(AllHipHop News) Rapper Meek Mill could be coming home, now that a court date is set for an appeal to get the rapper out of prison.

Meek will go before Judge Genece Brinkley on April 16th, in hopes of having his 2-4 year prison sentence overturned.

The rapper, born Robert Williams, has been imprisoned in a Pennsylvania penitentiary since last November, for a serious of minor infractions as he served out probation for a 2008 drug and gun case.

Both a prosecutor and probation officer requested that the “Dreams and Nightmares” performer not be jailed for the alleged violations based on two dropped court cases.

Meek’s lawyer had claimed that a judge was extremely biased when she supposedly asked Meek to leave Jay-Z’s Roc Nation management in order to hire a local manager that she reportedly had a personal relationship with.

The rapper’s evidence gained traction after a Court Clerk slipped him a note during his final hearing, asking for money to pay for her son’s tuition.

Earlier this week, a new article revealed a list of police officers who had a documented history of lying, racial bias, cruelty, or abuse of power, including the cop who originally jailed Meek Mill in 2007.According to the motion, former police officer Jerold Gibson testified under oath that the cop, named Reggie Graham, acknowledged he fabricated his claims that Meek pointed a gun at him when he was originally arrested over a decade ago.

“The news of this secret list, which includes the only officer to testify under oath against Meek Mill, is troubling but not surprising because we knew all along that the information officer Graham gave in court was false,” Meek’s attorney Joe Tacopina told Page Six.

(AllHipHop News) Moroccan-born rapper French Montana is partnering with MTV and Get Schooled to launch the “We Are The Dream” campaign. The initiative is working to amplify resources for undocumented youth and Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients seeking higher education.

“I am one of tens of thousands of first and second generation immigrants that are having a significant positive impact on the United States. We are the Dream,” says Montana. “I am excited to lead others in this fight to ensure Dreamers connect with support they need to get to college and make their American Dream come true.” 

The “We Are The Dream” campaign includes:

• WeAreTheDream.us: A digital hub housing resources and support for undocumented students and their families, including personal stories, information on scholarships, sanctuary colleges and more. The site includes resources from partners including United We Dream, USC’s Pullias Center for Higher Education, and The Dream.US. 
• Text Support: Undocumented students and their families can text “we are the dream” to 33-55-77 with their questions, and a team of trained counselors will answer and connect them with existing resources. All text exchanges are kept confidential. 
• Twitter Chat: On February 21st, Get Schooled will host a Twitter chat with key experts in higher education and immigration to discuss resources available for Dreamers to go to college, as well as answer questions from young Dreamers about possible paths forward.
• We Are The Dream Grants: Schools, colleges, and community-based organizations that are committed to supporting undocumented students’ access to higher education can apply for a grant up to $1,000 from Get Schooled to put their ideas into action. For more information, go to wearethedream.us. Grant will be awarded on a rolling basis; the grant application will close March 30, 2018. 

A 2015 U.S. Department of Education report states about 65,000 undocumented students graduate from high school each year, and only 5-10% of those students go on to achieve higher education. California, Minnesota, New Mexico, Oregon, Texas and Washington allow undocumented students to receive state financial aid even though they cannot access federal aid.

“The path from high school to college is confusing and stressful for the average high school senior, but even more so for undocumented students,” said Marie Groark, Executive Director of Get Schooled. “We are excited to partner with MTV to spread awareness among undocumented students and their allies that resources are available, college is possible, and they are not alone in their quest to get an education.”   

(AllHipHop News) The Big Baller Brand is continuing its attempt to dominate every aspect of global entertainment. Love them or hate them, the Balls have turned media attention into a lucrative family-based business.

Lonzo Ball decided to honor his sometimes controversial dad on wax. The Los Angeles Lakers rookie created the record titled “LaVar” a tribute to the patriarch LaVar Ball.

“Y’all can hate him, that’s my pops though. First one that steals for me when it got cold. Listen to the story, not just how it’s told. Yelling he the devil, but yet you the one that sold your soul,” raps Zo on “LaVar.”

The 20-year-old part-time rapper dropped the Born 2 Ball mixtape on February 15 via Big Baller Music Group/80s Baby Ent. Lonzo’s debut project features cuts with Kenneth Paige and DC the DON.

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(AllHipHop News) Last September, G Herbo released his debut studio album. Humble Beast included 15 tracks and features by Lil Uzi Vert, Lil Bibby, Bump J, Lil Yachty, and Jeremih.

Herbo is back this week with a deluxe version of the LP. The new edition adds 12 more songs with contributions from Chance The Rapper, Blac Youngsta, and Lil Durk.

Chance jumped on a remix to the standout Lil Uzi-assisted “Everything.” The two Chicago natives previously connected for Herb’s “Fight or Flight (Remix)” which also included legendary Windy City emcee Common.

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(AllHipHop News) The enigmatic Kanye West returned to Instagram this week in order to celebrate famous love. A Valentine’s Day message to his wife Kim Kardashian, as well as a series of pictures featuring celebrity couples, were uploaded to the Hip Hop superstar’s IG page.

As of today (February 16), Ye has once again deleted his account. The Life Of Pablo album creator is still staying away from Twitter too.

West’s V-Day photo spread garnered a ton of likes on the social media site, but the posts also led to speculation he was being shady towards a frenemy. The hosts of Everyday Struggle debated whether the omission of Jay-Z and Beyoncé was meant to be a slight directed at Kanye’s Watch The Throne collaborator.

Other celebs – such as Barack Obama & Michelle Obama, Jennifer Aniston & Brad Pitt, Will Smith & Jada Pinkett, and Whitney Houston & Bobby Brown – were included in the photos. But Hov and Bey were not part of West’s public expression of well-known affection.

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(AllHipHop News) There have been some detractors that have tried to downplay the cultural impact of Black Panther for the African-American community. The movie’s lead actor, Chadwick Boseman, countered that negative narrative by sharing personal moments during a cast panel discussion on Sway In The Morning.

“I think we’re all watching what’s happening. This has taken on a life of its own. You can’t help but to see the video of kids responding to the fact they’re going to the movie,” said Boseman. “For myself, I get the benefit of sending some people, some kids in my hometown and knowing this is going to be a great experience for them.”

The Howard University graduate also began to cry while talking about two young cancer patients who were looking forward to the release of the film. According to Boseman, the kids recently passed away.

“Throughout our filming, I was communicating with them knowing that they were both terminal. What they said to me and [what] their parents said is they’re just trying to hold on until this movie comes,” expressed Boseman. “To a certain degree, you hear them say that and you’re like, ‘Wow. I gotta get up and go to the gym. I gotta get up and go to work. I gotta learn these lines. I gotta work on this accent.'”

He added, “Seeing how the world has taken this on, seeing how it’s taken on a life of its own, I realized they anticipated something great… So what put me back in the mind of being a kid, just to experience those two little boys’ anticipation of this movie and found out that they… it means a lot.”

Later, Ryan Coogler (director), Danai Gurira (Okoye), and Lupita Nyong’o (Nakia) spoke about how moviegoers of all races and nationalities can connect with the themes of Black Panther. Nyong’o stated, “This story is about embracing of self, embracing your identity, knowing where you’re from, being proud of where you’re from, celebrating where you’re from. That is really transcending the culture of this particular film.”

Black Panther is now available in theaters nationwide.

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(AllHipHop News) Gazzy “Lil Pump” Garcia doesn’t seem to be worried about getting arrested this week. TMZ caught up with the “Gucci Gang” rapper outside the Sylmar Juvenile Court in California, and Pump was mostly focused on the abilities of his legal team.

“We got rich lawyers. We got real lawyers. The best lawyers on the planet,” stated the 17-year-old Florida native.

Pump then showed off his ankle monitor. He also spit a short freestyle about house arrest and popping Xanax.

News broke this week that Lil Pump was taken into custody following a firearm being discharged in his San Fernando Valley home. His management claimed a group of men tried to enter the apartment and Pump returned fire at them.

However, police investigators believe Pump likely fired the shot by accident. Authorities recovered a handgun, ammunition, and marijuana at the location.

(AllHipHop News) Donald Glover is to perform as Childish Gambino at Britain’s Lovebox festival for a farewell gig before retiring his rap alter ego.

The actor, writer, and musician revealed last year that his next Childish Gambino album, the follow-up to 2016’s Awaken, My Love!, would be his last under the stage name.

Bosses at the London event announced 34-year-old Donald as one of this year’s Lovebox headliners. It marks the only gig to date that Donald has announced since he confirmed plans to retire Childish Gambino in January.

Demand for the star has rocketed in recent years after the success of his TV comedy-drama Atlanta, which he writes and stars in.

He can next be seen as young Lando Calrissian in “Solo: A Star Wars Story,” and despite his full schedule, last month he announced his farewell album would be released this year.

N.E.R.D. and grime star Skepta are also headlining Lovebox. Diplo, Action Bronson, Big Boi, and SZA, who is billed as a “very special guest” are set to play at the festival as well, which will take place in London’s Gunnersbury Park on July 13th and 14th.

(AllHipHop News) Rapper Drake recently surprised a hotel maid in Miami, Florida by treating her to a private shopping spree after learning about her daily four-hour commute to work.

The “God’s Plan” hitmaker read all about Odalie Paret in a 2017 profile piece for the Miami Herald newspaper, in which she explained how she has to take two buses to get to work at the luxury Fontainebleau Miami Beach hotel, where the Haitian mother-of-five has been employed as a housekeeper for more than two decades.

Her story inspired Drake to show her some love while he was in the city earlier this month, and he arranged for Paret to be offered a massage in the hotel spa, followed by dinner at a top steakhouse – all while keeping his identity as her benefactor a secret.

She was then chauffeured to a Saks Fifth Avenue store, which had been closed to the public, where she was met by Drake and American footballer Antonio Brown, a Miami native, who encouraged her and two other women to enjoy a 45-minute shopping spree on them.

“I always just saw him on the TV. So I said, ‘Drake!'” Paret recalled to the Miami Herald about coming face-to-face with the generous star. “It made me happy… I thank him so much.”

She ended up treating herself to two pairs of pricey shoes, a $2,000 Valentino handbag, four perfumes, and a $6,000 white gold necklace with diamonds.

Pittsburgh Steelers star Antonio documented the act of kindness in a video posted on his Snapchat account, in which Drake is featured saying, “See what we’re doing, man? Took the ladies out for a nice little shopping spree today. Giving back, that’s what we do.”

The special trip took place during Drake’s week of giving in Miami at the start of February, when he made a $25,000 donation to Miami Senior High School and gave students clothes from his OVO brand, before going on to surprise student Destiny Paris James by giving her a $50,000 check towards her University of Miami tuition.

He also spent an estimated $50,000 paying for groceries for shoppers at the Sabor Tropical Supermarket and donated $50,000 to a homeless shelter for women and children

Reports suggest the kind gestures were filmed for inclusion in his upcoming music video for the song God’s Plan.

After the giving spree, he took to Instagram and gushed, “Last 3 days were the best I have had in a very long time…there’s nothing like seeing people experience a joyful moment when you can tell they need it the most.”