(AllHipHop News)Hollywood’s Bleeding is once again the highest-selling album of the week. Post Malone’s third studio LP topped the Billboard 200 chart for the fourth time.
Hollywood’s Bleeding became the first album to lead the Billboard 200 for at least four weeks in 2019. It topped the tally for three weeks before DaBaby’s Kirk, SuperM’s The 1st Mini Album, and AI YoungBoy 2 each spent a weekat #1.
A Boogie wit da Hoodie’s Hoodie SZNandBillie Eilish’s When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? spent three non-consecutive weeksat Number One this year. Projects by 21 Savage, Juice WRLD, Ariana Grande, and Ed Sheeran clocked in two weeks in the pole position.
In addition, Hollywood’s Bleeding is now Post Malone’s longest-running Number One album of his career. 2018’s Beerbongs & Bentleys capped the album sales rankings for three weeks.
(AllHipHop News) Dave East will no longer have to worry about battery charges in Las Vegas, Nevada. TMZ reports that the criminal case has been dismissed.
The celebrity news website broke the story of the alleged violent incident inside a Vegas hotel involving East. Originally, the outlet claimed the Harlem rapper attacked an unnamed woman over a threesome gone wrong.
East took the opportunity to fire back at TMZ. The Wu-Tang: An American Saga actor posted about the updated legal situation on his Instagram page.
He wrote:
I TOLD YALL I WAS INNOCENT ♂️ HOW IMA FUCC UP A 3SOME SHITTIN ME LOST A WHOLE MOVIE ROLE OVER THIS FAKE NEWS ITS ALL GOOD CANT STOP WHAT ALLAH GOT PLANNED. OH YEAH @tmz_tv SUCC MY DICC..GOD BLESS & SHOUTS TO MY LAWYER U DA ILLEST SURVIVAL NOVEMBER TH ♂️
Back in September, Dave East’s attorney, Stacey Richman, gave a statement to AllHipHop. His legal team insisted the emcee born David Brewster Jr. was the actual victim.
“The woman threw a soap dispenser and bottles of champagne at Dave. One of the bottles shattered on the wall, sending glass flying and cutting Dave. Another bottle hit Dave with force in the head. The woman sought to continue her assault,” stated Richman.
The attorney continued, “Dave did not respond with violence. Instead, Dave was concerned for everyone’s safety. Dave justifiably took the woman by the arm and put her out of the room. Dave did not assault anyone. He was ordered by his doctor to get [a] CAT scan after the incident. We are waiting on the results. It was later learned that the woman had [secured] Dave’s phones in her handbag.”
(AllHipHop News) Kanye West finally released his ninth studio LP, Jesus Is King, on Friday. The project rose to #1 on the U.S. iTunes chart. But where will it land on the Billboard 200 next week?
According toHitsDailyDouble, Jesus Is King is on pace to debut at Number One. Kanye’s Gospel-rap album is projected to open with 225,000 – 275,000 units.
2018’s Ye collected 208,000 album-equivalent units in the first week of release and landed at #1. At the time, West was embroiled in controversy surrounding his support for Donald Trump and his comments suggesting slavery in America was a choice.
Last year also saw Kanye West drop the joint project, Kids See Ghosts, with Kid Cudi. That body of work debuted at #2 on the Billboard 200 with 142,000 album-equivalent units.
(AllHipHop Rumors) I didn’t realize that Lil Wayne was engaged to Dhea or maybe I did and forgot! They were ENGAGED for EIGHT years! How does that even work? They called it a day after they failed to get married. Now they are saying that the homie Wayne decided to get engaged to another woman! That was fast, but she is a beaut!
Latecia Thomas! They are saying you are plus-sized, but I am thinking you are perfect sized! She is walking around with a gigantic rock on her ring finger, but does that mean she is married to WEEZY? Tell me what you think?
(AllHipHop Opinion) Long ago I began casting down idols, even if they truly inspired me. But here ‘Ye go again with another iteration of helping to shape how I approach what I create, even if this time it’s from a place of what I don’t want to do. Because a background in ministry roots so much of the music I make, people have been asking me for months what I think about Kanye’s current movements.
A little context. I happen to be a hip-hop artist who has also been a spiritual journeyman within and without Christian communities. I was raised and am licensed to preach in the (black) Baptist church. My Sunday school classrooms displayed images of black Moses, black Jesus, as well as Harriet Tubman, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Malcolm X (who wasn’t even Christian). I went to a Lutheran middle school; I was a youth leader in both a Vineyard church and a Presbyterian church. I believe the Bible and the Koran are sacred texts, among others like Toni Morrison’s Beloved. And I once performed for His Holiness the 17th Karmapa at a historic interdenominational church .
I believe my unnamed ancestors carry me – especially those who engaged with African indigenous spiritual practices and performance that was infused with Christianity to create what now looks and sounds like the black church experience. While I attended Yale Divinity School I had to reconcile the thick identity of my blackness with the realization that I had been following the same religious belief system manipulated to build capitalism and oppress my ancestors. Black Liberation and Womanist Theology got me there. Do your googles b.
Although I honor and cherish the holiness of any human connection to Spirit, I call myself a follower of Jesus because I’ve had multiple encounters. Including the one where my grandmothers literally prayed me into the world in Jesus’ name after labor complications left doctors determining that I would be born brain dead.
Somewhere along the way I fell in love with music. Honestly, it was probably in church. I definitely used to rap in church. “Jesus Walks” showed me that I could somehow blend my passion for rap with a unique perspective on the world grounded in spiritual curiosity and black identity. And then Ye went on, prophetically, to say “George Bush doesn’t care about black people.” I was in High School and needed that type of representation. Where that Kanye has gone, I don’t know. But I do know that he has always operated with a controversial fervor. I don’t think that has shifted.
I think Kanye is earnest. I think he believes in everything he’s doing. When has he ever lacked conviction, for better or worse? So, I disagree with writers and pundits who say he’s being manipulative. I don’t believe he, himself, has any clandestine mission to use religion just to sell merch. These types of conspiracy theories belittle an orientation towards vulnerability that so often escapes black cishet men, a vulnerability that Kanye has carried (again, for better or worse) throughout his public career. But, maybe that’s another article.
I also think Kanye has had serious spiritual warfare for some time now and he’s seeking freedom in a real way. You know a tree by the fruit it bears, and we can hear the warfare riddled across his music if you listen with a compassionately discerning ear. On his latest album Jesus is King, particularly “Water,” there seem to be flashes of the sincere light and clarity Ye’ is seeking and wants to reflect. But also (and maybe this is just my issue with Western Christianity in general), Kanye’s theologies and ideologies are aligned with the same white supremacist articulations of faith and history that kept black folks enslaved and other non-’default’ folks discriminated against. This alignment triggers the crisis I confronted in divinity school. So, to me it only makes sense that Kanye has publicly and resiliently supported someone who has manipulated a belief system to attain power. Kanye regurgitates these theologies and ideologies in some places on the album, as well as throughout his SundayServices. It’s limiting. It’s restrictive. It’s ahistorical. It’s not oriented toward the abundant life Jesus calls us toward.
But because Kanye is putting a black musical mask over white supremacist ideology, it can be intoxicating. If Jesus is King says anything, it says that Kanye is still really good a making music (not necessarily lyrical content). And he can still move people. Musically, what he’s doing – blending sounds and genres – isn’t really new. The blend reminds me of Kirk Franklin, Mary Mary, Lecrae, Big K.R.I.T. and Chance. But he is putting his quintessential ‘Ye sound on it. The abrupt yet crispy sample chops, the distortions, the use of the voice – it’s all there. But lyrically there is so much left to be desired. In so many spots I just wanted him to let the music rock without his raps, much like “Every Hour.” And from what I can tell, Christians accept it at the outset without true examination. Some folks just want to hear Jesus. ‘Ye is giving that. I get it.
It’s not lost on me, though, that Kanye seems to be at a pretty early stage in his faith journey so we get some Bible thumping and fervent legalism. Truthfully, most folks assume this type of posture when introduced to a belief system or experience that changes their entire life. Think about your friend who just turned vegan. Or your cousin who just started high-intensity interval training. Or your aunt who just got introduced to Facebook or Apple products. Folks do too much. Kanye is no different.
The truth is, there are so many of us artists who actually are in tune with political realities and cultural queues; who have our feet on the ground, our hearts on our sleeve, and our heads in the clouds; who are creating fire music, provocative content and innovative experiences for such a time as this. It is possible to follow Jesus, be black, and radically critique the religious systems that claim Jesus as their head. It is possible to explore freedom without condemning other paths towards similar destinations. And it is possible for unique people to contain complex identities while also creating beautiful things that move the crowd. So back to the gumbo I go…
• • •
JP Reynolds is an innovative artist, performer and songwriter with an eclectic sound. As the creator of “rap gumbo,” JP’s music is a powerful blend of hip hop, jazz, funk, gospel and soul. His persona and style is often described as a love child between Lauryn Hill and Jimi Hendrix. In addition, he performs with a full band, which further defines the overall musical experience of seeing JP live. He is the founder of Peace and Power Media, an artistic hub that produces music, visual content, and written text. Catch up with him here.
Victims were airlifted to local hospitals, as police unsuccessfully hunted for the shooter.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims, families, and friends of those affected by this morning’s shooting in Greenville, Texas, University spokesman Michael Johnson said in a statement.
The FBI, and the Texas Rangers currently investigating the deadly shooting and hunting for the suspect.
(AllHipHop News) DJ Premier is to return with a new Gang Starr album, nine years after the death of rapper Guru.
The new record, One of the Best Yet, the hip-hop duo’s first since 2003, will feature Guru’s previously recorded vocals, as well as J. Cole, Q-Tip, Royce Da 5’9″, and Talib Kweli.
Premier recorded the new album with an urn holding his old musical partner’s ashes on his production console.
He revealed how emotional he was to be working on music with his late pal.
“This album means everything to me. It’s a continuation of what I never wanted to end” explained DJ Premier, real name Christopher Edward Martin. “It’s a very foreign place for me and very emotional. I get happy, sad, excited; my feelings are kind of all over the place. But predominantly, just very happy to be making music with Guru again.”
Recalling how he never gave up on making a new Gang Starr record, he added: “I never lost faith, or wavered. I still felt it inside of me, it just happened to be nine years later (after Guru’s passing). We all want the things we want right now, but I am a patient guy. I hung in there and I just kept believing.”
J. Cole’s contribution, a single called “Family and Loyalty,” has already been released, with the rest of the album out on November 1.
(AllHipHop News) Kanye West urged his Jesus Is King album collaborators to fast and abstain from premarital sex while they were working with him.
During an interview with Zane Lowe on his Beats 1 radio show, the rapper, a born-again Christian, admits he found ways to test people, believing his insight would help them deliver a more powerful record.
”I was asking people to fast during the album,” he tells Lowe. “I was asking people to… there’s times where I was asking people to not have premarital sex while they were working on the album.
“Seriously, there’s times where I was… where I went to people who were working on other projects and said, ‘Could you just work and focus on this’.
“I thought, ‘If we could all focus and fast… I mean, it’s known when people pray together… families that pray together, stay together. When people pray together and fast together, the power is increased.”
Kanye also used the interview to renew his pledge to run for the U.S. presidency, adding, “There will be a time when I will be the President of the U.S.”
He first made his presidential dreams known two years ago, announcing his plans to run for the top office in the 2020s.
(AllHipHop News) Rapper Blueface escaped some serious charges earlier this week in California.
A felony gun case against the popular rapper was thrown out of court earlier this week when prosecutors admitted they did not have enough evidence against him.
Blueface, real name Johnathan Michael Porter, ran afoul of the law in February of 2019 after police received 911 calls about gang members who had congregated on a street in downtown Los Angeles.
Blueface was booked with felony possession of carrying a loaded firearm and was locked up until he posted $35,000 bail.
In the end, video evidence exonerated Blueface and resulted in all of the charges being dropped.
“Video evidence demonstrated the police misidentified Blueface possessing a gun,” Alex Kessel, told TMZ. “Justice prevails through video evidence, a fair judge and a bulldog attorney. A rapper prevails on the merits of the case, not his celebrity status.”
(AllHipHop News) Chris Brown and Drake look set to dominate the 2019 Soul Train Awards after landing a string of top nominations.
The former rivals-turned-collaborators lead the field of contenders for the BET prizegiving, with Brown picking up eight nods, including Best R&B/Soul Male Artist, and Album/Mixtape of the Year for Indigo.
His recent track with Drake, “No Guidance,” is in the running for Video of the Year and Song of the Year.
The Canadian rapper, who is up for seven awards, has double the chance of winning the latter category thanks to his appearance on Summer Walker’s “Girls Need Love (Remix).”
Beyonce and Lizzo follow closely behind with six nominations, with the stars both competing for Best R&B/Soul Female Artist, as well as Song of the Year for their respective hits “Before I Let Go” and “Juice.”
The winners of the 2019 Soul Train Awards are set to be unveiled in Las Vegas on November 17.
(AllHipHop Rumors) Look at the landscape of the game. It is a mess! A whole shambles! I know “The Man” on high is looking at this circus like Ringling Brothers! I am the wolf though! I don’t do the circus, but I sure can watch.
This really started way back when Kanye FIRST met with President Trump and Meek tried to talk him out of doing it. Well, not only did Kanye do it, but Yeezy decided to take ot to the next level and support the president in his run for re-election. He’s like his biggest supporter where people like Omarosa have fallen off. So, it has been pretty quiet, but it is now time to do strategic interviews and promote the album.
And, Big Boy is the chosen one! He mentioned Meek and this is what Kanye Westworld said.
I am going to go ahead and say that Meek is stating that Kanye is out there in his own world, without the support and respect of his peers. What do you think?
All of this makes me miss when Kanye and Amber Rose were drinking Henny on red carpets. Drink more and talk less!
(AllHipHop News) Kanye West has blamed a copy of Playboy magazine he saw when he was just five years old for developing a “full-blown addiction” to pornography.
The 42-year-old rapper opened up about a variety of topics in a wide-ranging interview with Zane Lowe on Apple Music’s Beats 1, including his recent decision to “kick” his p### habit.
“Playboy was my gateway into full-blown pornography addiction,” he said. “My dad had a Playboy left out at age five, and it’s affected almost every choice I made for the rest of my life. From age five to now having to kick the habit. And it just presents itself in the open, like it’s OK. And I stand up and say, you know, it’s not OK.”
The father-of-four added that God helped him beat the addiction, explaining: “With God, I’ve been able to beat things that had a full control of me.”
Kanye also struggled with an addiction to sex following the death of his mother Donda in 2007.
“My mom had passed a year before, and I had said, ‘Some people drown themselves in drugs. And I drown myself in my addiction.’ Sex. And that’s what fed the ego, too. Money, clothes, cars, accolades, social media, paparazzi photos, going to Paris fashion week, all of that,” he added.
Now he’s got his life back on track, thanks to his religious conversion, Kanye thinks of himself as “no longer an entertainer” but a “Christian innovator.”
“Now that I’m in service to Christ, my job is to spread the gospel, to let people know what Jesus has done for me,” he explained. “I’ve spread a lot of things. There was a time I was letting you know what high fashion had done for me, I was letting you know what the Hennessey (Cognac) had done for me, but now I’m letting you know what Jesus has done for me, and in that I’m no longer a slave, I’m a son now, a son of God. I’m free.”
(AllHipHop Rumors) Iggy Azalea has wiped her Instagram page clean amid rumors of a feud with fellow rapper Cardi B.
The “Fancy” hitmaker abruptly unfollowed Cardi B on Twitter earlier this week.
Now she has drawn the attention of fans once more by deleting every picture she had previously published on photo-sharing app Instagram.
Iggy made the social media moves shortly after Cardi became tied up in headlines for suggesting her success has paved the way for more female rappers to be signed by major labels in the music industry.
Iggy has yet to comment on the Cardi feud speculation or explain why she decided to wipe her Instagram profile clean.
I’m Lying ? So you tell me what rappers was giving features to female rappers? What label was pushing a female rapper? What tv music show was inviting female rappers .Only 2 female rappers for years and one ain’t last to long ……now you tell me! I wanna see something? https://t.co/WiFXn1yRiP
And for the slow ones again NO ain’t made females want to rap cause b###### been rapping b###### been have talent but the music industry wasn’t believing and s####### on female rappers .and that’s Big Bentley.
(AllHipHop Music) 2019 has been an action-packed year for Atlanta native Lacy The Great as he released his ‘Peace Of Mind’ project and “No City Girls” single.
He has been delivering music with substance!
Lacy also connected with G.O.O.D. Music’s Malik Yusef and Taylor Gang in Los Angeles, at Universal Music Group’s studio, where he performed a 40 minute set.
The inspiration of “No City Girls” came from Lacy talking to his friend about a girl he hooked him up with.
“I told him how she was different. She wasn’t trying to twerk everywhere she went. She wasn’t loud and ghetto and saying n*ggas ain’t sh*t. She was literally a girl my mom would want me to date. I told my homeboy I’m done with “city girls,” said Lacy.
The inspiration for the ‘Peace Of Mind’ project came from the love of storytelling from Lacy’s perspective of things that he went through, and also what his friends around him went through as well. He sought to tell all of their stories. The project also boasts a feature from House 9 Jayxen.
Drawing influences from Lauryn Hill, Nas, UGK, and 8 Ball & MJG, the southern-bred artist has been recording music for 10 years.
Lacy began rapping at the age of 7, and by age 13, he was rapping and recording. He also drew influence from his father who was a former DJ and break dancer.
Additionally, Lacy drew inspiration from Roscoe Dash.
“I thought if he could make it, I could also, and he’s from my city. I was made fun of for chasing my music dreams when I was in school. I’ve been doing music for almost 11 years. 8 of those years I was picked on and not being taken seriously. I feel like I came into my own around maybe the age of 19, and ever since then, I always had a chip on my shoulder to prove the doubters wrong,” said Lacy.
(AllHipHop Features) Kanye West is the most polarizing figure in Hip-Hop and probably second only to his “dragon energy” comrade Donald Trump in the general market. Jesus Is King is the album of the hour, but way before that, MC Hammer basically started the notion of Christianity in rap music.
The Oakland rapper continued to push his brand of positive rap music well after YO! MTV Raps and Rap City propelled it to the masses. In an interview conducted prior to the release of Jesus Is King, AllHipHop’s Chuck “Jigsaw” Creekmur talked to the entertainment great about his contemporary as he promoted a pre-Thanksgiving show that boasts Bay legends Digital Underground and Tony! Toni! Toné!(Click here for tickets)
Hammer’s thoughts on Kanye show candor, restraint and empathy, even as Kanye keeps folks pondering his support of Trump, comments on slavery and bold proclamation that he’s “unquestionably, undoubtedly the greatest human artist of all time.”
AllHipHop: People have been talking about you a lot lately. One thing that people have brought your name up about is this whole gospel rap situation. Particularly honestly around Kanye, but not limited to it’s a whole genre now.
MC Hammer: Not one of the first, Chuck – the first. That’s the lens I’m talking about. In things concerning me we don’t have to pretend now, we have 30 years in hindsight. I pioneered (Christian Hip-Hop) in 1987 on a record called “Son of the King.” It’s on the Let’s Get It Started album. Now, if it’s somebody you have this before that you can enlighten me. And then I went from that to “Pray” (1990) after that, you can talk about all the other people who came. There has been a lot of them. They’ve done a good job with it. What is the actual question? What do I think of like somebody doing it today?
AllHipHop: Yeah, what are your thoughts on it today Are your thoughts on it today?
MC Hammer: I mean, you could ask me what you want to ask me. You can be specific.
AllHipHop: A lot of people have an issue with Kanye West to be quite honest and frank, specifically him, for a number of reasons. And some of it, you know, is based on his recent past and some of the comments and affiliations (like Donald Trump). I’m not trying to lead you there with it, but just saying that is part of the reason why there is an issue. Some of it is his depiction of himself as Jesus. I’m not trying to lead you to any particular answer, but he is the most prominent person right now doing it.
MC Hammer: Right. So ask your question. I hear what you’re saying, but you have to ask me a question, if you want to ask me something about Kanye and say his name and say what the question is and then I try to get you to answer based on your question. I understand the elements and understand the overall question about Kanye and so forth and so on and what he’s doing?
AllHipHop: Just to speak to the conflicting ideas around his brand of Hip-Hop. There’s also imagery of him positioning himself in a light almost like a cult leader. I’m not saying that he’s doing that, but I’m saying that visually, sometimes that’s what it looks like. And as a Christian myself, I have some concerns. We all know historically Christianity has been misused for Black people and white people and others to guide them a certain way. So, I mean, that’s my statement. My question to you is, you know, do you have any feelings around the use of Christianity this way?
MC Hammer: Well, well are you saying around Christianity or Kanye using Christianity? Is that your question?
AllHipHop: Yeah at this point, Kanye.
MC Hammer: My apprehension about being judgmental of anybody who is proclaiming what is the title of the album? Again?
AllHipHop: The title of this album is Jesus Is King.
MC Hammer: I don’t have any issues with that… So any man that, that take the position did have some courage from their convictions to say, Jesus is King. You and I both as Christians, we don’t take no issue with that.
AllHipHop: There’s a legacy here that goes back. Obviously we’re in the present day and a whole lot may have changed. Who knows? I’m just saying that it’s almost contradictory in some ways than previous messaging.
MC Hammer: That’s for you to say. That’s not for me to say. This would be my next statement concerning Kanye. As a man and a human being, I happen to love him. I’ve seen the complete journey, as we all have in the past couple of years. So I’m going continue to love Kanye through the journey and if the journey takes him to Jesus is King, then I’ll be happy for him and his family.
All the other things, that’s for everybody else to deal with because it’s right in front of you. And beyond Kanye, there is a bigger picture, a bigger discussion to have about the entire positioning of Hip-Hop and Hip-Hop culture based on what we see right in front of us. And then when we choose to say we judging that or judging that person or judging this specific action versus when we want to say no today, that’s okay with me. I’ll also like today, this is not okay with me, but yesterday it was. It’s beyond Kanye. Don’t, don’t just try to put all of it on Kanye. Everybody is complicit essentially from the side of those who make profits off of writing about it, selling the ads and everything else. Everybody’s complicit So where we are is beyond Kanye and nobody’s going to want to take responsibility because its blood on everybody’s hands.
The culture, the business side, let’s take the fans out of it, the journalistic side has been anointing different individuals even right now, right? And these individuals they know everything. I take no issues with the artists because the artists have not hid they hand, they have not done nothing but spoke their truth. My name is artists, “X, Y, Z.” I want you to take a hundred of these pills. I want you to do this. This is what I’m about. And the artists have not lied to you. They told you who they are, they put it right in front of you and then the culture is to anoint or not anoint them. We are where we are.
AllHipHop: From my point of view it ain’t nothing I can do about it. It’s out of my hands. Trust me. I’ve been trying to nudge the culture a certain way, not forcing any specific way, but it goes where it wants to go. We just have to go with it and pick and choose our spots.
MC Hammer: I know you, Chuck. I was out of generalizing because I don’t want to over-focus on just Kanye and his journey. It’s very important from my perspective that Kanye be allowed to continue upon his journey and let’s see where his journey takes him and us. Right?
But the bigger picture is we got a whole lot beyond Kanye, I tell you that.
(AllHipHop News) Kanye West has finally delivered his highly-anticipated gospel album to fans, 12 hours later than previously scheduled.
The rapper had initially intended to release Jesus Is King in late September, but the project failed to materialize on streaming services, and instead, Kanye hosted a series of album listening parties.
He then promised to drop the new music at midnight on Friday (October 25th).
But again the deadline came and went, and at 1am, the “Stronger” hitmaker returned to Twitter to explain that he and his engineers were still working to finalize the tunes.
“To my fans, Thank you for being loyal & patient,” he wrote. “We are specifically fixing mixes on Everything We Need, Follow God & Water. We not going to sleep until this album is out!”
The news didn’t sit well with his followers, but Kanye managed to complete the finishing touches in time to share Jesus Is King on Friday afternoon.
The album’s launch coincides with the release of an accompanying Jesus Is King IMAX documentary, which strips down Kanye’s popular weekly Sunday Service gospel events.
(AllHipHop News) Earlier this month, Tyga announced his new record deal with Columbia Records. The California-based rapper has now dropped “Mamacita,” his first song via the major music label.
T-Raww linked up with fellow West Coaster YG and Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Carlos Santana for the “Mamacita” music video. The visuals were directed by Tyga and Arrad Rahgoshay for Riveting Entertainment. Actor DannyTrejo (Desperado, From Dusk till Dawn, Machete) makes a cameo in the clip.
In addition, Tyga will host a Halloween-themed event titled “Mamacita of the Dead” at the Yamashiro restaurant in Hollywood. The Haunted Hell House is scheduled to take place on October 29 and 30.
“This is something I always wanted to do. I love Halloween and wanted the opportunity to present my vision for it. Dare to Enter. You may never want to leave Mamacita’s embrace,” says Tyga.
(AllHipHop News) Entertainment icon Eddie Murphy is already getting award-season buzz for his portrayal of Rudy Ray Moore in Netflix’s Dolemite Is My Name. Veteran filmmaker Craig Brewer (Hustle & Flow, Empire) was in the director’s chair for Dolemite Is My Name, and he recently talked about working with Murphy for the Blaxploitation-era biopic.
“On Dolemite, we found our turf. He’s got a process and I really believe in arming actors and actresses with whatever they need for their process,” says Brewer about Murphy. “I’m making their movie with them. They don’t have to bend into my ways or will.”
The filmmaker adds, “After Dolemite, there was some trust. Not only is he one of our few true movie stars that we have left, but he’s a tremendously gifted actor. I think because he deals in comedy, people don’t recognize that.”
Dolemite Is My Name is not only being viewed by some movie buffs as a comeback vehicle for Eddie Murphy, but it could also serve as a return to the mainstream for Wesley Snipes. The acting legend known for motion pictures such as New Jack City, White Men Can’t Jump, and Blade has a supporting role in the R-Rated feature.
Brewer professes, “After working with [Snipes] on Dolemite Is My Name – the first time we met for dinner it was really like it was two guys that I think felt like we needed to work together.”
Murphy, Snipes, and Brewer are also reuniting for the upcoming sequel to the classic 1998 comedy Coming To America. Eddie Murphy is once again taking on the role of Zamunda’s Prince Akeem Joffer with Wesley Snipes playing the new character General Izzi. The Coming 2 America cast also includes Arsenio Hall, Jermaine Fowler, Kiki Layne, Tracy Morgan, Leslie Jones, Teyana Taylor, Rick Ross, and James Earl Jones.
Craig Brewer’s Dolemite Is My Name starring Eddie Murphy and Wesley Snipes is now available for streaming on Netflix. Keegan-Michael Key, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Mike Epps, Craig Robinson, Tituss Burgess, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Snoop Dogg, Ron Cephas Jones, Barry Shabaka Henley, Tip ‘TI” Harris, Luenell, and Tasha Smith make appearances in the movie as well. Plus, the costumes were designed by Academy Award winner Ruth E. Carter (Black Panther).
