(AllHipHop News) Travis Scott has lots of money to spare, pandemic, or no pandemic.
As the world’s economy struggles to recover from the dastardly effects of COVID-19, Travis Scott is beefing up his real estate portfolio and he doesn’t need any credit to do it.
According to TMZ.com, Travis got plunked down $23.5 million in cash for a brand new estate in the swanky Brentwood neighborhood, made famous, or infamous, by O.J. Simpson.
Last summer, the mansion was on the market for $42 million. Travis decided to make his bold move after the owners of the property decided to slash the price since the home was just sitting on the market.
Travis stepped up with his all-cash offer and became the owner of the 16,000 square foot mansion, which boasts a 20 car garage, a movie theater, a gym, and of course a huge pool in the backyard.
Travis also owns a $13.5 million Los Angeles mansion with his girlfriend, Kylie Jenner.
Last year Forbes ranked Travis Scott as the 12th highest-earning artist of 2019, pulling down $58 million.
In 2018 he also made the list, by raking in $21 million during the calendar year.
(AllHipHop News) On Juneteenth, amidst the social unrest and civil protest that encapsulates the world, the world paused to remember one of the most classic Hip-Hop endeavors to get pressed into vinyl.
Eric B and Rakim’s third studio album, Let the Rhythm Hit ‘Em turned 30 on June 19th and the dynamic duo celebrated the milestone in an epic way.
Like EPMD’s Business Never Personal, Let the Rhythm Hit ‘Em did something that few rap albums of its time did. It beat the sophomore and junior curse.
The project offered three classic songs in its title cut, “The Ghetto” and “Mahogany.”
Dedicated to Paul C and Scott La Rock, it actually marked an end of an era in Hip-Hop; punctuating a time where it was all new and all sexy, unpredictable, and the creative landscape was a terrain that artists were not afraid to explore.
The album is turning 30 and people will have the opportunity to roll down memory lane is a program dedicated to this dope masterpiece.
On Caffeine TV, there was a two-hour special to celebrate this classic album.
Eric B and Rakim performed live as Headkrack from Dish Nation served as the host and facilitate various tributes and interviews with guests like Ice T, Fat Joe, Dapper Dan, Chuck D, Jody Watley, and Cornel West, and more.
(AllHipHop News) Snoop Dogg will headline a tribute to sports icon Kobe Bryant at the virtual ESPY Awards on Sunday.
ESPN bosses have confirmed the show will include “a love letter to Kobe Bryant from the people of Los Angeles” revealing it will feature the rapper, who was among the former Los Angeles Lakers star’s biggest celebrity fans.
Bryant attended the 2019 ESPY awards, where he presented the Arthur Ashe Award for Courage to Bill Russell, the first black coach in NBA history.
This year’s ESPYS will be held virtually due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
The show will be hosted by Russell Wilson, Megan Rapinoe, and Sue Bird, and will feature guest appearances by Matthew McConaughey, Halle Berry, Sterling K. Brown, and Lindsey Vonn.
(AllHipHop News) XXXtentacion’s mom is being sued by his half-brother for $11 million, amid claims she stole from the late rapper’s trust.
Corey Pack has filed legal documents via his mother, Jodi Kavney, alleging that XXXTentacion’s mother, Cleopatra Bernard, came up with a plan to take millions of dollars from the “Moonlight” star’s assets.
Pack claims that the hitmaker left behind more than $50 million when he was shot and killed in June 2018 and had listed three beneficiaries – with Corey to receive 25%, Cleopatra to receive 50%, and the remaining 25%, to go to XXX’s brother Aiden Kerr.
However, the lawsuit claims that Cleopatra arranged a deal with her son’s baby mama, Jenesis Sanchez, to cut Corey out of his percentage of the estate. Corey is now seeking to recover the assets that Kavney claims were “improperly and surreptitiously transferred” by Cleopatra to herself.
While Kavney’s attorney, Natasha Shaikh, originally sent a letter to Cleopatra demanding the return of the $11 million, she failed to respond – leading to them filing a lawsuit against her.
Kavney is now asking for $11 million in damages and has also claimed that Corey is entitled to ownership rights to XXX’s record label, Bad Vibe Entities.
(AllHipHop News) Rapper Hurricane Chris is facing some rather serious charges in New Orleans.
According to police, the rapper, best known for the hit single “A Bay Bay” was locked up in Shreveport early this morning June 19th.
The cops were called to a local gas station in response to a shooting just after 1 a.m., where they found a victim suffering from multiple gunshot wounds.
Hurricane Chris, born Christopher Dooley Jr., became involved in a dispute with a man he claimed was trying to steal his vehicle.
However, the cops released footage showing Hurricane Chris acting as the aggressor and investigators have learned the vehicle was stolen.
The victim was transported to an area hospital and died from his injuries.
Hurricane Chris is facing a charge of second-degree murder and illegal possession of stolen things.
Ron Suno is one of the originators of the new Brooklyn drill sound, and now his highly-anticipated new album Swag Like Mike is here.
The project aptly arrives on the Juneteeth holiday, celebrating influential figures in the sports and music industry including Michael Jordan, Mike Tyson, and Michael Jackson — also in perfect timing for Black Music Month.
Swag Like Mike serves as Suno’s first LP release with United Masters, with standout features from Smoove’L, Sosa Geek, and Fivio Foreign. “Bussin” featuring Smoove’L is an instant fan favorite, which recently received a standout visual to match. The new music sees Ron promoting black excellence to his fullest potential, spreading positivity and awareness about the power in the black vote.
Most recently, the New York native went viral for his “He From New York” skit, featuring a NY Yankee fitted cap. The most prominent line: “if he wearing his hat to the back, he a cop.” This statement speaks volumes to today’s current times, addressing the struggles black youth face when it comes to encountering police in their neighborhoods.
(AllHipHop News) Kevin Hart is staying busy during the coronavirus lockdown by hosting a virtual celebrity couples challenge.
Celebrity Game Face will feature “outrageous at-home challenges” and feature Hart and his wife Eniko, as well as Terry and Rebecca Crews, Joel and Sarah McHale, and Sarah Hyland and her fiance Wells Adams.
The special, which is being developed by bosses at E!, will feature physical challenges that those watching at home can also join in.
The evening will conclude with the couples being awarded money for the charity of their choice with the winning pair taking home a gold trophy.
The online venture is one of many to feature Hart since the coronavirus lockdown began, including the Feeding America Comedy Festival and At-Home Variety Show.
(AllHipHop News) Tyrese Gibson has come under fire after sharing a controversial Instagram post about “white slaves” in South Africa.
The star posted four photos, including one with a black slave owner holding a gun with three white men chained up, and advised his followers to learn about the “white slaves” and “reverse racism” in the country.
Gibson was swiftly slammed by several prominent South Africans but, instead of apologizing, he shared a controversial video that was later deleted – but not before actor Jamie Foxx called him out.
In the clip, titled “What The Left Won’t Tell You About The Plight Of Black People And The Myth Of Systemic Racism,” compiled by a conservative content group called Media Research Center, a number of interviews with black stars have been edited create narrative that essentially denies racism.
Venting his frustrations, Foxx slammed Gibson, writing: “Huh??… WTF (What The F##k) is this post for??… I’m confused… Race doesn’t matter???!! Look at what we goin threw right now… what does this post mean?? Who is this for??”
He added: “Again I say! What is this post for??? During this horrific time for us? Why are we even talking about what these guys are saying from the comfort of a press junket??”
“Cmon man we can’t be this comfortable. Think about the pain these families are going threw Because of the color of their skin.”
Gibson never responded to Foxx’s replies, and went on to delete his second post, after attracting further criticism from numerous fans online.
(AllHipHop News) The upcoming series “Cracka” is likely to cause a storm of controversy for the premise: “What if the roles were reversed in slavery?”
The movie offers a present-day so-called white supremacist who is magically thrust back in time to an alternate past where Africans enslave whites and rule the land known as America.
A synopsis explains, “In a world where white privilege, systematic oppression, and minority protest in order to break the chains of bondage runs regular, white supremacist Michael Stone is doing everything he can to maintain his privilege by exercising every opportunity to ensure the America he knows and loves continues to remain pure and more importantly, remain white!”
The movie is the brainchild of director Dale Resteghini, a white man born in Boston, Massachusetts that made his mark with rap videos. Resteghini worked with a colorful ensemble of artists including Pitbull, Akon, Lil Wayne, Ice Cube, Guns N Roses, Flo Rida, RZA, TYGA, Soulja Boy, Ty Dolla, Nicki Minaj, Diddy. Now, he is taking his talents in a new, controversial manner.
In the trailer of the movie, which is slated for a fall 2020 release, the protagonist – tatted with racist Nazi symbols – begins to harass an African American motorist. It is at that point that the violence starts. After the lead character rains down blows on the motorist, the pseudo-Nazi returns to his home. He then finds himself staring at the barrel of a shotgun and enslaved.
“Cracka” then relives all of the horrors of slavery such as rape, beatings, and even name changes. The series stars a bevy of talents including Lorenzo Antonucci, Hakeen Kae-Kazim, rapper Saigon, Kathryn Kates, and James Darnell.
The cast isn’t simply Black people perpetrating the same sick injustices as their counterparts.
“Cracka doesn’t just tackle racism; it confronts it in a way you can’t possibly imagine. This unique series forces us – as a people, society, and overall a collective human unit – to look past color, look past our fears and pain, and see ourselves as people through the much-needed lens of love.”
The series does not have a date but is expected to hit in the fall of 2020, just in time for the American presidential election.
(AllHipHop News) Rihanna has partnered with Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey, via her The Clara Lionel Foundation, to donate $15 million towards mental health services in the U.S.
The 32-year-old Work singer’s pledge is a joint venture between her nonprofit and the social media mogul’s #StartSmall initiative, and will help fund mental health services amid the ongoing social unrest and the coronavirus pandemic.
In a statement, representatives from The Clara Lionel Foundation said: “Racial injustices perpetrated by systems built to keep people safe are exacerbating the coronavirus’s mental health impact on individuals and families across the United States.
“Even as the majority of states have begun lifting restrictions in recent days, millions of Americans continue to face daunting challenges when it comes to their health, mental, and economic wellbeing.”
They went on to note the “dramatic rise in demand” for increased providers of mental health and suicide prevention support, “particularly those serving children, at-risk students and LGBTQ youth,” and highlighted cities including Chicago, Illinois, and Newark, New Jersey as places where assistance is particularly required.
“In Newark, which has one of the highest COVID-19 infection rates in the country, senior citizens, low-income families, and homeless individuals are facing impossible decisions everyday: whether to buy groceries or pay utility bills, risk eviction or risk crowded shelters,” they explained. “In Chicago, racial disparities are contributing to alarmingly disproportionate rates of infection and death among Black and Brown people.”
The donation will be distributed between a number of organizations, including the Trevor Project, Newark Emergency Services for Families, Greater Chicago Food Depository, and Bright Star Community Outreach.
It’s the latest in a series of donations from the pop superstar and tech leader, with Rihanna’s foundation alone donating more than $36 million towards coronavirus relief to date.
(AllHipHop News) Cardi B is unimpressed with “thirsty” gossips fabricating stories about her family dynamic and suggesting she doesn’t spend time with her stepchildren.
Cardi and her husband Offset share daughter Kulture, who will turn two next month while the Migos MC is also dad to three other kids from prior relationships.
One of Offset’s exes, model Oriel Jamie, recently shared a snap of the older children enjoying a get-together, prompting bloggers to claim Cardi had apparently snubbed her stepkids by keeping little Kulture away from her half-siblings.
Another social media troll commented online: “She don’t care about them other kids because she wants hers to feel superior to them other ones…”
However, Cardi is making it known that’s not the case at all, sharing personal footage of all of Offset’s offspring hanging out together at their home on Twitter.
In the accompanying caption, the 27-year-old complained: “People be so thirsty to create they own narrative it’s not even funny.”
“Like the fact, you gotta bring kids up to make a narrative (that’s) in your f##kin head is disgusting,” she added, alongside another video.
Cardi then vented about her haters, insisting kids don’t deserve to be dragged into false family drama.
“Imagine not liking me sooo much (that) you gotta (talk) about my family business cause I don’t post it online…,” she wrote. “These weirdos really need mental health (treatment) to be so invested in my life that (they) make (up) a story about my kid.
“It’s a special type of mental illness that when you got nothin else to talk about me you start talking bout my family. People act like they live in your garage.”
(AllHipHop News) Starting today (June 19), ØPUS United is presenting the “We The People” series covering racial injustice in America. The initial Juneteenth conversation is focused on combating systemic racism across media, culture, entertainment, and sports.
CNN contributor and REFORM Alliance CEO Van Jones is hosting the “We The People Juneteenth” panel on Houseparty at 7 pm ET. Hip Hop artist/activist Killer Mike, The Atlantic journalist Jemele Hill, and New York Times bestselling author Elaine Welteroth will join Jones.
“We The People” was launched in response to the killings of Ahmaud Arbery, George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and other African-Americans at the hands of police officers or former law enforcement officials. ØPUS United founder Omar Johnson recently released an open letter to “white corporate America” which addressed anti-Black prejudice.
“For starters, the fact that you’re only asking now is part of the problem. Companies have been profiting off Black culture and Black consumers for decades. Are you just now realizing that all Black lives matter, not just those of Black artists and athletes? Not just Black dollars? Ask yourself, truthfully. That’s step zero,” wrote Johnson.
The former CMO at Beats by Dre and former VP of Marketing at Apple went on to suggest, “Support Black organizations who are fighting to revolutionize criminal justice and public safety in the United States. Invest in Black-owned businesses and Black business leaders. Buy Black. Create a cycle of Black opportunity and Black prosperity. And help shore up our democracy: Be part of the progress. Mobilize voters. Help Black consumers hold politicians accountable. Don’t sit on the sidelines.”
According to the organization’s website, ØPUS United is described as a “multi-disciplined, high-performing collective of strategists, creatives, executives, athletes, and entertainers who know how to power world-class brands.”
(AllHipHop News) People across the country are celebrating Juneteenth today. June 19 marks 155 years since Union army general Gordon Granger informed enslaved Black people in Texas that they were now free.
Juneteenth became a national discussion over the last several weeks because this year’s celebration comes as Black Lives Matter protests have sprung up in all 50 states since the murder of George Floyd. While 47 states and the District of Columbia have recognized Juneteenth as a day of observance, it is still not recognized on the federal level.
Award-winning R&B/Pop singer Usher is calling for the United States government to formally acknowledge Juneteeth. He wrote an op-ed article for the Washington Postunder the headline: “Why it’s so important that Juneteenth become a national holiday.”
I'm sharing an opinion piece I wrote in The @WashingtonPost for Juneteenth which is online now and in print tomorrow. As you celebrate Juneteenth tomorrow, please be loud and proud!! https://t.co/DBPsTdnQxF
“We could observe it, as many black Americans already do, by celebrating both our first step toward freedom as black people in America and also the many contributions to this land: the construction of Black Wall Street; the invention of jazz, rock n’ roll, hip-hop and R&B; and all the entrepreneurship and business brilliance, extraordinary cuisine, sports excellence, political power and global cultural influence black Americans have given the world,” wrote Usher.
The Texas-born/Tennesse-bred/Georgia-based musician added, “And rather than observing Juneteenth as we do other holidays, by taking it off, we can make it a day when black culture, black entrepreneurship, and black business get our support. A national Juneteenth observance can affirm that Black Lives Matter!”
Usher also called on the United States Congress to immediately pass legislation to make Juneteenth a federal holiday. Democratic senators Kamala Harris of California, Tina Smith of Minnesota, Edward Markey of Massachusetts, and Cory Booker of New Jersey announced a bill to make June 19 an annual nationwide celebration.
“As we celebrate today, let’s stay open to possibility. Let’s support black-owned businesses today and every day. Let’s uplift our resilient history. Let’s honor our people. Happy Juneteenth, America,” concluded Usher. Read his full opinion piece here.
Juneteenth is a day to remember the millions who died from enslavement in America, and those who survived and fought to end it. And it needs to be a national holiday.
Juneteenth is the oldest celebration of the end of slavery in the US. And it should be recognized as a federal holiday. @SenMarkey, @SenBooker, @SenKamalaHarris and I are introducing a bill to make this happen. More to come.
Proud to work w/ @SenTinaSmith, @SenBooker, and @SenKamalaHarris to soon introduce a bill to make Juneteenth a federal holiday. June 19, 1865 this nation announced the abolition of slavery. Let’s acknowledge our history and recommit to the struggle for justice. More info to come.
Opal Lee is sharper than most people a quarter of her age. The 93-year old activist has been fighting for years to make Juneteenth a federal holiday and to expand the reach and conversation. For those that don’t know, Juneteenth is the day that enslaved Africans in Galveston, Texas were told that they were free. The holiday is gaining traction quickly, as both Virginia and Virginia have moved to make Juneteenth state holidays. The fight continues. Chuck Creekmur talks to both Opal Lee and NYC rapper Niko Brim for an epic intergenerational conversation that is both fun and informative.
AllHipHop: Okay, all right what day were you born on October the 7th?
Opal Lee: October the seventh 1926
AllHipHop: My daughter was born on the third of October.
Opal Lee: Tell her we need to have a party.
AllHipHop: I just want to say you at the premiere person on the forefront Making Juneteenth a nationally recognized holiday.
Opal Lee: Well, I don’t know that I’m the only one we have an organization called NJOF the National Juneteenth Observers Foundation that’s working just as hard as I am to get Congress and presidents and whomever to make Juneteenth a national holiday. Now, we don’t talk about a paid holiday, but I am delighted to know that there are some companies that have given up their employees off on Juneteenth with pay, oh I could dance a holy dance.
I need to say this because this is actually the 30th year of my father’s passing, but he was born or Juneteenth. So Juneteenth is always an extra special day for me, for not only the implications for black people in America, but it’s my dad’s birthday too.
My son was born on the 16th and he’s my second child, and I just sent him a potted plant up, I don’t like cut flowers, I want you to have something you can grow, you know, and he’s just out of the hospital. He had knee surgery, but he’s doing fine. And he’s, he must be 74 and I have a daughter 76, we’ve been around a little while.
AllHipHop: We do have an audience that’s used on the younger side. So tell folks out here, why Juneteenth is important.
Opal Lee: I will begin from the beginning because there are so many of them that are not aware that slaves were freed on the 19th of June in 1865, but the proclamation had been two and a half years earlier. And these slaves were still slaves until Gordon Granger made his way to Galveston and informed them that they would no longer slaves. And when they did, they begin to celebrate and we’ve been celebrating ever since. Our celebration actually starts with the flag raising and a breakfast of prayer. You’re not to confuse that with a prayer breakfast, a breakfast of prayer where we give. thanks.
You know that slaves, New Year’s Eve would have what was called a watch party, they were watching for freedom to come. So we always begin our celebration with a breakfast of prayer. And we have so many other things other than the festival. We had a food giveaway last year that was off the chain. We had so much food and that’s one of my passions because I was responsible with some other people for starting a food bank that is servicing some 500 families a day.
And you should hear the story of how we had a place that burned. And we rented or leased this place at $4,000 a month and I just nearly had a hemorrhage because I didn’t know where we were gonna get it. But we did pay it for 11 months. And the 12th month when we didn’t have the money. the owners came to us and said, you’re doing a good job. We’re gonna give you this facility. It’s a $1.3 million facility that they gave to our group.
So I want you to know that from that, we have a farm. The Trinity River Authority gave us 13 acres to farm. And I chose to work with people who’ve been incarcerated and couldn’t find a job. We proposed paying them a living wage. And we proposed when they opt out of the program for them to have some certification from one of the colleges around here that says they are a master gardener. They know how to take produce to the market, that they know to how to clean the produce up, they know how to go how to farm, all of these things associated with that farm.
Now Juneteenth is responsible for these things. We don’t want people to think that when we have a festival that’s all we do, because the art, I can’t begin to tell you about the art. The public school permitted the children to be a part of it, and they were given 12 freedoms that the slaves got. And that was that they were able to name themselves. They were able to have children that weren’t taken away from them. That was so many things that a part of that affair of Juneteenth.
AllHipHop: That’s important to note that it’s not just one day, it’s something that is celebrated throughout the whole year.
Opal Lee: I’ve been saying for years, that we ought to have Juneteenth from the 19th to the Fourth of July. Slaves weren’t free on the Fourth of July and we celebrate the hell out of it. So we ought to be doing the same thing with Juneteenth. So let’s combine them. Let’s have something going from the 19th to the Fourth of July. Wouldn’t that be something?
AllHipHop: That would be great and I think we should have, you know, an education across all the schools in America to reorient people to this day so that we all celebrate that day.
Opal Lee: I agree with you wholeheartedly. I know there’s one June cheese book in the libraries in Texas, done by Dr. Charles Taylor, and he’s out of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. I’ve written one for the little ones called “Juneteenth, A Children’s Story,” I want children to have something factual. What we have in the curriculum now is shameful, you know, cotton fields and everybody thinking we would have been picking cotton. I know better than that, you know.
AllHipHop: What would you say is the status, possibly becoming a nationally recognized holiday?
Opal Lee: For Juneteenth to be a national holiday, it means that it’s more than this little lady with tennis shoes and our organization…it means that there are thousands, millions of people who are embracing the idea that we should unite. I’m trying to say that unity means so much, and Juneteenth is the vehicle to get us to unite.
AllHipHop: Now you’ve lived quite a few years and seen so much. Speak on some of the terrorism that you faced in America. When we talk about terrorism often talk about people from other countries. But sometimes this is actually taking place right here against Black people in America.
Opal Lee: I think what you talking about is my parents moved here in 1947. And in 49, they bought a home in a neighborhood where we weren’t wanted. And we didn’t realize it. And on the 19th day of June, they set the house on fire, drug up furniture and stuff out. My parents sent us three or four blocks to Terrell Avenue and that’s why they bought another home years later. But my father came from his job. He had a gun. And the police said if he busted a cap they would let the mob have us.
The newspaper says 500 strong and the police couldn’t control them. But we survived. And I don’t know whether that incident of what has given me the impetus to keep getting people together. If those people had only known that we wanted the same thing, they wanted. A decent place to stay. A decent school, health care, all the things that they wanted and why they were so upset with us, and why people are doing some of the mean hateful things they do is beyond me. Because I keep saying, we all bleed red blood. We all need and want the same things
AllHipHop: So, today we have seen, I think it’s safe to say it’s a reality, a renewed hatred. a true almost. It’s almost hard for me to put it into context because you’re older than me. You’ve seen so much more than I have. But when I was younger, I thought by this time, we would have seen an erasure of this type of racism. But it seems like it’s getting worse and going back to an era that we thought was gone.
Opal Lee: Well, it seems to be a cycle. We were freed, we gained some things. Then we had the area of turmoil with Dr. King and wanting more things. We will we gain some things, but then we’ve got the police brutality, the KKK, the all the really rough things that have come again. And this virus thing is making us realize that we are all in the same boat.
The virus doesn’t decide who, because I’m black, or you’re white, or any of that stuff. And so it’s shaping us up. And the young people who are protesting, I wished I was young enough to get off there with them, but. I can’t, as old as I am, I might give them the virus, but those people are making a difference. They are saying no more, no more, no more. We’ve had enough of it. And I’m hoping those who are empowered will listen to them. And this doesn’t really get out of hand. You know?
AllHipHop: How does Trump measure up to other presidents in your view.
Opal Lee: You not gonna have me talk about that because I don’t want to be cussing on your show.
AllHipHop: You actually can if you want you. You don’t have to but you’re allowed.
Opal Lee: [Laughs} I don’t know if he’s gonna be a catalyst of some kind. If I can get people to go vote, vote, vote, vote, get somebody in power, who can address the things that are happening to us and bless his heart. We pray for him. I don’t know if the prayers will be answered like we want them to be answered because we want him out of office. You see there, I’m getting into something I shouldn’t be.
AllHipHop: Now we have Niko Brim in the building. How are you doing? How did you put this together? One generation sees things one way and the other half sees it another way, but you guys have really done something incredible here. So speak on your relationship and your partnership and how it all started.
Niko Brim: I’ve always been into activism of even when it was feeding people or doing clothes drives and stuff for the kids. And so, you know, I started it a long time ago and then as things started, you know, approaching 2020, and all the crazy violence that has just been going on against black lives,
I’ve just been praying and looking for ways to connect with people who are going for the same thing that I’m going for, which is, you know, humanitarian rights for all people. And somebody that was part of my team was actually familiar with Ms. Opal. We reached out she just dropped so many gems and kept me so inspired. I’m in New York, she’s over in Texas. But you know, we’re coming together to make this happen.
AllHipHop: Talk about your song “Hard to Believe.” It’s a hard-hitting track. I listened to it last night, about three, four times in a row, looking at the lyric sheet, and I was really amazed at how prolific you are on that song. What made you write such a powerful song in an era where with hip-hop, a lot of it is still like there’s no pandemic like there’s no revolution or uprising, but you’re really standing on your square and have in the past to not just now.
Niko Brim: I think that what really keeps me going is, you know, I come from Hip-Hop with my parents, you know what I mean? And I also work very close with a Rapsody, so I just came off a tour. And I think going on tour and seeing what’s been going on, I understand that an artist has to reflect the times. It’s just in my nature, I’m somebody adept. I’m somebody who’s always seen the bigger picture. So because that’s just how I am my music always reflects that. I have to have the conversations that are going on in the world and so I feel like that is what really inspires me.
And also to I feel that a lot of people don’t know our side of the story. They don’t know what you and I have gone through and what we’ve experienced on the other side of systemic oppression. And so, you know, being just inspired enough to take it there.
AllHipHop: Ms. Opal, I have to ask you, what are your thoughts on hip-hop?
Opal Lee: I’ve got two left feet, so I never learned to dance or to move. But I think it’s kind of nice. I don’t always understand it. But I like it.
AllHipHop: Who are your favorite artists?
Opal Lee: Hip-Hop?
AllHipHop: No any artists!
Opal Lee: Of course, I’m an Aretha Franklin person and Nina Simone, I can just name you lots of them, but they’re not coming to mind right now…ohhh and this young fella named, Niko. He’s somebody I’ve learned to like.
AllHipHop: Ms. Opal How you’re a very youthful 90-year-old something-year-old woman. What’s your secret? How do you maintain this vibrance?
Opal Lee: There’s no secret to it. I’ve been working ever since I can remember. And if you are thinking of yourself, you don’t have time to think of others. And from the time I was small, our grandparents taught us that other people who needed things needed to be attended to.
My mother would see after people so it’s sort of in your DNA, to do what you can for those that you can. And it doesn’t have a thing to do with what color you are. I just have to help people, period. That’s why I still take food to people who can’t get it. They’re not all black people. If I can just get you to understand that we need to get together in order to make our world a better place and certainly the United States needs to be a better place.
But we’ve got to let the young people know the rage that they have to channel it and get some people in office. But go and vote. Please channel it. I keep saying that. I love young people. I got so many in my family it’s not even funny. I got about 27 grands and 14-15 great grands, and one or two great great grands. And so young people are part of me, and I embrace them and I don’t be unhappy with them and that Niko kid up there. Oh, I’m gonna adopt him!
(AllHipHop News) Public Enemy is officially back. The politically-charged Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame inductees let loose new visuals for the song “State Of The Union (S###).”
DJ Premier was behind the boards for “State Of The Union,” and the legendary producer makes a cameo in the music video. David C. Snyder is credited as the director of the 190-second clip.
“Our collective voices keep getting louder. The rest of the planet is on our side. But it’s not enough to talk about change. You have to show up and demand change,” says Public Enemy frontman Chuck D. “Folks gotta vote like their lives depend on it, ‘cause it does.”
The groundbreaking Hip Hop group is very clear that they are pushing for Donald Trump to lose his reelection bid to be President of the United States on November 3, 2020. “State Of The Union (S###)” takes direct shots at Trump and his right-wing Make America Great Again political movement.
“Public Enemy tells it like it is. It’s time for [Trump] to GO,” adds PE founding member Flavor Flav. “State Of The Union (S###)” is available for free download at PublicEnemy.com.
It appears some of those tales will be explored on a television series based on Snoop Dogg’s life. He discussed the upcoming program that is currently in the works while chatting with Ebro Darden on Apple Music.
“I’m in a discussion… we’re talking about an anthology,” said the Hip Hop icon. “It’s gonna cover even before my life. My father did two terms in Vietnam. He and my mother came from Mississippi to California. So it’s a backstory before Snoop Dogg was even born, to show you how when Snoop Dogg is born, he’s destined to be the greatest.”
The Doggystyle album creator added, “To get to where I was, I had to go through so much before I was even here, living in the spirit of my mother and my daddy and my grandparents. So that’s why I say I’m one of the grandchildren of the slaves that you couldn’t kill.”
Additionally, Snoop spoke about recording a new collaboration with fellow marijuana connoisseur Willie Nelson and wanting to take part in the Verzuz series. The Long Beach rhymer, aka DJ Snoopadelic, also curated a new exclusive A Black Music Story mix for Apple Music.
“I wanted to find a way to connect the dots by telling the story through the music that was already produced and try to make it make sense for the times that we’re living in right now. So I put together a list of significance that speaks to Black people, Black power, enlightenment, suffering, struggle, and hope,” explained Snoop Dogg.
