angel. Common is supernatural. What’s awesome about meeting him the first time, he never forgets who you are.

I read his book then years later after our first initial meeting, we’re on Sway. Sway’s the homie, an early Oxy supporter. Common was the next guest on Sway. We had to cross paths, I tried to explain where we met. He said “nah, what’s up Oxymorrons.” He remembered us and really embraced us. He’s an awesome dude. We’ve been fortunate. We toured with Gym Class Heroes. Travie, Matt, Disashi, those guys are the homies. I still text Travie. Even this year at Warped, he came to our dressing room and hung out with us. We know these guys, not just music. We’ve been fortunate enough to be in a space where we’ve met really good artists who are legacies and have done incredible work. They’re also really good, incredible people.

AllHipHop: What goals do you have for yourselves at this point of your career?

Dave: Really, to explode in the way that all artists explode. Those 300K people concerts you have in your room forever, you want to live that out. For us it’s about getting a message out: being unapologetically yourself. Being the voice of the voiceless, having people of color understand where their musical legacies come from. Fighting back for the spaces that are historically ours, that’ve been white-washed over time. Obviously, we want to be successful.

Jafé: The Oxymorrons community we already have: people who support us, share our music, come to our shows, they’re loving people. We have all walks of life around us. Everyone feels safe, they enjoy themselves. We also don’t take s##t from anyone and expose truths at all costs. We want that community to get bigger and more global because at the root of it all, it’s love. We want to spread that love, let people know what’s really happening out there. What real rock and roll sounds like, it sounds black.

Dave: It sounds really black, it’s awesome. That’s not to discredit any contributions to rock and roll music that white people have made. Collectively as humans, we’ve been able to do this and our contributions shouldn’t be minimized. We challenge everything at all costs, even our own people to be accepting. We cannot be in a situation where we’re fighting oppression, then oppressing others who look like us but may be different like trans lives. That’s important, we cannot separate that. To be black is to be black and that’s the experience, no matter what it is. We should support everything no matter what we’re doing. Oxymorrons’ space is a safe space for all. We don’t discriminate at all. If you’re here and you’re a good person, we love you. Point blank period.

Jafe: Obscure, xtasential youth, that’s what OXY stands for. That’s a welcoming to everybody.

Nick Cannon’s Artist Ryan Bowers Commits Suicide

By: Mike Winslow Updated Category: News
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(AllHipHop News) It’s been a tough week for Nick Cannon.

A rapper who was once signed to Nick’s Ncredible record label is dead after committing suicide.

Rapper Ryan Bowers killed himself over the weekend, according to Nick Cannon. Nick confirmed the news in an Instagram post, paying tribute to the late rapper.

Nick also seemed to feel guilty, since he wasn’t there to help his friend in his time of need, after being caught up in an international scandal over racist, anti-semitic comments he made about white and Jewish people.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CC0FELbBrTA

“After waking up & barely rising from my own dark contemplation of continuing my physical existence on this planet, this powerful warrior actually had the balls to do it,” Nick Cannon wrote. “I’ve said it once and I will say it again, this was the strongest dude I’ve ever met!”

Ryan Bowers, who was just 24 at the time of his death, had a history of mental illness, which was highlighted after an encounter with San Diego cops in 2019 which resulted in him being shot.

“I stood by his bedside and promised him that if he made it out & fought the good fight that I would make his dream come true and put his album out and share his story with the world,” Nick Cannon stated.

Ryan Bowers started off his career on an episode of MTV’s series “Made” in the early 2000s, as a young student pursuing his rap career with assistance from Homeboy Sandman.

After Ryan linked with Nick, his career started to gain traction and he collaborated with artists like Game, DJ Premier, and Kehlani who was in a group called PWD with the late rapper.

“Paying for lawyers, putting money in his pocket, even putting the music together all meant nothing because I feel like I failed my little brother,” Nick Cannon continued. “The Cops will get away with shooting another kid, everyone will just look at this as yet another loving farewell post, but to me @ryanbowersob was so much more than that. Once again my brother you have put this world in perspective for me. You would do that quite often because I never understood how someone who was experiencing sooo much pain could still laugh and smile through it all.”

Former PWD group member Kehlani also bid Ryan farewell, and she also revealed his death has prompted her to take a break from social media.

https://twitter.com/Kehlani/status/1284731187353677824https://twitter.com/Kehlani/status/1284734009403011073https://twitter.com/Kehlani/status/1284739202085576704

Kanye’s “West Wing” White House Dream Starts With Rally In South Carolina

By: Mike Winslow Updated Category: News
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(AllHipHop News) Rap star Kanye West is making a last-ditch effort to get his name on the ballot in South Carolina so he can run for President of the United States.

Kanye West has until tomorrow (July 20th) to gather 10,000 signatures in order to qualify to be considered in South Carolina’s election.

Kanye West listed 8 different locations throughout South Carolina, where fans can go into physical locations to co-sign for the rapper.

https://twitter.com/kanyewest/status/1284599234088427520

Fans in the state can also submit their signatures online if they want to cast their vote for Kanye and his Birthday Party.

Kanye West also doesn’t seem too concerned about the coronavirus pandemic.

He’s hosting a rally at the Exquis Event Center tonight, which will kick off at 5 p.m.

Attendees are being required to wear masks, and they must pre-register online to attend Kanye’s rally.

The rapper also just unveiled some campaign artwork drawn with a sharpie, the favorite writing tool of Kanye’s idol, President Donald Trump.

https://twitter.com/kanyewest/status/1284874130236428288

The Investigation Of Tory Lanez Is Underway In Megan Thee Stallion Shooting!

By: illseed Updated Category: Rumors
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(AllHipHop Rumors) Megan Thee Stallion may just find justice, unlike Breonna Taylor. At nearly 6 feet tall, Megan Thee Stallion was the victim of a shooting that occurred a week ago. Right now, there are no official suspects being named, but Canadian rapper Tory Lanez, a rapper that is apparently 5’3″, is at the front of the list in the rumor world.

The rapper has remained completely silent in the matter, and that actually continues

To fuel the rumors that he was indeed the shooter. This still doesn’t answer the question of why would these two being such an entanglement that one would shoot the other. I am thinking the worst at this point.

Can we go back a minute though? Why were they out party-hopping in the Hollywood Hills to begin with? And while we are having our worst year ever, they are having their best year ever, which is actually their worst year now. If this all goes down the way it seems like it will go down, Tory Lanez faces jail time and potentially an inability to return to the United States of America.

Megan Thee Stallion may emerge victorious in a legal sense but who wants to get shot? Nobody! She also evokes a quote that Malcolm X often says but I don’t think that that tells the full story.

At any rate, TMZ reports that a full-fledged assault with a deadly weapon investigation has begun. 

The cops pulled Tory Lanez’ SUV over in the Hollywood hills and found a gun. The Rapper has not been named as a spouse back yet but they are looking at him with the illest ice grill ever. The biggest issue is that they are unable to get witnesses to cooperate and actually tell on Tory. 

To me this is very weird. If Megan Thee Stallion wants to be protected wouldn’t it make sense for her to just tell folks that she was shot by Tory Lanez? I mean seriously she’s not seeing anything right now. I bet she is looking at her street CRED and her marketability as a hood chic more than she is looking at justice. Am I wrong?

Beyonce Taking Over Africa With “Black Is King”

By: Mike Winslow Updated Category: News
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(AllHipHop News) Beyonce is looking to further cement her world dominance with the new visual album Black Is King.

Bey just dropped the trailer for Black Is King which is a new film based on the music of “The Lion King: The Gift.”

According to a description for Black Is King, the flick reimagines the lessons from the 2019 blockbuster for today’s young kings and queens in search of their own crowns.

Black Is King is truly a multicultural film, since it was filmed in New York, Los Angeles, South Africa, West Africa, London and Belgium using local actors and dancers to star in the film alongside Aweng Ade-Chuol and Adut Akech, supermodel Naomi Campbell, Tina Knowles-Lawson, Lupita Nyong’o, Kelly Rowland, Pharrell Williams Jay-Z and others.

Beyonce is also taking over the continent of Africa with a new distribution deal between her Parkwood Entertainment and Disney+ and MultiChoice Group’s M-Net and Canal+ Afrique.

Black Is King will have unprecedented distribution throughout the continent, with releases in South Africa, Nigeria, Ghana, Ethiopia, Namibia, Cameroon, Liberia, Burundi, Senegal, Togo, Somalia, Benin, Congo, Kenya, Ivory Coast, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Gabon, Cape Verde and many more countries.

August Alsina And Rick Ross Drop “Entanglements” Song

By: AllHipHop Staff Updated Category: News
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(AllHipHop News) August Alsina is not letting his moment of controversy pass by as the singer has released a new song appropriately called “Entanglements.”

The new song features Rick Ross it has already been received well by the community. “It’s a bop,” an industry source told AllHipHop.com. “But, I can’t help, but feel sorry for Will Smith.”

The song is a play on words hearkening to a clandestine relationship with Jada Pinkett Smith, the woman married to actor and rapper Will Smith. Jada, over 20 years Alsina’s senior, was the one that described their extramarital affair as an “entanglement.” Will and Jada would go on to talk about the event and set the internet on fire. 

Listen to “Entanglements” below. 

Rapper Mariahlynn’s Leg Fractured In Bat Beating Incident With Ex

By: Mike Winslow Updated Category: News
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(AllHipHop News) “Love & Hip Hop” star Mariahlynn is nursing some pretty nasty wounds, as she rings in her 30th birthday.

According to reports, Mariahlynn was involved in a wild fight with her ex-boyfriend and his new girlfriend last week in the Bronx.

The rapper claims she was lured to her house by her unnamed ex, with a promise of making peace.

But the exact opposite happened when she arrived with one of her friends and was confronted by her ex and his woman.

Mariahlynn and an unidentified companion were immediately attacked and beaten by the conniving couple.

During the dispute, the woman pulled out a blade, cut Mariahlynn, and beat the reality star and her friend with a bat.

Mariahlynn had a contusion, a black eye, and a fractured leg as a result of the beatdown, while her friend suffered minor injuries as well.

So far, no one has been charged but the NYPD is investigating the assault, which could result in felony charges for her ex-boyfriend.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CCxDLUYD2Xz

“I’m surrounded by people all the people who love me,” Mariahlynn posted cryptically. “God don’t like ugly and I’ll speak on what happened just not tonight because this is my special day.”

Mariahlynn appears to be making the best of the situation.

She celebrated her birthday surrounded by friends and family and even posted a video of herself twerking with crutches.

August Alsina Says Jada Pinkett Smith Made Him Feel Like Royalty

By: Mike Winslow Updated Category: News
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(AllHipHop News) August Alsina made an appearance on Lil Wayne’s Young Money Radio this weekend, and of course, he discussed the fallout over his “entanglement” with Jada Pinkett Smith.

According to August, he is normally a private person.

But he decided to put one of the world’s most famous actors and his wife on blast during an interview with Angela Yee.

August spilled the beans about his sordid affair with Will Smith’s wife because he was starting to lose work after gaining a reputation as a homewrecker.

“When my personal business starts to affect my lifestyle and my livelihood like I lost partnerships and deals behind that situation. Because it looked to the world as if August Alsina was some reckless New Orleans ni**a that I’m just pushing up on somebody’s wife. And because they didn’t have the truth, those things happened and transpired.”

Initially, Jada Pinkett denied August account, while Will Smith labeled his version of the affair as “wrong.”

But both soon backtracked, during a record-setting episode of Jada’s podcast, Red Table Talk.

Jada confessed to embarking on a romance with Alsina during a secret separation between Will and Jada around 2016.

Like Jada, August said he would grow from the affair and the subsequent fallout.

In fact, August said Jada made him feel like royalty.

“The experience really did help to transform me and really bring out the king in me. But as for what people may say or whatever, or if it’s looking like I might, I’m doing something for attention. Absolutely not.

“Here’s the deal, man, nobody’s wrong here. You know what I’m saying? Nobody’s a bad person. She didn’t prey on me, or whatever that people are saying. I actually didn’t even see the interview,” August Alsina admitted.

Ava Duvernay Launching New Unscripted “Cultural Experiment” Series

By: AllHipHop Staff Updated Category: News
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(AllHipHop News) Director Ava Duvernay is set to launch an unscripted social experiment series, titled Home Sweet Home.

The 10-episode, hour-long series, set to air on NBC, will center on two families who will switch places to experience cultural perspectives very different from their own.

It will challenge participants to walk in the shoes of people from diverse racial, religious, economic, geographic, and gender backgrounds.

“The idea for Home Sweet Home came to me during the strange and important times we’re all experiencing,” DuVernay said in a statement. “The premise is that we are farther apart than ever, yet bound by what we have in common – concerns with health, safety, justice, and community.

“These notions manifest in each of us in different ways, but nowhere more striking than in the privacy of our own homes. I’m thrilled that NBC and Warner Horizon embraced the challenge of this moment to celebrate the specificity of our differences as we discover the many beautiful things that we have in common.”

The “Selma” filmmaker is also developing a Netflix series focused on the life of American football quarterback and activist Colin Kaepernick, which the pair will produce.

Megan Thee Stallion Extremely Traumatized After Being Shot

By: AllHipHop Staff Updated Category: News
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(AllHipHop News) Megan Thee Stallion had a strong message for people on the internet joking about her getting shot.

The 25-year-old rapper was shot multiple times during a dispute outside a Hollywood Hills party last Sunday (July 12th).

Meg and another woman were passengers in Tory’s car when he was pulled over by cops after receiving calls about shots fired.

Megan was forced out of the SUV at gunpoint and was ultimately taken to a local hospital, where she had surgery on her feet for bullet wounds.

Tory Lanez was charged with gun possession after the cops found a gun inside of the SUV.

Tory posted $35,000 bail and was released just hours after the shooting.

“Black women are so unprotected & we hold so many things in to protect the feelings of others w/o considering our own,” Megan Thee Stallion wrote. “It might be funny to y’all on the internet and just another messy topic for you to talk about but this is my real life and I’m real life hurt and traumatized.

Police are investigating Tory Lanez, who may have been the triggerman.

So far, Tory Lanez has not been charged with any other crime concerning Megan Thee Stallion’s shooting.

According to reports, if he is charged, Tory is ready to insist the shooting was an accident.

The only problem with that defense is, Megan has already indicated the gunfire was deliberately done to hurt her.

“On Sunday morning, I suffered gunshot wounds, as a result of a crime that was committed against me and done with the intention to physically harm me,” she revealed.

“I was never arrested, the police officers drove me to the hospital where I underwent surgery to remove the bullets. I’m incredibly grateful to be alive and that I’m expected to make a full recovery, but it was important for me to clarify the details about this traumatic night,” Megan Thee Stallion said.

Meanwhile, Tory Lanez is set to appear in court for the gun charge on October 13th.

Big Sean Pens Touching Tribute To “Hero” Ex-Fiance Naya Rivera

By: AllHipHop Staff Updated Category: News
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(AllHipHop News) Detroit rapper Big Sean offered up a moving tribute to his deceased ex-fiancee Naya Rivera.

Naya went missing on July 8th, when she took her four-year-old son on a pontoon boat ride on Lake Piru

The “Glee” star’s body was recovered from Lake Piru on July 13th after a weeklong search.

Up until this point, Big Sean had been silent after the news of her death broke.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CCxYWrWJKR5

“Rest In Peace Naya, God Bless your Soul! Thank you for blessing us all with your talent and presence. you are a hero! Not just because of how you saved your son, also because of the barriers you knocked down for so many people to make them feel confident in themselves and to stand tall and be proud when they couldn’t achieve that on their own.”

Big Sean was engaged to Naya, but the couple called it off after the rap star allegedly had an affair with Ariana Grande.

During this time Big Sean penned one of his biggest singles “I Don’t F##k With You,” which was inspired by his breakup with Naya.

Despite their turbulent relationship, Big Sean praised Naya for making him a better person.

“I appreciate and cherish everything that ever happened between us for making me wiser and a better person. I’m still grieving and in shock, I can’t believe this is real. I’m praying for you and your family and I know your watching over them and protecting them. Rest In Peace Naya “

Jay-Z Has Plenty Of Cheese & He’s About To “Milk” The Game Again

By: Mike Winslow Updated Category: News
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(AllHipHop News) Fetti, bread, cheese, whatever you want to call it, Jay-Z has a lot of it.

And now the rapper is aiming to make millions with his latest investment in a plant-based company called Oatly.

Oatly is already one of the leading producers of oat milk, and the company is hoping to cash in on the growing demand for healthier, plant-based foods.

Earlier this week, Oatly announced they had raised $200 million thanks to an investment from Jay-Z, Oprah Winfrey, Natalie Portman, and an investment firm called Blackstone Group.

Oatly, which is already in 50,000 locations around the world, will use the infusion of cash to build new manufacturing facilities.

Jay-Z and the rest of the investors received about 10% for their $200 million, putting the value of Oatly at just north of $2 billion.

Oatly raked in $200 million in sales last year and according to the BBC and the brand hopes two double that amount to $400 million in 2021. 

Talib Kweli Accuser Speaks! Caitlyn & Kanye For Pres/VP! Nick Cannot Has Another Set Back!

By: illseed Updated Category: Rumors
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(AllHipHop Rumors) Kanye West’s one-time step-parent-in-law Caitlyn Jenner is really interested in entering politics, especially in the Yeezy administration. Both Yeezy and Caitlyn are both Trumpers, don’t forget that. I don’t care what Kanye says! A paparazzi found the 70-year-old trans revolutionary and asked her opinion of Kanye running for president. They got a gem of an answer: she wants to be his running mate! “I texted him and said ‘Can I be your VP?’ What a combination!” she said! 

I say emphatically, “NO.” 

Mo’Nique is not about to be derailed. Last year, filed a racial discrimination lawsuit Netflix, because they offered her under $500,000 for a comedy special. The same streaming service paid white comic Amy Schumer $13 million. The suit must go on! Netflix tried to have it dismissed, but MoMo got the go ahead to keep suing. She is suing on the basis, partly, that Nexflix was unwilling to negotiate. They negotiated with Shumer when she rejected their initial lower offer. 

We shall soon seeeeeeee!

Will Nick Cannon’s TV show make it to network television? It almost seemed like Nick was about to be more canceled than he is now. A “Nick Cannon” talk show that was proposed to drop in October is now pushed to next year sometime according to a report by the New York Daily News. “After conversations with Nick, we do believe that his public comments don’t reflect his true feelings and his apology is heartfelt and sincere,” the statement read. “We want to continue the healing process as he meets with leaders of the Jewish community and engages in a dialogue with our distribution partners to hear their views. We are standing by Nick in our hope that by fall 2021 he will be able to use his extraordinary talent and platform to entertain, enlighten and unite his audience on the ‘Nick Cannon’ talk show.” WE RIDING WITH YA, NICK!

Memphis Rapper Young Trap Talks New Project ‘Betrayed’

By: Shirley Ju Updated Category: Breeding Ground
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Young Trap is one of the many talented artists to come out of Memphis, Tennessee, and he plans on taking his career all the way to the top. 

Currently residing in Los Angeles, the rapper not only hustles in the rap game, but with his multiple businesses as well. While he’s recording music on the daily, he also runs a tax business and sells cars.

Getting his start as a teenager as part of Memphis crew Da Ridahz, the group went on to release 2 albums both produced by Drumma Boy. After moving to the A, Trap released his debut solo album titled Money Talk, via his own label Debonaire Music Group.

Now, Trap returns with his most fire project yet: Betrayed. All 7 tracks were recorded and mixed by Tommy D Daugherty, who also mixed Tupac’s standout Makaveli project. 

AllHipHop: Being from Memphis, what was the household like growing up?

Trap: Man, Memphis was crazy. We don’t have a lot of things going on, so you’re either going to be a truck driver, a nurse, police, or a dope dealer. You had to choose one of those, that’s how it was. If you chose the streets, then it’s you versus the robbers. Really it’s a cat and mouse. You’re hustling, the robbers are stealing. Either you’re already in jail or you shoot the robber, now you’re in jail. Real street business, it’s dangerous.

AllHipHop: When did music come into play for you?

Trap: I was trying to start singing when I was a kid, at 7 or 8 years old. Once my voice started getting a little deeper, I lost it, but I was still writing records. We had this rapper named Playa Fly in the city of Houston, he used to drop mixtapes and leave a long ass instrumental at the end. That’s how I learned to freestyle, on the end of his tapes. I started freestyling at 8 or 9 years old, kept going. I dropped 2 albums in high school produced by Drumma Boy.

AllHipHop: How’d you tap in with Drumma Boy in high school?

Trap: We worked at the same place, at a shoe store like Shiekh. That’s our first job, we put the plays together. I was in a rap group called Da Ridahz, we linked up with Drumma and he made our albums. We still got that relationship, I don’t think any of Da Ridahz are still rapping. I went solo of course.

AllHipHop: When did you realize you could do music for a living?

Trap: In Atlanta when I booked my first few shows. When you get your little paid shows, it’s like “damn, they’re paying me fam.” My CDs were moving, I was making money. I was able to pay bills off of it so it felt like I could grow this. It’s still going, the streams pay my bills. I can’t perform shows right now but we’ll figure it out.

AllHipHop: How’s it feel to have “My Ex” hit a million views?

Trap: It was fun. We shot the video in Pensacola, Florida with Boneyafterparty, it’s actually a solo artist and a group. There’s Boney then there’s Afterparty, they merged it. We had a good time, it was going to be a good video because of the vibes we had. It was natural with the song. I wish we could’ve performed it a lot more together, they live in Florida so it’s hard to put the plays together.

AllHipHop: You just released your new album Betrayed, what was the creative process behind this?

Trap: I had a lot of songs, over 100 songs sitting. I was going through something business-wise in the streets. n##gas kept wanting to backstab me, backdoor me, kept trying to play with me. I started recording records about how I’m feeling at the time versus going in the vault and putting together songs I already had. I started feeling like I was going to crash out and do something I wasn’t supposed to, and wanted to vent about it. I got it out, now I’ve moved past that and I’m happier. [laughs] It’s good.

AllHipHop: You say you come from the mud, what was the reality of where you came from?

Trap: My mom was on drugs, I never had no daddy. I helped raise my siblings, my grandma was forced to raise us. She didn’t have much, me hustling as a kid was me feeding myself. Buying my own cap and gown, my first car. Putting my own money in my music, it came from childhood hustling. I saw my uncles, they had Rolls Royce’s and houses off the streets. I saw it and knew I could touch it. Boom, one of my best friends Drumma Boy is over here, he blew up. He broke Young Jeezy, I’m like wow. It was right there in my hands. I had to handle my business.

AllHipHop: You say family and close friends betrayed you, how’d it feel putting that into the music?

Trap: It was a new experience for me. I’m normally rapping about how good my life has gotten. It took me back to when I was in the streets, hit me like flashbacks. I had to get it off my chest: bad business deals, people lying. They come to borrow or get fronted. They’re so thankful when they get the money but after they get the money, they act tough and bold. Now it’s an issue to get your bread back, I have to do something to a n##ga. Or let him roll and I take the L, I had to talk about it.

AllHipHop: How is music a coping mechanism for you?

Trap: It’s become more of one as I start going through more. I don’t know what the next album will be, I’m feeling all kinds of ways. I’m cooking up, damn black people are getting hung right now. There’s protests, COVID, etc. I don’t know which direction to take the music, I’m making all kinds of songs. It’s crazy right now.

AllHipHop: How do you create a vibe in the studio?

Trap: I usually record alone. I go to the studio at 10am, stay until 5pm or 6pm in the evening. It’s like my 9 to 5. I go in, sit in there and cook up. It’s really wherever the beat takes me. I pick a beat or 2, maybe create a hook at home, go the studio and vibe out with my engineer. My engineer’s Tommy Daughtery who recorded all the stuff for Tupac and Death Row. We rock out and vibe out with each together. Pull up a beat, we laugh, s##t might come up in conversation. I make at least one song a day. Go in, cook up, I’m back home cooking together. Usually gym but there’s no gym now.

AllHipHop: 3 things you need in the studio?

Trap: Water. I’ve been off and on weed. I’ve been smoking since a little kid so I be burnt. I took a 3 month break, I just got back smoking maybe one month now. I felt more energized honestly, weed has me laidback and tired sometimes. I fight through to get my business down but the kind of weed I was smoking was heavy and had me down.

Water, sometimes weed, I like to be a little faded. I might take my 1942 or my Jose, I f##k with tequila right now. And a Twix!

AllHipHop: How’s the independent grind?

Trap: It’s not for everybody. You have to put a lot of money in this s##t, it’s a lot of work. From the artwork to getting the mixes to doing the mastering, to the uploading to marketing, coding, f##king with DJs, trying to get it on sites, trying to get write-ups — I’m doing everything alone. I pay certain people to do certain things, but it’s still me overseeing the project and putting up the time. Of course, funding it. A lot of people are too lazy to make it effective for them. They’ll f##k their careers up if they’re not active enough.

AllHipHop: Talk about all the business you have. Does it fund your music career?

Trap: The music pays for itself and pays my bills now. Initially yeah, I’ve been selling cars since I was 18. I used to go to police auctions and get little box Chevys, flip them and put them in the front yard. Eventually got my car-dealing licence and went to auctions to sell cars independently. In turn, cars get cashed out. I dibble and dabble in the tax business, I’m a part of a tax company. I’m about to get this Amazon route. You know the Amazon Prime trucks that pull up? I have a fleet of those and take care of a zip code. They’ll sell that actual route to me. I buy in and obviously the profits are split. Thinking of other ways to play with the stock market, we’re playing around.

AllHipHop: Who are your Top 5 artists?

Trap: I have 2 different Top 5’s. My all-time is Tupac, Jigga, Nas, Fab, I’ma have to split 5 with Wayne and T.I. My right now is Drake, Future, Meek, Kendrick, and J. Cole. I wish Kendrick and Cole would drop. Cole just dropped a song, he went crazy.

AllHipHop: What is it about Young Trap that fans love?

Trap: Initially, it started off because they were liking my looks. I’m making female-friendly songs, we did the research and my fanbase is 85% girls. But I was rapping street s##t, I’m like damn it’s connecting to women. I didn’t have a balance, the album’s full of street s##t. I just keep going. Keep recording, keep picking up fans and keep growing. It’s been a long ride, my fans are constantly building. With me dropping Betrayed, I picked up a lot more street fanbase which I didn’t have a ton of. . My single “Opps” I’m doing a video for, all the little kids are doing dances to it. n##gas are really getting in on the “Opps” song.” It’s cool, the men are f##king with me now. Go figure.

AllHipHop: Best encounter you had with a fan?

Trap: In Atlanta, I had a lady strip down and jump up on stage. I wish I could find the footage, it’s on Youtube somewhere. A couple years ago, I’m doing a show and this young lady took off her top. She came up, had her skirt on. She went up. n##gas started throwing money on her on the stage, it was a vibe. She was litty.

AllHipHop: You said you missed touring right?

Trap: For sure, I was supposed to put a tour together for Betrayed. Last year round the same time I did a college tour that was real successful. I wanted to go touch more schools on the East Coast. I can’t even go on vacation, everything’s on quarantine. We can’t go anywhere, it’s horrible.

AllHipHop: First thing you’re going to do when the worlds open up?

Trap: First thing I’ma do when the borders open? Go on vacation ASAP. I want to go to Honolulu.

AllHipHop: What are some goals for yourself?

Trap: I want a plaque. I haven’t sold enough to get a plaque, maybe this “Opps” single will get me some gold in the house other than my jewelry. I’m finna shoot and drop the video. It’s the energy on it. We’ve been saying opps for so long, but it feels so new. n##gas be chanting that s##t, little kids be eating that s##t up. They go on TikTok, they put together the little dances. It’s a vibe, it’s ghetto as hell too.

AllHipHop: Anything else you want to let us know?

Trap: Go get that Betrayed album. Stream my catalog, there’s a lot of jewels on there you probably haven’t heard. Go back on them old albums and singles, it’s crazy. Young Trap, let’s get it!

Nick Cannon Feels Hurt By The Black Community! We Got Your Back!

By: illseed Updated Category: Rumors
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(AllHipHop Rumors) Nick Cannon is going to have to walk this walk alone, in a great many ways, Nobody can really know what it is like to experience the sort of pressure he’s experiencing. I am not going to say a lot about the situation and what he should have done differently. 

Here is what I believe to be the truth. He does have the support of the Black community. Yes, I think people wanted him to hold that position despite the onslaught from the white, Jewish, and even some in the Black communities. None of us are going to lose revenue, jobs opportunities and future punishment for holding it down like that. Only Nick Cannon.

I do not think he’s been abandoned by the Black community as a whole. He may look at 50 Cent with the side-eye since the Queens rapper really gave him the business on social media. People are riding with Nick, but he cannot see it right now in the moment. 

Some people have speculated that he may even be suicidal, something I pray is not true. Tamar Braxton’s alleged suicide attempt did not help out at all. So, now there is an outpouring of love. I hope Nick sees it. 

https://twitter.com/kaytakaofficial/status/1284198736579592192

Moneybagg Yo Returns Home To Help Thousands Of Students During Pandemic

By: AllHipHop Staff Updated Category: News
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(AllHipHop News) Rapper Moneybagg Yo is doing his part to make sure Memphis stays as safe as possible during a resurgence of the coronavirus.

The hit rap star teamed up with Shelby County Schools and mouth of the South, for a virtual block party which took place last night (July 15th).

The event was an extension of the annual Safe Summer Block Party Series, an anti-violence jam to help meet the enrollment and registration goals for SCS.

the event may have been virtual, but moneybagg yo donation will help the community in real life.

Moneybagg Yo do we need it 10,000 face masks to the faculty and students who attend SCS.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CCuUX01jpJ2

“This pandemic has negatively affected so many lives, but it has also shown that there is power in numbers and that no matter who you are you can bring positive change,” Moneybagg Yo told AllHipHop in a statement. “I hope that these masks play a part in keeping our children and teachers safe as we continue to find more ways that we can assist.”

Currently, the Shelby County school system is grappling with what to do for the upcoming school year.

The start date for students has already been pushed back from August 10th, to the 31st, and students are being offered a decision between in-person and virtual learning this year.

Safe Summer Block Party Series founder and event organizer Artemis “Peppa” Williams praised Moneybagg Yo for stepping up on behalf of students and their safety.

“We are in unprecedented times that require us all to do more,” said Williams. “I commend Moneybagg, SCS, and all other entities that are going above and beyond for our students in these difficult times.”

Police Scour Evidence To Find Gunman Who Shot Megan Thee Stallion

By: AllHipHop Staff Updated Category: News
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(AllHipHop News) Police in Los Angeles are trying to track down cellphone camera footage of the shooting incident that left Megan Thee Stallion injured amid reports suggesting rapper Tory Lanez pulled the trigger.

Sources are telling multiple news outlets the “Love Me Now?” star reportedly shot the 25-year-old Savage hitmaker during a dispute outside a Hollywood Hills party on Sunday morning.

“There is video and the police are investigating,” one source tells Page Six.

Cops have yet to confirm whether or not there was video footage and they are not revealing if Tory is a suspect.

He was arrested on gun possession charges after he and Megan fled the scene in his SUV. He posted bail and was released hours later.

He is scheduled to appear in court on October 13th.

Meanwhile, Megan Thee Stallion has spoken about the incident, revealing she is “grateful to be alive” after she was shot in the foot.

She and an unidentified woman were passengers in Tory’s car when he was pulled over by cops as he left the party, where shots had been fired.

On Wednesday, Megan attempted to “set the record straight” about the incident on Instagram, writing: “On Sunday morning, I suffered gunshot wounds, as a result of a crime that was committed against me and done with the intention to physically harm me.

“I was never arrested, the police officers drove me to the hospital where I underwent surgery to remove the bullets. I’m incredibly grateful to be alive and that I’m expected to make a full recovery, but it was important for me to clarify the details about this traumatic night. I’m currently focused on my recovery, so I can return back to my life and back to making music as soon as possible.

“This whole experience was an eye-opener and a blessing in disguise. I hate that it took this experience for me to learn how to protect my energy.”

Megan has not identified the shooter.

A$AP Rocky’s Life In Danger Thanks To Obsessed Fan

By: AllHipHop Staff Updated Category: News
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(AllHipHop News) Rapper A$AP Rocky is seeking a restraining order against a woman he claims has been making his life a living hell for the past two years.

He accuses Micaela Jimenez of showing up uninvited to his home in California and once making it inside and upstairs to his master bedroom as he slept, according to documents.

The last straw came last month when she threw ink all over Rocky’s car after his security guards forced him to leave his home after she showed up demanding to see the rap star.

According to the documents, she told the guard, “F##k you, I’ll be back again!”

A$AP also claims he found Jimenez sleeping in her car near his home and back in April, she told his security guards she was married to the rapper.

A judge has denied Rocky’s request for a restraining order until a hearing next month ruling that the threats appear to be against his friends and security, not the rapper himself.

Love Birds Quavo And Saweetie Celebrate 2 Years Of Bliss

By: AllHipHop Staff Updated Category: News
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(AllHipHop News) Quavo and Saweetie flirted with emojis when they first connected over Instagram.

The couple has been dating for two years, and the Migos star and his rapper girlfriend told GQ magazine their first conversation took place after he private messaged her on the social media platform.

“He sent me the snowflake (emoji), and I sent him the stir-fry back,” Saweetie revealed, referencing Quavo’s 2017 hit with the rap trio.

“I seen her on my Explore page. I was like, ‘Damn! Who is this?'” Quavo, real name Quavious Keyate Marshall, added. “So I did my research and I DM her. I was like, ‘How she going to call herself icy and she don’t talk to me?’ So I slid in her DM. I told her, ‘You an icy girl, you need a glacier boy.'”

The pair flirted over DMs, and eventually on the phone, before meeting face-to-face. And their first date wasn’t plain sailing either – they finally met at Quavo’s favorite steakhouse, Stoney River, where he nearly choked on a crab cake.

“I’m still getting to know him, so I feel awkward because he’s, like, choking at the table,” Saweetie recalled, with Quavo adding that they still ended the night with an “intimate first,” and that they “ain’t look back since.”

Echoing her man’s sentiments, Saweetie, real name Diamonte Harper, gushed: “Growing up I struggled with communication, and he has taught me to be a better communicator.

“I feel like I’m growing and I’m maturing because of him – not the music, not Saweetie, but Diamonte. I don’t know how I would be as a person if I would have never met him.” 

Joey Bada$$ Returns With ‘The Light Pack’ Bundle Featuring Pusha T

By: Yohance Kyles (@HUEYmixwitRILEY) Updated Category: News
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(AllHipHop News) Joey Bada$$ said he would be dropping new music this week, and he kept his word. The emcee/actor returned with a three-song collection titled The Light Pack.

“This is mumble rap extermination. This is godly interpolation… I said what I said you b*tch ass n*ggaz ,” tweeted Joey hours before the project hit DSPs. He was actually quoting his own lyrics from “The Light” record.

The Brooklynite also published an official music video for the Statik Selektah-produced track. Kerby Jean-Raymond and Levi Turner directed the cinematic visuals. Turner and Bada$$ are credited as editors.

Joey’s Columbia Records-backed bundle also hosts “Shine” and “No Explanation” featuring Pusha T. The Virginia-raised lyricist gave the native New Yorker a verse filled with references about Good Times, Bhindi Jewelers, and Slick Rick.

The Light Pack is the first Joey Bada$$ project since 2017’s All-Amerikkkan Badass. On July 14, the Pro Era member tweeted, “It’s been 3 long years, so how bout 3 new songs for your Mind, Body & Soul? LOVE to you ALL.”